Part X - II
~ Continued ~
(Do not fear the darkness, for it is just the dark. Fear what lurks within it, for it is truly wicked)
"When there is evil in this world that justice cannot defeat, would you taint your hands with evil to defeat evil? Or would you remain steadfast and righteous even if it means surrendering to evil?"
-Lelouch Lamperouge
"Why? Why does this have to happen?!"
"Stop complaining Aulo, I'm trusting you with this."
"But- Everyone else- we- we depend on you! I- I-I'm not-"
"Don't make me regret this Aulo."
"…Yes sir."
"Good. And make sure to keep this place clean, I'd hate to come back to some shithole."
"Heichou, it's always been a shithole."
"Not when I'm around, it's not."
-x-
"Are you sure we're allowed to be doing this?" A shaky Jean asks, his voice betraying his calm façade. Stuffing cold hands in warm pockets, he reluctantly treads behind an eager Hanji. Its cold out, he's wet from the rain and he's on the way to kidnap some poor sap. He could be in a warm office, doing some quiet and calm paper work, but no. Out of everyone it really had to be him? He was an investigator goddamnit! Not some- some- lowlife criminal!
He was feeling like buckets of crap, and his only companion was missing a few marbles. He didn't want to have to be lectured on the history of ghouls again, but the silence was killing him. Almost as much as the two hour train ride, and he hadn't even seen a ghoul yet. He was debating on starting a discussion on some kind of controversial ghoul topic, but he didn't want to risk prolonging this mission on for longer than it needed to be.
"Oh yeah! We have all the clearance- well maybe not all- but we can do this!" Almost skipping along the beaten concrete path, she almost attracted a few looks, but Jean could feel the fear rise in the air when eyes landed on their crisp grey coats.
(He hopes that they aren't the ones being feared; of course, they shouldn't! They were the good guys. The only ones to be afraid of were the ghouls).
A person walking by makes eye contact with him and before he can raise his hand from his pocket for a friendly wave, they scurry away.
(…right?)
Sucking in a quick breath and shaking his head of the matter, he picks up his pace to match his superior's. He wanted out as soon as possible. The 13th ward has never been good for the CCG and he wasn't ready to become another statistic. With rumours of Aogiri on the move, and Jason taking a few more lives, he was more than shocked to find that the streets of the 13th ward were still bustling with human life. He wouldn't stay there, and he was a trained investigator- one of the best graduates from his academy, no less. But these people went about life as normal.
He wondered what kind of a person you'd have to be to survive in a ward with one of the highest ghoul attack reports per year.
Many look tired and worn, some blank and unmoved. The fear and agony these people must face on a daily basis makes his stomach turn.
Just a few months ago, they'd found that a ghoul was masquerading as a Doctor. That being said, he was apparently lowly ranked, but they still don't know what kind of a kill count he had. They'd found evidence of him having a family, but no other ghouls were found in the nearby vicinity and had assumed that they had fled shortly before he was… dealt with. Jason did make an appearance, which lead them to believe that that 'Doctor' didn't only treat humans. It was a hasty move to execute him on the spot, but if they openly engage into a fight (with Mado, at that) all hopes of cooperation fly out of the window.
While it meant that they had one less ghoul to worry about, they lost more valuable information which they were hungry for.
But, he's also become disgusted.
Just what lengths would ghouls go through to get a meal?
To parade around, acting like some saintly Doctor, only to kill their patients and carve them up for his next meal? To be relied on as a pillar of the community, and then to feed off of that same community like some parasite?
Just how many have they lost to ghouls like this?
He can't even tell them apart, but he knows they're there, pretending to be normal like the rest of them.
It's sickening.
Ghouls should just-
"Okay, so we're approaching a pretty rough area, so mind yourself, okay?" Her voice chimes through his thoughts, high in pitch but heavy in meaning. He hadn't noticed the distance they'd been walking but they had begun to approach a clearly desolate part of town. It was an old industrial area; some buildings looked to be for manufacturing and some looked to be unused offices. They were coming up to an old, abandoned storage building, surrounded by an encompassing storage yard full of rusty shipping containers. It looked like the kind of place where inventory would be stored before being shipped off to its final destination, but it was clearly in disarray. The tape and signs around it say "Warning! Demolition site!" But with no sign of actual demolition equipment or machines he can only guess that it was meant to keep people out. Judging by the lack of disturbance, he could say that it worked, but then again, you'd have to be crazy to enter such a dangerous area.
"Um… How long until we get to where we're going?" He asks again, feeling his heart rate slowly increase.
"See that place?" She says, pointing at the storage facility ahead. "That's where."
On closer inspection, he feels that the building looks familiar. From a case perhaps? Stopping in his tracks momentarily, he pauses to think.
"Huh? What's wrong?" She asks, also stopping a little further ahead than himself.
"It looks… familiar."
"Oh! You noticed!" She exclaims, her voice getting more and more excited and a smile building on her face, "It's from a very interesting case, years back. You might have seen it on the news?"
"On… the news?" When he thinks of recent events, plenty of stories come to mind, but only recently did the media begin to boom on the whole 'ghoul crisis' – it's hard to remember stories from before he entered the academy…
"You don't remember?" A look of clearly false despair falls on her face and he can see the blush of excitement form on her cheeks. "Really? God. What do they even teach you at that academy?!"
And it begins.
"Then I, your trusty superior, will educate you!"
He stops himself from outwardly groaning or rolling his eyes at the display; though he can't help but be interested. It's not often that they share sensitive information, and while it was on the news at one point, he understands the process of filtering information before it's released. It would be the first time he would be hearing such information without any of those barriers. It made him feel a little more professional but an odd weight came with it, which he couldn't put his finger on.
"You see, it was around the time when the one-eyed owl first surfaced. We normally only ever saw him in one ward, but he began moving. We had reports coming in that he was moving sporadically through wards, and got a call that he was seen right here. Naturally, the media jumped on it, since he was a big thing at the time. Even both Erwin and Arima-san came down to see for themselves, but what we found was completely different."
"Different?" He ponders a bit on what could've happened, but guessing on her expression, it was nothing bad. Though, it's not like her happiness often leads to anything good either.
"We actually found a gang group who were working with ghouls and had actually housed a few- we didn't think it was possible given the age of the place but they were clever! We detained a lot of the members, and the ghouls were imprisoned. One of those members, a high ranking individual, works with us now actually."
"Works with us? In the CCG?"
His mind also lingers on the fact that only some of the members were detained, but he decides not to dwell on it. He was having enough second thoughts already.
"Yup!" She giggles to herself lightly, though she hesitates momentarily before she continues, "I don't want to spoil the surprise though…"
He wonders if it's worth prying out from her or if it would be overstepping his boundaries, but then another thing comes to mind.
"Wait, this was all on the news?"
If the media heard that they took in a criminal it would definitely damage their already fragile reputation. Given the whole Jason incident, it's lucky that they aren't questioned on a regular basis. Of course, they are the only trained individuals capable of protecting them from ghouls, it might be wise to avoid 'biting the hand that feeds them' to put it eloquently.
"Well, not all of it… I think they ended up reporting it as finding a ghoul cult, but that's probably where you saw it from!"
"That all happened there?"
Hard to believe that it looks the same.
"But that's the perfect place for an ambush!" He had tried to keep his voice hushed but basic training taught him that aged buildings were to be avoided, especially in unknown territory. Even though she looks like she knows what she's doing, he can't help but still feel off about the entire situation. Given its history, it's probable that the some ghouls still seek refuge there. What's more, being told to kidnap by a force that is associated with the police is shady by all means; and having it approved of by someone has highly ranked as Commander Erwin Smith makes it even shadier.
He doesn't even know who he's kidnapping!
He was always taught that an investigators job was to find and resolve the ghoul issue, and this normally meant death- or at least capture… but this? No… something didn't feel right. Not with everything that's been going on. Ever since the Levi incident, the base began to hush. People weren't as loud and breaks were no longer as lively. Something was amiss- but what?
"We have to take risks you know?" She replies, suddenly being nonchalant about the situation. "And it's the only place where they'd agreed to me."
"But why here?"
Something doesn't feel right.
"Your guess is as good as mine. All that matters is that they're here."
None of this makes sense!
Are they really that important?
A feeling in his gut says to turn and leave, screw protocol, but he's trained for years to become an investigator, he can't throw that away. So, he does the next best thing.
Throwing her a sideways glance as she climbs over the tape and bypasses the signs, he pulls out his phone and quickly sends a text to someone he knows he can trust. They'll know what to do should the situation turn awry.
To: Armin
In the 13th ward, weird mission, Hanji.
He has to be as quick as he can before Hanji notices anything, knowing the strict rule on phone usage during field work. Quickly scheduling it to be sent in 30 minutes time, he slides it back into his pocket and hurriedly follows to catch up with his eccentric senior. He's hoping that Armin would understand his short text, but fails to notice the lack of bars on his phone as he enters the darkened structure.
Only the sound of his footsteps could be heard when he enters the building. Crossing the threshold from the outside world in, he looks around for his troublesome superior. Looking around, the space is large, and he can see where some of the demolition actually took place. Metal beams and bars can be seen sticking out of concrete where walls used to be and the ground is rough and worn.
"Hanji-san!" He calls, walking further in. His nose picks up an odd scent but he can't pinpoint exactly what it is. "Hanji-san! Where did you-"
Without a seconds notice, he feels a large impact to the back of his head and he falls forwards, feeling a warm liquid trickling down the side of his face. His palms scrape the ground and his eyes dart all over, trying to see what hit him. He goes to reach for his quinque case, but was kicked out of his reach. He quickly rolls on his back as he tries to gain his balance, holding himself up by his elbows. He suspects a concussion; since he can barely keep his eyes focused on the dark silhouette in front of him as odd lights flood his vision. What worries him the most is the familiar glint of goggles from the corner of his eye; still and silent.
W-What the-
"Tch. Didn't pass out from the first hit, how reliable." The unknown voice rings out, his voice mocking and low. "You got me a good one, very nice."
'Good one'? What- What is happening?
"Still trying to sound like Levi?" What the- Hanji?
Stepping into the light, Jean is unable to believe his eyes. In shock, he stares up at them, eyes wide and jaw hanging.
Looking down at him warily for a second, Hanji sends him an apologetic look. His eyes fill with hope that he could be saved but- to no avail. Her eyes linger on him for a few moments before she turns back to the figure, a light smile on her face.
She's working with gh-
No. No, he doesn't know that yet, this guy could be some criminal- yeah just some criminal- but, is that any better?
Why did they attack him of all people? What could they possibly gain from his- from his-
-Kidnap?
Was he the one getting kidnapped?
He racks his brain of every possibility, every motive she could have to do this- but- but-
Why?
"This is how I normally talk. Tch." The other voice replies, sounding as if in a casual conversation.
Why would she do this?
"Haha! You haven't changed!"
Hanji- Why?
Shakily reaching into his pocket, he feels for a gun, a weapon- anything-
"Hey now," The unknown voice starts, noticing Jean avidly searching, "don't fight back, it'll just make things harder for the both of us-"
No no no no, I'm not going out like this, I have to tell someone- I need to-
"-hey! Are you even listening to me?"
The figure starts moving towards him and he feebly attempts to crawl backwards. Using his legs to try and push himself off of the ground, he stumbles to his feet briefly before he tries to step back, only to fall roughly on his backside, his head whiplashing and smacking against the solid concrete ground. Blood starts to drip from his skull much faster now, spilling onto the cold floor beneath him and dyeing it a rusty red.
The ghoul's nose starts to perk up at the smell of blood, warm warm sweet nectar that he was so deprived of… right in front of him.
"S-stop! I- I won't-" He tries to speak, but he can't find his words, as he clutches his head in pain. "G-get away! D-don't come any closer-"
All he feels at this point is fear, confusion sets in deep and he pitifully crawls backwards, at an achingly slow pace as the figure slowly approaches him. He tries to piece things together again, but he can only grasp a few small facts.
He was… on a mission? With- With… ah. With Hanji?
Suddenly, hope flows back into him. He can be saved! Though, with that thought came a dropping in his stomach. Something else- he- he was missing something else.
Spotting Hanji in the back, he calls out to her, but she just stands there. Watching.
Maybe she didn't hear?
"H-Hanji-san, I- I need help!" She doesn't reply, and he's only met with a silence. Soon, his back is to a cold, brick wall and the figure begins to close in on him. "H-Hanji-san?"
No. She heard him fine.
Then, he realises.
She- she did this.
She betrayed him-
-No, not just him.
He couldn't have been the first.
Everything was too- too rehearsed.
"She won't be interfering. In fact, you should know that she helps me put you guys out of their misery-"
Definitely not the first.
"-You investigators think that you're all that, but you take away those weapons and you're nothing but humans again."
Any trace of optimism slips away from him.
This-
"Humans that I can eat."
-this is it.
He hears the familiar sound of shifting flesh and sees a long, spike like appendage protruding from the ghoul's back. He takes a deep breath, and a final gulp.
This is where I die.
Shutting his eyes, for what he believes is his last time, he only prays that he dies before he gets chewed on.
But, his 'death' is interrupted.
SCHLICK
The sound of metal and flesh moving together fills his ears, a quinque, and it fills him equally with dread and hope. He's caught between pleading a quick death and giving her a chance to save him but he decides to keep quiet.
"Keep your eyes shut, alright Kirstein?" Her voice sounds deep and low, almost rough. It sounded more like a command than a suggestion, so he does just that. The sound of footsteps and confusion fills his ears as he puts whatever faith he has left in her.
"Hey, don't sneak up on me like that, it makes it look like you're going to-"
CRACK!
Was she… fighting him?
"AHH! FUCK! Ugh, w-why? I thought-"
CRACK!
"I'm sorry, but the information you gave us was false."
"You- You lying bitch! I gave you what you wanted- ugh!" He hears the sound of metal on metal, though he can expect that he's stared to fight back but something sounds… off. While the sound of blades rhythmically clash in his ears, he can hear one come out of time.
That's right- he realises, that the ghoul… if Hanji was feeding him, was probably starving when they came. He shouldn't have the energy to continue an honest fight if he wanted to!
His assumptions are confirmed as the blades become more and more intermittent until one sounds as if it makes contact.
"AGH! F-fuck. I-is this what you've become? Some back-stabbing who-"
"Shut up."
SLASH!
"Fuck off- aha, I'm not the one pretending to be a good guy- Argh!"
"Shut up."
SLASH!
"Ha-" the sounds of coughs and choking then someone crumpling over hit Jean's ears, "H-have it your way. At least… I don't torture my-"
"Shut UP!"
CRACK! SNAP! RIIP!
Jean feels a liquid hit his face as he hears the repeated slashing of flesh, now somewhat thankful that he hadn't opened his eyes.
Then, silence. A long, heavy silence fills the room to the point only two steadying breaths are heard. If he tries, he might be able to make out a quieter, fainter third breath, but even the draft coming through the hollow windows sound louder.
"H-Hanji-san?" He asks, still not having opened his eyes. He wasn't aware of it until now, but her voice… sounded like someone else. Where her high, cheery voice once was, it was replaced by a much more stoic and cold voice. He didn't want to open his eyes.
"And you." Jean snaps up, back straightening out of habit. Yep. Her voice was different. It was like the transition of a mother's voice from calm and caring to low and dangerous. Except he was sure his mother wouldn't kill him. "Did I not specify to keep this between us?"
Then, a sigh. He gulps, catching on to what she was referring to. Light taps of heeled boots approach him and he begins to become afraid again.
"I'm disappointed Kirstein… you held so much promise."
Slowly, he opens his eyes. Light burns his eyes and blurs his vision, but the sight, no matter how unclear, scares him far more than any other ghoul before. Standing above him, his superior, blood splatter covering her coat, standing clearly from its grey material. Her goggles are down over her face, something he hasn't seen before, as her bright eyes are covered by smoky black lenses. Blood drips from her and her weapon, as well as what looks to be a freshly harvested quinque in the other.
"Don't hate me for this but…"
Flicking her own quinque, its whip like shape stretches and snaps into a firmer baton, swinging it around a bit to remove excess blood.
"You'll have to be punished too."
So, apologies for the late update. It's a little shorter than previous ones, so I'm sorry, but expect normal length soon!
This was a part I was mulling over a lot, and decided it would be best to have it as the second part of a chapter rather than its own. I have a full chapter still in the making but I've been having issues with plot so it's taking a little longer for me to churn out.
As always, I appreciate all the support – We've hit 50 reviews! I don't remember when, but it's quite a milestone!
I thank you all!
Feel free to review, favourite or follow! Any criticism is fully appreciated and I hope that everyone still enjoys this!
tontonte – Thank you! Hopefully this was enough to make up for my terrible lateness; w;
cecld16 – Thank you! I hope you loved this bit too! (Sadly, no Erwin-tearing just yet)
Guest (1) – I know who this one is, and thank you! You're genuinely too nice to me; A ;
Timothy .nguyen .73 – I see where you're coming from, I assure you all will be explained later as long as you're willing to stick with me all the way through to the end!
MewMew – That's very true, Levi is changing in ways even he doesn't understand, as is the world around him. He doesn't have any stable supports right now, so he's in a very delicate place right now. Good observation!
shinsinjane – That's certainly one way to go about it :p
Sadhelm2 – Thank you! That's quite a relief. The situation between the two Levi's is pretty complicated, but it should start becoming clearer soon (hopefully). And no lies, Eren is hardly in on the plans, though that's more towards my bias towards him as a character. He seems best in spontaneous situations, but his exclusion does hold a significance!
Guest (2) – Stick around, you might just find out ;)
Kyosuke – THANK YOU! DON'T WORRY I won't be dropping this story, ever, really. I've become a little attached and really want to finish it, but I'm not very consistent in updating…; w;
midnathething – Levi will definitely have an impact, but I think the question is what? ;) And thanks for pointing out the issue with Mikasa, it's a little hard to write for/ as her, but her attitude is due partly to some history which should pop up in a few chapters time, hopefully she'll become more understandable then…
H. N. Dots – Thank you! I will! Hope you liked this update!
MizuLawliet – THANK YOU FOR YOUR REVIEWS! I hope this was good!
Also, this is my first time writing for Jean, how was he?
Would you say that if another character had been switched with their TG/ SNK Counterpart, that they would survive in their new world?