Goku Black X Reader: Forbidden Fruit (Chapter 17: Red Lights)

Goku Black x Reader: Forbidden Fruit (Chapter 17: Red Lights)

It was the smell of smoke that woke you up first. Then the frantic chittering and trampling of undergrowth as various animals rushed passed your tree, squirrels, deer, and even wolves. They all ran towards the same direction, away from North, where you were originally headed. You were so confused by the sight that you failed to notice the red claws drawing nearer and nearer, rapidly consuming everything in its path.

It was only until you realized that they were running from something that you finally turned your head, rubbing the sleep out of your eyes. Then it hit you. There had been no rain during your slumber, there was only the sound of thunder and the crackling of lighting. Of course. It hadn’t been a rainstorm. It had been an electrical storm. And you were in a forest, surrounded by tall trees. Shit.

Everything was on fire.

The flames licked at the treetops, quickly approaching your hideout.

Oh fuck! You leaped out of the branches, hitting the ground hard and sprinting away immediately, not wasting a single second. There was no time to contact Black, and even if you could, there was no way you would be able to concentrate on escaping the fire and talking to him at the same time. As if it couldn’t get any worse, a bolt of electricity split the tree not too far from you, and it burst aflame. You could feel some of the aftershock coursing through your body, but it passed eventually.

Focusing blurrily on the shapes running past you, you followed in their footsteps, hoping one of those massive canines wouldn’t become hungry.

A large force suddenly shoved you off your feet, causing you to crack your forehead against a boulder jutting from the green grass. Well, it wouldn’t be green for much longer. The air seemed to dim around you, and everything began to swirl and blend together. The smoke invaded your nose and crept through your lungs, where it nestled like a dark gray cat, mauling and biting at your insides.

Ignoring the pounding in your head and your fading vision, you grasped onto the trunk of a tree and tried to force yourself into a standing position, a hand clasped firmly over your gasping mouth.

Well, you had never been burned to death before, but you weren’t exactly eager to experience it firsthand. It seemed as if all the forces of nature were after you, first drowning, now burning. What was next, a goddamn tornado?!

When will I ever catch a break?! You thought irritably as a mouse jumped over your shoes.

Even after about two days of rest, your body was still recovering from your escape from the underground prison on the beach, and the lightning strike definitely didn’t help.

Oh Black, where are you?

That’s when you caught the sound of splintering trees followed by a deep bellow. You turned your head to be met with a massive elk, barreling through the fiery vegetation towards you, giving you a crazy idea. Stepping to the side to avoid being trampled, you waited until the colossal creature had galloped next to you before jumping and looping your arms around its neck, and holding on until it ran past another tree and pushing yourself off the trunk and onto the elk’s back.

It let out a snort but didn’t seem to be particularly interested in bucking you off, too busy trying to outrun death. Hopefully, it wouldn’t end up electrocuted, but it was the only plan you could come up with on the spot.

“Black!” You hollered as you bounced on the elk, trying to keep your head from spinning and throwing you off. “Black!”

It leaped clumsily over a fallen log and you were nearly sent flying, clutching onto its rough, thick fur for dear life.

Can’t I have one fucking day of peace?! You lamented silently. Life was constantly throwing curveballs at you as of late, more than the past decade combined; first, you had been trapped in that godforsaken torture cave, then the entire forest decided to set itself on fire, and then you got electrocuted and your getaway rested on a weakening elk that was beginning to stumble and huff.

If you had been able to fully recover all your energy, you would have been able to signal to Black with your chi, but you were still too weak.

Every time you turned your head, the fire crept closer and closer, until you were barely outrunning it by more than a couple meters. No matter how much you tried to spur on your ride, it had inhaled to much smoke just like you and it was wobbling badly on its spindly legs. The poor thing looked like it was about to pass out any minute, and then you’d both be goners. Trees began to fall as the fire consumed them, and the smoke was so thick you could barely see. Most of the animals seemed to have evacuated, though every now and then you would see a small critter or so lying dead, caught by the gaping maws of death.

A weak squeal suddenly caught your attention, coming from a bit farther up ahead and to your right. As you approached, you realized that it was a brown boar, a juvenile by the looks of it. Its hooves scratched at the dirt as it tried to free its foot from a hole underneath a twisted root, the noises getting softer and softer by the second, before it mournfully put its head down to accept its demise.

You looked down at the wheezing elk, white foam crusting its lips and water glazing its wide, frightened eyes. Your brows furrowed before giving its neck a quick pat, steeling yourself to jump off. It would be able to flee faster without your weight, and there was no point in you both dying. And perhaps you would be able to save the boar. You, out of everyone understood the fear of death, and there wasn’t any end much worse than burning to a crisp, alone and terrified.

Well, it’s always a good time to try something new, you managed to scoff dryly at your own joke. It’s not like I can die anyways.

Sprinting to the trapped animal, you began to furiously dig around its hoof, and it began its struggles began anew as the boar came to realize that it still had a chance at surviving. You ripped at the hard roots that curled around its leg, gritting your teeth against the pain as your flesh tore at the force. If you had been at full health you could have snapped them like ropes, but alas, there was no use wishing for something that wasn’t there. Next time you saw Zamasu, you’d shove his balls down his throat and then watch him choke on it.

“Just a little more,” You puffed, sweat dripping down your face. Your lungs were in agony, and your eyes felt just as bad. Everything hurt like Hell, but there was nothing you could do about it.

The first fingers of the flames began to lap at your sleeve, causing the boar to get even more hysterical and continue to fling dirt back at an accelerated pace.

Finally, you were able to wriggle its foot free and it sped off, leaving you covered in ashes and grime. Crawling away from the approaching flames, you didn’t even get a chance to catch your breath before pulling yourself to your feet and staggering away from a horrible roasting. Mind reeling, you could barely see over the torrent of tears the fire forced out of your eyes.

You were so focused on limping away that you didn’t notice the loud groan of a blackened tree, falling towards you. By the time you were able to realize something was wrong, it was too late.

It fell with a thud onto your back, completely crushing your legs and back under its weight. You didn’t even have the energy to scream anymore, the heat and smog had made you nearly delirious. The dead tree had paralyzed everything below your lower back, so at least there was no pain.

It almost felt nice not to feel anything anymore, though through your closing eyes everything was being swallowed by the fire and being painted red or black. How you had come to hate the color red.

Black…..You managed to whisper weakly inside your rapidly failing consciousness. Black….please help….me….Look for…..red lights….

The last thing you saw was the cloudless open night sky as the trees fell around you and two dark shapes began closing in on you, one with familiar black tufts and the other with light blue hair, unable to hear their voices as they cried for you.

Muscle Heads: Ohma x Raian

Chapter 2: Off His Ass

“Raian that’s enough,” His sister, Fusui scolded angrily. “That’s like your thirteenth bottle.”

“Shut the fuck up, don’t tell me what to do!” Raian crowed loudly, smashing the bottle he had drained in seconds onto the ground and littering shards of glass everywhere. His sister let out a small ‘eep’ and danced away from the flying pieces, giving him a glare before Henzo pulled her away.

“Just leave him alone and he’ll be out like a light soon. Hopefully.” Henzo whispered. “Just don’t stir him up until then, okay?

“Fine,” Fusui groaned, eyeing distastefully at her brother who continued to cackle like a banshee.

“Alright who's next?” Raian waved another bottle in the air, but everyone else who had been willing to challenge him had collapsed in a near-alcohol induced coma on the ground. 

“Tch, pussies.” Raian sneered and stomped out the door of the Kure dining room, wandering about the garden in search of a good fight. His normally milky skin was flushed a light pink from the alcohol, and there was an uncertainty in his normally solid swagger as ambled around the massive yard.

The sharp sound of skin hitting stone reverberated through the crisp air, drawing the demon Kure’s attention away from his aimless walk and towards the more isolated part of the estate.

It was Ohma, practicing the Niko style against a pile of huge boulders. Sweat dripped off his bare chest, forming rivers that soaked into his baggy pants as he huffed in exertion. Still unaware of the other man’s presence over the noise of shattering stone, he went to grab another rock before a raspy voice made him freeze.

“What’s up, fucker?” 

A large, muscular arm dropped heavily across Ohma’s shoulders which he immediately pushed off.

“What the hell do you want Raian?” 

“Nothin’ much,” Raian sniggered and leaned closer, black scleras glinting maliciously in the dim light. “Wanna fight?”

“No, dumbass. Are you drunk?” Ohma wrinkled his nose at the overwhelming smell of wine on his breath. Great, as if a sober Raian wasn’t already a massive pain in the ass. “I’m not carrying you back to your room if you crash.”

“Try me, bitch.” 

The first punch knocked him back four feet, but Raian managed to stay upright, blinking rapidly to clear the dizziness in his head.

“Time to dominate!” Letting out a feral roar, Raian pounced. He beat down on his rival with wild animal strength, different from his normal-slightly more composed-Kure style. 

Despite the frenzied blows, Ohma had no problem dodging or blocking each one, though his arm began to throb soon enough under the intense barrage of attacks. If Raian had nothing else, he had brute strength enough to make any man tremble in fear. But Ohma was no normal man, and he had dealt with types like the hot-headed assassin before. Though they were much weaker at the very least.

“Hey, your old man might not be pleased with all the holes you’re leaving in the yard.” Ohma evaded a roundhouse kick and bounced back, gesturing at the substantial craters dotting the ground. “You’re ripping up all the grass.”

“Fuck that! Fight me Tokita, or are you too big of a pussy?!” His frustration with Ohma’s refusal for a real fight exploded into the form of hurling rocks like cannonballs.

Is this son of a bitch crazy? 

Ohma almost smacked himself at that thought as a human-sized boulder whizzed past his ear and battered right into the wall of the Kure manor. Raian was the definition of crazy, his face was probably plastered all over the dictionary page.

“RAIAN?! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING BOY?!” A shout halted Raian’s throwing spree momentarily, enough for Ohma to disarm him and put him into a headlock.

“We were just sparring old man,” Raian cackled, fingers prying at Ohma’s arm wrapped around his neck.

“No we were not.” Ohma started to peel his fingers out of his forearm. He had half a mind to break them. 

“I don’t care what you are doing, cease this racket immediately! I won’t tell you twice Raian,” Grandfather Erioh pointed at him with his cane. “And you, Ohma! Take him back to his room and watch him!”

Knowing better than to argue with the grandfather, Ohma begrudgingly led Raian back to his room tucked securely under his armpit. He was sure Raian could have broken out at any time, so why didn’t he?

Shaking his head, he knew better than to try to delve into Raian’s brain or else he would probably develop a migraine.

“Try not to destroy everything here, brat.” Ohma finally let him go after they reached his quarters, sliding the door shut before Raian could attack him again. During the five minute walk Raian had coughed and sneezed on him twice (he was starting to think he was doing it on purpose) as Ohma struggled to keep his large frame moving. He also thought it was fun to pinch his ass, hard. Snarling, Ohma slapped him in the face and opted for just dragging the drunk man by the arms, who went limp but continued to whine like a foul-mouthed child. 

Ohma had never wanted to murder someone so badly in his entire life.

After pulling the two-hundred-pound psychopath to his bed, Ohma was finally able to settle down in his own room,  keeping a keen ear out for him in case he decided to act up again. 

Hearing no sound from the other side, Ohma hesitantly let his eyes slip close for his daily image training. Ever since he began living with the Kures, more and more of them began slipping into his dream-battles. The three most common frequenters were always Reiichi, Hollis, and Raian. The latter slipped into his dreams the most, much to his displeasure. Dream Raian was just as annoying as the real Raian himself. 

And of course, today it was him who appeared once again. 

A loud crash seared through his concentration just as dream Raian opened his fat mouth, shocking Ohma onto his feet. He let out an irritated huff through his nose, clenching his teeth so hard they almost chipped as he yanked open the door. 

“Can’t you just settle down, you son of a bitch?” Ohma swore under his breath when he saw Raian sprawled out on the floor, reminiscent of a pale human-sized bear rug. He was almost tempted to just shut the door and pretend he didn’t see anything, but Raian had wedged his fingers into the floorboards and was in the process of peeling back the wood with a resounding snap.

Storming over, Ohma yanked his hand away only to be met with a slew of curses and a directionally-challenged fist that went straight through the floor.

“Do I need to tie you up, Raian?”

“Suck a cock, dumbass!”  

Raian suddenly reached out a hand to grab his ankle, pulling his body towards him and sending Ohma sliding on his ass as he knocked the back of his head against the floor. With surprising agility for someone that drunk, he hauled himself onto Ohma’s chest….and promptly threw up. 

It took a moment for the unfortunate man to process what had fully happened as Raian wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, sneering at him all the while. 

And then he snapped.

With a roar of rage Ohma slung Raian across the room with all the force he could muster and stormed out, bashing the door so hard that it flew off the hinges behind him as he walked stiffly to the restroom. He ripped off his clothes-they weren’t worth saving at that point-and angrily turned the shower knob all the way to the highest temperature. He wiped what was left of the vomit off his face and scrubbed his body with a rough sponge until it stung, silently cursing the old man Erioh and Raian the entire time.

Soon, the heat began to burn and Ohma was forced to exit before his skin turned a bright lobster red. Steam had overtaken the room, making it difficult to see as he blindly groped around for a towel. Therefore he was more than surprised when his foot landed on something hard and warm, something human.

“Fuck!” 

A yellowed rag was thrust in his face, making him flinch backward as Raian got up from the floor. He was so white that his body almost blended with the tiles in the steam.

Had he been there the entire time?

“Here.” Raian’s voice was raspier than usual as he dangled the cloth in front of Ohma’s face.

“What the hell is this?”

“Towel.”

“It’s filthy Raian,” Ohma scrunched his nose and pushed his arm away.

“Didn’t say it was clean.”

Sighing, he moved past him and grabbed a fresh one, eyes catching on the bright red droplets leading in a trail from the entrance. The tiny dots led to a small pool where Raian had been sitting, seeping slowly from a few cuts on his back when he had collided with the wall.

“Go take a shower, punk.”

“Ha! In your drea-” Ohma forced his head down, cutting off the rest of his sentence before walking him to the shower and shutting him in. He got dressed in record time and leaned his back against the door just as Raian attempted to crawl back out, abruptly ending his escape. There was a low curse as his face was once again introduced to the door.

“I’m not letting you out until you’re clean. You smell like shit-”

“Says who, you pig!”

“-and you’re getting blood everywhere.” He waited for a few seconds while the sounds of Raian’s heavy breathing was the only sound coming from the stall, and still no signs of any running water. A minute passed and there was still no movement from within.

“Do I have to do everything myself?!” Ohma snarled, opening the door and turning the water on cold. “Are you fucking five?!”

A hand twisted itself into his collar and wrenched him in, putting him in the direct line of the freezing water. His back arched instinctively to avoid it, unintentionally pressing himself into the body below.

Shivering uncontrollably, he fought to get Raian’s hands off him while simultaneously spinning the dial to warm, grinding his teeth to fight off the urge to strangle this man in the shower. 

When he moved to get off, the hands in his collar wouldn’t budge. “Let go Raian. Don’t make me tell you twice.”

“Why don’t you make me?” Raian mocked, still fully clothed. The white shirt he had been wearing, now stained pink with blood, turned transparent under the downpour, clinging tightly to his well-defined muscles. The blue jeans had turned dark and wet, emphasizing brawny calves and rock-hard thighs, leading up to a prominent bulge in his pants that Ohma was quite familiar with, courtesy of Kiryu Setsuna. But this however, felt different. (Excluding size differences)

Ohma tried not to stare, confusion evident in his expression. Why couldn’t he tear his eyes away? His brain told him to look away, but a more primal part of his body screamed otherwise. 

He couldn’t understand what that warm feeling was welling up inside his stomach, though it wasn’t particularly unpleasant, just...unfamiliar. 

It was puzzling when normally the only thing he had felt towards the devil of man was anger and exasperation, and the heat that usually came with those emotions were something of a different breed from what he was feeling right now.

“Remember Ohma, sometimes you just gotta throw your thoughts out the window and go for it, you know? Trust your gut, kid, and don’t think too hard or you’ll hurt yourself.”  Niko’s words bounced about in his head, echoing and gnawing away at any restraint he had left.

Fuck sensibility, Ohma growled, and Raian seemed to catch on. His gut had never led him wrong before, so there was no reason to deny it now. 

Surging forward Ohma latched his teeth onto his milky neck, instantly feeling a bright blossom of pain as Raian returned the bite with the same fervor. 

He was gonna need to take another shower.

***

“Were you guys fighting again last night?” Karla blinked at the multi-colored bruises peeking out from beneath Ohma’s collar during breakfast the next morning. Hollis spat out his food from the other side of the table and went into a coughing fit as Reiichi snickered behind his hand, half-heartedly slapping his cousin’s back in an attempt to dislodge the food. The rest of the Kures seemed to catch on too, most suddenly much more invested in their food or whispering into each other’s ears with mild giggling.

“...You could say that-” Ohma began only to have Raian obnoxiously butt in with a wide smirk on his face.

“That wasn’t what you said when you were on your knees last night!” 

There was a chorus of groans and wolf whistles as Ohma smacked Raian’s face into his mashed potatoes with a solid splat.

They were banished to sleep in the yard that night.

Attack on Titan Short Story Collection: Towels

               The thudding of many pairs of soggy boots clamored down the halls of the Survey Corps. Screams echoed loudly down the empty pathways; today was the mandatory legion-wide training day, which had ended up in a massive rainstorm. Despite the raging weather, Erwin refused to let anyone inside until all the drills were finished. Thus, they had trained hours into the torrent, which only seemed to get worse as it progressed. Everyone was soaked, recruits, squad leaders, Captain Levi, and even the Commander. And the moment the stubborn, blond-haired man announced that training was over, it was a free for all to the showers.

               The boys and girls had branched off, the females noticeably calmer than the males. Throwing aside rank, everyone stampeded to the restrooms, which there were only two of in the entire place. One for the girls and one for the boys. The doors were slammed open, Jean and Eren scrambling at each other to be first followed by the other recruits, the elder members of the Corps a little less eager than the newer soldiers to be drawn into a wild boxing match for a shower. Poor Armin was nearly stampeded over, only saved by Mike as he grabbed his arm before he could fall.

               “Hey! I got here first horse-face!” Eren snarled at Jean, pushing at him with his shoulder. They had both simultaneously chosen the same shower head. Most of the males clumped together with their familiar groups, leaving the 104th in the rightmost corner of the area.

               And of course, leaving a bunch of teenage boys to roam free to fight for a bath would end in nothing but chaos. There was only about one waterspout for every three heads, and everybody was chilled to the bone. Whoever was last would get no hot water. To save space, Erwin had torn down all the stalls, but being in a mass of drenched men arguing naked in front of each other didn’t seem to bother them as much as not being able to wash off all the filthy rainwater and mud.

               “I’m freezing!” Connie whimpered, covering himself.

               “Come on guys, why can’t we just all take turns?” Reiner tried to separate the Eren and Jean, who were about to start throwing punches.

               “He started it!”

               “Try that again, you suicidal maniac!”

               “What the Hell did you just call me?!”

               Meanwhile, the shy Bertholdt just tried to quietly sneak under a showerhead without being shoved into a wall, all the while pieces of soap started flying in the air as Jean and Eren started going at each other, ignoring Reiner and Armin. Connie, the shortest male there, was nearly trampled to death as other teenagers joined in, desperately brawling for a shower.

               The older soldiers weren’t having much better luck either.

               “Gunther! I got here first!” Olou growled as the two had a stare-off. Eld, who had managed to get there before either of them, just sighed as he water poured over his head watching them bicker.

               Captain Levi and Commander Erwin were the last to make it, though immediately two showers opened up since no one wanted to face the short man’s wrath. He already looked murderous, with deeper bags around his eyes than usual, probably from shouting at all the recruits and rescuing them from breaking their necks the entire day. Erwin didn’t look much better; his usually neat golden hair was in disarray, and he too looked exhausted. Neither of them even bothered to comment on the chaos. People were wrestling on the floor, and objects flew around smacking random people in the face.

               Mike, who was lucky enough to get a shower since he was so large no one wanted to fight him, stood gazing at the wall, not seeming to be leaving anytime soon. Another soldier, Gelgar, was in a heated debate with Hange’s assistant, Moblit, both under the same shower as another pair of soldiers tumbled at their feet.

               The younger soldiers were beginning to push into their superiors’ space, but Levi still didn’t spare them a second glance. As long as they stayed the Hell away from him he didn’t care, he just wanted to get out of the damn monkey house as quickly as possible. After watching a good portion of them fail in ways he never thought possible during training, he was more than ready to retreat to his private quarters and settle down with a steaming cup of tea. Their shrieking was tolerable, for now. Either way, he could just give them a punishment sometime later when he didn’t feel like collapsing under a flood of water. It had been so busy lately, preparing for their next expedition that he hadn’t slept a blink in four days. Most of the higher-level officers had barely slept, too.

               Their fighting still hadn’t reached him yet, since everyone gave him and Erwin a wide berth. Levi still had enough energy to glare at them after all. Still, there were other things he would have rather done than stand completely nude in the middle of a bunch of aggravated soldiers fighting each other for a goddamn shower. And the people who had won their showers didn’t seem to be wanting to leave anytime soon, since it had been a good fifty degrees outside, pouring frigid water on everyone. Eventually, the disagreements began to cease.

               Everything was de-escalating until someone had the genius idea to twist a wet towel and deliver a stinging blow to some unfortunate soul’s behind. Levi was still scrubbing the soap out of his hair with his eyes scrunched shut when a loud slap echoed across the bathhouse, seeming to emitted from the corner with Eren and the others. He wasn’t sure exactly who did it, but once he found out he was going to shove it so far up their ass that they’ll be shitting pieces of it for a week. The slap was immediately followed by a shrill screech, and then everything fell apart. Every boy under the age of seventeen decided that wet towel blows were the only way to go, and scrambled madly for their linen.

                “I’m not dying here!” Connie howled, waving it around him wildly, hitting a few people who couldn’t dodge fast enough. Unfortunately, Armin happened to be standing close enough with his back turned to be hit directly across the thighs, and he tumbled down wailing.

                Jean and Eren were still locked in battle, this time trying to strangle each other with towels instead of fists. Several unlucky people who were close enough got caught in the crossfire, and everyone began invading each other’s spaces. Moblit slipped as he was backing up, falling backwards onto Levi who was then pushed into Erwin, the latter who seemed to be dozing off under the showerhead.

                Hurling obscenities at the terrified assistant, the quick-tempered captain thrust him off and stormed towards the middle of the conflict, leaving Erwin extremely confused as to how he ended up flat on his back on the floor and Moblit on the verge of fainting.

                “Hey you pieces of horseshit, cut it out!” The senior members all shrunk back when he passed, but most of the younger ones didn’t seem to notice him over all the hollering. He was nearly knocked over when Bertholdt tumbled backwards, dragging Reiner with him when he stumbled over someone hunched on the floor.

                “I said,” Levi inhaled, and his squad all held their breaths, wincing as they prepared for what was coming. “SHUT THE FUCK UP OR I WILL GIVE ALL OF YOU SOMETHING TO SCREAM ABOUT!”

                That was when a sharp, stinging pain erupted on his ass, undoubtedly from someone’s stray towel.

                The entire room fell silent as he processed what the Hell just happened. Even Eren and Jean had stopped quarreling to gawk in horror at the fuming man standing in the middle of a pile of wet bodies. At that moment anyone in the room would have preferred to be devoured by a Titan than to wait for what was to inevitably come.

                We’re so screwed, was the only thing that flashed through everyone’s mind at that instant.

                “All of you shitheads,” He said dangerously low, anger radiating off him and killing every hope of survival they ever had. No one had thought it was possible that someone that small could ever hold that much terror. “ARE GOING TO BE SHITTING TOWELS FOR THE NEXT FUCKING MONTH!”

                None of the recruits from the 104th Cadet Core had ever felt the agony of being whipped by a wet towel going one hundred miles per hour, and no one ever would since that day.

***

                “Why are they all standing?” Christa whispered to Ymir, who just shrugged nonchalantly.

                “I dunno. When are they not being weird?”

                “And why is Captain Levi scowling like that?”

                The Titan-slayer had a good thirty feet radius around him, and even the Commander was a bit fearful to sit within that distance. They had seen horrors that would haunt their nightmares for all of eternity that night. Some of the older Scouts who had not been fast enough to escape his reach also fell under his rage, and most were grumbling cautiously to the ones lucky enough to be able to sit down without feeling like someone had set fire to their backsides. All the girls could only stare curiously at the males, most of whom were standing up with their meals and wincing with every move.

                “Hey Connie,” Sasha leaned over to him, talking softly. Even she was affected by the unusual atmosphere. “Why did most of you guys limp in here? What happened?”

                Connie could only mumble something about towels and the devil, and none of the other boys seemed any more responsive to the probing.

                “Let’s just say, none of those brats know how to really whip a towel,” Levi stalked past, smirking smugly as he went to go wash his plates.

                And no one dared to place their towel within his reach in the bathhouse since that day.

Goku Black x Reader: Forbidden Fruit (Chapter 20: The Pact)

“You want to what?!” Zamasu snarled, eyes blazing in disbelief and repulsion.

“Make her a God,” Black repeated impatiently, glaring back at his former friend.

The basis of Zamasu’s quarrel with you, as Black perceived it, was the fact that you were human. The blood of those filthy mortals ran through your veins, and the fact that you were immortal didn’t do much to soothe the problem. Therefore, he had concluded that the best way to resolve the issue would by simply making you one of them. However, the process involved certain aspects that well…..Zamasu may find more than unsavory.

“I happened to stumble upon a few books…” Black began, but was rudely cut off by Zamasu.

“I am aware!” He growled, shaking his head furiously. “I too happened to find it in my endeavors in the library.”

“Then have we come to an agreement?”

“No! Absolutely not! I would never consent to such a vile way of achieving godhood!” Zamasu retorted, brow twitching in agitation. “That would be a sin a God like us would never be able to live down!”

“Look,” Black pinched the bridge of his nose, resisting the voice that screamed out in defiance inside his head. “The book never said how it has to be done, and this is not a plea asking for you to do it, so what do you have against it?”

“We are one in the same!” Zamasu roared, jabbing an accusing finger in his chest. “I would never allow for someone like us to mate with a mortal like that!”

“It never said-”

“Don’t play coy, we all know what ‘bonding’ in that sense means!”

“There’s no other way! I’m not compromising on Y/n’s life.” Black insisted, forcing a low growl out of Zamasu’s mouth.

Damn that human!

Zamasu could tell from a glance that Black was completely infatuated, and how it made his insides heave. Countless Gods and Goddesses fallen, all because of their love for a mere mortal. And to think that he himself would be one of them. If someone were to tell him this a few years ago, he would have laughed and told them to stop dreaming about the impossible. But as much as he hated to admit it, he needed Black’s help. Even if he was immortal there would be no possible way to eradicate the Saiyans from the future once and for all, they would keep coming back, he knew that much. At this rate, he would have no choice but to accept his proposition if he wanted to stay with Black. Zamasu needed his strength.

And then there was you. He huffed lightly as he contemplated the advantages and disadvantages of keeping you with Black, passing judgment on your life. Obviously, you had moved away from civilization for a reason, though you did seem to sometimes contradict your actions by going back to rescue some innocent survivors. You didn’t seem to have a great connection with any human other than Trunks and Mai, and that itself worked in your favor. But still, you didn’t seem to be able to let go completely, which was something Zamasu absolutely despised. Paradise had no room for someone with a foot in both worlds, unable to let go of the past nor embrace the future, instead hanging by a thread from both sides and threatening to ruin his perfect dream.

Yet neither could Black. He still clung onto you like a drowning man to a lifeline, and Zamasu knew that he had fallen into a ravine so deep that he would never be able to fully resurface. Some part of him had shriveled up and died the day he had met you, though no one was sure exactly what. And Zamasu knew that the only way to Black would ever cooperate was with you by his side.

He needed to sever the physical tie between you and the humans that you had dwelled with for so long, and the best way to do that would be to ascend you to a level no one else on that sordid planet could ever hope to achieve. Godhood.

But the thought of the ritual necessary to do that, at least to the green Kai, was more than despicable. His lip curled just thinking about it, but at least his assistance would not be required.

Finally, after about ten minutes of silence, Zamasu spoke again. “This is all according to you assuming that she will agree to become a God and the ritual. You are aware that this process only works if the chosen one has fully committed their heart and soul to the title, and that there are no do-overs.”

“Yes.”

“How are you so sure?”

“Don’t worry, I will convince her without fail.”

“If that stupid thing does anything that would jeopardize us or the plan, I will not be so merciful this time.” Zamasu glanced at his partner with distaste.

“….Fine,” Black agreed solemnly. “Then it’s a deal.”

“I’ll be awaiting your return at the cabin.” The fact that Zamasu had managed to evade his prison only made Black surer than ever that it was the right thing to do. He was much too dangerous even without the powers of Son Goku aiding his abilities. Giving you the powers of a God would level the playing field a little should he ever come after you again, though Black sincerely doubted that he would. They needed each other as much as you needed Black, and by keeping the only two beings in the universe who held any sort of value to him close by, he could make sure none of you did anything that would hurt their chances of accomplishing an ideal world. Black would be constantly scrutinizing Zamasu, as would Zamasu to Black. As they said, keep your friends close and your enemies closer, and no one knew better than the two Gods who brought the downfall of an entire universe.

The green-skinned Kai seemed to realize it too, since he provided no further argument.

“For Paradise.”

“For Paradise.” Black echoed.

Zamasu reluctantly clasped his outstretched hand, and the dream was no more.

***

Black woke with a gasp, immediately shooting up to a sitting position and jolting you off his chest with a grunt. Panting, he looked agitatedly around the cave, finally registering his current location. A meek, red and orange morning sun was just peeking through the ragged horizon, painting your features with a gentle golden glow.

Like a true Goddess…..

He stared at you completely captivated, and slowly as if scared of breaking you, he reached out a hand to brush a strand of your hair out of your face. The angels he had met throughout his long life appeared so insignificant compared to you, and he didn’t care what anyone else said. Even as disheveled as you were, there was a certain charm that invariably drew him to you like a singing siren.

A small whimper drew his attention abruptly away from you much to his annoyance. It was him. Trunks still lay in the corner, snoring softly with his mouth parted, and seemed to be in a deep, restless slumber. Black sneered and another carnal urge to rip the young boy limb from limb jolted through him, but he couldn’t, not with you sleeping right next to him. He knew you would never forgive him and right now was not the best time to piss you off. It was going to take everything he had to gain your cooperation. This was not to mention that he still hadn’t fully recovered from their three-way brawl. Most of his wounds were healed thanks to his Saiyan body, but the fight had been absolutely brutal and left all three of them severely injured. He had been running on adrenaline these past few days, and no matter how well he hid his desperation to see you again, his body could not.

Black hadn’t noticed that he had zoned out again until a light tug at the hem of his tattered and slightly burnt gi diverted his thoughts.

You peeked shyly at him through one half-lidded eye, still drowsy with sleep.

“Why are you up so early?” You yawned, sitting up gingerly. He stared at the hand that was still on his shirt in a mixture of wonderment and puzzlement, with a little bit of uncomfortableness. After all this time, he still wasn’t really used to anyone willingly touch him in a way that wasn’t violent, like a punch or a kick. And he doubted that any of the remaining humans would even dare to come within ten feet of him, let alone touch him so casually. You never ceased to amaze him.

“Black?”

“Hm yes?”

“You didn’t answer my question. Did you have a nightmare?”

He almost laughed at the absurdity of your question. Him? Nightmare? One could argue that he was a nightmare in the purest, physical form. He had slaughtered entire planets in cold blood and here you were asking him if he had a nightmare.

“No no, of course not,” Black chuckled quietly, flicking a lock of dark black hair out of his eye. “I was just thinking about how much easier it would be for both you and me if you were able to strip yourself of that unworthy title of human.” Straight to the point as always.

“Huh?” You scrunched your face in confusion. “What are you saying Black?”

It was at the latest seven in the morning and you had gotten your ass whooped by Mother Nature consecutively for the last few days, and now this? Your brain was barely functioning as it was, and you sat there in utter confusion for a few seconds trying to process his words as Black straightened out his clothes awkwardly waiting for you to finish.

Maybe I was too forward……. Black began doubting himself, something he found himself doing a lot in your presence. It was a trait that he used to find juvenile and foolish, yet he couldn’t help it anyways.

“Well,” Black coughed after a few more seconds of silence on your part. He shook his head and puffed out his chest, eyes darkening to form the cold, hard exterior that he displayed to the rest of the world. “Last night Zamasu appeared to me in a dream.”

You narrowed your eyes at the mention of his name, but said nothing.

“We have both come to the conclusion that it would be beneficial for you to become one of us.”

“One of you?” You repeated, not quite understanding the meaning of what he was trying to say.

“Yes. A God.”

“But I’m already immortal, what would ‘becoming a God’ like you say make any difference?”

“Because that is the only way for Zamasu to ever accept and allow you to witness the creation of a new and improved universe.”

You opened your mouth to protest but Black held up a hand, to which you unwillingly obliged.

“Additionally, your strength would be more than doubled from your current weak state-”

“Hey!”

“And you would have access to worlds that only Gods are allowed to step foot upon.”

“If they haven’t already been destroyed by you and that goblin,” You said acidly, making his eye twitch in displeasure.

“Rest assured, they haven’t been. And you will no longer have an association with those mortals you unfortunately share the same blood with. You will no longer be human, and this the only way you will be able to remain by my side.”

“Why does it matter to you what Zamasu wants?” You argued quietly, trying not to disturb Trunks.

“It’s not just what he wants, and we both know it whether you choose to acknowledge it or not.”

“What if I say no?”

“Then I will no longer be able to protect you from Zamasu and the demolition of the universe.”

“Is that what he promised you?”

“No, it is based on my own decision and calculations. The first time in my long life that I had felt fear was the day I lost you to Zamasu’s ploy, and found you snatched away from my grasp. I refuse to lose you to him again.” You felt his arm tighten around your waist until it was almost painful, but you were too touched to say anything in return.

“If I agree to this, what will become of the rest of us?” Black’s muteness gave you the answer. “I can’t just sit back and watch them all die, Black. I just can’t.”

“How could you be so stubborn even after the things I’ve shown you?” He growled harshly, suddenly standing up and leaving you to fall backwards.

“All life has meaning, whether it be good or bad, and I don’t think it should be carelessly thrown away.” You winced as you forced yourself to your feet after him, and in a bold move grabbed him by the front of his shirt. If you were anyone else you would have been a bloody pulp on the floor, but all Black did was stare down at you blankly. “I know you think that what you’re doing is correct, and that you're willing to do anything to finish your mission and I love you for that, but this is not right.”

He raised a hand causing you to flinch but you didn’t let go, and you could see the subtle awe in his eyes. Instead of hitting you, he merely placed it on top of yours engulfing you in warmth, positioned over his heart.

“This world was built upon sacrifice, Y/n. So many lives lost to build this pandemonium of avarice and destruction. This is the only path to a better future, and though it may be bloody, it is a step I am willing to take, and I hope you will too. I am not asking you to kill for me, but offering you a chance to see a world reborn, if only you will give up your humanity. We can reign side by side together, as glorious Gods of justice, overlooking an eternity of peace.” He drew back and brushed his lips over yours, but before you could return the subtle gesture, he pulled away with a mischievous twinkle in his eye.

“Just say yes,” Black encouraged, smoothing your cheek with a calloused thumb. “Just say yes and the world can be ours.”

Your brain was running a few thousand miles an hour inside your head right now, but you managed to separate the two rattling trains of thought apart from each other. On the one hand, that would mean betraying Trunks and the others, and you would no longer be human. You could already imagine the hurt and bewilderment dancing in his crystal-blue eyes, as you had come to regard him as the only family you had left and you his. But on the other hand, it really couldn’t be anything worse than what you had already done, and if what Black had said was true, then you may have a better fighting chance at protecting the survival of the last of humanity. Not to mention that it would make it harder for Zamasu to kidnap you again. What more could you lose?

You sighed, knowing since the first time you met him that some day your reckoning would come. It was finally time to choose a side, and no matter how much it hurt, there was only one logical solution for someone like you, stuck between two worlds that couldn’t coexist.

And you chose Black.

You didn’t even have to utter a word for him to understand your decision, that was how well he knew you now.

Victory was once again his.

Not Really Katsumi

Retsu hasn’t really met many other Kaioh’s in his lifetime, as most of them remained in China while he bounced back and forth between Bailin Temple and the ShinShinKai in Japan. Therefore he was more than surprised when he saw Katsumi standing in the hallway with the famous Poison Hand User, Li Kaioh.

When did he fly to China? And how did he lose that much weight?

“Katsumi?”

He halted in his tracks, staring confusedly at the back of his head from the distance until Li Kaioh awkwardly cleared his throat and whispered something in Chinese to the other man.

Strange. When did Katsumi learn Chinese?

“Retsu! There you are, I had something to discuss with you!” Baki sprinted up to him with a tired smile on his face, effectively drawing his attention away from the pair. “Oh, hey Katsumi. Talk to you later!” The scrawny teenager waved and pulled Retsu away, missing the moment when “Katsumi” turned around.

“Who were they talking to?” Han Kaioh asked his brother, who could only shake his head with a puzzled look on his face. “Does ‘Katsumi’ mean something in Japanese?”

“No idea. Perhaps they were calling you ugly.”

“Mm, unlikely unless it was directed at you dear brother. Even if you are the younger one you still look a decade older,” he laughed lightly at the expression on Li’s face as a tick popped out on his forehead. It would be quite unfortunate if he got poisoned tonight, wouldn’t it?

“Oh don’t look at me like that brother, I was just kidding. Kind of. Hm, not really. Seriously though, what is a ‘Katsumi’?”

***

It wasn’t until later that they were in the same room did Retsu finally get a good look at who he had originally assumed was the thick-set karate practitioner from the ShinShinKai, though the only distinguishing features were probably his thinner eyebrows and leaner body. Everything about Katsumi Orochi was large, from his boulder of a fist to his non-existent waist, courtesy of a heavily muscled and wide torso. The man was honestly built like a goddamn tree trunk.

Even with all the differences (all two differences), he still heavily resembled Katsumi, and Retsu was subtly wondering how to get a picture of him to show his friend when he got back.

“Brother, Retsu Kaioh is staring at you again,” Li Kaioh glanced over shoulder, catching his eye and quickly looking away. It began to dawn on Retsu that he may be looking like a creep with his constant staring, and it didn’t help that when he first tried to talk to him the first words out of his mouth were in Japanese. All because he looked so much like goddamn Katsumi.

“Just don’t make eye contact Li,” Han sighed. “I hope I don’t have to fight him later. Mixing crazy with genius never ends up well.”

Attack on Titan Short Story Collection: Fireworks

"Alright you brats!" Captain Levi shouted over all the commotion of the gathered recruits. "We'll be trying some different training today." A dangerous smirk crossed his features, and Erwin stalked up behind him, holding a large bag. All the teenagers gulped when they saw the expression on the short man's face.

Soldiers who were lucky enough to not be dragged into this special training snickered to each other from behind the windows of the surrounding buildings, and it seemed as if everyone except the people involved, namely Eren and the others from the 104th Cadet Core, seemed to know what was going on.

"Hey guys," Jean whispered uneasily. "Why does the Captain look so happy?"

"I don't know, but it's creeping me out," Connie responded, shivering in anticipation. The last time Captain Levi had smiled was when there had been a sale on cleaning supplies in town two months ago, and he hadn't smiled since.

It wasn't exactly a smile to say, it was more of a look that would anyone know that they were completely and utterly screwed.

"Ymir, I'm scared," Christa cried, latching onto her friend.

The brunette seemed mostly unfazed, though she did look somewhat uneasy. "What I'm more concerned with is why Commander Erwin told us to wear our shabbiest casual clothing that we wouldn't mind discarding. I thought we were training."

"What's that short stack planning?" Mikasa growled, narrowing her dark eyes at him.

The new recruits were gathered in the courtyard in front of the castle, apparently preparing for some sort of new exercise. Under the intense stares of their superiors, they huddled together like a bunch of terrified lambs.

Suddenly, the doors burst forth and the eccentric scientist leaped out, waving around a lighter and drawing out a wave of murmurs from the spectators.

"They're dead meat," Eld commented, the rest of Levi Squad nodding in the background.

"Levi!" She pranced over to the Captain and Commander, who dipped their heads together and shielded whatever they had in their hands from view. The occasional giggle from Hange could be heard, and the teenagers could only wait anxiously for a few minutes before they ended their conversation.

"So," Levi said, turning around to face them. "I've noticed that the majority of you idiots don't know how to dodge properly during training." He looked pointedly to Eren, who yesterday had gotten sent to the infirmary from getting smacked by a fake Titan cutout when they were practicing in the forest.

Swallowing down his fear, the Titan-shifter struggled not to look away as he was pierced by steely gray eyes. He could feel them boring a hole into his soul, causing sweat to drip down face almost enough to rival Bertholdt.

"Thanks, loser." Jean muttered, shooting a glare at the brown-haired boy, who turned to glower back.

"That's why," Levi continued, snapping the two teenagers from their staring match, "We've come up with an alternate exercise to test your abilities."

Turning to look behind him, Eren could see Mike and Moblit each holding the ends of a long rope, walking away from each other and pulling it taunt once they had reached the side of two buildings. Now the recruits were trapped inside the rope-boundary and between the buildings, along with a very intimidating Captain who seemed to eat up their fear.

Erwin dug his hand into the large brown bag he was cradling, slowly drawing out a long, thin cylinder object with a stick protruding from one end.

Is that really what I think it is? Reiner stared in disbelief, and Bertholdt visibly began sweating. Even Sasha had stopped eating a piece of bread she snuck out to stare at the object in the Commander's hand, a visible look of confusion and realization flashing across her face.

At that moment, everyone had a vague suspicion about what was about to go down, but they all prayed to the walls that it wasn't going to happen. Unfortunately, they had no such luck.

"There was a sale on fireworks!" Hange declared gleefully, her eyes gleaming crazily. "So we decided that we should change things up a bit! Make life more interesting, ya know?"

"Since normally you have no incentive to do well during training, how about this? There are five hundred of these fireworks, and I'm not gonna stop until every last one has been used. And by the way, these things hurt like Hell so I don't recommend being hit." Levi warned. "And don't cross the line, or you'll have me to deal with."

Whimpers of fear emitted from them, the other Scouts watching in pity and amusement.

"We're so dead," Eren moaned, giving up all hope of survival.

"And another thing," Levi continued, tossing one of the fireworks up and catching it, the teenagers flinching at the audible smack it made as it met his palm. "I never miss."

"Begin!" Erwin yelled, handing a bundle of twenty-five to Hange, who quickly lit them and passed to Levi. Shrieking, the soldiers all scattered, Jean and Connie sprinting to a tree where they were promptly forced away by senior squad leaders positioned behind the trunk.

"Stay out in the open!"

Finding no other shelter, Christa and Ymir darted behind Reiner and Bertholdt, the largest of all the recruits and who had collective looks of terror on their faces.

"Hey I'm not a meat shield Ymir!" Reiner protested.

"I don't care just protect my Christa with that fat body of yours!" She screamed back, covering the smaller, blonde girl with her arms.

"Fine! And I'm not fat!"

"Is this really the time Reiner?!" Bertholdt wailed as a yellow rocket narrowly whizzed by his face, which he barely managed to avoid.

"I don't think clumping together is gonna help!" Someone hollered from the windows, drawing Levi's attention towards them.

"Oh shit! Scatter!" Reiner howled as seven fireworks were aimed at them. He dove to the side just in time as they flew by where his head had previously been. But it just so happened that Jean was running past behind them, and one of the fireworks rammed into his crotch, where he collapsed screeching in pain.

"Oh God why?!"

Levi focused his attention on another group, the three from Shiganshia. Armin was standing next to Eren and Mikasa, who were in a heated debate about something. Armin, seeing the packet of fireworks being pointed towards them, tugged desperately at Eren sleeve, only to be ignored.

"Eren!" He shook his shoulders desperately, finally getting pulling him away from his argument.

"What?!" Eren whirled around just as two blazing red rockets propelled into his stomach, knocking the wind out of him and searing a hole in his clothes.

"Eren!" Mikasa screamed, dodging a blue one that flew past her face.

Another one hit Armin in the chest, and he too was blown off his feet.

"What is this cynical Hell?!" Connie squealed as a green firework sped past his nose. He wasn't so lucky with the next one though, as it hit him straight in the backside as he was turning around.

"AAAHHHHH!" He hit the ground hard, rolling around in the grass to smother the dying embers.

"Don't touch my bread!" Sasha squawked, jumping over a firework and accidentally shoving two other recruits to the ground. "Oh shoot my bad-"

The freshly-baked food disappeared from her hands as she looked the other way.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!" She doubled over sobbing and crawled over to her now badly seared piece of bread, desperately attempting to salvage what was left of it.

"Sasha don't!" Reiner rushed over to try to pry it out of her mouth, bending over and giving Captain Levi the perfect target.

I'll teach you to be so tall, Levi thought jealously as the rocket found its target, a straight bullseye into the six-foot boy's ass.

"OW!" He fell over Sasha, batting out the fire from his singed pants, which fell away to reveal his light blue boxers now turned gray.

I knew the Survey Corps was a bad idea, Bertholdt thought to himself as Levi turned to him, the most obvious target as the tallest in the courtyard, excluding Mike who was observing silently behind the corner of the building and thanking the Walls that he wasn't a recruit anymore. The smoke was annoying his nose quite a bit, but it wasn't every day that you got to watch Humanities' Strongest (And shortest) shoot fireworks at a bunch of terrified teenagers. But to be fair, who wouldn't be?

"Hey Titan," Levi aimed at Bertholdt, who visibly paled and shrunk.

Oh crap does he know-

His train of thought was interrupted as two rockets hit him in the temple and another three hit him in the pelvis, knocking him clean off his feet.

"Only one hundred left!" Erwin bellowed over the chaos; kids were bumping into each other and tumbling down with a firework or few lodged in their clothes. The blue-eyed man whipped out the last one hundred, which looked petrifying. They were twice the size of the regular ones Levi had been shooting, and the ends were in the shapes of sharp points.

"If you can't handle this, you'll never be able to beat the Titans!" Levi began chucking them as they launched, making them twice as fast and hit much harder, and if they thought that the old ones hurt, it was nothing compared to the agony of being hit by one of these monstrosities. The Scouts cringed from the window, smoke rising in the air and assaulting their nostrils.

"Join the Survey Corps they said!" Connie squalled, his pants aflame. "It'll be fun they said!" He ran into Bertholdt, who had just gotten up, catching his clothes on fire too.

"Connie! Bertholdt!" Armin dashed towards them, only to be tripped as Levi hurled one at his feet, and it began exploding in a shower of colorful sparks and loud booms.

"Oh yeah! I forgot we had those!" Hange whooped, shaking Levi just as he released another one, which flew towards the building to his left. Olou and Gunther jumped back from the window just in time as it blew into a thousand sparks, knocking back into Petra and Eld and the Levi Squad all fell unceremoniously into a pile on the floor.

"Don't touch me shitty glasses!" Levi snarled. "Or I'll shove one of these things down your damn throat!"

Laughing, Hange danced out of reach and went to hide behind Erwin. Rolling his eyes, he went back to demolishing the recruits. He could always deal with her any other day, but it's not every day you get to play dodgeball with fireworks. Well, one-sided dodgeball.

"You couldn't tell us earlier they exploded?!" Eren roared, immediately regretting it as Levi started directing all his strength towards knocking the angry teenager down.

"Augh!" One skimmed the top of his head as he evaded a firework at the last second.

"Last one!" Erwin declared, bringing something out from behind his back. It looked like an actual bomb.

"You're going to throw a bomb at us?!"

"Of course not," The Commander chuckled, handing it to Levi. "He is. Once it explodes, there's a coin inside. Whoever catches that coin will be excused from their chores for a week."

"WHAT?!" The effect was instantaneous. Everyone scrambled up, looking fixedly at the object in Levi's hand. He waved it from side to side and they all followed.

"Tch, brats." Tensing up his muscles, he heaved it into the sky where it disappeared from view.

"Get ready!"

It came back down, combusting into pieces fifty feet above their heads. A glint of gold could be seen flying towards them, and they bolted after it.

The coin whistled through the air towards the two superiors, and a stampede of feet followed after them. They were so entranced that they bulldozed right into Erwin and Levi, the latter who was swept up in a tidal wave of bodies. All the Scouts held their breaths as everyone toppled into one big heap on the grass, Levi and Erwin at the very bottom. The entire clearing was silent.

Then, a very pissed off "Get the fuck off me!" could be heard from beneath the recruits, and people rushed to get off spewing apologies and begging for their lives.

"Who got the coin?"

"I'm so sorry!"

"Please don't kill me!"

"Where is it?"

"Get off of him!"

"HEY!" Reiner shouted over the noise, and everyone quieted down a bit. "Who's got the coin?"

He was met with empty stares as everyone swiveled their heads to look at each other and holding up their coinless hands.

"I don't have it."

"Me neither."

"Same."

"Then who the Hell has it?" Jean demanded, glowering.

"I do." A low baritone rumbled, and everyone's hopes and dreams for a relaxing week was plummeted into the darkest recesses of their minds.

Levi held up the coin, smirking triumphantly. A chorus of sighs and complaints erupted.

"Is that even allowed Commander?"

"This has got to be a joke!"

"But he likes chores!"

"Come on!"

Connie and Sasha looked like they were on the verge of tears, and no one appeared much better. Soot and dirt covered their bodies from head to toe, and the majority of their clothes contained blackened holes. Bertholdt had fallen into a horse trough, leaving the gentle giant completely drenched. Christa and Ymir were covered head to toe in mud, and even Mikasa wasn't able to leave unscathed.

"Well I didn't say who was qualified to catch it." Erwin smiled apologetically.

"If you all want it that badly, you're free to fight me for it. If you win, you can have it." Levi flipped the coin in his hand, glaring challengingly at the teenagers surrounding him. "And if one of you brats really can beat me, then I'll extend it to a month."

They all looked at each other, weighing their options. He had to be tired from firing all those rockets, right? Right?

"C-can we fight in doubles?" Armin asked meekly.

"Whatever, sure."

"Mikasa?"

"No thanks," She shook her head. "I don't feel like it and I don't mind the chores that much." The truth was, one of the fireworks had ripped the waistband of her pants, and she didn't really want to fight singlehanded while the other held up her clothes.

"Reiner?"

He seemed to contemplate it for a second, before saying, "Only if someone else fights with me."

"Bertholdt! You were third in the entire 104th!" Connie urged, nudging the quiet boy.

"What?! No thanks! Uh, Eren why don't you? You were one of the best at hand-to-hand combat!"

"Um...."

"Come on! At least try!" Ymir encouraged, though she only wanted to see him get his ass kicked.

Flashbacks of the courtroom flew through Eren's mind, before he was rudely interrupted.

"Are we doing this or not? I don't have all damn day!" Levi spat, crossing his arms. Everyone stared at him expectantly, and he knew if he didn't do it Jean would mock him for the rest of eternity.

Swallowing, Eren finally agreed, though he would rather face a Titan emptyhanded. "Fine! I'll do it! Reiner! Let's go!"

"I've gotta see this!" Hange darted out, followed by other excited Survey Corps members.

"Alright then I guess-" Reiner hit the floor so fast that no one even saw Levi move. Everyone backed up a few steps, leaving Eren the only one within twenty feet of the world's strongest man.

"Um i-is it too late to back out now? Captain?" Eren, cowered back, preparing to have every bone in his body shattered and rearranged.

"Yes, brat."

From that day forth, there was an Eren-shaped dent next to the pavement, a grim reminder to humanity to not mess with the Captain scarier than Titans.