Part VII
Introductions
"… It didn't exactly… go to plan…"
A young male, sat with a leg crossed over the other upon a wooden chair, continued to clean his knife. He made no attempt to look over at his friend, nor did he show any shift to his expression. "Don't you care…? That could've gotten us some real money if she didn't interfere."
"She?" The young male asked, putting down his knife gently, if not to leave any marks on it.
"Definitely a she. And that she kicked that MP's ass! Knocked him right back down to the ground again with some crazy roundhouse kick. Can't lie, man, sorta reminded me of the day I met you when you were up against all those thugs."
"Farlan, are you here to tell me some street rat came and saved you?"
Farlan pouted. He made a point. Though no fault of Fury's, she had no idea what the two were up to, right? "C'mon, Levi… Don't make jokes."
"It was a presumption." Levi corrected, looking over at Farlan, his eyes distant, cold and the colour of them reflected that well. Grey. His hair short and under shaved, the colour as black as the darkened night that persists 24 hours a day down here. "You going to tell me what happened then?"
Farlan slouched down on the sofa. It was clear he and Levi shared the place with each other. This district was theirs. "Like I said, she kicked that MP's ass. She showed real skill, even had some cocky words to match. I'm betting she's in with those from the lower district. I mean, they've helped us out before, for a price... And I can't forget what leads me to think that. As she asked me to tell you that she wanted to meet."
"You didn't think to start with that last bit?" Scolded Levi, standing as he rolled up his sleeves.
"Ha! My bad…" Farlan laughed, smiling. Life for these two seemed to be no bother at all. "She sounded serious though. There was a sense of urgency with her words. I don't trust it though. I'd stay away if I were you, Levi. Or better yet, ask those lot from the lower district why they interfered."
"You're not me though." Levi pointed out, frowning. He was clearly thinking on this one. "And we can't just go around accusing people around here."
"You're not going to though, right? Levi, what if she's working for the MP's too? We're in enough trouble with them already for taking ODM stuff."
"I'm intrigued." Levi pointed out. "You say she kicked his ass. MP's, as shitty as they are, they'd of retaliated even if she was one of them. You know what they're like. Love shouting words like treason."
"Well… yeah, I guess." Farlan agreed, though it still felt suspicious. "I mean it though… she's no poor street woman, she knew what she was doing. You don't just wake up one day with a skill set like that. Unless she's your long lost sibling, that is..."
Levi looked down. He knew Farlan was right. Kenny taught him everything Levi knows, plus some. And that took most of his childhood years. But Levi was one to listen to his instincts, not just advice. "Let's go see if we can find her. We'll find out what she was playing at. Like you said, had she not interrupted you, we'd have our money by now. And I'd like that money."
"Heh, you saying she owes us, right?" Farlan grinned, nodding. "I couldn't agree more with you for once."
(Reader discretion is advised during the first few exchanges)
"Get the hell off of me!" Barked Fury, held back by two thugs that were chasing her early on.
"About time we got a hold of you again, missy." Laughed one of them, though there were also two stood in front of her. "You've been missed, you 'av."
"Imran?!" Recognised Fury, gritting her teeth. "I thought you were long gone?! Running away that day with shit in your pants, no?"
Her old captive traced his hand down her cheek, though she attempted to bite him and for that, he jammed his fist into her stomach, causing Fury to flinch forward in pain. "Still as aggravating as ever then?" He mocked. "You women never learn, do ya? You had a good life with us! Sure, you had to do some degrading bullshit but its all you're good for at the end of the day!"
Fury looked up at him. Her teeth still gritted, her frown obvious. "F… Fuck you!" She snapped. "You take away your dogs here and I'd be able to drop you on your ass now!"
Fury received another fist slammed into her stomach with a harder force for her outburst. A splatter of blood bursting from her mouth, drops of it staining her already dirty clothing.
Oh, how Kenny would frown at seeing a lack of clean perfection.
"See, this is why we do this." Laughed one of the thugs holding her down. "It teaches you a lesson! Ya know? That you should sheathe your tongue unless told to use it elsewhere!" The other laughed at his joke. They always enjoyed overpowering the weak. But Fury knew, on their own, they're even weaker than those they've hurt.
"Look." Spoke Imran, kneeling in front of her. "You were once one of the best when you worked for that old fool of ours. You… when you finally gave in… brought back the stolen goods you were asked to bring at the end of the week."
Fury quickly looked at Imran directly and she spat at his face, causing him to jump backwards. The two thugs holding her lifted her up and slammed her against the wall, kicking her legs apart for Imran.
"You little bitch! I'll make you sorry for that!
As Imran began to pull on Fury's shirt, the girl's struggle slowly dwindling, the backstreets went quiet. Imran suddenly collapsed to floor, blood spurting from his neck. Fury's eyes widened. How this all seemed so damn familiar...
The remaining three panicked, though still held onto Fury, as if to blame her. "The hell you do, whore?!" One called out, pulling out a knife against her own throat.
The sound of some sort of wire slipped by them, piercing another of the remaining three's neck. Being pulled back, it took out a chunk of his throat and he too then collapsed to floor, choking on his own blood. Now Fury herself was worried. It for sure wasn't Kenny this time, and she took this moment to sin around and lift her knee into the thug's stomach, who was still holding onto her. He soon let go but Fury fell to the ground from slipping on the blood that now covered the pavement. Her white shirt now stained red and she tried wiping it off, struggling to identify what was her own blood and what was there's.
"No! No, please!" Shrieked the last two thugs as Fury saw what looked to be a knife being taken across both of their throats at speed and yet no remorse. They too finally collapsed to the ground, dead before they hit it. Fury crawled backwards, she hadn't shown this much emotion ever since her days with Kenny himself. His annoying laugh echoed in her head, but the reality was now silent. But whoever was now in front of her brought that old fear back.
"That's her!" Came Farlan's voice, running up to Levi, who was simply leaning against the wall, cleaning his bloodied knife again. Fury noticed the mechanism he had equipped on his hips, also bloodied. That must've been what took that guys chunk of throat out. As Fury looked up to Farlan, she noticed him from when she helped him get away from the MP earlier that day.
"You…" She muttered, suddenly her fear went and she was met with… the feeling safety?
"Name's Farlan Church." He said in reply, holding out his hand. "Guess we're even now!" Fury didn't take his hand. Clutching at her winded stomach, she clung to the wall behind her as support in being able to stand to her feet. Levi watched her from the corner of his eye. Somewhat surprised at her strength in willpower.
"Guess so…" She muttered, quickly glancing over at Levi, whose own eyes averted back to cleaning his equipment.
"Levi." He spoke before Fury even had a chance to ask for his name. Not that she needed to know now.
Farlan chuckled. Fury was too disorientated to respond. She'd been through enough now and both men could see that.
"You were fighting back." Farlan pointed out, tapping her shoulder for attention. "I've not seen that before when it came to scum like them! Other than with Levi here..." Fury still didn't speak, causing Farlan to look at Levi too. "Let's bring her back with us so she can catch her breath? I can't imagine what it's like being a woman down here among shithead's like them."
Levi nodded and though he didn't say the words aloud, he too despised how some men treat the opposite sex. Levi wouldn't stand for that. For even Levi maintained some morals.
"She needs cleaning though." He muttered, as he began walking off.
"Figured you'd say that." Muttered Farlan as he picked a silent Fury up in his arms to take her back to safety. "If anyone'll keep you safe, it's gonna be Levi."
