Tainted (Levi x Reader)

Chapter 38

When you next regained consciousness, you weren't chained up. You were in a rectangular cell. There were no windows, but a lantern hanging on the wall outside lit up the space. One wall was barred, the other three were stone. You'd never been here before.

You were laying on a thin mat on the floor. A sink and toilet were at the other end of the cell, and a couple of books were set close by you. A note lay on top of them, so you grabbed it and began to read.

'Call for me when you're awake. There is much to discuss.'

You tossed it aside, standing up and walking over to grip the bars, trying to peer around the corner. "Hey, asshole!"

Not long later, heavy steps descended stairs, creaking the wood as they came. Your father rounded the corner and paused. He wore a leather apron over his normal clothes, covered in blood.

"What have you been doing?" you asked in a hushed tone, hands clenching tighter around the bars of your cell. Something was definitely off, more so than usual.

"Preparing for your death," he answered flatly. His eyes were deadened, empty. He pulled out a long knife from a sheath on his waist. "You'll understand one day. Or maybe not."

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Levi quickly stood with a frustrated groan. He kicked a rock near his feet, sending up a cloud of ash. Almost a week had gone by, and the girl hadn't returned once. She was playing along, so she could escape without conflict. I should have known. He started walking down the ravine until he reached his horse and could begin the trip back to Orvud. Or maybe she was found out, and killed? Either way, counting on her help is no longer an option. I'll have to retrieve (Y/n) myself. But first, I'll send a letter to update Hange, and maybe I'll stay at an inn tonight while I come up with a plan... He had grown tired of sleeping out on the dirty ground.

Levi finally arrived at the gates of Orvud and was immediately granted access. He left his horse at a stable near the military barracks, and continued on foot to find a suitable, more private place to stay the night.

Checking in to a hotel overlooking the river, he only stayed long enough to write a quick letter, and then he was off to a post office.

Levi handed in the letter and paid, but the man behind the counter stopped him as he was turning to leave.

"Excuse me sir, but are you Mr. Ackerman?"

Frowning, Levi half turned, which prompted the man to continue. He turned and stuck a key into a locked cabinet, taking out a box and setting it on the counter. He pushed it forward. "This came for you yesterday, priority shipment."

A package? His frown only deepened as he observed the plain box, but he accepted it nonetheless. This must be important if Hange paid for priority. Levi picked it up, tucking it under one arm before heading back to his hotel room.

By force of habit, Levi locked the door behind him and placed the box carefully on the table. He grabbed a knife and pried the top off. Inside was straw stuffing, cushioning something neatly wrapped. The item took up almost the whole container.

Levi delicately tore through the multiple layers of brown paper wrapping, and his eyes went wide at what was inside.

A heart. A heart that had soaked the paper around it in blood. What the hell? Who the fuck sent this?

Pushing aside his natural shock, Levi tried to inspect it more closely. It was fairly fresh, no more than a day or two since it was...cut out. His eyes were drawn to a small white card tucked against the side of the box. He pulled it out and read the words handwritten on one side:

'For Humanity'

And just like that, the dots connected in Levi's head. He steadied himself on the table and slumped into one of the chairs with widened eyes and a racing mind.

There's only one person who would do this. Mr. (L/n). Criminal, psychopath, and (Y/n)'s father. 'For humanity.' Does that mean he... finally killed her? Cut out her heart and had it shipped here like some twisted joke? Levi suddenly slammed a fist down on the table as something welled up inside of him, closing his eyes and gritting his teeth as he tried to fight it off and think rationally.

No, I don't even know that it's human. It could be a trick. I need to get Hange here immediately, he thought decisively. But a small part of him still nagged. If she really is dead, or even if she's alive... I will stop at nothing to destroy that piece of shit. I will make him suffer to the capacity of human suffering, and regret his very existence.

_______________

Chains weighed on your wrists and dragged between your feet as your father led you up the stairs. To your surprise, you found yourself in a very normal looking house. He guided you from room to room, talking as he went.

"You won't recognize it, but this house is where you lived with your mother and I, in the city where she and I met. We'd wanted something more rural, but this was the best option since she was stationed in the capital," he recounted with genuine happiness caressing his words.

"Why are you telling me this?" you muttered.

He shrugged. "I thought you wouldn't mind. Do you?"

"Do you care?" you countered.

He sighed, nudging you toward a staircase that went up. At the top was a hallway, and he steered you toward a room at the end. As you made your way toward it, an odd feeling began to seep into you, and a deathly smell faintly reached your nose. He finally arrived at the door and pushed it open.

It was a large, empty bedroom, save for a metal medical table in the middle. On it lay the body of a girl who looked to be about your age. Her chest was cut down the middle, with clamps holding it open on either side. Bloody tools sat on a side tray, and a bucket was on the floor beside it. Blood was on the table and streaking the girl's skin around the incision.

You kept walking until you could get a closer look. The chest cavity was... missing the heart? You turned a quizzical look on your father, who had been observing you. He directed your attention to the ceiling, making you notice a sawed off rope that dangled from a beam going across it.

"That's where your mother hung herself, in this room." He waved the gun in his hand at it. Bitterness tinged his words. "I had to cut her down myself. You were downstairs, locked in your room and crying fit to burst. You were only two, maybe three." Silence for several long moments.

"What's that have to do with this poor girl?" you whispered.

"This is where your mom died, and it's where this girl died, so that you could die too."

You slowly turned to stare at him across the room, tears forming in your eyes against your will. "You...bastard. What the hell did you do?!" you roared, advancing a step toward him.

He immediately held up his gun as a warning. "I sent them your heart. Puts a whole new spin on the whole 'dedicate your heart' crap, huh?" He smiled proudly. "I gave those Scouts a taste of their own medicine. Making me think you were dead? Shame on them."

You fell to your knees with a torrent of despair raging in your chest. "Why can't you just let me go?"

"After your mom died, raising you was the only thing I had left. But I couldn't raise you to be normal, or else you'd end up just like her. Either way, no one will come for you now. You gave the Scouts your heart, you saved humanity, so now it's time to come home. This is where you belong, and now you can dedicate your heart to me and to your true purpose. Enough playing around."

Your face twisted in hatred as you glared up at him. "You're delusional. I am a soldier of the Scouts. My place is with the Scouts."

He shook his head. "Joan told me all about your infatuation with your superior, your petty friendships with the other soldiers. I'll tell you what we both already know, daughter. Those people could not possibly comprehend you. They are not like you. You are not built for that life, I did not build you for it. It's time to stop playing pretend and start living up to your true potential. I hope I don't need to start killing those single-minded fools for you to start cooperating." When you were silent, he sighed. "Alright, now back to your cell."