He was brought back to the days before he met Farlan and Isabel, back to when he was weaker when he was pathetic and helpless. It was amazing the effect dreams could have, they ignored logic, reason and all sense, transporting you back in time or to other worlds. His eyes were currently closed the steel grey orbs hidden behind his lids, he sat perfectly still as if he were a statue. Suddenly gentle hands were moving through his onyx locks, the sensation on his scalp was soothing, the fingers delicately massaging his head exactly where he needed them to be. Gentle breaths would stir his hair as the fingers worked their way through, he sighed in content almost but not quite purring. It was ever so rare for him to receive such affections.

Suddenly cold metal slid against the back of his neck, the sensation sent tremors down his spine, he knew it was a blade being pressed against the back of his neck but he forced himself to remain still and calm because he knew he wasn't in any danger. There was a swish and then a soft clip sound as the scissors closed on his hair, they were shifted and then clipped gently again and the process continued. He could feel the locks slide down his neck with each clip his hair growing shorter and shorter. The scissors were pulled away from his neck and he released a breath he hadn't realised he'd been holding, he'd never relax completely with a blade so near his neck even in those trusted hands. Those soft small fingers continued to work through his hair and soon a brush was run through his locks as well.

Those delicate hands rested on his shoulders massaging them softly, kneading the knuckles into his tense shoulders, "I'm done sweetheart." A soft feminine voice whispered behind him the name 'sweetheart' just a friendly pet name, there was a soft chuckle that followed, "I think I did a rather nice job." Levi allowed his eyes to flutter open, a mirror was gently lowered in front of him and he examined his young face, it had been ages since he'd seen his face so young.

He twisted his head side to side examining his raven black hair that had been neatly cut just for him, he took the mirror from the small hands in front of him struck in disbelief that this was him, he stared in awe though his face didn't really show it-it was perhaps only the slight flicker in his eyes that gave away his surprise, "You look like a proper gentleman, do you like it?" the feminine voice continued, "You didn't say what you wanted, I mean 'get my hair out of my face' is vague." There was a pause and then quickly mumbled under the breath was, "Though I did like your hair when it was shaggy."

"No… I like it." Levi interrupted, "I really, really like it." He was flattered that he'd been called a gentleman, no one ever had called him that before. And in the subterranean city no one was a proper gentleman, no one looked clean cut or proper, the only people Levi had seen that looked like his were the rich folks that rarely came down and only for the briefest of moments for illegal transactions.

He twisted his head to thank the person behind him, "Thank you Briana." He stated to the young girl that lived next to him.

"Actually I'm glad that for once I could actually be of service, not many of my skills seem to be helpful here." She admitted to him glancing away embarrassedly her cheeks bright pink, it was true Briana wasn't like Levi. Levi's mother was a prostitute who lived in squalor, he had no idea who his father was, overall Levi would describe himself as a lowly little scum if he were being kind. His blood was no better than dirt and he barely had enough to live on. Whereas Briana was a delicately bred and raised pedigreed aristocrat, who'd somehow ended up in the subterranean city with not a penny to her name, as out of place as a titan within the walls. She was still adapting to this lifestyle that was very much different from what she had been familiar with all her life, but to Levi's surprise he found her adapting quite readily. She was willing to change in order to survive and always ready to learn from him or his uncle, she had perseverance and a remarkable amount of grit in her.

Without her fancy dresses, jewellery and fine make up Briana looked like any other girl in Levi's neighbourhood, which taught him a valuable lesson money means a lot in life. He was certain if he'd met her when she lived with her family he'd have seen her very differently. Right now he saw her as average in appearance, not particularly appealing or attractive but with the fine gowns and the makeup it'd go a long way.

When Levi had first met her hair was a tangled dirtied mess that was matted, her gown was nothing but torn and frayed rags that clung to her small emaciated and bony frame and was stained to a putrid yellow and brown. Her eyes were glazed over, she was skeletal thin. The only sign that she had come from money was the necklace she desperately clutched in her small hand and refused to let go and the gun she almost shot Levi with.

Levi had found her curled up in the corner of an alley by his house, everyone else had missed her. He had almost missed spotting her as she hid among the garbage and waste, her hair and clothes blending in with the disarray. If it weren't for her eyes staring out at him he'd have never spotted her. He advanced towards her at first curious, he'd never seen her before and was wondering what she was doing here. And he could tell there was something off-something different about her from everyone he'd ever met.

She shifted back away from him scuttling back and trembling legs the slipped and slid out from underneath her. Levi recalled once seeing a new born foal in the marketplace standing up for the very first time and watching the poor little skeleton stumble back reminded him of it. Suddenly her small hand slipped, he hadn't really noticed how she was keeping her right hand clutched against her chest until now. But it slipped away and he saw the flash of brilliant silver in the darkness, his eyes grew large he knew what real silver looked like, he knew whatever was in that tiny hand was worth a fortune.

He rushed at her and she scrambled back squealing in fright, he leapt at her smashing her into the ground. His thoughts were completely directed at getting whatever it was that was in her hands. She knew immediately what it was that he wanted. He wrestled her for it violently, trying to tear whatever it was from her but she fought back. Her feet kicked out and her free hand slapped and clawed at him. He didn't mind at first but then her claws caught his cheek and she raked down his face tearing flesh.

His face burned and he winced already feeling blood trickle down his face, he paused in his struggles at glare down at her and she cowered. He grabbed her head and slammed in hard into the ground, he stared down at her hand excitedly waiting for her to drop what he wanted but her hand stayed shut. He grunted in frustration and began to repeatedly slam her head into the ground hoping she release whatever it was she was holding onto like if she let go she'd die. He tried for a few more seconds before instead wrestling with her again for it, despite her weak fight she was amazingly strong when it came to clutching that chain.

He tore, tugged and pried at her fingers before it finally slid loose, he stared in triumph a smile of elation breaking out on his face. Then something cold and hard slammed into his temple, he froze in fear, "Drop it." The small voice growled, he stared down at the girl, her eyes burning with hatred.

Her trembling hand shifted to reveal the small hand gun that she had hidden in her skirts, the gun shifted and Levi found it directed at his crotch, "I'll shoot you I swear I will." The small voice threatened him. He stared dumbfounded, "Drop it now!" the girl screamed at him and he flinched jumping back. The gun went off with a bang and Levi blinked in numb surprise he didn't think she'd have it in her to shoot him.

He trembled and stared down in numb horror petrified that he'd been shot recalling where the gun had last been aimed. He glanced down and wanted to sigh in relief but suddenly there was another bang and Levi registered something rushing past his head, something very incredibly close to his head. "That's the last time I fire a warning shot give it back!" the girl screamed her hands trembling, Levi stared into her hardened eyes, he recognized that familiar flash in them-she would kill him over whatever it was that he stole.

Briana had cleaned up since then, her hair clean and pulled behind her head in a fancy braid her mother had taught her. Her face and skin scrubbed clean revealing a friendly face, her dress a humble one but one she had made herself. Levi had gotten the fabric for her, he'd lied when he delivered it saying it was on sale when he'd really stolen it off a wagon passing by on the street. Briana hadn't suspected a thing from him, it wasn't that she was naïve, well Levi admitted that was part of it-it's just she trusted what he said far too much.

Levi once asked her what had happened and would never do that again, and he didn't even get a coherent answer the first time either. It broke Briana, her reaction reminded him of taking a glass doll and slamming it repeatedly against the wall. She wasn't coherent for days and cried herself hoarse, and she wouldn't stop shaking it terrified Levi because she would stare into space with a look of absolute horror on her face as if someone was about to kill her. It terrified him, he himself couldn't sleep right for days over the reaction and for a while she refused to be left alone in a room with any male regardless of who it was – she annoyed the lady that was helping look after her when she cried over being left alone with her ten year old son. But he eventually found out what it was that had happened to her, and when he did he knew that he'd never see her again-the thing she was trying to run away from, the thing that scared her more than death had caught up.

She was dragged away kicking and screaming, Levi wincing with each plea for her life and each rough slam he could hear until he could no longer hear her to which he hung his head in shame and to mourn Briana who had most likely died but he'd never see again.

Levi jerked wide awake at that instant, bolting up in his bed covered in a cool sheen of sweat, his heart racing and pounding in his chest that was rising and falling with each startled gasp he took. He thought he'd put that far behind him, buried so deep within himself that it would never resurface-it hadn't resurfaced for so long-only to come about now. He couldn't even think of the trigger either, it just came back to him in such startling clarity