The Path Back to You | Levi x OC

Chapter 46 - Quake

Anastasya

No lights were visible in the windows of the Reiss family chapel, so Squad Anvi risked stopping right outside it. With a nod to Anya, Levi jumped from the wagon and went to check that the coast was clear. Once he'd explored the apparently empty chapel he beckoned the rest of them inside while Moblit waited on guard duty. As they crept into the cold, stone building, Anya paused and shuddered. There was something wrong about the place. She did her best to ignore it and while the recruits began making explosives under Levi's guidance, she and Hange searched for a door leading to the underground room.
"I hope reinforcements get here soon," she murmured.
"Me, too," said Hange, her expression grave. "If Kenny is as bad as you and Levi say, we're going to lose people. How're your ribs?"
"They hurt like hell but the painkillers that Pyxis' doctor gave me are helping. I'm all right to fight, but when they wear off it's not going to be pretty." She tucked a few stray strands behind her ear and glanced down at the floor. "I didn't ask yet, but...how's Erwin?"
"Beaten and bruised, but satisfied that his gamble paid off. There's something you should know, though."
She looked up again upon hearing the hesitance in Hange's voice.
"Oh?"
"When he was arrested, he...he named me as the next Commander. Just in case, you know?"
Anya knew she was frowning, but she couldn't help it. She had no doubt that her friend would be a great leader and agreed with Erwin's choice. However, it was the very act of Erwin naming his successor at all that bothered her.
"Anya?"
"I... Sorry," she said. "Hange, that's... Congratulations. I'm happy for you, but... it means Erwin really thought he might die. That's..."
"I know," said Hange, placing a hand on her shoulder. "It's always bittersweet when the next one is announced. This time in particular. Listen, if you would rather-"
"No," she replied quickly. "Being Commander is certainly not in my plans."
"I figured as much, what with you refusing Section Commander so many times." Hange offered her a small smile. "Anyway, let's hope I'm not actually promoted until Erwin retires. Ah, found it!"
She peeled back a rug to reveal a small wooden door. Levi strolled over and crouched down to examine it.
"Our presents had better pay off, considering we've gone out of the way to prepare them," he said.
"Alright! We're good to go," Armin announced as he finished up the last explosive.
Levi stood and faced them all.
"Are we? Is everyone ready to get their hands dirty, too?"
Anya cast her gaze around the room, seeing nothing but sheer determination on every recruit's face.
"Guess so," she said. "You're all going to have to kill tonight. It's going to be tough, but it's essential not only to protect your life and the lives of your comrades, but for the fate of humanity as a whole."
"Yes, Captain!"
Moblit joined them and Levi went over the plan they'd made while they'd been on their way to the chapel, and then they opened up the trap door and began to lower the gunpowder barrels down one by one. Anya tilted her head from shoulder to shoulder and checked her gun, blades, and ODM gear. Once satisfied, she swallowed down her apprehension and made her descent. She landed in a short corridor, at the end of which was another door. She went to join Levi, who turned and ran his steely-blue gaze over her.
"I guess there's not much point telling you this is your last chance to hang back," he murmured. "You're sure you're going to be okay?"
"We're outnumbered enough as it is. I'm not going to make our odds even worse by sitting this one out," she replied.
He hesitated, and she did her best to ignore the worry in his expression.
"Anya. Promise me you'll get out of here if it gets too much."
"You know I can't promise that but... I'll do my best."
He sighed and nodded, before facing away and getting into position. Quick as lightning, he kicked the door open and moved back.
"Now!" he shouted.
The recruits rolled the barrel bombs out into an enormous cave that glowed with an ethereal blue light. Anya's mouth fell open at its beauty, though she had only a few seconds to marvel at it before the recruits pushed the barrels down the stairs to the cave floor. Sasha and Armin stepped out onto the small platform before the stairs began and drew back flaming arrows, sending them off to ignite the bombs. They erupted immediately, spewing out clouds of thick, black smoke. Using it to their advantage, Anya, Levi, and Mikasa leapt into the dark plumes while Hange, Conny and the others fired smoke shells to further increase the confusion.
"Thirty-five enemies!" Levi yelled. "They're gathered behind the pillars!"
"Continue as planned!" Anya ordered the squad. "We'll take them all out right here!"
The others jumped into the fray, except for Sasha and Armin who remained behind to keep up the smoke cover. Their plan was working. Anya heard one of Kenny's squad cry out in fear and frustration moments later.
"Where are they?!"
She followed the voice and landed above the man.
"Boo," she whispered, decapitating him with one sweep of her blade.
She saw Hange impale a man further down a pillar, but she didn't hang around to watch what her friend did next. Instead she swept through the cave, twisting and turning at a speed that made even her dizzy, leaving a trail of corpses in her wake. She saw Levi go after the enemies' Captain, a blonde woman called Traute Caven. However, before he could reach her, Kenny himself appeared. Anya flinched as Levi narrowly avoided getting shot in the face. She tried to get closer to Kenny so as to surprise him from behind, but at the last moment he spun round and tried to slice her in two. She dodged and landed above him.
"You must be Anastasya Morozova." He whistled long and low. "I can't believe a woman like you would hook up with a runt like Levi. If I kill him, how 'bouts you and me have some fun?"
Kenny was doing his best to antagonise Levi, and Anya could tell it was working.
"Don't," she warned him, before flicking her gaze back to Kenny and spitting. "I'd rather die."
"Oh, well, that can be arranged too," he chuckled.
She flung out her right arm, which she'd been keeping behind her back, and shot. Kenny was wary, though, and moved just in time for the bullet to avoid his heart and hit the top of his shoulder instead.
"Ow!" he yelled. "Oh baby, you flirting with me?"
Levi leapt for him and slashed into his side.
"You bastard," Kenny growled, zipping off deeper into the cave.
Levi went after him, but Anya was stopped from following as four men began to hone in on her. She grit her teeth and danced around the pillars, dispatching the men one by one. As she got rid of the final man, she watched, horrified, as Hange was slammed back-first into one of the pillars by Traute Caven, who had impaled her with a grappling hook and had been using it to smash her around the room. Hange hit the rock with bone-crunching impact before falling to the ground, hitting her head as she went and leaving a huge splattering of blood. Anya hadn't been able to reach her in time and for a moment, everyone froze in shock. Anya broke the pause when she screamed in rage, turning to go after Traute.
"Now!" the blonde-haired captain shouted, her voice wavering when she saw Anya. "F-fall back to the final defensive post! Time to regroup!"
Anya began to chase her like a wolf after its prey, blood pounding in her ears. Even when ten or so of the enemy began to close in to defend their captain she carried on, desperate to make her pay for what she'd done to Hange.

***

Levi

Levi narrowly missed the dagger that Anya hurled at Traute. He saw it strike her leg, but rather than pursuing the enemy, his priority now was stopping Anya before she got herself killed. He grabbed her out of the air and carried her down to the cave floor, digging the balls of his feet into the ground as she struggled against him. For someone who was still malnourished and had busted ribs, Anya was remarkably powerful.
"Anya, stop!" he shouted.
He grabbed her face between his hands, forcing her to look at him. He knew that he had a cut across his left cheek and for whatever reason, seeing his blood broke her from her blind fury. When he saw some clarity return to her eyes he slowly let her go, as though he were releasing a wild animal. Immediately, Anya turned and ran to where Hange lie unmoving. He followed close behind, suppressing his dread. As their squad joined them, Anya dropped to her knees.
"Hange! Hange, can you hear me?!" She leaned forward and placed her head against Hange's chest. "She's still alive!" she said, incredulous.
Levi released the breath he'd been holding. He'd known Hange for as long as he'd known Anya, and she was like family to him. Beside him, Moblit was distraught. Just because she was still alive didn't mean she was going to be okay.
"Section Commander!"
Anya looked up, her focus once again razor sharp as though someone had flipped a switch in her.
"Moblit, Armin; carry Hange to safety. Get her out of this cave and wait for help outside. The rest of you; we're going in."
"Yes, Captain!" Armin and the others chorused.
Anya got to her feet, face set, and Levi was once again reminded of how invaluable she was to him and the Scouts as a whole. She led the charge further into the cave, only to come to a stop as it became apparent that their way had been blocked by a giant metal net stretching across the entrance to another cave chamber.
"Crap," Anya muttered.
Levi scanned their surroundings. His eyes alighted on a hole, high up in the cave's ceiling, though it was completed blocked.
"It's gotta be a way through if they've plugged it up," said Conny.
"Shit," he cursed. "If only we had some gunpowder left."
Without warning, a blinding, red-orange light erupted from somewhere beyond the net. Levi raised an arm so as to shield his eyes against it.
"That... A Titan transformed?!" he exclaimed.
"Eren!" cried Mikasa.
A moment later, scorching heat carried on a wind so powerful that they all had to crouch close to the ground blasted past them. The entire cave began to rumble and shake.
"Th-this place is gonna collapse!" Sasha yelled.
Levi glanced up and, sure enough, the pillars all around them were cracking and crumbling. He sought out Anya, whose wide blue eyes shimmered green in the light. He knew how she felt, because it was the same for him. No matter how much they wanted to save their squad and themselves, they had to find a way to continue. They'd complete their mission or die trying.
"Captains!" called Conny.
They both whipped round and found him pointing at the ceiling.
"Look! The hole's opened up!"
The debris Kenny's squad had used to block the hole had been dislodged and lay in piles on the floor, leaving enough room to get through. There was no time to lose.
"Let's go!" yelled Levi, deploying his ODM gear.
They all climbed through the hole, Levi leading the way and Anya at the rear, and crawled along a narrow, rocky tunnel. They emerged into another gigantic cave and what they saw waiting before them made their breath stall and their courage quake.