Levi Ackerman worked at the bookstore on the corner of 1st and Mallvious Boulevard. It was a small town and he recognized many of the customers. One was a brunette with teal eyes. He appeared to be 22, about three years younger than Levi. He wore a gray sweatshirt for the local college and Levi assumed he went to school there being he always bought school books and personal reading books here. He walked in the bookstore, the sound of the bell ringing overhead. He waved to Levi and he returned the gesture. He then made his way to the fantasy science fiction section, disappearing among the rows of books. Levi spent the rest of the week dealing with boring or annoying customers demanding books. It was about seven o`clock at night when the brunette walked into the book store but was accompanied by a young girl. She was about six or seven with the same brown hair as the college kid. She had bright emerald green eyes and was wearing a navy blue skirt, black leggings, a black and white striped shirt, black pat and leather shoes, and a matching navy blue bow headband. She was skipping and holding the older boys hand. She went up to Levi and climbed up the counter. She kneeled on the edge of the check-out counter so she could see him eye to eye. Just before she started to speak, Eren tapped her shoulder and motioned to the ground. She frowned but got down. Levi had to lean over the counter to see her. She smiled and Levi could see where her baby teeth was missing. "Hi…si-sir, m-my na….am is…..A-Ally. I-I`m l…look…ing f-for a…a bo..bo..book. It`s….It`s ca-called…" Ally looked up at the boy. "My little pony." He said. "T-thank y...you un…uncle Eren." She said. So the boy`s name was Eren. And this girl was his niece. She had a stutter apparently. "That book should be in the kids section." I told her. Ally smiled and nodded. She raced off in the direction Levi had pointed to find the book. "Nice kid, she yours?" Levi asked. Eren laughed, "No, she`s my older brothers kid. I`m taking care of her know since he was in a car accident a few years ago." Eren explained. "Oh, I`m sorry. I didn`t mean to pry." Levi apologized sincerely. "It`s fine, it was a long time ago. My niece is a trooper." Eren told him. "Quite the social butterfly huh?" I asked. "More or less, she doesn`t let her speech get in her way." Eren said shaking his head smiling. "She shouldn`t let it get in her way." Levi said continuing to do some paper work on the computer. Eren`s phone lite up with a text. "That was my twin sister Mika, she was reminding me to get her book for English. Do you guys have Annie of Green Gables?" Eren asked Levi. "Yeah that should be in the classics." Levi said pointing to the opposite side of the store. Eren nodded and walked off in that direction. A women in her mid-thirties walked in the store, heels clicking on the wooden floor. She tapped her manicured nails on the counter. "I'm looking for a my little pony book, you guys sell it?" She asked in an irritable manor. "Children`s section." Levi said not bothering to look at the rude women. She huffed off to the children`s section, near Ally. "There it is, give it here brat." The women said. Levi looked up to see Ally starting to leaving the children`s section clutching a book, the women stopping her in her tracks. Ally turned to face the women. "S-sorry…ma-ma`am…I…..I l-love…th-this b..book." Ally stuttered looking down at the floor. "I-I-I-I, you what brat? Speak English." The women said imitating her speech. Ally was red in the face and was looking around. "I-I h…have a...a sp…sp-speech a...and an s-s-s-stutter pro-problem. I-I can-can`t h…help i-it." Ally said. "What`s a retard like you going to do with a book like that? You can barely speak, let alone read. Give that book to the smart ones who have actually worked to read and speak correctly." She snapped trying to grab the book from the girl`s hand. She managed to rip it from her grasp. Ally sniffled looking at the ground. She wiped some tears from her eyes as the lady continued on her rant of how much of a retard Ally was and how she never get anywhere with how lazily she treated her speech and reading. Eren was still in the back of the store and didn`t hear what was going on yet. "You`re mommy and daddy probably say you are perfect but news flash, you`re a big idiot." The lady said. "M-my m…mommy a-and dad…ady are d-d-dead." Ally said looking at the floor, tears threating to spill over in her big green eyes. "Probably died so they didn`t have to deal with your retardness." The lady spat. That was the final straw for Levi and Ally. Ally burst into tears, crying and wailing so loud Eren heard it and started to make his way to the front of the store. When he got there he saw Levi standing in front of Ally telling the lady off. "You are a stupid, insignificant human being who doesn`t deserve what they had been given. You have a perfectly working body and brain with no problems at all. Others have mental illnesses, physical disabilities, and some have speech and stutter problems that they can`t control. Now get out of the store before I call the police. And I'll be taking that book back." Levi says taking the book back. The lay was at a loss of words and stormed out of the store. Eren walked over and kneeled by Ally. "You okay Al?" he asked. She nodded and buried her face in his neck. Eren picked her up and sat her on his hip, face still buried in his neck. "What happened?" Eren asked Levi. "That lady wouldn`t stop harassing Ally. I had to step in and stop it." Levi explained. "Thank you so much, people think they can insult and hurt Ally because she doesn't speak very well. It`s wrong and I`m glad you stepped in." Eren said sadly. "It was wrong, you okay Ally?" Levi asked her. She looked up at him, eyes red from crying. "Thank you sir." She said perfectly hugging Levi from her uncle`s grip. Eren looked down at her in surprise. "Did you just?" He asked her. Ally nodded. "I-I g…guess th-those c-c-classes a-are p-paying o...off huh?" She joked. "I`ve never heard her speak something perfectly, even if It was a simple sentence." Eren whispered to Levi. Levi smiled at her. "You keep working on your speech and stutter because one day you`re going to show all those ignorant people how great you really are." Levi said giving Ally a high five. She smile and high fived him back. "I think it`s time we got home huh Al?" Eren asked her. She nodded in agreement and bought the my little pony book. "No charge." Levi said. "What?" Eren asked. "after the way Ally was treated, it`s the less I could do." Levi said handing Eren the book. "You don`t have to do that." Eren said. Levi smiled, "I know, I wat to." Eren smiled and he and Ally left the store.
NEXT WEEK
Eren walked into the bookstore same as usually. "My niece wanted me to give you this." Eren said handing Levi a folded piece of paper. He walked out of the store, not buying anything. Levi looked at him and then the piece of paper in his hand. He unfolded it to reveal childish scribbles. It was a drawling of Levi with a red cape fluttering behind him. Next to him was Ally cheering for him. Under it, it read: Mister Levi, My Superhero. It was drawn in multicolor waxy crayons but it was the best gift Levi could have asked for. He hung it on the wall next to the register, and every day after that it brighten his day knowing he made a difference in a child's day and inspired her to continue reading and working on her challenges. And showing her the good in a world that gave her hate. And she no longer had to keep repeating her words in order to be heard, she knew he would listen. And be her superhero.