Title: Regrets
Summary: Levi was humanity's strongest in more ways than one.
Pairing: Eren/Mikasa, Levi/Petra
Warning: May contain adult themes.
Author's note: AU. It stopped just after Chapter 65 or an assumption of what happened after that.
Disclaimer: the manga, characters, etc. are not mine.
CHAPTER 5
"There's not much more we can do now," Mikasa told Levi as they both mounted on their horses, blades back in their canisters. The only titans left were still a few yards away, too far to be worried about. "We have to go back to the formation or risk being left behind."
"Scared of getting stuck out here?" Levi answered.
Mikasa glared at him as if she was deeply insulted with the insinuation and that the joke was pointlessly stupid in the first place.
Levi clicked his tongue. "Fine. Retreat back into the formation."
They rode in silence, catching up with the rearguard. As they passed, murmurs and whispers of awe resonated within the formation. They paid them no heed and continued to ride at full speed, determined to catch up with their squad.
They took down seventeen titans in all but who was counting. Mikasa had never been fond of the habit of keeping a kill count. For her, a titan dead is a titan less worrying about. She didn't care for recognition or rank. She only wanted to protect the people she keeps close to her heart. Discovering her new family member had her more determined that she had a lot to lose despite having so little left. She couldn't care about recognition or rank because they didn't matter. She cared about something more important than any of that.
She glanced at Levi, silently observing how his shoulders were tense and noticed a little crack on his usual stoic expression.
He looked livid.
Levi had acted strange during their battle. He was angrier and more vicious. For someone with less emotion than a dead corpse, she was bewildered why all the sudden he lost even a miniscule amount of his vacuum-tight control. Mikasa had vaguely considered if there was something personal about ripping those titans to shreds.
"That aberrant on your left is mine." he had grimly told her. The order surprised her but she relented nonetheless. It had angry eyes and a small body, not even 7-meters. It looked more aware than any of the other titans and Levi had dealt it with more force and lasted longer than necessary as if he was savoring the kill.
"I'll take the left flank." she told him when they caught up with the wagon. Levi grunted in response. Mikasa could see that everyone was happy and relieved to see them but her eyes stayed with Eren. He had sighed in relief when she rode up beside the cart, closer to where he sat. Armin beamed at her and she momentarily shifted her gaze to him, smiling her rare smile, then went back to the piercing emerald that hadn't left her face. She nodded at him, as if reassuring him one last time, then looked ahead of her.
The wall was close, just a mile away. With their speed, they would reach it within minutes. She looked behind her. There were still titans following them but nothing they needed to be immediately worried about. They were slower than the ones she and Levi took down. Where those titans were abnormally violent, these new titans were more lethargic and isn't truly intent on going after the Survey Corps. They were just following them without much of a target which confirms her earlier assumption that the titans were being controlled to act more aggressively.
Which means there was a shifter among them.
Which means someone knew about what happened to them.
She glanced down at her attire. The black jacket with the wings of freedom crest. It was peculiar. As far as she knew, there's no branch in the military who issues this type of uniform. Even the anti-human squads are always clad in long dark cloaks, perfect for camouflage within the walls. She doesn't remember putting it on either. Someone had dressed her this way and the only person who has any idea of what's going on seemed preoccupied.
She glanced at Levi again.
His piercing stale grey eyes looked darker against the setting sun, looking deep in thought and haunted. Mikasa knew how sleep deprived her cousin could get. He would sleep three to four hours if he was exhausted. If he wasn't, even less than that. Sometimes, not at all. She can understand why. Nightmares reach even the strongest soldier. And Levi was the strongest of them all. He had survived far more battles, seen more deaths.
Lost more friends.
Sometimes, Mikasa would wonder, when the time came where she would have to take up the winged mantle from him, don more weight of humanity on her shoulders, if she could mentally survive it. She didn't think she could. She was selfish and protective of what's hers. She didn't think she could do what he could do. She couldn't willingly allow people close to her to go into battle and potentially never come back. She couldn't let them get eaten or leave their bodies behind to rot. She didn't think she could watch them die. That's where their differences lay despite sharing the same blood, skills and strength.
Levi was humanity's strongest in more ways than one.
She would just have to make sure it stays that way or die trying.
"What the—" Eren stuttered, pulling Mikasa out of her thoughts.
"What is it?" Farlan asked him, voice hard and almost commanding.
"That crest—on the wall." he murmured.
"What about it?" Isabel demanded impatiently.
"Armin?" Jean's voice sounded worried and Mikasa shifted her gaze to Armin. He looked horrified.
"It can't be. This is impossible." Armin whispered.
"What is?" Mikasa asked them. Armin pointed towards the wall with a shaky hand.
Mikasa followed his gaze and gasped.
"It's just the wall, so what?" Isabel said sounding impatient while rolling her eyes.
"It's Wall Maria." Armin whispered and the rest of his friends looked shocked.
"Yes, we know. What the fuck are you brats talking about?" Levi demanded. The other Levi only looked even more haunted and angry.
"From where we came from, it isn't suppose to be standing." Mikasa answered him. "A titan had kicked a hole in that wall five years ago."
Meanwhile, deep in the forest, a pair of hazel brown eyes open, a loud gasp scaring the birds out of the trees.
She was panting as if she sprinted a dozen laps, drops of sweat dripping from her brows, and her fingers shook so bad she can barely form them into a fist. She wore the standard black leather of the secret government organization outside the walls with the wings of freedom stretching on her back, her gear perfectly intact from the landing. Her vocal cords produced a grinding sound when she tries to speak, calling out to the figure lying not far from her.
"H—Han… ji" she tried to say. She cleared her throat, swallowed and tried again. "Hanji."
She heard a groan from the figure and she sighed in relief. That was until she noticed blood pooling around her friend's bad leg. She scoots closer to Hanji, too weak to prop herself up even further. She turns Hanji's face towards hers and she hears her labored breathing.
"Hanji," she whispers. "Tell me what hurts."
"Ribs … and leg." Hanji answered hoarsely.
"Internal bleeding?" she asks because she may think that she's adequate to handle first aid but she wasn't medically trained. That position had always belonged to the woman lying on the hard earth, her head resting on her lap.
"I think so." Hanji said.
"I'll keep you safe, Hanji." she grips Hanji's hand tightly as she surveys the surrounding area. All she can see are trees, the light of day fading away as the sun sets. It was dark and they were in unknown but most likely titan territory with an injured probably dying friend to save and without supplies to last them even a day. The only silver lining they had were the pair of fully intact gear on their hips but even that seemed useless seeing as one of them couldn't obviously use it.
"I'll take you home. I promise." she promises anyway because she'll die before giving up on Hanji.
"I know you will, Petra." Hanji whispers with a smile.
Petra's hazel brown eyes shines with tears of both helplessness and determination and gives her a smile in return.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: I know that, most likely (IDK I'm not so sure), Levi joined the Corps after the fall of Wall Maria but let's just pretend that isn't the case here. That minor detail defines this plot so bear with me. If you guys know anything about it, feel free to comment. I will try to update weekly but I make no promises. Hopefully, I'd be able to write the next chapter soon. Tell me what you think of the story so far and I'll see you guys