Mute Ackerman

~29

Sorry for the intensely late update but I took a break from writing. The end of the school year is within reach and I really have to focus on school. I am temporarily changing the uploading time to only once a week on Saturday at 20:00 CET. As I already mentioned, this is temporary and the uploading time will most likely change back once summer break starts. I hope you all understand. 

~Author

Some time has passed and the Levi squad now had different members. Jean, Sasha, Armin, Connie, Eren, Mikasa, Marie, and Levi himself. They needed to protect Eren and Historia Reiss and were now preparing the place where they were hidden.

"Jean, Sasha, and Armin are finally coming back with the food. I believe that the prices have gone up." Marie thought as she cleaned the room where they all slept together.

Marie cleaned the room perfectly and made the beds. She walked downstairs and saw Jean and Eren fighting.

"Do you think this would satisfy captain Levi?!" Eren shouted

"Quit nagging! Who are you, my mom?!" Jean shouted back.

Marie grabbed Jean's shoulder to get his attention.

"Not to pick sides or anything but Levi is really scary when he's angry or unsatisfied. Even more when it comes to environments." Marie signed.

Jean huffed and Mikasa and Historia came back from cutting firewood. Armin got worried about Mikasa because of her injury but she told him that she had to stay in shape.

"It's like we're back in the Cadet Corps," Sasha said.

"Yeah... But why were we chosen to be in squad Levi though? Protecting Eren and Historia is such an important task" Armin started and Sasha sneaked a piece of bread into her bag.

"Heh... I saw that." Marie thought as she smiled at her.

"Sasha..." Armin's expression darkened. "What did you just put into your bag.

"Nothing bread-related..."

Jean and Eren started to somewhat fight again and Armin and Mikasa tried to convince Sasha to give the bread back.

"Better get your ass back to being busy... Levi is about to walk in." Marie thought as she could sense him by the door.

"What's the commotion about?" Levi said as he walked in.

He ran his hand underneath the table and some dirt got on his hands.

"I'm quite sure I gave you enough time." 

"Pff... As expected, It's dirty." Marie thought.

"Anyways. We'll discuss your lax cleaning job later. Eren. Hange is itching to get the experiment started."

Everyone put on their gear and got their horses.

Hange had Eren transform multiple times. Eren had to do some tasks Hange ordered him to. He seemed to do great the first time but the more he transformed, the more his Titan worsened. This time his Titan wasn't even ten meters tall and his ass was sticking out. 

"Eren! Can you still move?! Give us a signal or something!" Hange shouted.

Marie was on her horse next to Historia, observing the situation.

"I think Eren has transformed enough for now..." Marie thought.

Mikasa lost her patience and got off her horse to cut Eren out.

"Oi... That gloomy brat is acting on her own again. Time to think of a punishment?" Levi asked.

"You were kind of gloomy as well back in the underground." 

"No... There's no signal. We're done here!" Hange said and they went down to Eren.

Eren's face was almost completely merged with the Titan but Mikasa cut him out.

"Experiment is over! Make sure there are no witnesses!" Hange said and everyone on a horse went to scout the surroundings including Marie.

"I can sense someone watching... No... Two people are watching from afar. They probably have seen the smoke. I don't think they're a big threat since their energy is relaxed and not so tense."

After some time, Marie informed that she sensed someone but that they shouldn't take it as a big threat. 

The next day, Eren finally came downstairs after sleeping for a whole day.

Marie was outside, chopping firewood because they were almost out.

"Marie, Go back to the house. Hange and the others have arrived." Levi said as he got to her on his horse.

.........

"Huh? What was that?" Levi asked Hange as they were back in the main room.

"Hange stared at the ground before finally replying.

"He's dead... Pastor Nick. He was murdered. This morning in the Trost barracks."

Hange explained what happened and what they had seen.

" I figured the Church would rather want to deal with Nick since he was cooperating with the Scouts. That's why I hid his identity and had him stay in the barracks, but... To think that they would use soldiers to kill him. I was too careless, it's my fault." Hange finished.

"How many nails did Nick have?" Levi asked Hange.

"From what I could see he had none left."

"So he didn't turn away from what he believed to the very end. In other words, we have no idea we've caught the wind of the Reiss family. Though someone in the government is up to no good and their eyes are fixed on us." Levi explained.

"Someone is coming at the door." Marie signed at Levi and a red-haired girl walked in.

The red-haired girl handed over a letter and Levi immediately ordered them to leave without a trace.

They quickly left the place and got on the hill nearby. They saw how the cabin got searched thoroughly by the Military police. 

"If we hadn't leave right then, what would've happened to us?" Connie asked.

"But why? What would make commander Erwin...?" Armin asked.

"New orders from the government. There's been a freeze on all Survey Corps activity outside the wall. They're telling us to hand over Eren and Historia." Levi answered.

Nifa, the red-haired girl told them that after she visited The commander the Military came for him.

"That's threatening like he's some sort of criminal..." Marie thought.

"Why do they exactly want us to hand over Historia and Eren? Not to kill but to obtain?" Hange questioned.

"Who knows. But it's clear that the enemy is after these two. Loitering around here is dangerous..." Levi said. "We're moving Eren and Historia to Trost district."

Moblit asked why because it was the same place where Pastor Nick was killed.

"It's worse to head towards the interior. With Trost in panic, it should be easy to slip in. If it somehow comes to it we could use these in the city." Levi said as he showed his ODM gear. "Hange, Lend me some of your squad."

"Alright. I'll head for Erwin." Hange said and they got to their horse.

Eren suddenly remembered a conversation Ymir had with Berthold and he had written that in a letter. He handed it over to Hange before they left.

Everyone left but Marie stayed in her spot as she felt an unusual presence.

"The energy is kind of like Levi's... A hint of Mikasa as well... But they're walking right in front of me."

"We need to go, Marie," Levi said to her.

"There's an unusual presence... Not very close but it kind of has the same energy as you..."

"What are you saying?"

"I don't know who it is... It's just kind of similar to your energy."

"Whoever that man is... He's not a good guy but also not an evil person. Who is he?"