Cycles
Gabi and Falco improvised a stretcher out of wood planks to carry out Levi to Liberio's Government Hall as fast as they could…
Levi is immensely distressed, not just from the pain, but because he started to realize the implications of what just happened.
Levi is grunting in pain: No… this can't be… Guys… Erwin… Hange…
Falco while panting: Hang on Mister Levi, we will get you to a medic after talking with Minister Armin.
Levi: No… I need to go to Paradis right now…
Gabi: WHAT?!
Falco: What are you talking about Mister Levi?!
Levi: Just shut up and get me to Armin. I'll explain then…
As they arrived to the Hall, Gabi requests Falco to carry Levi on his back, as she goes to find Armin
Gabi enters the quiet and solemn hall in a shocking manner: ARMIN! MINISTER ARMIN ARLERT! WHERE IS HE!?
She runs up the Main Hall to the offices, still screaming scaring everyone in the building: ARMIN ARLERT! THIS IS AN EMERGENCY!
Jean pokes his head out of an office: WHAT THE HELL?!
Connie gets out of the office: GABI! Get in here and stop screaming!
Gabi enters the office panting and exhausted.
Jean: What the hell is the matter, I don't know how you did not get shot!
Gabi: It's Mister Levi. He has been attacked.
Connie and Jean: WHAT?! CAPTAIN LEVI!
Falco arrives at the office after following Gabi, not being able to carry Levi anymore collapsing to the ground.
Connie: Captain Levi! What the hell happened! Why are you being carried around like a baby?!
Levi clearly in pain: Shut up and get me Armin now.
Armin's Ministry Office
Armin, Annie, Jean and Connie are sitting in the Minister's Office; Levi is lying down on a couch, trying to compose himself; meanwhile Gabi and Falco are drenching themselves in water. Pieck arrives at the meeting as she was summoned by Armin.
Armin: Captain, what the hell happened, why are you in such a state? Jean and Connie told me you were attacked?!
Levi: Yes, but it's much more serious than just some random attack. This was a strategic ploy. And one that concerns Mikasa and Historia.
Armin, Annie, Jean and Connie are shocked.
Armin: WHAT?! What's going on?
Levi: That's why I came here in such a hurry… I was attacked… by an Ackerman.
Armin is shocked to the core by the name he just said.
Annie: An Ackerman? But I thought you and Mikasa were the only ones left…
Levi: Yes, I thought so too… But he knew who I was… he knew who Mikasa was and where she is…and the most distressing of all… he knew about the Ackerman's awakened power… and he used it when attacking me... and I… used it too...
Armin drops his hands to the table in distress, and a flash of the conversation he had with Zeke Yeager in the paths comes to his mind…
"But life never stops in it's frantic quest to do so…"
Armin is horrified, thinking to himself: No… please no…
Annie: ARMIN! What the hell is the matter with you?
Armin snaps out of it: S… sorry, it's nothing… Captain, do you know who the man was?
Levi: He said his name was Kaspar Ackerman, nothing more, but he knew about the royal family… and talked about some bullshit about some divine role of the family and that the Fritz Power is gone… I didn't understand any of that.
Falco: Well Mister Levi, you could have asked him some questions before trying to kill him…
Gabi slaps Falco in the back of the head: What the hell Falco?
Armin has too many thoughts on his head and cannot think clearly.
Pieck: How did the guy looked? Did any of you find him familiar?
Levi and Gabi answer no; while Falco is a little bit more hesitant.
Gabi: Falco? Did you recognize that man?
Falco: I don't know, he seemed sort of familiar, especially because how thin he was… but I never heard anyone else being named Ackerman…
Gabi: That man had vertical maneuvering equipment, he used it to escape. He was pretty good at using it too…
Armin, Annie, Jean and Connie are shocked.
Armin: What the… How?
Jean: So, he is from Paradis? How else could he have gotten the equipment? And know how to use it?
Levi: No… he said that we were island devils… that man is definitely from Marley.
Armin is even more frustrated: This doesn't make any sense…
Pieck: I think I know how he could have gotten the equipment.
Everyone is surprised and ask her to explain.
Pieck: Chief Zeke brought one equipment from his attacks at Paradis, some years ago… He sold it to the Hizuru.
It was meant to strengthen the military forces of Marley, and be used for technological development for Hizuru… but the project got halted because of the Rumbling… there were only a handful of working sets… but they had a very hard time in making them function because they lacked the gas needed to use it… The entirety of the sets in Marley got destroyed… I don't know about the ones in Hizuru.
In any case, for this man to get a hold on even one of those sets… must mean he has connections to Hizuru... and that he has a lot of resources…
Falco is quietly starting to realize where he had met that man before.
Levi shouts: What the hell are we doing talking about that asshole and what he does?! We need to go to Paradis immediately and warn Mikasa and Historia!
Armin is very confused and stressed: We can't just go now without knowing anything Captain, what good will that do?
Levi hysterically responds: What is the matter with you? Have you become an asshole from being around politicians? Isn't Mikasa your friend? You want to just sit on your ass while she could get killed by probably the most dangerous enemy there is?!
Armin is shaken deeply by Levi's words and doesn't know what to say.
Falco whispering: Umm... hey guys… I think I know who that man could be…
Gabi shouts: WHAT?! SPEAK UP FALCO! WHO IS HE?!
Falco: Uhh… About a year ago, a thin man came to the library… asking information about Paradis and the noble houses… he said he was an eldian looking for his family… so I… helped him… he was wearing very fancy clothes… and bought a ton of books like it was nothing… quite expensive ones…
Gabi is shocked and starts to fume…
Annie: Did he say his name was Ackerman?
Falco: No, I would have remembered… He said his name was Rohr.
Pieck and Annie looks surprised by that name.
Gabi is red of anger: Falco… did you seriously brought an enemy to our doorstep… AGAIN?!
Gabi starts to pound on Falco: WHAT THE FUCK IS THE MATTER WITH YOU?! WHEN ARE YOU GOING TO LEARN!
Pieck is distressed: Falco are you sure he said his name was Rohr?
Falco while being beaten up: Y..yes Miss Piec.. GABI STOP!
Armin: Annie, Pieck, does that name sound familiar?
Annie is worried: Yes Armin, it's a very well-known name here in Marley.
Pieck: The Rohr's were one of the most powerful and wealthy families in Marley and one of the closest with the Tybur's. They were the main providers of weapons and machinery for the entire world… but to my knowledge all of them died during the Rumbling… But now that I think about it… the resources for the improvements for Hizuru must have come from somewhere off the books…
Armin is a little bit relieved: Gabi… stop hitting Falco.
Gabi is surprised: Huh? Why? He is an idiot and deserves to be punished.
Armin: He may just have given us a big piece of the puzzle. If that man is indeed a Rohr… that would explain all the resources and information he has … he would have gotten to the Captain no matter what… but he didn't know who Falco was. We need to make use of this advantage. And fast… if he is indeed connected to Hizuru… then it means he has already infiltrated Paradis… and Mikasa's inner circle… You were right Captain… I'm sorry…
Jean, Connie, Annie and Levi are distressed by what Armin said
Armin: The good thing is... by what you told us Captain... is that he is not looking to harm her… but to use her… for something. I don't think we can answer that now, but we must inform Mikasa and Historia immediately.
Captain, please go to a medic right now to get you ready for the journey, Gabi and Falco, please take him now.
Gabi and Falco: YES SIR! They rapidly grab Levi and leave the office, while he is cursing at them.
Armin: Annie, please bring the weapons and equipment that we could need.
Annie: On it.
Armin: Pieck I leave you in charge of the ministry, Connie and Jean please help her in whatever she needs.
Jean is outraged: WHAT?! You are leaving her in charge?! And leave us here as well?!
Armin: She is much smarter than you two, and actually knows about Marley. If you two would have spent a little more time learning about the nation and not chasing girls around… I'm leaving now, take care guys.
Jean whispering to himself: Yeah… but look at yourself Armin… bringing your girlfriend…
Annie with a terrifying look in her face as she is leaving with Armin: Got a problem? HUH JEAN?
Jean scared to death: NO, I WAS JUST KIDDING ANNIE!... Damn… to top it all off I'm stuck here with Pieck
Pieck while closing in on Jean's face: Aw, don't you think we'll have a good time? I sure intend to. She winks at him.
Jean is scared, while Connie says to him: Seriously Jean, you got to take advantage of the situation… Pieck is quite good looking… don't you like girls with black hair?
Jean trying to escape from Pieck: Yeah, but she is scary!
Connie to himself: That's weird, I always found Mikasa to be much scarier…
A few hours later – Liberio's port
Armin and Annie had already packed all they needed on the boat. Levi arrived in a wheelchair with Gabi and Falco, his leg was covered with bandages and brought with him two crutches.
Armin: Okay guys, we'll take it from here. It's best if it's just the 3 of us to go. The relations with Paradis are still tense… we need to be careful.
Levi: Thanks brats, I'll be fine, do me a favor and clean the house. I'll check on it when I come back.
Falco: Sure thing Mister Levi!
Gabi: Mister Levi… please be careful.
Levi gives them a slight smile and while he is getting on the boat, he waves at them goodbye.
The motorized boat travels quite fast and the 3 passengers will arrive at Paradis in a little over an hour.
Armin: Okay, we'll have to land on the pier and immediately request an audience with the Queen.
Levi: Her first? Why?
Armin: It's the only way we would get some diplomatic protection, I brought the papers from when we served as ambassadors. Yours too captain.
Levi: I didn't know I had that.
Annie: Well yes, they were emitted for you, even if you bailed on us.
Armin: Why did you… not want to go to Paradis then Captain?
Levi starts to reminiscence his time as Captain of the Survey Corps: It… was hard… for me to come back…
Armin doesn't inquire anymore, he understands
Armin: We'll be there soon. Hopefully we will be in time, to prevent something that… will bring us to ruin.