Catching a Captain: AOT [OC x Levi x OC]

9

Yuki sat down gingerly in the ornate chair across a polished mahogany desk from her father, a man she hadn't seen in two years, ignoring the guards stationed in each corner of the room, two behind her and two watching her every movement from ahead.

Her father was still and silent, waiting for her to talk, to break, like she was his next scheduled interrogation.

She knew that waiting for him to say something was pointless, but she gave it a good five minutes before she spoke. "I need help. Your help."

He nodded condescendingly. "Of course. Why else would you be here?" He paused, leaning forward. His chair creaked, a testament to age and use more than shoddy workmanship. "How are the Scouts treating you?" he asked civilly, his face blank but a slight sneer at the mention of his rival faction.

Yuki bit down on her teeth and forced herself to remain calm. This was how he had always worked; his agenda first, everyone else second. Everybody was expected to abide by his silent rules, until she'd broken them and left. Ayato had followed in her father's footsteps and joined the Military Police, but she had gone to the Scout Regiment instead, anywhere to get a foot farther from the man now sitting less than three feet away.

"They're treating me as well as can be expected," she said slowly, trying not to sound too worshipful or disdained. "It's hard work, preparing to fight the actual enemy."

Her father's lips thinned at the subtle blow struck against him.

We are doing the real work, Yuki had basically said, while you all sit around drinking tea and having crumpets. Not that Yuki knew what a crumpet was, anymore.

"Why are you here, Yuki?" he asked flatly, his amusement long gone. "Did Ayato help you get here?" he asked suddenly, his eyes darkened.

"No," Yuki answered, timing it, waiting so she wouldn't sound too eager, nor too hesitant. That was how it was, with him. Games, tricks, and traps. "I came here of my own accord. Surely you trust that I can manage that, at least."

Her father waited a moment before nodding. "My time is being wasted here." He made a motion to get up, but Yuki stood first.

"There is a man. In the MP prisons. I-" She hesitated on the word want. "I need him released. Immediately."

Her father settled his weight back into the chair, tapping his chin. "Hmm. This man. Who is he?"

"Captain Hiiro Takada of the Scouting Regiment."

Her father gave no indication that he recognized the name, but his words did. "The so-called shifter?"

"So-called?" Yuki parroted cautiously.

Her father looked at her in exasperation. "Everybody is aware that he is not the shifter that Erwin is sheltering, but nobody can accuse the great commander of lying, now can they?" His eyes narrowed. "What use do you have for him?"

Yuki forced her breathing to slow and her adrenaline to just chill the heck out. "He's an extraordinary mechanic. He's vital to the Scout Regiment, both as a Captain and because of his skills concerning repair, maintenance, and upgrade of equipment."
Her father leaned back further. "Say I give this man to you. What do I get? Make it worth my while, Yuki."

His words: show me whose daughter you are and what you've learned.

"How about this for a bargain? You give us H- Takada and you aren't eaten by the Titans that will break through your tiny wall without him out there defending it," she snapped, mostly in anger but also to cover up her mistake, a large one, one she could only pray to go overlooked.

Her father was silent for a long moment. Then he shook his head. "Not good enough. I've raised you better than that, Yuki. Groundless accusations and cries for guilt due nothing to me." He stood. "But...I'll give you this man. He is nothing to me. That said..." He paused, leaning in closer and quieting his words. "I'll be speaking to you soon about a change in your career path." Then he was out of the room.

Yuki hesitated a moment before leaving as well, running into Ayato at the door.

He nodded. "Dad told me to give you full access to the prisons and to take whoever the heck you wanted."

A show of power. A game, a trick, a trap.

Yuki nodded and gestured for Ayato to follow her and mount up. "Thank you, brother."

And then they rode off toward the MP prisons to locate a man by the former title of Captain Hiiro Takada.