On the run

Sorry that I was gone for so long. I had some unexpected things happen and I wanted to take some time and hash things out. I'll update my regret tomorrow or tonight. Thanks for understanding.

Chapter 2


It doesn't matter how much someone loves you, not really, because they always will. Well, this is intentionally what Levi thought. Now sleeping with a prostitute on a daily basis made him...caring and loving again. He didn't know what it was that Nifa did to make him this way again. But god dammit, this woman was more than likely planning something.

"Tell me more about yourself, Lance."

Knew it. Levi looked down at the woman who was resting on his chest. They'd barely finished their nightly romps and were now in that more talking time. Something that the raven found out Nifa actually liked. "Why do you want to know more about me?"

"Well, I'm sleeping with you every night, I thought I should know more about the person whose fucking me."

"I suppose. What is it you want to know?" He didn't realize he was gently stroking her hair.

"Where are you from?"

"Paris France."

"What did you parents do for a living?"

"My father was an alcoholic business man and my mother a school teacher."

"Do you still talk with your parents?"

"Both are dead."

"What happened...if you don't mind me asking."

Levi sighed softly, "My father owed the wrong people favors, and we were in debt a good majority of the time. My mother tried to do everything that she could, but it was never able to make ends meet. I couldn't do anything since my mother forbid me from working with someone and something that got my father into such a mess. I still remember that day clearly, mother and father were packing our bags, sold all the furniture, told me not to be sad that maybe we would see each other again. That day was the only day my father wasn't drunk nor on drugs. He gave me a necklace he and my mother bought for me, dropped me off at an orphanage, told me to be good, and left. I found out years later, the reason they dropped me off, was because they were killed not too long after."

Nifa slowly nodded, rubbing soothing circles on the man's chest, "Are you grateful that they did that and gave you a chance at life?"

"Sometimes I am."

"Why only sometimes and not all the time?"

"Because life can give me good times; the best times really. Yet, it can also bite me in the ass."

"But isn't life like that for everyone? Can't have your good without your bad. Everyone's got their fair share of good and bad times, Lance. You're not the only one to have experienced something fantastic and horrid."

"Even with the murder of two people on my hands?"

"Even with that. Because when it comes down to it, you're just as human as everyone else."

He knew Nifa would be someone to change his life, both bad and good. He just didn't know this time would be the closest thing to him caring for someone again.


Levi was sitting at a bar one night; he wasn't able to see Nifa all day since the strip club was packed, and she'd given the raven the night off. So, he thought he should go and get drinks half of what they're really worth. And maybe listen to a story over a glass of whiskey and a smoke.

The raven was seated with some old man who had been taking shots, but surprisingly his words didn't slur yet. He idly caught the name, Pixis. Supposedly the old bastard used to be in the military before being kicked out for consuming too much alcohol.

"So, as I was saying, Lance, I'd been dodging bullets for a very long time, only to suddenly have that life ripped away from me. I joined the military when I was twenty and was kicked out at sixty. Apparently, they didn't appreciate a drunk commander a good majority of the time. I still the things I was required to do. You ever been in the military, Lance?"

Levi nodded, "I was in the military for several years."

"What was your rank?"

"I was captain and had my own squad."

"They let you hand pick your team mates or did they force morons on you."

This old man wasn't bad. "No. I got to hand pick them. No one dared to second guess my judgement."

"Hmm, what made them scared of you?"

"I'm a clean freak."

The man broke out laughing. "Ah, so they didn't want to clean that shitty headquarters?"

Levi nodded, sipping his whiskey. "That place needs a fucking cleaning. But, oh well, not my problem anymore."

Pixis grinned, "I don't think it was anyone's problem since it was always so filthy. But, then again, it wasn't like anyone really bothered, what with trying to stay alive and all."

"I suppose so." He pulled out a cigarette and lit it, taking a drag, slowly blowing out the cancerous smog.

"Tell me, Lance. Did you ever lose someone in the military?"

The raven stopped for a moment, then slowly lowered his cigarette to the ashtray, tapping it gently on the rim, letting some ashes fall, "I have."

"If you don't mind me asking, who?"

"My half brother, Rivaille."

"What did he die of?"

Levi was silent for a moment as he thought back to that day, one he could never forget in his entire existence. That moment in which he felt nothing but pain and sorrow.


The raven ran over to his fallen brother as the shooting finally ceased. He knelt down by Rivaille and carefully took his brother in his arms. "Rivaille, brother, can you hear me?"

Rivaille slowly opened his eyes, they showed pain, exhaustion and something else Levi couldn't quiet pinpoint. "Hey, brother..." He weakly croaked out.

"Don't talk, I'm getting you help. You'll get better in no time."

Shaking his head, the younger raven stared up into the hazy grey sky. "There's not much that can be done for me anymore, Levi. I'm dying as we speak."

Trembling subtly, the man softly whispered, "You can't...you promised..." Those words didn't reach his brother's ears.

Rivaille carefully removed his hand from his wound, staring at the gaping hole in his mid section, seeing blood cake his normally pale skin. "You know, I-I used to think I-I was invincible. D-Didn't think anything c-could hurt me t-the moment I-I got into the m-military." He grit his teeth together, fighting back the urge to cry out in immense pain. "J-Just makes you realize h-how fragile of h-human beings w-we are."

"Don't talk like that! You're going to get better or damn me to hell! I won't let you die like this!"

Fondly glancing up at the pain stricken raven, Rivaille lifted up his blood soaked hand and placed it on Levi's once clean cheek which was now smeared in his blood. Their blood, the blood that made them brothers. "Don't be sad, b-brother. This will n-not be t-the last t-time we s-see each o-other." He coughed out blood, the red substance sliding down his dirt covered cheek, "I-I promise w-we will m-meet again. W-We might n-not be a-able to t-talk in r-real life again." He swallowed thickly, trying to get air to his screaming lungs, "B-But, know this. I-I will a-always treasure t-the time t-that w-we had t-together. I-I love y-you, b-brother. M-Mon c-corbeau." Staring into the tear filled eyes of the person he cared about the most in his life, he took his last breath, slowly going limp in the other's arms.

Levi couldn't think, couldn't move, couldn't breathe. The person, one who he would lay his life down for, was nothing but a cold, blood soaked corpse in his arms. He refused to let go of the cold body, fooling himself into thinking it was actually still functioning, still warm, still alive. They say, there's one person in this entire world who can make your world come crashing within an instant, Levi know believed it was true. Throwing his head back, he let out a pain filled scream.


All the soldiers around him stood there in awe, watching their normally stoic captain lose his composure. Many of them had tears running down their cheeks as they watched, some wanted to comfort him, but others told them, this was something their captain had to overcome himself.

"They said my brother died because he was hit with the aftermath of an explosion, and there was a large gun shot wound in his mid section. One of the two would have killed him if he lived. Doctors say he wouldn't have lived long if he was hospitalized."

The old man placed a comforting hand on the raven's shoulder, "How were you after that?"

Levi puffed out more smoke. He wasn't himself after that. He went on leave for sometime since he lost his only family in the military. The man would go about his day, people oblivious to the hell he was going through on the inside. Levi's heard from countless people that the rain can make you more depressed, he can completely disagree. He feels like the sun is what really gets to you on such unfortunate moments. The sun shows bright, happiness emotions, reflecting the very feelings you can't bring yourself to feel. Sure, you can walk outside in the sun, but it's nothing compared to the depths of hell you feel inside. If anything, the sun shows how happy others are, while you are down in the dumps, fighting to not give in.

"I wasn't myself. I felt like I was lonely, needed some time for myself to think things through and within time, I was able to function again."

"You still haven't gotten over it. Your eyes can't lie."

Levi let out a small bitter laugh. "You're an observant old man."

"So I've been told..."


Levi idly walked home after he finished drinking in the bar. Pixis had helped him with some closure on the situation with his brother. There had been years that he spent grieving on something he could never quite get passed.

"Hey, Lance, right?"

The raven stopped in his tracks and turned to his left, seeing a blonde with icy blue eyes stare at him. "What?"

The blonde grinned, "I saw you at the bar, and I feel like I can trust you and help you."

"And what the hell do you think you can help me with?"

"You're on the run and need some help to not get caught."

Steel grey eyes widened, "How did you-"

"I'm not as dense and oblivious as everyone else."

Levi stared at the blonde for a moment, "Wait, you're Farlan Chruch. You're a wanted criminal for murder."

Farlan sighed, "More like I'm wanted for killing someone in order to protect myself. But, eh, whatever gathers more attention to put me behind bars for something that was more so protection than anything."

"Why do you want to help me?"

"We can help each other not get caught."

"And how do I know that you really won't just turn me in."

"I'd get caught in the process as well. Besides, I'd never betray someone like that."

Levi just kept staring at him.

"If you want, you can come to my house and we can talk this through."

The raven was about to shake his head when the blonde spoke again. "I won't hurt you or try anything. You'd kick my ass in an instant."

Hmm, so he wasn't as stupid as he looked.

"Alright, I'll go. Lead the way."

Grinning, Farlan lead the raven to his small home on the edge of town.


Levi sipped his tea, sighing softly at the soothing warm liquid sliding down his throat. It had been a while since he had tea, even if this one was a shitty brand.

"So, Lance, how long have you been on the run?"

"Six months. You?"

"Two years."

"I heard about you on the news one day before work."

"So did I. Say..."

"What?"

"Would you rather I call you Lance or Levi?"

"Lance would be just fine, it would still help conceal who I am."

"Alright. Just wanted to make sure."

"Don't get too comfortable with me being around so much. I'm only here until the end of the month then I'm leaving."

"And I'll be joining you."

"Why?"

"You know, one can't stay in one place for too long. There will be a chance that you'll get caught."

"Fine. Just don't slow me down."

"I won't. Promise."

"So, Church, tell me, how did shit really go down with that murder?"

"It was, obviously two years ago, and my dad was a drug dealer. My mom had left when I was a kid, so I don't remember her for shit. So, anyway, my dad had fucking weird people coming and going in our house. I remember when I sometimes had to stay in our attic to not smell all that weed, coke and whatever the fuck else they were getting hopped up on. My dad would beat the shit out of me when something didn't go his way, which was often enough that I had to go to the free clinic. I could have reported him for child abuse, but that would mean I would be killed before I could truly feel safe. I was an only kid, so, I couldn't rely on someone else, and it didn't help that I was anti-social as a kid either."

The blonde downed the rest of his whiskey and poured himself another glass, "Anyway, there was one particular day when I was nineteen that my dad was really off. Apparently, I was dating the girl he had been seeing for weeks behind my back. Hell, I didn't know a good looking girl like her would be with a drug dealer addict. My dad was fucking pissed the second he found out, began calling me the reason he couldn't be happy, his worst mistake, all that shit parents say to get you down when they don't give a shit whatsoever. He was throwing shit at me, vases, cushions, books, whatever he could get his hands on, he tossed my way. It wasn't until he started choking me on the floor that I finally did something. I knew he kept a knife under the couch, I got it, and stabbed his head repeatedly. After he was completely dead, I took all the cautions. Cleaned everything up in the house, cleaned up all the blood off me and him, washed the clothes, and then I got my things and left. I got out a million dollars and took it with me. I've been running for two years, and people still think I murdered him solely because I hated him."

Levi slowly nodded, "And have you ever wanted to tell someone about everything that happened?"

"I wanted to. But all his bastard accomplices took everything out of there and made the place completely spotlesss. There's nothing in there that would work in my favor."

"Hmm..." The raven tapped his chin with his index finger. "Was there anyone else you knew who could help you?"

"There was. But, he went into hiding too. I don't know where he is now."

"Did you ever want to find him?"

"I did. But, I didn't think I could."

"You might have not been able to, but we can."

Icy blue eyes widened, "What do you mean we?"

"I mean, I'll help you. It'd be a fitting way to help you since you're helping me."

Farlan gave him a small faint smile. "Thanks, Lance. I really appreiciate it."

"Of course."

'Hey, Lance?"

"Yeah?"

"I want to help you in the same way you are me."

"How can you? I murdered my former wife and friend. There's no help for me."

"It's better that we give it some effort than none at all. Besides, we might get something."

"Maybe. I doubt it. My situation is something that can't be so easily fixed."

"You never know."

"True. You've a point there."

"Somehow I always do."


After deciding to settle in Farlan's house for the night, not really feeling like going back to his shitty hotel room, Levi stared up at the pale ceiling and thought to himself.

'How can I know that Farlan won't be someone who will betray me in the future. But, it might be welcoming to have someone to talk to on the road. This damn blonde might help me in a situation where I would have given up.'

Levi sighed as he closed his eyes and fell asleep.


Nifa grinned as she was talking with Nile. "That bastard really thinks I'll keep his secret and safe."

The man smirked, "You did good, Nifa. You're worth something more than opening your legs."

"That's my specialty. That and manipulating men into telling me what I want to know." She grabbed a small recorder from under her mattress. "This has everything you need to know. Now, I suspect you're keeping your end of the deal that we made?"

"Oh absolutely. You helped me out in a way that most people cannot. You're putting a criminal behind bars."

"I better get that money, or..." She ran her hand up and down the man's chest, "You'll be the one to pay."

Nile stared down at her, "You'll get what you want. I need to corner that bastard first."

"Trust me, you will now."


Levi's eyes widened as he listened in on the conversation between Nifa and Nile. That red head only wanted him to get what she wanted. He should have known that whore would have done something.

The raven's fists clenched as he rushed to his hotel room, grabbing his things and paying the owner. Rapidly knowcking onto Farlan's bedroom door, he waited for a moment as the blonde opened the door. Farlan's golden hair ruffled, and eyes tired, "Lance? What's wrong?"

"We need to get out of here. Now."

"Why?"

"Nifa fucked me over. She told someone I was here and we'll be found by morning if we don't leave now."

The blonde nodded as the two got the things they needed and took whatever they could that would prove useful and left the house. Levi managed to find a car for them, stolen of course, and drove down the dirt road. Listening to a song by Frank Sinatra quitely idly playing as they drove to devil knows where.


End of Chapter 2