Levi
"Tch."
Levi relaxed his grip on their prisoner and straightened up as Hange and Moblit dismounted and lowered their hoods. Beside him, Anya breathed a soft sigh of relief and then set about securing the MP soldier to a tree, allowing Levi to go and speak to them. He suspected that Anya was too afraid to hear the news just yet.
"Here," said Hange, handing him a newspaper by way of greeting.
Her face gave nothing away, and apprehension stirred within. He sat down on a tree trunk and when Armin held up a lantern, he began reading the front page. The recruits gathered round and craned their necks to read it too, but Anya merely listened nearby as Hange gave her report.
"And there you have it," she concluded. "The coup d'état was successful. Premier Zachary has control of the capital and of the administrative district, and for the time being, the nobility haven't rebelled."
"What about the Dimo Reeves incident?" asked Armin.
"We got a confession that proved the charges unfounded. His son Flegel pulled through big time. Just like it's written right there," she said, nodding to the paper Levi still held. "It shows the charges were bogus, that they abused their power, and that King Fritz was a total fake. All our actions were justified self-defence. In other words, we're free people now."
Anya blew her cheeks out and walked a few paces away, both hands on her head as she looked up at the night sky. Levi had no doubt that she was trying not to cry. Meanwhile, their squad whooped and cheered, quite literally jumping for joy. He got to his feet as Hange stepped closer, glancing at where Anya stood with her back to them all.
"Looks like the gamble paid off," he said quietly.
"Yeah," Hange agreed. "It wasn't just Erwin, though. The lone choices of many managed to change the world."
"And I managed to kill the three people you loaned me," he said, unable to keep the bitterness from his voice. "I'm sorry."
Hange merely offered him a sad smile, and he changed the topic.
"The problem now is that part of the Interior Police, their leader, Eren, and Historia, are somewhere else. If we don't find them soon..."
"I may have a clue about that. Let's get there and put an end to this battle."
Levi ordered the recruits to leave the prisoner where he lay unconscious, and then they gathered their things and began the walk to the horses. He fell into step beside Anya and brushed her hand with his own.
"Hey. You okay?"
She turned her star-filled gaze upon him, a smile fluttering across her lips as though she still couldn't quite believe the news.
"Oh, yes. It finally feels as though we're getting closer to the truth, to doing what mine and Erwin's fathers tried to do all those years ago. The coup...it's a massive achievement."
He nudged her gently.
"There's a long way to go yet. You ready for it?"
"More than ever."
***
Erwin
It became apparent that Premier Zachary had a rather dark and twisted sense of humour. He'd decided that the new regime following the coup would be announced from atop the very gallows that had been built to end Erwin's life. Erwin had no doubt that Anastasya would've found it hilarious. He wondered how she was and wished she were there with him. It'd been a few days since the plan had come to fruition, and he'd been doing his best to ignore the flickers of doubt he'd been experiencing ever since. Normally, Anastasya would've been the one to allay his concerns and tell him if he was being a fool or not. Instead he decided to express his thoughts to Zachary. He glanced at the older man from where he sat next to him in the carriage they were riding in.
"As far as humanity's concerned, we should've let the government do as they pleased," he said. "Like Commander Pyxis was saying, they've somehow devised a means of keeping humanity alive until now. Even if they watch as half of humanity dies, it's better than us going extinct. Should I have let Eren go, risked my comrades' lives, given up both my duty and my life, and entrusted it all to the government? If humanity is more precious than one single life..."
"Your duty is as painful as ever," said Zachary, after a long pause. "Dying seems a far easier option. In that case, why didn't you do as you say?"
"That's-"
"-Shall I tell you my reason? For a long time, I've hated those bastards!" he exclaimed, all of a sudden becoming animated.
Erwin froze and stared at him.
"Huh?"
"They piss me off! Those pompous pricks and pigs who think they're important... No, maybe I actually liked them... But I've been dreaming of this day for ages. That is to say... Even if you hadn't done it, I would've given it a shot before I kicked the bucket. I couldn't care less if this coup d'état is good or bad for humanity! I'm quite the scoundrel, right?" he asked, sitting back into his seat again and folding his arms. "But you're no different than me. You didn't want to die. Just like me, you prioritise yourself over the fate of humanity."
"I... I must be very conceited to think that."
"What's your reason? Now it's your turn to answer."
"I have a dream. One I've had since I was a child, and one I share with someone very important to me. Neither of us are willing to give up on it."
YOU ARE READING
The Path Back to You | Levi x OC
Fanfiction"Reveal yourself," Erwin ordered, though Mikasa detected uncertainty in the commander's voice. It was almost as though he were afraid of who lay beneath the cloak. The entire regiment held its breath as the rider reached up with pale hands and lowe...
