The Path Back to You | Levi x OC

Chapter 76 - Thin Ice

Levi

The thought that Zeke Jaeger was after Anya made Levi want to rip out the bastard's spine and shove his eyes down his throat even more than he already did. He glanced at Anya, who had gone very still, and very pale, as she regarded Eren.
"I get that I'm Marleyan royalty," she said quietly, "and that he'd want to be the hero that returns me to Marley and its people, but... There's more to it than that isn't there, Eren?"
Levi's gaze snapped to the brat, who was staring at the floor like he wanted to fall through it.
"He said he needed you."
"Huh?"
Levi was growing impatient as Eren and Anya seemed privy to something he and Hange could only guess at.
"What do you suppose would happen if royal Eldian blood mixed with royal Marleyan blood?" Anya asked, looking at Hange. "Bearing in mind, of course, that females in my family are supposedly immune to the Founding Titan's power?"
Hange sat up straighter, her remaining eye wide with horror.
"You don't think...?" she gasped.
Before Levi could demand what the hell they were talking about, Anya shrugged.
"Zeke's time is limited. He'll no doubt want to leave a legacy. What better way to do it than to sire an heir with the last Marleyan royal? An heir with mixed blood, one capable of wielding the Founding Titan to its fullest extent without being constrained by the First King's will and memory manipulation? Even if he doesn't desire it, no doubt Marley is desperate for me to continue the precious bloodline."
"A child between the two of you would be the perfect Marleyan weapon," Hange agreed gravely.
Levi clenched his fists as ice-cold fury tore through his body. He jerked when Anya put a hand on his arm, every muscle tensed to breaking point.
"Levi...?"
"He won't lay a fucking finger on you," he snarled. "I'll die before I let that happen."
"I know." Anya pressed her palms together and leant forward, elbows on her knees. "I feel sick," she muttered.
"We might be wrong," Hange tried. "He might want you for another reason."
"Whatever it is, it won't be anything good." Anya rose from her seat and ran a hand through her hair as she paced back and forth. "It's going to be one hell of a meeting, when we tell the other officials. They'll probably lock me up."
"I don't think so," said Hange. "They have no reason to question your loyalty."
"That's not what I'm worried about. I'm worried that they might deem it too risky to let me continue in the Scouts."
"Considering you're the longest-standing member, and there are only ten of us left, I doubt they'd do that. Either way, we should tell Premier Zachary tomorrow."
"Agreed," she replied.
Anya raised a hand to her forehead and screwed her eyes shut, as though all they'd discovered was physically paining her. Enough was enough. Levi stood up and made for the door.
"Anya. Let's go."
"Hmm?"
"You're exhausted. We can talk about this more tomorrow. Right, Hange?"
"Yes, of course. I'll see you both tomorrow."
Levi guided Anya from the room and they walked, in stony silence, back to their own quarters. Anya seemed dazed, as though she was slipping away again, and it worried him immensely. It was certainly enough to reduce his anger down to a mere simmer. As Anya removed her boots, he offered her a glass of water.
"Hey. This doesn't change anything. You're still who you were a few hours ago."
"It doesn't feel like it," she replied bitterly, taking a sip of the water. "I have so many questions, but everyone who could've answered them is dead now. What am I supposed to do? How am I supposed to react?"
"However the hell you want."
"It's not that simple, though, is it? Hange's right; I'm the longest-surviving Scout and apparently, the queen of our biggest enemies. All my life, I've been trying to avoid greater responsibility for fear it'll restrict me and mean that I can't protect the ones I care about the most, and that it'll devour what little freedom I have. And now look what's happened. It's like some sick joke."
"What if we don't tell anyone?"
Anya shook her head, a mournful expression dulling her features.
"As tempting as it is to keep this all a secret, it's too risky. They really would question my loyalty if they found out the truth from Sannes, especially if he revealed that he'd already told us everything."
"Shit," he muttered. "No doubt the noble bastards would back him up, too."
"Exactly," Anya replied. "Even if that weren't the case, I don't know if I could live with myself. The fact that I am who I am... It could be a golden opportunity to stop the war before it even starts. I could go to Marley and-"
"Absolutely not," he interrupted.
"Levi, be reasonable. We-"
"If you go there, the chances of you ever coming back are zero to none. I'm not going to lose you, Anya."
Her expression softened at his words. She was stubborn, though. She patted the space beside her, and Levi sat down.
"I'm not saying I'm just going to stroll into Marley and offer myself up to them in exchange for peace between our two nations," she said. "At some point, though, there needs to be communication between us and them, or else you might end up losing me anyway. We have to find out what they're up to and what they're capable of."
There was a glint in her eyes, one that Levi instantly recognised. It appeared whenever she was plotting something.
"Tell me," he said.
A smile twisted the side of her mouth.
"You know me too well. We're going to get rid of every last Titan on the island, and then, we're going to catch us some Marleyans. First, though, we need to increase our ranks."
"What else?"
She tapped her temple.
"The plans aren't ready yet. I'll let you know when they are."
He blinked, and her enthusiasm had faded to be replaced by sorrow and uncertainty. She fiddled with one of the small hoops in her ears as she stared into space.
"I keep feeling like...like one minute I'm gliding across the ice, totally sure of myself and where I'm going and what I'm doing, and then the next, the ice is cracking all around me and I'm about to fall through and drown. Or like I'm soaring through the air and then my ODM gear suddenly stops working and I have no way of saving myself."
"If you can't save yourself, then trust that I'll do it for you," he said.
She took his hand and squeezed it.
"I've no doubt of that. I wonder what Erwin would say about all of this," she mused.
"He'd be looking at it like you are. Like it's some great opportunity," said Levi dryly.
"Surely you can see the potential?"
"Yeah, I see the potential for you to get caught between us and them and ending up hurt or dead. Even if none of that happens and you negotiate some sort of resolution, there's no way you won't cross paths with that fucking monkey again."
A shudder rippled through Anya's body and her grip upon his hand tightened. It was a rare thing to see her so disturbed.
"I didn't want to see him again until after you've destroyed him," she admitted, "and yet he's leering at me, night after night, every time I sleep."
They hadn't spoken about it until now but, after watching her whilst she tossed and turned and sometimes wept, when his insomnia refused to let him rest, Levi knew that out of all the horrors plaguing Anya's mind the current winner was the Beast Titan, throwing volley after volley of rocks. Guilt and shame darkened his mind.
"I'm sorry I didn't kill him when I had the chance."
"You did what we all thought would be best. It's not your fault at all." She sighed and laid her head upon his shoulder. "I don't want to sleep, but I'm so, so tired. I just know that everything we've learned tonight is only going to make what I see that much worse."
"I'm here."
Anya nodded and turned to wrap her arms around him, clinging on so tightly it was as though she was trying to hold onto her identity itself.