Part 61
Remembering

"You didn't tell me everything." Levi glared, stood in an almost defensive manner with his rifle close to his chest.

"Hm, no. I definitely recall telling you everything." Fury muttered with haste in her response. "Should I be sorry that you're not all that aware on who the hell is in your family?"

Levi's expression became stoic furthermore. "Being an Ackerman wasn't something I knew I was."

"Well it seems a lot of us don't know who we are these days." Sighed Fury, tutting.

"Stop arguing!" Came the near call of Isaah, who ran up to the exchange of bickering words. "All of my villagers… My parents… They all died today. I really don't know what to do…"

Levi said nothing. He chose to turn his back on the young boy as he began to emit sobs of sadness and grief. Fury herself sighed as she looked down at Isaah. He was scared, alone and evidently lost.

It sparked memory for her. A time before she was this cold and almost uncaring individual. Before she mixed herself with criminals of the Underground. She looked down at her wrist where a silver bracelet dangled. Fury always assumed it may have been her mothers. Old enough to understand, Fury was told it was all she was left with, along with a scrunched piece of torn paper with the name 'Aya Tybur' on it.


"Aya, I can't do this anymore!"

"I'm not that late!"

"How many times, Aya?! The Underground is not one big play area for ignorant children!"

"I was only across the block! You can't make me do what you want, you're not even my real mother, I hate you!" The lady sighed. Collapsing to sit at her dining table as she rubbed her head in frustration. "I… I didn't mean that."

"… Yes you did, Aya. Children tend to speak painfully truthful words. Not realising how hurtful the words can be at first. I'm tired now. I've been as lenient as I can with you, considering how you've been passed from foster family to foster family. But you're not a baby or a toddler anymore, Aya. You're 14 years old, old enough to know better and to understand danger."

She lowered her head, rolling her eyes whilst accepting how true the words were as she then played with her bracelet. "Marlene, did you… Did you know my parents?"

"Not personally, no. But I'm very aware on the lengths they went through to make sure their only child survived. But I can't do this anymore. My nerves are shattered. I think its time I take you to the orphanage."

"What, no! Please, I'll start staying close! I promise!"

Marlene simply sighed. Her eyes closed as she was at a loss with what to do. She had no real obligation to even look after Aya, other than the fact that she offered to do so from the previous foster family. "It's the bad people you're starting to be around, dear. I worry about it. I don't want them shaping your morals. And I certainly don't want you becoming like them."

"So sending me off to that… place is your answer? Marlene, they're my friends!"

"But they're not, Aya!" Marlene hissed, slamming her hand onto the wooden table she was sat at. "They're bad men and women. You've been in trouble with MP's ever since you started feeling wanted by them. Don't you see? They're using you to do their dirty work and to take the trouble for it. A real friend wouldn't do that."

"No! You're just jealous!" Aya barked. "Jealous that I have friends when you're all alone because your husband and daughter died!"

Silence. The lack of any reaction off Marlene was enough time to give Aya before she realised how nasty she was being to someone who has fed and bathed her for 2 years. Was there any use of saying sorry again? A calm washed over Marlene. To react to such words would make the situation worse. Was she supplementing Aya for her dead daughter? Most likely. "The decision is made. If I can't help you, perhaps those at the orphanage can."


"Aya…!" Fury was pulled from her memory. She thought that had been erased. "… What… What am I supposed to do?" Isaah whimpered. Levi waiting just ahead of them, rifle still close to him.

"Stop whimpering, for a start." Fury hissed. The sight of helplessness unnerved her. She sighed, giving a small shake of her head as she then took a knee in front of him. "You need to grow up, now. Find a reason to stay fighting. Fuck knows the rest of us do..."

Isaah wiped his eyes. "My memories…" He stuttered with a shaky and emotional tone. "If I keep fighting, the memories of my parents and friends won't be forgotten. So… Aya, I can come with you!"

"I'm bringing you back to the Walls, yes, but you can't be around me. Things are too dangerous right now, Isaah. And I don't have the time to babysit you." Was that harsh? Or did he need getting used to truth? For Fury, Marlene came to mind. Isaah was still so innocent. He hasn't seen the cruelty this world can bring.

"Then I'll become a soldier! Like you and him over there! That way, I can protect you, Aya!"

Fury stood up, a single brow risen. "I don't need looking after?"

"But I need to say thank you. That you came back to the village. So if I train and become what you call a Scout, we can look after each other!"

"Isaah." Fury spoke with tone in her voice. Was this a chance? She was a little shit to all the people who tried raising her, Marlene included. Could this be Fury's atonement to do what they all tried doing with her? "I'll get you back to the wall. But I… can't promise anything for after that." With a new spring in his step, Isaah ran up to Levi as he attempted to give him the honorary salute, which was completely back to front and upside down. Levi said nothing and took to walking again.

"Rude!" Isaah called out to him, yet he followed close behind him.

Fury watched on. She didn't want to feel attached to this kid, and yet she felt the need to look after him. As memory serves, she ran away from that orphanage. Truly got caught among some bad shit and then Kenny made his way into her life. But it didn't mean she had to let those memories define her, not anymore.
The old her will never come back.
Defiant, gullible, innocent. That Aya was truly gone. She's been moulded to be distant since then. But Isaah… Maybe he was exactly what she needed in order to see that there is still good left in the world, despite all the power hungry men and women.