Natural Strength || Levi Ackerman x Reader

Chapter 26: Job of a Soldier

Your years in The Underground taught you how to be on your own and fight for what you had. Now, in the terrifying reality that is on the surface of the earth, you have things really worth fighting for. You knew getting out of this wouldn't be an easy feat, especially after losing Levi in the hoard of titans as you find yourself lost in the forest of endless green.

You jump across the branches and barely manage to keep your balance. Your breathing is labored from the extensive use of your own body strength instead of the gear you gave up. You run across the bark and bring your nearly dull blade up to slash across the nape of the titan's neck before rolling onto the branch on the other side.

You lean against the wood with your heart pounding in your chest and mouth dry from the lack of saliva. You're actually a little frightened at being in titanville alone, but you're keeping your mind on the task instead of clouding it with fear.

The titan population in the area dwindles with each assassination you perform. You're not sure where the hell you are anymore as you delve into the bloodshed of what is called surviving. Your legs are sore and feet aching from landing in different angles on unsteady surfaces. You almost fell to your death many times.

This is the work of a true soldier and what the Survey Corps is all about. Learning how to survive without proper equipment and only having the skills you acquired in training, and you had the best trainer out of them all. The whole point of this is to avenge your comrades and protect those who are still breathing.

The titan smoke fills the air from the prey you slaughtered as they decompose on the ground below. It's starting to get darker and there's no sign of any Scouts, not even Levi. You're sure he had no choice but to go back to the wall. You've been out here for almost an hour and you're deeper in the trees than you've ever gone before, you're sure.

You lay your blades sluggishly on the bark before slumping down to a sitting position with your back against the tree in exhaustion. Relief floods your body and you sigh at the sensation. You check the area quickly once the smoke clears for any signs of titans, but wonder if they've gone somewhere since it's getting closer to sunset.

You know you have to get going back to the wall somehow, but you have no idea how you'll be able to. You can't fight titans from the ground whatsoever, so it will be a complete leap of faith to make a run for it miles away from safety. You don't even know if the others made it back yet.

You get up and grab your blades to hook into your belt loops. You gingerly climb down the tree with only your confidence keeping you going and drive to see Levi and your friends again. Your feet hit the ground after a while and you grasp the blades into your scraped hands. You take off in the direction you believe will lead you out of here with speed you hadn't known you could possess in such a tired state.

You jump over loose rocks and twigs with sharp eyes watching for any off movements in the bushes. Titans may be a problem, but so is the occasional livestock. You're not sure how much time passes at this point, but you can see the welcoming entrance of the forest ahead of you.

A strike of joy hits you, but that soon evaporates when you spot something in the brush. You slow down with your pulse still stinging at a rapid pace and deviate from your path to approach the suspicious object to only have your heart drop.

"Mike," you whisper in horror.

Mike's mangled body lays between the bushes with blood pooled everywhere around him. His legs are gone from the knees downward and it looks as if he died from blood loss. You clench your teeth together and choke back a sob at seeing someone you've known for so long is such a disgusting, unnerving position. Most deaths have no affect on you anymore, but a close friend like him always will.

Your eyes instinctively go to his 3D Maneuver Gear and you drop your blades to grip your hair in your hands at the idea in your mind. It's the last thing you want to do, but you know it's your only chance of escaping this hell.

First, you calm yourself and hesitantly take off your green cape before walking over to Mike's dead corpse. You silently chant how sorry you are and how much you wish it didn't end this way in your mind as you lay it over the top half of his body. Your shaky hands go down and undo the bloody straps on his body over and over until they're all undone, then you lift the gear up and resist cringing at the amound of blood on it.

You brush off those feelings because you need to get going now before sundown. Expertly beginning to secure on your equipment, you tighten the straps and check for any faulty effects while ignoring your comrade's blood soaking into your white shirt. You take one last look at Mike's body before turning away and grabbing your blades to switch them out with new ones.

You shake out your nerves before engaging the 3DMG and finally relieving the pressure on your legs as you swing through the trees. You make it to the entrance faster and you're taken aback by the sight that awaits you. You land on the ground, wincing at the ache in your legs and walk over to the very recognizable jet black horse tied to a thin branch on one of the trees in a little space where it wouldn't be visible to the titans.

You smile sadly as you rush over because you know this is a sign from Levi. He believed wholeheartedly that you would make it out alive and left your horse as a pledge to that, but since they couldn't wait around, he made sure you could get home.

You put your blades away and untie the horse, then climb on the saddle. You take a second to brush its smooth mane with your damaged hand before taking off in the direction of the wall. Your horse seems as eager to get back as you from the speed and agility its performing at the moment. You let yourself get your breath back with the feelings in your legs during the long ride through the rough terrain.

There's been no sign of any titans thus far, meaning the ones you and Levi took care of had to be the main ones in the vicinity. It's almost thirty minutes before you spot the extremely high wall in the distance over a hill. Your heart leaps with elation and you're even more joyous when spotting the squads at the top of the wall waving to you.

You smirk even though you look like a total mess because you made it through titan territory alive. You could have returned with a broken neck and still have been just as happy.

Once you get about thirty meters away from the wall, the gate opens up and you race faster toward the entrance. You keep your eyes trained on that instead of anything else because all you want is to be within the safety of the walls. You sigh when you gallop through the tunnel and into the unsuspecting city with the gate crashing down behind you.

You pull back on your horse and jump off with the weary eyes of citizens following your movements as you rush over to the wall and engage your gear to climb up it to your comrades. You land on the surface and are instantly bombarded by the soldiers.

"I'm so glad you're alive! We thought you wouldn't make it!" Hanji exclaims, grabbing your hands with hers.

"Thank you for sacrificing yourself, (Y/N). It was very noble of you," Armin compliments.

"It's no big deal," you assure, scanning them to find Levi.

"Are you hurt?"

You spin around to see the cadets make room for their captain who asked the impending question. They may not see it, but you can detect the care and worry he has in those pale blue depths.

"No, it's not my blood," you reply. "I took this gear off of Mike. It's his."

The soldiers get quiet at your morbid words, but Levi--only worried for your well-being--strides over to you and guides you away from the mournful crowd.