Chapter 27: Closing the gate

"Team A, support Team B at the gate. Protect Eren with everything you have." Erwin shouts, the soldiers salute and make their way to the gate. Some inside, the other outside the gate. Levi, doesn't move, he will stay with Eren the whole way. Both make their way over to the giant rock Levi had decided to be the most fitting one.

"Are you ready, Eren?" Levi doesn't say brat, not right now. In situation like this he feels this overwhelming need to protect the boy. He doesn't understand why but he wants to hide him away from the world. Eren would never let him and they both know it.

"Yes." Eren jumps from the building and bits his hand. The bight yellow/green flash signals his transformation and titan Eren stands next to him. Levi let himself down on the ground, he will show Eren the way, the titan won´t be able to see where he is going, not what is directly in font of him. The heavy load will push him to the ground every second and Levi hopes it´s not too much.

Levi waits for Eren as the titan picks up the rock putting it on his shoulder. The ground beneath the titans feet gets crushed in and steam evaporates from Erens body. Levi´s mind helpful tells him that muscle and bones get damaged while carrying the thing.

"Eren follow me." Levi calls out, wanting the whole thing to finish as fast as possible. He doesn't want his child to feel pain.

It takes Levi a second to understand what his mind had called Eren. HIS CHILD. But thinking about it, its more like his brotherly feelings he had for Isabel and Furlan. He wanted to protect them but they grew up in a dark and dangerous place, together. They helped each other to survive. They were his brother and sister but Eren is different. Eren is a child and yes, he knows that he is growing up and he lets him be a soldier and all but still Levi thinks the feelings he has for the boy would be the same when he were his kid. Looking up at Eren, green eyes follow him, trusting Levi to take the shortest way. Trusting the other soldiers to protect him from the other titans Eren steps one foot in front of the other, getting closer to his goal.

"Just a bit further." Levi calls out as he sees Eren getting slower. The titan huffs and get his speed up. At the gate Levi can see his team fighting off titans that want to enter through the gate. They are all outside the wall, keeping the hole open for Eren to do what he can. It fascinates Levi how far they have come. Normally after a very short expedition, where many soldiers find their death, they are depressed, shocked or still in denial, not this fighting mob of energy that protects their own titan.

A small smile appears on Levi´s face. Another smile in the collection of smiles earned by Eren, because all of this is just because of him. Without his little titan he would be dead, gladly that it had finally end but now he lives, he smiles and most importantly he isn't alone anymore. Levi has found something to protect, someone he wants to shine everyday like the sun.

They reach the gate. "Go Eren, close the gate." Levi shouts and gets out of the way as Eren half pushes half throws the rock into the open hole to close it up. All the energy the titan still had got thrown into this one movement. Levi sees as the rock is in place Eren climbs slowly out of the damaged titan body. Levi is ready to catch the tired boy in his arms and takes him up the wall while firing the green signal. Telling the other the mission was a success and that they can regroup on top of the wall.

Eren looks over the wall, outside, a few titans are left but none can enter. The sun is still high enough for the titan in human form to get some new energy. Levi lets him sit against his side. "Good job, Eren." A tired smile is given to Levi.