Another week passed, still Layla slept on.
This would be the time. Levi thought, as he sat there. I just need to try and give her a kiss on the cheek.
He was breathing heavily- his palms sweaty. He was glad he was alone.
He leant down and kissed her on the cheek.
Nothing happened. Of course nothing happened.
He slumped dejectedly. He was going to lose her.
Their mission to go to Yeager's cellar was drawing near.
She needed to wake up. But now they had no idea how.
A gasp came from the bed.
I awoke painfully- my eyes blurred. Shadows filled the room. One shadow moved closer.
I almost screamed.
"It's about time brat." Came a familiar voice.
"C-C-Captain Levi?" I asked.
"It's not your brother." He scoffed. "How are you feeling?" He then asked with some genuine concern.
"A bit confused." I replied truthfully. "Where am I?"
"In the inner city. We couldn't really move you. You are such an idiot you know that?" He said and I noticed that there was genuine worry in his voice.
"I'm sorry." I said. I hadn't meant to worry everyone.
Something flashed across his face.
"Tch. What's done is done. We need you up and awake though."
I struggled into a seating position and felt lightheaded.
A cup appeared in front of me.
"Drink. Your quite dehydrated." He said.
I took it and drank deeply. How was I not dead?
"We've been giving you water in sips. In an attempt to keep you alive brat."
He said watching me. Another emotion flashed across his face before it hid behind a mask.
"Come on." He said and I moved slowly out of bed, stood and almost fell backwards. A hand caught me, halting me in my tracks.
"Thanks." I added gratefully. He pulled me and then sighed.
He put an arm around my waist and my arm over his shoulder. I was glad he was looking straight- I was blushing pink. This was embarrassing.
He helped me walk out the door and down a corridor where noises were coming from. He opened the door with his free hand and I saw familiar faces.
"Oi brats!" Levi called. "Guess who's awake!"
They turned to look and amazement and joy appeared. Eren was the first to appear at my side, grabbing me into a deep and tight hug, making Levi release me.
"Eren, ease up a little." I said wincing. He released me slightly. I turned my head and noticed Levi had gone. Probably to tell the commander I was awake.
Armin and then Mikasa joined Eren for a hug, and the others followed suit.
Eren then helped me to a table and put a portion of food in front of me. My stomach grumbled appreciatively. I dug in with gusto as the others soon joined me.
Soon the commander arrived, Hanje and Levi behind him. He was glad that I was awake, and filled me in what had been happening.
I told them about the dream I had, had- minus the fact that she knew I had come from another world. None of them had an idea who she was.
Instead we focused on the mission-where the Scouts would be going to shinganshina in a months time. We were going to go back. Eren was going to open the basement and we were going to find out, exactly what the titans were and why they have been hunting us.
It took nearly a month for me to be able to walk without someone to help, and that was minus the ODM gear. That had weight. Instead it was decided I would be on the wall. Just in case and in an emergency to use the ODM gear. I was against this. If I needed too I would turn Titan again.
They were against this. Including Levi- which I found strange, they said seeing as transforming the last time made me be unconscious for a long period of time.
I said that it would only be in an emergency and I trusted my team and squad to free me in time if I couldn't myself.
This placated them. I resolved to be stronger and pushed myself a little every day, wearing the ODM gear as well.
It was nice to see I could stand and fight with it on, so I wouldn't have to resort to my Titan form.
Soon the time came upon us to move out. We had volunteers from other regiments join us for this mission and I did wonder how many would still be alive at the end of it. One hundred soldiers in total.
We travelled, hoods up every single one of us.
The travelling was quiet. Very quiet with not a Titan in sight. That was eerie. I rode in Levi's squad with Eren and the others. However when we reached Shiganshina we would split up. Eren would be going with Armin and Mikasa and I would be going with Connie,Sasha and Jean. Eren would be going to plug the wall- he had been training using the hardening ability while I had been unconscious.
Levi stopped us a little while before reaching Shiganshina.
"Remember Drake." He said and he sounded worried. "Don't use it unless it's an absolute emergency."
I saluted and said I promised.
He waved the others away and said quite abruptly. "Stay alive brat."
I furrowed my brow. Why was he saying this? "Stay alive so we may meet again." He added and then walked away.
Erwin watched his Captain with the female Titan shifter and smiled. Levi really was clueless. If he survived then he would tease his captain about this.
But he had no hope of remaining alive.
He watched her look back at her Captain. He really was clueless.
The looks they gave one another when the other wasn't looking- well it showed.
Erwin led us through the wall into Shiganshina.
Nature had begun to take it back, vines growing over deserted buildings. My heart clenched. This is where I had first come through and for many had been a home. Eren's, Mikasa's and Armin's.
Levi carried us forward towards the hole that the colossal and armoured had broken through all those years ago. He showed off a little ordering us from standing on his saddle before we all took off.
Eren flew higher than any of us, the rest of us landing on the top of the wall- green smoke alighting from the very top by those that had appeared before us. And then he disappeared but a lightning strike sounded from where he had disappeared. And the Titan he had appeared. I was on the wall scouting around, until I heard Armin shout. "Inside!" I turned sharply watching as more of us soldiers went over the edge of the wall, grappled to it searching inside the wall. It made sense. If someone needed to hide somewhere they couldn't hide in a building we would have seen them, the wall housed Titans who's to say it didn't have hiding spots too. I peered over watching as they tapped.
My heart was tight in my chest- I wanted Armin to be wrong, I paced the top of the wall and stopped above Armin. He was next to another soldier who tapped a part of the wall and I heard him shout. "Hollow!" I drew my swords. If one of the traitors were in there I would leap.
Before I could Reiner appeared stabbing that soldier through. I leapt straight off the minute his nape showed. I wasn't above killing someone in human form.
I stabbed him.
He crumpled to the floor and then realised my mistake.
"Get down!" I yelled swinging to the side and grabbing Armin.
A thunder strike appeared as the Armoured Titan did. Armin and I fell to the floor hard, knocking the breath from our lungs.
Hanje's squad were further away when they saw the strike.
They had new weapons designed for the armoured Titan and were slowly making their way to it.
Armin and I grabbed our swords and shot back onto the wall, ready.
The armoured Titan wasn't looking at us, he was looking at Eren who was trying to plug the hole, and had noticed him.
I needed to do something.
Anything.
So I was about to open my mouth when an armoured hand came down, directly where I was on the wall. I moved rolling to the side, coughing on wall dust.
I stood, hand bleeding. Armin was on the other side. Not moving but as I started to worry I saw him move.
Erwin just stood there watching.
I turned to look to see what he was looking at.
The beast Titan. It stood there blocking us from a retreat.
We were penned in.