Orders | Levi Ackerman

65• Bystander

" What do you remember?" Eren asks, turning back to the table. The two of us had been meeting every night, using the methods that Eren knew to retrieve my memory.

" Uh, well-" i mumble, " i was born in Shiganshina, To Eva and Hanz. They're my parents...?"

He facepalms, sighing deeply. " I'd hope so!"

" Okay, so they're my parents. They died when I was nine due to Rod Reiss murdering them. And...I don't know why he did that. You don't either." Eren nods, signaling that so far everything was correct. " I grew up with you, Mikasa and Armin. Wasn't much a fan of them though because I was sad then, but you were the exception."

He smiles, nodding back to me.

" And then the colossal titan broke though the wall, practically everyone died and blah blah five years later we officially became scouts."

"....yeah, i guess." He takes a seat backdown, frowning under the dim light that reflected onto him. " And what about Levi, Jean and everyone?"

I searched for the meaning that laid behind the familiar names but, even through the torturous time spent regaining my memory, I can't seem to place who Levi is.

I've been drawing his face for four years, but that's all I know. His name is as vibrant to me as an imperceptible color.

" They're my friends...from the scouts."

My memories came back in swift flashbacks, with i unable to control which returned. I was able to fully recoup my childhood but, the day Eren first turned into a titan is nothing but a story that he's told to me. I believe everything past that involves those people Eren always mentions.

" And...?"

Sighing, i turn away. I didn't know any more, and by the drained look that animated Erens face, he knew that.

" Okay, let's just stop for today. You're doing well, Mi." He sits up, hurriedly ruffling my hair. " I have to head back, they'll notice I've been gone."

" I'll go too then. I'm sure Zeke wants to train me anyway," Eren stops, scowling at the mere mention of him. He had informed me on all the treacherous things Zeke had done but, even so, Zeke did save me from dying. For that, I owe him.

Eren can't seem to grasp that. Not that I care particularly what he thinks. He may be my friend, I may have known him longer than I have known anyone else but, as he said, he left my dead body alone as did all my supposed friends. Zeke would never ever do what he and the other scouts did.

He saved me, now I'm not about to believe that someone would show such kindness and still be iniquitous. People make mistakes, i have, Eren has, Zeke is no different.

" You shouldn't train with him, Mia." He grimaces, " who knows what he truly wants from you."

" He wants to ensure that I'm strong, Eren. It's not a big deal, like you said, your friend hinge would experiment on you — is she awful?"

" ....It's Hange, not ' hinge' and that's different. She isn't the culprit for hundreds of people's deaths. You're special Mia, do you think — even for a second — that if you didn't have your abilities, he would have saved you?"

I stay silent, hatred filling every pulsing vein in my body towards the man in front of me who would dare to question the man that brought me back into his life. It irked me, enraged me.

But still, what he said began to spiral its way into my thoughts. Zeke was incredibly intelligent, everything he did or said was meaningful in some sense. If I held no use to him, would he have rescued me?

" Yes, I'm more than just some toy to him!"

Eren growls, banging his fists onto the table. Red droplets mark his under eye, as if he were seconds away from shifting. He was livid, utterly disbelieving of my stance.

" No, you're not a toy. You're a weapon, Mia."

I step up, my chest heaving from the indiscretion he spoke. He was wrong, he had to be wrong.

" You're a cold, heartless, easily manipulated kid. That's why he chose to save you. Because now, you'll fight for him. You'll fight for the enemy."

I growl, my mind growing dense and stiff as if all rationality had fallen away with the rapid beating of my heart. Dark shadows chip away at my skin, forming harsh, thick lines under my eyes and down past my neck and spine.

" You're wrong, you're wrong. You're the enemy Eren! You and your damn friends-" but as I begin to near him, rage flustering against my chest— the door slams open.

We both spin towards it, the wind gusting our hair back. I prayed it were merely the wind that had pried open the door but, I knew those steps that delicately walked across the floor did not belong to the forceful squall.

" Hanna, you're late for training."

Zeke steps towards me, an alarming tension to his soft demeanor. Unfortunately, I knew the shadows remained under my eyes, they were yet to fade and Zeke had clearly seen them already.

" Why are you here, Zeke?" Eren whisper-yelled, curling his fists.

" As I said— she's late." He raises his palm to my cheek, gently caressing the harsh lines that raided my skin. " I knew I'd find her here though, always so predictable Hanna."

I suck in my breath, nervous of what he'd do next. " I apo-"

" Her name is Mia. Not Hanna." Eren interjects, propping his hand on Zekes chest and pushing him away from me. " and I wouldn't touch her, if I were you."

" Eren, relax. Dont be so defensive, i know you care for her. But she's okay with me, I wouldn't let anyone hurt her."

Again, Eren growls. Stepping in front of me so my vision only holds him. " Are you the exception to that?"

" Guys-" But again, I'm cut off.

" Please, why would I want to hurt someone I saved. If that were the case I would have left her dead — like you did."

" We never wanted her to die in the first place! If you hadn't been involved in the battle, there would have been more people to look out for her dammit!" He steps forward, chest heaving.

" I watched her get impaled and I had to continue fighting so everyone else wouldn't die! Mia spent years of her life not caring about anyone, and then the moment she does, it blows up in her face because she died ensuring everyone else lived!"

An ache relishes on my temple, my knees buckling underneath me.

" and i couldn't do anything about it! No one could! So don't tell me I left her dead when It was out of all our hands because of you. You caused everything.

Mia died because of you."

My knees scrap against the rigid wood as I do everything to try catch my dwindled breath. The light fades away from my eyes, as they roll to the back of my head.

I wish to scream out, to alert the two of my crippling state but can't seem to push anything past my lips. The pain returns to my head, this time running its way to my chest.

In one final attempt, I raise my palm — allowing a surge of power to resonate through each coursing vain in my arm, and slam it down.

A grumbling noise passes through the cracking wood, and exerts out the table, imploding it and sending both Eren and Zeke flying.

Wood flies everywhere, impaling each wall in the house. I look to the two, unable to fully discern them. Their jaws both drop, rushing to my side before my mind fades to a halted black light.