{LEVIHAN} Always

Chapter 2: Rest in Peace

Levi's POV

Despite the doctor's orders for me to lay in bed and rest, I sat in the chair, next to the window. Hanji wore her regular glasses when she died... I had to ask around to help me look for her googles. Ever since the titans were gone and we stopped the expeditions, she stopped wearing her goggles. Gabi found them in her laboratory in the basement. Coated with dust from not being used for so many years.

One thing that I found out about her was that she kept every pair of glasses and goggles. Little notes were attached to each pair of glasses and goggles of when and how they were broken. I never noticed her like that. I don't remember when she joined the Survey Corps or which expedition she first went on... 

I know it'll be close to impossible to find her body... but if I could lay her to rest... I think I'll be able to greet the next day knowing that she's safe... safely in the ground where no one should disturb her rest. If I can't be out there looking for her body... I can't bring myself to be at peace.

Everyone saw her death... and I couldn't bear to see it. I wanted to see Hanji whole... I wanted to keep a part of her that reminded me when she never lost her eye... I wanted to keep the memory of her being happy... excited... the only time I could think of her like that... it's been such a long time... I remember how excited she would get whenever we saw a titan out on the expedition. Even now, when we know they used to be humans, she wondered the science behind it. 

She used to have Moblit draw and catalog every titan she found. If I could find that scrapbook of his... maybe I could find some of Hanji's little scribbles of information she learned from them.

With my right hand, I rested my palm over my stolen eye... wondering if it was this painful for Hanji too. I know having glasses or goggles plastered against your face is annoying... and the fact she used to complain about being unable to see without them... she lost more of her eyesight. She lost her eye, and I remember she used to joke about losing them. She always found some way to make it... happier...

"Perhaps without my eye, I could see things that don't exist in the real world..." I remember hearing her say that when I asked her if she was okay the days after she lost it. She used to drink a lot of wine to try to forget how painful it felt. "Maybe I could see ghosts."

"Ghosts..." I sighed, feeling the stitches with my pinky finger. "Maybe I could see your ghost...? Hanji... if you're here... can you give me a sign that you're here?"

I got no response. Ghosts don't exist... why should I even try? Maybe this is a good way to cope with her loss?

"Captain Levi..." I turned around, seeing Armin with a weary face. He was one of the people who also wanted to find Hanji's body. "We... have strange news..."

"Strange? What do you mean?"

"We should've found her body, but it seemed like there was nothing there. It looked like after the titans... walked over her, it seemed someone was there. There were footsteps clearly imprinted in the ground. It was none of ours."

"What the hell are you trying to say?"

"Someone took her body. I don't know who... but someone took her away."

"Did you follow the footprints?"

Armin nodded his head. "We did before it got into the woods. None of us are good trackers... we lost it in the woods. We combed through the woods and we found nothing. I'm sorry, Captain Levi..."

Who took her away...? Hanji can no longer rest in peace...

"Captain, you need to rest..."

"How can I? I thought finding her body and laying her to rest would bring me to peace. Now hearing this... investigate this- immediately. Someone took her... and I want her back... you should know that Hanji deserves to be at peace. After everything she did with her very last breath... she needs to rest."

Armin nods his head. "I understand... we'll find her... and lay her to rest... I promise..."