Rivals (OC X Levi Ackerman)

Chapter 9

Once my gear is on, I sigh and get in to formation beside Levi. We hadn't said a word all morning and I suspect we're not going to exchange pleasantries now. We're hoisted over the wall thanks to the gate being sealed, and the citizens cheer for us. Was kinda nice.

On the other side of the wall, I mount my horse, and follow Levi in formation. We were slow and steady so not to wear out the horses before we got to Shiganshina.

I look back at the rest of the squad, who all seem pretty determined and focused. Am I the most terrified person here?

Not a single titan encounter. Weird. It gets dark, and we're ordered to walk on foot while we lead our horses. The squads were all pretty close together at this point. I overhear Armin and Eren talking about being scared, and I turn round to look at him.

Eren smiles back at me faintly, looking nervous around me ever since I punched him and ordered him to jump to his probable death a little while ago.

"What're you scared of?!" I ask him, laughing. Everyone seemed to be watching me in shock. Guess I don't laugh much.

"Well, I-"

"You get to become a 15 metre angey hunk of muscle. The rest of us that can't do that get to be scared. Not you."

"It's not that. I'm scared of failing."

"Makes sense. But I know.how we can avoid that."

"Yeah?" He asks, looking hopeful.

"Don't."

His face falls, and Mikasa glares at me.

I walk ahead a little, and Levi glances at me from the side.
"When I said look after the kids. You must have misunderstood what that meant. Don't make them shit themselves before we even get there."

I sigh, and my instincts tell me suddenly that it's not safe. I hold my torch up towards the left, and it illuminates a huge, ugly, grinning titan.

There it is. My first one. He's sitting down, like he's exhausted, but he turns to face me and his eyes practically sparkle.

My whole body goes stiff for a second, and I'm completely paralysed by fear. After a few moments, I grab my swords, but Levi grabs my hands to stop me.

"Remember your training. They don't move at night. Don't engage."

I nod, and take a shakey hand away from my swords.

"Look who's scared now." Mikasa snaps, and I turn to glare at her.

"You think you're so tough. Let's hear your whining next time Eren gets hurt."

She takes a threatening step towards me, but Eren and Armin hold her back.

"Behave." Levi hisses at us. I realise he's mainly talking to me, and I'm beyond offended.

"She started it." I say, and suddenly realise how childish I sound.

He gives me a clip on the head with his hand. Doesn't hurt, but keeps me in line.
"Let's see if the titan that eats you because you're making too much noise cares who started it."

"I thought they couldn't at night."

"Well." Hange interjects. "They feed off sunlight. And the moon reflects sunlight. So, for some reason, a select few titans are energised just enough by that."

Just as the last words leave her mouth, my heart sinks. No time to react. A 4 metre abnormal jumps towards me from the trees with its mouth wide open.

The sound comes before anything else-a snapping branch and a low, guttural growl that sends a jolt of fear through my body. My heart stops for a beat, and before I even have a chance to react, something huge and dark lunges from the trees.

I freeze, every muscle locking up in terror. My hand twitches toward my swords, but I can't move fast enough. The titan is too close-too fast.

In the split second before it reaches me, something slams into me from the side.

Levi.

His body crashes into mine with enough force to knock the breath from my lungs, sending us both tumbling to the ground. The world tilts as we roll through the dirt, and Levi's arm locks around me, pulling me tightly against him. The titan's hand slams into the earth where I'd been standing a moment ago, missing us by inches.

We hit the ground hard, and Levi is already moving. He springs to his feet with impossible speed, leaving me sprawled in the dirt as I gasp for air. He doesn't waste a second.

"Stay down!" he snaps, and before I can respond, he fires his ODM gear.

The cables shoot out with a sharp hiss, and in an instant, Levi is airborne, hurtling toward the titan. He moves so fast it's like he's part of the wind, spinning through the air as his blades flash in the moonlight.

I barely have time to blink before he's on the titan. His swords slice through its hand with brutal precision, severing its fingers as the creature lets out a sickening roar. It swings its arm wildly, trying to catch him, but Levi dodges with ease, twisting through the air as though the titan is moving in slow motion.

He circles around its head, his movements fluid, controlled. And then, in one deadly strike, his blades cut clean through the titan's nape.

The titan lets out one final groan as its body collapses, crashing into the ground with a thunderous thud. Steam hisses from its neck as the corpse begins to dissolve, filling the air with that all-too-familiar stench of decaying flesh.

I'm still lying on the ground, trying to catch my breath, when Levi lands lightly beside me, his expression as cold and composed as ever. He flicks the blood from his blades and sheaths them with practiced ease, his eyes already scanning the area for any more threats.

I struggle to push myself up, my body trembling from the adrenaline. My mouth is dry, and I can't seem to find the words to say anything.

Levi's sharp gaze shifts to me, his eyes narrowing. "What the hell were you doing?" His voice is low, controlled, but there's an edge to it-disappointment.

I swallow hard, my heart still racing in my chest. "I froze," I manage to stammer. "I didn't see it coming."

"No shit," he mutters under his breath, then fixes me with a hard stare. "If you freeze up like that again, you'll get yourself killed. Or worse, someone else."

I flinch at his words, guilt twisting in my stomach. He's right. I'd frozen-completely lost in the face of danger, and Levi had to save me. Again.

"I'm sorry," I mumble, not even sure if he'll care to hear it.

Levi doesn't respond right away. His gaze lingers on me for a moment, assessing, before he finally turns away, his tone clipped. "Don't apologize. Do better."

He walks past me without a second glance, the dissolving titan corpse still steaming behind him. As he moves, his posture is relaxed, as though this was just another routine mission. Like saving my life was no biggie.

Hange steps forward, her curiosity piqued as she inspects the corpse. "Interesting, isn't it?" she says, grinning.

I barely hear her, still replaying what just happened in my head.

Levi barks out a sharp order. "Formation. Move."

Everyone snaps to attention, falling back into line as if nothing had happened. I shake the lingering fear from my mind and force myself to do the same. My heart is still pounding, but I shove the fear down.

I've got this.