This story takes place before Eren is introduced to the Regiment.
Chapter 1
Elyse couldn't believe the luck that she was having today. It was as if the Titans had attacked again and was about to eat her. Though, she didn't know what was worse, being eaten by a Titan or being in the custody of the Military Police. Sitting alone in the waiting cell, the memory of earlier that day flooded back to her. It started as a normal enough day anyway.
The sun was shining brightly through the window, beckoning for the person in the bed to awake from their slumber. Unawake from the light that filled the room, there was a knock at the door. "Elyse, sweetheart, it's your mother. Are you awake?" From the disturbance of the peaceful silence, there was rustling from the bed. The door to the bedroom opened, a blonde woman with blue eyes peaked inside. She looked regal enough, wearing a pale peach dress and having her hair pulled back into a bun.
The woman's eyes lingered on the person in the bed for a moment before walking over to wake her. "Wake up, you silly girl. You can't sleep in all day today. You need to help me run the store." There was a groan and blankets tossed viciously from the bed.
A younger woman with matching features of the older woman lied there, staring at her mother with contempt, though not very seriously. Her azure eyes narrowed groggily at the sight of sunlight. "Mom, come on…" She trailed off when she noticed the look her mother was giving her. She was about to say something when her mother turned to leave. Her voice cut her daughter off.
"No sass this morning, Elyse. Get yourself ready and meet me at the shop. We have a very busy day ahead of us." With that, the door to Elyse's room shut, leaving her alone to get ready. Elyse sighed and sat up in bed, rubbing her messy blonde hair. She could almost glare at the sun, wishing it could have given her a couple more hours. She was having a good dream too, though she couldn't quite remember what it was about.
After an hour from the day, Elyse was finally ready. With her hair into a side braid, dressed in a gentle pink button up shirt that hung loosely on her, and dark blue jeans, she set off for her mother's store. She walked slowly, feeling a bit uneasy with all the soldiers around town. Noticing the different emblems, there were definitely more soldiers here than usual and to top it off, the Military Police were everywhere. They were slack as usual, but they were all standing in groups rather than just walking around with their fancy rifles. If she knew one thing, she hated the police. She discovered how ridiculously corrupt the system was from the food shortages that happened five years ago when the Titans attacked Wall Maria. Knowing that many people were starving, the police stuffed their faces, and never once liked to help with the charity.
Knowing she probably would look suspicious with her angry stare; Elyse just kept to her own business and ignored them. She didn't want any trouble today, especially with the extra soldiers hanging around. From the chatter, Elyse eavesdropped, and found the supposed purpose for the extra staff today. They were expecting a Commander from another sector of the Military and the rumored strongest soldier, and other political procedures. Elyse's pace quickened, she didn't want to get in the way of any soldier, Commander, the strongest soldier, and what not.
Knowing her mother's store was right around the corner, she wanted to make a quick pit stop before getting into work. Instead walking down the street, she turned to take a narrow alley that lead to another part of the district. Not many people knew about the shortcuts around Wall Sina. Taking the main roads was ideal; it was expected from normal people who had business with the business district or the main center of the city. However, the narrow alleyways were all interconnected, leading to each individual district much quicker than taking the main routes.
Eventually, Elyse was close to one of the poorer districts in town when stopped in her tracks. Military Police were down here too, of all places to be. They were messing with a boy, which immediately pissed Elyse off. He had a full lock of brown hair, wearing baggy clothes. Regardless of how he looked, he was she favorite person. Normally she would drop kick anyone who messed with him, but with the Military Police weren't people you just mess with. Even simply retaliation had the most dangerous consequences. She heard that if anyone stepped out of line or crossed them, they had the right to shoot if they wanted. It was a stupid system and all the more reason for her to keep out of sight.
Hiding by the corner one of the alleys, Elyse watched carefully from the scene in front of her. The echoes of the neighborhood bounced off the walls, everyone who was in the vicinity could hear the conversation.
"What are you going to do, huh? You're a little punk kid who probably stole this." One soldier said, referring to the boy's loaf of bread. Anyone could tell that it wasn't fresh and that the young boy didn't steal it, Elyse definitely knew that much. Before anyone could react, the soldier took the boy's bread, and threw it to the ground. With the heel of his boots, he stomped it out, resulting in being squished and dirtied. The other soldier laughed, waiting for the boy's response, and eventually looked at the other group of kids who were watching.
"Come one, you little shits. Attack us. Get your revenge for this little sport here." A hand ruffled the boy's hair, causing him to flinch, and back away. This caused the soldiers to get a little angry. "What? You all are to chicken shit to do anything now? Fucking figures. Let's go." With a turn on their heels, the soldiers walked away, laughter echoing the quiet street. The brown-haired boy tried hard not to cry, biting his lip, and wiping his nose with his sleeve.
Coming out from her hiding spot, Elyse walked over to him, glancing at his stomped out bread. At the sight of her, he couldn't keep his tears in, and started to cry. "Miss Elyse, I'm so sorry…the bread you gave me…" He choked through his sobs. Elyse fixed his ruffled hair.
"It's okay Brian. It's no biggie." She knelt to him and gave him a smile. She smoothed out his messy hair. "I can get you more, you know." Brian's eyes snapped open, tears still within them.
"No, Miss Elyse! You can't steal anymore bread for me!" Brian's voice dropped down low so no one could hear. "Your skills are the best, but the police are being complete assholes today!"
Elyse shot him a look. "You mean jerks, right?"
Brian shuffled, knowing what he said wasn't appropriate for someone his age. He nodded in reply but continued, "Please, Elyse…it's okay, I wasn't hungry anyway…" He trailed off, his eyes lingering on the smashed bread on the ground.
From the survival look on his face, she knew that he would probably eat it once she left his sight. His family was a special case, one of the few in this luxurious city who were drop-dead type of poor. Brian's father was murdered by one of the Titans when Wall Maria fell, and his mother worked hard just make ends meet. But lately there was a raise in taxes and Brian's family suffered greatly. Unable to make enough to afford food, Brian used up his share to make sure his sister could eat. The whole system triggered her, how the government acted when the Titans invaded to how the distribution of food. She was one of the lucky ones, she lived in Sina her whole life, but she couldn't ignore how her family was fine and Brian's wasn't.
Her family wasn't the richest family, but they were well off. When Elyse was younger, she had met Brian, and immediately clung to him. He was so spunky, fun, and just downright playful even though he had survived the monstrous Titans. Despite his attitude, Brian was Elyse's escape from her mundane activities and so when his life started to falter, so did hers. It was gradually at first, but Elyse wasn't really like other kids in her social class. Even as a kid she was messy and enjoyed running around the city than studying books or earning a higher social status. Especially when she grew up, Elyse wondered if there was more to life than what her parents' wanted from her. More than dressing fancy and impressing other people.
Though, Brian's life changed hers. Knowing that Brian was hungry and that her mother wouldn't be impressed with the fact that she wanted to help a poorer boy, having spare money was out of the question. So, Elyse did the unthinkable for someone like her. In the light of day, she had stolen a loaf of bread from the baker and gotten away with it. Though she committed a crime, she didn't feel guilty. Elyse's family knew the baker on a personal level, and he had admitted that he tosses the unsold bread every night. And there was always bread left over from the day.
"So no harm done, right?" Elyse had told Brian the day she had took it from the baker. She didn't stop there. She did it every day and even homed in on her skills as she started pick-pocketing money and swiping food from stalls. She also practiced on her speed and agility, just in case she was caught. She would be seen flying through the city and disappearing through the alleyways. Though her training was mostly endurance, she also tested her limits, climbed walls, and jumped over fences. She felt that she always had to be prepared in case the worse happened.
As she continued with the crimes, she never once felt guilty towards the richer people. The money and the food weren't going to her, they were going to Brian and his family, just so they could survive one more night. To see Brian happy was enough for her. Though, she had to admit that she was worried that Brian was going to take upon himself one day to steal from someone and get caught. Throughout the years though, he never did.
But something had changed in Brian today. Usually he wanted to see her in action, knowing that she was stealthy and had never been caught yet, but today he was begging her not to. The options of too many soldiers did play a difficult role in getting Brian some food.
Elyse had eventually smiled at him and said, "Don't worry. I have money with me today. I'll buy your bread this time." She winked at him kindly, but before they could leave, she spoke to him softly. "I'm tired off all of the Military Police always bullying you kids. Those taxes that we all pay go to the damn police and you know what they do with them?" Brian's eyes looked up to her, awaiting her answer. She almost told him the truth, which was that they wasted it on liquor, prostitutes, gambling, and whatever fancy food that they eat. She couldn't tell a young boy about those things.
She twisted it, just a little. "They spend it on whatever they want while they know people are starving. Brian, I want you to wait right here while I buy your bread, okay?" Brian almost looked puzzled. He wasn't sure why she wanted him to hide if she was just going to buy it. Though, he listened and stayed behind as she made her way to the business district. Just to be safe, she wanted him to stay behind in case those soldiers recognized him. As she felt before, she didn't want any trouble.
As she walked back over to the business district, there was a pain her stomach from the soldiers that were looming around the districts. Though she wasn't going to commit her usual crime, she couldn't help but to feel uneasy. As she strode to the baker's food stand, she knew her mother would be steaming at this point. She was way over an hour late and would feel her wrath when she would finally get to the store. Clenching her money bag in her hand, for the first time in a long time she didn't care.
She was a grown woman who lived a double life, a cross between a thief and a wealthy citizen. The mix just tasted badly in her mouth and deep down, she wasn't either of those things. Elyse just picked because she had to, to give other people what they wanted. For Brian, she didn't mind but when it came down to helping her mother, she wanted to vomit. They weren't rich and would probably never be. Her mother was so insistent that Elyse acted more like a lady so someone would want to marry her. Her mother was always so intent about Elyse finding a nice, rich boy who would give her the time of day. And her idea of a lady was to look pretty and keep their mouths shut. Elyse would rather be alone than settle for that type of life.
The baker's voice pulled her out of her gloomy mindset. She quickly ordered a loaf of bread and one of the softest, yet firmest pieces of bread for her. It wasn't quite flavored but seasoned with some type of grain that she liked. Just as she paid, her thoughts continued to echo, clawing at her for attention. Elyse frowned, eyeing her reflection from the bakery's windows. Elyse was attractive enough to marry, but knew it wouldn't make her happy. She wanted to live a life where she was accepted as she was, to make friends who actually saw her, and possibility just live a peaceful life…
But that wasn't realistic. People like her don't get to live that way. People like her eventually mold into society and quietly fade away. It would be quiet and miserable death.
And for the first time, she felt like a caged bird trying to get free. The feeling of isolation and imprisonment was suddenly overwhelming that the familiar voices of the Military Police caught her attention. Trying to get her breathing under control, she focused on them, noticing how their were saluting other soldiers. They were laughing, acting all coolly as they did before. Their selfish attitudes and ridiculous lives made her lose control. Before she could think about what she was doing, she did the unthinkable. She had grabbed a loaf from the stall and threw it as hard as she could.
"Hey Marty, look!" Marty was hit in the stomach by his friend, Simon. They were both in the Military Police together, and though they enjoyed their lax day-to-day routine, they couldn't continue such slacking behavior with the Commander from the Survey Corps coming around. There were rumors about the Commander coming to Sina to speak with the other officials about expeditions. The meeting must have been over since the Commander had been seen in the business district. Marty and Simon were sitting on one of the bench, whistling at passerby females when the Commander was spotted. Simon, who was sitting by Marty and seen the guy first, slapping his friend's stomach for attention.
Commander Erwin Smith was walking around, talking with another individual from his army. He was on the shorter side, but the look on his face demanded that he not be taken lightly. The two soldiers didn't recognize the shorter, dark haired man, and didn't bother with introductions. In hopes of some sort of promotion for their sudden diligence and hospitality, Marty and Simon stood up straight and saluted Erwin.
"Good day, sir!"
"Lovely weather we are having here today, sir!"
The shorter soldier immediately looked annoyed, but the Commander only smiled. "At ease, and yes. Lovely weather, indeed." Erwin continued to walk, eyeing the other shops when Marty and Simon marched in front of him.
"Sir, I hope your stay in Sina was very pleasant?"
"Yes, hope the meeting went very well too, sir."
Though they were clearly being overbearing and rudely bothersome, Erwin continued to indulge them. "Of course. The meeting was very successful. Now if you'll excuse me-" Clearly, the soldiers didn't want to leave unless they knew their efforts wouldn't be wasted. However, Simon knew that Marty might have stepped over the line a bit when Marty interrupted Erwin.
"So any progress with pushing back the Titans from Wall Maria? Heard that attack was god awful nasty. From all the expeditions your Regiment goes on, you'd think that we'd regain back the Wall." Marty stated smugly, laughing in reply to his comment. Though he probably didn't mean for it sound so rude, he offended dark haired man beside Erwin. He didn't have time to think when his shirt was ruffled dangerously by his neck, speaking low, so other soldiers couldn't hear what he was going to say.
Erwin raised his hand, trying to calm his soldier. "Levi…" It rolled off as sigh, though he didn't stop him by any means.
Something gold flashed in Levi's perception but ignored it, "Listen you, stupid, poor excuse for a soldier. The Survey Corps-"Thuck. The grip on Marty's shirt loosened as a round, thick shaped bread dropped onto the street. Levi just stared at it as Marty whirled around, flustered. A piece of bread hit him in the head.
"Who fucking threw that?!" He exclaimed, ignoring the conversation with Erwin and Levi altogether.
Elyse's hands were shaking. There was no way she just lost control over herself and there was definitely no way she threw something at the Military Police. She could steal from people and do it right under the Police's noses but to directly aim for a confrontation? Elyse surely had lost her mind, especially when her whole point was to be invisible. Everything she did conflicted with how she felt and she wasn't sure how to undo it.
"Who fucking threw that?!" A loud, obnoxious voice from one of the soldiers filled the street. Faces looked around, curious to who would be so stupid. The baker had looked at Elyse, startled by the sudden commotion. His chubby fingers lifted, pointing in her direction. "She did it! I saw her!"
Her heart stopped and hands grew sweaty. Boots came stomping over in her direction, ordering her to stay put. Elyse felt something in her hands, something soft, and warm. The loaf of bread she bought for Brian was still in her hands. They were going to arrest her for civilian disobedience and possibly, as silly as it sounded, assault on a soldier. If she let them subdue her, Brian would be waiting for her and she couldn't even think about him starving to death. Feeling like her entire life was summed up to one instant, she ran.
She huffed as she flew down one of the alleys, a group of trained soldiers behind her. Hearing the slamming of the boots, it almost felt surreal. She was a thief for years, and often dreamt of this moment. Though, she did train for this and probably knew the streets better than many of the soldiers, she couldn't believe this was happening. She kept her head clear though, determined to make sure Brian would have his bread.
She kept to what she knew, pivoting at the right time for corners, knocking over trashcans and other things to slow them down. She was leading them back to the back-alley slums. She avoided most alleys that could help her escape them, but wouldn't be able to climb with a loaf in her hands.
As she continued to run, huffing from the chase, she caught Brian's brown eyes peering up from her from behind a couple of boxes down an alleyway. With one toss, the loaf spun up into the air, and landed right behind the boxes. She could only hope that the soldiers were more interested in her than grabbing what she threw. Unable to worry about that now, she ran into another alley that led back to the business district.
Elyse knew that even if she could outrun them, the baker knew her face, and would surely turn her into the authorities. There was no getting out of this predicament without facing the consequences. Though, if this was her one moment in life where she could test how far she could go, she was taking. With a leap of faith, she decided to take up the challenge against the police force.
Just as she came back to the business district, other Police soldiers stayed behind, and attempted to corner her if she reappeared. It was like time slowed down for her. Elyse could read the other soldiers body movement. They had already placed so much weight into their ankles that she knew that if she could wait till the last second, and move around them that they would be to slow for her. About to clash right into them, she waited one final second before she spun around, dodging the hands that reached for her. Feeling her body rotate around, she set herself back on course. She peered behind her, seeing the frustrated look of the soldiers. She was smaller too, more agile than she appeared to be. Judging based on what they knew wasn't going to help them catch her.
Elyse took the following soldiers down another alleyway, towards the small river that came through the city. Knowing that this alley had a fence, Elyse picked up her speed, needing more distance from the soldiers to make this happen. Just as the soldiers took another turn, they thought they had her cornered. The fence was massive and sealed tight. Unless the small girl could climb quickly, she would finally be caught. To their dismay, she was already climbing when they arrived.
Marty had finally caught up with the group, spotting the blonde haired fugitive. He pulled out his rifle, aiming for her back. "Freeze! You continue to run and I will shoot you!" He almost smirked when she stopped in mid-climb. "Good, now get down and stop resisting arrest. If you apologize correctly, we won't report this." Other soldiers laughed in response, and a strange gleam in his eyes grew in Marty's eyes. Thinking that she was going to cooperate now that they had her cornered, Marty started to relax when she climbed down.
"That's a good girl." He stated, attempting to grab her when she turned around, and gave him most icy glare she ever gave a human look was so intense that he thought that she was going to rip him apart. Sweat was building at his hands when she started climbing again, quicker this time. She doubted his ability to shoot her. "H-hey!" He fumbled with his gun, trying to get his bearings again.
A firm hand landed on Marty's shoulder. His eyes meet another pair of blue eyes and he almost jumped in surprised. Commander Erwin stared at him with such a serious look. Marty had only hoped he hadn't heard his last comment. However, Erwin didn't mention it. He only stared at the fugitive before responding. "No guns are necessary. Captain Levi will handle her capture."
Marty set down his rifle, "Captain Levi?!" He exclaimed. He almost shot his foot in surprise. He remembered Erwin mentioning that name earlier and now it finally hit him. The shorter, dark haired man he offended was in fact the most famous soldier humanity had to offer. "Captain Levi…humanity's strongest soldier…Oh shit, I had no idea."
As Elyse finished climbing the fence, she hopped down, and landed firmly on the ground. Sensing that the Military Police wasn't following her, she took off into a light jog to gain back her stamina. She had been running for a long time now and though she had prepared for this, the adrenaline she felt wasn't something she arranged for. Fear was bubbling up inside of her about the idea of the consequences. She would be caught and left to remain in jail. Her mother probably would disown her for her actions too. Elyse wouldn't blame her. She didn't really amount to anything after all, just a common thief and an assaulter.
Break time was over when she heard more pounding of boots. She dusted herself off and began running again. She disappeared into another alleyway, using the time to climb up a ladder to get to one of the building's roofs. Though soldiers used their 3D maneuvering gear for Titan attacks, Elyse thought that she would be safer on the rooftops. Military Police never used them unless in extreme emergencies. From her high vision, she could see the other soldiers splitting up, and going down other alleyways. It was like playing a game of cat and mouse.
Hearing from the echoes of the streets that they were going to check the rooftops, Elyse decided it was a good time to move. She went to the end of the rooftop to step down when she was met by a pair of intense, steel eyes that were hidden behind jet black hair. She was startled by the sudden appearance of this man, instantly knowing he was a soldier by the emblem on his leather jacket. He landed in front of her, his green cloak wrapping around his shoulders, now hiding his uniform from her gaze.
Elyse stumbled backwards, though she regained her footing. They only stared at each other, waiting for the other to make their move. She wanted to turn the other way, but he displayed cunning agility on his attempt to reach her up here. As a soldier, he probably was familiar with rooftop bricking, where she wasn't so that idea was out of the question. He'd catch her the moment she'd run. Her only chance was to escape through the ladder, though he might catch her then too.
After a couple of seconds, the man spoke. "What are you going to choose?" Elyse blinked at him. He was seriously waiting for her to decide. He was patient, calculating, and more than likely deceiving. Though, Elyse wondered if he saw right through her. Did he know that she knew that this was going to end soon anyway? This was just a game to her now, her very last game before she would rot in prison.
Without hesitating, Elyse moved backwards, careful about the brick with her footing. She aimed for the handle of the ladder, and stumbled downwards. She made it to the ground when a blanket of green shrouded over her, blinding her vision. She tried to pull the fabric off of her when something hard pushed into her stomach. There was a sharp feeling that ripped the breath right out of her diaphragm. As black balls pulsed through her green vision, she let out one last groan of defeat before going unconscious.
Elyse had awoken within a jail cell with a throbbing headache and a bruise on her stomach. Having time to reflect on what happened, she came to the conclusion that the man who challenged her on the roof had covered her in his cloak, and had punched her so hard it knocked her out. With her hands surprisingly steady, her heart pounded slowly in her chest. A sad sigh escaped her lips, familiarizing herself with the small cell and the bars. Though this was just the holding cell, she probably going see these walls for a long time. And in these walls, she reflected on how such a sad and miserable person she was. She was a young woman, supposed to be happily married, working, and probably having babies around this time. Though, she chose a much different life.
Footsteps turned her attention to the figure at the cell door. It was just some soldier, a hard look on his face. He didn't seem like he admired his duty to much. He unlocked the door, fastened a pair of handcuffs onto her wrists, and ordered her to follow him. He led her to a room that wasn't like her cell, but a comfortable area with windows and sofas. Elyse glanced outside the glasses window, seeing the sunset ripple along the horizon. She dreaded how she probably would never be free enough to see it again.
At the sight of her, a man rose to his feet. Commander Erwin eyed her but smiled sincerely. "Hello, my name is Erwin Smith. I'm Commander of the Survey Corps. Please sit down." He gestured to the empty sofa across from him. As she sat down, she noticed there was another man leaning against the wall. Elyse recognized him as the man who encountered her on the roof. He had such a bored expression on his face, though it wasn't much different than the one he wore when they first met. Erwin must have taken notice to where she was looking and properly introduced the man. "Ah, that man there is Lance Corporal Levi. He is one of my captains for the Corps. Though, I'm sure you already met each other?" It wasn't a real question, and Elyse could tell that he was almost amused by it.
Erwin had sat down on the sofa across from Elyse, staring at her intently. "You know, I was quite impressed with your…display this afternoon." He had taken careful consideration over what words he used, trying not to over step his boundaries as a military official. Regardless of how impressive it was though, he couldn't act to relieved. She did assault and offend an entire military symbol.
Elyse didn't say anything, only eyeing the coffee table that separated them. Erwin continued speaking, "You really offended many officers today, not only for throwing bread but resisting arrest. Many of them believed that you were mocking them." Though there wasn't any amusement laced in his expression, his tone sounded like he enjoyed her attempt at mockery. However, a sharp frown laced his features. "And Marty, the officer you assaulted is pressing charges. Not only that, but some information was leaked about you." This caught Elyse's full attention. Her blue eyes flickered towards his, matching almost in color. "Turns out that you also stole from many noblemen and businesses?"
Elyse noticed that there was a slight exchange of glances between Erwin and Levi. Almost like there was a quiet, unspeakable conversation going on between them. Elyse shuffled uncomfortably. Brian wasn't one to tell on her, so she ruled him out. However, there were many eyes and ears in the slums. It could have obvious about her real identity but still couldn't fathom someone turning on her. Perhaps she wasn't a hero to Brian, but a nuisance to someone else. Erwin's eyes landed back on her, "It's interesting though."
Elyse knew what was coming and decided to beat him to it. "Because of what my social standing is?" From the look on his face, she was right in assuming. She decided to explain to him. "I was doing it for someone else. I'm not blaming anyone, nor am I involve in some type of gang. There was this kid whose family couldn't provide for their children anymore. The taxes really hurt them." It felt weird telling her story, she never told anyone before. "So I decided to help. I was too young to have money and knew my parents wouldn't help his family so I decided to do something else entirely."
"So you robbed people?" The comment came from Levi. From the look on his face, it almost seemed like he disapproved, but his tone told something else all together. She wasn't sure what he meant by it, but continued anyway.
"Yes, but it was from people who wouldn't need it. Nobles and business people are wasteful. If they were going to be so wasteful with things that others need, I was going to take it. I know people who wouldn't waste things. I know people who are dying to survive." As she finished, she could see something resonate within the commander. He smiled and stood up from his place on the sofa.
"The Military Police won't understand your perspective of survival, but I do." Erwin's hard, blue eyes beamed down at her. "Your trial is going to begin soon and I know they are going to want you in prison or put to death for your past crimes." The light in Elyse's eyes was fading, hanging on like a candle in the wind. "However, if there is something I can do, I will. I admire your courage." With that, soldiers came in, and carried Elyse off down the hallway.
Levi moved from his spot from the wall, staring at his commander. "You really think this is a good idea?"
Erwin made himself a cup of tea. "Only time can tell, but if there is something I've learned over the years is that I have a gift for spotting natural talent." Erwin's eyes landed upon Levi's, making the shorter male scoff in reply.
"The girl may have dodged and outsmarted professional soldiers, but that doesn't mean she has the skills against Titans."
Erwin's eyes danced in amusement, knowing his fellow soldier wasn't seeing the connection. "You were once the same too, were you not?"
Levi's face twisted in remembrance, though it was so long ago. "You know how I feel about wasting lives, Erwin. You convince them not to kill her and she comes with us only wait to die as well. There is no win here." Titans were so unpredictable that even the most skilled would die cruelly to the monsters. Levi had seen a lot of his fellow soldiers perish, people whom he started to get comfortable around, people who he respected, and for Erwin to have a hunch about a young women who was quick on her feet to join their ranks without training almost offense to him.
"Well then, if I do convince the court, then she'll be under your watch. Make sure that she learns properly and doesn't die then." Erwin eyed the younger male. Levi wasn't happy about this. He could tell from the contortion that twisted onto Levi's features. Though he was clearly against it, he didn't say anymore about it. Erwin was his commander and he trusted his judgment. Erwin didn't have any judgment about Levi's perspective either. Though, if there was one person who could teach anyone anything about fighting against Titans, it was Levi.
Finally, the trial was underway. Elyse was pulled into a big room filled with offended Military Police, important disciplinary council members, and even Commander Erwin. Instinctively, her eyes darted around the group of officials but didn't spot Levi among them. As they moved her into the center of the court room, Elyse spotted her mother and father among the people attending. Elyse almost felt her stomach drop, her mother had been crying, and could only imagine on how she would react from the sentencing.
The moment Elyse had walked in, there were many whispers. She didn't look like the common criminal that made their into the court room. With her blonde still pulled into a simple braid, pink shirt, and azure eyes looked more watery than icy, she almost looked like a trampled flower. The guards stopped ushering her forward once she reached the center, standing in front of the council members. They were still whispering among themselves when the trial began. Erwin had almost hoped that Elyse's innocent looking appearance would sway the council away from her crimes.
The buzzing of voices didn't reach Elyse. Being in the court room was overwhelming. She felt almost out of it, dizzy even, as other talked about the girl in front of them. Her attention came in and out, hearing bits and pieces of "stole from the finest people in the city", "doesn't look very threatening…", "should be jailed anyway", and what snapped her out of her whirlwind was the simple phrase, "She should be put to death for the crimes she's committed." An older looking man stated it, staring her straight in the eye. "Clearly she's mastered it. Look at her. Looks innocent enough, wouldn't ever look like a criminal who dared steal from nobles, let alone attack one of our finest soldiers…"
There was more chatter, arguing between council members. Erwin had used this time to make his appeal. "Council members, if I may?" No one rejected, so he continued. "Regardless of whatever the court decides to be the fate of this young woman, she won't be free to roam the city under any circumstances what-so-ever?" There was grumbling, but they were all agreed. "Then, it shouldn't matter what type of fate this woman endures, correct?"
The older member spoke up, "Just what are you getting at, Erwin?"
"Well, the Survey Corps always needs more men to supply the ranks. I was there when this woman disturbed the peace, and even though it's unforgivable for what she did to the officer, she did show some talent that the Corps could use. Regardless what you all decided, wouldn't you want this criminal to reform, and help humanity in its fight for freedom?"
There were eyes shifting around the room as the question loomed over them. To have this woman die or be jailed here, or be trapped with the ranks of the most life- threatening regiment in the military? It would almost be a waste if she was capable to have her die here, especially when humanity's fate tipping ever slowly off the deep end. Eventually, the council members came to sudden agreement.
"Commander Erwin Smith, you've made an excellent point. Elyse Owens, charged with assault and thievery will be assigned to the Survey Corps under your rule. See to it that this criminal finds a place among your ranks." With that, it was over, and Elyse's life was spared. Though, as guards hauled her away, Elyse didn't feel like she was safe at all. She was forced to enlist to the Survey Corps, the regiment that barely survived five minutes outside the walls. Sure, she was safe from the bullet from the Military Police's rifles, but she would surely die at the hands of a Titan.
Elyse's handcuffs were removed as she placed into the parlor where she met Erwin. She was left alone in there and could almost scream in frustration. Didn't anyone care what she thought of it all? Didn't anyone ask her which death she'd like? All she did was steal food and some money from people. It wasn't like she killed anyone. The only one who seemed to understand the severity of her sentence was her parents, who silently cried as the sentence was given. Sure, Elyse was going land in hot water for her actions, but to be sent to kill Titans?
As the door opened, Levi stepped through, and looking more irritable than her. He eyed her and with some difficulty, she tried to bite her tongue. "Where's Erwin?" Though she was trying to be reasonable, she was about to burst with frustration. He'd said he'd help her, not enlist her.
"What? Not satisfied with how it went?" He wasn't exactly condescending, though it was almost sounded like he was mocking her.
"Not at all…" Her fists were clenching, knuckles turning white with pressure. Levi noticed the sudden rage that was building up inside of her.
"Getting angry won't help. You should be thankful. Erwin doesn't do this for everyone. You're lucky you picked today of all days to grow a spine against the force." Levi stated with a huff, eyebrows tensing. "He was somehow impressed by you and decided to save your life. Though, it's up to you now to save your own against the Titans."
She didn't know if talking to him was helping, but it relaxed her somehow. He wasn't like other people. People were usually so animated, full of obnoxious colors that demanded to be seen and heard. Levi wasn't like that at all. Either he didn't care or his color was stuffed out of him a long time ago. From the tired bags under his eyes, and how tense his eyes were, Elyse could practically feel his burden. Though, she did wonder why he challenged her on the roof instead of chase mindlessly after her like the other soldiers. From his cunning, she figured he had real experience, and decided to ask him one last question.
"Erwin was impressed with me." Her eyes lingered on his for a second, deciding it was safe to ask. "Were you?"
From the question, Levi knew she was referring to the moment on the roof. He stared, unmoving, silent besides for his soft inhales of breath. Elyse took notice of shorter he was than the average male. Though, she was on the shorter side as well, Levi was a bit shorter than her. If it wasn't for his glare made of steel, she would have thought he looked intimidating but with her life on the line, and his emotionless expression, it was hard for fear to reach her. Though when his face changed unexpectedly to one of honest observation, she felt her heart quicken slightly.
"Not bad for a punk, street kid." He deadpanned, caused Elyse to shudder in frustration.
"Hey, I'm not a punk or a kid." She stated, though from the look on her face, Levi wasn't convinced. It wouldn't matter if she was older than she looked; she still had a youthful sense to her.
"Maybe." Levi held the door open, eyes ushering her to come. "Erwin has placed you under my care so we shall see which one you really are, a street punk brat or just a simple minded brat." There was no getting around him, no matter how many times she could tell him that she wasn't, he wouldn't believe her. Huffing in defeat, she followed his order, and walked out the door. She avoided his gaze, though she could practically feel steel orbs stabbing away at her back. It was a classic case of out of the frying pan, and into the freezer. Lance Corporal Levi was the iciest thing out there and she was not looking forward to training with him.