Broken Hearts, Severed Limbs (Levi x OC x Erwin)

|60| Good Deeds

“OH, THANK GOD!”

Hange cried out. Her body finally relaxed and she allowed herself to crush back down on the green couch in Erwin’s office. Levi and Nathalie had just finished explaining Nathalie’s current situation.

“I’m sorry, Commander. I can’t be much of help any more,” Nathalie said apologetically. It made Levi’s eyebrow twitch in anger. She had nothing to apologise about.

“That’s not true, Lieutenant. You’re still a talented scientist,” Erwin approached her and placed a hand on her shoulder. He gave her a wide smile. “I have faith that you can figure things out without the need of your ancestors’ knowledge,”

Levi forced himself between the two, pushing Erwin’s hand off his wife’s shoulder and he urged her to take a step behind him. Just watching this man touching her, made his stomach churn. “Nat will not be getting near a lab ever again,” Levi said as he glared at his Commander.

Nathalie’s eyes widened. “What?!” They hadn’t agreed on anything like this. “I was under the impression I can still make my research without using any of my ancestors’ memories,” She couldn’t not be in a lab. The labs were her life. Her research was important, not because of how it was going to help ending this conflict but because she loved her research as a scientist.

“That sounds like a logical way to act right now. However, I will have to agree with Captain Levi,” Erwin said as he took a step back and pressed some of his weight on his desk behind him. He crossed his hands against his chest, and he tried his best to catch a glimpse of Nathalie. Levi was very much blocking his view of her and he tried his best to ignore how annoying that was. “In no way can I allow to put your life at risk,”

“Wait! What about the goodies that we found in the Catacombs of the Palace?!” Hange stood up and she passed a hand around Nathalie’s shoulders.

“Goodies?” Nathalie asked, turning at her friend.

“That’s right. We found devices that we’ve never seen before. Microscopes that can almost magnify two and a half thousand times. I’m willing to bet those dead scientists that they pulled out, they must’ve come from Marley. The enemy nation that you mentioned yesterday,” Hange explained.

“It’s truly amazing. The technology we found down there,” Erwin admitted.

“Imagine, Nat. No longer torches and candles and oil lamps. Imagine using this new thing that we found down there. Electricity,” Hange said excitedly.

“Premier Zackly has ordered the brightest minds to figure out how it all works,” Moblit added.

“And one of the brightest minds is right here, in this very room,” Erwin said and his eyes met Nathalie’s. He sighed heavily. He didn’t want to do this. He knew Nathalie would still try to borrow her ancestors’ knowledge. She was so selfless, she’d give it all for the sake of their plans turning successful. But he couldn’t not put her brilliance to use. “Alright. Hange, Moblit, you’ll be keeping an eye on Nathalie at all times. The three of you will use those labs in the Catacombs to find answers-”

“My wife will not risk her life for the sake of your plans, Erwin,” Levi growled.

“Which is the reason why Moblit and Hange will be with her, to make sure that she doesn’t try to borrow any more knowledge that might result to worsening the state of her health,” Erwin said sternly and he approached Levi, staring down at his rival with the same glare he was shooting him. “Believe me, Levi, I care about our Nathalie as much as you do,”

“You mean my Nathalie,” Levi corrected him, staring up at the man dead in the eye. He shook his head in disapproval. “And no, you don’t care. Not even close,”