"Anderson, wait. You're with Levi."
Leah's head swivelled round to glance at Erwin over her shoulder. He stood with two caped Scouts, who she could just about make out was Armin and Levi.
Giving Hange a briefly quizzical look, to which they shrugged, Leah made her way back over to her Commander. "Most of those new recruits have never even seen a titan. It's down to you both to make sure they get the horses to safety and those small titans get dealt with." Erwin explained before she could argue.
"Sir." Leah nodded before stepping off the edge of the wall and deploying her ODM Gear. Leah thought it was definitely strange that Erwin would require both Leah and Levi on such a simple task, but now was not the time to argue. Afterall, when had Erwin's judgement ever been askew?
The abundance of abandoned and decaying houses at the foot of the wall worked greatly in their favour, being the perfect height for evading the three meter titans and providing the perfect environment for ODM use.
It wasn't long into the clean-up of the small titans when Leah realised why she was here. These cadets were, quite frankly, useless. Some flew around aimlessly, wasting gas just to look like they were helping; others ran around on foot like headless chickens; most cowered next to their horses, awaiting further instructions from anyone who'd given them.
Leah paused on a roof top to catch her breath, resting her hands on her knees and folding over slightly. She'd not stopped since she'd left the wall, having now taken down roughly two dozen titans of the seemingly endless stream. Steaming blood evaporated off her garments as she huffed air into her lungs. The female straightened up moments later, taking note on her surroundings. A small group of Scouts floundered down the street, dragging their horses behind them, a titan in steady pursuit.
Her eyes trailed steadily up to the beast titan ahead of them, sat there like a statue, watching, waiting. He was almost definitely sentient; a titan shifter like Eren, meaning hidden in the titan's nape was a human, consciously taking the lives of other humans. Leah squinted her gaze and let out a grunt before returning to her duties.
The next time she stopped was when the small titans no longer littered the streets of the outer Shiganshina town. The remainder of the attacking minions were ahead at the edge of the town and being delt with by the few competent squad's assigned by Erwin.
A bright light cast Leah's shadow onto the clay roof at her feet. A delayed boom sent deafening vibrations through the air.
As Leah turned to face the wall a shockwave of air hit her. She lifted an arm to shield her face as the warm wind whirled her hair around head, whipping painfully at her exposed skin.
Shit. That's not a thunderspear explosion.
Leah hesitated, considering scaling the wall to check her squad and Hange's were okay. Over the wall, smoke and steam rose into the air in suffocating clumps, suggesting that whatever it was, was large and hot. Leah had one thing in mind.
A rock clipped one of the roof tiles at Leah's feet, causing it to scatter into a dozen shards. Another shattered a window nearby. A third collided with Leah's shoulder. Her hand shot up to massage her newly forming bruise as she realised what was happening.
Rubble and boulders were flying through the air like bullets, fired at them by the unnerving titan ahead of them. Leah counted herself lucky the stone that hit her had lost most of its momentum. "Shit!" She jumped from the rooftop and crouched behind the building, bringing her arms up to cover her head. When the bombardment stopped Leah immediately sprinted to the foot of the wall, where Levi was already rounding up a squad of new recruits. Erwin landed beside her just as a second round of boulders rained down om them.
"How's it looking?" Levi's voice came from behind her, marching towards the pair of them. "Terrible. The front line of houses is gone, he decimated them. If he keeps throwing those, everything will be levelled- we won't have anything left to hide behind." Erwin explained.
"And we can't retreat to the wall because then he'd be able to take out the horses with ease." Leah murmured, catching on to the predicament. "Precisely." Erwin said grimly. "And the colossal titan is already heading this way, setting fire to everything in his path."
Leah brushed a hand through her hair. So that explosion was the colossal titan coming into being. It was like someone had set off a giant thunderspear. Shit, I hope everyone's was far enough away.
"What happened to Hange's group? Is Eren alright?" Levi's thought process had been similar to Leah's.
"I don't know. Most of them are gone, caught up when the explosion occurred. We've sustained a great many casualties. The beast titan directed the small titans in such a way that our soldiers would group up in one place. Dirk's squad, Marlene's squad and Klaus' squad were all engaging the small titans, which put them in the line of fire when he launched the bombardment... they were all wiped out." Erwin took a breath and scanned the soldiers gathered around him, "In other words, our remaining forces on this side of the gate consists of you new Scout recruits, Captains Leah and Levi... and me. No others."
Leah exhaled slowly just as the Beast titan sent another round of boulders slicing through the air around them, flattening buildings and tossing bodies into the air. "Do you have any kind of plan?" The Captain next to Leah said sassily, clearly unphased by the death count that continued to spike with every shower of rocks. There was a crash from the Wall above and everyone's gaze rose to meet it. Eren's titan head could be seen dangling over the edge of the wall, completely static.
"Shit- Eren!" Leah bellowed, about to jump into the air with her gear before a hand on her shoulder rooted her to the ground. "Wait, Leah- there's only one titan that can fling him like that." Levi warned. "The colossal."
Leah gritted her teeth, looking stubbornly up at Eren's titan. "Leave it to your squad to deal with it." Erwin said finally, turning back to the pair. Any argument from Leah was drowned out by a third air strike from the beast titan.
"This place is going to look like a honeycomb before long. The beast titan knows where we are. Erwin," Levi turned to the blonde with a serious tone. "If there's no chance that we can turn this around then tell us. And we can still cut our losses, go shake the shit out of Eren 'til he wakes up- have him run away with as many people as he can carry. Then we'll have at least some survivors."
Off to the side a red-headed recruit wailed. Leah clenched her fist. "We could get the recruits, our squad and Hange's squads to ride away on the horses... not that they'd have much of a chance." Leah gulped. "But they could be decoys and give Eren a shot at escaping."
Erwin and Levi regarded Leah for a second, noting the way her fists slacked into tremorless hands. She knew what had to be done to maximise the number of survivors. "Tell me, how would you both fit into this plan?"
Leah and Levi shared a look. "Levi can take down the beast titan-"
"He can't, he won't even make it near him." Erwin countered.
"He can if I help."
Both men stared at her, their faces unreadable. Leah's eyes darted between them. "I'll go with him, on horseback. That way I'll be there if anything happens." Leah fixed her attention on Levi, who at present time held a disapproving glare. "I can watch your back. Ride along unseen you while you use your gear to get in closer. And if need be I'm at least a distraction-"
"He's standing in the middle of a field, I can't fight without a house or tree to hook on."
Leah lifted a hand, pointing along the wall to where one of the Beast Titan's mind-controlled minions stood waiting and unresponsive. "Use them. They're the perfect height and he won't be expecting anything so obviously dangerous. And they offer cover for me to ride with you-"
"No." Levi's deep tone cut through Leah's rambling words like a sharpened knife. "Levi, please. Let me-"
"No-"
"But I can-"
"Enough. Both of you." Their attentions snapped to Erwin, whose expression was solemn. It made Leah's stomach sick with anxiety. "There's another way."
She knew she wasn't going to like this alternative.
"You could've mentioned that before. Care to explain why you kept your shitty mouth shut." Levi bit back, taking a step towards the Commander.
The plan Erwin recounted left Leah standing there, dumbfounded. She couldn't believe what he was suggesting. His words echoed in her head as she stared blankly at the crumbling buildings around her.
"But for it to succeed, the recruits and I have to die."
"Most of us will end up dead."
"... slimmest chance of victory."
"...charge towards their deaths..."
"I must be the first to charge..."
"And the first to be slain as well."
Erwin collapsed onto a wooden crate and forced a sigh from his lungs. Shock prevented Leah from saying anything, stopping the plan of a madman. The idea of her childhood best friend dying today made her throat and chest compress. Another round of boulders rumbled around them, sending dirt and debris into the air.
At one point Levi lowered himself to his knee, spouting words she never imagined hearing him say. "Give up on your dreams and charge to your death. Lead those crying children straight to hell. We'll reach the beast titan- and tear him apart."
Goosebumps travelled down Leah's arms. A shiver tickled her spine as she blinked away the tears welling in her eyes. "You can't be serious, Erwin." The words came barely above a whisper.
They both looked to her. "You- you drag me here- back to this hell... and now I have to stand back and watch you die." Leah was surprised she could get the words out. Her chest hurt so much. Everything was blurring as tears started to flood her eyes. She kept blinking them back.
"After everything, do you really think I need to watch another person I love die?"
Erwin stood from his crate and moved towards Leah. "My mother. My Brother. Hannes- my whole fucking squad--"
"Leah, calm down." Levi pleaded softly, having stood now too. Anger mixed with anguish inside Leah and her heart hammered so violently in her chest she was sure everyone could hear it.
"No, don't you dare tell me to calm down! My life is a hell created by titans. Without them- without-" A sob choked Leah and her tears poured out. "It's not fair." She cried out, her words ringing in the briefly silent air. Erwin went to touch his hand to her cheek but hesitated and instead turned to Levi. The two men shared a wordless conversation in which Erwin nodded his head once and Levi knew what had to be done. Before Leah caught on, Erwin was striding away.
"No-" Panic shot through Leah's body and she moved to run after him but Levi's arm stopped her, wrapping around her stomach and holding her tightly in place. "No- let go- Erwin! You can't- no-"
Erwin held his head high as he marched away towards the recruits, prepared to do everything it took to get to Grisha Jeager's basement. He couldn't deny that Leah's screams made him wish none of this was happening; he wanted more than anything else to hug her one last time, but he knew if he did that she wouldn't let him go.
"Please- there must be another way!" Leah continued to strain against Levi's hold, her legs scrambling frantically beneath her to try and tug herself free. She thrashed in his arms, tears streaming down her face. Levi didn't get mad when her elbow collided with his ribs. Or when her heel met his shin.
The pain Leah felt in that moment was worse than any physical pain she could inflict on Levi, and he knew it. He was losing a close friend too and internally he was in a similar state as Leah. But he knew how stubborn Erwin was. Following through with this plan, Levi knew, meant the greatest chance of the Scouts' survival. The greatest chance of Leah's survival.
When more rocks fell from the sky, Levi picked Leah from the ground and wrestled her to the nearest wall, pressing them both against it. "P-Please, Levi. I don't wanna- lose him too-"
She tried pushing him away, shoving her hands roughly against any part of his body she could. "I can't- lose him t-too." Leah sobbed, her limbs growing weak as Levi held her wrists to control her thrashing arms.
When she stopped fighting back and instead starting slipping down the wall weakly, Levi grabbed her collar, hoisting her upright and forcing her eyes to meet his as he angled his face to be level with hers. "You don't think this is hard for me too? Stop crying and act like the soldier you are."
He let go of her abruptly and Leah slumped against the wall, her eyes wide. The way he started down at her now, his eyes glinting with a hunger for revenge, caused Leah's tears to momentarily wane. She gasped air into her lungs.
Slowly, Leah rose to her full height, supporting herself with quivering arms against the wall behind her. Her cheeks were red and glistening with tears. "Now help me kill this hairy bastard." Said Levi, his voice a deep growl.
From the way Levi had acted, so characteristically cold and heartless, he hadn't expected Leah to do what she did next. Closing the distance between them, the female threw her arms around his neck and hid her face in his shoulder, holding him in a tight embrace.
Levi hesitated. He hadn't hugged or been hugged in as long as he could remember. Leah's addicting smell damped his senses once again and every ounce of hatred and anger that had possessed him moments ago dissipated. Levi's hands hovered in the air uncertainly but slowly found Leah's back, wrapping around her and holding her body close.
There was a muffled sob and Levi felt her torso vibrate beneath his arms as he gently rubbed a hand up and down her back. He wanted to say something, filled suddenly with the urge to comfort her. But comfort wasn't Levi's strong suit. All he could do was hold her.
The noirette took a second to acclimatise but his eyes eventually returned to their usual size, and the breath he'd been unintentionally holding in left his lungs in a steady exhale.
When Leah pulled back, reaching a sleeve up to wipe her face, Levi was surprised by the fact he missed the intimacy. She didn't meet his gaze, instead stared into the distance; unknowingly in the direction of the Beast titan. "Let's kill this mother-fucker."
-
It wasn't any easier listening to Erwin explain the new orders to what was left of the recruits. Understandably, not everyone is cool with the 'ride straight to your deaths' mentality. Not even Leah was at first. But now, as she stood next to Levi before the terrified masses before her, listening to Erwin's emboldened speech, Leah realised that these kids were going to die soon one way or another.
They might as well die trying. An honourable death for a brave soldier.
There was a horse waiting for Leah the second Erwin finished his speech. The woman mounted it without hesitation, all the while avoiding looking at Erwin. The last thing she needed to be right now was sentimental. She was hopeful she'd gotten all that out in her fit of sorrow earlier.
Leah knew her tears would do nothing to save these soldiers. No, instead she would avenge them by taking the beast titan shifter's head and making it to that damned basement. Their deaths wouldn't be in vain, not on her watch. The suicide charge, as suggested by Erwin, was the only thing that ensured Leah's plan would work, making it a necessary sacrifice.
The plan was for Levi to use the row of titans leading up to the Beast to get in close while Leah rode behind the titans to save her gas in the case of an emergency. The main charge of calvary down the center of the field would keep the Beast titan's attention off of the Captains and secure victory; after all, both Levi and Leah now had a very personal hatred for this titan shifter. It would take a disaster to stop them from getting the blood they felt indebted.
Leah wasn't sure whose horse she was using, or even if the soldier was still alive, but it did its job and allowed her to keep pace with Levi as he strategically swung from titan to titan, simultaneously slicing the precious nape and rendering them deceased.
When Erwin's enraged screams were eventually drowned out by the reverberating crash of rocks, a knot built up in Leah's stomach. She couldn't bare to glance through the gaps of the Titan's legs as she rode ahead. The pungent air was enough for her imagination to complete the picture of the battle field; the unceasing firing of flare guns contributed to the overwhelming stench of smoke, but nothing could drown out the acrid smell of iron from freshly made wounds. The bloodshed was so bountiful the smell was still rich in the atmosphere when Leah watched Levi slay the final titan between themselves and the Beast titan.
The Beast himself, just meters away, had sent a third fatal round of rocks reeling towards what was left of the Scout suicide charge. The fog of green flare smoke was the perfect cover for Levi as Leah galloped in from the side, straight into the Beast's line of sight.
"What's this? Where did you come from?" A resounding grumble of amused words came from the Beast titan's mouth, confirming their guess that it was a titan shifter. Titan speech had only been observed so far in Ymir's titan, making it pretty unlikely a pure titan would randomly have that ability. The Beast's beady eyes traversed their surroundings to confirm that Leah was in fact alone before letting out a booming laugh.
"How pitiful." He cooed as Leah roared in fury, pointing her blade directly at him, secretly signalling for Levi to attack. By the time the Beast caught on, it was too late. Levi's rig appeared through the dense smog and secured itself into the titan's shoulder for just long enough to send Levi spiraling in the right direction.
Reaching up a clawed hand towards Levi, the Beast let loose a savage cry. With Levi attacking from above, and Leah now approaching from below, the fight was over before it began. The ravenette sliced his way down the Beast's arm, severing his outstretched fingers and hand while Leah darted straight for his right achilles. As the Beast collapsed to his knees, Levi blinded him with a lightning fast attack to the eyes. Leah swung up, feeling her heart pound in her ribcage, and cut the Beast's remaining hand off at the wrist.
Protecting his nape was now impossible; with the Beast titan handless, blind and rendered immobile the Scouts had won. Levi, with a scarlet mask of blood on his face, lined up above him in preparation to cut the nape clean open. "What's wrong, not enjoying yourself so much anymore?!"
Leah and Levi landed on the titan's head and neck respectively, the male taking no delay in slashing the titan's nape repeatedly in such a fashion that the shifter eventually burst from the within in a puff of steam.
Leah threw herself at the blonde man who emerged, tackling him and securing down with a foot on his neck. Levi gently put an arm across Leah's chest and guided her out the way so as to take her place. He swiftly thrust his blade down the man's throat, the action causing the steam around his face to clear and allow Leah to get a glimpse of the blonde male's features for the first time.
The ginger let out a startled gasp. Even with his limbs missing at the joints, the tip of a blade emerging from the inside of his eye socket and his blonde hair unkempt with a similarly neglected beard, Leah recognised him in seconds.
"Zeke?"
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