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

Chapter twenty-six- One sided

Chapter twenty six

He grabbed my hand quite suddenly moving away from me. “I don’t need joy” He said looking up at me, dead in the eyes. His steel gray ones meeting my lighter silver ones with his dead stare. The wind brushed his ebony hair to the side as I stared at him searching his face for something, but all I got was that distant stare. He was still gripping my wrist with his hand. “Yes, you do.” I said “Killing titans won’t bring them back.” Realizing what this was about. Sudden rage twisted his face into an evil scowl he yanked my wrist roughly putting his face centimeter’s from mine. “Revenge is the best medicine.” He hissed. I narrowed my eyes taking my free hand and grabbing his hair then taking my knee and kneed him in the stomach pushing my arm down while my knee went up. This caused him to flip into the grass, he let out a yelp of surprise as his body hit the ground. I put my foot on his stomach. “No its not, and until you can learn that I don’t think I can train you.h” I said simply.

He frowned struggling against the weight of my foot. I spotted Tamaki walking over to us, he stopped looking down at the Trainee who was giving me an evil glare. The brown haired boy gave me a look then wrote something down on a slip of paper. I blinked and removed my foot Levi scrambled to his feet running his hand threw his hair to try and fix it. “Go, join Petra and the others.” I ordered he gave me an evil glare but obeyed me racing off into the horizon towards the tree were they practiced.  When I turned back to Tamaki, he was grinning. “I love a woman who can hold her own against a man.” He said. I chuckled, moving my hair out of my face smartly. “Indeed.” I agreed “That Levi is a pain in your neck.” He said looking towards the horizon as the sun sank lower into the sky. “Don’t you want him off your chest?” He said looking over at me. “He is a thug after all.” Suddenly I felt that uncontrollable rage I'd felt when Lina had spoken rudely of my corp.

My hand flashed out and without a second though I yanked Tamakis hair down and pushed his face into the dirt then picked him up and tilted his head back to look into his eyes. He was staring at me with a look of utter shock. “Never, EVER say anything like that to me about my comrades.” I snarled. His eyes went wide with shock and slight fear. I guessed he'd never been shown up by a girl before. He shook his head struggling against my grip. I held him fast my silver eyes flaming with rage. “Do you understand…!?” I yelled. He winced and I let him go he face planted again. I grunted quietly, not apologizing. You sass my corp or its members you had it coming to you.

I folded my arms. “The members of this Corp are my family, even if they hate me. I love them all, understand?” I snarled, my voice softening. I offered my hand to him “Sorry.” I offered him a smile, he took my hand and shook the dirt from his face and hair. “It’s understandable, if my corp went though as much as you guys go threw I imagine we would be like a family. Unfortunately, we're nothing of the sort.” He said shaking the dirt off his jacket and yellow-white undershirt. I nodded slowly to him “I'm glad you can understand that.” The sun was almost at the horizon now, the sky began to change into brilliant shades of orange and pink.

He looked at me out of the corner of his green eyes. “You’re a strange girl, I can never fully get a read on you.” He said. I shrugged “I'm just that kind of person, I don’t like acting like I'm one sided.” I said to him folding my arms and shifting my shoulders back as the sun vanished behind the horizon while the sky turned to a dark shade of violet. Suddenly a panelizing scream echoed from the distance. Without thinking I bolted towards it, I didn't care what was happening but someone was in trouble and I would risk anything to protect my friends, my family… my Survey corp.

I raced across the field as shadows stretched towards me like ebony fingers trying to grab at my legs. I reached the tree were the group was blood was splattered on the tree and the grass, Levi was kneeling on the ground  gripping his arm and gritting his teeth pain glittered in his eyes like fresh dew. Petra was standing back holding her hand over her mouth not sure what to do with herself. Oluo was beside Petra with the same strange look in his eyes. Eld was trying to patch up the boys wound, Levis arm was hanging limply at his side while he gritted his teeth trying to ignore the pain. I raced over to them, throwing myself onto the grass skidding on my knees and grabbing Levis shirt without thinking.

In moments like this, where it was a life or death situation. I had an instinct were I would just act without thinking and go into motion without the usage of my brain. I ripped at the boys fabric he said nothing as scarlet blood spilled from his arm, I tore off the bottom of the boys white shirt and moved his hand from the cut, his arm was cut very badly. A large wound went along the Entirety of his lower shoulder, a two inch gash and blood spilled onto the grass I wrapped the white fabric around it. He winced as the blouse cut into his arm. “Ok, we got to get him back now.” I said surprising myself by keeping my calm.

I helped the injured trainee to his feet and Petra was quickly on my other side. Oluo helped Petra and Tamaki was there within seconds to be at my side. Eld and Gunter flocked to them and we all helped. It made moving the one hundred and fifty pound trainee much easier. I looked down the line at each of them while Levi struggled to walk on his own. I hid the smile I felt teasing at my lips, these five would make a great team one day. I hoped I'd be around to see it. We reached camp, leaving a trail of Levis blood behind us. I had a splotch of blood on the side of my chestnut jacket. Erwins eyes widened in surprise when he saw us, he raced over. “What on earth happened?” He demanded.

Levi winced and ripped himself away from us “I'm fin-“ He suddenly stumbled and went forward I grabbed at his wounded arm and kept him from falling into the ground “No, you’re not.” Erwin yelled for a doctor while I helped Levi to the steps he sat down looking at his shoulder and wincing. “Ugh, that’s disgusting.” He muttered “I wish my blood could be slightly cleaner.” He said to me. I let out a low chuckle. “Your bleeding out on the steps of the headquarters and your worried about the cleanliness of your blood…?” I said. A doctor in a brown over-coat came over to us, she removed a needle and some aniti-bacteria  stuff from a little bag she had. “Hold her hand.” The doctor instructed and Levi looked taken aback. “Why?” He demanded, she removed some of the peroxide from the black bottle and put into her hand. “Because this is going to hurt.” She said. I took his hand in mine and glared “Don’t complain.” He said nothing as the woman poured the liquid onto his wound and he let out an agonizing cry of pain. I felt his hand tighten around mine in pain he closed his eyes and gritted his teeth as she stitched the gaping wound closed to stop the bleeding.

Finally she finished up and stood waving her hat to me in respect then leaving, I looked over at him he opened his mouth and closed it rubbing his jaw with his hand. Still gripping my hand tightly with his left hand. He realized and released me. “Sorry.” I chuckled standing up and stretching slightly as the sun was completely gone now. “Its Ok.” I offered him my hand to help him stand, and he took it.