Crystallized (Aruani)

Chapter 3: Captain Levi

C h a p t e r 3 : C a p t a i n L e v i

"They're coming again, your training corps. Are you excited for that?" Hange asks gleefully, staring at the blonde.

Silence.

Hange sighed, but this was what she expected. "We're bringing Armin, Eren, and Mikasa in first."

Annie shook her head. No.

"You don't want them to come?"

Annie nodded her head, then shook it.

"Wha...?" Hange tilted her head, baffled.

"Tch, can't you just talk? It would make things a lot easier." Levi stated, leaning against the wall.

Annie glared at him, before jutting her head towards Levi, and then herself.

"What does that mean?" Levi asked, narrowing his eyes.

"... I have no idea."

Annie rolled her eyes, before pointing to Hange, and then Levi.

"Um... Levi and a female?"

Annie cocked her head, and nodded her head slowly.

"Are you telling me I need to get hitched?" Levi raised his brow. "Tch. Brat."

Annie rolled her eyes and shook her head no.

"Um... Female. Female... Female Levi?" Hange guessed.

To her surprise, Annie nodded.

"Female Levi? What the heck.." Levi thought about this. "Eren's girlfriend? Mikasa?"

Annie nodded again.

"What about her?"

Annie rolled her eyes, before closing them.

"You only want her to come?"

Annie's eyes snapped open, and she shook her head. Absolutely not.

"Then you don't want her to come." Levi finished.

Annie nodded. Finally. Although playing the game was quite amusing, it resulted in some... Miscommunications.

"Okay. We'll just send Eren and Armin in!" Hange said cheerfully. "Thanks for communicating with us!"

Annie rolled her eyes at the crazy woman. As the two began to leave, Levi muttered something.

"She's insane..." He said, before walking out.

Annie waited for Armin and Eren to enter. Outside the door, she heard enraged shouting, which meant that Mikasa had found out she wasn't allowed to come with. Smirking slightly, she waited.

"Hi Annie." Armin waved as the two entered.

"Hello Armin. Nice to see you." Eren mimicked. "I don't know why you bothered, she's not gonna answer."

"Shedidyesterdaywhenyouwerentthere." Eren heard Armin mutter, but he couldn't quite understand it, so he ignored the comment.

"So, you want to play that question game again?" Eren asked.

Annie shook her head no, looked at Armin and Eren, then nodded yes.

"Uh... I'm taking that as a yes." Eren smiled. "okay. Uh.. We'll start off with something easy again. Wh-"

"No. I've got a good question." Armin interrupted. "Where did you live?"

Annie's head was suddenly full of memories, of a village. A village outside the walls.

"Annie, keep going! Come on, that was weak." Her father groaned. "At this rate, the humans inside the walls will kill you easily."

"Even if the whole world hates you, your dad is the one person on your side. So promise me... That you will return."

"Annie... I'm sorry."

"Annie, this is your duty. You must fulfill it. Capture Eren, we'll try to help."
Reiner said.

"Annie?" Armin tapped her shoulder, and looked concerned along with Eren. She took a deep breath.

"Let's ditch that question." Armin said nervously.

"No." Eren objected. "She's going to answer that. Now. Armin, make her talk."

Armin sighed. "Annie-"

But Annie closed her eyes. She shut out the world, until suddenly she found herself on the floor. Eren had shoved her to the floor, and the chair was dragged with her.

"Listen." He snarled. "They're going to kill you. Why don't you just talk now? It might spare your life. Might."

Annie rolled her eyes and suppressed a laugh. He did know that she was much more experienced than him. Something inside of her, let him win.
She hated that she ran away and didn't face him head on.
Coward.

"Eren, I really don't think-"

"Shush, Armin." Eren growled. "Come on, Annie!"

"She won't talk to you." Armin rolled his eyes.

"Talk to me? What do you mean talk to me!?? She won't talk to anyone! Un...unless that means..." Eren hesitated. "she talked to you!?"

"No! No, she didn't!" Armin was immediately defending himself, and- accidentally- Annie.

"She totally did. That's why you're acting so weird, ever since yesterday." It dawned on him. "What did she ask you?"

"Nothing!" Armin continued to insist.

"Well last time I checked, you can't ask a question with yes and no!"

While the two boys argued, Annie watched. So immature...
"Okay, fine. She didn't talk, I was just trying to see if you were lying or not." Eren admitted. "If she had actually talked to you, you would've cracked a long time ago."
Another stab in the heart for Armin. He was actually doing a decent job of keeping the secret.

"So Annie? You going to talk?" Eren eyed her.

Annie shut her eyes again in response.

"I don't get it. Why won't she talk with me?" Mikasa groaned. "They're probably chatting, and I'm out here with you two."

"Tch. It's not like Annie liked us very much. She was... Closer to Eren and Armin. Let's keep in mind that she didn't really like you, either." Levi pointed out.

"Her game is slightly weird. It's very frustrating, but I'm sure it's amusing for her." Hange noted gleefully.

"The.. Yes or no, game?" Mikasa asked.

"I suppose so, if you call it that." Hange grinned. "It's her only way of communicating. She really doesn't want to talk!"

"Why would she?" Levi responded bitterly.

"Hmm?" The two's eyes were on him.

"She has information to hide. She crystallized herself to avoid it. That crystal broke, and failed her. Now she's stuck here.. But she's waiting for her accomplices to get her out."

"More traitors?" Mikasa whispered, and Hange nodded.

"Yes. Titan shifters as well, we assume.. I don't know why I'm telling you this." Hange confessed.

"What's done is done." Levi responded. "The Scout Regiment is going to go on a mission soon. We can't waste anymore time on her."

"Okay. We'll bring her into custody. Erwin has already discussed this with the Military Police. They responded that... Levi would be the best to handle it. Just like Eren."

"I can't wait." Levi added dryly.