we all (have a) hunger
A/N: Another thing I'm changing in this universe, there's an actual Marleyan emperor and the Tybur are recognized as his advisers. More on this in a later story, but I can't really buy the idea that the Tybur (Eldians) are Marley's political and military leaders. That just... doesn't make sense. I mean, Eldians (still) "suffering" with an Eldian at the throne? Again, any feedback would be appreciated! It's my first time writing a long-haul like this, thanks!
(Originally posted on AO3, where my more... "adult" works are posted. But I don't think this violates the site's guidelines, so I'm posting it here too.)
At heart, Zeke Yeager believes he is a hedonist.
"One would think the Beast would be more animal than man."
Alternatively, primal urges and primal encounters.
At heart, Theo Magath believes the devil exists; in the faces of Eldian men, women, and children. Especially the children. When their religion speaks of angels, it uses the faces of adolescents–young and fresh-faced, and smiling brightly. But when their religion speaks of devils, it uses the faces of children–deceptively innocent and quiet, with devoid smiles and empty eyes.
(He was once a child too, but he is nothing like those Eldian children. He is Marleyan. He is nothing like them. Nothing at all.)
When he was placed in-charge of Marley's Warrior Unit, he was outraged. He was devastated. He was utterly repulsed. Of course, he would do any and everything for the glory of Marley, but to spend his days with the scum of the Earth? Even soldiers like him have a limit. But, in their words, there was no better person for the position than him.
(Because he hated–no, loathed–the Eldians more than anyone else, and he would show no mercy for them, whether they have the faces of children or share the faces with his own children–)
At the end of the day, Theo Magath returns to his quiet home, embraces his young son and daughter, kisses his wife goodnight, and wishes to dream of a life without these devils haunting him in his waking hours.
(Most of the time, he is unsuccessful. Most of the time, he dreams of war; and sometimes he dreams of his own children dressed in uniforms and carrying guns far too big for them. And when he wakes up, he is crying.)
He sees the devil in the faces he meets, in the Eldian boys and girls who signed up to become Warrior candidates, hoping to become part of the esteemed Warrior Unit and become honorary Marleyans and separate themselves from their cursed blood, their ancestry of monsters. And the Warrior Unit is Marley's pride and glory, a testament to humanity's victory over these devils, proof and fact that man will always defeat the monster.
(Or is it just a hope that Marley pushes and pushes and pushes for? Because... what god would allow man to be overtaken by monsters? What god would make the devil stronger than man?)
The Eldians believe in their own blasphemous, metamorphic god, and it is the Devil Herself. And this God-Devil, cursed be all her descendants, bore a race of monsters to trample the earth and devour all of mankind, to remake the world in their own, twisted image.
(And there is no reason for it all; devils and demons rarely ever need one, anyway.)
And perhaps that is what he is doing, in a strange, reverse kind of way. He, as the commander and trainer of the illustrious Warrior Unit, is remaking these devils into weapons, into something useful and beneficial for humankind. Because man should always triumph over the devil; man should always win against the monster. And though these monsters might wear the skin of men, try as they may, they will never truly be human.
(He watches Eldian children run and fight and crawl, so ready to be sacrificed in the field of battle to be recognized and acknowledged, perhaps even respected by Marleyans like him. Still, he calls them filthy and the scum of the earth, because no worm should ever dream of becoming a bird.)
So when an Eldian from the island of devils is presented to them, he was beyond furious. The Roth family is distinguished from other Eldian nobility–and the idea of that in itself is strange–as Marley's Red Spider faction; its spies within the walls of Paradis. The young Roth was barely half their age, and yet had already brought shame to both him and the Warrior Unit by delivering to them a Colossal Titan.
(He thinks it is too convenient, that Roth had managed all this on their own.)
The holder is compliant and obedient, and does not talk back or act against orders. Roth's report stated that the woman hails from a noble family and inherited the Titan from her mother; whether it was by force or by coercion, it is not mentioned. And it explains how she can hold herself with such... pride. Her posture is always stiff, her eyes are always facing forward, and her hands are always open.
(She does not think she is prideful; all monsters do.)
She does what she is told. She follows orders like it is second nature. The report also says that she is a Scout, a hard-learned soldier who led the recon squad in expeditions. This makes her compliance even more suspicious. The devil looks and acts like a man, but it's only a ruse, a disguise. The devil can wear the skin of a man and talk like a man, but he can never be a man.
(When she eats and talks with the other Eldians, it's just a display of how well she and the rest of them have mimicked humankind.)
So when she requested if she could take nightly walks because she couldn't sleep... But there shouldn't be any harm in that, would there? The guards are always around her, ready to shoot and kill at the slightest hint of dissidence. And if she dared to try anything at night, then it'd be easier to dispose of her outside.
(And it would be grand, wouldn't it? The holder of the Ancient Colossal, no matter how mythical, shot dead like a pig; a devil felled by man-made devices.)
In the end, he grants her that single request. In the weeks since she has been here, she has asked for nothing else. Surely her obedience deserves a reward? To treat her like a dog on a leash, as if the way her arms are bound to either side of her bed is not enough. Bad devils are punished, good devils are rewarded, but they are still devils all the same.
(She is not given an armband because she is not–will not be, shall never be?–part of their society.)
But at the start of the next month, he receives a missive from the Red Spider, stating that the holder of the Ancient shall now undergo training as a Warrior. The young Roth, of course, came to deliver the missive itself, looking rightfully proud.
"She has proven that she has no ill will towards Marley and its people, and she is compliant in all that she does, is she not?"
Roth stares at his tight-lipped expression and smiles.
"She will be useful to the Unit, General. Surely the Colossal is much better suited as a Warrior than a servant."
(Yes. They are devils all the same.)
"She was my superior during my days as a Scout, and her skills are quite exceptional. I can guarantee it."
(And the young Roth is a prime example.)
He narrows his eyes. "With whose approval, Roth?"
He reads further into the missive and scowls at the line of signatures. This had already gone to General Calvi and the rest of the top-brass, but having bypassed him? Did Roth do this on purpose?
"The Emperor's." Roth's smile shows teeth–fangs like a wolf.
And that's when he sees it, the Grand Emperor's seal and signature. And having both the seal and signature is unusual for documents like this, and this only means that Roth had gone straight to the Emperor himself. And how could anyone disagree with the Emperor?
Theo Magath is in no position to refuse.
So he accepts.
"Very well."
(But really, could this devil have managed to have the Emperor dance to their tune, much like how the Tybur gained the position of the Empire's advisors?)
And Roth claps like an excited child–the nerve!
"Then she will start immediately. You wouldn't mind if I dropped by to observe every now and then, would you?"
(And Roth probably knows he can't refuse this either.)
So he clears his throat.
"You're free to visit anytime, Roth."
When Roth leaves, he is quick to plan on the training regimen for the Ancient. If the holder is a soldier and the Titan has been in their possession for months, then surely she will be able to handle everything and anything sent her way. Though the report stated that she had yet to unleash the Titan's full power, she should know how to summon it. She'd regenerated her limbs when she was first introduced, so she ought to know the rest of its abilities and be willing to show it to them.
She should be able to do it, with both hands tied behind her back or without her hands at all.
(Unless this was some grand scheme to get to a point where they'd want her to transform, and instead of simply summoning the Colossal, she'd make it come out with an explosion.)
That night, when he decides to take a walk to clear his mind and sleep a bit more restfully–he's been bothered enough by the young spy's arrogance earlier that day. For an Eldian, Roth is terribly confident of their place in the Emperor's court and in Marley's military. With all the Red Spider's achievements in securing passage into The Walls and the information they've gathered throughout the decades, he can't blame them. Not really. He knows skill and talent when he sees it, not overhears it.
From the hallway, he sees a conversation in the distance, but doesn't hear anything from it. It's two people hidden between two old buildings. There's distance between them. It's Yeager and the woman, conversing in the dark. He knows better than to leave them be. The War Chief might be loyal to Marley, but Yeager is still a man, still an Eldian devil.
He doesn't put it past the woman from the island, despite her supposedly pure and noble lineage, to do as the Devil Herself had done.
(And the devil tempts and seduces. It once came in the body of the woman Ymir Fritz to tear down a civilization and establish an empire that ruled for centuries.)
He doesn't put it past Yeager either. He's noticed how other Eldians would stare and gawk at the Boy Wonder like he was a man to be idolized, a devil dressed in gold. As the Warrior Unit's War Chief, he's gained a kind of popularity among Marleyans and Eldians alike. He's young and he's a military man. The devil's blood aside, anyone can see that he's an attractive-looking specimen, somewhat. Tall with blond hair that shines in the sun.
(The devil tempts and the devil seduces indeed.)
But the woman's body language tells him otherwise. She's faced away from him, turned to the side instead. She looks uncomfortable in his presence, and looks to be disinterested in the conversation. She's almost slouched, almost stepping away to leave.
But Yeager says something and it makes her turn to face him fully. Her back stiffens and she tentatively reaches out a hand, before retracting it completely. From a distance, it might look like a man asking for a woman to dance–but not to him. For Theo Magath, the sight looks distressing enough. They are no mere man and woman, they are Eldians, devils in the flesh.
The woman says something, frowns, and turns to leave. But Yeager has the final say, she stops for a moment before bowing her head slightly and walking away.
(It's a sight that's lifted from a romance novel, maybe.)
Whatever that conversation was, for whatever reason her assigned guards were nowhere in sight, and why the War Chief would ask for her hand, it's strange enough to incite an interrogation of both parties.
"Just innocent conversation, Commander."
It's what Yeager tells him in the morning, still sleepy-eyed but with a straight enough back and sure enough tone to make anyone accept that answer. But not him.
"Without the guards?"
"She's harmless."
"And you have the final say?"
Yeager is still too young, too cocky, and it just grinds his nerves.
"She's a Titan all the same."
That's when Yeager bows his head.
(Yes. Bow, you Eldian scum.)
"Apologies, Commander. It seems I've spoken out of turn."
It's a good opportunity, he thinks, to tell the War Chief of Roth's plans.
""The brass thought she'd be of use to the military," he starts carefully, "as part of the Warrior Unit."
He is aware of the implications and the reactions this decision will bring. Sure, this has been approved by Calvi himself and endorsed even by the Emperor, but what of the Marleyan population? If they found out about this... How should he even praise this? This situation? Circumstances? Advantage?
Yeager blinks like he expected this outcome. "A Warrior?"
"No, not a Warrior."
(Not an Honorary Marleyan. The woman can never be, should never be. If anything, she is... He doesn't even know what to call her.)
"A weapon." He supposes that's the best way to put it.
"She will be tested, then trained, and sent into the field as a soldier." He continued.
"Just like the rest of the candidates, sir?"
This year's candidates are Eldian children without so much as a coin to their names. They're scrappy and ambitious, and they're all vying for a place in Marley. If the woman would be part of this...
"There's a special regimen made just for her." He hands Yeager a piece of paper.
It might be considered harsher and crueler than usual, but she's too old and too experienced already. If he had a say, however, he'd just send her into the field to fend for herself. If he had a say, he'd just have one of the Warriors eat her and inherit the Ancient Colossal. But he's just one man, and for some reason everything involving this woman has already been laid out and he only needs to follow it.
"What about the Ancient, sir? How can we verify if she truly has it?"
Right. After all, she might have eaten the Female or the Colossal and this was just a ruse. But Theo Magath has been through and survived enough battles to know.
"Doesn't matter if she does. A Titan's a Titan, and that's what we need."
Of course, he won't tell the War Chief everything. There's news of unrest in Marley's eastern border, and that's where she'll be sent if she doesn't end up killing them–no, if she doesn't end up dead.
Yeager knows his position, and has no choice but to nod and agree. "Of course, sir."
(Because he might be the military's Boy Wonder, but he's still a soldier and Theo Magath is still the commander.)
"I was out for a walk, Commander Magath."
It's what the woman tells him when she is summoned for questioning later that day. She had completed all her tasks, according to the guards, and she was merely idling in the mess hall.
"You've been on a lot of those lately." He notes. He doesn't need to ask why because he's heard all the reasons for it.
She casts her eyes down like she is guilty. "Only as I am allowed, sir."
(She is neck-deep in enemy territory; of course she can't sleep at night.)
"You rarely talk to anyone."
He expects her to say that she only speaks when she is spoken to.
"Besides the Eldians, sir," The word itself is unfamiliar on her tongue, "I rarely encounter any soldiers."
She acts like a wallflower, or so he's heard from the reports, all quiet and dutiful in the sidelines.
"And War Chief Yeager?"
She looks at him and doesn't falter in her reply, "I only know him by his face and his title."
(She does not lie. If she is, he will know it.)
"According to the guards, you spoke to him last night."
She didn't falter in her next response either, "He asked a question about the Ancient."
He blinks, and she blinks back before answering, "About its age."
"So how old is it?"
"It is second to the Founder."
"Which means?" He can't help but feel that the answer is cryptic.
"According to my mother, once Ymir Fritz had acquired the Founding Titan, she granted the Colossal Titan to her maternal family."
Her use of the words "acquired" and "granted" are a safe choice, instead of using the words "blessed" and "bestowed." She is playing in neutral territory. She knows how to play in neutral territory–as expected.
"She's harmless."
(And when has Zeke Yeager–runt of the litter, Boy Wonder, Beast Titan, War Chief–ever lied to him?)
"They are to act as her protectors, her most loyal followers, the chroniclers of her tyrannical empire."
"Tyrannical?" He's quite surprised at her use of the term.
"I will not lie about my ancestors' actions, Commander. It is only fair and just."
Fair and just, he echoes in his head.
"Then you will do as is your righteous duty here in Marley." He says, "You will be a soldier in its army."
He then goes on to explain the proposal for her to be in the Warrior Unit as a weapon and a tool. He does not mention Roth or the Emperor, but delivers the rest of the information straight. She will do as she's told, and she will fight for Marley.
He gives her a moment to process it all.
"You are a soldier, are you not?"
She nods. "I led the Scouts' Recon Troupe for some years, sir."
So he calls her by her title now, "Do you know how to handle a gun, soldier?"
And she smiles mildly, like she's happy to be called a soldier. "I was trained to hunt game."
(But not people; and animals will never be like people. She should know that.)
"Then you will learn to hunt people."
He doesn't pull back, not on her. If this proposal will truly be advantageous for Marley, then he must ensure it. If her will is weak and frail, then he must ensure it won't be detrimental to the military.
"And you will learn control of that Titan."
She smiles wider, friendlier somewhat, "I look forward to it, Commander Magath."
There is no malice in her voice, at least none that he is familiar with. She's acted all dutiful and amicable all this while, and there wouldn't be any reason for her to lash out now, would it? Even with Yeager himself vouching for her harmlessness, if that could be considered as such.
She salutes him before she leaves, and her posture is rigid and firm–still like a soldier–and he sees it in her eyes too, when she straightens back up. Her eyes are bright and determined, reminding him of the many Eldians who fight and vie for a position in Marley's prized Warrior Unit. But she is no mere Eldian, and she is no mere soldier.
(She is not a wolf in sheep's clothing; she is simply a wolf among men.)
He reminds himself to carry a loaded gun when her training starts.
Fear and flee the wolf; for, worst of all, the wolf may be more than he seems.