Levi's Loyalty

"What's this about me being your father?" Charlie, controlling the massive Anti-Hulk armor, asked in disbelief. He stared at the towering giant standing before him. Despite the battle scars and soot covering Levi's massive frame, the giant looked oddly cheerful. 

Levi, grinning as if he'd just been offered a plate of his favorite food, replied, "Oh, yeah! You're my dad now! Makes sense, doesn't it?" 

Charlie blinked behind his helmet. "What? Don't you already have a father?" 

Levi chuckled, his deep voice echoing across the battlefield. "Well, I did. You know, when I was born, I had a father like everyone else. But then I grew up and got stronger—much stronger. One day, he couldn't beat me anymore. And, well, you can't have someone weaker than you as your dad, right? That's just silly." 

Charlie sighed, crossing his metal-plated arms. "So… you overpowered your father and decided to demote him?" 

"Exactly!" Levi said with pride, as if this were the most logical thing in the world. "We swapped places. I became the father, and he became the son. That's how it works!" 

For a moment, Charlie was too stunned to reply. His face was a mixture of confusion and resignation. "That's not how it works. Not at all. But okay, sure, let's roll with that logic for now. You're saying I'm your dad because I beat you in a fight?" 

Levi nodded enthusiastically. "That's right! You're stronger than me, so you're the dad now. That's the rule." 

Charlie groaned. "Of course it is. Why wouldn't it be?" 

Levi didn't pick up on Charlie's sarcasm. Instead, he seemed genuinely thrilled. "I knew you'd understand, Dad!" 

"Stop calling me Dad!" Charlie snapped, though he couldn't help the exasperated chuckle that escaped. He shook his head, trying to steer the conversation back to something resembling sanity. "Alright, let's focus. What were you doing here? How did you find this place?" 

Levi scratched his head, his massive hand brushing away a smudge of soot. "Well, my clan told me about this big Star Boundary conference that's happening. Apparently, it's a really big deal. They said that if I could make it to the temple first, it'd be a huge win for our family. Like, next-level stuff. My… uh… my son told me that." 

Charlie raised an eyebrow. "Your son?" 

"Yeah! My old dad—uh, I mean, my son—he's the one who told me about it. He said that if I could just reach the temple, it'd bring glory to my clan. And, you know, I'm the strongest and smartest in my clan, so it made sense for me to go." 

"Strongest? Sure," Charlie muttered. "But smartest? Really?" 

Levi puffed out his chest with pride. "Absolutely! I'm known for my strength and my wisdom. They call me the bravest and brightest of my people!" 

Charlie suppressed a laugh. "Wisdom, huh? Okay, I'll bite. If you're so wise, how did you end up here, of all places?" 

Levi hesitated, his confident grin faltering. His eyes darted nervously as he tried to think of a response. "Oh, well, you see… I followed clues. Yeah, that's it! I noticed things—like footprints, broken branches, little details. I put all the clues together, used my brilliant mind, and figured out this was the place!" 

Inside Charlie's suit, the lie detector immediately flagged the statement. Not that he needed advanced technology to see through the giant's feeble attempt at deception. Levi's twitching eyes and awkward tone made it painfully obvious he was lying. 

"Uh-huh," Charlie said, crossing his arms again. "Try again, Levi. What really happened?" 

Levi sighed, his shoulders slumping. "Alright, fine. I got lost, okay? This whole planet looks the same—just dirt and rocks everywhere! I wandered around for hours, and then, by chance, I stumbled on this camp. That's it." 

Charlie raised an eyebrow inside the suit. "You're telling me you just happened to find this camp because you got lost?" 

Levi nodded quickly. "Exactly! Pure coincidence. Honest!" 

The lie detector confirmed the truth of this statement, but Charlie wasn't convinced there wasn't more to the story. "Alright. Then why did you lie earlier?" 

Levi shuffled his feet, looking embarrassed. "Because… well, I didn't want you to think I was stupid. I mean, getting lost doesn't sound very smart, does it? I've got a reputation to maintain!" 

Charlie couldn't hold back his laughter any longer. "A reputation? Levi, I hate to break it to you, but getting lost isn't exactly a mark of genius." 

[TL Note - No shit, dumbass, that's why he lied]

Levi looked hurt for a moment, then shrugged. "Maybe not, but I was having an off day. It happens!" 

Shaking his head, Charlie decided to press further. "Alright, so you got lost and ended up here. But why stick around? What were you hoping to accomplish?" 

Levi's face lit up again. "Oh, well, once I realized this was a Cantel camp, I remembered something my son told me. He said the Cantel clan had a wanted man—someone really important. I figured if I could capture him, it'd be a big deal. Maybe even bigger than getting to the temple!" 

Charlie tilted his head, considering Levi's words. It was clear the giant wasn't lying, but his story still raised questions. "So, you were just hoping to get lucky and find this wanted man?" 

"Pretty much!" Levi said cheerfully. 

Charlie sighed again. "Alright, Levi. I've heard enough. You're free to go… for now. But if I need you, I'll call." 

Levi's expression shifted to one of panic. "Wait! You're leaving me here? Dad, don't leave me behind! Take me with you!" 

"First of all, stop calling me Dad!" Charlie said, exasperated. "Second, I don't need you tagging along. You'd slow me down." 

Levi looked genuinely hurt. "But I'm strong! I can fight! I'll be useful, I promise!" 

Charlie shook his head. "You're strong, sure, but you're not exactly subtle. I've got things to do, Levi, and dragging a giant around isn't one of them." 

Levi sighed, his shoulders slumping again. "Alright… but if you ever need me, just say the word. I'll be there, Dad—I mean, uh, Sir!" 

Charlie activated the thrusters on his suit, lifting off the ground and ascending into the sky. As he disappeared into the distance, Levi's eyes fell on the corpse of the Cantel army commander lying nearby. 

"Bounty!" Levi called after Charlie. "Your bounty!" 

Charlie's voice crackled through the communicator. "Keep it. Consider it a gift." 

Levi stared at the body, then back at the rapidly shrinking figure of Charlie in the sky. A grin spread across his face. "This new dad is too kind," he muttered. 

And with that, Levi sat down beside the corpse, content to wait for his "father's" next call.