Breaking Barricades (Levi x Reader)

5. ** Trust **

I was abruptly woken from my slumber by a cold hand pressing firmly against my mouth.  My eyes burst open in fear, only to find Levi hovering over me, one finger up to his mouth signaling for me to stay silent.  I regained my composure, waiting for him to explain himself.  In a low, hushed voice, he opened his mouth to speak.

"There are titans nearby.  You gotta help me suit up fast, or we're fucked."
 
 I sat up quickly yet quietly, trying to remain as calm as possible.  It was true that Titans were less active at night, but that didn't mean there weren't any still lurking about. Levi had already brought all his equipment over to me so I wouldn't have to move.  He winced slightly as I fastened the straps around his back, reattaching the Vertical Maneuvering Gear.  I had helped to rebandage him earlier, so I knew just how severe his wounds were. 

He attached the straps that looped around the front to his belt, as I began fastening the buckles around his upper thighs.  I was attempting to remain as mature as possible but was probably still visibly flustered by my fingers' close proximity.  Levi however, seemed unphased.  He was too focused on getting us out of there in time.

  After we finished securing everything to his body, Levi wrapped his arm around my waist and hoisted me up to my feet.

  "I know you're essentially down to one arm, but you're gonna have to use all of your strength to hold on. And once we hit a clearing, you need to make a run for the wall... if the gas doesn't run out first."

"Wait- no! What about you?  I can't fucking run with a broken ankle!"

"Don't worry about it. Your adrenaline will kick in, and you'll just have to power through it.  You just focus on getting back to the wall.  I'll deal with the titan bastards."

There was no time to argue with him.  He was in fact the only one with gear, so I didn't have much of a rebuttal anyway. Levi couldn't hold both me and his blades, so when the time came to fight, I'd be on my own.

  I did my best to keep my broken arm in its sling close to my chest, as I wrapped my arm around Levi's neck, tightening my fist onto his cape.  He lifted me off the ground, both of us clenching our jaws, trying not to emit pained groans.  One arm looped under my knees, the other around my back.  We both released an exhale, preparing for the daunting flight ahead of us.

Once we were sure that the closest titan had turned away from us, Levi pulled the trigger, activating the pistons and propelling us forward.  I was able to look over Levi's shoulder, giving us a constant 360° view of our surroundings.  I served as the lookout as Levi focused on where to aim next.  It was hard to see far ahead at night, with the moon as our only source of light.  He was low on options to begin with since we were relying on scattered trees and rocks big enough to hit.

"We're close!" Levi shouted.

I turned my head to finally see the wall appearing in the distance, the flickering torches serving as a beacon.  We didn't have time to celebrate our homecoming for long, as I spotted a Titan rapidly pursuing us.  Where there was one, there would be more.

"Titan approaching from behind; I think it's a 5 meter."

"Alright," Levi mumbled, acknowledging my warning.  Neither of us worried too much about that one, due to its size.  It was the abnormals we were more concerned about. 

  The wall began to grow ever closer on the horizon, teasing us with hope.  Without warning, the earth began to quake beneath us as a hoard of titans burst forward into sight.  There was no need for me to alert Levi of their arrival.  He let out an aggravated "tch" and moved to change course.  Although not impossible, there was still a slight chance that we could make it to the wall before they caught up to us, but only if we could continue to fly. 

Three more large titans emerged close by, and Levi abruptly diverted from their path to avoid interception.  My arm, which had been quivering from my desperate grip, gave out due to Levi's sharp deflection.  I felt my body snap to the left as Levi zipped to the right.  He instinctively grabbed for my waist as I lurched forward. I screamed in pain as he pulled me under his arm, his grip crushing my broken ribs against him.

  With my gaze toward the ground, I watched our shadows speed along the grass. Suddenly, I spotted a handful of signal flares scattered beneath us, catching my eye as they reflected against the rising sun. I immediately looked up at Levi and loudly pleaded,

"PUT ME DOWN!"

He gawked at my insanity.

"Please! Trust me!" I cried.

Without hesitation, he released his hooks and pulled back around, dropping to the earth.  I knew he was looking for a reason behind my decision, but he would understand soon.

"Just back me up!" I yelled, snatching his pistol from inside his holster.  Running on adrenaline and a gamble, I hobbled toward the barrels, heading straight into a swarm of titans.  I slid onto the ground, clasping the first barrel mid-slide and shoving it into the pistol.  I had barely come to a halt before shooting the first flare into the sky.  Without hesitation, I slapped my hand onto another, a desperate red trail following the initial yellow smoke.  As I pulled myself toward the next round of ammo, I inhaled a terrified gasp.  A shadow engulfed my surroundings, as I turned to find a Titan reaching for me.  With ammo in hand, I slammed the barrel inward and fired straight into the titan's eye. 

I took the opportunity to scamper over to the last of the barrels and scooped them into my hand.  I prepped one more round as I attempted to run back toward Levi, who had since slaughtered four Titans.

"Let's go!" I screamed, firing off another signal, this time black.  Levi had just pulled me back into his arms when we, unfortunately, became aware of our ironic situation.  No sooner had I fired off the black flare when an abnormal Titan appeared.

"Shit," Levi hissed in exasperation.

We shot into the air, using the titan's steaming corpses to catapult us forward. I searched the wall for signs of movement, desperately hoping our cries for help were heard.  But our luck was running out as the sound of sputtering gas pierced my ears. Riding out the fumes, Levi began shouting orders at me.

"(F/N), when we land, you keep firing off those damn flares, and don't stop running until you reach that wall!"

I was filled with fear but knew there was no time to argue.  We rolled to the ground, using the last of our forward momentum.  I shoved my fist into the ground to lift myself to my feet, forcing my body to ignore the excruciating pain it was in.  I pulled out another flare as I fumbled to load it, releasing a roar of impatience.  Stumbling forward, I finally locked the barrel into place and shot the next black signal into the sky.

I could hear titan bodies hitting the ground behind me, followed by Levi spewing profanities and slashing flesh. I knew he was finally dueling the abnormal when I heard him shout, "DIE, YOU FUCKIN' UGLY BASTARD!"

I shot my last flare into the sky, the final yellow trail, before tripping to the ground in exhaustion.  Two more titans had their eyes set on me, while Levi remained occupied by the psychotic abnormal, flailing about. I searched the ground around me, desperately trying to find some means of protection, something I could use as a weapon.  But the earth seemed to mock me as I lay sprawled on top of dainty lavender flowers and trapped beneath the monsters who would surely end my life. 

Instead of trying to avoid the inevitable, I slowly allowed my eyes to close, as giant fingers enveloped my defeated body.  I could hear Levi screaming my name, demanding that I keep fighting.  But I had made peace with my death, knowing I had come so close to tasting freedom outside the walls, and unexpectedly, had felt the tender embers of love.

  An earth-shaking explosion detonated over me, followed by a high-pitched, deafening scream. I opened my eyes to witness a flash of pure blinding light, as I felt myself begin to fall. 

This must be death.

Levi...it doesn't hurt after all...