"Back then I thought for sure it was all over for me. I thought I wasn't going to fight alongside you again. The darkness consumed me and the cold reached my bones. I was gone, I knew I was gone…but I woke up"

Chapter 1: Return

It was a bright, warm morning in Stohess. The birds chirped around as they flew guided by the tender morning breeze that was also messing around so playfully with Lance Corporal Levi's hair. He was busy walking out his hurt leg alongside Eren Jeager, who although was now more free to be by his own thanks to the Female Type Titan's help decided to stick around the Corporal until they received new orders. Stohess was now almost back to normal, the people walked on the streets as lively as they could, following their ways to shops or work despite all the destroyed buildings. Levi watched over all of them with sharp eyes, humanity had enemies inside the walls. There was bound to be more titan shifters among them, and he was more than careful over anyone who looked at Eren for too long. The 15 year old titan shifter was walking behind the Corporal, which made the latter sigh in annoyance. The kid's respect led him to go as far as walking behind Levi because of his hurt leg. The Lance Corporal stopped on his way and looked back at Eren.

"Brat, don't walk behind me. How am I supposed to see what you're doing when you're back there?" Levi glared at Eren making the younger bolt to his side like a scolded pup.

"I'm sorry sir" The 15 year old apologized and then smiled brightly as if he hadn't destroyed part of Stohess a few days ago.

"Jeager you're smiling, what the hell is it?" The older man seemed ticked off about how fresh that smile seemed and the he realized Eren just didn't smile.

"I have a terrible feeling Corporal" The younger replied. "Sir, don't you have a bad feeling too?"

In all honesty, who the hell didn't have a bad feeling these days. Levi couldn't get his stomach to settle the hell down and he found it rather very inconvenient that it didn't. For crying outloud when they had capture Annie Leonhardt they had also discovered the ugly truth about the walls. They had Colossal Titans inside them. Seriously, after that who in the hell wouldn't have a bad feeling about everything?
"Jeager give me one reason why we shouldn't all have a bad feeling right—"

"Lance Corporal! Your presence is required on the Survey Corps HQ sir!" A man no older than his twenty's came rushing towards the pair of men. He stopped to get air for a few seconds once he reached them and spoke formally, his right fist over his heart. "Commander Smith said it was about an oddity found outside of Karanese district. He needs you to go see him immediately"

"Oddity?" Levi asked with a questioning look on his face.

"I wasn't told anything else sir" The young man replied truthfully as Eren ogled Levi in awe and adoration.

"Well then, lead the way soldier. Eren don't just stand there and follow beside me"

"Sir, yes sir!"

"Good morning Erwin, may I know to what 'oddity' I owe this summoning to?" Levi entered the Commander's office wearing an annoyed expression not to said Commander's surprise.

The blond man sat by his oak wood desk full of papers and whatnot drinking a cup of what appeared to be coffee. "Found a titan Hanji deemed uninteresting?"

"Levi do you remember Shinganshina?" Erwin's voice was serious, sharp. Something was definitely not right, the Commander had brought up Shinganshina.

"Who doesn't Erwin, what is this about?" Levi could feel Eren stiffen besides him, the boy wasn't exactly comfortable with remembering the time he lost his mother. It just made him want to jump the walls to kill every titan he found on his way, which was obviously stupid and impossible in his current state.

The Commander stood up and walked over to where Levi and Eren were standing. He kept quiet as he nodded and went out the door giving them the signal to follow him. They walked past several rooms on the same corridor the office was before Erwin stopped before a door. He then looked at Levi and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"The oddity is in there, Levi I didn't call you here to interrogate her but rather to confirm her identity."
"Her?"

"You'll see, I'll wait here with Eren we'll come in after your call"

He nodded not so very excited over whatever he was to find behind the door. He went inside closing the door behind him and examined the room in search for this "her". The place was well lit, classic styled guest room with a large glass window adorned with red curtains as frames. A queen sized bed lay untouched to his right with fluffy looking gold sheets and ruby pillows, a love seat by the window, a tea table for three close to the door on his left and a large carpet in the middle of the room. He was estranged that he couldn't find a woman at first chance and thought that perhaps this was all some sort of nasty prank on Erwin's part ignoring how serious he looked.

He walked over to the window and looked right in his brainstorming of what was going on and spotted the elusive young woman. She appeared to be sleeping, her knees pressed against her chest and her head rested against the wall. She wore plain yet new clothes, a white sundress and leather boots. He walked closer to examine her better and noticed her arms and what was visible of her legs were covered in scratches and scars. She had shoulder length dirty blond hair and dark tanned skin. At first glance she looked incredibly frail but as Levi soon came to realize, she had strong looking arms and legs. This girl was stronger than her appearance led on to… and there was something about her.

The corporal took a closer look at her face and found her face quite familiar. Almond shaped eyes for what he could tell as she had them closed, bow shaped lips, a few freckles here and there… what was it about this face that seemed so damn familiar. The girl stirred in her sleep and Levi made a sudden move that alerted her of his presence close to her. She jumped up and threw a punch at Levi with no hesitation whatsoever before she jumped back and hit herself against the wall. Animal instincts, attack first and then escape. Levi barely evaded her fist as he fell back and recovered to watch how she bumped into the wall and fell butt first to the floor.

"Nice reflexes girl having trouble sleeping in bed?" He was about to add to his question when her pair of jade green eyes fell on his.

"Lehv-e… heichou?!" She spoke slowly and carefully, making sure she had chosen the correct words. Her eyes watered and she smiled brightly. "Heichou!"

It took him a moment to recover from realizing who she was. It took him more to get through the fact that that very woman was sitting in front of him.

"Heichou, no! Look out!"

A push, a rain of boulders, a titan. Everything had happened too fast for him to register back then. He hadn't realized the danger they were in, a mistake he had made sure he wouldn't commit again.

"Lehv-e heichou… I'm sorry…"

"Engel? Erika Engel?!"

/ /And this was the first chapter of my OC fanfiction relevant to Shingeki no Kyojin. I just had this idea in my head for a while now and decided to pass it on paper. It's an OC story that happens after Annie's capture and during the whole Titan's in Wall Rose arc. I dunno if anyone would like to read it I just happen to like writing this story for fun and although it happens after a cannon event, from this point onwards the story changes to fit in with Erika's story. Think of it more of a parallel dimension event, "what if…?" kinda thing. I'll post second chapter once I'm done fixing it and passing it on pc~! Also Erika calls Levi as "revi" unlike everyone else who call him "rivai" just to clarify the whole "Lehv-e" thing. / /