It's a bird, it's a plane!

[humanities_strongest]

Who: Levi and YOU
Where: The Gardens
When: July 1st
Rating: ...Let's go with PG-13 for language
Summary: Levi's entrance into Wonderland is less than graceful.
The Story:

[Yo, Levi

Why was that annoying voice ringing in his ear? Maybe because that old fart was the last thing he heard, that and the sound of gunfire. Not a pleasant thing to dwell on, but most things in the mind of the Captain were not pleasant to begin with.

The cold chill of the wind whipped through his hair as the goosebumps started to form on his skin. What was going on? He remembered it was chilly in the town they had been in, but this was a bit much. It was then that his stomach began to turn into his throat. His head spun even though his eyes were shut. This feeling of sickness was something he could only describe by comparing it to when 3D gear failed to catch. It was the feeling of falling.

Steel eyes snapped open at that to see the it wasn't just a feeling; he was falling, and from quite the distance. Above him was nothing but clouds, the sides of him were nothing but green plains, and below him was stone and water. His mind raced for a moment when he realized that was nothing for him to catch onto. Even with his 3D gear strapped to his sides, there were useless with no trees or buildings. His best bet was to get into the water, and hope that he didn't become a stain on the stone walkway.

He was falling fast, he didn't have time to think of another plan. His body turned so that he his stomach was to the earth with his legs and arms spread to slow his body down. It wasn't until the last possible moment that he tilt his body to fall feet first and collide into the water of the pond. The splash had enough force for quite a bit of water (and fish) to be displaced outside of the pond. Lucky for him it was deep enough for him to survive, but the crack he heard and the pain that was now in his left arm meant he didn't come out of this unscratched.

With his arm now held close to his body he pushed off of the bottom, but with nothing but his legs to power him back to the surface he found himself starting to sink once more. With stabbing pain in his body, he moved his arms to unhook his 3D gear from his hips. He would just have to get them later, right now he needed to figure out what the hell was going on.

There was a loud gasp for air as he broke the surface. Green algae hung off the side of his head and in his ear. How repulsive. His face was twisted into a disgusted sneer as he shook it off of him and latched onto the side of the pond. He finally had the time to see where exactly he was. The sun was warm, he could hear birds now and for some reason he heard music too. This was all too calm, where was the shitty town he had been in? The blood, the gunfire? This manor was one he had never seen before, and these gardens...they looked like they belonged in Wall Sina.]

What the fuck is this shit?

Comments

[humanities_greatest]

[Levi hadn't been the only one who had a bad arrival but Integra didn't exactly remember her trip. All she had was a torn up coat which she was carrying in her hands and an aching body. She saw the man falling and for a brief moment she was sure he was a goner until she heard that splash. Thankfully, he wasn't far off and when she caught sight of his state, she was sure if he could cuss, he was alive. A quick motion later and she was offering him the end of her sheathed blade.]

Grab on.

[Like hell she was going to get dirty for some stranger. She was being nice as it was. Only good deed for the day.]

[humanities_strongest]

[His head whipped around to face her, a little too quickly because that made his left shoulder sting quite a bit. Who the hell was she? He had excepted to be greeted with weapons drawn, and well he wasn't exactly wrong.

Still, it was weird to have someone willing to help him. Had she not seen the wanted posters?]

Who are you?

[Even if her jacket was ripped her clothes were still better than any peasant he had seen. It was just another tally for Wall Sina; because really that was the only logically explanation in his mind. Even then it wasn't a very solid solution; he still needed to figure out how he got from one wall to the other.]

[humanities_greatest]

[She noticed his altered state. Truth be told, she could understand why anyone normal would be losing their head but that just wasn't Integra's style. She stayed calm and collected.]

You may call me Sir Hellsing. Are you going to take it or not?

[humanities_strongest]

['Sir'? This was definitely a lady though. Oh well, he wasn't going to comment on that- not right now at least. His eyes narrowed slightly. She was armed, he wasn't. But that wasn't something he was too worried about. Not like he couldn't take care of himself, even with his gear at the bottom of the pond right now.

After a moment to think things over, and to realize just now nasty this fucking pond water was, he grabbed the end of the sheath with one of his hands.]

[humanities_greatest]

[She took a few steps back once he took a hold of her sheath and did her best to pull him out.]

You can stop worrying, I'm not you enemy. [Just in case you're still hesitating there.]

[humanities_strongest]

I'm not.

[The whole watching his friend get her face blown off, and falling through the sky into a pond was a little nerve racking but this woman didn't make him worry. He actually looked pretty calm now that he could breath properly.

Once she pulled him high enough he was able to step back onto his feet and on dry land. He looked down at his clothes, well they were ruined. He needed a bath stat. His worries of cleanliness must have made his thank you slip his mind because after a moment he stared back at her.]

Where am I?

[humanities_greatest]

I'm not sure considering I too arrived here not too long ago.

[She had the bruises to prove it. Her pants were dirty and maybe her hair wasn't all that perfect. A few stray twigs she hadn't gotten out was a clear indication she had a rough landing herself.]

This is not my world. Are you sure you don't find some familiarity in our surroundings?

[humanities_strongest]

[Not my world. Odd choice of words. Of anything he would have said that this wasn't his part of town, because really there was no way that they could be in another world...right?]

It looks like Wall Sina to me.

[Because you know what that is.]

[humanities_greatest]

You almost say it as if you're expecting me to know what that is.

[She sighs. Of course, the first body she meets in this place is an idiot. Excuse her as she starts moving away.]

[titanocidal]

[Dazed, confused, and a little bit nervous, Eren had been trying his best to keep a low profile as he passed the various oddities that this place had to offer. His heart pounded in his chest as he tried to make sense of things. There was an ocean here. A real one. He'd checked. It tasted like salt, just like Armin told him it would.

Guiltily, Eren would to himself that when he'd first seen the large body of water, his emotions had gotten the best of him. Instead of thinking like a soldier, he'd acted on impulse and ran to it. But now that his head was square on his shoulders again, the seriousness of the situation was setting in. There weren't any oceans inside of the walls...

As he headed through the gardens he heard the splash. He jolted to attention, keeping his guard up as he went to investigate. Maybe it was wishful thinking, but the voice that followed sounded oddly familiar...

Wait. Was that...?]

Captain?!

[humanities_strongest]

[Levi's head turned to glance over his shoulder as he heard that voice. It sounded like Eren, but how could that be? He had been kidnapped. Even if this was Wall Sina, there was no way Eren could have gotten away so quickly.

But lo and behold, there that shitty kid was.]

Eren?

[What the hell was going on here?]

[titanocidal]

[It was! Relief flooding through Eren's bones. Captain Levi was here! Surely, he'd have some answers. Eren rushed up to his commanding officer. A slight trace of a grin had begun to form on his face, but the moment he got a better look a Levi's state, it immediately dropped.]

Ah- Uhm.

[...] Would you like some help?

[humanities_strongest]

[Eren, you have so much explaining to do.]

Get my 3D gear. It's at the bottom of this shit covered pond.

[He needs to get the hell out of here right now. It takes him a few moments, but he finally finds a shallow part of the pond where he was able to stand and he helps himself out.]

[titanocidal]

[He went straight to work on that, clumsily kicking off his shoes and removing his shirt beforehand. It was waaaaay less awkward to just do as he was told and pretend not to notice. ...Even though he seriously wanted to know how Levi managed to fall into a pond, of all things.]

Yes, sir! I think I see it down there. Just a sec.

[And with that, jumped in.]

[humanities_strongest]

[He saw that look, Eren. What do you think he did? Trip and fell? Please, like he would ever be that clumsy. He could see Sasha or Connie doing that though...

While Eren was busy, Levi now had the time to take a look at his arm. He starts unhooking the rest of his harness with one hand and then pulls his wet shirt off. Ew, it smelled of pond and god knows what. He throws it behind him, not wanting it near him. His head now tilts towards his chest to take a look at the damages. A rather large black and purple bruise was forming from his left collar bone to the end of his shoulder.

Hm, that wasn't good, but it could be worse.]

[titanocidal]

[Don't worry, sir. He won't tell anyone...

Although the pond water wasn't the clearest, Eren was able to find and reach the gear easily enough. He was even able to bring it all up in one trip.

As he lugged everything out of the pond, he made sure to drain anything that had filled up with water. Finally feeling brave enough to look over at Lavi and assess his condition, he spared a worried frown, but held himself back from saying anything.]

[humanities_strongest]

[His eyes flicker back to Eren when he hears the sound of metal against stone. He feels relief seeing his gear isn't too damaged; soaking wet and with some dents, but nothing he couldn't repair.

He looks over to his subordinate once more. What's that look, Eren?]

Stop looking so constipated.

[If you are gonna say it, spill it.]

[strategisch]

In his room, which was also a fortress of books that he has basically stolen from the library, with his window open, Armin can't help but hear the massive splash of Levi plummeting into the garden pond. At first he isn't sure if he's going to involve himself in whatever is going on, as all sorts of possibilities spring to his mind; it could be that big black dragon fishing again, or someone having a fight to the death, or any other number of ridiculous happenings... But his curiosity always gets the better of him, and he equips the engine (sans blades and sheathes) of his gear to the harness he rarely takes off, and he rappels out his window to see what's up. If he took 10 flights of stairs, the whole thing might be over before he even gets there.

Once on the ground, he quickly realizes that he made the right decision. It has been some months now, but he'd never forget these faces.

"Eren! Captain Levi!" He runs towards the both of them-- why in the world are they so soaked? And the Captain is sporting a rather showy bruise, "How-- no, when did you get here?"

He's already calculating his explanation, depending on their answers. And he has some more questions for them too. But besides all that... well, he's happy. It's stupid, and he already feels guilty about it, but he's missed the Corps. Even if their presence was trivial in comparison to the entire mansion, and how badly they were needed back home, he's glad to have allies, friends, people he can trust without a second thought, here.

[titanocidal]

Another familiar voice? Eren had just started putting his shirt back on when he'd heard it. Quickly, he turns to look in the direction it came from.

"Armin!" A mixture of warmth and urgency in his voice, he stands up to greet his friend as he approaches.

It may have been months for Armin, but for Eren, their time apart hasn't been long at all. Even so, he's glad to see him. From the words Armin chose, he couldn't help but hope that his friend had some answers. "Hey, are you okay?! What on earth is going on?!"

[humanities_strongest]

Levi, while glad to see Armin, became even more confused now. Maybe Eren had been right for once, they really weren't in their world if Armin was asking how and when they got here.

"Just dropped in." Literally. "Explain to us what the hell is happening on the way to shelter." You have no idea how badly he wants a bath right now.

"Eren, grab my gear." He isn't carrying that with his shoulder in the condition it's in right now.

[strategisch]

"Y-yes, please come in," he beckons, leading them towards the mansion. In the back of his mind, he hopes to any god that might be listening that they don't run into Annie. None of them are ready for that yet.

"This is, um..." Armin pauses, not because he is unsure of himself, but because the truth is ridiculous, "well, this isn't anywhere near the Walls, as I'm sure you've already concluded. They call it 'Wonderland'. Everyone insists that it is in a world separate from our own, and quite frankly, after my time here, I'm inclined to believe them. It seems to operate by a set of rules all its own, ones that even us residents have a hard time comprehending..."

No. Too complicated. Start over.

"We don't know how we are brought here, nor how to get out. The forest and sea are very literally impossible to traverse, so even if there is something beyond them, there's no way of telling what. People only leave when it is their time, and none of us know when that is. I have been here for... 3 months, and still no such luck."

The Mansion, huge and opulent, is in view. It makes the finest dwellings in Sina look like doghouses in comparison.

[titanocidal]

'Just dropped in.' ...Did the captain just make a joke? Eren chooses not to comment. Instead, he obediently follows orders, taking charge of carrying the 3D maneuver gear. With another quick glance, he checks to make sure that Levi is fine to walk on his own before moving to follow Armin.

As he listened to Armin's explanation, both the first and the second, he tried to stay focused. ...But seeing how little of that he truly understands, he's not entirely sure if he's succeeding.

"Three months?" Eren repeats. He scrunches his brow together. No, no. That couldn't have been right. He must have misheard. The grounds and mansion were just so dominating that he'd gotten distracted. Yes, that had to be it.

[humanities_strongest]

Levi's couldn't hold back the look of surprise on his face. Three months? How? He just saw Armin that very day, it had only been a few hours tops.

"Wonderland? What a dumbass name." His shoulder shifts as he walks along side Armin, another shock of pain jolts his body. His jaw stiffens, but other then that he didn't react to it.

He opens his mouth to speak again, but his words cut off when he sees the manor. Damn, this is better than the royal castle itself. "Is that where we are staying?" It's giant, how the hell did he miss this place?

[strategisch]

"Time is a relative thing here. I've experienced it myself in a very rare situation. I first came here for about a month, and returned home exactly as I had left it, with no memories of the mansion, as if nothing had happened at all. Then, three months ago, I was brought back. Although it had been a few weeks in our world, eight months had passed here. The numbers don't add up at all-- common sense cannot be trusted."

Armin looks back at Levi, and nods.

"This is where everyone that has been misplaced lives. I would say between two and three hundred people reside here as of now. It... tends to have a mind of its own. I can explain it all with time."

[titanocidal]

Ah. So that's how it was. For some reason, hearing all of this so matter-of-factly from Armin makes it a little easier to accept. He feels like he should apologize for leaving Armin on his own for so long, but that can wait until later.

"A mind of it's own? Do you mean it's dangerous?" he asks instead.