Tainted (Levi x Reader)

Chapter 25

The forest was eerily silent save for the soft tread of feet and the occasional hushed whisper. Bringing up the rear of Squad Hange, you let out a muffled hiss as you looked to your left and noticed Levi had caught up to you from his earlier position at the back of his squad. The lantern in his hand cast shadows that darkened his eyes.

"Don't do that!" you whispered sharply.

Levi glanced over at you and shrugged. "I knew you would be zoning out. Better me than a titan."

You offered him a slight smile. "Much." Despite your best efforts, your mind settled on your conversation with Hange from the previous night. 'You know you have to talk to Levi about it, right?'

You groaned inwardly. A hand discreetly slipped into yours, intertwining with it around the reins of your horse. "Something is wrong," Levi murmured to you. "Talk to me."

The opening was tempting. No, I already made my decision. I'll tell him if we both survive this. "Later," you replied, keeping your eyes forward and squeezing his hand once.

_______________

Hooves pounded the overgrown path as the Scouts thundered closer and closer to Shiganshina under the pale light of the rising sun.

The fallen city loomed like a graveyard in the distance, causing a grim silence to fall over the soldiers. It was broken only by Erwin's stout commands when necessary.

They finally reached the tattered buildings on the outskirts of the gate, and neared the gaping hole where the gate itself had once been.

"All troops, switch to ODM gear!" Erwin bellowed.

At that, you pushed yourself up to balance with both feet on your horse's back, skillfully taking off from there by deploying your hooks into the nearest worn-down structure. Next you were able to shoot them into the wall, zipping right up it and gaining a bird's-eye view of the city as you landed at the very top.

You noticed Eren frozen nearby as he gaped at the sight of his former home. "Don't stop!" you called to him as you raced on at your Captain's heels. "Head for the outer gate!" You met Levi's eyes briefly and he gave you a nod. Eren hurried after you. You all switched back to 3DMG to quicken the pace along the wall.

Your boots thumped heavily beside Hange as her squad landed beside yours at the outer gate of Shiganshina.

"This is all too strange..." she murmured. "Not a single titan in sight?" Even so, the squad captain loaded a green flare into her gun, pointing it to the sky. She hesitated.

"We have to keep going," Levi reminded her coolly as he watched the remainder of the soldiers arriving. You stood several meters away, knees bent as you kept watch for any signs of trouble outside of the walls.

Hange nodded decisively. "Yeah, no reason to call it off." A pillar of green streaked upward as she pulled the trigger.

Eren flew into view, swinging high up over where you stood and twisting his body in the air as he raised his hand to his mouth and bit into it. You instinctively shielded your eyes and braced yourself against a fierce blast of air as the brilliant flash of yellow announced Eren's transformation. His titan body immediately crystallized in the gap, and Mikasa swooped in to bring Eren up.

We sealed it off? Just like that? You swept the landscape with a critical eye once more, a dark feeling still in your gut.

Sword in hand, Hange swept one arm out and shouted, "Don't let your guard down! Keep on the lookout!"

You stood at Levi's shoulder as he knelt and looked down the wall. "The hole?!"

"Success!" came the reply from the bottom, followed by another green flare. You peered over to see the ass end of Eren's titan sticking out. Gee, that'll be a monument for when they resettle Shiganshina.