7. Experiment

Levine woke up in a jolt feeling sick and nausea. He covers his mouth with both of his hands to stop himself from vomiting all over himself as the image of his younger self falling down after dying came into his mind. The twisting feeling inside his stomach slowly die down as he tried calming himself down and once it's all gone, he took deep breath.

"That's some weird dream, isn't it?" The person appeared once again, beside him, clutching his own head. Giving him a nod, Levine closed his eyes hoping this is reality and he is still alive.

"It's messed up. It feels like it's not my dream anyway. More like someone else's," Levine said and the person looked at him from the corner of his eyes, knowing well what he is thinking.

"Looks like the sandman gave the dream to the wrong person," he said and Levine clicked his tongue in annoyance.

"More like Pitch Black gave me a nightmare not meant for me," Levine corrected as he stood up from his bed and stares at the person at his bed, who have his eyes close, "Never mind that. Why are you in my room again?"

"Do you mind? I'm sleeping here," the person said in a rude tone, annoying Levine as he glared at the person.

"Well, that's my bed and get out of my room!" Levine demanded as the person opened his eyes to glare at him.

"Nope. Don't want to," he disobeys and Levine tried punching him, but stopped in mid-air, remebring one annoying fact. Neither of them can touch each other or their hands would just pass through their body. Levine dropped his hands to his side and released a deep annoyed breath.

"Anyway, what should I call you?" Levine asked with his arms crossed. The person raised an eyebrow at him with bemusement, "I mean, you've been hanging around me so much, but I never know a name to call you."

"Hm, good point, how about Levine?" Levine glared at him and scowled, "Just messin' with you. How about Yami?"

"Yami?" Levine asked in confusion and the person nodded, crossing his legs across the bed.

"Yami's meaning is related to darkness. And since I am like your shadow, just call me Yami," he explained and Levine clicked his tongue at his cockiness.

"Fine. Well, Yami. What do you think of the titans?" Levine asked out of the blue and Yami eyed him for a while as if asking if he's from another planet with that ignorant question.

"They're filthy b*tches," Yami bluntly said so Levine glared at him, finding his answer very unlikely and it's not actually the right one for his question, "You've seem them yourself. You were disgusted of them. Why are you asking me that?"

Yami again stared at him as Levine returned a glare with a skeptical look. Yeah, Yami does give him advice, which he don't normally take seriously, but with this simple question, he just can't get the right answer out of this guy.

"Tch, I mean, those titans from the other day. They just all pass by us like we are just some animal that they never took interest in," Levine said and Yami huffed as he run his hand around his hair.

"If you ask me, I honestly say that it has something to do with you," he answered, making Levine click his tongue in disapprovement. Well, at least he think he disapprove. He just can't believe the fact that the phenomenon like that happened in his first expedition, where he have the closest contact to the titans than the other soldier.

He was in the edge, a titan saw him before ignoring the rest and he killed that titan when the others ran away.

"That can't be true," he denied as Yami shrugged before disappearing when Levine blinked his eyes.

Once he left, Levine lay back down on his bed and tried sleeping after absorbing the conversation he had with Yami.

---

The next day, while he was cleaning the corridor with Armin, Levine suddenly heard his name being called by the very oh so familiar Hange Zoe.

"Levine! Can I borrow you for a moment?" She asked as she use puppy dog eyes on him. Unfortunately, it didn't worked on him. Armin decided to come closer to see what is going on when Hange suddenly grabbed , earning a glare from the latter.

"Please, I just need to see it for my own eyes!" She pleaded as Armin sweatdropped at her pleading.

"See what, Hange-san?" Armin asked and the brunette turns to him.

"You remembered my theory about the Aberrant Phenomenon a few days ago? Well, I want to prove it with Eren and Levine so I need your cooperation too, Levine! Please!" She explained and clapped her hands together and look at Levine with pleading eyes.

Levine was quiet for a minute, thinking about his answer for her favor. What if Yami was correct about him having to do with that phenomenal expedition? He is still curious himself and he won't get his question with just by himself.

"Tch, alright. I guess, I could spare some time," he said, looking out the window which he just polished earlier. Out there he saw tents set up for her experiment and he guesses that Eren is probably in one of them right now.

"Yehey! So, come on! Come on!" Hange then dragged Levine out of the Headquarters, leaving Armin dumbfounded on his spot.

Levine didn't protested or anything, until Yami suddenly appeared, walking casually beside him as the brunette superior drag him.

"So, taking my opinion on things, huh? Good," Yami said and Levine growled as he and Hange stopped in front of the camp. She let go of Levine's wrist as Yami crossed his arms beside Levine.

"What will you do if my theory is right?" He asked and Levine took a side glance at his seemingly twin, before lowering his head a little. Yami got his answer and nodded, "Okay, but hope for the better."

In another blink of an eye, Yami disappeared again, leaving Levine standing on his spot until one of Hange's subordinates called out for him to enter a certain tent. He obliged and enter the tent where Hange entered, the biggest of all. Once he's inside, he saw that rhere 's a lot of people with Eren and Hange in the center.

"Oh! Here, Levine!" The megane said while waving her arm excitedly. Levine clicked his tongue before walking towards her and crossed his arms after he stopped on his tracks.

"So, what have you planned to do, huh, four-eyes?" Levine asked with cold tone which greatly remind Hange and Eren of Levi, but they decided to keep the thought to themselves since Levine hates it when compared with the man in question.

"Well, Eren ol' friend here will be transforming into a titan for us and let's see how his instincts react to your presence, got it?" Hange asked with a wink wrapping it up. Levine rolls his eyes and turned to Eren.

"Your titan body moves by instinct?" He asked and Eren seem a little unsure about his answer.

"I guess sometimes. But ever since Hazel-san started training me, I started to get a hang of it," he answered and Levine turned to Hange again.

"Tch, let's get this over with or the old grumpy will go all clean this, clean that on me,"  Levine said and the two nodded. If Levine is imitating Levi, well he's more talented than Olou, but they guess, Levine is just naturally like Levi. Lip-zipped on the conversation.

"Okay! Let's get started!" Hange cheered before dragging the ravenette out of the way for Eren to transform. After getting into a safe distance, Hange signalled the brunette to transform and he injured himself and greening yellow light came bursting across the place and smoke covered their visions, leading them to close their eeyes

Levine shielded his face with his arms as he feel the hot air enveloping his body. After a few seconds, the air turned back to normal and the smoke screen slowly disperse. Levine opened his eyes to check his surroundings and most importantly Eren's new form. After his eyes adjusted to the light, his eyes landed on the towering figure of a kneeling titan with chin length brown hair and two green eyes.

"So, this is his titan? I admit, it's a lot better than those garbages," Levine said, bluntly as he eye Eren, "What am I suppose to do?"

"Oh! Right! Walk towards him," Hange said and Levine clicked his tongue, "It's better if we have an actual titan to test it, but Eren will do."

"Tch, whatever," Levine walked towards Eren as everyone inside the tent, stood guard in case Eren goes berserk, noted that Hazel can't tame the teenager right now.

Eren still didn't see Levine closing in, but heard his footsteps. He slowly raised his head to meet his small figure closing in. At first, it was just normal. Nothing's happening, but as he comes closer and closer, there's a sensation Eren is feeling. He don't know if it's him or from his titan body since normally, he wouldn't feel the things that happens to his giant body directly to his real one, but this sensation is different. He can feel the stinging from both.

He started growling, giving Hange a sign that there is something happening. When Levine is about five meters away from Eren, he stared right to his giant eyes as if they're some kind of windows. Eren stared back and for some unknown reason, he started feeling fear. Instinct or not, this is not normal so he gave Hange another signal. A roar.

"Something's happening," Hange said with a smirk and turned to the soldiers surrounding Eren and Levine, "Be ready for the possibility of combat. Stand guard," then he turned back to Levine, "Okay, Levine. Try having a physical contact with Eren. Let's see what happens."

Levine obliged and walked closer to Eren. The brunette's instinct kicked in and he stood up, trying to avoid the older teenager. The soldiers fired restraints at Eren to keep him from running away and destroying objects. He started roaring and struggling, but it didn't stopped Levine. It just didn't scared the latter since he know he's also human.

He slowly reach out his hand to Eren's titan body and his struggling became more aggressive. Hange took note of the situation and her eyes glimmer in amazement while the others find at the situation quite frightening.

When Levine's hand touched Eren's titan limbs, something aberrant happened. The spot he touched slowly rot. Their eyes widened in bewilderment as Levine kept his hand on the spot. The rotting continues to his abdominal part until the whole body rots. Eren on the other hand, still feels the fear inside the rotting body until his real body is exposed.

He was surprised that he's already out and his fear was suddenly lifted. Beside him, there stood Levine with his usual expressionless face. He stared at him for a moment before the ravenette clicked his tongue and offered a hand. Eren hesitantly took his hand and the smaller man pulled him up.

"Thanks," he mumbled as Hange came squealing towards the two of them.

"Waaaaaaaaaaaaahhhh!!! I knew it! I knew it! Levine's presence makes titans panic and that's why they ignore Levine's surrounding! But I never thought that Levine's touch can decay a whole titan body! Ooohhh! This is very interesting! Yes! Interesting indeed! But why? How does your presence and touch affect titans that way? Why? And how?!" Hange wondered out loud as she walk around the two teenagers.

Levine looked own on his hand which touched the giant body and over to Eren. This also makes him curious and wonder, but he did not show any sign of it and just let them do the talking. Well, let Hange did all the talking. After his silence, the other two superiors arrived in the scene and stared at Levine.

"What is this all about?" Levi asked with a glare and Levine turned to him with an expressionless face.

"A new discovery!" Hange exclaimed, "I don't know how and why, but I will surely get to the bottom of this! You've seen it right?"

"Yes, and Levine should answer questions," Erwin said as side comments started to build up. Levine heard some of it and it makes his blood boil. They accuse him of being a mole or a monster and that he was keeping his ability a secret. Due to the false accusation, Levine glared at the three superiors who overall represent the soldiers of the Brigade.

"What does that mean, Eyebrows?" Levine asked rather rudely and coldly sending shivers to the other cadets' spine.

"You should know your place, brat. Respect your superiors," Levi scolded and Levine clicked his tongue.

"Shut it! If you are getting suspicious of me, then here is my side. I don't know anything more than I am a human being who lived my whole 19 years underground without family or friends. Having this kind of reaction with the titans is also new to me and I am not a monster," Levine said with hiss and venom in his voice like an assaulted snake.

"Why are you being defensive, brat?" Levi argued and Levine decided to continue this argument.

"Isn't that what you want to hear? You want to interrogate me how I get this ability and where and maybe some other more questions. I just simply answer it in advance for you," Levine answered, annoying Levi with his sass talk. Levi slowly walk towards Levine making Eren take a step back.

"You imprudent brat. You should know you place and just f*cki--"

"Levi, stop," with that two words and familiar voice, the man in question did and growled. Levine's eyes averted to the blonde woman walking beside Mikasa as they approach their group, "Levine has a point."

"Remind me to get Hazel whenever Levi gets angry with me," Hange mischievously whispered to Erwin as the tall blonde just stared at her blankly.

"Hazel-san, aren't you suppose to be in office work?" Eren asked and Hazel glared at him.

"We heard the commotion so we decided to check it out," Mikasa said and Hazel turned to Levi and Levine.

"Levine does have a point. We'll eventually ask him questions like that, but you're causing trouble if you lose your temper that fast and your imagination go rampant. And all of you," Hazel said, pointing at the surrounding cadets, "Stop making accusations. That's very troublesome."

After that, she turned to Erwin and Hange.

"And I'll leave the rest to you, Commander," Hazel said before leaving. As she leave, Mikasa started checking if Eren is okay until Eren pried her off and left with Hazel.

Meanwhile, Levi and Levine clicked their tongues in unison before Levi left the place and Levine saw Yami again, beside the exit of the tent. Levine ignored him and everyone around him as he keep in mind what happened in the experiment.