Chapter 4

In the excitement of battle, Levi barely registered what was happening. He was riding just ahead of Edda, his mount working hard to propel them both forward toward the dangerous enemy. Then, he was in the air, his blades slicing through tough flesh, and he was back on his horse and riding away.

It was as though his body had moved on its own. Never once did he stop to think about what he was doing, he just did it. It was strange.

"Simon is hurt!" That was the cry that brought Levi back to reality. He glanced back to where he could see the four attackers and Edda. Kurt was clutching Simon's jacket, keeping him from falling off his horse as they rode, Simon's mount moving beside them. The injured soldier was draped across their saddle, paler than Levi had ever wanted to see again.

Hanji was the first to act.

"Let me see," she ordered as he rode up to them. "We need to find a place where we can pause before he bleeds out. Keep pressure on his arteries."

No one else said anything. Edda was holding the child they had saved to her chest, but her eyes were either in front of her or on her comrades. Hanji's face was hidden behind her bangs as she fought the urge to drag Simon off Kurt's mare and take care of the wound herself. Hanji was scanning the area for a safe place to stop the group.

Levi kept his mouth shut. He couldn't see how Simon had been hurt, but from Hanji's command it had to be serious. He didn't dwell on it too long. There was nothing he could do, and it's not like his life before joining the Survey Corps was all sunshine and roses, either. Unless "sunshine" just meant "bright light," like fires and explosions, and "roses" meant "splatters of crimson that fell like petals." If that was the case, then yes, his life had been all sunshine and roses, and it still was.

They found a spot in a clearing, well out of sight of the deviant titan. Moblit and Hanji instantly jumped off their mounts to get Simon on the ground. Kurt hovered anxiously and watched as Simon's wound was assessed.

Levi finally glimpsed the injury. A shock echoed through his body and bile rose in his throat. He forced it down. He lived in the underground for fifteen years, for the Divines' sake! This was not the first time he had seen a fate so cruel.

"Simon! Hang in there!" Kurt was crying. He reached to grab Simon's limp hand, cradling it between both of his like it was the most fragile thing. "Don't you dare leave me, now!"

"Shut….up," Simon forced out. "I… promised…. I wouldn't. Remember?"

"Hush," Moblit ordered, his voice quiet as he and Hanji work to staunch the flow of life coming from his severed leg.

Hanji's face was, for once, serious as she concentrated. Levi watched her tear her cloak to make strips that were used to cover the stumpy leftovers of his thigh and as a tourniquet. Together, she and Moblit were seamless in their work, communicating without speaking.

Levi was so engrossed in the sight that he almost forgot about the kid they had rescued. There was nothing he could do to help, as the duo from Clemens's squad had everything covered and he would only get in the way, so he turned to see Edda and her charge, still on their horse and looking on.

The first thing he noticed was how Edda's right arm was wrapped around the kid's shoulders, holding him to her as her left hand clutched the reins in a grip that turned her knuckles white. Her right hand was gripping the child's sweater with clawed fingers.

"Edda," Levi said, getting the woman's attention. When she blinked and turned to look at him, he nodded toward her charge. She looked down and instantly relaxed her grip, murmuring an apology.

The kid didn't respond, but started to struggle against the remaining strength of her hold. He whimpered as he fought, ignoring Edda's shouts of alarm and orders to stay still. He eventually did get out from under her arm, and as a result, he fell forward, tumbling to the left.

Levi was there before he hit the ground. Unfortunately, the boy struggled even more from his arms and fell the rest of the way to the ground. Once he hit, he fought to stand, but after a moment, he settled for crawling away from the group to put his back to a nearby tree.

He was defensive, Levi realized. Highly so. He frowned, and then noticed a sticky wetness on his palm. Glancing down, he saw that it was blood.

What?

He looked back at the boy as he wiped his hand on a handkerchief he kept in his pocket. The child was pressing himself up against the trunk, his feet sliding across the dirt as though they could get the tree to absorb him if they pushed him hard enough. The boy's right arm hung at his side, but his left….

"Edda! He's hurt, too," Levi nearly shouted at the other soldier. The woman's eyes went wide.

"Where?" Levi growled.

"Right where his hand is holding his arm. Where else?" Edda glared at the new recruit, trying to remind him that she was, technically, superior and thus demanded respect, but Levi ignored it. He instead focused his whole attention on the kid.

He was unnaturally pale. His mouth hung open as he panted from pain or panic, Levi couldn't tell. His left hand was still covering whatever injury he'd endured, but now it was starting to show red between the fingers. His right arm hung limp, but just beyond his over-sized sleeve poked a small metallic sliver.

The kid was armed.

Behind him, Levi could hear Simon's groans of pain. He recognized that he and Edda were alone in taking care of the kid, at least until the others could ensure their comrade's survival. He also recognized that Edda, his only help with the kid, had yet to dismount. She was having trouble ignoring Simon's condition.

I guess it's only me, he thought. He couldn't ignore that he was bothered by this fact, but there was nothing he could do. He had to act. The brat was losing too much blood.

He took a slow step forward, his hands raised to show he meant no harm. The kid lowered into a stance, knees bent, back flush against the tree, shoulders tensed to lash out if he sensed the threat was too big. Levi frowned, but took another slow step. If the boy tried to strike him, his training ensured he'd be able to get the weapon away.

The kid didn't lash out when Levi came closer. The older boy had stopped when he was just beyond the kid's reach, allowing himself just enough time to react if it came to that.

It was a pitiful sight. The boy couldn't have been older than ten, and his small body was covered in a lumpy, dirt-streaked, knit sweater that shone red with fresh blood around his wound. His hair housed twigs and other forest scraps. The knife he clutched so readily was something like a hunting knife: well kept and sharp, but small. He held it up and close to his chest, like it was his last line of defense as he kept his eyes trained on what he thought was the immediate threat.

Simon gave a loud cry, drawing the kid's attention away from Levi for a moment. It wasn't more than a second, but it was enough for the soldier to move closer to the boy, close enough grab the wrist with the weapon to immobilize it and push him up against the tree. The kid gave an angry, pained scream and fought Levi, but everything was against him. The blood loss and emotional shock that must still be in his system from the titan attack wore him out.

Once the weapon was gone, though, the kid seemed to calm. Levi watched him, not sure if he was going to try to bolt again, but after several seconds, the soldier released his captive. Their ward slumped against the tree, as though resigned to his situation, though Levi couldn't figure out how it could possibly be worse than being trapped by a titan, preparing to be it's next meal. The kid looked like he was about to cry.

It was then that Hanji gave an order to signal the rest of the corp. that they were camping out for a while. She must have just remembered that needed to be done, which meant Simon had either lost too much blood to be moved, or his wound was going to be properly dressed and cleaned, which might take a while. Either way, it meant there was hope their comrade was going to live, provided they remained titan-free.

It was Kurt who lifted his gun to the sky; Levi took that as a good sign. Edda did, too, because she was now focused on the boy, the one that had been bleeding in her arms not too long ago. She dismounted and walked over to where Levi and the kid stood.

This was the wrong move. As soon as she was on level with Levi, the boy spun around and started running away from the group toward the grassland they all just came from.

Levi darted after him, moving about the tree roots more easily than the horses had, but not quite as efficiently as the brat. He could hear Edda following behind him.

The kid broke through the treeline first, but stumbled. Levi's pace slowed slightly as he watched the boy go down. He didn't know what to do when he caught up. Did he tackle the kid? Did he yell at him? Was he supposed to wave his fingers and say "alakazu" to make the kid calm down?

He didn't have much time to think about a possible alternative as he approached the fallen boy. The kid had found a branch and was struggling the stand back up, even as he used it as a crutch. Levi took a cautious step forward to help, but the kid waved his newfound weapon at him, almost falling back down in the process.

Levi had had enough. With every step he took, the kid took another one back. Levi saw the giant log they were creeping up on, but decided not to caution the kid. He was bleeding a lot and was too exhausted to even try to attack. If getting trapped against the log was the worst outcome for the boy, Levi would gladly take it, especially if it meant treating his arm.

It took four more steps for the boy's feet to hit the log. The kid stopped and swung his branch in a last-ditch effort to ward off Levi, but the soldier had predicted this. In not time, Levi's hand was once again on the boy's wrist and pinning the boy against the log. The kid struggled weakly, but they could all see it was hopeless.

When the kid's struggling ceased, Levi let go. He didn't take the branch, but stayed on guard for another attack. Taking his weapon would only instill further the idea that the boy was a prisoner among allies.

"You're hurt," Levi told the kid, as if he didn't know. "Let us help you."

No response. The kid just glared at them, but exhaustion was in his every feature. Levi was half convinced to just wait until he passed out.

"We are not your enemy. Just let us bandage your arm." He made a gesture to the bloodied sleeve. "You probably got injured when the titan attacked you. Just let us help."

"He doesn't trust us," Edda whispered, eyes wide in disbelief. "Why doesn't he trust us?"

"How the hell should I know? There could be a million reasons why a brat wouldn't trust adults." Levi hissed. He and Edda never got to know each other before today, but Levi was starting to dislike her. It wasn't her fault, but people who thought trust came easy got on his nerves.

"There is no call for that sort of language, especially around children!" Edda shouted. Levi glared at her.

"Your friend is bleeding out on the ground, a child is bleeding against a tree, and you're making a fuss about my pissass language? Fuck you."

Levi turned and blocked Edda out, focusing on the kid, now slumped against the fallen tree. His eyes were closed and head tilted slightly to the right and back. His hand still gripped the branch, even in the dark of unconsciousness.

Dearest Reader,

Hello! It has truly been a while since I have last updated this story. I have the remainder of the 4th chapter up now (see above), and might be able to squeeze out chapter 5 soon. I apologize for your wait. It has been a year, and I did not expect so many things to provide me with excuses not to write. My deepest apologies.

I did change this chapter's ending at least a dozen times until I got one that matched what I wanted, so there's a plus, right?

Anyway, let me know what you think, be it good bad or indifferent.

Until next time!

~Clumsy Owl