Angel With A Shotgun [Levi Ackerman x OC] / Attack on Titan / Shingeki no Kyojin

Code XVIII: The Titans

"Love?" Xora repeated. "As in, a romantic relationship? I already told you that I have not the time nor need for such a trivial thing."

With a distasteful click of his tongue, Levi leaned back on his chair. "No, you fool. That is a part of love, but romance is not the only kind of love. Love can be for family, or there is also a love between companions and friends."

Xora's gaze lowered to the floor. "Of those, I have none. I am alone—but I still have not the need for love."

"You're only human. All humans need love of some sort, after all else. You can't deny that."

"You may be correct, Levi, but all I am asking for is the answer to these questions. Nothing else."

A flicker of a strange light danced across Levi's eyes. "The only answer I can give you won't make you happy, and even I am unsure of it."

"Then, what is your answer, Levi? Enlighten me."

"That is for you to find out on your own, Xora," Levi smirked, standing from his chair to gaze out of the tall window behind him.

"What?" Xora, too, rose to her feet. "You won't tell me of your answers?"

"I said that I can, but I never said that I would." Turning his head, he glanced at her with eyes full of mischief, taunting her to press on. Instead, Xora swallowed hard and abruptly stood

"If that's how you want to act, then so be it," she snapped. "I shall find out these answers myself; and know, Levi, that I learned nothing by asking you such ludicrous questions. Perhaps I have made a mistake in voicing them to you."

"Good luck," was all he said. Xora left, shutting the door swiftly without a second glance backwards. Shuddering, she cleared her head and started for the data room, hoping to find something to do. She desired to leave on another assignment, such as another field mission, but she knew Levi would most definitely not allow such a thing—especially after the last incident.

Xora crept inside the data room to find Hange fast asleep with her head against the control panel, her glasses slid up to pin her bangs to her head. A large glob of drool dripped from the side of her lip. The large screens pictured the Stylized Lily insignia and the faces of several people she did not recognize; many donned masks that looked strange, and others wore abnormal expressions. Among them lied Alan Clark's profile, but a large question mark covered his face.

"Archangel!" Eren's voice piped up. Xora turned to see he was sitting at the round table. Once their gazes met, his face flushed once again, but he greeted her warmly nonetheless. "Is there something you need?"

"Not anything too important," she answered, then pointed at the sleeping woman. "What exactly was Hange doing?"

"Oh, her? She was just doing some research on the Titan organization."

"The Titan organization?" Xora pulled out a chair beside the boy and took her seat, drawing her full attention to him. "Can you tell me what you know about them?"

"I'm surprised you haven't been told this yet," Eren murmured, setting down his pen. He shot Hange a nervous glance but turned back to  Xora with a strangely fierce look on his eyes. "They've been one of the Iridescent Empire's worst enemies, and we're constantly at war. Their forces are absolutely massive,  and very strong."

"I see. And so, why is this information about them kept confidential?"

"It's because of our suspicion of their ultimate goal," Eren responded in a grave tone. "Most of us think that their plan is to overthrow the world's largest government."

A wrinkle formed between Xora's brows. "How would they do that?"

"Cannibalism. They believe that because humans are at the top of the food chain, we've been able to live peacefully for centuries—but if they change that dynamic, with the aid of fear, they'll be able to control the world. Apparently, they have an extensive process for joining the organization to guarantee loyalty. If you disobey them or drop out early, you're tortured and eventually eaten." Eren shuddered.

"That's quite horrifying," Xora agreed, wrinkling her eyebrows. "Do you have any idea of how many people are involved with them?"

"We actually have no idea. There's a rough ballpark of millions of people, which is an extremely terrifying number. Though there are billions of people in this world, with efficient distribution and expansion of fear, millions of Titans will easily overthrow the entire globe within mere months, if not weeks."

A rumbly breath coursed through Xora. "I see... a truly terrifying group of inhumane people, aren't they?"

"Very," Eren said with a nod. "I hope we'll one day bring them to justice, but who knows what'll become of them until then. Everything they do is extremely hard to pinpoint, and even harder to track."

Xora glanced at the several screens again, her eyes flitting over Alan Clark's picture. "Is there any explanation as to why Clark's picture is up there?"

"Well, it's only a suspicion," Eren murmured slowly, "but it's believed that Alan Clark is part of the Titans—if not someone who holds a high position in the organization."