Death: I don't know why I'm torturing myself. Guess I'm a masochist.

Chapter One Captured

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The night was calm, which was considered odd when the sky was cluttered with dark clouds. It was the calm before the storm. And tonight was eerily quiet. It was so quiet and still the air itself would explode in this tension that was about to snap.

High on the rooftops, studying the area, was a hooded figure. The figure, though lacking in height, held enough intimidation to have well trained veterans in the Survey Corp shaking in their boots. And as he kept in the shadows, sharp eyes examined the house he was to break into without notice of the unicorn military uniforms playing bodyguard.

As if my job wasn't as hard enough.

He had the layout of the house memorized. He knew exactly which room where his target was, and which rooms to avoid breaking into, whether they were occupied with family of servant, it didn't matter. The point was, he knew which windows to avoid. But the sentries keeping diligent guard of the house complicated matters, for he hadn't been informed of the extra protection.

Should I call this off? This smells like a trap.

He had been debating this obstacle for the past ten minutes. The air was cold, and it was seeping in through his layers of clothing. He had already figured out the pattern of the guards, even found possible windows to enter the house. So, why was he hesitating?

If I'm this disturbed, then I shouldn't bother tonight. Kenny always said never to ignore my instincts.

Even so, he knew that tonight was the only chance to strike. In the coming dawn, he wouldn't ever able to touch the target for some time. And all of the observation put into this mission would be for nothing. The time to do the job had to be tonight, otherwise he would soon face Kenny's gun for his failure.

And so, even as everything screamed at him not to go along with the plan, he launched into the air. Too much time, effort, and money went into this mission. He can't afford to return with his tail between his legs because a minor change happened. And, hopefully, he wasn't misinformed on the purpose of a trap.

With graceful ease, he reached a target window. Even the soft sound of the gear strapped to either side of him didn't draw any attention of the guard below. His boots didn't even announce his arrival from years of practice, and quickly he slipped in through the window he carefully pried open.

And, just as he predicted, this was an empty guest room. So far his plan was solid. He hoped it would remain that way. With great care he stepped into the hallway, his breathing calm while his heart beat fast from adrenaline. This was the one true thing he was addicted to. The thrill of the hunt just before the kill.

Thus far he found no guards patrolling inside the house. This he found strange. What was the point of protection outside and no one inside? His heart hammered in his chest, every cell in his body ready to flee where he had come in.

I have come too far to abort. I'm almost at the target bedroom.

He only needed to make a left and his target should be three doors down on the right. With caution he peered around the corner to view the adjoined hallway. There was no guard outside the door.

Despite how trained he was, and no matter how many countless times he had done this, his breathing quickened. This was not normal. This was all too easy. Too open for him to finish the job without a problem. Never in his life had he done a job where his target had guards outside the house but not inside, or not in front of the bedroom for that matter.

Then his ears picked up a foreign sound that made his heart stop.

Someone was awake, waiting for him to make his move down the targeted hallway. This was enough warning for him to turn tail. With silent ease he stepped away from the target to slink back to the room he used to break in. With his eyes trained on the hallway they were to trap him, he didn't turn around to see another figure behind him.

Creak.

Immediately he sprung into action. He whirled around with a swing of his blade. His attack was blocked by another blade, but the force of his attack nearly knocked the figure back. Taking his chance the assassin made a sweep kick to take the taller figure down. He had to get out before the scuffle drew attention.

Too late.

With a flash of lightning another figure ran up behind him. Suddenly there was the sound of a dozen pair of boots coming from every direction. In another flash of lightning he expected to see the blue unicorn, but instead he saw the wings of freedom.

Now was the time to panic.

In blurring speed no normal eye could follow, he began cutting down anyone who stood in his way as he zip lined to the nearest exit. Soon he found nearly every door was locked, and he was forced to run back to the room he had used before as his escape route. He didn't care how dirty his clothes were becoming, or the stains that were to be a result. He didn't even care for the blood splatter on his face when someone aimed at his neck with their blade.

He turned down the familiar hallway, almost at the room to escape. The door he had used he left slightly ajar, so he didn't have to bother with the handle as he pushed his way through. And from the door to the window he covered with a leap, aiming a kick to break the glass.

The sound of shattered glass seemed to echo through the night, shattering the world around the house. Without even looking he made a flip and aimed his gear at the nearest building across the street to pull him away from the house that had been set up as his trap.

He heard them follow with their own devices. This did not settle his heart rate, for he knew no matter how great he was in the air, he was in their territory where they reined supreme. These people were trained to kill titans after all.

However, he was a trained assassin. Trained under the best, perhaps even surpassed the best, his mentor.

If I can't escape, I'll take as many down with me. I'll give them reason to kill me.

From day one of his training he had been told that, if captured, it would be better to be killed than be under the enemies hands. That didn't mean go out like a pussy and kill himself. No, he was to go out with a bang.

He had used a variety of tricks up his sleeve to lose them, and for the majority he had. However, there were a few stubborn fools that have thus far managed to keep up with him. No doubt these were seasoned veterans with the way they moved and calculated his movements.

He had almost reached Wall Sina when he found himself cornered. One of the figures he couldn't shake off had suddenly intercepted his path, the two collided in midair. He attempted to use his gear to pull himself away, but the collision made both of the wires jammed. The taller man also had similar issues, for one of the wires got caught and they were sent falling twenty feet.

Their hoods came off, their heads now soaked in the harsh rain. All he saw was a flash of blond hair before the wire that had been caught had jammed, stopping their fall seven feet above the ground. He felt a strong arm wrap around his middle and the two jerked at the sudden stop, groaning.

They swung for a few seconds, all the while he struggled to free himself from the tight hold. Unfortunately during the fall he had lost grip of his blades, and despite his strength he couldn't make that arm budge. With quick thinking he reached for a blade inside his jacket and in a flash the sharp edge was at the other man's throat.

He paused as soon as they locked eyes. It took him a moment to realize that the man was his target. He could slit the man's throat right here and now, it was better to finish the job while he was taken down. It would be one of those killings that would go down in history that he took down his target while being killed. That was the highest honor for an assassin.

And yet he couldn't move.

Those eyes held him, staring right through him. He was frozen, despite all the training Kenny put him through, he couldn't tear himself away from those eyes. There was something about them that commanded his very presence not to finish the job he had been assigned.

Another crack of lightning and the strong arm let him go. He was so entranced he didn't have time to brace himself for the landing other than to curl into a tiny ball. Then his body met something that stretched as it broke his fall. He hit the ground with a soft thud, and then the material closed around him. Peeking though his arms that shielded his face, he realized they had him in a net.

"Commander Erwin! Are you all right, sir?" Someone landed a few feet away, just close enough for him to reach.

"Stay back, he's got a knife." His target warned, intense blue eyes never strayed from the assassin.

In an instant he had lunged at the nearest figure with the knife, but all he could manage was scrape a leg before someone else pinned him down. He struggled for a few seconds. But his struggle was proved to be useless when several blades meant for titans were pointed at him from all directions.

His body went stiff at the realization that not only had he failed his mission, he had been captured. Tears welled at the corner of his eyes, and he was grateful for the rain to hide them. He could not show them any weaknesses.

"What do you intend to do, Commander? He's not worth the dirt under my shoe." The one he had slashed on the leg earlier spoke with disdain.

"I say we kill him. He took too many of us down. This was a waste of effort for the sacrifices made to capture him. He's no better than a Titan. No, he's worse, he's a monster." The one who had him pinned down grabbed his hair. That was all the warning he got before his head was lifted only to be slammed down hard into the mud.

He coughed as the wet dirt choked him, mud sputtered everywhere as he struggled to breathe. Normally he would be disgusted by having such filth touching his skin, but that didn't matter as he awaited on what the commander of the Survey Corp had in store for him.

"He will not be killed. We will be taking him in as our prisoner. Now let's get a move on, he will be coming with us to the new headquarters."

He strained to see the commander, eyes observed for any sign of what they were to do to him. He was also feeling curious as to why they would keep him alive. Looking into his history beforehand, Commander Erwin wasn't into torture. But he was an opportunist, with great strategies to decrease the amount of deaths in the field.

On paper, the man seemed easy to read like an open book. In person, the man was a lot more interesting.

"Isn't that a bad idea, commander? I mean, we also have the other monster that is to arrive tomorrow morning."

They're taking me under custody with their Titan pet? Why? What use do I pose?

"He has to remain alive. And, before we load him into a carriage, search him thoroughly. Assassins carry more than one method of killing." Upon saying that, Erwin met the assassin's gaze.

"Don't touch me." He hissed when hands began to explore. He had such venom in his voice that both pairs of hands drew away.

"Tch. Think you're in any position to be making demands, hot shot? I don't think so!" Someone kicked him in the ribs with all their strength. The assassin didn't even grunt in pain.

"That's enough, Auruo." Erwin stepped forward, then to everyone's surprise he kneeled beside the assassin, eyes locked in a heated gaze. "What do you have in mind?"

"Are you insane commander!?"

"You can't trust him! He's an assassin! He killed so many of us without regret tonight."

"Don't get too close commander…"

He ignored the useless chatter around him. Instead his focus remained on the man he couldn't kill. He tried to see what the man was attempting to do out of this. This man was displaying trust to him. Was it a test?

"If I show a caged animal some form of trust, then that same trust will be given in return. It's up to him, however, if this trust can be beneficial or not." Erwin explained to everyone.

"…If I tell you where the knives are, you are the only person to take them. I don't like being touched by filthy scum." He knew it was a long shot, but he had to take it. He ignored the angry outbursts of everyone around them.

His eyes focused on the commander, silently pleading. If he had to lay his trust in this man who put faith in someone like him, then so be it. As long as he was being treated with respect. That was all that mattered to him at this point.

"Fine, I accept your terms. Now, where are the knives? And please tell me whether or not you have any poisons."

The assassin released a breath he hadn't realized he had been holding. His body went limp with defeat, muscles relaxed.

"Poison is not my forte. I do however carry a small bottle that once consumed, imitates death. Instead it just slows down the heart just enough to play dead, but also remain alive. That is in my jacket, right side."

He didn't understand why he gave away his secret escape so easily. That vial was never to be known to anyone else but him. It was a last ditch effort in means of escape should the need arise. It was one Kenny made him swear never to reveal to the enemy under any circumstance.

Erwin reached for the bottle, pulling out a tiny thing with clear liquid inside. It was barely enough for a small mouthful. With everyone staring, aghast at the trust being displayed before them. From there the assassin told Erwin exactly where all of his knives were hidden. Included was his personal favorite, one he affectionately called Talon.

When Erwin held that one up, the assassin bit his lip, unsure.

"You seem nervous. Why?" A different voice piped up, noting his behavior. The person was out f his peripheral vision, except for a brief second he caught sight of brown hair and glasses.

"That was a gift. I don't care what you do to the rest, but please keep that one safe." He said as the commander examined the slightly curved blade with interest. The material was well made, and definitely not cheap. If anything this was the blade that was better quality than all the rest.

"I'll be sure this remains in good hands. Is that all of them?" Erwin put Talon in his pocket.

"There's no more, that was the last of my knives."

With a nod, the commander stood up.

"Blindfold him, and tie him up. Make sure to take turns watching him as we travel. I don't want any slip ups. Just because he's unarmed doesn't mean he still can't kill."

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Death: I know, it's a little short for my style of first chapter. So, what do you think? Please leave a review, this story popped up on a whim and without planning.