Bowie was a good horse, he was quick, efficient and had somehow survived despite the tough conditions of the scouts regiment. He had lived through all her expeditions, and maintained peak state. Which was why, when Carmen was desperate to reach Levi, Bowie raced as fast as he could.

The blonde woman was quick to reach the estate with the help of her horse, she ignored everyone and everything that got in her way. However, she met one obstacle that she couldn't disregard.

"What is that..." She said aloud, knowing that her horse couldn't actually answer her.

Ahead of her, a huge amber glow was lighting up the trees, and steam was flowing out of the unknown creature in masses. It had to be bigger than the colossal, maybe even double. She could see it lifting it's hands and then crashing them back into the tough ground, tearing away layers of land as if it were tissue.

The sight made Carmen worry. What if that thing had gotten to Levi, or her squad? What if it dragged itself to the wall? What if it destroyed the wall entirely? Nothing about that titan developed good conclusions. Her mind wandered to the unknown safety of her friends.

Increasing her speed, Carmen neared the estate, staying a far distance from the titan so she wouldn't hurt her horse with the heat. She hated to assume the worst, but with that thing emerging from the estate, it was difficult not to.

Eventually, Carmen spotted 3 figures in the distance, she changed course, speeding towards them. As she got closer, she made out the identities of Armin, Hange and Moblit, each in shock from the event. "Is that..." Armin was first to notice her, causing Hange to shoot their head towards the blonde.

"I'll be damned." The section commander smiled. "Carmen!" They yelled as the woman stopped her horse beside the three.

"Hange." Carmen acknowledged. "Where's Levi?" Instantly, Hange's smile faded and Carmen looked towards the other two for answers.

"Everyone else was in there when that titan transformed." Armin revealed. "If they got to Eren, then there's a chance that they're okay." It was enough to convince Carmen to ditch her horse and sprint towards the gaping hole in the ground, unveiling a layer of crystals. If she wasn't in such a hurry, she would have gazed at the scenery a while longer.

Instead, she dived into the cave, using her gear to travel through it. Everything seemed calm since the titan gained more distance, however, she still had to dodge a few pieces of debris falling from above. Despite the threat, she ignored all the obstacles around her and continued to spiral to the end of the cave.

However, her concentration broke when she heard a grunt to her right. It wasn't Levi - she could tell - but that didn't mean she was going to abandon someone in pain.

"Is anyone here!?" She shouted, receiving a quick answer.

"Over here." The man replied as Carmen ran towards him. He was older than her, burns covering his body, and a hat sat on his head. However, the thing that stuck out most was his arm, which was trapped under a large crystal. The man scoffed, looking Carmen up and down. "You're the last person I expected to see here." He scoffed at her, while she simply rolled her eyes.

Regardless, she was going to help him. There was too much innocent blood on her hands to let another person die, besides, he was clearly in pain. Ignoring his remark, she found a wooden panel and stuck the end under the crystal block.

"I was rooting for you." The man continued, even though she continued to ignore him. "I knew as soon as I saw you that you wouldn't let them win."

Pushing down on the wooden panel, the rock slowly lifted and rolled from his arm, leaving a mess in its wake. "Who are you?" Carmen wondered, he was clearly important if he knew the entire plan.

"Kenny Ackerman." He smirked. "Or, you may know me as Kenny the Ripper." At first, Carmen was in shock, she was meeting the man who had caused her handlers so much trouble when she was growing up, but then, her shock soon turned to gratitude.

"You killed those MPs." She realised, her goals finally aligning with someone else. "Thank you." She said quietly, though she was certain that Kenny had heard.

The man shakily got to his feet, holding his broken arm tightly as he smiled at Carmen. "You're not too bad. Not the big scary assassin I imagined when your name was brought up." Carmen didn't know where he was going with his statement, but she listened intently. "I can see why Levi likes you."

"Don't think I'm helping you out of the kindness of my heart." Carmen shook her head. "I'm doing it because I have too much blood on my hands, I can't add anymore. Not today."

Kenny understood what she meant, she could relate to her victims and hate them all at once. He respected her for her efforts. "Relay a message to Levi for me." He told her. "Tell him I'll be waiting for him after he deals with Rod."

Instantly, Carmen's eyes widened. "He's alive?" She questioned.

"Should be." Kenny answered. "Saw Eren transform at the end of the cave, guess that means he shielded them."

The woman nodded her head, she needed to get to her squad, who all thought she was dead. So, she quickly used her gear and shot her hooks to begin her journey. It didn't take her long to notice a change in scenery. The rocks soon became less and less apparent and as her gaze wandered, she noticed a strange dome structure ahead of her.

That had to be her squad.

Rushing towards it, Carmen tried to slice her swords through the shell, but they shattered on impact. She could hear muffled voices from inside as some of the figures stood next to the crystal barrier. Although the crystal distorted their appearances, Carmen could tell that it was Historia and Jean.

"It's me!" She placed her hand on the wall, noticing the two walk away from her. "No, come back!" Given that their enemy also wore a variant of ODM gear, it was understandable for them to assume she wasn't their ally. So, Carmen had to change tactics.

Seeing a large piece of crystal to her side, she placed her swords back in their sheaths and lifted it. With the rock placed steadily in her hands, she swung it in her arms a few times, using the momentum to eventually slam it into the barrier. After the crash, a small crack was established. Hence, she did it again, and again, and again - until eventually, there was a hole big enough for her to fit through.

It wasn't a massive entry point, but it would be just enough. Grabbing one of her daggers, she dug it above the small gap and held it while she lifted her legs and slotted herself through. After that, she slid into the sanctuary that Eren had created.

"Carmen?" Levi was first to approach her, dropping his weapons in the process.

The blonde didn't speak in return. Alternatively, her eyes became glossy at the sight of everyone safe and unharmed. For a good hour, she assumed they were dead and largely blamed herself for it. However, seeing them smiling was such a relief, that she could no longer contain the emotions that she'd kept hidden for years.

Sadness was her most prominent emotion. She'd killed the dolls, killed children, but now, as she stared at her Captain, she realised that it wasn't in vain, because it kept her squad alive - Carmen would have rather died than let harm come to them.

"I thought you were dead." She informed the man as he abruptly stopped right in front of her. The assassin noticed the large cut on his cheek and reached for it, in response Levi flinched but did it entirely deny her touch. "Are you hurt?" She wondered.

Observing her, Levi couldn't understand what she was doing. She was asking him if he was okay, after she was the one who was kidnapped. The bruise surrounding her left eye and the sloppy red bandage around her forearm were far more concerning than his small scrape.

"It's just a scratch." Levi answered, as he gently grabbed her wrist and removed her hand from his face. He tilted her arm to the side, examining her poor first aid skills and the nasty wound on her arm. "You're in a worse state than me."

"I'm fine." Carmen pulled away from him defensively. She didn't want him to pity her, or ask too many questions for that matter. So, she placed her hands behind her back, hiding the masses of blood that she had forgotten about.

Disappointed by her hiding from him, Levi once again held her arm, trying to reveal what she had concealed. Staying strong, Carmen refused to let him see her blood stained hands, it wasn't until he finally looked her in the eyes, that finally made her surrender.

"What happened?" He questioned, voice calm and caring.

"I..." Carmen didn't know what to say, not with her whole squad watching her and listening for the story of how she lived. Instead, she looked away from the man. "Please, not right now."