Love of the Captain [Levi Ackerman]

020

Y/N's P.O.V

It's been 20 hours after the titan sighting and since we weren't able to wake Eren for a while, we were unable to leave. Mainly because, Armin and Mikasa wouldn't leave his side and we had to admit, we needed him. After a few hours, Levi walked into the room with one of the religious men.

Each of us got into a carriage and I'm sat opposite the trainee Scouts with Hanji, she's looking at a crystal as I look up thinking about the kiss. I've been ignoring Hanji's questions and her grinning face while we were waiting for our Sleeping Beauty to waken from his slumber. We're covering Wall Maria for the breach, it's pitch black so that means all the titans are asleep, so that's a good thing.

"What are we supposed to do now?" Armin questions, his voice wavers a little as he starts to wonder if anything matters anymore, "Wall Rose got breached all of a sudden, and now I... I don't know anymore what we should do... Even if we manage to deliver Eren to the frontlines I doubt it will change anything anymore," Armin says as we all look at him but Eren and Levi. Armin looks at the religious man, "And... Why do we have a priest from the wall cult with us?"

Hanji puts her arms around the man, "Ah, that... Well, we're friends with Nick here now, you see, right?" Hanji says.

"If you make friends with any more randomers I'm cutting myself from your life," I comment.

"He knew about the titans in the wall but till now has been keeping silent about that amazing fact," Hanji explains and I look at her, "I have no idea why, but he seems adamant about keeping his mouth tightly shut where the secrets of the wall that he knows are concerned even if he has to die for it. Apparently, the members of his sect know a lot more things about the wall."

Eren stands up, "Huh?! What the hell!?" He questions.

"Stay put! The aftereffects of your titan transformation aren't gone yet," Mikasa says making Eren sit down.

"I was going to ask some other sect members, but he chose to come with us out of his own will. The situation has changed, so it seems after he had witnessed all that happened, he's been having doubts if he still should follow the rules, so he wants to see the real state of affairs with his own eyes," Hanji continues.

"If you know anything, please just tell us! What can be more important than preventing total annihilation of the human race?!" Eren questions and we all look at the pastor.

"I wonder about that..." Hanji mutters, "The pastor looks like an honest upstanding person to me, that's why I think that maybe, just maybe there might be a cause more important than preventing the downfall of humanity," Hanji says.

"Well, from where I stand, this one seems to have some guts," Levi speaks up, "But what about the other fanatics from their little sect?? I highly doubt all of them can boast this kind of willpower," He pulls out a pistol a little from his jacket, "Oh well, there're lots of ways to make a person talk," He threatens, "I may be useless in combat right now... But I sure as hell am capable of keeping close tabs on one old man. So do us both a favour and don't try anything that might result in new holes opening up in your body," He adds then leans forward a little to look at Hanji, "On another note, shitty glasses," He says and she looks at him, "It's news to me that you have a shady hobby of playing with rocks."

"Ah, yeah, well... I have excepted you'd question me," Hanji says, "This is not your ordinary rock, it's a piece of the female titan's hardened skin that was left behind."

"It didn't disappear?!" Armin questions.

"It got cut off of Annie's titan body when we tied her with ropes, unbelievable, but! It didn't evaporate, and it didn't disappear," Hanji looks at it.

"May I?" I hold my hand out and she places it in my hand, "Armin, hold the lantern up a little, please," He does as I ask and I look at the hardened skin. 

"And I had an epiphany," Hanji says as I look at the rock looking thing in my hands, "When I compared this piece to the broken fragments of the wall, the crystal composition and structure turned out really similar," She says and I look at her, "In other words, the wall itself was made by the colossal titans who became its supporting pillars,"  I notice Nick looking down at his lap.

"So it's really... Just like Armin said..." Mikasa says.

"Then...Then..." Armin says only to have Hanji shoving her hand over his mouth.

"Wait right there! Allow me the honour to say it, Armin," I roll my eyes at her words, "As it is now, it's going to be difficult to plug Wall Rose, right? Because there're just no boulders huge enough, but what if Eren could transform and could plug the breach using that titan ability to harden their bodies?" 

"Plugging the breach with... My body?" Eren questions and he looks at me as does Levi.

"I've known about Y/N's titan ability for a while, I pieced it together only recently," Hanji says and I flinch, "The material properties are identical, so after you... or Y/N, undo your transformation, what will be left behind is a huge fossilised statue that won't evaporate or disappear," She says and takes hold of Eren's shoulders, "What if it could actually be possible? That's what I've been mulling over, you know..." 

"I think it's well worth gambling on that possibility, and if we could use that repeatedly then even out chances of conquering Wall Maria will look brighter!"

"The standard approach in use today required the scouts to bring a lot of raw materials first. So there was a need to have a lot of staff and to plan supply routes, any progress forward could be made only after establishing supply points along the way..." I say and everyone looks at me, "That's the approach that would take 20 years to come to fruition, but if the need to bring carts along is eliminated then I believe it may be possible to make a beeline for the Shiganshina District," I finish.

"I see... Which a small group, we could make it all the way to Wall Maria in no time," Hanji says.

"How about we carry out that outside-the-wall operation at night?" Armin suggests.

"At... Night?" Hanji questions and I glance at Levi who looks at Armin.

"Yes! Titans can't move at night! I'm aware that torchlights aren't enough of a light source to run at full speed at night... But even at a slowed-down pace, a small group has a chance to make it to Wall Maria before dawn," Armin says.

"Even though our situation is desperate as never before, there's still hope," Hanji says as I hand her back the hardened titan skin.