Silent Howl (AOT Fanfiction) DISCONTINUED CAUSE I SUCK

Chapter 3 | Change (1)

"Hands up Levi!"

"Right." The punch I threw was not overly strong but did make Levi stagger. We were again practicing and though he was more than able to beat up anyone on the street, until he could beat me, I would keep him training.

We were both sweating, tired from three hours of fighting. The last few years hadn't been kind to either of us, but we kept on going. Levi had grown up at least a bit, a fact that I made sure to remind him of, and had filled out so that instead of being thin and lanky, he was corded with wiry muscle.

"Fine, that'll do." There was a bucket of water by the wall and I dumped half of it over my head, motioning for Levi to do the same. A fast way to cool down.

The place we were training was a small alcove in the wall around the underground which had a grate above us, filtering sunlight through it.

I relished the light and let myself bask in its warmth. "I'm almost there now." An arched eyebrow in Levi's direction. "I'll beat you soon."

I laughed. "For that you'd have to be taller. A pipsqueak like you could never beat me."

In turn Levi frowned. "You're only two years older than me. I'll be taller than you someday, you'll see." I shook my head in amusement and sat down.

Levi took his place beside me and leaned into my side. Physical contact like the brushing of arms or leaning on one another had become a way of reassuring each other, the small mercy of this life. It had become an anchor that held both of us down, and tied together.

"Kenny will be back soon. We'd better head down." He gave a small nod but didn't move. Yeah, I felt like that too. The moments up here in the sunlight were too few. But Kenny would be annoyed if we weren't there, and the excuse that I didn't know he was back had long since been overused.

Ruffling Levi's hair, I stood abruptly leaving him to fall to the ground. And before he could protest I let shadows roll of me and landed on all fours. "He'll have a go at you for not sending that message."

I huffed a broken laugh. "I'm not his errand girl." So I picked Levi up by the scruff of his shirt, placed him on my back, and started to scramble down the wall back into the depths of the underground.

****

Cheers rang out across the street, fists pounding the air. A crowd of people were standing in a circle around two figures, fighting. Yet it was less of a fight and more of a beating, Levi releasing all his pent up anger out on the man below him.

I prowled through the lurching limbs as a canine, growling at anyone who stepped forwards to stop or help my friend. A knife flashed and then it was all over, splatters of blood spraying and sticking to my fur.

Releasing a howl of triumph, I leapt towards Levi and brushed his legs. There was no grin on his face but I knew why. Neither he nor I took any pleasure in killing people, but we did what we had to to survive.

After we made our way to the house, I made food for three and Levi and I sat down at the table. There was no point in waiting for Kenny but once Levi was asleep, I crept back into the kitchen, pulling a chair and waited.

I waited for hours and I was sure I finally fell asleep because I woke in my bed. The next day I waited again, Kenny often came home later than he said.

And each night I waited again, if only to yell at him for not coming back. And still I waited. But he never came back.

****

Running as my wolf was as close to freedom as I could get these days. At the age of eighteen, I was legally an adult up on the surface world, not that it mattered down here. Yet there were the privileges, such as people actually listening to me when I threatened them, though that was more likely due to my reputation with a knife.