Levi, Farlan, Isobel and Ryder were making their way back to their home for the evening. As they reached the bottom of the steps they were greeted by a man with grey locks and a moustache. He was dressed in upper class attire – attire from above.
"What's the deal, old man? You want something?" Isobel asked the man.
"I've come for a job request." He answered.
"Didn't you get the wrong house? This is not a handyman shop." Farlan said.
"I promise you a reward."
"Go home." Levi sternly said. The four individuals walked past the old man and began to make their way up the steps, but stopped when he continued.
"I've already paid my deposit though."
"You're kidding, right? This is the first time we've seen you." Farlan said.
"That's true, but you should already know…"The old man turned his head to his right and the friends followed his gaze. "…about him." That was when the four saw their brown haired friend, who has begun to have problems with his legs due to the lack of sunlight, being helped into a carriage.
"Jan." Farlan called out the friends name.
"His leg is already at its limit. He needs to get treatment at a hospital on the surface. Isn't that right, Levi-kun?" The old man addressed the leader of the four.
"Levi…kun?" Ryder looked over at her friend for an answer. How did this stranger know his name?
"What's the meaning of this?" Farlan angrily asked.
"I told you, didn't I? It's a deposit for the job. You'll listen to the details now, right?"
"Fine then." Levi made his decision. The four reluctantly followed the old man. When they reached the bottom of Stairway 11 Levi automatically stood in front of Ryder as she took a step forward to begin the line. She stared at the back of his head with confusion as they began to make their way up the stairs. They began walking up the stairs in a single filed line – Levi, Ryder, Isobel, and Farlan.
When the group made their way to the opening, Ryder almost felt as if her eyes were going to burn out. Her head began to ache from the unfamiliarity that was the sun. She tried to shield herself from the sun by putting her hand above her eyes. When she finally looked up she saw a red painted carriage with a gold crest on the side.
"Are these the guys?" A voice asked from inside the carriage.
"Yes, I've heard they're excellent." The old man introduced the four.
"Who the hell are you?" Levi questioned the man in the carriage.
"It's understandable that you are wary of me. But you'll learn it's okay to trust me." He said.
"How could we?" Farlan scoffed at the man.
"Where we come from you learn not to trust men who do not give you their name." Ryder commented.
"The fact that I'm here says everything. I'm at great risk just by being here." The mystery man continued. "Have you received the deposit already?"
"I don't know how things work on top, but in our world it's called taking a hostage." Levi stated.
"That's just a contingency plan we laid in place. When you have successfully completed the job, you won't only be getting a huge sum of money, but also citizenship on the surface."
That's when it happened.
That's when everything changed.
"I don't like this Levi." Ryder sat across from her friend at the small square table in the kitchen.
"Why not?" He asked.
"Because we don't know anything about this man. What if he's making us do this and at the end of it all, he won't give us our citizenship?" As her violet orbs searched her friends grey ones he simply looked away as he continued to sip at his tea.
"Do you have a better idea to get us out of here?" He asked her. "If you have one then say it now." The black haired girl was about to say something before closing her mouth once more. She didn't have a better plan. She didn't have a plan at all! But something told her that this would end badly.
"It could be dangerous." She said softly.
"Since when was being in danger ever scared you? You were the first one who thought jumping from roof to roof would be a good idea."
"That's because our roofs are close together, so we can!" She defended herself against her childhood partner.
"Just think about it like that. You're jumping from roof to roof."
"That doesn't make sense, Levi."
"That's not my problem." He simply said.
Ryder took in one deep breath before starting to move with the rest. The four flew through the sky with their 3D Maneuver Gear. Ryder did her part of the job and knocked down the crates that held food down from its rack. The four began to make their way as they had planned before.
"Levi! They're here! The pursuers!" Farlan told Levi that the target was now fast approaching. Levi looked over his shoulder and he saw the Military Police, but behind them he noticed a group of five wearing a dark green hood.
"Military Police again? They haven't learnt their lesson yet?" Isabel commented on the first group of people she saw. "Levi-bro! What I just said was a cool line, right?"
"Are you an idiot?" Levi asked back to the red head. She scowled as the four made their planned turn and lost the Military Police.
"Those movements…they're not the Military Police!" Farlan noticed the dark green hoods coming closer to the four.
"Yeah…there's no mistake. It's them. That Wings of Freedom crest. It's the Survey Corps."
"They're different from what I expected." Ryder commented.
"You guys know what to do, right?" Levi asked his three companions. They nodded their heads before splitting off.
As Ryder moved around her familiar surroundings she looked behind her to see that one of the dark green hoodies were following her. As she made a sharp turn she went through a familiar window and come out of the other side, but when she jumped out the pursuer was already waiting. She cursed under her breath as she used her 3D Maneuver Gear to go above the individual and down a different street. She rounded another corner, but when she made that turn she felt someone push into her side and send her flying into the stone house beside her. Her head made contact with the wall and she could no longer see or hear anything around her. She went unconscious.
"Stop it. Take a look around you." Levi peeled his eyes away from the blonde haired man in front of him. Farlan and Isabel were struggling against two other members of the Survey Corps.
"Let me go…you bastard! Damn it all!" Isabel tried to take her hands free, but the lady that held her in place would not do such a thing. Levi then saw another man round the corner with Ryder over his should. That's when he felt his blood run cold in his veins. "Ryder!" Isabel yelled her friend's name, but there was no response. Levi looked back at the blonde man in front of him and dropped the knife that he was holding.
"You're quick at reading the situation." The man said to him. The Survey Corps members brought Isabel and Farlan down to their knees and placed handcuffs on them. Levi kneeled down beside Isabel, so he could receive his. Ryder was dropped beside Levi. Through the corner of his eye he looked at his childhood companion. She laid still beside him, but he could see her chest rise and fall, so he confirmed in his head that she was still alive. "I wanted them all conscious." The blonde said to the man who brought Ryder.
"That was my intention, but she was putting up quite the fight." He answered. Levi mentally shook his head. Levi told her to put up a fight, but not anything that could risk her life, but she never knew when to take things easy.
"I'll ask a few questions." The blonde began to speak. "Where did you get this?" He held up the handle of a 3D Maneuver Gear. "You guys are skilled with the 3D Maneuver Gear. Who taught you all?" No one answered his questions, so he walked closer and approached Levi. "You're the leader, right? Were you trained in the military?" Levi only looked up at the man in front of him. A man from behind grabbed Levi by his hair and pushed his face down into the puddle in front of him. Levi turned his head, so he could breathe.
"I'll ask you one more time. Where did you learn to use 3D Maneuver Gear?"
"Not from anyone, we learnt it by ourselves!"Farlan yelled.
"Self-taught, you say? I don't buy it."
"Why not?" Everyone's eyes moved towards Ryder to see that she was beginning to sit up. Her voice sounded raspy as she clutched the side of her head.
"Ryder!" Isabel said excitedly to see that she was okay.
"Are you intimidated by the fact that we could teach ourselves what you have to put men through an academy for? Do you not believe in our intelligence and our adaptability to learn new things? I guess you guys above aren't as advanced as you like to think you are." She spat at the man in front of Levi. She looked at the man who was holding Levi onto the ground and the man brought him back into a standing position. The blonde individual kneeled down in front of Levi.
"My name is Erwin Smith. And yours is?"
"Levi."
"Levi, why don't we make a deal?"
"A deal?"
"I will let your crimes go unpunished. In return lend me your strength. Join the Survey Corps."
"And if I refuse?"
"The Military Police will have you. Considering all your crimes, you and your friends, won't be treated very nicely." Erwin stood up and took few steps away from Levi. "Choose whichever you prefer."
"I'll join if Ryder doesn't have to." Levi simply put.
"What?" Ryder was confused as to why he would say such a thing.
"No. It is either all of you join or all of you go to the Military Police." That's when Levi made his decision. He secretly wanted to keep Ryder down here because being a part of the Survey Corps was not what he hand in mind for her, but he didn't have a choice.
"Fine. I'll join the Survey Corps."
You ask and you shall receive! Someone said they wanted a longer chapter and this one is! Woohoo! How are you all liking everything? Tell me what you're liking so far! :D