Alright, to begin with, I'd like to thank all my lovely reviewers (especially you, WalrusGuy. Your username made me smile! :) ). I hope you all had a fun, safe holidays, and I hope you enjoy this chapter!
The Judge refused to look up from his desk as he shuffled papers, pushing his glasses further up his nose.
"Eren Jager is to be executed at dawn tomorrow."
There was a collective gasp from the crowd, and some of the children began to cry, while the women looked away.
Levi stared, chest heaving. In the silence that followed he pulled off his jacket, throwing it to the floor and stepping on it with his booted foot. He glared up at the judge, silver eyes burning with hatred. "I hereby resign from the Scouting Legion and Military operations altogether."
The silence errupted into frantic exclaimations, and the judge banged his gavel rapidly to quiet everyone before he was staring down at Levi, shocked at the man's audacity.
"You cannot simply resign from the Legion! You're humanity's greatest soldier-"
"I can, and I will."
The judge's eyes burned, nostrils flaring. "I will order you to serve..."
"And I will jump into the mouth of the first titan I see! What good will I do you when I'm dead!?" Levi was shouting, now, his chest rattling with the force of his emotion.
The judge's eyes widened in surprise, and he quickly changed tatics. "You'd forsake humanity because of one boy!? You'd sentence every one of us in this room- the women and children- to death, because of your refusal to fight!? All because of one soldier!?"
Levi glared daggers at the man. His voice took on a shockingly cold tone as he spoke.
"I'd argue, Sir, that such a bigoted, blinded race of creatures such as yourself doesn't deserve to live."
"I'll have you executed for treason!" the judge roared.
Levi laughed. It was a cold, calculated laugh, and everyone in the courtroom seemed to freeze when they heard it.
Levi looked up at the judge, grinning. He knew he had the man in checkmate, now. "Go ahead, execute me. Hang me next to Eren Jager. But I will not serve a race of people that cannot accept my soldier as human."
Erwin and Armin exchanged shocked glances, smiling slightly. Levi had gotten them the most power they'd had all day- his fighting skills and military service being used as a bargaining tool, they just might win this case.
Erwin raised his hand. "I have a proposal, your honor!"
"Speak, Erwin." the judge looked relieved at the thought of having another option on the table. In this verbal duel, Levi had him backed into a corner.
"What if we allowed Eren to demonstrate his control in titan form? Outside the walls, in an open field, we'd allow him to prove his worth to humanity."
The judge looked up, wide eyed. "A titan? Within the walls? And if he looses control?"
"Levi will cut him down where he stands, then. Eren will be dead and Levi will return to military service." Erwin spoke calmly. "But if Eren maintains control and proves his worth to humanity before you all, then the Scouting Legion gains exclusive custody of him- and you give up the right to ever question his humanity and try him for his life." Erwin finished, looking up at the judge. "Sound fair?"
The judge nodded eagerly. In his eyes, Eren would most certainly lose control and be killed, and they'd keep humanity's greatest soldier in service.
"Levi- do you agree?"
Levi's eyes widened slightly at the proposition, but he nodded.
Erwin smiled. "It's settled, then. We'll reconvene in the public grazing lands just outside wall Sina."
"Court is adjourned."
"What if I can't do it!? This is insane!" Eren looked thouroughly panicked as he sat in the back of a wagon alongside Erwin, Hanji and Levi.
"It was our only chance of getting you out of there alive." Levi said simply.
Eren turned his gaze on his friend, then, looking thoroughly upset. "And you- threatening to resign!? What is wrong with you!?"
Erwin raised his eyebrows at the exchange, and Levi sighed. While he didn't mind talking to Eren as a friend when they were alone, it was a bit embarrassing to have him do it in front of his other friends. Yes, he had indeed made friends with the fifteen year old titan shifter.
"I was saving your life, brat. It was a bluff." Levi supplied tersely.
"Really? You seemed to passionate about it." Eren looked surprised. He was completely oblivious to the fact that Levi had in fact been dead serious. If Eren was executed, he would stop fighting for humanity.
"Enough of the mushy stuff- we'll have time for that later!" Hanji slammed papers down on the bed of the wagon, nodding to Eren. "We'll be at the wall soon. All you have to do is maintain control while transformed..."
Eren's eyes widened. "I don't even know if I can transform..."
"Don't talk like that, dammit!" Levi snapped.
"I don't know if I can do it, alright!?" Eren snapped right back, tears pooling at the corners of his eyes. "I'm pretty beat up, and I don't have a clear goal in mind! I can't just do it whenever I want!"
"Your goal is to stay in control while in titan form, Eren! That's it! That's your goal!" Hanji yelled right back. They were approaching the field, now, the large open space was coming into view.
"Levi can't help you now! He'll be standing guard with his blades out in case you lose control. You have to do this yourself- you just have to transform, Eren! We didn't come this far to lose you to these bastards!" Hanji shouted.
The wagon was slowing down, now, they didn't have much time left.
"I don't know if I can!" Eren cried. Tears were openly leaking down his face, now, and he looked beyond terrified. He looked at Levi desperately.
"I can't do this for you, Eren. If I could I would, but I can't, and I'm sorry." Levi stared at the wagon bed desolately.
MPs were already coming over tot he wagons, pulling Eren out into the field.
"Levi!"
"Be strong, Eren!"
The hour had come.
Eren stood in the field, shaking, alone. Wall Sina was to his back, Scouting Legion soldiers sitting atop it to fight him, should he lose control. Thirty meters forward stood Levi, blades out, watching him anxiously.
another twenty meters back stood the military officers and the judge, and even further back the citizens, all watching with bated breath.
He could do this. Eren took a deep breath. Maintain control. was all he thought, before he sank his teeth into his hand. He tasted warm blood and a flash of pain as his teeth tore at his flesh, but nothing happened. He was still standing there, in human form.
Eren squeezed his eyes shut. This isn't happening, this isn't happening...
He opened his eyes. Everyone was still standing there, still waiting anxiously, and he was still human. He sank his teeth into his hand again, his pained cry muffled by his mouthful of flesh...
Still, he was human. Nothing was happening.
He squeezed his eyes shut, feeling himself begin to shake. "Oh god... no..."
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