Levi was surprised when Lucy informed him that she would not seduce Erwin. He was happy that she decided to back away from that plan. Although, he wanted to ask her what changed her mind. Lucy is usually so hell-bent on getting information out of someone so she usually never cares who, not fully, or what she has to do.
The only other man Lucy promised to not seduce was Farlan, before they started dating. So Levi began to wonder what Erwin did to make his sister change her mind. Even so, he's glad she backed away from that plan.
"We don't find it no matter how many times we look," Farlan dejected sadly. He couldn't find the documents anywhere in Erwin's office. He searched high and low, looking at every nook and cranny, but came up empty. "It's probably best to assume it isn't in his room."
"You're right," Lucy agreed as she grabbed her chin and began thinking. "Leaving something that important in his room would be nothing but child's play. He's not that stupid to leave something like that in there."
"Then where could it be?" Isabel wondered.
Farlan looked at her. "What do you do with something you really want to keep safe?"
Isabel smiled as she slapped her stomach. "Inside my stomach band, of course."
"Now, I don't know if Erwin wears a stomach band."
"He might be carrying it with him," Lucy pondered out loud. She lowered her hand before looking at Farlan. "Makes more sense on why you couldn't find it in the first place. Might be hidden in his jacket or something."
Farlan nodded in agreement. "So, we could use the Expedition to our advantage," he came to a realization. "Outside the walls, Erwin and the others will be concentrated on the Titans. We just have to wait for an opportunity."
"I see. Great idea!" Isabel beamed. She looked at Levi, who hasn't said a word. "You ok with that, Levi?"
"Sure," he said. Levi's mind went back to the Underground. The Scouts easily captured Isabel and Farlan while they used Lucy to get a rise out of him. "But I'll be going alone."
"Not gonna happen," Lucy immediately objected.
Levi ignored her. "You three, just think up any excuse and stay behind."
"Bro...Why?!" Isabel shouted in anger.
"We haven't even seen a real titan, yet, and it'll be our first time outside the walls. It may take all we've got just to make it back alive. But if I'm by myself, I'll manage somehow."
Lucy mentally rolled her eyes as she grabbed the top of Levi's head. She brought it close so they were staring at each other eye-to-eye. "Do you seriously think we can't handle it?" she asked. "Or am I going to have to knock some sense into you, big brother?"
Levi looked her dead in the eye. "I don't doubt you for a second, Lucy." For a mere second, Levi glanced behind her toward Farlan. He thought Lucy wouldn't see it, but she did. Levi wanting to go alone is just his way of protecting them and making sure Lucy's safe. If something happens to them while on this Expedition, he wouldn't forgive himself.
Lucy tsked before she released Levi's head but used her other hand to grab his wrist. She began dragging him away from Isabel and Farlan before Levi decides to blow up.
"Bro...Sis..." Isabel muttered as she watched the siblings walk away from them.
Lucy dragged Levi toward the rooftop. Levi glanced down when he saw her grip on his wrist tighten.
"Do you really think going out there alone is the best option?" Lucy huffed as she lets go of him. Her back was turned away from Levi but her fist was clenching against her side. "It's a little bit reckless, and more dangerous, even for you. We're supposed to be in this together, yet our stupid pride and overprotectiveness are getting in the way." She finally glanced back at him. "I'm with you 'til the very end, or have you forgotten that?"
Levi never forgot the unspoken vow he made with Lucy. All those years in the Underground, when it was just the two of them, they promised they wouldn't leave each other behind...no matter what.
"It's the same. When you can't see the moon or the stars, the sky up here is just the same as the sky down there," Levi began, aware of Farlan and Isabel arriving behind him. "The color of the sky, sure. But...But it's different."
"It's different because we're not there," Lucy said, talking about the Underground. "The sky is endless. It may be just dark, but it's far different from underground." Lucy glanced up. "Just by a glance, you can see the moon is brighter here." A small smile slowly crept on Farlan's face when Lucy walked up to Levi. Her arms went around him before pulling her brother close in a hug. "We'll never go back down there."
It was a very rare occasion for Farlan and Isabel to see the Ackerman siblings hug each other. But they knew how close the two are, so it was nice to see them like this from time to time. Levi sighed as he returned the hug but felt the reassurance behind it.
"She's right, bro," Isabel said. "The four of us always pull through, right? It'll be the same with the titans. Let's do this together."
"Levi, believe in us," Farlan spoke as Levi pulled away from Lucy.
"Alright," Levi said as he rubbed the top of Lucy's head. He smiled at them. "I'll believe in you."
Isabel jumped up in the air and shouted, "Yay! Bro sure is a stubborn one, ain't he?" She wrapped her arms around Levi and Lucy. "Not when it comes to Sis, though."
"Right," Farlan agreed. They were about to walk back into the barracks but he grabbed Lucy's hand to stop her. Levi and Isabel looked back. "Um, we'll catch up soon."
Isabel knew what he was hinting at and smirked. "Ooooh, ok," she teased. "Get some alone time with your woman." Farlan face-palmed himself as Levi raised his brow. Isabel laughed while she began pushing Levi inside. "Don't do anything I wouldn't do."
Farlan sighed as he tried not to shrink back from the glare Levi sent him. "She's gonna get me killed one of these days," he muttered as they left.
"Not if I kill her first," Lucy said but didn't mean it.
Farlan chuckled as he rubbed the back of his head. "Yeah, I didn't think she would out us like that." He glanced down at Lucy and smiled. "I still can't believe you're mine."
"Why does that sound surprising to you?" Lucy asked as she sat down. She brought one knee up to wrap her arm around it while the other leg was dangling on the edge of the building.
"It kinda does." Farlan sat next to her. "From everyone in the world, I wouldn't picture you liking someone like me."
"Because we're different," Lucy deadpanned. "I get it. You're not like those other dogs I've met. Always wagging their tail and doing tricks."
"Just so you could get into bed with them." Lucy glanced at Farlan to see his eyes were a bit gloomy.
"I've never gone through with it," Lucy admitted. Farlan's eyes widened like saucers while his head snapped at her. "Even though it's what I was taught to do, but for the past few months, I haven't really gone through with it. I usually just have them telling me whatever before I knock them out and leave."
Farlan tried not to sound too happy. "Really? Why?"
Lucy gave him a small smile. "Because it wouldn't be fair to you."
"Me?"
She nodded. "The only person I would want inside me." A huge blush rose across Farlan's face as he covered his mouth. Why did she have to say it like that?! Lucy tsked before she scoot over and laid her head on his shoulder.
Yet, that one moment brought a smile on his face. Farlan reached over and wrapped his arm around Lucy's shoulders.
"You know I wanted to that day," Farlan admitted. Lucy glanced up at him as he scratched his cheek, but looked away from her in shame. He recalls the day Lucy went to visit him to plead her case so she and Levi could join the gang. "When you had me pinned to the couch...Believe me, I did want you, but...I knew you were only doing it so you can Levi could get in, but I'd be taking advantage. That's kinda why I had you stop. I wanted you to do it because you wanted to, not because you have to."
Lucy wrapped her arms around his waist. "You were such a gentleman," she teased.
"Hey, I still am!" Farlan shouted. He opened his mouth to argue some more but Lucy leaned up and kissed him. It caught Farlan off guard because he felt himself fall back. He held onto Lucy as they fell back to the ground and away from the ledge.
Lucy continued to kiss him as his hands went toward her hips. Farlan gasped when he felt Lucy grinding her hips against his to create a small friction. But it quickly went away when Lucy pulled away from him to sit up, still straddled him.
"And here we are months later," she said. Her hands slowly trailed down his chest until they landed on his belt buckle. "The question is...what do you want to do?"
Farlan's breathing became rigid as Lucy slowly started to undo his belt. "Lucy, what if someone sees?"
Lucy halted her movements before leaning down. Her lips were inches away from his and she looked him in his eyes and said, "I don't care. Do you?"
That small fear of getting caught suddenly disappeared. Farlan leaned up and closed the gap between them while cradling the back of Lucy's head, savoring the very moment he has with his soon-to-be wife.
Unaware of the terrible faith that rests between them.
》》》》
"Open the gate!" Shadis ordered. Lucy glanced around until her eyes found Levi's. She gave him a curt nod to assure him she was ok. "Today, we take another step forward! Show me the fruits of your training! Show them the strength of humanity!" The Scouts raised their fists in the air and cheered. Lucy felt Farlan's hand grabbing hers. She looked over to see he was already smiling at her. She gave a small one back before squeezing his hand. "We will now begin the 23rd Expedition Beyond the Walls! Forward, everyone!"
Lucy and the others followed the Scouts. Her eyes widened slightly in awe as she was greeted by the scenery. It truly was breathtaking.
"Wow!" Isabel breathed as the sun's rays kissed their skin.
"Yeah. Not bad at all," Levi agreed.
"What are you doing? Stay focus," one of the soldiers said. "We're not out here to sightsee. There's no telling when we could run into a titan."
Isabel grinned and said, "If we do see one, we'll clean it right up for you!"
"Idiot! You wanna be the first to die?"
"What's your problem?"
"You're only able to talk like that because you've never seen a titan before. You have no idea just how many good soldiers have been eaten..."
"Titan sighted!" another soldier announced as he pointed at the giant man-eating creature. "Ahead and to our right! One 15-meter class right ahead!"
"That's...a titan?" Farlan gasped.
"Three 10-metre class titans are heading toward us from behind!"
Lucy looked back to see the three titans running toward them.
"They're too close for us to slip away," Shadis said. "Prepare for battle. Equip your 3D Maneuver Gear!"
Lucy quickly equipped her gear as the other soldiers went toward the titan ahead of them. Flagon quickly slit the back of the titan's head. Lucy pulled on the reins of her horse before turning around and heading toward the three titans that were after Isabel and Farlan.
"Lucy!" Farlan shouted in worry. Then another figure was soon following Lucy. "Levi!"
Lucy launched her gear near the tree in the middle of the titans. She leaped off her horse to use the momentum to gain speed. She zipped between the titans before using the other hook to lodge itself on the first titan's back. Adding more gas, she launched herself toward the titan's neck before slicing a huge chunk of it off. She spun around, just in time to see Levi kill his titan. To her surprise, Farlan and Isabel went after the last titan. The titan managed to grab Isabel, but she used her blade to cut the titan's fingers off to release her. Farlan came around from behind to slice the titan's neck. Lucy finally landed on the ground next to Levi as the final titan fell.
"All of the titans have been eliminated!" Shadis shouted. "Everyone, regroup!"
"How's that Levi?" Farlan asked. "We took down a titan all by ourselves!"
"We did it, Bro! We did it!" Isabel cheered.
"Yeah...You guys did well," he said before flicking Lucy's forehead. "As for you, don't run ahead without me."
"Yet, you were behind me," Lucy argued. "Don't know why you're scolding me if we did well."
"Indeed," the heard Erwin said as he caught up to them, "that was impressive, considering it was your first time. But you used too much gas. You need to be especially conservative out here."
Farlan gaped. Levi held his hand out to stop him from making a scene.
"You're expecting me to take priority of my equipment over the lives of my friends and sister?" Levi asked, holding back his anger.
"You're performing a lot of unnecessary movements." Erwin narrowed his eyes at them. "Are you beginning to have doubts? If you are, that'll be the death of you very soon."
Isabel glared at his retreating figure and sneered, "Damn him! He'd better watch his back when he's alone!"
"Shh. He'll hear you," Farlan whispered.
Lucy glanced at Levi as rain soon began to fall. She went over and placed her hand on his shoulder. "Ignore the brat." She gave him a pointed look. "He'll be dead soon enough. I'll get him alone before turning him into titan chow."
Levi grabbed her hand and sighed. "Lucy...don't leave my side during the Expedition, ok?"
"If it'll make you feel better, I won't leave."
》》》》
The rain started to come down hard on the Survey Corps to the point it was getting more difficult to see. If the storm keeps getting worse, then they wouldn't be able to use their flares. Shadis ordered the Scouts to separate into groups. So it leads Levi, Lucy, Farlan, and Isabel to ride in the storm together.
Lucy looked at Levi and said, "We need to get out of this rain as soon as possible."
Levi nodded, with another idea in mind, as Isabel groaned while adding, "I didn't know rain could be this heavy!"
"Me neither," Farlan agreed. "We won't even be able to see any titans before it's too late!"
"This is our chance," Levi said. "We'll use this rain as cover and get close to Erwin."
"I'm all in for the plan," Lucy piped up. "But how are we supposed to do that in this storm? Even if we manage to find him, it'll be suspicious if we all were to break away at once."
"That's why you and I are going." Farlan's eyes widened at Levi's suggestion. He opened his mouth to object but shut it as Levi explained further. "Find a way to separate Erwin from his group. Say you found something and he'll follow you." Lucy nodded in agreement. Levi looked at Farlan and Isabel. "If anyone asks, we went to survey the terrain."
"Got it!" Farlan shouted.
Isabel smiled. "You guys got this! Go secure our citizenship!"
Levi and Lucy nodded while they rode ahead of them. Levi looked back to see Isabel waving at them. His eyes glanced at Farlan, who didn't even hide his worried face. Lucy had to pull her hood down to cover her eyes as the rain hit her face.
Just you wait, Erwin Smith, Levi thought. I'll kill you with these two hands!
Lucy looked at Levi to see his murderous gaze set straight ahead. She took a deep breath and called out to him. "Levi?" He looked at her. "There's something I need to talk to you about!"
"Right now?!" he shouted back.
Lucy sighed. "It's important but...we can talk about it after we kill Erwin."
》》》》
Levi and Lucy kept riding until they nearly reached a cliff. They pulled back on the horse's reins to a stop. Just below them was a complete blood bath. A bunch of the Scouts' bodies were covered in blood and torn apart. A few scattered limbs were across the field as the stench of rotting corpses filled their nostrils.
"What the hell...happened here?" Levi asked.
"Is this...because of the titans?" Lucy pondered.
They turned when they saw a black smoke signal in the air. One of the last remaining soldiers was slowly crawling toward them, with his lower half severed.
"The titan..." he gasped before finally dropping dead.
"No way..." Levi said as he followed the huge footprints on the muddy ground. "Did we pass each other?"
"The fog must have covered us," Lucy pointed out. Her eyes widened as she soon rode back from their direction.
"Lucy!" Levi shouted as he chased after her. He followed her, ignoring the other scattered bodies on the floor. But his horse managed to slip on top of a corpse, which caused Levi to fall to the ground. Lucy stopped once she heard him crash and jumped down. She quickly ran over to help him up. "I said don't leave my side, damn it."
Levi glanced down and froze. His eyes grew wide at the eyes of the severed head that stared back at him. Lucy furrowed her brows and looked as well. Her breathing hitched as she watched Isabel's lifeless eyes stare right back at them.
They heard a growl not that far ahead of them. They looked up to see a titan with another soldier in its mouth. The titan turned to look at them before chomping on the man and spitting the other half out. Lucy's mouth flew open as her heart slowly stopped when the upper half of the body came crashing to the ground and revealed Farlan. Her eyes widened, her body shook, she wanted to move but her feet felt like lead that was planted firmly on the ground.
The titan growled before its red eyes found the siblings. It grinned before spinning around on all fours. It went to charge at them but Levi, his eyes filled with rage, and hatred, while his heart became heavy, began slicing the titan up with no mercy.
The titan tried to swipe at Levi but Levi dodged the hand before slashing the titan's back. Levi spun above the titan before spinning back down to slash its back again. He used the hook of the ODM gear to pierce the titan's chest and slice its legs clean off. Levi kept slashing the titan left and right, not caring if he was getting covered in blood. He kept screaming as he let all of his anger out on the titan until its head came clean off. The titan reached up but Levi minced its head before spinning around and cutting the titan's arm in half. The final blow landed right on the back of the titan's neck. Levi was panting as he jumped down and landed in front of Isabel's head.
"Lucy," he breathed before running back to check on his sister. Lucy was on her knees when he found her. Her eyes never left Farlan's face. Levi knelt next to her. Her breathing was coming out rigid as tears rolled down her cheeks, much like Levi's. Levi held Lucy's face. "Lucy." Lucy didn't utter a word, she kept looking at Farlan's body. "Hey, Lucy. Look at me. Look at me."
He slowly moved Lucy's face until her eyes met his. Levi's eyes became like saucers when he saw the heartbreak behind hers. Lucy let out a shaky breath as Levi pulled her against his chest to shield her away from everything.
》》》》
"So, you two are the only survivors," Erwin stated that very morning. He gave them a sad smile. "How pathetic."
Lucy glared at Erwin before running at him. She went to stab him but Erwin caught her blade before she could do so. "I'm going to...kill you!" Lucy sneered. Her eyes were red andblotchyy from all thecryingg but she stopped as soon as the others arrived. While they were searching for any more survivors, she didn't leave Levi's side - and he didn't let her. "That's why we're here!"
Erwin pulled something from his jacket and tossed it to the side. Levi's eyes went toward it to see the documents they'd been searching for.
"These documents revealing Lobov's crimes are a fake," Erwin informed them. "The real ones have likely reached Daris Zackley by now. Lobov is finished."
Lucy's clenched her teeth as anger bubbled up inside her chest. "You knew everything right from the start! You knew we were after you, and yet you-"
She went to attack Erwin but Levi came from behind and grabbed her, as much as he didn't want to. They slowly sank to the ground as Lucy shook. She wanted to cry but she didn't want to in front of everyone. She didn't want them to think she was weak, useless, pathetic. But she was so angry at everyone. Angry at Erwin, angry at Levi, but she was mostly angry with herself. She should have listened when Levi told them to stay back but she insisted they stay together.
"Don't. You'll regret it," Erwin warned her. "If you begin to regret, you'll dull your future decisions and let others make your choices for you. All that's left for you then is to die. Nobody can foretell the outcome. Each decision you make hold meaning only by affecting your next decision. We're going to continue the Expeditions. I expect you two to come with me." Erwin turned around and walked away.
Levi and Lucy just watched him leave. They looked at each other and tried to think about their next move.
I don't understand. I never understood. Even if I believe in my own strength... Even if I believe in the decisions of my trusted friends... In the end... nobody...but...this man is gazing up at something I can't even see.
Fine. I'll follow you, Erwin Smith.
I will never regret this decision...for as long as I live.
》》》》
"That is such a sad story!" they heard someone cry.
Everyone looked to see Todo crying outside of Lucy's room by the window.
"What are you doing here?!" they all, besides Lucy, wondered.
"To hear such a beautiful story from my soul mate just like the rest of you," Todo said as he wiped his eye. "If it wasn't for my besto friendo, I wouldn't be here."
Everyone glared at Itadori, who shrieked while waving his hands around. "Wait, I didn't tell him anything!" he defended himself. "He messaged me and wanted to hang out but I said I was busy with Lucy!"
"That was your first mistake," Megumi deadpanned.
Todo jumped in, making a huge hole where the window is. "My love has been surrounded by death and despair that she had never been shown the meaning of true happiness! To have her first love die in front of your very eyes is something one would never forget."
"Then stop bringing it up," Maki said as she blew her nose into her tissue as she silently cried. "Lucy, I don't know what to say."
"Then don't," Lucy said, which shocked everyone. "I didn't bring you here so I can hear your sorrys. You all wanted to know me better, so that's what I gave you. Now stop crying over something that happened years ago. I don't need your snot nose germs on my clean floors."
Itadori stood up and walked over to her. Lucy was surprised when he leaned down and hugged her. "I know you don't want to hear our apologies but...I'm sorry you had to go through that."
Soon Nobara joined in on the hug. "I'm sorry about Farlan."
Then the rest of the students, and Todo, found themselves hugging Lucy. Lucy blinked a few times in confusion before looking at Gojo, who had a small smile on his face.
"Do they all have a death wish or something?" she asked.
Gojo laughed. "No, but...they're just happy you're here with us."
》》》》
A/N: The next chapter will be short but it will be from Levi's POV plus you'll see a certain bastard.