Tomorrow did come. Nathalie woke up from those soft kisses that her husband pressed on her forehead, her temple, her nose, her cheeks. She loved it when he woke her up like that. Standing out of the bed was tricky, but he helped her out, until she finally got the hang of walking. The two of them got dressed in their Survey Corps uniform. Clothes that they wouldn't be taking off for a while. He let her tie his ascot around his neck. His arms lingered around her waist as he watched the focused expression on her face whilst her delicate fingers worked on the knot and her blue eyes stared behind the lenses of her glasses.

Today was going to be a long day. And tomorrow was going to be an even longer one. He was going to keep her safe. They were both going to come back. At least, that was what they wanted to believe. Everybody was going to come back. They just had to trust Erwin's flawless plan that it was going to be carried out successfully.

Hange, Moblit and Nathalie handed the Resurrection Serums to their soldiers. One syringe to each, except for Eren. Eren didn't need it. Nathalie had shown and explained how to use it and how it worked. Should you be brought near to death, just inject yourselves with this, and all damaged tissue will be restored.

Everybody was so excited about it. They were excited about not dying because that serum was going to bring them back. Alas, Nathalie made sure she let them know. They only had one chance. It was just this one chance that was going to bring them back. They didn't have any other chances. They didn't have the time to prepare more injections and they could not carry them. They were too fragile and too precious to carry entire bottles whilst on titan territory.

It was dusk when they left. The horses were taken on top of Wall Rose and placed outside in the titan territory of Wall Maria. It took a few hours to do that with two hundred horses. Nathalie was on top of Wall Rose with all the others when she heard something that caught her attention. It was the people that had gathered beneath, cheering and shouting up at them. Nathalie tucked her glasses further up her nose and she took a better look beneath them. It couldn't possibly be.

Erwin walked beside her, then Levi walked on the other side and then Hange and Moblit. Their squads stood behind and they all looked down taken aback by the cheery reaction of the people. The Scouts had never been sent to a mission like this. Everybody was surprised.

"EEYYYYY! HANGEEEE! GOOD LUCKKK!"

"Flegel?!" Hange asked surprised.

"Go out there and take back Wall Maria for us!"

"The future of mankind is onto you!"

"Captain Levi! Good luck out there! Thanks for saving our City!"

"You guys come back in one piece okay!"

"Yeah! Get us back our land!"

Nathalie cringed. They were supposed to keep it a secret, weren't they? The people weren't supposed to know that the Scouts were heading out to retake Wall Maria. Levi frowned as he looked down.

"Somebody's got a big mouth,"

"Yeah well, that celebration did get a little rowdy," Hange said.

"Actually, we ordered all of that meat from the Reeves Company so…"

Hange groaned. "Flegel…"

"YEAH!" Jean, Connie and Sasha cried out excitedly staring down at the people. "YOU CAN COUNT ON US!"

Nathalie laughed seeing how excited they were. "I wonder how long it's been since the Scouts got a send-off like this," She said.

"Not sure if we ever have," Levi said.

"Well, as far as I am aware at least, this is a first," Erwin said. He chuckled. A large smile spread across his lips. Nathalie looked up at the man beside her. She had never seen him smile like that.

And just like that, he threw a fist in the air and let out a strong cry eliciting another cry of excitement by the crowd beneath. This was so exciting. For once, the people seemed to support the Scouts. The very soldiers who were now on their way to die for humanity. Nathalie remembered how she and Erwin were tortured by the Interior MPs. She remembered how much she had given up to humanity because of that. Because of being chased down and tortured, and losing hers and Levi's child in the process. But those MPs did not represent the people. They did not represent the people at all.

Erwin pulled out a sword, pointing ahead. He stood taller than everybody. His eyes, a bright blue that gleamed with excitement and hope. His grip was tight around the sword of his ODM. Nathalie just couldn't look anywhere but her Commander, and the power that radiated from him in that very moment.

"The Operation to Retake Wall Maria, begins now!" He cried out, and once they were down the wall and into the titan territory behind Wall Maria, everybody mounted their horses. Brave soldiers stood behind their superiors and behind their Commander, awaiting his orders. Levi's and Nathalie's horses were standing side by side along with their kids behind them. "Scouts, move out!"

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It was late in the night -or early in the morning at this point- when they were close enough to Wall Maria. They were using the glowing ore that they had collected from the cavern beneath the Reiss Chapel to light their way within the thick forests. The rookies were already gone with the rest of the horses. They had hidden behind the forests that surrounded a village that clung onto Wall Maria and the horses were with them, safe.

So for now they walked. They had made sure not to hand the glowing ore to the rookies, or else they'd be seen. The veteran squads just had to attract all attention to them. The rookies and the horses had to be safe. Levi was further ahead with the rest of the Captains, Section Commanders and Squad Leaders as they talked with Erwin, and Nathalie with Moblit were left back to keep an eye on their squads.

"Titan on the left, light up the area!" One of the Squad Leaders cried out and everybody turned their lights on the titan. It looked inactive at this hour, and that was the whole point of going there late in the night when most of the titans were inactive.

Of course, moonlight is just reflected sunlight, and it was enough for some titans to get strength and move even during the night. Nathalie would never forget the night in Utgard Castle. How hard she had fought there with the long-gone Mike Squad. She had let Erwin know. The titans that were controlled by the beast, they had special abilities. They were abnormals, but more than that.

Nathalie just focused on the fact that her kids were shaking in terror as they looked at the titan. She drew her sword and she threw it protectively in front of them all. She looked cautiously at the titan as they passed it.

"Relax, it's inactive," Nathalie reassured them.

"Doesn't look like the new types who can move around at night," Hange said. She chuckled. "Isn't that a shame. Leave him be," She ordered and they resumed their walk. Nathalie placed her sword back in its case on her ODM and she let her guard down once they were far away from it and her squad was safe.

"I can't believe we had to reach that close to see the thing," Eren said.

"Yeah, I'm with you on that," Hange said.

"It's alright, though, we're lucky. The moonless night is protecting us," Nathalie said reassuringly.

"Light from the moon is really just reflected sunlight," Hange said. "And from what Nat has told us, that miniscule amount of light is all that the titans -controlled by the beast- need to move,"

"My theory goes like this: if we hypothesise that the Beast Titan's host is a descendant of the royal family, then he's got abilities that can match the Founder's. Which means, that the people on Ragako were turned into titans by somehow swallowing or inhaling the Beast's TSF, and thus, the Beast ordered them with its scream to attack us, and even though it was night, they had no choice but to obey him," Nathalie explained.

"So, the bastard can control the damn things," Jean said.

"Exactly," Nathalie said. "They will have prepared quite the welcoming ceremony for us when we get there,"

"Right," Connie said. They had all made sure to memorise the plan.

"I want to capture a moon titan and I WANT TO SPLIT HIM OPEN!" Hange cried out excitedly.

"Oi, Four-Eyes, shut up," Levi scolded her as he approached them with his own light in his hands.

"Section Commander! Have you forgotten that we might be surrounded by enemies right now?!" Moblit scolded her.

"Oh c'mon, Mobby, don't tell me you don't want to experiment on a moon active titan as well," Hange squealed excitedly and Nathalie placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Relax, we'll capture one, just not on this operation," Nathalie said and Hange sighed heavily, knowing her friend was right.

They walked for a few more minutes, before something caught Nathalie's attention. She looked beside her at Eren and she noticed the hand that was holding the light was shaking. She knew beyond doubt that he was doubting himself again. Her hand reached for Eren's wrist and she steadied the shaky movement. Eren looked at her with wide eyes, as if she had just snapped him out of a huge chain of thought. And maybe she had.

"N- Nat, I-"

"It's alright to be scared, darling," Nathalie said as she let go of his wrist and brought his cloak further down his shaky arm to at least keep it warm.

"I- I- I'm not scared!"

"Really?" Armin asked. "I'm terrified," He confessed. He gritted his teeth. "Look at me," He showed the shaky movement of his own hand that was holding the light. "How am I supposed to lead the Levi Squad all by myself?" He wondered and Nathalie gave him a smile.

"If anyone can lead it's you, darling," Nathalie said.

"I- I- l know that the Commander wouldn't have chosen me for no reason but…" Armin sighed heavily. "…the fear of the titans is all consuming for most people," He said. "The first time I saw a titan, I was so frightened I couldn't move,"

"And it's only natural to be afraid. Fear, pain, happiness, regret, defeat, they are all emotions. Emotions that give out our human nature," Nathalie said and she passed a hand around Eren's shoulders and she looked down at the kid. "So, to be scared, it only means you're human," She said and Eren's eyes widened. Maybe that was all that he wanted to hear. She gave him a smile and she pulled her hand away. "If you need anything, I'll be up ahead,"

"S- Sure, Nat!"

Levi could make out her footsteps as she approached him. Light and cautious thumps on the soil behind him. "Hey," Nathalie caught his attention and he turned and looked at her. They were all wearing their hoods, covered in their green Survey Corps cloaks. There was a slightly cold breeze that made her shiver, but she ignored it. Nathalie looked up at her husband's face as the blue light from the ore graced his handsome, sharp features.

His hand reached for his cloak, ready to take it off and throw it around her. "Are you cold?" Levi asked and Nathalie chuckled and she shook her head.

She took his hand away from his cloak and held it in her own. "I'm alright," Nathalie said and he laced their fingers together. His hand was significantly warmer comparing to her own. She let her fingers sink in his. "You gotta keep your hood on too,"

"I don't care. If you're cold just say it," Levi insisted.

"I'm not cold!"

"Your hand's telling me otherwise," Levi tried his best to hold back a grin. Her fingers were freezing, and he couldn't care less about keeping his face covered. He was short enough to be confused as a fifteen-year-old. He frowned on that last thought.

"Strange…" Nathalie grinned. "…didn't think hands could talk,"

Levi sighed and tried his best not to cringe. His beloved wife's jokes were always terrible. Hange choked a laugh though from behind and he rolled his eyes. Hange's jokes were terrible too. Nathalie and Hange -unfortunately- had the same sense of wit.

"Are you not gonna ask me if I'm cold?" Hange asked teasingly turning at Moblit who was standing beside her.

Moblit huffed and rolled his eyes. "Not now, Hange-"

"If we pull this through, I'll force you to marry me," Hange snickered.

"Hange! You can't force somebody to marry you!" Moblit cried out.

"Yes, I can! Watch me,"

"I see the foot of the mountain! There are signs of a trail ahead!" One of the veteran squad leaders cried out.

Once they exited the forest, the wall could be seen from far ahead. There was a small town around the hole that led in Shiganshina. "All troops! Switch to ODM Gear!" Erwin ordered.

The veterans did as their Commander had ordered. They jumped from house to house till they finally reached the wall. Most of the veterans stayed on top of the wall, whilst the Levi and Hange Squad escorted Eren towards the other side of the City. Eren, Mikasa and Armin couldn't help staring down at the place that they once called home. It was ruined and abandoned.

"Don't stop! We need to get you to the outer gate!" Levi cried out.

"Yes, sir!"

"C'mon, kids!" Nathalie hooked herself on the wall and they maneuvered towards the other side with their Squad and the Hange Squad. Erwin was left with the other three veteran squads on the wall.

"Nat! Captain!" Armin cried out as he landed on the wall, hooked on it with his gear and Levi and Nathalie landed beside him. "I saw ashes from a kicked-out fire on the wall!"

Levi gritted his teeth. "The bastards are close,"

"Armin, get back to Erwin and use your mind," Nathalie ordered. "We need to find them. If we can end this sooner, then we won't have to fight," She said and Armin nodded.

"Yes, ma'am!" Armin switched direction and he maneuvered back to the wall, standing beside Erwin.

Levi turned at his wife, who was hanging from her ODM. "You think he can figure it out?"

"Armin's already proven his worth," Nathalie said reassuringly before the two of them set off to follow their kids and the Hange Squad.

The two of them landed on top of the wall. The hole was right beneath them, and Hange with her squad were already there, looking out for titans. Jean, Connie and Sasha joined the members of the Hange Squad, and remained cautious, to take out a titan should it come for Eren.

Hange pulled out gun and fired off the green smoke signal, alarming her soldiers and letting Erwin know that the operation was going smoothly so far. Eren finally arrived. He bit his hand and transformed. He landed outside and plugged the hole of Shiganshina. Nathalie smiled proudly as she looked down on the titan that hardened. She was about to jump off and go pick him up, but Mikasa jumped off first.

"Stay on the look-out! We can have enemies attack us any second!" Hange cried out.

"Yes, ma'am!" Nifa said.

Mikasa and Eren landed back down on the wall. "Eren!" Hange and Nathalie approached the kid.

Nathalie knelt beside him and she checked on his ODM. "Looks fine to me," She stood back up and she messed Eren's hair. "Great job, sweetheart,"

"I did manage to shake off my cloak," Eren said and Mikasa took off her own and settled it on his shoulders. He turned and gave her a smile. "Thank you, Mikasa,"

Mikasa nodded.

"How does it look?" Levi cried out down at Moblit who was standing on the outside of the wall.

"Looks good over here!"

"Looks good here on our side too!"

Moblit and Nifa fired off the green smoke. Nathalie leaned close to Eren, checking his eyes, his forehead for temperature or dizziness. "How do you feel, darling?" She asked him cupping his face.

"Not even tired," Eren said. He gave her a reassuring smile. "All that training's paid off,"

"We shouldn't waste time then," Hange said. "Everyone! Head for the inner gate! And keep your faces hidden!" She ordered and everybody obeyed their Section Commander.

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"The Walls! Everyone! Scour the Walls!" Armin gave the order to the squad that Erwin had set under his command.

"But we already searched the Walls!"

"Check inside them!"

"Inside the walls?!"

"Yes!" Armin nodded. "Look for a small cavity that someone can hide-out in. It may be covered,"

"How do you know that this exists?!"

"…it's a hunch,"

"Dammit! Do you have any idea what kinda situation we're in?! We don't have time to waste on your hunches!"

Nathalie slapped the man's hands off Armin's shoulders. "The Commander set you under Arlert's command, and if Arlert commands you to search inside the walls, then that's exactly what you're going to do," She threw a glare at the soldier who tensed up right away, especially when he saw Hange and Levi approaching from behind.

"U- Understood, Lieutenant!"

"Form two groups again, and check the wall's surface!" Armin ordered. "Start your search above the gate! Go! Quickly!"

"Right!"

Nathalie's placed a hand on Armin's shoulder and he turned and looked at her with big, blue grateful eyes. She gave him a smile. "Good call,"

Armin smiled up at her. "T- Thanks, Nat!" Before he jumped off the wall and he started searching with all the rest.

"Levi, Nathalie!" Erwin drew the couple's attention. They were his strongest soldiers. If anybody could take down the Colossal and Armoured Titans, it was them. "You two stay alert," Erwin ordered. "Should they show up, cut off their heads before they can shift,"

Levi and Nathalie loaded their swords on the handles of their ODM and they stood atop the wall, staring down at the soldiers who were searching. Levi's fingers tightened around the stems of his swords.

"You take care of the limbs," Levi ordered. "I'll go for the heads,"

It made more than sense that they'd have to cut more than just the nape. Nathalie nodded. "Understood,"

Red smoke shot through the air. "Right here! That part is hollow!"

Levi and Nathalie reacted fast. It was Reiner the man that snuck out of the wall. Levi and Nathalie jumped off the wall. They hooked themselves close enough for Levi to plant a blade in the man's nape before Reiner even had the chance to react. Nathalie cut off his hand. She hooked herself on the other side of the wall and she cut off his other hand. Then she went straight for the legs. Levi stabbed Reiner's chest and he discarded his blade in the man's chest. Nathalie cut off one leg and the man fell down, with two missing hands and a leg, and a discarded blade on his nape.

But he wasn't dead yet. Reiner was alive. Nathalie's and Levi's eyes widened. She growled as she set off to finish him off, but Levi's hand found its way around her waist. Her back crushed against his chest and he kept her hooked on the wall with him.

"He won't die whatever you do!" Levi growled in her ear as Nathalie tried to pull his hand away from around her and attack again. "He's got a blade in the nape and three missing limbs and he's still not dead. What is this bastard made of?!"

She couldn't believe she was saying this. "I don't know,"

Nathalie panicked for a moment because yellow lightning shot through the air and Reiner shifted into the Armoured Titan. But it wasn't just him. Levi pulled her and himself back on top of the wall and they saw it. Multiple transformations on the other side of the wall. And there he was, the Beast Titan. The guy with the royal blood running in his veins. Of course, his horde of titans would show up whenever he wanted them to.

There were two waves of them. Exactly as she and Erwin had predicted. Hell was about to be unleashed. Erwin turned at the Hange and Levi Squad who were all standing there, frightened, but ready for war.

"Armin! You're in charge of Levi Squad. Levi and Hange Squad, you will deal with the Armoured titan," Erwin gave the orders and Nathalie watched as her kids and Hange with her squad started loading their ODM with the thunderspears. Erwin took out his swords, loading them on his ODM and he pointed at the Beast and his horde of titans all around them. "The rest of us, we're going to deal with this,"

"Yes, sir!" Everybody set off to do as their Commander had ordered them.

"Brats!" Levi drew the attention of his squad and they all turned and looked at their Captain and their Lieutenant who was standing beside him. "Don't you dare die out there. That's an order," He said and everybody slammed their fists on their chests giving their Captain the best smiles they could put on.

"Yes, sir!"

Nathalie approached Jean, Connie, Sasha, Eren, Armin and Mikasa. She pulled them all in a tight group hug. "If any of you dies, I'll pull you back from the dead and kill you myself," She threatened and they chuckled. Nathalie turned at Armin and she cupped his face. He seemed nervous. "You can do this, Armin. You were born to lead,"

Armin's eyes widened. He parted his lips to speak but Levi caught Nathalie's hand and urged her to take a step back. "We need to get going…" He threw a protective hand around Nathalie, urging her to stand behind him. "…the bastard's about to launch for the wall,"

Reiner was indeed about to start climbing on the wall.

"Eren!" Hange cried out. "You know what to do," She said and Eren nodded.

Yellow lightning shot through the air and Eren transformed drawing Reiner's attention. Levi and Nathalie jumped off the wall and back down on the houses that were spread beneath. The first wave came. Titans of all sizes rushed towards them and the veteran squads that were all around. Levi loaded new blades and the fight began.

The Beast was indeed planning to hit the horses first. But Zeke's eyes widened. There were no horses. He gritted his teeth. He knew that having a Burgess around was going to ruin their plans. She was smart. She was brilliant. She had predicted exactly what he was planning to do, hadn't she? It didn't matter though. Three squads of thirty-year-olds and three skilled soldiers weren't enough for what he was about to throw at them.

The Beast let out a growl that resounded through the entire valley and the first series of titans rushed towards them, obeying to his scream. "Here they come! Give it your all! For humanity!" Erwin cried out as his fingers tightened around the handles of his swords and he got in his stance. He looked around at his men and their squads. Nathalie and Levi were standing beside him, all ready to engage and follow the steps of his plan. They were many. The titans were too many as they rushed towards them. Hungry, mindless creatures.

Nathalie gritted her teeth. They were either going to get slaughtered, or Erwin's plan was going to work. She couldn't tell which.