A Promise to Keep (An Attack on Titan Fanfiction)

Reminiscing the Past

*Hanji's POV,*

Pain

That was what I'm supposed to be feeling right now but, strangely enough, I feel nothing. I crack open my eyes and came face to face with a broken ceiling of an old, ruined house and the night sky. I sat up, surprised to see my right leg there. I lifted my hands to my face and examined them. Sure enough, all three of my limbs were there. Strange, I thought Claudius had ripped them off earlier, it's not like they've regenerated themselves did they?

Claudius.

My eyes widened in realization.

ANNIE!!!

Oh no! I've got to get back out there! Who knows how many of our soldiers he killed or worse!

I quickly stood up on my feet.

Bad idea.

The room spun and I lost my footing. I tripped on a broken beam but, luckily, I felt a pair of strong arms catch me before I hit my head.

Wait! Strong arms? It can't be Levi, he was injured the last time I saw him and Erwin can't just leave the entire pursuit team just to save me. So, whose arms were these?

"You shouldn't be getting up yet, the serum still has an effect on your body, it'll take time for your body to accept it fully." A deep voice said.

I looked up to see a heavily bearded man with long silver hair tied into a ponytail, a square jaw, bony cheeks, electric blue eyes, and slightly muscular build. He was wearing clothes made out of rags.

Silence revolves around us as we stare at each other for a moment. I decided to break the silence and ask the question that's on my mind as of now.

"I'm sorry but, who are you?" I asked him.

He gave me no answer.

Instead, he scooped me up and carried me, bridal style, back to where I first woke up.

"Wha-! Hey! I asked you a question and this is what you give me as an answer!?" I said to him as he carried me back to the mat where I woke up.

He set me down none to gently and I landed on my butt.

"Ow!" I exclaimed, rubbing my, now sore, bum.

"You still need to rest. You can't go out there yet." He said.

"What do you mean 'I can't go out there yet'!? My daughter and my comrades are probably out there dying and you want me to stay here!? Are you crazy!?" I ranted.

He looked at me and knelt down so we were looking eye to eye. Then he did something that surprised and hurt me. He wrapped his left arm around my neck, placed his knuckles on top of my head and started rubbing vigorously with them while adding pressure on my head, giving me a very painful noogie.

"AHHHHHHHHH!!! WHAT THE HECK ARE YOU DOING!!! AHHHHHHHHH!!!" I screamed while trying in vain to get away from his wrath.

"Trying to get some sense into you, hopefully this would work." He said, putting more pressure onto my head.

"AHHHHHHHHH!!!" I screamed again.

Somehow, I managed to wiggle out of his grip and put some distance between us. I pulled my hair tie off and redo my ruined hair. Once I was finished, I looked at him again. After a moment, I spoke up.

"Alright, who are you? Nobody gives me a noogie as hard as that except-"

"Your best friend?" He cut me off.

I looked at him wide eyed and open mouthed. How did he know?

"H-how did you-" I started but he cut me off again.