Angel With A Shotgun [Levi Ackerman x OC] / Attack on Titan / Shingeki no Kyojin

Code LVIII: The Fate of the Xyrochron

A/N: i know that some of you guys have already read this chapter. unfortunately my dumbass wrote basically the ENTIRETY OF IT INCORRECTLY so i've rewritten most of it. i apologize for any confusion that the previous version of this chapter may have caused (--') it is longer in length than my usual chapters as an apology for my very, very long hiatus. thanks for supporting me. i will forever be grateful for every single one of you <3 have fun reading!!!

warning: there are depictions of blood and gore in this chapter. read at your own discretion.

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The return to Chicago continued without issue. Somehow, Levi managed to get Xora to stop throwing up, and strapped her tightly into a seat. The rest of the crew fell into a light slumber for the remainder of the flight, and reluctantly awoke once they landed. The jet carried itself so smoothly, it was hard to tell when they were moving.

It was safe to say that the entire crew was severely hungover, and perhaps even still slightly drunk when they landed. Erwin and a few of his assistants were waiting outside of the jet when everyone deboarded. He wore a face warped with uncertainty as the agents hobbled off of the jet and fell sloppily into bows in front of him with a fist upon their chests.

"Commander Erwin," Xora greeted, though it was interrupted with a burp that tasted disgustingly of ethanol. She cringed and shut her eyes tightly, begging for the ache in her head to go away. She saw Levi clench his jaw as her nausea ebbed over into his consciousness. Gross.

"Codename XX...?" Erwin addressed with a tone of disbelief. "What is going on with all of you?" He surveyed the five agents, all (except Levi) of which wore pale faces wrought with pain.

"Forgive me, Commander," Levi said with an unmasked hint of irritation in his voice. "Hanji decided to buy a few rounds of drinks for our team. I hadn't noticed her lack of responsibility until I awoken from a short nap. It looks like everyone is still recovering."

Erwin raised his brows in amusement, though he still wore a stern expression.

"Is that really the case, Hanji?" he asked, although it seemed that he wasn't too surprised.

"Erwin," Hanji whined, smiling sheepishly. "C'mon. You've gotta understand where I'm coming  from. It's been real rough lately, you know! I know you know! Sometimes I like to de-stress. With vodka. And some tequila. So don't get mad at me!"

"Hanji..." Erwin let out an exasperated sigh and motioned for everyone to stand. "Although I can't deny that I'm a bit disappointed, I suppose there's not much we can do now besides postpone the trial. There is no room for failure, and I cannot let you continue the test with this much opportunity for error. Go get some rest, and be ready to resume tomorrow." 

Everyone shared expressions of relief, thanking Erwin for his generosity. Vinicio and Esfir in particular expressed their gratuity to the commander. Erwin dismissed them and left with his assistants, presumably returning to his office. Although, before he left, he shot Levi and Xora a hard look, almost as if he were trying to read their minds. One of his assistants stayed and guided the others to their living accommodations.

As they were passing through the base, Xora looked around her old home thoughtfully. They reached the large, open area where many agents inhabited cubicles, work spaces, and common areas. As the agents passed, they earned faces of surprise and confusion. Perhaps they were showing up unannounced.

It was interesting to find that all of the other agents shared looks of shock. The Xora that stood before them, a firm legend that haunted the Iridescent Empire, was an entirely different person than the one they knew. She no longer wore that empty expression that seemed to be carved into her face, and her walk was lax, almost casual. Her arm brushed against Levi's as they moved, and she didn't have a react. Her hair was short, falling just beneath her shoulders—a stark difference from the long, dark hair that used to hide her face. There was a twinkle in her eyes.