Complications Throughout Generations

Chapter 30

Levi's POV:

I'm sick and tired of being a cripple. I'm not useless. Just because I'm not in my best shape doesn't mean I can't do shit. So I decided to leave my bed and find some things out myself. I need to find Yelena. When I went to stand, I lost my balance almost immediately. But I refuse to sit around any longer. Once I had left my quarters, I was lucky enough to spot the hand rails on the sides of the hall. I held on the best I could and wobbled down to start my expedition. But that was cut short by Armin finding me.

"You should sleep a little more." Armin said with worry.

"Sleep more? If I sleep longer than this, you'll just forget about me."

"How could we forget our captain?" Armin gave me a soft smile as he tried to help me walk. He took me back to my room and stayed with me for some unknown reason. "Why were you trying to leave?"

"Yelena knows where Eren is."

"Satrayose. That's his second target."

"She told you that?"

"Yeah." I just nod. "I actually was coming to tell you."

"I'm not a complete cripple, you know. How am I supposed to regain my strength if no one will even let me walk?"

"You have a point."

"I need to be there. I refuse to sit and watch this unfold in front of me and not do a thing. This is Eren we're talking about."

"Do you think you could stop him?"

Without hesitation, "yes."

"How when your 'plan' didn't work the first time? Yeah, don't think Mikasa and I didn't pick up what you were doing." I was shocked that Arlert had that type of attitude in him. I sighed, deciding that this is the moment I should explain my side of it.

"What was I 'doing' exactly?"

"You saw that he was emotionally vulnerable and had a liking towards you so you took advantage of a teenage boy because you thought he was going to destroy the world. So your plan was to be with him so he could see that life is about love, not destruction. But then you realized you didn't change a thing in the future. Instead, the feelings you developed were crushed and Eren up and left everyone with only a letter to you and a letter to me." That's actually pretty spot on. I didn't realize my intentions were that obvious. Then again, it is Armin we're talking about.

"Can I ask you something?" He nods. "What did your letter say?"

"It was his plan."

"Anything else?"

Armin sighed in defeat as if he had been hiding something all this time. That worried me greatly.

"Take care of Levi for me. He probably won't need any help. But if he does, please make sure he's okay." Armin recited Eren's words from his memory. "That's what he said. So that's what I'm doing."

"Armin, I don't need to be coddled."

"Captain, with all due respect, you hurt Eren. I understand that you may have developed real feelings for him in the end, but that doesn't change what you did. You used him and if anything, you made it worse. So I'm not doing this for you or for me. I'm doing this for Eren. Because at the end of the day, he's still my best friend. So if Eren wants me to take care of you, I will. Now lay back down." Even with Armin's most authoritative voice, he still probably couldn't even scare a mouse away. But I still love the effort. I laid back down in my bed and looked back at Armin with my one eye.

"Armin." I called. "I'm sorry." He was ready to cut me off. "I know what you're going to say. I think you're going to say that I should apologize to Eren and not you. Yeah, I owe the brat an apology. But you and Mikasa knew and you had to be there for him for shit I created. So for that, I'm sorry."

He smiled faintly. "He cares about you, Levi. It's just unfortunate that the things he learned from you is what he's utilizing now to take over the world. Strong leader, brave soldier, fearless fighter. He learned all that from you."

You're fearless

I was sick to my stomach as Eren's words from so long ago echoed in my brain.

"Happy I could help create the monster he really is." Armin was right and that annoyed me.

He walked over to the door and went to leave.

"Captain Levi?"

"Arlert."

"Thank you for being my captain and showing me what bravery is." And with that, he closed the door and left me alone.