I don't know at what point in the timeline of the Attack on Titan story that this story takes place. I didn't think about it, and I don't care. It's definitely before the Colossal Titan appears for the first time outside the wall around Shiganshina. This was written assuming that certain characters did not die, and that other ones weren't even involved at all. The events and timeline probably won't match up with the canon story at all. Again, I'm not really worried about it. I just hope that this is at least an entertaining read.

I've also had thoughts to just change the names of the characters and turn the titans into zombies or vampires or some other form of undead creature that prays on humans to make this an original story. And of course, change some of the situations to exclude the extremely specific 3DMG. And if I did that, at least then we wouldn't have to worry about what is canon and what isn't, or small details that don't matter, characterization, continuation issues, plot holes etc.

By the way, this story will be primarily Levi x Petra. There might possibly be some fluffy Levi x Eren later on, but I haven't decided yet.

Also, the title of this story is crap. I had to think of one so I could post this, and I didn't know what to call it, so there you go.

All characters ©Hajime Isayama.

There were too many titans in the area. Although Lance Corporal Levi and his squad were dropping the dimwitted creatures both left and right, the effort wasn't enough to ease the onslaught that the left flank currently faced. A severed leg lay half concealed in a shrub. Splotches of blood stained the ground in elaborate patterns and shapes of varying size. A seven-meter class had blood dripping from its fingers and chin, maw chomping like the uncivilized beast it was. It toppled to the ground seconds later when dual blades, spinning like a top, sliced through the upper curve of its spinal column.

Levi spared only a moment to survey the area, when a fifteen-meter class titan appeared over the crest of the hill at his nine o'clock. It charged toward the fray with no other motivation than bloodlust. Its mouth, lined with white, shiny teeth, stretched from ear to ear, and gleamed horrifyingly in the morning sunlight. Reacting quickly, and with the use of the 3D maneuver gear, he leapt from the back of the giant he had recently slain. The limited amount of trees in the vicinity made it a bit difficult, but with his advanced skill of using the apparatus, it was nothing he couldn't handle.

Just as he was about to land amongst the upper branches of an unusually tall oak tree, his stomach lurched abruptly as his body was jerked sideways, the left tether snapping with increased tension. His head spun as blood rushed to his brain. It all happened so fast that he couldn't process the events. The sensation of falling suddenly became overwhelming, a sickening, tingly feeling rising from the bottom of his gut to the back of his throat. He squeezed the trigger hard, employing the gas and projecting another tether in desperation to correct his orientation, but he was too late. The back of his head connected hard with the ground before he could prevent it from happening.

Dropped from the air like a fly swatted with a rolled newspaper.

He lay on the ground for a few moments, limbs splayed, unable to move due to shock. He gasped for air, but his lungs refused to expand, and the searing pain in the back of his head grew more painful by the second. He blinked a couple times to clear his vision. Something large was falling from the sky, and if he didn't move, he would be crushed beneath it. With quick reflexes—thankfully, his limbs seemed to all be intact and in proper working order—he rolled out of the way, and the titan that he'd been so intent on escaping flopped to the ground with a thud right where he had been laying only seconds prior.

"Sorry about that!" Auruo shouted from his perch atop the dead titan.

Levi was on his side after the evasive action, looking over his shoulder up at Auruo. Groaning, he pushed himself up onto his hands and knees, his breakfast threatening to liberate itself from his stomach. He tasted bile in his throat and knew there was nothing he could do to stop it. Trembling arms supporting his petite frame, his body convulsed once, and he vomited. A bit of the regurgitation splashed onto his hands, and the disgust it evoked caused him to retch again.

Once the contents of his stomach had been sufficiently expelled, he let out a breath and closed his eyes, falling to his side and rolling onto his back. He knew he couldn't remain where he was, lest he be trampled by a titan… or worse. However, at the moment, the desire to sleep was winning out over his survival instincts. He couldn't think clearly, and was conscious of this fact, but he could comprehend little else through the fog that filled his head. He couldn't make sense of anything, and trying to do otherwise was proving exhausting. In the end, he resolved himself to his fate and closed his eyes.

Auruo only noticed that something was wrong when Levi didn't get up. Fearing the worst, he flew to his captain's side.

"Captain!" he shouted, shaking the small man's shoulders. Levi stirred only slightly, blinking a couple of times, but it was not enough to rouse him from his slumber. His head lolled to the side as Auruo continued to attempt revival. He even slapped his captain across the face a couple times as well. Nothing.

Petra had watched from afar as the scenario played out. She'd stared on in horror as Levi had attempted to make his getaway, only to see the fifteen-meter class below leap up and grab his tether in its teeth, yanking him out of the air like it was nothing. The way his tiny, yet powerful body had crumpled when it hit the earth had made her heart drop. If he was dead…

Petra appeared behind Auruo, having run as fast as she could on foot to the scene. "Is he okay?"

Auruo looked up at her, worry twisting his features. "He hit his head pretty hard." He cradled the captain's head with his left hand. When he pulled it away, he saw blood on his palm.

Petra's eyes widened in horror and she fell to her knees. "Captain!" Petra shouted, attempting to push Auruo out of the way.

"Hey! Be careful!" he shouted in protest.

She grabbed Levi's shoulders and shook him violently. Not in the gentle rocking manner Auruo had been attempting. At least he responded this time.

"What?" he groaned loudly.

"Captain, you can't sleep here," Petra explained quickly. "Not only because there are titans crawling all over the place, but you hit your head, and if you fall asleep, you could die. So get up!"

Levi groaned again, and attempted to push himself up, but fell back into the grass. Each of his comrades grabbed a different arm, and lifted him to his feet. He wavered a moment, his lack of balance causing him to stagger a few steps before Petra and Auruo returned to his side, throwing his arms one around Auruo's waist and the other around Petra's shoulders, to help him stabilize. It was clear that he would no longer be able to fight, at least for the rest of the day. Only further examination could determine for how long he would be out of commission. They situated him atop Auruo's horse, propping him against the rider's back so he wouldn't fall, as Mike's squad caught up to their position. The three of them then retreated to the middle of the formation where they would be the safest, and where Levi could acquire some proper medical attention.

In the end, that day's expedition had been one of the worst in the history of the Scouting Legion. About half the company's forces were wiped out, and not a single inch of ground had been gained for furthering the existing supply route. The entire purpose of the mission, after all, was to do just this, and they'd failed miserably.

In the evening, the orange glow from the funeral pyres illuminated the skyline, bathing the town square in a soft, warm light. The current Survey Corps headquarters was situated on the outskirts of the town just beyond the gate to the Shiganshina district, inside Wall Maria. However, funerals were generally held in the town square because of the space the center afforded. It wasn't unusual to see onlookers paying their respects from a distance, on the hills and rooftops, from windows and doorways. But the more opinionated and ignorant citizens usually showed up in the square, intent on causing problems. The big issue of which many people felt rather strongly, was that the Survey Corps only existed as a resource disposal for humanity; a military entity not worth the time or manpower to support. The Military Police were present to keep these rabble-rousers out of the square, but they could do nothing to control the resentful comments that flew at the funeral attendees like throwing knives; taking action would only cause matters to escalate.

Levi was supposed to be in bed, but instead, he stood amongst the rest of the funeral goers in the town square, head wrapped snugly with gauze. The bandage was the only indication that he had been hurt at all. Otherwise everything else about him appeared to be normal.

Once the forces made it back to headquarters, the military doctor had examined his injuries, and confirmed that he had sustained a moderate to severe concussion. His instructions for treatment were to get plenty of rest for the next week, and he was restricted from fighting or participating in any physically taxing activities for three. He'd also been prescribed a mild painkiller and an antiemetic in the event that his nausea returned.

However, he'd vehemently refused to follow any such orders, at least for the time being, which is why he currently found himself in the company of his rescuers; Petra stood to his right and Auruo to his left. It was touching how much they cared about his wellbeing. They had come to see him as soon as he'd been properly treated. When he'd informed them that he was going to the funeral, and there was nothing they could do to stop him, he didn't miss the obvious look of concern that passed between them. Eventually, Petra had proposed a deal, insisting that they wouldn't fight him on the matter, but only if they could serve as his personal escorts. Levi knew that normally, they might defy his wishes in an instance such as this if it meant protecting him, even from himself. But he didn't need to ask why they were being such pushovers about it now. They understood his deep concern for his fellow soldiers, and would never wish to come between him and the need to say his peace for the fallen.

Beyond the Military Police's perimeter, the angry faces of disgruntled citizens glared at them, insults and other comments spewing from their mouths in a thick cloud of ignorance.

What more did they want? Did people think that fighting titans was easy? If it were, then anyone could do it, and humanity wouldn't be teetering just on the brink behind these suffocating walls. Sure, Levi made it look easy, but it had taken him years of practice to hone his skill of the 3D Maneuver Gear, and even then, he still wasn't completely unbreakable, obviously. Besides being able to function using the equipment, there was also the matter of mental resilience. If any of those people in the crowd had to face a titan directly, Levi knew exactly what would happen. He'd seen it countless times with new recruits on their first expedition; he or she would piss their pants and then run crying for their mother. But what other option did the human race have? There was no other effective way of fighting back. Humanity couldn't just ignore its predicament forever.

Though these and other thoughts often ran through his mind, it wasn't worth the trouble of dwelling on them. Even when he wanted to resent humanity, he had learned to mostly ignore the morons. There were many more reasonable people behind these walls than the few misinformed, unintelligent twats that made it their job to be ass holes. The big picture was the thing worth fighting for the most.

After the funeral, his two comrades walked him back to his quarters. He was tired, but couldn't sleep. Although the doctor informed him that sleep might be difficult for a while, this was nothing new to him, as he'd never been a sound sleeper. He'd been through too much, and the horrors that haunted his memories and dreams often kept him tossing at night. It was just one more thing with which he'd learned to cope. The dull throbbing on the back of his head however, surely didn't help this night.

In the morning, the doctor returned to change his bandages. At least the throbbing had stopped at this point.

Petra and Auruo sat together with a few others in the mess hall. Judging by the intense fire in Petra's eyes, it looked as if the two of them had been bickering. Levi approached the table, not bothering to announce his presence, pulled out an empty chair and sat down.

"Good morning, Captain." The heat in Petra's eyes immediately dissipated as she turned her attention to Levi. "Can I get you something to eat?"

Levi nodded, and she quickly stood, scurrying off to fetch it. She was a loyal colleague, but sometimes too enthusiastic and intent to please. He wished that she would relax once in a while, but she always seemed so on edge, especially around him. Auruo on the other hand, thought he could impress his superiors by imitating them. Or maybe the act he put on could be explained simply as hero worship. Either way, Auruo was a good kid whose heart was usually in the right place, even if he did come off at times as cocky and bull-headed.

When Petra returned with a plate of toast and eggs for Levi, as well as tea for everyone at the table, he thanked her, nodding approvingly.

"I never actually thanked either of you for saving me yesterday," he said after blowing for a few seconds on the steam rising from his cup. He took a tentative sip.

"It's okay, you don't have to," Petra insisted, "we would have done the same for anyone."

"Well, if it's all the same to you…" he gave both of them a stern glance from behind his bangs, "thank you."

Sheepish smiles snuck onto both Petra and Auruo's lips, and they each turned back to their food. They didn't need to say anything for him to know they'd taken his gratitude to heart.

There was very little discussion the rest of breakfast, but Levi was thankful for the peaceful company for once. He could seldom relax when playing guard dog with the other high-ranking officers. Unlike Hanji, this company was subdued. Unlike Mike, he could rely on the fact that his personal space would be respected. And unlike Erwin… well, Erwin actually wasn't so bad. Most people thought he was really uptight, but in actuality, he was quite easygoing when not on duty. The only thing about him was that he was always plotting, always scheming, always working out how to be one step ahead of everyone else.

The breakfast group disbanded soon afterward, and each of them headed off to attend to his or her respective chores. In the afternoon, Levi met with Erwin and the other squad leaders in the conference hall to discuss the previous day's failed mission, and the next course of action to be taken due to the result. Erwin seemed intent on getting another expedition together as soon as possible, regardless of the lack of men now currently occupying their forces. Hanji thought differently. She and Erwin ended up arguing for at least an hour, over which program was a better use of the Scouting Legion's monthly stipend. Eventually, Hanji was able to convince Erwin that because there were not nearly enough men to organize another expedition any time soon, that the money would do more good supporting titan research. Levi couldn't say he didn't agree. Simply killing the things was only going to get them so far. It would definitely do their cause some good if they understood the enemy better.

In the evening, Levi remained with Erwin in his office, completing the necessary paperwork that went along with the previous day's mission. The majority of the paperwork consisted of order forms to be sent to the capitol requesting more uniforms, provisions, gas, replacement gear, parts for broken gear, and medical reports.

Completing the medical report associated with his personal file had been fun. After each mission, every soldier's medical records needed to be updated. If he or she lived without injury, there wasn't much to update. If he or she died, there were death certificates to apply for, and paperwork to complete which described the nature of the death. If he or she had been injured, there was another novel of paperwork to complete. What is the nature of the injury? What are the complications? What is the recommended treatment? How long is the recommended recovery time? Has any medication been prescribed, and if so, what symptoms does it treat, what is the dosage, medication period, administration instructions, methods for administration…. And each individual medication required the same questions be answered.

It was all very tedious and inane. He could feel his head start to pulse about half way through completion of his medical leave application, when he gave up and tossed it at Erwin.

"Finish this for me. I'm going to bed," he growled, standing and pushing in his chair. "My head is killing me." He didn't even give Erwin the chance to protest before he turned his back to the blonde. He did, however, hear the commander grunt disinterestedly just as the door closed behind him.

That night, as he tossed and turned in bed, visions of wide-eyed, terrified faces drifted through his dreams. Cries and shouts of anguish and pain rang in his ears as ugly, gluttonous, pig-faced titans tore his friends and fellow soldiers limb from limb. Some of the eyes he saw were blue, some were hazel, and others were brown. But two pairs in particular stood out from the rest; a golden pair framed by blonde hair, and jade irises, edged with brown hair and short, stubby pigtails.

He shot upright, violently coming to, all the blood rushing from his brain as a result. The room spun for a moment, and he thought he might be sick. He bent over his lap, his head in his hands, taking deep, controlled breaths in through his nose and out through his mouth. Thankfully, the nausea quickly passed. He lay back down after catching his breath, and closed his eyes.

He hated feeling so alone, but there was nothing he could do about it. He couldn't even console himself with the fact that he was surrounded by plenty of people who cared about him. Petra and Auruo were good examples. Their loyalty was truly valued and appreciated, even if he rarely showed it. But it didn't matter. Because even though they were here, breathing, talking, and alive now, there was no guarantee they would be a month from now, or whenever the next expedition took place. All those he had ever been close to had been taken from him, so he'd stopped trying to form relationships with anybody. It was better this way, but no less painful.

Even so, there were times he wished for someone to be with him when he felt like this. It would be a whole hell of a lot better than suffering alone in silence. Even if all he or she did was lay with him while he slept. It would most certainly help, even if only a little, to quell his turbulent thoughts so that maybe he could actually get some sleep at night.