Author's Note: I am running out of time, have too much to do and yet nostalgy is important to me. So a nostalgic fic it is.
This take place immediately before the beginning of No Regrets/A Choice with no Regrets and goes to the scene of them meeting. I had no internet access while writing, so I couldn't confirm the OVA but I loosely used the manga and my memory for lines and whatnot with my own liberties.
Second chapter follows Levi immediately afterwards, stepping out of the Underground for the first time.
Disclaimer: I obviously do not own Shingeki no Kyojin. Thank you Isayama.
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In the most direct way and in the shortest number of words, this was a world apart.
In all honesty, Erwin expected the smell to be worse. This was the third time he climbed down these stairs, and his opinion hadn't changed. The air was definitely heavier, more humid and sprayed by more than dust and smoke, but in some parts of his imagination he expected the stench of sewers, bodily fluids, corpses and disease to be contaminating every breath of little oxygen he could get, and that wasn't as close to the truth as he thought.
It wasn't completely off, either. Mike, however, seemed to have entered Erwin's most grotesque imaginings, with his sensitive nose catching every nuance of smell Erwin was mostly and gladly oblivious to.
"I want this mission over quickly," he said for the third time in the past minutes. Mike had accompained Erwin each time they were on the Underground, and that phrase was constant. "I don't want to spend a single second here longer than necessary. I know you grow to be immune to smell, but this is..."
"I didn't tell you before, did I. I insisted in coming to the Underground."
"Yes, I realized you did, and I sure as hell wanted to ask you why, but I didn't want to open my mouth too often in this place. I just hope I won't be contaminated for life for being here all these times."
"I always wanted to come down here as a child."
Mike didn't hide his opinion on the confession with a short bewildered laugh.
"Yes, Mike?" Erwin asked, already entertained by his friend's reaction. It was just like so many reactions he had got before, he was used to it.
"You are just about the only person I know that would ever say that. Hundreds, thousands of people strive to get out of here all their lives, and you want to come down here instead. Only you, Erwin."
"If it makes me less strange, I wanted to see both the impressive achievement of humanity in building this place, and the utter revulsion and inhumanity in maintaining it."
Mike didn't sound altogether satisfied with the answer, but it was the best Erwin could give him. And it was the truth. He often imagined as a child what this underground place would look like, how would the people here look after years without natural light, what the landscape of the city would be. He never cared if it was a morbid wish. All he ever had were morbid and feint wishes.
He got to see all of that, and prove the impressiveness and inhumanity of it just like he had always considered. Human reaction to these circumstances was just equally impressive and expected, daily strifes for food and survival over each other made clear each time he turned a road of this place. How many people had died moments after he had walked a certain location? It was a morbid consideration.
He had also seen how strife brought talent. Those three Underground thugs he and Mike happened to witness, holding military equipment and using it with expertise likely to put several active militaries to shame. Erwin wasn't about to let that talent sink and fall lost in oblivion beneath the grounds of Wall Sina.
These thieves might be dangerous. They might be valuable or disposable for the military, assessments yet to be made (even though Erwin had the outcome quite mapped), but the dispatched squad composed by himself, Mike and two more Survey Corps members would be more than enough to deal with whichever skills these Underground criminals could have mastered. Orders would have been reason enough for Erwin to be here, naturally, but he would have insisted to be present in this mission even if Commander Shadis had dismissed him from it.
How befitting that these thugs had been chosen. Erwin's intentions held more motives than talent scavaging.
He was here, of course, because of Nicholas Lobov. Any person that questioned any form of authority or higher social status would always be considered nuisances of easy riddance for those people 'above' that held that invisible and intangible right to rule life and death of those they wished.
Did this analogy apply to these people from the Underground? Were these people here seen as easily disposable flesh after desired needs had been met, or if they became any form of nuisance?
Of course they were. Even more so than Erwin, if he considered the matter for just one second. They were denied even the sky; they were silently expected to die, held no rights whatsoever for the people above. Hence Lobov and the likes of his schemes. Both Erwin and these Underground people were a hierarchy of disposable trash, easier to get rid of each step you climbed down.
Well, he was here to prove Lobov wrong. He was curious to see what the perpetrators of his future planned execution would prove too.
"These MPs won't be happy if we find out some of them are founding these thugs," Mike said under his breath on the last steps of the staircase. "3DMG isn't exactly a toy some brats from the Underground can play with. I don't buy that they stole it and just learned on their own."
"I don't believe it, either. But either way, they know how to use it. I am intrigued."
"Intrigued, meaning you're already planning to get them to join us as soon as they're captured. You must think you fool me with that angel face like you do everyone else, Erwin."
Erwin smiled.
"I don't know how the high ups even considered the possibility," Mike added. "But you must be forgetting insubordination is a crime. Street thugs don't answer to orders."
"They do, like everyone else. And they will, if they chose to do so."
The squad was escorted down another staircase and through a few streets and alleyways by a couple of Military Police, leading them to one of their many headquarters in the Underground. As it was above ground, the MPs here weren't too satisfied and pleased with their presence, but not only was it commonplace, it also meant they wouldn't be stalled for whichever reason.
"We know these thugs," One of the higher ranked officer said, an older man with a distasteful face. "Rats that learned how to fly. They keep evading us and rats as they are, live in nests where we can't easily access. Now that they can fly, they can just shit all over us even more. That equipment is ours, don't forget."
"We most certainly won't. One of our orders is to assess where they got their equipment from," Erwin said.
"That's a stupid ass question. They stole it."
"That much is obvious, sir, but you haven't been able to pinpoint from which headquarters' you're short of equipment."
The MP scoffed. "Well, we'll know soon enough if you do your job right," and turned around, muttering between his teeth, and Erwin caught a slightly clear '...wait to get my hands on that fucker.' Erwin couldn't help but mentally scoff as well. Another officer replaced the older man, slightly more resourseful.
"We will lead you to their expected location. We arranged for a cargo transportation that is just likely to be raided by them. These rats are fast, as you can imagine. From then on, you're on your own."
Mike was a bit more than happy to hear that.
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And so it was, the first meeting with whom might one day kill Erwin, or whom might help save Humanity from oblivion.
The quick glance from the other day hadn't betrayed Erwin. As he saw the man ambushed by Mike, holding his ground despite the impact and expertly fight the far taller and stronger adversary, he recognized the undercut dark hair and small body structure. He managed to disarm Mike of one blade, and spinned the knife on his hand for a blow he might have laid countless times before, only this time it met Erwin's blade in the way.
For the first time he was face to face with the sharp eyes and scowled pale expression of this Underground famous criminal.
He quickly regained the balance Erwin had taken off with the impact on his blades and averted Erwin's attack time and again until he charged against the smaller man. His size hid a force to take note of, as their arms clashed against each other to avoid the blades, both of them holding the other on a grip. The man locked Erwin's shirtcuff and wrist and kept it just away from his shoulder, and Erwin tightened his hand over a thin wrist that still tried to push forward the hand and the knife on it. More than anything, the man seemed annoyed Erwin was turning out a stronger opponent than anticipated, but gave no indication of fear or backing down despite what their striking height differance might have hinted. From his end, Erwin would feel silently impressed after he had removed the threat of the weapon out of the way.
"Look around you." It wasn't meant as a distraction, but the criminal didn't let his guard down either way as he too heard the loud complaints of a young woman. Even as his eyes turned to Erwin's two squad members carrying the other two thugs in chains, he didn't create a gap Erwin could have used to hit him. The woman kept lashing and kicking at her capturer and the other man said something to her. Odds as they were, the outcome was obvious, and even though Mike would put a decisive end on the clash, Erwin guessed correctly that this man in front of him could still insist in fighting.
As it was, his friends were captured already. Loyalty (or some other reason) turned his expression into hate as his eyes turned back to Erwin, and even though his jaw hardened in rage, he let out a resigned snort and opened his hand, knife slipping and falling from his grip. Erwin waited a second after it screeched on impact before he relaxed and loosened the hold on the man's wrist slightly. He held his arms up in surrender, but that was the angriest surrender expression Erwin had seen so far.
Erwin let go of him when Mike was already behind the man, shackles ready to be locked. The criminal didn't remove that hatred off his eyes as Mike forced his arms down and behind his back. Despite the still loud protests of his partners, now that the situation was calmer, Erwin analysed the man in front of him; he probably fit the mental musings of how an Underground resident might look like. Had he not just been fighting with him, Erwin would almost think Mike's rough strength would be unecessary. The man's height and paleness suggested a malnourishment that enhanced the dark circles under his eyes. It would make someone kindhearted like Marie act in compassion rather than disgust. Yet, that silent hatred was striking.
"Hey, hands off!" the woman yelled as Mike pushed the thug leader forward, and together with the help of the other squad member, started to remove the 3DMG off. "That's ours! You scum from up ground just wanna grab us around, huh?!"
"No, we want to recover stolen equipment," his squad member pointed out, in a tone that suggested that accusation had already been made before. As it was a military woman saying that, it should have calmed the younger one, but apparently it had little impact. Erwin quietly watched as the two thugs were forced on their knees a little further ahead, the young woman still protesting not over the treatment she was getting but over Mike and the squad member as they unfasted the 3DMG gear in rough pulls. The leader wasn't resisting, but the silent rage remained as he was stripped of the gear.
This remained when Mike pulled him down with a massive hand over his shoulder, making him kneel next to his partners. The blond thug snarled an empty threat and the woman was quite vocal on hers, but the leader continued silent. For someone whom, as far as he knew, was expecting to be handed over to the Military Police to await torture before eventual death, he wasn't resisting as the woman had been. Either if it was stubborn resilience or a cold superiority, Erwin took mental note of it.
His squad surrounded the three captives while Erwin calmly walked and stopped in front of them, a puddle of sewer water standing between them. He knew Mike's thinking on the matter at hands. He wondered for a second how young those three were. Most likely deceivingly younger than they really were, still, the woman was surely still but a teenager.
"You three," he began, looking down at them. The action made the blond man snarl and snort, averting his eyes another way in defiance. The angry scowl on the young woman's face held little similarity with the one the leader had before, while the leader presently didn't even bother to look at Erwin. He picked up one of the 3DMG equipments and turned to them. "I have some questions for you. Where did you get your hands on this?"
The reply he got was silence and distant echoes of the daily lives on the further streets.
"Your maneouvering skills were admirable. Who taught you? Did you receive military training?"
The blond thug snarled quietly. While Erwin had read the small reports, the most likely scenario seemed to be that a member of the Military Police had taught them how to use 3DMG and used them as muscle for personal petty theft. That would lead to some appropriate investigation in search of the insurgent, but it wasn't really his problem. Still, he was tasked to know.
Erwin's eyes went from the blond to the leader, and stepped in front of the man.
"You're the leader, aren't you. Your skills are impressive." Like before, it wasn't meant as a distraction or fake statement. The man didn't react. "Did you receive military training?"
Not a snarl, but a glare came from beneath the bangs of hair over his face. It almost made Erwin smile; it was quite impressive. There was no fear. Last thing that man wanted to be was a military. It was his choice.
"That is the face of someone who wants to kill me and escape." And he was sure it would be so if given the chance.
Erwin turned his eyes to Mike. "I'd rather not use any rough treatment if I can..." But whether it was stubborn resilience or cold superiority, he would know.
Mike locked a fist on the man's hair and pulled his head back roughly, forcing him to face Erwin before shoving him down into the sewer water on the ground.
It took his partners one full second before realising what happened, their expressions wide.
"Hey!"
"You bastard!"
"I'll ask again," he said over the protests and the man's pained grunt, not minding them and focused on the man that turned his face the most he could. He was barely able to keep his mouth off the water and his teeth clenched as he looked at Erwin. Erwin expected him to be bleeding from the hit and a bruise to develop later.
"Who do you think you are, you bastard! Get your hands off him! You can't do that!"
"Fucking military, thinking you can kick us around just because you have an uniform!"
From their reaction, the partners didn't seem to process this would hardly be what the MPs would likely do to them if caught.
"Where did you learn to use 3DMG?" The leader just clenched his teeth harder. His fists were shut tight and he had turned one of his legs in reflex to support him if Mike tried to do the same attack again, but that was polished survival instinct. There was no fear, unlike his friends. Resilience.
"We learned by ourselves, ok?" The blond thug gave in. "No one taught us, we just learned to survive in this dump."
"Self-taught? I don't buy it."
"You fuckers from up ground wouldn't know," he hissed back. Erwin blinked in consideration and turned back down at the leader. Self-taught? With that amount of skill? He would best Mike if he had the chance to receive proper training. The other two as well, recruits under training took a long time to use it with the ease these thugs displayed.
Mike looked at Erwin, skeptic and expecting some order in retaliation.
"My name is Erwin Smith," he said instead, speaking directly to the leader though he should have adressed all three. "What is your name?"
Met with no reply, Mike gave the silent snort Erwin had witnessed before when he faced basic defiances. He pushed the leader's head back again and this time threw it face down into the water, holding him down. Erwin waited, watching the man try to get up effortlessly using his knee as leverage. Mike noted it and pushed him down harder before shoving him back up, gasping sharply several times and coughing out the dirt water over his lips. Mike pinned him and forced him to lay down, but pulled his hair and head back uncomfortably. The moment the man opened his eyes, Erwin was met with greater hatred than before. He would have a blade shoved at his neck sooner rather than later, and how fast the man would sink it in would not be subject to speculation.
Erwin admired that amount of resiliance, even if it meant the source was his own death wish.
"Your determination is applausable." Might as well test if really was loyalty that had made him back down before. "But if you keep that up, we'll move on to your friends."
The two other squad members nodded and moved towards the thugs. The young woman cursed and hissed, daring them to touch her, and the blond thug looked at the leader.
Erwin guessed the first word he would hear at last would be 'bastard', which would be an improvement.
"Fuck you, bastard."
Close enough.
"What is your name?"
The man spit dirt off him emphatically, drips of the soiled water still falling from his hair as he looked at Erwin. His face was smudged and dripping water. A small cut next to his eyebrow had blood peeking through and his cheek was reddened with dirt glued to it, soon to be bruised. He grunted when Mike pulled his head back again so he could see the squad members pull out their swords and approaching them at the two thugs.
"What is your name?"
"...Levi. It's Levi."
Loyalty, resilience and skill. Strong bedrock values. Had he been born above ground, he might have been a military for a while now.
Erwin nodded at Mike, who released the man. Levi grunted again when the hand that had shoved him to the water now held him by the back of the shirt and pulled him up to his knees. Erwin approached while he threw his head to the side and tried to get more dirt off his face and hair, something that was apparently bothering him a lot. He did see Erwin getting close, stepping into the puddle of sewer water, but his brow softened in surprise when the military kneeled down in front of him.
"Would you make a deal with me?"
Levi blinked, a slight shadow of confusion over him, but not unlike Mike, skeptical frown appearing.
"Deal?"
"You won't be charged of any of your crimes. I don't care about them. In exchange, you lend me your strength and join the Survey Corps."
Levi stared at him, his head turned slightly up. To turn into a military was something this man did not want, and his expression now was proof of superiority over the rank and status.
"And if I refuse?"
"I'll hand you to the Military Police," he replied simply. "With the crimes you're charged with, you and your partners can't expect decent treatment."
"You're telling us that?" the blond thug howled. "You're not really giving a choice, you're saying we either go with you to die or die sooner at their hands."
That is a choice.
"Says a lot about you, to hand us to those pigs," the girl added. The blond man exchanged looks with Levi, and Erwin saw it.
Levi turned back to Erwin, his head lift back up again, same expression of disgusted superiority. Either over the military in general, or over Erwin, who was playing into the plan they had; probably both. Erwin was sure Lobov had contacted these three. They had been instructed with a task that certainly involved the documents Erwin had against Lobov - and to get rid of him next. So they expected some form of contact between Erwin and them. Lobov was aware of Erwin's request to come to the Underground and fetch the three thugs that knew how to use 3DMG. Everything fell in place, and it was going according to what these three Underground criminals expected.
Levi wouldn't be a real military. He would act according to what Lobov wanted and play the part, while continuing to be the same criminal he had grown up to be. Erwin probably gave him a lot more personal reasons to be killed either way.
And he never really wanted to be a military. He spit more water to the side and that was roughly what he really thought of Erwin's proposition. But he acted, following orders. It was his choice.
Because there was a choice. It could have ended, both Lobov's plan and Erwin's gamble. Underground cemetary or sky high with real wings. Choice, one after another, hoping it wouldn't be the worst outcome and wouldn't regret it.
"Very well. I'll join the Survey Corps."
Erwin chose to smile then, and lift himself up, soiled water coating his knees and boots and dripping down. He then held Levi's shirt, something he probably didn't like at all, not to force but to help him up his feet. He was far from the weight of a military, living malnourished down here, but he had strength hidden in his body.
Levi's expression didn't soften from what had been that first silent burning rage, and he probably promised, vowed, to kill him as Erwin helped him stand up. Worst outcome for Erwin, best for Levi.
"You recruit your people after you put them in chains?"
"No. Just you. If you're not careful, that'll turn into quite a tale."
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Choices led us here. Dreams, wishes, skill and chance, but ultimately, choices.
Choices that led to death, choices that led to change, choices that led to striving and strifing forward. All to get here.
Kneeled down in opposite places now, opposite promises made. At the end, the outcome the same, but it wasn't the worst outcome.
Not for me.
And it was our choice.
Thank you, Levi.
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Author's Note: How things start, and how things end. Goodbye, Commander.
I'm waiting for Levi to die now, Isayama, after I wanted them to die together. Do your worst and thank you for what you've made so far.
I wrote that last part listening to 'Beautiful Crime's end part by Tamer.