"Found it. A hidden door. Historia and Eren should be inside. Hopefully the layout's close to what I predicted," Hange said.

"These presents better pay off, considering the time we spent prepping them," Levi said.

They had finally reached the chapel and after only a few minutes of searching, they finally found the hidden passage that led beneath. Hange and Moblit had made a small research regarding the Reiss Family. That family had been instantly wiped out after pirates attacked the chapel a few years back and the only one who survived was Historia's father, Rod Reiss. The story had a couple of holes according to Hange and Moblit and since Rod Reiss hasn't been sighted in the capital, neither the official Reiss estate for the last couple of days, the next most convenient place was this.

"Okay, we should be ready to go now," Armin said after he finished tying the gas tanks onto the barrels.

"Good job, Armin," Nathalie stroked the boy's hair.

"Alright then," Levi turned at his and Hange's squad. "Is everyone here ready? Cause you're all about to dirty your hands,"

No answer came from the kids and Nathalie wasn't expecting for one to come anyway. That moment was inevitable to come. Killing people was inevitable in this cruel world.

"I take it that's a yes,"

●▬▬▬▬▬๑۩۞۩๑▬▬▬▬▬●

Levi kicked the door open and the kids sent the three barrels rolling down the stairs. Sasha shot fiery arrows to the explosives that blew up right away. The oil in those barrels was going to make a decent cover of black smoke. Not to mention, that Hange had also suggested they use smoke signals.

Levi and Nathalie went out first, using as little of their gas as they could, they started counting how many of Kenny's soldiers were standing around the crystalised pillars. Hange had predicted it correctly. It was all made out of hardened titan skin.

"Seventeen on my side," Nathalie informed him.

Levi gritted his teeth. "Thirty-five total!" He informed the kids who were still on the stairs, shooting smoke signals to cover them. "They're in the upper parts of the pillars! We'll take them all out right here!"

Connie, Jean, Mikasa, Hange and Moblit with their squad switched on ODM right away. Armin, Sasha and two members of Hange's squad took care of shooting the smoke signals and covering the others. Armin was right. Nathalie was very much impressed with the kid's ingenuity. Soldiers using anti-personnel ODM gear were greatly vulnerable to an attack from behind.

Nathalie snuck behind a soldier and slit his throat. The pillars around were making it easy to use ODM and maneuver around. She flew towards another one, slicing his throat the same. The smoke signals were covering them just fine. She watched as Jean and Connie made their first kills. Nathalie knew it sounded weird, but she was proud of them. They had finally learned how to kill. Not a particularly great thing, but important and useful for such a world.

Nathalie took out another one that was coming towards Hange. Moblit took out the other that came for Hange as well. Hange sliced the throat of the guy that had her occupied, and she turned at Nathalie and Moblit. "Thanks, you two!"

"No problem, Section Commander," Nathalie gave Hange a salute. She looked at Moblit. "Take care of her for me,"

"Sure thing, Lieutenant," Moblit nodded.

Nathalie maneuvered towards the front where she knew she'd find Mikasa and Levi. She killed a few more on her way. She saw Levi taking out three at once, but three more were coming for him. She sent a hook towards the one. She stabbed him right in the stomach as she drew herself close. She cut the other one in half with her swords. Those blades were made for slicing titan skin. Cutting people in half was more than easy with such blades.

She sliced the head off the third one. "Nathalie!" Levi shouted. She turned only to see him extending a hand and she knew exactly what he wanted her to do.

Nathalie approached him and she grabbed his hand. Levi groaned as he sent her body flying towards three more soldiers. She sliced their bodies in one go thanks to Levi's powerful throw. He shot a hook towards another one, stabbing him with it, killing him instantly, and drawing himself close to her. He killed a guy that was coming for her and she crashed her swords with the woman's guns that were about to shoot at Levi.

Nathalie growled as she pushed the blonde woman off. The woman shot at her, but Nathalie retreated to a pillar. Levi joined her when Kenny showed up. Kenny landed on a pillar nearby, arming his gun again.

"Hey, kids," Kenny said with a smirk, staring at them both. "I don't really have time to waste on ya. But I just can't have you getting any further,"

Levi had that look on his face. The one of pure anger. He wanted to rip this man apart, but at the same time, he would avoid fighting him if he could. She wouldn't blame him though. She felt the same. That man had raised them, but he had abandoned them in the streets all the same.

"Kenny's mine," Levi discarded his worn-out blades and loaded new ones.

Nathalie gritted her teeth. Levi had admitted that Kenny would be stronger than him with his anti-personnel ODM. "Are you sure you don't need backup?" She asked worriedly.

"Don't worry," Levi turned and looked at her. The one corner of his lips almost curled up into a reassuring smile. "I've got this,"

Nathalie sighed. "Alright," She switched her blades so that she was holding them backwards, just like Levi had shown her. She turned and looked at the soldier who was approaching them ready to attack. "The blonde bitch is mine,"

Nathalie maneuvered towards the blonde woman who shot at her. Nathalie maneuvered out of the way. Her swords came towards the woman's head. The woman reacted right away. She pulled back avoiding Nathalie's blades that could have sliced her head off, but instead, she only got to cut some of her hair. Nathalie attacked again, and the woman didn't have enough time to reload her guns.

Swords crushed with guns. The woman pushed Nathalie back. She reloaded quickly and started shooting at her. Nathalie maneuvered away. She flew around, avoiding the bullets that could have hurt her badly. She didn't care. She had this. She had lots of anger to take out. Nathalie hooked herself on a pillar and tried to think fast. She had to either sneak on that woman from behind, or face her head on.

Oh, fuck it. Nathalie reloaded new blades after discarding the worn-out ones, and she attacked the woman again. She maneuvered around, avoiding the bullets that came her way. Another bullet came to her close enough. It would have hit her right between her eyes if she hadn't used her swords to cut that bullet in half. The woman finally ran out of bullets. Her guns, useless now. She landed on top of a rope bridge that connected two pillars.

Nathalie followed her. She landed on top of the bridge and she pointed a sword at the blonde woman. "Tell me, how would you prefer to die?"

The blonde discarded her guns and she took out two daggers from their cases around her waist. "Stepping on your corpse!"

The woman growled as she crushed her daggers with Nathalie's swords. Nathalie's leg slipped beneath the woman trying to make her lose her balance and fall off, but the woman jumped effectively avoiding the enemy's leg. The woman landed steadily back on her feet and she tried to use her ODM and send a hook towards Nathalie's stomach. Nathalie reacted quickly.

She grabbed the cable of the woman's ODM. She held onto it as powerfully as she could, drawing the woman towards her with power. She cut off the woman's wrists. The woman screamed and Nathalie stabbed both her swords right into the woman's stomach. She stared at her face as she stabbed the life out of her. Nathalie groaned as she pulled her swords out of the woman's body letting the woman's carcass fall down the bridge, lifeless.

"Idiot…" Nathalie chuckled as she looked down at the dead body that fell. She took out a handkerchief and wiped the woman's blood off her hands. "…how can I kill you if I'm a corpse? Tsk," Nathalie clicked her tongue, before she realised what she was actually doing. She was wiping the blood off her hands with a handkerchief and she had just tsk-ed. Am I morphing into Levi or what?

"HANGE!"

Nathalie's eyes widened. She drew her swords again and she started maneuvering towards the direction Moblit's voice had come from. No, no, no, no… Hange was knocked against a pillar and a hook was coming her way to stab her right in the stomach. Moblit flew in the way. The hook stabbed on his stomach instead. Moblit cried out in pain and Hange caught him right away.

"No!" Hange shouted.

Nathalie's sword sliced through the man who had the two cornered. She went straight for the next three that were coming their way. Nifa took care of one, Keiji took care of the other soldier. Nathalie landed beside Hange, who had settled Moblit in her lap.

"Nifa, Keiji, keep us covered!" Nathalie ordered.

"Roger!"

"You fucking idiot! You shouldn't have done that!" Hange cried out as she pressed down against Moblit's wound. Nathalie took out a large bandage right away and she started patching him up. She could tell it hadn't hit a vital area. It was just aside the loins. She just had to stop the bleeding. Hange cupped Moblit's face. "Mobby! Mobby are you okay? TALK TO ME, DAMMIT!"

Moblit gritted his teeth. "I'm kind of in an EXCRUCIATING pain right now. SO, EXCUSE ME if I can't talk!"

"You wouldn't be in pain if you hadn't fallen in the way YOU ASSHOLE!"

"I wouldn't have fallen in the way IF YOU WEREN'T SO GODDAMN INCOMPETENT,"

"INCOMPETENT?! HOW DARE YOU SAY THIS TO YOUR COMMANDER?!"

Nathalie couldn't believe these two were fighting, here and now, whilst Moblit was bleeding. Nathalie tightened the bandages around the man a little bit harsher than she was supposed and he winced loudly.

Hange shot her a glare. "Stop hurting my man, DAMMIT!"

"I'm NOT your man!"

"Oh REALLY?! Why won't you say that to my fa-?!"

"I JUST DID!"

"SHUT THE FUCK UP, you two! It's not time to play couple!" Nathalie cried out and they both blushed visibly.

"Nathalie!" Armin cried out as he with Sasha approached.

"Lieutenant Nathalie, the enemy has retreated," Nifa informed her and Nathalie nodded.

"Good," Nathalie stood up. "Keiji, Nifa, Armin, you take Moblit and Hange out of here. Find us a way out,"

The kids nodded and they helped Hange pick up Moblit and carry him out. Nathalie had made those bandages tight enough. He was going to be okay. She switched on ODM and reached the others right away.

They were heading towards the deep end of the cavern that was getting more and more unstable. It was Jean, Connie, Levi and Mikasa. Nathalie and Sasha approached them fast. That same yellow light came. Nathalie gritted her teeth. It was either Eren or somebody else. She finally reached Levi who was maneuvering on the front. Levi let out a sigh of relief seeing that she was okay.

"It's not Eren!" Connie pointed forwards. It really wasn't. The titan who was transforming it was Rod Reiss himself, and by the looks of it, it was to be a massive titan. That's why it took so long for him to materialise. Eren was tied in chains, hands and feet. Historia was knocked back against the crystal wall but Mikasa grabbed her.

"Mikasa!"

The others landed beside her. Levi grabbed the keys from Historia's hands and he hurried over to Eren with Jean and Connie to unlock the chains and set him free. Nathalie pulled Historia into a brief hug and the girl clutched on her.

"Are you okay?!" Nathalie asked worriedly as she pulled back and cupped her face, meeting her bright blue eyes. "You're not hurt, are you?!"

Historia gave her a smile and she shook her head. "I'm alright… you guys came!"

"Of course, we did," Nathalie smiled at girl reassuringly and she turned around only to see Mikasa dragging Eren and the other three hurrying over them.

"He's even bigger than the colossal!" Sasha cried out alarmingly, and she was right.

Nathalie turned around. Her back pressed against the crystal wall and she threw a protective hand in front Historia, keeping her as close to the wall as possible. The wind was violent against their bodies as the huge titan took its time to transform.

"Dammit! We'll be buried alive!" Jean cried out.

Nathalie tried to think of something as she stared at the creature. The cavern was about to collapse. She turned at Levi. "Uh… any suggestions, Captain?"

"Please tell me you have something in mind," Levi turned and looked at her with wide eyes. That couldn't be the end, could it?

"Uh…" Nathalie tried to think. Think, think, think, think… Something caught her attention. A bag resting nearby. She raised an eyebrow as she hurried towards it. Levi tried to stop her, but he knew she wouldn't stop whatever he'd say. If that was her idea, then he trusted it. Nathalie pulled out a bottle and an empty syringe. She recognised the liquid right away. Titan Spinal Fluid. But it had a writing on the outside. Armour. She was willing to bet that that was TSF from the Armoured Titan.

"Dammit…" Eren slipped down to his knees. Tears streamed down his cheeks. His hands reached for his head. Fingers dug in his hair and he gritted his teeth "…this power should have never been given to me… I can't be humanity's hope, I'm just too weak…"

"That's not true," Nathalie said as she walked towards him and knelt beside him with the syringe in her hands.

"C'mon. Stop playing the tragic hero. Of course, you're too weak to accomplish shit by yourself, but no one expects you to," Jean said.

"Yeah, calm down. We've been through a lot worse than this, man," Connie said with a reassuring smile.

"Not that I really wanna get used to it," Sasha added.

"Still, it's gonna suck trying to fly through that mess," Connie said.

"I'll take Eren," Mikasa said.

Nathalie drew a deep breath to speak but Jean cut her.

"It's gonna take all that we have to not get hit. So, hold on for your life," Jean said at Historia.

"Right," Historia nodded.

"It's useless. You know we won't make it," Eren said.

"So, we should do nothing?!" Historia asked. "Wanna sit here and hold hands till we're crushed? Until we burn to death?! You know dying here won't make anything better!"

Nathalie opened her mouth to suggest something again, but Levi cut her. She groaned. This was getting irritating.

"Listen," Levi turned at Eren. "I really hate that I do this to you all the time, but… you've got to make a choice here,"

"Won't you guys stop being so fucking dramatic!" Nathalie cried out, finally catching their attention. She pulled out the syringe. "I have a plan!"

"Well, then why didn't you say so?!" Jean cried out.

"I'VE BEEN TRYING TO!"

"What is that?!" Mikasa pointed at the syringe.

"The Armoured Titan's Spinal Fluid!" Nathalie answered. She turned her attention at Eren and she grabbed both his hands in her own. "Listen, you may think you're weak. You may think you have failed each and every one of us here, but it's not true. I've never seen such a hot-headed, stubborn boy in my life. It's annoying as hell, but it's your stubbornness that's going to save us today," She wiped his tears with the back of her fingers and she gave him a smile. "If anybody's got the power to change this world, it's you, Eren,"

Eren couldn't believe somebody was actually believing in him. If anybody's got the power to change this world, it's you, Eren. Yes. She was right. If anybody could save his friends, right now, it was him. He should stop whining and -for once- believe in himself. Nathalie definitely saw something in him that he couldn't yet see. It gave him strength. Eren nodded at her and she injected him with the fluid that she had in the syringe. Nathalie had no idea whether this was going to work.

Eren went off and he transformed. His body started hardening. Nathalie couldn't believe it. It had actually worked. "YES!" She threw a fist in the air, but before she got the chance to celebrate another theory that was proven correct, Levi grabbed her and dragged her with him.

"C'mon! Get under Eren!" Levi ordered and they all jumped off and did as their Captain had commanded. Levi pulled Nathalie in his arms, shielding her body with his own. Whether this was going to work or not, he still needed to know he was keeping her safe. But it didn't take long when Eren's titan entirely hardened and he made a ball that protected them from the collapsing cavern and the huge titan that was now set loose.

And once it was done, Mikasa jumped on the nape and tried to pull Eren out, whilst Levi ordered Sasha and Connie to secure a route out of there.

"Eren! Eren! Wake up!" Mikasa cried out.

Jean joined her and helped her out. They finally pulled him out and Mikasa held him in her arms looking worriedly down at him.

"Is he okay?!" Nathalie cried out from below and the kids jumped down with Eren in their hands. Eren knelt down, exhausted. Nathalie pressed a palm on his forehead searching for temperature. She checked his eyes.

"I'm fine," He reassured her with a smile and Nathalie knelt down in front of him and she pulled him in a tight, suffocating hug.

"Well done, my sweet little boy! I'm so fucking proud of you! I never doubted you one bit!" Nathalie squeezed him and Mikasa opened her mouth to speak but Eren spoke first.

"Nat… can't… breathe…"

Nathalie's eyes widened as she pulled away. "I'm sorry!" She hadn't realised she had squeezed him that much. She stood back up and pulled her notebook and a pencil out of her back pocket. "So, you needed some of the Armoured titan's TSF to harden," she wrote that down. "And the titan hasn't even disappeared!"

"TSF?" Jean asked raising an eyebrow.

"Titan Spinal Fluid,"

"Guess that's all you needed to pull it off, because this time you did it easily. You saved all our lives," Levi said as he approached Eren and placed a hand on his head. "You came up with everything built here with a blink of an eye. It's not exactly pretty, but I can see it's potential. I bet this is how the walls were made too,"

Nathalie wrote that down too. It made perfect sense. "So this means-"

"We finally have a real shot at plugging Wall Maria," Levi cut her and Nathalie groaned. Why does he always do that?

"Captain! We've secured an exit, sir!" Sasha cried out as she and Connie slipped down the ropes from a hole above.

"Moblit's fine!" Connie cried out. "Armin and Hange too!"

Nathalie sighed. That was a relief to know. "Glad to hear it," Levi said.

"Eren!"

"You okay?"

Sasha dropped to her knees. "We're all safe thanks to you! But to be completely honest, when I saw you run off into the light, stumbling like a drunk and whirling like a baby, I THOUGHT WE WERE SCREWED! You looked like an idiot and my fate was in your hands, IT WAS AWFUL! QUIT YOUR BAWLING, HAVE SOME DIGNITY! That's what I was thinking anyway,"

Nathalie tried her best not to laugh. I love Sasha so much.

Levi caught their attention. "Let's go. We have a big ass titan to catch,"