Hange found her office already occupied when she opened the door. The visitor had made themselves comfortable in the chair opposite her desk and watched her with a droopy expression as he took a sip from a steaming teacup.

"Well, looks like we're both done with our meetings with various commanders," Hange said. She yawned, stretching her arms overhead as she took a seat behind her desk. "What consensus did Erwin and Pyxis come to?"

"Pyxis is already on his way to the hole," Levi said. He took another drink from his tea. "There've been no reports of movement from the Titan they found in Wall Rose since you had the idea of covering it with the tarp. Pyxis is confident we can patch the hole at night with little risk, but Erwin decided it was best to have myself on site to handle any emergencies."

"Oh?"

Hange put an elbow on the desk, leaning her chin in her hand. "I'm surprised Erwin doesn't want you here."

"The Titan in the wall is nearly the same height as the Colossal Titan," Levi said. "There aren't many left who could handle it if something went wrong." He paused, staring at the ripples in his tea. "Has your research found any more information on what the hell it's doing in there?"

"I haven't come across much," Hange said. She matched Levi's steady expression. "I'm still working on approval to access imperial records. In the meantime, I've scheduled an appointment to meet with a priest from the Order of the Walls."

"Your plan of action …" Levi said, as if he may have misheard. "... is to meet with a cult fanatic?"

"Hold your judgment for when you have a better idea."

Levi's expression turned sour. "Fine; do what you want. We can contemplate alternatives when I return." His frown deepened. "I have to question Erwin's judgment of having me be away for nearly two weeks. This situation with the wall has to be dealt with, but we also have three Titans in custody."

"Ah," Hange said, looking up in thought. "Eren's not technically in custody. That girl Ymir we recovered from Utgard Castle is also still unconscious and in recovery. The medics estimate it'll be a few hours still until all her limbs grow back … who knows when she'll wake up. And Annie …" Hange's expression darkened. "She's awake, but not speaking."

The teacup in Levi's hand was set upon the table. "The Female Titan likely possesses the same healing capabilities as the others. You should be able to carve off a good amount without risking her bleeding out. And when everything grows back … you can repeat the process."

"I told you," Hange said, drawing out her words. "I think we'll get more information out of her if we take a moderate approach."

Levi made a dismissive sound. "Your strategy should be more than using some pathetic brat to snivel at the prisoner until we get answers."

"That 'pathetic brat' caused an enemy Titan to surrender just by asking it to," Hange said. She flipped open a folder on her desk, her eyes roving over the paper within. "The only person who anyone believed had done that before was Maria's Knight; even you should be able to admit it's impressive."

"That Titan bitch was already a prisoner," Levi said. "There's nothing to be impressed about."

"She escaped from our grasp before," Hange said with a shrug. "She's also been fairly complicit. If nothing else, Marco made our lives much easier. And he's been happy to cooperate. Although I feel that cooperation may reach an end if it becomes apparent the ultimate goal for Annie after extracting information is a thorough autopsy."

Levi gripped his cup by the rim, taking a sip. "You seem far less excited over the concept then I would expect."

Dull thuds broke the following silence as Hange drummed her fingers on the desk. It was rare for her to feel so conflicted. She generally stood behind her convictions one hundred percent — especially those relating to the examination of Titans.

"Unless Marco's perception changes," Hange said. Her eyes turned downcast. "He'll hate us for it. Hate me for it; so will Celine."

Levi studied Hange. He set down the cup, leaning back in his seat and crossing one leg over the other. "Every interaction I've had with that asshole has grown increasingly more unpleasant. I fail to see why you hold such a level of devotion to that woman."

"She likes me."

There was a pause as Levi seemed to wait for more explanation. His brow furrowed.

"That's idiotic," he said. "You're held in high enough regard; I would consider you a comrade."

"But very few would consider me a friend," Hange said. Her smile didn't reflect the twisting in her chest. "I don't know what I would do if I lost Celine. During the hours leading up to her tribunal … I couldn't gather the strength to visit her out of fear I'd jinx it and have her sentenced to death. For someone with a scientific mind like myself, even I admit it's a ridiculous notion."

Hange recalled the days after she'd returned from the last expedition. She had opened her front door in the mornings to the sight of stacks of canned goods. There was never a note indicating who'd left the food; there didn't need to be.

Hange's smile became more natural. She propped her chin on her hand, closing her eyes. "My parents wanted nothing to do with me after I entered the Scouts; I never had anyone to return to when I'd come home from a mission outside the walls. I think I've gained a greater understanding of our overall situation against the Titans now that I can relate to what others are trying to protect."

Levi's tone indicated Hange's sentiment left him unphased: "When I consider how sociable you were to those Titans you captured, I can't say I'm surprised you'd grow attached to a different sort of monster."

Hange threw back her head in a laugh. "You know, Levi — you and Celine are pretty alike."

The comparison didn't sit well with Hange's companion. "I don't think anyone's ever belittled me in that manner before."

"Ah?" Hange said, meeting Levi's gaze. "What do you mean? Celine's brilliant, and she's quite pleasant company when you get to know her."

Levi leaned forward in his seat. "If you think a brilliant person flunks out of the cadets, gets court-martialed twice, then threatens to start a fight with me, you leave me no choice but to question your intelligence as well."

Another laugh escaped Hange, this time causing her to slap the desk in amusement. "She asked to fight you, huh? Celine's been grumbling over that since you first met; I didn't think she'd actually do it. Although …" Hange leaned forward in her seat, grinning. "I'd be curious to see who would win."

"You can't be serious."

"You haven't seen Celine spar," Hange said. "She's aware her size leaves her at a disadvantage, so she compensates by holding nothing back. It also doesn't help that she has an explosive temper. She's much better in that department than how she used to be, though; I suppose that's what meeting the right person will do."

Levi scoffed. "It appears Marco Bodt has a knack for talking down more than just Titans. In Celine Bodt's case, requiring someone else to be around to help keep your own emotions in check is only a liability."

"Oh?" Hange said. She leaned back in her chair, crossing her arms. "That reminds me of a fun story."

. . .

Hange smiled as if watching something far more amusing than the hardwood paneling of her office ceiling. It was the dreamy sort of look which usually signaled for Levi to leave the premises immediately if he didn't want to be accosted with endless babble about Titan anatomy. There was a hint of novelty in the fact that whatever tangent Hange was about to go off on had a possibility of turning out different. It was for this reason Levi ignored the urge to flee and remained seated.

"Celine Bodt reminds me a bit of a soldier who joined the Scouts around the same time I did," Hange said. She kept her eyes fixed above as her smile stretched wider. "This soldier was certainly talented beyond a doubt, but there were many who wouldn't bat an eye at him becoming Titan fodder. He had a sour attitude and pushed everyone away … even when he needed it; when he found himself alone."

The last word struck a chord in a tune Levi had been trying to drown out. His eyelids dropped. "Are you finished?"

Hange sighed, closing her eyes. "Patience, Levi. Let's see … Right - then one day, this soldier came to respect someone who vouched for his character and saw the potential in him that others couldn't. Even though this soldier can still be a little standoffish … I'd say everyone is certainly better off because he made the decision to depend on others."

The memory would always be clear as day: A hand reaching out from Erwin asking Levi for his loyalty.

Erwin had been the first person Levi had met with a spark behind their eyes; an unmistakable drive paired with the force necessary to climb whatever mountain was in their path. A similar spark appeared in Hange's eyes when she explained her research. It had been in Eld's, Petra's, Orou's, and Gunther's eyes when they regarded him during mission briefings. That spark was a burning flame when Eren Jaeger talked about killing Titans. It appeared again like a distant flash of lightning when Celine Bodt had told him to hate her for who she was, not just who he perceived her to be.

"If you're trying to say Celine Bodt is as I was back then …" Levi said. He picked up his cup, noted it was empty, and put it back down. "… then I can't say I have any desire to know her further."

"I'm not saying you have to," Hange said. "I'm just saying your perception is a bit off. In my opinion, things would go one of two ways: you'd either get along great, or kill each other. I'd say keep your distance if you want to play it safe."

"That's the first sensible thing you've said," Levi said. He got to his feet, watching Hange for a moment as she went back to reading the paper before her. "Is that the background report on the Female Titan?"

"No," Hange said. She raised her head with a frown. "The messenger hasn't arrived. There's been some worry they were caught up by one of the Titans within Wall Rose before we had the situation contained."

"There are a few soldiers who are MIA," Levi said. "My hope is we'll find them soon."

"Agreed."

Levi looked Hange up and down before turning toward the door. "Get some rest. I'll see you in a few days. Feel free to send for me if the Titans are more than you and Erwin can handle."

"You know Erwin," Hange said, not bothering to look up. "He has a solution for anything thrown our way."

Levi nodded. He gave Hange a final glance before leaving her office.