Chapter Text
PROLOGUE
In the ruins of the former internment zone of Eldian citizens in marleyan territory, lies the famished masses that survived the war. The area was bombed to dust and the buildings destroyed, it was beyond possible to recover. The rubble was all over the city from the war of the titans and the rumbling but this didn't discourage the ones who considered this place their home.
After the war has left them despaired, from the loss of their loved ones, and the destruction of their homeland, even after outliving the the great war, they find no solace nor satisfaction. Some wished to be dead and most were barely living by. Paradis Island was deprived of their freedom, after the rumbling, the death of Eren Yeager and the eradication of the curse.
Paradis island was in grave danger with all the military forces from across the world willing to bomb them the second anyone sets foot out of the island. This decision had good sides to it though, because through this, they ultimately declared every Eldian living outside paradis, free people with equal rights to every Marleyan Citizen.
Even after the curse, the whole world still holds them accountable for what their former Godhead Eren Yeager did to the rest of humanity outside the island. Every nation held hostile relations with paradis island, and diplomats are constantly having negotiations to alleviate the situation and ultimately convince the other nations to allow them to be independent and continue their survival on terms favorable to the outside nations of course.
Those outside the walls were unlucky to have their home wrecked and their population dwindled however people inside the walls are even more unlucky from the unending discrimination of any one who has a drop of Eldian blood to the constant need of fighting just to continue their survival. After the killing of Eren Yeager, Survey Corps members Jean, Connie, Armin And Mikasa make it safely back into the island, into their homeland, since everyone was able bodied and had tried their hardest on the cost of their very own lives.
Lance Corporal Levi, once Humanities Strongest soldier, was unable to do so after the rumbling. Losing one eye, his other leg and a few of his fingers, he wasn't fortunate enough, nor did he have enough stamina to go back to the island.
He spent the next couple of months living with Gabi and Falco and the rest of other Eldians stuck on Marleyan Territory. They weren't treated with scorn but it wasn't that great either, they had food shortages, and had to consistently find means for survival. Post war, the Marleyan government found itself in financial ruin, the economy was spiraling and depleting by the day.
Not until, the former head of Marleyan State had stepped in to resolve the crises, soon enough with all the projects and measures taken Marley was able to get back on track, recovery was fast and soon Marley would only look back to the impact of the rumbling as a thing of the past.
CHAPTER 1
Gabi sighed as she pulls the plastic grocery bags in her hands to the table counter, winter was approaching and now they're keeping themselves busy with stocking up supplies to last in the cold. "Did you get it?" A 14 year old Falco Grice enters the kitchen with a plate croissant in his hands. Gabi comes forward "Ooohh, that looks tasty, gimme a bite" she opens her mouth for a bite. "So? How'd it go?" Asks Falco one more time. Gabi signals to wait as she's still chewing. Falco turns to sip water while waiting for her response. "The bitch on the guardhouse won't let me pass so I snuck in" Falco spits the water .
"Hey! Dammit don't go blowing your spit on someone elses face! Y-" Her ranting was cut short when Falco pulled her closer and signalled her to lower it down "He's sleeping on the couch! do you serious want him to know about it, and ruin our plans?!" Gabi gritted her teeth and pushed him to the side "I got the damn paper signed, what more do you want" Falco followed her and gave a backhug "Hey I'm sorry, I didn't mean to yell, Come on let's do restocking, you like that right?" He smiled and kissed her cheeks.
"Don't do that Reiner will be here in a few minutes" Gabi giggled to the side. Levi rolled his eyes hearing their ridiculous conversation "Darn 14 year old Brats" He muttered under his breath. After the war, Levi was on his breaking point, he wondered what was worth it, if he was worth it, if all he did was worth it. With everything he went through, its normal to go through depression, although he didn't let it get the best of him. But this time, with him being a decapitated 38 year old man with no more purpose in life, Levi seems to be absolutely done with living but later on finds himself not wanting to die just yet.
Levi sits up from the couch and poured tea from the pot to a cup. The only good thing in his life right now, is having to do nothing and getting time for himself, to think and to do what he likes, on limited conditions of course. The house he stays in (Braun Residence) is warm, cozy and of course clean, he has good food to eat everyday, different types of herbs to boil for tea and a notebook to write and draw his thoughts, in these past months he's been keeping himself busy by journaling his life experiences, getting fresh air with Gabi and Falco in the outskirts of town, learning about herbs and plants and now he's thinking about making a garden and Reiner had already agreed to do it with him. His life recently was quite peaceful but the longing for his own homeland was still in him.
He actually knew what Gabi and Falco were trying to do, they were requesting immigrant deportation for eldians living in marley, in order to bring Levi back to paradis and they were actually making progress but he knew it was impossible and the kids were just laboring themselves for nothing, in the worst case they might even get in danger because it was already announced by Marleyan Government that no one was to leave or enter paradis island and anyone who dares will face heavy consequences.
Levi's thoughts were interrupted by a creak of the door signalling Reiner was home already. "I got you a saffron herb, Ackerman" He said placing a black box on top of the coffee table. Levi's eyes went wider than barrier reef, he glared at Reiner "Quit fucking with me Braun, I'll cut your limbs" .
Reiner smirked and took off his coat "You won't open it? Great then you won't mind if I sell it right?". Levi gave him a stern look while unboxing it "You little shit you're dead meat if y-'' His words were cut off when he was able to see the content of the box a neatly arranged red saffron herb. "Oi, you selling your kidneys just to get me a present is damn childish" He says nonchalantly admiring the precious herb "Eh? My boss handed that to me telling me specifically to give it to you" Reiner walks to the kitchen and gets a glass of water.
"Tch, this is exactly why I can't die yet" Levi moves to his wheelchair and pushed the wheels to his room where he placed his saffron herb on his tea collection. This precious herb costs about the value of an entire mortgage and he's been wanting to try this ever since. In inspecting the boxes Levi notices a small paper attached to it "To Humanity's Strongest Soldier, I hope I get to meet you before I die" it says.
He blinked his eyes in confusion not because of the compliment ( he's used to recieving them all the time) but because of the thought that this came from Reiner's manager.
Dinnertime came and 5 of them were eating in the table the Bone Marrow soup that Reiner's Mom had prepared. "Am I that popular that I have a whole fucking fanclub to get me an expensive ass tea in your workplace?" Levi Blurts out talking to Reiner "Nah, my boss just told me it came from someone in the HQ's, they've probably heard of you and knew you were living with us" He answered while chewing the meat. "Reiner Manners!" His mom reprimands. "They should've introduced themselves too, Instead of making us play the guessing game"
Gabi responds at the side.
Levi thanks Reiner's mom for the food and heads out for fresh air. He pushes his own wheelchair to a nearby lake in the park to get a good view of the new full moon when and only when he can start to assess what has really happened to him, what is happening to him and what will be happening to him.
There has been this lingering feeling in him that he knew he couldn't ignore. Even after the curse has been eradicated and humans could never turn into titans anymore, he still feels it.
Unlike the information he used to believe that Eren's death ended the titan era he has now formed a belief that was contradictory to the latter. Having a titans blood in his veins, he was still an Ackerman. the current surges he's been feeling especially during full moon are the source for his theories, that the curse was not fully erased from existence to the very root of it. Humans can no longer be titans and that's reality but the fact that he can still lift a 300kg steel rod just proves that he is still as strong as he was before the curse was removed.
On his way home Levi sees a middle aged man crouching down to a girl and he hears the man say "Hey there, you look a little bit lost, come with me I'll bring you to your parents" the girl contemplates but then decides to run away the man chases her but Levi throws a stick on his feet and causes him to loose balance.
The man looks back and decides not to pursue the girl anymore, he walks towards Levi and says "Well well, this ones even better. You little pests are really a pain in the ass you know that? You disabled shitbag freaks should just rot in your houses and sleep in your own piss" He was about to hit levi when he kicks the man with his leg and he falls on the ground. He stands up immediately and grabs a bat on his side "Thats it fucker, you're getting the time of your life tod-" his word was cut short after getting pulled up by a blonde girl and thrown to the wall. The throw was strong enough to cause concussions but she didn't stop there. She kicks him multiple times until he's completely knocked out.
She sighs as she crouches down handcuff the man. Levi watches te whole scene as if he was on a movie premiere "Did you finally have remorse after killing hundreds of thousands of people that you decided to save a poor disabled man from getting his dick cut off by a sex offender?" He says to her. She looks at him for a brief moment and continues to do her work. "So what's good Leonhardt?"