A/N: Hi everyone! This is the Arcane inspired story that I promised. This story does not follow the exact plot or timeline of Arcane—it has its own plot and only uses the AOT characters so it's totally fine if you haven't watched the show. But, it does have some concepts from the show that will be mentioned (like the topside and undercity, shimmer). Y/N has a similar personality to Vi, and Hange's is a combination of Viktor and Caitlyn. There are no spoilers for either Arcane or AOT!
It was the perfect night for a fight. The air was chilly, the streetlamps illuminating the dark cobblestone roads. A crowd of people lingered by, eagerly watching and placing bets. Who would win tonight? Many would opt to bet on Levi Ackerman—the underground's strongest fighter. Nobody dared to mess with him. He was undefeated, his stories whispered through the alleyways. Not a single person had challenged his strength before. Well, except for (Y/N).
She stood in the center of the ring of people, her fists poised in front of her. Her lips were curved into a small smirk, and it was just like her to not show an ounce of fear. The underground's strongest fighter? Yeah, right. She'd beat him one day. Even if it meant she had to challenge him to a hundred fights.
"Haven't you learned your lesson?" Levi frowned. He stood opposite of (Y/N), his fists remaining at his sides. He never took her seriously.
"Oh, come on, Levi!" (Y/N) scoffed. "You're not telling you're scared, are you? Are you worried that I'll finally beat you? Reclaim your title of being the strongest fighter?"
"You've never beat me before," Levi narrowed his eyes. He was tired. It was evening time, and all he wanted to do was drink a cup of his favorite tea.
"Fight, fight, fight, fight!" The crowd chanted, surging in to trap Levi into the circle of spectators. He looked around, expression full of distaste. Looks like he didn't have a choice, after all. Levi glanced back at (Y/N), taking in the determination that glinted in her eyes. He let out a long sigh before mimicking her stance.
"Let's make this quick, shall we?" He quipped.
"Of course. I'd love to pulverize your face in under five minutes," (Y/N) grinned. While the remark seemed mean and brash, everyone knew that it was a joke. Levi, ten years older than (Y/N), had practically adopted her as a younger sister a long time ago. He had found her wandering the streets, lost and alone, wearing nothing but a ragged nightgown. She had been only six. Since then, (Y/N) looked up to him as a brother. This fight wasn't malicious. It was a friendly one.
"3, 2, 1," the crowd counted down, gleefully waiting to see Levi defeat another person. It was always fun watching Levi's unique moves. He wasn't called the strongest for no reason.
(Y/N) didn't waste a single second before she launched herself at Levi, fist aimed straight for his face. Ever since she was a kid, she was in awe at his strength. She would mimic his moves, punching bags of stale flour or rice and lifting the heaviest boxes she could find. She wanted to be stronger. Like him.
"When will you ever learn?" Levi mused. His hand shot out quickly, grasping (Y/N)'s wrist. She grunted, trying to remove herself from his grasp while simultaneously kicking him in the shin. Levi winced but was able to flip (Y/N) onto her back before she could do anything else.
(Y/N) wheezed, the air knocked out of her lungs. She stared up at the milky blue sky, disappointment settling in when she realized that she had lost. Again. She let out a groan, covering her face with her hands. This sucked.
"You've gotten better," Levi outstretched a hand, hauling (Y/N) back to her feet. "But you need patience. Every single time, without fail, you always strike first. What are you so eager for, (Y/N)?"
"I'm eager to kick your ass," she grumbled, glaring at the short man. "It's been years since you've been kicking mine!"
Levi eyed the cut she got on her arm, from where he had slammed her onto the ground. "Let's get that cleaned up as soon as possible. Infections are deadly."
The crowd began to disperse, mumbling about how predictable the fight had been. Soon, the crowd of twenty-some people was now only three.
"(Y/N)! You were amazing!" A girl rushed forward, her brown ponytail bobbing behind her. Sasha. She had been "adopted" by Levi one year after (Y/N). The two had grown up together. "You lasted about ten seconds more than usual!"
"Amazing?" The man next to her scoffed. Connie. Next to him stood Jean. Both of them had also grown up with (Y/N). For years, Jean, Connie, Sasha, and (Y/N) had been a tight-knit group, taken care of by Levi. It was the only thing close to a family that they all knew. Behind everyone's cheerful demeanor was a rough past. "Levi totally pulverized her within two minutes."
"Oh, shut up. You don't even have to guts to challenge Levi," (Y/N) shot back, stretching her sore muscles. "I have to do all the challenging and heavy lifting around here."
"Yeah, shut up Connie," Sasha echoed, linking her arm with (Y/N)'s. "Don't talk smack about (Y/N) when you're literally the biggest coward I know!"
Jean snorted. "Sasha's right—"
"Enough," even though his voice was quiet, one word from Levi was enough to cause all of them to stop talking and turn towards him. "Let's head back home. It's getting late. Don't you have another one of those...raids tomorrow morning?"
While Levi sounded stern and annoyed, all four of them knew that he was just worried about their rest and energy levels. He didn't want them to get hurt tomorrow.
(Y/N) nodded, playful attitude fading away. That was right. The four of them were going topside, to the city of Shiganshina tomorrow morning. She scowled at the thought of seeing the Sina guard and all the prissy rich people. For years, Shiganshina had been split into two districts. The "topside", which housed the wealthy and middle class, full of culture and amazing technology. And then there was the "underground". While the area technically wasn't underground, it was at a much lower elevation from Shiganshina City and had depleted resources. Only the needy and desperate lived down there. Shiganshina City had practically turned its back on the underground, never reaching out to help or offer assistance. The underground was the butt of all the jokes, the area rich people warned their kids about. You better study otherwise you'll end up in the underground! And you don't want to be there, do you?
"Come on, guys," (Y/N) motioned towards one of the dark alleyways, illuminated only by the faint blue light of the lanterns nearby. The roads were littered with trash, graffiti scrawled on just about every wall, and the air hanging heavy with an awful scent. Yeah, it wasn't exactly paradise.
"Can we please, please sneak some pastries tomorrow?" Sasha walked beside (Y/N), her hand still gripping (Y/N)'s arm. "I've been craving a crème puff!"
"We're going for the jewels, not food, Sasha," (Y/N) said gently, patting the girl's hand.
"Aw, okay," Sasha pouted.
(Y/N) smiled, amused at how Sasha's mind was already fixated on the delicacies and cuisine of the topside. "Okay, fine. If we have time, we can grab a crème puff on our way back. And if we get a good haul, then I'll even treat you to a cake. But that's a maybe."
"Yay!" Sasha cheered. "I hope our next target is extremely rich. I really want cake."
(Y/N)'s smile faltered a little and she looked up at the cloudy night sky. There wasn't a single star. She hadn't seen one her entire life. The pollution from the nearby factories was far too much. The familiar tendrils of jealousy wound their way through her. The city-goers probably had cake available to them at all times. They probably had bakeries, with the sweetest smells and the most delicious food. They probably were able to enjoy nights full of glittering stars. They probably didn't starve half the time, their stomachs grumbling in protest as they went another night with just a half loaf of bread for the entire day. They didn't have to deal with poor hygiene or food deserts. It wasn't fair. Just because (Y/N) had been born to a family that was unfortunate to live in the underground meant that she had to suffer there for her entire life too.
But as she looked at her friends—no, her family—(Y/N) remembered that all she had wanted was for them to be happy. Even if she remained stuck for years in the rotting undercity, she would be satisfied if her family made it to the topside. Sasha, Connie, Jean, and Levi might not have been related to her by blood, but she would fight tooth and nail if it meant keeping them safe. Besides, in the undercity, where despair was rampant and nobody had hope, family was all she had.