IMMORTALS • Levi Ackerman

chapter forty five

045: thanks for being here

When Hange and the rest of the squad leader exited the room, I was almost quick to follow, if it wasn't for Levi's hard glance that had told me to stay put. Raising my hands in surrender, I sat back down to the side and watched him close the door and lean against it.

Truthfully, I had no clue why I was even allowed in this meeting, but Levi was adamant to have me by his side during the whole preparation for the retake of Wall Maria, even with the meeting of the higher ups regarding the serum that was entrusted to him.

Now, I seem to be picking up the reason why.

"What is it, Levi?" Erwin asks, raising his head up and giving me a look that I just shrugged at.

Levi grunts, momentarily. "It seems to be hasty... but what will you do after retaking Wall Maria? I'd guess a defense plan comes first but... after that?"

The commander breathes calmly, an easy look on his face. "Eliminating threats. Outside the walls, there seems to be someone hoping Titans would eat us all. Of course, the answer to who is in the basement, I imagine."

If someone had told me before that there were people who inhabited the lands outside of the walls that confined us, I would've laughed at their face and called them a successful comedian. Though back in the days, there were theorists that came up with different conclusions in regards this, now it seemed all the more believable with the pieces coming in together.

"We'll plan that after the basement."

That makes me furrow my eyebrows, because the feeling of an impending doom sits in the back of my head as I stared at the commander. It had been eating me away the duration of the planning for this expedition, but I had resisted the urge to speak about something so sensitive, specially to Erwin.

Naturally, this job demanded risks - lives even.

"I'm asking this because you might not live that long." Levi responds.

I choked, on my own breath, which inevitably earned the two men's attention. "Sorry, saliva went down the wrong pipe." I shook my head.

That was harsh, but it was Levi, but it still surprised me nonetheless.

But what he said didn't exactly seemed too far fetched from the worry that had been resting in my mind.

"You can't exactly move like you used to. Let Hange call the shots. You'll just be dead weight. Let the good news come to you. We'll tell the other's I argued 'till you gave in." he stops in his words. "No... that's actually what I intend. Fine with that?"

I couldn't help but scoff, out of reflex.

"You're incredibly demanding than usual this time around, aren't you, Captain?" I muse.

He stares, raising his brows as if it was obvious. "Don't act as if that wasn't what you had been thinking of lately."

Touché. He got me there.

Erwin gives me his attention this time, and I shrug, not about to deny the reveal of my own intentions. "You're not wrong, inherently. But I would've been a bit nicer with my words because I'm not that much of an asshole."

He rolls his eyes in annoyance, but doesn't say anything back, and I stood up from my seat, shoving my hands in my pockets as I gave Erwin a nod. "Captain's right. It'd be better for you to stay here, Commander. I'm sure you'll be okay with it?"

There's a fleeting somber look that passes on his face, something akin to reminiscing a favored memory.

"I'm not." he finally answers after a blink. "I'm fine being food. Use me as bait. If I'm gone, then Hange will continue. If Hange is gone, then the next."