-Kaisa-
Once again, Levi is stuck caring for me and my wounds, all because I decided to be a little more reckless than I should have been. His face remains expressionless as he applies pressure to the stab wound I caused myself.
"How'd you get stabbed with a knife?" Levi asks. Of course Levi recognizes that it's a knife wound, but it doesn't change the fact that I hoped he wouldn't notice.
"Miscalculated. Got fucked by some airtime and accidentally stabbed myself with this." I pull out the blade from my bra with my right hand placing it in front of his face.
Levi's eyes widen slightly the moment he sees my action, a slight flush covering his cheeks before he returns to treating my wound. His uncomfortable nature is amusing to me which makes me want to push his buttons a little further even though I don't know how I'll do it. His face returns to his regular unamused expression which is slightly disappointing which only encourages me more to figure out a way to tease him.
The moment Levi places the antiseptic wipe into my left shoulder, I arch my back slightly, barely brushing my covered chest against his forearm. He moves his arm away quickly almost like he burned himself on something, all while keeping the pressure on my cut. He maintains his cold exterior, but the tinge of red on his cheeks expose him more than words ever could.
I feel the control shift to Levi once he leans in, almost touching his nose to my own. My breath hitches in my throat, eyes wide open, and I lean back against the carriage to create distance. The attempt to move back is futile as he continues his pursuit by placing his hand next to my head on the carriage's frame.
"How cute. You really think your childish moves are going to stir up anything in a man like me?" He rasps.
Levi never discusses his strength in comparison to others unless needed, but his ego gets on my nerves this time. I put a hand on his chest, softly shoving him away from me.
"I don't need any tactics to know that you're secretly a softy, Levi." I smirk and cross my arms, continuing with my response.
"You seem to forget who you're talking to sometimes. Just because I'm kind to people on the outside doesn't mean that I won't hesitate to twist your body into a pretzel if I really want to." My own ego decides to speak. It's a common misconception that my small stature and gentle nature is impossible for me to overcome--unfortunately, the streets don't give you that courtesy.
"Then you should kneel down to the person who created the physical beast you are today." Levi tilts his head slightly upward, leaning back on the padded seat with a hand facing the floor of the carriage.
I grit my teeth at the prideful man in front of me, clenching both fists in anger but still manage to contain myself. Ever since he finally accepted me as his equal, he stopped using pain and torture as a teaching method with me. Instead, he tends to use these stupid scenarios to put me back in my place because he's learned how to push my buttons better than anyone else.
"I've never been on my knees for any man, nevertheless one who believes he'll receive it on a gold platter." I scoff.
Levi looks at me for a moment before tending to my wound again, knowing that he's made his point to me; it is a reminder that sometimes I set myself up for a challenge that I can't really handle appropriately. He's not wrong. If it wasn't for Tsukishima earlier today, I'd be fucked over three times as a new bloody portrait against the cement.
"You're done for the day; you'll just be dead weight if you engage in any combat." Levi commands, finishing up the patch. I click my tongue in response, shaking my head.
"Easier said than done. We both know that you and I work better when we're together because we think as one." I respond. Levi doesn't reply and puts the medical supplies away in their respective place before preparing to leave the carriage. His hand rests on the golden plated knob before turning his head slightly to the left to speak over his shoulder.
"I'd rather have you alive than watch you die because I made the wrong decision." He expresses.
"It's not your decision whether or not I fight." I roll my eyes.
"It may not be, but I can do my best to prevent it." Levi responds. He stays in his position for a second before turning around to step down before closing the door behind him.
My heart beats against my ribcage, knowing that the deaths of his squad is still fresh in his mind. It makes sense that he's being more careful during this mission especially since there are plenty of unknown factors and risks that we're playing with. Sitting in my seat, I think about his words on the expedition yesterday.
"I can believe in my own abilities or the choices of the companions I trust. But no one ever knows how it will turn out, so when you choose for yourself, make the decision you'll regret the least"
Even with this thought, it'd be selfish to keep me out of combat; we lost a lot of great soldiers yesterday and we need more help than ever. This is so convoluted and weird; I can't organize my thoughts completely.
A part of me wants to stay by Levi's side and explore the different sides of him that he seems to refuse to tell anyone else. Simultaneously, what Levi just said points to what I've feared this entire time; clouded vision and rose-coloured glasses. I know that he's doing all of this to protect me, but, it's clear that he can't always be the one to do so. My heart aches at the possibility of losing him; the thought of losing someone who gave me hope when there was none left seemed unbearable.
--
"So, you're the one that Erwin's been talking about." The lean man in front of me called out.
"I suppose that would be me, sir." I answered with my right hand over my heart, my left arm behind my back.
I didn't know his name, but I knew that he's known as Humanity's Strongest. This entire interaction is quite intimidating; however I try to hide the fact that I'm shaking in my boots.
"Tch, you're supposedly the best recruit since I came around but you're trembling in your uniform. Did our standards get lower?" The man crossed his arms, walking towards me in disgust.
"Name?" He asked.
His question shook me to my core. I stared blankly into his eyes, trying to figure out what kind of answer to come up with. I keep my lips pressed, deciding out what I'd actually like to be called--no one's ever asked me for my name before, at least, not someone I cared about.
Humanity's Strongest disappeared from my vision and I see the fluffy clouds resting peacefully among the sun's bright rays. I can't feel the ground underneath me right now, which means I must be in the air. I've noticed that situations like these happen in slow motion for me even though a lot of my fellow soldiers mention the quick pace of it all. I do what I can and follow through with the movement, arching my back while reaching out to touch base with the ground.
Just like that, time's pace felt normal again, so I landed upright on my feet after completing my back handspring. He had a look of shock across his face when he noticed his assault didn't work on me. He moved towards me quickly and reached out to grab my arm. I moved accordingly to get away from him to avoid his advances. I see him grit his teeth when he doesn't grab me in time, so I gained a little confidence; this is all that humanity has to offer?
But he disappeared from my vision, I took a quick look behind me and saw black for a millisecond before I'm thrown up in the air again. My arm was yanked from my side while an elbow struck my ribcage, forcing the air out of my body as I swung through the air over his shoulder. I coughed but kept quiet in every other aspect as I knew what was coming.
The fucking gravel.
The moment my back touched the ground, my body bounced back up from the immense force exerted on my small frame. My eyes closed in an attempt to suppress the pain to compensate for the lack of oxygen reaching my blood. Pressure was applied to my chest, so I opened my eyes to see what the new threat was, only to see the raven-haired man staring down at me.
"When I ask you a question, I expect an answer." Humanity's Strongest threatened. His sole pressed into my breastbone, which had me struggling underneath him. I reached up to grab his leg to try to pull it off me, but he let out a sound of disgust before rolling me over across the floor.
"Don't grab me with your filthy hands." He spat.
I coughed again and slowly brought myself up to my knees while my arms clutched my stomach and chest. Blood spilled from my lips every time I gasped for air, but I eventually stood back up to face the man.
"Kaisa." I give him an answer. I didn't know where the name came from, I never was called Kaisa by my parents, but it felt right. I'd make Kaisa the name of a woman who was strong.
"I see. You're not a cadet are you." He stood up straight.
I shook my head in agreement. "No, I'm not." I said.
"Who brought you here?" He pressed.
"I don't know, sir..." I thought about the man I met who brought me to Commander Erwin. "It was some random guy; I haven't seen him since. He caught me while I was in between rooftops." I answered truthfully.
"Interesting. I'll let Erwin know that I accept his proposal. We'll start training tomorrow." Humanity's Strongest told me before he turned to walk away.
"Wait! What's your name?" I asked. The man stops and turns around completely with an irritated face.
"It's Captain Levi to you. Learn to be civilized and use some manners, brat." Captain Levi announced. He shakes his head, tossing a piece of fabric at me.
"And clean that dirty face of yours, it's lamentable."
I nodded my head and saluted him before he walked off for good. Once I knew he was out of sight, I topped onto my knees. The pain was so immense that I felt like I was going to die, but at the same time, it was bittersweet. For the first time, someone genuinely took interest in me. Maybe I was more than the beggar around town. Regardless, I'd make sure to become like him, maybe, even better.
--
A crash from outside brings me out of my trance. I don't know how long it's been since my little flashback, but the sun is beaming through the window at the same angle which means it's probably been five minutes at most. I quickly exit the carriage and look around me for Levi to get some intel on what I've missed but I can't find him. I rush down the street and point to a random soldier in front of me, adjusting the stick in my hair as I continue walking.
"You! Status update." I order.
"It seems that the two giant titans are brawling not too far from here. Erwin is being held accountable for the current situation by Military Police and is detained as of right now." The soldier informs as he runs alongside me.
"Evacuate any citizens within the area; things are going to get ugly here soon if we don't do anything about it. Do I make myself clear?" I say, finally fixing the stick back in place.
"Yes, ma'am!" They respond.
"Good. On the occasion you come across Corporal Levi, please do send him my regards and inform him of my engagement with the two titans." I request.
"Roger that, Corporal Kaisa." They nod. I give a small smile in return and jog off in the direction the sound of commotion is coming from. It's been a while since I'd been addressed as Corporal, mostly because I've been interacting with mine and Levi's squad. In our respective squads, we're known as captains, however to everyone else, we're still underneath the leadership of Commander Erwin, making us corporals.
I still don't really understand the major difference between the two titles. All I know is that Corporals are the rank underneath a commander, while captains are considered leaders.
Why the fuck am I explaining something in my own head? Can't I just focus and move on already?
Civilians rush past me, making it more difficult to navigate through the streets as they scream in terror from the unfolding events. With so many people in the way, it'd be dangerous to hook into a wall now in case I accidentally hit someone. Frustration seeps into my bones and I finally shove my way towards the side to climb a market stand. Now that I no longer have to worry about the idiots below me, I release a hook and begin to swing above the chaos.
It's here I see Eren chasing the female titan who seems to be running in the direction of the wall. He clumsily reaches out in desperation to catch his former comrades, but she keeps pressing on throughout the multitude of buildings. I guess it would make sense for her to avoid these complexes since it would only cause more strain on her body, but she seems to be careful to avoid people too. This really is a human in a titan's body; this is someone who has empathy.
The thought of this titan giving a single shit about people's lives now is detestable; disgusting; apprehensive; repulsive...all at once too. I decide to trust my intuition that she'll be headed for the wall to get out of this prison which used to be her home. Eventually, I run out of houses and trees to swing in between which means the rest of my trip is made on foot. My stitches begin to graze against my skin harshly and I can see my own blood leaking through the centre of my dress. Regardless, I push forward to meet my goal of preventing such a horrific serial killer out of this town.
The thunderous steps become louder as the ground begins to rumble underneath my strides. I pick up my pace, knowing that if I take any longer that I'll be too late to reach her. Surprisingly, I find somebody with a red scarf waiting on the sidelines as well, so I make a quick detour towards her before getting into position.
"Mikasa! What're you doing here?" I ask as I approach her.
"That bitch is going to make a run for it, isn't she?" She asks rhetorically. I cock an eyebrow—I'm impressed.
"Perhaps, it makes sense considering she can no longer hide behind her human form anymore. However, It's a bit too dangerous for you to be here and I need you to hang back with Eren when he finally catches her. I'll stick around here to watch over everything." I affirm. Mikasa stares at me for a little while and I know that she's definitely considering objecting my order, however, she stands down and complies.
"Yes, Captain." She says. I grab her arm as she tries to leave.
"Eren's not going to want to do it." I start. "He's not going to want to kill Annie or retrieve her for testing, you have to be the one to help him through it. Understood?" I ask.
"I'll do what I can." And with that, Mikasa runs off to a nearby hidden position.
I wait patiently for the two clumsily running titans to come by. If they continue to take the route without crushing any more property, the only exit would be through the street right in front of me. I know I can't be hanging in the air otherwise she'll move to another section of the wall, so I hide quite a distance from where I think she'll be. Timing won't be an issue since my agility seems fine, but I am anxious about if there's something about her that we don't know about. For once, time moves faster than usual and I can see the two titans running in my direction.
It's time.
As I predicted, the two are stumbling towards the wall right in front of me. The female titan's face shares an expression of desperation, her blonde hair messily strung against her vision as she reaches out for the wall. The moment her arm extends, I shoot my hook nearby her goal. I look down at the pleading woman who attempts to claw her way to freedom in disgust before blocking the sun's ray with my own shadow. I pull out my swords from their holsters and prepare for a spinning assault, my eyes locking with the female. Fear crosses her face and I can feel the raging fire inside of me express itself through the glint in my eyes.
"You should have killed me when you had the chance."
With that, I twist my body into a spin so clean and immaculate in which only my blades are seen with the help of the sun's reflection. My hair falls free, the stick falling towards the ground, letting my hair flow with the tempest I create while I contort my body. My blades strike her left wrist first, slicing through every tendon, blood vessel, and ligament that opposes my attack. My speed doesn't falter when I finish cutting her first wrist. I continue my onslaught with not a single inch of mercy in my small being, remembering all of Levi's squad with each cell I cut.
It is done.
----
hi hey hello!
yaaaaaaa'llllll
ngl im pre psyched up for the future chapters!
i hope you guys have enjoyed these fighting scenes, i enjoy writing them quite a bit LOL
anyway, lmk if you guys have any upcoming theories, im totally interested to hear them.
much love and take care,
~cendiain