"Captain, I was trying to…" Lyla faltered. She's never seen the Captain so angry. He was livid and Lyla suddenly felt very small.

"YOU COULD'VE BEEN KILLED!" The Captain continued shouting.

"I'm sorry sir," Lyla replied as she sat down when she spotted another titan tailing them.

"Oh please…" she said in a strained voice. Levi noticed the titan as well and said,

"Throw the bodies."

"Captain…!" Lyla tried to protest but a death glare from him made her shut her mouth and cower into a corner. Lyla helplessly watched as the bodies were dumped to the ground and crushed under the titan's feet. Tears were brimming up and broke when she saw Petra's body leaving the wagon. She sobbed into her arms.

Thanks to getting rid of the load they were able to lose the titan. Levi silently recalled the memories of the last hour. His squad was gone. He promised that he would protect them and yet he let them down. It was all his fault. Then there was Lyla. That brat just shot out with her gear, totally ignoring his shouts. Levi's heart almost stopped when he saw the titan grasp around her. He placed a hand on his left leg. If something happened to Lyla, one of his surviving squad members, he wouldn't be able to forgive himself for the rest of his life. Levi glanced at Lyla. Her sorrow has subsided into silent wrath.

Lyla spotted the soldier who caused the titan to follow them pull up beside the wagon.

"YOU…!" Lyla took hold of the man's collar as she dragged him into the wagon and pinned him to the ground. She punched him relentlessly, "You irresponsible, dimwitted, idiot!" She punctuated every word with a strike. The other two soldiers boarding the wagon tried to pry Lyla off but she spat out dangerously, "BACK OFF!" she then turned back to the man she had been punching, who was now suffering a heavy nosebleed and some bruises.

"LOOK WHAT YOU'VE DONE! We lost the last we had left because you wanted to save your own little friend's body! Well did you? DID YOU?"

The man merely turned his head away. Lyla was about to punch him again when Levi caught her wrist.

"That's enough. Dita, get back on your horse." He did as the Captain ordered and when Lyla tried to get on her horse the Captain stopped her.

"Lyla, you're staying in the wagon. You're in no condition to ride a horse. You look like shit."

"Oh, I'm the one who was pounding him and I look like shit," Lyla said sarcastically.

"Well, he's not the one who was shoved into a tree during a titan fight and the one who almost got one's bones crushed by another titan."

After some time Lyla said quietly.

"It hurts and I know it hurts you too sir."

Levi gave a side glance towards her.

"It hurt to throw away the bodies. Now we won't even get to give them a proper burial," Lyla buried her head in her arms.


The rest of the ride was silent and Lyla was able to bring her raging gauge a notch down. Going into the walls was worst. People looked at them with disgust.

"Reckon they found something?"

"Judging by their faces, it looks like they succeeded in throwing our tax away in the gutter again."

Lyla gritted her teeth. Just then a man stepped up to the captain.

"Captain Levi! Sir my daughter is under your wing sir. She has sent me a letter and I wanted to discuss it before she finds out."

Lyla looked at the man terrified.

'Please don't tell me this man is….'

Levi's face was pale as sheet covered with guilt. The man continued talking.

"She wrote how she was recognized of her skills and became to work under you. Although I believe that she would be safe with a man like you but she's still a bit young for marriage…"

Lyla couldn't listen to it anymore. It was painful. She stepped out of the wagon and took out her earrings. She placed the accessory in the man's hands.

"It belonged to her."

She then resumed her post. Lyla wrapped her arms around her knees and tucked her head as she watched the man slump to the ground.

When they got back to headquarters Lyla got a medical check-up.

"She has severe bruises and a slight bone fracture but nothing other than that. She's lucky considering what she went through. Her body must have been made with stone! You'll already know but she shouldn't do any heavy training and certainly shouldn't be using her 3DMG."


When they got back to the old HQ Lyla couldn't help but feel empty. The rooms were all empty and dinner was silent. Nobody was there except the Captain and Lyla along with Eren. Lyla went to her room after getting ready for bed but then thought of Eren. No doubt he'll be having a hell time and rebuking himself for his decisions. Lyla quietly tiptoed to Eren's basement. As Lyla has expected he was crying his eyes out.

"Sh… It's okay." Lyla slipped into Eren's bed and held his head in her hands. He snuggled into the crook of Lyla's neck as he continued to sob.

"If I'd turned into a titan earlier they'd all still be alive. Eld, Gunther, Petra, Oluo…"

"It's not your fault." Lyla held him firmly as she drew soothing circles on his back. "As the Captain said, nobody knows the outcomes."

"But he also said to make the choice with the least regrets. Now there's nothing but regrets."

Lyla thought for a moment, "I'm glad that you're still alive."

Eren lifted his head in confusion.

"It hurts to think that everyone died but…" Lyla steadied her voice as it started to tremble, "I'm glad that you're alive. If anything happened to you or Mikasa and Armin, I'd…"

She shuddered at the idea of their dead bodies. Remembering how her blood ran cold when she saw Eren's dead figure in her dreams. Eren snuggled into Lyla again and said, "I'm glad that you're alive too Lyla."

"Anyway, it's not your fault. And if you think like that, it's my fault as well. I didn't do anything too." She should've known that this would happen. Even if it was just a dream she should've warned them. She shouldn't have left them.

Lyla started stroking Eren's head soothingly. "If you don't want to make their sacrifices in vain, then we have to go on. We'll be the ones who remember the meanings of their deaths."

Eren nodded and said, "Sing me a lullaby please."

Lyla gave a small smile and started to sing like she did in the old days. She could feel Eren slowly relax as she sang to him and after a while he fell asleep. Lyla carefully tucked him in and left the basement. She leaned against the basement door as tears started to threaten to spill again. She can remember them so vividly. Oluo would try to copy the captain again and Petra would scold him in doing so. Lyla would give a sarcastic comment which Eld and Gunther would laugh to and Petra would give her a glowing smile. She would wrap her arms around Lyla as she laughed saying that Lyla was her sister after all.

An Involuntary whimper escaped and Lyla bit down on her lower lip to not cry. She couldn't save anyone. Not even one of them.

Lyla let out a quivering sigh as she slowly made her way to her room when a short raven man stood before her.

"Captain…?"

"You look like shit. What are you doing up so late? You should get rest after all you've been through."

"Yes sir, I was just checking on Eren. He was having a hard time."

"Tsk, that brat."

"Then, good night sir," Lyla hastily said as she blinked away her tears. But the Captain's voice halted her mid-step.

"You don't look good yourself either." He stalked toward her and wrapped an arm around her. This startled the both of them.

"Captain…?" Lyla said in a confused tone.

"Sometimes it's okay to let it out," Levi said in his usual bored tone but Lyla could sense the subtle softness to it. A tear ran down her cheek and then another and soon she was a sobbing mess. Levi cautiously lifted a hand and started stroking Lyla's head. Somehow this girl made him feel different and made him do things he would never do. It felt terrifying and yet something tender he couldn't describe bloomed inside him.

They stood like that for a while until Lyla pulled away.

"My apologies sir," Lyla said with a blush. She had been just crying her eyes out into the Captain's shoulder. How embarrassing! But it felt so safe and cozy.

"It's fine. Go get some sleep." Levi patted Lyla's shoulder and went into his office.

Eventually, they ended up in the kitchen again. Lyla sipped her tea as she looked at her Captain. He looked exhausted. The dark circles under his eyes were more prominent than usual and he looked pained.

"It's not your fault sir," Lyla said quietly. The Captain looked up from his cup he was staring at. Lyla dared to walk up to her Captain and wrap an arm around his head.

"There's nothing you could've done. Don't burden yourself with the deaths because it's not your fault sir."

Levi slightly leaned into Lyla's arm and closed his eyes. If he didn't, he was sure a tear would slip.

/

The next morning breakfast was quiet as yesterday's dinner. But suddenly remembering something Lyla spoke up.

"Captain, I have something to discuss after breakfast."

The Captain nodded in acknowledgment. So after breakfast, Lyla told the Captain a thing that was bothering her for a while.

"The Female Titan… I think I might know who the shifter is."

The Captain looked in a bored manner at Lyla but there was a hint of surprise, "How?"

"When Eren engaged in combat. It's fighting stance was a lot like Annie Leonhart's sir."

Levi seemed to consider this when a knock situated from the door.

"State your name and business."

"It's Eren sir. I got a message for you from Squad Leader Hange."

"Enter."

Eren handed a small note to Levi. He read it, still the boring expression not leaving his face. He folded the note neatly and said,

"We're going to Hange's quarters this evening. It seems like Arlert figured something out about the Female Titan."

Eren's and Lyla's eyes widened.

And so that night they went to Hange's quarters where they met Mikasa, Armin and Moblit as well.

"Eren!" Mikasa ran to Eren and checked him head to toe. "Didn't anyone hurt you. Did the midget do anything to you?"

Levi twitched at the word 'midget' but kept still.

"As I said before Mikasa, I'm fine," Eren said but Mikasa continued pestering him until Levi interrupted.

"Oi, didn't you write that Arlert had something to say about the Female Titan four-eyes?"

"Yes, but Erwin didn't bring him yet. Seems like they're discussing something,"

"Huh?" Levi made an irritated face, "Well what's taking them so long? Probably having a hard time taking a shit. At this rate, the other bastards are going to whisk off Eren,"

Lyla inwardly face-palmed. Did her captain have to make a shit joke at a time like this? Soon enough, Erwin and Armin came in.

"Cadet Arlert, if you would please," Erwin indicated Armin.

"Yes, um…" Armin started nervously.

"We don't have all day brat," The Captain barked. At this Armin jumped slightly but resumed,

"I think the Female Titan is Annie Leonhart."

The air seemed to grow still.

"You 'think'?" Levi said. Armin nodded and explained, "When we encountered the titan, it reacted to the word 'that suicidal bastard' which is a nickname that only fellow trainees know that it refers to Eren."

"Is that all?"

"Well, there's the incident where Sony and Bean were killed. I believe it's Annie who did it. You'll need a primal understanding of the gear and high technique to do such a deed in one night."

Sony and Bean were the two titans humanity managed to capture after retaking the Trost district. Hange was doing experiments on them but they were killed during the night.

Lyla nodded. She recalled how the Female Titan killed several soldiers that day on the expedition. Some moves indicated that it understood how the gears worked.

"But Annie was cleared of inspection in her gear!" Eren shouted out.

"The gear Annie used was Marco's! I could tell the little scratches on them." Armin answered back. "But…" he trailed off.

"You think Annie is the titan but there's no solid evidence." Levi finished as Armin once again nodded. Eren stood up.

"This is all nonsense! We're just making presumptions and suspecting our fellow comrade! What if it isn't Annie!?"

"Then she'll be clear of charge," Mikasa said matter-of-factly. "Eren, you must've noticed Annie's peculiar fighting stance since you were in combat with the titan."

Eren sat down defeated. Levi spoke up, "Funny. Because Lyla mentioned the same fact this morning,"

"Then, We will need a plan to capture the Female Titan," Erwin said with a serious tone.