So the news has spread: the Corporal's squad will wipe out the Titans roaming Trost while that cadet, Eren Jaeger, takes care of mending the breach in Wall Rose with the huge boulder a school was built against midtown. The details of how that guy alone is able to pick up the thing stayed out of the directives, but all the soldiers atop the Wall did not speculate for long: one second, a teenager and his trainee outfit were sprinting down the main street towards a monster, and the next, just a lightning bolt later, a 15-meter class was tearing it apart with its bare teeth. How the boy's trick works is none of Levi's concern, to be honest. A few minutes ago, hanging from a clocktower corbel, he spotted him carrying the rock over his shoulder. Everything's back on track. Good.

He fires his right gear onto the next building and pushes himself off the bricks. Using the centrifugal force, he flies around a corner and comes face to face with another giant. Unphased, he calls back the grip and shoots it again to the next block, using the freefall to slash the big abnormal's shoulder tendon. He lands on the edge of a roof and turns back to finish the job. Movement down the alley catches his eyes: there's a wounded comrade missing two calves and a hand, crying confusedly while a woman is sitting him up against a nearby parapet, her arms wrapped under his shoulders. It's her. He recognises her nape. The scars marking it up. What the hell is she doing here, in the field? Apparently, trying to heal the unhealable… Men don't grow limbs back. Surely, they learn that in med school. The moment he took to reprobate allowed his enemy to swivel and covet him as its next dish. Levi nonchalantly scowls at the ogre and triggers the grapnel hanging from his left hip, aiming for a further house. He wouldn't want it to spot and target them. Well, her: he notices she is closing the soldier's eyelids for a last tending. He plunges in the air, trusting the grip, but the Titan somehow manages to hinder his flight, crashing its slashed arm on the 3D cable. Instead of the anchor giving way, it's the propeller tube that detaches from his side and comes clanging a few paces from her. He gracefully manages a save using his other gear and docks back to the previous roof.

He glances down. Oh no. She grabbed the bomb cylinder and is running for it. She looks up, spots him and, no doubt not thinking it through, launches the thing in his direction. It rivets on the chimney dominating his position and pulls her forcefully towards him. She touches down awkwardly a couple of meters away. She called it back by the time he meets her. They exchange it and he manages a feeble and embarrassed

"Thanks."

As he finishes strapping it back on, she focuses on his gestures but really wants to tell him:

"Levi, I…"

"Now's not the best time.", he cuts her short.

"Oh… Of course."

She takes one step back as he raises his head just to see his adversary stretch its hand to grab her. Levi throws his arm towards her,

"Esme !"

He latches on to her sleeve and yanks to pull her behind him. Finding new strength as the horrific fingers smash the chimney in front of them to pieces, he digs both his blades in the palm of the giant. With a rage he did not know he possessed, he launches himself up its arm, his swords trailing a bloody path before him until he reaches the base of the neck and spreads his arms to slice the biggest piece of flesh he can. Following the Titan's fall, he manoeuvres back to the roof.

She is standing there, beautiful as he remembers, strong, not so impressed by what just happened. She opens her mouth to phrase something but he again interjects:

"You can't stay here. In plain sight. They'll come rushing for your flesh."

"Oh, of course, I'll find my way down."

She gestures dismissively and starts walking along the edge, searching for a gutter to slide down from.

"There's no easy way. I'll take you to safety."

"No no don't worry about me. I can manage."

Her will to not be a burden relaxes him. He realises he was holding a resentment towards her. For what? Not remembering him? Silly… Another fuckwit is coming their way. He strides to her, grabs her waist and pulls her close. She gasps, finding her face inches from his.

"Cling onto me. Don't let go." And without giving her an opportunity to argue, he jumps and lets his 3D manoeuvre gear fly them towards the outer Wall. "It's not like I owe you a thousand ones anyway.", he completes mid-air.

It seems to calm her as well. He feels her lock her arms behind his neck, lodge her head on his shoulder and soften all her muscles to be as easy to manipulate as possible, obviously trying not to obstruct him in any way. They dodge half a dozen monsters on their way but eventually come to rest on the steep inside of Wall Rose. One last effort and he hauls her to security. The top of the Wall.

He kneels down, permitting her to rest and slightly let go of her grip on his shoulders. But she keeps her head in the space between his shoulder and neck, silently taking his smell in, panting out from the ride through horrors they just went through. He grants it, for a couple of minutes, not heeding the murmurs spreading through the soldiers around.

"You… You said my name.", she finally whispers.

He's still panting but allows one corner of his mouth to lift up. She finally tilts her head back and stares into his eyes. She seems satisfied with whatever she finds there because she gives him her famous soothing smile, only truer. Feeling destabilized, he gulps:

"I… I've got to go."

Swift fear crosses her eyes but she does not let it linger.

"Levi, I found you in here." She brings a finger to her temple. "Because it resonated here." Her finger slides to her chest, pointing at her heart. He frowns. "I'm sorry I did not recognize you earlier."

He interrupts her again:

"I don't care. You're safe. We'll talk later."

He backflips through the air and goes on to carry out his duties.

They never really get to talk about that connection though.

When he spots her again, she is taking care of cadet Mikasa's light wounds. The girl's Eren's childhood friend apparently, and a fierce warrior, one playing in his league for a change. Levi approaches them.

"It's good you're alive."

Not sure which one of the two he is addressing, but Esmeralda stands up and bursts out:

"I want to assist for your next survey mission."

"You're a nurse.", he promptly backlashes.

"A doctor.", she clarifies. "How many comrades did you lose of unattended injuries during your past missions?"

"We've never taken civilians along. You'd be dead weight for us."

"Teach me not to be. You're taking rookies this time.", she points at the general direction of Mikasa and further, Eren. "I'm sure I can align."

"I don't have time."

"I'll see that with Major Erwin.", she challenges.

"Why?"

"I want to help. And I want to study Eren's regeneration mechanism. Imagine how useful for humanity any discovery of the sort would be."

As broad as his question was, her answer seems to satisfy him.

"That'll be Erwin's decision to take. But I'm not in favour.", he finally concludes before tramping off.

"He's protecting you.", expounds Mikasa.

"Clearly.", Esmeralda replies, her eyes fixed on his back. "But that's not his choice to make."