Parallel Paths (Levihan)

Ch. 1 The Blip

Silence pierced the empty halls of the barracks. There was nothing but the sound of Hange's breathing as they lay on their bed staring at the ceiling, alone in their room. Their muscles ached and had been nagging them all day for a moment of rest. The soft mattress beneath them soothed their fatigued body as they melted into the bed. However, their state of mind and racing thoughts were far from soothed.

Today was the day of the 57th expedition. The female titan had shown herself and had led the expedition to be a massive failure. There were so many lives lost today, so many good people and smiling faces Hange will never get to see again. The empty, quiet halls feel suffocating now, and leave a hollow pit in their stomach that makes them feel unbelievably hopeless. How many more losses will they have to endure?

Their eyes squeeze shut and they let out a jagged sigh.

Another worry that rattles around in their mind is Levi.

Levi lost his entire squad today. In an attempt to stop the female titan, all of them but Eren were killed. Although his stoic personality may not always show it, Hange knows that he cared about them. He cared a lot. Levi has already gone through so many losses in his lifetime, they worry about when it will finally catch up to him. They overheard Petra's father talking to him once they returned back, and even though Hange wasn't a part of the conversation, overhearing it left them feeling sick to their stomach. They can only imagine how Levi feels.

Although they think they know Levi better than most people, they feel at a loss of what to say to him now. Once they got back from the expedition they didn't get a chance to talk to him. However, now that they finally have a moment, they feel hesitant.

Eventually worry overcomes their hesitance, and they finally find the strength to leave the warmth of their bed and go to him. 

Hange makes their way through the barracks as quickly as they can and stops at Levi's door. Although it's late at night, they know he will be awake.

They knock hesitantly. "Levi?"

As expected, there is no response.

Hange sighs and reaches for the doorknob, letting themselves in.

Once they walk in, they find Levi sitting at his desk with a cup of tea in front of him. The room is dark and there is only one candle flickering dimly. When Hange walks in, he doesn't lift his gaze to look at them, but only blankly stares into his cup of tea.

"You know, you really should be resting right now." Hange speaks quietly.

Only then does Levi lift his head to look at them. "I'm not tired."

Hange walks towards him and lays a comforting hand on his shoulder. "You know you did everything you could today. Although the results weren't favorable, we did our best with the little information we have. There was no way we could have predicted the female titan's arrival and her abilities."

Levi sighs and looks down into his tea again.

Hange squeezes his shoulder lightly. "Their deaths won't be in vain. We'll find a way to capture her."

Hange can only hope they're telling the truth.

Levi still says nothing so Hange releases his shoulder and stands up straighter. They give him a more stern look. "But until then, you need to rest. Staying up all night thinking about it will only make things worse. We have more work to do tomorrow and you'll need your energy."

Levi nods his head lightly and begins to stand up. Hange watches as he makes his way to his bed and takes that as their cue to leave. They turn around and make their way to the door.