A/N: Hello everyone! It's lovely to see people are gaining interest in my story - hopefully my character development has been steady and believable. I am forever proof-reading and re-writing parts of each chapter from fear that the story flow isn't quite right. I tend to write as if I am seeing the scene as a movie or video in my mind, so sometimes I get carried away! Thank you for the kind reviews - it's always such a big deal for me when an email pops up because it means someone took the time to tell me something, so thank you!
Chapter 6
Levi and Hange watched the little lady disappear into the tent, seeing her drop to her knees and crawl into the sleeping bag before the tent flap stopped swaying. They stood silently, contemplating their next actions as it was painfully aware that Juno was very sick.
The day had been long – too long.
Hange had been watching her closely throughout the day and had noted her occasional sneezes, the dark shadows below her eyes and Juno's lack of energy. The clever brunette decided it was likely due to the recent trauma of her arrival, but as the day went on, Juno appeared more ill. Ever since she started sneezing when she arrived, her eyes becoming slightly red and puffy, followed by her overall exhaustion, Hange had been expecting this to happen.
"What's wrong with her?" Connie asked, passing rations to Hange and Levi.
Hange pursed her lips, brow knitting with concern. "She's getting sick because her immune system isn't used to this."
"Is there something you can give her?"
"Maybe," Hange brought a finger to rest on her chin, eyes flickering to the medical kit she had placed down near her tent, "I could possibly give her some vitamins and painkillers, but I don't think it'll help too much."
"What about the tonic you brought?" Connie remembered. "I heard you say she had a fever. Maybe it could help."
"Yes! I forgot about that – gah!" Hange was suddenly grabbed by the scruff off her neck. Levi gripped her tightly, eyes narrowed and drizzling with suspicion. The team were acutely aware of Hange's medical supplies, which they were grateful for, however, it was common knowledge that her supplies contained items which were not medical grade.
"This tonic, it isn't some sort of experimental crap liquid, is it Shitty Glasses?" Levi's lip curled, thin brow raising with suspicion. "Because if it is and she dies on us, you're the one who has to report back to Erwin."
Hange gave a nervous chuckle. "Levi – I did make the tonic, but it was made using medical grade and approved ingredients. It's more like a vitamin-health shot," she pulled away from Levi, readjusting the collar of her sunflower shirt, "and besides, her temperature is so hot that she should be as soft as a boiled potato by now, yet somehow, she is still very much conscious. My tonic should be fine."
Reaching into her medical kit, she drew a small vile and a medical syringe. Thrusting them into Levi's hands, Hange smiled awkwardly. "Your tent, you go give it to her."
An annoyed growl came from Levi but he didn't say anything. Juno had been in his space for the most part of two full days and he did notice her decline in health, although she never mentioned anything. Levi had figured that perhaps, it was the initial injuries she was suffering from, yet they appeared to be healing very quickly. Too quickly.
Entering his tent should have been like any other day when they needed to camp, but as Levi stepped into the small space, he was immediately welcomed to a situation he had never faced before. Juno had curled up onto her side, back against the tent wall, having removed her boots and pants and now only had a sweat-drenched off-white tunic covering her torso and parts of her thighs. Gathering at her hips, exposing her thighs and bandages wrapped around her calves, the tunic clung to her waist and bunched again as it curved up to her shoulders and arms. Juno's eyes flickered open, mildly surprisingly Levi as he had made no noise upon entering the confined space. Her brow furrowed when she saw his jaw clench in response.
Kneeling next to her, he inserted the syringe into the vial and took a generous amount of the tonic into the barrel. Juno had now shuffled into a sitting position, staring at Levi with utmost suspicion. Sweat rolled down the side of her face and neck, a darting trail edging into her shirt.
"What's that?" She asked.
"Tonic."
"Aren't you meant to ingest tonic orally, not through a needle?"
Levi held the needle up and flicked it, forcing the air bubbles to reach the top. He pushed the air out and before Juno could ask another question, he thrust the needle into her thigh and injected the medicine.
"What the absolute fuck!" Juno shrieked, hand reaching out to hit him. His free hand effortlessly smacked her hand away. Half a second had passed and the needle was removed and returned into its safe case.
"Wouldn't know, brat," was Levi's dull response, "just did what Hange said."
"What the fuck was that?" Juno yelled in his face, handing rubbing her fresh little jab wound. "You can't just stab someone with a needle! What if that needle was contaminated? Now I'm going to fucking die from some bull shit disease you've given me."
Juno could hear someone making a ruckus by the tent door, likely Hange trying to get in but someone holding her back from fear that there would be immense chaos inside the tent.
"It was some medicine Hange made," Levi eyed her, watching another ball of sweat roll down her jaw, sliding down her neck and over her collar bone, "if you die, blame Four-Eyes."
Juno's fist collided with his open palm. She had made no indication she was about to punch him in the throat, but the furious female had underestimated the soldier's experience in reading people. His long fingers wrapped around her small fist and without any effort, he forced her hand down and towards him, causing her to be pulled forward, face only inches from his. Juno made no sound, her burgundy eyes glaring at his frosty grey orbs.
"My job is to make sure you come back alive," Levi deadpanned, the faintest growl lingering in his throat as the words escaped his mouth. "I said you had no need to make any decisions – in fact, you have zero authority to make any decisions – so if I need to stick you with twenty needles to make sure you come back to base and to Erwin in one piece, then you fucking take the twenty needles. Got it?"
Her eyes were ignited with a fury Levi had never seen in a woman, in anyone, before. Skin as smooth as butter, pulled slightly into angry lines surrounding her eyes. Thick black lashes lined almond-shaped balls of immense anger, and then she pulled her hand away, sat back and smiled coyly.
"Okay, if you say so," Juno said in a light tone, then her eyes narrowed slightly, "just next time, give me a warning. Girls don't like it when you stick it in them suddenly."
Levi made a small grunt in his throat, eyes widening from her unexpected response. What the hell was that? Girl gets threatened, girl usually cries or abides. Girl doesn't usually try to one-up him with some sort of pseudo-double-meaning response. She pursed her lips, eyes softening with her body language. Juno gazed back at him, expecting a response but almost appreciating his silent initial reaction based off the curve rising at the edge of her mouth.
"Whose tent is this, anyway?" She suddenly asked, looking up and around the tent, licking her finger and placing the saliva on her little needle mark. It was bleeding. "It smells like a shop I used to go to."
"Get some rest." Levi grunted. He stood and Juno watched the veins in his forearm pulse as his hand gripped the syringe case tighter than necessary. He turned and left.
Okay, so Levi is bat-shit crazy.
Either he has no social skills or is incapable of communicating like a normal person. But then again, what is normal? He didn't seem to expect the response I had given him…
I watched him saunter out of the tent whilst I sat in the same spot, mulling over the situation that had just passed. How did he move so quickly? One second he was filling the needle up with that solution of god-knows-what, and then it was in my thigh. Thankfully, he had injected the medicine in a heartbeat and removed the needle so quickly and efficiently, it had barely hurt. It was the speed of his movements and absolute shock that had riled me up.
Adrenaline coursed through my body, my heart thumping in my ears from the recent interactions with the stone-cold soldier and an abrupt encounter with a needle. A fear was making its way up and into my gut as I filed this event into the overflowing mental folder of recent happenings that I would deal with later. This was me, trying to comprehend everything that was happening. Setting myself up for a complete breakdown in the near future.
No one in their right mind would have responded any different. Or, maybe I should have cried? But what good would that have been.
I watched the shadows of Hange and Petra pass by quickly in the direction that Levi had taken when he left the tent. Hange had been quickly whispering 'why did he do it like that?' Followed by Petra's, 'why did you trust him to do it at all?!'
I'll admit, I was scared. I had been scared this entire time. I didn't know these people, I was in a place I didn't recognise, and some stupid arsehole had just violated me with a needle. But, was I scared enough? My logic wanted to pull me down, assess every situation thrown at me and eventually draw a conclusion, but how was I meant to do this when nothing made sense? My arrival, the titans, these people and a random fever purely did not add up like simple math.
My shirt clung to my chest as I laid back down, uncomfortable as ever. I felt incredibly hot and uncomfortable, but not as much as I assumed I should be based on the reactions I was receiving from the people outside of the tent. It was just a cold, right?
Rolling onto my side, I decided to try to sleep. They would likely wake me at the crack of dawn, so may as well try to sleep off the events of the day and hope the overflowing manila folder containing my recent distraught moments would simmer in the morning.
So many questions and almost no answers.
I was lucky to wake before the others. It wasn't so bad and maybe I was getting used to early mornings. Wriggling my nose with the thought, I assumed it had something to do with routine but I had only been in this mystery land for a few days. Deciding not to confuse myself any further, I pulled my clothes and boots on, not without a quick sniff to test whether I smelt foul.
You don't smell bad, at least. I touched at my clothes, relieved to feel them dry. And you aren't stinking hot anymore.
Shrugging, I exited the tent and stepped onto the branch. Light dances through the small leaf gaps in the canopy, showering the large branch and tents with glowing spots. The forest was quick, save for the sound of embers crackling.
"Oh, that's right," I mumbled to myself, eyeing the mass of trees surrounding us. "I'm a million miles up in the air."
"You're awake!"
To my right, Jean, Levi and Eld stood by a dying fire. Jean hurried over, a smile on his face and cheeks faintly pink. I chose to smile at both Levi and Eld before turning my eyes to Jean. Stubbornly, I wasn't going to let Shit-Short-Stack get the better of me. If I was going to get out of this crazy place, I was going to need to put my anxiety and questions on the backburner.
"You look a lot better than last night. That medicine must have helped."
"Maybe. I think I had a 24 hour virus or something," my voice caught in my throat as his hand appeared on my forehead. Jean was warm to the touch, and when he nodded in approval that my temperature was satisfactory, he drew his hand aware with a faint smile. "Hey, how does one use the bathroom when they're up here?"
"You don't," Eld chuckled, eyes lined with amusement, "Jean will have to take you down and into the bushes. There's also a small creek in that direction if you want to clean up. The others are waking up soon, so we'll likely leave within the half hour."
Jean turned to look at me with mild surprise.
"Okay, well can you please take me down to ground and to the small creek? I'd like to wash down a little bit before leaving."
"Sure!" Jean said loudly and disappeared to a tent to retrieve spare straps. I stood quietly, chewing my lip and looking around.
That idiot's eyes are literally staring holes into my face. In attempt to act as if everything was fine and a stranger had not stabbed me with a needle the night before, I avoided looking at either Eld or Levi. Instead, I just looked around at anything and everything else. In my side vision, I could easily determine that Eld was gazing thoughtfully into the distance, while Levi Ackerman stood stiff, arms crossed and dismissive eyes staring blankly into the side of my head. It was confusing to think another human could easily put aside the natural reaction to look away after a short while. Levi clearly felt little to no shame.
Jean returned with straps and I lifted my arms as I had done the day before. Awkwardly, Jean brought the harness and straps over my shoulders, back and lastly, fingers shaking slightly, brought the clasp together over my chest. The younger male spent an extra moment, tugging lightly under each significate connection to ensure enough movement. When he decided everything was in order, I was strapped to his back and the decent began.
Jean was slower at using his gear, but he certainly was gentler at descending from the trees. His movements were longer, gentler and in no immediate rush. It was likely also in regard to having no immediate threats around us. Quickly, Jean had thrown a quick glance over his shoulder to check how I was coping and my response was a timely gasp as my stomach dropped. His decent was once again adjusted, smoother and event slower. I chalked it up to how my body tensed against his, indicating I was not comfortable with this. I was still jittery at the idea of flinging ourselves in the air.
I observed at Jean. Really looked at him. His hair was mousey brown on top with a darker undercut, which seemed to be quite the fashion amongst the men. His limbs were quite long and lean, his back and shoulder muscles tensing against my chest as he worked his manoeuvrer gear. I could feel his traps against my arms as he swung down one last time and landed on the ground. Seeing as I was much shorter then him, he made quick work of releasing the harness and my feet landed on the ground behind him.
"I'll wait over here so you have some privacy." A confidence was lingering in his voice as Jean gave a faint smile and turned away.
Circling the large tree, I found a small creek that drizzled from a bend and dip in the ground. It was barely calf deep but enough for me to take my scarf, dunk it in the cool water and wipe it across my face. I rinsed it again and repeated this under my shirt, over my arms, legs, chest and neck. Next, I scooped the water into my mouth, gargled and spat it into the bushes. I was already feeling cleaner, which mentally made me feel better. My legs were still itching like crazy, my side was now only a dull throb and my joints were still slightly achy, but in general, whatever had happened, had passed.
Events recently passed, skimmed across my open eyes. My hand ran over the spot where Levi had plunged the needle into my leg and I could feel the slight swelling of a bruise. Considering the incident, it crossed my mind that had I put up a real fight and not had the tonic or serum, would I be standing here right now?
"Dickhead." I mumbled as grey eyes flashed into my mind.
"Are you done?"
Blinking slowly with trepidation, I stood and sighed as I registered the familiar voice. There stood Levi, leaning against a tree, eyes watching me carefully as if prey to a hawk. Based on his prior quiet footsteps, it was no surprise that he had achieve close range without me seeing or hearing his approach. He had removed his jacket, choosing to roll his sleeves to his elbows, exposing clenched arms crossed over his chest.
"Sure am!" I piped, drying my hands on my pants. "Why, was I gone for long?"
Levi shrugged lightly, expression remaining the same. "No, not long. But the others are arriving down on the ground and are preparing the horses."
"Right, well," Nodding, I passed Levi, "suppose we better get back."
"You should be dead."
Freezing, I tilted my head as his comment reached my ears. Faintly, leaves crunched behind me and although he wasn't touching me, I could feel the warmth of his body against my back. A breath tickled the hair resting near my ear and without my consent, my body twitched softly before I could contain the reaction.
"That temperature you had," Levi murmured close to my right ear. His voice was quiet, low yet commanding. "That would have killed someone. Shit, it would have killed two people. How are you still alive, brat?"
Hesitation rose from my toes to my core and I considered my answers and actions with immense caution. Fear was not the right word to describe the sensation swirling in my stomach, but my lack of confidence to turn and face him was clear as day. Another soft breath tickled at my neck and I registered how close Levi was standing to my frozen body. It seemed to be a scare-tactic, a way to make me bend to his questions and provide the right answers. Swallowing hard, I turned to face him. Granite orbs met my unconfident gaze, a slight crease between finely shaped brows, his face tilted slightly downwards and only inches from my own. Levi had lowered his crossed arms and stood square, straight from what I assumed was years of service drilled into his body memory. Chest rising with a breath of air, it dawned on me that although Levi was not the tallest man I had ever met, he was still bigger than me. Any thoughts of trying to dodge and run away disappeared from my mind. If Levi could move like he did in his gear, I was certain with my injuries, he could easily catch me only seconds from my initial attempt.
"I don't know. I really don't," the words were careful as they left my mouth, gaze still firmly on Levi's un-wavering stare. "Hange probably gave me something. Unwillingly, ya' know? Like when you stabbed me with a needle."
Why are you suddenly so ballsy, girl?!
If you can't fight with your fists, fight with words, right?
Petra took my wet scarf and handed me her own.
"Just in case you need to hide your face!"
Everyone had reached ground level within few minutes of my leaving Levi near the small creek. I had decided it was wise to end the conversation and walk as casually as possible away from the indifferent male. His initial response was to make a small scoff noise as I passed by, my lingering glance catching his jaw clench for a fraction of the second. Dismissively, I headed towards Jean who stood a short distance away with a look of concern. When his eyes lifted from my face to movement behind me, his expression changed to disapproval. Blinking several times, Jean ushered me towards the horses where I had met Petra.
We had left the forest shortly after eating rations, the horses taking on a relatively fast pace compared to how we had taken off the day before. The air was cooler today and the sky was overcast. I still had a faint trace of sniffles and sneezes, which I tried my best to hide from Levi. I was not going to play a victim to this world – there was no point. And if that meant trying to be okay until I could figure out a way home, that's what I was going to do. I held onto Levi and hid my face against his back. He may have stabbed me with a needle but I was hating this cold air nipping at my face.
For the most part, the team pushed on for as long as possible. For some time, we crossed no titans or at least, my untrained eyes didn't spot any in the distance. This made me exceptionally happy! But, the long riding resulted in the familiar pains in my hips, knees and back. Involuntarily, I was leaning into Levi as a source of relief from the unfamiliar activity wreaking havoc on my joints. When my gaze met Hange nearby, she called out for a quick break. My expression may have been too obvious.
"You don't feel so hot now," Hange pressed her cool hand against my head, "you're still very warm, however, you're fever broke. But Levi was right, you shouldn't have survived that."
Pulling my face away from her cold hands, I tugged the cloak and hood tighter around my body as the air became colder. A light sprinkle of rain had started.
"Are you sure I was that hot? I mean, I felt hot but you guys make it sound like I was on fire."
Hange frowned, her glasses flashing from the glare of the sky. "You were an over-cooked pork chop, kiddo."
I frowned as Hange walked away to fetch some water. It was concerning knowing that everyone was convinced I should have died from a fever. I would be happy if someone survived, but maybe it was even more concerning for these people because the fever was something they had never experienced before? If this was the case, then I was overreacting.
Time was up, I took Levi's hand and he once again, effortlessly pulled me onto the back of the horse. His elbow grazed my thigh and unfortunately, I winced without a thought, making a small sound and regretting it instantly.
Looking over his shoulder at me, he said, "The tonic worked, I see."
The horse was trotting, the team following suit.
"I think so. Too bad I have a huge bruise on my leg now, otherwise I may have thought things were coming up nicely."
"Tch. I'll admit, I may have administered the injection a little too forcefully, but would you have let me inject you with a warning?"
"Ha," I scoffed, glaring into the side of his face. "Let's get real, Levi. I don't know you. Hell, I don't know any of you."
"Hey! I feel like we know each other now!" Hange called out to the right of us, her voice high with attention.
"Okay, maybe I know Hange because she has spent some time with me," I continued, flashing Hange a small smile, "but if someone you didn't know came at you with a sharp object, what would you do?"
"Kill them, most likely."
I gave a slightly more dramatic nod than intended. "Spot on. Although, I may have responded better if you had given me a warning."
Levi made a sound in his throat, a defeated groan of sorts. His gaze returned to the direction we were traveling. A moment of silence passed between us as he considered his response.
"You're still very warm," he said a little louder as the pace picked up, "I can feel the heat through the back of my shirt."
"I won't lean on you then."
Leaning back ever so slightly, the horse bucked and I felt his iron grip slam down on my thigh, holding me against the horse. Head snapping to peer over his shoulder, Levi's lips had pulled into a snarl.
"Don't be stupid, hold on or you'll fuckin' fall off."
Remaining quiet, I held my tongue and wrapped my arms around his waist again, head leaning on his shoulder. His reaction had been forceful, but his voice and body language did not marry up in the slightest. Eyes that had shown concern, a voice that harboured alarm and a hand that held on for a moment longer than necessary. I chose not to say anything more for the duration of the trip. We stopped once more, I hurriedly ran to a bush with Hange so that we could relieve ourselves, quickly drank some water, and continued back to HQ.
Closing my eyes and holding on tight, I relayed everything that had happened – a moving stop-motion animation behind my eyelids. The car wreck, the titan, waking up in their old head-quarters, being given a room, sent out to retrieve my belongings, having Levi stab me in the thigh and now going back. Squeezing my eyes tighter, I wondered about the fever I had had the night before. I had felt very hot, as if I had just done a quick sprint, but not nearly as hot as everyone was making out – or maybe I just didn't feel it the same way as they did when they touched my skin. And it wasn't one person, it had been several.
Levi was right; I should have died.
Choosing to face that conundrum later, I opened my eyes and sat up to look over Levi's shoulder. I could see more and more trees appearing and a small wind mill in the distance. We were almost there.
Levi removed himself from the horse then guided Juno off in a similar fashion. She landed relatively lightly, something Levi didn't expect. Slightly clumsy, but lightly.
"Welcome back, team!" Sasha shouted, letting go of the huge dog and letting it bound over to Juno.
Juno immediately cuddled the dopey animal, letting it lick and sniff her. After a few moments, the dog moved on to the other squad members, giving them excited licks and nuzzling into their legs to smell all the new scents. Juno stood by the horse, watching as her surroundings came to life.
"We'll take care unpacking the carriage," Eren offered, indicating to himself and Sasha, "you guys all head in and clean up."
Erwin appeared and immediately brought Levi and Hange into a discussion about the mission. Juno listened briefly before walking away and into the building. She stopped by Eren to remove the iPod, ear phones and speakers from a bag, before disappearing into the door way. Levi watched the small lady tread slowly away, her head lowered as she fiddled with a small purple thing in her hand. She had tucked another rectangle object under her arm and in an attempt to multi-task, was trying to put something in her ear. Her steps were disjointed, pained by the long trip.
"And the conflict with the titans – were there any injuries?" Erwin asked.
Hange shook her head, resting a hand on her hip with a grin. "None at all! We were lucky the trees were so close."
"And Juno; you mentioned she came down with something?"
Levi pressed his lips, a tired sigh leaving his lips as her name reached his ears. "She broke out in a weird fever. She was boiling, she should have died."
"I'm going to start our sessions as of tomorrow evening," Hange followed up, "Levi is right, she shouldn't have survived that fever. And even if she did, she should have suffered some sort of brain damage – but nothing seems to have happened. Levi did stick her rather aggressively with some medicine, though."
"Once you start compiling those reports for Juno, start handing them to myself, Levi and other important squadron. For now, go get cleaned up and meet me in my office so we can discuss the upcoming mission."
Erwin and Levi walked away, with Hange assisting the others with the horses and the unloading of the carriage. She was beyond excited to go through Juno's belongings.
Actually, excited was an understatement.
My intention was to go shower, but my body was exhausted. Joints and muscles pulled against my request to move at a normal, leisurely pace. The walk to my 'room' was longer than I remembered. Plonking down on my bed, I shuffled over to let Boo join me. I had decided to put the recent events deep down in my mind, choosing to play with the items from my home. I fiddled with the iPod, mildly surprised to see it didn't break in the crash. Placing it down, I reached for the solar powered mini-speaker. There was a large crack that ran across the solar panel, but over all, it was only covered in dust and scratches.
Plugging the iPod into the speaker, my heart sang when music filtered into the room.
And then, my eyes began to tear. The music was of no significance as it tickled into my ears. It was the sound of familiarity that hit hard in my chest. I had always considered myself logical, having chosen to dissect a situation before concluding my outcome. But this, all of this, I couldn't place into neatly, placed boxes. People were fighting giants, they had no technology and I was in a land I couldn't recognise. Perhaps in a fairy tale, I could be perceived as vain, a princess in need of her luxuries, but this was not what brought me to an exhausted cry.
I was lost, with no means of regaining awareness.
Tears poured from my eyes, my heart, my everything.
I was shutting down. I needed to shut down. I couldn't be this cool, calm and collected for much longer.
Boo pawed at my leg, accidentally jabbing the bruise. I winced with pain and she pulled her ears back, unsure of the noise I had just made. Sniffling, I placed the iPod and speaker on the floor and pulled the blanket over me. My throat was clenching from each admission of a faint whimper, my attempts to bite back a wail growing in my chest.
There was no use crying over spilt milk. There was no use crying over something I had no control over. The only option was to continue, to take it moment by moment.
You're just tired. You need to sleep. Yes, this is fucked. Yes, this is some weird dream and you're in a coma. But, for now, rest.
When I woke, the sun was shining into my room. Clad in my filthy riding clothes, rank from sweat and over-use, I rolled onto my back and stared at the ceiling. Boo sighed against me, her warm eyes watching me from the right. I could hear people outside on the ground level, moving around and calling out to one another. I had managed to sleep in and I had no idea for how long.
Gathering fresh clothes, I quickly showered and dressed. I had come to realise that the weather was consistently pleasant, never too hot or cold. But, I wasn't certain what season it was. It had rained yesterday and the only time I had felt very cold was when the wind was whipping against me whilst we were at full gallop. Perhaps global warming or an ice age had already passed by and seasons had been altered beyond my knowledge. It was a wacky theory, but nothing could be wackier than my recent experiences.
"Hey, how are your wounds? We haven't had a chance to look at them." Hange had found me in the corridor and dragged me into her room. I had removed the stale bandages off my legs and side when I had showered. "You know, they look okay, kiddo. I'd probably go easy with upper movement because you have stitches, but your legs are fine."
"Good, that's what I want to hear." I pulled my shirt down and repositioned myself.
"You slept for a long time," Hange stated, leaning against her desk, "and one of the cadets said they could hear music coming from your room!"
"It was my iPod – turns out it didn't break in the crash. Feel free to go get it sometime today to play around," my eased suggestion immediately brought a glow to Hange's face, "just please don't break it – it's one of the few things I have from my…home."
The rising excitement in her features simmered a fraction, her head tilting to bring her steady gaze upon my face. "This must be tough for you," Hange whispered, "it's been a few days and nothing has really happened with getting you home. I'm sorry, I wish there was a way to make things happen faster but to be honest, I don't know where to start. But, on a brighter note – there is this yearly ball that - "
"Squad leader Hanji!" The door flew open, hitting the wall behind it. A young man stood breathlessly in the door frame. "Come quickly! The test subjects! They're dead – both of them killed!"
Within minutes, a wailing Hange had arranged for a convoy to travel to the current Scout headquarters. I was handed another scarf and cloak with a hood, then brought down to the stables. Hange yowled as she took off before anyone else was ready, leaving me standing hesitantly amongst the ruckus. From what I gathered, whatever had been killed, was something Hange cared about greatly.
Her demeanour had shifted so suddenly upon the announcement, that I was immediately voiceless to the commotion. The deeply upset woman had thrown herself down the hallway, my legs struggling to keep up with her. Something about two boys, how her progress had been jeopardised and how she vowed to destroy who had murdered them. Now that she was gone and I was standing alone in a stable, I had little to no idea what I was meant to do in a situation without her.
"Come on, brat," Levi called out. The familiar galloping reached my ears and a strong hand clasped my arm, swinging me up and onto the back of a horse. A small yelp escaped my mouth as I had not been expecting it. "You can't be left here alone."
I was dressed in simple clothing, 'civvies' as I had previously been informed. The other soldiers were in their standard uniforms, dressed comfortably for any situation throw in their direction. My pants were simply not thick enough for riding and with every bump of the horses' movement, pain seared up my body. The only relief I could source was leaning into Levi, allowing for the stretch to rise up my hamstrings and into my lower back. Levi remained quiet for the urgent trip, not a single comment in relation to my form clinging to his. Had it not been for the pain and lack of comfortable sitting positions, I couldn't imagine myself clinging to a stranger.
The sense of urgency was thick in the air. No one said anything as they followed a wailing Hange. Trees and broken buildings were a blur as I scanned my surroundings, attempting to remember the time and location in case it was to ever benefit me in the future. Soon, a wall so large that I couldn't comprehend its size, appeared as we left the forest. We fell back into a trot as we neared an entrance. Hange continued full pelt, disappearing in the distance.
"Keep your face covered," Levi instructed, glancing over his shoulder as I peeled away from him, "many of the people here have never seen someone like you. We can't have mayhem and chaos because they've seen you."
"Hange is lightly tanned, I'm not that much darker than her."
Levi shook his head, releasing a snigger to my comment. "We have people who are tanned, but no one has features like you. Maybe one person has similar eye shape, but everything about you is not ordinary. Too many things could happen if we just throw you into the public eye."
"Like abduction?"
Levi nodded, his expression shifting at the notion, "Exactly. Now when we enter the Scout grounds, stay by either myself or -" His eyes turned to Hange, who was still shrieking as she threw herself off the horse and ran into a building. Levi shook his head, adding, "you know what, just stay by my side. Hange is a goddamn mess."
Levi brought the horse to a stop and effortlessly removed himself. Looking in the direction that Hange had disappeared, he held a hand up towards me. Swallowing my dry throat, I tentatively placed my hand in his and carefully swung my leg over. As I prepared to jump, his other hand reached up to grasp me on the waist, ensuring my balance didn't give. Feet hitting the ground, hand in his and his other, resting on my waist, a gasp betrayed my lips.
"You would have fallen off because of your stiff muscles," He said dismissively, releasing me and turning towards the door. "Come on."
Awkwardly, I brought my legs into a painful walk and trailed behind Levi. We entered into a large building and I did as Levi instructed; I covered my face and pulled the hood over my head. He walked slower than usual, allowing for Erwin and others to pass by him. With difficultly, I edged behind him, unsure of what to expect as we neared the crowed. The screaming became louder as we exited the corridor into a large outdoor courtyard.
Hange was screaming like a maniac, tears running down her face as she sunk to her knees. Before us, lay two, large burning corpses. Was she crying about two dead titans? Stopping by Levi's right side, I glanced at his face to read his expression. Pressing his lips, he sighed and shook his head.
"Don't ask."
There were many people in the courtyard, with even more standing in the corridor. I could see Eren, Sasha, Jean and Connie standing with a bunch of people I didn't recognise. Eren was whispering to a small blond male and a pretty female with shoulder length hair. My gaze escaped her, only to quickly dart back at her appearance. Her eyes slanted in that familiar almond shape. Maybe even more than my own. Erwin instructed everyone inside and I silently followed Levi and Erwin. Conversation floated around me and I pricked my ears to better understand the severity of this situation, because frankly, I had no idea why this was a big deal. All I understood was that titans were bad and recently, I had learnt that Hange was not only a Squad leader, but also a scientist/medical physician extraordinaire.
She must have been testing on titans. This must be a big deal if everyone is being forced to report themselves in for interrogation…
Remaining in the shadows, I stood quietly behind Levi and Erwin as they watched each Scout have their gear checked off for inspection. Rows of soldiers lined up in what looked like a common room. Walls low, made from cut stone and supported with hefty, wooden beams, the room was smaller now that I was drinking in the details. Not only was the room rather small, but it also dawned on me that there simply weren't many people here. I really wasn't sure of the situation or why it was so important, but the tension was so thick that even a finely sharpened knife could not cut through it. My observations continued and every now and then, I would catch a pair of eyes looking at me; curiosity on their young faces.
These people are only young adults – maybe 16 or so. I wonder how young people can be before they enlist in this army or whatever. Sniffling, I turned my gaze to Erwin and Levi, who were chatting quietly. Erwin looks possibly in his late 30s, early 40s and Levi, maybe in his late-20s, early 30s. Actually, more like mid 30s, if he has some sort of authority and everyone else is so young.
Sometime later, Levi and Erwin had left and I once again, silently followed. After spending some time in the common room, they rotated the completed groups to more people who worked in the Scouts. Even then, the filing of persons was small. I wasn't sure how much time had passed, but the sun was setting. I spied an inconsolable Hange in a room with Petra and the rest of the Levi squad. Petra was attempting to calm her loud crying.
"If you're hungry, there are some rations and water over there." Levi drew my attention from my thoughts. He pointed to a table on the right of the room. We had been sitting in Erwin's office.
I finally pulled the scarf off my face and lowered the hood. "Thanks."
Starving, I hungrily gulped down the water and munched on the same biscuit-like food I had tried earlier on. It had been some time since I had eaten or drank something, the commotion had distracted me so that only now that it was in front of me, I realised I was so hungry and thirsty, I didn't mind how bland the food tasted. Peering out the window, ignoring Erwin and Levi discussing their important business, I watched people going about their business outside.
Some of the soldiers were small and baby-faced. Their nimble arms, lifting items and re-locating them to another destination on the property. They moved one by one, lifting storage containers across a courtyard and into another building. Fresh faces, round cheeks and under-developed bodies. Especially the girls, barely women. My eyes drifted to the dry food in my hand, inspecting it carefully. It was hard to determine the age of the soldiers as they were in the distance and I was peering through a warped, glass window, but the thought of famine or perhaps minimal nutrient-dense food crossed my mind.
"Juno, take a seat," Erwin caught my attention, bringing my out of my thoughts. "We need to discuss the change of plan."
Chewing and swallowing, I sat down beside Levi and lowered my food to rest in my lap.
"Based on today's events, it may be wise to not hide you any longer."
"Why?" I asked slowly, scepticism fresh in my tone. They had made a huge deal about keeping me hidden. "It's only been a few days. I've barely done any hiding."
Erwin nodded, blue orbs shining. "Yes, but several higher ups have already approached me about the small, cloaked figure standing by Levi all day."
Betrayed by my bodily actions, my gaze flickered to Levi. He sat nonchalant, a foot resting on opposite knee and right arm lifted and bent at the elbow, resting against the back of the chair.
"Couldn't leave you at the old headquarters, couldn't leave you locked in a room," Levi drawled, tea cup in his right hand and intense gaze falling upon my face, "essentially, it would be unkind to lock you up when you pose no threat."
I frowned at him. Was he implying I was pathetically weak?
"Levi is correct," Erwin continued, "we will need to explain that you are from a town outside of the wall, a small colony that almost no one has visited. They'll question this, but with Hange's help – once she has calmed down – we can devise a basic personal history for you."
"So, am I meant to be one of your cadets or something?"
"Perhaps not a cadet. That would imply you've done years of training, which no one would believe just by looking at you," Levi ended with a hint of a scoff, brought his cup to his lips, eyes peering over the brim at my increasing frown, "let's just say you are a friend of Hange's and have been asked to assist with the Scouts. You'll train with them as a Scout and perform overall duties -"
"This is great and all but what about me going home?" I bit back, cutting off Levi.
"Until we learn more, there isn't much we can do," Erwin's voice trailed off, his expression softening, "in the meantime, we may as well utilise your presence. There are many issues at hand as we speak, so in return for looking after you, we ask that you help us."
Watching both men, I pondered the situation. They had taken me in and essentially shown me a great hospitality. Not once had they attempted to harm me or show me ill-will, but rather try their best to provide a comfortable bearing – as comfortable as possible in a world I didn't recognise. Hange had even pressured her superiors to expedite my possessions from the wreckage, without my asking. The issue of getting me home had been mentioned, but not a great deal – and with Erwin stating they simply did not know where to start, echoed my own resolve. It wasn't a lie. They were right – both them and myself had no idea where to start to get me home. Where would we even begin?
"I guess I have no choice," I replied in as steady a voice I could muster. The thought of never going home was igniting a tightness in my chest. "If we attempt to find a way for me to go home during all your business, then I'm willing to help. Who has asked about me?"
"Several members of the Garrison spotted you with Levi when you entered the compound. One soldier asked if you were a new Scout and Levi overheard a pair discussing your unique eyes, but I would imagine that Commander Pixis would be aware of your presence, as well as the Military Police. You saw the eyes on you, didn't you?" I nodded in response to Erwin's question. "Then, I would assume they would know. And after the Cadets choose what they will be doing until the day they die, they'll be at the graduation ceremony of sorts."
"I have to go to a ball?" The change of subject had tapered the clench in my chest, if only for a moment.
Levi rolled his eyes. "Unfortunately, I have to go to a ball. We all do. They do it every year – a way to try to calm the brats down after they sign a death contract."
That's rather grim…
"They'll choose their regiment tomorrow night," Levi continued with a levelled voice, "and the following night, they'll have the graduation event. I'll be surprised if we get any candidates for the Scouts."
"So, the people I have been with the past few days aren't even graduated yet?"
"Some, yes. Eren has recently become a Scout due to circumstances. Jean, Connie and Sasha will choose their fates tomorrow night."
It was surreal to learn that children, the people I had spent time with, would choose a fate in a matter of hours. Some of these people I had spent time getting to know, some of which appeared far older than I had recently learnt, whilst others I had spied during the confrontation with Sonny and Bean, looked to be pubescent. Some appeared aged by their circumstances unknown to me and others, as if nothing had touched them in the slightest. It made me wonder if this was a theoretical mark of those impacted by severe events from recent past. Petra entered the room, removing me from my thoughts and asked if I was ready to go to my own sleeping area. Agreeing, I said goodnight to both Erwin and Levi.
"Make sure you stay with her, Petra," Erwin said as we were exiting the room, "Juno won't be covering her face anymore. The Garrison and MP's have already caught on, so if she needs to go somewhere, please go with her."
"Roger that!"
If Erwin had decided to change his plans of keeping me concealed, I decided I would trust his decision. Erwin came off as not only knowledgeable, but immensely sincere. My recent observations concluded that regardless of what he asked of his soldiers, they so willingly agreed with utmost faith and respect. I could deduce that if they trusted him, perhaps I could as well. Petra brought me to a room further down the hallway. When we entered, there were several bunk beds and a lantern on a desk. Curled into a ball in one of the beds, was Hange fast asleep.
"Took some time and a strong sedative, but we managed to put her to bed."
"Does Hange like titans?" I asked in a whisper as I sat down and pulled my shoes off. "Seems like she does if she took this badly."
Petra shrugged, also preparing herself for bed. "Hanji has a unique perspective on life. I'm not sure how to explain it. What did Erwin and Levi say?"
As we nestled into our own beds, I explained how Erwin and Levi planned to integrate me into the Scouts, without me becoming a Scout. She listened intently, her warm gaze thinning a fraction at points of my recount. With each word I relayed, a fraction of a twitch would rise above her left brow. With every mention of Levi's name.
"And the plan is to figure out how to get you home along the way?"
Sighing, I rolled onto my back and peered up at the ceiling. "Yeah, I think so."
"Don't worry, Juno," Hange's croaky voice came from the opposite bunk, "we'll take care of you."
"Hanji! How are you even awake?" Petra asked in disbelief.
"Do you know how many recreational drugs I have tested on myself?"
And for the first time in a long time, I laughed.