Chapter 21: Don't Worry About a Thing

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Let's do this!

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Levi wasn't sure how long he'd been just standing in place, feet planted like roots in the ground. All he knew right now was that he had been shot with some tranquilizer dart and when he came to, he found that he had been locked up in a dungeon cell, metal bars preventing his escape. It was like being a caged up, wild animal, not having the faintest clue who was behind this.

Tch. Probably the damn military police. He frowned at the thought, Though, can't say Nile has the brains to pull off something like this. Or the balls. Damn, this is irritating. He clenched his fists, his muscles flexing beneath the material of his clothes. This just wasn't the Military Police's style. They had the support of the citizens, and were preferred by the royal government. If they wanted to detain himself and Kagome, they would have outright arrested them. There just wasn't a need to sedate and kidnap them in secret.

Not to mention, they hadn't had a reason to plan something like this out in the first place. As far as they had been concerned, the scouts had planned on handing Eren over without a fight. Why would they pull a stupid stunt like this? It just didn't make sense.

Someone else was at play.

And if gets his hands on the fuckers responsible, he would be sure to enjoy making them pay.

And then there was Kagome, her still passed out form resting on a hard, prison bed in the cell across from him. A peaceful look rested over her delicate features, layered like rose petals, with her dark strands splayed out on the mattress. He had tried calling to her a few times to wake her, his calls ranging from her name to various insults, but she hadn't responded. If it hadn't been for the rise and fall of her chest, he would have assumed her to be dead. Just the thought disturbed him as he traced her unconscious figure with his cloudy eyes, looking for any it of movement to indicate that she would wake soon.

Her gear had been removed, though she still wore the same clothes. But he was sure they had checked for any additional weapons as well, meaning they didn't have anything on them to use to get out of here.

Luckily for him, though, the effects of the drugs had since worn off shortly after getting up. The fatigue and body aches fading quickly. The only pain he had was in his ankle, but he could manage just fine. After all, he had felt worse. Even so, there was a certain uncomfortable feeling he had in chest from the whole situation. Perhaps Kagome would have been better off going off to fight. Hell, he could have even ordered her to help evacuate or something so she wouldn't have gotten damn drugged and dragged with him to this unknown location.

And he had a sneaking suspicion the effects of the drugs would clear out as fast as it did with him. He clearly had a better tolerance to this drug than she did, considering she had only been shot with a single dose and was still knocked out cold.

Damn, did his attempt at protecting her screw her over?

I just couldn't have her dropping dead after learning about her powers, what with the potential to help humanity. A damn waste that would have been. Though, the captain couldn't help but feel that her death would be a waste for other reasons. That maybe she was extremely valuable for her other assets aside from her spiritual abilities. Her dedication, fighting skills, speed, and wits.

Her strong mind.

Her open heart.

A strange woman indeed.

Perhaps there was some selfishness tied to his reluctance to have her rush out to battle against Annie Leonhart. Maybe he had worried that she'd become a target for the blonde beast to prey upon. And that thought further added to his current agitation. This just wasn't like him.

Fuck. He hated it. Sure, he always wished every soldier could live, but to act on it was something entirely different.

He blamed their evening tea times for making him so comfortable with having her around. Or maybe it was the consideration she showed for him after the expedition... Not that it matters. So what if she treated him like a person instead of the monster of a man he really was? It shouldn't mean anything outside of earning his respect as his subordinate. It certainly shouldn't earn her respect as his friend.

Ah, shit.

Levi rolled his shoulders, eyes shutting for a bit to relax and get his mind off of off these things, forcing his thoughts to clear like the parting of clouds. There was no noise, no sign that anyone was coming to them at the moment. And given that it was pointless to attempt to break out with no weapons and no key, he figured he'd take a second to calm his tense muscles and heavy bones. When an opportunity to escape presented itself, he would take it as he always did. Always knowing exactly what needs to be done and doing it. That was his strength. His valuable asset.

Kagome's sudden groan tore him from his thoughts as his eyes peeled open to take a peek.

And there she was, sitting with her hand cradling her forehead, a look of confusion marking her face. Followed by a pained expression as she no doubt became aware of the drug's lasting effects. The sore, achiness that ran through her. He could see the way she exhaled as if to release some of the discomfort, her fingers massaging into her temple in slow, steady, circular motions. Her free hand found its way to her stomach, pressing into her abdomen as her bottom lip was sucked in between her teeth. Nausea no doubt. He had felt it all, too, even if it had been only briefly.

Frantically, her fatigued gaze dashed around, taking in her gloomy surroundings with slight surprise before landing on the familiar face of her captain. Eyes growing large as if it was more of a shock to see that he had been successfully locked up.

"L-Levi..." She mumbled softly, "We were..."

Her voice trailed and he was quick to finish her sentence. "Taken, yes. Unfortunately, I can't say by who, though. Thanks to that shitty tranquilizer."

She nodded in understanding as the memory of being sedated came back. Then, with all of her effort, she swung her legs over the edge, palms pressed into the unforgiving mattress to hoist herself up. Toned arms trembling from taking on her own weight in her current condition.

"Oi, if you can't, don't." Levi warned, "I'm not there to catch you if you're body is too tired to stand."

"If it's all fine by you, I'm a little over feeling this weak." She insisted cynically, pushing her rear closer to the edge so her feet could reach the ground. "I'm not some fragile little girl, you know. If I can't even stand, what good am I?"

"Don't be so damn ignorant. This has nothing to do with being fragile, brat." He rolled his eyes at her little prideful display, "You were sedated. You're body isn't going to be in optimal shape right after you wake up."

"You were sedated, too!" She argued as she lifted her rear off of the bed slightly, before her arms gave out and it dropped right back down, "And you were double dosed. How is it that you look just fine and I'm struggling?"

"I've always had a high tolerance to shit than most. Hell if I know why." He answered honestly before narrowing his gaze on her defeated expression, "Since when the hell have you been so insecure about your usefulness? You act like you don't already have an impressive Titan kill count as a scout."

Though, as soon as he asked, he immediately regretted it when she looked towards him with a heavy-hearted gaze, sorrow flashing in her orbs. Of course, he knew she still carried a bit of that grief from losing the Special Operations squad, watching them all die before her. Hell, he knew she felt responsible. More than that, he was painfully aware that she felt she had to be better in order to make up for their deaths.

Well, he definitely felt like an ass, now.

When she didn't say respond, Levi sighed, "Higurashi, if you weren't a valuable member of this damned regiment, why the hell would I want you to live so damn bad?"

"You want to experiment with my powers." She countered dejectedly, "Like you said."

He blinked. "You really do have a distorted view of yourself, don't you? Tch, thinking that's the only reason. How pathetic. You're not saving everyone, brat. Neither am I. There's not a single person out here who can."

She contemplated his words, gaze dropped down to the ground as she allowed herself a moment of thoughtfulness, one the captain couldn't seem to read. He wasn't sure how else he could convince her, especially considering they could be interrupted at any moment by whoever put them in these damn cells to begin with. But a low morale certainly wasn't the best way to take on this annoying obstacle. The last thing he needed was her pity parade to get her killed.

Though, he didn't expect what she did next.

"I didn't say I wanted to save everyone." She announced, her expression contorting into one of pure determination as she inhaled a heavy breath, "I said I wanted to stand."

With that, she stilled the trembling of her arms and pushed up, backside rising until she was upright. She wobbled slightly, upper body leaning a bit more forward as she flailed her arms around a bit to find her balance. But, eventually, she centered herself and managed to stand tall without toppling over. A shadow of a smile momentarily flickered over her face as she realized she had done it.

When she looked back at Levi, his brow cocked in mild surprise, she nodded at him, "You shouldn't doubt me, ya know."

"No, I shouldn't." He agreed, "Stubborn girl."

"So..." She took a few steps toward the metal bars, teetering to the right a tad, but managing to get there just fine, "What do we do, now?"

"We wait. It's futile to try to break out of this shitty prison." He asserted, clear irritation invading his words, "We should try to find out who the hell took us and what they want. Though, if I have to take a guess, it's something to do with Eren and the Female Titan."

It was then that she gasped slightly, "I think I may have seen who did this."

That caught his attention, and he waited for her to continue.

"While I was following Armin and Annie, some strange old man interrupted me. He knew I was a scout without my uniform, too. Even knew Eren was being transported." She recalled his shady disposition, the way his presence unsettled her, "And he was particularly curious with what I was doing. I lied obviously, but something about him was off. Like his interest wasn't just as some concerned citizen."

Levi took in the information, a frown playing on his face, "What did he look like?"

"Maybe in his fifties? Dark hair. Wearing a black trench coat and hat." She tapped her chin as she tried to remember the details, "Tall, definitely over six feet. But that's all I got."

His frown deepened at the description. As vague as that was, there was something eerily familiar that came to him, something that had his breath getting lodged in his throat. A memory of a man that he had been sure to be long gone by now. But... There was no way.

Right?

His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of footsteps echoing around them. Almost thunderous thuds bringing both of their attention down the hall, eyes narrowed in as they looked to see who was stomping towards them. Perhaps they would get the answers they were very much in need of. Though, there still lingered a certain apprehension in the air, for it was uncertain was would be done to them. If this truly wasn't Nile Dok and the rest of the MP's, neither could tell just how cunning the enemy really was.

Into view soon came an unfamiliar, rather large man, both in height and in weight. He didn't look like he was much for speed, but his fists look like they could pack a heavy punch, and with his mass, he didn't seem the easiest to take down.

Well, for anyone other than Levi, who couldn't care if his opponent was one-hundred or three-hundred pounds. Short or absurdly tall. It didn't make much of a difference for him. He'd knock whoever he needed on their ass before they even knew what hit them. Perhaps he'd even do worse than that if given the right reason.

The man wore a smock, one with faded red stains on the front. In the large pockets, it seemed medical equipment was stocked up. Though, it didn't take a genius to figure out that this wasn't some doctor. Not a nurse. Not one meant to heal at all. In fact, when Levi closed closer, he could see those silver devices were tools. Pliers. Knives. Large scissors. The man was carrying torture tools. This was no doubt meant to be an interrogation, and a painful one at that by the look in the man's eyes. They swirled with a sort of amusement, as though he was excited at the prospect of causing them pain.

A sadist, no doubt.

Luckily, the captain was familiar with the kind considering a part of him, which he tried to bury, could relate.

"Up are ya?" He spoke, voice deep and gruff, "Betcha yer feeling a bit weak, too. Like two little flowers." He analyzed both of them, a smirk playing out on his large face. When he landed on Kagome, he seemed to linger a bit, chuckling as she gave him her best death glare, brows furrowed and lips pursed slightly. She would show no fear, even in the face of such danger.

But it only served to interest him, "Ha, what a sweet little girl we've picked up. It'll do ya well to answer any questions I have." Pulling out his keys, he unlocked her the cell door and swung it open, the force causing Kagome to stumble back a bit. But even as she struggled with her balance, she raised both fists up, a fighting stance. One that she hoped she could pull off despite the unusual effort it was taking just to maintain the position.

The man was right. The drugs made her vulnerable.

"What a bold little one, you are." In one swift movement, his massive hands moved to wrap around her throat, holding it tightly and raising her body from the ground. From her mouth came a high pitched yelp before any air that she had sealed in her lungs was crushed out. "Small, but bold. I can already tell I'm gonna have rip off all yer nails to get ya to talk. No worries, though. I don't mind the blood."

Levi watched with eyes wide as Kagome dangled in his grasp. And, for a quick moment, her panicked gaze traveled to him. And the captain felt his heart still for a moment, as if it had disappeared altogether. That man was planning on torturing her. Ripping off her nails. Piercing her skin. Making her scream in pain while Levi was left behind these bars. It almost sparked a frenzy inside of him.

But wait.

He was Humanity's Strongest, wasn't he? And don't get him wrong, he wasn't just some dumb, old brute either.

Tch. I see that look in his eyes. He likes the dominance he has; he wants to play with her before asking any questions. Savor the experience, even. He scrunched his nose up at the thought of someone actually wanting to get excess blood on themselves. The man wasn't even wearing gloves. Fucking disgusting. That's no man. That's a damn savage. And he thinks I'm still weakened by the tranquilizers.

And he knew how to deal with the likes of that.

"Oi, fat pig!" The captain called out, monotonous tone indicating more of an annoyance with the interrogator rather than fear, "Going after the woman first, I see. Hoping she'll tell you what you need to know so your pathetic ass won't even have to try entering my cell, no doubt. What a pitiful excuse of a man. Doesn't even have the balls to try me."

And, just like Levi hoped, the interrogator turned to face him, brows furrowed together. Definitely the giant man was angry at the insults being tossed his way. Offended that anyone would dare question his abilities.

And, just to put the nail in the coffin, the black-haired man huffed out, "Nothing but a candy-ass coward."

And just like that, Kagome's body was dropped to the floor. Her form immediately crumpled to the ground as the sound of her dry coughs and heavy inhales infiltrated the air, trembling fingers rising to her own throat as though to soothe it from the pain. Bruises would no doubt appear from the tightness of his grip, thick, purple finger marks. But that could all be dealt with later. For now, she just stared up in horror at her captain, wondering what he was planning, if he was just being chivalrous or something. The interrogator was a large man, no doubt riddled with far more strength the average person. Even if Levi had claimed to feel alright from the drugs, he still had his injured ankle weighing him down.

Her cell door was shut and locked before she could react, though, the giant man making his way towards the shorter soldier with some sort of point to prove. He unlocked the cell door, swinging it open even harder than he had Kagome's. Then, slamming it shut behind him.

Levi had taken a few steps back until he was pressed against the wall, which could have been interpreted as him feeling some sort of apprehension. Though, in reality, he was just luring the giant further into the cell.

So he wouldn't be so easily able to run out.

The interrogator, who now lacked amusement in his orbs and was appearing rather pissed, took no time in stalking towards the captain, hefty hand now reaching for one of the blades in his pockets. It wasn't a particularly large one, and it looked rather dull, but it no doubt had the ability to cause some real pain. And when he dashed that blade up, it was clear his intentions were to slash at Levi's face, not even bothering to ask a question first. As if this was to be a punishment for his earlier insults.

Though, when he went for it, swiping down with as much strength as he could muster up, the captain quickly latched onto to his thick wrist, stopping the motion before the blade could make contact. And the large man looked down upon him in confusion, blinking in surprise that a soldier this small could so easily override his attack.

Quickly, Levi twisted his wrist as far as he could until he heard a cry of pain, the interrogating letting go of the weapon involuntarily from the discomfort. Though, just for good measure, the captain kept the man's arm held out straight, and used his opposing elbow to smash right into the middle of the man's forearm, a resounding crack echoing around the cell.

The interrogator stumbled back once the captain let go, holding his now broken arm close to his chest, shock and agony marking his expression as his eyes bulged out slightly.

"Fucking pathetic." Levi muttered as quickly swiped the blade from the ground, analyzing it carefully. It was pretty standard for a small weapon, the handle made of wood with a rounded tip.

Wasting no time, he walked over to the interrogator, grabbed his injured wrist and pulled down so he plummeted to the ground with thud. Then, flipping the blade around in his hand, the captain smashed the handle into his skull. Then, watched as he laid perfectly still on the ground.

"Levi. Did you... kill him?" Kagome suddenly piped up, small voice calling for his attention.

He glanced over at the woman, who was still sitting on the ground, "No. Just knocked his ass out cold. I couldn't have him screaming for help." Of course, he might have killed him. And yeah, he probably wouldn't give a shit if he did, not that he wanted her to worry about such a thing right now.

All we need to worry about is escaping this hellhole... He thought as he proceeded to grab the keys from the possibly dead guy, letting himself out of his cell and putting the blade in his pocket just in case.

He watched her finally stand up as he moved to free her next, the jangling of the keys making more noise than he would have liked. She was relatively stable now that she had managed to catch her breath again, though he knew better than to think she was in fighting condition. Normally, he wouldn't have doubted he ability to take down any man who came for her, but for now, he was going to have to take the lead.

Without hesitation, Levi grabbed her wrist and pulled her to his side, "Stay close, Higurashi. We're getting out of here."

"But... doesn't it hurt?" She questioned, eyes glancing down at his ankle.

"I'll be fine." He huffed out. "Like I said, don't you think of leaving my side, brat. Got it?"

She nodded, "Got it."

Good girl. Don't worry about proving anything to me. He began guiding them onward, We're getting the hell out of here.

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Honestly, I'm not sure what to think of this chapter. I liked writing from Levi's perspective, though, especially as he navigates his feelings towards Kagome, trying to deny forming a bond with her. I definitely feel like having him respect her as a soldier for her skills, but also finding that he deeply respects who she is as a person absolutely needs to happen for this to really develop into the romance I think these two deserve.

As I've said before, I love Levi/Kag. There are so many reasons they fit together, in my opinion. And the fact that Kagome embodies a bunch of traits I think Levi would truly respect and admire in a person is a huge factor. That, and the fact that Kagome treats him like a human being.

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So, make sure to review! I've been loving them. They really make me feel motivated to continue. Let me know how you feel about what's going on! And about our two main characters!

Maybe we'll find out who the kidnappers are soon, too!

(Also, posted it really quickly, so I didn't get a chance to edit too well. Sorry for any errors)