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It all started when Erwin first set eyes on Levi.
He was appointed to a mission in the Underground to reclaim stolen gear and… something else. He had already studied his prey, of course. Erwin Smith always had a plan and was always informed.
The Military Police had granted him access downstairs Mitras beforehand just to find the wings of freedom where he least expected. Not on a banner or a uniform, but in a man. The tiniest, quickest man he had ever seen, capable of breathing in the open air and painting blue skies below the surface.
He had anticipated someone able to wear the 3D manoeuvring gear with no formal training to be good, just not this good . Ah, and he had two proficient companions as well, but they couldn’t compare to the one with the piercing eyes and hair black as a raven, who seemed to be their leader.
Retrieving the gear was a mere excuse. Hell, even uncovering Lovof’s assassination plot could have been. The main objective was to recruit them. For the cause, no doubt.
When Erwin knelt to face the winged man and his friends, could there have been something else? Anger and determination clashing in their gazes wouldn’t let them recognise anything else, if there was.
And still he felt his hope reborn anew when their answer was “yes”.
It all started when Levi first set eyes on Erwin Smith.
Having lived all of his life in the underground, he sure knew how to react to and how to act on the most unexpected, unpredictable situations. Yet this time, when the pursuing ensued, he knew that day would come.
Lovof had said soldiers would come to corner them into joining the Survey Corps, and it all went according to plan. They would give a good show, but get caught in the end, just to accept the proposal.
Despite that, had he really known such a day would come because of Lovof’s words, or was it really something else entirely that had it foretold? Levi had seen many soldier pigs below the ground. All of them shameless to admit their motives – usually money or power. Some others, a simple, sheltered life. However, who could blame them? Money and power ruled the Underground as well, and the humblest of them – the majority – only wanted to live another day. Preferably above the surface, because – they thought- that could really be called living.
So, yeah, Levi had never seen such expert-moving, strong-willed soldiers before. Although they did really put on a show, they hadn’t faked it all that much, at least not Isabel and Furlan.
As invested as Levi was in thinking all surface pigs were the same, a part of him had enjoyed the sparring. He had seen blue eyes, blondie hair, tall stature and handsome faces before, but he didn’t quite recalled finding all of those characteristics in the same man, the one who was fighting him now with all his might; discipline and fascination in his eyes. Although Levi had only seen the sky from a gap in the ground he called the ceiling, he knew it couldn’t be as blue as those eyes.
It was almost a shame he was appointed to kill him.