Glory For Mankind | AOT [book 1]

Ch.23:I'm Here

Ruvik and the soldier escorting him were silently walking, heading to the location that was addressed in the letter, an abandoned building that was well hidden within the depts of the Underground.

The Scout couldn't help but sigh, breaking the silence. "Home sweet home, I guess..."

Ruvik noticed the soldier tensed up when  heard his voice. The MP nervously glanced back at him, hazel eyes meeting Ruvik's brown ones. "W-We're almost there, s-sir..."

After saying that, the two returned their focus ahead of them. Until Ruvik curiously asked the timid soldier a question. "Tell me...what are your buddies hoping to achieve in tormenting me?"

"I-I don't know, s-sir." His voice trembling in each word he spoke. "I-I'm just--"

"Take your time, pal." Ruvik said sarcastically, rolling his eyes. "Geez, you're like a freaking mouse...Just calm down."

"M-My bad...I-I was trying to say that I'm j-just--" The MP cut himself, frustrated with his second failed attempt and sighed. Trying again, the soldier continued, this time with a more dejected tone in his voice. "I'm just the guy they chose to send their message..."

"Lemme guess, they target you for these kinds of things?"

"You've got know idea..." He sighed.

Ruvik hummed at the answer, realizing something. "Now that I think about it, you do look familiar...Wait you were with the guy when he was interrogating me, the day after Shiganshina fell..."

"Y-You remember me?!"

"Kinda, he said your name...thought it was different, so it stuck. What was it?" Ruvik lifted his hand closer to his face, poking his chin with his pointer finger. "Kyle? No...Gilbert? No, that wasn't it..."

"Oh...yeah. That's not my name. They just call me that to patronize me..."

"What really? That's shitty..."

The soldier chuckled, amused by his vulgar description. "Yeah, it's not like I'm not use to it though."

Ruvik narrowed his eyes. "Don't."

"Huh?"

"A comrade is someone you can rely on through thick and thin...A person that shoulders burdens, they don't make them." Ruvik elaborated to the soldier.

Shocked by Ruvik's words, the MP stumbled in his steps and whipped his head to face him. "W-why would you--!"

Ruvik interrupted him."Looks like we're here."
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When they both entered the building, the first thing Ruvik's brown eyes laid on was Alis. She had her wrists tied together by a rope and was surrounded by a group of at least twenty Military Police soldiers. All of them armed with rifles in their hands.

Every single one of them smirked when they saw Ruvik's angry face, but the soldier who got the biggest kick out of it was the guy standing next to Alis. "Looks like the son of a bitch has finally arrived fellas."

Ruvik instantly recognized the sound of the man's voice, it was the same asshole that insulted his mother and disturb her peace in death.

Dimitri Quil.

Ruvik did some digging after his first interaction with the dumbass, looking him up in his records within the Military Police files, also gaining insight from close connections in their Headquarters. He learned what he needed to know about Dimitri, like he always does with cocky assholes like the one in front of him.