....
It's been more than a week since that...incident with Captain. We haven't spoken almost at all. He still looks at me indifferent, and treats me like the subordinate that I am.
It feels strange though..
He's still indifferent when he speaks to me, or when he's close to me, but he gives off a weird vibe. Almost as if he's always looking around. He's acting very paranoid.
I'm afraid he's worried about Kenny. Even if we're underground and we're safe for the most part, he always goes to the surface, alone. Looking around for any leads on him. It's not safe, and it's not his normal behavior.
Mid-day
I was cleaning up with Armin, Jean and Connie, the girls were taken by Hange-san for who knows why. It was nice to have some bro time, even though Captain ordered us to clean up the entire space we stayed at. It isn't big, and we have to sleep in groups. But Captain's a clean freak so it doesn't really matter.
"Hey, Eren?" I looked at Armin "What're you thinking about?" He asked, sweeping the floor.
"Nothing really, just that I'm always on cleaning duty. The place might be small but it's tiring."
"At least we're all together right?" Armin smiled at me happily.
"Yeah, sure." Jean scoffed at Armin's happy personality.
I didn't reply to his sarcastic comment. "It really is, having the girls around all the time can be stressful." I stopped cleaning the tables and continued speaking "Mikasa is okay when she's quiet, but when she and Sasha start talking girl-stuff it's hella annoying."
Connie laughed at my comment.
"Truly!" He said.
Jean gave me a side glare, I know he has a thing for Mikasa. But I don't have a say in it.
After we finished the last room we were allowed to enter, we moved on to the hallways. Jean decided to take a "break" dragging Connie with him, leaving me and Armin to clean the last 3 hallways.
"Alrighty, we're done with this one." Armin exclaimed while wiping a bit of sweat behind his bangs.
"I'll take the one on the right, you go left. That way we can finish before lunch." I instructed him.
"Okay!" Armin happily accepted and walked to the left hallway.
The two hallways didn't align so I couldn't see him. But I could hear him if he spoke a little louder than he usually does.
I was sweeping the dirty floor. We clean every 2-3 days, how can it be so dirty?? As I was walking backwards, paying attention to the dirty floor, I heard footsteps. People are instructed to stay in their rooms during the cleaning hours, so who could have the balls to disobey orders from Captain?
I straightened my back and stretched out my arms that were hurting 'cause of the constant hunching and moving back and forth. Before I could get back to cleaning I heard a loud thud and a loud voice.
I looked down to see Captain Levi, face down on the floor with papers scattered around him. He tripped over the broom.
"Captain!!" I rushed over to help him.
"Scram!" He yelled. Picking his body up, now standing, his back facing me while dusting off his clothes.
"I'm sorry Captain, I didn't see you--"
"Tch" he turned around. "Pick up my damn papers brat."
"Yes sir!!" I quickly kneeled down, picking up his papers carefully. He was too distracted cleaning his clothes from the filth he dived into. I took the chance and peeked at what the papers said.
We haven't seen Kenny or anything suspicious as of right now. I'm hoping everything is running smoothly over there. Eren and Historia must stay safe. If they get taken again, we'll fail miserably at our plan to--
"Oi brat!" I was startled and dropped the paper I was reading.
"Sorry Captain! I didn't read anythi--"
Captain picked me up by my collar using both his arms and pinned me against a wall.
"How much did you read?!" He yelled at my face, his steel colored eyes glaring at me, clenching his jaw.
"N-nothing sir!!"
"I said, how much?" He shook me.
"Just that me and Historia must stay safe!! That's all I swear!!" I closed my eyes at the sight of my angry Captain.
I felt my collar loosen up, breathing was easy once again. I opened my eyes to see Captain put his hands on my shoulders. He looked at me with a frightening expression. As I was about to speak he pulled down my shoulders, kicking my stomach with his knee.
"Uugh!" I fell to the floor, as the miserable pain weakened my knees.
"Next time, don't pry on someone else's business." He looked down on me.
"Y..yes sir.." I said in a weak tone.
"Tch" he scoffed lightly and walked away.
I almost cried at the pain he had caused my already weak and empty stomach. I heard running footsteps coming towards me. I looked up to see Armin reaching out his arms to help me.
He picked me up, "What happened?"
"How much did you see?.." I said weakly.
"Everything after he shook you against the wall."
"He..he tripped over my broom and fell--Ack!!" We took some some steps forward, but the pain was too much. My stomach is really sensitive, and since I hadn't eaten anything all day it hurt more.
"Let's sit you down, then we can talk."
"Okay.." Armin supported me all the way to the dinning room. Everyone was already there, ready to finally eat.
A little later
We had our lunch served. It really was the simplest thing we could've had. One bread, one boiled potato and two carrots.
I sighed at the sight. "Is this supposed to be the last thing we eat for the rest of the day?"
"Well, we're short on supplies.." Armin said hesitantly.
"We're going out tonight to get more food." Mikasa informed us.
"What! When? Who is going?! Why don't we know of this?!" I shot up.
"Eren, calm down." Sasha said while stuffing her mouth with the potato.
"You also knew about this?!" I slammed my hand on the table.
"Shut up!" A voice said from another table. I sat back down.
"Eren, you are supposed to stay hidden. Of course you wouldn't know about this." Mikasa said calmly.
"But still!"
"Eren." Mikasa glared at me. I wasn't scared of her. I just decided to drop it since I was supposed to lay low.
"So, who's on the mission?" I asked the black haired girl, that was as calm as the water of a pond.
"Hange is in charge of this mission. She informed me and Sasha" -the brunette that had her mouth stuffed with food looked up at the sudden mention of her name- "while you were on cleaning duty. Captain suggested that us girl go. To look less suspicious. Of course we'll have men protecting the perimeter, but it's best to lay low." She explained.
So..it was Captain's idea to put Hange in charge of this mission. Why is he staying back? He always took the chance to go to the surface.
"Why did Captain suddenly decide to stay back?" I looked at my plate. "Isn't it more logical for him to go out and protect you guys? Anything could happen out there, so we should use maximum security." I played with my food. I was worried. Both about the mission and the Captain.
"I guess taking both Hange and Captain Levi on the mission would leave this place defenseless." Armin said.
Right. We also need protection here.. For Historia and, me..
I feel like a burden. Everyone here is fighting with their lives for me. I'm not even that important.. they should take care of Historia more. She's way more important to humanity than me.
"Hey so, I read a paper that was directed to the Captain." I said, hesitantly staring at Mikasa that I knew would scold me.
"And? And?" Sasha said excited. Mikasa just waited for my reply.
"It said that if me and Historia got captured again, a plan would fail. I didn't get to read what the plan was.. but it sounded important. Why am I so important for that plan to work?" I said curiously.
"Ha, don't worry. You're not that important."
Horse face appeared with Connie.
"Shut up Jean, don't be so mean." Connie punched Jean's shoulder, as he sat down next to Sasha, facing Armin who sat to my left.
"Yeah anyways." He looked away and sat next to Mikasa who was on my right.
"Hey move! Can't you see we're cramped up here?" I told him.
"It's okay Eren." Mikasa got up and sat across Jean, next to Sasha.
Jean scoffed disappointed.
After we ate, everyone went back to their rooms. Except for the people cleaning. I was a part of them, again. My friends went to our room. After I cleaned, I decided to take a walk. Since I can't go outside, I'm forced to walk around the hallways.
As I walked down a hallway, I heard Hange-san's loud voice. I went to the door the voice came from and placed my ear against it.
"But if we do this, the plan might work!--"
"No! We're not taking a risk like that!"
What is Hange-san talking about? And why is Captain so against it?
"Eren will have to sooner or later!--"
"I can't let him!!"
"Why?!!"
"Because he's too important!!"
Silence fell across the room.
I'm.. important?
Right as I was about to walk away, the door opened. Revealing the brunette with the big glasses.
"What is it?" Captain asked, without looking at the door.
"Nothing.." Hange-san said while walking out of the room closing the door behind her.
"So, what are you doing here?"
"I uh..."