Chapter #1 TheFirefighter
"Seriously?! Our commander wants us to protect a Sina boy during the… ball?"
Yeah, his thoughts exactly. Though, the captain was a little bit more… eloquent when Erwin told him about their new mission. Something along "what are these fat piglets from MP for?" and "since when Special Operations Squad babysits a fragile chicken from Sina?" definitely passed during their little talk.
"Wait a sec, a ball? Like the one with fancy costumes, champagne and dances?"
His head is killing him. Captain Levi can only take in that much ridiculous information without going insane…
"Yes! And guess what! Not an ordinary ball…"
…and his squad's silly banter doesn't help.
"Yeah, coz you've attended so many ordinary ones…"
"Shut up, Auruo! I know what a ball is, thank you very much! And this one is like very special and very private. Annual New Year Ball at the Jaegers' "
"Jaegers… You mean Dr. Jaeger?! The Dr. Jaeger?"
After the initial shock and some bitching about impotent MPs, Captain Levi actually heard his commander out. Well, he still does NOT believe that this crappy mission is worth their time, but he does believe in that damn man. Because that damn man usually damn knows what he is doing. To calm down, Levi reminds himself of all the pros Erwin told him about.
Firstly, the Doc is ready to pay one hell of a sum for protecting his son. Meaning, the Survey Corps will finally have some cash to budget their new expedition.
Secondly, Grisha Jaeger is a good friend of Erwin and may prove to be quite useful in the future. A rich pal inside the hive of rich foes. Not bad. Not bad at all.
And there is a third point. A point that seems to be most dubious… but at the same time the only one that really matters. Levi is aware of the commander's suspicions concerning titans' spy inside the walls. An incredible explanation of many failures that the captain has come to find very much probable. According to both Erwin and Grisha, this spy is someone doctor's family actually knows. And judging by some odd coincidences, this bastard visited the ball last year. "Dr. Jaeger has a good reason to expect an attack this year", Erwin argued. And Levi didn't question him.
So, basically, the whole point of this mission is to catch the traitorous bastard, using Grisha's kid as a bait.
Given the spy comes.
Given the spy doesn't suspect a thing.
Given the damn spy exists.
Otherwise, it is just a waste of their only holidays and their time.
Damn it. One hell of a plan. Just enough to split his head in half. Add to this his subordinates' excitement (or whatever that annoying emotion is). Great.
"You know any other docs with this surname?"
"My dear, of course I do! Actually, I am quite surprised that you are surprised."
"Wha-!?"
"Ah, sure… I guess Captain Levi decided to leave you out of this. After all, I was the first one to hear the details to ensure the-"
Auruo stops abruptly, and a hopeless sigh from Petra reaches his ears. Thanks Sina he is riding at the front. A wonderful mix of blood and saliva of Auruo's production is just what the captain needs to make his mood drop below zero.
"What's with this face, Levi?" a cheerful voice from the rider to his left distracts the grumpy corporal from his not so cheerful thoughts. "Lighten up! New Year is coming, ya know! You can try to be a little bit more optimistic!"
Levi spares his exuberant comrade a quick glance. Cheeks rosy and eyes sparkling with excitement behind the glasses, Hanji looks like a small girl before her first ball. Definitely not like a woman (a second-in-comand, actually) in her late thirties going on a mission. Sometimes Levi wonders who is really older.
"Just one more year in this bloody world. I am ecstatic," comes his sardonic reply that rewards him with an annoying chortle from Hanji.
"Ahhh, come on! I know you are not usually that bitter about celebrations!" and just like always the crazy woman reads him like a periodic system. Though, it doesn't take a genius to guess what irritates Captain Levy most. "Well, I did have my own doubts about Erwin's plan…"
Of course you did, four-eyes…
"…but then I mused over the whole thing…"
But then Erwin promised you a new test object…
"…and I realized that it is much easier to catch a predator during its hunt than to blindly chase it when it's cautious in hiding."
…and all of a sudden you support Erwin's plan.
"I agree," he hates to admit it, but Levi does agree. The plan has it risks (mainly concerning the brat staying alive), but it does sound sane. "Doesn't mean I have to like it". Because spending your only holidays among these pompous worthless pigs from Sina is almost as bad as drinking champagne with titans.
"No, you don't," Hanji nodded with a crooked smirk. "But then again, very few actually enjoy our work!"
"Hanji, you are the only person who LOVES cutting ugly faces," Levi points out dryly, watching her sheepish grin. "I honestly have no idea what you would do with your life without titans".
"Do not underestimate me, Levi! There are so many things other than titans you can cut! Or tie up and observe. Hmmm…" her eyes glint in a creepy way, making the captain believe that he doesn't want to see Hanji Zoё experimenting on anything (or anyone) else.
Deciding that her job here is done, the woman pulls the reins and joins the happy bickering behind them, leaving the captain to lead their small team alone. Five riders are slowly making their way to the winter mansion that's hidden far away in the mountains. It is some kind of a family tradition. Every year they travel to that god forsaken place for five days, inviting close friends and relatives to enjoy snow and peace of the wilderness. It may be cozy and all to watch blizzard while sitting in front of a blazing hearth and drinking hot tea, but you get a completely different perspective when riding through a snowstorm, your toes half-frozen and your cheeks screaming for warmth. Heavy fur-coats protect their bodies, but face and feet are still quite exposed to the vicious wind, thick scarfs and boots completely useless against these temperatures. They could have taken a carriage. They should have taken a carriage. But it was Levi who insisted on riding through the mountains, arguing that this way they would be more mobile and less attackable…
Screw his caution. May be the four-eyes is right. He is too prudent.
It takes their team two more agonizing hours through the dark icy wilderness before they see the bloody light at the end of the bloody forest. The famous winter mansion of the famous Jaeger family. Not as big as Levi imagined it to be (he expected something like a huge pompous palace with lions at the front gate), but still three times bigger than an average house. To be honest, you could hardly call it "a mansion". More like a hunter's cabin… ten times its normal size. At least that's what it looked like – a three-storied wooden building, one side facing coniferous forest, an opposite one facing a deep mountain valley below.
"The House at the Fire Edge," Petra gasps reverently as she stops next to the captain, just a few hundred meters away from the door. "Amazing…"
"Tsk, F-f-fire Edge?" judging by his tone and chattering teeth, Gunther is as much amazed at the house as Levi's frozen butt. "S-s-stupid f-f-fancy name."
"Because it wasn't a mansion, but a hunting lodge," giving the man a reproachful smack to the back of his head, Hanji starts to explain with a smug look of a pupil who learnt everything from her textbook by heart. "Beyond that point were only mountains, mountains and more mountains. Okay, that part hasn't changed a bit. But the point is that because of the elevation, it is always cloudy here. The sun and the moon absolutely useless when you need to orient yourself. So, to help hunters, wardens shot fires from this point on the highest cliff above the valleys. Thus the name!"
"Well, well, well. Somebody has done her homework," the captain notes dryly, not a bit interested in the history lesson. Knowing that they were about seventy kilometers away from the closest settlement was enough. Fine, maybe it's also worth mentioning that there is only one road through the mountains.
"Oh, and do you know that the place used to belong to the Ackerman family?" Hanji flings a question so casually that you would think she is just wondering about the weather. For once picking Levi's interest. And definitely knowing it. That insufferable freak.
"You know I don't," his retort comes with a scathing glare. They had six dull hours to talk about anything on the way here. But surely this small fact was just escaping her mind. Till now.
"Ackerman?" turning away from the mansion, Petra casts a curious look at the very annoyed corporal. As sharp as always, she is the only one who gets the punchline. "Your family, Captain?"
Now that she has spelled it out for them, the dumb heads manage to put two and two together. Two more incredulous stares at Levi Ackerman. Seriously…
"That's unlikely," he replies coolly, still drilling Hanji with a steel glare. It is not that he cares about some distant relatives of his. Still, it would be nice to let him know that some lucky brats got a chance to live under the sunlight and away from the underground cesspit. "The relatives I know have never seen a mountain. They definitely haven't lived on one."
"That is true," Hanji concurs while cleaning her frozen glasses with thick mittens. Unexpectedly, her voice loses some of its smugness. "It is believed that Ackermans were originally a hunting clan, owning all the mountainous lands in the area before the walls creation. to the north from Wall Sina. Unfortunately, early Ackermans' records about "their fall" are as ambiguous and unclear as any other text about the pre-walls times. Some say it was a natural disaster, others blame new laws and politics. The point is that most Ackermans had to leave their home and search for a new one. Very few actually survived. It was difficult to adapt to a new lifestyle since most Ackermans were used to a quiet existence in the mountains. As far as I know, only two Ackerman branches managed to survive. One branch sought shelter in the least appealing places… so, when the titans' era started and the area was surrounded by walls, these Ackermans ended up underground. And the other branch was those, who despite the calamity – whatever it was – stayed and fought for their rightful home," she finishes quietly, refusing to look at the captain who – for a whole minute – completely forgot about his frozen butt.
Damn it. Now he wishes Hanji didn't mention it all.
Life does have a sick sense of humor. But what's worse, its sense of justice is alarmingly… just. Of all the Ackermans, it spared the extremes. Those, who cowardly ran and hid like rats. And those, who bravely faced the danger like proud lions. The funny thing is that both sides lost: rats dying like rats in the shithole they found; lions dying like lions in a battle they couldn't win. The only difference is that lion cubs were walking under the blue sky. Rat offsprings were groveling in shit. One origin, two fates.
"Anyway, Jaegers adopted an orphan who happened to be an Ackerman and whose family owned the lodge," obviously hating the gloom her story set, Hanji hastily cHanjid the topic. "And since then Jaegers spend every New Year at this asto-o-o-o-nishingly beautiful place!" and just like that her serious tone cHanjis into a phony pitch of a tourist guide. If anyone could dispel the self-caused dejection by a few chirpy notes, it was this crazy woman…
"Serving all kinds of food!"
… and here goes Gunther's pensive look.
"Inviting all kinds of beautiful ladies!"
…Auruo's solemnity lands somewhere close to Gunther's pensiveness.
"And having the most amazing dances!"
… and the hard nut breaks as a happy smile illuminates Petra's face.
"Now, I understand that it is an important mission," Hanji puts on a cool-teacher-mask again and raises a finger in a smart manner as if reading a lecture. "We need to stay focused, but at the same time behave normal, as if we do not suspect a thing! Remember, I am just a good friend of Doc and you are my security guys! Right, Captain?"
"Right," Levi gives a short nod, but his thoughts far away from the mission, so he trusts this little speech to his older comrade. She is better at it anyway.
"Act casual, but never let your eyes wander too far from the boy. Pay attention to the guests. Speak to them. Try to define the spy. The doc says he has invited sixteen guests, plus the five of us, plus five MPs…-"
"W-why the M-MMPs if he has u-s-ss?" Gunther interrupts with a disdainful look. "Ar-r-rren't we g-g-ggood enough?"
"I haven't finished!"
Hanji would have been one hell of a teacher, thinks Levi as the soldier gets another smack to the head.
"YES MA'AM!" just a stern look from the intimidating woman, and the guy's stutter is cured. He is probably not even cold anymore. "SORRY, MA'AM!"
"That's better!" returning to her cheerful self, Hanji playfully clasps Gunther to her chest. His big eyes can't decide whether to be relieved or terrified. "Now, now, at ease! You know you can always interrupt me when I get carried away…"
"Not that it's possible," because Levi just can't help commenting. His sardonic remark is met with a pout from upset Hanji – you would think that somebody stole her titan.
"Well, you can always try!" roaring with laughter, the woman once again addresses Gunther, still pressed to her bosom, still too afraid to breath. The captain actually wonders if the poor bastard will survive this affectionate embrace… "The doc always hired five MPs for security reasons, silly. Now, it would be suspicious if he did not this year, wouldn't it? You, after all, are believed to be my guards, not Jaeger's. So, be good a boy and pretend to be at least a bit intimidated by your superiors, okay?" she asks benevolently, winking at the blue soldier in her arms.
"yes…. ma'am…." the soldier gasps weakly, his face becoming bluer by the second.
"Hanji," the captain calls her impassively while watching glowing windows of the mansion. "One more minute and you'll have only three guards left".
"Huh?... Oh, sorry!" sparing him a sheepish smile, the squad leader lets the poor brat go and turns to the inviting lights. "Well, let's go! If you have any questions, ask them now. Try to refrain from discussing the mission inside the mansion. Walls have ears! And trust me, so do ceilings and floors. Other guests arrive in two days, but there are still maids and servants that we cannot fully trust. Once you step over the threshold, you are nothing but dumb guards, got it?"
Getting no more questions, Hanji nods and signals to proceed to the mansion, but she herself doesn't rush forward. Instead, the second-in-command lets the others go forward while waiting for the captain who hasn't moved yet.
"Hey… You're okay?" she asks quietly, almost self-consciously.
No, he doesn't want to talk to her about THAT. Not now. Maybe, not ever. He must be focusing on the damn mission, not pondering over the fate's irony.
"Levi."
He should have known better, though. There is no escaping Hanji Zoё once she's set her mind to something. If the woman decided to have this talk, she will have the bloody talk.
"Look, I am sorry… I should have told you earlier… I wanted to! But… well…"
Wow. It's not every day that you see the confident second-in-command struggle for words.
"No, you shouldn't have," he stops her abruptly, not even bothering to look at her. There is no need to be so harsh. And definitely no reason to be so bitter about that crap. He can't care less about those rats that were his ancestors. But why, why in hell he is? "Don't you think I would have done the research on my family myself if I gave a damn?"
Hanji, at least, has the decency to refrain from answering. Dammit! Why is he so worked up about this shit? So what if his great-great-great-great-something was a milksop, preferring to lead a pathetic life of a parasite? As if it cHanjis anything.
…only it does. Maybe, had this coward stayed back and fought, Levi would have never lived in the underground shithole. Maybe, he wouldn't be so full of shit. Maybe, Furlan and Isobel would have never met him. Maybe, they would have been still alive. Maybe…
"Hey, don't you dare think about what I know you are thinking about!" Hanji's unexpectedly stern voice and a forceful kick to the knee drags him out of a stinky place that is his head. Blinking, Levi turns to see the vivid woman who is shaking him by the shoulders, eyes burning with anger.
"Just leave-…" but he is not allowed to finish as an iron forehead bumps into his. "What the fu-!" hissing, the captain tries to protest, but Hanji Zoё's hand is as firm as his own.
"You think everything would have been better had it gone the other way? Idiot, aren't you the one saying that it's no use to cry over the wrong decisions?!" the woman shouts into the captain's face while gripping his hair with one hand and his collar with another. "Let me guess. You think that the world would have been such a better place had Great Captain Levi Ackerman's grandpa died in a hopeless battle?!"
"It is not about right and wrong decisions! It is about a damn coward that condemned a whole generation to a parasitic existence!"
At this point, both leaders are fired up and yelling, calling each other names and cursing, the freezing cold and vicious wind long forgotten. Some rational part of Levi knows that it is no use blaming some 300, maybe more, years old bastards. But there is a savage side of the captain that rips and tears him from inside, poisoning his mind with impotent anger and shameful envy. No, he won't give way to self-pity, he can't fall that low. It doesn't forbid him from hating life a bit more, though.
"Yup, maybe you wouldn't have gone through all the shit you have! Maybe you would have been loved and pampered behind Wall Sina! And maybe the world would have been a much better place without an asshole that is Levi Ackerman!"
Suddenly, Hanji lets his hair go and leans back, breathing heavily and… tiredly. Levi adjusts his rumpled cravat, never glancing away from the quiet woman that was roaring like a caged lioness just a few seconds ago. Her eyes, on the contrary, refuse to meet his penetrating gaze. Instead, they are searching for something in the warm light from the windows.
The snowstorm gets quite tired of the whole drama and starts to wail louder, urging the two leaders to finally mount their horses and move. And Levi, exhausted both physically and emotionally, wants to oblige.
"The storm is getting worse," he says finally, calming his stallion down and brushing off snow from the saddle. "Let's go".
"That girl. The orphan."
The captain casts a surprised look at his friend, not expecting her to speak after their little fight. It doesn't stop him from mounting the horse, though. Damn, why can't she just leave it? The sooner he gets inside the bloody mansion, the sooner his mind will get occupied with something other than his crappy life.
"Her parents were chopped in front of her eyes. She was just nine."
Now that makes him halt. For a minute, Levi just stands frozen, wind angrily tugging at his coat. How... How is it fair...?
And then a mirthless chuckle escapes him as he finally understands what Hanji was trying to tell him.
It doesn't matter what you do.
It doesn't matter what you choose. Or anybody else for that matter.
Because whatever your plan is, fate always has another one.
"Thanks, Hanji," he says quietly, before finally mounting the horse and riding to the mansion. The aftertaste of bitter thoughts is still there, but somehow it gets duller and duller as he nears the former Ackerman's house. Levi can waste all his life speculating on countless what-ifs, but he will never know anything other than reality. And his mind lazily drifts to this orphan.
Here they were, two apples of one tree. One thriving at the very top under the gentle sun, another rotting just above the ground. But no matter how far away their branches were, both fruits fell to one mud. And both apples were lucky enough to be picked up. One by Grisha Jaeger, another by Erwin Smith.
Can he really believe that naive thought? That had his branch been closer to the sun, he would have never learnt about ugly worms that plague the world? That he would have never been bitten by them? Would've never touched the filth beneath?
Her parents were chopped in front of her eyes. She was just nine.
So much for a sunlit branch.
Currently disclosed information
The Author is acutely aware of all the canon-divergent things in the story, and it's intentional since the story is kinda AU.
The Author has read manga and watched the show, but carefully refrains from any spoilers.
The Author was planning to finish it first and publish it as a complete piece, but he needs motivation to continue writing.
The Author humbly appologizes for all the mistakes here.
TBC (probably)