Finally, after months of waiting to get the hell out of boring day-to-day life, Levi sets off on his trip to Germany. But it seems that his journey of a thousand smiles is having a rough start.
Includes: incompetent airport employees, spam texting, and lots of hand sanitizer.

Chapter 4: Search and Seizure

May 29, 2013

Boston, Massachusetts

Boston Airport

"Sir, what's this?" The airport security guard pulled out a large dispenser bottle from inside his backpack.

"It's hand sanitizer."

"I'm afraid I'm going to have to confiscate that."

"It's just hand-sanitizer. It won't hurt anyone."

"Yes, but I'm afraid all outside liquids and gels over 3 fluid ounces are strictly prohibited in the airport."

"It's just goddamned hand sanitizer."

"I'm aware, sir."

"So give it back," Levi snapped. He despised airport security, almost as much as he despised airports. Airports were filthy places, crawling with a malicious mix of domestic and foreign germs. Even after years of air travel, Levi couldn't help but attempt sneaking a bottle of hand sanitizer into the airport each time, although it had never managed to make it past security check. He had stocked up on plenty of antibacterial wipes as well, but somehow his set of anti-germ travel materials just didn't feel complete without the hand-sanitizer.

"Sir, please don't be difficult. You're holding up the line." The security guard tried to force Levi's bag into his arms and push him through, not expecting Levi, who was a good half foot shorter, to be stronger than him. Levi shook off his hold with ease.

"Don't touch me," Levi growled, and was about to pick up his bag and leave when he was stopped by another security guard, a thickly-mustached man with a bloated stomach ballooning over his belt.

"Hey, hey. Where're yer goin'?" He spoke with a drawl atypical of the Bostonian area.

"My boarding gate," Levi stated in a bored voice. He was currently in no mood to dillydally with airport security. He had missed out on morning coffee, which meant he was even more irritable than usual.

"Wait, wait a minute. Ya look jus' like um…" The mustached security officer turned to the one who had confiscated Levi's hand sanitizer. "Doesn' he, though? Tha' serial killer they been tellin' us to be on the lookout for."

The other security guard gave Levi a thorough once-over. "You know, now that you mention it…" The two proceeded to pull up a picture of the serial killer on the computer next to the security check equipment.

Are you fucking kidding me? Levi suddenly had the strong urge to break a few dishes.

"Alright, look you little fucks. Here's my I.D." He flashed his passport at the two idiots, a bone-chilling glower flickering in his eye. "Now let me through."

"I'm sorry, sir. You will have to wait a bit longer. We have to make sure you are not the criminal in question. Please wait while we run a check on your passport and also recheck your bag. Meanwhile, please step back onto the mat. I have to redo the body check."

Levi's eyes narrowed dangerously at the thought of having to endure another twenty horrible seconds of that uncomfortable prodding and needless physical contact.

Thankfully, just as he was about to lash out at the two security guards for their incompetence, he was saved by a somewhat familiar boom of, "Professor!"

He swiveled around to find himself face to face with a tall, broad-shouldered, blonde with a characteristically strong jaw. Behind him trailed an even taller student, who shifted awkwardly under Levi's piercing gaze. "Professor Levi. I didn't expect to see you here." The well-muscled blonde grinned good-naturedly.

Levi's eyes did a quick sweep of their proudly-displayed Harvard T-shirts. "Braun, was it?"

"Yes. Reiner Braun."

"Ah, that's right. You took a semester of English 40. Who's your friend?"

"Bertholdt Fubar, sir," the lanky, nervous boy answered from behind Reiner. Levi gave him a curt nod, then turned his attention back to Reiner.

"Let me guess. Rowing?"

"Haha, yeah. Summer rowing camp." Reiner gestured to the cluster of sinewy young men all sporting some sort of Harvard apparel good distance down the line. The Harvard rowing crew indeed.

"Hm." Levi didn't comment further, though he used to row when he was still a student at the school.

"Well. Uh, you see, Professor…actually, we were sent over here to help you."

"And why were you under the impression that I needed any help?" Levi raised a quizzical brow.

"Because well…you're kind of holding up the line, Professor."

"I can see that." He glanced over the line that was clogging up the security check further and further with a scoff. As he had expected, the Harvard boys were stealing quick glances over at Reiner and himself as they attempted to hide their snickering.

"Well, uh…if you need help…" Even Reiner's affability was ebbing with Levi's uninterested deadpan. After all, it was this very blank expression that had students struggling like flopping fish just for a B minus.

"You've got real guts to say that to your professor, Braun. Now get back in line and tell your friends over there to get their shit together and kick Yale's sorry ass next year*."

"Yes, sir! Haha, sorry for bothering you, Professor." For a split second, Levi had the strange notion that Reiner was going to salute him, but the two rowers were already halfway back to the rowing crew when Levi caught himself.

Meanwhile, the idiot security guards had apparently caught wind of their previous conversation. They—coming to the accurate conclusion that a professor of such a prestigious school could not possibly be a heinous criminal—finally gave Levi back his things, but not before apologizing profusely (to which Levi answered with a "tch").

And as Levi finally, finally, was able to make his way leisurely down the aisle of tax free stores selling low-quality Boston souvenir trinkets and high-class European watches, he couldn't help but allow Reiner some acknowledgement (however trivial) in his head.

Thank you, Reiner Braun, for that conveniently-timed conversation.

After he bought coffee from a nearby Starbucks, Levi sifted past the flow of people with expert speed. This was another reason he hated airports. Everybody in here was rushing around like headless flies, unaware of their surroundings as they passed places and objects and things that were impermanent. The focus was only where they were going. There wasn't a damned care for how they got there. Levi had always thought of himself as a man of certain direction, but he couldn't help but feel slightly disoriented in the torrent of passersby.

He reached his terminal soon enough and dropped down into an empty chair with a relieved sigh. It had taken him an immeasurable amount of trouble just to get here. The usual meticulous travel planning aside, he was forced to avoid Hanji at all costs for three full months. The fact that Hanji was on break from field work didn't help the cause one bit, since that woman had the tendency to text him in the middle of class. On purpose. And beyond the spontaneous rant he had to endure yesterday, he also had to work ahead to cover all the class planning for fall semester courses, not to mention the influx of emails he received from panicked, failing students at the end of each term. So now, after forging through the harsh winter of yet another year, Levi was more than eager to find solace in wild, German forests.

His phone buzzed in his pocket, interrupting the nice stretch of silence that he had been savoring. Levi pulled out his phone to find a text message from Hanji. Speak of the Devil. Why is that woman always interrupting me? But instead of the usual bombardment of emoticons and creative butchering of the English language, Hanji's text message read:

Levi, I know you're probably going no matter what I say. But at least know that even if there is no Beast, it's just as dangerous. I'm serious here. The forest is centuries old and largely unmapped. There are carnivores and predators of all kinds. Be careful.

5/29/2013, 9:37am

But of course, Levi had already considered this during his trip planning.

What're you worrying for, shitty glasses? I'm not stupid. I'm bringing a gun.

5/29/2013, 9:38am

Oooo~~~ u actually answered! (=ↀωↀ=)

5/29/2013, 9:38am

And just when I thought you were going to type properly for once.

5/29/2013, 9:39am

(ﾉ)ﾉ

5/29/2013, 9:39am

((|o^^o|))

5/29/2013, 9:39am

*:.｡. o()o .｡.:*

5/29/2013, 9:40am

Stop it.

5/29/2013, 9:40am

Anewaaaaayyzzzzz, ill b gettin back to field work soonish. So, wait for me till I get there?

5/29/2013, 9:41am

Christ, no.

5/29/2013, 9:42am

( Д) Buuuuut ur gonna get eaten.

5/29/2013, 9:42am

Goodbye.

5/29/2013, 9:43am

Levi shut off his phone for good measure. The amount of Hanji's spam he was going to receive between now and his flight time will be unprecedented. But just as he thought he was going to have some peace and quiet, he looked up from his phone screen only to find someone looming right over him.

Levi jumped just the tiniest bit.

"Do I know you?"

Perhaps not so coincidentally, it was another Harvard brat (Levi wondered why he was condemned to a life of dealing with brats). This time, it was a short boy with his head shaved nearly clean, though with considerable bulk to his build for his size. He sported a Harvard jacket and an anxious expression. Come to think of it, he does look a little familiar. Must be with the rowing crew, though he's a bit short. The cox*,probably.

"Um…I…um…I just…had a question, Cor-Professor." For some reason, the kid was stuttering as if Levi was waving a dagger in his face.

"What?" Levi didn't attempt to hide his annoyance. It was his vacation time, and there was no feasible reason he needed to answer to whiny college brats. "I don't remember having you in any of my classes."

"N-no, Professor. I wasn't." The kid scratched his head, trying to appear relaxed.

"Well, then. Speak up. Are you lost?"

"I just…I just needed to confirm…do you really not remember him, sir?" The gaze that met Levi's was abruptly quivering with an intense clash of emotions.

Levi's slim brows pressed into an apprehensive frown. "Excuse me?" He could feel his stomach begin to curl inside him, as if it was shrinking away in aversion.

"So it's true then!" The boy began to tremble all over, every word from his mouth an accusation full of spite. "When Armin told me, I wouldn't believe him. I thought it wasn't possible! I said, 'that's not possible, Armin. There's no way he wouldn't remember'! But you really don't, do you? You don't remember him! I just…had to see for myself. And I can't believe—"

"Keep your voice down!" People were beginning to shoot them concerned glances. Now, I wouldn't want to get flagged for scaring a student into hysterics, as much as that would boost my current reputation. "Now. Tell me from the beginning. Who is this that you're talking about?"

The kid's hands were balled up into fists. It was hard to discern from his expression whether or not he was about to burst into tears or about to explode. It soon became apparent that it was the latter.

"How could you, Corporal?! How could you forget him?! Eren Jaegar!"

Suddenly, it was deafening. How could you, Corporal?! The voice filling his head. A cry, high and jagged, like reverberating steel. His ears bled.

Then, he could see it. Blood. He saw crimson as the room spun and blurred. A wave of nausea gripped him by the stomach and squeezed, wringing out every last breath stored in his lungs. And the crimson screamed.

Corporal?!

Corporal!

…Corporal…Cor…

Corporal, please…

Say something…

Corporal!

"-ou okay?! Are you okay! Sir!"

When Levi came to, he was keeled over on the floor, hands clutching his stomach and gasping for air. The bout of nausea slowly drained away as he picked himself up again. A small crowd had gathered around Levi out of sheer concern. The shrimp with the shaved head from before was nowhere to be seen.

"Oh, my, are you alright?" An older gentleman approached and helped Levi back into a seat. Levi, visibly shaken both physically and mentally, focused all his energy on regaining the steady flow of his breathing.

"I'm a doctor," the older man said. "Here, let me have a look." The doctor steadied Levi's head with his hands and checked his eyes. Then, he instructed him to open his mouth. For the first time in his life, Levi obeyed without a single complaint, still dazed from his earlier attack.

After the basic check, the man concluded, "I don't see any noticeable problem. In fact, you seem very healthy. Could you describe what you were feeling? I assume you had an attack of some kind."

"Nausea." Levi closed his eyes, a frown pressing harshly on forehead. "And…it became hard to breathe." It was only part of the truth, because there were no words to describe the intensity of the sensation. It was sight, sound, and smell, all at once. It was din from the bottomless pit of hell. And for the first time in his life, he had no words.

"I see." The doctor inspected him a few minutes further, then shook his head. "There doesn't seem to be any physical traces at least. I suggest you go home and rest, though. It's not a good idea to fly right after having an attack like that. Take care now."

"Thank you."

And with that, the doctor hurried off toward a different terminal.

By this time, the crowd had dispersed. After five minutes of people shooting him troubled glances nearby, he decided to move to a more isolated section of the seats. Just as he stood up, the announcer declared overhead, "Flight 847 to Berlin is now boarding. Flight 847 to Berlin is now boarding. All passengers, please head to Gate 42C…"

Levi slung his backpack over his shoulder and joined the formulating queue without a hint of hesitation.

*Harvard-Yale Regatta- an annual rowing race between Harvard and Yale that predates even the Harvard-Yale football rivalry. Historically, Harvard has won more often than not.

*Coxswain- person who sits at the front of the boat who is in charge of steering and keeping the overall balance of the entire crew. It is advantageous for the cox to be small and light.

Ah, I haven't updated this for so long. Truth is, I've had this chapter written and edited for months now, haha. I've just been really busy with school and other things so I haven't really had time to work on this. Anyway, after the dramatic ending last chapter, hopefully this one lightened things up a bit. Er, just a bit?
Hope you guys enjoyed! Comment, like, subscribe, and all that jazz.