The crisp night air filled the room as Lana sat in a chair with Isabel asleep in her arms. She was quiet and mournful of the day. It was officially four years since the last time she was registered as a Survey Corps soldier. Her uniform and other belongings from that time were kept in a locked closet.
It had been three years since she had fought alongside her comrades for a better future. Erwin was about to have is third birthday in a couple of months and Isabel was going to turn two this year.
She remembered those who had perished on the fateful day when they reclaimed Wall Maria. Although their deaths were not in vain, her heart still ached at the thought of all of the lives that were sacrificed for the cause. In the end, Wall Maria was flourishing once more.
She missed the moments she would share with the others. She missed the morning runs with Jean. She missed cooking with the boastful Sasha. The scrimmages with Eren and Mikasa. A lot of it was embedded into her memory. They were a part of her life that had a huge impact. It had been a couple of years since the last time she had seen or heard from all of them. Even Hange's letters seemed to have stopped. Levi hadn't been home in almost a full year.
She did have Robin, Keith and the others but that didn't help her in times like this. The memories of what she saw. The smell of blood and burning flesh filled her nose as she was reminded of the battle between the warriors of Marley and the Soldiers of Paradis.
It was quiet as she rocked Isabel and stared into the empty fireplace. The fire had died long ago but she didn't bother starting it back up. A sound outside caught her attention and pulled her out of her trance. At this late hour a sound outside was suspicious putting her on alert. She gently put Isabel in the chair and readied herself. She hardened the skin of her arm and shaped it into a knife like structure. With everything that was going on in the new world she was put on edge.
The door lock clicked and it was pushed open. A figure stood in the doorway prompting Lana to defend her home and proceed with an attack. She swung her arm but was immediately stopped. A hand had firmly grasped her arm preventing her from striking.
"Not exactly the greeting I was looking for," came a familiar voice.
Lana quickly pulled back at the realization that she had almost struck her husband. Levi stood before her with the usual cold icy stare. She immediately returned her hand back to normal with a shake and quickly pulled him in for a hug. The two shared a moment with one another as he tenderly held on to her. He nuzzled his nose into her neck as she began to cry at the thought that he was finally home once more.
"I can't believe you're really home," she choked up.
Levi dropped the bag and began to hold onto her tightly. "I'm sorry," he replied.
A small voice came from behind the two of them.
"Daddy?" came the groggy voice of Isabel from the chair.
Levi had a small smile come over his face as he went to pick up his daughter.
The fire may not have been lit, but the warmth of the love the family had for one another filled the room. The darkness was lifted at the sight of Levi as Lana was reminded of what she had. He grabbed a hold of his daughter as Lana was once again reminded of that day at the sight of the Survey Corps official jacket.
The following morning, Lana and Levi sat to some tea as Erwin and Isabel were playing together.
"So, how long are you going to be staying this time?" Lana asked taking a sip of her tea.
"I'm not sure yet, it depends on how things go."
Lana tilted her head wanting to hear more.
Levi did not return alone, Hange had returned with him. The two were on business and were ordered to come forth before the Queen. It was in regards to a plan of action that the Survey Corps would undergo. Levi couldn't say much more claiming that he had said more than he should have already.
"So you are to go under some sort of top secret mission?"
"Top secret is a little excessive. This is merely a regular mission for us. We don't want this mission to get into the hands of the idiotic press. It could start up an uproar amongst the people. A few wrong words and the whole thing can go bad."
"Geez, it's that serious huh? Well whatever is going on just remember to keep everyone and yourself safe ok?"
He turned to her with hollow eyes. "You know I can't promise that. You've seen it with your own eyes."
She turned away and stared down into her cup of tea. "It doesn't change the fact that I want you to at least try."
The two were quiet for the time being. What came down to it, was that no matter how hard Levi would try, there was no guarantee that he would make it out alive. The mission sounded like it was a controversial one, which had to remain a secret from many people.
"When do you leave?" Lana questioned.
"Everything is to be determine at the moment. For now, all I know is that I will be part of a second phase."
"Second phase?"
"There will be a first phase. The Queen has selected a small handful of individuals to partake. Once their duties have been fulfilled the Survey Corps will step in," he proclaimed crossing his arms in the process to lean back in his chair.
"Wait, so what you're saying is that the people going through the first phase aren't from the faction?"
"It appears that individuals from the Military Police Brigade have been selected."
A part of Lana knew who the potentials were but she didn't want to admit it.
"Who," she sternly say.
"I think you already know Historia's choice," Levi turned to face her his hard gaze weighing her down and the mere thought of the individuals.
After spending some time with Robin later that afternoon, her assumptions were confirmed. Keith was to be sent away on a mission. She didn't have any information as to where and neither did Levi. Robin and Lana were left in the dark about everything. She decided to confront Keith on the matters to understand the full risk that was going to be taken for this mission. She didn't like what she heard from Levi in just tone alone, which made her question the risks that Keith would be taking.
She approached the house as normal and tried her best to act as nonchalant as possible. She swung the door open and made herself right at home just like any other occasion. Sebastian was tidying up the house doing the chores that he was asked to do as Keith sat at the table sharpening his knives.
Lana immediately sat down and started the conversation right away.
"So Robin tells me that you're going on some super interesting mission that seems to have a lot of secrets."
"Robin seems to be talking a lot lately hasn't she," Keith proclaimed with annoyance in his voice.
"She's only worried about you. She's probably just as worried as I am Keith," Lana reassured.
"Doesn't matter. I'm going to explain to you what I explained to her. I'm going on a mission and I will not be back for a while. In fact I'm not even sure when I'd be back. But what matters is that everything will be fine. It's just a co-op mission that's a little different than we are used to as a faction but nothing we can't handle. Now, let's forget about everything and …"
Keith was cut off by the sound of crashing from behind him. Sebastian was trying to reach something high up on the bookshelf and lost his balance. In the process he pulled down a couple of books and a wooden box from the shelf. The box had struck him in the head resulting in a small cut.
"Are you ok!" Lana jumped up from her seat.
Sebastian quickly pulled himself up from the ground and gave a thumbs up with a small smile. The small cut on his forehead was already beginning to heal as a small trickle of steam rose from it. Although Sebastian was going to be ok, the glasses that were on his face were not.
"Your mom is going to kill you," Keith said pulling off the broken glasses from Sebastian's face. "We just got these and you already broke them," he continued shaking his head.
"Sorry dad," Sebastian sheepishly replied.
Keith turned to see the contents that had fallen off. "And look what you did," he scolded.
Lana followed his gaze to see the mess that was on the floor. The few books were spread on the floor and a broken box was scattered. Keith put the glasses down and picked up the broken box. Lana quickly grabbed the glasses from the table and sought to find some sort of adhesive or wrap to repair them.
"Do you not realize what this is?" Keith sternly asked.
Sebastian was quick to turn away at the fearful father, "I'm sorry."
Keith gave growl in frustration and placed the box on the table with the gun.
With the glasses now as fixed as they could get, she turned to Sebastian to try and lighten the mood. It wasn't much of a fix but it was something that would hold for the time being.
"It's not perfect, but it's a fix!" she said with a smile.
Sebastian calmly took the glasses from her and walked away with a cloud over his head. Lana felt sorry for Sebastian. She wanted to say something to Keith but knew that it wasn't her place to do so. She turned back to see Keith holding onto the gun.
She recognized the weapon. It was one of the few things she remembered from her childhood. It was the gun that Keith used to carry on him for more intense jobs with the circus. As she approached the table to speak with him, she noticed something was off with the box. There was a piece of paper within the box. Almost as if there was some sort of hidden compartment.
"That's odd," she pointed out the strange paper.
She pulled papers out and saw that there was something scrawled all over them. She had seen this before. It was the language that was written in the journal of Prince Weismann within the archives of the castle. Keith was quick to pull the papers from her hand. She was going to say something but the look on Keith's face stopped her.
His eyes were wide and his jaw dropped. She watched his eyes moved across the pages. It was almost a pattern that she recognized, and then it dawned on her.
"Wait, you can read that?" Lana shouted in bewilderment.
He shushed her raising his hand up in the process. She hadn't seen Keith so focused on something in a long time. Lana did nothing more but sat there and let Keith read the pages from the box. As he read she began to deduce what could be going on.
She knew already that the gun was a Crovus Clan gun. Along with the symbol on his chest it was also a representation of being a clan member. The gun itself once belonged to his father and was then passed down onto him many years ago. The box sitting on the table had to be the original box that Keith kept the gun in. Meaning that the box itself came from his father. Therefore the pages within the box had to have been from someone close to Keith and his father if not his father himself.
Lana's thoughts were confirmed as the tears came from Keith. It was something that hit him close to home. He put the papers down and wiped away the tears. Once he was a little more put together he explained to Lana the contents of the pages.
It was a letter from his father moments before his execution. His father explained how he and Keith's mother met. The two joined the Corvus Clan after they had gotten together and soon Keith came to be in their lives. What Keith didn't know was what was really going on around him.
The Corvus Clan had a partnership with a Doctor who was once a researcher of the LeBlanc family. His research was on titans and their abilities. He was trying to recreate the very serum that was once created long ago. However, the current leader had no interest and removed him from the facilities. The Doctor sought after help and came across the Crovus Clan.
Meanwhile his daughter was born and brought up within the Sidonia family. That daughter came to be the circus' very own medical physician Caroline Rogers.
The Sidonia family was once an aristocratic family to the LeBlanc family referred to as the Royal Sword. However, overtime they too parted ways from the palace. Eventually the Sidonia family partnered with the Corvus Clan to further the development of the titan research. It was theorized that they were going to use this research to reclaim the power and authority that they once had.
The partnership was solidified when Caroline was born to a Sidonia member. The circus was created to act as a mask to hide the true intentions. They were traveling around the country searching for titans or information in regards to the titans. Whatever information they obtained, it would be relayed to the Crovus Clan. In the end it was a hunt for titans.
During one of the jobs the Aberdeens were on, Keith's mother had received an injury that would be fatal to most. As a result her titan lineage was revealed. This caused the Corvus Clan to hunt the family causing them to turn themselves in directly to the Royal Knights. They did it for the safety of Keith with the hopes that he would be able to live a full life that they had always wanted.
Lana was in complete shock at the thought that all of this was going on while she and Keith were members of the circus.
"This whole time," she began to grow emotional.
The whole time the disappearance of their kind was due to the experimentations long ago. Titans were taken in for research purposes to recreate a serum. They were killed due to the fact that they were experiments to the king. Their spinal fluid was used to create the serum, the very same type of serum that have been used on the titan shifters of Paradis. All of this was within the letter to Keith.
"This matches what was said in the journal," Keith commented leaning back in his chair.
"The journal, what journal," Lana quickly asked jutting out from her chair.
"A few years ago, I went into the royal archives. I found a journal written by Prince Emil Weismann. The same prince that supposedly went missing years ago."
Lana was wide eyed, "Wait, that journal! But it was written in a different language…"
"Except for the last page," Keith finished her sentence.
She couldn't believe what she was hearing. "So you can read it, the entire thing?!"
"You can't read this at all can you?" Keith questioned holding up the letter that he had just read.
Lana shook her head no revealing that there was more to her lineage than meets the eye.
"This is written in an old language. I'm not sure if there are very many people who can even speak it to begin with. This-this is the language of our people, Lana. They say that this is the language of the titans and their descendants. My father taught me how to speak and write it. For the longest time it was the only language I knew. My parents would talk to me in this way and nothing else. I eventually started learning the language we speak now and well..." he trailed off.
"Teach me," Lana sharply asked slamming her hands on the table.
"I-I can't just teach you an entire language. Especially now, there isn't enough time. I leave in just two weeks."
"I don't care, teach me!" she got louder.
"Fine, fine. I'll teach you what I can but I can't make any promises that you'd be fluent."
She didn't care how long it would take to learn the language of her people, it was a way for her to get closer to her lineage. It was also a way for her to spend more time with Keith before he was sent off on his mission.
Every night the two studied together along with Sebastian who was well ahead of her. It was a grueling concept but Lana was eventually capable of learning the basics of the language. Although, she couldn't speak it fluently, she was capable of reading it at least.
As a reward for her hard work, Keith took her into the royal archives to read the journal of Prince Emil Weismann. She learned that the Prince had fled the country and had resided within Paradis. He fled the country due to the uprising that LeBlanc was conducted. The uprising occurred and was successful thanks to a serum in which he had developed. This serum was the first serum to cause one to obtain the abilities of a titan. He was fighting fire with fire and eventually drove the titans out.
Before Emil had left the kingdom he destroyed any trace of the serum and the research that went behind it. He managed to escape with one vile and eventually used it in a concoction that was created for the people of Eldia. From then on, LeBlanc tried to obtain what was lost and eventually lost custody of his own daughter. All of this while he was eradicating Pure Blooded Titans for his research.
For weeks Lana felt hollow. Everything that she worked so hard for had finally lined up. She knew what had happened to her people. It was almost like a giant cliché from a story book. In the end the very thing that had cause her people to go extinct was the very mechanism that she was supporting to support the lives of many. These were the descendants of those who Emil had hopes for and entrusted the serum to.
The information that she read wasn't the only thing that was making her feel this way. Keith had finally parted ways for his mission. It was with heavy hearts to see him and Lucas take part in this mission. They all said their goodbyes and things began to return to normal. Although Keith and Lucas had gone off on a mission, they weren't the only ones. Levi had also been instructed and had not returned since then.
A full year had almost passed. Lana had paid a visit to Robin and the now nine year old Sebastian. She brought Erwin who was close to turning four and the little three year old Isabel. The day was like any other, as Alex was doing dishes.
"Did you see the paper this morning?" Robin asked Lana.
"No can't say that I have," Lana replied after taking a sip of tea.
Robin slid the newspaper allowing Lana to read the heading.
"What are Survey Corps soldiers doing in town?" Robin asked.
Lana shrugged and grabbed onto the paper. The article didn't go into any detail as to why they were present within the capital. But it did clarify that they weren't the only ones. Garrison soldiers were spotted alongside the Police.
"I haven't the slightest clue," she finally replied brushing her grown out black hair.
Since she was no longer a part of the Survey Corps, Lana had been growing her hair out. Over the years, it had finally reached a length she was satisfied with just passed her shoulders. Robin on the other hand preferred her to be pinned all the way back lately much like her sister. With her hair out of her face, Robin looked much like Alex.
"It's strange that the Survey Corps would be town, but Levi hasn't been home."
"Huh, not even once?"
"No, although that is like him. I swear he put his responsibilities first sometimes."
"Well I mean when the fate of humanity rest on the soldiers I can understand that a little bit. I mean you've been there you at least know what it was like. Just think about him, Mr. Humanities Strongest Soldier," Robin stated leaning back in her chair.
There was knock at the front door causing the two of them to exchange questioned glances at each other. With Keith and Lucas being gone, there really wasn't anyone around who would visit. On the very rare occasion Felix and Xander would stop by but that was once every few months.
"Oh no, don't all get up at once I have the door," Alex shouted in frustration.
Robin snickered as Alex opened the door. Lana observed Alex as she straightened her posture and seemed a little uneasy.
"May we come in?" came a familiar voice.
"For what purpose?" Alex responded.
"We have business here."
"Very well," Alex complied and stepped aside to allow three Military Police Brigade soldiers to enter.
Robin quickly shot up with a horrified look on her face.
"Relax, we are not here in regards to Captain Aberdeen. As far as we can tell, he is safe."
Immediate relief came over the two of them as Robin sat back down in her chair.
"Please have a seat," she offered. She turned to Sebastian, "Sweetheart, why don't you go and visit your friend down at the shop," she gave a small smile to him.
Sebastian knew what was going on, but decided to grab his jacket and leave the discussion.
"Thank you. You must be wondering why I am here."
"Oh no, a complete stranger in uniform entering a house claiming that they have some sort of business in this house. Nah that seems normal and not out of the ordinary at all," Lana retorted. "What do you dogs want," she sneered.
"Yeah she is definitely an Ackerman alright," one of the other soldier commented with a twitch of his brow.
Lana gave a sly smile that was filled with slight hate. There were still very few Military Police soldiers that she liked after what she went through with the others.
The soldier in charge pulled out two pieces of paper and slid one to Robin and one to Lana.
"There has been new developments, and because of it we are asked to approach those who are well recognized for their skills and their strengths."
"Wait are you asking what I think you're asking," Robin leaned on the table with an intimidating demeanor.
"We were instructed to speak to these individuals who had been discharged from all factions and request that they return to the line of duty."
Lana's eyes widened as her jaw dropped. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. Some serious development had to have occurred to the point that they had to pull people out of retirement.
"We were fortunate that you were here as well," he gestured to Lana.
"So what exactly is going on that the monarch is making you do this?" Lana asked.
The soldier was hesitant and he didn't want to comment on the matter. All that he was able to tell the two of them was that a war was on the rise. Angrily Lana lashed out. She screamed at the soldiers.
"What do you mean that a war is coming!? A WAR WAS ALWAYS THERE! WE HAVE ALWAYS BEEN AT WAR! The Survey Corps risked their lives for many years against the titans that the Marleyean soldiers created. THOSE TITANS BEING THE VICTIMS OF ELDIA! Do you not realize this? Do you not remember the fall of Wall Maria, the Battle of Trost, the capture of the Female Titan! We were always at war. We just happened to pull ourselves out of it and you are wanting to drag us right back into the blood. It's easy for you to say so because you never got to see it all firsthand did you? You got to sit comfortably within the capital as I got to watch my comrades die. Well no more. I want to help the war and the people of Paradis, but that doesn't mean I want to go head first into the fray!"
As she was yelling at the man all she could think of was her family. She was prioritizing her family before others. She had thought about returning to the Survey Corps before but it was just a thought. She never truly wanted to be a soldier. If she was going to try and help anyone it was going to be some other way.
During her blow up, the soldier sat there and took every word she threw at him. It didn't hit him at all unlike Alex. She bore a horrified look and started to prepare for the worst as slight traces of steam began to rise from her anger.
The soldier sat upright in his chair, "The day that the Wall Fell, I was in Shiganshina. I was there. I was instructed to escort the Survey Corps and to oversee the medical treatment of the faction as a Garrison soldier. I saw more blood that day than I had on any of my missions. I lost count on how many bodies I ran past as the last few of us made it over the wall in time. During the Battle of Trost I watched as my comrades were torn apart before my eyes. Eaten alive. No I did not sit comfortably during any of these events as you may believe. I was there for it all. I'm not just some Military Police Brigade soldier who lucked out like so very few. I started out as a Garrison soldier who worked his ass off to get to where he is and for you to say all of that means nothing. It means nothing frankly, because I don't give a damn how you feel. This letter I present to you is not from my Commander nor any other Commanders. This is a letter straight from the Queen herself requesting that you return. By defying her order you are defying the throne which can lead to your arrest and put you on a trial. Now you can either return on your own term or you can be forced to return and constantly put on a watch. Not every veteran has been or will be contacted. There are only a select handful that are being requested."
The soldier turned to one of the soldiers behind him who had grabbed the letters.
"Captain Robin Watson received several medals of honor for her bravery in extreme times. Each time she had total control over her surroundings. She led the troops well and handled the situations following standard protocols. Her natural skills in combat is to be well recognized along with her sense of nobility and justice. Her judgment as a leader is needed once more to help us to victory." The soldier flipped to the second page. "Lana Ackerman. Aside from her bloodline as a natural titan she is well adept as a fighter. She keeps calm and collected to the best of her capabilities to allow her to be focused while on the battlefield. Her varying skills is desirable for her line of duty as it allows her to maneuver in any way or form. With her titan capabilities she is a strong force to be reckoned with and will be a great asset to our cause."
"We need you both. That's what it comes down to."
Lana sat back in her chair as Isabel had called for her. She picked her up and placed her on her lap. Her grey eyes twinkled with her bright smile. Tears began to swell up in her eyes at the realization that she was going to have to leave her children.
"Go," came Alex's voice.
Robin and Lana turned shocked at her response. She was calm and collected as ever. She showed no emotion on her face.
"I will take care of the children, it's what any good aunt would do in a circumstance like this. The people need you two just as much as your children do."
"But we just can't abandon our kids Alex," Robin said sternly. "If a war is here we need to be here to protect them and you."
"So you would rather protect just your family and your family alone and let thousands of others die at the hands of this war!" Alex proclaimed.
Robin was immediately quiet. Although the two of them didn't want to admit it she was right. In the end they were potentially risking the lives of many people for the sake of being there for their children. They were going to bring them into a war instead of stopping it at the walls.
Lana looked up at Robin who was in full tears. The two of them didn't share any further words only a simple nod. It was then that it was decided. In order to save their children and the lives of many, they were going to go back. They were going to return head on and face the fight once more.
The following morning a carriage awaited Lana. She had left Erwin and Isabel in Alex's care the night before and had already said her goodbyes. She was determined to make it back to them alive no matter what with Levi and Keith. She stood before the carriage in her old Survey Corps uniform with a bag in hand. She was prepared and ready to face what was in store for her.
