Hello everyone! Sorry for the delay, my first week of school was very hectic and stressful. I promise to update at least once a week though, so don't worry! I'm sorry if the chapters lately have seemed boring and uneventful, it's just building up to events that are to come. I promise you some action next chapter! I hope you won't get discouraged by the lack of smut. Believe me, it is coming, and it will be long. Just look at my oneshot, Birthday Suit. 6k+ words of pure smut, haha.
Thanks for sticking with this story. As always, thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy!
"Eren."
The mention of his first name gave Eren pause. He stared in disbelief at Levi, whose eyes were narrowed in anger. For perhaps the first time in his life, Eren was completely speechless.
Did I hear him correctly? Did he just call me Eren? Not Jaeger, or shitty brat? I must be delusional.
The brunette's stunned silence was evidence enough that Levi had finally gotten through to him. Eren seemed utterly shocked at the use of his first name. Levi had expected it to get the boy's attention, but not make him go into a stupor, emerald eyes comically wide with surprise. After a few seconds of searching Eren for some kind of reaction Levi grew tired of the stupid look on the teen's face and decided to initiate a conversation.
"Well? Are you finished?"
"You…called me Eren," the brunette began, his voice low as if he was whispering it to himself.
"No shit. That's your name, isn't it?" Levi remarked snidely, crossing his arms over his chest and knitting his thin black eyebrows together in annoyance.
"Well yeah but…you almost never call me by my first name," Eren stated, his eyes still wide with shock.
Levi scowled a bit. He'd remembered addressing Eren by his first name at least once. Perhaps the memory escaped the boy due to the trauma of the trial, or maybe he was just a forgetful idiot; either way, it wasn't the first time the brunette's name had crossed his lips. It was unimportant, however, and Levi didn't like to waste time on trivial things.
"Well, I'm calling you by it now, so congratulations. Now let's stop wasting time with bullshit. I've already told you to just forget about speaking out of turn, what is done is done. Obviously you've learned something from the experience, so I see no need to drag it out any further than that," he gave Eren a flat stare, his expression turning impassive.
Levi decided that it was time to get back to the matter at hand, the reason for the teen's visit in the first place. Honestly, Levi should have found the encounter from the previous night utterly disgusting, especially because he'd been propositioned by a male subordinate. He should have throttled Eren mercilessly for speaking to him like one of his little friends, and he should have immediately rejected any advances the teen made. He'd rejected countless other offers for sexual favors, so why had it been so hard to resist this time? What in the world made this unremarkable looking brat any different?
Maybe it was the boy's unbreakable spirit; maybe it was his determination, courage, willpower and absolute refusal to accept failure as an option. Levi hated cowards and people who gave up without a fight. He'd also always had trouble accepting things for how they were without questioning the how's and why's of the situation. The fact that his own emotions could feel so very foreign did not sit well with him. He was supposed to be cold, hardened and immune to any emotions that could distract him from his goal of defeating the titans.
It was foolish to believe that Eren could genuinely hold similar feelings for someone like Levi; it was even more foolish to believe that anything good could possibly come of a relationship with the teen.
It was time to put an end to this...liaison before it could grow into something far bigger and much more inappropriate. He steered the conversation back onto the subject.
"As for your other concerns, do you honestly think that you're the first recruit that's showered me with misdirected teenage hormones? I don't know whether you're just desperate because you're young and willing to fuck anything that moves, or if you're trying to garner a few favors by sleeping with me; honestly, I really don't care. Fraternization is frowned upon in this organization, and I deeply regret misleading you and entertaining any lewd ideas you have floating inside that thick skull of yours. You are not the only one who crossed a well established line; I should have rejected you outright, and for that I apologize. So, just forget about whatever the hell kind of feelings you've convinced yourself that you hold for me and return to your duties," Levi ordered nonchalantly, turning his attention back to his previous task and untying Onyx from his hitching post and starting off for the corral to let the horse get his daily exercise.
The conversation was supposed to have ended there; he should have walked away from Eren, leaving the teen's hopes of getting laid crushed into tiny pieces while burying his own feelings deep within, to never again see the light of day. If Levi lived in an ideal world, that it is how it should have been. However, the world he lived in was far from perfect, and things never did seem to go the way they should.
As he'd turned to walk away, Eren had instinctively crossed the gap between them and roughly grabbed Levi's wrist in one fluid movement. The older male had not been expecting the sudden touch, and he had to fight his natural instinct to fight, to break Eren's arm and pin him to the ground, a blade at his neck. He managed to settle for conveying his displeasure at the gesture with a searing glare, eyes narrowed and practically burning holes into the brunette.
Eren's body had seemed to move of its own accord, his mind not able to keep up with his reflexes as he grabbed Levi's wrist without thinking. It was only when he glimpsed the look of absolute seething rage on the older male's face that Eren realized what he had done. His ocean colored eyes grew wide, and he wanted to drop the appendage in his hand as if was a hot piece of metal that was about to melt his flesh from his bones. However, he knew that if he backed down now he would never get another chance to set things right between them.
"W..wait! What makes you think that I have some kind ulterior motive? Do you really think I'm that shallow?" Eren blurted out without giving much thought to how much shit he was probably already in for manhandling his superior officer.
Eren was expecting some kind of negative reaction; a punch in the face, a kick in the gut. The fact that he wasn't doubling over in pain by now was encouraging. It must have meant that Levi was at least semi listening to him, and that was all he could really hope for at the moment.
Levi's glare did not soften, in fact the anger and irritation behind it seemed to grow with every passing second. Eren swallowed a lump that had begun to form in his throat and wished that his stomach would stop tying itself into knots. Levi glowered at Eren's hand as if was the most vile, insidious thing he'd ever laid eyes on. It took every ounce of self control within him not to break the offending appendage right then and there.
"I hardly know you, Jaeger. Are you going to try to convince me that you're actually attracted to me? I'm no fool. I'm nearly twice your age. Then there's the fact that you apparently "don't swing that way". So, what possible interest could a brat like you have in me?"
Eren was more than a little dismayed that Levi had relapsed back into adressing him by his last name. For now, however, he would have to push the thought to the furthest recesses of his mind to avoid distraction from the real issue.
He flushed a bit at the recollection of claiming that he had no interest in males. He should have known it would come back to bite him in the ass."I…I don't know. I have no idea why this happened, I'm just as confused about it as you are. You've always been someone that I could look up to…and that hasn't changed," Eren's eyes were shining with something akin to admiration. Levi couldn't help but roll his eyes at the cheesiness of the statement.
"So it's hero worship, then? What is it exactly that you want from me? Do you want me to coddle you and tell you that it's okay to lust after your superior officer? Not going to happen," Levi stated flatly, face shifting back to its usual indifferent expression.
"No. I just want you to forgive me. Look, I don't know what the hell I really want, all I know is that I'm not letting you leave here thinking that I'm only trying to manipulate you, because it isn't true," Eren stated flatly. A look of determination graced his features, brows furrowed and eyes fixated on Levi. The older man was inwardly cringing at the sweat that had begun to build underneath the palm of the hand Eren was using to hold onto his wrist. If he wanted the brat to let go of him without resorting to violence he supposed he would have to appease him.
"I suppose you're not going to let me go until I say something to satiate you, correct? I could force you to let go, maybe even snap your wrist in two, but then you're so obstinate that you'd probably find another way to back me into a corner until I listened to you. Unless I kill you, of course. But I don't suppose Erwin would be too pleased with me after that. So, I only have one nugget of advice for you. It's up to you whether or not you accept it," Levi looked straight into Eren's fierce turquoise eyes, unflinching.
"This is the real world, no one is going to hand everything to you on a silver platter. If you want something, quit being a complete imbecile and take it," Levi put an emphasis on his last two words, a serious look akin to the one he usually wore when he was in the heat of battle on his face. Eren was more than a little taken aback at the response and instinctively released Levi's wrist like he was holding onto the tail of an angry beast about to strike. Before he could so much as open his mouth in response Levi was leading Onyx away in the direction of the corral, green cape billowing in the slight breeze that had suddenly picked up.
Eren was completely bewildered. He watched Levi saddle up Onyx and mount him with ease before urging him through the corral gate. As the horse began to move Levi bounced a bit on top of him before steadying himself. It was a wonder that the man could even reach the stirrups. Watching Levi's hips and hind end bouncing up and down provocatively on a horse was not what he needed right now. He looked down and the hand that had grasped the older male's wrist. It still tingled a bit from the almost electrical contact of their skin. Levi was strong, that much was certain, but his wrist had felt so very small and fragile in Eren's hand that it was hard to believe it had belonged to the Corporal. It only served to prove that humanity's strongest solider was not unbreakable.
Eren mulled over Levi's last words to him before departing.
If I want something, take it? Was that…an invitation? I'm so confused.
Before he had time to ponder what had just transpired any further his thoughts were interrupted by a familiar baritone voice.
"Oi! Eren! Can I speak to you for a moment?"
Eren turned his attention in the direction of the voice and spotted Mike walking in his direction, waving one arm in greeting. The brunette continued to stare at him, still slightly dumbfounded from the events prior, and before he knew it Mike was standing before him, studying his features and taking a whiff of the air around him. The odd habit seemed to snap Eren back to reality.
"Oh! Good morning, Mike! Um…what was it that you needed to talk to me about?" he inquired, shirking away from the man's sniffing and putting some distance between them. It didn't matter how many times it happened, the sniffing thing still creeped him out. Mike didn't seem the least bit perturbed, however.
"Hmm…it smells like the Corporal. Was he here?" It was more of a rhetorical question, really. Mike never mixed up scents. This made Eren wonder just what exactly the Corporal smelled like. He shook his head to rid himself of the thought.
Eren just nodded slightly, looking more than a little distracted. Mike just decided to ignore it; it wasn't his job to babysit new recruits.
"Anyway, Hanji sent me to find you. The prisoner is being less than cooperative with Corporal Levi, and we've hit a major wall in our investigation progress. She seems to think that an interrogation by you would be much more effective than the Corporal's for some reason. I was instructed to convince you to comply by any means necessary."
Eren, for what seemed like the hundredth time that day, looked completely taken aback at the order. "Me? But why? Why would that psychopath open up to his supposed victim?" The brunette was completely baffled by the thought. Would the man just taunt him some more? Or try to finish what he started and attempt to murder him? Mike shrugged, indifferent to the whole situation.
"Hell if I know. No one can understand why that woman thinks the way she does, but the fact is that she's the smartest member of the Scouting Legion, and she is our top researcher on the titans for a reason, so I try not to question it, and you shouldn't either. So, just grit your teeth and bear it, ok?" Mike stated, slapping Eren on the back gently. With that the strange man took his leave and headed in the direction of the castle.
Eren looked thoughtful for a moment. He was most certainly not ready to face that lunatic again, and his heart was already beginning to pound in his chest. He tried not to let his nervousness show as he began walking in the direction of the infirmary. He'd been far too distracted to notice Auruo, Gunter and Petra watching him from a distance from a tiny outdoor table. They'd been witness to the entire exchange between Eren and Levi, although they had been too far away to hear just what was said. It had been an entertaining show, nonetheless.
Auruo snorted, a look of irritation on his face. "Just who does that brat think he is, chatting up the Corporal so casually? Most of us never get a one on one conversation with him, so what makes the new guy so special?"
Petra shot him a disapproving look, her mouth in a pout. "Don't call him a brat, Auruo! Eren is really nice. Maybe he just needed to ask the Corporal something," she suggested, taking a sip of tea and crossing her legs. She really did enjoy their rare days off. It was one of the few times that she actually felt like a lady, and not some mud covered grunt in the military.
"Yeah, Auruo," Gunter added, "lighten up. It's not like the Corporal treats him any different from the rest of us."
Auruo made a tsk noise and folded his arms over each other in disapproval. "But did you see how he just grabbed the Corporal so casually? If any of us tried that we'd be dead! Now tell me that isn't special treatment!" he shouted exasperatedly, waving his arms around to emphasize his point. The others just rolled their eyes and ignored his outburst, focusing instead on their midday tea. This only seemed to add fuel to the fire, however.
"Fine! I can see that you two aren't taking this seriously! Well, I'll prove to you that there's some kind of special relationship between that brat and the Corporal, just you wait!" With that he stormed off in the direction of the castle, leaving Gunter and Petra to finish their tea in peace.
"Checkmate! Oh, you're good at this, Rook! No one's been able to beat me at chess in years! It's so much fun to have someone competant to play with!"
In the quarantine ward of the infirmary sat Hanji Zoe, a chess board complete with all the pieces spread out on a small table in front of her. To pass the time, and despite Rook being unable to move his arms, Hanji had insisted on a game of chess. It served as exercise for the mind, plus she'd always enjoyed the game but more often than not others refused to challenge her because of her prowess. When she'd casually mentioned the game in passing she hadn't been expecting the youth to be interested. When he'd told her that he had been an avid chess player, she had been elated.
Rook grinned widely and attempted to bow as best he could, his deep red hair forming a curtain around his face. "It was a pleasure, Ms. Smart Glasses. This one enjoys a good challenge, it keeps the mind sharp."
She'd managed to make the game work by having Rook tell her where to move his pieces. Currently her King had been captured and she couldn't be more pleased with the fact. Rook remained chained to the wall and resting on his tiny cot, still shirtless and looking a bit worse for the wear from lack of food. Hanji had tried her best to sneak him a piece of stale bread from the previous day's dinner but the guards had been warned that she might attempt such a thing and she'd been caught red handed.
Virtually everyone disapproved of her making friends with a dangerous criminal, Levi included. He'd warned her that the man was clearly insane and did not deserve any semblance of kindness. Despite his protests Hanji had continued to hold conversations with the man. She found him utterly fascinating, almost as much as she found titans fascinating, and that was saying something. His speech, his thought patterns, they were all unusual and warranted further study, and she was certainly not one to pass up on a chance to obtain such a specimen.
Try as she might, she could not convince Levi to take a different approach in interrogating the man, and so their progress had come to a screeching halt. Indeed, she should have attempted to interrogate Rook herself, however in her eyes that meant betraying his trust and losing a potentially remarkable subject. When she had noticed the youth's reaction to Eren's name after mentioning him in passing a light bulb seemed to turn on in her head, and the wheels in her mind couldn't stop turning. She'd surmised that if Rook held some level of reverence or fascination for the boy, then perhaps he would be more willing to open up and divulge his secrets if Eren was the one to question him.
It was certainly worth a shot.
"Hey Rook, how would you like it if I brought you a visitor today, hmm? You must get tired of just me and Corporal Levi all the time, right?" she asked, a playful look gracing her unique features. Rook tilted his head to the side in question, golden eyes sparkling with curiosity.
"A visitor? For this one? But this one is a prisoner, not a patient," he mused, smirking slightly. Despite his apparent lack of a sound mind he was rather witty and never slow on the uptake.
Hanji giggled and dismissed his concerns with a wave, "I know, I know, and I'm technically not supposed to let anyone near here that isn't Erwin, Levi or myself, however, rules were made to be broken, Rook." She smiled mischievously and gave him a playful wink. Rook studied her quizzically.
"Who is this visitor you speak of?"
Hanji's grin grew impossibly wide and she remarked, "now now, if I told you it'd ruin the surprise! Let's just say he's someone you might have met before." This piqued the man's curiosity. However, just as he was about to inquire further, a knock came at the door to the infirmary. Hanji rose from her seat and clapped her hands.
"Ah! Right on cue! Be right back, Rook!" she exclaimed and practically skipped over to answer the door.
Eren swallowed hard as he stood in front of the large wooden front door of the infirmary. He bit his lip out of habit, chewing on it a bit and contemplating whether he should knock or not. He supposed there really wasn't a way to get out of it, especially because it was Hanji who had summoned him. The woman could be more persistent than a starving mosquito sometimes, and she was certain to come looking for him if he didn't show. He heaved a sigh and gathered all of his courage before knocking hesitantly.
A gruff looking man that he'd never seen before answered the door, immediately looking down at him with disdain.
"What?" His voice was rough and none too pleasant on the ears. He scrutinized Eren quietly as the boy shrunk back a bit under his searing gaze.
"Uh, I was told that Major Hanji wanted to see me… "
"…"
No response came from the grizzled fellow and Eren began to get uncomfortable, shifting his weight between feet a bit to distract himself. After what seemed like an eternity of awkward silence the man finally relented, pushing the door open wide and motioning for Eren to enter. The brunette didn't need to be told twice, and he quickly crossed the threshold into the infirmary.
"It's the room at the very end, on the right. Major Hanji is expecting you, do not keep her waiting," the gruff man barked before taking his former guard spot by the front door. Eren was grateful to be rid of the unpleasant man and took a quick look at his surroundings.
The infirmary was nothing more than one enormous room. It was eerily quiet. Eren's eyes drifted over the numerous cots lined against the walls. Only a handful were actually occupied at the moment with sick or injured soldiers being tended to by the medical staff. It was quite different from the noisy, unsanitary infirmary conditions back at the training barracks. The air inside was not at all stifling, and aside from a few bloody bandages strewn under one patient's cot the place seemed rather clean.
He made his way past the cots, trying not to stare at the various patients and their gruesome illnesses or injuries. He covered his mouth with his cape, taking care not to breath in any potential pathogens into his lungs. He couldn't afford to catch something now, with everyone depending on him. He spotted his destination and marched up to the large wooden door. On its surface was a simple bronze plaque stating "Patient Quarantine. Express permission required upon entry."
This is it. Behind this door lies the man who tried to kill Armin. I don't want to see him again, but this may be my only chance to find out why he did it. I've gotta be strong for Armin, for everyone. No matter what he says or does, I can't let him get to me. The titans are far more formidable than a mere human, there's no reason to be afraid. He will pay for what he's done, I swear it.
With courage and determination swelling within, Eren brought his hand up and knocked on the door. It wasn't long before the door was thrown open and Hanji appeared before him, a lot of pure jubilation on her face. It was almost as if she'd been standing in front of the door. Waiting. Like a weirdo.
"Eren! So glad you make it! Please, come in, come in!"
Before he had time to respond, Eren felt himself being dragged by the arm into the room. Immediately upon entering the distinct, coppery smell of blood and stale sweat invaded his nostrils and he wrinkled his nose in distaste. Two oil lamps illuminated the small area, and Eren's eyes drifted across the room before he finally spotted the assassin sitting on a cot in the corner, arms chained behind him. Eren bristled at the sight, the hair on the back of his neck standing up.
The other male looked just as surprised as him, if not more so. His golden eyes widened and his mouth upturned into a playful grin.
"We meet again, Eren Jaeger, or should I say monster boy?" The youth let out a facetious chuckle, clearly pleased with himself for coming up with such a creative nickname.
Eren glowered, his eyes full of fury and his teeth clenched in anger. It took all of his willpower to keep from strangling the man. Hanji intervened, placing herself between the two and putting her hands on Eren's shoulders to stop him from advancing.
"Whoa, Eren! Calm down. I know that you and our friend here don't have the most pleasant history, but please, try your best to set that aside for now," she lowered her voice so that Rook would not overhear them, "please, the Corporal has tried almost everything to get some information from him, but he's had no luck. I would question him but he needs someone who he thinks he can trust just in case he decides to confess out of guilt. So please, just ignore his name calling and do your best to have a conversation."
Eren clenched his fists at his sides and looked into Hanji's eyes, searching for some hint of truth to her words. Surely she wouldn't make him interact with the man just for her amusement, right? It was really for the greater good, right? After a moment of deliberating Eren nodded slightly and Hanji released her grip on his shoulders, a satisfied smile crossing her lips.
"Thank you so much, Eren. I'm sure that the Corporal will appreciate your efforts."
Eren looked away from her, frowning. "Yeah, sure."
"Great! Now I'll leave you two alone so that you can talk in private, okay? I'll be right outside the door, but don't worry, they're so thick you can't really hear what's going on anyway," she added, looking rather pleased with herself. Eren didn't feel reassured, however.
"Wait, you're leaving me alone with this…psychopath? Are you sure that's wise, Hanji-san?"
She dismissed the teen's concerns with a wave of her hand. "Oh, don't worry so much, Eren. He's chained to the wall, and believe me, those shackles cannot be broken easily. They're the same kind we used to restrain you when we feared that you would transform. If they can hold back your nearly titan strength, they can hold a normal man,"she gasped suddenly as a thought popped into her head,"Oh, I forgot to introduce you two, silly me! Well, introduce you again, anyway. Eren, this is Rook. He only recently told me his name."
She glanced back at the redhead and waved. He nodded in acknowledgement. "Well, I'm just gonna leave you two alone, then! Have fun!" Hanji promptly exited the room, gently closing the door behind her and throwing Eren to the wolves. He heaved a sigh and hesitantly walked closer to Rook, still maintaining a safe distance as he pulled up a chair next to the man's cot. He plopped into the hard wooden seat and studied the youth before him, taking in every detail from the color of his hair to the scars on his pale white chest.
The young man certainly hadn't been what Eren had expected. The hooded man in the forest had seemed almost inhuman, and yet here he was in the flesh, only slightly older than Eren himself and built almost the same, his body lithe and toned. Certainly not the typical picture of a psychopath that Eren had conjured in his mind. Rook had been studying him in turn, his eyes never looking away from Eren. There was a long moment of silence before Eren finally collected his thoughts and calmed himself enough to speak rationally. His heart pounded in his ears as he began to speak.
"Look, I'm not here to chat with you, or make friends, or whatever the hell it is Hanji expects us to be doing right now. I was hoping the injuries you received would have been fatal, but I should have known that you'd survive. It's always the ones who least deserve to live that seem to survive. I want to kill you right now, more than words can say, but I feel that death would be too merciful for scum like you. So I won't waste my time breathing the same air as you longer than I have to. All I want from you is an explanation."
Eren's tone was low and dangerous, resembling the way it had sounded before he turned into a titan. It sounded rather intimidating, coming from someone like him. Any sane person would have shirked away from him, but alas, as proven many times over, Rook was far from a sane man. Instead of his usual smug grin, however, he wore a look of genuine puzzlement.
"Explanation? This one doesn't know what monster boy is referring to."
"DON'T CALL ME THAT!" Eren shot up from his place on the chair and stormed over to the side of the cot, glaring down at the redheaded youth with pure malice. "Don't you dare call me a monster when you're the one who tried to murder my best friend!" He was practically boiling over with rage now, and had the man been wearing a shirt, he would be shaking him by the collar of it.
Rook did not flinch at the outburst, instead tilting his head to the side in curiosity, his molten gold eyes studying Eren's face. Luckily he decided to comply with Eren's request to address him differently without protesting.
"This one does not know what Jaeger refers to. This one does not remember being ordered to murder anyone, only to capture Jaeger's friends. Why would this one try kill them?" He seemed genuinely curious.
Eren was flabbergasted. He had expected the man to be snide, proud of what he'd done and taunting him, not seemingly clueless. He was not going to go along with this charade, however.
"Don't act like you have no idea what I'm talking about! You tried to kill Armin, I watched you do it! And why are you referring to yourself like that? You seemed perfectly capable of normal speech when you were holding a knife to my friend's neck," he spat, venom practically dripping from his words. The audacity of this lunatic was beginning to wear on him. No wonder Levi was more irked than usual lately.
Rook looked thoughtful for a moment before realization dawned on him. His mouth curved into a frown and he furrowed his brows, seemingly in deep concentration about something. After a moment of tense silence he spoke, "This one suspects that he knows why you believe him to be the one who tried to kill your friend. Sometimes this one loses control and the other one comes out. This one is sorry to say that he cannot remember anything that happens when the other takes over. This one had hoped that the other would not interfere this time. How very unfortunate."
The redhead looked genuinely disappointed in himself, which only served to confuse Eren further. Question after question popped into his mind, but his mouth had seemed to quit working and he could not bring himself to voice them.
Is he serious? I knew he was crazy, but this…this is something on an entirely different level.
He shook his head to rid himself of the distracting thoughts before clenching his fists at his sides in anger.
"Look, Rook, or whatever the fuck your real name is, if you don't stop lying to me I will kill you, regardless of the consequences. I'm tired of playing games with you. Just tell me why you tried to kill Armin, you piece of shit!" Despite his best attempts at holding back his anger Eren was now shaking with rage.
Rook did not seemed phased by the insults, much to Eren's chagrin. Instead he looked downright depressed, eyes downcast and looking crestfallen. "This one is not lying, he swears his life on it. This one never intended to hurt Jaeger's friends, only to capture them. This one is not sure why the other would attempt such a thing. Perhaps it is because the other has a fascination with Jaeger due to the power inside of you."
Eren did not look surprised. The assassin had mentioned his powers before.
"You mean my titan powers. That still doesn't explain why "the other" tried to kill Armin. If you were sent to kill me, why involve him?"
Rook looked indignant at the statement, frowning in disappointment that Eren did not believe what he was saying.
"This one has told Jaeger, we were not sent to kill anyone."
Eren wasn't buying it. His voice rose a few octaves as he grew aggravated with the other male."If you weren't sent to assassinate me, then why? Why did you follow Armin?"
A look of pure fear crossed Rook's face before he answered."…this one would be severely punished if he spoke further of this matter."
"You'll be punished now if you don't, just tell me! You said you wanted to capture my friends, but why? What purpose would that serve? What use are they to you?"
Eren's efforts at getting answers proved futile as Rook's expression changed from one of fear and hesitation to serious concentration. Eren was ready to pull his hair out, and if Hanji hadn't been surely listening to every word through the door, he would have started beating the man into submission. It would have been easy, since he could not run or fight back, however Eren did not want to betray Hanji's trust that he would not get violent.
"Are you listening? Answer me!"
Rook seemed to be focused on some unseen entity, his brows furrowed and his mouth a solemn frown.
"…Jaeger, please listen to this one. You must go now, they are coming."
Eren could hardly believe the bullshit pouring out of the redhead's mouth and he groaned in exasperation.
"Don't fuck with me! You're trying to get out of answering my questions and I'm not going to fall for it."
He was not expecting those eyes of molten gold to bore into his own, almost seeming to look deep into his very soul. The look Rook gave him was unsettling, to say the least.
"This one has never been more serious. This one senses their presence, and they hunger."
"Who's they?" Eren's eyes widened in sudden realization," You mean the titans? How could you possibly know if there are any nearby?"
Rook seemed to ignore his second question, which only served to further his irritation. Nonetheless, the man had Eren's full attention now. A titan attack was a deadly serious matter, whether it was a false alarm or not. Despite the dense woods surrounding the castle they were still susceptible to attack, especially from smaller class titans and aberrants that could easily make their way through the undergrowth. Rook nodded in response before explaining further.
"That is what you call them, yes. Please listen to Rook. He never intended to harm your squeaky friend, and he doesn't intend to fool you. This one promises to tell Jaeger all he knows if you will listen to him just this once. They are approaching the forest from the east. This one has nothing left to lose, he would not lie."
What should I do? If he's lying it'll be a waste of time and energy, but…if he isn't…innocent people could die, and it would be my fault for not warning anybody.
"…."
Eren was torn between sounding the alarm and looking like a complete fool for trusting a criminal, or ignoring the warning and potentially having the blood of the titan's victims stain his hands for the rest of his life. It was a seemingly easy decision, but one he made begrudgingly. He heaved a sigh before turning away from the redhead and walking towards the door to alert Hanji.
"Fine, but if this is some kind of trick I swear I will kill you with my bare hands."
"This one will gladly oblige you if he is mistaken," Rook said, his mouth upturned into a genuine smile. He watched as the brunette stormed away from him, a look of determination in his expressive ocean eyes.
This one has never questioned his motives before he met you, Eren Jaeger. Let us hope that you could be the one to finally set us free.
As Eren approached the door he nearly jumped out of his skin when it burst open before he could get his hand on the doorknob. Hanji stood there, excitement evident in her body language and she nearly jumped for joy.
"I heard everything, Eren! The titans are coming! I knew this was going to be a good day! Come on, we've got to tell Corporal Levi and the others!" Once Eren's heart stopped pounding in his chest like a hammer he collected himself and saluted.
"Yes, Major Hanji!"
Levi rode Onyx in circles around the corral, occasionally changing from a trot to a canter and back again, working the horse's muscles enough to get some exercise but not enough to fatigue him. It was rather relaxing, especially after the heated conversation he'd had with Eren. Once Onyx began to break a sweat Levi slowed him to a walk and dismounted. Onyx whinnied in response, as if to say that he wasn't quite done, to which Levi replied with a pat on the nose.
"Don't worry, you'll get a chance to run soon enough. This place is far too cramped for you to gallop."
Levi led him back to the stables and began to remove the tack. Just as he'd finished removing the saddle he heard a familiar ear piercing female voice call out to him. He instantly stiffened and scowled at the sound.
What else could I possibly have to endure today?
"Corporal! Guess what! We've heard news of titans outside of the forest, isn't that great?!" Hanji said breathlessly, huffing from the exertion of running.
Levi reluctantly turned to face the irritating woman who was practically jumping for joy. Eren was following her, struggling to keep up with her sprinting and bending over to catch his breath once they stopped. Of all the things Levi had expected Hanji to bother him with, this had not been one of them.
"What? Titans haven't been spotted outside the forest since we've moved here. How did they find us and why the hell would they decide to attack us now?" His eyes narrowed as he tried to think of a reason that made sense. They'd sent out a morning patrol who had had no reports of titan activity in the area. It was incredibly strange that they would attack without provocation, unless…
"Were one of the scouts spotted?"
"Oh no, nothing like that! The scouts returned hours ago," Hanji responded cheerfully, as if it was a trivial matter not worth mentioning.
Levi's expression was imperceptible. Inside, he was boiling mad, and he had to contain his urge to throttle the scientist.
I will not strangle her…I will not strangle her…
After taking a few deep breaths Levi regained his composure and shot her an impatient look, expecting an explanation.
"Then how do you know that there are titans outside?"
"Because, Eren said so!" She slapped the boy on the back as she said his name, nearly making him lose his footing. Levi glanced over in Eren's direction and the brunette could practically feel those steel grey eyes boring holes into him. He waved his arms in protest.
"W-what?! No I didn't! It was that guy…Rook or whatever, that said it, sir! I swear!"
Levi was about to lose it, and it showed. He wore a look of murderous rage on his face and a vein in his forehead was practically ready to burst.
"You spoke with the prisoner? How the fuck did that happen?" He snapped his attention immediately towards Hanji, who shrunk a bit under his gaze. She rubbed the back of her neck and laughed nervously.
"Ah hahaha, well, you see, I knew that we weren't making progress with him, so…I thought that maybe Eren could get some valuable information out of him, that's all."
"Oh? And his valuable information was warning us about titans" Levi remarked snidely," I cannot believe the idiocy spewing from both of your mouths right now. A prisoner tells you some bullshit and you believe him?"
"But sir! He seemed to be genuinely serious…" Hanji began, but she was quickly interrupted by Levi's stern tone.
"The man is a complete lunatic, how the fuck do you know that he was being serious? Have you forgotten that he tried to murder Arlert? Or was that just an afterthought?"
It was Eren's turn to scowl, gathering his courage and standing before Levi, staring him straight in the eye without flinching. The boy definitely had balls.
"But what if he's telling the truth and we do nothing? People could die! I won't sit back and let that happen!" Eren protested, his voice taking on a desperate tone. Levi regarded him with a kind of look one would give a piece of gum on their shoe. An inconvenience.
"For all you know Jaeger he could be luring you into another trap."
Eren had finally reached the end of his rope. His patience had completely dissapated after the talk with Rook.
"Maybe he is, but I can't just sit here and do nothing. I'll go by myself if I have to!"
Without another word Eren stormed off in the direction of the castle to retrieve his maneuver gear. As Hanji and Levi watched his back grow smaller and smaller in the distance Levi heaved a sigh. Hanji placed a comforting hand on his shoulder as she spoke.
"You know we can't let him go alone, Levi. He might turn into a titan and go on a rampage, or even worse, get himself killed. If there are no titans I will take responsibility for wasting your time. Don't be angry with Eren, he only wants to do what's best for the Legion."
Levi closed his eyes and breathed through his nose. Those two idiots were going to be the death of him.
"…I know. Go gear up and alert the rest of my squad. We'll head out as soon as everyone is ready. Report our expedition to Erwin, and make sure he knows where we are. Have a squad sent behind us for backup in case anything happens. If this is a wild goose chase expect to be severely reprimanded," Levi barked, and Hanji saluted him return.
"Yes, Corporal! Right away!" With that the woman was off to do as instructed. Levi handed Onyx's reins to the stable master and instructed him to saddle several horses in preparation. Levi was genuinely happy that he'd decided to wear his maneuver gear today. He'd had to replace one of his foot straps and was working on breaking in the new material.
So much for a relaxing day off.