Levi looked out from his perch above the dimly lit underground. He looked up into the blue sky.
"Levi-bro!" Isabel said waving her hand in front of her face. "You in there?"
Levi sighed. "What is it now?"
"I'm starving," she said.
Levi put his hand on her head. "When are you not?"
"I'm going to start singing if I don't get food," she complained.
"Well... thankfully we brought emergency food," Farlan said shoving a loaf of bread in her mouth.
"Mmm..ank... u," she said munching down.
"Levi... you are awfully distant today," Farlan said. "Is something wrong?"
"Just thinking," he said.
Isabel swallowed. "Okay, that's a bad sign," she said.
"...are you thinking about her again?" Farlan asked.
"Oooo her? Does Levi-bro have a girlfriend?"
"Shut up, you idiot," Levi said.
"Why'd you call me an idiot?" Isabel asked tearing up. Levi sighed and rubbed her hair.
"Cheer up, Levi. It's your birthday, remember?" Farlan said.
"Yeah," he replied. His eyes were still fixed on the sky.
Isabel opened the door.
"WOOT WOOT TIME TO PARTAYYY!" she yelled.
"Quiet down," Levi scolded as he lit a candle.
"Levi..."
"I see them," he replied looking at the floor. Blood was tracked on the wood floors. Levi, Isabel, and Farlan followed the tracks into the main room. Someone had collapsed face down onto a couch. Blood was spattered all across her green military uniform.
"It's a survey corps uniform..." Farlan muttered.
"Mira," Levi said bending down. He gently shook her. "Mira!" he said a little louder.
Farlan lit up a few more candles in the room.
"Mira, wake up!" Levi said loudly. Mira jolted from her deep sleep, then threw up all over Levi.
"I'm so sorry..." Mira said. "I can clean this mess up,"
She tried to stand almost falling over.
"Sit down!" Farlan ordered practically shoving her back onto the couch.
Mira buried her head in her hands.
"Isabel. Get Mira some water," Levi said.
"Right," she replied.
Levi and Farlan cleaned up the ground in what seemed like a matter of seconds. Isabel ran into the room with a cup of water.
"Are you Levi's girlfriend?" she asked innocently.
Mira lifted one eyebrow as she downed the water.
"Isabel, don't bother her,"
She rolled her eyes as she left to help Farlan clean up the bloody tracks in the other room.
"...happy birthday..." Mira said with a low chuckle.
"I am glad you're here... even though you're filthy," he said rubbing her head.
"...thanks," she said with a grin.
Mira dried her hair as she walked into the room.
"Thank you for cleaning up my mess," she said.
"...you could've cleaned up before coming," Farlan complained.
"Maybe... but I had to do a lot and I probably would've missed Levi's birthday,"
Levi sighed. "So you come straight here after an expedition,"
"Yup,"
"You are crazy,"
"Not as crazy as you," she said bonking him on the head. "I left your present on the table,"
Levi walked over to the medium-sized box Mira left there. He opened it.
"Tea?"
"It's a very rare tea leaf, grown on the mountains inside Wall Maria. I was trying to decide whether to give you that or a really nice broom. Though I think the military police wouldn't let it through because it could be used as a weapon,"
Isabel held back a laugh. "A weapon? Who'd use a broom as a weapon?"
"Oh, you'd be surprised. There was this one time Levi mmm.."
Levi put his hand in front of her mouth. "We don't need to hear that story,"
"Oh come on I wanna hear the story from Mira-sis!" she said happily.
"Me too," Farlan said smirking.
Farlan and Isabel laughed as Mira told them stories. Levi protested but went along with it. They laughed until late into the night.
"Levi..." Mira said later. "Do you think I could stay for a while?"
Her eyes looked tired, and almost a shade darker than what they used to be.
"Of course," he replied.
"Mira-sis... I'm starving..."
"You're always starving Isabel. Don't go bugging other people about it," Levi said.
"No that's alright. I'll get you guys food. My treat," Mira said.
"You sure?" Levi asked. "You might not want to be seen with us,"
"Buying your food isn't going to be suspicious. In plus, the military police never go into Underground restaurants,"
The four walked down the street to the restaurant/bar. They sat down at a small table near the edge of the restaurant. Isabel happily ordered her food, as she munched down on at least four plates of chicken, beef, and sandwiches.
"I'm gonna go get a drink," Mira said getting up. She sat down on a stool in front of a bartender.
"What would you like?" she asked.
"Anything that you have left,"
"HEY YOU!" a voice boomed. Mira turned around. A tall bald man walked towards Mira. He led a group of bandits and criminals who sneered at those eating in the small restaurant. "Military scum! I heard you were here and decided to see if it was really you... Mira Red, humanity's strongest soldier,"
The other bandits snickered. Mira stood. "I was just leaving," she said. The tall man slammed a glass bottle into her forehead. Alcohol dripped onto her shirt. Mira didn't show them her eyes.
"I heard of the Survey Corps recent defeat... they say your entire squad was killed. Is that why you're here, Red? To drown away your sorrows, or maybe forget about your life on the surface?"
"I came here for a drink," Mira said. She looked down at the floor splattered in glass. "Sorry about the mess, I can clean it up," she told the bartender.
The bartender protested. "No it's fine I can do it!"
The tall bandit flipped a table so that the plates and silverware crashed on Mira. Mira sat on the floor without saying a word.
"If you like to clean so much, than clean up this mess," he said taunting her.
He grabbed her shirt, and ripped off part of it, revealing part of her chest. "I'll take this as a souvenir,"
The tall bandit walked away as Levi held Isabel back.
"My name is Tobias Gray. Don't you forget me, Red," he said as he walked out the door.
"Let's go," Levi whispered to Farlan and Isabel.
"But, Mira!" Isabel protested.
"She can handle herself," Levi replied.
"I hope Mira's going to be alright," Isabel said sitting on the couch.
"Mira's stronger than all of us. She will be fine," Levi said.
"Even stronger than you?"
"Yes..." he replied.
"If she's stronger than Levi-bro than why doesn't she fight back?" Isabel yelled.
"Mira knows when to fight, and more importantly knows when to not fight. She chooses her battles wisely,"
"But... it made her look so weak,"
"I don't know what you mean. Withholding from that fight showed that she was stronger than them,"
Isabel scowled. "I don't get it,"
"Maybe one day you will,"
Mira opened the door and walked into the room. She was still soaked, though she had a cloak on.
"...the bartender was nice," she said. "She gave me a cloak... though I think I might need a new shirt,"
Farlan pulled Isabel out of the room and closed the door.
"Here," Levi said tossing her a shirt. "Mira... are you alright?"
Mira pulled off her cloak, her face turned towards the wall. "It was just a bit of alcohol," she said slipping her torn shirt off her shoulders. A large x-shaped scar covered the length of her back.
"That's not what I meant,"
Mira put the clean shirt on. She continued to look at the wall. "I'm selfish. A selfish idiot,"
"Mira..."
"No. It's true. I didn't come down here to see you. I came down here to escape. To escape the reality that I was the one who failed my squad. And now they're all dead because of me,"
Mira turned. Her face was covered in tears. "I don't think... I'm alright,"
Levi held her. For a long time. He put his hand on her head, feeling her long, clean hair.
"Levi!" Farlan said worriedly upon entering. "It's Isabel! She started a fight with Tobias Grey and his gang!"
Levi and Mira ran out of the door upon hearing Isabel. They followed Farlan down to a small alley. Isabel was forced on the ground by one of the bandits, one of her pigtails cut.
"You guys deserve to die for humiliating Mira-sis like that!" Isabel yelled.
"Mira-sis?" Grey said. "What a strange girl... I guess we'll just have to kill her,"
"You won't lay a hand on her," Mira said.
"Still around, military scum?"
A knife was at her throat. "You take one step and I slit your throat," the bandit threatened.
"Well... now that you've put your life on the line..." Mira said.
"What the hell do you mean?" he sneered.
Mira pointed to the knife. "These aren't for threatening people,"
The man's eyes widened as Levi slit his throat. He fell down dead.
"What do you think you're doing Red?" Grey asked.
Mira glared at Grey. "You listen closely, Grey. You can spill alcohol on me, or even flip a table on me and I won't fight back. But if you hurt one of my friends, you're gonna wish you had went to hell first,"
"Mira-sis..." Isabel said with tears in her eyes.
"Do you really think the three of you can take out my entire gang?" he asked.
"Let's just see how long you survive," Levi said pulling up his sleeves.
Mira kicked in the chest, sending him flying about ten feet. Levi threw down another bandit over his shoulder in one swift move. Farlan downed another in a few swift punches. Grey grabbed Isabel and began to run. Levi yelled as he threw a dagger straight into his back.
"BOSS!" the bandits yelled.
Mira stood back to back with Levi as the punched and kicked the bandits, defeating them in less than a couple minutes. Farlan ran to Isabel, still a little shaken up.
"You alright?" Farlan asked.
"I'm fine," Isabel said slapping his hand away.
Mira and Levi smiled. "Still too prideful to own the fact that you started this fight?" Mira teased.
"Now you're sounding like Levi-bro," Isabel whined.
"You know..." Levi said, "you don't have to go back,"
Mira looked at Levi. "I have to,"
"Why?"
She looked up. "My dream... my last wish is far outside the walls. And I'll run as hard as I have to to get there,"
"Will you come back?" Levi said quietly.
"Of course I'll come back, Levi. I made a promise. I'll keep coming back no matter how long it takes me,"
She hugged Levi. "I'll see you soon," she said.
But she never came back.