Chapter Text
Who IS he?
Your eyes flickered between the two men standing tall (well, as tall as one of them could be, at least) in front of you and the rest of the crowd, their domineering eyes shooting sharp daggers into the already-withered souls of the weak. Sure, you were all soldiers by now, who were strong and flexible and athletic, but compared to the commander and his Captains, you were a slug. One of whom could be stepped on or slice and diced in a split second. A shiver ran down your spine, but their glares didn't deter you from what you'd come out to do. Despite everyone else's warnings (including your own friends, who'd ultimately labelled you as a lost cause bound to die within your first day outside the walls), you were focused on your goal. To join the Survey Corps and to become a soldier.
Constant questions had flooded you from distant relatives you barely knew and old friends you'd decided to cut off, such as 'Why would you waste your life in such a way?' or 'Why can't you live it easy in Sina as an MP?'
Boredom. Sheer, utter boredom.
These walls were boring. The people were boring. Everyone just wandered around the streets either starving to death or looking for something - or someone - to do. It seemed as if women just wanted to give birth so they had some sort of meaning in life; those kids were either gonna die young or live a miserable life, so what was the point other than there being some sort of enjoyment for the parents? Especially in the outer districts such as Shiganshina (well, at least, what it used to be) and Quinta.
Your eyes scanned the arena. There was at least five-hundred people there, most being in their mid-teens with the oldest trainee being maybe 30? 40? You weren't far off, with your 23rd birthday being just around the corner, so in all honesty, it wasn't a surprise that he was there too. A small sigh left your lips as you tried to get used to the off-putting aura of silence, and you kept your hand pressed against your chest as you watching Commander... what was his name again? Erwin? You hadn't been listening. Instead, your eyes were glued to the shorter, black-haired man next to him.
His name was completely unknown. In fact, he hadn't said a word while being up there. You'd seen him around a few times, and he seemed almost like a big-name celebrity, so maybe that was why you recognised him. It was like there was an itch in the back of your mind, one so desperate to be scratched but impossible to get to, and it was him specifically. Why did you recognise him? As far as you could remember (which, wasn't much), you'd never met nor spoken to this man, and instead of listening to Commander Erwin, you were too busy racking through two decades of memories and trying your damned hardest to remember. But you couldn't even get past the age of sixteen. Everything before that was gone. Only small flickers of light sat in your mind, and that was it. You remembered your childhood house and... well, the trauma, but that was it. So thinking before then was pointless.
Suddenly, you were raising your hand at the Commander's orders, and it was then that you were ready to join the Survey Corps. Willing to risk your life, knowing that maybe in a month or two you wouldn't live to see another day, and a life filled with constant fear and irrationality... somehow, that put a smile on your face.
Because it meant a life of adventure. One far away from the impoverished, embarrassing and bland life you once lived.
----
"So, Y/l/n, right?"
You turned your head to glance over your shoulder, a small hum leaving your lips in response as you focused in folding your clothes into a neat pile on your bed. The girl you had as your roommate was leaning against the door, her arms crossed over her chest as a small smile sat upon her lips. Her brown hair was shaved into a buzz-cut, the punkish nature contrasting against her doe-like eyes and freckles. Her jawline was sharp and pointed, and she had a pretty roman nose complimenting the rest of her features. You recognised her from being part of the Northern Division, one you'd been forced to visit during your five years of training. Both of you were part of the 105th Cadet Corps, but in opposing divisions. And while you'd ranked 4th in your division, she'd ranked... 7th?
"I thought so! Y/n Y/l/n! I believe we met a year ago during one of the joint expeditions across the mountains. I did have longer hair back then though, so I won't be surprised if you don't recognise me," she laughed softly, reaching out her hand for you to take. "The name's L-"
"Lehmann, right?" you interrupted, quirking an eyebrow as you took her hand with a returning smile. "Dorothea Lehmann?"
"Ahh, just call me Thea," she chuckled, a blush dusting on her cheeks as she nodded. "I'm quite surprised you remembered me, to be honest. We didn't really talk much. Too busy trying to survive the cold."
"Heh, don't worry. It would've been impolite if you managed to remember mine and I couldn't think of yours," you responded, letting go of her hand to go back to organising your clothes. The room was fairly small, with the two beds pushed up against opposing walls and only a large coffee table separating them. An oil lamp and two freshly-cleaned mugs sat on top, while a small collection of old books sat underneath. Spare blankets lay underneath each bed, and a relatively small, shared wardrobe stood tall near the door. It was... homely. You knew the Survey Corps were extremely lacking in the financial department, so this was as good as it was gonna get. "So... you became a Corp too, huh? No offence but I thought you were heading for the Military Police. With your skill set, of course."
"No offence taken!" Thea laughed, shrugging her shoulders as she flopped down onto her bed with a heavy sigh. Rubbing her eyes with the palms of her hands, she wrinkled her nose. "Meh, I probably would've done if it wasn't for the shitty reputation those guys have. They're as corrupt as they are lazy. They don't really give a shit about the safety of the people within the walls, all they care about is the luxurious life within Sina, and that's not what I'm about. I prefer actually working towards a better world."
"Respectful, to be honest," you grinned, flattered by her loyalty to the walls and the people within them. You stretched dramatically, relaxing on the ever-so-slightly uncomfortable mattress and hoping to get your last well-rested sleep... probably ever. Turning to face her, a small smile sat on your lips. "We've got training tomorrow, right? What's it for? I wasn't listening very well."
"Eh, it's nothing important. I believe we're getting inspected by the captains of all the specialist teams as well as by the Commander, but that's throughout the week. I guess it's just so they can pick and choose whoever the strongest soldiers are and put them on the better squads," Thea shrugged, resting against her hand and watching you speak. "Not that I'm too bothered, anyway, Those captains seem like complete nut-cases. I guess they have been through hell and back, but have you seen that Hange Zoe? They're completely mental, Y/n! Obsessing over the titans as if they're God's Great Gifts... it's just a little bit insensitive, dontcha think?"
"I don't really know much about the Captains, to be fair. I just joined the trainees out of sheer boredom and didn't do particularly well in my academics because they, well, bored me. But if they're a talented soldier, then I guess what they truly think about the titans doesn't particularly matter," you laughed, shaking the hair from out of your eyes. "Although, I probably shoulda listened. Who was that short guy standing next to Erwin earlier? Black hair, grey eyes, very deadpan expression? I seem to recognise him, but I can't really figure out from where."
Thea's eyes lit up, and a small, giddy giggle left her lips as she rolled onto her back. "Oh, that's Captain Levi. You seriously don't know him? I'm pretty sure every trainee has fancied him at one point or another, it's either him or Commander Erwin. He's known as Humanity's Strongest Soldier, because if there's one guy who could save us all, it's him. It's rumoured that he's killed hundreds and hundreds of titans completely solo! And he's had barely any injuries. I mean, look at him! He still has all his limbs and barely any battle scars to show for it."
"Surely not," you snorted in disbelief, raising your eyebrows at her as she spoke. "Hundreds? That's impossible, Thea. You're chatting out of your arse, I bet. Nobody can do that without losing at LEAST a finger. And he seemed to be in tip-top condition!"
However, you didn't listen to the rest of what Thea had to say. All her words began to sound like a mush, a string of words that strung together to make no sense whatsoever. Because the only thing on your mind was his name. Levi. Where had you heard that name before? It wasn't a particularly popular name, so having heard it and recognising it was very out-of-the-blue. The name matched the face, but it didn't match any memories, and you groaned in annoyance.
"-and he said he'd killed six-hundred and- hey! Are you even listening to me?" Thea exclaimed, a small smile on her lips to signify that she was joking around. "Come on, man! Head out of the gutter. I get he's hot and all but Jesus!"
"Hey! That's not what I was thinking of at all, you weirdo!" you exclaimed, throwing your pillow at her in embarrassment. "I just seem to recognise him, that's all!"
"I wouldn't be surprised! He's literally famous throughout all the districts! Everyone screams his name within a ten mile radius whenever he's nearby," she sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Well, some for good reasons and some for bad. But then again, the Survey Corps don't have the best reputation."
"Yeah, yeah, whatever," you teased, rolling over onto your side so you were facing the wall. You closed your eyes for a few seconds, relishing in the oh-so-sweet silence Thea was giving you while you were lost in thought. It was strange; you always knew who people were if you'd met them before, and it wasn't like you were mixing him up for someone else. Those eyes... something about them, it was almost as if you'd looked into them before. Up close, too. But not as cold. "Thea, is there any way for me to talk to Levi? You know, without getting the shit beat out of me and with some sort of good reason?"
"... you must be out of your fucking mind."