Author's Note
Just another day for the Survey Corps
Sophie grabbed the graphite pencil next to her to scratch the surface of the paper, strongly moving the item back and forth with an aggressive grip until its tip turned flat. Her jaw hurt from having her teeth clenched for so long.
She stared at the sheet, covered with crossed-out numbers. She flipped the page and wrote down the same equations she had been writing the entire day. She turned around, observing the quietness of the office at the Civil Engineering department in Stohess. Her peers worked continuously at their respective wooden workstations without a sign of struggle on their faces. The only sounds to be heard were the friction of the drawing utensils on the paper and the turning of the pages. Everyone seemed to know exactly what had to be done, except for her.
She looked again at the crudely handwritten numbers drawn on the paper, wondering how the others had managed to have such polished calligraphy. No matter how late she stayed every night studying and writing down letters and numbers over and over, the Chief could still easily tell whose reports were hers. And he didn't hesitate to remind her.
She was immersed in her thoughts, pondering whether she was good enough for the Engineering division; perhaps her fate was to clean guns and sharpen blades in Armory. She was so self-absorbed that she didn't notice the man behind her, until he swiftly grabbed the paper she was diligently staring at. Sophie gasped and turned around, only to find the young man analyzing the sheet with a taunting smirk on his face.
"No way, you can't even solve this?" he said before laughing. Sophie tried to take the paper out of his hand, but he wavered it over her instead.
All members of the workshop lifted their heads as the man moved between stations, showing them Sophie's crossed out and incorrect calculations. There were no more sounds of drafting and paper rumbling—they had been substituted by quiet laughs and scoffs of disapproval. Sophie clenched her fist, trying to refrain herself from charging against the fellow engineer; she knew that doing so would only get her back to that filthy and lonely cell, or worse.
"Give it back," she said, trying to sound as defiant as possible.
"Huh, so the rat can talk," said the man. The comment was followed by a collective laugh. Sophie lowered her head, trying to hide the visible embarrassment on her face.
"Oh, don't be too hard on her," said a female voice at the back of the room. Sophie lifted her gaze, glad to see someone finally defending her. "I've heard people born in the Underground have brains the size of a pea," she concluded with a smirk.
The laughs resonated in Sophie's head. Their mockery continued, but she wasn't listening anymore. She was too focused on holding back her anger and trying not to start a brawl in the middle of the office. There was just so much she could take.
She quickly stood up, making the chair tumble from the motion. The laughs and comments stopped, and she was met with dubious and challenging looks from the other engineers. She had always thought of them as pretentious cowards that had been able to get the education she had been deprived of. Now she was willing to defend herself, but despite her upbringing, there was no fear in their gazes.
Suddenly, the office door opened. The Team Supervisor entered the room with a handful of papers. Silence took over the place as everyone stared at the newcomer.
"Lhant," he said, looking at Sophie. She stretched her back, composing herself. "A word. Outside."
Sophie quickly grabbed some of the papers scattered over the table. She opened her folder and placed them inside in a chaotic manner, wrinkling some of the sheets in the process. She crossed the room, trying to look as confident as possible as she walked past the other peers, who had resumed their work. She closed the door behind her, joining the Supervisor in the hallway.
"Yes?" she initiated. The Supervisor had always been a serious man, but his disgusted expression made it more evident that he was not there to congratulate her. He promptly stretched the arm holding the paper sheets towards her. The force and speed of the motion instinctively caused Sophie to take a step back, which allowed her to avoid being slapped in the face with the stack.
"You wrote this with the old material list. All the numbers are wrong," he said with an exasperated tone. Sophie bit her lip in response, embarrassed for being scolded. "This needs to be delivered tomorrow morning. Fix it."
Sophie could feel the spits coming out of his mouth splattering on her face as he talked, almost as if he were doing it on purpose. She grabbed the papers from his hand and muttered, "I'll fix it, sir."
The man scoffed at her, "I don't know how you managed to get here or why Armory promoted you to Civil." He got closer to Sophie, looking at her with disapproval. She tried to look self-assured, but her throat was completely tightened, making her unable to defend herself. "If you sabotage my projects and my division, I will personally throw you back into whatever hole you came from."
Sophie gulped before replying, "Yessir." Her cheeks were burning red. She then recalled that there was something that could make up for her mistakes. She could prove to him that she was worthy of working there. "Actually, sir, I took the liberty to add some adjustments to the plans for the sewer system in Trost. This should make it more reliable…" she said, clumsily opening her folder. Some of the papers slid away and fell, but she ignored them and kept looking for the right sheets. The aversive face of the Supervisor, however, indicated that he was not keen on listening to her suggestions.
"So, your reports are wrong because you've been working on projects that are not yours?"
"No, sir. I—"
"Then fix your reports," he concluded with reproval. The man grunted and turned around to walk away from her. Once he was at a safe distance, Sophie leaned her back on a wall and slid down until she was sitting on the floor.
She took a few deep breaths, staring at the door in front of her that lead to the dreadful office. She tried to psych herself up into going back, finishing those reports, and proving to everyone that she was not a stupid underground rat. But she couldn't even find the strength to stand up. She had traded one jail for another. Despite the harsh living in the Underground, at least she had someone to lean on there. On the surface, she had no one.
"Maybe they are right. Maybe I am a rat," she wondered.
"Excuse me, do you know where Logistics is?" a voice interrupted her thoughts. Sophie rubbed her face, trying to come back to reality. She turned her head towards the source of the voice; next to her stood a tall, brown-haired man wearing an elegant grey suit.
"Uhm, yeah, third floor," she said, frowning and scratching her head as she recalled the location of the department. "I think."
The man seemed confused at the sight of a woman sitting in the middle of a hallway, surrounded by papers.
"Thank you." He walked past Sophie, but suddenly stopped on his feet and turned around to face her. "Are you okay?" he asked with a gentle voice.
She looked at the closed door again, pondering the answer to that question. No one had asked her something like that in ages, and she hadn't wondered it herself either.
"No, not really," she replied almost intuitively. What harm could do to say that to a random stranger?
The man walked back to Sophie and kneeled in front of her. She felt uncomfortable by his closeness and piercing blue eyes, almost as if he were seeing right through her.
"Are you one of the engineers?" he asked, looking at her with curiosity.
"Some would differ, but technically yes," she answered with a humorous tone, trying to mask the humiliation she had just suffered.
The man clicked his tongue and smiled, "Yeah, I figured you would be one of them. They are always crying in a corner because of numbers and deadlines."
Sophie scoffed, "Some more than others." The man let out a small laugh before offering his hand to Sophie. She stared at the kind gesture for a moment before placing her hand on top of his. Gently, he helped her to stand up. "Are you an engineer?" she asked.
"No. Although I do cry because of numbers and deadlines too," he said swaying his head. Sophie wrinkled her nose, trying to figure out his occupation. "I manage the suppliers," he clarified.
They looked at each other while he slid his hand away from hers. She was unsure of why he had approached her. Nevertheless, she felt relieved he had.
"Then I suggest you stay away from any project with my signature, unless you want to go bankrupt," she said. Despite her funny tone, she meant it unironically. The man laughed in response.
"And which name shall I look out for?" he giggled.
"Sophie Lhant."
"I'll remember that." He extended his hand once more, this time to formalize their introduction. "I'm Asbel Barnes."
Levi opened the door of his wardrobe back at the Survey Corps HQ. Hange had requested an urgent meeting with him, so he didn't have much time to pick his outfit and get ready. He knew he was supposed to wear the standard green Survey Corps coat, but his hand was set on the black jacket at the end of the hanger's bar. Its arm length was larger, compared to his other clothes, because it wasn't truly his jacket; it was Erwin's. He had given it to him after one of their first missions together, in which Levi had lost his corporate blazer. Grief invaded him once again as he remembered how Erwin had found him after the mission, freezing outside the HQ while gazing at the sky. He had brought Levi some tea and slipped his jacket on him, jokingly saying that he could keep it until he got a compulsory replacement. Even when he had received a new one, Erwin had insisted he kept it. Since then, Levi had always worn it with his black suit. However, after returning from Shiganshina, he hadn't been able to wear it again without sorrow taking over him. He shook his head and grabbed the green coat instead, focusing on the present he had at hand.
As he got dressed, he looked at his reflection in the mirror. After returning from Sophie's place, he had gotten a surprising amount of sleep, and he looked more relaxed. Just as they had agreed, it was time to stop looking back on their choices and enjoy the present together. Of course, Asbel was still around, but Levi killed Titans for a living; a posh husband did not pose much of a threat to him.
He knocked on Hange's office. He felt weird thinking about it as Hange's and not Erwin's, but he thought it would just be a matter of time before he got used to it. He entered the room and found Hange standing behind the grand desk. Pixis and Zachary were also there, at each side of the Commander. He wasn't surprised that Nile was not present, given all the trouble that the Military Police had given them before the Uprising.
"Well, the gang's all here," he said as he closed the door. None of the officers greeted him. Instead, they stared at him with concern. "What's up with the long faces? Erwin's funeral was two weeks ago."
Hange cleared their throat, "Let's just sit down." Levi and the others took their places on the opposite side of the table. "We have updates on the Oswell case."
Levi frowned. With all the things that were going on both inside and outside the Walls, he didn't believe that investigating some blueprints from a dead, royal-blooded coward should be on top of their list. Nevertheless, he was in no position to question them.
They all remained silent, awkwardly staring at each other.
"Quit all that suspense, just spit it." Levi's voice disrupted de quietness of the room. Hange opened their mouth, but only a mumble came out.
Pixis took over, "Cheria Oswell is Sophie Lhant's mother. Cheria was in my training division when I joined the Military. A very pretty woman indeed." Pixis paused and smiled. Levi rolled his eyes in response.
"Dot, please," inquired Zachary.
"Forgive me. That's how we were able to track down Sophie to the Underground after she stole the ODM parts; her mother used to be part of the Corps. Sophie gave Cheria's maiden name as an alias." Pixis scratched his chin, recalling the memories. "It was quite easy to follow the trace of someone who dares to walk around the capital wearing the Survey Corps uniform. But you probably already knew all that, didn't you?" Pixis asked with an acid tone, referring to Levi's past.
"I knew her mom used to be in the Corps, but she never mentioned her name. Nor did I know she would use it as an alias." Levi looked at Hange, as he started to realize why they had called such a meeting. "You think…Sophie was somehow tied to the Reiss' family?"
Hange nodded and said, "The signature she used was kept in her file as evidence. The calligraphy has improved, but it matches the one used to sign the blueprints."
"You saw the interior of the Reiss Chapel. We have reasons to believe that she knew that they were the real royal family and their connection with the Titans. She probably shared the same knowledge as the Cult, if not more. That already constitutes quite a list of crimes," intervened Zachary.
Levi wasn't extremely surprised at the revelation, given her previous partnership with Kenny. He wanted to defend her, remind the Commanders of all the other things she had done to favor the Military, and how she had fought alongside them to defeat Rod's Titan. But Hange was already aware of that, maybe even more than Levi.
"It's no secret that many high-ranks of the government knew about the Reiss's. Her signing those blueprints is not what I would call groundbreaking evidence."
Zachary and Hange stared at each other in silence, while Pixis gulped from a flask hidden inside his coat. He offered the container to Levi. "You might want to take a sip, Captain."
Levi rejected it and frowned, confused. Zachary nodded at Hange, to which the Commander responded with a sigh. They opened one of the desk's drawers and took out a big pile of papers. Hange dropped them on the table with a slam that resonated in the entire office. They reached towards the drawer again to grab another stack of similar size, placing it right next to the first one.
"All these documents mention or are signed by Cheria Oswell in dates after her desertion, meaning Sophie was the one behind them. They were found in the houses and archives of the previous government, as well as part of Erwin's files." Hange paused and placed a hand on top of the first pile. "These were sent to Reiss and other high-ranks. They contain crucial and confidential information about Survey Corps operations, including details about Eren's involvement and capabilities as a Titan," they said, taking a deep breath before continuing. "She was spying on us, Levi."
Levi was completely numb. No emotion was present in his body. He wanted to feel anger, hurt, and hatred, but he couldn't. His mind was looping back to Erwin's words. Do you trust her? He knew about her operations, and he had been crazy enough to let her enter his lines. As always, Erwin liked to keep his enemies close.
Levi took back the control over his thoughts, "What about the second stack?"
The three Commanders wavered on their seats, uncomfortable. Hange let out a small grunt while flipping through the pages.
"These are orders, invoices, and blueprints of designs in which Sophie was involved. The chapel's reconstruction plans are here. However, most documents refer to equipment for all three branches of the Military and other civil construction projects. The issue is not so much their content but their…production." Hange adjusted their glasses. Levi started to get impatient with all the secrecy and suspense.
"Say it," he demanded.
"I figured Rod wouldn't want the people reconstructing the chapel to know that it had been built with Titan hardening. Or why it had been destroyed in the first place. He probably required quite a lot of manpower to rebuild it, so it would've been expensive to bribe them all into silence—and probably not very effective. I believe he needed something more…disposable." Hange stopped to gulp. Levi started to tense up, fearing the direction that their investigation had taken. "These papers were addressed to a factory that does not exist in the Industrial City. It was all a cover to hide the fact that she used people from the Underground as slaves. Technically, they are not official citizens; no one would question or look for them." Hange softened their gaze towards Levi. "I believe that for secret projects, like the chapel, the workers were killed off once the construction concluded. That way, everything would remain a secret."
"If you want evidence for that as well, I sent some undercover people to the abandoned Underground city in Stohess, where she kept her…workers. That's how she managed to produce all those projects and become Chief in no time," said Zachary, imposing.
Levi was completely frozen. Zachary's words echoed in his ears as if he were underwater. He was no longer able to pay attention. His heart started to pound in his head, as he remembered everything; their first encounter as two Underground kids trying to survive, their reunion, their kiss, and all the meetings that had followed it. All with a single voice rumbling in the background. Do you trust her?
"Levi," said Hange, interrupting his thoughts, "Some of the information in those reports are things that I had privately discussed with her. Her request to join the Corps and getting so close to you at the funeral…" Hange's voice started to break. "What if it was just a farce to continue gathering more information?"
"We need to know if you have ever shared anything confidential regarding our operations or the outside world with her," clarified Pixis.
"I have not," he said with conviction. The others didn't seem completely satisfied with his answer, but he didn't care. Like a meteor shower, all the memories were coming to him at once. He glimpsed that teenage girl, sitting on the rooftop of the Underground, disappearing as she turned into the monstrous woman that Sophie truly was.
Hange covered their face with their hands and sighed, "I guess this means you can go ahead and arrest her, Zachary."
"You have no idea how much I'm looking forward to it," he said with a smile.
"Wait a minute," Levi interrupted, "What about Asbel? There is no way she did all of this alone."
Hange nodded, "I know. But he is nowhere to be found on those records. The guy creeps me out, but we don't have anything against him. Besides, he works with many companies tied to the Survey Corps. Arresting him without motive would be the end of us, and we can't afford that now. It's her signature behind those papers, not his."
"I met him. He did mention something about helping her," Levi argued.
"I can't arrest him based on he-said-she-said," they replied, defiant.
"You think I'm lying now? What the hell, Hange?!" he snapped.
Zachary cleared his throat and made a gesture with his hand to tone down their conversation. "We will ask him to testify. If he does not cooperate, we have methods to make him talk," he said before standing up. "Good job, Commander. I bet Erwin would've been proud of this outcome."
Hange stood up as well and shook hands with Pixis and Zachary before they left the room. Levi remained seated, processing everything. He had forgiven her involvement with Kenny, thinking that she had not changed, despite her warnings. He had never held onto his past, but he had held onto her. He had held onto the rooftop conversations, the candlelight, her bratty comments, the needle holding her bun, and her gentle but passionate presence. Now he was left with a power-hungry, cold-blooded murderer drowning herself in alcohol, men, and lies, who had betrayed the people she was supposed to protect. Perhaps Asbel had been right all along, and she was truly insane. Maybe he had been trying to warn him.
We all need to be drunk on something.
He had chosen her. She had chosen power. Just like Asbel had said. Levi had trusted the wrong person.
He was hurt for not seeing the signs; from Kenny, Asbel, and Erwin. He had ignored them. Instead, he had decided to believe in a girl that did not exist anymore. When she told him about her guilt, he had always assumed it referred to sending Farlan and Isabel to the Scouts or helping the Police. He could've never imagined that the girl from the basement would be a traitor and a murderer behind closed doors. Her admitting that she was no longer her old self was probably the only truth that had ever escaped her lips.
All of Sophie's promises about redemption, her speeches of support, her calming touch were just what Hange had said; a hoax to get closer to him and therefore the upper echelons of the Corps. Nothing else than means to an end. He had been foolish enough to fall for it, thinking that he had something to look forward to in her. Maybe he was bound to be a soldier forever after all.
Hange dropped themself on the chair, exhausted. "Sorry for doubting you, Levi." They paused and looked down, in shame. "I didn't mean it. I just don't know who to trust anymore."
Levi grunted, "I get it." He didn't want to start a fight with them. Hange seemed just as defeated as him.
"I thought she was on our side…I swear," they said, trembling. "I spent so many nights with her, laughing, getting drunk, working, and talking. And it turns out she is just another traitor." They paused, trying to collect themselves, but failing in the process. "I thought she was my friend."
"Yeah, I thought so too."