Chagara - Chaos in the Darkness (Levi x OC Fanfic / AttackOnTitan)

52. "If I have to carve one day too?"

The last visitor of the morning mass thanked the priest for his sermon and then stepped out through the gate. "Mh." Peter watched from the dark corner of the church as the priest made his way into a room that was not open to the public. "He'll surely change," he thought, nudging Steve. His comrade had been dozing on the pew beside him. Startled, he looked around.

"Already over?," he asked, hurrying after Peter. "Now what?"

Peter shrugged his shoulders. "I have no idea," he began quietly as he walked down the centre aisle of the empty church towards the exit. "Whether the observation makes any sense at all and what we -" Shouts from outside interrupted Peter. Followed by Steve, he rushed out.

"Oh no!" His fear had become reality. The refugees from the territory of Wall Maria were working on the fields. And still, the food was not enough. That the yield would not increase in the first few months was clear. But the food distributed by the military became less and less. Now, the hard work and the little food seemed to have reached its peak.

Peter and Steve saw a young man in his mid-twenties lying motionless on the ground. "All he wanted was some bread for his son. The boy will die otherwise," shouted another young man who was trying to resist his arrest by soldiers of the Military Police. It took two soldiers to hold his arms. "But without a father, the boy is dying now too. His mother has been eaten by Titans. Where were you then? Huh? When the Titans came?" The arrested man laughed bitterly. In reply, another soldier of the Military Police punched him in the stomach. Several times.

Peter clenched his hands into fists.

"If you interfere now, Erwin will get into trouble," Steve whispered to his former Commander.

Peter nodded and watched as the soldiers dragged the unconscious man away. "From where do I know him?," pondered Peter as he eyed the third soldier. The dark blond man bent down and picked up a knife. "Any witnesses?," he asked the crowd as he held the knife in the air. Blood dripped from the blade. "The dead man wanted to attack members of the Military Police with the knife," he began, holding onto his belt with his free hand. It was a miracle that the soldier could even button his trousers with the girth of his stomach. It had been as surprising that the trousers had not torn when he had squatted. His figure was a rarity for someone behind the walls. "Anyone who can confirm this will receive a piece of bread."

Peter shook his head in disgust.

"Does he seriously think they lie and sacrifice each other?," asked Steve in disbelief.

"The death of their fellow man will now have ensured that they stand united. It's them against the military. If any one incites this hatred, there will be more deaths. When we get back to headquarters, I'll let Erwin know. From now on, he shouldn't assign young soldiers to the bread distribution," Peter replied, watching as a grandfather took a frightened boy by the hand and took him away. A dark-haired girl with an emotionless expression followed them, dragging another boy behind her. "How much anger must he have in him at such a young age," the former Commander thought as he studied the gestures of the blue-green eyed boy.

"For heaven's sake," they heard the priest of the morning mass say beside them.

"Do you have a blanket we can use to cover the dead man?," asked Peter. "Children shouldn't see this."

"Yes, yes. Of course. My brothers and I will take care of it," said the priest, hurrying back into the church.

"What, you all lost your tongue?," the chubby soldier grumbled.

Relieved, Peter noticed that the crowd was dispersing. No one wanted anything to do with the Military Police.

"Hey! I'm talking to you!," the soldier shouted after the people.