Levi was unaccustomed to the concept of fear, he had left the pitiful emotion in the dust long ago when he lived on the streets. However, now as he stood next to Erwin, that long ago emotion was returning. They stood in an impossibly long hallway in an abandoned castle in Northern Germany. They had arrived early in the day, having been tasked to search the ruins for anything that should be taken to the various museums.
"Levi, I hate to say it, but I think we're lost." Erwin said next to him.
Levi was inclined to agree, they had been walking down the same doorless hallway for hours and it didn't seem like they were actually getting anywhere. Erwin sunk to the floor beside him, murmuring something about resting for awhile. Though, he knew that he really shouldn't, that he may just give up on standing again. Levi was contemplating leaving Erwin to backtrack a bit when he heard it. It was growing louder and louder, and was approaching them from behind them, a constant rhythm of steady footsteps. Levi turned slowly and let out a relieved breath when all he saw was a small child, grin seemingly permanently etched upon his face as he neared. He had black hair and greenish eyes, he giggled when he saw Levi looking at him.
"Hey Mister, you lost or something?" The kid giggled, eyes sparking with mischievousness.
"We seem to be, yes. What is a child like you doing here?" Levi queried.
"Come on Mister, I'll show you the way out." The child said, extending his hand and studiously ignored the question.
Levi was about to grab it when the child was flung into the hallways wall, landing in sickening crunch. He stumbled back, tripping over the now sleeping Erwin and waking him up with a jolt. All Levi could do was stare as a young man stepped out of the wall opposite the boy. Weighty chains encompassing his limbs and dragging across the floor. He was beautiful, dark skin and vibrant teal-green eyes, gaze unwavering as he stalked towards the crumpled form of the boy. The boy who raised his head and pure terror filled his eyes, as he saw the menacing form standing above him.
"You're free to move. I didn't believe it possible." The boy croaked.
"You didn't, did you you despicable little creature. Preying upon humans even though I have explicitly told you not to do so or I'll kill you." The chained man said.
"I have not tasted human flesh in so long. I have obeyed your order for the thirty milleniums that you have been chained. I didn't think you would be angered if I just indulged a little bit, for old time sakes."
"Don't be idiotic you cretin." The man said as he ripped the child in half lengthwise.
He let the body crumble to the floor, pulling a handkerchief from his pocket and wiping his hands off. His gaze finally turned to the two shocked figures on the floor and he gave a smile. One blindingly beautiful. He kept wiping his hands as he walked towards them, chains eerily scraping the floor.
"I find demons can't obey threats nowadays. I am the master of this castle, my name is Eren Yeager. If you would follow me I will lead you somewhere you can rest and recuperate for the night, it seems you have had a trying evening." The man, Eren Yeager, said as he turned from them and began to glide down the hallway. Levi didn't move and neither did Erwin as they regarded the small body oozing black blood across the floor. "You may want to follow humans, I cannot guarantee your safety otherwise."
Erwin stood first, pulling Levi up next to him as they hesitantly followed behind the strange chained man. They noticed how his chains seemed to glitter and he brought a warm light to the black darkness around them. He didn't acknowledge them much as they walked the endless hallways of the castle. He only briefly cast glances back at them to make sure they were following. While they walked Levi had a chance to look at the man's attire, he had a high collared red cape around him, along with faded black trousers and a white button up shirt that seemed to flow around his torso. He was a beautiful man indeed, and if he hadn't just literally ripped a child in half Levi would probably be flirting with him and asking him to get drinks at a bar. However, as the chains scraped softly against the floor and the sight of the blackened handkerchief hanging from the man's pocket, Levi didn't quite know what he should do.
"Do not be afraid of me, mortal ones. I have long watched over man and I will not harm you. I don't harm mortals, but Gods I may just have to harm them. I have long been imprisoned and tortured by them, day and night for over thirty thousand years. While they incur their wrath upon my creations, while I can only watch from afar in agony as their lives waste away under hardships pressed upon them by the cloud beings that make rash decisions." He seemed to rant.
They were entering a plush room, a warm fire in the fireplace and plush couches and seats upon the carpeted floor. He immediately sat in one of the high backed chairs by the fire and motioned for them to do the same. Which they did gratefully, even though they were still wary of the man. His teal-green orbs were covered by honey eyelids as he leaned upon one hand, breathing deep and evenly. Levi looked at Erwin who was slightly frowning in concentration as he studied the seemingly young man. The young man whose eyes suddenly snapped open to regard them blankly.
"I seem to have forgotten my manners, what might be your names?"
"Erwin and Levi, sir." Erwin said evenly.
"Well nice to meet you, as I have said my name is Eren Yeager. Or at least that is what Mikasa calls me, the precocious child. Said my otherworldly name is too long and hard for her to say, which I don't truly believe but I don't mind. She is very nice company and bring something called anime when she visits." The young man said with a blinding smile.
"We were told that this castle was unoccupied, and didn't have an owner. Our mission was to find and preserve any artifacts that may have survived throughout the years. We weren't expecting a murderer to be within." Erwin said snippily.
"Murderer? That is a human concept, but by your terms I would be the God your whole Christian faith is centered around. Because I did indeed create the first man, it was that bitch Hephaistos who created that damned woman Pandora."
"You are a deluded man, probably not even that, you are a psychopath who needs help." Erwin spat at him.
The man seemed almost amused at Erwin's words as he regarded them quietly. He rolled his neck, making it pop as he looked from them and into the fireplace. He smiled a bittersweet smile, and something in Levi made him want to comfort him.
"Psychopath, huh? I may just be, you don't live a life of immortality without being a little crazy. You don't watch as milleniums pass by and the creatures you created and fought for, hurt one another in so many ways, you don't watch as the children who should be nourished and loved be abused in such vile ways without being a little crazy and a lot angry." He murmured softly, eyes closing as he relaxed back into the stiff chair.
"We should call the police on you." Erwin said.
"You could try but they wouldn't arrest me anyway. I can't leave this castle's grounds, if I attempt to, the diamond chains will shock the daylights out of me and any nearby. Even if he is a vain and womanizing man, Zeus is not to be taken lightly."
Neither had the chance to say anything, because as soon as Eren finished his statement shocks of lightning corsed through the chains and into his body. Making his eyes roll back and him to start seizing uncontrollably. He grew still, not breathing, and Levi found himself on his feet and in front of him. Checking his pulse to see if he was alive, and his eyes widened when he had no pulse. Turning to Erwin, Levi opened his mouth to tell him when the man's hand shot out and gripped his throat tightly, cutting off all breath. It loosened abruptly afterwards, like it was never there, as the man gasped for breath. Muttering under his breath that he's said worse to the damned God's face. Receiving another small shock for his impudence. He rolled his eyes and reached out to Levi, who was gasping on the floor, and gently touched the bruises on his neck.
"I'm terribly sorry for that, I am a little jumpy after he does that sometimes. Almost threw 'Kasa into a wall the first time he did it around her. Didn't think the poor child would ever return, I scared her so much." Eren murmured. "But she came back the next day, carting bandages and sappy romance movies. It was good because I was getting tired of using my shirts to sop up all the blood."
He seemed far away, like he didn't remember that they were there, or that he was still stroking Levi's throat. Well, until Levi shivered and he withdrew his fingers. He seemed to search for something in Levi's eyes for a second before giving a gentle smile. Levi looked at the man, from the top of his head to his feet. Noticing for once that the man seemed frail, his clothes dirty, and his hair a mess. He saw the bruises and raw skin where his chains seemed to cut into him. Scars of bite marks on his hands, and his eyes seemed tired and old. Like they belonged to a time long ago and held knowledge many would kill for. Levi realized then, that this seemingly young man was being tortured day in and day out. Though many would probably be crazy at this point, he was still holding strong.
"What's your other name? The one Mikasa says she can't pronounce?" Levi finally asked. The man, Eren, looked faintly amused as he leaned his head onto his fist, elbow on his chairs arm. After a few moments where Levi began to feel kind of awkward, he finally spoke, "I have been called many things throughout my seemingly never-ending lifetime. Demon incarnate, God, and Eren Yeager; my original name as a child I have long forgotten. Though my most known one is Prometheus, creator of mankind and one of the Greek Titans."