Since I didn't update you for a week, I'm uploading two chapters this week. Tadah! Here's the latest chapter.
Let me know what you think. I added fluff and a lot of thoughts to see how our characters process their actions. I hope you don't mind.
Please don't forget to leave your reviews, comments, and suggestions
Standard disclaimers apply. (seriously, do I have to do this every time? :P )
Enjoy!
Chapter 5: Conversations - Discoveries
Hange Zoë has never been this excited about her research - not that she hasn't done enough experiments before, but it has been a long time since she was allowed to do such type of research. For the past year, she has been working on herb studies and classification, which on her end, is the most boring task to do. She couldn't blame the commander though, things had to be done and the scouts' safety goes first above all else. Aside from that, because of the constant increase in the percentage of casualties and deaths in the Survey Corps in the past years, they were limited in number. It didn't help that due to the same reason, the Survey Corps became infamous among cadets, who favored the other regiments as the latter secured them their safety. Thus, they also had to limit their expedition to once in three or four months to preserve their declining population.
So even if Hange didn't enjoy fiddling on wild mushrooms and rare herbs, she still did it, in the hopes that she can position herself on Erwin's favored side to continue her preempted titan research.
But these past few days have been different. Her thirst for discovery was almost quenched, thanks to the arrival of Arisa. Since then, Hange has devoted most of her time to the lab. It came to a point that Moblit Berner, her trusty assistant, had to send her food and remind her to eat because she has not left the dungeons since she started her research. Oftentimes, it would creep him out whenever he hears maniac laughter in the dungeons. And all Moblit could do was just sigh at his boss' insane dedication and help her with her eccentric ventures.
Later that night, Hange, along with Moblit were in the middle of their study. Hange was walking back and forth, creating figures on the board and looking at her microscope repeatedly. Moblit on the other hand was testing out the samples, putting chemicals together, and writing down his observations after.
"There's something amiss." Hange thought out loud. Moblit paused and looked at his mentor. "What do you mean?"
"Her vital signs and test results are normal. Heartbeat, pulse rate, endurance, brain activity, stress levels, pain tolerance, senses check…. even her blood tests did not show anything unusual. I must have missed something…" She stared at the blood sample on the glass plate.
Moblit followed her gaze and asked, "Have you checked her blood components? You might see something in there."
"I already did that. Everything's similar to that of a normal person's…" and then she stopped. Suddenly, she snapped her fingers. "What if I check her individual blood components – like breaking them down?" she asked Moblit, eyes wide with amazement.
Moblit slowly nodded. Hange continued talking to herself. "Right, right. We have to separate the different components." She wrote figures on the board and connected the parts together.
She then proceeded to the gas-powered centrifuge she invented and placed the blood sample inside. In a few minutes, the centrifuge stopped and Hange fished out the test tube. She looked it up near the lamp and then proceeded to the microscope. "Moblit, you have to write down whatever I say, okay? This could be our greatest discovery yet!"
"Yes, section commander!" Moblit picked up his quill and parchment.
Hange transferred the blood sample from the test tube to a glass slide and placed it under the microscope. She turned the knob slowly as she observed the movements of the blood components.
"Blood components look normal at the surface. However, I notice some irregular movements. Different cells are moving closer to each other." Hange called out signaling Moblit to start jotting down. "Wait! I can see two kinds of cells…."
Hange turned the knob slowly and focused on a group of blood cells. Moblit, who was sitting on a stool, was about to fall asleep when suddenly, Hange shouted. Moblit jolted and looked around.
"This is insane! How could this happen?"
"Boss, what did you find out?" Moblit was on full alert, pretending he was awake the whole time.
Hange who was deep in her thoughts wasn't paying attention. She went to the board and filled it with more figures and lines.
"Who are you?" She asked, staring point-blank at writings on the board.
Moblit was confused. He pointed at himself, "Me? I-I'm Moblit Berner, section comm-"
Hange raised her hand to silence her puzzled assistant, "shhh…shh.. not you. Of course, I know you."
After a few minutes of staring nowhere and tapping her fingers tapping rhythmically on the wooden table, it just took a moment for Hange to change expressions. Her scrunched-up eyebrows turned into a wide smile with a blush across her face. Her assistant looked at her with great concern.
"Section commander, are you-" Moblit asked, sweat forming on his forehead. He was dreading what comes next.
Suddenly, Hange threw her fist in the air and shouted, "YES!" She hurriedly retrieved the lamp and bolted out of her lab.
"Wait there! Guard the specimen with your life!" she hollered back to Moblit.
Moblit was left standing frozen and bewildered. His eccentric mentor is at it again.
"Erwiiiin! Leeeviii!" Hange called out in singsong as she sprightly ran out of the dungeon.
That night, the cracking and embers on the fireplace is a welcome distraction for the scout's captain. Levi stared at the fireplace in the scout's common area, mulling over Erwin's words.
For Levi, evenings are like a doubled-edged sword. For one, this is usually the time he finds solace. Since everyone's retired for the day, he got the entire place to himself to have that semblance of tranquility even just for the night. He needed quiet to be able to think and hear his thoughts out.
However, since he was young, he almost always had recurring nightmares every night. It has always been the same – death. This has been an accepted truth for Levi. His mornings were about killing titans and witnessing his comrades' death; his evenings were about them as well, reliving those explicit and gruesome memories that have piled up over the years.
As such, he utilized most of his nights as opportunities for him to close his eyes and reflect, hoping that thinking would drown out the ghost of his nightmares.
Levi removed his boots and propped himself on the chair, eyes fixated at the dancing flames.
What do I live for?
What is worth dying for?
The former was more difficult to answer. For Levi, death is a certainty. He is no stranger to it as he witnessed it throughout his life. It was like a long-time friend waiting for him to embrace. And so revenge would be his initial answer. Avenging his friends' death is the answer.
But then, is my death really worth their lives? What they all died for?
He remembered a soldier at the brink of death giving him the salute.
Dedicate your hearts.
Levi grunted, "Not even sure if I still have one."
He didn't understand why Erwin's statement bothered him in the first place. He always knew what to do. He follows his instincts. It has always been like that and it will be. His intuition never failed him – not even once.
Can Erwin just let him do what he had to do and leave all the philosophical and existential shit away from him? He shook his head and decided to give himself a shuteye when he noticed a shadow treading towards the pantry.
Nobody should be up at this time. What the hell are you up to?
Instinctively, he slowly stood up from the chair, got his knife on the table, and proceeded to the pantry quietly.
You'll be dead meat, you brat.
As he drew nearer to the entrance, he heard drawers opening and clanking of utensils.
Stealing food, are we? Tsktsk.
He leaned on the wall, ready for the ambush. He clutched his knife, just in case he needed to defend himself.
3…2…1…
Levi quickly moved towards the entrance and pointed the knife at the woman standing on the stool, raiding the cupboard.
"Drop it." He warned.
With a cup in her hand, the woman turned her back slowly, and Levi's eyes widened.
"You?!"
Surprised, Arisa wobbled and lost her footing on the small stool. Likewise, her fingers trembled and slipped from the handle of the cup. With his lightning speed and jerk reaction, Levi swiftly caught the teacup with his right hand and supported Arisa's waist, steadying her on her feet. For a fraction of a second, Levi wondered if she got hurt yet, his irritation at this frail woman won over him.
"What is wrong with you?" Levi asked. "You are terribly clumsy and you fall down a lot."
"Look who's talking!" Arisa countered. "If you hadn't sneaked and pointed that knife at me, I wouldn't have panicked."
How dare she shout at me?
"And why the hell are you in here, creeping like some thief?" Levi glared at her closely.
Arisa blinked at the intensity of Levi's stare. His grey eyes were raging. So she shifted her focus downwards - on his lips. She also realized his hands are still on her waist. Arisa felt her cheeks warming up.
"Answer." He ordered, his breath sending elusive signals to her brain.
Arisa gulped. She gathered her strength to look at him and pointed at the teacup he just saved from crashing on the floor.
"I wanted to have tea." She whispered.
Levi loosened up and realized that he was holding Arisa close. He removed his hands on her waist and moved a few steps back.
You will be her protector. Erwin's voice echoed in his mind.
He closed his eyes and held the bridge of his nose to keep him from flaring up.
"You should've just asked." He sighed.
"You were in deep thoughts earlier. I wouldn't want to disturb." Arisa muttered.
Levi placed his knife on the sheath on the side of his trousers. "And yet you did."
Arisa shrugged. "Plus, we don't really see each other eye to eye."
He went to the cupboard and filled in an old kettle with water. "I figured." He placed some wood on the furnace of the wood stove and started a fire.
"What are you doing?" Arisa asked.
"I'm sure it's very obvious," Levi replied as he placed the kettle on the stove.
Arisa rolled her eyes. "Why are you doing this to me? Why do you hate me so much?"
Levi turned to her, "I don't hate you. I am just like this." He rummaged the cupboard and found his stash of tealeaves. " Any tea of preference?"
"Black tea." She replied still confused with Levi's sudden change in demeanor.
At least she has a good choice in tea. Levi smiled a bit.
A few minutes ago, he pointed his knife at me, and now he's asking me what tea I like? Unbelievable. Arisa told herself.
"Don't overthink it," Levi began. "I'm trying to be nice."
Arisa scoffed, "As if. You hated me ever since I got here."
Levi motioned her to sit down while he carried the tea set on the table. Arisa noticed something and smirked.
"What?" Levi asked as he placed the teakettle, the teacups, and the tea leaves jar on the table.
"Look who's walking barefooted now?" she mocked in between giggles.
"Tch." Levi focused on preparing their tea. He filled the cup with water and expertly placed the tealeaves on the small teakettle for steeping.
"Wow, you do know how to make your tea." Arisa gazed at Levi's swift hand movements as he poured the tea on each of their cups. "I haven't seen someone so serious and calculated in making tea."
"If you're going to do something," Levi said, as he timed the tea in his head. "Better do it right."
"Makes sense." Arisa agreed. Levi carefully pushed the teacup in her direction. "Thanks."
Levi sat down on the far end of the wooden bench and started drinking his tea.
"You're drinking the tea here?" Arisa asked.
"What, you want me to leave?"
"No! No no, of course not."
"Then shut up and drink your tea."
Arisa took a sip of her tea. It was exquisite. The tea was not too strong but it's not too weak that it tastes bland. It was perfect. The bold, earthy taste of the black tea with floral notes was lingering in her mouth and warming her system.
"This is good. Actually, no, it's perfect." She looked in the direction of the captain.
"Thanks, I guess." He simply said. He held his teacup by the rim and took a welcome sip of tea.
Levi felt Arisa's gaze on him. Her mouth was slightly ajar as she stared at him. "Oi, what are you staring at?"
Just as then, tears were escaping her eyes.
"I just remembered a friend of mine from before." She said and wiped her tears with the back of her hand. "He used to hold his teacup like that."
An invisible tug pulled somewhere in Levi's chest. "What happened to your friend?" He unconsciously asked. He's not the type to divulge on anyone's life as he is a very private person himself. So he himself was wondering why on earth did he just ask that question all of a sudden.
Arisa shook her head, "I don't know. Well, I don't even know if I can consider a boy I met once as a friend. But he was the only kid I ever talked to."
Levi's eyes gripped the teacup tightly.
Is she?
He shook his head and took a swig of tea. Seeing how the captain reacted, Arisa sipped her tea and looked down. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have – "
"Continue," Levi said gazed at his cup.
"Are you sure?" Arisa asked.
Levi uttered with urgency, "Yes. This boy, how did you get to know him?"
Arisa cleared her throat as she relived the memories in her head. "I saved him. I saw him unconscious and injured in an alleyway. He was barely breathing and was so skinny, I thought he was going to die, so I healed him and brought him home."
The missing piece in Levi's first escape from the Underground City was slowly filling in the puzzle.
Levi gulped the tea, but it felt like he has a lump on his throat.
She is…
"This boy, did he drank tea and ate shortbread in your house," Levi asked and looked at Arisa from the other side.
Arisa nodded slowly, "How did you –"
Levi felt his chest tighten. "Did his teacup fall?"
"Yes, it did," Arisa said, she noticed how the captain's demeanor shifted from indifferent to compelling, and now, it's as if he was holding back on something. Levi was breathing heavily, his face unreadable. She began to feel afraid, "Captain, let's call it a night. Thank you for the tea." She hurriedly stood up, collected her teacup, and proceeded to the sink counter.
As she was on her way to the door, Levi caught her bandaged wrist. "Did the boy tell you his name?"
Arisa winced and shook her head. "No." She tugged her arm off Levi's strong grip.
"Captain, please let me go."
Levi's memories transported back to that day when a little skinny pale girl took him and fed him. Her voice resonating in the hollow depths of his being.
"That's an odd way of holding a cup."
"It's alright. It's what makes you, you. I like it."
"Take care."
"His name..." Levi went closer to her. His misty grey eyes peered into her iridescent hazel ones, identical to the little girl he once knew.
"…is Levi."
...and there you have it. I hope you enjoyed reading as much as I enjoyed making these two chapters.
There's a lot of ideas that are still brewing in my mind. Mind you, I've been editing the outline several times already.
Thank you and see you next week!