The Hunter

Chapter 14

Levi scowled as the crowds parted before the procession.

Well, parted wasn't exactly the word for it. More like 'shoved out of the way' by the slow advance of horses and carts at the front.

Over the years since the breach, the scouts- the once deemed 'little' component of the military- had acquired much more support. It was probably something to do with how many Titans they had taken down or perhaps how much was now expected of them with the dense fog of dread hanging over every citizen's head

Levi both was and wasn't happy with this turnabout of support; it felt too false to him, like how a Titan would smile at its food before in leaned in for a bite.

However, this did all mean more funding and a slight increase in the number of recruits.

Very slight...

He clicked his tongue in agitation as he heard the teasing squeal to his right reach it's crescendo.

If it wasn't enough that there were all these carrion pickers around, he had to be sat next to shitty glasses too?

"Smile Levi!" They sang in their usual booming voice "you'll disappoint your fans!"

Levi pointedly frowned even more at this and turned his head away from the idiot.

"Jeeze you need to get laid Levi, that'll put a smile on your face," Hanji sighed to themselves, tapping at their chin thoughtfully.

"If you try to set me up with another of those 'fans' I'll rip you a new arsehole," Levi finally spoke up as they road past a group of squealing young women who were drooling at him like dogs looking at a slab of well cut meat.

"Nah I learned my lesson from last time, maybe I should try sending the male fans from now on," smirked Hanji before they suddenly found themselves being wrenched to the side by a tight grip on their head.

"Male or female, you do that again and I'll take a hose to your lab then stuff all of your equipment up your ass. Sharp side first," Levi stated, expression bland with boredom but voice entirely sincere.

"Ooh kinky," Hanji smiled back.

Levi let go of them in disgust, wiping the grease from their forehead onto their cloak.

"You've been warned," he murmured quietly.

Hanji nodded absentmindedly as they scanned over the crowds, seemingly looking for something.

Levi went back to ignoring them, staring blankly through the writhing mass of people on all sides.

Then his gaze caught on something odd. His eyes shuttered then opened fractionally wider as they focused in on a somewhat familiar gaze standing out from the crowd like the shine of gold in a river of filth.

It wasn't just the eyes that grabbed his attention though, at least not at first, bizarre colour and all. No, it was the smile that really got his attention; that weird, strange, utterly bizarre smile.

It wasn't like the others around it, worshipful or smirking, simpering or false. Thin pale lips were spread achingly wide, faint laughing dimples in the corners, soft, unwavering and... proud?

Levi faltered. That couldn't be it... he had seen prideful smiles before and the distantly proud expressions of his 'fans' as Hanji called them, but that wasn't it. It was almost-

"Ooh what you looking at Levi?" came the dreaded annoying voice of Hanji. Levi turned around quickly to tell them to bugger off. By the time he turned back that smile had gone, melted into the crowd along with the vaguely familiar green-sky eyes.