The Queen of Pain - Levi Ackerman

Chapter 36

They stared at each other for minutes, both wanting to speak but having nothing to say.

"Where...are my daughters? Valentina and Aurora?" Anna finally spoke, timidly, with her hands shaking as she wrapped her arms around her own torso.

Levi took a breath in through his nose and placed the torch in a holder up on the wall. "They're in the hands of one of our own at an orphanage," he speak as he leans against the wall with one foot propped up against it and his arms crossed. It's then that Anna can see fully what he's wearing. She's never seen this uniform before. But it was a Scouts one. A black trench coat reaching all the way down to his knees with the Wings Of Freedom seen onto his shoulder and his back. Unlike the bulky ODM gear Anna was so used to the Scouts carrying, she noticed he carried several "new" guns in his holster.

"They're handling themselves decently." He continues. "The blonde one did get into a fight with one of the older boys over mashed potatoes as I recall. She broke his nose."

Anna only snickered, feeling a proud sense of motherhood. But her smile fades when she senses Levi move and rest his hand on one of his guns.

Her eyes flicker up to meet his. "Do you plan to kill me?"

Levi exhales and holds his hands out in front of him. "I don't," he admits. "Though I can't say the same for other government officials."

"Heh...so you're someone else's bitch now?"

"Do you really think this is the time for your fucking games? Look at where you are!" He slams his fist backwards into the wall behind him, glaring at her. In a sense it was like he was yelling at her for betraying him.

"Levi..." Anna speaks soothingly, leaning her head back to examine her cell. "This isn't any different from where I came from. You can keep me trapped here forever...it won't make much of a difference. My soul is dead. I've lived my life."

Then the bars shook with a violent force and a bashing sound as Levi slammed his hands against them. "HOW CAN YOU SAY SOMETHING LIKE THAT SO CASUALLY?!"

Anna took a step back. She wasn't used to being scared of him, but she'd grown tired; of fighting; of losing. "What more does my life mean...?" She whispered with tears in her eyes.

Levi inhaled slowly and let go of the bars, taking a step back. Then he did something she wasnt expecting- he unlocked the cell. As the iron cage swung open, Anna didn't move. She stayed frozen in place until instructed otherwise.

"Come with me." Levi demanded, thrusting a hand out for her to grab.

And Anna took it.

The wind was colder than she was expecting. The sea breeze and scent of salt flooded her nose. "What is this place?" Anna asked, her fingertips brushing against the tall beach grass beside her. Ahead of her eyes were hundreds- no, thousands of headstones, trailing as far as the eye could see.

"It's our new graveyard for fallen members of the Scouting Legion," says Levi, stepping into a row and looking down at the names. "Many of these people felt as though their lives meant nothing. That no one would care after they died,"

Anna looked down with him, at the pile of bouquets on each of the graves. Almost every single one had either flowers or candles beside them. "But there's many of those good men and women who had families waiting for them at home. Waiting for them when they never returned."

Then they stopped.

In front of Anna stood her own headstone, littered with gifts. Flowers, jewelry, her old Scouting Legion cape draped around the stone, even little pieces of cake.

"Now stand there and tell me again that your life is meaningless," Levi said, unknowingly reaching for her hand. Anna only stared at her grave silently, as though she had nothing left to say. No witty remarks; no sarcastic comments; no songs; nothing.

"Anna?" Levi turned around to face her, but she was not there. "Anna?!" He said in a panicked tone, drawing his gun.

"ANNA!"