The Fight for Mankind

The Nature of Titans

ERWIN

Sunlight shone through the large iron wrought windows, casting the room in a deceivingly warm summer glow that added to the growing headache forming at the base of my skull, the pain of which was pulsating with my heartbeat but that was nothing compared to the phantom itch shooting down my arm and resonating in fingers that were no longer there.

I suppose I should be grateful the arm was the only thing I lost, others had lost far worse, and looking over to Levi as he sat in his chair opposite commander Pyxis, all of us awaiting on Hange at my request, I saw the faraway look in his eyes and his slightly swollen lips pulling into a grim frown. It was clear there was something on his mind, and as his hand came up to brush the side of his neck, I caught sight of fresh bruising in the shape of teeth and knew precisely where his head was.

Aurora.

It was beyond regrettable what had befallen Rian, he was a skilful, dedicated soldier and his unique gifts would be a detrimental loss to the scouts but not as painful as it would have been had Aurora died in his place, after all, she was the stronger of the two, not just out in the field but in their abilities as well. Yes she was impulsive, insubordinate and harder to control but that wasn't necessarily a bad thing if channelled in the right direction, but it was more than that, had she died, not only would the scouts have lost her but we would have lost Levi as well and in one fell swoop, Humanity would have lost its greatest defenders.

Their attachment has gone far beyond even what I had anticipated. I knew Levi would become attached, even believe himself in love, but this... this is real, and now she's in pain and he can't stop it. 

I never had siblings, my mother died when I was young and my father... well that was another story entirely, and as such the idea of having a brother was alien to me never mind a twin with which I everything, I imagine the loss of that separation would be profound, debilitating even, and that didn't bode well for us. We needed Aurora, we needed her up and fighting. With Miche and Rian gone she was our only means of anticipating enemy movement, that and her relationship with Eren which had once been an ace for us was now a complication, especially after reading the reports.

He transformed to save her, he was her only brother now, and after hearing about his outburst in the medical wing it was clear he was taking over the role of protector, if she wasn't up on her feet and fighting with us, he may lose motivation all together to stay by her side.

"How is Aurora doing?" I inquired, knowing I would at least get an honest answer from Levi and turning his cold gaze towards me, the Captain' Tched as a look of disapproval marred his usual expressionless face.

"Do you mean in her capacity as a soldier or as an actual human being?" Levi drawled as he leaned back in his seat, leg crossed over his knee, the image of passive aggression.

As usual, he misses nothing.

"I deserved that." I smiled to myself, the itch in my phantom fingers tickling over missing nerves and lingering in my stump.

"She's not eating like she should, but she has stopped staring off into space," Levi sighed heavily, suddenly looking very weary which I guess he would be if my suspicions about the origins of those teeth marks were anything to go on, "Now she's angry, really fucking angry. Smashed up a few of my things in rage before I managed to stop her," Levi smiled darkly to himself, his hand brushing his neck again subconsciously, before rubbing the back of his head when a knock sounded at the door.

"Hange" Levi informed us as after tilting his head to the side to listen to the rapping on the wood, "Come in."

"Pardon the intrusion Erwin," Hange announced as she entered the room and spotting the seasoned Commander by the side of my bed, she straightened up and saluted before guiding a young scout whose face was ashed white into the room, "Commander Pyxis, glad we caught you. Er, this is, state your name-"