Levi Has A Pet
Summary: Levi has a pet, an unusual one, but it's a pet and he likes it with all of his dark little heart. It's small, undemanding and, most of all, clean. But it's a blast from the past and when word gets out, everyone wants it. Levi has to make sure his unique pet remains his and free. Eren, already done with this BS 2000 years ago, gets dragged into it. He's not complaining, despite his complaining.
The clothes shopping part of their little outing went without a hitch but Levi refused to enter any other store until they got rid of the snacks. While Connie as a lookout was pretty great, he'd rather keep all his brats somewhere he can see or hear them in case shit hits the fan so he can protect them if it comes to that. Therefore they waited in front of a shoe store until Sasha finished off her snacks while Falco held her and Gabi's dresses and other things in, like, a hundred bags and Connie traded Sasha's still uneaten snacks for the garbage from her eaten ones while Levi and Eren stood to the side with only one bag of clothing each.
Eren had dumped his borrowed clothes - and oh, is Jean going to be pissed about that - for the new things he'd bought so he now only had one bag while Levi had stuffed most of his things in his backpack, where it belongs from here on out until he can finally stop being a fugitive, while Annie's hoodie rested in the bag. They had efficiently finished their shopping while Sasha and Gabi - under Sasha's reassurances and insistence, or so Falco told Levi - had shamelessly bought everything that caught their eye since Mikasa had been so generous with her offer of her limitless credit card. Levi wondered whether he should have smacked the shit out of the two brunettes because they had been there when Misaki had threatened lives and secrets for extra money to keep their yakuza afloat and had yet still decided to go all out whilst shopping. Thank goodness Levi had dragged them into the cheapest store his eyes could spot or else Mikasa might have killed them herself.
"Done!" Chirped Sasha when she finished her last bag of chips, having shared very little of any of her snacks with the rest of them. Levi arched an eyebrow at the mess she'd made of herself and looked at Falco. The poor blond sighed and took out a large packet of wet wipes, offering them to Gabi, who also sighed but did as they were silently instructed and started helping in getting Sasha back in order. Connie sighed in relief.
Eren snorted. "You have them better trained in your clean freak ways than you ever managed to get our squad."
"You should have seen their kids," Levi retorted with a smirk. "They criticized them even more severely than I ever did for the smallest of missed spots. It was glorious."
The taller male grinned at him. "So you had your own cleanliness prefects? I almost pity the brat who killed Sasha."
Gabi, having overheard him, glared and Levi just rolled his eyes. "Okay, I know you're just riling her up now just to be a little shit, but it's getting a bit annoying and people are looking at us strangely whenever you say shit like that." And really, they were, or the people who understood them. And considering they were speaking in English since Levi's Spanish was worth shit, that was quite a few people. Levi pulled up his hood a little more over the face under their scrutiny. He knows that there had never been any either WANTED or MISSING posters of him, but after the debacle at the science fair, he's not sure if that has changed and he doesn't want to risk it. The last thing he needs is for this outing to end in his outing.
"Speak Spanish and we'll be able to talk about anything we want," retorted the brunet and Levi gave him a deadpan stare.
"Oh, sure, because Spanish isn't one of the most spoken languages in the world." Eren pouted and Levi rolled his eyes. "Let's just go in already," he said to the group at large as he turned to march into the shoe store. The others followed and since the shoe racks weren't as tall as all that shit in the clothing store, it was much easier to keep track of everyone even as he browsed through shoes. He needed some combat boots. Sneakers were fine and all but their soles weren't nearly as effective in knocking someone('s teeth) out as boots usually were and especially combat boots. When he found a pair that might work for him and went to the nearest chairs where he can try them on, he found Connie trying on some flip flops and Sasha showing off some huge heels. He facepalmed.
"Oh, let them have their fun," Eren said in his ear all of a sudden and Levi whirled around to find himself face to face with Eren, who was bending down with a grin to be at head level with Levi. Their noses were practically touching, they were so close. Eren didn't lean away even when Levi turned to face him. "It's not everyday they get to go shopping with their Levi-heichou. And while this may be a utility outing for you and even me, for them, this is just hanging out with friends. Besides," the grin vanished from his face. "It's only a couple of days before most of us will relive what it's like to be in the middle of a dangerous situation."
"I'm not going to involve anyone who lacks their memories." Sasha, that Marco kid, Moblit and even Bertolt ... None of them deserve to be involved in things they don't understand from a personal perspective. None of them deserve to be dragged into the hell all of this could potentially turn into. Not that those who remembered deserved to go through that, either. If Levi could have it his way, he'd do all of this by himself, without involving anyone else. But the fact of the matter was that he can't. As far as he's gotten by himself was managing to stay out of the clutches of the dozens of organizations who were hunting him. Even when he'd contemplated going to the Mariana Trench and just dumping the Hallucigenia down there without any proof that it might be safe or what he actually needs to do, he could only contemplate it because he didn't actually have the means to get there himself. He'd become a petty thief; if he robbed a bank, as he'd need to in order to acquire the funds he'd need for the trip, he'd only make himself more of a target. He couldn't afford any extra attention.
Eren seemed to read his mind, because he pulled Levi against his body in a brief embrace, whispering in his ear in the language they had once spoken, two thousand years ago. "You can't do this by yourself, Levi. Not only do you not have to, but we won't let you. We can help, so we will. And you will let us."
Levi snorted, not bothering to pull away until the brunet was content to do so. "Since when do you think you have the right to order me around, brat?"
"Since you became the angsty teenager up against the world all by himself," replied Eren and Levi wondered if Eren had meant it as a joke or not. When he leaned back, Eren had an attempt of an amused grin on his face but his eyes didn't have that glint that suggested he was joking. And the words hit far too close to home to be an actual joke, he supposed.
When Eren tried to move away from him, deeming their moment over, Levi surprised him by wrapping his own arms around Eren's waist, making him pause. "Just like I don't need to do this alone, you didn't need to, either," he says in their old language, not looking up to meet his eyes. He had a feeling neither of them would be able to keep their emotions in check if he did.
"It was for the best if I did."
"Maybe. Maybe not. I guess we'll never know," he said as they finally pulled away and took a few steps away from each other. "And that's perfectly fine."
"Which language is that?" Sasha suddenly asked, interrupting them as she appeared at their side, completely ignoring the fact that they had been hugging in the middle of a shoe store for no apparent reason. "It sounds familiar but I can't place it. Also, how many languages do you guys even know?"
Eren shrugged, still keeping close to Levi, but not as close as before. "I speak German, English, Spanish and a bit of Turkish and Chinese. Maybe a bit of French, too, but not enough for an actual conversation, the same with Japanese."
"I mostly speak English and some broken French and Japanese. My Spanish is worth shit." He only spoke any French because his mother had studied the language when she was young and knew many lullabies in French. When Levi got curious at the foreign words, she'd tried teaching him. He could actually hold a conversation in French better than in Japanese, he'd be able to live in France for a longer period of time by himself, but it wasn't as instinctive to him to translate what he hears or reads as it seems to be to Eren for the languages he speaks.
"Wow, you guys really are all European, huh?" Sasha admired and Levi snorted.
"I'm American, actually."
"With a surname like Ackerman?" The food-loving girl asked. She followed after them as Levi went back to browsing and Eren kept following him. "I'd expect you to be Canadian, if anything, but not an American."
Levi just shrugged. Ackerman shouldn't be a common name at all, considering it was the name of a warrior clan from over two thousand years ago. That there were any Ackermans left was probably either Mikasa's doing, since she'd had kids, or Kenny's, who'd probably knocked up any number of women, respectable ladies and ladies of the night both, before and after Uri. Levi had certainly never had any children of his own. Well, none biological. He didn't know if Ackerman abilities were as gone as Titans were and he didn't want to risk any child bearing the unlucky fate of the Ackermans. Besides, he'd never found a partner he would have started a blood family with. Well, not even a life partner. He tended to lose people before they could reach such a stage.
Sasha went back to Gabi after that. Even as he looked over footwear options for himself, Levi could still hear them chattering about heels and sandals and whatnots that they wanted to purchase. Sasha was, apparently, looking for a thank you gift for Mikasa since they wore the same shoe size. Since Falco and Connie - but mostly Falco - were making sure they don't go overboard and behave themselves, Levi focused on the shoe selection. Eren made comments about some choices he saw that he thought Levi might like. They had high quality, for sure, and were subtle but were also flashy considering the brand and the price. People take notice of pricey things and Levi wanted to go unnoticed. He wanted to blend into the background of an everyday crowd, not draw attention. It's why he kept his image simple even when he was still just a 'normal teenager' before he became a fugitive. Besides, life was easier if you didn't concern yourself with fashion beyond what kind of clothing you should wear according to the weather outside. Or that was Levi's opinion, at least. He kept tidy and practical, that's all that mattered.
Eventually, Levi found a pair of military-like black boots that met almost all of his standards. He glared death at Gabi and Sasha who snickered at him because the boots were from the women's section and even harder at Connie, who looked constipated as he did his best not to laugh. He ended up stuffing Eren's mouth with some of the wrapping paper from the boxes when the former Shifter grinned too wide. He didn't care, ultimately. The size was right, they were comfortable and even had a slight heel that was quite hard, very good for kicking. Or possibly stomping someone's guts or skull to smithereens. Levi wasn't picky nor squeamish. Whatever got the job done and kept him and his loved ones safe and the Hallucigenia from falling into anyone's grubby hands.
Sasha, after she and Gabi bought three pairs of shoes each and one for Mikasa which were so impractical Levi doubted the woman would even wear them, of course dragged them to get more food, which is when, of course, everything went to shit.
One moment Sasha was dragging Connie and Gabi by the sleeves with Falco trying to calm the ravenous woman down and the next Levi felt all of his instincts ring alarm bells in his head and he was dragging Eren to the ground just as a van screeched to a halt in front of the restaurant Sasha had chosen. A second later, the doors opened and two goons came out, holding automatic guns and yelling at the civilians on the street. They looked like your average criminals, if not for the quality of the guns Levi could see, or the interior of the van, which looked like it was made for stacking out a place. He didn't hesitate, grabbing a hold of Eren and sprinting down an alleyway. He immediately heard yells behind them and if he wasn't mistaken, that was Russian. He cursed. He actually almost wished it was Erwin again or the monkey's men. He was more used to dealing with them than Russians.
"One day. I only wanted one goddamned day of peace and fucking relaxation," he griped as he and Eren ran, the Shifter now easily matching him with his long strides instead of just being dragged along.
"Did we attract too much attention to ourselves?" Eren asked through huffs of breath, making a sharp turn after him as soon as they reached the end of the alley. Levi could easily make out the thundering footsteps of the agents/soldiers/mobsters chasing after them even over the noise of Tokyo in the middle of a rush hour and that wasn't good, even with his enhanced hearing. It meant they were close on their heels and Levi needed to lose them or else he'd be putting Eren in danger.
"I don't know. They could have been tracking us from the building or they could have recognized my face from a security camera somewhere. It doesn't matter." And it didn't. All that mattered right now is that Levi had no choice but to pull Eren with him into an active street and hope the drivers have fast enough reflexes not to hit them. "Keep up!"
"I fucking knew I should have never left my parkour phase," cursed Eren under his breath as Levi heaved them over a taxi cab. The honking was immediate, drawing the attention of literal everyone on the block, but as their pursuers started following, he could hear a lot more tire screeching and honks blaring as Levi far more gracefully avoided speeding vehicles, using his Ackerman reflexes to keep Eren and himself safe. They did have to jump-and-run over a single car that didn't seem to give a fuck about whether they were planning to move out of the way or not and Levi would have gone after the bastard if he wasn't trying to evade possibly Russian mobsters while playing a real life version of a phone game the likes of Subway Run or whatever it was called. "Watch out!" Eren yelled seconds before a car almost ran over some pedestrian who had thought it would be a good idea to run across the street now of all times, likely because Eren and Levi were already making such a mess in the traffic as it was. There was honking, the car swerved, Levi and Eren had to launch themselves to safety and then there was a deafening crash.
Yelling, screaming, crying, honking and who knows what else was heard on the street by the time Levi pulled Eren after him, crouching low so they would be hidden by the cars which had all finally stopped moving, making it safer to cross the street but also making it easier for their pursuers to go after them.
Eren was the first to start moving this time, dragging Levi towards what seemed to be an entrance to the train systems of Tokyo. "Come on! We can get on some train and get off on some random stop!" Levi followed because Eren was dragging him but also because the plan sounded good. Except-
"You idiot, we can't get to the train levels without a ticket!"
"Then we'll parkour it!"
Levi grit his teeth and followed. They ran down the stairs like maniacs, the locals staring at them in shock as they ran by them in the underground station. Levi overheard an announcement that a train will be arriving within the minute and he knew this will be their only chance. Japanese trains are almost never late, it's not just a rumor. ZoeH had confirmed it to him over the past few years through their messages so he knew they had to be quick and therefore he took lead in their sprint, forcing Eren to struggle to keep up with the Ackerman. The security in the station was already yelling at them in too fast Japanese for Levi to understand anything but the gates were in sight and he looked back at Eren only to see the brunet nod. As one, they leaped over the gates and somehow managed to avoid the security trying to get in their way. Eren suddenly started laughing joyously - or so it would have sounded to an outsider - and Levi realized Eren was trying to play this off as just two punks messing around and not something dangerous. He forced his face to split into a grin he didn't feel - he feared he might sprain a muscle, if he were being honest - as they continued to run. People still yelled after them but he also heard people chuckling or just tsking at them, which meant it had worked.
Well, Eren had always been a rather good manipulator.
When they arrived to the train itself, it was chaotic, the amount of people trying to get out but also to get in. Eren's fucking height came through on this one, as he was a giant compared to an average Japanese person and he had a tight grip on Levi as he shoved through the masses. Levi himself was also stronger than your top ranking Strongman competitor so with these two characteristics combined, they actually managed to get on the train.
Inside, it felt like they were fucking packed tunas, everyone pressing into each other as if personal space was not something supposedly highly cherished in Japan. There was no bubble of intimacy in public transportation anywhere, it seems. Levi had nowhere to hold on to when the train jerked to a start but Eren with his long arms did, so he pulled Levi against him because even if he had amazing balance, you can never be sure when shit might hit the fan. And as if the crowd pressing in on them wasn't bad enough, Levi managed to distinguish that same maybe-Russian from before.
"Mierda!" Eren hissed under his breath, obviously having caught on that at least one or two guys had managed to catch up to them even through all that chaos.
"We need a corner to hide," Levi said as he started tugging off the sweatshirt he'd been wearing, dumping it into the bag and taking back out Annie's. It was white and clung to his frame more, making him somehow seem smaller than he was and that will be necessary for this half-assed disguise he was trying to put together as he searched for somewhere to hide. But it was all so full of people that there's no way they could even move two feet from their current spot without attracting attention as people complained at them. Suddenly, his vision was blocked by the hood and he was drawn even tighter against Eren. "Hey-"
He never got to finish his sentence, as soft, dry lips pressed against his own just as the maybe-Russian exchanges drew far too close. Levi tried to jerk away but Eren tugged him closer and leaned more into Levi's space, forcing the kiss to continue. Levi stared up at him with wide eyes only to find Eren looking back, something in his eyes trying to communicate to Levi to follow his lead. Not sure what the taller was actually doing, Levi still put his trust in him and wrapped his arms around Eren's neck, standing on his toes to make up for the height difference. Eren hummed in pleasure before he suddenly licked at Levi's lips, causing the teen to gasp in unadulterated shock at the sheer audacity of the little shit but Eren took advantage of that and suddenly Levi was introduced to the wonders of a French kiss a la Eren Jaeger.
From the corner of his eye, just barely visible around the hood, Levi saw one of those maybe-mobsters make a face at their 'PDA' before moving on, looking highly uncomfortable. The Ackerman could not believe this actually worked. Still, Eren didn't stop kissing him until they were certain their pursuers had left their cart altogether, which is when Eren, instead of pulling back like he should, deepened the kiss even more, now seeming far more determined to actually do good instead of just looking good doing it. And Levi wasn't ready for it at all. In this life, Levi was a virgin in every sense of the word. He'd not had a single boyfriend or girlfriend or lover and in his past, sex had been ruined for him because of his mother's unfortunate line of work to the point that he'd only tried it out a few times to relieve tension when frustration piled up too much. Which is why he was completely unprepared for the things Eren was doing with his tongue and how that was making him feel and react. The kiss only stopped when the train came to a stop and people started pushing past them to get out.
Levi snapped out of whatever mini trance he'd fallen under and pulled away from Eren to see that the exiting crowd was slowly thinning out and that the crowd waiting to get on was prepared to bulldoze over them if they didn't get out right the fuck now. He ignored the giggling school girls who had been filming them the whole time and grabbed his bag from the floor where he'd dropped it when Eren kissed him before marching out, Eren quick on his heels, clearly not nearly as dazed from that stunt as Levi was, the little shit. He made sure they stayed within the crowd in case their pursuers had gotten off on the same stop as them, keeping his pace brisk but natural-seeming, even if Eren was all but jogging after him at this point.
"Levi, wait! Wait, damn it!" The former Founding Titan huffed out after him even when they exited the train station until he managed to grab a hold of Levi's wrist. Levi whirled around and yanked his wrist free.
"What?"
"Listen, Levi, if I offended you or overstepped-"
"Now's really not the time, Eren," he gritted out, trying his best to keep his blush down. He wasn't sure if he wouldn't erupt like a volcano if they discussed this right now. Or probably ever. Levi was no romantic or a love-struck high school girl, but that had still been his first kiss and he didn't know if he liked it or not. Well, no, that was a lie. He would have enjoyed the kiss more if it hadn't been in the middle of a chase with some - possibly - Russian mobsters and if it hadn't been sprung on him out of fucking nowhere in the middle of a crowded public train while he was sure someone was feeling up his ass at some point.
"Then when will it be time?" Eren demanded, reaching out to grab his hand again but Levi stepped back, out of reach. The man followed with a frustrated glower, stepping into his personal space. "When, Levi? After we dump the Hallucigenia and you run away to hide someplace no one will ever find you?" Levi flinched back, unaware anyone had known he had been preparing a contingency for the event of him still being chased after the Hallucigenia was no longer in his care. "Or maybe in the next life? If we ever get another one?"
"We don't have time for this now, Eren-" But the brunet just wrapped an arm around his shoulders and all but dragged him into yet another alleyway, where he then pinned him against the dirty wall. Levi could have easily wrenched himself free but he honestly found himself frozen under the intensity of those green eyes as they stared down at him.
"Last time, I held back, because I knew I wouldn't be able to go through with it if I confessed and at any moment you came to hate me," Eren said, leaning down to press their forehead together so their breaths would mingle. "And when we reunited in this life, I could tell you had a burden that was practically suffocating you, so I didn't push, especially when I learned about the Hallucigenia. I did my best to help instead. But if you think I'll let you slip through my fingers in this life, after I got to hold you for even just a second, then you're dead wrong, Levi." Eren reached up a hand to hold Levi's head in place, as if Levi had the cognitive capacity to even think about moving away now when Eren was so close. "Wherever you go, I will chase after you. I'll be with you. Don't you remember what I said that day, in the forest? I put all my faith into you and our squad and it might have ended in tragedy, but neither of us ever stopped trusting each other. Or am I wrong?"
He wasn't. Levi, despite everything, had put his trust in Eren until the very last moment, until Levi got so hurt that he knew he couldn't fight further without being a burden on his younger, uninjured comrades. Levi had wanted to get Eren to stop. To just come back home with them. The possibility of Historia turning any of them away, despite being opponents for a short time, were slim to none, especially for Eren, who was seen as a hero of the people. If only Eren had stopped when they had asked. They could have faked his death, it wouldn't be too hard. Levi would have ensured it himself. But the question was whether Ymir would have accepted any fate other than the one she'd planned out to see happen between Eren and Mikasa. Whether she would have taken all the Titan powers with her and let Eldians become as normal as people mentally and spiritually connected by an ancient creature for all eternity could ever be, anyway. The question was whether the amount that had died would have been enough to keep Paradis safe and Eren would never risk it.
He'd always gone all the way in, had never half-assed anything besides maybe his attempts to make his friends hate him. Or his attempts to make Levi hate or mistrust him ... Oh.
Levi can't believe he'd been so blind for so long. Eren had lied to everyone's face in those last few weeks before he left, had lied and deceived everyone in the days leading up to the Rumbling, had taken aside each of his friends and talked to them and then made them forget it, ultimately lying to them again. He'd lied to everyone but Levi. In all the years Levi had known the angry boy from Shiganshina who wanted to kill all the Titans, Eren had never once told him a single lie. Not even when Levi had asked him if he was okay.
And ever since they'd reunited with their former comrades, Eren had stayed glued to his side. Hell, his friends kept teasing him about being 'freedomsexual' and Levi had been confused by it even when he himself had been the one to share with Eren what he thought true freedom was, when he'd been the first person to ever acknowledge Eren's willingness to fight for it with his life, when he used to be aware perfectly clearly that Eren associated him with the Wings Of Freedom the Scouts wore on their cloaks. Hadn't the moniker Humanity's Last Hope been constructed so it would match Levi's as Humanity's Strongest Soldier? Erwin sure had enforced it that way, making it stick in everyone's minds so that Eren, like Levi, would become a symbol for the Survey Corps, the Hope to Levi's Strength, to show civilians and potential recruits alike that the Scouts were what humanity needs to defeat the Titans and live freely again.
Damn, hadn't Eren even once said that he'd associated the Wings to Levi since Levi had joined the Scouts, just a year before Shiganshina fell? Eren had likely been among the kids who'd seen Levi leave for his first expedition as nothing but some rugrat from the Underground only to return as the new record holder for single Titan kills. And knowing what they did now about the Attack Titan's abilities ... It's likely such a moment was engraved in Eren's mind, since he was always so adamant about becoming a Scout.
Had Levi really been blind for so long? Would it have changed things if he had just taken the time to speak to Eren? No, most probably not. The Rumbling was inevitable. But Eren's death? Could that have been prevented?
Would the world have been better for it?
Ultimately, does it affect this life?
No, not the way one might think, at least. Because, as Eren pointed out, they still trusted each other. And once the Hallucigenia was safely 'escorted' to the bottom of the Mariana Trench, Levi has a chance to start his life over again, in this new world. He would have no reason to hesitate to create lasting relationships. And he knew how Eren was; he rather doubted the brat would leave him alone and Levi was already so tired of running. He wanted to just go home. (Funny how, when he thought of home, the first thing that came to mind was none other than a small apartment in Barcelona, a soft bed in a small, tidy room that did not even belong to him.)
"... I never stopped trusting you," he finally answered and he knew he wasn't imagining the immeasurable relief he saw flash through Eren's eyes. He almost smiled at that. The brat had actually been worried. "And I don't want to run away from you, or anyone else, after this is done, Eren. But the possibility of me still being pursued is very high and I don't want to drag anyone down with me. You have a bright future ahead of you; surely you don't want to spend your whole life as a fugitive?"
Eren shrugged. "I'm familiar with it. And I think I might grow crazy if my life was just rinse and repeat, day in and day out."
Worst part was, Levi was sure Eren wasn't just saying that, just so Levi would accept it. The brat was bound to become stir crazy sooner rather than later. In fact, even now, in the middle of this whole mess, despite his complaining about the Hallucigenia or the occasional person they run into, Eren was the one who appeared to have the least problems with the fact that all of this was happening, that his life after this will never be the same. The brunet was either an adrenaline junky or he was simply too used to the life they'd once led.
Levi suspected it was the former, which was not unlike himself. Even beyond his own tough life as a thug in the Underground and later on as a Scout were his Ackerman genes, the experience of every Ackerman before him accumulating in his blood, his brain, his muscles, his senses. He was born and bred for action and it seems that the Attack Titan was no different.
Perhaps the reason he clicked so easily with Eren was that they were not all that dissimilar, on even the most basic of levels in a way no one else was. It's why it was so easy to understand each other, to trust each other. In a way, they were both monsters. Eren just used to have a physical way of showing it.
"Then I guess, if it comes to it, we'll have to make proper plans for it later." Eren lit up at that. "For now, though," he continued, blocking Eren's attempt to go for a kiss with a raised palm, forcing his ears to focus on rapidly approaching footsteps. He grabbed Eren's hand and started tugging. "We need to take those two shitheads out before we meet up with Gabi, Falco, Sasha and Connie."
Eren nodded and together, they ran for the nearest ally. "I thought we ditched them on the train."
"Guess they saw through your disguise after all," Levi said with a snort. "Really, letting your hair down as a disguise only works on TV."
"I changed clothes, too, you know," countered Eren as they burst through onto another street. Levi immediately went left and the Shifter followed until Levi made a turn into yet another alley, even smaller than the one from before. He took off his backpack and thrust it into Eren's hands. The taller male gave the bag a look and arched an eyebrow at him. "You know, this might be what actually gave us away."
"Don't care. Just hide behind those trash cans over there and don't come out until I'm done with those shitstains." Eren opened his mouth to either protest or offer his help, but Levi glared him into silence. "I could take on an entire squad of people trained by Kenny personally with the goal of being able to fight me. Two mobster shits who've never seen the business end of an Ackerman's blade will hardly be a problem, Eren."
"Fine," he relented. "But the second I think you need help, I'm jumping in."
"Don't be ridiculous," scoffed the Ackerman. "Just keep the Hallucigenia safe and you can play hero when we go to deposit it into the Mariana Trench."
"Wait, I'm diving with you?" Asked Eren excitedly but Levi shushed him when he heard the telltale sound of footsteps approaching their little alley.
"Just keep an eye on that end," he instructed, pointing towards the deeper part of the alley, where there was a sharp curve that led around the building. It has to be some sort of shop or restaurant, though he would be extremely suspicious if there was an entrance that hidden from the public eye. "And stay fucking quiet."
Eren actually saluted before he hid behind the boxes and Levi shook his head before he turned towards the mouth of the ally just as their two pursuers arrived. They immediately pointed their guns at him, shouting at him. "Поднимите руки вверх!"
"я не говорю по русски," Levi replied, in broken Russian. He knew how to say that phrase in ten languages, since he knew he might come to a situation such as this one day, from the moment he'd taken the Hallucigenia in as a 'pet'. He'd rather people speak to him in a language he did understand even if he wasn't going to listen to their demands or orders, as he was guessing was the case right now.
"Put your hands in the air," said the second guy in heavily accented English. "No funny business, stupid American."
"Oh, thank you," he said, letting only a hint of sarcasm color his tone before he lunged towards the, now confirmed, Russians - though they might be from Belorussia or even Ukraine or any of the other former Soviet countries, but Levi had a suspicion they were with the KGB or some version of it, like the FSB but whatever; also, there's still the possibility of them being mobsters, as nothing has yet ruled that option out, either - at a speed and in a manner that clearly startled the men as they probably hadn't expected their target to jump towards the guns. But Levi was different than anyone else these agents or mobsters had ever had to chase down. His speed and reflexes is what allowed him to reach the men first and wrench their guns upwards when they got their senses back enough to try and shoot. The twin shots rang out startlingly loud and Levi heard screams from outside of the ally. No doubt police units will be on them in minutes.
He wrung both of the men's wrists hard enough to force them to drop their guns, which he kicked out of the way, before he had to dodge out of the way when one tried kneeing him at the same time the other attempted a punch. He let go of their hands and watched as they fell into matching fighting stances. Observing them, Levi came to the conclusion these two weren't normal grunts. It wasn't by accident they had gone together and it probably wasn't an accident they had managed to find him and Eren when they'd left the train station, either. Their stances were complimentary. One obviously specialized in kicks and legwork while the other stood more like a boxer, stance top-heavy and arms raised to protect his upper body. What's more, there was a startling similarity between these two that made Levi believe they might be twins.
He crossed out the possibility these two were mobsters, instead putting them in the secret services category. Mobs, mafia and other such criminal organizations may have the funds to do crazy shit but only some big corporation or a country can invest enough time and money to raise twin fighters who will compliment each other's style. Considering these two looked to be maybe a year or two older than Eren, they must be rather skilled. And considering they might be part of a secret service, that means that the attack on the street not even half an hour ago was planned. Hopefully, that meant there are no casualties.
Still, as skilled as they were, no ordinary human could ever stand in the ring with Levi as equals. Even fighting multiple opponents was easy. He was an Ackerman, born and bred to be a fighting machine, a weapon, even without all the time he'd spent as a soldier in his last life. The only person on Earth at this moment who could hold their own against him in a fight would be Kenny, but Levi outclassed him quite a bit since the Hallucigenia reawakened his Ackerman genes. Kenny may be an Ackerman, too, but he was still an ordinary human, as ordinary as any Eldian can get.
He blocked a punch aimed at his chin while at the same time docking the kick to the head. The twins tried getting on either side of him and splitting his attention in two opposite directions but Levi didn't let them go through with what was probably their deadliest strategy. He dropped to the ground and kicked his leg out, managing to knock one twin over while the other deftly jumped over his sweeping leg. Levi did a full spin and whirled to his feet again in the same move, throwing a punch out and catching the kickboxing twin in the sternum. He almost felt sympathy for him when he heard the telltale sound of shattering bones and cracking ribs. Winded, that twin fell to the ground and tried to get some breath in his lungs but Levi wasn't finished yet. He can't risk leaving him conscious, so he didn't hesitate to show him his own kick, instantly knocking him out. Levi didn't even blame him for going out so easily. Only Eren had ever been able to withstand one of his kicks and even he took considerable damage.
He turned back to the remaining twin, who had gotten back up on his feet and was eyeing Levi warily, clearly understanding he and his brother had underestimated Levi. It was too late to back out now, though. He understood that and faced Levi with determination but caution, aware of just how easily Levi had taken down his brother. Their confidence suggests they were some of the best their organization might have, as they were clearly not used to someone taking them on both at the same time and coming out on top. Levi guessed it's never too late to learn that there will always be someone better, it was only a matter of time.
The second twin finally sprang an attack but Levi was ready for him, dodging most of his attempts at landing a blow and blocking some that would put him into a vulnerable position if he dodged. At some point, the twin tried reaching for a knife during a whirl but Levi was faster, stripping him of the weapon and accidentally throwing it hard enough to embed the blade into the wall. The Russian stared at it in something akin to fear and that was all the distraction Levi needed to end the fight, knocking the remaining twin out with a solid punch to his jaw. He crashed to the ground just as police sirens filled the air and Eren got out of his hiding spot so they can run away from the scene, heading deeper into the alley so they didn't get associated with the two unconscious men and their guns. Levi made sure to take the knife with him, since it might have his fingerprints on it.
Thankfully, the alley wasn't actually a dead end nor did it have any suspicious doors, nor windows, for that matter, so no one from inside could have spotted them. Levi took note that there was also a lack of security cameras, which he was thankful for.
That didn't, however, make the feeling of being watched abate. But he didn't look up, not wanting to alert the figure on the roof that he was onto them.
If they followed, Levi would have no choice but to deal with them.
Three blocks down, he knew for a fact that they hadn't.
And that worried him even more.
Translations:
Mierda - Shit
Поднимите руки вверх - Put your hands in the air
я не говорю по русски - I do not speak Russian