Brewed to Perfection: Quiet Tea | LeviHan | Levi Ackerman x Hange Zoe | FalBi

Chapter 45: Levi's Retribution

The dawn light crept into the hospital room, soft and golden, but Levi felt none of its warmth. He sat rigid in the chair beside Hange's bed, her hand still resting in his, the faint rhythm of her pulse the only reassurance that she was still fighting.

But the anger simmered beneath his calm exterior. It wasn't loud or explosive—it was cold, sharp, and calculated. The kind of fury that didn't fade with time but sharpened with clarity.

Onyankopon arrived later that morning, carrying a bag of food that Levi barely glanced at. He set it on the table and pulled up a chair, his usual calm demeanor masking the concern in his eyes.

"How's she doing?" Onyankopon asked softly.

Levi didn't look up. "The same."

Onyankopon nodded, his gaze shifting to the bandages on Hange's arms. "And you?"

"I'm fine," Levi said curtly, though his grip on the armrest of the chair said otherwise.

A silence fell between them, broken only by the soft beeping of the monitors. Finally, Onyankopon spoke again. "I've been hearing things. About the people who planned this."

Levi's head snapped up, his single gray eye sharp. "What things?"

"Marley's government is investigating," Onyankopon said carefully. "But there's talk that some of the attackers were hired mercenaries, not loyal to any nation. The ones who were captured are refusing to talk, but... I might have a few connections who can help."

"Then we're going to find them." Levi muttered.

Onyankopon hesitated. "Levi, you can't leave her."

Levi's gaze flicked to Hange, then back to Onyankopon. "I'm not leaving her. But I'm not just going to sit here and wait."

Later that day, Levi made his way to the government offices in Paradis, where the captured attackers were being held. His crutch clicked against the stone floor as he approached the interrogation room, his presence drawing wary glances from the guards.

The officer in charge, a young woman with a stern expression, stepped forward. "Captain Ackerman, we weren't expecting you."

Levi didn't bother with pleasantries. "I want to see them."

The officer hesitated. "Sir, the prisoners have already been questioned. They haven't given us anything useful."

"That's because you're doing it wrong," Levi said coldly. "Let me in."

The officer exchanged a look with her superior before nodding reluctantly. "Five minutes."

The room was suffocating, the dim light casting harsh shadows on the walls. The prisoner—a wiry man with a scar running down his jaw—sat shackled to the metal table, his hands trembling despite his forced smirk.

Levi's crutch tapped against the stone floor as he entered, the sound echoing ominously. He didn't sit. Instead, he stopped directly in front of the table, his sharp gray eye fixed on the prisoner like a blade about to strike.

"You were there," Levi said, his voice cold and cutting. "You pulled the trigger."

The prisoner sneered, though his confidence wavered under Levi's unyielding gaze. "And? What's this supposed to be? Humanity's Strongest dragging his crippled ass in here to scare me? What a joke."

Levi tilted his head, his silence stretching uncomfortably. Then he moved abruptly, slamming his crutch down onto the table with a deafening crack. The prisoner flinched, his chains rattling as he tried to lean back.

"Is that what you think?" Levi asked, his tone sharp and quiet, the kind that made people lean closer despite themselves. "That I'm here to scare you? You've got it wrong. I'm here to remind you just how much of a worthless piece of shit you are."