Ch. 2: Obey

It was a grim sight; it had been for the past 3 months. Levi walked in to his old bedroom, now the secret nursery for her and moved slowly to the bathroom, catching the gaze of the nurse on duty. He left the door open, out of sight of her, and stripped his bloody, dirty clothes. He took his usual 3-minute wash and left the shower, a new pair of clothes waiting for him. He dressed in silence, once finished, he returned to the bedroom and loomed over the foot of her bed.

There she lay, a broken heap of what was once the most threatening criminal to the military. Pieces of metal fashioned around every part of her body, supporting her brittle bones, hopefully guiding them back to their proper places. She was much smaller than she once was-her body was resorting to eating her muscle for fuel now. He watched the old nurse continue to slowly soak the handkerchief in the honey-water and drip it down into her slightly agape mouth.

Levi's eyes came to her face and he winced back the pain, he turned, rolling his eyes in an attempt to hide his emotion from the nurse, but she knew all too well. She looked hollow now; the bruising still hadn't healed either but the worst part was the old scar across her eyes. The nurse stood and gathered her things slowly. She moved next to Levi and dared to put her frail hand on his shoulder, "She's…stronger than she looks." Levi turned to her, steel eyes cold and she immediately retracted her hand. "She's past the most dangerous time, she'll live." Her weak voice ceased, leaving the duo in silence—besides for the pitiful wheezing of the frail girl.

"It's not if." Levi finally spoke. "It's how." The nurse moved her head to the ground, finally understanding his sorrow. She left in silence, leaving Levi alone with her, as was custom. It was true; this girl survived more than Levi thought was physically possible, she was still breaking those limits with every wheeze.

Not only did she survive, she thrived, becoming the most-wanted Queen of the Underground. Levi tried to push the thoughts of her like that out of his head; she wasn't that anymore, Levi would have none of that. She was still a child—or well… he turned back to her, she might have been frail and weak, a fraction of the size she once was, but she had grown. She must've been 16 now, but she looked much older. She was strong too, stronger than many of the grown men that faced her; Levi's eyes fell down once more at his memories… how he fought her…

How could Kaia be Fury? It just… it didn't make sense. She was so sweet, honest, righteous… she used to be so cute with her wise-ass attitude. How could she hurt—even kill for profit? How did she even learn how?! Levi taught her how to steal and self-defense but her moves were nothing like his, not to mention she was fucking blind the entire time.

Blind.

"Move!" Hange screamed as she pushed through the frenzied people, leading the makeshift gurney the entire way.

"Here!" King yelled next to her and they darted to the right together, leading the troop behind them down a shaking alley. The wooden boards began to slump, further and further, Levi painfully tightened his grip on the end of the bloody boards along with the tall dark one next to him—Slade. It was a rush as they pushed to an old cellar, which Maddox had thrown open, calling for them. Levi caught the other edge of the board as Slade vanished; he pushed the duo ahead of him forward—his focus on her only.

By the time he could think clearly again, they had placed her on the ground of the old basement, King stood, slicing the hand that reached into the cellar for them. Maddox was in the corner, shifting boxes and bricks for some exit of theirs, and Hange was next to Levi and Fury. He watched as she ripped off Levi's scout cloak laid across her body and the scene—the blood, soaking her twisted body. Hange moved her hood back gently in the chaotic scene, revealing a beaten pulp. She moved her hands over her eyelids and pulled them back, her curiosity teeming.

"Let's Go!" King pushed as Maddox had the exit cleared now. But the two Scouts stayed still, Levi staring into her golden pupil, the rest a storm-cloud grey. Hange's hand was swatted away by Maddox, who grabbed the head of the gurney as King lifted the back and carried her off, into the darkness. The ceiling began to rumble as light began infiltrating the end of the basement. Levi grabbed Hange and they followed into the hole. The Titan was ripping out the ceiling, desperately trying to find them.

Hange whispered to Levi as they entered the safety of the tunnel. "She's… completely blind…."

The word took the breath right out of him again. He moved to her left side and sat in the nurse's chair. He gazed over her face once more, taking in the deep cut that flowed perfectly horizontally across her eyes, starting an inch from to the right of her eyes and coming all the way across, moving over her delicate eyelid, sliding thinly over the beginning to the bridge of her nose and growing thick once more as it flowed once more over her opposite eyelid until it finally thinned to nothing, ending another inch from her left eye. Levi imagined the pain; the healing it must have taken; the time... not to mention the injuries she sustained in the fall itself. There had to be someone, someone pretty damn amazing, who healed her—her nose was perfect, left with only the thin mark when the deep cut must have shattered the bone. Not to mention her eyelids, it's amazing they still worked properly, or that she still had them at all. They were entirely dark, overtaken by the deep brown scar but smooth, still alive and supporting her dark black eyelashes.

Levi sat here, every night for three months, and stared at her for hours until he passed out in the same chair. It seemed no matter how much he looked at her, he found a new scar… her body was covered from newer, still notable ones to the oldest scratches that still existed as slight lines. What had her life become…no—What had I turned her life into? He felt the hard, hot lump build up in his throat, his face started to sweat slightly, as it had every night. Farlan came to his side first tonight, leaning on the bed next to him. Levi tried to keep his face forward, focusing on her as warm blood pooled around his feet.

"Gosh where does the time go?" Farlan spoke easily, even though he was in half—his hips torn from his torso. "She's so… grown up… beautiful as always."

"Only 16." Levi forced through grit teeth.

"It's been 5 years?!" Farlan sounded exasperated; he brushed a light brown lock out of his face. "Remember when she first flew? Your old belts were so big on her, practically wrapped her up like a mummy to get them to fit! But, she had the biggest smile… flashing those big white teeth. She could barely balance once we attached the gear, but she didn't care… so thrilled that you finally let her try them on. She was so cute…"

"I remember." Levi replied coolly, his black locks drifting down, shielding his eyes.

"That's my lil' girl!" Levi gasped at her voice, she occasionally showed but each time it was worse. Please… not tonight.

"Stronger than even Big Bro! Who would've thunk!" Her eyes beamed with pride, resting on Farlan's shoulder.

"Stop…" Levi's voice faltered as he began to lose it.

"Still hate the thought of us huh?" Farlan countered as he brought his left hand to Isabel's head. He cradled her head in the nook of his arm.

"I thought you would've missed us… I thought you loved us Bro?"

"I do… But you can't have her." Levi kept his eyes hidden.

"We don't want her—"

"You're the reason she's here—"

"Stop..." Levi whimpered.

"You didn't even look for my little girl… you let her fall."

"You let Erwin use my brother. Is he next now? To lie broken, near death, for months on end?"

"We thought we could trust you. We thought you loved us—"

"How did this happen?"

"Why did this happen?"

"Who else are you going to get hurt?"

"Last time you left her blind, now what will happen to her?"

"Paralyzed maybe?"

"Brain dead?"

"A wasting body—"

"Or worse… she's fine and lives in a cage—"

"ENOUGH." Levi whipped his head to the empty bedside, his heart pounding and heavy. He turned back, dropping his head into his hands, and let the tears flow as he realized they were right.

"She's going to be fine." Levi's head whipped up from the bed. "For fuck's sake have a little faith." Noah's thin frame stood in the doorway; the candle had burned itself out now, the room illuminated by the moon only. His eyes went to Kaia, still wheezing but she looked peaceful now with the smooth, cool blue light reflecting off her white skin. The shadows suited her well.

"I know." Levi's strength returned to him as he rubbed his eyes. "It's what will happen…" This was his first conversation with Noah in months.

"She always pulls through. The rest will be up to you." He moved in, his chained feet sliding against the floor. "You're the only one who can now."

"Is that why you're here? Beg me to change your inevitable punishment? What the fuck were you thinking Noah?"

"I was thinking of my sister." He spoke confidently as he stopped at the other side of her bed. "And you. And humanity."

"You're a fucking crook, just like her."

"Cut the bullshit Lev. You know you supported them too… this whole system's fucked up." Levi sighed at his words.

"It works. We're all still alive."

"Is this what you call living?" Noah leaned in, gray locks falling before his golden eyes as he laid his chained wrists on the bed. "Forced to kill, endlessly in a state of fear, working and training every day to lose over and over… We live in a fucking cage Levi."

"What else is there? We're alive, and you're taken care of."

"There's her. Levi she's the key out of this fucking mess, don't you see it?"

"Hard to see that when she's a pile of bones in a bed."

"No." Noah shook his head in frustration. "It's more proof. She's strong and I mean stronger than anyone before. A titan crushed her in a fist and she didn't implode. This girl fell into an endless coal mine, blinded, and somehow still walks the earth. But she doesn't just walk; she sprints, jumps, and flies! How the hell does that happen? So yeah, when I finally found her, I decided to help her because nothing fucking stops this girl."

"I'm pretty sure she's stopped right now." Levi sarcastically replied. "Why didn't you tell me? I could've—"

"Screwed everything up. Plus, she hated you for leaving and you would've stopped her before she every really got started."

"I could've kept her from ending up in this bed."

"Maybe. But now you could keep her from the hellish punishment the MP have in mind. Make her a Scout."

"That's it, I knew I shouldn't have let Hange close to you. Are you out of your fucking mind?"

"It's her only way out of rotting in a soundless cell, or execution by the King. I know you don't want either of those, considering your still hiding her… Plus, she's a natural; she's already got Titans under her belt. Levi she saved 15,000 lives!" Levi tensed at the thought, but his mind began racing for another solution. "She'll be safer than she was…especially at your side." Levi's eyes widened and Noah knew he got him. "The only reason she's here now, alive, is because of you Levi. I know she'll be stubborn, as she always was but, I know she'll come around… she…knows how you felt…"

"She did?" Levi questioned, a small look of shock on his face.

"She does." Noah corrected with his necessary lie, surprised his gut feeling was right after all these years.

"Well what about the other two? King and Maddox?" Noah smiled as Levi was now on board.

"Well Arthur and Demetri have their own talents, they'd make great soldiers as well. Demetri's a hell of a medic, and knows the ins and outs of the Underground like the back of his hand, and Arthur I mean Jesus Christ look at the guy! And he's not even done growing yet. He's the poster board boy alongside Fury for the Renegades too, imagine what we can do with that… with a new army to join the Scouts. We can replenish the ranks, make the Scouts a desirable, strong division."

"That's all well and good but how do we make them want that? How do we make them trustworthy soldiers? For shit's sake they've killed more MP than I care to count."

"Leave that to me. They trust me and I know they love Kaia. Plus, they're bound to be pretty pissed at the Titans now… the enemy of my enemy is my friend right?"

"Levi brought a hand to his throbbing head. "I hope your right." After a moment he raised his head back. "Now tell me everything."

I tapped the pads of my fingers against each other as my wrists rested 3 inches above the glorious table. My wrists were bound closely together in a new handcuff design which, I had to admit, was rather impressive: a solid chunk of metal collapsed over my seemingly frail wrists creating a perfect rectangle. The damn thing felt like 50 pounds, not including the chain that lead into the ground. The two pieces came together at the right side where a heavy duty lock had been placed, not like the standard ones used on the sewer grates to the city, Noah and I had been busting those things up since we were younglings. No doubt that was Levi's suggestion. I smirked at my own thought.

"Who the fuck do you think you are?" My eyes rose to the typical hate I received, but I couldn't put a face on it as the grand room was lined with guards, at least someone in this room finally spoke I had woken up nearly an hour ago. "Smiling like that... Do you even realize how fucked you are?" I giggled at the idea, only making the soldiers tense, I liked how they thought I was insane... But hey I probably am. I haven't had a dose of celebrer in god knows how long, I could feel it in my bones. I shot my eyes diagonally to the right, where I felt a small light quicken.

"Tell me... Lieutenant." Total guess. "How many of your friends have I killed?" I squinted my eyes, pretending I was examining his jacket rankings. He was shorter, his heart slightly stronger than the rest. "It seems like you should be thanking me, since you got a promotion out of it, kid." His entire body tensed up, I nailed it. He took a lunge to me but stopped as Levi had appeared from thin air before him. The air was tense as the lieutenant returned to his place in line. After what felt like 10 minutes, the rest of Commander Smith's team strolled into the room.

"Don't you just love his acts? I mean the appearance is great but trust me, the disappearing act will really blow your mind." Levi's glare came to me, I could always see him clearly ever since the accident, his signature was strong and bright. "Took me by surprise, I still don't know how you pulled that off!" I heard teeth grit at me with anger...at me? or himself?

"Shut the fuck up." He walked smoothly to my side, taking the chair next to me. He jostled a metal poll that tugged on my neck, I winced in pain from the odd movement.

"We want to strike a deal with you, Kaia." I glared up to the Commander, his team had taken seats in a line across from me, as if I was being interviewed for a job.

"That's not my fucking name." Levi elbowed my side, it erupted in a fire of pain. Well, I guess those are still broken, I winced back up to the Commander. "Furiosa." I held my ground as I waited for another smash to the side. Commander Smith raised his hand and shot a look to Levi. I've never felt so weak, my hair had grown significantly too, how long had it been?

"Alright, Furiosa." He leaned his massive forearms onto the table. "The only reason you're sitting here alive is because of you and your team's actions at Shiganshina." I was caught off guard, what the fuck was he talking about? I stayed silent, not knowing what to say as I racked my aching head for the memory. Levi leaned in to me and I winced away, a metal collar I hadn't noticed tugged me back to the chair and he adjusted the needle in my neck.

"Do you remember?" He spoke, close to my ear and I shivered, hating being this close to him.

"No." I shakily admitted, I really couldn't. "Where's Noah?" I instantly demanded.

"He's fine." Levi spoke quietly. "Worried about you."

"For now." Erwin corrected. "So you don't remember? Anything?"

I grimaced at the voice, the sight of his signature, his pulse... they were all disgusting to me. "How long have I been here..."

"7 months." My heart sank in shock. "You've been healing from the attack."

"What the fuck did you do to me?!" I turned to Levi, suddenly spitting with anger. "Where's my family?! What the fuck's going on?!" I began to panic.

"Not me. Titans." I sat back in my chair.

"That's impossible." Was all I could manage to say, but it began to make sense as I fought my impulses back and used my head like Maddox wanted. I had been fighting these soldiers for years, receiving simple wounds—cuts and scrapes mostly.

"Titans breached Shiganshina and Wall Maria during your attack."

"You suffered significant damage in your ranks..." Hange began. "You lost a lot of hoods but their action, thanks to you, saved over 15,000 lives."

"I—what?" the words fell out of my mouth as I began to shake at hers.

"You saved thousands." Levi's hands fell cold on my back but I could give less of a shit.

"Where's my family..." I repeated, my eyes on the floor now. "My...hoods...What the fuck do you people want..."

"Axle and Slade didn't make it." I felt the knots of my stomach tighten and winced in pain. "King and Maddox are alive, awake and healing. Noah's completely healed." I stayed silent at the information, ...Vanessa... Ray... their families flashed through my mind... exactly how much blood was on my hands?

"We're offering you a deal." Erwin started again. "Fact of the matter is you're still a criminal. The MP are out looking for you, and in your current condition, you wouldn't last an hour. You're potential is unquestionable; I saw you fight for myself, you worked well with Levi. Instead of you rotting in a jail cell for the rest of your life, you, and your family, can fight for us. We'll give you identities, and you become soldiers—Scouts." My horror turned to anger as I processed his words.

"Is that what you did?" I brought my glare to Levi. "Is that all it took for you three to leave?" I suddenly started laughing, if you could even call it that—more like a quick wheeze—only bringing myself more pain. "And I take it..." I looked around the room. "…that this is what you chose with your 'freedom'?" His face was darker than usual, I could feel his indifference at my comments, his shadow black hair fell over the steel eyes I remembered too well. "God you're a fucking piece of shit." This earned me a slight grit of his jaw, "There we go! The statue fucking lives everyone!" I began cackling out of control again.

"Enough." Levi's hand entwined itself in my long hair and he yanked my head back to him, just like he used to. My anger returned at the memory and I threw my arms at him to claw his throat out but—I— my arms barely inched from the table, as if I had no control over him. I tried to stand but metal clasps held me to the solid metal chair, everything felt so heavy on me, what the hell were these things made of? I could typically make metal stress at the very least.

"FUCK YOU!" I screamed in his face as I writhed in confusion, ripping my hair out from his grip. "Who the fuck do you think you are?!" He finally loosened his grip and I ripped my head away, I tried to refocus my anger.

"Answer." His voice was cool, my pathetic attempt of a fight didn't faze him at all.

"How stupid are you people?!" I kept my glare at Levi. "I can't trust you. No one can fucking trust you people, why do you think it was so easy for us to get people to work together against you?! You're all fucking awful!" I turned to Smith now. "My people... my army... everything they ever accomplished was done voluntarily. They have starved to bring food to their loved ones, their families... They are who we fight for, not ourselves. We fight simply because we can, we are able. We fight for our loved ones, so they can have one more second, one more minute, one more day... Commander, we have fought for the past decade to live just one more day, for my people to live just one more day." I paused trying to keep my voice from cracking, the words dripped with poison. "You... you... forgot all of us... abused us..." I was breathing heavy now, my heart pounding. "Burn in Hell." I finished, my face felt like it was on fire.

"Fine. Rot." Erwin stood, the others reluctantly went with him.

"No." Levi answered next to me. I turned to him. "She'll be a Scout."

"No. I. Won't." I answered, my anger on him again. He stood at my disobedience and stood before me, he was... taller than I remember.

"Yes, you will." His voice was ice cold.

"Are you fucking deaf?" I shouted but he remained unfazed. He bent over and leaned into my glare, I tried to hold my own as I felt his black hair hit my forehead, the smell of the soft lochs brought memories that made my stomach twist along with my face.

"I will not let you ruin Noah's life you fucking ass. You either do this willingly or as my fucking dog."

"Who the fuck do you think you are?! I—" but I couldn't finish as a hand clasped around my mouth and nose, tightening and cutting off my air. I struggled against his grasp but it only tightened, I thought he would break my teeth. His other hand went in my hair, yanking my head backwards and my eyes wide open to the burning light. I struggled, writhed as hard as I could against his grip but it was useless, I was too weak but my will was still strong. I began convulsing, my lungs burning for air. Levi's hand left my hair and went to my neck, grabbing the thin object I felt piercing in my neck.

"Do you know what this is? It's your only blood supply, you lost so much in the fight... you can't live on your own." He tore out the needle and I screamed from the pain, my body began to get wetter and wetter from my warm blood, each pump of my heart made myself weaker. "Do it." I opened my eyes to him, blood trickling down from my cheeks and began chuckling under his hand before I blacked out.

I awoke again, this time chained heavily to a bed. It took me a few moments to support myself up in bed, my head felt cold and ridiculously heavy... everything was black and silent... something of a nightmare—an all too familiar nightmare.

"Hello?" I called, but couldn't even hear myself. "HELLO!?" I screamed louder but nothing, I couldn't hear myself. I started to panic, what the fuck did he do to me?! "HEY! ANYONE?! HELLO?!"

Holy shit... holy shit... I'm alone. I'd never felt blind, even when I realized I was, I could always hear and see in my own way, but now... nothing. I tried to pull my legs to my chest, a position that always comforted me but they didn't budge. I became frantic, pulling and heaving all my strength against the chains but I couldn't, I felt so weak again... I quickly tired myself out and laid out, my heart pumping, sucking blood in from the tube in my neck. That's when my memory returned; my hoods, Axel and Slade... what have I done?

.

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A warm hand landed atop mine and I jostled backwards in my limited range of movement, not knowing how long it'd been: a minute in this world felt like an eternity. I relaxed as the touch was warm, welcoming. The hand lifted and the pad of a pointer began tracing on the back of my hand...

N...O...A...

I almost cried at the realization. "Noah! I-I can't hear or see or-" But his hand stayed still against mine, a bad sign. He already knew, probably everything—as always. I gulped. "Noah... what should I do..." The hand moved again.

S...C...O...

"No. How could you say that?!" The hand fell quiet, I needed to expect short answers. "... I take it this is what my life will be like in prison?"

Y...E...S…

"I don't want you to die... not like them... it still haunts me Noah I won't let it-"

I... W...O...N...T...

"Noah..." The tears started again, burning the raw skin between my eyes and whatever this metal head was. "Levi lost then... I'm... I've never matched..."

Y...E...S...U...D...O

"I can't take that risk. I won't."

P...L...E...A...S...E

I stayed silent, not knowing where to turn from here.

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I...D...O...N...T

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W...A...N...T...U

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L...I...K...E

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T...H...I...S

"Noah..." I winced at my own fate, but I remembered Isabel's head, Farlan's torso... then King and his hollowed glare that pierced whatever heart I had left.

S...A...F...E...R

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W...I...T...H

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Y...O...U

I gulped down the lump in my throat... I'd rather be the one next to him than Levi. "...I'll... ask King." I weakly replied and suddenly he came over me, hugging me. I gasped in pain from the movement. Before I knew it, the metal around my head began to lift and the world came back to life. I saw the familiar outline of Noah, his grey locks tickled my face. I smiled as he moved his hands to my face, gently taking away the tears against my raw cheekbones. Feet moved around the bed, and one by one my limbs came free of the metal. I went to sit up, to hug Noah but I lost my breath quickly and fell back to the bed. "What happened?" I muttered. Noah sat at the edge of my bed and sighed.

"It was all my fault..."