p align="justify"She turned the corner on the far end of the street and I nearly galloped after her, afraid of losing her and risking not finding her again. Loud complaints barely touched my ears, coming from people she ran into and knocked over./p
p align="justify"For once, I was very glad I'd looked so attentively at the plan of the city, having a vague idea of what was around me even though we were moving so fast. Rebecca, Elli, whatever was still keeping a hard to follow pace, almost as if she trained frequently. No way someone who exercised casually could keep up this high speed for such a long time./p
p align="justify"But it couldn't last much longer. She was slowing down gradually as we turned corners and was almost within my grasp. Several times I thought about throwing one of the knives at her but with so many people out and about on the street, hurting someone wasn't really a chance I wanted to take unless it was absolutely necessary./p
p align="justify"As the houses became more and more irregularly placed, I realized that I hadn't seen that part of the city in the blueprints. Things could get dicey from there on as the amount of dead ends and corners to hide in and escape was increasing. But I couldn't let her escape, why did she even begin running in the first place? My cracked ribs were starting to act up and making it impossible to breathe. This needed to end. She turned yet another corner and I followed only to find an empty street./p
p align="justify"Rushing to the end of street, I looked at the possible routes she might have taken but all were empty, the long braids were nowhere to be found. Inhaling deeply hurt at this pointing, having to lean forward and support my weight with hands on knees, trying to level out my pulse./p
p align="justify""Fuck... Levi's gonna kill me when I tell him..." I mumbled, slowly straightening myself and turning to try and find the way back to his house. Before I could even make a full turn, someone jumped at me, and we both fell onto the ground, the person straddling my chest./p
p align="justify""What the fuck do you want from me?", Rebecca was nearly strangling me at this point, and her weight on my chest was sure to brake what was left of my ribs. "I can't fucking believe she'd betray me like this. Now fucking speak! . .me." she spat, face nearing mine. I was running out of air, my vision was already starting to blur and my pulse rung in my ears as a warning sign. Reaching slowly for one of the knives, I used up what force I could and jammed it in her thigh. She fell of me screaming, only seeming to get angrier but I'd distracted her enough to get an advantage and managed to catch her in an arm lock, slowly choking her./p
p align="justify""Don't worry. This isn't going to kill you. Stop fighting, it will only drag this out more.", I tried to calm her. After all, all I wanted was answers but I obviously wouldn't get them with her trying to constantly murder me and asking me questions about things I had no idea of. She still wasn't giving up, contorting but my grip on her was nearly perfect. Years of training weren't useless after all, in light of my past failures./p
p align="justify"Although the wounded muscle in my arm was screaming in pain was the bite slowly ripped open with all the force I had to use to keep Rebecca in place. After a few more seconds, she gave out. Passed out but still alive, I had sometime to take her to the captain's house. She woke up during the way back but was so disoriented it was easy to knock her out again./p
p align="justify" /p
p align="justify"~/p
p align="justify"Reiner was the first to see me carrying a woman on my arms, and rushed to know what was happening./p
p align="justify""I'll explain everything inside, now, take her. My arm needs medical attention. Also mind her leg, we'll need to bind it.", as we entered, Levi lifted up his gaze to the scene unfolding before him./p
p align="justify""Lieutenant what is the meaning of this? We don't have time to go around saving everyone you find on the street.", he commented at first but then, seeing blood soaking through the bandage on my arm, he figured it was something serious./p
p align="justify"At first, I couldn't talk anymore, the energy pumping through my veins decreasing and the pain coming from the broken ribs becoming excruciating. I couldn't breathe, my chest refused to expand and I was starting to feel trapped, looking up to the captain in distress./p
p align="justify""What?", he inquired, "Speak up, I can't understand you.", I could only gesture at myself, pointing at my ribs and throat. Fucking hell, how can he not understand what I'm asking?! There was a pencil on the table, where the map to the Underground lay flat. I lunged toward it, still too afraid of taking a deep breath, pain shooting up my back with each step, and wrote 'brown pack in the big bed room'./p
p align="justify"The captain hurried to get it and, opening it, I took a glass vial and a syringe and injected myself with it, quickly feeling the calming effect on the pain. Finally I was able to breathe./p
p align="justify""I... apologize sir.. I seem to have broken my ribs...", my voice dragged a bit, probably the dosage of the painkiller had been a bit too much for me but no harm done. I think, at least./p
p align="justify""Explain what happened, Martha. What is this woman doing here?", he nearly demanded to know. His voice had a tone of urgency which contrasted with his usual expressionless face but I paid no attention to it, already a bit buzzed from the injection./p
p align="justify""Well..." , I turned to face the woman now laying on the table, peacefully knocked out, chest rising in steady breaths. "She tried to kill me and kept screaming about how had I found her. Plus, she's the woman from the bar we scouted a couple of nights ago. She told me her name was Rebecca but her little sister called her Elli. I thought I should bring her here for questioning..."/p
p align="justify""Hm, there isn't much to follow based solely on the info you have, lieutenant.", Levi started pacing around the room as Reiner and I waited for orders. "Now that I look at her closely, it is the same woman but what the brat called her could be a nickname... Either way, you, shitty brat", he pointed at Reiner "go to the storage room and remove everything there. Just leave a chair. And make sure to check if the windows are closed. We don't want anyone hearing our talks."/p
p align="justify""Certainly, sir.", he rushed to follow the man's orders, disappearing inside said room./p
p align="justify""You, Martha, can you move?"/p
p align="justify""I can now, Levi. I stabbed her leg, we need to disinfect it and bind it. I can do that.", during the process of injecting myself with whatever weird concoction Hange had provided, I'd sat on the floor, and, while getting up, I realized the dosage of the liquid had been a bit emtoo/em excessive, since I felt lightheaded immediately and had to sit back down. "Um... I guess I injected a bit too much, sir... I'll be fine in a couple of minutes but I.. can't get up right now."/p
p align="justify""I thought you and Shitty Glasses were our doctors, lieutenant. This is rather disappointing, I must say."/p
p align="justify""I might be a researcher sir, but I don't have her experience with medication on humans, besides, this was a new drug she came up with... I don't even know what side effects there are. I-"/p
p align="justify""That is beyond the point, lieutenant. Stop chattering and pass me the disinfectant. I'll do it.", without further discussion, I handed him the large brown glass bottle and let myself sink further into the floor, slowly dozing off./p
p align="justify" /p
p align="justify"~/p
p align="justify" /p
p align="justify"After what seemed like half an hour, Reiner emerged from the room, beads of sweat collecting around his temples. The effect of the medicine was starting to wear off but, luckily for me, the blinding pain didn't return. Just a milder version of it, which was much more easy to endure. The captain remained near Rebecca, a slight dent between his eyebrows hinting at his thoughts on the situation./p
p align="justify""Is the room cleared?", he asked./p
p align="justify""Yes, sir. All except a chair.. ~Oh and the window is closed as well.", the blond responded./p
p align="justify""Very well. You-", he nudged my shoulder gently with his knee "-can you get up?"/p
p align="justify""I don't know... Let's see..", slowly, I hoisted myself, pressing the palms of my hands on to the table, and eventually managed to stay upright. "I'm good now, sir."/p
p align="justify""Good. Reiner, you take this woman to the room and tie her up using the spare ropes I brought in my bag. Come with me, lieutenant."/p
p align="justify""What for, sir? I said I was okay already, we should be present for when she wakes up."/p
p align="justify""Do as I say, Martha.", he cut the conversation clean. "Call if she wakes up, brat. Understood?"/p
p align="justify""Yessir...", Braun answered, picking up Rebecca and carrying her to the room. I, in turn, followed captain Levi into one of the other rooms, oblivious to what his intentions were. He didn't look aggravated, although I should get a lecture for going out on a limb and getting battered up like that without his knowledge, specially during a mission with so little resources./p
p align="justify" /p
p align="justify"~/p
p align="justify""Strip.", he ordered, putting down the medical bag Hange had prepared for us./p
p align="justify""Excuse me..?"/p
p align="justify""Take off your shirt, Martha, I need to check the extent of your injuries.", all of a sudden, I felt a rush of heat flowing to my face, thinking about being half naked in the captain's presence. What even is wrong with me... This ridiculous 'crush' needs to end. He is my team leader and captain, Humanity's Strongest and just that. This is probably just admiration and attachment because of him rescuing us that day outside the walls. Slowly, I started unbuttoning the stained shirt, trying not to feel his eyes on me, like hot irons burning the newly exposed flesh./p
p align="justify"Despite my out of control hormonal thoughts, he seemed completely calm, as would be expected. Those weird thoughts were all in my head, not reality and I'd do well to not forget that. Taking off the shirt completely, I placed it on the bed and stood there, waiting as the captain circled me, examining my torso./p
p align="justify"For a while, there was silence. One of those too still, awkward like silences in which it seems like neither person knows what to say to break it. He was inspecting my back, I could hear him breathe behind me and shift his weight from side to side, floorboards creaking in protest. Ghost fingers seemed to dance over my skin, causing random goosebumps, something which the captain inquired about./p
p align="justify""You cold, or something?", he asked, his voice sounding rather deep in my right ear, causing an involuntary jolt./p
p align="justify""No, I'm fine sir.."/p
p align="justify""This is starting to bruise...", he mumbled to himself. "Does it hurt here?", he asked, resting a palm on curve on my waist and pressing his thumb into a spot near my spine. The startle of his touch nearly made me jump, but also, the gash of pain that shot up from that point made me let out a yelp, hand reaching back instinctively to pull his away./p
p align="justify""Y-yes sir. It does.. a lot."/p
p align="justify""Hm... we'll need to bind this so it stays together."/p
p align="justify""Ok, sir... I'm okay now, you don't need to worry anymore. I can do that myself.", took me a while to realize I was still clutching his hand tightly and let go with an embarrassed apology. "Is there anything else? I don't remember injuring myself anymore than that."/p
p align="justify""This healed up nicely...", he muttered, ghosting a finger over my upper back. A shiver ran down my spine, and for a split second I pictured what it would be like to feel his hands... nevermind. Those thoughts were quickly suppressed as they were nothing more than wishful, inappropriate thinking. "You did quite a number on yourself that day.", he didn't need to specify. I knew exactly what day he was referring to./p
p align="justify""Yeah... I guess that's the extent of Hange's medical expertise. She knows a lot about those things."/p
p align="justify""Shitty Glasses... well, if she was useless, Erwin wouldn't give her the importance he does. Pass me the bandage, will you?"/p
p align="justify""Sir, I can do it myself, you don't need to-"/p
p align="justify""Shut up and obey my orders. For once.", he added the last part, muttering incomprehensible words. I passed it to him, discussing the issue no further. Man, the captain sure was pushy today... He wrapped up my back and chest area, slowly and in silence./p
p align="justify"He also examined the opened wound in my arm, dressing it quickly and avoiding eye contact, which only made me even more aware of his touch on the tender skin, each digit that accidentally grazed the purple hued area around the wound created a knot in the pit of my stomach and had me trying to take my arm away, in order to stop those inappropriate thoughts. Luckily for me, Reiner called short after and after putting on the shirt, I asked Levi to not go in there right away./p
p align="justify" /p
p align="justify"~/p
p align="justify" /p
p align="justify""So..", I began, looking at the sitting woman in front of me. Braun was leaning against the wall, near the window, listening carefully. The captain was probably keeping a close ear on the conversation as well, despite being outside. "What is you real name?"/p
p align="justify""I won't tell you!", she struggled against the rope but is was futile; she wasn't going anywhere./p
p align="justify""Listen, whoever you are, just answer these questions and we'll let you go."/p
p align="justify""She betrayed me, didn't she? That slut... that whore... I knew deep down she couldn't be trusted...", the woman mumbled./p
p align="justify""Who is 'she'? Who the fuck are you talking about?"/p
p align="justify""I won't say anything!", she yelled again./p
p align="justify""Listen, Rebecca, or what's your name, I don't really care, why did you run? We're not after you or your sister."/p
p align="justify""Liar... I know she told you where to find me!"/p
p align="justify""Let's start again. What is your name?", with the way things were going, it would probably be necessary to rough her up a bit but, honestly I'd much rather it be me doing it than Levi. He had self control but everyone gets angry some times... I wasn't really sure why I felt that but, I could always call him in, if needed, so I paid no mind to it. "Why did Marina call you 'Ellie'? Who are you? Who are you talking about?"/p
p align="justify""You can't make me say it. I know she's doing this on purpose. That fucking bitch always thought I'd back stab her..."/p
p align="justify""Hm... Reiner, this isn't working. Please leave and go get the captain. He might be a bit more persuasive than me."/p
p align="justify""Understood, mam.", he obliged, leaving us alone. Kneeling down, I looked up at Rebecca with a calm expression./p
p align="justify""Look here. We dressed your wounds and you haven't been hurt yet. I'm sure this is all a big misunderstanding, miss. If you could just answer my questions, you'd be off in no time... Trust me, you won't like what's going to come through that door."/p
p align="justify""I'd rather eat shit.", she grunted./p
p align="justify""Ugh, how rude of you. He'll be here any moment now. You still have a few moments left...", suddenly the door creaked open and the two men entered./p
p align="justify"Out of all the years I'd seen Levi enter a room, no one and literally no one had ever turned pale so fast as when Rebecca saw him. The captain seemed to pick up immediately on this fact, cocking his head up slightly and grunting in an inquiring tone. We stood there in silence for a minute before he walked closer to her, sighing./p
p align="justify""Spit it. Who are you?", as he neared her, she seemed to press harder against the back of the chair, visibly trying to stay calm. Rebecca just stared back, her expression slowly calming down and a light smile started tugging the corners of her mouth. "Not gonna talk?", the captain asked again, maintaining the neutral tone to his voice./p
p align="justify"Reiner and I were merely spectators of this scene. As each minute went on by, Rebecca seemed to feel increasingly at ease, the pink returning to her cheeks. What had changed? For about half an hour, Levi waited patiently, pacing around the woman's chair eyes fixing hers in absolute silence, the stone cold expression refusing to soften./p
p align="justify"From time to time, that icy stare would rest on me, a chill causing my back to straighten up instantly and a knot tied and untied itself in the pit of my stomach. Seeing him so intensely focused had my palms begin to feel sweaty, which would cool, making the fingers feel stiff and the muscles anticipate something unknown. Or maybe it was the fact that this wasn't going anywhere and Rebecca at this point seemed to be mocking us./p
p align="justify""I'll ask this once again. Who are you? What is your name?", he inquired once again. This time, the answer he got was a mere scoffing laugh. "Something I said was funny?"/p
p align="justify""Nothing, nothing... I didn't expect this from.. Humanity's Strongest..", she taunted. Heat began rising through my body, seeing that woman openly mocking the captain. It was his decision that she wasn't yet beaten to a pulp. She should be grateful./p
p align="justify"At the time, he was doing his round, walking slowly behind her, until she swung her head back, with a nonchalant smile. He merely stopped and grabbed her head, pushing her forward until the whole chair fell and she hit the ground shoulder first. The movement was so quick the loud crashing sound startled me./p
p align="justify"She grunted for a while, trying to worm herself but eventually giving up. Levi didn't attempt to move her back upright. Reiner intervened and pulled her back, placing the chair in the exact same place. For the first time in a while, I walked closer to her leaned in to talk./p
p align="justify""So now, what is your name?"/p
p align="justify""As if this was anything... I've seen children interrogating people better than this.", she scoffed again. Man, this bitch was starting to aggravate me. Sighing deeply, I leaning in closer, staring into her disdainful eyes. "You see... the captain here you seemed to fear so much is, out of kindness, holding back a bit on the whole beating part. We expect you cooperate.. Just to make things easier but.. If you really prefer going through that whole process... Your choice. We just want to ask you a few questions.", she seemed to ponder on her options but quickly changed her mind when Levi grabbed onto her hurt shoulder, fingers digging into the fabric and most likely bruised flesh, making the woman wince./p
p align="justify""Fine, fine!", she finally spoke. "You just want to know my name, right?"/p
p align="justify""Yes."/p
p align="justify""It's Elaine."/p
p align="justify""Very well.. Elaine. Why did you attack me at your house?", I asked, backing up against the door and leaning back, looking up, listening to her talk./p
p align="justify""That was... because I mistook you for someone else.", my eyes darted down, at her. Who did she think she was trying to fool...? Seriously?/p
p align="justify""Oh Elaine... no, no, no... You were doing so well... Why lie now? Scared of the captain? He won't hurt you if you cooperate.", her face started getting red and her eyes slowly began watering./p
p align="justify""It's just... that...", she went silent for a bit. Her starting to compulsively cry was something I wasn't expecting at all./p
p align="justify""What?", Levi asked, seemingly impatient./p
p align="justify""I just moved here... and found Marina wandering the streets all alone... I though you were...", between sobs it was very hard to distinguish the words but a few came through less babbled./p
p align="justify""What? You thought I was what?"/p
p align="justify""An officer coming to take her away...", she finished the sentence, head falling to a side, face contorted and red with tears. "I just... I didn't mean to.. But Marina.. her real mother treated her like trash... I just wanted to help her..."/p
p align="justify""Marina's mother...?", I started thinking about the poor little girl all alone in a house with a mother who hated her and mistreated her and felt my heart tightening. Still... there was something not adding up in this whole story. "Why did you change your name then?"/p
p align="justify""I wanted a fresh start here... People back at the Inn... there were some troubles.. You know those drunks...". A reasonable explanation. A very plausible one for that matter. It wasn't uncommon from people to change names if they had some major falling out and wanted to start fresh in a new city./p
p align="justify""Interesting... If Marina only got to your house a few days ago... Then why does she talk about you like she's known you for weeks, months even?"/p
p align="justify"And then I noticed something very familiar. I hadn't realized I was even looking for it but all of a sudden it was simply there. While she still sobbed a bit from time to time, she was quiet for a moment, head hanging low. But it was her right foot that caught my attention. A set of quiet taps with the front toes that came through as the wrinkling of the boot. It was so peculiar, I'd never seen anyone else besides another person do it, not that way, an actual pattern./p
p align="justify""Y-you how kids are... they don't really have a sense of time...", she ended up saying./p
p align="justify""Really? Well Elaine, thank you. I'll have to discuss something with the captain outside but feel free to chat with Reiner, if you want. We'll be right back.", I smiled kindly. The lying bitch.../p
p align="justify""But you said you'd free me!", she contested, showing her puffed face, bloodshot eyes and wet trails down the cheeks./p
p align="justify""And we will. Don't worry. Captain, please follow me."/p
p align="justify" /p
p align="justify"~/p
p align="justify""What?", he asked, sitting on one of the chairs around the table. "Sounds actually legit. Although the whole brat shit...-"/p
p align="justify""She's lying. I'm sure.", his eyebrows furrowed slightly./p
p align="justify""How? Since when are you an experience interrogator, for that matter?", he commented, leaning back on the chair./p
p align="justify""I'm not, I know. But she's doing something with her foot that an old friend of mine die when she was lying."/p
p align="justify""Are you serious...?", he sighed. "Martha, we can't be wasting time on guesses. This is revealing itself pointless."/p
p align="justify""Sir, I am more than sure that she's lying."/p
p align="justify""Well, how convenient that you'd seen that before, isn't it...?"/p
p align="justify""You don't seriously think her story is true, right? I mean... sir, do you even remember seeing her in that bar before the night we went there?", he was silent for a moment, probably recollecting all the times he'd gone and witnessed all the debauchery went on inside those walls./p
p align="justify""It does sound somewhat... all too convenient. Fine. Let's keep her for a bit longer. But we don't have anymore time to waste on this."/p
p align="justify""I understand."/p
p align="justify""Whatever happens in there, remember that I'm your captain and you answer to me. Got it?"/p
p align="justify""Uhm... got it, sir.", things would possibly take a turn to the worse but in the end, the Corps was above everything else./p
p align="justify"For once, I was very glad I'd looked so attentively at the plan of the city, having a vague idea of what was around me even though we were moving so fast. Rebecca, Elli, whatever was still keeping a hard to follow pace, almost as if she trained frequently. No way someone who exercised casually could keep up this high speed for such a long time./p
p align="justify"But it couldn't last much longer. She was slowing down gradually as we turned corners and was almost within my grasp. Several times I thought about throwing one of the knives at her but with so many people out and about on the street, hurting someone wasn't really a chance I wanted to take unless it was absolutely necessary./p
p align="justify"As the houses became more and more irregularly placed, I realized that I hadn't seen that part of the city in the blueprints. Things could get dicey from there on as the amount of dead ends and corners to hide in and escape was increasing. But I couldn't let her escape, why did she even begin running in the first place? My cracked ribs were starting to act up and making it impossible to breathe. This needed to end. She turned yet another corner and I followed only to find an empty street./p
p align="justify"Rushing to the end of street, I looked at the possible routes she might have taken but all were empty, the long braids were nowhere to be found. Inhaling deeply hurt at this pointing, having to lean forward and support my weight with hands on knees, trying to level out my pulse./p
p align="justify""Fuck... Levi's gonna kill me when I tell him..." I mumbled, slowly straightening myself and turning to try and find the way back to his house. Before I could even make a full turn, someone jumped at me, and we both fell onto the ground, the person straddling my chest./p
p align="justify""What the fuck do you want from me?", Rebecca was nearly strangling me at this point, and her weight on my chest was sure to brake what was left of my ribs. "I can't fucking believe she'd betray me like this. Now fucking speak! . .me." she spat, face nearing mine. I was running out of air, my vision was already starting to blur and my pulse rung in my ears as a warning sign. Reaching slowly for one of the knives, I used up what force I could and jammed it in her thigh. She fell of me screaming, only seeming to get angrier but I'd distracted her enough to get an advantage and managed to catch her in an arm lock, slowly choking her./p
p align="justify""Don't worry. This isn't going to kill you. Stop fighting, it will only drag this out more.", I tried to calm her. After all, all I wanted was answers but I obviously wouldn't get them with her trying to constantly murder me and asking me questions about things I had no idea of. She still wasn't giving up, contorting but my grip on her was nearly perfect. Years of training weren't useless after all, in light of my past failures./p
p align="justify"Although the wounded muscle in my arm was screaming in pain was the bite slowly ripped open with all the force I had to use to keep Rebecca in place. After a few more seconds, she gave out. Passed out but still alive, I had sometime to take her to the captain's house. She woke up during the way back but was so disoriented it was easy to knock her out again./p
p align="justify" /p
p align="justify"~/p
p align="justify"Reiner was the first to see me carrying a woman on my arms, and rushed to know what was happening./p
p align="justify""I'll explain everything inside, now, take her. My arm needs medical attention. Also mind her leg, we'll need to bind it.", as we entered, Levi lifted up his gaze to the scene unfolding before him./p
p align="justify""Lieutenant what is the meaning of this? We don't have time to go around saving everyone you find on the street.", he commented at first but then, seeing blood soaking through the bandage on my arm, he figured it was something serious./p
p align="justify"At first, I couldn't talk anymore, the energy pumping through my veins decreasing and the pain coming from the broken ribs becoming excruciating. I couldn't breathe, my chest refused to expand and I was starting to feel trapped, looking up to the captain in distress./p
p align="justify""What?", he inquired, "Speak up, I can't understand you.", I could only gesture at myself, pointing at my ribs and throat. Fucking hell, how can he not understand what I'm asking?! There was a pencil on the table, where the map to the Underground lay flat. I lunged toward it, still too afraid of taking a deep breath, pain shooting up my back with each step, and wrote 'brown pack in the big bed room'./p
p align="justify"The captain hurried to get it and, opening it, I took a glass vial and a syringe and injected myself with it, quickly feeling the calming effect on the pain. Finally I was able to breathe./p
p align="justify""I... apologize sir.. I seem to have broken my ribs...", my voice dragged a bit, probably the dosage of the painkiller had been a bit too much for me but no harm done. I think, at least./p
p align="justify""Explain what happened, Martha. What is this woman doing here?", he nearly demanded to know. His voice had a tone of urgency which contrasted with his usual expressionless face but I paid no attention to it, already a bit buzzed from the injection./p
p align="justify""Well..." , I turned to face the woman now laying on the table, peacefully knocked out, chest rising in steady breaths. "She tried to kill me and kept screaming about how had I found her. Plus, she's the woman from the bar we scouted a couple of nights ago. She told me her name was Rebecca but her little sister called her Elli. I thought I should bring her here for questioning..."/p
p align="justify""Hm, there isn't much to follow based solely on the info you have, lieutenant.", Levi started pacing around the room as Reiner and I waited for orders. "Now that I look at her closely, it is the same woman but what the brat called her could be a nickname... Either way, you, shitty brat", he pointed at Reiner "go to the storage room and remove everything there. Just leave a chair. And make sure to check if the windows are closed. We don't want anyone hearing our talks."/p
p align="justify""Certainly, sir.", he rushed to follow the man's orders, disappearing inside said room./p
p align="justify""You, Martha, can you move?"/p
p align="justify""I can now, Levi. I stabbed her leg, we need to disinfect it and bind it. I can do that.", during the process of injecting myself with whatever weird concoction Hange had provided, I'd sat on the floor, and, while getting up, I realized the dosage of the liquid had been a bit emtoo/em excessive, since I felt lightheaded immediately and had to sit back down. "Um... I guess I injected a bit too much, sir... I'll be fine in a couple of minutes but I.. can't get up right now."/p
p align="justify""I thought you and Shitty Glasses were our doctors, lieutenant. This is rather disappointing, I must say."/p
p align="justify""I might be a researcher sir, but I don't have her experience with medication on humans, besides, this was a new drug she came up with... I don't even know what side effects there are. I-"/p
p align="justify""That is beyond the point, lieutenant. Stop chattering and pass me the disinfectant. I'll do it.", without further discussion, I handed him the large brown glass bottle and let myself sink further into the floor, slowly dozing off./p
p align="justify" /p
p align="justify"~/p
p align="justify" /p
p align="justify"After what seemed like half an hour, Reiner emerged from the room, beads of sweat collecting around his temples. The effect of the medicine was starting to wear off but, luckily for me, the blinding pain didn't return. Just a milder version of it, which was much more easy to endure. The captain remained near Rebecca, a slight dent between his eyebrows hinting at his thoughts on the situation./p
p align="justify""Is the room cleared?", he asked./p
p align="justify""Yes, sir. All except a chair.. ~Oh and the window is closed as well.", the blond responded./p
p align="justify""Very well. You-", he nudged my shoulder gently with his knee "-can you get up?"/p
p align="justify""I don't know... Let's see..", slowly, I hoisted myself, pressing the palms of my hands on to the table, and eventually managed to stay upright. "I'm good now, sir."/p
p align="justify""Good. Reiner, you take this woman to the room and tie her up using the spare ropes I brought in my bag. Come with me, lieutenant."/p
p align="justify""What for, sir? I said I was okay already, we should be present for when she wakes up."/p
p align="justify""Do as I say, Martha.", he cut the conversation clean. "Call if she wakes up, brat. Understood?"/p
p align="justify""Yessir...", Braun answered, picking up Rebecca and carrying her to the room. I, in turn, followed captain Levi into one of the other rooms, oblivious to what his intentions were. He didn't look aggravated, although I should get a lecture for going out on a limb and getting battered up like that without his knowledge, specially during a mission with so little resources./p
p align="justify" /p
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p align="justify""Strip.", he ordered, putting down the medical bag Hange had prepared for us./p
p align="justify""Excuse me..?"/p
p align="justify""Take off your shirt, Martha, I need to check the extent of your injuries.", all of a sudden, I felt a rush of heat flowing to my face, thinking about being half naked in the captain's presence. What even is wrong with me... This ridiculous 'crush' needs to end. He is my team leader and captain, Humanity's Strongest and just that. This is probably just admiration and attachment because of him rescuing us that day outside the walls. Slowly, I started unbuttoning the stained shirt, trying not to feel his eyes on me, like hot irons burning the newly exposed flesh./p
p align="justify"Despite my out of control hormonal thoughts, he seemed completely calm, as would be expected. Those weird thoughts were all in my head, not reality and I'd do well to not forget that. Taking off the shirt completely, I placed it on the bed and stood there, waiting as the captain circled me, examining my torso./p
p align="justify"For a while, there was silence. One of those too still, awkward like silences in which it seems like neither person knows what to say to break it. He was inspecting my back, I could hear him breathe behind me and shift his weight from side to side, floorboards creaking in protest. Ghost fingers seemed to dance over my skin, causing random goosebumps, something which the captain inquired about./p
p align="justify""You cold, or something?", he asked, his voice sounding rather deep in my right ear, causing an involuntary jolt./p
p align="justify""No, I'm fine sir.."/p
p align="justify""This is starting to bruise...", he mumbled to himself. "Does it hurt here?", he asked, resting a palm on curve on my waist and pressing his thumb into a spot near my spine. The startle of his touch nearly made me jump, but also, the gash of pain that shot up from that point made me let out a yelp, hand reaching back instinctively to pull his away./p
p align="justify""Y-yes sir. It does.. a lot."/p
p align="justify""Hm... we'll need to bind this so it stays together."/p
p align="justify""Ok, sir... I'm okay now, you don't need to worry anymore. I can do that myself.", took me a while to realize I was still clutching his hand tightly and let go with an embarrassed apology. "Is there anything else? I don't remember injuring myself anymore than that."/p
p align="justify""This healed up nicely...", he muttered, ghosting a finger over my upper back. A shiver ran down my spine, and for a split second I pictured what it would be like to feel his hands... nevermind. Those thoughts were quickly suppressed as they were nothing more than wishful, inappropriate thinking. "You did quite a number on yourself that day.", he didn't need to specify. I knew exactly what day he was referring to./p
p align="justify""Yeah... I guess that's the extent of Hange's medical expertise. She knows a lot about those things."/p
p align="justify""Shitty Glasses... well, if she was useless, Erwin wouldn't give her the importance he does. Pass me the bandage, will you?"/p
p align="justify""Sir, I can do it myself, you don't need to-"/p
p align="justify""Shut up and obey my orders. For once.", he added the last part, muttering incomprehensible words. I passed it to him, discussing the issue no further. Man, the captain sure was pushy today... He wrapped up my back and chest area, slowly and in silence./p
p align="justify"He also examined the opened wound in my arm, dressing it quickly and avoiding eye contact, which only made me even more aware of his touch on the tender skin, each digit that accidentally grazed the purple hued area around the wound created a knot in the pit of my stomach and had me trying to take my arm away, in order to stop those inappropriate thoughts. Luckily for me, Reiner called short after and after putting on the shirt, I asked Levi to not go in there right away./p
p align="justify" /p
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p align="justify" /p
p align="justify""So..", I began, looking at the sitting woman in front of me. Braun was leaning against the wall, near the window, listening carefully. The captain was probably keeping a close ear on the conversation as well, despite being outside. "What is you real name?"/p
p align="justify""I won't tell you!", she struggled against the rope but is was futile; she wasn't going anywhere./p
p align="justify""Listen, whoever you are, just answer these questions and we'll let you go."/p
p align="justify""She betrayed me, didn't she? That slut... that whore... I knew deep down she couldn't be trusted...", the woman mumbled./p
p align="justify""Who is 'she'? Who the fuck are you talking about?"/p
p align="justify""I won't say anything!", she yelled again./p
p align="justify""Listen, Rebecca, or what's your name, I don't really care, why did you run? We're not after you or your sister."/p
p align="justify""Liar... I know she told you where to find me!"/p
p align="justify""Let's start again. What is your name?", with the way things were going, it would probably be necessary to rough her up a bit but, honestly I'd much rather it be me doing it than Levi. He had self control but everyone gets angry some times... I wasn't really sure why I felt that but, I could always call him in, if needed, so I paid no mind to it. "Why did Marina call you 'Ellie'? Who are you? Who are you talking about?"/p
p align="justify""You can't make me say it. I know she's doing this on purpose. That fucking bitch always thought I'd back stab her..."/p
p align="justify""Hm... Reiner, this isn't working. Please leave and go get the captain. He might be a bit more persuasive than me."/p
p align="justify""Understood, mam.", he obliged, leaving us alone. Kneeling down, I looked up at Rebecca with a calm expression./p
p align="justify""Look here. We dressed your wounds and you haven't been hurt yet. I'm sure this is all a big misunderstanding, miss. If you could just answer my questions, you'd be off in no time... Trust me, you won't like what's going to come through that door."/p
p align="justify""I'd rather eat shit.", she grunted./p
p align="justify""Ugh, how rude of you. He'll be here any moment now. You still have a few moments left...", suddenly the door creaked open and the two men entered./p
p align="justify"Out of all the years I'd seen Levi enter a room, no one and literally no one had ever turned pale so fast as when Rebecca saw him. The captain seemed to pick up immediately on this fact, cocking his head up slightly and grunting in an inquiring tone. We stood there in silence for a minute before he walked closer to her, sighing./p
p align="justify""Spit it. Who are you?", as he neared her, she seemed to press harder against the back of the chair, visibly trying to stay calm. Rebecca just stared back, her expression slowly calming down and a light smile started tugging the corners of her mouth. "Not gonna talk?", the captain asked again, maintaining the neutral tone to his voice./p
p align="justify"Reiner and I were merely spectators of this scene. As each minute went on by, Rebecca seemed to feel increasingly at ease, the pink returning to her cheeks. What had changed? For about half an hour, Levi waited patiently, pacing around the woman's chair eyes fixing hers in absolute silence, the stone cold expression refusing to soften./p
p align="justify"From time to time, that icy stare would rest on me, a chill causing my back to straighten up instantly and a knot tied and untied itself in the pit of my stomach. Seeing him so intensely focused had my palms begin to feel sweaty, which would cool, making the fingers feel stiff and the muscles anticipate something unknown. Or maybe it was the fact that this wasn't going anywhere and Rebecca at this point seemed to be mocking us./p
p align="justify""I'll ask this once again. Who are you? What is your name?", he inquired once again. This time, the answer he got was a mere scoffing laugh. "Something I said was funny?"/p
p align="justify""Nothing, nothing... I didn't expect this from.. Humanity's Strongest..", she taunted. Heat began rising through my body, seeing that woman openly mocking the captain. It was his decision that she wasn't yet beaten to a pulp. She should be grateful./p
p align="justify"At the time, he was doing his round, walking slowly behind her, until she swung her head back, with a nonchalant smile. He merely stopped and grabbed her head, pushing her forward until the whole chair fell and she hit the ground shoulder first. The movement was so quick the loud crashing sound startled me./p
p align="justify"She grunted for a while, trying to worm herself but eventually giving up. Levi didn't attempt to move her back upright. Reiner intervened and pulled her back, placing the chair in the exact same place. For the first time in a while, I walked closer to her leaned in to talk./p
p align="justify""So now, what is your name?"/p
p align="justify""As if this was anything... I've seen children interrogating people better than this.", she scoffed again. Man, this bitch was starting to aggravate me. Sighing deeply, I leaning in closer, staring into her disdainful eyes. "You see... the captain here you seemed to fear so much is, out of kindness, holding back a bit on the whole beating part. We expect you cooperate.. Just to make things easier but.. If you really prefer going through that whole process... Your choice. We just want to ask you a few questions.", she seemed to ponder on her options but quickly changed her mind when Levi grabbed onto her hurt shoulder, fingers digging into the fabric and most likely bruised flesh, making the woman wince./p
p align="justify""Fine, fine!", she finally spoke. "You just want to know my name, right?"/p
p align="justify""Yes."/p
p align="justify""It's Elaine."/p
p align="justify""Very well.. Elaine. Why did you attack me at your house?", I asked, backing up against the door and leaning back, looking up, listening to her talk./p
p align="justify""That was... because I mistook you for someone else.", my eyes darted down, at her. Who did she think she was trying to fool...? Seriously?/p
p align="justify""Oh Elaine... no, no, no... You were doing so well... Why lie now? Scared of the captain? He won't hurt you if you cooperate.", her face started getting red and her eyes slowly began watering./p
p align="justify""It's just... that...", she went silent for a bit. Her starting to compulsively cry was something I wasn't expecting at all./p
p align="justify""What?", Levi asked, seemingly impatient./p
p align="justify""I just moved here... and found Marina wandering the streets all alone... I though you were...", between sobs it was very hard to distinguish the words but a few came through less babbled./p
p align="justify""What? You thought I was what?"/p
p align="justify""An officer coming to take her away...", she finished the sentence, head falling to a side, face contorted and red with tears. "I just... I didn't mean to.. But Marina.. her real mother treated her like trash... I just wanted to help her..."/p
p align="justify""Marina's mother...?", I started thinking about the poor little girl all alone in a house with a mother who hated her and mistreated her and felt my heart tightening. Still... there was something not adding up in this whole story. "Why did you change your name then?"/p
p align="justify""I wanted a fresh start here... People back at the Inn... there were some troubles.. You know those drunks...". A reasonable explanation. A very plausible one for that matter. It wasn't uncommon from people to change names if they had some major falling out and wanted to start fresh in a new city./p
p align="justify""Interesting... If Marina only got to your house a few days ago... Then why does she talk about you like she's known you for weeks, months even?"/p
p align="justify"And then I noticed something very familiar. I hadn't realized I was even looking for it but all of a sudden it was simply there. While she still sobbed a bit from time to time, she was quiet for a moment, head hanging low. But it was her right foot that caught my attention. A set of quiet taps with the front toes that came through as the wrinkling of the boot. It was so peculiar, I'd never seen anyone else besides another person do it, not that way, an actual pattern./p
p align="justify""Y-you how kids are... they don't really have a sense of time...", she ended up saying./p
p align="justify""Really? Well Elaine, thank you. I'll have to discuss something with the captain outside but feel free to chat with Reiner, if you want. We'll be right back.", I smiled kindly. The lying bitch.../p
p align="justify""But you said you'd free me!", she contested, showing her puffed face, bloodshot eyes and wet trails down the cheeks./p
p align="justify""And we will. Don't worry. Captain, please follow me."/p
p align="justify" /p
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p align="justify""What?", he asked, sitting on one of the chairs around the table. "Sounds actually legit. Although the whole brat shit...-"/p
p align="justify""She's lying. I'm sure.", his eyebrows furrowed slightly./p
p align="justify""How? Since when are you an experience interrogator, for that matter?", he commented, leaning back on the chair./p
p align="justify""I'm not, I know. But she's doing something with her foot that an old friend of mine die when she was lying."/p
p align="justify""Are you serious...?", he sighed. "Martha, we can't be wasting time on guesses. This is revealing itself pointless."/p
p align="justify""Sir, I am more than sure that she's lying."/p
p align="justify""Well, how convenient that you'd seen that before, isn't it...?"/p
p align="justify""You don't seriously think her story is true, right? I mean... sir, do you even remember seeing her in that bar before the night we went there?", he was silent for a moment, probably recollecting all the times he'd gone and witnessed all the debauchery went on inside those walls./p
p align="justify""It does sound somewhat... all too convenient. Fine. Let's keep her for a bit longer. But we don't have anymore time to waste on this."/p
p align="justify""I understand."/p
p align="justify""Whatever happens in there, remember that I'm your captain and you answer to me. Got it?"/p
p align="justify""Uhm... got it, sir.", things would possibly take a turn to the worse but in the end, the Corps was above everything else./p