(snk) Ways to Say Goodbye

Chapter 9: Moment

A/N: Hey! Sorry for the brief hiatus. Hope this chapter makes up for it :) Don't get too attached to the gang, because things are about to change in this chapter! 

Age: 11

Year: 846

The two men sat on wooden boxes, reeking of alcohol and cigarette smoke. The woman stood across from them, leaning against the stuccoed wall with crossed arms. All three were Survey Corps soldiers, and today they were stationed in the Underground, helping the MP's facilitate the Underground. 

"This  must be the most boring job in the whole Survey Corps." The solider, wheat-colored  hair hanging in uncut shags above his eyes, complained. "I mean, we're not even doing anything." 

The kempt, blond-haired man furrowed his caterpillar-like eyebrows, meeting eyes with the man who had just spoken.

"Well, Mike, we could act like every other soldier down here. We could go find children to beat up and women to abuse, if you'd rather be doing that." 

The taller man rolled his sky-colored eyes, narrowed in their usual satire expression. "Thank you for your input, Erwin. Petra, what do you think?" Mike nodded to the fawn-haired woman, only slightly smaller than Erwin, and well built. 

Petra was about to speak, but she was suddenly cut off by a hushed whisper. The blond man's icy eyes narrowed at the sky. His ears were pricked.

"Erw-" Mike interrupted, but he was met with a finger of silence. After a moment, the muscular man lowered his finger and turned to his companions.

"Maneuvering gear. It's a crime to own down here. Except... there is a gang of thugs that specialize in its use. So far, they've been able to evade every attempt the Military Police has made to capture them or the  gear." He looked at his hands, worn with calluses and grime, then back again at his partners. "Let's make sure those filthy maggots never embarrass Humanity again."

Mike and Gretel nodded, their faces slates of placidity, yet tainted with a tinge of desire for revenge. The three soldiers took hold of the handles to their maneuvering gear, and took off into the musty air.

Levi, Farlan, and Isabel's POV

Who is that... Isabel wondered, squinting her eyes and leaning forward slightly. The figure seemed so familiar for some reason. Yet, logic seemed to guide her differently. 

"Levi-anaki, who do you think that person is? We're the only people with maneuvering gear down here," Isabel shouted to Levi through the rushing wind. The rough teen, a few yards ahead, turned to face her, momentarily flying backwards. 

"Shiranai," he murmured, his words lost in the wind. 

Farlan picked up the conversation for Levi. "Maybe it's a vigilante MP," he suggested.

"Too tiny," Isabel retorted back. "Could be a malnourished half-titan titan hybrid who payed off the government," she suggested back. Farlan rolled his eyes. The figure was short and thin, like many of the inhabitants of the Underground. However, the figure's movements were choppy, and they jerked frequently. It almost seemed like the acrobat was flying with no gas... was that even possible?

"Levi-" Farlan began. "That person, they aren't using any gas."

Levi nodded, having already acknowledged the person's ability to fly on pure momentum. "They won't last for long. We'll ambush them when they have to slow at the corner of the old Town Hall. Be ready for my call."

Isabel and Farlan nodded in approval and continued to whiz forward in a perfect trifecta.  The three of them burst through a stack of wooden crates, sending apples and rations sprawling across the cobblestone street.