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“Squad Isaac! Take up the defense position, we have one coming in on the right!” A masculine voice called over the thundering of hoof beats. Hange resisted the urge to take a swipe at him with her last blade.
This man, Commander Erwin Smith, was leading his soldiers out of yet another bloodbath. Every time they went outside the Walls they lost people, and every single fucking time, it was someone Hange cared about. First a friend she had trained with in the Cadet Corps, then a soldier she had feelings for, and now her entire squad… She was the only one from her unit to report back. No one else survived.
And there wasn’t a single thing she could have done about it.
Hange was just a measly soldier- Titan fodder, really. She had no authority, no power to scream “Retreat!” when she saw the massive hoard of Titans crest a hill. The only reason she was still alive was because she scaled a tree as soon as she killed the Titan who ate her squadmates. There was nothing else to do besides sit there and listen to the screams of innocent people as they were slaughtered. And she had to tell their story.
A sharp pain ran up Hange’s arm as she realized her hand had cramped from gripping the reins of her horse too hard. She sighed and flexed her palm open and closed to dispel the throb. As the ground shook from a massive thud (probably from the Titan Squad Isaac took down) behind her, she gritted her teeth and tried her hardest to burn holes in the back of Erwin’s head with her eyes. The Titans had ruined her life. This regiment had ruined her life. Why did she even become a scout again? She vaguely recalled a willingness to die for the “cause”, but now that feeling was almost all gone, dried up with the blood of the Titans she fell. Now, all she wanted was to know why. Why did the Titans eat people? Why did they exist? Why couldn’t they get rid of them? So many questions, so much hurt and anger.
And she needed answers, but not just from the Titans.
“Stop here!” Erwin’s voice suddenly rang out again, steering his horse towards a group of trees. “Tie off the horses and get into the trees. We are still waiting for word from the Cart Convoy, so until then we stay here and we stay quiet. If any Titans see us, cut them down immediately and as silently as possible.” He dismounted once we reached the trees and handed his horse to another soldier to tie off. “Squad Levi, Hange, on me.” Hange was momentarily taken aback by this sudden command, but nonetheless followed him up into the tree with her ODM Gear.
She landed roughly, nearly missing the branch entirely. But, she caught her balance and stood in front of her Commander. The one that all but condemned her comrades to death. He gazed at her with a solemn expression, eyebrows knit in thought, or maybe sadness. Hange stared back, careful not to show too much emotion. A sudden draft of air told her that Levi and his squad had arrived. The newly promoted captain approached Erwin as well, pausing in front of the commander only a bit further back than Hange. She glanced behind her and saw his squad of fresh-faced recruits. This was probably only their second expedition, but they all stood and watched Erwin, mimicking an expression that they had no doubt learned from Levi. Hange felt a stab of pain as she thought of her squadmates in some Titan’s stomach, while Levi’s squad was all alive and well. It made her blood boil and her eyes sting with tears at the same time.
“I’m going to put this plainly.” Erwin began, seeing we were all present. “It’s unlikely that we will make it back to Walls with all the soldiers we have here. Our numbers are simply too many for the Titan activity present in the area. We’ve drawn too much attention as is. And…” Hange couldn’t tell if he had trailed off for dramatic effect or because of the gravity of their situation. “The Cart Convoy isn’t coming back. I saw them send up red and purple signal flares just before the Left Wing Spotters were taken out. I didn’t have time to help them-,” Hange cut him off with a bark of mirthless laughter.
“So, who could you help, Erwin? Anybody?” she exclaimed, advancing on his much taller form. He watched her with an odd look of guilt, instead of trying to diffuse the situation like she thought he would. “I watched the ENTIRE Left Wing get taken out, I listened as they were eaten in front of me. I lost my comrades, the last people who were good to me!” She felt tears sting her eyes, obscuring her already shitty eyesight. “Where were you, Erwin? Where WERE you?!” She screamed her last question, locking the last blade into her sword hilt. With anger bubbling from every fissure of her soul, she swung up and over his head, determined to kill this murderer.
The next few moments happened in slow motion. Inches before she took off Erwin’s head, another blade collided with her own. She whipped around to see Levi’s angered face and harsh features staring back at her. He took a step forward and moved to kick her feet out from under her. His ankle crashed into hers, knocking her off balance and sending her tumbling off the branch. She freefell for what felt like a lifetime- but must have only been a second- before she reacted and shot her hooks into the underside of the branch. Hange swung down unharmed, and raced to retrieve her horse.
She had to leave. Now.
‘These goddamn Titans. This goddamn world! If only I knew more about them… I could’ve tried harder to save them. My friends…’ Hange’s thoughts flew through her head, only reinforcing her idea. Her plan. These Titans, these… creatures were dangerous, yes, but what could humanity gain from the knowledge they held? Would research be the difference between humanity’s freedom and humanity’s defeat? She didn’t know for sure, but she knew more than Erwin did. And she was determined to learn more.
Hange had always had an affinity for science and math; it was a hobby she prided herself in. And Titans interested her to no end. She wanted to know everything that was going on in the big, dumb head of theirs. Once she joined the Survey Corps, she realized she may have an opening to capture some for her studies. Though, she’d never thought like this before, her heart thrummed and her mind whirled. ‘I’m going to bring a Titan back to the Walls. I’m going to show Erwin what it’s like to actually help people.’
★
The wind whipped through Levi’s hair aggressively, as if telling him to turn back. Telling him that Shitty-Glasses was a lost cause. He agreed, and would’ve listened to the angered wind, but he was given direct orders from Erwin to bring her back. Alive. And that meant following the erratic scientist on horseback. He could just barely make out the outline of a horse as he chased after her. She had only had a minute head-start, and yet she was nearly a mile away from him.
And headed towards where the Left Wing Spotters were massacred.
He cursed quickly under his breath before kicking his horse to go faster. The horse whinnied in protest, but slowly picked up speed. Hange’s silhouette began to grow as he gained on her. His gaze narrowed as she tossed a glance over her shoulder, realizing she was being followed. Her hand flew to her belt, and Levi immediately knew what she was grabbing for. He was ready for the quick pop and plume of red smoke fired straight at him, which he dodged easily on horseback. He wasn’t hit with the signal flare, but it did manage to obscure his surroundings. Levi pulled to a stop and listened to the whistling wind. The soft sound of rustling bushes came from off to his left.
They had ridden past this area- there was forest here.
He gripped the reins and pulled sharply once again, steering off towards the forest. And as the red smoke cleared, horse tracks in the soft dirt told him he was headed in the right direction. But he had to be careful. Forests were a Titan hot-spot. They could hide here, ready to catch any soldier, even him, off-guard. And he had the advantage of being called “Humanity’s Strongest”. Hange may be smart, but she was not in her right mind. Levi had to get to her before a Titan did.
Quickly deciding it was better if he was on ODM Gear, he tied his horse to a tree and took to the treetops. From there, he could see everything around him, including one small Titan watching him too closely. He killed it without breaking a sweat and continued his search.
Levi flew through the trees for about fifteen minutes before he began to get annoyed and feel a familiar sinking feeling in his gut. ‘She’s probably dead by now. Damn Four-Eyes, running off and getting herself killed… making me carry her body back.’ Assuming there was a body to take back. Levi sighed and refocused. He knew better than to let his brain wander like this. Last time he did, he almost killed his entire squad. All because he was in his head. But not this time, he wouldn’t-
“That’s right! C’mon! Follow me, you big lug!”
Hange.
★
“C’mon, I didn’t ride all the way in here to leave empty-handed, now did I?” Hange walked backwards slowly, staring up at the massive humanoid face above her. She had just found this beauty. He was behind a tree, standing at ten meters, with big blue eyes and pursed lips. He also had shoulder length blonde hair that really complimented his eyes. In short, Hange was giddy just thinking about what she’d learn from dissecting him. “Now, darling? I just want you to follow me out of the forest. I have a home not far from here. And while I can’t promise you any food, you’ll never be short on companionship! Step out from behind the tree, don’t be shy!” She continued coaxing the Titan forward until she had reached her horse. The beast took a few steps forward, hand reaching out towards Hange as she untied her horse.
Hange smiled up at him. “Now, now. Let’s not get too handsy just yet!” She had just reached for her blades when a sudden splash of steaming blood crashed down on her. Before she could even register what was happening, the Titan collapsed to the ground- dead.
Levi stood before her breathing just a bit heavier than normal. His icy grey eyes met hers. “Hange…” He advanced on her quickly, raising his blade and backing her up into a tree. “What the fuck were you thinking?!”
Hange didn’t quite hear him. Her gaze was trained on the smoking body disintegrating next to them. She felt angry tears sting her eyes. Her face grew red hot. How dare he?!
“Four-Eyes? Are you listening? I asked-,” She cut him off with a quick knee to his groin. He doubled over, clearly surprised she was fighting back.
“You killed him! You killed him, Levi!” She screamed, running at him with her blades drawn, blindly slashing as he bobbed and weaved around her manic movements. “He could’ve helped us! And you KILLED HIM!”
Levi was suddenly at her side, holding both her wrists away from him as he spoke to her. “Hange, stop this now. You could be put in jail for insubordination. On two counts.”
She tore her hands free from his grip and elbowed him in the throat. He choked and gasped for a second before she was on him again, kicking him in the stomach and knocking him flat on his back. “You’re a murderer, Levi.” She kneeled down, her nose inches from his. “A murder-”
And her world went black.
★
Hange woke up suddenly. Her eyes flew open and she sat up. Well, attempted to sit up. The sudden stabbing pain behind her eyes made her cry out, and when she tried to grasp her head in her hands, she found them both shackled to the side of (what seemed to be) a bed. As the pain subsided, her memories came flooding back. Her squad, Erwin, that Titan, and…
“You awake, Shitty-Glasses?”
Levi.
The emotionless man sat at a desk next to her bed. They were not in a jail cell… it looked like a normal bedroom. She just happened to be shackled to the bed in this normal bedroom. And apparently Levi was there, too.
He watched her for a moment, as if waiting for her to speak. Hange opened her mouth, but all that came out was a dry squeak. Levi sighed heavily and got up to release one of her hands.
Then, he handed her a cup of water.
Though she had to sit up to drink it without spilling, Hange still downed it gratefully. She savoured the feeling of her parched throat being satisfied by the cool drink. She handed the cup back to Levi, who set it on the desk as he sat back down.
“What happened?” She asked.
“Well,” Levi looked at her with a look best described as ‘done with Hange Zoë’s bullshit’. “You went crazy and tried to bring a Titan back to the Walls like a dumbass. Then you tried to kill me. Then I knocked you out and brought you back here.”
“Where is “here”? Headquarters?”
“No. You see, Premiere Zackly didn’t take kindly to you making an attempt on both Erwin’s and my life, so he wanted to hang you for treason. Erwin is currently at the Capitol trying to repeal your sentence, along with my squad. And we're at a safe-house inside Wall Rose, so the MPs can't take you away.” Levi explained all of this without batting an eye, but Hange could tell he was pissed.
“Erwin’s trying to repeal it? Why? I tried to kill him…” Hange tried to wrap her head around this new information, but it began to give her a headache. She brought a hand up to her temple, about to touch it before Levi batted it away.
“Don’t. I had to hit you with a rock to knock your crazy ass out. You have a gash there.” She could’ve sworn she saw his gaze soften a bit before he continued. “But I couldn’t tell you why he did what he did. I voted for you to be thrown in jail for a couple years, but even that wasn’t enough for the bastard with a heart of gold. He’s trying to get you out without even so much as a strike on your record.” He paused for a second. “Which isn’t fair. I still have two on mine from when I joined the Corps.”
Hange smiled slightly, recognizing Levi’s dry humor. “I’m thankful, but I just don’t understand…”
“Do you feel like shit?” He asked her, his hand ghosting over his left side.
“Yes… I do.” She pressed her hand to the bridge of her nose to stop her vision from swimming. “I was just… so angry…”
Levi’s eyes left her form and he stared at the reports he was working on before she woke up. He looked like he was struggling with something. “I was, too. When I tried to kill Erwin.”
Hange’s hand flew down and her eyes widened hearing this. “You.. you what?”
“I tried to kill that Titan-sized bastard, too. Right after…” He trailed off, looking lost in thought and way more sullen than Hange had ever seen him before. He didn’t need to say their names, Hange knew what he was talking about.
“I-,” Her words caught in her throat just thinking about Farlan and Isabel. “I didn’t know.”
“How could you? Only one there to see it was Mike, and he doesn’t say a word when he’s told not to. I just wanted you to know that I understood what you were feeling.”
“I’m sorry. For them, for trying to kill you, for trying to bring a Titan back, for making you stay here and watch me…”
Levi seemed to ignore the Titan comment, instead leaning back in his chair and groaning lowly. “I’m not going to say it’s fine and all is forgiven. You bruised the hell out of my ribs, Shitty-Glasses.”
“You want me to take a look? I do have some medical experience, you know.” Hange reached forward and beckoned him closer. Levi grimaced, but moved towards her anyway. “But, I’d like use of my other hand as well, if you’d please.” This earned an audible grumble and Levi cursing as he leaned over her body and unshackled her left hand as well. “Thank you. Now raise your shirt.”
Levi untucked his pressed white shirt and lifted it a bit. Hange’s hands slowly poked and prodded at a small array of mottled purple bruises under his left pectoral muscle. She mostly muttered to herself, issuing an apology whenever she touched a particularly sore spot and made Levi hiss in pain. She also tried to keep her head down, face out of sight. She was fairly certain she was blushing as she conducted her examination. She had never been one to shy at the mention of anything medical, but this seemed much more… intimate somehow. Hange kept “examining” him until she was sure her blush had dissipated.
“Good news, Levi. It’s just a couple small bruises on three ribs. Just make sure to breathe deeply for about a minute at least ten times a day. You need to stretch your lungs so you don’t develop a lung disease.” Hange told him, leaning back in bed and touching her hair softly. She almost gasped in surprise. It was… clean.
Levi seemed to notice her surprise as he tugged his shirt down and re-tucked it. “I bathed you. You smelled like horse shit.”
Hange felt her face heat up again as she turned away from him in embarrassment. “You… bathed me?”
“Yes. I had to be in this room with you, I didn’t want you smelling the whole place up.” He sounded perfectly unbothered. The scratch of a quill told her that he had started filling out reports again.
“I-,” Hange sighed. “You’re such an asshole.”
“Right back at you, Four-Eyes.”