A tail for an eye - Eren x Levi

Chapter 12

'Chatting And Arguing'

"Stop touching it, Zoe," Levi scolded the girl. They all waddled across the deck, the merman placed in their arms. Zoe, however, lifted one arm to prod him in different places and feel the texture of his dorsal fins and hair.

"It's interesting, I could write a book about it!" Zoe grinned down at the unmoving merman.

"He's heavier than I thought," one of the pirates grunted out, all of them a little tired from dragging him up the stairs.

"Oh, I bet most of his weight is in his tail. Then again his arms are quite strong. Or maybe they have different weight distr-"

"Shut up!" Levi mumbled in her direction as they approached the room just beside his office. Zoe let out a sigh, yet still muttered under her breath all of her little theories and ideas.

They entered the room, which was admittedly a little dark due to a lack of windows or candles lit. What was in the room was a small pool of water for when they needed their prey alive. Due to the fact that Levi didn't know if the man wanted the merman alive or dead, it was wise to be safe. With a wet thud, they threw the merman onto the floor. Heavy breaths filled the air as candles were lit for vision.

"Tie the weight to his tail, staple if it you have to. And keep him handcuffed," Levi said, the crew got to work instantly. 

The water wasn't too high, not enough to cover the merman unless he bent down into the water. Once attached to the weight, they placed it into the water and kept the merman's head above water. His tail bent in the same fashion as human legs would when sitting on their knee, allowing his head to be supported out of the water. His hands remained behind his back, handcuffed. He looked rather helpless now, and this is how Levi wanted to keep it.

Slow clapping sounded from the door, Erwin leaned against the frame of it with a smirk. Levi rolled his eyes instantly.

"Shouldn't you be sat down and resting your leg?"

"Congratulation Ackerman, you did it first," Erwin responded, ignoring the previous remark, "here was me thinking you were a rookie."

"Get your head out your ass and you'll be able to see clearly next time," Levi returned with a lingering tone of pride within his voice.

"Relax, I'm complimenting you. You should learn the appropriate way to take one."

"Go check we're on the right course back to land. We don't want any surprise encounters on the way back," Levi mentioned to one of the pirates, who nodded his head and left through the door, almost bumping into Erwin who refused to move for the boy.

Levi shook his hands in disgust from the wetness, smelling the saltiness radiating off of them.

"Reckon I'm due some of that money, Levi. Compensation for my leg," Erwin spoke again, keeping his voice clear with purpose.

A moment of silence controlled them, forming into a tension as the pirates stole glances at one another, "Did you bash your head and lose your last brain cell?"

Erwin threw his hands up in defence, "I'm just saying I think I deserve a good cut."

"It's not my fault your leg got sliced open. You're not my issue, I couldn't left you on that island to die." As he spoke, he began to wish for time to reverse so he could abandon Erwin on that island. 

"I'll take it as a maybe." Erwin smirked at him. 

Right there and then, the idea of making him walk the plank crossed Levi's mind, and he quite liked the idea of it. Perhaps a little too much. Instead, Levi dismissed him and told him to leave for his leg checkup. Thankfully, Erwin limped away.