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Chapter 2!
Crystal's eyes stretched wide when the entire group, her included, galloped through the front gate. She craned her neck, clearly in awe when she saw how big and magnificent the Wall really look. The whitehead had never seen the Walls so close-up before. Crystal wanted nothing more than to graze her fingertips against the hard stone, but fear and self-consciousness kept her hands in place.
Once Eren and Crystal were well inside, she failed to suppress a gasp of surprise when she saw the many little houses/cottages surrounding her on either side. Eren looked back at her out of the corner of his eye, but remained quiet.
Suddenly the horse the duo were riding on came to an abrupt stop. Crystal didn't expect this at all and reeled forward really fast, bumping into Eren's back hard. A word of apology was at the tip of her tongue, but Crystal couldn't manage to form the words.
What's wrong with me? I have to stop being so tongue-tied.
With her face as red as a tomato, both from the impact and the embarrassment, Crystal looked around at her new surroundings. It was mostly brown-coloured houses that met her gaze, as well as several individuals staring at her curiously. Their intent stares made the whitehead a bit uncomfortable and she tried her best to ignore them by looking over their heads.
The group were proggressing really slowly and the new scenery started to bore Crystal a lot. Instead she diverted her gaze to her new "family". The first person her eyes landed on was the red-haired, crazy woman with the loud voice and excited face. That's all Crystal really knew about this woman since they haven't talked to each other yet. The second person was the Commander. She didn't know his name yet and was quite frightened of his dominating and serious demeanour. He really did act like the man in charge when he had to. The third person was her escort, the brown-headed boy named Eren. Crystal had to admit that he is the only person that she felt mildly comfortable around for now. He wasn't aggressive, mean or cold towards her at all.
The last person that met her gaze, unfortunately, was none other than Captain Levi. He was probably the person that Crystal loathed the most right now. Not only did she see him as an arrogant idiot but she also thought that the title "captain" didn't suit someone like him at all. Most people will probably say that she doesn't like him because he was the one that had captured her and maybe even have ruined her life forever, but it wasn't just that: His facial expression is so cold and emotionless and it made Crystal not only uncomfortable, but also irritated. She can't believe that anyone can hate the world that much. Negativity and pessimism wasn't really in her vocabulary.
But even though Crystal had all these negative thoughts about Levi circulating through her brain, there was still one image at the back of her mind that was struggling to break through all the negativity: Levi softening Crystal's fall by allowing his body to act as a pillow for her. She felt a bit irritated and guilty for remembering that.
Any guy wouldn't allow a girl to get hurt. He was just trying to be a kind of gentleman and not a monster.
Crystal knew she was trying to defend herself for thinking so bad about him. She suddenly realized that Levi was right next to Eren's horse again, staring at her out of the corner of his eye. All the guilt that Crystal had felt flew right out of her consciousness and she sharply turned her head the other way to escape his gaze.
What does he think I'm going to do? Attack all these innocent people with my powers like some jackass!? Jerk!
After a few minutes that felt like hours, the duo finally came to a stop in front of a large, ancient-looking building. Crystal could feel her stomach twisting into a knot when she looked the building up and down: The nerves were starting to settle in rapidly.
Eren climbed off the horse first, immediately offering Crystal his helping hands. She wanted to deny his assistance and help herself, but thinking it over again, Crystal abandoned her stubborness and grabbed his hands shakily. She didn't trust the strength of her own legs just yet.
Once Crystal's feet touched the ground, members of the group were already coming closer; two of them were of course the commander and Levi. The whitehead felt so self-conscious. Even though she's not used to receiving that much attention, she hated it a lot. She wanted nothing more than to sink right through the solid ground and remain there till she dies. Heck, she would even grab Eren's shirt and refuse to let go till they grant her her freedom again, but Crystal knew none of those options were a possibility.
I'm just going to have to be strong. If I can survive in a forest filled with man-eating monsters around every corner, I can surely survive this.
"Eren," the blonde commander ordered. "Take her to the dungeons please. We're going to arrange a questioning session later on."
Dungeons!? Like where criminals are held?!
"I-I don't think a dungeon . . ." Crystal started to say.
"Erwin's orders are to be carried out without challenges," Levi interrupted her, stepping forward till his face was only inches away from hers. "This is something that you're going to have to learn if you are to survive here for now."
At that moment, Crystal wanted to slap Levi so hard. Not only for interrupting her rather rudely, but also for creating a scene. He had scolded her harshly right in front of his fellow comrades and Crystal could feel them staring her down, daring her to challenge their captain.
Crystal decided to keep her mouth shut, but didn't waste the face-to-face-opportunity and gave the darkhead a couple of hard stares.
She allowed Eren to grab her arm and lead her away from the miniature nightmare. Even though Crystal was not in Levi's presence anymore, the whitehead knew that they will see each other again pretty soon. A certain part of her was kind of excited about the idea, which confused her a bit, but she justified this feeling with: The next time we're in combat, I'm gonna whoop his ass. That's definitely something to get excited about.
Crystal was so lost in her vengeful thoughts that she didn't notice her brandnew surroundings till a dull, dimly-lit room came into view. At the left side of this room/tunnel, there were two "prison cells" (Crystal couldn't think of a better or more accurate word to describe them), complete with vertical steel bars, an unpleasant-looking bed and a sink. The only source of light in the hell-hole was several lit torches that were decorating the walls.
"Am I going to stay here?" Crystal asked, disgust clearly recognisable in her voice.
Eren nodded.
"But only for a little while," he tried to reassure her. "Commander Erwin said they're going to fetch you once they sort everything out for the questioning session."
Great, Crystal thought, her eyes darkening. That sounds much more pleasant than this sunlightless, dark, disgusting hole.
Crystal watched as Eren pulled a key out of one of his pockets and started fidgeting with the lock. She looked around, wondering if she and the brown-headed boy were alone. Thoughts of knocking him out and escaping started to sound like a good idea and probably her only chance to be free again, but Crystal didn't really want to hurt the boy and she knew these people were no dummies. They'll probably capture her again with ease and then her punishment might be much worse.
The whitehead suppressed a sigh when Eren opened the gate and gestured with his hand for her to go inside the little room. Once the gate was locked, Crystal knew that escaping wasn't a possibility anymore. Her new fate lay in the hands of these people. Eren started walking away. The ice-girl grabbed the steel bars with both her hands.
"Wait! Aren't you going to stay with me?"
There was a hint of desperation in her voice. The truth was that Crystal was frightened staying alone. She felt a bit claustrophobic and the lack of windows and even airvents did not help. What if someone murdered her while Eren's gone? An image of Levi creeped its way into her mind. The only person she knows she can trust right now is Eren. The brownhead turned around, looking a bit puzzled.
"You want me to stay?"
Crystal looked down at the ground, feeling embarrassed as well as a bit self-conscious again.
"I-I just feel a bit unsafe if I stay alone, that's all."
Eren raised an eyebrow and scratched the back of his head.
"I guess I can stay for a while. But if they call me, I have to go."
He pulled a wooden chair out from the shadows and placed it right in front of the steel bars. The brownhead flopped down on the piece of furniture with a sigh, and looked up at Crystal, a faint smile on his face.
"You know," he said. "I was in that same cell you are in. It feels weird for me to be the one on the other side now. Brings back a few memories too."
Crystal was a bit stunned when she heard these words and wasn't sure if it was her place to ask a question like this, but she did anyway.
"Why were you locked up? Were you a criminal? Did you kill someone?" The ice-girl mentally kicked herself. What normal person would ask a complete stranger such personal questions?
Eren was caught off-guard. Crystal could tell, because he was looking down at the ground with huge eyes and his lips were pressed tightly together, almost like he was trying to prevent himself from saying something important . . . or secret.
"Uhm," he managed to say after a few seconds. "J-Just forget I said anything." He scratched the back of his head sheepily, looking sideways. "I want to hear more about you though. Where are you from?"
Before Crystal could answer him, the loud sound of a banging door was heard, followed by rapid footsteps coming down the tunnel.
"Eren!" A man that Crystal didn't recognize came into view. He was also a blonde just like the commander, but he looked a bit scarier though.
"Hai!" the brownhead yelled, jumping to his feet and raising his left hand to press it against his heart. Crystal realized he was performing some kind of salute and felt fascinated by it.
"Bring the prisoner to the questioning room now!"
"A-Already? But she has only been here for like five minutes . . ."
"There were a change of plans, soldier. The commander wishes to hold the questioning session right away."
So soon? What's the reason for this quick change of mind?
Crystal wasn't sure if she should be feeling relieved for being able to leave the dungeons behind at least for a while, or if she should be feeling scared since the change of plans could mean they were going to get rid of her earlier. The ice-girl gulped when Eren started opening the gate.
Should I try to escape? I should be able to defeat Eren as well as the stranger . . .
Suddenly she felt a hand on her shoulder.
"Don't look so frightened. The commander may look intimidating, but he's a very nice and reasonable guy. He won't hurt you."
Crystal stared at his green eyes for a while.
What's with this fellow? He's so nice, so caring. I would never want to hurt him. He's . . . special.
A faint smile formed on her lips and she nodded.
He's right. I shouldn't be scared. These people may have captured me, but they still look like decent individuals. I know I'll get out of this . . . alive.
Crystal flinched a bit when Eren suddenly grabbed her arm.
"Just a precaution," Eren whispered in her ear again. "In these guys' eyes you are still a prisoner, not a guest."
The whitehead understood his explanation, but she still wondered for how long they're going to be treating her like this. She started feeling like a real criminal, even though she knew she was not. Being grabbed, escorted with caution and constantly supervised, was not something she'll be able to get used to.
Crystal heaved a sigh of relief when they finally emerged from the dark tunnel into the clear, healthy, rejuvenating light of the sun.
Now I truly understand why I love sunlight so much.
The blonde man lead Eren and Crystal to the big building that she had seen only 15 minutes ago.
We're really going in there?
The stranger answered the ice-girl's mental question by opening the large, wooden double doors and gesturing for Eren to enter first.
Crystal kind of expected to see the floors lined with armed soldiers; ready to take her down if necessary, but to her relief, she was only greeted with a medium-sized corridor, decorated with various vases, portraits and old-fashioned furniture. There were no other soldiers in sight.
The brown-headed boy guided her down the corridor. They passed several closed doors and Crystal couldn't help feeling curious about what each of them hid.
After only a few seconds, the trio came to a stop right in front of one of the many closed doors. Crystal's hands started to feel a bit sticky with sweat. She didn't know what to expect.
What if the questioning session was a farce? What if they are actually going to eliminate me in this room?
Eren's previous comforting words resounded in her head though and she tried to push down her fears with that.
Eren slowly lifted his free hand and knocked on the wooden door three times with his knuckles.
"Enter," a muffled voice said from the other side. Crystal could feel herself instinctively holding her breath as the brownhead opened the door.
The first thing Crystal saw was a carpeted floor, followed by a large desk and then finally the commander, Erwin, sitting right behind it, his gaze fixed on her as she entered.
"You may leave now, Eren and Mike," he said, making a slight waving-gesture with his left hand.
"Shouldn't I - "
"No, it's fine, Eren. I believe this girl can seat herself."
Eren gave the commander that fascinating salute before exiting the room, leaving Crystal to face the commander alone.
Darn! I was hoping Eren would stay during the questioning session.
"Come. Have a seat," Erwin said, gesturing to the chair in front of him.
Crystal slowly started making her way towards the commander. Her heart was beating so fast and loudly that she was scared he could hear it. She grabbed the back of the chair with a trembling hand, but before she could move it even an inch, a deep and achingly-familiar voice interrupted her progress.
"Hurry up. We haven't got all day."
Crystal spun around, her eyes as big as moons. A short man with dark hair stepped out of the shadows.
Levi!? He's here as well? Why didn't I notice him before?
The captain had been standing in the corner of the room, near the doorway. Crystal hadn't been able to notice him, because she had her eyes fixed on Erwin the entire time. The ice-girl's hands started to tremble even more.
Why is he here? I was hoping the next time we met would be on a battlefield so I can teach him a lesson.
Crystal scanned the room with her eyes quickly.
I can't do it here though. Even I'm not that crazy.
"Sit, please," Erwin said, ignoring Levi's remark, but Crystal noticed the commander shooting him a swift warning glance.
The captain snorted and walked closer to Erwin's desk. When he was at the right side of Crystal's chair, he stopped and leaned back against the wall, folding his arms in front of his chest. Crystal mentally screamed in frustration when he fixed her with one of his intimidating and accusing stares again.
How am I suppose to answer the questions properly with you staring at me like that?! Jerk!
"So," the commander began, pulling the ice-girl out of her frustrated thoughts. "I believe I haven't introduced myself properly yet. My name is Erwin Smith, and I'm the commander of this Corps."
The blonde man held out his right hand, expecting Crystal to shake it. She hesitated for a bit before doing the same. The feeling of the commander's hand against her own felt strange. Crystal can't remember touching hands with anyone before.
"And you are?" Erwin asked, still holding her hand in his grip.
"Etto . . . Crystal," she answered, looking down at their interacted hands uncomfortably.
"Just Crystal?"
The whitehead nodded, mentally sighing with relief when he released her hand. She immediately pulled her hand away and tucked both her hands tightly into her lap.
"Mind telling me how old you are?"
"I think I'm 18 now. I haven't really been keeping track since I'm unsure when my birthday is, but if I had to guess, I'd say 18."
The commander nodded.
"And . . . you weren't born in the forest. Am I right?"
Crystal nodded slowly, turning her head a bit to look down at the ground.
"Do you know where you lived before you inhabited the forest?" Erwin asked trying to look her in the eye.
The ice-girl turned her head slowly till their gazes met again. Crystal had expected this to be one of the questions and honestly, she knew they wouldn't like her answer.
"No . . . I can't remember."
Erwin didn't react to her answer at first, instead he just continued staring at her intently. Crystal noticed out of the corner of her eye that Levi was fidgeting a bit though. The pressing silence was starting to get rather uncomfortable and the whitehead mentally sighed with relief when the commander broke it. But she didn't like his question.
"Are you sure? No name of the annonymous town? No near-location? Nothing?"
Crystal was kind of hoping he would drop the "where are you from"-question, but the commander was being quite stubborn.
"Nothing," she responded. "I know it sounds impossible -"
"That's because it is," the captain chirped in, staring at her with narrowed eyes, his arms still folded. "I doubt it's possible for anyone to forget everything about a place that has played such an important role in their life. I would understand if one forgets the name of a village, but not remembering anything? Now that sounds like a lie."
The ice-girl increased the grip she had on her chair's arms, gritting her teeth.
He called me a liar! Just like that!
"For your information -"
"Levi," Erwin interrupted. Crystal swung her head back to look at the commander angrily.
Why do they keep interrupting me?! This is starting to get irritating.
"This is not your place to accuse Crystal of anything. I believe she was about to explain before you interrupted her."
Commander and Captain locked gazes. After a few seconds, Levi just gave a curt nod and turned his head a bit to look at Crystal again, obviously curious to hear what she has to say. Erwin returned his attention to the whitehead.
"Go on."
Crystal cleared her throat, realizing she's going to have to give a convincing answer. Levi was listening to every detail and he won't hesitate to challenge her again.
"I-I know it sounds impossible, but it's the truth. I can't remember anything about my hometown, but . . . I sometimes have very faint visions though."
Crystal wasn't really planning on telling the duo about her visions. She didn't want to. Why? Cause it sounded crazy; nuts. But it was the truth and her only shot at satisfying the commander and Levi.
"Visions about screaming people, fires, houses, shops . . . These visions are literally the only things that convince me I even had a home . . . that I was civilized once. I-I'm not sure why I can't remember anything . . . my only guess is . . . judging by the gruesome visions in my head . . . that my memories were removed."
Both Erwin and Levi remained silent for a while. Crystal looked from one to the other, trying to read their expressions, but their faces gave nothing away. Finally, the commander cleared his throat.
"Well, that could probably be a possibility . . ."
The ice-girl heaved a sigh of relief. She cocked her head to the side a bit, wanting to see Levi's reaction, but all she was greeted with was the same hard stare.
I don't think Levi's satisfied with my answer though, but who cares about him? He's not the man in charge.
"But, of course, it's just a possibility though," Erwin continued. "Other things could be the cause as well. Such as memory loss because of a hit to the head or a traumatic experience."
Crystal nodded in agreement. The possibilities he named wasn't far-fetched, but the commander's next words made the whitehead grip the arms of the chair again.
"And, another possibility could be that you are just lying to cover something."
Crystal narrowed her eyes, copying Levi's demeanour.
"I'm not lying or covering up anything. I don't even know about something that I could cover up. I have spent at least 6 years of my life in that lonely forest and haven't even had a decent conversation with another human being in that time. There is absolutely no secrets I have to hide."
The ice-girl paused for a moment, studying their faces again.
"You have to believe me."
Crystal placed her hands on her lap and lowered her gaze.
If they still don't believe me, what would they do? Try to force an answer out of me that's not there?
The silence seemed to stretch on for quite some time. Erwin was staring at her, slowly tapping his fingers against the wood of his desk. Levi had moved his gaze away from the girl to stare at the commander instead. Even he was curious to hear Erwin's response.
"Fine," the commander finally said, leaning back in his chair. "I'll take your word for it . . . for now anyway."
Crystal closed her eyes and breathed out a sigh of relief.
"So . . . 6 whole years, huh? That's quite a long time. How did you ever manage to survive? Surely you have encountered at least one titan in that time."
Titan . . . He's talking about the man-eating giants . . .
"Well, it wasn't really that hard . . . for me anyway."
Crystal hesitated a bit.
"I'm sure you have already heard about my abilities."
The ice-girl gave the captain a sidewards glance as she said those words. Surely Levi must have informed the commander about her ice-powers.
Erwin nodded.
"Because of these abilities I have managed to hide in the highest trees and escape from trouble as fast as a rabbit. The . . . uhm . . . titans had no way of catching me."
"Hm," Erwin said, looking thoughtful. "That's quite impressive. Have you ever killed one?"
"Uhm, no . . . I preferred just avoiding them for as long as I could. I was never in a real life-threatening situation before . . ."
Until this scumbag came along, Crystal thought in-between her answer, staring at the captain out of the corner of her eye again.
" . . . so I never had to use my powers against them."
"So . . . you know absolutely nothing about them?" the commander asked, sitting up straight again.
Crystal winced slightly when she recalled all those horrifying deaths that she had witnessed.
"I won't say that . . . I know they eat humans . . . savagely."
The whitehead couldn't suppress a shiver from running down her spine.
"So you have witnessed them eating humans, and still, you didn't try to kill them?"
Crystal froze.
Is he calling me a coward?
"Uhm . . . I . . . I . . . uhm," she stuttered. "I was . . . scared."
She shut her eyes tightly, lowering her head in shame.
I don't blame him for thinking I'm a coward. I probably am.
"Well, it was probably the smart thing to do though. If you were dead, we wouldn't be having this conversation now," Erwin said.
Crystal lifted her head quickly, surprise clearly visible on her face. She didn't expect a response like that at all.
Don't these people kill titans for a living or something? Their equipment clearly hint that they do.
The commander gave a faint smile when he saw her reaction.
"We don't just go into the forest to kill the titans for fun, if that was what you were thinking. There's a lot more to it than that. Unnecessary casualities are something that the Survey Corps hate with a passion."
Crystal couldn't help noticing Levi squirming a bit, clearly uncomfortable. He was staring at the ground with a blank expression on his face. Well, more blank than usual. This action from the captain was something very new to the girl.
What has shaken him?
"But, since you brought up the subject about your abilities and powers, I would like to know how you got these powers. Creating weapons out of your bare hands are quite impressive," Erwin continued, looking very interested.
Oh no! No, no, no, no, no.
At the back of Crystal's mind, she knew this question was coming, but when the words actually left the commander's mouth, she knew that she wouldn't be able to answer it truthfully. The reason for that is because she had had so many nightmares about labs, needles and crazy scientists that she would wake up in the middle of the night screaming like a maniac. Crystal would usually try to forget about her nightmares in the morning by replacing them with thoughts about fruit, sunshine and ice.
"Surely you weren't born with those powers. I refuse to believe that," the commander said after a while.
It was true. Crystal wasn't born with them and she knew that.
My powers were an experiment . . . no . . . I'm an experiment.
She wasn't always sure where her powers came from, but the nightmares she had almost every night gave her the answer. But she knew that if she would tell the commander the truth, he would want to know more and more. Crystal didn't want to discuss such a sensitive topic. She was afraid of crying in front of the two men.
I refuse to place myself in that position.
"I . . . I . . . don't really know where my powers - "
Suddenly Crystal heard footsteps approaching her. She looked up in time to see the captain's angry face, coming closer.
"I had enough of this," Levi hissed, grabbing one of her pigtails and yanking it hard. Crystal gasped when pain engulfed her entire head.
"She's just telling lies, Erwin. I can't believe you're falling for her nonsense. Anyone can see she has the face of a liar."
Levi's last comment was the final straw. Crystal narrowed her eyes dangerously.
How DARE he call me a liar again!
The ice-girl jumped up. She flexed her hand and an ice gun appeared in it. Crystal spun around and pointed the weapon straight at the captain's forehead. At the back of her mind she could hear a faint voice warning her that these current actions of her might have fatal consequences. But she didn't care. She won't allow anyone to call her a liar. Especially not an asshole like Levi. Crystal half-expected the man to start pleading for her not to shoot him, but to her frustration, he just stared at her with a cool expression on his face. He didn't even flinch when Crystal pointed the gun at his head.
"Crystal," the commander said calmly. "I doubt you'll want to spend the last years you have left in a rotten dungeon. Lower the weapon . . . both of you."
The whitehead lowered her gaze and noticed that the captain had a dagger in his right hand. Crystal smirked.
I wonder how this would have played out if the commander wasn't present.
Right now, the ice-girl's hand was literally itching to pull the trigger and start a fight with Levi, but with the commander's gaze on her back, she knew she would never be able to actually do it. When she saw the darkhead lowering his weapon, Crystal did the same.
After the girl's gun melted away, she reluctantly sat down again, but not before giving the captain a proper glare. She expected Erwin to look very angry, but instead he looked thoughtful.
"That's quite an unique power," he said. "Creating a weapon from ice . . . impressive."
Crystal wasn't sure how to respond and just nodded her head.
"I'm still really curious about where that powers came from though. Are you sure you don't remember anything?"
The whitehead gripped her hands together tightly.
"Yes, I'm sure."
Crystal nearly jumped out of her chair when a hand came crashing down onto the desk. The captain was standing right next to her now, only a few inches away. He was glaring at her with his right hand still placed firmly on top of the furniture piece.
"Stop lying! You may be able to fool Erwin, but it will be very hard to fool me."
The ice-girl shrieked in pain when Levi grabbed one of her pigtails with his left hand, yanking it much harder this time.
Will this idiot never learn?!
"Stop yanking my hair, you asshole!" Crystal screamed while trying to swat Levi's hand away.
She couldn't help the inappropriate word from leaving her mouth. The whitehead knew she wasn't in the right position to call the captain something like that. But she couldn't help it: Levi had just gone too far.
To Crystal's horror, the captain seemed to have ignored her scream completely. He pulled her pigtail even harder. Crystal screamed in pain.
"Tell the truth," Levi ordered, looking down at the wreathing girl.
"Stop it!" Crystal shouted, gritting her teeth.
"I'm not going to stop till you start talking the truth."
The captain started pulling her pigtail even harder.
"Stop! Leave me alone!"
In desperation, Crystal slowly lifted her right hand, pointing it straight at Levi's right hand that was still planted on top of the desk. The ice-girl's face was twisted in pain. She was planning on freezing the captain right there and then.
I . . . I . . . I'm going to . . .
"That's enough," the commander said, eyeing the struggling duo dangerously.
Crystal paused, still deciding if she should allow her powers to take charge. But made her decision when she noticed Erwin's stern gaze. She slowly lowered her hand and Levi slackened the grip he had on her pigtail a bit.
"Release her hair, Levi," Erwin said, narrowing his eyes.
"That's an order," he continued when he saw that Levi was hesitating.
Man, this guy is stubborn.
Crystal hissed when Levi gave one final tug on her pigtail before letting go.
Well, "stubborn" is one of the words to describe him.
The whitehead sat up straight again and stared down at her lap, feeling a bit embarrassed. She didn't expect the captain to act so violently when she had "refused" to answer Erwin's question. His way of forcing an answer out of people made Crystal a bit uncomfortable, but that didn't mean she was scared of Levi. No, quite the contrary. She didn't fear him at all.
The commander cleared his throat.
"I have made a decision," he said while tidying the paperwork on his desk. "After witnessing one of your astonishing abilities as well as your fiery spirit, even against Captain Levi . . ."
Levi snorted.
". . . I've decided that you will join the Survey Corps as a member of Levi's squad."
Crystal's eyes widened and she had to hold onto the arms of her chair to prevent herself from falling over. This decision shocked the ice-girl to her core.
J-Join the Survey Corps?! T-The people that hunt the titans?!
Crystal's mouth suddenly felt very dry and she struggled to swallow.
But . . . other than that . . .
She turned her head a bit to look at the captain out of the corner of her eye. Levi's face reflected Crystal's own horror. He opened and closed his mouth a few times, looking confused and angry.
"E-Erwin, we didn't discuss the possibility of something like this at all. You don't really believe she can join our ranks as a trustworthy comrade, do you? She might be one of Annie's allies for all we know."
Annie?
"It doesn't require a discussion, and I doubt she's a titan. Do you really think she is?" Erwin said, nodding his head in her direction.
Crystal fidgeted nervously when the captain looked her up and down.
"Titan or not," he finally said, crossing his arms in front of his chest. "Her powers are just too terrifying. I won't feel comfortable having her in my squad."
Don't worry, Crystal thought, gritting her teeth. I don't want to be part of your stupid team anyway.
The commander sighed.
"I'm sorry, Levi. But that's my final decision."
The captain took a step forward.
"But -"
Erwin lifted his hand, signalling Levi to remain where he was and to keep quiet.
"My final decision. She has a lot of potential and can be a great contribution to the Corps. But because she's still a stranger and possible enemy, I want you to keep an eye on her. I don't trust anyone else to do this job as well as you can. Train her; help her to master the 3D maneuver gear. Shape Crystal into the best soldier this Corps had ever seen . . . maybe even better than you."
Levi's eyes stretched wide when he heard the last comment.
"I . . . I . . ."
The captain stuttered, struggling to reply. For a moment, only a very brief moment, Crystal felt a bit sorry for him. Obviously, his squad meant a lot to him, and she knew that it would be very hard for him to accept her. If she had a squad of her own, she wouldn't allow just anybody to be part of it. So Crystal understood Levi's frustration.
After a few seconds, the captain took a deep breath and saluted.
"Yes, sir."
Even though Levi's voice was firm, his face said otherwise. For the first time, Crystal saw that the captain looked doubtful.
"Trust my decision, Levi. And if Crystal gives you any trouble . . ." The commander paused for a few seconds, looking at the ice-girl, an unreadable expression on his face. "I give you permission to punish her however you want. She's in your hands now; your student and trainee."
Crystal gaped at the commander.
He can't be serious! This guy will kill me if he gets the chance.
"I don't really think -"
"I'm sorry, Crystal, but you don't have any say in this matter," the commander interrupted her.
"But I -"
The ice-girl jumped a bit when she felt a firm hand on her right shoulder.
"You heard the commander. Don't argue and come with me."
Crystal looked up at the captain with big eyes. She could slowly feel a sob forming in her throat and had to use all her strength to push it down. The ice-girl blinked her eyes a few times rapidly, before pushing her chair back and standing on her feet. Her shoulders were sagging and she struggled to look the commander in the eye. Crystal knew she had to thank him or something, but her mouth just couldn't form the words.
"Thanks for participating in this little questionnairre," Erwin said, saving Crystal the trouble. "Our initial plan was to hold a trial and decide your fate afterwards, but . . ."
Erwin grinned.
"Just consider yourself very lucky."
Crystal just stared at him, still unable to form words with her mouth. She knew she should be saying something like: 'Thanks for not placing me in a dungeon again', or 'Thanks for not killing me' but the shock of having to join a Corps that hunt titans was just too big. Why would she thank the person that had made such a decision? Why would she thank the person that had probably sent her to her own grave?
So instead the ice-girl just gave the commander a curt nod, turned and followed the captain out of the room.
"You'll thank me one day," the commander said after her.
Thank you? I doubt that.
Levi waited till Crystal was in the hallway before closing the door that lead to Erwin's office. She looked around and noticed that the entire hallway was empty. The ice-girl clenched her hands into fists when she realized that she was alone with the captain now. As had been said before: Crystal was not afraid of Levi, but being alone with him, the person that she loathed the most at the moment, made her feel a bit uncomfortable.
"Come," Levi said, walking past her briskly, nearly bumping his shoulder against her own.
Crystal rolled her eyes and involuntarily followed the captain's lead down the hallway to the main door. Again she expected to see soldiers lined up in front or behind the entrance, but again, she was greeted with nothing.
This is really strange. One would expect this town's army or police or whatever they are called to be more hostile against an outsider . . . a possible threat. But it's like I'm just another villager . . . a normal person without powers.
Levi lead Crystal through the wooden doors without any interruptions. The ice-girl looked from side to side, expecting to see at least one other soldier nearby, but only glimpsed three to four normal workers unloading a truck.
So quiet . . . Is this a trap?
"Unfortunately, you're going to have to ride with me."
Levi's voice pulled Crystal out of her troubled thoughts. She blinked in surprise when she found herself staring at a beautiful black horse; Levi's horse. The ice-girl grimaced.
I'm going to have to ride a horse . . . again?
Deep down Crystal knew the horse wasn't really the problem though. She actually enjoyed the horseride she had only a few hours ago with Eren. The real problem was . . . riding on the horse with that guy.
The ice-girl looked at the captain angrily.
Dangit! I would much rather have my own horse, fall off it countless times and look like an idiot, than share a horse with this prick.
Crystal sighed.
"Whatever. I can't really ride one on my own anyway."
The whitehead took a couple of steps forward and placed her hands on the animal's bare back.
Wait? Bare . . . Didn't Eren's horse have some sort of seat on it's back with a . . .
Crystal lowered her gaze.
The metal pedal-thing! It's not here!
"Etto . . ." Crystal sweat-dropped. "Where's the metal pedal-thingy?"
The ice-girl felt extremely embarassed for asking such a stupid question like that, but that was Eren's direct words for describing the object though, and she didn't know how to ask the question differently.
"What? Oh, you mean the horse's saddle. I prefer not to ride with one. Bareback-riding is much more comfortable for me," the captain said, lifting his shoulders.
Eeehhhh!? Then how am I supposed to climb on?!
The whitehead gulped and looked at the horse's back doubtfully, trying to figure out a different strategy.
"What's the hold up?" Levi asked after a few seconds had passed. "Don't you know how to climb onto a horse?"
Crystal gritted her teeth in anger and frustration.
"I can do it!"
She pressed down on the horse's back with all her might, trying to use her hands and arms to pull her body upwards, but it was very difficult for her and she hardly made any progress.
Ugh! This is hopeless! But I can't fail . . . not in front of him.
Crystal uttered a moan as she tried to boost herself upwards again, but, just like before, her arms gave in and she stood on the ground, disappointed.
While performing her fourth attempt and obviously failing, Levi sighed in frustration and approached her.
"This is getting us nowhere," he said.
The captain knelt down and offered his hands as a foothold.
"Just step on my hands with your left foot and I'll give you a boost."
Crystal looked down at Levi in surprise, feeling very ashamed, but she accepted his help nonetheless. The whitehead stepped on his hands carefully and Levi thrust them upwards rather quickly. Crystal expected to find herself on top of the horse by now, but instead, she was still standing on top of the captain's hands.
"What the hell are you doing?" Levi asked, his voice strained. "You still have to use your arms to get on, you know. I just gave you a boost."
The ice-girl gulped.
"I'm not much higher. Your horse is quite big," Crystal said, struggling to reach the top of the horse's back.
"Man, you're pathetic," the captain said, lowering his hands.
Crystal wanted to make a sharp retort for calling her 'pathetic' but realized that his statement was probably true in this situation.
"I guess it can't be helped," Levi continued.
The ice-girl gasped when Levi placed his hands on either side of her waist.
"Wai- , wha-"
"Stop squirming," the captain scolded, grunting as he tried to push her upwards. "We still have to make it to the Castle before nightfall."
"I-I can get on the horse by myself," Crystal said, feeling her cheeks getting hotter and hotter. The captain's hands was touching her skin and it made her feel very self-conscious.
"Nonsense," Levi said. "You already proved you can't."
Before the ice-girl could respond, the captain placed his right hand under her butt and gave a giant push.
"Eeep!" Crystal shouted in surprise, her face as red as a tomato. Luckily, that push did the trick and Crystal managed to make it to the top. She placed her hands on the horse's back on front of her and folded them into tiny fists. The ice-girl had her head lowered.
That was so embarassing! How can I be so helpless that I require assistance with mounting a horse?
Crystal mentally gasped when Levi suddenly settled himself onto the horse, his back only centimetres away from her nose. She knew what was coming next and she mentally screamed.
Aaahhh! How am I going to be able to wrap my arms around him?!
The ice-girl could feel her hands getting sweaty.
Ugh! Pull yourself together! There must be another way.
She looked the captain's back up and down, searching for some sort of handhold.
I can hold onto this green cape of his.
Crystal slowly stretched out her hands to grab the captain's cape. Suddenly the horse neighed very loudly and the ice-girl screamed when the horse lifted his front hooves high up into the air, causing her to almost lose her balance. Instinctively, to avoid herself from sliding off the animal, Crystal wrapped her arms tightly around Levi's middle and pulled her body closer to his.
The whitehead breathed a sigh of relief when the horse was fully on all four legs again and galloping away. Only after 30 seconds or so had passed, did Crystal realize her current state. Heat radiated from her face and she lifted her head a bit to glimpse Levi's reaction.
Dread filled her when she saw that his mouth wore a tiny smile.
So? Crystal thought angrily. That daring take-off of his wasn't an accident.
Sorry for this rather long chapter, lol. But I just couldn't stop writing.
Leave a comment if you have time please. If you do, I'll definitely respond to it in the next chapter.