𝑰𝑵 𝑻𝑯𝑬 𝑬𝑵𝑫 - Levi Ackerman [2]

fourteen

14|the restaurant

The small group of Scouts as well as Lillian and Onyankopon stood in the restaurant foyer waiting for Nicolo.

"You guys? What, is it urgent?" Nicolo questioned as he walked up to them. "My hands are full with some customers."

"Uh, you can get back to work if you want." Hange raised her hands innocently. "It's just, we'd like to talk once you're done."

"Talk? About what?" He demanded, confused about their sudden presence.

"Oh, you know." She shrugged casually. "Like any concerns you have."

"They're investigating our detainment. We're hoping you can help." Onyankopon stepped forwards to explain.

"Yeah, all right." Nicolo led them to a room with tables. "You can wait here."

"Oh? What a fancy room." Lillian admired as they sat down. "I bet it's reserved for MPs."

"Huh? Is this the wine all the soldiers are gossiping about?" Jean asked aloud as he reached to pick up a bottle of wine from the display. "They say only higher ranks can get it!"

"Yeah? Aren't we high rank in the Scouts?" Connie grinned as he wandered over to Jean to see the wine.

"Yup! We deserve a bit of fun, too!" They nodded excitedly at each other. "A sip or two-"

"Don't touch that!" Nicolo snapped at them and snatched the bottle our their hands.

"Chill out, Nicolo. We're just screwing around." Jean reassured the man, startled by his outburst. "No need to overreact."

"This good stuff would be wasted on Eldians!" The chef shouted at them but Lillian narrowed her eyes, feeling something else was wrong.

"Nicolo, you're still saying stuff like that?" He said, offended at his choice of words. "The booze don't give a damn about what race we are."

"Don't touch me, Eldian. Just because I've been nice doesn't make us pals." Nicolo growled at him.

"Have you forgotten what you are? You're just a-" Jean grabbed the man by the scruff of his jacket.

"A filthy captive, huh?" He chuckled darkly. "That makes us even, Eldian."

"What's his problem?" Connie questioned after he walked out the room.

"Dammit! Hell if I know!" The room went quiet, Armin excusing himself while Lillian and Hange discussed baby names.

"Come here, guys!" They heard Armin yell, all jumping up and running towards the boy.

"The kid who shot Sasha?" Jean gasped as he spotted a familiar girl on the floor. "What's going on, Nicolo? I heard she's on the run. What do you think you're doing?"

"Drama." Lillian whispered to Hange in a sing song voice. The woman kicked her leg in return, telling her to stay quiet.

"Don't move! Get back! I'm avenging Sasha. Stay put." Nicolo turned to face them, lifting a boy up and putting a knife to his face.

"Stop! Not Falco!" Gabi tried to stop him from killing her friend.

"What is this brat to you? He took the hit for you!" He screamed down at the girl. "Do you care about him? I cared about someone, too! An Eldian! Spawn of the Devil! One who loved my cooking more than anyone. She saved me from this shitty-ass war! She taught me that I like making people happy with food. Her name was Sasha Braus! She's the girl you stole from me!"

"He loves Sasha like Molbit loved you and Levi loves me." Lilly mumbled, feeling tears prick her eyes as she watched the heart broken man.

"People I cared about were killed, too! They were shot by your Sasha Braus!" Gabi yelled back. "That's why I got revenge! She killed people first."

"Who gives a damn who killed first?"

"Open your eyes! You're a Marleyan soldier!" She reminded him as he pressed the knife closer to Falcos neck. "That Devil woman bewitched you! Don't lose to the devils."

"Nicolo, hand me the knife." Mr. Braus calmly requested. "Come on." Nicolo passed him the knife, everyone's faces paled as he stepped in front of the terrified girl.

"Don't do it, Mr. Braus." Hange walked further into the room, trying to reason with the man. "Please put down the knife."

"Sasha was a hunter." He held the knife delicately in his hand.

"What?"

"Even as a wee girl, she shot varmints in the forest for us to eat." Mr. Braus continued to explain to them. "That was just our way of living. But I knew there'd come a day we'd have to give up that style of life, so I sent Sasha away from the forest. She went into the world, became a soldier, shot people far yonder, and got herself a shot. In the end, though she left our forest, the world is a great, big forest where everyone's fighting for their life." He passed his wife the knife, letting her put it on the table away from everyone. "I reckon Sasha died 'cause she wandered in the forest too long. We've gotta keep the younguns out of the forest. Otherwise, ain't nothing gonna stop it from happening again. That's why it's up to us adults to shoulder the sins of the past."

"Nicolo, let Ben go." Mrs. Braus asked the chef kindly. Nicolo placed Falco on the ground gently before Connie and Jean restrained him. Lillian dived forwards, checking the wound on his head.

As she was working a commotion happened near her, she glanced up and saw one of the children trying to kill Gabi but Mikasa instinctively stopped it.

"How dare you kill her?" Kaya screamed as her adoptive parents held her back. "You murderer! I thought you were a friend!"

"I didn't sign up for family drama when I joined the Scouts." Lillian sighed as she cleaned the blood and wine out the boys hair.

"Lillian, try to rinse out that kids mouth." Nicolo said to her as he watched her help the child. "Some wine got in it."