Once again, you and Levi walked through the filthy streets of the Underground City, on your way to the brothel where Lola Sanguick had worked. You had been particularly apprehensive about bringing Levi on this part of the investigation, given his past. However, he had insisted, stating that he would be fine and that he wanted to protect you from the dangers down here.
You stuck close to him as you made your way through the winding streets, feeling several pairs of eyes on you no matter which way you went. Even though you were worried about how Levi would react, you were also glad that he was with you. Sure, you were trained in combat and could protect yourself in most situations, but Levi was...well, Levi. There was no safer place than at his side.
Finally, you arrived at the address where Lola Sanguick had worked and lived. "Here we are," you stated, trying to sound positive, but failing miserably. "Let's go."
You were about to take a step, but you paused when you realized that Levi had stiffened next to you. When you glanced at him, he was staring at the brothel with a shocked expression.
"This is..." he breathed.
Suddenly, you figured out where you were, and your heart wrenched. This wasn't just any brothel. It was the one Levi had been born in, and where he had lived for the first few years of his life. It was where his mother had worked and died.
You quickly stepped in front of Levi, trying to block his view of that terrible place. You gently gripped his shoulders in a gesture of solidarity. "Hey, you don't have to go in there," you assured him. "I can take it from here. It's okay."
Levi swallowed. He shook his head, forcing himself to regain his composure. "No. I'm not letting you go in there alone. I'll be fine."
You sighed sadly, then murmured in a quiet voice, "You don't have to be brave all the time, you know."
Levi gazed at you softly before reaching up, gently stroking his fingers along your cheek. "Yes, I do," he murmured.
You were nearly overwhelmed by the amount of love you felt – both for him and from him. He had suffered through so many terrible things, yet he was willing to dive back into that hell for your sake. More than that, he wouldn't take no for an answer.
"Okay," you whispered. But before you stepped into the brothel, you reached down and took his hand.
Levi's stride and expression didn't falter, though you could only imagine how he must be feeling right now. He acted completely unfazed as you walked right into his childhood nightmare.
You felt a lump rise in your throat when you saw the terrible conditions that he had grown up in. The brothel was filthy, and you had to fight the urge to cover your nose. Scantily clad women roamed the main room, marketing their wares to whomever wandered inside.
You felt a sudden surge of gratitude toward Kenny for taking Levi away from this place.
You did your best to ignore the women's sultry stares and walked straight to the counter, where a man stood, writing in a ledger. He wasn't fat, exactly, but he was pudgier than the other people who worked there. You assumed that he was the brothel's owner.
"Excuse me," you muttered.
The man looked up, and Levi tensed. Clearly, he recognized this person.
However, it seemed the man didn't recognize Levi. He plastered an obsequious smile on his face, revealing several missing teeth as he said, "Welcome! What can I do for you fine folks?"
"We're here about Lola Sanguick," you told him quietly, all too aware of the other people in the room who were trying to eavesdrop on your conversation.
"Of course!" the man boomed jovially. "Our white-haired beauty! Would you like to go separately, or together? Of course, there is a...small upcharge...if you go together. More work for her, you understand. But I promise it will be worth your while!"
You couldn't keep the disgust off your face. "We're not here for that," you snapped. "Lola Sanguick was found dead this morning. She was murdered."
"Oh," the man gasped, his expression turning grim. "That's too bad. That girl was worth a lot of money. Say, you two wouldn't happen to be here to pay off her debt, would you?"
"No!" you nearly shouted, feeling like you were about to vomit. You honestly couldn't believe how depraved his man was. "We're here to ask you questions so that we can find out who killed her."
"Oh. Well, okay, then," the man muttered, sounding disappointed as he scratched his neck. "Ask away."
You took a breath, feeling a little more confident in asking the questions yourself now that you had observed Levi doing it in Club Spade. "When was the last time you saw her?"
He hummed thoughtfully. "Must have been...'bout two or three days ago."
"And you didn't think that was strange?" you asked incredulously.
He lifted his hands in a placating gesture. "Hey, it's not like they have to check in with me or anything. As long as my boys and girls are in their rooms when the customers come calling, I don't care what they do."
Your lip curled in distaste. "And when was the last time a customer came for Lola Sanguick?"
"Well, let's see," he mused as he flipped through his ledger. "Looks like it was...three days ago. 'Round ten o'clock."
"And who came to see her?"
"Dunno," he grunted. "We never ask for names. Only cash."
Unable to stand being around this filth for another minute, you muttered, "One more question. Was Lola close with anyone around here? Anyone who might have a better idea of when she disappeared or if someone took her?"
"Well, you could ask Enne. She's kind of like a mother figure to a lot of the girls 'round here. She might know somethin'."
Levi tensed again at that name.
You squeezed his hand reassuringly before replying, "Where can we find her?"
"Down the hall, last door on the right."
You nodded, not even bothering to thank him before you and Levi walked off.
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"Do you know her?" you asked Levi as the two of you stood outside Enne's door.
He kept staring straight ahead, his expression betraying nothing as he replied, "It was a long time ago."
"Do you want to leave?"
He shook his head.
You sighed, then knocked softly on Enne's door. The woman who answered it looked like she was in her late forties, though life hadn't been kind to her. She was clearly malnourished, and her thin blonde hair hung limply down to her shoulders.
Enne's eyes danced right over you and went to Levi. Then she broke into a wry grin. "Well, look who's finally come home!" she chuckled in a scratchy voice.
Although you knew it must have been hard for him, Levi managed to keep his face impassive as he replied, "You recognize me?"
"Of course! How could I forget those shiny blue eyes?" She turned to you, smiling as if she were greeting an old friend. "I was just starting out when Levi was born. You should've seen him – this little runt running around the halls in his mama's spare dress." She returned her attention to Levi, giving him a once-over. "Although, he still looks like a runt now. Guess some things never change."
Your eyes filled with tears that you hastily blinked away. The thought of Levi living here, among all of...this, overwhelmed you with sorrow. Of course, he had told you what his life was like in the Underground. But seeing it was completely different.
You wanted to get out of here as quickly as possible, and you imagined that Levi felt the same. So you got straight to the point. "We're here about Lola Sanguick. The man up front said you knew her."
Immediately, Enne's face fell. "Yeah, I know her. Or knew her, since it sounds like you're here to deliver bad news."
"She's dead," you confirmed gently. "She was found murdered this morning."
Enne simply sighed.
"You don't seem surprised," you observed.
"I knew she was getting herself into trouble," Enne muttered, unable to look at you. "See, three days ago, some guy came. Seemed like just a normal client, but after he left, Lola rushed into my room, blabbering some crazy talk about how he hadn't screwed her, and instead he had 'opened her mind' or whatever. Next day, she was gone. I assumed that she ran off to meet him, even though that's against the rules. But I wasn't so heartless that I would rat her out. Guess maybe I should've told someone."
"I doubt it would've helped," you murmured truthfully.
Enne merely grunted.
"Can you tell us what the man looked like?" you prodded.
"Never saw him," she muttered. "Lola just said he had these amber-colored eyes that lit up when he talked to her, as if he truly believed whatever B.S. he was shoving down her throat." A second later, Enne added, "Oh, and she said his name was Makishima."
Ice flooded your veins, causing goosebumps to appear on your skin. Makishima...was that Specimen's real name?
You just barely managed to make yourself utter, "Would anyone else have seen him?"
"If they did, they probably don't remember," Enne grumbled. "So many clients come through here. They all start to look the same after a while."
Disappointment bloomed in your chest. "Is there anything else you can tell us?"
"Afraid not," she stated, meeting your gaze earnestly. "But for what it's worth, I really hope you catch the bastard."
You swallowed the lump that had inexplicably formed in your throat. "Thank you."
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When you arrived back in your borrowed room at the MP barracks, Levi immediately got in the bath. You decided to shower in the communal female washroom, and when you returned, wrapped in a towel, Levi still hadn't come out.
You gently pushed open the bathroom door and walked to his side, kneeling on the tile next to the tub. Levi made no move to indicate that he noticed you. He didn't even look up. He just kept staring into the water, his head bowed as if he were carrying a heavy burden.
You wrapped him in your arms and pulled him close, bringing his head to rest on your chest. After a minute of simply holding him, you dipped a cloth into the water and began cleaning him off. But while the dirt could be washed away, there were some things that left a more permanent stain.
So you held him all night long.