"Sooo," Hange asked her captain with burning curiosity, "what was that earlier?"

"What are you talking about, shit for brains?"

Hange placed both hands on the edge of the desk, staring straight at Levi.

"Oh? So you didn't notice that hot piece of ass and decide to lay your claim?" The captain said nothing and went back to reading the papers in front of him. "Ah! Levi-i-i-i! You don't mean to tell me you don't like him at least a little? If you didn't there's absolutely NO WAY you would have let him walk out of there alive!"

"Hange, I am trying to get work done. Go torture the crewmates or something before my foot shoves itself up your ass."

"Levi," Hange pouted, "you're no fun! When was the last time you got laid anyway?"

"Hange!" Levi glared.

With a cackling laugh she backed out. "I'm going! I'm going!"

Captain Levi swore every time she opened her goddamned mouth he was this close to murdering her. He needed to find her another hobby besides worrying about his love life . . .

Hange couldn't help but giggle as she made her way to top deck and to where Petra was resting, talking with Boatswain Eld. When Petra heard someone approaching she turned around.

"So," Petra asked, "how did it go?"

"LEVI FOUND HIS NEW BOY TOY!"

The yell of Captain Levi's, "Hange!" only made her laugh harder. She was going to help get that boy on this boat and get her captain to finally have a bit of fun.

Levi came out of his private quarters and glared at his giddy first mate. Pointing a finger at her he ground out, "I'm going for a drink. Alone. Don't bother me for any reason, understood?"

"Aye, aye, captain!" Hange saluted. Maybe he'd run into you-know-who. One could hope.

"Eren, you probably should stay in bed today."

"Mikasa really," Eren whined. "It's not like I haven't been punched before, for crying out loud! It's just a bruise, I didn't lose a leg and I'm hungry. Do you want me to bring anything back for you?"

His adopted sister sighed and shook her head, she wasn't ready for any food yet. Somebody had come down with a stomach illness so she had been up all night taking care of them. She ate something before dawn broke and that was good enough for now.

"All right, suit yourself. I'll be down at the market then."

"Be safe, Eren," Mikasa shouted after him.

"I'll be fine. Really, you'd think you were my mother."

Eren rushed out the door, grabbing his jacket from the hook as he went and made his way to the street that could make him hungry again even if he just ate. The pastries they had were to die for.

He walked up to the vendor selling apples and said, "Two plea-"

His voice trailed off when he heard loud noises down the street, towards the harbor. It sounded like screams, and it wasn't until the people on the street began running back in his direction he was sure something was wrong.

He grabbed the arm of a woman fleeing past him.

"What's going on down there?" he asked.

She had a panicked look in her eyes and she cried out, "Pirates!"

Letting go of her arm he brought his attention back to the stampeding crowd. One of the carts toppled and trapped him between it and the fruit kiosk behind him and the villagers rushing past the only opening left. People were desperate to get themselves and their livelihoods as far away from the pillaging buccaneers as possible.

Every delayed second brought the marauders closer to Eren, until he could very clearly see individual pirates trashing and looting the homes and businesses around them. Some started fires in the homes they emptied out.

"What's going on here?" A smooth voice asked behind Eren. He turned around to see the man he met last night at Hannes' tavern leaning against the stand. Said man, was looking at the chaos with a clear expression, almost more interested in the apple in his hand than anything else.

"Ah- you," Eren squeaked. "You should go somewhere where it's safe."

"Worried about me?" He said, flicking his eyes toward him.

"No," Eren blushed, "well, yes, I mean-"

"Don't worry about it, brat," he interrupted. "I can handle myself. What about you?"

"What about me-"

Eren was interrupted by a young voice near the opening the cart and the stalls made.

"Hand over whatever valuables you have!" It was a pirate from the group that just arrived. He had brown hair and a face full of freckles, which didn't look like he could hurt a fly but was pointing a curved sword in their direction. Neither Eren nor Levi felt like being a pirate was very suitable for him. But to each their own they supposed.

Reaching behind him under his shirt, Eren gripped the dagger Mikasa always made him carry. Sisterly concern saves the day again. He pulled it out and was beginning to charge when the pirate dropped his short and pulled out a pistol. He promptly pulled the hammer and fired the weapon, piercing Eren on his right shoulder.

Upon that unexpected attack, Levi jumped over the stand of apples and used his own sword to sweep the pistol from the other pirate's hand. Using the surprise to his advantage Levi quickly brought his arm up and slashed near the pirate's face. The freckled boy flinched backwards but Levi's sword still made contact, causing a wound on the right side of his face.

His sword fell to the floor and his guard dropped, trying to cover up his face. Levi could have finished him off right then, but his first concern was going to Eren.

He was still conscious but his gunshot wound was bleeding freely, if he didn't stop it soon he would die from blood loss.

"Damn brat," Levi muttered, "are you always this reckless?"

Eren gave a weak laugh that ended in a grimace. "This is- a good day- you should see- me on the weekends-"

If Captain Levi wasn't so worried about the poor excuse for a love interest, he might have cracked a smile. Maybe. As it were, he felt close to killing him himself. Instead, he ripped a length of material from the hem of the boy's pants and did his best to tie it around the wound. Eren grunted, but otherwise didn't complain.

"You do realize you owe me for this, right?" Levi asked as he picked him up bridal-style.

"I know," Eren breathed out. Mikasa sure was going to be pissed. "But thank you anyway-"

Levi didn't respond, it looked like Eren had fallen asleep. By now, most of the pirates had taken their loot and went back in the direction of their ship. Most of the buildings in Shiganshina were on fire or burnt down. Stalls were crushed and there were people lying out on the street dying or dead.

Somebody needed to go after them and make them pay, God knows what the women would go through, but at this moment there was nothing Levi could do. His crew would be fine, they were the best, and he made sure of that. Hopefully, Hange or one of the others would be able to remember which crew caused this grief tonight so they could track them down later.

"Oi, Eren," Levi said suddenly. "Where is your house?" He wasn't going to keep walking without knowing where he needed to go.

Eren's eyes fluttered open, showing that beautiful green-blue that Levi didn't have a name for except: Ocean.

"Straight for three streets- then turn left into the woods- for a few minutes-"

"Shit, you know how far that is? Fuck this shit. You owe me, brat. Big time."