To You, 2000 Years From Now

Chapter Four

Levi frowned. "So this is your...comrade, huh?"

"Hmm...Levi?" The person who was stepping on Victoria asked, adjusting her weight on Victoria's back. "This is where you used to live?"

"And what of it?" Levi picked up Victoria's glasses. "Hnn...Another four-eyes. Hanji, keep a good hold on her."

Hanji did as she was told.

Erwin lifted Victoria's head, and her bun came undone and her dark hair tumbled down. "She's young. Probably the age to start training."

Victoria did not know how to react. All she could do was frown at him. She strained her eyes to look at Almira. She smiled sheepishly.

"Sorry I left again."

She was forced onto her feet, and Hanji tied her wrists. Victoria winced. "Ngh...How fun."

"I thought all the gear was confiscated?" Erwin said, his eyebrows furrowing.

Levi cursed and kicked Victoria's gear. "We hid these eight years ago. Damn. If I wasn't an idiot..."

"And we found it again," Victoria's voice was surprisingly cheerful.

Erwin eyed her. "Are you Victoria?"

Victoria nodded.

"...should we put them in the training squad?" Hanji asked. "Don't you think they'd cause a ruckus?"

"We were planning to sneak up top," Victoria said straightforwardly. "Join training, and make it to the Military Police." She told everyone she wanted the MP. But it was always Survey she wanted.

Oh lies.

-

Almira wanted to sew Victoria's mouth.

She had to tell them that!

"Victoria, shut up," she said in a low voice.

Levi turned towards me. "Oh? You can talk?"

Almira clenched her fists. "Of course I can, midget."

Levi raised an eyebrow. "A sassy one."

Hanji laughed. "I'm amazed you got to call him that without getting a bruise."

Levi walked towards me. "Who said anything about not getting a bruise?"

Suddenly, he slammed Almira's head on the ground.

Almira cussed silently. 'I am really getting bruised.'

"Levi. Stop," Erwin's commanding voice resonated.

Levi threw Almira's head back on the ground before walking towards Erwin.

Erwin stood in front of the fourteen year old. "Almira, am I right?"

"Answer the question, brat," Levi said.

Almira answered reluctantly. "Yes. My name's Almira."

Victoria gritted her teeth.

"Don't hurt her," she said darkly, twisting her wrists, using the same technique she used six years ago. Hanji caught her, though, and tied another layer of rope. Victoria frowned.

"Well...we've caught you two, and we decided to recruit you. I know you won't agree to join us, but-"

"Only idiots wouldn't," said Victoria, blowing on a lock of hair to get it out of her face. "I wouldn't miss a chance to get to the surface. What's the catch?"

"Simple," Levi said, drawing his blade. "Any one of you do something we don't approve of, and we get rid of what's more important to you. And you know what that is."

Victoria frowned. Yes, she did know the answer. Each other. She smirked. "Like the price you paid when you tried to take down Erwin on your o-" she was cut short when the corporal pointed his blade at her throat. If she did something as a mere swallow, the tip of the blade would scratch her skin.

"Do not...mention that..." Levi growled. Hanji's glasses flashed and she pulled Victoria back. The girl stumbled. "Levi, we can't kill them."

But he didn't drop the blade. "As I said...do any wrong move," he moved the tip of the blade to Victoria's cheek, and his other blade to Almira's arm. "And you two are punished." He let the tips drag down and make a cut.

Victoria's cheek was dripping with red. She nodded. "Alright. Then I better not speak, then."

Almira growled. "Don't you dare hurt her."

Levi raised an eyebrow but he said nothing.

Even if her arm was bleeding, she didn't care.

Almira hated it. She hated not being given a choice.

She hates it like hell.

And now, she is trudging towards the surface.

Sure, she wanted to join the Survey Corps. But not like this.

Almira bit her lip to stop herself crying.

She shouldn't show any signs of weakness.

Hell, she was one of the most infamous girls in the underworld. Weakness is not in her dictionary.

She looked at Victoria. The twelve year old was trudging silently beside her.

She wiped the blood on Victoria's cheek.

"Hey!" the guard behind them shouted.

Almira put her hands down and continued walking.

She walked towards the bright light. And before she knew it, she was back.

She was back in the city above the underground.

Victoria breathed. In the underground, it smelled of sewage and rot and death. Up here, death wasn't so strong. And the air was fresh. She was pushed roughly into a carriage. Her wrists were probably chaffed by now, and the cut on her cheek burned like hell.

She still did not speak.

She scrutinized everyone. They did not know her surname. She didn't have one in this world.

"Name me," she spoke, finally.

"What?" Erwin said, looking at her.

"I don't have a surname."

"You don't need one. You don't have a family, do you, brat?" Levi said.

A cadet rolled her eyes and made a comment about underground trash. Levi slapped her and told her to get back to work.

Victoria grinned. "I don't mind being called trash."

Levi glared at her. "So you just let yourself be degraded by others like that? Tch."

"No. It gives me a reason to prove myself. To prove that everyone else is trash, too."

Almira stifled a groan.

Victoria and her words of wisdom.

Erwin turned to Almira. "How about you? What is your surname?"

Almira bit her lip. She didn't like talking about her surname. It would always remind her of her family business back in the real world and how they want her to be the prim and proper heiress of the business.

But Commander Erwin Smith is asking for it.

And she had to answer it.

Almira lowered her head and spoke in a low tone.

"Carthes. My surname is Carthes."

There. She managed to say it.

"Almira Carthes," Erwin said.

The fourteen year old nodded. "Yes. Almira Carthes."

How she hated that surname.

It's a constant reminder of the real world and its tortures.

And how she would love to stay in the SnK world.

But she knew that going back is inevitable.

And she accepts it. She accepts her harsh reality.