Shorter Than Me

26 Levi

Jaeger grabs the first titan he sees and starts wrestling with it. He throws it at the cage, breaking a part of it. Hanji will probably cry when she finds out. Lots of titans arrive, and all the Scouts start trying to fight them off to keep Jaeger from being attacked.

Eventually, Jaeger is able to shove the titan into the remaining cage. They fire countless cables into it from all directions, then close the opening to the cage. Immediately some Scouts start leading it away.

That was easier than it should have been.

Jaeger is supposed to turn back human now, but he probably doesn't know how. Usually he's just been knocked out, but there are no cliffs nearby.

Ackerman cuts the backs of his knees so he falls. Then I drop onto the back of his neck. I balance myself with a cable in his head and cut into the nape. I try to avoid his arms and legs. The skin pulls away to reveal his body encased in muscle. Ackerman jumps to grab him under the arms and pull him out. It takes a few long minutes. His right leg is steaming at the knee where I cut through it. Ackerman carries him to his horse. The titan body falls and I jump clear of it, killing three more titans before landing in a tree by the Commander.

"The other group has been overwhelmed by titans. They caught one, but the cage fell and broke. They're retreating back to the gate now, in improvised formation. This group is taking this titan to the Wall. I want your squad, excepting Eren, to search around where the other group was for survivors or equipment. Don't stay too long. You decide when you leave. By then, we'll probably have delivered the titan to the Wall. Meet up with the rest of this group on the way to the gate. I'll send up a signal when we reach the Wall and when we leave it."

"Yes, sir." I jump to the ground where my horse is. Then I have him run to where my squad is starting to follow everyone out of here. "Ackerman, Arlert, Kerstien, Braun, the Commander wants us to look for survivors and equipment where the other group was. Leave Jaeger with them. Come on." I turn my horse and start him in a gallop. My squad follows me. It takes a few long minutes to find where some horses are still tethered. Three people come to greet us from the trees. They're in Guiin's squad. Guiin isn't here.

"What are you still doing here?"

"We were trying to find our squad. Then we got left behind," the boy explains.

"Alright. Look for survivors and equipment. Come back every five minutes. We're leaving as soon as possible. Arlert and Braun, stay here." I jump into the trees. The others follow me. I fly around quickly. A few minutes pass and I haven't seen anything. Then I do. A person on the ground. It's Guiin.

"Guiin!" I yell at her. She's just laying there. Is she dead?

I can hear her breathing when I get closer. I set down right beside her and yell again.

"Guiin!"

She's completely unresponsive. She looks like she's in shock from something.

Well, the slap worked last time.

I kneel down next to her. I grab her shoulders and pull her up, ready to slap her as hard as I can.

A scream rips from her lips, startling me. She falls forward after a second and practically tackles me. Her head falls on the front of my shoulder and her arms put themselves around me. She squeezes harder than I thought she could squeeze, gripping the back of my jacket and pressing her face into my shoulder.

She sobs. Mouth open, eyes gushing out avalanches of salt water. I can hear her making choked sounds and actually freeze in shock for a few seconds.

What the hell?

(Sorry for the cursing, but it's Levi.)

"Guiin, let go," I order. I push on her shoulders, slightly at first, but then with more strength. She doesn't let go of my jacket. She has an iron grip.

I'm not calling anyone over here or carrying her to someone who can help like this. Not when she won't let go.

"Guiin." I push harder, but she won't, or can't, let go. I repeat her name over and over, trying to get a response. I stand up and let her basically hang here. Her legs aren't supporting her, but her arms are. And what is supporting her arms? Me.

"Guiin, if you can hear me, let go of me." I try to put as much command as I can in my voice. She either ignores me or can't hear me.

I've been here for a whole minute. If she keeps staying like this, her arms are going to start cramping.

My shirt is drenched, along with my cravat. I hope it's just tears and not saliva or snot. The thought makes me want to gag.

Me too, Levi.

Her feet move. They find their place under her, and she stands up a little more. Her face lifts from my shirt and I see swollen, red eyes. And she's drooling. Tears still stream from her eyes. Her hands pull on my jacket, like she's trying to let go.

"Guiin, let go." I reach behind myself and ease her hands away from my back. I pull them in front of me and let go.

She falls to her knees in front of me and runs her hands through her hair, clutching her head. Her tears wet the ground below her face.

I stand over her for a long time, watching her hands nervously pull at her hair. She seems to be calming down slowly. I wait so I don't have to carry her or anything. I scan around us for titans, but none come. Maybe she's used up all her bad luck.

Eventually, I get her to stand. She won't use her maneuver gear, so I walk her to where the Scouts remaining are waiting. She jumps onto her horse. A titan starts ambling toward the two squads.

"Ackerman," I order. She runs forward to kill it.

Barely thirty seconds have passed before the rest of Guiin's squad returns. Jewel and Qui. They drop next to Guiin.

"Captain!" Qui reaches up to her.

"Is Atkins still out there?" I ask.

Guiin lowers her head to where her hands are clutching the reins.

"I'm taking that as a no. Everyone, on your horses before any more titans want to eat us." I hurry to my horse and mount him. Then I lead both squads out of the forest.

I glance back to see Guiin's squad making sure she's coming with us. Apparently she can still control a horse.

Any titan we come upon I kill within ten seconds. We head back to the gate.

Guiin seems to go into shock on every expedition she goes on, except the last one. Maybe it's just because she loses the ones she's close to when she's not ready to.

I wasn't ready to lose Petra, but those things sneak up on you. Before you know it, everything precious to you is stolen forever. After enough of it, you don't want to care anymore. Then it doesn't hurt anymore.