A pub full of men who in Levi's eyes are criminals was not going to go well. I jumped down from my horse and tied him back up before warily walking up to the pub door and putting my ear against it. It was strange the sounds of men pulverizing Levi to a bloody pulp almost sounded like laughter. No it was laughter, was beat up Levi that entertaining that everyone was laughing about? I pushed to door open and saw Levi sitting at a table with drunken fat men having a pint like he was one of the guys.
"The hell is going on here?" I asked thoroughly confused
"Em, have a seat, grab a drink, we are just reminiscing about some old times with Levi here!" Mansfield slapped Levi hard on the back spilling beer everywhere
"Yeah… I'll get right on that… HAWKE!" I stormed away looking for my adopted father
I found Hawke at his rightful place behind the bar serving his loyal bar flies.
"Well I asked you to visit again but I didn't figure it would come so soon!" Hawke grinned from ear to ear
"Can I steal you for a moment? There is a possible situation." I mumbled as I walked behind the bar
"Can you talk while filling steins?" Hawke laid out a row of mugs waiting to be filled
"You act like I didn't grow up filling pitchers of beer for these bastards!" I laughed and began fill steins, "Anyways, table 5 over there might erupt into a fight at any moment when they realize that they are talking friendly with captain Levi of the Survey Corps."
"You don't say? I'll handle this. Man the bar will you?" Hawke place a collection of filled mugs a serving tray and walked to the table
I watched with a smug grin waiting for Levi to be escorted out of the pub, but when Hawke took a seat with the growing group of men my smug grin fell and I gapped at them with an open mouth.
"Hey Em can I get another shot?" a scruffy bar fly slide a shot glass down to me
"You can drink all you want if you man this for 10 minutes." I filled the glass and slid it back
"Deal!" The man practically jumped over the bar, but fell on his face when his drunken body remembered that it was drunk
"Serve then drink got it? If you just get shit faced and not serve then I'll kick your ass!" I walked back around and threatened
I approached the busy table with a stern look, "You and you," I pointed to Hawke and Levi, "Come with me now."
"Best listen to her boy; she's pretty scary when she's mad." Hawke patted Levi's back and they both followed behind me
There was a chorus of angered and sad drunk men when Levi left the table, but I just threw up the middle finger as I walked away and everyone shut up. We walked into the back stock room where I turned around, folded my arms across my chest, and tapped my toe like a disgruntled parent.
"Anyone care to explain what the hell is going on? Why the hell haven't half of the men in this place beaten the living shit out of him?" I asked coldly
"Em sweetie, I've known Levi since he was a little tyke!" Hawke said casually
"Wait you're a criminal?" I looked at Levi harshly
"Was." Levi shrugged
"So they really do know you? Do they know about you now?" I narrowed my eyes
"Yes and yes." Levi rolled his eyes
"Did you know about this place? Wait do you know about me and Hawke and half of the people in this bar? How much do you know that you're not telling me?" I threw my hands up exasperated
"No not exactly, I know this is a common place for fellow criminals, but I don't know about your past." Levi leaned against a shelf
"You! How do you know him?" I pointed at Hawke
"He's was in here a lot looking for jobs and throwing a few back. I get to know my customers." Hawke laughed
I threw myself down on to a crate of wine and buried my face in my hands, "I came storming back to save his little ass and see that he's all buddy buddy with everyone in here."
"How do you two know each other?" Levi asked interested
"I'm her adoptive father." Hawke answered proudly
"He saved my life when I was young, he raised me, and all of them out there taught me everything I know." I added finally looking back up to both of them
Levi arched an eyebrow and his eyes prodded for more information.
"Em, he's your captain. You're going to have to trust him." Hawke pushed
I sighed, "When I was young my mother died; she started forgetting things all the time like where she was or who I was, and eventually she left home and never came back. They found her several days later and she had frozen to death. My… father… he began to drink a lot. He got black out drunk most nights and would savagely beat me. Eventually the money ran out and instead of finding a job like a normal son of a bitch he sold my body. He would bring guys around and they would pay him to rape me. I was 10, I was 10 and I was being sold as a sex slave to men three times my age…" tears began to slowly roll down my cheek, "Hawke and his men they-ugh-they came one day and took care of my father and brought me under their wing. The scars on my back they're from him, and all of them. Most nights after they would use me I would try and runaway or… Kill myself… Eventually my father would have to chain me or tie me up so I would be compliant. I was young and I hadn't had my first bleeding yet so no one had to worry about bastard children around. That made me desirable…"
Hawke sat down next to me and patted my shoulder, "When I found her she was starved, broken, and she would let anyone touch her for a long time. She didn't talk and she barely let anyone get close to her. It took several months for her to talk and tell me her name. From there I was able to get a little closer every day. Now she's my most trusted worker."
"You and your men and you 'took' care of her father?" Levi asked
"This bar, most of those people, me and her, we are mercenaries. This place is like the head-quarters, but we work all over in every district. People hire us to kill people, or we are like villainies that kill those, like her father, who are monsters in society." Hawke explained
"We take care of those the MP's don't care about. Children who are starving because their fathers are drunken assholes or women who are being abused by their husbands. We are the protectors of the weak." I added
"What about the swords? Where to they come into play?" a sadness sparkled in Levi's eyes; was he sympathetic towards me?
"Show him." Hawke nudged me
I grabbed the swords from behind me and laid them down on the ground, "Grab them."
Levi looked confused but bent down and struggled to lift one of the swords.
"It's heavy, really heavy." Levi stammered
I chuckled and grabbed the remaining sword with ease.
"They called to her; it was a payment when we took care of a prestigious family's competition of sorts. They said they are by far older than the walls themselves. No one has been able to wield them until her. The blades never dull." Hawke laughed as Levi struggled to manage the swords weight
"I've cut through rock with them and the blades didn't dull nor did they chip." I put my weight on the hilt
Levi handed the sword back and I slid them both back in their hilts behind me.
"We should probably go, I left Drunk Phil behind the bar he's probably passed out and pissed himself." I stood, "Plus we need get going before Commander Eyebrows thinks I ran away."
I left the room and a few moments later Levi and Hawke followed behind. I gave Hawke another warm hug and Hawke shook Levi's hand firmly before leaving the pub. Levi and I both mounted our horses and took off down the street.
"Levi." I said softly
"Hmm?" Levi hummed with his walked up next me
"If you tell anyone I'll kill you in your sleep and leave your dead body dangling over the wall for the titans to eat. I don't need your sympathy or anyone else's." I said casually and looked over to him with a soft smile before kicking my horse into a trot
Neither of us spoke the rest of the ride to base, but it was a comfortable silence. We took the horses back to the paddock and began to walk back towards the castle. Levi stopped at a rose bush and plucked a white rose from it.
"Why when you picked roses did you look so happy?" Levi inspected the rose like it was going to answer his question
"My mom and I would pick wild flowers every spring after the snow melted from the mountains. That was back when my father wouldn't beat me and my mom had her memory." I hung my head
Levi walked up to me but never took his eyes away from the rose. He brushed back a stray strand of hair and tucked the rose behind my ear, and then turned on his heels and walked into the castle without saying a word. I pulled the rose down and pushed it up to my nose breathing in the sweet smell. Was this Levi being nice? I guess if it was then I could get used to it; maybe it would make living here and working with these people a little more bearable.
The rest of my day was nothing but getting a crash course in tactics and vanguards. By the time dinner finally came around my brain was fried and my stomach kept reminding of is constant need for food. I walked into the dining hall and was flagged down by Petra and the others who I sat with the night before, but now my roommate Hanji was with them too.
"How were your classes?" Petra asked sweetly
"Boring and exhausting." I replied threw bites of food
"Tomorrows combat so that should be exciting!" Hanji chimed in
"They are going to teach me combat? I'm pretty sure I'm all good in that category." I sneered
"She's right; I feel bad for whoever is put against her." Levi's voice said behind me
Leave moved from behind me to sit next Hanji. I my eyes followed Levi as he sat down. I wasn't sure how far Levi was going since he knows about my past employment.
"Well that'll make it even more exciting!" Another voice down the table added
"I saw we start betting!" Someone else chided
The talk of the table began to change into odds and bets about my upcoming combat training. I even caught myself laughing along with them. It was strange how easily I was connecting with all these people, and how accepting they were of me.
Petra leaned over to me, "See I told you will fit in with us!"
I smiled back at her and I felt the happiness radiating through my body.
"Come with me." Levi stood and looked down to me
I looked up to him confused but obeyed. I grabbed my tray and placed with the pile of others that were ready to go back and be washed. Levi led me out of the dining hall and through the corridors until we were back at his room.
"You can stay here tonight. I know how awful Hanji's room is and that you probably didn't get much sleep last night. I'll make sure to find you a more suitable place tomorrow." Levi gestured around the room
"You trust me with all your clean and tidy stuff?" I giggled "Where are you going to stay?"
"I don't sleep much, a couple hours at best; I have somethings to go over anyways." Levi sat down at the desk
"You're going sleep at your desk?" I questioned
"If I fall asleep I guess so." Levi shrugged
"Thanks for everything today." I said awkwardly
Levi body language got stiff; I think I embarrassed him, but I needed to thank him for being understanding of me and Hawke and all the other guys out there who believe they are making the world a better place.
"I'm pretty exhausted. Between not getting any sleep and the crash course this afternoon I can barely keep my eyes open." I laughed nervously
"Get some sleep; I'm just going to get some paper work finished." Levi turned in his chair
I nodded in understanding and began to undress. I felt eyes on my back as Levi tried discretely look at my scars again.
"You can get a closer look. There is not use in trying to be sneaky anymore." I said softly
I heard the chair drag on top of the floor boards as Levi stood and slowly walked towards me. I remained still with my back towards him, and I turned my head to look at him out of the corner of my eye. Levi approached me cautiously as if any sudden movements would cause me to break or flee like a frightened deer.
"They're all from him… them?" Levi asked softly
"Most are, some are from fights due to work hazards. You know being a criminal and all." I tried to lighten the mood
"What did they use to cause such deep cuts?" I felt a light touch on my shoulder as Levi traced the lines of a raised scar
"Chains, riding crops, belts, anything they, more like he, could get his hands on." My body tensed up under his touch, "I'm sorry it has become a natural reaction. I'm not afraid of you."
Levi ran his fingers gently down the length of my back and it sent a chill down my spine causing my skin to prickle under his touch.
"Monsters…" Levi whispered
I hadn't l realized that I was holding my breath until my lungs began to burn due to lack of oxygen.
"Relax." Levi murmured soothingly
Surprisingly my body listened to his command and every muscle released its tension and I exhaled deeply. Levi continued to trace over nearly every scar on my back and each touch was more relaxing than the last. I was nearly asleep where I stood when Levi grabbed my wrist and turned me around. He held my wrist up facing the ceiling and drug his thumb across the thin scars that ran across my wrist; one on top of another, on top of another.
I pulled my wrist free from his grip and hid it behind me, "I don't need you sympathy. I did want I thought would end the pain and suffering."
"I understand why you did it. I don't understand how someone would mutilate their daughter without a second thought." Levi said through clenched teeth
"He got what was coming to him. He's dead there is no need to get worked up about it." I tried to calm him
"Get some rest." Levi turned and walked back to the desk
I pulled my pajamas on and climbed into Levi's bed. I hadn't slept on a good mattress and a soft pillow in I don't know how long. I felt like I was lying in cloud and wrapped in the finest silks. I let out a sigh of pleasure as I pulled the blankets tighter around my body. I peered through my eyelashes just before I drifted off to sleep to see Levi smiling down at his papers.
