Silent Howl (AOT Fanfiction) DISCONTINUED CAUSE I SUCK

Chapter 15 | A Whole New Start (3)

Levi knew something was wrong the moment his squad caught up with the rest of the regiment. Yes it was normal for there to be casualties and thus a particular atmosphere not found anywhere beyond an expedition, but this was unprecedented.

So he left his team to go and find the Commander, or at least someone who would know why things were like this. Levi's mind kept drifting back to Athena and whether she was okay- it was her first expedition after all, though he didn't worry too much; firstly the woman would batter him for showing concern to her, but secondly she was more than capable of looking after herself.

His team was getting better. They were all still alive, that was a testament to their skills alone, and improving all the more. They respected him and trusted him, yet he couldn't bring himself to be anything more than a stern captain, to try and actually get to know them better.

"Do you need something Ackerman?" Levi snapped to attention as Dita Ness, the Senior Team Leader spoke to him.

"I was just wondering what happened with the fourth squad sir."

Dita went as pale as a sheet. "A whole team was wiped out in one fell swoop. They said there must've been about fifty titans, nothing like they'd ever seen before. O'course the weirdest thing was that all the titans were dead when they got there, and one of the only survivors was in the middle of it all."

Holy shit. Fifty of them? "Only survivors sir?"

"Yeah, she's in that wagon over there. Won't talk to a soul- in complete shock. The other lad is up with the Commander, but he didn't see much of it." Dita pointed to one of the wagons before cantering up to the command unit.

Levi turned to look for the soldier and froze when he saw her. Of all the people who had to go through that, it had to be her. She looked as she had after she was attacked in the underground all those years ago, a blank slate and terrified of anything.

He knew he ought to go to her, even if she might break out of this shock to be angry at him, but in truth, he didn't want to be sure that he was the thing that made her the angriest, the thing she most hated. So Levi went back to his team and said nothing the whole journey back.

Aren Graf, a member of his team, was a friend of Athena's, or at least she was her roommate and he could tell the girl was worried, especially as rumours were passed round the regiment as they got back to the base. Each one was as awful as the last, none leaving any room for Athena herself to say anything.

By the next morning, it had spread like wildfire; the girl who had survived an army of titans. Yet no one had actually seen her, she was shut up in her room and her roommates refused to let anyone besides the higher ups in.

There was a growing concern in Levi for his former partner, that she might never come out of this trough a second time. Partner... it seemed like a lifetime ago, and though it had only been just over three years, so much had happened in that time- especially for Athena.

Still, he supposed he had to try. The walk down the corridors seemed too long, in fact going through the soldiers quarters was a little strange since after he been given the rank captain, he had had his own room.

Levi had no idea what he was going to say but she needed him once, surely she wouldn't abandon him yet.

When he got to her dorm, Levi saw someone standing outside it and slowed his pace a little. It would look a little odd if he was seen getting particular close to a new recruit, especially one with such suspicion clouding around her. Yet when he noticed the familiar ebony hair belonging to one of his team, the man hurried again.

Aren noticed him and straightened. "Captain." Her voice was quiet as if she was afraid of waking or disturbing someone. "I assume you're looking for Athena."