Wings of Freedom

by Erin Nire 376

Elle Rothai joins the survey corps two years after the colossal titan destroyed Wall Maria. based on her trainee merits she is chosen to join squad Levi, but will she be able to get over her terrible past, survive her first expedition outside the walls, and battle not just the monsters outside this glorified cage, but also the monsters hiding within?

10. part 10 - twisting words

Wings of freedom part 10- twisting words

My head hurt, my body ached. Was i dreaming about that time? i probably was, I've had too many dreams of the same thing to know the difference anyway. This had to be a nightmare, it had to be. When I wake, everything would be fine. But as I opened my heavy eye lids, the pain deepened as my eyes met the bright color of daylight, making me whimper. The smell of dirt filled my nose, my hands feeling the surface of moist soil and crunching leaves under my fingers, the world spinning in swirls of brown and hints of green. I slowly got to my hands and knees, noticing the fallen leaves under me, decorated with speckles of blood. I coughed, the motion sending pain through my chest. There was blood all over my skin, in a dark color that crackled and smelled of rust.

I became light headed as my breathing quickened, wondering what the hell was going on. I was in the woods, but how did I get here... Why was I here? Continuing on to my feet, I supported my weight on my right leg, but suddenly fell, gasping as I realized the symp wasn't their, only the attachments of the circuit and some loose bolts. De ja vu hit me like a freight train, making tears slide down my sticky blood covered cheeks. My hands trembled as I held back sobs, dragging myself across the rustling ground by my forearm. What ever the reason, I had to find my way to a town, contact the squad.

Which wall was I in? Wall sina? Wall rose? Probably wall sina, who knew I'd get attacked at the palace- I suddenly froze. That's right, I wasn't the only one who was attacked, Levi was there too. "Dear god!" My crawling sped, now in a deeper panic to get to town, I had to make sure he was okay! If he was hurt in any way... I clawed on a tree root to push me forward, my arms alone unable to get me there faster. Something rumbled against the earth, making me look up in shock, a five meter titan walking in the distance of the forest its un proportioned large figure sending ice through my veins.

My heart stopped, unable to comprehend for what seemed like the longest time. Titans... There were titans... Someone had thrown me in Titan territory. It was happening again, I was back. As quietly as I could, I tried to turn on my elbows, my teeth clenched over my tongue to hold back terrified cries. A squeak escaped my lips as I noticed another figure in front of me. Not a titan, but a dark figure in the distance, covered in crusted crimson like I, and turned towards me. A monster?! "N-no!" I screamed as it ran towards me, trying to get away, crawling, stumbling with everything I had, crying out for help, not wanting to die.

The thing grabbed my wrist and I writhed, trying to get loose, sobbing in pure terror. "Elle! Elle! Calm down! It's me!" A hand covered my mouth and I flinched, looking at the bloody figure. It was Levi, his eyes wide, stern. Right than I totally lost it, grabbing the sleeve of his shirt and pulling him down to me, hugging him close. "Levi! Levi! Your here... Y-your-" my crying wouldn't let me continue as I clung to the captain, his warmth bringing me sweet, sweet relief. "Elle, calm down. Notice our situation." He told me, pulling away but I refused to let go of his arm, shaking. "Are you hurt? W-why all the blood?"

"Same as you, it was probably dumped on us for bait. Filthy." He hissed, scowling, but looked around us, making sure the coast was clear. "All right, we'll have to get moving. Can you walk?"

"N-no... My leg is gone..." He noticed my words were true, cursing under his breath. Without a word he dragged me to a tree and leaned me against the trunk, kneeling in front of me. "I'll be back in exactly five minuets all right? I want you to stay right here. If a Titan comes, scream as loud as you can okay? I won't go too far." He promised me, but I wasn't convinced, it wasn't good enough. "N-no! We don't have maneuver gear! Please don't go off alone!"

"I'll be fine-"

"Levi please! Lets just get somewhere safe, I don't want to get separated!" He stood, ignoring me as I tried reaching for him, rushing off, his expression telling to stay put. I leaned back against the tree, tears continue to pour. Levi... Levi please return safely. It was hours later with the sun nearing the horizon to set, I half asleep, counting the pounding footsteps of titans far off, my breathing ragged, creating a mist in the frigid fall air,pain constantly hitting my body with every breath I took.

"Elle." Levi's voice called, his figure appearing in the distance, my medal leg in his hand. He was still covered in the thick blood, which I could see he had all ready tried to scrape off his face, unable to stand being so unclean. "Le..vi.." I breathed, trying to sit up through my pounding head, seeming to have gotten worse now that my body has gotten over the shock. He quickened his pace as my shaking arms tried to support me, my teeth clenched, trying to put out the strength I lacked due to malnourishment and injuries.

"wait, wait, don't move." He warned, his warm hand cupping the side of my face as he looked at me, my eyes feeling heavy again as I felt that sweet warmth. "Shit. You look like death. They hit you on the back of the head didn't they?" His fingers trailed over my skin to the nape of neck, reaching upward under my blood matted hair. A sharp seething pain shot through my skull, my ears ringing and the world around me turning red after a flash of white snapped at me.

I suddenly realized I couldn't get enough air and grabbed at my mouth, which Levi's hand had covered, making me realize I had screamed. It took me a second to calm down, sweat making my dirty skin even more sticky, huffing in moans as my skull pounded with hot intense pain. "Careful, the lump on the back of your head is the size of a lime. You shouldn't move too much." He took my medal leg from the ground, loose bolts and screws also in his hand. "I found these along with it, though I'm not sure if theirs much you can do without Morgan."

"No... I could probably reattach it, Morgan once explained the process to me, it's just a bit fuzzy right now."

"Your dehydrated." He gave a sigh, nearly glaring at me as if I was a child who stole a cookie from the cookie jar. "Honestly, it's your own fault for drinking more wine than water at the party, plus your head condition and earlier panic didn't help at all." It took him a second but he had finally noticed my falling tears, biting my lip to keep back the crying.

"Geez what is it this time?" He demanded in a cold voice, but brushed my tears away with his thumb, his expression looking as if he pitied me, which didn't seem too surprising, I pitied myself. "I-I'm scared... I know I'm supposed to be a soldier and deal with these kind of situations but... I'm terrified! It's like I'm reliving my nightmares. I wanted to forget everything..."

"Are you pregnant?" He suddenly asked and I stared at him in shock, sniffling at my runny nose. "N-no-"

"Than are you in your period or something?" I gave a shake of my head, knowing I had already passed this months cycle. "W-why?-"

"Your being so damn emotional, I was wondering if you had gone behind my back and got pregnant. Than I wondered if the father could be that bastard Phillip-"

"What the hell are you babbling about?" I demanded, wondering if he had gone insane. "All you do is cry, so I was trying to find a reason."

"How bout that I'm stuck in Titan territory with only one leg and my captain I had dragged into the whole damn thing!" I winced when I moved my body too fast, Levi rolling his eyes. "I told you not to move. Or are you crabby from cravings because your pr-"

"I'm NOT pregnant! I'm still-" shit I had almost said it, how embarrassing. With a blush I turned my head huffing in exasperation, trying to ignore him. "Your still a virgin?"

"Shut up!"

"It's not a bad thing, besides I kind of expected you to be."

"What's that supposed to mean?!" Without an answer he handed me the leg and bolts, turning around and kneeling so his back faced me. "Get on, I'll find us some water." He told me, and slowly I climbed onto his back, his hands supporting the back of my legs, lifting me as if I were nothing, as I pouted, realizing I had fallen for his teasing once again.

I cupped my symp with one hand while the other stayed over Levi's shoulder, carrying my weight off with a steady pace. "Are you okay to carry me?" I asked and he gave a nod, continuing on. His back was warm, his flexing muscles hard and strong beneath me, making me blush, leaning my hurting head against his shoulder. "Say something every now and than, other wise I might think I'm carrying a dead girl."

"Hai..." I mumbled, already feeling sleepy to the rocking of his step. To try and silence the ringing in my ears I sang a small tune quietly.

"Are you going to Scarborough Fair?

Parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme;

Remember me to one who lives there,

For once she was a true lover of mine.

Tell her to make me a cambric shirt,

Parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme;

Without a seam or needlework,

Then she shall be a true lover of mine.

Tell her to wash it in yonder well,

Parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme;

Where never spring water or rain ever fell,

And she shall be a true lover of mine."

Unsure of what the rest was, I sang the same melody over and over again, matching it to the tempo of Levi's steps, after sometime he finally said something about it. "What song is that? It's nice." His voice woke me from a half slumber, stopping my song. "It's a lullaby my mother and sister used to sing, mother said it used to be sung to her and her mother when they were little. She was a nice singer."

Unlike me with my out of tune scratchy voice, with not an ounce of musical talent within me. "Keep singing-" he suddenly stopped his steps and I opened an eye, finding us still in the woods. "What?" I asked and he turned a bit, looking around. "I know this place, that rock..."

He looked at a boulder that strangely jutted from the ground, bonded to the earth by brown twists of roots over it. "Wait here a second." He told me, walking to a tree and leaning me against it as he sat me down, going towards the rock and climbing over it quickly, vanishing over the stone.

I sat and waited, hearing pounding of titans feet also in the distance, wondering how far out we ventured. I hope we weren't going the wrong way. He suddenly came back over the stone and hopped down from it, coming over and grabbing my hand. "Come on, we gotta climb into the valley."

Without question I stood the best I could, letting him tighten his arm around my waist and throw my arm over his shoulder, hopping over the the boulder. Once reaching it, he let go as I supported myself against the boulder, watching him climb up first, than pull me up along with him. "Don't snag yourself." He warned with a grunt, referring to the vines tangles up the stone, trying to climb up with my knees with out hitting the circuit on my calf.

I finally reached the top and Levi helped me stand again, us both climbing over the boulder into twisting hedges. Once finally through the underbrush, and climbing down the rocky edge of the valley, we came onto the graveled sandy shore of a river, the water flowing slowly down stream. "I was right, rock web river." He mumbled, and I looked at him. "Rock web?"

"Yah, for the boulder up there wrapped in vines, it was named after that cause that's the only entrance to the valley by foot." He sat me down on the smooth sandy stones, removing his bloody white shirt and dunking it in the river to wash it out while I fiddled with the symp. I placed the bolts and screws accordingly, using a stick instead of a screw driver to Tighten them.

"How's it going?" He asked, walking over as I had finally gotten it situated, so far he had cleaned off his shirt thouroully where it gleamed bleach white in the setting sun, wondering how he did that with out soap. "Good, I just need you to do me a favor. You see that notch?" I asked him, pointing to the leg and he nodded, squatting next to me, his boots crunching over the river rocks that I sat upon.

"It's no different than snapping a blade to a handle. What I want you to do is to snap that notch into the circuit, it's what connects the nerves." I ordered, and he gave a nod, taking the leg as I clenched my teeth, digging my nails into the dirt, ready for the pain.

"Okay, one... Two... Three!" He snapped the leg into the circuit and I gave a cry of pain as sensitivity surged up my leg, like moving your leg after it fell asleep. He watched me warily as I moved the leg testingly, the familiar movement making me sigh in relief "Ah... Thanks. That feels better." I sighed, moving my reattached leg with a smile. "I'm glad they didn't do too much damage-"

"it wasn't them who removed it, i was awake some of the time, they had our legs and arms tied while dragging us here by 3DMG, they had me blindfolded, so all i could hear was their voices yelling that you woke, and had disattatched your leg purposely to get free. and that's when they dropped you, than dropped me not too long after." He stood, walking to the river to finish cleaning.

"now wash off, this stench it hurting my nose." He ordered and I looked down at my leg. that does sound like me, dropping something so important like the symp to save a friend. i gave a sigh I got to my feet, swaying with dizziness. I neared the waters edge and got to my knees, drinking the fresh water thirstily. "That hits the spot." I gasped, but grimacing at the iron taste in my mouth, quickly scrubbing at the dry blood on my arms. "You won't get clean that way." Levi told me, and I noticed he was fully naked, his waist submerged under the waters surface. "Wh-where are you clothes?!" I demanded, looking away to my hands, blushing furiously. "I'm washing them baka, were both covered in blood. How can you be flustered in a situation like this?"

"Are you saying being clean is better than decency?"

"There's no such thing as decency out here, in such a harsh territory. We need to be at the top of our game physically and mentally, and you can't do that covered in filth with open wounds now can you?" I stayed silent, sulking as I puffed my cheeks against my hot face. "F-fine! But you better not look!" I waded into the water carefully, watching for holes against my bare feet as the chilly water hit my sticky skin, submerging in the water to my shoulders, than pulling off the under dress that was left in rags that I wore, pasted to my body by the sticky blood.

All I wore under it was a pair of underwear, so I slid that off too, washing that first so I could put it back on First. Levi scrubbed at his clothes under the water, flopping them over his shoulder to wash off his face more, which i realized were covered with bruises and cuts now that the blood was gone.

his abdomen was just as black and blue, spots of purple here and there over his chiseled abdomen, his scars still standing out profoundly. i looked away, wondering how much of a fight he put up before being dragged here like i, though i only had a lump on the back of my head. "Levi, does your wounds hurt? it looks like you got the worst of the attack."

"dont mind it, its better that i had gotten it rather than you." my heart fluttered at that, blushing that he had cared for me. "just to think all of the complaining you would have done makes me sick." and the feeling was gone, fury boiling in my chest, putting out my anger in scrubbing my clothes. The stream turned a hint of red because of all the blood being washed into it, steadily flowing down stream along with dead leaves caught in rocks in the current.

I now scrubbed at my body with my hands, working from my shoulders down. "Ouch!" I hissed as I washed my left arm, feeling a stabbing pain there once it was touched. I couldn't see it cause of all the blood, so I dunked it under water, scrubbing at it to get a better look as it stung with a fiery pain.

Once cleared, I stood there, frozen as I stared at the wound that bled steadily, the blood flowing like ribbons down my fore arm and wrist, dripping of my fingers into the river. "L-Levi." I called, my voice shaking and cracked, calling for him as my mind stayed blank with fear, not knowing what to do. "What? Is your foot stuck in a hole?"

"N-no... Th-there's..." I heard him sigh behind me as some splashing echoed through the rock Cliffed valley as he approached me. "What is it this time?" He asked and I turned to him with my clothes clenched against me to cover myself, holding out my arm that trembled, the red looking eerie against the pale back of my forearm. His expression twisted in anger as he saw it, staying silent as he stared along with me ,but eventually took my wrist and covered the wound with his hand, Trying to hide the words that couldn't be erased and read "burn in hell" carved and cut into my skin, the throbbing dull on the wound from my shock. The captain silently took a sash from his pants pocket that hung from his shoulder, taking my wrist again and wrapped the fabric around my arm, tying it securely.

"I'm sorry." He told me, saying sorry that i had to have such hate engraved into my body, and that was the first time I've ever heard him apologize for anything, which made me realize my distraught expression and trembling body. "W-why..? What did I ever do?! I-I want to go home!.."

My voice was whispering in a choked panic, my body sinking to my knees in the shallow water but Levi's arms wrapped around me instead, pulling me to his chest as his hand stayed grasped over my engraved arm, holding my bare body with the other. I stayed frozen, my head rested against his warm shoulder, his body strong against me that pityingly trembled like a leaf. "ignore it." He told me, talking about the mark on my arm, his voice making his chest vibrate beneath me with his heart pounding steadily in his chest from what I could hear. "Whoever did this wanted you to react this way."

"This is what I get for wanting to live..? I wanted to live to see everyone again, not to be hated..."

"Shut up already." He looked me in the eyes, holding my face up so our faces were so close I could feel his breath brush against my face. "Than If people are going to hate you, you should die." I pushed myself away from him, looking up at him as I grasped his shoulders.

"No! I don't want to die!" He raised an eyebrow, his expression testing. "Than live. People hate you cause your getting the acknowledgement you deserve. Your the god damn titan rider. Start acting like it."

"B-but that's just a title-"

"Do you think humanity's strongest soldier was given to me because of looks, money or fame?" He asked me and I shook my head, staring at his bruised chest. "Of course not, you deserve your name because you are that strong." He looked at me as it clicked, sighing. People hated Levi too, of course they would, he's fighting to break from these walls that most cling to for protection.

I'm hated because I defied their laws of logic. After a second I eventually looked up at his grey blue eyes shined against the reflection of the river, staring at me before I ducked my head again. "Your still filthy." He grumbled and I looked at him in surprise as he fingered my matted hair with a scowl, I blushing as I remembered we were still naked. "W-wait-!"

"Shut up, you didn't even wash your hair yet." He growled and dunked my head under water, making me cough and sputter as I broke the surface. "Are you trying to kill me?!" I choked, but the clean freak continued to scrub at my hair, leaning over me as I tried to hide my bare body under the water. "Levi! I'm naked here, just back off!"

"Stop being so insecure, I'm naked too. stay still."

"That's what bothers me! theres a difference between a woman seeing a man naked, and a man seeing a woman naked you jerk!"

I heard him scoff, his hands rubbing down my shoulders, using fallen leaves as a brush to scrub the crusted blood. I turned with a jerk so my back faced him, shutting my eyes, hoping he'd leave me alone. I felt his fingers rest on my back, making me flinched, feeling as if he was playing with my hair. "W-what are you doing..?"

"You hair is curlier" i blew bubbles under the water as he picked at my hair, than continued to scrub at it. "that's what happens when its wet and not brushed." it seemed like a while at he kept cleaning my hair, and i didn't like it, my fingers were starting to prune. "are you done yet? it should be clean by now."

"be patient, your hair is still orange."

"It's fine! I'm cold!"

"Shut up. You look like Petra."

"That sounds like an insult to her!" He dunked me under the water again to silence me, pulling me back up by my shoulder and I gasped in air. "H-hey!"

"There, done. It's going to be night time soon. If we don't find something to warm us soon well be stuck with wet clothes." Yah, I was shivering already thanks to him. "Hand me your clothes and I'll hang them-"

"No! Then you'll see me!"

"Stop squealing, I won't look, just give them to me, you need to dry them." Hesitantly, I obeyed, keeping my back to him as I gave him the clothes, Levi taking them and hanging them with his own over his shoulder. "God I can see my breath! It's freezing!" I gasped, hugging myself deeper in the water through my shivering. "The water is warmer than the outside air. Hurry up and get clean."

I used the leaves to scrub the rest of the blood off my front, peaking over my shoulder to make sure Levi wasn't looking. He had put on his underwear at least, walking on the shore and collecting wood for a fire, putting it in a pile, than hanging our clothes on the rock ridge to dry by the fire. I looked over down the river, noticing underbrush growing on the edge, creating a dark spot in the water.

I swam closer toward it, once reaching the side of the muddy edge I could feel holes carved into the side, smiling. Jack pot. "Elle?" Levi called and I turned, smiling. "I think this is a nest!" I called, my rumbling hungry stomach making me excited. "A nest for what?" Before I could answer I gasped in air and plunged under the water, digging my hand into the water filled hole, reaching as far as I could. all I could see was murky water, so I kept my eyes closed, searching deeper.

The second I felt the creatures smooth scaly body, something pounded against my arm, making me jerk and dig my fingers around its gills, the thing too heavy for me to pull out on my own. I was running out of air, hanging onto the writhing fish for dear life, this precious food source. Arms suddenly wrapped around my waist and I was pulled back, grabbing onto the fish with both hands desperately as my head broke the surface, gasping for air.

"What the hell do you think your doing?!" Levi yelled, and I tried to pull up the big fish, still wiggling with its slipperiness. "Take it! It's heavy!" I gasped, almost sinking under from it if Levi hadn't had an arm around my waist. "Holy shit!" He grabbed it by its gills and freed me from the load, pulling us both closer to shore where I coughed out the water from my wind pipe.

The fish still flapped around but hung in the air by Levi's hand, the captain walking up to shore and killing it by hitting its head with a rock. It was a good catch, about the size of Levi's arm from his elbow. "Um...c-Can I use your shirt till my clothes are dry?" I asked,sitting on my knees and curled against myself since he had pulled me to shore, leaving me with nothing to cover myself except my arms. Levi took his shirt from the tree, and tossed it to me, quickly wrapping it around me, and got out of the water, freezing my butt off in the chilly air.

"I wish we had something to skin it with." He mumbled, starting the fire with skilled hands, stacking the wood like a teepee and making it flame with dead leaves. A knife... "Oh!" I yelled and dove for my leg, opening the compartment, hollering in joy as I found Levi's knife still buried inside. "That's where you keep it?" He asked and I nodded, going to the fish to skin it.

I gutted the fish and pried out the bones, cutting the meat in strips carefully as the fire grew with warmth. "So you catch fish like that often?" Levi asked as we sat by the fire in the night, now fully clothed and roasting our fish on sticks. "When I was young me and my sister would go on trips and go fishing. We would catch catfish this way." I told him, chewing on my grilled fish.

"But it nearly dragged you down with it, your too tiny." I laughed, nodding. Thunder like foot steps echoed from Above and I froze as a fifteen meter class walked by the valley edge. We got to our feet quietly, Levi taking the knife, us both watching its every move till it disappeared back into the tree line, making me sigh in relief. "They won't come into the valley, it's too long of a fall." He assured me and I nodded, sitting back down. "Tomorrow, lets find a town and get some real clothes."

one up river, we could find wall rose from there." Shifting to sitting on my my knees to stretch my legs, Levi suddenly lied his head on my lap, making me jump. "What are you doing?" He looked up at me, his expression blunt. "Lying down."

"I'm not a pillow."

"We'll you make a good one so stay still." I scoffed, brushing his hair from his face with my fingers. "What if I'm tired?"

"Wait your turn." He crossed his arms over his chest, closing his eyes as I continued to sooth his hair with my fingers. "Levi." I called, and he grumbled in response to prove he was listening, opening an eye just the slightest. "I wanted to say sorry, for being so emotional. It must not be easy to baby sit someone like me."

"What's a bother is that your apologizing. Shut up." Both his eyes were open now, staring up at me and I gave a slow nod. "The thing is you cry over retarded stuff at first, but than you get used to it easily. I bet you won't cry again. Plus your a girl so crying is expected."

"Ho?" I questioned, pursing my lips in annoyance as I looked down at him. "What about you? Have you cried over anything? You know a true man is one who isn't afraid to show their emotions."

"That's utter bullshit. If we were the ones that were emotional women wouldn't be needed." I laughed at that, finding it funny because it was true. "I guess your right. Your the kind of person who stays strong for others, not just for pride. So instead of saying sorry ill say thank you, for being here and not leaving me alone." My hands were trembling, not that I was going to cry again, but because I was scared. Now that he was here with me, theirs a chance he could die too. We had no maneuver gear or proper clothing, We can't run past titans by foot.

No, I had to stop thinking only about the negative, if I did it'd consume me. The positive is also that Levi was here with me. He recognized our surroundings from past missions, he knows how to survive in these conditions, and he's the strongest soldier of mankind. I withdrew my hands so he couldn't feel them shake, tucking them against me and watching the fire and smoke swirl together, ash floating around us and sparks gleaming around like fire flies in the dark night, the heat from the fire warming my chilled bones. "It's your turn." Levi told me and I looked down at in. Confusion, before finally remembering. "Oh...right..." Gently I slid my legs out from under his head, climbing over his body to get to his other side but he stopped me as I straddled him, making me blush. "I-I'm just t-trying to get over-!"

"Why? It looks like your trying to make a move to me."

"Wha-?!" His intense eyes bared into my soul, making my heart pound with embarrassment as his hands stayed grasps on my arms. I ripped my arms free and sat up, huffing as I sat away from him. "I'm tired of your teasing." The captain sat up, grabbing my hand. The second I turned my head his lips were on mine, kissing me smoothly as he pulled me closer, my heart pounding against my chest, my face an open flame.

My first reaction was to pull away but he grasped the back of my head, keeping me in place. Not that I didn't like it, but this really wasn't the place to be kissing a person! Finally he pulled away, leaving me light headed. "You won't get another kiss till we get out of here. There's some motivation. And that's not a tease." He flopped back down a the gravel as I stared at him, wondering if he was just crazy. With a huff I lied down beside him, my head of his chest of his left side, hearing his heart beat firmly. "This is why I wanted to get to your left side." I grumbled, blushing as he stayed silent, than gave a shrug, and just like always as if he didn't care.

My dream was nice, it didn't have any images, but just showed the warm woodsy color green, my body staying warm the whole night with out a single chill. It was relaxing. The sound of the river flowing gently aroused me to wake, opening my eyes with a yawn. "Morn-" something jerked at my leg suddenly and I gave a yelp, looking behind me to see a five meter class, smiling creepily at me from the river bank, it's hair matted and wet, pulling me closer while gripping my leg.

A Titan in the valley?! "NO!" I screamed, trying to thrash and buck away, clawing at the gravel but it's grip was too tight, lifting me upside down as it stared at me. My cries of fear echoed throughout the valley, reaching for my prosthetic to grab the knife but the blade was missing, my stomach plunging with fear. The monster grabbed me upside down by the waist, gaping its mouth toward my flailing limbs as I look olde toward the fire, pushing against its fist.

"Levi!" But he was missing, gone from the spot he fell asleep at the night before. "Levi... Please..." The titans teeth bit against my leg, making me scream in agony to the ripping pain I couldn't see, cracking and ripping of the limb echoing in my ears. Everything suddenly stopped for the slightest second, quiet and still. The grip around me loosened and I plummeted toward the ground, too aghast to even scream as I landed against the river sand, my breathing coming out in pants, cold sweat dripping from my skin as I watched the Titan collapse, Levi jumping off from its back with a spear tied to the knife. "Get up." He ordered me, but all I could manage was climbing to my knees, my legs too weak with fear to walk. "Where'd it bite you?"

"M-my prosthetic I think..." The captain pulled me up by elbow and pulled me along by the waist down the bank of the river. "How'd a Titan get here?" I asked, limping on my achieving prosthetic, no physical damage done, but the grazing of the monsters teeth against the metal had set off my nerves, making it feel like it but my real leg, not to me soon my good leg was grazed a bit. "It probably floated down the river from an easier entrance. The titans are more lively during the day, so we got to keep moving. Keep an eye open, were now facing hell."

A/N- please forgive any typos or confusing or non detailed moments in here I tried to edit this whole thing from my phone so I think I deserve a kudos for that. Merry Christmas and happy birthday levi! Read and review!