CHAPTER 2

We walked past several of the abandoned buildings in silence, until we reached a bunker that Levi thought suitable.

"The most acceptable." he commented, nodding towards the inside. I didn't comment, instead, I brushed a strand of hair behind my ear. I kept silent.

I watched Levi try to open the door pulling repeatedly on the bronze knob. When it didn't open, he kicked the door until it swung open. The sound echoed through the empty barrack, sending a cold shiver down my spine.

We walked inside, then closed the door behind us, although it was already thoroughly damaged.

The inside was bleak and gray, lined with several beds, almost all of them made. Levi lead me down the middle until we reached a bed he found suitable. "Sit." he said. His usual hard tone was slightly softer, but nevertheless, it still felt like an order of some sort. I left my maneuver gear on, sitting down, feeling clumsy. I ripped the sheets off of the bed, wrapping it around myself. How could I be such an idiot? How did I manage to let down my guard? Now I've potentially endangered my superior's life. If he died because of this…

Levi took off his cloak, then ripped off an old curtain from the rods. I watched him in silence. He hung his cloak up where the curtain was. "There." he stated. "If any of those idiots come back, they might notice it and come searching for us…but for now, the only thing we can do is wait."

He walked back over to me, and sat down on the bed beside me. "Are you scared?" he asked me.

I looked up at him. Yes, I thought, scared, but mostly ashamed… "No. It's not in my power to say I'm scared for something I did. It was a mistake on my part, and it cost us this expedition." I replied solemnly. "I'll understand if you don't want me on your squad anymore."

"I wasting my time on stupid things." Levi, looked up, completely expressionless. "It doesn't

matter what you want at this point Petra, I thought you'd realized that."

I blinked at him. "Yes, heichou."

We spent the next hour or two sitting in near silence. I was wrapped in my blanket, and occasionally Levi would comfort me. Outside, the sun started to set, and I could feel fear start to overcome me. How would we survive? We have a little food, but the titans lurking outside…

"Dammit." Levi said under his breath. "We're going to have to spend the night here Petra, are you okay with that?"

"Of course." I whispered. I kept my chin buried into my knees, thinking about what would happen tomorrow, and if everyone else will actually come back for us.

"Listen," Levi said. "I'm just as excited as you to be here, but for the time being, we just have to wait. If you want, you can sleep. Tomorrow we'll decide what to do."

"I don't need to sleep." I stated firmly. Levi grabbed my hand, and I didn't resist.

We kept all of our equipment on, just in case something would happen, and as the sky grew darker, I felt myself become sleepy. I bit my lower lip, and willed myself to stay up. If Levi was going to stay up, I could do the same. He may be my captain, but he had also chosen me to be a part of his elite team. Being eaten by a titan, and ultimately dying, because I was asleep is one of the most shameful deaths I could think of.

Levi held my hand, keeping his fingers on my thumb.

"How did you notice I was gone?" I asked quietly. He scoffed softly.

"Don't you think I would keep watch on all my men? I'd never be willing to let someone die for something as stupid as not seeing an aberrant."

"I see." I murmured, my voice almost inaudible.

I blinked my eyes slowly, a sleep spell coming over me. It wasn't until a few seconds later that I realized that I fell onto Levi, my head on his shoulder. I jerked back up.

"Sleep," Levi told me. I gave a small shake of my head, and I stayed up for a few more minutes.

"Sleep," Levi repeated. "If we move tomorrow, I don't want you to pass out."

"I'll be fine." I answered, but the temptation was so great.

His voice was so soft, and I was actually so warm in my blanket…My eyes slowly closed, and I fell asleep. The last thing I remembered was Levi putting his arm around my shoulders.

I woke up with a start, slightly confused. I glanced around me, and saw Levi staring blankly ahead.

"Levi?" I asked softly. I lifted my head off of his shoulder, and he looked down at me.

"Good, you're awake." his voice was unusually calm.

"Yes." I replied placidly. Something was wrong. "Is something the matter, heichou?"

"Don't be startled when you hear glass break Petra, we have a visitor outside."

I froze, overcome with sudden fear. I looked up, and saw a titan smiling at us through the glass window, right next to Levi's cloak.

"Okay." I started pulling my blanket off me, and then the glass broke.

I jumped to the left, narrowly dodging the hand.

Levi had sprang to the right, and had his blades out.

I held my blades in hand, watching as the titan pulled his hand out of the barrack. This was natural. I had seen this happen so many times, and I had survived this type of situation so many times. It'll be fine. I pressed down, and swung out of the barracks, covering my head as I crashed through the glass window, spraying shards all around me.

I landed on the roof of a tower across from me, crouching down. The titan turned around, its face hideous. It fixed its gaze on me, then started lumbering towards me. I grit my teeth slightly. Since I joined the Survey Corps, I had five kills. Even so, I still didn't feel as comfortable with it as Levi or Hanji probably did.

It extended its large paw towards me, and jumped off of the building, turning around, then shooting my grapple hook into its neck. I glided in the air, then rose up. I held my blades out ready to strike as I was sent up into the air.

Then, just as I was about to kill it, it turned around. My eyes widened as I grabbed me by the hair, holding me like a doll as it brought me to its face. Was this how I was going to die? A miserable death, trying to kill it. I had tried to kill it, but it was going to kill me. I felt my grip on my handgrip loosen a bit, when it started examining me, almost like it was trying to think how it should eat me. My blood had frozen, and I had seen so many of my comrades beg the titan, hoping that maybe it would spare them.

I didn't beg it. There was no point in doing that. It would still eat me, and no matter what, I wouldn't tell myself that I was below it.

"Petra!" I heard a cry. My gaze moved over to Levi, standing on top of the roof across from us, his expression a mixture of fury and horror. Then time slowed down.

I felt the titan slowly move me towards its mouth, now open. Still holding me by my hair, it lifted me closer to its mouth. Was this how I was going to die? I set me in its mouth, and I could hear Levi cry out. I heard his maneuver gear reel. Then, I knew what I had to do.

I cut my hair with my blade, sliding down the titan's tongue before it could bite down on my body. I twisted around as I fell, suddenly engulfed into darkness. I stabbed my blade into its throat, and surprisingly, I stopped falling. Saliva streamed past me, almost sweeping me away. Then, there was light again.

The titan screamed out in pain, and when it did that, I shot myself out of its mouth, and back into the world.

I was reeled onto a roof, and I rolled onto the flat surface, covered in slime, and panting. I could still hear the titan's curdled screams, and its steps of confusion. Having no time to waste, I brought myself back to my feet, prepared to finish the job. I saw in its hand my long brown hair. I guess it was about time to cut it.

I launched myself toward it, filled with the want for revenge, and with adrenaline. But Levi beat me to it. He killed it in one swipe of his blades, and the body feel past me, landing on the ground hard. The seven-meter class titan was finally dead.

I landed next to Levi, who was standing, gazing down at the corpse. "Thank you…" I gasped out.

Levi turned to me, and pulled me into his arms. "Why did you do that?" he asked, hugging me tighter.

I felt tears of relief fall down my cheeks. I'd survived titan attacks before, so why was this one so much more…intense?

Levi held my face in his hands, and pulled away. "Don't get yourself killed, Petra, okay?" I was filled with shock when I saw tears streak the his blood covered cheeks.

I rested my head on his shoulder, and nodded. "Yes, heichou. I won't, I won't get myself killed."

"I thought I lost you this time for sure. Dammit, I knew I should've followed you right after, but there was another one! Dammit, I knew I should've gone for yours first! I thought I lost you, Petra. I thought that you were swallowed, and that I'd never see you again. I thought that my squad would've been down to four…"

I felt more tears come to my eyes, but I blinked them away fiercely. We stood there in silence, no more titans disturbing us for a good five minutes.

Levi pulled away from me, slightly recomposed. "You cut your hair." he commented flatly.

I nodded.

"It's nice." and we both dropped down, walking next to one another.