Death: And here is yet another chapter. Forgive the wait, the holidays have been stressful and other things needed to preoccupy my attention. And so here I am writing away the stress.
Chapter Twenty Ackerman Family Reunion
=3=
For almost a week Levi was in a dark mood. His squad watched from afar, as they were allowed to do as they wished on a break. Hange had informed the whole of the Survey Corp that there would be no further plans of an expedition for a while. It was a means to allow Erwin to recover, as well as the surviving scouts. Including one very irritated corporal.
Levi now spent his days accessing the Queen's Guard, which was the reason why he was needed away from his scouting duties for a short period of time. He allowed his squad to linger, watching, as he needed fresh perspectives, and a means to show he wasn't favoring a certain recruit. Every now and then he brought in Jean and Sasha to help him if the recruits needed a demonstration or better fighting partners when he drilled them in sparring.
Today was sparring day. He eyed all of the recruits critically. Thus far he agreed with the queen's choice, though he had a few kinks to work out. The two recruits from the Military Police learned the hard way not to mouth off in front of him. The two from Wall Garrison needed some more training with strategies, and the two assassins in training were driving him up the wall crazy.
One of course, was his daughter. She excelled in everything he drilled them in. Lavena was nearly in match with his speed and power, the best at strategies, and was overall the best with the gear out of everyone. However, when it came to hand to hand combat, she refused to go all out. She held back, and this was what annoyed him the most. He needed to see her at her full potential, but no amount of drilling her would make her budge.
Then there was the youngest recruit, Isabeau Hawkins. Due to her first name being so close to a past he would rather forget, Levi simply addressed her as Hawkins. He found her annoying, as she had a knack of putting her nose where it shouldn't belong. He honestly felt she would be better off as a member of Hange's squad, with the way Hawkins inquired anything and everything.
However, her quick sense of direction in the field stopped him from sending her home. Levi was hoping because of her young age of thirteen, he could shape her up to become a much more mature soldier. As a plus, Hawkins never questioned his authority, unlike the two from the Military Police branch, as well as Lavena.
Who, once again, he began to realize was the bane of his very existence right now.
He glared as he watched her fighting off Jean. Levi had told him the night before that in the hand to hand combat spar to go all out. And reluctantly, Jean followed his instruction. However, much to Levi's disappointment, Lavena was still holding back. His face was dark as he watched, completely ignoring the fact Hawkins was struggling and needed advice. He had been so into mentally slapping his daughter that he barely registered that three people from his squad stood around him until they spoke.
"You know, glaring isn't going to make her change." Mikasa commented, which the cold glare shifted to her.
"If you really want to push her to her limits, you can see about placing someone else in front of her." Armin added, thinking of Eren.
"Yeah, I could do it." The titan shifter was eager to go all out.
"Titan strength is not the answer for everything, Yeager." Levi huffed, returning his gaze at his daughter.
"Then what about sending Mikasa? She's the only one to rival you, she can easily corner her." Armin suggested a different option.
"Somehow I doubt he would gain the respect from the other recruits of sending in an outsider to test a Queen's Guard."
Everyone turned in surprise to see Erwin. He was rarely seen outside of his bedroom since he had been forced to remain as he healed. Today was his first day he was given the clear to walk around for some fresh air. He smiled a little, glad to see he could still sneak up on an assassin without getting caught.
"So, Levi, what are you going to do?" He was adding just enough pressure for the corporal to take action.
"You just want to see me go all out in a fight." Levi narrowed his eyes at his lover. He had forgiven Erwin days ago, but that didn't mean he wasn't sore about what he had done.
"Can't confirm or deny such a thing. I'm just a loyal lover checking up on my partner. Whatever would give you such an idea?" Erwin had a smile that said otherwise.
Levi stared for a moment, considering. He seemed to have made up his mind when he turned back to the group.
"Oi! Horse Face! Get your stinky ass over here. You deserve a break." His eyes narrowed as Lavena made to also take a break.
"Did I say you were on break, Ackerman? Keep your ass stationed there if you know what's good for you."
She remained where she stood, arms crossed and clearly annoyed. She knew something was up.
"Then who am I sparring, thin air?" She yelled sarcastically, earning snickering from some of the other recruits.
"Don't you start getting cocky. Do you think this is a game? You're sparring me, bitch." Levi undid the cloak with one hand and with a twirl he handed it to Jean as they passed by each other.
Suddenly the air shifted. The other recruits stopped what they were doing, and cautiously backed away, granting more room for the two. They all knew the stories, whether they be exaggerated or truth, he was still a force not to be reckoned with. And now they could see him in action. However, they knew he was not in a mood to show off. He meant serious business.
"What makes me special to spar against you, old man?" Lavena put up a brave face.
"No matter what you don't show me your full potential. So, since you absolutely refuse even going against one of the strongest of the two from the Survey Corp, you forced my hand. So, come at me with everything you got, because I am not holding back. I'll even give you a free hit." His eyes flashed dangerously.
She tensed, raising her arms defensively as she considered his words. Levi could practically smell the fear in the air. She slowly circled around him, and for every step she made he matched. They circled each other silently, their eyes never straying from each other.
"What's wrong? Too scared to fight Levi the Bloodthirsty? Or are you all bark, and no bite?" He smirked at the sight of her flinching at his assassin name.
For just a split second there was fear in her eyes.
"You're the Bloodthirsty? Then that must mean you were trained under - "
"Kenny the Ripper. Good, you know a little about the family business. Having second thoughts?" He taunted.
Lavena stopped moving, and he mirrored her. They were perfectly still, almost like statues.
"...Whenever I go full force I end up hurting them so bad they're in a coma for the rest of their lives." She bit her lip.
"Honey, I'm not a normal soldier, or assassin. I've taken on Eren Fucking Yeager at his full titan strength and lived. Whatever damage you can deliver, I can take it. Now come at me, bitch. I want to see what you can do." Levi glowered, his voice dark and eyes cold.
He must have finally hit a nerve, for she launched at full speed with a yell. Levi was prepared for it, and easily dodged, using one arm to block her punch. He grabbed her wrist with his other arm, and she responded with a high kick to his head. Before she could land a hit he spun her in the air and sent her flying a good seven feet. He was met with cheer from the Survey Corp, and unnoticed by many, the queen was also watching from the sidelines.
"You said I got a free hit!" She coughed as she got back up on her feet.
"Didn't say that it would land, did I?" Levi countered, earning a growl before she attacked again.
As they sparred, he slowly drew out her full potential. He pushed her to her limits, and was surprised to see that they were near equal in speed and power. They thought along the same level, using the techniques that they knew to gain the upper hand on the other. And it was exhilarating to experience. Never before had Levi fought someone this close to being his equal.
Mikasa wasn't even at this level yet, and she was the best Scout in his squad.
The only difference was that Lavena lacked experience. And, she didn't quite have the stamina he had. Because she held herself back so often, she never pushed passed her limits. Because of this, she tired way too fast for his liking. Yet she continued to meet him blow for blow, and he finally recognized Liucretsia in her.
She doesn't know when to quit. Just like her mother.
They had yet to land a hit on each other, or throw the other off balance. Neither had gained the upper hand. Despite how obvious Lavena was exhausted, she continued to push onward like a storm. And Levi collided against her, and despite his size he was a much bigger storm that most cowered in fear from. And here she was, meeting him halfway and giving him a run for his money.
For the first time in the short week since he's known her, Levi felt pride swell in his chest.
This was his daughter, there was no doubt about it now. And in many ways, she was the spinning image of him.
From the complete indifference to authority, their freely use of foul language, down to their strategic intelligence and damn near equal in combat. Even the Special Forces Squad could see that Lavena could even best Mikasa, so long as the fight didn't exceed a certain amount of time when stamina played a key role in deciding who won. And while it was the first time to observe Lavena at her limits, it was also the same for Levi.
In the heat of battle, it was best not to be distracted by watching a comrade fight. And while Levi did fight Kenny, his squad didn't get to see the whole of the fight. They had been too distracted with freeing Eren from his chains and escaping the collapsing cave. Compared to this, the fight against Kenny was nothing.
Eventually Lavena caught on he had a leg injury that didn't quite heal right. She quickly focused on his left side, trying to sweep his leg from under him, or hitting the right spot to render him unable to continue. This pushed Levi to the brink. Before he knew it, his assassin instincts kicked in and his movements became more fluid, more calculative, and more birdlike as he moved.
This brought a sense of panic from Lavena. She noticed the changes immediately, and she grit her teeth. Lavena recognized she had awoken something she shouldn't have stirred. She could see his demons fighting to come out and teach her a lesson. Lavena started backing away, but that only served to drive him more to attack, seeing her retreat as a moment of weakness.
Sensing the change, Erwin called for the sparring to end. He had seen these movements before, the night Levi had been captured. If this continued, then it would not end well for Lavena. What made him even more uneasy was that Levi refused to allow her to back away. Instead he was trying to drive her into a corner.
"I believe that is enough. Corporal Levi, stand down." Erwin stepped forward a few paces, his voice stern.
Oh, shit.
The two stilled, frozen. They were locked in a draw. Lavena had lost her strength, and thus why she didn't move. And still she managed to hold her leg up, just inches away from his face. Levi was caught between finishing her off and following orders, one arm blocking her leg and the other held her throat. Never before had he been so conflicted, and his eyes flashed from pale blue gray to yellow and back.
"Levi, remember your place. This is just a just a sparring drill, not an actual mission." Erwin softened his voice, but the stern commander was still there.
Levi struggled between a flashback and reality. In one instance he saw a target, in another he saw his daughter. For a brief second his hand tightened a little on her pale neck, as he mainly saw a target.
"Little bird, come back to us."
At the nickname, Levi let go of his hold on Lavena. She drew away, gasping for breath. He stared at her in horror. Levi hadn't meant to go that far. He wanted to reach out to her, apologize, but he couldn't move. He couldn't move because of the shock of what he had almost done. Levi had never lost control before, and this frightened him more than facing Kenny on equal ground.
"I believe that will be enough for today. Everyone, get some rest."
Eyes turned to Queen Historia. Her face told them she had seen the whole incident, and her eyes were filled with concern. She was concerned over the display she had just witnessed, and rightly so.
As the recruits for the Queen's Guard left, so did the majority of the Special Forces Squad. The only one who didn't move was Mikasa, which caught the attention of the rest of the squad. Feeling that something was about to go down, the squad remained, tense as they watched Mikasa made her way closer to the captain. Even Lavena stayed behind, despite how much the fight had frightened her.
"Is that going to happen more often?" She inquired, dark eyes guarded.
"No. No, it won't happen again. You're not going to pull a Hange on me, Ackerman." Pale eyes glared, catching on what she was contemplating.
Behind Mikasa, Lavena stared between them with surprise. Apparently she didn't get the memo she had another relative.
"If the safety and well being of the squad is called into question because you have more frequent episodes like that, then I won't have a choice, corporal. Remember, our objective is to protect Eren at all costs, even if it means protecting him from our own ranks." Mikasa reminded him of their position.
"Are you challenging me?" Levi tilted his head, his eyes flashing from pale gray to gold and back.
"And if I am, captain?" She stood her ground.
"Enough. Both of you. I will not have discord within the ranks of the Survey Corp. And need I remind you, we are in the presence of the queen. Also, it is still ultimately my final say if Levi is capable of leading the Special Forces Squad. That does not mean I won't take what happened today under consideration." Erwin intervened, and the two looked away, embarrassed.
"Just, make sure it doesn't happen again, captain." Mikasa said before taking her leave. With her went the rest of the squad, and Eren reluctantly followed after them. He sent a worried glance at the captain before being pulled along by his sister.
"Are you all right?" Erwin stepped closer, completely forgetting about Lavena behind him.
"...Can we snuggle?" Levi tentatively requested, eyes on the ground.
Erwin chuckled softly, it had been a while since Levi openly warmed up to him.
"Wait, you two are together?" Lavena stared, wide eyed.
The two blushed, and suddenly the cute moment was ruined. There was a giggle, and their faces deepened in color at the light laughter from the queen. Even Lavena blushed, embarrassed of such behavior in front of royalty status. However, Historia didn't seem to mind at all. She found the whole thing endearing.
"How about you three can help yourselves to one of my tea rooms? There you can have the privacy you need." Queen Historia offered with a kind smile. Whatever demons were resurfacing in Levi, she would hear about it later. Right now she wanted to see him spend time with his daughter that wasn't involving training. And it would be good for Erwin to be there to help, she knew his presence alone calmed Levi in awkward situations.
"Yes, we'll take up on your kind offer, Your Majesty. Tea sounds marvelous, right now." Erwin beamed, grateful for the queen, as he flashed his handsomest of smiles.
Lavena stared, and suddenly she could see what attracted her father to this man besides his brilliant mind.
"So it is true. The rumors going around about you, I mean." She shifted her gaze to Levi.
"And what kind of shitty gossip is it that's true?" He snapped a little too harshly, but she didn't flinch.
"That you like blondes. I heard my mother was a blonde, and all of your partners had blonde hair." She smiled deviously.
Levi caught the jealousy in Erwin's eyes. He resisted the urge to roll his eyes. When will the man stop stressing over this? In some ways, he liked the possessiveness, but sometimes it became a hassle.
"While I do have an attraction to blondes, there's more than meets the eye with Erwin. Since he captured me, he's stuck with me for life. And nothing is going to change that. What's that shitty saying the nobles like to say, death to us part? Fuck that saying, for even in death he's mine." To prove his point, Levi reached up, pulled Erwin down to his level by the collar of his shirt and kissed him.
And then after a delighted squeal from the queen Levi casually let go and walked away.
"So, I believe you promised tea. Which room is it?" He turned his focus on Queen Historia.
"Hey! Don't you dare kiss me then leave me hanging, little bird!" Erwin glared when he recovered.
"Someone's getting a little slow, old man." Levi countered, half serious.
"I can still take you with one arm." The commander turned it around to his favor.
This time Levi didn't have a comeback, and crimson burned his cheeks when Lavena busted up laughing.
"He got you good, old man! I can see why you like this one! He's officially earned the daughter's approval." She sent Erwin a wink before skipping her way towards the giggling queen's side.
Despite the glare he received from his short lover, Erwin joined in on the laughter.
=3=
Tea with his daughter and current lover was doing rather well, surprisingly. For the first time, he was able to actually spend time with Lavena when they weren't in training. Levi had wanted something like this for a while, but never knew how to approach on things like this. And having Erwin around helped ease the tension, for he knew she was still cautious around him.
It was the way she would occasionally stare at him, expecting him to flash and attack. It was a trait among most assassin trainees to have when they're unsure whether another assassin was to be trusted or not. For the most part, he ignored the glances, the nervousness. He remembered what it was like when he was being trained under Kenny.
"So, what was my mother like? They told me she died in childbirth."
Levi choked on his tea. He had expected her to inquire about her mother, but he wasn't expecting that.
"I figured that was a lie." She concluded from his reaction.
"...I don't have any other way of putting this, and I hate sugar coating. Your mother was a mental case from hell. Not that I'm not one myself, but she...she had this nasty habit of never letting things go. And the last several years of her anger on me is starting to make sense." Levi explained, as he loosened his ascot to reveal the scars on his neck.
"Are those from her?" Lavena stared, frowning.
"She never told me she got pregnant. She disappeared for a year in the training, and then Kenny pulled me out of group training around the same time. No one told me, and she probably assumed I knew but backed out in helping her. What I'm guessing is that they took you away from her, for she was too unstable to be a mother."
"They never even gave me your name until Queen Historia was on the throne. I heard of your assassin name growing up, but no one told me you were my father. Everyone told me to stay as far away from you as possible." Lavena relayed, feeling like she was betrayed.
"Why did they try so hard to keep us apart? I can see the way you interact with your squad, you wouldn't abandon me like she thought you did. You might be a little prickly on the outside, but I think it comes with the territory of being raised an assassin."
"If I can add an input for a minute." Erwin cautiously spoke.
"You have a theory or something?" Levi eyed him, he knew when the man's gears were turning in his head.
"You told me once that the government feared the Ackerman name. And yet they took a huge risk in allowing Kenny among their ranks as a hired hitman. I'm guessing he is the reason they have assassins in the first place. So, when he took you in from the Underground City, they humored him. They probably didn't believe you would be successful, since you were blind and malnourished. They didn't expect you to become his biggest success, and now they're feeling nervous."
"...Okay, I bite. They made sure that we never knew each other's existence. But why didn't they make a move of eliminating me? Eventually I would have found out once I started taking interest of training pupils again." Levi narrowed his eyes.
"They tried. They tried to set up for you to be captured. Someone leaked information of your assassination attempt on my head. They wanted to set up for you to either be captured, brought to the Military Police to be hanged or to die in the process of being captured by the Survey Corp. I heard whispers of you, of how effective you were with the gear, and I wanted to see you in action. I can say I wasn't disappointed, and that's when I decided I was going to recruit you."
"That's why they sent Kenny in to take care of us. But his feelings got in the way, and he was cornered. That man always had to have control, even down to how he died, which was by my hands." Levi reflected after a moment of letting the information sink in.
"What did they want to do with me then?" Lavena piped up, feeling even more disturbed.
"They couldn't control Kenny. He became too wild and unpredictable. I had no respect of authority and showed early on I wasn't in for politics or believed in their little games. I was simply a weapon, with no other way to live other than how I was raised. So they couldn't trust me to be controlled as their little puppet. But you? You're perfect in their eyes. Taken away as a babe, raised away from both parents, and as long as you didn't find out about myself or your mother, then they had their puppet." Levi stared at her.
"How were you raised?" Erwin gently inquired.
"I was raised well enough. I never starved, never lacked education or money. They even gave me to become a more proper lady, like a standing lady in the court. Not that I was going to stand for it, I hated every man I met in nobility. About the only downsides I had were the harsh training as an assassin." Lavena relayed.
"What were the set required tests in order for you to complete your training?"
"Just show my performance and beat a few records."
"Then their aim was to raise you without suffering. They did their best to make your life easy, and show you the glamorous life of the nobles compared to everywhere else. Easiest way of controlling someone is to give them an easier life, a life without suffering at a young age. I doubt you even unlocked the special traits that belong only to an Ackerman." Levi theorized.
"What do you mean?"
"As far as I have figured out from Kenny, and a book I've been reading of our family history, we came from outside the walls. One of our ancestors came here, and were resistant of the power the royal family had over the entire people. We remember when memories were supposed to be altered. We have a natural resistance to their power, and if we experienced a horrible event at a young age, we become stronger and faster." Levi explained, letting the information sink in before continuing.
"And because of that, we are feared among the government. Hence why they tried to wipe out anyone with the Ackerman name. What they didn't count on was someone like Kenny retaliating, but then he somehow forged a bond with someone powerful enough to be the governments secret weapon."
"So...you're saying they wanted all of us to die? But what about Mikasa? If they wanted a puppet, since they couldn't control Kenny or you, why didn't they snatch her away, too?" Lavena had a point.
"My guess is that they didn't know of her existence until it was too late. They must have known upon seeing her name among the list of recruits in training. They probably had her closely watched, liked her performance, but couldn't snatch her because she has one fatal flaw." He had already figured it out.
"Oh? And what's that?"
"Too much free will. Her only weakness is Eren Yeager, but I have seen that if he is removed out of the picture she becomes depressed. She loses her drive to keep going. She lost her sense of direction. So instead of sending assassins after his head, the government felt safer to leave him be while focusing more on killing myself and Erwin."
Lavena considered his words for a moment. She had a lot to take in, and she was still getting used to the idea that she had a father. But there was one last thing she needed to know before leaving.
"...You never answered what happened to my mother."
Levi looked away, a first when it came down with her. He made a point to never show he was guilty.
"She died a while back, before Wall Cina was almost destroyed. She died fighting against me and Mikasa."
"You mean to say you're responsible for her death?"
"It was either herself or my squad in our rescue attempt for Eren. Mind you, this was before I knew about you."
"And that would have changed the outcome, how?"
"I would have tried harder to secure she lived. Maybe a bit beat up, but alive."
It was the truth, and he knew it. He said it with such conviction, there was no denying it, even for her.
"...Will stand by what I said, she was a fucking mental case. I don't know how she would have reacted upon meeting you. Her mentality became worse when she grew older, so she probably would have saddened and frightened you."
"And how would you know!?" She stood up, eyes brimmed with tears.
"Because that was how I felt when I saw her after eight years of avoiding her." Cold eyes met hers, and somehow he kept a straight face as the tears fell and she ran out of the room.
"...I didn't break her, did I?" His gaze never left the door.
"Give her time. It's a lot to take in. I'm sure she'll come around." Erwin smiled, a mix of sorrow and assuring.
"...Can we snuggle now?"
"Of course, little bird." The commander laughed softly.