The breeze was warm on his face, which was turned up to look at the sky above him. Delicate white clouds rolled across the blue, and he wondered if they were as soft as they looked. What he wouldn't give to just touch them, to lay in them for just a moment. It seemed so peaceful to him compared to the life he lived. He was surprised he even knew what peace could feel like anymore.

"What are you looking at?"

Levi Ackerman blinked, his daydreams interrupted by the woman riding next to him. He turned his steely gaze on her and shrugged, "The clouds I guess."

She cocked her head and looked up at them with him, "What about them?"

"Never mind." He said, gripping the reigns of his horse tighter. It was foolish of him to be distracted by clouds of all things when they were outside of the wall. He let his guard down for a moment and it put his whole squad in danger. At any moment a titan could have come out of nowhere.

"They look soft don't they?"

Mina Sleven. His second in command, hand picked by he himself. There was something about the way she looked at life that pulled him to her. She was the top of her class in the Cadets, having high recommendation from her officers. In the field she was level headed and kept her composure, something that was becoming exceedingly rare in the new recruits. She was the perfect soldier, and still was able to be the soft, kind-hearted person the men needed after being witness to so much death during missions. He didn't know how she was able to do it, but she did.

The men liked to joke that the biggest reason he liked her was the fact that she was shorter than he was. Levi never gave much thought to his height, it didn't change his performance in the field. He thought being small was his biggest advantage. But in the world outside of missions, he was constantly mistaken for a new recruit, or thought by the newest recruits to be weak. He didn't want to be taller, but it was oddly refreshing to know someone that was shorter than he was. It was also probably one of the reasons they were as close as they were. He trusted Mina over anyone, and knew she always watched over him in the field as he did her.

"Yeah, they do." He said, answering her remark.

"Sort of like you just want to lay down in them and never get back up." She mumbled, her dark eyes holding an emotion he couldn't place.

He didn't answer her back, only focused his vision on the path ahead. They were coming up on a wooded area. Their objective was to rid the forest of titans so more lumber could be made. Housing in the walls was becoming more and more rare.

"Captain." Mina called, drawing his attention.

"Yes lieutenant?"

"Sir, should we abandon the horses at the opening and use our gear in the woods to stay above ground level?" She asked.

He thought about it, turning in his saddle to look at the men following him. They watched him with hard eyes, awaiting his response. He turned back around, mulling it over in his mind. He hated to leave the horses behind, it was faster to take them through the woods, but it would cause less casualties to use the gear, and that was something that he needed.

"We will take the horses a little further in to a clearing I have on the map." He called, recalling a small clearing just inside the entrance to the forest, "From there we will use the gear."

"Yes, sir." She said, giving him a reassuring smile.

They soon came upon the forest, and stopped at the entrance. Levi turned his horse around to face his squad, "Alright listen up." he called, drawing the attention from everyone. He cleared his throat, "Our objective is to clear out any titans in the area. After our mission is done, another squad will bring in supply wagons to start hauling lumber out of the forest to use inside the wall. When they arrive, our mission is to then protect the wagons while they do their jobs. Are there any questions?"

The men looked at each other, and Mina shook her head.

Levi nodded, "Alright, we will use our maneuver gear after tethering the horses in a clearing approximately half of a mile inside." He paused, "This is a simple mission, use your good judgment and make safe decisions. This isn't something worth dying for."

"Yes, sir." They all said in unison. He looked at each and every one of his men, taking pride in the confidence on their faces. He trusted each of them with his life, and he knew they trusted him with theirs.

"Use your smoke if one of you needs help.." He said, "These woods aren't that big, we can get the job done in an hour at the most. The wagons are on stand by so let's get this over with. Look for my signal."

They rode into the woods, the men chatting to each other as they did.

"How's your wife doing Lennox?" Stan asked.

"She's great, the midwives say she should be due in the next week or two." Lennox grinned from ear to ear, "Then there's going to be another little Lennox running around the world."

"I don't know if that's a good or a bad thing." Stan joked.

"I think it's great." Mina said, "I'm really happy for you two. Make sure you let me hold the little bugger."

"I don't know if that's a good idea, you might try to sneak a bite." Lennox muttered.

"It's not my fault I like food." Mina mumbled.

"I think 'like' is an understatement." Levi spoke up, "You almost ate my hand off when I offered you the rest of my bread."

"Did not!" She protested.

The men in the rear laughed, agreeing with the captain, who laughed at the memory, as Mina sat fuming in her saddle.

They fell silent, and Levi kept his eyes on the woods around him, knowing full well that at any point a titan could pop out of nowhere and be on top of them before they could do anything about it.

"Sir, look!" Mina called, holding her arm out in front of his face.

He looked down at what she was holding and narrowed his eyes, fighting the nausea that was rapidly growing his his stomach, "Mina," He said, as the hairy spider started reaching its legs out to his face.

"Yes, sir?" She asked.

"Get that disgusting thing out of my face."

She bit her lip and fought back the giggles that were no doubt fighting to be released, "Isn't he cute?"

"No." He said bluntly, "It's repulsing actually."

"He just dropped down right into my lap out of the trees." She said, making his skin crawl, "So I'd watch out if I were you." She gave him a wink and smiled.

"Are you terrorizing the captain with dust again, Mina?" Stan asked patronizingly.

Levi rolled his eyes, readying himself for the oncoming slew of germy jokes.

"Just a spider." Mina said, holding out the spider for the others to see. They shuddered and Stan said, "This one time I can agree with you captain."

He shook his head, and directed the group into the clearing they would tie their horses in. Once that was done, they flew up into the branches of the trees. After giving them another quick run-down, they separated and took up their parts of the forest.

Levi had the southern portion, which he glided through, keeping a weathered eye on the ground below him. Soon he stumbled upon a small three meter titan, wandering aimlessly through the trees. He glided past it, drawing its attention. It reached it's pudgy hands out to try and grab him, which he maneuvered around easily. He'd rather throw himself into a burning inferno than be touched by a titan. One only knows how many germs were on its hands.

He shuddered at the thought.

He easily swung himself around it and cut the soft spot on its neck, watching it fall to the ground lifelessly. He swooped down to land on a tree branch, looking down at the little titan. He almost felt sorry for them, condemned to a life that consisted only of the lust for human flesh. They didn't know any better, they were like wild animals wandering until they find use of their bloodlust. What kind of life was that?

He looked back up at the sky and the clouds, wondering if the titan's soul was up there somewhere now, along with all the others, with the people they'd killed.

He quickly moved on, clearing the forest in a good amount of time. When he was sure his portion was cleared, he returned to the clearing and rose his gun above his head, releasing a stream of green smoke into the air. It wasn't long after that he heard the sounds of the maneuver gear as his squad made their way towards him.

Stan Sherman was the first to reach him, the tall German broad shouldered blonde-haired man gracefully swooped down to land in front of him, "All clear on the north front, sir." He said, giving Levi a salute.

"Good work, Stan." Levi said, saluting him back.

Lennox Reagan was the next to reach Levi and Stan, the lean scarred thirty year old also snapping a salute, "Eastern front cleared, sir."

"Good, good." He said, pacing back and forth.

Finally Mina came swirling up to the tree to land next to Levi. She grinned, "All quiet on the Western front, sir."

He arched an eyebrow, "Nice reference."

"Thanks, I wasn't sure you'd get it."

He reached for his gun with the rest of them, firing the signal smoke up into the sky. He put it back into its place at his side and walked out further onto the thick tree branch, peering out over the field. "It won't be long now until the wagons come, keep on your guard for any straggling titans." He called to his squad members.

They nodded and stood alert. He glanced at them out of the corner of his eye. His squad. He was proud of each and every one of them. None had disappointed him, or let him down, persevering in situations that would have killed any other person. The Levi Squad had been revered for their sharpness and accuracy in the field, and there was a reason why. Each of them were as close to the others as you could get. They were almost like a dysfunctional family. They were the closest thing Levi ever had to a family, and he loved each and every one of them.

Suddenly a group of wagons burst over a hill, and he turned to his men, "Here they come."

They all stood next to each other, waving at the scouts driving the wagons. They waved back and called, "All clear?"

"All clear." Levi called.

"Good, our objective is just past this clearing." The scout driving the wagon in front said.

Levi dipped his head, "Lead the way."

As the other two squads cut at the logs they were using for timber, Levi's squad kept a protective eye on their surroundings. Levi crossed his arms, watching as they stacked the wood into the wagons.

"It's going to weigh them down."

He turned to see Mina standing behind him. She, too, was watching with worried eyes. She was right, the wagons would be very weighted, and if there was an attack by a group of titans he didn't know if their small squads could keep them at bay long enough for the other squads to reach them.

"We have to trust Commander Erwin's judgment." Levi said, though he too had his worries.

"I always do." She said, almost reluctantly.

He squatted down to rest his knees, asking her, "How's your brother? I heard your mother passed away."

"Yeah, last week." She said.

"I'm sorry."

"She had a long life." Mina sighed, "Not the best, but not the worst. My brother is being taken to public court to see if he's fit for living on his own." she paused, "He's not."

Levi turned his gaze on her fallen face, "So what does that mean?"

"He'll probably have to go to an institution." She said, "He's so afraid."

"There's nothing you can do?"

She shook her head, "I'm not a fit guardian for him since I'm in the scouts. I won't always be there, and if I'm killed on a mission, they'd just have to do this all over again."

Levi frowned, "When does he go to court?"

"Next week."

"I can put in a good word for you." He said.

Her eyes lit up, "You'd do that?"

"Of course."

"Thank you, sir." She said, giving him a cheerful smile. He gave her a small smile back, because it was hard not to be caught up with them. They were infectious, like her personality. If she wouldn't have been in his squad, he might have asked her to dinner. A nice little place that he went to situated on the river. They knew him there, saved his table outside if he ever decided to pay them a visit. He thought Mina would like it there.

His men may have said he liked Mina because of their height, but the truth of the matter was that he felt himself attracted to her. He had known her father in the scouts, served in his squad when he was the captain. Levi was on the mission when her father had died saving the life of a rookie. He was also one of the men who had to tell the captain's family. That was when he had first met Mina, having held her while she cried. A few days later, while he was out running a few errands, he had run into her, and she had told him she would be shipping off to the cadets the next day, and that she planned to join the scouts in honor of her father. She had been so determined.

"Titan approaching!" Stan called from the other side of the path. Levi shot up onto his feet and looked in the direction Stan was pointing. A tall seven meter titan was running towards them. The scouts on the ground shuffled in hesitation.

"I've got this one, sir." Lennox said, hopping from the tree and towards the titan.

They watched him swinging towards the titan and the scouts on the ground got back to work, a little more quickly than before.

Mina tied her hair up into a ponytail as Lennox was almost on top of the titan. She opened her mouth and said, "Sir, I-" She stopped short, making him turn towards her. Her eyes were focused on something behind him, her face expressing her indecision.

He turned in the direction she was staring and said, "What is it?"

"I don't know, I-"

Lennox cried out, and tried to maneuver himself upwards but he was too late as a titan came running at his right. It grabbed Lennox, who tried to cut its fingers with his blades, but he didn't have the range to.

"Lennox!" Stan shouted, jumping from his perch in the tree across from Levi.

Lennox was struggling in the titan's grip, and started screaming as the titan squeezed harder. It rose Lennox up into the air, the man's cries growing more agonized. The titan gave the final squeeze, and Lennox was cut silent, his blood spattering the foliage around them.

Stan cried out in grief, tears flying off of his face as he swooped around the titan and cut it's soft spot before it could devour Lennox.

Levi felt his fingernails digging into his palm as he shouted down to the scouts, "Hurry the hell up, we need to get out of here now!"

"Sir!" Mina shouted. He turned to her, her face frozen in fear, "They're coming. I don't know how many but I can hear them."

He listened, and the distinct rumbling could be heard in the distance, growing ever more loudly. He dropped down out of the tree next to the captain of the supply wagons, "We need to leave. Now."

"We don't have enough lumber to return with." He said.

"If we don't leave now, unnecessary death will occur." Levi snarled, "I am not willing to risk any more of my men."

"We have our orders, Levi." The captain said, "We're not leaving without fulfilling them."

Levi gritted his teeth and grabbed his flare gun. He sent a round of purple smoke up into the air to signal for help. He then shot up to the tree where Mina stood with her hand on Stan's shoulder, who had retrieved Lennox's body and killed the other titan. The German was holding Lennox close to him, silent tears streaming down his face. Levi gritted his teeth, "There are an unknown number of titans approaching. We are not to leave until the supply squads have finished their mission."

Mina stared at him with wide eyes, and knelt next to Stan, "We have to leave him here."

"No, I can't leave him." Stan choked.

"I'm not asking you to." Mina said softly, "Just until the titans have been dispatched."

Stan laid his friend's body down on the branch, folding Lennox's cloak over his mangled face. "He was going to be a great father." Stan said, and then stood up, his face radiating vengeance. Levi put a hand on the German's shoulder, "Clear your head, don't act on vengeance."

"Sir, titans to the north!" Mina shouted.

"Titans to the east!" Someone below them called.

"We're surrounded." Mina whispered.

A titan broke through the trees behind him, picking up one of the scouts on the ground. The man screamed as the titan bit him in half, his blood raining down on his comrades below. One woman screamed out in agony, shooting up in her gear to attack the titan. She swung around him, but screamed in surprise as another came out of nowhere and slapped her out of the air. She hit a tree and fell to the ground lifelessly.

Mina swung easily behind the two titans, cutting their soft spot effortlessly. Stan followed suit, cutting down a titan before it could snatch another scout on the ground.

Levi swung himself out of the tree to head off the titans coming from the entrance, needing to give the supply squads a way out. He spun in the air as he brought his blade singing across a titan's soft spot. He maneuvered out of the way of a snapping five meter, it's breath wrapping around him in a haze of disgusting stench. He then dropped himself down to dispatch it, and swung up to a tree branch to survey his surroundings.

Mina was effectively holding off the titans coming in from the west, and Stan was holding them off from the north. A female scout was trying to hold them off from the east, but she was clearly not as skilled as his squad. Of course no one was as skilled as his squad, he had made sure of that.

Levi watched as more titans surrounded them, and soon it was all they could do to keep the wagon supply safe. Levi had just finished downing a four meter titan when he saw one pull on Stan's cable. The scout shouted in surprise and plummeted towards the ground.

"Stan!" Mina cried, trying to make her way over to her friend. She maneuvered out of the way in time to miss the snapping jaws of a female titan.

Levi shot over towards Stan, who hit a tree and dangled unconsciously from his cables. Three titans descended on the scout. Levi was able to cut one's soft spot, but one had grabbed Stan's body. The other titan tried to swipe him from it, but only managed to catch the half of Stan that was exposed. The two titans started fighting over Stan, and Levi could only watch as they tore his friend's body in half.

"No!" he shouted.

"Stan!" Mina cried. In her momentary distraction, a titan came up on her right and swatted her out of the air. She screamed and hit a tree, falling to the ground in a heap. She rose to her feet in clear agony, trying to maneuver herself up into the trees, but the cables didn't work. Mina froze, her eyes meeting Levi's and she flew into the air as a titan grabbed her between it's thumb and index finger.

"No!" Levi cried, rushing towards her. No more. He thought, No more death.

Below them, titans were attacking the supply wagons, ruthlessly killing the scouts under his protection, but he could only see Mina. She was struggling against the titan, trying to pry her head out of its grip. It rose her above its open mouth, and let go. Mina screamed as she fell, but Levi reached her just in time. He caught her midair as the titan's teeth snapped, making Mina cry out.

He landed on his feet high in the branches of a solid tree, setting Mina down. It was then that he saw the blood soaking his pants, and Mina's leg missing just below her knee. She stumbled and slid down the back of the tree to sit in shock. "My-my leg." She whispered, looking at her missing limb.

Levi clutched her hands, "You're going to be okay." He said calmly, though the shaking almost crept out in his voice, "Stay here, I'll be right back."

"No!" She tightened her hold on his hands, her eyes wide and full of fear, "Don't leave me."

"I'll be back, I promise." He said, and dove down out of the tree.

Mina sat in utter shock, her hands shaking violently. She could only stare at where her leg used to be and wonder why she didn't feel any pain. Blood was seeping out onto the tree and she vaguely thought she should try to bandage it.

She rested her head against the back of the tree. Stan was dead. Lennox was dead. Countless numbers of the supply wagon squad were dead. How many more had to die? When was enough, enough? She wanted Levi, she wanted him to stay there with her, to tell her she would be fine. She always counted on the captain's cool attitude to keep her calm, but how could she keep her calm when he wasn't there? And what about her brother? What would Marcus do without her? She was all he had.

The world around her began to grow fuzzy and warm, the edges around her vision growing dark. She was losing too much blood. She felt herself start to lose control of her body and fall to the side. She tried to stop herself but couldn't. She slid to the side and fell from the tree. She could only close her eyes and brace for impact.

When she hit the ground, she felt something in her left shoulder crack, and sheer pain erupted in her upper left side. She screamed in pain, and opened her eyes to see a titan approaching her.

"Levi!" She screamed helplessly, having lost all feeling in her body.

"Levi!" He turned while hanging in midair after killing a titan and saving one of the wagon scouts, his eyes shooting to the place he had left Mina. She wasn't there. He looked down to the ground to find her laying spread-eagle and a titan reaching toward her.

Levi shot back out of the way of a reaching titan and barely had time to get out of the way of another behind him. This was it, the wagon supply was all but dead, and his squad was wiped out. There was nothing he could do now but watch helplessly as titans closed in around them.

A hand grabbed his shoulder and pulled him back against a tree. He turned to stare into the face of commander Erwin, "We need to get out of here now." He said, releasing blue signal smoke into the air. Erwin's backup started fighting off the titans to allow room for the wagon supply to retreat.

Those remaining of the wagon supply started running, but were stomped on by titans. Levi turned back to where Mina was being picked up by the titan. He gritted his teeth and dug his heels into the tree he was backed into. He was about to launch himself toward her when Erwin grabbed Levi around the waist and hauled him in the other direction, "We need to go, leave her!"

"No!" Levi shouted, "I can't, I won't!"

Erwin slammed the captain against a tree, "You're my best soldier, I won't lose you. Leave her, that's an order."

Levi was shocked silent, and looked to where Mina was limply hanging in the titan's hand as it started walking deeper into the woods. Her glistening eyes met his, all the betrayal in the world pooled in them. His stomach tightened and he closed his eyes as he turned his back on her, following Erwin, fighting back tears as he did.

So this is my first ever attempt at an Attack on Titan fanfic, I hope it was halfway decent! I totally love Levi, so much so that I decided he deserved a story. So this obviously takes place before the events in the show, and before Levi becomes as revered as he is. Before he became as hardened as he is. And also before Petra and his other squad.

So tell me what you all think of the beginning of my little story here! Reviews are very much appreciated!