It wasn't long after we were told that we were going to the Underground City again that we actually went. It was a quick turnaround, a quicker one than I had anticipated, and there were only a few precious days between the announcement of that mission and the date we were to embark.

Due to his personal stock in wanting to know the very origin of Titans, especially these special ones that were far more advanced than regular Titans and even Abnormals, Erwin came along with us. And because they bugged the hell out of him, Hange was allowed to tag along as well.

Like every other morning, I woke up today alone in my bed. Levi very rarely allowed himself to rest in mine with me, and he was even more rarely to be found in his own office. No, it was more that he seemed to move himself into my office with me. I could only guess at the answer, because I was sure he wouldn't say it outright - of course, he stated that he loved me only quietly and rarely and quite bashfully at that, but we were working on it - but what I didn't have to guess after was why I rarely ever caught him in bed.

He did tell me that he joined me, but I knew it was a lie. I wasn't stupid, I knew that he wasn't sleeping. In the underground city, we would lay in bed together and he would sleep. I knew he would; I was there in bed with him and I could hear the way his breathing slowed, see the way his face relaxed, hear his quiet snores, and feel the lazy, lethargic way he would move and so often, keep me close.

No, I wasn't an idiot. It appeared that he developed some form of insomnia now that we were here. He rarely slept and he rarely allowed himself the chance to even try. More often than not, if I awoke in the middle of the night needing water or to use the bathroom or simply because that's just how things happened, I would peek out of my room and catch him resting in his chair, his head bowed and his arms crossed, but still sitting up in a way that could not have been good for his posture or allowing him any amount of good, productive sleep.

It was a problem. It was a problem that he clearly did not want to talk about, because whenever I brought it up, he would dismiss me or leave, and it was a problem that I wasn't sure how to solve. Was it nightmares? Was it born of so much grief all at once? Was it because he hadn't settled into this new environment yet, and his mind which never shut up and turned off would not allow him to relax?

I didn't know the answer, and it seemed that Levi didn't want me to know, or didn't want me to find out for myself.

So when I woke up this morning and realized that I was alone, I was disappointed but not surprised. I sat up and pressed the heel of my hands to my eyes to gently rub the sleep from them as a low, scratchy yawn left my lips.

Levi entered the bedroom then, his uniform in hand. When he noticed I was awake, he slowed to a stop. "Good morning," I said to him. "Sleep well?"

"About as well as I usually do," he said, his voice low and effortlessly smooth, as it always was. And I knew with only those few words that I was correct; he had been up for a while, probably doing more paperwork. "You look like you slept rather well."

"Hm?"

He looked rather obviously towards my hair, and I lifted one hand to feel it, only to realize I had quite a messy bit of bed head right now. I laughed lightly, knowing just how ridiculous I probably looked. I got up out of bed and smiled, because just as I made to turn and make the bed, Levi came around to the other side to help, setting his clothes on the nightstand for now.

"Thank you," I said warmly, meeting his eyes.

He only nodded in reply, and as he made sure the corners were tucked neatly, I turned my attention to my wardrobe. I gathered for myself a clean set of the uniform, and I made sure Levi was still hard at work fixing up the bed before heading into the bathroom. I took care of my business and got dressed, and when at last I stepped out of the bathroom, tying my hair up as I did, Levi headed in to take my place, his uniform folded neatly and in hand.

In the wardrobe, we also kept the straps for the gear, for they were technically part of the uniform. I grabbed them from where they were hung, and started getting into them, stifling a yawn as I did. I was finished, and was only adjusting one of the buckles across my thighs when Levi left the bathroom, dressed for the day.

He stood at my side before the wardrobe as he finished tying off his cravat in a hurry, then reached for his gear straps and harness. I grabbed my boots set just before the wardrobe and then went to sit at the foot of the bed to put them on. "I still can't believe we're doing this today," I said, prompting him to look over at me as he pulled his harness on.

"You look nervous."

"Do I?"

"You do. Something in your eyes."

"Maybe I am," I said absently, focusing on my boots. I shoved my foot into one and started to lace it, making sure it was good and tight.

"I didn't think we'd ever have to go back there," Levi said when it became clear I wasn't going to say anything more. "I'm not looking forward to it." He adjusted the strap bound across his chest, his eyes drifting away from mine.

"I wonder how much it's changed," I mused quietly, shifting my attention to my other foot.

"We'll see when we get there," he said, now sitting beside me to put his own boots on. "I doubt it's changed much. It'll be the same shithole it was when we left."

"You're probably right," I said, unsure of what else to say. I wasn't looking forward to this, plain and simple.

Yes, we were the two soldiers with the most experience in that damned place, but surely Erwin could go with others? It wasn't like we knew anyone who had knowledge of Titans of all things down there. We didn't have the expansive knowledge I'm sure he thought we had. Even if we did, it was gone now; generally, the city never changed, but the people did. Any one of them could one day claim to know the secrets of everything we ever wanted to know.

I stood and crossed the room once more to reach the wardrobe. I grabbed our jackets and cloaks, returning to the bed only to lay them down. I put my own jacket on, and before I could even reach for my cloak, Levi stood - his boots now on - and took my wrist in hand. "Levi?"

"You're still nervous."

"Yes," I said, seeing no reason to lie to him. "I am."

"Why?"

"I thought we were done with that city for good," I told him. Now that I was speaking, he loosened his grip on my wrist, but didn't let it go quiet yet. "The people down there aren't stupid. They'll have noticed our disappearance and when there's no record of us having paid to get to the surface..."

"You think we'll be targeted?"

"I do."

"We have proof of our citizenship," he told me. "We've only gotten stronger in our time here, Amaya. Don't be stupid. We've been targeted before, and the only times we've gotten caught is when we've wanted to be."

He was right. In certain jobs, the goal was to get one of us caught, to become someone on the inside to break through and create an opening for the others to join us. Usually, it was me. People of the city just seemed to have a... soft spot, shall I say, for women. Not that they doted on them exactly, but a desperate woman brought with her the promise of doing whatever her saviors wanted.

Something I found was that men loved a good hero complex, especially one they can abuse.

But I, in turn, abused that.

Sure, Isabel was a woman, and a cute one at that, but I didn't allow her to do the things I did. For one thing, I was older, a bit more shapely, and there was a reason Farlan called me the esteemed actress of our gang. When it came to it, I could fool a deaf man into giving me money. I'd done it before, and if prompted, I could do it again.

The point was, I was a good thief, a better manipulator, a great actress. I knew how the city worked and how best to abuse it. Even if trouble found us today, I would be able to work around it, work through it, and push on.

Regardless... I was still nervous.

"We're going to be fine. I'm more worried about Titans than anything we'd see down in the city."

I smiled at that. "And yet you can fight Titans in your sleep, Levi."

There was a look in his eyes that was self-assured, even a bit teasing. I'd fallen into his trap, so it seemed. He was telling me - in his own strange way - that there was nothing to worry about. I'd just confirmed it myself.

"You're a pain," I said with a laugh, a bit of the anxiety for today lifting away from my shoulders. "You really are something else, you know that?"

He said nothing. All he did was take his jacket in hand and put it on. I was now able to toss my cloak over my shoulders and clasp it across my chest. Levi followed my lead, then... I checked him over, feeling that something was off.

Oh, that's it.

"Your cravat is twisted, Levi," I said, glancing into his eyes. "May I?"

He nodded and, with the silent permission, stepped close to him. I unclasped his cloak only for a moment so I could reach his cravat. I untied it, and with trained fingers, tied it once more and smoothed it out across his chest.

"There," I said gently, lowering my hands from his chest. "Much better."

I didn't realize how close we had gotten until I looked back into his eyes. His own were trained intently on me, and something about the moment seemed incredibly intimate, incredibly sacred. I didn't want to break the silence, but I had something that I wished to say all the same.

"You never wore anything like this underground," I said quietly, keeping in mind that we were only precious inches away from each other. "Did you buy it?"

"No," he answered simply.

"Seems like old fabric," I noted, taking another look at it. "Repurposed from something else, maybe?"

"Something like that," he answered as simply as before, and yet there was something hidden there, something he didn't want to say.

"I don't mean to pry," I assured him. "I was just curious. Thank you for helping me feel better about today. With you by my side, I don't know why I was ever worried about a thing."

"I meant it when I told you that I wouldn't let anything happen to you," he reminded me. "Not if I can do anything about it."

"I know," I said. "And I trust you. It's the city I don't trust. But we've done plenty of jobs down there before, this one should be no different. And maybe..."

"Maybe?"

"Maybe we can stop at... at home," I said unsurely, "if it hasn't already been demolished or taken over by now, that is. Maybe our old things will be there."

"There's nothing left for me there," Levi said, his voice as low as mine. "But you have keepsakes there of your family, no?"

"That's right," I said softly. "It'll be strange to go back."

"They can't keep us there," he told me, and I nodded surely, an idea coming to me.

"Do you think I can get away with visiting El?"

"I doubt those soldiers have forgotten us," Levi mentioned, and I couldn't help but figure he was probably right.

"We're Captains now," I reminded him. "We outrank those idiots."

That made him smirk. "That's true." He gestured with a slight jerk of his head towards the door. "We should get going. If you miss breakfast, you'll be cranky all day."

He was right, but he made no effort to move, and neither did I. It seemed we were both waiting for something. I glanced down in a rather obvious manner to his lips, then back into his eyes, letting one of my eyebrows quirk up, but his eyes were still trained on my own.

I brought one hand up and set it on his forearm, and let the other go further up to land gently against his cheek. All the permission I needed was written in his eyes and even as I made to ask, he leaned in and caught any words I was about to say in a kiss.

I hummed contentedly against him. This kiss was simple and sweet, and I couldn't help but want another. And so, when he drew away, I pulled him back in gently. It seemed as though he wanted to kiss me again, too.

We both knew that we couldn't linger here for much longer, but for now, we would appreciate this time while we had it.

Sooner than we wanted, we drew away. "We'll be alright," I said softly when we pulled away from each other, enticing a chuckle out of him.

"You're telling me that, now?"

I laughed, shrugging my shoulders. "What can I say? You've convinced me."

"Don't be a brat," he muttered, drawing away and fixing his cloak. My smile turned sly as I turned away, and at long last, we left my office to head down to the mess hall.

—

It was still extremely early in the morning when we finished eating and made it to the armory. Levi and I were joined by Erwin and Hange, and Erwin briefed us on what was to happen today.

"The name of our target has been provided to us from the Underground City Military Police," Erwin said. "It seems they want this man gone just as much as we want his supposed information."

I nearly scoffed at the thought. "They'd give up every last street rat to the scouts if they could," I told him dryly. "Information or not."

"So, we shouldn't count on their help?"

"It's not the safest bet one could make, let's just say that," I said, examining one of my blades before sliding it back into my gear.

"So, you and Levi are from the Underground," Hange piped up. Their gear was on already, and for now Hange was sitting atop one of the workbenches, their legs swinging back and forth lazily. "Are you excited?"

"It's a strange homecoming, to be sure," Erwin piped up. "But we'll need you two to stay focused."

"We aren't exactly thrilled to be going back," I said evenly, partially to answer Hange's question and partially to reply to Erwin. Realizing I might be coming across as a bit hostile to a superior officer, I sighed and added: "We'll stay focused, Erwin."

A strange homecoming, indeed.

We might as well get it over with, then.

—

The sky was pale, the morning fog thick as we left the Survey Corps base and made for the interior. Through Stohess District we rode, and into Wall Sina we went, until at last we reached the capital Mitras, under which...

"We're here," Erwin stated, as though it wasn't plain to see. "We'll hitch here and go down on foot."

"Good," I said, having already dismounted and led Strider over to one of the hitching posts just outside the stairwell we were by. I patted his neck and smiled up at the horse. "I wouldn't want you going down there, never ever, Strider."

I got a snort in reply, and I took that to mean he appreciated the thought. When the horses were hitched, there was nothing left to do but do it, and so we descended. We weren't even ten steps down before Hange got to talking.

"So, what's it like down here?"

"You'll see when we get down there, shitty-glasses," Levi said before I could.

"Don't get too excited," I agreed, looking at Hange. "It's really not that exciting."

"Ah," they chimed, "but you must have thug friends, right?"

"Jeez," I said through a sigh. "No, you don't understand. The words thug and friends don't typically go hand-in-hand."

"But weren't you and Levi, and your two partners all thug friends?"

"We were partners," I said. "Thugs, yes. Criminals, yes. But when it came to others, we didn't have much in the way of allies. Whatever thug friends we had likely gave up on us the moment we didn't meet with them for the next meeting we had planned. We only had each other."

Hange blinked owlishly at me. "I see. I'm sorry."

"There's really no need to apologize," I assured Hange. "There's a reason everyone wants to leave the city, the two of us included." I shot them a smile, then looked at Erwin. "I think it's important that we set some ground rules."

"Ground rules?"

"Erwin, you must remember how people reacted to you in the city."

"I was generally avoided, if memory serves."

"There's a reason for that," I told him. "Soldiers aren't generally well-liked or trusted down here. So with the limited information we have, we'll be hard pressed to find who we're looking for. Because Levi and I have our contacts, and we know how people operate here, leave the talking to us. Do we have a name?"

"A name, and only that he lives in the city," Erwin answered. "Jace Wright. Is it a name you recognize?"

"Wright," I repeated quietly, trying to recollect if ever I had met anyone by that name. "Not that I can remember. Levi?"

"No," Levi answered. "Never heard of him. Is his name all we know?"

"Unfortunately, yes," Erwin said.

"This should be easy, then," Levi muttered.

It was clear that Levi was getting irritated, but really, who could possibly blame him? We'd been plucked out of this city according to a plan that went horribly, horribly wrong, we lost our two dearest friends, and I only just managed to escape our first expedition with my life. After telling each other that we'd never go back, we were here, and all for some stupid rumor that someone might know everything about Titans, even those new ones?

It was ridiculous, really. But when it came to something as serious as this, no matter how unbelievable it was, we had to investigate it. Because if it did happen to be true, and we passed it up...

It was quite the gamble, that was for sure. But something about Erwin that I had learned was that he was always more than willing to gamble if he deemed it worthy of one. And I had to agree... this would be worth it, if it was true.

But something in me told me that it wouldn't be.

Especially if the cost for a wasted gamble was coming back here. As we continued to descend, the air got a little muggier, a little thicker, a little smokier, and a whole lot harder to breathe in.

I subconsciously slowed in my step, glazing over my shoulder to look back towards where I knew the surface to be. From here, I could no longer see the top landing. We'd descended quite a bit already, and had turned a corner after the first landing, so now all we could see of the surface was the sunlight streaming down. But it faded far too quickly, and its warming, soothing rays could not reach us here.

Levi, who had been walking alongside me, slowed to a stop only a few paces or so after I did when he realized I had.

"Amaya," he said, and I wondered for a moment how I should reply.

In what way right now could I think of asking him to help mitigate my worries for returning here? How could I properly articulate how much harder it was to breathe down here now that my lungs had experienced what it was like to breathe real, fresh air? Was it even possible to convey the anxiety I had, for we might be in hot water down here, for our contacts had counted on us, only for our gang to leave suddenly, and without warning?

Everything cleared away when he took hold of my hand, and he looked up at me with a serious, though not unkind, look on his face. Erwin and Hange continued down the stairs at their leisurely pace, and for now... Levi was all I could focus on.

"Levi," I started to say, only for him to shake his head, cutting me off with nothing more than that.

"I know."

I almost smiled. Who better to understand all of what I was feeling and maybe more, than Levi, who grew up here just as I had? He gave my hand a gentle squeeze, a quiet form of reassurance that would mean nothing if it came from someone else. But it was, for now, a replacement for words, because words could come later.

This was not the place. Now was not the time.

So, I nodded at him. The job took priority, not whatever feelings I had surrounding it. So I joined him on the step he was on, offered him a quiet thank you, and let go of his hand so we could catch up with Erwin and Hange and maintain the professional act we needed to adopt.

Soon, the tunnel we were in opened up on one side with only a railing to keep someone who wasn't paying attention from falling to their doom. We now had a clear, unobstructed view of the city, from an angle available only to those who could afford to go up the stairwell.

The city was exactly as I remembered it. It was dim, the only light being the natural light filtering in through the vents and from the minerals embedded in the rock. The buildings were in poor condition, and the air had a moldy, sick smell to it.

And the people... They were thin, worn-down, ragged, sickly, and pale. It used to be us. God, it used to be us.

When we passed under the archway and took our first few steps into the city, I realized with a start that this would be difficult. This was a big city, full of people who probably would not want to help us... but I had an idea of someone I could probably count on.

"Of anyone," I said to Levi, when Erwin and Hange turned to look at us, waiting for direction, "I think I know who will help us."

Levi knew who I was referring to before I even said it. "Mason."

"Exactly. Remember the way?"

He clicked his tongue, his eyes drifting away to settle on the city. "No matter how long I'm away, or how old I get," he said, "I don't think I'll ever forget."

We set off.

"Remind me again," Erwin said as we continued to walk, "why we cannot just ask around?"

"If people decide to answer you at all," I said evenly, looking at him, "it most likely will not be accurate. You'll get a lie, false information, or be led into a trap, depending on who you ask. Self-preservation is the driving force here. It does not matter what crest we wear, because the trust in soldiers down here is slim."

"You wanted us here because of our knowledge of the city," Levi spoke up. "Don't start doubting us now. Trust that we know what we're doing."

"I like this," Hange said, smiling. "It's weird seeing you two like this. I mean, Levi's always serious, but Amaya... there's this look in your eyes I don't see often."

"I don't exactly like being here because of what this city does to me," I told them. "Fortunately for us, I know how to get what I want around here."

"Ooh," Hange cooed, excitement clear in their features. "I love this side of you! All business. Levi, you're a lucky man."

"Spare me," Levi muttered in reply, getting a chuckle out of Erwin.

The walk from there was uneventful until at long last, we reached a familiar street. It wasn't on purpose, or perhaps... perhaps it was. But we soon found ourselves standing just before our old house, what had been our home.

It was the result of heading where we were from where we started, and though not our destination, I was not about to just walk right by it. It seemed that Levi had noticed as well, especially considering he was looking up at it with all the same emotions in his eyes that I was.

Confusion, for our feet had somehow led us here without knowing. Excitement, that we might be able to head inside. Disappointment, for it was probably already occupied. Hesitation, because would something like this be allowed? Hope, for maybe our old things were in there just waiting for us to grab them...

Only, Levi was more willing to bypass the building altogether. The good of the job came first, of course.

But I was routinely set on what I wanted, and if that meant going in here, then that's what I would do. "We're home, Levi," I said quietly. The words, simple though they were, clued Levi into what I was planning to do, and he reached out to try to stop me, but I pried my arm from his grasp and started for the steps.

"Is this our destination?" Hange asked, following me.

"Maybe not yours," I said to Hange. "But it is mine. I'll only be a minute."

"Amaya, if this is not related to the mission, then get back here," Erwin demanded.

I reached the first landing and turned, finding myself facing the door. Only a few precious steps were between me and the door, now. "If Levi's not joining me, then having him keep leading you. I'll catch up. I know where we're going."

"Amaya, wait," Levi said sternly. And yet, when he came to a stop behind me on the top landing, standing just before the door, he did not pull me away, nor did he stop me when I pulled a pin from my hair and unlocked the door. He did not say a word as I took hold of the doorknob and pulled the door open.

All was dark, and all was quiet, inside.

When I stepped inside, Levi followed. No words passed between us; he knew I knew to be careful, and I knew the same of him. Though all was still, there was no telling if anyone was hiding out in here until we checked. I silently crouched down in the dark, reaching into my boot to find, of course, my knife and without needing to look, I knew that Levi had reached into the waistband of his uniform pants, where tucked under the brown fabric was his own knife.

Our movements were slow and trained, and it felt to me like we were returning to our roots, so to speak. Back when we lived here together, in this accursed city, doing jobs in old, dusty places and searching for clues or our target.

It brought back memories, that was for sure.

I approached the kitchen table, where through the dim light streaming in from outside, I could make out the shape of a candle and next to it, a box of matches... both being exactly where we'd left them on that fateful morning.

Using the gear, we hadn't been able to carry too much with us, so all of our personal items had to be left behind, especially if we were anticipating a fight. But there were a few things that I did not want to leave without this time. With the match still lit, I walked the same path I did each and every evening when we would settle in for our nights at home.

From the kitchen table to the kitchen counter, where another candle sat, and then to the living room, where two sat on the living room table. Normally, I would step into each of the bedrooms, but there was no need for that today.

I wasn't sure if I could go into Farlan's room, anyway.

Still, for now, I stepped into the room I had, for a time, shared with Levi. To the nightstand I went, where I had moved my few possessions and where sat another candle. I lit it, blew the match out, then sat on the bed. The dust that had settled atop the covers blew into the air before resettling around me. I gathered my few things in hand and set them on my lap.

Caden's journal, which I slid into my inner jacket pocket.

Elwin's patch, which I tucked into the pocket over my breast.

And that was all.

I was sure that if I looked, I'd find other things of mine that I wanted, but for now... this was all I wanted. I'm sure we could find our old safe, find all our money stored away, but what was the point? We may as well leave it, for if someone occupied this place later on, they might chance upon it and get citizenship for themselves.

We'd had more than enough for at least one of us to do so, of course.

I stood and stepped back into the main room, where just before me was the dining table. I could imagine it now, the four of us sitting at the table, talking about everything and yet nothing at all.

I could see Isabel there at her usual seat, laughing at something Farlan said, only to follow it up with something she thought would be a good line, to which she'd ask Levi if it was. He would always call her a moron, but reach towards her and mess her hair up. They were like siblings, those two. Levi was always like a supportive, protective older brother to her.

I could see Farlan there where he would always sit, and I distinctly remembered now how similar our senses of humor were, how our jokes always complimented the other's, and of how we would stay up late and just chat about what we thought the surface was like, what we wanted to do when we got there. He was like a brother to me, truly.

I missed them both.

I remembered the warm nights of quiet conversation and tea. I remembered the cool nights of raucous laughter and alcohol. I remembered the nights after a job, in which we'd all be exhausted but staying up for the sake of it, until Isabel would fall asleep and I would help Farlan carry her to bed. Farlan would head to his room shortly after, and eventually, Levi and I would retire to his... to our room.

I remembered all of it, and with each passing breath, I remembered more and more.

Hange and Erwin were looking around curiously, peeking into the rooms, and Levi... he had been by the table, silently taking it all in. Everything about this house was the same as we left it. It was exactly as we had left it. I could feel their presence here so, so clearly.

I could practically see them here. I could.

Oh, yes. Everything was as we left it, but it had changed so much.

Levi touched the back of his seat gently, as though it might break under his touch. He brought his fingertips close to his face so that he could see it, and I could hear the annoyed click of his tongue as he saw the amount of dust that piled up on it.

He retrieved his handkerchief from his pocket, and the movement must have allowed him to catch my figure in his periphery, because he blinked and looked directly at me. Something in my eyes must have betrayed what I was feeling because his eyes softened.

I crossed the space to stand behind my usual seat so we could speak privately, or as privately as I could hope for right now. "What's wrong, Amaya?"

"I don't really know what I'm feeling, or how I should feel right now," I admitted. "It's just so strange being back, Levi."

"And I don't know if it's a consolation or not that it hasn't been looted," he noted.

I looked around, shrugging a little. "They either think we died in here, or that we were coming back. At least I was able to get some of my things."

"Your father's patch?"

"Yes," I answered with a nod, meeting his eyes again. "And Caden's journal. I'm sure the money is still there, but..."

"There's no point," he finished for me. "Yeah. I know."

"It's not home anymore," I said, trying to keep the true extent of my emotion from creeping into my voice. But he saw through it. Of course he did.

"No," he said in agreement. "It's not. Not without Farlan and Isabel here."

It was only home in our memories.

"We have a new home, right?" I asked him, meeting his eyes directly, hating the way that my voice wavered with so many unshed tears, so much unacknowledged emotion. "You and I, we've got a new home now."

Levi took a moment to consider my question and for that time, he seemed to turn my words over and over in his head, as though to rationalize it on his own first, until at last... he found his answer.

"That's right," he said surely. "Yeah. We do." Then, quietly: "So long as we've got each other... it doesn't matter where we are. We've got a home."

The words meant so much coming from him, he who did not believe in the power of words but in actions, he who did not ever indulge in things like this, he who loved me so and made it clear now not just in his actions, but in his words as well.

It took all I had not to cry at the sentiment of it all.

But I held myself together.

Only moments after, we left the house, and I watched as Levi shut the door behind us. With a resolute click it locked, and... perhaps this would be the last we would see of it. Hopefully this would be our last time in this city, and so this would be our last opportunity to look at the place where so many memories were made, where I had found for myself a family.

But it doesn't matter. It wasn't home anymore.

We set off once more, and it was not long before we found ourselves on a very familiar street. The familiar sound of a guitar being strummed reached our ears long before we got here, and with the soft, slow, instantly recognizable melody, I knew who was playing before we saw them.

It could only be Mason.

And it was.

When Levi hung back and gestured for Erwin and Hange to do the same, I continued forth, approaching the man who had become something of a best friend to me. I couldn't keep the smile from reaching my face if I tried, and so I didn't bother; a grin erupted onto my face as I took in the sight of his figure.

As I approached, I remarked on his appearance, and how it had changed: the song he played now was somber, he was skinnier than I remembered him being, and his clothes were far more tattered and dirty than they were before. His hat, as always, was set before him.

I felt a pang of guilt seize my heart. Here was my best friend, someone I confided in and sang with nearly nightly, at least until I joined Levi and Farlan, and I had... I had left him not knowing where I was. He'd seen us get escorted away by the group of soldiers, I remembered that.

Goodness, he probably thought we'd all been hanged for our crimes.

I stopped when I was standing just before him. I wondered for a moment what I looked like in that moment, in how it might be discouraging or even mocking to him. He'd thought I was dead, but here I was, in the glory and prestige that came with being a soldier.

I was strong, I was clean, I was well-fed.

I was everything the people down here were not.

But... I was still Amaya, and I missed Mason terribly. Perhaps that would be enough.

I drew some spare change out of my pocket and tossed it into his hat. His eyes caught the movement, and were drawn to his hat that was otherwise empty, but he did not look up. So, I tossed more change in, another few coins. It was strange, and therefore... caught his attention. His brow furrowed, that I could see even beneath the curtain of shaggy hair draped over his forehead, and before I knew it, he lifted his head and his eyes found my figure.

They trailed up slowly, starting from the boots and right away as he took in the white pants and straps and belts, I noticed the fear overtake his features. It would be so like one of the Military Policemen here to toss a coin or two to a panhandler before escorting them away to be arrested - a final kick to the teeth, so to speak.

But his eyes continued upwards, especially when he realized I was not moving. His eyes paused for a moment on the bit of crest that was visible beneath the edge of my cloak. I even lifted one hand and moved it so he could see, displayed so proudly on my chest, the Wings of Freedom.

A wing of blue, and a wing of white.

Not the unicorn that was so feared here.

Not the roses that were seldom seen in this city.

No, I adorned the Wings of Freedom, and I watched the fear in his eyes turn to confusion.

Then his eyes met mine, and my smile grew. "Hello, Mason." He seemed unable to formulate words, or register what he was looking at, but as soon as he did, a river of words overflowed from his mouth and I was suddenly swept into a hug once he'd gotten his feet beneath him and tossed the guitar to the side.

"Amaya," he said happily, so happily that I couldn't help but laugh. He was just so excited, it was terribly endearing. I hugged him back as tightly as he held me. For as skinny as he was now, he still had this incredible strength in his arms and he held me as such. "It's you!"

"It is," I said, another laugh escaping me.

He pulled away completely, taking a step or two back so he could slump against the building he'd been leaning against before. He held his palm to his head, and he shook his head, likely with disbelief, and I set my hands on my hips.

"I thought you... God, Amaya, look at you! I mean, you already know, but wow! A soldier!" He pushed away from the wall, walking around me in a circle, as though still unable to fathom what he was looking at and needing to see the entire thing to make sure I really was me. "You're a soldier, and in the Survey Corps, too! Amaya, you're a scout!"

"I am," I said, pride lacing my tone.

When he was standing in front of me again, he slowed to a stop and stared at me seriously. "I thought you died," he admitted softly. "I saw you - all of you - get led away by those soldiers in cuffs and... Amaya, I thought they brought you up there to make an example out of you in front of the public."

"I'm so sorry," I said, shaking my head. "We had a job, and part of it meant getting taken in by the scouts, and so... Mason, I would have told you if it wasn't extremely sensitive, and I had a feeling it would all go wrong, so I didn't want-"

"I get it," he cut in, and I let my rambling cease so I could hear him out. "I'm just so relieved to see that you're safe. The MP's obviously knew what happened to you, but they wouldn't tell anyone despite half the city seeing you lot get paraded around, so none of us knew the truth." His eyes widened then. "You've been outside the walls, haven't you?"

"I have," I said, nodding as a smile returned to my face. "I'll tell you all about it later, if you like. But I'm not just here to see my old stomping grounds, I'm afraid. We're here on a job."

"We? All four of you?"

"Oh, no," I said sadly. "No. Actually, we... On the first expedition out, Farlan and Isabel were killed by a Titan."

"No kidding," Mason breathed out, at a loss of what else to say. "Wow. I'm so sorry, Amaya. But what about the scary one you were always with, with the dark hair? I forget his name. But he's alright, isn't he?"

"Levi is just fine," I said, and just at that moment, he came up beside me.

"Ah, that's right," Mason said, smiling again. "Levi. Nice to see you."

Levi only addressed him with a nod, before saying: "We need your help."

"I'm always happy to help," Mason said. "What's going on?"

"We're looking for a man who claims to have knowledge that could help us," Levi explained. "Jace Wright. Do you know him?"

"Know him? Everyone here does, unfortunately." A grimace reached his face as he spoke, and I shared a look with Levi. We hadn't really expected this to work this well. "Where you lot were infamous around here for being good to us and awful to the MP's, he's... about the opposite. Ex-officer, I think, but while he doesn't work directly with them, he slides them information. He's got dirt on everyone in this city, I think, so whatever it is he claims to know, he probably does."

"Intel seems to believe he knows about the Titans that attacked Wall Maria," I told him.

"As I said, it's not as far-fetched as you might think. Not sure what a guy like that is doing with the MP's, but I guess you want to find out, right?"

"Exactly," I confirmed. "Can you help us find him?"

"Track him, sure," Mason said. "No one really knows where he is. Last I heard, he was doing things by the 14th, but he moves often."

"Any help you can offer is greatly appreciated," I said to him, only to get a smile and a lazy wave of his hand directed my way.

"As I said, I'll do anything to help. One of my friends got accosted by him the other day and was blackmailed for nothing more than a drink."

"That seems like as good a place to start as any," I said. "Shall we get going?"