Danger Day pt 2: The Levi Squad

B.R.A.T.s

Eren POV
It’s been three weeks living at HQ. I hardly even know what my room looks like. I step into it, only to shower and change. Then I take the secret passage through the house to Levi's room. It’s behind both of our fireplaces. I sleep with him most nights. I know there are some that he doesn’t come to bed. Often we have sex, yet there are times I force him to just lay beside me. Those are the nights that are hardest for me. I find Levi doesn’t sleep much at all. Trying to stay awake until I know he is asleep is very difficult.
During the day we are out here cleaning or fixing up crap around this disgusting place. The others had come back, so now they are added to the work load. I don’t know if it’s Erwin or Levi that makes up the duty roaster each day, either way, I have noticed I am often within range of Levi. He keeps a very close eye on me.
Today I was working with Jean of all people. We were fixing fences. Two others were suppose to be with us, but they went to a different section. Jean just knew how to push my buttons.
“Guess what, Yeager?” he began today. This was really the first chance we got to talk in a long time.
“What, horse face?” I asked. He snorted, not taking the bait.
“When I was home on leave, guess what I discovered?”
“That your great, great grandmother was a horse?” I pressed. Once more he ignored my taunts, which pissed me off a bit.
“Or Captain, the leader of the Levi squad, went to our old high school.”  He stated. I sighed. No one could claim Jean was a genius. He had been my lab partner sophomore year, the year my life got ruined.
“Yeah, I know.” I said without enthusiasm.
“Isn’t that such a coincidence? I mean he vanished right after graduating.” His eyes sparkled. There was something else he wasn’t telling me. I decided to just not answer. I made some sound he took as confirmation.
“Like it was odd. First you disappear. Everyone wondered what the hell was up with that. Your sister vanished along with you, as did your best friend. All seemingly overnight. The rumors ranged from you guys getting kidnapped and sold on the black market, to your murder, or that you were in jail for something. No one thought you were here.” He paused to see if I would comment. It took all I had to bite my tongue.
I wanted to lash out at him. To unload two years of frustration, fear and pain on him. Then again what good would it do? I had Levi back. Wasn’t that enough? My eyes shifted toward the house. Was he watching me know? I was never sure. Sometimes it felt like his eyes were always on me. Other times I just felt an emptiness, a void where he should be. Today was like that.
“… then I got into trouble with that Chem project…”  Jean was still talking. Yeah he forgot our mixture again, blew up the chemistry room. They were going to press charges, make him pay for all the damages. His mother was some kind of lawyer. She talked them into just expelling him. No criminal record. Then she sent him here. Where he could torment me all over again.
Seeing him had brought back so many painful memories. My short love affair with my handsome senior stalker. I sighed. I guess that was why I took such an intense hatred for him. We fought constantly. He blamed me for leaving him which resulted in his mess up with the chemicals, I blamed him for forcing me to relive all those painful events every time I saw his face.
“You know…” I cut him off from whatever he was saying. “… we really are not suited to be around each other.” I said. Turning away I went to get the hammer to pound in a stake.
“Why do you hate me so much? Is it because I forced you to make out with me that one time?” He asked. I froze. Not because of what he said. But because of what I heard next.
“You forced…” Levi's voice was choked off in his rage. I spun. The hammer flew through the air separating the two. It was just enough of a distraction for Erwin to get his hands on the young Captain.
“It wasn’t like that.” I stalked back over. “We were playing seven minutes in heaven one night in the barracks. Someone spun the bottle whoever it landed on had to go into the closet with the person who spun.” I said. “When he spun, it landed on me.” I told Levi.
“Only because I got Marco to make it do that. You see Eren, I ways wondered what it would be like to fuck you.” Levi punched him before any of us could stop him. I watched Jean fall to the ground, unconscious. Rolling my eyes I looked at Levi. He was breathing hard as he glared at Jean.
“It was over a year ago. I kissed him in a fucking closet. He grouped me. That was it.” I told him. I watched as he flipped his hair out of his eyes.
“No one touches you.” He stated as Erwin went to check on Jean.
“You are their captain, which means you need to keep your cool over stupid shit like this. Or I will have Eren reassigned.” He warned. We both stared at him.
“Please, Commander.” I couldn’t breathe. It felt like all the air was sucked out of my lungs. No. He wouldn’t do that, would he? I gasped struggling to draw in another breath.
“Eren, come on, relax!” Levi sounded as panicked as I felt. “He won’t separate us. He knows what would happen if he did.” Levi said.
“Eren, you’re having a panic attack. You need to calm down. Slow even breaths.” Erwin’s voice was calm as he instructed me on what to do. “Levi's right. I would never separate you guys.” Once I heard it from his own lips I was able to draw in a breath. I was clinging to Levi in order to remain on my feet.
“That’s it.” Erwin gave me a small smile. That was until Levi elbowed him in the gut, hard. He doubled over.
“Stop saying shit like that. You have no idea how those two years affected him!” he snarled. Erwin nodded clutching his stomach.
“You're right. I’m sorry.” Levi turned his glare away. He cupped my face.
“Are you ok?” He asked. I nodded. His thin lips pressed on to mine. It was over too quickly.
“Erwin is right about one thing. I can’t keep showing you favoritism. I’m sorry.” He stated. “We will have to think of something. Know, no matter what I say or do in front of others, it never means I don’t love you. Your my soul Eren.” He kissed me again.
“Don’t you mean soulmate?” I asked. He shook his head.
“No, brat, I don’t. I don’t have a soul, not without you beside me.” He turned away when we heard something huge being moved. We both looked up to see three enormous robots being pulled out of the basement. One was red with black designs, another was green with a white shield on the back. The wings of freedom designs over it. The last was blue with silver etchings.
“What the hell are those?” I asked.
“I call them equalizers.” Erwin grinned. Levi glowered at him.
“Let’s go see what Hange has named them.” He commented. We all looked down at Jean. “Just leave him. He’ll wake up soon enough.” In the end, Erwin slapped his face then dumped some water on him to wake him up.
We walked back to see the entire squad waiting for us. The Levi squad old members included a girl named Petra, she was Levi's first lieutenant. Then there was Olo, a wise owl of a dude. He was always up for teaching me stuff. Last was Gunther. He was a quiet guy. He did his job and didn’t bother anyone. Secretly I think he was terrified of Levi.
Then that lead to the new members. Aside from Armin, Mikasa, Jean and myself, there was a few more. Connie, Sasha, Marco and Bertolt. Marco appeared to be infatuated with Jean, some guys have no taste. Sasha liked potatoes. Somehow the girl always seemed to have some on her. Bertolt was a tall quiet guy. He seemed nice, not too hardy though. To think he passed the trials to become a member of the squad was odd. Connie was a little firecracker of a guy. He had a big mouth, but was mostly harmless. This was it, my squad. I smirked. I was ready to prove myself all over again.
“Welcome, cadets.” Hange stood with Erwin and Levi before us. Jean was glaring at our silent captain, rubbing his face.
“Lieutenant Hange" We all called saluting her. She returned the gesture with a quick grin.
“I bet you are all wondering about my not so little friends here…” She tapped the leg of the green giant robot. “The last squad got decimated when the other side pulled out these guys. We had been working on them for awhile. Somehow the other side got a functioning one before we did. We were forced to retreat.  Over two thirds of the squad was killed, missing or unable to return." Levi shifted. It bothered him to think that even one of those under him may have been captured. They had all been unable to look for their dead let alone any that might still have been alive.
“With that said. I have finished these three Biometric reading attack Titans.” She gave a wicked grin. “Better known as B.R.A.T s.” She giggled as Levi tsked. Erwin fought to keep the smile off of his face.
“Stupid shifty glasses!” Levi muttered.  
“We have these guys as combat ready. Which means they are fully loaded with live ammo.” She gestured. A trap was ripped off of another large machine. “This one is a demo. No live rounds. The lasers in it are only tracking and guidance. They are not strong enough to do more than put a burn spot in a piece of wood.” She frowned obvious not pleased that she had to limit her design. The demo one was a grey primer color. Like she didn’t even want to be bothered with painting it.
“You will each learn to pilot this one. The three best will go on to become the pilot’s of the real B.RA.Ts.” she surveyed each of us. “Any questions?” there was silence.
“Then, Captain, would you like to take the first attempt?” she asked turning toward Levi. Again he tsked at her.
“Who said it would be an attempt?” he demanded. She followed him to the machine. There was a personal elevator that took you up to the command roost. Levi slipped inside. A tiny scream was heard.
“Oh, uh I forgot to mention that they are piloted by your brain waves. A small needle is inserted into the base of your skull.” She giggled at this. The robot began to move. It smashed through the fencing Jean and I had just put up that morning. It smashed several trees, and nearly collapsed the barn before Erwin was able to use the ODM gear to reach the control center and remove Levi from his position as pilot.
Erwin refused a turn. “Eren, go next.” He commanded.
“No, send Mikasa.” Levi ordered. Mikasa took control of the unit. She did a little better. At least she didn’t crush anything. Yet the movements were jerky and undefined. Like she was trying to fight the controls. She was replaced with Armin.
The machine stood in one place, quaking. Was he afraid of it? I wondered. Jean wasn’t able to make it move either. Marco appeared to do alright but couldn’t get the arms to pick up anything. Bertolt was the best so far. He had been able to get the crushed fencing out of the way. He was also able to restock the hay for the horses. Connie was a complete mess as was Sasha. They almost destroyed Bertolt's work. Olo and Gunther out right refused to go into it. Petra looked like she was doing good. She was able to make it move in a slow steady way.
I went last. Stepping into the command center was surreal. There wasn’t a seat. Footprints showed were to stand. Clamps came out to hold my feet in place. I felt a meatl rod clamp to my waist. The needle entered my neck. Then it was like the systems controls were in my brain. I saw all the stats for the machine. Where the weapons were located, how they would work as well as what was right in front of me outside.
I turned my head. The robot did the same. My brain moved my legs, but it was the robot that walked forward. I bent, jumped, kicked and punched. The robot responded like it was my body. This was amazing. A thought occurred to me. I wondered how fast it could run. I raced along the path that lead back to the school. It took me five minutes to make it half way.  A voice spoke in my ear.
“Get back here, you stupid brat!” Levi growled. Oh right he was probably concerned. Then I saw him and Erwin on the wires. They had followed me. I ran back.
It turned out I was the best candidate for the B.RA.T pilot program. Bertolt and Petra would join me as pilots. A new chapter was opening up for me in this crazy life of mine. And it was glorious.
 
(Think of the robots as like the Jaegers in Pacific Rim)