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.

Their arrival to the airport was thankfully uneventful, though Jean did give them a weird look, obviously having noticed when Eren almost swerved them off the road when Levi sang. But he didn't ask and none of the three roommates - or their resident Hallucigenia, if it even could - said anything so they all let it go and instead focused on going to the plane, boarding and preparing for liftoff. Since it was a cross-continental flight, it was a slightly bigger plane than Levi had expected and it seems most of the space was taken up by the cargo hold. Apparently, this plane usually really was more for business than pleasure trips, as the plane was adjusted to even house a couple of horses. Today, no horses would be flying with them, as Jean was off to get married, but Levi can't imagine how the horses usually feel when it gets all noisy and when their ears pop with the change in air pressure during the flight.

A tall, black haired, freckled, smiling young man around Jean's age was waiting for them - well, for Jean, more precisely - by the plane itself, welcoming them warmly with kind but curious eyes. "Hi, my name's Marco! It's nice to meet you!" He said as he extended a hand for them to shake. Eren took the initiative to shake his hand with a friendly grin while Armin waved and Levi nodded.

"My name's Eren and these are Armin and Le-"

"Leon," Levi cut in, giving Marco a small, practiced smile, ignoring the way his former subordinates turned a confused look at him. "Nice to meet Jean's best friend. He talked about you nonstop."

Marco laughed, looking slightly embarrassed. "I'm sure that's not true. He only talks nonstop about his fiancee! But on that subject, he, unfortunately, didn't tell me about you guys until the ride over, over the phone."

"Yes, we are aware," Eren said with a dramatic sigh that had Levi's eyebrow twitching in half annoyance, half amusement. Jean glared exasperatedly at the brunet. "He didn't even tell his mother about us. We nearly had a very awkward encounter with Mrs Kirstein because of him. But I guess him inviting us to his wedding even if we're technically still strangers makes up for it!" He chirped with a grin and Jean snorted.

"Well, what can I say? I feel like I've known you for two thousand years."

It was Levi's turn to snort at that while Marco just beamed.

"Well, I hope you guys won't feel uncomfortable flying with a complete stranger for the next ten to twelve hours."

"Only if you don't mind the same," Armin countered with a chuckle. "I'm guessing this is also your plane, given you guys are partners, right?"

"Well, yes, but I don't usually take it alone. I'm not a fan of flying," Marco explained while he gestured at them to board the plane. "I don't mean to rush you guys, but we have a time frame in which we can go out on the runway or else we'll have to wait for the next 'quiet hour' for the airport to let us through. Don't worry about bathrooms or refreshments, we have it all on board!"

"Yeah, so just get your fat asses on the plane," Jean said with a snort before turning a respectful nod towards Levi, as if to indicate he did not include the former Captain in the 'fat asses'. Levi just shook his head and followed Marco, Armin and Eren quick to join him with Jean taking up the rear. Marco darted in to talk to the pilots while Jean made sure they were settled for the flight. It was the type of cabin of one of those luxurious planes you see in the movies, though the cabin didn't go the whole length of the plane since the back was used to transport animals. Still, it had couches as well as the regular airplane seats, and it had a bar and dining area with a table. There was even a huge TV and a Foosball for entertainment. The bar, in Levi's humble opinion, was too much. He was of the opinion that getting drunk mile high was never a good idea. "I think this should do the trick," Jean said smugly at Eren and Armin as they gawked at all the luxury. Levi, who had grown up with a doting uncle - he meant Uri, not Kenny; Levi had somehow always been Uri's favorite of all his nephews and nieces, though that might be because he's crazy in love with Kenny so his Ackerman in-laws were his favorites by default - who also happened to be rich, while impressed, wasn't overwhelmed by all the expensive things. He just chose a window seat and secured The Bag in the seat next to him, putting the seat belt through the arm straps and checking inside if the Hallucigenia won't cause any undue problems before they take off. The take off and the landing are the most important parts of the flight, things the auto-pilot can't do by itself. The Hallucigenia better not throw a hissy fit before they reach cruising altitude or else Levi will personally strangle it. "Just don't break anything."

"I don't know," Eren said sarcastically as he took the remaining seat in Levi's row. It was for the best. That way, the Hallucigenia won't have a reason to make a fuss. "I suddenly feel like punching the TV and throwing it through a window." He turned towards Levi, ignoring whatever comeback Jean had for him. "You ever flown on a plane before?"

Levi shrugged. "A couple of times, before I had to go on the run. I have a rich uncle." He paused and frowned. "Actually, I don't know if I still have that uncle."

"What do you mean?" Armin asked as he and Jean buckled up in the row across the aisle from them.

"Well, I already told you why we needed the money," Levi began. "My mother was sick, but my uncle also got sick."

"Kenny?" Jean asked and the shortest and youngest of the group shook his head.

"Uri, my uncle's husband. Rod took over all the finances when he fell ill and wouldn't let the money 'get wasted' on us. Kenny very nearly killed him on the spot."

"Wait, Rod? As in, Rod Reiss?"

"Oh, right. I didn't tell you any names," he realized at Jean's confusion. "Yes, Rod and Uri Reiss. Historia and her siblings are my cousins. None of them remember."

"So, what, Rod wouldn't let Uri use their money to help out his sister in law?"

"Rod was barely willing enough to part with the money needed to treat Uri," Levi said with disgust at his third 'uncle's' behavior. "Historia and Frieda tried to help, of course, but Frieda's version of 'helping' led to where I am today."

Jean nodded, though he looked thoughtful. "But at least you found us," he offered with a grin he would have once never dared to give his Heichou. Levi had to repress a smirk at that. "But I'm really curious as to by which system do people remember or not remember that life," he mused and Levi had to agree that that bit of mystery was a bit unsettling. More than a bit, actually.

"I've eliminated time and place of death, the means and sides in the war," Levi offered. "It's not even the Titan Shifter thing or the Ackerman thing, since Zeke and my mother and uncle don't remember but you do."

"Could it be random?" Armin asked, pointing his question at Eren, who only shot them all an irritated look.

"How should I know?"

"We're just asking, damn. Do you always have to be such an ass?"

"Well, you are what you eat," Eren replied casually, causing Armin to choke on his spit and even Levi felt his face twitch with some sort of reaction that he quickly smothered. "Which probably explains why you're a piece of horse shit, as always."

"Okay, that was good," Levi couldn't help but say as Jean was left glaring at the former Humanity's Last Hope, who was grinning smugly at him.

"Thank you," Eren replied, chest puffing up even more. "But seriously, though. I may have been the Founding Titan and the Attack Titan with all the powers that brought, but where the hell did you lot get the idea that that meant I would have any idea on what's going on in this new life of ours? In case you haven't noticed, I can no longer turn into a Titan and I most certainly don't have visions of the past or the future. Though that would have been useful for pop quizzes in school."

"Let's keep this new world a Titan-free environment," Levi said in a deadpan manner and he could tell his companions agreed. It had taken far too long and far too many sacrifices for them to rid the world of Titans and none of them were willing to enter that fight again. It's why Levi was so adamant on keeping the Hallucigenia away from other humans. Humanity is not to be trusted with such power. They'd all already seen what they would do with it. "Though, hopefully, Hange will be able to shed a light on this entire situation."

"Yeah, there's no way she doesn't remember if she sent out an invitation to the suicidal maniac," Jean commented. "I mean, why else would she, as a potentially renowned scientist, do that?"

Eren's face suddenly turned grim and he turned to face Levi. "Heichou, can you be sure this isn't some sort of trap?"

The teenager blinked up at him uncomprehensively. "Eren, what the fuck?"

"Think about it," he urged. "This is all too sudden, isn't it? What if someone saw you leave the station with me that day? Or the aquarium? Or any of the convenience stores you've been to and they just tracked you down? It wouldn't be too hard. This could be a trap and Hange could be a part of it, as much after the Hallucigenia as every other scientist you've come across is."

"He's right," a voice said and they all whipped their heads in that direction, only to find one of the pilots - or 'pilots' - holding a gun to Marco's head as he had him in a headlock and was using him as a human shield. "It really could be a trap. You really jumped the gun on this one, didn't you, Mr Ackerman. Ah ah!" The man said warningly when they all moved to get up and confront him. "Not so fast! One wrong move and the boy gets it!" Armin and Levi had to restrain their seating partners respectively lest the two enraged taller males really did do something stupid. Marco was in enough peril and terror as it was. "You know, I heard great things about you, Mr Ackerman. I thought you'd be more careful. To use an airplane, honestly!"

Levi grit his teeth. "You working for Smith?" He definitely sounded British, with a strong Brummie accent.

"You're kind of a disappointment, if I'm being honest," the man continued without regard for what Levi had just said. "I expected a challenge, Mr Ackerman! But it seems that you'll be a good little boy and come here with that backpack. Then we'll leave, nice and easy, and these fine gentlemen can be on their way, pretending they're continuing on with their normal lives without the threat of, oh, I don't know, accidents under mysterious conditions that may or may not lead to death." Eren snarled at that but Levi held him back from attacking the man. "You have to understand," the man 'reasoned'. "After all, no one can know about our organization."

"Then what's the point of 'making a deal'?" Jean asked in a growl, glaring death at the fake pilot.

"Well, I have standing orders to bring in both the worm-thingy and its discoverer, so I had to make sure he doesn't die. Anyone else with him is free game, as long as I clean up after myself."

And Levi suddenly realized this wasn't just an agent. It was an assassin, possibly even a hitman, a mercenary. Which meant he really won't hesitate to shoot Marco or anyone else. He grit his teeth. They had to take another approach to this. "Fine, I'll give you the bag."

"And yourself?" Levi nodded. "Good choice!"

"Levi, no-" Eren shut up when he turned to face him, gritting his teeth when he realized the shorter man would have none of his protests and that he was probably about to do something risky. "There has to be another way!"

"I don't even understand what the fuss is about this thing; it's an old worm, big whoop. But people are paying good money to get it and the Brits sure did offer a whole fortune!" The hitman said as Levi took the bag and walked closer to him. The man started backing up towards the door, never once letting his guard down. "Not sure what they want with you, either, but I guess you're easy enough on the eye to keep."

"You're disgusting!" Exclaimed Armin, looking nauseated.

"Would you look at that? I don't care! Now come along, cupcake. We have a long trip ahead of us, just you and me~ Well, and the worm, but no one cares about the worm." The man kept beckoning Levi, not even aware that an actual pilot suddenly appeared behind him, quickly took in the situation and tackled the man from behind, putting him in a headlock like he had Marco. The assassin let go of Marco and the freckled man scrambled for safety while the pilot and his attacker struggled. Levi grabbed hold of his shirt and flung him behind himself and threw the backpack at Eren, who just barely caught it before it could brain him, before joining the pilot in fighting the assassin just as the pilot was thrown off. The assassin just had enough time to notice Levi before the Ackerman was on him, punching him hard enough in the gut that he doubled over and puked. But to give him credit, he didn't, instead trying to get in a punch of his own. He was, however, no match for the teen once hailed as Humanity's Strongest Soldier. Levi either caught, blocked or evaded every punch or kick sent his way before he got a good enough opening to roundhouse kick the bastard across the head. The assassin fell and hit his head against the wall of the plane and that was it, since he passed right the fuck out.

"Well, that brings back unpleasant memories," Jean muttered from where he was checking Marco over for any injuries.

"W-what the hell was that!?" Marco asked, staring at Levi and the knocked out man with a bleeding head with wide, scared eyes. Eren spared him a glance before going over to hand Levi the backpack as he took off the assassin's belt and tied him up before he started patting him over in search for more weapons.

"Reiner!?" The surprised exclamation from Armin had Eren and Levi pausing what they were doing and looking over to the late pilot. And it indeed was the beefy blond who used to be the Armored Titan in their past life, groaning and rubbing his head where Armin had rushed over to check on him.

"Fucking hell, why do you guys always manage to find trouble like this?" Reiner Braun groaned, glaring balefully at Eren and Levi as if it's their fault the universe decided to shit on them in both their lives. "Nice to see you guys again, I guess. Just tell it to me straight, though ... Is this gonna be a regular thing? Just to be ready. Should I start carrying around a weapon? And what the hell was that all about, anyways?" Levi gave Reiner a deadpan look and unzipped the bag, showing the container with the Hallucigenia. The Cambrian creature hissed at the newly found Titan Shifter, causing Jean, Marco and Reiner to flinch back in fear and shock, while even Armin seemed to be getting more used to its hissy fits. Reiner looked a bit pale as Levi zipped the bag back up. "Understandable."

"What is that thing?" Marco asked, wide eyed and almost trembling.

"We'll explain later, after we take off. Are you in the condition to fly?" Levi turned the second question to the newcomer, who nodded.

"But wait! What about Bert!?"

"Bertolt's here, too?" Armin asked, suddenly looking a bit nervous. Reiner nodded, pointing to the cockpit.

"He's my co-pilot, but he doesn't remember."

Eren shot Jean a look, apparently also pissed Jean hadn't warned them beforehand about the two former Warriors. But he also understood, like Levi, what Jean had meant when he'd said they'd see more of their old friends and comrades real soon.

"What's going on!?" Demanded Marco but he shrunk in on himself when Levi shot him a warning glare. But he didn't back down. "I deserve to know if my life is going to be in danger! And why are you tying that guy up? Just call the cops!"

"No! No police!" Eren yelled, startling the freckled man.

He whirled around to look at his best friend. "Where the hell did you find these guys!? Did you do something illegal? Blink twice if you're in danger." The last was said in a whisper and even Armin rolled his eyes at that one.

"That only works if we don't see his face," reminded the shorter blond as he helped Reiner to his feet. They then turned to Levi, gesturing to the assassin on the floor. "Should we get him off the plane? Where should we dump him?"

"Where do we need to refuel?" He asked Reiner and the pilot thought it over for a moment.

"Uh, Turkey, usually, but we could push it to Ukraine or Afghanistan. Not further than that, though."

"How about if you refuel on Sicily? Or Crete?" Armin asked. "Fill up the tank to the max again and all."

"If we go with the more southern route, we'll probably have to stop to refuel in Nepal or China," the former Armored Titan said. "But why change routes?" He asked of the Ackerman and Levi just pointed at the knocked out man.

"He's been hired by Erwin Smith," he said as if that were explanation enough. And it was. There's no way in hell Erwin wouldn't prepare for the possibility that the assassin either couldn't complete the mission in Spain, but also that he couldn't complete the mission at all. This Erwin might not know Levi all too well, but he was still fucking Erwin. He'd be ready for their plane in the usual flight routes and stops, especially for smaller planes like this one. He'd also probably plan for them to try to push the fuel supplies, which is why Armin's plan might be just the type of brilliant they'd need. "What if we went even further south? Egypt or Israel or something?"

"I'd then suggest we stop in India, as they have the cheapest fuel prices and airport taxes," Reiner said with a shrug. "We'd be able to push a full tank all the way to Japan from there."

"We'll do that," Jean decided. "Their airports are busy enough as it is. If we're somehow being tracked, it'd be easy to lose their trail, especially over the Indian Ocean."

"Who'd even be tracking us!?" Marco asked desperately and Levi felt a little mean with how deadpan his answer was.

"The world governments, all sorts of mafia organizations, private companies, scientists, the black market, asshole businessmen, collectors, various institutions and anyone willing to spill blood for a good buck." He turned to Reiner while Marco gawked at him, practically shaking as Jean helped him into a seat. "How fast can you get us off the ground?"

"Our takeoff schedule is in a few minutes. We'll maybe have to wait for a runway to be free for a few minutes more, but generally, we should be up in the sky in fifteen minutes." Levi nodded and went back to searching the assassin over, pulling out all sorts of things from his pockets. When he was done, he went in search of some more things to tie the man up and started scanning the plane for a good place to tie him up. "Hey, what do you actually plan to do with that guy, Levi-heichou?"

"Yeah, shouldn't we have tossed him out already?" Eren asked, even as he donated his belt to tie the man's legs.

"Until we're over Sicily or some shit like that, we're keeping the phone, then we'll flush it down the toilet. All that shit goes out over the oceans and seas, right?"

"Actually, no, that's not how that works. There are laws that forbid it. There's a special tank where it all goes that's cleared only once the plane lands on an airport and-"

"So we need a new plan," Armin cut Reiner off before he could get really in depth about the vacuum toilets on planes. "Why don't we just send a message that he was successful in retrieving you but that he's had a better offer and then send the phone on a joy ride? They'll definitely track the phone, which gives us time to take off and put some distance before they think to track us again."

"And if we go to a smaller airport in India for fuel, we won't even be tracked. Half the airports in that area aren't really equipped with state of the art radar technology, so we'll be fine," Jean added. Marco gave up on trying to understand how this was his life and just watched it all unfurl.

Levi nodded his head. "Then we'll do that. Eren," he turned towards the brunet. "I need you to go and find someone from the staff. Dump this guy on them and sell them some story about how he passed out or something and you found him near the hangars."

"Why him, though?" The freckled man asked and Levi shrugged.

"He's the most charming and the most manipulative of us. Plus, I know he can actually carry the bastard."

"Well, sorry for not finding a reason to work out beyond staying in shape," grumbled Armin. Reiner didn't even complain, going into the cockpit to check on his co-pilot just as they heard pained groaning coming from within, where Bertolt Hoover had apparently finally come back to the world of the living.

"I don't think calling someone manipulative is a compliment, Heichou," retorted Eren, even as he did as Levi had asked - or ordered, it was hard to tell right now - picking the assassin up with relative ease. "Should I go inside or just dump him on the first person I see?"

"Just get rid of him and get back here as soon as possible," Levi replied, not really caring for what Eren did. "Try to stay out of the view of the cameras, though, and be inconspicuous, for fuck's sake!"

"Then you shouldn't have sent Eren," Armin reasoned, even as said brunet was already carrying the unconscious man out of the plane. "He always draws attention. The curse of being really handsome, I guess."

"Don't sell yourself short, Arlert!" Reiner called out as he and Bertolt stumbled out of the cockpit and into the cabin. "You caught Annie's eye, after all!"

"Yeah, well, we all thought Annie had feelings for Eren, too, during training camp," the shorter blond retorted even as he wandered over to fuss over his predecessor as the Colossal Titan. Levi just stayed away from them. They didn't need any more of the Hallucigenia's hissy fits right now.

"Leonhart had feelings for the shitty brat?" Levi couldn't help but ask.

Reiner made a so-so motion with his hand. "Ni fu ni fa. I think she was just fascinated by him. I mean, he's the first guy around our age that already had a healthy respect for women even before seeing what female soldiers are capable of and especially Annie. I guess, in hindsight, that makes sense, since growing up with Mikasa might do that to a person, but she still appreciated it. And, well, which one of us wasn't drawn in by his passion and sometimes idiotic honesty at least once?"

"Wow, the praises just keep raining down on me," came Eren's sarcastic drawl as he got back into the plane. "What were you even discussing to get on the topic of my bluntness, anyways?"

"Annie Leonhart apparently having had feelings for you," Marco replied, even though he sounded dubious about the fact that the two of them had ever even met.

Jaeger arched an eyebrow at them. "Annie never had feelings for me. She was just grateful for an eager student and a guy who could both admit she's strong and not throw lecherous glances or comments her way," he said with a pointed glance at the two blonds. "I was a favored sparring partner."

Now it was Armin's turn to arch an eyebrow at him. "She told Hitch and the others from the MP about you."

Eren rolled his eyes. "And I told Levi-heichou about you and Mikasa. You don't see me having feelings for either of you."

"Wait, seriously?" Jean and Reiner asked in sync. "I thought-"

"For fuck's sake! Armin and Mikasa were my siblings more than Zeke could ever be!" Eren exclaimed, throwing his hands up in frustration. "Besides, I'm pretty sure I'm freedomsexual, so get over it already!" Levi was surprised when he saw Armin's face twist into something between surprise, realization and understanding before he shot Levi a 'subtle' glance. He had no idea what the last Commander of the Survey Corps meant with that glance, nor did he get a chance to ponder it as Eren wasn't done with his rant yet. "Fuck's sake, why does everyone seem to think I was in love with Mikasa!?"

"Well, you can't deny there were moments when it wasn't all that clear," Levi retorted and Eren slumped over, looking defeated and dejected.

"Not you too, Heichou ... "

"I thought I told you to drop the title already," Levi said with a sigh. "Is it done?" He asked, changing the subject so they can finally get the fuck out of Smith's and the MI6's direct reach already.

"Yeah, I got it done," Eren said as he fastened his belt back into place. "Are we taking off anytime soon?" He asked with a glance at Bertolt, who looked considerably better now. Seems he'd been knocked out gently and was now probably just suffering a headache. That was fine. They just needed him for the take off before he can get some proper rest while Reiner and the auto-pilot controlled the plane.

"Well, if everyone's ready, it's time for us to start taxing onto the runway, anyways," Reiner replied, checking one last time with Bertolt if he was good to fly.

"If he has some difficulty, call me," Levi said even as he and Eren took back their seats, the Hallucigenia tucked safely in between them.

"You know how to fly a plane?" Bertolt asked, the first thing he said to any of them since he woke up.

"Hell no," Levi replied. "However, I'm a fast learner."

"It takes years in the flight simulator to even think of sitting behind the controls of an actual plane," argued the tallest person there.

"I'd barely need a tutorial before I could fly like a trained professional," the shortest returned.

They had a stare off, the two of them.

The rest could only shrug.

Because Levi really could.

It's an Ackerman thing.