Under the Same Moon | Levi x OC

Chapter 5 - Sacrifice

Anastasya

Anya frowned at her rosy reflexion. She couldn't tell if the unusual tint to her pale skin was due to stress or the unseasonably warm weather, but either possibility didn't bode well. She finished tying back her long, dark hair and made her way down to the courtyard. Hange immediately bounded over, excitement shining in her maroon eyes.
"Morning!" she exclaimed.
Anya glared at her friend through half-closed lids. "Why are you so energetic this early in the morning?"
"We're going to see Titans, that's why! Aren't you excited?!"
"No."
If anything she was nervous, something that rarely happened before an Expedition. However it was potentially the last one they'd ever have if they didn't figure out a way to stop Lovof, and she was determined to make it as successful as possible. After all, if the higher ups saw it went particularly well, they may overule the anti-Scout faction regardless of its popularity.
Hange winked and set about directing her squad, so Anya went over to Erwin. To everyone else he appeared as calm as ever, but she could feel the frustration radiating from him. He'd argued long and hard with the Commander to implement the new scouting formation, but the answer had been a firm no. It simply wasn't ready, and Commander Sadies wasn't willing to take a risk at such a precarious time for the regiment.
"All set?" Erwin asked her.
"Mhmm," she replied. "Are you?"
"Yes. Flagon was looking for you, by the way."
"What does he want?"
"I don't know."
"Right, well, I'll be right back."
She weaved through her fellow soldiers until she found Flagon's squad.
"There you are," he said, glancing up from a document he was reading.
"Erwin told me you were looking for me."
Flagon put the document away and stepped closer to her, though he kept his gaze trained on the ground.
"Look... Promise me you won't do anything stupid out there today."
"Huh?"
He appeared to find the courage to meet her gaze. "I know how badly you want this to go well but honestly, I don't think what happens today will have any effect on the future of the regiment. So don't make dumb decisions."
Cold fury dropped into Anya's stomach.
"Are you saying I don't normally want Expeditions to go well? That I usually do stupid things?"
"N-no, I didn't mean that! I just think-"
"You think? Really?" she scoffed. "I think you should shut up and let me get on with my job."
Flagon looked as though he was going to argue, but then Commander Sadies called for them to mount up. Anya knew she was being terribly unfair and deep down, she appreciated Flagon's concern. However she hated that he'd seen her so vulnerable after Mitras. She'd done her best to avoid him all week as a result, though it hadn't been easy. She began walking away, only to falter and call back over her shoulder.
"Don't... Don't get killed, okay?"
A small, relieved smile appeared on Flagon's lips, and he gave her a salute she couldn't quite return.

***

Blood fountained into the sky as Anya twirled away from the Titan she'd just destroyed. She was breathing hard, and she wiped the sweat from her forehead as she landed. She glanced around, trying to ascertain the locations of everyone who needed her. Her gaze first sought out Erwin, though he was relatively safe as he and a few others dealt with a couple of Titans away to the left. To the right...
"Shit," she gasped.
The grassy flatland was carnage as once again, the monsters tore through the Scouts. She grit her teeth and sprinted towards the next Titan, deftly avoiding the gruesome body parts of her friends scattered amongst the blooming poppies. She leapt and somersaulted through the air, killing the Titan before it had even registered her presence. She whistled and landed upon her horse, before thundering towards Hange's squad. Flagon soon fell in beside her, his dark blonde hair matted with gore.
"You need to slow down," he called.
"If I do that, more die," she replied.
"You can't be everywhere at once!"
She took a sharp intake of breath as three Abnormals loped towards Hange and Moblit. She turned to Flagon, who nodded back, his expression set with grim determination. For all they argued they worked well together, rarely needing words to convey their strategy. As one, they zipped to the first Abnormal. Anya whirled round its line of sight, keeping it distracted whilst Flagon cut it down. They moved swiftly onto the next, though one of Hange's squad beat them to it, leaving one left. One that had just torn a young man's head clean off and was in the process of reaching for a panic-stricken Hange, right as another Titan crested the hillock behind. Anya's vision was tainted scarlet, and she threw all caution to the wind as she barrelled into the Titan's face, reducing its eyes to gelatinous caverns so as to buy time to deal with the other. However rather than faltering, the Abnormal began behaving yet more irrationally, stomping on everything underfoot, including another two soldiers.
"Anya, there's no time!" Flagon called in warning, anticipating the manoeuvre she wanted to do.
She ignored him, only for him to crash into her mid-air in an attempt to save her from the Titan's outstretched hand. It worked, except now it had Flagon.
Anya looked back and blinked as she met Flagon's eyes and saw the sheer terror in them. Seconds later, the Abnormal began shaking him like a rattle, and Flagon screamed as something in his arm tore. Anya moved faster than she ever had before, a scream of rage bursting from her lips as she butchered the Abnormal, destroyed the other, and caught Flagon before he could splatter on the ground.
"We're clear!" Commander Sadies called.
Anya allowed herself to relax, just slightly, as she set Flagon down. His face was twisted in pain and his arm stuck out at a strange angle.
"MEDIC!" she yelled, before slapping him lightly on the face. "Hey, stop being so dramatic. You're not dying."
"It hurts!" he exclaimed, his eyes snapping open to stare at her in disbelief.
"It will do," she said, surveying his shoulder with a grave expression. "I think it's dislocated. Next time, don't try and be a hero. I was fine."
"It was going to get you!"
"I was faster. Just."
"No 'thank you, Flagon'. No 'what would I do without you, Flagon?'. I don't know why I bothered."
"Mm, me neither. Ah, here's Percy."
Percy, one of the medics, knelt beside Flagon with a grimace.
"That looks nasty," he said. "Flagon, I'm going to have to realign it."
Flagon had squeezed his eyes shut again, close to blacking out. Anya couldn't resist.
"What was that? You...you're going to have to amputate it?!"
Flagon shot up into a sitting position. "WHAT?!"
"Anya," Percy chided. "Flagon, just relax. I've got to pop it back in. Perhaps Anya will let you take her hand."
She rolled her eyes and offered her hand, not bothering to wipe the fast-evaporating blood from it. Flagon reached up and took it, and Percy got into position.
"All right," he said. "Three, two-"
"FUCK!" Flagon and Anya screamed in unison as a loud crunch echoed through the air.
Anya wrenched her hand free and held it to her chest, glaring at Flagon.
"You've broken it!" she accused.
"No I haven't!" Flagon argued back. "I only squeezed it a little!"
"How does your arm feel?" Percy interrupted.
"Sore," Flagon replied. "Thank you."
"That's all right. I'm going to put it in a sling now. You'll need to come and see me tomorrow."
"Anastasya." Anya looked up to see Erwin towering over them all. "A word."
She got up and followed him to their horses.
"Injuries?" he asked.
"No. You?" she replied.
"No. How many lost?"
"My guess is around fifteen."
A deep frown settled upon Erwin's face. "We're leaving in ten minutes."
He made as if to leave, but she reached out and grabbed his arm.
"Next time will be better," she said. "We'll get the formation approved and use it once we've got rid of Lovof."
Erwin seemed to be on the verge of replying, but instead he turned and walked away without a word, leaving her to stare after him.

***

Erwin

"Come in."
Erwin wasn't surprised when Flagon walked into his office, though considering they'd only returned from the Expedition a few hours ago, he'd anticipated he'd at least have waited until the following day. He eyed the sling supporting Flagon's right arm, the only indicator of the risk he'd taken for Anastasya. Not that she'd needed him to do so, of course.
"How's your arm?" he asked.
"Fine," Flagon replied tightly.
He and Flagon had never been close, but they'd always got on well enough. However, there was no mistaking his fellow Section Commander's frustration. Erwin fought back a sigh. Exhaustion weighed heavily upon his mind and body, and all he wanted was to sit and think about how to ensure the future of the regiment.
"What would you like to talk to me about?" he asked.
"What are you going to do about Lovof?"
"I don't know yet, but whatever I decide will have to be done quickly."
Flagon hesitated, as though weighing up his next words.
"You shouldn't involve Anya anymore."
Erwin raised his eyebrows. "And why is that?"
"Weren't you worried about her today? About how reckless she was?" Flagon exclaimed.
"No," he lied. "She's the best soldier we have and, although she takes risks, she was in no real danger."
In truth he worried about Anastasya every single time they went beyond the walls, but she was the only one he could fully rely on and, over the years, he'd learned to let her judge for herself what she could and couldn't do. For the most part.
Flagon gawped at him. "O-of course she was in danger! Why do you think my arm is busted?!"
"She didn't need your help."
Flagon shook his head in disbelief. "I know she takes risks but today was something else, and it's because she was trying to compensate for not finding anything solid on Lovof last week. Erwin... You should've seen her on the way back from Mitras. She was distraught."
"It's not because of me," he replied, unable to believe his own words. "It's because of her loyalty to the Scouts."
Flagon blinked. "I've always thought you're one of the smartest people I know, but now I'm starting to doubt that. You were too hard on her when we got back from the capital, and I'm seriously concerned about what else she might do just to please you. Just...keep her out of this Lovof business. Please. If you need someone to do your dirty work, use me instead."
Flagon turned and left, and he made no effort to stop him. Instead he placed his elbows upon his desk and rested his head upon his interlaced fingers. It was a difficult pill to swallow, but he knew Flagon was right. He'd sacrificed their relationship to try and keep Anastasya safe, yet he couldn't achieve his dream without her. He was sure, however, that he could move forward with the scheme against Lovof without involving her again; at least for the time being. He stood and went to one of the oak cabinets on the back wall, opening it to retrieve the bottle of bourbon he kept there. He poured some into a glass tumbler before returning to his desk and plotting long into the night.