Hell Overfloweth

Disclaimer: I do not own AoT

Levi was awake before the door even opened.

It was early. Or what others called early. If it was an emergency, they wouldn't be creeping in. If it was an assassin, they were piss poor at it. No rookie was green enough anymore to have a valid "I got lost" excuse.

Then he noticed the footsteps. The very, very small footsteps.

He stopped feigning sleep, looking over to see Eren staring back at him passively. "Can't sleep brat?" he asked neutrally.

"I can. You can't," Eren answered knowingly.

Levi would have been surprised by that a few days ago, but now he just sighed. "I bet you saw a lot of people with sleeping problems," Levi mused in understanding. He didn't want the kid's pity and the kid seemed to get that. That or it was just his default expression. "What do you want, Eren?"

"Someone died."

Levi couldn't have been more alert than if Kenny himself showed up. He looked to Eren sharply, seeing that the kid was serious. "Show me," Levi ordered sternly.

Eren nodded before heading out the door with Levi on his tail. It was fortunate for once that he didn't bother to change clothes at night.

Neither said a word as they walked, the base otherwise silent as they walked, save for some loud snorers.

Levi narrowed his eyes as they came out to the courtyard, but saw no body. It was dark though, the sun minutes away from peaking over Wall Rose. Where was he being led to? If it was anyone else, he'd think this was a trick.

Eren never paused in his stride, ascending the stairs of the wall.

"Oh, um, Eren, rig- Captain Levi?" one of the night guards greeted in surprise. "Um, come to join us tonight, sir?"

"No," Levi answered flatly, looking to Eren who was staring out over the battlement. "What are you on about, Eren? Where is it?" he inquired with his arms crossed. This wasn't some messed up prank, right? Was twisted humor how Eren coped? He sincerely hoped not.

"There," Eren answered, pointing out across the fields in the direction of the small village nearby.

"Huh? I don't see anything? What's going on, Captain?" the scout asked curiously.

"Eren, you can...see something?" Levi questioned with some skepticism, but a growing feeling that this kid was neither wrong nor joking.

"There is blood," Eren answered vaguely, looking up at Levi with a pointed stare. " A lot of blood. Too much blood. Someone died."

"Wait, what?" the watcher asked in alarm. "Sir, should I wake up Commander Erwin?"

Levi didn't answer, staring out across the field with a scowl. He wasn't Miche, he couldn't smell like a damn bloodhound. But even in the dark, something definitely felt off.

"Watch the brat and don't mention this to anyone. Eren, stay the hell here," he ordered, turning without another word.

Fifteen Minutes Later

It was a testament to their skill and experience that the Levi Squad was up, clothed, and ready to depart as quick as they were. The ones guarding the gate were a bit wary of opening the way, but few were willing to argue with an order from Levi. Now, they rode across the field as the sunlight began to peak over Wall Rose finally.

"Let me get this straight," Gunther spoke up. "Eren came into your room...and told you someone died?"

"Yes," Levi answered shortly. "He said there is a lot of blood out here."

"What, is he like Miche?" Petra asked in confusion.

"He might just have really good vision in the dark," Oluo mused thoughtfully.

"Doesn't matter," Levi stated simply. "All that does matter is finding out if he's right."

"You think he might be wrong or lying, Captain?" Eld asked with a curious scowl.

"Lying? No. Wrong? Who knows. Maybe the kid had a flashback or a nightmare. Maybe he's still trying to adjust and and can't accept he's not in danger," Levi offered casually.

"Umm, Captain? I don't think he was wrong," Gunther spoke up, drawing their attention to him and following his gaze.

They were well over half way to the village now, and on a patch of grass was something dark and still wet.

Levi narrowed his eyes as they brought the horses closer. "Yeah, that's definitely blood," he agreed as he studied the amount. That was no small injury. A wound bleeding this much could be lethal without quick medical aid.

His eyes trailed towards the village, finding a streaking trail of blood with the occasional larger patches along the way.

"You think they managed to get to the village?" Petra asked, feeling less than hopeful for whoever this blood belonged to.

"No," Levi answered observantly. "Eren's right, this is too much blood. Whoever was hurt would have collapsed and bled out long before they made it."

"What should we do, Captain?" Eld asked.

Levi didn't answer immediately. This wasn't really the job of the Scouts, but it happened near their base, so investigating was justified if anyone on the food chain questioned their involvement.

"Gunther, Eld, with me. Petra, Oluo, head back and tell Erwin what's going on. One of you tell Four-Eyes where Eren is," Levi ordered.

He didn't need to look to know they nodded, hearing two horses heading off before the remaining trio continued following the trail of blood.

"...I don't see any foot prints," Eld stated with a bead of sweet on his brow.

"They deliberately dragged the body, using it to cover their tracks," Levi answered knowingly.

Gunther grunted. "Sir, isn't there a chance this is just a very messy hunting incident?"

"Are you that optimistic?" Levi asked rhetorically without looking back. "There isn't any thing this big out in these woods. We made sure of that. More importantly..." Levi paused, jumping off his horse for a moment, leaning down.

"You find something, Captain?" Eld asked.

In response, Levi held up a shoe with blood drops on it, silencing any doubt.

They rode on to the town, a place called Garm, following the path until the settlement was in sight. As was the crowd of people gathered on the edge. They were around the side of a building, muttering in loud and worried voices.

"What happened?" Levi's voice called out, silencing and surprising the group.

"The Scouts?" some of them murmured. Some in relief, others in distaste. Regardless, they made way for the three as they dismounted their horses and walked up to the wall of the building.

Levi's eyes widened minutely, Eld giving a sharp inhale as Gunther gasped.

The body was here all right. The clothes were dirtied, bloodied and torn viciously, but Levi was certain it was a priest. One arm was severed off at the elbow, while the other was impaled to the wall by the hand...with a broken piece of bone from the severed arm, the rest of the arm laying discarded nearby, the flesh having been peeled away as if it were a vegetable. The stomach was ripped open and something had been chewing on and eating the insides before anyone got here.

Most importantly...the head was missing, leaving only a bloody stump.

But the thing that captured everyone's attention, even Levi's, was the wall. Five times, in varying sizes, the same five words were repeated. All written in blood.

"Your Gods Don't Want You!"

Levi turned to face the crowd. "Did anyone see anything?" he asked sternly.

"N-no, sir," a young woman answered, pale as snow. "We...I and my husband found him first," she answered with haunted eyes. "He's with our daughter now...she saw this and...everyone came to look when they heard her scream. I just...I don't understand."

Levi nodded slowly. "Has anyone seen the damn head?" he asked, looking around to see many heads shaking and some only now glancing around for the missing body part.

No one seemed suspicious or stood out in anyway. If the killer was here, they were doing a fine job acting.

"Captain?" Eld questioned, unsure of what they should do now.

"The commander will be sending someone to check on the situation. This place doesn't have its own guards or anything to report this to. Eld, go to Trost and tell them there's been a murder here. We'll wait here," he instructed.

"Sir," Eld nodded, heading for his horse.

"Everyone, I need you to leave the area for now. The Scouts'll keep an eye on things until the MP arrive," Levi requested, hoping no one gave them trouble.

It was too early for this, for anyone.

"Do you...think you'll find who did this to Preacher Farn?" a man, no, a teenage boy asked with a wavering voice.

"At the moment, I just want to make sure they don't gut anyone else," Levi said bluntly, several people flinching, but starting to disperse none the less. "Hey, Kid? This house have an owner?" Levi asked, stopping the boy short.

"Huh? Umm, yeah, the Schuber family? Mr. Schuber is just around the side on his porch," the boy answered, his eyes flashing back to the body in morbid curiosity.

Levi didn't blame the kid as he scurried away with a paling face, obviously about to vomit. "Gunther, my people skills leave something to be desired. See what the man has to say."

"Alright, Captain. What are you going to do?" Gunther asked curiously.

"Enjoy the scenery," Levi answered ironically before turning back to the body.

Levi had seen a lot of dead bodies, seen a lot of different ways people could die. He could tell a lot just from looking at the corse. The preacher hadn't died from beheading. There would have been a lot more blood all over the clothes, and all over the area, no matter where it happened. The killing blow probably wasn't the arm. This man probably died while being dragged, and the bloody path here would have been much narrower and thicker if it had all came out the severed limb. The primary wound to the stomach, perhaps, or even multiples of the lesser ones around it? Most likely. Could have also been a sliced throat, removing the head afterwards.

Which meant the beheading and impaling the hand were just done for shock value, to enhance the message around the dead priest of the Walls: Your Gods Don't Want You.

Levi had never heard of any radical anti-church group, but he wouldn't be surprised that they existed. Still, this was strange. He didn't buy into bullshit, but he usually knew propaganda when he saw it. This didn't feel like a rallying cry. Just a terror-tactic against the church?

Or perhaps a plot to frame the Scouts? Levi thought it was a stretch, but it seemed odd for an event like this to happen to the village closest to their base.

He turned his attention away from the body itself and towards the rest of the scene. There were no footprints. Whoever had done this had been confident enough to take time to cover their tracks before vanishing into the night. But breaking a bone like that, impaling it through the wall? That couldn't be done silently. How much of this did they prepare in advance? That was an unnerving question to consider. Doing something like this in the heat of the moment was bad enough, but to plot and scheme it out? That was an entirely worse kind of mental case.

He didn't tense at the growl, having been aware of the creature's presence, but he did turn his head towards the animal.

There was a dog there. An odd one, for Levi. It was like a spitz, but with smoother and shorter hair. Brown on the top, almost white on the underbelly and face. Almost looked more like a fox than a dog.

It wasn't looking at Levi at all, busy chewing on something in its bloody maw. A rat by the looks of it. The hound chomped its jaws a few more times before turning to Levi. A short staring contest ensued before it tilted its head and began to walk off.

Levi watched it go, half expecting it to find the head as a snack, but then he stopped in surprise. He hadn't noticed it with the crowd here, but there was actually an outhouse a short distance away. Probably still on the property of the Schuber house.

Levi felt a pang of disgusting suspicion grow in his stomach as he rose from his crouching position, heading to the outhouse. He placed a hand on the knife strapped on his back, just in case this was worse than he already expected. He kept his footfalls as silent as possible while treading closer...

Before turning quicker than a viper, knife to a man's throat.

To Gunther's credit, he looked only mildly alarmed instead of terrified at his captain's reaction.

"Oh, Gunther, it's you," Levi said with a hint of apology in his voice, sighing as he sheathed his knife.

"On edge, Captain?" Gunther asked with a scowl.

"Just a feeling. What'd you get out of the man?" Levi asked idly.

Gunther shrugged. "Nothing much. He's pretty shaken up by it. He just keeps thinking about how he ignored the noise and how it could have been his kids this happened to."

Levi rose an eyebrow ever so slightly to that. "Why'd he ignore it?"

"Apparently, some people use his outhouse at night without permission. He just thought it was someone slamming the door," Gunther answered simply.

Levi turned back to the privy and slowly opened the door. Gunther nearly hurled and it wasn't from the smell.

"Well, we found the head," Levi remarked with a grimace.

Later

"...Well, I'm skipping breakfast," Hange stated with an uneasy smile as the report ended.

"Same," Petra said with a sigh as Oluo, Eld, and Gunther nodded.

Internally, so did Erwin. "The head of the Military Police at Trost sends his regards for preserving the scene as best you could," Erwin relayed.

"Along with a hint to not interfere with their business further?" Miche guessed stoically

"On this occasion, due to our proximity, they decided to keep us in the loop," Erwin stated. "I've already given word to other section commanders, to instruct their subordinates to keep a keen eye out for suspicious activity."

Which was also code for making sure none of the Scouts had gone off the deep end. It didn't happen often, but only because most would-be cases died before they became a danger to others.

"So, Eren could tell there was blood in the air?" Erwin changed tracks.

Petra shrugged. "That's what the Captain said, Commander."

"Interesting," Hange mused, stroking her chin.

"We thought he might be like Miche," Oluo mused, Humanity's Second Strongest frowning thoughtfully.

"I have some doubts of that," Hange stated uncertainly. "It's possible though. Perhaps that scarf helps block out too many smells. But I'm more inclined to believe that he simply recognizes the scent of blood above all else."

"We'll be leaving Eren's involvement in this situation out of the official reports, as I didn't see a need to mention him in this," Erwin stated pointedly. "On the topic of Eren, is he doing well, Hange?"

"I've managed to convince him that Ration Bars shouldn't be the majority of his meals, so, that's progress," Hange answered with a grin. "I've also shown him where the bathrooms are. But..."

"What is it, Hange?" Erwin asked encouragingly.

"He still sleeps under the bed," Hange answered with a sigh. "I don't think that'll stop soon."

"...You do know that's kind of normal, right?" Gunther asked curiously.

"Eh? It is?" Hange asked in surprise.

"You do remember she doesn't sleep without being reminded, right?" Petra reminded dryly.

"A lot of soldiers can't get use to comfy beds for a while if they've slept on harder surfaces for a long time," Eld explained.

"Give the kid a week or two, he's still adjusting to being...not out there," Oluo reminded in an assuring voice. "One of my siblings wouldn't stop sleeping upside down in a chair for weeks when we didn't have beds. Don't ask, long story."

Hange was listening with almost comedically serious attention. "I shall keep that in mind. Thank you for the information."

Erwin smiled for an instant before turning to the room as a whole. "If there is nothing else, you're all dismissed."

With that, the room began to empty until it was just two left.

"Something on your mind, Miche?" Erwin inquired with a glance.

The man leaned against the wall next to the window with a a troubled look.

Miche shook his head. "Nothing. Just glad I didn't have to find that head," he answered, wrinkling his nose. "Still, you think this is odd?"

"If you're asking if I think it's a coincidence that this happened this close to our base of operations? No, I don't. Neither does Levi. The goal is unclear, but they obviously wanted attention, ours or otherwise," Erwin mused. "I doubt we have seen the last of this culprit's work."

Miche said nothing, but agreed as he buried his illogical concerns for now. After all, a lot of people thought the Church and its priests were full of shit...

Meanwhile

"Drinks should be cold."

Levi had heard a lot of complaints and arguments against tea. That was probably the simplest yet most valid one he had ever heard.

Still, he shrugged, holding his tea by the top of the cup with the ends of his fingers. "Tastes shitty when it's cold," Levi commented as he and Eren sat across from one another in the dining room.

"You think ration bars taste shitty," Eren pointed out factually.

"They do," Levi stated firmly.

To his infinite annoyance, Eren calmly picked up his own cup of tea again and started to blow on it gently in an effort to cool it off faster.

"You are one cheeky brat," Levi said with a headshake. Eren ignored him, testing the taste of the cooling tea. "So...do you want to talk about anything?" Levi asked with some hesitation.

Eren looked up, giving him a blank expression. "Do you?"

Levi hummed at the retort. So, Eren could tell a fellow fucked up soul when he saw one. Good to know. "No," Levi responded, knowing that answer went for both of them.

An empty silence came over them both.

"How long do you sleep?"

Levi blinked, realizing it was Eren who asked the question instead of himself. "A couple hours usually," he offered, figuring it was something to talk about. "You?"

"I can sleep as long as I want. Anytime. Anywhere," Eren answered. Levi wasn't envious, waiting for the other shoe to drop. "If nothing wakes me up."

Levi nodded slowly. "And a lot of stuff wakes you up, doesn't it?"

Eren nodded. "People walking around me. Below me. Above me. Things falling. Animals. The wind. Sometimes just the wood creaking," Eren answered before giving an almost-smile. "Hange mumbling in her sleep."

"Four-Eyes still does that, eh?" Levi muttered to himself before taking a drink.

"Fire doesn't," Eren answered. "Fire and smoke. I can sleep through those now."

Levi frowned, not sure what to say to that. "You never answered my question this morning. Can you see in the dark?" he asked idly. Eren didn't answer, almost as if he didn't understand the question. Maybe he didn't. "Did you see anything that happened tonight?"

"...No," Eren answered, taking a long sip of his tea.

Levi hummed again. Was Eren lying or did he just have a good poker face?

"You don't believe me," Eren observed knowingly.

Levi grunted. Apparently, his own poker face wasn't that good, against a brat no less. Still, he raised an eyebrow at Eren all the same. "Force of habit. You believe us already, Kid?"

Eren looked down at his tea for a moment before looking Levi in the eyes. "I believe you want me to be safe."

"Why?" Levi prompted encouragingly.

"Because you got mad. Because I like ration bars," Eren said meaningfully.

Levi's expression softened for a moment as he recalled that numb moment where he saw a child weeping tears of joy over something as poor in taste as a ration bar.

His eye brow twitched, realizing that Eren's tea was now very cold and the kid definitely seemed to like it more now.

Cheeky brat indeed.

Elsewhere

They were everywhere.

She flew through the air, across the walls, from building to building. She killed of many of them, but it was never enough.

"Help!"

Her heard turned, eyes wide as she saw a girl in the grasp of a Titan.

"SASHA!" Mikasa yelled, flying towards her. But even as she sped towards her, the distance seemed to grow. Her heart pounded as her blades got within in millimeters of the nape...

"AHHH!"

But Sasha's head was already bitten off.

"Dammit!" Mikasa cursed.

"Someone, save us!" She heard Jean cry out.

But before she could turn, another voice called from another direction. "Hey, a lit-little back up over here!" Connie's voice came.

"Over here, we're just over here!" Krista yelled desperately from a rooftop.

There were too many. Too many to kill, too many to protect.

"MIKASA!"

Her body froze, turning to the blood-curdling cry of Armin, held over the mouth of a Titan. She pulled the trigger instantly, to save her oldest living friend, but her gas had run out. How? It didn't matter, as the Titan released its grip...and Armin was dropped in.

"No..." she whispered, clutching her head, begging this not to be real, for it not to be happening again, and again, and again.

"Why are you so strong?"

She froze. It wasn't real. She knew it wasn't real. He was gone. He couldn't be here.

But he was.

"And so weak?" Eren asked, walking in front of her. He was the same as that day, the same age and the same clothes...clothes coated with blood from the wound around his torso. His arm was missing, the stump still bleeding.

And his eyes. His eyes were gone, rivers of blood pouring from the sockets.

"You couldn't even save me," he mocked in disgust.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" Mikasa said, falling to her knees and curling into herself. "I tried, Eren!"

"And I died!" he roared demonically. "After everything I did for you, you couldn't do a damn thing when it mattered!"

"I know! I'm worthless! I should have died instead of you! You were Carla's child, not me! Maybe...maybe Grisha would have stayed if you had survived," Mikasa sobbed.

"I should have never saved you...," he whispered hatefully in her ear.

"I'm sorry, Eren. I'm so sorry," Mikasa whispered brokenly.

"Mikasa...Mikasa! Wake up, Mikasa!"

Mikasa shot awake, nearly taking Annie's head off with an instinctive punch. The blond caught it, but barely.

"...Annie?" Mikasa whispered with wide, uncertain eyes.

The passive girl nodded slowly, a hint of sympathy and concern in her blue eyes. "You're still in the barracks," she assured, gently and slowly releasing Mikasa's wrist and flexing her now-numb hand.

Mikasa's expression slowly melted into her normal expression, a mix of soft and stoic. "I'm sorry. Did I wake you?" she asked, as if nothing had happened.

Annie shook her head. "I was awake anyway. Just couldn't get back to sleep, with you tossing and turning like that," she admitted flatly.

The two weren't friends, exactly. They were classmates, and the two most skilled females here. There was some respect, some comradery, but they had little to say to one another.

Then again, maybe they were friends and just didn't feel the need to say it. Mikasa's social skills were not on the same level as her physical ones. And neither were Annie's.

"I'm sorry. I'll let you get back to sleep," Mikasa said tonelessly, about to turn over and hope for a dreamless sleep.

"Was it about...Him?" Annie asked cautiously.

Mikasa tensed but didn't snap. "In part," she admitted coldly.

"...Do you talk to Armin about the nightmares?" Annie asked with some hesitation.

"No," Mikasa admitted instantly.

"I won't tell," Annie assured with a troubled scowl. "I just..."

Mikasa looked over her shoulder with a hollow look in her eye. "Yes, Annie?"

"I'm sorry, I don't know what to say in this situation," Annie admitted with a sigh. "Nothing I can say will help. Offering to listen feels intrusive of me. Just sitting here would be more annoying than comforting."

"And why do you want to comfort me, Annie?" Mikasa asked pointedly.

"It's not pity or sympathy," Annie answered, glancing away. "I know what it's like, to be forced to run away and live on after a friend died."

Mikasa's dead look gained a tiny bit of understanding and acceptance. "Thank you, Annie."

"Don't get too mushy. I might hurl," Annie warned with the smallest quirk of her mouth.

Mikasa mirrored the expression as the other girl left, before pulling up the scarf over her mouth and laid back down.

She knew it wasn't real. The real Eren would never say something like what the one in her nightmares said. That didn't make it hurt less.

Only in these moments, enveloping herself in this scarf, did she recall what it felt like when her heart didn't hurt.

End of Chapter

There we go! As always, Eren walks a strange balance of adorable and creepy in this fic as we got to see what happened to the priest, and no one is sure what's going on there yet.

And we finally get a scene with Mikasa and...yeah, she's not doing good. Not much else to say. Enjoy the crumbs, until next times!

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