Titans Rule, a Levi Ackerman x Fem OC story.

(9) Negotiations.

~Amelia~

I jolted awake to the sound of the doors to the dungeon creaking open. I had been so exhausted for the last forty-eight hours that I couldn't even remember falling asleep. A loose spring was pinching my lower back, so I forced myself out of bed. Surprisingly, the injury from yesterday felt much better. The sharp pain from last night had been replaced with a dull ache. I wasn't sure if the pill I hadn't taken before falling asleep was still in effect, but I wasn't going to complain about the lack of pain.

My head snapped to the hallway as footsteps echoed off the frigid stone walls. They gradually approached before stopping in front of my cell. Levi's icy gaze instantly made me straighten up, fix my hair, and attempt to look presentable.

"Good morning, Corporal," I greeted, pulling my shirt down, which had ridden up during the night.

Levi shook his head at me in disapproval, contrasting sharply against my current appearance with his pristine uniform and perfectly slicked-back hair. In my defence, how was I supposed to wake up on time with the lack of light and no bathroom?

Grabbing the keys from his hip, Levi unlocked the door to my cell. "Breakfast is just about to be served," he announced, "but let's take you to the bathrooms first." I gladly followed him out of the darkness.

During breakfast, Levi begrudgingly informed me that Erwin had accepted my offer and was available to meet this morning. I sensed that he wasn't enjoying passing messages between us, so I made a mental note not to repeat it. I was also grateful that he had given me some time to clean myself up this morning. Negotiating with Erwin Smith would be arduous enough without worrying about my stupidly long hair sticking up in random places.

It had been a while since I had cut my hair. Outside the Walls, there were no mirrors, only the wobbly reflection of myself in a brisk river. That had ended with me cutting one side shorter than the other and Furlan ridiculing me until it had grown out again. After that instance, I was reluctant to cut it myself again, but it always got in my eyes, which could mean life or death during a fight. So, I decided that the next time I had access to a mirror and scissors, I would redeem myself and ensure that my hair wasn't my downfall.

Erwin's office was on the top floor of the survey corps, out of the way of the main hullabaloo of all the soldiers carrying out their daily routines. After we arrived, Levi knocked on the door three times and waited to be called in.

"Enter," Erwin's voice bellowed.

There wasn't much to distinguish Erwin's office from Levi's. They were almost equally neat, except Erwin's was much more inviting. Levi's office had a coldness to it, second only to his personality. Feeling much more at ease, I let out a relieved sigh.

Upon entry, Levi darted towards the sofa and claimed it as his own. I took the hint and sat down on the empty chair beside him.

"Good morning, Levi. Thank you for bringing Amelia here," Erwin greeted with a sweet smile. Levi gave him no response.

Erwin didn't bother engaging with Levi anymore and instead focused on me. Rising from his desk, he joined us by the sofa.

"Good morning, Commander," I mirrored. I needed to be on my best behaviour if I was going to persuade Erwin to help me.

"So, why did you ask Levi to arrange this meeting?" Erwin inquired, rightfully curious.

Trying not to be intimidated by his intense gaze, I explained. "I came here to strike a deal with you." I noticed Erwin's bushy eyebrows rise. "I know I'm in no position to be making deals with you, but I believe I have some information you would be eager to know."

"And what would you require in exchange?" Erwin asked, getting straight to the point.

"After visiting my Titan friend yesterday, I wasn't pleased with the conditions he's being kept in. So, in exchange for me giving you intel, I would like to request some changes to his living arrangements," I elucidated, forcing myself to meet his eyes and stand my ground.

"As long as they aren't too outrageous, I'll happily oblige you." He flashed me a knowing smile. Did he intentionally let Furlan suffer, knowing I would be more open to striking a deal with him? Surely he couldn't have thought that far ahead?

"Great. What do you want to know?"

Erwin didn't hesitate to dive into the hard-hitting questions. "Do you know anything of the Titan shifter we were fighting the same day we found you in the forest?" I was well aware he was testing me with this question, trying to verify whether or not I was Annie's ally. It was a good one to start with. If I had acted cornered, I would have easily been accused of being the mole. However, I barely knew anything about Annie besides knowing her secret. The only problem was letting Erwin know without explicitly saying her name or making myself look suspicious.

"I know of her," was all I could come up with.

Erwin raised a questioning eyebrow. "I see. How much do you know about her?"

"That she's a Titan shifter." I was testing the waters to see how far along they were with their plans to capture her.

"Yes, well, I had guessed that." He looked unimpressed, and I could see that his interest was waning.

Panicking, I blurted out the first thing that came to mind. "Do you know of her identity yet?" I asked, a satisfied smile forming as I noticed his eyes widen.

Erwin shook his head. "We should know by the end of today. We know that a cloaked figure used one of our manoeuvre gears to escape. Once we find out who is missing, we should find out her identity," he explained his plan.

"Great!" I beamed, relieved that I hadn't been too late to tell him. But I didn't want to come out straight and tell him, so I decided to take a more interesting approach. "May I borrow a pen and paper?"

Erwin looked a little confused at my request but went over to his desk to grab some for me without questioning it. "I'm going to write the name of the Female Titan down on this piece of paper. I know it will be tempting to check it before tonight, but when you find out her name, I want you to unfold it and see if I was right," I said, feeling a little devious as the words left my mouth. I hadn't known until now that I had such a flair for the dramatics.

"All right, I'll play along with your little game," Erwin replied amusedly. "But I want you to know that if you are wrong, I won't grant any of your requests, and you will have lost my trust in you," he explained in a steely tone.

"I wouldn't expect anything less. Now, how about you two leave the room whilst I write this name down? We wouldn't want anyone peeking." I eyed Levi, who had subconsciously leaned in closer to see what I was doing.

"Understood," Erwin agreed, rising out of his seat. "Shall we?" he asked Levi.

Reluctantly, Levi followed along behind Erwin as the two of them exited the room. It wasn't until I was entirely sure that they had left that I scribbled down Annie's full name on the blank sheet of paper. Waiting a few seconds for the ink to dry, I folded the paper a few times. I held it up to the light, ensuring I couldn't make out the words with its aid. Satisfied, I beckoned them both to come back into the room.

"Here." I slid the paper along the coffee table as Erwin returned to his seat.

Erwin graciously picked up the folded paper and briefly looked it over before placing it in his jacket pocket. "Well, this has been one of the more interesting conversations I've had in this room," he commented playfully. "I do hope our chat today is the start of a pleasant working relationship between us. And I shall greatly anticipate unfolding your note later on today."

"Likewise." I grinned at him. "Now, shall we discuss these arrangements for my Titan?"