Chapter Text
The payout for this job was huge. Enough to get to the surface. I looked up at the client.
"You'll get half of the payment upfront," he said.
I nodded. "As soon as I confirm the money is clean, I'll start the job."
The client turned away towards the front door. "When you receive the insurance in an hour, we'll also be coordinating your transport to the surface. Stohess." He looked over his shoulder at me. "Do us all a favor and try not to go exploring. I can promise we will find you."
I sat back on the couch as he walked out with his lackey. His threat was as common as ever in this job.
I kicked my feet up onto the coffee table in front of me as I picked the file back up to read over the target's dossier.
Hange Zoë, it read. Scout Regiment Section Commander for Logistics and Supply Squads. The Regiment's Lead Researcher.
I flipped through the pages, skipping over the jargon of their accomplishments and looking for information on their combat skills and closest associates. Ten solo Titan kills. Five assists. Interesting.
Erwin Smith, Scout Regiment Commander.
Moblit Berner, Scout Regiment Executive Officer.
Miche Zacharius, Scout Regiment Section Commander, Support Squads.
Levi LNU, Scout Regiment Squad Leader, Special Operations Squad.
Last Name Unknown.
I sat up, dropping my feet from the table to plant my elbows on my thighs as I stared at the paper. Could it be him? It had been a few years since the military dragged him out of this shithole. Could he have really survived this long up there?
"Levi." Erwin slowed his horse to ride alongside him. "Do me a favor and keep an eye on Hange."
Levi gave Erwin a flat look. "Want me to give Moblit a break from babysitting?"
"Something like that." Great. Erwin was being vague again. "And when our guest appears, keep her alive."
Without another word, Erwin trotted away on his horse. Levi sighed and moved to ride next to Hange.
"Hey, Four Eyes," Levi called out as he approached Hange. "Try not to get yourself killed today."
"Too much paperwork for you, dear Levi?" Hange leaned over in their saddle with a grin.
"Exactly."
"Well, considering we've captured the Female Titan and I've got a pastor to question, I'm entirely too busy to die anytime soon."
"Last I checked, the bitch encased herself in a rock." Levi rolled his eyes. "Feels less like capturing and more like collecting." Like they were fucking geologists or something.
"Better we have her than anyone else."
I perched myself atop the roof of a house, back pressed against the chimney as I brought the Scout's small convoy into my scope. They were moving towards my position on horseback. I scanned the faces of the soldiers, from rear to front. About two rows from the lead was the target; their glasses shone in the early afternoon sun as they looked around at the state of the district post-attack.
One inhale. Just before the bottom of my exhale, I squeezed the trigger. I pulled back from my rifle to observe the scene. The cloud of dust and the lack of blood said I missed, but the target was no longer on their mount.
No, someone pushed the target out of the way.
And now another Scout was flying towards me. Fast.
I repositioned and took aim for the Scout flying full-speed towards me and shot one round. They easily dodged it with a corkscrew maneuver and continued closing the distance between us.
Quickly, I abandoned the rifle and vaulted over the peak of the roof, sliding down on the other side. I jumped off just before hitting the gutters only for a pair of boots to knock into my shoulders as I was midair.
The strike had me rolling across another tiled roof, and the attacker landed a foot away. My nails scraped against the roofing as I tried to stop rolling.
"Huh." The man pulled back his hood and tilted his head as he looked down at me. I crawled to my knees and stood slowly, trying to keep my balance on the slanted roof. "And here I was, thinking you were still rotting away in the Underground."
Levi. Of course, he fucking survived. Don't think the fucker knew how to die.
I pulled my pistol from my waistband.
"You've been thinking of me, Levi? How flattering." I scanned the rooftops around us. No Scout or MP reinforcements. Odd.
His eyes tracked the gun in my hand.
"Don't make this harder than it has to be," he said in that same dry, mocking tone he always had as he stepped closer. "I know it's hard for a brat like you, but just try to behave and come with us."
I raised the gun and shot a round at his head. He didn't waste a second; Levi crouched and ran towards me, throwing me off the roof. He was like getting hit with a boulder to the gut. The gun slipped out of my hand and fell to the ground beneath us.
He had one arm wrapped around my waist as he jumped off the roof. One second, we were airborne; the next, I landed in the dirt, impact knocking the breath from my lungs.
Levi landed on top of me, one boot slamming my chest. He didn't hesitate to raise his foot to slam his heel down on my ribs. Just before he could land another kick to my face, I turned onto my side and pushed my hips back to avoid his strike.
I pivoted, sweeping my leg to take out his ankles. I popped up on my feet to push him down and get the mount. My weight dropped like a stone on his chest as my thighs clamped down on either side of his torso. When his hand came up to grab my face, I sat up out of his reach.
My left hand grabbed his wrist and pushed his hand to the ground as my right hand weaved under his pinned arm to grab my left wrist.
My elbow pressed into his jaw as I twisted the arm bar, but Levi's free hand threw punch after punch at my ribs until at least one cracked.
Saliva filled my mouth. My vision narrowed and blurred for just a second, fighting the adrenaline in my veins. He took advantage of the daze and headbutted me in the face, breaking my nose. With a sharp exhale through my teeth, I yanked the arm bar and dislocated his shoulder.
My blood splattered against his face and smeared into the crevices of his skin.
I untangled our arms and dropped an elbow on his eye socket twice, and the little psycho growled. He hit me again, aiming for the broken rib before shoving me off.
The force made me tumble to the side, but, out of the corner of my eye, something silver shone.
His blades. Not once had he tried to kill me with them.
In the next second, Levi stood, looking livid with my blood smeared across his face and his right arm hanging limp. He moved in, kicking me in the head. My head snapped sideways, forcing my body to follow the momentum.
I rolled across the cobblestone as pain flared in my jaw. I looked back at the blade and reached for the handle. Levi kept closing in. Posted up onto a knee, I swiped the long blade towards his neck.
A thin line of pain along the front of my throat made me freeze, the blade a few inches from Levi's neck. Another Scout stood beside me, blade raised. As I turned my head to look at him, the sharp edge broke skin. Nothing too deep, but I felt the fresh blood trickle down to my collar. The Scout was a tall man, blond. The look in his eyes said he wouldn't hesitate to execute me here.
My eyes flicked back up to Levi. He was glaring at me–and at the man who stopped me. Around us, civilians and soldiers were watching the three of us.
"Make a choice," the tall man ordered. His voice was deep.
Alive but captured. That would offer more opportunities for completing the job than being dead ever could.
I released the handle, dropping the ODM blade. It clattered against the cobblestone. Slowly, I raised my hands. I kept my eyes on the tall Scout as someone came up behind me and slapped cuffs around my wrists. He lowered his weapon as the Scout yanked me to my feet. I pushed back against the soldier who hauled me upright as they tried to shove me forward.
The tall blond's eyes lingered on me too long for a man intending to execute me.
"Too busy enjoying the show, Erwin? Voyeuristic weirdo," Levi muttered as the other Scout dragged me towards a wagon–prisoner transport, presumably. He was already cleaning my blood off his face.
The man, Erwin, just glanced at Levi before sheathing his blade.
The man was the Scout Regiment Commander, and I didn't like how he looked at me.