Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

He stood before the cemetery, the small steps leading up to the hilly landscape of it. Tombstones laid about like the rocks on the shallow floor of a low tide. The fog about the area was akin to a sea of utter greyness, save that damnable tower that old guy spoke of.

Levi could see it even from this far. The familiarity. A strange sight that reminded him of the good and the bad, though with each passing day he seemed to dwell more upon the bad. He scratched his thin bruised arm.

Like most of his kind, he was pale, but Levi appeared a special case for he seemed able to blend in with snow. About the outer perimeter, he scanned the forest. Trees, dried high grass, patches of mud. He'd been taught to notice these little things. The faintest glint or movement would perhaps be something more than meets the eye. And that very movement or glint could mean the difference between life or death.

Life and death, a constant teetering between two worlds. Wouldn't you know all about that? then again, would he? he'd witnessed men who understood that within the service, and he accepted ever since he was a boy that he'd die young. But he hadn't.

Gas attacks...the bodies of women and children...deny and scrub all evidence of the Fatherlands involvement. Let the bones be burned.

Inside, he walked the steps. Going past mausoleum's, the angels atop glowering down at him, judging him for the thing's he'd done in the name of his own survival. But Levi wasn't scared, no, he stared back. He stared back and that's all he needed to do. They brought him down in this world, the fault went to them for placing him here.

He stopped. There sitting atop the hill was his father's grave. Levi looked over the decayed tombstone, his name etched in stone, half broken off into bits and pieces. His hands were flat at his side as he stared down at it.

"You are my sunshine..." ma whispered as she cradled him in her arms, the sounds of objects breaking and pa's rambling nearly drowning her voice out, "my only...sunshine...you make me happy when...skies are grey," she rubbed his face. A loud rapping at the door of his room, and it burst open when she finally finished the song.

Levi placed a hand to his face. He moved away, the cold of the area causing him to rub his arms. For some strange reason he found himself doing that more often than usual. Nobody told him breaking the needle habit would be more difficult than any battle he'd faced.

He wanted to say something to his father, tell him who he was and that he was still here despite everything. What else could he say beyond the truth? give a man a brush and he'll create wonders of the mind, give him materials and he'll craft architecture for shelter and needs, give him an enemy and the only thing he'll do is destroy.

For the last five years, that was who Levi was. Was? could he even think that way? the needle had kept the existential thoughts among other things such as these at bay. But when he'd gone from the service, there was nothing. He'd been sick for weeks, barely able to move in the first. Even here, he was finding it difficult to breathe.

Walking further up the stone rectangular steps built into the hill, Levi turned his back on his father without any words exchanged. His mother's grave would be up here, he'd see her, and that would be that.

He stopped. Beyond the fog, he first saw the silhouette and had a devil of a time trying to recognize just what he was looking at. It was a woman, a familiar woman. Silver blonde hair, dress, and a long sleeve shirt. She was leaned down to one of the tombstones.

Levi glassed the area once more. Just the woman. And he had the drop on her. He never killed if he didn't have to, but it was better to be sure he could just in case. Walk around her, into the fog where she wouldn't see him. But the grass had leaves, no way to not make sound even if he walked on his toes.

Damn. He'd have to risk passing her. His knife was tucked in his waistband, and he was disturbed to imagine using it on her. He'd been told visualizing the kill made the act easier. But he told himself he'd never kill again.

Every step he took, he made sure it was on the steps and eventual path of the concrete. Why would a girl visiting a tombstone be hunting him? maybe she knew he was here. Maybe she's using the opportunity to get the drop on him. Well why hadn't she or any of the others done so at the train?

He didn't answer that. Levi stepped closer and closer, making sure to stay as far from her as he possibly could. What was her name...Marina? yes, don't stab her, she was nice to you. She said that you looked sleepy. But that's how they get to you, pretend to be your friend and then...

It doesn't matter. He was about to pass her by anyway. Or at least he thought he was until her voice made him nearly jump out of his skin.

"Why are you following me?" she'd stood and turned to face him in a matter of half a second. Her face was like that of a porcelain dolls. Pale, and without any blemish beyond two black dots at the sides of her face. Dark eyes met dark eyes.

"What-" he cut himself off, an instinctual response to the suddenness. Levi was at her front, on the edge of the other side of the path.

"Why are you following me?" she repeated. Marina backed away, so did he.

"I'm not," he shook his head.

Marina studied him. "...You're shorter than...never mind." She looked away, "p-pardon me. Wait..." the girl turned her head back, "you're...oh, from the train?"

"Yeah."

"And just as quiet as you were there."

"...Yeah." He watched her. She'd been waving her hands before realizing who he was, small circular motions. Now she stopped. "I have to go."

"Go? oh, seeing a family member here? sorry, I'll leave you to it." He watched her turn back to her tombstone. Levi wanted to move away, but there was an issue there. As he looked at the tombstone next to the one she'd knelt by, he saw his mother's right next to it.

He didn't move. Nor did he say much of anything. Marina tilted her head. She was actually taller than him. Levi stared at the stone. His mother's name carved in much like his fathers. "Are...is...is there something else?" she said.

"That's who I'm here for," he pointed at the grave. Marina turned and saw it.

"Family?"

"Yeah."

"Who?"

"My ma."

"Oh." She looked with him and motioned to the tombstone she'd been at, "that's my mother too."

"...Oh."

They stood there in that cold fog, strangers who'd found some odd companionship by their unique situation. "They're friends."

Levi took a moment to come to the conclusion she had indeed said that. "Pardon me?"

"Do you think they would have been friends? your mother and mine?" she was pressing her hands together, and they were twitching as she swayed slightly.

"I don't know..."

"Um...sorry," she started scratching her wrist, "that was a dumb question."

Levi said nothing. Now that he wasn't trying to push past everyone and getting a good look...didn't he know her from somewhere? he swore she looked so familiar. "You from here?" now it was his turn to initiate conversation and Marina seemed slightly surprised by that more than the fact he'd known her all of five seconds and asked a personal question such as that.

"This graveyard?"

"No, the city."

She pointed her index and middle finger at him, "Well yes, I'd think we both are considering families been buried here. But for right now I've been residing up at the Vatican, but I don't think that's gonna work out. What I really wanna do is go somewhere and start up an occultist shop. Oh wait, what about you?"

"...Soldier."

"Is...that it?"

"Yeah."

"No war stories to tell, no plans about the future or...hrm?" she shrugged.

"Not really."

"Well, I hope you find..." he was staring at her and when she glanced over to him, he'd looked away. "Mister?"

"At the church...you sang."

"Excuse me?"

"All-mer's...I saw you singing in the chorus."

"Oh," she seemed to brighten up as if he'd brought back some happy memory. "Yes, you know I wanted to be a singer when I was little."

"Really?"

"Yeah, just child stuff though. I'm sure you went through the same kinda thing."

"What do you mean?" he'd been holding his hands flat at his side. Now he relaxed them.

"Did you want to go do something fantastical? when you were a child?"

He thought about his answer. Levi looked down at his boots and then he did a scan of the perimeter. He'd taken a whole minute to do that, was he so out of practice this fast? "Pianist."

"Pianist?"

"It's not fanciful but...my ma played when I was a boy and..." he shook his head. "About it."

"Couldn't you still learn?"

"No."

"I bet you could. You could play 'why don't you do right' while I sing at clubs across the world," she giggled softly at the thought. It was a small petite little whisper of a laugh and Levi felt his face starting to turn red.

He rubbed his arm, "No, I couldn't."

Marina stopped her laughter, she gave him an odd look, "Um...alright."

He took the moment to do another scan of the perimeter. Marina picked up on it this time, "Why're you doing that?"

His head shot back around, "Doing what?"

"Like..." she mimed the act, "this."

"...You..." for the first time in a long time he stammered slightly. "You said you were being followed by someone."

"Oh, y-yeah...were you...looking out for me?"

"...Yeah."

She was laughing again, "I guess a big soldier like yourself knows how to protect huh? my knight in shining armor."

"Protect?"

"Sure! you're going to the city, right?"

"...Eventually," he rubbed his arm.

"Maybe it's a bit weird, but there's something going on about here. Strange happenings among other things."

"I guess..."

"So...lets stick together, at least until we get to where we need to be."

He looked at her, then away. Levi seemed to be thinking, whatever it was nobody but himself knew. "Who's following you? just one person?"

"I'm not sure, and yes it's one person. Unless you were also secretly following me. Maybe I should start a fan club. What do you think Mister Levi?" she'd placed her hands behind her back and stood up next to him. This time he didn't take a step back.

"I wasn't following you."

"It's a joke silly, you're not ripe for those huh?"

"I...am..." he rubbed his arm.

"We should probably be going now before it gets dark," she looked away from him to her tombstone, "bye mama..." she waved, "bye Mister Levi's mama. I'm sure you were a wonderful lady."

They joined together and she talked to him. She talked to him like he was there, like he wasn't number eleven, no she was nice to him. Was this his chance? was she right? could he protect instead of destroy? gods he hoped so. Please.

"What're you searching for?" she asked as they stepped down the path. "I'm trying to visit with my father..." there was something strange in Marina's voice when she said that. "He's a priest at the very church you saw me singing at."

"I...don't..." he shook his head, "really know."

She watched him, a curious look in her eye. "Well...how about in exchange for being my bodyguard, I help you find something?"

"...Okay...t-thank you..." and for some odd reason he wanted to cry right then and there. But he didn't. Instead, the two youths went on, unknowing to the horrors they were preparing to face down.

Chapter Text

"No means no young missy," Daan said, that eyepatch crinkling as he side-eyed her. Marina pouted at him. She watched the doctor clean the glass, standing behind the bar of the Bop.

Marina patted the countertop like it would frighten the man into giving her what she wanted, "Aw come on...the whole cities abandoned!" she squeaked. Daan shut her down with a slow shake of his head, left to right.

"You're a strange fellow Mister Von Dutch," Abella tapped her finger against the bar. She'd forgone any drinking and taken milk because in the redhead's own words, 'beer is yucky.'

"We've only just figured this out?..." Karin slurred as Daan handed her a full bubbling drink, her second one that night in dog years. "Goody two shoes...right here..." she tilted her head up and pointed her wobbly finger at him.

He tilted the one good eyebrow he had left down at the pint-sized woman, "Miss Sauer, I think you've had enough," Daan chuckled softly.

"What!?" Karin seemed to sober up for a brief moment from the prospect, but her head fell back down on the bar before she could call the doctor a queer once more.

"I'm against the demon drink as a whole, but maybe the girl should be allowed to cut just a little loose?" Abella hovered her index finger over her thumb. "I don't think one mug will turn Miss Domek into an alcoholic."

"Tell Patches what's what! you tell him Abella!" Marina shook her fist.

"My answer remains, its finality like fort Knoxemburg," Daan took Karin's glass. The reporter murmured out words only known to her in drunkenness, "I'm sure Miss Domek wouldn't like to turn out like Miss Sauer here."

"Motherfucker..." Karin groaned as she laid her head against the table, Abella patting her back.

As they argued, the young girl glanced up. Around her, she watched the others speaking to each other at the round tables. That yellow mage alone like always, that cook watching Abella from time to time and Marina had a clue as to what he was looking at, and Marcoh noticed his gaze.

Leaning in, the big chad wrapped an arm around him, shocking Henryk. "Think with your other head and start dealing, it's your time to shine chef," he motioned to the middle of the table. Tanaka and Olivia had already ante'd up shillings and looked at him expectantly.

"...Uh right," Henryk smiled and he took them in his hands and started shifting the deck around. "Calling all cards..." his voice trailed off as even he realized the joke was terrible.

"You might have to bet your tie after this one," Olivia said to Tanaka. Holding her cards up she looked down at all the coins she'd happily taken from the man.

"Just one more round...one more and I'll win big time!" Tanaka held a finger up to them, "just wait and see. I have a mind for these things, the best mind!"

"...I have a few friends who'd have loved you..." Marcoh murmured.

"What?"

"Nuttin. Focus on actually winning this time."

Marina wasn't one for gambling, and since she couldn't drink what other thing was there to do? and just as the thought came to pass, she happened to glance up and see her bodyguard standing by and staring down at a grand piano right in front of a stage with a big red curtain draped in the background.

If everything else failed, she could go and force herself into his personal space. He couldn't use the excuse of 'looking out for trouble' as a reason to not talk to her here.

"Um...Mister Von Dutch?"

"Yes ma'am?" he said watching as Abella helped Karin to a velvety cushioned couch past the tables. His one good eye turned to see her. Apparently, the loss of depth perception wasn't as much of a consequence as Marina would think it'd be.

"I need a drink-"

"No."

"It's not for me, it's for him!" she pointed up at Levi.

Daan tilted his head the ex-soldiers way, seeing the boy drumming his fingers against the top of the piano. "For him?"

She looked at Daan with slightly narrowed brows, "No, the terrifying piano monster."

"Just him?"

"Duh, who else?"

"Oh, I'm unsure, perhaps the young lady who argued for a drink not a minute ago?"

"...Please?"

"Alright," he waved his hand and prepared the bottles. "He certainly appears as if he could use it."

Levi ran his hand along the ivory keys. There was a bench under the grand instrument, but he hadn't thought to sit or seemingly didn't want to. His expression was plain as usual and the dark splotches under his eyes somehow baggier.

"Play 'I don't want to set the world on fire,' I command thee," Marina had somehow snuck up right next to him and Levi jumped as he saw her bright eyes staring right at him about half a foot away. He'd forgotten to scan the goddamned room, once again, either that or this girl had the stealth of a feline.

He stared at her, his expression plain. Levi had looked this exact same way even against the things they'd faced. He'd stared down the eyes of a clown who'd had him by the throat, readying to saw his head off among other horrors of the day. "I can't," he stated.

"Ohh..." she tapped her finger against her face, "yeah didn't you say something about it?"

"About what?"

"About being a pianist, oop, almost forgot, here," she handed him the glass. Levi took and stared at it as Marina continued, "C'mon...at least try."

"I...my ma only really taught me the basics," he looked away and drank the beer in four very fast gulps. The girl was slightly taken aback by her bodyguards quick chugging.

"Well..." she held her mouth shut and glanced at the floor with her thoughts stirring, "maybe this is like...the thing you're supposed to find?"

"L-Like..." it felt like an entire lifetime had passed since the morning they'd met. Eventually she reminded herself, "remember, in exchange for being my spectacular knight in shining armor, I'm supposed to help you," she poked her finger into his chest, "search for something. Can this be it?"

"...I dunno."

Her eyes drooped slightly, "Mister Levi, you're a hard person to talk to."

Levi shrank, "...Sorry."

"Don't apologize, it makes me feel bad," her small cheeks puffed out. She took the glass, "At the very least let me keep on getting you more to drink. Patches was right you do look like you need it."

That made him perk back up a little, "Thank you," his mouth moved slightly going upwards at about half an inch.

When she returned with the second drink, he'd sat at the piano and was pushing keys. The notes sounded off in non-rhythmic intervals. Marina placed the drink on top of the instrument and watched him, listening.

It took her a moment, but Marina soon understood that he was trying to play something. Whenever he messed up, he'd start over, one key, the second, third, and a mess up? back to the first key. Almost robotic. She wanted to ask him what the song was, but when seeing his face there was a certain look to it that gave her pause.

He was Levi, and then he wasn't. His eyes were glazed over as if focusing to some great task, a task greater than a simple exploration of the instrument he'd long since wanted to master. It was almost like he was remembering something. He even ignored his drink for the next few minutes.

Stopping, he leaned back in his seat. Sweat drizzled down his forehead and Marina watched him strangely. He let out a long, winded breath. Marina glanced back to the others who were still going about their own vested interests. Tanaka's tie was gone from him and his eyes had gone wild as he started unbuttoning his shirt, Karin was sleeping on the couch, Daan having laid a blanket over her, and Abella had joined the card game which pleased Henryk more than anyone else.

Turning back, she sat with him. His gaze slowly turned to her. The look in his eye was gone. "Why'd you stop?" Marina asked.

"It wasn't..." his knee started bobbing up and down, "it wasn't sounding right."

"What was the song?"

"You are my sunshine."

"Really?"

"Yeah."

"Where'd you hear it?"

He didn't answer, there was an awkward silence between them for a few seconds before Marina followed up with, "Because...that's real nostalgic for me."

"...How?"

She was smiling, something strange behind the expression, "My mama used to sing it to me."

His face almost changed to familiar shock, but he barely stopped the formation. "Is...that true?"

"Mhm," Marina nodded her head up and down.

"Mine too."

"Your mama did?"

He looked away once more, like he didn't want to be seen while admitting this, "Yeah."

"Is...that what you were trying to play?"

"...Yeah. But it wasn't good."

"Of course, but if you keep trying really hard, eventually you'll learn. It's kinda like magic. Took me years to get even one spell down reliably."

"I dunno."

"Hm...well..." she drummed her fingers against the sides of the piano, "as...the civilian you've been chosen to protect mister bodyguard, I order thee to learn this song!" she patted the top of the piano for emphasis. Then she realized the drink was still up there and grabbed it and handed the glass to him, "and to enjoy this drink while you're at it."

Once more, she watched him drink the entire thing faster than any other who'd gotten themselves a glass. Even Karin couldn't compare. "Thank you, did the Lieutenant pour this?" he placed it back on top of the piano.

"The Lieutenant?"

"Yes."

"You mean Daan?"

"Yes."

"...He's an army guy? like you?"

"Yes."

"Oh," she looked back at Daan who'd taken a tray out in order to serve his 'patrons,' more efficiently. He was currently at the tables, handing out the glasses with his usual gentleman's elegance. "Why're you calling him that rank stuff?"

"I'm under him. Just a sergeant."

"Oh...makes sense. Probably didn't serve that long right? since you're like...what twenty...twenty-two?"

"I served five years."

Her head jolted back around to him, her mouth flapping before she thought, "What? but you're not that...old..."

"...Eighteen."

Marina blinked, the realization washing over her like a thunderstorm. She really had been living under a rock inside the Vatican. What else could she do beyond place a hand on his arm, some kind of comfort she supposed. He seemed to be surprised by it at first, no shocker there. "Lets...not speak of such things. How about I help you learn that song?"

"...O-Okay..." he nodded.

The music was off, but that night he was able to teach himself the opening solo to the point he really thought it was close to the version of his mother's.