We managed to update on Tuesday, hell yea brother :D

Big thanks to all of you guys for reading and following/favoriting and commenting! I really appreciate the time you put in to tell me what you're thinking and looking forward to, since I know this story i of a fic hehe. I'm both excited and sorry to say that there's still plenty left to go! At least 500k words estimated, likely more tbh. I'm guessing it'll end off around 550-575k in total, but it also depends on how concisely I can write the final part of this last season... idk! We'll see later :)

ANYWAY, thank you guys. You rock. Take care and have a great day!

Yavena had been right.

She and Levi were hidden in the bushes on the far side of a clearing as they watched Jean test the two soldiers from the Military Police. Jean had enacted an impressive performance where he pretended as though he was about to kill Marlo and Hitch—but then he stumbled and dropped a knife upon the ground, which Marlo was able to grab even though his hands were bound.

"Hitch, run!" Marlo had shouted—and then Jean pinned him against a large rock and placed a stick underneath Marlo's chin, passing it off as a gun.

"My gun is faster than your knife, I bet," said Jean, mania in his face. "Want to take your chances? Your knife and my gun… let's race!"

Instead of attacking, Marlo had dropped the knife with the words, "Wait, I'm really your ally! I picked the wrong regiment to join. As long as you guys have it in you to risk your lives and keep fighting… I will trust you."

With this test over, Jean sighed and released the man, tossing the stick between his fingers as though it were a baton. He turned towards the bushes where he knew his Captains were watching and said, "I think that's dedication enough. Eh, Captains?"

And thus Yavena and Levi had emerged from their hiding spot, a complacent grin upon Yavena's face as she turned to Levi and remarked, "I think that's my round."

"Tch," muttered Levi, ignoring her smug look. He turned towards Marlo and nodded curtly. "All right. You've proved your sincerity. You can help us."

Hitch returned at that moment, wielding a thick and fearsome-looking branch—she swung it towards Jean's head with a screech, but Yavena dove forward and seized it, shouting, "Hitch, wait! It was all a test… to see if Marlo really wished to help us. You're fine."

"A… test?" squeaked Hitch, lowering her branch. Her eyes went wide upon seeing that Levi was present—she tossed the stick to the side with a nervous laugh.

Twenty minutes later, they five who had been at said 'test' were back around the encampment that Squad Levi had claimed. On Levi's orders, Marlo and Hitch were given back their omni-directional gear and their weapons; in return, Marlo told them about a nearby Military Police outpost that was run by who he suspected to be a member of the Interior Police.

"There should be seven people at the closest checkpoint, and most of them are recruits like us," said Marlo, eyeing Levi and Yavena seriously. "It's likely to be the least manned outpost around."

The next fifteen minutes were spent with Levi, Marlo, and Yavena making a plan for how the squad would infiltrate the base and take it over by force. It was clear that the Interior Military Police member would need to be identified and then taken captive.

Having drawn the basic layout of the outpost on a scrap of spare parchment, Marlo pointed towards one of the streets just out of view. "There's a wagon that's been parked here for two days. You might be able to use it somehow…"

"We'll send it in to bash the front gate. Sasha, Conny, and Jean will be good for that," said Levi, either not seeing the looks of glee from these three or choosing to ignore them. "Mikasa and I will approach from the sides to support them and take out the left and right wings. Armin, it'll be up to you to identify who's the man we're after and make sure he doesn't get away."

Each member of the squad nodded; all except for Yavena, who frowned and asked, "What would you have me do?"

Levi glanced at her from the corner of his eye. "I would prefer that you stay out of this, if at all possible."

Even though it was unwise for a wounded soldier to fight when they did not absolutely have to, Yavena could not help feeling disappointed. "Levi, I might be injured, but I'm still capable of helping. I could go in the wagon with the others and cut off their back escape—"

"No. You're going to need to fight when we find Eren, because I highly doubt that he'll be unguarded. I won't risk you worsening your injuries before then."

She pursed her lip. "Levi."

"Please."

This last word made Yavena's constitution crumble. He was worried about her, after all… even if he didn't say the words exactly. Not wishing to place more stress upon his shoulders, she sighed in defeat and murmured, "All right, fine. You win. I can never say no when you say please."

It might've just been the white glow of the early afternoon sun, but Yavena could've sworn there was a miniscule smirk upon his face when she had uttered this last. Noticing how concerned she still was, however, Levi added, "If you truly wish, you may stay hidden nearby, should we need reinforcements. But you will only assist on my command."

"That's fine," she replied, already feeling much better. She would've hated it if she were to be far away from the battle, simply waiting for things to pass. At least being there, being able to keep an eye on everyone and maybe protect her squad-mates with overhead rifle shots, would be something.

"It'll be best if you begin this operation later in the afternoon, or even during sundown," Hitch added. "The main road faces to the west, in such a way that the sunset will be a disadvantage to any of them at the outpost."

Levi nodded once, his silver eyes still directed towards the sketch of the base. "We'll have them by surprise, too. That's something."

"There aren't any other exits, are there?" asked Yavena, redirecting her dark eyes towards Hitch and Marlo. "You said the area is fenced in…"

Marlo nodded. "Aye, it is. They only have the roads to the west and the east to run from."

"Good. Then it'll be harder for our target to escape our sight," she said, tapping a finger towards the two roads upon the parchment. "If you lot are able to knock a lot of the soldiers unconscious, it should be easy to loot through their jackets and retrieve their identification papers, in case Armin isn't able to locate the member of the Interior Military Police…"

"Right. If you can avoid killing them, do so. But you know what you have to do, if they don't leave you with another choice," Levi said, sternly addressing each of his charges.

They all nodded, stoic looks to their faces.

The meeting was adjourned from that point onward. Figuring that she ought to cook the fish she had bought before they went bad, Yavena started another small fire and brought them out—

Sasha's gasp was the happiest sound that anyone had heard within the last number of days. Eyes sparkling, she cried, "Fish?!"

"Aye, Sasha," laughed Yavena. Noting the surprise on Conny's, Levi's, and Mikasa's faces, she figured it would be best to explain. "There were some extra coins in this blue cloak that I'm wearing, you see. We did our best to compensate for the clothes we took, but alas…"

Nobody seemed to have any complaints. Conny sat next to Yavena, helping her to de-scale the fish and prepare the fillets for a mid-afternoon meal. It was simple work, completed quickly, and before long they were being cooked over that small fire. Yavena figured it would be polite to offer Hitch some of her meal; noticing her initiative, Jean did the same for Marlo—for threatening him with the non-gun, he had said.

The rest of the afternoon passed without much excitement. Most of Squad Levi were simply taking advantage of the hour and a half of peace that they were provided before the chaos would begin again… but as the sun began to dip into the western side of the sky, Levi rose from his place next to Yavena and said, "Let's get ready for them. We leave in fifteen minutes."

Seeing as most of the preparations had already been made, no one rushed off to make last minute changes. Yavena, however, rose to her feet. Catching Sasha's eye, she murmured, "Sorry, but I might need help getting out of this dress and back into my uniform. My wounds are still…"

Sasha nodded before Yavena could finish her sentence and cheerily said, "Of course!"

The two women returned to where Yavena had placed her bag; Jean and Armin had already redressed into their uniforms. Sasha carefully unbuttoned the back of the blue dress and guided Yavena's right arm out of its sleeve. When she laid eyes on the bandages, she frowned and asked, "Do you think they need to be changed? It's been over a day…"

Yavena bit the inside of her lip, wondering if they had the time. She unconsciously looked back to Levi, who upon hearing this question, nodded.

"I suppose so," she replied, turning back to Sasha. "This way I can start applying that medicine, too…"

The bandages weren't soiled, which meant that her wounds hadn't reopened at all. It was clear the stitches were intact, although it didn't seem that her skin had healed much either. Restraining a frown, Yavena dabbed some of the cream from the little tube upon her side.

Noting this, Sasha asked, "How long should that take to heal?"

"I'm not sure. Anywhere from seven to fourteen days, maybe… either way, I'll be fighting to reclaim Eren with these blasted stitches still in."

Sasha bit her lip, obviously concerned, but Yavena did not wish to dwell on how her squad-mates would be worried for her. She glanced out beyond the trees and waited patiently as Sasha rummaged through their supplies for additional cotton gauze to redress the wounds with—

That, however, was when they heard a sudden thwack and an indignant, "Ouch!"

Each of them turned around to see Marlo was rubbing his head, a grimace upon his face. Standing beside him was Levi, who had obviously just whacked him with the butt of his rifle, and whose face was full of irritation.

"Oye," said Levi. He stomped on Marlo's foot for good measure. "Just because she stood up for you doesn't mean you have permission to be a Peeping Tom."

Marlo blanched. "I-I wasn't—that's not what I—"

Yavena turned away from the scene, covering her mouth with one of her hands so the others wouldn't hear her laughing.

Thanks to Sasha's help, Yavena's wounds were redressed and she was back in uniform before it was time to set out. According to the two members of the Military Police, it would only be an hour's walk to reach the previously mentioned checkpoint alongside a side road.

It was not too cold of a day, something that Yavena was grateful for. She kept her dark-green cloak swept around her shoulders, blocking out the few gusts of wind that would've wracked her with cold otherwise. As they followed Marlo and Hitch, she noted that the remainder of Squad Levi were keeping their eyes sharp and on their surroundings, as if they might be ambushed at any moment.

When the sky was turning bright colors of orange and yellow, the outpost of the Military Police was in sight. True to Marlo's and Hitch's word, there was a wagon upon the road; it was unguarded, unchecked, as though it were nothing more than a decoration.

"Like I said… the least manned checkpoint in the area," said Marlo, keeping his voice low.

Levi nodded. "All right. We'll handle it ourselves. Get back to your squad before it's suspicious. And… Marlo, Hitch. We're grateful."

The two of them smiled and saluted, though they turned back to Squad Levi as Yavena said, "Should things turn out well for us in the future… you both have an open invitation to join us, should you wish."

While Hitch simply nodded and offered her thanks, there was no missing the eagerness within Marlo's eyes. He saluted once more before each of them returned from whence they had come.

As soon as they were gone, Levi glanced across all of his squad members, whose eyes were narrowed and their hands tightly upon their rifles. "Let's go," he said. "It's our turn to pick a fight."

Conny, Sasha, and Jean scampered towards the wagon while Armin and Mikasa utilized their omni-directional gear to lie in wait within the trees. Just before she did the same, Yavena reached out to squeeze Levi's hand and said, "Don't get shot."

He shot her an unamused look, which just made her giggle. Then Yavena ascended the trees next to Armin, her hands still upon her rifle.

Only two minutes passed before the wagon was rolling towards the Military Police outpost, with Jean, Sasha, and Conny screaming all the way. There were a number of guards simply staring, dumbfounded, at the approaching wagon—and then said wagon plowed into the gates. Out sprang the three members of Squad Levi, who used the butt of their rifles to knock three soldiers unconscious before any of the Military Police soldiers could even react.

"Mikasa, let's go!" shouted Levi from the opposite side of the trees.

Upon his command, Mikasa joined the fray. She was able to quickly debilitate another two soldiers before their leader was able to usher any commands.

In truth, it was not so much of a battle as it was the outpost almost letting Squad Levi walk in and incapacitate them. While Yavena knew that the soldiers at this outpost were all rookies, she had also expected a bit more of a fight—yet she wasn't complaining. This simply meant that none of her squad would be hurt.

"There," whispered Armin. He dove off of the branch he was sitting on to a man that was older than the rest, with long hair and a pointed nose.

Yavena watched him pursue this man through the territory of the outpost. Their target seemed to realize that he was under intense pressure, especially once Levi joined Armin in the pursuit. They were finally able to catch him by blocking off his exit and cornering him in between a number of boxes; Levi smacked him with the end of the gun in his hands. The man went crumpling to the ground.

Noting that the struggle was over—and had been bloodless as well—Yavena carefully maneuvered herself back down to the ground and met with Levi, who was looking at the documents within the man's jacket pocket.

"That seemed easy enough," she said.

Levi scoffed, glaring at the man unconscious at his feet. "They've all grown fat and lazy in their dotage. Some Military Police."

While Yavena thought this was the slightest bit harsh on the Military Police's recruits, she did not feel any sympathy for the man at his feet. Nor did she protest as Levi grasped his arm and began dragging him through the dirt, in the direction of the wagon which had miraculously remained undamaged.

"Come on," he said, shadows under his eyes. "We'll have to be persuasive with this one, too."

She followed him out of the dirty alleyway and towards the exit leading to the road, where the rest of the squad was waiting on alert. They raised their rifles at the sound of footsteps before promptly lowering them again.

"It's us," said Levi, still hauling the man behind him. "He's the one with the Interior Police. We've got a few questions for him. Let's move."

Squad Levi was met with great fortune: there were horses stabled nearby that they could use to draw the wagon. They hauled their captive on board, taking care to restrain him with scratchy rope, before setting back off for their encampment.

The ride was looking to be only ten minutes, which was a lot easier than the hour long walk it had been to reach the outpost in the first place. As the horses trotted along some worn paths within the trees of the forest, Levi cast a sideways glance to Yavena and asked, "Your wounds haven't reopened?"

She smiled at him. "No. They're fine. You were right; I wasn't even needed for this mission."

"You were our moral support," said Conny with a cheesy grin.

Yavena chuckled at this and cast him a grateful smile.

Levi did not reply to her answer, although it was clear he was reassured by her words.

The sun had set completely by the time the hour rolled into the next. Squad Levi's encampment was well-hidden, shrouded by darkness. It was nearing a new moon, and clouds were gathered across the top of the sky, shielding the faint light of the stars.

Despite how well they were concealed, the other members of the squad kept diligent watch for anyone approaching. Levi had tied the member of the Interior Military Police to the trunk of a particularly thick tree with some rope; all there was to do now was wake him up.

Levi stepped forth, preparing to do so; he glanced at Yavena over his shoulder. "I'll take care of this interrogation. You may watch and ask questions, but leave the rest of it to me."

A sour look took over Yavena's face. She opened her mouth to protest, but Levi only had to give her a sharp glance to get her to quieten again. Knowing that it wouldn't do any good to argue with him, she merely nodded and gestured to their prisoner.

With this out of the way, Levi woke the man up with a ferocious kick to the stomach.

The man spluttered and gasped sharply; the blow had likely winded him. After regaining his breath, he tried to wriggle out of his bonds, to no avail—upon recognizing the situation he was in, he looked up. Standing above him were Levi and Yavena, both of whom were staring down dispassionately at him.

"Welcome back to the world of the living," said Levi, narrowing his eyes. "Where are Eren and Historia?"

The captive spat into the ground and glared up at him. "Oh, you're so brave. That checkpoint back there was just recruits who could barely wipe their own ass. You think you're some sort of hero, beating them down?"

"What an atrocious thing we've done," Levi replied. He shoved his boot inside the man's mouth, which made him gag and choke, unable to get a good breath in. "But what's more atrocious is that mouth of yours. I recommend you start talking while you're still able to use it. Where are Eren and Historia?"

Yavena inspected the man at Levi's feet. He was not as unyielding as Sannes had been, that much was clear to see. This was someone who looked out for their own needs rather than that of anyone else—his loyalty to the Interior Military Police may only be skin deep.

Still, it seemed that his anger was propelling him forth… at least for a little while longer. As soon as Levi's boot was out of his mouth, he spat, "It's no use! All that's left for you Scout Regiment bastards now is to run and hide inside these walls, covered in mud and shit! If you don't turn yourselves in, every last Scout will get the noose, starting with the one most guilty of all… Erwin Smith!"

At the disrespectful mention of their Commander, Yavena began to step forward—but Levi held out a hand and stopped her. "What did I say before we woke him up?" he asked.

Yavena sighed, cursing under her breath at the reminder. Even so, she wanted nothing more than to give him a good kick right up the—

"I'll take care of it," Levi promised, offering her a miniscule smirk.

Despite the situation at hand, Yavena found herself chewing the inside of her cheek upon noting that little smile. But that wasn't something she could dwell on for the moment. Knowing that he'd be good on his word, she stepped back and crossed her arms. "If you say so."

No further discussion was needed. Levi lunged forth and twisted the man's arm behind his back; a loud squeal exited the man's maimed mouth. His voice still calm, Levi said, "Shut up. This is for not answering my question. Some Scouts' lives are more valuable than others. Only those dumb enough to acknowledge that join us. Now tell us where Eren and Historia are."

The man gasped in clear pain before crying out, "I—I don't know! None of us were allowed to! Kenny Ackermann is a very cautious man!"

Something changed in Levi's expression; a flash of understanding had crossed his face with the speed and brilliance of a shooting star. "Ackermann?" he repeated. "I know Kenny… is that his last name?"

"It is, but—"

"True, there's a lot of things he doesn't divulge… especially the important stuff," murmured Levi, having not heard or cared about whatever the man was going to say next. He released the man's arm and stood, his back to the remainder of the squad.

Yavena did not need to see his face to know that Levi was bothered by what he had just learned about Kenny. She had wondered if he'd thought Kenny to possibly be his father—when Levi had spoken of his mother, he had never once mentioned a father.

Such a revelation would startle anyone: even Levi.

But she knew that to step forward and try to be comforting now would not work. They needed this man to be afraid of them, to spout further information that they could use to rescue Eren.

Addressing this would have to wait.

"You must have a rough idea," Levi's voice said, back to its usual nonchalant tone. He grabbed the other man's arm. "You best try to remember. You still have plenty of bones left to break."

"You… you're insane!" gasped the man, staring at Levi in horror.

Levi shrugged. "Maybe I am."

Just before he could continue with this form of interrogation, however, Sasha gasped from the far side of the clearing and raised her rifle. She directed it somewhere over the tall grass to the west and whispered, "Captain, people are headed this way! More than one."

The others of the squad redirected their weapons in that same direction.

"Told you so, Captain," chuckled the man tied to the tree. "It's no use. One way or another, the Scouts will soon come to an end!"

Yavena pointed her weapon towards where Sasha had directed towards as well, one finger on the trigger… but when the two people noted the hostility they were being met with, they lowered their hoods.

"Hange!" Yavena gasped. She dropped her rifle upon the ground—but far out of reach of their captive—and rushed through the grass with a relieved grin.

And so it was: Hange and Moblit were approaching, their hoods now lowered. As Yavena barreled forth, Hange extended an arm and immediately wrapped it around the other woman's shoulder, the way she so often did. Grinning, Hange said, "There you are! Took long enough to find you. I finally have some good news. Some very, very good news. Check it out!"

Hange handed out a newspaper, trudging through the tall grass to reach where the others were gathered. Now that they knew they were safe enough, Conny started a small fire; the light would help Squad Levi read whatever was written upon the paper.

As soon as the flames licked forth, allowing a measure of reading light, everyone crowded around Levi, who was holding onto the papers. Each person read silently; Yavena could hardly believe what she was seeing.

There had been a coup d'état—bloodless—against the government, spearheaded by none other than Erwin, Pyxis, and Dhalis Zachary. They had determined that the noble cabinet's priorities were not with humankind, but their own houses and livelihoods… and under Charter Six of the Clause of Humanity, the very same clause that Erwin had been accused of breaking, the nobles were arrested. The Premier was taking temporary control of the government, though it was stated that they would soon place a new leader upon the throne.

"So there you have it," said Hange, as the members of Squad Levi began to look up. "The coup d'état was successful. Premier Zachary has control of the capital and administrative district. For the time being, the nobility hasn't rebelled."

"What about the Boss Reeves incident?" Armin asked incredulously.

Hange grinned and straightened her glasses. "We got a confession that proved the charges unfounded. His son Flegel really pulled through big time. Just like it's written right there, it shows the charges were bogus, they abused their power, and that King Fritz was a total fake. All our actions were justified self-defense."

The members of Squad Levi began to look around in delight—

"In other words, we're free people now," said Hange.

All five of the young Scout Regiment soldiers cheered loudly, jumping into the air. They proceeded to throw their arms around the other's shoulders, slug their arms, ruffle their hair—all in a display of sheer, unaltered relief.

Yavena was subject to quite a number of these displays of affection as well. Armin squeezed her hand and shot her a winning smile. Sasha bounded forth, enwrapping her in a hug; even Mikasa shot a warm, glowing look her way.

Just as Yavena was about to turn back around, she felt someone wrap an arm around her waist and kiss her gently upon the temple.

She blinked and looked over; of course it was Levi, who was allowing her to see a rare but relieved smile. It did not seem as though anyone else had noticed the gesture in their joy and celebration, but Yavena's whole world was there in that moment. This was only the second time she had seen an unfiltered smile from him, and the first time he had ever displayed traditionally romantic affection for her.

"Disgusting," she murmured, softly enough so only he could hear. She reflected the same smile that he had gifted to her. "Do it again."

An amused light flickered through his eyes, but he fulfilled her request. That blaze of white returned to her chest, the one she received every so often: if someone told Yavena that it was early winter in that moment, she would've laughed and argued that she was as warm as she would've been on a midsummer's eve.

Hange stepped forward, her lips pressed thin to prevent a grin from cracking across her face.

But neither Levi nor Yavena scolded her for it. They merely pretended it was not there at all; it was Levi who said, "Looks like the gamble paid off."

"Aye," Hange agreed. "It wasn't just Erwin, though. The lone choices of many managed to change the world."

"And I managed to kill the two people you lent me," he sighed. "I'm sorry."

Hange didn't seem angry or upset. She placed a hand upon Levi's shoulder; they exchanged a single, solitary look.

"The problem is that we still don't know where Eren and Historia are, and this clout over there doesn't know either," sighed Yavena. She leaned slightly into Levi, who had not yet removed his arm from around her waist. "We're running out of time. If we don't find them soon…"

The others were still cheering and talking about how they'd be able to return to headquarters once they retrieved Eren and Historia again—ignoring them, Hange held up a thick black book and said, "I may have a clue about that. Let's get moving and put an end to this battle."

It only took ten minutes for Squad Levi to gather all of their things so they might return to the road, this time with their newly acquired wagon. Armin, Mikasa, Conny, Sasha, and Jean had tossed all of their supplies onto the cart while Levi and Yavena debated on what to do with their captive.

"We have extra horses," Yavena mused, tapping a thin finger against her chin. "We could knock him out and leave one behind… it's better than keeping him tied up until he either starves to death or somehow wriggles free."

Levi scoffed. "Tch. That's nice of you."

She turned back to face him, unsurprised to note the disgust within Levi's face as he stared at the man, who now had three missing teeth. "I'm hoping that our time spent fighting other people might finally be drawing to a close. If Hange's guesses are correct… after tonight, we'll be back to fighting Titans. I'd like to offer a little mercy, if we can."

When Levi glanced at her, she did not attempt to hide what she was thinking. She allowed him to see: her determination to rescue Eren, her relief at knowing that Erwin was alive and would be well, her pressurized pearl of pain and guilt that she still carried for killing and torturing.

But most of all, her desire to return to what they knew best. Fighting Titans instead of people—setting humanity free.

"All right," he said. Without letting Yavena retort, he stepped forward and whacked the man across the head with the butt of the rifle. The man promptly fell unconscious. "It'll be as you wish."

Yavena smiled and cut through the ropes tying the man to the tree. She left a meal's worth of supplies alongside him, as well as a number of handkerchiefs and some water. One of the horses that they had taken from the Military Police outpost they also left behind—and then Squad Levi was off again.

It was nearly pitch-black outside as they set out. Upon both Levi's and Hange's request, she was sitting upon the cart alongside them and Mikasa. Armin was driving the wagon while the others rode upon their horses—Courage was tied up next to Jean and his horse, running without complaint.

They had only ridden for a few minutes before Mikasa turned towards her officers and said, "Hange. You might know where they are?"

"Aye. I'll explain," said Hange. She retrieved the black book and set it upon her lap. "Erwin gave me this Scout investigation report regarding Lord Reiss's land. Most of it has to do with an incident five years ago that shook up the Reiss family."

Hearing this, Armin turned around. His eyes were wide. "Five years ago?"

Hange nodded. "Aye. On the day Wall Maria was breached. I'll summarize the important bits from the beginning." She leaned back in the wooden seat, gazing across each person seriously. "As the lord of his territory, popular opinion of Rod Reiss wasn't all that bad. He had five children, and his eldest daughter Frieda was a down-to-earth girl that even the peasants adored. But that night, five years ago, disaster struck. With the world having plunged into pure chaos, some bandits raided and set fire to the only chapel around. Unfortunately, that night, the entire Reiss family was there praying together. And so the whole family, save for the head of the house, Rod Reiss… was massacred that night by the bandits. To top it off, this incident occurred just a few days before Historia's mother was killed by the Military Police. In other words, immediately after losing his family, Rod Reiss sought out Historia. There must be a reason he and his lackeys are after Historia."

Levi frowned and leaned forward. "The same bloodline? Is there some secret to their blood?"

"I can't be sure yet. But what really makes me curious is that parts of the chapel are completely wrecked. The chapel itself is stone; it would take tons of time and effort to destroy it. Bandits would take what they can and make a quick escape. Plus, the only one who saw those bandits was Rod Reiss himself. Soon after, he used his own fortune to rebuild the chapel. But why? If you think about it, it's actually stranger that there were no traces of Titans. Even if I'm jumping to conclusions, something this suspicious deserves us checking it out," said Hange.

A long and thoughtful silence took over the nine of them headed for Rod Reiss's chapel. Yavena glanced across them all: herself, Levi, Hange, Moblit, Armin, Jean, Mikasa, Conny, Sasha…

A troubled frown came over her face. "Hange, where is Nifa?"

Hange sighed and looked down to the hands she had clasped in her lap. "Got shot by the Interior Military Police. I wasn't… fast enough."

Yavena wasted no time in relocating herself from Levi's side to Hange's, grasping at one of the hands within the other woman's lap. She squeezed it lightly, hoping that such a gesture would remind her that she wasn't alone.

"I told Erwin of my suspicions," said Hange, returning to business, though it was clear she was still distraught over Nifa's fate based on the heaviness to her tone. "Before the night is over, we'll have soldiers all over Reiss's land. Unfortunately, I doubt he'll be waiting that long. If we don't hurry and get there, Eren may end up being eaten…"

Shadows danced across Mikasa's face; she stared resolutely ahead of them, as though keeping a sharp eye for their destination.

"Levi," Yavena said, catching his silver eyes. "You best tell the others what awaits us once we arrive."

He nodded, and after exclaiming, "All of you, listen up!" he began to speak of Kenny the Ripper. Levi told them what he had told Yavena of their adversary's combat ability; that he was a professional, cutthroat, and that he'd killed over a hundred Military Police without being caught when he was younger. He told the others that it was Kenny who taught him how to fight; Kenny who taught him everything he knew… and that not only would Kenny be waiting for them, but dozens of other Interior Military Police members, all of which Kenny likely would've trained as well.

As he spoke, there was barely restrained anger upon his face. It seemed as though he had personal business with Kenny; it wouldn't have surprised Yavena if that was the case. Based on what Levi had told her the last they'd spoken about the man, he had left Levi to fend for himself in the Underground District at only eleven years of age…

Yavena recalled when she had asked Levi if he'd ever gotten to have a childhood moment… even one.

Now she understood why he'd looked so burdened when his answer had been no.

"Understand?" said Levi's voice, bringing Yavena back out of her thoughts. "He's Kenny the Ripper. If he's there, he'll be our biggest obstacle. In terms of how much of a threat he is, equate him to me as an enemy. No… with those weapons of his, he's deadlier than me."

These words did little to inspire their squad-mates. Her eyes shining, Sasha murmured, "Then he's unbeatable, at least for us…"

Conny spoke up next. "If we could meet up with the troops—"

"Absolutely not," Mikasa interrupted, shooting him a deadly glare.

"I know, absolutely not!" Conny cried, gritting his teeth. "If we wait until morning, Eren might end up getting eaten!"

There was a jostle from underneath the wagon; a hole in the dirt pavement that they were riding upon. Yavena gasped as she was thrown into Hange, who lunged out a hand to steady herself. Upon catching her friend's eye, both of them began to chortle somewhat.

"If what the Captain said is true, it's not like Kenny has no weak points," said Armin, glancing back at them from the reins with an apologetic smile.

Jean scoffed. "For real, Armin?"

"Aye. I'm sure he's trained plenty, but having combat experience is something else."

Hange's eyes narrowed; she leaned forward, mirroring Levi's posture. "I wonder how it is that you lived with Kenny the Ripper but know almost nothing about him, Levi?"

"The same way I knew Levi for seven years and only recently found out where he grew up," Yavena murmured, squeezing Hange's hand. "It just hasn't come up… and Kenny must not be the type to talk freely about himself very often."

Levi nodded, his eyes directed to the floor of the wagon. "I only found out his full name this evening. Apparently, it's Kenny Ackermann. Mikasa, is he some relative of yours?"

The expression upon Mikasa's face could only be described as uncertain. "I heard from my parents when they were alive that my dad's side, Ackermann, was persecuted in the cities. My mom's family was Oriental, so being a different race meant they didn't fit in anywhere. Both were chased deep in the mountains near the edge of the Walls, so that's how they met and married. But I never found out why the Ackermanns were persecuted…"

"Has there ever been a moment where it's felt like power suddenly awakened inside you?" asked Levi.

Mikasa nodded. "There has."

"Kenny Ackermann had a moment like that, too. One time, out of nowhere, he felt an absurd amount of strength surging within him, and he knew exactly what he had to do. I've felt moments like that too," said Levi, from somewhere far away.

Yavena noted the perturbed frown to Levi's face—it seemed that Hange did too, because Hange squeezed her hand before letting it go, a clear signal that she should return to Levi's side. And so she did, though Yavena did not reach out to Levi at all as she asked, "You never knew your last name before today, did you?"

His silver eyes were dull as he muttered, "It's not yet certain."

He was right in saying it was not certain; that there was no proof. But each of them knew there was the distinct possibility that Levi would be fighting against a relative at least… this Kenny Ackermann.

"What would you have us do?" she asked quietly, so only he could hear.

Levi looked back to her. "Leave Kenny to me. And stay alive."

Even though she was nervous to have him fight the man who'd trained him one on one, Yavena knew that what Armin had said earlier had some merit: having combat experience would prove invaluable in this upcoming fight. And Levi had been honing his skills almost nonstop for the last ten years.

She had faith in his abilities. If anyone would be able to take down the most dangerous man in the world, it was Levi. Just as she had stayed alive to fulfill her promise to him—the promise that if he was there, she would fight—so she knew without knowing that he would do the same.

"You know," she said, her lips turning upwards. "Levi Ackermann does have a nice ring to it."

He raised an eyebrow, but there was no mistaking the repressed amusement hiding behind his eyes. "If you say so."

Although his comment was as neutral as ever, when he placed a hand upon Yavena's shoulder, she knew that she had done her job; to bring him back from his own thoughts, even if it was only for a little while.

"Captain, I can see the chapel!" exclaimed Jean, who was riding ahead.

Yavena leaned forward to look where Jean was pointing; sure enough, a large stone building was waiting for them along the road. There were no other wagons nor anything to indicate that it was occupied, save for the torches that were lit along the chapel's doorway.

"Eh, Captains… before we arrive, I might have some insight as to how we can fight that Anti-Personnel Squad that we ran into in Trost District," said Armin, glancing hesitantly back towards his three officers.

Yavena smiled, charmed as ever by his soft-spoken nature. "Of course, Armin. Tell us what you can."

He exhaled in seeming relief before speaking again. "I couldn't help noticing, the last time we were fighting them… a big weakness of the Anti-Personnel omni-directional gear is their line of fire and anchor trajectory are both facing the same direction. In other words, the area directly behind them is completely out of reach."

"So if we have a way of blocking their vision, we can sneak up behind them and take them out," murmured Hange, eyes shining behind her glasses.

Armin nodded. "Aye! But their greatest weakness is, once they've fired off two shots, it takes a while for them to reload. It gives us the perfect window to counterattack; there's at least three to four seconds where they're helpless."

Everyone stared at Armin before beginning to exchange looks. It was Levi who broke the momentary silence by stating, "Good work, Armin. So we've got some of their weaknesses identified. The question remains, however… how we're going to be able to blind them and gain the advantage."

"We have some gunpowder in the supplies," said Armin, gesturing to the back of the wagon. If we're able to gather it all in one place, and have Sasha light off a fire arrow…"

"Will that be enough?" frowned Hange.

Yavena's eyes narrowed as she looked at her friend. Hange was already decked out in omni-directional gear; her blades were at her sides, as was—

"Smoke signal shells," she murmured. She turned back to Armin, whose eyes were alight. "We could send two or three people to light off flares as well!"

Hange grinned and reached forward to slap Yavena's knee. "And you have the audacity to tell me you aren't smart."

"Well, according to Levi, I'm an idiot," muttered Yavena under her breath.

Levi rolled his eyes, said, "Tch," and lightly shoved her smirking face away with his hand. Then, turning back to the remainder of his squad, he said, "Then once we reach the chapel, we'll place all of our remaining gunpowder in barrels or knapsacks. The oil, too."

"Aye!" the rest of them cried.

And so they rode forth. While Yavena had no proof that Eren was within this chapel, something deep in her stomach told her that he was here; and that Squad Levi would, as they had twice before, find some way to get him back.