If Only For A Little While

Knife Fight

Levi

"Alright pass your quizzes up, I'll have them graded by tomorrow."

The sound of rustling papers and students murmuring among each other filled the room. It was the last class period of the day and I was exhausted due to my not sleeping last night.

I collected the quizzes and set them in a neat pile on my desk so I could grade them later. My mind was still reeling from earlier today and I could barely think straight.

I was aware of most of the rumors students spread about me. They weren't that creative and usually not too far from the truth. Other than the one about me hooking up with the entire faculty. I grimaced at the thought.

Though it did however trouble me that there were rumors about me being a part of a gang going around. It was true that I'd been affiliated with the Recons but I wasn't anymore. I couldn't figure out how anyone could know about that though, I'd never told anyone. Well besides Hanji, but she wouldn't tell anyone.

Being a part of a gang was one thing, but leaving one was next to impossible. It was a miracle that Erwin hadn't sent anyone after me in the 10 years I'd been away. Technically I hadn't officially quit, but I was no longer apart of any of their dealings. Just as you're beat into a gang, you also have to be beat out of a gang if you want to quit. Being beat in is painful enough as it is, being beat out of the Recons would have no doubt impaired me for life or worse. At the time I wouldn't have minded death, I would have greeted it with opened arms. Yet in the end I chose to run away. Death was an easy out, and I'd owed it to Izzy and Farlan to keep on living.

~~~~

"A knife fight?" I gaped at Erwin not believing what he was asking of us. "We've barely been your bitches for two weeks and you want us to go lay our asses out on the line for you?"

He nodded, "Yes, this is what being a Recon means. We need our best men for this and even though you're all new I know you're all very skilled at combat."

"What the fuck do you know?!" I leapt up from my seat to face the larger man only to be stopped by Farlan yanking me back.

"What's the situation sir?" Farlan inquired as he pulled me back into my seat.

Erwin propped his elbows on his desk and clasped his hands together, "We've been receiving numerous threats from our rival gang, the Titans, for a couple weeks now. Some of our men have been found pulverized or even dead in our own territory. In an attempt to end this, the leader of the Titans and I have agreed to a knife fight."

"So we get to stab some sons of bitches?" Izzy grinned wickedly.

"Yes, the rules of a knife fight are simple. Each gang has an equal number of men, each only permitted one knife. After that there are no more rules. You can injure or even kill as many of the opposing members as you want, so long as you only use your knife or hand to hand combat. The looser is whoever surrenders first or whoever's completely killed off."

"Awesome!" Izzy was elated.

"This isn't awesome," I growled at her making her wince. I didn't care if I hurt her feelings, I wouldn't let her die. "I swear to god if anything happens to any of us-"

"You'll what?" Erwin's eyes narrowed, "Kill me? Some of the other Recons wouldn't be too happy if you did that and usually react violently to things they don't like."

"Well I'm sure there are plenty others who'd thank me for-"

"Levi!" Farlan snapped, "Please that's enough."