Chapter 10

"Who is going to be taking care of Isabel while we are gone?"

The cadets froze.

"Obviously, we can't stay behind and watch her, so we need to find someone to take care of her. Any suggestions?" Levi asked.

The cadets stayed silent for a moment until one person spoke up.

"She...could stay with my family, sir. I have some sisters around her age. She would have plenty of people to play with." Oluo said.

"She wouldn't be imposing, would she?" Levi asked.

"I wouldn't think so. My family loves guests. We might want to check just to be sure. I can ride over to my home if you think I should, sir." Oluo replied.

"I think that would be best. You are dismissed, Cadet Bozado." Levi said, and Oluo immediately left the castle.

"The rest of you need to prepare for the upcoming expedition. Eld, Gunther, and Jaeger, I need you to go help with those stocking up on materials. We will definitely need help this time around. Petra, you need to meet up with Hange. She said she needed some help with testing some new inventions." Levi said.

The cadets nodded and dispersed, ready to prepare as best as they could. They needed to make sure as few people died as possible.

"You're leaving again?" Isabel whimpered.

Levi sighed. "I'm sorry Isabel, but Papa has more work to do. But this time around, you might have some new playmates."

"Go with you?" She asked once again. Levi lost count of how many times she said the same phrase.

"No, Isabel. This is definitely not something you're allowed to go to. It's very dangerous...and very scary."

Isabel cocked her head. "Why do you go?"

Levi let out a soft chuckle. "Cause someone has to chase the monsters away." He ruffled her hair. "I'm gonna make sure no one else gets hurt."

Isabel smiled, her sapphire eyes sparkling up at her Papa. Her hero.

"Okay." She accepted and then ran off to her room. Levi smiled as she left. That little girl was a mystery.

…

The day of the expedition left everyone uneasy. At any moment, they could join their fallen comrades if they made a single mistake. Especially in the last few days, they heard more screams and bone gnawing than they wanted to hear. Those sounds haunted them every night, and there was no means of escape.

"Isabel, you need to pack up your things. Oluo and I are going to take you to his house. You're going to stay there until I come and get you." Levi said.

Isabel nodded and grabbed her backpack that was filled with things to keep her busy. Then, they mounted their horses and galloped towards Oluo's home. Levi held Isabel close, praying that this wouldn't be the last time he would see her. In that moment, he vowed he would stay alive for her.

They reached the house, and echoes of laughter could be heard from inside. Levi helped Isabel off his horse and she pranced to the front door, waiting eagerly to meet friends her own age. Oluo chuckled and knocked on the door.

The front door opened to reveal a middle-aged woman. Her hair was just starting to gray and wrinkles had begun forming around her eyes. She wore a big smile on her face as she hugged Oluo.

"So glad to see you again, sweetie." She said.

"Mom, not in front of the Captain, please." Oluo groaned, trying to push away his mother.

"Oh, where are my manners? I'm Oluo's mother. You must be the famous Captain Levi. It's so nice to finally meet you!" She said.

"Likewise," Levi muttered.

"And you must be Isabel." Oluo's mother knelt down to her level. "Oluo told me that you needed someone to play with while he's gone. My children are in the back playing. Would you like to go join them?"

Isabel nodded eagerly. "Say bye to Papa first?"

"Of course! I'll give you two some space. Oluo, would you like to see your siblings quick?" Mrs. Bozado asked.

"Sure." Oluo shrugged, entering his home.

Levi knelt down and Isabel gave him a big hug.

"Come back soon." She said.

"I will," Levi said. "I have a present for you."

Isabel looked at him with curiosity. With one quick motion, Levi tore off the Scout patch on his shoulder. He presented it to the auburn-haired girl.

"This comes with a promise: I'm going to come back for you. You can give this back to me when I come to get you, but this way, you'll have a piece of me even when I'm gone. Okay?"

Isabel nodded and took the patch. She gave him another big hug, giving him a quick peck on the cheek. "Thank you." She whispered.

Levi smiled. "I promise, I'll come back. I'll never leave you for long."

Isabel nodded.

"Alright, Bozado, we need to go," Levi called.

"Yes sir!" Oluo called from within the house, quickly rushing out. "Goodbye, Isabel." He said, giving the girl a hug.

"Bye Oluo!" She exclaimed, hugging him back tightly.

They mounted their horses and Mrs. Bozado appeared once again. The last thing Levi saw before riding away was his little girl walking inside, the front door shutting gently behind her. She was safe now. No matter what, she would be okay. Now, he just had to make sure he would make it out alive.

…

"So Isabel, what do you want to play?" One of Oluo's sisters, Alice, asked.

Isabel shrugged. She didn't care what they would play, so long as it would be fun. She also tried not to think about Papa and the squad, but that seemed impossible. She wondered what was so dangerous that she couldn't go with them.

"Have you ever played house?" His other little sister, Katerina, asked.

Isabel shook her head.

"That game is really fun! We just have to pretend to do work around the house. And some of us get to be the children that the mommy and daddy need to take care of." Alice said. "Since you are one of the youngest, you can be a little kid, okay Isabel?"

Isabel nodded. "Okay!"

They quickly assigned roles. Katerina was the oldest out of the three, so she became the mommy. Alice and Isabel would be the daughters. It seemed like a very simple game.

"First off, we need to make breakfast," Katerina said. She hurried over to the makeshift fort in their backyard and crawled inside. After a few seconds, she emerged with some plates. "We should go see if we can have anything," Katerina said, and the three girls made their way into the actual house.

"What are you girls up to?" Mrs. Bozado asked.

"Can we have something to use as breakfast? Isabel's hungry." Alice said, her manipulative smile coming into play.

"Is that so?" Mrs. Bozado raised an eyebrow. "Are they lying, Isabel?"

Isabel looked to her new friends and they pleaded to her with wide eyes. She knew exactly what to say.

"No. I'm really hungry." She clutched her stomach for emphasis.

Mrs. Bozado smiled. "Okay then. In fact, since I knew you would be coming, I made something extra special for you." She opens one of the cabinets in the kitchen and pulls out a plate of…

"COOKIES!" The girls squealed.

Mrs. Bozado laughed and took one out for each girl. They dug in greedily, and Isabel was reminded of her Papa once again. She vividly remembered the day when he bought cookies for her from the store. Those cookies were probably the best thing she had ever tasted. Oh, how she wanted to go and see her Papa.

Isabel finished her cookie, cherishing each bite of the sweet treat, and then pulled the Scout patch out of her pocket. It wasn't very big, but it was enough. It faintly smelled of her Papa, who always had the combined aroma of black tea and cleaning products. It comforted her, and she finally understood how important it was for her to have this. In case she needed comfort, he would be with her in spirit. She hugged the patch to her chest. It would only be for a little while. Then...her Papa, and all of the squad, would be back. They would come back for her, and she could be happy once again.

"Whatcha got there, Isabel?" Alice leaned over to see what Isabel was holding in her tiny hands.

"From Papa," Isabel replied.

"Oluo has that too! It's on his jacket!" Alice exclaimed. "I want to grow up to be just like him!"

"Oluo's nice." Isabel smiled, reminding herself of all the times Oluo had sacrificed his own free time to play with her.

"He's the best big brother ever! He even let me ride on his horsey once. He plays house with us too!" Alice smiled.

"He plays with me," Isabel said. "He makes my hair pretty."

"He does?" Katerina asked.

Isabel nodded.

"He barely ever comes home anymore." Katerina frowned.

"You girls know that he would if he could. However, he's doing his job. He's keeping us safe. He told me he would visit after the expedition though. He asked Captain Levi for time off and everything!" Mrs. Bozado exclaimed.

"He's coming home? He'll be able to play with us?" Alice's eyes went wide.

Mrs. Bozado nodded. "He will come home right after the expedition."

Katerina and Alice let out squeals of delight. Their big brother was coming home! He didn't have to fight the scary titans for a while! He could play with them, and all their worries would go away. Oluo was coming home!

"Alright then. You girls run along and play. I have to get your older siblings ready for school." Mrs. Bozado said, and the three girls ran off to go and play, bubbling with excitement.

…

The expedition had gone horribly wrong. The Female Titan certainly did not help their plan to find a new route to Shiganshina, and they lost a lot of good soldiers in the process. Levi was angry, but he tried his best to keep a level head. There was nothing he could do now. He had to find his team and make sure they were safe. Even the titan brat needed protecting.

"Captain!" One of the rookie scouts came up to him. If he recalled correctly, this was Mikasa Ackerman, top of her class in the 104th training corps. She was the one obsessed with Jaeger.

"What is it?"

"The Female Titan took Eren!" She cried. "We have to get him back!"

Levi cursed under his breath. How could the kid have gotten captured already? Where was his squad? They were supposed to be protecting him.

"Alright. Show me where she went." Levi said. Mikasa quickly swerved through the trees, and Levi followed after her.

That's when he laid eyes on the disaster area. He had to choke back his screams as he looked at the dead eyes of his squad.

Gunther hung from a tree branch, his face permanently frozen in a state of pure terror. Levi thought back to all of the times he had seen this man bring some sort of light into the group. Whether it was cooking on behalf of the entire team, working overtime to make sure that everything was up to Levi's standards, or even playing with Isabel, this man had been a true friend and teammate. Levi urged himself on.

Eld laid on the ground in two pieces, jagged bite marks lacing his waist. A pool of blood surrounded him, soaking into the ground. Levi sighed. This man was going to get married. He had a girl at home waiting for him. They were going to start a new life together. Now...that would never happen. All those dance lessons, all those wedding plans, even the tux shopping...it was all a waste.

Oluo laid face down in the dirt. Dark blood gushed from the back of his head, and Levi struggled to stay calm. Despite all of the stupid things he did, Oluo was an admirable man. He cared about others with his whole heart. He always tried to maintain a tough-guy act, but he truly was gentle and nurturing beneath his disguise. He was strong and ambitious. He had a family waiting for him, for Walls' sake. Now...they would never see him again.

When he saw Petra, he had to choke back a sob. She was flattened up against a tree, her neck bent back at a weird angle. Blood stained the tree bark and her body, a trail of blood running from her nose and mouth. She was too young. Too pure. Too...innocent. He remembered how much she cared about everyone. It was her who led to the discovery of Isabel, and she had supported that little girl every step of the way. She read to her and took care of her. She sang lullabies to her before bed to calm her down. She was basically Isabel's big sister. And now she was gone, reduced to a crushed and bloodied corpse.

That Female Titan was as good as dead. He would make her suffer. He would avenge his teammates. He would make her burn.

He placed a hand on his chest where another one of his scout patches was. As much as he hated to admit it, there was another reason he gave his sweet Isabel one of his patches. It was a silly ritual on his end, but it brought him some sort of comfort. He would take a patch from his fallen soldiers, and it made it feel like a part of them still lived on. He knew that if he died out here, Isabel would have a piece of him forever, and that brought him comfort.

He continued to follow Mikasa through the woods, trying to keep his emotions in check. It was obvious that Mikasa was emotional enough, and he needed to keep a level head. Otherwise, he would surely join his squadmates.

…

The sun was setting when a knock rang through the house. Alice and Katerina immediately jumped up and raced to the door, opening it swiftly. They paused, looking at the short man before them.

"PAPA!" Isabel ran up to Levi, hugging him tightly around his legs. He made no motion to hug her back.

"Where's Oluo?" Katerina asked.

"Captain Levi? You're back! I hope the expedition went as planned. It surely ended sooner than I expected, but I'm glad you're home sooner than I thought!" Mrs. Bozado appeared in the doorway.

"You're Captain Levi? A pleasure to meet you. My son sure admires you." A man appeared as well, and Levi assumed it was Mr. Bozado.

"Speaking of which...did Oluo go back to the base?" Mrs. Bozado scanned the land behind her, but her son was not in sight.

Levi's heart dropped. He held out the only thing he could think of: Oluo's patch. "I-I'm sorry. I couldn't...I was too late." He held back his tears.

Mrs. Bozado's eyes went wide, all color draining from her face. "Y-you don't mean…" She took the patch in her hand. She started to shake, tears rolling down her cheeks. "MY BABY!" She shrieked, collapsing to the floor. She held the patch up to her face.

"Momma, what's wrong?" Katerina asked.

"Where's Oluo?" Alice asked.

They only got sobs as a response.

Mr. Bozado held his wife, letting her cry into his shoulder.

"I'm...I'm so sorry," Levi said.

"Don't be. We knew the risks. He did too. I'm sure you did everything you could." Mr. Bozado replied.

"I'll leave you to mourn," Levi said. "Come Isabel."

"Where's Oluo?" Isabel asked, making Mrs. Bozado break out into a harder fit of hysterical sobs.

"Come, Isabel," Levi said again, taking her hand in his and guiding her to the horse. They rode off, leaving the Bozado home in a shroud of darkness.

"He's with Mommy and Daddy?" Isabel asked.

Levi winced. "What?"

"Oluo. With Mommy and Daddy. Everyone else?" Isabel looked up at him, her eyes slightly going vacant.

Levi choked back a sob. "Yes. Everyone but Papa and Jaeger is with your Mommy and Daddy now."

"Oh." Isabel whimpered.

The rest of the trip was silent, and both Isabel and Levi failed to stifle their cries.

…

Isabel had a surprise for Levi. She took him outside of the castle to show him her masterpiece. Six planks of wood stuck out of the ground. She pointed to each one. "Petra. Oluo. Gunther. Eld. Mommy. Daddy." She said, moving down the line of planks.

Levi finally understood her intention. They were headstones.

She reached behind one of them and presented a large bouquet of wildflowers. She handed some to Levi before going to each of the stones, placing a few in front of each plank. Levi smiled slightly and took out his pocket knife. With a gentle and skilled hand, he carved each of the names into the planks before placing flowers down. Then, he stood back with Isabel.

"They happy?" Isabel asked.

"Yes. I'm sure they're happy. And at peace." Levi said, taking her little hand in his.

"Miss them." She whimpered, a tear rolling down her cheek.

"Me too," Levi said,

Isabel turned to Levi and motioned for a hug. Levi knelt down and engulfed her in the most protective hug he could manage. He wanted to protect this girl from every kind of hurt in the world. He held her close as she sobbed into his chest, and he placed a hand on the back of her head, providing a sense of security for the three-year-old.

"Don't leave me." She cried into his chest, her hands gripping his shirt tightly.

"I'll never leave you. I promise." Levi said, and he held her as they both broke into tears.

AN: Hello wonderful readers! I am so sorry it took longer to update than normal, so I decided to give you a longer chapter as an apology. Life has been crazy and it has been hard to find time to write. This chapter just sucked to write in general if I'm being honest. No matter how much time passes, Attack on Titan deaths always end up making me sad. I decided to rewatch the moments where the Levi Squad died so I would be as accurate as possible, and I died inside once again. RIP original Levi Squad.