I had to re-edit this several times, and re-post, and Chapter five gave me a lot of trouble, and hopefully it posts correctly this time. It's here, and it's back. It's time for the underground City. I'm back, baby.

Chapter 5

Armin woke with a searing headache, his hand moving across a dirt floor.

"Careful." A girl's voice spoke. "You're still weak."

The girl across from him had golden blonde hair and green eyes, her body covered in a long blue dress. His eyes darted to the cell bars across from him, and his memory flashed to his kidnapping.

"What-what's going on here?"

"Oh. Sorry. You-you were hurt."

"No as in-as in now."

"He doesn't know what's happenin." A male voice joined. "I guess they neva told em."

A young and tall red-headed man covered in freckles came to sit beside them, his hair pulled back into a messy bun. He wore a torn tank top, bandages wrapped around his arms and legs. "This ere is Irma, and I'm Rodney."
Irma waved shyly.

"They didn't tell ye where ye were at?" Rodney asked.

"I-" Armin swallowed. "I was kidnapped…"

"As were the rest of us." Rodney sighed, "but even we got a run down of the place."

"How is your head?" Irma asked. "You seem to have a nasty bump there."

"It's…doing better." Armin lied. "Can-can you tell me what's going on here?"

Rodney and Irma look at each other, and Rodney broke the silence. "What's your name, lad?"

"Ar-"

Was it safe to tell them?

"Armin." He finally said.

"Well, Armin," Rodney continued, "You just happen to be the newest contestant."

"Contestant?"

"Aye."

Armin felt his heart thud against his chest. "May-May I ask what for?"

"The fights…" Irma whispered. "The Underground fights."

"Underground…fights?"

So that was it.

They were kidnapping people in town and forcing them to fight.

But why him, even though the military policeman had died?

Why this small girl? Why a tall skinny guy like Rodney? "Why us?" Armin voiced his thoughts. "We don't exactly look like fighters."

"The injections." Irma answered. "They give us talents to use,ad the bog boss man has us use them in the fights."

Armin recalled the needle in his neck. "Talents? What kind of talents?"

"Everyone seems to have a different one." A new voice spat.

Armin spun around to face a large tank of a man. His hair was turning Grey, and he scratched the wall with a makeshift prosthetic arm. The older man flashed a crazy eye to the three of them. "We all got some weird, weird abilities, boy. Why don't you tell us yours before you go prying into ours."

"Leave em alone, dirt." Rodney huffed. "We're all prisoners ere."

"Yeah," Dirt scoffed, "But if they trade cells again, you may just have to fight that boy."

"Trade cells?" Armin asked.

"They shuffle us around." Irma whispered. "You see, we over here in this cell are a team. We never fight against each other. But we-we've lost a good amount of us over the last few weeks…so they might switch us again. I don't want new teammates though."

"I do." Dirt scoffed. "What good team has a one armed old man, a girl who can't walk, a beanpole loudmouth, and a newbie that's bound to get us killed?"

A girl who couldn't walk?

"That's enough outta ya." Rodney scowled. "If you talk about Irma again I'll come over thair. Don't mind em, Armin. He's a grouchy old man. Why don't we all settle down an get to know ya a little better, eh? Where ya from?"

Well, he certainly couldn't say he's from the Survey Corps, now could he?

Their eyes were on him now, and he shifted uncomfortably-mostly from the murderous intent in Dirt's eyes.

"Well I'm-I'm actually not from the underground…"

"You're from the surface?" Irma beamed. "So you've seen the sky, then?"

"Hush now." Rodney scolded. "Let em finish his story."

"Great." Dirt whined. "Another surface dweller that's going to die."

"I…well, I came down here and I just got snuck on I guess."

"Bullshit." Dirt hacked. "You're hiding something."

"As if he knows a thing about us." Rodney scowled. "Don't push em. He can tell us anythin he wants at his own leisure."

"Who's the boss?" Armin blurted.

They froze at his question, Dirt rising from his spot on the ground. "Oh? You want to know who dragged us here, do ya?"

"Dirt," Rodney warned, "If ya even touch this kid-"

"Ya wanna know who stole ya away?" Dirt spat in Armin's face. "Well, do ya?!"

"Rodney," Irma whispered. "I-I hear the guards. They-they're coming."

Rodney glared in Dirt's direction. "Don't ye dare make a a scene when they barge on in ere. Last time they left us all black and blue."

"Who cares if they hit us?" Dirt scoffed. "It makes no difference so long as we're stuck here."

Footsteps neared the grimy prison cell, and three armed men approached. "Oi, contestants," One barked. "The boss wants you to come see the show."

"Oh no." Irma whispered to Armin. "I hate when we have to watch the battles. It's always so bloody and mean."

Armin jumped when hands grabbed him, relieved to find it was Rodney helping him up. "Thair ya go, lad."

He lifted Irma into his arms, Dirt standing with a loud and dramatic grunt.

The cell opened, guns raised.

"Get a move on, prisoners."

The four of them followed, Rodney carrying Irma through the dimly lit path. A shove cause Armin to trip, Dirt snarling when he slammed into him. "Watch your step, brat."

"No fighting." A guard growled. "Move."

They were pushed onward, Armin blinded by bright lights from above.

The sounds of cheering and screams rang loudly through an arena, thousands of people in the stands, shouting.

Shouting for blood.

They were forced into the stands, Armin taking a seat beside Rodney and Irma, Dirt getting as far away from them as he was allowed. Cheers rang through the stands, and Armin saw two people in the Arena. A large man with brown hair and a long beard.

On the opposite end was a young dark-skinned girl with bouncy black waves of hair, with the same style of clothes as Rodney.

At that, Rodney elbowed him. "You see her thair? That's my wife, Lucy."

"Wife?

Wow.

"They let her be on your team?" Armin whispered.

"For some reason-but we don't ever take it for granted."

"At least it's her." Irma smiled. "She's always a good fighter."

A bell chimed.

The man's body sparked with yellow whips of light, and he charged with a yell. She leapt gracefully away, Ice shooting from her hands.

Ice…shooting from her…

Rodney caught him when he swayed, and Armin's vision blurred as Lucy's wall of ice and hail froze the opponent where he stood. No amount of sparks and muscle could save him now. She was fast, and she had no intention to die. A bell chimed to express her quick victory, and the crowd went wild. As soon as Armin was able to compose himself, Rodney breathed with praise. "She's wonderful, isn't she? She's always so quick!"

She was…it was still sick, but she was….but how…did she ever…

Oh.

Oh no.

The injections.

The needle to his neck.

Armin glanced at his hands, not paying attention as they were immediately shuffled out of the arena.

If someone…could make technology to grant special abilities…and only used it for these fights…had to have a stronger motive. There had to be a bigger picture and a bigger plan.

Whoever you are, Armin said to himself, I'm figuring out your plan…

And I'm going to end it.