First we watched the cabin get burnt down because Erwin was tipped off. Then we went through Trost like we were supposed to and Jean (who was disguised as Eren) and Armin (who was disguised as Historia) were kidnapped as planned. Eren and Historia were hidden in a safe place while the rest of us followed the kidnappers and were now quietly sitting on the roof.
"What's it like inside?" Levi asked Mikasa when she came back to us to report what she had found.
"We must hurry, fake Eren will soon be discovered." She told us.
"Really?" Levi sounded almost surprised.
"The two are very different." I mumbled to myself.
"Is your ankle alright?" Mikasa asked our captain. I figured that Mikasa was probably concerned about his ankle because she felt slightly responsible. Levi only twisted his ankle to protect Mikasa when she didn't listen back in the forest of giant trees when her and Levi went to save Eren from Annie.
"I can move. It isn't bad." Levi answered, but I was still slightly worried about his ankle.
"Hurry, we should get inside while they're all distracted." I nudged Levi as I nodded my head towards the men that were standing outside the warehouse.
"Ryder's right. Let's move." Mikasa, Levi and I quietly entered the warehouse through the glass windows that were placed on the roof. We subdued the guards that were placed inside and tied them all up. Once we place them all face down onto the floor we took our spots. When the man, who appeared to be leader, and his two lackeys walked into the warehouse the three of us jumped them. While Levi and Mikasa knocked out theirs from the side – I jumped down from the pillar and pushed the round man onto his front. My knees dug into his bag as he yelled out in pain. I grabbed hold of his arms and placed them behind his back, so Jean could wrap his arms up for me. We sat up the three and placed them up against crates, so we could talk to the leader.
"Are you the boss of this company?" Levi asked.
"No…I'm not, I'm just a coach driver getting used. Just an old man. Please don't hurt me. I don't know anything." The bald headed man pleaded with us.
"It's him. I've heard his men call him President." Mikasa pointed out. I kneeled down in front of him and look him in the eye.
"You hear that, President? Now, I don't like liars very much." I said. "So what do you think I should do with you since you've lied to us?"
"I don't feel safe in your nest…let's move elsewhere." Levi suggested. I sighed as I stood up. Levi did let me have my fun in intimidating anyone anymore.
"Why did you bring me all the way up here?" The President asked Levi as he sat down on the edge of wall Trost.
"Do you know where we are, President?" Levi asked.
"This is my town. The front gate of Trost. Well, the ex-front gate. Or also, the southern foremost line of humanity…the border between this and that world. A scary place, but I could do good business." The President answered.
"We call it…the place where men have won over titans for the first time. Also, it's a place that proves humanity's helplessness. We used a titan to close the hole opened by a titan. We tried many ways, but in the end we realized that humans couldn't compete. Well, of course we didn't close it with just the power of a titan. Many soldiers lost their lives. That, and all the other miracles that happened allowed your town to barely survive." Levi explained.
"One of them is Eren. The boy whom you tried to take away." I said. I stood on the other side of the President.
"So you took me here to lecture me? You shouldn't bother with that. I'm too old." The President laughed as he took another puff from his cigar.
"Yeah…let's stop. It's just pitiful to see an old man getting yelled at." Levi then sat down beside the old man. I took a few steps back and crossed my arms over my chest. The remaining group of ours gave me a quizzical look, but now it was time for them to see that Levi was not just an amazing soldier for his skills, but for his intelligence too. "I want to know your motives and the details of your negotiations with the brigade."
"Negotiations? There's nothing like that. I just obeyed the orders. Our motive is to 'obey the orders, not to lose all we have'. However, both our night attack and kidnapping failed. The government will seize all our property after charging it of something, and our workers will be left out in the streets. On top of that, I and some men will be silence…we'll die in some mysterious incident. Let me tell you something, sir. The guys at the brigade are idiots." The President began to laugh as he spoke. "How could they be so stupid as to think that punks like this could do something against people that normally fight titans? In the end that girl alone was enough to beat us all. We just didn't stand a chance." The President gestured to me with his cigar before settling down and taking another puff. "What do you think, sir? Was that helpful?"
"Yeah…they're not really smart apparently, but I knew that already, but are you just going to let idiots like them kill you, President?" Levi asked.
"Huh? Were you not listening? Or maybe someone like you doesn't have someone they want to protect?"
"I do have someone I want to protect, so that's why I'm asking you if you'll let them kill you? Because I wouldn't' just let anyone kill me without fighting back. Especially since I have someone I need to protect." Levi asked again. I looked around me because I felt pairs of eyes staring at me from behind and I was met with every one of squad members staring at me with eyes saying 'he's talking about you'. I rolled my eyes and looked back at Levi and the President.
"They might be idiots, but they're the ones holding the power. You also get killed by beings that don't even wear clothes."
"I see, indeed you're right, but we can also kill titans. It's like with titans – if you're going to die anyways, you might as well try." Levi tried to reason with him.
"No."
"Why?" Levi inquired.
"I'll just fail and more of my men will die." The President looked down at his hands.
"Don't mind that. It'd be the same either way."
"What?"
"Trost, your town, is on the verge of bankruptcy. For a while it was occupied by titans and half of it got destroyed. Yet, there are still people here. Of course, that's also because there are workers trying to fill up the hole and soldiers that stand on guard in case titans arrive, but another reason is that Reebs Company brings together people and jobs. However, if Reebs Company vanishes, then the town will receive its last blow and stop functioning. In that case, your employees won't be the only ones left in the streets. Except for soldiers. All the inhabitants of this town will be involved. I wonder how many of them will be able to survive through the winter. Being killed by the Central Brigade would still be better."
"Yeah…that'll probably happen since you're not giving us Eren and Krista. A great number of people will die. So what? Are you going to give me humanity's miracle not to let my men and the inhabitants of this town die?" The President questioned.
"Exactly. I will give you Eren and Krista."
"Huh?"
"Captain Levi!" Mikasa yelled as she took a step forward, but I grabbed hold of her wrist. She looked at me and glared, but I glared at her back. She stood there for a few seconds before taking her original spot behind me.
"However, I have three conditions. First, from now on the Reebs Company will rise against the brigade and the government together with us, the Survey Corps." Levi started ticking the conditions off his fingers.
"What? Do you want to start a war?" That's exactly what we wanted and we were prepared for it to start.
"Second, the Reebs Company will completely trust the Survey Corps."
"Trust? In the merchant's world that word is only used as joke."
"Merchants? I'm currently talking to you, Dimo Reebs. I'm asking you about your way of life. What kind of person are you? Are you going to let your men and the inhabitants of this town die and be defeated or are you going to fight against the ones holding the highest power in this world? No one can say which one is the right choice. Just choose the one you like." Levi said.
"Hah…only an amateur would ask someone to sign a contract without telling them all the conditions."
"Oh, I'm sorry. The third one. From now on, whenever the Reebs Company obtains rare food or luxury items, they will preferentially give it to us, Survey Corps. For example, black tea."
"Wonderful! That's a wonderful condition!" Sasha began to yell before I grabbed the back of her cloak and pulled her back to her spot.
"You're more avid than merchants. I like you. I accept your proposal."
This chapter is a little jumpy I know, but I hope you guys still like it! :D