Chapter 6: Trost and a beast cries

Levi stares up at the wall, the lightning revealed the tallest titan he had ever seen and without needing to be told he knows that's the titan that broke through wall Maria, the titan that let Erwin go to the underground city to get Eren, Furlan, Isabel and him. It´s thanks to this monster that they come closer to their goal, to their dream of a world without walls, a world under the blue sky, a world where they can be free.

Beside him is Eren, in the short moment before the titan will knock down another wall, take away another piece of land and that will lead to many deaths, they share a look.

"Don´t die." Eren says into the silence of the moment.

"Don't leave me." Levi tells him.

They both know that this fight could be their last but their promise stand. This titan is not like the others, not even like the abnormal ones outside the walls. This colossal titan is intelligent. And if the witness reports are true, they will face another intelligent titan in a few minutes. They will have to fight. There is no ´I love you` no ´goodbye´. They will stay alive.

The silent moment finds its end and Wall Rose gets kicked in by the titan. Giant rocks smash houses and kill people on their way, some of their following soldiers with them. Eren and Levi get into the air, with every other living soldier. Erwin shouts orders, to get the civilians to safety, secure the gate, inform the higher ups. Eren and Levi concentrate on climbing the wall, trying to reach the colossal titan before it could disappear again like three years before as wall Maria fell.

As the let themselves being pulled over the side of the wall the temperature rises and steam is all around them. As Eren and Levi can see again the titan is gone. But he made way for the normal titans to enter the wall through the whole it had made. Many titans wait already for their chance of fresh human flesh.

"Shit. Where did it go?" Levi calls out. They see the giant footprints in front of the wall but the titan itself is gone. There is no explanation for it. How can a titan this big appear and disappear like that?

The sound of bells gets their attention. "We better go dealing with the others." Eren says and both let themselves fall down, getting their blades ready and starting to kill every titan that enters through the broken gate. They both know that there is no way to fight all of them, to save everyone. Eren sees Isabel fighting with a 10-meter class and only minutes later watches Furlan getting someone out of a titans hand. His mind is mainly occupied with killing his enemy but this sudden fight let Eren watch out for his friends. He searches for them in the crowed and he feels relieved when he sees one of the new recruits fighting. Fighting is good, that means they are still alive. He looks out for Armin and Mikasa and finds them moments later. It looks like they can handle themselves.

It hit Eren that he is holding back. He never does that anymore. Not with Levi, not with Hanji or another soldier of the Survey Corps. He is the monster that baths in the blood of his enemies. Where is that monster and why hadn't it come out already. His train of thoughts was interrupted as a second lightning hit the ground in the middle of the city and there it is. The armoured titan that knocked down the gate the last time.

"Levi, Eren, stop it. Whatever you do don't let it break though the wall or we are all doomed." Erwin shouts over them, busy killing a 12-meter class. Neither of them hesitates as they let their current prey for others to kill. They know what they have to do.

The titan stands there for a second before it starts running. Other soldiers, the ones that are closer try to attack it but their blades break on the hard skin that covers almost every part of the titans body. The titan ignores the attacks completely.

"We need to get it to stop, to fall, anything that it doesn't get the speed to break through the wall." Eren shouts and points at the small spaces between the armor parts. "There. We need to hit it there."

Levi and Eren, completely synchronic hit their goal in the back of the titan´s knees. Their blades meet soft flesh and the titan begins to stumble but it didn't fall. What they achieve is that they got its complete attention.

The armoured titan reaches out for them, not their bodies like the other titans do, no for their cables. Levi reacts fast enough and let the hock go of the wall above them Eren gets thrown at the a building. The distance isn't that far and he gets away with enough bruises to let it be a lesson for him. "Eren what are you doing." Levi shouts.

Eren gets his footing back and follows Levi in a new attack. Others have joint them, Mikasa it there right next to Isabel. The two girls attack the titan's arms, while Furlan is distracting the titan, following Armin´s directions form the next building. Eren knew his friend is brilliant strategist and now he shows his abilities. His old and new friend, his old and new family fight against a monster that wants them all to die. A monster like the one he is having inside of him. A monster that got accepted by the love of his life. Eren had hesitated before, he knows that. Showing the monster in the middle of the city of Trost is different form letting it run wild in the underground city or outside in a horde of titans.

His eyes follow Levi and Eren sees what will happen. Without thinking he let loose of everything that hold himself back and pushes Levi out of the way. The titan foot that would have hit Levi from behind meets Eren mid-air and throws him into an already crumbling building. Eren feels the pain before the darkness follows and he gets buried under the rubble and swallowed by nothingness.

Levi sees Eren hit the wall, he watches in horror as the building falls with the still body of his lover. Eren disappears out of his sight while Levi tries to get up. There are more soldiers handeling the armoured titan and Levi has no mind in joining them, he needs to reach Eren before it´s too late. He sees Hanji and Erwin following the other into the fight. It seems as if most of the Survey Corps force is located here with the intelligent titan.

"EREN!" Levi shouts as he reaches the rune of the building that had been a home of people only an hour ago. Surprisingly it was easy to locate Eren, a thin trail of blood leaked out under the debris. Levi let his blade fall and starts digging. He throws rocks and pieces of wood blind behind his body, ignoring the fight against the titans and his own safety and froze as he reaches Eren. Slowly he moves the last pieces away from the body of his beloved. He sees those green eyes that had captured him all these years ago. With their fury and fight. Now they were filled with pain and something that told Levi that Eren is only keeping on to life because of his will. Out of his chest pierces a piece of wood in the size of his own arm.

Levi doesn't need to be told that there is no recovery form this. He doesn't need to hear the steps of someone behind him and their breach hitching in their throats. He doesn't need to hear that the armoured titan just disappear. He doesn't need the hand on his shoulder. He needs Eren to be alive and well and fighting for their dream.

"… Levi." Eren´s voice is weak, blood leaks out of the corner of his mouth. Levi tries a smile but it doesn't work. He isn't the type for smiling but he wished he could gift Eren one. Levi lifts his dirty hands and puts a few stray hairs out of Eren´s face. "I´m sorry. … couldn't let it hurt you." The words where nothing more then a whisper but Levi hears them.

"I´m not angry." Levi sees the relieve in Eren´s eyes before the pain takes over again. He wishes for words that would make everything better, that would erase the last hour of this cruel world but there aren't any.

Behind all the pain Levi find something he was looking for. The wish to fight, not only the evil in this world or the injustice no, there it was. The wish to live in a world without walls. It is still there even now when Eren knows that he wouldn't get up from this. Only a miracle would save him but there are no wizards to share their magic with them.

"I will make sure there is a world without walls for you to be reborn in." The words hurt Levi, because he cant imagine to live another minute without Eren but he would need to fight for their dream. After wards he can follow him but first they need a world to be reborn into it. A world that Eren wishes for.

" … love you … my demon." Eren whispers as his eyes fall shut.

"Love you too, my monster." Levi lets tears fall. It would be only moments before the last spark of life would leave Eren and Levi will be alone in this hateful cruel world that takes everything you love.

TBC