Attack on Titan: Survival and Dedication - Male Reader

PART FOUR

A pair of hands gripped Y/N's shoulders, offering little squeezes that were more like pinches as time went on.
"Wake up!" Hange hissed into his ear. Y/N shook his head, too tired to swat her hands away.
"Look at this place. It's disgusting." That was a voice he did recognize. And again, he was too tired to care about Levi nagging them about cleanliness.
"Relax! Considering what we've been working on I think we can afford a bit of... disarray." Hange gave Y/N's shoulders another squeeze. After sleeping in a chair for the past few hours, it was beginning to feel relaxing.
"I'm not your maid, four-eyes." Levi scoffed. "Considering I'm your lab rat, I'd at least expect some sort of cleanliness down here."
"Just—take a look!"
"What's with him?" Y/N shook his head, hoping Levi would get the message.
"Doesn't matter." She waved a hand at the glowering Captain. "Try it on!"
Ten days. Eight of those Y/N had spent in this cold and dank basement with Hange piecing together their prototype.
Considering they were reverse-engineering the first rendition and then improving upon it, it looked to be a fleshed-out machine.
"Don't spare any details." Hange gushed as Levi dawned the metal skeleton. "Comfort is just as important as efficiency and effectiveness."
"Would it have killed you to add some padding?"
"Just put your coat on!"
"Sewing isn't a part of my resume." Y/N's tone matched Levi's in his stupor. He wiped his eyes, attempting to ready himself for another long day.
"Moblit, write that down!" Hange raced back and forth, picking and adding bits to the harness.
"Y-yes, ma'am!" Moblit scribbled into a journal of his, marking down everything she told him to and every little grievance Levi encountered.
The first and major problem they faced was now here. Nobody had essentially planned for it given Hange's indifference to the matter. In her words, it was a bridge to cross when they got there.
"Any idea where we're going to test it?" Y/N asked.
"I..." Hange tapped her lips with a finger before slowly nodding. "have an idea."

"This is one of the worst ideas you've ever had."
Depending on who you were, you had to agree with Levi. In this case, Y/N had to somewhat agree.
"Don't worry!" Hange pat his shoulder, earning a glare. "I'll go down with you! If anything happens I'll snatch you up!"
"Great. Then we'll die together."
Y/N considered it a possibility. What he had in mind for a testing ground was a small and controlled area. Maybe the abandoned village just outside the wall would have been a better idea. But Erwin wanted results and he wanted them fast. So he proposed something bigger and with absolutely no risk at all toward being seen. So it was Hange's idea to test it in Shiganshina.
It took a few days to gather any needed tools and supplies to make the trip. Most of that time was spent alone for Y/N. He worked on his horse-riding skills while also giving them the safest and quickest path to the abandoned district.
Joining them on this small trip was Levi's, Mike's, and Hange's squad. The first two ran security while the latter was there to assist in any technical matters.
"As skilled as you are in combat," And there was of course the Commander. He chose to oversee this project personally while paying closer attention to Y/N. The Scout didn't know why. "I trust Levi's squad will have that covered."
"Fine." Hange groaned. "But I cannot stress enough how important it is that you push this thing to its absolute limits. I want inconclusive data, do you understand?"
"I heard you the first time." Levi sighed.
The Captain stood on the edge of the wall. Howling wind of solemn air brushed up against him, disturbing his snow-white dress shirt and parted hair.
The freezing air was nothing to him when everything seemed to blur. His eyes, a usual tired onyx, were now hyper-focused and glinting with the snow-covered district.
He'd tested the triggers and handles to his newer harness, but nothing could truly prepare him for what came next.
The heels of his dress shoes glanced off the wall's edge until he was suddenly in a free fall.
Y/N watched every single movement of his through a spyglass. And as reassuring as it was to have his squad accompany him, Y/N feared they wouldn't be able to keep up.
Levi dropped with the same calm he kept when enjoying a cup of tea. Then, with a pull of a trigger and adjustment of the anchors, he was off.
He left a stream of gas in his wake, making it the only notable sign of him ever being there.
His anchors gleamed in the sun, creating small streaks of metal webbing across the abandoned houses of the district.
Y/N walked along the wall, keeping him in his sights as best he could.
"Look at 'em go." Moblit whispered in amazement. "I can hardly see him."
"You're telling me." Gelgar chuckled with a giddy grin.
"Titans." Mike grumbled as Y/N followed a few ten-meter beasts. "One of 'em looks like an Abnormal."
Mike's hunch was right. An Abnormal swayed on his feet, almost whimsical in nature. He watched Levi in the corner of his eyes, waiting for the opportunity to strike.
Like a predator stalking its prey, it struck. A long and lanky arm swung out, missing Levi entirely before dropping to the ruined street, dead.
The Captain pushed the Anti-personnel gear to its absolute limits. He turned on a dime, avoiding another swing from a towering beast before whipping around and repositioning his anchors in an almost impossible backflip.
He moved with grace, speed, and strength to dispatch the Titan. Then, in a grand show of skill, killing the next two within a matter of seconds.
It was only when he landed on a nearby rooftop to wipe his face of blood did his squad catch up to him.
"What do you think?" Y/N hadn't even heard Erwin's approach.
"Might be able to make it faster." Y/N's voice was low and muffled from behind his face cover. "Just need to reduce the weight and drag. He handled it well but there's no telling what everyone else would think."
"How much would that be?"
"Couldn't say. Probably a good bit more considering the amount of work put into one alone. And if we do go about streamlining them, it's fair to say they'll all be handmade."
"And that's if anyone could handle such a thing." Erwin held his chin in thought.
"Making a limited number of them should be fine." Y/N stowed his spyglass and got busy writing something down in his notebook. "Something similar to the prototype could be mass-produced. But what Levi can handle is a special case. Maybe his squad can be an exception."
"It could be a logistical nightmare." The Commander hummed. "But I'll see what I can do."
Levi appeared over the wall with the last puffs from his tank. Statistically, it wasn't efficient, but so were soldiers dying and leaving full tanks in a Titan's belly.
The exhausts were frosty and could take a fingertip if touched, but it was fine considering the circumstances.
The others shared their awe and surprise amongst themselves, knowing if they openly praised the Captain they would earn indifference or dismissal in return.
"Felt like that last turn was going to take my arm off." The Captain murmured.
"I did ask about any underlying health issues." Y/N said.
"He did." Hange chirped. "But tell me all about it. Everything."

A stiff joint, a tugging feedback from the anchor, a tougher trigger pull on a turn, and the impact of a blade gave an involuntary shrug from the anchors.
There were a plethora of problems to go over. The prototype was far from perfect, but given the speed, and blinding dexterity Levi showed, it was a success.
Y/N went over every bit from the Captain. His dislikes and complaints were many, but with a man of his expertise, he also offered valuable feedback and advice.
That alone was two pages of notes and little illustrations. Getting to work on them would likely fill an entire book.
Right now, as the sun began to settle, Y/N was hard at work. His eyes were straining amid the blinding snow beginning to dim, and his fingers stiffened around his pencil but ached when he warmed them.
Nevertheless, he wrote, read, and fiddled with the harness's triggers. At the moment, it was the majority of the problems Levi faced.
"Are you... going to eat?"
He hadn't heard Petra's voice in quite some time. He passed her in the halls from time to time, and just like before, he didn't have much to say.
Y/N looked her way for a moment to see the others were watching with a hardly concealed curiosity and expectance. Perhaps they held him in higher standing now, but he wasn't sure.
They were gathered around a fire with their dinner, a pair of rabbits diced and added into a large cauldron. Y/N strayed far from their conversations and loud voices, deciding to stick to his own fire and dinner in the form of a ration cracker.
"No." He said. Again, his voice was disturbed by the green cloth concealing the lower half of his face.
"You sure?" Petra asked, holding a smile.
"I'm sure." Y/N's reply was quiet. He was too busy to distract himself and immerse himself in guilt.
"Okay." The Scout murmured in understanding. "There's plenty to go around if you change your mind."
Frozen snow crunched under Petra's boots, making her exit all the more obvious.
The nights were sure to be cold. Because of this, everyone was expected to have at least an hour shift on lookout. And they were fortunate enough to be able to.
"No luck, eh?" Eld asked. Out of everyone in their squad, he was the most understanding of her attempts to hold a conversation with Y/N.
"No." Petra sighed in defeat.
"Not everyone is up to chat." Levi added in a low voice. "That's just something you'll all have to accept."
"Even so," Hange added. "I commend you for your efforts. However, he's... more appreciative when you leave him be."
"I didn't know you were such an expert in the field of Y/Ns." Oluo said jokingly.
"Keen eyes and open ears are all you need." Hange prided herself in saying. To solidify her confidence, she poured a bowl of stew and smiled.
"Observe." She said before crossing the ten or so meters to Y/N's little campsite.
Without a word, she set down the steaming bowl and waited. When he finished writing a line, he turned her way with a look nearly obscured by his hood and paused.
Their eyes crossed in the fiery glow of the fire, emboldening the silent command she gave him and the expressive curl in her brows. Nothing was said, but everything she shared was received.
A few seconds passed when she parted ways and he removed his mask to dig into the rabbit stew with a hidden gusto.
"A quiet round of applause for Hange." Gelgar whispered with Oluo joining in on his hushed clapping.
"Thank you." Hange whispered with a mock bow.
"Okay..." Petra hummed in deep thought. She was sure to take a mental note of her approach.
Hange had oversimplified it before when it came to describing Y/N. But as time passed and he became more comfortable in her presence, she couldn't resist comparing him to a quiet and independent cat.