FicWad

Levi
I was the first of us to wake up. We were tangled together in her grey bed sheets with pillows and clothes strewn everywhere. Hanji, curled up in a ball while using my arm as a pillow, slept beside me, snoring softly. Her face was still flushed from the night and I rested my hand on her delicate cheek, caressing the tender skin beneath her eyes with my thumb. Her long eyelashes tickled my skin, and she sighed heavily in her sleep, her lips parted slightly. She was everything I wanted and more.
I rolled on to my back, careful not to move Hanji; she deserved the extra sleep. Her experiments had kept her up late in to the night the past couple of weeks, and I wanted her to feel well-rested for once. Although everything was perfect between us and the serenity of our room, a sense of dread rotted inside the pit of my stomach. I heard thunder boom in the afternoon sky.
Hanji began to stir beside me, and I leaned down to kiss her warm head. She shivered and goose bumps licked down her skin, so I pulled the covers up to her ears and she reached out with one of her arms clumsily. Her arm found its way over my stomach and she pulled herself closer to me, the bridge of her nose pressing against the side of my ribs. I smiled to myself at her beauty and bed head.
Hanji’s mousy hair stuck out at odd points, with some of it waving and curling while others were pin straight. It was as wild as her, and I loved it. I moved my hand from her cheek and through her knotted hair, careful to not pull any of it. As I ran my fingers through her hair as best as I could, the smell of cinnamon and stale coffee blossomed from her, and I sighed with comfort. She stirred a bit and groaned, groggy with sleep.
“Levi,” she sighed as she rolled on to her back. She rubbed her big doe eyes with the back of her hand and yawned big. I smiled, tempted to stick my finger in her mouth to stop her yawn.
“Yes my dear?” I rolled over on to my side and rested my head on her bare chest. Her heart pounded slowly inside of her soft skin. Her hand fell from her eyes to drape over the nape of my neck, and she ran her delicate fingers up my neck softly, giving me chills. I had lots of raw scratches on my back from her last night.
Slowly she opened her eyes and rolled over to face me, our noses brushing together. I was keenly aware of our nudeness then as I saw her laying naked in between the sheets, and I kept my eyes locked on hers. She leaned in and gave me a quick peck on the lips, but I caught her chin and pulled her back in for a better one. She bit my bottom lip gently as we pulled apart and I smiled as she giggled.
“How’d you sleep?” I asked her.
“Pretty well, and you, Humanity’s Strongest?” She blushed slightly, becoming aware of my nakedness as she ran her leg over mine. I smirked at her and buried my face in her chest, my head covered by her scratchy sheets.
“Good,” I said and paused. “Because it was with you,” I said.
“Me too,” I heard the smile in her voice, but mine began to pass.
Hanji ran her hand down from my shoulder to the bare side of my stomach, and then she traced the thick cold flesh of my red scar up to where it thinned away at my chest so near to my heart. Then she felt the next and the next and the next, all painting my body in a bloody mural.
I pulled away from her and her hand fell from my skin to lay inches from me on the bed. I ignored her for a moment and then looked back at her. She bit her bottom lip hard and she hiccupped as she fought back tears.
“Hanji,” I cooed, and I came back to her side. I scooped her up and held her in my arms in the bed. She reached up and traced my jawline with a finger, tears gracing her soft face. I wiped them away and kissed her forehead. I stayed there, resting mine on hers and we closed our eyes.
“I was so scared,” she whispered. “I thought I lost you.” I stayed silent and kissed her cheek.
“I won’t leave you like that again, ever again,” I promised her. I never wanted to leave her side again. I kissed her lips eagerly, pledging myself to her, and she kissed me back too. I kissed her tears away and gently brushed my lips on her lavender eye lids and long black lashes. I pulled away and she smiled up at me.
“Let’s get breakfast,” she said, and I nodded. “But first, a shower?” She winked at me and I grinned madly with her. She got out of the bed, and, hand in hand, she guided me to the bathroom.
Hanji
After our shower together, Levi and I got dressed and went to the Dining Hall and checked in with Erwin, our fingers intertwined the whole time. At first when we left the room, I worried that Levi would let my hand go, but he kept it until he needed it to eat his peppered scrambled eggs. Through breakfast, we stole quick glances at each other. I smiled stupidly to myself the whole time.
“What are you smiling about, Shitty-glasses?” I paused and my smile broadened.
“You,” I said, playfully punching his shoulder. He swatted my hand away and frowned.
“Why?” I gaped at him in mock shock.
“You know, Humanity’s Strongest doesn’t fit you much.”
“Uh, why?” His eyebrows furrowed and I glanced at him mischievously as he took a sip of his white tea.
“It’s a misnomer. They should call you Humanity’s Longest.” I picked at my eggs and toast as he spluttered tea all over the table and people turned their heads to stare at us-well, more than what already stared openly at us.
“Hanji,” Levi mumbled, rum red. I giggled at him. “There’s so many things I could say, but this is a PG Dining Hall.”
“Not when I’m done with you.” He turned and looked at me, eyebrows raised.
“Oh, when you’re done with me?” He leaned in and I suddenly had the feeling he wasn’t joking then.
“Yes,” I said apprehensively.
“Is that a challenge, Hanji Zoe? If I’m Humanity’s Longest, then maybe I should be the one talking about how the Dining Hall will be once I’M done with YOU.” He smirked as I turned red, and Jean Kirstchein laughed loudly.
“We’re done with this conversation.” Levi laughed at me and people whispered around us-Levi was never this open in public. We ate again in silence for a long while, our cutlery biting our tin plates to fill the void.
“Levi,” I said, and he nodded in acknowledgement. “What are we?”
“People, Survey Corps members, Humanity’s Smartest and….Humanity’s Longest.” He turned to look at me after the last part and smiled, but I didn’t smile back.
“I mean, what do we call what’s going on between us?” He paused and looked in to my eyes, but I looked away to my plate, tears burning my eyes. I didn’t know why I wanted to cry, but I felt hurt. What if he thought he had feelings for me, but the sex turned everything upside down? What if he thought all last night was just for the sex? What if-
He scooted closer to me and then took my jaw in his hand delicately and kissed me slowly.
“We are together and each other’s person,” he said between our kisses, and I felt my heart dance inside of my chest. How could everything be so perfect?
I brushed the hair from his face and he rested his head in my hand for a moment before intertwining our fingers together, and he played with my fingers for a long time while I tenderly stroked the back of his hand with my thumb like always.
Then our glass house shattered, raining shards of diamond glass on our heads.
Erwin Smith burst through the massive Dining Hall doors with sweat dripping down his flustered face, his breath ragged and heavy. Heads turned to him in drones, and, in the darkest depths of our hearts, we knew why he was there.
“TITANS,” he screamed, “TITANS IN THE WALLS. HUMANITY’S UNDER ATTACK. MAN YOURSELVES AND PREPARE FOR BATTLE!”
Levi
I looked to Hanji and she turned to me, her stark white face mirroring the fear in mine. The happiness died from my face, replaced with rage.
“Hanji,” I said, “You’re not going.” Her breath caught inside of her chest, and she looked down at our hands, mine holding hers so tight her fingers were white. I hadn’t realized I held them so hard, so I let go. I slammed my fists on to the table with splinters coming up and burying themselves in to the sides of my hands. She looked to me with tears and pain in her eyes.
“I might have to stay, since you’re my Charge and I’m your Supervisor.” Her voice cracked; she didn’t believe what she said, and neither did I.
I shook my head and got up.
“I’m going to talk to Erwin. Stay here.” I looked in to her eager brown eyes and kissed her forehead, my hand on her cheek again. She laid her head in it and I touched my forehead to hers. “Please,” I added, and she nodded.
I strode out of the Dining Hall, people no longer themselves; they were children thrown in to battle. Some cried, others retched, but I kept my head high with dignity, pity for them flowing through my veins. I had one goal: protect Hanji at all costs. Somewhere in the chaos of people and kids running about, I found myself running with them, to Erwin’s office. I didn’t know if he was in there, but I had to hope he was inside the bulwark still.
I opened his metal door and he spoke quietly to a younger soldier hurriedly, and his eyes glanced up to me. The younger soldier looked up to me from Erwin and then left the room, careful to avoid me. I followed his eyes out the door, and then I was alone with Erwin.
“Erwin,” I said, my mouth open slightly. I didn’t know how to start to plead my case to him. He looked up to me and then sat down, gesturing to the seat across his desk. I took the seat and scratched at my wrists nervously.
“I won’t let Hanji leave the bulwark,” I said plainly, “Not unless I’m with her.” Erwin nodded and looked to his desk. He was silent and I grew impatient.
“We were friends,” he said, and he took me aback. I narrowed my eyes at him, wary of his manipulations. “We were good friends before…before you threw it all away.”
“Yeah,” I scoffed. Was this really the time to resolve our problems? He shook his head to himself, and then looked at me with his blaring blue eyes, but I didn’t meet him. I examined the floor beside my feet. The wood circles were small and thin; the trees the wood came from lived short, hungry lives before their destruction.
“Levi,” he said. I looked up at him. “You could’ve talked to me.” I shook my head at him, angry.
“I DIDN’T COME HERE FOR THIS!” I screamed at him, standing up from the chair that toppled behind me. Rage boiled inside of me and I paced the room, wringing my hands and cracking my knuckles. Erwin stayed calm and distant, but he didn’t waste his time.
“Why didn’t you come talk to me?” He waited but I didn’t answer. “Levi, we were so close! We’ve always been close! Why didn’t you get help?! Why did you keep it all in?” I seethed inside, trying hard to keep my mouth shut instead of screaming profanities at him.
He paused for a moment, “Do you blame me for Petra’s death because I sent her on the mission?” It was the last straw.
“HOW DARE YOU BRING HER IN TO THIS? “ I screamed at him, done with his shit. Done with all of the pain and struggle he gave me on a steaming platter. “HOW DARE YOU SAY HER NAME TO ME! HOW DARE YOU THROW HER IN MY FACE LIKE THAT! HOW COULD YOU LET HER DIE!” I screamed til my throat felt shredded and bloody, and I looked to his tear glazed face. I hated him for everything he was in his position of power, and I picked up the chair I sat in only moments before. I picked it up over my head in blind rage and smashed it in to the floor over and over again until it was nothing more than thick splinters and ripped cushioning.
I breathed hard and looked to him, suddenly ashamed of myself. I looked at my bloodied hands and fought back tears, so angry with myself and Erwin, with the world I lived in. It was all just a demented nightmare God left me in, laughing mercilessly at my rage. I dropped to my knees and sobbed bitterly, and Erwin came to my side on a knee, his hand unsure on my back.
“I’m so sorry,” he said. “If I had known…If I had known so many would die, if I’d known Petra would be lost….I wouldn’t have let anyone leave that day. I regret it every time I close my eyes.” I looked up at him from my wet hands, his face grey with grimace.
“I’m sorry,” I choked out, “I’m sorry I blame you; it just hurts so much.” I rested my head on his shoulder for a moment, and stood up with his help. I wiped my face clean with my wrists and looked up at him apologetically. He moved his hand to my shoulder and squeezed reassuringly.
“I won’t let Hanji leave your side unless it’s the last resort.” I nodded in understanding, and gripped his elbow firmly. “I hope today is a day of healing and forgiving for us.”
“Agreed,” I breathed, and he hugged me. “Good luck. Come back.”
“With as many as I can.”
I left his room and jogged back to the Dining Hall to Hanji. The halls were silent with the lack of people, like everyone was asleep. But everyone held their breath, frozen with fear from the titans and our fragile existence.
I made it to the Dining Hall and burst through the doors, running to Hanji. Silent tears streamed down her frightened face, her eyes wide after staring at a young couple. The boy and girl stood together in the corner in tears, the girl saying it was all a big mistake, that they should just run away together. I didn’t blame them; I would have done the same with Hanji.
I came to her and held her face in my hands, and she pressed her hands against mine. A sob escaped her lips.
“I don’t want to leave you like this,” she cried, and I kissed her softly and then moved my lips to her ear.
“Erwin said you don’t have to go unless it’s the last thing that must be done.” I moved to her face and looked in to her big brown eyes. She nodded in acknowledgement. I took her hand and ushered her to stand with me. “Let’s go.”
“Okay,” she whispered, and I led her through the halls to her workroom.
Everything changed so quickly, from love to fear in only a short moment. I had Hanji sit on the couch while I built a fire for us in the cold of her room. She took a pillow from the couch and held it to her chest and she brought her knees to her trembling chin, her body wracked with shivers not only from the cold. I sat beside the fire and opened my arms for Hanji, beckoning her in to my embrace. She came to me and I held her safe in my arms while she buried her face in to my chest. I kissed the top of her sweet head and gently rocked us back and forth.
“I won’t let anything bad happen to you Hanji,” I said, more to myself than her. I wouldn’t lose her to the titans, not like I had lost Petra.
“I remember tears streaming down your face when I said I’d never let you go,” I sang softly to her. “When all those shadows almost killed your light. I remember you said, don’t leave me here alone, but all that’s dead and gone and past tonight. Just close your eyes, the sun is going down. You’ll be alright, no one can hurt you now. Come morning light, you and I’ll be safe and sound.” Hanji began to cry softly, but I kept singing. “Don’t you dare look out your window, darling everything’s on fire. The war outside our door keeps raging on. Hold on to this lullaby, even when the music’s gone.” Outside the bulwark, we heard the boom of the titan’s footsteps and I held her tighter to protect her. I wouldn’t let them hurt her, and I realized, at some point, I could have to die for her, let her hand go so she could live.
I felt cold tears trace down the cold flesh of my face and wondered why Hanji wasn’t ecstatic at the news of titans within the walls. It seemed her whole life revolved around them except for while I held her at that moment, and I rested my cheek on her soft hair.
“Everything will be okay,” I cooed, and, after that, we stayed silent for a long time, letting the booms of titan steps and distant screams fill the quiet between us.
After a long while, we heard less and less screams, and then there was a knock at the door. Hanji was asleep in my arms and I wanted her to enjoy her escape from the nightmare as long as she could.
“Come in,” I called to the door, knots of fear weaving inside of my stomach, and Erwin came in to the room.
I knew what his visit meant.
Hanji
I wasn’t really asleep; I just wanted to close my eyes and enjoy the short time I had with Levi before Erwin came for my throat. I knew eventually he would come. It was naïve to think he wouldn’t need all the help he could get, but I didn’t know if he would ever ask Levi to come. I felt he would, but Erwin was unpredictable and erratic when it was needed most.
When Levi welcomed him, I popped my head up from Levi’s chest and looked at Erwin, silently pleading him to let me stay for Levi’s sake.
“Hanji Zoe,” he started gravely, “we need you.” I closed my eyes and tears fell again. Levi trembled, his eyes glued to Erwin’s. I began to get up and nodded to Erwin as I stood to my full height. I was taller than him, and I held my head high with dignity, Levi standing at my side.
“Let me go with her,” he pleaded. “Let me fight for Humanity.” Erwin closed his eyes and hung his head. We all knew the answer.
“Erwin, please,” he begged, and he crossed the space between them in the front room. I couldn’t bare the sight of such a lost cause, and so I left to the bedroom to change in to my uniform. I shut the door behind me to drown out their voices, to drown out the ache so thick in Levi’s voice, so I could dredge courage out of my heart. I donned my green cape and shining titanium gear, and headed out of the room.
Levi’s eyes found mine, his mouth open with indignation, Erwin standing like a polished marble statue at his side.
“I’m ready,” I said hushedly, and Erwin nodded.
“I’ll give you two time alone.” Erwin left the room and shut the door behind himself, and Levi shook his head hard.
He crossed the space between us and held my hand. I tried to smile at him, but it just felt broken, and he brought my hand to his lips. Tenderly he kissed all of my fingers and his kisses traced up my hand and wrist, up my arm and collar, to finally find his way to my lips. I kissed him hard and long, my hands on his jaw. We parted for a moment and breathed together, and Levi rested his ear on my chest. He listened to my heart a final time as his fingers intertwined with mine.
“I love you,” he said in the silence.
“I love you too,” I said meekly, and he choked back broken sobs.
“Come back, you hear me?” I took his chin and brought his face to my lips. I kissed him again and nodded.
“I’ll never give up,” I said. He nodded and let me go, his eyes watching me til I left the room and closed the door behind myself; I felt his eyes burn holes in to my back.
I found Erwin in the hallway, his back nonchalantly against the stone walls of the bulwark. He nodded and we left together.
We stayed silent for a long time, but he broke the silence first.
“We believe the Female Titan will appear today.” I gaped at him, my eyes wide with shock. How could he know this? “Our plan,” he continued, “is to capture her. Hanji, if we are successful, you will perform experiments on her to discover her secrets.” I nodded, a wild smile eating at my lips. I felt dark excitement bubble inside of myself, and I giggled deeply. Erwin faintly smiled to himself.
Levi
I waited for Erwin and Hanji to leave the bulwark for what felt like hours as I paced the floor in front of the cackling fire, its hellish flames laughing at me with morbid mirth. When I was sure they had to have been gone in to the dark daylight, I left the room in a run at break-neck speed.
Erwin was an ignorant man if he believed I would let myself lose Hanji like I lost Petra not even a year before yet. I ran through the halls, checking each room I came across for soldiers. I found no one til I passed the maintenance room, and a young man looked up from the 3DM gear he worked on. He turned grey at the sight of my menacing glare and eyes ablaze with purpose and rage, and he stood up.
“What do you want,” he whimpered like a beaten puppy. I wasted no time; I grabbed the wooden desk he worked at and threw it easily in to the wall so near to us where it exploded. He backed away as I continued forward to him to grab the white collar of his uniform, and I lifted the taller man off the ground with one fist, my scars and sore muscles aching in protest.
I looked from him to the mangled remains of the desk that was so perfect and prestine only moments ago. “Do you want to look like that desk?” I asked him coolly. He shook his head and he grabbed at my wrist to free himself, but I only held him tighter.
“N-no,” he said, and I shook him slightly.
“Then you will tell me what I ask you, right?” He tried to nod but his chin caught on my fist. I understood his compliance. “Where is my gear?”
“W-what do you mean?” I scoffed and rolled my eyes at his stupidity; I could tell by his uniform he worked with Erwin and higher up military men, so I knew he had an idea.
“I said, where is my gear?” I brought him so close to my face that our noses touched and he tasted my breath.
“I-I can’t tell you; I’m not permitted!” He cried out as I choked him harder and shook him.
“You will tell me if you know what’s good for you!” I threw him on the ground, and he tried to crawl away from me so I grabbed the back of his green cloak and threw him against the pile of broken desk wood. He cowered as I approached him.
“Don’t shoot the messenger!” He cried out, and he put his arm over his face to protect himself. I grabbed it and pulled him up close to my face again.
“Do you know who I am? I will destroy you. Do you really want to test me?” I glared in to his eyes and saw him break.
“It-it’s in Erwin’s secret room in his office, in a metal case!”
“Is my uniform in there with it?” I growled.
“Yes-yes everything they took from you is in there, Corporal!” I dropped him and left the room like a black shadow.
I ran faster than I ever had before to Erwin’s room and, when I got to his locked metal office door, I threw myself at it until I broke it off its wooden hinges. I ransacked the room and its walls, searching for the secret room the soldier told me existed. Maybe he lied to me, but I didn’t put it past Erwin to keep a secret room in his office. I felt around the walls and then pushed one of the bricks in, and a cement door swung open beside me.
How much time had I wasted already? Hanji could be dead.
I didn’t waste time putting my gear on and readying my blades. I felt almost like my old self again, almost. I opened Erwin’s window and flew in to the grey sky.
The world around me was silent, towering humanoids stalking the roof tops with dead eyes and demonic grins pulling at their sickly flesh. I saw no comrades, and a chill crept up my spine; they were most likely all dead. I decided to head to the start of the invasion: a massive gaping hole in the Wall where titans continued to pore in like an infection to kill us all, to eat us up like cattle.
As I glided through the demolished, burning city, I heard shrills screams and headed for it to save the person. I flew faster and saw the titan attacking a young girl, grey crossed swords still adorning her tan jacket as she crawled away on the cobble stone road. I readied my blades and attacked the titan’s neck, killing it on impact. I stood on its head as it fell, to help the girl who was huddled on the ground. I walked to the young girl and she cowered from me, as if I was the monster. I knelt beside her and offered my hand.
“It’s not safe here on the ground,” I said to her as I helped her up.
“My gear’s broken and I don’t have any more blades,” she cried. I held her tight as she cried and then held her at arm’s length.
“Let me see what I can do,” I said, as I started taking her gear off of her. I sat down with it and she sat beside me as I quickly fiddled with the titanium gears and bolts until it clicked. Everything was functional again, and we heard approaching booms of titans. I drew my blades again, wary of the steaming titan blood coating them.
“Put it back on quickly, and I’ll protect you,” I said to her over my shoulder and she frantically put her gear on with shaking hands. I was impatient, but I wouldn’t leave her there. The titan’s steps quickened and became louder with every boom; it was an abnormal running towards us.
I saw it rear its ugly head over the rooftops to see us standing there, and I sheathed my blades. The girl looked at me as I ran towards her and scooped her up in my arms without a word, the titan now only a few meters away from us. She started to scream as I ran with her in my arms, and then I shot us up on to a rooftop. I let go of her and went after the beast as it swung its massive hand to swat me like a fly. I spun and cut through its arm to its shoulder, then popped out of its back and sliced its nape. It screamed and fell in smoke and ash.
I went to the girl’s side and finished securing her gear.
“Stay safe,” I told her, and I left her on the roof. I hoped to see her later again outside of the chaos.
I flew over rooftops and smoke and ash again, the silence deafening, as I made my way to the opening in the Wall, pleading with God above for Hanji to be there, or at least somewhere safe. I heard deep thunder above and looked to the sky to see white lightning crack down to the earth inside the walls, and I saw a titan stand tall, smoke billowing off its steaming body: Eren Yeager. As he stood and felt strength envelop his body, he touched his elbows together and screamed with rage to the world, his head lifted to the sky. Then he turned towards me so far away from him and screamed again as lightning struck only a few feet away from my face; a titan appeared before me.
With a wave of white hair and ice blue eyes, the skinless Female Titan stood before me silently stalking her prey, unaware I had full advantage of her weakest spot.
I screamed in a fury and attacked her, spinning and flying faster than I ever had. She turned to look at me as Eren ran to where she stood before me, and I threw my blades in to her eyes to blind her. She swung blindly at me and ran towards me as I fixed my new blades and attacked her armpits. She held a hand to the back of her neck, but I was faster than she was; her hand fell to her side, useless as I severed her arm’s attachment to her shoulder. I flew lower as she continued to run and attacked the backs of her knees and ankles, and she fell to the ground, bricks and wood crushed and flying as she collapsed.
Eren was behind me, going in for the kill, but I turned to him before he got to the Female Titan.
“SHE’S MY KILL,” I screamed at him, and he stopped in his tracks. I didn’t wait to see if he understood, and the Female Titan rolled on to her back, her body steaming as she continued to heal herself. I attacked her eyes and armpits again, and then the side of her jaw, ready to rip it from her skull to get to the nape of her neck.
I screamed in rage as I continued to attack her, and her jaw fell from her face. Black blood poured from her face with hot steam and ashes as her body began to heal already. I attacked her eyes, armpits, knees, and ankles again, wary of how quickly she was healing already; I had to work faster than she could heal, and I didn’t know if I could do it.
I attacked her throat, inching closer and closer to the back of her neck, and then I heard her move her arm to crush me. I flew out of the way in time before she crushed her chest, and then Eren moved in.
He roared and screamed as they fought on the ground, and then I saw Erwin and a group of soldiers fly to us, along with Hanji at his right hand, her face contorted with pleasure and excitement.
“EREN STOP,” she screamed, flying over to them.
“Hanji, no!” I yelled at her, unwilling to let her get anywhere near the 2 fighting titans. The Female Titan was almost completely healed and fighting with full force. Hanji practically bounced in my bloodied arms as I held her back.
“Levi,” she said, kissing my cheek, “remove Eren from his titan! Erwin and I have a plan!” I looked at her and left her side, flying to Eren. I stood on his neck and sliced through his titan’s flesh to where he was inside of it, encased in muscle and membrane.
“What? NO!” he cried out as I pulled him out, his titan toppling over the Female Titan in a heap of smoldering cinders and grey ashes. I took him to the roof top as Hanji screamed, “NOW!”
What was left of the military forces (outside of the military police, of course) flew down with thick metal coiling and net, and they pulled it over the Female Titan as she kicked and thrashed to free herself. Hanji flew down beside the titan and looked her in her steely blue eyes. I followed, close behind her. Hanji ran her fingers through the titan’s glass hair and sat on her knees, her slight figure smaller than the titan’s pupil.
“I will make you pay for what you did to my friends,” she whispered, and I saw a side of Hanji I hadn’t seen before. Hanji cackled maniacly and fell on her back in a fit of laughter, but the titan swung her leg towards my love, freeing herself from the netting before it could be properly secured. I charged for Hanji and got her out of the way before she was smushed like an ant. Others…weren’t as lucky.
“FUCK!” she screamed, as the Female Titan raced away and disappeared after turning a corner.
I chased after her, but my hope died when I found no trace of her, soldiers flying slow behind me.
I stood on the tower of a church and took in the burning scene before me, and I saw titans overtake Wall Rose.
I saw no future to hope for, and I returned to Hanji’s side.
She draped her arm around me and kissed my cheek, and I rested my head on her shoulder and Erwin and a few other soldiers approached us.
“All civilians have evacuated in to Wall Rose, so we must leave with what haste we can. Troops will fly out tomorrow to search for survivors and body counts,” he said as he nodded in my direction, but he said nothing to me. “Move out,” he said, and we all left. My eyes never left Hanji as we entered through the last wall of Humanity’s survival.
I took Hanji’s hand as we were ushered to a Garrison building near the last gate, and we were all given sleeping bags and fresh clothing. Hanji and I found ourselves a corner in the halls where everyone gathered-civilian and soldier alike-and we paid attention only to ourselves. I held her in my arms as we waited for dinner, but it never came.
The next day, we waited for breakfast, but it never came, and Hanji paced the expanse between our sleeping bags. I begged her to relax and sit, but she didn’t.
Food came finally for dinner, but it was a piece of bread smaller than the palm of my narrow hand. Hanji and I exchanged worried glances between ourselves, and I kissed her lips.
Two weeks passed with us getting meals only at dinner. There were three days in which no food came, and I saw children crying because of hunger pains their poor mothers couldn’t fix. I knew we would die in this rotting hell, sooner or later. I knew it would be sooner for some, as I watched the old perish before our eyes. A man two sleeping bags away from us didn’t wake up one morning, and Hanji cried in my arms the rest of the day.
On the eve of the third week, Hanji came back to me from the crowded bathroom, her face white and her hands trembling. I jumped up and took her cold hands in mine, tears building up in her eyes.
“Hanji, what happened?” I asked her softly and I guided her to my sleeping bag. I sat down and held her in my arms like a child. She was so big compared to me, and she clung to my dirty sleeping shirt like a child. She shook her head and gulped for air as the tears streamed down her ashen face. I kissed them away and took her chin in my hand to get her to look at me. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath.
“I’m pregnant.”