Happy New Year 2024 My dear readers, ie my Brothers and Sisters!!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
It took two hours for all the bodies to turn into cinders.
Many who were watching the funeral had already left the Scene a few minutes after the Pyres were lit.
For the Cadets, it was too much. Seeing their friends, with whom they had spend years together, turn to ashes coupled with horrors they had seen at Trost, was too much for them to handle.
So they slowly left one by one.
For the Garrison Soldiers, they had to take care of the City now that the Gate is sealed. Though with Ash's help with the wounded had reduced some of their burden, there is still much work left to be done.
For the Scouts, this scene was nothing new. They had seen the deaths of hundreds of their comrades. So a funeral is pretty monotonous affair for them.
But that doesn't mean their work is done. Their is still the matter of Eren Yeager, the Titan Shifter left.
Along with two new Titans they have managed to capture. One 4 Metre Class and another 7 Metre Class. They will be used for experiments to learn more about Titan capabilities, now that they have a Shifter.
Ash shuddered. He doesn't want to know what would happen with those two Titans.
After the fiasco with Eren and the lighting of the Pyre. The Scouts had demanded Ash to come with them.
But Ash had flatly refused that, saying he won't move a step until the last Pyre was completely burned. Saying it was "Disrespectful towards the dead".
So now it was only Ash who was standing alone on the Funeral Ceremony, the others having left already. And as the last flames of the last Pyre extinguished, Ash bowed towards them.
"Thank you for your contribution" Ash muttered "Your names and sacrifices would not be forgotten"
With that he turned and left the place.
A few minutes later he was confronted by the men in Green Cloaks again.
"Will you come with us now?" The blonde man, Mike demanded. The Short man with dark hair was only staring at him.
"I will" Ash nodded before shrugging "It's not like I have anything better to do"
"Hmmm you think this is a game to you" The black haired man said, his voice emotionless as he looked around "And where is that Mouse we have been hearing about?"
"What mouse?" Ash feigned confusion. He knows they were talking about Pikachu who he had sent away when he learned that he would be arrested.
Currently Pikachu is hiding away in the Forest. But he will soon come and follow him secretly.
"The one that was accompanying you and shooting Thunder from its body" Mike snapped apparently tired of the charade.
"Ah well.....he" Ash shrugged with an innocent smile on his face.
Levi's hand twitched, wishing nothing more than to punch that infuriating smile off the brat's face.
But of course he wouldn't be Levi Ackerman, if he couldn't control the basic primal emotion.
"You are coming with us" Levi said, his voice curt.
"Of course. That's why I am here" Ash shrugged smiling "Now do you have something to eat? I am famished"
He only got glares in return.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Eren gasped as he opened his eyes to find himself looking at a dark ceiling. He slowly got up and moved his arms, only to find them bound to chains.
"I see you're finally awake." a voice said.
Eren looked over to see he was behind bars; however, in front of the bars were two men that Eren immediately recognized.
The one sitting down on a chair was Commander Erwin Smith. The one standing up and leaning against the wall was Captain Levi. They were both members of the Survey Corps with astounding skills.
"Do you have any questions, Eren?" Erwin asked.
"Where am I?" Eren asked as he looked around the room he was in.
"Apparently we are in some underground Cell" A voice piped up from beside him. Eren turned to his left, his eyes widening in surprise when he saw Ash in the Cell, his hands and legs bounded just like him.
"You are correct. You two are in an underground cell," Erwin answered, a small smile twitching on his lips "As of now, you two are under the Military Police's custody. We were granted permission to come and see you both"
"Ok" Ash shrugged before looking at Erwin "But I have a question"
"And that is?" Erwin raised a brow.
"Who are you two?" Ash asked. He knows they were someone important and are in completely different Military branch than the Garrison.
"You don't know them?!" Eren asked in shock. Was Ash living under a rock the entire time to not know who the Commander is?
"Well I wouldn't be asking if I knew" Ash said sarcastically causing Eren to blush in embarrassment.
"Sorry" The Titan Shifter apologized back meekly.
Erwin's lips twiched again but he didn't smile and replied. His voice is deep and laced with authority.
"I'm Erwin Smith, Commander of the Scout Regiment" The Commander answered before side eyed the short individual "And the fellow to my side is Captain Levi"
"Ooh" Ash nodded dumbly. Not that he knows what the Scout Regiment was. But it must be pretty damm important and popular as he can literally feel the adoration radiating off Eren's body in waves.
If it was any other situation, Ash would have thought that Eren had a crush on either the Commander or the Captain.
Or maybe the Scouts is Eren's dream, just like being the Strongest Trainer is his.
"Now any more questions?"
"What about my friends?" Eren asked immediately, his voice filled with hope.
Ash too tensed. If anything happened to Mina or Armin and their friends........well it will take only a few seconds for him to break out of here.
Just because he was playing the nice guy, doesn't mean he will tolerate anything bad happening to the 104th.
There is one rule that you should know when dealing with Ash Ketchum. You can abuse him, you can attack him, and Ash would only smile back and let that go.
But the moment you do anything bad to someone he care about and considers his family.
Well you better pray to whatever God you believe in and ask for his mercy. Because Ash sure as hell wouldn't show any.
"They'll be fine," Erwin answered, "We're asking them anything that could be related to how you got your Titan power. However, it probably won't be much of a change."
"Cool" Ash smiled, but this smile was devoid of any warmth "We wouldn't want anything bad happening to them. Otherwise.......
Ash shrugged and left the words unanswered.
"Are you threatening us?" Levi asked coldly, his eyes narrowed as he leaned back on the wall. The two Military Police Personal, who were guarding, tensed too.
"I am bounded in this Cell" Ash said with an innocent smile, which was full of teeth "Besides that wasn't a threat. It was a promise"
"Tch, cocky little shit..." Levi remarked, rolling his eyes at the threat. Though he did became a little tensed. He had heard from various reports how powerful Ash is.
"Who are you calling little, you pint sized midget with a bad haircut?" Ash scoffed with a smirk. Normally he wouldn't body shame anyone, but the midget deserves it.
The tension in the Cell broke immediately.
Levi's slender eyebrows shot up to his hair line at the insult looking almost taken aback. Oh he had been insulted and teased for his height before, specifically by Hange and Mike, but it still irritated him.
The Military police officers who were tensed by Ash's previous threat now snickered at the insult, tension leaving their body. However they quickly bit their tongue when Levi shot them a look.
Eren was stunned, his jaw hanging open at the insult that Ash just brazenly threw at Levi's face. While Erwin smirked a little, however he cannot derail the conversation any longer.
"Levi" Erwin voice interrupted anything Levi would have said. His blue eyes met Levi's grey ones and an understanding passed between and Levi stopped and with a grudging nod stepped back.
Erwin satisfied having averted an argument, reached for his Best pocket and pulled out a Key with a chain attached to it.
Eren widened his eyes as he saw Erwin pull out a key. "That's the-"
"Yes, this is your key," Erwin said dangling the Key at Eren's face like it was some piece of meat.
"If it's Eren's can you please give it back to him" Ash said "It's very rude to take other's possession without asking them"
"Of Course Mr Yeager can have it back later" Erwin nodded "But back in his old home, in Doctor Jaeger's basement in the Shingashina District, lies the answer to the mystery of the Titans. Am I correct?"
Eren looked conflicted while Ash looked at the Key and said "What's that? Some kind of Master Key? A family heirloom?"
"It was my Father's" Eren mumbled as he leaned back "He gave it to me before he dissapeared"
"Dissapeared?" Levi raised an eyebrow "Like what? Did he dissapear in a puff of smoke or something?"
"Levi" Erwin sighed. He was here to get some information and not this.
"That was rude" Ash sniffed.
"I'm not sure, at least I believe that's what my father said, or where he went" Eren answered the Captain's question either way
"So you have amnesia and your dad's gone missing. Isn't that convenient," Levi remarked sarcastically.
"Levi, we already talked about how he has no reason to lie to us," Erwin told him, before turning back to Eren, "There are things we need to know. I believe we should ask what it is you want. In order to investigate your home, we need to seal the breach in the wall. That is where your powers come in. Like it or not, the Titans have influenced our fate, including the Colossal and Armored Titan. Your will is the key: the key humanity could use to get out of this hopeless situation."
"Uh..." Eren trailed off, not knowing what to say.
"Hey, we don't have all day, you piece of crap. What do you want?" Levi demanded in irritation.
Eren looked back at the two with a crazed look in his eyes and a deadly smile. "I want to join the Survey Corps, and kill every single Titan in existence."
He had promised to kill them all.
"Damn!" Ash whistled impressed "That's the most determined look I have ever seen. Some may even call it scary"
Eren's face faulted at that, the determined look disappearing at Ash's words while Levi's eyes seemed to gleam with amusement. "Not bad. Erwin, tell the higher ups that I will vouch for him."
Levi walked over and gripped one of the bars while giving Eren a deadly look. "Not that I trust him or anything. I just want to be around to kill him if he ever goes on a rampage. I don't think the top brass will disagree. I'm the only one who's fit for the job."
"Mr Midget are you forgetting about me?" Ash said raising an eyebrow.
"And what do you mean?" Levi turned to look at Ash with a glare at being insulted again.
"What I mean" Ash said, his voice deadly calm "If you harm even a hair of Eren then I will make you a head shorter, than you are already are"
The tension in the room returned full force as Levi stared at Ash with wide eyes, not expecting such a balant threat.
"You wouldn't want that would you? You are already short enough" Ash said cheerfully.
Eren looked at Ash feeling admiration for him. This boy doesn't even know him yet he was defending him.
"Hopefully it wouldn't come to that" Erwin said, not a bit bothered as he stood up "Lets go Levi"
Levi huffed and followed Erwin. Deep down his mind returned to Ash's threat.
Something in him tells that Ash will do what he promised, if something happened to that Titan boy.
"So what do you think?" Erwin asked.
"I don't like this Erwin" Levi said, his voice even "Titan boy is something I can handle. But the other......from the reports, I don't think we have anything we can do if he goes on a rampage" His grey eyes met Erwin's blue ones "You sure this would work?"
Levi hadn't felt this helpless since he had witnessed Farlan and Isabel's death. The way Ash looked at him is like a predator looking at his prey.
Erwin sighed closing his eyes "We will just have to await this trial, Levi." He muttered tiredly "Humanities fate depends on this outcome."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
And Done!!
I hope you liked it!!
Lol Ash while listening to their request ain't taking shit from Levi lol! And Ash also staying back for the funeral is a nice emotional touch. And the next chapter would be the trial scene.
Wish you all a Happy New Year!! And if you liked this chapter then don't forget to leave a comment down below as you know reviews are food for a Writer's Soul.