Life's the biggest troll, but the joke is on us; yea, the joke is you showed up.


A scout expedition had set out from Wall Maria, but she didn't know who was included. It'd been about 100 years before anything happened, and this expedition was a marker. Wasn't it?

With permission to use a 3D device, she brought a squad of military police out of the Sina district for once, making sure it was on the day the Scouts were supposed to come back. It was also to check on the numerous merchants who squawked about not having a secure transport of goods back to Wall Rose from their position in the 'dirty peasant region' of Maria.

Whenever she had to deal with the Merchant guild, she felt...icky, as if some cloying guilt was settling within her, that couldn't be scrubbed away by something as simple as a bath. And to hear some of them talk about their consumers like that made her lose faith in the idea that most of humanity deserved saving, or protection. But as a Squad Leader in the Military Police, she was hardly the one to poke at the 'system' without fear of hurting herself.

Her squad of 15 fanned out behind her, and she sent the majority, leaving 3 with her, ahead to herald a large convoy of merchants, veering off, spurring her horse into a canter. The Trost district had a direct line to another out post along Wall Maria. She stopped, getting herself up to the top of the wall, watching the Scouts plod back. The murmurs of the villagers reached her, and she shook her head, eyes flickering over the indistinct shapes. Zoe looked away, to the Titans moving slowly, banging on the wall to no avail.

She gave a slight shudder, watching them. She honestly didn't understand why she felt this kind of fear when she looked at them, knowing others felt the degree she did as well, but she wanted the cutting gaze Levi leveled at them, even if they didn't understand.

"Ah, man; I don't understand why they don't just cut the Survey Corp's budget more," One of her subordinates whined, crouched next to her, the rest of her troops standing, but the red head usually did things his way.

"Crackpots," Akane said, eyes focused on the redhead, flickering over him as she waited for him to respond. Zoe thought it was something close to desperation.

The redhead(Nathan) did, grass green eyes slipping down the brown haired girl's frame before he shrugged, "Didn't really need that input; I think they're an okay organization, but they piss me off so much with their failures, that's all."

Akane tried to recover, but ended up staring down at her feet, then back down at the Titans. Zoe was sure Nathan knew how the girl felt about him, and chose to rebuff her as such. Zoe didn't really care, and she stepped back off the wall, plummeting before she employed the use of her device, a bit rusty at first, but she got a handle on it after a second.

Zoe dropped back onto her horse, catching her remaining three squad member's eyes, jerking her chin as she moved her horse into a brisk trot. She was at her brother's farm in 30 minutes, swinging off her horse. Her brother (appropriately twins, but they didn't look like it) waved, smile wide, still managing to pick her up, swinging her around with a loud laugh. You'd think the swords at her belt would put him off, but apparently no.

"That guy you picked up with; is he still around?"

Zoe wished her skin tone revealed a blush, and she shook her head. "Um, we...not really established."

"Well, I didn't like him."

They'd only been around her brother once, and it was for a weekend off. Levi had been arguing with Erwin, deciding to go with her instead. It was never fun if Levi was mad at Erwin, his passive aggressive attitude reaching new heights. And it was in front of her brother, leaving a terrible first impression, she was sure.

Unofficially, she was here for some face time with her nephew, letting Mya speak next to her, the pretty woman serenely oblivious to Zoe's lack of participation in the conversation. Still, Zoe had her duties in helping out the merchant who'd requested assistance in loading some of her twin brother's goods on various carts, Nathan's accompanying whistling as annoying as usual.

Vaguely, she heard the sound of cannon fire, glancing towards the direction it came from before she concentrated on her task, able to send off the merchants soon enough, no longer worried about the noise. They often did some sort of testing, or a drunken Garrison troop member would shoot down at a titan for fun. When the ground rumbled under her feet she turned to gaze at the area she assumed it was from, just in time to watch Wall Maria's destruction, stone from the wall flying into the air as an armored titan ripped through it.

Her mouth gaped, Zoe's world abruptly shrouded by black dots, nausea forcing her to bend over, trying to calm herself. She was a squad leader, what could she do, really, at this point? And she was miles away from the breach; but titans could be upon them soon enough, if the exterior wall was broken in. Which she could only assume had happened.

Two of her subordinates reeled, falling as they tried too quickly to get up on their horses. Nathan only sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose, gazing up at the sky as he ground his teeth together audibly. Zoe tried to gather herself enough to give orders, recalling reports that'd claimed repeatedly she had no leadership skills, clenching her hands into fists as her brother's panicked questions reached her ears.

Zoe collected her small group of soldiers, barking out her command to the three of them, "Get my brother, his wife, son; get them back inside Wall Rose; Past Sina. Alert the Commander as soon as possible, and try and alert other people you pass."

"Squad leader," Akane tried, "I don't-we don't have room for three other people on these horses, we'd move far too slowly, and-"

"Take my horse, then, I don't care."

"You- on foot-"

She shoved Akane forward, watching her squad scramble to collect themselves, except Nathan who had his shit firmly together, her brother motioning towards her so she'd follow him into the house. Zoe hid her panic as well as she could, jogging up the steps of her childhood home, peaking into the picture perfect little kitchen. Instinctively, she checked the volume of her movements, walking fast on tip-toe.

"You have to hurry, Jaz," she said, peeking into his room, watching him as he stuffed silly mementoes into a bag. "Leave it behind, we have to get going."

Jaz gave a short bark of laughter, hands shaking as he snatched a portrait off the wall. "I know, I know, it's just this-you have to understand, I value the past, I really do, Zoe. Sis, you might live in the present," Jaz fished around in a jewelry box for a moment, taking out an pendant her mother had always worn, "but I don't; and I don't want to lose everything."

Zoe stomped into the room, yanking him back towards the door, even as her brother held stubbornly firm. Still, she was the one with military training, and despite the farm work her brother preformed daily, the workout regime she hated payed off as she finally moved her brother out of his room. Mya ran down the corridor to them, gathering her husband to her side, a box of old silver in Mya's arms. The woman was oddly quiet, concentrated on herding Zoe's twin out the door of their house; Mya had left her child with Akane.

Her squad members got them on horse back, any belongings her brother had salvaged in the saddle bags. When they were gone, Zoe started sprinting towards the fray, weighed down by her gear, the sparse trees not leaving much for maneuvering. Her steadily growing distance from Wall Rose made her head spin, and she watched the boats full of refugees move in the opposite than she was going in.

What was she doing? Fuck, she'd gone fucking crazy, thinking that she could meet up with some of the other military personnel, maybe coordinate the Garrison troops. Or was it instead some kind of attempt to be the hero? It was.

So she turned around, throwing that idea to hell, doing exactly what the Military Police had taught her to; run from her immediate problems.

Titans were beginning to pour from the hole in Wall Maria when she looked back, and she stumbled, falling on her ass, staring at them, terror forcing her heart rate up. People from other pockets in Wall Maria were running, screams attracting titans further into their territory. A variant blazed past her and other small groups of people, hand outstretched, focused on a large group of people, collected in fast moving carts.

She cursed, breaking off from her bee-line to Wall Rose, heading towards the variant, putting some speed behind her. Her anchor shot out, to its shoulders and she flew forward, up, twisting in the air, slicing precisely where she'd been trained to do; and it was a lucky fucking thing too, not exactly skill. The Titan pitched forward, just missing the large group of people.

Her ankle twisted as she landed, a full fall almost, no trees around to slow her descent, and she stuck her hand out to break her fall, wrist bending awkwardly, sending pain up her arm. Citizens continued to run past her helter skelter, and someone's boot connected with her shin, sending her to the ground, dazed. Someone tripped over her, heel knocking against her head, causing her to pass out, waking up presently to numerous titans a mile off, moving slowly, picking off a number of people as they did.

Zoe shifted to her feet, world spinning in an instant, sending her to her ass again. Something grabbed her arm, and she squeezed her eyes shut, resigned to her fate, before a familiar voice cursed, "Are you fucking serious? Shit, you're useless," Levi manhandled her onto the back of his saddle, wheeling his horse in the correct direction. "Hold on."

A titan swiped for them, and Levi ducked, watching it get distracted by a number of Scout Regiment troops, more within view in the infested area, helping who they could. Zoe noticed their proximity to the wall, watched the troops cut down the titan, shifting back to Wall Rose, not making an effort for titans a hop further from it. Levi steered them into Wall Rose, the swarms of refugees splitting in the way of his horse.

Her vision swam, and her grip on his waist grew slack. His hand slapped tight over hers, holding her still as he lead the horse further, making it to the emergency medical area. As soon as the military police saw them, the gate began to open, just enough for Levi to spur his horse on through. He jumped off, catching her as she slid, his angry gaze was swallowed by darkness.

"That day, humanity remembered what it was like to live in fear, trapped within a cage."


They godless, denied us; but we don't give a damn about the next day, We were never here, never know if the world change. Common sense, the consequences (..). Slaves to the unnamed, never live long. Live and die by the line, never know fear

Even I won't survive, is it unfair?


Shouting arose from outside her door. Zoe shifted, her wrist still bandaged tight, the injuries to her head and feet apparently the easiest to clear up, despite their pain until a few days back. In those few days the government had been restless, struggling to find out what to do with the huge amount of new people in the smaller radius. Far smaller.

Levi strode in, arguing heatedly with the nurse in charge. Or, the nurse was arguing with him, and Levi sniped back, cutting her argument down as well he could with his weapons. He looked impossibly bored, unmoving except for shifts to better shake his head, roll his eyes. Zoe watched him, finally speaking up, telling the nurse she was fine.

The stout woman gave a short snort, sleep ringed eyes blazing before she turned, stamping out. Levi looked to her, chin tilting up and to the side, surveying her with a slight amount of less distaste that he'd leveled towards the nurse. Zoe smiled at him, and he gave a huff, walking in front of the window, watching the lack of traffic inside Wall Sina.

"Captain now?"

"Well, I have been successfully alive for about 3 years now. And the people who I saved from the one Titan are distant relatives to the King, so." She gave a tired smile. "Are you here to congratulate me?" Maybe ask him how he was in the right place at the right time.

He dipped, fast as he cupped her face, kissing her hard. Zoe was shunted to her feet, his hands shifting to her waist, holding her tight against him. She couldn't catch her breath, hands sliding through his hair, dragging along his scalp. Levi pressed her against a wall, his hands fumbling between them, and she held onto him, breathing harder, managing to get one leg out of her pants. Since the world was ending, though it wasn't a universal thought in all honesty because everything had died down, she supposed this was loving him as quickly possible. In a way. Very distant. And he'd hardly been close before this, but he was kissing her like earth was shaking under their feet. As if everything was falling apart in corporeal terms now.

Zoe let her head rest in the crook of his neck, unbandaged hand working into the back of his hair, whispering in his ear. About how much she missed this. How she loved how he filled her up, made her feel a little less broken; how she fucking hated feeling like that. Because he wasn't supposed to mean anything to her, knew she didn't mean much to him.

When he registered her bandaged hand again, he decided against the wall option, muttering, "you're always injured, it's like you're ridiculously-ridiculous-," he cut himself off, tugging his shirt from his frame, throwing it to the side as she sat back, "Zoe," his voice didn't have a bite to it like usual. "Zoe," he breathed, quiet, almost missed by her, but she went pliant, wondering why he wasn't looking away; not even a smirk, and he did that a ridiculously frequent amount (and it wasn't as annoying as she'd thought it would be). "I-" he started, he was concentrating on her, body shifting slow down, hand smoothing up her leg, all very...nice.

She gave a little shiver, not a common occurrence when he was pressed close like that, but he wasn't all tender touches, certainly not with the zeal he'd started with. His hum gave way to comfort, kisses following his hands, leaving goosebumps despite their warmth, a murmur in her ear encouraging this reaction, though she was focused on where his hands were and didn't comprehend it. Her hand flexed slow in his hair, arching under him to allow further access, though it was more to invite him. With him, she did get what she wanted, even if it was her manipulating his ego for the most part.

He took the invite, arm sliding under her, tipping her up for him, hand dipping quick between her legs, dealing with her still present pants, though she made sure to take that off herself. Zoe closed her eyes for a moment, grip slackening on him, felt the sheets were much better to tether herself, use this one hand to the fullest extent. She was always over conscious of herself, didn't matter where, usually, but with him, it did manage to dissolve away, mostly because he'd caught that tic in the beginning, told her she could relax. Which was very, very different from any of the other sexual encounters she'd taken part in; a nice difference. And Levi certainly hadn't curbed his manners in anyway.

"Such a good look," he mumbled, caught her attention again.

She stopped a smile, glanced away, "What?"

"You're flushing here," he let his lips indicate the area, just hovering over her to get a better reaction, she was sure, that smirk back on his lips for a quick instant, breaking the lack of facial expressions, "fuck, I guess you're cold too; or is it just me?"

That ego was going to-

"Oh, I hate you," she rushed out all in one breath, maneuvered herself on top of him, ignoring her wrist for just the instant.

"Do you?" he picked himself up just enough, hands right back on her, the effort to pin them down not counting for anything. "Do you really, Zoe?" He moved to press kisses down with every question, nails digging into the dip of her back, until she made another attempt, pressing her hand to his hard abdomen. Hoped it'd keep him down.

She shifted slow where she was, legs to either side of his hips, wondering if it was really working, but fuck him if it wasn't. She'd show him. Which was a common thought, really, and never played out properly. Except she had something of an upper hand here.

Zoe made to press him into her, watching him to catch a flicker of emotion, not that there was really much waiting because he reacted quickly to this. Another smirk curled his lips, but she didn't allow any penetration, shivering with the degree of warmth. His eyes flicked to hers, then back between them, allowing her to work her hips, though she wasn't good at pacing in any sense.

Levi's eyebrow ticked up for a beat, tonguing out to wet his lips, though, usually, they were disgustingly inviting. Some decency would be nice; a reminder that he wasn't noble born, above average looks given to the offspring due to their ability to pick a gorgeous wife. He was in the military, oddly youthful looking, except for the always present frown lines, and general coarse response, which might've not matched the external 'look' idea, but still.

He strained against her hand, but she dug her fingers into his skin, got a flicker of pain before he grunted, "Zoe, you're fucking-"

She arched back pushing hair over her ear as she did, rolling her hips down, needing a bit more friction, but this was for her own benefit, in the sense that she wanted to break Levi down. Just a bit. The thought passed easily when he overpowered her, wrist tight in his hand, the other in a safer place. His head pressed close to her collarbone, eyes between them, is slim hips rested between her legs.

"fuckin' unholy," he breathed, hand passing through his hair to press it back from his face, "going to drive me insane; you're so goddamn wet. And, shit, fuck this, come here." His breath exploded over her skin as he grasped her hips, cheeks tinted pink, kept her so close she could only feel him sliding into her, nails digging into his shoulder blades, marble skin nicked here and there. He wasn't a statue, and this was a reminder, that his marked skin couldn't be sanded away.

She shifted with him as he sat up, circling her arms around his neck, pressed close to him. He tucked his head in the crook of her neck, soft little moans she normally couldn't hear reaching her ears. Levi allowed her to set the pace, and he watched her, just managing to keep his eyes on her. His hands moved, strong at the small of her back.

His breath mingled with hers, and she held as tight to him as she could. Zoe lost herself in the feel of him, clutching at his shoulders, all of her kisses sloppy, pale against her light brown. Thoughts swam through her head, as addled as it was; she wanted normal. Normal with him, whatever that was, she just didn't want the Titans, she didn't want the cages dubbed walls, she wanted him, and fuck, she wanted a life. One where being born wasn't a death sentence.

Levi wasn't built to be normal, and he was too hard to read, she didn't know. Zoe held him tighter, shuddering as her orgasm slammed through her, his name shaking out from her lips, and she dug her face into the crook of his neck, desperate to forget everything. For a brief moment she did, toes curling up, her whole body a livewire, world narrowing to just them.

His hands clutched tight, bruising her skin where he gripped, voice cracking around a soft whisper of her name as he came. She didn't think about anyone but him, knowing he might be all she really had left, and she wasn't much, a broken doll. Levi didn't have the kind of patience she did, told her the second time they fucked that they weren't going to be anything but physical.

Her body served to tell him what she couldn't.

I love you, she repeated in her head, knowing Levi didn't want to hear it, but she repeated it over and over in her head for herself, no one else. Her hand fisted in the base of his hair, cropped like it was, and they stayed like that, his strong body holding her up, like it always did. She closed her eyes tight, trying to forget again but she couldn't.

Someone banged on the door, and Levi jerked, making a low, frustrated noise in his throat. "What?" he snapped, hand splayed on her back, holding her safe as he shifted slightly.

"Zoe, and I'm guessing Captain Levi, you need to be down in the main council chambers."

Levi made a annoyed noise, and she finally opened her eyes, easing back from him. He let her rise first, watching her move without much emotion. Then his lips tugged into a slight smirk, swatting her ass as he rose. Zoe glared, watching him get dressed as she did, trying to rearrange her hair, definitely able to term it as sex hair, the style influenced by Levi's finger

Her wrist refused to cooperate and she made a frustrated noise, feeling tears at her eyes. She'd been more emotional than usual with the Titans and she-. Levi's hands knocked hers away, standing behind her in the mirror. He fiddled with her hair, looking confused, the band twanging away, his face screwing up in a brief moment of emotion, glaring at her hair.

He walked to the band, collecting it and stomping back over to her. Zoe covered her mouth so he wouldn't see her laugh, happy when he succeeded. She turned, thinking he'd done the same, but he was still there, arms around her now, eyeing her closely. Levi finally leaned in, kissing her till she was breathless, and Zoe rocked up on her toes to get closer.

Her breath was a moan, and he smiled slightly even as his tongue pushed against hers. She grabbed onto his lapels, holding him down against her, satisfied as they stood there, kissing like there wasn't anything pressing happening, and she liked that she didn't have to care. At least, until he pulled away, opening the door, her lips a blaring sign that she'd been close to someone in a certain way that Nile was going to point out.


-break-


Levi grabbed her, turning her about, holding her wrists in his hands, stepping in. "You can't do anything."

"Yes I can," she tried to yank her hands back, but he resisted. "Don't tell me what I can, and can not do; with all the shit you've put me through, you don't have the right."

Zoe despised how happy he'd made her, thinking she didn't deserve that, that is was selfish. She pulled again, raising her knee to hit him somewhere but he pressed her hard against the wall. Levi murmured to her, obviously trying to calm her down, but she refused, breathing fast, but it didn't seem to stick. Her mind swam, and he grabbed her face instead, even attempted a brief slap, lips moving, but she couldn't hear him, feel him, the panic attack hitting her harder than ever, guilt clogging her throat.

His hand rested in hers, and he pulled her after him, though Zoe really didn't look up, just watched the stone under her shift to grass. When she looked up, she was looking at her brother. Levi crossed his arms over his chest, breathing quiet, resting against the nearby wall. Zoe reached, grasped her brothers hands in hers, recognized the difference in their skin tones, the brown darker than hers, from tending the farm himself.

"I could...get you out of this," she mumbled, hardly able to speak. "If I press, I know I could

"No," he mumbled, grasping her hands tighter, eyes dropping away from hers. "no."

Her mouth trembled, and tears spilled down her cheek, and she rested her head on their hands, legs bouncing wildly. She felt him pull her to him, clasping her in a bear hug she couldn't seem to perfect like him. Zoe buried her face in the wide expanse of his chest, smelling traces of spice on his shirt, knew it was from their farm, wondered why the breach occurred.

"Why not?" she asked, breathing through it now. "Why?"

"Because-you won't be able to, really; it's the government. And fucking hell, Zoe, I'm not of note, you know that. My farm is all I have to my name; our name. I'm expendable now, in a huge way, and it doesn't help that I've got debt and all that shit; I mean, I think the only reason I was kept out of debtors prison is you. And now that we've got our fate presented, we have to go along, or we look bad, and maybe it isn't crazy. Just; you can't do it. Gotta accept that you're not able to do something."

She knew it was true, her outburst at the meeting no doubt ending any chance to save her brother and his wife; his child, yes, but the adults, no. Jaz held her out at arms length, her twin so much taller than her, older looking, despite it all. Fraternal twins, her mother had claimed, griping about their differences, how Zoe got into so much more trouble than Jaz, how she couldn't seem to sit still, while her brother could be mistaken for a scarecrow, at points. It wouldn't do for a lady.

Her brother pushed her hair up into a proper pony tail, the fluffy curls always breaking free. She should get it cut, but she couldn't stomach it, because it was a reminder of home, despite how far removed from it she was. Zoe stepped in again, and hugged him tight, remaining with him throughout the night. Levi moved beside her, and her brother actually started to talk to him.

"I hear you're an up and comer."

Levi's eyebrow lifted slightly, "I suppose."

"humanity's greatest soldier, and all that."

"Hmm."

Zoe elbowed him, and he opened his mouth and said more than 'hmm', hoping he'd provide the conversation as she moved her family into her townhouse. Jaz and Levi carried the bags up, Mya trailing behind them as her nephew began to squirm in his mother's grip, reaching out to stroke the wall. Levi set the bags in her extra bedroom, though it wasn't much of one anymore, her books lining shelves all around the room, two padded chairs in front of a fireplace. Mya sat heavily in one of them, bouncing her child on her knee, an effort that made the boy gurgle in happiness.

"I'm going to get the mattress out of your storage room," Levi said, looking to her briefly for confirmation.

"I was going to give them my room, I can sleep on the rug here," Zoe responded.

Mya shook her head no as she spoke, "this is fine, we won't be here for long, if everything goes well. How did you ever afford this place?"

Zoe bit at her nails. "Merchant's Association."

"Meaning?"

"Meaning I worked overnight for them." Meaning she accompanied them in their shady dealings so many times that she could afford a somewhat nice Capital local house outside of Military Police HQ. She'd been trying to rent it out, as she never seemed to get out of MP duties. There was no off season, even if her moral compass was skewed.

One of her superior had milked his position for all it was worth, and in the short space of a month, he was buying a large estate in the inner reaches of Wall Sina woodland. He often bragged about it, enough to make her stomach turn, especially when he suggested that she over tax civilians to get a bigger place; told any mid rank MP to do so. And most of them did, without a second thought.

Levi gave her a quick side-eye, grasping her elbow as he walked out of the study/bedroom, tugging her along with him. "Tell me you're not going to be like the rest, Zoe."

"I'm not, I swear-"

"You do?" he asked, cutting her off, the intensity he conveyed forcing a nervous swallow from Zoe.

"I do. I did a number of high-risk jobs, and this place was marked down anyways. Military Police benefits, I suppose."

"Vaguely corrupt."

"I know."

Levi sighed. "I wish you'd joined...you know what, the past is past."

After they delivered the thin mattress to Mya, they walked to the living room, saw Jaz standing in the middle.

"Swanky, little sis," Jaz said, hands on his hips as he turned under the chandelier. "phew; but you're so short, how can you light it?"

She smacked him, or at least tried to, her twin leaning away as soon as she moved. "I'm five feet, it's not that fucking short, god, you're the worst. And I'm your twin, how am I little in that sense?"

"I'm older by fifteen minutes so you lose."

"I don't lose anything, Jaz, you know that."

Zoe watched her brother essentially box Levi in on the couch, interrogating him. She watched, leaning against her brother, head tipped over on his shoulder, drooling, elbow wedged against his stomach. Jaz had his elbow against her as well, and the pain had probably woken her up. Levi was still awake, and she smiled at him, reaching for him.

He obliged, walking her through the darkness into her room, though she stopped to peer in at the study turned guest room. Her nephew was curled against her brother's wife, Mya, mouth open, making a noise that would one day reach his father's level of snoring. With that, Mya had decided to name after her brother, so Zoe was amused at the lack of originality.

She turned back to Levi, beginning to close the door to her bed room, asking in a hushed tone, "Don't you have somewhere to be?"

"four-eyes and eyebrows let me go for the night," he said, tugging his shirt off his slim frame, "so you kind of have to take me in. I don't cook for rent, either," he seemed very amused with himself, and his shitty jokes.

"Oh, and where's my book, moron?" She asked, knowing his coined term.

Levi visibly blanched, somehow getting paler, and she didn't get an answer. Seemed like he lost the mythology book.

He stuck by her side for the days she was with her brother and his family. Even if he wasn't wordy with these people like she was, he was here for her; or maybe he was making up for losing that book.


'when I'm laughing, I'm satisfied; when I'm dying, I'm still alive, strange position. I'm in a good mood; so good I'mma kill that spider. kinda things that they told me, alone doesn't mean that you're lonely, alone means you finally get it, admit it.'


Zoe watched the 250,000 humans walk. Her heart was in her throat, and she began pacing at her post on top of Wall Rose, hand dragging through her curly black hair. She dropped to a crouch, held her head in her hands, guilt thrumming through her, watching the fathers leave their children, the mothers as well, if they had any. Her brother turned, pointing up at her, so fucking cheery, and she couldn't handle it, struggling just to keep breathing. The gate of Trost district slammed shut and she watched them go, a few armed, useless deaths. Numerous Military police looked bored, walking along the top of the wall as soon as their jobs were done, a number of fat merchants shouting them down. Her position as Captain wasn't doing shit for her.

She was headed nowhere. Everything was broken. Her brother, the good son, the proper son, and she; Zoe supposed she'd been a heathen to her mother, a pariah, heretic.

So where the fuck was she going to go after all this bullshit had ended? Who was going to take her in after the Military Police had chewed her up, and shit her back out? She didn't even know if she wanted her nephew to know her, his aunt, afraid of disappointing him, like she'd disappointed everyone.

She got down on the ground as soon as she could, brushing people aside until she found a tiny back alley, tears blurring her vision. Zoe crumpled, palms flat on the ground in front of her, watching her tears hit her skin, crying muffled as tears leaked from her eyes. Tired of crying, she went with anger, cursing as she slapped at the wall, screaming at the brick and mortar in front of her. A silly little temper-tantrum that wasn't making her seem at all like an adult, at 23. That'd been her brother's age; and he'd had a kid, and a person who loved him.

Zoe was wasting her time, wasn't she? Especially with Levi.

She dragged herself up, 3D gear and all, walking slowly back to Wall Sina. People jostled her as she did, the number of people decreased, but movement, and proper placement was still important. A man stopped her, displaying his rank, blustering properly, asking her to walk beside his number of carts. She did, swords out and flashing in the darkness, torches bouncing off the silver, and she fancied they resembled stars.

No exit. No way outside the walls, just death, and she wondered. Wondered if humanity was going to get tired of living in cages, reminded 100 times over when almost none of the 250,000 came back, of the humility cast on all of them.


She didn't see Levi after that, knew he'd come back, but she couldn't seem to give a shit, set on wallowing in self-pity. Zoe became the same as everyone, sat inside, and played cards, and fucking embraced the corruption. Her superior finally got into her pants, pushing her over the table, and fucking her for about 5 minutes until he came. Thought he'd be better, but hell, it wasn't as if he could move her up on the ladder; he was stagnant, at her rank, and not much better. Honestly, she didn't feel anything anymore, as if she'd murdered her feelings, all of them falling from her like her curls had when she'd gotten her hair cut.

The 5 minute sessions continued, and she didn't care enough to end it, though he did fund her enough to buy the correct potion from the apothecary, this being a preventative measure against children. Nothing. Just learned how to make the man come without sticking his flimsy cock into her. Learned how to make the right noises so he'd come in his pants, and she learned not to laugh at him(. One day the five minute man choked on food, and died. Zoe was moved up a rank, and she didn't have to deal with the odd weekend affair. Another rank was practically handed to her after she quelled a riot in the underground with a very limited squad behind her, which proved her strategic prowess. She felt like the incident had been luck, unsure in her talents.

She was called down to the training yard one day, strolling past the sparring students, one immediately catching her eyes. The young woman didn't emote entirely, and she was quick, movements executed perfectly. Zoe asked the instructor her name, arms crossed over her chest, flicking her eyes up to the man. He responded immediately; Mikasa Ackerman, in the actual district that Wall Maria was broken into.

Zoe's eyebrows jumped briefly, and she turned, surveying the dirt field. She'd hardly held up under the stress of going through that titan incident, so for a person younger than her to pull that off was impressive. A blonde female stood away, lounging bored against a post, and when a male came up, tried to bring her in, she instantly dispatched him, coming alive just for a second. She asked the instructor her name; Annie. Nodding, she looked at the young man, sprawled on the ground, teeth almost bared. His messy brown hair was covered in dirt, and he spluttered to remove the gritty substance from his mouth.

He didn't stay down. Everytime the blonde dispatched him, he popped back up, and Zoe crossed her arms again, watching him. She brought her nail up to her mouth, biting it down to the quick, knowing the nervous tic was bad, certainly not giving to the air she was radiating; had been radiating. Zoe ran a hand through her short cropped hair, catching the eyes of a couple on looking students, knowing she had a reputation at the moment, as her and Nile had been the pioneers of starting the crack down on crime. Excluding the crime in the Underground, as no one messed with the people down there.

She handled the Military Police properly, or as well as she could, high up now, after 4 years. That kind of rise was noticed, and she smirked, sucking her teeth as she turned,taking the list from the instructor. 'Eren Yeager' was hovering around rank 9, and she pointed to the boy as she rested her thumb next to his name. The instructor nodded, and she watched him continue his falling, wooden knife following him.

Other representatives had taken to looking at the boy, laughing at him rather openly, talking to the aides at their sides. Zoe only had an instructor at hers, wishing she'd brought Jay along, desperate enough to even consider Nathan, or Nile.

"Excuse me; you notice everyone laughing at you, right? You're not going to stop?" she finally asked, thinking that it was sad that he continued to lose, with everyone making fun of him, her voice cutting through the noise. She spoke with a certain arrogance, bordering on offensive, brought by a lack of confidence in herself, used the bite in her words to mask her feeling of insecurity. That insecurity being in herself, and in her position.

The boy looked over his shoulder, wincing as he scrambled to his feet, raising a hand to rest on his chest. She waved her hand, cutting off his salute, frowning his way, the top rated female, Ackerman, her name prodding Zoe slightly, halting and gazing at her, a bit of aggression communicated.

"No," Yeager responded, looking a bit confused.

"You've lost. Move on, stay down," Zoe said, stubbing her toe into the dirt, watching the dust rise with interest so she wouldn't feel nervous in front of teenagers. "Aren't you a bit disheartened, with all of these people laughing at you?"

Eren looked around before he spoke, "No. And I'm not going to stay down, I know...I can get better, and I can- I'm not going to take it. I'm going to- I'll; I can beat her. If I keep trying, and I'm not going to sit here."

She nodded after a moment, vaguely that the kid had more confidence than she'd ever had in her life. "And do I get no ma'am? Nothing alluding to my rank?" Zoe asked these questions for show, making sure she impressed the rather important donors here.

He blanched, hand landing in a fist on his chest, "Ma'am."

Zoe tapped her finger on her lips, stopping herself just barely from chewing her nails. Her lip twitched, curling over her teeth instead, looking at all of them in distaste to mask her nerves, knowing the ones who strived for top 10 just wanted the security of being in wall Sina. It was a bit hypocritical, but she was quick to point out flaws, even if they resided in her. She shrugged, gave him a nod, and moved on. Keith had brought her in for a bit of judgement, as well as more funding to the Cadet program, and a few other officials milled around, one or two paunchy men there as well.

Her old training instructor stood on the sidelines, a couple of the extreme frown lines on his face clearing up, and she swore she saw a tear of pride. Would've been nice to see that instead of getting shouted at to do the maneuver again, telling her that asking for extra was the stupidest thing ever. It was, but in the long run, he'd selected her to train with the Scout Regiment, though the one time she'd gone outside the wall, her gear had malfunctioned. Which was fun.

Zoe walked out of the swath of students, swinging up onto horse back, hardly acknowledging the salutes, just focused on getting away. Keith was smiling, the huge difference between now and her training making her head spin. If he'd pulled out a number one supporter flag, she wouldn't be surprised; and she was so exhausted because of it, along with the fact that she had the other trainee areas to visit after this.

"And that, is my trainee, second in Command of the Military Police."

oh god, don't broadcast it, she thought, cringing, wishing she didn't have all of that responsibility; and she was in a pool of 9 others who were 'second in command', because Nile hated work. She wished she'd stayed where she was, do what her mother had wanted, maybe had a life the dead woman would've been proud of. Something she could be proud of.


844


"Eya, Zoe!" Lei bounced, and Zoe tried to make herself smaller, moving amongst the Cadets in an attempt to lose her. "I heard you got a really good score with that sewer rat. The one that beat the shit out of Lucas?" The pretty girl slithered closer. "Is it really bad working with him? I heard he has a temper. And a mouth." she gave a tiny giggle. "Micah said he made one of the girls in the brothel beg, so I guess he really is good in bed."

Zoe lifted her eyes, frowning, "What?"

"Basically, he's a damn good fuck," Lei gave a small smile, eyes narrowing briefly. "but you know that."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Yes you do. Wanna know why?" Lei almost skipped around her. "Because he's looking at you. And sadly, I can't seem to drop standards enough to sleep with him. You have to teach me your secrets." She held up a finger. "No, no, I understand, you were raised on a farm, so, I suppose you forgot about standards, and went with congenial instead. And we can all see through it, don't act like you're better than us."

Zoe looked over her shoulder, caught his gaze, the gauze on his hands making her heart jump. Levi's lip curled up, head dropping down, and she let her eyes do the same, looking back to the huge forest, trees sparser than the run she and LEvi had done, just due to the fact that all 39 Cadets from the southwest training area were present. Her Commander cleared his throat, and Lei gave her a little smile, standing close.

"All of you will go at a time, numerous trainers are set throughout the woods, a hundred cutouts stationed in various positions. This is the last run through, and I will be taking notes."

Zoe wondered why Levi was there. Knew she should focus, and cleared it from her mind, waiting for the flare. It fired, and she lifted herself into the air, her small body easy to move, easy to employ all of the advanced maneuvers Levi had displayed. Ones that, when she tried them, didn't send her to the ground, or overtax her muscles.

She spun in the air twice, line already detached, cutting a deep gouge in the area directed, shifting herself with a foot against a tree towards a close cut out, maintaining the speed, knowing it'd seem like she was going to hit the tree. Managing another deep cut, she redirected herself in an instant, putting her gas into use, rising briefly above the trees, eyes locking on another directly below her. She tipped herself into another dive, spinning once to reduce the downward motion, gouging neatly.

A silver line marked her progress from tree to tree, barely stopping, zipping past some of her fellows, swinging herself out of their path as soon as she'd hit her mark. She cut her movements down, blades dropping from her handles, fresh ones appearing with a bare amount of effort. Zoe felt confident, like she had during her run with Levi, and now, she was back on top.

One of the trainers was standing on a twisted root, protruding up from the ground, watching her, nodding just as she zipped past, whirled, and sliced, cutting deep. It was better than her last, so, at least that was good. For a brief moment, she attempted Levi's method of holding his blades, but she miffed that, and switched instantly. Zoe doubled back, vaulting over a branch, almost hanging, suspended before a silver line attached, and she shot forward, her attack correct this time. She wondered how Levi could do it, but then, he'd never tell her.

When the comment sheets were posted in the evening, she ran to them, later in the evening, hope that the area would be vacated vanishing. But she recognized that slim build, the cropped hair, his sleeves rolled up and away from his hands, tall to her, really, though most of the men here varied between 5'8 and 6'3. Levi's long legs uncrossed, but not his arms, and he watched her walk towards him, rumpled button down incorrectly buttoned, oddly not in order.

"Your buttons-" she attempted, as his hand shot out, hitting the wall behind her.

He leaned in, breathing out slow, and she smelled the alcohol on his breath. "How about I read it to you?"

"What-"

"Your report," he was caging her in as he spoke, eyes half-lidded, brow clear despite it all. "I can't stop thinking about you," Levi finally closed the distance between them, one of the arms near her head, shifting, forearm on the wall now. "I can't sleep, and I can't fuck without seeming your pretty little face, or thinking about your pretty ass, about how you feel, and I hate it. It's annoying." One of his arms stabbed down, pressed under the band of her skirt, easily maneuvering under her panties, practiced fingers finding her. "I shouldn't be thinking about how you clench, " his forehead rested close to her, "like that, Zoe, around my fingers," he crooked his fingers up, heel of his hand catching against her clit, pressing hard, his breath harsh, "around my cock, and fuck-."

His words petered off, and his fingers picked up a pace. Zoe's hands slid round the back of his head, the buzzcut soft despite it all, soft moans barely held in, concerned someone would come around and see him-them. He was whispering something to her, but she couldn't really make it out, digging her face into his neck, his fingers slipping out of her to focus on her clit, working her into a quick orgasm.

Zoe's nails dug into his skin, pressing her face into his shoulder, holding herself up as best she could. His fingers pressed briefly into her again, drawing her orgasm out, and she opened her mouth, breath shuddering. Levi's hand slipped from her, and Zoe eased back against the cool wall, allowing her mouth to part, his fingers to press in. He watched her intently, his fingers sliding out soon, a smirk twisting his lips, and he pressed his lips hard to hers, mouth parting as hers did.

His tongue lashed against hers, his hand around the back of her head, thumb at her throat, kiss crossing quickly over rough, to brutal. Levi's thumb pressed down, robbing her of air that he was already taking from her in large amounts, his other arm tight around her waist. The arm dropped, and he dipped briefly to hitch her legs around his waist, hands dropping away once she was secure, sliding instead under her shirt, tugging just hard enough for the buttons to pop off. Which was sad, because she quite liked this shirt.

He pulled away, his lips caressing soft over her collarbone, his hands roving, slow now. Zoe's attention to the idea that someone might see them was fading fast, Levi's warm hands coaxing it to the back of her mind. She was hoisted up a bit more, catching the way his eyes flickered over her, hungry, almost, and fuck that was working for her.

His hand dropped from her, going to his crotch, adjusting himself. Levi's eyes were back on hers, noticing her looking, and his smirk was a bit too cocky, her hips in both of his hands as he moved her, skirt rumpled up around her lower stomach, settling himself directly between her legs. Her breath was shaky, trying to collect herself, feeling that she was a bit too pliant, wished for a say in how he was handling her.

Not that he'd give her one.

His hands moved faster, and his nails came into play, mouth hard on hers for a long while, kisses backed by the hands that kneaded at her breasts, then slow down to her ass, grinding against her. She felt the way she usually did with Levi, that she was just hanging on to her best ability, able to keep up to only an extent. But he liked that, Zoe thought, liked her semi-innocence, loved fucking her until she couldn't stand, feel her legs, knowing that he was the only one who could do that to her, or was at least one of the people. It was a lie she tried to keep up, just to keep his ego down.

Levi was used to giving orders, or just having a handle on things in his life. She knew he wasn't going to stay in the Scout Regiment, him having told her his plan one night, her limp body close to his, wondering how he could operate after that. Of course, he liked that as well, when she was fucked out, told her what she looked like when he was fucking her mouth.

Sometimes, his expression was unchanging, and a tiny little thrill would run through her, because she loved being under him as much as he liked her in that limp state. He'd prop his hand over the back of a chair, if he was in one, a hand on the back of her neck to set her pace, as if she was lucky to have him in her mouth. And she fucking loved that, she swore it was going trouble her one day, but for now; her hands tightened in his hair, mouth open, breath pushed out, the feel of hard length just enough, that if there was time, she could come from it.

Had once. Zoe recalled the time, remembered the short laugh he'd given, asking her if she'd just came, even though he fucking knew the answer. The fucker just wanted to hear her say it. She had, and the next second she'd been manhandled onto her knees and out of her underwear. She'd put up a hand, a half-hearted attempt to slow him down, but his low voice was in her ear, body curved snug over her, "move that hand before I fucking break it."

She turned her head, pressed it into his throat, moaning low at the memory. Zoe would've protested as his hands fumbled with her underwear, managing to rip it, motor capabilities hindered by his fairly tipsy state, but didn't. All she did was just give a little shudder of anticipation, his fingers sliding brief over her, a noise from him as well, one that made her happy, mostly with the idea that he wanted her. Out of everyone.

"So fucking wet for me," he murmured, "all for me." he spoke them slow, almost independent of each other. " Aren't you, Zoe?" Levi's thumb moved over her clit, eyes raising to hers, as if he needed to hear something he already knew.

"Yes," she nodded, tipping her head back, voice trembling when he pressed into her, "I'm yours."

For a time, he was gentle, holding her like he did that one time she'd almost gotten herself severely hurt, as if this would keep her together. Then she asked him to fuck her harder, and he'd chuckled, practically stopping, making sure she felt every inch of him. Her words took a drastic turn after a minute of this, blubbering into his skin, nails dragging against his scalp, dropping to drag as far under his shirt as she could, Levi pressing her hard against the wall.

He stood there, let her plead with him until her voice broke off, and spoke instead, "You're number one in class rankings. For Cadets."

She whimpered, tipping her head, despite her body's trembling, trying to focus on the writing.

1: Zoe Roth: Displays beyond proficient use of 3D movement gear, sword use, as well as physical ability and stamina. Her learning abilities match this, and with practice in the field, her stratagems could see this level. Though, she's not a team player(concerning her other Cadets), and struggles with leadership positions in a large way. Again, it may change, with use, but her trust in other's abilities is obviously lacking greatly, and interferes with her work. Her abilities cover this weakness, though only barely, and she can work with a singular partner, at, or above her level of skill.

"Should I teach you how to be a leader?" he asked, teeth dragging slow over her throat. "Hmm?" he seemed to think otherwise, still not moving, and she fucking needed it. "No, I like you like this. Under me, Zoe, with that look you have. Pretty lips around me, or, fuck, that voice you have, fucking wrecked, you little," he broke off, head tipped down, picking a pace that met her request, and she yanked on his hair, lacing her ankles behind him.

The soft noises of the evening didn't to much to muffle their own. His hand sealed over her lips, and she shut her eyes, moaning unabashedly into his palm, knowing her back would at least be sore enough to match the bruises he was inflicting with his fingers at her waist, knew haze of pleasure could mask the power he really put behind his thrusts. His breath came sharp, enough for her to hear, and she focused on it, knowing she'd never get enough of them, or him, for that matter, so fucking close, fuck, he was going to kill her.

"Now, Zoe," he managed, and she did, so impossibly good at following orders, especially from him, and especially like this.

His hips shuddered, that, at least, she noted,wrapping herself tight around him, almost knocking him off balance, but his hands were still on the wall, pinning her. She muffled her normal cry, curses hushed to a degree, sweaty skin sticking his, the buttons on his shirt somehow off. Zoe hadn't noticed, just happy to appreciate how warm he was, coming down slowly. He didn't usually breathe as heavy as he was, strong body suddenly trembling under the weight.

At some point, the finally cold evening air made her shiver, and he moved, making a vague attempt to rebutton her shirt. She watched him, wishing he hadn't ruined her underwear either. His lips touched slow over her sternum, trading place for his head, and she wondered if that was some sort of payback for ruining her shirt and underwear. She'd prefer the actual items back, if he could manage it.

I think I might love you, she thought, eyes on his, wondering if he could read her mind. Levi set her down, arranging himself, catching her before her sway turned into a full fall. Then he turned, and walked away, turning around the corner before the darkness swallowed him. .

Like he always did, words meaning nothing, apparently.


- We should've talked if just to clear the space. But now we stare at each other, buryin' whatever feeling that was.