The Path Back to You | Levi x OC

Chapter 12 - The Belle of Stohess

Anastasya

Anya clambered up onto the step of the carriage containing Levi and Erwin. Both men's eyes widened as she squeezed herself through the narrow door and toppled into the seat beside Levi, but she spoke before either of them could comment.
"I know I look ridiculous," she snapped, righting herself, "but I had to wear something that would cover my ODM gear."
She grimaced as she looked down at the puffy, gold satin dress she wore. It was, at least, a nice colour, but it flared out at her waist in a wide circle, making it totally inappropriate for anything other than attending a ball or hiding something; it was therefore perfect for concealing her various weapons and equipment, and no-one would dare look under her skirt. Underneath the dress she wore her white regiment trousers and a black, skin-tight, sleeveless top so as to not look suspiciously bulky, meaning she had not been able to put on her brown uniform jacket. She'd also had to opt for long, lace-up boots rather than the usual pair that she wore for fighting.
"You look like a giant bell," said Levi, sniggering.
Beside him, Erwin was also trying not to laugh, but his goofy grin more than gave him away.
"The church will be looking for you," he said, trying to keep a serious tone and failing.
Neither man could restrain themselves any longer and erupted into laughter. She crossed her arms with a loud huff and glared out the window, though she kept glancing at them both, resisting the urge to smile at their utter glee. Erwin wore his uniform minus the equipment, but with Levi still out of action he had opted for a smart black suit and white shirt. She had a difficult time remaining focused with him dressed like that, and his smirk told her that he more than knew it.
"Idiots," she muttered, as the carriage started moving.
The journey took about two hours, in which time Eren, Mikasa and Armin should have made their escape and intercepted Annie. They would know if it had worked by the time that they reached the King. However, once they were in Stohess, the carriage came to a sudden halt, and they heard panicked shouts from outside.
"That sounds good," Levi said dryly.
The mirth had completely disappeared from his and Erwin's faces, and she flinched as a horrendous boom echoed across the city and shook the windows of the carriage.
"Be ready," said Erwin.
He opened the door to the carriage and stepped out. Levi followed before offering her a hand,  which she gratefully took, having trouble moving in her dress. At the head of the convoy was Nile Dok. He was the commander of the Military Police, which had been ordered to escort the Scout Regiment to the capital once they reached Wall Sina. He was also an old friend of Erwin's. He and his fellow soldiers were staring off in the direction the noise had come from, terrified.
"Nile!" Erwin called. "Deploy all troops immediately. We should assume a Titan has appeared."
"A-Are you crazy?!" Nile replied. "This is Wall Sina, you know! No Titan would show up here!"
Jean, disguised as Eren, jumped from an adjacent carriage. A startled soldier tried to restrain him but to no avail.
"Halt! Stop right there, Jaeger!"
"I'm through with playing dress-up!" said Jean, and he pulled off the dark brown wig he'd been wearing. "Never call me that name again you halfwit!"
He ran towards the three of them with wide eyes.
"Commander!" he said. "I want to help too!"
"Ask Squad 4 for equipment," Erwin replied.
"Understood!"
"Bravado is fine and all that, but just remember to stay alive," said Levi.
"Yes, Sir!"
Jean ran off, and Nile turned back to Erwin, flabbergasted.
"Erwin! What the hell was that?!" he demanded.
"Commander! I brought it!"
A member of the Scouts dropped down next to them and opened a case full of equipment. Ideally, Erwin would be able to put it on and assist, but there was a huge chance that Nile would refuse his help and instead arrest him. That was precisely the reason as to why Anya was wearing a dress concealing her own gear.
"Good work," said Erwin, hurriedly putting it on.
"Thank you, Sir!"
"Hold on, Erwin!" Nile yelled.
"All able-bodied soldiers; follow me!" he commanded, ignoring Nile. "We're going to rendezvous with the Capture Squad."
He began walking off when Nile intercepted him and pointed his rifle straight into his face. The other Military Police did the same, and Anya tensed.
"Erwin, stop!" he shouted. "You're committing a clear act of treason against the royal government!"
"Nile," said Levi. "Are you as shit-brained as you look? You don't seem to understand what's happening here."
Nile ignored him, keeping his flinty gaze fixed on Erwin.
"Remove your gear, Erwin."
Before anyone could move, another huge blast rushed through the city, and lightning crackled in the air. Eren had transformed. Anya closed her eyes as the sounds of fighting echoed off the walls of every building, and she swallowed back her sudden, unexpected fear. Within minutes, the sky began to fill with thick, choking black smoke as fires erupted from the destruction.
"I have to go," she murmured to Levi.
"Not yet," he replied, careful to keep his voice low.
"Why?" she hissed. "This is getting ridiculous!"
"He hasn't given the signal yet."
Two members of the Military Police arrived to give a report.
"Two Titans are fighting in the city! Huge areas have been destroyed, and countless citizens and soldiers have been killed."
Nile rounded on Erwin.
"Is this your doing?!" he cried.
"It is," said Erwin. "I acted entirely autonomously."
She gasped as a roar split the sky. The sound of Titan footsteps began growing closer and closer, and that was when Erwin gave the signal. She began tearing off her dress, much to Nile's bewilderment.
"Anya, what the hell are you doing?!" he demanded. "Now is not-"
"Oh, shut up, Nile," she said, freeing herself from the last of the golden dress' embrace.
Before anyone could stop her, she used her ODM gear to race off in the direction the sound of fighting was coming from. Minutes later, she landed on a roof next to Hange, who stood with her second-in-command, Moblit, and Mikasa, Jean, and Armin.
"What's the situation?" she asked, not taking her eyes from Eren and the Female Titan as they grappled with one another.
"Eren has lost control of himself. He won't recognise us. Annie is trying to escape!" Hange shouted above the commotion.
They watched in horror as Annie freed herself from Eren's grasp and sprinted to the wall. She hardened her fingertips and began making her way up, tearing huge chunks of stone out as she went. Eren grabbed her legs and tried to wrench her back down, but she freed her foot and brutally kicked him off.
"Mikasa; with me," said Anya. "Aim for the fingers right after I cut through the knees."
She took a deep breath and jumped from the roof, rushing straight to the wall. She twirled and effortlessly sliced through the backs of the Female Titan's knees, leaving her clinging to the wall by her fingertips, which, moments later, Mikasa removed. Just as Anya landed on the side of the wall, the Titan began falling, and she watched as Mikasa landed on its face.
"Annie," she said. "Fall."
The young recruit stabbed her former classmate through both eyes, and Annie tumbled down with a crash, totally unable to move thanks to the wounds to her knees. Eren leapt upon her immediately, before ripping off her arms and decapitating her. However, he didn't stop there, and he looked as though he might eat Annie herself.
"Mikasa; get back to the roof!" she ordered.
Eren ripped the skin from the Female Titan's neck, revealing the girl inside. He was about to lean down and grab her when a flash of blue light made him falter. Moments later, the two Titans started merging together, as though Annie was making a last-ditch attempt to save herself.
"Fuck," she swore.
She readied herself to tear Eren out of his Titan and stopping them from merging, though for half a second, fear froze her in place as she realised that she was about to get up close and personal with not one but two Titans. She shoved her terror down and flew from the wall, successfully slicing the two Titans apart, whilst seemingly out of nowhere, Levi, now dressed in his uniform, sliced open Eren's Titan's neck. She nodded to him and wrenched Eren out, and together they pulled him away from Annie, who was now encasing herself in a crystal-like substance. After they had placed Eren on the ground a safe distance away, they both turned to watch as the diamond cocoon grew and grew while within it, Annie lie completely motionless.
Jean marched over to the structure and began using his sword to try and break through. He struck it over and over again until his blade was nothing more than a blunt stub, and Anya fully understood his frustration.
"What the hell?!" he shouted. "After all this, we get the silent treatment?! Annie! Get out here! Get out here and pay for what you've done! Come on! Don't be such a coward! Annie! Annie!"
Jean raised the stub of his blade again, but Levi placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Stop," he said. "It's pointless."
"Make a wire net!" Hange ordered. "Let's get her underground."
Anya placed her hands on her hips and chewed her top lip, glancing up from Annie to see Erwin standing a hundred yards away, his wrists in handcuffs and a slew of Military Police behind him. She sighed and walked over with Levi.
"Seems the plan wasn't much of a success," Levi remarked dryly.
"No, I'd say the Scout Regiment's in the clear now," said Erwin.
"Just barely," said Anya.
"Let's hope so," said Levi.
She turned to Nile, who seemed to have regained some composure. She didn't dislike him, but she thought him weak and all-too-willing to bury his head in the sand when it came to what his own regiment was up to.
"What now?"
"Huh?"
"What'll you do with our Commander?"
"Oh, uh, we'll take him to the mayor of Stohess so that he can explain himself!"
Two of Erwin's personal guard arrived. It was clear that they intended to go with him.
"Right," she said, utterly unimpressed. She looked at Erwin. "See you soon, then."
He nodded to her before being led swiftly away, and she turned her attention to the destruction that had been wreaked. The city was a total mess. Fires burned, debris littered almost every street, and children and adults alike wept for lost, injured or dead family and friends. She did her best to harden her heart to it all.
"We'd better find somewhere for Eren and the others to rest. The Military Police will no doubt want to question everyone about what happened," she said.
"Hey. You okay?" Levi asked her, stepping into her line of vision.
"Yeah," she lied. "Why did you get changed and help? I thought your leg was too bad."
"It's not great, but doing that hasn't made it any worse."
"I had things under control."
"Tsk. Let me worry about you, if you won't do it yourself."
She smacked her lips. "It's not necessary."
"Captain Anya!" Jean called, jogging over.
"What is it?" she asked.
"We've been told by the Military Police to go with them to their branch in the city. There's going to be a hearing with Commander Erwin, and we need to debrief with them beforehand."
"All right, then. Best play nice and do as they say. How's Eren?"
"He's okay... They've said they'll give him a room to rest in."
"How uncharacteristically kind," she remarked dryly. "Go with them, and I'll join when I can. As Nile just saw the extent of my involvement himself, I doubt they'll bother questioning me."
"Understood!"
"Join when you can?" Levi asked, arching an eyebrow. "You have somewhere else to be?"
"I'm going to take a walk around the city. See if I can do anything to help."
"Now?" he asked. "When there's an assassin after you, and everyone is pissed at us? We're not in Trost anymore, Anya. These people have no love for us, nor for what we do."
"Yeah," she replied. "That's never going to change if we turn a blind eye to the suffering our actions have caused, though. See you later."
Before he could protest, Anya walked off into the smoke. In truth, she sought to quell her rising panic, and the assassin was the last thing on her mind. After the fall of Wall Maria, the reality that Titans could break down the walls and destroy everything they cared about at any time had embedded itself in her mind. However, after having lived outside for so long, she had come to see the walls as the only sanctuary of safety left in the entire world. The fact that she had just witnessed two Titans murdering innocent people and obliterating one of the innermost cities had served as a brutal reminder that no-one in the world was safe from the monsters. She let her tears fall freely as she walked through the wreckage, though she soon realised that she had to put on a brave face for the survivors. She swiped her despair away, saving it for later, and began speaking with the people, doing her best to reassure them with the hollow lie that the danger had passed.