Final Mission

The Last Stand

The sun hung low in the sky, casting a bruised shade of orange over the desolate landscape of Iraq. Dust lingered, curling like smoke choked from remnants of a nearby firefight. Smoke and ash mingled, creating a grotesque horizon that mirrored the turmoil fermenting in Levi Ackerman's heart.

The air was thick with heat and the acrid scent of gunpowder. Levi stood at the rear of their makeshift convoy, arms crossed tightly over his chest, and enternal frown etched into his features as he surveyed the barren ground. The sounds of distant gunfire echoed into the background, reminding him that danger was never far away.

Every breath was laced with tension, the unshakable feeling that somthing awful was lurking just beyond the reach of his senses. Levi's hardened expression reflected years spent within the unforgiving embrace of war--- a fierce battleground that had claimed friends, brothers, and now, it felt like it was grasping Farlen.

" Levi! " Came the sharp call of his comrade, Eren Yeager, as he jogged up to him, chest heaving, his youthful face marred with grime and the weight of the world, Eren was the kind of guy who could bring a little light to their dark reality; he laughed more then he cried and had a way of pulling Levi from the edges of despair, if only briefly. " We've got a situation just up ahead. The scouts reported insurgent activity. You. . . "

" Yeah, I get it, " Levi interrupted, his voice sharper then the blades they carried on their hips. He turned his gaze away, knowing that talking was futile. They were all tired; every soldier felt the fatigue seep deeper into their bones, but while others crumbled under the weight of it, Levi stood resolute, locked in a perpetual state of alertness.

As the team gathered around, moving with practiced coordination, Levi's eyes caught Farlen's for just a moment. There was a humor shimmering behind Farlen's calm facde, the twinkle that formed whenever he shared a joke or offered a moment of levity amidst chaos. Even now, as they prepared for another mission, Farlen's eyes brightened as he scanned their grim group. But there was a glimmer of apprehension as well--a silent acknowledgment that they could lose everything in seconds.

" You ready, Levi? " Farlen asked, tight-lipped but steady. " You're not gonna grimance at me all day, are you? "

" Shut it, Farlen. " Levi's tone was brisk, yet there was a hint of warmth in his voice. Their banter has become a lifeline in this grim war----a twist of normalcy in an insane world. An unspoken bond formed though shared hardship and the unyielding support that thrived in times of despair.

" Don't take him seriously! " Eren chirped, folding his arms around a rifle, a wide smirk splashed across his youthful features. " He's just grumpy because he hates being called out for his frowning. "

" Maybe if you aimed that engery at the enemy, we'd be home by now, " Levi shot back, but a fleeing smirk danced across his lips.

" Challenge accepted! " Eren replied with enthusiasm, clapping Levi on the back as they moved into formation.

The patrol began, footsteps muffled by the layers of dust beneath them, each man aware of the thinning air, each breath weighed down by the potential for loss. They rounded a corner when the shots rang out, piercing the heavy silence like thunder.

"Down! " Levi barked, instinctively dropped to the ground, eyes scanning for cover when everything turned chaotic. The world collapsed into a cacophony of screams, gunfire, and explosions as the team took cover. The din consumed them, drowning out the sound of their heartbeats echoing in their chests.

Eren turned, searching for Levi, a fleeting moment of wide-eyed fear plastered across his features. " Levi---! "

" Focus! " Levi growled, his voice hoarse, demanding attention. The familiar weight of his resolve clasped around him, urging him to regain control amidst chaos.

That was when he spotted Farlen. The man who had been a cornerstone for him; laughter etched into the edges of his world. His comrade was pinned down, the blood soaking into the earth beneath him---a stark red against the dust and grime---so vivid and seeping, everything Levi feared materializing right in front of him.

" Farlen! No! " Eren shouted, grabbing Levi, dragging him back, his voice trembling, but Levi only had one mission in mind.

" Stay here! " He commanded, shaking free from Eren's grasp, unwilling to let another moment slip through his fingers. He grabbed his weapon and charged, heart racing with desperation, pushing past the chaos in pursuit of his friend.

But it was to late. Levi reached Farlen just as a deafening round echoed, reverberating through the air, a violent punctuation mark that silenced everything---laughter, joy, light. All obliterated in that single beat as Levi knelt by Farlen's side, desperate hands hovering over the gaping wound, his mind racing, heart shattering.

" No, no, no, " he muttered, his gruff voice breaking as Farlen's eyes fluttered open, pain etched into his features.

" Levi. . . It's alright, " Farlen gasped, a weak smile pulling at the corner of his lips. " Take care of yourself. . . Okay? "

" Don't say it. . . Don't. . .Don't you dare. . . " Levi choked, rage intermingled with deep-rooted sorrow. He felt the world darkening, an abyss threatening to pull him beneath as Farlen's smile faded, warmth slipping away into the cruel night.

" Levi, " Farlen murmured, fading. " Promise me. . . "

The final words echoed around them, empty words in an empty space. Levi clenched his fists, helplessness clawing at his insides as reality crashed down lifetimes of friendship shattered in that moment, painted in shades of blood and loss.

" Damn it! " Levi screamed, the sound erupting from his throat as the last flicker of light extinguished in Farlen's eyes. He could feel Eren at his side, grasping at his shoulders, but the noise was a distant echo. The pain consumed him.

And as the chaos unraveled around them, Levi stood up, eyes dark, filled with a flickering light of anguish and rage, but through that haze, he caught Eren's gaze. Eren, still standing firm, despite the chaos, unwavering. They were two souls adrift in the storm, bound by the memories of friends lost in the cruel whirlwind of war--a raging inferno that left destruction in its wake.

In that moment of shared loss, a bound formed, even amidst the ashes, embedding itself in the depths of their beings--for the battle wasn't over, it had just begun.