Your Wings - Reader X Levi Ackerman

Chapter 15: Recovery

The remaining members of the expedition stood still, exhausted, as they began to retrieve the bodies of their fallen comrades. The sky above glowed orange as the day was coming to an end. Soldiers barely had the energy to fight, though it's not like they had the mental capacity to do so anyways after seeing so many of their comrades fall.

Jean knelt beside one of the bodies, his face pale as he stared at the lifeless form. His eyes flickered with sorrow and frustration. "This... this is the part I'll never get used to." His voice was quiet, hoarse, but heavy with meaning. He exhaled, gripping his fists tightly. "How many more? How many more bodies before this ends?"

Armin stood nearby, his gaze fixed ahead. He didn't dare look at the bodies anymore, not if he wanted to keep his sanity. "If you keep thinking like that, Jean... you won't be able to fight," Armin said softly, though the strain in his own voice was evident. He turned to face Jean, his brows furrowed with worry. "You have to focus. If you lose yourself now... there won't be anyone left to help."

Jean looked up at him, his expression torn between fear and resignation. But he nodded. "Yeah... I know."

Connie, standing a few feet away, had his head lowered as he stared blankly at the ground. Sasha came up to him, trying to offer a smile. "Hey... we're still here. We made it out alive, right?" she said, her tone cheerful, though it wavered slightly.

But Connie didn't respond at first, his eyes distant. "Not everyone... I don't know, Sasha." His voice was barely a whisper. He didn't want to bring her down, but the creeping thought of never seeing home again gnawed at him.

Sasha's smile faltered as the weight of his words sank in, her eyes lowering as she realized she didn't know how to answer.

Close by, Commander Erwin received a report from one of his officers regarding the dead bodies they couldn't retrieve. The officer's face was etched with concern as he delivered the news. "Sir... we couldn't bring back the bodies of some of our men."

Two soldiers nearby overheard the conversation and immediately stepped forward, their faces twisted in outrage. "What do you mean we couldn't bring them back? They're our comrades! We can't just leave them behind! My friend is still out there!" one shouted.

Erwin's expression remained stoic, though the weight of the situation was not lost on him. "We can't risk more lives by retrieving them now," he said firmly. "We'll report them as missing."

The soldiers were about to protest again when Levi cut in, his voice sharp and cold. "As long as their deaths are confirmed... I suggest you look the other way unless you want to end up like them. Titans wont hesitate to take you too." His eyes flickered with something deeper, but his face remained blank, the mask of a seasoned soldier.

Levi's gaze shifted back towards you, unconscious, his cloak covering your body that he placed. his hands were stained with your blood as he cleaned it from your skin, not once looking away from you. His face was as unreadable as ever, but his focus was unwavering.

The expedition pressed on, the soldiers barely holding themselves together as they made their way back toward the safety of the Walls. Levi, riding alongside your wagon, kept a watchful eye on you to make sure you kept breathing.

Then came the sound of thundering steps. "Titans!" one of the scouts called out, his voice trembling with panic.

It wasn't long before Levi discovered why they were being pursued— two soldiers had disobeyed orders and brought their friend's corpse along with them.

The horror in the soldier's eyes was evident, but before he could respond, another Titan attacked, killing his friend beside him in an instant. The titan was about to reach for the remaining soldier when in comes Levi, slicing its hand off before it even touched him. "Go!" Levi commands, to which he obeys. The scouts ride as fast as they can, but the Titans begin closing in, now just a few meters behind. The weight of the corpses slows the wagons, dragging them down. With quick thinking, Levi gives the order: "Dump them." His voice is cold, decisive. The soldiers hesitate, knowing it's wrong, but as the monstrous eyes of the Titans draw closer, fear overpowers their conscience. One by one, they begin tossing the bodies overboard, and among them were members of Levi's own squad. His expression never wavered, though deep down, something broke inside him as he watched the bodies of those he had fought beside vanish into the jaws of the Titans.