Ugghhh.

I am sooo exhausted. I didn't sleep last night, didn't do my final edits (but I've read this chapter probably 100 times so it should be alrightish, but my sincerest apologies if there's a surplus of errors. I'll give it a final sweep later on today and clean it up once and for all) and most notably, I've got a miserable cold. My gosh, I forgot how miserable a cold can be, this is the worst.

But side note, wow did yall show up last chapter. Thank you so much for the positive feedback, I'm glad yall enjoyed that chapter as much as I did! As always, my readers make it all worth the work and journey, and it's been such a great staple to MY week, getting to post on Sundays, checking yalls thoughts, writing up new material – good times indeed.

...

...

Petra had just finished showering off after completing training for the day, dressed in fresh clothes and brushing out her still wet hair when a knock sounded from outside her bedroom door. She set her hairbrush down, moving toward the front of her room and opening the door curiously. Seeing her unannounced visitor, she gave a smile and opened her door more fully in welcome, "Oh! Hello, Captain."

Levi gave a single nod and motioned with a tilt of his head down the hallway, "Sorry but, do you got a minute? It seems your time has come; Erwin wants to talk with you about the meeting."

Hearing his words, Petra gave a slight smile of excitement and nodded. She had been hoping that considering everyone's return yesterday, Erwin would have found the time to meet with her sometime last night, but she could only assume that the Commander had been busy because the 'lackey', as Levi had dubbed them, that was supposed to come and fetch her had never actually arrived.

She grinned cheekily as she watched Levi with a sudden degree of smugness, "So it turns out you're the lackey set to do Erwin's bidding?"

He huffed as though also not pleased by the turn of events, "So it would seem."

Petra gave a cordial laugh and turned back into her room, speaking as she moved around the space hurriedly, "Yeah, let me just…"

Levi leaned onto the door frame as Petra moved throughout her room, watching her as she grabbed a towel set over her dresser and ran it through her hair a few times before bending forward, tossing her damp hair out in front of her and standing back up fully with all her hair now gathered on top of her head.

She looked around the room, "Hey Levi, do you see my…"

He quirked an eyebrow in question as she trailed off, having no idea what she was looking for, and Petra used her free hand to sort through a collection of things resting on her dresser, giving an 'Ah' as she pulled a hair tie into her hand. She pulled the black band around her hair a few times until it was fastened securely into a messy bun, watching herself in the mirror as she pulled at various strands of hair to adjust the bun's position on her head until she finally seemed satisfied with her appearance.

Petra turned toward him and tilted her head at him in presentation, "Look okay?"

He watched her dumbly, not sure what she was expecting him to say. Of course she looked 'okay', she looked beautiful, but somehow he knew that wasn't what she was looking for and he wasn't sure how to respond. There must have been a funny expression on his face, because as Petra watched him for a response, she gave a musical laugh and shook her head in clear amusement.

Well wasn't someone in a good mood today...

"Alright alright," she beamed as she walked toward him, "Let's go, Captain."

He negated to respond in word, rather pushed off the doorframe in a sort of shrug, moving down the hall as Petra made light conversation about how the day's training had gone, how she was excited to hear the turn out of the meeting considering all the hard work they had put into it with the hours of research, and other bits of buzzing conversation that filled their short walk through the compound.

As they approached the office, Levi gave a light tap on the door as he simultaneously opened it, giving a nod to Erwin as he walked into the room quietly. Petra followed after him, and Erwin gave a nod in return, "Levi, Mrs. Ackerman, welcome. Please take a seat."

She did as instructed and sat down, giving the Commander a polite smile and watching as Levi moved to stand against the left wall - even though there were other chairs he could have sat in, he gravitated straight to that spot as though second nature.

"I presume you'll have no problem if I get straight to the point – you're curious as to how the meeting went?" Erwin asked matter of factly, and Petra gave a chuckle.

"Yeah. Captain said that you requested to be the one to tell me directly, which I figured was either a really good thing, or a…really bad thing."

Erwin's expression remained unchanged, and he folded his hands up on his desk as he spoke, "I see. It's actually for a different reason entirely, at least in that regard. I wanted to be the one to explain it considering the fact that it is my judgement that dictates how the Regiment will be moving forward. Not that I don't trust Levi to communicate effectively with you himself, but I assume you will have questions and there's no need for a middle man – you've more than proven your loyalty to our cause and I feel that I can trust you."

"Oh. Well, thank you, Commander." Petra acknowledged respectfully, and Erwin took a deep breath as he prepared to summarize the outcome.

"As for the meeting, it was more of an action plan than a traditional collaboration. The Royal Government has run numbers of their own, and I'll get to that in a moment. The original cause of the gas shortage was a mining and routing accident on the northwest side of Wall Rose – the town that is responsible for the manufacturing and delivery experienced something of a crisis after a landslide collapsed multiple mines and killed many workers. As of last week, functionality has been fully restored so there is a light at the end of the tunnel, to some extent."

Erwin paused and took a breath, the room quiet as Petra waited for him to fully explain the situation, "Come this time next year, production and distribution will be at full capacity same as it's been before, which is where the rationing now comes into effect. The government wants to ensure that no one runs out of gas completely over the next twelve months, and they have mathematically proven that if each of the factions cease output of thirteen percent on a monthly basis, we will effectively outlast the impacts of the shortage and no one will have to go without."

Erwin gave her a nod and watched her directly with an even expression, "I presume most of this you were already aware of."

"The concepts yes, but not all of the details." Petra explained simply, "I didn't know that the year mark had been placed - that's news to me. I wasn't sure how long there would be a shortage, but I'm happy to hear that the issue will somewhat resolve itself in due time and we just have to stick it out until then."

At her assessment, Erwin seemed to take a moment to pick his words, his voice lower as spoke in purposed contemplation, "Our goal, the goal that I had you and Levi running all those reports for, was to prove that the Scouts needed an unregulated supply due to the nature of our dangerous work. It was my hope that if we could prove our efficiencies were lowering, that we would likely experience a tremendous loss of life as a result – costly on more than one front considering that it is not easy to replace a specialized soldier in terms of time, money, value, and skill, and sheer man power. Your data proved my suspicions, and I'm thankful for the hard work you put in to bring those reports to fruition."

Petra said nothing to this, only giving him a proud smile, and the Commander continued just the same, "While I believe that your findings are undeniable… the Government unfortunately does not feel that there is a substantial link between the gas shortage and our claim of an upcoming raise in casualties. I'm sorry to report this to you, but the Scouts will still be required to prove they have lessened their gas output by the required thirteen percent each month, same as everyone else, with the exception of an actual Expedition, where it has been agreed that full use of gas is a requirement."

Hearing his words, the smile fell from her lips and a sinking feeling churned in Petra's stomach that left her feeling a little soured.

It…didn't work? All their effort, the hours that Levi and her had slaved late into the night, the sleep they had lost to prove the connection between the flailing numbers and the loss of resources…it had all been for nothing?

She looked around the room in sudden confusion as words failed her, and she exhaled desperately, "But Commander they can't…the data, I don't…I don't understand! It proves that we aren't as efficient, it proves our performance has suffered and if we aren't preforming at our peak then-"

Erwin gave a long sigh and nodded as he leaned forward over his desk, "You don't have to convince me Petra, I know full well what the numbers show and your conclusion is the same as mine. The Government agrees that our performance is slacking and we aren't as efficient because of the shortage, but they don't agree that a few percents here and there will lead to a guaranteed massacre like we claim it will – they feel it's more hear say than a definite, proven result. As a head nod to our concerns, they have cancelled our summer expeditions to allow us time to regroup and focus our training plans, but come September, we resume our tasks as scheduled."

Petra's mouth fell open and she struggled just the same to find her words. She was torn as to how she felt about the Royal Government cancelling their upcoming summer expeditions, but at the very least it would protect their men for a while longer yet. Still though…September was a little over four months from now, and she knew that the time they gained was a double-edged sword. While it would keep their men alive and save the gas that they would have used in the Expeditions, in four months their performance would surely reflect the lack of proper training with the 3DM gear and it was only postponing the inevitable if not enhancing it..

No, she couldn't think like that. If they had the luxury of time then maybe she could figure something out. She supposed that if she worked with Hanji, she could rework the numbers to find what behaviors seemed to be impacted the most, and then maybe work with Levi next to create a specialized training regimen that would focus on results for that particular skill?

No – if they did that it would only cause other skills to weaken from the lack of well-rounded training, and they would only be in the same position but with a different lacking skill. Perhaps if they did more of a rotation style of training then-

"I can see your brain is already turning." Erwin's voice brought her out of her frantic thoughts, and she looked up toward him with wide, unsatisfied eyes that spoke of her internal conflict. A silence fell across the room as Erwin watched her with a strange expression, a sort of unease settling in Petra's stomach from the intensity of his gaze. She shifted in her chair nervously, not sure why this sudden silence and his heavy stare was making her so uncomfortable.

Finally, he spoke.

"It seems you have a…talent for seeing practical solutions when confronted with raw data. Not everyone has such a unique skillset Mrs. Ackerman, and what's more, it's not a skill that can be taught – only practiced and refined with time. Luckily, I myself also share this skill and after looking at it from every angle; I have a solution that will protect the lives of our men, while still meeting the demands of the Government."

Petra exhaled in relief, almost smiling at his words because she should have known that Erwin would be ten steps ahead of her, "Thank Maria for that. How are we going to do it then? I don't see how we can limit the use of our gas and still keep our efficiencies up, but I'm not surprised you found a way. I suppose you really would be better at this than me after all, so it would stand to reason that-"

Erwin's expression was even, perhaps a little cold, and he watched her brazenly as he spoke with authority, "From this point on, we will eliminate certain team's gas privileges entirely."

A long silence fell over the room at Erwin's simple explanation as Petra's words caught in her throat, and when she realized the implications of his 'solution', Petra was on her feet.

"We…we what?"

Erwin's expression remained unchanged and he merely nodded, "You heard me correctly, Petra. The reality is if we keep on as we are where every team shoulders the burden of the gas shortage, then every team will be impacted, and every team will be that much less prepared to handle the threat of the Titans come September. Your data proved the impacts of the ration thus far and at this rate, for sake of argument, let's say we'd lose… one hundred lives as a result."

Petra watched him with obvious distrust but remained silent for his analogy, and Erwin continued, "Now imagine if we looked at our reports now, found the teams that were already struggling before the shortage, and made it so they did not have access to the gas in the months to come. The reality is that due to their poor performance, they would have already been likely to die come the next Expedition, and if they are cut off from resources, the more talented squads can resume full training and have a fighting chance at survival. If we selectively chose those weaker squads and make them bear the brunt of the burden, we would lose maybe…twenty lives instead."

"Losing?" Petra repeated in a huff as she watched the Commander with disgust and shook her head vehemently, "That's not losing, that's sacrificing! You would intentionally be sabotaging people's chances at survival just so other squads have a better chance and that…Commander that's monstrous! These are people who have sacrificed so much for you, who have dedicated their lives to the cause and-"

Erwin cut her off with a testing glare, his voice more sharp as he spoke over her, "And they are prepared to lay their life down if the need arises, exact same as you Mrs. Ackerman. We've all taken that oath, and if I have to leverage a few lives to protect the future of the Scouts then I will."

Petra looked toward Levi in outrage, silently asking if he was aware, or if he was okay with this, though his expression was blank and it was obvious he had no intention of joining in on either side of the discussion. She gave a 'tch' of anger and looked back toward Erwin in defiance.

"Commander, this is…this is sick! This is so twisted and so wrong – I did all of that research to prove that we needed unrestricted resources, and it didn't work and for that I'm sorry. Look, maybe if I…" she trailed off, desperately trying to put a stop to his dark course of action before it was implemented throughout the ranks, "Maybe if I had a bit more time, I could look for a better link to prove that it's not just an assumption. The Royal Government might change their minds! I can look at evasion rates, speed, or, or maybe…"

Erwin exhaled at her stubborn rejection of his solution, noting that she was going so far as to try and barter with him. He crossed his arms and clicked his tongue, trying to shape her perspective to something more optimal. "A question for you to consider Petra: is it better to lose one hundred lives through piety, white-clad principle, and unwavering morality, or is it better to save the lives of eighty - through decisive sacrifice of those who are already damned? You really think the families of those extra eighty men will care how the lives of their loved ones were spared? The dead will still be dead, but the living will-"

"But they aren't dead yet! How dare you speak of them that way!" Petra shouted, her face turning red as she passionately disagreed with the Commander and his blood-thirsty, hasty judgment call. "Right now they are very much alive and you are trying to sacrifice men like they are mere scape goats, playing god and choosing so callously who will live or die when you've got no right, and that's so…disgusting! When I agreed to help you, it was to save lives, not condemn them!"

Petra's shouting echoed across the office walls, her words having a venomous bite that caused both the Commander and Captain's eyes to widen at her audacious words of accusation. Levi looked toward Erwin in question, admittedly surprised by her boldness once again. It was one thing to smart off to him considering that to some extent he allowed, and therefore enabled the behavior – but Erwin was a different man and was not to be toyed with, for he was equally as dangerous in a different way all his own. Levi watched as Erwin slowly rose from his chair, his voice quiet but holding a level of authority that quickly intimidated Petra and caused her to fearfully sink back into her own chair in an obvious sort of back pedaling.

"Mrs. Ackerman," Erwin stated lowly, calmly, but with a subdued malice that made goosebumps crest over her skin, "I appreciate all that you have done these past few weeks, but I would encourage you to remember your place. I am the Commander of the Scouting Legion, not you. Like it or not, your data proved we have a major problem and it's my responsibility to fix it, no matter the obstacles that stand in my way. Your studies – as you are well aware - proved that for every squad barred from proper training, their performance weakens, and while the government doesn't believe your claims that it will lead to a massive loss of life, I do."

Erwin continued his explanation curtly, watching her with a corrective, threatening stare, "If we do nothing and continue on as before, there's no telling how many will die, but if we intentionally pick a small number of recruits who use no gas, we will remain within the thirteen percent demands and give the rest of the faction a much better chance of survival."

Erwin fell silent as he sat back into his chair, nodding toward Petra to confirm that she could now respond if she so chose, and the ginger pressed her lips together and shook her head as a tense silence blanketed the room thickly. "Commander." She acknowledged in a whisper, not able to look at him and the firm expression he watched her with, rather keeping her head tilted down to the floor as she whispered with a subtle degree of loathing in her voice, "There has to be another way."

Erwin watched her now subdued, humbled behavior and nodded in approval, "You think so? Well, you tell me Mrs. Ackerman – it's your data."

Petra looked up toward Erwin with suddenly wide eyes, and he gave a smirk at her curious, horrified expression. He tried not to laugh at her sheer innocence because after five years of working under a man like Levi, it was a wonder that she was still so naïve, "Don't tell me you're just now realizing that. Had you not run these numbers, we would have kept on just the same, right? I know you don't like the outcome, but think of how many lives would have been lost if it hadn't been for your work. It's because of you that we can adjust our path like this at all."

"So some Scouts will be banned entirely from gas…Because of me?"

Erwin merely nodded, "Every team might have experienced casualties and we would have suffered heavy losses. With your data, it allowed me to make a difficult decision and yes, some will die, but it's a controlled ratio that will target only those who were already prone to fall and they alone will be barred from gas, rather than the whole."

"Granted, if you don't like it," Erwin fixed her with a dark smirk and chuckled at the spiteful, hateful glare she watched him with, looking as though she were mere moments away from lunging across his desk and assaulting him, "Then I'd say you'd better start your number crunching and show me some results. If you have a better idea of how to cut gas by thirteen percent and save the lives of your fellow peers, I'd love to hear it – but as the Commander I've made my decision based off what I've got in the moment. You can hate me, you can believe I am a monster, but at the end of the day it's my judgement call to make, and I choose to lose some, rather than all."

Erwin paused and shook his head in amusement, watching her with a twisted smile and knowing that his work was just about done. His voice was quiet, "To some extent, I suppose it's all thanks to you, Mrs. Ackerman."

She outright snarled at his words, but remained seated in place because Erwin had already issued her a warning once, and she did not want to test his patience further and shame her Captain with her behavior. Still though, down to the core of her being, her very soul – she did not agree with him and try as he may to convince her that it was for the best, that the sacrifices were justified and necessary, the fact that she had any part in this outcome, even if it was just research, made her feel physically sick.

She had never intended for her research to be used in such a way and yet…

A scowl pulled her lips back and she spoke lowly, her words dark and malignant as she struggled to control her anger, "If I find a method…"

Erwin sat down with a smug grin and watched her in challenge, "I look forward to watching you try, Mrs. Ackerman." He gave a single exhale as his smirk only widened, "But for now I suppose… You are free to go. Dismissed."

She nodded tensely, standing up from her chair quietly and moving toward the door without pause, not waiting for Levi or even sparing him a passing glance as she left the room in a barely controlled fit of rage.

...

...

Petra stormed out of the room and Levi shadowed behind her, though instead of actually following out after her, he merely closed the door firmly and listened to the sound of her footsteps fade down the hall for an extended moment.

Once he was certain that Petra was a safe distance away, he looked over his shoulder toward Erwin, his voice clipped, "The hell do you think you're doing?"

Erwin withheld a sigh and watched Levi calmly. He had known from the beginning that Levi would not agree with his methods as the Captain was always particular about the loss of life, though Erwin supposed he should be grateful he had the discipline to wait until Petra had left the room before actually questioning him outright like this. Levi had already known about the plan regarding how they would stay within the parameters of the gas shortage, but he hadn't known that Erwin intended to involve Petra as a last-ditch effort to tip the scales in their favor. He had considered giving him a head's up, but considering he knew he would never agree to anything that compromised Petra…

Erwin returned his gaze passively, "Doesn't matter now, does it? The conversation has already happened, so whatever course of action will be taken in the end, her path has already been set in motion. Even if you were to talk to her, or brought her back so that I could negate my previous claims, she has it in her mind that her data is sending men to their graves. Because of that fact alone, we both know that words won't reach her now."

Levi pressed his lips together as he felt his blood start to boil. There were many times he disagreed with his superior, many times he found Erwin's methods to be cut-throat and blood thirsty, and yet Levi followed after him just the same because his methods worked and brought results. He reasoned with himself that their atrocities were an ugly necessity – that to some degree the end justified the means in the Commander's cause, because sheer morals alone never changed the world. Levi firmly believed that in order to gain something, something else of equal or even greater value would have to be lost or sacrificed in its stead.

He knew that, and yet…

Levi released the door handle with a huff of frustration and turned back toward Erwin, leaning against the door and crossing his arms as he spoke with forced restraint, "Erwin, this kind of mental strain – this kind of pressure on someone like Petra – she's different than most Scouts. She won't see it as an opportunity to 'rise to the occasion', she will view it all as her fault. The guilt combined with the upcoming deadline, even if it is four months away, will suffocate her."

Erwin gave a smooth nod of agreement, "Yes. And with any luck, it may even drive her past reason. We can only hope."

Levi watched as Erwin gave a dark smirk, and he clenched his fists and inhaled sharply.

He knew that look, and his lips pulled back into a threatening snarl. He was tempted to move across the room and get in his superior's face, pull him by the collar over the front of his desk and whisper dark promises and chilling threats in his ear that he had every ability to make good on. He wasn't sure what the show of force would accomplish as Erwin was not a man be easily intimidated, but Levi was tempted to try it just the same. He just wasn't sure if it was anger, or the need to protect Petra that made him want to instill fear into the blonde that still sat smirking so proudly behind the desk.

Levi remained at the door, his fists clenched tightly as he negated his desire to escalate the conversation into something louder and more physical, "You would take that risk? What are you even hoping she can do? It's undeniable that she has a knack for data, but at the end of the day she's a soldier, not a fucking analyst. She's not an accountant, she's not a secretary – you're placing people's lives over her head and she's not even an Officer. At least maybe then she would have agreed to those sorts of risks, but in a situation like this-"

"It could very well break her." Erwin acknowledged evenly, "Clinical depression, thoughts of suicide, loss of motivation – all extremely likely outcomes."

"So why then?!" he snapped firmly.

Levi glared at him in open disapproval, outraged by how easily the Commander talked about such outcomes in an almost carefree manner, and Erwin drummed his fingers against the surface of his desk, a light tapping sound echoing across the room from his actions, "Because. In the event she is successful – in the event that she sees something we do not, the lives saved will be worth the pressure, don't you agree?"

"No, I don't." Levi spat out firmly with a deep-set frown, "We function as a unit with the collective understanding that some lives are worth more than others. She has a promising skill set that's piqued your interest, but it seems you need to be reminded that her skills won't be of any use to you if she's crushed under the weight of your intentional manipulation before she even has a shot at growing those skills. After 'failing' her comrades, it will break her spirit and render her useless to me, and you, and even herself. If this ends badly, it will destroy her, and the soldiers will still die just the same."

Erwin's expression remained unchanged and he countered evenly with a shrug as he sat back into his chair and crossed his arms, "But what if she succeeds?"

Levi ground his teeth and rolled his eyes, exhaling as he tried to maintain his composure and not storm out of his office from sheer aggravation because even though Levi knew his concerns were valid, there was no way in a million years that he would walk out of a battle of wits with Erwin with his head held high. Erwin was still watching him, as though bored, as though Levi's attempts to tell him that Petra was off limits weren't getting through to him in the slightest – as though his staying in his office like this was merely delaying the inevitable.

Perhaps it was.

But even still.

Levi shook his head, his question not of curiosity, but rather sarcasm, "You think she can?"

Erwin merely quirked an eyebrow, "You think she can't?"

Levi responded tersely with a 'tch', irritated all the more that Erwin would have the gall to turn things around and make it seem as though he were doubting her. His glare intensified, "You and Hanji are the brains around here and if you can't figure out a better way, I doubt Petra is going to think of something so cunning and revolutionary that it's magically going to fix the bind we're in. I know you like to play the odds, but you're gambling with my subordinate; my damn wife. There may be a sliver of a potential that Petra comes through, but the most likely outcome is that we still lose the men that you are sabotaging, and thanks to your mind fuckery, now we could lose Petra too."

Erwin's eyes narrowed with challenge and his damned smirk returned tenfold, "Then I guess it's important that we give her the tools to succeed and make sure that she feels supported as she tries to find a different solution to sedate her debilitating guilt. Unless of course…you want to watch her fail, Captain?"

Levi sneered, now pushing himself off the door and standing tensely as he prepared to make his way toward Erwin. Forget threatening the man, all he needed was the right trigger, the right expression or taunting words and he would have no problem reminding Erwin exactly why he was called Humanity's Strongest. It wouldn't be the first time they had exchanged blows over the years, and it certainly wouldn't be the last.

His voice was irate, reflecting just how close he was to settling their argument in a way that favored his strengths instead, and he watched his superior in undisguised outrage, "Erwin! What the fuck is that supposed to mean?"

The blonde merely watched him pointedly and leaned forward into his desk, as though intentionally pushing the Captain further to get a rise out of him, "Come now Levi, you're not the only one that has seen her skills develop over the years. While a large degree of credit goes to Petra herself of course, it was due to your tutelage and investment that brought those hidden skills to light."

Erwin paused and gave an innocent sort of shrug as Levi's stare changed from anger to a sort of suspicion, "One would say it's rather…interesting, the effect you have on Petra specifically, I mean. With the right direction, you could encourage her to keep at it, to try new approaches or run different numbers if she gets stuck. If you were to intentionally push her, it would have a peculiar effect on her motivation, don't you think?"

Levi's mouth dropped open, and he gave a slow shake of his head, hesitant to retaliate and give into his intent with his obvious baiting. Levi gave an empty, scathing huff, "Fuck no. I see where this is going, and you're not dragging me in on this shit Erwin. I want Petra out of this mess, so you sure as hell better believe that I'm not going to be encouraging her to play into your hand like some fucking chess piece. Play your mind games, march cadets straight to their fucking graves for all I care, but do not toy with my squad like they're your fucking pawns damn it."

Erwin watched him coldly and sighed, "I'm not playing mind games Levi, I'm merely pointing out a pattern of behavior that I know you've noticed yourself. Petra really does go above and beyond to impress you specifically, and with the fact she feels even more indebted to you because of the wedding, she will drive herself relentlessly if you so much as say the word. She longs for your approval and if you would-"

Levi sneered and cut him off, "She feels inferior, which she shouldn't, and even after all she's done for the Scouts, after all she's sacrificed to prove her loyalty, especially as of late, you expected me to actually exploit that?"

Erwin nodded with resolve and folded his hands back across the desk, "Of course."

A silence fell across the room; Levi not sure how to respond to Erwin's brazen response. If anything, he knew Erwin to be a straight shooter, and yet, at times he forgot just how far Erwin was willing to go for a mere chance at gaining the upper hand.

Seeing the conflicted, shocked expression on the Captain's face, Erwin gave an acknowledging nod, his voice more quiet as he explained, "Granted, it's a risk to be sure, but it's a calculated risk. With Petra's eye for data and the potent effect you have on her, I find the odds to be much higher in our favor than you seem to think. If it doesn't work, the men still die just the same and it will have been for nothing like you said, but if it does work, those mass casualties may be avoided completely. And because of that…even if it breaks her will or crushes her spirit, I need Petra to try. Unfortunately, like you said she's not experienced like myself or Hanji, so without the debilitating pressure she won't push herself hard enough to think beyond what's already been calculated. Even still, she's efficient with data, has an eye for trends, and looks at numbers differently than I do – so her outcomes should prove to be different as well."

Erwin nodded again and released a pensive sigh, "That's why I've put her on this path Levi, and why I expect you to keep her on it."

The Captain all but stammered to find his words, not sure if he was more surprised to hear Erwin's full plan, or if he was just more pissed off that the man was actually making him reconsider his stance on the matter in a fashion that only the Commander could.

He gave an exhale and rubbed his eyes, finding that for all the years he had worked under the him, there were times he simply couldn't comprehend the innerworkings of his twisted mind. Levi's voice showed signs of his exhaustion, and he groaned into his hands as he spoke, "And what…just what is it that you think I can do here? You know that I can't help with brainstorming or, what, track data trends? Furthermore, when I train my team, its ways to make them stronger, or…faster or new formations that encourage teamwork, battle tactics and thinking on the fly. This is…"

Erwin gave a sarcastic, dry chuckle at the Captain's obvious exasperation and resulting excuses, "Well you'd better figure out something Levi, because like I said she's already set on a path that neither of us can steer her out of. The way I see it, you can ignore it and make a point of staying out of it because you disagree with me, or you can help improve her chances of success and push her in a way that only her esteemed 'Captain Levi' can. What's more, you have more…resources and avenues you can exploit, now that your relationship has changed with her. You are her husband, after all."

As if to drive the point home, Erwin smirked, "She's had her eye on you for a while now Levi, and you've got a lot to offer a girl. Get creative, Captain."

Levi pressed his lips together and gave Erwin a menacing, hateful glare after hearing the taunting and teasing he spoke with – what his words insinuated, and the methods Erwin was recommending he use to twist her heart and mind. It was as though he knew things had been progressing between them, and the fact Erwin would dangle even that above his head made him furious.

Erwin merely smirked darkly and shrugged, "That glare of yours Captain, oh if looks could kill. Look, all I am trying to point out is that you are the one that took a spritely child and molded her into the battle hardened, elite Scout that she is today. It would be a miracle if Petra could figure out a different solution, but it was no easy task back then to turn her raw talent into something worthwhile, and look where we are now. Her successes all point back to you, Levi, and I'm counting on you to finish what you started."

Levi felt a growl build in his throat, recognizing the Commander's double-edged words that he had just said to Petra not five minutes before. He knew manipulation when he saw it, and Levi felt his lips pull over his teeth in a snarl, tightening his fists angrily, "You're a fucking piece of work, Erwin. I don't know anyone alive that would knowingly jerk someone like me around. You just better fucking hope that this gamble goes the way you think it will."

Erwin gave a small laugh, though his smug expression fell and he gave a shrug, his voice more quiet as he spoke in a sort of humbled admission, "Look. I know you don't like my solution to the forced rationing – I know you of all people value the lives of your comrades and don't want them to die needlessly. Granted, I may always view sacrifice as a necessary part of progress, but in this case…"

Erwin gave a long sigh and looked at Levi directly with a conflicted expression, "Truthfully Levi, all taunting and jeering aside…I'm not satisfied either. Lives are a precious resource, and we can't throw good men away just because we're short on raw materials. Like Petra said, there's got to be a better way here, but I'm not seeing a path forward and I'm making the most decisive call I can make that will save as many lives as I'm able to. Petra though…she wants to make a difference, and her time has come. Problem is her skills are too raw to be dependable and that's where you come in. You need to push her Levi, because I think she's our best bet, but she needs you to succeed."

At Erwin's explanation, his expectation that he would fall in line and push Petra to the unthinkable, Levi ground his teeth and sneered, hating the vicious gambles that Erwin made use of and hating even more that he wasn't wrong.

The Captain turned toward the door, pausing in place as he spoke over his shoulder, "You can go fuck yourself Erwin."

And with that, he left.

…

End of Chapter

…

Hey guys – obviously as the reader you are legit welcome to love/hate whatever characters you want of course, so feel no obligation the change your thoughts when I say that I am a big, big fan of Erwin. I love his twisted mind; I love the fact that he's bold enough to make those tough judgement calls that make most people gape – where they would unintentionally make an even worse call by doing nothing, Erwin rather faces the fact that it takes a understanding that yes its horrible, but that's just the nature of the beast so bring on the bodies- I have immense respect for that because someone has to be that guy, and he's just disciplined enough to make it happen.

Personally, I have seen a few stories where Erwin is shady in a bad guy way, and allow me to just remind that Levi trusts this guy implicitly and decided on almost a whim to follow him to the very end. This should speak volumes of Erwin's canonical character, and I tried my darndest to keep true to that – of that charming, big smile that goes from warm and heartfelt to bone chilling in a mere two seconds; someone who makes those crazy plans and judgement calls, and uses people to the upmost if it means there's a chance they come out ahead.

Granted, knowing this, Levi isn't exactly thrilled to hear that Petra's getting thrown in the mix, and thus we have our above confrontation. Do with this information as you will, I just felt like giving my two cents on the subject matter :)

Till next week yall,
Midnight