Levi watched as the giant Turkey titan which was Historia's father enclosed the city.
"Are you sure you're ready for this?" a girl's voice teased. Her face was clouded.
"Dammit..." he muttered. Why am I thinking about her now? he thought.
Levi was being dragged by Kenny deep down in the Underground city. They passed by the merchant's house that led to the stairs to the surface. He watched as a small girl was pulled by her hair down the stairs, then tossed down onto the ground into muddy water. She whimpered on the ground, then slowly stood to her feet. Levi looked longingly at her now tangled hair. It was so clean and long, and those mean merchants were messing it up! And her beautiful face was now twisted into a worrisome look.
Levi sat in Kenny's dirty home. This place is filthy, he thought. If only I could live in my own home, then it'd be the cleanest home ever. He looked at his clothes, covered in mud and filth. They were the only clothes he had. His hair was long and greasy.
He almost jumped when someone banged on the door. "Please let me in!" someone cried. Levi opened the door as the small brown-haired girl fell in. She crawled out of sight.
"Where is the little brat?" the man asked.
Levi shut the door behind him, leaning against it. He pulled out a knife.
"Just give up already, the kid probably isn't worth much anyways,"
"Maybe... but she deserves a beating for kicking me in the nose. If we find her again, she's dead meat,"
They scurried away as the girl sighed. She gripped her hands as they shook violently. She paused as Levi gently felt the top of her head and held her hair with utter curiosity.
"Thank you," she said.
Levi looked at her eyes. One had a dark bruising over it, and her cheek was stained with blood. He ran to the other side of the room to grab a small towel with a little water.
"Here," he said handing it to her.
She wiped the blood off her face. "My name's Mira Red. What's yours?"
"Levi," he replied.
Kenny swung open the door in his usual dramatic fashion.
"Hey Levi, what were those thugs doing near my house?" he said. Then his eyes became fixed on Mira. He pointed at her. "You! Get out of my house!"
"Please sir I need a place to stay!" Mira said nervously.
"You have two choices kid: die out there or die in here,"
Levi jumped in front of Mira holding out his knife. "Mira stays,"
"Finally brave enough to challenge me now Levi? That takes guts," Kenny said. He took a long look at Mira and scowled. "Fine. But I'm not taking care of either of you,"
With that, Kenny left. Levi put down his dagger.
"Who is he?" Mira asked.
"Kenny," Levi said. "He doesn't stay here, but he owns this place. He's always working,"
"What does he do?" she prodded.
"I don't know... adult things I guess,"
"Levi..." Mira said quietly. "I want to be strong like you... Can you teach me how to be strong?"
From then on Mira and I grew up together. I taught her how to survive in the underground, how to use a blade and all the useful things Kenny taught me. Mira taught me how to read, clean and learn. She was my first taste of what the outside world had to offer.
Levi looked at Kenny's home. His home. It was clean. Mira had a handkerchief covering half of her face.
"You finished on your side?" she asked.
Levi gripped his broom. "I think so," he said smiling.
Mira laid down on the floor crossing her arms behind her head. Levi sat down beside her. She seemed satisfied.
"Do you ever miss your parents, Levi?" she asked out of the blue.
"I miss my mom sometimes," he said thoughtfully.
She looked up at his face quizzically. "Your hair's getting long," she said. "Can I cut it?"
"...sure. Do you know how?" he asked.
"It can't be that hard can it?" she said sitting up straight.
I think that was the first time Mira ever brought up anything about her past. I never asked about it, but I knew whatever she had to go through was painful.
"Come on Levi! Get up!" Mira said shaking him.
"What is it?" Levi asked.
"It's Dr. Jaeger! He's in town,"
"Why do we need to see him?"
"Because he's a doctor idiot!" she said hitting him on the head. "This is basically a once in a lifetime opportunity to get medical care down here,"
Levi woke up groggily, as Mira grabbed his hand as they walked out the door. "Let's go," she prodded. They ran through the streets of the underground.
"What's going on here..." Levi muttered. People were running away from the direction they were going.
"It's the Viper Gang! Everybody run!" they yelled.
"But... Doctor Jaeger!" Mira yelled as she ran faster against the crowd.
"Mira we need to leave! The Viper gang has a death sentence on your head!" Levi protested.
"I won't leave Doctor Jaeger!"
Levi followed reluctantly. Nothing would stop Mira.
After a couple minutes, they reached the gang that surrounded the poor doctor. His glasses were broken and his skin was broken.
"What are you doing down here, doctor?" they spat. "You're nothing better than those merchants who steal our money,"
"I haven't come for any money, just to help those who are sick," he replied calmly. "I will not fight you,"
"That just means you'll be easier to kill," their leader said.
"Don't touch Doctor Jaeger!" Mira yelled as she pushed her way through the gang. She stood in between their leader and the doctor. Her knees knocked against each other.
"Mira..." Doctor Jaeger muttered.
The man laughed as he drew out his knife. "I think I recognize you. You were the one who kicked August in the face correct? I suppose I'll just have to kill both of you,"
"MIRA!" Levi yelled. A large man punched him so he fell onto the ground. The leader moved closer and closer to Mira.
He swung his blade at her. She dodged and landed a fist straight into his stomach. The force of her punch sent the leader flying backward into a wall. Blood dripped from his mouth. The viper gang's leader didn't respond.
"Boss?" someone muttered.
Levi took out his knife and stabbed one of the men in the leg. He cried out in pain. Mira flipped two people at once as she ordered Doctor Jaeger to run. All the men had their target set on Mira now. Levi grabbed Mira's hand as they escaped through the winding alleyways and small spaces of the underground.
Mira sighed when she saw Doctor Jaeger now had a military police bodyguard with him. They were now hiding in Kenny's house. No one dared to go near it because of how deadly Kenny was, so they were safe.
"Hey, Levi,"
It was Kenny.
"I heard about that ruckus in the street earlier," he said. He eyed Mira. She looked down. "Don't go sticking your head into other people's problems, got it?"
Levi nodded, knowing that Kenny's advice was not for him, but for Mira.
Levi and Mira went through the busy street cloaked. They had to leave to steal food, even though the risks were high.
"Levi... I don't... feel so..." Mira fell down.
"Mira!" Levi whispered. Then he felt a small prick in his neck. He began to fade out of consciousness.
Levi woke up on the side of the road, just thrown aside. His shirt was covered in mud.
"Mira... Mira!" he yelled. He clenched his fists. "What have they done to you..."
His eyes flickered in anger. Levi ran towards the Viper gang's building.
"They're going to pay," he growled.
He ran as tears stained his eyes. "If they hurt her... I swear I will kill every single one of them,"
Levi ran through the door of the building. Mira was there, chained up against the wall. Her clothes were soaked in blood. She opened her eyes slightly, seeing Levi. Levi could feel electricity running through his body. He drew out his dagger.
"Eh? What do you think-"
Levi slit his throat faster than he could speak. He flipped the other man over his shoulder, slamming him onto the ground as wooden splinters flew. A tall man whimpered as he pointed his gun at Levi. Before he could even pull his trigger, Levi had already killed him, grabbing his gun and shooting another man. The man called August fled the building and into the street.
"GET BACK HERE!" Levi yelled. He ran after August with his knife. Levi kicked him with a force that made him hit the ground, breaking his nose. Levi stabbed him. Over and over again. The man pleaded as he died, coughing up blood. Soon, he was dead. A crowd surrounded the now mass murderer of an entire gang. Levi looked to his left. It was Kenny.
Kenny turned his back and walked away.
Levi walked towards the makeshift hospital in the middle of town. The people in the street seemed to veer away from him, as he trodded along. He could see fear in some, and respect in others.
He walked into the small building where Mira now sat up in her bed. "Levi!" she said happily. He sat down next to her.
"What is it? Is something bothering you?" she asked.
"Kenny's gone," Levi said solemnly.
"I see..." she said thoughtfully.
"Are you alright?" he asked.
"I'm holding up for now... but..." she took a deep breath and continued, "...Dr. Jaeger wants to take me to the surface,"
"Just go, why is that a problem?"
"Levi..." her eyes flickered. "I may never return. Doctor Jaeger wants to buy me full citizenship on the surface,"
Levi looked down. "Good. You'll be safer up there. You can finally be free again,"
"The world on the surface is not a perfect place... besides..." Tears dripped down Mira's face. "I want to stay with you,"
Levi grabbed her shoulders. "No. Don't stay because of me. Live your life in freedom... Please... just do this for me,"
And just like that, she was gone.