Leo Simon
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The Empire Returns Chapter 16
🕑 Added 2023-06-08 19:01:07 +0000 UTCLevi Ackerman is a man with good instincts, the best even, he spent years as a criminal in the underground and in that shithole where everyone and their mother is backstabbing each other then if you don't learn to read people you end up six feet under. And Levi isn't sure what to make of the guy who can apparantly turn into a Titan.
Some people say he might be being too cautions but personally he thinks that a little paranoia is healthy, and whilst he has no doubt that he isn't on Marley's side that doesn't necessarily mean that he's got their interests before his own either. He's hiding something, or at the very least not giving them all the information he's got, and whilst Levi guesses that he can't blame the kid for not completely trusting them, given that the Scouts aren't exactly known for being crazy Titan lovers, that's Hange's department, and giving all your cards away to some soldiers you just met is generally a bad move. But still, he just feels... off.
Levi just faces ahead and decides not to make conversation as they make their way to a room that the Scouts have prepared to extract his spinal fluid and Yeager seems to silently agree given that he doesn't really say anything either but eventually Levi just decides to ask a question that will help him gauge the type of person Eren is.
"Why exactly are you just helping the Scouts like this?"
Eren's shoulders go rigid for a moment as he glances in Levi's direction as a sign of him paying attention to the short man." You could say that we have a common enemy, stopping Marley is good for you and stopping Marley is good for me. Besides it wouldn't be right for me to just stay on the sidelines and let the Walls die."
Levi narrows his eyes at that. He's not telling them something, what he said wasn't a lie but he was withholding the rest of his answer. Still Levi chooses not to mention it. At least not yet.
The short Captain honestly had extremely poor social skills, he was more of an 'actions speak louder than words' man, he showed his men that he cared for them by slicing up the big bastards outside the Walls, but... he can't help but feel bitter, those things out there weren't even the real enemy, as the entire world progressed they remained behind as they just aimlessly wandered around outside the Walls losing legions of men just to build a trading route, all that time, all that energy and... he was just murdering people, well not people but they were people at some point.
Levi fixed his eyes on the Titan boy that was standing right next to him. If it weren't for him then they'd be one Wall less than they are now at least, he's willing to admit that much, but he's never been good at trusting people and quite frankly he doesn't see that changing any time soon, there's just something so knowing about this kid, like nothing that happens around him is surprising or anything that is surprising doesn't actually phase him much, it's like he's clairvoyant.
Levi mentally shook his head. He's probably being paranoid.
They arrived at the door of a room they'd converted into a makeshift surgery place and he opened the door to reveal Hange and her absolutely mad assistant Moblit. Well Hange is the mad one but Moblit is... well he just willingly spends all his time cleaning up her messes and getting minor heartattacks when she does something stupid like hop through a Titan's throat to see what their insides look like. So yeah basically a man who's lost his mind.
"Oh Eren are you ready to have us cut you open and extract your spinal fluid?" Hange spoke in a far too cheery tone which Levi could tell greatly disturbed the green eyed teenager, however despite the numerous signs that he should just run away Eren walked over to the mad redhead and sat down in a seat that made him lay on his stomach and gave a full view as his spines outline. He took off his shirt and gave a full his back.
Levi just watched as Eren did his best not to show main or discomfort when Hange poked at his skin as the needle's steel pushed deep down and burried itself in his back before Hamge pulled back the pin and extracted a white substance from his spine. The process looked quite painful for Eren but after Hange pulled the needle out steam started to pour out of the needle hole and he looked perfectly fine a few moments later and didn't even shoot any weirded looks Hange's way when she started to stare at his spinal fluid with a perverse expression that Levi had long since grown used to.
Levi felt some annoyance at how hard this Titan brat was to read, he just acted so... fine with everything around him. Fine that they were prodding and poking him with syringes, fine that his enemies turned out to be the comrades he spent three years training with and fine that they were about to fight the world. Levi is sure that he's had some time to fully absorb all this information that he's given them but it all seemed far too... well he doesn't really have a word for how to describe this kid and that's what makes Levi distrust Eren, he's a wild card.
"Thanks for being so cooperative Eren I'm sure that wasn't pleasant for you." Hange spoke with genuine sympathy. Hange knows when to have a shred of tact Levi will give her that, for as much of a weirdo as she might be at least she knows when her quirks are acceptable.
Hange Zoe is, to put it bluntly, a maniac. She somehow survived for a decade in the Scouts despite how downright comical she acts, basically every Scout who lives in the Survey Corps for that long is essentially a stone cold statue, watching your friends drop like flies does that to a person, you become decensitised- to a certain extent- to the death and depression that seems to follow you everywhere but this crazy woman is more or less the sole exception and to be honest... Levi almost likes that about her, though he'd never say that out loud, and the energy she seems to bring to those around her is much appreciated however even she isn't spared from the heartbreak that being a Scout brings, the despair and dark thoughts that surviving the Titans will bring. Despite how he acts Levi isn't heartless he does feel despair when his friends die and he will undoubtedly lose more people in the days to come.
Only they'll be fighting humans not Titans, well he supposes they've always been fighting humans. He'd scoff at her attempts to learn about the Titans but now? He's the one who feels like a fool.
Levi shook his head as Eren stood up with a tired expression on his face but had the decency to keep a straight back and show respect to his superior officers. Levi flatly told Eren with no room for argument." Over the next two days we're gonna be seeing what your Titan powers are made of, so tell your little friends you'll be away for a bit and go to Erwin's office at six."
Eren looks a little annoyed at that." And just what am I meant to them? I can't exactly just say 'Hey I'm gonna go away for a few days, gotta show the Scouts what I can do as a Titan'... sir."
Levi frowned at that and dismissed his concern." Hell if I know just make something up and tell them not to question it."
Eren looked like he wanted to say more but in the end just nodded and left the makeshift surgery room quietly.
Hange watched this exchange and couldn't help but comment as she stared and seemed to analyse the fluid they extracted from their Titan ally's spine." You've got really bad social skills you know that Levi, he's just a teenager at the end of the day and you can't expect him to do whatever you say flawlessly, even if he is a soldier."
Levi just gave an audible scoff at her words." He's more than just a teenager, he's a Titan, a fifteen meter tall monster that can crush humans like bugs, he can handle lying to his friends a little."
Hange placed the syringe in a case for them to use later and just gave him 'that' look." He isn't a monster Levi, just becaus-"
He immediately cuts her off with a sharp look of his steely blue eyes and states." He isn't a monster because he can turn into a Titan Hange. He's a monster because of who he is."
Levi thought back to the look in Eren's eyes as he spoke to the girl who he supposedly knew for three whole years as he brutally assaulted her with hateful and ruthless words until she broke down crying. Levi's never seen anyone with a look quite like Eren's, even in all his years as both a criminal and soldier he's never seen anyone with eyes so... again he doesn't even have a word to describe what he looked like.
He stared seriously at Hange and simply stated." No matter who comes his way, they won't be enough to make him submit."
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I walked down the halls at a slow pace as I contemplated what I was supposed to say to my friends. Soldiers aren't exactly just supposed to abandon their positions like that afterall, I could say that I was being sent to Trost for an assignment that was given to me personally by Commander Erwin Smith to go and personally tell my horrifying and world changing experience in Shiganshina, which scarred me for life, to some journalists that he hired to spread the word of how my experience at such a young age changed me in ways which I can't imagine so that they could produce a book and spread the word of what a threat the Titans really are, that the Scouts are needed and we should do everything that we can to stop them no matter the cost.
Or I could just say that I wasn't told anything and that I was just following orders. Yeah probably just that.
As I was walking down the hall and lost in my own thoughts I failed to notice as Ymir appeared in my line of vision and she seemed to stop for a moment as she stared at me with a frown on her face as she thought about what happened between the green eyed boy and her girlfriend before clenching her fist and walking up to Eren.
Eren snapped out of his daydreaming when he saw a particularly angry looking Ymir approaching him and payed very close attention to what she would do next. He didn't so much as flinch when the tall girl grabbed him by the collar with both hands and asked with a glare." What is Historia to you?"
Eren knew what she meant but acted oblivious." You're going to have to be more specific."
Ymir seemed to get mad at that and spoke in a demanding tone that was entirely different from her normally lazy demeanor." You know exactly what I mean, you and my girlfriends kissed so what did that kiss mean to you?" Ymir was actually quite scared of what her fellow Titan was going to say, she loves her girlfriend and the idea of someone taking her away from Ymir was enough to make her heart clench and her grit her teeth to hide the pain she feels.
Eren stares up at her and answers honestly." I... well to be honest I definitely feel more than just friendship for her, Historia is a very special girl and it's obvious that she cares about you a lot, I'd hate to get between you two and I have Mikasa, someone who I love with all my heart-" his eyes stared into her own."- then of course there's you." Ymir was a little surprised by that but he kept talking despite being held by the collar." You are also really special to me Ymir, even if you try to act tough and cold I know that, no matter how hard you try to hide it, you are compassionate deep down. You wouldn't be able to just sit on the sidelines if Marley really came to kill us all and you'd do anything for the people you care about."
As he spoke about her Ymir noticed how pretty his eyes were and hearing him talk about her like that made her suddenly feel a lot less angry at him for what he... well he didn't really do anything now that she thinks about it, it was Historia who kissed him afterall and her who made the first move, can she even blame him for simply reciprocating?
Ymir just shook her head and bit the inside of her cheek. She can't deny that she is attracted to him but she can't say that she really loves him... but maybe she can fall in love with him like she did with Historia. She doesn't want to make Historia unhappy by separating the two of them and Eren definitely isn't the worst person to love and be loved by but at the same time-
Ymir felt a strange feeling bubble up in her chest as she loosened her grip on him and asked." What exactly do you feel for me?"
Ymir wants to know what he thinks and feels about her, she is entertaining the possibility of seeing him as more than just someone she finds attractive but it needs to be more than just that, he needs to see her like he sees Historia because Ymir just isn't the type to love easy, she most definitely doesn't form strong bonds as easily as Eren does, and if that spark really isn't between them then it just won't work.
Meanwhile I am more than a little surprised at the completely honest expression she was pulling and I could tell by listening that her words were sincere and that she wasn't kidding around with me. It was nice to see her face when she was completely honest, she looked good that way.
Ymir was someone I cared for on a very deep level for more than just my feelings for her, in a weird way she's the complete opposite of Historia in the sense that whilst Historia did her best to appear selfless Ymir did the opposite, after being betrayed and tortured for trying to be the selfless goddess people made her out to be she must figure that if she only thought of herself and tried to keep everyone around her away by acting like a selfish asshole but Ymir never could mask her true self completely, she is someone that will do anything for the ones she loves and I can't help but admire that about her.
My thoughts darkened as I thought what I might need to do to save the people that I care about should push really come to shove but I repress those thoughts as I answered Ymir in a very serious manner.
"Truth be told I- I think I love you."
Ymir positively locked up at those words and after a moment she seems to sigh and reply." Well I don't." She said as she finally let go of my collar and looked to the side.
I was really surprised by her words, though I suppose it makes sense, she isn't someone who loves easily and I'm not even sure if she likes men as well considering her relationship with Historia.
"But I want too." My eyes widened in surprise as I saw Ymir's cheeks burn a pinkish colour on her tan skin as she avoided my eye for a moment before looking back at me.
She elaborated further."You seem like a pretty good guy and I can tell that Historia loves you, she said it herself, and I don't want to come between you two so I'm fine with... this, and besides even if I don't love you now I think that I can fall in love with you, so at least for now... I think I'm fine with being your... girlfriend."
Her words made my cheeks blush a little as I stared into her gray eyes and couldn't trace any trace that she was lying on there.
Truth be told I never felt worthy of any of the women around me, be it Mikasa, Historia or Ymir, I could destroy the world and I doubt that being a decent human being is in the cards for me, I can't give them a happy life but I want to so badly that it hurts. But I can't bring myself to refuse their feelings, because I'm just that kinda guy, I hate with everything I've got and I love with everything I've got.
For a few minutes we just stared into each others eyes and eventually I leaned forward and took her lips in my own.
