(Levi Ackerman x OC) Melting A Frozen Heart ~ Attack on Titan

Chapter 11: The Vanquished

"Leave them? Are you insane? I value any of their lives over mine. I only left because I was a burden to you! My presence was nothing that could help them. Don't feed me such lies. I didn't want to bring them down with me. You know more than anyone that my comrades are my family."

Levi stared at the wall with a glum expression, crossing his arms. "Well, then. I suppose I should tell you now, since it seems no one else has done so yet."

"What?! Tell me what?!" Chi stamped her foot impatiently again and Levi's scornful poker face drooped into a frown. All went silent.

"...Petra," he said quietly. "Oluo. Eld. Gunther. They're dead."

At first, the words were only words. But then they took on a meaning, and the shock hit Chi in the chest like a wall. It felt as if her chest had turned into a vacuum, caving in, losing air, becoming hollow. She recoiled and shook her head, wringing her hands in front of her chest. "What? No. No, they can't be. Levi, you're lying. You're lying."

His face was stone.

Chi's heart stopped, and she grabbed her head. "No. No, no, no, I didn't—I didn't mean for it to happen like this!" She slumped down to her knees and tears brimmed her eyes.

"I could've done something." She looked up at Levi pleadingly. "I could've done something, couldn't I? It's like you said, but no..." She shook her head, her entire body trembling. "I was so selfish. I was only thinking of myself. All I wanted to do was hasten my own death... but I didn't mean for others to die first...!" Many heads turned to spectate the commotion.

Chi slumped over and held herself. Levi watched, unable to say anything as he choked on his pain.

Chi wouldn't ever be able to experience it again: Petra's kindness. Oluo's clumsiness. Gunther's jokes. Eld's encouragement. But they were so strong, she believed that they would be fine partaking this mission by themselves; after all, prior to when she joined, they functioned quite well as a team already. The grief came down to a slow throb, and then anger took place. Shakily, Chi stood and grabbed Levi's hand.

"Please," she begged. The tears had stopped, replaced with a grimace, though her cheeks were still wet. "Tell me. How did they die?"

Levi refused her for a few moments but she gave his hand a gentle squeeze and he complied. "It was... the female titan." Chi's eyebrows knit together and she clenched her open hand.

"I will..." she growled, her breaths quickening, "...slay all of the titans!" Chi began to turn, readying herself to sprint off into the wild once more. But before she could, Levi stopped her and grabbed the front of her jacket to pull her close.

"Then do it with the Corps," he demanded. "Don't do this alone. We'll all do it together. The only other person who wants it as badly is Eren—he's your lover, isn't he? If he is, you should stick by his side and we will all fight together. I swear it to you."

A scoff escaped Chi's mouth. "Me? Eren? My lover? What a delusional presumption." Her hard expression softened. "Although, I'm sorry that your lover, Petra—" she choked on her name, "—isn't... isn't here anymore. I really am." It was Levi's turn to laugh humorlessly.

"You're incorrect. Petra worked under me. Her loss will do a great deal of damage to our forces, but there was nothing romantic between the two of us." A guilty wave of relief washed over Chi, but her eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

"Then why did you say you were already in love with someone?" Chi asked, confused. Levi sighed deeply and rolled his eyes.

"I already told you, you never let me finish." Then he pulled her face close.