Together We Fall (Childhood Friends Sequel// Levi Ackerman Fanfiction)

Chapter Eight

"Where are my mom and dad?"

The boy looked at the adults with his mismatched eyes, blinking away tears. He hadn't seen them in days, and he was scared.

"They're dead. Other Titan shifters ate them for their power."

He returned to his dark room later that day. He was standing in front of his crack mirror, taking deep breaths with his eyes closed. Finally, he opened them, putting on a bright smile.

He had to practice smiling. Believably smiling; one that reached the corners of his eyes. He was practicing different smiles. Happy ones. Surprised ones. Shy ones. All of them. They were all fake, but he knew he could pull it off.

He had one mission. He had to be charismatic and personable. Friendly and approachable. Likeable. Cheery. Happy.

"Hi, I'm Aeron, nice to meet you!" he recited cheerily to his reflection.

He released a heavy breath, his fake smiling falling. He was a pawn. Nothing else. Just a pawn to be used as needed.

___________

The morphine drip had the young recruit in and out of consciousness. The memory of his former life came back to him in pieces. His eyes glanced to the machines keeping him alive. He wanted to pull them out so that he could die.

He already felt dead.

He betrayed the only person to not treat him as a pawn.

Levi had visited him often. They wouldn't say much to each other. Levi mostly just sat in the corner, reading over some paperwork.

The search for Nora was underway.

The only reason Aeron hadn't killed himself yet, was because he knew he wanted to be able to see her one more time, and beg for her forgiveness.

_______

All of the higher ups were gathered around a table. Murmurs had spread around the table, anxiously trying to figure out a course of action.

"This is different from anything else they've done in the past," Commander Erwin had finally spoken up. The worry in his face was apparent; bags were forming under his eyes with wrinkles creasing around his mouth in a frown. Gray hair was appearing his part, catching the light and showing his growing age.

"Holding a hostage doesn't seem to fit their methodology," Hanji mumbles, exhaling a long sigh. "They are still yet to reappear with ransom demands."

"We already know what they want," Levi drawled. "Aeron, the traitor, has already said that they want myself, Mikasa Ackerman, and Eren Jaeger."

"For what purpose?" someone asks, shuffling through the briefing papers.

"Who knows?" he rolls his eyes, resting his head in his hands. "Does it matter?"

"Unfortunately, we cannot meet their demands," Historia adds quietly. "We cannot trade three lives for one." The stress had made her look far too old for age. Her complexion was pallid and her eyes looked sullen. Her hair was dull and her unkempt.

She had far more important things to do than make sure her hair was perfectly brushed.

More murmurs around the table. She had been missing for three days already, without any word from her captors. Tensions were extremely high.

The only person to not voice their worries was Levi.

"Lieutenant Jean Kirstein says that he left her at the doctor's office at the time of the attack. The doctor corroborates this claim."