Your Wings - Reader X Levi Ackerman

Chapter 1: In the Underground

The underground is a dark, cold abyss. The dried-up buildings around you look as if they could collapse at any moment. When the cries of suffering and pain fall silent, the only thing you hear is an overwhelming stillness. Joy and laughter are foreign concepts here, beneath a dirt ceiling, but it's the only home you've known in your short eighteen years. That you've survived this long is nothing short of a miracle. Ever since your parents vanished without a trace, you've been alone. You don't know if they're still alive, but they left you behind in this miserable place, forcing you to fend for yourself.

You've lived by pickpocketing the passed-out drunks in the street, or stealing a stale loaf of bread when you could. Sometimes, you got caught and had to fight your way out; other times, you were left beaten and bloody, barely clinging to life. Over the years, you've learned to protect yourself, to fight, to become stealthy. But the most important rule you live by: trust no one in this hellhole.

Your goal is simple: save enough money to buy a ticket out of the underground and escape to the surface. It's been difficult on your own, but you stay focused, holding on to the hope that life will improve once you reach the surface. 'Things will be better up there,' you tell yourself.

---

You wake up slowly, stretching your stiff arms. Your back aches from sleeping on the hard ground, with nothing but a thin blanket to cushion you. Rubbing the tiredness from your eyes, you pull on your black jacket, slip into your worn brown boots, and sling a makeshift backpack over your shoulders—pieced together from scraps you scavenged. Crawling out of the small tent perched on the rooftop, you climb down the nearby ladder, pulling your hood over your head as you make your way toward the market.

The market is full of stalls selling mostly spoiled food. It's all anyone can get down here. As you approach a stall crowded with people, you notice bright red apples mixed among some mushy ones—a rare sight. It's a perfect distraction. Inch by inch, you edge closer until the owner looks away. Quick as lightning, you snag an apple and tuck it up your sleeve. The stall owner turns back and eyes you suspiciously.

"How much are these apples?" you ask, trying to sound casual.

"Ten coins each," he replies, eyeing you up and down.

You pull out your pouch, pretending to count the coins, then sigh. "I've only got three. Will you take that?"

The owner scoffs. "Get the hell away from my stall, kid."

You walk away silently, waiting until you're far enough from the stall to pull the apple from your sleeve. Admiring its bright red color, you think, 'This should last me until dinner.' Just as you're about to take a bite, you hear painful grunts coming from a nearby alley. Glancing over, you see two grown men beating a child dressed in rags.

"Please..." the child whimpers.

"Shut your mouth, or we'll kill you too," one of the men sneers. The child coughs up blood, splattering the man's shirt.

"You little—" The man raises his arm for another blow, but the child drops to the ground. When the boy opens his eyes, he sees the man on the ground, clutching his stomach, with you standing next to him, lowering your leg from a well-placed kick.

"H-Hey! Why'd you do that?!" the other man shouts.

You meet his gaze with a cold, dark stare. Slowly, you help the boy up and push him behind you.

"You bitch!" the man roars, charging at you with a dagger in hand. You sidestep his wild swings, his blade barely missing your face. With quick jabs to his ribs, you knock him off balance, sweeping his legs out from under him. He crashes to the ground, his head smacking the pavement. Gritting his teeth in pain, he looks up at you, fury in his eyes. Without hesitation, you stomp on his wrist, forcing him to drop the dagger as he screams in agony. You pick up the weapon and point it at him. Fear fills both men's eyes.

"Leave us alone," one of them pleads.

"Why were you two grown men beating a child?" you demand, voice low and dangerous.

"He... he tried stealing food from us," one of them stammers.

"And did he actually take anything?" you ask.

"Well... no, but—"

"So you were going to kill him just because he was hungry?" you snarl, stepping closer. They scramble backward in fear. You drive the dagger into the ground, pinning one of their shirts. "If I ever see you two lay a hand on this kid—or any kid again—I'll kill you myself."

Terrified, they nod before fleeing the alley. You turn to the boy. He's small and thin, with wavy brown hair and green eyes. A deep scar cuts through his eyebrow. Sighing, you kneel to wipe the blood from his face, then pull the apple from your pocket and hand it to him.

"It's not much, but take it. I can get by without it," you say, offering a small smile. His eyes widen as he takes the apple, a gap-toothed grin spreading across his face.

"Thank you, miss!" he beams.

You can't help but think of yourself at his age—innocent, full of hope before this place crushed it. Your smile fades as you think to yourself... handing him a small red pouch, decorated with leaf patterns. Inside, it's filled with coins.

"Listen carefully," you say, placing your hands on his shoulders. "Don't spend it all at once. Hide it. Only use it when you have no other choice. It should last you a while."

The boy's eyes well up with tears. He throws himself at you, hugging you tightly. You freeze, then look down at him. "Thank you! I won't forget this!" he says through sobs. You smile, patting his head before walking away, glancing back to see him waving.

---

You sit on the ledge outside your tent, swinging your feet as you think about the new situation you've found yourself in. You gave all your savings to that kid, and now you'll have to start from scratch unless you come up with another plan.

Looking up at the dirt ceiling, you imagine the bright blue sky and the sun you've only heard about in stories. Your father once promised to take you and your mother to the surface to see the stars. That's all you've ever wanted—to see those millions of tiny lights shining in the sky. 'One day,' you think, closing your eyes.

Your thoughts are interrupted by the sound of wires clanging against buildings. Startled, you look to your left, seeing three figures flying across the rooftops, their harnesses pulling them through the air. For a split second, one of them locks eyes with you—narrow, silver eyes that seem to slow down time as they fly by. Then, they're gone.

Heart racing, you jump to your feet and run after them, not entirely sure why, perhaps its curiosity, excitement? But something deep inside pushes you forward. You climb back down the building and run towards the direction they flew past. On the way, you see men loading crates and shouting angrily.

"Those bastards hit us again! Third time this month!" one of them yells as you sprint by. You notice small dents on the buildings, marking the path they took.

Finally, you reach the end of a tunnel. The dents stop, and exhaustion catches up with you. Your legs give out, and you slump against a wall, breathing heavily. Hunger gnaws at you, and dizziness sets in. Slowly, your vision goes dark, and everything fades to black.

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Hi everyone! I hope you like the beginning so far! I'm not a writer by any means but I do enjoying reading everyone's amazing fanfics and I was motivated to write my own. So I'm sorry if there are any typos or improper writing. It may be a slow start, but it's to mainly introduce your life in this story! (:

Feel free to comment and share your thoughts, but keep it friendly please! Thanks for reading! <3

-Liz