This is my first fanfiction, so I hope you enjoy! This takes place in the canon universe, after the deal with the female Titan and the death of Levi's squad.

I haven't read the manga, I have only seen the anime, so please forgive any mistakes I make or assumptions I make about the plot or characters! Enjoy!

As soon as the first wave of Titans hit, Levi knew they had fucked up.

There were countless reasons as to why this plan had been a bad idea: too soon after the last expedition, the new recruits were still rattled, heavy losses meant a change in formation that was not going to work for anyone. It wasn't that he didn't trust Erwin's judgement; on the contrary, the man had such a talent for quick perception and tactic that Levi grudgingly trusted his word over most. This had been a situation that had been imposed upon them by external forces, and against Erwin's wishes, the Survey Corps was in no position to disobey. Levi did not know the details, and frankly he could not care less; what was weighing more heavily on his mind was how many of his subordinates he knew were going to die today. Distant screams were drawing closer, and even from his position towards the center of the formation, he could feel the ground tremble from colossal footsteps and saw the signal flares tainting the sky all around him in an explosion of toxic color.

Casting a glance over his shoulder, Levi's eyes locked on their target: Eren Jaeger. Some of the more seasoned members of the Corps were in a loose circle around him, their faces calm but their eyes barely containing the waves of fear ready to burst from their delicate, shaking bodies. It was an expression that Levi was not unfamiliar with. After the time he spent outside the walls, and even in the times long before, Levi had come to know the true frailty of the human form, and as their comrades were plucked away, one by one, he knew they realized it too. However, this was not what he was concerned with, he would allow the terror in those eyes to return to him later, as they always did without fail. His priority was the intentions of the titan boy.

The words from their last encounter on an expedition were suddenly ringing in his ears. The best you can do is to make your choice with no regrets. Undesired memories flickered past his vision, but where quickly repressed. He had been at the mercy of the boy's whims before, and once again he was left to act based on whatever the brat had planned in his thick skull. Would he make the same choice as before, and rely on Levi? Or would he react to the sudden slaughter of his fellow soldiers with that heated passion that seemed to be constantly broiling just beneath the surface?

Eren's gaze shifted from the calamity that was quickly closing in on them and connected, with a flash of surprise, to the cold stare of his captain. They both knew, without saying it out loud, that the death of his squad members had changed Eren. Something dark suddenly swept over the boy's youthful green irises, and a cold shock briefly seized hold of Levi's heart before he settled into grim resignation. Turning forward, his eyes fixated on the fluttering image of the Wings of Freedom on the sea of cloaks that spread out before him as he felt heat, then an explosion of hot air and blinding light that preluded to an inhuman roar that seemed to freeze time.

"No."

The answer was curt, and to the point; not that anything less had been expected from Captain Levi. He was leaned against Erwin's desk, his arms crossed over his chest and his face fixed into a bored frown, though the naturally worn lilt of his voice had taken on an annoyed tone that forced Erwin to cut in with a tight, diplomatic smile. The soldier, his uniform and arrogant posture, though slightly less aloof beneath the burning glare of Levi, clearly stating his position in the Military Police, was here on dangerous business and they were in a rather difficult situation that did not require more agitation from the short captain's harsh manners.

"I'm sure this can be worked out. At Cadet Jaeger's trial, the circumstances of his time with us were outlined to meet the needs of all those involved." The man scoffed, attempting to hide his discomfort beneath an awkward yet cocky alteration in the arrangement of his arms.

"That monster has no reason to still be alive, and though you may have fooled Zackly, we knew you couldn't handle it. And now you've proved us right. The Military Police has been granted full custody of Eren Jaeger, and if in a month we have discovered more about it's Titan-shifting abilities than you have managed to, that thing will never walk among the ranks of humanity again." The soldier's smirk faltered slightly when Levi lifted his face from staring blankly at the wall, seemingly tuned out of the conversation.

"So you pigs decided to stop rolling around in your own shit long enough to realize the world is bigger than your disgusting pigsty? Beyond the walls, even with the best tactical plan humanity could pull together, there is no way that every possible scenario may be accounted for. So maybe after you pull your head out of your ass long enough to think without feeling constipated, we can talk about the best action to take with Jaeger." After years of practice, Erwin found himself able to keep his expression entirely neutral, however the blood had completely drained from the soldier's face and his jaw hung open like a fish gasping for air. Finally, after a few minutes of collecting himself, the man pulled a document from his jacket, stalked over, and slammed it on Erwin's desk before retreating to a safer distance from Levi's steel eyes.

"That is an official letter confirming the change in custody to the Military Police. There is nothing you can do to get out of this. My men should be extracting and transporting the abomination as we speak. If you have a problem with this, you can take it to the higher-ups, but for now I am following my orders and you cannot stop me." Levi took a step forward, his arms swinging down to rest casually by his sides.

"Levi," Erwin stopped the captain's advance with a low warning. Not even bothering to salute, the soldier scurried from the office and slammed the door shut behind him. Turning slowly, Levi met Erwin's calm gaze with an unimpressed stare.

"I hope you know what you're doing." Sighing, Erwin rested his elbows on his desk and pressed his fingertips lightly into his temples.

"So do I."