HUMANITY'S STRONGEST?

Chapter 13: The First Mission – conclusion

Dipshit! Levi thought as he watched Toby collide with a collapsed awning. That goddamn asshole! What the fuck was he thinking!? Why would anyone do this in the middle of a battle? Levi continued to struggle to get free from the steel hook that went through the muscle between his neck and right shoulder. Damn thing looks like a meat hook!

Then Levi looked up and realized the full gravity of the situation this had put the team in. "Amanda!" He could see her struggling with the thirteen meter titan they had been targeting. She had been counting on him and Toby to take out the Achilles tendons to disable the brute so she could easily kill it. Without their support, she had missed her target and was now in trouble. Worse still, there was a larger fifteen meter titan that had just passed him and was headed straight for her. "Amanda! Behind you!"

Levi began to panic. Amanda couldn't take on two titans at once by herself. He began to pull hard on the hook, but the hook wouldn't budge and his flesh wouldn't tear. He looked back at Amanda, who was now seconds from being grabbed by the second titan. Levi did the only thing he could think of at that moment. He let out a loud, sharp whistle through his teeth to get the fifteen meter's attention. "Hey! You big stupid oaf! Over here!" he shouted. The titan paused and turned to look at restrained teen. "Yeah, you! Why don't you come get an easy target!?"

Much to Levi's surprise, and horror, the thing actually turned and started coming towards him. Shit! Now what am I supposed to do?! There was only one way that he could think of to free himself from the hook. He braced himself mentally, raised his left blade up over his head, then brought it crashing down on his right shoulder across the hook. The flesh gave way, and Levi was free. Without thinking, he charged towards the titan as bent down to lunge at him. He moved to the side of the street, jumped into the air, ricocheted off the side of the building and got in over titan's neck. Levi started his spin as he dropped on his target and the titan instantly collapsed to the street, dead.

Without a moment's hesitation, Levi turned to face the titan Amanda was struggling with, fired his grapple into the back of its neck and raced towards it. He released the grapple at the last moment as he had done hundreds of times before in practice, started spinning again and dropped his second titan in a row.

Levi landed on a nearby roof and knelt down on one knee, reeling from his injury and shock of what had just happened. He was breathing hard, but as yet was unaware of any pain due to the surge of adrenaline still pounding through his veins.

Amanda came and landed nearby. "Thanks. But what the hell happened to you and Toby?" She then noticed the blood all over Levi's shoulder. "What the hell happened?!" She cried in alarm.

"I'm okay," was Levi's only response. Toby, having finally recovered from his own tumble, landed beside them. Levi glared at him in a way that made the other teen shudder.

"I . . . I'm sorry." Toby Stuttered. "It was only supposed to hook into the straps of your gear and jacket. I never meant to puncture you. I didn't want to hurt you . . . I swear. It was just supposed to be a prank!"

Levi said nothing, but continued glaring daggers at Toby. "Shut up, Toby!" Amanda snapped. The battlefield is no place for pranks! Even if it hadn't punctured him, that prank could still have gotten us all killed like it almost did!" She was seriously pissed.

"You two go on and help the rest of the unit. I'll be alright up . . ." He was cut off by a massive hand swatting at the three scouts. Tiles flew everywhere as the three barely managed to get out of the way by using their grapples. Two other teammates came in after it as it spun around with surprising speed to swat at them. Both scouts barely maneuvered out of the way in time.

Amanda had already gone in low and sliced the tendons on the back of the fourteen meter titan's knee even as it swatted at her companions. As it lost balance and started to fall, Levi dropped in from the rooftop and killed it. He then retreated to a higher roof where he collapsed from shock. "Levi!" Amanda shouted.

Levi lay, draped over the ridgeline of the roof, gasping with exhaustion. Shock was setting in. Amanda landed by his side. "Levi! Hang in there! We'll get you to the medical wagon!"

"No! Go help the others. I'm far enough off the ground here. I'll be alright," he replied. A scream across town seemed give credence to his request.

"Alright, if you're sure," Amanda hesitated. "But promise us you'll stay here."

"I'll be fine," Levi repeated.

Amanda was uneasy about leaving him, but knew that he was right. The rest of the unit needed help. "Okay. We'll be back for you soon," she promised.

For a few moments, Levi lay still on the ridgepole of the roof. He could hear the sounds of fighting going on all around him. Dammit! What a stupid way for my first mission to go! I can't even claim to have been injured by a titan! It was one of my own goddamn people! Someone I was supposed to be able to trust!

As he lay there, the sounds of conflict drew closer. He opened his eyes as he heard the sound of ODM gear overhead.

Tom looked down to see the boy draped over the ridgeline of a roof, blood running down the tiles. No! Tom thought in horror. Not Levi? What the hell happened? Unable to stop since he had a target to stop before it got to the supply wagons, he made a mental note to come back and retrieve the boy. A split second later, the hand of a fifteen meter titan closed around him. Almost as soon as it grabbed him, it let go, falling dead to the street below. Tom was astonished to see Levi standing on its back, near where he'd made his killing blow. How in the blazes can he still function?! Levi crouched down slightly, fired off a grapple and killed a ten meter titan that Tom had somehow missed ever seeing. Son of a bitch! That kid is fast! I've never seen anything like it! It's like he was created just for killing titans!

Levi landed on a nearby rooftop, watching the street on the far side. What does he see? Tom wondered as he crossed the street to join the teenager. Before he could land, Levi was off again, this time going in low and slicing both Achilles tendons on a twelve meter titan. Another scout swooped in and made the kill. Damn, he's good. He may be the best soldier we've ever had! Then, the horror of all scouts present, Levi lost control of his gear as a wave of pain washed over him. Though he attempted to land on his feet, he was going too fast and went tumbling several meters down the street before finally coming to a stop.

The sounds of fighting began to die down as the last titans were slain. Tom raced to where Levi had fallen. The boy groaned softly, and his grey eyes slowly opened. "Are you okay?" Tom asked.

"I'm okay." Levi sighed and started to try to get up.

The teen was surprised when Tom place a large hand between his shoulder blades and pressed him back to the street. "Don't even think about it! You're not to move!" Tom ordered. Firestorm had come running up, and began nuzzling the boy's sweat soaked hair. Tom cut away Levi's jacket and shirt so he could get a look at the ugly wound on his shoulder. This wasn't made by any titan! "Who did this to you?"

"I did," Levi answered. " I had to cut myself free."

"Free from what?"

"Toby put a meat hook in his shoulder as a prank," Amanda answered as she walked up. "It had Levi chained to the rafter of an old building so he couldn't move. He used his own blades to cut himself free so he could save my life, Tom. He killed two titans in a row with that wound."

Tom looked down at the boy in amazement. "Is that true?"

Levi just looked up at Tom, his eyes glazed over, and didn't answer.

to be continued…