Special Chapter: Hidden Memory

The raven haired boy kicked his opponent on the chest before he hissed, retreating his leg back. The man who he just assaulted coughed on the floor for a couple of times and then he clutched his stomach. Instead of leaving his victim alone, the kid just landed another blow on his face, till the man screamed from pain. Despite his age and appearance, Levi has already beaten up numerous number of people who are much larger and taller than him. But since he was awakened in this kind of environment, 'errands' such as this is normal for him.

"Stop.." the man plead, followed by a series of raspy breathing "I.. r-really don't h-have any" he said, crawling at the boy's feet. The kid just frowned even more and was about to land another kick when a low laugh erupted from behind him, stopping his action. It was followed by a series of clap. The kid twisted the small knife in his hand as he felt a pat on his head. He looked up, greeted by a grin coming from his guardian who raised and adopted him.

"Good job as always kid" He said, patting his head one last time before he walked towards the man that the kid previously beaten up. He leaned down in front of him. "Oy. Look at me you bastard" He said, tapping the cheek of the shaking victim. The terrified man looked at him. He clasp his hand and pleaded for his life.

"Please Kenny. Give me a few more days" He cried in front of the intimidating man "I-I'll pay you! I promise!" He closed his eyes and bowed down. Kenny lifted his hat a little bit before an evil grin formed in his face.

"Oh dear. You know me didn't you? I don't like giving chances" The man cried even more "It is either you pay me with your money, or you pay me with your life"

Kenny held out his hand towards the boy who is standing behind him. The raven-haired kid placed his knife at the man's palm. He took a glance at their crying victim and turned his body away before he could even witness what Kenny is about to do.

~*~

Cheers and laugh filled every space of their underground territory. Men bumped their beer glass with one another as women danced around them, almost covered with nothing. Despite being too young, Levi was also brought in the place by his uncle. But it hasn't been an hour yet when he already turned his back and left the place. Kenny's eyes followed the figure of the walking kid before he took a sip from his cup. He knows that Levi hated this kind of crowd, especially with the mess and the noise, but he wanted to make the kid understand the reality of life that their clan is destined to have. Hated, abandoned, and left to fight on their own. He wanted to instill only the strength and the desire to kill on the boy's mind, and to deprive him of emotions. This would only make him weak and when an Ackerman becomes weak in this society, then he lose. Kuchel has already became a victim of it for due to her overflowing love for her son, her life was taken away.

"Oy Kenny" A man sat beside him, slamming his beer glass on the table "Your nephew is leaving the party again when it hasn't even started yet" He chuckled, chugging the contents of his cup.

Kenny drank the last drops of his beer and nodded. "Let him. He did a good job after all" He said and then he let his mind wander back to the events earlier. Kenny is aware that Levi is great at beating up bastards but he is still too raw. He can't take lives nor watch him do it. But he'll learn in just a matter of years. He will make sure that it is his nephew who'll continue his legacy and fight in his stead when he is already gone.

Grinning, the older Ackerman stood up from his seat. He left his gang and went out of the hideout to find himself another victim.

On the other hand, the younger Ackerman walked the streets with a blank expression. Because of what Kenny has taught him while he was growing up, he has become cold and distabt. His uncle has always told him to fight against the society for it cannot accept people like them. Because of the blood running through their veins and the name that was passed in their clan, they can never live normally and they can never be at peace.

He was too deep in his thoughts that he never noticed a cheery brunette in glasses who walked across him. Their bodies crashed with one another throwing the girl down on her butt while the raven-haired boy slightly lost his balance. The boy frowned and faced the girl.

"Watch where you're going idiot" He told the girl who were still rubbing the side of her butt. She raised her head and looked at him, eventhough she cannot see his face clearly. Hee glasses were thrown off when she fell after they crash so her visual looks blurry that all she can see is a small figure of a boy.

"I am sorry" She apologized while chuckling. She ran her right hand on her shoulder length hair which is cut roughly, much to her desire. Levi just answered her with a 'tsk' and just decided to leave. When he walked past her, he felt a hand grasp his right leg making him look back at the girl.

"Get your hands of me" He warned. The girl shook her head.

"You have to help me find my glasses first!" She demanded on him. Levi hissed as he looked around and to his disappoinment, he saw the glasses at the road. It probably got thrown over there and now, it is nearly flat and most of the lens is broken. He let out an annoyed breath.

"Its gone" He said, shaking his leg to remove it from her grip. "It got thrown off in the road and a car must have drove over it already"

The girl's eyes widened. "Seriously?" She asked in surprise. Levi didn't bother to answer as he just decided to walk away. But the brunette seemed really determined to not make him leave for once again, she grabbed his leg. "You have to take me to my house"

Levi gritted his teeth. "And why do I have to do that?" He asked in an annoyed voice.

"Because you broke my glasses and now you have to serve as my eyes as I get home and grab my new one" She explained "You are quite lucky that you just broke my old pair cause if you damaged my new pair of glasses, my mom and dad would literally kill the two of us" The brunette laughed but Levi didn't bulge. Even his expression didn't change but since the girl couldn't see it, she doesn't have any idea that the kid she's holding right now is pissed off.

Levi exhaled a breath and kneeled. He lend his hand which the brunette accepted. "Where's your house?" He asked, helping her up.

"Just 2 corners from here. Chester street, block 24" She answered. The boy nodded and then he started leading the way. In order not to get too far from him, the brunette reached for the end of his brown jacket and held it. Levi felt the added weight at the edge of his clothes but he didn't bother to tell her. He just let her hold onto that as they pass through the pool of people.

"You're quite silent, aren't you?" The brunette said, opening up a conversation. "And for a kid, you seem so cold" She told the boy in front of her, unaware that the word 'kid' just made Levi roll his eyes.

"I am not a kid" He answered. "I'm probably even older at you"

The brunette's expression changed into a suspicious one as she stared at the back of the boy who is walking ahead of her. "No way" she told him tugging at the end of his jacket "I can't see you clearly right now but I am sure that you're height matches those that are at primary school" the girl laughed and that only made him more annoyed.

"Say one more word and I would really throw you at the road" Levi warned but the brunette seemed unaffected. She just continued her chuckle.

"You won't do that" She said after her laugh. Levi's frown disappeared as he suddenly became curious. "I mean, you won't help me if you're really bad, won't you?" The girl continued. Levi looked behind at the beaming brunette and for the first time after a long time, he felt warmth in his chest. He immediately turned his head back into the road, burying the emotions that threatened to swell inside of him.

"You don't know me" He told her. The girl answered with a hum.

"Maybe, but my guts are telling me that you're a good person" She talked back. Then their walking stopped when the two of them arrived in front of a green house where a truck is currently parked. People were placing furnitures inside of it, along with a couple of box and luggages. "Are we here already?" The brunette asked the boy in  front of her.

"Yeah" He answered. The girl let go of her grasp at the end of his jacket and faced him. Smiling widely, she thanked Levi.

"Thank you so much!" She said and the unfamiliar warmth once again filled the raven-haired boy's chest. He stared at her for a second and then he turned his back and walked away. They were just a few steps away from each other when the girl yelled again, making him look back at her. "Oooyyy!" she screamed, both of her hands are at the side of her mouth to amplify her voice. "What's your name? I'm-"

vrooom.

The truck's engine started before he could even hear her name. Yet despite that, he still answered. "Mine is Levi!" He yelled, not sure if the brunette heard it. She just tilted her head a bit but afterwards she waved her hand at him. Levi turned his back and walked away from their street. As he took more steps away from the location where she brought the brunette, a small smile slowly formed on his face.

She's weird. He thought as he remembered the face of the girl that he just met a few minutes earlier.