Chapter Two
Levi sat in Erwin Smith's office, muscles sore from the day spent on the training field. Why am I here? He wondered to himself. Hange led Isabel and Furlan into the dining hall for dinner while Moblit took him to see the commander. He didn't mind much though. At least he didn't have to spend another minute with that woman.
Just then, Erwin walked in and sat down at his chair in front of him. Levi noticed the lines on the commander's wrist. More than a few black lines and a couple scars resided there. Am I the only one without them? He wondered.
"How has your first day here been?" Erwin asked, snapping him out of his thoughts.
"Tch, it was alright," grumbled Levi, looking at his mud-stained pants.
"Hange told me how talented you are at using the 3DMG, and I would like to make you an offer," said the commander.
"What kind of offer?" Levi questioned.
"We would like you to lead a small squad including Isabel, Furlan, and a couple others. Of course, you would still receive orders from above and be accompanied by other, larger squads on important missions. We have to be sure we can trust you," he explained.
"Why me?" Levi asked.
"We believe your ability to read a situation quickly, coupled with your fighting skills would make a great addition to the Scout Regiment's leadership team," Erwin answered confidently.
Levi remained silent. Why would he want me, former underground thug, to take up a leadership position? he thought internally. Levi respected the commander, but wasn't entirely sure of his ability to lead a squad. He cringed at the thought of being responsible for others in life and death situations. On the other hand, leading a squad would be the best attempt at protecting his friends.
"Okay," he mumbled after a long time.
"Good. We'll introduce you to the rest of the Scout Regiment tomorrow. I will also have some paperwork for you to fill out. The next expedition will begin in a month, so in the meantime, you and the other squad leaders will train and make preparations," Erwin said with a smile.
Levi nodded silently and took in the information, groaning internally at the thought of introducing himself.
"We're glad to have you on board, Levi" Erwin stated firmly
"Glad to be here, commander," he answered, feigning gratitude.
After saluting the commander, Levi left the office and headed down to the common room where his friends were waiting.
As he walked, he scowled at the dusty hallways and chipped paint on the windowsills. Though disgusted, Levi drew some comfort knowing he had some cleaning to do.
Upon reaching the common room, he saw Isabel, Furlan, and of course, Hange Zoe sitting at one of the tables.
"Oi, Levi!" Isabel half shouted as she waved to him. "Over here!"
"Tch, I'm coming" Levi grumbled, making his way over to them.
"Hange told us that the commander offered you the position of squad leader!" Furlan said excitedly, "did you accept?"
They all leaned in, wanting to hear his answer. Hange nearly fell off her seat.
"Yeah, now quit crowding me," He said.
"Yes! I told you guys!" Hange yelled and clapped him on the back, causing him to flinch. "Alright Squad Leader Levi, what do you want to drink?" Hange questioned, gesturing to a wide variety of alcohol that sat nearby.
"Tea" He answered tiredly.
"Aw, c'mon Levi!" Hange whined, "drink with us!"
"Yeah Levi!" Isabel chimed in.
"No"
"Fine, then you can sit and watch us have a great time," Hange said, grabbing a bottle of whiskey and pouring herself a shot. For a split second, the sleeve of her jacket creeped up her arm, revealing her wrist.
There, lied more marks than Levi had ever seen. She had mostly scars with a few black marks here and there. He just couldn't help but stare. How could one person have so many lines? Levi wondered. Clearly self-conscious, Hange jerked her sleeve down, concealing her wrist once more. She looked up at Levi, her eyes locking with his. Isabel and Furlan merely exchanged glances. Uncomfortable, Levi stood up and walked over to the counter where he poured himself a cup of tea.
"Um, Hange, why don't you tell us more about your research?" Furlan asked her, trying to break the silence.
"Of course!" she exclaimed before going into detail about her experiments.
Levi didn't feel like sticking around and listening to her ramblings, so he made for the door.
"Where are ya going clean-freak?" Hange inquired teasingly.
"To my room, shitty-glasses" He shot back, shutting the door behind him.
Levi made his way up to his room, dreading another sleepless night. He was determined to get at least three hours though. After a short visit from Isabel and Furlan, he decided to try. Levi knew introducing himself to the Survey Corp the next day would be exhausting, not to mention dealing with a certain scientist who was in desperate need of a bath.
As Levi chased sleep that night, his thoughts drifted to one Hange Zoe. He compared his blank wrist to hers and wondered what it would be like to look down and see just a single black line residing there. However, he was content with no lines at all when he thought about the neatly placed scars that marred Hange's wrist.
He rolled over onto his back and stared up at the ceiling. Still, he thought about how nice it would be to wake up next to someone, or to look into their eyes. He was suddenly reminded of Hange's golden brown eyes, locked onto his earlier that evening. He pushed the thought away quickly and concentrated on falling asleep. Eventually, he succeeded.