Fugitives
Levi knelt down beside the shaking young man. The instant he placed his hand on the younger's shoulder, Eren leaned in, threw his arms around the Super's neck and began sobbing on his shoulder. Gross, Levi thought. Now I'm gonna have snot and tears all over me. Can't say as I blame him, though. I can't even begin to imagine what he must be thinking and feeling at this moment. Hell, I don't even know what I'm supposed to be thinking or feeling at the moment! Dammit! Eren doesn't deserve this shit!
In just a few minutes, Eren calmed, wiped his face with his sleeve, straightened up, took in a deep, cleansing breath and declared, "I'm okay, now." He picked up the dropped papers of his father's letter and stood.
Levi, still kneeling on the floor looked skeptically up into Eren's eyes. "Are you sure? Feels like your suppressing."
"I am. But we have a job to do and my freaking out isn't going to help. I'll think about it later"
Levi stood and brushed the dust from his clothing. "Okay, who the fuck are you and what have you done with Eren Jaeger?"
"I put him away for a while," Eren replied seriously as he took off his backpack and began putting the laptop into it. "It looks like we may have a lot of useful information on Titan here."
"Right. The sooner we get this shit back to headquarters and destroy this chamber, the better," Levi agreed as he put the book and file binder in his backpack.
Once they had packed everything, Levi went over to the door that presumably led to what was once the Jaeger's cellar and knocked on it with a tire iron he'd been carrying in his pack (Eren decided he didn't want to know why Levi brought a tire iron in the first place). "Sounds hollow back there. Codex said this was below the basement, so their must be a hall with stairs that are still open after the basement was filled in." He cautiously opened the door to find his assumption was correct. On the opposite side was a thumb and retina reader just like the entrance they had used. Using the tire iron, Levi smashed the two scanners to bits before closing and locking the door forever.
Finally, he had Eren place the letter on the table. Using his flint and steel rings, Levi ignited a flame that consumed the letter entirely. As they stepped out the door into the hallway, Levi ignited another flame and set the remaining contents of the chamber ablaze. He then closed the door, destroyed the scanners and they turned to leave.
Once they were back out in the tunnels, Eren let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding before following Levi silently back towards the exit. The key, now useless, still hung around Eren's neck. He still saw it as something of his mother's and was loathe to part with it.
Levi's thoughts were a maelstrom of hypotheses, concern for Eren, fear of Titan's intentions, anxiousness to have Erwin and Hange examine the information on top of trying to concentrate on their current surroundings. His concern for Eren stemmed from the fact that the young man's mind was unusually calm and clear of thought. It was as if the student's mind was in shock and had gone numb. He was anxious to get back to headquarters, hand this shit over to Erwin and Hange and then sit Eren down to get him to talk out his feelings. Oh my god, what is wrong with me? Since when do I give a shit about people's feelings?
They were about ⅔ of the way back to the exit when his instincts suddenly started screaming of danger nearby. Worse still, they were halfway across one of the major junctions that had tunnels breaking off in all directions on their level as well as on two levels above them and one below; they were out in the open with multiple places to be ambushed from.
"Eren, run!" His relief at Eren running, for once not questioning him first, was short lived when his sensitive hearing detected a shot from a gun with a silencer and a searing pain exploded in his right shoulder, the impact causing him to stumble. He continued to run to the tunnel on the far side of the junction hall, grabbed his mask out of his pocket, put it on and unphased his wings, opening them just enough to act as a shield protecting both himself and Eren from behind. He felt two more bullets impact uselessly against his wings as they entered the far tunnel.
A few minutes later, Levi could hear the sound of people running behind them. They were in a section of the tunnels that was like a city street, so Levi grabbed Eren's arm and dragged him through one of the doors into an empty room carved out of the bedrock. They both crouched down against the wall near the door, and Eren turned off the flashlight as they waited in the pitch black for whoever was chasing them.
Levi could sense Eren's sudden and understandable fear and apprehension. I've never been so sensitive to one person's emotions before. It's not like he's the first person I've encountered that wears his heart on his sleeve, but he's the only one who's emotions I feel so strongly. What is it about him? His thoughts were disrupted by the sound of someone cursing softly as moving light from multiple flashlights danced around the tunnel outside.
"Shit! Fatty, Smiley, you two keep going in case they kept running. Remember, we need Jaeger alive. The rest of you, start checking every window and door."
He heard two pairs of feet run past the door of the room they were hiding in. His gun was drawn and ready as he heard the others start to search the area. Sounds like there are 5 left, including the leader. From the names and the fact that he mentioned Jaeger, I'm sure these guys are Titan and not some random drug dealers or gang. Shit! How the fuck did they find out we were down here? Eyebrows is gonna shit himself, but I can't afford to play around. My priority right now is Eren's safety, so it's shoot to kill.
Levi extended his left arm out against the wall to keep the gun pointed at the door, ready to pull the trigger the instant someone stepped through. A patch of light entered the room along the floor, growing brighter as the owner approached. The Titan probably never even saw them before Levi's bullet struck. At first, there was silence immediately following the shot. Levi knew that the echo would bring back the two that had run ahead. Six Titans left.
Seconds after the first Titan's lifeless body hit the floor, shouting began. "I think it came from this direction!"
"Careful, Trigger! You don't wanna be next!"
"I think they got Knockout!"
Levi looked over at Eren and used his telepathy. /No matter what happens, stay here and stay down. I'll take these assholes down, but I can't do it if you're underfoot. Keep your gun ready and defend yourself if one of them gets in here./
Eren nodded in understanding. Levi drew his dagger with his right hand, kept the gun in his left and strode confidently out the door. The Titans were too busy checking doors and windows in a rush to notice him at first. Two of them were dead before they realized they were under attack. Four left. Two in front and two coming in from behind. He approached a door he'd seen one of the Titans dive into. The man's breathing was ragged and full of fear, making it easy for Levi to sense his exact position in the darkness. The Super simply reached in the door with his gun and fired at the sound of the man's breathing. Three left. He brought up his wings up and around himself just in time to block a bullet from behind as well as from the other side of the tunnel where the other Titan hid.
The two Titans running in from behind came right up to him. Idiots. He snapped his wings open, slamming both Titans into opposite walls, turned and shot the one coming out of hiding, shot the Titan that had hit the wall to his left, then the one on the right. Last one . . . for now. There are likely more down here somewhere, and the sound of those shots will have traveled for miles down here. "Let's go, Eren. We'd better find another way out of here," he said quietly as he stood just outside the door from the room Eren was hidden.
Eren was shaking when he cautiously stepped out to the tunnel, gun still at the ready. "How did they-?" he questioned.
"I don't know," Levi replied as he turned and walked back the way they'd come. /But I think our chances will be better above ground at this point./
Eren followed silently as Levi led the way back to the junction where they'd been ambushed. He was still wary but led them hurriedly up the stairs to the topmost level. Following the map Hange'd given him, he took several turns that had Eren believing they were going in circles until he stopped outside a grate in the floor. He removed the grate and looked down through before lowering himself down and dropping into the darkness below. Eren swallowed and did the same. He knew it was a fair drop from how long it took for the sound of Levi's boots hitting the floor below to reach him.
Eren grabbed his flashlight and turned it on to find himself on the tracks in a subway tunnel. "Up here." The student turned to see Levi offering to help him up onto the service walkway. Once he was up, he noticed that Levi had removed his mask again and was shoving a can of spray paint into his hands. "If a train comes along before we get to the nearest station, just spray something on the walls. They'll just assume we're a couple of brats spraying graffiti."
One look at the walls told Eren that this was a popular pastime among Shiganshina's gangs, making it a good cover story if they were caught. A few minutes later he heard Levi tell him, "Train's coming," as he raised his spray can to the wall. They were passed by three trains before nearing a station. Each time, Levi drew the same ridiculous thing over the area gang's territorial graffiti.
"The gang is gonna be so pissed," Eren commented. He would have found it funny if not for the severity of their current situation. And what's with all the freakin' trains at this ungodly hour?
"That's the idea," Levi replied flatly as he led Eren through the station full of early commuters. The younger couldn't believe it was already after 6:30am. "Stick close, kid. And don't use yours or my name for anything."
"Right." Damn. No wonder there's so many trains. Didn't realize how long we'd been down there.
They walked silently through the increasingly busy streets towards the edge of town where Levi's car was parked. It was taking far longer than it normally would have, because Levi kept changing direction when he became aware of people watching them. It was nearly noon by the time they finally approached the bunker and the hidden CUV (Compact Utility Vehicle for those who don't know). Eren got the wind knocked from his lungs as Levi suddenly tackled him to the ground from behind. He heard the smaller man grunt in pain at the same time as a bullet impacted the dirt beside them. Levi unphased the car as he scrambled to his feet. "Get in! Quick!"
Still trying to catch his breath, Eren scrambled to car threw open the door and dove in behind Levi. Eren yelped as a second bullet bounced noisily off the driver's side window. The shots were coming from the trees atop the bunker. Several more bullets struck the vehicle as they drove off as fast as the car could go. However, Levi did the last thing Eren expected; he turned and headed into Shiganshina – away from home. "What are you doing?" Eren yelped incredulously.
"The last thing they'd expect me to," Levi replied. "Heading away from headquarters. Titan knows we're here, who we are and why we're here. They're gonna have the highways watched. Do you have a cell phone on you?"
"No. I left it back at headquarters like you told me to."
"Good." Levi pulled his own out. "Call Four Eyes," he instructed.
"Calling Four Eyes," a pleasant female voice said over the car's stereo.
"Cover your ears," he told Eren.
Eren was very glad he'd obeyed as Hange's voice screeched over the stereo. "RAVEN! WHAT'S THE GOOD WORD?"
"I need you to send the signal to fry my phone," Levi answered. "I'll try to contact you again, but no promises."
Hange's voice was suddenly subdued and serious. "Okay, Raven. Be safe. Sending signal now." There was a quick burst of static and then nothing. Levi put the window down long enough to toss the phone out to land in the back of a passing utility truck.
Eren gasped in surprise when Levi suddenly pulled a U-turn that he swore would roll the CUV. Luckily the added weight Hange had retrofitted to the bottom kept the vehicle stable as Levi made a sharp, sudden turn down an alley, then another into a parking garage where he found a hidden area to stop and phase out the car from view. After the engine was shut off, both men sat breathing in short, tearing gasps born mostly of fear and anxiety.
"Fuck!" Levi shouted angrily as he slammed his fists against the steering wheel. "How the fuck did those goddamn bastards find us?"
For the first time since getting back to the car, Eren turned to look at Levi. What he saw nearly caused him to have a panic attack. The grey hoodie and white t-shirt he'd worn were almost completely soaked in blood. Not only from the bullet wound through his shoulder, but also from a wound just above his right ear from where the sniper's bullet had grazed him back at the bunker. The resulting blood soaked the man's hair, down his face and neck and onto his shirts. "Raven, you're bleeding," Eren stated dumbly. "I mean, like, a lot."
Levi didn't look at him as he sighed. "I'll be fine. The one in the shoulder went all the way through and the one on my head is just a crease. It looks worse than it is. Head wounds bleed a lot. Probably stopped bleeding already though." He thought quietly for several minutes, fists still against the steering wheel. "We'll have to assume this vehicle is compromised," he said at length. He grabbed his backpack and got out, and Eren followed his example.
"So now what?" Eren asked once they were two levels below where they'd left the car. "Walk back to Mitras?"
"Not a chance. But I can't fly in my current condition; at least not with an extra load," Levi replied as he walked into a utility room on the ground floor of the garage. "We're just a couple of blocks from the rail yard. Ever hop a freight train before?" Levi removed his hoodie and shirt, placed them in a plastic trash bag he found on one of the shelves and tossed them in a trash can.
"Um, no?"
"Good," Levi replied as he used the utility sink to wash the blood from his skin. "Stupid thing to do. But you're gonna do so now. Unfortunately, the trains going through here are going west, to Ehrmich, but it will, I hope, get us off of Titan's radar for now. I'll figure out how to get us to Mitras from there."
Eren nodded as Levi took out the only other set of clothes he had with him; a pair of worn black jeans and a dark green polo shirt along with an old black leather jacket. "If you gotta take a piss, I suggest doing so now in the floor drain before we go. Disgusting, but better than on a freight car floor."
After Eren had cleaned and covered the wound on Levi's shoulder (Levi told him they didn't have time for stitches) and both men had relieved themselves and changed clothing, they cautiously headed to the rail yard. Most of the cars on the trains carried closed freight containers stacked two high, but there were a few box cars along with a few ore cars in the one just starting to leave.
To discourage daredevils and 'hobos', most cars were closed and locked, however, when a train is over a mile long, things are bound to get missed. Combine that with Levi's skill with picking locks, and no car on that train was safe. He targeted an empty livestock car that had open vents along the top. He had the lock picked in seconds before holding out his hand to pull up Eren, who was jogging alongside the still slow-moving train. Once in, he closed the sliding door and then sank to the floor in the back corner of the car.
"Goddammitall," Levi groaned. "I really liked that car too."
"I'm sorry," Eren said.
"You have nothing to be sorry for, Eren," Levi countered. "You've done nothing wrong. None of this is in any way your fault, so get that stupid idea out of your head right now."
Eren smiled wanly. "I'm still sorry. Even if it's not my fault, I'm still sorry you got hurt and lost your car. It was a nice one."
"Yeah."
"So, what's gonna happen when Titan finds the car. You said it was compromised."
"I can't be sure it was, but it seems to be the only likely way that Titan knew where to find us. It may be just a tracking device, or it may have had a listening device, or it may be something else entirely that enabled Titan to follow us. That's why I had us dispose of the clothes we were wearing, just in case." Levi sighed and ran his left hand through his hair in exasperation. "The car has probably ignited by now and is burning itself to a melted pile of useless metal. Hange equipped it with a 'self destruct button'. I really liked that car too," he grumbled again.
There were a few minutes of relative quiet as the train accelerated down the tracks before Eren started talking. "I guess my dad is the one to blame for all of this. I mean, it was an accident that he stumbled on to Titan's work at all, but to . . . to . . . I just can't believe he did that to me. It just doesn't seem like something he would do . . . at least not as I knew him. I mean, he was an awesome dad. He always made time to spend with the family, no matter how busy he got. He taught me first aid, and how to apply stitches and set bones. He took me fishing sometimes, and even deep-sea fishing once. I can remember him having me 'reel in' a big cod. He did all the real work, though, I just had my hand under his on the reel. But I was thrilled at the time – I was only six, after all."
"Honestly, I feel kind of numb. I mean, this is all so surreal. I honestly don't remember going to find Mikasa that time, much less killing her kidnappers. I-I was only seven, for fuck's sake! I definitely don't remember getting hurt. No wonder Mikasa blocked the memory. I'm pretty sure I don't want to remember that either." Tears began running silently down his face as he spoke, knees drawn up to his chest and arms wrapped around them.
"I mean, I get why Dad didn't regret injecting me with those new genes. If he hadn't, I'd be dead and none of this would have happened to me, but . . . I don't wanna be dead, so . . . I don't know what to think. I'm scared. I'm angry; at Titan and at Dad. I'm hurt and I'm sad. I feel guilty, even though you say it's not my fault. I know you're right, but I still feel guilty. I hate Titan for what they've done. They've hurt so many people, including me and my family. I feel so hopeless right now. Titan's reach is so long, and they have so many people, it seems impossible to stop them. At the same time, I don't want to let them get away with this. I want them to suffer. I want to see them all destroyed for what they've done and are trying to do. I don't want to see them win." Eren's green eyes flashed with deepening rage. "Maybe it's impossible to win, but if we don't fight, then we definitely can't win, and if we don't win, then everyone dies. So, we have to fight, if there's even the smallest chance we could win. Do you think there's even a miniscule chance we can win against Titan?"
"We can't know what the future holds," Levi responded. "However, I have reason to believe that yes, there is a chance we can win."
Eren visibly relaxed, his rage dissipating some. "Then I will fight."
Levi actually smiled faintly. "Not bad."
"Can I cry now?"
"If it'll help."
Eren's lower lip trembled slightly before he leaned over onto Levi's left shoulder and began sobbing. Levi put his arm around the younger's shoulder and let him cry. Eventually, Eren fell asleep, but the jostling of the train combined with his constant alertness prevented Levi from doing so.
Several hours later, after the sun had set, the train began to slow. Levi went and opened the door ajar and saw that they were on the edges of Ehrmich. He picked up his backpack with the book and binder still in it. "Grab your shit, Eren. We'll need to jump before we get to the rail yard."
Eren yawned and stretched. "Aw shit. My ass is numb."
"Suck up, buttercup. Mine is too."
Eren snorted as he picked up his pack with the laptop, hard drive and data cards. He had a wicked headache from crying combined with not having had anything to eat or drink since the night before. "Now what do we do?"
"Believe it or not, I actually have some cash on me, so my first order of business is food and water. I have a screaming dehydration headache," Levi replied as he judged the best place and time to jump. "Get ready. When I say jump, we get off. Land on your feet and roll forward and to the side to reduce the impact and chance of injury. Got it?"
"Yeah."
"Good. Now jump."
Since they were near the back of the more than mile long train, they'd been able to wait until the train had slowed to nearly 5mph before jumping off since they were still well outside the main rail yard. After dusting themselves off, Levi led them towards the edge of the city. "Commander made sure I had at least $1,000 cash on me incase shit went sideways. Right now, I'm glad he did."
"So how do we get back to Mitras?"
Levi smirked. "Thought about that on the way here. Gonna rent a U-haul under a pseudonym. I was raised by a less than upstanding citizen who gave me a few false identities. From now on, I'm Eugene Rivaille. You'll need a pseudonym as well. I'm thinking T.J. Phelps. It's just what entered my head first, but whatever. And before you say it, yes, I do get a little weird when I'm over tired."
Eren chuckled. "Didn't you sleep at all on the train?"
"No. I need that time to come up with my brilliant plan. Frankly I can't figure out how you could sleep. The damn thing was loud, stinky, dirty, harder than a fucking rock and bounced around more than a dog humping a leg."
Eren's chuckle turned into a laugh as they headed towards a truck stop diner that was near where they'd disembarked the train. "Thank you for that lovely image."
A rather flustered looking waitress greeted them with a surprisingly genuine smile when they entered. "Evenin', boys. Take any seat that strikes y'all's fancy what ain't already taken. I'll grab y'all some waters 'n menus in a moment."
Levi chose a booth for two in the back corner of the diner. Of course, that was really the only option available, since the diner was crowded, and the small booth had only just been vacated. The previous occupants' things hadn't even been cleared away yet. "Remember, T.J. Our friends have eyes and ears everywhere, so keep conversation to a minimum."
"Right."
It nearly five minutes later when the waitress, a middle-aged woman with artificially blond hair done up in a disintegrating bun held together with a cheap pen and wearing a pair of black shorts and a t-shirt under a red apron finally came over and began to clean up the table. "I'm so sorry, boys. Things are a bit crazy at the moment. Couple of our girls caught the flu and another has kids with the flu, but at least Cookie, our cook is still healthy as a horse! Ain't no self-respecting germ what wants to get near that ornery oaff," She chuckled as the placed two glasses of water on the table. "Sorry the water's a bit warm. Ice machine's broke." Her dull blue eyes widened as the two men drank down the water. "Whooo! You boys is thirsty. Betcha had a long day workin, huh? Perhaps I oughta bring ya a whole pitcher?"
"That would be perfect. One for each of us," Levi finally said.
The waitress laughed. "You betcha!" She placed a menu in front of each while Levi made note of her nametag.
"Are you the only waitress on tonight, Barbara?"
"'Fraid so, hun," she replied. "Be right back with the water."
Levi shifted uncomfortably in his seat. His shoulder was throbbing after being mercilessly jostled on the train ride. Jumping on and off certainly hadn't helped. He already had a dehydration headache, and now a bullet grazing just make everything a thousand times worse. Pain, blood loss, hunger and dehydration were beginning to catch up to him. He leaned his head back against the wall behind him and closed his eyes, too tired to worry about how filthy the wall likely was.
"Here ya go, boys," Barbara said cheerfully as she set down two pitchers of water. "Y'all know what ya'd like to order?"
Levi never opened his eyes. "I'll just have whatever's on special."
"Good choice! Cookie's special homemade meatloaf. It's a customer favorite," Barbara boasted as she turned to look at Eren. "How 'bout you, hun?"
"I need a Double Ranch Burger with fries and strawberry milk shake," Eren stated with a grin. "Please."
"You got it, hun! I'll go put this right in,"
"HEY SWEETHEART! I NEED ANOTHER COFFEE!" a voice shouted from the other side of the diner.
Barbara's smile never faltered. "Okay, okay. Don't get yer undies in a wad."
"That woman does not get paid enough," Levi said, eyes still closed.
"Yeah," Eren agreed. "Pretty sure I'd've ripped that guy a new one for yelling like that."
Eren was beginning to worry that Levi had fallen asleep. The man didn't open his eyes until Barbara placed their food in front of them less than ten minutes after they'd ordered. "Here ya go, boys. Anything else ya need? Ketchup?"
"Ketchup is evil. Could you tell us where we can rent a U-haul nearby?" Levi asked.
"Sure!" Barbara chirped, giggling at the ketchup comment. "They got a counter at the general store next door. Not sure what size truck ya need, but they've always got a couple of small ones and trailer or three. It's kinda late, but like us and the store, they're open 24/7."
"Thank you, Barbara."
"Of course. Let me know if y'all need anything. I'll be by in bit to check on ya."
Eren had already dug into his burger with gusto, moaning in foodgasm pleasure. Levi rolled his eyes and tentatively prodded at his meatloaf (at least he assumed it was meatloaf – it was hard to tell since it was little more than a misshapen lump drowning in gravy) with his fork. It didn't look particularly appetizing, but it certainly smelled appetizing. The portion was huge, but the carrots looked fresh and not overcooked, and the mashed potatoes, surprisingly, were real and not from a box (evidenced by the obvious lumps and skins). He hesitantly took a bite of the unappealing looking meat and was unable to stop his eyes from widening in surprise.
"It's good, huh?" Eren said around a mouthful of fries. "This burger is incredible." He swallowed visibly. "I expected it to be all greasy and shit, but it's perfect! And the flavor! And the fries are like, real potatoes – skin and all!"
"Same here," Levi replied. "It's surprisingly good."
They ate quietly, Levi surprising himself by eating the entire oversized portion. The diner was still packed to capacity when Barbara, still smiling, came over to clear away the empty plates. "Can I interest you boys in some desert? We have plenty of pie; apple, cherry, blueberry, lemon meringue, and the special for the season, Strawberry-Rhubarb. Comes with a scoop of ice cream."
Eren at this point gave Levi his best puppy-eyes to ask permission. Levi huffed a breath that may have been a laugh as he nodded. "I'll take a piece of that Strawberry-Rhubarb, please."
"Of course, hun! That's my personal favorite . . . well, until peach season anyway. How about you?" she turned to Levi.
"I'll have the same," he said, surprising himself as he'd intended on skipping desert. Considering all they'd been through in the last 24 hours, though, he decided they both deserved the treat.
Two huge pieces of pie later, they relieved themselves once more and went to pay the bill. Levi had made certain to leave a very generous tip.
"Tell Cookie the food was excellent," Levi told Barbara as she cashed them out. "And thank you, Barbara, for your kind service."
"Aw. Well aren't you sweet!" Barbara gushed. Clearly people didn't compliment her as often as she deserved.
They stepped out into the night air and headed down the truck stop walk to the store. The picked up several of beverages and some junk food for the very long drive ahead. Levi also picked up a road map gazetteer, a pre-paid flip phone and a pair of sunglasses. They then rented out a small U-haul truck under Levi's false id.
Two hours later and they were on a scarcely used road in the middle of nowhere pointed in the general direction of Mitras. Levi was avoiding all highways and as many cities and towns as possible. The idea was to only enter towns to get fuel and restock food and drink. However, plans changed midway through the following morning when Eren suddenly yelped in fear. Levi's eyes snapped open to realize he'd nearly driven off the road while dozing at the wheel.
He groaned in frustration. "Do you really not have a driver's license?"
Eren flushed red with embarrassment. "Always lived in the city," he replied. "Never needed one. Everything could be either walked to or biked to or had a bus to it. Not like I could afford a car anyway."
"Then make yourself useful and check the map for a motel near here."
"Right. What road are we on? In fact, what town are we in?"
"We're on Old Province Turnpike and should be approaching Black Mountain."
Eren frowned at the map for a moment. "Geez. It's just this little trading post at the edge of the Carillon Mountains National Park. Guess it's so tiny cuz it's not near either of the park entrances."
"But there are several hiking trails that start nearby, so there should at least be a cheap motel there," Levi insisted.
"Uh . . . yeah! There is! About two miles beyond the town center on this road," Eren confirmed.
An hour later they pulled into the parking lot of a small motel that seemed to be in the middle of nowhere. It was a single story with fewer than a dozen rooms and only two other cars in the lot. They dragged themselves into the office to check in. The rather large woman behind the desk grinned when she looked up to greet them. She was tall and muscular as opposed to fat. Her grey hair was held back in a loose pony tail and her face showed a few wrinkles born of age and hard work. Her skin was tanned and weathered from years of sun but her dark blue eyes were full of life and spark.
"Good morning, gentlemen!" she greeted. "Not too often I get new guests at this time of day. One room or two?"
"One," Levi replied wearily.
"Okay. Two twins or a queen?"
"Two twins," Levi said as he signed the register.
There was something almost knowing in the woman's eye as she handed him a key. "Room 10 down on the end. $50 a night. Towels and toiletries are in the bathroom and the cable tv is free – no pay-per-view though. Wait here a sec." The woman went through a door behind her and came back a moment later with a first aid kit. "You might wanna take care of that shoulder before you go to sleep. It's bleeding." She checked around to make certain they were alone. "The Prophet told me I'd be getting a visit from a fellow Super in need of help. My name's Julia, but you probably know me as Eartha Brute. You'll be safe here-" she glanced at the register. "Eugene and TJ."
If Levi was surprised by anything she said, it didn't show on his face. "Thank you. If anyone asks for someone fitting our descriptions, tell them you haven't seen anyone like that."
"Of course. Get some rest. If you need help with anything, let me know."
My apologies for not being able to post the images that go with this story. FF.N is not the most user friendly sight.
This story is also posted (with images) on AO3.
