Chapter 11: The Lies and The Truth

Your POV

I know Levi wants to talk to go over formations with us. Our next expedition is only a couple weeks away and Levi has been asking us to attend his lectures for about a week.

I definitely needed it, I may have the skill but I have yet to face off against an actual titan. I find myself wondering what this expedition is about. Typically you have a goal when you go out into the field, otherwise, what is the point? Perhaps they're trying to test out Eren...? Either way, they are pretty tight-lipped about it, I wonder why...?

"Hey (y/n)," I looked behind me to see Eren jogging to catch up to me, "I heard you knocked Oluo on his ass, good job!" I give him a small smile, but then frown when I realized he addressed me by my real name. Erwin, Levi, Mike, Hange, and Jean should be the only ones that know my real name.

"Benjamin called you by your real name," Eren said, noticing my frown, "Sorry, I can use your nickname if you prefer."

I shake my head, "It's fine to use my real name if we're alone. What else did my lovely siblings say?"

"Not much," Eren admitted, walking beside me, "They just wanted to make sure you were doing well. We didn't get to ask many questions, since that woman showed up and they went down to distract her."

"Yeah, Katrina, she's my oldest sister." I say curtly, "I guess you could say we don't get along very well." Eren doesn't push the subject any further, to my relief.

"Captain Levi's lecture with us isn't for another few hours, can you help me with my hand-to-hand combat skills again?"

I nod and we make our way over to the training grounds.

Time skip to later that evening...

'"I don't care, I refuse to talk to her," I say as I speed walk down the hallway, high heels clicking off the expensive marble floors.

"Of course you will," I hear Laurie say behind me, "I could have you disposed of you for the things you told her."

"Then do it!" I yell back at him, "I don't care anymore!" That did it. Laurie grabbed my arm and slammed me against the wall.

"Nice try, but you're mine." He lifts me up and starts kissing my neck. I struggle against him, trying to kick and punch any part of him that I can. But it's no use, there is nothing I can do. I just go limp and try to think of anything else, but my mind is just blank.

He stops to admire the deep purple hickey he left on me, and sets me back down, "Katrina is a very important patron of mine, not to mention she's your sister."

"Half-sister." I hiss at him, to which I receive a hard slap on my cheek.

"Don't correct me. You will play nice with her, she wants to talk to you. So you will listen, you will smile politely, and accept the apology that you do not deserve. And if you don't, I'll go after your little friend, Clio."

I freeze when he mentions Celeste. I know he's serious, he makes similar threats to others. I nod at him stiffly, knowing I don't have a choice.

He pats my head gently, "That's it my love, and wear a lower-cut shirt, I want everyone to see that you belong to me." He said as he rubs the purple mark he left on the lower portion of my neck.

I watch him walk down the hallway and turn to walk the other way. All of a sudden I feel a sharp pain in my back. I whip around to see Katrina's smirking face, holding a dagger covered in blood.

I fall to the ground, gasping for air. She bends down and places her fingers under my chin to yank my face up, "Why?" I croak as I feel myself becoming weaker.

She looks at me with hate filled grey eyes and whispers, "Because everyone chooses you."

Before I could say anything else, she raises the dagger back up and brings it back down on me.'

....

I gasp for air as I roll around violently in my bed. I sit up in my bed, half expecting Katrina to be in my room somewhere. Once my brain accepts the fact that I was just having another nightmare, my heartbeat gradually went back to its normal rhythm.

I look outside to see a little bit of light as the sun slowly rises. I look at Sasha's bed and notice she is not there anymore. Shit, I'm running a little late.

I grab my uniform and run to the showers to get ready. I prefer to go earlier because I don't like the other girls staring at my scars, it makes me uncomfortable.

There were a few girls when I got there. Petra smiles at me as she sees me walk in, "Good morning, (y/n/n)! Late start today? You're usually here before anyone."

"Ahhh yeah," I laugh nervously, "Slept in a little."

"You're always the one that gets up the earliest on our team, and Oluo gets up the latest. But you two seemed to have switched roles for the day." Petra commented as she brushed her short strawberry-blonde hair in front of the mirror.

"Sorry?" I respond, not paying much attention to her in my haste to get undressed and into the shower.

"Oluo apparently got up super early, well early for Oluo anyway. Eld told me he was up before him, which never happens. And here you are waking up late, I was just saying it was odd." She frowned looking over at me, "Are you okay, (y/n/n)? You look a little pale."

"No, I'm fine, just in a hurry, sorry," I say as I hop into the shower. "Do you want me to wait for you? I don't mind, I already had breakfast." Petra offered as she got into her uniform.

"Oh no, it's okay, I'm fine really," I answer, I appreciate her offer, but I just wanted to be left alone.

"Okay," Petra sighs, "Just remember we have that lecture in half an hour!" Now fully clothed, she left along with the other women, leaving me alone in the shower room.

I showered quickly and started doing my best to towel dry my hair. I run my fingers through my (h/l) (h/c) hair, maybe I'll leave it down today. At least I had a decent enough sleep last night to get rid of the dark circles under my eyes.

I accept my appearance and look at the time. I better head straight to the lecture hall, I'll miss breakfast, but it is what it is.

I make my way over to the lecture hall, enjoying the peaceful walk. I notice a familiar tall blonde man walking with another familiar small dark-haired man, presumably also to the lecture room, so I ran up behind them.

"Good morning Commander Erwin, Captain Levi." I greeted them pleasantly. They seem a bit surprised by my pleasant disposition, which made me laugh a little. "Thank you again for trying to help me, I know you meant well. Even if it does come off as extremely nosy." I felt kind of bad yelling at them yesterday, I know they are just trying to protect me.

"Yeah yeah, Brat," Levi mumbled at my thank you. Erwin patted the top of my head, making me blush a little, "Don't worry about it, cadet." He smirks at my red face as Levi does his signature 'tsk'.

I walked the rest of the way to the lecture hall with them, "You have an interesting family, (l/n)." Levi grumbled. "Yeah, oh right! I guess I should introduce you two to Beth, her biological clock is ticking, and I did promise my mother you know." I say, smiling at both of them.

"Don't you dare." Levi growled at me, so I turn and raise my eyebrows at Erwin, "Pass." He laughed at my fake sad face.

When we got to the lecture hall, Petra was waiting outside the closed door. When she saw us walking up to her she grabbed my arm and tried pulling me away from the door, "(y/n/n)! There you are! Come with me." I give her a confused expression, "We have a lecture to attend, Petra. What are you doing?" I shrug her off easily and laugh a bit at her strange behavior. Levi narrowed his eyes suspiciously at Petra as I open the door, and realize why Petra didn't want me walking in.

On the walls were various portraits of me when I was working for Laurie. There were portraits of me by myself and with various other men and women. I was never naked in any of them, but I was scantly clad in all of them. Wearing various rich silks that cling to my body, showing off my curves. And in most of my portraits was the name Laurie gave me, 'Peitho'.

I was shocked to find Oluo standing at the front of the lecture hall with the rest of my squad, and various other squads that were supposed to be attending the lecture planned for today. "There she is!" I hear Oluo shout with delight when he saw me, "Just the person we have been waiting for."

I stood there, not moving an inch, barely even breathing. How did he get these? It had to have been when we were all in Stohess. But when did he have the time if they were watching me?

Levi and Erwin looked furious. They both started stepping forward, but I grabbed both of their arms, "Let him get it off his chest, this has been building up." They both look at me confused. The way I see it, I may as well hear what he thinks he knows, so I know what to defend myself against. Levi and Erwin stay next to me as Oluo starts his rant.

"I had an interesting trip to Stohess yesterday, where I met a beautiful young woman who has a lot to say about our mystery cadet here, (y/n) (l/n)!" He said to his audience, gesturing at me.

"You can try to hide who you really are, (y/n). But the truth will always come out." Oluo says as he smirks at me, I refuse to show any kind of emotion.

"Turns out, she is nothing but a common whore from the capital, and originally from the underground. One who got everything handed to her from people who rented her and the man who made her famous. Making her the star in most of his theatre productions, and having fans fall all over her. Sleeping your way to the top seemed to work for you, huh? Until it didn't." He continued, "The reason she came here is because her drunken antics got her into too much trouble and she was thrown out. Not being able to show her face in the underground again, she came here."

That's an interesting story, it must have been one of the girls I worked with. Maybe from the lounge... It sounds like a story they would make up, they have been trying to shame me since I started working there. They probably showed Oluo that article that was written about me too.

I couldn't contain a little chuckle that escaped from me. I covered my mouth, trying not to let any more out. Honestly, I did get into some drunken antics after I was forced back to Laurie after Mac died. But I was always able to maintain my composure for most of the time.

Oluo must have heard my giggle, because he started getting angry, "I suppose you would find it funny. I wonder how your husband would have felt if he knew what you did after his death, what was his name? Malcolm Meyer?"

I freeze when he mentions Mac. I can hear quite a few people murmuring in surprise, upon hearing that I had been married. He had to have read the article, or they told him I was married.

I hold my tongue, let him finish, he's hated me for a while, let him get it all out. "Your lovely ex-coworkers said they were very surprised when you came back like nothing happened after he died. But I guess that makes sense since you only married him to piss off your boss."

Whoop, there it is.

"Very nice portraits, by the way, looks like you were treated like royalty to me. Yet, as a spoiled brat, you didn't appreciate any of it, and now you're hiding here, afraid to show your face in the capital, and afraid anyone would recognize you here, huh? How pathetic." Oluo stops and smirks at me, waiting for me to respond.

"The defendant would like to testify in her own defense," I say as I raise my hand. "Please, I'd love to see you talk your way out of this one." He smiles as he gestures for me to stand next to him.

"You think living in the capital was a privilege?" I ask him, slowly taking off my jacket and shirt, leaving me standing there in my pants and sports bra.

"They ask the painters to avoid painting any scars or bruises," I say as I turn around for Oluo to see some of the scars on my back and stomach, "This is what it's like working in the capital, nothing is what it seems."

I stop turning and lock my gaze on Oluo, "Who was it?" Oluo doesn't answer. I know it had to be one of the girls from the lounge, seeing as he was in Stohess.

"Doesn't matter now I suppose, you told them I was a scout correct?" I asked him, he nodded in response. It won't be long before Laurie knows, I'm sure he already knows... it's too late.

"I did what I had to do to survive in the capital." I say quietly, "Do you think that just because there are no titans in the capital, it isn't dangerous? Do you know what happens to you if you disobey the person who owns you in the capital?"

"Let me guess, tortured and killed," Oluo answers nonchalantly.

"They don't just kill and torture you," I reply to him, "They erase you. You have no idea the things they can do to you. They have the ability to make the people you love and care about most, forget you. Any portrait ever painted of you, and document that ever mentions you is destroyed. They let you live long enough to see everyone you love move on with their lives without you, not even knowing who you are."

I sigh heavily, "I don't understand what you're trying to do here, Oluo," I continue, "Are you trying to shame me into quitting? What's you're angle here? What's the point of all this?" Oluo doesn't say anything, just stares at me silently.

"For the record, the men who rented me didn't sleep with me, they were allowed to do much worse. The level of depravity that exists among a lot of powerful people, would keep you up at night. You can try to lie about me, and make me feel bad for the things I have done to survive. But I make no apologies for anything I have done. No matter how demeaning or painful it was, it kept me alive." I grab Oluo by the collar of his shirt and pulled his face closer to mine.

"It must be exhausting thinking of no one else but me, Oluo. I'm flattered, but maybe you should focus on yourself. Keep my portraits, I'm sure it'll be the closest you get to a half-naked woman." I hear scattered chuckling from some of the cadets watching us.

"Another thing, I don't want you to forget, though I'm sure you won't since it does seem to keep you up at night for some reason. You'll never be better than this 'little slut' from the underground, no matter how hard you train." I let go of his collar, "And don't ever mention my late husband's name again. Say it again and you will see a side of me that no one here has witnessed yet. He saved me, you aren't a quarter of the man he was."

I hold Oluo's gaze for a little longer before turning to leave. Did I see a little hint of remorse behind his beady eyes? I was used to petty lies and slander when it came to the people I worked with at Laurie's, I wasn't expecting it from here though.

I push past anyone who stood between myself and the door, a few people tried to stop me, but I was determined to leave. I couldn't breathe, I was starting to panic, I need fresh air.

I ran until I made my way outside and collapsed to my knees. Laurie knows where I am now. He's going to find me. What's going to happen now? Technically, I don't belong to him anymore, so he doesn't have the right to take me. But he has his ways, he always gets what he wants in the end, and what he has always wanted was me. And now he has found me.

My mind is racing, going through all of the possible scenarios. What if he goes after Beth? He's threatened to do that before, even if Laurie is a good friend of her father's, if it got to me he would do it no matter what.

What if he finds out Peter helped me? Will he make the connection? What will happen to his kids? Will he go after them? I wouldn't put it past him.

"(Y/n)," I feel a hand grab my shoulder. I react immediately. I pull hard on the arm and push my body against the one behind me to flip them over my shoulder and onto the ground... Oops, it was Peter.

"Peter? I'm sorry, I-I-," I stuttered when I saw it was him. "Damnit (y/n)," Peter winces as he sat up, "I think you dislocated my shoulder." He was right, I see his left arm hanging limply at his side, showing the top of the socket where his arm bone should be.

"Captain Levi and Commander Erwin came and got me, they said you were upset." He moans, holding onto his left arm. I look up to see them standing just behind Peter, "You forgot these," Erwin cleared his throat and handed me my shirt and jacket. I didn't even realize I was still only in my pants and sports bra. "Thanks," I murmur as I take my shirt and jacket from Erwin. My cheeks were red and I refused to look up at him or Levi.

"Here, let me fix that," I say to Peter, examining his shoulder.

"No way, you're not touching my body." He groans as I kneel beside him. "Peter, you taught me how to pop them back in before with one of your patients, I can do it." I try to reason with him.

"No!" He growled.

... I think I have an idea.

"Peter, please! What will I do if something were to happen to make it worse? How long can you wait until someone else comes along to help? If you leave it too long it will only get worse!" I lean closer to him, "I would never forgive myself." My (e/c) eyes locked onto his, distracting him from my hands reaching toward his arm.

He looks at my lips as I move closer and closer. He doesn't move away or forward, and just before my lips touch his, I pop his shoulder back into place.

"Fuck!" Peter yells as he realized what I did, "You're the worst, you promised you would never use your seductive powers on me." I laughed and used my jacket to make him a sling as best I could, "Gotcha! You men are so easy to distract."

"So what happened?" Peter asks, looking at me seriously. My smile fades immediately at his question.

"Oluo," Levi snarled, "When we were in Stohess district, it seems he left his post to go to a lounge where he saw a portrait of (y/n). Apparently, he gave her some information about (y/n) in exchange for portraits of her, that he showed to as many people as he could."

Peter looked furious and looked at me again, I just smiled at him sadly, "It's fine, Peter," I say quietly, "I don't know what I was expecting, something like this was bound to happen."

"Are you seriously trying to defend him?" Levi asked. "No, I'm just saying they would have found out eventually. They know how to get information out of people, I should know, I did it for a time too. Plus I got a chance to defend myself against the lies."

I finally help Peter from off the ground and brushed him off a bit. "Whatever is going to happen, will happen. I don't see a point in talking about it anymore. I have to prepare myself for what is to come next."

"What do you mean?" Erwin asked, a worried expression on his face.

I try to give him a smile, but I just couldn't muster one right now. "Don't worry sir. It's me they're after, they won't bother you." Before they can say anything else, I salute them and jog back inside.

I need to punch something... Guess I'm heading to the training grounds.