Hey Everyone! Long time no see!
Sorry I haven't been updating, I've been busy with graduation prep.
Well, I'm in April Vacation or have been and I've been trying to get some things updated.
I'll put up a new chapter for my other stories very soon! Thank you!
-CTS TT_TT
Chapter 1: The Return of The Phantom
A group of Survey Corps troupes glided past tall trees, rushing to where the flare was shot out from. Some followed behind on their horses. Winds racing past them, they kept their guards up for any abnormal titans around. But strangely, there were not any signs of the large beast.
Everyone found it strange, but said nothing.
Coming to the place they found a group of soldiers frozen in shock. Their eyes wide plastered with fear, their visages pale ash white with their mouths half open, but no one was able to speak.
The group followed the gaze of the frightened soldiers and their eyes widened at the scene in front of them. Dozens of titan bodies on the ground, all killed in one clean cut. In the middle of what seemed like an endless trail, one soldier sat in front of a freshly killed titan as she carved in to the body of the titan. Not minding the steaming heat and the rancid smell of the titan's blood, she reached in to the titan's body. Many watched in shock, as others flinched and gagged at the sound of squishing innards. The girl kept reaching in deeper, till she grasped a solid arm. Her eyes widened and she gave a firm tug on the body as she begged deeply in her heart. Her hands stained in titan's blood, she gave on last tug, till she fell back pulling out a body from the stomach.
She quickly sat up, pulling the body of a soldier up. The soldier's body permeated with the titan's blood and long white hair stained red. The girl held her close, but felt no beating of life. Finally, tears ran down her cheeks.
"Damn it..." she muttered shaking her head in disbelief, "DAMN IT!" she screamed holding the body closer.
~*~ Year 850, Wall Rose, Trost District
Few months before the graduation of the 104th Trainees Squad, the Survey Corps prepared for another expedition to gain back the lands of Wall Maria.
The Scouting Legion stood behind the gates, soon to be open. All eyes watched the group and gossiped as Levi was visible to the crowd. The citizens all boasted and cheered on the Corporal.
"Tsk." He muttered at the unwanted attention.
"Popular as always, Shorty." Hanji teased as she halted her stead beside him.
"Shut it, four-eyes."
"Hai, hai." She looked up to the closed gates and grinned, "I wonder what kind of Titans we'll meet this time!" she exclaimed, "I'm so excited!"
Levi looked away from her with disgust, "Tsk, weirdo…" he hissed as he stared at the gates with his emotionless gaze.
"I wonder if we'll see it again?" he heard among the crowd of soldiers.
"What?" another soldier chimed in, "What are you talking about?" she enquired.
"You mean you don't know?" Another retorted, "The Phantom." He explained, "The last few expeditions, some soldiers seen a cloaked figure in the abandoned towns."
"Probably a dead soldier from the Scouting Legions for revenge." Another soldier chimed in.
"Revenge?"
"Yeah, Three years ago on an expedition, a skilled soldier died on battle. Some say he was killed-"
"If you're here to just tell about dead soldiers you've come to the wrong place," A sharp voice cut in. The soldiers jumped and turned to Levi who was glaring slightly at them.
"Levi-Heichou!" the group tensed.
"You're better off being titans bait if you keep blabbering stupid rumors." He hissed.
"Y-yes! I apologize, Levi-Heichou!" They all exclaimed and looked away in fear. Levi sighed and headed back to his original place. Hanji glanced at him with a small smile.
"It is believable though, she was called 'the Phantom'," She began, "Maybe she's still alive, she was stubborn-"
"Hanji," Levi cut off, "Shut up," he hissed coldly. Unshaken by his bitterness, she just sighed and smiled.
"Okay, okay,"
Focusing back on the gates, Levi just remained silent waiting for Erwin's signal to move out. His grip on the reigns tighten as he started recalling memories of her.
Her long auburn hair tied back in to a pony tail by a black hair tie, her calm posture and the faint smile that appears each time when she stepped out of the "cage" surrounding her and saw a part of the new world.
"Tch."
Setting out in the lands of Wall Maria, the Survey Corps headed towards the target landmark in formation. But immediately a fight broke between the titans and humanity. Levi went ahead, taking out three titans easily. Landing on the close roof, he looked around counting the number of titans in his view. Glancing around, his eye caught the familiar landscape of the town. A few houses away from him, he saw the open grassy field, now littered with pieces of houses and dead titans.
"Geez, it's a waste to spend a whole day training on a warm day like this…" Heremembered her words suddenly, "It doesn't hurt to enjoy what we have now,"
"Heichou!" Petra called snapping him out of his thoughts. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah," Levi looked around and noticed the sudden change in the numbers of titans. "Oi,"
"Yes?"
"Is there a squad over there?" he asked.
"No," Petra replied.
Levi's eyes narrowed, "Petra, get some back up. I'm going to go ahead." After his order, he quickly head off ignoring Petra's calls. Swiftly moving around on the 3DMG, Levi noticed more titans falling to the ground as he got closer. Then his eyes widened at the cloaked figure standing on the back on the titan as it fell.
The cloaked figure jumped down on the ground and quickly headed to the soldier in the hand of the titans. Cutting the fingers, she pulled out the boy and set him to the ground.
"Are you okay?" a gentle voice asked. The dazed soldier looked up at the figure only could nod.
"W-Who are you?" he asked. The figure shook her head, "Are you an ally? Or an enemy?"
"That's not important now," she told him. Slowly getting up from the ground and turned to where two titans walked towards them. Switching her blades, she walked towards them slowly, "Now," she spoke, "How should I deal with you two?"
One of the titans loudly roared and reached out to her. Quickly using her 3DMG, she got on to a high roof and jumped towards the closest titan. The titan reached out quickly, but only to take hold of the black cloak.
"Heh~ you're pretty fast," A voice came from behind. Long auburn hair flew back as clear silver-blue eyes narrowed, "But, you're still slow," swinging forwards, she cleanly cut the back of the neck with a faint smile drawn on her face. Jumping on to the roofs again she turned to take care of the other titan, but heard the sound of scratching wire and a clean wind cutting sound. The titan fell, landing on the roof beside her but she remained unfazed.
Suddenly, a blade rested on her shoulder and a deep voice came from behind.
"Don't move," Levi told her, his eyes stern and sharp. The girl just sighed and let go of her weapons, letting them drop by her side.
"Well, it's been a long time," She said in a calm voice.
Without changing his glare, he put his blade down, "You-"
"Heichou!" Petra called with a few reinforcements, "Are you okay?"
"Heichou?" the girl questioned, "Hm~ so you became a Heichou? That's a surprise," she said with a smirk. Levi just stared at her, "Keep glaring at me like that and you'll grow more wrinkles," she chuckled.
Levi's glare just sharpened even more. The girl grinned and turned away.
"Well, I'll like to catch up in all, but this isn't the time, so bye!" Levi went to grab her, but she easily dodged him and stepped off the roof, vanishing in to thin air.
"What-?!"
"She vanished?!" Levi was about to go after her, but stopped seeing the Blue flare fly out in to the sky. His eyes narrowed and sighed.
Hearing the sound of the signal, the girl sighed in relief and headed back her 'home'. Entering an old house, she unlatched the gear from her straps and placed them by the door only to leave the house again. Walking around to the back, she came to an open land, where two of dirt mounds laid in front of her. Each with a wooden post stood on each, with the green cape draped over them.
"This time there weren't any being left behind." She spoke sitting on a crate. "Did Hanji come up with the new formation?" She asked the figure beside her. Levi stepped out from behind the house and walked over to her glancing at the graves.
"You did this?"
"Yeah, fire would have been too troublesome," she replied. She tilted her head down so she would be facing the dirt, her arms holding her up on the box. Levi took this time to take in her image.
She wore a simple white blouse and a short vest that showed her curve with long black pants and brown boots that made her look taller. She seemed thinner than the last time he seen her, yet she seemed healthier? There's wasn't an easier word to describe her.
"So?" she spoke snapping Human's Strongest Soldier out of his thoughts, "What are you going to do?" she asked.
"Head back to the wall with us; resist and you will be punished."
The girl tilted her head, "Hm… I'm low on gas so running is not an option…" she said out loud and got up, "Fine, I'll go" She complied, "But let me get some things." She told him heading to the house. Levi followed closely, keeping an eye on her. Stepping inside, he glanced around the small home. The place was well cleaned and organized, in one corner there were gas tanks piled neatly with her 3DMG resting beside it.
Following her to the second floor, he saw it was much simpler than the ground floor. There was just a single bed and a lamp desk next to it. The other item in the room was a small brown bureau, containing a few clothing, including an old, bloody uniform of the scouting legion.
After packing a few things, the girl walked over, grabbing an black leather journal on the bed.
"Okay, ready." She told him.
The rest of the scouting legion waited near the town counting the number of soldiers lost in battle and checking their supply. Levi's squad waited patiently for their leader to come back.
"Shorty sure is late," Hanji commented, "Where did he go?" Erwin looked up from his list and glanced at the direction the said Corporal left. He remained quiet, thinking of what he heard from other members of Levi's squad. "Oh, there he is."
"Levi-heichou!" "Heichou!"
Erwin saw Levi coming their way, but his eyes widened at the extra presence riding with him. Coming to a stop, Levi got off first and walked over to Erwin.
The two said nothing but stare at each other for a moment, but Erwin was the first to speak.
"Levi, what is going on?"
"You can see for yourself."
Turning his attention to the girl, Erwin just stared with a blank expression. Stepping off the horse, the girl just stood distant from the other soldiers as she kept her head down feeling the many eyes on her. She deeply sighed, crossing her arms.
"Why did I agree to go back?" she thought, "I still had enough gas to run-" She stopped herself of the thought, "No, with my condition-" The girl was cut off from her thought as she was suddenly thrown on to the ground, with a loud cry following from the one that tackled her.
"YOU'RE ALIVE!" The titan obsessed female screamed. She sat up, pulling up the girl with you, "I can't believe it! You're really live, Iyla!" She exclaimed shaking the female.
"H-Hanji…. You haven't changed…" the named girl muttered lowly.
Hanji shook her back and forth unable to contain her excitement.
"How? How did you survive? What did you eat- Titan meat? Did you eat off titan meat?!" Everyone gave a look of disgust at the female squad leader.
"How do you come to that conclusion?" Iyla asked shaking off Hanji's arms.
"How did it taste?" Hanji pressed on ignoring her last comment.
"I didn't eat titan meat." Iyla retorted.
"Eh~ not even once?"
"Quit saying such gross stuff."
Hanji got up and observed the small girl, then grinned, "Uwa~ so small…"
Iyla's eyes narrowed as they twitched slightly at Hanji's comment, "Did you say something?"
"Nothing~" Hanji laughed glomping the girl. She felt tears well up in the corner of her eyes, "I'm glad you're alive…" she murmured in a lower tone. Hanji squeezed Iyla tightly with a grin, "Mou~ you got me worried!"
"O-Oi! You're suffocating me!"
The giggle and yells stopped when there was a scoff behind them.
"Ahem," the two turned to Levi and Erwin, "Sorry to interrupt the reunion but-"
"Hanji, cuff her, she's under arrest." Levi ordered.
"Eh? Wait- What?!"
"Don't make me repeat myself," He hissed before walking over to his horse. Hanji glanced at Erwin, who gave a apologetic look and nodded. Sighing deeply, Hanji took out a pair of cuffs.
"Sorry, Iyla." She apologized as she locked them on to her wrist.
"Don't worry about it, I expected this much." Iyla told her and followed her to where she was to be guarded till they headed back to Wall Rose.