picture on the side does not belong to me. it's what charles drew but i don't know the real artist's name

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Charles was twitching in his bed, his eyebrows creased and his breathing hitched. Behind his closed eyes, his fears spiraled into never-ending darkness and haunting imagery. Lizzy's lifeless orbs, her skin painted in savage scarlet. The fire roaring and screeching with hungry flames, circling his sister like an impatient predator. Charles tried to run forward, but something held her back. A black hole was engulfing her entire being. Her voice didn't work, she was being suffocated. She desperately fought against the opposing force but it only speeded up its feast. The fire engulfed her sister and a voice so spine chilling and wicked whispered into her ear.

You belong in the shadows.

Charles took in a deep breath before the darkness swallowed her whole. She swam up to where a light was shining and the whole world tipped on its side. She was running out of air and a wall of ice separated her from the surface. She pounded on it, she saw gray eyes staring back at her. She let out a breath as she took in the sight of Levi standing on the other side. She cried out to him, but he didn't move. He just stood there, watching.

Have you found a new light?

She shivered as velvety smooth skin caressed the bottom of her chin to lift her face up. She was beholding a mass of malevolent, cold light. She tried to cringe away but it held her so close, so possessively, that she couldn't move an inch away.

Is his as strong as mine? It asked vehemently.

Charles couldn't tear her gaze away from the embodiment of evil. Her heart was beating a song of terror.

Won't you come back? My shadow.

It suddenly hissed and Charles felt a grasp on her wrist. She whipped her head around to see Levi's arm reaching through the ice, his eyes blazing. He pulled her away.

"Charles!"

Charles saw the blurry image of a face above him, two more were hanging around back. Somebody was shaking his shoulders, trying to break him out of his revere.

"Charles! Are you okay?"

Farlan's voice...

"Y-yeah..." Charles answered without thinking.

His eyes finally focused and he saw Levi. The black haired man let go of his shoulders, but never looked away. Charles could only see the concern in his expression because of many years of living with him. If it had been anyone else looking in at the scene, they would've wondered why the man looked so annoyed. Granted, he was as annoyed as he was worried.

"You're crying," Levi deadpanned.

Charles felt a drop of wetness and he stared at the tears accumulating on his hand. He quickly dried his eyes.

Farlan shifted uneasily on his spot and Levi was oblivious to what he should do in this situation. They'd never seen the boy cry before, none of them did that often. So, they were practically baffled at how they should react. Thankfully, the one person in their group that was never bothered by awkward situations (or perhaps was too dense to discern them) took action.

Isabel grabbed Charles' hand and pulled him along with her. Charles, still a bit dazed, obediently stumbled after. She led him away from the other boys and out the back door of the house. She had to direct Charles to a barrel and push him down to make him sit. She pulled out a handkerchief and handed it to him. Charles accepted it, but instead of using it, ogled at it with vacant eyes.

Isabel frowned and pounced on the boy. Charles gasped as she squeezed the life out of him.

"Isabel!" he managed to get out. "I... can't... breathe...!"

Isabel laughed and subtracted some of her strength. Charles sighed a breath of relief, then tensed up the next second. Isabel was rubbing soothing circles around and around his back. They stood like that for a few seconds before Charles arms returned Isabel's hug. Isabel smiled brightly.

"So," Isabel said as Charles chugged down a glass of water. "What was the dream about?"

Charles' hands started shaking and he placed the glass down onto the table before the spasm caused it to shatter. He took a calming breath as he clenched his fists. Isabel watched him interestedly.

"It's sort of private."

"Hmmm."

Charles lurched forward as Isabel threw an arm around his shoulders.

"Was it about a talking dog?" she whispered secretively.

"...Huh?"

"I've been having dreams about a talking dog lately," Isabel said, with an all too serious look on her face. "He keeps asking for soup."

"Are you sure it's not soap? Levi might have penetrated your dreams."

"And then when I tell him I don't have soap he asks where to buy leaches! He keeps barking, 'Leach! Leach!'"

Leach? .... Bleach?

"And then he keeps saying 'Rub!' And I get so tired rubbing his belly. That dog is surprisingly demanding."

Rub.... Scrub...

An image of Isabel rubbing Levi's belly popped into Charles' head and he was suddenly dying of laughter on the floor. Isabel watched him in bewilderment.

"Did you go mental, Charles?"

_

Levi was chopping some vegetables in the kitchen to prepare for dinner. He stoked the flames in the pit to heat up the soup and went to taste the brew before adding in the chopped up green onions. All the while, Charles was following him around like a curious puppy. Peeking over his shoulder to see what he was doing and shuffling around. Levi ignored him, used to this sort of habitual tendency of the boy.

He taste tested the soup again and finding it satisfactory, spooned some of it in Charles' mouth. The boy's face lit up and he licked his lips.

"Can you guess the ingredients?" Levi asked.

"Potato, onions, cream, salt, pepper, flour for texture, and something I can't place."

Levi ladled the soup into four bowls and handed two to Charles. Charles scurried over to the dining table and placed them down. Levi followed, less enthusiastically, and Charles gazed at him expectantly.

"What?"

"Tell me what the last ingredient is!"

Levi kept silent as he went back to the kitchen to fetch some utensils, with Charles hanging stubbornly off of him.

"Tell me, tell me, tell me!"

"Farlan, Isabel," Levi called, prying Charles off of him. "Dinner."

A cheer from the bedroom and some shuffling later, Isabel burst into the area with Farlan close behind.

"What're we having?" Farlan asked.

"Potato stew."

"Where's Charles?" Isabel asked, sitting at her place.

Levi gestured to the space around him and Farlan and Isabel squinted, trying to detect the boy. Their eyes caught on and they saw Charles with his limbs around Levi and a wide grin as if he didn't think the situation were strange.

"What're you doing?" Farlan asked hesitantly.

"Levi's being secretive," Charles pouted.

"About?"

"Food."

"Food?"

Charles nodded, his cheeks filled with air. "He won't tell me what the secret ingredient is."

Farlan laughed and Levi glared at him.

"What's so funny?" Charles demanded.

"Levi has an interesting new hobby," Farlan said vaguely.

"Huh?"

Levi walked over to the other side of the table where his spot was and Farlan stifled his laughter.

"Nani, nani, nani?" Charles asked.

"Nothing," Farlan brushed the topic off.

Charles gave Isabel a questioning look but she shrugged, indicating that she too had no idea what was going on.

"Maybe he learned a new way to wash the dishes," Isabel offered through the food crammed in her mouth.

"How many other ways are there to do that?" Charles asked, taking his seat.

"Countless," Levi said.

"Or, he learned how to cook something really delicious!" Isabel said excitedly.

Charles rose in exhilaration. "Is that true, Levi?"

Levi swallowed before answering. "Maybe."

Charles and Isabel simultaneously smiled a wide grin and they turned to each other in pure happiness.

"Is it cake?" Isabel asked.

"Or pudding?" Charles enquired.

"Or maybe something more exquisite, like cheesecake," Farlan joined in on the game.

"Why do you three suppose we have the materials or the equipment to bake something so elaborate?" Levi said.

"What does elaborate mean?" Isabel scrunched up her face in thought. "Does it mean delicious?"

Farlan opened his mouth to answer but Charles beat him to it.

"It means detailed and complicated in planning and practice. Synonyms would be difficult or intricate."

Farlan pouted. "I'm not the smart one anymore."

"No fair, Charles! You're younger than me but you're smarter!" Isabel whined.

Charles smiled apologetically. "Sorry you two. I lived with an author so the language and its guidelines were kinda forced on me. I promise I'm not good with anything else."

"Like cooking," Levi offered.

"Or waking up in the morning," Farlan added.

"Or gambling," Isabel beamed.

Charles grumbled under his breath. "Yeah, yeah. Charles is an incompetent brat, I know."

Farlan chuckled and Isabel laughed warmly. Levi reached over the table and ruffled his hair with a blank expression.

_

Farlan was rounding a corner of the house after having come from a refreshing bath. He bumped into something and he saw a glimpse of the ground before promptly crashing his face into it. He just laid there... thinking about life.

"What're you doing?" Charles asked. She had been the person that Farlan had stumbled over.

Farlan sat himself up and he rubbed the back of his neck, glaring at the boy.

"Not even a 'are you okay?' or a 'I'm sorry'?"

"Not my fault you didn't notice me in time. You hurt me too, you know," Charles rubbed the spot his leg had hit him in ruefully.

"And what're you doing? It's chary for a person to be crouched over in the shadows of a building," Farlan noted the sketchbook and the pencil in Charles' hand. He sat up. "What're those for?"

Charles looked up at Farlan before going back to sketching the little bud.

"Drawing. It's rare to see a flower down here."

He then saw the little bud of a flower, trying its hardest to bloom in this dim place. Farlan watched as Charles' hands smoothly depicted the plant's likeness onto parchment.

"You're pretty good."

"What's with the tone of surprise?" Charles snapped vaguely. "I've known you for almost two years and you don't even know about my little pleasures."

"You never told me," Farlan countered.

Charles grunted, fully focused on adding the little details. Farlan watched with avid eyes. He was sucked into the movements of his hands, how serious his normally cheeky face was, it was like seeing a whole new side of him.

"You... have really girly hands."

That's because I am a girl. "Really?"

Farlan nodded. Although they were dry and the nails were unkempt from punching and of the like, his hands were too delicate for a guy.

"Almost like a doll's."

"Are you making fun of me?" Charles tore his eyes away from the plant and scowled at Farlan.

"N-no... but it wasn't really a compliment either."

Charles arched his eyebrow but shrugged it off and went back to drawing. Farlan stayed as a spectator and sat silently. Suddenly, the cheap pencil snapped in half and Charles tsk-ed.

"Third one this week," she grumbled dejectedly. "I really don't like stealing them from the art place either. Feels like I'm robbing people of their joy."

"And you don't feel like you're robbing people of their food when you steal groceries?" Farlan smirked.

Charles pointed the pencil at his nose so he went cross eyed looking at it. "Stealing food is necessary, stealing graphite isn't. I steal what is needed, that's my policy!"

"I got it, I got it," Farlan pushed his hand away. "Steal money to buy the pencils then."

"That still involves stealing, Farlan."

Farlan frowned. Charles was looking over his half-finished drawing in disappointment and considered the little stub of pencil. He pocketed the side with the eraser and carefully holding the other half, he placed it to the paper and began to, quite challengingly, draw.

Farlan decided not to comment and watched as Charles finished up the picture. When he completed it, Charles let out a satisfied sigh and a smile spread across his face. Farlan stared at it.

"Look, look, look!" Charles held up the page and Farlan saw the whole drawing clearly. It was gorgeous, almost like it was growing out of the page.

"Can I see the other pages?" he asked.

Charles hesitated but nodded, handing the book over.

Farlan started at the first page and saw an elegant picture of a girl playing a violin. He glanced at the boy.

"Girlfriend?"

Charles made a disgusted face. "No! Sister!"

Farlan nodded, not at all fazed. He turned another page. Each held a story of their own, he smiled at a warm sketch of Charles and his sister and he stared at the traumatic picture of a house burning down. He glanced up at Charles who was fidgeting nervously. He turned a page and his eyes widened. It was of him, Isabel, and Levi.

"T-that's enough," Charles snatched the sketchbook out of Farlan's hands.

"Farlan!" Isabel's voice called.

"There!" Charles got to his feet and laughed nervously. "Isabel's looking for you! Go!"

Farlan straightened up and turned halfway, his eyes lingering on the boy.

"Faaaaaarrrrrllllllaaaaaaannnnnn!" Isabel yelled. "FARLAN!"

"I'm coming!"

"Where were you?!" Isabel said in impatience when he came into view.

Farlan snuck a look behind him and saw that Charles was gone, or he was there but he just couldn't see him. He looked down at Isabel's pouting face.

"Nowhere in particular."

"Huuuh?"

"What did you call me for anyway?"

"Levi's telling you to redo the laundry. Something about how you half assed the job."

"What?! I worked really hard on those!"

_

Levi was mopping up the floor of the bedroom while the others were out doing whatever the heck they wanted. He finished up with the floor before moving on with dusting and striping the sheets on the beds. He slept with Farlan in one set of bunk beds, Farlan on top and him on the bottom. Isabel and Charles slept in the other, Isabel on top and Charles on the bottom.

The first few days of Charles' arrival, Levi would hear endless shuffling and rustling from Charles' side. He'd have his back turned on the boy, and he didn't say anything thinking that it was natural for him to be uncomfortable in a new setting, the others seemed to understand that as well since they didn't complain about all the noise. And after all that ruckus, Charles would get out of bed at an ungodly hour and sneak out of the bedroom. Levi would sit up just as the door was shutting and he'd stare at the door for a few seconds.

In the end, Charles had gotten used to them and began to become loud and annoying, although, they all preferred the boy that way. He'd learned to fall asleep as soon as his body met with the mattress.

Levi dropped the sheets in a basket and dusted off his hands, looking around. He glimpsed that the drawer next to Charles' bed was open and went to close it. His hands paused in doing so and he decided to open it fully instead. Inside were only three things: a strange shell like object and two books. He picked up the shell first, wondering what it was. There were seven holes lined up in certain places and it was decorated with a graceful rose design. He placed it down in its spot in the drawer again before picking up the two books. One was the book named, Flucht, the one written by Charles' sister. The other wasn't a book at all, rather, it was a decrepit sketchbook. He opened it.

Farlan barged into the room, panting and panicked. Levi's eyes widened at his appearance.

"Charles is...!" Farlan swallowed before continuing. "He's in trouble!"

Levi promptly dropped everything, the books clattering onto the floor and he hurried over to Farlan's side.

"Explain while we fly," he said, expertly zipping on the maneuver gear.

. . .

Charles' head snapped back from the force of a punch and he gathered the blood in his mouth before spitting it at the man. He made a repulsed sound and grabbed the front of the boy's shirt.

"Now you've done it, you little fucker."

Charles mentally sighed. Levi was going to be mad at him again. He had just been walking down the street thinking about some things when he bumped into a well-known thief, murderer, and a person known for enjoying making people scream. Charles remembered that his name was, Amand, or something like that. Overall, uh oh.

He had some of his friends, all armed, hanging around too. Basically, Charles ran into this infamous man on a bad day and that man decided to take all his pent up anger on him.

Charles fought back. Of course he had, but once the guns were out, all he could do was surrender... for the time being. They led him to a dark alleyway where the men with the pistols stepped back and let their leader have his fun. Charles' would've had a chance if they put away their weapons, but they didn't give him that chance. The barrels were still pointing at him, keeping his hands tied.

He had glimpsed Farlan and Isabel up on the roofs, looking ready to kill, but he shook his head discreetly. The odds were against them. The men on the ground had loaded guns, more than they could handle, it was different from the time Charles had managed to escape from that one boy because the enemy had only one firearm. He wouldn't risk their lives on an off chance that they could help.

He'd been relieved when Farlan got the message and kept Isabel from jumping to his aid. He dragged the young woman away and Charles had smiled. This brings it all back to when the man punches him hard across the face and the boy spits blood at him.

The man slammed him onto the wall and lifts him up by the neck. Charles gasped for oxygen and clawed at the man's grip. He lifted his leg and gritting his teeth, kicked the man with all his strength upside the head. Amand loosened his hold and Charles hacked and wheezed, letting his lungs pleasure in the feeling of having the means of their existence again.

"Why you little-"

Charles grunted at the well-aimed hit to his ribs and glared at the man.

"Oh?" Amand sneered. "Still pulling those disrespectful faces, are we?"

He held out his hand. "Martin, let me borrow your gun."

Martin obliged and Amand reloaded the pistol. Charles was now at the end of the barrel.

"That's what I was looking for," Amand derided. "You're frozen in fear? Good."

Charles' eyes were hooded and after checking that his rib wasn't broken, stood right in front of the men calmly.  Amand and his company watched as the boy pulled out a long piece of cloth and tied it around his head, keeping his bangs back.

"Fear?" Charles' mouth curled into a baleful smile. "As if a pitiful person such as yourself could cause such a thing."

Amand's grip on the gun shook from rage. The shot rang out into the air. Blood splattered onto the ground.

"Eek," Charles examined his punctured shoulder. "That's gonna leave a mark."

The men were stunned, staring at the boy like he was a madman. Charles looked over at them and smirked.

"See? Nothing to be frightened of."

Charles faltered as Amand smiled. He looked more determined than ever. Charles' eyes widened as the man strode closer.

This was wrong...

The man blocked Charles' desperate kick and swept him off his feet. Charles landed hard on the ground.

It was supposed to have discouraged him.

"I found an interesting toy," Amand grinded the bottom of his shoe on Charles' head. "It makes me want to break you even more."

Charles gritted his teeth and did a complicated kick to first remove his face from underneath the man's foot then land on his feet. He dodged a punch and roundhouse kicked the man in the gut. He head butted Amand and went ahead to try and knock him out.

Amand wasn't having it, he had earned his title for good reason it seems. He grabbed Charles' wrist and twisted it around to hold it behind his back. Charles panted, trying to throw him off.

"Should I break one of these fingers?" Amand's breath reeked with rot and Charles cringed away. "Or should I finish what I started?"

Charles bit his bottom lip to hold back a cry of pain when Amand's teeth sank into the bullet wound on his shoulder.

"Get the fuck off!" Charles tried to stomp on the man's foot but he missed and Amand pushed his face into the ground.

"You're a vigorous bastard," Amand jeered in pleasure. "Or do I mean bitch."

Charles' breathing hitched. "What?!"

"Your shirt came loose during the fight."

Charles saw that he was right and the bandages that were covering her chest were entirely exposed. She shivered as she felt the man's hands slid onto her bare stomach.

"This gives me more options, doesn't it?"

Charles squeezed her eyes shut realizing the man was inching toward her chest. She tried to throw him off her but he just tightened his hold on her arm.

"You're not getting away now. This is just too fun," Amand whispered into her ear.

"Don't touch me!"

Levi...

"Le-!"

The man covered her mouth and she found her head resting on his shoulder. She stared at him in fear from the corner of her eyes and Amand smiled.

"Who are you calling for?"

Charles tried to bit his hand but he shoved his fingers into her mouth, making her gag. "Ghk!"

The man chuckled, clearly relishing in the moment.

There was the sound of scuffling and the ripping of flesh and the man whipped around, pulling Charles up with him. He held her up by her wrists and she was too shaken to keep herself standing, which she hated. She looked through teary eyes at the scene before her. Amand's entourage were on the floor, either bleeding to death or already dead.

"Charles!" Farlan and Isabel cried out.

Levi looked ready to raise hell.

Amand's eyes widened. "You-! You're those hotshots from the upper levels!"

The three didn't bother responding. Amand looked from Charles to the trio in bafflement.

"You know this girl?"

Charles noticed an idea popping into his head.

Amand's confusion subsided and it was replaced with a disturbing expression. He pulled Charles in and ripped the rest of her torn shirt off to leave her only in her bandages.

"Jackass!" Farlan snarled.

"I'll make you a deal," Amand stroked Charles' face. "You become my subordinates and I won't violate this bitch."

"As if we'd let you!" Isabel spat.

Charles made an enraged sound as the man did something unforgivable. Her shaking stopped and when she was about to make the man wish he was never born, Levi beat her to it.

He ripped Amand's arms away from Charles and still holding one wrist, swung his leg so that it wrapped around the limb and then met with the man's neck. There was a sickening crack and an ear splitting scream. Levi had instantaneously broken Amand's wrist, elbow, humerus, and clavicle. But he didn't stop there, he grabbed a fistful of the man's hair and slammed his face into the alley wall. Amand's nose was twisted to the point of no return. Levi kicked him across the face and he flew almost three feet before landing with a thud.

Amand was more than bemused and numb from the pain at that point and Levi held out a hand. Farlan tossed him a gun from one of the henchmen and Levi caught it without even looking. He reloaded it and shot the man repeatedly, until the corpse was riddled with holes.

He dropped the gun uncaringly onto the ground and turned to the others. His gaze fixated on Charles.

"I did my job," he said in a monotone.

Charles' eyes started watering a second after processing his words. She cried her heart out and Farlan took off his coat to wrap around her. Isabel sniffed and tried to hide the fact that she was crying too. Levi walked over and gave Charles a one armed hug.

"I'm dirty you know..." she sniffled.

"Does that mean you want me to stop?"

She cracked a smile. "No."

It's frustrating.

Farlan and Isabel tried to cheer Charles up as they were walking back to the house. Charles was riding on Farlan's back and she had his large jacket on to keep the cold out. Levi wiped off the blood on his hands with a handkerchief and joined in on the conversation once and a while. When Isabel said something to him teasingly he threw the bloody handkerchief at her. She grabbed it off her face swiftly and stuck her tongue out in revulsion as she held it as far from her as possible.

It's frustrating how weak I was.

Farlan struck up a new conversation and Charles feigned cheerfulness as she joined in.

How I was shaking and powerless.

Isabel hopped onto Levi's back and they began a piggyback race. Isabel cheered and yelled for Levi to run faster. He threw back a remark about how she was heavy and Farlan laughed, pulling ahead.

It was aggravating. It was pathetic.

They reached the house and Farlan began the first aid on Charles' shoulder. He extracted the cheap bullet and worked on disinfecting the wound and applying medicine then dressing it with clean bandages.

I'm disgusted with myself.

_

"When did you guys find out?" Charles asked now.

They were hanging out in the living room like nothing had happened. It was just like any normal day, Farlan reading the newspaper, Levi tinkering with his 3D maneuver, and Isabel complaining that she was bored. They all looked up at her words.

"Well," Farlan scratched the side of his cheek. "It was a month ago, when you had had that nightmare."

Charles straightened her back. "How?"

"I figured it out!" Isabel grinned.

"More like you laid out the evidence and Levi and I reached the conclusion."

Isabel sulked. "Can't I be smart for once in my life?"

"That would result in the world ending," Levi said. "Let's try to avoid that at all costs."

"Levi nii-san!" Isabel said in hurt.

_ _ _ Flashback

"I think Charles might be hurt."

Farlan and Levi looked up at Isabel's words.

"Why?" Farlan questioned.

"When I hugged him," Isabel opened and closed her fist as if trying to remember the feeling. "I felt bandages around his chest."

"Bandages..." Farlan said distantly.

"Around his chest?" Levi finished.

Isabel nodded fervently. "Yeah, yeah, yeah! And did you notice how he never goes to bathe with you guys? I always thought that was weird. Maybe he has a bad wound that he's hiding from us, it all makes sense!"

Levi and Farlan didn't move. They had disturbed expressions glazed over their faces and were stationary in shock. Isabel looked from one guy to the other, wondering what the matter was.

"I'm back," Charles entered the room and closed the door behind him, bringing a cold gale along as company. "It's really starting to turn into winter. The streets are as empty as ever."

He lifted a cake box. "Isabel, I got-"

A scarlet predator snatched the box out of her hands and scampered off to the kitchen.

"Okay, then," Charles took off his scarf.

He finally realized that he was being gawked at and he tilted his head. "What's up, you guys?"

Farlan hurriedly went back to reading a book and Levi retreated into the kitchen. Charles tilted his head in confusion.

_ _ _ end

"That explains that," Charles said, thinking back to the moment. "No wonder you two avoided me for that entire day."

"Why didn't you tell us?" Levi inquired.

"I didn't feel the need to."

Levi kept his unwavering stare on her.

"I'm surprised you didn't figure it out sooner," Charles sniggered. "Imagine. Thinking I was a guy for two and a half years."

"Maybe you're just that manly," Farlan teased.

Charles stuck out her tongue. "But, you guys are taking this fairly well."

"What?" Isabel leaned it from across the table. "Did you think that your gender would change our opinion of you? Whether you're a boy or a girl, you're still Charles."

Charles blinked. "You sounded really cool just now, Isabel."

Isabel smiled broadly and her eyes sparkled. "Really?! Do you really think so?"

"Oh, no," Levi said without putting any emotion into his words. "The world."

"Levi nii-san! You're ruining my fantasy!"

Levi ignored her.

"Grow out your hair," he said suddenly to Charles.

"Hm? Why?"

"Just do it."

"Eeeeeh... I don't wanna."

"Why?" Isabel asked. "It'll look so cute."

Charles pointed at her hair. "This is my hair policy!"

"You have too many policies!" Farlan reproached.

Levi kept himself from rolling his eyes and sipped on some water.

"Come on, Charles," Farlan prodded slyly, the only one who saw the hint of disappointment from his friend. "Levi wants to see."

Levi threw him a glare while Charles sat in thought.

"I'll think about it."

They all went back to their previous occupations and Charles sat forlornly in her seat. She couldn't take it anymore. She had to know what they were thinking.

"Y'know," she blurted out. "What do you think of me now?"

"What?" Farlan said in bewilderment.

"This is my first time since I came here that I've lost a fight you know!" she stared down at the floor. "This is the first time I've openly cried in front of you guys since my sister passed! After such a show of weakness, what do you think of me now?"

They stared at her.

"Aren't you full of yourself," Isabel said.

Charles' head snapped up, her eyes enlarging.

"Of course you wouldn't be able to face a dozen full grown men each armed with a gun. What do you think you are? A god? We never expected you to be able to do anything in that situation."

Charles flinched. It's rare to see Isabel this worked up.

"See here, Charles," Isabel loomed over her menacingly. "Anyone would be emotionally distressed after almost getting raped. You shouldn't be ashamed of crying. After all..."

Isabel smiled brightly. "We're all humans, right?"

Charles was taken aback and before she could manage to form any words, Isabel furrowed her eyebrows and turned semiserious.

"Don't tell us to leave you alone in danger again okay? Farlan's an idiot so he just goes ahead and listens but don't expect me to retreat for a second time."

"Hey!" Farlan barked. "If we hadn't listened to him we would be dead. Our emotions were getting ahead of us and if we hadn't calmed our heads before taking action, we wouldn't even be having this conversation!"

"Hai, hai."

"What's with that weak response!?"

"We would've been able to handle those dumbasses just fine! You were just thinking about the situation too much! You were overthinking!"

"Huuuh?! You don't think enough!"

"You wanna go, stick in the mud?!"

"Charles."

Charles turned around to see Levi motioning her over from the front door. She hopped off her seat and followed him outside.

Levi closed the door on the sight of Farlan wrestling with Isabel and Charles waited for him to speak.

"It's not like you."

Charles didn't understand. "What?"

Levi jerked his chin at the wound on her shoulder. "It's not like you to get a bullet wound."

"Oh. Yeah, well, I let it make contact."

Levi's eyebrows creased. "Why?"

Charles shrugged. "I'm a masochist."

Levi frowned. "Well, don't be."

Charles smirked. "I'll think about it."

Charles scurried away before Levi could pounce.

"Get back here, you little brat!"

"No way! It looks like it'll hurt!"

Is his light as strong as mine.

"Farlan! Levi's attacking a cripple!"

"Don't attack a cripple, Levi," Farlan said boringly.

______________________________________________________________________________

i won't be updating for a while because of stupid school. until then, i hope this satisfies you. thanks for reading.