Year 845
The underground
Six years have passed since Levi made his promise, he remembers it clearly, he was sitting at the table cleaning his knives, Farlan was counting the money they got that day, while Isabel was snoring asleep beside Farlan
"This week's income is better than last week," said Farlan, "we're becoming good at this"
"Yeah" agreed Levi, "a little more and we'll make it out of here"
"I don't know about that," said Farlan, "we sure are making progress, but all our plans about getting out of the underground have failed before"
"We'll make it out" said levi, determination in his eyes, "even if we failed the next time.. even if we kept failing time after time I'll get us out of here, that's a promise Farlan"
Farlan smiled and closed his eyes, "will see" he said
"Aaaah!" Isabel yelled suddenly, "All this food for only me!!!"
"This idiot," said farlan "always ruins such moments, even when she's sleeping"
"Wake her up, she's drooling on the table" said Levi disgusted
"Wake up idiot!" yelled Farlan kicking Isabel's chair
A few months later, he, Farlan and Isabel went with enough money in their pockets, ready to leave the stink of the underground city and to get the citizenship for the upper city, until the man at the stairs refused to let them pass, "That's half the needed money!" he said dismissively..
"What you mean half?!" asked Farlan angrily, "this was the price since forever!!"
"That was before the breaching of wall Marria," said the man, "now the government needs more money to take care of the refugees, and for the survey corps campaigns against the f* titans"
"And that's makes it our falts how?!!" yelled Isabel
"The government needs money, everything have higher price now.. so leave me be and come back when you have enough.."
"you piece of shit" said Levi walking forward ready to hit the man, stopped by Farlan's hand
"No need killing this man here, the MP will still refuse to let is stay up.." he whispered to him, "We don't want to live as runaways when we get out of here"
He relaxed, remembering Kenny, the man who raised him, he was always running from the MP, and when he left him, he decided he won't live like him, he won't let the MP catch him of even know his face.. he won't let Farlan or Isabel live the way he lived when he was a kid.. the reason they want to live on the upper city is to live in luxury not as a runaways..
They tried to save more money through the rest of the year, but soon they realized that the money they were saving was spent on getting enough food, the man at the stairs was right, when the government needs money, everything's price goes up.. at first it was double the price, then it became a little more, then it started going up every few months or so..
So now, after six years, here they were, still using thier 3DMG, stealing whatever things left to get thier hands on, and day by day these things are becoming fewer, the people in the underground couldn't afford the luxuries from the upper city anymore, so the merchants stopped coming at all..
"This damn city doesn't have tea anymore!" said an angry Levi comming in the house and slamming the door behind him
"This damn city doesn't have anything in it anymore!" said Farlan, laying on the couch trying to save some energy
"We should've left when we got the chance" Levi said, looking at the ground
"Come on, there's no way we could've known things will get this much worse back then" said Farlan, "the choice was either waiting a few months or become runaways instead"
"We should've become runaways" replayed Levi sarcastically , "I should've known better"
"Well you didn't, not the end of the world yet, so give yourself a break"
Levi sighed and went to set on a chair, "Where's Isabel anyway?" he asked
"She went out hours ago," Farlan answered, "should be back by now"
"I'll go look for her" said Levi "before she get herself in troubles again"
"I'll go," said Farlan, "you get some rest, you haven't slept since yesterday"
"I don't need to sleep" said Levi
"Well lay down at least, give your body a break" said Farlan while he walked to the door, "be back soon" and he left