some of the following are direct dialogues from the manga. i give mangapanda all the credit for translating the content and most of the conversation comes from the manga but i added little tweaks here and there. if you read the manga you'll know when its from the storyline and when its something i myself made up. i take credit for my own ideas but give credit to the translators of mangapanda and the manga artist for whatever i use from their work. thank you and enjoy the story.

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"I want to go ahead!" Charles shouted.

"No," Levi answered bluntly.

The soldiers around the two were watching keenly to the rare sight. The veteran soldiers were looking on in amusement while the rookies were gawking in disbelief. This woman was actually yelling at Humanity's Greatest Soldier without getting her butt whooped.

Charles growled in frustration. "You're just jealous you can't get in on the action because you broke your effin ankle!"

Levi tsk-ed and Charles smirked. She crossed her arms and looked into those steely eyes.

"Right on the money," Charles blew some smoke into Levi's face.

Levi covered his mouth and nose, coughing and glowering down at her. He made a grab for the cigarette but Charles dodged.

"Hanji!" Charles called for the captain. "Let me go ahead!"

Hanji looked passed Charles and at Levi who shook his head slowly. Hanji nodded understandingly then turned her attention back to Charles.

"Sure," she said brightly.

"Yes!" Charles cheered.

"Hanji!" Levi almost snarled.

Hanji sniggered. "Now, now. The cripple needs to get in the wagon."

A dangerous gleam flared into Levi's eyes.

"What just happened?" Jean whispered, not registering the event into his head.

"Ah, that was refreshing," a superior smiled.

Jean fixated his attention on him. "What do you mean?"

"Hm?" the captain's eyes found Jean. "Oh, you new recruits wouldn't be used to this huh? Yeah, well, Charles is Captain Levi's soft spot."

"Pardon?"

"Rumor has it that she and him were lovers down in the underground before they joined the Survey Corps."

"Were?" Jean caught the past tense.

"Well, not all love lasts forever," the Captain guffawed. "She's a looker if it's on the topic of her face, but in the che—"

"Oi... Giese..."

The Captain seized up and began sweating in anxiety. "She's behind me, isn't she...?"

Jean nodded.

Charles cracked her knuckles. "I come back after six years and you still haven't learned your lesson, huh?!"

"Well, I, um, you see, I didn't mean— Eeeeek!"

Jean winced as Charles flipped the man over and slammed him hard onto the ground.

Charles dusted off her hands and Jean recoiled when her eyes landed on him. He stood frozen while she speculated him. Then she seemed to realize something and she snapped her fingers.

"Taking a crap newbie!" she remembered.

Jean didn't look happy.

"I don't know what that's about, but it's hilarious all the same," Eren's voice said behind Jean.

Jean whipped around to see Eren, Mikasa, and Armin standing there, supposedly having listened to the conversation. Jean stammered desperately at Mikasa.

"Mikasa! Th-there's a good reason for this! The Captain—" Jean turned to confront the woman but she had vanished.

Jean slumped in defeat.

"Jean," Hanji called.

"Yes, sir?"

"You're to stay here."

"What?!" Jean looked desperately at the Captain. "But why?!"

"You're going to stay with Commander Erwin," Hanji instructed. "Just listen to orders, soldier."

Jean clamped his mouth shut and saluted half-heartedly. "Yes, sir."

_

Charles reined in her horse in front of the three kids. They looked up at her in expectancy.

"Go get in the wagon with Levi and Hanji," Charles instructed. "It'll be a long ride and don't expect to be comfortable either."

"Will you be accompanying us?" Mikasa asked.

"I'll be going on ahead," Charles smirked in excitement. "I haven't been on the frontlines in so long. I can't wait."

"Charles."

She turned to see Hanji waving her over and she made her horse trot in front of her.

"Yeah?"

"On second thought, can you stay with us?"

"Why?" Charles snapped.

Hanji raised her hands in defense. "Don't be so short-tempered. I have my reasons. We need to protect Eren."

"He's a big boy, he can take care of himself."

"Charles," Hanji said sternly.

"Tsk," Charles turned her head to the side and pouted. "Fine."

"Thank you," Hanji cracked a smile. "It's nice to have you back."

"I'm awesome, I know," Charles sighed, suddenly looking exhausted. "I should've came back sooner."

Hanji nodded, her face straight as a line. "You should've."

Charles kept silent.

_

Night had slithered in and the sound of rattling wagons and the clop of horses surrounded the silent, dismal group. Charles was ignoring Levi, Levi was ignoring Charles. Hanji was fingering a rock and the rookie trio was staring in front of them, downcast.

"What're we supposed to do now?" Armin broke the silence. "Wall Rose got breached all of a sudden, and now I... I don't know what to do anymore. Even if we deliver Eren to the frontlines I doubt it'll change anything anymore. And—"

Armin directed his attention on the priest sitting between Hanji and Levi. "Why do we have a priest from the wall cult with us?"

Charles yawned and saw that Levi was staring avidly at her.

What? She mouthed. Stop staring.

Levi intensified his staring for a moment before lowering his gaze. Charles grumbled something under her breath.

"He knew about the titans in the wall," Hanji said to the new recruits. "But till now has been keeping silent about that amazing fact."

Charles' eyes flickered over to the priest.

"I have no idea why, but he seems adamant about keeping his mouth tightly shut where the secrets of the wall that he knows are concerned, even if he has to die for it," Hanji went on. "Apparently, the other members of the sect know a lot more things about the wall."

"Huh?!" Eren bolted right out of his seat to loom over the priest. "What the hell—Ugh!"

He began to fall before Mikasa supported him and sat him down again.

"Stay put! The aftereffects of your transformation aren't gone yet!" Mikasa chided.

"I was going to ask some other sect members, but he chose to come with us out of his own will," Hanji explained. "The situation has changed, so it seems after he had witnessed all that has happened, he's been having doubts if he still should follow the rules. So, he wants to see the real state of affairs with his own eyes."

There was a pause as everyone digested this information.

"Wait, wait, wait, wait..." Eren said in confusion. "It's just weird you know? If you know something, please just tell us...! What can be more important than preventing total annihilation of the human race?!"

"Aah," Charles said. "If only everyone had as simple a mind as you, Yeager."

Everyone in the cart glared at her. She jeered. "Well, I suppose, minus the pastor, this cart is full of those simple minded people."

Hanji snubbed her and shifted her attention back on the others. "I wonder about that. The pastor looks like an honest upstanding person to me. That's why I think that maybe, just maybe there might be a cause more important than preventing the downfall of humanity."

"Well, from where I stand, this one seems to have some guts, but what about the other fanatics from their little sect? I highly doubt all of them can boast this king of willpower," Levi said ominously. "Oh well, there're lots of ways to make a person talk. I may be useless in combat right now, but I sure as hell am capable of keeping close tabs on one old man. So do us both a favor and don't try anything that might result in new holes opening up in your body."

Levi's eyes wandered passed the pastor and on Hanji. "On another note, Hanji. It's news to me that you have a shady hobby of playing with rocks."

"Ah, yeah, well, I have. Except this isn't your ordinary rock. It's a piece of the female type's hardened skin that was left behind."

"Eh?!" Armin exclaimed, leaning forward. "It didn't disappear?"

"Nope!" Hanji said, sharing his excitement. "It got cut off of Annie's titan body when we tied her with ropes. Unbelievable, but! It didn't evaporate and it didn't disappear!"

"And I had an epiphany," Hanji continued. "When I compared this piece to the broken fragments of the wall, the crystal composition and structure turned out really similar. In other words, the wall itself was made by the colossal type titans who became its supporting pillars!"

"That's why you were late for Erwin's questioning," Charles muttered under her breath.

"Then it's just like Armin said..." Mikasa said, almost in awe.

"Then...! Then...!" Armin stuttered, enthusiasm gleaming from his face.

"Wait right there!" Hanji covered Armin's mouth. "Allow me the honor to say it, Armin!"

"As it is now, it's going to be difficult to plug Wall Rose right?" Hanji said. "Because there're just no boulders huge enough."

Everyone was paying close attention to her words.

"But... what if..." Hanji paused for dramatic effect. "The transformed Eren could plug the breach using that titan ability to harden their bodies?"

Eren was stunned. "Plug the breach with my body...?"

A spark passed through Levi's expression at this idea.

"The material properties are identical, so after you undo your transformation what will be left behind is a huge fossilized statue that won't evaporate or disappear," Hanji said. "What if it could actually be possible? That's what I've been mulling over, you know?"

"I think it's well worth gambling on that possibility and if we could use that repeatedly..." Armin stared at the wagon underneath his feet. "Then our chances of reconquering Wall Maria will look even brighter!"

"The standard approach to fixing the wall usually required the scouts to bring in a bunch of raw materials," Charles mentioned, thinking carefully. "If your theory is correct Hanji, the need of multiple staff members and planning supply routes that typically took 20 years to come into fruition is eliminated, time and money will be saved if we can just make a beeline to the breach."

"I see... With a small group we could make it all the way to Wall Maria in no time," Hanji muttered, her hand holding her chin.

Armin's head popped up as an idea occurred to him. "How about we carry out that outside-the-wall operation at night?"

"At..." Hanji's expression turned fascinated. "Night...?"

"Yes," Armin nodded frantically. "Titans can't move at night! I'm aware that torchlights aren't enough of a light source to run at full speed at night, but even at a slowed down pace, a small group has a chance to make it to Wall Maria before dawn."

Charles studied the look of optimism that had appeared on Hanji's face and her mouth creased into a frown.

"Even though our situation is as desperate as never before, there's still hope..." Hanji gripped the rock tightly.

"Yes..." Armin said. "Only—"

"It depends on whether or not your Titan is able to function as smoothly as you just described it," Charles said, her voice oddly cold.

Eren froze up.

Hanji smiled in stiff humor. "I doubt he can give us a definite answer if we asked him now."

Eren was glued to his spot by all the eyes that kept him there. He gulped. "Y-yeah..."

"It's not about if he could do it or not," Levi interrupted, glaring at Charles. Charles didn't react and his irises rested on Eren. "Do it, you must do it, you have no choice. You're aware of the situation we're all in. At this point, the legion can't do anything other than doing their damnest. So make sure you succeed."

Eren's entire presence filled with determination at Levi's words. "Yes, sir! I will plug the breach without fail!"

"On another not completely unrelated note," Charles stared ahead at the road as everyone placed their attention on her. "The titan discovered in the wall... we're all aware or at least suspecting that they make up the entire wall, each wall, and this is possible because of the ability that the Female titan has and what we're supposing Eren has as well."

Charles' eyes flickered to meet with the Pastor's. "And apparently there are four groups of people that know about this."

The priest's stone eyes didn't falter.

"Four?" Armin said, befuddled.

"Yes..." Charles placing a hand over the crook of her neck. "The Wall sect, the people in the wagon, and the titan shifters."

Armin twisted around completely to face Charles. "The titan shifters? Why them?"

"In the reports I read over," Charles lowered her hand away from her neck. "The Colossal type and the Armored both made a cavity in the walls where gates were located. Why would they go to that much trouble? To be symbolic? To be dramatic? I doubt it."

"Then...!" Armin almost jumped out of his seat. "They intentionally avoided the areas where titans were located in the walls."

"But if they were intending to wipe out humankind, wouldn't it be more efficient to awaken the titans and let them go wild?" Eren asked.

"Unless," Armin was enlightened. "The titans in the wall would become their enemies. The fact that they sacrificed themselves to become walls to protect humankind is proof enough."

"Now don't get ahead of yourself, Arlert," Hanji said. "This is only a theory."

"You knew?" Mikasa asked of her superior.

"Charles came to me about it a few days ago. Erwin knows about this notion as well."

"Didn't you say that Captain Charles has immense premonition abilities?" Eren perked up. "Wouldn't it apply to this?"

"Not necessarily," Levi said. "She never knows when someone's going to sneak up to her with shaving cream in their hands."

"Oh, yeah... I still owe you for that. It left a horrible smell on the top of my head for weeks," Charles interjected.

"And I wouldn't rely on her weird fortunetelling too much if I were you, Eren," Levi advised. "For one, she only knows when a certain number of people will die and can never see if her own life will end. Not to mention, specific people can hack into her predictions and mess with her head."

"Huh...? specific people?" Eren inquired.

"That doesn't matter," Charles said. "I'm just mentioning this to get some gears turning in your heads."

She gave Armin a meaningful stare. "Especially you and Hanji."

Armin nodded slowly. "But didn't you say four groups of people? You only mentioned three."

Charles didn't answer, instead she glanced over at Eren, tempting Armin to do the same. Eren seemed to be struggling with something inside himself. His clenched hands were shaking and his eyebrows creased in what was no doubt the pressure of being the only answer to saving humanity.

"I'm fed up with not knowing what the hell is going on," he reached down his shirt and pulled out a key that hung from a makeshift necklace. "First, is Wall Rose and Maria. After they're plugged, the basement.

If what my dad said was true, then all the answers to everything are located there. Including, his location. All the answers are there... I know when I get there, I'll finally learn where I should direct all this anger towards."

"About that basement," Charles said, earning all eyes on her. "How about I go find it?"

"Wha...?" Eren gawked. "You mean after we plug in the hole?"

"No, tomorrow."

"Tomorrow?!"

Charles smiled. "Now, now. Don't look so panicked. I'm not asking you to figure out how to use that strange power of yours by tomorrow. You all know my ability pretty well by now, I imagine. What I'm proposing is that I take on another solo mission."

"That's too dangerous," Hanji said quickly. "Even with your lack of presence, you never know if there will be unforeseen variables."

"But if that basement truly has all the answers and if I could—"

"No, that's impossible," Mikasa interrupted.

"Why?" Charles asked.

Mikasa's dead eyes landed on her. "Because the house collapsed, sir. Even if you were to get there alive, you wouldn't be able to get to the entrance of the cellar. Remember, Eren."

Eren visibly relaxed. "Yeah... Yeah, I remember. You wouldn't be able to clear away the debris alone, Captain."

"Che," Charles said in displeasure. "And here I thought I could get away from people again."

"Missing your titan chums?" Levi taunted.

"Immensely," Charles retorted. "They said they'd love to meet Hanji one day and thought you could join them for brunch whenever you're free."

"Tell them it's a pity, but I won't be able to make it. I'm too busy trying to exterminate them."

"A pity, indeed."

"On the other hand," Hanji looked awfully amused. "I'd love some brunch!"

"You'd sooner become brunch than have brunch with them, shitty glasses," Levi said.

Charles chuckled and pulled out a cigarette. Levi glowered at her.

"When did you find time to pocket another pack when we were rushing around getting ready to assist our comrades on the battlefield?"

"You underestimate my power," Charles said through the cigarette in her mouth.

"You mean the power of withdrawal symptoms," Hanji sniggered.

"That too," Charles laughed.

_

Charles had gone to the front of the assembly to consult with the men that were leading them. After she was out of sight, Armin exchanged glances with his friends. Eren nodded.

"About Captain Charles' lack of presence..." Armin began. "Can we ask a few questions about it?"

"Why didn't you just ask her?" Levi asked.

"Because we had a feeling we'd just get sarcastic answers in return," Mikasa replied.

Hanji snorted. "You probably would have. Well, we'll answer anything we can disclose."

"How does she do it?" the words tumbled out of Armin's mouth, hungry for an answer.

"Look at me," Levi picked up a rock from the wagon base that had been bugging him for a while and threw it over his shoulder. The rookie's eyes followed its descent until it disappeared into the darkness. "You're not looking at me anymore, are you?"

The soldiers were all surprised at this revelation.

"Charles doesn't disappear," Hanji illuminated. "She simply draws your attention to other things. Her strange lack of presence helps immensely and she seems to have grasped this aptitude."

"Although," Levi said. "She hasn't completely mastered it. She once told me if she were more withdrawn it would be more effective, but as you can see, her personality doesn't correspond with that."

"I still don't understand how a human like that can exist though," Mikasa said.

"It's almost like she was born to kill titans," Armin said.

"Too bad Eren wasn't born with it," Hanji sunk into her seat, yawning. "It would've been one heck of a weapon to have an invisible titan."

"Too bad everyone wasn't born with it," Eren grumbled. "Then the titans wouldn't be a threat at all."

"Hey," Charles' appeared beside them once more.

"Hn?" Hanji looked up.

Charles pointed. "The Hermiha District, we're almost there."

"Our stop then," Levi said, Charles riding ahead again. "This is as far as me and the pastor can go with you."

Charles let Levi lecture the youngsters and headed to give leave to her horse. Riding to the stalls, she led Cher Ami to a trough and let her drink her full.

"You can stay here," Charles said to the horse.

It nickered in disagreement.

"Erwin will need your speed later," Charles coaxed it, scratching its muzzle. "Rest up."

After settling her horse into a stall, Charles walked up to a black horse that had already been prepped and saddled.

"Hey, Leo," Charles giggled as it nuzzled her hair. "Nice to see you too."

Charles guided the ebony stallion up to the Levi and the others. He watched as she approached.

"5 years ago, that person had been dragged into a strife between her relatives, which cause her to go into hiding under an assumed name," the pastor was saying. "The girl herself doesn't know anything yet, but she has the right to choose to speak publically about whatever wall secrets are known to her."

"What's going on?" Charles whispered to Levi.

"The pastor decided to shift the responsibility onto someone else."

Charles nodded.

"I heard she joined the scouting legions this year," the pastor said. "Her name is, Krista Lenz."

"Eh..." Armin looked dazed.

"H-her of all people," Eren was agape.

"Eh, who?!" Hanji was thirsty for confirmation.

"Go find her, she might even know the truth unknown even to us. It is up to her to decide to tell you or not what she knows. Revealing her name is the only compromise I can afford to make. The rest shall depend on you."

"She's from the 104th trainee squad isn't she?" Charles asked.

"That means..." Hanji's eyebrow were arched down in anxiety. "She's on the frontlines right now."

"Let's hurry!" Eren broke out of the circle. "We need to get to the breached area as soon as possible anyway."

"Wait a second!" Hanji called as Eren's friends followed him. "I'm still not familiar with the new members that came from your trainee squad so—"

"It's the most petite girl!" Eren answered hurriedly, impatient to get going.

"She has long blonde hair and um... ah! She's pretty!" Armin added.

"She's the girl that always hangs around Ymir!" Mikasa provided.

"Eh..." Hanji was frozen to her place. Levi's stature changed slightly. "Ymir...!?"

_ _ _

People stared at the pair as they ran passed. Nobody could process the sight of the infamous Levi giving a piggyback ride to an unknown girly looking man. Charles couldn't really focus on hiding herself at the moment, since she was more concentrated on gaining feeling back into her legs. After she did so, Charles jumped off Levi's back and they both ran at full speed. Their base soon came into view and Levi barged into the house. Panting, they glanced around. There was nothing.

"What...?" Charles gawked.

Levi caught his breath and gave Charles a weird look. "Nothing's here."

"That can't be right..." She sprinted to the middle of the dining room.

"Wait!" Levi yelled suddenly, reaching out.

Charles turned to look at him. "Huh...?"

Cracks slithered through the ceiling and wood collapsed on top of Charles.

"Ghk...!" Levi covered his face with his arms to keep anything from flying into his eyes. "Charles!"

Levi rushed forward and saw Charles half buried in the rubble. She coughed and groaned.

"Don't move!" Levi proceeded to digging the young woman out.

"Dumbass!" a voice said from above. "You were supposed to get the man!"

"That is a man!" another snapped. "How can I tell which one you wanted me to kill?!"

Levi struggled to get a certain slab of wood off Charles and gritting his teeth in exertion, he finally pushed it aside and it fell with an earth resounding crash. He ran to Charles' side.

"Oi!" Levi pulled her into his arms. "Get a hold of yourself!"

Charles winced at the sudden movement.

"I'm fine," she croaked. "Don't be so rough."

"Idiot!"

Charles flinched.

"You just took more than 100 pounds of weight onto your body! Of course you're not fine!"

Charles was about to retort when two thuds sounded next to them. They looked over and saw the bleeding corpses of two men.

"Charlotte Everheart."

Charles' eyes landed on the cloaked figure. He wore a mask to cover his face and boots peeked out from beneath his brown shawl. He was tall and his very presence was demeaning. Her eyes narrowed.

"Who are you that you know that name?" she demanded, standing up with Levi hovering closely to her. "Pied Piper."

"You mean you don't remember me? How unkind of you," the man's face directed at Levi. "But don't worry. I'm not here for you."

Charles ran at the man, unsheathing her dagger.

"Attacking me head on?" the man's cloak rustled as a sword tip showed itself underneath. "You've changed, shadow."

Charles faltered and the dagger was deflected out of her grip. Before she could react, the man's fist made contact with her stomach. He twisted his fist and Charles' eyes widened. The Piper grabbed the front of her shirt and slammed her face into the window. Blood dyed the glass and dripped onto the floor.

Levi kicked the man away from Charles' now limp body and as the Piper stumbled back, roundhouse kicked the man in the face.

"Who were you here for again?" Levi said coldly. He snatched up the dagger Charles had dropped and ran at the man.

Piper recovered himself and pulled out his sword. Levi deflected it with the knife, altering its course and sending sparks flying. He plunged the dagger into the man's sword hand.

"Aagh!" the Piper cried out, dropping the sword with a clatter.

Levi went for the finishing blow but his eyes dilated and he had to jump out of the way of a grappling hook.

3D manuever?!

The Pied Piper bulleted passed Levi and out the door, blood streaming behind him. Levi tsked in discontent at letting the quarry escape and he strolled over to Charles' side. Her head was bleeding profusely and she was slumped against the wall where her blood was flooding down from the broken window and tinting the wood a horrible red.

"Oi, brat," he lowered himself onto one knee. "You dead?"

Charles cracked a smile at that, scarlet trickling down her chin. "If I were, I wouldn't be in such pain."

Levi stared down at her. Charles glanced at him tiredly.

"I'm okay," she reassured. "No broken bones."

"Impossible," Levi said immediately.

"It's true."

Levi gently grabbed her hand and lightly compressed each bone, examining her face carefully for any sort of distress. He moved up her arm, then did the same for both her legs, ribcage, and her right arm. When he was done, Charles grinned.

"See? Nothing broken."

"You're the real monster of the underground, aren't you?" Levi said.

Charles grimaced. "You can say that."

"Can you move?"

Charles shook her head. "My body won't listen."

"And for good reason," Levi got to his feet but Charles grasped his wrist, halting his move for the first aid kit in the kitchen. "What?"

"Where are you going?"

"To get medicine."

"Stay here," Charles said, her grip tightening. "We can worry about treating my wounds later."

Levi considered her for a second before dropping down next to her again. He gazed at her hand that still held his own captive.

"Hey, Levi..." Charles stared ahead. "What would you do if I disappeared?"

Levi blinked, not having expected this question. "That wouldn't happen."

"Let's just say, hypothetically."

"I'd find you and beat the brain cells back into your head again. I'd find you and bring you back, even if it means breaking every bone in your body."

Charles chuckled. "That sounds... painful."

After a few minutes they saw Farlan and Isabel running toward them through the open front door.

"Levi look," Charles giggled. "Far-lan..."

The duo came closer.

"Mid-lan..."

They came ever closer.

"Near-lan..."

"You're delusional," Levi said.

"That I am..."

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that ending pun of Farlan's name doesn't belong to me. found it on deviantart, picture on the side