Chapter Text
The drawl of the Underground City was sickly and hotter than usual. Even without the sunlight, you could feel the steam of summer seeping into the cavernous walls.
You slipped through the market stalls, your hood covering your eyes. The heavy sack on your hip swung from side to side as you paced through the city center, making you feel sluggish in your movements. The Underground wasn’t exactly a friendly place for tourists and you made an effort to lessen your trips down here as much as possible, but this time, it could not be avoided.
The streets were crowded here in the city center and no one paid much attention when your shadowy figure slipped into an old bar at the end of the alleyway.
The gentle chime of the bell was coupled with the cocking of a rifle behind the counter.
“Relax Klaus,” you pulled your hood down, revealing your face.
“Geez kid,” The old man straightened himself, tossing the rifle to the side. “You’re early,”
You shrugged, turning the lock on the door behind you and pulling up a chair at the counter. Klaus leaned over the bar, eyes grazing over you.
“Would you quit it?” You asked, “You look like a creep,”
Klaus huffed, straightening up once more, he began fixing himself a drink.
“Did you bring it?” he asked, filling a tarnished glass with a generous shot of liquor. You scrunched your nose at the scent and made quick work of untying the pouch at your side.
“Here,” you pushed it towards Klaus, who downed his drink in a single gulp and undid the twine securing the fabric. The glass bottle rolled out and he held it gently in his hands, eyes glossed over.
You shifted uncomfortably in your seat, willing him to send you on your way.
“Thank you,” he muttered, eyes finally coming up to meet yours.
You stared for a moment, before letting your lips quirk up into a smile.
“No need to thank me, old man,” You hopped off your chair, “Make sure that kid of yours gets better,”
You began making your way to the door.
“And if you need any more,” you spun on your heel. “You know how to reach me,”
You turned the lock on the door, drew your hood, and slipped back into the drawl of the day.
***
It wasn’t unusual to find yourself in one of these places. Over the years you had gotten used to sleeping wherever you could manage, whether that be a plush bed in a Mitras inn, or a bench in an Underground brothel. Thus, it was no surprise to the brothel’s patrons when you stepped through the door. Some of the newer ladies regarded you curiously, others simply returned to their work.
The place was small, and warm bodies and hot breath made the heat inside even more stifling as you pushed your way through to the back staircase. You turned around, glancing around at your surroundings and frowned when you caught the eyes of one of the new girls.
She couldn’t be more than fourteen.
You averted your gaze and heaved yourself up the creaking stairs. The room upstairs was empty and lined with a few cots. You remembered how you had pushed them together during the winter to preserve whatever body heat you could.
The thought of it made you shudder, as though your muscles could feel the cold again. You shook off your weariness and turned your attention to the other woman in the room.
“(Y/n)” she cooed. “It’s been a while,”
Nia was perched at the far end of the room, hunched over something you could not make out. She hadn’t turned to face you.
You made your way over to her to see what she was tending to, a look of quiet horror passed over your face when you finally saw it. A gash, red and mangled, made its way up from her thigh, up to under her skirt. It had been stitched up well enough, probably Nia’s own handiwork, but even with the time it had to heal, it was still an ugly looking thing. She patted it gently with some soaped up water and a rag.
“Who did this to you?” You asked, voice cold.
Nia finally looked up to face you, she searched your eyes for a moment before cracking a smile.
“You get so worked up,” she said, with her sweet voice. “Hazard of the job,”
And with that, she dropped her skirt and stood. You followed her movements as she procured a coarse blanket from the storage shelf and set it on the cot closest to the wall.
“You’re staying the night, right?” she asked, patting the cot in invitation.
You walked over and slumped down next to her.
“How have things been, Nia?” you asked, throwing an arm around her petite frame.
“Quite well, actually,” she smiled brightly. The sight of it made you ache.
Nia prattled on about her customers, she cackled as she told you how she got the scar. A drunk noble came down for some fun and decided midway that he was far too good to be mingling with this sort. You couldn’t help the way your fists clenched at the thought of Nia, barely nineteen, bleeding and bare in front of the very man who did it.
“He said he would call the MPs but I was kind enough to remind him that his presence underground would not be well received by his wife,” she giggled into the sleeve of her dress before looking back up at you.
“You need to be more careful Nia,” you said. “Especially with the perverts from upstairs,”
Nia only smiled.
“Yeah, I will be,” she said, before clasping your hands in her own. “You look tired, (y/n),”
You smiled at her, her face looked so young like this, and at times it was jarring to remember just how little she really was.
“Is it so obvious?” you asked, bringing your hand up to your face and feeling your skin. It was true that you had thinned out over the last few months, the hollows of your cheeks were becoming far more prominent and your skin was stretching over your muscles.
“You need to stop running yourself ragged,” she said. “You don’t have to keep coming back down here. Get someone to make your runs for you, you’ve got enough men for it,”
“I couldn’t leave you here alone and not come check on you,” you shook your head.
“How’s Klaus’s boy?” Nia asked. She began combing through her hair with her hands, most likely getting ready for another shift downstairs.
“Not well,” You said, your eyes were focused on your lap but the sounds from downstairs buzzed through your ears incessantly. “I brought him the medication he needs but I’m afraid that without a doctor, there isn’t much we can do,”
Nia nodded, eyebrows drawn into a frown.
“I’m trying to get him into a hospital above ground,” you said, ears still thrumming with the commotion downstairs. Nia looked at you, surprised.
You challenged her doubtful gaze.
“I’ve got some strings I can pull, it shouldn’t be too long now before I get the all clear,” you offered, Nia still looked unconvinced.
“The kid’s seven, if we get him upstairs soon he may well have a chance of walking properly once he’s older.”
“Hmph,” Nia pulled the straps of her dress down to her shoulders. “I hope you’re right about that, one less kid that’s got to grow up down here,”
Just as Nia’s foot hit the first step on the staircase, your ears pricked at a familiar sound. It was muffled, but it was enough to make you shoot up to your feet and unsheath the dagger on your thigh. The mechanical whirring of wires and clanging of grappling hooks.
Just as you were revving to run, you heard the door chime open downstairs.
“...she’s a wanted fugitive,” a muffled voice said.
Nia paused mid-step, a panicked look on her face.
“Go downstairs,” you mouthed.
She shot you a worried look but you shooed her away. You pressed yourself next to the window so as not to be seen and listened closely. The gentle thud of footsteps from above had you rocking on your toes. If you had to guess, there were maybe six soldiers in total. The Military Police were sloppy and easy to shake, you needed to get them away from the building.
The windows in the room were small, but the glass was thin and brittle. There were four in total, one on each wall, just enough to let the light in. You stalked over the corner of the room, keeping yourself out of the line of sight. You grabbed the broom the girls kept behind the storage shelf and silently paced back over to the southern wall.
You centered yourself with a breath, and with some newfound tranquility, you swung.
The sound of shattering glass signaled the beginning of the chase. In one fell swoop, you crossed the room, the broom broke through the northern window and you heard footsteps moving towards either end. You prayed that the soldiers had been thoroughly distracted. You locked your eyes on the western window and ran. Just as your feet made contact with the brittle glass, you heard footsteps thundering up the stairs.
You crashed through the window, finding leverage on the roof of the building next door. There wasn’t much time to think, the military police had ODM gear and youーwell you had a few daggers stashed in your clothes.
Just as you were able to haul yourself up onto the roof, the wall next to your hand cracked as a hook embedded itself within it.
Shit.
You didn’t even glance behind you before releasing your grip. The drop was small enough, you rolled as you hit the ground, scoffing as you saw your clothes covered with dust.
It was easy enough to slip into the narrow alley behind the street. You heard a soldier call out to his comrades from above you.
“Target identified, black cloak, last seen heading east.”
You frowned before pulling your black cloak off, it was one of your favorites. You flung it on the ground and slipped into the shadows of the overhang. Footsteps light as a feather, you made your way through the alley, emerging once more on the main street. The street was bustling with hagglers and merchants alike, much to your favor. They’d be hard-pressed to find you now, with no accurate description and a crowd of people, you’d be effectively invisible.
You walked over to the vegetable stand closer to the town square and picked up a few potatoes, studying them and waiting impatiently for the military police to find their way back upstairs.
Sooner than you expected, the whizz of wires drew closer. The police often set the people down here on edge so it was no surprise to you when the patrons grew quieter as the clanging of hooks filled the square.
You took a moment to study your surroundings, there were six soldiers as you’d predicted. Two were perched on rooftops to the right and left of you. One ahead and one behind.
Strange. They caught the scent of your direction quite quickly.
You felt your heart rate spike for a moment and frowned.
Get it together. You drew in a breath. No matter, you’d make your way to the staircase and disappear upstairs, they wouldn’t be able to pursue you in Mitras.
“Oi, if you’re not going to buy anything, beat it,” the merchant called.
His voice drew the attention of the soldier to your left and for a brief moment, you made eye contact with her. The only thing you had time to register was the blonde hair spilling out of her cloak before she was calling out to her comrades.
“Target sighted!” she said, and in an instant, hooks were firing into the wall behind you ripping through the merchant’s tent. The vegetable merchant let out a cry and you tipped your head to him apologetically before slipping deftly under the wires and sprinting eastward. You needed to get to an open area, where their ODM gear would be less effective.
To their credit, they changed course in an instant. You felt their wires gliding past you as they hooked into whatever surface they could find. The billowing of their cloaks was enough to let you know how close they were on your tail.
You couldn’t keep running for long, you looked around, willing yourself to come up with options. It wasn’t until you heard the sound of their blades unsheathing that you felt your heart spike once more.
Fear, huh?
You gritted your teeth and pushed forwards, ducking under overhangs and weaving between pedestrians to keep your cover as best you could. Just as you neared the end of the street, a hook was fired right in your line of motion. You skidded to a halt just as the hook passed you, mere centimeters away from your eyes, scratching the skin on the bridge of your nose.
Eyes wide, you braved a glance to your left, and for the first time that day, you made out the insignia on their green cloaks.
The Wings of Freedom.
The Survey Corps.
Springing to action, you stormed through the closest door you could find, the entrance to an inn, and tore through their hall. You swiped an old cap from one of the patrons and made quick work of securing your hair underneath it. You slipped off your overshirt and fixed the straps of your tank top. Unsheathing a dagger from your upper arm, you wiped the blood off of your nose and raced for the back door.
Up until now, you had been ignoring the shouts and gasps of onlookers, but now, every noise rang loudly in your ears. You reached for the handle, listening for the sound of footsteps on the roof, yet they never came.
The front door slammed open once more. You were impressed, they were giving up their aerial advantage.
Your lips quirked up as you slipped out the backdoor into the darkened alley. You looked above you and sighed in relief, clothing lines were stung up, casting a veil on your movements. You took a left and flew through the cobbled street, footsteps light as feathers on water. At the end of the alleyway, you tucked yourself into a dark alcove and caught your breath. You couldn’t afford to rest for long lest they decided to surround the street once more. In this narrow space, there would be nowhere to run.
You carefully weighed your options and they seemed quite gloomy. You could not return to the brothel for certain, nor seek refuge in Klaus’s bar for fear that they were watching him too. You supposed your only chance was to make it to the staircase, or hide out until the Survey Corps retreated. The former seemed logistically challenging but the latter seemed entirely improbable. With the ferocity with which they were chasing you, you doubted they would let you slip away so easily.
You took a moment to take notice of your body and were surprised to feel the adrenaline coursing through your blood. You grounded yourself once more and slipped out of the alcove before racing out of the alleyway. You needed to get back into the crowd.
It was a short sprint to the main street and once you found yourself mingling with other patrons, you fell easily into step with them. The unsheathed dagger was still clutched behind your palm as you loitered around the street, stopping at merchant stalls and pacing pretending to look through the newspaper stand. You’d have to break away from the crowd eventually if you wanted to make it to the staircase, but for now you decided it best to lie low and get a sense of their position.
It had been less than five minutes when you heard the clanging of hooks draw closer once more.
They had traced you here already?
The spike in your heart rate was telling and you felt yourself ready to bolt before your conscious intervened. They couldn’t pick you out of this crowd, running now would only draw attention.
Two soldiers came into view and perched themselves onto the rooftops on either side of the street. Four others sweeped over the street completely, most likely moving on to patrol other areas. You slinked over to a nearby stall and picked out the nicest tunic they had. You fished out your money and handed it over to the seller, who received it gratefully. You duly noted the side-eyed looks that were sent your way as you stuffed your wallet back into your trousers.
You pressed yourself against a wall, underneath an overhang, and slipped the tunic over your head. The cap was concealing your hair and with a new shirt, you were effectively unrecognizable unless someone managed to get a proper look at your face.
Your face.
The cut on your nose drew your attention once more and you frowned. That was going to be a dead giveaway. You couldn’t purchase a scarf in the dead of summer and sunglasses weren’t exactly a commodity underground. You opted to simply keep your head down as best you could, it would look the least conspicuous.
The soldiers were now pacing from one end of the street to the other, glancing over at the passersby. The sound of their footsteps on the roof made you uneasy. You pulled yourself away from the crowd with full intention to languidly walk yourself over to the staircase and pay your way up. However, your plans never had a chance to be put into action. the moment you turned the street corner, your eyes went wide at the side in front of you.
What you had previously thought was a squad of six soldiers seemed to have multiplied into at least sixteen. You felt your palms begin to sweat.
Well, this was quite the entourage.
You straightened your back and began to stalk eastward towards the stairs. Out of the corner of your eyes you saw soldiers being deployed in different directions. A handful set off towards the brothel and you sent up a silent plea for Nia’s safety, a few more moved towards the main street you were just in, and a bulk of them set off towards the staircase.
You frowned and were half-tempted to raise your gaze and see who was barking out orders. Head down, you secured your cap once more and continued your painstaking journey. You stopped at a few stalls here and there, or to read flyers posted outside yellowed windows. By the time you encountered soldiers again, you were halfway towards your destination.
Feet light, you began snaking your way through the street until a shout drew your attention. There were four of them stationed here.
“There!” You heard someone cry.
Grimacing your drew your dagger, clutching it tight in your hand. Wires flew past you and two soldiers were on your back, blades drawn. You spun, ducking underneath their steel, and kicked out your leg. The blow shook one of them to their knees and a quick snap of your fist to the back of his neck rendered him unconscious. The soldier beside him charged at you with gritted teeth and it took one step to the side and a well timed kick to the head for him to end up on the floor, keeping his comrade company.
In a moment, you felt the rush of air as wires flew past you. Before the other two had a moment to descend, you had drawn another dagger and with both hands well arms, you sliced through the thick metal of their wires. You heard the heavy thud of their bodies and the clatter of their ODM gear as you tore towards off eastward. As long as they were immobilized, they wouldn’t be able to alert another squad of your position.
Feet floating over the jagged pavement, you did not stop running until you were in sight of the staircase. There were six soldiers right in front of it, the keeper of the stairs shifted his weight uneasily in their presence.
You heaved out a sigh and prepared yourself for another fight. Making a sharp turn into the narrow opening behind the main buildings, you turned sideways and pressed yourself against the wall, shuffling towards the opening on the other end. Through the crack, you could see the backs of three soldiers, blades drawn in waiting.
It only took a moment to rush out and immobilize two of them with a heavy blow to the back of their necks. The other went down as your palm struck swiftly against their shoulder bone. The other three soldiers were already gunning for you as you began sprinting up the steps, wires flying above you.
Drawing your daggers once again, you flung them upwards and sighed in relief as you heard a scream from behind as yet another pair of wires snapped.
Two more to go.
You were halfway up the stairs now but you couldn’t afford to break stride even as you reached the top.
Just as you were nearing the final steps, you heard the distinct zip of metal behind you. It only took a moment to realize you couldn’t dodge it entirely, you shifted your weight as a hook flew past your right side, grazing deeper than you would’ve liked.
Grimacing in pain, you were about to set off on your ascent again until a force from above flung you downwards. You barely made out the green blur of a cape as you were sent toppling down the stairs. You flung your arms out, fingers deftly gripping onto the stone steps and easing your fall. Your nose skimmed the edge of the stair as you adjusted yourself into a handstand, weight on the tips of your fingers. From here, it was easy enough to push yourself off the remainder of the stairs and onto your feet.
You landed at the bottom of the stairs with a gentle thud, feet light as air. Your hand came up to press at your side and quell the bleeding, the edge of your vision was filled with green cloth and the glint of metal blades. Your lips began to crawl up gently, your heart was flitting around in your chest.
It was quick work really, quicker than you would’ve liked. By the tenth body that hit the floor unconscious, you were getting bored. The din of pain on your side has all but subsided, you could no longer feel it against the thrumming of your veins. Another soldier ran swiftly at you, it was the same girl you had seen earlier. Her movements were fast and your mouth pulled up into a smile as she dodged your first few throws with a semblance of grace. Still, you tripped her up quickly and she fell to the floor with her cape wrapped taught around her ankles.
Satisfied, you turned back to the stairs, till you felt a gentle breeze of movement behind you. You turned just in time to catch the blade of a sword in your hand, its sharp edging digging into your palm. You looked over to face the soldier and were met with cold, grey eyes. You recognized him as the soldier who had sent you catapulting down the stairs and frowned. He was strong, even now as his blade pressed against your hand you could feel his force. Had he meant it, your fingers would’ve ended up twenty feet away from where you stood.
Before you could make a move to retaliate, a booming voice rang out through the cavernous walls. You did not need to look over to recognize the commander of the scouts. You had heard that golden voice a million times, right before the gates had been heaved open.
The soldier took this opportunity to spin you around and slam you to your knees, arms pinned securely around your back. His boot dug in between your shoulder blades as the commander walked over to you. You looked up at him through your lashes, hardly able to move your head under the weight.
“So it really is you,” the commander said, “It’s a pleasure to meet you,”
You only hummed in response, Erwin took this as a cue to continue.
“I’m sure you are familiar with us,” Erwin said before deftly dropping to his knees. It took you by surprise and you had to take a moment to school your widened eyes back into a neutral expression.
“I have a favor to ask of you,” he said.
“Weird way to ask for a favor, commander,” you mumbled, the weight of the soldier’s boot was still crushing your neck. “Why don’t you start with calling off your dog?”
“Thank you, Levi,” Erwin said, eyes still glued to you.
Levi? Captain Levi?
Levi eased off your back, though he kept your arms firmly pinned. He gripped your hair and hauled your face up to Erwin’s. You looked straight into the commander's eyes and smiled.
Erwin studied your face, a crease forming in between his brow.
“You are under arrest,” he said, tone turning cold and distant. “For, I believe it was, one hundred and three counts of murder and two hundred and thirty-two counts of fraud,”
You continued to smile.
“The penalty for which is death,” you offered.
At this, Erwin’s lips turned up.
“Indeed,” he said, still eye level, “Or, rather, you could join us in the survey corps,”
“Commander, with all due respect, that just sounds like a prolonged death sentence to me,” you challenged.
Erwin only sighed before nodding.
“Yes well, the military police have failed to catch you, finding you here today was a fluke, but your talents would be rather useful to us. It’d be a shame to see them wither away in a prison cell.”
You didn’t believe him for a moment, though you appreciated his attempt at abruptness.
“There’s a little boy who lives down here, he needs a hospital upstairs. Treat him and I’ll join,” you said, it was only fair you’d return his bluntness.
Erwin looked back up at you, a smile tugging on his lips.
“That can be arranged,” he said.
Easy enough. You thought. Until Klaus’s kid had been treated, you’d play nice.
Erwin gave you yet another once over, eyes sharp. You decided then that, at the very least, he wasn’t a fool.
“You’ve made quite the mess of my squads,” Erwin said, finally rising up to his full height. From your place by his feet, he looked impossibly regal.
“Sorry about that,” you chuckled. “You really should train them up more,”
“They’re competent soldiers,” Erwin looked around, a few soldiers had come to, others were helping their still unconscious comrades. “You’re just a special case,”
Before you could respond, you were being hauled to your feet. In all this deliberation you had nearly forgotten about humanity’s strongest digging his grubby paws into your arms. Levi began leading you up the stairs.
“And what of my things?” you called over your shoulder. “I can’t just move in with your dogs without ample supplies,”
“One moment Levi,” Erwin said. Levi came to an abrupt halt and pulled on your wrists to spin you around.
Erwin held out a small pocket book and pencil.
“We’ll send someone to collect your necessities,” he smiled.
Levi released one of your arms and you scribbled down the address to one of your safe houses, the one with the least amount of security measures and concealed weapons, though you still had to include a detailed explanation of how to dismantle the knot of wires holding your lock in place.
“I knew I could count on you Erwin,” you winked before Levi thrusted you back up the stairs.
As you looked over the scene, you couldn’t help but feel a little proud of Erwin, the military police would see signs of a struggle in the reports, and how it had taken Captain Levi himself to restrain you, that you hadn’t gone willingly. Surely they couldn’t make a fuss about his coercion, not officially anyways.
You cooperated dutifully as Levi shoved you, rather forcefully you might add, into a waiting carriage upstairs. He watched as you stripped the weapons off of yourself, mostly small knives hidden in inconspicuous places. It was almost a comedy act the way you kept pulling them from seemingly nowhere. Levi gave you a quick pat down and you flashed him a grimace as he got closer to your chest and the tops of your thighs. He only rolled his eyes and moved on.
Once he was satisfied, Levi effortlessly slid out a blade from his scabbard. He tilted it up to your neck, the sharp edge of it rested coolly against your carotid.
“Easy,” you said, a placid smile on your face. “I’m not going anywhere,”
Levi did not reply, opting instead to push the blade more firmly into your skin. You felt the familiar heat of blood drip slowly from your neck, your heart thrummed and you closed your eyes.