Power To Strive III Part 1

Smoke Signal

Armin turned away. “Yeah. Why do you figure we were chosen for the new Squad Levi, though?”
           
“Hold up!” Jean made a time-out motion with his hands. “We’re the new Squad Levi?”            

“I’m just as shocked as you,” Levi said.
           
“Ouch,” Connie whispered.
           
So it’s happened. Erwin’s mind was racing. We have instated the 104 into Levi’s new squad in the future on screen, as planned in this past. But has anything else changed?
           
“Protecting Eren and Historia is such an important mission. . .”
           
“Because we’re talented, I assume.” Sasha swiped a potato, stuffing it into her bag.

Armin turned, expression darkening. “Sasha. . . what did you just put in your bag?”
           
“It was something that definitely wasn’t bread.”
           
Petra began giggling. “They look so serious!”
           
“Oi,” Levi said, glaring at Sasha. “You might not be on my squad yet, but just know that I do not tolerate stealing.”
           
“Unless it’s you stealing Erwin’s jackets,” Hange ducked as Levi swiped at her.
           
“Why, you. . .” Jean stalked over.
           
“Give it back,” Connie sighed, placing a hand on his hip.
           
“Hey, focus! We’ve gotta finish cleaning before the Captain comes back!”
           
“Give the bread back!”
           
Historia watched the rest of the group bicker from the corner, carrying her firewood, a vacant expression in her eyes. She started at the sound of a door opening behind her and watched as Levi walked past. “What’s this commotion about?”
           
“That’s it!” Connie threw his hands into the air. “We’re dead! End of the road! You can put it on our gravestones that a potato-crazed maniac got us all killed!”
           
“Man, I thought my death would be a lot cooler,” Jean groaned. “And that my killer’d be a lot taller.” He squawked as Levi hurled Hange’s pen at him. “I meant Titan! I thought I’d be killed by a Titan!”
           
Eren turned as the rest of the group scolded Sasha, Armin holding the bread above his head. He gulped as Levi stopped near the table, running his hands under the edge.
           
Sasha giggled. “Are you sweating?”
           
The others stopped talking as they noticed Levi. He dragged his hand along the wood, and there was a sifting noise as dust fell over his fingers.
           
Levi wrinkled his nose. “Ew.”
           
Levi raised his hand, looking at it, before turning to the recruits. “I’m quite sure I gave you enough time.”
           
Eren facepalmed as the others stared nervously at him.
           
Levi sighed. “Anyways. . . we’ll discuss your lax cleaning job another time.” He wiped his fingers with a handkerchief. “Eren.” Eren looked up. “Hange’s itching to get the experiment started.”
           
“R – Right.”
           
“Yes!” Hange cheered, dropping to her knees and raising her arms to the sky. “Praise the goddesses! Yesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyes!”
           
There was a loud roar as Eren’s Titan reared up, waving its arms, tongue lolling out, before landing on its face. “Eren!” Mikasa cried.
           
“Uh,” Hange blinked as all eyes turned to her. “Oops?”
           
“What’s wrong, Eren?! Get up!” Hange shrieked from the top of the cliff where she and Levi stood, watching. “The future of humanity’s counting on you! Get up, damnit!”
           
“Hey, four-eyes,” Levi said. “He’s not quite the same this time.”

“So weird seeing Levi without his cravat,” Hange sighed.
      
Petra nodded. “Sometimes I forget he has a neck.
        
The shot zeroed in on Eren’s deformed Titan. “He’s not even 10 meters tall this time, and some parts of his body don’t even have any muscle. Plus, Eren’s ass is hanging out.”