Author Note: I've been working on this for a couple of months now, but I do believe this story is ready. Do listen to this, if you'd like, while reading. Music belongs to their original creators. Thank you for reading, and I hope that you shall enjoy it. Feel free to leave feedback. I've moved this from Quotev to Tumblr, Wattpad, and now to .
Noticeable bags had formed under the Corporal's tired eyes. His onyx irises were fixated on the sky of the forthcoming dawn, or what he could see within these accursed walls of confinement. Reds, oranges,, and various shades of gold clashed together to create a wonderful image no photographer or artist could ever hope to capture. He'd seen the same thing thousands of times, and they never failed to bring back memories, that of a distant past. "Isn't this great, Big Bro?" A young female chimed. Her short red hair in twin ponytails bounced as her emerald orbs directed upward, to the starry sky. A large grin lay on her tan face, as she sat mesmerized on the cool roof and speckles. A tall blonde smiled softly at the beautifstekeisplayed by the cosmos. His blue eyes reflected what they had to offer as he was in a state of inner peace. Levi's orbs glanced at his two friends, smiling softly, and watched the sky as the dawn slower crept it's way onto the stage of the sky. That time of happiness was short lived. It wasn't long until his two closest friends fell victim to those monsters beyond the protection of the walls.
Yet that wasn't the end of this tragic tale. Later, he became a corporal and had his own squad with the strongest bond of trust they could ever have. Though, just like his older friends, they were gone in an instant. Who got rid of them was obvious. The thought of their horrid fates, their contorted forms.. He didn't want to see anymore comrades like that, never again. "Corporal?" The brunette called. "Uh, Corporal, sir? It's time to advance further." Hearing his voice brought Levi back to cruel reality.
"Yeah," Levi replied, "I know that. Let's go." With that, their brief conversation ended and they awaited for orders to advance further and past these great yet vulnerable walls. By Erwin's command, the soldiers galloped through, passing the gate, and into the Outside World. Within minutes, monstrous giants were in view, but they hadn't engaged.
"Only engage if necessary!" Erwin decreed, "Otherwise, leave them be!" It'd be better to get rid of these accursed monsters, rid of them all, but that wasn't a very bright thought. That would result in more fallen comrades, and Levi didn't want that. "Split apart and head towards our destination!" The Corporal glanced at the top soldiers behind him with his signature frown. He didn't recognize them on the spot, other than the annoying brat Jaeger, and he knew they weren't his team. The thought of his fallen team, the original squad members, caused the older male to grimace. His thoughts were interrupted by a nearby inhumane scream, which made his head shoot up. A titan was running straight at them, and Jaeger decided to be the first to take action. "Jaeger!" Levi barked, "return to-"
"No way!" Eren retorted, eyes burning with a raging passion. Once hooking onto the monster's neck, the brunette lurched forward and, with the propulsion from the three-dimensional maneuver gear's gas, soared to the titan. He hastily withdrew the handles that held the blades he'd use to slaughter the large being. Raising the blades above his head, Eren swung and attempted to slice through the thick flesh. He was stopped midway when his cord was pulled and was slammed into the earth under. The second the Corporal saw movement, he had hopped off his horse and hooked onto the large monster, using his gas to propel forth and near its hands. Within seconds, steam surged from its missing forearm as a loud screech erupted from its lips. Drawing his blades back, Levi hooked onto the titan's nape and sliced some flesh off. More steam blew from the newly exposed meat as the titan's body began to deteriorate. "Just what were you doing, Jaeger?" He snapped.
"Fighting the-"
"Do you realize what would've resulted from that action? Attacking head on will not always save you," Levi spat. "I know that you choose your own fate, but remember the lives you put at stea." The shorter male's dark eyes bore into the other's. "Don't act rash next time a titan comes. Now, let's go-"
Soon, another screech echoed. Large footsteps could be heard, causing the Corporal to silently curse as the ground below their feet shook. "Attention, the titans are coming!" He commanded. "Prepare your blades and be ready to engage! They may attempt to wipe us out." The other squad members withdrew their stainless, sharp blades and hopped off their horses, preparing themselves for the incoming monsters. An intellectual blonde male pointed a small gun, the Signal Flare, and fired. Red gases shot from the barrel and flew into the sky, saying that there were indeed titans in the nearby area.
They anticipated and began dread their arrival. Green capes flapped wildly in the crisp eastern winds, their bodies spared, and blades sliced, everything moved in an increasing fury during this battle. Few monsters fell, some were injured, and there came no casualties. Finally, those titans stood no more. Steam emitted from the blades stained by their blood. "Hey!" Eren exclaimed, breathlessly. "We killed them all!" Few cheered, whilst others silently cried tears of fear and joy. Levi began to intervene, "Don't let your guard down, brats. There may be more coming, remain keen." As expected, a lone titan appeared in the horizon. It's walking seemed standoffish, something didn't feel right. Eren had taken note of the monster's odd pace. It would slow, then speed up, then turn to a different direction. This process continued until it was out of sight. "That was weird," a redheaded female commented, brows furrowing in puzzlement.
"I haven't seen such behavior." Said another, this one had short blonde hair in a bob and sea blue eyes.
"Something isn't...right." Eren's eyes narrowed as he scanned the area, unable to detect the titan. This titan, he thought, didn't act right. It seemed to have some form of intelligence, but it may be a silly thought. Was it really though? Not taking any chances, a black flare was fired, signalling an Abnormal.
Yet unbeknownst to the rest, the titan snuck up from behind, nearly as quiet as a mouse. By the time they took note of it, it was too late. A bloodcurdling scream ripped from one soldier's mouth as the creature crushed the victim. Their bones made sickening snaps, body bending in nearly inhuman ways, as the blood streamed down and dripped from the being's large hand. The monster's eyes held no remorse, there was nothing but bloodlust in its cold eyes. The others were horrified at the scene displayed before them, even if it wasn't noticeable at first glance. The purple flare wasn't fired at this moment.
Eren gave out a yell of frustration and ran at the beast. He cursed at the heavens, overcome by rage, and attempted to slice at it. "I'll kill you!" The titan mused and grabbed the brunette by the foot, smiling sadistically. Mikasa Ackerman, adopted sister of the brunette, gave out a cry, "Eren!"
Eren could transform into a titan, wait to be eaten, or allow someone to free him from his captor. Without a moment's hesitation, his thumb flew to his mouth, yet it was futile. The Abnormal grabbed his small arm and snapped it out of place, howls of pain came from the young man. The others appeared to be too scared to engage, yet Mikasa's eyes were spiteful as she prepared to engage. "Do not engage," the captain said. She began protested when the Corporal stopped her. This made Levi grit his teeth and scowl. "Stand. Down." The girl frowned and reluctantly stood back, watching her brother anxiously.
Using gas to boost him above, the Captain gripped the handles of his blades and spun. He cleanly sliced its hand off, resulting in the release of the haughty male. Of course, he wouldn't stop there. No, he had to get rid of it now, for it was hostile and a threat to the rest. He had to get retribution for the soldiers harmed and the newly deceased, the captain couldn't back down. Levi hooked on its nape and glided towards it, ready to pierce the skin and end it all. Though, he was interrupted almost immediately, which caught him off guard. "Captain, allow me!" His head whipped back and said not to engage, but there came Eren once more. He was being too persistent now, it was annoying. Realizing his own error, Levi quickly fixated his gaze on the beast only to notice it was missing. He searched for the titan, alarms were blaring in his ears. Where did that titan go? Soon, a shadow shrouded his body from above, causing him to look upwards. Within seconds, everything went black and a sharp pain hit his body.
A groan of discomfort slipped past his pale lips. The wind blew through his tussled black locks and he could hear the singing of birds. Finally, he cracked open an eye and was momentarily blinded. When Levi's silver orbs adjusted to the light, he was a blue sky with few clouds. The grass around him crunched, showing that something was approaching, and two hands were outstretched above.
"You all right, Levi?" A familiar male voice called, worry evident. Levi moved his head to see the owners of those two hands. There stood a taller blonde male with worried blue eyes and a tanned skinned girl with red hair and glowing emerald eyes narrowed towards the blonde. "Hey," the girl shouted, "I want to help him up!" His eyes widened to the size of golf balls as a knot formed in his throat. He grabbed both hands and was carefully pulled up and onto his feet. Soon, his eyes became glossy, small pearls of tears filling the farthest corners of those sad eyes of his. "Farlan, Isabel?" He whispered, voice beginning to crack. "Is that really you?"
The redhead Isabel grinned widely. "Yup, in the flesh!"
"Nice to see you again, Levi." Farlan smiled ever so sincerely. Flashbacks of their demises returned and filled his head to the brim. The Captain shook his head relentlessly, and pushed those memories away. He needed to focus on the situation at hand, not the past. "How are you both alive? Didn't you both die in action?" The color drained their faces and their happy demeanor dropped.
"It really sucked," Isabel mumbled and rubbed the back of her neck. "We honestly were scared, but it's all fine now! You're here, Big Bro, and we feel really alive!"
"Come with us!" Farlan beckoned. "We really need to catch up and we missed you."
Levi began to protest, "No, I still have to kill that titan." Farlan pat his shoulder and shook his head. "Look, Levi, you did it. You've fulfilled that duty." His blue eyes bore into the shorter male's. "You can take a break. There's nothing else to worry about, I promise. Now, come on, everyone else is waiting."
Levi arched an eyebrow as his deceased friend gestured behind him and Isabel. He sharply withdrew air in a gasp and gawked at the others. "Hello, Captain!" A ginger haired woman greeted and waved.
"Captain, there you are!" Cried a blonde and bearded man, his previous second in command.
"Captain," another male said and smiled, moving his hands through his short black hair.
The final male rolled his eyes and opened his mouth to scoff. "About time you got here! We were all wai-" He harshly bit his tongue in the process, interrupting his sentence, and hissed in immense pain.
Levi stood and stared at each of them, in complete shock. It was his entire squad, in the flesh. Eld, Oulo, Petra, and Gunther, those were their names. How would anyone forget them? He never did. "It's you all." The Captain's breathing shook as his voice wavered. Water clouded some of his vision and he fell to his knees, burying his face in his hands. Strings of incoherent apologies spilled from his mouth and he begun to break down. Choked sobs wracked throughout his entire being and his apologies continued.
He apologized for not being able to save them, for their losses, the danger he'd put them in, all those mistakes, and their horrid deaths. All the pent up grief poured out of the male as everything went silent. No noise came from the birds, nothing came from the people in front of Levi, and the wind no longer blew.
Eren screamed and ran to the fallen soldier. The titan was long dead, killed by Mikasa. Using his only good arm, the brunette violently shook the unconscious male, tears pooled in his eyes. "Don't you dare die!" The squad stood aghast. They couldn't believe their eyes and watched the blood pool. The determined brunette continued to scream and plea, asking for him to open his eyes and wake up.
Isabel walked over to her idol and pat his back. "Don't worry, Big Bro!" She exclaimed, grinning widely. "You don't need to be sorry, we all forgive ya'! We always will!" His puffy eyes emerged from its hiding place as more tears spilled. He looked up to the others and they all nodded in agreement.
"We could never hate you!" Petra cried and ran over. "We will forgive, Captain!" Gunther walked over, followed by Oulo and Eld. "We understand," Eld spoke and smiled.
"You don't need to apologize, Captain." Gunther gave a salute and smiled warmly. "We couldn't ever be mad at you."
For once, Oulo sighed. "We'd never stay mad at you. Don't expect so little of us," he scolded. "Geez, what do you take us for? We understand, so stop apologizing." Levi wiped his tears, sighing, before standing up.
"Come on," they all chimed. "Let's go!" The male nodded hesitantly and followed his group of comrades away from his fallen spot. Blood seemed to have taken place of the vacant area as distant voices shouted to him. When Levi turned his head to search for the faint voices, there was nothing there. Maybe it was his mind playing tricks. Nevertheless, he followed his friends, smiling softly at their reunion.