**Several weeks later**

Nothing would ever be the same.

The unthinkable had happened: Wall Maria had fallen. The entire outer territory was lost. with thousands of refugees seeking shelter behind Wall Rose, food was getting rapidly short. More would die. Many more.

And during all of this, the Survey Corps had been as useless as its critics claimed it was. Unable to see it coming, unable to stop it, unable to understand any of it.

They liked to think of themselves as the best and the most skilled soldiers of all military branches, Zoë thought bitterly, as she watched exhausted children in rags curl up on their mess floor, but had nothing more to offer to these poor souls than this: a cold floor to sleep on for a night.

"We'll have to take all their names tomorrow before they're sorted into one of the camps," Commander Erwin said at her elbow, gazing down on the huddled shapes with a face that was ashen from exhaustion. "With a bit of luck, we will be able to find their parents."

She appreciated his attempt to remain stubbornly optimistic, however misspent it was. Erwin Smith knew just as well as her that the reported civilian casualties from Shiganshina were devastating. There weren't enough boats, the evacuation had not happened fast enough. The Garrison had been wiped out almost completely. No telling what was currently going down in the villages out there - but since they had had no way to warn all of the inhabitants of the incoming threat, she had a pretty good idea of what it was: Apparently, Titans ate until their over-full stomachs regurgitated half-composed human remains. And then they ate more. Until no more humans were there to be eaten.

"Go get some sleep, Hange," Erwin said and turned around to walk out of the room.

"You too, Sir," she said to his retreating back.

"Have you eaten anything?" seizing the opportunity, Mike came over, hovering like a giant mother hen.

Zoë shook her head. She wasn't hungry.

"Where's that idiot Moblit?" Mike murmured, turning his head from side to side. Spotting the man in question at the other end of the room, he yelled: "Moblit! Why has Hange not been fed?"

"Shhhh," Zoë flinched, "the children!"

"Sorry, sorry," Mike apologized but the little ones hardly stirred. Some had fainted from exhaustion earlier, they had barely been able to get fluids and a little food into them.

"I'm not a horse," Zoë pulled a face, "no need to feed me like one."

"But you're as thin as a weed, " Mike insisted. "I worry."

"Don't," she said, trying not to sound annoyed. Frankly, she wasn't ready for Mike's insistent attention. That included his well-meant attempts to have her unburden her heart to him. But she was completely fine with a heart that bled incessantly. In fact, the now familiar pain seemed like just punishment for her failures. She hoped it would never go away.

It had to be tiring for the others to see her in such low spirits though, she guessed. She could relate: Someone who managed to look even more miserable than herself was Petra Ral and yes, that irritated even her. Apparently, Petra had been very much in love with Captain Levi. Everybody knew by now and everybody had offered their sympathies. Several times. Somehow, only Zoë hadn't found the right words yet.

Mike next to her sniffed audibly, then growled low in his throat.

Oh, for fuck's sake.

Theo Treibel had just come in, his arms full of blankets, soon putting them on children who had to share theirs with others. Mike hadn't exactly taken to their latest transfer - though he knew they should thank anyone who was willing to join the Survey Corps on their knees. Their latest expedition had cost them 40% of all soldiers. 40 fucking percent. If this continued, there would be no Survey Corps to speak of soon.

"Seriously?" she threw Mike an exasperated look from the side.

"Can't stand him," he murmured.

Zoë strongly suspected that it had something to do with their former engagement. But Treibel was nothing but a model soldier ever since joining their ranks. Attentive, helpful, eager to integrate. His 3DMG skills were above average for someone from the MP and he had a knack for finding solutions to complicated logistical problems. Erwin was quietly impressed. Not unlikely that he'd be promoted to squad leader soon.

Which reminded her… pressing her lips together, Zoë looked over to Eld who was in a heated discussion with Oluo. Erwin hadn't touched Levi's squad yet as if… as if he could not accept it. As if promoting Eld Jinn to squad leader would make Levi's absence... well, final. She was grateful - but it was no solution. The Survey Corps had to go out there again. As soon as possible. Levi's squad needed a new leader. They needed new hope. Someone else needed to be Humanity's strongest soldier.

"I'll check with the kitchen if they need my help before catching some sleep," she patted Mike on the back briefly. "Now that the little ones are settled, some of us can think about getting some sleep. Erwin has drawn up a roster for us."

Mike nodded.

"I'll tell him to pair you and Treibel as often as possible."

"Zoë!"

"Why, does he stink?"

Mike frowned. "Not exactly," he admitted. "He just smells too… proper."

"You're an idiot," Zoë shook her head and turned around to leave the mess hall.

They had opened up their headquarters in Stohess to refugees yesterday and already, the castle was full. She massaged the bridge of her nose above her glasses as she walked along the corridor, careful not to trip over anyone's legs. Gods, she felt dizzy. Erwin was right, she should get some sleep. Then again, peeling potatoes seemed like a useful task that would help her calm down.

"Miss? Miss," a small girl with pigtails timidly pulled at her trousers.

"Yes?" Zoë stopped and gazed down at the child.

"Miss," the girl said, "there is someone at the gate asking for you."

"For me?" Zoë frowned in the direction of the gate. "Hey, I know you," she suddenly remembered the mousy face from what seemed a different life. "You're in…" Captain Levi's Titan Fodder troupe, she added in her head, her voice faltering.

The girl nodded eagerly, "Yes, you know me. My momma is a cook here. I sweep the courtyard and help with the horses."

"And the person at the gate asked for me specifically? You're sure?"

The girl nodded again. "It's that blond woman from before."

Blond woman from before…? Could she mean…? No. That was impossible.

"Thank you," Zoë ruffled the girl's head and hurried away.

As expected, there was nobody out there when she opened the small door to the right of the gate. A misunderstanding, most likely. In fact, the street was completely empty. Figured, after days of panic and chaos, everyone was too exhausted to stir from shelter at this point.

Taking a deep breath of the cool, fresh night air, Zoë looked up at the sky. She noticed the faint waning crescent moon in the West above the rooftops and shuddered when she noticed its red hue. A bad omen. Again. Had it really been only one month? A waning crescent moon is a symbol for change, for life and death. If you gaze upon the moon's face after a nightmare, bad things are sure to happen. A nightmare. All of this…yes, a nightmare.

"Is that you," a thin voice sounded from the shadows across the street, "Hange?"

Zoë's heart jumped. "Show yourself," she demanded.

A woman stepped into the faint light of the moon, her golden locks appearing silver, almost white, the blood on her face black and gruesome.

"Maria," Zoë gasped. "How…"

"Help us. You must help us," Maria's begged, "please. We have nowhere to go."

"Who…"

Other shapes materialized from the shadows. Zoë recognized them as they limped closer. A good number of Xandra's girls. But wasn't the Underground closed off…? Oh. Of course! The refugee crisis had Garrison and MP alike keep order on the streets. The utmost priority for the government was to ensure that no problems arose in the Inner District. With forces needed at the gates, it seemed that some of the stairs in Stohess were no longer guarded.

"What happened to you?" with a pang, Zoë saw the sorry state the girls were in. Limping, wounded, in tears.

"A purge," Maria said and a small sob escaped her throat. "The Church family has taken full control."

Zoë gritted her teeth in response. As if the world needed even more violence!

"She needs a doctor immediately," Maria signalled to the shadows. "Please."

Two girls stepped out, dragging someone forward between them. Zoë gasped again and grabbed the door post for support when the woman's face was revealed.

"That's not…?"

But it was.

Annika. Unconscious and dripping blood. Unconscious, but clearly not dead.

###

Of all possible goddamn places, they had moved Annika's limp body to Levi's bed. True, the infirmary was full. True, the woman was in a critical condition and needed a proper bed. But her presence in Levi's old room, her red hair on his pillow, her scent mingling what was left of his was too much to bear. Zoë lingered at the door, reluctant to enter, reluctant to leave, ready for murder, ready to beat the truth out of Levi's killer before she took revenge for him. Her hand closed tightly over Levi's knife that they had found on Annika.

But the doctor looked very grim as he discussed Annika's state with Erwin in a low voice. It looked like nature would take its course and she wouldn't have to kill a mortally wounded woman. Which, Zoë surmised, was a good thing for her overall state of mind.

"So she wasn't hanged," Zoë remarked as the latter of the two men stepped out of the room and pulled the door halfway shut behind him.

"Apparently not," Erwin agreed, his voice turned hoarse from shouting commands all night and all day.

"Did you have anything to do with it, Sir?"

He looked at her, his eyebrows forming a displeased V. "You have a very poor opinion of me, Squad Leader Hange."

Zoë lifted her eyebrows. "My apologies, Sir."

"And you think me much more capable than I am," Erwin sighed and briefly rubbed his eyes. "I wish I were this crafty. Let me try and win your trust again, Zoë Hange."

"You have my trust, Sir." Or I would not have handed the proof against my father to you. Erwin wanted what she wanted. A brighter future for humanity. The truth about the Titans.

"She might have influential friends," Erwin looked down at her with an unreadable expression.

Did he mean her father? She mulled the possibility over in her head. It seemed improbable but also impossible to rule out. Having a loyal spy in the Underground might be advantageous for someone as corrupt as him. Ah, but the less she thought about the man who had sired her and his dirty games, the better.

"Theo will be delighted when he finds out about this," Zoë rolled her eyes. "I guess you have to trust me to guard this door tonight or her passing might be hastened."

"We'll keep her presence from the others," Erwin said. "No need to get anyone's blood up even more. As soon as she can speak, I will question her. I mean to get answers. Join me, if you'd like."

"So you are confident she will make it?"

He considered that for a while. "The wounds are deep and several bones are broken but she seems like a tough person to me."

Maria and the other girls' stories had aligned. Renzo and his allies had moved against Xandra's associates a few days ago with utmost brutality and cold efficiency. Those who had not yielded were executed on the spot. A few had been able to hide. Even fewer had been lucky in their choice of stairs to flee.

Annika had fought for Xandra's girls, Maria and the others had claimed. She had kept ten men off so that the women could get away. Zoë didn't believe for a second that Annika had a soft heart for anyone. If she had a heart at all. Whatever her reasons for helping, it has to be something traitorous and sinister.

"What will you do afterwards if she survives? Hand her over to the Military Police?" Or will you give her to me so that I can cut her open just like she did with Levi?

"At which charge? Remember, she was 'hanged'. No, we'll have to think of something else."

"I hope you won't trust her again, Sir," Zoë said stiffly.

"I never did," Erwin rubbed his bloodshot eyes as he leaned back against the wall. "But I admit that I did believe that my offer was too good to pass by. It worked on Levi, remember?"

"They're nothing alike." Her immediate answer sounded too defensive.

"I guess you're right," Erwin cleared his throat. "I assume all these girls are prostitutes?"

"Yes," Zoë nodded. "That and… I don't know for sure but Levi said…," dammit, even just saying his name hurt, "... he said that most people in the Underground have more than one line of work."

"You mean to say that we have to be extra careful. Yes," Erwin nodded. "Let's be careful. It's inconvenient, but I'll change the roster and will put more of us on guard duty. Tomorrow, we will decide where to move them."

"Ask them whether they'd be interested in joining the military, Sir," Zoë suggested. "Some are very skilled with a knife. Like Maria. She knows quite a few tricks and…"

A strange thought demanded attention from her hazy brain. A very strange thought.

"Yes?" Erwin asked.

"Commander Erwin, when Annika first reached out to you, who did she say sent her?"

He shook his head slowly. "I don't recall. I think she didn't say, exactly… maybe something like… 'we are very concerned for Levi's life.'"

"Then… why did you believe her?"

Erwin considered the question. "She knew a lot about Levi."

"And…?"

"I am sorry, Zoë, I don't think I have the answer you seek. She seemed sincere. What is it you're thinking about?"

"There are people in the Underground - and I fear above ground - who wanted Levi dead. But I think there are…or were others that wanted him alive. One of them was Xandra. But… I don't think it was Xandra who sent Annika your way."

Erwin remained silent but attentive.

"I don't know who it was. Someone close to Levi. Someone who knows what… what he was. I'm thinking that… I'm hoping all of a sudden…"

Erwin lifted his eyebrows questioningly.

"The only way to ensure Levi's safety was to make him disappear, Sir. Would you agree?" Her voice was shaking. It made sense to her, ye gods, it suddenly made sense.

"I do follow, though only barely, Hange. You know I planned to extract him."

"Would he ever have agreed to it though? Of course not. You knew that too, hence your arrangement with Annika. He wanted that fight. To show the Underground that he paid his final debt to it. He wanted that fight. Winning was secondary. When he said goodbye…"

Erwin straightened abruptly. "He came to say goodbye?"

Zoë nodded and took off her glasses to wipe her eyes. "He said he wouldn't be able to rejoin the Survey Corps. He planned… he planned to disappear."

She had mulled over those ear-marked pages a lot. What had Oliver planned to do with those ingredients? The leaves. Berries. And fungi he grew on his roof. Poison. But not all poisons killed. Some had Levi see pink.

"I saw his body. There was a funeral. I'm sorry to say, Hangr," Erwin's face had turned unusually soft, she saw. He was probably thinking that she was going insane. Maybe she was.

"And I saw Maria pretend she was dying from a self-inflicted wound," her breath was coming in short bursts. "And I saw Levi's grave wounds heal overnight. I think… Sir, I hope… I hope he is... I believe… I believe it's possible he's alive."

Out there. Somewhere out there.

With Titans ravaging the land. Oh gods. Suddenly, she was very much afraid.

###

For someone expecting death to strike swiftly from behind every rock or tree, Levi had never given the afterlife much thought. He had always scoffed at the zealots preaching about a paradise of eternal bliss with no hunger, sickness, fear and violence. Or those fools from the Church of the Walls who came down to the Underground to preach about sin and salvation, trying to recruit more members to expand their influence, urgh!

Nope, Levi hadn't given the afterlife much thought because he didn't believe in an afterlife. Those were tales for the weak and fearful, employed by some people to influence others. Life, he knew, was short, hard, and full of misery. Death at the end: final.

Sadly, he had been wrong about that last part.