Danger Day pt 2: The Levi Squad

Best friend

Armin POV
I saw the two machines getting too close to the edge. Moving to the trees nearby, I watched the fight. Eren turned to look at me. I gave him a hand sign. The robot head bobbed up and down. Smirking I shook my head. Was he as crazy as always? I giggled to myself.
Out of nowhere I saw Levi, Jean, Marco and Mikasa flying back into battle. Where they had gone, I wasn’t sure. Mikasa watched the bots fighting. Levi had turned to look over the rest of the battle field. Jean looked to be screaming something at Marco.
For his part, I swear Marco was just watching the beautiful panoramic of our mountain home flying by. He was an odd one. Quiet, yes, but always very supportive of his fellow soldiers. I never knew him not to have a kind word, a steady hand and never, not once, did he not pitch in when needed. All around he was a great guy. So, why was he interested in Jean of all people? Jean, of course, didn’t see it. He was still hung up on Eren.
Mikasa screamed. My head turned back to the fight before me. Reiner's bot was falling over the edge. I saw Eren look to Levi. In my ear I heard him yell, don’t worry. Seeing Levi turn, watching as the bots slip over the edge, something told me, my captain hadn’t heard a word.
No sooner had Reiner's machine slipped over the edge, did I make my move. Eren and I both knew his machine wouldn’t survive this attack. Bertolt did something to it. I just hoped he didn’t damage it to the point, I couldn’t get him out. I launched my body out of the tree.
The grappling hook swung me over the edge of the cliff. I saved my gas for this. Never would I fail him. Eren was like this bright spot in the universe. He burned so brightly, no one else could be seen. There were times I stood amazed at what he could do. Then there were the times when he acted like a compete imbecile. Yet, those were the times I loved him the most. He was my friend, my brother. I wasn’t going to let an ass like Bertolt or Reiner take that light out of this world.
Eren's unit fell. It was slightly above me. I used my hooks to swing lower. There, Hange had been right. I smirked. I think they thought everything through a thousand times before they acted on any one plan. They had foreseen all dangers to the pilots of the B.R.A.T units. I was only slightly worried that the cables in my hooks could slow down the momentum of the capsule.
Having already picked out my spot, I felt my feet touch the rock. Anchoring my grappling hook to the side of the cliff, I sent the others out. Each one plucked, thunked and sang as it attached onto the small silver box. This was something Hange had failed to tell the pilots about. Not until the last minute. Which for us, was after Bertolt's machine was stopped and he was yanked out.
“Eren, fight until you can’t stand the heat. Then do whatever is necessary to push him over the edge.” Hange had spoken in their calm manner.
“Yeah, but he won’t let go. If he is going over the edge, then so am I.” Eren had been breathless as he fought.
“Of course, silly.” Hange laughed.
“Hange, my unit is in flames. If I go over the edge, I’m dead!” He yelled. The laughing went up a notch.
“Do you think I would let you die?” More chortling. “Come on, I’m not that fond of passing off that little runt! Besides, I like you.” They giggled.
“Then how do you purpose I survive the fall? In a damaged unit that is currently melting, I might add?” He demanded.
“Oh, the emergency escape pod, duh!” Hange then went on to explain just what they had planned. I had shaken my head as I listened in. This was supposed to go out only to the B.R.A.T. unit, but since I had the ear piece from the training unit, I was sort of a part of that unit currently.
I had seen some flaws in what the execution would be, given the current circumstances.  That was why I had stayed close to Eren. When the time came, I wanted to be ready. Now I stood on a rocky ledge, doing my best not to get pulled over it. Bracing my legs, I felt the grappling hooks rip the escape pod free of the busted machine.
It swung widely for a few seconds, then settled. As the units hit the ground, the pod was already coming to hang just below the rock outcropping I stood on. I couldn’t get to it right away. Eren was better protected inside the thing than I was. Dodging behind a boulder, I waited.
The impact shook the ground, the explosion rocked the very air. For a moment, I couldn’t breathe. The air was so hot. I struggled against it. After awhile everything stilled. The smoke was bad, I couldn’t see anything. Really, I didn’t need to. Hitting the button, I brought the grappling hooks back to me. I had done my part, Eren had better have done his. He only needed to press one button to get into the pod in time.
Slowly, the hook raised the pod up to me. I couldn’t hear anything but the crackling of the burning machines. The metal was charred. I had some think hide gloves on me, surprisingly, a present from Eren. I put them on. Reaching out, I pulled the pod to me. Finding the latches that Hange had mentioned, I pressed them. Even charred, somehow our resident genius made sure they would open.
As the capsule popped open, I looked down at my best friend. He looked way to comfortable. I slapped him. He laughed. I yanked his head up to hug him. Even knowing what I did, seeing him fall like that… His arm curved around me. For the first time since this began, I felt right.
“I’m fine! Hange is amazing.” Eren snorted inside the helmet.
“Yeah, try explaining that to Levi. I pretty sure he thinks you’re dead right now.”
“Fuck!” Eren's head tilted back to look up to where the others should be. There was no way to see them, since we were under rock.
“Come on, let’s get up there. Can you hang on to me?” I asked. This was because he appeared to be holding his left arm awkwardly.
“Can I use your scarf as a sling?” He asked. It took us a few minutes, but I was able to secure his arm. He then wrapped his good arm around my torso. I didn’t like how tenuously he was holding on. Taking one of the hooks, I wrapped it between his leg, up around his waist to reattach to me.
“OK, you are as secure as I can make you.” I frowned. Leaning out I sent the hook upwards. It caught on the rock. I released the one holding me to my current position. Eren and I swung out over the burning wreckage.
“Do you think he made it?” Eren yelled over the wind.
“If he had an eject pod like yours, there's a chance.” I said. We began the slow climb upwards. The hooks reeled us in. One after another. The last shot over the top of the cliff. I anchored it to the tree I had been in waiting for this to all unfold.
As we started the last rise, I saw faces above us. People were looking over to see us. Then, he was flying through the air. I should have known he wouldn’t wait. Levi swung up beside us. He latched onto the side of the cliff and gaped at Eren. I could see him mouth, you're alive. He went to reach for him, I turned my body pressing Eren towards the rock, away from Levi.
“He's hurt!” I yelled. Levi pointed up to the top of the cliff. Well duh! That was where we were already heading. He went on ahead. As I brought Eren up, Erwin was there beside the captain. Together they pulled us over the last bit of the cliff. Levi snapped the helmet off of Eren's face.
Before anyone could say anything, or even move to stop him, he kissed the injured teen. It was super awkward as Eren was still attached to me. I couldn’t get out of the way. Levi was sort of sitting on my lap as he kneeled in the dirt.
“I fucking knew it.” Jean muttered. Erwin chuckled. The next thing I knew we were all laughing. It was over and we were all still alive, until a bolt of steel pierced the chest of the man standing just behind Jean.
Marco looked stunned as he glanced down at the metal now attached to him. Erwin moved swiftly. He grabbed the boy holding him from being pulled over the edge. Shouting for someone to cut the wire. Where Hange came from, I had no idea. They could have been standing with the crowd, but I didn’t think so. The fact that they came in running was just one part of it.
Hange pushed Erwin back, adding their weight to keep the boy from moving. Erwin was holding both the boy and the cable. Hange took the cable just above the steel bolt. Cutting the wire, no one watched the cable slither back over the edge. There was a faint cry of surprise.
As swiftly as I could I unhooked myself from Eren. Ripping my jacket off, I yanked the white shirt over my head. With Erwin holding Marco, Hange was attempting to stop the bleeding. I pressed my shirt to his back, steadying the bolt there. Hange did the same in the front with another shirt. Apparently, Jean had taken his off.
“Get a board, something we can use as a stretcher.” I called out.
“The escape pod. Armin left it on the cliff, but it will house him and keep him stable.” Eren told Levi.
“I can…” I began but Levi gave Eren one last quick kiss and flung himself over the edge. Would he be strong enough to do it himself? For a few seconds I stood undecided. Do I help Marco, or go after Levi?
“He has it, help Hange, Armin.” Erwin ordered. I went back to doing all I could for the injured teen. Which, really wasn’t that much. Levi came back. Erwin helped him get the pod over the side. Mikasa had helped Eren to his feet.
Erwin and Hange got Marco into the pod. Together we all gathered round to lift him up. To me it felt like carrying a casket. Eren got his good arm under it. He took the weight from me. With a smirk he stated. “You are just too short.” I glared at him. He chuckled.
“So is Levi.” He pointed out. Erwin, Jean, Eren and a few others that looked to be from Pixus’ squad were about the same height. They carried the pod back to the wreckage of headquarters.
Hange didn’t hesitate. Guiding the others, they stormed right toward the place the lab had once been. To everyone’s great shock, it was still there. Hange gave me a code to punch in to twin doors resting in the ground. Levi and I got them open. They took Marco down the stairs.
With nothing better to do, Mikasa, Levi and I followed. The pod rested on the floor; Marco was lifted to an operating table. I pulled Eren away. Leaving Hange and the guys from Pixus' squad, which turned out to be medical staff, to see to saving Marco, I sat Eren down.
“Let's see this shoulder.” Carefully I unwrapped it. Unzipping the top of his uniform, I probe the shoulder with my fingers. Eren winced.
“Good news or bad?” I asked him.
“Bad.” He stated.
“This is going to hurt.” As I said hurt, I snapped his shoulder between my hands. His entire body arched. He tried to muffle the scream, but some escaped anyway. It was over in a second.
“And the good?” He demanded.
“Your shoulder isn’t broken, just dislocated.” I smirked. He caught my head with his good arm, ruffling my hair as he pulled me into him. Planting a kiss to the top of my head as I hugged him.
“You're the best.” We both looked to Marco. Now we wait.