It was dark and dry in the underground stairwell, but it didn't faze the veterans one bit. Especially Levi. Having grown up in this slum most of his life he knew the ins and outs of the city like the back of his hand. Hange had gone on ahead with Eren and the others to a restricted area for her to conduct one of many experiments on him as the kid mastered his Titan powers.
He was tasked-along with Sierra-with showing Pastor Nick the hardships those living away from the sun faced and their daily struggle just to survive another day. He would see the gross human injustice the Wall Cult and the King was inflicting on society's lowest rung and start coughing up answers.
But if he refused to talk even after seeing that, then there was a problem. Physical threats did nothing to phase the man and Levi doubted torture would be any better. He'd just want to die.
Which brought him back to the younger woman accompanying him. What's wrong with her? She started acting strange the closer we got to this place. He frowned keeping an eye on the shuffling, sweating priest as they descended. Something's up. She's barely spoken a word on the ride over here. A physically violent, angry Sierra, that was something he was used to and could handle. For some reason, it made him uneasy when she enacted a full-system emotional shutdown and went silent. And the longer the quiet dragged the more on edge everyone else got. This is freaking me the hell out and I don't like it. And she claims she's just 'along for the ride'? Hah. I doubt it. Something about this place got her shook so what-
"Focus Levi." He blinked, straightening his dark head at Sierra's low command. What made his gut clench was the lack of bite in her tone. She's always snapping at me. But now, she was quieter. Subdued. As if she raised her voice above a murmur someone would overhear. "I know yours is legendary, but boring a hole into Nick's back won't make him talk."
He snorted, attempting to shake the lingering concern that all wasn't well with the fiery haired woman. Instead of the predatory gleam that he and everyone else was used to seeing, her silver orbs were dulled. They looked like twin coins that had lost their lustrous shine.
Emotional disassociation. She's completely divorced her feelings from her body. He couldn't point fingers since he did the exact same thing. Even more so after his squad got brutally murdered by that damn Female Titan-
Images of his friends' broken mutilated bodies flashed through his mental reel like still photographs. Petra's lifeless eyes stared vacantly at his, blood dappling her cheek, back bowed at an angle it was never supposed to bend, her crimson lifeforce staining the tree trunk where she'd been squashed like a bug-
He blinked, and with an internal growl, shoved the image to the back of his mind.
"Worry less about me and more on what's in front of us," he said, his deep baritone unusually soft unable to take his usual sharp tone with her. "We'll be at our destination soon." What's happening to me? Get a grip Levi! But he knew now wasn't the time for their usual clashing. The Underground was affecting her in ways he'd never seen before, and against his better judgement, made a mental note to find out why.
I shouldn't get involved. It's too risky.
He had a feeling that would be put to the test very soon and he wasn't ready for it.
He was jerked out of his reverie when Nick slowed his pace, coming to a halt at the bottom of the stairs that opened out to the main thoroughfare of the Underground District.
Levi swung his foot into the stunned priest's upper back nearly knocking him into the street. "No one told you to stop. A rolling stone gathers no moss." He felt Sierra a mere two steps from his back and he fought back the tremor of her being so close. Briefly, he wondered if she would touch his back before steeling his mind to the task at hand.
"This is-" Nick breathed in disbelief unable to believe the depth of squalor on display right before his eyes.
Levi was relentless as he put on the pressure, tone low with an unspoken threat laced into it as he gestured to the flow of human misery stream past their position on the stairs.
"Maybe you expected to see something quaint?" Levi said, ice in his baritone voice. Sierra rolled her eyes. Quaint. Hah. He almost cracked a funny. This place is hell. Literally. A small, involuntary shudder thrummed through her compact frame. Thankfully Levi was too busy with applying verbal force to Nick to notice. That would've been embarrassing.
"This is what happens when the Walls give," he continued. Sierra gazed over the sea of worn, haggard faces, downcast eyes and drawn lips. Men, women and children alike scurried past shoulder to shoulder, most with only the clothes on their backs and a few belongings, packed like sardines in a can. Sporadic coughing broke the eerie silence. She heard one child call for his parents in despair. There was no answer. He was on his own.
She couldn't see Nick's face but judging from his posture, he was probably in shock. Yeah. Reality sucks, don't it fool? She started for her blade when the man reeled and tried to turn away, but Levi stopped him with a hand to his shoulder.
"No! Take it in, holy man." Grey eyes burned into the taller man's back. Levi was in full predator mode. "These are the faces of human beings who've lost everything they had. Human beings you and your kind abandoned incidentally. Hard to look at I'd imagine."
Imagine. Sierra thought, touching the center of her stomach where a crude zipper stitching her flesh back together had left an angry scar. A brutal reminder of the child ruthlessly ripped from her womb and butchered on the altar of a corrupt policeman who she later killed to avenge her unborn infant. I doubt he's imagined anything past that stupid church of his. Now that he's with us, there's no hiding from the truth.
"But if the Church had its way, this would be all of us." Levi grew increasingly angry at the pastor's silence hammering at the man's resistance. "Titans would pour in, make a feast of what's left, shoveling man, woman and child down their putrescent gullets. All humanity digested as one."
Sierra felt a vein start to form on her temple. How in the hell can this fool NOT see the writing on the wall? Time's not our friend here. Levi's spelling it out for his useless ass and this fool STILL wants to act tough?! I'm gonna break his legs if he doesn't shape up.
If she wasn't so preoccupied, she would've seen the figure of a tall woman peering out from behind the mouth of one of the many alleys crisscrossing the Underground's gloomy slum. Keen eyes carefully observed their every move hidden in the shadow of a cloaked hood.
Sierra placed two fingers on the back of Levi's shoulder, not missing the subtle gasp that left the dark-haired man's mouth. "C'mon man. Let's git back to Hange. She's got a special area closed off not far from here. I promised Eren I'd watch the experiments before we came down into this damned hellhole. So let's go. But I'm warning ya Nicky." The older man gulped audibly sweat making his wrinkled face glisten. "The hag's gonna be pissed when she finds out ya didn't spill."
Petrified at her glacial tone, Nick wiped his hands on the front of his white coat, feeling them shake with fear and stress. This woman terrified him. He'd heard stories about her days as a serial killer Underground, murdering a total of thirteen men-all known rapists including a high-ranking Military policeman-before the cops and the Scouts descended on the slum. Both factions racing against the clock-and each other-to be the one who apprehended the culprit.
Standing at the foot of the Underground passage, with thousands of what his people derided as the scum of the earth-in the near-dark with the only light source provided by torch-he wished the Police had gotten to her first. She would've been executed on the spot. Not for the dozen rapists she killed but for murdering a senior officer of the law for reasons unknown to most of the Interior. Even the Church was kept in the dark. The Military Police-and the secret Central Branch headed by Kenny the Ripper along with the Royal Guard-did not take kindly to the loss of one of their own. What usually happened after the fugitive was caught was nothing less than a revenge kill.
Being recruited into the Scouts had only made her one of the most dangerous people alive. Right up next to Captain Levi and Commander Zoe.
But.
In spite of the extreme peril he found himself in, Nick took a fortifying breath. Repeated the mantra he'd fallen back on the second he made his fateful choice to fall in with the Scouts.
I am a Shepard of the people. A Guardian of the Walls and their divine construction. A Keeper of the royal Reiss family, the true Rulers of the Walls and all of Humanity. Should their secrets come to light, there will be terrible trouble and times of chaos for us all-
He was interrupted by the cold touch of steel prodding into his lower back.
"Move, holy man." Sierra commanded.
Bowing his head, he began to walk, having no choice but to obey.
I shouldn't have come. This is dangerous…the King is surely to get wind of this…and then-
But it was too late.
He was trapped by his actions, but not his words.
Not yet.
Meanwhile, Levi kept pace with the taller man with one thought whirling through his mind.
Sierra had touched him. Of her own volition. Granted it was a light one-barely there-but he felt it. For her to do that-given her violent tendencies and long history of trust issues surrounding men-took a lot of guts.
But still.
It was a small step in the right direction.
He'd take it.
.
.
Giselle Zimmerman gingerly inched her cloaked head back from around the corner of the dirty alleyway from where she'd been observing the trio in question. Pastor Nick's distinguished robes and outercoat made him stick out like a sore thumb in the parade of human misery streaming past the stairwell. Captain Levi-dressed in a suit with that ever-present cravat-appeared not to be wearing any combat gear. The only one dressed for battle was the short fiery haired woman wearing a purple V-neck shirt with the standard tan jacket and black pants with matching knee-high boots.
In several quick strides, she walked up to her boss standing deeper in the alley-taking care not to muss her tan pants and cream blouse with a maroon-colored corset-leaning against a squat house with dirt caked on the foundation and spots of what appeared to be dried blood. The alley itself was worn and well-traveled with random objects strewn haphazardly at random intervals along the way. Crates. Abandoned toys. Moldy food. Crumpled and torn papers everywhere.
Sargent Jarell Wolf lounged against the wall of the dilapidated house, dressed in an ultramarine button-up shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows-with the top two buttons undone and wearing his bolo tie that had a jade stone the only thing that would indicate his senior rank-along with a dark suit vest, black pants and sturdy boots. Over all of this he and Giselle wore their anti-personnel vertical maneuvering equipment-the gear worn by the Central Branch and the weapon of choice for capture-stealth missions in the Underground. He would've preferred the updated ODM gear the Interior engineers had completed and were awaiting approval from the King for the Guard and Anti-Personnel Control Squad's future operational use, but it was too bulky and would tip off their enemies that they weren't just another pair of tourists. A charcoal newsboy cap completed his business-casual look.
Giselle sidled up next to the tall man who dipped his head. Putting her mouth next to his ear, she spoke just loud enough for his sharp hearing to catch and it wouldn't be overheard by the crowd filing past the alley's mouth.
"Well sir, it looks like your hunch was correct. The pastor is definitely in cahoots with the Survey Corps. And Captain Levi and Major Sierra are accompanying the fugitive. Their current destination is unknown."
"You don't say," Jarell mused, closing his eyes as he absorbed his Runner's report. His sister was involved and he tried not to focus on what that meant further down the road. "Well then. This has definitely taken an interesting turn."
"So what do we do?"
"Nothing. We stay the course. Find out what they're up to."
"But Sarge, I told you their destination was-"
"Unknown. I heard you the first time Giselle," Jarell retorted rubbing his eyes. "But they're not going back up to the surface just yet. If Levi and Sierra are hanging around the pastor, chances are their job is to put pressure on him. Which leads me to believe he's going to eventually crack and give up a bunch of sensitive information that has been closely guarded for a century. If certain hidden truths long buried suddenly become common knowledge we lose our edge over the masses. They'll start demanding explanations regarding the Walls and the outside world and the King will lose control over their minds. We can't allow that to happen. We could lose our jobs over this if we don't figure out the Scouts' plans."
Giselle's olive-green eyes widened at her boss' words. "If that's the case then…then that means-"
He nodded, slate orbs lost in thought.
"Yep. Bad times all around." Lovely. Just what we need…a senior member of the Cult going off the reservation. Now that he's been exposed to the harsh conditions downstairs, it's only a matter of time. We need to stop this before any damage is done.
"On the other hand," he continued staring at the poor and destitute streaming by. "This'll work nicely for my report to the King. But that means the Central Branch is gonna get involved and then Fritz will most likely than not force me to work with Kenny the Bastard and his merry gang of murderers."
Giselle nodded in support, knowing full well her boss' extreme dislike of the dangerous Captain Ackerman and his brutal methods. The man scared her to death and she was thankful the King assigned her to be Sergeant Wolf's aide. In a world full of sharks, he made her feel safe.
He gently touched her shoulder reorienting her to the present.
"Come. Let's follow them."
He began walking towards the opening with slow, authoritative strides. Giselle started to follow, but the reality of the situation was starting to hit her. Fear crept into her bones and she began to panic. Her steps faltered and she found herself bracing against the grimy surface of the house next to her with the palm of her hand, breath coming in short, shaky gasps. She was trying her hardest not to hyperventilate, but it wasn't working. We're going after them. Levi. Sierra. The pastor. The Scouts. We're actually DOING this. For real. She didn't realize how badly she was shaking until a strong, warm palm enveloped her cold hands, while a powerful arm wrapped around her quaking shoulders.
"Giselle. Look at me." Slowly, she obeyed locking eyes with Jarell's calm, steely orbs. "Relax. Take slow, deep breaths." He needed to work fast to dispel her mounting fear or she would be rendered catatonic. He couldn't afford his right hand becoming a head case. Her reaction was typical of someone not exposed to the city's nasty underbelly. This was no routine arrest or accepting a bribe. This was a complex, high-stakes mission with highly-trained butchers as their targets and a Titan shifter thrown into an increasingly volatile mix. She did as he instructed, breathing deeply through her nose and out through her mouth. He had her repeat the process several times till he was satisfied she wasn't going to pass out.
"That's it sweetheart," he encouraged his trembling aide, rich baritone low and soothing. "Breathe out your fear. Let it disappear into the shadows. There's no room for that where we're going."
Giselle leaned into his touch, letting her heart rate calm. Licking her lips, she stilled then straightened her spine. Jarell released his grip, and she immediately felt the loss of warmth. She bit back the urge to beg him to hold her hand again. He was right. They had a job to do, and here she was behaving like a snot-nosed cadet.
"You good?" Once again, his low voice worked wonders, soothing her anxiety. "You with me?"
She nodded and took a step away from him then turned to face him proper. She was still a bit pale as she saluted but this was familiar, her fist pressed against her heart.
"To the end, sir. I apologize for that show of weakness. It won't happen again."
He gave her shoulder a reassuring squeeze.
"Don't apologize for being human, my dear. If you start feeling faint or have another panic attack, let me know. We both need to be sharp and alert at all times. Or we'll die. And we can't have that. Now then." He turned toward the streaming mass of human misery and offered her his arm. "Shall we be off?"
Giselle wasted no time slipping her hand into the crook of his arm, immediately feeling safer. This, she thought, is the reason why he's a part of the Royal Guard. Very few cops possessed her superior's mental and physical fortitude and the elite position he held at a fairly young age without sacrificing his humanity and moral compass spoke volumes about his character. He was a strange mix of noble, humble, compassionate and being tough as nails when the chips were down. He kept his cool under duress with steel in his spine. Something she needed to implant into her system quickly. Things were going to get tougher-and more life-threatening-from here on out and she couldn't afford to be a liability.
She gave him a watery smile.
"Anywhere with you, Sarge. Lead the way."
The pair eased into the pedestrian flow that had thinned out somewhat since they'd been talking. To the average joe, they looked like a merchant and his wife touring the streets. 'Going slumming' was the proper term for wealthy surface dwellers who made a habit engaging in such activities. No one would dare approach due to the combat gear they were wearing.
Jarell paused at a stall that sold men's clothing. A long black leather duster that seemed to be his size hung on a peg near the makeshift wooden countertop.
"Hello there!" Jarell gave the vendor a breezy, disarming smile. "I'm looking for three people." He gave a brief physical of Levi, Sierra and Pastor Nick. "They're friends of mine. I was wondering if you've seen them."
The vendor-a balding middle-aged man missing two fingers on his right hand-peered at the younger man through hooded eyes. "Ah, yessir I know jest the ones. Ya jest missed 'em." He jerked a thumb in the direction the pair was currently traveling on. "They went thataway. Keep walkin' an' yer gonna run into them fer sure." He turned to straightening his wares on the back wall, talking as he went. "Seems there's a massive Scout mission underway and they're cooking up somethin' big. Like I said, jest keep following the main drag and you should find 'em easy-hey!" A slight rustling interrupted his flow. "Where ya two off in such a god-awful hurry?"
But the sharp-dressed couple was gone. The man turned away, mumbling under his breath about impatient youth and slumming for sport as he withdrew a cigar and lit up.
He didn't notice the duster was missing from its hook.
TBC...
A/N: what it is, guys! It's your girl Risa and yes for those who're wondering-that is my pseudonym-not to be confused with my site name, ice shredder. Anyway, long story short, I chose this because I want my readers to be more at ease when addressing me in the comments and in shout-outs to loyals. These are people who regularly leave thoughtful, positive reviews on my stories and those I personally PM away from the review thread to share theories and head canons no matter how crazy they get, lol.
But anyway, enough of that. Special shout outs go to the following loyals: Kiyunni, Purple-Rose98, Savage Kill, Umbra Sequuntur Somnia for their fabulous feedback and the 87 reviews, 180 faves and 256 follows. You guys rock! As always, enjoy and don't forget to review!
