Humanity's Strongest Pair
chapter two; disobedience
Levi's vision never strayed from Mikasa's as the two sat opposite of each other in his office. He observed as the girl's eyes darted from his, and back to the crystal clear glass of water that was held firmly in his hand. He held it in the middle of the table, waiting for her to make a move; and when she did, he would swiftly pull the cup towards him and out of her grasp. She huffed, and the same pattern continued. Though his expression held nothing, he was amused.
She went to grab the cup again, and Levi pulled the same trick. This time, Mikasa's huff raged louder.
"Sir..." She began, wearing an angry pout on her face. He kept the normal dead expression and said nothing, so she tried to grab the glass again... And yet another fail threw her over the edge. She inhaled sharply, trying to control her composure. "Corporal, sir. Can I please have the water now?"
"I don't know, can you?" He replied condescendingly. She reached for it again, yet he did the same damn thing. Mikasa couldn't handle much more of this; he had worked her all morning. She was exhausted, hungry, and especially thirsty. The dryness in her mouth ached to her inner core, where all she craved was water. And it was right in front of her. The demeanor that Mikasa put on when she was around the Corporal was crumbling; she tried to be 'respectful', but there was only so much that she could take.
"Give me the water." She stated, boring her stoic eyes into his. He had seen this look on her face before, specifically, the time that he had beaten Eren to a pulp. Mikasa had been ready to beat Levi's face in, but she was held back by Armin. Occasionally, Levi mused what the outcome would have been had she actually gotten to him. Putting this thought aside, he stayed silent as he stared into her angered orbs.
The man cocked an eyebrow. "No."
"I'm not seeing the purpose of this exercise, sir." Mikasa gritted her teeth. Levi would have smirked, but that would have ruined his poise. He was finally making her crack; he was seeing some of that true personality that he was longing to toy with. Yes, he would keep testing this. He liked to really know his pupils, after all. When the man refused to answer, Mikasa took a deep breath and continued. "Corporal, I am not understanding the point of this. Give give me the water, please."
He shook his head, and Mikasa had just about had it. She stood up and went to grab the water, but when the Corporal swiped the glass away, she leaned over his desk in another attempt to snatch it. In response, Levi quickly stood to his feet and stepped away from her reach yet again. Mikasa's fists clenched.
"I'm losing my patience." She uttered, and Levi almost laughed.
"Am I supposed to be threatened by that?"
That's it, Mikasa thought, before she pounced after the man. Somehow, during this time frame, Levi had managed to safely put the cup on the table and grab a hold of Mikasa's wrists. He held them together behind her back using his one hand, and using his other, he slammed her head against the table. She found herself being awkwardly bent over, her cheek being painfully smushed into the wood, and still thirsty as hell.
"L-Let go of me!" She spat, attempting to break free with no avail. Her strength was nothing compared to his, and she hated that the most; she detested feeling weak. The cup of water was right in front of her face, too.
"And if I don't?" He pushed her head farther into the wood. He was just having fun now.
"Why the hell are you holding me like this?"
"Because, you are disobedient." He pressed his body closer to hers, twisting her wrists painfully. "Dogs should know their place."
"O-Ouch! That fucking hurts!" She sputtered. "And I'm not a fucking dog!"
He scoffed. "Dog."
"You're sick..." Feeling his body press up against hers, she began to squirm more, not taking light of this highly inappropriate position. She wasn't surprised; he seemed to get some twisted pleasure out of making her feel uncomfortable. It took Levi a few moments to realize how distasteful sexual this place was; he'd almost forgotten that Mikasa was a girl. So he abruptly threw himself off of her and backed away, disgusted that such a thought would even enter his mind.
Mikasa was confused about his sudden loss of composure, but used this as her opportunity to grab the water and drink every last drop. Levi didn't care, this time. He was too busy shaking those putrid thoughts from his mind.
"Ugh, I've had enough for today..." He muttered, unable to look her in the eye. "Go clean up horse shit or something..."
"What's wrong with you?" She scowled.
"Get out."
Mikasa cocked an eyebrow, before placing the empty cup on his desk and leaving without a word.
She stormed down the hall with her fists clenched, receiving awkward looks from whoever she passed by. Why were they wasting so much time? Mikasa's thoughts were always plagued. She needed to get Eren back; there was simply no time for her to be playing the Corporal's twisted games. She felt caged, being confided to this castle, being forced to work with Levi, and having absolutely no say in when or how they would be retrieving Eren.
Mikasa burst out the door of the castle and headed towards the horses. She wasn't sure if cleaning up their shit was really a direct order, but she would do it anyway. At least the horses couldn't talk back to her.
The thought of Levi holding her that way was making her stomach flop. If it had been anyone else, they'd be dead... She thought grimly. She'd sparred when men and women alike and had always come out victorious.
Then this guy comes along and treats her like an animal?
That short bastard, she thought as she shovelled mounds of memoire, heedless that Levi's eyes were watching her from inside.
Mikasa knew that she wasn't supposed to leave the castle after curfew, but with everything that was happening, she simply couldn't be at ease. She needed to blow off some steam, literally. So all equipped in her gear, she crept through the dead halls, out the door and into the calm night. She kept her steps light as she walked across the damp grass towards the forest.
But that was when she noticed a figure.
A man was walking past; he was also fully equipped with his 3D manuever gear. Mikasa froze upon seeing him, but it took a moment for the make to take notice of her presence; this man being Corporal Levi, of course. With Mikasa's luck, she realized then that she made an idiotic decision by thinking she would get away with sneaking out.
And it just had to be Levi, of all people.
The two stared at each other for a moment from a distance. It wasn't like their usual, venomous stares from one to the other though; they both just looked tired, and somewhat solemn. Time froze for a moment, and a cool breeze blew their hair in their faces.
Mikasa was expecting her superior to storm up to her, grab her by the scarf and lead her back to her room, but instead, saying no words he slowly walked up to her. She was wary, but took a few steps forward as well, until they were close enough to speak comfortably.
"Ackerman, what are you doing here?" He inquired in a tone she had never heard from him before. He sounded worn out.
"I couldn't sleep, sir. I was just going to get some practise with my gear in the forest."
"You know there's a curfew."
"I know." She turned a little. "I don't know what I was thinking, I'll go back-"
He cut her off by grabbing her arm. She jumped at the sudden contact. "It's fine. I'll just monitor you."
Mikasa eyed him suspiciously. This was uncharacteristic of the man, but something in those eyes of his was telling the girl that he was being sincere. He almost looks sad... She thought, before she shrugged off his arm and started to walk towards the forest. Levi always walked close to her and she wasn't sure why. It was like he was afraid of her running off and falling out of his treacherous grasp.
The two spoke no words as they entered the forest, and with a simply exchange of a glance, they knew it was the signal to take off. The two expert soldiers whipped their way through the trees, avoiding any obstacles as if their gear was their wings. They had no destination, and somehow, the two of them knew what the other was thinking in terms of direction. Despite Mikasa and Levi's poor conversation skills with one another, they had chemistry in battle; they had to recognize that, though neither of them would ever admit it.
Levi was amazed that such a girl could be so skilled. She might even be able to kill me one day, he thought, swinging past her. The two continued on until they reached a clearing in the forest, where there was a quaint river streaming through. Levi came to an abrupt halt, throwing Mikasa off for a moment, before she swiftly swung around and landed next to him.
"Why'd you stop?" She asked, burrowing her eyebrows at the older man.
"I want to sit." He stated simply, before dusting off a rock and making it his seat.
"Why?"
"Just sit."
Mikasa rolled her eyes, but did the same with a separate rock near him. She was seated on a smaller one just before him, so for once, Levi appeared to be taller than her. She had to admit that the sound of the running water, combined with the crickets chirping everywhere, was relaxing. It was a nice change. She looked at Levi and saw that his eyes were shut. She shifted uncomfortably in her seat.
"So... Why are you out this late?" She queried.
"Hmm?" He lazily opened his eyes and looked at her. "I haven't slept much recently, that's all. The forest at night is relaxing."
Mikasa was at a loss for words. Was the Corporal always so strange at night? His stoic demeanor seemed to have fallen off, leaving behind a worn out, exhausted shell of a man. She didn't know why, but she wanted to know what was going on behind those lifeless orbs.
"You shouldn't worry about him, you know." Levi spoke, catching the girl off guard.
She blushed and looked away. "Eren? Of course I should..." She muttered. Oddly enough, she hadn't been thinking about Eren.
"Fate works in funny ways." He said through a yawn. "We'll do everything we can to get him back. If we can't, then we can't, but I'm willing to give up my life, if that is what Commander Irvin sees as best for humanity." His eyes were staring blandly at the moon, but Mikasa was tracing his face with her vision. She'd never seen him in a light like this; the moonlight illuminated his pale skin, contrasting with his dark features. It was hard to tell how old Levi really was; he held the appearance of a young man, but his skin was aged with years of death and destruction. The dark circles under his eyes and the healed scars hardened over his skin told stories of his gruesome past.
Levi wasn't thinking about that, though.
He had been earlier, as he wandered through the night, until he ran into the young woman. Somehow, since he'd met up with her, she'd been able to keep his mind away from the battlefield.
"Would you really give up your life for Eren?" Mikasa asked in a soft tone as his eyes flickered to her.
"I would give up my life for humanity, not for Eren."
She nodded. "I didn't think you were one to care much for anyone."
"Believe it or not, Ackerman, I am a person too. I grew up in the same vicious world that you have. And trust me, you haven't seen anything yet."
Mikasa couldn't help but frown, unsure why he was telling her this. "What do you mean?" She hesitantly asked.
"Eren is still alive, right? You haven't seen him die yet."
She flinched at his words. Yet. She recalled what had happened on the 57th expedition outside of the wall, where the female type titan had slaughtered every member of Levi's hand-picked squad. The Special Ops squad, also known as Squad Levi; they had been by his side for years, and to think that all of them were wiped out on one single mission. She now understood why he was acting so strange; you're thinking of them, aren't you?
As she pondered these things, for the first time, Mikasa really did look at Corporal Levi as a person, and not just her cold-blooded superior. She wanted to ask if he loved one of them the same way she loved Eren, but figured that bringing it up would be a bad idea. Instead, they both sat there, shrouded in a comfortable silence. Neither of them knew that it was possible to be content around the other.
"You're never going to beat me like that." Levi slurred, twisting Mikasa's arm behind her so she couldn't move. He released her from the hold and she twirled around to meet his eyes, her teeth clenched in anger.
"Shouldn't I be training to kill titans?" She questioned, crossing her arms over her chest. "Or do you just want me to be strong enough to kill you one day?"
Levi almost laughed. "You can't even get out of a simple choke hold." Though he belittled her, he would never tell her the real strength it took him to keep her down. He could do it, of course, but he was baffled that such a young girl could actually struggle against him. Mikasa was pissed off that she was able to hold down any person that she had sparred against, but couldn't even budge against Levi.
Well, he is humanity's strongest... She thought with a roll of her eyes. She contemplated asking Jean or another one of the stronger boys to spar with her later, just so she could regain some of her dominance... But that wouldn't get her any closer to beating the shit out of the Corporal or saving Eren. So instead, she shut her mouth and followed him to whatever torture he was leading her to next.
"You know, Ackerman..." Levi started, glancing at her as they walked side by side. "Just because I let you away with going out past curfew last night, doesn't mean it's going to happen again."
Mikasa had almost forgotten about the event, since it seemed to dream like. Sitting with him under the stars, neither of them speaking with any hostility... It just wasn't natural. "I understand." She spoke meekly. They approached the trees where the titan dummy's were all ready for them to use, when Mikasa noticed two familiar figures not far in the distance. Jean glared at them, while Armin looked at them with what appeared to be a concerned frown. Mikasa glowered at them as she entered the forest behind the Corporal.
"Don't let it bother you." Levi said, as if he could read her mind. "Brats talk. I haven't heard any of the adults say anything about us. And if Irvin had heard about it, then he would have asked me. So, this just proves that your friends are simply gossiping, and eventually, they'll find something new to gossip about. I get that it's annoying, but we just don't have time to worry about that kind of shit." He stopped in his tracks and turned to face her. Close, as always. "Am I right?"
Mikasa gulped. "Yes. You're right."
"Good." He twirled on his ankle and kept walking forward, with Mikasa reluctantly trailing behind.
"Um, sir..." She peeped. "Has Commander Irvin said anything about when we're leaving yet?"
Levi sent her a glare, before turning his gaze back to the trees in front of him. "No." He stated.
Mikasa was quiet for another minute before she spoke again. "The longer we wait, the farther they could be getting away from us. Their trail is probably already long gone. How are we supposed to-"
"We're figuring it out." Levi cut her off. She took note of how on edge he seemed after she brought it up. "You're just going to have to shut up and trust Irvin." Like the rest of us... He thought, somewhat bitterly. Mikasa scowled at the back of his head.
"I'm sick of waiting around like cattle to be slaughtered." She said through clenched teeth, finally gaining another glance from the Corporal. As always, he didn't look impressed. "I'm going to talk to Commander Irvin tonight."
"You'll do no such thing." Levi stopped and faced her, boring his eyes into hers. He hated the way she looked back at him with such strength and confidence. A girl of her age and standpoint was supposed to shut up and do whatever he said, which was the main reason Mikasa Ackerman got under his skin.
"Why not?" She grimaced, her eyes never wavering.
"You have no idea how busy he is-" He paused himself and shook his head. "No. I don't need to explain anything to you. Just shut the hell up and follow orders. Know your place."
Mikasa's frown only deepened. "Fine." She spat, before twirling away from him and walking ahead. He let out an exasperated sigh as he watched her storm off.
It was later in the evening, around 8 o'clock when Mikasa crept her way through the corridors. She'd seen Levi outside with Hanji only five minutes prior, so she was certain that she'd be safe. She found her way to Commander Irvin's office, where she heard his voice beyond the door.
"Fuck! This isn't going to work..." The man muttered as Mikasa knocked on his door. "Come in." He said, and the girl revealed herself. Irvin sent her a quizzical look, not expecting Mikasa to be the one at his door. "Ms. Ackerman." He nodded, welcoming her in. She reluctantly took the seat in front of his desk and noticed all the different maps he had drawn out all over it.
"Sorry to bother you, sir." She said quietly. Unlike Levi, Commander Irvin was a kind, a respectable role model in Mikasa's eyes. Her vision danced over his uniform, noticing the sleeve that was empty.
"That's all right, I can spare a few minutes. What brings you to my office?"
"It's about our next move, sir."
"Oh?" The man straightened his back. "What would you like to know?"
"The status, sir."
"I see... So you want to know what we're doing then."
She nodded meekly, and Irvin let out a heavy sigh. He pulled out three maps from his drawer and placed them on top of the desk, facing her. They were all well laid out formation plans, each map displaying something slightly different. Mikasa looked them over before sending her commander a quizzical look.
"We don't have enough people... I've tried to devise multiple plans that are within our means but it's just too damn risky." Irvin's eyebrows furrowed in distress, a combination of sadness and anger forming in his gentle blue orbs. "I can't even function properly without my arm, and the Scouting Legion can't afford to lose any more men."
Mikasa cleared her throat. "With permission to speak, sir... Perhaps we don't need to use every solider... Perhaps a small team would be more efficient."
"How do you figure?"
"Well with a small team of people, we would go less noticed. We might be able to sneak up on them while they are in their human forms."
"I've thought that through as well, Mikasa, but came to the conclusion that it would also be too risky... If other titans followed you, then the shifters would know that there are people around."
"Not if part of the team was used to lure the titans away while, say, two people snuck into their camp and grabbed Eren."
Irvin pondered her proposal for a moment. "We would need to use our absolute strongest. And if something were to go wrong, and we were to lose someone like you, Levi or Hanji-"
"It looks like we're running out of options, Irvin." A new voice entered the conversation, sending chills of shock up Mikasa's spine. With each clack of the Corporal's shoes as he approached the two, Mikasa sweatdropped. When the man stood beside her, she was hesitant to look up at him.
"Levi." Irvin said. "Did you hear all that?"
The man shrugged. "Only some of it." He looked down at Mikasa, who avoided him like he avoided dust. Levi grabbed one of the chairs from the corner of the room and pulled it beside Mikasa, lazily helping himself to the seat. "How I look at it is, we have three options. A, we risk our entire army and send out every troop. B, we risk a small portion of our army, particularly the strongest. Or C, we give up and sit around and wait to die."
Irvin flinched at his old friends words.
"Either way..." Levi continued, crossing his legs. "We might not get out of this alive. But we'll certainly all die if we take option C."
"We don't even know where they are. We know absolutely nothing." Irvin insisted. It bothered Levi to see someone as strong as Irvin losing his will to fight.
"We know a general direction..." Mikasa peeped, gaining the two superiors attention. This thought was radical, and she wanted to bite her tongue off for suggesting it, but for the sake of Eren she blurted out her words. "We could put together a small recon... Not a full infiltration, but somewhat of a test... Lead by Corporal Levi."
Levi raised his eyebrows at the girls proposal. When the two men were silent, Mikasa continued. "It would be better than doing nothing, in my opinion, sir. It would at least give us a chance to look for any sign of a trail. And I know that both Corporal Levi and I are perfectly capable of killing regular titans, so if we don't run directly into any of the shifters, there wouldn't be much of a risk at all..."
After a few moments of silence, Irvin's eyes fell on Mikasa. "So, you're proposing we enact somewhat of a research mission?"
She nodded. "essentially, yes."
"Hmm. Perhaps you've brought up a good point. What do you think, Levi?"
Levi sighed. "I hate to admit it, but Ackerman doesn't have the wrong idea." He sent the girl a look, but she kept her determined gaze glued on Irvin. The Commander's expression only held more stress.
"I'll think it over, alright? For now, leave me alone, please."
Mikasa stood to attention immediately and saluted. "Thank you for your time, sir." She said, before turning to leave. She shut the door behind her, leaving Irvin with Levi, who looked as bored as ever.
"You too, Levi." The man said, receiving a grimace from the Corporal.
"Have it your way." He yawned, before taking the door. He noticed Mikasa's retreating figure down the hall and called out to her. She had walked quickly in hopes of avoiding the man, so when he called her name, she froze in her tracks. She waited for him to catch up to her before turning around.
"Corporal..." She muttered, avoiding his eyes.
Levi sighed. "You never listen to me, do you, Mikasa?" She didn't answer, noticing his uncharacteristic use of her first name. "Regardless, I suppose I should give you more credit sometimes. I figured that you were going to just waste Commander Irvin's time with an emotional banter, but you brought up a decent point."
Her eyes flickered to him suspiciously. Was he praising her?
"Yes, sir." She said, shifting her weight uncomfortably under his gaze. A somewhat awkward silence filled the air.
"I will be seeing you tomorrow, then." Levi said, retreating down the hall. Mikasa was going in the same direction, but decided to wait until he was long gone before advancing.
A/N: Hey everyone, thanks a bunch for reading, reviewing, faving and following my last chapter. Sorry that it took me so long to muster up a second . I'm trying hard to capture my exact vision for this fic... Hopefully it turns out alright. Please review and let me know your thoughts, be they good or bad!
Also, the setting of this fic, as I'm sure everyone knows is supposed to be set after the events currently happening in the manga. In this story, Eren ended up getting captured by Reiner and Berthold, leaving the legion with no choice but to return. So now they're just trying to figure out what to do 8) I have no idea what's going to be happening next in the actual manga so I'll just be branching off of this storyline that I have going on here.
Please review!
