"Hey, where do you think you are going?"

"Stop right there!"

"Don't lose her from your sight!"

"Don't let her escape!"

"If she makes the slightest move, shoot!"

As Yeagerists and recuits had raised weapons and her, Mikasa's just been walking like circumstances were normal. She was heading back to the cell and of course, couldn't pass unnoticed by nobody. When they saw her, they started following her and watching her every step, but too afraid to back away from the wall. They knew who she is and what she's capable of.

Mikasa kept her emotionless face and didn't look at anyone around her.

Are you trying to prove you're not a slave?

She was not a slave. She was not. How could Ackermans be slaves that lost themselves? If it was the truth, why did she disobey him and turned her back to him? His calls for her after she left him still rang in her head. He sounded desperate. As much as she wanted to help him, she was afraid it would mean it's not her free will. How can her genes decide her will? How can that be even possible?

Mikasa headed right and Yeagerists on that side backed away. She entered another hall that led towards the cell door. They continued following her until she reached the door and turned the knob. As her eyes landed on them, they tensed up. Not caring for cowards that called themselves brave people who're going to march towards the freedom by the side of Eren Yeager, Mikasa opened the door nonchalantly and closed them behind, being greeted with her friends' puzzled faces. Getting the chair leaned on the wall she placed it in front of the cell and sat down on it, like waiting for something.

"Mikasa?" Armin muttered.

"What happened? Why are you here all alone?" said Jean and stood up from the table.

"I came back."

Jean and Connie looked at eachother then at Mikasa again.

"But how? Without an accompaniment?" said Connie.

"And what Eren wanted?" said Armin.

After a short pause, Mikasa spoke: "He asked me if I wanted him dead."

"What?!" Armin gaped.

"He asked what?" Jean added, equally shocked as Armin.

"That bastard..." Connie gritted his teeth and gripped his shirt as his arms were crossed his arms.

"What did you answer?" asked Armin.

"Nothing."

"Nothing?"

"He commanded me to speak but I said I don't care and left. That's how I ended here again."

"Ugh..." Nicolo let out and rubbed his temples.

Connie, Jean and Armin were looking at her with sympaty. They knew how much Eren meant to her and how damaged she was inside after his declaration. Just what he thinks he is doing? He calls Mikasa just to broke her heart even more than he already did.

"And no one's followed you?" Jean said.

"Yeagerists had, but didn't back away from the wall as I was passing by."

"I knew it, they're all cowards!" Connie said with a grimase.

"They were petrified when they saw Mikasa," joined Jean.

Nicolo grinned for the first time and added. "That's why only the craziest dared to bring us here, but I'm sure they were shaking in fear even if they knew we won't give any resistance."

In desperate times, even the slightest joke could broke the ice. All of them chuckled together, not because it was funny, but to be able to feel how it's it to laught in those hard days.

The door swung open, revealing Yelena and Louise behind her. The silence fell in the room. They stared at two women without blinking, waiting for their move. There was no chance they'll make it first.

Without a word, Louise bypassed Yelena and unlocked the cell, carefull to not look at Mikasa who was just sitting there. When the cell was open, Mikasa entered it, allowing Louise to lock them again. Blonde girl runned through the door while Yelena still stood there for a few moments before closing the door.

"... I wasn't expecting those reactions from her," said Nicolo.

"In conslusion, Mikasa broke them," said Connie.

.

.

.

The rain stopped. The gray clouds didn't predict anything good. It wasn't cold, but it wasn't warm eather. Not for the only figure that could be seen on the horizont.

Levi's boots were wet and muddy from the rain. He was dragging unconscious Zeke who was tied tightly with his 3dm gear wires. He is going to finally fulfill his mission. He didn't want to look at him, he was disgusted enough. Instead, he focused his attention on the little house he was a good distance apart from. The place where Historia was.

The thing Levi couldn't push out of his head was how in hell he regenerated. Everyone knew only Titans are capable of this, so how is it possible that a human can have that ability?

"Another reason why I can't keep you alive, Ackerman!"

Ackerman...

"That was the reason we Ackermans turned on him."

How much did you know, Kenny?

Suddenly, clouds separated and sunrays luminated Levi's surroundings. He continued walking forward untill he reached a fence. He stopped.

There's not going back.

He made a few steps to the gate that was open. He passed through it and entered the place. With steady steps, he reached the porch.

Historia was sound asleep on her rocking chair. The slight breeze kissed her exhaused face, calm only in sleep.

"Historia."

She didn't awake.

"Historia," Levi repeated, this time louder.

No responce.

Levi sighed and dropped Zeke on the ground. He shook Historia's shoulder gently.

"Historia."

This time, Historia's eyelids moved. She opened her eyes slowly.

"Captain?"

"I'm sorry. We must do it now."

"What to do?" Historia said and rubbed her right eye. With her left, she noticed a person lying on the grass. Zeke.

"Captain, what is he doing here?"

"He tried to escape. Many things happened and I knocked him out and brought him here, so you can eat him."

Dread filled her. Out of her will, she started shaking and brought her hands over her belly.

"Not... now..."

Levi only stared, no regrets could be seen in his eyes, not from Historia's point of view. Masking disgust and sadness with his emotionless face, his voice didn't give out.

"You must."

"I can't."

"You said earlier you're ready for this," Levi continued.

"After my child is born," she said and stood up. "Not like this."

"Historia. If we don't kill him right now, we'll be in deeper shit than we're now."

"And it's worth killing innocent child that isn't born yet?" she answered rather bitterly.

God, how he hated himself. If only he didn't turn his back on Zeke, he would never run or scream and deffinitelly he wouldn't kill his comrades. Only good in it was he found out about his sick euthanasia plan. Killing him now is the only was to save everyone.

"...I know it's hard to accept-"

"No you DON'T!" she shrieked. "You don't know what it's like to bear a little life under your heart, feeling it's movements and heart beating. You don't know anything!"

"Historia?"

One could say it was an ordinary farmer, but in this case wasn't. He's just been arranging the hay in the stall, when he heard his soon-to-be wife shouting. Assuming she's arguing with someone, he quickly stomped from there with a hayfork in hands. When he saw Captain Levi was that person, he was surprised. Taking a better look at him, he noticed his uniform and cloak were covered in mud and blood, but he himself wasn't wounded anywhere. As he moved his gaze, he spotted Zeke on the ground, tied with wires. Understanding what is happening in an instant, he tightened his grasp on the hayfork and started approaching the porch. Levi walked down the stairs and grabbed Zeke's hair, lifting him up, not averting his gaze from the farmer.

"You understand what this means."

"No I don't," he answered. "How can I understand something this cruel?"

"Do you think I want this? Do you think I want to force Historia to kill her child and possibly herself by turning into Beast Titan?"

Battling against an urge to attack Levi and make Historia run, farmer tightened his grip on hayfork even more. Glaring at him, he stabbed it in the ground and stood in front of Levi. Historia got down the stairs.

"There must be another way."

"Only to kill him," Levi replied. "If we took him as a hostage, one way or another he would be set free. Himself or by someone. Yeagerists will surely come here when they see destroyed cart not far away from here," he said and pointed at disection he came from.

"So... the only way is to turn my wife into a Titan and kill our child?" the farmer gritted his teeth. "You piece of fucking shit."

"Yan, stop it," Historia said and lifted her left arm in attempt to place it on her husband-to-be's forearm as to calm him.

"Historia, don't," he shot her a lighten glare. "I won't let anything happen to you, stay back."

"Then tell me. Yan," said Levi in his usual tone, "what solution do you have to offer?"

Yan kept silent for a bit until he spoke with decisiveness. Those deadly words.

"I'll be the one to inherit the Beast Titan."

"...You... are-" Levi said after a dead silence that seemed to stop the whole world around them from making even the slightest sound. Not even the wind ruffling the blades of grass against eachother. Not even a fly passing by or chirp of a sparrow.

"Yes."

"N-no..." Historia's voice shook. "No, Yan! No one is going to take my place. It's meant for me and for no one else, it's my duty. I can't bare the throught of someone sacrificing themselves for me. I will do it, after my child is born!"

"No, Historia. You're going to stay alive," Yan said softly and cupped her face, stroking a single thumb under her eye. "You're going to have a long life. You're going to love our children when I won't be there anymore. And I'll love you for the rest of my life."

"This is wrong... This has to be wrong... You can't just like that! I said I'll be the one-"

"Enough," Yan cut her in sadened voice.

"Don't do this!"

But he already had his arms around her, giving the last embrace she'll ever receive from his human self. Queen burried her face in his chest, her tears staining his shirt. As they pulled away, Historia let go of him, painly admitting it's the only choice.

"Eren can't be in this," she said. "I refuse to believe it."

Yan locked his angered eyes on Levi. Willing to sacrifice himself, he won't go quiet.

"I'm ready Captain."

"Good. Bring the injection I gave you."

"Before I go, I'll tell I'm pretty stunned with your cruelty."

"... I'm doing what must be done."

"Oh... of course. I forgot," Yan said and bitterly. "I forgot that people who never were in love are less empatic."

"Yan!" Historia shouted.

It took all Levi's self control to not punch him. He boiled inside, in the same time feeling emptiness. Facial muscled not twitching, he decided to give him a lecture or two. This was too much, he's been pulling his tongue.

"Never in love, huh?" he said and farmer immediately changed his face.

"I was... once in love. Female Titan separated us, it's everything you need to know."

Words seemed to have an effect. Unlike her future husband, Historia had looked sad, staring at the ground.

"Even so, we loved eachother. She was beautiful, so beautiful and kind. We thought, though it was only a false hope, that we can survive this and settle down together. But it all became meaningless... after Petra died."

"... Petra? Petra... Ral?"

That did not come from Yan.

.

.

.

"The hell with this rain," Floch murmured, pulling his cape further.

After two hours of riding, they finally got close to the forest. If luck stayed on their side, they'll have to spend another half riding before reaching their destination. But what they saw at that moment was something they would never anticipate.

A horse was struggling to stand, let alone get itself free from straps on its body. Other one was death.

A carriage was turned into milion pieces. Wood splatered on the grass and blood.

"What happened here?" Hanji breathed.

Flash luminated their surrounding and Floch's eyes landed on a hand beside still raging river. Hanji looked it the same direction and froze. Without thinking if it was allowed her to do so, she jumped on the muddy ground and runned towards it.

"Hey!" one Yeagerist yelled and lifted his shotgun, but Floch raised his hand. Soon after, he too got on his own feet and walked up to Commander who was kneeling and lifting the hand.

Hanji's hands trembled in anticipation. Slowly, she brought down a cloth from the inner side of arm's wrist. Just as she did it, she dropped the hand and covered her mouth.

"What is it?" she heard a bastard's voice behind her, but didn't reply.

"Commander."

Shut up! Shut up!

"Do you know whose hand is that?"

Shut up already! Plase, nobody touch me! Nobody ask me anything. I can't speak.

"Is that... Captain Levi's hand?"

She couldn't bare it any longer.

"SHUT UP!"

Another flash followed by a thunder roaring in heavens. Hanji put her face in her palms and cried out.

It was too much. As much as she did everything in her power. As much as she worked hard. As much as she put every effort she had, it just wasn't enough. It never was enough. Erwin made a huge, no - collosal mistake by naming her a successor. She could never be and never will be like him. Nobody can. If only he was alive...

Without a word, Floch got to his horse and took a bag out of his sack that was tied to the saddle. He gave a sign for two followers to drag Hanji to her horse. They nodded and approached the woman who firstly didn't want to move, but in the end obeyed reluctantly. Floch and her passed by eachother, his face stoic, hers unreadable. It was impossible describing it. Pain, anger, sadness maybe won over.

Floch put the arm in the bag and returned to his horse.

"To queen Historia's residence."

Their path continued.