Guilded Cage

Who is Levi Ackerman?

Eren POV
I awoke in a soft bed. Jerking I moved my arms so fast I almost hit myself in the face. I thought for sure this was just another dream. That I had to be still hanging on that cross. Looking at my arms I saw they were bandaged. Pushing the blankets away revealed that I was bathed and dressed. I had a blue tee shirt and grey sweat pants on. Who would have done this? Those steel grey eyes flashed before my face. “I’m getting you out of here. Just hang on.” I had.
I had clung to him with all the strength I had left. Why would he have tried to save me? He worked for Kenny. I had seen them talking. Albeit he didn’t look too thrilled with his boss. Who was he? Could this be his place? More likely it was another place of Kenny's.
Slowly, carefully, I swung my legs out of the warm soft blankets. Tentatively I tried to stand. My legs felt weak, like I was walking on rubber bands instead of legs. I stumbled forward. Somehow I managed to catch the door frame. My arms weren’t strong enough to hold me up. It was enough to stop my fall. I was able to slide down the wall on to my ass. I could hear feet running toward me. Goddamnit. It had to be Kenny. What else was he going to do to me? Where was the guy with the steel eyes?
Reaching forward I attempted to pull myself back into bed. My body didn’t appear to want to do anything for me. I was so weak from hanging on that cross. I fell face first into the side of the bed. At least it was soft.
“Brat, you alright there?” A voice drawled from behind me. I pushed my face away from the soft blanket.
“Does it look like I’m alright, genius?” I snarled. There was a giggle. Someone else snorted before I felt arms reach under mine to pull me back into bed. The guy was shorter than me but he managed to get me settled. I looked at him.
“You?” I questioned. It was the guy with the grey eyes. They didn’t look like hardened steel today. In the light coming from the window in the room, they looked like mercury... melted and liquid swimming around. A guy could lose himself in those eyes. He had saved me. He tried to kick my mom, but…
“My mom?” I asked him. Steel turned his grey eyes cold. Or just closed them so I couldn’t read them. What had changed? What had I done? I flinched into the pillow.
“I’m sorry. She didn’t make it out.” A rage boiled inside me. Why had he gotten me out but not her?
“You said you were getting her out!” I screamed.  What possessed me to scream at him? He was Kenny's muscle? I screamed, raging at him. Nothing I could remember once he slapped me. I held my stinging cheek, glaring at him.
“I was the only one who could get you out. I did the best I could for her. There was no way for me to know that all the exits had been chained closed!” he yelled.
Those steel eyes. They were harder than any metal I had ever seen. Nothing would crack him. Was that why Kenny kept him around? We stared at each other. Neither of us talking, neither breaking eye contact. I would not bow down to another of Kenny’s underlings. I vowed then and there I would make it out of this. Muttering he turned away. He broke first. I narrowed my eyes. “Ungrateful brat.” He stormed out of the room. That’s when I saw the other person.
Thick glasses obscured the top part of their face. Their auburn hair was a rat's nest piled on top of their head. They looked exhausted. They looked steadily at me, like I had done something unforgivable.
“Eren, I’m Hange Zoe. We met the night he brought you in here.” She said as she watched me. “I cleaned you up and treated your wounds.” She pointed to the bandages. “He bought the clothes, dressed you and carried you up here himself.”
“What, I should thank him?” I snarled. She clasped her hands over her elbows as she crossed them in front of her flat chest. “He is only doing what Kenny tells him too.” I glowered at her. She gasped opening her eyes wide she looked at me.
“Is that what you think? That he…” She pointed over her shoulder. “Would take orders from anyone? He broke free from Kenny a long time ago.” She stated.
“So you're his loyal lap dog?” I smirked when she brought her hand up to pinch her nose.
“Actually, yes.” She watched me a moment. “I am loyal to him. He saved my life once too.” She watched me close. I fought to not give anything away.
“You should thank him, not that he would let you.” Shaking her head, she looked away from me. “Look, I know the little runt's a bit much sometimes...” she paused. A smile curved her lips. “Alright, the majority of the time.” She laughed opening her arms. “But his heart, what little there is, is in the right place.” Tilting her head, she eyed me. “He doesn’t do things on a whim. Ever.”
“Who is he?” I demanded. She sat down on the side of my bed. Both feet remained on the floor as she turned to look at me.
“Levi. Captain Levi Ackerman.” She said this as if I should know it. I knew an Ackerman. The bastard who had robbed my parents.  When they couldn’t pay him back, they took me. Kenny killed my father in front of my mother then hung me on a fucking cross for over a month.
“Wonderful. So, what now I’m to be his sex slave or something? Did his dear old dad, Kenny get tired of me decorating his war room?” I spat at her.
“Levi doesn’t know who his father is. Kenny was, or is, his uncle. We don’t know if he was in the club or not when it burned.” She explained. I looked away from her. What did it matter to me? Looking away I took in the room.
The bed I was in took up one corner of it. There was a dresser across the room. A door on its left that I assumed was a closet. Next to the bed was a table. Two floor lamps stood on either side of the bed. It was simple, clean. I turned back to her when her hand touched my knee.
“You felt that?” she asked giving it a squeeze.
“Of course, you touched me.” I stated. She smiled.
“That’s good. It means no spinal damage. You should be able to walk again once your legs regain their strength.” I sighed.
“How long will that take?” Her shoulder rose than fell.
“Depends on you. If you work hard, a few weeks.” She eyed me. “You're strong Eren. Put that with your righteous anger and you should be walking soon.” She patted my leg before standing up.
“Are you hungry?” my stomach growled before I could answer. She grinned. “I'll take that as a yes. I will send in some food. It will be bland and light at first. Need to see how your system will handle actual food.” 
She then leaned down to pick up something. It must have fallen off the bed when I tried to get back in it. She pressed it into my hand. “This will contact Levi or myself that you need something. Just press the red button on top and we will come check on you.” I wanted to throw it away when she explained it, but it was my only link to humanity. Instead, I thanked her, begrudgingly. She smirked before walking out. I must have dozed off. It didn’t seem like that long before she came walking back in. She gave me a plate with jello, a wrap, a salad and some milk on it.
“I’m not five.” I said pointing to the milk. She half smirked at me.
“You're still growing. I’m guessing you're about seventeen?”
“What's today’s date?” I asked. She eyed me skeptically.
“April 2nd.” She said leaning in the doorway. I dropped my head. My hands fisted into the blankets.
“THAT BASTARD!”  I yelled. My throat hurt afterwards.
“Why? When's your birthday?” this voice was calm, almost bored. I looked up. Levi was looking at me.
“I turned eighteen hanging on that fucking cross.” I growled. “My birthday’s March 30th.” Levi nodded.
“You turned eighteen in that bed. You were in a coma.” He stated simply then turned to walk away.
“It was March 29th when I rescued you.” He walked away without another word. What an ass!  I thought. Then it struck me. He really did have a great ass. I burst out laughing at myself. It hurt. My entire body ached, but it felt good to laugh.
Tears streamed down my face, as I gasped for breath. Mom would have been laughing with me. Mom
She was gone. I was alone now. The laughing stopped. The tears did not. I curled myself up in a ball, crying like a child. I felt a hand touch my hair. It must be Hange. I buried my face into the pillow. Already the food she brought was forgotten as I thought of my mother. She never left me. What had I done to her?
I felt Hange’s hand stroke my hair. Was she a mother? I thought. Her hand was small, almost awkward at petting me. As I thought about her, my own pain subsided. I pushed myself up. Sitting again I wiped at my eyes. I hadn’t opened them yet.
“Sorry about the food.” I whispered.
“It's fine. I put it on the nightstand.” I jerked back.
“L, L, Levi….!”
“Hey Brat.” Was that a tiny smile? He held out a handkerchief to me. “Clean yourself up.”
I took the soft white cloth. I couldn’t stop staring at him. Kenny would never do anything like this. Hange wasn’t even in the room.
“Why?” I asked him still watching that face. He sat with one leg tucked under him. Now he stood in an easy flow of movement. He looked down at me.
“Why not?” he shrugged. Reaching down he picked up the plate of food. Setting it down in my lap once more, he didn’t look at me.
“Kenny found me when I was very young. He may have raised me, but he didn’t teach me everything I know. My mother died just before he found me. I still have a few memories of her.” He whispered the last. I barely heard the words. He turned away from me. Walking to the door he didn’t say anything.
I was shocked when he stopped. One hand gripping the frame. “People will surprise you. Don’t lose that. If or when you do, well then you will be like Kenny and I.” I watched as his shoulders rose. He drew in a deep breath. Letting it out he walked away. He admitted he was just like Kenny.
That couldn’t be true. Kenny would never have even attempted to calm me. He would have beaten me instead. Levi would have known that better than anyone. Who are you Levi Ackerman?