On High Seas

Chapter Two – The Strange Ones

It seemed that Erwin's hiring instincts were right, as usual.

The girly blond – Armin – turned out to be a mini-Erwin in terms of strategy and organization. What Levi didn't understand was why Erwin hadn't taken the brat under his own wing. Perhaps it was because Armin was a bit idealistic and the Commander had thought real life experience on the sea would wash off some of the rose-colored dye that hindered his vision. Well, even if the kid was physically useless, he could use an extra advisor on slave extraction missions.

The taller but still girly recruit that the captain shared a surname with, Levi hadn't spoken directly with yet. The captain had decided that since the recruit had come to him first, he would wait for Mick to follow through and broach the subject first as well, to finish the job. Still, Levi kept an eye on the kid who had indirectly claimed to share the surname 'Ackerman'. And he saw potential. The kid was strong, adapted quickly, and excelled at fencing, to boot. He would see just how talented the kid was on a mission.

But it was the first and last people that had stood (and squatted) in the recruit line that took up most of his attention.

The first, Eren, was one of the most hot-headed, justice-filled, passionate, and angry pain-in-the-ass teenagers Levi had ever had the misfortune of being in charge of. It would have been fine if it were Eren alone, but he always seemed to butt heads with another recruit (who honestly pissed Levi off because of his half-hearted attitude toward everything except glory) named Jean. Thankfully, Mick always mediated between the two and pulled the two apart before things came to blows.

When Mick wasn't around and Eren got into a fight with Jean again, Levi did what he did best: bashed their heads, handed them a sandstone each, and then made them clean the ship deck until it sparkled. Levi was inclined to silently agree with Eren, because he despised half-hearted bastards and wouldn't have let Jean step foot onto his ship if it weren't Erwin who had hired him. But half-hearted shit (that was currently scrubbing the dock down) aside, Eren strangely seemed to drain Levi's energy a bit more than the other recruits did. It wasn't like the kid was high maintenance or anything; he worked himself to the bone to learn how to work the sails and fight. Maybe it was because he and Mick were practically joined at the hip and it took extra effort to ignore the two, with one a royal pain and the other possibly a relative.

The last one… well. Levi's new mechanic was, to put it lightly, a bit manic. If you were to ask the captain himself about it, he would say that the Shitty Goggles was bat shit crazy, high on opium (though he had no proof of the latter), and too obsessed with tinkering for anybody's good. Levi felt sorry for the assistants, but he wouldn't trade all the earl-grey tea and classy tea sets in the world to be in their boots.

The first time he saw their tomfoolery, he didn't so much first see it as feel it from the floor above.

Levi had been enjoying a cup of earl-grey tea when the tea set before him started to tremble and shake. He was on his feet in less than a second nearly tumbled down the stairs to the cellar in half the time of what it would have taken. Rushing down the hallway, he froze at the sight.

Shitty Goggles was happily tearing away at the oaken boards on the side of the ship, ordering Keiji and Moblit around to replace them with new, unidentifiable ones. Levi had spent his fair time on different types of ships, but he had never seen the type of wood that was replacing the boards that looked rather musty by his standards, but otherwise completely fine. Levi dearly wanted to ask them what the hell they were doing, but he chose to wait it out, watching board by board being thrown aside, waiting for the trio to notice him. Which didn't take much time, as Moblit seemed to be very sensitive of the killing energy radiating from Levi.

"C-captain Levi, sir!" Moblit shakily saluted, bringing Levi to the attention of Keiji who saluted as well. Unfortunately, the goggled monstrosity was too excited at the prospect of mangling the walls of his ship to notice the ship's captain himself in the flesh standing nearby.

When the crazy mechanic noticed that nothing was getting replaced, Levi finally was noticed. Not reacting to Levi's killing intent at all, Shitty Goggles merely gave the captain a puzzled look. "Oh? What are you doing here?"

Levi had to force himself to reign his temper in. "In case you've forgotten, I'm the captain of this ship."

The mechanic's face didn't change. "Yeah, but what's a captain doing down in the cellars?"

Gritting his teeth, Levi ground out, "I think the better question is what the hell you're doing to my ship."

Shitty Goggles didn't even blink. "I'm improving her."

Sweeping his eyes over the wreckage incredulously, Levi asked with an edge in his voice, "I fail to see how destruction is part of the improvement process."

Boisterous laughter was the response Levi received. "Nonsense! These oaken boards can't even compare with the cedar that I'm having Moblit and Keiji replace them with. White cedar is so much lighter, and lighter means faster!" If only this weren't a mechanic that Erwin had recommended...Levi thought murderously when Shitty Goggles mused, "I would have used balsa wood if it were available in this area, but – "

"Oi, Shitty Goggles." Levi cut off the mechanic's line of thought before it got too carried away. "Just how much of Isabel are you planning to improve?"

Shrugging off the unflattering nickname like it was nothing, the mechanic answered after a bit of consideration, "Well, I planned on renovating the heavier and more easily accessible places on the ship." Catching the look in Levi's eyes, the mechanic assured, "Don't worry, I'm a mechanic, and I've spent my fair share of time fixing ships; I do know the importance of balance." Hands pushed up the goggles into greasy hair, revealing surprisingly serious brown eyes. "But speed is also crucial for ships like this." Posture straightening, the uncharacteristically serious voice continued, "I was under the impression part of the reason your last mission failed was because Isabel wasn't fast enough."

Pursing his lips, Levi regarded the mechanic with dark eyes, as if seeing Hanji for the first time. He was shocked by the sober look revealed in the eyes hidden behind goggles most of the time. Finally, he silently acknowledged Hanji as he turned to return above deck. But he threw over his shoulder, "And I suppose speed will make up for making Isabel look like a patchwork quilt?"

Any seriousness emitting from the mechanic was gone, goggles back over eyes. "Yes, but if it bothers you that much, I suppose we can stain the wood before hammering it in." was the cheerful reply.

Levi swiveled his head forward. "Please. It'll be an absolute eyesore if you replace the planks as they are."

From then on, every time Levi passed Hanji and co., he struggled to treat the clanging sounds and excited (and agitated) shouting as if they were nothing. After the first few times he (rather nervously) checked on the trio and found the damaged area significantly better than before, Levi took to avoiding any sounds that indicated that the Crazy Mechanic was working in the area.

…Which was harder than he thought it would be, as after the first encounter, the mechanic actively sought Levi out for permission toimprove certain crucial parts of Isabel. Which he was leery of, because Shitty Goggles' definition of 'improving' something always meant taking it apart first. 'Taking apart' being a gentle term, 'dismantling' a more accurate one, and in Levi's eyes 'destruction' was the only way to put it.

One such occasion found Levi cornered and uncharacteristically agitated.

"Levi, can I please take a look at the rigging? I promise Isabel will be faster than ever!"

The familiarity with which Shitty Goggles addressed bothered Levi. "No."

"Please please please?"

Levi suppressed a groan. Gods above, Shitty Goggles had gone to the lengths of pushing up the grimy goggles and staring down at him with large doe eyes. "For the last time, no. And that's final. Now move your ass out of my way."

He forcefully pushed past Hanji, failing to notice the determined expression on the mechanic's face.

A/N: Next chapter might be the next Ocean Excursion!