Humanity's Savior (Attack on Titan)

Meeting the 'Superiors'

Spark's P.O.V

   The people in the hallways give me weird looks as we pass, but I simply ignore them.  Levi walks ahead of us, his hostile aura sending people scattering out of the way as soon as possible.  The wooden floor beneath my feet is smooth and sanded, and the walls change in texture and color as we grow further from the dungeons and closer to the higher-ups offices.  For the most part I remain quiet, debating whether or not I should tell the actual truth to the man's superior. Depending on who the Commander is, I decide I will either tell the whole truth, or... bend the truth a little bit. Better to be caught in a mostly-truth than a full lie.  Only a few minutes later, we arrive in front of an oak wood door, and the shorty merely knocks twice before entering. Isn't there a protocol? The man sitting calmly behind the desk is the same man I had used for aiding me in my jump for the roof the last time– the tall, blond-haired man, and his most astonishing feature is ... his eyebrows.

I've never seen any as big as his, and apparently my surprise shows in my voice when I accidentally say,

"The Commander... Eyebrows?" Silence reigns over the room for about a minute before a loud burst of laughter reaches my ears from one corner of the office.  I practically have the urge to slam my head against the wall for the thoughtless comment.

"Oh, that was priceless! Good one, stranger!" I look at the source to see a woman, who I observe to have thick glasses and brown hair.  She's a little taller than me, though I can't tell by how much with her hunched over in laughter.  I get the feeling a smile come naturally to this woman, and I grin at the thought. The one thing that unnerves me is her eyes, though– they seem almost... hungry for knowledge... or something like that.  I've only ever seen that look on a few others before, and none of them had good intentions.

"Please take a seat." Commander Eyebrows– I've officially decided to call him that, at least until I learn his real name– gestures to a seat in front of his desk, and while I sit down, Eren and Armin go to stand against the wall next to another female. Once I do a double-take I realize that it's Mikasa. She glares at me before whispering to Eren, but I ignore them both as I get comfortable.  The atmosphere is tense, and I begin to feel defensive as all eyes seem to be pinned on me.  The attention is unwelcome.

"I am Commander Erwin, and the man who led you here is Captain Levi. Over here is Squad Leader Hanji, and the others are Cadet Eren Jaeger, Cadet Armin Arlert, and Cadet Mikasa Ackerman. Now, I will ask a question to which you will provide an answer. Understood?" I just shrug and opt to appear aloof, studying the man with my eyes hidden by my hair.  He oozes authority, but then again I've never been one to follow others like a sheep.  My lackluster response makes Eyebrows fall silent. I hear footsteps from behind me, and immediately sense Captain Levi walking into my line of view.  Again, I keep my head tilted slightly to the side, but follow him closely with my eyes.

"Listen, brat, we have been so courteous as to let you live and have contact with us, so I suggest you start talking." I'm starting to get fed up with their 'I'm superior to you,' attitudes.  Who do these people think they're dealing with? I decide to set the conversation on my terms.

"Listen Captain Shorty and Commander Eyebrows, don't start acting like you're my superiors, because you're not– in fact, we just might be on the same level– but there's only a slim possibility that's true. And I'm talking about how you guys could be on my level, not the other way around. Now let me tell you something– I am stronger than any of you, and though I haven't showed it, I have abilities even your Titan-Shifter over there doesn't understand. I can kill all of you in an instant, and probably blow up this office if I set my mind to it– so let's get something straight. You do not order me around, got it?" No one moves, and so I continue, "As for who I am–"  I turn to Armin, "would you do the honors of explaining to them, Armin?" The young soldier nods and steps forward, and I begin to zone out as he explains everything.  The rest of the people in the room are silent as Armin speaks.  No doubt they are surprised by my outburst.  It seems humanity isn't content to follow orders without question.  Has no one talked backed to their superiors at all?  I only pay attention when Armin begins calling my name.

"Spark? The Commander and Captain would like you to take it from here, do you mind?" I smile at the young teen– he will go somewhere someday, I know that for a fact.  He is driven, and willing to take risks if the payoff is high enough.  I'm glad he took the chance to summon me.

"Of course, Armin, thank you." A blush of pride appears on his cheeks as he takes his place against the wall again. I turn towards their superiors, the smile instantly vanishing.

"So...?" Captain Shorty just glares at me and I get the feeling he doesn't smile... like, ever.  Someone as uptight as him... he seems to be good with along decisions, but he doesn't exactly inspire faith.

"Don't 'So?' us brat, tell us why you are here." I tilt my head at him.  Anger is quickly rising to an unmanageable level within me, but I just manage to remain calm on the outside.

"No." His glare hardens, "You didn't ask nicely." I can tell the man is on the brink of losing his composure and killing me, but I feel no sympathy.  He is a lot less adept at hiding his frustration, I'm happy to note.  After a moment I decide to humor him. "Well, as you know, I aided you in the battle to defend my home in the forest, and after experiencing Armin's attitude, I decided to explore the rest of humanity. I wondered what it had become like today, so I traveled here at night, and have been judging the worthiness of today's society. So far, I've found it to be quite worthy of my help, so I'm planning on staying here for a while before I have to return to my home." At my explanation, their Commander folds his hands on the surface of the desk, and looks me in the eyes– to the best of his ability, anyway.

"And why, Spark, do you not show your eyes?" Ah, the million-dollar question... In reply I smile deviously, and put my hands up under my bangs, covering my eyes while keeping my hair in place.  If I extend my senses, I can feel the waves of trepidation that practically roll off of Eren.

"Well now, Commander, why indeed?" There is an excited squeal from the Squad Leader– Hanji– as she jumps up and down in place.  I lower my hand and tilt my head in her direction.

"Oh, oh, oh! What's up with your eyes, hmm? Can you shoot lasers? Do they allow you to take control of people's minds? Oh, what about–"  I cut Hanji off with a laugh.

"Nothing that major, Squad Leader Hanji, but you could say... they are something that come in handy while in battle.  Just ask Eren." Hanji squeals, and writes something down in a brown journal she seemingly pulls out of nowhere. Eren shivers as eyes turn toward him, but he merely shakes his head, confirming my story.  I turn back to Commander Eyebrows, all seriousness returning. "But, Erwin, I request that all of the information I have disclosed to you must be kept secret– for purposes that I believe are obvious." Eyebrows stills for a moment before nodding, and saying,

"Yes, I agree." I guess Captain Shorty still wants to get back at me for calling him short and insulting him, so he gets my attention by saying,

"And what if we decide not to keep it a secret, brat?" I am really getting tired of him calling me a brat...  Technically I am older than him. There's an undertone in his voice that suggests he believes I won't be able to do anything if that's the case. That he is a higher-up in the room, outranking most– including me. That I will just go along with it, as if it will be fine.

This angers me greatly. The animosity I've been keeping a lid on begins to overflow from my control, causing a low growl to build in my throat.  I glare at him through my bangs, and give off a dangerous aura, one that fills every nook and crack in the room.

"Then, Captain, the Survey Corps will have a very dangerous enemy– and I'm not talking about the other Female Titan."

A/N
   I know Levi is super out of character here, he doesn't break his composure or act like a jerk normally.  But, you know, conflict :).

~Rainy