Hello everyone!
I start by apologizing because I am aware of not being able to update with the same precision as before but I am still trying to update as frequently as possible.
I've currently come to write about the battle of Shiganshina and, meanwhile, the new season is emotionally destroying me ahaha.
Anyway, I really want to thank all of you who keep reading my story, I have never gotten such numbers and I am grateful to you with all my heart.
Enjoy the reading, kisses!
When I grow up I want to be suspicious.
"So... the walls are made of titans." Elizabeth murmured, leaning her shoulder against the door jamb of Hange's study, finding her friend busy examining what looked like a rock.
She had just come back from her interview with the Martial Court and Erwin had given her a few hours off to devote herself to things that concerned her. And she had gone straight to the first person who could explain what she had discovered.
"Yep. And that bastard knew it. They knew it and they never said anything."
From her tone of voice it was evident she was angry about it, she hated hypocrisy and knowing that someone had kept such a thing hidden at the expense of all those lives infuriated her. And Elizabeth was of the same opinion. She moved forward to enter the room, closing the door to prevent anyone from disturbing them; it seemed to her that she hadn't talked to her like that in so long.
"So essentially we don't even know what we're fighting for anymore."
"Were you still with Erwin when you were informed?"
"Yes, I was with him." Elizabeth answered leaning her side against the desk, placing her two-colors gaze on that stone she was studying before running her hands over her face. "It was an immense day."
"But you finally managed to convince them. If it weren't for your words we would surely have lost everything."
"Discovered something new?"
"Actually no. Indeed yes, but I still have to work on it."
Hange's enthusiastic smile still managed to put the blonde in a good mood, forgetting for a while all the weariness she carried on her shoulders. She preferred a thousand times to fight diplomatic things.
The team leader showed her the stone and, upon closer inspection, Elizabeth noticed that it was not an ordinary rock but something different.
"That's disgusting."
"It's Annie's. It did not evaporate after her transformation."
"Everything goes back apparently." murmured the blonde now so accustomed to all the news that she couldn't even be surprised anymore. She seemed to have surrendered to the idea that too many things were happening all at once and just watched them go by before her eyes. "Is this story getting more and more absurd or am I just seeing it like this?"
"I feel like I have the answer in front of my eyes but I can't see it."
"You wear glasses for a reason, right?"
Hange looked up to look at her friend's face and they were silent for a couple of seconds before bursting out laughing in unison.
"Okay, I deserved this one..."
"We also worked on it at the beginning. Tell me what you need and I'll help you." the blonde asserted confidently. And Hange knew perfectly well that she could count on her and her intelligence.
"Well, actually I'd like to ask you for help. Two heads are better than one."
"Whenever you want."
"Anyway..." Hange began, setting aside the rest of Annie to concentrate on another topic that particularly interested her. "... I've been thinking about what you said the other day and I think I can help you."
"Seriously?"
"It will take a while, a long time actually, but it will start to take effect, I assure you."
A smile filled with hope and gratitude spread across Elizabeth's face.
"I trust you. And I thank you."
"I'm so happy for you, you know. Levi has been much happier since he met you and I believe you will continue to make him happy."
"Even if this thing..."
"Everything will be fine, don't worry." Hange answered placing a hand on Elizabeth's shoulder. Things had changed but when the Vice Captain had gone to her to talk to her with an open heart she felt sorry for her and wanted to do something to help her. After working on it for a while, she had managed to figure it out and now she could tell her the good news.
Eventually the two spent a few hours together working on the fragment that Hange had recovered, comparing it to a piece of the wall and finding it strangely similar.
"You know..." Hange murmured as she looked up from the microscope to point it at the two-colors eyes of her friend who, instead, was working on some notes of the team leader. "I was thinking about what you told me about Armin's report; I asked about Annie's origins. If I remember correctly you were suspicious of two individuals in particular."
Elizabeth put her notes down and ran her hands over her eyes, rubbing them a little to ease her vision. "Call it instinct. Even during Erwin's speech they jumped to my attention. I saw them particularly close to Eren."
"Suspicious of enemies, but above all of friends."
The blonde smiled; as usual, Hange always fully understood her.
After Petra's death it was good that she had at least her left to talk, she terribly missed her companions, to be able to talk to them as she was doing exactly now with Hange.
Petra was the only one besides Hange who knew of her infertility and couldn't help but wonder what she would think at that moment.
"Exactly."
"I love your instincts, you know? It is never wrong."
When Elizabeth left Hange's room she immediately headed for the spot where she knew she would find Levi.
She turned the corner of the corridor and found him talking to a soldier, who seemed rather awed by his impassive gaze.
"Levi, I need to talk to you. It's urgent." she approached stiff and serious, instilling terror in the young man too. She was partly sorry but she needed Levi more than him at that moment and that was the only way to get it.
The Captain looked at her for a second, intrigued by that attitude, and wondered what his presence might so urgently require.
"You can go."
"Yes sir."
As soon as the young man left he turned once more towards her, who did not seem to relax in the slightest, but in return motioned him to follow her.
"What happens?"
"Come with me."
As they turned the corner of the corridor leading to Levi's office she took him by the hand, hurrying up and pinning him against the door before kissing him passionately.
It was all clear to the Captain the moment he felt her little fingers between his own.
Those same fingers that were now struggling to open the door behind him and loosen the buttons on his shirt at the same time.
Levi raised one hand behind Elizabeth's neck, pressing her against himself even more and with the other went to help her, thus being able to open the lock and take refuge inside the room.
Levi stepped back, pulling her with him before taking her by her thighs and lifting her so that, this time, she was the one against the door.
The blonde started panting against him, eager and excited, and Levi's brain went completely dead.
The first thing he did, as soon as he was able to get her to their bed, was to take off her clothes as quickly as possible, without taking too long to admire her.
She was always beautiful and a vision for his gaze, but the desire to own her was too much to be contained. Not that Elizabeth minded...
In response she threw him on again, both completely naked and hot, while he reached down with one hand to tease her femininity to make sure she was ready to welcome him.
Another moan escaped her lips as she felt touch in all the right places, as Levi's lips drifted down from her mouth to her neck, then sucked when he got to her collarbone, which would then be covered by prying eyes thanks to the shirt. A gesture that was blocked by a bite and a moan when he felt her hand on his member going up and down along the entire length.
Instinctively he moved his pelvis closer to her entrance, attracted by that immense desire to feel her warm around him, and moved a couple of times to meet her.
Until he felt her tremble with desire.
He took her by the hips, turning her over and pulling her hips up to help her position herself quickly before filling her with a push.
The cry of pleasure that came from Elizabeth's throat clouded his sight and all other senses. He felt only her.
Only she existed.
He pushed into her body with a slow motion, making her feel all his length and all his desire.
She arched her back a little as if to ask him for more, not to hesitate, and he gave it to her instantly.
He brought his pelvis forward, penetrating her completely until their skins rubbed against each other, squeezing her hips in search of a minimum grip so as not to give in immediately and give her the same pleasure he was feeling, until inside the soul.
He began to push immediately, eager and ferocious, without going out too much to fully enjoy that space that suited him perfectly. The only place where he wanted to be.
He could feel her writhing, moving, and hugging him with her hips, taking everything he gave her.
When, then, he felt her squeeze him more, he increased his speed, pushing with unstoppable enthusiasm and moaning with her until their cries of pleasure mixed with their moods.
With her clutched in his arms and their hot skins against each other, Levi felt at peace.
Elizabeth pressed herself more against the Captain's chest, sinking her face into his neck and leaving him a little kiss before closing her eyes and letting herself be lulled by his breath.
"Why so eager today?" Levi asked, stroking her back with one hand and squeezing her fingers a little with the other.
It was such a harmless gesture, but he liked just holding her hand. That hand was always there for him, to help him as he had done to her.
The same hand he had grabbed that day...
"Not that I'm sorry..."
"Mmmm. I missed you."
Elizabeth just increased the grip with her fingers, perfectly filling the space between them and observing that little contact too.
"I missed you too." he admitted closing his eyes and enjoying the warmth, listening to their beats melt.
To break that idyll was a knock on the office door, audible thanks to the door of the room left open, such was the enthusiasm before.
"Captain Levi..."
"I can't believe it..." Elizabeth laughed, turning her face a little until she hid it more against Levi's neck to contain hers and avoid being heard.
"I no longer even have the ability to be with my woman."
"Well, look on the bright side." she murmured, lifting up just enough to sit down on his legs. "At least they made us finish."
"And you leave immediately after. I feel used." Levi answered bringing his hands back to her hips, so close to his own.
"Time to get rid of whatever they want and then don't believe you'll get out of here anytime soon, Captain."
Elizabeth reached down to kiss him on the lips again, languid and slow, as her tongue slid down her lower lip and suddenly felt fully active again.
"Get up or I will no longer answer for my actions."
"You are a particular woman Elizabeth Blossom." murmured Minister Nick, being kept under control by the blonde as Levi went to call Hange.
He had been in a bad mood after being interrupted and wanted to keep him from taking it out on the priest. At least for now...
"And you are a fool. To each its own."
"I really mean it. There is something inside you that makes you different."
Nick's gaze was inquiring on her, as if he wanted to peer into her soul, and it was starting to irritate her.
"Yes, it's true. Unlike many others, I have the guts to tear your tongue out and tie it around your neck."
"You have a brilliant mind."
"Flattering me won't make it easier for you."
"I don't mean to. I'm just telling the truth."
"If you're so in the mood to talk why don't you answer our questions?"
Elizabeth folded her arms over her chest, if she was to hear him talk then let him say something useful instead of going to hit her patience already to the limit. "Now you don't talk anymore..."
Yet Nick's words did not leave her mind for a single second.
The troops were all ready to leave, each in their place, with Eren, Armin and Mikasa already seated on the wagon.
"Sorry to keep ya, took longer to prepare than we thought." Hange exclaimed with a smile.
"Isn't this a priest from the Order of the Walls?" asked Armin shocked by the presence of the man in question who had a serious but sad look.
"Move." Elizabeth murmured to get him to get into the wagon too and sit right between Levi and Hange.
She stepped over the priest's knees, helped by Levi, until she reached the Captain and sat on the ground, between his legs.
"Yeah. Nick, me and Liz are best buddies. Right?"
"Best friends." she commented settling with her back against Levi and placing an arm on his knee. The space was what it was, she had to fit in somehow.
"Don't let him bother you. The whole makeup of this squad doesn't make any sense." said Hange smiling, pretending that everything was fine. "Does it, Levi?"
"No, I think it might. Erwin picked them out for a reason."
"The situation within Wall Rose is unclear. But everything up until Ehrmich is safe. We'll save time going through there. Move out!"
Erwin's direct order did set off everyone to move who began to ride in the predetermined direction while Levi gave the order to the coachman.
"Take us out."
"You know..." Elizabeth murmured to Levi, looking up to look him in the eye. "I think it will take a little longer."
"You say?" he asked rhetorically, looking down at her for a while.
For those who knew them that was normal, she had always been an outgoing person and had managed to make everyone love her. Very few people knew the true nature of their relationship, or rather of the veracity of the suspicions that many had. On that wagon, just two.
"So..." the Vice Captain began as their chariot was spaced from the others. "It seems our great friend already knew everything. The walls made of titans were no surprise to him."
"This whole time titans have been protecting us from titans..." Armin murmured looking back, right in the direction of those walls that until then had been their only certainty.
"Huh? He knew?" Eren murmured in shock, starting to get irritated. "There's titans inside the walls and he's known about it?!"
"Yes, though he's kept his mouth shut this entire time. But now he's coming with us to witness the harsh reality. Will his beliefs be strong enough for him to stay silent or will seeing it with his own eyes make him question himself?"
"No no no! This is all backwards!"
Hange's words had the power to irritate the young titan even more, who rose accusingly to the priest. "If there's something you know, tell us about it! Nothing's more important than keeping humans from going extinct!"
"You need an anger management course." she examined Elizabeth aloud but quietly, as if she were only pointing out the obvious.
Mikasa just smiled at her, then turned her attention to Eren. She had attacked him that time but Armin had pointed out that, instead, she was protecting him from the Military Police Brigade. And it was true.
"Eren, settle down. You're still not fully healed."
"There's more than one way to get answers." Levi exclaimed quietly and still strongly irritated by the whole situation. He should have been in his room with Elizabeth in his arms and not traveling. Under his jacket and behind Elizabeth's head he aimed the pistol at the Minister's side. "I may be injuries and useless right now, but it doesn't take much to watch one man. I'm hoping we can settle this without blasting a hole in anyone. Aren't you?"
"Threatening him doesn't work, Levi. Believe me, I've tried. It seems to me that this priest is capable of sound judgment. That's why I wonder what if the reason he doesn't talk is because he knows something more important than the fate of humanity."
Elizabeth shook her head as she heard Hange's words.
"You put too much faith in him..."
"Hange." Levi exclaimed as he saw the squad leader dealing with what looked like a common stone, but which Elizabeth had already recognized. "Hey shitty-glasses are your hobbies so boring that playing with rocks is somehow fun for you?"
"Ah ah. Yes, that's right. But this is no ordinary rock, it's a hardened fragment of skin left behind by the female titan."
"It didn't disappear?" Armin asked, shocked and fascinated by that confession at the same time.
"Right. Annie reverted from a titan but it's still intact even though it broke off her body. It didn't evaporate, it didn't disappear. So I thought 'what if', when me and Liz compared it to a piece of the wall its pattern and composition were practically identical. In other words, the wall is a barricade of humongous titans. And if I'm right the surface is constructed with hardened titan skin."
"T-then..." Armin started to speak but Hange was too excited to make him speak and reached out just enough to silence the young man with one hand.
"Let me finish Armin. As it stands, we'll be hard pressed to fill the hole in Wall Rose. That is, unless we can find the perfect boulder to plug in. but if Eren, in his transformed state, could use the titans' hardening ability to seal the hole in the wall..."
"Use me to seal the wall?" Eren asked reflecting on what they were saying.
Elizabeth looked at him: he was exceptionally gifted in combat and determined to fulfill their purpose but they all did it blindly, they had no idea how Eren worked and how he could accomplish certain things. Or as far as his power went.
"It should be made of the same material and seeing how the hardened section won't evaporate, even after you revert from a titan, it's possible..."
"I think it's well worth the risk to try." Armin answered the squad leader, his head down to think. That look was the same one Elizabeth had seen when she asked him for that secret favor and that was precisely why she had avoided asking Mikasa. "And assuming it really does work, reclaiming Wall Maria is feasible too. Up until now, we've had to transport a large quantity of materials and supplies; that's why the need for outposts past the wall limited our progress but if we don't have to accommodate supply wagons we could quickly make our way to Shiganshina. What if we carried out the plan at night?"
"During the night titans can't move... I like how the boy thinks." Elizabeth concluded for Armin, earning a light caress on the nape of Levi's fingers, hidden from everyone's eyes.
"I guess that's why you called him that day."
"Exactly."
"I see... If the group was small enough you could sneak all the way to Wall Maria. The current situation is as bad as it gets, but we still have a glimmer of hope."
"Yes, but remember it all depends on whether Eren can seal the hole or not."
"I realize asking this hardly seems fair but... think you can do it?"
Eren looked much calmer than before but even more indecisive. He seemed to be thinking of a thousand things and none at the same time. He hesitated, a gesture that irritated Levi.
"It doesn't matter what you think, you have to. There's no other choice, we're out of options. Our forces are struggling so desperately, there's nothing else they can do. You have to succeed."
Levi's words were enough to make him recover and regain that determination in the gaze that seemed to characterize him.
"I will! I'll do whatever it takes to seal the wall!" Eren exclaimed, then lowering his gaze and pulling out the key he kept tied around his neck. "The basement... my dad's basement. If what my dad said was true, we'll find answers to everything there."
In the distance a vision of a city began to stand out and Hange looked at it for a few moments before becoming serious.
"It's Ehrmich District."