"Up ahead!" Commander Erwin shouted, "Recover Eren and Ymir at all costs!"
"Roger!" The rest of the squad called out in unison.
Mila looked around at the faces of her comrades. They were all that was left of the original Scouts. Mikasa. Armin. Sasha. Conny. Historia. Jean. Hanji. Captain Levi. She could feel a strange lightness in her limbs as if she wasn't really there. It all felt like a dream. They'd done this before. Eren had been taken away by Annie and almost lost. Now they found themselves here at the forest of giant trees once again. This time they were after two more traitors: Reiner and Bertholdt.
After all the discoveries the Scouts had made in the past few short weeks, this was the most heart-wrenching. Reiner and Eren's Titan forms wrestled around for a good few minutes and seemed like Eren would have won if Bertholdt hadn't turned as well. Eren had been outnumbered and overtaken. He was taken, along with Ymir when she'd tried to step in and help. Historia was hysterical, not only had she been betrayed but they had stolen her best friend.
Mila couldn't imagine what the rest of the squad was thinking. The two young men had been like older brothers to them. They all looked up to them. To their expertise and strength. To be betrayed a second time by people they'd put their trust in. By comrades who they had fought beside. Who watched the same people die. Who pretended to share in their pain. When in fact they were the ones who brought such suffering to humanity for an unknown reason.
She thought about the last time she was here in the giant forest. Their old squad was obliterated, their blood probably still stained the forest floor. Who else's blood would join theirs? Petra's patch felt heavy in her breast pocket and she shot a glance at the Captain. He was as stoic as ever, but she knew what he was thinking. They were the same. Hoping against hope that no more blood would be spilled on that godforsaken forest ground.
"Signal flares!" The Commander boomed.
At this, they all aimed their flare guns up at the sherbert colored sky and fired black flares. A warning to their enemies that they were hot on their tail. The explosions, and the smell of fresh human flesh, stirred Titans that were no doubt surrounding the forest. They ran full tilt at the formation, two Variants leading the charge.
"Variants!" Erwin shouted, "Brandt, Levi, take them down! The rest of you, follow me!"
They broke formation, their horses following Erwin's around the swarm of Titans. Mila and the Captain looked at each other and nodded once. They were close enough now that they could deploy their anchors into the giant trees. Levi took off faster than Mila and took down a couple of the smaller, less threatening Titans. Mila followed in his wake, taking down smaller Titans as well. They cut their way towards the Variants who were following the formation too closely.
"Brandt! You go left!" Levi ordered, he glanced back at her, "Take down the smaller one!"
"Yes, sir!" she shouted out, taking down another 8-meter Titan.
Before they could strike, a familiar explosion shook the trees and earth around them. Mila and the Captain looked towards the horizon to see the Armored Titan retreating.
"RECOVER THEM AT ONCE!" she heard Commander Erwin's voice boom through the air.
Forgetting the Variants, they whistled for their horses and mounted them. They would be able to outrun the two if they kept a fast pace. They rejoined the formation only to see that it had splintered once again.
"Mikasa! Armin! Historia! Wait!" Hanji called out as the three of them booked their horses closer and closer to the muscular Titan.
Mila watched as they made their way up the Titan's shoulders. To her, it seemed like Armin was trying to talk to them. Armin was always trying to find a diplomatic solution to every problem they encountered. She admired the boy's resourcefulness and intelligence but this was not the time. Another horde of Titans appeared in front of them, and Mila had to wonder where they were all coming from.
In the distance, in the direction in which the Armored Titan was running, was a massive Titan covered in fur.
"Captain!" her eyes were wide as she looked at the creature, "The Beast Titan!"
"Focus on recovering Eren and Ymir," he said in a cold voice, "Don't lose your head."
A horse whinnying in pain and a crash grabbed her attention. She looked to her left and saw Commander Erwin being picked up by a Titan. Her blood went cold and she felt as if she was in slow motion. There was no way that the Scouts could succeed without the Commander. It was true that he used them all in his gambles, but most of the time they paid off. His brilliant mind couldn't be lost to such a low-grade Titan.
She turned around to look at Captain Levi and Hanji whose eyes were glued to the sight before them.
"GET EREN!" Commander Erwin screamed out as he tried to wrestle his arm out from the Titan's maw, "GO!"
Mila saw as the Captain ground his teeth and turned away from the sight. There was another horde of Titans headed for them. Everyone here was a sitting duck, especially since they've left the forest far behind them. She was still stuck in a strange loop of time. Everything was moving slowly. Every sound muted. Her heart pounded in her ears as she looked back at Erwin. If she didn't do anything, he would be devoured.
She could hear a strange sound over her heartbeat. She realized it was Captain Levi yelling at her.
"-EED TO MOVE!" he boomed, "BRANDT! FOLLOW THE COMMANDER'S ORDERS!"
She looked into his gray eyes and ground her teeth, "Forgive me!"
She turned her horse towards the Titan's trying to kill the Commander. She deployed her anchors, knowing all too well she was using way too much gas. She took down one Titan after the other, but it seemed like there were too many to count. She felt a wire of her ODM gear go taut. She looked to her left and saw a Variant from earlier, it had a skeletal face and no eyes grabbing at it. She looked down at the Commander's face with horror.
He was shouting something at her that she couldn't make out. She released the anchor from the nearby tree she was using but it was no use, the Variant had hold of her. It took her in its hand and stared down at her with those empty sockets. Mila struggled and tried to cut its fingers but it ignored her jabs as if she were no more than a pesky fly.
"MILA!" she heard Levi's anguished voice over the growls and grunts of the Titans.
The Variant began crushing her in its hand as if savoring her death. Mila cried out in pain as her ribs and hips cracked from the pressure. She felt blood trickle down her lips onto her chest. Mila couldn't feel her legs anymore, she didn't know if she still had legs. She looked around wildly, looking for an escape. Catching a glimpse of the sky, she stilled. It was turning different shades of orange and pink. It was the kind of sunset she and Petra would sit out and watch until it disappeared below the horizon line. It was funny a feeling, being in a perilous position and completely forgetting about it.
She thought about her wedding day, how she would never see it. Mila had thought about marrying the Captain more than once since the last time they'd been together. He hadn't made his intentions completely clear, but she knew that she had a chance to live that dream. He'd made love to her in a way he'd never done before. She'd never taste his lips again. Feel his warmth against her skin. She wouldn't wake up next to him every morning and make him breakfast. Mila hoped that somehow she'd miraculously make it out of the situation she was in. That her Captain would save her before it was too late, but she knew it was futile.
A harder squeeze took her out of her thoughts and more blood spewed out of her mouth. Her vision was blurry and her heartbeat sounded weak in her ears.
I'm going to die, she thought to herself, I'm dying and there's nothing I can do about it.
A strange shout filled the afternoon sky with electricity. She looked down to see Eren, Historia, and the rest of the Scouts on the open field, crackling energy surrounding them. The shout was coming from Eren. It made every hair on Mila's body stand up. She looked at the Beast Titan in the distance, the one directing hordes of Titans in their direction. She didn't know if she was just woozy from blood loss, but she thought she saw fear on its face.
She watched as the Armored Titan and the smaller Titan on its shoulders continued to run towards the Beast Titan. The hordes of Titans followed right behind them, leaving the Scouts alone. It was as if a miracle had been performed.
The Variant's grip on her slackened and she fell to the ground in a bloody heap. If her legs weren't broken before, they were now. She felt the earth shake again and heard pounding footsteps move away from her. The Variant was leaving to join its brethren in their pursuit of the Armored Titan. Mila tried to shift to get a better look but couldn't move her arms or legs. Her breaths were shallow. The hard earth felt cold against her cheek and her eyelids felt like they weighed a hundred pounds.
"BRANDT!" she could hear Levi's voice, though it sounded far away, "MILA!"
She felt his warm hands on her body, chasing away the cold numbness enveloping her. She was glad she hadn't died yet. She wanted to see his face again, even though she knew it would be her last look.
"C-Captain," her voice was raspy and she swallowed thickly, "m-my Captain."
Levi looked down at her crumpled form he held so tenderly in his lap. He tried not to move her too much but he held her neck up so she could see him. Her green eyes and red hair looked dull. Half her face was covered in blood and he could see from her mishappen torso she had various broken bones. More than likely she was bleeding internally, he could tell from her shallow breaths.
"T-that b-bad?" he heard her whisper.
He figured it showed in his face how bad she looked. It took everything in him not to show any emotion, "You've never looked better, Brandt."
"M-Mila…" she coughed up more blood, and she felt him place a finger on her lips.
"Right, Mila," his voice was thick with emotion he couldn't hold back, "Don't talk."
"Is the...Commander a-alive?" another coughing fit escaped from her lips.
Levi tangled his fingers in her hair and caressed her face with his other hand, "Yes, but...that was stupid."
She took another shallow breath, "Our...duty."
Levi felt tears prick his eyes as he watched the woman he'd shared so much with beginning to drift away to a place he couldn't follow. He leaned down kiss her forehead and felt a tear escape and fall onto her face.
"Mila...I...I-"
"Sorry," she managed to say.
"For what?" He kept cradling her, his face inches away from hers.
"For...leaving you," she coughed again, "Thank you...for letting me love you."
Levi could only hold her and cry silently as a small smile broke onto her face.
"I will...s-see you again," she whispered and closed her eyes, "remember… your p-promise."
The warmth left her body, along with her breath. He felt his shoulders shake as he held back sobs that threatened to wrack his body. He lowered his lips to her blood-soaked mouth and pressed a kiss against them. He didn't care who saw them. He didn't care if he got blood on himself. He knew he shouldn't have shared himself with anyone but he didn't regret it. In the short weeks leading up to now, he felt more human than he'd ever had. She'd shown him love and affection behind closed doors. Mila never asked him for more than he could give. He started to see what he had been missing. He was able to picture a future outside these walls. A life with her by his side and yet, he'd never even told her he loved her back.
"Levi…" he heard Hanji's voice behind him, "we need to go."
Levi wiped his mouth of her blood and set her down gently. He placed her swords into her grasp and crossed them over her chest. Placing another kiss on her forehead, he let a final tear fall and composed himself.
"We can bury her at the cemetery," Hanji said quietly.
Levi looked down at her one last time and cut off her Scout patch. It had drops of her blood on it. He felt the lump in his throat triple in size.
"This is how I'll remember her," he said, still gripping the patch, "Move out."
…
Levi sat on the floor of his office, slumped up against the door. He had a bottle of whiskey in his hand but no matter how much he drank he could still see Mila's face. He took another swig of the burning liquid and set the bottle down. He ran his hands through his black locks and felt tears stain his face. He couldn't help it, last time he didn't have to go through it alone. He'd let himself indulge in the greatest pleasures this world had to offer. He left his sorrows behind when she was in his arms. He would never taste her kisses or feel her warmth in his bed again. He wouldn't see her smile at him or roll her eyes when she was annoyed.
Most of all, he never got to tell her that he loved her. She said it to him every time they were together. She never forced him to say it back or asked them to define their relationship. He'd gotten comfortable with her, too comfortable. He shared everything with her. His past, his present. He'd grown to love her. In his most primal and secret fantasies, he imagined marrying her. He didn't care that she was infertile and unable to bear him children he wanted to be with her for as long as he could.
Bitter sobs wracked his body and the room spun. He was drunk and depressed. He wished he had listened to Hani and brought Mila's body back to be buried properly. If he had, he'd be able to visit and tell her how he really felt.
Taking another drink, he reached into his breast pocket. He looked down at Mila's patch, noticing the small drops of blood on it. He kissed it and felt a fresh set of tears replace the ones from earlier.
"I'm sorry I couldn't save you," he whispered into it, "I...I wish I'd have told you while you were alive."
He looked up at the ceiling, remembering that his mother had told them heaven was above them. Was she with the rest of the Squad right now? He hoped she wasn't alone.
Still looking up, he spoke, "Mila, I lo…" he staggered to a standing position and bit his lower lip, "I..."
He couldn't say the words, it felt wrong saying it to an empty room. Silent sobs escaped his body and he moved to lean against his desk, spilling what was left of the whiskey on the floor. He never thought that he would cry again. It had been years since he had and it tasted like Mila's blood. He was a mess and he didn't know how to get himself back together again.
Promise me, he heard Mila's voice in the stillness of his office.
He looked down at her patch again and gripped in his fist. Mila wasn't the first to die, nor would she be the last but he could guarantee that her death would not be in vain. He could feel her fury through the patch in his hand. She would want her death to be avenged.
Levi wiped away his tears and looked at his office. It was in shambles and he would be damned if he left it that way. He wouldn't forget her, but he wouldn't let her death break him. He'd gone through this many times before, and he'd always got back up. He would do the same now, and make this world a place worth living in. He'd do it until he saw his Squad again. Until he saw her again so he could tell her he loved her properly.
END