Content Warnings:

•Season 3 Spoilers
•Strong Language
•Demons
•Ghosts
•Blood
•Injury
•Death
•Guns

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Flashback

Thunder cracked through the sky, shattering as it broke off and dissipated. Your once heavy eyes lifted open to reveal a dark room which occasionally lit up as lighting struck outside your window. It took some time to recollect your surroundings, recognizing it as your bedroom. At your feet, your dog slept peacefully, not minding the midnight storm as she/he had grown accustomed to the frightful weather.

A powerful yawn managed to escape your throat, forcing itself out of you like a trapped apparition. Tears pricked the corners of your (color) eyes, rubbing the sleep out of them afterward. When the static vision was gone, you carefully crept out of bed to leave your room, remembering you had orders to fill for the next supply shipment.

You lit up a small lantern and placed it in the center of the kitchen table before sitting down with a quill and a pad of paper to begin the supply list. While you scribbled down quantities, you heard a loud crash come from downstairs. You flinched and set the quill aside to go and investigate. You then whistled for (dog's name) and she/he immediately came trotting over to your side. "If it wasn't the dog, then what the hell was that noise?" You asked yourself as you grabbed the lantern to take it with you.

You quietly tip-toed down the staircase and peeked around the entryway. There were no signs of anything that had fallen. (Dog's name) followed right behind you as you scoped around the back room but there was still nothing. Everything was where it was supposed to be. You were also home alone which added to the suspicion. You looked down at your dog who sniffed around the hallway. "What is it girl/boy? Is something here?" You whispered. "Or someone?"

She/he must have caught a scent because she/he ran towards the shop door and started scratching, trying to get in. You walked over and slowly opened it for her/him, curious but cautious. It was probably a rat that had gotten inside for all you knew. Hopefully, it didn't have babies in your shop either.

(Dog's name) wasted no time scouting around the shop, on the hunt for something. Eventually, she/he came to a corner and began to growl, pissed off. That's when you quickly grabbed a hammer off the counter, slowly approaching her/him. There was absolutely nothing there... at least to your knowledge. The dog was a lot smarter than you and had picked up on something but what was it?

Suddenly, (dog's name) let out a dangerous bark which startled you. At first, you didn't see anything until, you turned around. There was a black, slender shadow standing over you. It wasn't long before a shriek left your mouth and you dropped to the floor, scooting away but your back hit the wall. The shadow had no features. No face, no hair, nothing. All you saw was the outline of a person and it terrified you. You managed to get up on your feet and climbed over one of the shelves as (dog's name) followed after you.

When you looked around the corner, she/he growled at the shadow that lurked towards you. Hammer still in hand, you raised it up in order to put distance between you and the shadow figure. "W-Who are you?!" You finally got words out of your shaking system but there was no response from it. "Answer me! Who are you and why are you here?!" Nothing.

You decided on a whim to throw the hammer at the shadow, only for it to go straight through it, which crashed into a set of shelves, and broke it. "Dammit!" You cursed at the stupid move. Out of the corner of your eye, you saw more shadows. They kept pouring into the room, almost like a black smoke. Your throat began to tighten and it was becoming hard to breathe. "(Dog's name), run! Go outside and find Quincy and dad! H-Hurry!" You coughed and crawled towards the front door to try and open it. Then, you remembered it was locked, and you could not open it without the key which was in the kitchen. You were screwed.

Your vision was blurred and you could no longer see your dog or anything at that matter. Everything was a dark fog, all noise drowned out with it. It was the last thing you could remember before you fell victim to a deep slumber.
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"Y/n? Hey wake up!" You heard a faint voice in your ear. "Wake up! What the hell happened?!" The voice got louder until it was clear enough to wake you up. "...Huh?" You mumbled as your eyes fluttered open. Looking around your surroundings, you were still in the shop, laying on the floor by the front door. "Did I fall asleep?" You groaned as you sat up, neck sore from lying on the wooden floor. "'Ya made a huge mess, that's what 'ya did!" Your father snapped and pointed at the broken shelves. You scanned the shop and saw the mess he was talking about. How did that happen? The store looked perfectly tidy when you came down with the dog.

"I didn't make this mess?" You looked at your father, confused. "Then who would have? Did 'ya invite a bunch of people over while Quincy and I were out on deliveries? I knew I shouldn't have left 'ya here alone... you're always causing trouble." He pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. "Dad, you know I-" You began to explain but he stopped you. "Enough, Y/n." His voice was stern. "I'm just trying to-" You tried again. "Just clean this up. Now. Before we open. We have customers waiting." He walked away, frustrated.

Guess I'm on cleaning duty today.

Flashback End

Your first day in the Scouts had gone better than you had expected. Conny was proud of you for surviving the mission and not losing your mind over anything, although, you were close a few times. Over the course of a week, you had met most of your comrades, mainly the newcomers: the 104th class. Once Jean had woken up after the battle to retrieve Eren, he was thankful for your help with Armin.

When Armin had asked if you saw something on the battlefield, you tried your best to play it off but there was no beating around the bush. Armin is a lot smarter than you and wasn't going to fall for an excuse. So, you told him you would explain it to him later, which he understood and respected.

Now, standing in a courtyard with him, Section Commander Hange approaches the two of you. "Y/n (Last name), correct?" They ask, looking up/down/straight at you. Pivoting towards them, you nod your head. "Yes, that's me." You quickly salute, still trying to become used to Military life. "At ease." They disregard the formality, continuing. "Commander Erwin has requested to speak with you, if you would follow me." They immediately turn around and start walking away. You glance at Armin, mentally telling him you would be right back. Catching up to Section Commander Hange, they lead you to his room. "No need to be nervous, I think he just wants to welcome you." The brunette smiles warmly, dropping their serious gaze. "I figured. I'm not too worried." You grin back, coming to a door.

Section Commander Hange knocks, stating who is at the door, leaving after he replies. Entering, you softly close the door, saluting after. "Y/n (Last name), sir. You requested me?" You stand perfectly still. "Come in, (Last name)." The tall blonde man waves you over with his remaining left arm. You walk three steps forward, stopping at the end of his bed. That's when you notice a man with dark raven hair sitting beside him. "Did I come at the wrong time...?" You ask, trying not to look at the other man too much as you feel his intense stare burning your face. "No, its perfect timing." Commander Erwin corrects you. "Firstly, I meant to welcome you sooner but as you know, things don't always go according to plan. Second, as you have noticed, we have company." He motions towards the short man on the chair. You respectfully glance his direction, not wanting to be burned alive from his stare. "Yes, sir." You respond. "This is Captain Levi, Humanity's Strongest Soldier. I have assigned you to join his squad along with the 104th cadets." Your eyes widen a fraction in surprise from the news. You did not think you would be given a squad so soon. "Understood, sir. Thank you." You nod, keeping your eyes off of your new Captain. Something about him is so... nerve-wracking.

"Very well, then. You are dismissed, cadet (Last name)." Commander Erwin announces but the words don't penetrate your mind. You stand there staring at him with a slightly dazed look. "Cadet (Last name)?" The blonde man attempts to gain your attention once more. Clearing his throat, you return to reality, feeling blood rush to your cheeks. "S-Sorry, Commander. I hope you heal soon." You nod once, saluting before exiting the room. Quietly rushing back out to the courtyard, you think over the last few seconds in that room. You had seen a man with a striking resemblance to the Commander standing next to his bed. Chills cover your body as you return outside, thinking about the interaction. Apart from embarrassing yourself in front of the Commander, you feel bad for the man and losing his father. You wish you didn't have to feel his father's suffering though.

One other thing stuck with you, though, you sensed a presence around Captain Levi as well. Had you actually looked at him for longer than a second, you might have been able to see what figures surrounded him. Although, you could not extract anything from Captain Levi. You questioned his demeanor and lifestyle, wondering if his quiet and closed-off self had anything to do with it. You usually struggled to read people like that, especially your father when you first explained the power to him. Not being able to read at least a piece about him makes you hesitant. That's the only way you know how to get to know others. You don't know what its like to not know almost everything about them upon meeting. If only you had a way of breaking his exterior walls. The only way to understand him is by getting to know him normally but that's a challenge you're willing to take.
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After hearing that the Military Police is after the Scouts, your squad had to quickly evacuate your hideout in the countryside. Now, the mission is to hand over Eren and Historia to the government since any expeditions outside of the Walls have been suspended all because the Scouts are uncovering the truth about the Walls. The plan is to slip into Trost Distract where a Pastor who knew of the secrets had just been murdered. The fact that it was MP's made it even worse. You respected them and not solely because Tristan was in their regiment but because you thought they weren't who civilians claimed them to be. Though, unfortunately, its starting to sound true.

I hope Tristan isn't involved in any of this.

You had never expected this job to include having to fight humans. Here, you signed up thinking it would only be the Titans. Now, here you are, planted on top of roofs across Trost District, monitoring a covered wagon concealing Eren and Historia. Jean and Armin are disguised as the both of them, being kidnapped almost immediately after you arrived. Crouching on a rooftop, watching the wagon as it waits for a crowd to move, your comrade, Nifa, makes small talk. "Hopefully that crowd moves before too long." She mumbles, eyes never leaving the wagon. "If not, we may have to find a detour for them." You reply, feeling a tingle in your head. A vision of Captain Levi approaching takes over your current sight.

As soon as your regular sight comes back, you glance over your shoulder and see the raven man dropping down, landing in between you. "Captain?" Nifa looks over, surprised to see him so soon. "Well?" Captain Levi follows your gaze to the street below. "The road's crowded but I've seen nothing unusual. Its not far to Commander Pyxis' from here, so I think we're good but how's the body double mission?" Nifa asks him. "A success." The Captain replies with a monotone. "You don't seem very pleased about that." Nifa comments, catching the dissatisfaction in his voice. "I'm not." He answers shortly, eyes narrowing on the wagon.

Something's wrong.

You glance between the two of them, wondering what is going on. Captain Levi seems uneasy and Nifa hasn't caught it yet, although she noticed he wasn't happy that the body double mission is going according to plan. Your eyes move back to the street, noticing that the crowd is shifting, allowing an opening for the wagon to pass through. "Captain, the wagon's almost on the move again." She leans forward a bit for a closer view.

I can't help but shake the feeling that something is wrong. Although, I can't read the Captain's mind, I know he's on edge as well. What is it?

"Nifa, Y/n, right? Have either of you heard of Kenny the Ripper?" Captain Levi suddenly asks. The question catches you both off guard but maybe it has to do with whatever the odd feeling is. "Kenny the Ripper?" You mumble to yourself. The name almost sounds familiar, you know you've heard it somewhere. "That mass-murderer in the Capital?" Nifa then asks, looking at the Captain. "The one who murdered over 100 Military Police?" You pipe in, finally remembering the tale. "I always thought he was just an urban legend." Nifa comments, glancing between you and the Captain. "The stories are all true. He's not a legend. I lived with him back when I was a kid." Captain Levi's gaze faces the wagon as he speaks.

So... Tristan really could be targeted by this murderer?

Now that you know this "Kenny the Ripper" guy isn't a myth, you worry more for Tristan's safety in the Military Police. Its scary enough as it is but now this to add on top of it? You better get a letter from him again soon. "Yeah, very funny sir but this isn't really the time to be making jokes." Nifa brushes the comment aside, nerves taking over her. The three of you stare ahead, the silence falling upon you as you continue to watch over the wagon. Another vision sweeps past you, this time, it's not so clear, and lasts a split second. A strange man climbing up a roof with weapons. The roof looks...

You catch your own breath, eyes wide as you turn to face the Captain. Your eyes lock for a split second, both of you realizing. You could have sworn they flashed green for a moment. "Ca-!" You begin to shout but get cut off. "Get down!" Captain Levi shouts just as Nifa is struck in the face. Your body reacts before your mind, covering your head and ducking down from the loud ringing. Your heart pounds against your chest as the both of you then stare at her lifeless body in shock, sprawled on top of the pitch of the roof, blood splattered everywhere.

Oh God... I'm never getting used to this.

Before you can fully register everything that's happened in the last few seconds, Captain Levi jumps around the corner of the chimney, pushing you in front of him. "Stay back!" He whispers, afraid the both of you will be next. For someone who only seems to care about cleanliness and getting shit done, so you've heard, he is a protector when it comes to his comrades, which is something you will be grateful for, moving forward.

Another shot is heard in the distance, followed by a woman's scream. The others must have been targeted as well. "Long time, Levi. Still a runt, or have you grown some?" An unfamiliar, gravelly voice asks, slowly approaching you. Suddenly, dozens of gang members fly up on their own versions of ODM Gear, all loaded. You're surrounded with nowhere to go without interfering. The man from before shoots his hook into a wall near you, flying overhead. "Nope, don't look like you changed much at all, boy." He smirks, aiming his barrel directly at you. Your controls hover over your swords, waiting for the right moment to take them out. Captain Levi takes position in front of you, blocking you, and drawing out his own swords. "Kenny!!!" He shouts at the top of his lungs.

So this is Kenny the Ripper? This must be how we'll die.

Quickly, you follow Captain Levi on your ODM Gear, able to escape Kenny in the meantime. "Captain, look!" You point towards the wagon that had Eren and Historia. The cover had been torn off and someone from his team had taken control of it. As the two of you come around a corner, three members appear, firing their guns. Captain Levi shoots his anchors into the ground beneath you, dodging the bullets. You follow his lead, feeling a bullet graze your clothed arm, thankfully not penetrating you.

Everything flashes before your eyes, hardly grasping every move you make. You manage to get away from the trio, noticing they're mainly after your Captain instead. You reach the ground, deciding to run on foot towards where you last saw him heading. You pull the hood of your cloak over your head, hoping no one will recognize you along the way. As you pass an alley, your head turns to the side, making eye contact with one of Kenny's gang members. Your pupils dilate, subconsciously pulling the triggers on your hand controls to zip onto a roof to get away before he catches you.

Your boots stomp on the roof shingles when you land, clicking as you run along the pitch towards the edge of the building. Wires zip behind you, already knowing the guy is following you. Without looking over your shoulder, you jump across to another building, picking up your pace to preserve gas in your tanks. Another click sounds behind you and in the blink of an eye, you crouch down, dodging one of the bullets as it just whizzes over your head. Drawing out a sword, you spin around, deflecting the second shot with it. The bullet pings against your sword, ricocheting off the surface and flying back towards the armed man. His eyes visibly widen, raising his armored shoulder to deflect it as well. When he drops his arm to aim at you again, you're already running towards him. Shooting your anchors just past him, you zip to the other roof again. As you fly towards him, you pull out another sword, swiping them as soon as you meet.

When you land a few feet away, you immediately turn around to continue your way back to Captain Levi. Your heavy breath fills your ears as you run along rooflines, avoiding Kenny and his gang. You're running purely on an adrenaline rush, still trying to grab the concept that now your priority is fighting humans. Even worse, your own brother, who still has no knowledge you joined the Military as well.

Coming to the end of the roof, you jump over the edge, shooting your anchors into the nearest building. Before they penetrate the surface, a bullet hits one of its blades, knocking it out of place. "Shit! Just my luck!" You curse under your breath, nearing the ground. Retracting your anchors, you lean towards the cobblestone ground, diving and pressing your hands against the cool surface into a cartwheel, then, hopping backwards into a back handspring to ease your landing. When you slide back against the ground after safely landing, you pull out your swords again to battle the next obstacle. Another bullet heads your way, causing you to do a back tuck over a crate beside an abandoned market stand.

With your back facing her, you slowly look around the corner, coming up with a plan. As you slowly sit up, ready to attack, an arm violently hooks around your neck, catching your breath. With no time to think too much, you grip the attacker's muscular arm, dropping your hips and pushing them back against theirs. Then, you lean as far forward as you can, flipping them over your shoulder and onto the crate in front of you. Still holding their arm, you place your foot on their chest, pulling and twisting their arm enough to hear it snap. As they cry out in pain, you make a run for it, dodging bullets as best as you can from your first problem. As you sprint away, a whizzing bullet makes contact with your waist, only grazing the surface. The burn immediately follows after, making you seethe and bite back the discomfort of blood trickling down your shirt.

Coming up to a building corner, you press your back against the dusty brick in order to catch some air for a moment. Baby hairs stick to your forehead (disregard if you don't have, show, or have very short hair), (color) eyes looking up towards the late afternoon sky. You have to catch up with Captain Levi soon, otherwise you or him will wind up dead. Just then, you hear a twig snap nearby, your hands already drawing out swords. As soon as the gun comes around the corner, you swing both your arms, knocking it out of the woman's grasp. Turning and sweeping your foot under her legs, she falls to the ground, growling at you. Without much facial expression, you crush the gun, then, take her out.

Escaping the scene, you eventually hear commotion outside of a saloon, surrounded by Kenny's gang. Shooting your anchors away from the group, you spot Captain Levi heading the opposite direction. Luckily, your ODM Gear still works well enough even with a busted blade, so you catch up to the Captain. "Sir, your orders?" You ask, looking down and noticing Eren and Historia's wagon. The both of them are laying flat on the cart, obviously knocked out. Before he can answer, the rest of your squad shows up behind you. "Follow the wagon." He commands all of you. "Listen up, these soldiers were trained to fight other people, they've already taken out three of ours. If you hesitate for so much as a second, you'll be dead. The moment you see an opening, go for the kill." He adds. "Yes, sir." You and Mikasa both say, following his orders.

Captain Levi shoots an anchor into one of Kenny's gang members on the cart, pulling him out. "You three, secure the wagon, we'll keep you covered." He orders you, Armin, and Jean. "A-Ah, sir!" Armin stutters, confirming the order. "He killed him...?" Jean's face is pale with disbelief as he looks at Armin. "Come on!" The blue-eyed blonde insists. You glance at Jean before following Armin's lead. You feel bad that your new squad isn't as accustomed to death as you are but this is what the Military involves, they'll become numb eventually.

The three of you land on Eren and Historia's cart as Mikasa kicks the female driver off the seat in front of you. Armin quickly jumps onto the seat and takes over control while Jean points his sword towards the woman's face. Her brows furrow as she reaches up to wipe her mouth, gun in hand. While you defend the back of the wagon in case of threat, you hear Jean shout at her. "Don't move! Stop!" Glancing over your shoulder, you see her roll over and hit the sword out of his hand with her gun. The rough force knocks Jean over, causing him to fall back into you. Of course, his body dents one of your barrels, as you hear the crunch. Grunting at his weight, you quickly push your upper body up, still under Jean, eyes wide as she now points both of her guns at you. "Jean, Y/n!" Mikasa's voice catches your attention as she quickly comes to intervene just as a shot is fired.

The woman's body goes limp as she falls back onto the wagon's surface, revealing Armin in the driver's seat, holding up a gun with fresh smoke. Before either of you can react to Armin's action, Captain Levi shouts. "Shit!" His curse catches your attention as three gang members appear behind you with loaded guns. Captain Levi swoops in to grab Jean while Sasha grabs Armin and Mikasa grabs you. As soon as you all escape, the gang trio retakes the cart, riding through the gate with Eren and Historia.

Once Mikasa has you settled on the ground, she immediately tries to go after them. "Let him go! We're running on fumes." Captain Levi physically stops her. "No! Eren!" She screams out to him, hoping to be heard. You sit on the ground, watching, wishing there was something different you could have done to get them back.
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That evening, you and your squad had gone back to the storage building Jean and Armin were kidnapped in earlier to take shelter for the night, away from wandering eyes. Everyone is fairly quiet as you all clean up the dust and blood from today. You remove your ODM Gear and set it aside to assess the small graze in your skin from the bullet earlier. It was nothing major, just a patch of irritated skin that had bled and formed a scab. The river is near the building, so you're able to get a scoop of water to pour over the small wound on your waist where the bullet ripped your shirt. As you get up to leave the riverside, you pass by Captain Levi who decided to do the same and rinse the blood off of his forehead. You wonder what happened to him to cause such an amount to pour from his head. It wasn't there before you got separated from him after Nifa was shot. Even though he's intimidating, you hope he's okay. He's your Captain, after all.

As you go back inside the building, you crouch down beside your gear to check on it. You confirm that one of the barrels is dented but nothing like previous damage. This is super minor and can be easily fixed. Inspecting it some more, nothing else seems to be wrong with it so you assess the anchor's blade first which only needs to be twisted back into place. In full concentration, a soft hand trails across your upper back, causing you to jump slightly. Looking up and around for a moment, your (color) eyes land on a hazy, baby-blue figure to your right. Her familiar round eyes squint as she forms a shy smile, bending over slightly to look down at you. Your own eyes reflect astonishment, not expecting to see her again, at least for a while. "Good job today." She mouths to you, smile never leaving. Confused, you shake your head. "We failed... I didn't do a good job, Nifa." You whisper in response so the others won't hear. The redhead chuckles slightly, not agreeing with you. "I'm sorry I wasn't quick enough, either. I could have saved you." You add, feeling the guilt constrict your throat.

As Nifa is about to speak again, a living voice steals your attention. "Y/n, is your gear broken?" You look up to see Armin approaching, rounding the crates that separate you from the group. "Oh- no, it just has a dented barrel." You shake your head, dropping your gaze to said barrel in hand. "Hey, do you mind helping me, though?" You then ask, returning to face him. "Sure, I don't mind." Armin grins, kneeling beside you. "Perfect. Do we have any candles lying around?" You check your surroundings. Armin hums, standing back up. "I'm not sure but we got a fire going over here, would that work?" He points over his shoulder. You nod, smiling. "That'll do."

Sitting in front of the fire pit, Armin grabs a piece of wood from a broken crate, holding it over the flames. When its lit on fire, he brings it over, waiting for the next instructions. "Can you hold it in front of the barrel for a few minutes to heat up the metal?" You ask, holding it up. Armin nods, doing as he's told. A few moments go by and you hover your hand near the surface to test the temperature. "Thanks for your help, Armin." You grin, looking down at the barrel. "No problem." Armin nods, sitting back and watching. By this time, the others in your squad become curious and casually watch from a distance. Holding the barrel firmly, you begin to squeeze it together, all sorts of veins popping out of your hands from the strength you have to produce.

Just like that, a pop is heard, revealing an almost brand new barrel. Armin gasps, scooting back over to look down at it in wonder. "Wow! You fixed it that easily?!" He turns to face you. "Yeah, that's like the easiest repair in the world." You chuckle, forgetting that they're not as educated on ODM mechanics besides the very basics. You hear a clap from behind you, coming from Jean as he had seen the whole thing as well. "Not bad for a newbie." He smirks, dropping his hands. You playfully roll your eyes as you shake your head, leaning back onto your palms to look at him. "Yeah, you're right. I guess you don't need my help tightening your tanks, then?" You raise a brow, causing him to fumble his words. "I-... who said- um... heh... what?" He tilts his head, desperately trying to play it off.

Sighing, you get up from the ground to walk towards him and his gear sitting beside him. "Your gas tanks, Jean? I noticed one had a small leak after the wagon was breached again. Probably you using me as a mattress when you fell caused it to leak." You respond nonchalantly, hearing Conny snicker. "Oh... oh, that! No... no, no, no, there's no leak! I um... already fixed it! I noticed it too but way before you did. Its fine now, no need for you to tamper with my tools." He shakes his head, crossing his arms. You stare at Jean with a blank face before bursting into a laughing fit at his choice of words. Some of the others can't help but join as well, embarrassing the sandy-brunette to death. "That's not what I meant..." The tall boy murmurs, turning his gaze away.

Before anyone has the chance to tease him some more, Captain Levi returns to sit down. "Control your noise level, brats, we can't have Kenny's gang spying on us. "Sorry, Captain." You respond, walking away from Jean to move your gear and sit down on a crate. The room falls silent again as you begin to eat. You only had crackers which would have to be enough to fill you until your next meal. Armin, however, could not eat at all as the atmosphere grew serious again.

"What's wrong? Did all this filth kill your appetite?" Captain Levi asks him. "No." The boy is quick to answer, something else on his mind. Glancing at Armin, your eyes shift towards Jean, already knowing what he is about to ask. "Jean, Y/n, there's something I don't understand." Armin says. Jean's head lifts up upon the comment. "What's that?" He replies. You face the blonde again, waiting for him to ask. "When I turned around to try to save you, that woman already had her guns to your heads. Its... funny. How could I have shot before she did?" Armin's face is blank.

Jean clenches his jaw, reliving the moment, as do you. The barrel pointing straight at you, staring into the dark void as it waited to end you. "I don't know." Jean mumbles before you can reply. "You shot first because she hesitated. Its simple." Captain Levi interjects. "I'm sorry, Armin. You wouldn't have had to save us if I'd just done my job." Jean admits, mentally bullying himself for not listening to his gut. "I know what it is." Armin mentions, causing you both to look his way. "The woman I shot back there, I bet she was a really kind person. She must have had a lot more human empathy than I ever did. I pulled that trigger so easily, without a thought. I'm-" He gets cut off by the Captain. "A killer and now that your hands have been soaked in blood, the person you once were is gone for good." Captain Levi stares at Armin. "Why would you say that?" Mikasa intervenes, disgusted by his words. "And you shouldn't regret it for one second because if you had chosen to keep your hands clean, Jean and Y/n would be corpses on a cart right now." The Captain's words ring through the squad's ears, making sense.

"I'll tell you why you pulled the trigger, because your comrades were about to die. Armin, everyone in our squad survived today because you got blood on your hands. Thank you." Captain Levi finishes his statement, helping to ease Armin a bit. "Captain Levi, I uh, I thought it was wrong for us to fight other humans, sir. I thought it was wrong that you ordered us to do it. I mean, we became soldiers to protect people but now, I say that I was in the wrong, sir. Next time, I swear I'll shoot." Jean looks down at the ground. "I never said anything about what was right or wrong. My moral high ground shot to hell. I have no idea who's in the right at this point." Captain Levi responds to Jean. You glance over at Armin again, focusing on his thoughts. He still feels an ounce of guilt for having to spill human blood but deep down, he knows he had to do it.

"Now, then, I think its time we heard what our guest has to say." Captain Levi rises from his seat to walk over to a captured man who was part of the kidnapping. "Mercy, please! I'm just an old man that used to move cargo! I didn't want-" The man blabs on as soon as Captain Levi removes the tied cloth from his mouth. "I fought this one before." Mikasa interrupts, standing beside the Captain. "He seemed to be a prominent merchant." She adds. "Yeah, I know him. Dimo Reeves, right?" Captain Levi replies. "This damn job was forced on us by the Military Police and now that we've completely botched it, they'll plunder the Reeves Company for everything its worth. First they'll kill me and then, they'll set up accidents for all my employees, my dumb son too." The man spits. "You just gonna lay down and take it? There's a reason Trost recovered from that Titan attack. Its largely because of jobs and money brought in by the Reeves Company. Tell me, if your company were to disappear, how many would survive the coming winter?" Captain Levi stares him down.

"So what? You want me to join you?" The man frowns at the Captain. "We just need to know where Eren and Historia are. If you're in contact with the MP's, I think I have a plan." Captain Levi answers. The mention of the Military Police makes your throat run dry at the thought. Your brother couldn't possibly be behind some sort of evil plan to steal Eren and Historia away from the Scouts, right? He has to be oblivious to all of this. As the others stand and watch the interaction, you sit back down, processing the information. It all makes your head foggy, thinking about your older brother and his involvement with the MP's.

Would he put a stop to it if he knew I was here?

"And can you give me your word that the people of Trost won't end up starving to death?" Dimo Reeves asks firmly. "I can't guarantee it, that said, I believe they'll have a better chance with us than without." Captain Levi's voice is the last thing you hear. While sitting on your crate, a man's face flashes before your eyes, almost startling you. Big, round, blue eyes pierce your vision, ones you can't forget, ones that resemble... "Historia." You whisper, knowing her location along with Eren's.

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Words: 6,144

10/01/21
Welcome back, readers! I hope you're enjoying my story and future chapters to come! I'm having a blast being able to revamp this story, I feel more proud of it now than the previous storyline aaaand you met Levi!!!

That said, I hope you all stick around for the next update!

(P.S. this is my longest chapter yet!)

~AlpineBreadStick