PLEASE DO NOT READ IF YOU HAVE'NT READ PAST CHAPTER 35 OF THE MANGA

To help with character development and just because I want to, Squad Levi consisting of Eld, Gunther, Oluo and Petra are still alive; cause I love them…. And they died to soon ;-; Also, even though I don't endorse cursing, there will be a good amount of it in here as it is to keep the characters…. Well… In character. And there is gonna be violence and stuff sooo….. watch out kiddies!

The story thus far:

Annie Leonheart, the Female Titan shifter, is now in custody of the Military Police. The city is in shambles after her and Eren's great battle, and to add on to that, a titan has been found inside the damaged wall, along with news of a compromise in Wall Rose. Hundreds of titans now pour in, and with little other choice, Squad Levi, among others, are sent to deliver Eren to the breach in an attempt to secure the wall once more. Commander Erwin has devised to implement a small recon formation, consisting of a select number of soldiers to protect Eren until the destination is met.

Regular

Thoughts/Memories/Flackbacks/Ect

*sound effects*

This story is told from the point of view of Lance Corporal Levi

Chapter 1:

Unexpected Discovery

Year 850- Wall Sina gate

"ONWARD!"

And so it began. The small company to both of my sides lurch forward, and with them, I spur my horse to join. Hooves dance across the ground as we speed along, nothing but the sound of thudding dirt, the breathing of the horses, and the flap of our mantles accompanying our journey.

Travel is swift as we make our way across the vast empty land, slicing our way through titan territory in a bee line for Wall Rose. With nothing but green fields and a cloudy blue sky to entertain us, there isn't much to do while upon horseback, and so to pass the time, I focus my mind on the people around me.

Commander Erwin heads the formation just a few horse lengths ahead, with Mike Zacharius and Hanji Zoe to my flanks. To my rear race my squad; Petra and Oluo to my left, and Eld and Gunther to my right with that brat Eren between them. Beyond that is the select best of the 104th trainees: Sasha Blouse, Connie Springer, Mikasa Ackerman, Armin Arlert, Bertolt Hoover, Jean Kirstein, and Reiner Braun. A small, compressed group with a single goal: Get Eren to Wall Rose.

"Titan! To the left!"

Mike's voice penetrates the air and breaks me out of my mental assessment. Immediately Erwin lifts his arm and signals to his right, commanding change of course. Some from within our central group fires a flare and, as one, the whole unit follows Erwin's direction. Soon, the offending titan is out of sight.

'A small, skilled group…. That is all we need. Following the protocol of the Long Range Travel Formation, the goal is to alter our course according to titan sightings. Avoid conflict as much as possible and cut a swift route to the wall…'

Erwin is a brilliant man, and his orders more so. This plan of his is extraordinary, and as of now, highly successful.

Already, an hour has passed since our expedition began, and our course has had to alter many times, but with our speed and small size, there has been no fighting, and even with the detours, we are making great time.

"There aren't as many titans out it seems. We're lucky to have come this far so easily." Petra voices behind me, sounding both relieved and alert.

Oluo lets out a coarse grunt in answer, "Of course. There is no way their ugly little legs could keep up with us anyway."

"Even so, we can't let our guard down."

"Tch. What are you Gunther, a trainee?" Oluo replies, voice heavily condescending. "Those gigantic bastards are no match to us. You hear that Eren!? Squad Levi is the best of the best, so don't you go around wailing like Gunther and Pet… *SQUELCH*"

Petra's sigh drones from behind me, and I can almost feel her exasperation.

"I swear Oluo, you're going to bite your tongue clean off…" she mutters.

Oluo replies with a rebuking sneer, though I'm positive it just makes him look idiotic with a mouth and chin covered in blood.

"That's enough."

Eld, my second in command, calls forward.

"If you two are just going to bicker then keep your mouth shut and eyes peeled. We are only half way to our destination, and anything can happen."

All fall silent again at his words, and they thankfully keep it for the next few miles before Petra speaks up once more, voice more hushed and serious.

"I don't like the look of the sky over there…."

We all turn to where she motions, none of us having noticed the wall of darkness descending upon us from the right.

"Are those clouds?"

"I think so Eren. And nothing good either…."

"Yeah. The weather has been unpredictable for a while now." Gunther adds, pausing to make a sound of displeasure. "Let's just hope we make it to the wall before it hits."

Though I can't see any of them, their apprehension is palpable. Even with my head facing forward, obediently following Erwin with my eyes, I know everyone is wearing a similar look as my own. A storm would compromise the entire mission: earth would be slick under hoof, visibility would be cut substantially, and our signal flares would be useless. Even with such a small group, it's just too easy to become separated, so the flares are essential.

But even as the menacing thunderhead draws closer, Erwin's figure stays steady, uncompromising and charging steadily ahead.

The mission still will continue.

I've been under his leadership for years, and I place all my confidence and trust in him, yet a small ball of apprehension sits in my stomach as my eyes take in the darkening mass coming straight for us. Nothing good awaits us there, yet all I can do is clench the reins in my fists and push on.

"Corporal!"

Petra's scream screeches across my mind as she steers her horse dramatically around, avoiding a titan by mere feet. Oluo and Gunther yell at one another behind me as they follow my lead, steering Eren on his jittery horse from his place between them. Rain stings my eyes as we race, aberrants hot on our tails. Everything went wrong so fast….

The impending storm crashed upon us sooner than anyone of us expected, and it came at us in full fury. Gusts nearly blew our horses off their feet and rain was a downpour. Ground turned to mush in minutes and visibility shrunk to near zero. I could barely even see my companions beside me.

"This is no good. We won't make any progress at all in this." Hanji frowns into the rain. "Erwin! It's nearly impossible to continue! We need to head back!"

At this, Erwin sat up in his horse slightly, dropped in speed until he was at level with Hanji's horse and mine.

"Then what? Fighting through this trying to head back is useless. Wall Rose is closer. There will be maintenance buildings placed at intervals around the interior. We will follow the wall until we reach one. Understood?"

It was so easy for Hanji, Mike and I to nod in agreement back then. It was just a simple plan, and yet…

What of our luck, that we would happen right upon the breach? And the titan count is enormous. They are everywhere. I can hear the trainee's screams from behind me as we approach the wall, and with grim revelation, I know that there is no hope in us finding shelter here.

Titans line the entrance like some sort of damned funnel trap. They fan to either side, wandering mindlessly, but their sheer numbers make it impossible to steer through. Only the breach is open, by some demented stroke of luck.

We can't stop; We couldn't turn around; We can't do anything for fear that the monsters surrounding our small group will descend upon us and devour us all. We have no choice.

Barreling as close together as we can, we gallop our way towards the breach, the tall, stone walls reaching up to the sky on either side. With great speed, we manage to squeeze through the crack, the storm winds blasting off our hoods and blinding us with needle-like rain and sheer force. Before we know it, we are inside Wall Maria, and we are greeted by the assemblage of death that awaits us.

Just beyond the wall's dark shadows are clusters of titans, and thanks to the sound of our stampede, each group turns their head to the sound and promptly give chase. The onslaught of pursuing titans is so perilous that Sasha almost kills herself by attempting to run out of formation in a blind panic. If it weren't for Reiner grabbing hold of her horse, she probably would have succeeded.

Everyone is aghast at the hoard following us, myself included, but we have to keep going forward, otherwise we will all be killed. As it is right now, Commander Erwin is our only hope, and even with chaos and fear all around us, he keeps his head forward, charging determinedly away from our pursuers. All we can do now is follow his example and pray that the next minute wont be our last.

There is no escape.

The rain fed mud slush slows us down, just out of the titans reach, and since the damn things seem to never tire while flailing after their prey, they don't relent. A group of eight follows us now: three 5 meter classes, one 3 meter, and four 15 meter classes, each pursuing us with arms flailing and ugly mouths agape like saliva covered grins.

We can't turn around lest we get eaten. Only a few moments before, Erwin had tried to swing us away in an arc to lose the titans behind us, but with the ground so slick, any movement to turn or swerve resulted in the horses losing their footing.

And even if we could have managed to turn around, where would we go? Maria is a wasteland here. Due to the vast emptiness of the landscape, wind pushes against us constantly, so forcefully at times that I have to cling to my horse with my legs or be blown clean off.

That is how we survive for the next two hours: Running for our lives. Our horses were well past tired, but we can't stop. What else are we to do?

Wall Maria is in our sight now. At least we made it to the towns.

Our flock of chasing titans stopped once we entered the district, and for a moment, we all thought we finally made it.

But as we glide through the empty streets, things couldn't have been farther from the truth. The abandoned town is even more congested with titans than outside. Thanks to most of these abominations being incredibly stupid, many have wandered into the district by accident through the open gate, but couldn't figure out how to leave. And so their numbers have grown astoundingly. There seems to be a titan for every house we pass, and now that we were inside, there is next to no hope. The only sounds are hooves against stone, and every giant follows the noise.

In just minutes, it is chaos….

Now it's just my squad and I, four aberrants careening for us.

We lost the others in the maze of town streets as we all did what we could to run. There was no way to keep formation anymore, and once some blundering titan sundered into our path, we had no choice but to split into the alleyways. And from there, all communication was lost.

Oluo and Petra scream my name again as I steer them hard right, the looming titan waiting for us on that street colliding into the building we were just in front of, having thrown all its weight into grabbing one of us. The rain hasn't let up, though thanks to the walls, the wind has died down.

Left, right, left, left again… How long can we keep this up? All our lives rest heavy on my shoulders, and I am determined to get us out alive. But all I can do is run circles in this god forsaken village.

'Switching to 3D movement gear is suicide. And we can't dare lose the horses.' My thoughts remind me once more.

We just have to run; run for our lives like damn roaches.

'The gate. We have to reach the gate.'

Maybe, just maybe, we can make a run for it. Outside the walls has got to be better than in here. This district is certain death. At least outside, we may have a chance… even if we have to slice our way through.

"Everyone! Ready your blades!"

I feel their eyes on me as a space appears ahead, a small gap in the wall. The gate. Blood and adrenaline rush through my body as I turn my head to look at my subordinates, each boring their gaze into mine.

"We're charging the gate! Keep your blades ready to strike but stay on your horses!"

"But Corporal! That's suicide!" Oluo screams, and it's easy to see his fear.

"We'll die! There has to be another way! Corporal! Please!"

Petra's eyes dance with tears as she begs with me.

"Corporal, we can still try to find the others. They must be nearby!"

"We can't just abandon them!"

Erd and Gunther, always trying to keep their wits about them, but they still stare with wide, horrid eyes. As much as they want to, they don't believe their words any more than I do. This mission was long since finished. There is nothing I can do for the others now, where ever they are. My main priority now is to guide these soldiers to safety.

'If there is such a thing.'

My gaze travels to Eren, and I'm unsurprised to see that look in his eyes. It's a mixture of terror, anger, doubt, and overwhelming determination to stay alive. He returns my gaze without saying a word, and he doesn't have to. I face forward again. The gate draws closer.

'This is it.'

Time seems to slow as we near it, and titans greet us with open mouths. 300 meters…. 200 meters… 100 meters… With a great yell, we charge through, titan bodies coming upon us. My blades slice into the fingers of a giant, cleaving them off with sheer force. Eren yells as Gunther screams. Petra cries out his name. I can't look back now…. *SHLING* Not yet…. *CRUNCH* Not until we reach the gate….

With a final yell, we stampede through, a hundred fingers gripping us, and then….. we are outside.

The wind picks up again, throwing water into my eyes.

"Corporal! Gunther!"

Eld's voice brings me back. Turning, I see only emptiness behind me. Gunther and his horse are gone.

"He's there! On the wall!"

Eren stares up at the tiny speck of an object hanging from the outside of the wall, and I immediately take charge.

"Eld! Petra! Eren! Stick close!"

With that, I slow my horse and turn. Even at a steady trot, we nearly slide in the mud.

Blessed luck there are no titans near enough to reach us. All the ones inside the wall are too damn stupid to make it out.

Thundering back, I catch sight of Gunther hanging from his gear on the wall. He's alive, but even from here I can tell that a leg should not bend that way.

Reaching the entrance of the gate again, the brown haired man swings free of the wall and lands heavily on Oluo's horse, crying out in agony.

"Let's move!"

Just as quickly as we returned, we left, Wall Maria growing distant behind us.

One horse down, one soldier injured, but all alive. Even within complete titan territory, a small bit of relief blooms in my chest. We made it.

All was silent as we ride, barely able to hold a fast trot as exhausted as the horses are. At least in this open place, no titans are near, and for a moment, we all can breathe easier. Eld paces up next to me, face grim.

"What now?"

I decide easily enough.

"Shelter first. We're sitting ducks as we are now."

A quick nod is his only response before returning to his spot near the back. For now, everyone is on the lookout for some kind of sanctuary, any kind.

We don't come across anything until Wall Maria is well behind us, and just in time too. Oluo's horse can't go on, but just past the distant horizon not but a mile away lays a forest. Not like the forest of giant trees, but a regular one, dense and full from the looks of it, and about as titan free as we'll ever get.

Oluo's horse collapses when we finally stop just outside the treeline. The extra weight and strain was too much for the creature, so now Gunther is forced to ride with Eren, and Oluo with Petra.

Once situated, I give the order for us to start moving again, and with nay a word, I lead them into these strange woods.

Unlike the hell we just had to endure to even get here, travel through the forest is slow and uneventful, nothing but trees and dirt and silence. We trod along for a good while; I'm not about to compromise distance and chance us being ambushed, and I'm making damn sure we are deep in before I even begin to think of stopping to rest. Even in this seemingly empty forest, we can only pray we are alone in here.

And so time passes…. And passes… and passes…. With each minute, confidence in our safety grows, and soon enough, I feel confident enough to stop.

"We'll stop here."

All draw to a halt. It is almost dark now, the overhanging branches of trees hiding what limited daylight we have, and bugs chirp and buzz all around us.

"Good. At least the rain has stopped…" Petra replies softly, hopping off her horse to assist Gunther.

"My ass is drenched to the bone."

"I think all of us are Oluo…." Gunther sighs before grunting in pain as he slides off the horse, balancing between Petra and his right leg.

Soon, our four remaining horses are tethered and everyone is grounded. Eld and Oluo staring into the forest with looks of forlorn; Gunther on the ground with his injured leg in Petra's hands, and Eren watching on, tearing up a mantle to create bandages.

"Damn…" Gunther curses through clenched teeth, watching Petra as she does her best to tend to his leg. "Nearly cleaved my own leg off trying to get away…. I can't believe I let one of them grab me like that. Stupid…."

"Don't beat yourself up Gunther," Petra soothes, soaking up blood with her own mantle, turning the fabric even darker. "There were so many…. I jarred my shoulder when I tried to cut the fingers off one that was grabbing for me."

Eren nods beside them, face grim. "But we made it, thanks to Corporal…"

Petra starts to nod in agreement, but I cut her off with a disapproving scoff.

"Don't thank me just yet."

She moves to say something in objection, but I stop her again with wave of my hand.

"We still have no idea where we are, or where the hell the rest of the team is, if they are even alive."

With that, I turn and take out my blades.

"I'm going to do a scouting circle. You all stay here. Eld, take charge."

Without letting them have time to recover, I cast out my lines and fly off into the trees.

There is just enough light to see by, but not much else. Everything is silent and green as I make my round, and for the first time in hours, it seems calm and I can finally start to think to myself again.

We lost sight of the others inside the district. Erwin would probably have done the same thing we had and try to escape through the gate. Either that or scale the wall, though that would sacrifice all their horses and meager supplies.

The more I think of the whole situation, the more aggravated I become about the entire ordeal. The mission failed, now he and my squad are stranded in the middle of titan territory with no supplies and only four exhausted horses.

"What the hell did we get into…."

My voice entertains no one but myself as I fly from branch to branch, dodging annoyingly dense foliage and splattering water drops. Everything looks the same from up here, though at least there doesn't seem to be any titans near. Nothing but green and more green… wait…

A flash of… something… appears in my peripheral and I stop immediately and turn around. Nothing. No, there WAS something there, I know.

Gripping my blades, I jump down the trees, limb to limb, eyes scanning for any kind of movement. None comes. I stop again on the lowest branch of some kind of tree covered in strong smelling needles and peer cautiously around the trunk.

"Well I be damned…"

Even I can hear the surprise in my voice.

Just beyond the cover of low lying branches lays the perpetrator of the flash that caught my eye. It was the reflection of sunlight off of glass… glass from the window of a house. I honestly can't believe my eyes, but there it is, nuzzled in the woods just below me. Stone walls, wooden roof… old as hell but still together.

"As good a shelter as we could ever hope to find."

We just might make it through the night now thanks to this, and my blood seems to teem with new energy as I race back to my team.

"Corporal!" Eld calls as I land skillfully beside them. "Everything clear?"

"Yes. And better."

At that, everyone turns to look at me, a mixture of confusion and curiosity.

"Better?" Eren asks from his place beside a heavily bandaged Gunther and worn out Petra, all sitting on a fallen tree trunk.

I nod to them.

"There's a house near here."

All their faces drop, astonishment clear on all of them.

"What?!"

"Are you serious Corporal?!"

"A house? HERE? How is that even possible?!"

I shush them with a wave of my hand.

"It looks old. Probably build before the walls. But it's still in one piece. There are no titans anywhere near here, so it's safe."

It still takes a few seconds for it all to sink in.

"You're serious…" Oluo whispers, wide eyed despite himself.

"Yes. Now get on your horses. We need to make it there before dark otherwise we'll all break our ankles trying to get there."

As one, they nod and move into action. All gather their steeds, Petra assisting Gunther onto her own again, then we are off. Weaving in and out of trees to the sound of brush clears my mind, and each step seems like a step closer to survival.

Before we know it, we are there. We all stare at the quaint building while tethering the horses one last time. It is small and obviously very old, but sturdy. Stones make up the walls with only a few small, square windows to break up the structure. Bushes and vines crawl into every crevasse and crack, threading their way into the walls like a web of greenery. A heavy wooden door greets us at the entrance, slightly ajar as if to invite us in.

"Oh wow…"

Creaky wooden floors sound at our arrival inside, and though it is heavily shadowed from the forest blocking what little light is still shining from the falling sun, it is… nice.

Nothing decorates the walls, but to our left there is a living room of sorts, complete with a plump looking couch, rocking chair, a hole in the wall for a fire place, and a table that seems to have been made from a thick horizontal slice of tree trunk; its edges still bearing little bits of bark and rings rippling out in uneven circles across the top.

To our right is a crude kitchen. A basin that might have served as a sink some time ago sits upon a simple wooden counter. A few matching cabinets adorn the wall above along with a mish mash of utensils such as knives and wooden spoons.

Beyond the kitchen and living room is some sort of short hallway, but the hall is too deep in shadow to see clearly.

"This is perfect…" Petra sighs behind me, Gunther's arm wrapped around her neck for support.

With a few grunts, she manages to lead him to the couch in a few short hops, Gunther showing a great deal of relief as he lays back into it.

"Man this is great…."

"It is…." Eren murmurs behind me, looking around with wide eyes.

"You never seen a house before?" I chide at him, a deep frown set upon my face. "You gawk your eyes at everything, and it's freaking annoying."

At that he stiffens and looks at me as if I had whipped him. Perhaps I should. All that childish awe is bullshit and needs to go.

"Go check the rest of the house and try to find something useful. Got it?"

"Yes sir!"

Boots clatter as he skitters away, and I let out a grunt, closing the front door that the stupid brat left open.

"I could get used to this!" Oluo says, arms behind his head and eyes closed from where he sits in the rocking chair, a content grin on his face.

Petra shrugs her shoulders and leans against the wall as she answers, "Certainly better than sleeping in the woods."

Eld nods in agreement, joining Petra by taking a seat on the floor and resting back against the wall.

"Damn right it is. Well… now that everyone is all settled and happy…" Oluo grunts, lifting himself out of his chair. "… I gotta take a piss."

"Oluo! We don't need to know that!" Petra scolds him, getting that exasperated look on her face like she always does whenever the buffoon says something disgusting or stupid.

"Whatever…." He answers back before leaving and shutting the front door firmly behind him.

"Disgusting pig…" Petra moans, leaning her head on the wall behind her.

Silence comes again and finally, we have a time to rest. With nothing else to hold my attention, I scan the interior again, soaking in every detail.

It has leaked rainwater in here before if the large slabs of wood nailed in places on the ceiling are anything to go by. And there is a small table by the fireplace that I didn't notice before, wooden like everything else in here and bare save for a carving knife and a coarsely cut block of wood.

The kitchen is nice and tidy, all the knives lined up in a block side by side. The basin is clean, and an assortment of plants hang from a stretch of twine above it, drying in front of a window.

A broom sits in a corner by the front door. A folded cloth lays on the large tree trunk table. Everything is in its place….

An itchy feeling enters my stomach.

'Something…. Is off….'

I scan the room again, and the feeling only grows… It's true. Nothing is out of place, and everything from the furniture to the floors are nice and well kept as if…

I suddenly bolt upright, face hard and startle both Petra and Gunther from their quiet dazes. Eld lifts his head in interest.

"Get out your blades."

All just look at me stupidly at my sudden order.

"I… I'm sorry?" Petra replies.

Instead of answering her directly, I pierce her with a sharp gaze.

"Look around. What do you see?"

They follow my instructions and take a moment to take the room in, looks of puzzlement never leaving their faces.

"Nothing. Everything looks fine Corporal."

"Yeah." Gunther grunts, sitting up gingerly. "It's nice here. Is there a problem?"

I nod.

"It's very nice for a house that's sat abandoned in the woods for ages…"

At my slide comment, comprehension suddenly comes to them and everyone is instantly on high alert, Petra standing with her hands on the hilt of her blades with Eld standing stoically beside her.

"But how can anyone live out here?"

"Who knows, but someone has…"

All falls quiet, and my thoughts come quick. Eren's face pops in my mind.

'He doesn't know.'

Just as I'm about to call out his name, a yell erupts from deep within the house, my name reverberating off the walls in panic.

"Eren!"

Petra slides out her blades and rushes down the hall, me hot on her heels with Eld not far behind, all of us following the sounds of struggle.

The house isn't large, so it only takes us a few seconds to reach the back room and discover the source of the distress.

There, just in front of an open door built into the floor stands Eren, stiff and visibly panic stricken. Before either Petra, Eld or I can make a move, a body appears from behind Eren.

A petite hand rests a knife against the young man's throat and a slight form makes itself known. From behind a ruffled curtain of dark ginger hair glares a pair of glowing, piercing eyes.

"Who are you and how did you find me!?"

*Authors Note*

UPDATED 10-15 Fixed minor grammar errors and tense errors. New readers, Please excuse my horrid writing in these early chapters. I'm currently in the middle of rewriting them, and it will take me some time. Grammar and writing skill DO improve later on I PROMISE. Just bear with me please. Thank you.

Thank you for taking time to read through this hot mess. After many years of hiatus, I've finally felt the urge to write again, thus, this came out. Please PLEASE let me know how it was. Did you like it? Hate it? Questions? Whatever! Leave it all in a review! Just so you know, reviews are my life blood, and the more I get, the more pushed I am to continue. Thank you again and don't hesitate to share your thoughts, cause if you don't, I'll kill you. Just kidding! XD But…. Seriously… tell me, cause I'm thirsty for critique. Til next time!

-Ambi