A Choice with Regrets [Levi Ackerman]

7

Two Months Later...

I found a glimpse of happiness in the Underground mainly because the three are by my side. My two months of training finally paid off and I learned so much from them as we continued with our lives.

I feel more comfortable around Isabel and Farlan, but Levi is still problematic for me. Even though he accepted me into his squad, he is still giving me his typical cold expressions.

During training, they noticed how much I improved with knives from day one and praised me for being a fast learner. According to Farlan, Levi secretly complimented my cleaning and I guess I somewhat earned his respect. Levi is a clean freak from what I've noticed and I didn't want to add to his fuel if I had left a speck of dust.

He's a stubborn guy and moreover, we're not that close to having an actual conversation and everything along that line.

Excluding myself, the three zip through the narrow streets using their 3D maneuver gears attached to their bodies. I momentarily watch in amazement as they grapple from building to building with so much confidence, hoping one day I could flap my wings to be as free as them.

Even though it was a sunny afternoon, the underground was not a place to admire the surface. The four of us sit in a secret cave that has a hole revealing the bright blue sky as the sun kisses our faces. We then watch the birds fly from the underground and out to the surface, where they can start a new life.

"Man, I want to go to the surface!" she pouts her lips, laying on her back as she kicks her feet up in the air. "What was it like up there, Sina?"

I was momentarily silent until I took a deep sigh. "It's beautiful, but it is not safe."

"I bet..." Farlan agrees.

"How about using your 3D maneuver gear? It's not impossible since you guys have it, right?" I asked, but the three seem to have another idea in mind or have no intention of doing such a thing.

"Our dream is to live on the surface, but..." Farlan paused for a second. "I am afraid to change."

"But it's going to be a good change!" Isabel tries to motivate him a little. "It's better than living in this shithole!"

"Levi, what's your plan? What are you going to do when we get to the surface?" Farlan looks over at Levi who is pretending to fall asleep and slowly, he opens his eyes to aimlessly stare at the sky.

"To find that old man." Levi bluntly answered and curiosity got the best of me. It seems like Farlan and Isabel knew who he was talking about and I was eager to learn this old man's name until Isabel spoke again.

"Just wait! We'll definitely get out of here!" she then looks over at me. "How about you, Sina? Do you want to go back to the surface?"

I pause at her sudden question and fake a smile. I didn't want to answer truthfully because it'll bring back hurtful memories.

"I don't want to go back..." I deeply let out and they all blink at me in confusion. "I'm much happier here with you guys."

"Oi, stop it." Levi noticed my discomfort when they asked me personal questions and it sounded like he was being sympathetic towards me. Does that mean he also has a tragic story?

"S-Sorry..." Farlan and Isabel felt guilty for going there, but I waved my hands at them with a slight panic. "It's fine, really!"

It's nothing too serious in my opinion and it's not like I care too much about the past anyways. The past stays in the past and all I care about is the present and the future ahead of us. That's what I've learned here in the Underground District. And maybe... just maybe, I will stay here with them until the very end.

Aside from me, we used the rest of the time to admire the white fluffy clouds above us until Levi stood on his feet.

"Let's head back." he was the first to exit the cave, then we followed him out.

In the dimly lit streets, we threw on our mantle and as for them, the three wore their 3D maneuver gear underneath. Even though I am out of the picture, I still show no interest in owning a gear and want to focus on survival first.

I begin to space out until I trip over a foot and land on all four. The three find me on the ground and Isabel kneels beside me, then shouts at the man who purposely tripped me over. "Hey, asshole! Why did you do that!?"

"Not my fault that she ran into me." the man lets out a forceful laugh, "Be more careful next time!"

He stopped laughing when Levi unexpectedly punched him straight in the face at such inhumane speed and I gasped when the man flew into a pile of wooden barrels. A tooth flies out of his mouth and slowly, the man sits upright with blood running down his chin.

What really surprised us was when the man whipped out a gun from his pocket and aimed it at Levi. Levi showed no signs of fear and he didn't even flinch when the man attempted to threaten him with a gun.

"Levi! Don't push it!" Farlan warned him, but it was already too late when the man pulled the trigger.

Levi flips his mantle to reveal his 3D maneuver gear and acts quickly by blocking the first bullet with his pocket knife. Before the next bullet, Levi grapples to a wall and the man fired a few more shots. Levi effortlessly dodges them all and the man irritatingly kept firing until he was empty.

"Damn it! Where did that crazy bastard go!?" the man shouted until Levi snuck up behind him to drop-kick his back at full speed, possibly fracturing his ribs or cracking his spine like a twig.

The man drops the gun when he lands facedown and screams at the excruciating pain. A crowd started surrounding us and we were almost closing in.

"Levi! You overdid it!" Farlan comes into a panic. "Let's get out of here before the Military Police finds us!"

"Aniki is always like this..." Isabel tells me and now I have a better understanding of Levi. Yet again, I feel bad for getting him involved again. It should've been me to handle the situation, but my life was always at risk. I want to prove to him that I'm not weak. Levi's face turned pale when he discovered something in the crowd that shook him to the core and Farlan grabbed him by the shoulder.

"What are you looking at!? Come on! Let's go!" Farlan then drags us out of the crowd before getting caught.

Levi followed them mindlessly, his face coated in a shady grimace.

⚔︎

I'm not sure how many minutes have passed, but we somehow made it back to the hideout fairly quickly. Once again, Isabel hurries over to me again. "Are you okay, Sina?"

"I'm fine." I give her a slight smile, then I glance over at the boys. Farlan seems to be guarding the door and Levi seems concerned as well.

"What's wrong? You guys look like you shit your pants." Isabel joked, but they didn't bother to laugh in a situation like this.

"We almost got caught with the 3D maneuver gears, that's what!"

"I saw them," Levi tells us, but saw who?

"Who did you see?" Isabel blinks.

"The damn Military Police. Who else?" Farlan retorted and she pouted her lips at him for responding so harshly.

Are they actually scared of the Military Police like I am?

I honestly understand how they feel, but I should be the one who fears them. I do not recall seeing them, but I have a feeling that they're searching for us. Is it because of me?

"No, it wasn't them." Levi correct. "I saw the Wings of Freedom on their cloak..."

"Wings of Freedom..." I parroted. "Could that be..."

"Forget it. I'm already exhausted." Levi shakes that thought away, but still feels uneasy. "Whatever you do... do not go outside."