Guilded Cage

To keep one safe

Levi POV
Kenny. He was inside my home, my compound. Eren wasn’t safe. If Kenny saw the boy… my blood turned to ice at the thought of the light going out of those eyes. I had to protect him!
With the ODM gear strapped on, I jumped out the window. Putting Mikasa as Eren's bodyguard was the best I could do for now. She knew the codes to my panic room. It wasn’t designed for me. I built it only for them.  Mikasa, Hange, Erwin, Armin the people I was terrified to lose.
Flying over the grounds my eyes darted everywhere looking for the skeletal figure. I saw no sign of him. How could he still be alive? Wait what was that? There was something in the soft mud beside the drive. Turning I swung out over it for a better look.
Drag marks. Those were heal impressions. Someone had dragged a body away. I dropped to the ground. A vulnerable position, but Kenny didn’t have his gear with him plus he had spent over a month buried in debris. He couldn’t be too healthy right now. I followed the marks. Boot prints could be seen treading backwards.
They lead to a fence. One that had been cut open. I could see the fresh tool marks. Hmm guess they cut the power. My hand touched the wires. A zap shot through me. How did they cut an electrical fence with it on?
“Bertolt, Reiner come to the south fence near the Apple trees.” I called into my phone. It didn’t take them long to get here. They brought twenty of their squad as well. I pointed to the damage.
“I want five guards stationed here around the clock. Get someone to fix this fence and increase the voltage.” I ordered. They yes sirred me. I glanced back toward the main house. From here I couldn’t see much of it. Bertolt was setting up a rotation schedule. I needed to get back to Eren.
Without another word I set my anchors swing up over them all. I flew back to the house. Once the gear was stored I hurried inside. Up the stairs. Why had I set him up outside my apartment. That was going to change today.
I reached my rooms. Glancing down the hall I saw his door was closed. I twisted the handle stepping inside. Mikasa met me within two steps.
“Boss.” She stated.
“Go, take Jean, get all of Eren's things from his room. Put them in here. He can take over the spare room.” I told her. Jean was watching us from the couch beside Eren. Armin sat back straight beside his friend.
“I can…” he began, starting to stand.
“No, stay with Eren.” I stated as gently as I could. Armin sank back down as Mikasa and Jean walked out.
“Did you find him?” Eren asked. I tore my eyes from the door to look at him.
“No. But I don’t think he walked out of here.  It looked like someone broke in to help him.” I growled the last making my way over to where they sat. I dropped down beside the boy, taking the seat Jean had vacated. Laying my head back against the cushions I closed my eyes. A hand touched mine. I knew it had to be him.
 I flipped my hand over. Spreading my fingers I felt him link his with mine. I closed my hand. “Don’t worry. I won’t let him touch you again.” I said.
“Should I notify Uncle Erwin?” Armin asked. Opening my eyes I turned to look at him. Before I could even say anything I heard the door knob turn. I was on my feet over the couch and ready before it swung open. I paused right before lashing out at the tall man that entered.
“I think he already knows.” I said.
“How…?” Eren looked shocked.
“He was born in hell, kid. You learn a few things to survive.” The dryness in Erwin’s tone brought me up straight. I smirked.
“Impressed?” I asked the kid. Eren smiled nodding. I smiled. Why did it please me so much to know something like that impressed him? Did I want his approval? The smile slid from my face. I glared down at the floor. Erwin's chuckle turned my glare on him.
“I think you need tea.” He stated moving into the kitchen. I tsked turning to follow him. Armin helped Eren off of the couch and the two boys came in behind us. We sat at the table with tea, or coffee, and cookies that Erwin found somewhere.
After some time Erwin broke the silence. “What’s your plan?”  he asked. I sighed.
“I have Jean and Mikasa getting his things. I will move him in here. Its better protected.” I said. “Bertolt and Reiner are over seeing the repair of the fence and increasing the voltage.” I added.
“Is that all?” he sat back, one long fingered hand tracing a pattern over his cup.
“For now. When I know…” my eyes flashed to Eren. He had his head turned away from me watching something Armin was doing.
“I will call a meeting with you and Hange. Brainstorm what else we can do.” I added.
Erwin's blue eyes racked over the two teens sitting with us. “I think he will need to recover. With the nightclub gone, what else does he have close by?” I stood pacing around the kitchen. I finished the tea, moving to the sink to wash the cup.
“Nothing too close. He has the…” my voice stopped. The cup slipped from my fingers clattering into the basin. Hands gripping the sink I gasped. No he wouldn’t! It was close. Too close…to him. A hand touched my back. I flinched away, backing into a corner as my thoughts swirled down, down to the darkest corner of my world. Kenny was going there, I knew it. The only people who could have gotten through that fence, lived there.
“Levi!” Erwin shouted at me. My eyes swung up to his face.
“He never left. I never wanted to go back…” I whispered. Erwin's eyes widened. He took a step back as he too realized just what I had recalled.
Kenny would crawl back to the underground. He still had subordinates there to take care of him. He would go home to heal. What else could he do from down there? Where would he emerge?
“Where is the closest entrance? Garden street? Plankerton?” Erwin asked.
“My garage. Then there is one in the dessert.” I added. Although I never wanted to go back, I had always kept tabs on things down there. I shivered as the cold washed over me.
“Levi, you don’t have to go….” He began. I hugged myself. The warmth wouldn't reach me any more.
“Of course I do, and that is exactly what he wants.”
“Well you have time.” Erwin said. “Even you just admitted he needs to heal.” His voice was slowly bringing warmth back to my shaking body.
“Levi?” Eren whispered my name. He was looking at me. Fear? Worry? Something warred in those eyes. He stood, not using his cane, he held onto the table. Making his way around it I lurched forward to met him.
His arms encircled me. He pulled me tight against him. I shivered in his arms. The warmth radiating from him eased the cold that was surrounding me. Eren tightened his arms, or was that me. A gasp escaped his lips. Uh oh. I relaxed my grip. His breath eased out.
“What has you so scared?”  he asked quietly in my ear. I pulled back. Looking him in the eye, they were the color of the sky, the ocean, life. They swirled with everything the underground buries. Life. Eren Yeager was life.
“Hell.” I whispered knowing how haunted my own eyes must look to him. “A place you will never see.” I touched his cheek. Drawing in a deep breath I let it out slowly. “You, your eyes, they remind me of what gives me hope. Life.” I shook my head closing my own eyes.
“Nothing truly lives down there.” I whispered.
“You still have your rats, right?” Erwin asked. I rolled my head around on my shoulders. Lowering my arms from Eren's face I kept a frim grip on him so he wouldn’t fall.
“Of course. I will reach out to them.”  With one hand I guided Eren back to his seat.
“But not tomorrow.” He said looking at me as I tried to force him to sit down. “You promised to spend time with me tomorrow. I know you won’t go back on your promise, Levi.” I smirked.
“Fucking brat, of course I won’t.”  just then the door opened. Mikasa came in with her arms filled. She strolled right past us all. Down the hall she lead Jean to the spare room I had. I kept it empty so my little rats could come stay some place where it was safe.
I hated using them. Hated keeping them down there. I did pay them extremely well. Once they were teenagers I made them find me younger kids. Children that could go anywhere unnoticed. They were a great resource to me.
As soon as I had a trusted new rat, I gave the old one a choice. They could come to the surface, and continue to work for me, or I would give them a severance package. Enough money for them to start over. If they wanted they could do that up here or stay down there. I didn’t care.
Now I had this brat to take care of. I needed to keep him safe. Ensuring his life would be as good as a screw up like me could make it. Eren fucking Yeager, could he be my salvation.
“Captain, captain!” a voice cried from the walls. Erwin jerked, his hand going to the weapons on his hip. Eren turned to look at the sound. Armin alone knew what was going on. He stood, walking over to the hidden door.
Carefully he pressed his hand against one side. A click was heard and the door slid into the wall. This revealed a small space. A dirty child, not much bigger than a toddler knelt there. She was older than she looked. The underground wasn’t healthy for growing. She held her arms out giggling out Armin's name.
He scooped her out of the wall. Giving her a tight hug before placing her on the ground. One leg buckled under her. Armin picked her back up.
“Sorry they almost caught me.” As she saw my lips thin, she rushed on. “Don’t worry, Captain. It wasn’t near any of your places! I was in the circle, when I lost him. I went to jump up to the guideline. A huge guy pulled on my leg, I was able to kick him free and scurry away.”  Armin placed her in his chair. He went to get the first aid kit to help her.
“Who did you see?” I asked.
“Master Kenny.” She breathed. In a rush she told me how she saw two guys carrying the master down into the underground. She followed them until she was nearly caught. She had lost him in the circle. 
“What condition was he in?” I pressed.
“Unconscious, really dirty and very thin. He was barely breathing. Covered in blood. If it wasn’t for his tie, I wouldn’t recognized him.” I fixed her a plate of food with lots of veggies and sweets on it. Giving her milk to help her bones. I paid her the money this information required.
“Thank you Lolia.” I sent her off with some hot coco for her siblings and bread and cheese for her parents.
“Now you know for sure.” Erwin stated. I nodded.