#untiltheend

Warnings: Some descriptions of sexual harassment and abuse, blood, violence

Everything was cold. Everything hurt. But you could hear a heartbeat clouding over the deranged sound of the wind, giving you warmth. "I'm sorry [y/n], I'm so sorry." As you clung to the figure that had you wrapped in their arms, you felt the coolness of the air that latched onto your skin. The taste of salt and an uncontrollable rocking took over, destroying any sense of stability. You could hear shouts from nearby strangers, a hushing voice above you as they ran by. Constant apologies were muttered as you rocked back and forth, and stared into the [e/c] of the woman's eyes.

.....

You look up to the ceiling, hoping to catch a glimpse of the starry sky that you can only imagine lies above the unsettling and revolting place known only as the Underground. This is how it has been for as long as you can remember, yet memories would still flash between the darkness of the day and the night. The smell of salt and pungency, the cruel wind, and a warmth. You removed your gaze from the sight above you and looked to the stairs cascading down from the only way out of this place. But there was no use. To get out meant money, and getting out meant having to live, yet living up there in poverty seemed just as cruel as living down here in disparity. You felt the coolness of the breeze move mercilessly against your skin as you lay clad in stolen clothes on the roof of an abandoned dump of a home. It had been your refuge ever since you escaped an orphanage at the age of 5. If you could call it an orphanage. Constant abuse and shouting were all you remember of that place. You can only imagine what warmth feels like, what freedom feels like. The freedom to eat till your heart's content, sleep without worry and run without someone chasing behind you.

Hearing the all-too-familiar sound of your hunger raking through your stomach, you stand up and get ready to fight for another day. Your small, malnourished form may seem weak to others, but your time in the Underground has taught you to be tough. Your body may seem small, but you were agile and fast, so much so that you would often be able to take a loaf of bread with the only trace of your being there, the breath of the wind. Though the Underground was depressing and miserable - many people concerned with their own lives - you were not invisible in this place. Your beauty often caught people off guard, but the unusual way your visual traits stood out in this dark place caused problems in their own way. Men covered in filth and grime, old and battered with age and trial, often corner you, perverted intentions in their hope to overpower you. It was one of the many issues you had whilst in that orphanage. Your speed, however, made up for your lack of strength as the momentum helped you retch free from their filthy grasps again and again. Today was no different.

Succeeding in taking half a loaf of bread and a handful of apples with ease, you shove them into your makeshift bag and prepare to sprint. However, after barely three steps, you feel yourself get dragged into the darkness of an alleyway and away from the business of the open streets. As your vision consorts back to normal, you look up, only to see four men taunting you with the worst intentions brimming in their eyes, the only spark being lust over their lifeless, filthy forms.

"Well, well, well, lookie here, boys, it seems we caught the gem of the pack," a man unusually muscular and large in such a food-deprived place towered over you, seemingly the leader of this pathetic gang.

You tried to keep your cool. You had gotten away from worse before; it would be alright. Two more men rounded the corner, grinning as they emerged. You scoffed in realisation and disgust but felt an unfamiliar chill rip through your spine. This seemed worse. "Imagine the price we'd be paid to have you bought after we're done with you ourselves, of course." The man moved close to your face, hand tight on your wrist. The crowded stench of alcohol and grime suffocated you, but before you could wretch free from their grasp and sprint away, the grasp on your wrist loosened, and when you looked up, the man, taunting you just seconds before, had fallen.

He was dead.

Suddenly, the tension in the air changed as eyes filled with lust turned to confusion and then anger. Shouting ensued as the men sought the source of the stone now ingrained in the head of the man who led their disgusting activities, but as their grasp left you to pursue someone else, you found yourself unable to do anything. Despite living in this barren place where death was as usual as each breath you took, you had never had it done so swiftly and in front of you. But before you could dwell on the fragility of life much longer, you heard a slam and a groan beside you. There was a boy who seemed only a few years older than you, and he had 2 grown men on the floor, bleeding and beaten. He continued fighting ruthlessly, and despite the mounds of death that surrounded you, your gaze did not falter at the way he fought. The way he looked at them.

Two more men were on the ground before you could even blink, red smearing their chests as the boy's knife was now stained with blood. He didn't hesitate. He didn't even blink. Then, as he took on the final man, you noticed a glint of silver in the corner of your eye. One of the men, already on the floor, desperately grasped his wound with one hand, and in the other, a gun aimed at the boy, still distracted as the final man refused to fall.

A second passed. Then, two gunshots. Then a moment.

The boy stared at you, a brief look of shock in his dull eyes. The final man he had been fighting fell limp to the floor along with the man in front of you, his gun lying useless on the floor before him. The next moment felt long and thick as you realised you had actually killed two men. Two disgusting, filthy, corrupt men. But living men nonetheless.

"You killed," the boy spoke, breaking the silence.

Despite the seriousness of the situation, you scoffed, staring at the gun you had stolen from another dead man in the moment. The gun you had shot two men with. "So did you." you looked up and met his eyes. As they narrowed, he turned to walk away, but you decided you were not done with this situation. You had questions and you wanted them answered. "Wait," you spoke, voice wavering despite yourself. "Why... why did you come here? Why did you kill them?" You half expected him to ignore you and walk off, but to your surprise, he turned and looked straight at you.

Moments passed before he replied. "My mother," he hesitated, but looking into your eyes, he continued, "I just didn't want you to have the same fate she did down in this goddam place." With that, he continued on his way. "Wait," you stopped him, voice firmer now. "Tch," he turned, but his eyes went from annoyed to surprised in an instant as he caught an apple you had thrown him. This time, you hesitated. "Thank you," You muttered, giving him a smile. His eyes widened slightly; this was the first time anyone apart from his mother had shown him a shred of kindness in this place.

"Levi."

"What?" you asked, confused at the randomness of the word. "My name, it's Levi," he muttered. Your eyes widened. I must have really seemed shaken for him to sympathise with me, you wonder as you figured he seemed someone closed off and invulnerable. "My name is [Y/N]," you smiled, "Thank you, Levi." He said nothing and walked off, but at least he didn't refuse your tribute. You decided that this time, you would sprint straight away to avoid any more unwanted attention, never thinking you would see him again.

.....

As time passed, you were surprised by how often you saw his face, seemingly more so in the middle of fights on the streets or stealing food. It seemed he was just as noticed in this place as you were, hearing flickers of his name uttered in the streets, followed by curses and threats. He started to notice your name being spoken in the streets too, either filthy men upon your beauty or vendors' irritation on your speed.

As you both heard the other's name uttered more often, you also bumped into each other more often. When, at first, each meeting was only a brief look of recognition, it was followed by brief greetings, then conversations (more from your end) as you found yourself intrigued by the man who had saved you with his underlying strength. He also found you curious, though he would rather die than admit it, intrigued by your strengths and your story. Soon, you both found the walls you had built around yourselves after years of grief and turmoil gradually breaking as your unlikely acquaintance turned into companionship which turned to friendship.

As years passed, you both shared multitudes of conversations, he taught you how to clean properly, you brewed tea, and you both supported each other. You would find yourselves sharing the same spaces, sharing the snippets of your past you have never shared, him surprising you with brief stories of his own. Of his mother, who had died many years ago, and of his prior caretaker, Kenny, who had abandoned him a year before. Your friendship grew with your trust, and you found yourself surrounded by the feeling of warmth, something you lacked for most of your lifetime, all thanks to Levi. Even as people you came to meet left you, even when people joined the both of you. The reassuring gestures, the way he had your back, the way he spoke about how he was "gonna get out of this shitty place." Levi gave you hope that maybe you'd find freedom with him.

_____

[Three Months Later]

It had been three months. Three months since Levi felt the whisper of your touch, heard the fleeting sound of your voice, and saw your angelic smile as you gazed up at him. He was doing no better than that retched day when he found out that you had been stolen from him, by the enemy he swore to kill; to destroy. He could feel himself slowly losing his mind. He rarely left your shared chambers. He rarely ate anything. He rarely slept at all, and even when he did, he was plagued by nightmares of your screaming, your voice taunting him. He still remembers those dreams, haunted by them even in his wake as you call out to him desperately or berate him for his lack of strength in saving you. The worst ones are where you say nothing at all, silent with your blank eyes looking at him devoid of love or life. 

Hange is worried, to say the least. It had been two months since they caught him trying to flee the walls to look for you himself. They had berated him as he crumbled under your absence. How they needed to be more prepared, how the enemy spanned wider than he could possibly imagine. How he would die if he left alone. But Levi didn't care anymore. He didn't know where you were, if you were hurt, if you were being tortured... he didn't even know if you were alive. He was utterly exhausted, utterly heartbroken and he didn't know what to say or do. The usual cleanliness he held himself to starts to deteriorate around him. Now clothes and belongings lay scattered on the floor, broken glass haphazardly swept to the side, the trace of his rage several nights ago. Levi was glad that most of the duties left for the people inside the wall were to rebuild the town of Shiganshina after all the Titans within Wall Maria were eventually killed. 

It meant he was finally free to wallow in the absence of prying eyes. Hange was shocked when they walked in one night to see him, back against the wall, drinking alcohol from the bottle. So devoid of the man they knew refusing the drink they claimed was foul. What they once hoped would be better tamed by time was turning into the opposite. No matter how many weeks passed Hange couldn't remember a single day the dark aura didn't cloud Levi's presence, an embodiment of depression and loss. His usually pale completion seemed somehow paler and his cheeks slightly more sucken in. Hange couldn't remember the number of times they had to drag him out of his room or force him to eat and shower and look after himself. 

The man who had usually seemed so composed as he eyed death in the face. The man that had faced so much loss in his life, but somehow remained strong and rebounded for the next battle was lost in his misery. It was worse than Hange could've imagined. Hange and the rest of the Scouts suffered as well. Despite the many losses of the Scouts and Commander Erwin, somehow your absence hit harder. What sadness that was usually cured by your kind words, what comfort that would be provided by your warm embrace was now lost to them. And now Hange feels as though they had lost all of the people they used to call a friend. They missed your encouraging words, Erwin's certainty, Mobilt and their squad's presence and would do anything for even a snarky response from Levi. Now, the Scout Regiment's headquarters was barren, cold and silent. 

Levi was at a total loss as he lost himself in the lack of light you usually brought him. Sat slouching on his desk his pen moved across the page robotically filling the lines of paperwork he somehow was still left with. But nothing was enjoyable about it now. He couldn't hear your sweet muttering about your day or feel as you quietly undid the sore muscles in his shoulders. He was still waiting for you to open the door like you usually do, smiling softly with a pot of tea and two mugs in your hand. Levi felt a teardrop fall from his face and onto the current page he was working on, slightly smearing the ink, but he could only grit his teeth. He rubbed at his face harshly trying to continue without breaking down or losing himself in his rage, things he admits to have done several times these past few months. He wanted to kill Zeke. He wanted to find you.

He reaches for the next piece of paper in the massive pile on his desk but accidentally ends up knocking the entirety of its contents on the floor. Levi feels the lack of patience creep in as he snaps the pen in his hands in half before he groans and goes to pick up the pages now scattered on the floor. His heart is heavy in the screaming silence of the room and he swears he hears ringing in his ears from the intensity of it as he slowly picks up the pages. His eyes then go to the underside of the armchair in the room to reach for another piece of paper before his hand falters at the sight of a small green box underneath it. He freezes before he decides to pick it up. He puts his papers down and sits on the couch, he had never seen this before. But as he opens it, his heart gets caught in his throat as he sees the carefully folded pieces of paper, your handwriting spilled upon them. 

My dearest Levi, 

If you're reading this, I'm afraid it means I was unable to fulfil my promise. 

I know you are probably angry and I don't expect you to forgive me but Levi, I just wanted to thank you for all that you have done for me, for all of this time. When I met you in those barren streets of the Underground so many years ago, I could've never imagined my saviour could turn into such a loyal friend. I could've never imagined we would remain by each other's side and grow up with each other. I never let myself think that you could ever return my growing feelings, but you did. 

You were my light in my darkest moments. You were the safety I could always rely on. You were everything to me Levi. Every time I look at you, every smile you spare me, every kind gesture or remark, I remember it all. Just know that in my final moments, I only think of you. I only remember the warmth you gave me and the freedom and life you provided me. I will never blame you Levi, whatever happens, so don't blame yourself because I know you are. 

You gave me a life worth living. 

I'm afraid this is where we say goodbye though Levi. All I ask is that you don't do anything reckless and that you look after yourself. That is all I would ever want from you. You are such an incredible man with incredible strength, I know you will overcome this as you have done everything else. You have so much more to live for Levi, embrace your time here on this Earth, do it for me, for the both of us. 

Even in my absence just know that I will still fight by you and I will still be with you, always. I will wait for you my love, until you meet your end, which hopefully awaits far into the future. 

I know we never believed in saying these three words in the cruel world we live in, but Levi, I truly and irrevocably mean it when I say, I love you. 

Stay safe my love, until we meet again. 

[y/n] 

Levi can't help it now when his grip tightens on the pages of your writing and hot tears stream down his face. He fights to keep quiet in the dark and barren room that lacks the warmth of your touch; he wants to scream. He didn't know if you were still alive out there, but he swore to himself he would find you. He would find you and berate you for writing a letter after promising you'd stay with him. He would embrace you like nothing else mattered in the world. He would return the three words he was stupid enough to think didn't matter in a life shrouded by death. He would never let you go again. 

Levi let himself wallow for a few more moments in his armchair before he got up, retrieving his papers. Until then he would have to go on; until he would see you again. And then, he would present to you the small box he had in the back of his drawer. A box that contained a symbol of his promise and his love, all embedded in a dainty ring. 

.... 

[6 Months Later]

You let out a groan as you stared at the blank ceiling in boredom. It had been 9 months since you had been kidnapped or "saved" according to Zeke and you were starting to lose your mind. Levi. You missed him so much, but most of all you were worried. You hoped he was okay. You missed his warm embrace and the smiles he would spare you every day. You missed the quiet moments the both of you would share. You missed your late-night chats and cups of tea. You would do anything to be home, with him, but you can't. Not for another 3 months at least. After the events that followed your abduction, you had learnt more about the outside world, though you must admit you had seen very little of it. 

Zeke rarely let you leave the small room he had confined you to, in trepidation that you would be found by the Marleyan government or find your way to Eren. However, that didn't mean you had done nothing these past few months. Any spare moments you had continued with your training to maintain your physical capabilities, but also to spare your boredom. Other times you met with the Anti-Marleyan Volunteers. They were a bunch of interesting characters, to say the least. You couldn't say if you fully trusted them yet but you could tell that their devotion, especially the woman Yelena, to Zeke was undeniable. 

You hadn't met any of the other Titans including Reiner during your stay, but you were surprised as you learned that the Cart Titan, the one also responsible for your kidnapping should know you were there. You. An enemy on their territory. But you soon learnt that it was through the work of Zeke that they hadn't found you; him and his manipulative ways. During your stay, you had also been informed that Marley was currently in a state of war. The Marley Mid-East War. With Marley's operation to retain Eren failing, and the Colossal and Female Titan lost to Paradis, Marley's military capabilities were greatly reduced. This was noticed by the Mid-East Allied forces, a collection of nations that were against Marley, resulting in a war declared. 

With the development of Anti-Titan artillery by the Allied forces and the lack of Titans on Marley's part, it seemed like a close battle that still saw not an inkling of an end. Due to this, you had barely really seen Zeke, but it had also meant that you and the Anti-Marley Volunteers could plan your course of infiltration on the Marley fleet that would head to Paradis in three months without much disturbance. You let out a sigh. You didn't know whether you could ever fully trust Zeke and his endeavours, but you knew that Paradis desperately needed technological advancements and support, and that was what he was willing to supply. With an enemy as large as the entire surrounding world, and the continuous developments that render Titans more and more ineffective, you could no longer rely on the skill sets and resources the Scouts have developed. You would need all the help you could get, and so you reluctantly agreed to help them help you. 

You look up, breaking away from your thoughts as your door opens. It's Zeke. You sit up, you haven't seen the man in two months. "Ah, [y/n], you're still here." You roll your eyes. You won't lie, you did attempt earlier in your stay here to escape. But you soon realised how risky and useless it was in a massive town, surrounded by enemies and with no idea where to go. You had hoped to return before anyone noticed but you guess Zeke was somehow informed anyway. "Only for the time being," you mutter out before crossing your arms. "And the war," you continue as you look at the man who sits down tiredly in a chair next to the bed where you sat. "How is it going?" Zeke lets out a deep sigh. "It's rough, but we're managing." A long awkward silence takes over as you realise you have nothing else to say, that is, until Zeke speaks up once more. 

"You're leaving in three months." He says it like a question and a statement at the same time. "That's right," you mutter diverting your gaze to the floor. "I'm going home. I'm afraid you won't have me to keep you company anymore." You say sarcastically as you let out a tired sigh. He lets out a half-hearted smile. "You know, it might seem like we're on two sides of one war, but we're more likeminded than you think." He says dully, clearly exhausted after the day's events. "I'll miss you [y/n], it's nice to have a sane mind around here sometimes.” You grit your teeth before laughing humourlessly. "I have somewhere I need to be. Paradis needs those advancements we made and I've already been away for too long…" Your thoughts drift to the man you love once more, feeling the deep pit of homesickness grow without him by your side.

"Is it Levi?" 

You look at him, eyes widening in surprise, but Zeke looks at you, eyes grim as he sees yours glisten in the lamp by your bedside, illuminated against the darkened sky outside. "What about him?" You say trying to divert the attention away, but you already know he's caught on. "The Ackerman, huh... Funny the man who tries to kill me, is rather devoted to you." You tense at the sudden dangerous atmosphere. "What are you going to do?" You ask, unliking the heavy air that surrounds you. "Give me relationship advice? Use me against him? Restrain me here, not allowing me to go back!?" Zeke shakes his head at your rising words leaning back in his chair. "I already told you; I don't plan to keep you here any longer than I need you to. I told you I would help you return in a year, and I plan to keep my word…" There is a short silence before he speaks again.

"If it comes down to it, would you allow Levi to kill me?"

Zeke’s low voice echoes the small room as you look at him, your face grim. It's a question asked dully, but you know that Zeke is curious about what you will say. You allow the quiet to consume him for a second, but you already know your answer. "Yes." You say simply like it was the easiest answer in the world. There is a pause before Zeke lets out a low laugh that turns louder before he composes himself. "Is that right?" He mutters as he looks to you amused; this only makes your irritation for the man grow. "Then you won't blame me if I give my all in killing him?" It's your turn to go silent before you look at him like he'd grown two heads. "I'd like to see you try Zeke," you say before you let out a demonic but tired grin. "But I think we both know you'd end up in your grave long before you touch a strand of his hair." 

"Is that right?" Zeke repeats still amused at your obvious confidence in the man you're so fond of. "I'd make sure of it myself." You say quietly as you turn away once more, missing Levi's presence more than ever. Maybe if he was here, he'd beat the man up for you. Zeke lets out a deep sigh, his gaze turning more serious again as he looks at you. "I get it, I get it," he says as he looks at your more withered form. Despite having fed you often, you rarely ate enough these days, he could see it in your eyes, the turmoil that came with the absence of the man you missed. Despite knowing you kept up with your training, you somehow seemed smaller, more tired, more... lifeless. "I didn't come here to taunt you like this." You laugh at his words but it doesn't reach your eyes. You turn to him. "Really? I could've sworn that's all you're capable of." 

He grins but says nothing. "I actually wanted to let you know the plan. You will be heading to Paradis in three months after all and it's coming up soon." You look at him eyes sparking at the revelation. "I also have a message for the Scouts... a list of my demands." 

..... 

[3 months later]

You stand in a Marleyan uniform, head low as you stand next to Yelena in the same uniform. Your heart pounds against your chest. Thanks to Zeke's interference things have been smooth sailing so far. You take a moment of everyone readying for their arrival to Paradis to look up to the sky. You see the millions of stars lining the dark sky. You take in an intake of breath and embrace the cool air that has a hint of salt on it. You look forward and now glance at the dark horizon. Despite the lack of light, you embrace the sight of the ocean. If you were alone, you swear you could cry. You feel every rock of the wave, you feel cold bursts of water spraying periodically into the air. It was just like that night all those years ago. Except back then, you had been shrouded in your mother's warm embrace as she held you, escaping your deaths. 

It was bittersweet. The dreams that you found out to be reality held so much more depth and darkness than you could have imagined. Yet, you long for the man you've waited to see for more than a year. One day [y/n], you'll understand. You'll meet a man you love so much you just can't let go. You think back to your mother's words to you that day she made it to the walls, only to die with the rising sun. Well, I've met him mother. You think to yourself. And I won't let him go, not ever again. Yelena looks at you discreetly and observes the nostalgic look you have on your face as you look at the dark ocean. She says nothing as the voice of the man in charge rings through the air. The ship stops, static in the water, as the first team of soldiers board a smaller boat, and we wait for them to go ashore. 

..... 

"Captain! The team that went ashore hasn't made contact for more than two hours!" You hear the voice of a Marleyan man in the distance talking to the man in charge. "Hmm. Prepare to send teams two and three." The man says to the soldier, a hint of urgency in his voice. "Yes, sir!" The voice of the same man replies. "The island of devils defeated the Warrior unit. Whatever the cost, Marley must learn what happened." You grit your teeth at the Captain's words but stay silent towards the back of the boat. But suddenly the boat starts to shake from under you. Your heart pounds in your chest as you quickly go to stabilise yourself watching as suddenly the ocean is not at eye level anymore. 

You grab onto the railing tightly, watching as soldiers in front of you topple down the boat, some falling into the ocean, as the boat rises from the ocean into the sky. "Hang on!" You hear the voices of the soldiers scream out in agony and fear, but then you hear the Captain's voice confirm your suspicions. "I-It's a devil!" Sure enough, the familiar sight of Eren holds the massive boat up into the sky. You feel yourself smile slightly despite your current predicament; you were home. Eren's Titan takes long thunderous steps that cause your grip on the railings to tremble as he takes the boat to shore. Then suddenly you feel weightless as Eren carelessly drops the boat onto the body of sand below. You topple, landing harshly. Could’ve been a bit gentler Eren. You frown at your aching back before you sit up, you can't blame him really, he didn't even know you were there. 

You quickly get up though, as you hear a familiar voice rise from a distance. "Hello, friends from Marley! Welcome to Paradis Island!" It's Hange. You feel your heart uplift but you force yourself to be patient, grabbing the gun fastened on your hip in preparation. "I'm Hange, here to greet our guests who've come so far across the sea! Now, step this way and join us for some tea! By the way, we're already friends with this guest that arrived before you! Isn't that right Nicolo!" You hear Hange's bright voice filling the air. They never change. You think to yourself as you slowly move out of the shadows and take a peek over the boat's railing. You see Hange in the distance next to a blond-haired man you recognise to be a Marleyan soldier, not on your side.

Then your eyes avert. It had been one year since you'd seen him, but even from a distance, you knew it was him. The raven locks, the unfaltering expression on his face. Levi. Your heart pounds, anticipation brimming inside of you, forcing yourself to calm down. "Captain! Forget about me and shoot these devils!" You hear the soldier held captive next to Hange yell out to you. "-What are you saying, Nicolo?!" Hange interrupts as you see their face change into one you could only describe as demonic as they get closer to Nicolo's face. "Captain!" The soldier continues to shout. "Nicolo! Understand this, you devils! Marely doesn't mingle with filthy blood!" The Captain of the ship yells out to Hange as you walk towards him readying your gun, trying to ignore the anger in your system. 

The Captain aims his gun towards Hange, Nicolo and Levi, readying to shoot. "Go drink your pig piss with your filthy friends!" You hear the shout of Hange reach the air in exasperation. "Aww! Hey! You sure you wanna be rude to us?! Can't you see the Titan behind you?!" Sure enough, Eren's Titan remained silently looming over our vessel watching us carefully, steam bellowing from his large figure. "We'll never yield to you devils! Say hello to this!" The Captain refocuses his gun on Hange once more, readying to shoot, you see Yelena's hands twitch for her gun, but you're quicker. You raise your gun to the air whilst the other soldiers are distracted. Hange lets out a squeal as they look at the Captain with the weapon in his hand. 

A lone gunshot pierces the air. 

There is a deep silence. You watch as the Captain in front of you stumbles, before falling to the ground. Blood seeped through his head, as he looked blankly to nothing, steam flowing from the gun you held in your hand. "You should really be more polite to your hosts," You say darkly, as Yelena approaches from behind you, tension rising as your voice fills the air. Levi suddenly looks up at your form, heart pounding relentlessly at the familiar sound. "What's this?" A soldier yells to your left pointing a gun towards you, but Yelena points her gun at the man speaking calmly. "Drop your weapons." With that, more soldiers point their guns at you, but the disguised Anti-Marleyan volunteers come behind them returning the favour. You had the upper hand, the Marleyan soldiers held at gunpoint and outnumbered. 

Yelena takes off the helmet she wore before turning to Hange, who is still frozen in the spot. "Hange, I'd be happy to accept your invitation." She says, looking at them, still silent. Everyone's eyes are focused on you however, as you also take your helmet off your head, not knowing why you suddenly feel so nervous. Your [h/c] hair spills from the helmet, your [e/c] eyes now visible, along with the angelic features they thought they would never see again. You look up, only to see that Hange and Levi look at you as though they had seen a ghost. "Let's have tea," Yelena shouts from next to you, as you look at the two of them, tears now brimming in your eyes. You were finally here, after so long. 

"It's been a while, Hange... Levi." 

_____

A/N: We're entering the final season! Thanks for reading <3

[Chapter Twenty-Five] <--> [Chapter Twenty-Seven]

Warnings: Some descriptions of Sexual Harassment

You sat, cleaning your ODM gear, covered with the grime from today's heist. Ever since you, Levi and Furlan had gotten your hands on the gear, everyday struggles were made so much easier. You could fly swiftly throughout the streets, far gone before people noticed that they had been robbed and too fast for those who noticed. It had been many years since your encounter with Levi, and as time passed, the trust between you grew along with your group. The both of you had met Furlan a few years prior, and though initially wary of a new face amongst you, it was soon forgotten as his natural charm and loyalty made him very easy to trust and befriend. Since then, everything has been history.

You and Furlan had a friendship that resembled a sibling relationship; you often bickered with each other but you trusted him with your life, and he was often overly protective. Sometimes to the point where it was irritating how he would always cover you in dangerous situations. It wasn't rare the number of times you had to reassure him that you were stronger than you looked. Though Levi often found your friendship loud and obnoxious, he also seemed to find it in him to trust in Furlan as he had slowly learnt to do with you. Soon, your little criminal gang seemed invisible and became famous in the Underground. "Tch," you turned and looked to Levi, who seemed to glare at the filth that permanently shrouded the table he sat at, tea forgotten as he muttered to himself about the filth that came with living in the Underground and a multitude of diseases, we could all get. Furlan was currently sorting the money we had gathered from today's heist, and both Levi and you noticed how he had given a much larger amount to Yan.

"You're too nice for your good, you know; you're not gonna have any money left for yourself if you keep giving it away so freely," you say to Furlan after Yan, and the others leave. He smiles down at you regretfully but with a sure look in his eyes. "Medicine's getting more expensive around here, and Yan's leg's getting worse. It's all I could do to give him a little more money." Furlan pats your head and looks outside the building that had been home to us for so long. "Still, I wonder how much more we'll need to get out of this dump." As Furlan wondered aloud the impossible task we had set ourselves, Levi meets your eyes briefly.

A familiar glance is exchanged as you recall your conversations about the dream of escaping the Underground. You had spent many spare moments, even before meeting Furlan, talking in the dark, you excitedly proclaiming all the things you would see and do above ground, and Levi speaking of the freshness the air would bring away from the grime of this place. They were some of your fondest memories, but they were still bittersweet as you both knew the task of getting the money required to get two, let alone three, people out of the Underground was everlasting. You give the raven-haired man a sparing smile as his usually stern eyes seem to briefly soften as he looks to you knowingly. However, before any words could be exchanged, you were interrupted by the slam of the door.

Suddenly, all three of you are up on your feet, knives drawn defensively as we look for the source of the noise; for any threat. Levi moves in front of you protectively as Furlan reaches for the door. However, when he cautiously opens the door, you are met with only a mess of auburn hair that lies at the feet of the entrance. "Huh? It's only a kid," he proclaims, looking down and meeting a pair of wide emerald eyes, narrowing at his proclamation. "I'm not a kid," the unknown girl huffs, standing to her feet. But indeed, by her appearance, she appeared young, pigtails swaying as she frowned. However, that's when you noticed she had been clutching something to her chest, protecting something despite it causing her to land face-first through our doorway. You move past Levi, who lets you do so once he figures that there is no threat after all. You look over at her hands leaning in.

"Hey, what's that you've got there?" You smile up at her gently, contrasting the still, weary glare of Levi as he looks at where we stand. She looks up at you, eyes widening at bright, kind [e/c] eyes, something she had rarely seen in such a dark place. She grins back at you, slightly battered hands clutched against her stomach. Just as she was about to open her mouth to say something, you were interrupted by noise approaching you again. Suddenly on high alert as muffled voices approach you, the boys push you behind them once again as you stand with the girl and realise that she had been followed.

"What's the plan?" Furlan asks Levi as they hear irritated voices muttering vulgar things. "Hey, any of you seen a filthy urchin come through here?" The girl's pursuers shout out to Levi and Furlan, who stand on either side of the doorway. "Yeah, sounds like every kid in this neighbourhood," Furlan states mockingly as he stares down the three men sharply. Unfortunately, that doesn't stop their pursuit as they come closer to the doorway, the men proclaiming how we must be the local thugs. "You're the thugs," you hear Farlan mutter, and you couldn't agree more. The filth of their appearance and disgusting intentions make you narrow your eyes as they seem like the type of men you see too often here in the Underground. However, as the man's eyes wander past Levi and Furlan, they find the girl who stands behind you.

"Hey, I found her," the man shouted to his two companions, but as their eyes looked up to meet yours, their smiles only widened. "And, lookie here, we found the gem of the Underground as well, lucky us." You frown further in disgust at the way they look at you as if trying to undress you with their eyes, but you stand strong, not breaking eye contact. At his words, both Furlan and Levi stood tense; you could see them restraining themselves from killing them right there, right now.

"Now, hand her over, and we'll be on our way. Girl tried to get past stair eleven without paying our fee understand? Now, she might have botched her attempt, but we're still not through with making an example out of her." They glared up at the girl who stood still, saying nothing as Levi and Furlan looked slightly surprised at their claim. "Now, if you guys shelter her, we'll have to do the same for you." The man looks up at you, grinning. "Though I wouldn't mind punishing you, sweetheart," You roll your eyes at his pathetic form, but before you can say anything, he is moving forward. "I'll just take her then if you don't mind," he goes to move past Levi, but by misfortune or mere stupidity, he places a hand on Levi.

Not even a second passed, and Levi had his knife in the air, already smeared with blood as the man was beaten ruthlessly. "Keep your filthy hands off of me. I don't need your filth smudging my shirt." Levi brings the man up by his shirt, glaring simply at his form, "And if you ever look at her like that again, I can promise you, you'll no longer be able to see anything with your shitty eyes " Levi kicks the man down the stairs from our doorway. Furlan grins stiffly, "Sorry about that, but we're clean freaks here; you probably shouldn't come back, but if you do, be sure to wash your hands." Levi stands, already wiping the blood and grime off his knife, as the men curse under their breath, walking off when they realise that they really weren't any match for Levi, let alone the three of us.

You turned your attention back to the girl who still stood next to you, staring in shock at Levi as he stood irritably by the doorway. You noticed her hands were still clutched to her chest; small movements enclosed within her grasp. "You know, whatever you're holding, you might wanna give it some air to breathe," you say gently, bringing her out of her stillness as she meets your eyes again. She blushes slightly under your warm gaze as she gasps, realizing she needs to open her hands. "Oh, uh, I was just trying to keep it warm," she grins, showing the three of us a small bird. "Wait, why do you have a bird?" Furlan asks, it was an uncommon sight but not unheard of to see wildlife, unfortunately, make their way down to the Underground. The girl goes on to explain how she had found it, hoping to get it back to the surface, thus leading to her trying to break through one of the stair tolls. "You did all of that, for a bird?" Furlan looks at her, bewildered by all the trouble a small girl would go through for an insignificant life that struggled on much like the rest of us.

"He hasn't been flying. I'm sure he'd rather do it under the sun than stuck down here," the girl explains as though it were the most logical thing in the world. "Hmm, you're not wrong, but it kinda looks there like its wings are hurt," you say to her, noticing the odd way the bird lay its wings by its body. "What?" the girl glances down and realizes that you might be right, as Furlan nods at your observation.

.....

"Wow, you are good at that," the girl exclaims as you find yourselves seated, Furlan having wrapped the bird's wings in a makeshift bandage. Her eyes shimmered in the dark haze of the world around us, too innocent and too cheerful you think, as you wonder how she has made it through so much of her life, and maintained her positive outlook. Or maybe she's like all of us, like the bird, like me, we all want our freedoms, we suffer silently and we hope dangerously.

Your thoughts are broken by another one of the girl's exclamations, "My name's Isabel, what's yours," she grins as she looks at the three of us. "Oh, well, I'm Furlan," Furlan states, giving her a slight smile. "I'm [y/n]," you say with a soft glance, "and this is Levi," you grin as you gesture towards him, and he gives Isabel his signature blank look. "Cool," Isabel states, "Levi and [y/n] huh? I think I'll call you 'big bro' and 'big sis,'" she grins at the two of us, eyes flickering in the dimly lit room. You glance at Levi and give him a shrug as he rolls his eyes at you. "I want in!" she shouts suddenly, causing Levi to stiffen, "You guys have the ODM gear, right? I've seen you flying around, as free as birds! Please let me fly too!" Freedom, that word again. You remember back to the first time you had tried the ODM gear, the feeling of being weightless, but powerful and in control. In a world so barren, so hopeless, was that freedom?

"Well?" she stares, gaze unfaltering at Levi. You give him a soft smile as he sighs slightly. "If you're gonna stay, you first learn how to clean." If possible, her smile grows wider as she thanks Levi profusely and hugs you out of excitement. Levi frowned, irritated, muttering something about how now she was just spreading her filth onto you, but you just smiled at her. Isabel looks at you, awestruck at your genuineness but you can't find yourself stopping, something told you this was the beginning of a new friendship.

.....

Many days passed after that. You all showed Isabel how to use the ODM gear, which inevitably turned out to be quite the hassle, but over time, she learned how to use it enough to pass by. With the flying lessons came the cleaning lessons, those of which she seemed to enjoy significantly less. All you could do was smile and laugh at Levi's cleaning attire mixed with his stoic gaze and stare amusedly at Isabel's glare as she cleaned with you all. You ate, and you laughed, you flew, and you shared your stories. You embraced the fleeting feeling of freedom together.

Soon, it was time to free the bird that had since been nursed back to health and you found a rare opening to the sunlight. Levi turns to you seeing how you bask in the sunlight, [s/c] skin and [h/c] hair shimmering under the lights. His cheeks turned a slight pink at your soft smile but you decided not to say anything about it; he seemed to embrace a brief happiness surrounded by his makeshift family. You watched as a lone feather fell to the floor and the bird took flight, reaching the skies above us, and you let yourself hope, just slightly, yet so stupidly, that these moments, with the four of you, would last forever.

_____

Warnings: Canonical Violence

You sat with Hange with the other Team Leaders, listening as the announcement was made that tonight, the night before we set off to Shiganshina, there would be meat. You deadpan at the sudden intense silence. The Scouts look to each other in the dining hall eyeing the meat that was prepared for them like it was a token from the Gods. And then, all of a sudden noise filled the dining hall once again. You'd think they were more devoted to cutting perfect slices of meat than killing Titans, cause you swear you've never seen the Scouts so focused. Arguments filled the dining hall, punches were thrown and shouting was all you could hear, especially at the table with your squad. Sasha had bitten the entirety of their roasted meat whole, and now Jean and Connie were playing tug of war as they tried to pry it from her locked jaw, tears in their eyes and screaming. You watch as they now hold her unconscious form, still somehow reaching for the precious product. Everyone had gone insane. 

You watched as one of the Squad leaders calmly sliced some of the meat on our table each of us taking a slice as we watched the Scouts lose their minds. "Hey, I think we've got casualties," one of the Leaders speaks up, as you all chew your meat, sweat dropping at the soldiers' antics. "Whose brilliant idea was it to serve meat?" Hange asks as their voice is muffled with the meat in their mouth. "Sorry. But we knew blowing the food budget for two months in one night would result in this." You simply smile and nod as you chew your bit of meat. You can't remember the last time you'd had such a delicacy before and you savoured the way it melted in your mouth. Your squad had now gagged and tied Sasha to a nearby post, finally, the noise dwindling as the Scouts calmed down and actually ate their meals. 

You and the Squad Leaders now continue in a quiet conversation, going over the plans for tomorrow before changing the subject to simple small talk. "Hey [y/n], where's Levi?" Hange asks from next to you as they go for another piece of meat. "I'm not sure," you say, "he said he needed to finish off some paperwork and to go ahead." You shrugged as you chewed away continuing to eat what was probably the best meal you'd had in a long time, keeping some for Levi, just in case. "So~ how are the two of you going then?" Marlene, a female Leader who sat in front of you, speaks up eyeing you curiously. "What me and Levi?" You ask laughing a little, before going for another piece of your meal, "Fine, why do you ask?" One of the male Leaders looks up from his meal, blushing profusely, "So the two of you aren't together then?" He asks, strange determination on his face.

You tilt your head to the side slightly in confusion before Hange speaks up again from next to you, jabbing their fork in the direction of the Leader. "Huh? Are you stupid, of course they're together, haven't you heard them in their chambers in the middle of the night? Oh, Levi~ don't stop-" You punch Hange on the top of their head, flushing deep red. "Hange-" you say through gritted teeth as Marlene laughs in amusement, and the men on the table look like they've just heard their mother died. You sweatdrop looking at them as they cursed the Gods. "You guys are taking this way too personally," you say rolling your eyes, as they look at you, one of them clasping your hand as tears roll down his face. You try to escape their grip as they start stuttering out to you, "[y/n], please tell me I still have a ch-" 

"What's going on." 

You look up to see that Levi has finally joined you, aura dark as he eyes the man holding your hand whilst your other still holds a fork up, chewing on your meat. The Leader drops your hand instantly, scrambling and saying he needs to go somewhere as he runs off out of the dining hall. You sigh, wiping the hand that was held on your pants before turning to Levi who sat next to you and smiled. "I saved you some," you say quietly, pushing over his plate, as he nods to you gratefully. He surprises you when he gently squeezes the hand that the Scout Leader had just held, before releasing it. You grin up to him in adoration and he looks away trying to avoid your gaze. The both of you continue your meals until the meat has been wiped clean from your plates. But, just as the table finds a comfortable silence once again, you hear Eren and Jean start to shout out from their table, as a strange argument ensues. 

"You're so full of yourself, you pig shit!" 

"You trying to grow out the hair on your mane, horse face?!" 

You watch as they start to punch eat other, as others gather to see what's going on. "Looks like something's started." One of the Leaders says from in front of you. "And here I told 'em to behave." Another muttered as you watched the two boys. 

"If you insist on being so suicidal... I'll just have to kill you!" 

"I'll have to take that to heart! You should start showing your mom some respect. Jean-boy!" 

"Would you forget that?!" 

You roll your eyes as their fight continues, but nobody stops them, not even Mikasa as she watches them with an almost serene expression on her face. Many minutes pass and you see their movements start to slacken, half-heartedly punching the other as though begging someone to come in and tell them to stop. You turn to your right as Levi lets out a deep sigh and stands up. You watch as he slowly walks over to the two. "Hey," you hear Levi mutter out darkly before he kicks Eren enough for him to fly across the room. He then turns to Jean and punches him in the gut, the both of them curling in on themselves as Levi finishes them both in one blow. "You're all too damn rowdy. Go to sleep. And clean that up!" You hear the rest of the Scouts shout out in confirmation as you decide to finish up too, moving to put your and Levi's plates away. 

Soon after doing so, you decided to untie Sasha from her bounds as she yelled out, voice still muffled and face desperate. Afterwards, you wandered around the darkened streets as you tried to find where Levi had gone off to after the rowdy events of the night. You stop abruptly when you hear the voice of Mikasa. "Once we retake Wall Maria... and defeat all the enemies coming for us... will they come back? Those days..." You let out a gentle sigh at her words. You knew her sentiment, you had lost so many people on your journey to today. Furlan, Isabel, your squad, Miche, countless other soldiers. To think you despised the Underground, when they were probably your most treasured memories. "We'll bring it back." You hear Eren's voice ring through the silence. "But some things are forever changed. We'll make them pay for that." You hear Mikasa quietly agree. 

"But there's more than that," Armin speaks up, "the sea... a salt lake so big that merchants could spend their whole lives and still not get all the salt. There's more than just Titans outside the walls. Fiery water, lands of ice, sandy snowfields... I joined the Scouts so I could see all that." There's a pause before he continues. "Let's start by seeing the sea! You still doubt that it's real Eren! You'll see! It does exist!" You hear the grin in Eren's voice as he replies to Armin's fiery words. "All right then. Guess we'll just have to go and see." You hear as the three of them start to get up, "It's a promise then! You have to!" Their voice dwindled in the distance as you shook your head and turned the corner, only to find the man you'd been looking for. Levi had his back to a wall, just near where the three young Scouts had been sitting. You knew he had been listening in as well. 

He has a nostalgic look on his face, eyes staring straight ahead as you walk towards him and decide to sit down on his left. You lean your head against his shoulder and intertwine your hand with his letting silence consume the both of you. "They're just like us, all those years ago on the rooftops with Furlan and Isabel," you mutter out, a soft tone in your voice. You feel his hand tightly squeeze yours in agreement. You remember that night, looking at the starry sky, a night similar to tonight, talking about your dreams. You let the night go on. Both of you shrouded in your memories and the sorrow of the youthful naivety left behind. Both of you holding onto the other, the only thing left in the devastation of reality. 

..... 

The next day comes and goes, and now sunset is on the horizon, a symbol of your departure. You mounted [h/n] remembering the massive send-off the Scouts had provided earlier. Countless citizens shouted to you and the soldiers, exclaiming in their hope, their gratitude and their support. You had never seen anything like it, never seen humanity so validating in the Scout's endeavours. You trot to Levi who is also atop his horse, meeting his eyes as he looks at you, a silent sentiment shared between your gaze. Stay safe; Stay alive. Then you hear Erwin's booming voice echo through the tense silence. "The final operation to retake Wall Maria... will now commence!" You hear the uproar of those around you, and you're all off. Back into Titan territory. "Advance!" 

..... 

We break through the treeline after spending the entirety of the moonless evening travelling to Shiganshina, but then, we see it. At the breaking of dawn and as the sun's first rays touch the horizon, there in all its glory lay Wall Maria. It had been 5 years since that day when the lives of those within the walls were inevitably changed. 5 years, and today you would revert the fate that was bestowed upon all of you, sealing the inner and outer walls that surrounded Shiganshina. "Be on guard for Titans hiding in the shadows!" You hear Erwin's voice ring through the crowd as you make your descent, passing through abandoned homes. "Our operation begins now! All troops, switch to ODM gear!" 

At his command, you go to stand on [h/n] readying your gear, and you see Levi do the same next to you. You pat your horse gently as you get up, "I'll see you later [h/n]," you mutter, as she neighs, somehow in acknowledgement. You let out a grim smile as you attach your ODM gear to the wall that now lies in front of you, Levi joining you as you both whisk your way above your horses and on top of the walls. You all make sure you have your hoods covering your faces as a deterrent from the enemy, not knowing who Eren is. By the time they find out, Eren would have the outer gate plugged. Your role, and the role of the squad was to make sure that Eren was able to do just that, unscathed. 

"Don't stop! Head for the outer gate!" You hear Levi's voice shout to Eren after he sees him stop briefly to look down onto Shiganshina, his hometown. "Roger!" You hear the boy's voice ring through as you sprint towards the first hole left in the walls, keeping pace with Levi and not going too far ahead. Then, you switch to your ODM gear once more, using the walls to propel you to your destination. When you finally arrive, Levi joins you as you go to Hange who surveys the premises with unease in their eyes. "This is all too strange... Not a single Titan in sight?" You hear them say from next to you. They're right after all, strangely, you hadn't seen a Titan in hours, the last one being sleeping in the forest due to the lack of moonlight. Hange is right to be worried, not only had there been a lack of Titans, but also of the enemy: Reiner and Bertholdt. 

"But we have to keep going." You hear Levi mutter out darkly. "Yeah, there's no reason to call it off." Hange agrees as they go for a green smoke signal, firing it in the air alongside other scattered Scouts in the area. With the green smoke rising, you see Eren approach the hole, readying for his transformation and the task of sealing the walls. His teeth latch onto the flesh of his hand once again, as he propels himself upwards and then down towards the breach in the wall. There is an overwhelming gold glow as your hair is pushed from your face at the impact, you see Eren's emerald eyes within his Titan's form, and then you see, the crystallisation starting to form. It starts from the ends of the Titan's body before consuming the entirety of it, you see as Eren reseals the wall once more. 

Mikasa goes down to Eren's now human form that had escaped from his Titan before he too, was crystallised and brings him back up to the top of Wall Maria. "Don't let your guard down! Keep on the lookout!" Hange calls out to the Scouts around you, as they shout in confirmation, scattering along the walls. As you watch them survey, you look downwards with Levi to the Scouts next to the crystallised statue of Eren now protruding from where the hole used to be. "Is it sealed?!" You call out, to which one of the Scouts nod. "Success! It's plugged all right!" He and other Scouts then fire green smoke signals into the air again. One down, one to go. 

"We'll head for the inner gate! While we're on the move, remember to hide your faces!" Hange yells out to us as we start to run across the walls again. You see that Eren now had Mikasa's cape on, having lost it in his transformation. You're still at unease though as you hear Eren's voice muttering out from next to you. "I really plugged the hole? And that easily...?" You hear Mikasa's voice come from behind you. "You did it. Believe in your own power." Levi's voice retorts hers as he speaks up from your opposite side. "Not yet!" You nod as you agree to Levi's sentiment, "No matter how much you plug it, they'll break the wall as long as they live. Until we kill Reiner, Betholdt and any other enemies, the operation to retake Wall Maria won't end." 

"Of course... I know that!" Eren's voice responds to your eerie words as you continue on your way. You know the apprehension exists in the air at the prospect that you don't know where the enemy is, but a prolonged battle would be the Scout's downfall. We had to win this decisively, and with Armin and Erwin in charge of finding said enemy, you had no doubt the mystery of their absence would be solved soon. We continue along the walls spanning from the opposite side to now the inner gate, where a hole lays etched in its structure. Just as you think this mission will go forth uninterrupted, you hear the shot of another smoke signal ring through the air. You look up, it's Erwin. Red smoke rises from where he had his arm pointing upwards, clearing having set off his gun with the signal to halt the mission. 

"All troops, scatter and stand by atop the wall!" Hange calls out from in front of us as we move upwards, on top of the walls again. 

..... 

You watch as Scouts now line the walls below you, using their swords to tap the walls looking for a hollow proportion. You know this must have been the idea of Armin, as he also joins them in looking for a possible hiding spot for the enemy. It needed to be a place where they would be able to react no matter when Eren approached; a position able to see everything... If that was anywhere, it had to be in the walls. Suddenly, you watch as a Scout below you stops his movements and you look down curiously, Levi by your side. Sure enough, he fires his gun. "Here! The cavity is here!" But before any of you can so much as breathe, a sword was protruding from the Scout's chest to his back, blood splurting out on impact. Then, you see a flash of blond hair and Armin's voice. "Reiner!" 

You don't know what compels you to move, but you do, and you feel Levi does the same. But you're faster. You force yourself downwards in less than a second as Reiner looks at you in complete shock and fear before you shove one of your swords right down his throat, the other through his chest. You watch as his eyes slowly turn in the inside of his head. Yes, you've killed him. But before your relief can consume you, his irises flash back to you. You quickly retract your blades in shock and retreat to the walls as Levi approaches for the assist, flying down and cutting his arms from his body, before he joins you on the side of the wall, as you both look down at Reiner's bleeding form. "Shit!" You exclaim in frustration as see how Reiner's body is still able to move, but you are unable to do anything further, in case he transforms into a Titan. 

"Tch is that another Titan Power?!" Levi shouts out. "So close! But we couldn't finish 'em!" You can't say anything as a gold glow consumes your features once again, Reiner transforming into his Armoured Titan that lies flat on the ground. "Keep on the lookout!" Erwin's voice calls from above. "Locate his allies!" But then, another thunderous impact shakes the walls. "[y/n]!" Levi calls out, as he offers an arm to stabilise you before the both of you head back up the wall. Your eyes widen with Levi's as he stays by your side, a luminous glow surrounding the walls and suddenly, in the distance, Titans are lined up. In the middle of their lineup is a Titan unlike any you had seen before; the beast Titan. 

You watch as the beast reaches down for a boulder the size of 3 houses before lifting it into the air, holding it in a weird stance before flinging it in the direction of all of you. "Boulder incoming!" You hear the Commander's cry and feel Levi's fingers twitch in anxiety, his grip pulling you behind him, as you feel the impact ring through to your bones. Debris rises but as Levi's grip finally loosens you see that the boulder had not caused an impact on the Scouts but on the inner gate. Now rocks fill the entrance to Shiganshina, and horses are unable to pass. First, they would aim for the horses, surrounding and blocking our escape; annihilating you all... here. 

Your eyes move to your surroundings before they lock onto Reiner's Armoured Titan and you go up to the Commander. "Erwin, he's going to climb up." Sure enough, the Armoured Titan suddenly crystallises the ends of its feet and hands. It readies to sprint to the walls before one of its feet causes impact and grasps onto Wall Maria with its crystalised claws, slowly making its way up. "All troops! Avoid clashing with the Armoured Titan!" The Commander demands. "Stay away from him!" The Scouts shout out in validation. "That quadruped type down there is an intelligent Titan." You follow Erwin's eyes to a Titan in the distance next to the other Titans that have suddenly appeared. It was on all fours, with an Abnormally long head. On its back, there was strange luggage. "There might even be others," Erwin continues.

But then, the Beast Titan lets out a horrific roar before raising its fist and pounding it to the ground, causing it to collapse. Then, the smaller Titans beside it start to make a move, running towards us in a weird frenzy. "They're moving! Multiple two to three meters approaching!" You clench your teeth in frustration. They seem to be targeting the horses, and if they do so, you all lose the only means of transportation and escape. What's more the larger Titans are still present next to the Beast Titan. If they succeed in their plan, they could simply wait until we weaken with starvation and lack of resources, Eren easily being taken from us. They truly do mean to trap us in. "Commander! The Armoured Titan is close! And we still don't know where Bertholdt is!" 

"Yeah, I know," Erwin replies with almost laughable calmness next to you, but you try to do the same, ignoring the feeling of the overwhelming presence of the enemy. The Commander had remained unmoving for the past few minutes, probably overanalysing the sight before you as well. "Are you finally ready to say something?" Levi asks from next to where you stand. "I could've had breakfast during the wait." You silently thank the heavens for the man next to you as his unchecked humour somehow undoes the anxiety creeping up to your chest. The familiarity of his bored voice brings you back from your thoughts. That's right, we'd done this a million times before. Kill the enemy, survive, go home. That was the plan. It didn't matter how many Titans you faced as long as you were together. 

"Dirk Squad and Marlene Squad. Protect the horses at the gate with Klaus Squad. Levi and [y/n] Squad and Hange Squad! Take down the Armoured Titan! Employ the Thunder Spears at your discretion! Achieve your objectives whatever it takes!" The thunder spears. Weapons that could be launched to Kill Titans from the impact, you'd have to be careful in its use so that you are also not caught up in the explosion; lethal but very powerful. "This moment! This battle! The survival of humanity depends on it! Once more, for humanity... give your hearts!" There's a chorus of voices that shout out, the Scouts abiding by the Commander's words as they set off to their respective areas. 

"Wait! [y/n], Levi, Armin! I did say your squad needed to go but I need you both to stay." His eyes move sharply between the two of you. You raise your eyebrows in question as you meet Levi's also puzzled gaze. "To protect the horses and not Eren?" Erwin nods. "That's right," he says before pointing his sword at the Beast Titan, "And to strike him down when the chance comes. Levi, I want to entrust you to take on the Beast Titan. [y/n], your speed will help us rid of the smaller Titans in the meantime. We have inexperienced Scouts in the vicinity, no doubt casualties will arise." His eyes turn to you. "I need you to clear the path for Levi. But in doing so, two Captains in one area is a waste of resources, after you're done with the smaller Titans, I want you to return to your squad. With the help of Armin, kill Reiner and Bertholdt." 

You see Levi turns sharply to Erwin, not liking the prospect of being apart from each other in such a risky battle. However, you can't waste time and argue in a place like this. You nod your head, "Roger Erwin. Since we failed to kill Reiner earlier, it's only fair I help finish the job." You don't wait for Levi's remark as you set off across the wall to where the smaller Titans taunt the Scouts below. 

Not noticing the way the Beast Titan's eyes look at you from the distance. Eyes widening at your small but unmistakable figure, flying down from atop the wall, slicing through the Titans...

_____

Warnings: Descriptions of Blood, Death, Injury, Canonical Violence

When you arrived back to Paradis, the crowds welcomed you in shouts of praise and cheer, news spreading of our seemingly victorious raid on Marley. Your squad along with Hange had stayed in town, and Eren was sent straight to a cell. However, you, Levi and a group of Scouts left the same afternoon you came home. You had all ridden on horseback to the Forest of Giant Trees, taking Zeke Jaeger with you. Levi had joked that we had a world-class hotel waiting for the Beast Titan. You sigh grimly at the thought now as you look up to the massive trees above you, it had been years since you returned, and the memories of the last time you were here were anything but fond. You watch as Levi dismounts his horse and the other Scouts get ready for camp. 

They unload their belongings and you tie your horse beside Levi's joining him as he goes to Zeke who sits on a crate, supervised by two Scouts. He looks up as the two of you approach, an unreadable expression on his face. "I just need to stay here, don't I?" He asks as you frown at him alongside Levi. The man next to you speaks, a dark expression on his face, "Try anything funny, you're dead hairball." Zeke freezes at the intent and lets out a deep sigh. "So, you're going to watch him kill me then [y/n]?" He asks as his eyes turn to your unflinching face. "I told you," you say as you reply emotionlessly. "If it comes down to it, I will watch as you die." Zeke has a grim but unsurprised expression on his face. "Then I stand by my words from that day." He says lowly, and you remember, he had told you he would try to kill Levi in return. "And I stand by mine," you say, before turning and walking away, he would die before he even touches Levi. 

The sun is already low on the horizon as the Scouts around you scurry to put up their tents, one coming and telling you that yours and Levi's were complete as you nod thankfully. You help them gather wood and start a fire for the cold night, as those around you blush and stutter in their own thanks, before being cut off by Levi's glare. You help the Scouts with their work, all the while as thoughts are running through your head. Even upon your return, there had been conflict on whether to trust Eren or not. You know some are strongly devoted to Eren's ideals whatever they may be, and you feared an imminent internal conflict. Historia was also now pregnant, and you knew this caused outrage among higher-ranking officers, thinking she was postponing turning into a Titan and consuming the Beast Titan. There was so much uncertainty, and those you used to trust, you no longer could. On top of all that, Sasha had been killed in the most maddening way imaginable; not by a Titan, or by battle against some expert soldier... but in an instant... by a kid. 

You don't realise you have been staring into the fire, gripping your hands tightly causing some blood to almost spill under the weight of your nails until you feel a warm hand encase your own. Levi gently pries your hands away from the other and you feel him sitting next to you in front of the fire, looking at you in concern. "Oi, don't do that with your hands," he frowns as he takes one in his own. Your thoughts are instantly quietened by the man that you love and you lean against his shoulder tiredly. There is a silence as the moon starts to rise in the darkening sky. You look to see Zeke reading a book and there is a sudden absence of Scouts around you. "Where is everyone?" You ask softly looking up to Levi who nods his head to a little distance away. You look to see that the Scouts had bundled around some crates in the distance, faces flushed as they held up cups, strangely in a happy mood. "Is that...?" You start to question watching as they pour a red liquid from bottles, fighting each other over it. 

"Wine," Levi replies sighing. "They nicked some that was imported from Marley, convinced me to let them have it... I'm not so sure that's a good idea now though," he says darkly. You find yourself silently agreeing as you watch the drunken faces of the Scouts a small distance away. You play with Levi's hand in your grasp as he turns to you, a fond expression now on his face as you find each other quite alone except for Zeke who still keeps reading whatever book it is that's in his hand. You smile at his soft gaze and he brings forward a Flask to you. You raise your eyebrow as Levi replies seeing your questioning gaze. "Don't get too excited, you can't have wine, you're a lightweight," he says smirking slightly at your pout. "But we can have tea." He hands a cup to you as he pours you some before pouring himself some as well. You smile at the gesture and lean against him once more, the two of you in front of the fire, sipping your drinks in the warm presence of the other, serene silence around you. 

..... 

[One Month Later]

Another evening is upon you when two Scouts arrive from within town. They approach you and Levi, high up on a branch of a tree with information on what's happening. You can't deny the initial shock at the proclamation made as you speak out, completely blindsided. "Zachary was killed?" You say breathlessly, as the Scout in front of you and Levi nods. The leader of the three regiments... how?  "Yes. The Jaegerists effectively control everything in the walls. We think it's all part of some plan Zeke put together using Yelena and Eren." The Jaegerists, devout followers and supporters of Eren... "And?" Levi prompts the Scout to keep speaking as he continues grimly. "Soon, the Jaegerists may bring Eren to see Zeke like they've been demanding." There is a brief silence as you speak up from next to Levi with a hard gaze. "And Pyxis? Is he letting this happen?" 

Another Scout speaks up. "As you know, the Commander can be quite stubborn." Levi's eyes spark dangerously, as he speaks in realisation. "He's gonna make sure Eren gets eaten... by our own hands." The other Scouts nod silently in confirmation to Levi's words as you watch his face contort to one of outrage. You know why. Levi looks to the two Scouts in front of him, disbelief clouding his mind, and irritation striking the back of his head sharply. He had saved Eren over and over, and every time, more of his comrades had died. All because he believed he was the hope of humanity. You watch as Levi grasps his raven hair tightly, as his dark thoughts swirl in his head. ‘This is where my beliefs got me. It's like some awful joke. What the hell was the hope that we saw? All that struggle for a farce like this’. You can do nothing but look down on your own defeat. You had all lost so much to save and allow Eren to survive all this time, for him to be fed to another anyway... 

"Such bullshit. It's not even funny." Levi's voice is lower than you have ever heard, more tinted with rage than ever before. "There's another shithead we should have eaten." The Scouts in front of you look confused as they turn to the tormented look on the Captain's face. "What do you mean," they ask eyes darting between the two of you. "We'll give the Beast to someone else," Levi says as he removes his hand from where it had been gripping tightly to his hair. "We'll make one of the Jaegerists into a Titan and have them eat Zeke... I can't tell if he's manipulating Eren, but their party's over if they lose Zeke. Go tell that to Pyxis, got it?" The Scouts in front of you stutter in complete surprise. "Y-You're serious, Captain?" They ask as they look to Levi who stares back with grave intent within his sharp eyes. "The old man will come around once I chop Zeke's limbs off," he replies. He then takes off on his ODM gear to the floor and slowly approaches Zeke. 

You let out a deep sigh and turn to the two Scouts still in front of you, dismissing them as they nod and retreat to the floor back to their horses. You sit on the branch of the tree looking down at the sight of Levi having a quiet exchange with the man you know he despises. 

"Enjoying your book?" 

"I am, for one who's read it seven times." 

"You've been eavesdropping more than reading." 

"Can you blame me when I've read it this much? By the way, Is there any wine left?" 

"Not a single drop left. We've been here a month." 

"Good grief. You sure know how to torture someone." 

"Just read your book." 

"Roger that." 

You suppress the roll of your eyes at such a seemingly bland conversation, wondering if the two ever exchanged words that surpassed that of benign small talk. You lean your head against the trunk of the tree, looking past the forest and watching the way the sun begins to slowly fall once more beneath the ground. You then look up and around you. You have thirty fully armed soldiers waiting in the forest among the trees, some resting in hammocks, some training wildly, some simply sitting and waiting. You know that no matter what Pyxis says, Levi will chop up Zeke and disregard the initial plan to feed him to Historia. We have Thunder Spears and ODM gear that works brilliantly with the help of the giant trees. If Zeke were to escape it would have to be by some sort of miracle. We know now for certain that Zeke was indeed our enemy, working with Eren on a plan you could not decipher, Levi wouldn't show mercy. He would finally be able to fulfil the promise he made to Erwin four years ago, finally be able to put worth in his and his comrade's deaths. You lose yourself in your thoughts... until you're brought back to reality.

Suddenly, there is a deathly silence in the air. 

Suddenly, your thoughts are no longer optimistic. 

Suddenly, the roaring voice of a man comes from below you. 

You look down, only for Levi to freeze as he looks to Zeke's form that's running... away? 

Then, glowing lights blind your vision. 

Clouds of dirt and dust reach the air as you watch your comrades fall from the trees around you, only they are no longer human but... Titans. Your heart thrums against your chest as you quickly stand to your feet, stabilising yourself before using your ODM gear to dodge the prying hand of a Titan that reaches towards you. You fly through the air looking desperately for Levi but you have to dodge once more as a Titan reaches out to you. Your eyes are grim, your lungs constricting under your confusion. ‘What... What's happening’ And then, you remember. You remember how the Scouts had drunk the Marleyan wine throughout the past month, you and Levi allowing them to. ‘Did they have Zeke's spinal fluid in them?’  You remember frantically the words Zeke had spoken to you all during the month of your stay; how he can use his spinal fluid to turn humans into Titans and control them... an advantage of being a Titan with royal blood. But he must have lied when he said that you freeze when you consume it... all to distract you from the fact that you watched in front of your very eyes as your Scouts did. 

"[Y/N]!!"

The yell of Levi's voice finally makes its way through the air as you search frantically for him. "LEVI!!" You call out, hoping he's okay, needing to get to Zeke, not wanting to kill your comrades no matter if they were lost to you as Titans. Then, you finally see him in a flash of raven hair. Levi was dodging Titans at a high speed as he tried to escape one's clutches. The Titans had started to climb the trees, their movements fast and controlled, likely Zeke's doing once again. You continue as well, only seeing a quick flicker of relief in your partner's eyes as he sees you still alive. You turn through the air, not knowing what to do. Every face of a Titan holds remnants of the Scouts you had trained and grown to care for. ‘Were they still there?’  You wonder, looking at their Titan forms.

But you know they aren't. 

You watch as a Titan goes to grab Levi as you fly through the air. He had lost so much; you wouldn't allow him to kill his comrades... You let out a yell before turning, and in one second, four Titans, including the one that had been pursuing Levi fell to the ground, steaming and dead. Levi looks up to you complete dread and torment on his face, no doubt blaming himself once again for the predicament. You use a brief lack of pursuing Titans to go to him quickly, grabbing his shoulder and shaking him out of it. "Levi!!" You yell out as he meets your gaze. "You go!! Get Zeke!! I'll hold them off!!" Levi starts to slowly shake his head, the same look of anguish on his face. "No!! I'm not leaving you here!" You turn quickly, slicing through another Titan that has caught up to the both of you.

"We don't have any time," you say softly, "please Levi..." 

He looks to you, seemingly having shaken out of it as he readies his ODM gear reluctantly turning away with a grim expression on his face. "Don't die." With his words, he's gone and you are left with dozens of Titans around you, but you'd have to work fast to keep the majority from pursuing Levi, and so you fight. You slice through so many Titans you are barely even able to recognise their nape from their face. You speed through the air like you are the wind, guilt and grief filling you along with rage. Hot blood falls from the sky at your rampage, it falls onto your face and seeps into the swords that you use. The hands that reach out to you fall limply in a matter of seconds, and the Titan's wild smiles turn lifeless at your pursuit, all the while you try to separate the image of your smiling comrades from them. It's only about a minute, but it feels like a lifetime by the time you reach the ground once more. 

Steam rises in the air almost clouding your vision at the sheer number of Titans that wither with the falling sun. You pant heavily groaning as you sit down amid the destruction. You look to the darkening sky and trying to stop the tears that seem to flow down your face. 

..... 

When Levi finds you once more, he has Zeke's withered form in his grasp, and you have attached [h/n] and Levi's horse to a cart with a few supplies. He drops Zeke carelessly onto the cart before rushing to your side and you embrace him, hiding your face into his chest, glad he was okay. He pulls you into a soft, warm kiss, his relief filling him and your hearts thrumming before he pulls away. He looks behind you to where the Titans you killed fade in the dying sun. The both of you have grim faces as you mount your horse, Levi mounting his. Neither of you has the heart to offer comfort beyond the other's presence as you ride silently away from the giant trees. 

..... 

The following day arrives but the sun is not visible in the overcast day. Heavy rain pours onto you and Levi as your faces hide under the little shelter your capes provide. Zeke had regained consciousness but still cried out periodically in pain, barely noticeable over the continuous blow of the wind. A thunder spear impaled his lower abdomen, a wire around his neck attached to the Thunder Spear Fuse. Wounds littered his form and his burns slowly healed, remnants of Levi's torturous methods on the man. Sick and blood littered on the cart slowly washed away. You felt no sympathy for Zeke's form nor his blatant agony. Not after toying with the lives of your subordinates so amusedly; not after forcing you and Levi to witness and cause further losses once again.  There is silence beyond the horrid weather as you and Levi move forward atop your horses barely minding the man on the cart behind you, not until his muttering reaches the air.

"Our sole salvation... is Eldia's euthanization." 

You freeze as his words reach the air, heart thrumming to life after the many hours spent on the road. Euthanization? Your confusion mingled with your suddenly sharp senses as Levi spoke out dully from next to you. "You say something? Euthanization?" Levi barely turns to look at the man who had been muttering and crying deliriously for the past day. "You're about to find yourself in a Titan's mouth, listening to what it sounds like to be digested." Levi suddenly pulls the reins of his horse forcing him to a stop, and you do the same, gently pulling on [h/n] and mimicking his motion. You turn slightly to see the dark expression hidden under Levi's soaked cape, he then gets off his horse and jumps swiftly onto the cart where the man he despised lies, glaring down to him. "Compared to how you stole the lives of our comrades, it sounds like a pleasant way to die." 

You watch from atop [h/n] as steam rises from Zeke's still-open wounds and his barely visible eyes struggle to remain open. "I didn't steal... I saved lives." The blond-haired man replied slowly and sluggishly. "The lives of the children they would bear... from this cruel world."  Levi's expression doesn't change, if at all it becomes more deadly, as he listens but hardly minds the man's words. He unsheathes his sword as he speaks sharply. "Looks like your legs are growing back." But Zeke's eyes suddenly open widely a look of grim fear and untamed emotion upon his face as he barely listens nor looks to Levi. Your heart suddenly drops in dread as the man shouts out helplessly into the air. "Isn't that right... Mr. Ksaver?! I hope you're watching!" Your heart beats uncontrollably as you witness with wide eyes as Zeke suddenly moves wildly and desperately atop the cart. 

One moment passes. 

Your eyes watch as his movements release the trigger of the Thunder Spear impaled within him. You watch as Levi's suddenly fearful and wide gaze darts from the man to you. You go to move towards Levi, hoping your speed would allow just one miracle... just allow you to save him... the life of the man you love... please... But as you flash forward you feel the usual comforting arms of the man you married harshly and powerfully push you away. 

There is a deafening blast. 

Fire consumes your vision as you lose sight of Levi who is engulfed in the flame. The shock hits you harshly and you feel yourself pound against the ground when you make an impact. 

Your vision goes black. 

_____

[Chapter Twenty-Nine] <--> [Chapter Thirty-One]