Death: This chapter delves a little deeper into Levi's past. And exactly how he got the nickname among the assassins.
Warning: I do NOT agree with the actions of rape or incest, or sexual abuse of ANY KIND. If this sort of thing triggers you, PLEASE skip to after the training bit, or go back and stop reading.
Chapter Twelve The Blood Storm Part I
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It was cold, and dark. Then again, his entire world had been dark. He didn't know how long he had been sitting there, legs curled up against his chest. All he knew was that he hadn't eaten in so long, he forgot what bread tasted like.
And he knew his mother was dead, on the bed.
The smell of death was strong. And he finally understood what that extra funny smell was outside in the Underground City. He wanted to venture out of the house and find a way to survive, but he no longer had the energy. He also didn't know anyone who could possibly help him.
His mother rarely took him outside. Being born blind, she became afraid of him ever walking off on his own. And so he was cooped up in this tiny house waiting for her to return with food.
He didn't know what she did for food, but he would rather not know.
This dark world of his had been rotten from the very start. He was starting to think the world didn't need him, as Lady Death took his mother away. What chances did he have to survive? He was only eight, and blind, and he knew the city outside these walls wouldn't care if he died or not.
The few times he did go out showed him how cruel this city was. And it was enough for him to hide back inside the house, just as his mother wanted, to keep him safe.
But she's dead. He closed his eyes, ready to accept death. And then he heard unfamiliar footsteps. He opened his eyes out of habit, staying perfectly still as someone entered the house.
The person was wearing boots, and by the way they walked, the person was a man. He learned from the few explorations outside with his mother that men had a different sound when they walked. Their steps were heavier, as they wore boots or heavy shoes. The women wore softer shoes, and their feet were more graceful. Even if both genders were barefoot, he could tell by listening to their feet and the sound of their weight whether they were male or female.
The intruder stood by the bed. He didn't think the man even noticed him. He gathered up the courage to speak.
"She's dead, you know."
His voice was raspy, but it was still loud enough for the intruder to hear. The man turned, now focusing on him. The room was filled with silence for a moment.
"You're her brat, then? Or did you come in here hiding from the outside world because she's dead?" The voice was rough, and he didn't recognize it.
The man sounded a little old, and yet he seemed to be in good health. Most men after a certain age walked around with a limp, or their breath labored from the stale air from being underground. This man had neither of those problems.
"She's all I've known since I was little. Do you honestly believe a blind kid survived eight years by himself down here?" He responded, some of his snarky personality came through, it had been so long since he interacted with anyone.
Those boots came closer. He heard the soft rubbing of clothes bending as the man knelt to study him. The boy stared forward, never showing any weakness.
"So you're her runt, after all. You look like her, all right. And you're only eight? You're just a runt. Figured you were younger. How long have you been blind?" The voice seemed a little softer, but still rough around the edges.
"According to her, since I was born."
"And let me guess, she kept you hidden in the house, right?"
"For the most part. If I was good at cleaning she brought me outside when she wasn't working. But even then, that wasn't often."
"What's your name, runt?"
"Shouldn't I be asking you that? You're intruding my home."
"Well, then, if you're going to be so rude to your elder, the name's Kenny. Your mother happens to be my little sister. I came here to check on her. And she went and died on me, and you're sitting here ready to accept death." The man growled, seemingly annoyed.
This came to a surprise to the boy. He had always inquired his mother if they had more family. She always told him the same answer, no.
"...Levi. She never told me we had family."
"Well, the family disowned her about nine years ago when she got hitched, pregnant, and wouldn't name the lucky bastard who sired the kid. Guess that's you, then. I didn't have any say on the matter, and she fled into the Underground City before she gave birth." Kenny explained.
So that's what happened. And it's all my fault...
"So it is my fault." Levi had a sinking feeling that it was his fault they were like this, but even though his mother said otherwise, her voice was strained.
"Look, don't get all suicidal on me. Got it? I'm taking you in. You and I are all that's left of the family. Well, aside from an oddball couple in the mountains, but they want nothing to do with me. But how would you like to get out of this hellhole, runt?"
Levi didn't have to think about his answer. He reached out to his so called uncle, not caring if this was a trap or not. Kenny helped him to his feet, and Levi wobbled after the man, refusing to be carried.
Levi was going to survive, now. And this time around he wasn't going to be babied. Kenny didn't press the issue, understanding where his nephew was coming from.
A Few Months Later...
It took some time for Levi to gain weight, but after two months he was no longer skin and bones. He had been so small Kenny was able to sneak him to the outside, and brought him to his mediocre home, just outside the inner city walls.
Levi spent this time to get to know his way around the house. It was a two story, three bedroom house. Least to say, he wasn't used to so much space. The house his mother owned was a one bedroom, a kitchen in the corner, and nothing else. The only furniture was the bed and a chair.
Here, his uncle had a lot more furniture. The first few days he lost count how many times he tripped, walked into, or hit his head against some form of furniture. Kenny laughed at his expense every time, and never bothered to warn him before he walked into a chair or a table.
He was starting to suspect the man was doing this on purpose.
After a week it was becoming easier for him to get around. Levi was starting to feel secure now that he knew where everything was located. And he didn't know how to feel when Kenny came home one day with clothes for him.
"Why are you doing this?" Levi inquired, after he finished putting on a pair of pants and a shirt.
"You and I are last of the family. And I'm not going to stand by and allow you to die so pathetically like your mother."
"Why not just make kids? I'm blind, I'm a hindrance."
"Runt, I'm too old for that shit. Besides, no one wants me. Not that I care, anyway."
Levi knew how to catch lies just by the sound of someone's voice. He focused on where his uncle was, and caught his uncle by surprise by raising his tiny hands to feel the man's face. Levi knew what his mother's face looked, just by feel. He could already feel the resemblance between his mother and her brother.
They have the same nose. Same narrow cheeks, and a small, but rectangular forehead. The only slight difference he could find between his mother and this man was that Kenny had a slightly wider jawline, making his face a little broader but still narrow. And even though he had a feeling Kenny was a lot older than he appeared, he felt only a few wrinkles around the eyes.
"You're not too bad. Why would anyone not be interested with you? Or is it because of your rash attitude?"
"Look, kid, just drop it."
Levi didn't have to hear the strain in Kenny's voice to know he hit a nerve. He pulled his hands away, filing the information away. He had only meant it as a joke, but he hit a sore spot instead.
"So what use am I then? I understand you have plans for me. You're not the type of person to go out of his way to help children, whether or not they're related or not."
"You're a smart one, good. That will come in handy later. I'm an assassin for hire, and I plan to take you in as my apprentice. But first, I need to figure out what to do about your eyes. I'm having a doctor coming in to see you later today, so don't be rude, runt."
I am growing tired of that word.
"The name is Levi. Stop calling me runt."
The response was instantaneous. One moment he was standing, the next he was pinned to the table, the corners dug into his back. He squirmed, but the grip on his tiny wrists promised no means of escape. He could smell an intense scent of whatever his uncle had been drinking on his breath. It was strong and fowl, stinging his nose.
"I call you what I want. Don't get all high and mighty with me. I could just as easily throw you back in the Underground City, you little shit."
But you won't, you said it yourself we're all that's left of the family.
Levi dared not voice his thoughts. He knew this man was dangerous, he was only testing his boundaries. He now found the boubdary not to cross. He understood how things were supposed to be between them from now on.
"Your breath stinks."
"It's called alcohol, brat. And if I find out you ever go through my stash, you're gonna wish you were dead when I'm done with you as punishment. Do you understand?" The threat was loud and clear in his voice.
"Crystal clear."
"Good. The doctor will be here in a few hours. Be sure to be in your best behavior."
Two hours later, Levi was scowling as he sat on the couch. He hated doctors, from his few experiences from when he lived with his mother. The doctor in the Underground City creeped him out, and always had a hand feeling over his ribs and back in a way he didn't like. And the one time the man touched him between his legs, Levi kicked the doctor in the face. The man lost his front teeth, and stopped seeing him as his doctor.
He didn't fully understand his body, but he knew when it was okay or not to be touched in certain places without permission. His mother always drilled such weird matters into his head, not fully explaining why, but he went along with it. He trusted her word for it, and it was enough.
But he couldn't quite trust Kenny. He was grateful for his uncle taking him in, but something was off. He sensed it. And this was one of those situations Levi wished he could see above anything else in the world. If he could see, he could pick up facial expressions and piece together what was going on inside Kenny's head.
Suddenly his uncle entered the living room, followed by someone else. Levi tensed up, biting his lip as he willed himself not to curl up into a tiny ball. He had been warned to behave while the doctor was here.
"So this is the kid? Are you sure he's eight? He's so small..." The voice was younger than Kenny, and Levi decided he liked the sound of it.
"Yeah. My sister left before she gave birth, and hid in the Underground City." Kenny was trying to be a little nicer.
So he's two faced. Just as I thought.
He heard unfamiliar footsteps made their way closer to him. He stared ahead, not willing to show he was afraid. The doctor knelt in front of him, noticing how tense the boy was, and decided sitting next to him was out of the option.
"Hey there. I understand your name is Levi? I am Dr. Yeager. How are you feeling today?"
"Good. Minus being seen by a doctor. You're not like the one in the Underground City, are you? The only doctor down there is creepy. Last time I had been seen by him, I kicked his teeth in."
"Levi..." Kenny warned, understanding that if was a threat, but was cut off by Dr. Yeager.
"What exactly did that doctor do?"
"Touched me between my legs."
The air felt heavy immediately after his answer. Maybe the way he said it disturbed them more than the reason alone.
"I promise you, I am not like that man. And I have to say, good for you to kick his teeth in." Dr. Yeager was the first to recover, clearing his throat.
"Maybe there's hope for you yet, kid. That sounds like something I would have done." Kenny praised.
Levi blinked, not used to this side of his uncle. He wouldn't mind to see more of this side, though.
"So, with your permission, Levi, can I examine you? I'm only going to check your eyes, the sound of your heart, and your breathing."
Levi nodded meekly, biting his lip. At least Dr. Yeager told him what he was doing.
He felt a hand over his right eye, as the doctor studied the other one carefully. After a moment, he switched over to the other one. Levi didn't blink during the whole time they were being examined.
"What's the verdict?" Kenny was growing anxious.
"These are strange. Levi, did your mother ever tell you how you became blind?"
"Something about I got sick a few hours I was born. She said I had a fever, and then when I broke through it I lost my eyesight." Levi recited what his mother told him.
"As I thought. If you had been born with the condition, your eyes would have no color. But you have color, so it had to have been an infection or a fever. It's amazing you survived a fever so high that it took your eyesight. Now, don't get jumpy, but I'm going to use my stethoscope to listen to your heart."
Levi felt something cold against the fabric of his shirt. Dr. Yeager listened for about a minute, timing his heartbeats.
"Your heart sounds good. Lean forward please, I have to lift your shirt up. Don't freak out, I have to listen for your lungs."
He did as he was told, his nervousness increased tenfold. Levi bit his lip hard as his shirt was lifted, but not too high, and the stethoscope was placed on his back, just at at the bottom of his ribs. The metal felt cold, but not as cold as before with his chest.
"Breathe in, hold it for a few seconds." Dr. Yeager instructed, moving the cold metal as he listened. "Good. Let it out slowly, like that. Good. Breathe in again, hold it."
The metal moved to the other side of his ribs. When he was done, Dr. Yeager repeated the process but putting the object higher to just below his shoulder blades and listened.
"Your lungs sound good, I'm surprised. Tell me, have you been having three meals a day?" Dr. Yeager inquired.
"Yeah, Kenny cooks better than my mother ever did. Then again, we didn't really have much to cook with. I would have liked to see them have a cook off to see who is best." Levi felt his mood grow sullen, at the fact he would never get to witness an event.
"And has your uncle cooked a healthy meal everytime? You're stunted in your growth, probably from lack of nutrition and sunlight. But you seem to be getting better already after only two months here."
"Well, a lot of the foods he makes I never had before. But it's good. Does that means it's healthy?"
"How about this, can you tell me what he makes for you? Sometimes food that tastes good isn't all that healthy for a growing boy." Dr. Yeager explained.
"Well, for breakfast, he makes fried eggs, toast, and then tea to keep it down. I tried milk, but it made me sick. So he improvised to tea. The toast is a little burnt, but it's edible. The eggs have lots of spices, but it's good too. And then for lunch, he makes veggies and beans. For dinner, I get meat, and on the sides it's always bread, beans, and veggies."
He wasn't aware of it, but the doctor was giving his uncle a look. Kenny stood his ground, not meeting the doctor's eye.
"Well, I'm going to have to suggest to your uncle that he cuts back on the beans. And you need more fruit in your diet."
"What's fruit?"
"I'll pick some up later. I can't buy too much, do you know how expensive fruits are?" Kenny was speaking to the doctor.
"I understand, but he needs fruit in order to grow. He's already behind in his growth, he's the size of a five year old, Kenny."
In the end, Kenny gave in. But even with the special diet he was under, Levi didn't have much of growth spurts. He really wanted to grow, but he was well past the point he could reach his potential. And it made him feel insecure being so small, especially with the nickname runt his uncle would throw at him when he drank too much.
Two Years Later
His time with being trained with another blind assassin had been short. He enjoyed learning from under her, but he knew Kenny wasn't too happy. The man wanted to train him personally, but he knew nothing on how to train a blind person.
And then Levi woke up one day, and was told he wasn't going to be training under the sweet lady.
"From now on, you're training under me. Got it, kid?" Kenny was stern in his voice.
"I don't mind, but I'm still blind."
"I have something that will help." Suddenly Kenny was close to him, and he didn't understand how when the man had been more than five feet away.
He felt a pinch on his arm, something had pierced his vein. Levi flinched away, but it had already been retracted, and suddenly he felt dizzy. Levi swooned, falling over to his right. A strong arm caught him, and that was the last thing he remembered.
Levi woke up three days later, and his eyes worked. It was a shock to his brain, and he had to take to them slowly. The sun was always too bright, and he avoided it as much as he could, making sure all the window drapes were closed.
It took a few weeks, but he gradually grew used to the bright sun. What Levi fell in love with the most were the colors. He found he liked the deep green of the grass, and the wonderful different shades of blue of the sky. Levi saw a bird fly high up, and his breath was caught at the sight.
From then on, he didn't mind his height. He found similarities between his small frame and a bird, and admired how they continued on with life, content being so small. And so Levi trained himself to be as graceful as a bird, as strange as it sounded.
He still had the insecurity of his height, he knew it would always be there. But he felt better about it as he trained under his uncle. Kenny didn't mind his movements to mimic a bird, for he understood everyone had a style of their own in fighting. Rather, his uncle encouraged it.
Levi learned how to wield a knife. He practiced everyday, as a routine, and could use even the smallest kitchen knife as the perfect weapon. He became best with a curved knife, these kind felt natural, like a bird's talon, and Kenny was impressed to say the least.
He learned how society worked. He understood when to be polite, and when not, but Levi didn't give a rat's ass and didn't sugar coat anything he said. It was something he picked up from Kenny, only his favorite curse word wasn't fuck but shit. Eventually even Kenny picked up on that one.
Everything changed when he turned thirteen.
He was told on his birthday by Kenny that the hardest part of training was going to start. And that to be an assassin, one must endure all kinds of torture from psychological, emotional, physical, and sexual.
"You tell no one about what I have to do to you, got that, you little shit?" Kenny narrowed his eyes at him, a dangerous glint in his pale blue grey eyes.
Levi didn't understand why, but agreed anyways. He learned later that he should have inquired more about it.
He passed the psychological, emotional and physical torture with flying colors. However, the end result, Levi was probably worse off in the head than before he went through the various ways of torture. He saw sides of his uncle he never wanted to see again. But it had nothing compared to the sexual torture, the kind he didn't understand when Kenny first mentioned it.
It happened without warning, as that was how torture worked in his training. It was to come at random, and there was never a pattern that Kenny had used. He couldn't have his nephew predict the tortures and turn it against his mentor.
Perhaps what scarred him the most was the fact the first sexual torture happened on his fourteenth birthday.
Levi had lied about what he had said to Erwin. He hated himself for it, but Levi didn't want Erwin to pity him. And knowing the man, he would have started to treat him differently. It was already difficult when telling him about one asshole who kidnapped him and caused a great number of scars more than Kenny ever did, was enough for Erwin to change his views of him. And the fact the man was dead put the commander at ease.
Kenny, on the other hand, Levi didn't want Erwin to take upom himself to kill Kenny. This was Levi's resolve.
But the entire day of his fourteenth name day, he was tied up. He experienced the whipping, which confused him. And then he felt a weird object inserted his ass. It stung, but didn't hurt.
"What...what are you doing?" Levi breathed out, unable to see as he was blindfolded.
"The start of your sexual torture." Was all the warning Kenny gave him before he pulled the object out, and something much bigger, hotter, and made of flesh entered him.
For the first time in the torture training Levi screamed.
It hurt. It was the kind of pain he had never before experienced. Perhaps what made it worse was how deep the emotional pain was. Up until that point in time Kenny had his full trust. Over the years Levi had grown to trust his uncle. He didn't like his uncle, but the trust ran deep, since if it weren't for Kenny he wouldn't be alive right now.
Kenny was ruthless for his first time. He didn't make it pleasurable for Levi, and he ignored the screams and pleads for it all to stop. Kenny continued pounding hard and fast into his nephew, and even kept going after he spent a load inside, for he was still hard.
The man didn't stop until his fifth release. By this time Levi couldn't even speak, his voice had been lost from all the screaming that nearly tore his throat. He felt relieved that it had been over, but he was wrong.
"Since today is your birthday, I'm taking your ass fourteen times today. Thirteen more rounds to go, and you're now a man."
Kenny had the sense to give Levi breaks in between fucks. Levi spent the entire day tied up against the bed, on his stomach. The only time he was allowed to move was when he was being fed or allowed to use the restroom. Other than the brief few moments of freedom, he spent the day on the bed, his sore ass to be taken at his uncle's whim.
The thirteen times were all painful, and he stopped making any sounds by the twelfth. He had completely lost his voice. Levi lost any sense of emotion, all he knew was pain throughout his body.
And then, for the last so called special gift from his uncle, he changed it up. Kenny was gentle when he undid the ropes, and flipped his nephew over. Levi stared blankly at the ceiling, not giving a care. Until a finger entered him, but all he did was flinch.
To his surprise, the finger had been gentle. And he didn't understand why Kenny was doing this, for his entrance was slick from the previous fourteen times, and all of them Kenny released more than once. He didn't need anymore stretching either, and finally had blank eyes stared at his uncle.
Kenny's handsome features were guarded under his mask. There was no hint of his thoughts in his eyes, the same color as Levi's. He had been so eager to be able to have the ability to see, so he could more easily read Kenny. But even with this sense, he still couldn't figure out what was going on inside his uncle's head.
And then the finger brushed against a spot.
Levi was caught off guard, and he released a soft, hoarse gasp while his back arched. He narrowed his eyes at his uncle, silently questioning what Kenny was playing at. His uncle didn't give him an answer, and instead inserted a second finger, and both rubbed that spot a little rougher.
This time Levi closed his eyes, arching his neck. His body shook, already so sore from the day's experience, and he felt spent as it was. And yet he could feel heat coiling in his lower abdomen. He fought against it, but it was a losing battle the more Kenny abused that spot.
The moment a third finger was added, Levi felt his erection stiffen. He moaned, and finally he gave up and allowed his muscles to relax. Levi opened his eyes to stare into mirrored eyes, and both of them shivered. Their eyes remained locked, unable to look away.
When Kenny had enough and entered, he didn't pause as he used the same gruelling pace as the previous times. Levi found the usual pain, but it was glossed over by newfound pleasure. With his voice lost, his moans were just soft breaths. Their eyes were still trained on each other, lost in the mirror of the colors. Levi reached up and wrapped his free arms around Kenny's broad shoulders, and he raised his hips to meet the fast paced thrusts.
For the first time they came together.
"Congratulations, you pass the sexual torture test. And in your first try." Kenny breathed out, after he had recovered from the day's events.
Levi stared, sending him a questioned look on his face.
"If someone can enjoy it, then there's no point to continue that part of training. Must say, you just might surpass me one day. And if you want to explore sex, you're not getting it from me. I only did this because it's part of the training." Kenny explained further.
For the next few months things were awkward between them.
Kenny wouldn't meet his eyes, and Levi didn't understand his mind. His body wanted more, but his mind had to remind his body that Kenny was his fucking uncle and that sort of thing wasn't normal at all.
For the rest of his training everything was a breeze.
Levi moved on, and eventually met some of the other apprentices of Kenny's. He didn't think much of them, other than Liucretsia. The girl was beautiful, with her perfect curves, round breasts that were perked and bouncy, her tanned skin, soft blond hair, and honey brown eyes, it was easy for her to catch his eye. But he quickly figured out he wasn't into females, after having a one night stand with her that left him feeling empty.
Of course she became bitter about it not becoming more. Levi quickly grew accustomed to ignoring her existence when she became desperate. Kenny saw the signs of a bad break up, and from then on Levi was trained to be a solo assassin. He was the first to be solo in so long, many of the other assassins felt Kenny was favoring his nephew.
It was no secret Levi was being trained by his uncle, and many felt that the boy wasn't as good as Kenny made him out to be.
Until one day, some of the assassins decided to take initiative. Levi was on his way home when he was ambushed. Despite the numbers, he managed to defend himself well enough. He only had a knife to defend himself with, and it was all he needed.
The adrenaline rush made him exhilarated. And the sight and scent of blood went to his head. When they all begged him to spare him, he coldly reminded them what happened when assassins turned on each other.
"The penalty to attack another assassin without a good reason, is death. And I shall deliver you filthy lot to Lady Death myself."
Levi allowed his demons out for the first time. And one by one he killed. Even those that dropped their weapons and ran, he hunted down with glee and killed them. He killed sixteen men and women that day.
And here he saw a pattern concerning his birthday. His first kills happened on his seventeenth birthday, the year before he was to graduate from apprentice to assassin. He killed sixteen assassins who got stupid in the head for thinking his uncle was letting him slip by the training.
Kenny found him standing over the last corpse. He tried shaking his nephew out of his shocked state, but the teenager was too lost in his own mind. In the end, Kenny carried his nephew back to the house and kept a careful watch over him.
Levi didn't snap back into reality when two new assassin recruits entered his home, seeking Kenny as their mentor.
"Excuse me, but do you know where Kenny the Ripper is?" A sweet voice broke through his dark thoughts.
Levi blinked, now out of a trance, and stared at the two strangers. One was a young girl with burgundy red hair in pigtails, a nice and petite figure. Her eyes were the best feature, a mix of green and teal blue. They were like precious jewels.
The other stranger was tall and lean. His blonde hair was like the sun, and blue eyes stared at him with wonder. Levi immediately felt attracted to the young man. Later, he wondered if it had been the blonde hair, or the eyes. When after he met Erwin, he decided it had been the eyes.
Levi might have preferred blonds, but he was weak to blue eyes that held the sky in them.
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Death: This was a little more challenging to write, honestly. I didn't want to put this into parts, but as I was writing I realized that I couldn't fit everything that fucked Levi up in the head in one chappie.
And, I felt REALLY awkward to write about Levi's training. Just wanted to say that, because I don't condone rape or incest. But it played a big part in messing up Levi's head permanently.
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