Chasing Ghosts [Attack on Titan](Wattys 2014 Winner)

Chapter eighteen- Faith

Chapter eighteen

He ripped his arm away from me “Don’t touch me.” He snarled. I frowned “I'm trying to help you, it’s you there after.” I said my voice rising Petra winced at the tone. “Alya, please lower your voice.” She said her voice quivering slightly I lowered my hand as Levi eyed the auburn haired woman beside me. “What do you think you can do?” He said “If they want to see me dead, I'm dead!” He cried lifting his face into the indigo sky now clear of clouds. I grabbed his hand this time yanking his face close to mine, staring him dead in the eyes. “What did I tell you, never give up on your comrades or yourself?” He blinked at me “If you lose faith with yourself you'll never be able to do anything.” I said glaring into his blue eyes with my silver ones.

Petra watched me wide eyed “Listen Levi, if you want to keep your head I'm going to make you make some friends, understand?” I said straightening up. He was still taller than me so I had to stand on my toes to get to be eye level with him. Petra was about the same height I was. He looked down so his hair shaded his eyes and I couldn't see most of his emotions. “What good would that do?” He said his voice ice cold. I frowned “Its better to try something then nothing.” Petra continued to watch me. Wide eyed “You have a lot of faith in us don’t you Alya…” The girl said her voice barely above a whisper. I looked over at her my gaze leaving Ackermans. “What do you mean?” I asked. I'd thought I was just being stubborn. I didn't want to lose anyone, even a snotty ice-cold guy like Levi.

She looked up at me with a soft smile “You're willing to do anything to keep Levi around, and I think you'd do the same for anyone else…” She said. I continued to watch her waiting to see where this was going. “You want to see the best in people don’t you Captain.” She smiled at me, closing her eyes and giving me a heart-felt  grin “I'll follow your footsteps!” I opened my mouth to speak but she continued “I'll be as kind as I can be, as fair as I can be. So I can be like you.” I blinked, not realizing what an impact I had been making on this young girl. I gave her a half smile “I'm glad to hear I'm doing some good around here.” I joked. She continued to grin “You’re doing more than just good Ms.Alya.” Levi was eyeing me with a look of pure hatred on his face.

I looked back at him and we locked gaze for a while “I know you don't like me Ackerman, and you don’t have to you just have to live. If these people see you as a civilized friendly- ok, maybe not even friendly just civilized they won’t consider killing you for all the crimes you've committed.  Erwin spared you true, but that won't last forever.” I said, staring into his blue eyes as he looked back at me. He moved his long ebony hair back slightly something flashed though his indigo eyes, almost like I was one of the people who had faith in him, faith that he could be a better person. Ackerman, no doubt had been the same way. Knowing my trainer, he'd tried to find the good in this hot headed young man and hadn't succeeded well… he'd done enough to make it so Levi took on his last name. “Fine. I don’t plan on behaving.” He said storming off. I sighed quietly and felt Petra touch my arm “He'll come around eventually, your only trying to do him good.” Said the kind girl. I looked over at her with a little smile. “Thanks Petra, could you fetch Oluo, Guther and Eld for me?” I asked she nodded and rushed off to find the three trainees. I stood outside in the now sunny weather listening to the distant twittering of the birds.

Fairly soon the four walked out the door, Oluo at the head he was a consiterably older man with slick golden hair and brown eyes he was pretty tall. Guther was a dark haired man, his face was soft and round and he was slightly shorter then Oluo. Erd was a blond also, with green eyes and a muscular face he smiled as he walked out. Followed by Petra. “I have a job for your four.” I said pacing to and fro in front of them. Oluo stared at me with a bored expression. “You four will be assigned to work with Levi Ackerman.” Guther gasped “Wait, hold on!?  He doesn't work well with others-“ I cut him off with a raise of my right hand. “I know, I'll let you guys in on a little secret. Levi, has a bad past and the Stationary corp wants him dead for it. The only way we can prove that hes a good man is if he works well with others.” I said “We know that he doesn't but I nor Erwin wish to lose one of the best fighters we have.” I said. My eyes locked with each of the members as I passed.

“I have faith you will do this, Levi has agreed to put up with you.” I said to them “I don’t want to see him- any of you be lost at the hands of our own kind.” I said, knowing full well that losing them to Titans was inevitable. I stopped  “You five will become a strong team, bound by friendship and will power.” I said, what I was asking wasn't a question. “I want you five to stick together, though it all. Stay strong.” I said, lifting my head up as the sun flashed across my hair causing it to change into other vibrant shades of crimson. They all gave me the salute putting there right hand over there heart in the shape of a fist facing outward. “Yes Ma'am!” I smiled “Good.”

Hanji POV

Eren was staring at me with a look of pure wonder on his face, I felt a little tear appear in my left eye. It was hard to talk about Petra, Oluo, Gunther and Eld after they were dead. We didn’t even get to retrieve there bodies… Mikasa was watching me with a sad expression as well. Armin had his hair in his face to hide his eyes. “Alya knew that they would bond like that…?” Eren asked. I shook my head moving my glasses back up my nose “No, she wanted them to be like that…. And after… after, well she passed. They followed her orders to the bitter end.” I said looking at my neatly folded hands in my lap. “Sometimes they didn't get along, but threw the thick and thin they stuck together.” I said quietly “I miss them, they were strong fighters. We always seem to lose the ones we care about most.” I whispered quietly.

“But sometimes, life isn't fair. The ones that deserve to live the most… die.”