Whoa! Look at how I just disappeared like that.

Hope everyone is having a great year so far! We now are getting to some juicy parts (muhahahahaha). Some flashbacks for you today. Also, there's going to be a lot of Mike for a couple of chapters. I just love Mike so much and I think that him and Ares are very funny together. Don't get me wrong, I love Ares and Erwin moments, too, but Mike…there's just something about Mike.

Anyways, hope you guys enjoy and if you do, leave a review!

….It started from nothing

I could hate you now

It's quite alright to hate me now

But we both know that deep down

The feeling still deep down is good….

"Why are we even wasting our time discussing this? She obviously did it," Levi said in his usual cold tone, sitting in a chair across from Erwin.

They were all in Erwin's office having a meeting to discuss the events of yesterday. The whole legion was in an uproar. Soldiers were getting antsy, scared for their lives. But while everyone was engulfed in fear, Levi felt as though a burden had been lifted—that he could finally relax. The slick bitch had shown her true colors, she snapped. Here he was, thinking about giving her some kind of leniency—a chance—and lo and behold, she proved him right. She was still the same cold-hearted murderer that he had chased down in the Underground. He wanted to punch himself, he almost fell for her bullshit like everyone else.

After his talk with Eld the day before, after he told him what she had said, he had felt conflicted. Almost guilty. He felt guilty because he thought that maybe there was a chance that he could've been wrong about her. That maybe she wasn't as treacherous or corrupt as he originally thought she was. That, instead of being cloaked in black and white, she was complex and grey—and for some particular reason, he no longer felt compelled to make her suffer as much as he initially wanted to.

Instead of flourishing and burning up everything around him, his hate had begun to dwindle and simmer. Instead of hating her, he wanted to understand her.

He was relieved now that he no longer felt the urge.

Now, he wanted to watch her rot. Part of him wanted to rub it in Erwin's face, Mike's face, everyone who thought he was being dramatic for scrutinizing her behavior all the time. But now they all knew, now they could all see her for what she was.

A manipulator. A snake.

She was good too. She almost had him.

It was a shame someone had to die so they could see her true colors. Just as he was about to say this, Hange decided to ruin it all.

"I don't have all the evidence yet. The technique used was similar to hers, but I'm still waiting on my other samples to place a time," Hange responded from her spot in her own chair.

"How much longer do you need?" Erwin asked the mad titan doctor.

"About another day. I should have everything I need by then to make my conclusions," She said. Levi noticed she didn't sound as enthusiastic as she usually did. He knew that Hange might've developed some kind of crush on the girl. She probably didn't feel too good about that now. Not when it was one of theirs that had suffered by her hands.

Erwin quietly nodded his head, his hands clasped together, taking in her words.

Mike, on the other hand, was at an impasse. He didn't know one person besides himself that believed the girl didn't do it. Of course, Hange was a bit less enthusiastic about pointing fingers at the silver haired woman, but as the primary doctor in the case, she also had to remain unbiased. However, Mike suspected that the wild woman didn't hold as much suspicion or blame for Red as the others did.

He noticed how quick Levi was to blame her—to viciously condemn her to hell and back. From day one, the shorter man held no fondness for his subordinate, a fact that Mike had already questioned him for. At first, it didn't make much sense to him, given the fact that it wasn't too long ago that he and Erwin had tracked him and his friends down for their criminal deeds. He knew that Levi had killed before and he knew that Levi had done things just as bad—possibly worse—than her.

He always wondered why he was so adamantly against her; he always knew him to be much more understanding towards situations like this. When Mike first found out about her joining their regiment, he assumed that Red and Levi would be quick to get along, or at least be civil. But every chance the short-tempered man got, he vehemently expressed his displeasure of her being in his squad, even when she wasn't doing anything particularly worth being upset about.

In actuality, Red was probably the best soldier he had ever seen. She was agile, fast, and followed orders without question. She risked her life to save her fellow soldiers and didn't complain about it. She was mute too, which made her practically perfect for Levi. She wouldn't talk back to him. A perfect soldier. So, when Levi incessantly complained about how much of a hindrance she was, Mike didn't get it.

Eventually, he began to chalk it up to Levi just hating her because she was so perfect. Because he didn't have an excuse to punish her or treat her as badly as he so desperately wanted to. Of course, he attributed that to the fact that he thought that Levi might've actually liked the girl and didn't know how to properly navigate his feelings about it. And despite Levi disagreeing, he could always smell his raging hormones when he was around the woman. He wanted her, but he hated that he wanted her.

Erwin, being the calculating Commander he was, didn't seem to have any concrete feelings about the matter. He was right in the middle, refusing to express any opinions about the situation. However, he did make sure that Red knew that she was a prime suspect, which she was. It wasn't like people were found murdered around base before the silver-haired woman arrived. It made sense that she would be the first person everyone pointed their fingers at. However, it did surprise Mike that Erwin would tell her such a thing without any formidable proof besides the fact that it looked like she did it. That wasn't something he would usually do. Maybe he was having second thoughts about employing a serial killer. Or maybe he was just covering his bases, trying to stay proactive.

But the thought didn't escape Mike that she might have a target on her back. She had killed so many people, people that the soldiers here knew personally. Now, she was stuck with them on the condition that she would help the Survey Corps and stay out of trouble. Her life was literally on the line. It wasn't an impossible idea that someone would try and frame her for revenge. In fact, the very reason why they didn't allow her to carry her weapons on her person was because they knew that there was a possibility that someone might want to try to frame her. Not because they feared she would use them against anyone.

Because even though no one said it out loud, everyone knew that if she really wanted to kill someone, she didn't need to use her gear to do so.

Mike imagined that she could probably cut open an artery with just her fingers. He could only imagine how many different ways she knew how to kill someone.

The blond giant remembered just how angry they both looked yesterday when he went to tell Erwin his thoughts about it. They were both so incredibly upset, glaring at each other in a way that he had never seen before. Erwin wasn't the type to get angry, he was always composed in the direst of situations, but looking at him in that moment, it was the first time that Mike had seen him so angry at somebody below him. He assumed it was because Erwin liked her so much. He had taken time to walk her around base, eat with her, spend time with her in his office. He was clearly very fond of her. To see them both that livid with each other really threw Mike for a loop. He wondered if the Commander was just frustrated with himself. Mike thought that there was a possibility that he felt like he couldn't trust her anymore after putting himself on the line for her, and he might feel conflicted.

"Mike?" Erwin spoke up to him, interrupting his thoughts. He was the only one who hadn't said anything yet, choosing instead to observe, "Do you have any input?"

Mike was further away from all of them, choosing to stand against the wall. He knew that his opinion would tick off Levi and astound his Commander, so he chose to stay quiet until everyone else had spoken up.

"I don't think she did it," He said simply.

Levi turned his head to him in a flash, "Are you kidding me? How can you not think she did it? Erwin lets her join and all a sudden we have dead soldiers with slit throats."

"That doesn't mean she did it."

Levi rolled his eyes and slumped in his chair, "Don't listen to this idiot, Eyebrows. He's obviously too infatuated with the bitch to use his brain."

Mike thought that that was kind of hypocritical, "Or maybe you're so pissed Erwin stuck her with you that you can't use yours," He retorted quickly.

He heard Levi 'tsk' before the shorter man continued, "Come on Erwin, be smart. You know she did it. We all know she did it. She let us take her. Obviously, she just wanted to gain our trust so she could-"

"So she could what?" Mike spoke up again, "Kill one man that spoke out. He didn't say anything worse than you or anyone else has said to her before. Why would she give herself up just to kill one soldier?"

"She was killing soldiers before she got here, what's the difference?" Levi asked.

"The difference is, those other soldiers were MPs. She doesn't kill any other soldiers-"

"That we know of," Levi stressed.

"She saved a life-" Mike countered.

"Then she took one," Levi retorted.

"It's not consistent. She doesn't kill Survey Corps. The laceration didn't even match her other ones," Mike insisted.

"So, you're an expert on sociopathic serial killers now?" Levi sarcastically asked him.

"I found you, didn't I?" Mike told him, holding his gaze.

Levi's eyes flashed, "Because I let you."

"Sounds familiar," Mike smirked at him, "We trusted you and now you're a decorated soldier with the highest kill count, and greatly admired by both the public and the military."

He watched Levi shake his head in silence, unable to come up with a retort because it was true. Mike took that opportunity to continue and address Erwin instead.

"Look, I'm just saying it doesn't make any sense. It's not impossible to think that maybe somebody framed her. Everyone knows she's here with us and everyone knows that her placement here is only contingent on her following the rules and staying out of trouble. Yes, I agree, that she did willingly give herself up. For what? I don't know. But I do know that she doesn't do anything without thinking it through. Why would she kill him and leave him there for us to find? Why wouldn't she run away, hide the body? She knows she's already on thin ice with us, serial killer or not, she's not stupid. Far from it. She's calculating. She could kill all of us in our sleep if she wanted to."

"You, maybe," Levi muttered.

Mike ignored his smart comment, "It's not smart to point fingers before we have all the facts. It's our responsibility to make sure that all of our soldiers are treated equally and fairly until then. If it turns out that she didn't commit the crime, and we kept her locked in a cage for three days, she'll never forgive it and we'll end up with more problems than we can handle. Our entire regiment is dependent on trust between each other. How can she trust us when we don't trust her?"

Erwin sighed, taking a long moment to think on Mike's words. He had a point. While he was sure that she could have very well done it, he didn't actually know.

But he just couldn't get her previous words out of his head.

"There were also okay people. Decent people. People that didn't do anything particularly cruel or terrible, but were just…unlucky. In the wrong place at the wrong time."

He wanted to believe her. He really did. He wanted to believe that she was better than what others thought of her. That she had reasons for being the monster she was, and that he had to forgive her because of those reasons. He used to be like everyone else, too blinded by her cruelty to see that there was more to her than all of that.

It didn't help that his subordinates always made it a point to bring up how she gave herself up to them. Erwin was the only person who knew the real reason why she did. Hell, he had planned it with her! Of course, he couldn't disclose this, but it was difficult to maintain a certain level of discretion when people started dying around him.

It was the reason why it was so difficult to trust her the first time he had met her. She was so clouded in her mist of destruction and violence that it made it impossible to make out the good parts of her.

He could remember the first time he had really met her, the first time he had spoken to her. She was nothing like he imagined.

….

Erwin was in his room, preparing for bed. It was late and he was feeling pretty shitty. The legion had lost another MP. Nickolaus Schultz. He had been a dedicated soldier for over ten years. They had trained together, and Erwin thought that he was a bright young man. He would never forget the way his eyes looked. The orbs which once held a vivacious blue, were now pale and dull. His neck now harbored a clean and vicious laceration straight across.

Erwin had seen plenty of bloody kills himself, but for some reason he thought that Nickolaus' face and coagulated neck would haunt his dreams for some time. Maybe it was because of how clean it was. Erwin was used to mauled limbs and half eaten bodies. Bloodied messes that would always stay with him. He was used to pained screams of mercy and unimaginable violence. But there was something about serial murder, this criminal's murder, that scarred him. He thought that it had something to do with the fact that he didn't have a face to the crime. That he didn't and couldn't comprehend why someone would kill for no particular reason.

Erwin was analytical. Even in his youth, he craved knowledge and had a distinct adoration for philosophy. His father only pushed him to embrace his yearning for understanding. He frequently thought of his father during the night—when all his undying questions and thoughts plagued his dreams and turned them into nightmares. He would often see his father's dead face in these nightmares.

He felt them before he saw them.

There was this distinct shift in the air, as if the Gods themselves were holding their breath. And when Erwin turned around to stare at his reflection in the mirror, he noticed their figure in the dark. He immediately turned around and felt his heart sink.

This was new, as Erwin was not a person who got scared.

They say that your life flashes before your eyes before your end, but for some reason, Erwin could only think about how many stars littered the night sky through his cracked window. The same window that the perpetrator used to sneak in.

He sighed, letting his arms fall to his sides. He didn't know whether it was worth it to fight. He had seen the killer slice through a neck faster than he could register. He also knew that serial killers tended to get a kick out of a struggle. Maybe it was best to just stay calm and collected.

"Are you here to kill me?" He asked. He couldn't help it. What else could he say? 'Hello, how are you'?

He heard a chuckle from beneath the blood red bandana and black hood that hid their face from him. He felt his bones shake. That red bandana ignited a certain kind of reaction from him. It had spent so many months engraved in his mind.

"Of course not," A woman answered beneath. Her voice was low and melodic. As if she was singing to him. It both comforted him and sparked an unbelievable fear.

The woman took her hands and pulled back her hood, exposing beautiful golden irises. She had gorgeous eyes and full lashes. Her face was shrouded by a mess of silver. Erwin didn't know what the other half of her face looked like, but he was sure that she was probably exquisite.

He didn't have to wait long to see it, because she quickly pulled down her red bandana and Erwin felt his breath catch in his throat.

He had never seen a woman, anyone, as beautiful as she was. Even Marie, the only woman to have ever captured his heart, paled in comparison to her. He wondered if this woman had already killed him. Or maybe she was Death itself—here to take him away from this Earth to reunite with his mother and father. He didn't think this was too farfetched. He was going to die soon anyway.

"Erwin Smith, correct?" She asked him, as if she was asking about the weather.

He was hesitant to answer. Should he lie? Part of him knew this was useless. He knew that she had already known the answer. That she was only asking out of courtesy.

"Yes."

She smiled, which only furthered Erwin's skepticism, "Fantastic," She breathed out before walking around to take a seat on his bed. Erwin was completely taken aback. What did this woman want? And why was she acting so comfortable? Did she make a habit of visiting her victim's rooms at night before slitting their throats?

He asked her this, to which pearls of laughter escaped her mouth. It was absolutely spellbinding.

"Not usually. I've found that if I sneak into a man's room to talk first, they too often try to fuck me," She chuckled.

Erwin believed her. She was too mesmerizing for her own good, "Then why are you here?"

The beautiful silver-haired woman leaned forward, her elbows resting on her knees. She loosely clasped her hands together, covering part of her mouth.

"I'm here to make a deal with you," She smiled a devilish smile from behind her hands.

Yes, she was the Devil. And the Devil was always trying to make a deal.

Erwin was quick to respond, "I don't make deals with serial killers."

Her golden eyes sparkled brightly, "Well, there's a first time for everything," Her mouth curved into an almost salacious smirk, "You don't know, you might like it."

"I doubt that," Erwin quickly retorted.

She sighed with the smile still on her face, leaning backwards on the bed with her elbows now supporting her. She ran her eyes up and down his form, "You know, you're nothing like what I've heard."

"What have you heard?"

"That you're sharp, intelligent, and slightly unorthodox. Looks like your reputation has preceded you. You're actually quite boring," She smirked mischievously, shaking her foot back and forth. She spoke slowly, with elegance. As if she took her time with every word and made sure it counted.

But boring?

"So, because I don't want to make a deal with you, I'm boring?"

"You haven't even heard it yet," She pouted.

"You think I'm being unreasonable?"

"A little."

He frowned at that, taking a deep breath. He focused on how relaxed she looked; how harmless she came off.

"Fine, enlighten me. What could you possibly want from me? And what makes you think that I'll even give it to you?"

She leaned forward again, that smug smirk gracing her features one more, "What if I told you, that everything you know to be true is a lie. That our government is corrupt and saturated in conspiracy? That the same people that police your streets, also kidnap children and force them into militant slavery. What would you say to that?"

She was good. Erwin could admit that. She had appealed to his sense of skepticism. Five minutes into his execution and already he was seduced by her treasonous words.

"I would say that that's a big accusation."

"Would you believe me?"

"Without proof?"

She sucked in a breath dramatically before leaning back against her elbows again, "See, that's where our little deal would come into play," She licked her lips, "I could prove all of it. Tonight, tomorrow, whenever you want. But I need something first."

Erwin scoffed, "Of course."

"Hey, hey," She put her hands up lazily, "Don't be so quick to write me off. I actually don't need anything physically from you. Just the location of one man's desk and your word."

Erwin made a face at her, "Pardon?"

"Gregor Schmidt. You know him?" She asked, cocking her head to the side curiously.

Yeah, he knew him. Gregor Schmidt was a high appointed general for the Interior Police under the MPs. Last he heard, he was personally assisting the royal family with private matters, choosing to partake less in military affairs, and focusing more on internal assignments. They weren't tremendously acquainted, but he knew him, "Yes."

She sighed with her brows furrowed, gently stroking her lip with her middle finger, "He's a crafty son of a bitch, always moving, never stays in one place for too long. Never tells too many people where he's going either. It's very frustrating."

"What's your point?" Erwin asked, irritated with her now that she had been in his room as long as she had been, playing with him.

"I need to know where his office is. His current office. And I only have one real chance at it before he catches on and does something with it."

"With what?"

"Our proof," She smiled at him.

"And what does this proof look like?" Erwin asked.

She abruptly leaned forward, more serious now than she had ever been, and spoke quickly, "A red notebook. Small, no bigger than the length of my hands. He carries it with him everywhere. Except at night, when he leaves it in his desk."

"So, you want me to get you the location of his office, then what?"

"Then I want your word."

"My word for what?"

"Your word that after I grab this book, after I bring you this proof, that you will offer your unwavering support in my court hearings."

"Hearings? You want me to support you, a serial killer, in a court hearing?"

"That's right. I want you to stand before the people, your military general, and whatever God you pray to, and tell them that I am innocent. And in return, I will grant you my service for three years."

If Erwin wasn't fearing for his life, he might've laughed. It was a good joke. Her? Innocent? He had just witnessed her slit a man's throat with unimaginable speed right in front of him not even an hour ago, and she had the audacity to proclaim innocence? Someone must have been playing with him.

"You're kidding," Was all he could muster out.

"I'm not," She sighed, getting up to walk casually around his room to inspect his things. Her back was to him as she spoke, "I'm tired, Erwin. I'm not the same person I used to be. And that's a good thing, I think. Murder," She clicked her tongue, caressing various trinkets in his room, "While delicious, just isn't enough for me anymore. I didn't have any proof before, but now, now I can get it. I no longer want to see slit throats and dead eyes," She turned back around suddenly, and her eyes lost the harmless golden hue. Now, they held a more burgundy amber that resembled a dark cherry. Erwin tried not to visibly shake at the change. He had never seen eyes change like that.

Her voice was dark and held promise, "I want to watch them all burn."

Erwin swallowed hard, "Who?"

Who was 'them'?

Her smile returned, as if she didn't just hold murder in her eyes, and her irises slowly returned to their golden shimmer, "Help me get this notebook, and I'll tell you everything you want to know."

Erwin shook his head in disbelief, "And what do I get out of this?"

"I just told you, my service," She made a face and rolled her eyes.

"And I just have to trust your word on that? I help you and I just hope that you honor your end of the deal?" He scoffed, "Besides, I don't think you have the right temperament for service. You could never be a soldier."

Her eyes momentarily lost their sparkle and her voice turned cold, "You'd be surprised, Mr. Smith."

Erwin was so taken aback by her change in demeanor, that he almost forgot that she had turned so violent just moments before. The pain in her eyes, it made his stomach turn. He almost felt bad for her. It was enough to give him whiplash.

"How do I know that you'll hold up your end? That you're even being honest about what's in this notebook? That there even is a notebook?"

Her smile returned, "I guess you'll just have to trust me."

Erwin shook his head and closed his eyes. He couldn't do that. He couldn't risk others' safety. And he refused to involve himself with a murderer who, for all he knew, was just lying to him so she could kill someone else. However, something told him that if she really just wanted to kill someone, she wouldn't need his help.

But then why was she asking for it? None of it felt right.

"I'm sorry, but I can't agree to that. You'll just have to kill me," He said. He tried to say it with conviction, but that was hard to do with the shake in his voice. He made an oath to serve humanity. To put his life on the line to do so. And he was doing just that. Giving his life for the people. He refused to partake in her games at the detriment of society.

"Goodness!" Her beautiful eyes danced as she smiled, "Are you sure? Don't you want to think on it? Death is permanent. You might change your mind."

Erwin shook his head again, "I won't. I will not help you hurt other people."

"Bad people?" She asked incredulously, "People that have hurt others far more than I ever could? People that have hurt you?"

Erwin looked confused, "Me?"

"Your father. Shame how he died, he was an honorable man. They said it was an accident, right?" She asked airily, as if she was talking about his plans for tomorrow, "Tragic."

Erwin's eyes blazed, "What do you know about my father?"

"I know that he was brilliant," Her eyes sparkled, "Clever, and most of the time, annoying."

Erwin was in complete shock.

"You knew him?"

"He was my teacher," She said casually.

Erwin scoffed a sarcastic laugh, "You're lying. You weren't a student in his class. I would have remembered you."

"I never said I had him in a class. I said he was my teacher," She blew some silver from her face, "Annoying prat. Always asking stupid questions about history and philosophy. It's what got him into trouble in the first place," She walked up to Erwin slowly and he tensed up immediately. He suddenly regretted calling her a liar.

She got about a foot away before scrutinizing him, "You know, you're just like what he said you'd be. Brave, smart. He said you'd be tall too, but he was only guessing. He was right about that, though," She said, looking up at him from her distance below him. Now that she was so close to him, he could finally see her in her entirety.

She was short, very short. Her eyes swam in gold and amber and they reflected her curiosity. Her silver hair illuminated in the moonlight and shimmered when she made any sudden moves. She looked unreal. Inhuman.

When he first saw her, he couldn't understand how a woman so small, so fragile, could kill anyone, let alone an MP. But now that he could see her beautiful face up close, now that he could see the craving for violence in her eyes, he understood. She wasn't fragile at all, but horrifyingly dangerous.

A succubus, thirsty for bloodshed and hungry for souls.

"What else did he say?" He whispered. He didn't really believe her, but he wanted to humor himself. He had so many questions.

"That he misses-missed," She corrected, "You more than anything. And that he forgives you for talking too much. You shouldn't blame yourself. They killed him because he threatened the established order of things," She stared at him, "I can prove that, too."

Erwin's eyes widened. Only he knew of the real reason why his father was murdered. He had been too young and naïve to understand the severity of his gossip amongst the other children, telling them of his father's conspiracy theories. And when his father died, Erwin was riddled with guilt. He knew his father's death was no accident, instead, perpetuated and arranged by someone else. He had always assumed that the government had something to do with it, but he never had any proof.

Now, this woman, who knew far more than she should, was telling him that she could prove their corruption. That she could show him everything he ever wanted, and in return he would be able to employ her services. Her services, which would prove to be absolutely invaluable to him. She was telling him everything he wanted to hear, handing him everything he wanted on a silver platter. Yet, he couldn't bring himself to shake the Devil's hand, his vision turning hazy from those dull blue eyes he had seen earlier.

"You've killed so many people," He whispered in the night.

"Bad people," She reminded him.

"And what did Nickolaus Schultz do that was so bad?" He asked her.

"Dabbled in slavery," She shrugged.

"And I'm just supposed to take your word for that?"

The woman huffed and rolled her eyes in frustration, "Help me get this book, Smith, and you'll have more than just my word."

"I'll have to think on it," He answered after a brief moment.

She nodded her head before returning to the open window to take her leave, "You've got three days to decide."

Erwin was in a tight spot. What could he do? Should he help her? Or should he buy his time? Should he tell everyone who she was, what she looked like, what she wanted?

She must've had an obscene amount of confidence if she trusted him not out her. Or maybe she didn't, and she was playing with him before she decided to rid him of this Earth. As his thoughts raged with the possibilities of her intentions, he noticed that she hadn't left. Instead, she was intensely staring at him. He felt like she could see his inner turmoil.

With one leg out the window, her eyes darted away, almost as if she was embarrassed.

She spoke lowly, "I know you think I'm a monster—this evil thing that kills your comrades because she thinks it's fun. And you might be right about that. But regardless if you choose to help me or not," She paused, seeming to think about her words, "You don't ever have to worry about me taking your life, Smith."

….

A year later now, and not only did she provide her proof, she held up her end. She sacrificed herself so she could keep her promise.

Erwin knew that this was the last place she wanted to be. Forced into a situation she couldn't get out of, surrounded by people that hated her, feared her, or both.

She tasted only four years of freedom, just to be stuck back in a cage. And she was going to throw it all away for a kid she barely knew?

Mike was right. It didn't make any sense. He needed to be smart.

Erwin nodded his head, "You make a good point."

"A good point?!" Levi exclaimed.

"I agree with Mike. I think we should give her the benefit of the doubt," Hange spoke up again after being uncharacteristically quiet.

"Alright, it's settled, we'll let her stay amongst the other soldiers until Hange's finished with her investigation. Mike, since you're the only one that can stay unbiased, I want you to supervise her."

Mike nodded, he knew she wouldn't be much trouble, "Alright, I'll have Nanaba watch over the rest of my squad until it's done."

"Thank you," Erwin nodded to him in appreciation, "As for you two, Hange, I want consistent updates of your progress. Levi, I want you to inform your squad that she will continue to eat and train with them."

"Erwin, how can you expect them to train with her if they're constantly fearing for their lives because of her?" Levi asked him. His priority was the wellbeing of his subordinates that weren't accused of killing one of their own.

"They're a part of your squad. Elites. They are specifically trained to handle situations like this," Erwin pressed.

"Titans, not humans! They won't accept this."

"Then make them accept it. This isn't a request," Erwin stated before getting up and sighing, "This is a tough situation for everybody. Until we have our answers, this is what we're doing. You're all dismissed."

…

Ares felt empty now. Before, when her rage and wounds were fresh, she was ready to break out of the damn place. She was ready to kill anyone and everyone if she had to, just so she could escape her circumstances. It wouldn't have been hard at all. She had planned it all out to the very last detail.

She would slip through the metal bars of her cage and kill the guards that kept watch behind her door. When that was done, she would take her hands that were coated in the guards' blood and run them along the walls of the base, a reminder of what happened to them. She would walk up the stairs, and even though she didn't have to, she would enter the rooms of each of her squad members and slice their throats.

Except Levi.

She thought that Levi deserved something different. She decided that instead of cutting his throat, she would strangle him. Slowly. She wanted him to helplessly watch her steal the life from his body. Right before he would pass, she would kiss him. Part of her thought it'd be romantic. She blushed at the thought.

Afterwards, she would kill anyone else that got in her path without delay. She would question her target of The Man's whereabouts before ripping his head from his body. Finally, she would make her way to Erwin's bedroom and search for that damn red notebook. The notebook with all her proof. She gave it to him to hold during her time here. A sign of good faith that she would serve her promised time under him. She could've just taken it and left, but she wanted Erwin to trust her—a feat that she now deemed a waste of her time. If she couldn't find it, she'd break every bone in his body until he told her where it was.

Of course, at this point, she didn't really need it. The book was supposed to be her ticket to absolution. It was supposed to prove her innocence. How much innocence would she have left after a massacre? Regardless, she thought she would keep it as a trophy.

When she finally got the book, she would make her leave. She would take her horse and ride off to whatever city the target provided, and she would find The Man—by herself if she had to, and kill him. It'd have to be slow of course. She figured she would want to stretch his death out as many days as possible.

Out of all the ways she imagined killing Him, she could never settle on one. Her favorite idea so far was to eat him alive, but she thought he might end up dying far too quickly. Either way, when she was done killing him, she'd hunt down all the rest. Their cities would fear her. They'd tell vicious tales of her depravity, and she'd plague the dreams of children for decades to come.

And when her beast finally had its fill, she would leave and live in hiding. It was actually pretty easy to do. The only person that would be able to track her down would be Erwin. She wouldn't kill him, but she figured she'd just return every couple of months to break his bones again. That was a pleasant thought.

She supposed she deserved that much. If she was going into hiding and letting her beast out, why not revel in it. People had always seen her as a monster, what difference did it make that she lived up to the reputation?

Of course, she probably wouldn't be able to stay with Nova and the other children. She wouldn't want them to end up as a target for her own sins.

Instead, she would live forever alone. Alone with her thoughts, alone with her beast.

Ares always stopped here. She could never get past this part of her plan. The rest of it was perfect. Easy. But eventually, her monster would have to rest, and then what would she be left with? The memories of her chaos? She didn't think she could live alone with that.

Violence was easy, loneliness was hard.

So, instead of leaving, she sat in the dirty basement—contemplating everything she wanted to do and more but refusing to act on it.

She suddenly picked up the small vibrations of footsteps coming towards her cell. They were strong, long strides.

Mike.

She could pick him up now after walking with him to her cage. She wondered if he would be bringing her her food since she wasn't allowed to leave. She scoffed.

Treated like a prisoner for a crime she didn't even commit.

Suddenly, she craved bloodshed again.

Mike opened the basement door before walking to her caged one. She hadn't moved from her spot, still chained up and angry.

Even though she could've broken them apart with little difficulty, she preferred them on. She felt that, on some kind of level, they kept her from releasing her beast.

He stared at her for a moment before unlocking her cage door and then her chains. Ares raised a brow at him.

"You're not going to be on house arrest. I convinced Erwin to give you the benefit of the doubt until Hange gets her test results."

Ares made a face at his words. She was confused.

"You're going to be eating with your squad and training with your squad. I will be keeping a close eye on you," Mike continued.

Ares didn't want to eat with them or train with them. She didn't want anything to do with them or anyone else. The only reason she tolerated Mike was because…well…

She didn't know.

"Right now, you have an alibi. A solid one. But if Hange gets those results back and it's evident that you killed him, no one will be able to save you from your punishment. Do you understand?" He asked her.

Since she was deaf, she couldn't hear tone in voice. She always had to use context clues or simply guess based off body language. Mike had always shown her kindness, so she didn't really believe that he held any malice or threat in his tone, just a warning, so she didn't take offense. Instead, Ares stared blankly at him and didn't make a move to get up from her position.

Mike made a face, "You know, you could show a little appreciation for what I did for you."

Ares made a face back at him and signed that she didn't want to go out. She preferred her cage now. She was being petty, of course.

Mike huffed, "I can't understand you. Are you coming or not?"

Which Ares replied with a huff and looked down at the dirty floor of her cell. She took her index finger and wrote a simple reply in the dirt, 'No'.

Mike hardened his gaze at her, "What do you mean 'No'? You can't say 'No'. That's not how this works."

She tapped her 'No' again as if to repeat the word back to him.

Mike rolled his eyes, "I put myself on the line for you and now you don't even want to leave?"

She crossed her arms defiantly.

"Why?" He asked her.

She darted her eyes from him briefly before huffing again.

"Is it Erwin?" He asked her.

She only frowned deeper at that, butting out her chin in defiance and waving her arms around. She meant for it to come off like she was saying 'Everyone, not just him', but soon realized that she just looked like a crazy woman throwing her hands around.

"I don't get it."

She grunted internally before taking her index finger again, 'Everyone'.

Mike focused on her word and made a face, "Everyone? You don't want to see anyone?"

She shrugged her shoulders and crossed her arms again.

"Is it because people are afraid of you?" He asked her.

Her eyes darted away from him, only to return when she realized she needed to see what he was saying. She didn't care that people feared her, well, maybe she did a little. Mostly, she was upset that people didn't trust her, which was why they feared her.

They didn't even fear her because of something she did, but because of something they thought she did.

Somehow, that was worse.

"I didn't take you for someone that cared about what other people thought."

Ares blew some hair from her face, glaring at him. Either way, she wasn't going to go up there and sit with them. She definitely wasn't going to train with them. It was better she stayed coped up in her cage. For what if someone else turned up dead? She would need an alibi.

"Look, who cares if they don't trust you. Hange is already looking into it. If she finds proof of your innocence, you probably won't have to deal with this ever again. Tough it out and get up. I'm hungry."

Ares pointed to her 'No' again and Mike threw his hands up, "Seriously?"

Ares didn't respond, only glaring at him. Yeah, he made sense, but she would never admit it. Instead, she'd make this entire process as difficult for him as it was for her. If she had to suffer, so would he.

Mike crouched down to her level and sighed, clasping his hands in a controlled frustration.

"You're being petty."

Ares went to tap her 'No', again but he smacked her hand away.

"You're being petty. Get over yourself. You did some fucked up shit before and now you're dealing with the consequences of your actions. That's what happens when you decide to murder people."

She rolled her eyes at him.

"Look, I can't leave you by yourself and you have to eat something. So, you can sit with me and my squad until Hange gets the results."

Ares pointed to her 'No' again. What difference did it make? She didn't want to sit with anyone. She wanted to be alone.

"Well, I can't leave you here, so what am I supposed to do?"

…

They obviously ate in silence during breakfast. Ares picked at her food, choosing to glare at her tray instead of glaring at everyone else who was staring at her. Mike casually sipped his coffee with his ankles crossed lazily. He had the longest legs, so Ares had to place a foot on either side of them.

They were the only two at the table. Everyone was staring at her and they were staring at Mike for having the balls to eat with her alone. If he cared about their looks, he definitely didn't show it. But for Ares, it was annoying as hell and she regretted allowing him to escort her here. She was better off sulking alone in her cage.

She didn't look up towards anyone. She didn't want to see anyone that would set her off. On some level, she agreed with Mike. She needed to suck it up. She had been through much worse than what she was going through now, and she needed to just get through it. Like he said, their distrust was a consequence of her violence.

Regardless, that didn't mean she had to smile in their faces and act with respect. At the end of the day, she was still always getting the short end of the stick and she would pout about that as much as she wanted to.

She felt Mike kick her calf and she brought her eyes up to his across the table, "Eat your food."

She had no way to communicate with him now, so she signed the only thing that was universal whether you knew the language or not. She flipped him off.

He rolled his eyes, "I know you're hungry. Stop acting like a kid and eat your food."

She responded by purposefully dropping her fork and crossing her arms defiantly. She widened her eyes intentionally as if to say, 'Now what?'.

Mike sighed before looking at her tray and back to his. He handed her his apple and went back to sipping his coffee. He didn't say anything after that, simply letting her stare at him. Eventually, she grabbed the apple and took a vicious bite out of it. She couldn't resist the damn things.

She could swear she caught his slight smirk from behind his coffee cup, but it was so quick that she barely noticed. Smug bastard.

"When you're done, I'm handing you off to Levi. I need a break."

Ares stopped chewing and shook her head.

"Yes. If I knew that babysitting you would be this fucking difficult, I would've kept my mouth shut."

Ares leaned forward and glared at him, shaking her head again. She hoped he could see the brewing tantrum in her eyes.

"I can't watch you all day every day until Hange's done. Erwin said it himself. You're still going to train with your squad and eat with your squad. You're lucky I didn't even make you do that."

Ares crossed her arms and smirked at him. There was no way he was making her do anything. She wasn't going to.

Mike stared at her with unease before sighing again, "What do you want me to do? Train you by myself?"

OOoooOOOoo the plot thickenssss. How'd you like that Erwin/Ares flashback? I personally love the backstory of these two. I will be unfolding more and more with time, but I love their relationship with each other.

Also, can we give a round of applause for Mike. We support Mike in this house!

Side note, we'll get some more steamy Levi/Ares scenes soon. I gotta build plot and whatnot.

Until then, what's their ship name?

I was thinking Arvi…but it seems to simple.

Lares?

Levares?

I kind of hate those, but feel free to help me decide.

Or you can just be like my friend and ship MikAres.