Here is the revised version of Ch. 1! I hope old readers like the changes, and all new readers enjoy the story. Please leave a comment or criticism!

Saph's PoV

"We're different," my younger brother commented. Suzu pushed some of his dirty brown hair back from his eyes as he peered at the people walking below us. Straining to see what differences there were between us, I could only squint in the darkness of the Underground city. In all honesty, I couldn't make out any anything else.

I would never tell him that. "Of course we are." Trying to think of examples, I leaned forward to get a better look at them. It was a moment to prove that his big sister knew what she was talking about.

He sighed as if I had somehow disappointed him. "I don't just mean different, Saph, I mean better."

Filthy. Disgusting. Rat infested tunnels. Corpses, spread unevenly in the darkest corners of the streets. Maybe we were different with how we weren't dead. Saying we were better though, was a stretch. Both of our stomachs were carved in with hunger like the rest of the residents of this place. The only people who were better were the wealthy merchants who only came down here to deal in the black market.

I may have been the older sibling by roughly three years, but I still wasn't capable of feeding either of us regularly. It was only luck that got us by. Scraps fallen off of wagons, a fight in the market leading to me taking something that would go by unnoticed. It wasn't just adults that we had to worry about, there were other kids in the Underground too. With me being around ten years old and Suzu only seven, I had taken it upon myself to find anything that would give us an extra boost in surviving. Crawl spaces just big enough for a child to fit into, the few and far between people who took pity on children. Those were our advantages, and we had to make use of them.

"If we were better we would have food in our tummies," I sniffed. My complaint wasn't directed towards Suzu. It was a reminder to myself that I could do better. That instead of sitting here, I could be out hunting. Waiting until Suzu was asleep was just so I could excuse my cowardice. He would object to me acting like a criminal because of his dream to go to the surface one day. You couldn't leave the Underground if you had starved to death though.

"We weren't born to live in a place like this," Suzu growled ignoring me, "we should have a better life than this. It's only because the Titans ate our parents on that expedition that we ended up here. I'm going to join the Military Police and get the luxuries that I deserve."

While I didn't say anything, I wondered if I would be allowed to live with him. We had always been together since his birth and it was a scary to think of him not being there. I would be all alone in this terrible world if I didn't have Suzu. Not only had we lost our parents to Titans years ago, unable to pay for our house and with no relatives to take us in, we got kicked out onto the streets. Like everyone who had no home to go to, we found ourselves in the Underground.

"Why don't you join the Scouting Legion like mom and dad?" I asked, softly. Trying not to anger him, I tried to appear uninterested in his answer. Fingers digging into the deep grooves of the brick, I lazily traced a flower. One petal. Two petals. Three petals.

Suzu's usually gentle brown eyes hardened at the mention of our parents. "They abandoned us, Saph, why would I want to be like them? If they had cared about us at all, they wouldn't have fought a losing battle. Besides only the top ten can get into the Military Police, those guys are the best of the best."

And the best of the best are the good guys, Suzu liked to remind me whenever I mentioned doing something illegal. If Suzu became a criminal then the Military Police wouldn't accept him. Even if we did get enough money to get out of here, a criminal record would make it almost impossible to enlist into the military. Not wanting to destroy his dream, I readily accepted the dirty work like the big sister I should be. As long as my little brother could get out of here and live a happy life, I would accept the burden of surviving down here. That was my job, and as long as Suzu was with me, I would endure it without complaint.

"Suzu, I'm tired," I yawned, rubbing my eyes exaggeratedly. Night time was almost upon us and I needed to get to work soon. While you couldn't tell the difference since it was always dark in here, people still preferred to sleep as if they lived above. This was the perfect time to get some coin or food, being small and fast became an even bigger advantage when you are almost impossible to spot in the dark. However, Suzu didn't need to know about my nightly activities.

Unaware of my intentions, Suzu leaped off of the building. "Since you're tired, I guess we should get going then," he teased. All toughness gone from his exterior as he held out his two hands. "Jump and I will catch you."

Our heights were almost the same, so I was worried about colliding into him and having him fall.

"That's okay."

Wiggling his fingers at me, Suzu laughed. "Are you too scared?"

Of course I had to prove that I wasn't scared! Bracing myself, I leapt off the building and into his arms. "Nope. I was just worried that you were too weak to catch me!"

Suzu held up some of my sweaty strands. "Did you cut it last night? You look like a boy now."

"Does it look bad?" I asked feeling self conscious.

Suzu stared at the crown of my head with his nose wrinkled in thought. "No. It just looks weird." It must look bad, I thought to myself. I guess I should grow it out again. Some girls relied on there looks to make do, but no guy had ever made advances towards me. It didn't bother me to much since that wasn't an easy way to live even if you were in one of the whore houses. Enough women died because there was no guarantee that the man was going to pay them after the deed.

My big toe ached as I kicked rock after rock. Suzu's always seemed to roll right past mine until the stones almost touched. As I sent another flying, I felt a sting. Guess I had broken my nail. Even though I stopped participating, Suzu continued to dig them up from underneath the dirt. If his feet couldn't do the job, he would bend down and use his tiny fingers. We always seemed to do this as we headed home after wandering around for the day.

Home had become a small alcove hidden behind some discarded boxes. We had to crawl to get into it, but the alcove was big enough for a few to sleep in without worrying about kicking the other. Suzu and I could stand on each other shoulders and not have to be scared about touching the ceiling. Both of us were pretty tall for our age and it seemed that even with the scarcity of food, we just kept on growing. Our skin seemed to stretch over our bones making it easy to count how many ribs we had. One rib. Two ribs. Three ribs.

"Did you find a job today?" I asked when we got into our sleeping spot. Crafty nobles bent by lack of morals and driven by greed were the poors main resource for living. One could sometimes find a job to help them out with the black market and the exchanging of goods. Few work was honest, didn't mean Suzu gave up easily.

Suzu pulled a coin out of his torn up pants pocket. "See," he said, "I got this for loading and unloading a merchant's cart."

"That's good." Those had probably been stolen goods, but I didn't need to tell him that. I pulled some blankets over myself. They weren't soft like the ones we had back home. Bloody stains were everywhere on them, but it was okay. Suzu and I would freeze to death in the winter if we didn't have them. It was hard finding anything since nobody shared. Everybody was worried about the disease the dead guy might have carried, so I didn't have to fight for them. It's not stealing since corpses don't need to be warm.

Growling in unison, our stomachs made it clear to us that we were going to bed hungry tonight.

"Hopefully, we will find something to eat tomorrow" I yawned, trying to be optimistic.

Beside me, Suzu patted my head gently. "Of course we will."

Only a few minutes passed by until Suzu became dead to the world. Didn't matter if he was hungry, Suzu wouldn't wake up unless you tickled or kicked him. Snores echoing behind me, the blankets rustled as I slipped out of them. I gave one last look at his relaxed, sleeping face before getting on my knees and crawling through the opening.

My limbs comfortably twisted and maneuvered the rooftops of the buildings. There was no hesitation as I flew. Each step was taken with confidence that there would be solid ground underneath it. Maneuvering up onto the rooftops of the run down buildings had become a simple task. Years of training my muscles to do exactly what I want wasn't only benefitting for me, but necessary. Boards creaked underneath my weight, the sound groaning like the dying below me.

Suzu and I had been like that in the beginning. All of our clothes had been stolen the moment we had been forced down here. Men with bats and knives had yanked at the last reminder of our old home. The sweet smell of flowers imbedded in the fabric soon disappeared as desperation burrowed into our bones. An old lady with overgrown nails had scratched at my eye as she took my hat. The edge of it had scraped my cheek, mixing blood with snot and tears. Only after we had nothing else to offer were we left near the stairs that led upwards. Nothing had been broken, but I still had dragged my almost naked body to where Suzu lay. During the scuffle, someone had thrown him into a puddle of piss making him reek. He had only whimpered softly as I approached. Too scared to move, he only lied there, soaking in the waste.

I never want him to experience that again. Now I was the predator preying on obese nobles wandering the streets in their fancy clothes and jewels. Quick fingers and a quicker mind was what a pick pocketer needed to have. Settling in comfortably into one of my favorite look out spots, I awaited for someone who was overflowing with wealth.

Hours went by. Everyone who had passed underneath me had either been either too skinny or too paranoid. Arrogant fools were what I needed. Rich, overconfident, and foolish pigs dressed as if they weren't walking in a breathing graveyard. My body was beginning to get weary from the tension and anxiety, pulling it taunt. Maybe tonight was just not my night. The thought of giving up traveled through my mind for a second before I saw a richly dressed, plump man sweating fiercely. Dark blotches of sweat were forming underneath his arms. Wherever the man was going, he had been at it for awhile.

He weaved his way through the street. Too decadent. Too focused on his task at hand. Probably wouldn't mind me sneaking a few spare coins from his coat pocket. Easing in with the shadows, I began to tail my prey. Although the man was clearly out of shape, he was going fast enough that I had to concentrate on not being spotted while I followed.

"You must be running out of breath soon," I hissed. He couldn't keep this pace up for much longer, his step were becoming unsteady and the pig seemed on the verge of collapsing. As if answering my demand, the man ducked into an alley. With only the few scattered lights from lamps inside houses permeating the underground, I saw him sitting down on a box taking a breather.

I could easily outmatch this man in terms of physical strength, but he was still the one who was living a good life. The bastard probably never had to worry about food or shelter. Never had to think of how he was going to get his sibling and him to survive the next day.

Weariness reflected in his features as he panted, making me confident that I had time to get down from my vantage point. Concentrating, I scaled the walls to get on top of the building across from the one I had been on originally. Tip toeing across the roof, I focused on a wooden crate that would easily conceal me as I plucked money from his overstuffed purse. Whinnies and commands filled my ears as a horse drawn carriage passed near by. Too late did I realize that while I was focused on sliding down the wall unseen, did my prey get up and started running again, but I was in luck. Another man had taken his place.

This one was dressed in rich black coat that matched the hat on his head. The rim of it was dipped low enough that I couldn't see his face nor where he was looking. Maybe I could just quickly steal from him. Maybe we wouldn't have to go hungry tomorrow night. Maybe Suzu won't look so sad if he has a full belly. I reached into the pocket of his black trench coat.

Desperation had been my downfall. I hadn't realized his slitted eyes had already spotted me even before I had gotten into position. He moved so fast that I only realized I had been caught was when an unbearable amount of pressure was applied to my wrist. Instinct took over, and I tried to wrench my hand away and flee. His vice-like grip only tightened as I futilely resisted.

"What do we have here? A lowly pickpocketer?" My feet lifelessly dangled in the air as he held me up to inspect me as if I weighed nothing. "A piece of scum none the less." Swinging me up high, he let go at the last moment so my back smacked into the wall.

Get up. Get up. I cried to my body which was immobile with fear and pain. You are dead if you stay on the ground. You have to run away! The man casually walked over as if this was an everyday occurrence for him. Who knows, it could be since the Underground was filled with people who took enjoyment in torturing a child. I hoped that pain was all I would receive instead of death. Nobody would be there to care for Suzu if I didn't survive.

Over and over, I kicked out. Each leg stretching to it's full length to send my bare foot into his legs. All I needed was a second to catch my breath so I could run away. Easily, he stepped over my efforts and sent a black boot flying into my stomach making me double over in agonizing pain. Curling up into a ball, I tried protect my head and neck as I begged him to stop. More blows were rained onto me. Each intended to hurt not to kill. No one would come even if I shouted for help, so instead I offered anything I could think of to spare my life. .Another kick sent my head snapping up as my chin throbbed.

"This is boring. I thought you would put up a bigger fight," he noted in a monotone voice.

Another figure appeared a little hazily into the corner of my vision. Terrified that he would join in with the other and punish me, I braced for a new onslaught from this stranger. Instead of joining the trench coat man, he simply gave me a scathing look before turning to his partner. "Kenny. I can see you are having a ton of fun out here beating up a child, but we need to get going."

Kenny glared at the man. I wondered if the man had spoken out of some compassion for my situation or they really had to go somewhere. I didn't care as long as Kenny left. Wrinkling up his nose, he spit on me. "Fine. Let's get going." They left my crumpled body in the dirt. Clouds of dust filled my nostrils as I took in a labored breath. A sneeze left me trembling as I prepared myself for more agony. Lifting my foot off the ground was impossible much less walking back to where Suzu laid. Dragging myself into a corner and away from any prying eyes, I let my consciousness fade. My body and mind needed just a moment to recover.

A few hours had passed since I was thoroughly beaten. The only thing I wanted to do was to go back to my brother's side and whisk away to a place without the pain bearing down on me. I wanted to pretend this whole experience had just been one long nightmare. I staggered and fell a few times, but eventually, I was able to stumble towards the general direction of home. Any person who was rushing by could have easily knocked me over. A smack of colliding shoulders would be all that was needed to send me reeling.

The confidence in my ability had been shattered by that one man. A newfound conviction burned within me. I was going to train longer and harder from now on. Never again would I be that helpless.

Oddly, Suzu wasn't inside when I collapsed onto the makeshift bed composing of rags. Exhausted, I didn't have the energy to contemplate where he might have run off to. The boy probably just went out to pee or something. Who knows, he might have woken up early to find an honest job. The day merged into night without me noticing, and only my ragged breathing continued to penetrate the cold stone walls. Drifting in and out, I hadn't come upon the realization that Suzu have still not arrived home.

"Suzu?" I groaned once again as I roughly rubbed at my eyes. Sighing heavily as I realized that my brother wasn't in the bed next to mine. He must have gone out to get food or seek revenge. There really wasn't any other option. It was difficult to stand up since my legs were so wobbly. Aching all over, I had to resist the urge to just collapse into my makeshift bed again. No. My little brother might need him, I had to go out and look for him.

Peeling off my blemished clothing, I scrounged up a shirt that was looser than the one I was wearing. It wasn't clean, but nothing down here was. The thin fabric brushed against my side, unlike the constant pressure from the other one. Raking my fingers through my messed up curls, I headed out.

I headed to the marketplace of course. The majority of the jobs could be found there since anyone who wanted to hire someone usually hung around there looking for cheap labor. Not seeing him darting around, I left. My heart began to pound as I sprinted towards the underside of the Underground. While the Underground was a terrible place no matter what corner you lived in, this was where crime ran rampant and alcohol flowed aplenty. It was also the one place where someone could get almost always get a job, as long as you were willing to do the dirty work. Suzu would never have gone down here if it was under normal circumstances, but waking up to find your sister bloody and beaten might have led him to do something extreme. Like revenge.

There wasn't a trace of his presence and no one would tell me where he went no matter how much I paid. Gold coins that had taken me forever to get where now shakingly being exchanged for information that turned how to be no help. When there was nothing left in my pockets, I began to scream his name. He had to be somewhere. Suzu wouldn't allow himself to be kidnapped! He knew that I need him. If he wasn't by my side, I would have no one.

I would be all alone, I can't be. I cried out in pain as my heart constricted and my thoughts blurred together. I wouldn't allow myself to be alone. Fear handcuffed me to an adrenaline rush that pushed back the pain throbbing in my body. My wounds hadn't fully healed and they never would if I was by myself. Left alone. Abandoned. This was a nightmare.

Running on top of the buildings, I flung myself from each roof to the next in a desperation to catch sight of the brown head I adored so much. Why had I gotten caught? If I just hadn't left that night, he would still be by my side. This was my fault. All my fault. I couldn't protect him.

It was when I unlocked my jaws to let out a scream once more only to have nothing come out, did I collapse. Nothing came out as I tilted my head back and closed my eyes letting my heartbreak scream out it's unadulterated agony. But it wasn't heard in the crowded streets where passersbys only glanced at me to see if I had anything worth taking. Pebbles dug into the soft flesh of my knee caps, as my nails dug into the dirt with the remaining strength left in my body.

I stayed that way, immobile in my despair as nothingness stretched out in front of me. What reason did I have to live now? To spend years with the dirt as my bed only to die in a ditch later on? A lifetime alone was one I wasn't willing to live in. The horror of having no one had sunk in coupled with an exhaustion that made my will bend in the direction of death.

Dragging my hand over to my boots, I pulled my knife out. The blade seemed to glisten though there was no light for it to reflect off of. It had been a present from Suzu. Something found in the depths of a dead man's ribcage. Would taking my life reunite me with my little brother? Was he not only taken away by me but life itself? Or would I only be damning Suzu to live a terrible life that could last for years? Was he being tortured?

The blade didn't seem as bright anymore as I stared at the point resting beneath my collarbone. Suzu was my everything, and the one person who had kept me sane for years. Abandoning him would not be my payment for his kindness. After slipping the knife back to its original place, I began to limp back to the place I would sleep. Rest. Gather my strength until I could properly search for my missing family member. If I found him, I wouldn't be alone anymore.

Little did I know, for the next three years of my life, I would spend it on a constant, lonely search. Since the Underground held no promise of,I decided that I would go above to continue my search.

Near the age of puberty, my limbs were becoming weaponized from the demanding use I had put them through. Kenny had become the sole enemy I thought of as I trained. My hands began to welcome the warmth of blood, and my nose began to find comfort in its copper smell. It meant that I was living. That I would get to eat that night. Survival was a necessity if I was going to find my brother. My criminal record got longer and darker as I strived to get money. No job was to dirty as long as I got paid. I needed to get above ground, and nothing was going to stop me.