Blue and White - Levi Fanfiction

Ch. 25 - Of Time and Memories, All Passing By

Our search brought us to a part of the city I did not frequent often. Smoke sat in a heavy smog about the neighborhood, and the smell did nothing more than make my eyes water and tempt me to lift my cloak up to cover my mouth and nose. It was awful.

What a sight we must have been... a group of soldiers and a street rat walking down the middle of the street, dodging groups of drinking men and weaving between groups of prostitutes all looking for their next lucky customer.

This was a street rife with brothels, and bars, and motels of the unsavory type. Rooms were cheap, the furniture rickety and the walls paper-thin... not that such conditions would keep any of these men from picking out a woman to take to bed.

Levi in particular seemed... tense, shall I say? His eyes were searching always for something I couldn't see, and he seemed ever prepared to spring into action. But whatever it was he thought would happen... did not happen. I resigned myself to ask him about it later; perhaps a job or two had taken him here, and he had bad memories of it?

Whatever the case, he was disturbed just by being here, and I implored Mason gently to pick up the pace, if not for just the job's sake, but more so for Levi's. I didn't mention that part, but Mason must have understood that there was a reason behind me asking because he did.

We met briefly with one of his friends, and then were on our way once more through the city. Towards a recently abandoned warehouse we went, the promise of an upcoming battle beginning to run through my veins.

—

Of all places for a hunted man to rest, he picked a good one. The place was large, with lots of side rooms and closets and nooks and crannies and what have you, for hiding out in. But we were smart, and I was growing more thankful by the second that Mason was with us, because that meant we had another set of hands that were duly careful and well-trained for this sort of thing. Not that Erwin and Hange were doing a bad job, they just weren't as experienced as we were with this sort of thing.

As I pulled a door open slowly, my knife prepared in front of me, I thought back for a moment at what had happened just outside this building. Mason was stubborn, that was for damn certain.

"Just getting us here is more than we could have asked you for," I had said to Mason. My comrades were standing by the doors, readying their blades and their gear, while I addressed him. According to all the intel we had gathered, this was the place. "The entire Survey Corps thanks you."

"Oh, please," Mason had replied, clearly bashful and clearly unwilling to accept such praise. "That's not true. You know not to flatter me, Amaya."

I had smiled at that, responding easily. "Mason, I'll have you know that I have the authority to say that the entire regiment thanks you."

"Uh huh," he had replied, unconvinced.

"I haven't mentioned it? Levi and I are Captains, now."

"Oh, I see," he said with a laugh, "So, you're gonna flaunt your authority now?"

"If you don't listen, then sure," I said. "You'll have left me no choice."

"It sounds to me like you're about to tell me something I won't like, Amaya. Just say it."

"Mason, you still are one of my dearest friends," I told him sincerely. "I want you to be safe. So, first, you know the house I used to live in, yes?"

"With Levi and the others? I visited you, once. I remember."

"Good, then," I said. "Go there now. The door will be locked, but I trust you know how to pick a lock. In the kitchen by the baseboard under the window there's a loose floorboard. Pull it open and you'll see a small safe, the combination is 15-24-29, and-"