BENEATH (Levi: An Underground Story)

Chapter 3: State of Uncertainty

Levi stared at the stone in his hands. It glinted as he turned it repeatedly in his palm, his fingers tracing each facet.

The color was peculiar to him. He'd never seen such a shade or such a thing to be honest. He took it for the sole purpose of trading it or selling it.

Whichever would cut a better deal.

It surely would cost a pretty price.

He was about to hand it over to a merchant the morning after that night when he changed his mind at the very last second. Turning his back leaving behind a very pissed man.

It had been a week since and he still couldn't bring himself to dispose of it. Frankly it irks him how stupid he was being but he just can't do it.

What vexes him more is the fact that he can't even explain why he's being stupid that way.

Levi held it out by it's chain as he leaned against a wall across the street from a shabby old bar, the most popular one in the Underground.

It was big but looked like it would collapse any moment. The fading color on its walls not exactly inviting to Levi but to each his own.

His sharp eyes watched the sleazy drunk patrons that sat outside. The full house wasn't all that surprising.

New women were up for grabs today. This was a sick and twisted event that many anticipated every month.

Levi idly wondered if that was how his mother ended up here in this forsaken place.

Time wasn't relevant in the Underground so it disgusts him that these men are already raring to go at this time of day.

"Don't they have anything better to do?"

Didn't matter anyway, he was only here to see what he can steal. He was hungry and he needed money to buy some clean fucking water because the public water pump is guarded by greedy thugs.

Voices arose from inside, catcalls and lewd remarks were heard across the street from where he stood. Women must be getting dragged unto the stage now.

He has witnessed this one too many times thanks to the time he spent with Kenny.

Tucking the necklace inside his pocket, he crossed the street as he eyed a potential target. A sleazy MP was starting to doze off from too much booze.

What a useless scum.

Creeping a bit closer he crouched to avoid attention as he rounded the corner to slip under the man's table. Carefully but swiftly plucking his bag from him.

Normally, he would have straight up beat the shit out of the man then take what he wanted but today he just wanted to keep a low profile. He wasn't in the mood for confrontation.

He was about to get up and leave when another MP that sat on the table rose and tripped on Levi's crouched form as he stumbled up to avail more drinks.

"Some luck," Levi muttered under his breath, slinging the bag across his body as he gave the man an insulting bored expression.

"Oi! You fuckin' runt!" the man exclaimed waking Levi's victim in the process.

The man bent down to see what was going on and despite his intoxicated state was able to slur, "That's mine! Give it back yah piece of shit!"

Knife at the ready, he delivered the heel of his hand forcefully to the man's nose. Levi stood up toppling the table over but not before his hands twisted as he slashed the ankles of two MPs.

Glass bottles were sent crashing to the ground and the sound of glass breaking unfortunately attracted more attention. Men from different tables rose to see what's going on, not that it was unusual.