Underdogs

THIRTY-NINE

❝You can't logic your way through emotion.❞

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Chapter thirty-nine:

UNANSWERED QUESTIONS

Levi Ackerman was a man who had long since stopped believing in things like fate or miracles; a life full of frustration and despair, filled with tragedy and little to no victories, had made too many cracks in his abused heart. Empty promises would never win against the fact that the world they lived in was cruel and denied humanity with fire and destruction; the very few beautiful things were inevitably crushed by the iron grip of reality.

But darkness is needed for stars to shine.

As his grey eyes fell upon the woman leaning into him and his arms encased her in an automatic response to her falling unconscious, a lump formed in his throat. For a fleeting moment, a frightening thought crossed his mind — was he dreaming? Because there was no way the person lying in his arms was real, alive.

"Levi," rang Hange's voice from somewhere in the back of his mind, like a distant whisper carried by the morning breeze. "I understand you're in shock, but she's losing too much blood."

But still, he didn't move. Frozen and burning at the same time, the man could only avert his widened gaze towards Hange and stare; as if his mind was set adrift, lost in a cloud of confusion and mixed emotions. He couldn't breathe, couldn't blink.

A battle of emotions was taking place in his guarded heart, threatening to tear it apart. Surprise melted into realization, only for a blinding wave of hurt and anger to bleed him out.

Someone spoke, yet he barely processed it.

"I'll take care of him. Please, make sure she's treated as soon as possible."

"Thank you. Jack, lend me a hand here," Hange voiced loud enough to break through his shrouded mind.

Hands sneaked around the woman before she was pulled away from him, leaving a strange sense of coldness within him. As she was placed on a stretcher with care yet urge, his eyes finally found her face. An invisible hand clenched around his heart as he recognized her beneath the layers of blood and wounds; because he would recognize her anywhere — there was no way he could forget her, no matter how much he had tried over the past few years.

"How?" he asked himself, unable to trust his voice to sound void of emotions like it usually did.

As Galene was taken away and her battered body disappeared from sight, he became aware of his surroundings. Not recalling having fallen to his knees, Levi ignored the commotion around him as the Military Police arrested the knocked-out, former king. His eyes searched the room for the only person who could have the answers he was looking for.

He found Erwin Smith by the open door, speaking with the commanders of the other two divisions of the military. Getting rid of any trace of shock or turmoil on his face, Levi walked over and waited for the man to notice his unamused stare.

"I'm positive that this will lead us closer to defeating the Titans," Erwin was saying. "After that conversation, you probably agree with me."

"We'll have to wait and see," Nile Dok mused with a frown. "After she recovers, we'll have a meeting."

"In the meantime, we will try to find information regarding the Everharts," added the Commander of the Garrison, Dot Pixis, while scratching his thick moustache.

Erwin gave a curt nod, and the two men walked out. As he turned to look at Levi, the latter took a second to inspect his face. Although his condition wasn't as bad as Galene's, his face presented a considerable amount of bruises as well.