Track List:

Levi's theme (piano version)

Gone Too Long- Churchill

Running Up That Hill- Placebo

Chapter 4- Bloodlust

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After their discussion with Erwin Smith, Levi and Petra were shuffled to separate tents, finding that the new sleeping arrangements (at least for Petra) were worse than before. The Survey Corps was the least funded of the three military groups, which was why unlike the cadet's living quarters, the recon members were stuffed in tents that squeezed about four people and provided only dusty knapsacks to sleep on.

Begrudgingly, and with the sound of cicadas ringing sharply in her ears, the auburn-haired girl did her best to stumble through the dark, using the dim light of the lantern to set her sleeping bag on the slim amount of available space. With the lantern's flame turned low, Petra closed her eyes, finding that sleep came easier to her than expected.

She dreamed again of a certain dark-scaled dragon whose onyx eyes stared curiously at her.

A strange human indeed... The voice murmured, before her dream turned into a lucid stream of colors and sounds.

Elsewhere, Levi found himself growing restless. After nearly a decade of solitude, away from both humans and dragons, he was finding it difficult to sleep in such a cramped space. He was tempted to storm into Erwin's cushiony cabin-like quarters and demand his own room (he was a dragon, damnit! Not some human soldier!), but decided against it, knowing that it would be more effort than it was worth. Closing his eyes, the dragon-man tried to sleep, thoughts plagued by certain... images.

Scenes he had hoped to forget.

Screams. Blood on the ground. Green cloaks covered in soot and ash. A man's hand reaching from under the fallen trunk of a tree. His final whispers, curses spilling from his lips.

Despite the warmth his own dragon blood gave him and the barrier the nylon tent gave to the outside wind, Levi felt a shudder wrack his frame as he fell into a cold, dreamless sleep. Under it, the primal urge to kill seeped like poison into his veins.

"Hey, newbie, it's time to wake up—"

The stranger's words were cut as Levi's hand reflexively grabbed the man's throat, grey eyes narrowed. He flung him to the ground before the soldier had time to react, a low rumble emanating from his chest. It took him a few good minutes to realize that the stranger was not a threat, though his hands lingered against the man's throat as he reluctantly pulled away, a frown twisting his features.

"...It's stupid shit like this that really pisses me off."

The wide-eyed soldier scrambled to his feet, fear evident in his expression. "I-I'm sorry, but Commander Smith told me to come get you. He wants you to come to his office after breakfast." He stammered before bolting out of the tent, nearly tripping out of the flap on his way out.

"Shitty brat..." Levi muttered, thinking of both the stupid soldier and Erwin. There was a coldness in the Commander's eyes that hadn't been there the last time he had seen the blonde and he didn't know if he liked it. There was something about his demeanor now that reminded Levi too much of a dragon.

Passing through the field of grey tents, a series of pained cries caught his attention. At the end of the row of tents was the Infirmary, where splotches of blood and bandages peppered the ground. Through the open flap he could see numerous soldiers in different states of illness twisting in their cots. One cot was draped in white, locks of orange hair spilling from under the blood-stained sheet. With a grimace Levi passed the Infirmary, just catching the frantic motion of a woman with dark brown hair and glasses.

Their eyes met for a millisecond before the woman let out a screech of joy, shoving the bandages and scissors into the hands of another doctor. "Levi! Is that really you? You haven't changed a bit!" She immediately threw her arms around the short man, happy tears streaming down her face.

"Get off me, shitty glasses." The dragon growled, forcibly removing the woman's hands which had stopped to inspect his cravat as if he were only a phantom and would disappear under her gaze.

"Oh right, the personal space issues! Sorry, sorry!" She jeered, taking a step back from the volatile dragon. A lopsided grin formed on her face at the sight of his Survey Corp cloak.

"So you're on our side now? Cool! Does that mean I can experiment on you—"

A rough kick to her abdomen stopped her words, causing the woman to let out a sharp cry of pain, clutching her stomach. "T-that was mean, Levi!"

Levi sighed. "Get up, Hanji. I didn't kick you that hard. Anyway, I've got to go see the shitty brat; he's got something to tell me."

He walked past the kneeling woman, not bothering to turn back to look at the stunned soldiers who had rushed to Hanji's side. She waved them off easily, brushing off specks of dust from her pants as she stood.

"Shitty brat…? He can't possibly mean Erwin!?" She exclaimed, returning to the tent. It was fine enough that she had seen him; she'd get to do an experiment on the dragon… eventually.

Unbeknownst to the scientist-turned doctor, her ranting of experiments and procedures had unburied another one of the dragon's many memories. A shudder wracked his frame as he walked further away from the Infirmary tent, the scent of blood heavy in his nostrils. His vision swayed until he had to plant his feet firmly in the ground, running a warm hand over his brow. He was burning up.

"Not now…" He cursed, steeling himself forward despite the wave of vertigo that threatened to knock him over. The tents blurred into subtle shades of green as he stumbled into a group of rowdy soldiers. One roughly pushed against his chest, causing the shorter man to fall backwards, into the supporting pole of the nearest tent. He caught himself then, feeling the nails in his hands turning to talons.

"Levi?" A feminine voice called, revealing a certain auburn-haired soldier. She had a knapsack over her shoulder, a worried expression twisting her cherubic features.

"Go away!" Levi barked, stumbling away from the girl. With a frown, Petra followed undeterred, noticing that the dragon was barely aware of her presence, or anything, for that matter. It seemed that he was going towards the Commander's lodgings, but stopped at the side of the wooden cabin. His breathing was heavy as he slumped against the façade of the building, silver eyes bleary and unfocused.

"Levi… are you alright? Levi? I'm going to get Commander Smith!" Petra's voice drifted into his ears but his conscience was elsewhere. Slowly, a series of memories played before his vision like a reel, all other sound and noise deafened by the pounding of his thoughts.

A white-washed room. Cold floors. Metal gurneys the size of dining tables. An array of surgical tools. Faces covered by surgical masks.

"You are the first of a perfect generation, Levi. With you, dragons will rule both the skies and land. Be proud of your heritage; for you will bring about the destruction of mankind."

"Why do I look human, then? Why am I like the things you want me to kill? Why don't I look like you, father?"

"Shh… it's time to sleep, son. Those answers will only slow you down. When you wake up you will be the perfect killing machine. And that is all that matters."

The man woke with a start, grey eyes scanning his surroundings for any signs of danger. But the white rooms were gone, replaced with a sleepy, rolling field. He felt something soft under him, something other than grass. Looking up, he saw the sleeping face of Petra, whose lap he was currently resting against. Somehow, a strange feeling erupted in his gut, one that he hadn't been privy to in decades. A feeling that had only appeared when he formed bonds with humans.

How annoying…

"Oi, Petra." He started, only to notice the towering shadow before them. Erwin Smith rested against the wooden cabin, blue eyes sharp and calculating. A heavy frown marred his features.

"Are you alright, Levi?" His voice betrayed his motives; the question lying underneath it rang clear in his words.

Grunting, the short man stood up, careful not to wake the sleeping soldier. Petra muttered something in her sleep, but her eyes remained closed, back pressed against the cabin. For a moment, Levi even paused to stare, but shook his head; emotions were the reason he was in this fucking mess.

"I'm fine, Erwin. Nothing like that incident will happen again. Now, what the fuck do you want?" He muttered, obediently following the taller man into the cabin.

Inside, he saw that Hanji Zoe was also in attendance, a lopsided smile plastered on her face.

"Levi! I've been trying to convince Erwin to let me experiment on you, but he keeps saying no! Tell him you're fine with it!"

"I'm not." He deadpanned, turning to the blonde-haired man. "Well, what do you want?"

The Commander sighed. "Curt and brash as ever, I see. We need your help. In a week we will be setting off into dragon territory. We are going to a dragon's den to regain much needed supplies. With you entering it first, we can possibly halve the casualty rate. Help us, help humanity."

He didn't have to think for a second on his response.

"I'll help you little shits. Just get me a better tent." He grinned, grabbing the brunette woman's arm.

"I'll answer any of your questions, but no invasive crap. No needles, no knives. Got it?" His eyes darkened as he glared dangerously at the scientist, voice leaving no room for argument. Hanji nodded excitedly, nearly jumping for joy.

"Whoo! A dragon I can talk to! You'll be much more interesting than Grendel, my latest experiment!

"Sometimes I regret saving you and Erwin from that damn forest." Levi admitted, stepping out of the cabin before either could respond. Seeing that Petra was still asleep, he cursed, looking down at the girl.

"Damn brat needs to be careful. No wonder she waltzed into a fucking dragon's den." He glowered, unfastening his cloak. In one fluid motion he placed it over her like a blanket before briskly walking away.

Inside the cabin, the atmosphere between the two officers darkened. Hanji sighed, resting a hand against a table filled with graphs and charts.

"Will he be okay with this sort of mission? What if he loses control before?"

"We have to trust that it won't happen. If it does… we'll have no choice but to kill him." Erwin responded coldly, eyes scanning the map before him. Levi would either be their salvation or their end. He sincerely hoped for the former.

"You wouldn't actually kill Levi, would you? Even after all he's done for us?"

The Commander did not respond.

Inside the Castle of Dragons…

A golden dragon with blue eyes stepped through the immaculate throne room, bowing its spiked head. A low rumble escaped its throat, wings folded in a sign of respect. A dragon behind a metal curtain rumbled back, appearance obscured by the heavy drapery.

"Report."

The golden dragon responded easily, a feminine voice reverberating through the marble room. "Levi's location is still unknown, as is the Coordinate."

"I see… Annie Leonhardt, I trust this task to you and the other shifters. Find Levi and the Coordinate, alive. You cannot return to the castle until you have done so."

"I understand, sir." She rumbled back, shape shifting into the form of a teenage girl with blonde hair and piercing cobalt eyes. The insignia of the Military Police could be seen on the back of her leather jacket.

P.S. Grendel was the demon from Beowulf. The actual dragon in the story is never given a name, but I like the name Grendel so… XD

Sorry that this chap took so long to write and yet is so short; next chap should be full of action at least, so stay tuned! And I've got the plot down as well, so no worries :P

Review?

-Isis