Road to Hell

Old blood and nameless fear

Levi couldn't fault him.

"Oh, so now you can read minds, too. Great. While you're at it, why don't you read that blonde bastard's mind, so we can get those goddamn papers faster? Since you're so smart, why don't you find a way to forge citizenship documents too, without us going through all this hassle?!" Levi's tone was cutting, harsh with ridicule. He knew that. He couldn't stop himself.

"You arrogant son of a-"

"I'd think twice before finishing that sentence if I were you."

Quick to point his stained knife at Furlan's neck as he stood up, Levi's voice was guttural and low. Dangerous.

But his words rang hollow for Furlan, the man never backing down in front of Levi. "Go on, then. You're already short on one person of the team. See what you can do without–"

"Stop it! Stop! Stop! Stop! Stop it!" Isabel's voice shook with panic as she shouted, both men now staring at her. The teen's shoulders trembled, hands covering her ears and head buried between her squeezed shoulders. "Just... please, stop it."

Levi swallowed hard, trading glances with Furlan. If hurting her wasn't enough, he was also hurting Isabel now. Nausea churned his gut, the hand holding the knife falling limply by his side.

Furlan sat back down and ran his hand gently down Isabel's back to calm her. "Isabel..."

Despite her bubbly personality, Isabel could never stand them arguing in front of her. Levi dragged a palm over his face, the need to slaughter the bastards that did this to her like a flame shooting through his bones.

Taking in a deep, shuddering breath, Isabel blinked the moisture of her eyes away. Her voice was weak and tired. "Wraith wouldn't want you two fighting like this before a big mission. Being divided right now... it's too dangerous. Didn't you three always say we need to stick together no matter what if we want to survive?"

Furlan glared in Levi's direction as he continued soothing Isabel, "Lucky for us, she's not here. Levi made sure of that."

"... I don't like it either. You both know it."

Furlan watched him from beneath lowered brows, before heaving a sigh. "Then why didn't you tell her the truth instead? Why did you feel the need to be cruel to her after everything?"

Levi turned around and plopped himself on the couch, legs crossed and arm resting on the back of the seat. Twirling the knife between his fingers, he was careful not to stain the old leather with bits and pieces of his already-dried blood.

The once shining blade now looked lifeless.

"I don't know what you're talking about," he muttered. "I only treated her like I would treat any other member of the gang."

"Admit it, Levi. Getting tired too fast is not the real reason you're not letting her come." Furlan fully faced him now after he made sure Isabel was feeling better. The girl's gaze was still cast downwards, unease gathered on her pale face.

Levi forced himself to stifle a groan. Eyes fluttering close, he let his pounding head fall against the couch. He was exhausted.

"That's exactly the reason. She's going to fall to her death and weaken us if we bring her. The plan–"

"Fuck the plan!" Furlan said, frustration sprinkled in his tone. "We need her. If she was any other member, you would've risked it. You know that."

Once again, Levi's mind pulled out memories he was trying to ignore. He deliberated taking off before they could chip at his resolve. Find something else to worry about — something that wouldn't claw at his heart or widen the well of fear and grief opened in his chest.

His limbs felt too heavy to move.

"What are you implying?"

"You're scared of losing her, Levi. If something unforeseeable happens, if our plans fail, you don't want her to die," Furlan patiently explained, the fire from only a few seconds ago completely extinguished. "That's why you decided to keep her here, where you know she can handle herself while we're gone. You want to keep her safe."

The gentleness in his voice, the implication behind his careful thought words, hit Levi like a ton of bricks. And the understanding burned him.

He let the silence drag on.

When he finally spoke, his voice was a hoarse rasp, "Why would I want to do that? She's not a child. We both know what we signed up for. The mission always comes first. Why would anything change now when we're so close to freedom?"

He didn't know who he was trying to convince.

"Because you love her."

Isabel's words rang, hitting something in Levi's gut.

The knife finally dropped from between his fingers onto the ground. It left nothing but old blood and a cluttering noise in its path.

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