📍Tesco Express, Somewhere Downtown
Furious and shamefully haunted by flashbacks about Erwin’s visit, Koula made her way down the high street to Tescos for a craving fix. Bundled in her hoodie, a face mask, a dark pair of shades and some beat up chucks, you could see from a mile away that the hacking babe was on edge. Too vexed at herself she didn’t even realise she had bumped into a little kid who yelped an “ow!”. Nor did she notice the kids guardian trailing behind him.
Koula was in her head. Music blasting in her headphones as she haphazardly snatched a shopping basket from its pile and headed straight for the sweets aisle. She imagine all the ways she could rip out Erwin’s throat for spiting her and destroying her equipment. How delightful it would be to see the light leave his eyes, how satisfying it would be to have such power, put a privileged prick in his place. For some twisted reason the idea of hurting him aroused her. The thought of getting him back sent chills down her spine.
“Shit.” Koula cursed herself. It was crass to think like this. Fuck him and fuck his money to high heaven!
Koula felt a tug on her sleeve and the speed at which she turned her head to face the source of the tug was enough to file for whiplash at an insurance company.
“What?” The question came out harsher than intended from Koula. Her her heart softened when she saw the little kid looking doe eyed up at her. She quickly paused her music and put the head phones around her neck.
“You pushed me and it hurt ma’am.” The boy said conviction. Frizzy haired, dark eyed, brown skinned boy in the cutest pair of denim dungarees and a minions shirt underneath. He wore the same coloured chucks as the hacker but still brand new . The boy must of be no older than 6, 7 at best, but he was adorable. He a sunflower lanyard with his name scribbled in the middle “Rafael.”
Koula crouched down and “Look kid I’m sorry. My bad. I’m just in a bad mood okay?”
“Uncle Levi said even if we are in a bad mood it rubs of on everyone. He said that we need to take a deep breath, count to 10, have something to eat and drink some tea.”
“Uncle? Levi?” The name sank her stomach. Where did she know that name from. It was ridiculous there’s loads of people named Levi.
“Yeah!” Rafael exclaimed. “He’s so cool and smart and nice...”
Koula zoned out as the kid went on a tangent gushing over his uncle Levi.
“Uncle Levi says even if we are mad at ourselves we don’t have to make it everyone’s problem it’s okay to be upset but don’t take it out of people that never upset you.”
“Rafa. Come on kid, it’s time to go it’s late, your mum’s going to be worried sick. She’s already called twice.” A voice punctuated the boy’s wise words.
That voice? Shit! Koula felt her stomach sink.
As Rafael rambled, Koula’s memories bum rushed her. Levi Ackerman; The Cleaner. The man that had so many clean up jobs that not only could he fill Kensal Green Cemetary but he could be sponsored by Johnson and Johnson was inventing bleach strong enough to lift 12 pints of blood out of white sheep skin carpet. This man was a legend a ghost almost. No digital footprint nothing, only extensions of his sister, Isabel who would post candids of him on her Instagram page. The information overload sent Koula’s ears ringing.
“Rafael, don’t you hear me calling you kid?” Levi came jogging down the aisle crouching down and tickling the kid. He finally looked up and apologised with a gentle, short lived smile on his face.
“Excuse me miss,” Levi started apologetically “he only 6…”
“SIX AND THREE QAUTERS” Rafael bellowed throwing his palm over his uncles mouth.
“And old enough not to talk to strangers.” The black haired man tickled the child hard forcing giggles out him.
Koula hurt ached. She felt conflicted. What she knew about this man compared to the reality before her was… perplexing.
“She’s not a stranger!” Rafael heaved between giggles. “We have the same shoes, see! Red! RED!”
Levi looked and took in Koula’s outfit out of habit. Always the observant one. “Yes, red. Your favourite colour right kid?” Levi affirmed to which Rafael nodded as he threw his arm around his crouched uncles neck.
Instinctively, the Koula recoiled into herself a little as if to hide away from him. The contents of her shopping basket seeming more pathetic and childish that usual. A £3 meal deal with a Pepsi and a plethora of sweets. Pig sweets, shoelaces, Harribo super mix tub, biscuits. Binge worthy stuff.
Levi chuckled innocently after catching a glimpse of the swaying basket in Koula’s hand. “Bad mood?” He asked genuinely.
Koula puffed out a nervous laugh never really answering him. Mind to occupied with the walking, talking contradiction before her.
‘Shit shit shit. Get out tf of here.’ Koula mused desperately to herself, forcing a grin beneath her face mask. She simply nodded and wiped at her forehead with the back of her sleeve.
Levi looked good. Good was an understatement but the only English word she could muster up. Shirt sleeves rolled up to his elbows, watch with a childrens fun strap on. A gift from his kids for before summer holidays. “Best Teacher!” scribbles and a collage of kids art work printed down into accessory he never goes a day without. Top buttons of shirt on undone, dainty St Christopher necklace around his neck, catching the light.
“Looks like what Rafael would pick when he’s in a bad mood. That or my sister when shes in a state.” His voice cut through Koula’s reverie like hot knife through butter. He stood up with a soft knowing smile graced his face as he mindlessly ruffled Rafael’s hair before pulling a silk scrunchy hue out of his backpocket and putting it in a bun. Careful to catch the frizzy edges of the little boy. Trying his best to mimic the way his mother did it this morning before dropping him off at his.
Rafael fussed a little at this. But the whole scene was gut wrenching for Koula. Someone with such a past so caring and loving to others, especially children. It couldn’t be possible.
“Your mum would lose it when she finds out you were running around the high street with your hair out, kid. You’ve already lost 4 scrunches this week. Next week,she’s going to put you in braids for sure.”
Rafael stuck his fingers in his ears and sang off key to block.
“Enjoy your evening. Come on kid!” Levi picked up Rafael ease and placed him on his shoulders, child still La-La-ing away. He wasn’t one for small talk and he had no intention of apologising for ‘Little Rafa’ for being the curious wonder he was, so that was the best he could do.
But Koula couldn’t take her eyes of the infamous Levi Ackerman who no longer had dark circles under his eyes. Who looked healthy and happy. Who’s aura was brights and warm as opposed to dark and ominous one she expected.
It wasn’t the same man that she knew. Studied.
No.
This had to be a doppelgänger. This wasn’t Pavlov’s Dog? The Cleaner? The same man that knew how to pickle and decompose evidence at will and who was albeit even more handsome in person. An Uncle? Wholesome one a that?
What happened to him? Has he truly been redeemed?
Former Assassin!Levi Ackerman x Former Hacker!OC
"Fuck!" She kicked the pavement in frustration.
People don't just get redeemed just like that. It was hard to escape the underworld and most people who tried, either winded up being dragged back in, or killed. This man knew things. He had worked for some pretty terrible people and he had killed more than she could count.
"Everything alright, lassie?"
The gruff voice of an old man came and she had no idea who that was until she looked down. A worn-out old man was sitting on the sidewalk right beside the entrance of Tesco, in hopes of some customer bringing him something to eat.
Her frustration ran out right away.
She knelt right in front of him, coming nearby his height and she rested a hand on her bent knee. Koula pulled away her glasses and her mask, finally revealing her face. All those homeless people reminded her of herself. There was a time when she went through that same misery. Sure, she was way younger than this old man when she roamed around the streets rootlessly.
She pulled out that sandwich and that bottle of water and she handed them to him. "I'll pass by tomorrow again." She gave him a smile and there was no saying how many times he thanked her.
When she looked at privileged bastards like Erwin that went around with tons and tons of money, tossing them aside like they meant nothing, while they could have meant everything to homeless people like this old man. It made her stomach churn. It made her want to set their world on fire and watch it burn.
She turned to leave. She had parked her car in a narrow street nearby but maybe it was a bad idea to go out at this hour. She shrugged it off though. She had definitely been through worse.
She was approaching her car, taking out her keys, a pitch black Chevrolet Camaro - a gift from an infamous Chinese crime lord after she wiped every record of him in existence off the face of the web around seven years back.
Only hackers could exist in both the underworld and in real life. Maybe she was no better than Erwin. Once upon a time, she worked for the client that paid best. She kept a blind eye when it came to their morality, whether that was drug trafficking, human trafficking, all kinds of twisted porn industry, and most importantly, weapons trafficking.
She had worked for all kinds of people.
She frowned. Money makes beasts out of people.
"You recognised me."
She let out a yelp at the familiar voice and her car keys crashed on the dirty sidewalk. It was so late in the night, and that little street was way too narrow. The lights were scarce and she could barely make out his face.
It was him. Her eyes widened and she immediately picked the keys back up to open her car, get in, and ride away as fast as possible. Levi Ackerman got his life back in the only way he knew how to do best. Killing the people who knew The Cleaner and maybe her time had come as well. She was a threat to his peace. She wouldn't be surprised if he killed her right this very instant.
She should have seen this coming. He wasn't just a dog. Levi Ackerman was a smart man. One of the smartest. He could read people. He could smell the fear emitting from his prey.
Before she knew it, she was slammed against the brick wall of a building. Strong arms pressed on the wall around her, keeping her trapped in a little makeshift cage. He just wanted to get a better look at her. Silver eyes, unreadable but dangerous. She didn't know whether he was threatening her or warning her, or just looking at her face.
"You're KT, aren't you?"
Her eyes widened at the nickname. Nobody had called her that in such a long time. All hackers had their own nicknames when they worked with clients. Giving your real name was downright suicidal.
"I- I've no idea what- we've never met before-"
"No. But we've worked for the same people." He stated as a matter of factly. She smelled peppermint in his breath that fanned warm down her face while he kept her trapped right there. God, he was so hot upclose-
What the fuck are you thinking about, he's going to kill you, you fucking dumb-
She had to keep it together. Maybe there was no point in trying to convince him otherwise. "I never worked for Pavlov," there was such hatred when she uttered that man's name.
"But you've worked for his biggest rivals." Levi pointed out and she bit the inside of her cheek. "Men I'd been tasked with killing so, so many times, but tracking them was so very impossible when some brat like you was always there to erase their footprints."
She sighed and looked at him in the eye. She certainly had made his life a living hell back in her glory days as a hacker. "Are you going to kill me?"
"So long as you don't promise to keep your pretty mouth shut."
He stared at her for a bit longer. Silver eyes bore into her own and she was certain for a moment that he was indeed going to kill her. Maybe she'd never make it back to the refuge tonight.
But he released her and her eyes widened in surprise.
"I saw you helping that old man." He turned to leave. Like him, she had also stopped participating in this madness of illegality, corruption and immorality. He had to get back. Rafael was waiting for him in the car. "We're not monsters, KT." He gave her one last look, tucking his hands in the pockets of his black leather jacket. "We're just people who have walked through hell and managed to come out of it alive."
tagging: @nathalunalune @slavanimesimp @dassmyname @nighttimescribbles @tonaken @killerbananas <- im adding u too to the squad uwu @soaringmirror @ushiwhacka
sorry no photoshopped stuff today, this bitch is tired AHAHAHA ALSO IT'S UNEDITED