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The party upstairs was loud and festive, making it the perfect cover for Mikasa, Armin and Jean to sneak down into the lower depths of the house. The slight lack of security was making it easy for the three to slip through the halls unnoticed; though it made them feel like something was off. The descended another set of steps shrouded in darkness, all of them holding onto the wall for support, praying for a little light to guide them.
"This is insane, I can't see anything!" Jean whispered loudly, blinking over and over while trying to adjust his eyes.
"We should be almost there, just be patient." Armin's voice was steady, but with a hint of worry. Eventually, they made it to the bottom of the steps, the only light illuminating their path happened to be a lone candle on the adjacent wall. In these depths, the walls were dark stone, damp and dirty. 6 doorways, three on each side of the hall, faced each other; the only way to see in was through the grated bars at the tops of the door. At the end of the hall, the door next to the candle was alone, a dead end. Mikasa fiddled in her pocket, pulling out the key that Alessa had given her. The key to the door, the only hope they had to get the information and get back out unnoticed. Quietly the trio cautiously made their way to the door. A cough echoed the room, coming from one of the closed doors on their left. Whoever was in there sounded sick, like pneumonia was catching them.
The three looked between each other. This was not their business, and they knew they had to leave it alone. They were here for one thing only and it was not behind the cell doors. Mikasa swiftly and silently put the key in the hole and turned until they all heard the distinct click of the door opening. It took them no time at all as they worked together digging apart the large office and filing cabinets, pulling the files Erwin had mentioned. They packed them quickly into their packs, moving back into the room with the cell doors.
"Please…..someone…." a raspy voice echoed the room. It was the same man who had coughed earlier. "anyone…"a faint sob followed before more coughing. Armin and Jean glanced at each other, then at Mikasa who nodded. They unlocked the door, pulling the battered gentleman to his feet, Armin and Jean supporting the fellow as they walked. "Th…thank…you…" The old man whispered as they ascended the darkened staircase. Again, the lack of security was unnerving. The home stretch…the trio made their way back outside, behind the estate and through the gate in the back wall. They finally had a chance to look at the gentleman as they neared their carriage. He was very late in age, skin, and bones with long grey hair that was matted and knotted all over. He wheezed as they moved, making them fear he might fall apart in their arms.
"Where do you think you're going!?" A voice shouted, chasing after the trio as they attempted their escape.
"Please, don't leave me…" The old man wheezed, his face full of worry. Armin grit his teeth as they ran. A second figure stepped in front of them, forcing them to stop their escape. This was not good. The guard growled, reaching for the old man only for Mikasa to intervene. Murder flooded her eyes; she was not going to let anything happen to them today. The other guard finally caught up, grabbing Armin by the shoulder and forcing him to the side. Jean growled, holding the older gentleman tighter as Armin turned to the guard, blocking his path. Jean's only chance was now to get the old man to the carriage. He struggled but managed to slip by as the two guards were distracted by Mikasa and Armin.
"That's adorable that you'd think you could get away." More guards came out making Jean's stomach drop. They knew…the guards were watching them the entire time. Grins on their faces, the guards surrounded the trio. Two stepped forward at the orders of the first guard, grabbing the old man roughly, throwing him to the ground.
"Stop! He's sick!" Jean yelled and the security howled in laughter.
"He's not sick, he's just dying. Too slowly I might add." Horror struck the faces of the trio as a dagger flew threw the air at lightening speed, impaling the old man's head. Armin and Jean stared horrified as the guards laughed. Mikasa was the only one not horrified, instead, pure hatred seethed from her as she unsheathed weapons of her own. They couldn't carry their 3DMG gear but were made sure to have some form of back up on themselves. It was going to be a bloody battle and Mikasa was more than ready.
The fighting between the guards and the trio dragged on for quite a while, making them wary of time. They should've been gone by now, they should've made a clean getaway and notified Erwin already. They were now down to two guards, and Mikasa was relentless, though not killing any of them surprisingly. The last guard, standing at a distance, made a run for it the moment the final one fell. Mikasa made a break to run for him, but Jean stopped her. She panted, watching the worm flee from her grasp.
"WHY WOULD YOU STOP ME?" She growled turning on Jean.
"Because, we need to go, NOW." Armin yelled, pulling Mikasa by the hand and running to the carriage. "Erwin is waiting on us, we can't waste any more time. Mikasa growled, though not entirely sad if this ruined Alessa's chance at escape. She couldn't stand Alessa and she only barely tolerated Captain Levi. The traitor and the sadist…it wouldn't be so bad if they got caught.
The pounding in my head made it hard for me to focus as I started to open my eyes. Groaning, I began to sit up, glancing around the room. The big fireplace and the giant desk in the middle of the room made me sigh as I realized I was in my father's study.
"Jesus, you're finally awake." Levi winced slightly as he spoke. For a moment I had expected him to stand up from his kneeling position on the floor and come to me, but then realization set as I could see his arms were bound behind his back. Guilt set in. Glancing down at my own hands, which were bound in front of me, I attempted to make my way over to Levi, toppling over immediately. My feet were bound, as were his. This was going to prove to be far more difficult than I had imagined.
"Don't even try it." My father's voice boomed as he entered the room. I growled, turning my eyes onto him. He leaned nonchalantly against his desk as I picked myself up into a kneeling position. "It really is a shame Alessa, what am I going to do with you." I answered in silence. There was no way I was going to give into anything my father said. "Here I just announced your engagement, which I am guessing is bullshit, since your little friends got away with not only a lot of paperwork of mine, but an inmate as well. A slight bit of confusion washed over my face as I glanced to Levi. He looked mildly annoyed. "You see, I don't like when people take what is mine, and I don't like being played the fool. So you two are going to help me fix this little mess before it gets out of hand, and maybe I'll let you live." Levi's famous 'tch' made my father glare daggers in his direction.
"Like hell we'd help a fat pig like you." My father chuckled and nodded.
"Everyone likes to play tough, boy, but I am not going to dance this tango with you two tonight. This is not a request. If you value the lives of the three brats that just got away with my paperwork, or anyone else in the Survey Corps for that matter, then you will help me get it all back. I might even play pretend and allow this new façade we have going among my household. I might let you live and put on a front of being a happy couple like you wanted everyone to think, and you will make this shit you started up to me. This is your only…and I mean only…chance at survival here." Levi growled but I interrupted him, knowing my father was being more than generous.
"Father, I'm sorry, we had no choice. We were desperate and needed those files. Thank you for considering an alternative for us, we will graciously accept."
"The fuck we are." I mentally roundhouse kicked Levi. Really? Can't you read the room? "We do not agree to help you with shit." My father sighed, shaking his head and rubbing his eyes.
"Boy, you really are stupid aren't you?" Levi glared up at him, though he said nothing. My glare at him didn't burn a hole in the side of his head like I had hoped, but there was no way Levi was this daft.
"Victor." My father spoke and my heart nearly flew out of my chest. No, please not Victor. Victor was Greg's older brother, and might I say, one of my favorite soldiers in my father's company. At least, he was at one point. Now, being on his shit list was going to make everything much more painful in the minutes to come. Victor smirked walking in; following him was a bloodied up, bandaged up version of what looked like Greg. "Now do you see the situation you're in? There are more among your ranks that you don't even know, Alessa. Greg wasn't going to stay there for longer than he needed to." Levi watched intently, glancing to me as I sunk my head. I warned him about this. I warned him my father was not a force to fight against. "Since you were so kind to agree with me like I hoped you would Alessa, I will make sure you have an easier time with these two. I make no promises of what happens to your….friend…over there." My heart clenched as I knew what would come. I couldn't bear to look as Victor kneed Levi hard in the nose.
"Y'know, I didn't think it'd be satisfying to watch my revenge carried out by someone else, but I guess I was wrong." Greg's voice cut through the tension while his brother laughed, landing a few punches to the side of Levi's face, his body toppling over. The sounds of Levi being hurt made my heart feel like it was being poked by thousands of needles.
"Don't you want to see your little fake fiancée get what he deserves?" Victor called out, slamming his foot down on Levi's ribs. My vision blurred, confusing me as I felt the hot tears stream my face. The last time I cried was for Petra, and here I am letting my emotions just flow right back out.
"Oh, what do we have here? It seems my daughter does have feelings for this Survey Corps rat." Greg and Victor both laughed as Levi growled through the pain. "You've been getting soft on me Alessa, letting you get away with all of this just isn't acceptable anymore." Panicked, I stared up at my father. His eyes bore into mine and the intensity almost made me puke. I have gotten soft. I am not the same person I was a few months ago. I looked over at the bloody Levi on the floor, who's eyes softened as he returned my stare. My lip quivered and I knew it was only going to get worse from here. Victor made sure of that as he grabbed me by the hair, dragging me by the fireplace. I couldn't stop the scream I let out as I realized what his intentions were. Greg leaned down, ripping my dress, leaving my back completely exposed while Victor started to heat up the fire place poker.
"Leave her alone, take it out on me!" Levi growled, gritting his teeth while his eyes never left my body.
"Don't worry lover boy, you'll definitely get plenty taken out on you. I owe you both for all this." Greg laughed, pointing at the bloody bandages. The sound of searing flesh entered the room as Victor place the red hot poker against my back. All I could do was scream since Victor's boot pushed hard into part of my back, keeping me in place.
"Don't you just love revenge, brother? Especially on naughty little traitors? I definitely love it…" Victor practically cooed the last part, poking another spot, sending me reeling in pain.
"I love it! I especially love seeing revenge on traitors who get cocky and think they're untouchable." Greg laughed.
"I'll leave you boys to it, try not to kill my daughter, and leave her face in-tact. I'd like to use her later amongst my colleagues." My father sat up from his desk, exiting the room in favor of his party that was still taking place. Both boys howled excitedly as the ruthless torture continued. What went on for what was probably minutes, felt like hours. By now my dress was tattered and torn, my back covered in hot blisters and burns and all I could do was cry quietly. Fighting back was useless. I could hear Levi getting wailed on by Greg, and even though he wasn't in the best shape, he still did a significant amount of damage. A loud, consistent tapping on the window began to irritate Victor as the noise interrupted his fun. He turned to go and check it out.
"It's probably just a crow." Greg stated, wiping the blood from his fist. I couldn't see Levi but every painful grunt and groan made my heart feel like it was about to shatter any second. I told you Levi, I fucking told you we should never have gotten involved with my family. Tears continued to flow from my swollen and bloodshot eyes.
"What the fuck?" Victor's surprised outburst made me curious, though I couldn't move to see what was starting to be a loud commotion behind me. Glass shattering, loud yelling. Were people fighting? Did Levi get free? I tried to listen the best I could but I couldn't make out what was going on. It finally got quiet making me nervous. I braced for the next hot poker, but felt none.
"Levi, can you walk?" Erwin?! My heart raced. Erwin was in here. He must've been what distracted Victor and saved us. I sighed with relief, unable to relax as my back stung in pain from the exposed burns.
"Yea, I'm alright." Levi's voice was gruff and part of me was thankful I couldn't see him. "Probably just a couple broken ribs."
"Hey Alessa…I'm going to untie you now, if you can stand and walk, just let me know. It might be kind of hard to carry you." Hange's voice was soft as she moved quickly to untie my binds. I nodded, grabbing the front of my dress once my hands were free, holding the tattered cloth against my skin. My eyes kept to the floor as they got Levi and I to safety inside the awaiting carriage. There were a few other soldiers with them but I couldn't focus on anyone around me. I couldn't help it, my eyes stayed glued to my clasped hands in my lap. The tears finally stopped though my face felt raw and swollen. The carriage pulled up to the HQ, the soldiers helping everyone out. My feet carried me through the halls quickly as I ignored the pained faces of the soldiers as they saw the condition Levi and I were in. Stepping into my dark room, I dropped the ripped dress to the floor after slamming my door and locking it. There was no one I wanted to be around in that moment. Just myself and my grim thoughts of my father getting away with everything as he always did. The thoughts of Victor and Greg, who I know for a fact were not facing repercussions from the MP's if they even got involved. My family was untouchable and I wished Levi and Erwin could just understand that.
Laying face-down on my bed in the darkness, I sighed, the stinging on my back not going away. I should have gone to the medical wing, but there was no way I could face anyone tonight. Not after being tortured and burned and having to listen to Levi get hurt. My heart clenched as I felt the pangs of guilt for leaving Levi at the front of the HQ and not so much as looking at him. Would he understand how I felt right now? Would he understand the want to just stay in a far dark corner and not come out? Twisting the pillow case in my fingers, I couldn't stop the thoughts of what Levi could be going through after that whole endeavor. He took a beating for this mission. He took a beating for me. He could have been killed, and here I am wallowing in my own pain and guilt to even acknowledge him. The ticking of the clock in the silent room made everything worse. It felt like it was getting louder, reminding me of how slow time was passing.
I growled finally, pushing myself up, wincing as the skin on my back stretched allowing the burns to remind me of their presence more so. I slowly pulled a shirt over myself, nearly crying out as the cloth rubbed against the fresh wounds. I managed to get pants on, thankfully with more ease than the shirt and began my slow wobble down the hall. It was fairly quiet in the HQ and I didn't even stop to think about what time it was. I heard the clock, just never thought to look. The familiar wood door now stood in front of me, intimidating in this moment. Taking a few deep breaths I finally worked up the courage to softly knock on the door. Half of me was praying he was asleep and wouldn't answer. My heart skipped a beat as the door opened and I looked up into the bruised up face of Levi. Immediately my face welled up in tears as the guilt came crashing through the wall as if the Colossal titan was inside me bursting through. Levi's eyes softened as he reached out, pulling me into his arms. Part of my tears were in part of his arms against my back, but I didn't care, I let him hold me as I cried. We stood like that forever as my cries began to quiet, his hold unwavering. I was thankful he didn't begin to rub my back, I might start crying again.
He finally pulled away from me, cupping my face in his hands and kissing my forehead. Who was this gentle creature and where did he find the exit in that cold exterior Levi always wore? His hands made their way down my shoulders to my arms, taking my hands in his as he pulled me into the room. A faint smell of whiskey hit my nose and I glanced around the room to see an opened bottle on his desk, accompanying a half full glass. I glanced up at Levi as he led me through his room into the bathroom; my thoughts still on the fact he was numbing his pain through alcohol. Part of me wondered why I hadn't thought of that as I watched him start the bath, feeling the temperature of the water before being satisfied with the result. He glanced at me now, hands pulling gently on my shirt, lifting as gently as he could so not to hurt my back any more. I still winced at the burning fire on my back, irritated by all the clothing. I bit my lip nervously, realizing what he intended. He helped me undress the rest of the way, guiding me to the bath. It was lukewarm, teetering on the cooler side. He knew I needed to clean my wounds and rather take me to the medical wing, he was helping me.
"I can do this tomorrow you know…" I mumbled as he helped push me into the water, gritting my teeth as it came into contact with my back.
"You need to take care of it now…" His voice was low and calm. I leaned forward at the edge of the bath, resting my head on my folded arms and watching as Levi pulled up a chair, leaning forward and using his cupped hand to run water on the upper part of my back.
"I'm sorry…" I murmured, getting a confused look.
"For what?" The 'are you stupid' look came across my face and he smirked. "I'll be fine, I've had worse. Don't apologize."
"But, my father and those assholes…Levi this wasn't even the worse they could do. This could have been a lot worse for us…I told you that…"
"I don't care what you told me. If I have to jump into hell and back repeatedly to ensure your safety then I'll fuckin do it." I pouted at the serious look he shot me, pausing a moment, his hand still in the water. "You're mine remember, I'm not going to let this happen again." I grumbled but quit while I was ahead. I watched his face intently as he gently washed the burns on my back, his face grim as he noted the severity of some of the damage. His face was red in some spots, a darkening circle forming near his eye. His nose looked slightly more swollen but it didn't look broken. A large gash on his lip looked to be the most extensive damage on his face, though from the sounds of the beating he took, his body would have a lot more. All I wanted was to hug him right then and there, but I wasn't sure he needed that. He didn't seem the type to need hugs. My thoughts brought me back to the whiskey on his desk. No, he needed time to just numb it out and forget.
"Can I stay in here tonight?" A smirk spread across his lips and he nodded. He helped pull me from the bath, turning me to face the vanity as he gently patted my back dry with a towel, making me clench my jaw. The pain of the burns was going to last a long while, not to mention the scars they'd leave behind. I frowned at the thought, rubbing the similar scar on my stomach. Gently the towel was placed around my front where I was able to hold it myself. I followed Levi to the room, grabbing his cup of whiskey and taking a big gulp. He watched but didn't stop as I finished his drink.
"More?" He tipped the bottle towards me and I nodded. More was always needed with him, no matter what it was. We both continued to share the glass, finishing the bottle rather quickly. I couldn't help but giggle as the room started to spin and I plopped face first onto his pillows. The weight of being drunk and tired hit me like a truck and I sighed, happily, forgetting about the day with ease finally. Levi was suddenly as naked as I was and next to me, his fingers tracing my arms lightly making me shiver.
"You're going to put me to sleep if you keep that up…" I murmured my voice muffled by the pillow.
"I thought I told you I couldn't wait to get you out of that dress tonight." I laughed playfully smacking his chest and staring over at him. The bruises on his body much more apparent than on his face like I had thought. My smile faded as I looked. "Quit finding excuses, you're not getting out of this.
"Have you seen the two of us? Did you forget what happened tonight? I'm scared one of us is going to get hurt tonight." I chuckled. Whether I was on my back or on top, either one of us was getting hurt.
"Bet you we can without either of us suffering much." A playful grin spread across his face, a look I will etch into my brain from this moment forward. My eyes narrowed as he sat up, moving behind me as I still lay face-down. In an instant, his hands were on my hips pulling me backwards so I was on my knees. Oh, you dirty man…I giggled mentally thanking the gods for this man. Whatever struck him tonight was pure carnal energy as he proved he could most certainly tear me in two without me actually hurting my wounds. The mix of pain and pleasure that soared through the two of us made it that much better as at least the day was ending on a happy note. A real happy note that I looked forward to from this moment forward. Over and over again he sent me diving off the edge in a drunken haze, his rough and deep thrusts not stopping any time soon as he gripped my hips tightly. It wasn't until I heard the faint grunts and felt him thrust through his release that I felt myself push over one final time.
He panted hard, his ribs clearly aching as he attempted to lay beside me without landing on his side. I bit my lip, smiling as I laid next to him, tolerating being on my side and wrapped myself around his arm. I couldn't be more thankful for the drunken, tired haze my brain was in as I held on tight to him. For the night, I could sleep soundly, not allowing myself to think of the torture we went through, the guilt I felt and not thinking about the difficult mission to come that could change this entire dynamic. For now, he was all mine and I was all his and I was grateful to have such an incredible man treat me in a way I never could have comprehended.