A/u: This work is something I'd been building piece by piece. It will not have a specific update day and it is just something I work on in my free time (which I don't have much of) so do not be surprised if it is unfinished.
Reader-Chan's POV
I stared in awe as the old men from the Stairway held the young girl by her elbows and dragged her. She bit the man's hand and ran from the area quicker than what the men could handle. I made my decision and ran behind her, curious. I knew it was dangerous, but I was going to die someday and I'd much rather die from my curiousness than dying from hunger.
She was grasping something while she ran for she kept her arms bundled near her stomach and I thought she might be carrying something. She made a quick decision-one almost quicker than mine from before-and dashed through a tunnel and to the right, up some stairs. She ran into the door at the top. I stayed at the bottom of the staircase, realizing that I could inspect from where I was and it was less dangerous that way. Suddenly, the door swung open, letting the girl crash onto the floor, her arms still cradled. I heard footsteps and my anxiety grew intensely. I turned around, hoping that the people (who were obviously either searching for someone or running from someone) would ignore me and be on their way, yet my wish was not granted.
There were three men and they all slowed as they decided they'd search closer. The door to where the girl lay was still wide open and the men from inside were standing on either side of the door, allowing me full view to the girl. I immediately believed she was pretty with her short pigtails and the way she held onto the item near her chest like it was the only thing keeping her alive. It reminded me of my mother, yet there was no time for that now.
"Shit! That brat... she really bit me." The first man who came through the entrance started talking and I immediately listened, "When she's caught, I'll be the first one to have fun with her." I immediately felt sick to my stomach. People are so... cruel sometimes.
Another one of the men spoke, "There's no fun or anything on a brat like that." The man who apparently got bitten chuckled, and then turned around mumbling, "Huh?" when seeing the two men at the doorway. I looked back at the people at the top of the staircase and they stood there confidently, no trace of fright. I envied their courage.
"Hey, there's a dirty little kid over here, right?!" The little butterflies (that felt more like worms) in my stomach refused to dissipate.
"Those are the only kinds around." The blond from the doorway replied. The man from the stairway made a grunting sound and stepped up the first few steps and looked at me suspiciously.
"Have you seen her?" He asked curiously, seeing the look of dismay upon my face. I was now in the hot spot. I was honestly panicking. I opened my mouth, but nothing came out. I looked back toward the girl and pursed my lips, gaining my self-control.
"No." I said sternly, slightly causing the man to lose his guard.
"Then forgive me when I do this." He turned around and a look of pure confusion sat on my face like roadkill. He nodded at me with the back of his head and the other two men walked up to me. I stepped back. I stepped back again. The butterflies-no; they were more like snakes or lizards crawling all over my insides, making me shiver. I unconsciously took more steps back and hit the wall. One man grabbed me by the hand and I yanked it away, turning and backing up the stairs toward where the girl still lay. I felt bad for the owners of that household for they now had to deal with two troublesome girls that struggle with some jerks from the Stairway. The one man walked faster and the panic took over my. The heel of my worn-to-death shoe skidded on the stone-like material and I tripped. He gripped my wrist again and jerked me from the ground.
This time, his grip was even more intensifying and the emotions inside me were too much to keep buried on the inside. I tossed my body to the side, using all my wide and will-power possible, yet I was too weak. The lack of food and sunlight was too much for me to bear and I eventually was forced into the hand of the man. The backs of his elbows were against my armpits and it was vile. I didn't want to give in so I tossed and turned some more, but to no prevail. I glared at the men standing at the top of the staircase. This flared my anger more than I even knew was possible. There they were, protecting a girl who just tried to break through the 11th Stairway, yet letting an innocent girl flail around for freedom knowing she wouldn't get it but was fighting for possibly her life. They may not have known I was innocent, but... Argh!
"So you guys are the thugs in this area?" The leader of this group asked. I hung my head.
"Which of us are?" The blond replied simply. The idiot who wasn't paying any attention suddenly was and he noticed the girl from behind the door. He took in a sharp breath.
"Why, there you are. Are you guys friends?" He asked.
"Not at all." I scowled, my insides boiling.
"Then hand her over to us. You'll be sorry if you cover for her." The other man of the group, the one who hadn't spoke yet and was not my beloved guard, spoke, "After all, she tried to get past the 11th Stairway without paying!" He stated. I rolled my eyes and looked toward the wall, then back up at the men at the top of the staircase. The blond's expression changed to surprised, yet the other's showed less emotion; less surprise, yet his eyes were wide and it was the only way I could tell. I gritted my teeth. "You guys should know this," The man who informed the girl's rescuers of what actually happen spoke again, "the 11th Stairway is under the jurisdiction of one of the nobles, Lobov-san. Anyone who tried to pass there without paying is prosecuted." The rescuers' faces changed back to normal after the first sentence, and barely changed after that like they had already known the details.
"Of course, you guys will be charged as her accomplice... along with this little lady." I stopped listening. I couldn't take it. I was trying my hardest not to cry and punch the man holding me at the same time. I felt as if I had no control over my own body and I hated it. I hated it so much that it was impossible for me not to grit my teeth and let my hair fall lazily over my eyes to cover my anger. The girl slightly tossed her head up and I felt a sadness for her I never imagined possible.
"If you guys get it, hurry up and hand her over!" The man holding me shouted. I winced.
"I don't care anymore. Move away from her!" The leader said. He started walking up the stairs and I shook my shoulder a little to try and get more comfortable, but with no success; it only made me more uncomfortable, being held up by my arms in a desperate state. The man got to the top of the staircase and started walking through the door. I jerked my head up and saw him put his hand on the man who never spoke. In a few seconds time, he was kneeling on the ground with a bleeding hand. The man who had the hand on his shoulder had changed positions and was holding his knife in the air, blood dripping from the surface. He turned toward the man with the bleeding hand and started beating him. I looked to the side; I was sick of violence.
I heard clothes shuffle and a new voice speak, though my curiousness wasn't enough to beat my disgust. "Don't touch me with your filthy hand," It said simply. I was jealous of this; jealous that this new voice had the power to cut and punch and kick this man and win. He was fighting for himself, yet here I was: being held up by my arms with no chance of being saved in this very situation. "I might get dirty," He spoke again. This fueled my anger even more. He was fighting because he didn't want to get dirty. It made me feel even more pathetic.
The clean freak threw the man down the staircase and he made the man holding me jostle. I took my chance. I threw my arms into the air and slid downward. I turned to punch him in the face, yet before I could, there was someone holding me. A hand with calluses on the tips of the fingers gripped around my elbow. The fingers were big enough to wrap all the way around my arm and still touch each other. I tossed my head to the side to look at the person holding me back, expecting one of the three pursuers. I calmed once I saw who it was and I didn't know why. His gaze made me feel safe for some reason. It was probably the fact I'd just watched him beat up on of my enemies. I stared at him with anger and regret. It stayed that way for a while until the blond that was still at the top of the staircase spoke again, "Oh my... You can't do it like that. We always prioritize hygiene." I peeked up at the man, my anger fading. My stare returned to the black-haired man with an undercut quickly. My breathing settled. "Wash your hands and come again."
"These guys are dangerous. Let's go!" The leader yelled, yet me still being unsatisfied looked at them and watched them run off, wishing that this man had let me punch at least one of them. He let go of my arm and it startled me: I was used to his touch and I yearned for it again. He pulled his knife back out and started cleaning it with a cloth.
I looked back up at the girl I'd just risked my life for unintentionally. She looked so grateful. I can imagine how she felt and it filled me with admiration as well, realizing they'd risked their lives for me too as they could've just easily let them take me. The man who was cleaning the knife turned and walked back up the staircase.
"Hey," he said groggily, "how long are you going to hold it to your stomach?" My thought changed completely; like they were being turned upside-down. I happily looked at the man at the top of the staircase. Did he care about me? Did he care about what the pigtailed girl was holding? Did he know the girl in the first place? I didn't walk up the staircase, thinking I wasn't welcome. "It'll die, you know."
"B-but... I thought it'd be warm," She told them.
"What's up with the bird?" The blond asked.
"It got lost on its way here. Probably through some duct. So I thought I'll bring it to the surface." I gasped.
"Don't tell me you broke through the Stairway just for that?" The blond replied.
"This guy would want to fly in the sky instead of being here underground." She stroked the bird softly. I squinted. This girl was... Well, she didn't look stupid because of the way she presented her actions, but her actions were off the charts. The blond started walking toward her and kneeled beside her.
"Well, that's fine, but...it's wing is injured, you know," he told her. I almost chuckled.
"Eh... Really?" She asked, obviously distraught. I did chuckle this time, unable to hold back, and she looked at me. The smile that was inadvertently on my face faded. She smiled and I was almost surprised. These people were peculiar, but I could tell they were meant to be together. I smiled back and she looked back at the bird. The blond took it in his hands and walked further inside the house and the girl followed. I stayed where I was, still smiling but only slightly. I looked up at the ebony-haired man to find he was looking at me.
"Do you want in, or not?" He asked and I looked toward the ground. I opened my mouth to say something, but struggled to find the right words. I looked back toward the door and saw the blond and the girl sitting across from each other at a table. I glanced back at the man. He was still staring at me.
"I...I don't want to intrude." I said, staring into his intimidating grey eyes.
"Idiot..." He mumbled, yet I heard it.
"Huh?"
"Idiot. I asked you if you wanted to come in." He said. I took a step back, but then accepted his words and walked up the stairs to where he stood. He would've been considered short, yet he was still a few inches taller than me. I smiled, happy of his company. His gaze only seemed to get darker, but it only made my smile wider.
I walked through the doorway and took in my surroundings. I turned around to find he'd walked through as well. "Arigato." I mumbled, but loud enough to know he'd heard me. He shut the door and nodded. I heard the blond talking.
"I'm Farlan... and that's Levi." I looked over at the supposed 'Levi' to find he'd sat down at a table.
"Farlan... and…Levi-bro!" My eyes widened and I looked over at the girl of which I hadn't heard the name of. I looked back at Levi.
"Bro?" Levi asked faintly. I was utterly confused.
"Listen! Please... let me become one of you!" I tore my gaze from Levi and stared back at the girl like she was crazy. "You guys have been using 3D Maneuver Gear, right? I've seen it before. I felt really envious. You guys fly around like birds. Please, I want to try it too!"
"What do you think?" I looked back at Levi. He stood from his seat and walked around the room, right past me, and as he was about to pass the girl she begged, "Please!" He stopped.
"If you stay here, learn how to clean before you learn 3D Maneuver Gear." He said while he looked at her. He continued walking.
"Eh... Eh?!" She cried out. He walked out the door. Farlan looked at her and nodded slightly, smiling. She turned around and looked at the door. "Thank you, Bro!" She called. I stayed put even though I had so many questions. Then, my curiosity to the brim, I ran to the door and flew out, slinging the door shut behind me. I skittered down the steps and spotted Levi, then started running, afraid of losing sight of him.
I followed a few feet behind him. Since I hadn't even introduced myself, and he had let me into his house, there seemed to been a wall of awkward sitting right in-between me and my stupid curiosity. I walked past bakeries and pie shops; jewelry stores and boutiques of all kinds. There seemed to be millions of places to go here, yet everywhere I went, there was still that vague feeling. It was like a dimmed light that glowed in the back of a dark room. It stayed there, obviously noticed, yet it went ignored.
I had seen all the shops before. I had seen everything, explored every off-set cave and every alleyway that meant nothing more than a spare storage space to some people. Yet to me, it meant a sort of adventure. That was then, of course. I was young. I had more of a chance then ever then. Back then I could, and would, beg for money and succeed every once in a while because people thought their life would be filled with even more guilt if they ignored me and my pestering abilities. So they gave what they could. Most of them did, anyway.
Normally, I wouldn't be as affected by simple town shops and the cowering people that crowded off to the sides to leave room for the ones with actual money. That was when I realized that this man that just took, I assumed, two more people into his home. That was twice as much food and money needed as before. And added onto all of this, that also mean that it doubled the amount of money they needed to get out of the underground. I felt a pang of guilt, but it sufficed as I decided to make a deal with myself. I promised that I would become of most use to these people whether it meant risking my life for them, or leaving them altogether. I had just made the decision to give my life to these people if they wanted. I had set fate's train on it's tracks at that moment...
And I didn't regret it.