Still Standing | Levi Ackerman

14

3rd person POV

"Levi! Don't you think that was a bit harsh?"

"I don't know what you mean. She was having a panic attack so I knocked her unconscious. She did ask me to make it stop."

"Poor girl. I wonder what triggered such an intense panic attack.." Hanji brought a finger to her lips in thought, "What were you two talking about?"

"Nothing really." Levi answered, "I made her tea and thanked her, that's all."

He then paused, "She thought I spiked her tea. That's right.. she panicked as soon as she took her first sip."

Hanji raised her eyebrow at him.

"You're suggesting the tea gave her a panic attack? That's interesting.. And she's never had tea before...?" Hanji began to think, her eyes staring down at the unconscious soldier on the ground in Levi's office.

"Wait.. Levi! Go get me her file from Erwin's office" Hanji said quickly, a sudden burst in energy. Levi didn't respond, he just walked out and came back 2 minutes later holding a file.

Hanji took it, and instantly began to read through it.

"I knew it! Marina was that one cadet who had memory loss, remember?!" She shoved the file in Levi's face, showing the writing.

"The tea! The tea must have triggered her memories to come back!" Hanji added, proud that she debunked the issue.

Marina shuddered, beginning to move on the spot as cries left her mouth. Her eyes were still shut.

Hanji bent down and blew air in her face.

"What was that for?" Levi crossed his arms and questioned Hanji.

"Her eyelids didn't flutter, meaning she's still asleep. I'm assuming Marina is having a nightmare. Which wouldn't be surprising if her memories came back." Hanji explained, "It's best that we wake her up"

"Wait" Levi hand reached out, "What if she starts freaking out again?"

Hanji grinned, "I think she'll be okay, after all you did just knock her out"

Levi scowled, and looked to the side to avoid the crazy eyes of Hanji. She got down on her knees and began lightly shaking Marina.

"Rise and shine Marina!" Hanji said, shaking the soldier with more strength, "Wakey wakey!"

Suddenly a loud gasp came out of Marinas mouth as she shot up with speed, head butting Hanji who screamed as she did so. Hanji fell backwards and clutched her head tightly.

"I did it again!" Marina said, putting a hand over her mouth and reaching over to help Hanji.

"Don't mind her" Levi said, stopping Marina as Hanji got up showing her unstableness.

"Wow Marina. You've got a really hard head!!! Like really-"

"Hanji!" Levi interrupted her, turning back to face Marina, "Get up."

Marina nodded, and stood up. She looked fine, like she was back to normal, like nothing happened. It almost made Hanji and Levi question if she really did get her memories back or just had a sudden panic attack. It wasn't unusual for soldiers to have panic attacks after missions as traumatic as their recent one. But something about Marinas just felt different.

"care to explain what happened?" Levi then asked, the same threatening tone he usually has in his voice was calmer. Yet, the intimidating authority behind the way words sounded from his lips could never warm from the coolness they always had.

Marina blinked, her eyes bolting between her hands as she looked down at them in thought. Both of her hands balled into lose fists and she put them down by her sides, looking back up to her captain.

A smile painted over the terror that once rested on her face.

"Do you want me to clean that spilled tea for you sir?" She offered, a robotic preppy tone in her voice. It sounded forced, painfully pushed through like a rock was stuck in her vocal cords.

Hanji gave Levi a questionable look, beginning to reconsider her theory even further. She decided to do something about this, and speak up instead of Levi. Cleaning her throat, she spoke,

"I'll clean it, why don't you take a seat and we can talk" Hanji said, grabbing the familiar bucket of cleaning supplies Levi had stored in his office. She began to willingly clean the spilled black tea, and watched as Marina took a seat on the chair.

Hanji swiped, "so, you had a panic attack. you remember that, right?"

Marina stayed still. In just another second, she nodded hesitantly, "yeah.."

"and it's also come to my attention that you suffered from memory loss, correct?" Hanji stated again, Levi stared at her trying to understand where she was getting at.

"I-Well, yes, still suffer from it" Marina corrected, causing Hanji to glance at Levi and back at Marina.

"I see" She finished cleaning the desk, "by any chance are you aware of what led to your panic attack?"

Marina shuffled in the seat uncomfortable, her fingers picking at each-other as her hands rested on her thighs. She bit her lip as she examined the details of the wooden desk in thought.

Gently, she shrugged, and looked back to Hanji.

"I think I just- I had woken up only a few minutes from the mission before walking in here- I guess I remembered what happened and started panicking." She answered, maintaining eye contact with the section commander as she spoke.

"I understand, thank you for chatting with me Marina! You can go now, and please rest your head and stomach!" Hanji grinned, leaning over to pinch Marians cheek.

Marina flinched, just barely. She stood up from the desk and gave a salute before stiffly walking out of Levi's office.

Hanji walked around the desk to Levi.

"She's lying" Hanji said seriously, something she rarely did.

"How do you know?" Levi asked, crossing his arms to his resting position.

"The hesitation in her words, the stuttering, the excessive fidgeting." Hanji pointed out, "I believe she's gotten her memories back, but she's hiding something."

"Kids probably got a traumatic past, not our business" Levi shrugged elegantly, his face unamused.

"maybe you're right." Hanji sighed, walking towards the door to exit his office, "Chat soon Levi!" She waved.

"I hope not" He mumbled under his breath once she left.

***

sorry for this very short chapter lol