Attack on Titan: Survival and Dedication - Male Reader

PART FOUR

Off-days felt rare but were common. Being stuck in the city and behind walls didn't feel like it did for others.
  Y/N more often than not would get to work on the prototype to avoid boredom. And even that had its limits before the cycle would start anew.
  The base felt empty. People went out into town or visited family. It allowed Y/N to see the empty halls and echoey rooms for himself. With company, of course.
  "You're a pig. You know that, right?" Levi sneered as he looked at Y/N's full plate and then back to his cup of tea.
  "And you're a child." Y/N shot back. "What did you have for breakfast? Some milk and porridge?"
  Levi scoffed and sipped his tea. Y/N helped himself to a bowl of leftover stew and stale bread. Levi's appetite died when he caught sight of it so Y/N took his food for himself.

"Here. Make yourself useful."
  "I'm half convinced to leave you here alone."
  Levi lifted a box twice his size with ease. By this point, Y/N was used to his inhuman feats. Even if they may break a few laws of nature.
  "Right there." The Captain set the hefty box down with a grunt. Y/N hummed in satisfaction and ignored his leer.
  "What? You call me ugly and fat so I can call you useless." Neither were true of course. Such things were banter at this point.
  Y/N flipped the box open and was greeted with a variety of sorted parts and tools. Every bit was a puzzle piece to a mystery, but once put together he would have hopefully solved it.
  Sorting the many bits and pieces was simple work. At some point or another, the heavy door upstairs opened, meaning either one or a few people entered. With Levi so alert Y/N wasn't worried about who it may be.
  "I see you're hard at work." Erwin greeted. He smelled of soap and aftershave, reminding Y/N of his overgrown and uneven stubble.
  "Your highness here—" Y/N waved a hand in Levi's general direction. "—wanted his rig outfitted with padding."
  "Understandable." Erwin hummed. He took one of the many parts and looked it over with a sharp eye and scrutiny. "Hange tells me you're taking part in another test."
  "Me?" Levi glowered. It was their off-day and he was understandably miffed.
  "Me." Y/N sighed. Levi was relieved. "And yes."
  "If you had to guess, how far along are you?"
  "With a bit of fine-tuning this rig should be finished. But then again..." Y/N waved his hands about in an unassured manner. "We had sand dials before clocks. We could have this before something else."
  "Like this proposed firearm." In the mix of bits and pieces, Erwin fingered a trigger group. And nearby he spotted several large tubes. They were hollow but not a concern.
  "What we had in mind was—different. I headed that certain project so... it's complicated."
  Different soldiers meant different rankings. Smaller and more nimble fighters would have wielded smaller firearms and explosives. Larger members would carry support weapons that did the same job but with a little more weight. It was all a concept that was structurally weak but a structure nonetheless.
  Y/N explained all of this in vivid detail. But the two commanding forces had to use their imagination.
  "The government had plans." Levi huffed. "Or they did. Makes me wonder why."
  "For people like us." Erwin added grimly. "If the engineers had given them their full support these would have been widespread."
  "We all start somewhere." Y/N muttered while his attention drifted to two joints he linked together.
  "Indeed we do." Reaching into his pocket, Erwin presented a letter to Y/N.
  "What's this?" The letter was blank and had some weight to it. It wasn't any ordinary letter of greeting or affection but was a pleasant change nonetheless.
  "Two weeks pay for a Corporal." Erwin replied. And sure enough, there was a fair stack of bills inside with a few coins stacked neatly to the side. It wasn't much but was along the lines of - or a little lighter - than past deliveries.
  "Corporal?" Y/N frowned. He had almost forgotten he was an official member of the corp.
  "I understand that's roughly how much you were paid before." Erwin cocked a brow at Y/N's sudden curiosity.
  "But why?" He set aside the assembled pieces and narrowed his focus on the Commander. "I can see the pay but not the reason."
  "Mostly a precaution." Erwin reiterated. "The chain of command will help ease some of our concerns for the future. That way I'll have Levi here pass along a message to Eld or Petra. Then from them down to you. Or if they're not available then Hange to Moblit. Or Mike to Nanaba."
  "The lower ranks aren't exactly bloated at the moment," Levi added. "But with your new position, you can avoid anyone else's command. They'll have to take it up to Erwin for that."
  "I wish I could say that I'm grateful." The Scout's dry tone and dismissive behavior came off as cold. With a matter such as ranking at hand, Erwin didn't hold him to it.
  He observed with an understanding hum. Thanking him would also be showing gratitude for convincing him to die.