I arrived home after another day with "mother" as she wanted me to call her. I was about to open the door when I received a call from Levi. He just said some simple words of urgency. He seemed distressed about something.

"Get to HQ. Now." Was the only things he said before he ended the call. I blink at the phone and shrugged. I quickly jogged back to my car and, as always, sped through the streets of the town. When I entered through the doors the atmosphere was edgy. My good mood faltered as an atmosphere of sadness and death smacked me in the face. Everyone seemed to have a grim or blank face. Something was off, that was evident.

Cautiously I entered and met the face of a sympathetic Faith. I shot her a confused look and she just nodded towards Erwin's office. I briskly walked to his office and knocked on the big doors and my usual greeting. Opening the door, I saw Erwin's eyes shoot up from his paperwork to me. With a sad sigh, he stood up.

"Erwin...? What's with the grim atmosphere?" I asked. His eyes drooped down giving him a sad face.

"So you haven't heard...?" He muttered, mostly to himself. I shook my head no. He was about to speak when the door abruptly opened. A fuming short man marched in with a glare that could make the devil himself cower in fear. Though, I got used to his looks this glare made me shiver. Erwin's eyes narrowed as he took a seat in his chair again.

"You...you knew all along...you...KILLED THEM!" Levi yelled as he charged towards Erwin. Reaching over the desk to yank his collar, Levi brought him close.

"You planned this...I will kill you! Just like I was sent to do!" Levi's voice boomed throughout the room and hall. Before Levi could do anything, I reacted quickly to pull him back, making him let go of Erwin.

"Levi - " I tried to say but he pushed me with his elbow. Making me let go of him as he collapsed onto his knees. I caught a glimpse of his face which was filled with shock and tears. He was thinking of something. Why was Levi so angry? What made this emotionless man break down? Them...them...who would Levi call them and break down for them? I put the pieces together and I felt tears rile up.

"No..." I gasped as my head whipped towards Erwin, who was staring intently at Levi.

"There's no way...They're too strong to just go down like that. Please...tell me that this isn't real!" I mumbled. Erwin's gaze softened as he looked at me.

"Unfortunately, it's true. Isabel and Farlan died in a mission to seize a potential Titan member." He said, breaking the news to me.

My head slowly turned to the broken man on the floor as I felt a stray tear roll down my cheek. To be honest, I loved those two. As if they were my siblings and - just like my older sister - they died as well. Isabel made cracks in this mental wall I've created. Breaking through it with her smile and care. She was always kind even when times were rough. She lifted everyone's spirits and created instant friends with her positive and bubbly personality. Farlan always lifted my mood with his attempts to flirt but did amaze me with his intelligence and personality. He could become serious if he wanted to and tied the group together.

To think that they were gone in almost an instant. In a mission that wasn't for rookies like them. Why were they sent alone? Erwin knew that this was a harder mission and yet sent them out on their own. Why would Levi say that? He was sent here to kill Erwin, apparently. But for what? As if my thoughts were answered, Erwin threw an envelope at Levi which made Levi freeze and stare at the paper.

"This is fake. The original has already been sent. You've been exposed and there's nothing you can do about it." Levi's fists clenched as his hands trailed to his dagger.

"Don't think about it. You will regret it." Erwin said and turned in his chair to stare out the window. How could he be so straightforward and blank? This was a sensitive topic and yet he delivers his response so bluntly. Before I could speak to Levi, he got up and ran out the door.

"Erwin...you planned to kill them during that mission...weren't you?" I said. He hesitated before nodding slowly. I shook my head.

"Though this world is cruel, there is no reason for you to kill two innocent people who were going down the wrong path," I stated my opinion. He turned and narrowed his eyes at me.

"What would you suggest then? Those three were sent to assassinate me. So I did the most reasonable explanation that I could think of and killed them. It gave me time to send the real documents away and eliminate two enemies. Two birds with one stone, as some would say." He explained.

"Still! That doesn't mean you have to kill two people. Two great people to add! They had a bond with everyone here, making the dull atmosphere here lighten. Now, you've ripped that away from us." I argued. He stayed quiet and continued to look out the window. I shook my head and turned away to leave. Before I was out the door I turned my head slightly and said words that would stay in his mind.

"I thought you were a kind-hearted man who'd take in anyone in times of desperate need. But I see your true colors of a manipulating man who just cares for himself. Killing those two was the worst mistake you could've done." With that, I left the room and closed the door. I run down the halls and downstairs. I looked at Faith who understood and pointed towards the outside. I run outside and looked for the familiar mop of jet-black hair. No sign of it. I sighed and walked to my car. When I got home I received an email saying that I had a two-week break as well as Levi. I called out his name when I entered.

No movement or sounds.

With a headache, I decided to rest my head and walked to my room. I changed into lazy clothes and pulled my hair up out of my face by a messy bun. I sat on the window sill in the living room that was wide enough to make a small sitting place. I had a cup of tea in my hand as I rested my head against the cool window, making me sigh in relief. Light drops rolled down the window and made sounds as it hits the roof. In the atmosphere of serenity, I fell asleep surprisingly.

And so, my stress drifted away as I slept with the thought of Isabel and Farlan.

Later...

I woke up with a jolt as a thud was heard. It echoed throughout the house so I couldn't pinpoint where it came from. I strained my ears as I set down my cup and walked quietly towards the kitchen. I saw nothing in the dark kitchen but I grabbed a knife just in case. I heard another thud and it was coming from upstairs.

The place was deathly quiet, creating an eerie atmosphere. The sound of rain was gone as the night sky was darkened with thick clouds. There were slight thunder and lighting which created flashes of light lighting the house for a millisecond. It was so silent, I could hear my heartbeat in my ears. I crept up the stairs, careful to avoid the creaks. As I entered the hallway to our rooms Levi's door was open. It was closed when I walked up, so my senses were on high alert. I held the knife tightly in my hand as I slightly crouched to sneak. My heartbeat was thumping louder as I tensed when I heard movement. A creak was heard behind me and I pivoted to look.

Nothing.

I was on edge at this point. As I neared the door, I slid against the wall to hide. I tilted to look into the room and saw the back of a crouched figure. It was dark but I could hear that they were doing something. Without hesitation, I ran towards the figure and pinned them down. As I was about to stab the man, I was met with Levi's pained eyes from the strike of lighting that boomed throughout the house.

"Levi..." I sighed in relief. I got off of him and helped him up. But he winced and fell on the ground, bringing me with him.

"Levi?" I say. He groaned and clutched onto his thigh. He lifted his hand and another lightning strike happened. Blood dripped down from his palm to his arm.

"Oh god...come on Levi. Let's get you fixed up." I grunted as I lifted him to his feet. For a short man, he was heavy. I dragged him down the hallway to the bathroom and turned on the lights before setting him down on the toilet lid. I got out a first aid kit from under the sink and got out the necessary supplies. When I looked at the wound, I saw that it was a stab wound. I glanced at Levi who blankly stared into space as if he was numb to the pain. I looked him over and saw he had a few scratches but a long cut on his right arm. I fixed his wounds delicately and bandaged him.

"What happened?" I said as I wrapped a bandage around his arm securely and tightly.

"Attempted assassination." He said and continued to stare into space.

"Where'd you go? I was looking for you..." I muttered.

"..." He said nothing. I stared up at him while keeping my head down. I sighed, seeing as he was unresponsive.

"...We have a two-week break. That gives you time to pull yourself together and heal from this." I informed him. Nothing. No movement or words just him staring into space. I rolled my eyes and carried him to his room and laid him down. After making sure he was comfortable I left the room and closed the door. I think I would have to treat him like a baby these two weeks. I went back to my room and lounged around, checking on Levi often but only to find that his back was facing towards me.

For those two weeks, I cared for Levi. Usually, there was silence but one day Levi said something which made my worry fade away.

"(Y/n)...?" I heard him say as I replaced his bandages. I looked at him in surprise, but force out a hum.

"Why are you doing this...? I thought you hated me..." He said quietly. I shook my head and smirked at him, which made him raise an eyebrow.

"Because...we're partners, are we not? Partners in crime. If you're hurt then I am as well. And I guess you can say...I care for you..." I trailed off at the end, but he heard it loud and clear. He nodded and stared at his newly bandaged arm. As I packed up and started to leave, I heard him say something before I closed the door.

"Thanks...partner."

As I looked back at the memory I realized that was our first real conversation that didn't include fighting or snarky remarks. Though it was short, I feel as if I should cherish that memory. We entered Headquarters, feeling closer and fresh. It seemed that we needed those two weeks to heal from the tough times. As we entered, everyone was bustling with energy. I walked towards Faith who smiled at Levi and me.

'Glad to see you back!' She wrote on a post-it note. Levi nodded and I hugged her over the counter.

"What's with the panic?" I said, gesturing towards the people around me. She smiled and wrote on the same post-it note.

'New recruits'

"Again? That was only 2 months after we got Levi...we didn't have recruits in such a short period of time before..." I mumbled. She shrugged and wrote again.

'Did you hear though?' I shook my head no and looked at her confused.

"What?" Levi spoke.

'The Queen died during your two-week break. It was an assassination from the Titans...'

My heart stopped and I looked at her with shock. First, the Titans had to take away Isabel and Farlan my sibling-like friends, and now Carla my "Mother."

I felt tears well up but I quickly wiped them away. Why were they taking away everyone from me? Was I destined to never have a family? Or a bond, or a relationship with someone? Why? Why? WHY? What did I do to deserve this never-ending pain?

As I was stuck in my thoughts of sadness, Levi rubbed my head and guided me towards Erwin's office. He was the only one who knew of my meetings with the Queen, besides her family of course. I looked up at Levi, grateful that I had him to keep me together. As I calmed myself the elevator doors opened and we went into Erwin's office. I was surprised who sat there.

The one and only, Prince Eren and Princess Mikasa with a friend that they introduced me to awhile back. I think his name was Armin and behind them was a group of people who seemed familiar with the three. It was a bunch of teenagers, an age range of about 16-18.

"Ah, you're here. Great, I needed you two here. Welcome our new recruits." Erwin said. I nodded and sat across the three with Levi beside me. I feel this sense of Deja-vu...

"Recruits, meet our elite Double-A pair, Levi and (y/n)." Erwin introduced us. We nodded in acknowledgment and the group chorused with greetings.

"Now, (y/n), I know you were just assigned Levi but we're losing people by the second. I will have you train one more cadet and the rest will be split into groups." Erwin informed me. I nodded and mumbled to Levi.

"Looks like we''re going to be a group instead of partners." Levi shrugged but was tense from being in the same room as Erwin. I think it will pass through, he has no choice but to stay here I'm assuming. Otherwise, he would've left in those two weeks.

"I will have you train Eren while the rest of you will be assigned into groups after you pick your job. Prince Eren-" Erwin was cut off by Eren.

"Just. Eren. Drop the formalities." Eren said while Erwin nodded.

"Eren wanted to be in your group (y/n). I apologize." Erwin said. I sighed and looked at Erwin.

"It's fine. Though, an email about this matter would have been nice..." I trailed off.

"Understood, I will be sure to inform you next time. Now, you three better go-" Erwin was cut off again, making him annoyed.

"I want to be with Eren," Mikasa said bluntly. Erwin sighed and shook his head.

"I apologize but I need you to be with the group and part ways with Eren. You have skills, Mikasa. We need you for something else, but do not fret. You will see Eren often and he is in safe hands." Erwin said. Mikasa looked at Levi, assured I will take care of Eren but unsure about Levi.

"You better take care of him. I don't want him hurt or else, I will find you, and I will kill you." Mikasa threatened Levi. Levi clicked his tongue.

"Whatever, brat." He said. Erwin cleared his throat to gain our attention.

"Now, the three of you should go and get training since we have an upcoming mission for you in two days." Erwin continued. All three of us nodded and Eren grabbed his things and walked out with us.

"Put your stuff in the back of my car, since it is early morning let's get training," I said to Eren while giving him my car keys. He nodded and ran off. I looked at his retreating back and sighed.

"You think he'll survive?" Levi asked, looking at me.

"I'm sure of it. I can't describe it, but there's this feeling around him. It might be the determination to avenge his mother if he requested to be with us. Or he's excited to be here and not in his usual life of royalty and stuff." I explained. Levi nodded and we turned towards the training room when Eren came back. I did the same training with Eren as I did with Levi and we did spar. Levi was critiquing his every move and corrected them. We were harsh on Eren but he didn't mind.

"I want to become stronger so I can kill all the Titans!" He exclaimed during a break when we asked him if we should go easier on him.

And just like that, our two days of training were over and we were sent an email informing us of our mission.

----

(y/n), Levi, and Eren we have a mission for you. A royal, British noble has requested us to do something for him. This mission is fairly straightforward for new recruits but the possibilities are endless. Alois Trancy is his name and he wants three Double-A recruits to protect him during his ball in celebration of Halloween. He fears something will happen for he has been receiving death threats. Since it is a ball, you will have to go undercover. You are required to wear a costume and study any suspicious activity. Remember your training and listen to Mr. Trancy's orders.

I apologize for the short time of preparation but I wish you good luck.

-Erwin Smith
Administrator of the Survey Corps

----

I raised an eyebrow and showed Levi and Eren. I thought of the name, it seemed familiar to me...I brushed it off.

"Well...let's go costume shopping then!" Eren said happily, excited to go on his first mission. Levi and I nodded and we all piled into my car, Levi taking the passenger seat while Eren sat in the back. We spent the rest of the day getting costumes and decided to leave for our destination the next day.

The next day...

We arrived at Trancy manor around noon. When we knocked on the big wooden doors, a mysterious butler opened the door.

"You must be the agents we requested. Welcome to Trancy manor." He said in his sultry, deep voice. We greeted him and entered when Mr. Trancy himself came down to greet us. I was surprised to see a 13-14-year-old boy gaze up at us. A grin was on his face and his blue eyes lit up when he saw us.

"Ah! You've arrived! Glad you came, you're just in time. we are preparing the manor for the ball tonight. I will assign you to rooms where you can set your things and change into costume. Claude! Escort them to their rooms!" Alois ordered while his butler bowed.

"Yes, your highness." I stared at the two with an eyebrow raised while Eren was still processing the hat the little boy was Mr. Trancy.

"Y-You're Alois Trancy?" Eren exclaimed.

"In the flesh!" Alois smiled. His eyes trailed towards me and he looked me up and down. I just ignored him and walked past him to follow Claude to our rooms. Levi and Eren follow after me and I could feel eyes staring at the back of my head as I turned the corner. I shivered and calmed down once I was sure I was out of Alois Trancy's sight.

Soon, it was time for the ball. It was a masquerade, Halloween ball so I decided to go as a dark angel. I was wearing a simple, black floor-length dress that hugged my body. I had a ribbon tied around my arms all the way to my fingers. I curled my (h/c) hair and put on makeup. I decided to go for a mysterious look, doing smoky eyes and blood red lips. I put on the black wings that went all the way to my mid-thigh and was realistic. Its feathers were fluffed and the wings were bent in a way that made it look natural. I added some white flowers into my hair and finalized it all with black gladiator sandals.

I walked outside to see Eren who dressed up as the bunny in Alice in Wonderland. He had the fluffy ears to the tail, it was absolutely adorable. He had a white mask that was fluffy with the half glasses the bunny had. Eren had a black tux with a pocket watch and dress shoes. He gazed at me in awe and stood dumbfounded. Levi came in from the room next to us and gazed at me as well. He decided to go as a vampire. He had a black suit with a blood red cravat. He had some fangs glued in temporarily and a black cape that was red in the inside. He just had a black mask with designs lined in red. They both looked really cool.
"Let's go." Levi said. Eren and I nodded.

We went downstairs, me in between the two of them. The party had already started and the ballroom was slowly getting filled with people in costumes. There were women who decided to go for princess looks while others were in the most revealing clothes - scratch that, underwear ever made. Those girls were going all around with the guys they deemed rich and hot. When we appeared at the top of the stairs, I got looks from men who saw me. Ladies were in awe while the revealing girls gave me a dirty look because I had Levi and Eren. I wasn't going to lie, they are good looking guys but one is younger than me by 7 years and the other was my partner. Once the party started, everyone looked at Alois Trancy who put on a vampire costume too but in his way. He was wearing a purple tux and glued-in fangs but he didn't have a cape. He also had a purple mask that had a sewn in rose with silver.

"Welcome ladies and gentlemen! To the famous Trancy's Halloween Masquerade! I am glad to see you all here, now enjoy yourselves and make yourself at home!"  His voice boomed throughout the ballroom. With that, he went into the crowd and was instantly surrounded by people. The three of us blended in with wine glasses in our hand, besides Eren. He was too young to be drinking so we gave him some punch.

There was no suspicious activity but people kept asking one of us to dance, to which we declined. We decided to split into different parts of the room after putting earpieces in secretly. While I was walking I was whisked away onto the dance floor by Mr. Trancy.

"Why hello (y/n)~" He smirked.

"Good evening Mr. Trancy," I said while keeping my eye around. It was slightly awkward dancing with him seeing his height but I was only a few inches taller.

"Enjoying the party?" He asked. I nodded.

"Yes, there has been no suspicious activity so far as well," I informed him. He hummed and nodded.

"Thank you for coming here. If I had known a beautiful rose like you were coming then I would have greeted you longer." He smoothly said. Was this 14 or something year old flirting with me? I raise an eyebrow until I was whisked away yet again into a familiar man's arms. I was instantly surrounded by the smell of tea to which I sighed in content. I looked up to see Levi dancing me away from Alois Trancy.

"With all due respect sir, please refrain from flirting with my partner," Levi said bluntly before Alois was out of my sight. I thanked him for saving me from an uncomfortable moment. After we were sure that nothing would happen, Levi and I danced almost the whole night, him wanting to keep me away from Alois Trancy for some reason. Eren danced with me just as much as Levi and that was usually to blend in or report something. Soon, the night ended. We decided to stay the night at Trancy manor seeing how late it is.

After changing and washing off, I laid in the fluffy bed and pulled the comforter around me. Though I couldn't sleep in fear of my nightmares, I thought of the night. It was pretty fun and I let a little bit of me out. But then the thought of Carla came. My happiness faded away just like that at the thought of my mother. I loved her to say the least. She was my mother and me, her daughter.

I was glad to have met her.

But it seems as if the deaths and sadness are never-ending.

-----

A/n: Heyyo! I finally finished this chapter after a long weekend! YAY!

I like this chapter despite all the sadness and death. Hopefully, the pacing wasn't too fast.

It seems that Levi is always coming in and saving (y/n) from the men's gazes. Is he jealous? Or is it just partners always has each other's backs?

Plus, our protagonists seem to be creating a bond. But it is slightly awkward since the two are inexperienced with emotions and feelings seeing how their past went. Isabel and Farlan...AWE! Even though they didn't have much time in the book, I still kinda felt that bond between them and I knew that this moment would've come sooner or later.

Eren as joined the group too! Now the story is finally moving on to more interesting matters now that the AOT group is here. What will happen now?

A lot of things happened in this chapter and I'm proud of it. Sorry for the late update but I had to edit a lot of things.

Hope you enjoyed it!
Byeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!

Published: November 10, 2016

Edited ✔️