CHAPTER 12: WHAT GOES DOWN MUST COME UP
Historia Riess
Historia decided that the Military Police would not be the thing that killed her. Neither would the thugs glaring from back alleyways, nor the polluted streets or water. Not even the rats that scurried around her feet.
Nope.
If she was going to die from anything it would be from tripping while trying to lug Captain Levi's deadweight up a steep incline back towards Coldwater.
Last night, she had found them a tiny alley to rest in after escaping from the Island, then she'd woken up to find the Captain's fever still much too high. Then they had narrowly managed to slip out of the alley after four or five patrols had almost spotted them. And finally, they'd been making their way, slowly, back to Coldwater as the city bloomed to life around them when Levi had lost what little strength he had.
She was practically carrying him now, his arm slung limply over her shoulder again.
In spite of herself, she wondered what the next 24 hours could possibly bring.
They had been following a main road as it snaked through the poorer districts of the underground, tracing along the river. Every so often they stopped to let Levi rest, tucking into side corridors filled with boxes and vagrants limping through and constantly checking over their shoulders for Military Police patrols. Each time they continued, it was harder and harder to get Levi on his feet.
Now he was barely putting one foot in front of the other.
Her only comfort was hope. A wish. If Nile was bumbling around somewhere above, they would find him. Historia was ashamed, embarrassed to realize that her only plan consisted of that single hope. And if it fell through…?
She didn't want to think about it.
And god, how she missed Ymir in times like this. Her friend always knew what to do. The two of them got into heaps of trouble through training. Actually, it seemed like Ymir couldn't stay out of trouble to save her life, but they always figured it out.
She blinked back yet another round of tears.
You probably wouldn't have gotten into this situation in the first place, huh Ymir?
"You know," She grumbled, adjusting her hold on Levi again. Her breath puffed mightily against her face scarf, condensing against her skin. She would have been sweating buckets if not for the constant chill of the underground. "You and the Scouts already owed me big for this whole 'queen' thing. But you? You, Captain, are going to be paying this back for a long time. You and the horse shit in the royal stables are going to become great friends. It could use your obsessive cleaning touch for the rest of the damn year."
Gravel crunched under her boot.
"...mm...s'rry." She almost missed the soft voice, spoken so near her ear. Levi's eyelashes fluttered, trying to stay open.
He looked so pathetic, and her gaze softened. "I'm surprised you're awake."
"...I'm...not…?" He said slowly, like each word drained a little bit of his soul. Those dark eyes, sunken with tiredness, gleamed against his flushed skin. "...should've...brought...Hanji…"
Historia's heart sank. Abysmally low. Of course Levi wished she was Hanji instead. Who was she kidding? She could barely help him walk! And Hanji was a genius, always on top of her game.
You're just a worthless girl.
She sighed in defeat, gazing at the ground. "Yeah, we should have." She eventually agreed.
Levi didn't answer.
They trekked on, passing buildings with the faint glow of candles inside, awnings covering people slumped against walls, and carts pulled by men with shaking hands. The city never seemed to end. Another dozen side streets splitting off of the main road here. Another over crowded tenement there.
The sounds of screaming children echoed from dark rooms while angry chatter filled the streets like pebbles in a river.
A mother stood huddled against a lamppost, trying to smile for her swaddled child. An old man with the tattered vest, sat, unable to stand or walk out of an alley to get food. A teenager gave her a death glare. A shopkeeper swept at dust in vain. A gaggle of begging children looked down.
And Historia's heart crawled out of it's pathetic pit and withered with ache for these people.
Even the stray cats or dogs tugged at her emotions, their bony frames sticking out against their fur.
It hurt. It hurt to see the people like this. Her people. The people she swore to protect and serve. The people she didn't realize existed until she walked among them.
I'm so sorry.
She wanted to tell them she would make it better. That their lives would get easier. But as her arms ached and her feet begged her to rest, she knew they would be empty promises.
So she looked away, not meeting their eyes.
—-
It felt like hours had passed by the time they at last reached Coldwater. The familiar din of citizens bustling through their day met Historia's ears like an old song she'd forgotten. There were more smiles and less homeless. At least, that was, compared to other areas. Though, upon reaching the peak of the marketplace, only a few streets over from the disaster of Patrik's bar, Historia realized a crucial error to her 'plan.'
She had no idea where to look for Nile.
Not even where to start.
Her eyes dragged over the area, each face dragging a portion of her strength out of her. She wanted to cry. After everything they'd been through the last 24 hours, the last week, and even the last month. This was what it all came to? A dead end in this hell hole, piss pit, god only knows where, hollowed out, glorified cavern?
Had humanity forgotten the real enemy? The threat to their existence? Did titans even exist in the worlds lived down here? And what was the point of saving humanity if all they did to each other was worse than literally being eaten alive?
She tried taking another step forward but faltered.
What was the point? She had no ideas. No leads. No help. Nothing.
"...water...do you...hvvv...water?" Captain Levi breathed, eyelashes fluttering.
Well, except for that. She did actually have water.
"Yeah," She frowned, checking his forehead. It continued radiating heat like an oven. "We should stop and rest."
A growing crowd gathered near them, but she spotted a stack of boxes piled near enough to be among them but hidden from most eyes. Pulling Levi with, she made her way over and set him down to rest against the boxes.
A voice boomed out over the crowd. People cheered, a surprising reaction from anyone in the underground, but Historia couldn't care less about what the speaker had to say as he hushed them and began preaching.
Unscrewing the cork from her waterskin, she helped him drink almost half the contents before he started coughing. She put the skin away, making a mental note to refill it at the next chance she got.
With his face scarf removed, and in the better light Coldwater provided, Levi looked horrible. His skin, deathly pale, glistened with sweat. His eyes sunk into dark circles, barely even open. The intimidating Captain who slew titans and oversaw squads lay limp and frail, like a rag doll. Even lifting a knife would be a feat for him right now.
Her hands hovered over him uselessly, frustrated. They would need to look for a doctor if they couldn't find Nile. Even if they found the Commander somewhere in this cursed city, Levi would be out of commission until he received medicine.
The speaker's voice rose in pitch, sounding out clearly over the bustle of people in the area.
"...QUEEN HISTORIA WILL CHANGE ALL OF THAT!"
Historia recoiled at the sound of her name.
What the hell?
She stood up, peering over heads to get a look at the speaker.
And to her surprise, she found Len. The bartender's brother, standing on a box, reading from his journal to the crowd like a politician giving a speech.
"...THE QUEEN WANTS US TO HAVE LAND. SHE WANTS US TO HAVE LIVES. SHE DOESN'T WANT ANYONE TO ROT AWAY IN A PIT LIKE WE ALL DO." Len spoke with all the force he had shown at the bar however, now that it wasn't channeled directly at her it was far less intimidating. He would gesture and influx his tone. The crowd reacted to all of it. He was a conductor, and the crowd was his choir.
"SHE HAS A PLAN RIGHT NOW TO RETAKE WALL MARIA. MANY OF OUR HOMELANDS ARE WITHIN THAT WALL. IT IS RIGHTFULLY OURS. BUT IT WAS STOLEN BY TITANS. THE NEW QUEEN HISTORIA IS NOT AFRAID OF THE TITANS. SHE DESTROYED ONE BIGGER THAN THE COLOSSAL TITAN AS IT ATTACKED THE WALLS."
Cheers erupted from some. Others dropped their things and clapped.
"SHE WILL BE THE ONE TO RETAKE OUR LAND, TO BRING BACK OUR HOMES. TO GIVE US A CHANCE ABOVE THE DIRT!"
A few had tears in their eyes.
"PEOPLE, I DO NOT CLAIM TO BE A PREACHER. I AM ONE OF YOU. I WALK AMONG YOU EVERY DAY. I WAS BORN UNDERGROUND."
Len paused, eyes scanning over the crowd. Historia broke out of her daze to tug her scarf higher on her face.
"BUT BECAUSE OF THIS, I KNOW HISTORIA IS THE WAY. SHE IS THE TRUE HEIR TO THE THRONE AND SHE WILL LEAD US OUT OF DARKNESS. YOU MUST BELIEVE IN HER!"
Historia listened, dumbfounded as he went on and on. Promises of money, food, livestock. Len listed off things that she was apparently supposed to give them. More things than even the royal palace had stocked up! A sick knot twisted up in her stomach, threatening to make her vomit. How could he say these things? Where had he heard all of this? And how-
"You know, Len thinks he's special because he can stand on a box and be tall, but I do that everyday and people just call me a giant."
Historia spun around to find a tall blond man, grinning at her as he leaned on a box.
Patrik.
"Oh my god!" She exclaimed. "Patrik! You're okay!"
He chuckled. "Of course I am. Why would I not be?"
"You-the bar-it burned down. How did you get out?" She stammered.
The bar-less bartender scratched at his neck. "Lucky for me, I'm magnificent. Looks like you and your partner weren't so lucky?"
Historia glanced at Captain Levi, slumped against the boxes.
"We're not partners, but yeah…uh…we've been better."
Patrik bent down, shooting Historia a look that said may I? And gestured to Levi.
She nodded.
Patrik pressed his wrist against Levi's forehead, grimacing as he witnessed the burning fever. He then lifted the man's arm, limp as a wet cloth, and checked his pulse.
"How long has he been like this?" He asked, a new seriousness in his tone.
"About a day." She said. "I don't—I don't know what happened, but we got caught in some trouble and we were trying to get away. He just—collapsed. One second he was running and the next he was on his face in the dirt, and that's not like him at all. He's looked sick the last few weeks but he won't ever say anything or accept help or—or…" She trailed off, realizing how much she had just spewed.
"Sorry. It's been a long day." She sighed, slumping down next to Levi. He barely stirred.
"No need to be sorry." Patrik gave her a half smile.
She choked out a laugh. There was every reason to be sorry. This was entirely her fault.
"What about your bar?" She mumbled.
"Excuse me?"
"Your bar. They attacked it because of us. It's my fault."
Patrik sat back on his heels, sighing deeply. His posture slumped and he turned his head to watch the crowd.
"...JOIN WITH ME IN PRAISE FOR THE QUEEN!"
Historia winced as roaring cheers and shouts erupted around them. Her heart trembled, feeling the weight of their expectations settling on her shoulders like being drowned in mud.
"I'm sorry." She said again when they quieted down. "It's all my fault."
Patrik's face scrunched up like he couldn't decide if he wanted to laugh at her or seriously talk about her sanity level.
"About the bar…" He said slowly. "It's alright. Well, no...it's not alright, but Len can handle it. He hates fixing that place up, gets all stubborn and swears like mad and I love watching it. It's hilarious. Actually, I should really be thanking you for providing me with some quality entertainment."
She stared at him. Where was he going with this?
"But more than that, what am I trying to say is...it's just that...well, you're her aren't you."
Historia froze. "What do you mean?"
He rubbed at his neck. "We shouldn't talk about it here...but I'll tell you what. Come back with me to my place. It's safe—I promise." He held his hands out in a placid gesture. "Only me and Len know where it is. Plus, I have supplies. Medical supplies. I can help him."
Historia glanced at Levi. He coughed, the movement wracking his entire body. He needed medicine…
But what if it was a trap? What if Patrik was lying? Could they trust him? What if he was just waiting to sell them out? He definitely needed the money right now.
She looked into his brown eyes, searching them for malice.
But only saw genuine concern.
"Okay" She nodded slowly.
Oh god, Nile was going to kill her.
Patrik grinned. "Great! Okay first thing, let me take him off your back."
He bent down again and gently lifted Levi's prone form from the ground. She bit her lip, the sight of a stranger with her comrade in his arms alarming. But, she was choosing to trust him.
"He's surprisingly heavy for a small guy." Patrik grunted. "How did you get him all the way here?"
She shrugged. "He was mostly awake until now."
"Fair enough. Shall we?" He motioned to the street. "I've heard just about every speech Len has about the new queen, so unless you're dying to hear his dramatic flare at the end..?"
"...QUEEN HISTORIA WILL BRING PEACE INTO THE UNDERGROUND! SHE WILL FREE US FROM OUR CHAINS BELOW…"
"No, I'd really rather not." She shuddered.
"I didn't think so." Patrik chuckled. "This way."
AN:
I told y'all I was gonna get another chapter up this week :)
Not much to say today, but YAY Patrik is back! I love him :) He's great!
Thanks for all the love and support on this story. I know I've been slow to update, but y'all are still reading it and that means a lot!
~Gamma