...Torturing...
At night, all of you sat on the crates surrounding a lamp, eating field rations.
"What's wrong? Did all this filth kill your appetite?" Levi asked Armin, who hadn't yet touched his food.
Before the sun had gone down, you and Mikasa had found Armin by the banks of the river. He had been throwing up. Eyes puffy and red from crying.
"Was it like this for you?" he had asked. "Killing?" But he wasn't asking you. He was asking Mikasa.
When she had killed those kidnappers with Eren, she had felt the stain of their blood on her hands. She felt remorse. Since Armin knew you couldn't relate, he didn't acknowledge you. And you didn't blame him. So you left the two of them by the river.
"No...it's just...that woman. When I pulled the trigger, I did it without hesitation. I'm..."
"A killer," answered Levi. "You shot first because she hesitated. Now, your hands have been soaked in blood, and the person you once were is gone for good."
"Why would you say that?" asked Mikasa distastefully.
"Should I have beaten around the bush? It's what happened. You can't ignore reality." He turned back to Armin. "And you shouldn't regret it for one second. If you had chosen to keep your hands clean, then Jean would be a corpse by now."
"I guess you're right."
"But on the other side of the coin, it's a different situation. If Kenny hadn't hesitated back there, then Y/n wouldn't be here right now. I don't know what's right or wrong, never did, but I do know that your job is to keep your comrades and yourselves alive. That goes to all of you."
"Who's Kenny?" asked Mikasa.
"Kenny the Ripper," you said.
"That famous serial killer from the Interior?" asked Connie. "My mom used to tell me about him as a bedtime story. Made me piss in bed."
"Yeah, that's him. He was the Captain of those soldiers. And he's..." You glanced at Levi. He nodded. "He might...he might be my father." You scratched the cotton pad on your cut cheek as all eyes fell on you, their shock illuminated by the lamp.
"Your...your dad made me piss in bed?"
"Connie, don't put it like that."
"That actually...makes a lot of sense," said Armin. "That a man like him could be your father. I mean, you liked to kill little animals. So it all kind of adds up."
"Thanks, Armin."
"So it was never mental problems. It was genetics all along," pointed out Sasha.
"Thanks, Sasha."
"What are the chances he's not?" asked Mikasa.
"Slim. This woman had me by my throat and referred to me as 'his girl.' Then Kenny called himself my 'old man.' Called me his 'little brat' too. So, if I'm half an Ackerman from my father's side, that makes Kenny an Ackerman, too. He also said Levi and I are blood cousins. Which makes Kenny his uncle."
"Damn, you're like cousins with everyone now, Y/n," said Connie. "Historia, then Levi, and probably Mikasa in some way. I'm calling it right now, I could be your long-lost cousin too. And maybe so could Jean." You quietly laughed with him.
"Wait. Your own father was put in charge of killing you?" asked Sasha, looking saddened.
"Yeah."
"What kind of father does that?"
"An absent one? I don't know. Well, he hesitated for a moment, so maybe he cared a bit. He said I looked like 'Freya.' Don't know who that woman is, might be my mother, Rod Reiss's sister. Who knows? But then he carried on and tried to kill me again, so it didn't really change much. Connie, can I get another one of those?"
"They taste like shit, but yeah." He tossed you another field ration.
Jean cleared his throat. "Um, is it just me, or is the world a bit too cruel to Y/n?"
You arched an eyebrow. "No? I'm perfectly fine. Why?"
"I'm talking about how your circumstances were arranged since your birth. A serial killer is your dad, some Reiss woman is your mom, but you were brought to an orphanage. I mean, we all had parents growing up, right?" Your friends nodded. "Captain?"
He lowered his teacup. "I had a mother once."
"And I'm not trying to say that the others' backgrounds aren't tragic enough, but you were just kind of born into the world with a life planned for tragedy. Like, you had no parents to raise you, so you raised yourself. You had no friends until you met Eren, Armin, and Mikasa. I won't even begin with the Fall of Shiganshina. Now, the Walls want you dead. And the man who was ordered to kill you was your birth dad. And plus, you can't even catch a break to confess your feelings to Eren properly. That's just a bit overwhelming, isn't it?"
"I don't think so." A few heads turned, surprised. "It's all in the past anyway. I got over it. I told this to Eren before, but if I had let it get to me that nobody wanted me, that nobody loved me, then I wouldn't be where I am today. Here, with all the great friends I made. So really, I don't mind my shitty past. It's not like I didn't make it worse myself. You should hear about my criminal record since I was eleven. That's the real evidence I'm Kenny's spawn."
Suddenly, Levi chuckled, which brought gasps out of you all. The truest shock. "In all my years, I've never met someone as optimistic as you. Most admit defeat as soon as they learn what that word means. But you're not even close. Keep it up. You'll need it for the rest of your life."
You smiled. "Thanks, Levi."
"Now then." He stood up. "I think it's time we hear our guest out."
You all followed him over to one of the men Mikasa had caught. Once Levi removed his gag, the man cried out, "Mercy, please! I'm just an old man they used to move cargo! I didn't want to-"
"I've met this one before," said Mikasa. "He's the merchant that blocked those people from entering Wall Rose back in Trost that day."
"Yeah, I know him," said Levi. "Dimo Reeves, right?"
Reeves' worried facade washed away into a scowl. "This damn job was forced on us by the MPs. And now that we've completely botched it, they'll plunder the Reeves Company entirely. First, they'll kill me, then my employees. And my dumb son, too." He nodded over to the other man tied up in the corner.
"And you're just going to lay down and take it?" asked Levi. "There's a reason Trost recovered from that Titan attack. Largely because of the money and jobs brought in by the Reeves Company. If your company were to disappear, how many would survive the coming winter? Can you live with yourself after?"
"What do you want me to do then? Join you?" He scoffed.
"All we want to know is where Eren and Krista are."
Reeves darted his bitter eyes to you. "What about her? You may find out where the other two are, but you won't be able to get rid of the bounty on her head."
"Damn, A bounty? Y'all hear how important I am?" You smiled smugly at your friends but none of them returned the same energy. "How much?"
"Five million." Damn! "And that's only for killing you. Seven-and-a-half million for bringing in your decapitated head-"
Levi stabbed his blade into the wooden crate right beside Reeves' head, who clamped his mouth shut, trembling in fear. "Who told you to look anywhere else but me? Her? You don't listen to her; you listen to me. Understood?" Reeves frantically nodded. Levi slid his blade back in its place. "If you're in contact with the MPs, I have a plan."
"You want me to follow you? Just like that?"
"You got any better options?"
He let out an irritated sigh. "Then can you give me your word that the people of Trost won't starve to death?"
"No guarantees. But I believe they'll have a better chance with you than without."
Levi shooed you all away to make a proper deal with Reeves.
"I'm being deadass, I would let any of you decapitate me right now if it meant you'd get seven-and-a-half million gold," you told your friends, grinning excitingly. "Then you all can live in a castle and eat the best food Sasha can find, and use the remaining gold to make a hundred statues of me and place them in every corner of Wall Rose and the Interior."
"My God, what the fuck is wrong with you?" asked Jean, exasperated.
"Her dad. That's what's wrong," answered Connie, snickering.
"But it's a great backup plan, right? I'd rather be killed by one of you than any of those scums."
"Hey." Mikasa shoved you lightly. "Don't let Eren hear that. It'll piss him off."
"He gets pissed off every day. Nothing new."
"But he gets real serious when it comes to you. So don't make these stupid jokes if you don't want him yelling his head off again."
You rolled your eyes. "Fine, fine."
"And don't you forget, you've still got to sort that thing out with him," reminded Sasha.
"She's right," said Jean. "It's about fucking time all these unnecessary misunderstandings and cluelessness get put to an end."
"I know that," you said, turning away to hide the smile creeping onto your face, the giddiness bubbling inside your stomach, unable to pop away. "Just...still can't believe he's liked me all along, too."
"Yeah, and you're the only one," mumbled Armin.
"Shut up, let me be happy for a second. And I will sort it out with him. I will."
. * . *
Reeves and his son arrived with the wagon carrying the two MPs.
You and Mikasa entered through the back and knocked them unconscious with the back of your rifles. You helped Levi carry one into the cottage while Mikasa and Jean handled the other.
Down in the basement, you and Levi tied the man named Sannes to a chair. The rest were up there to keep watch.
"You ever tortured anyone for information before?" Levi asked you, setting up the table with a bunch of different torture tools. He tossed you an apron and a pair of gloves.
"No. I never needed to know anything important."
"Want to learn now?"
You shrugged. "Yeah. Sounds like fun."
He punched Sannes in the face, jolting him to his wake. He sent another punch to his eye. "Alright, your turn."
"Punch him in the face? Just like that?" He nodded. You aimed for Sannes's nose, and you heard a crack. He cried out in pain. "That sounded disgusting."
When his gaze slid to you, his one good eye grew wide, and his breath hitched. Blood spilt down from his crooked nose. "Youâyou're the-"
The iron door slammed open. "I made it just in time! Oh hi, Y/n! Glad you're still in one piece! You two haven't finished yet, have you?" Hange entered with Moblit, who shared a nod with you in greeting.
"No. Haven't even begun our lesson yet," said Levi.
"Lesson?!" exclaimed Sannes.
"Sannes, good to see you again! See, I'm only a novice at human torture, but I'll give this job my all. Not to mention, Y/n here, who you tried to have killed, has quite a deep experience in torturing animals! So, we've got a natural talent right here! Allow me to start us off!" She picked up a wrench.
"Hold on! At least tell me what you want! Who the hell tortures someone before asking questions?!"
"Alright then," said Levi. "Where were Eren and Historia taken? What do you want with Historia? Why do you want Y/n dead? And what is the Reiss Family?"
"I...I can't answer tha-"
"Come on! Can't you see that we're in a time crunch here?!" Hange ripped off his nail, and he screamed out in pain. "Oops. Seems I don't have your knack for peeling nails. Just how many did you have to rip off to become such an expert at it?"
"More than I could keep track of," he muttered. "Within these cramped, squalid walls, war has never broken out. It's because we of the First Interior Squad dirtied our hands to protect the King's peace! A teacher too smart for his own good. A stupid couple who tried to fly. A whore who screwed the wrong man." His eye darted to you. "A woman who wouldn't kill her wretched, mixed-blood child herself!"
Okay, so my mom's already dead.
"No matter how they'd beg or plead, we erased them to protect humanity! You should be on your knees thanking me! In all my years, I've never seen anyone take pleasure from human suffering as you three! You're all monsters! But I'm determined to face you without fear, for I have my faith. And I believe in the king and the peace within these walls. I believe that every last one of my wretched deeds was justified, but if you're going to torture me to death, get on with it. A fitting end for this blood-stained life."
Levi glanced at you. "Your turn."
Hange handed you the wrench, and you ripped off Sannes's middle finger. He wailed in pain.
Somewhere up there, your friends could hear his muffled yells clear as day.
"He's been screaming for a while now. Wonder which of those were caused by Y/n," said Connie.
"Definitely that last one," said Mikasa.
"Or all of them," suggested Sasha.
Back in the cellar, after two more fingernails, Levi placed a hand on your shoulder. "Alright. We're taking a break." You followed them out. The iron door was left ajar.
"Y/n, write down what I say," whispered Hange, handing you a piece of paper and a pen. Moblit bent over so that you could use his back as a table. Then you wrote down what Hange whispered, word for word.
Levi released Ralph from his room. Hange held the paper up and whispered for him and Levi to read off the script you had written. It was a lie, how Ralph told you all the secrets after one nail and abandoned his comrade for a better bed. It was a genius move, and now you fully understood why Hange was Section Commander.
After Levi put him back in a cell, you all returned to Sannes' room. His head was hung in defeat, like a man on death's row.
Hange pulled her gloves back on. "Ready, Sannes? We're going to try it again! Let's continue with the toenai-"
"Reiss is the true royal family."
Hange and Levi were taken aback. Your stomach plummeted. That was not what I was expecting.
"Is that why do you want Historia and Y/n? Because they're true royalty?" asked Levi. "Then why do you want Y/n dead? Her mother was a Reiss, too, wasn't she?"
"Lord Rod Reiss had a bastard daughter with a mistress. But his sister, Lady Freya Reiss, fell in love with an Ackerman out of all people. The Ackerman Clan were once the right-hand men of the Royal Family. But soon after, they were persecuted for their blood. And somewhere along the line, she ended up having his daughter."
"So they want me dead because my mom loved the wrong man?"
"No..." He shook his head. "There's a bigger play in this. But even I don't know what it is. Only Lord Reiss does. He spared your life and sent you to the border of the walls to live a life as just some ordinary girl. We were only told that your blood would be the end of the peace within our walls."
"All it took for you people to try and kill a child is some man's stupid words? Tch." Levi pulled you by the arm out of the room. "Hange, Moblit, get the others. We're telling them everything."
On the first floor, Hange shared everything you had learned with them. Each was more astounded than the other.
"Y-you mean the rightful heirs to the throne are Y/n and Historia?" asked Armin, totally bewildered.
"Woah," you held up your hands, "who said anything about thrones?" you asked, the everlasting shock lingering in your bones.
"Correct. And based on that knowledge, we're assuming that Historia and Eren have been taken to Lord Reiss."
"So they only want Y/n dead because her father is an Ackerman?" Armin glanced between Mikasa and Levi. "But what about the other Ackermans?"
"Seems that her mixed blood is the only thing dangerous," said Levi. "Until we can find out why, make sure she doesn't do anything stupid and endanger herself."
"Yes, sir," they said.
You scoffed. "Right, because endangering myself is a higher chance than being in danger," you muttered. That may be a little true.
Moblit unrolled a piece of paper and stuck it on the wall. It was a sketch of a man with huge bug eyes and a mustache. "This man is Rod Reiss, everyone. Keep a look out for him."
Guess both Historia and I got our looks from our mothers, you thought as you all got back to work.
* . * .
Eren awoke in a dark room lit by only moonlight. A metal gag was in his mouth, and his hands and ankles were tied with cords. A middle-aged man was hugging Historia.
"I can't tell you how sorry I am," he said guiltily. "I beg for your forgiveness, child. Please know that everything I've done, I did to protect you."
"Father?" she whispered.
That's her dad? That's Rod Reiss, Y/n's uncle?
"Not a day has passed that I haven't thought of you. Long have I dreamed of a day when I could hold you like this. Historia, you are special. The blood of the king flows through your veins. We carry the true royal bloodline, the Reiss Family.."
Eren's eyes bulged. So that means Y/n's also royalty?! He remembered the day when he joked that you were an illegitimate princess. Who's laughing now.
"As the heir, the power to save all of humanity now rests in your hands."
"But-but what about Y/n?" asked Historia. She was crying by now, overwhelmed by meeting her father again after all this time. "She's your niece, isn't she? My cousin?"
Rod sighed heavy-heartedly. "I pity that girl; I truly do. Her mother, my sister, Freya, was a selfish woman. Only indulged in the things she desired. She had become infatuated with an Ackerman, a soldier who had once served our brother. She was careless. She had brought into this world a child with dangerous, impure, mixed-blood. That child would've been better off unborn. My brother made the mistake of sparing her and giving her a chance to live an ordinary life. But I know that if she grows too powerful, she will come and rid us of our power!"
Eren was in pure appallement. Y/n? His Y/n? Dangerous, impure, and "better-off unborn"? How dare he call her that! He wanted nothing more than to break out of his restraints and murder Rod Reiss himself.
"Where is she now?" asked Historia, her voice cracking. She wanted to trust her father, and she truly found herself falling for his words, but she still knew you. You were questionable, but you weren't evil.
"If the walls have done their orders, then she should already be gone from this world."
Eren clenched down hard on the metal gag. His fists were balled up, nails digging into his palms. Impossible. She's not dead. She doesn't die this easily. I'll fucking kill you if she is!
"Please, Historia, come with me," said Rod, leading her out of the room. "And I will show you where it all began."
Then the door closed, and the room was once again reduced to nothing but gleams of moonlight.
For the first time in his life, Eren found himself praying to any god that existed. Please, let her be alright. He begged the moon that you would be fine, that you would be alive, that you would be waiting for him once he got himself out of this place.
*
i made this eren so down bad for yall