"Something like marriage isn't meant for us, Eren..." Levi's voice was heavy with sorrow as he spoke to young Eren, his words carrying a weight he never intended. From the moment he entered this cruel world, Levi had known little but loss and pain.
His mother, a forgotten plaything, cast aside during pregnancy when illness struck. His father remained a mystery, unknown and absent. His uncle, a hidden terror, a mass murderer haunting the shadows of various districts, leaving a trail of death in his wake.
In his journey, Levi had already lost so much. Friends like Farlan and Isabel had fallen in the line of duty, their memories etched in the annals of tragic expeditions. Now, his squad—Oluo, Gunther, and Eld—mercilessly taken from him, their lives snuffed out in a relentless battle against the Titans. And now, the final blow: Petra Rall, the woman who had given him renewed purpose and hope, brutally taken from him by the Female Titan's relentless pursuit.
Levi's heart was a battlefield of grief and regret. He had never meant to imply that love and companionship were not meant for him and Eren. It was a cruel irony that, despite his formidable strength and resolve, the people he cared about were torn away from him, leaving him to endure an unending cycle of loss.
As he stood amidst the remnants of his shattered world, Levi's eyes, once steely and determined, now held a flicker of raw pain and anguish. The weight of his past tragedies bore down on him, threatening to consume him whole. Yet, amidst the despair, a resolve burned quietly within him—a resolve to fight on, to honor the memories of those he had lost, and to protect what little remained in this merciless world.
"Petra..." Levi's voice was barely a whisper, thick with disbelief. Each time he thought he had found something to hold onto, this cruel world snatched it away, leaving him grappling with an unbearable void. It was a relentless cycle—one that killed him a thousand times from the inside out, numbing him to the very essence of pain.
He could still see her smile, vibrant and full of life, a stark contrast to the devastation that surrounded him now. Her laughter echoed in his mind, a haunting reminder of what had been lost. The weight of grief pressed down on him, an invisible hand squeezing tighter with each passing moment.
"Why...?" he muttered under his breath, the question hanging in the air, unanswered and bitter. Why was it always those he cared for? Why did fate always seem to conspire against him, robbing him of the few precious moments of joy he managed to grasp?
Levi felt the familiar darkness creeping in, threatening to consume him. He fought against it, clenching his fists as memories of Petra flooded his thoughts. Her determination, her unwavering support—it all felt so distant now.
"I promised that I'll protect her for your sake.... Didn't I... Levi... ..." A voice emerged from underneath Annie's feet, surprising Levi and Annie. It was Eren, his body battered and broken, ribes overlapped, bones shattered, and wounds covering him. Blood seeped from his eyes, his tongue lolling out in exhaustion as he emerged, clutching the unconscious Petra in his arms. Miraculously, she appeared unharmed, saved just in time from Annie's deadly grasp.
Before Annie could crush Petra, Eren intervened, his arms acting as a barrier, shielding Petra from harm's way.
"Eren..." Levi breathed, his voice thick with emotion, his gaze locked on the young man who had just risked everything to save Petra.
Eren acted swiftly, launching a grapple hook to gain high ground, clutching Petra tightly as he maneuvered to a thick tree branch before exhaustion overcame him. Levi rushed to their side, wiping away tears as he gently took Petra into his arms, relief evident on his face despite the ordeal.
"You're... welcome..." Eren managed to tease, his voice faint, a hint of his usual spirit still present despite the gravity of the situation. Levi's faint smile spoke volumes of the unspoken bond between them.
"Where... where are the others... are they with Kristen?" Eren asked innocently, unaware of the tragedy that had unfolded before Petra's eyes.
"Dead... She killed them all... Kristen ran away..." Levi's voice was quiet, heavy with conflicting emotions—satisfaction, discontent, happiness, rage, calmness, and profound sorrow.
Eren's eyes widened in disbelief, his world shattering with Levi's revelation. "What?..." he whispered, his gaze turning to Annie, the Female Titan, whose grin mocked their loss and suffering.
A weird pain crossed Eren's mind, agonizing yet strangely familiar. It felt like a storm brewing in the depths of his consciousness, a swirling chaos that tugged at the edges of his thoughts. Each pulse of discomfort resonated with a sense of impending doom, as if something deep within him was trying to break free, clawing for release.
He gritted his teeth, trying to shake off the sensation, but it clung to him like a shadow. Memories of past battles, of loss and sacrifice, surged forward, each one sharper than the last. The faces of fallen comrades flickered through his mind—his brothers whose lives had been cut short by the very enemies he sought to destroy. The weight of their absence pressed heavily on his heart, intertwining with the strange pain that throbbed within him.
"I'll kill you... I'll fucking kill you!" Eren's voice cracked with raw emotion, tears streaming down his face as he struggled to stand, his legs trembling with a mixture of exhaustion and righteous fury.
Before Eren could act, a sudden impact knocked him off balance. It was Erwin and the entire Scout Regiment, who had caught up with them.
"Wait did they take out Reiner...." Annie thought, sensing the overwhelming numbers, quickly retreating, leaving Eren to face the reality of their losses.
Eren's vision blurred as the adrenaline rush subsided, pain and fatigue overwhelming him. "Sorry, Eren... But I can't lose you not yet..." Erwin's voice cut through the chaos, his concern for Eren evident despite the grim circumstances.
"Hey, why would you do that? Can't you see Eren's hurt..." Mikasa's voice rang out amidst the commotion, her tone sharp with worry as she rushed to Eren's side, cradling him gently in her arms.
"Mik... Mikasa..." Eren tried to reach out to her, his strength failing him as darkness enveloped his vision, consciousness slipping away.
The forest echoed with the weight of their losses and the fragile hope that remained. Levi held Petra close, Mikasa embraced Eren, and the Scout Regiment stood watch, their resolve tested but unbroken. In that moment of despair and fleeting strength, they found solace in each other's presence, a bond forged through sacrifice and shared pain in humanity's relentless fight for survival.
The expedition was a failure, a tragic loss in both lives and hope. The Scouts hadn't even made it a quarter of the way to their objective before Erwin gave the order to retreat. The truth weighed heavy: it wasn't a coincidence that the Cart, Beast, Colossal, Armored, and Female Titans had appeared. It had all been planned—a coordinated ambush to crush them.
The sun cast its orange glow on the battlefield, an eerie contrast to the grim task before the Scouts. They loaded the bodies of their fallen comrades onto carts, their faces drawn and hollow. Out of 361 soldiers, only 128 made it back alive. Some were killed by the Female Titan, others by the explosive force of the Colossal's transformation, and many more by the debris thrown by the Beast.
Among the wounded was Eren, his body still steaming from healing, unconscious but alive. Mikasa sat beside him, cradling his head on her lap, her fingers trembling as they traced the deep cuts across his torso. Tears rolled silently down her cheeks, falling onto his pale skin. "Oh, Eren... why won't you just think about yourself for once?" she whispered, her voice cracking with the weight of her grief. "Why won't you just rest for a while... Stop pushing yourself so far..."
Beside them, Petra lay unconscious, her body trembling from the shock, her fever burning. Armin, too, lay still, his face pale. The carts creaked as they began to move, the somber procession of survivors retreating toward the safety of the walls.
Mikasa's eyes, filled with fury and heartbreak, locked onto Levi, who rode silently beside the cart. "I thought I could trust you to protect him," she spat, her voice low but sharp. "I thought you would keep him safe... but I was wrong."
Levi didn't respond, his face impassive, though the disappointment in his eyes betrayed him for a moment. He kept his focus on Petra, his jaw tight.
A weak, strained voice broke the tension. "Mikasa... don't... don't say that..." Eren mumbled, stirring from his unconscious state, his hand weakly pressing against his face as he got up and tried to gather his bearings. His thoughts were a blur, but the pain of failure cut through the fog. A tear escaped, and his clenched teeth showed his inner agony. "He did everything he could... yet I failed them. I couldn't protect them..."
"Eren, don't, you fought till the bitter end. Don't blame yourself" Mikasa said softly, her heart breaking at the sight of him like this. She reached for his hand, trying to comfort him, to remind him that he wasn't alone.
But Eren's frustration boiled over. "Bitter end? I wasn't able to protect them, Mikasa... because I was weak. I fought the shifters, and what did I achieve? Nothing!" His voice cracked with rage, but the tears he fought to hold back finally spilled, his pain laid bare.
Mikasa gently pulled him closer, wrapping her arms around him in a protective embrace. "Eren, you did everything you could. Stop torrturing yourself. For Oluo's sake. For Eld's sake. For Gunthur's sake. Stop it... Just don't be the Vice Commander for today. Be Eren Yeager...." Mikasa's hand caressed his cheeks as tears fell on her hands.
"That's okay let it out.... Just for today... Let yourself fall apart....I promise to hold you together Eren...." She whispered. Soon Eren's resistance crumbled. His tears soaked into her jacket as the weight of his grief and failure finally broke through the walls he had built around himself. In her arms, he let go of the anguish he had carried for so long.
Mikasa gently broke their embrace, her tone soft yet filled with unwavering determination. "You are everyone's hope.... My hope.... " she said, her smile warm but fierce, a reassurance that filled Eren with a rare sense of peace. "And I promise you, Eren, we will avenge them. Together. "
Her words, spoken with such clarity, cut through the storm of guilt inside him. For the first time in what felt like ages, Eren felt a flicker of light in the darkness. He managed a small smile, a genuine one, as he replied, "Umm... okay..." He gave a quiet chuckle, the weight in his chest lifting ever so slightly. "Thanks, Mikasa. I needed that."
This time, it was Eren who pulled Mikasa into a tight hug, his gratitude overflowing. For all the chaos, for all the loss, Mikasa and Armin had survived, and for that, he was thankful beyond words. Mikasa chuckled softly against his chest, feeling proud of herself for finally making him feel better.
"Hey, Levi," Eren said, his mood lightening as he glanced at his partner. "You're uninjured, right?"
Levi shot him a glance, his usual stoic expression in place. "Idiot, do I look injured?" he responded, his deadpan tone unchanged despite the toll the battle had clearly taken. Even when deeply hurt, Levi never showed it outwardly.
Eren smiled at Levi's unshakable demeanor. "And Petra? How's she doing?"
"She's alright, just unconscious," Levi replied, his gaze shifting back to the injured around them as he moved to check on the others.
Eren's attention then turned to Armin. "What about Armin? How is he?"
Mikasa, still close to Eren, sighed softly, her fingers gently brushing against Eren's exposed chest. "He's... alright," she admitted. "Apparently his squad was unlucky they confronted the female titan head on... I heard Reiner and Bertholdt also survived."
Eren's expression darkened with concern. He was amazed that Armin had managed to survive, especially after encountering the Female Titan. The fact that Reiner and Bertholdt had been ambushed as well only made the situation more surreal.
"But except for those three... the entire center and left flanks were wiped out," Mikasa added grimly.
Eren raised an eyebrow, a sense of dread creeping in. There was something more to this battle, something they hadn't yet understood.
"I see...." That was as far as Eren could speak.
Thunder
Lightning flashed across the sky falling onto the forest from where the scouts emerged couple of minutes ago, their retreat suddenly halted by the sound of terror ripping through the air.
"AGHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" A female scout screamed, her voice piercing through the chaos.
"It's an ambush! Aberrants are approaching, Commander!" another scout yelled, panic evident in his tone.
The dense forest had spat out a horde of aberrant titans, their merciless sprint sending waves of dread through the already exhausted scouts. They were stranded, unable to use their ODM gear effectively in the open fields, and Eren—completely drained from the earlier battles—couldn't transform to protect them. They were sitting ducks.
"Ereh..." Mikasa whispered, fear flickering in her eyes as she stared at the ominous figures emerging from the treeline. The horde of titans, each about 15 meters tall, was closing the gap fast, their monstrous figures like shadows against the setting sun.
"Full speed ahead!" Erwin's voice boomed, trying to rally the remaining soldiers.
"This is it... we're done for..." a nearby scout muttered, clutching the torn Scout Regiment badge of his fallen comrade.
In the midst of it all, Eren leaned toward Mikasa, his voice low but urgent. "Mikasa, your ODM gear... give it to me now."
Mikasa hesitated, her instincts screaming to protect him. "Eren, I—"
"Ackerman, we don't have time. Your ODM gear. Quick." Eren's voice was deep, commanding, leaving no room for argument.
Mikasa's heart wrenched. She didn't want to leave him vulnerable, but she understood that Eren was gonna fight back. With a quick, reluctant motion, she handed him her gear. "Levi!" Eren shouted, and Levi, always one step ahead, already knew what was about to happen.
Without another word, Levi and Eren dismounted, their expressions grim and resolute. Mikasa, despite the gnawing fear in her chest, obeyed Eren's command to stay behind. As much as it hurt her, she knew that disobeying him now could be disastrous. She clenched her fists, watching the two prepare for what seemed like a suicide mission.
Levi's eyes briefly met Mikasa's before darting back toward the oncoming horde. He and Eren shared a silent understanding. They were the last line of defense now.
The ground trembled as the titans closed in.
"Forty yards out, no more than that, got it?" Levi called out, his voice sharp and precise.
Eren nodded, determination flashing in his eyes. "I can manage a 13-meter height at max with the partial transformation. The rest height, we'll have to gain ourselves."
"That's plenty," Levi responded with a nod of reassurance. "Let's do this."
Side by side, they prepared for what was likely their final stand against the 20 approaching aberrants. A last cruel gift from either Annie or Zeke, but no matter who it was, the result was the same—destruction awaited if they failed.
Sighing, Eren took a deep breath, focusing. He bit his hand with brutal force, and lightning struck as the partial form of the Attack Titan burst into the air. Eren, abandoning the shell of his titan form, turned to Levi.
"Go!" Eren whispered, and with lightning precision, Levi used the towering titan body as a pivot, launching himself high into the air. Eren fired his grapples, his cables flying toward Levi in a perfect arc.
"Thirty-seven yards. Perfect," Levi muttered to himself, catching Eren's hooks with bare hands. With raw strength, he yanked the cable and flung it at a 45-degree angle toward the titans, increasing both their speed and altitude.
"Now!" Eren signaled, and Levi, already in midair, released his hooks. With practiced precision, he launched them toward Eren, who caught them mid-flight and pulled, throwing Levi ahead toward the advancing titans.
"Forty-three yards out... that's too much," Eren muttered, realizing the cable trajectory wasn't perfectly straight, making it harder for Levi to catch.
"There you go," Levi whispered as he grabbed the cable mid-swing, effortlessly pulling Eren toward him and flinging him forward again. The duo repeated the process in perfect synchrony, a deadly dance of cables and momentum, gaining both height and speed with each rotation.
With each loop, the gap between them and the horde of aberrants shrunk.
Eren and Levi soared through the sky, the height they gained giving them a tactical advantage. "You take the ones on the left, I'll handle the right!" Levi's voice cut through the air, and without hesitation, they split up, each heading toward their targets.
The speed at which they descended upon the aberrants was a blur of blades and fury. Eren's rage surged with each swing, his blades slicing through napes, limbs, and torsos. Blood sprayed everywhere, coating both of them, but they didn't stop, didn't falter. They were beyond mere humans now—forces of nature, consumed by a shared fury.
Levi's precision was unmatched, his blades held in reverse grip as he expertly severed limbs and heads, moving with an intensity that seemed almost inhuman. Every titan he approached was obliterated before they could react, limbs falling uselessly to the ground, their eyes gouged out with terrifying precision.
Eren mirrored Levi's actions with raw, unfiltered aggression. His movements were wild yet purposeful, cutting through flesh and bone with savage strength. Every slash seemed fueled by the agony of his comrades lost and the battle still raging within him. His exhaustion was long forgotten; his only focus was the annihilation of every last titan in their path.
In a matter of minutes, 18 aberrants lay dead in a sea of blood and steam. The one remaining titan was used as their final anchor, keeping them airborne as they swirled around it like twin hurricanes. Their cries echoed across the battlefield, a chorus of rage and defiance.
"HAAAAAAAA!" Their battle cries were fierce, primal, as they spun with top speed, cutting the last titan down from every angle. Levi, with a final, elegant strike, severed its head, releasing it from its torment.
"Eren, I'm moving ahead. Finish it!" Levi commanded as he launched away.
Eren, without missing a beat, locked his gaze on the titan's nape, his mind focused only on the kill. With a final burst of energy, he launched his hooks, catching Levi's cable just in time. Levi, with a perfect understanding of the move, used his momentum to fling Eren even farther ahead, sending him toward the next target.
They moved like clockwork, an unstoppable duo. The titans never stood a chance against this technique that both invented together in a moonless night.
The scouts erupted into cheers as they witnessed the incredible coordination between Eren and Levi, their near-flawless movements a testament to their skill and synergy.
"How much gas do you have left? Think we'll make it to the carts?" Levi asked, his voice calm, but his gaze sharp.
Eren nodded, though there was a flicker of doubt in his eyes—it was Mikasa's gear, already used, but it had to be enough. "Plenty, I think," Eren replied, though he couldn't help but wonder if they'd really make it.
"You land first," Levi ordered, aware that their landings usually ended in disaster whenever Eren tried to touch down first. Levi's precision allowed him to handle the landings better, while Eren typically crashed to the ground from heights no human should fall from.
"No, even if I break my legs, they'll heal. Yours won't," Eren said firmly. Without waiting for Levi to argue, he interlocked his hands with Levi's and, with a powerful mid-air front flip, flung Levi toward the carts.
Shoot.
Levi shot his hooks back toward Eren, intending for him to catch them and slow his descent. But the angle was off, and the hooks pierced into Eren's thigh instead.
"Shit... sorry," Levi muttered as he landed smoothly on the cart. Eren, however, wasn't so lucky. With the force of his speed and the impact, he crashed into an empty cart. The wooden structure splintered beneath him, breaking apart under the sheer force of his weight, while Eren's legs buckled, his thigh bleeding profusely where the hook had caught him.
Eren groaned in pain, his body momentarily stunned by the impact. "Damn it..." he hissed through gritted teeth, glancing down at his leg, now bleeding heavily. Despite the injury, his body had already begun to heal, steam rising from the wounds.
Levi, standing by the cart with a grim expression, offered a hand. "Get up, brat. We don't have time for you to lie around."
Eren chuckled weakly, taking Levi's hand. "Next time, I'll let you land first."
"Ereh..." Mikasa, ever the protective heroine, approached Eren and pulled him into an almost suffocating embrace as if he were a fragile child in need of shelter. "You alright?" she asked softly, her worry evident in her voice.
Levi stood nearby, observing cautiously. "You okay, brat?" he asked, though he knew Eren could take more than this.
"Yeah, just two broken legs and a bleeding thigh—thanks to you, captain," Eren replied, a teasing grin crossing his face.
Levi smirked. "Oh, I guess you're fine then."
Across the way, Ymir couldn't help but comment, rolling her eyes. "There she goes again… Tch, doesn't she realize how embarrassing that is?" she muttered to Historia, her gaze fixed on Mikasa hugging Eren so tightly.
"Ymir, that's rude. Once we get back, I want you to apologize to her. Got it?" Historia scolded, giving her a playful yet stern look, her soft features emphasizing her cuteness even in the middle of the chaos.
"Oh God, why won't you just die, Eren, Levi..." Reiner muttered under his breath, sweat pouring down his face. "Just who *are* these two?" Bertholdt added, equally bewildered.
Miche approached with a nod of approval, his sharp gaze lingering on Eren and Levi. "Great job, Vice Commander and Captain Levi. I'm rather impressed," he said, though Mikasa didn't loosen her grip even as more people gathered around them.
Eren, feeling the pressure of Mikasa's hold and noticing the interested stares of several female scouts, leaned in and whispered to her, "Hey Mikasa, can you lend me your jacket? The girls are staring like crazy..."
Mikasa's cheeks flushed, and she glared at the onlookers, but she reluctantly let go of Eren long enough to hand him her jacket. "Here," she said, still unwilling to fully let him go.
Eren chuckled as he slid it on, giving her a grateful smile. "Thanks, Mikasa... you're the best."
As the massive horde of people settled down and the carts started to move again, Mikasa took charge, her protective instincts on full display. "Yeager, don't you dare move now, or you'll be responsible for the consequences yourself..." she said, her tone playfully sarcastic but still commanding.
Eren, unable to resist a tease, grinned up at her. "Yes ma'am, just lend me your lap," he said with a mischievous glint in his eyes, before lying down, resting his head on her lap.
Mikasa couldn't help but smile as she gently began to run her fingers through his hair. Her usual stoic expression softened, and for a moment, she allowed herself to relax. The tension of the battle, the losses, and the chaos all seemed to melt away in that brief moment of calm. The warmth of her smile reflected the relief she felt seeing Eren, battered but alive.
Eren closed his eyes, feeling her fingers move soothingly through his hair. For the first time in a while, he felt a strange sense of peace amidst the storm of his life. "Thanks, Mikasa," he whispered, grateful for her in more ways than one.
Levi sat beside Petra, holding her close as her faint breath reassured him, grounding him in a way few things could. The warmth of her presence offered a rare moment of solace, but it was fleeting. The deaths of his comrades gnawed at him, a searing pain he could never forget. The weight of their loss pressed down on him, and he knew it would never leave.
"I'll kill her..." Levi whispered, his voice low and filled with quiet rage.
"With these very hands, I'll crush the soul out of her..." Eren, resting nearby, shared the same burning hatred. His eyes, though heavy with exhaustion, held the same fury. "I'll crush them too," he muttered, the fire in his heart undimmed despite his body's weakness.
Both of them, bound by their shared pain and vengeance, were thinking the same thing: they would make their enemies pay, no matter the cost. The thoughts of revenge swirled in their minds as exhaustion finally took over, and they drifted into a short, restless nap. The horrors they had faced, and the ones they still planned to inflict, lingered in the air between them.
The scouts finally returned to the walls after a long, grueling journey, the weight of their losses evident in every weary face. Just hours earlier, they had been greeted with cheers; now, the atmosphere had shifted dramatically. The crowd that once celebrated them now erupted in criticism, a cacophony of disappointment and anger.
"Our taxes are being used very nicely, ladies and gentlemen..." one voice jeered, bitterness dripping from every word.
"I thought the way they were determined this morning, they'd actually get Wall Maria back..." another scoffed, disbelief palpable in their tone.
"Are you serious? Do you really believe that a kid can retake that? Even the retake of Trost was a fluke..." a third added, shaking their head as if to dismiss any hope.
Mikasa felt her anger boil at the crowd's cruel remarks, but before she could lash out, Eren's hand found hers. "Don't..." he murmured, his voice strained as he covered his eyes, trying to block out the harsh reality around them.
As the crowd erupted in further rage, demanding answers, Eren felt a familiar knot of frustration tighten in his chest. "Answer us, damn it! We have a right to know!" they shouted, unaware of the horrors the scouts had endured, the hell they had witnessed that couldn't be conveyed in words. No scout had the power to explain; even Erwin, who stood at the front, looked like a ghost, his eyes hollowed and vacant.
The casualties from the expedition weighed heavily on them. The little support the scouts had managed to build for Eren among the public was now shattered. Rumors of their failures would spread, and the shame would hang over them like a dark cloud.
Hours after their return, Erwin and the scouts were summoned to the capital. The atmosphere was charged with tension as they were stripped of their custody of Eren, the very person they had sworn to protect. But Eren, fueled by a burning resolve, knew that he wouldn't allow himself to be captured or killed by the authority.
The idea of rebellion began to take root in his mind, a determination to fight back against those who would condemn him and his comrades. He wouldn't let their sacrifices be in vain, and he would do whatever it took to protect those he cared about, even if it meant standing against the world.