A bargain with the devil, and pray he accepts it, you were sobbing in terror, the deeper the reality sank with whatever madness you're about to do.
Tears decided to show how vulnerable you felt to the man you've continued to deny. If it weren't for how helpless you look right now, you wouldn't do this, but if there's someone you could trust your life with, it's going to be
"Levi." You called, pausing to bite back your sobs before you burst into full-blown cries.
"Help me." You hitched a breath, letting one sob out before biting them back again.
"No."
Levi simply said.
"Why not?" Your voice was frail, humble, yet hopeful. You were aware of your position— where you have nothing to bargain for. Nothing to exchange for an eye, or a tooth for a tooth.
A life for a life.
Sympathy was all you have.
"You just need to hold that gear at a distance, and wave a mirror so I know where you are, and I'll give you a signal to leave it there." Your voice was strangled, "You won't even have to risk your life saving Miche, Levi. Please —"
"I can't. We have orders to do, duties to fulfill. You don't get to hop on schedule just because you beg."
The clock pointed at sunrise. Pointed that you do not have enough time to do what right means to you.
Not enough time to think about yourself, but just right to save someone else's.
You might as well be honest with him if he's the last person you'll talk to.
Silence was given to compose yourself. You let the tears hit the floor, your eyes stung and your visions got blurrier the longer you stared down.
Sighing helped a great deal, and hopefully all these rituals were enough to get over the fear of being honest, of being seen of what was left of you.
After all, what is there to lose if you're in your last hours?
"I get it. Greater good. You're doing what is required from a soldier like you." You pursed your lips to stop the tears and the pitiful whimpers that came with it.
"But, as a person…" The clanks of his buckles stopped at once, only to hear them again.
"You're not weak at all. Having a side that feels isn't weakness. It makes you human."
You peered at him through your disheveled hair, and how you noticed too late that the noise his movements made, stopped.
"And It was surprising for someone so strong, but I think," You paused when sunlight hit your heated cheeks.
"I think I like you better that way."
You flashed a smile, and bowed as politely as you could. Avoiding all pretenses of a salute, you didn't want to see him as a soldier in your last moments. And even if it was a mistake, an accident, you wanted to show that as much as he was capable of tolerating that someone saw that side he doesn't show, you also wanted to be remembered as you.
Not the in-house mechanic who fixes everybody's gear, not the outsider taken as captive because of her ability, but for last time's sake…
You wanted to be remembered like this.
With a name, with her dignity intact, who in the very end, fought for the people who accepted her.
Even with no other life to spare for herself.
"Thank you for not ratting me out to Hange and Erwin." You limped on the table where Marco's gear rested.
"And thank you for getting me Marco's gear—"
"Leave it." You snapped your head in his direction. "I'm not giving you that."
You didn't say anything. You didn't even proceed in taking it. The plan won't even work if there's no one on the other side anyway, so why bother? You just glanced at the clock one last time before your crutch's thuds uncomfortably reverberated against the silence of Levi's room.
Against the privacy of his door, you sighed to compose yourself.
You'll need to figure out how to fight, even with the injuries.
But first, you have to get to Miche as fast as you can.
Between Yalkell and Hermina, Dauper and Ragako should be.
The original plan was for Reiner, Miche and his squad to go to Ragako at a later hour of the morning, but since Erwin ordered Miche's squad to survey the area at an earlier time, the worst case scenario is have Miche and his squad turn to a titan along with the villagers.
But that would be absurd, You shook away that thought. After all, Erwin was already aware that Ragako residents did not come to Hermina.
That would mean even before Miche and his squad was dispatched, the residents already turned.
So the worst case scenario is…
You nodded. As you thought. The worst case scenario is for Miche to still make himself a decoy for others to report back to Erwin.
That not only will he face the beast titan and the turned villagers himself; there is a chance he might expose Reiner's identity and risk having to fight the armored titan too.
The chance of living is so slim, the possibility of death was again, slowly sinking in.
But you tightened your hold on the reins, your jaw clenched to bite back the fear.
You cannot back down now.
At a few meters' reach, pillars of disgusting humanoids were standing at every corner of the village, ready to pounce at their first prey.
The gates, guarded by the lazy stature of the beast titan.
The bloodied horses pinned on debris, barely holding on for their dear lives, and the center of them all, was a figure kneeling at the roof.
That's Reiner. Then where's Miche?
You began to tremble. Could it be that you're too late? Sting in your lip, metallic was its taste, your feet started to get cold. Your uneven, terrified breaths, diverted to your toes. You could feel your bladder acting up, but you gathered all courage to the last strands of your hair—
"MICHE!" You screamed, and the beast titan and his minions were now focused on you.
"REINER!" You screamed again, "Where's Miche? What the fuck did you do to him?!"
"Reiner, who's this?" The beast gruffly said.
"The survey mechanic." Reiner responded. "She made that gear and other… stuff."
"This?" The beast examined the miniscule gear, pinched between his thumb and his index finger.
There he was, in the middle of the encircling titans with no gear, leg broken, and shakily pointing his blade in a futile attempt to defend himself.
"That's right." You gulped, "I made that. But that's not just what I made—"
In your periphery was an inching titan, only for Zeke to pick it by its head, and pinch it like a grape.
The titan squirmed to get out of the beast's grasp, until it stopped moving completely when its eyes bulged and bursted out of its sockets, its head, completely crushed.
You fought the urge to gag.
"You guys better behave. We don't want to spoil the lass..." He mocked a small bow, a faint smile wrinkled his face. "Fine brave miss whose name I don't know is surely an enticing mystery."
"But the gear isn't what you want right? It's what's inside it." You hissed.
The beast's expression changed to a subtle amusement. That smirk behind those beady eyes, the evil, condescending glee that someone tiny like you, would insist on a deal with him, as if you two were equal.
"I was thinking of asking the lad if he understood me, but it seems I have my questions answered and so much more." He rested his cheek on his palm, mischief dancing in his eyes.
"Indulge me, lass."
"Look at this," You unclasped a tube from your gear, and raised it for him to see. "Inside it is a compressed ice burst fuel. We use that for the gears."
You were keenly aware of every change of expression in his face. The body language, if the beast was bored, or if you were still keeping him interested.
His attention was yours and Miche's life.
"That is called three dimensional maneuver gear." You referred to the gear in his hands. "We use it to fly around and kill titans."
"Oh? This little thing?" He began to examine the gear again. "Let me see..." his dark eyes glimmered in fascination, the pout on his monkey lips, in awe. He examined it, flipped it.
"I have the blueprints of that, the gear, military arsenals, planes, cars, and even a ship."
"Are you buying some time? Because as much as this fascinates me..." His beady eyes slowly swept to your direction, his hands still pinching the gears as if he would continue examining it.
"I can just get those blueprints from you and let you be."
"That's why I'm here to make a deal with you." He laughed, your muscles tensed. That titan hiding in the foundation of a house was moving in. You glanced at Miche, salivating, uncontrollably shaking, scared.
He crawled, attempting to stand, and you had to make him stop.
"Miche don't move." His eyes snapped at you, thankfully gaining a little of his sanity even with this insane, crazy situation you both were in.
"Humor me, now lass." He observed your preliminary gift. "Before I take them from you."
"You can't . Not until you keep your word." He started to get serious. It intimidated you; his dark beaded eyes, the shadows in his face... the fur matted at some parts...
"It's not with you is it? It's an open field." He looked around, second after his eyes got dangerous, and the throbbing in your head incessantly nibbled your temples.
"The blueprints are at the disposal of Levi Ackerman. A soldier who could wipe out an entire army, single-handedly." You had to emphasize the surname— you had to lie .
And if they figured out that no Ackerman soldier was waiting on the other end, how could you possibly escape a bunch of titan who could chase after you?
Miche couldn't walk, but at least the village has some horse ready at the stables, and you just need time for Miche to mount one.
Hermina is not open to receiving soldiers without prior order, you wondered if Miche has an extra flair. One flair could go unnoticed if the Garrison won't be paying attention.
"P-Phoebe…" Miche's strangled voice registered in your ears. "Calm down…"
When he held your hand, you noticed your undeniable need for air, the cold sweat that ruled your skin made the morning air colder than it actually was.
"Ackerman? A single soldier is a threat to me?" Zeke asked Reiner.
"Yes sir," Reiner answered. "Captain Levi is dangerous. Even I won't attempt to fight him in my titan form."
You gently squeezed Miche's fingers and held to it. You felt safer knowing someone's with you.
"Phoebe…"
"Miche, don't move." You said without peeling your eyed from the beast, "You're injured—"
"Is that… Levi?" You quickly snapped your neck at Miche's pitiful state, to the direction of where he looked.
Something glimmered at the far horizon.
Someone... Did Levi actually come?
"That's Levi." Miche struggled to stand on one leg, wincing at every word. "I can smell him. Damn boy always smells like wild flowers."
That made you chuckle. Levi came. Levi actually came. Knowing he's near made you sob in relief.
You didn't know how he managed to do that, but suddenly, your fears were washed away.
"So you let us live, you can have the blueprints." Your tone was braver now, more demanding, more hopeful.
"You kill us, blueprints are gone." He was listening, a deadpan painted in his face and you couldn't read it. Apathy? Boredom? Intrigue? Mocked? Was he simply letting you finish before he decides to give the signal to kill Miche then you? You don't know. But you will keep on talking until your mouth dries up.
"Tell your titan friends to go away— yougo away, and I'll signal Levi to let you know where the blueprints are. You've already done what you needed to do— you don't needto kill anymore from this island right now do you? There's nothing to gain from killing us, BUT I can give you something..." Your voice sounded strangled.
.
"...if only you let us live."
.
You couldn't read his expression through the shadows of his hairy features, and nothing scares you more than silence right now. Even the soft blowing of the wind was not welcoming to the harsh churning of your stomach. But your breathing was becoming even, though your palms remained clammy.
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Why isn't Zeke saying anything?
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"Do you have a lover?"
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"What?" Did you hear it wrong?
"Do you have—is this man, your lover? Or is it the Levi soldier?" Your mouth answered much faster than your brain did.
"Yes." You held Miche's hand tighter.
You heard the tsk before Zeke spoke.
"I could've brought you home and meet grandpa, too bad you already have a lover. But that won't matter, I like myself some competition."
"You can't spare either of us. It has to be both."
.
A few seconds after, he stood up, commanding his minions to follow him.
"Only at a safe distance will I fire it. You know it right? We can't outrun you." You directed his attention to Miche's leg and the lack of horse, assuring him that you were conforming to the deal.
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"Come on, Reiner." Reiner walked up his shoulder.
And they walked.
Far.
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Farther.
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And you fired the flair.
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Soon after, Levi fired it too.
About the dots. I can't find a solution to by pass the spacing of ffn so I just use periods. I am fond of using spaces to create suspense, awkwardness of boredom depending on the context. Hope you understand.
Listening to Fujii Kaze and Monkey Majik,
Sultryzucchini.