𝐆𝐫𝐞𝐲 | 𝐋𝐞𝐯𝐢 𝐀𝐜𝐤𝐞𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐱 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫

✥𝙷𝙴𝙻𝙻𝙾, 𝙵𝚁𝙸𝙴𝙽𝙳𝚂 𝙵𝚁𝙾𝙼 𝙼𝙰𝚁𝙻𝙴𝚈!✥

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3 YEARS AGO

"Ah, I see! That's how it shoots a bunch!" Hanji exclaimed, cocking the gun side to side to get a better look at all the rounds it held; the way it was built.
Sitting opposite to the enemy that had time to time tried to kill and destroy those in Paradis Island, their home, was not something Violet ever thought she'd be doing any time soon. Much less having a somewhat civil conversation with them. She'd much rather get her hands dirty and draw some blood rather than pretend that this, this conversation, was something nice between them.
Violet and Levi had their arms crossed against their chests, watching carefully the 'guests' for any negative sign that would have them moving. Hanji, on the other hand, was more than fascinated with their 'guests', showing them everything they wanted not to show. But Hanji was Hanji and asking them to be something else that they were not was asking for the impossible. Especially when it came down to science; and they possessed better stuff than the ones they owned.
"That's standard issue in Marley." The blonde Marleyan, Yelena, said. She started telling them about the Marleyan military, from how many soldiers they possessed, to their units, to the ships and equipment. Maybe it was solely bragging purposes because those were numbers that Paradis Island and the Survey Corps would be bragging about if they possessed. But to Violet ---maybe she was going too far, or maybe not --- but to her, to her it sounded like a promise or a threat. And she did not like that. Not at all. But she won't deny that it was impressive. All of that, those were numbers they didn't have. Things they didn't have. "They've made tremendous progress in new weapons and aerial warfare as well."
"Aerial...?" Hanji whimpered or mused, Violet couldn't tell. But just with that, Hanji had betrayed some information of where Paradis Island stood with their warfare.
"Tch." Levi scowled. His warm hand moved from her thigh from under the table and kicked Hanji with his leg, eyeing them with narrowed eyes. 'Don't freak out or they'll think we're weak.' His eyes screamed at them, a silent message passing between them. And their own told him something back.
Violet made herself look away from them and cleared her throat, forcing the attention of the two Marleyans, who were watching Hanji and Levi with precise attention, to her. "If Marley had such capabilities this whole time, why haven't they attacked in over a year?"
"There are two main reasons: one being the pure titans released here." Yelena started. "Even with the latest weapons, they would hinder a land assault. They were used as a tool to confine Eldians within the walls, but in turn, they've protected Eldia from invasion."
Violet didn't know whether to raise her brows in either amusement at their stupidity of a plan or in annoyment of that same plan. "Yeah. Well, ain't that funny?" Levi mused, voicing exactly what she thought.
But something else was in Yelena's mind as she ignored Levi and looked to her left, her black eyes betraying the alarm going off inside of her. "It's almost dawn. And that's when titans are most active." She paused. "But if we're way out here..." Her eyes returned to them, assessing them with a look neither of them could quite read. "You must have killed all the titans roaming around. Is that true?"
"And what if it is? You gonna report it to Marley?" Levi challenged, appearing cold as ever.
And maybe Levi's words cleared something to Yelena, made her realize something because her eyes widen and she looked at them with a look that Violet could only describe as respect. Awe, even. "No. No, it blows away my expectations."
That made Violet scoff. "Well, isn't that a confidence booster?" The sarcasm was like poison in her tongue. "And your second reason?"
"Currently, Marley is at war with multiple nations. They can't be bothered with Paradis."

Hanji hummed, which told all who knew them that they were about to unleash what they discovered. Analyzed. "Well, if you guys are secret agents who infiltrated Marley, I'm guessing you came from conquered nations? Am I right?" How they had come up with such a thought by just sitting here was quite impressive. And maybe Hanji had hit the jackpot with that statement, because both of their 'guests' went stiff as stone, seemingly paralyzed at Hanji's words. And that made Hanji squeal in excitement. "Oh, I'm right?" Their eyes shined. "If you're going up against Marley, I bet you've got big backers--"
"We're not secret agents or anything of that sort," Yelena said through gritted teeth.
Violet raised her brows in peak interest. "No? Then what are you, hm?"
Yelena went silent, her companion doing the same; and for a moment, it seemed that neither of them was going to respond, when she finally opened her mouth again. "We were powerless. Marley took our homes and forced us to be soldiers." She said. "We had lost hope, of striking back, of getting what we lost back. Of going against Marley. Until we met him." The light that shone through Yelena's eyes could only be described as awe. As respect. And Violet might have called it 'love', that look that passed through the blonde's eyes, wasn't it for her eyes did not dilate the way it would've if she had been talking with love. "Under Zeke Jaeger's command, we shot our superiors." The pride she said it with was evident to them all. "We're the Anti-Marleyan volunteers. Our goal: to free the Eldian people."

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someone better tell me to stop buying funko pops bc im going broke.
it's an addiction by this point. 

also, quick, short chapter today. sorry :(