Levi and Hange reminisce about Farlan and Isabel.

It was night time at the survey corp headquarters. Lights were out, the barracks were quiet, and few had bothered to turn in late. It had been an especially hard day of training, and tomorrow promised to be even more difficult.

Captain Levi sat outside on the roof of the men's barracks, gripping a cup of lukewarm tea between his hands. He hated when his tea wasn't piping hot, but the small teacup seemed to have been forgotten as the black haired man gazed up at the stars.

His thoughts had long since drifted away from sleep, and he remembered another time that he'd sat this way. Except that time, there had been two others sitting here with him.

How long ago had that been? Maybe four...no, five years ago? He wasn't quite sure. Time had lost its meaning to him. All that mattered was that he'd survived another day.

"The stars are really clear tonight, aren't they?"

Levi flinched slightly at the unexpected voice, his hold on the teacup tightening. He relaxed however, when he saw who it was.

Hange bounced over to his side, a content smile spread across her face.

"What do you want, Hange?" Levi asked tiredly. He'd come out here to catch some peace and quiet. "No, you can't experiment on Eren tomorrow. He's got training."

"Awwwwww!" Hange let out an exaggerated sigh. "Oh well!" She plopped down beside the Captain and tilted her head to the sky as well. "No, I just came to see how you were doing. You know, because on nights like these..."

"Yeah, I know." Levi cut her off. "Drop it, Hange."

Hange scowled playfully. "Oh come on. She wouldn't have wanted you to turn into a grump like this, would she?"

"I've always been a grump," Levi countered. "She was used to it. So was he."

Hange laughed. "I don't know how they put up with living with you underground. That place is dreary enough as it is."

Levi closed his eyes. "We...all hated the underground. Isabel, Farlan, and I always saved up money to buy our way to the surface."

"Isabel was such a cheerful girl," Hange remembered. "She liked sweets, too. I'm guessing she never had the chance to eat very many of them, did she?"

"No." Levi said. "I remember the time she tried to steal cookies. It was a few weeks after Erwin had captured us." He chuckled softly, causing Hange's eyes to widen. The Captain rarely ever smiled, let alone laughed. She leaned back, allowing him to tell his tale...

***********************************

Levi wiped the sweat off his forehead with his sleeves after his workout that day.

He wrinkled his nose in disgust as he stared down at his now damp sleeve, resolving to wash his jacket as soon as possible.

Levi hurried toward the men's room, eager to shower and change. He was already exhausted, what with the workout and the snide comments about his shady past that he'd had to put up with from the other trainees.

He walked past the kitchens towards the showers, his stomach grumbling slightly. But he'd clean up first, he told himself. It was disgusting to eat when you were all filthy.

Suddenly, a loud crash came from the pantry. He whipped around, looking for the source of the noise. Then, realizing he'd probably be held responsible for whatever had been broken since he was the only one about, he quickly spun on his heel and began to walk away.

A familiar voice stopped him. A few muttered curses reached his ears, then; "I hope no one heard that."

Levi shook his head in annoyance and opened the pantry door.

Isabel lay sprawled on the floor in the middle of a pile of flour and splintered wood. "Oh hey! Big bro! I'm just...going to the bathroom."

"Right," Levi scowled, picking up a cardboard box near her hand. "Taking a quick snack break on your way there?"

Isabel immediately turned three shades of red. "I just wanted a cookie," she mumbled guiltily. "Only one. It wasn't my fault the shelf broke."

"You know better than to climb the shelves," Levi scolded. "Look at this place. First of all, it's filthy. Second of all, they're going to kill us for wasting the flour. And we need to fix these shelves too."

"Sorry big bro," Isabel bit her lip. She looked like she wanted to cry. "I only wanted one..." Her lower lip wobbled.

Levi sighed. He glanced about to see if anyone was coming, then quickly opened the package and pulled out a cookie. "Here. Eat it fast."

Isabel's eyes lit up, and she threw her arms around him. "Thanks, onii-san!"

"Don't hug me," Levi mumbled. "You'll get me filthy too."

He knelt down and began sweeping up the spilled flour off the floor while Isabel devoured the cookie, crumbs flying. By the time she'd finished, the white powder had been neatly discarded in the trash, and Levi now faced the problem of the shelves.

"It's impossible to fix these," he sighed. "The ends have been broken to bits. We'd have to get new ones, and we can't do that without the commander knowing."

Isabel frowned. "So what do we do?"

"Tell them, I guess," Levi answered.

At that moment, the door to the pantry opened, and squad leader Erwin walked in. His eyes widened at the sight of the two former criminals. "Levi! Isabel! What are you two doing in here?"

Isabel glanced at Levi, biting her lip. "We, uh..."

"I was hungry, so I came in here to get some food. I brought Isabel with me." Levi said, his eyes boring into Erwin's.

Erwin scowled. "This is a form of stealing, Levi. You have already been informed that taking food from the kitchen without authorization results in punishment. You've also destroyed some of our property."

"I was hungry," Levi repeated offhandedly. "And Isabel didn't take any food; only I did."

"Is that true, Magnolia?"

"Uhhh..." Isabel glanced at Levi, who gave her a stern look. "Yes...sir."

"Then you are dismissed. Levi, stay here."

Isabel slunk out of the pantry, shooting Levi her 'I'm sorry!' look with her jade eyes.

Erwin turned back to Levi. "That will be fifty laps around the training field, recruit. And clean the stable block when you're done. Don't bother coming to dinner. I'm sure you've already eaten, haven't you?."

Levi merely rolled his eyes. "Yes, sir." He exaggerated the last word. Turning his back to Erwin, he stalked out of the kitchen.

Erwin chuckled lightly, eyeing the box of cookies that still lay on the floor and connecting it to the crumbs he'd seen on Magnolia's mouth. "He didn't fool me for a second..."

***********************************

"So he knew?" Hange shrieked, laughing. "And he still punished you?"

"Yeah," Levi grumbled, still annoyed at going to bed hungry that night. "He told me afterwards. I should've let Isabel take the blame."

But he was smiling slightly, and Hange knew better than to take that statement seriously.

"Well," she said, still smirking a bit. "You got to tell your story. Now it's my turn. This one's about Farlan."

"Oh?" Levi asked, mildly surprised. "How many stories could you possibly know about him?"

"Quite a bit, actually," Hange chuckled. "But I remember this one best. He kept getting the salute wrong, so Commander Shadis had him hold his hand in the proper position all day. You should have seen him trying to do that while buckling his maneuver gear!"

Hange doubled over, giggling. Levi glared. "Get on with it, four-eyes."

Hange wiped her eyes. "Okay, okay. Don't be such a grumpy old man, Levi."

***********************************

"You're hand's upside down again, Church!" Commander Shadis yelled for the hundredth time.

Hange tried to hold in her giggles from her place in line. Shadis turned to her. "You think this is funny, Zoe?!"

Hange snapped to attention, her hand on her heart. "No, SIR! I do not find that the slightest bit amusing, SIR!"

Shadis glared. "Good! Don't let me catch you again, trainee!"

But the second he turned his back, Hange was stuffing her fist in her mouth to bite back her laughter.

"No Church, your right hand, not your left! What, are you slow? Get it right! There you go! Now drop the salute! Arms at your side!"

Hange grinned gleefully at the sweating recruit. Farlan gratefully lowered his arm and stood stiffly at attention.

Commander Shadis stared him hard in the eye. Farlan stared right back, a bead of sweat on his forehead. They stood in that position for a minute more before Shadis gave a grunt of approval. "Good."

Farlan let out a breath of air, looking relieved. The other trainees snickered.

"Let's see that salute one more time, Church!" Shadis yelled out of nowhere.

Farlan visibly jumped, his right hand fumbling to his chest. Shadis just stared at him. "Are you trying to make me mad, Church?" He asked in a much softer voice than he typically used.

Farlan gulped and slowly glanced down at his fist. "Ahhh...it's..."

...upside down.

"It seems you're a bit slower than the rest, Church." Shadis growled. "You need to be taught a lesson like the dog you are. Keep your hand in the proper salute for the remainder of this day! If you fail to do so, then you will be faced with public humiliation and punishment. DO YOU UNDERSTAND, CHURCH!?!"

"I do, Commander!" Farlan shouted, quickly fixing his hand.

"ALRIGHT THEN! GET TO WORK, BRATS! TWENTY LAPS AROUND THE FIELD AND THEN COMPLETE THE OBSTACLE COURSE WITH YOUR 3DMG! GET TO IT!"

The trainees winced at his loud voice, but hurried to comply. Hange watched as Farlan broke into an awkward run, one hand clutching his heart.

If she thought it was funny then, it was hilarious when he tried to strap on his gear. He fumbled with the straps struggling to get a hold of them with only one hand.

Hange noticed Shadis watching him like a hawk. She giggled. There would be no opportunities for Farlan to cheat.

It took Farlan twice the amount of time to strap on his gear than it did the other recruits. By the time he finished, Shadis was glowering over his head again.

"What's taking you so long, Church? If we were under attack, you'd be the first to die!"

"My apologies, sir!" Farlan said nervously, hurriedly buckling the last strap. He went to stand in line with the other trainees for the obstacle course.

The line slowly thinned and grew smaller. Farlan was the very last person to go. All of the other trainees gathered around, snickering among themselves and waiting for the show.

Farlan took a deep breath, readying himself. Then, with a click of his gas, he took off into the trees, one-handedly maneuvering around every obstacle.

The recruits who'd been laughing now stared open mouthed in shock.

Even Hange was impressed. Farlan still managed to obtain higher results on the obstacle course while one-handed than everyone else here. His movements mirrored Levi's, fast and sure. He was no doubt up there with the best.

Farlan finally came to a stop at the end, wiping his forehead. "Whew!" He grinned. "What a challenge!"

Commander Shadis stared at the grinning trainee. "Huh. Well done. Go on all of you, hit the showers!"

Everyone immediately dispersed. Several trainees shot Farlan dirty looks, obviously angry that he'd shown them up. The brown haired boy's smile faltered as he realized that they only hated him all the more. He stood there, his hand still at his heart in a weak salute.

Hange bounced over to him. "That was amazing!" She squealed. "You should have seen the looks on their faces when you completed that obstacle course!"

Farlan looked at her tiredly. "Thanks." He began walking towards the showers, trailing a few yards behind the others. Then he turned back around. "I-I mean that." He flashed a smile.

Hange smiled back.

***********************************

Levi snorted. "Of course Farlan could do that course one-handed. He learned from the best, after all."

"Commander Erwin?" Hange asked innocently.

Levi shot her a glare. "Me, four-eyes."

Hange laughed softly. "I wish the trainees would have paid you three more respect. You guys deserved it."

Levi rolled his eyes. "They still didn't pay us full respect even after we took down a titan on our own at that first expedition. Even when they died..." Levi trailed off. His eyes drifted to his now cold teacup.

Hange didn't say anything. She knew that despite the aloof exterior, the Captain still deeply missed his first and only real friends.

She snuck a glance at the Captain, only to find his eyes glazed over, his posture limp. There was no doubt he was lost in some memory...

***********************************

It had been one week.

One week since Isabel and Farlan had met their cruel fate at the teeth of the titan.

One week since Levi had lost it, screaming as he mercilessly and brutally slaughtered the monstrous creature that had killed his friends and the rest of the squad.

Life had never looked so bleak to him than it had on that day. He'd felt as if his very heart had been ripped away from him. Isabel and Farlan...they'd been the only people he'd ever let into his walls.

Now they were gone. And he was alone in this dreary world.

It was a time of mourning for everyone. There were few people who hadn't lost someone they'd been close to on that last expedition. However, they'd all begun to move on, realizing that there would be many more who would meet this same fate.

Levi hid his emotions from everyone else, locking away how he'd truly felt.
He blinked away the slight wetness that formed in his eyes when it thunderstormed, he tried not to think about the empty bunk above him that Farlan had once filled.

The trainees, however, were still unsympathetic towards him. He still heard their whispers when he passed, the snickers and angry words tossed his way.

Levi always managed to avoid getting provoked by their words. But one day, as he passed by a group in the mess hall, he heard a comment that made his blood turn to ice.

"It's a good thing that those two died. They were just filthy criminals that had no morals! Unfortunately, the short one's still around."

Levi slowly turned to see a tall, brown haired boy sitting with his group of friends. They caught his eye and smirked.

The next moment, however, screams filled the air as the brown haired boy found himself on the ground, fists slamming into his face.

The mess hall was an uproar as Levi hit the boy. Levi didn't even notice. All he could see was this scum, this scum who'd insulted Isabel, sweet Isabel and trustworthy Farlan.

His teeth were bared, animalistic growls emitting from his throat as he pummeled the boy, wanting to destroy this vile creature who was no better than the titans...

Suddenly, he felt strong hands gripping his arms, and he was yanked forcefully from the bleeding boy. He struggled in the powerful grip, trying to free himself. "Let me go!"

"Levi!" A loud voice rang out. "Get a hold of yourself!"

Levi whipped his head around to look at his captor. It was Erwin Smith. Why was it always him?

"Come with me," Erwin said sternly, his hands on Levi's shoulders. "Fighting in the dining hall is not permitted."

Levi allowed Erwin to steer him away, away from the distrustful stares of the others. They walked out of the dining hall down to Erwin's office.

Erwin sat down and gestured for Levi to sit as well. Levi ignored him.

The blond haired man sighed. "Levi, what you just did is completely out of line. I understand you've lost your friends, but so have so many others."

Levi looked up, glaring viciously. "They weren't just friends, they were all I had left! All those other people out there, they still have someone; parents, siblings, people to stay alive for. I have nothing!"

Erwin frowned. "No, Levi. There are other things to live for. If you weren't so selfish, you would see."

"Selfish!?!" Levi hissed, his hands curling into fists. "I-"

"What about humanity!" Erwin cut him off. "If you are around, then you fight for the sake of everyone! Why do you think I'm still here? I've also got no one left, but I still fight! I fight, because there is a chance that we will succeed one day!"

"We don't stand a chance," Levi said sullenly. "Those monsters are too powerful. Just one of them wiped out an enormous portion of our men." He was painfully reminded of Isabel's severed head...Farlan's mutilated body...

"That's why you're here, Levi." Erwin told him. "The way you fight is remarkable. You alone are worth a hundred soldiers. I believe you can live up to the title Humanity's Strongest."

Levi shook his head slowly, backing out of the office. Erwin let him go.

"One day," Erwin called one last time. "One day, you'll understand."

***********************************

"I understand now," Levi muttered to himself.

"Huh? Understand what?" Hange asked.

Levi glanced up at her. "Nothing. I was just thinking about something."

"Ah. Care to share?"

"No. Forget it. I'm going back inside now. It's getting cool out." The Captain stood up, teacup in hand. His cold demeanor was back, as if he hadn't just sat there with Hange talking about past experiences.

Hange grinned. "Gotcha, Heichou! The stars sure were pretty though, weren't they?"

"Huh. I've seen better."

"Sure, Levi." The brown haired woman covered her smile with her hands as the ever stoic man walked to the stairs.

This one-shot was inspired by the second OVA for Attack on Titan No Regrets. I love Isabel and Farlan so much, and there's not a lot of fics about them.

Also, Levi's reaction to their deaths was extremely heartbreaking:(

It shows that he's not the emotionless man everyone thinks he is. If you haven't watched these OVAs, then I recommend them.