-Chapter 31: The Ripper and the Slayer-
Another day of relative peace inside the walled cities. Summer was slowly coming to a close, as the once lush and green leaves of the land had begun to shift to more yellowish hues, and the weather was shifting from scorching highs to cooler lows, signifying the autumn season was just around the corner. To many, Autumn was a welcomed season, both to enjoy the wonders of nature and the fact that the titans would soon slowdown in their never-ending advances to humanity's last bastion.
Though nowadays such sightings were becoming rare, at least for those who were stationed around central Shiganshina. This of course brought a sense of ease to the people, especially to a certain seven foot tall being, who was currently sleeping the day away.
-oOo-
Inside Maverick's Room, Barracks
Maverick slept peacefully, blissfully unaware that the time was close to six. But who could blame him? After many a night spent drawing designs from his ever-expanded memory can drain an individual, even a demigod. Thankfully someone was there to awaken him, as his door opened to reveal one of his comrades, who proceeded to poke his large shoulder. As Maverick's eyelids slowly rose and fell, he breathed a sigh as his markings began to glow bright, just as the sensation of his shoulder being rubbed was felt through the rest of his body.
Slowly turning he was met with a still blurry figure, though it was clear enough to know it wasn't his dear eccentric Squad Leader. Closing and opening his eyes once more his vision began to clear up, revealing the visitor.
"Morning Mav." Came the calm voice of a blonde-haired woman, holding a steaming tray of meat her hands. The man's brows raised slightly in surprise, as her appearance was most unexpected.
"Nanaba…" He muttered in a still very drowsy tone, earning him a chuckle from the young woman.
"You expected someone else?" She spoke, giving a coy smile as she leaned towards his tired face. While her appearance was a bit unexpected, it was certainly not unwelcomed. She gave an understanding look, seemingly reading his thoughts and pulled back from his personal space.
Taking a gifted pocket watch from his nightstand he squinted, looking at the time and giving his comrade a narrowed look before placing it back down and closing his eyes again.
"Five more minutes…"
An amused smirk formed on her face, as she couldn't believe the childish behavior from the man that could decimate monsters ten times his size. But she wouldn't be deterred as she began to shake his broad shoulder again with more force.
"Cmon big man, up an at' em." A guttural moan was her response. That was until she brought the plate of steaming ham closer to his resting figure, which seemed to do the trick almost instantly as his nose smelled the wonderful aroma.
"Food…"
"Yes Mav, the most important meal of the day." She tried to contain her laughter as she saw his bottom lip begin to water. Seeing she had his attention she set the tray down on the nightstand, not forgetting his massive utensils as well. "Thank you…"
His still drowsy but sincere tone brought a smile, and a sudden warm feeling inside her, that remained as she gave an appreciative nod and gave him space to get up from his reinforced bed.
"Make sure to eat up quick, Erwin wants you in the plaza as soon as you can." He gave an understanding nod as he took the tray and began to dig into his breakfast, stabbing his fork and lifting the entire ham. She took a few absentminded moments to look at his at his muscled physique, staring at his bare chest and arms, marked with undecipherable runes and writings. It was something truly bizarre, yet…captivating to her still after all this time.
She soon realized what she was doing and immediately excused herself, giving him his privacy, and hiding her flustered face. Walking through the hallway of the barracks she tried to recollect her thoughts, which was easier said than done, as other more risqué images of the man popped into her mind.
With reddening cheeks she tried to think of something else, eventually recalling what Hange had said to her earlier, regarding his sleeping habits. She had warned her to be careful as he had a habit to go on the alert when roused from his slumber so suddenly, as it was similar to waking up a hibernating bear.
It was a surprise then when she saw just how approachable he looked while resting, which made her wonder if Hange was just messing with her. With folded arms, calmed and steady breathing, and a serene look on his face…
'He looked absolutely peaceful.'
-oOo-
Interior Plaza, inside the Survey Corps' H.Q.
The plaza was absolutely packed as every member of the regiment was in attendance, all at the behest of the commander, who stood near the central statue. To his side stood Levi, who tapped his foot as he continuously stared at the barracks, waiting for a certain someone to arrive. He was about to go get the oaf until the doors open to reveal him in all his massive glory.
A wave of good mornings and greetings engulfed the air as Maverick made his way across the sea of scouts, saying his own greetings and good mornings in return as they moved aside to give him room. Eventually he found his squad mates and joined them, receiving a warm welcome from them.
A loud cough turned everyone's attention to the commander who gave a thankful look before beginning his morning announcement.
"So, I'm sure you're all questioning why I've had you all gathered here." He started, receiving expectant looks from everyone, minus the few who knew of all this beforehand.
"For some time now Maverick and I have been making plans to introduce some new weaponry into our army's arsenal." And immediately came the mutters and hushed voices of surprise from both veterans and youngbloods alike. "Though I say him and I, it's honestly been him who has been the most adamant of pursuing this action."
All eyes turned to the goliath for a response, who simply remained silent, though a smile was stretched across his bearded face.
"A few days ago we made a journey to Wall Sina as we arranged a meeting with the commanders of every regiment, as well as a representative of his majesty, to propose some plans and designs he had drawn up." He continued, silencing the murmurs.
"While our officials in high command were more than ready to greenlight our plans, nothing gets pass without his majesty's blessing." He then procured an envelope from his jackets pocket, raising it high for all to see. All eyes widened at the sight of his majesty's royal seal displayed on the envelope.
"In my hands is the king's response. Figured we could all hear what he has to say about our proposition."
All were left in awed silence, even Levi and Miche looked surprised, as they didn't honestly think this would happen. Levi specifically expected to have their H.Q. raided by the police, maybe even the entire regiment facing disbandment. But the fact that the crown had sent a simple little letter was not something he would have imagined. If anything, it brought a number of alarms to go off in his head.
Miche meanwhile took a chance to take a whiff of the letter. Despite the distance he was able to get a clear scent of the material used, and was certain it was the real deal. He let out an amused huff. Give Maverick props, he was certainly a ballsy one to pull this off.
The chatters among the scouts soon went silent as the commander ripped the envelope and took out its contents. All awaited with restrained excitement, and held breaths, as the commander cleared his throat.
"To the valiant soldiers of the Scout Regiment…" He began, to the amused scoffs of the king's wording.
"Word has reached my ears regarding your proposed additions to our grand arsenal, and after much discussion and deliberation among my council…" He stopped for a few moments, seemingly reading on for himself. Everyone remained silent, questioning what their ruler from high above the walls had to say.
Their questions would be answered as Erwin's bushy brows raised up suddenly as he read aloud the king's response.
"I hereby, as of this point in time, authorize these grand innovations that you have put forward. Know that you have my blessing to pursue these pursuits, that will hopefully provide humanity an edge in our continued war for survival."
Some gasps were heard, and dropped jaws were seen from the scouts. Some couldn't believe what they had heard, was this some sort of mass dream they were all having at the same time?
"Signed, his royal majesty King Fritz." The crowd of scouts remained in a shocked state of silence for what seemed like minutes on end, until a certain pompadoured young man sprang up from the sea of olive green and shouted aloud…
"All right Mav!" Shouted Gelgar raising a fist into the air. Joyous shouts followed near instantly as many turned to the giant man once more swarming him with praise. His squad mates were pushed closer to him as a result. He held onto them as to keep them from being swallowed by the green tide.
"Settle down everyone." Erwin spoke in a loud tone, stopping everyone in their tracks, as well as keeping Delta from being overwhelmed. He couldn't blame them for their responses, as his mind was still processing all this as well, but they still had to show some modicum of decency.
"These new developments will all take time to actually become a reality, there's still much to be done before we see some new equipment on the field." A few disappointed looks from the crowd appeared, to his slight amusement. "Until then we'll continue to work with our standard equipment. It hasn't failed us yet."
With that he declared the grand meeting adjourned and dismissed the regiment, allowing them to return to their active duties. The green sea dispersed and separated with every individual squad heading to different areas of their H.Q., minus a few who decided to stay in the central plaza, still reeling from the recent developments.
"*Sigh* Glad that my all-nighters paid off." Maverick remarked gratefully while stretching his back, getting a few good pops in return. A chuckle escaped his superior's lips, seemingly amused by his relieved tone.
"Reminds you of your college years?" His shoulders slightly shivered in response, eliciting some additional chuckles from the rest of the squad.
"Still can't believe you managed all this Sir." Abel spoke enthusiastically, looking up to meet Maverick's sight. His admiration earned a response from his tanned comrade.
"Weapons that can make mincemeat out of titans? Who would say no to that?" Kaiji snidely remarked. You'd have to be a complete imbecile or a traitor to your species to ever reject such a grandiose offer, especially with their circumstances.
"So, does that mean were gonna start on those grenade launcher plans?" Harold spoke recalling said plans that were currently sitting in storage, just waiting to be used.
"Still got our TRW to fix up remember?" Maverick reminded. "We finish with that, THEN we get to the fun stuff." A grin stretched across his face. A giggled fit from their Squad Leader was followed as she reciprocated a similar look, her goggles showing that signature glint of hers.
"Well what are we waiting for? To the workshop!" She announced, turning to lead the way to Slayer Keep. Saying their farewells to the other squads still present the gang headed to the main entrance.
"Just a minute." Erwin said, stopping them in their tracks. Stepping down he approached the goliath, taking out another envelope from his jackets other pocket. "This also arrived for you Mav."
"Oh?" Taking it in his large hands he flipped it to see a green seal. Taking a closer look, he was mildly surprised, letting out a bemused "Huh."
"What is it?" Hange asked standing on her tippy toes in an attempt to see. Maverick smirked and hid the envelope in his jacket, to her disappointment.
"I'll explain on the way." Was all he said, continuing on towards the large gate.
-oOo-
Slayer's Keep, inside Wall Maria
Delta Squad had cooped themselves inside the castle's massive workshop, working to get their latest titan capturing weaponry back in functioning order, all the while listening to Maverick as he spoke of the mysterious letter. He had explained that he had made a request to head out to the illusive factory city in order to supervise the initial construction of the first model of the newly proposed volley gun.
The letter in question, as he deduced, was most likely the response to his request from the Commander of the unicorns, seeing as they held jurisdiction over the areas.
"You have a hell of a nerve Mav, I swear." Moblit said while shaking his head. An amused tongue click came from Maverick while he replaced the barrels to the TRW.
"You make it sound like it's a bad thing."
"No, no. It's just that the factory cities are something of a secret outside the military, and you go and just casually ask to go to one." His comrade explained. "Don't recall anyone in high command ever telling you about it."
"Well I did receive a letter from one of their head engineers." He pointed out, causing Moblit to take pause for a few moments, trying to recall such an event. Eventually he did, as his face lit up with a sudden realization, to the amusement of both Maverick and Hange.
"Oh yeah…you did." He scratched his head feeling quite embarrassed, only increased when Hange patted his back. "Feels like a lifetime ago since then."
A far-off look formed on Maverick's face as he said that. Indeed, seemed like only yesterday when he woke up to this giant-infested land. He wondered how the letters sender was doing. He made a note to greet the man should he be allowed to visit.
"So, what'd they say Sir?" Rashad spoke, bringing Maverick out of his thoughts. Taking a break from their work he took out the envelope, as well as taking one of the old ultrahard swords stored on a nearby rack.
"Well, let's see…." Holding the blade, he carefully cut open the envelope to reveal the letter hidden inside. With two fingers he took it out as well as placing the old sword back before reading. Silence filled the room as his eyes shifted left and right, though no one could tell.
"Ahhh…." Was all he said before folding the letter to the befuddlement of Delta.
"What?" Hange said, asking what was on everyone's mind.
"Seems that the higher ups in the MP came to an agreement, and the commander wants to meet with me." He handed her the letter to read for herself. "Negotiate some terms."
"What kind of terms?" Moblit questioned, leaning over Hange's shoulder to read, before being handed it to read. "Are they written on there?" Maverick shook his head.
"Doesn't say, guess he wants to talk mano a mano." His companions understood immediately what that meant, thanks in part to their lessons on slang.
"Anything else?" Moblit asked again, flipping the letter over curious of any other messages, before handing it back.
"Nah, besides the date and location. Anyone know where this Inn of the Fishes is?"
The gang took a few moments to think, or stay silent, as the name sounded familiar to a few in the group. After a few minutes Rashad was the one to provide an answer.
"Think that's all the way up in Utopia, Wall Rose's northern district." Wall Rose, that was certainly quite a ways away from Shiganshina. Though he could find some logic for such a place being a meeting point. Considering Wall Rose was set between Maria and Sina, it allowed Nile to not make the whole journey and be gone from his busy duties of managing the unicorn corps.
"Guess I'm taking a jog up north then." He sighed. "But that can wait." He suddenly said his tone perking up as he grabbed another part to their machine.
"Are you sure Sir? A meeting with the head of the MP's sound like something you should prepare for days in advance" Maverick simply patted his juniors head, giving a warm smile at his unneeded but appreciative concern.
"Yeah, I'm not meeting till Monday." He gave the part in his hands to Hage. "Besides, can't think of a better way to spend the day than with my dear comrades."
He was met with some taken aback looks, which soon morphed to a mix of warm smiles and embarrassed chuckles, Hange's the happiest of all.
-oOo-
Inside the Utopia District, north of Wall Rose
It was the following Monday, late in the morning. After running a marathon across the western plains of Wall Maria Maverick had arrived at the northern district leading to the interior of Wall Rose, Utopia.
'Hmph, yeah a real paradise on earth.' He thought as a cold breeze passed through him. He was told that the northern parts of the Wall always got colder the further you ascended. But a little early autumn breeze never hurt him. Besides his body had survived worse climates.
Handing the garrisoned guards a pass granted to him by Erwin he was allowed inside, immediately taking in the sights.
Unlike Shiganshina, Utopia was a little more middle-class shall we say. The buildings were of finer and more detailed craftsmanship, the best he could compare at the moment was similar to a 18th century European city. Taking a breather after his long trek he took out an old guide from one of the satchels he brought along.
"Alright let's see now…."
An Illustrated Guide to the Glorious Walled Cities, The Thrills of Wall Rose. Written by one Hilde Gartner, it provided a series of….well, illustrations of many points of interest across the central wall and its districts, each drawing of the scenic views and tourist spots provided with descriptive passages from the seemingly adventurous author.
Nanaba had given it to him, claiming it had helped her in the past. She didn't elaborate further, and he didn't find the need to pry further. He simply thanked her and promised to bring it back in one piece, seeing as she took a great deal to keep it in decent condition.
Flipping through the pages he stopped on a two-page drawing of the wall showing many notable spots. The inn that he sought was one of the spots included, though it seems that Gartner failed to provide some decent directions. Guess she expected her readers to have their own little adventures in search of the exact location.
Taking a swig from a canteen he brought as well, he stood up and began his tour of Utopia. He felt a wave of nostalgia hit him as he took in the sights. It was like he was a young man again, vacationing with his folks. The sun shined high in the sky as he passed the series of trees decorating the road, taking note of their yellowing leaves, a sign of the changing season.
His pace was slow but steady, seeing as he wasn't due to meet Nile till the afternoon. Plenty of time to do a little sightseeing and maybe a little mingling with the denizens. As he walked he took note of how the people dressed, noticing the higher quality of clothing, both suited for the colder climate and appealing to the eye. He was surprised as well to see some members of the Order, draped in their own autumn wear, though still adorned with their iconographies.
They waved and greeted their hero, speaking his praises and their missions to spread the word of his divinity. While he thanked their efforts he reminded them to moderate themselves and share some praises to his benefactors. Sharing a few final words they departed promising to spread the faith.
The interaction with his cult was a rare sight however, as many folk were keen to simply watch him and keep their distance, with looks ranging from amazement, curiosity, and trepidation.
"Is that him? Wow…."
"He really does glow…"
"Guess those hooded folk were right…"
"Isn't he supposed to be in Shiganshina killing titans?"
He expected such passing remarks, after all he could count the times he had visited this place on his fingers, and his fan club could only do so much to spread the word of his existence. This was most likely peoples first times seeing him in the flesh, only hearing stories by the Order. Unperturbed by the looks he received he strode along the street, singing a tune in his head.
'I'm thinking of you, oh yeah…'
'I'm your tomorrow…'
'I'm thinking of you, oh yeah…'
'No pain, no sorrow…'
'I'm thinking of you!'
His head bobbed to a beat only known to him, as the ancient song played in his mind. The looks he earned from the populace shifted from nervousness to bemusement, as they watched the giant pass them by.
'Nobody knows what type to be, who you really are…'
'Behind a face, behind a scene…'
'So close, so far apart…'
'One day you said the storm was over, but couldn't go away…'
'As always you come back to me, to me…'
'I'm thinking of yo-'
"Mommy look, it's him!" The excited voice made him stop in his tracks, ending his little cerebral jam session. Slowly he turned to his left to see a young boy, accompanied by a young woman. The boys continued to point in his direction, all with a smile which got bigger as he met the eyes of the giant. "The Blue Man!"
Blue Man? That was a new one.
"Don't point dear, its rude!" The woman chastised, forcing the boy to lower his arm. Raising her head she sputtered out an odd noise, seeing Maverick stare at the two.
"I-I'm so sorry! He just says the darndest things!" A very nervous chuckle escaped her mouth as she held onto her son, worried he had offended him and was on the verge of receiving some divine punishment. It was a little sad, and pathetic, to see the display, made the man wonder what kind of rumors had sprung up to make her behave in such a manner.
He would prove whatever perceptions she had false by absolutely wowing her, and he knew just how.
By talking to her like any normal human being.
"No harm, no fowl Madam." His calm tone and choice of words both surprised and eased her as she stopped holding her boy in a vice grip. He slowly crouched down to meet the child at eye level, giving a smirk as he spoke "So, Blue Man eh?"
The boy nodded rapidly. "Yeah! Cause your tattoos are all blue!" Maverick looked at his exposed arms and let out a fake surprised gasp.
"Really now? I never noticed!" His jest earned him an amused but still nervous chuckle from the mother. Deciding to push a little further he brought up one of the many classic topics of conversation, one that all parents were universally accustomed to.
"How old's your boy?" She remained silent for a few moments, honestly surprised to hear such a question from the goliath. With a soft hand atop her child's head she answered as clearly as her voice could.
"He'll be turning six next month." She cursed herself as the sheepishness in her tone, though it seemed to matter little to the man as he looked surprised, seeing as the young boy looked quite tall for a boy his age
"Six? Could have fooled me." A longing sigh passed through his lips as he recalled old memories "They grow up so fast."
"Thats what Dad says!"
And so, for the next few minutes or so Maverick was engaged in a most pleasant conversation with the housewife, whom he learned her name was Gertrude, and her son Leo respectively. Such riveting topics such as the current affairs of the district, or the prices of produce in the market. It was a rewarding experience for both parties, Gertrude specifically as she grew further accustomed to both speaking with the famed demigod of Maria and being in his presence.
Her son all the while bombarded the man with question after question regarding the many rumors and tales of his feats through the past year, all of which he answered with the calmed patience of a saint. The wife was surprised to see this, as the only man who could ever handle her son's energetic attitude was her husband himself. He even had the same look he always had when Leo would ask him about anything and everything.
Her musing was cut short as the man took out a pocket watch and watched his brows rise up.
"Shiza, look at the time!" He quickly put the watch back in his pocket and began to back away from the mother and son. "My apologies but I gotta get going. I'm supposed to be meeting someone soon." She gave an understanding look and simply waved goodbye to the goliath, a gesture her boy imitated with greater vigor and a big ol' smile on his face.
"Bye Blue Man!"
-oOo-
Maverick continued to walk the main road at a quicker pace, following what he assumed was the right path to his destination. His talk with the mother had lasted for about a half hour, still plenty of time but he'd rather arrive at the inn as soon as possible. He speed walked from street to street, taking the occasional sip from his canteen, passing by the occasional onlooker and alarmed MP.
Eventually he decided it was finally time to start asking for directions, for all this was getting him nowhere. Taking a moment to breathe he observed his current surroundings and stopped at a shop.
Judging by the variety of potted plants on the outside displays they looked to specialize in flowers and other floral necessities. With that in mind he approached the shop, slowly opening the door, taking notice of the elderly woman with her back turned, humming as she arranged a bouquet.
"Morning."
"Hmmm? How can I help y-O-Oh My!" The old woman exclaimed, which was followed by her shuffling back through a back door in response, leaving Maverick a bit dumbfounded. He was certain he didn't sound too hostile. Suppose it was still a bit too much for the woman.
Seconds passed as he waited outside for her to return, which she did, with another elder by her side. The man looked to be in his late seventies, though his eyes still held much life in them, as he cautiously but firmly walked towards the front desk of their establishment.
"What can we do for you?" He asked, while the woman remained behind him with an anxious look. With a calm and non-combative tone Maverick entered the store and presented the guide to the old man.
"I'm looking for the Inn of the Fishes, you wouldn't happen to know if it's close by?" The elders' eyes raised slightly, for he had not seen that old guide in some time. Taking it in his wrinkled hands he looked through the drawings with a hint of nostalgia. Miss Gartner's works were the best of their time, certainly brought much business to the district when they first published.
He let out a huff. Seemed the misses was panicking over nothing, like usual. The goliath wasn't here to rob them or cause trouble, he was simply lost and needing directions. With a more relaxed tone he answered the man as best he could.
"Hmmm you're still quite a way from that place I'm afraid." The elder passed through the entrance and handed the traveling guide back. Guiding Maverick towards the street he pointed further up the main road.
"Keep going straight down till you hit an intersection, take a left and keep going about twelve blocks or so, then take another left." Maverick took mental notes and thanked the shop keep, and waved to the woman waiting by the door, and soon set off. Not even five minutes passed as he heard the man yell out once more. "It's still green like in the guide, last I saw!"
Maverick thanked the man from afar and turned once more to continue on, now hopefully on the right path. The old man let a content sigh before heading back to his shop. Another good deed for the day, he thought. Though his wife seemed still seemed a bit uneasy. As he went to reassure her, she spoke.
"Hon, wasn't he supposed to take a right at the intersection?" The elderly shopkeeper took pause and rubbed his chin, he was certain he was supposed to take a left of the intersection…was he? Minutes passed, until his head rose in sudden realization, for he had indeed given the marked man the wrong directions.
He shuffled back out the door to tell him and correct his mistake, only to see that the man was already long gone.
"Oh dear…"
-oOo-
Another half hour of wandering later…
"*Sigh* He sent me on the wrong path…" Following the old man's directions had left Maverick even more lost. He should have suspected he was heading the wrong way when he entered a less populated area of the district, but he wanted to give the benefit of the doubt. Now he was standing near a residential building with no one in sight, meaning any source for better directions was currently not available.
"At this rate, think I'll just have to start sprinting…" He muttered aloud, not like anyone was nearby to hear. As he debated on what to do someone began to rustle about and make themselves known.
"Hey big man." A sudden raspy voice spoke out. Turning to the source revealed a cloaked individual shuffling from out of an alleyway not too far from where he stood. The man's features were hidden by a dark brown cloak that stretched down to his feet, completely covering him. His appearance and mannerisms reminded Maverick of an some merchants he knew some time ago.
"Look a little lost friend, need some directions? *Chuckles*"
By the gods he even chuckled like the old Ganado, but unlike him or the Jovian he was clearly not here to offer exotic weapons and items. No, red flags were waving wildly in his head almost immediately as he approached.
But, seeing as he had no other options he chose to play this little game. Not like he'd hadn't done it before.
"Inn of the Fishes, know where it is?" The mysterious man didn't show any response or frightened reaction to his stern tone. Instead, he let out another chuckle as he closed the distance between the two.
"*Chuckles* Oh buddy, you're on the complete wrong side of the district!" He let out another hoarse laugh at the goliath's expense before he calmed himself down. "Follow me, I'll get you where you need to go."
The man began to walk in the direction that Maverick had walked from beckoning him to follow. With a narrowed look he slowly followed behind. His fists clenched, ready for whatever would happen from following this obviously suspicious alley dweller.
His intuition proved correct as the cloaked figure lead him through many seemingly abandoned streets, for whenever any people were spotted, he would turn and stick to the alleyways, clearly wanting to avoid any onlookers and witnesses.
With a slight irritant sigh Maverick checked his watched and saw that it was almost noon. He was on the verge of just simply ditching the man and running off, until he led him into another empty alley, this one with no seeable exit path.
'Here we fukin go…'
With a sigh he asked the cliché line from many a horror film he had seen and lived through himself.
"You sure you know where ya going bud?"
A chuckle escaped the figures' lips once more, though there was a hint of excitement in his tone as he continued to walk along, tracing his finger along the brick wall.
"Oh don't cha worry friend, just taking a little shortcut." His voice fell as he lowered his arm, and slowly began to place it inside his cloak. Unbeknownst to our hero a large and vicious grin stretched across the stranger's face, as the moment of truth was finally here.
"Speaking of cuts…"
With a quick turnaround the stranger launched three blades in Maverick's direction, with speed that rivaled a bullet! Unfortunately for the him Maverick was quick to respond, already expecting such an action. Time seemed to slow down as he bent his upper body backwards, dodging the short blades as they soared over his face, flying off aimlessly behind him and falling with two loud chinks.
With his feet still planted on the ground he rose back up to meet his aggressor who had finally discarded his cloak and revealed himself.
Standing now was a tall and lean man, sporting a beige overcoat that had clearly seen better days, and a black bowler hat topping his head. Though what really caught Maverick's attention was the multitude of blades strapped along his chest and limbs that were revealed when the coat flowed. Though his hat was covering most of his facial features, he could still see a wide toothy grin plastered on his face, which fell as he let out a disappointed click of his tongue.
"Awww, why'd da move?"
Maverick scoffed as he readjusted his footing. The man wasn't exactly subtle in his actions, how'd he expect to have any sort of element of surprise? Plus, the "alley ambush" was the oldest and most overused tactic in the book.
"You think you're the first to try this little stunt?" The man laughed him off as he detached another blade from his left forearm and charged at Maverick. Already prepared for him he quickly side stepped every swipe his attacker made, thought the satchel wasn't so lucky.
*RIIIIP*
The strap had been cut sending it down to the ground. Despite the current situation Maverick swiftly kicked his attacker back and took the moment to pick it up and set it aside atop a nearby barrel.
"Hehehe, sorry bout that pal, was aiming for your throat."
Maverick didn't offer a response as he prepared a defensive stance and gestured for the man to come forward. With a smile on his face he dashed forward, this time aiming for his stomach. Unfortunately for him his attack was something the goliath was used to.
As the bladed swung past him he grabbed his attacker's arm and flung him backwards, dropping his weapon as he was sent rolling onto the ground. Maverick turned to face him as the man recovered but remained in a crouched position.
"So, who sent you?" The goliath asked with a bored tone. "How much they paying you to throw away your life?"
The man simply let out a wheezing laugh as he removed his coat and hat, slicking back his dark neck high hair, while taking out another blade from his many straps.
"No one friend. Just wanted to see the man that's got every person inside and under the walls talking for myself." He lifted his head slightly, just enough for Maverick to see his piercing eyes staring into his. For a moment he thought on what the creep said. Under the walls…was there some sort of underground society he wasn't aware of?
His time for pondering quickly ended as the man charged in once again, throwing his blade once more. The large scout evaded the blade as expected, but the man was hoping for that as his momentary distraction allowed him to draw out two curved blades, one in each hand.
"And SEE what your made of, HAH!"
The would-be assassin unleashed another series of unnaturally quick swipes and stabs, all aiming for his vital areas. Neck, lungs, stomach, every strike was met with a defensive maneuver of equal speed. Despite the somewhat narrow space he found himself in Maverick was more than able to counteract his foes attempt to slice him open, his muscle memory and experiences with cut throats in the past serving him well.
Eventually he backed himself into a corner, to his assailant's delight. With a grin that stretched from ear to ear the man lunged for him. But even then, he was too slow as the goliath intercepted his attack, guiding his arm away from his body, and shoulder bashing his opponent sending him back stumbling and falling on his rear.
"So, trying to stab my jugular just for funsies?" His question was met with more blades sent flying towards his face. He craned his neck dodging them with ease, while his attacker recuperated and quickly got back on his feet.
"Hehehe…yeah, you could say that." From a sheath behind him he pulled out another blade, its length much larger than all others thrown at the marked man. Maverick's brows raised in mild surprise, as he didn't expect to see a bowie knife in this land.
"Folks didn't call me the Ripper for nothin!"
Now he could put a name to that ugly mug. The Ripper….how original.
Maverick could only scoff in his head while he kept the knife away from his flesh. He had met his fair share of Rippers in the past, like that bloke back in old London, hell he even looked like that old whorespawn. Maybe he too had reincarnated in this world and was back to his old ways. Maybe this is why he was sent to this world.
Or maybe it was just one big multi-universe wide coincidence, as said before the Ripper wasn't exactly a unique title.
His thoughts turned back to the scuffle as the Ripper had taken another blade out to bear from his boot, a stiletto this time, in an attempt to overwhelm him with a mix of slash and stabs.
While all this was happening, the Ripper was just enjoying himself. Sure, the Titan Slayer was proving to be a far more difficult induvial to get as he hoped, but this was the most fun he'd had in a while. He thought he would have nicked him in his arms or ribs by now, what with his size and all, but lo and behold the man remained unscathed, hell even his clothes were still in pristine condition!
Every move he made was counteracted, every swipe of his blades evaded with a speed that shouldn't have been possible. Clearly the tales surrounding him weren't so far-fetched. This only made him all the happier to up his ante.
Though once again he found himself in a sticky situation as the giant caught the blade in between his fingers and managed to hold him in place.
"You got some skill." The giant spoke, with a grin soon forming though his beard as he took hold of the cross guard and yanked the weapon out of his assailant's hand before pushing him back. "But your no Brotherhood or servant of the Owls."
"Oi! You calling me rusty?!" The Ripper said, with a seemingly insulted tone. His opponent simply kept his smirk as he shrugged his shoulders and tossed the blade aside.
"You said it, not me." The Ripper responded by unleashing yet more attacks, which of course were swiftly countered. At this point the two men were locked in a seemingly never-ending scuffle, yet the two seemed to find some enjoyment in this madness, like the two were old war buddies having a little practice spar.
"Cmon big man, you gonna keep playing the dodging game?!" The Ripper shouted, waving his blade in his would-be targets' direction. He rushed Maverick launching multiple feint attacks, before delivering what would have been a fatal stab into Maverick's heart…had he not avoided it. "Sick of hitting air all the time!"
To his surprise the giant began to chuckle as he leapt away from him. He took pause as the man continued to laugh, as a far off but nostalgic look formed on his face.
"Sorry *Chuckles*….*Sigh* been too long since something in this world actually gave me a modicum of a challenge." His voice was like a whisper, as if he was talking to himself. Soon smile dropped as he took the moment to look at his watch and his brows furrowed.
The Ripper felt the temperature around them drop as his opponent looked to him, with humorless eyes.
"But your right, can't be playing around forever."
"Eh?"
Within a blink of an eye the giant had zig-zagged his way behind him, and with his massive hands he picked him up by his back straps, and slammed him down hard into the ground, knocking the wind out of the Ripper's sails!
"GUFUUUUGH!"
He slowly rolled onto his backside in an effort to get some air back into his lungs. Though it hurt to try breathing as his entire body felt like it had been trampled on by a stampede of enraged bulls. Only made worse as a large boot stomped on his chest.
"GAUUHHH!"
His head raised to see the Slayer, looking down at him with bored and unamused eyes, like one would look at a dying insect writhing on the ground. He tried to make some effort of resistance by grabbing the boot that was restraining him, only to have the large man apply pressure to his already rattled ribcage, the strapped blades doing him no favors.
A part of him had a feeling this was going to be the result, but the thrill of going toe to toe with the demi human was an opportunity he was not going to pass up, consequences be damned. So if this was going to be his end then at least he went down swinging.
So imagine his complete surprise when the large boot was lifted of his bruised chest and the few words spoken out by the Slayer in a flat tone.
"You're not worth it."
Lifting his head he watched as the man turned around and grabbed his broken satchel before walking back out of the alleyway, his steps becoming more feint the further he walked. With the last of his remaining strength, he spewed out a few last taunting words to the goliath aloud.
"Heh…What's the matter?! Can't kill something that aint ten feet taller than you?!" His words made him stop, though instead of going to finish the job, he simply gave him an annoyed look.
"Gonna be late for a meeting, and I've wasted more than enough time than I would have liked." His eyes narrowed as he continued. "Besides, a punk like you isn't worth getting my boots bloody. Would be a pain to explain that to the MP's too."
He muttered the last part to himself before taking off and leaving the Ripper to his own thoughts as he stayed laying on the ground, bruised and beaten.
"*Chuckle* Punk eh? Heh-*Groan*" It still hurt to laugh but he didn't care, all that mattered was that he had fun today. Maybe if he was a few years younger he may have had a better chance, maybe even gotten at least a little nick.
"Captain."
His thoughts were soon interrupted by a voice and the sound of moving feet. Looking back, he was soon met with a group of people adorned with black overcoats and hats. The one speaking to him was a familiar woman, whose cold eyes were bearing down at him, which he found nothing short of amusing.
"Oh hey….you missed the show *Cough* *Cough*." Her eyes went wide in alarm as if finally realizing his predicament. She and another man rushed to his aid, slowly and gently lifting him off of the ground.
"Are you alright?" She asked, looking down in shock to see the ground has her captain's body indented. Her response was answered in the form of the man's chuckles. "Captain?"
"Never felt better Traute, never felt better."
She released a tired sigh. What he had done was nothing short of suicide. When he said he was going to "introduce" himself to him, she and the rest of the squad had their voiced their concerns, which fell on deaf ears. He was dead set on this, and now it had bitten him back, hard.
"Was it really worth trying to take him on?" She asked. Once again he responded by releasing a few short pain filled chuckles as he remained in his thoughts, thinking back on a similar situation he found himself in many years back, when he first met him.
'He aint like ya Uri, not one bit.'
-oOo-
Outside the Inn of the Fishes, close to 12 o'clock
Nile was patiently waiting outside the inn both he and Maverick were supposed to meet. Though he expected the man to arrive sooner than expected. Taking a look at his watch he saw it was five minutes till the appointed time, yet still no sight of the large glowing demigod.
Perhaps he got lost, something he could relate to. He remembered when he brought his wife, at the time his sweetheart, to this district. They had originally reserved a date at a restaurant not to close from this inn, only to miss it as they took a wrong turn and ended up lost, despite that they still managed to have a wonderful time.
The sudden sound of people shouting had brought him out of his reminiscing and he turned to his right to see some folks backing away and pointing at something. He grabbed the grip of his concealed pistol and looked at the area with anticipation. Only, to his slight relief, to see it was Maverick appearing from the street corner and coming to a screeching halt, leaving a trail of dust. His chest rose and fell as he caught his breath, a broken satchel in one hand, and a dripping canteen in the other. Shifting his head left to right he seemed to be searching for something, ignoring the looks from the utopians.
That's when his eyes met those of Nile, and a relived sigh was heard from the giant, despite the distance. Taking large and brisk steps he spoke.
"I know I'm late! I got sidetracked, took a wrong turn, and ended up on the entire other side of the district."
'Also got accosted by someone off his meds, but he doesn't need to know that…'
Nile took another look at his watch, his brows raising as he saw that it was exactly twelve o'clock. Looking back to the man who was still taking a few moments to breathe and showed a small sympathetic smile.
"Understandable, this place can be an utter labyrinth sometimes." A chuckle escaped the goliath's breath as he looked up at the inns sign. He hoped they had some decent quality food and drink,
"Well, let's not waste any more time." Opening the door he stepped back and directed the giant to enter first. "After you."
And thus, the two men discussed the results of the MP's talks and eventual agreements. All the while enjoying some of the local cuisine that Utopia had to offer, which in his grand opinion, had made up for all the trouble he had dealt with throughout the morning.
-oOo-
War Room, Survey Corps Headquarters
By early afternoon Maverick had had made it back to Wall Maria, to the surprise and rejoice of his squad. They brought him back into th fold, where the commander and many of his closest comrades were waiting.
"So, what did Nile have to say?" Erwin asked taking a seat on one of the many desks. Maverick took a seat down on the center podium, setting his damaged carry on aside before offering his commander a response.
"Well, as he said, the MP's had some terms they wanted me to agree on before I even thought of setting foot inside the nearest city. They're pretty short honestly." He raised on finger.
"One, I am to be blindfolded throughout the entire journey both to and back from the factory city." He raised another finger.
"Two, I am to be monitored and under escort at all times." He raised a third and final finger.
"Lastly, three. At some point in time, I am to temporarily provide my services to the Military Police."
"WHAT?!" Hange shouted, slamming her thighs on her desk as she tried to get up. Moblit went to help her as Erwin pressed on.
"Did Nile explain what kind of services?" Maverick waved his hand nonchalantly at his concerned tone.
"Just a routine patrol around the southern district. Probably wants to see how I'd handle it." A relieved sigh was heard from some of his comrades, Hange being the loudest.
"At least they're agreeable." The scouts nodded along. It was a miracle in of itself that the unicorns had agreed on something that would be invaluable to their survival, most likely the prospect of having the marked man alongside them and multi barreled rifles was too good to pass up.
"By the way…"Maverick suddenly turned to Miche's vice-captain and took out the still intact guide from his satchel.
"As promised." She gave a thankful look, glad that he was able to keep the old guide in good condition.
"Did it help?" Nanaba asked. He sighed, he didn't want to lie to her, despite her endearing look.
"I won't lie, I got more lost with this." Her shoulders dropped slightly as he continued. "This Gartner woman seemed to be more focused on pretty descriptions instead of actual directions." Nanaba chuckled to his confusion.
For unbeknownst to him, she had expected that answer, what he had suffered through was experienced as well by the tomboy.
"Hehe. Yeah, most of her series are like that." Her turned adjusted her bangs in an effort to hide her embarrassed look, to the amusement of her squad mates.
'Daww, look at her, can't even look him in the eye.' Gelgar whispered. Snickers erupted from Lynne and the others, only to be silenced by her glaring eyes.
"Anything else to say Mav? Like your ripped satchel perhaps" Erwin asked, finally addressing the titan in the room, as well as wanting to move on from whatever was occurring with Miche's squad.
"Some lunatic tried to cut my throat. Got my satchel instead."
"HUH?!" Hange shouted, once again hurting herself on the desk she sat on. While her reaction was quite explosive, it didn't mean that her sentiments weren't shared by the others, who were again put off by his casual tone. But before they could ask the goggled woman beat them all to it.
"ARE YOU OKAY? WHERE DID HE CUT YOU?!"
"Hange."
"WHO THE HELL DOES THIS SHIT THINK THEY ARE?! THE NERVE!"
"Hanji."
"WHERES THE BASTARD MAV? TELL US!"
A large hand atop her forehead stopped her tirade, she looked up to meet his soft gaze as he rubbed her hair.
"I'm fine Hanji, it'll take more than some killer past his prime to take me out of this world."
After calming her down Maverick quickly explained the details of the attack. While his comrades were glad to know he had handled himself the idea that there was someone out there with clear intentions to assault him were concerning, especially how he described him.
"What did you mean by past his prime Mav?" Crossing his arms he recalled what the man had told him.
"Apparently he was some big shot serial killer in the past, and apparently my appearance was more than enough for him to come out of retirement."
His answer caused one scout among them to freeze up, while the others looked puzzled. The halfling found himself frozen in place, the conversation between the giant and his comrades continuing as he became lost in his thoughts.
There was no way he was talking about that man, was he? This had to be some sort of joke.
"Did he give a name?" Erwin asked, bringing the captain back into the conversation. With a sense of morbid curiosity filling his heart Levi remained silent as Maverick answered with a name he thought he would never hear again.
"Yeah, called himself The Ripper."
And that's a wrap for this chapter, and just in time for the holidays. Would have gotten this out sooner but I've been busy IRL, plus life loves to throw you a curve ball, in the form of a positive Covid test so that left me drained for a few days, still recovering.
Anyway, here we finally get to see the Ripper meet the Slayer, no doubt we'll see him more often as this story goes. Will he be an ally to our dear hero? Or be just another enemy he'll have to put down? Only time will tell.
For those wondering, the guide used by Mav in this chapter is based on the short story of the same name, written by Genevieve Valentine for the Attack on Titan Anthology. One thing that I love about writing this story is finding all sorts of different media made for the series that I can include.
That's all for me for now. I wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! See you in 2023!