The Captain - Levi Ackerman

Chapter 17

Dedicated Chapter Song: Try - Colbie Caillat

This is what you want, to belong, so they like you. Do you like you?

      "You've won," Levi stated as Anna groaned, wiping her head from the blood. She sat on a wooden crate in the supply room with Levi to watch over her. She'd come to consciousness again after Hanji and Levi brought her to the supply room and splashed her face with cold water. "But don't think you're better than me for a second. You happened to cheat-" Anna abruptly cut him off. "It's not cheating if there were no rules set in place." she smugly spoke. Levi grimaced at her, blotting her head with a rag to clean the blood. "Besides, I took it easy on you. If we were using real weapons and fighting to the death, you'd have been dead in nearly a second." Levi scoffed. "Tch! Look who's talking. I'm not the one with a concussion, a broken leg, and a strained arm." Anna groaned at him. "I didn't actually take you as one who would harm a lady." she sighed, lowering her hand as he tilted her head up to look at him. He soaked the rag in a bucket of water and rinsed the blood from it before wiping her head again. Having him so close to her made Anna's cheeks go red, but she would obviously blame her red face on the fact that she was embarrassed that she was bleeding.

      "I didn't plan on hurting you, but you put up quite a fight that I just couldn't resist." he stated coolly. Anna snorted. "Some husband you'd make. I pity the woman who ever marries you." she sighed playfully. Levi narrowed his eyes at her. "What's that supposed to mean, girl?" he asked. "What if you were the one to marry me?" Anna laughed hysterically. "Ooooh, fella, you've set yourself waaaay back for me ever considering marrying you!" Levi only watched her. "Is that so?" he mused. "I was only repaying you for slapping me in the face." he shrugged simply. Anna bit her lip when he mentioned that. "Oh, yeah. I forgot about that."

      "It happened yesterday!" Levi reminded. "I still forgot." she whined. "There's other things I've got on my mind, you know!" she defended. Levi leaned just a bit closer to her. "Like?" he inquired. Her face grew hotter at how close he was. "Liiiike...." she tried to think of something that didn't pertain to him. "Um..." her thinking was cut short when a shrill scream was heard nearby. Levi jumped away from her and Anna sprang to her feet. "Hanji!" she gasped. Levi and her both ran out of the supply room and to where the screaming was coming from. Hanji was on her knees screaming before two large sets of bones. Titans's bones. "Sawney! Beane! It's not real! Tell me it's not real!" The Section Commander gripped the sides of her head, staring at her prized experiments, dead. "These experiments were valuable," Gunther spoke, standing next to Eld. "was it a soldier who killed them?"

      "Hanji..." Anna breathed, running over to her. "Oh, god," Anna's eyes widened. She knew those Titans meant everything to Hanji. To have them slaughtered must have been gut-wrenching to her. For the second time ever in her life, Anna felt pity for Titans. "Oh, Hanji." she knelt down and hugged the crying woman. "We still don't know who did it..." Eld stated. "Both Titans were killed before dawn. When a guard found them, then ran away using their 3D maneuver gear." Gunther looked at the corpses. "So it's a conspiracy plan by at least two people, huh?"

      "Sawney!" Hanji cried out once more. "Look, look! Major Hanji has lost her shit," Orou smugly stared at her. Petra looked over at Orou angrily before elbowing him. Eren gaped at the sight. "What the hell...?" Levi, obviously unfazed by the situation, turned to him. "Let's go. This is the guard's job." Eren gasped, but followed orders. "Yes, sir." he spoke as Levi turned and walked away. Erwin came up behind Eren. "What do you see?" he asked, taking hold of the boy's shoulders. Eren looked at Erwin in a surprised confusion. "Who do you think is the enemy?" Erwin asked instead. Eren only gasped and stared at Erwin like he were insane. Erwin kept his eyes on the skeletons. "Sorry," he looked at Eren. "Forget what I just said." He let go of the boy and walked away following the short Captain who had waited for him. Eren turned and just stared at the two of them.

      Anna watched as the Commander and the Captain walked away. "Come on, Zoe. Let's get out of here." she helped the much taller woman stand up. Hanji sniffed. "Thanks, Anna..." she mumbled. "I don't know what I'd do without someone as kind as you." Anna led Hanji someplace where others weren't so she could calm down. They ended up in the stables, among the horses. Anna sat Hanji down on a hay bale. Hanji lifted her glasses and wiped her eyes. "I grew so close to those two. I was so close with my experiments, too." Anna smiled just slightly. "We'll capture you some new Titans on the next mission, okay?" Hanji sighed. "Okay..." Anna ruffled her hair. "Don't be sad, Han." she said, giving Hanji her own nickname.

      "I'm not sad," the woman smiled at her. "Just a little disappointed. It's okay." Anna leaned over and hugged her. Soft footsteps approached and Anna looked over to see Levi nearby. "I thought you were with Commander Erwin." Anna stated. Levi glanced at her. "I was. How's four eyes?" Hanji looked over at him. "I'm okay, Levi." she smiled. "Good. We have work to do. New recruits are coming in and we have to prepare for them. Anna, let's go."

      Anna got to her feet. "See you later, Han." she waved as she grabbed her pale horse from its stable and mounted it. New recruits? Anna thought. A smile played upon her lips as she followed after Levi and several others, including Eren Jaeger. For the first time in a long time she felt that familiar feeling of being accepted. Of having a family. Anna was happy.