A Myriad of Scents (RivaMika Week 2015)

Day 5 - Nutty

JULY 7TH, Day 5: Nutty (e.g. Chestnut)

"Is that so?" Levi asked Mikasa, his eyelids hung low.
Mikasa was sure her heart was going to burst from her chest. Levi was sitting close to her on his bed, he still had the teacup she had given him in his hands.
"And did you lik-" Levi started, but the door to his room suddenly flew open, revealing a short timid looking member of the Survey Corps. Mikasa and Levi's heads jerked towards the door simultaneously to see the young man trembling so violently, Mikasa was surprised his eyes were still in their sockets. She thought that she recognised him, and that his name was Johann.

"What do you want?" Levi asked curtly.
The young man tried to form a sentence but he was stuttering so much that Mikasa could not make out a single word that he said.
"Spit it out, what do you want?" Levi's annoyance at the intruder was evident in his tone of voice.

Johann still at the door, took several deep breathes and tried to collect himself.
"The t-t-titans are coming. T-t-too many for us to take down. Commander Er-r-win has ordered a full evacuation of the headquarters." The young man's face was almost purple by the time he was finished.

Mikasa was stunned, although she did not show it, but turned to Levi, whose own face held a grave look.

"Tell the others about the evacuation. I will go to see Erwin immediately." Levi responded to the stuttering solider. Johann nodded and began to run down the hall.
Levi marched over to his ODM gear and quickly put it on, securing the clasps tightly, when he turned to Mikasa.
"Collect your gear and meet me in Erwin's office. We will need your skills if even half of the Survey Corps is to survive this night."
"Yes, Captain." Mikasa replied, already leaving the room.

Mikasa began to run at full speed towards the armoury to pick up her gear. She could hear shouting from all over the castle as members of the survey corps warned each other of the oncoming titans. Mikasa could hear the sound of her boots slamming against the stone floor as she got closer to the armoury. By now, she wasn't the only one heading there, more and more people bearing the insignia of the wings of freedom surrounded Mikasa, all of them running and asking each other what exactly was happening.
"I heard some scouts at one of the outposts sent an express message to the Commander. Apparently there are hundreds of Titans heading straight here to headquarters. The worst part is that most of them appear to be deviant titans." The voice came from someone at the front of the crowd.

"That's impossible." Someone shouted from behind Mikasa.
"Well Commander Erwin seems to be taking the situation fairly seriously." Mikasa was sure she recognised this voice.
"Eren?" Mikasa called out.
"Is that you Mikasa?"

Eren was with Armin, Jean, Sasha, Connie, Ymir and Christa. When Mikasa asked where Reiner and Bertholdt were, Eren just shrugged and said that they had looked for them, but they were nowhere to be found.
"They're both tough. They can look after themselves." Jean commented.

The group of friends picked up their ODM gear and quickly secured themselves in. Mikasa was sure that she could hear someone crying in the corner of the room, but did not look over to see who it was. Fighting as part of the Survey Corp, meant that you faced death on a daily basis, and today seemed no different than any other. When it appeared that everyone was ready Armin said,

"Right, so let's go to the orchard and meet up with the rest."
"You guys go without me; I have to meet Levi in Erwin's office." Mikasa said.
Eren eyebrows furrowed. "No, Mikasa. Come with us, we have to go with the others. That's where everyone is meeting."
"I know but he's waiting there for me. We'll catch up with you guys. There's no time to argue, just hurry up and go." Mikasa's voice was stern.
Eren and Jean protested but eventually Mikasa had her way. She declared that it was riskier for their group if they split up, but Levi and Mikasa were both strong and could handle themselves.

Soon, Mikasa's group of friends had made their way out of the armoury, following the rest of the Scouts that had collected their ODM gear. Mikasa began to run again, this time heading for Commander Erwin's office. Now that Mikasa was alone, her thoughts turned to the afternoon that she had spent with Levi. She had been working up the courage to tell him that she had remembered that night of the party and the dance. Levi had told her that she looked radiant and that he wanted to give her a goodnight ki-

Stop. Stop thinking about that. I have to focus on the situation. Mikasa cursed herself. She was going to find Levi and meet up with rest of her friends and the orchard and get as far away from headquarters as they could.

Commander Erwin's office door was ajar, and there stood only one figure, who was looking out the window. His short stature was a dead giveaway to Mikasa as to who it was.
"Captain!" Mikasa called out, "I believe that everyone is meeting at the orchard."
Levi turned away from the window and began walking towards Mikasa at the door.
"I know, I have already spoken to Erwin. But we won't be going with them. We have been given different orders. I'll explain on the way." Levi's voice was its usual flat tone.

***