So I'm a little late on that one, but here is the next chapter of the English Version...

Thanks again to Yra on AO3

Yra's comment: Eren and Levi meet for real...Hooray, second chapter! My life is a hectic mess right now, you guys got no idea but here we go! Hope it's as good as I think it is!


Chapter 2: When the Hooligan meets the Little Beast (part 2)

Eren opened his eyes.

He tried to get up but was forced back down on the pillow under him because of the strong dizziness that clouded his head. He groaned in pain. Eren felt as though his skull had been cracked in half. Also, the first kick he'd received (he let that one hit him so that his opponent would lower his guard) had probably broken a rib or two. His upper lip was slightly bleeding still and he was totally sure that his whole body was covered in countless bruises.

However, those were nothing. He was used to pain greater than this.

No, what was bothering him was the unfamiliar environment surrounding him. He turned his head despite the pain so that he would be able to look around. He was lying on a couch, a pretty comfortable one at that, especially considering how ancient it looked. Was he in some kind of resting room? There were a few lockers on one of the white walls. The floor was made as a checkerboard, in black and white tiles. An old wood table stood in the middle of the room and a boy was sitting on one of the chairs surrounding it. Probably a teenager. Their eyes meet. When Eren recognised the steely blue eyes, he remembered what had just happened.

Panicked, he tried to get up.

In no time at all, the teenager pinned his to the couch.

"Oy, kid, I ain't exactly an expert when it comes to this but I think one of your ribs is broken. You'd better stay calm."

Eren's heart was beating fast. The teenager's deep and low voice, coupled with his resting bitch face and dead stare sent warning signals to Eren. He was being ordered not to move. Eren totally stopped moving and locked his teeth. If only he still had his iron bar... The teen observed him for a while and then sighed.

"At least breathe or something..."

Eren took an inspiration. The teen let his shoulder go and grabbed a chair so he could sit closer to the injured boy. Said boy noticed the first aid kit on the table and realised he'd been patched up. And with a lot of care, might he add.

Did the teen patch him up for real? After knocking him out? Why?

Eren gave him a suspicious look as he took place on the chair.

"So, since I kinda saved your life, don't you think I deserve some kind of explanation..?"

Eren didn't feel like telling him anything. Who was dumb enough to trust the guy who knocked out an armed man with a single kick before hitting the boy with the handle of a gun? Certainly not Eren. The teenager got mad.

"Hey, you kid, I'm talking to you! Don't even pretend you're mute or I'll rip your tongue outta your mouth!"

The threat slightly frightened the boy. Teenager or not, the guy was clearly serious. Eren threw a vicious stare at the older boy.

"Why did you heal me if you wanna rip my tongue?"

For a very short second, the teen appeared surprised of the boy's bravado.

Said boy immediately regretted said bravado when the raven guy smirked.

"My name's Levi. What's yours, you brat?

-I-I'm Eren..."

The boy heard his answer before he even thought about answering. He once more regretted talking. How could he have thought, even for a moment, that telling his real name to a stranger was a good idea?

"Well, Eren, the guys you've battered up in the back alley were pretty dangerous folks. D'you even know in what kind of shitfest you've put yourself?

-Duh, of course I know they're dangerous. That's why I want to kill them. That way, they won't hurt people anymore..."

Eren wanted to add that because of Levi, he hadn't been able to execute his plan but he guessed it probably wouldn't be bright to accuse his saviour.

"Huh. How old are you? Four?

-I'm five and a half, dummy!

-And you're talking about murdering people?

-They deserved to die."

Eren was now trembling.

He remembered very clearly the night where his mother had gotten home with her clothes torn up and choc written on her face. Carla Jeager was a strong woman. A really strong one. Despite her job as a hostess in a bar, she was an excellent mother that did everything in her power to ensure her son had everything he needed. Food, love, warm clothes, medication, as much safety as she could provide. However, that one night, she couldn't hide how distressed she was, nor how hurt. She went to the bathroom, her legs feeling like they were made of wool. She feel in the shower, under the burning water that couldn't make her feel clean and cried as she'd never cried before.

Eren had asked her countless questions, tears barely staying in his eyes. Without knowing EXACTLY what was happening, he understood that something bad had happened. Since his mother had only cried without telling him anything, he fought back his tears until his eyes were somewhat dried up. He then helped his mother to clean herself up before doing his best to dress up her shallow but numerous wounds. He'd never forget the marks that were covering her body, and neither would he forget the feeling of being useless. He swore he'd protect his mum with all his might. He was her only ally. He had to protect her, just like she always protected him.

The child had then started to follow his mother even at her job, unable to leave her alone. Carla apologised to her boss, a bearded drag queen everyone called mama. Mama fell for Eren's 'wonderful emeralds'. Eren spent every night in the club and escorted his mother all the way to their house every night for two months. However, when he started falling asleep in school, Carla had to find some kind of compromise with her hot-headed son.

From this day on, Eren only had permission to play the faithful knight twice a week, on Tuesday and Friday nights. He knew he was only allowed to do so because his mother thought it helped him with his insecurities. Ever since her aggression, she couldn't help her boy with his messy and explosive emotions. She did felt bad for letting him see the kind of world in which she worked, and Eren sensed it. Eren sensed her distress, all her guilt and worries and so he accepted her proposition. Because he wanted his mother to feel better.

He still followed his mother, though. As discreetly as he could manage, which was EXTREMELY discreetly, he'd watch over his mum as she walked outside. They lived on the ground floor of an old building. All he had to do was to slip through his very small window and lie in bed before his mother came in to check on him when she was over with work. The old lady who was supposed to watch over the boy at night was nothing more than a sleepy woman that was bordering on blind, meaning she couldn't differentiate a few pillows and the kid. His perfect organisation had allowed him to keep on playing his role of bodyguard to perfection... until this night.

One night, they came to the club. When Mama threw them outside shouting at them that they'd better come back when Carlita (Carla's hostess name) wouldn't be there. She had told her boss what happened (they, of course, pretended it didn't happen, without being even slightly convincing). Eren, hidden behind a garbage can, had heard everything. He understood. He understood that these guys were the monsters that had hurt his mum. They were the men that haunted her dreams. The ones that awaken both of them at night, when his mum would wake up screaming, alone in her bed, on her very few nights off. It was their fault that she trembled when she took her son to school in the morning. Their fault for her dead smile and tired eyes.

He swore to himself he'd make them pay. That he'd make sure they'd never, ever be able to hurt anyone else. Never again.

He almost did it...

"They hurt my mum! They deserved to die! How can I kill them now? They'll know me, they'll know I'm not weak..."

Eren was crying his eyes out. He didn't know whether they were tears of sadness or anger or stress and to be quite honest, he didn't care. He wanted to scream and punch something. Did he just put his mother in danger? At least, he made sure she'd get home safely that night. When he saw how the three men had looked at Mama despite her anger, even though she'd done everything to look menacing, Eren had understood that the men would do it again. He knew they'd hurt his mum again. And he had been right. All he had to do was wait until they came back when Carla was working.

All he had to do was wait until they came back when Carla was working. He trained, prepared a plan... And all for nothing.

The teenager's voice brought him back to reality.

"Your mum, is she a hostess at the club on the street?"

The kid nodded his head to fast and his head started to spin like crazy. Levi held the boy's shoulder to prevent him from falling down the couch.

"Whoa there, easy, brat."

Eren then realised the teen's hand was surprisingly big, considering his small frame.

"Why didn't you go see the police?

-Huh? The police?"

The idea in itself appeared foreign to the boy. He'd reacted exactly as though Levi had told him that winged unicorns that shat rainbows existed. Here, in the poorest parts of Shiganshina, the police was nothing more than another gang.

"Anh. Anyways, if those guys bother you again, just tell me.

-What? But, why?"

The teen tried with all his might to not show how exasperated as he really was.

"I'm in the police."

It wasn't entirely true, after all, he was just a trainee, but it was somewhat the same thing, right?

"I don't believe you. Policemen are assholes.

-Watch your mouth, brat! Even though I would've said the same thing when I was your age. I'm not the same as those other cops, you know why? I'm a super cop.

-But you're not a grown up...

-Did you forget? I'm a super cop.

-... and you're really small..."

Levi slapped the back of the kid's head before realising it might have been the most stupid idea he's had in his life. The kid could have had a concussion for all he knew. Eren twisted his face in pain as he held the back of his skull. He shouted before his stomach let out an embarrassingly loud rumble. The kid turned bright pink and put his hands on his belly, avoiding Levi's face at all cost. After having stared at the kid for a while, the teen got up.

"If you dare try to run away, you annoying brat, I swear I'll find you and skin you alive..."

Levi left. Eren slowly sat up and looked around. It might have been a cellar. There was only one door, which was the one Levi had got through. Behind it there were stairs, probably leading to the surface. Eren thought about Levi's clothing. Black pants, white shirt and a black vest. What kind of job did this Levi have? How old was he? He then started to think solely of the teenager. He'd knocked out a guy with a single kick and he moved quite fast... was he some kind of fighter, like Mr Chen from the third floor? Levi did have something dangerous in his eyes and his shiny black hair had a clean undercut at the back and sides of his hair, just like the soldiers Eren saw when he was younger, when he first got to Shiganshina, a year ago.

Levi came back with a sandwich.

"Go sit at the table, brat. There's no way you're gonna get crumbs on my couch."

Eren tried to get up but he stumbled on his own feet when a terribly sharp pain pierced through his abdomen. His vision got blurry for a few seconds.

"Oy, kid, are you alright? Can you walk? D'you wanna go to the hospi...

-No! Not the hospital! I heal really really fast, I'm fine!"

As if to prove what he just said, Eren made his way to the table and sat on one of the chairs without wincing in pain. As for Levi, he didn't exactly know what to think nor to do. He'd never seen a kid like him. He knew he'd never been much of a kid himself but... A pair of blazing green eyes brought him back. He put the plate in his hand in front of the kid.

"It's two nights old so I'm not..."

Eren was already devouring the sandwich. At the very first bite, his eyes doubled in size and his face brightened up. He pointed the sandwich and asked

"What is it?

-It's... uh, it's bread? Some slightly too old lettuce, tomatoes, cheese and smoked ham?"

Eren looked as though he was in paradise.

"I... it's so good!"

Levi only wanted to tell him it was almost mouldy but he just couldn't do it. Not with how happy Eren was. After all, he remembered all too well the time when all he ate were leftovers from some shabby friend of his uncle's or what he found in the garbage. At the time, this kind of sandwich would've been wonderful to him too.

Eren's mum didn't have many choices. Variety and quality, when it came to food, wasn't one of her priorities. Warm clothes for the winter, medicine and bandages, the rent, those were her priorities. Levi could guess that much. He knew a hostess probably didn't make that much.

Levi sat in front of Eren and watched him as he ate his sandwich. When Levi put a glass of orange juice in front of the kid, he felt as though he'd just became a deity with how much gratitude and admiration shone in the kid's eyes. Eren took the glass in his hands with trembling hands and tasted the juice with apprehension showing on his face. A very large smile appeared on the child's face as he recognised what it was

"Orange juice! It's my favourite! I'm always so happy when Mama gives me some!"

Levi felt weird and mumbled something that was supposed to be a sentence.

"Hurry up and finish your food, brat. I've gotta take you back to your mother. She's probably worried sick."

As soon as these words left Levi's mouth, Eren's face froze. The teenager guessed he had been right (even though most of the times parents didn't give a shit about their kids in Shiganshina).


If he was being entirely honest with himself, Levi would've rather bring the kid to a hospital. You know, just to make sure he wouldn't die on him but since he couldn't do it without the kid's mother approbation... In Shiganshina, everyone had something to hide. The kid's reaction made him think that his mum was no exception to this rule. The two of them could be illegal immigrants, chased by some really dangerous people (well, dangerous was relative. The kid himself was one hell of a dangerous one) or maybe they were just too poor to be able to pay for the care. It might even have been all three problems.

Worried the kid might have had some difficulties to keep up with him, Levi observed him for a little while. He was surprised like hell when he saw how cheerful and well the kid seemed. I heal really really fast. Yeah. That much was pretty obvious now to the teenager. He couldn't help to wonder exactly how fast the kid healed, though.

From what he could tell, the kid really was guiding him to his home. Levi didn't know when he'd gained the kid's trust but Eren seemed to be absolutely convinced Levi didn't want to do anything to him... well, anything bad. Levi knew he didn't look like a good guy, even for an adult. His black hair, his droopy blue-grey eyes and the menacing aura that seemed to envelop him in some kind of dark fog usually lead people to be afraid or at the very least wary of the teen. His small frame didn't change that fact, nor did it affect it. When you added to his appearance his family name... People changed sidewalks to avoid Levi. Not Eren.

Not Eren.

The kid hadn't reacted differently than he would have with another stranger. Even though he knew he scared the kid at least once at some point, Eren never let his fear take control. He instead used it as fuel to feed his anger.

When the boys got closer to Eren's home, they heard voices. Most of them calling for Eren.

Before he even took notice of it, Eren had leapt forward and was running ahead. Levi followed him in a relaxed jogging and caught up with the kid just in time to see him jump in a woman's arms. The brown haired woman hugged the kid very tight and Levi felt as though one of the kid's broken ribs was about to pierce his lungs.

"Oy, easy! The kid's hurt!"

Levi had talked without thinking. At first, all he'd wanted to do was make sure he was back home safe and sound and just forget about it all. He didn't want anything to do with the kid... well, maybe? One way or another, it was too late to think about that. Everyone's eyes were on him now. There were so many people... neighbours, Levi guessed, all dressed differently. Some in pyjamas, other in work clothes but all there to try and find the kid. Levi swore and froze where he stood.

"Mum, it's Levi. He helped me come back."

The woman plunged her eyes in Levi's. The teenager felt disappointed when he saw here eyes since they weren't as flamboyant as her son's. They, however, were of a soft and welcoming golden hue that made her look like a Saint. As for the rest of her face, she looked just like an older version of her son. Her lips, eye shape, cheekbones... She was beautiful. SShe then turned towards the people behind her.

"Thank you so much, everyone. Thank you for helping me find him...

-Aw, it was nothing Carla."

Most people seemed to agree with the middle-aged man. As for the others, they grumbled half-heartedly that Carla should punish her son as he deserved.

"Please make sure he's not hurt, though."

Another man added that if the kid was to do that again, he'd find him himself and would skin him alive (Levi felt like that man was someone he'd like to have as a friend). Everyone added their own little comment before leaving the mother and child alone.

Levi took notice that nobody never even seemed to think that they could have contacted the police. At that moment more than ever, Levi understood Erwin's work would be harder than he'd ever thought. Just gaining people's trust would take an eternity, so saving them...

Carla's attention went back to the teenager. She looked at him before greeting him with respect and emotion.

"Thank you! Thank you so much for bringing my baby back alive...

-I... huh... thanks, I guess."

Levi couldn't help but think that this woman was a gentle and caring, without any doubt, a good mother and also one hell of a good person. He decided, despite the murdering look in the kid's eyes, that he'd tell her about what her child did. She then addressed her kid.

"Eren, I'm so, so glad that you're alive... that's the only reason why I'm not punishing you right now."

Levi saw the child tremble in terror. Levi had used his "from the depths of hell voice" (Hange) and the kid hadn't even been impressed. So scratch what he said earlier. Carla wasn't a gentle and caring person. Hell no, she clearly was some scary spawn of the devil.

"Please, Levi, come inside with us. I can already guess what happened but I'm curious to hear your side of the story."

In all honest Levi didn't know much about what happened and he had absolutely no intention of telling Carla the details of the fight. He just wanted to tell her what kind of danger she and her kid could be in.

"... so Eren had a lot of luck, but it won't be the same next time."

The child was sitting on his knees, in Seiza position. He kept his eyes locked to the floor. The apartment they lived in was of Japanese style, with tatamis, low tables and sliding doors. A shabby apartment that Carla decorated and kept in a perfectly fine place to raise a child. She clearly took care of her home and son with everything she had. It also could be seen that she lived alone with Eren.

Carla stayed mute for a moment before her shoulders dropped.

"Eren, oh dear god, I am so, so sorry. For this life, for your fear, for... for so many things...

-No, mommy, you did nothing! It's all my fault. I won't do it again, I won't go through the window, I..."

Levi didn't know where to put himself anymore. If this overload of emotion was to last any longer, he'd imitate the boy and slip through the window himself.

Carla shook her head at her son's words.

"No, honey, you were trying to protect me. You sensed I was weak, you wanted to help your mother. To protect me since I couldn't do it myself. You're such a good son... I'll stop praying for a miracle. Nothing like that will ever happen again, I swear. From this day on, I'll take our future in my hands. You deserve the very best, Eren."

Maybe that with some speed and stealth, Levi would be able to get out of there before they noticed...

Bad luck for him Carla remembered the teenager existed and asked him:

"How can I make sure those men never come back here?

-Hum. I think Eren bea... I mean, I think they learned their lesson. Also, I told them what would happen if they ever showed up again."

Carla frowned.

"Thank you... Levi, is it?" he nodded "but how old are you? Twelve?

-... I'm fifteen.

-Oh, I see. Sorry."

Even though he'd been crying his eyes out just a few seconds ago, the kid chuckled. Levi really felt like kicking his ass but thought it'd be best if he didn't do it. Carla kept on.

"What I mean is that you're just a child."

Levi sighed. He didn't want to have to use it, but he'd have to use his trump card. His family name.

"Maybe, but not to them. To them, I'm more of an Ackerman than a teen.

-Am I... Am I supposed to know who the Ackermans are?"

...Well, Levi just received the confirmation that the small family wasn't from Shiganshina.

"Actually, yes, but that's not really important. All you need to know is that my family name is a pretty good reason for these men to never bother you again. If you're still worried, I guess I can escort you every night until everything is really over.

-Ah, I see. You're that type. I don't think I should accept your help... I just told Eren he'd have a decent life and now I can count on some sort of mafioso's help?

-Mum, you don't understand. Levi is a super cop! He's not a bad guy, I swear."

Carla raised a doubtful brow.

Levi's heart almost broke when he saw how child-like Eren really was when he was sitting on his mother's lap. He couldn't, no, wouldn't imagine what kind of life lead such a cheerful kid to the extreme length of violence he'd just seen.

"A super cop?

-Well, technically, no yet but... I'm a student at a special police training school. It opened very recently but it's making people talk. Erwin Smith, the principal, wants to reform the police so that it's services will really be helpful. Our country is... well, it's not really all rainbow and sunshine, is it? Erwin want's to purge it and rebuilt it, in a certain way. The Wings of Liberty Brigade will be his strongest 'weapon'. I'm the best of my class, and maybe even the best of the school, even though that's got nothing to do with why I offer you my protection.

-Then why would you do this for us, Levi, if not for your ideals?

It was such a good question that Levi just froze on the spot.

Why did he want to help them?

His mind brought him back a few hours ago. In a second he saw Eren's eyes for the first time again. Their hypnotising fire. The way they made him gasp for air because of their intensity. Back there in this small back alley, where he meet this night creature. This little demon in human form. The boy, curled up against his mother, happy, safe... Yes, the beast living inside of him was merely sleeping, the proof of it was the small flame in the child's eyes.

Eren had locked his eyes on him. He was waiting for the answer that wasn't coming, just like Carla.

Why did he want to help them?

"Because I want to."

And it was true. Before that day, he'd always seen Erwin's project as a way to get revenge and exterminate all Titans. It was the first time that he'd ever felt like his actions could have a bigger purpose than getting his revenge. If Erwin's project ever became reality, Levi could really help rebuilt everything that was broken. The Brigade could give this country its dignity, its pride, its liberty, the security that it lost a long, long time ago.


I hope you liked it and don't forget to comment!

See you soon!