Alright, so here's the story I promised you all from Reactions. This story details Armin and Levi's relationship as well telling you how the reaction videos started. This is actually the first story in a while I've done not based off of various media! XD I'm actually excited for this one! Most likely will be about four chapters. Right, also, there will be some OCs in here, but only because they need someone in the 'real world' to communicate. Armin's point of view!
Clutching the strange object to my chest, I hurry to Eren, knowing he'll be in bed by now, I rush into the room. Bursting in, I can barely contain my excitement as he looks up, questioning and confused, from the pajama pants he had been pulling on as I intruded his privacy without so much as a knock. "Eren! Oh gosh, you won't believe what I've found!" I exclaim joyously as I flop down onto his bed, setting my newfound treasure down gently, he simply rolls his eyes probably thinking it's another book on some 'boring' subject, I lower my voice exponentially, leaning toward him a bit. "I think it's from outside the walls." I see Eren's curiosity and enthusiasm peak, lighting up his face completely as he struggles to hastily finish with his pants before sitting beside me.
"What is it?" His eyes now sparkling, he seemed impossibly more boyish, childlike, in his anticipation. I begin to prod at whatever it is I've found and shrug, I hadn't quite thought of that. What was it? It was slim, as thick as my wrist, and rectangular, a stark white in color, a long black cord attached to the side had come off earlier and I had it in tow as well, I was pretty sure it was supposed to do that. But what purpose did it serve?
"I'm not really sure. I haven't seen anything like this, so I assumed…" I see that it has something like hinges on one of the longer sides, so I tug gently on the other edge and the top half glides easily upward and a blue light is emitted through a square piece. There were little icons on top of the image, as well as a small triangle with a blunt ended tail. There are many buttons with numbers and letters, the whole alphabet, as well as one long, blank key. Eren moves to tap on a button, but I stop him. "We don't know what this is Eren, pressing that can do anything. We should turn this over to Captain Levi, at least to have him look it over. It would probably be a good idea for him to know anyway…" I trail off as my oldest friend nods, a grimace on his face, drowning away the happiness previously displayed in its place. "What's that face for? The captain will know what to do."
"I know. I just…" He sighs, scratching the back of his head and seemingly unable to finish his sentence; to say I was shocked would be an understatement.
"Eren. You don't have to go with me. You weren't even there when I found it. You have no additional information to give." He nods, but doesn't seem happy about it. "Well, why don't you get to sleep? I'm going to see if Captain Levi is available, or even awake." I gather up my findings and carry them up the stairs to Lance Corporal Levi's office. Shifting them to one arm carefully, I knock briskly then wait for him to answer. It takes only a moment for the heavy door to swing open and I salute, this man may be shorter than even me, but he deserves the utmost respect. He was still outfitted in all his gear and his deep green cloak with the Wings of Freedom on his back. "Lance Corporal Levi, Sir! Permission to speak to you privately, Sir?" My voice might have come out as a squeak, but was determined nonetheless. Yes I was nervous, but who wouldn't be in this man's presence? His eyes drag over my face and down my body, pausing at the unknown object in my free arm, his usually apathetic eyes lighting with question, right arm still curled up on my chest in salute. He nods and waves me into the extraordinarily clean office before sitting at his desk and gesturing for me to take one of the two empty chairs across from him.
Taking up his offer, who was I to refuse him, I gingerly set the objects onto the almost empty desk top before sinking into a rather comfortable chair. He jerks his chin towards the opening contraption and taps on the lid. "Arlert, what's this?" He tries to remain blasé, but I can hear his curiosity.
"I'm not quite sure, Sir. I found it just a bit ago on my way to the showers Sir." He nods and trails a fingertip across the smooth top. I reach forward and pull it open to reveal the screen and keys before turning it towards him. "I haven't seen anything like this Sir. I think… I think it might be from outside the walls." He nods but remains silent, he slides a finger across the blank canvas a bit below the large blank key and his eyes widen fractionally.
"Arlert, did you know of this?" He turns the apparatus towards me and moves his finger along the empty white space again and I see what he means the little triangular image moves, trailing along in the same way the captain's finger moves. I shake my head, amazed and astonished by the new information. I reach forward and place my finger to the tracking pad and move my finger around, while hovering above one of the icons, a small blue circle surrounded by three segments, colored red, yellow, and green, forming another circle, my finger pressed onto a button right below the white square and a the screen changed. It was white, with the same little emblem in the top left corner, there were some words, but that wasn't concerning to me as a noise suddenly erupted from the device.
Captain Levi and I both jump in surprise, looking at each other, I look back down at the device after we break eye contact, my cheeks feel warm but I set about trying to turn off the noise. I move the indicator around and I realize the red and green rectangles on the small, blue, square back splash were buttons. I click on the green button reading, 'Accept Call'. I wasn't exactly sure what that meant, but I figured it would shut off the unbearably annoying ringing. The blue square fills with another rectangle, this one featured three people I had never seen before and a light mint green wall. We could hear the chatter of people talking, and I speak before Captain Levi can. "Captain, if I may…" At his nod of acknowledgement, I continue. "I believe this is a communication device of some sort, clearly we are able to speak and see people who live a distance away, perhaps we can ask them about this strange device..?" He looks thoughtful for a moment before agreeing.
"Good idea Arlert." He directs his attention to the three on the screen, two females, one raven haired, one with brown hair that held a pinkish red tint, and a brunet male, who were now staring at us with a mix of disbelief, amazement, and respect. "Alright, time to answer some questions brats. What the fuck is this shitty device?" There's a stunned silence before an eruption from the group of teenagers.
"OMIGOSHYOURCOSPLAYGAMEISSOONPOINT!" Came from the ravenette, I think, her words all meshing together to become one. "YOUR VOICE IS LIKE, FUCKING PERFECT! I NEVER THOUGHT ANYONE ELSE SHOULD ATTMPT LEVI AFTER MATTHEW MERCER, BUT-" The male squeals out, cutting off in the middle of his sentence to let out a screechy noise that I could never put into words. There's a whole bunch of gibberish thrown in and I had no idea what was happening. Glancing over at Captain Levi, he was clearly out of his element as well.
"ALRIGHT SHITTY BRATS, SHUT YOUR TRAPS AND ANSWER MY DAMNED QUESTION!" Levi yells over all three of them and the male could be seen elbowing the females, hushing them as well. With a crooked smile, he answers, saluting.
"Sorry Captain Levi Sir. That is my sister's laptop. It seems you've found it for us." Though he did answer, his apology sounded a bit sarcastic, Levi chose to ignore it and his hand dropped.
"Alright, now. I don't remember ever seeing any of you. What are your names?" Levi spoke with complete authority that could probably even break Commander Erwin.
"Right. Well, my name is Kiba. This is my twin, Kam." He gestures over to the girl with black hair who waves a bit shyly, then to the other. "And our slightly younger sister Kai." He then points towards the screen. "And you two are Lance Corporal Levi Ackerman, or perhaps Rivaille, and Armin Arlert, strategic genius. Or at least, that's who you look like. What are your real names?" He cocks his head curiously and I furrow my brows in confusion, glancing back over to Levi, like he had any answers in this strange reality we found ourselves in.
"We are exactly who we appear to be." There's a snort from the other end and Levi's glare somehow intensifies.
"Then prove it." There's a challenging edge to the man's voice and I had a strong feeling that this wasn't going to end well.
"Arlert." My attention snaps to the man immediately, right fist connecting to my heart automatically.
"Sir?" I stand at the ready, awaiting orders from the superior soldier.
"Go get Jaeger." His voice oozes control and demand at once, making me even more powerless to refuse my captain.
"Yes Sir!" I spin and practically sprint out of the office and back down the stairs, running to get Eren, hoping he wasn't yet asleep, he could be a pain awaken sometimes. Slamming into his room, I dash to his bedside and shake him, if he was conscious he would have responded in some way by now. Once he's sitting, I grab his arm and yank him out of bed, toss a questionably clean shirt to him off the floor, then proceed to drag him in the direction of Levi's office, filling him in on the way.
Once I return to the room with Eren in tow, I knock on the door and attempt to tidy the sleepy brunet's hair while awaiting a response, which came in the form of a sharply barked "Get in here." Opening the door slowly, I tug Eren in by his arm just above his elbow, using the hand I wasn't practically restraining, he rubs at his eye as he yawns. I let go of him so he may salute as I do the same, when he doesn't, I step on his foot lightly and shoot a pointed look at his freed arm. He lazily follows my unspoken directions, curling his hand into a loose fist and placing it just above his heart. Sighing, Levi waves us off and I relax my posture just a bit.
"Have you learned anything more about our situation Sir?" I ask, my tone respectful as I inquire about his findings while I was herding Eren along. He shakes his head and appears more frustrated. He picks up what Kiba had called a 'laptop', and walks out of the office, beckoning us to follow. He goes to the stables and saddles up his horse. "Arlert. Go get into your 3D Maneuver Gear." I nod, saluting once more before dashing off again.
In the room shared by Marco, Jean, and I, I pull out all the now tangled straps and belts of the gear and begin the slow process of untangling the leather bands and securing them into place on my chest, back, and legs. Once all the straps are in place, I go to attach the gear itself then return swiftly back to the stables.
Levi had already saddled three horses, the still barely aware Eren was perched precariously atop one, Levi was on his own, and the third was being tethered in place by Levi holding onto the reins. Taking the reins from the man, I hoist myself onto the horse, swinging one leg to get it over her back. Eren and I follow Captain Levi without much complaint, reaching the gate, I look at him confused, unsure as to how we were going to get out of the walls. He tugs on the reins of his horse to stop him and the creature easily listening, heeling to the man in charge.
"Pelletier!" Levi shouts toward the top of the wall, I can see a head out over the side, nod, and then disappear again. The gate is opened and Levi rides through as swiftly as he is able, trailing behind at a slightly less frantic pace. He doesn't speak or even show signs of pausing until he gets us into the forest where his speed finally slows to more of a trot than a gallop. Once we've gotten to what seems like the heart of the forest, he finally stops. Jumping off the horse, he tethers the beast to a tree and I follow suit, then continue to help Eren down as well before tying his horse in place as well.
"Umm… Captain Levi..? With all due respect Sir, why are we out here?" I feel timid and small, afraid he might snap. Taking the laptop from under his arm, he opens it again and the three teens seem to still be there, talking amongst themselves. Holding the communication device out to me, I don't hesitate to take it from his grasp as he turns to Eren.
"Jaeger. You have complete control over yourself now correct?" I was now completely uneasy as that question finished flowing from his lips. I knew exactly what he planned, and it was a huge risk. Not worth it to impress a few teenagers. Eren still looks dazed, but he manages an almost coherent, 'Mostly, Sir.' "Good, now go ahead and bite your tongue. Or actually, your hand. That's your preferred placement is it not?" Eren looked confused, not grasping the situation he was in.
"But Sir! I mean absolutely no disrespect, but is this really a good idea? Is this really worth the huge risk we run just to prove a point to some kids?" Levi scoffs, but gives no further response. Biting my lip, I glance over to Eren. This all fell on him now. I see his hand twitch at his side, preparing to bring it to his mouth and I sigh in defeat. Eren might not like the man, but he wouldn't resist his orders either, he held too much respect for Levi to do that. Of course I respected him as well, perhaps even more, I couldn't help but question some of his plans. He had a bit of an unorthodox way of going about things, resulting in violence whenever possible and this was no exception.
Eren's hand makes it to his mouth and he bites down, I can see a rivulet of blood drip from the wound and I make sure to turn the laptop so that the teenagers could see, their attention had been brought back to us, I assume from my protest to Levi's strategy. On the screen I could see the small square where it showed our side and I angle it so that they can see the body of the Rogue Titan forming around Eren. Once the new form is completely materialized, there's a huge yawn from the creature and he plops onto the ground, sitting with his legs crossed. There are gasps and even a scream from the teens, and I think one of the females, Kam I think?, fainted but I was too busy standing at attention, ready to propel myself into action if necessary.
I can hear Levi mumble something to Eren, too low for me to understand, before hoping up the titan's body and slashing into the nape of his neck, exposing Eren and yanking him free from the flesh prison. Lifting the teen fairly easily, he carries him back over to the horses which had barely even blinked at the events that just happened. It appeared Eren had passed out, as was the norm after a shift. Turning my attention back to the laptop, I question. "How do you turn this off?" After obtaining the directions, I close down communication site and shut the device. Levi places Eren across the back of his horse, securing him so he doesn't fall, frees the horses, swings onto his own steed, and gripping the reins to both his means of transportation and Eren's, he pauses, waiting for me to get situated. It didn't take long and soon we were back at the wall with Levi yelling for Pelletier again.
As we made our way back to the stables, I couldn't help but ask. "Sir… Pardon me for asking, but exactly what purpose did this serve?" I look over and up to him, with his steed sitting a bit higher up than my mare, my eyes probably begging for the relief of an answer. Glancing down at me shortly before returning his eyes to the dirt path, he remains silent and I take that as my answer.
As we reach the stalls, Levi speaks. "Would they have accepted any other proof?" This confused me a bit before I realized he had responded to my inquiry. Then I think about it. Actually think about it. Would they have? I suppose they might have been in as much disbelief as we. A whole other world existing that was never known and suddenly it's knocking on your door step. Of course they wouldn't believe us. Things could easily be faked, but a man suddenly changing into a fifteen meter beast of a creature was kind of irrefutable, especially on the spot. I sigh as I begin stripping the mare of all the riding gear I realize the captain's grey gaze is still on me, waiting for an answer.
"I don't think they would have Sir. Sometimes reality is a hard pill to swallow and all you need is some water. I guess Eren just acted as that much needed swig of water tonight…" He nods, seemingly to both agree and to give reassurance he was indeed listening. He seemed thought, looking forever annoyed and angry, but thoughtful as well. Once done with my own horse, I begin to help Levi with Eren's, he had already moved the now human teenager to a haystack and was just commencing the untying of all the riding equipment.
"Finish with this then return to my office Arlert." I respond accordingly as he lifts Eren and begins the walk out of the stables. It doesn't take me long to finish and once I do, I scoop up the laptop, make sure everything is in its place, then head for my destination, almost scared to come face to face with the captain again. Taking in a deep breath, I let it out again before knocking on the door.
Right, so here's the first chapter of this story. I know, the title's crap. Any suggestions on that would be much appreciated! This is my longest chapter so far in, I think, the least amount of time. This beauty only took me about two hours to type up, and only the first couple of paragraphs were written before that so yeah. I think this is one of my most well-written things, but you guys tell me. What do you think?