A Devoted Heart (Attack on Titan // LeviHan) - Part 2

Just a Word

"Hi everyone! Levi, I need to talk to... you.... What the hell is going on here?" Zoë stopped abruptly under the door of the dining area in the guard quarters, staring at the scene before her.

"Commander!" Jean, Armin and four of the soldiers that had accompanied Historia here retreated a few hasty steps backwards, forming a protective semi-circle around her. The belligerent wall of house guards they were facing moved an equal amount of steps forward, their hands on the weapons at their belts.

"Stand the fuck down!" Zoë hollered and pushed to the front, "what do you think you're doing?"

"We demand an apology!" the biggest of the guards spat, his face blotched with angry red dots. "We've been robbed, insulted, and humiliated by your soldiers. We will not tolerate such behavior!"

"I see. Where is Basil?" Zoë stood on tiptoes to get a better look at who else was in the room. Man, these men were tall and bulky, almost like small Titans.

"Our Commander eats upstairs," the leader of the group said stiffly. "I'm the one in charge here."

"Wrong, I am. You all take a step back now," she puffed up her chest and glared up at the guard as menacingly as she could. "And I mean now."

"She's Council Hange's daughter," someone whispered at the back, followed by "what, really?", "Feisty," "She's the highest ranking officer here,", "careful, she's crazy - I heard she throws people who annoy her off the wall!" and similar comments. She intensified her glare, opening her one eye as far as possible for emphasis.

"Hange-san, sorry," the leader grumbled and waved his hand at his men. "Retreat. Back, you idiots. Now!"

"Thank you. My soldiers meant no harm. Why don't you sit like civilized people?" Zoë suggested. "The food will go cold, don't waste it!"

"It already is cold," Jean said behind her. "Damn mess. I don't even understand why they got so worked up?"

"Annika drank all their liquor," Armin said unhappily. "And it sounds like she stole things? It was a deliberate provocation."

"Where are Eren, Mikasa and Levi?" And Annika. And Treibel! Her head started swirling with unpleasant scenarios. She had to find Levi immediately if they wanted to keep on top of this situation but it looked like he was dealing with his own crisis.

"Captain Levi went outside with Annika, Commander," Armin informed her. "She was picking a fight with the house guards."

Zoë looked at the untouched food on the plates and suppressed a flash of anxiety and... she wasn't jealous, was she? But thinking of Levi together with voluptuous, ravishing Annika had always had a very negative effect on her mood. No use denying that they looked very good together.

"I want you to sit down and eat something," she said quietly, keeping an eye on the house guards who had taken their seats at the far end, throwing the occasional aggressive glance in their direction.

"Eren was picking a fight too," Jean chimed in sullenly, "and he insulted Mikasa. He stormed out soon after Captain Levi left."

"And Mikasa went after him of course," Armin added.

Zoë nodded, feeling her unease grow rapidly. "Listen to me," she lowered her voice even further. "You need to find Eren and calm him down. I want you guys to stick together closely. Go find Historia too and await further orders."

"Are we in peril?" Armin asked, his eyes growing round. "Did Council Hange reveal his plans to you?"

"Yes and no," Zoë said. "Many things are in motion and we need to plan as we go. Make sure Eren doesn't do anything rash for the time being."