Chapter 9

Levi had returned to headquarters and seethed overnight, much to the confusion and dismay of his subordinates. Connie, Jean and Sasha had all resolved to find out what exactly was wrong with their heichou, and only ceased their mission when threatened with cleaning out the stables for the next week. Armin, Eren and Mikasa hadn't bothered to interfere, thank the gods, and knew better than to get involved. Eren out of all of them seemed to know that something wasn't right with him, but refrained from asking.

Eren didn't know about Petra yet. He'd taken her death hard as well, blaming himself for the deaths of his former teammates because it was he who had sent them out on that expedition in the first place, but Levi had reassured him countless times he was wrong. Now that Petra was alive everything was going to get stirred back up again, old memories and wounds that were supposed to have been banished and healing over time. Levi wondered how he was going to break the news to the team, if he was going to at all. As far as Levi knew only Eren had met Petra. Perhaps they didn't all need to know.

He'd decided around midnight that he was going to find this Special Operations Squad, the one the Garrison had put together, and find out exactly how much they knew. He'd bribed a couple low-level security guards in the Garrison's headquarters to fetch him the classified files he needed, and spent the entire night pouring over every detail in them he could find. He'd come up with little he didn't already know, but it was enough to piece together a decent picture.

Only three groups of people knew about Petra's status; the Garrison unit that had recovered her at the Wall (and been transferred out to the Utopia district the same month, most likely to keep them quiet), Pixis and his two other commanders Anka Rheinberger and Gustav, and Erwin Smith. It hadn't been common knowledge that Petra was alive, but it wasn't kept a total secret either. She'd never been pronounced dead publically, and no one outside of the Survey Corps or the Garrison knew about her origins. Anyone could have asked around her village or talked to her father and discovered the truth, but no questions were asked and no one doubted her story- she'd been out of military commission a while due to medical leave (which was technically true) and went through retraining to become fit for duty again.

As far as Levi could tell, there was no 'cover-up', or even a lie. She'd been under his nose all along, stationed right in Trost at Wall Maria. They could have walked right past each other and he wouldn't have noticed. He'd been too blind to see what was right in front of him.

The Stationary Guard's main headquarters in Wall Maria were a few miles outside Hermina, and it took Levi half a day to get there. He'd been let into the facility with little difficult, staing he had an appointment with one of the captains there. Being labeled 'Humanity's Finest' wasn't a title Levi openly enjoyed, but it had its advantages. This was one of them.

He came across a dark-skinned young man in a Garrison uniform and stopped him. He looked familiar, though Levi couldn't place him. Maybe he had one of those faces. The squad leader showed him his credentials and asked him where he could find the Special Operations Squad. "I need to speak with a couple of the members," he told him sternly, straightening his shoulders out with what he hoped looked like authority. "It's urgent, about their squad leader."

The tall young man frowned and shrugged, eyes narrowing suspiciously. Levi could tell he wasn't stupid; he knew something was off. "Why don't you just ask her yourself?" he replied, crossing his arms. "She's training one of team members in the courtyard now."

Levi nodded. "I will then." He paused, looking around. He'd never actively explored the Garrison's headquarters before, as he'd never had the need to and usually didn't venture in at all if he could help it. "Where's the courtyard?"

The soldier beckoned towards the southern hall. "Down that way. I'll take you there now." He led Levi down several corridors and past numerous groups of soldiers, who all stopped and stared as he passed by. His guide didn't say anything, but Levi could hear bits and pieces of their conversations.

"Hey, isn't that-"

"-Captain Levi-"

"-Special Operations Squad."

"Humanity's Finest."

"-hear he's cold as ice-"

"-emotionless-"

"-best soldier there is."

"I hear he didn't even have to go through the Trainee Corps."

"Nah, he can't be. He's too short."

"-handsome, isn't he?"

"-wonder what he's doing here-"

"-incident at the courthouse yesterday after the trial-"

"-Petra heichou won't like it."

The last statement got his attention, but the voice who said it and face it belonged to was too far away for Levi pinpoint. The soldier led him down one last hallway before stopping near one of the large doorways leading outside. He opened it and ushered him through, and Levi was confronted with a covered walkway along the sides of the courtyard. Only two soldiers were present, both female, standing out in the open with long bo staffs in their hands. They were sparring out on the grass, with the shorter of the two women firing instructions at the other, who was taller but obviously younger and less experienced.

"Move your feet!" the woman shouted, swinging at her opponent with her staff and nearly whacking her across the face. "You're getting lazy, Jewel, not thinking. I could have impaled you in the stomach twice already, you're leaving your vitals too exposed. Stop worrying about your face and starting focusing on mine- hey now!"

The younger bottle blonde girl swung at her again, this time almost striking her teacher across her ribcage. The older woman barely avoiding the collision by diving over the swipe and blocking it with her staff. "Better, better. Less emotion next time. You're letting me taunt you." This time the woman brought her leg out and snap kicked the girl named Jewel into her side, bringing her down to her knees before sending her sprawling out on her back with a well-placed hit across her chest. "Don't let me get inside your head. You get sloppy that way."

Jewel glared up at her sparring partner, though Levi could tell it was more out of frustration than genuine hatred. Indeed, it was almost grudging respect. "If you'd stop talking, heichou, I could probably land a couple strikes."

The woman laughed and stuck her bo staff into the ground. She let her hair fall down from the ponytail she'd had it in, and Levi felt the blood drain from his face. Petra Ral was still exactly as he remembered. He'd seen her in the courthouse, yes, but he'd been in shock then too. Now he could think clearly, and he took in every detail in now that he was up close.

Her hair was longer but still the light ginger she'd always been, her golden-amber colored eyes sparkling in the afternoon sun. She was still short, still Petra, but at the same time she was so different. She stood was an air of authority and command, like she was respectable and to be respected. She fought more strength and fury, less emotion and attachment. A thin white scar jutted out at him, shiny and chilling. It was new, and Levi didn't remember it. The prospect of it coming from her time out in Titan territory terrified him, and filled him with regret. He could see the change in her immediate. She was calculating, merciless, and precise. She wasn't to be submitting to anyone, and it was always on her terms. She was determined and fearless, but there was peace and kindness there as well, not completely gone but only layered and calloused.

Her laugh was still the same, Levi took comfort in noticing. It was soft and melodic, almost free and couldn't be constrained. It almost made him smile- almost.

"Do you want that promotion or not?" she asked, almost teasingly. "You said you don't want to stay here forever, Jewel, and that means working hard to get wherever it is you want to go. And that," she smacked the staff in the palm of her hand "means practice. Hand to hand combat is the most important thing you're going to need if you want to work in civilian affairs, and some civilians aren't friendly. You're going to come across criminals, criminals bigger than you, and you'll need all the help you can get if you want to make it out of that fight in one piece."

She extended her hand and helped her student up to her feet. Jewel smiled gratefully. "But what about rifles, and shooting? Don't the soldiers in civilian affairs use guns instead of 3DMGs?"

Petra shrugged. "I'd think so. No need for the gear, unless you're working in Trost- which you won't be, if I have anything to say about it." She chuckled again, patted her on the back and pointed across the courtyard. "I think we're done for the day. Go get cleaned up. Dinner's in an hour."

Jewel nodded and saluted proudly before running off. "Yes heichou!"

Levi had forgotten about the soldier standing next to him, but he remembered when the young man stepped forward and bowed to Petra. "Petra heichou!" he saluted quickly, stiffly walking towards her. "I've got a man from the Survey Corps here to see you. Says it's urgent."

It sounded strange and looked strange, the way she received the respectful greeting, like it was more of a friendly wave between equally-placed friends than a sign of respect. Petra looked over at the young man and nodded before glancing over at Levi. He sensed the faint recognition, and a small glimmer of hope rippled through him, but it was gone the moment she turned away. "Thank you Oro," she replied, addressing him cordially. "I'll take it from here. You're dismissed."

The soldier named Oro nodded politely and started to leave, but Petra called after him. "And go find Mason and David, will you? We have a scheduled briefing at eight, and I'm not going to excuse tardiness just because they lost track of time!"

She turned to Levi and frowned, bowing towards him but making no effort to move towards him as he walked across the green to greet her. "Captain Levi Ackerman," she said, folding her arms across her chest and nodding at him. "An honor, to finally meet Humanity's Finest in person. What can I do for you?"

They shook hands cordially, but all Levi wanted to do pull her into a hug and never let her go. He needed to know she was there, that she was real and breathing and safe, but he could do was clasp her hand in his and smile politely, ignoring the painful pit forming at the bottom of his stomach. "Captain Levi's fine," he replied, nodding towards her. He looked around the courtyard, making sure no one was around. "When I dropped by, I wasn't expected you to be here. I was actually preparing to speak with your squad."

Petra shrugged and waved it off. "I originally wasn't. I had planned to take time off, but the trial changed things. I'll be staying here in town until it's over. You can deal directly with me-"she raised an arched eyebrow "-unless, of course, my absence had been what you were counting on."

"Oh no!" Levi quickly said, waving his hand and brushing the comment away. It was practically shaking, and he hastily tried to steady it. "It's just, I… I hadn't been expected, and it's extremely sudden-"

Petra laughed, the musical laughter that made Levi's spine shiver. "That's ok," she reassured him. "I suppose I'd be embarrassed too."

That stopped him, and he felt his eyebrows instinctively rise in confusion. "What?"

Petra chuckled to herself, and she beckoned him forward. "If you'd walk with me, I could still talk to you. I've got a meeting after dinner, and there's paperwork I need to get in order before that happens." He nodded and followed her across the courtyard and back inside, towards what he assumed was her office. "I'm sorry, I was ordered not to discuss the trial outside of court," she continued, idly chatted like it was perfectly normal. "I can't even talk to my own squad about it, and they were there when it happened. I understand the Survey Corps are anxious to know more about Reeves' conspiracy and if it affects the efforts within their branch, but I'm afraid your questions will have to wait…"

Levi frowned, startled. "Wait a moment- You think I'm coming.. here, to your headquarters… to ask you about the war crimes trial?"

Petra nodded absently as she unlocked her office and walked over to her file cabinet. "That was what you had needed to ask me directly afterwards yesterday, wasn't it? I do apologize about Gustav and Anka. They've had their fair share of assassin run-ins working for Pixis and his family, and I suppose you startled them."

Levi snorted humorlessly. "It's not you who needs to be apologizing. I think your friend Anka gave me a concussion."

"She can do much worse," Petra replied, chuckling again as she sat down at her desk with a random file and ushered Levi into the chair across from her. "Anyhow, like I said, my hands are tied until after the trial, and I'd prefer it if you didn't speak with my squad until then. I can go over my testimony, of course, but still…"

Reality struck Levi like a blow to the back of the hand- a lot like the flooring he got from Anka. He didn't remember him. She was captain of her own squad, with as much or more authority than he had, and she led a completely different life. His gut twisted, and if he'd been any less of a man he'd have sobbed. It was like losing his former squad all over again, except a lot worse. He bit the inside of his check and drew blood, letting the coppery taste fill his mouth without resent. He was almost at a loss for words, and he struggled to hold himself together.

She thought he was here about the trial. He'd play along with her, just for a couple more minutes with her. He had to know she was ok. He used to be her superior; she had been his responsibility once, hadn't she? One conversation couldn't hurt.

He shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "Um, yes, going back over your testimony would be good. My commander wants to get this matter settled as soon as possible.." His voice trailed off, and his jerked back to reality again when Petra started laughing. "What?"

She smiled broadly, so familiarly it hurt. "You look tense. Pressure from higher up?"

Levi sank back and shrugged. "I suppose."

She shook her head and shuffled a couple of papers. "I get it. It's been a long couple of days."

More than you know, Levi thought, but he focused on her again. "So, testimony. Could you go over the basic details? I'm not the judge, so I won't ask the annoying questions."

Petra nodded and leaned back into her chair, crossing her arms over her chest and thinking. "My squad was sent out an hour into the attack on Trost. I'd received the call from the frontlines and sent them out in pairs of two, one set to the ground to survey the damage and the other to interview the wall security guards on duty. They came back, informed me that reinforcements from the Middle Guard are advancing from Hermiha and the Rear Guard is on standby. Considering the size of the breach and how many were dead at the time- one hundred- I made the call and sent them down to keep the Front Guard from advancing too far into the chaos. Rookies trying to be heroes, you know? It wasn't until later we found out the Middle Guard was already there, and that half of the Front Guard that had been commissioned were dead."

The young woman's face darkened suddenly, a look Levi didn't recognize as hers. Her golden eyes changed dramatically, and anger sparked inside of them. She couldn't stop more soldiers from dying, and even if it hadn't been her that had sent them pummeling to their deaths she felt responsible. It was a feeling Levi knew well, and it scared him that she had hundreds of lives weighing down on her shoulders as opposed to his four. She was no longer the happy and optimistic soul that had been the heart of his squad- had she really changed that much?

"I personally oversaw the last of the Titans fall- killed half of them myself, actually, not that anyone was counting," she continued, fingering an unfamiliar-looking necklace. It was a simple wooden rose, painted red, obviously the Garrison's call sign. Levi never remembered Petra buying anything like that for herself. Perhaps it had been a gift, but from whom? A strange sensation boiled at the bottom of Levi's stomach, and he ignored it. He didn't recognize that neither. "We were too late, after a hit like that, but once we received the news that someone had called in the Middle and Rear Guards without authorization we were sent to scour the ranks. Find out who had given the orders, and why."

Levi raised an eyebrow. "Your squad was sent to bring Reeves in?"

Petra shrugged. "Maybe not Reeves specifically, but find out who was responsible. Yes, it's technically the Military Police's job, but Pixis didn't trust them to do a thorough job, not with all the political agendas in Sina's ranks. We're not called the Special Operations Squad for nothing, Captain Levi. I'm sure you've have certain orders you had to carry out that weren't exactly your original job."

She looked at him omnisciently, like she knew exactly what he did even though she couldn't remember her time doing it herself. It was unnerving, and Levi didn't like it. He decided he'd had enough and stood up, walking over to her desk and holding out a tense hand. "I'm sure I have. I probably need to get going. Dinner hour's almost over, and I'm sure you have a meeting to run."

Petra smiled as she shook his hand firmly, genuinely this time, lighting up her face and returning her to normal, even if it was for just a brief moment. "Thank you. You have everything your superiors need?"

Levi nodded, swallowing hard. It was a white lie at worst. "Yes, I'm sure this'll be sufficient. Thank you for your time, Captain Ral."

He headed for the door, but Petra's voice stopped him. "It's Petra, if you don't mind," she replied, chuckled mirthly. "And you're welcome. If you need anything else, don't hesitate to ask."

Levi nodded and left. "I will."

The chapter you all have been waiting for! Now, to assuage zeGuy and other reader's worries- yes, this is Rivetra fic. No, zeGuy, there are no such things as stupid questions, and thank you for wanting to check the SNK Fanfiction site for my story. I like you.

Funny some of you should ask this, but you're right- I'm not pumping these out of a whim. At this point I have 5 chapters lined up to publish, but I'm holding off publishing a lot of them at once until I get a few more done and replenish my supply. Don't worry, I'm not abandoning this beautiful story- who do you think I am?

TTFN & R&R!

-rellimmes