bonds | aot x oc (levi's sister)

➝ the scars that build us up (1)

~ 𝖇𝖔𝖓𝖉𝖘 ~

- 2 YEARS LATER -

"Come on Elliot, or we'll miss them!" Eren exclaimed running up the hill-street to where a crowd was gathering, at the gates of the wall.

"Slow... down... guys... You're running too quickly!" I panted, running to catch up with him, though Mikasa managed to tail behind him with ease. Apparently, the Survey Corps had returned from an expedition outside the walls and everyone was going to greet them. I already knew what I was going to see. Sullen and broken expressions of soldiers who lost friends and comrades to the merciless predation of the titans.

I followed for the sake of seeing a certain trio who were probably dead - I didn't want to think too much on the 'dead' part, though. I also followed for Eren's sake. He loved the Survey Corps and was planning on joining them someday. I was going to join with him because someone told me it would get me closer to my family (if they were still alive). Recently they hadn't been on my mind, and the guilt I felt for that weighed down on me like a sack of bricks.

Eren had already turned the corner to the main street where the Scouts were coming in through, and it took me about 5 more seconds to catch up to him and Mikasa. They were standing on a crate to see over the heads of the adults. I stood up next to her - she layed her head gently on my shoulder.

"You missed them, Elliot!" Eren shouted over the cheering of the crowd.

"Missed what? I can see the Scouts just fine." I grumbled, staring solemly at the wounded and sorrowful soldiers who trudged along, leading horses or carrying injured men. As much as they were heroes in my eyes, it pained me to see their numbers decrease drastically in a matter of hours.

"No! You missed the best spectacle! Captain Levi and his squad!" He said, his face full of admiration.

"Levi?" I questioned. Where had I heard that name before? Could it be?

I pushed the face of the man who was in front of me aside to get a better view. He yelled at me but I didn't care. There was no doubt about it: in the front, next to a bottle-blond man, a guy with an all-too-familiar undercut, was trotting on his horse out of the square, followed by 4 others. All their dark green capes fluttered coolly in the street breeze.

I internally squealed in delight, while trying to maintain only a simple smile on the outside. It's not possible - BUT IT COULD BE !

I looked around him for a familiar ash-blond and red-head, but couldn't find them. They're probably in front.

A small commotion in the middle of the street drew my eyes away from them. An elderly woman was sobbing uncontrollably whilst holding a bandaged package in her arms. There was no doubt it was a body part of a fallen soldier - her son. In front of her, the Commander of the Scouting Regiment was looking down at his feet, silent tears spilling from tired eyes that had seen the worst things possible.

Commander Shadis knelt down before the woman and begged for forgiveness, cursing the Gods who had thrown this menace at humanity with such ease. 

I looked away, but there was an outburst from an alley behind me. A few men were shouting angrily pushing their way to the front. "Our taxes are going to the titans meals!" They screamed. Mikasa had accidentally let go of my hand and I was dragged along with them, to the front where the Scouts had stopped. They had pushed with so much force and anger that I - being very light and short - fell over onto the cobblestone ground.

I winced and my hands and knees burned, probably scraped and bruised. No one had noticed that I'd fell down, so I stayed on my knees for a while longer to catch my breath and get used to the pain. I was brought out of my thoughtlessness when I felt a hand on my shoulder.