SNK rAMDOMM

Shame [Bertholdt x Reader]

"____, Captain Levi requires your assistance," a tired Hange Zoë informs you while finishing off your lunch.

"Titan testing hasn't done well today, I'm assuming?" you replied back while cleaning off your eating area.

Zoë looked dreadful. "Yes. The absolute uNTHINKABLE happened!!"

"Really? That's... not good? Hange, I promise to talk to you later, but y'know. I need to go."

"Oh, right. I'll just tell... Reiner!" she thought. "Yes, thats right, Reiner." The buff blonde must've heard his name being mentioned, for he lifted his head up at the sound of it.

•••

*knock knOck*
You rapped the wooden door leading to Capt. Levi's office. "You called for me, sir?"

"Yes. Come in. I'll be out in a second."

"He's busy..." you murmured. Might as well take some time to look around, on his desk, at his paperwork.

There were many letters sent to and from Commander Erwin and Capt.
Levi, you noticed. Some were marked with a wax stamp--not a commodity. It was expensive: everyone knew that. In that case, you regarded it as important, and looked at the previously opened ones with interest. What you enjoyed doing while reading anything was finding vertical "rivers" of spaces on each line, or deciphering a code.

Somehow, you managed to do both. On every single letter you scanned over, every line contained part of a hidden message. For example, the first line, first word, had a word. The second line, second word, had another word. You get the gist.

"____? Are you still there, Cadet?" Captain Levi called out of another room.

"Yessir, I'm present," you answered while trying to make yourself not look suspicious of snooping around. Quite effortlessly, may you add. The Captain didn't seem to notice when he got in, thankfully.

"I apologise for interrupting your lunchtime--but I have something important to ask." Levi asked with a deadpan expression. "Where were you yesterday evening? Answer honestly."

You thought carefully. "Uhh... Oh. With Bertolt Hoover. I asked him to help me out with 3DMG training, just to improve my skills, sir."

He scrunched up his eyebrows. "Cadet,
you are aware you are proficient in that area, correct? Why do you ask for help?"

"Sir, I think I still have room for improvement. Is... there an issue?"

Captain Levi sighed. "Yes. There is. The reason why I am scrutinizing you right now is because our two Titan subjects were killed last night. I'm not necessarily saying you were the culprit, but we cannot start ruling anyone out yet."

Oh. It must have taken extreme skill to kill those two Titans without anybody being aware... Possibly someone with 3DMG experience, you guess. And it's probably why Hange was so stressed earlier...

Levi practically bored holes into you with his eyes. "Fine, Cadet. You are dismissed," he said. "I will see you tomorrow at the stables, and tell that Kirstein to hasten cleaning up the horses. It takes the brat an eternity."

I opened the door to leave, but not before giving the Captain a salute and a "Yessir. I will."