Nightmares of the Past

Don't move. It will only make matters worse. The splash of a puddle and his silence, I clenched my fists angrily before wrapping my arms around me. He was in trouble, my blood boiled inside me. A ripple much like a pebble in water travelled across my skin, he had been caught by them. 'Maya, you had heard them coming while you were taking cover like he asked you to, you had the chance to tell them to back out but no, you're hiding behind a house.' My three dimensional maneuver gear hung by my hips, the straps coming across my waist and up past my shoulder, I could distract them, I could save him. Blinking down at my hands, I saw water resting on them, only then did I realise I had been sobbing. He wouldn't want me to save him, he would want me to run. Alarms were ringing in my ears, I had to escape before the Military Police realised that it wasn't a team of three that they had to deal with. I felt the cool metal of the 3DMG operating handles in my palms, it was now or never. Pressing down, I flew up into the air landing on one of the surrounding houses chimney. Looking down, I saw the brown jackets and green cloaks, I saw him and the others. That symbol seemed oddly familiar, but it wasn't the Military Police, two embroidered wings. One blue. One white. It was them. I felt my blood run cold as I saw him, face first on the floor. Levi.

"You bastard!"

My voice echoed around the small clearing of houses, catching the attention of the officer who had his filthy hands on him and the one who stood gingerly in front. Levi's expression dropped, his silvery eyes exceptionally wide as he realised what I was doing. I stood tall, the little wind that the Underground District had pushing my long brunette hair out my face, revealing my deathly glare.

"Get the fuck off him."

I bit my lip hard, I had to save him. They would come after me, at least I hoped. That's when I heard the familiar sound of the 3DMG behind me, I wasn't alone. I caught them without turning around, I saw the reflection in my blades, two scouts on either side of the house, waiting like eager predators. There was more than I anticipated.

"So it wasn't just you three, I knew it." The male who stood proudly in front of Levi looked up at me smirking. "Nice to meet you, I've already met your friends." My gaze went to Levi, then to the red-headed girl I knew so well as Isabel, then along to Levi's best companion, Farlan. The sight of them, handcuffed and at the knees of some hotshot sickened me.

"Erwin Smith." My words were spat out like venom at the man who had brought my friends to a stop from their mission. I knew his face well, I had come from the surface after all, I knew all about the Survey Corps but I still despised them, none the less.

"So you know my name. Impressive, but not impressive enough." His cocky reply made me tighten my grip on the 3DMG handles, I knew perfectly well what was coming. They had started to move beside me, I knew what I had to do.

Without warning, I started out into a sprint across the tiled rooftop, jumping down towards my friends. Erwin smirked at me, somehow from those eyes, I knew that he could calculate my next move. Growling, I grappled onto a house further down, spinning elegantly onto the dusty ground, just metres away from Erwin. I was surprised to see that neither of the two scouts from the rooftop had followed me down to the ground. Dust erupted from my feet as I began my journey towards Erwin, blood-lust making my fingers twitch with anticipation and my grapples retracting back into my scabbard.

"Smith, let them go." My eyes glared into his icy blue ones, my boots still stepping towards him, my handles heading towards my blades.

"Maya. I wouldn't do that if I were you."

I stopped instantly, feeling like a bullet had rushed past my head, how...?

"You know my name..."

Erwin walked towards me, I hesitated trying to step back away from his suddenly haunting appearance and height.

"Of course. I know all about you four."

My eyes travelled behind Erwin towards my three companions. Levi looked up from the ground, eyes boring into me like a drill. I knew he didn't want me here, he wanted to protect me. Erwin's shadow covered my face as I diverted my gaze back up to him, he was now about a metre away.

"Maya Shinshi, originally from the surface, previously housed in the Quinta District. Aged 20. Parents both went missing after the titans appeared about two years ago. What a shame it would be if they could see you now, a dirty little thief-"

The sound of metal brought me back to my senses as I realised that in my heated anger, I had wielded two blades from out my scabbard.

"Don't you dare talk about my parents. They are my family now." I pointed my quivering blade to Levi, Isabel and Farlan. I met eyes with Isabel who shook her head with a disappointed gaze, I turned to Levi who had gone pale. He shook his head slightly, and I growled. A voice dragged me out of my anger fit, I thought about the situation. My three friends are in a do or die situation, and I had just thrown myself into it to try and save them. I was only small compared to them, and not only would I have Smith to deal with, but the small amount of soldiers from the Survey Corps who surrounded me. I couldn't save them, my brain registered it and just then-

"Escape you brat!"

Levi lunged forward from the soldier who had held him down, making Erwin turn. This is what he wanted, for me to escape.

"Now Maya!" Isabel screamed.

Using a concealed blade, I cut the cords to the left side of my 3DMG making the gas spill out into the clearing, making the whole area extremely cloudy. I ran on through the cloud, using the remaining and functioning side of my equipment to jump further away. Tears spilled from my eyes as I dealt with what Levi wanted me to do.

An echoing slap reverberated from where I just was. Then silence. I headed towards the clock tower which gave the best view in the entirety of the Underground District. With tears still disrupting my eyesight, I grappled into the cold grey stone, edging my way towards the top. Looking around, I saw that none of the Survey Corps had followed me, my initial plan was nothing but a mere distraction. I eventually reached the top, the clock looming behind me. My numb fingers unbuckled the belts that held up my 3DMG, making the metal contraption fall to the floor. Across the district, I could see the whole scenario clearly, Smith led my companions to the stairs which lead out of the Underground District and to the surface. Salty fluid blew off my face with the slight breeze as I tightened my fists and sat on the top of the tower, my legs hanging gently over the edge.

"I will not let them take you away from me."