Shorter Than Me

10 Levi

After a few minutes, we leave the town and enter into wide-open rolling hills. Everyone spreads out into formation.

There are good things and bad things about this terrain. Titans can be seen from a great distance, and so can smoke signals. There are very few trees and those that are there aren't very tall. It's bad for combat. It makes me actually want more than one titan at a time so I can use one to kill the other. The lack of things to grab onto with the maneuver gear also doesn't promise a good landing. It almost guarantees some kind of injury with hitting the ground.

The plan is to head for the forest we were in last time because it allows for a lot of mobility. One hinderance is the amount of light the branches will let through and whether we'll be able to see much. We just need to get there before too many people die to continue.

I watch the shadow next to me slowly get longer as the sun sets to the right.

Since the Shiganshina District and the Trost District are south, and according to the picture (from the manga), the Karanese District is east. They're headed downward (to the south) and the sun would set in the west, or to the right. Yey.

Smoke signals are shot up from the edges of the formation saying they have encountered some titans.

Then the sun dips below the horizon, and my shadow disappears. It's almost completely dark only five minutes later. From above the center front of the formation comes a bright flash of light in the sky. It lasts about two seconds, then disappears. It was launched by someone in the front to see ahead. A firework launches and explodes in purple sparks. The forest is close.

My squad is located next to Hanji's, slightly to the right of the center and closer to the front than the back.

Another firework indicates the location of the forest. Not too long after, I can see the trees and enter them. I have my horse slow down so it doesn't run into a tree or anything.

I hear a loud boom from ahead. It's the same sonic blast I used on the last mission. It's the order for everyone to activate their maneuver gear.

"Maneuver gear!" I yell behind me. I grab the handles from the straps on my chest and lift off the horse.

My squad follows me as we ascend into the trees. I don't go very fast so they can still see me and follow me. We merge with Hanji's group. I try to stay away from her, but she swings next to me.

"Levi! Aren't you so excited?" She has a smile big enough to swallow a titan on her face and she's dancing and twirling around, almost in hysterics.

I don't know why she asks me questions like that. She already knows how I'm going to answer. "Shut up."

"Come on, Levi! Be happy for once! We're about to study titans!" She almost squeals the last part.

"Shut up."

"You can't stop me!" she sings. "Try and stop me, Levi."

"You're going to attract every titan in the world with your screams."

"Perfect! More specimens. You know, in another thirty minutes, I think the smallest ones will be loosing their juice. LEVI!" she screams.

"What?" I ask angrily.

"I thought Sonny and Bean were going to die when I had them under the tents so long. I couldn't stand watching them so exhausted, but titans are deprived of sunlight for at least eight hours each night. I wonder if they die."

"You're going to find out."

"I know! I wonder if Erwin will let me get Eren to shift into a titan so I can see if he runs on sunlight as well. It seems he has enough energy to do whatever goal he has in mind and then his body desintegrates, but does that energy come from the sun? I wonder if the Colossal Titan could break through the wall in the night. We'd be able to seal it before any of the titans could get through in their sluggish state so it would be illogical, but it's all so fascinating! I hope we get good results-"

"Shut your mouth before I shut it permanently."

"You won't do anything to me, Levi!"

"Do you want to see?" I glare at her in annoyance. She's very aggravating when she's like this- which is almost all the time.

"Well you're being rude. What if I was a titan shifter?"

"I would kill you."

"Levi! We're best friends!" she complains.

"No we're not."

"You're my best friend."

"Too bad."

"Leviiiiiiiiii!" She drags out my name in an exasperated way.

"Shut up. Go talk someone else's ear to death."

"Do you think your little girl would be interested in titans?"

"She's not my little girl." I know that's what she wanted me to say. "I give you permission to talk the trainee to death." Anything to get her away from me.

"I bet she'll be a lot nicer than you!" Hanji moves away and I sigh in relief.

I can hear her loud and excited voice chattering away behind me.