The sky was the brightest blue, and the sun shone down on Kuro as he ran through familiar streets towards a gathering crowd. He could hear mumblings and whispers coming from those ahead. He saw three children run past him... a flash of brown, black and blond... charging towards the crowd by the wall. The closer he got, the more the sun became blocked by the looming structure, shrouding the people it protected in shadow.

A colossal hand. A skinless face. Crying. Shouting. Screaming. All in the blink of an eye.

His heart pounded in his chest, and there was nothing but the sounds of lives being torn apart and buildings crashing down all around him. He looked up once again and couldn't even see the sun. No wall blocked it, just the smoke rising from the city.

Kuro blinked and found himself running away from the wall. His arms held tightly to the small boy he carried. Ryu's cries tore his heart in two as he raced through the chaos. Looking for somewhere. Somewhere he knew. Somewhere he loved and felt safe...

His home was rubble. There was nothing left of it. Blood flowed from his ruined home, twisting in small rivers round the cobblestones at his feet. Shaky step by shaky step, Kuro inched closer while his hand held Ryu's head against his shoulder, shielding the young boy from the horrors around them.

Red clouded his vision like the blood covered his father. The man lying on the ground missing everything below his torso, his guts spilling out onto the street. His mother was screaming something at him, but he couldn't make it out. Everything around him began to sound like he was under water. He looked down and saw the blood begin to creep up his legs. It was thick and clung to him as he tried to retreat from it. Kuro started to panic, stumbling backwards as he started to run.

He slipped, falling forwards and-

The rain poured and poured. It thundered onto the roof as Kuro knelt beside Ryu, running a cloth over his forehead, just trying to fight the fever. His brother only coughed, his eyes barely opening any more. Kuro begged to whatever power would listen to him. He couldn't lose him. Not now. The storm grew louder and louder and-

A crack of thunder jolted him awake, his breathing heavy. The rain lashed against the windows of the barracks as the thunder rumbled around. But the weather outside was the only thing disturbing the peace of the barracks. Just a dream. Kuro brought his knees up to his chest, wrapping his arms around them and dropping his head on top. He felt like he couldn't breathe. His lungs were doing the right thing but it felt like there was no air around him at all.

Kuro tried to slow his breathing down. He tried to hold each breath for longer but it only made him start to panic. The images of his nightmare flashed through his mind, blurring them with the reality of all he'd seen. The harder he tried to calm himself down and pull himself back to reality, the worse it got. It was useless, and it was driving him mad.

He needed air, needed space. It was all too much for Kuro right now. How he longed for the break of day, for something to do with his hands, for something else to occupy his thoughts... but hours remained until then, and Kuro wasn't certain he could last that long. Kuro pushed back the blanket, and as quietly as he could, got up from his bed. He needed to get out. Silently, he picked up his boots, waiting until he'd crept outside the barracks to slip them on his feet.

He made his way hastily to the door that led to a small balcony. It wasn't exactly discreet, but Kuro wasn't thinking about that. It was the quickest way out.

Upon opening the door, the rain quickly drenched him, and the stormy wind pushed and pulled at his black hair. Kuro slumped against the wall, leaning over with his head hanging down and just let the downpour drown out everything... even the tears that began to stream down his face. The ache he felt seemed to mirror the lonely rumbles of thunder and the mournful wind. It had been a long time since Kuro had felt this alone and this helpless.

An hour or so passed. The blueness of early morning hung in the air, and a bird twittered from a drippy branch outside, though the rain itself had stopped.

In a room down the hall, Levi sat shirtless on the edge of a mattress as he pulled his boots on, his movements careful and quiet.

From behind him came a snort and then a mumble. "Wr- write that down... mhh... write it down..." Snnnoorrree

Levi turned to look at Hange, placing a hand behind him as he did. "Tch..." He shook his head slightly. Then he leaned down towards her, his hair falling forwards, and he brushed a gentle kiss against her cheekbone. His eyes closed as his inhale caught her scent, enveloping his senses with the memory of her lips and her skin and the warmth of her closeness he'd left only moments before.

Zoe Hange smiled in her sleep with a contented little exhale as she stretched one of her curled legs out, gently rustling the sheets.

Levi then stood up and reached for his shirt, pulling it over his head and adjusting it over his torso before quietly moving to the door. He turned one more time to look at Hange...

The softest glint of early light was cast over her sleeping form, and Levi felt a warmth stir deep within him. He smiled softly, the edges of his mouth lifting only slightly with the swell of his chest. Then he turned and opened the door without sound.

Meanwhile, Kuro finally decided to sneak back inside. His midnight adventure really hadn't been one of his best ideas. He looked like a drowned rat and was shivering as he crept down the corridor. Rainwater dripped down from his hair and clothing as his boots left wet footprints on the ground.

As he turned the last corner, he saw the door of Section Commander Hange's room begin to open. Dammit. This isn't good. Kuro hastily decided to back track. With some luck, he could hide at the end of the corridor. At least it's just Section Commander Hange, he thought. It could be worse.

The door shut again, and then quiet bootsteps tapped down the wooden floor... right towards Kuro.

Then they stopped suddenly.

Levi looked down at the wet marks. Then his footsteps became quicker as he followed them straight to their source.

As Kuro hurried along the corridor, he suddenly realised the one major flaw in his plan. He was, of course, dripping wet and leaving a very noticeable trail on the floor. Not matter what he did, he'd still be in trouble. Luck was never on his side.

"HEY." The Captain's tone was as sharp as his blades.

He froze in his tracks. Kuro knew exactly who that voice belonged to. He was so dead. In that moment, Kuro couldn't help but to wonder if there was some sort of higher power that really enjoyed messing with him. The one time he broke curfew, and who should find him? It never happened to Sasha or any of the others who were constantly out. Of course, it had to happen to him.

In fact, Kuro wished that a Titan would break into the Scouts HQ and eat him there and then. Such a catastrophe might just distract the Captain from the footprints.

Levi took a few quick strides to round the corner, then stopped. His steely eyes narrowed and then traveled disapprovingly over the sodden young soldier. "...what were you doing outside?" he questioned directly.

Kuro turned around a saluted. "I was... err... was... erm..." His heart was pounding, and his head had turned to mush. "I... err... was just..." This was useless. "Just... needed some air... sir..." Kuro sighed, defeated.

"I see." The intensity of Levi's gaze was driving a hole right between Kuro's eyes. "Mind telling me why 'just needing some air' was so damn important that you broke multiple rules doing it?" His voice raised sharply at the end.

"I... well... I..."

Kuro at least managed to work out that he had two options: one, lie and quickly come up with something else, or two, tell the truth and end up sounding like some little kid wanting his mum. He'd look bad either way. There wasn't any getting out of it.

"I... was panicking... because of nightmare, Captain, sir..." He hung his head a little. "It... well... brought up some stuff I'd rather forget."

Levi crossed his arms. He was quiet for a moment, not breaking eye contact. When he spoke again, his voice seemed to echo down the hallway. "So you're above rules, then. Is that it?"

"No, Captain. It won't happen again, sir." Kuro wished this would just be over already. He'd broken the rules and had been caught. Whatever punishment he was going to get, he'd take it.

But Levi wasn't about to dismiss the matter so easily. "Tell me," he said lowly. "How exactly does a bad dream justify your blatant lack of regard toward the rules that have been set in place by your superiors?"

Kuro swallowed, and looked at the floor. There was no rhyme or reason to what he had done. Even he couldn't exactly work out why he'd gone out in the pouring rain.

"It doesn't, Captain."

"No," Levi snapped. "It doesn't. You may be thinking I'm a heartless son of a bitch right now who doesn't give a shit about everything you've lost, but you're wrong. The truth is, we're all living in the same hell, soldier. And it doesn't give you or me or anyone else the right to disregard regulations. DO I make myself clear?" Levi stepped forward and pressed his fist against Kuro's chest, pushing him up against the wall. His face was only inches away.

"Yes, Captain. It won't happen again, sir. I wasn't thinking straight." Kuro shoulders dropped. He'd been stupid and not thought about what he was doing. All this because of a nightmare. He really hadn't grown up at all.

Levi sensed that the boy was accepting his fate without learning his lesson. "HEY. Snap out of it, soldier!" He shoved his weight into the arm against Kuro's chest. "You think you're the only one who's suffering?! The only one who's had their life torn to shreds by this goddamn war??" His voice lowered to a growl. "You think you're the only one who's ever held the lifeless remains of someone you love in your arms? Look around you, Kuro. Your grief isn't special... No one's is."

Kuro knew this. Of course, there was nothing special about it. Everyone had lost someone. He was meant to be a soldier for crying out loud, meant to be strong and be able to move on from his past. His family were dead and gone. That was that.

"I understand, Captain," he said simply with a nod.

Levi's eyes didn't leave Kuro's. Then, he let his arm fall, taking a step back but maintaining his gaze. When he spoke again, his tone was changed completely, sounding low and tired. "They're gone, Kuro." Levi's deep voice hung heavily in the empty corridor. "They're gone, and we're still here. All we can do now is to honor their memory and to live in such a way that does just that. Keep that in mind next time you think you can just do whatever the hell you want. Everything you do, every choice you make, every risk you take, should be for those you've lost... isn't that what you told me?"

Kuro's eyed widened at that. He hadn't even realised that the Captain had remembered that conversation or paid much attention to it. There had been greater concerns that night than the ramblings of a young soldier.

"I did, Captain. I'll keep that in mind, sir," he said slowly and quietly.

Levi looked at him a moment longer for emphasis before nodding. "We'll discuss your demerits later. For now, you're going to scrub every damn centimeter of this floor." His finger thrust forcefully downward as he said the words.

"Yes, Captain." He saluted again. Kuro had been expecting to clean the floor, as he was the one who'd made the mess in a first place.

Levi briefly wondered if Kuro had seen which door he'd come out of... But he wasn't going to bring it up. He nodded curtly. "When you're through with that and your regular daily chores, report back to me," he ordered. And then he was gone, his boots taking him once again down the wood-planked hall.

Kuro made his way over to the broom cupboard and got the stuff needed. He took everything right to the end of the corridor and started scrubbing the floor. This was going to take a while... especially with getting it up to the Captain's standards.

As he was kneeling down, scrubbing at the floor, he had time to think about what Captain Levi had said. He'd let his emotions get control of him, and he couldn't let that happen again. The Captain was right, everyone was going through this, so that didn't excuse him. Kuro knew fully well that everyone was having nightmares about what they'd experienced. Living like this meant that no one got spared when it came to seeing the horrors of this world. Soldiers didn't truly live... they just survived. They had to fight every day. They had to be strong no matter what they faced: mental or physical.

His mind wandered as he carried on cleaning. It wandered back to Ryu, when the boy was happy and healthy and full of life. How he'd tried so hard to set his little brother a good example to follow. He hadn't managed it this time. Everything you do, every choice you make, every risk you take, should be for those you've lost... That's what Captain Levi had said. Kuro thought about what that meant to him and kept coming back to the same answer. To move forward and be better, he should try to think about trying to set an example for Ryu still. He could never have let his little brother see him breaking rules like that in case the lively boy got the same idea.

Kuro sighed and looked at his slight reflection in the wet floor. "Alright, Ryu," he whispered quietly. "It's time to show you how to act properly." He smiled softly to himself.