symbiosis » levi ackerman

chapter thirty-eight ; deterrent

Fallan

I hurried down the dimly lit streets as quickly as I could. I knew he'd be waiting for me, so I wasn't surprised when a thickly accented voice echoed from behind me. I didn't bother to turn around.
"Make it quick Ackerman. I've got places to be." I snarled, wrapping my arms tighter around myself to block out the cold. Kenny laughed and sidled along next to me. 
"Damn, you finally grown some balls? Wonder if that's got anythin' to do with that nephew of mine." 
It probably is.
"Certainly not." I huffed, quickening up my pace. 
"Well you're awfully confident considering today might be the day you die." He hummed, falling a few steps behind me. I gulped and I felt my eyes widen, but I didn't want to show him I was afraid. 
"You'd be doing me a favour." 
Kenny laughed again and I felt him shuffle behind me, the taps of his boots against the cobbled streets growing louder. Suddenly I was pulled back and his arm was around my neck, and I felt cold metal against my cheekbone. 
That's what you get for being cocky. Idiot.
"What did old Nick tell you?" He rasped into my ear and pressed the instrument harder against my cheek. 
"Nothing I'm sure you weren't already aware of." I breathed, fighting to push down the growing mass of anxiety that was knotting in the pit of my stomach. 
"Dead parents, pure breeding, abilities... Yeah, I can imagine."
I tried to move away but he tightened the arm around my neck.
"But what he failed to explain is," I began slowly, "How you're involved in all of this Kenny." 
"The good Pastor and his organisation have been tryin' to figure that out for a long ass time. You know, Fallan, I'd say you're one of the most wanted women in all the Walls."
"Well they're doing a rather shit job of finding me." I snapped, and felt his hot breath against my ear as he laughed once more.
It was true - I'd never exactly hidden myself because I'd never thought I needed to. I lived in Mitras until I enrolled in the Cadet Corps, and then the Survey Corps. I was a highly regarded Scientist too, well decorated for my help in the Scouts.
"The illegitimate Pairve, born of impurity. Did Nick tell ya how many enemies that family of yours has? Rival clans, noble families, even the Royal Government themselves. I'm sure one of them would love to kill ya, and I even heard through the grapevine that the Pairve's don't like the idea of an impure descendant running round and tarnishin' their prestigious name." 
I'd since discovered that the cold metal against my cheek was a knife, and it was getting increasingly more and more uncomfortable. 
"I've heard, thank you. But that still doesn't change the fact that I'm not dead am I? And I still don't know where you tie into this." I huffed, crossing my arms. Kenny sighed and let me go, pushing me forward. I recovered my breath before turning to face him, my face getting hotter with annoyance.
"I could be here for a number of reasons," He shrugged, inspecting his blade distractedly. "The Ackerman's could be a rival clan, someone could've hired me. Hell - who knows? Well... I do, but I'm not going to tell you."
Brilliant.
"The only reason you're not dead, Fallan Pairve, is because everyone thought little Eddie was the descendant. That was until your name and all those scientific miracles sprouted up. Do you know how hard it is to infiltrate a Survey Corps base? Next to impossible. The only opportunity anyone had was when you were visiting your parents, which was never." 
Huh, maybe failing to be a good daughter actually paid off.
"So, kill me now then." I shrugged. I'd hoped I wouldn't regret that. Surely if he was going to he would've by now, otherwise why would he have wasted his breath explaining everything to a dead girl. 
"You're eager, but I can't. Not yet, but I'll leave you with this." He took a few steps towards me, knife in hand as I gulped and backed away. Typically, I backed myself right up against a wall. He slammed his hand against the wall by my head and pressed the blade into the groove of my cheekbone once more. I stared up at him as he leered down at me, a twisted sneer on his face.
"Think of it as a goodbye present." He whispered into my ear, before slowly sliding the blade downwards. I felt it nick my cheek as I gasped at the stinging sensation. 
Bastard. I have to meet Commandant Zackly with a gash in my cheek.
Maybe these healing powers would come in handy, but cuts still took about a day to completely heal. Kenny stepped back and turned around, waving to me as he walked away.
"Oh and another thing, don't you dare breath a word of anything to anyone, else I'll slit that pretty throat of yours. See ya round, Pairve." He whistled and disappeared off into the darkly lit streets.
My knees buckled as I let out a shaky breath and clasped at my cheek. I swiped my fingers against the cut and saw a smear of crimson against the pale pads of my finger tips. I couldn't help the anger that rose inside of me as I slammed my fist into the wall and let out a cry of annoyance. I was so fucking fed up. All the lies, the deceit, the secrets.
Part of me wished I could just die now and escape the eternal shit storm my life had become.