AN: I've been thinking about this AU for some time until I finally decided to write it. Again, I'm sorry for my English. Hope you'll enjoy it :)
A raven-haired man struggled against two much larger men who firmly held him. He had a big bruise on his forehead and his hands were covered in blood. Fortunately, that blood wasn't his.
The two men wore armor but now they were not from military – Levi would recognize somebody from military, after all he had fought them many times.
If he had stopped fighting them, he would hear approaching footsteps. Like this, it surprised him a bit when he was hit into his knees. Pain caused him to fall to the ground but he didn't make any painful noise.
"Why don't you be obedient?"
Right in front of Levi stood a man with a mustache. His name was Dot Pixis, Legatus of the Roman Empire.
Pixis smiled at Levi. As an answer, Levi spat in his direction; his head was too low to actually spit in his face so he had to do with this way.
Pixis sighed.
"Dot, with all due respect," Rico said, Pixis' wife, who came into the room together with Pixis. "You tried to tame him so many times, it's clearly impossible. With his nation there always been trouble. I recommend you to dispose of him. He even killed your friend!"
Pixis felt anger taking over him but he calmed immediately. His eye met with Levi's which were full of hatred as much as his own.
"Erwin!"
Tall well-muscular man blond turned around to see his friend. "Hanji." greeted her with small smile on his lips. "We haven't seen each other for a while."
"For a very long while!" Hanji Zoe had a big grin on her face as she pressed her chest on his arm, holding him tightly. "How have you been lately?"
Both of them were wearing togas made of the expensive material. Erwin had a high position in military but right now he was mainly consul. He was needed in Rome, not on the battlefield. Truth Erwin was good in both – planning his next move on the battlefield or in politics.
"Very good." Erwin politely places his hand on Hanji's. "Right now I'm trying to enforce a new law abou-"
Hanji made a very bored sound. "Politics, politics, politics. Do you men talk about anything else then politics?"
Erwin smiled. It was so like her. Hanji had never been one for a serious conversation. She was the only child of their parents; that made her a bit spoiled. And she still didn't have a husband. Though that was not her fault – she was very beautiful and had more than enough suitors. She simply wasn't interested. The main reason of that was that she had a lover. It was open secret Hanji was a mistress of the emperor.
"I'm afraid not." the blond answered.
"Sooo boring." Hanji sighed.
Erwin was happy for her. She really seemed happy. The emperor gave her practically anything – he even arranged her journey into distant parts of Empire. Hanji truly loved primitive cultures and was fascinated by barbarians either from east or from west.
That was why they hadn't seen each other for a while. Hanji was on an adventure.
"Are you excited about the games?" Hanji's eyes were literally sparking.
"Not really." Erwin admitted. "I could've spent my time with something useful instead watching some criminals having their throats ripped open."
She huffed out a laugh "I swear you are the only Roman who doesn't love the games."
"I like being original."
"I can assure you – you are the most original man I've ever met. What a pity I've already fallen for a man of my heart!" she touched her chest in place where the hearth is. "We would totally take over whole Empire."
"If you keep saying things like this, you'll get arrested." Erwin informed her. She only laughed.
Finally, they made it to the loge – the best place in an arena. Everybody else had been already there including their company – mostly slaves if they'd needed something.
"Hello, Erwin, Hanji." Mike Zakarius was first who noticed their arrival.
Everybody else looked at them and smiled – most of them had very faked smile on their faces. Many of them didn't like Hanji because of her influence on the emperor. She, of course, didn't care.
"Mr. Pixis." Erwin was surprised to see this man here. "I didn't know you'd be here."
Old man gave him a warm smile. "Neither did I. But my beautiful wife wanted to see the games and who am I to deny her wish?"
Erwin looked to the young woman. "It's a pleasure to see you again."
"Thank you, Mr. Smith." Rico smiled.
Erwin also greeted Nile Dawk – another consul before he noticed somebody else. Very young man stood aloof looking very unhappy here. Erwin had the feeling they had already met but he couldn't tell for sure.
"Ach, Mr. Smith, have you met Mr. Bertholdt Fubar?" Pixis asked pointing to the young man.
"I don't think I've had the pleasure." Erwin said and shook his hand with the younger man.
"I've heard a lot about you." Bertholdt looked a bit shy.
"Mr. Fubar is new censor." Pixis said. "He may seem to be too young for such position but he is very capable."
Berthold's ears turned red.
"Dot, I think we should get to the games." Rico smiled and touched the hand of her husband. "People are getting nervous."
"Of course." Pixis rubbed Rico's hand with his thumb and stood to the edge of the loge. "Good citizens! Revered guests!" Pixis shouted and the whole arena went silent. "Thank you for your arrival on this celebration!"
The crowd immediately started screaming: "Pixis! Pixis!" Pixis' family has been very popular, mainly because of organization of the games.
Pixis continued in his speech: "And I'm going to give you what you want, what you lust for! The blood!"
The crowd screamed again.
Pixis smiled and sat down. In the arena, gates started opening. Nile Dawk got up. Erwin had to fight the urge to roll his eyes. This man always wanted to show up. Nile presented his three gladiators which he lent for the games. Erwin didn't really know any of them but given how excited the crowd sounded, they were very popular.
"Look, look!" Hanji took Erwin by his hand and squeezed it so tightly that the blond thought if she'd tightened her grip just a little more, she would break his fingers. Maybe Hanji didn't look like it but she was stronger than most of men.
"What?" Erwin said.
"These are from Syria!" Hanji was really excited. "By Jupiter's cock, I really want to travel to Syria!"
Bertholdt looked at Hanji shocked by her language but she ignored him completely.
"How long do you think they'll stand?" the woman asked.
Before Erwin had the chance to answer, Dawk said: "Not very long."
And he was right. Syrians didn't last very long until Dawk's gladiators literally smashed them without mercy.
Hanji was really excited every single time some criminals or barbarians who refused to submit to Empire.
It had been really boring to Erwin.
Fortunately, the games were slowly coming to its end. There were only a few games left when a raven-haired man arrived with a sword. That was one of the reasons Erwin didn't like the games – men, who stand against the gladiators, had practically no chance. Their equipment was very limited unlike gladiators'.
The smaller male in the arena turned, trying to keep each of the gladiators in check as they were coming closer. One of them swung his net lazily overhead. The other one began the attack thrusting his spear out. The raven-haired man snapped his head out of the way and countered, spinning to kick the attacker.
The gladiator with the net swept it, catching raven's foot and yanking him from his feet.
Raven crashed to the sand, narrowly rolling out of the way as gladiator thrust down with his sword.
Raven's blade flashed out as he cut himself free of the net. He rolled to his feet but was instantly set upon by the gladiator.
Another gladiator swung his spear and the arc of the tip opened a gash across raven's back.
Hanji hissed. Apparently she rooted for the raven. Erwin also noticed that Pixis grinned in satisfaction.
The gladiators played cat and mouse with the smaller male. The raven tried to rally, but one of the gladiators slammed him with his shield. He fell to his knees in the sand again.
The crowd booed.
And then, all of sudden, raven exploded. His blade was flashing in the sun as it sank into the gladiator's abdomen.
The crowd went completely silent and Erwin watched Pixis' shocked face and his tense shoulders.
The raven broke the silence by quickly getting back on his feet and splitting the gladiator in half. The crowd erupted, roaring their approval. Pixis tensed even more and Rico took him by his hand.
The raven traded blows with the remaining two gladiators. They were in a display of raw savagery. One of them hurled his axe at raven's head. The smaller male barely bended out of the way, axe passing in front of his face.
He had to have really good sight. He couldn't otherwise explain how he was able to see the reflection of the gladiator raising his trident to attack from behind. The axe whizzed as it passed by the raven. The gladiator behind him thrust his trident at raven's back, but he whirled, diving under it. The raven swung his sword and cleanly severs the legs out from under the gladiator. The gladiator screams with pain as he fell to the sand. The other one ran for his axe in the sand as the raven straightened up, his eyes were burning. Just as he did so, the gladiator reached his axe; the raven came to him from behind and slammed his blade into gladiator's neck and the gladiator went down.
The raven completely ignored the last living gladiator who slowly crawled away from him. Instead he looked right into the loge where Erwin and the rest were.
The crowd started to shout, completely insane. Hanji was on her feet exulting with the crowd.
"Live! Live! Let him live!"
Dawk was pale with rage looking at Pixis: "Didn't you say he was just an ordinary barbarian?"
Pixis frowned at him. "The sentence of death still holds."
"But defying the wishes of the crowd is unwise. Even for a consul." Hanji smiled politely. Even she knew it wasn't good to irritate Pixis.
"I will not set him free!" Pixis said.
"Then what about this." Erwin interrupted their discussion. "Sell him to me. He will not be free and the crowd will be pleased."
Pixis narrowed his eyes. "I didn't know you were interested in gladiators."
Erwin smiled. "This one seems interesting."
Older man thought about it for few seconds before smiling again: "You realize this will not be cheap, right, my friend?"
"I do." the blond said.
"Then, we have a deal."
"Thank you." Erwin bowed his head a little. "What's his name?"
"Levi, but you can rename him however you want."
Erwin shook his head. "There will be no need for that."
Pixis nodded and got up again to give a speech to the crowd again.
The blond leant forward so he could see his new property better. Oh, this was going to be so interesting.