CHAPTER 6: PAPA HELPED A MAN

Levi Ackerman

"Well, this is my street." Nile said, surveying the busy corner.

Levi halfheartedly scanned the roadway as well. His head throbbed like a steel drum, banging against his head with every footfall that slammed past him.

"The outpost is that way—" Nile jabbed a thumb down the street. "So don't go too far in that direction."

"I'm sure we'll be fine, Commander." Historia said with sweetness coating her voice. "But I'm a little worried that you won't be the one coming back tonight. Isn't there a set of stairs right next to the outpost?"

Nile laughed. "There sure is! And god if it wouldn't be nice to go visit the wife and kids..." He glanced at the ceiling wistfully.

Don't do it, don't do it, don't do it…

"Weren't you leaving?" Levi glared at him.

Nile held up his hands in defeat. "Yeah, yeah. You win this round shorty. You can finally go fuck around in the underground without me, while Burns and I chat over wine and bread."

"You can shove your wine up your—"

"Be sure to bring back some fresh supplies!" Historia interrupted with a twinkle in her eye. "And I wouldn't mind a little extra tea for all of us."

Nile rolled his eyes. "I'll see what I can do."

He turned to Levi, fixing a death glare at him. "If anything happens to her while I'm gone I will literally cut all your fingers off one by one, feed them to Hanji's new stupid experiment titans, and then throw what's left of you off wall Rose. Got it?"

Levi grunted, crossing his arms.

Satisfied, Nile turned and started walking away.

"See you tonight." He called back, flipping them off.

Historia rolled her eyes, discreetly shooting her own rude gesture back. She adjusted her cloak, making sure her cowl covered her face. Her nose wrinkled as she did so.

"To Seth's?" She asked him.

Something in Levi's stomach twisted as Nile was lost in the crowds. It wasn't that Nile provided anything close to resembling comfort, but now that it was just him and Historia...well he felt off about it. Like they were teasing fate. Being on their own meant they were that much closer to Levi's nightmares becoming reality.

His head continued to throb.

"Yeah." He gestured down the street opposite where Nile had gone. "Let's go.

Seth's bar reminded Levi of a wilting flower. Faded paint and peeling wood told of the beauty it probably once had. Window shutters hung at an angle, barely hiding the lack of glass behind them.

The bar nestled itself between a sorry excuse for a cafe and a boarded up shop. They all stood two stories tall, the upper windows overlooking the bustling vendors as they set up shop around them. People moved through the street, occasionally glancing at the bar, but mostly avoiding it.

It might have been cozy, once. A place to grab a bite to eat with a friend perhaps.

But like everything else, the touch of the underground left it with a haunted feel, as if everything that entered would come out hollow and cursed.

"Here we are." Levi stopped, examining the people passing them. He swore he just saw—no. Was that a hooded figure..? But no one in the crowds paid them a second glance.

"...are we gonna go in...or just keep standing outside?" Historia drawled.

Levi shook himself out of his daze. "Come on."

They strode across the street, taking care to dodge around the gradually growing hustle of people. Dirty looks fell on them, their too clean clothes, their straight postures, the life in their eyes.

Levi dared looking into some of them. A mistake.

Dead eyes, lifeless and dull stared back at him. For them, today would be another day with no food. Another day with no light. Without hope.

He swallowed, hurrying his pace. Ignoring them wouldn't make them go away, but sooner they were out of the open the better.

Historia pushed open the door to reveal a long, dimly lit room, barely pierced from street lamps outside. Levi glanced around it, noting with disgust that the smell of alcohol reeking from within was stronger than the ever present stink of sewage.

Two dark figures sat huddled at one of the dozen tables while a blonde man stood wiping a glass cup at the bar at the far end of the room. Behind the bar, shelves of colored glass bottles and barrels of presumably alcohol sat stored. The narrow space ended with a door at the back, behind the bar next to a set of stairs.

Levi nodded Historia in the direction of the man behind the bar, and they strode across the room towards him.

As they moved, the polished surface of the floor gleamed up at him. Every table and chair looked freshly wiped down, no spills or blood on the floor. Even the corners of the room looked dust and cobweb free. Of course, it would take a close inspection to see how truly clean it was, but Levi was nonetheless impressed.

The man looked up at them as they approached. "What can I help you youngsters with today?" He said, making Historia stifle a snort. Levi pointedly ignored her as they each took seats on rickety stools.

"We're not kids." Levi answered, purposely inflecting his voice to sound deeper as the man placed the glass he'd been cleaning down on the counter. His bright smile was out of place, but it only grew at Levi's comment. He wore it with such confidence, as if he were the proud owner of a grandiose wine shop and Levi and Historia were his first customers of the day. He was tall and built, not an uncommon sight above ground, but most people underground were short and stocky, their growth stunted by lack of sunlight. His height only made the man stand out more.

"My apologies," The bartender said, his brown eyes gleaming. "What can I help you two very short adults with."

Levi eyed the bartender, pain irritating his head. "We're looking for Seth."

"And who, might I ask, is looking." He responded without missing a beat.

"A friend."

"Ha!" The man exclaimed, his shoulder-length blond hair bouncing with him. "Okay friend. Got a name?"

"Furlan."

Something almost imperceptible shifted in his gaze, but he continued to smile as he wiped his hands on a clean apron.

"That's funny. You don't look much like a Furlan."

"I didn't say my name was Furlan." Levi steeled his eyes on the bartender's own brown ones. "You asked for a name. I gave you one."

The bartender quirked an eyebrow, turning away to push the glass he was formerly cleaning onto a shelf.

"Right then." He laughed. "Well, Not Furlan, Seth isn't around anymore, but his bar is, so can I get you a drink?"

Levi and Historia exchanged looks.

Her eyes, which had been so alive earlier, were sinking. She swallowed, shoulders slumping as disappointment set in. Another dead lead.

"What do you mean by not around?" He tried again, hopeful.

"What do I mean?" The man answered, turning back to them with two glasses in hand. "I mean that, sadly, Seth is no longer with us. He's dead. Now—" He set the glasses in front of them. "Can I get you two anything?"

Historia cleared her throat, regaining her composure. "We'll just take two waters please."

The man winked at her. "Sure thing sweetie."

Saving no amount of flair, the man grabbed their cups and strolled over to a sink. He filled them and brought them back, letting the crystal clear water drip on the sides.

Levi's throat suddenly itched like someone had rubbed sandpaper over it as he gazed at the water.

"Here you two go." The bartender smiled again. "No charge for water. Folks shouldn't have to pay for what nature gives us for free."

"Thank you." Historia said, accepting her cup.

Levi grabbed his glass but hesitated before guzzling it down. Did he want this man to see his face?

Turned out he didn't have to worry.

A loud thump sounded from the floor above them and the bartender's attention was instantly drawn towards the stairs.

"If you two will excuse me for a moment." He strolled off, whistling a tune Levi didn't recognize.

Without wasting another moment, he moved his scarf down and downed the water in one go. The icy liquid trailed down his throat, soothing his flaring headache for blissful seconds.

"What now?" Historia's voice sounded to his side.

He looked at her, setting his now empty glass down. Her water sat untouched, and she trailed a finger across the wooden counter listlessly.

The light flickered from outside, but a glance proved nothing out of the ordinary. Levi frowned, eyes scanning over the other bar attendants as they stood to leave. Apparently he wasn't the only one who liked privacy.

"I don't know." He sighed, placing his hands down on the counter.

"We've been at this almost two weeks now." She trailed on. "And what do we have to show for it?

He didn't answer. What comfort could he offer? She was right. They had nothing.

The queen sniffed, wiping at her nose.

"This was a stupid idea. What was I thinking? I'm sorry I dragged you into this. You and Nile and everyone else." She continued. Her eyes looked red, even in the dim lighting.

His heart went out to her. He knew what it was like to be frustrated, to want to give up. But he had absolutely no idea how to express that to her in a meaningful way. Don't give up. You can do it. No, it all sounded ridiculous coming from him.

He scrambled to think of something to say, trying to decide if it was even worth opening his mouth when—

*pad*

*pad*

*pad*

A soft shuffling sounded from the stairs. A young girl, maybe nine or ten years old, appeared walking down with a bundle of folded towels in her hands. Her brown hair was tied in messy braids, probably done by herself, and her navy dress was plain but neat. Her eyes trailed over him with more suspicion than should have been able to grace such a young face.

She padded down the rest of the stairs, moving behind the bar as far from them as possible. Setting the towels on an unseen shelf, she glanced at them once more before darting back up the stairs like a bird.

If Levi hadn't watched the whole thing happen he might not have believed it.

"Did you just—" Historia whispered.

"Yes."

"Was that a girl?"

"Yes." He muttered. "Something is definitely off about this place."

Historia's eyes were childishly wide. "Do you think she belongs to the bartender?"

"I don't know."

Heavy footsteps sounded on the stairs. The bartender was returning.

"Let's stick around for another minute or two." He motioned.

The blond man reappeared, smiling at them as he returned behind the counter. He picked up his rag, resuming his polishing. One glass after another, he wiped grime off them before stacking them on the shelf.

Levi watched him out of the corner of his eye, ignoring the pain pricks there. The man went to clean up the table where the two men had been sitting. He kept whistling that tune, keeping pace with it while he worked.

Historia sipped at her water, hesitant to reveal her face.

When the man returned behind the bar, he surprised Levi by turning to face them again.

"What do you two hope to gain from watching me?" He asked. Levi would have expected more hostility in his words, but they were instead filled with curiosity. "I promise, Seth really is dead. He'd be the one serving you personally if not. Of that you can be certain."

He eyed the man carefully, sorting through questions to ask. "Seth had a reputation." He finally voiced.

The man nodded. "Most people 'round here do."

"He helped people. A lot of people, but he helped children too."

"Sounds right."

"That's what we're here for." Levi hoped his eyes carried his sincerity, realizing that covering half of his face didn't exactly promote trust.

The bartender scratched at his clean shaven chin. "What exactly are you trying to get at?"

"We're hoping to find out what his sources might have been." Historia spoke up. "We're from the surface."

Levi bristled instinctively as she revealed the information. He had warned her over and over not to drop stuff like that, but she kept forgetting. It was just a matter of time before the wrong ears heard about their plight and used it against them.

"Like he said," She continued, "We want to help children down here. Knowing where Seth found them. Who he talked to. The works, it would make all of our lives easier."

"And I'm guessing you two think I know all of that?"

"All we know is we came here looking for Seth, and we found you instead." Levi voiced, grimacing against a new spike of pain shooting through his head.

"True." He nodded. "You did find me. Name's Patrik, by the way." He proffered a hand to them which they both shook in turn.

"And I'm assuming your name isn't actually Furlan." Patrik raised an eyebrow at Levi.

"No...it's Levi." He answered, glancing around again. He didn't like dropping his name. Not even above ground. If he met someone who by chance didn't recognize him, he liked to keep it that way. No sense drawing attention where it wasn't wanted.

But here? He hated the feeling that by uttering his name it felt like every eye from outside the bar was instantly turned on him. Like the hairs on the back of his neck were standing straight up, being counted.

Another flash of something flared in Patrik's eyes, but he disguised it with a chuckle. "Levi and…?"

"...Krista..." Historia muttered.

"Ha! Okay, well I've never met two people more afraid of their own names, but it's a pleasure nonetheless." He grinned back. "How long have you folks been down here?"

Another exchanged glance.

"A while." Historia admitted. "Long enough that a lead would be very profitable. And, we could make it worth your time." She gave the man a knowing look.

Patrik nodded, looking unconvinced. "Okay, okay. Well, let's try something. You ask your questions and I'll see if it jogs any memories about Seth. Eh?"

The queen's posture sprang up like a flower in the sun.

"Deal." She agreed. She gave a small glance to Levi, trying to share her excitement.

"To begin with," She said. "Our sources above ground are few in number, but they all affirm that orphans run the streets like vermin, and that's a quote by the way. I don't actually think that."

Patrik shrugged.

"However, if those rumors are true, we haven't seen proof of it. So first, are there actually that many orphans here, and if so, why are there so many?" She asked. "Where do they come from? And do they die off as they get older or do they join with gangs or meet some other fate?"

The standard set of questions. They'd been asking these things everywhere they went. All Levi ever remembered getting in response was a bleak "I don't know" and a shake of the head.

Patrik listened intently while she spoke, drumming his fingers on the counter. "Hmmm. I can't say that anything is coming to mind...however…" He trailed off, glancing again at the stairs.

Levi took the opportunity to look outside.

Nothing. Again. Just like last time, and the time before that.

He couldn't put his finger on it, but his gut was tugging like a cord at his stomach. Get out. They needed to move. Been here too long.

But...there was no reason...why would...they were fine...weren't they?

He pressed a palm against his skull.

"Nope. I got nothing." Patrik feigned a sigh. "Seems my memory runs dry about those things. Happens when you're young. You don't remember much about the important details." He shrugged again, flashing them a regretful smile.

Historia eyed him. "You just said 'however' though. What were you going to say?"

Patrik placed a smug finger against his lips, as if he'd been caught saying something inappropriate. "I did say that, didn't I."

"You did."

"Tell you what." He tapped his finger against his face. "I don't know much about you. You don't know much about me. We have no reason to trust each other. My life doesn't change without you in it, but it sounds like you're in desperate need of my assistance."

Levi didn't like where this was going.

"Prove to me that you have good intentions and that you mean what you say and we'll talk again. Who knows, my memory might improve by then."

"Are you shitting—" Levi growled, but Historia held up a hand.

"—what he's trying to say is what kind of proof are you looking for?" She gave Levi a look that said save it.

He flashed her an intense glare back.

"Hey I don't know." Patrik laughed. "You guys figure that out and come back. You'll know where to find me." He patted his hand against the counter. "If I'm not here it will be my brother Len. He's a little shorter than me, got a shorter temper too so maybe bring your happy face next time Levi, eh?"

Levi internally rolled his eyes. Were they really going along with this?

"Oh!" The bartender exclaimed. "Here's Len now!"

The three of them turned to the front door as it swung open.

True to his word, Len was a short man. Thin and brown-haired, he walked with an air of importance, as if he owned the bar and everything in it. He gave Levi and Historia a brief, disdainful glance before heading towards the far end of the bar, two books clutched under his arm.

"Hey Lenny!" Patrik grinned. "Come meet my new friends! I think they'll be coming around again."

Len turned his head and flashed them an uncomfortable smile, the kind you give your enemy when social norms won't allow you to glare daggers at them. He immediately turned back to the bar, placing his books gently on the counter, and began shifting through the pages. A journal, Levi realized after seeing the scrawled notes.

Patrik gave the two of them a look, leaning in close. "Siblings, am I right?" He rolled his eyes, straightening up. "If you two will excuse me for another moment."

He waltzed over to Len and the two engaged in friendly conversation. Levi didn't listen too closely.

"Well, this has been interesting if nothing else." Historia noted quietly. "And before you disagree, I think we should humor him. We have nothing to lose."

"You want to go along with his game?" Levi asked in disbelief, returning his hand to cover his eye. "People like him just want money. All he has to do is lie and charge us for it."

"He hasn't asked us for anything." She pointed out.

"Yet."

"I don't know. Something seems off about him. Off in a good way. I can't put my finger on it. Also, are you okay?"

Levi glanced outside, taking his hand off his head, fresh stabs of heat replacing it. "I'm fine."

She looked at him skeptically.

"What?" He leaned away from her. "It's just a headache. It will go away."

He hoped.

Patrik laughed behind them.

"Okay," Historia continued. "But I think he knows something. What if all he really just wants to know if he can trust us? It's worth a shot."

Levi grunted back. She had a point. Though, he was still suspicious.

"Let's talk to Nile, see what he thinks. We can come back." He agreed.

Patrik and Len walked over to the stairs, exchanging a few more words before Patrik turned to face them. He smiled, striding over and leaning in close to them.

"Hey listen here," He said abruptly the dropping the smile and looking around. The easy going demeanor had all but left his eyes, leaving a surprising sincerity and almost...fear behind. "I don't know exactly where you all plan on going next, but I have a feeling it's not going to be anywhere safe."

Levi noted the annoyed glare flashing across Len's face.

"Probably not." He agreed carefully.

Patrik nodded, before fixing his eyes directly onto Levi's. "Then take this for what you will. Be careful out there. Some of those MP's? They were thugs a week ago. No one knows why or who recruited them, but thugs enforcing the law? Someone is playing a very dangerous game and I wouldn't want to be on the losing end."

"We'll watch out. Thank you for the warning." Levi said, suppressing a violent shiver. Every movement sent his head pulsing with pain.

Patrik nodded, patting the counter. "Good. Okay then." He sprang back, classic grin splitting his face. "So Len is going to take over here, I'm needed elsewhere. Help yourself to the water, it ain't going anywhere."

"And thank you, Patrik." Historia said.

"Of course hun." Patrik waved as he walked away.

He and Len approached the stairs, exchanging a few more words between them. Then, he disappeared up them. Len returned to the bar, but came around the back and wrapped a dark apron around his waist. He glanced at them, but said nothing as he went about rummaging through supplies behind the counter.

"We should go." Levi nudged Historia. "We can grab something to eat on our way back."

She nodded. "You lead the way."

Levi took a regretful look at his empty glass, wondering if it was worth it to ask Len for a refill. One look at the man's face and he decided against it.

They stood, turning to leave. Levi adjusting his cloak as he did so.

"I don't give a shit about who you are."

Levi whirled back towards the voice that had spoken. "What?"

"I said," Len glowered at them, "I don't give a shit about who you are. Don't come back to our establishment and don't talk to my brother again."

"Sir," Historia started. "We were just talking about an information exchange—"

"Did you not hear me?" He growled. "Get the fuck out of my building and don't come back."

Historia stumbled like she'd been slapped. Levi too felt a wave of anger flood over him. It wasn't that the words themself were that bad. Hell, they'd heard much worse the last few weeks, sometimes coming from Levi's own mouth, but them being directed at the Queen was not okay.

And he knew it must be shattering her hope like an avalanche.

"You say something like that to her again and you'll have a lot more to worry about then us coming back." Levi said, his tone low but dangerous.

Len glared at them but said nothing more as they turned to leave.

They made their way back across the narrow room to the storefront.

"What the hell was that about?" Historia whispered as they neared the door. Her voice was shaky, like she was about to cry. Levi saw red.

"I don't know." He admitted, surprised by how on edge the encounter left him.

His eyes darted to the windows as they approached, catching the light glinting off something gold.

"No, it's okay. I'm just tired. We have to be close to something Captain, we have to be—"

"Wait." Levi held an am out in warning, blocking her from opening the door. "Something's off."

He ran his other hand across his face, trying to block out the pain trapping his mind.

Oddly enough, he only noticed now that the voice in his head had been silent since they entered the bar.

Please focus. Just FOCUS!

He gestured for Historia to back up behind a table and flattened himself against the wall by the window. Sliding across to the glass, he remained hidden from the outside. Peering through, he scanned the faces outside. Lamplight illuminated passing merchants and workers on the wide street. Everyone hurried to their destinations, the underground was no place to stop and sightsee. No one gave the bar a second glance.

So the hooded figure in a dark cloak standing still in the middle of the street, staring directly at the bar made Levi freeze.

The hood flared up as the man drew his arm back, something weighty resting in his hand. His arm obscured his face, but as it drew up, Levi noticed something. A glint of light.

A small square of gold.

The man was wearing a ring...

And something inside of Levi's brain tried to signal him, but it was too late.

"Get down!" He bellowed to Historia as he saw the man launch the handhold toward the bar.

She didn't react immediately, and Levi scrambled around the table, desperately trying to make it over to her before-

CRASH!

The sound split the room as something smashed through one of the front windows.

He barely processed it before barreling into Historia. She yelped as they tumbled to the ground.

And then—

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMM!

The world erupted in red.

AN:

Guyyyyyyysssssssss the manga is OVER! I can't believe it...

I've been with Attack on Titan since summer of 2014 and the story is finally over. It's so crazy and I can't begin to say how much it's changed my life.

BUT Y'ALL ARE AMAZING TOO! Y'all are so kind and sweet in your reviews. I love you all!

Oh...and sorry for the cliffy...haha...

~Gamma