JAGGED- Levi X Reader

Chapter One

My day started as any other day would've. I woke up, pulled on my gear, and set out into the city. Despite it being mid-afternoon, the underground was dimly lit, and rather sad looking. I set off down the street, exchanging looks with a few seedy loiterers as I made my way to the Fighting Ring. On a bad day, I'd be able to rack in a few hundred. On a good day... Well, let's just say that I've never been a gentle person in general.

Slipping into the stuffy arena, the fighting cages seemed to beckon to me, drawing me in. Ever since I'd quit working for Aedyn, I'd been doing what I could to support my accomplices.

I had been an excellent thug, and an even better assassin. I'd been a gifted pupil, if you could call the ability to kill people a "gift". I thrived there, of course, and I'd been grateful for the rather unique care I'd been given. I'm still not sure how the tables turned so quickly.

Stepping further into the arena, (if you could even call it that, it was more of a pit) I adjusted my gloves out of sheer anxiety. I've never been certain why I'm constantly so anxious, although childhood trauma would be a decent guess I suppose.

The ringmaster, as he was often referred to, greeted me with a sullen nod of the head. I'd gained plenty of respect after my first fight, especially since I fucking decked a well-known fighting champion within the first five minutes of fighting. I was considered a sort of crooked vigilante at that point; feared by petty criminals and thugs; respected (although still feared) by major black market majors. I killed whomever I deemed a traitor, and kept the ones I believed could go far at arm's length.

If I had realized that's exactly how Aedyn started out, I would have done things differently.

"You fightin' today, or'er you just 'ere for the show?"

"Fighting." I replied offhandedly, chewing my lip.

"That guy, blonde one, he's been starin' at you for the past ten minutes, y'know."

I proceeded to ignore my sickly counterpart, following his gaze to make eye contact with the most pretentious man I'd ever seen. It was quite obvious that he was asking for a fight, looking back he'd probably just assumed I was the weakest in the room. Of course, me being the arrogant prick that I was, I'd thought that he'd overheard of my reputation and was feeling cocky.

"That's a fighter if I've ever seen one." I commented after a moment.

Kenny nodded, as we stood there silently for a few minutes.

He cleared his throat. "I heard that your target's in town."

"Eyebrows?"

Kenny nodded. "Yeah, him. Brought some friends with him too, from what I've heard."

"Shit."

Kenny frowned. "You think they know?"

I chewed my lip, staring at some point of into the distance. "It's likely that they've found out. Things have gotten so bad down here, I wouldn't be surprised if someone slipped up for some cash."

"If you need help, just let me know."

I stared at him in surprise and suspicion. "What the fuck? Since when are you sentimental?" I retorted, forcing an uncomfortable laugh.

The man shrugged. "I dunno, just a suggestion."

"So you're saying it has nothing to do with the money I'd get in return."

Kenny grinned devilishly, confirming my suspicions. "I never said that, but money doesn't have everything to do with it. I feel like that guy's kind of onto me, y'know? I feel like he knows I killed all those soldiers."