Humanity's Strongest

Whisky and Tea

The tall blonde man cleared his throat as he straightened papers against his wooden desk. He let out a deep sigh as he examined the paper placed on the top of the stack.  "James Ackerman, age 16." He mumbled the information to himself. "5'7, black hair, brown eyes." Their eyes glanced up from the papers to the boy sitting across from him. "James. Your new name is Eliot Jones. You do not know your father when we are outside of the base. You're tall enough to pass as another mans son, and you don't share your fathers eyes. You will answer to me instead of your father from now on. Keep your distance from him unless we are here. Am I understood?" Erwin watched the young boy before him in the seat. 

James blinked and stared for a moment "Uh, yeah. I think." He gulped, which felt more prolonged than usual. "So this guy who is after is is who exactly?" They nervously tapped his fingers in his lap.

Erwin tossed the stack of papers down onto his desk with a sigh "That is for your father to answer and not me."

James tilted his head and raised one brow "Why?..." 

The commander slipped out of his chair and motioned for James to stand as well. "Your father works hard to protect you, so it is not my place to disclose information about it to you. All you need to know is you are a target. We are unsure why, but it is our duty to ensure your safety."

Hearing those words did not sit right with him "Why would you do this for me but not others?"

"That's private." Erwin gazed out the window in his office.

James didn't like that answer one bit "Private? What the hell do you mean, private?" 

A small smirk inched across one of Erwin's cheeks as he thought "That is between your father and I"

"Excuse me?" James blinked "Whatever my dad has planned for me is something I should know-"

Erwin cut him off, "Then ask him." He turned around to face him again, away from the window. "You are dismissed."

The young boy went up to him, locking eyes. "Tell me." James looked determined to find the answer.

The commander stared blankly back at him. "No." 

"Fucking Christ." James scoffed and turned to storm out while Erwin watched him.

_________

Hange sat next to Levi and drank a swig of whisky. "Ever wonder what it's like to live without titans?" They looked into the glass and gently spun the drink against the ice. "Sometimes I think about if I would be a science teacher or something boring."

Levi chuckled and shook his head. "Would you actually marry Moblit in your fictional scenario?" he leaned forward to place his hand on the rim of the tea cup. 

They let out a goofy snort "Wouldn't that be nice. Marriage isn't for me, but maybe in another world..." 

The room fell silent for a moment until the captain began to speak, "In a perfect world, I wonder what my life would look like?" He stared down at his black tea in the cup. 

Hange sipped their drink once more. "Well, their is no sense thinking about that, Levi. You'll only upset yourself." They placed their glass down on the table. "How are things with James?"

He let out a sigh and rubbed his face with one hand. "He's so similar to me, which causes us to fight a lot recently. I don't blame him for being pissed off about everything happening."

"So are you."

"I am." He sipped his tea and let out a loud, frustrated sigh. "Fucking Kenny-  doesn't show his face in my life again until he wants something to do with my kid. That bastard can eat a decaying donkeys ass. Here I was thinking I only had the MP's to worry about." 

The section commander nodded as they listened, waiting to speak up after he finished talking. "I wonder why he even cares? Maybe the military police are paying him to find you?" 

"Fuck if I know." Levi crossed his leg over the other, turning his head to the noise of the door opening behind him.