Chapter 22 - The Basement

                                    

                                          
With Shiganshina in ruins, only a tenth of the original Scouting force left alive and Armin recovering from the serum on top of the wall alongside an injured Sasha, the other 8 living soldiers traversed the district for survivors. 
Levi and Leah were quick to move Erwin's corpse into one of the nearby houses, carrying him carefully between them. Leah reassured Levi that if they blockaded the house they wouldn't have to worry about anyone returning to it. 
They lay the Commander onto one of the beds upstairs and while Levi tended to the body, Leah gathered some wild flowers from the street and arranged them into a vase on the bedside table.
Their work had been done in silence, and eventually Erwin was covered with Leah's Scout cape that had been returned to her by Eren. 
The female held the man's cold, lifeless hand in hers and shut her eyes. "Goodbye, Commander."
-
When Leah returned to searching for bodies she purposefully stuck to the outskirts, walking the perimeter of the wall for her sweep. Her thoughts were driving her crazy and regret constricted her throat. What if they'd made the wrong decision saving Armin? 
Leah knew there would be time to grieve Erwin - she'd probably mourn her friend for the rest of her life - but right now they had to complete the mission and get home. Zeke was still out there, along with Reiner and the quadruped titan who was most likely also a titan shifter. They wouldn't be safe until they managed to get back to civilisation.
When Leah spotted half a Scout jacket poking out from the rubble of a building, she dived forward and began digging it out. There were no remains attached to it and as she held the material in her hands, her eyes scanned for any way of identifying who it belonged to.
Embroidered into the left breast, just above the Scout wings of freedom, were the words:
Executive Officer Moblit Berner
Leah's heart sank. She's noticed the absence of Moblit earlier, but hadn't mentioned it in the hopes he was just elsewhere. Leah folded the jacket over her arm and continued on with her search. 
In the distance Leah noticed that everyone had congregated on the wall where Armin and Sasha had been left and so started her way over. 
She landed elegantly off to the side of the group and ran a hand through her coppery hair as she approached them. 
"Now that we know Armin's alright, let's check out that cellar," Hange stood and turned in Leah's direction as they spoke. When they spotted the jacket in Leah's arms and the sympathetic look on her face, they froze and their eye not covered with a bandage widened.
Hange edged forward and tentatively reached for the jacket but paused. The red-headed Captain moved the rest of the way and handed them the jacket. "I'm sorry, Hange. This was all I could find." She whispered to them, resting a hand on Hange's arm.
The newly appointed Commander of the Scouts gulped thickly and closed their eye. "Thank you, Captain." Hange held the jacket to their chest and turned back to the group which Leah moved over to join.
"Leah, Eren and Mikasa, since you know the area well you can guide Levi and I to the cellar. The rest of you stay, keep an eye out for hostiles from here on the wall."
"Got it." From Jean.
"Right." Said Connie.
"Eren, do you still have the key?"
Though the question seemed stupid, panic coarsed through Leah at the prospect of Eren having lost it. In all honesty, with everything she'd been through thus far, Leah was sure she'd find a way into that basement with or without the key.