When I walked through I took a deep breath and instantly Levi had come through behind me. He gave me a nod and we waited as the others started coming through. We all had burner phones in case we got separated in the crowd, but with what we are expecting we are hoping that no one ends up separated. Erwin was the last one through the portal and he closed it behind him.

"Alright, you're the team leader this time around," Pixis said, patting me on the shoulder, "I'll follow your lead." I already knew I was team leader, this was just a reminder to me, to everyone, that their fate rests on my shoulders. Levi raised an eyebrow at my thought. I mentally clarified for him. I know that's not what he's implying by it, but it's true nonetheless. One wrong call, one mistake on my end could be fatal to any of us.

I took another calming breath, "alright we need to get a look around the area and see a safe path to the protests." I said thinking out loud. I had thought up a few different ways to go about this beforehand, but which method was the best and would guarantee the most safety is what I had to figure out.

Looking around the group I mentally noted that we would definitely have to split into two or three groups when we got there, we need to all be within sight of each other, but we definitely can't be all together, too big of a risk. Good thing I had smaller teams planned just in case, but that's not important right now, right now I need to get us out of this alleyway unharmed and unnoticed.

The two best ideas I had taken a lot of power from different people each so I had to debate on which person's power to use. Who could use a lot of their power and still be able to use it later on? Hitch, or Erwin?

After taking a moment to weigh the pros and cons I went with Erwin. He's more skilled at using his power a lot and regaining control of it in short periods of time. Hitch, might not be able to do that as easily. However, if Erwin can't use his powers later on we may be trapped here, but if Hitch couldn't use her powers later on, especially at a bigger scale we could be caught or killed depending on how bad the situation is.

Either way would be bad, but I figured if we can't make a fast getaway with Erwin's we can have Hitch use hers and get enough distance to wait it out and give us more time to think of another plan.

"Escapist," I whispered, getting Erwin's attention, "I need you to put out a few different portals at the end of each alleyway, each facing one's side, the higher up the better."

He looked a little confused but did it anyway. Four little portals appeared in front of us so we could look through the other ends. I needed the portals up high to get a better vantage point to see as well as remain as undetectable as possible. Looking down both of the streets on each side I let out a frustrated breath as there were guards in every direction. I was about to try thinking up another plan when I saw something that made me smile. "There," I pointed through one of the portals in front of us, "is that another alley?"

"It seems so," Erwin mumbled looking through, "do you want me to do the same for that alley? three portals?"

"three," I corrected, "one to check out the actual alley as well as the other street, we can already see the guards on this street," I noted. It wouldn't be helpful to waste any unnecessary energy.

On it," he mumbled. He placed one through the portal that he was looking through and then after that, he was able to place the other two after getting a view of the alley.

"The alley is clear," I mumbled before looking back at the other portals to make sure the guards weren't approaching from either end of the new alley. Nope, fully clear. I double-checked the portals to the street behind us to make sure the guards haven't moved. "Shit." they were getting closer.

"Open a bigger portal to the next alley," I said quickly, keeping my voice low.

He did and everyone walked in quickly. He moved the little portals through before closing the big portal behind everyone. I had him close the two portals to the street we no longer needed and carefully move the other two smaller portals up the side of the street so we had a better, more updated view.

We did this a few more times. Some of the streets were clear and we were able to walk a little, but that was a rarity, most of the time we were portalling through alleys, rooftops, and the occasional garden. It seemed the closer we got to the protests the heavier the guard presence. That can't be a good sign.

"There is way more guard than there was last time," Mikasa said, filling us in since she was on the last mission. I knew it they are definitely planning something. They wouldn't have this big of a guard presence if they weren't.

"How are we going to get through?" Pixis asked. I mean there were guards practically everywhere. We couldn't exactly just run through and hope to get lost in the crowd. I doubt it would work, I mean a few of us might get through, but people would definitely get caught. We couldn't just portal into the crowd without causing a panic. I mean who knows how many of the protestors are legit and how many are undercover waiting to out someone as a cursed.

We could always use Hitch's power but even so how would we do that. I mean she would have to make versions of us in the crowd without anyone noticing that they just appeared as well as hide us as we sneak through which would be hard since we would be bumping into people which means every person we bump she would have to make it seem like it was naturally coming from someone else, and on top of all that we would still have to sneak through the wall of guards without getting their attention by bumping into them. They aren't close enough to each other for it to seem like a fellow guard bumped into them, but they are too close together for us to slip through.

We can't exactly use any grand powers to get past them either or distract them. If we do with this big of a guard presence there is no saying what they would do.

"Do we need to call in any backup teams?" Levi asked. We had a few people on standby, but I couldn't think of anyone that could help without raising suspicion. I mean Christa could tell them to move out of the way, but again too many guards are within sight of each other they would notice something up.

"No it won't help," I whispered, trying to think. How are we all going to slip in? I'm thinking about this on too big of a level I need to scale it down. We all can't slip in at once in the same spot. That of course would be too noticeable, but if Hitch spreads our illusions out one by one close to the edge but far enough away from each other at different points then it could work, but that's dangerous. It means we would have to go in one by one and if we get caught we will be on our own.

"I don't think we really have a choice," Levi mumbled following the plan in my head.

"That's what I'm afraid of."

"In order to pull this off, we need to make sure the surrounding guards, as well as the people around them, are distracted when we place an illusion next to them."

"Yeah, how are we going to do that?"

"Well I could try and read some of the guards' minds, some of the closer ones are just barely in my range, but if I'm the first to go in I can read them a lot better and text Hitch where and when to place them.

"But that goes for the guards. It will be way too much strain on you trying to read the guards' mind as well as the people's." I mumbled to myself before thinking of an idea. "Agony," I asked, turning around to Shadis. "Do you think you can hurt some people but only as if it was a slight pinch?" We don't actually want to hurt anyone, but we need to draw their attention away.

"I can do that, a pinch, the feeling of someone stepping on someone's foot, the feeling of hair being pulled," he nodded, naming a few others.

"Okay, that should work," I said, letting out a deep breath. God, I hate this idea. Now not only do we have to slip in one by one, but Levi is one of the first people who's going to be there alone. I can't even be the second. I'm going to have to be one of the last along with Hitch to make sure everyone gets in okay.

"I'll be fine," Levi said, placing a small kiss on my cheek. "It's easy to make one person disappear into a crowd. Even easier since most of the crowd is wearing black masks and dark clothes, and so am I." He's right, and that did make me feel a little better about this plan. He gave my hand a squeeze before nodding at Hitch and Shadis. "Those guards are looking off to the side at the moment. Shadis quickly looked at a semi-open area and got the one person facing that way to turn around. Hitch placed an illusion of Levi that looked like it popped up from crouching down and tying a shoe.

Levi nodded and Hitch gave him a thumbs up. "We can see you, but they won't be able to.

Levi nodded and slipped out of the alleyway quietly making his way up to the guards. He didn't have to slip in like some of us and since he was invisible to everyone aside from us he was able to use his telekinesis to raise himself above everyone. He dropped in where his illusion was and quickly lined up with the illusion before Hitch made it vanish. Levi and I will be the only ones who can drop in that easily, everyone else is going to have to maneuver their way in. One down, 12 more people to go.

"Are you sure that you have enough strength to do this 12 more times?" I said checking in with Hitch.

"Yeah, this isn't that bad, I mean it's a big illusion but it's only lasting about a minute so I should be okay, as long as I get a minute break in between someone doesn't take like 15 minutes by themselves I should be okay to keep doing this."

"You're up," I said to Pixis. Hitch got a text from Levi telling her which guards were looking where. Shadis pinpointed the location fairly easily. Levi was looking for gaps where people would fit seamlessly between others, and checking the guards around the area to make sure they weren't looking. Smart.

I saw Shadis distracted the people making two of the ones looking in that area turn around. Hitch dropped another illusion who seemed to have dropped something before leaning back to pick it up. Good even if guards glance from across the crowd Hitch is making it look like they aren't just appearing, but that they were leaning over or hidden. Especially since Pixis was taller than Levi he definitely couldn't just appear out of nowhere without turning a few heads.

Pixis walked over slowly and slipped between the guards carefully managing to avoid touching them. He made his way to the spot. He took the place of the illusion and Hitch took a deep breath. "Two down," she nodded. I could tell she was nervous since all of us were relying on her power.

"Maybe I could make this go faster?" Erwin asked. "I could portal people to their illusions?"

"I thought about that, but it would be dangerous," I mumbled. "I mean someone accidentally bumps into the illusion their arm goes into the portal they would feel something off. Going through your portals definitely feels different, and even if they didn't notice while closing the portal, if someone's hand, finger, foot, anything goes through that portal then it gets cut off."

Erwin nodded standing back. It was one of the first thoughts that went through my mind but both Levi and I silently ruled it out from being dangerous to people around us.

We did this a few times getting Hanna, Mikasa, Annie, Hanji, Erwin, Connie, and Sasha through the portals without a problem. The only people left were Hassam, and the three of us. We saved him till the end thinking he would be too noticeable since people know who he is and are looking for him. Even with the mask and hood on we were worried he would be spotted right away, but the more people we had there waiting for him the easier it was to feel better about sending him through.

Now that we had so many people in, they had met up with each other and had made it easier to drop the illusion in, because no one would notice when a random group of three turned into a random group of four.

We had a group of four, a group of three, and a group of two at the moment. We were sending Hassam into the group of two which were Levi and Pixis.

"Ready?"

"As much as I can be," he mumbled. Even though Levi was the one who could feel other people's emotions I'm pretty sure I could feel Hassam's heart racing and his stomach flip-flopping from here.

"You'll be fine, they are going to watch you until we get there."

He gave me a nod back and we set everything up. He carefully walked in and I kept my eyes on him hoping that something wouldn't go wrong in the minute he was left alone. I took a full breath of relief when he made it to position unharmed and the illusion disappeared.

"Alright Eren you're going in next," Shadis told me.

"What why?"

"Because You will have the easiest time since you can float in. Hitch is going to put all of our illusions in right after the other, but I need to be the last to go through cause I need eyes on the rest of you all. You'll go, then Hitch, and I'll make my way in last. Hitch will watch my illusion from where she is in the crowd."

"Okay," I nodded. We let Levi know that I was going in. They had enough people to make space and after a minute or two they made it look like someone was between them and Hitch dropped an illusion of me right there in the middle of them. I quickly wasted no time lifting myself over the crowd before dropping myself down right where my illusion was.

I watched from my place in the crowd as Hitch made her way to her illusion which was already in place in the middle of her group. When she had made it Pixis started making his way to his illusion which I didn't even notice had popped up because it was in the middle of his group.

When he made it through we all let out silent breaths of relief. I wish we could say that the hard part was over, but it wasn't this was just the beginning.