Hey guys, sorry this update is a day late! I'm just going to tell you in advance that next week's update is going to be one or two days late too, seeing as I'm returning home from visiting my family on this upcoming Monday and I'll likely be too tired to edit and post once I'm home haha. I hope you all have had good days so far though, and that you're taking care of yourself as always!
And of course: thank you so much for reading. I always appreciate your presence and your comments :) Take care and I'll see you again sometime next week!
As Levi had promised, the seven current members of the squad rode north-east through the night in their haste to reach Rod Reiss's lands. Also as Levi had promised, he had Yavena double-riding behind him, so she might be able to rest a scrap more than she might've had she ridden on her own horse.
Although she figured that he was being slightly overdramatic about her injuries, Yavena did not complain aloud. She was able to be close with him, her arms wrapped around his torso, her head along his back. Both of these gestures brought her immeasurable comfort, and continued to fuel her resolve that she had made the right choice in redirecting that bullet away from Levi's back that same morning.
Levi had remembered his promise to speak with her about Kenny the Ripper as well, though it was clear that there was not much to say.
He had spoken loud enough so that Yavena could hear him over the pounding of the horse's hooves, but quietly enough that no one else could listen. He told her that he had been eight years old when he had first met Kenny: his mother had been dead in a brothel for a week. It was Kenny who had found him, and while the man did not speak much of himself, it was he who taught Levi everything he needed to know to survive in the Underground District. How to handle a blade. How to negotiate and make trades for food in exchange for work. How to stay out of trouble… or how to find it.
"The only things I really know about Kenny are the ways that he fights," Levi said, his voice bitter. "He's flashy and arrogant, and he doesn't have a moral code. He may be the most dangerous person alive… even more so than I am."
Yavena grew nervous with this last. Keeping her arms around him, she murmured, "Even so, he must have a weakness. Right?"
Silence was her answer, which only served to aggravate the anxiety that was swirling around in her lower stomach. After long moments of thought, Levi answered, "There must be. But I do not know it."
"Then the next time we fight him, we'll keep an eye out," said Yavena. She placed her head along his back again and closed her eyes, knowing that if Kenny was as skilled as Levi claimed that he was, it would be a difficult job indeed. And that was without even mentioning the large number of Interior Military Police to deal with as well.
They rode on. Yavena's eyes had adjusted to the darkness by this time; she watched as trees flew past, many of the leaves fallen from their branches. As they passed through forest dominions, the horses' hooves crunched through a number of those leaves upon the ground.
The other members of Squad Levi seemed determined. None of them looked tired whatsoever; they stared straight ahead at the road, continually heading north… Yavena could not help smiling at their fortitude. It seemed only yesterday they were rookies, frightened to face Titans or venture outside of the Walls.
She sighed, hoping that they would be able to keep that strength with them for whatever else would one day come.
Within the next hour or so, Levi ordered the others to halt. They had found a good place to rest for the night; a clear stream was flowing nearby, pine trees could provide solid concealment from unfriendly eyes, and the land seemed relatively safe and uninhabited.
So it was that they seven began the usual preparations. Mikasa and Armin started a small fire; Conny, Sasha, and Jean began to organize the supplies; and Yavena and Levi took care of the horses, gesturing them all towards a safe place where they could graze and hopefully not wander too far off.
As Yavena walked Courage—who had been riding alongside Levi's horse the whole time—towards their temporary 'stables,' she found herself humming softly to no one at all. It was the same lullaby that she had heard when they had all been in Stohess District, after Annie had been captured.
Levi seemed to recognize it as well. He did not say anything, but the lift to his eyebrow asked his question.
"My Aunt used to hum to me when I was nervous," sighed Yavena. She reached into one of the knapsacks that Courage had been carrying and withdrew a handkerchief, which she used to begin cleaning the horse's saddle. "On nights when my parents would be out, fighting Titans somewhere far away. It helped a little."
"There are no Titans here."
Yavena rolled her eyes, though she still chuckled. "Obviously. It's not associated with the Titans so much as it is being nervous."
He took a moment to figure out what to say, releasing the saddle and harnesses from his own horse. After he had placed it to the side, somewhere it could not be sullied, he said, "I see."
Figuring that this had been a decent enough answer to sate his curiosity, she reached for another saddle—
"My mother did the same."
She froze and glanced back at him over her shoulder. Levi was not facing her; he was taking the harnesses off of the next horse already. He seemed to sense Yavena's gaze, however, and added, "It's one of the few things I remember about her."
The night was not as cold as it could have been, but Yavena felt chills trail across her skin all the same. It was rare to hear vulnerability in Levi's voice at all, even considering how close they had become over the last number of weeks.
Deciding to return to work, Yavena turned around again. She reached for the saddle, though she did allow her next question to unfurl through the frigid air. "What else do you remember?"
One of the horses whinnied and stamped into the ground. Levi shushed it before answering. "She had dark hair. Blue eyes. The one time that Kenny mentioned her in the three years I lived with him, he said I looked like her."
Yavena cleaned the next saddle, though her hands were shaking as she wiped the handkerchief across it. He did not say as much, but it was clear that the recollection of his mother was a difficult topic. She was stuck between three choices: to ask more questions and hope that remembering brought him some peace, to attempt to comfort him another way, or to say nothing at all.
She had no idea what he would've done, were the situations reversed. And the last thing that Yavena wanted to do was screw something up.
The silence that settled between them was not an uneasy one, though Yavena still could not stop herself from shivering. Comforting the rest of her squad-mates was easy: natural, even. She knew that all she had to do was listen and understand, and hopefully say something that might resonate with them.
Levi was nothing like them. Even after seven years, she could not predict him. She could not know that what she would do was correct; Yavena prided herself on being able to read people, even Levi, but as she had told Sasha earlier that very evening… sometimes he made it difficult. Even impossible.
But then, a simple question entered her head. One that she somehow knew was safe to ask.
"What do you need from me?"
The words were swallowed up by the whistle of oncoming wind, and by the few whispers from the remainder of their squad-mates only a number of meters away. Yavena exhaled slowly, watching her breath form and spiral through the air before disappearing without a trace.
When Levi turned around again, she relaxed. The corners of his mouth were turned ever so slightly upwards. Even though it was dark, there was no mistaking that this was what she saw: it was not quite a smile, but certainly a hint at one.
"For you to stay alive," he said.
The saddles were cleaned, the horses free from their restraints. All seven of them were grazing happily across the bits of grass that had not yet been covered in frost. Yavena could only watch as Levi began to walk back to the others, though he looked back and waved her onwards, seeing that she had not made a move to follow.
"How are the stitches?" he asked as she caught up to him.
"Fine," she answered. "You already know they reopened earlier, but… they've been all right since then."
By this point, they were certainly within ear-shot of the others. All six of them were already sitting around the small fire that Armin and Mikasa had put together. Sasha and Conny were holding their hands towards it, hoping to restore some feeling to their frozen fingers.
Levi's next words were directed to everyone. "We'll need to send a few people inside Stohess District to replenish our supplies tomorrow. Whoever goes will have to be careful—the Military Police may still be on watch for us."
"I'll go," Jean volunteered immediately. His jaw was set, as though he wished to redeem himself from the last time he'd been inside a city district.
Armin nodded and held up a hand. "I will, too."
Yavena glanced towards Levi and asked, "I suspect that you would not wish me to go as well?"
His silver eyes found her own; the upturn to his lips had long since vanished, but now a frown occupied his face as he replied, "While your promotion was relatively recent, there is still the chance that you will be recognized. And if Kenny is there… he knows what you look like now."
"Why would he care about me?" she asked in return. "It was obvious that his targets were Eren and Historia. Would he send soldiers to finish me off, if he believed that I survived the gunshot? You're the one who would know."
Levi faced the fire again, his frown deepening. It was not one of irritation, but deep thought. When he looked up again, his next words surprised her. "No, he wouldn't. Fine, then. You can go. Try to find yourself something to help your injuries while you're there."
Yavena bit the inside of her lip and murmured, "Medicine is expensive, Levi. You of all people should know that."
"I'd go and swipe it myself if I could, but on the off-chance Kenny is around, he would definitely take the opportunity to attack me," muttered Levi. A muscle underneath his eye twitched, but only once. "Not to mention I have a bad feeling about going into the city… two days ago, Nifa said that Erwin had been apprehended by the Military Police…"
The impact of these words was felt immediately. Each member of Squad Levi seemed to shrink within themselves, knowing the implications of the Commander being arrested. Should anything happen to Erwin, the remainder of the Scout Regiment would likely be lost.
Yavena's own heart dropped like a stone into her stomach. She knew that Erwin had both the charisma and the intellect to deftly navigate whatever situation he might have been forced into, but the fact of the matter was that the real king within the Walls was making moves against the Scout Regiment as a whole.
Taking a deep breath, Yavena sighed, "You're right. You can't go into the city, Levi, you're too well known. I suspect that Rod Reiss has other plans in motion, outside of forcing Eren and Historia out of our custody."
"How do you reckon?" asked Jean, his chestnut eyes upon her face.
"There are still citizens in Wall Rose who believe that we're going to retake their homes by sealing Wall Maria… he may attempt to discredit us and stomp out those hopes, once and for all, so that they cannot complain or rebel against them taking Eren away from us," said Yavena. She rubbed her arms in an attempt to warm herself somewhat; a scowl appeared on her face. "That's why he was handing out all of those rations… to increase loyalty to the crown…"
Her last musing seemed to confuse the rest of her friends. Conny cocked his head sideways. "Eh?" The rest of them looked just as lost.
Yavena glanced back to him, heaviness in her gaze. "Just this morning, the Military Police were distributing rations to all of the citizens in Trost. It's a ploy to increase public morale directed to the crown… they're about to make some sort of political move: a drastic one. And if I'm right, it'll be against us."
No one seemed to have anything to say to this save for Levi, who muttered, "Never thought you'd be the type to get into politics."
She shot him a mildly disgusted look. "I'm not. I hate them. But it's not too far of a jump, is it? Erwin has been arrested, the citizens in Trost District just received a so-called donation from the crown… there are still a few missing pieces, but the outline is there. The only thing is, I don't think we can do anything to prevent it from happening."
"Erwin and Hange will have to figure it out," Levi said. He straightened somewhat, reinstating his usual strength to his posture. "But our job isn't to preemptively fix our reputation. It's to get Eren and Historia back."
Once again, he was right. They could not be everywhere at once. Splitting up would be a bad idea, and reclaiming Eren certainly was more important. After all, even if the Scout Regiment's name was left in tatters, reclaiming Wall Maria would do wonders at restoring it.
Knowing that she would have to keep Erwin and the game of politics out of her head, Yavena took a deep breath and reached over for the last remaining blanket. She tossed it around her and Levi's shoulders; he did not make a move to protest the gesture like he had the previous night.
"You three should sleep, then," said Levi, locking eyes with Jean, Armin, and Yavena. "Spend as little time inside the district as possible. Get food, get anything else we need, get out. Got it?"
"Aye!" Armin exclaimed, saluting. Jean quickly followed suit.
Knowing that it would be wise to do as Levi suggested, Yavena figured that right where she was would be a comfortable enough place to lie down and go to sleep. She found herself wishing that she was back in Scout Regiment headquarters or their very temporary housing—just anywhere with a proper bed again. While it was better than living a repulsively lavish lifestyle within Wall Sina, she couldn't say she fancied the feeling of roots sticking into her back.
Although she attempted to go to sleep for what felt like a long while, something was preventing her from doing so. She didn't know whether it was the cold, her nerves, or something else… but whatever it was, it was annoying.
Yavena sighed and kept her eyes closed, though she began to hum to herself again, wondering if this would help any. After only a few notes, however, she felt someone watching her—she knew without looking that it was Levi.
"Do you remember anything your mother used to hum to you?" she asked, hoping it was a safe question.
It was. He answered with, "No. But even if I did, I wouldn't try to show you. Me singing would probably sound about as pleasant as a Titan taking a shit."
A smile tugged at her lips. She had half a mind to repeat what Hange had once told him: that Titans didn't have digestive tracts, and therefore could not, in fact, take a shit. But what Yavena said wasn't that—what she said was, "Well, then, I'm sure Hange would love to hear you sing."
Levi chuckled.
Her eyes flew open and she sat up again. Yavena was not the only one who had noticed this exchange, either—Sasha and Conny were both staring at them from across the fire, full of clear disbelief.
Levi glanced around. "What?"
"It only took me seven years to make you laugh. It's about time," whispered Yavena, feeling a brilliant white light settle deep inside her chest. A smile crept across her face, unwarranted and yet unchecked. Noting that Levi was about to protest, perhaps to say that that wasn't true, she swiftly added, "We aren't counting what happened a month ago."
"As you wish," he said nonchalantly, though as he glanced at Yavena from the corner of his eye, she could see a miniscule smirk waiting for her.
Yavena couldn't wipe the grin off of her face, no matter how hard she tried—though in truth, she wasn't actually trying that hard. "Finally," she said again.
Ignoring Levi's traditional, "Tch," she laid back down and went to sleep.
The following morning had Jean, Armin, and Yavena setting off for Stohess District, which was only a three-quarter hour ride by horse. They were lucky during their travels, as they came across a farm that looked like it was empty, although there were clothes hanging from a clothesline outside.
Figuring that it would be best to disguise themselves, they took one outfit each from the clothesline, taking care to leave appropriate compensation in the basket that sat nearby. They rushed to find a safe and relatively secluded space within the trees to don their new outfits—Jean had taken a dark suit and jacket, Armin a white shirt and a smart pair of brown trousers and matching vest, and Yavena a short-sleeved blue dress with a corresponding cloak.
"Damn, it's cold!" hissed Yavena as she slipped the dress on. While normally she would've preferred to have somewhere else to undress, considering the current circumstances, she would have to make do. "Why the hell did these people leave their clothes out overnight? Are they masochistic, or crazy?"
Jean chuckled. "Could be both. Or maybe they wanted their clothes to match the frigidness of their little black hearts."
She snorted at that and continued to slip on the new dress, though she noted that Jean's face went brilliantly pink as she asked him for help on buttoning up the back of said dress.
Luckily for them, Yavena had had the foresight to bring along her black bag. After stuffing their uniforms inside it, they set off again for Stohess District.
No one spared any of the three a second glance as they walked inside. Even though Yavena felt guilty for stealing the outfits, they had done their best to pay for them; now all they had to do was make sure they didn't run into the clothes' owners while they restocked on supplies…
It turned out to be much easier than Yavena had feared it would be. They found a number of market-stands quickly, many of which were selling food, and some of which were even selling meat or cheese.
As tempting as it was to purchase those things, they contented themselves with bread, potatoes, and what vegetables they could find for cheap, considering it was early winter. Even so… just as Yavena was about to turn away from one of the other stands, she sighed to herself and purchased a few fish as well.
Both Jean and Armin gaped at her once it was safe to do so; it was Armin who asked, in a faint voice, "Fish?"
It was obvious why they were surprised: they likely hadn't eaten any meat or fish since they'd enlisted in the Cadet Corps. While fish was not as expensive as meat, it was still only something the Scout Regiment had served on some special occasions—after a reconnaissance mission with minimal casualties, for example.
"I figured we deserve it," said Yavena, taking care to keep her voice low. She smiled deviously at the two young men. "And it seemed there were a few coins that had been left within this cloak's pockets, so…"
Jean laughed and promptly threw a hand to his mouth to stifle the sound. Even Armin couldn't keep himself from grinning; but then he sobered somewhat and whispered, "What about the medicine you need?"
Yavena bit the inside of her lip. In truth, she hadn't even thought about acquiring said medicine. It was likely to be too outrageous in price—she had made peace with the fact that she'd be fighting injured, if indeed Squad Levi needed to fight within the next few days…
"Let's at least see how much it costs," said Jean. "Then we can decide if it's affordable or not."
While Yavena did not wish to deplete what remained of the squad's funds for her own benefit, neither Jean nor Armin seemed to want to hear of her objections. They led her through the square, keeping an eye peeled for any buildings that looked as though it belonged to a doctor or healer.
The building in question was not difficult to find. It was one of the most crowded places—while Yavena originally suspected that it was because of an onslaught of a head cold or the beginning of a winter's flu, it soon became painfully obvious that this was not the case.
People that were within this doctor's building were being treated for wounds that one would find on a battlefield. There were plenty of ordinary citizens that had bandages wrapped around their arms, legs, or torsos. A few had scars or burn marks upon their skin. Many of them had family kneeling by their bedsides, horror and worry unmasked upon their faces.
Yavena did not have to look to Jean or Armin to know they understood.
This was the aftermath of Eren's and Annie's battle within Stohess District.
"One moment, please!" one of the doctors called from a citizen's bedside. His smile was kindly, but there was unimaginable fatigue within his eyes. Dried blood stained his hands.
The three of them shuffled out of the doorway, but once they had done so, they stood petrified. While Yavena knew that in the long run their plan to take down the Female Titan had been a good one—there would've been unimaginable devastation if she'd been left free—it was still immensely difficult to witness the consequences of that decision.
It only took the young doctor another minute before he rushed over to them, a wearied smile on his face. "What do you need?"
"We just needed to know the price for a basic medicinal cream," said Yavena, doing everything in her power to return his kindly nature. Her eyes, however, were focused past the man in front of her and were lingering on the people beyond.
He did not seem to notice this as he named the price.
Yavena bit the inside of her lip, knowing it was not something they could afford. She began to smile and say, "Thank you, but we can't purchase this," when the doctor interrupted her.
"You folks suffered through the Titan attack?"
She blinked at the serious expression that had come across his face. Yavena sighed and said, "In a manner of speaking."
He nodded; a knowing gleam fastened in his eyes as he retrieved a small tube of the medicine and carefully placed it in her hands. Readjusting the glasses upon his face, the doctor said, "Take it. We need to stick together in times like these."
Yavena stared at him, utterly shocked—but then she curled her fingers around the tube and somehow managed to find the willpower to whisper, "Thank you."
Now she was greeted with a smile; and as soon as he had arrived, the doctor was gone, off to take care of his suffering civilians.
For a little while longer, the three of them stood, watching the goings-on of the building. There were so many people present. All of the beds were filled; those who sustained lesser wounds had been relocated to the floor. Cries of pain and anguish surrounded them, jumbled conversations and hushed whispers.
Knowing that it was time to go, Yavena reached down and grabbed one hand of each of her companions. Keeping her voice low, she said, "Come on. We need to leave."
They did not protest as she led the way out of the building and back into the street. A heavy weight had settled across the three of them as they walked through the streets—but as Yavena stole a glance at each of their faces, she was mildly reassured to see that neither of them were doubtful.
Guilty, yes. Horrified, yes. But shaken? Uncertain in their actions or cause?
No.
"Is there anything else we needed?" asked Yavena, trying to banish the images of all the suffering people from her mind. "Now that we have this extra amount of money, we can…"
She trailed off, lightly squeezing the tube of medicine within her fingers. It had been heartwarming to witness the doctor's generosity, his desire to help people, but in a way… it felt as though she had manipulated him: taken advantage of his good nature.
"Blankets," said Armin. He did not say a single word more.
They returned to the market square and bought two quilts from a young woman who seemed on the verge of tears at making a sale, much less two. Yavena couldn't help but wonder: was the reason she was so relieved to make money because her house had been destroyed or her parents killed during the operation to subdue the Female Titan?
She shook her head and blinked hard as they walked away. Yavena knew she couldn't dwell on it. Thinking too long or hard about the repercussions of that damned mission would only drive her mad.
As they neared the exit of Stohess District, their new supplies in hand, a member of the Military Police accosted them. Shaking a pamphlet in their direction, the man asked, "Have you seen any of these people? The Scout Regiment members must be apprehended!"
Yavena reached out and gently took the paper from his hand. Waiting for her was a relatively accurate drawing of Levi. There was a single word across the top of the page: Wanted.
"Can't say I have," said Yavena, taking care to make her tone sound regrettable. She smiled prettily at the soldier, who nodded and smiled at her in return. "But we'll be sure to keep an eye out. Right, you two?"
Both Jean and Armin nodded, recognizing their cue.
"That's good. Take care of yourselves," he said. Then the soldier was off, to spread the papers and the news to others within Stohess District.
Once he was gone, the three of them scuttled through the gates and back to the stables where they had left their horses—Yavena glanced around. Upon seeing they were alone, she muttered from the corner of her mouth, "We'll ride for ten minutes, and then read what this has to say. I suspect we'll find some answers here."
"Understood," said Jean. It was the first time he had spoken since leaving the doctor's building.
It did not take long for them to be on their way. All of them were clearly eager to leave Stohess District again, even if they did not say so aloud.
The minutes ticked on, and as the distance between them and the city greatened, the hold it had upon them seemed to lessen in exchange. Yavena noted that Jean was taking deep breaths, setting his shoulders; and Armin too was stretching somewhat, getting his bearings.
When they decided to pause from their ride and gather around so they could read the slip of paper, Yavena noted that her friends were quite back to normal. She was relieved for it—they seemed to have learned that they still had things that needed to be done, and they could not let personal feelings get in the way of their mission.
She was almost jealous of them, of how quickly they had absorbed this message. It had taken her longer to accept such a sentiment when her friends had been killed.
Jean reached out and grabbed part of the paper, scooching sideways so Armin could also read. Three sets of eyes scanned the blocks of text. When she had finished, Yavena exhaled slowly, and with no small amount of concern.
"All the roads are going to be watched," she murmured, her eyes wide. "It started this morning… which means we likely won't be able to reach Rod Reiss's land without running into Military Police…"
"They're asking everyone to have papers, too," Armin added. "And it looks like the Military Police will be actively hunting for us now…"
Jean cursed under his breath and pointed towards a specific passage, reading it aloud: "The Commander of the Scout Regiment, Erwin Smith, is speculated as responsible for the murder of the Reeves' Company boss, Dimo Reeves. It is suspected that this is in a futile attempt to hide the known Titan-fuser, Eren Jaeger, from the government. In violation of Clause Six of the Charter of Humanity, Erwin Smith has been arrested pending trial from King Fritz and the noble cabinet, and the Scout Regiment will officially be disbanded."
"Erwin…" whispered Yavena, placing a shaking hand upon her cheek. "How are you going to get yourself out of this one, Erwin?"
"He'll find a way. He'll have a plan." Armin's voice was strong, and his expression resolute. It was as though he had noticed how shaken Yavena had been by the news that Erwin was going to stand trial, and had taken it upon himself to reestablish her resolve.
There was nothing to say to this. Yavena sighed and placed a hand on Armin's shoulder, hoping it came off as a gesture of thanks. He seemed to take it as one either way—and once that was shown, Jean folded the paper, placed it in his suit jacket pocket, and then they were off again.
Throughout the journey back to where the others were waiting, Yavena could not help but feel uneasy. The man that Erwin was accused of murdering was Dimo Reeves… the very same man who had brought Djel Sannes to Squad Levi.
Was it possible the Interior Military Police were already so close to finding them? Or had they always been planning to get rid of the Reeves' Company boss after using him to fulfill their own needs?
Yavena knew she would receive no answers, and that troubled her, too.
At long last, they returned to their current camping spot. The others were all awake; Conny and Sasha were eating some bread around the dying fire, while Levi and Mikasa were keeping watch with rifles in their hands.
"Captain, we brought the supplies," said Armin. He deposited the blankets upon a relatively clean, dry spot upon the ground before taking the knapsacks of food from Jean and adding them to their dwindling stockpiles.
Jean stepped forward, holding out the newspaper. "The Military Police were handing out these."
Levi took the paper from him and proceeded to read over its contents. No changes came across his face as his eyes scanned the page, lower and lower until he was finished.
"It seems as though the Scouts are going to be disbanded, now that Erwin has been arrested," sighed Yavena. "There were rumors that the Military Police will be hunting for us tonight as well. They've put guards on all the roads—it's impossible to get through without a pass." She sat down next to him, keeping her concern only in her eyes, but in such a way that he could see it. "What now, Levi?"
"If we don't hurry, then Eren—" Mikasa started to say, but she got no further than that.
Holding up a hand, Levi said, "Calm down. They're using a wagon. It'll take at least another day to reach Reiss's territory. We'll have to use that time to come up with a plan."
Mikasa did not seem comforted at all. She frowned heavily and turned to Yavena, as if asking for back-up.
"We need to figure out where Eren is held first," said Yavena, hoping that her answer wouldn't lower Mikasa's trust or approval of her. "Charging in to rescue him won't mean a damn thing if he isn't there in the first place."
A tense silence greeted her words; and then Mikasa sighed. Her shoulders slumped. "Understood," she said gloomily.
Although Yavena wished she could cheer the young woman up even just a little, she knew that would be nigh impossible. The only thing that could revitalize such a spark would be if Eren was rescued—and while that of course was the goal, there were more hoops that Squad Levi needed to jump through in order to make it happen.
With this issue settled, Levi turned back to Yavena and asked, "Were you able to get the medicine?"
She nodded and held out the little tube that had resided in her hand ever since it had been given to her. Her voice low, Yavena said, "The doctor we found just… gave it to us. He was overwhelmed with patients—civilians that had been injured during our operation in Stohess District."
"I see," said Levi. He folded her fingers over the little tube of medicine and held onto her hand. "Use it at your own discretion. Remember what our goal is."
Somehow, Yavena knew that he wasn't just talking about rescuing Eren. He was speaking on a larger scale: of how the Scout Regiment wished to seal up Wall Maria and liberate humankind from the tyranny of the Titans. He was trying to tell her that their actions would mean something, in the end.
"I haven't forgotten," she answered, clasping her other hand on top of his.
Levi nodded, releasing himself from her grasp.
"Captain," said Sasha, her voice sudden and sharp. "I hear footsteps. They're headed this way."
Everyone looked over to where Sasha was staring—Conny was holding his hands behind his ears with an incredulous look on his face, as though trying to hear what she was.
"You and Mikasa perch in the trees. I'll distract them," said Yavena. She rose to her feet and grabbed two of the buckets they had used to gather water. "They'll likely have rifles. As soon as they get in range, jump down and threaten them with blades to their necks. I'll take their weapons."
Levi's eyes narrowed. "Putting yourself in danger is—"
"Exactly what we need to do," she interrupted, shooting Levi a significant look. "We don't have the luxury to wait for a better opportunity. If we're going to get anything from the Military Police, now's the time. Trust me."
Sasha's voice was tense as she said, "Captain, they're getting closer."
"Tch," Levi said. He glanced around the others. "You heard your Captain. Mikasa, up in the trees with me. The rest of you ready yourselves. If Yavena is hurt at all, you shoot to kill. Understood?"
Jean, Conny, Sasha, and Armin all nodded and saluted before diving into appropriate hiding spots nearby. They went behind large rocks, in thick bushes—they were so well concealed that Yavena could hardly spot them, and she actively knew where all of them were.
Figuring that there was nothing else for it, she grabbed the two buckets and planted herself by the stream, gathering water and humming to herself. Hopefully the sound would be enough to attract the members of the Military Police her way.
Her hopes were not misplaced. Yavena was able to hear the crunch of footsteps through frozen grass, and then a young man's voice was exclaiming, "Don't move! Slowly turn this way."
Keeping her smirk to herself, Yavena placed her buckets of water upon the riverbank and raised her hands. Pirouetting on her heel, she faced the Military Police behind her; there were only two of them, and fresh recruits by the look of it. Each of them had their rifles raised in her direction, though there was no mean-spirited look about either of them. In fact, based on the furrow of his brow and the darting of his bright eyes, it almost seemed as though the young man was questioning what he was doing… questioning orders.
That young man's mouth dropped open as he inspected her face in turn. "Is that… are you… Captain Yavena Verman, of the Scout Regiment?"
Yavena blinked once or twice, a miniature grin twisting her lips. "Oh, that's flattering. You know of me, even all the way in the Military Police?"
She regarded the man standing in front of her; he was very tall, and had black hair styled in a bowl cut. The look of shock upon his face made him seem less intimidating than he would've been had he put all of his effort into appearing as such.
"You don't look like you're dressed for combat," said the young man. His rifle was lowered a modicum of a degree.
"That's because I'm not," said Yavena, shrugging yet taking care to keep her hands in the air. "I got shot only a couple of days ago, you see. Levi had to give me stitches. It was horrible."
"Step forward with your hands up!" exclaimed the young woman. She had sandy hair and amber eyes—eyes that were uncannily similar to Petra's. With shaking hands, she raised her rifle again. "Now!"
Yavena, however, didn't move. She narrowed her eyes and remained standing. It was not difficult to see that this young woman was afraid. Cocking her head sideways, Yavena said, "I'm in no mood to fight you. To be frank, the last thing I'd like is another bullet in my body."
With this last, she extended her hands. "Come on, then. You have guns, and I do not. Tell me, though—I heard Commander Erwin Smith has been arrested. He's being treated well, I hope?"
The two Military Police soldiers exchanged looks; they inched closer, the woman still holding onto her rifle while the man rummaged through his pockets for either rope or shackles. As he neared, he started to say, "I'd tell you if I could, but I'm afraid I don't know—"
He didn't get to say anything further than that. As soon as they'd taken another step forward, Levi and Mikasa hopped down from the trees, blades already poised to their necks.
"Hand over your guns to Yavena," said Levi, cold but calm. "And don't say a word."
Yavena tsked lightly. "Don't be so hard on them, Levi. They're just following orders." But she stepped forward and grabbed the rifles that the two soldiers had extended in her direction. The young man almost looked betrayed, despite the fact that they had been on the offensive the entire time.
With these two subdued, the rest of Squad Levi emerged from their concealment. Sasha stood next to Yavena and watched as Levi and Mikasa bound their captives' wrists with the rope that had been intended for Yavena herself. Then they took off their omni-directional gear, to prevent any possible escapes.
Pointing his blades into each of their backs, Levi said, "Walk. To the edge of the river."
They obeyed, terror evident in their eyes.
As Jean was given the order to search them for any evidence indicating who they were or what their orders had been, Levi walked back over to Yavena and said in a low voice, "These two are recruits. They're not going to know anything that we need."
"I thought as much, too," she returned, reflecting the same volume. "It's possible we might be able to have some of our own squad members impersonate these two and infiltrate their nearest camp… they may have documents detailing where Eren is being held."
Levi sighed and scratched the back of his neck. Frowning, he muttered, "Send our new squad-mates in disguise as Military Police to get by the guards, then figure out where Eren was taken by snooping around. To think we'd have no better option…"
Despite how thoroughly they'd grated his nerves when first they had joined his squad, Yavena knew that these five were starting to wriggle their way into Levi's care; and that he would be concerned about them should they fulfill this plan without backup from either himself or Yavena.
"I know. It's not ideal, but… we just don't have the time," she said.
Before he could say anything in response, Jean tromped over to them, his boots splashing loudly in the stream. "Captains. I have their documents."
Yavena took them carefully, holding them so that way Levi could see, too.
"Stohess District Military Police," read Levi. "Private Marlo Freudenberg, and Private Hitch Dreyse." He looked up from the papers and walked behind them, his face guarded. "How will we dispose of you?"
Hearing this last sentence, Hitch whirled around, fire in her eyes. "Because of you guys, over one hundred people from Stohess District were killed!"
"Eh?" said Levi, raising a delicate brow.
"You people… you might think that you're heroes of justice, but the victims and their families were dropped straight into hell!" she continued.
Yavena sighed and took a step forward. Both Marlo and Hitch whirled around at her approach, and their eyes widened as she said, "We know that. Just today, while gathering supplies, a few of us were able to see the aftermath of our actions. Don't assume we're blind to their suffering."
They looked stricken; Hitch turned to face the other members of Squad Levi and cried out, "You there! You're from the Southern Cadet Corps, yes? Just like Annie Leonhart—were you friends of hers?"
The mention of Annie caused a blanket of despondency to settle across the encampment. While Sasha, Conny, and Armin looked away, Jean kept his eyes steady upon Hitch's face.
"No…" murmured Hitch, who was now looking to the ground. "I doubt she had any friends, being as gloomy and aloof as she was. It's like she was a kid afraid of other people. I never got the chance to know anything about her… and the reason they still haven't found her is because she was pulverized by a Titan into a puddle of jelly!"
She screamed this last sentence. Tears were in her eyes.
Levi sighed, holding one of his blades aloft upon his shoulder. "No. The Titan in hiding was Annie Leonhart herself."
Even though their two captives were already stunned, this news seemed to make it all the worse. Yavena only needed one glance at their faces to know that this information had not been made public knowledge; that the Military Police had attempted to hush up the reason behind why the Scout Regiment conducted an operation within Wall Sina's territory.
"Goddamn it, it makes me sick," muttered Levi, clenching his jaw. "Nobody knows a damn thing about this world… not us or anyone else. Except for those bastards at the center of it all." He sighed and looked to the two soldiers ahead of him. "We'll release you both as soon as we get out of here."
"Annie was…" Hitch started to say. But she could not finish her sentence.
Figuring that the conversation was over, Yavena began to move past the two captives to speak to Levi on what would come next—
"Captain Levi! Captain Yavena!" cried Marlo, twisting so that he could look at them. "Please let me help you! I don't think what you guys are doing is wrong! If I can help correct this world's injustice, I'll do whatever it takes!"
Levi scoffed and glanced at Yavena. "What's with this guy?"
"I beg you, Captain!"
"Not a chance," said Levi. "I can't tell how prepared you are about making an enemy of the government."
It seemed as though he was about to say more, but Yavena held up a hand.
"Wait," she said. Ignoring the incredulous look upon Levi's face, Yavena knelt down beside Marlo and Hitch. She narrowed her eyes, doing everything she could to see past the surface of their masks: Hitch was resigned, perhaps willing to let herself and Marlo be left behind so they could be rescued by their Military Police compatriots later. But in Marlo's case, there was true desperation and pleading in his face, and it wasn't for his own life or freedom.
Honesty; dedication; a desire to do good. All of that was laid bare for Yavena to see… and while neither Marlo nor anyone else in the encampment could know it, this was exactly what she had seen in Eren's face on the very first day she had met him.
Yavena exhaled and rose to her feet, looking directly to Levi. Squaring her shoulders, she said, "This one. Marlo Freudenberg. I want him."
Levi stared at her. "You're joking."
"No, I'm not. I want him."
The two Captains stared at each other for a moment—it seemed they were locked in yet another silent battle. The realization made a quirk appear on Yavena's lips; seeing this, Levi sighed and waved her forward so they could talk without being overheard.
Once they were a decent distance away, Levi crossed his arms and said, "Tell me what you're thinking, then. Why the hell do you want that brat?"
"He reminds me of Eren," she answered, mimicking his posture. "There's obvious goodwill in Marlo's face. If I didn't know any better, I'd say he chose the wrong military regiment. The dedication and desperation in his face screams that he's a Scout Regiment soldier, through and through… willing to give his heart every time."
These last words she spoke as a murmur. Her eyebrows furrowed as she recalled that Erwin was somewhere far away; likely some sort of dank prison now that he had been accused of murder… the thought made her insides turn to ice.
"Are you willing to risk the safety and well-being of the rest of us based on what you can read in his face alone?" asked Levi. He had rebuilt that careful wall, that shield, to prevent her from prying into what was running through his mind.
But Yavena didn't need to pry. She merely took a deep breath and said, "This time, Levi… yes. I am."
Levi frowned and was about to speak—
"But I don't think we'll have to go on just a hunch," she said quickly. He leaned back again, gesturing her onwards. "We'll test him first. See if I'm right… or if I'm wrong. And if I'm right, then we accept his offer to help. Having their willing assistance could prove infinitely more useful to us than sending Sasha and Jean into a Military Police base."
As she said these last two sentences, there was the crunching of footsteps behind them. Jean was approaching; he stood next to Yavena and murmured, "Captain Levi… I hope it isn't out of place, but I think she's right. That guy, that Marlo—he definitely does want to help. And I have an idea for how to prove his sincerity."
Noting that there were two of them aligned against him, Levi rolled his eyes and relented. "Tch. Fine. Go ahead and set up your plan. Don't let them kill you."
Jean saluted and turned back around, leaving the two Captains to their own devices yet again. They watched as Jean took their ropes and started leading Marlo and Hitch away, under the presumption of tying them up someplace desolated.
"You better be right about this," muttered Levi, his silver eyes narrowed as he beadily watched the three soldiers. He would never admit it, but Yavena knew that he was worried about Jean.
She couldn't help but smile at that. "I am. I know it."
He glanced at her again from the corner of his eye and said nothing more. Levi only placed a hand on her shoulder before moving forth so they might be able to keep watch on Jean, Marlo, and Hitch through the trees, with the hope that Marlo was a man of his word.