As always, beta'd by KappasRule~
I own neither DGM nor SNK
Clearing outside the cabin
Hange found a perfect area for the experimenting. There was a cliff that was just about the size of both Allen and Eren's titan forms nearby, but it was mostly devoid of trees and anything else. They stood in a circle on their horses for a moment. "So, what should we do now?" Allen decided to ask.
Hange hummed. "How about we experiment with you first, Allen? Just wait for us to get on that cliff, and then we'll give you a signal."
Allen nodded. He watched as two-thirds of the group went up the cliff with their horses, but Lavi and Kanda stayed behind in case things went wrong too quickly. After the group reached their destinations, a flare went up.
He was just about to lift his right hand to his mouth, but Lavi stopped him. "Wait."
"What?"
"Try your left hand." He said.
Allen stood with his mouth slightly open. "Huh?"
"We all know how well you can control with your right hand. Perhaps things may be different with your innocence hand." He suggested.
Allen grimaced. "I don't know…"
"Just do it, beansprout." Kanda said. "They're getting impatient up there."
"It's Allen! Fine, I'll do it." With one swift movement, he pulled off the glove of his left hand, which revealed his glowing cross. Then he bit into his hand, hard. It took quite a bit of effort, but eventually his teeth sunk into his skin.
Then, his vision went black.
He wasn't sure how much time had passed when he regained consciousness. All he knew was that he was in the attic of the cabin, where they had placed several beds next to each other, so it almost looked like an infirmary.
By the looks of it, everyone was gathered around two beds… his own, and Eren's, who had woken up much sooner than him, it seems. "What happened?" He asked, rubbing his eyes.
"You really don't remember?" Lavi said worriedly.
Allen groaned. "I hope I wasn't too bad…"
"Well, I guess I could repeat what I just told Eren." Hange started. "Since the results were sort of similar. Except, I deemed yours more successful than his."
"Huh?"
"Let me explain, Hange." Lavi started. "Anyways, Allen, the innocence from your arm seemed to enhance your shifting ability, just as I speculated. You demonstrated your ability to speak, and you could harden your body easily. Yet, you lost control and attacked us. More specifically, you targeted Eren."
Allen couldn't help but think that Lavi was leaving some information out, but he waved it aside. It was probably for the best. "It seems we both need some work to do, then." He said, turning to Eren. "Sorry for anything I did earlier."
"It's fine." Eren said immediately.
Allen looked at his hands. Both were uncovered, the green glow from his cross seemed to illuminate the walls. "So much work to do… we can't start the operation to retake Wall Maria immediately."
"All because I couldn't harden my titan body…" Eren said dejectedly.
And I couldn't control my form… but I wonder if I could harden my other titan body? Allen mused.
"That's exactly right." Levi said. He was sitting on the edge of Allen's bed. "It was a real disappointment to us. And everyone's been miserable today because of it. We can't let any more time go to waste. What's next? Titan's might rise up out of the ground. Maybe they'll come raining down from the sky… and humanity's still a pack of toothless animals. In any case, we're in a shitty situation."
"But they tried their best." Mikasa said sternly. "Eren and Allen did everything they could."
"I know that. But so what? Why does it matter that they tried their best?" Levi asked bitterly. "Right now, Eren can't close that hole, and Allen can't control his form."
Mikasa tightened her fists. "But… blaming them for that…"
"Hold on. I'm just being an asshole. I'm not blaming them. Going over our shortcomings and bitching over our situation is an important ritual." Levi said.
'Well… that's one way to put it.' Allen thought, bemused.
"Take a whiff. Inside the walls, the air's always stunk like trash. It's been that way for over a hundred years. We've always lived in shit. That's our situation." Levi explained. "I didn't notice it until a few years ago. After all, I've sucked in this stink since the day I was born. I saw it as normal. But the air I breathed outside the walls was different. Yes, life out there is hell, but it's got something the walls don't. Freedom. Out there, I finally saw what I'd been missing."
His speech was somewhat moving. However, he didn't look too happy when Hange cut in. "In other words, what Levi's trying to say is, we learned that you can't harden your titan body. We learned that you can't control you innocence-enhanced titan form." She said, turning to each boy. "That's a success. That's not all, either! We also learned how long you can stay a titan after multiple transformations, and we got a rough idea of your versatility and limitations." She glanced at Allen excitedly. "And we learned you can speak in your titan form. You can harden your body too! Everything's that happened during the experiments gave us useful information."
Lavi nodded. "However, we'll probably pay the price for letting off that smoke signal, but our job now is to make the most out of these results."
"In other words, let's keep fighting, is what you meant." Hange said determinedly.
"Right, Levi?"
"Yeah… thanks for that." Levi muttered.
Allen found himself smiling a little. Mana… we're one step closer.
"As to where we go from here, now that we know that Eren can't harden his titan and Allen can't control his, our next step is clear. We'll go after the wallists and everyone around them." Hange said. "They seem to know something about the origin of the walls made out of hardened titans. They might know how they were made… or in other words, something about titan hardening."
"Also…" Lavi cut in. "Now that Erwin's in the Royal Capital, he should know something about why the Reiss family, and not the ruler of humanity, the King, are the ones allowed to learn those secrets."
Everyone had tried to gather around a single, burning candle with a letter held close to the firelight. None of them could believe the words that were written messily on the note. "Everyone read it?" Levi asked.
"Y-yes." Armin answered, handing the letter to him. "Captain Levi, what is this?"
"Instructions from Erwin. Do you trust him? Those dumb enough to say yes, come with me."
They nodded. The instructions were dauntless, to say the least, but nevertheless the Black Order was there to stand by their side. Lenalee had been elected to go and report to Cross, since she had the Dark Boots it wouldn't take long.
However, they had to act quickly.
They eventually put on long, hooded robes. They grabbed rifles, and slung packs over their shoulders. Before long, they were out and far away from the cabin before the cavalry arrived and infiltrated their base.
The group stood on a hill, and they could see lights dotted around the cabin. "That was close." Allen noted, holding onto his gun tightly.
"What would have happened if we stayed one more night in there?" Connie asked. "Captain… are those interior MPs?"
"Beats me." Levi said. "I can't imagine they'd act directly all the way out here, but… they didn't take me too seriously, either… hurry to the rendezvous point. Good thing the moon's out tonight."
Trost District
Eventually, they made it, and now currently stood in the middle of a street. Eventually, the group gained unwanted attention. "Hey… aren't you Levi?" A man asked, coming up to them with another man by his side. "It is! I've seen him before, too!"
More gathered. "That's Levi, humanity's strongest soldier!"
"Hey, he's small…"
"Hah…! I've only ever seen him on a horse."
The group had become surrounded. "You're in the way." Levi said, unamused.
"Come on, Captain, here us out! We humble folk just want a word with you."
"We lost out on a lot of work because of that evacuation plan you soldiers made all that noise about! It's not just us. People don't come to towns by the wall like this one anymore because of all the uncertainty. Our income's gone, and we can't eat. The Garrison ran off somewhere, and crowds of thieves came into their place."
They were really starting to get on Levi's nerves. "But taxes are as high as ever. What are we supposed to do? Why'd things turn out like this? Why do the titans keep attacking? I think I know why. It's because you in the Survey Corps aren't working hard enough." He leaned over Levi. "I've always blamed myself if I don't make money in my business. I work and get nothing in return all the time. But it's not like that for you people, is it? You laze around, get nothing done, and you still get to eat…"
Allen frowned at this. What is with this conspiracy stuff? "Right? What're you doing, strolling around town like this? Going shopping?"
"Out on a walk, women in tow, all high and mighty!"
"If you've got any shame at all, just leave some money and go away. Start repaying us for all the food the Survey Corps didn't earn!"
Kanda reached for his Mugen. "This guy is getting on my nerves."
"Bakanda, no!" Allen nudged him, hard.
Before Kanda could say anything back, Levi yelled, "Watch out!" This gained everyone's attention.
"Huh? Watch out for what?" Then the man pulled him into a full-nelson. "What's that, humanity's strongest soldier?!"
Levi kicked a man who was approaching him square in the chest, and he pushed aside just in time. "There's a carriage coming!" He cried.
Allen felt an arm wrap around his chest. He let out a surprised yelp, as he was pulled right into the carriage along with Eren and Historia.
They were taken into a building, and were restrained. These were orders from Erwin, himself, so Allen couldn't fight back against the rope wrapping around his arms and the chair.
Originally, they were going to have three copies – Eren, Historia, and Allen. However, Allen suggested that he should go as himself, just in case something goes awry and he has to intervene. Besides that, Jean went as Eren, and Armin went as Historia. The disguises somehow fit them.
Allen frowned. The man who had remained to keep watch on them had trudged over to Armin with a Cheshire grin on his face. Armin was practically trembling when the man approached him. "Hey, it's all right." He said soothingly, with an edge to his tone. "You're even better looking up close."
He sauntered behind Armin, wrapping an arm around his chest, and caressed his cheek. "So, how about it?" All the while, Armin shook, with tears brimming at his eyes. He craned his neck away from the man, who kept on trying to nuzzle his face closer to him. "Let me hear that pretty voice of yours. I just want to hear it."
Jean cursed under his breath and looked away. Allen pursed his lips as Armin looked to them for help. "All right, THAT'S ENOUGH."
Everyone looked to Allen expectantly, even that man did. "Just leave her alone."
"Or what?" The man asked, he walked over to Allen and knelt so that they were eye level. Allen glared daggers at him. "What can you possibly do?"
Allen hesitated. His innocence was still paralyzed, because of what Bertoldt did to him. That would've been really handy right about now. "I-"
Suddenly, he saw a large hammer swing right in front of him. It knocked the man aside, into the darkness somewhere behind a pile of crates. The three boys looked up to where the hammer had retracted, to see Lavi smirking back at them. He perched himself at the windowsill.
When the door cracked open, Lavi was pulled back abruptly, and the trio of boys acted as if nothing happened. Armin did his best to regain composure, as three men walked into the building. "….I apologize." One man was saying.
"Hold up on your report. Honestly, this is our last chance."
"Hm? Where's the guard?"
The leader sighed, and began pulling down the sleeves of his suit. "Come on, for situations like this, we need to start stripping our captives…"
Mikasa jumped down as silent as a cat. Levi, however, landed with his knee right against one of the men's face. That man collapsed, and Levi went to grab the other man's collar. He grunted in surprise as he was easily tossed over and onto the ground, hard. He pinned the man to the ground, as Mikasa came and tackled the leader to the ground. She restrained his hands, and Levi did the same to his target.
While they were restrained, Armin, Jean, and Allen jumped from their loosened bonds and resumed to tying the men's hands together. "Connie! There're three of them, is that really everyone?" Mikasa called up.
"Yeah! That's everyone! There's no one else nearby!" Connie responded.
Eventually, everyone was tied. The man who was knocked aside by the hammer was found, and he was unconscious, but still alive. "Are you the boss of this company?" Levi demanded from the leader of the group.
The man had tears at his eyes. "No, you've got it wrong! I'm just someone they use to transport cargo. I'm nothing but an old man. So please, sir, be gentle with me… I don't know anything."
Mikasa narrowed her eyes at him. "That day, you were blocking a gate." She mused.
"This is him. I remember his staff calling him 'Boss' in the past."
"Hear that?" Levi asked. "Boss? Being in your nest makes me feel antsy… let's get some fresh air."
"Fine." The man grumbled.
"We'll keep your underlings on the floor here for a while longer." Levi said. "Let's move."
Hahah my computer is broken so I'm using the family computer to update this... this is going to be so troublesome. Anyway, I wrote this chapter accidentally longer than I intended to, but, whatever. I wasn't sure where to end the story, that part seemed the right spot. Well, if you please, leave a review~