Hi guys! Sorry for the slow update. School and all. I hope people are still interested, orz.
Warning for this chapter; descriptions of graphic violence are present. I would hope that if you are an avid watcher/reader of SNK you'd be used to it, but you never know XD.
Don't forget I'm on tumblr as well, and I'm always posting pics and things. www. azshalade. tumblr. com
This is all too strange, too coincidental to be an accident. Someone is out to sabotage the Scouting Legion and I will not stand for it.
A look of determination born from defiance flickered across the Corporal's face as he dug his heels into Onyx mercilessly, spurring him ever onward. Their maneuver gear might have been faster and more convenient, but gas was precious and limited and best saved for actual titan encounters. Levi would be sure to make it up to the horse for working him so hard when they returned (if they managed to return at all). Eren, Petra and Auruo followed close behind, not letting their leader out of their sight.
Petra's worried expression prompted Auruo to try and comfort her. "I'm sure they're fine, Petra. You know those guys are tough, it'll take more than one measly weirdo titan to take them down," he jested, giving her the biggest grin he could manage. It didn't do much to calm her fears, but she returned the gesture with a faint smile of her own.
"I know, you're right. I just hope we get there in time to help," Petra said, voice quivering with a mixture of sadness and trepidation. Eren felt like he should say something too, but the words escaped him and he remained silent as he forced Phoenix to keep pace with Onyx. Although she had done a spectacular job of maintaining a steady speed without tiring, every living creature had their limits and Eren could sense her slowing a bit as they continued on.
His thoughts wandered back to the time he'd spent in the treetops, scouting the area for titans as Levi rode out into the great unknown. Although he was still a bit perturbed that Levi had doubted his judgment he couldn't help but worry about the older male's safety. It was dangerous enough to ride out into an open field when titans could show up at any moment; it was downright suicidal to do it alone, even if you were humanity's strongest soldier. He probably should have ignored the order to stay behind so that he could backup the Corporal, but he didn't want to deal with the repercussions of disobeying another direct order.
Why did he want me to go with him anyway? So that he could kill me if I turned? He probably doesn't trust me at all.
The thought saddened Eren a bit. Despite all that had happened, he still looked up to the Corporal and aspired to be even half the soldier the older male was. If he thought Eren was just a reckless, uncontrollable liability, how could he ever hope to prove himself? Not to mention that a part of him just wanted to become closer to Levi. How close depended on where the older male drew the line, because Eren was more than a little willing to go beyond the boundaries of mere friendship.
Not going to happen, he's already told you that, idiot. If you'd kept it in your pants maybe things would have gone differently.
As they drew closer to their destination the sounds of battle could be heard cutting through the stillness of the otherwise tranquil forest. The bestial cries of titans and the sound of maneuver gear being utilized were instantly recognizable to the seasoned squad, who one by one slowed their horses down to a halt at Levi's command. Eren was more than a little eager to help his comrades and frowned when they stopped to seemingly smell the roses.
"Why are we stopping? Gunter and Erd are fighting to survive while we're sitting here doing nothing!" Eren snapped, bringing Phoenix around in front of Levi so that he could look the Corporal straight in the eye. The shorter male regarded him with his signature impassive stare, although there was a glint of something fierce behind his steel grey orbs.
"If we go in without a plan we're all likely to end up dead. Haven't you ever heard of a strategy, Jaeger?" Levi replied bitterly, not shying away from Eren's intimidating gaze. The brunette huffed, wanting to leave the others behind and venture forth on his own but deciding against it. Perhaps Levi had a point; without a plan they wouldn't know their roles, and a soldier with no direction was useless.
"Fine, so what's the plan?" Eren blurted out, not really realizing how rude and impatient he sounded to his superior officer. Levi had come to expect that from Eren, and would reprimand him for it later; now was the time for action, not words. The sooner they came up with a game plan the better. He turned Onyx around so that he was facing the rest of his squad, who looked back at him with fear in their eyes.
"Since we don't know how many titans there may be, or the exact location of the aberrant, our first priority is to avoid combat altogether until we locate Gunter and Erd. Do not engage any titans unless absolutely necessary until we know the situation, understood?" The rest of his squad nodded in response, their attentions mainly focused on the sounds of heated battle before them.
"We will proceed from here with maneuver gear; the horses will stay here out of the line of fire. Should you be the first one to find either of your squad mates I expect you to send the appropriate signal; green for alive, red for dead," Levi explained, tossing canisters of colored smoke to each of them. Once everyone had their flare guns loaded and ready to go they dismounted and awaited the signal to depart.
"Go. I'll be following close behind," Levi ordered, and his squad saluted him before grappling into the trees and heading in separate directions to cover more ground. That was, all except for Eren, who looked at the flare gun in his hand with disdain. Levi arched a brow and approached the brunette, shooting him a questioning look. Eren frowned and furrowed his brows in deep thought.
"Why are you still here, Jaeger?" Levi asked, a hint of irritation in his voice. The look Eren gave him was one of trepidation, something Levi had not expected to see within those gorgeous ocean colored eyes. Usually the boy was full of anger and blood thirst, eager to destroy his enemies at any cost. Yet now, at the most critical time, he appeared distraught and unsure of himself.
"It's just…what if they're…what if we only find the bodies?" Eren asked, his voice barely above a whisper as he dropped the hand holding the flare gun to his side. Levi understood then why the boy hesitated in that moment; that fear of the unknown, when you had no idea whether your comrades were alive or dead, or whether you even stood a fighting chance against your enemy, they were all feelings that Levi himself was all too familiar with.
He heaved a sigh.
"If they're dead, they're dead and nothing can change that. We can stand there and mourn, asking ourselves why, or if there was something we could have done differently to prevent it, but the truth is that no matter how much we dwell on it we cannot bring them back. All we can do is strengthen ourselves and promise that we will never forget, and that we will fight until our dying breath to prove to them that their deaths were not in vain." Although Levi was looking straight at him there was distant look in his eyes, and the brunette could sense that this was not the first time that the Corporal had faced this very situation.
He's probably seen plenty of his comrades die in the past. He needs me to be strong and fight, I can't just sit here and do nothing because I'm afraid of what I might find.
Eren was suddenly at a loss for words, and so he nodded in understanding as a new feeling overtook him; a burning pride within his heart that seemed to ignite a spark inside of him, giving him hope and the strength to move forward at any cost. He was a part of something wonderful, a group of people who fought and died day after day for their cause, whose symbol embodied everything Eren himself yearned for. His new found resolve caused a cocky smile to grace his lips and he saluted Levi, hand over his heart and determination in his eyes.
Levi arched a brow; he hadn't intended on Eren taking his little talk as a motivational speech, but whatever got the brat to move his lazy ass was fine with him.
"Yes, sir!" he shouted, and as he moved to grapple into the nearest tree he felt a gentle tug on his sleeve. When he looked back to question what Levi was doing he was shocked to see the man's usual impassive stare replaced with a sad look, mouth curved into a frown and brows furrowed with worry. Eren's eyes widened to a comical size upon seeing the uncharacteristic expression.
Those intimidating steel grey eyes looked deep into Eren's teal as he spoke, barely above a whisper but still audible to the brunette.
"Eren, don't die, that's an order."
Without another word Levi grappled into the nearest tree and disappeared into the forest, leaving a very confounded Eren behind. His cheeks flushed a light pink color as he stared down at the sleeve that Levi had touched ever so gently.
I...I won't die, I promise.
Eren tucked the thought away and followed suit, grappling into the nearest tree and scanning the area from the treetops. There, at the edge of the forest, he spotted two small figures encircling a rather large titan, working together to bring it down in one fell swoop. From his current position it was difficult to tell exactly who the figures were, but his heart leapt in his chest at the sight nonetheless.
It's gotta be Gunter and Erd, the others are fast but they couldn't have made it that far already; they must still be alive. I'm so relieved.
Knowing not to get too complacent, Eren continued ahead, sailing past the trees at a steady speed and enjoying the feeling of the wind rushing past his face. It was exhilarating to be back in action once again, even if he wished it was under different circumstances.
When he reached the edge of the forest he balked at what he saw; nearly a dozen titans lay dead, corpses steaming. Eren was dismayed to see that he'd come too late to assist in the fight he'd witnessed from the trees. As a bit of the steam cleared due to a sudden gust of wind Eren finally got a good look at the two figures below. To his delight it was indeed his fellow squad members.
Gunter offered Erd a hand up off the ground where the other male was resting, panting and completely exhausted from his efforts. It was no small feat to eliminate that many titans without suffering a single debilitating injury.
Eren wasted no time and landed next to them, smiling when he saw that other than a few cuts and bruises the two men appeared unharmed.
"Gunter! Erd! You're alright!" Eren practically shouted with joy, thankful that he hadn't had to witness his comrades deaths. The two squinted at him, surprised looks on their faces as they realized who was speaking. It was difficult to see anything through the thick clouds of steam billowing from the multitude of titan corpses piling up around them.
"Eren? Since you're here I assume that means the Corporal saw our signal?" Erd questioned, standing up and dusting himself off.
"Yes, we came as fast as we could; by the way, you signaled for an aberrant right? But I don't see any abnormal titans around."
Almost forgetting about informing the others, Eren quickly loaded a green canister into his flare gun and covered his ears, sending the signal that he was certain Levi would be glad to see; green for alive.
"It disappeared deeper into the forest. It appeared to be chasing some maniac on horseback; we didn't get a good look at the guy, but from what I could tell he wasn't part of the Legion," Gunter explained, exchanging furtive glances with Erd that spoke volumes to Eren; behind their eyes were looks of pure fear, the kind you'd expect to witness from a cornered animal. Whatever they had seen, it had unnerved them enough to show in their faces. It proved that despite whatever preconceived notions the people back inside of the walls had about the Scouting Legion one thing held true; they were human, and they felt fear as real as any other.
"A-anyway, we shouldn't get too complacent; I'm also certain I saw at least four more 15 meter classes heading this way-" Erd was abruptly interrupted by the sound of a rather large titan crashing through the trees, as if on cue. Noticing the haggard and fatigued looks of his comrades, Eren's lips curved into a smile as he readied his blades.
"You guys take it easy; it's my turn to protect you," Eren said, tone somewhat cocky but nevertheless appreciated by the two tired men. The brunette grappled over to the titan, showcasing speed and agility that was only surpassed by Corporal Levi himself. Gunter and Erd watched in awe as Eren made short work of the titan, sending it falling to the ground in a lifeless heap. He had no time to rest, however, as two more 15 meters approached, undaunted by the corpses of their fallen brothers.
Eren took it as a challenge, and moved to dispatch them without hesitation, delighting in the feeling of the impossible warmth of the steaming blood that spattered across his skin, thoroughly coating his face and torso. His mouth twisted into an almost Cheshire grin as he reveled in the feeling of draining the life of the beings he hated the most in this world. It thrilled him, invigorated him. After so many years of being helpless and afraid, the prey had finally become the predator, and the hunters were being hunted themselves.
About a mile in the other direction Levi, Petra and Auruo (mostly Levi) worked together to dispatch the remaining titans in the area, relieved when they saw no more approaching from the direction of the open field. Levi was almost disappointed; it had been so long since he'd gotten the chance to put his blades to use, and all that they could find were a few measly stragglers? He knew that the situation could change at a moment's notice, however, and kept his blades at the ready.
As he heard the familiar sound of a flare gun being fired Levi froze; he was hesitant to turn around and see what color the smoke trail was. Many times before he'd seen that dreaded red tint the sky, confirming his worst fears. Petra, who was standing in a tree adjacent to him, pointed to the sky behind him and practically beamed a smile in his direction.
"Corporal! Look! Eren found them, and they're alive!" she yelled, whooping and dancing around while Auruo just smiled and watched. Levi exhaled a breath that he hadn't realized he'd been holding and turned around to see for himself; sure enough, there in the bright azure sky, was a fading streak of green smoke. The faintest of smiles graced his lips for a few seconds, unseen by his squad; it vanished as quickly as it came, however, when he felt a familiar rumbling of the earth below.
Two rather large trees parted like twigs before the emerging titan. Stepping out from the shadows of the forest was a massive titan, tall and muscular with a short mop of black hair. It could have been mistaken for a regular titan if not for one glaringly obvious difference; it was wielding three pairs of arms, six in all. In the top right limb it was clutching something in its hand, and as it drew closer what it was holding became visible.
It was a human, or more accurately, half of a human, ripped in two at the midsection. Petra covered her mouth but did not look away; it was nothing she hadn't seen before, but that certainly did not make witnessing the cruelty of the titans any easier. The top half of the person was currently hanging out of the side of the titan's mouth, arms stretched out and eyes wide with the shock of death. The corpse would not have surprised Levi so if not for one disturbing detail; the expression on the victim's face was not one of sheer terror as was to be expected.
The deceased man had died smiling. Not the tranquil smile that some of the dead would have upon receiving the mercy of a quick and painless demise; no, this man had been euphoric, had delighted in being devoured. A bit of his tattered red clock peaked out from between the titan's lips, and Levi instantly put two and two together.
It appears that our rider was not quite fast enough.
Their time to stare slack jawed had come to an end; the titan finished his meal, crunching down on the bones of the torso before swallowing it greedily and following it with the lower half, snapping the legs in half as it bit down. Blood poured from its gaping maw like a slick crimson river. Wearing the usual unsettling smile upon its lips, the titan turned to face its new candidates for a hearty afternoon meal, and Levi knew that the time to act was nigh.
The aberrant looked upon him, its eyes wide as it seemed to study its prey. Levi despised that look; the look that said you are nothing before me.
We'll see about that.
Levi moved with such speed that he became nothing more than a blur as he rounded on the titan, target in sight and blades at the ready. As he twirled to gain momentum in his usual fashion he was shocked to see that as he closed in on the nape the titan slapped a hand over the sensitive area and swung at him with another, turning around with almost human reflexes as it guarded itself against the incoming threat.
Levi managed to slice through one hand before changing directions midair and landing, cursing under his breath as he watched the injured limb regenerate with ease.
I should have known that things wouldn't be that easy. Time for a different approach.
"Auruo! Petra! Try to distract it while I approach it from behind; you'll need to be twice as vigilant because of the arms," Levi instructed, and without a single word the two obeyed, grappling near the aberrant but staying at a seemingly safe distance. Levi watched and waited for an opportunity to move. Should he act too soon the titan would surely pursue him, still angry about its injured limb. Auruo landed in a tree just out of arm's reach of the titan, waving his arms and shouting in hopes of gaining its attention.
"Oi! Look over here you ugly son of a bitch! Don't I look tasty?" Auruo puffed his chest out in a false display of bravery; inside he was terrified, but he couldn't let it show, not when Petra and the Corporal were counting on him. The titan turned its massive head in his direction, one arm swiftly acting of its own accord and flying towards him in an attempt to snatch him from his perch. Auruo grappled away just in time, narrowly avoiding being grabbed.
"It's fast, be careful Petra!" he shouted, hoping the redhead would heed his words. Petra nodded and sent her line towards a tree on the opposite side of the titan, planning on landing on the branch and distracting it further. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Levi disappear into the forest. She smiled as determination burned within her heart.
I won't let you down, Corporal.
It was a huge mistake to take her eyes off of the titan. Before she had a chance to land a massive hand grasped her line and pulled, dislodging the anchor from the bark of the tree and pulling the girl along with it like a fish on a hook. The force of being pulled in the opposite direction so quickly caused severe whiplash and Petra yelped as she suddenly came to halt, dangling from her gear as the titan lifted her to its mouth, smile never leaving its disgusting lips.
"PETRA!" Auruo cried, willing himself to move despite being paralyzed with fear. Petra stared at him, eyes wide with terror and mouthing a silent plea for help as she hung precariously over the titan's gaping maw. As she looked down she could see the unnaturally white teeth glistening with saliva in the midday sun, a massive tongue lolling to the side as it opened its mouth wider to accommodate its prey.
No no no, this can't be happening, I don't want to die, not yet...
Her wish was granted when Auruo flew by, grabbing her around the middle before grappling into the nearest tree. The sound of snapping jaws could be heard behind them as they landed, narrowly avoiding two arms swinging wildly about in an attempt to recapture the girl. Shaking from the aftermath of the adrenaline rush, Auruo put Petra down on the branch, steadying her as the girl struggled to keep her footing.
"Petra! Are you alright? That was way too close!"
Eyes wide with the shock of seeing her life flash before her eyes, the girl nodded. She shook her head, willing away the thoughts rushing through her mind and forced herself to concentrate on the task at hand. She looked around frantically, confused as to why the titan had not yet breathed its last.
"W-what happened to Corporal Levi? He was supposed to attack from behind; did something happen to him?!" she asked, worry evident in the way her voice quivered.
"I don't know, but the Corporal would never have let that happen under normal circumstances, something's wrong," Auruo concluded, looking in the direction their Corporal had disappeared in with worry. His heart told him to believe in his Corporal, that the man would never let his comrades down while he still drew breath.
However, his brain knew that despite what anyone thought, Levi was still human, and humans made mistakes.
Don't leave us now, Corporal.
Levi had followed the plan he'd hatched in his head to a T; approach the titan from behind while his comrades distracted it, therefore rendering it unable to defend its nape as Levi struck the killing blow. That was the plan.
But since when did anything ever go according to plan?
He'd been flying effortlessly through the trees, calculating the best spot to land and moving to do so, taken completely off-guard when he saw a cloaked figure standing in that very spot. Levi swiftly changed course and landed in a smaller tree next to it, eying the intruder warily. When the figure remained still Levi brushed it off, continuing with his plan despite a nagging feeling inside that something wasn't quite right about the whole situation.
It doesn't matter right now; I can't leave Auruo and Petra alone with that thing. I must strike while the iron's hot. If they want to interfere I will cut them down without hesitation.
Levi was aware that the figure had decided to follow him, staying a few feet behind at all times. If time had not been of the essence Levi never would have ignored a potential threat like this.
"Oh Corporal, where do you think you're going? It's rude to ignore guests, you know!" the clearly male voice called out to him from behind, smirking under its hood as Levi watched him out of the corner of his eyes. He did not answer, not wanting to humor the man by acknowledging whatever the hell intentions the stalker had.
When he finally arrived at the pre-planned spot behind the abberant Levi stopped and calculated where best to send his grapple to make a deep, clean cut across the nape. He was acutely aware that the cloaked figure had seemingly disappeared, but focused instead on his target.
As he watched Auruo and Petra distract the titan he shot his grappling hook at an appropriately sized tree, anchoring it firmly before readying himself and sailing through the air. When he was but a few meters from his target, blades at the ready, something happened that Levi never could have anticipated.
The cloaked figure that had been following him used maneuver gear of his own, crossing Levi's path in a perpendicular direction and severing his lines in one fell swoop with two impossibly sharp blades. In the split second after it happened and LEvi began to fall, he could hear the figure speak to him, almost as if time had come to a standstill just long enough for him hear what the bastard had to say.
"We will clip your wings," the figure said, voice low and menacing and almost inhuman in the way it spoke; cold and full of malice.
As quickly as he'd appeared, the figure vanished into the distance, and Levi, being without the support of his gear, began to fall. In a miraculous stroke of what may have simply been dumb luck Levi spotted an opportunity to save himself; he was within inches of the titan's body. Instead of aiming for the nape he would have to anchor himself onto the beast to stop himself from falling.
Acting on pure instinct he drew back both arms before driving his blades deep into the flesh of the titan's back, dragging the sharpened metal down in two straight lines and using his feet as brakes. Once he'd stopped himself from plummeting to his death he thanked whoever had manufactured his blades for making them strong enough to penetrate titan flesh and sturdy enough to support his weight.
The titan roared and thrashed in pain, attempting to dislodge him. Its arms were far too short to reach him, however, and he was anchored in enough to avoid being thrown from the frantic movements. Auruo and Petra took notice of the titan's sudden change in demeanor and stared slack jawed as they watched it turn its back to them, revealing the Corporal hanging from the handles of his blades buried deep within its back, wounds steaming and attempting to mend only to be torn open once more. Petra couldn't believe her eyes; what could have happened to cause this? Levi never missed his target, so why was he just dangling there?
Auruo acted immediately. Drawing his blades from their holsters he moved to attempt approaching the titan from behind.
"Hold on Corporal, I'll kill it and save you-" he was abruptly cut off when Levi shouted to him, struggling to hold on and reaching deep within himself to use every ounce of strength he had left.
"No! Its smart enough to guard its neck, it will be a waste of time," Levi barked, cursing his arms for becoming fatigued from their prolonged hold on his blades," I have an idea. You and Petra continue to distract it. I will climb up and strike the nape while it's focused on you two," Levi put the plan into action without further ado, using all of his strength to retract one blade before plunging it into the flesh once more, only this time in a higher position. It was as if he was climbing a living mountain, but without a safety rope. Should he miss his mark he could end up dangling by one arm before surely plummeting to the earth below.
Auruo and Petra exchanged worried glances before hesitantly obeyed the Corporal's orders, this time taking much more care to stay out of arm's reach of the titan. Still roaring and thrashing the titan attempted to focus half of its attention on the other two, intent on capturing them but never ignoring the searing pain of having a human latched onto its back.
And so, Levi began his ascent, steadying himself every so often when the titan would flail around wildly. He was but a mere three feet from the nape and he would not back down now.
Eren wiped the copious amounts of titan blood from himself and his blades, bending over and huffing from exertion. He, Gunter and Erd had finally dispatched the last of the titans in their immediate area, and the three took a minute of much needed rest at the top of the tallest tree.
"Good job, Eren. You killed more titans today than I have in months," Gunter said, clapping Eren on the back and chuckling despite his aching muscles. Erd smiled and nodded, changing his blades and wiping the sweat from his brow that had accumulated from the clouds of steam surrounding them. Eren returned the smile, breathing heavily and feeling exhausted but satisfied.
The happy atmosphere soon turned dark, however, when the distinct cry of a titan pierced the tranquil silence of the forest. Eren snapped his head in the direction of the noise, eyes widening when he realized that it was coming from the very area that Levi, Petra and Auruo had headed. There was something unsettling about the sound; usually titans were relatively quiet, and when they did make noise they were usually grunts, groans, or the occasional roar.
But this, this was a cry of anguish, of hatred. Despite Eren's belief that other than himself, titans were incapable of feeling anything but hunger, he could not deny the emotion behind the cry. It was as if it was saying that it determined to survive, no matter the cost. He shook his head, willing the thoughts away before turning to face his comrades.
"Whatever made that sound is near the Corporal and the others. We've got to help them!"
"Right. Let's go!" Erd agreed, and the three of them headed in the direction of the noise without hesitation.
Eren quickly gained the lead due to being the lightest of the three. He sped forward with new found resolve. For once he would be useful to the Corporal; this time he would not let himself be caught unaware and helpless. As unlikely as it might be, if Levi needed him he would be there, and he would prove that he could be strong without relying on his titan powers, however helpful they may be.
For all of his courage he still balked at the sight before him when he landed, blue green eyes wide with shock and awe as he beheld the aberrant titan before him. It was massive, muscular, and multi-limbed; not a good combination. His companions soon caught up with him, landing on either side with questioning glances.
"Eren, what's wrong, why did you sto-" Gunter stopped mid sentence as he saw just why Eren had halted. A rather angry six armed titan was swatting at Auruo and Petra like flies while thrashing around and groaning in pain. Their jaws further slackened when the titan turned its back to them, revealing the Corporal climbing its back, blades acting as anchors.
"What the fu-" Erd began, but was interrupted when Petra shouted to them upon noticing their arrival.
"Corporal Levi is about to kill it, but his gear is malfunctioning or something and he's going to fall!" she narrowly avoided being hit by a flailing arm and grappled away, frustrated that she could not get closer to Levi.
The Corporal had finally reached his destination. His heart was pounding a mile a minute and his breaths were coming in short pants. He was running on pure adrenaline now, his muscles having tired themselves out long ago. He was right below the nape, and he quickly pulled out one of his blades to make the killing blow, steadying himself and praying that he would hit the mark on his first try.
Levi drove the blade deep within the nape, hitting his target in just the right spot to bring down the titan and sighing in relief as he felt its muscles go lax, confirming that he had indeed hit his mark. The beast let out one last strangled cry as it struggled to remain standing. Blood gushed from the open wound, and Levi struggled to maintain his grip on his blades, feet slipping out from under him as he dangled like a puppet on a string. He really hadn't thought this through, or he might have anticipated the steaming river of blood impeding his ability to keep from falling.
Eren finally snapped out of his stupor upon realizing that it was only a matter of seconds before Levi's grip failed and he would fall. Ignoring the question of why Levi wasn't using his maneuver gear Eren's body moved of its own accord, and he flew forwards on his line, heart racing with fear and adrenaline.
I won't let you down, I promise.
The slick blood rushing over him finally trickled beneath Levi's fingers and his hand slipped, forcing him to relinquish his grip on his blade handles. He began to fall once more, cursing the titan for being such a fucking bleeder.
The titan was forced to its knees before falling forward onto its stomach, taking one final breath as it hit the ground hard, causing the very earth to tremble.
I shouldn't die at this height, but this is going to hurt like a motherfucker.
Levi turned himself so that when he landed his arm would break his fall rather than his head or feet; he could fight one handed but not with a broken neck or a shattered femur. He closed his eyes tightly and clenched his teeth, bracing for impact. The familiar sound of maneuver gear sliding past him met his ears and his heart skipped a beat. If the same bastard from earlier had returned he could not defend himself, his blades still buried deep within the steaming corpse.
Fuck. After all that trouble.
Anticipating the sting of a blade piercing his flesh, Levi was more than a little surprised when instead he felt two strong arms wrap around him in midair, catching him as he slammed into the other person's body, knocking the wind out of his lungs. It wasn't the most gentle of rescues, but he was more than a little relieved to have hit a human body instead of the cold hard ground. He instinctively clutched the fabric of the person's clothes, hanging on as hard as his aching arms would let him as the two sailed through the air.
His chin was resting on the mystery person's shoulder and as he opened his eyes once more he spotted his squad surrounding the aberrant titan, ensuring that it was indeed no longer among the living. He was relieved to see Auruo, Petra, Gunter and Erd all seemingly unharmed. Everyone had survived, and that alone brought Levi more joy than he'd experienced in a very long time.
Wait…where's the brat…
…
…
Oh.
Levi wriggled in the mystery person's grasp a bit, repositioning himself so that he could look upon his rescuer's face.
"Eren?" Levi questioned, although he wasn't sure why. Who else had unkempt brown hair, striking eyes the color of the ocean and a cocky grin that made him want to punch them in the face? The brunette met his questioning gaze and smiled.
"What was that about asking me not to die? More like don't die yourself, Corporal," he teased, finally finding a suitable spot to land. When his feet once again hit the firm bark of a tree he came to a complete stop, releasing his grappling hook and breathing a sigh of relief.
He's safe. For once in my life, something went right.
He let out a shaky laugh, trying to appear unaffected by the entire scenario and failing. His legs were shaking and he was almost certain he'd peed himself a little.
"I'm glad I got here in time, a few seconds too late and you would have broken every bone in your body," Eren mused, face taking on a more serious look as he tried to push the picture of Levi lying on the ground motionless out of his mind. When Eren had caught him he'd grabbed him around the middle, and Levi had instinctively wrapped his legs around Eren's waist and dug his nails into his shoulders to get a better grip and prevent himself from sliding out of the brunette's grasp.
Now that they weren't flying through the air at dangerous heights, however, it looked less like a rescue and more like something else. Once Levi had come down from his adrenaline high he became very aware that he could feel Eren's warm breath against his neck and his hands wrapped around Levi's back as if they were in some kind of intimate embrace. The older male narrowed his eyes and fought back the tingling sensation in his chest before releasing his grip on Eren's back and waist, letting his arms rest at his sides and putting his feet down beneath him and standing once more at his full height (which was still shorter than Eren, much to his dismay).
For some reason Eren was still practically hugging him and Levi cleared his throat to get the boy's attention. Eren didn't seem to notice, however, too caught up in the moment and relishing how it felt to hold the older male in his arms. The feel of his Corporal's beating heart against his chest, signaling that he wasn't dreaming, that Levi was still alive and that he'd succeeded in saving him.
He also couldn't help but notice the soft caress of Levi's breath against his ear, and damn did he smell good, kinda musky from fighting but not bad…
"You can let go now, brat," Levi said, the statement coming out harsher than he'd intended due to his slight embarrassment at the entire situation. Eren jumped a bit, snapping out of his daydream and quickly releasing Levi, stepping back from the older male and turning a few shades of crimson as he faced away and mumbled an apology. Levi frowned and furrowed his brows.
Never thought I'd see the day when this idiot had to come to my rescue. I must be getting old or something.
Levi grimaced when he noticed that his clothes were completely drenched with sweat and evaporating titan blood. Eren's front was also covered in the substance but the brunette seemed unperturbed, turning to face Levi once his cheeks had returned to their normal shade of pink.
"Um…I probably shouldn't ask but…why were you climbing that titan? Did something happen to your gear?" Eren asked, rubbing his neck sheepishly and looking at Levi with those way- too- pretty- for- any-boy- to- have- the- right- to- own eyes. Levi did not answer at first, averting his gaze to look down upon his squad, who were already heading in their direction. He heaved a tired sigh and regarded Eren with a weary look.
"Someone was following me and cut my line. I think it was the rider from before but I can't be sure," Levi confessed, face returning to its normal impassive state as he used a handkerchief to wipe his brow. Eren did his best to try and ignore how attractive a sweat drenched Corporal was and arched a brow in question.
"Why didn't you stop him from following you?"
Levi crossed his arms and scoffed, one eyebrow twitching in annoyance.
"Is this an interrogation? I had more important things to worry about at the time," Levi stated, glancing down at his squad surrounding the tree they were in. Eren understood then that Levi had placed the safety of his comrades before his own, as per usual. He really hated it when people did that, but he was just as guilty himself, having willingly jumped into the mouth of a titan to rescue Armin.
"Any idea where he went?"
"No. I was too busy trying not to die to see where he ran off to," Levi said bitterly, checking his gear and frowning when he noticed the splayed ends of his severed line. The bastard may still be lurking out there somewhere, but at least the titan threat had been taken care of, as far as Levi knew.
"Did you see any more titans approaching your area?" Levi asked, not looking at Eren.
"No, it was all clear when we left."
"Very well. As much as I would like to chase down the pieces of shit that led them here I need to get this replaced ASAP. Although our enemy is now down one man thanks to that titan," Levi said, looking down at the smoldering pile of bones beneath them.
It was time to meet back up with his squad, and much to Levi's chagrin there was no easy way down save one. He eyed Eren and sighed, really not wanting to ask for the brat's help but seeing no other choice.
"….me down…" he mumbled, voice barely audible. Eren strained to hear what he'd said but to no avail. He had a hunch of what Levi was asking, but it wouldn't hurt to double check.
"Excuse me? I didn't catch that," Eren said, playing coy and pretending not to know what Levi could possibly want from him. The older male snapped his head in Eren's direction and shot him a smoldering glare.
"I said, get me down now, shitty brat," he snapped, and Eren really wanted to laugh, but decided against it. He really didn't want to lose anymore teeth. Instead he saluted, hand over his heart before picking Levi up and trying to carry him princess style. His attempt was thwarted however when the older male tried to punch him square in the nose, barely missing when Eren moved his head just out of the strike zone. He dropped Levi immediately, stepping back and trying to stifle a laugh.
"Don't do it like I'm your fucking bride or something, idiot" Levi snarled, picking himself up and dusting his clothes off.
"Ok then, I'll just have to carry you like a wounded soldier," Eren mused before grabbing Levi around the waist and throwing him over his shoulder, quickly grappling down to the ground before the shorter male could inflict any injuries on him.
When they landed the others exchanged furtive glances and Petra had to bite her lip to keep from bursting out laughing. Despite the danger they'd all faced and narrowly survived, the two were a sight to see and it was impossible not to smile at the ridiculous situation. When Eren landed he put Levi back on the ground and the older male sent a flying kick into his stomach, causing the brunette to double over in pain, clutching his sides. The others immediately straightened their faces and pretended that they did not just see humanity's strongest soldier being carried down from the treetops ever so gently by Eren Jaeger.
Speaking up above Eren's pained whimpers Levi faced his squad.
"Let's start heading back. We need to leave now if we hope to arrive before nightfall. Since Erwin will be busy with the ceremony tonight I expect you all to keep this under wraps until a meeting is called to discuss what transpired here," Levi stated, and all of them saluted him at once.
"Yes, sir!"
It didn't take long to find the horses, who were drinking from a nearby stream. They'd all been trained to never stray too far from their masters but to also stay out of the danger zone unless they were being ridden. Horses, like so many other rare things inside the wall, were worth a fortune and not easily replaced.
Phoenix let out a pleased whinny upon spotting Eren and trotted up to him, shoving her nose under the brunette's arm and nuzzling her master. Eren laughed and gave her a scratch behind the ears. It was nice having someone besides Mikasa and Armin worry about him for a change, even if that someone was equine.
Levi was already mounted on Onyx as the others looked around for their own respective horses. As Eren mounted Phoenix Levi trotted Onyx up beside him. The stallion eagerly pawed at the ground, ready to ride once more at his master's behest.
"Eren," Levi blurted out, his mouth working faster than his mind. The brunette immediately perked up upon hearing his name leave the Corporal's lips and turned to look at him, a mixture of hesitation and fear on his face. He really hoped that Levi could forgive him for playing around. He laughed nervously and scratched the back of his head to distract himself.
"I'm sorry about the carrying thing-" he began, voice cracking a bit from nervousness.
"Don't interrupt me, and don't apologize," Levi barked, making Eren flinch a bit before he sighed and softened his features. Eren's eyes widened in surprise as he noticed Levi's sudden change in demeanor.
When the Corporal opened his mouth Eren had to strain his ears to hear the older male's voice, which was barely above a whisper but still audible. Steel grey eyes looked upon him with genuine gratefulness and Eren swallowed hard at the honest expression Levi was wearing. It was as if he had removed his normal impassive mask, and Eren was completely stunned that he was even capable of emotions besides anger or indifference. It only proved that there was so much that he didn't know about the man behind the title of humanity's strongest. It only made him want to break down the wall that Levi had built around himself even more.
"….thanks," it was one simple word, but the way Levi flushed a bit and averted his eyes from Eren's as he said it spoke volumes.
Levi quickly dug his heels into Onyx's sides and galloped off, leaving Eren coughing in a cloud of kicked up dust.
I guess we're even now, shitty brat.
So yeah, little bit of Levi and Eren fluff there. I keep getting questions about whether I'll be including smut in this story or not, and the answer is a definite yes, but I can't tell you when or how it's going to happen. I'm going to write it in when the timing is right. Unlike chapter 8 when I pretty much shoehorned in the smex I'm going to wait until the perfect time.
So please don't get impatient with me. On a side note, I do have other stories with smut and I'm working on another modern AU for your pleasure if anyone is interested.
Thanks so much for reading and please review when you get the chance!