"Captain Amaya!"

Yes, that's me.

"You... you're back!"

Back? To the coast? Yeah, I suppose so.

"Where were you?!"

In the woods...? I didn't exactly have a map with me.

"Captain...? What happened?"

So, so many things. Where would I even begin to explain?

"You're alive?! Captain, I was so worried!"

Spare me.

"I saw you get captured by the Cart Titan! I thought you had died!"

As someone who fights the damn things better than nearly anyone else, you'd think a Titan would be the thing to kill me? Please.

I wanted to reply snarkily, I really did. But how could I?

First off, that would paint a nice little target on my back. Sassing those I was supposedly in charge of would tip them off that I wasn't entirely on their side, and I couldn't risk that right now. Even if they wouldn't question me, and perhaps just live with the assumption that I was just in a bad mood post-Levi's death, that would still leave them suspicious of me.

Secondly, that would get me absolutely nowhere. If I wanted to somehow convince some of them to give up their weapons, or leave, or otherwise just get them off their guard, being a little brat would have the opposite effect.

For this to work, I had to play nice. I had to play the part of Captain Amaya, as she normally was. Playing myself; it should be easy. Right?

Besides, they were looking at me with so much hope and relief in their eyes, coupled too with the shock at me being here. As I stood there on the roof, I straightened up. I feigned being confused and shocked and out of breath all at once as my eyes went from one Yeagerist to the next.

All were wearing the dark uniforms and new gear. Nice to know they're taking advantage of my hard work, and Levi's less-than-patient modeling.

"Goodness," I chirped with a smile once I 'caught' my breath, "did I worry you all that much?"

"Of course!"

"We were worried sick!"

"Not just us! Floch, too!"

"Oh," I mused, "was he, now? Well, I'm terribly sorry to scare you all like that." I looked around. He was, as I was expecting, missing from the bunch. If I had to guess, I was sure I'd be correct in saying he was with the Azumabito. "And where exactly is Floch?"

"Inside," one answered. "With the Azumabito. They're against us, too!"

"Really?" I asked. "Money-grabbers as they are?"

"Really!"

"That's unfortunate," I said. "I was hoping we could use that flying boat to go watch the Rumbling. I, for one, would love to watch the destruction of the world."

"If you do," one cheeky one said, "can I go with you?"

"Only if you somehow manage to convince them to start preparing it right away," I said.

"We can't," one said, shuffling her feet. "Floch told us not to."

"But you're here now! Maybe you can tell them!"

"I'm sure I can try," I replied to them.

I could hear the distinct sounds of fighting below; smoke poured from windows, I could hear the shatter of glass, and despite knowing what and who it was, I had no way of knowing exactly what was going on. I wiped my face of all emotion but faux surprise.

A few made to join the fighting; I spoke up before a single one could move. But to make it look like I was ready to join the fighting, I gathered my hair back, tying it off, just as Levi had told me to.

"Listen, everyone. I'm sorry to show up like this, but it looks like I certainly made it just in time, right?"

"Where have you been?"

So, we're questioning Commanding Officers, now? Wonderful. Hadn't I taught them better? I know Shadis would have taught them not to do that, at least.

"Where I said I'd be," I said, my eyes softening, draping my hair over my shoulder and crossing my arms over my chest. "Grieving. Levi, he..."

"We heard," one of them cut me off.

I ignored the disrespectful tone sent my way by some miracle. I could almost hear Levi speak to me: he isn't worth it, brat.

"I was with Floch when he found him," one spoke, "and he looked awful!"

I narrowed my eyes slightly at him. Yep. You'll be the first I take care of, if I need to.

Ignoring their disrespect, I continued. "At the trial," I said evenly, "I got caught by Pieck. Jean and Onyankopon, they..." I forced a sigh through my lips. "I managed to escape, just barely. I caught wind that a number of you had come out here to the coast," I mentioned, "and so, here I am."

"We're glad to have you, captain," one piped up.

"Right, well, what's the situation?" I asked, gripping one of my controller grips in hand and readying one of my blades. I brandished it proudly, inspecting the blade uselessly; I'd checked them before. They were fine.

"Connie, Armin and whoever is with them are traitors," they told me. "They want to stop Eren."

"Stop him?" I asked incredulously. "And leave us defenseless?"

"Exactly!"

"She gets it, at least!"

I glanced around. All I needed to do was wait long enough to give the Alliance time to escort the Azumabito to the basement. I couldn't stall too long though for fear of seeming hesitant to fight. Any suspicion on me right now could prove disastrous – and deadly.

"Hold on," the one who had gone with Floch and found Levi said, "where'd you get that cloak? You weren't wearing it at the trial."

Uh oh.

"She wasn't wearing gear, either."

Uh oh. Again.

"Is the cloak Levi's? You haven't been wearing yours, and Levi had his own when we found him. That doesn't look like it fits you properly."

They're suspicious of me. Exactly what I didn't want.

"The gear," one demanded. "Explain it. Where'd you get it?"

"Here beyond the walls, there are lots of... scouts left behind. And unfortunately, there are lots of sets of gear to choose from. Having been on quite a few expeditions myself, I happen to know where a lot of people might have, you know..."

"Right. And the cloak? That's not yours, is it?

"It might be summer, but it sometimes gets chilly out here by the sea," I tried, saying the first words that came to mind. I realized as soon as the words left my lips that it might not have been the smartest approach. "Same way I got the gear. I-"

"Yeah, but if you're as compassionate as you say, you wouldn't defile a corpse. So, then how-"

I was saved when a batch of Yeagerists left the building, zipping into the air. "They've run to the basement," one called. "Bring more explosives!"

"They," I repeated. "They who?"

"Hange, Jean, Mikasa, and a Marleyan! They've brought the Azumabito down there!"

Perfect, I thought. Just in time.

"Shit," I said aloud. "Alright." I cleared my throat. "I don't have a gun. You. Mind lending me that for a moment?" With a hurried nod, one of the young Yeagerists ran up to me, offering me his handgun.

"Why do you need it, captain?"

"Oh, you know," I mused, reaching for it with one hand while the other put my controller grip back in place against my chest. "Nothing major." I took it from him with a smile on my lips. "Thank you very much."

I turned and took a few steps away from him, inspecting the firearm as I made some distance between myself and the group of Yeagerists. Then I turned in place, my smile wider now.

"It was just my cue," I said. "And I can't possibly be without my prop, now can I?"

After checking the safety and that it was loaded, I aimed it into the air. Confused as they were, the Yeagerists did nothing but watch confusedly as I fired off two shots. My arm remained in place for the next few precious seconds, and remained raised even as I noticed two figures zip around towards the front of the building and behind me.

Two loud explosions accompanied by flashes of light suddenly rang out, and I didn't even have to turn to know that it was Reiner and Annie, now transforming now that they knew everyone was in a safe location.

The bright, sudden light from the Titan transformations made the Yeagerists in front of me all wince and avert their eyes briefly - but not the poor boy just in front of me. I lowered my arm, aiming directly at the soldier who'd given me the gun.

"Your kindness is appreciated, young man," I said quietly. "But you should know never to offer up your own weapons."

His terrified eyes that had locked onto the transforming titans behind me flicked now to the gun and then into my eyes. I shot him in the chest just as a wave of smoke overtook the roof. I could hear the surprised curses from the Yeagerists, and I used the sudden smokescreen to my advantage. They began shouting to each other and I was able to make my way from soldier to soldier in this way.

Quickly, I tucked the handgun into the back of my pants for now. Wearing an old set of gear meant that I didn't have a holster for it, so I just had to deal with it for now. I grabbed both controller grips, crossing my arms over my hips to attach a blade for each. The sickening scrape of metal against metal was the only noise to give me away.

"The Armored and Female Titan! They're-" He didn't get to finish his statement before I stabbed him through the stomach with my knife, the organs getting shoved out of the way as the blade pushed its way through.

If you speak, I can figure out where you are. Your voice betrays your position. Is that not common sense?

"Captain Amaya's with them! She's a-" Silent as a shadow, I slipped behind that soldier, grabbed his head, and sliced his throat, letting him crumble to the flat rooftop in a heap.

If you'd have only stayed quiet, I'd be as blind as the rest of you. The smokescreen is effective; or, at least, it would be, if you were as quiet as I am.

"All soldiers switch to the-" I'm sure they already knew to take to the gear by now, rendering his shouted order useless. Not that it mattered, because I promptly ended his life with a quick stab through the chest. Feeling the ribs shift out of the way as I wedged my knife in deep enough to kill him cleanly made me grimace but there was no time for that now.

Unlike you, I have no need to panic. I knew I could count on you doing it for me. And now... your concern for your comrades will be your downfall. Pity.

I couldn't reflect on the fact that I knew that soldier's voice - on each of these soldier's voices.

Once upon a time this one in particular had been a soldier so excited to learn from me once he'd enlisted in the Survey Corps. He was always the first to the training grounds and the last to leave – well, one of them. When he'd asked me for extra training, I could never find it in me to say no to him. He was a bit shy at first, but always enthusiastic to learn, to get better.

The extra combat training hadn't helped now. I supposed I should have told him that a smokescreen was effective cover, so long as you didn't give away your position. I guess that just never came up in the training regimen I'd prepared.

I figured it was common sense.

It didn't matter now. He was dead.

The smoke dissipated quickly and immediately I found myself the target of several angry sets of eyes. "What?" I asked, stifling a laugh. Several guns were suddenly aimed my way and I took to the sky, dodging their panicked, hurried shots easily. "Zeke tried to kill my husband. Do you really think I'd support him after that? I want his furry ass dead. And if it just so happens by my hand, then so be it."

I was met with some hardened glares, some scoffs, even a slow, disappointed shake of a head. "I can't believe this," one muttered.

"Mm? Still going to stand in my way?"

"I have to," he said resolutely. "What you're doing isn't right."

"Strange, that," I murmured, knowing he could hear me. "I think what you're doing isn't right."

"You're wrong."

"And standing in my way isn't?"

"I don't care how strong you are, or how good you are in a fight," he said, brandishing his blades, now. "I can't let you do this."

I was almost impressed, but it was far overshadowed by disappointment - I could not die here. He would have to get out of my way, or fall by my hand.

There were no other options.

"So be it."

...

He was dead within a minute. Most of the Yeagerists were focused solely on fighting the Armored and Female Titans, who made quick work of swatting the unlucky few left close by after their transformations. Several had burnt to a crisp already from simply being too close when they did transform. The soldiers with Thunderspears left were quick to aim at them. But Annie and Reiner were clever, dodging efficiently.

The others focused now on me. I did what I could to support the Titans, picking off the few Yeagerists left on the rooftop that were too scared to do anything. Honestly. If they weren't prepared to fight, they shouldn't have been here. They shouldn't have been soldiers.

If they were only scared because Titans joined the fray, shame on them. That's what they'd trained for.

If they were only scared because I was fighting them, that's fair. I wasn't going to hold back. Not now. I couldn't. I would not die here, I could not.

They forfeited all mercy from me when they raised their weapons against me.

They forfeited all mercy from me when they chose to go against Hange.

They forfeited all mercy from me when they threatened the kids.

They forfeited all mercy from me when they found joy in the news my husband was dead.

They forfeited all mercy from me when they decided global genocide was the answer.

I'd been told before that when we fought, Levi and I were a sight to see; our choreographed moves, our somewhat inhuman trust and faith in each other, and the way that we always knew what the other was doing and was about to do, meaning that we worked extremely well together. We were always in sync. Our fight styles complemented each other.

Even without Levi, I was one hell of a soldier. That's what I'd been told. Now it was time for me to prove it to myself, because these soldiers were all but ready to shit themselves. And here, I didn't have to worry about what Levi's next move was. I only had to think about my own. This should be a hell of a lot easier, then.

I helped go after the soldiers with the Thunderspears, at the very least distracting them so that they would lose their aim and their focus would shift to me instead of the Titans, thereby getting them killed by one.

I leapt from the roof and latched onto Reiner's forearm. I used his arm as a focal point to swing around, releasing my grapple as I swung back towards the building. With my momentum carrying me, I shot one leg out, my foot landing against the face of a Yeagerist latched to the building, readying a Thunderspear.

His head slammed against the wall and he cried out. Wasting no time, I very quickly used his face as a launch point; I flipped backwards, reaching back with one hand to grab the gun. As soon as I faced him again, I pulled the trigger, shooting him in the chest.

Reiner, as if conscious of my efforts and where I was, lowered one hand. His open palm was beneath me and I landed in a crouch in his hand. He lifted it up quickly, as if tossing me up. At the top I leapt up, just in time to see another Yeagerist leaping from the building, a Thunderspear in hand.

My mind only just registered that he was rearing back to fire it off when my body reacted. I fired off a shot, recklessly; I'd never shot at a Thunderspear before. I wasn't sure what it would do. But it did what some part of my brain must have expected, as it blew up on impact. The Yeagerist went up in a fiery inferno and I winced slightly before Reiner caught me in his hand again.

I settled once more into a crouch on his palm, and turned to look up at him. I'd never worked with him before, but it felt good, working with a titan like this. If I didn't have my husband here with me to have my back, at the very least I could have a badass, tougher-than-nails Titan covered in armor to watch my back.

"Thanks, big guy," I said, looking up at him with a smile. Then another Yeagerist leapt off the building, faster than the first; he zipped around to Reiner's backside. Annie was currently busy with her own battles, so I leapt into action. I ran up Reiner's arm, and upon reaching his shoulder leapt into the air.

The Yeagerist had latched onto Reiner's calf, who was only just beginning to react to the sudden attack. I shot my grapple off, landing it in the side of the soldier who had his handgun brandished as if it would do a damn thing to Reiner's Titan. The man was dragged halfway to me, and with hardly a look back I sliced through him entirely, killing him instantly.

Reiner, once more, offered me a perch. I accepted it, landing gently against his palm. I stood and took hold of his index finger, hoping in my smile he could see my appreciation for it. "See? I've got your back. Thanks for having mine."

After nodding to him once more, I began making my way back to the building where the rest were congregated. I would've fought more, but Mikasa was there with us suddenly, looking at me as though she wanted (or needed) to say something to me.

"Mikasa," I greeted, only for her to continue right past me, gesturing for me to follow her with a quick movement of her arm. So I was right, then.

"Captain," she called. "Follow!"

I did, accepting the brief respite from the fighting to follow her to land on the Female Titan. I landed atop her head in a crouch, keeping an eye out for incoming threats as Mikasa came to a stop against her cheek.

"Change of plans," she told us. "We're leaving by ship and servicing the flying boat on the continent!" Mikasa said. I took aim and fired at an incoming Yeagerist, shooting him down so he couldn't take advantage of us stalled like this. "Cover them as they board!"

"Roger," I said, leaping from Annie's head and diving back into the action.

I didn't need specifics, and I'm sure she wasn't about to give any; I had the information that I needed. For me, the goal was the same: protect those that cannot fight. Subdue as many Yeagerists as I can.

There was a Yeagerist trying to sneak a hit on Annie from below to immobilize her. Just as he aimed the Thunderspear I shot it; my aim was thankfully true. Thank the goddesses for all that training with Onyankopon for my aim. And thank goodness this technique actually works.

It detonated from the impact of the bullet, blowing him up and igniting the others that were with him. I hooked to Annie's knee and swung around, using the momentum to bring me to a nearby rooftop. From here I could see the Azumabito racing towards the boat already.

The Yeagerists took notice too, but Reiner used his armored body to protect the group from incoming Thunderspears while the rest of us offered cover for them. I noticed Hange on an adjacent rooftop now with Mikasa, fighting efficiently. With Annie and Reiner working together to protect the group I lifted my gun, steadying my breathing as I picked off soldier after soldier.

I went to shoot another but was met with nothing more than a faint click from the weapon.

"Fuck," I hissed, checking to make sure the gun actually was empty.

I went to toss it aside when I noticed movement out of the corner of my eye. Wheeling around, I threw the gun at the soldier hoping to make easy work of me. Nailing him in the face had the desired effect in destabilizing him and I latched my grapple into him, dragging him towards me.

When he was close enough, I reached into my boot and when his momentum launched him onto me, I stabbed my knife through his chest, letting his own body weight do most of the work before I tossed him from the roof, keeping a tight grip on my knife.

"I'm not going out that easily," I scoffed, wiping my forehead with my arm.

Hold on. Where did that soldier come from...?

The soldier had come up behind me. Was it just one smart soldier who wanted to get the drop on me? Just one, who figured that a sneak attack from behind would be enough to take me out and was stupid enough to try it?

It wasn't. There were in fact several soldiers coming from that direction, armed with rifles. Without wasting another moment to think, I ran towards them. As soon as I reached the edge of the building that I was on I leapt down, swinging around quickly. I shot my grapples off between the buildings quickly.

It was a small space, not ideal for fast maneuvering but I'd had enough practice underground that I could do it. My strides with the gear were fast and calculated, the same strategy Farlan had taught me when I'd first learned to use the gear and I'd needed to know how to maneuver through tight alleyways.

Farlan had taught me the technique, and Levi had taught me to be faster.

Well, taught is a strong word. It was more accurate to say that he urged me to be better. He demanded it. And so, I'd figured it out.

"Farlan," I murmured to myself, "you'd be so proud. I haven't forgotten what you've taught me, see?"

I made my way around the building and further along the street, listening intently for the sounds of their gear. Finally hearing it, I picked that moment to leap up from between the buildings. There were four of them, though only the two in the back noticed me at first. "Hey! She's right-"

"Look away for a moment, Farlan," I murmured, just before launching my grapple and securing it right through the top of his foot. "Ouch," I muttered. "Sorry 'bout that."

Winding the winch quickly, I dragged the grapple in only slightly, throwing him off balance and making him fall to his back, his head hitting the rooftop. I didn't release that grapple yet but ran towards the other soldier who'd noticed me.

"C-Captain Amaya!" The hurried, scared shout of my name didn't make me hesitate. "Don't make me-!"

The girl was dead before she could say what she wanted to. I retrieved my knife from her gut after I'd thrown it, and while I was there, I released my grapple from the other man who had done nothing but writhe in pain and try to remove it.

"Are you hurt, bud? Let me help you out."

"N-No, Captain wait-"

Tearing the rifle from the dead girl's hands, I bashed him over the head with the butt end, silencing him instantly. "Sorry," I said. "There's no time to wait."

The two that hadn't seen me at first had certainly heard a scuffle behind them and were now facing me, their guns drawn and lined up with my body. "Captain Amaya!"

"Get her!"

I smiled. "I'd love to see you try. Let's see if your training worked, yes?"

Just as they fired their shots, I let myself fall back from the edge of the roof, free-falling only momentarily before latching onto the building. The rifle was dropped from my hands but that was perfectly fine; there were more waiting for me up there, anyway.

A quick burst of gas had me propelling above the building again, and without another wasted moment, I let the grapple land between them and drag me to them. I drew my blades, slicing cleanly through their torsos simultaneously. I rolled my shoulders as I sheathed the blades and the grapple returned to the box.

"Practical combat training is very telling," I said quietly to their corpses. "You two were not ready to face me." I sighed. "Old habits die hard, Maya. Still can't stop the shit-talking, can you?"

A small smile graced my face; I'd picked up this habit from Levi. Farlan had always joked with us, saying Levi was a bad influence. That joking had increased tenfold when Isabel had joined us, and both Levi and myself became bad influences in that way for her. Goodness, that was such a long time ago.

I drew in a deep, steadying breath, grateful for the brief respite. Now a bit away from the main avenue of fighting, I had a moment to breathe. Not to relax, of course not. But to be able to catch my breath and allow my muscles a chance to rest would do me a lot of good. My body would relax, but my mind would not. It could not. Doing so would likely prove deadly.

I crouched down and pried a rifle from the closest corpse's hands. The two Titans were getting worn down, but the Azumabito had reached the boat. I could see Pieck peeking out between two buildings. With her, I knew, were the two kids, Onyankopon, Yelena, and Levi. Well, I knew their position, so now to cover them - because I'd be damned if I let anything happen to them.

The kids were in the thick of the fighting now, too. But from where I stood now, a bit detached from the others, I could offer some cover fire. Onyankopon and I had trained for a while with this exact make of rifle. And I was doing well today; perhaps my luck would continue, and my aim would remain true.

I stayed in the crouch, getting comfortable. I lifted the rifle and gazed through the scope, the gentle movements of my hands allowing me to follow the action of the fight. Connie was doing well right now, as was Mikasa. There was Jean, getting closely followed by two Yeagerists. Oh, but there Connie goes - wait.

"Come on, Jean," I sighed, the scope following his movements again. He didn't look frantic or panicked, but being chased was never pleasant for anyone. I began to track the closer soldier following him, curling my finger around the trigger.

A deep breath in, the slow release of it out, and the shot was taken. The Yeagerist fell, hanging by his gear that was still latched into the building he'd fired it into. Jean heard the sound and looked behind him, then turned to zip backwards. With fast, impressive movements, he flew right for the second soldier, and killed him with a quick showing of his blades.

"Thank goodness," I said, relieved. I let out another breath as Jean slowed to a stop, looking around to see why the first one had died. Eventually his eyes, several rooftops away, found me. I sent him a stern look, only for him to reply with a smile. I rolled my eyes, playfully scoffing.

But then more movement caught my eye, and I very quickly lined up the shot and shot the Yeagerist creeping up behind him, getting him right in the forehead which had only just popped up behind Jean's shoulder. The brief panic I felt subsided as Jean glanced behind him, and that dead soldier that had been very close to killing him. Then he looked back at me, and the little brat had the nerve to smile at me again.

"Dammit, Jean," I said through a sign. "You just love testing my patience, don't you?" More Yeagerists entered the area and Jean leapt back into action. "God dammit," I huffed. "Why can't they just give up?"

I assisted Jean in fighting those who surrounded him. His clever gearwork and fantastic technique (which I had helped refine, of course) meant that he was able to take care of a few himself as I continued to cover him. As soon as he was safe, I allowed myself to look elsewhere.

Chasing a duo of Yeagerists was Hange, who seemed surprised when one was shot down before she could reach them. She made quick work of the other one with her blade. She turned to look at me, then crossed the few rooftops between us to land only a few feet away from me.

"Captain," she greeted.

"Commander," I nodded with a smile. She looked around at the corpses lining the nearby rooftops.

"Good work," she said, smiling. "You don't pull your punches, do you?"

"They don't," I said, "so why would I?"

"Fair point," she said. "Pieck and the others will be going to the boat soon. Stay here, provide cover fire. No one else can, they're all engaged in close quarters. There are still Yeagerists with Thunderspears. With how tired Annie and Reiner are getting, I know they're just biding their time to use them when they're at their weakest. Take them out, if you can."

"On it," I said with a nod.

Hange glanced down at my uniform and seemed to know immediately that one piece wasn't my own. "Nice cloak."

I grinned at her. "Thank you very much." A Yeagerist popped up nearby and I quickly lined up the shot and took them out.

Hange whistled, clearly impressed. "Keep an eye out," she told me, "for when it's our turn to board. It'll be quick, there won't be a lot of time to wait."

"Understood."

And with that, she was off, diving back into the fighting. With my new set of orders, I made my way to the corner of the building's rooftop and lowered myself into a crouch with one knee down to the cement. As I used the scope on the rifle, I could distinctly see the Yeagerists still holding spears. There were a hell of a lot of them; I sure had my work cut out for me.

Still, orders are orders.

I had no room to complain, so I focused on one soldier, the sights on the gun following him diligently. A single shot from me when he made the mistake of landing against one of the buildings briefly killed him and he fell to the road below.

From this vantage point, I could see all the fighting and I could say one thing with disturbing clarity: it was chaos. Pure, unadulterated chaos.

I wasn't cocky enough to think that this battle would be easy. No, of course it wouldn't. Not only did the Yeagerists have gear, but they were soldiers that I had helped train. Some were still fledging cadets that had been learning under Keith Shadis, but others were official scouts – or, at least, they had been.

Now they took their orders from Floch.

As far as I was concerned, their Wings of Freedom were forfeit. They no longer represented the ideals we protected so proudly. We'd always been about exploration, discovery, and the joy of experiencing the unknown. We'd fought for years for our freedom. We finally achieved it, by killing all the Pure Titans and exploring beyond the Walls that had caged us.

But the job was not done: there was a lot more to discover - so much more. They were not about to waste hundreds of lost lives and years of work by destroying the world beyond the Walls we'd fought to go beyond. That was not what we believed in, at the core of the Scouts.

We were for exploration. There wouldn't be a world left to explore if it was crushed.

And besides, of all people, they were taking orders from Floch?

Hange was still the Commander of the Scouts. Levi was still a Captain, as was I.

Perhaps they weren't as well-trained as we'd thought they were. They let their personal feelings get in the way of listening to their actual commanding officers. A soldier's first and only instinct should be to follow orders, no matter if they agreed with it or not. We'd all learned that lesson long ago.

Maybe they needed a different method of teaching, because it seemed as though these kids still had some learning to do. While I couldn't exactly blame them for fighting for what they believed in and what they believed was right, it hurt knowing that these soldiers I'd talked to so often would so easily turn against us because they believed us to be traitors.

They were fighting for those with our shared blood. We were fighting for everyone, regardless of blood. Worrying about race was useless in the face of what was happening; we were all human. It was awful to think, but this island had done very little for me. Those with my own blood had done little for me.

Yes, I had my comrades, my chosen family. But my real family had been, for one reason or another, cast away beneath the land and condemned to never see the sunlight. I'd had to fight to even get above ground, and even then, it was a wicked stroke of luck and outside intervention that had dragged me up here.

The true royal family had been hidden, and heavy taxes were imparted on every living soul that lived here. When faced with food shortages, the false king would sooner order hordes of the weak to their deaths beyond the walls than dare give up his own stockpile. the military withheld the truth from the common folk. The rich remained rich, and the poor remained poor. The people here were as faulted as those beyond our shores.

There were no saints in society. No angels, either. Only devils, in varying degrees.

People killed, thieved, maimed, tortured, and lied. This was not just true to our island, but every continent that laid upon this world. We were no different from them, at the end of the day. So why would I not fight for them, too?

I had to keep fighting. I had to. The Yeagerists had proudly proclaimed that they would die for their homeland. I was only helping them achieve that.

Another dead, by my hand.

I'd loved nearly all of them like they were my own kids, but apparently the feeling wasn't mutual. It was a shame, really. There were the few odd ones out that didn't ever let me into their world (Floch being one of them) but I'd cared for all the scouts the same.

We were all soldiers, we were all scouts, flying and operating under the same banner. The Wings of Freedom united us. Well... it used to.

Not anymore.

I remember him. Always went around to talk to the girls in the Scouts. Shameless, but humorous all the same.

While some of these soldiers had been working on the coast, there were very few that didn't spend any time in the main base at all. That meant that I knew each and every soldier. If not by name, then at least by face. Each Scout that was here I had, at the very least, worked with at the base. That's what made this so damn difficult.

Still, I'd fought to be here. I'd sneaked my way into this fight, and I'd be damned if I let that effort go to waste. This was an important fight. Maybe I could finally, finally prove my worth. Maybe I could feel as strong, as helpful, as useful, as Levi had told me that I was. That Reyes had thought I was. That Hange thought I was.

I was, after all, one of the Captains of the Special Operations Squad. Erwin had seen something in me. Levi's words could only do so much for my mind. I'd wanted to believe him so badly. Maybe finally I could prove it to myself that I was deserving of the role I was given. I was more than just a soldier that could fight mindless Pure Titans.

I couldn't pretend that it didn't hurt to know that some of these new cadets had thought that my worth as a soldier had diminished in recent years with the last of the titans on the island quelled. They weren't exactly subtle about spreading that rumor and others like it. Now maybe I could prove my worth.

I was more than just Levi's partner, the one who could keep him in line.

I was more than just his kinder counter-piece, the one that people could go to for questions and help.

I was more than just Levi's little lady; put into the position I was in because of my relationship with him.

I was Amaya fucking Ikeda.

Amaya Mercia. Amaya Ackerman.

Each name added something different to me, to who I was. Each was a testament to what I'd done in this life of mine.

I'd been saved from a potentially deadly situation by a soldier with a heart of gold, granting me Ikeda. I'd survived growing up without a traditional family, whatever the hell that was, and had only found out my last name because someone else had found the courage to look, and by blood I knew I was a Mercia. And... I'd fallen in love, and I'd taken my husband's last name, Ackerman.

Alongside my name, there was also my title. Captain.

Putting my relationship with Levi aside, I had my own merit. My own accolades. My own achievements. My own skills, strengths, weaknesses, and flaws.

For so long, I hadn't believed it. Standing next to Levi, it was tough to feel strong. He never made me feel like I was less than him, it was never his fault; it was my own. My mind fought against my heart, refusing to believe that I could compare with him.

For so long, I couldn't see it. Because what they called me was true: I was Levi's partner, the one who could keep him in line; I was a kinder counter-piece to him, the one that people could go to for questions and help; I was Levi's little lady. But I was not put into my position because of my relationship with him.

Why it had taken me so long to see my own damn self-worth was beyond me. My entire world seemed to revolve around the idea that I was a support character in my own story, but I was the main character. I was second to no one in my own life.

My friends and comrades had seen that. They'd seen my value as a soldier. I hadn't.

Erwin had promoted me, planning originally to have given me my own squad. He'd seen potential in me that I didn't. He saw a strong leader in the making because I'd already been a strong soldier. Perhaps he thought I could lift other soldiers up to the level I lived and operated at if only given the chance to.

Hange had very quickly acquiesced me as her research partner. Because I didn't ask the same questions that she did. Sometimes I didn't even come to the same conclusions when we thought about the same problem. But that had forced her to look from different angles. For as smart as she was, she appreciated the help, even if all I did was ask one question and accidentally set her off for hours as she worked to find an answer.

Levi had never once made me feel like I was less than him. Not directly anyway, and not through any fault of his own. It wasn't his fault that my mind took everything that we did and compared them. But my love for him was so intense and whole and pure that it hadn't mattered. Through his words he'd told me that I was enough. And that was enough for my heart, though maybe not for my mind.

And the kids... they all looked up to me so readily. They'd unabashedly and shamelessly been so awestruck by meeting me and Levi for the first time – Jean especially – and it was incredible to think that they were looking at me.

Emi, too. Goodness, her little heart knew nothing but love and at times I wondered what I'd done in my life to deserve to be looked at like that. Like I was the greatest woman in the world, the greatest mother.

My little Emi...

Focus. You won't make it home to her if you lose focus here.

The fighting here was intense, fast-paced, and dangerous. Losing focus for even a second could prove fatal. This battle was one of the hardest I'd ever found myself in. In all my years of fighting others, this proved to be the most difficult battle. It always hurts fighting against people you knew. And in a global war, it was already bad enough fighting other people; to have to fight people from my homeland? It stung more than usual.

But even more than the emotional implications of this fight was the fact that these kids had fought under and with us. They knew how we – how I – operated, and so knew how to best us.

Whether or not they could was what we needed to be careful of. We had to outsmart trained soldiers but also ourselves. I could see Pieck slip into the water, taking an inconspicuous approach to the boat. Or so we hoped. Fighting now, I was so unbelievably aware of my entire body, my entire being, and everything happening.

Another down. It was her fault for stopping on that roof.

I could distinctly feel the weight of the gear blades in the boxes, sturdy and strong; the rifle in my hands, perfectly balanced and steady; and my personal knife, that familiar weight I couldn't go anywhere without, the engravings on the handle faded and worn with wear.

I missed a shot. Line it up again.

As the fighting continued in the portside city, I could hear the screams coming from further into the city. While still largely populated by workers and soldiers, the town was also home to some families. And now, there were two Titans – three, counting Pieck, though she wasn't fighting yet and hopefully would not have to – rampaging through the streets.

Soldier fought soldier. Friend fought friend. Captain fought subordinate. It was revolting.

Got him that time.

How anyone could be alright with the mass genocide of the entire rest of the goddamn world was beyond me. It just wasn't right. Just like how not every Eldian was a devil, not everyone in the world beyond our island wanted us dead.

Well... if they didn't before, they certainly did now.

Pieck was out of the water, having pulled herself up to the dock and now was to the boat, meaning that those unarmed – not least of all being my husband – were safely boarding the ship as they went up the gangplank. Good. It'll only be a matter of time now, before-

"Hello, Captain," a familiar voice called.

Oh, for fuck's sake.

Had I really been so focused on lining up my next shot that I didn't hear someone land on the rooftop behind me? Apparently so. I'd neglected to watch my own back. I lowered the rifle and stood up, pivoting on one foot to turn halfway to face her. I schooled my face into neutrality as I gazed over someone who used to be a loyal scout under my care.

Masami Firmin. Once, she was a wonderful friend. Young, but dedicated. Small, but strong. Perhaps that was why we'd grown close while she was under my watch: because we could relate to each other; because she looked up to me.

"Hello, Mimi," I said, the casual use of her nickname – one that she'd told me I could call her, so long ago – seeming to irritate her.

"Don't call me that," she hissed.

She lifted her hand, pointing a handgun at me. But her hands were shaky, both holding the gun. Shaky hands. She won't kill me. She can't. She's scared. I can use this. I know what I can do.

And once more, the so-called esteemed actress has returned. Farlan, you better be watching.

"Aren't we friends?" I asked, dropping the rifle off to the side as a show of goodwill. I still had many ways that I could kill her. If I could get her to let her guard down, it'd be perfect and all too easy. A stock-standard, easy kill. One I'd gotten many times by now.

"No," she answered. "Not anymore. We now stand on opposite sides of this war."

"We're not friends, you say," I mused. "And yet, while my back was turned, you didn't kill me. Why didn't you, Mimi?"

"Stop calling me that," she snapped, her hands tightening their grip on the gun. She took a deep breath before letting a wicked smile stretch across her lips. It was forced, false. She didn't actually believe she could do this. It was all a front. I could tell just by looking into her eyes. "I just wanted to ask how little Emiko was doing. She must've been so scared during the Rumbling."

"If we're not friends," I said, narrowing my eyes at her, "you do not get to ask about her. I'll make this quick." I drew one of my gear blades as she lowered the gun into its holster, unsheathing two of her own. "Oh? What's this?" She brandished her blades with a flourish, her movements similar to my own. She absolutely picked that up from me. "You think you can match me with blades? And with my own style? That's awfully confident of you. And terribly foolish."

She opened her mouth to reply but I shut her up by charging at her, spinning on one foot with a quick burst of gas to build up momentum before swinging at her. The gas helped me accelerate, and I'd taken her effectively by surprise; she only just managed to block my single blade with both of hers across her chest in an X, leaving her open. The sound of the blades scraping against each other rang in my ears but I stayed strong.

With my free hand I ripped the handgun from her holster and held it to her forehead. I continued to apply pressure to the blades protecting her chest, and she continued to struggle against me.

"You never were the top of your class in hand-to-hand combat, Mimi," I said. "Did you never listen to Shadis' lessons? There are ways to get around being so small. I taught you some of them, didn't I?"

Stop talking and kill her.

"Don't be so cocky," she said weakly, forcing her voice to remain steady even as her tone betrayed her.

She's hardly able to stand against me. Make it quick, for her sake.

"I can afford to be a little cocky," I replied with a smile.

Unlike hers, I could tell that mine struck fear in her heart, because mine was genuine. She wanted to kill me, and had the audacity to mention my daughter. What little mercy I would have granted her had vanished.

"You can barely hold me back with both arms, against only one of mine? That's pathetic, darling," I chided. "I didn't have you tagged as someone to skip out on training, but what else would explain you being so weak? Did you skip exercises when Shadis wasn't looking?"

Pull the trigger.

"Shadis is a useless piece of shit," she seethed. "Well past his prime. Just like you and your little husband."

She looks so scared.

"Strange that you call him little," I replied, "when you're shorter than us both."

Pull the fucking trigger.

She's terrified.

It doesn't matter; she's an enemy.

She looks like she's about to cry.

Remember your orders. Kill her.

She's so scared.

She's a trained soldier, ready to kill.

She's a little girl, barely of age, fighting in a war she doesn't understand.

She wants me dead. Kill her and be done with it.

Just as my finger curled around the trigger, her wide brown eyes watching the minute movement closely, there was an ambush coming from the other side of the building, behind Mimi. My focus was drawn to the closest soldier, another Yeagerist, and I kicked Masami in the gut to force her away from me.

With a grunt she doubled over, her weapons falling from her hands. I pointed the gun at the closer one of the two soldiers and wrapped my other arm around her neck, forcing her to twist and stand with her back to my chest. My knife, which I'd retrieved from my boot immediately after sheathing my blade, rested dangerously close to the thin, delicate skin of her neck.

"Come any closer and I kill her," I said in warning, backing up so I could have both soldiers in my sights. They hopped onto the roof, chancing a glance at each other and back to Masami.

"We believe you, captain," one of them said. Yona. Another soldier I'd met before. "You're not much more than an underground thug, after all. Killing is all too easy for you."

The sounds of the fighting behind me were still going strong. If I didn't hurry, I might lose my chance to board the boat.

"Yes," I bit out. "I'm a cold-blooded killer, have been since I was young. Younger than you, even. Odd that everyone seems to think that I'm ashamed of my past, like I shouldn't be proud of being strong enough to get out of there with my life. But you know, it made me a far more efficient fighter. I recommend you scurry off before I kill all three of you."

They feared me. I could use that to my advantage. The second soldier spoke up, far more visibly shaken by my words than the other. I let my eyes dart to him, though I kept my eyes on both, passing between them often.

"Captain Amaya... why? Weren't you with us? Floch told us you'd joined us. I was happy to have you on our side..."

"You're a fool if you think I would align myself with someone who wants my husband dead, Oscar." Of the two, he seemed a bit more sheepish, a bit more timid, and definitely more reluctant to face me. Yona, on the other hand...

"You won't be killing anyone else, captain," she said confidently.

Firstly, don't ever fucking challenge me like that.

Secondly, I have to make this fast. I'm running out of time.

"No? We'll see about that." I slit Masami's throat, letting her crumple to the roof with a pained cry that got cut off as she died. The other two burst into action, but so did I. I tossed the gun to the rooftop, having far too few hands at the moment; I leapt off the roof, using the hand I'd just emptied to fire off a grapple. I swung around the corner backwards as my other hand reached to slide the knife back into my boot.

Would they be foolish enough to follow me? They were. Oscar was faster than Yona, this I knew from watching them train several months ago. They were both skilled, sure, but Oscar more so. If Yona only had his skill, I'd be a lot more afraid of her. But Oscar was hesitant; I'd be scared of him if he had her conviction.

I could tell in his eyes that he believed in this cause, but not in the cost it would take to reach their goal. Perhaps I could play into that.

I continued to zip backwards, only going so fast so that they could just keep up. If I wanted to, even backwards, I could go faster. It was something I excelled at. Working with Levi underground had required me to, otherwise I'd have been left behind and captured.

"Oscar," I called back to him, finally taking my second controller grip into my hand, attaching a blade. "Do you remember when you used to overwork yourself at the base, and I'd come out and make sure you were hydrated?"

The slight widening of his eyes told me he did. The boy had done it several times. I always made it a habit to check the training grounds at the end of the day, usually expecting to find at least one discarded article of clothing - a jacket, for example - left behind by one of the recruits. Sometimes, though, as I did my rounds, I'd find soldiers practicing late.

Oscar was a frequent sight, though most of the time when I found him he'd be heaving, well out of breath and overworked. I'd give him water from my own canteen, just to make sure he wouldn't pass out. Later, when it became almost routine for me to find him, I'd taken to bringing small rations out for him. Extra, so he could regain his strength.

"I did that for you, and still, you chase me so readily?"

"C-Captain, I-"

"Oscar, focus! Remember what Floch told us!"

"What did Floch tell you? Please, catch me up on what I missed."

"Absolutely not," Yona spat. She freed up one hand to lift her handgun. I scoffed.

"Sorry, girlie, that won't work on me," I said, before allowing myself to dip dangerously close to the ground.

Her shots missed, because of course they did. After dipping low, I swung upwards, releasing the grapple to flip far over their heads as they passed by underneath. I righted myself then took off after them, hearing the strained curses escaping them.

Both turned to face me, with varying degrees of success. Flying backwards, Yona had clumsy gearwork, she always had, but she kept the pace we set before. Oscar was more precise in his movements, though forfeited speed. Once again, the two were a perfect pair. They complemented each other. However, they were only a threat to me if they combined into one; Oscar's skill, with Yona's speed, in this case.

Yona's speed was still nothing compared to my own, however. I wanted to test her, to see just how far she would go. With trained movements, I got closer, easily catching up to Oscar. He seemed to panic with the sudden close proximity. My eyes needed only a glance to the side to know that Yona had stopped, and was now coming back towards us with wide eyes.

I only brandished one blade. It was all I needed.

Of the two, Oscar was not who I wanted to hurt. But I would, if I needed to. And besides, taking care of him would mean I only had her to deal with. And with her clumsiness, it would be easy work to take care of her, too. I only wished I'd held onto the gun I'd taken from Mimi instead of dropping it.

Oh, wait. I can just go grab it, can't I?

I sliced one of Oscar's wires, making him shout in surprise and fear as he started to fall. I changed course, heading back just the way we'd come from, going back to the building I'd met them on. I could hear the clatter of gear against gear as Yona caught Oscar. That bought me a few precious seconds, and I put it to good use.

The wind whistled past me as I rushed back to that rooftop. A gust of wind blew in from the waves, bringing with it the scent of saltwater and, because of all the fighting, the coppery tones of blood. My nose wrinkled slightly. What an awful smell.

I reached the rooftop quickly and skidded to a stop where I'd been standing only minutes before. Right next to Mimi's pale corpse was the handgun I'd taken from her. Using the brief time I had, I checked the ammo in it and kept a mental note of it. I lowered into a crouch, once again with a knee to the pavement.

It was comfortable anyway, and allowed my body to rest for just a moment while I had the time to. And, while I was at it, I chanced a glance over my shoulder towards the main area of fighting. Would no one notice my cover fire was missing? The battle awareness of my allies left something to be desired.

It looked like I'd have to deal with this myself. No matter. I'd done worse on my own.

I turned back around just as Yona appeared over the side of the building. She'd launched herself high in the air, her own gun in hand. "Trying this again? Your aim didn't seem that reliable earlier," I mocked as I shot towards her.

It was simple, really. Onyankopon had been such a good teacher. With her current trajectory, the slight adjustment for wind, and how far away I was...

I fired. It was a warning shot, more than anything. I managed to shoot her gear, the box attached to her left hip. She cried out, surprised, and for good reason. It'd managed to knock it loose and the blades fell out with a racket against the cobblestone below.

While she was distracted by that, I fired off both grapples, one on either side of her. I accelerated, landing perfectly against her. I pressed my feet to her stomach and pushed, trampolining off of her and letting the wires carefully arc me back to where I'd just been crouched. I landed easily, a smile on my face.

She'd fallen to the road below. With some luck, she'd have been injured or died on impact. I had another one to worry about right now.

And just on cue, Oscar leapt up. He wasted no time firing towards me. I ducked, only just dodging his bullets. They went clean through the cloak and I cursed. Oscar, not surprisingly, seemed more surprised than I was that he'd shot at me and he landed against the rooftop, looking down at his hands.

"You fucker," I hissed. "I was supposed to return this in perfect condition!"

I reached down into my boot and grabbed the handle of my knife. I lightly tossed it, catching it by the blade before throwing it. I nailed him in the thigh, the blade going right through the leather belts on his thighs. That'd hinder his gearwork, anyway. Oscar screamed, the pain buckling his leg and forcing him to his knee.

I began to run, one hand brandishing a gear blade with the other shoving the gun into the back of my pants, now with the intent to finish him, when Yona popped up again. "Oh, for crying out loud-"

I cut myself off as I ducked. Ok, maybe her aim was getting better. The bullet whizzed by my ear but I refused to cry out. I refused to let these two scare me. I'd fought bigger, badder, and meaner, and at a much younger age. This was nothing.

With a running start, I jumped from the rooftop. My gear caught me, of course. I flew with only one wire, and I looked behind me while reaching for the gun again. They followed me, which I expected.

Well... I expected it from Yona who, aside from falling off a building (though she'd probably caught herself just before hitting the ground), was doing alright. Oscar following me was a surprise. My knife was still lodged into his leg. At least he had the sense to not rip it out and bleed out. Was I the one to teach him that?

What I wasn't really expecting either was for Yona to dodge my next bullet, then the next. I cursed lightly under my breath. My aim was usually true; tell me this wasn't some kind of divine intervention keeping me from killing these two in particular? The goddesses wouldn't be that cruel, would they? Perhaps I should have prayed more.

I also was not expecting Yona to shoot out her wire. I could see its determined course before it even got to me. My eyes widened and I did what I could to hurriedly get out of the way, but I couldn't. Her grapple caught in my left shin, and only then did I allow myself to shout in pain as the gun fell to the ground below.

I could feel the bones crack and muscles shift as the metal shot through my leg completely, lodging itself into my leg and latching onto the other side. The metal did as engineered to do. It hooked, the metal making light work of my skin, muscles, and bones as it did as it was supposed to do.

Caught on my leg now, she wound the wire, dragging me back towards her, the other keeping her propelling now upwards, to the nearest roof. In my shock, I scrambled to try and force my leg from the grapple as momentum dragged us towards each other.

My own grapple was still hooked to the side of a close building but I'd stopped releasing the gas; I'd only tear myself apart doing that. Knowing that it was my primary method of escape, Oscar went to it, wedging his blade into it to dislodge it from the brick.

Before I could reach my closest weapon, Yona landed atop the building. Just as she did, Oscar managed to wedge his blade in and my grapple was released. Without anything holding me up but the wire from Yona's gear, I fell, only to catch when she kept the wire from unwinding further. My entire body slammed against the brick wall, knocking the breath from my lungs, and immediately flinging stars into my vision.

Hanging upside-down, I did all I could to try to break free, but whenever my weight shifted, the metal lodged through my leg pulled and tugged at the skin, bone, and muscle.

Alright, Maya. Take a look around. What are we dealing with?

I glanced down the road. None of my allies were around. No one was paying attention.

Ok. That sucks, but I can think of a way out of this. I can do this. I can still pull through.

I glanced around me, at the building.

I was right beside a window. There was no one inside the room, but it was just glass. It was closed, but once again, it was just glass. Good.

It was right behind me. I arched my back slightly, pressing my hands against the glass. I bent one arm, readying my elbow. I began to beat into the glass, trying to break through it. But with my limited mobility, I couldn't exactly do that very well. Not good.

Ok. That also sucks. I must have another option, though. I have to. A world of infinite possibilities; that's the kind of world I lived in. I've gotten through hopeless situations before, and this certainly isn't even hopeless yet. I can still, still pull through.

I tried to reach upwards, towards the boxes of the gear. If I could only reach a blade, I could cut the wire. I'd fall, but my reaction time would hopefully be quick enough to allow me to fire off a wire before I hit the ground. Then, I could run away again. I just couldn't get caught again.

That was the plan.

I reached upwards again, not quite able to get my fingers around a blade. I flopped back against the building, huffing through my nose with frustration. All the blood in my body was rushing to my head or otherwise oozing out of the growing wound in my left leg. Wave after wave of white-hot pain seared through me, forcing itself to the forefront of my senses. I couldn't focus on anything else, not until Oscar came closer.

I reached up again quickly, the grapple tearing through more of my leg, but I managed to grab one of my blades, pointing it at him. It was the only thing I could do, with him now so close. "Back up," I hissed. "I'm trying to get away, here."

Oscar had a deep-set frown on his face as he looked down at me. Swinging to a stop beside me, he grabbed his rifle, apologizing before slamming me in the chin with the butt end of the gun. I slammed back against the wall, a slight whimper escaping me as I began to lose consciousness. With the force of it, the blade fell from my hands, landing against the cobblestone road with a clatter.

I had more. This wasn't a problem. It wasn't. I could still-

"What's she doing down there?" Yona called down.

"Trying to get away, she said," Oscar called back. "I'm not sure how, though."

"I'll show you," I said, grunting with the effort of reaching upwards again. I managed to grasp one between my fingertips. With my free hand I grabbed onto my leg, holding myself up. I swung my arm, slicing through the wire. And I fell.

My fingers scrambled over the controller grips as the two Yeagerists shouted in surprise. The ground came closer, closer, closer. I didn't manage to pry a grip from its holster, but I did manage to pull one of the triggers, releasing a cloud of gas that lessened my fall only feet above the road.

I landed on my back, the air escaping my lungs. With a great deal of effort, I managed to roll over, to get my feet below me. Time seemed to slow within that moment. The two Yeagerists were flying towards me, but I didn't focus on that, just for a moment.

Seconds crawled by at a snail's pace as I got to my stomach and lifted my head.

My body was now caked in mud. I'd somehow managed to fall in the only leftover puddle from the rain the coast had a few nights back. Everything hurts. Air slowly reentered my lungs. I didn't waste a glance upwards. I knew they were coming. I didn't need to look to know they were there.

Just as I knew there was still a titan in the area, and more nearby.

What was that?

I blinked, the movement slow and painful. The mud was cold against my clothes, soaking through to my skin. The chill seeped into my bones.

Just as I'd been chilly that entire day, in the rain, racing through the mud on my first horse.

What was I remembering...? What was this feeling?

I could taste the blood dribbling from my mouth, mingling with the salty spray down into the mud.

I could taste the blood dribbling from my mouth, running with the rain down into the mud.

"Levi," I breathed out, trying to stand up.

"Levi," I croaked out, trying to stand up.

I brought my knees under me and set my hands into the mud.

I brought my knees under me and set my hands into the mud.

It took nearly all my strength to set just one foot down. I put my hands on my knee and pushed, trying to stand without putting pressure on my injury.

It took nearly all my strength to set just one foot down. I put my hands on my knee and pushed, trying to stand.

He wasn't here, but I could almost see him standing before me. At another time, I'd have fallen over. He'd have caught me. Held me to his chest. Cried as I slowly died in his arms. I'd resigned myself to my death. I'd had no reason to fight: not until he gave me one.

"I'm not losing you, brat. I'm... Dammit, I'm still waiting for you. You can't keep me waiting forever, moron."

He stood before me now, not crying, but happy. Emi was with him, holding his hand and smiling at me. His words echoed through my head, giving me one more reason to fight.

"We're not losing you, brat. You left me waiting long enough. Don't make her wait, too. You can't keep us waiting forever, moron."

I'd never heard him say those words in sequence, before. And yet I could picture it so clearly...

"We're waiting for you, mommy! Come home to us!"

My heart begged for me to step forward, wanting to join them. My body lurched forward as time returned to normal. My senses returned to me in a rush. Noise, from above. Pain, from my entire body. My escape route, right in front of me.

I grabbed a controller grip, successfully removing it from its spot. My trained fingers curled around the triggers, pressing the correct one. My wire shot out. A burst of gas blew out.

But then I was on my stomach again. My wire hadn't caught, so it fell uselessly only feet away from where I'd sent it. A knee was pressed to my back. The air I'd recovered in my lungs left me again as more pressure was pressed to my body.

My vision blurred in and out. I laid there limply. My mind surprisingly was racing a million meters a second and every cell in my body was crying out with fear and pain.

Keep fighting.

I moved an arm, only for it to be grabbed with an iron-tight grip. White spots appeared in my vision, but I squinted, turning my head to look towards the fighting down the street. There was still plenty of fighting, and there was the ship.

If I stayed here, I was going to miss my chance to board alongside them.

No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no... Keep fighting!

I tried to wiggle out of his grasp, but he pressed down harder, squeezing the air out of me. I heaved with the effort of trying to breathe, to even regain my breath.

"What are we doing with her?" Oscar yelled up to Yona, who landed besides us a moment after.

Keep fighting...? How? I can't. They have me beat.

"She'd make a nice hostage, I think," Yona said. I managed to inhale a deep lungful of air as Oscar shifted.

I made to shout, but Oscar pressed down again, the words dying in my throat.

Someone look over here, please. I need help.

"She's dangerous," Oscar said warily. "She killed Mimi so easily."

Please, someone notice that I'm here. I know I don't ask for help often. Please, just this once, help me.

"Yes, but we can use her," Yona protested. "Though, maybe you're right. It might be a safer bet to just kill her now. That might break Levi down just enough to give up."

I don't want to die like this. Please...

"Please get away," I whispered, my voice raspy and breathless. "I'm so sorry..."

As my consciousness faded away, my impending death was not what I focused on, nor was it the excruciating pain ripping through my body, nor the dizziness I felt as I began to lose consciousness. All I could think about was Emi, my poor baby girl, so far away. And Levi...

Don't try to come back for me, my loves. I'll see you soon.