5. A One of a Kind Expedition
It's now Levine's first month in the Survey Corps and a few weeks earlier, an expedition is announced to be held. The teenage ravenette don't know what to feel, but he knows he'll experience another first time in his life. First time to see a titan.
The troop is readying for their departure and Levine's at the stable with Eren and Armin. Among their group, Levine usually hangs around these two for an unknown reason. Maybe because these two are brave enough to approach him in his first day. And not to mention, Armin asked him about his past life.
Levine brushed his horse's mane, making sure there is no tangled strands. His chosen horse is a white stallion with black patches around its eyes, making it look like it has a mask and has beautiful white locks that Levine makes sure are tidy and clean. He also took the honor in naming him Zorro. He don't know. The name just popped into his head.
"Aren't you nervous, Levine?" Armin asked, but Levine did not stopped in tidying Zorro up.
"Why would I be nervous?" He asked indifferent about the topic. Armin looked at him with knotted eyebrows and sighed. Levine is the type that you can't predict easily and he really surprises people sometimes.
"Well, you're about to face beasts that eats human," Eren said, eyeing the ravenette. Levine rolled his eyes as he untangle some strands of Zorro's mane.
"Tch, they're mindless idiots. They're just like those idiotic thugs I beat up," Armin and Eren sweat dropped at his blunt remark. And Levine is pretty blunt so maybe he's not the best human diary ever.
"Do you have to think of everything as a thug?" Armin asked and Levine finished his work and Zorro neighed. Levine patted the stallion's head and rubbed it.
"Sometimes, I think of people as imaginary creatures," he, again, stated bluntly.
"O~kay," Eren said and just decided to just keep quiet. They worked silently until they are ready to go. The three of them rode their horses towards their squad and Eren rode right behind Levi. That is suppose to be Hazel's spot, but she's sitting out this one expedition because of her state. Levine positioned himself behind Armin and took a peek at Levi.
In his one month of staying with these guys, he practically memorized their mannerism and personalities and he has to admit. He and Levi shares a lot of similarities, way too many. Just that fact made him question his connection with him even more. He has a lot more similarities with Levi than Mikasa so he is more unto him.
After a few minute, their parade started and the crowd cheers for them and the usual cheering for the great Captain Levi commenced.
'He's pretty famous here, huh?' Levine thought and lowered his head. He took a side glance to the crowd and came eye-to-eye with one of the townspeople. He suddenly looked away and just continued to go forward silently.
After the parade, they waited for the gates to open and Erwin's signal before letting their horses gallop out of the safety of the walls. Levine look up to view the 50-meter tall wall and he must say, it is really, really huge.
He then returned his attention to the gates and it opened just right for them to go out. Erwin gave them signal and they galloped out of the walls. Levine stayed with the squad and looked around the terrain. It's wide open and if there is a titan, they'll be seen in a mile away. And there is one right there.
"Too bad, Hazel-san's not here with her fancy tricks," he heard Eren said and Levine looked a the titan. Its belly is huge and it's running like a gay jumping from shop to shop. It looks plainly disgusting.
(A/N: no offense to my sisters out there! This has nothing to do with anti-LGBT, I promise! I have lots of gay friends and I love them!)
"Tch, I wish I could not see another likes of that," he said and some soldiers attacked it, successfully slaying the beast. Some took a shaky breath to calm their nerves, but in a few more minutes, one of them might be titan food and Levine is making sure he is not one of them.
Erwin gave a signal and the squads split up. Their squad stayed together and Eren is riding right behind Levi, in front of Levine and inbetween Mikasa and Jean. Since Hazel is not around, the three young cadets are assigned to keep Eren out of trouble and Levine is a bit shock about the reason why.
During his second week only he knew that there are two soldiers in the Brigade that have this amazing capability to change into a titan by self-injury and those two are Hazel and Eren. He also heard about Hazel being Eren's protector assigned by Grisha Yeager, Eren's late father.
At first, he thought it is absurd, but after seeing Eren transform while in one of Hange's experiment, all doubt's are flushed away.
They heard gun signals and saw a green smoke going up the sky in the Northern direction. Due to the signal, Levi lead them to it and avoided the titans that they might have encountered, but Levine's thought started wandering off again in curiosity.
There might be one more thing that he'll experience for the first time today. Seeing death. Never once in his life did he saw someone died. There many malnourish and undernourished people Underground, but he never saw anyone stopped breathing or anything that gives the sign of death. Not even the thugs he fought died in front of him.
"How many do you think have died already?" He muttered and Armin who is near him heard his loud thoughts.
"Why are you asking that?" The blonde asked as Levine remembered that nervous looks of some soldiers earlier when the big fat titan appeared.
"You said that there are people who dies every expedition so I'm wondering if there are anyone who left already," Levine confessed and Armin gulped. He thought the same thing in his first expedition and many died in that time.
Levine admits that he is scared of dying early, but he is confident that he won't since he is in an elite squad leaded by Humanity's Strongest Soldier. He hope.
"Don't think like that. You're scaring me," Armin said and Levine signed. He then decided to keep quiet and just focus on the expedition. After a few more minutes, there is another gun signal and they followed the direction of the signal in which Erwin wanted everyone to gather.
They arrived in an abandoned town and set up camp. There is no titans for miles and they are safe for now. Levi gave his permission of dismissal and everyone was put in task. Levine was set in feeding the horses which kinda annoyed the latter.
"First expedition and I'm going to be a f*cking horse-sitter? Tch, stupid captain," he hissed as he went to the supplies to get the feed for the horses.
Meanwhile, Hange saw Levine looking pissed as he carry a bucket over his shoulder. She raised an eyebrow and spotted Levi walking near her.
"Hey, shorty, look. Levine looks kind of pissed out, don't you think?" She asks as Levi glanced at Levine who is asking the supplies team for some feed. The supply teams first look terrified of his aura, but just gave him what he needed.
"Well, the horses are his problem now," Levi said and Have looked a him with wide eyes.
"Do you, like, hate Levine or something? I notice that you're giving him some hard time since he got here," she stated her observation. Yes, Levi do gives the young ravenette some hard time. He makes him train harder than the others. Makes him clean the biggest spot in the HQ, not that Levine really complains. And his aura around him is just isn't right.
"You should really take it easy on the guy. He's pretty naive, you know," Hange said, crossing her arms over her chest.
"Tch, I don't care about your opinion, four-eyes," he said and walked away. He went to a tent where Erwin is staying and saw that he has some parchment in hand.
"Levi. What can I do for you?" He asked and slightly lowered the parchment. Levi's eyes got a glimpse of what is written in it and saw the name Levine. He then averted his gaze on the blonde.
"I came to ask about the new brat," he said and Erwin sighed.
"What do you want to know about him?" He asked and Levi glared at the parchment which Erwin put with the other.
"Just who is he?"
"An underground thug with talents useful for Humanity," Erwin said as he is expecting that question, but he knows that that's not the answer Levi is asking for.
"I'm not dumb, Erwin. I know a secret kept when I see one. You and Hange are hiding something and I know it is about that brat," Levi coldly said and Erwin walked pass him and stopped right behind the latter.
"As much as I want to tell you, I can't. You'll find it out soon enough," Erwin said and exited the tent. Levi clicked his tongue in annoyance and followed the blonde commander out. Once he did, there is something going on outside that is very unusual to human eyes.
Titans are passing by the camp, but none of it seem to notice them and just pass by. The soldiers are confused and terrified at the same time. Hange on the other hand is amazed of this phenomenon.
"W-What's happening?" One cadet said and eyes landed on Levine who is just watching near the borders with a calm expression and a bucket in hand. The horses neighed beside him, but even their cries did not attract the attention of the beasts.
"That guy's trying to get himself killed."
"I've never seen these many aberrants before," the other soldiers said as the seemingly parade of titans slowly ended. Levine's eyes never left the group of giants until the end.
"That was sooooooooo cooooooooool!!!" Hange squeals and ran to the borders, near Levine and watch the titans walk away. It's like they are completely invisible to the titans and any sounds are silent to them. How amazing it is for the Titan addicted squad leader.
"Must study those titans!" She said, but before she could get on her horse and gallop away, someone stopped her by her collar. Turning around, she saw it was Levine, "Hm? What's wrong, little shorty?"
Levine did not bothered correcting her and let go of her as he pointed towards the new group of titans upcoming. The beasts are running fast and unlike the group earlier, they are aiming for them.
"Everyone, gear up! Be ready to for combat!" Erwin ordered and everyone obeyed, but Levine just stayed in his spot. Hange noticed and decided to bug the teenager because it is the only thing that makes him move.
"Hey, little shorty! Stop staring before you get eaten! You won't be seeing Hazel after you're dead, right?" Levine clicked his tongue, a sign that he is pissed. Hange did noticed Levine's little crush on the female blonde.
"Shut up, four-eyed freak," he said and left her there. Levine reported to his squad and he was assigned with Eren, Mikasa and Jean. They took their places and the Titans arrived ina few meters away from camp.
Levine got ready to attack as the titans rampage to the abandoned building. Jean gave a signal and they started attacking. Levine zipped behind one incoming titan and killed it with a deep cut on the nape. He landed on a roof and clicked his tongue
"Great. Now, I'm covered in filthy titan blood," he said shook his hand to get the blood off him. He heard a scream and looked over to see an incompetent soldier on his feet as a ten-meter titan stare at him. He also noticed that his gas tank is punctured so he can't use his 3DMG.
He decided to help and glided in front of the soldier. He took him by the waist and glided the other way before the titan could ever get the two. The soldier took shaky breaths and thanked Levine.
"T-Thank you, Captain Levi," Levine glared at him and he realized it was Levine, "Oh! It's you. Sorry."
"Don't get me pissed," he warned and the soldier then decided to keep quiet. The titan turns to them and Levine got ready to kill it when something weird happened. It averted its gaze and walked away. Their eyes widened in bewilderment as the titan walk away from them. It pass through another titan and it walked away too. Later all of the titans walked away shocking the brigade.
"What's happening?!" The soldier behind Levine said and the ravenette clicked his tongue.
"I'm not done with you yet," Levine growled and shot one of his hooks to the titan's neck and attacked it. When he did that, the remaining ones roared and ran away. His eyes widened in surprise and wondered. He thought is was just a coincidence, but his gut doubts it. Did he scared the titans away?
"Levine!" Eren, Mikasa and Jean ran towards him as Levine stand on the titan's rotting body. He jumped down and the three of them surrounded Levine.
"What happened? After you killed that titan, the others suddenly ran away," Eren asked and Levine looked at his hand and glared at it.
"That's what I want to know myself," he said and later on, Hange and the other members of her squad approached him.
"That was so so so so cool, Levine! What did you do? Huh? Huh?" Hange's questions irritated the latter and he clicked his tongue. He didn't answered and looked at his hands. That's what he also wanted to know. What really happened? No one knows, but whatever it is, no one died this time.
Because of that unusual phenomenon, Erwin order a retreat back into the walls. They started packing and Levine readied the horses, still pissed about the fact that he is assigned to do it.
After that, they rode back into the walls. The townspeople were surprised to see none of the soldiers have died, but only injured. There are no sacrifices in this phenomenal expedition.