The next few chapters will be brutal. We have our plan of attack and we know how we're getting to the end. This will be quite the ride and we hope you're up for it!
Fair Warnings: Detailed depiction of sickness and injuries, Levi has language and there is violence as well - it's rated for a reason! Also there will probably be some OOC moments (quite a few).
ALSO THIS FEATURES AN ESTABLISHED RIREN (Levi/Revaille and Eren) RELATIONSHIP - Don't like? Then this isn't a tale for you.
Attack on Titan / Shingeki no Kyojin belongs to Hajime Isayama, not us!
As Levi had hoped, the night had been calm. In fact, everything had become so calm that he had fallen asleep next to his brat's cool form. Though he hated to admit it, it was the best he had slept in weeks; he just couldn't relax himself without knowing where and how his brat was doing at that exact moment. This way, when he awoke from his haunting dreams he was able to lean over and see that Eren was alive and well, unlike his nightmares led him to believe.
It was a nice change of pace. Though Levi knew it wouldn't last. Hanji had said that the poison would get worse before it got better, and though everything so far had been plenty terrifying he worried how bad it could get. Shifting slightly in the cramped bed, he was alerted to a few small whimpers coming from the teen next to him. He lifted his groggy head.
"Eren?"
Only a whimper in reply.
Levi propped himself up on an arm, facing his lover and gently tapping his shoulder. "Eren? Are you okay?"
His ocean green eyes peaked open, his body tensing as his face contorted into a grimace. "Levi…?" his voice was timid, almost frightened.
"You okay, brat?"
Eren's body tensed again. He squirmed a bit. "I-I can't move."
That surprised the Corporal. What the hell did he mean he couldn't move? He eyed the boy suspiciously, letting a hand fall on his head to make sure his fever hadn't returned. His head was only a little warm. Levi dropped his hand into Eren's, squeezing it and hoping his brat would reciprocate. When he didn't, Levi knew he was telling the truth.
"What can't you move, Eren? Your arm? What?"
Tears were brimming his love's eyes from fear, "I-I don't know… nothing...I-I can't move anything."
Levi poked the teen's nose, something that usually annoyed him and would cause him to swat away the Corporal's touch, but there was no reaction. Only a grimaced glare.
"Levi! I...please…" tears now spilled down his drained cheeks. He was begging for help, for Levi to help him to move, if only to know that he could. But there was nothing the man could do for him.
"Eren, I can't do anything about it. Just...keep trying, it's probably just another side effect of the poison in your system."
Eren nodded - it seemed that was the only area he had any control over. He cast his eyes down to his motionless body. It was driving him crazy, he needed to move. Eren didn't like sitting still in the first place, but being unable to move any part of his body was almost worse than death. His muscles contracted and retracted weakly as he tried to move his limbs.
His inability to move was scaring Levi, too. He found himself squirming about the bed just thinking about Eren's temporary paralysis - or at least he hoped it was temporary, there was really no way of telling. When Eren let out a frustrated sob, he decided they needed to try something else before he went crazy.
"Eren try to touch my hand." he commanded, lifting his hand mere inches above the titan shifter's. Maybe if his attention was focused on one spot things would speed up.
Eren's eyes narrowed on his target, a slight vision of his former determination weeping into his gaze. Levi was glad to see it back. They both watched intently. Eren's hand twitched and trembled as the muscles were commanded but no further success.
"C'mon, Eren, you can do it."
Eren's eyes flickered to him, unsure. But he refocused again. A few fingers started to twitch and seize, but nothing more. The shifter choked on a sob, and slammed his head back on the pillow in anguish.
"I can't..!"
"Yes, you can."
"Corporal-"
"Yes, you can, Eren. Now try again damn it." his eyes burned. He wasn't angry at Eren so much as himself for not being able to help him at all. He considered getting Hanji but knew that the only thing she could do is give him another sedative.
Eren lifted his head weakly. He swallowed a few sobs before focusing his energy again on his hand. The fingers were twitching a bit more furiously.
"That's it, Eren."
The teen let out a sob as he tensed the muscles again and again, trying to make them move. His pointer finger inched its way upward.
"Levi..!"
"That's it, keep going."
Determined once more, Eren put his every ounce of energy into moving that one hand. Another finger twitched up, then another, and another. Soon his whole trembling hand was lifted from the bed. Getting it up the next few inches to Levi's was a sinch. His knuckles brushed against his lover's calloused palms. Levi couldn't help grinning uncharacteristically at his brat's success. He grabbed up the tense hand in his own. Eren gripped back, though weakly.
"I did it…" Eren looked exhausted. Levi reminded himself it was only early morning - perhaps not even three o'clock.
"Good job, shit face." Levi praised, leaning in to kiss Eren's brow.
Eren smiled, tiredly. "That was only my hand though,"
"We'll work on the rest later. At least we know you can do it. You should go back to sleep."
He was hesitant for a moment, but ultimately calmed by Levi's encouraging words. He knew he wouldn't say them if he didn't mean them. He let his eyes drift shut again, still clutching onto Levi's hand. He fell asleep instantly. Levi stroked his hair lovingly, relaxing back against the bed frame. He had slept enough, he'd spend the rest of the night watching over Eren.
Eren seemed to be doing amazingly well, so much so that Levi felt comfortable leaving his sleeping form for a few minutes to get them some breakfast. His breathing was incredibly even and in sleep his movement seemed to have returned - much to Levi's gratitude. He even rolled around a few times.
Levi made sure he was quiet when he slipped out of the room, not wanting to alert anyone of his disappearance. Especially not Eren. He walked skillfully down the halls, not making a single noise despite the clanky nature of their uniform boots. It was still early, and very few seemed to be up, which was even better; it meant that he could sneak a couple of plates and return to Eren's room no questions asked. The lack of line made it easy too, and he was back up to Eren within a few minutes.
He slipped in the door, surprised when he found Eren already awake and sitting up.
"Good morning, sunshine." he said sarcastically, kicking the door shut behind him.
Eren was staring far ahead of him, his eyes glassy. He glanced over to Levi. He looked confused.
Levi set the tray of food down next to the bed. He reached out and felt Eren's head. It was getting warm again. "Oi, Eren. Are you hungry? How are you feeling?"
He positioned himself to look into the brat's eyes, trying to get his attention on him. "Eren?"
Eren blinked, suddenly noticing the face in front of his, and responded hoarsely, "Oh, hi."
"Oh, hi yourself. How are you feeling?" Levi pressed.
Eren shrugged his shoulders. "I can move."
"I noticed. How about otherwise? Are you still tired, or are you feeling feverish again?"
His head lifted in confusion. He didn't seem to understand the question.
"Why don't you go back to bed? I brought you some food, but you can eat it later."
"No…I'll…"
"Full sentences, brat." he stroked Eren's sweaty brow.
"I-I'm not...tired. I...want...I'm hungry...I-" his eyes were twitching, his brain working hard to form words.
"Shh, okay. You'll eat first then you should go back to sleep." Levi stroked Eren's warm forehead are he spoke.
Eren nodded, muttering something incoherent under his breath. Levi grabbed a small hunk of bread and bowl of mush from the tray and handed them to Eren. "Don't make a mess," he warned.
The food sat in Eren's lap. He looked at it strangely, like he wasn't sure if he was supposed to eat it or what. He didn't move to eat, he only stared.
"Eat, Eren."
He looked up, "Wha'?"
"You said you were hungry. So eat."
"Oh…" he stared at the food. He picked up the spoon in his bowl of mush and stirred it haphazardly. He brought a spoonful to his mouth, but stopped before it reached his lips.
"What's wrong? You don't need me to feed you too, do you brat?"
"No…" he began to eat slowly. Though he didn't get much into himself before he decided he was done. He set down his spoon and began staring into his lap again.
Levi put the bowl aside and set a cool cloth on Eren's forehead. "Sleep," he commanded.
Eren shimmied down in his bed but his lids wouldn't shut. He seemed to be lost in space, his teal eyes glassy and unseeing.
"Eren," The short Corporal tried to get his attention.
No response.
He went to grab one of the younger's hands and noticed he was scratching at his forearm. The skin was red and irritated, though it seemed mostly from Eren's nails. "Hey, Eren. Stop that." He pulled his hand away from his arm.
Eren peered up at him, confused and hurt, "It's itchy," he whined.
"Doesn't mean you can scratch holes in yourself, shit face," Levi glared at the claw marks Eren had made in his skin. "Sleep," he commanded once more.
Eren sunk into his bed as Levi picked up some food to eat himself. It was no longer hot - something he found incredibly irritating - but he had to eat. Eren was quiet and Levi assumed he had fallen asleep again.
This proved to be wrong when he heard Eren grunting in a dismantled manor. He looked up from his food to see his brat gouging holes in himself again.
"Eren! What the fuck? I said stop that!" he threw his bowl aside went to grab Eren's hand but he pulled away.
"No! Please! It-it's biting me...it itches...I just need to get it out…!"
Levi looked upon his lover in terror. Was he hallucinating again? What the hell did he see this time? He glanced to the door, hoping by some miracle that Hanji would come through and help him deal with Eren's delusions. He couldn't do this alone.
"Eren what the hell are you talking about?" the Corporal reached again for Eren's hand but the teen jerked away. He huddled himself in the corner, picking at his skin. There was nothing on his arm. Nothing biting him.
"It's biting me, Levi…ow! It hurts…" he began scratching more vigorously. The skin was beginning to peel around his nails. The red splotches were beginning to fill with blood.
"Eren! Stop that! There's nothing there!" he finally grasped onto Eren's hand, only for it to be yanked away again. Levi was starting to get mad. "What the fuck?! Stop!"
"OW! S-stop! It…won't stop!" Eren dug a nail further into his skin, jabbing it through the flayed layers and making another deep gash in his arm. Blood fell upon the pristine white sheets.
"Eren cut it out!" Levi got onto the bed and locked both of his hands around Eren's wrists, restraining him. He pushed the boy down, subduing any resistance he put up.
"Levi! No! Help me, please! They're...they're eating my flesh! Th-they think I'm dead but I'm not! They're eating me...please...I just need to get them...off…!" he thrashed underneath Levi. He was trying desperately to get his arms free, so that he could try to get those 'things' off of him.
"Brat there's nothing there! What the hell do you think you see?!" Levi was almost as curious as he was horrified.
Tears once again strolled down the shifter's cheeks. How much bodily fluid had he lost these past few days just from the amount of tears he shed in sheer pain and terror? He battled hard against Levi's grip, kicking his legs furiously at his superior. "They're everywhere! How can you not see them?! They're…eating me!"
"What are?!" Levi shoved Eren back against the bed.
"M-maggots!" Eren cried, his breath hitching on a sob.
Levi's grip had only slackened for a moment. Eren let out an unearthly screech as he kicked out violently, landing his foot into the Corporal's groin. The short man cursed loudly rolling away from the brat's lethal flailing. That fucking hurt. He curled up in momentary pain, watching in fury as Eren took advantage of his pained state.
Both Eren's hands were working now, scratching madly all over his body, digging holes the size of marbles into his skin. His left hand worked on a spot along his forearm, scraping it raw until it started to bleed. His right hand was working at his chest, and being too frantic had dug its way through his shirt in order to reach his hot flesh as soon as possible.
"Get off me!" he shrieked, ripping up layer upon layer of skin.
Levi was horrified, noticing how the way Eren's bloody flesh looked harrowingly titanesque. The thought made his nose curl. He reached out again in attempt to quell Eren's madness. "Eren…"
A hand flung out, smacking away the Corporal's and lashing at his face. Levi was quick to dodge, but Eren's fingers still skimmed his cheek. A small red welt rose up on Levi's face. That was it. He grabbed Eren's hand before it could return to its scratching and yanked the boy upward. Eren jerked across the bed, confused a bit before immediately fighting back.
"Levi, no! I have to get them off me! W-why are you doing this?!"
"To save you from your damn self!" Levi threw his arms around Eren, pulling him close to his chest to tighten his grip.
Eren seized, throwing himself around to get away. "Levi! Stop! Please!"
Blood was oozing from wounds all over Eren's body. They needed to be bandaged. He needed help.
"Eren…" Levi growled, squeezing the boy tighter against his chest. Blood from a gash on Eren's chest was staining the man's bleach white shirt red. Levi grimaced.
Eren's chest collapsed in a sob; he slumped against Levi's shoulder. His fight seemed to be dying, though he still wriggled a bit under the Corporal's tight hold. He was so broken. So fragile. It made Levi sick to think about it. As Eren sobbed into him, he placed his chin on the teen's head and rubbed slow circles across his back. He seemed to be calming down again.
Of course, Eren's fevered mind wasn't one to give up however. He felt Levi's grip loosen, felt his hand rubbing his back, and as much as he wanted to stay and let Levi hold him, his skin still crawled. The persistent bugs were everywhere, crawling in his shirt, in his pants, in his hair - they were everywhere. They were eating him, like he was a delicious rotting corpse for them to decompose. But he wasn't, right? He was alive...right? He sobbed into Levi's shoulder a few more times, felt his touch a bit more and made a break for it. He slipped under the short Corporal's arm and sprinted for the door.
He fumbled with the knob, unsure how it worked in his collapsed state of mind, but opened it soon enough. Levi snapped around in shock, trying to piece together what had just happened. Was he...fooling with him? Had that been a trick? How had his feverish mind worked that shit out? He clammered to his feet. Eren was already stumbling down the hallway.
"Eren! Get the hell back here!" he started to run after him.
Eren glanced back in fear. He had to get away from the Corporal. The maggots were still crawling all over him, and with Levi restraining him he couldn't do anything about it. Why couldn't Levi see them? Why wasn't he helping? If the Corporal loved him then...why? Tears rolled from his eyes thinking about it. He began picking at his skin again as he ran.
Eren's heavy tromping and troubled sobs were already bringing about undue attention. Cadets were coming out of their rooms, still groggy at this time of the morning, and staring down the hall with utter confusion. Levi could hear some of them slinging dazed curses, others calling after the Corporal asking what was going on, other exclamations of 'is that Eren?'. Levi kicked up the speed.
The teen's speed was dropping. Levi was honestly surprised he had been able to run as far as he had. His legs were fumbling across the ground and Levi expected he would fall from fatigue soon enough. Damn brat didn't have the energy for this. He hadn't recovered nearly enough to even take a walk outside, let alone run through the halls.
He thought about what he would do when he caught Eren. He would just try to escape again; that much was obvious. He needed help.
"Someone fucking get Hanji!" he ordered to the cadets stumbling out from door after door to see the commotion.
Eren took a dive onto the floor. His legs wouldn't bear his weight any longer. He tried to get up, sobbing and moaning in pain as he did. From where Levi was, he could see that the stitches in Eren's various wounds were beginning to pull and tear. He wailed in pain and sorrow as he tried crawl forward, away from Levi. His skin was still crawling. He needed to get away so he could get the bugs off him.
Levi was there before he could make any more progress. He dropped to his knees and pinned Eren to the wall, trying again in vain to stop his struggles.
"Stop! No! Let me go!" the shifter cried.
"No dammit! You're fucking tearing your stitches! You trying to get yourself killed?"
Levi looked around frantically. He needed help. Someone to help him calm Eren down, get him back to his bed. Down the long hall he saw Hanji, emerging from a door, syringe in hand. His gut dropped at the idea of having to sedate his love again; but he knew it was the only option. He increased pressure, holding Eren tighter in place, praying to whatever god there might be make Hanji get there faster.
Eren screamed, when he saw the scientist approaching with her long needle. He remembered that needle, remembered what it did. They were going to put him to sleep and let the maggots eat him alive. He stared at Levi, pleading with him, sobbing uncontrollably. Levi looked away, to the floor, to Hanji swiftly approaching, anywhere but at Eren. His heart sunk. Levi wasn't going to help him. No one was.
"Y-you...why…?" he was sobbing now more than shrieking.
Hanji ran up and took in the scene, "What happened?" she asked, bewildered.
"Nevermind that, just fucking sedate him before he hurts himself more!" Levi growled.
Eren gawked at him. He really was just going to let this happen to him. That hurt Eren more than any of the open sores on his skin. He quit fighting and just stared open-mouthed, tears streaming down his face at Levi. Why would he do this?
"Levi...no...why?" the needle was being pointed at his arm. The Corporal glanced at him, an unreadable emotion in his eyes. It looked sad to Eren; but why would he let this happen if it made him sad?
Eren pinched his eyes shut as the needle penetrated his skin and the serum was pushed into his system. He could feel himself slipping away - the maggots still munching on his rancid flesh. He looked to Levi one last time in utter devastation.
"I th-thought...you loved me…? Why…?" his mind went black and he fell asleep.
Levi was arrantly silent. Eren's words had driven a sharp spike clear through his heart. He wished he would bleed out internally so that he didn't have to see the man he loved in pain anymore. Eren thought Levi had betrayed him; thought that Levi was done and ready to throw him away like trash. That couldn't have been farther from what he felt.
Hanji spoke up quietly, "He didn't mean it, Levi…"
"Shut up," he snapped, "I'll carry him back to his room. He needs bandaging all over his body and you need to redo a few stitches. Find some cadets to change his sheets - they're covered in fucking blood. I have shit to get done so take care of him."
He lifted the shifter's limp body up into his arms and marched back toward Eren's room. Hanji followed silently. At this point, she was almost more worried about Levi than Eren. Those words had been like a knife to his gut with an extra twist. She observed his disinterested gaze and discomforting silence as they walked. The few soldiers remaining in the halls turned heel, hiding behind their doors as Corporal Levi passed. Hanji asked a few of them to come assist her in changing Eren's bed.
Levi dropped Eren on his bed once the sheets were changed. He hadn't put him down once for the whole time it took, but he didn't seemed very concerned either. Once Eren was in bed, Hanji already working on his numerous wounds, Levi turned to leave. The scientist was upset when he left, noticing how he didn't kiss Eren's brow like he usually would, and how stiff and composed his posture was. She wondered what work the Corporal could possibly have that needed doing; she wondered what could possibly take the priority over his brat.
Levi was deathly silent as he went down the hallway, his eyes were narrowed dangerously. Anyone else in the halls fervently tried to avoid the enraged man.
His path to the dungeons was swiftly done and soon he found himself outside of Allister's cell. There was no one around - perfect. Numbly, he reached for the keys and unlocked the door, which alerted the prisoner within.
There was unmistakable fear in those eyes as Levi approached. Depite this, the man tried to appear unaffected, "What is that damn Jaeger finally dead?"
The short statured man didn't dignify the trash before him with a response. Instead he responded with a kick straight to the man's jaw. A tooth or two was knocked loose but he didn't care.
This seemed to terrify the immobile man before him, "No! Stop! You can't kill me before my trial!" The excuse was paper thin and he knew it.
"Who said anything about killing you," Levi questioned in a monotone. "No, I'll have you begging for death by the time anyone gets here." He didn't give the man chance to respond before he began his next barrage of hits.
Hanji worked diligently to patch up the numerous wounds on Eren, it was incredibly difficult with her dwindling supplies but she made it work.
The infirmary door opened again from where Levi had shut it and she turned expectantly as she continued working on wrapping up an odd wound of two. But instead of the one she expected, Erwin instead appeared.
It was then she realized, "What the hell are you doing up here?!"
The tall blonde looked bewildered, "I was told that there had been some kind of disturbance and that Eren was involved so I c-"
"No," she cried, "I mean why the hell aren't you with Allister?!" She wasn't so much worried about the cadet as she was Levi killing him. "Levi left and I guarantee he's gone to that bastard if you don't have anyone posted there!"
Erwin's face became troubled as he turned on heel. There was always a ten minute gap when there was a changing of the guards at Allister's cell and Levi had apparently gotten there just after the guards had left. He hastened his pace and gestured to two passing cadets. "You two - on me," he ordered sternly.
They made salutes as they fell in step behind him obediently.
As they got closer to the dungeon, they could hear screams echoing from the cells.
The Commander swore loudly and broke into a run. The sounds of a beating and muffled pleas got louder. He broke into the cell and immediately pulled Levi away from his victim.
"LET ME GO," he bellowed, "I HAVE TO KILL HIM! HE DID THIS! IT'S HIS FUCKING FAULT!" Levi writhed in his superior officer's hold, eyes burning with a dangerous, dark fire. He turned his cold glare to the man that held him by the shoulders, "Get off of me."
"No," he said, remaining steadfast, "you're not yourself, Levi." Vaugely, he noted he hadn't seen the man so upset since he had found him surrounded by dead soldiers with an obliterated titan behind him. His attention turned to the broken heap on the floor. It couldn't have been but five minutes and already so much damage had been done to their prisoner. The two cadets were wrapping fabric scraps around the man's right arm which was severely broken, the bone was peeking out of the bloodied flesh. It was obvious he had several other serious injuries.
The infuriated Corporal growled lowly and tried to lunge again, only to be caught by Erwin.
"Levi," he warned, "don't make me use force."
At least that seemed to halt him, if momentarily. "He deserves to die," he hissed.
Erwin narrowed his gaze, "Then allow the Supreme Commander to decide that officially. Now leave before I'm forced to restrain you." When the shorter man made no move to leave, he blocked his line of vision of Allister, "That was an order, Corporal."
For a moment, he thought he might actually have to physically remove the enraged officer but then, reluctantly, Levi began backing out of the cell. A shadow was cast over his eyes as he grudgingly left the area.
With one problem out of the way, he turned to his next issue. "What's the damage," he called.
"Entire right arm, jaw, cheekbones and sternum are broken. I would guess he has some broken ribs as well. It's also quite possible that Corporal Levi cracked his left femur."
He sighed heavily. There had been nothing withheld in that short but violent attack, Levi had meant to drive Allister to death. As he pondered this, his eyes shot to a movement outside the cell. Erwin was mildly surprised to find Hanji standing there with various wraps in her arms. His blue eyes narrowed as he took in her appearance.
She looked frazzled to say the least, yet her gaze was cold and hardened. Her hands were clenched and shoulders tightened.
"Hanji?"
The normally boisterous woman was quiet as she stepped into the cell, "I figured some damage had been done and that I should come fix the mess." She set the supplies on the lone chair in the small quarters. Hanji turned her dead eyes to her Commander, "Besides, we still need a few answers - don't we?"
A shiver ran down his spine at the aura she was emanating. "Yes," he admitted, "but…"
"Oh don't worry," she said nonchalantly as she snapped on some rubber gloves, "I won't kill him. He's half dead anyway. Just give me two hours Erwin - and you'll have your answers."
It unsettled him with how calm she was. He trusted the researcher deeply but he was reluctant to leave her alone with their beaten prisoner. "Hanji…" he trailed off, unsure of how to voice his concerns.
"Fine," she said, rooting through some tools she had stashed within the wrappings she had brought, "an hour and fifteen minutes."
Erwin finally agreed and took the two confused cadets with him.
The brunette woman turned expectantly to Allister. "I'm not usually this bothered by things like this," she began, "but you are continuously causing me problems and I've had enough. You've pushed Eren and Levi to their limits and by extension, myself as well." She crouched in front of him, gaze cold, "To put it simply, I'm pissed off and I want you to know it."
Allister's eyes filled with fear.
Hanji gave a humorless smirk, "It just so happens that an official interrogation is still in order, so I've been given the honors. Let's not leave anything out, alright?"
Evil Hanji is evil. Hope you enjoyed! R&R and tell us your thoughts - we'll be back soon with more stuff to read! Stay tuned!
~Ghosties
-Aria