Hesitation 18+🔞

Chapter 25: Duplicitous

"Levi, can I ask you something?"

Levi remains focused on the view above
"What is it?"

"What was it like... underground?"

He remains still, taking a moment to think before answering.

"It was hell. Constant fighting, scarcity of resources, and the stench of death. I grew up there, so I didn't know any different. But looking back, I can't say it was a life worth living. Why do you ask?"

"All those people... refugees are being sent down there.."

You made a promise to Noah to keep the things he told you that day Annie revealed herself in Stohess, but you also made a promise to both Levi and Hange that your loyalty lies with the scouts. After pausing for a moment, you decide to share what you know.

"I'm sorry to have kept this from you.."

Levi turns to face you, giving you his full attention.

"I need you to understand that I only kept this because Noah had warned me that he and I both would be killed." You take a deep breath before continuing.
"The royal family is not who we think they are. The king that we see is a false King. When we suspected Noah having involvement with Annie, it was because they were both trying to go underground. They both had their own reasoning and agreed to help each other, no questions asked. Both Noah and I, we lost people due to violence from the underground making it's way to the surface. Annie was following this man Kenny because he has ties to the Royal family."

Levi's eyes widened at the mentioning of Kenny. "Go on."

"It seems that he's been recruiting a team of ex-MP officers of his own, and after doing some digging, Noah was able to find his arrest records with the help of Annie who served as lookout. Kenny has been arrested with my late friends older brother, Niclas Capp."

Levi's eyes glinted with an icy fury as he clenched his jaw, too exhausted to react.

"You knew that this entire time?" He growled

"I.. I thought it was just another one of Noah's crazy conspiracies, I—I didn't think that it'd be—"

"(Y/N) do you even have a single brain cell in that head of yours? How could you not—" he cut himself off from berating you further. "Deliberately withholding information can be viewed as an act of deception, which is a grave offense that may be classified as treason and result in imprisonment. And you wonder why we were hesitant to trust you. What else do you know?" His harsh tone made you flinch.

You sit up straight, trying to combat his aggressive demeanor, but your eyes betray the hurt that you feel. You tell him everything, from the very start. How the subterranean city below was only a myth to you until not long ago, how your father had a martial arts studio and you fell for a boy that took lessons there. How he would leave for weeks at a time and would return with lovely items for you until one day, you learned of his death. Both you and Noah had suspected something was wrong when the interior MP came all the way to Trost to investigate, rather than the local officials. It was similiar to the murder of Noah's mother, and that was the final straw for the two of you. The government is covering something up and killing anyone who knows too much.

"So you were messing around with Capp's little brother? Tch."
He took a deep sigh and continued.
"His real name was Normand. I knew his family.. a bunch of thugs."

"Normand? Wait.. he had long, black hair.. he was tall, with tattoos and a—"

"Scar above his left eye. Yes, I knew him. I knew all the Capps. What the hell did the kid have to do to feel the need to change his name and learn martial arts?" He paused. "Thats not the real problem here, it's Kenny. Surprise he's still alive. What the hell does that motherfucker need a team of MP's for?....Have you ever heard of Kenny the Ripper?"