Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own Attack on Titan

Rated M for gore violence, language, and sexuality

Enjoy

Shiganshina District, Wall Maria, 844...

Raisa seemed calm and collected, but internally, she was extremely anxious. She no longer wore her black wig. Her dark hair shone in the bright sun, and was pulled back in a braided half-bun. It took a few months, but she was ever so slowly getting used to not wearing one. In the sun, some natural bits of gold glinted. "Open the gate!" Commander Keith shouted. "Open the gate!"

The Garrison obeyed, and the old gate groaned as it began to open. "Today humanity takes one step forward! Show the strength of the Scouts! Show what you're made of!"

The gates opened completely, showing clear, un-walled countryside beyond. "Soldiers! Advance!"

The horses broke into a full gallop, spilling out of the safety of Wall Maria into Titan country. Raisa kept close to Erwin and the other members of his personal squad. The Captains rode behind him as per his calculated formation. Raisa's horse, Embla, galloped at a steady pace. Raisa wasn't heavy, so Embla didn't tire as easily as the other horses did with their riders. "Titan sighted!"

All eyes fell upon the large, ugly sight of a Titan trotting out of the forest. "A 15-meter class!" a soldier reported. "It's coming this way!"

Commander Keith judged the inevitable collision course. "It's too close. We'll stop and fight! The advanced guard with me! All others continue on!"

Erwin, Vaughn, Raisa, and a few others broke off to follow Commander Keith straight for the titan. As they entered the forest, another titan appeared, skipping along. It ignored most of the soldiers, running right past them. Raisa saw them engage as her view was interrupted by trees. Commander Keith distracted the titan as the others flew up into the air. Erwin and Vaughn swooped down, cutting the titan's knees. The titan stumbled and fell forward. Raisa struck swiftly, tearing a clean chuck out of the titan's neck. It slumped over against a tree, dead and useless. She flew back up into the tree, and paused to shake the steaming titan blood off her blades. Erwin appeared next to her. "Raisa! The center guard needs back-up. Commander Keith has ordered us to back-track."

Raisa furred her eyebrows. "Doesn't that dismantle your whole formation?"

"No," he said. "Ackerman and his companions are there. I want to see the progress they've made."

Raisa looked away in disappointment. Erwin said nothing and released his anchor, dropping down. "Hey!" she shouted after him. "I don't want to be demoted if he's dead, sir!"

"Noted!" he shouted back.

Embla circled the tree, waiting for her rider. Raisa released her anchor and swooped down, landing on her loyal horse. She followed after Erwin out of the forest. Commander Keith had taken the others to return to the front. They cleared the trees. The abnormal titan was running straight through the center guard. Levi, Isabel, and Furlan rode through ahead past Captain Flagon. Levi latched onto the titan, digging his blades deep into it's back. The abnormal stopped suddenly, then began to spin in circles, trying to throw Levi off. Isabel and Furlan fired their anchors, latching onto the titan's buttocks. They swung under and in-between the titan's legs. They both turned and sliced through the titan's thighs, cutting deep into the tendons. The titan stumbled, losing it's ability to stand. Levi jumped up and delivered the final blow. A perfect 1-meter chunk went flying over his head. Raisa scoffed in surprise from where she watched. "I'll be damned."

Erwin smiled proudly. "I knew you wouldn't fail me."

Raisa shook her head, still smiling. "Sir...you ruined the moment."

Old Ruins, that night...

Raisa assisted with organizing the supplies from the wagon. Levi, Furlan, and Isabel found a spot to sleep away from everyone else. She could see them out of the corner of her eye. Levi sat with his back against the wall, making sure he could see her at all times. She had kept him within arm's reach the entire time she trained him, but now, she kept her distance. He hadn't breathed freely for months. She wondered if he missed her constant badgering and rigorous training methods. She noticed the trio leaning in and whispering. Raisa handed off her clipboard to Marlene, and entered the corridor where the officers were staying. She went to the end where the captains were staying, and knocked on one door. "Come in."

She entered. Erwin was sitting at a desk and writing out a report. Raisa closed the door and approached him. "Congratulations, sir."

"For what?"

"You were right. They were hired by Lobov to obtain those 'documents'," she made air quotes over the last word. "They're in the great room conspiring as we speak."

"I figured," he said, setting his pen down. "Furlan has been sneaking into my office almost every day. Katya almost caught him sneaking into the house several weeks ago."

Raisa raised her eyebrows. "Did she actually see him? His face?"

He hesitated before answering. "She did. Of course, he narrowly escaped her wrath."

Raisa inhaled as she thought. "Why haven't you arrested him? Surely Katya would ask at least that much."

"She did." He sighed as he sat back in his chair. "However, their mission is the main reason why they're still here. They've had every chance to kill me and take the documents, yet they haven't."

"Ackerman is the only one who wants to kill you, sir," she reminded. "The others don't seem too keen to shed blood. I think Furlan is keeping him calm since I've backed off."

"Have you grown fond of him?" he asked, earning him an offended look from her. "You spent months training him. Plus, you no longer wear your wig. His suggestion?"

Raisa composed herself, her gaze darkening. "Sir, do not question my objectivity...or my loyalty."

"I meant no offense," he assured her.

She relaxed slightly, but kept her dark gaze. "So, what do you want me to do? Resume my close eye on them, or leave them be?"

"Leave them be," he said, picking his pen back up. "I need you stay close to me. They can continue their mission. Tell no one of their intentions."

Raisa waited until he looked down at his report to roll her eyes. "Anything else, sir?"

"No. You may go."

Raisa saluted him, and left the room. Once the door was closed, she growled and groaned as she stomped through the corridor. She took a deep breath before re-entering the great room. She met up with Marlene and resumed her duty of organizing the supplies, clearing more room for Scouts to sleep. Raisa still kept a secret eye on the trio. They left when they thought no one was looking, after Erwin was seen coming out to retrieve his dinner. And they returned before he left. Raisa decided to sit with the other lieutenants, keeping her back to Levi. She felt a slap on her shoulder. "Raisa! How's it going?"

Raisa gazed up at the familiar face, "Oh, hey, Zoe. Sorry, Captain Hange."

Hange playfully shoved Raisa as she sat down beside her. "You can still call me Zoe. Honestly, I'm not used to the new title."

Raisa finally smiled. She always felt at ease with Hange, no matter how erratic she got. Hange leaned in close. "Hey, I wanted to ask you. Do you know his name?"

"Who?"

Hange pointed. "The angry little boy in the corner over there."

Raisa followed Hange's pointed finger, her eyes falling on Levi. She chuckled and leaned in close, their noses practically touching. "His name's Levi Ackerman. And he's not a boy. He's the same age as you."

Hange's brown eyes widened in shock. She pointed at Levi again. "He's twenty-eight? No! What? No! I don't believe that."

Raisa shrugged and took a bite of her potato. Hange hummed in thought. She playfully shoved Raisa again and got up, walking over to Levi and the others. Raisa leaned over and tapped Miche on the shoulder. "Check it out."

She gestured to Hange having joined in Levi's little group. Hange slapped Furlan on his back as she sat down between him and Isabel. The exchange drew everyone's attention. Raisa kept her eyes on Levi as Hange pried him for hints and tips on how to fight like him. However, he cut the conversation short. Hange apologized for disturbing them and left them. As she walked away, Levi finally locked eyes with Raisa. She gazed at him knowingly and his eyes narrowed in suspicion. She smiled and winked at him before turning back to Miche and the others. She tried hard to suppress a smile. Little idiot is probably glaring at me like he's going to kill me. Hange rejoined them, plopping back down next to Raisa and draped her arm over Raisa's shoulders. "Man, that guy is uptight and anti-social as fuck."

"Tell me about it," Raisa muttered, taking another bite of her potato.

"You didn't have to ask him for tips. Raisa is the one that trained him," Miche informed, rubbing his nose.

Hange blinked, processing Miche's words. She turned to look at Raisa, "Oh, damn. He's right!"

Raisa tilted her head away slightly from Hange. Her words were loud in Raisa's ear. "Oops. Sorry."

"Its fine. I'll just be deaf for the rest of the night." Raisa grabbed a piece of meat and shoved it into Hange's mouth. She nearly choked and stopped Raisa from pushing it further. Miche watched the whole exchange curiously, eyeing them both. He eventually shook his head and went back to finishing his dinner. Weirdos.

Later...

Levi sat on his unopened pack. Isabel and Furlan had already gone to sleep. He had managed to sleep a couple hours, but now he was wide awake. He sighed and grabbed the lantern hanging above his head. Everyone was snoring and sleeping, completely oblivious to him walking by them. A thought came to him and he walked out of the great room. The smell of potatoes still hung in the air. He found the remnants of the fire they used to cook the food and keep warm. A strange feeling came over him, like a creature watching him. He turned around suddenly. The light of the lantern illuminated the corridor and the creature hiding within. "Hey, stranger."

Levi frowned at Raisa. "What're you doing walking around in the dark? It's creepy."

She shrugged, her eyes heavy with sleep. Her hair was ruffled like she had just rolled out of bed. "I got up to pee. What's your excuse?"

He relaxed his frown slightly. He didn't want to tip her off. "Can't sleep."

Levi turned his gaze to the dark corridor. There were no other torches lit. No lingering smoke. His gaze fell back on her. Her usual purple eyes were almost black in the flickering flame of his lantern. "Have you been here before?"

"A few times," she admitted. "Why?"

"You don't have a torch. Unless you're completely familiar with this castle...I can't help but wonder if you can see in the dark." His glare intensified. He lowered his lantern slightly. Shadows enveloped her face, and she looked even more inhuman. Like something evil was hiding underneath her skin.

Raisa matched his glare. After a long moment, she yawned. She rubbed her neck as she approached him. She grabbed onto the lantern, her hand mere millimeters from his. "You should really get some sleep. There's a storm coming."

Levi stared into her eyes. A bead of sweat rolled down his face from his forehead. What is this feeling? He thought back to their months of training. Her usual, weird, happy attitude. Now, she was like a completely different person, dangerous and demonic. She seemed defensive as if ready to fight. Wait. She couldn't know about our plan...is she's protecting him...! He realized she was standing close to him, extremely close. He could feel her breath on his face. His eyes widened. He felt powerless. Paralyzed. What is she...what is she going to do? What the hell IS she? Raisa placed her hand on his chest and gently shoved him away, letting go of the lantern. "Get some sleep."

She turned away, heading back into the corridor. Levi gripped the lantern tight. "What are you?"

She stopped and glanced back at him over her shoulder. "Do you really want to know?"

Levi furred his brows. Raisa smirked and continued on. "I didn't think so."

Next day...

The Scouts rode out hard from the castle. Erwin gave the order to execute his Long Distance Formation and the Scouts spread out. Raisa stayed to Erwin's right. She knew Flagon's squad was several squads behind them, tasked with keeping guard over the center wagon squads. Raisa glanced to her right, seeing red signal flares. "Sir!" she shouted to catch Erwin's attention. "Red flares!"

"Understood!" He loaded his flare gun and fired, releasing a green flare towards the left. The surrounding squads did the same, aiming their guns to the left. The entirety of the formation now changed direction, heading away from the oncoming titans. Every time a red signal flare appeared, Erwin re-directed their course, keeping away from the titans. They changed course 14 times over the course of an hour. As the rode, Raisa noticed the sky growing cloudy. "Section Commander!"

"What is it?"

A storm is coming," she announced.

"She's right!" Miche added. "I can smell it."

Erwin said nothing as they continued. The clouds grew dark and angry. Within moments, rain poured down upon them. It wasn't light and quick. It was heavy with fog and darkness. Erwin glared up at the sky and fired another flare, but the smoke dissipated in the thick rain. He gritted his teeth. "Commander! I'm afraid we've lost all formation capability."

"We can't stop!" Keith shouted. "We push on."

A strange feeling came over Raisa, and she glanced back over her shoulder. Despite the thick ran and darkness and the fog, she could clearly see the squads running aimlessly forward, hoping a titan wouldn't get them. Raisa pushed Embla forward to run alongside Erwin. "Section Commander! I think Levi and the others are gonna try to come for you. We need to break the formation."

"No!"

Raisa gripped the reins tighter. "Erwin! I'm serious!"

"I know!" He glared at her over his soldier. "Stay with me. That's an order!"

Raisa wanted to scream. She quickly calmed herself, and they continued on. Miche turned his head east, noticing hot steam sweeping across the field towards them. "Section Commander!"

Erwin and Raisa pulled their horses to a stop. The steam flowed in waves. Erwin glanced at Raisa, seeing her worried glare. "They may need our help," he told her. "Let's go!"

She and Miche followed after him towards the steam. Despite going to the source, the steam began to subside. They found Levi kneeling on the ground, surrounded by dead titans...and severed body parts. Raisa noticed his hand was over a decapitated head with red hair, and realization hit her. Erwin halted his horse. "Levi! Are there any other survivors?"

Levi slowly turned his head, glaring at Erwin over his shoulder. Erwin glanced around at the steaming bodies. "Did you kill all these titans by yourself?"

"Erwin!" Miche shouted.

Levi had bolted from where he knelt. His blade aimed at Erwin's neck. Raisa jumped from her horse, tackling Levi before his blade connected with Erwin. They rolled onto the ground, tumbling over one another. Raisa wrapped her arms around his neck, locking him in a choke-hold. Levi pulled at her arms, but she was squeezing tight, trying to force him into unconsciousness. He wiggled on top of her then jabbed his elbow back, hitting her ribs. Raisa cried out and her grip slipped. Levi slithered out. His anger fueled him. His murderous gaze trained on Erwin. He broke into a run, but Raisa tackled him again. She grabbed a hold of his collar and pulled. Levi spun and raised his leg, aiming to kick her in the middle. Raisa blocked his kick, and punched him square in the jaw. They were so lost in their fight that they hadn't realized Erwin was shouting for them to stop. He dismounted his horse, still shouting at them. Raisa had managed to pull Levi into another choke-hold. He was on his knees, grunting in anger as he tried to pry her arms off his neck. Raisa held onto him firmly. Erwin approached them. "Raisa! I said let him go!"

She continued to squeeze, cutting off any air and hoping he would pass out soon. "He...he tried to kill you!"

"He's had enough!" Erwin insisted. "Let him go, now! That's an order, Raisa. Do it!"

Before she could do anything, Levi suddenly jumped up and fell back. Raisa slammed into the ground and yelped from the impact and the weight of Levi on top of her. He wasted no time. He threw her arms off of him, and tackled Erwin. Miche dismounted and drew his blades, but Levi was quicker. He had drawn his own blades and held one against Erwin's neck. "Don't. Fucking. Move."

Erwin groaned. The tackle caused him to scrape his forehead against the ground. Blood was dripping down the right side of his face, but he was still clear-headed despite the pain. Levi pressed the edge of his blade against Erwin's neck. "Erwin. I'm going to kill you. That's the only reason I'm still here."

Erwin gazed up at him, seeing the despair and anger in Levi's eyes. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Raisa get up and motioned to attack, but Erwin gestured for her to wait. "Your friends...they're dead, I assume."

He carefully reached into his jacket and pulled out an envelope. "These are the documents Lobov hired you for."

Levi's eyes widened as Erwin tossed the documents at his feet. "You bastard...you knew all along?" His anger returned. "You think this changes anything? You think you can-"

"It was a bluff," Erwin revealed. "I knew that Lobov was embezzling funds...using what was left from our suspended expeditions over the last several years. I needed proof, so I unveiled his...other secrets. He has plenty to spare. And he is predictable. As I suspected, he hired you three to steal the documents from me. Lobov was sloppy. His desperation made it easy to uncover the actual documents I needed."

Levi narrowed his eyes, blade sliding ever so slightly away from Erwin. "If that's all true...why did you make us join the Scouts?"

"For one, your ODM skills," Erwin confessed. He noticed Raisa and Miche growing closer. "Second, I wanted to throw Lobov off. Distract him from my true goal. All the evidence needed to bring Lobov down is already with Premier Zachary. It's over for Lobov."

Levi's eyes grew wide and dark, and his grip tightened on his handle. "My friends...they died for nothing. You used us like pawns for your worthless schemes. I envy you. I really do. Because you're gonna see them in hell before I do!"

He raised his arm and swung it down, the blade aimed for Erwin's neck. Raisa and Miche both sprinted. Raisa's eyes grew wide in panic as she reached for Levi. No! No! The image of Katya's smiling face flashed through her mind. She was too far away. Levi's blade made contact, but not with Erwin's neck. Erwin held Levi's blade back with his hand. Blood dripped down and he glared up at Levi. "Worthless schemes? Who was it that killed your friends? Was it me? Was it you? Even if all three of you had come to ambush me, do you really think the outcome would be any different? Would they have survived?"

Levi gritted his teeth, but his face fell into despair. "I know," he whispered. "It's my fault. It's because me-"

"No! You're wrong!" Erwin exclaimed as he shoved Levi's blade away. "Its the titans! Where did they come from? Why do they exist? Why do they devour humans? I don't have the answers. None of us do."

Erwin stood up. "Limited by our ignorance, we'll continue to be devoured by the titans! If we stay within the walls, we're never going to escape this nightmare! Take a good look around you!"

Erwin pointed to the rising sun which pierced through the dark clouds. "No matter how far you go, there are no walls. This land is endless. This is our future! But there are those who seek to prevent us from venturing out here. They are consumed by greed and gluttony, their minds and eyes clouded by the safety the walls provide. They cannot see what lies beyond!"

Erwin was now standing, looming over Levi. "What about you? Are your eyes clouded? Will you kill me and return to the dark safety of the walls? The Scouts will never give up. We will continue to fight. Until the humanity is free of the titans! So join us, Levi! Fight! Fight for the Scouts! Fight for humanity!"

Levi suddenly dropped his blade. Raisa was behind him now. She glanced at Erwin with a silent look, asking if she needed to take Levi down, but Erwin shook his head. He took a step forward towards Levi. "I won't give you an ultimatum. This is me formally asking you. No strings attached. Join the Scouts."

Forest of Giant Trees...

Raisa squeezed the remaining water from her hair. The Scouts were recuperating and regrouping in the trees. Most were on the lookout for titans, and kept the ones that appeared away. Her gaze fell on where Levi was perched. He sat solemnly, facing away from everyone. Even from where she was, she could see he was still soaked from the rain. She remembered seeing Isabel's decapitated head. Raisa exhaled and grabbed the unused towel and grappled to Levi's tree, flying up to his perch. He must've been lost in thought because he didn't notice her approach. "You never get used to it."

Levi glanced up at her. Raisa didn't see any tears, but he definitely had the look of someone in deep sorrow. She expected him to tell her off, but he didn't. His shoulders slumped lightly, and he turned back to stare at the open fields beyond the forest. "At this point in my life...you'd think I would be."

Raisa sat down beside him, and crossed her legs. "You'd think I would be, too...but I'm not. Some of the others tell me avenging the deaths of our comrades keeps them going. Gives them a reason to keep going. But, that's not my way. I carry their memory. Their beliefs, their strengths. That's what keeps me going."

She held out the towel to him, and Levi took it. He unfolded it and used one of the corners to dry his face. He twisted the towel in hands as he thought. "Why did you join?"

Raisa heaved a heavy sigh as she stared out at the sky. Almost all of the clouds were gone. "When I was a cadet, my girlfriend managed to convince me to join the Garrison with her. She ranked just under the top 10. Being ranked first, I was immediately offered a place among the MPs. To be honest, neither one seemed like a good fit for me, but I wasn't sure about the Survey Corps either. On assignment day, I visited with the Scouts officers. Most of them spoke of the glory they would bring to humanity one day. It sounded pathetic and unrealistic. Then I spoke to Erwin. He had just become a Captain, so Commander Keith had brought him along."

Raisa thought back to her first meeting with Erwin. She was a child. A fifteen-year old kid with no idea of her future. "I asked him why I should join. To my surprise, he gave me this long speech about humanity's future. It was very similar to the one he gave you. He was brutally honest, and gave me reasons why my talent would be better suited for the Scouts."

Raisa hummed as a smile spread on her lips. "Erwin has a way of doing that. Makes you see his vision, his dreams. I'm pretty sure he'll end up being Commander of the Scouts one day. Perhaps then, humanity will have chance."

Levi's eyes widened slightly. Her tone intrigued and worried him. "Are you in love with him?"

Raisa blinked at him then burst into laughter. "What kinda question is that?!"

"A legitimate one," he insisted.

Raisa's laughing simmered down into giggles. Levi stared her. Her laugh was...intoxicating. She had thrown her head back when she first laughed. He noticed the curve of her neck, the way the sun shined on her skin. Raisa finally calmed down. "Okay, okay. I can see why you would ask that. I mean, I guess I do love him in a way. I kind of have to."

"What?"

"He's my brother-in-law," she confessed with a shrug. "He married my sister, Katya, four years ago. They have two kids, and they're adorable. I'm serious. They are impossible not to love. Every time I see them, I just want to hug them until I die."

Levi furred his brows, mildly creeped out by her honesty. He used the towel to dry his hair as he stared at her. "I didn't think Erwin was the type to settle down."

She nodded in agreement. "That's a fair assumption. And he wasn't. Erwin had this weird vow to remain unmarried and unbound. Occupational hazard, I guess. Actually, most Scouts are that way now that I think about it. In any case, he was single for a long time until he met Katya."

"And what? Is your sister one of 'those girls' that changed his life and now they're disgustingly happy?" Levi bent over and rubbed the towel all over his head, drying his hair.

Raisa waited until he was done before she answered. "I don't know. My sister isn't a normal woman."

"Neither are you."

"Well, my sister was a mercenary for years," Raisa said, seemingly oblivious to Levi's comment. "Erwin's old friends with this MP who asked him to aid in chasing her down awhile back. They finally caught her, and that's how they met."

She glanced over at him, noticing the look on his face. "Oh, you wanna hear more?"

"You left the story opened for more information."

"What else is there to tell?" she scoffed. "Katya fell in love with him. Erwin eventually felt the same, and now they're together. Boom. End of story."

Levi subsided. He thought back to Furlan's tale of almost being caught inside Erwin's house. He told him and Isabel about the demonic woman that lived there. Levi had just assumed she was a housekeeper, or some sort of casual lover. He didn't believe Furlan's hysterical claims, but now that he knew Katya and Raisa are related... "You never answered my question last night. What are you?"

Raisa rolled her eyes and stood up. "Thought you didn't want to know."

"Never said I didn't."

She sighed dramatically, and placed her hands on her hips. "I'll tell you some other time. Maybe after your punishment."

Levi frowned. "Punishment?"

Raisa nodded like he should've known. "Yeah, punishment. You abandoned the formation, attacked two superior officers, and you've been found out to be a spy. That's at least twenty days in confinement."

"Seriously? Confinement? Why don't you just beat me and get it over with?"

Raisa feigned offense. She even gasped. "Mr Ackerman, I had no idea you were a masochist. What do you prefer? Whip? Rod? Oh! A hard spanking to your rear?"

Levi growled and tossed his damp towel at her which she caught. "Shut up. That's not what I meant."

Raisa laughed again. "I know. I'm sorry. I couldn't help it. Look, I was just exaggerating. You will get punished, for sure, but Erwin will probably go easy on you. Don't wanna scare away a willing recruit."

She fired her anchor and jumped off the perch. "Glad to have you on board!"

She fell out of earshot before Levi could respond. He watched her fly back towards her squad. Realization hit him. He had taken Erwin's offer. He turned back to face the sky. "Fuck."

End of Chapter 2