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bipabrena · 2 months

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New Beginnings (Chapter 1): HxH fanfic where the Royal Guards and Meruem survive.

A fic where Pouf and Youpi arrive before Netero activates the nuke, and they save the King. The mortified Hunters find themselves stunned when the King shows them mercy. Gon is unable to transform once Pitou admits Kite is dead. The fic will mostly follow the Royal Guards, and Meruem grows to love them for their devotion. He and Komugi separate from them to live a peaceful life, and the Guards begin their shenanigans. They'll fight at Heaven's Arena (Pouf will interfere in Chrollo's quest to become a Floor Master, impeding his fight with Hisoka), they'll meet the Troupe, go to Greed Island, and meet Gon and Killua (who have not separated) again. KilluGon-HisoIllu pairings. Hisoka is raring to fight them, which might end up terribly for him. The Guards will exploit their potential (since in canon they were newborns) by training, and will reach Meruem's level and beyond. Gon can't let his grudge against Pitou go, even with the reincarnated Kite's encouragement. Read it here.

Forty seconds before Netero unleashed Zero Hand, Pouf and Youpi descended upon the battlefield, reflexively cloaked in Zetsu. What greeted them was a bewildering spectacle of colours and flashes moving with such velocity that even their exceptional senses struggled to keep up.

Their eyes darted frantically along the blurs. Frankly, they couldn’t even tell the progression of the fight.

Who had the leverage?

Which one was the enemy?

Which one was the King?

Then, abruptly, the frenetic blurs of dance ceased, leaving only the sight of an arm hurtling through the air.

"Ah, there he is!" Pouf moved to dart forward, but Youpi restrained him.

"Wait," Youpi appealed as Pouf glared at him. "The King has the advantage. The old man's lost two limbs. If we interfere now, we’ll only be insulting the King.”

Pouf frowned. He turned to look at the scene, biting his lip in concern. His wings blazed in multiple shades of colours as he decided to release his scales.

And then, in a blaze of brilliance, the entirety of the old man's aura transformed into a light as blinding as a star. Pouf and Youpi shielded their eyes. The next they heard was an immense explosion. They could almost feel the heat from here. As the echoes of the blast subsided, they cautiously surveyed the aftermath, only to be met with settling dust and debris.

"No!" Pouf's cry echoed through the air, but Youpi restrained him a second time, his strength holding Pouf in check.

Pouf growled as he recoiled in Youpi's arms, desperately trying to reach the King. "Youpi, release me!" he snarled, but Youpi remained resolute.

It’s not that Youpi didn’t want to help the King. The matter was that Youpi's newfound clarity, the alarming evolution he'd undergone during his short fights helped him assess situations dispassionately. He could now maintain a cool head, and he could segregate myriads of dangers accordingly.

“Look,” he pointed once the dust settled. “The King is alive, and the old man is withering away. Let’s allow His Majesty to finish him off, then we can return to the palace and help Pitou.”

Surprisingly, Pouf nodded. “I’ll create a clone to go back. I want to notify Pitou that we’ll be coming soon.”

Their eyes were keen on the distant figures of the King and his opponent. As the conversation progressed, Pouf's brow furrowed. Then, he squinted.

“Do you see anything?” Youpi asked.

“… There’s an abundance of white, purple, and black in erratic ratios. The old man exudes worry and fear, yet his confidence remains steadfast. In fact, I'd dare say his confidence is only growing.”

“But he’s about to die, isn’t he? That last attack seems to have drained him.” Youpi wondered what the King was saying to him.

“No…” Pouf’s brows creased, “something feels wrong.” It was now Netero’s turn to talk. “I was right. His confidence, no, his cockiness is growing,” his voice trembled. “Alarmingly so.”

Youpi’s eyes widened. “Why?”

“… Something’s wrong,” Pouf raised his voice with a quiver. Then, he let out a wheezing breath as Spiritual Message's emotional patterns became clearer.

“What? What’s wrong?”

“Youpi, get out of here! I’m getting the King!”

“What? Wait, Pouf, what’s going on?”

Without further hesitation, Pouf raced towards the King. “Don't ask questions! Just go!”

“I can’t leave you two here! I’ll come with you!”

“No time to argue! Do as you please!” Pouf's voice grew distant.

“Meruem, King of Ants, you understand nothing… of humanity’s infinite—”

Netero abruptly stopped when he saw a flash before him. This hesitation, this nearly imperceptible delay was his doom.

“Pouf!” Meruem's shout was loud and wrathful amidst the sudden chaos. “Unhand me! Unhand me at once or I—”

“He bears a bomb, Your Majesty! We must flee!” Pouf's voice rang out.

“What are you—”

Despite his moribund state, Meruem could discern the shock etched upon Netero’s face. Without hesitation, he plunged two fingers into his chest, piercing his heart.

“… What…” Meruem mumbled.

Under normal circumstances, the bomb would detonate in 0.3 microseconds. Yet, nestled within Netero’s failing heart, its activation awaited the cessation of all vital functions. With two and a half seconds to spare, Pouf and Youpi seized the opportunity, propelling themselves away in a blur of motion.

Barely enough to avoid the detonation site.

When Pouf reached Youpi with the King under his arm, Youpi clasped Pouf's hand, unleashing a burst of speed that shattered the sound barrier. Through the transformative power of his metamorphosis, Youpi reshaped his form, sacrificing muscle mass to enhance his agility. This allowed him to propel himself 1.5 times his usual velocity, distancing them from the impending detonation.

As the bomb erupted, their extremities felt like they'd tripled in weight. The air around them felt scorching, and the shockwave hurtled them through the air, propelling them towards a wasteland filled with mountains. They rammed onto one, but the strength of the shockwave had been so violent the crash wasn’t enough to decrease their momentum. Youpi brought his wings forward and wrapped them around Pouf and the King to protect them, bearing most of the impact.

The momentum decreased after one kilometre. They fell onto the ground and rolled, until they finally came to a violent stop, battered and dazed.

For a moment, they were motionless. Then, they coughed.

Pouf and Youpi sat on their knees, struggling to regain their bearings. Their hearts raced as they gasped for air, feeling smoke in their throats. Meruem rose stoically, seemingly unmarred by the ordeal.

It was then that Pouf's brows creased. “Y… Your Majesty!” he cried raspily at the sight of the cuts permeating the King's body.

“Your Majesty!” called Youpi. “Are you alright? Are you in any pain? I can take us to Pitou in eight minutes!”

Meruem dusted himself off. Then, Youpi grunted slightly. His balance momentarily faltered before regaining his footing on one knee.

"Are you alright?" Pouf inquired. It did not go unnoticed by him in midst of the chaos how Youpi had borne the majority of the impact.

Youpi responded with a subtle nod, indicating that he would manage. Their attention returned to the King, awaiting his reaction.

“… A bomb,” Meruem muttered, his gaze drifting skyward. So many stars, he briefly recognised. “How undignified.”

No, he thought to himself. The old soldier was merely fulfilling his duty. He stuck to his resolve to the end without allowing his heart to be swayed. And yet, for such a lethal thing to exist…

He looked down again. “Did you fight off the intruders?”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

To their immense surprise, the King's gaze softened slightly. “Meruem,” he announced with pride. “My name is Meruem. I know that now. So, from now on, call me Meruem.”

“… Meruem-sama,” they said collectively with a nod.

“No. Meruem.”

“But, sire—”

“Don’t make me repeat—” A realisation dawned as he spoke, and for a brief second, he was shocked something so obvious didn't come to him until now. “You left Pitou all alone.”

“Yes, sire, we wanted to—”

“Did you neutralise the intruders? Or did you leave her and Komugi in the palace alone with them?”

“The man I fought is completely defenceless. I removed his Nen ability,” Pouf reassured.

Youpi swallowed heavily with a drop of sweat bead on his cheek.

Noticing, Pouf's brows creased warily. “Youpi, what is it?”

Youpi lowered his head, seemingly unable to meet their gaze.

“Did you not kill them?” asked Meruem.

“I… I didn’t.”

“What!?” Pouf screamed. “They did not best you in combat, so why are they still alive?”

Pouf blabbered incessantly, with indignation, but Meruem told him to quiet down. Imperially, he firmly told Youpi to explain himself. To not lie to him.

And so, Youpi did. He recounted his encounter with Knuckle and the others, detailing the events surrounding Chapter 7 Bankruptcy and the ensuing bargain.

Despite his shame, Youpi met Meruem's gaze with unwavering honesty. “I felt that breaking a promise would make me a loser, even if it were a promise made to an enemy. I understand that I have betrayed you, and for that I’m unworthy of asking for forgiveness. But please, Your Majesty, allow me the chance to ensure your safety and eliminate any remaining threats. After that, I will accept all punishments.”

Meruem’s eyes were shadowed, and so they couldn’t tell what he was thinking.

Pouf erupted in a tirade of indignation. “How could you do that!? You allowed your feelings to cloud your judgment! You prioritised yourself over the King! As we speak, these intruders may kill Pitou! And once we’re there, they’ll fight to take the King’s life! I can't believe you'd be so selfish as to—”

Silencing Pouf and addressing Youpi directly, Meruem was calm. "Firstly, I commanded you to call me Meruem. I tire of repeating myself. Secondly, I only asked that you don't lie to me. I see no reason to punish those who speak the truth. Let's return to the palace now."

Their mouths hung wide. Pouf's mouth moved, but no words came out.

It was then Meruem's gaze drifted into the distance. “… I trust Pitou,” he said with implicit sincerity.

They were dazed. It had been not long ago that the smallest of inconveniences resulted in Meruem whipping their faces with his tail. All they could do was comply. Meruem held onto Youpi’s leg with his tail, and Pouf followed behind. During their return, Youpi provided a detailed account of the enemy's abilities. Pouf could only shake his head with a scowl, veiling his anger.

Three and a half minutes before their arrival, Knuckle and the others advanced towards Gon's location. Pitou had already succeeded in healing Komugi, with fifteen minutes remaining. Outside, Ikalgo briefly stood guard to assess their surroundings, joining the group shortly after.

She’s already fully healed… thought Pitou. I just need to think of something fast. I can’t take her with me to Peijing, but Pouf and Youpi aren’t here. And even if Pouf were here, he hates Komugi. I fear what he might do in a misguided attempt to protect the King. I know he'd be able to convince Youpi, too.

Knuckle, Killua, Palm, Ikalgo, and Meleoron arrived. Pitou grew increasingly nervous as they spoke to Gon, and all Gon did was assent. It seemed his own allies were as wary of him as Pitou was.

Then, Pouf arrived.

Gracefully flying through the window, Pouf warily observed the enemies. Knuckle contemplated using his ability against Pouf, but he knew the distance afforded Pouf ample time to evade. Similarly, Meleoron found himself unable to act, but because he was trapped in a paralysis from being uncloaked before two royal guards.

“… Pouf,” Pitou’s eyes widened. In any other situation, she would be thrilled to see him. But knowing that they differed in how they saw Komugi, she was wary. Was he here on a mission of his own... or, her throat tightened, was he here with news of the King?

Pouf barely restrained himself from smirking smugly. “The King has defeated his enemy. He will arrive shortly along with Youpi and my real body,” the Hunters froze. “Is the woman healed?”

Pitou’s eyes glistened with relief. “Yes, she’s okay! Please tell His Majesty that Komugi is okay!”

The Hunters found themselves unable to breathe.

It wasn’t just Pitou now, but Pouf, Youpi, and the King. This was bad. No, not bad. This was the worst possible scenario. This woman was their bargaining chip, but if the King was coming, if he could get a hold of her, the Hunters would lose their only leverage. For Gon, the knot in his throat was different. The current situation meant that Pitou had no reason to keep her end of the bargain.

“You mustn’t be afraid,” reassured Pouf with a condescending smile. “If you obey, the King will surely spare your lives. His heart is boundless, that way.”

“Yeah, and then what!? He’ll just turn humanity into a bunch of mindless soldiers!?” Knuckle yelled boldly.

Pouf closed his eyes as his smile widened. “That depends entirely on His Majesty.”

With no reason left to lie, Pitou withdrew the surgical tools from Komugi's body. The wound closed seamlessly, leaving no scars, and the oxygen mask vanished.

"She will wake soon," Pitou informed Pouf, who nodded in acknowledgment.

The aura around Dr. Blythe turned thinner, which suggested Pitou would deactivate the ability. Before she did so, Pouf spoke. “Heal your arm.”

“… Oh, right.” She extended her arm as she rose to her feet. The box opened and scissors emerged to cut down her sleeve.

The darkness and rage in Gon’s expression gradually vanished as the realisation kicked in. The realisation Pitou had neither the reason nor intention to fulfil her promise.

In just fifteen seconds, her arm was healed. She clenched her fist until it scrunch, and swung it around. She was satisfied.

“We’re here,” Pouf announced.

The allied ants' expressions twisted with fear, their lips downturned in a whimper of terror.

In an instant, Pouf's sharp eyes caught Meleoron's subtle gesture. As Meleoron's chest rose with a deep, silent breath, he felt a sudden pressure on his neck and something sharp against his temple. His surrounding allies had only felt a breeze.

Meleoron let out a whimper of pain, and when they searched for him, they found Pouf as if he'd never moved from his position, now holding Meleoron in place. His claws were pressed against Meleoron's temple, with his leg firmly planted over Meleoron's to force him still. He drew blood.

“M-Meleoron!” cried Knuckle.

"I won't allow you to escape or make anyone invisible," Pouf stated coldly. "That's your ability, isn't it? You plan to use such petty tactics against the King. You might try holding your breath to flee, but I can pierce your brain faster than you can activate your power. The choice is yours."

Meleoron trembled.

“Be grateful I did not kill you on the spot.”

Immediately, Pitou positioned the unconscious Komugi behind her and drove herself into a corner. Even if they tried, they wouldn’t be able to harm Komugi. Pitou was, quite literally, shielding the girl with her own body. She'd noticed Gon’s aura grow darker. Witnessing Pouf's threat towards the chameleon traitor only fuelled Gon's instability further, Pitou noted.

Read the rest of the chapter here.

#hunter x hunter #hxh fanfic #hisoillu #killugon #neferpitou #meruem #gon freecss #killua zoldyck #hisoka morow #illumi zoldyck #chrollo lucilfer #phantom troupe

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bipabrena · 2 months

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I need these men to destroy me

GOODNESS.

ARMS.

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bipabrena · 1 year

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Because We’re Family (Kenny-Levi-Erwin centred fic) chapter 19.

A fic where SNK is rewritten from the start. Kenny steps up as a parent for Levi. Many years later, Erwin accidentally crosses paths with Kenny, the one ghost of his past, and blackmails him and Levi into joining the Survey Corps. Because of his relationship with the Reiss, Kenny has vital information about humanity, and he makes his own deductions that will change everything for the story. All canon arcs will be rewritten, until the time to fight the outside world comes. Main pair is eventual Eruri (huge enemies to lovers). Read here.

They could hear the soldiers working, even from up here. Without an upcoming expedition to train for, the soldiers had to focus on more menial work. Today, a section of the barracks commuted from the gates to the mess hall. The shipments of food for the next three months had arrived, and it was hefty work to unload everything from the multiple wagons.

Kenny watched them aloofly from the window.

They will all die, he thought. It could be in a year, five years, or perhaps not in their lifetime. But their children could be killed, or their children’s children, and so on. Many generations may pass before that day comes, but it was a fact they would die.

This world will crumble, Uri and Frieda had said. And the First King corroborated it.

The Subjects of Ymir. They had to pay for whatever sins the Eldians of the past committed. The outside world will pay whatever violence they ever inflicted ten times in turn.

His sombre eyes did not waver as the voices in the room grew increasingly louder. Despite being right next to them, he couldn’t make out what Erwin and the others were saying. A disagreement, perhaps. Either way, his mind was not in it. He couldn’t focus and, frankly, unless directly addressed, he didn’t care.

He brought his fist to his lips, eyes still focused on the soldiers that carried dozens upon dozens of crates with flour bags.

A hand touched his shoulder. It took him one, two, three seconds to react. He looked back to find Flagon, who seemed a bit too grim. There was also a certain gentleness in his eyes. He’d sure mellowed down to him in the last two months, Kenny recognised. “You can move ahead, pack your things and do what you want until midday. We’ll finish up here.”

Kenny briefly glanced at the working soldiers one last time and left the room without a word. The silence with which he left lingered in the air. The remaining men were reluctant to break it.

“I think we’re ready,” Erwin said later as he took a final glance at the documents.

“Then we’d best move on now,” added Lutz with urgency. “Kit and Soren need us, and we have a regiment to save. Commander, is there anything else?”

“No, that will be all. Make haste. I’ll stay here, as we still need a backup plan,” Shadis said. “I already have a meeting set with a financial and legal advisor. Like Dorian said, we must be prepared for the possibility you won’t get this done in time.”

The soldiers all seemed to agree, but a loud sigh brought their attention to Dorian.

He reluctantly placed his file on the table. “Commander, I’m… sorry, but I can’t do this.”

Their brows rose.

“I didn’t sign up for this. I didn’t sign up to deceive a fellow soldier by using his child, regardless of who that soldier used to be. And we don’t even know what he might do to get the information, since the stakes are so high for him. People may get hurt, and I can’t be a part of that. I have a few days off accumulated and I request to use them in the following days.”

Erwin and his friends could only be astonished by this. By the looks of it, so was Shadis.

“Section Commander,” Erwin intervened, “I apologise for my impudence as I do not intend to question your authority, but we could use your help for this. It’s for the greater good of the regiment.”

Flagon and Lutz silently agreed. Having their Section Commander would make them feel a lot safer. He’d always taken care of them, after all.

“I stand by my words and have no further comment to add,” Dorian replied.

Erwin didn’t seem to like this.

“And no further comment is required,” Shadis spoke after a brief silence. “Take your time off, Anja will take your place in the headquarters for now. This is a good time for anyone hesitating to back down from this.”

From the rest, the only one who seemed unsure was Flagon. His brows were furrowed, and his lips tight. He was clearly very tempted to back down.

He slowly moved to place his folder on the table, but gave his friends a final glimpse. He watched Mike, the calculated Erwin, and the frowning Lutz. From them all, it was Lutz with his pitiful eyepatch that affected him the most.

He couldn’t bear to leave his best friend.

He stopped and held the folder to his chest. Erwin let out a silent breath of relief.

Dorian waited no further and, visibly disappointed with not only Flagon but also the rest, left the room.

“Very well,” said Shadis. “You may leave now. Get ready, wait for Kenny and go. Keep me updated and, above all, stay safe.”

“Sir,” they saluted.

They individually went to their rooms to pack their belongings. Essentials, their documents and a gun each from the armoury. When they were near the gates to await their carriage, they perked up cautiously when Kenny and Dorian crossed paths from afar.

“Are you not ready to leave yet?” Kenny asked, luggage in hand. “I was told the carriage would arrive at noon. I didn’t take ya to be tardy.”

“I will not be partaking in the mission.”

“... Because?” asked Kenny when silence lingered. He wondered about the frown on Dorian’s face.

“I…” Dorian’s eyes moved down. “I, uh…”

What he was struggling to say didn’t seem to be easy, Kenny noticed. Like it weighed on him.

“I… I, I…”

“Well, don’t pop a vein, will ya?” Kenny jested, although his face was perfectly serious. “See ya, then.”

Dorian watched him saunter away, and he surprised himself when he reflexively called Kenny’s name. Kenny turned to look at him, waiting.

Don’t go. We’re lying to you. We’re lying.

Dorian wanted to say it, he was struggling not to, and Erwin could tell. Should he intervene?

“Be careful,” is what Dorian managed to say.

Kenny said nothing, his gaze simply lingered on Dorian a few more seconds, and then he left. He did appreciate the concern, however. Dorian had always been kind to him and Levi.

He reached Erwin and the rest, but did not greet them. He remained in silence, eyes in the distance, as he patiently waited for the carriage. The others didn’t dare speak. They couldn’t, and even when it arrived, and they were safely on their way to the river canal, they still didn’t manage a word.

Kenny seemed too calm, they individually thought. He even seemed to be enjoying himself when he produced a book from his bag and he read away.

They couldn’t tell whether this was good or bad.

When they reached the river canal, they sailed because it was the fastest mode of transportation. They reached their destination in under two hours. They disembarked and hauled a carriage to midtown. Erwin’s throat clenched as he walked out of it. The last time he’d done this, everything had gone wrong. Kit and Soren had arrived hours later, only for them to be taken from him, now held off who knew where.

He wasn’t alone now, though.

He felt at ease when seeing Lutz, Mike and Flagon by his side. The world seemed to get much smaller, however, and the air seemed to feel much tighter, more constricted as Kenny was the last to leave the carriage, pressing his hat with one hand as he walked out. His presence seemed to dwarf everyone else's, even when Mike was by far the largest and tallest of the group.

The initial plan had been to check at an inn with strategic positioning, although one different from the Aquatic Pub. Erwin didn’t want them to stay in the same tavern Ennis had already busted them in. So, they wanted one that was strategic, but Kenny had been quick to shut this down.

“We’re staying at my old place,” is what he stated. His tone made it clear he wasn’t suggesting or negotiating.

“Your cabin?”

“No,” Kenny was quick to respond. “Home is sacred, ya don’t let filth in it.”

Funny, Erwin thought. Levi had been quick to tell him the same thing when he’d asked to be let in his room.

“No, we’re going to my old place. In the Underground.”

They all stiffened immediately. Lutz gulped heavily, clearly more taken aback than the others. He absolutely did not want to return to that place.

“May I ask why?” spoke Erwin.

“It’s just better,” is all Kenny said.

He began walking with purpose, and the others were reluctant to follow. When they realised Kenny would move on with or without them, they felt they had no choice. Erwin was the first to move, and by reflex the others followed.

They entered the Underground and reached his old home without issues. Even here, the strongest gang would think twice before taking on five large, strong men who walked with purpose and straight faces. From the would-be robber’s perspective, there was a chance they could all be armed. So, an attack was highly unlikely.

Kenny felt a sense of nostalgia as he turned the lights on. His eyes centred on the whisky table, where he’d usually sit to drink and read, then lingered on the living room where the table would usually be crooked so that Levi would have space to train and practise his moves.

It was all perfectly organised now. As clean as any home that had been left unattended could be, but it wasn’t soulless despite the lack of inhabitants.

“It’s… a lot nicer than I thought it would be,” admitted Flagon.

The other men ambled around the place, not quite finding themselves.

“We’ll need to do some light shopping, as there’s nothing to cook, and we can’t rely on inns for every meal,” Kenny instructed. “Some of us can head for the markets whilst the rest stay cleaning up. There are still some supplies around here.”

“Good idea,” said Erwin. “Let’s divide the chores so we can get to work.”

Mike and Erwin would shop for supplies. Food, a few pots and pans and some cleaning supplies. Kenny guided Lutz and Flagon to the nearby well so they could haul water for both cleaning and consumption. He then left them to their devices, excusing himself for unmentioned reasons, whilst they all kept themselves busy.

Kenny briefly considered the possibility the soldiers could come across Guinne. They wouldn’t recognise him, as from what he’d been told, Guinne had been masked when he’d attacked them, but Guinne would certainly recognise them.

He wasn’t sure whether he should pay him and Moritz a visit to give them a heads-up. Frankly, he was a little lost right now.

Something gnawed at him. Clearly, the soldiers weren’t telling him everything. It was simply so weird for Levi to disappear like this. Somehow he recalled the Ackerman persecution. With enough firepower and men, he understood Levi would be forced to submit. The Ackermans were nearly driven to extinction for that reason. They’d been overwhelmed despite their strength. But Kenny had been a special case, he’d adapted beyond what any other Ackerman ever had. Even as a child. He was so sure Levi would be the same, especially with Kenny’s training.

From what they told him, the innkeeper had told Erwin they’d gone along willingly. What exactly did Ennis, or his men, tell them so they came along? The threat they’d shoot up the place? He understood Kit and Soren would comply, their duties as soldiers would compel them to. But Levi? Surely he could easily sneak away.

With enough threats to innocent life, would Levi submit? Somehow, Kenny was a little afraid to admit he doubted it.

No matter. Those were questions he’d make once he had Levi safe and sound. Yes, that’s what he should be focusing on. Just find him. How he got caught is meaningless.

Just find him.

By the time Kenny was back home, the place was clean and smelled of smoke. Mike and Lutz were working on a meal, simple and not great, and as tasty as they could make it in a place like this. A bubbly potato cream soup with hot crusty bread that was much too stale, and a side of greens. No different from what they already ate in the military, Kenny was disappointed to find.

It’s not that getting used to this food was hard. Not quite. He’d gone hungry for over a decade of his life; he knew what it was like to starve. Still, for a shorter but still considerable chunk of his life he had been used to fancy, delicious foods cooked by the best offered within the Walls. And, after moving out of the Reiss Estate, he’d eaten very well in the time he lived in the cabin with Levi. Levi loved to cook, and Kenny enjoyed doing it alongside him at times. It was a great skill he’d picked up thanks to the Reiss chefs once he decided to shape up for Levi. Going back to eating bland food, well… he wasn’t a fan, but he wouldn’t repel it, either. Fuel was fuel.

They sat down to eat with little conversation, and after Erwin and Flagon finished cleaning up, they all got to work.

They spread their documents over the living room table, and they all huddled around it to discuss their plans of action. First, they of course needed to know their enemy. Once they did, they’d have to think like their enemy to anticipate their moves, and plan appropriate responses.

“The man we’re up against is called Ennis Vernier, the man you encountered that night, Erwin,” said Kenny. “He’s Lovof’s head of security and without a doubt the one in charge of the entire operation.”

Erwin found this curious. Ennis seemed so young the night they met, he wouldn’t have imagined he’d be something as important as head of security for a duke.

“I’d wager since Erwin slipped from his grasp, he’ll be on the lookout for new faces in the interior. He’ll know the Survey Corps won’t give up so easily, but also won’t be so stupid as to send the same person… although, to be fair, they did. He most likely has sentinels placed all over, hence why Kit, Soren and Levi were captured so quickly. The truth we’ll have to face is that, no matter where we go, we’ll have at least one person following us or listening to us. So, we have two ways of doing this: Either we gather real evidence like you want to bring Lovof down, or we simply play the game and force him to back down before the Faction Leaders and the Commander-in-Chief.”

“And how do we play the game?” asked Erwin.

“We don’t have enough time to play fairly. We go straight for where it hurts Lovof; his kids.”

“Wait, what!?” Lutz cried out. “What do you mean by that?”

“We take his kids, obviously,” said Kenny. “Ennis is certainly working behind the scenes, doing far more than… whatever he’s doing to Levi. And Kit and Soren. If anything, that’s a job for his subordinates. If I had to guess, they’re alright. Ennis would be more focused on gathering additional information on the Survey Corps’s response to this.”

“You’re not actually asking us to kidnap children, are you?” Flagon’s throat clenched.

“I'm not asking you to, but I also couldn't give less of a shit how you feel about it. By taking the brats, Ennis will be forced to put whatever he’s doing on hold. His job is to protect everything Lovof owns and loves. Cantaceres means nothing if Lovof’s children are unsafe, and the second they are, it’s Ennis’s job to retrieve them.”

“How many?” asked Erwin.

“He’s got tons of brats, but there’s two who are his favourite,” he raised two fingers. “He’d risk anything for them.”

“We won’t be hurting them, will we?” asked Mike warily.

“‘Course not,” said Kenny sincerely, although a bit too aloofly for their liking. “Unless he doesn’t comply, of course. Then we rearrange some faces or perhaps mail a few body parts. Relax,” he said when Lutz produced a wail. “It won’t come to that. He loves those brats, it’s probably his only redeeming quality.”

“This is no time for sentimentalities,” Erwin reminded curtly when Lutz and Flagon frowned hesitantly. “If Lovof loves his children, we won’t have to hurt anyone. The faster we can get this done, the better.” He looked back at Kenny. “Where do we find them?”

"I can’t tell you that. I’ll be the one to retrieve them. In the meantime, you’ll scatter across Sina to look nice and pretty. We’ll need bait, so you must dress up in the Survey Corps uniform.”

“Wait, are you sure?” Mike’s brows creased. “The whole point of the operation was to be inconspicuous. We shouldn’t be hanging a large sign on our backs.”

“Wrong. You absolutely should hang a large sign on your backs. Like I said, Ennis will be on the lookout for the Survey Corps’ response to this. The faster we can lure his men to us, the better.”

“And what if Ennis anticipates this?” asked Erwin. “He figured me out in a flash. I’m sure he’d anticipate this.”

“He absolutely will, but he’ll still have no choice but to dig in. It’s true our main mission is to make Lovof back down from Cantaceres, but whilst we do that we also have to get Levi’s and your men’s whereabouts. The faster we do that, the better. I trust I don’t have to explain to you what you must do should you lure and capture some of their men.”

Lutz and Flagon gulped heavily.

“You don’t,” said Erwin. “We’ll get it done. I presume in the meantime you’ll retrieve Lovof’s children. Will you bring them down here?”

“I will. And then Lovof will come looking for them.”

“I have a question,” chimed Lutz. “When we go above ground, what exactly do we look for? Erwin said Kit and Soren asked around in the skid rows and, well, look what happened. I know we’re bait, but what do we do? The same as they did?”

“Like I said, your job is to look pretty. You’re bait, that’s all you are. If you can best their men, that’s fine, but I’d prefer it if you got captured.”

“H-hold on, what!?” Lutz shot up from his seat. “No way in Rose’s name, uh-uh! I’m not getting captured to be tortured by anyone! I’m here to rescue the ones getting tortured! I can’t do that i-i-if–”

Kenny was unimpressed by the outburst. “Flagon, please control your woman.”

“Lutz is right to be concerned,” Erwin said, “getting captured isn’t an ideal thought for us.” Lutz seemed happy Erwin agreed that this madness was unacceptable. “But do quiet down, Lutz, please.”

Well, he didn't agree, it seemed. Lutz whined huskily with impatience. “I can’t believe we’re actually considering this!”

Flagon tugged him so that he sat down, which he did.

“Why must we get captured?” Erwin asked.

“Because I want you to lure their men. When Ennis went after ya, it must’ve been to get information on what you had, not just through interrogation. Tangible evidence. Documents. Things you very much have. He’ll want that.”

“And you want us to lure them here?”

“That’s right. At least one of you. If the rest get captured and sent to their hideout, that’s fine, so long as one of ya manages to get ‘ere.”

“But what if you get here with Lovof’s kids? His men will be here and–”

“Yes, they will. What about it?”

“H-hold on,” Flagon defended himself, “I know it sounds like a stupid question, of course it’ll scare them to see their Duke’s children kidnapped, but I mean what if that doesn’t work somehow, and they shoot without asking questions?”

“No need to concern yourself with that. Just do as you're told.”

“You’re asking us to get kidnapped here, man, come on! At least tell us your whole plan!” Lutz’s hand shot up.

“No.”

“Huh!? What do you mean no!?”

“I mean no. Goddamn, you’re annoying. Just get captured, it ain’t as bad as ya think.”

Lutz wailed in complaint.

“If we manage to subdue his men first, do we take them here?” Mike asked.

“Yes.”

Erwin was wary of Kenny’s secrecy.

“What should we expect?” asked Mike. “If we capture them first or if they capture us. Besides the mission to catch you, we’ve never done any operations against humans. Now this with the Ennis guy, it’s–”

“And how did you catch me, exactly?” Kenny asked curiously. “The whole secret thing. Who told you that?”

Mike suddenly wished he hadn’t said anything at all.

“That’s not what we’re here to discuss,” Erwin came to his aid. “Mike’s question is a good one, however. What do you reckon we prepare for?”

“For someone to approach you or try to kidnap you. Dying is something you won’t have to worry about yet, I’d wager.”

“We don’t?” Flagon raised his voice, sounding relieved.

“No, he won’t kill ya. He’s too smart for that.”

“So, while you retrieve Lovof’s children, we should just… go around the interior luring them to us?”

Kenny was growing irritated. “Yes, how many times do I have to say it?”

“Sorry, sorry!” Flagon waved his hands. “I’m just nervous.”

“You won’t die and you probably won’t get tortured, not too badly.”

“Not too badly…” Lutz mumbled. “God, I hate this so bad, I want to go home. I don’t like this place,” he touched his eyepatch. “I hate this place. Why can’t they just leave us alone? Fuck, I hate… oh, fuck…”

He placed a hand on his chest as his breathing began to accelerate. Recognising what this meant, Flagon immediately placed himself across him.

“I know,” Flagon cooed. “Breathe slowly. Count out loud.”

Lutz complied. He slowed his breaths and counted each one. He began trembling.

“Five,” said Flagon, and to this Lutz said, “Friends.”

“Four,” said Flagon, and to this Lutz said, “Warmth.”

“Three,” said Flagon, and to this Lutz said, “Crackling fire.”

On they went. When they repeated this, Lutz’s answers became a lot more descriptive.

Kenny’s brows creased with curiosity. “What’re they doing?”

“Lutz suffers from panic attacks,” Mike said softly. “Has for a while now. It was never easy to calm him at first, but we found a little method.”

“The 5-4-3-2-1 method,” Erwin chimed in. “It’s a grounding exercise. When we notice the first signs he’s going to have one, one of us tries to ground him in the present moment, so he can focus. It involves all five senses. Sight, touch, hearing, smell and taste. With deep breaths, he must decreasingly describe something he’s asked. So, five things he can see, four that he can feel, three that he hears and so forth. If he can’t focus and see, feel, hear, smell or taste anything, he can just describe his favourite things for each sense.”

Kenny’s brows rose. “Does it always work?” he asked as he watched Flagon stand before Lutz, guiding him without crowding him.

“If we catch him like this when it’s about to start, it does, yes. When it has already started, it’s trickier, but helping him with his breathing normally suffices. The important thing is to give him space and not overwhelm him, hence why only one of us should step in.”

Kenny’s eyes narrowed slightly. That day… he thought.

The deafening shots. The screaming. The feeling of warm blood pooling underneath his bare feet as waning, dying eyes stared at him.

He’d had to run as fast as his feet could carry him, along with the girl who barely held his hand, as though she’d lost life of her own. All whilst hearing the derisive laughter in the distance, mocking them, expressing they’d get them, too. The voice that had joyfully shouted to release the hounds.

The sound of the barks, the vicious barks. They’d run for so long their feet had bled.

How many times had Kenny had to ground Kuchel? When he wanted to break down, too, but couldn’t because he just had to be strong for them both?

He’d never broken in his life. Maybe that’s why he hurt all the time.

No. Don’t think about that, not right now.

He silently moved away to give them space. He didn’t want to pretend to read the documents or any of that shit, so he simply poured himself some scotch to drink. He sat at the counter to wait.

Truthfully, he was a little taken aback by Erwin’s expression. It was soft and gentle. Not to mention the juggernaut Mike, who was usually so stoic. Then, shortly after, it seemed Lutz came back to them. He opened his eye. He glanced around in recognition of his surroundings.

“Thank you,” he muttered, to which Flagon nodded. He seemed very embarrassed and awkward when his reluctant gaze met Kenny’s. He held the back of his neck. “Err… I’m sorry. I know that was unpro–”

“No words are necessary. If you’re feeling better, we can get started.”

Lutz nodded.

“Shall we meet down here to discuss the day’s proceedings in case we find nothing?” asked Erwin.

Kenny gathered his things. “Sure, sure. One of ya can stay behind to look after the place if ya want. Four days is what we’ve got. That’s plenty o’ time.”

Without further words, he left the house.

Erwin squinted at the door. It was then Mike sighed. “What is it?” he asked. “I know that look.”

“He’s being so secretive. I wonder what he’s hiding.”

“That’s rich,” Mike said sarcastically.

Erwin was surprised by how much his comment had bothered Mike. They shared a strained look while Lutz chugged some water.

“I don’t want to get captured,” Flagon spoke up, mostly to break the tense silence.

“Me neither. God, what if they take my other eye!? You guys always joke about that and now it may actually happen! God, this sucks !”

Flagon rubbed Lutz’s back with an amused smile.

“I’m not sure whether we should–”

“Let’s just go along with what the man is asking,” Mike interrupted Erwin. “It’s the least we can do.”

Erwin didn’t seem to like this. More than anything, he was wondering why he’d irritated Mike so much. “There’s not much else we can do, realistically. I suppose we must lure Ennis’s men to us and see what plays out.”

“Should someone stay behind?” Mike asked, heeding Kenny’s words.

“If we’re going to lure them to us, we might as well stay together. This place is safe on its own.”

“Do you really think we can do this before the four days are up?” Lutz asked Erwin.

“I do now.”

Read the rest of the chapter at here.

#snk #attack on titan #levi ackerman #kenny ackerman #erwin smith #eruri #snk fanfiction #mike zacharias #aot fanfiction

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bipabrena · 2 years

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GRRRAAAAA OKAY I FONT HAVE A QUESTION BUT IM READING YOUR FIC RN AND ITS KEEPING AIR IN ME LUNGS

HECK YEA, I LOVE THIS ENERGY!!! Which one are you reading? I hope it's not sucking and still entertaining you ;-;

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bipabrena · 2 years

Photo

This man is INSANELY attractive. Holy shit. You absolutely cannot blame Alyx for having the hots for him. I imagine Gordon must’ve been quite popular during his MIT/Innsbruck days. I mean, brains and looks!? I WOULD DIE FOR THIS MAN.

#gordon freeman #half life #sfm #source filmmaker #half life alyx #half life 2 #i would let this man absolutely destroy me

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bipabrena · 2 years

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I love him with my whole heart. I would die for him.

gordon my beloved…

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bipabrena · 2 years

Text

Just one of the many, many reasons why I’m the biggest Gordon Freeman simp in the history of all fucking simps.

Not gonna judge anyone for their personal interpretations of fictional characters but it IS wild to me when folks headcanon Gordon Freeman as this dark unhinged murder man when this is how he reacts to holding a big bug in the middle of fighting his way out of a traumatic apocalyptic event

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bipabrena · 2 years

Text

Because We’re Family (Kenny-Levi-Erwin centred fic) chapter 18

A fic where SNK is rewritten from the start. Kenny steps up as a parent for Levi. Many years later, Erwin accidentally crosses paths with Kenny, the one ghost of his past, and blackmails him and Levi into joining the Survey Corps. Because of his relationship to the Reiss, Kenny has vital information about humanity, and he makes his own deductions that will change everything for the story. All canon arcs will be rewritten, until the time to fight the outside world comes. Main pair is eventual Eruri (enemies to lovers). Read chapter 1 here.

The sun peeked over the horizon. Erwin had run breathlessly through the night. His calves ached, his lungs burned with the wind long gone out of them, and his feet were hot with blisters. His palms were calloused from the climbing, and scraped with dry blood from the rough descent down the building.

By the time the headquarters were in view, the soldiers were already up and running.

Breakfast had just begun, some soldiers ate quickly to prepare for some exercising, whilst others sacrificed breakfast to get more sleep.

When Erwin reached the gates, he gasped violently. He fell to his knees, stomach tightening with rough exhales, and his throat burned with raspy wheezing. His suitcase dropped to his side. One of the guards noticed him, and he opened the gates at once. His distracted comrade called after him.

“Squad Leader Erwin!?” the guard cried out, kneeling next to him. “Sir!? What’s wrong!?”

Erwin could not speak. He could only pant, wheezing as his blurry vision doubled over.

“Finn!” the guard next to Erwin shouted. “Go to Commander Shadis, right now! I’m going to the hospital, tell him to find us there!”

The sight of Erwin completely destroyed any hesitation or confusion in Finn. He moved immediately.

“Don’t worry, Squad Leader, I’ve got you!” the young guard named Axel comforted.

He put his back to Erwin, telling him to get on. Erwin did, and when he stood, Axel immediately felt further weighed down when Erwin’s body seemed to have completely wilted, as though his soul had left his body.

The man was heavy as hell, Finn briefly recognised. But that did not deter him. He ran as fast as he could, commanding some passing soldiers to shut the gates and keep their eyes peeled.

Regular chattering morphed into alarmed whispers when some of the soldiers recognised Erwin.

Finn’s body already felt strained by the time he reached the clinic. He explained the doctor the situation, and they did not waste time to get Erwin settled.

At the same time, Commander Shadis was in his office, sharing breakfast with Dorian, Mike, Lutz and Flagon. They went over the letters they had received, trying to figure out a plan of action.

“We hardly have enough time,” said Dorian. “It’s critical that we consider we may have to temporarily give up Cantaceres so we can gather all the evidence we require.”

“There’s no way we can do that!” Flagon’s brows creased. “Once Cantaceres is legally theirs, appealing will take up too many of our resources! The legal fees will be tremendous. Without Cantaceres, we’re scraping by!”

“I understand that, but we need to be prepared for all possible outcomes,” Dorian rebutted. “We simply don’t have enough time.”

“Which seems very deliberate, if you ask me,” Lutz grumbled.

“To think we can gather all the evidence we need before the seven days are up is preposterous, in my opinion,” continued Dorian. “We need to wrap our heads around the fact that this will go on for a while. It will be a long, hefty process. But we will not go down without a fight, we will legally reclaim Cantaceres no matter what, but to do that we must see the situation for what it is, Flagon. Do you understand that?”

After a moment, Flagon sighed dejectedly, running a hand through his hair.

Shadis wiped the corners of his mouth with a napkin, eyes moving from the letter to his soldiers in the room. “We need to be smart about our finances from here on out. Unless Erwin brings us a miracle in today’s letters, we have no choice but to expect the worst. As such, I’ll be discussing this with our financial advisors so we can create a budget, and I will see if I can convince a legal orator to defend our case before the Assembly.”

Mike’s eyes widened. “But… legal orators are only from the interior. Hiring them will cost us a fortune.”

“Do we have a choice, Zacharias?” rebutted Shadis. “Lovof can afford the best of the best. To stand a chance before the Commander-in-Chief, at the very least, we need a legal orator.”

Mike clicked his tongue with a scowl.

“We’ll have to cut down on certain expenses, perhaps even start selling our earnings and assets,” Shadis’s tone became less firm, and far more regretful. “I’ll speak to our advisors and–”

The door swung open so loudly and abruptly all the men in the room jolted. Then, the intruder cursed as he realised what he’d done. He shut the door and knocked frantically.

“Commander Shadis, sir!”

Shadis sighed heavily, hand rubbing his chest from the fright. “What is it?”

“Can I come—”

“Just come in, dammit!” Shadis screamed.

The shy guard walked in. “I’m v-v-very sorry, sir, but—”

“What is so important that you dare barge in here without knocking? Not to mention I clearly stated I was in an important—”

“It’s Squad Leader Erwin, sir!”

Their eyes widened.

“He’s injured! He showed up at the front gate, he was… sir, I don’t know what happened, but he didn’t look okay at all!”

“Where is he!?” Mike called firmly as he stood so abruptly his chair fell.

“The hospital!”

Without further words, Mike bolted out of the room. The other soldiers left their breakfasts unfinished, and followed after him.

Erwin breathed a deep sigh of relief as he felt his body gradually hydrate. Ointments had been massaged on his blisters, and his palms had been washed with care. The scrapes weren’t so bad that they needed to be bandaged, but just to prevent the risk of infection, the doctor covered them anyway.

He heard arguing outside, loud muffled voices. The nurses, he figured. But when a new, tall shadow emerged, the firm tones changed into compliance. That’s when the door opened, and one of the nurses announced the Commander was here to see him.

When Shadis walked in along with Dorian and his friends, Erwin smiled slightly.

“Erwin!” Flagon ran to his side, coming to a stop by kneeling on his side. His hands touched his arm and belly worriedly. “What happened to you!?”

“It looks a lot worse than it is,” Erwin reassured him. The door was closed as the rest of them settled in. “I simply need to rest for a few hours.”

“Your hands…” Lutz frowned as he gently held onto his index finger. His frown deepened with concern when he saw the blisters in his feet. “Erwin, what happened?”

With a deep sigh, Erwin slowly sat up. He took a gulp of water, and decided he would never, ever take water for granted again.

He explained everything that had transpired. Why he had to flee, how he fled, the extent of the ambush. When explaining he ran all night, nonstop, all the way from Sina to Svazova, the men listening to his tale could do nothing but stand with their mouths and eyes wide open.

Then, the weight of his words sank in.

“Good lord…” Dorian brought a hand to his head. “Kit and Soren were taken? My god…”

“What do we do now?” Flagon and Lutz watched each other with fright.

The men hurriedly spoke amongst each other.

It was then Erwin folded his hands. With a guilty frown, he twiddled with his thumbs. “It’s my fault. I should’ve done this alone, I should have never gotten them involved in this.”

The sincere distress in his voice silenced them, and made them look at him worriedly.

“God… dammit…” Erwin leaned forward, gripping his hair. “It’s my fault. I should have… done this alone!”

They didn’t know how to reassure him. His eyes were squeezed shut, eye bared as he clung to his hair tighter.

It was then Mike knelt by his side, placing a hand on his shoulder.

“Erwin,” he called more gently they had ever heard him speak. It broke Erwin out of his stupor, and he opened his eyes. “Calm down,” Mike reassured, and Erwin slowly brought his hand down. “This is no moment to lose heart.”

Erwin’s eyes widened.

“You’re back home safe, and we’re all together. That means we can all plan our next move. We cannot lose heart right now, because those kids need us. They need you now, more than ever.”

His pupils slowly moved down. Erwin seemed to be in a stunned stupor as he watched his bandaged hands. It was then his eyes returned to normal, his brows moved down, and unnerving cold replaced his previous distress.

It was then his gaze shifted to the Commander. His brows creased. “I already know what we have to do.”

“… You do?” Lutz’s brows rose.

“I do. Because something good has come out of Kit and Soren being kidnapped.”

They looked startled by that comment.

“When is Kenny coming back?”

“A day or two…” Flagon frowned, “but what does that matter? He was very clear in saying he doesn’t want to get involved in this. He has no interest.”

“If Kenny doesn’t want to help us, then we’ll make him help us.”

They watched Erwin with astonishment.

“… Make him?” Dorian echoed.

“He must have figured that this was a job for several people. He must know I wasn’t the only one in the interior. After all, while he was gone, I recruited the help of three soldiers aside from you. Kit, Soren and Levi. And the three of them were kidnapped.”

Their eyes went wide with realisation.

“… You can’t… mean to…” Flagon took a step back.

“And how do you intend to make Levi disappear?” Lutz asked. “Will you send him to the interior and hope he gets snatched, too? Because newsflash, the kid is an animal. That guy you mentioned sounds like the real deal. He may outclass us, but can he really stand up to Levi?”

“We will transfer Levi to the Garrison,” spoke Erwin with unnerving collectedness. “We do it often. We can make up an excuse to Levi, that multiple soldiers will be transferred in the upcoming days to cut down costs. To incentivise him a bit more, we can say Kenny will be one of them once he’s back. This is necessary to cut down on expenses since the expeditions are suspended. Levi will believe it.”

“Then we must meet with—”

“H-hold on!” Flagon interrupted Lutz. “This is screwed up, we can’t do that!”

“Because?”

“… Because!?” Flagon looked at Erwin with disbelief. “Because we’re deceiving Kenny!”

“Levi will be safe. No harm will—”

“That’s not the point! This will be excruciating to Kenny!” Flagon defended. His eyes narrowed as he recalled the expedition, as he recalled all the moments with his squad and how Kenny and Levi interacted each time. “That man… that man adores his son! He worries about him! Making him—”

“And that’s exactly why Kenny will help,” Erwin rose his voice. “He loves his son. This will make things personal and will compel him to act.”

“We can’t do that!” Flagon screamed, surprising everyone else. “Making him think… that Levi was kidnapped and is being tortured for information, or worse, is dead… that’s just… we can’t, Erwin!”

Lutz’s eyes were wide, brows creased with disbelief. Flagon had hated both Kenny and Levi more than any of them present in the room. He’d spoken several times of how they were animals that needed to be euthanised. And yet now… he was defending Kenny? He cared about his feelings?

That… what? Lutz didn’t understand at all. When did this happen? When did this change happen?

“What… happened to you…?” is what Lutz softly spoke with sheer disbelief.

“Huh?” Flagon watched him with confusion.

“What did Kenny do to you? Has he brainwashed you into—”

“This is not a matter of sentimentalities,” Shadis rose his voice, silencing them. “What we must ask ourselves is what will happen once Kenny finds out Levi was safe all along, and he was played to accomplish our goals. Erwin,” he crossed his arms, “you vouched more strongly than anyone in this room that their strength was critical for the Survey Corps’ victory. We are now all familiar with their exceptional battle prowess. I will admit we can stand to lose Levi, even if not ideal, but Kenny? If that man finds out the truth, he will lose all trust in us, and he will likely leave the regiment.”

“I will be the one to take responsibility and deal with that when the time comes.”

“I… Commander, this… is cruel. I’m not sure whether—”

“Two young men are counting on us,” Shadis interrupted Dorian. “We will save them no matter what. And, if in the process we can bury Lovof for not only messing with our regiment, but for harming our men, then we will do it.”

“Sir…” Dorian’s eyes went wide. “We need to think this through. This—”

“Erwin, you have been an irreplaceable addition to this regiment from the moment you joined as a young cadet,” Shadis said, taking them aback. “You’ve risen through the ranks faster than anyone I’ve seen. You’re admired by your comrades, and you gained my respect and trust a very long time ago.”

Erwin’s expression contorted with surprise, and his head moved up to see better when Shadis approached him.

“And one thing you’ve taught me, an old soldier, is that the Survey Corps must stand, survive and persevere no matter what. Because I’ve grown to care for you, I am warning you about this from now.”

They nervously watched Shadis as the aura seething from the man changed completely. It was so heavy, so intimidating.

“When the time comes, when things come to worst, because they will, I will absolutely sacrifice you. I will pick Kenny over you, no matter what. Because if there’s anyone who can replace you and more, it’s him. It’s the group over the individual. Do you understand that?”

Erwin’s shock reverted to determined composure.

“I absolutely do, sir,” is what he imperially spoke.

Read the rest of the chapter here.

#snk fic #Erwin Smith #kenny ackerman #levi ackerman #Eruri #attack on titan fanfiction #Mike Zacharias

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