#dbd references

[levi501ackerman]

Steel Heart Chapter 25:

Dead by Daylight

Hange x Reader Masterlist Chapter Index AO3

Megan's Note: title after my favorite video game Posted: 11/12/24

Word Count: 6.9k (ugh ik)

!!! Warning: Violence & Unsettling descriptions !!!

 You followed after, watching your feet as you stepped on stone debris and piles of rocks. As you entered the decimated borgo, there were bodies of knights, Marleyan Cultists, and horses scattered everywhere. The fires were dying out and the smokey air was clearing. You turned your eyes away from the horses, not wanting to have the gorey images stained in your mind. 

“How’s Hange?” Levi asked, looking around the borgo for them. 

“Hange climbed the rubble to the top of the wall.” Eren pointed upward.

Hange was on top of the wall carrying several swords and the Founding Titan was bleeding from his right eye. The blood was dripping down its face and oozing puss from the sword jabbed into the eye. Steam was bursting from the socket into the air and Hange was profusely sweating. Willy Tybur’s titan furiously punched the wall, causing raging tremors through the walls surrounding the borgo.

 Hange lost their balance and then gritted their teeth. They stumbled on top of the wall, trying to collect themselves, and they held tighter on their sword collection. When Hange got into a firm stance, they eyed Willy Tybur’s Titan, waiting for their window of opportunity. 

In a swift motion, Hange threw one of the swords they had gathered from the ground. The sword grazed his ear, feeling like a tickle to the fifty-foot titan. Hange dug through the pouch of their waistband and gripped the egg-shaped crystal. They threw it down on top of the stone wall. 

You gasped at the crystal cracking and a large turquoise dust engulfed the wall. Like a reflex, you ran a few feet toward the debris and rubble piled and built up to the top of the wall. Hange’s figure disappeared into the void of the crystal dust, and you looked at Levi, hoping he would have an idea of what Hange was planning. 

“What are they doing?!” You said into the air, hoping to get a sign or grasp onto control. Then the titan uttered an anguished cry and you covered your ears at the overwhelming blaring roar. There was a knot in your stomach at what Hange could be enduring in the crystal dust. 

There was a loud thud and the stone wall of the borgo shook. Large blocks of stones fell from the wall and crashed into the ground. The impact from the chunks of stone sent dust and dirt flying into the air. You coward and put your hands up to block your face. Levi dashed toward where you were and thrusted his shield in front of your face. The wind of dust and dirt trickled and scratched the shield as it passed. Though Levi looked away, the dust swept against Levi’s face, ears, and hair. Eren held up his sapphire shield at the gust of dust that swept the area of the borgo. When the debris settled, Levi shook the dust out of his hair. 

“Are you okay?” Levi asked.

“Are you okay?” There was a strong admiration for Levi’s quick thinking of getting his sapphire shield before you. You wiped away the dust that coated Levi’s armor and hoped Levi was genuinely okay. 

“I’m fine.”

“Me too . . . thank you, Levi.” You said, wiping off the dirt clinging to your tan slacks. 

The turquoise dust faded amidst the air, and a glorious sight appeared. The founding titan was slumped over the wall, exhausted, and crushing the stone. Steam continued to circulate around his body and Willy Tybur’s titan had blood dripping from the sockets. The right eye still had the single sword in his eye, but the left side of his face had six swords. Three swords were sticking out of his eye and the other three were sticking out of his cheeks. 

Hange was standing on top of the neck of the titan and heaved their jeweled sword over their head. They brought down their sword and sliced into the nape of the neck. The founding titan was at Hange’s mercy as Hange, with all their might, slashed the neck. 

Eren and Levi started climbing the stones piled to the wall's top.

Then Hange reached their hand inside the flesh of the titan’s body. They were practically shoulder-deep inside the body. Hange pulled out Willy Tybur from the neck of the finding titan. His arms were limp and weak, and his head was slacked. Hange held their sword to his throat and they had a sharp, fierce look.

You could see they were talking to him and Hange was evidently pissed. Hange was glaring at Willy Tybur, listening to him speak. You couldn't hear their conversation from your distance down in the borgo, only seeing Hange’s charged expression. Hange gritted their teeth and with an enraged strength, Hange beheaded Willy Tybur. 

His limp body slumped, and Hange held his head with Willy Tybur’s long blonde hair. Moments later, Hange fell to their knees, exhausted and relieved. Hot steam was coming off the Founding Titan and Hange was dripping in sweat, overwhelmed yet coursed with adrenaline. 

“Hange!” Levi yelled from halfway up the pile of debris. Hange’s head jerked at Levi’s voice. Then you saw them scan the borgo, noticing Eren’s presence, and their face landed in your direction.

“HANGE!!” You waved your arms over your head as you jumped up and down. Hange stood up hastily while gripping Willy Tybur’s head. Your heart jolted as you watched Hange run along the wall to the pile of debris. You headed toward the base of the rubble, trying to climb up, but Eren held out his hand.

“Stop! Let them come down to you,” Eren urged. You heard his words but focused on Hange as they hobbled down the pile while holding Willy Tybur’s head. The knot in your stomach unraveled with every step closer to you.  Their face and neck were covered in blood and sweat dripped down their face. Hange was carelessly running down the rubble, and Willy Tybur’s head was swinging around ridiculously. You climbed over the stones, losing balance and trying to keep a firm stance, but Hange’s pace was unwavering and determined to reach the bottom of the pile—to you. When Hange reached the ground of the borgo, Hange lunged at you. 

You opened your arms, receiving the weight of Hange’s body against you, causing you to stumble. With Hange wrapping their arms around you and Willy Tybur’s head bumping into your back, they pulled you toward them and your weight shifted comfortably to where you stood confidently. Hange’s presence warmed their cold steel armor against you. You buried your head into Hange’s chest and felt their body encompassing yours like a shield. The weight of destiny lifted from your shoulders and the coils of guilt loosened.

“You heard me.”

“I heard you!” Hange’s ragged voice said in your ear and you held tighter. Pressure behind your eyes built, and you realized your increased heart rate due to the exhilaration of Hange’s safety. You pulled away from their embrace and they placed their free hand on your soft cheek. You held their wrist and gazed into their twinkling, dilated, and warm brown eye. Like a halo from the heavens, Hange radiated light, blinding everything in sight. The blood on their face and neck was almost forgettable as if Hange’s pure existence shielded your sight from imperfections. 

As your heart rate settled down and the light faded around Hange, the smell of ashy smoke filled your nostrils. The strain that tethered duty and desire returned and you gave Hange a soft smile.

“I missed you.” You whispered, and the regret of your actions loomed over you. Your eyes glossed over, thinking about the day you were abducted. The moment of your hand on the doorknob of Flegel’s front door played in your mind. A tear fell down your face as you contemplated whether to tell Hange and Levi or get Jean back inside quickly. Your eyes flickered to Eren and Levi, and the gravity of Eren’s words set in. There in the borgo were just the four of you left—the consequences of your actions. 

“I missed you too, darling.” Hange’s words pulled you from your haunting thoughts. They read you like a book. With one look from Hange, it was like they knew you berated yourself daily in the room in the tallest tower. Hange knew the turmoil that you put yourself through for the choices you made and their eye gleamed. You didn’t have to explain your remorse. They already knew. 

“Hange, are you injured?” Eren asked and Hange turned toward him.

“I don’t have any major lacerations,” Hange shrugged. Then they noticed the cuts on Eren’s cheeks. “Don’t cut again, Eren! The itchy feeling should go away in a day or two.”

“Do you really have to keep his head?” Levi asked as he climbed down from the pile of debris and pointed at Willy Tybur’s head. Hange held him by his hair and blood dripped from his neck onto the ground. You avoided looking at his head because you didn’t want the gorey image to stay in your memory.

“Levi, I have to have proof I killed the Marleyan Cult’s leader! I’m bringing his head to the Queen.”

“Ew, Hange, do you have to?” You cringed, noticing a part of the spinal cord was sticking out of his neck.  

“When we return to camp, I’ll find something to cover his head. I promise, Princess, you won't have to look at him ever again.” Hange comforted and you nodded.

“We need to raise the exit gate to escape with the horses,” Levi said, motioning to the gate at the other end of the decimated borgo. The smoke dissipated into the air, and the fires died out. Charred knights, Marleyan Cultists, and horses were littered throughout the borgo. The destruction from the huge battle wrecked the buildings of the small village. 

“I’m not sure where my horse ran off to, but Connie and Niccolo didn’t make it through before the gate dropped. I told them to clear a path back through the stibnite thrones.” Your eyes widened at the mention of Connie’s name. Another survivor. Then another thought crept into your mind and you didn’t want to ask, but you had to know.

“Is . . . Jean alive?”

“He’s not here,” Eren said. “The day you were abducted, he collapsed and was taken to the castle.”

“His head injury got worse. I’ll tell you more after we escape this decimated borgo,” Hange said, and then they pointed to the gate. “There are seven winches near the gate, but according to the height we need to pass under with the horses, we only need to repair five. We’ll need to repair the winch if it’s damaged and then tie the rope of the gates to the winch. When we have five repaired, we can crank the gate up, get on our horses and forget about this place.”

“Once the five winches are repaired, I’ll get the nine horses and assist them through the opening in the wall,” Eren stated. 

You followed Hange, Levi, and Eren through the shattered square. There were piles of wood with sharp pieces jutting out from them. Pieces of glass covered the ground from the window. The small wooden buildings looked hollow and nearly empty. It seemed the buildings were more of a place of storage or work rather than living. Parts of the roofs on some buildings caved in from the hurling crushed stone. 

Glass crunched under the weight of your foot and there was an agreed silence as you walked past the bodies of the knights who had sworn to protect you. Many black crows filled the borgo and were on top of bodies, pecking at the flesh. You neglected to look at the bodies of the horses because you couldn't stomach the images. You looked over your shoulder back at the temple. The stone levels of both the upper and lower bailey were in the distance. It felt odd that you were standing up there and looking down at where you were currently just earlier in the day. What was once a battlefield of knights and Marleyan Cultists was now a cemetery of lingering dedication. All these knights and cultists fought and put their lives on the line in hopes of having you in their possession. 

You stayed close to Hange as they led the group to the portcullis gate. Fires popped and fizzled as they died out, and you carefully stepped over a pile of dark, black ash. Tables were flipped on their sides and discarded in the area, and odd-looking cages were lying on the ground. They looked long enough for a human to stand in. With each step near a crow, they flew to the sky, avoiding your presence. 

“It should take around ninety seconds to repair one, so if we split up, we can use our time efficiently to escape.” 

“I’m not leaving your side, " you hoarsely asserted, and Hange turned to you and gave you a soft smile. 

“These are the winches,” Hange motioned to a large steel horizontal cylinder that was out in the open on a patch of dirt. A rope wrapped around the cylinder led to the flanking towers housing the portcullis gate. “The rope is already wrapped around and attached, so we’ll need to see if the winch is intact. Then crank the rope taut and it will be ready when we need to crank the gate.” 

“Got it. Eren, how many flash crystals do you have left?” Levi asked and Eren dug through the pouch attached to his waist. 

“Three.”

“I have one left and Y/N has one.” You nodded, assuring Levi’s statement. You recalled when Levi told you to use it only when you have to. Then, the memory of Levi using the flash crystal to escape the cultists at the four-way junction flashed in your mind. 

“I’m all out, but I’m sure I’ll be fine,” Hange said.

“Do the first one with her and then she has to help out.” Levi and Eren jogged away from you and Hange. As they left your view, you felt on edge at the idea of something happening to them without your knowledge. Hange analyzed the winch and then crouched down to open a small door on the side. You watched as Hange looked at the gears and the inside of the machinery.

“Here, turn these gears and make sure they all spin.” Then Hange walked around to the other side of the steel cylinder. “I’ll make sure the gears are working on this side.”

You crouched to be level with the inside of the cylinder’s machinery. You placed your finger on a gear and gently rotated it. Then you moved on to the next gear, noticing the large main gear moving the smaller ones. The inside of the winch looked like all the gears were moving smoothly, and there weren’t any missing parts. 

“I think my side is good.” You said unsurely. Hange stood up and then nodded. 

“Mine is, too.” Hange then moved to the front of the winch, eyeing the rope. “There’s no fraying in the rope, so I think we can crank this winch and say our first out of five is completed!” 

Your heart began to beat, and you heard a distant noise. You turned over your shoulder and looked for a sign of Levi or Eren. In your view, they weren’t working on the two winches, and you couldn’t figure out what the noise was from. The noise sounded like a wood being thrown on another pile of wood.

Hange used the small handle on the side to crank the winch, causing the rope to pull taut. The rope that led to helping lift the portcullis gate was ready. 

“Alright, got our first one done, and it only took under a minute for us!” Hange said, picking up Willy Tybur’s head from the ground. “Kind of got the idea of what to do?”

“Yeah . . . but I’d rather not split up . . .” You translucently begged to stay with Hange. 

“I understand that, dear; however, if we do, this will go much quicker.” You sighed at Hange’s words and your heart thumped louder. A foreboding feeling was setting in and anchoring in your mind. Something did not feel right. Not having Levi or Eren in your sight was not aiding the feeling at all. 

Then, in the distance, there was movement in the borgo. A crow flew into the sky from the ground and someone was running. It was Levi looking over his shoulder at the person chasing him. The person chasing him . . . was a knight? 

You furrowed your eyebrows at the large knight holding a large blunt sword darting after Levi. This knight wasn’t someone from the Royal King’s Guard or a knight from the scout regiment . . .

You saw Levi run into a building in the borgo and the large knight followed him, gaining haste on Levi’s trail. Your heart thumped in your ears, aware of the distressing event near you. 

Then Levi vaulted a window from inside the small hut and quickly sprinted away from the building. Soon after, the knight stepped through the window and continued chasing Levi. 

“Hange . . .” Your voice wavered as you began to alert them. You pointed a finger in Levi’s direction. “Who’s that with Levi?”

Hange turned their attention to Levi, crouching in a bush while the unfriendly knight searched the area around him. Then the knight noticed Levi’s black hair poking out from the bush and the knight kicked Levi. With Levi's groan, he ran hastily from the knight into another part of the borgo. 

“Shit! I think I know who that is!” At Hange’s statement, there was still a lingering unsettling feeling. There was a sense that Hange didn’t know the knight for good reasons. Hange clasped their hand to yours. “That knight’s name is Tarhos Kovacs!” 

“Tarhos Kovacs . . .” The name sounded familiar. Hange urged you to follow them to the next winch to work on, now wanting you to stay by them. A memory flashed as you stared at the dusty ground and felt tiny rocks under your boots. When you were on the mezzanine with Willy Tybur and Bertolt, Reiner told the Cult Leader how the Knights of the Royal King’s Guard were on their way. Willy Tybur then commanded Reiner to let Tarhos Kovacs ready the defense ward. He’s the one who released the mutts. 

“I think he used to be a Knight of the Royal King’s Guard before I or Levi ever went through training. He left the King’s Guard and followed and believed in the Marleyan Cult and their belief that Titans should rule humanity. He and his gang must have been loyal to the Marleyan Cult after all this time . . .” Hange said almost in disbelief. You followed Hange to another winch against a short wall between two small, destroyed wooden cottages. You felt safer behind the wall and not in the open like the other winch. “Listen, we might have to be separated. You have a flash crystal, right? Use it only if you need to. Levi, Eren, and I will all make sure you escape this place, understand?”

“Yes . . .” The apprehension was brimming and overspilling into your shaking voice. You thought you were out of the woods, but yet there was this last trial to get through before escaping and leaving the decimated borgo and the Marleyan Cult’s temple. You and Hange opened the doors on both sides of the winch and began inspecting the quality of the gears. You couldn’t help but look over your shoulder and check that the knight wasn’t in your proximity. 

“Listen, the knight has three guards. They’re stupid but will chase you for a little if you are spotted. Just keep running, and eventually, they will return to Tahros Kovacs because his deformed guards are quite lacking in the head if you know what I mean.” 

“Why can’t Levi just kill him?” You asked, wanting Levi to end your worrying.

“He’s too good, Y/N. He’s probably the best the Marleyan Cult has. We can’t risk any deep injuries. You only have just us! Levi has the right idea. He’s distracting the killer so we can finish repairing the five winches and escape!” 

You looked over your shoulder, and your stomach flipped when you saw Eren come into view. He ran over to you and Hange as you continued checking the gears and machinery. Your side was ready to go. 

“Commander! The knight, Tahros Kovacs, entered the borgo and he’s chasing Levi! He damaged part of the winch Levi was working on. It took me a few minutes, but I almost repaired it.” 

“Great, Eren! I’ll work on that one next. Help us finish this one.” Eren looked at both sides of the machine, then went to the side with the rope and ensured it was tied to the hook, which began wrapping around the cylinder.

“It’s good to crank.” Eren gave Hange a thumbs up. Hange started cranking and the winch started rotating and coiling the rope around the cylinder. You looked over your shoulder and noticed that in the distance, the knight was approaching your area. When you gasped, Eren and Hange noticed the knight. 

“Shit!” Hange whispered and cranked faster. You crouched and hid behind the winch, hoping the knight wouldn’t come after you. 

“He left Levi! Finish this and then finish mine! I’ll distract him for as long as I can!” Your eyes widened as Eren ran into the line of sight of the knight. A crow flew to the grey sky and caught the knight’s attention. Instead of the knight approaching the winch or going after you and Hange, he started chasing Eren.

Hange cranked the winch and when the rope was taut, the second winch was completed. You wanted to jump in the air as you were another step closer to escaping. You and Hange passed a pile of destroyed wood as you searched for another winch. 

As you and Hange approached the gate, you noticed Levi cranking the rope taut around another steel cylinder. Levi finished another winch against a wall closer to the gate. A sigh of relief came from Hange’s mouth. You could hear their tiredness while trying to remain focused on escaping.

“Levi! Are you okay? I saw the bad knight kick you!” You ran over to him. Levi rubbed his cheek and then wiped the sweat, tracing his hairline. 

“Ran the knight for a little, but the bastard couldn’t get me.” Though Levi said he was fine, you eyed his body, ensuring nothing was injured or looked concerning. 

“Glad he found you before us otherwise, we might not have gotten three done by now.” You nodded at Hange’s statement—grateful that Levi was okay and that he was able to buy you time. 

“Just two more, right?” you asked, and it felt easier to breathe knowing escaping the decimated borgo was practically at your fingertips. 

“Correct. Once we complete the fourth winch, we should have one person get the horses if Eren’s not available due to buying us time.” Hange’s voice was hoarse and made you swallow the lump that was gathering in yours. 

A loud, deep shout came from behind, like a cry of pursuit. Behind Hange was a dirty bald man with a red bandana covering his mouth. His eyes narrowed in on Hange and he lifted a short, broken sword into the air and started charging at Hange. 

You felt hands on you and then you were pushed off balance, falling into a bush. You placed your hands down, trying to catch yourself as the shrubbery scratched and pricked your hands, arms, and face. While lying on the ground, you looked up to see the guard chase after Hange. By the way, he followed Hange’s direct path rather than trying to cut them off, you understood what Hange meant by ‘lacking in the head.��� Hange ran around a pile of wood and the dirty man followed after. Levi kneeled in front of you and offered his hand. 

“Hange did that so you wouldn’t be spotted.” You nodded at Levi’s words, knowing Hange wouldn’t push you for malicious reasons. Hange did it because they knew Levi would be there to assist you. You brushed off more dirt from your white shirt and tan pants. 

“Yeah . . .” You swallowed and your throat was scratchy and raw. 

“There was a winch by that tree over there near that shack.” Levi beckoned you to follow. You jogged with Levi to a small shack with a window and two open doors on opposite sides. The roof of the wooden shack was caved through and a large piece of wood leaned against one of the doors. 

The tree was large, and a short concrete wall was built around it. It was barren of leaves, and clothes were hanging from the branches. The winch was against the wall and the rope was not attached. Your abdomen felt tight and you anticipated that at any moment, a guard or the knight would spot you and chase after you. 

You and Levi opened the sides of the cylinder and began inspecting each gear as usual. Each gear was moving smoothly on your side and it seemed like Levi’s gears were not giving him a problem. 

Another loud bang echoed in the borgo and you turned over your shoulder to see the knight turning the corner of a wall. It seemed like he was looking for Eren. The knight checked the bushes and then went around the wall. You furrowed your eyebrows, trying to see if you could spot Eren, but you couldn’t find anything that resembled his silhouette. The knight came back around the corner of a wall and as he was about to pass a tall, narrow, and wooden outdoor utility cabinet, Eren quickly jumped out. The cabinet doors abruptly hit the knight and the unexpected force stunned the knight momentarily.

Eren threw a flash crystal on the ground, engulfing the area with turquoise dust and blinding the knight. When the dust settled the knight was in the same area by the cabinet and Eren was gone. You felt relieved that Eren was able to escape the knight from the use of his flash crystal. Then, as the knight was about to leave, Eren jumped out of the utility cabinet, stunning the knight again. Though you were too far from him, you could see Eren yelling at him, throwing the flash crystal on the ground, and blinding the knight again. It was almost comical as if Eren was bullying the knight. 

“Guess what I found!” Hange’s voice turned your attention to them. Hange was holding Willy Tybur’s head, but in the other was a toolbox. “After the guard retreated, I saw a chest and broke it open, hoping to find useful items!”

“Hange!” You jumped on them and wrapped your arms around their waist. Knowing the guard the knight summoned didn’t harm Hange was a relief. Hange wrapped one arm around you and held you tight. 

“I’m alright,” they whispered reassuringly. You felt like you could relax in their arms, but you pulled away, knowing you’d have all the time in the world if you escaped the shattered square. You glanced at their blood-stained face and Hange’s eyes had dark circles you hadn’t noticed before. Levi pulled the rope and tied it to the hook near the cylinder. The rope wrapped around the steel cylinder as Levi cranked the handle. The fourth winch was completed. 

“Great! Now, there is just one more left, and hopefully,” Hange shook the toolbox. “This will have items that will speed things up!” 

“Did you see where the last three are?” Levi said, looking around the small village. 

“We’ll find them, but since Eren’s not with us, you bring the horses here,” Hange said and Levi jogged back toward the temple entrance. You knew Levi, and Eren could take care of themselves, but Levi and Eren being out of sight clawed at your mind. Perhaps it was the lack of control or the fate of the unknown. But the fragility of their life didn’t leave your mind.

You followed Hange into an area where the last three winches were. One was against the stonewall of the borgo, another was closer to the gate, and one was in an unfinished building without a roof. You watched Hange's eye dart between the three winches. You could tell Hange was analyzing the situation and that something was off. 

“Is everything okay? What are you thinking?” You tugged on the same arm that connected the hand that held Willy Tybur’s head, and his head bumped into your side. You cringed and went around to stand on Hange’s right. 

“I didn’t think about this beforehand, but the last three possible winches to fix are close in proximity. If the Marleyan Cult’s knight figures out what we are trying to do, he might stay around the last three winches until he recaptures you.”

“Can we do that one then?” You pointed at the winch that was located in the unfinished building. “I feel like that one is safer . . .”

“I trust your judgment, Princess. If he comes over here, run away early and I’ll try to get him to come after me. Hide in a bush or crouch somewhere he won't spot you.” Your lungs pinched as you and Hange ran over to the last winch. The area was dusty and the wooden ground of the unfinished building had dirt scattered on the floor. You opened the familiar small door on the side of the steel cylinder and inspected the gears. Hange opened the toolbox and the objects clicked inside the tin box as Hange searched for anything useful. There were scraps of screws and springs, gloves, a grip wrench, and a large gear. “Perfect, I got a brand new part.”

Hange took out the large main gear and replaced it with the newer one. Within a few seconds, their side was ready to go. You turned the gears on your side, wanting to finish the winch quickly. 

Another crow flew into the air and the sound of running footsteps were behind you. Eren, with the knight behind him, was bolting toward you and Hange. It was the first time you were getting a clear look at him. His armor audibly clanked with each pace heading toward you and your heart pounded in your ears. He was a large person and his armor was dull and grimy. He wore a helmet that covered his face and long strands of disheveled black hair were poking out of the slits that were intended for his eyes. 

Hange frustratedly groaned with Eren accidentally leading the knight over to you. You sprinted away, running as fast as you could from the building. You looked over your shoulder at Hange running away in the opposite direction. 

The knight didn’t follow Hange, and you didn’t notice if Eren returned in the direction he came. With a bated breath, you slowly trudged to the unfinished building. You didn’t hear anyone working on the winch in the building and it didn’t sound like anyone was inside. You pressed gently against the wooden wall, hoping to be slickly out of sight.

Then you spotted Hange silently walking back, scanning their surroundings. It felt odd that you didn’t see the knight follow Hange, and from your point of view, you couldn’t tell if he had left the area. You inched closer to the edge of the wall to get a peak around the corner. Your breath was shaky, and you felt constantly on edge. You carefully peeked around the corner and felt lighter, not seeing the knight there. Eren must have led him somewhere else. 

You relaxed your shoulders and with haste, you quickly returned to your side of the winch, wanting to repair it as soon as possible. You touched all the gears again, and they turned smoothly. It was a relief to know your side was also good. Once the rope was wrapped around the cylinder, the gate would be ready to rise high enough to escape on the horses. Hange came into the area from behind a wall. 

“My side’s good!” You said with a large smile. Hange’s eyes widened, and then you felt strong arms wrapped around your waist. You felt yourself be lifted from the ground and then the knight put you over his shoulder. You let out a wailing shriek and you thrashed in his grasp. “LET GO!”

The knight gruffed loudly, turned around, and left the unfinished building. He didn’t speak and you could hear his heavy breathing from behind the mask. You wiggled in his grasp, trying to free yourself. Then suddenly, a sound like a crack of glass came and your vision was filled with turquoise dust. It was like smoke and then you felt the knight drop you from the unexpected blinding smoke. You hit the ground, landing on your arm. 

“You like that, you idiot?!?” You heard Eren’s voice through the foggy blue cloud. You scrambled onto your feet to escape the knight’s view before the crystal dust dissipated. You ran toward Hange's direction, wanting to be in their presence. 

As you emerged from the turquoise dust, Hange hastily cranked the handle and the rope was taut. While you were grabbed and Eren saved you, Hange finished the fifth winch. Adrenaline coursed through you and there was a great sense of hope. 

“Come with me!” Hange bolted toward the portcullis gate, and you did not want to be near the Marleyan Cult’s knight. With a new sense of hope, you passed Hange, sprinting to the door. The adrenaline masked the pinching sensation in your lungs and escaping the temple was at your fingertips. “I think it’s that final handle over there!”

A large metal handle was on the side of the gate. With the ropes taut around the five winches, the final step was to open the gate, and the inside machinery would activate and slowly pull the heavy metal gate. 

From a distance, the heavy hooves beat the ground. The familiar odor of horse stench filled your nostrils. It was exhilarating to see how Hange’s plan was coming together. 

Hange set Willy Tybur’s head on the ground and then used both hands to rotate the handle. The grinding metal lifted from the ground, and as Hange continued pushing and pulling the handle round and round, the metal gate screeched as it was being lifted. It was lifting slowly, and you could hear many gears shifting. The ropes from the winches were leveraging the weight, and the gate was just above your waist. 

Metallic, clanking footsteps raced toward you, and a battle cry came from behind you. The knight’s dirty guard was summoned, and once again, his eyes narrowed on Hange. 

“Hange! Look out!” you screamed, and the guard had a blaze in his eye. Hange frustratedly shouted instinctively and took off from the gate. Hange easily outran the guard with the red bandana. They ran past the unfinished building and out of sight. You huffed, looking at the large crank of the portcullis gate. With a seed of determination, you asserted yourself in front of the crank. You cringed, noticing Willy Tybur’s head on the floor. His cheeks were fading and beginning to look cold. 

You gripped the handle and pushed it downward. It didn’t budge at first, but then the handle begrudgingly moved. Your own strength surprised you and fueled the drive to go faster. You pulled the handle upward and when the crank gathered enough momentum from your strength, the gate slowly rose. The rhythmic whir of the machine sang with each rotation. 

The pointy ends of the gate were becoming higher and Levi on Beauty and Eren on a horse came into view. The seven other brown horses followed and Hange’s white mustang joined the pack. Blood was smeared over the body of the white horse and its neck had a mix of dark blood and grimy black ash staining the skin and hair. The white mustang resiliently fought a gruesome battle and showed its staining victory. 

“A guard is chasing Hange!” You cried and Levi looked over his shoulder, his eyes darted around looking for a sign of Hange. “I don’t know where they are!” 

Eren dropped down from his horse and ran over to the crank.

“I can do the rest. You get on the horse!” Eren grabbed the handle and urgently cranked it. The portcullis gate rose quicker than when you were doing it. The gate didn’t budge higher when it reached around fifteen feet above you. The last two winches you didn’t repair or set up would have helped the weight distribution of the last five feet. 

“Levi! Hange is being chased—”

“I know, get on!” Levi’s gruff voice commanded.

“We’re not leaving them, right?”

“Of course not—”

“But—”

“GET ON THE DAMN HORSE!” Levi’s yell rattled you and you obeyed. It’s been a while since you rode Beauty, but it was comforting and familiar when you hoisted yourself up. Levi urged Beauty and the rest of the horses to pass under the portcullis gate. 

In the distance, coming from the stibnite thorns, were two more knights on horses. The knights that didn’t make it into the borgo before the gate was dropped. Connie and Niccolo, the two knights that Hange ordered to clear a path through the stibnite thornes. You furrowed your eyebrows, thinking about the last time you saw Niccolo in the Karanese District Headquarters. He was the chef that made the delicious mushroom risotto.

Behind you was a yelp, and you turned to see Hange hit the ground. Their toolbox flung out of their hand on the impact. With his back facing you, the knight stood over them in the distance, in the doorway of the wooden shack. Eren bolted toward where Hange was downed. Your frantic self jolted behind Levi, and Beauty whinnied, not liking how you anxiously shifted on her. 

“HANGE!” You cried. 

“Don’t worry!” Levi said as he turned Beauty around to face the decimated borgo from the exit gate. Your heart raced and you couldn’t take your eyes off the wooden shack. As Eren was sprinting his way over, the knight hoisted Hange off the ground like Hange was a weak doll. Hange started wiggling against his hold, and then Eren made it to the doorway and with brute strength, he pulled down the piece of wood, leaning against the doorway. It hit the back of the knight and Hange was dropped from his grasp. Hange slid over the large broken piece of rectangular wood and, with Eren, sprinted toward you. 

Your chest was heaving not from stress or anxiety but from the elation that once Hange and Eren got on their horses, you were leaving the Marleyan Temple, the cult, the ritual, and everything behind you. 

When Eren reached the exit gate, he climbed on the horse closest to him, and Hange quickly went to the side of the gate. You rolled your eyes when Hange came back into view, holding Willy Tybur’s head. The knight was running at full speed toward you, desperate to get the last chance to keep you in the clutches of the Marleyan Cult. 

“Are you okay?!” You yelled to Hange as they climbed on their horse. Before Hange could reply, Beauty took off galloping away. The horses followed after and Eren and Hange joined the stampede away from the temple. You held onto Levi as Beauty rode out toward the open path of the stibnite thorns. 

Connie and Niccolo noticed the group of horses emerging from the exit gate and they tapped their heels into their horses. The knights bolted down the path. You turned over your shoulder to see Tahros Kovacs standing at the gate, watching you leave hell. Eren was flipping him off. 

Your eyes met Hange’s gaze and were filled with adrenaline, yet they gave you a feeling of comfort. Hange gave you a weak smile, and your eyes began to tear up from the events that had taken place. The gravity of the battle, blood, and bodies began to weigh heavily on your mind. 

You glance at the temple one last time and a few cultists were watching you from the upper and lower bailey. They couldn’t stop you and they couldn’t do anything. All they knew was that the knights and the cultists had a devastating amount of death, and in the end, the knights won. You were in their possession once again. Your eyes flickered to the tallest tower you stayed in for several weeks, staring at the window's large arch opening. 

During captivity, you dreamed of Hange and the knights rescuing you daily. You recalled how you drearily stared out the window all day, hoping to see the knights approach in the valley you were currently riding through. 

In Hange’s clutches, Willy Tybur’s long blonde hair flowed behind him as the wind carried his hair. His words from earlier played in your mind. When you were watching the dust from the knights fighting the mutts in the valley, he asked you a wagering question. Which outcome do you prefer? All your knights die and the Dame lives? Or the Dame dies and the knights rescue you?

Hange was alive, and including you, six of you rode away from the Marleyan Cult’s temple.

 

nect chapter: chapter 26: Silent Hill

masterlist, chapter index

[bionicboxes]

this is the dynamic they have going on in my head.

[frogmansides]

creaking

[mirroredmemoriez]

PIG MASKS

(Reblogs have add ons)

[thecryptidart1st]

man it sure has been a crazy month of announcements

(yes thats a real announcement)

[abloodycrow]

[hugs-and-stabbies]

Now I dare you to do Legion x Jake 👀

is it ship content if they're just arguing? 🤔🤣 i'll leave whatever happens next up to your imagination

[drwhomstvede]

New original Killer and Survivor in Dead by Daylight, The Houndmaster and Taurie Cain!

[ganemouchie]

Not only are they boy, and they're detectiveds, but. theyre also.. *whispers* desd

[losergaymothman]

I don’t think you guys UNDERTSNAD how important Edwin and Charles’ relationship is to me as an aroace person. THAT is what I want from a relationship. Something such an obvious mix of romantic and platonic and I-don’t-even-know that all the lines blur bc the only important thing is that you love them like you’ve loved nothing else and are so devoted that you would do nothing else but love and protect and cherish them for all your worth. isn’t it the love that matters more than what type of love it is? why do their labels need to be so cut and dry? why does it need to be anything more? why can’t they just be? why can’t they love each other how they want to love each other? why do they need to be anything else?

[bat-rot]

Procrastinating writing . Did more dead boy detectives as tweets

[somecrimsondream]

👩‍🦰💀/🥕🥔/🐰🐻

[aghostsdestiny]

"We got 4 already, do we really need 5?"

"Considering that the system wont work without 5, pretty sure we need the last one yes."

"At least you arent bringing up that we die without it."

"So glad you acknowledge it, at least."

[dwightfairfieldsboyfriend]

Just dbd out here recreating memes🤷🏼‍♂️

[livrere-green]

can y'all imagine how many people (men) had already tried to hit on edwin before? just think about it, thirty years of the same pattern we saw on the show, happening over and over again while edwin ignores it cuz there's no niko to tell him what's going on, and charles is just, right there, having his third existential crisis on a thursday, but not questioning why is so exasperating watching a ghost that seems to be a full supporter of the kiss-in at piccadilly circus, flirting with his best mate.

[happygirl2oo2]

Begging any of the amazing fan artists in the Shades of Magic fandom to draw Nadiya, Rhy and Alucard as this photo of the Dead Boy Detectives cast 'cause it's just so them and I desperately need to see it, thank you

I think the photo speaks for itself but just in case- in my head it's Nadiya (on the left), Rhy (on the right), and Alucard (on the bottom)