Disclaimer: I don't own 進撃の巨人

Warning: spoilers up till manga chapter 56. Also, mentions some rather dark and sensitive topics in relation to Levi's backstory, which may be hard to digest.

A/N: This is a Levi-centric chapter, the one that finally reveals his backstory. I was going to write and publish chapter revealing the truth about the Titans first, and write and publish Levi's backstory next. However, after the events of chapter 56 (you probably know what I'm talking about) I was really excited and wanted to write about Levi. So here it is. The Levi backstory chapter.

The first part of this is mainly a narration of sorts, hope it's not too tedious to read. Then there a few flashbacks as well, touching up on moments that happened in chapters 5 - 8 of this story. And then it goes back to the present. It sounds confusing but I'm hoping the way I've written it, it won't read as confusing.

I hope you enjoy this. Thank you all for your tremendous support so far! Please leave a review at the end and let me know what you think!


Losing Control

Chapter 10: Revelation


Levi had never enjoyed quite had a typical relationship with his parents. His father had been a notorious gang-leader, a don in the underground world that existed beneath the capital, a world crawling with thieves, murderers and traffickers, a hell ridden with poverty and destitution.

For the first nine years of his life, Levi had been kept entirely sheltered from this parallel world by his mother. She even had him adopt her maiden name as his last name, to keep him from being recognized by potential enemies of his father, a fact which Levi learnt of much later. For the first nine years of his life, Levi barely had any recollection of meeting his father. He didn't even know the man's full name; underground he went by an alias, one which Levi also only learnt of much later.

Levi's father would always be underground, caught up in whatever business he was dealing with. He would rarely ever frequent their home, and when he would, he would be drunk, reeking of liquor and perfume. Sometimes he bought other woman home with him - exotic women with skin darker than Levi had ever seen, or fair-skinned women with long, silky hair the color of charcoal - Levi never understood why his father bought home these random women until he was older. He just heard the strange thumps and noises coming from his father's room. When he asked his mother about it, she burst into tears, and he never breached the subject again.

His mother never protested or bought it up with his father; in fact, Levi didn't remember even seeing his parents speak. However, from time to time, the morning after his father had left to disappear into his underground hole for days, Levi would see his mother crying, and scrubbing away furiously throughout the house, until every last whiff of perfume and alcohol was gone, and the entire place smelled like disinfectant.

Later on he realized that she was trying to get rid of the smell of his fathers' frequent fornications. As a child however, he had no idea about the reason. But he was also annoyed by the smell, and realized that somehow the cleaning process was cathartic for his mother, so he eventually joined her. Once, after his father had left, Levi had cleaned the entire room before his mother had woken up. She had smiled at him that morning, and it was the first time he had seen her smile in awhile. Soon enough, Levi picked up the obsessive cleaning habit as well.

For nine years, Levi led a relatively normal life... until his father decided to take an interest in him for the first time. Despite his mother's pleading and begging, Levi was taken to the underground world as an apprentice of sorts. He was exposed to the network of debauchery and crime that his father indulged in on a daily basis: drug trade, smuggling and human trafficking being three of his particularly well-established trades.

Levi had been absolutely appalled, and had downright refused to partake in the activities at first. But his father had been convincing, disgustingly so. He used Levi's mother's life to persuade him, threatening to harm her if Levi did not cooperate. For four years, Levi assisted his father in his dirty work, inwardly despising himself and trying to convince himself that the suffering of strangers was worth his mother's life. Eventually, he became detached from the work, doing as was ordered of him: he experienced no sadistic joy from harming others but carried out his father's barbaric orders nonetheless. Given his position as a don's son, Levi had a choice in terms of what kind of work he would directly participate in. He chose the jobs involving smuggling and drugs, maintaining as much distance as he could from the twisted world of human trafficking. None of his work involved direct killing or kidnapping, but he was an overseer nonetheless, and a dispenser of commands that would result in more than a few lost lives.

Levi was allowed to visit his mother twice a year, though his father would always accompany him, and the visits would be short, terse, and full of tension. The final visit took place on his thirteenth birthday; a day in which his father had consumed more than his usual daily dose of alcohol in addition to excessive drugs. In a drunken, delirious fit, the man had proceeded to stab and then rape Levi's mother, right in front of his eyes. A horrified Levi could not bear to witness the site, or hear his mother's pained screams, and grabbed the nearest object - a large, wooden coat stand - and bludgeoned his father's head repeatedly.

He rushed his mother to the hospital, but she succumbed to her injuries and passed away before they could make it there. The realization that he had lost both of his parents in one night - one of them by his own hand - drove Levi crazy. He roamed the streets like an urchin for a few weeks, barely caring if he lived or died. Eventually, he was found by two of his father's gang-members, and was taken back underground. There were rumors floating around that he had killed his father, but for some reason, this seemed to make his name one that garnered fear and respect among the criminals. He was appointed the new overload, the new don of the underworld.

For over three years, Levi continued his father's business, possibly even more detached than he had been before. He was most involved with the groups that stole and looted from the nobles; the lazy but lucky lot who were preferred by the king, and who had accumulated far too much luxury. The human trafficking continued as well, but Levi left most of that work to his subordinates, giving careless orders based on the information that was presented to him. At the age of fourteen, he even started doing weed, and other drugs, mostly as an escape - despite the fact that he couldn't tolerate the smell.

Things changed when he was fifteen; one of the carts his men had hijacked contained supplies for the Military Police, including a bunch of newly-manufactured state-of-the-art shiny 3D Maneuver Gears. Levi had been intrigued by the contraptions, and had immediately started using them. He acclimatized himself to their usage quite quickly. Eventually, he started using the 3DMG wherever he went: to maneuver along the narrow underground tunnels and passageways, through the maze of pipes and shoddy buildings. The skill came naturally to him, and it gave him a sensation of flying, a feeling of freedom - despite the fact that he was cooped up underground.

Fuel supplies were short at the time, so when he couldn't smuggle or steal fuel, Levi began using the 3DMG without it, relying only on his own physical strength to create momentum for swings, and using powerful throws to latch his hooks onto surfaces. It made him a lot less efficient than when he was using gas, since he couldn't achieve close to as much speed, height or distance, but Levi was able to finally master the art of using the 3DMG to it's max without any gas; the first and only human to achieve such a feat. It made him all the more deadly when he did have the additional mobility of gas powering him.

3DMG gave him a high that drugs could not, and by sixteen, Levi had discarded his use of drugs. He eventually abandoned the human trafficking ring as well, choosing to focus on smuggling supplies and food to improve the quality of his lifestyle, and those close to him. Of all of his accomplices and acquaintances, he grew close to only two: Isabel, a young girl who he had rescued from bandits, an energetic, cheerful but rather impulsive child who revered him and regarded him as an older brother... and Farlan, a quiet but calculating youth, the only male underground whose loyalty to Levi came out of true respect rather than fear. Levi trained both Isabel and Farlan in 3DMG usage as well.

He had been nearly eighteen when he first met Erwin, a captain in the Scouting Legion at the time, whose initial mission had been to capture Levi and his gang of thugs. However, impressed by Levi's aptitude with the 3DMG, Erwin recognized Levi's potential, and the fact that the uncouth young man could be honed into a savior of mankind if his skills were harnessed to fight Titans instead of Military Police and enemy gangs. He forced Levi and his friends to join the Scouting Legion, something which Levi agreed to rather begrudgingly.

Upon joining the Legion, Levi's initial aim was to kill Erwin for forcing him into the service of the King. However, over time he realized that the Scouting Legion's true purpose was to defend humanity. Inside the walls, he had heard of the Titans but had been so involved in the human circle of destruction that he had not bothered about them, dismissing them as a threat outside the walls that didn't pose any true risk. However, after seeing them face to face, he recognized them as the true source of humanity's suffering, the reason why humanity had been driven behind the walls in the first place, and the reason for all the poverty and crime that had germinated the underworld and nefarious activities associated with it. Though Levi retained his hatred and cynicism towards the political system, he shifted his anger onto the Titans. He was a lethal Titan-killer, and after his first mission, his name was known throughout the Scouting Legion.

Levi's second mission outside the walls was where tragedy struck yet again, as it was the mission that cost both Isabel and Farlan their lives. The night of their death, driven by grief, Levi attempted to kill the man who had been the commanding officer in charge of their squad during that mission: Erwin Smith. He blamed Erwin for recruiting them and roping them into the whole mess in the first place, and for failing to protect his subordinates. They fought, blade to blade, and both sustained injuries; but before the fight could end either way, other soldiers, attracted by the noise showed up on the scene and stopped Levi from attacking a senior officer. Levi's act of insubordination was one that could have cost him his life, but Erwin had pleaded that he be pardoned. He visited Levi in the hospital room a couple days later and explained everything: his past life, his goals, his sacrifices, his regrets. Levi saw in Erwin a part of himself, and made his peace with the man, forgiving him for even Isabel and Farlan, since it was clear that Erwin's guilt over their deaths was something that even he wouldn't be able to understand... until years later, when Levi's own precious handpicked team of subordinates was entirely wiped out in a fateful mission under his command.

Thereafter, Levi and Erwin became trusted comrades, and Levi rose in ranks among the Scouting Legion. He eventually befriended Hanji as well, though their relationship was a tempestuous one, fraught with bickering. Still, Erwin and Hanji were the first two people Levi let into his life after Isabel and Farlan. It wasn't for another five years that he met Petra for the first time, but that was another story that ended in tragedy, a tragedy that affected Levi more than any other.

Levi reveled in killing Titans; it gave him a satisfaction that his life as thug never had. He considered it a sort of redemption for his past sins, though he liked to think that the number of people he saved with his Titan-killing outnumbered the number of people that his previous misdeeds had harmed.

After Petra's death, he promised not to let himself care for anyone so deeply, not develop attachments to any new person that entered his life.

Mikasa Ackerman, however, forced him to break this promise. From the moment he saw her, Levi had always been drawn to the girl, seeing in her a reflection of himself. He didn't understand it, but something about her intrigued him from the moment he noticed her glaring at him across the courtroom as he pummeled Eren. Thereafter, on their first joint mission to rescue Eren from the Female Titan, Levi found himself oddly concerned about her safety. Despite the fact that he barely knew her, he was overtaken by a protective instinct he hadn't felt since Isabel or the freshly-deceased Petra at the time, an urge greater than his usual desire to protect his comrades and subordinates.

During the mission to Shiganshina with Eren, Levi found himself concerned about her emotional welfare, something which shocked him as well. Mikasa's coldness towards him began to gradually thaw, and Levi soon recognized that the face of loathing she put on towards him was more of a show than an indication of genuine hatred. When she lost her hand, he had been stunned at how much it affected him.

It fell into place, however, during the time both he and Mikasa were bed-ridden following the Shiganshina mission and fateful attack on Wall Rose that followed it. Frustrated at lying in bed helpless all day, Levi, in a fit to do some sort of work, had decided to sort the old Scouting Legion records that had been sent over by the Military Police, a job that he and Erwin had both neglected for years simply because - well, among deriving survival recon strategies, keeping a wary eye on the Military Police and fighting Titans - they had better things to do with their time than look at old photographs and birth certificates. He had come across his own record then... and received the surprise of his lifetime.


Levi Ackerman. The corporal's eyes widened, unable to process the words he was seeing.

Levi Ackerman.

The photo attached along with the birth certificate was unmistakeable, his own bored countenance, albeit much younger, staring right back at him with a contemptuous gaze. The date of birth was also the same: December 25th. Unless he had a doppelganger with the same first name and birthday as him in the Scouting Legion, that piece of paper was most certainly referring to him. Levi had never seen his own birth certificate, or even bothered that such a document existed, till that point. But the name on the certificate, labeling it as his name, his identity - that made the faded and tattered piece of paper one of paramount importance.

Levi had never known his father's surname, and had always used his mother's maiden name as his own, discarding it once he began his life underground. He was known everywhere as simply 'Levi' and never really bothered about his unknown true last name. Even if he had bothered, he would have never once imagined it to be Ackerman of all possible things.

He knew only one other Ackerman (since he was more than certain that both her parents were dead, courtesy of him).

A pair of dark eyes, a mouth curved downwards in disdain, hair like strands of midnight.

It can't be.

Levi had Erwin dig up some of the Military Police records when he visited the capital, and what Erwin found shocked him even more.

Levi's father's full name was Lukas Ackerman. Lukas Ackerman had a younger brother named Erik Ackerman. And a thin line connect Erik Ackerman's name to his own daughter's: Mikasa Ackerman.

Even then, Levi had refused to believe it, more horrified by the revelation that he had pretty much issued the order that lead to the deaths of his own aunt and uncle.

He'd asked Hanji to check the blood samples, for indisputable proof.


"Good news!" Hanji chirped, bouncing into Levi's room one evening. "Oh, good you're here to celebrate as well, Erwin."

"The blood test results are back, I assume?" Erwin looked amused. "What's the verdict?"

"Congratulations Levi!" Hanji grinned widely. "You have a little sister! Well, cousin sister to be correct, but it's all the same!"

Levi was silent, trying to come to terms with the fact.

Mikasa. Mikasa's my younger sister. She's my family. I have family and... it's her.

"No comments?" Erwin raised an eyebrow. "Didn't you always want a younger sister? You did seem rather attached to - Isabel, at one point in time."

This is different. Mikasa isn't like Isabel though, she's - she's different. She's -

"Imagine the look on Eren's face though!" Hanji squealed. "Oh, I can't wait to tell him."

"Don't," Levi said sharply, glaring at Hanji. He looked at her and then Erwin, his voice serious. "I don't want either of them knowing. I don't want anyone knowing."

"But Levi?" Hanji looked disappointed. "Don't you think they would want to know? I'm sure Eren would be elated - eventually. And Mikasa - it would be nice for her to have some real family around, blood family."

"I'll tell her when I'm ready to, okay," Levi muttered. "I don't want you getting in the way."

"Aw, look at that!" Hanji sounded absolutely gleeful. "Someone's getting touchy. How adorable."

"Shut up, four-eyes."

I killed my father. I couldn't save my mother. I killed my aunt and uncle. I killed my family. And Mikasa is my younger sister, and she's all I have left.

Levi didn't get any sleep that night.


Levi leaned on his crutches, hesitating. He was outside Mikasa's room and it was nearly midnight. She ought to be asleep by now, he reasoned, but that was his whole point of visiting so late. He wanted to see her - but he also wasn't quite ready to face her.

He thought back to their mission to Shiganshina: that was probably the time when she had began to open up to him, when he began to get the feeling that she truly trusted her. During the weeks he had spent training her personally, he hadn't gotten that impression, but during that mission, something had changed between them.

Shit. I think I may have hit on her a few times, as a joke, Levi realized with horror, before dismissing it. Mikasa wouldn't care, she was more likely to scoff in his face. Her reaction is bound to be lovely though.

He had thought about it for a few days and had decided that he didn't mind being blood-related to Mikasa at all. Rather, she was the one person in the world who he didn't consider it a disgrace to share blood with.

Imagine if it had been that brat Jaeger. That would have been a nightmare. Or worse, a freak like Hanji.

Levi shuddered at the thought, finally resolving himself and turning the handle to Mikasa's door.

She was asleep as he had expected, but not alone.

"Le-Levi heichou!" Jean looked rather embarrassed as he jumped up from his chair in the corner of the room where he was sitting.

"How long have you been there?"

"Just - just five minutes or so," Jean lied. "She - she just fell asleep. I was about to leave."

"It's far past your bedtime," Levi told him, making his way over to the chair. "If I find you slacking off at training tomorrow it will be a week of scrubbing the toilets for you."

Grumbling, a disgruntled Jean trudged off, leaving Levi alone with his younger sister.

He sat there, for a few minutes, simply watching her sleep. Nothing in her face resembled him; perhaps the only similarity was their jet black hair. She had clearly gone on her mother, though he had known that from the day he seen the bird tattoo that had been etched into her wrist. He had vowed to protect her then, as an absolution of his past sins that had rendered her alone in the world, without a family.

Levi felt that strong sense of protectiveness well up in him yet again.

You're not alone though, Mikasa. You have me.

He had failed her yet again, he realized sadly, his eyes lingering to the wrappings that covered the stump where her hand should have been.

I'm being as much of a creep as Jean, sitting here like this and looking at her.

Suddenly, Levi couldn't take it anymore, and left.


He visited her room again, a few nights later, when nobody was around.

This time, he scooted his chair closer to her bed, still not daring to wake her. He wasn't ready to tell her, and he wasn't even sure how she would react.

After a few moments, Levi reached forwards, his fingers brushing her bangs out of her eyes, tracing the scar along her cheek.

Never again, he swore to himself. As long as I'm alive, I won't let you suffer even a single injury, ever again. Not you.

He realized, a lump growing in his throat, that over time, even against his will, Mikasa had somehow become precious to him. And he had already lost too many precious people.


"Eren's missing?" Levi shot out of his bed as fast as he could for a man with a broken leg, getting onto his crutches.

"Do you have any idea where he could be?" Erwin asked, looking rather harrowed as they made their way through the corridor.

"Have you checked Mikasa's room?"

"No, but - "

"Erwin-danchou! Levi-heichou!" Connie Springer ran towards them, breathless.

"Have you seen Eren?" Erwin asked.

"I haven't sir!" Connie cried. "Is he missing too?"

At Connie's words, Levi's heart dropped. If another person was missing along with Eren, he was going to bet all his money on who that person was.

Don't tell me... Mikasa, you...

Connie's next words confirmed Levi's fears.

"Fuck," Levi swore, turning to Erwin. "What did I tell you?"

"I'll go look for them at once," Erwin said, his face grim.

"I'm coming with you," Levi said immediately, instinctively.

You idiot. You're injured! How dare you leave that bed!

Erwin put his foot down, however, despite Levi's protests. Levi didn't care at that moment for the state of his damned leg, and didn't care if he exacerbated his injury.

Mikasa had gone missing, and she was injured. Even though she was probably with Eren, Levi didn't trust the brat with her, not quite yet. And Eren was also another concern of his. Between the two of them, he wondered how he managed to stay sane.


Levi spent over 24 agonizing hours without sleep, hobbling back and forth in his bedroom, waiting for some news about Mikasa and Eren.

Those idiots. They better not be dead. I'll kill them if they are. Eren, you better take care of her this time, or the beating you received last time will look like a joke. Mikasa...

He had just found his family, and even if she didn't know yet, he could not bear the possibility of losing her.


"We're back," Erwin announced, entering Levi's room after what seemed like an eternity. "Good news. Eren and Mikasa are both unharmed, and back at the headquarters."

Levi sat down on his bed, unable to conceal the relief on his face, something which Hanji immediately cottoned onto.

"Looks like the big brother has been worried," she teased. "Don't worry. Little Eren took good care of her this time. Be careful, or he might take your place as her protector."

"Shut it, hag," Levi snapped at her, turning to Erwin. "Where are they right now?"

"The medical unit I would assume," Erwin said. "If not there, perhaps the mess hall, getting food."


Levi found Mikasa and Eren in the dining hall; the brat was feeding Mikasa, looking a lot nicer and less idiotic than he usually did. Mikasa's expression and blush were both endearingly obvious.

They're so adorable it's sickening.

Levi felt a tinge of jealousy, though he would never admit it. There had been a time, still painfully fresh in his memory, when he had allowed himself to open up like Eren, though only in private, away from the eyes of the rest of his subordinates and colleagues. That girl was forever gone, dead under his watch, only the memory of her bright amber eyes and warm smile remaining to him.

Levi hoped that Mikasa would get to experience the happiness that was denied to him, that had been snatched away from him almost immediately after it had began.

He didn't want to interrupt them, but figured that when Eren was around was probably the best time to talk to Mikasa. He hadn't seen her conscious and awake after the revelation that she was his younger cousin sister... in fact, he hadn't spoken to her ever since her hand had been bitten off.

"Sorry to interrupt your hot date," he said as way of announcing his entry as he limped into the room and took the seat next to Eren.

Guess what, you little shits? I'm Mikasa's older brother. Suppose that makes me more of family to her than you are, Eren.

A part of Levi wanted to say it. The expressions on both of their faces would be priceless, and some jealousy and whining from Eren could never hurt. But he held himself back. It wasn't the time.

Besides... it's my fault both of her parents are dead... my fault that she even moved in with the Jaegers. Who wants a big brother like that?

Eren was busy stuttering out denials, red-faced, though Mikasa greeted him coolly enough.

"Heichou. Is it just me, or have you grown shorter?"

Levi was overcome by a strange urge then, to both sock her on the head, and pull her into his arms and hug her. He didn't know why. He had never been one for physical affection. Levi clenched his fists. You little idiot. Do you have any idea how fucking worried I was about you?! Don't you dare pull another stunt like that again. But he wouldn't say that to her either.

"And you're as much of an incorrigible brat as before. That's no way to talk to your -"

Older brother.

"-superior," Levi finished, glowering at the girl, though he could tell that even she knew it was half-hearted. He was too soft on her.

Mikasa bowed her head slightly, though Levi could see the mischievous sparkle in her eyes, and could detect the trace of barely-there sarcasm that lined her words. "You're right. I was out of line. My apologies."

Bitch is as bad as me some times... guess it runs in the blood.

"How are you holding up?"

"I'm fine."

She wasn't though. He could see that sadness in her eyes, and it hurt him, physically. Levi wished he could do something to help her, but he knew there was nothing that he could say or do that would make a difference. Still, he tried.

"I know how frustrating it is, not being able to use it, you know. Not being able to fight. Of course, mine is only a temporary injury so I can't imagine how much it sucks for you."

Mikasa said nothing, her gaze falling to the floor.

I'm sorry. I should have protected you better. It's my fault. I let you get hurt, yet again, on my watch.


"So basically you want me to babysit Eren again, along with the rest of the dolts you assign to my new squad," Levi said disdainfully. "Sounds fun. Can I ask who you propose to add to my happy little family?"

He shot a look at Erwin, a not-so-subtle glare that would have seemed to anyone else as annoyance, but Levi knew that Erwin knew him better.

Mikasa. You better give me Mikasa.

Mikasa herself, seemed to be thinking around the same lines about Eren. She had straightened up at Erwin's words, looking earnestly at Levi, and then Erwin and Hanji. Levi snorted inwardly at her pleading expression.

Of course I'm taking you with me.

It was a little comical how desperate she was to be with Eren, but he supposed he could understand it better. If Erwin didn't agree on having her in his squad, Levi would convince him later on, somehow.

"I know I can't fight to protect Eren," Mikasa had begun, but Erwin waved her off, rolling his eyes at Levi's pointed stare.

"Don't worry Mikasa. Of course you're going."

"Oh, wonderful," Levi said sarcastically, making sure he didn't sound even a tiny bit pleased. "My favorite."


"Thanks," Levi muttered to Erwin after the meeting.

Erwin looked amused. "You wanted her on your squad that badly?"

"If we're going somewhere safe, what better place for her to get better?"

"You just wanted to look after her," Erwin said, and Levi looked away, not meeting his eye. Erwin continued. "Besides, I didn't want to have to deal with joint tantrums from Eren, Mikasa and you if I dared separate her from your squad."


They had been separated though. Levi cursed himself, shaking his head to clear all the memories that were bombarding him. The hours had stretched on uneventfully, and he had found himself reminiscing over his past, as he flew through the trees, ignoring the increasing throbbing in his leg, which hadn't healed enough for such rigorous 3DMG usage. Levi ignored the pain as hee picked up his pace, using more gas than he was accustomed to; speed was of essence right now, and there hadn't been any more reports recently of Titans sprouting from within Wall Rose.

I shouldn't have taken the watch. I should have given it to Kirchstein, or Springer. I should have stayed close to her. He lapsed back into regret, the events of the previous day playing in his mind.


It had been entirely unexpected when their cottage blew up behind them, bombed, undoubtedly the doing of the Military Police. Levi immediately suspected the earlier letters that had been sent for Jean and Mikasa; they must have been rigged, and he wanted to slap himself for not having guessed.

He managed to avoid both the blast and the Military Police that followed soon after, barking out orders, confirming his suspicions that they were indeed responsible. Levi stayed crouched in a tree, eyeing them warily - he didn't want to get into a fight, not now, not when he had more pressing things to worry about.

The rest of his squad - Eren, Mikasa - they had been inside the cottage.

Those dogs have fucking lost it if they've decided Eren's not worth keeping alive anymore. It makes things all the more dangerous for us.

Levi scanned the perimeter, his eyes flicking from the forest to the burning house. He was more than ready to jump into the flames, Military Police be damned - if he found any sign of his squad, but before that, a movement in the forest behind the destroyed cottage caught his eye.

He squinted, trying to look closer - if he moved from his tree now, he would give his spot away, and a head-on encounter with the 3DMG-armed Military Police when his leg hadn't healed entirely could be problematic for him if it somehow ended in his capture - the last thing Levi wanted if Mikasa, Eren and the rest of his squad managed to escape.

The Military Police hadn't sighted the slight commotion near the edge of the forest, something which Levi had noticed only because of his vantage point atop the tree branches, his 3DMG hooks secured to the rough bark. He was well enough hidden by the leaves and branches, and he reasoned that if he stayed completely quiet and still, they wouldn't find him; until of course they realized that his body wasn't to be found among the burning ruins and began searching via 3DMG, but Levi surmised there were still a few minutes for that.

The figures at the edge of the forest were managing to sneak away, much to Levi's relief. He couldn't tell who was who, but his instincts told him that his squad had somehow managed to escape. It couldn't possibly be anyone else trying to elude the Military Police and get away, though there seemed to be more in the group than he would have expected.

Mikasa, Eren, Jean, Connie, Sasha... that's odd. Who could the others be?

He wanted nothing more than to follow them - but they were a couple hundred meters away, his path to them blocked by Military Police on horseback or 3DMG; it was too much to risk. A string of expletives came to his tongue, but he didn't dare utter any of them. It was his duty to protect his comrades, and yet, they were slipping out of his grasp yet again, and he could do nothing but cower in a tree and watch, feeling absolutely disgusted with the situation he was in.

The Military Police sent out a search party, confirming Levi's belief that his squad had managed to escape. He trusted in their abilities to outrun the Military Police, even with Mikasa handicapped; over time, most members of the Scouting Legion became infinitely more proficient with 3DMG than the Military Police, who barely ever had to use the gear for any practical purpose - and the ones on his squads were some of the fastest and strongest. Eren would carry Mikasa if he had to. But still, Levi couldn't help but feel worry gnaw at him as he waited out the night, hoping to remain undetected.

The Military Police were gone by the morning - along with all traces of Levi's squad. Levi spent half a day trying to track them down, but to no avail. Seeing no other option, he raced back to the Headquarters. He would have to report the situation to Erwin, restock on supplies (his gas was just a little over enough to make the journey back), probably get some sort of protective wrapping for his leg, and then set out again on a search mission.

I'm getting you all back, Levi vowed, gritting his teeth. Unless you make it back to me first. I'll follow you out of the walls into Titan territory if I have to. I am not letting another squad under my care slip out of my reach. Especially one with you in it, Mikasa. I will find you and get you back. I fucking swear it.


When he finally reached the Scouting Legion headquarters, Levi didn't even pause to catch a break, ignoring all of the soldiers that greeted him. He pretty much broke into Erwin's office without as much of a knock. Erwin jumped up from his desk at the sudden intrusion, blades in hand. Confusion spilled across his face when he recognized Levi.

"What are you doing here?" Erwin asked sharply. "Where's - "

"We were bombed," Levi said breathlessly. "Military Police, those cunts. My squad, I think they all got away, but I couldn't follow them in time, or track them down. I need to restock on supplies, and then I'm heading out to find them."

Erwin took a moment to process all the information. "They really tried bombing you? How did they even guess your location?"

"I think those fucking letters had trackers on them."

Erwin's face darkened. "I should have realized that, I shouldn't have passed them on to Hanji - "

"We all make mistakes, get over it."

"Any idea where they are right now?"

"I have no fucking clue, but I'm going to find them once I restock." Levi was determined and more than ready to set out again, but Erwin stopped him, laying a hand on Levi's shoulders.

"What?" Levi snarled. "I don't have time to chat. I just came to report."

"There's something I need to tell you, Levi," Erwin said grimly.


Armin Arlert's blue eyes were bright and his salute was stiff; he was smaller and slighter than Erwin had been at that age, but Erwin could certainly see some of himself reflected back in the boy standing in his office.

"You may have a seat," he told Armin, gesturing to the chair. Erwin locked the door behind them securely, ensuring that nobody except the two of them would be privy to the contents of their next conversation. Armin's perceptive eyes flicked to the locked door, but he said nothing, maintaining a calm, open face.

"I'm sure you're wondering why I've summoned you here alone," Erwin said, taking a seat behind his desk and folding his hands together as he surveyed Armin shrewdly.

"I - I'm sure you have good reason to, sir," Armin replied dutifully.

"Indeed I do," Erwin said. "I trust you, Armin. You're an intelligent boy, and I trust you and your instincts as much as I trust my own, perhaps even more in some cases."

Armin looked taken aback, flushing at this sudden compliment. "Th-thank you sir," he stammered. "I really - I really do try my best."

"As you know, Eren, Mikasa and Levi are off on an important mission, which is why they've been gone for the past day."

Armin's face betrayed nothing for a moment, until he feigned perfect surprise. "Is that so, sir? I had no idea!"

"Don't lie, Armin."

"Sir, Eren and Mikasa never told me a thing!"

"I'm sure they tried hiding it from you well enough. But you're smarter than that. When did you figure it out?"

"The night they were leaving, actually," Armin finally admitted. "I sensed something was off with them, that they were hiding something, but I didn't want to press them if they weren't telling me on their own accord. When I didn't see them or Levi-heichou the next day, I assumed it had something to do with a mission of sorts."

"What sort of mission do you think it is?" Erwin asked, more out of curiosity than anything.

"Most likely one to Eren's basement in Shiganshina, sir," Armin said without missing a beat, displaying his uncanny perception, yet again.

"You're right," Erwin said, impressed. "That's exactly the mission I sent the three of them on. I think you can understand, after our last mission outside the walls, why I preferred to keep this a secret, small-scale mission."

If Armin was feeling any apprehension at the idea of his two best friends venturing into Titan-filled lands, he did a good job of hiding it after Erwin's confirmation. "I - I suppose it makes sense sir. There will be less casualties, and Eren will be safe with Levi and Mikasa protecting him. They're also more likely to pass through undetected."

"Exactly." Erwin nodded, a moment of silence passing between them. This kid will make a great leader one day. He's shrewder than he seems, and definitely knows more about everything than he lets on. Then - "What is your impression of Annie Leonhardt?"

Armin seemed a little surprised by the question. "I - I don't think she's a bad person," he replied finally. "I know that seems like a terrible thing to say considering all of the people she has killed. She wasn't very friendly when we were graduates, but I guess I was one of the people she disliked less, or that's what I thought. I used to consider her a friend, though I don't think I can say that anymore. Maybe I'm being sentimental, but she spared my life when she could have killed me, which is why I don't think she's the cold-blooded murderer everyone makes her out to be."

Armin was weighing his words carefully, and Erwin nodded. "Go on."

"She was always very reserved, so I can't pretend to know her. But I think - I think she has a reason for what she's doing, for why she's fighting so hard. I don't think she's a bad person, but I just think that she's fighting for a cause that's really different from ours, but to her seems like the right one."

"A different cause?" Erwin drew his eyebrows together. "Do you think there is any merit in this different cause?"

"I don't know what it is, sir," Armin said. "Therefore I can't say if it has merit or not. I'm sure Annie - and Bertholdt and Reiner and the others - think that there is some purpose in what they're doing. That they see some purpose in sacrificing hundreds of innocent lives."

"Do you think that can be justified?" Erwin asked. "The loss of innocent lives?"

"Given the knowledge I have, I don't think so," Armin said. "There's a difference between soldiers who willingly go to face Titans head-on, and innocent civilians who are eaten or trampled on. It's not much of a difference, but we have to draw a line somewhere, don't we?"

He'll definitely make a good tactician, that one. He thinks like me.

"I think that the Titans are monsters, and that what Bertholdt and Reiner did to let them in was equally monstrous," Armin continued. "But I don't think that necessarily makes them monsters. And Annie wasn't even a part of that as far as I know - all she wanted was to kidnap Eren, and before we could find out her reason, she shut herself off. I'm just really confused about it all, and wish we had more answers."

"Answers." Erwin repeated. "I agree with you on that. We do need answers. I'm finding it increasingly difficult to justify putting my soldiers' lives at risk when we don't even know who and what exactly we are fighting for."

"Well, there's nothing we can do at the moment, is there?" Armin asked glumly. "Annie's crystal won't crack, and the others are off somewhere beyond the walls most likely."

"There isn't anything right now, Armin. But there are possibilities to consider. I'm going to give you a mission. A top-secret mission with an extendable deadline that will not end until you feel it needs to."

Armin's eyes widened, and he leaned forwards, sensing the importance of what Erwin was about to entrust him with.

"In the future, if we ever come across them again - any of the Titan shifters - and I reckon that we shall, sooner or later, I need you to be a spy. A double-agent of sorts."

Armin stared at him, unable to believe his ears. Erwin continued. "I've had reports from Keith Shadis. You were well-liked in your batch of graduates. Unlike Eren, who butted heads with quite a few of his squad mates and had a tendency for angry words which led to fights - or Mikasa, who was cold and aloof - you were warm, and friendly. Quite the peacemaker. You had amiable relations with everyone. Isn't that so?"

"I - I guess if you put it that way," Armin hesitated. "Unlike Eren and Mikasa, I never really gave anyone a reason to dislike me, or be jealous of me."

"You're intelligent, and sharper than most. You have a cunning mind, and you can be trusted. I want you to put those skills to use."

"Skills?" Armin looked unsure. "I've never considered myself as particularly skilled in any way sir -"

"Well I am saying you are, and that your skills may bring us closer to winning this war than Eren's Titan abilities or Mikasa's inhuman fighting style. If the chance arises, upon our next encounter with the Titan shifters, I want you to be a double-agent."

"How?! Won't we be fighting them?"

"I'm sure you'll figure something out. They aren't likely to kill you, as the incident with Annie you mentioned suggests. One thing is clear: they know something that we don't. They have information that we don't, information which may help uncover some of these mysteries and secrets, which may give us answers to the questions we have been asking for decades, answers which we have been desperately seeking but cannot find, answers for which I have been risking the lives of my men. If you befriend them, or go with them, or somehow convince them that you are on their side - you could obtain these answers."

Armin was shaking. "So - so you're saying - you're saying I should be a traitor too? Leave the walls with them next time they come here?"

"I'm saying you should play traitor, if required. I'm saying that whenever a chance arises, you should take it. I can't predict how and when we will cross paths with them next. But we need to know what they know, and we can only do that if we have someone who is willing to be a spy. Someone who both myself, and they can trust."

"And - and you think that person is me."

"I know that the only person capable of getting away with such a feat is you."

Armin took a few deep breaths. "And you're saying - I do this - by any means necessary? For - for as long as necessary?"

Erwin nodded, locking eyes with the young boy. "Do you accept the mission?"

Armin's fist was shaking as he brought it to his heart, but his gaze was true. "I accept, sir."


"You're fucking shitting me." Levi couldn't contain himself after hearing Erwin's explanation. "You're telling me that you deliberately sent the one least moronic brat - the only one with a semblance of common sense and brains amongst the entire lot of imbeciles - into enemy hands, on some unspecified secret mission for an unspecified duration of time?"

"Essentially, yes."

"Sp the entire kidnapping tale was a load bullcrap?"

"I wasn't there, but if what Hanji says is true, the kidnapping story seems genuine," Erwin said. "I guess it was a fortunate coincidence that they wanted Armin as well."

"Fortunate, my ass," Levi muttered. "More likely they're holding the poor kid hostage. Eren and Mikasa would hate you if they knew about this."

"I did what I had to," Erwin stated firmly. "And from the sound of what you told me, your squad couldn't have escaped unaided from that sudden attack."

"You're saying they had assistance?" Levi narrowed his eyes. "Now that you mention it, I do remember seeing more people than I had expected to when they were sneaking out of the forest. I couldn't make out who they were, but it did strike me as weird."

"Those areas of Wall Rose are remote," Erwin said. "We have no records of civilians living there. I think at this point it's safe to guess that Eren and the rest of your squad are in the company of Armin and the others."

"Is that so?" Levi bristled. "If that's the case, how are you so fucking calm about all of it?! In case you forgot, those bastards are the root of all of our problems! They're the fucking reason Mikasa almost died in the first place! Not to mention, they work for that fucking hairy-ass monkey! I need to get them back - "

"And get them back you will, Levi," Erwin said. "Just not alone."


"How much longer do you think it'll take till we reach Titan village, huh?" Sasha grumbled, huffing as she caught her breath. "We've been trekking up this damn mountain since dawn."

"Stop calling it that!" Connie hissed at her. "Just because the three of them can turn into Titans doesn't mean that their entire village is full of shifters!"

"It's just a joke," Sasha said, shrugging. And a possibility, though she didn't want to verbalize that rather frightening thought.

"Not a funny joke," Connie shot back, and Sasha immediately understood his discomfort, hey eyes widening as she covered her mouth with her hands. Connie's entire village had been turned into Titans, so naturally, the term 'Titan Village' was disconcerting for him.

"I'm so sorry!" she wailed. "That was so insensitive of me!"

"Be quiet, it's fine," Connie said hastily, as Reiner turned around, looking over his shoulder.

"Is everything alright?"

"Yeah, we're just wondering how much longer it'll take."

"Our village lies within the next valley," Reiner said. "Once we're atop this cliff you'll be able to see."

"Cool," Connie said unenthusiastically, before exchanging a look with Sasha. Their initial fascination with the outside world had worn off after awhile, and they were once again wary of Reiner and the other shifters, as well as their mysterious village. Jean seemed to catch onto their uncertainties.

"I don't care what Armin says, I don't trust them," he murmured. "Eren doesn't either. Whatever happens, stay on your guard. Be ready to use your 3DMGs at any point. The five of us, at least, have to stick together at all costs."

Sasha and Connie both nodded, looking over at Eren and Mikasa. The duo had been quiet throughout the journey, though something about Eren had changed since that morning. His expression was softer than it had been after Armin had revealed the tragic secret about his father.

"Eren seems better, don't you think?" Sasha commented.

"Good for him," Connie said quietly. "I can't imagine what he's going through. I don't really know what to say to him at this point and I doubt he even wants to talk about any of it, but you're right, he does seem - more alive than before."

"I'm glad."

"Me too."

Jean said nothing on the subject. He had noticed Eren's brighter mood, but had also noticed something about Mikasa. There was a sparkle to her eyes that Jean had never seen before, and color to her cheeks. It was barely noticeable: she was still her usual, quiet self, but the cold and heartless demeanor that she often exuded seemed to have thawed. Once, Jean had even caught her smiling softly to herself. It had made his heart flutter - she had a lovely smile, and it was a rare sight to see. Mikasa's higher spirits would have lifted his own - because he did want her to be happy - but Jean had a nagging feeling that it was connected to Eren.

He'd seen Eren looking at Mikasa as well, from time to time, something tender and almost adoring in the boy's green-eyed gaze that made Jean want to puke and then punch Eren's face in. He wasn't exactly sure what the deal with the two of them was anymore; ever since Eren had rescued Mikasa (when Jean had mistakenly thought he had eaten her) the pair seemed closer than ever. It bothered Jean, even though deep within him, he knew he was fighting a losing battle.


"Well." Reiner took a deep breath, and gulped. He seemed rather nervous, which was unusual. "Here we are." He gestured over the edge of the cliff they were standing on.

The 'village' stretched out below them, but really, it wasn't more than a mass of large huts and shoddy cabins, with a few fancier looking cottages. There seemed to be a couple hundred separate lodgings, snaking through the valley, and clustered around the slopes of the mountain. There was one formidable looking building - almost like a large brick castle - nestled within a cleft in the mountainside. A large waterfall splashed over the mountainside, emptying into a river that flowed between the huts and cabins.

It seemed to be a charming enough place at first glance, slightly primordial and certainly nothing spectacular: just something resembling one of the villages within the walls, on the outskirts of the capital, where the residents preferred their rural lifestyles.

Both Sasha and Connie couldn't hide their looks of disappointment: they had been expecting something grander.

"Where is everyone?" Jean asked, squinting. "It looks deserted from up here."

Indeed, it did look rather deserted. Though they were quite high up, judging by the size of the huts and cabins, it was fair to assume that they should still be able to spot and inhabitants milling around; but not a soul was in sight.

"They're sleeping nicely in their homes," a new voice answered. "It's siesta time, after all. They're very civilized when it comes to their napping habits. Welcome to our village, by the way. About time you got here."

"Ymir!" Sasha exclaimed, eyes bugging out as she stared at the tall brunette girl who had chosen to make a sudden appearance.

"What the heck are you wearing?!" Connie asked after a moment, blinking. "Took me awhile to recognize you!"

Indeed, Ymir's appearance was rather unusual. During their time as soldiers, Ymir had always preferred pants and a simple shirt when not in uniform, keeping her dark hair tied in a loose ponytail. But now her hair was loose, and she was clad in a flowing white piece of fabric that could only be described as a dress of some sorts - though primitive in its fashion and cut. The strangest part was the wreath of thorns and leaves that encircled her head.

"Don't you think she looks prettier like this?" a feminine voice said.

"Christa?!" Sasha shrieked. "You're here too!"

"It's Historia," the petite blonde girl corrected. She was clad in her usual casual clothes: a skirt with a shirt. She sidled up besides Ymir, linking their arms and threading their fingers together. "It's been awhile, hasn't it? I'm so happy they got you all here safely."

"I still don't get why Ymir is dressed like that," Connie said. "What the heck is that thing on your head?! You look like some kind of wannabe queen wearing a crown!" He laughed at the very idea, though Ymir's face darkened.

"My clothes fit my title," she snapped. "And the 'crown' was made for me by a villager; it would have been an insult to him had I chosen not to wear it. I'll have you know that I'm the leader of this village - second in command, actually. They do look up to me as a queen of sorts."

"Actually, I think you're more of a goddess to them," Reiner cut in, grinning wryly, and Ymir rolled her eyes at him. He turned to the group, explaining. "See, that's the nickname she goes by here, what all the villagers call her. Ymir-sama. And some other word in their native tongue, which, I was told by Ymir herself, means 'Goddess'."

"What?!" Connie snorted. "You're kidding right?"

"No fucking way." It was Eren who spoke, after a long time, a look of horror growing on his face. He exchanged a look with Mikasa, who for once, seemed equally stunned.

"It's just a nickname guys, get over it," Ymir muttered, brushing them off. "Anyways, I should probably get our beloved villagers to wake up now. They'll give you a nice welcome, they will."

She cupped her hands to her mouth and shouted out something in a strange, foreign tongue that none of them could understand. Her voice was guttural and echoed eerily throughout the valley, sending chills down their spines.


"Mikasa," Eren turned to the girl next to him, whispering urgently. "Mikasa, she's the one - "

"Not now, Eren," Mikasa said quickly.

"Eren. Mikasa." It was Jean, his voice lowered as he joined the pair of them. "I don't think the others have noticed, but do you get the impression that something is really - weird - about this village?"

"I know what you're talking about," Mikasa said immediately. "I just can't figure out what."

"How high up do you think we are?" Jean asked. "I mean this cliff, how high do you think it is?"

"I'd say a little over a hundred meters," Mikasa replied. "About two times the height of the walls."

"I've never been this high up in my life," Jean admitted. "And I don't know what the view is supposed to be like from up here. So I may be completely wrong. I'm just thinking about how the view was from the Wall overlooking Trost... and how small all the houses and buildings used to look from up there."

"You're right," Eren said suddenly, catching on. "You're right, if we're really that high up - all those cottages and huts - they should look smaller from up here, shouldn't they? Much smaller than they actually look..."

He trailed off, comprehension dawning upon him, just as the inhabitants of the sleeping village below began to stir, in response to Ymir's call. They poured out of their enormous cottages and oversized huts, gathering at the base of the cliff and looking up. Their bodies seemed weirdly shaped, and some of them were smaller, like children - but the smaller ones also seemed uncannily large, even from over a hundred meters high. None of them seemed to be wearing any form of clothing, and though Eren couldn't see their faces, he was sure that they would all be disfigured, stretched by disturbing and horrifically familiar grins.

A familiar surge of hatred burned within him as he looked upon the emerging 'villagers'. Eren clenched his fist as waves of shock wracked through his body, but when he spoke, his voice was laden with malice.

"Titans."


A/N: LeviMika is my new brotp, as some of you who have seen my tumblr/read my fic titled 'Levi Ackerman' have probably guessed. Of course, it's not confirmed that they are related at all (he could have been adopted) but I still like to think of this theory as canon, so I will be using it for my story. That's another reason I wanted to publish this chapter first: in case I get held up publishing and then Isayama releases details in chapter 57 that make it seem like Levi is adopted (or worse, her uncle!) and thus crash my LeviMika-being-cousins thing.

On that note, I also will probably not be writing the promised LeviMika romantic side story, at least for awhile, if not ever. I'm really really sorry to all of you LeviMika shippers since I was talking about doing it. I guess if you guys are still okay with it and want me to I could give it a shot (it would take place before the whole sibling thing even came up, around chapter 3/4) but for the time being I don't plan to. Let me know though, LeviMika shippers, nonetheless. I don't want to let you guys down, I just don't think I can write it at this point.

As far as I'm concerned, for this story, ErenMika (and one-sided JeanMika, poor Jean... and mentions of past Rivetra) are the only ships I will be advertising. Though, if you wanna ignore the sibling thing or are into incest, then that's your call, you're welcome to interpret it however you like :) I am the last person to judge and tell you how to feel.

I hope nobody was too upset or offended by Levi's backstory. I know I bought up some sensitive topics, and I just want to clarify that I am not trying to glorify any of those things by including them in his past. I am just trying to be realistic, even if that means going into gritty details. Shit happens to people, and it's really unfortunate, and yes, Levi has had a complex past, and is a complex person.

About Armin... I think there were one or two reviewers who called it! Kudos to you! :) He's been on a secret mission this whole time.

And the Titan village... well, it'll all make sense. Hopefully. More on that, next chapter. Along with more ErenMika fluff because I realize that this chapter didn't have many interactions between them. I just thought I'd focus on other characters this chapter since they got their shining moment last chapter. Don't worry, they're still being all lovable and cute!

Please review and let me know what you thought of this chapter!

xx

HighQueen known proudly adopting the new alias of Levi Ackerman (I literally logged onto fanfiction straight after reading the raws to claim the name before anyone else could!)

P.S: Fic recs. Found two really great authors so I wanted to share them here, in case you lot are looking for more yummy ErenMika feels. cupofdaydream and Aiikawarazu. Check them out if you haven't, their fics are wonderful!