Never Let You Go ▶A Levi Ackerman X Reader◀

Chapter Forty

Once again I'll be using loosely translated/ improvised dialogue from a fan translated manga. So it's not entirely accurate, but it's close enough.
~
"Quit screwing up your pace! We need to maintain our fast speed!" Gunner shouts.
"Why? Who else can stop her, other than Levi's squad?!"
I hear a scream, the squad behind going down like flies.
"Another one lost his life!" Eren screams. "We could have saved him! There's still one fighting her! We can save them if we fight!"
"Eren! Keep your eyes forward and keep going!" Petra begs him.
"You're telling me to keep my eyes forward when my comrades are fighting behind us? To leave them to their death and run for mine, is that it?!"
"Yes! That's exactly what I'm telling you to do! Keep your head forward and follow the corporal's orders!" Petra responds.
"I don't understand why you must let my comrades die! And I don't understand your unwillingness to help them!" Eren cries.
"Because the corporal decided that it's not something he should explain, that's why!" Oluo says. "You don't understand because you're stupid! Now shut up and follow orders!"
Yaeger finally shuts his trap.
"Eren, what do you think you're doing?" Petra screams after a few moments. "You're only allowed to do that when your life is in danger! Didn't you promise us? Eren."
"You're not on the wrong if you shift." I say calmly. "If you want to shift, do it."
"Corporal?!" Petra demands.
"He's a real monster. And not because of his Titan power. No matter how much force you put on him, no matter how powerful of a cage you put him in no one can make his spirit submit to their will. The difference between us and you derives from rules learned by past experiences. But you don't have to resort to using your power. So choose. Will you trust yourself? Or will you trust me, them, and the entire scouting legion as a whole?" I pause, peering back at him. "I don't know which option you would choose. And I can't advise you on it. No matter which kind of wisdom dictates which option you should pick, no one will be able to know if it was the right or wrong answer until we see the outcome of your choice come into play. The only thing we're allowed to do is to believe that we won't regret the choice we made."
I finish my speech, returning my gaze to the worn stone path ahead.
"Eren, please..." Petra pleads. "Trust us."
Eren is quiet for more than a minute, his eyes darting from the Titan to us, to the bite mark on his hand. He's running out of time to decide.
"EREN! YOU'RE TAKING TOO LONG!" I scream at him. "MAKE UP YOUR MIND ALREADY!"
"I'LL STAY WITH YOU!" He finally responds. We all feel relieved.
The female Titan picks up her speed.
"The target is accelerating!" Gunner yells.
"Full speed ahead. Keep running as fast as you can!" I tell them, focusing on the path ahead.
We ride as fast as we can, the footsteps of the Titan getting closer by the second. I can feel the air on the back of my neck as she swings her arms at us.
"Corporal-" Eren begins.
"KEEP GOING!" I nearly scream at him. We can't stop now. I just got home to change his fucking mind.
We keep going. We're almost there. I see them in my peripheral vision for a split second. As soon as we pass, someone screams "FIRE!"
The air is filled with the sound of cannons, the female Titan stopping in her tracks.
We've done it.
"Tether the horses up ahead." I tell my squad. "This time I'll be taking action separately from the rest of you. I'm leaving Jinn in command of this squad." I switch to three dimensional maneuver. "Keep Eren far away from that Titan. And take care of my horse. Is that clear?"
I take off, shooting high into the sky, watching as Jinn leads the squad away.
I soar towards Erwin and the other members of the center line squads, all of us staring at the female Titan we've captured.
She's tall, slender, with shoulder-length straight blond hair. She defensively covers her nape, showing her knowledge of the weak spot.
Arrows are stuck into her skin all over her body, ropes attached to the arrows, holding her firmly in place. She can't get away.
"Seems like she's stopped moving." I say.
"Yeah, but we can't let our guard down yet." Erwin responds. "Good job leading her here.
"It's thanks to the back up squad who gave their lives to buy us time. If it weren't for them we wouldn't have made it." I'm reminded of (Y/n)'s words before we left the walls. She said she'd see me tonight. If it weren't for those who gave their lives, I might not have survived to make her words true. It makes me feel a tinge of pain in my stomach. I brush the thought off.
"Yes, it's thanks to them that we have the opportunity to see whomever is in the nape." I say. "Let's just hope they don't piss themselves in the process."
I watch as Hanji wanders around below the Titan, talking about something or other. While she does this Mike and I attempt to cut through her fingers and into her nape. Our blades don't cut her. They snap right off. They don't do a thing. I stop, landing on her shoulder.
"What do you think will come next? You've killed a lot of my subordinates in different ways. You destroyed them like they were nothing. Was it fun? I'd like you to be in our shoes. I wish you could see the trouble you're causing us." I move so I'm standing in front of her eyes. "Oh, I have a question. Are you okay with us cutting off your hands and your feet? You'll still be alright? They'll just grow back, right? Cause your dying on us just won't do."
Suddenly she screams. My eyes widen.
Her scream echoes off the trees. Surely it can be heard for miles around. When she finally quiets the forest is eerily silent.
"Damn you. You scared me, you bitch."
I suddenly hear the rumbling of footsteps all around, the ground vibrating. Something big is coming.
I see Titans coming in from all directions.
"Well, you bitch. It seems you've done something after all."
"CORPORAL REVAILLE!" Someone screams, the Titans charging towards me. I slice through the air, chopping through the napes of three Titans, one after the other. They all fall to the ground, erupting into clouds of steam.
More Titans approach, attacking the female Titan. They bite into her skin.
"PROTECT THE FEMALE TYPE!" Erwin shouts loudly.
No matter fast we take down Titans, more come and they all quickly devour the female. Soon she's reduced to nearly nothing.
"Temporarily retreat!" Erwin calls.
I soar over, landing beside him on the tree.
"Hey, Erwin." I say, breathless. I wipe the spot of Titan blood off my cheek.
"She did quite a number on us." He says, his eyes on the ground.