The Titan Queen - Levi X Reader

Chapter 22 - The Rebirth

Connie let out a strangled breath as the jury fell into chatter, not even bothering to give Jean a second glance. To his credit, Jean didn't look up at you again. He stayed glaring at the floor, his knuckles white from where they were clenched at his sides.

"They're going to do it harshly," Connie said. "They're going to want to do it harshly. This is the first time they have power. Please tell me that you paid them off."

"Judges would have been easier to bribe," you murmured, softly. "An entire jury of people is chosen at random, and on the day of the court. It's impossible to bribe all of them."

The jury stood, signalling their decision. "For crimes befalling the people of this city," they began, and you stopped listening. You schooled your features to become blank, irreverent. Anyone looking up at you and your crew would think that you truly didn't care.

Good.

The court began whispered, and you realized that you hadn't heard his final sentence.

"How long?" You breathed, to Connie.

"Twenty years," Connie replied with equal softness – although it was more damning. "This is ridiculous, Y/N, we cannot leave him here for a minute longer, let alone twenty years."

The judge was all too happy to bring down his hammer and have his guards lead Jean away, who had turned a rather ashen grey. Eren was the first to stand, twisting his body to you as he opened his mouth – about to yell. You shot a glare at Armin, who hurriedly shut him up.

"Let's go," you said, tersely. "All of you, right now, follow me."

You stalked out, linking arms forcefully with Connie so that you were practically dragging him along with you – harshly, but you couldn't afford to let him rip himself free and run himself into the jail that Jean was being taken to. Your crew were silent behind you – but they were all following.

Using all of the knowledge about shortcuts and the longer routes that Levi had taught you over the past few days, you led your team on the longest route back to the entrance of the Underground that you could manage, ensuring that you circled back many times throughout.

Levi didn't question you – but you knew he wasn't happy.

As you reached the main square, your friends had just about had enough. "What the hell was that?" Isabel snarled. "Was that part of your plan?"

"For Jean to get twenty years in jail?" You snapped back, twisting your hands. "No, Isabel, it wasn't."

"What the hell are you going to do about it?" Connie joined in, finally ripping himself free. "You got him in there in the first place – it's your job to get him out."

"I asked you all how you felt about being thrown in jail," you said, allowing a trace of condescending attitude to imbed itself in your tone. "He was the only one who answered that he'd like to."

"He was joking, you prat," Sasha said, raising her hand.

You nodded, glancing deliberately to the right. Sasha didn't follow your eyes, but Levi and Petra did – their eyes catching onto what you were looking at and understanding what you were doing. Relief flooded Petra's face, and she started to smile before catching herself at the last second and following Levi's impartial notation.

"I can't believe he's in jail," Petra started to say, looping her arm through Gunther's and tugging him to look at her – looking deliberately to your right so that he'd follow her gaze. "I didn't expect anything to do with this."

"We can't do anything," Levi agreed, crossing his arms and glaring down at the floor. "The brat's in jail, I can't be bothered to do anything about it either."