DILAN'S P.O.V.

Dilan woke to a harsh flick on the forehead and immediately went on defence mode. She grabbed the persons arm, flipped them onto the floor and pressed an arm to their throat before opening her amber eyes to see Tabitha smirking from underneath her. She gasped in surprise and stumbled back.

"Walls Tabs! I could have killed you! You know not to wake me up!" Dilan yelled. Thank god, she hadn't used her weapon. Tabitha rolled her eyes and sat up a bit, sitting opposite her.

"I knew the risks, but I was pissed so I did it anyway. Where the hell have you been?" She frowned crossing her arms. Dilan sighed, calming her pounding heart and leaning her head on the side of the bunk, she hugged her legs to her chest.

"I just... ran around." She mumbled, not meeting her friends eyes.

"For 10 hours!?" She hissed. Worry and anger clear in her tone. Dilan shrugged.

"I felt like running." She whispered, depressed. She heard a sigh and chanced a glance at her friend.

"Okay, come here, girl." She smiled warmly, pulling Dilan into a hug. Her eyes widened in surprise but was quick to hug Tabitha back. She really needed this. "I'm not mad okay? Don't feel guilty." She soothed, rubbing her back. Dilan sniffed and hugged her tighter.

"B-but I lost it." She whispered; her voice full of emotion. Tabitha sighed and stroked her hair.

"I know. But the shitbag deserved it. If you didn't do it, I probably would have." Tabitha said unapologetically. Dilan laughed a bit. Her friend was the best. Tabitha pulled back to smile and wipe Dilan's teary eyes. "Dil, talk to me. Why did you lash out so bad? What was he talking about?" Tabitha asked kindly. Dilan swallowed, averting her eyes.

"I thought you and the others would get it." She mumbled. Tabitha smiled sadly.

"I think I do. The boys have no clue though. They think he was just insulting you. They're pretty stupid, they don't understand." Tabitha reassured and Dilan breathed a sigh of relief. That made this much easier. Although how long before Nile tells everyone, and they find out and ask her the truth? She couldn't lie to them. "Hey, it's nothing to be ashamed of. Don't ever feel shame for this Dilan. You're the victim, okay? It's the bastard who should feel ashamed of himself." Tabitha said sternly. Dilan sighed.

"I know. It's just hard, Tabs. Sometimes... it's just- I get flashbacks and I can't breathe." She choked out, her eyes growing glossy. Tabitha teared up a bit too, a clear sadness and anger on her face before she pushed the anger away for the moment and pulled Dilan into another hug.

"I know, girl. My older sister was raped when she was 21. I won't lie, it was hard, and it took her a long time for her to get over it, but she did. She got better and moved on. Now she's married to this great guy and has these beautiful kids. Sure, they are little shits, but I love them." She comforted and Dilan chuckled a bit.

"You're an aunt?" She asked. Tabitha nodded and Dilan laughed again. "So old." Dilan teased. Tabitha pulled back to glare playfully.

"I am 22, Dil. 22." She said slowly. Dilan laughed and wiped her eyes as Tabitha cracked a smile. "You'll be okay. I promise alright. I'll help you through it." Tabitha said kindly. Dilan smiled, relief filling her. She should have given Tabitha more credit. She didn't treat her differently or anything. She was perfect.

"Thank you." She said genuinely. Tabitha smiled and nodded. "Can we keep this between us as long as possible. The boys will be weird when they find out and I want to avoid that as long as I can." She sighed.

"Course, underground girl. I got your back." She reassured, standing up. Dilan laughed a bit and took the hand extending to her. Tabitha pulled her up and slung an arm around her shoulder. "Let's go hit the showers and get some food. You stink." She commented. Dilan laughed and rolled her eyes.

"Shut up." She mumbled and Tabitha grinned cheekily.

TABITHA P.O.V.

After a shower, or in Dilan's case, a much-needed shower, they walked down to the mess hall. In reality Tabitha was dragging Dilan down there but she decided to call it walking. The girl was adamant something terrible was going to happen again. Tabitha didn't disagree with her but promised she would do everything in her power to make sure it didn't. That seemed to ease the girls mind a bit as she stopped resisting and simply let Tabitha pull her to the mess hall. But it was safe to say Dilan was still extremely reluctant.

In truth, Tabitha suspected something had happened to Dilan during her month's absence long before that dooshbag said anything. She knew the signs and she could see it in her eyes. A piece of her soul was gone. And as much as it broke Tabitha's heart, that piece of soul was unlikely to return. Thankfully Dilan was still herself. As much as herself as she could be. Tabitha was proud of her for pulling through and she vowed to help her as much as possible. She wouldn't let Dilan go through what Mable, her sister, did. The town they lived in found out and the looks they would give her. It was disgusting. They looked at her like she was worthless, like she had committed the sin. It always made Tabitha bubble with anger, even though she was only 10 at the time. She had always been a rather angry girl but her anger then was completely justified. The looks broke her sister and it took her a lot longer to heal because of it. Tabitha wasn't going to let Dilan go through that. She needed to do something.

Getting into the mess hall, all conversations fell silent as her and Dilan walked in the room. Tabitha could feel Dilan tense next to her and she was clearly about to bolt but she grabbed her friend and pulled her further in, noticing how people moved away from her. Guess they were scared. That was good. Hopefully none of them would have the guts to do what that jerk did yesterday. Still, being afraid wouldn't stop them from whispering and looking like a bunch of idiots.

Tabitha dragged Dilan to her seat and sat her down. The squad started asking her how she was and if she was okay which Tabitha noticed, calmed her friend a bit. Pleased with her anxiety levels at the moment, Tabitha caught Levi's eyes while Dilan started apologising to the squad for yesterday and they were quick to reassure her it was fine. She jutted her head towards the exit and Levi gave her a curious look but nodded in agreement. Tabitha pat Dilan on the head before heading out of the hall and into the hallway, joined by Levi a few moments later.

"What?" Levi asked, monotoned. Tabitha repressed an eyeroll. She couldn't believe she used to be scared of this guy. She still respected him, sure, he was an amazing soldier and she hoped to be as good as him one day, but he wasn't as scary as people thought he was.

"You're not an idiot." She started. Levi narrowed his eyes at her.

"Agreed." He replied bluntly.

"So, you caught on to what that asshole was saying yesterday, yes?" She asked, crossing her arms. A flash of surprise passed through Levi's eyes before it was gone again.

"You saying the others didn't?" He asked, basically confirming her question.

"No, sir. They are idiots." Tabitha shrugged. Levi nodded. Tabitha tried to read what he was thinking but the bastard was too straight faced.

"Why am I here?" He got straight to the point. Tabitha frowned slightly.

"I'm not letting that bastard hurt Dilan any more than he already has. Since the squad were the only people that heard what he said, we need to do damage control and fix this before it spreads across the compound." Tabitha said firmly. Levi didn't reply and remained straight faced. Damn, he's hard to read. "Do you still not care? I know you have something against her but she's part of the team. This will destroy her." She argued, angry he was being so nonchalant. Levi remained unperturbed and crossed his arms.

"Why ask me to help? Why not one of the other shits?" He questioned, raising an eyebrow.

"I told you. They don't know and Dilan doesn't want them to."

"And Mike?"

"Mike's too much of a stickler for the rules. You've broken them before. To save her I might add." Tabitha pushed her luck a bit, but it was for Dilan, so she didn't care. Levi frowned slightly and they stared at each other for a long time. Tabitha found it hard to keep the stare. She had no idea what was going on in his head.

"Forget about it." He said simply after a while. Tabitha blinked.

"What?" She asked, confused. Levi rolled his eyes.

"I dealt with it last night. Forget about it and eat your damn breakfast." Levi said, monotoned, turning to leave. Tabitha was stunned. He already fixed the problem? Did he care more about Dilan than he let on?

"Wait, sir!" Tabitha called. Levi glanced at her. "Why?" was all she managed to ask.

"She's team, like you said. I protect my team." Levi replied in a bored voice before walking away. He had never surprised her more. What an unpredictable little man.

LEVI'S P.O.V.

The rest of breakfast was thankfully uneventful. Dilan looked a lot more relaxed once she got settled at the table which was good. Levi took the time to glare at anyone staring at her. It worked relatively well in his opinion. Catching one glare from him made the person pale and immediately look away. It didn't take long for everyone to back down. Being intimidating had its perks.

He was surprised that Tabitha called him over to help her do damage control. Levi guessed her and Dilan had a talk. Levi also observed from her questions that she didn't know Dilan had told him everything herself. Especially since the girl still seems to think Levi had some sort of personal vendetta against her. Hopefully she would drop that now and see that Levi didn't hate Dilan anymore. In truth he cared about Dilan far more than he dared to admit to anyone, including himself. But if Tabitha would just think he cared about her as a teammate that was good enough for him.

They grabbed their gears and left for the forest. Levi noticed Dilan stood a good amount of space away from the guys while they talked, always moving away when one of them looked like they were about to get touchy. It was normally Brand. The guy had no personal space and it was pissing him off. Still the brat had it under control, so he didn't interfere. He had to remember she was still a bad ass. She was still a mass murderer. She could handle Brand of all people.

"Right. Today we're working on your speed. Get to the end of the course and wait for everyone. Dilan or Levi will note the places considering it will be one of them who gets there first." Mike said plainly and Levi saw the squad sigh while Dilan smirked a bit. Levi rolled his eyes. Cocky brat. "Focus on yourself. Push the limits of your body and your gear." Mike continued and everyone nodded. "Line up." He ordered and they did. "Ready... go!" Mike called and everyone shot their gears.

Levi was off like a bullet, Dilan closely by his side. He glanced at her and she smirked back. They were quick to lose the others in the green. Levi pushed himself, observing Dilan with fascination. She was flying... really flying. It was kind of amazing to watch. She looked so free. Suicidal maniac. Levi did his best to keep up with her but there was no beating her speed. He wondered if she really taught herself how to use it. Did she really have no one in the underground? Did her brother use the gear too before he died?

Levi blinked as he realised the brat was long gone. He supposed he had just lost her again until he heard gears above him, and Dilan fell through the trees, laughing loudly as she fell towards the ground. Levi looked at her with wide eyes, his stomach dropping as he was certain the girl was about to plummet to her death before she shot her wires at the last moment and propelled herself back upwards, laughing like a mad woman.

"Are you completely insane!?" Levi yelled over the wind as they continued to soar. He could tell she wasn't pushing herself anymore, staying at the pace he was, and it pissed him off to no end. Dilan giggled loudly, twisting round a tree and flipping onto a branch before jumping into the air again.

"Maybe!" She laughed. Levi frowned, ignoring how seeing her so happy made his chest warm slightly. He wasn't sure if he had seen her this happy before. Not out of the underground.

"Brat! You could have won by now, stop waiting for me!" He snapped. Dilan smiled, joining his side and completely ignoring him.

"Why? So, I can wait by myself? Besides, we've got a while until the others catch up. Let me help you." She said with a grin. Levi gave her a deadpan look. Does this brat want a beating?

"Fuck off." He hissed. His speed was just fine. He didn't have to be supernaturally fast like her. Dilan rolled her eyes.

"Why are you so opposed to help, huh? We both have things the other is better at, if we help each other then you've got two perfect soldiers right there. You get what I'm saying?" She asked, raising an eyebrow. Levi thought about it and guessed she was making sense. Dilan was great at speed but her technique for killing the titans could be improved. They weren't as efficient as his. Her horse riding could still use some work too. On the other hand, Levi's speed was good but could clearly be faster and he'd like to learn the evasion techniques that she was so good at. It's how she escaped him so many times during their first fight in the underground. Still, he was reluctant.

"I get it but why do you want to be better?" Levi asked, curiously. Dilan shrugged, twisted out of the way of a tree. They were still going at an insane speed.

"You told me to care. I'm trying." She answered. Levi's eyes widened a fraction. She's really going to follow through with that, huh? Levi wasn't expecting her too if he was honest. Guess he could respect her efforts to be better.

"Fine. Teach me how you go freakishly fast." Levi replied, the words tasting bitter on his tongue as he scrunched his nose up in annoyance. He'd always hated asking for help. Dilan laughed at his reaction and he glared at her.

"Great! So, let's land quickly, we've got plenty of time." She suggested. Levi nodded and they hooked onto a thick tree, landing on the tree branch. Levi listened out for 3DMG and couldn't hear any. The brat was right. The others were way, way, way in the distance. "I actually tried to teach the others this, but it didn't work for them. Called me suicidal." She admitted chuckling and scratching the back of her head nervously. Levi got a strange sense of déjà vu for a second but pushed it away. He rolled his eyes, crossing his arms.

"Not far off." He quipped. Dilan glared but ignored him.

"Take a look." Dilan walked towards him and pointed at her gas levels. They were surprisingly high for the speed she was going, and he quirked an eyebrow.

"How?" He questioned, starting to get interested. This could really benefit him outside the walls if he learnt her method. Dilan smiled; clearly glad she had intrigued him.

"It's not safe but it saves gas and time. The trick is to get high. You use your hooks to propel you, not your gas. You're not flying, your falling. It's a weird feeling and it takes a long time to get used to ignoring your instincts to pull up, but you've got to trust your head and analyse your surroundings. If your aware of everything then you're prepared for everything and nothing can hurt you." She explained logically. Levi nodded slowly in understanding. He remembered the time in the underground when she had just escaped the mobsters house. Levi was sure he had her, but she just fell at the last second. Levi thought it was luck but now he was thinking the opposite. It was an interesting technique.

"Pointless on flat land but this could be useful in the forests." Levi mused, thinking it through. Dilan nodded in agreement.

"The more gas you save, the more you can splurge in emergency situations." Dilan added and Levi nodded, following her thought process.

"Like with Tabitha." He continued. She had gotten there freakishly fast because she was using crazy amounts of gas.

"Yup. Wanna try?" She asked happily. Levi nodded, pushing of the tree trunk he was leaning on to walk over to the edge. Dilan walked to the edge with him. "Try to clear your mind. Focus on your surroundings and nothing else." Dilan added and Levi listened to her. The brat was an oddly good teacher. Although no one else was crazy enough to actually listen to her. Levi watched as Dilan jumped off the branch. She got low. So low Levi was worried again until the brat shot her wires at the last second, swinging her weight, brushing the ground with her back before flinging herself up high in the air, arching her back as she allowed the momentum to take her before shooting her wires again and landing on a branch far away from him. The brat was like some sort of spider creature. She really used no gas to get that far? "NOW YOU TRY!" Dilan cupped her hands around her mouth and yelled so Levi could hear her.

Levi sighed and looked down at the long drop. This was insane. This was insanity. Why was he doing this?

"Here goes nothing." Levi mumbled to himself as he jumped off the branch. His eyes were wide as he fell down, everything screaming at him to pull up. His stomach was in knots. Shit, shit, shit. This is so not right. Levi was fully panicking on the inside, but he stayed strong and waited until the last moment, praying his gears wouldn't jam before hooking himself into the same tree Dilan did and swinging on it, allowing the momentum to take him as he was lifted high into the air. Levi was surprised at how different it felt to the gear. The first time he had tried it on he remembered thinking this was what freedom felt like but... this. This was different. This was complete freedom. Flying through the air, tethered to nothing.

He came back to reality as he started to fall again and hooked himself into the same tree Dilan had. She ran up to him, grinning excitedly like a happy puppy.

"That was so good! First try as well. I expected to have to save your falling ass." She smiled cheekily. Levi rolled his eyes but gave a smile back. It was kind of fun. Dilan looked surprised that he had actually smiled but he ignored her and walked to the edge again.

"Let's go again. One good run doesn't make me a master yet." He commented, returning his face to neutral. Dilan cracked a smiled and nodded, joining him on the edge before they both jumped off.

The feeling was foreign again, but he expected it better this time. They dived down in perfect sync, hooking and propelling themselves high into the air. This went on without stopping this time and Levi found himself smiling as Dilan laughed. This is what freedom feels like. Dilan was still obviously better and not going her usual speed so he could get hang of it, but he had to admit this was much faster than normal. He was using gas in tiny spurts just to avoid branches or trunks. It was incredible how much he was saving and how fast he was going.

"Oi, try this!" Dilan yelled over the wind, flipping onto a tree branch and running to the end to flip off again, grappling onto a high branch and propelling herself so high she disappeared above the leaves. Levi's eyes widened, half impressed, half worried the brat was going to get herself killed. But he followed her lead, anyway, copying her movements and flinging himself high. He had to cover his head with his hands as the force pushed him through the trees and out into the open. He caught a grin from Dilan as gravity pulled her back down again. "Have a look!" Her distance yell called. Levi looked up and his jaw fell open slightly. This was the highest he'd ever been with the gear. He could see everything. Even slightly into wall Maria. The fields, the lakes, the villages the blue sky settling on top of them. It was the most beautiful view he had ever seen.

Unfortunately, he only had a few seconds to burn it into his memory before he was pulled back down and barely managed to dodge a tree as he remembered to observe his surroundings. Dilan laughed, twisting and soaring in the distance. Levi caught up to her easily with the new technique, plus a smidge of gas.

"Pretty cool right?" Dilan grinned. Levi didn't supress his smile, looking ahead.

"Not bad, brat." He replied, turning his steel gaze to look at her. "Now, we race for real." He suggested with a smirk. Dilan smirked back.

"Ready?" She asked. Levi nodded.

"Go."

And they were off, swinging, jumping, twisting. The speed was incomprehensible, and Levi was sure if he had paid even an inch less focus, he would be dead 10 times over now. They were neck and neck for a good 10 minutes before the brat did a freak move that she hadn't taught him yet. Using her gears to fling herself round a tree like a catapult going way into the distance. She laughed loudly as Levi frowned with annoyance, deciding he wasn't experienced enough to try that yet and sighed in defeat as the brat reached the end, pumping her fist in the air in triumph. Levi rolled his eyes, biting back a smile as he caught up to her and landed on the same branch as her on the edge of the tree line. Both of them were panting heavily from the exercise, their cheeks slightly pink from the force of the wind slapping them in the face thanks to the speed they were going.

"I... won..." Dilan panted out, having to sit down on the edge to catch her breath, holding a hand over her ribs. Levi imagined they were still sore from the fractures. He took a deep breath to get over his exhaustion before sitting down over the edge next to her.

"Don't be a brat." He retorted, glaring. Dilan burst out laughing which ended up in a coughing fit thanks to her lack of air. Levi rolled his eyes but smirked anyway. She took a few deep breaths to calm down and leant back on the tree trunk.

"Fuck, that hurt." She whined. Levi let out a puff of amusement. "So, did you like it? It's fun right?" She asked with a smile, sitting up again. Levi bit back a smile and nodded.

"Dangerous as fuck but the speed is worth it." He said thoughtfully. Dilan rolled her eyes and punched him on the arm playfully.

"Bullshit. You loved it." She grinned. Levi had never seen her orange eyes with such happiness. In the moment he couldn't deny her. Besides it was true, he loved it. Levi looked forward and smiled a bit.

"It was... fun." He admitted quietly. Dilan laughed.

"See was that so hard?" She teased. Levi glared at her.

"Yes." He deadpanned. Dilan rolled her eyes and sighed in content, a happy smile on her face as she looked out at the horizon. Levi inwardly cursed himself. He was getting way to comfortable with this brat. She was actually fun to be around. He hadn't had fun in years. Still... the brat looked happy and she deserved a bit of fun after all the drama recently. He would let it go and just live in the moment right now. He could scold himself for being so weak later.

There was 10 minutes of comfortable silence before the sounds of gears were heard behind them. They both stood up and waited as the others came closer. Their faces were red with exhaustion as they struggled for 3rd place. It was between Brand and Johnson. They were neck and neck, with Tabitha slightly behind and Toby last.

"FUCK OFF JOHNSON, THIS VICTORY IS MINE!" Brand yelled over the wind, pathetically trying to put Johnson off as he was gaining slightly.

"NO WAY! I'M GOING TO WIN THIS TIME, I SWEAR!" He yelled back, determination in his eyes.

"They do realise we're both already here, right?" Levi deadpanned and Dilan laughed.

"Guess 3rd place is 1st to them now." Dilan shrugged with a smile. Levi guessed she was right. Dilan or himself was always going to come first from now on in most categories.

"BACK OFF!" Brand yelled, clearly getting a bit competitive as Johnson had to swerve out of the way of a tree and got in his space.

"YOU BACK OFF!" Johnson yelled back. Levi frowned.

"This isn't going to go well." Dilan commented. Levi was in agreement and muttered a curse under his breath as the idiots were headed straight for a tree that they hadn't noticed yet due to their arguing.

"GUYS! WATCH OUT!" Tabitha warned behind them and both boys stopped their bickering in time to see the tree. They yelled out in surprise using their gas to fly them left and right, both losing control of their gears.

"Fuck." Dilan cursed and jumped off of the branch the same time Levi did. She went for Brand; Levi went for Johnson.

"AGH!" Johnson yelled, flailing, trying to shoot his wires but he had managed to tangle himself in them terribly.

"SHIT!" Brand yelled from somewhere, but Levi focused on the other kid hoping Dilan would get to Brand in time. Levi dived, using his gas to get to Johnson who was only inches of the ground and grabbed him hooking his gears at the last second to shoot them up into the air. Thank god Dilan had taught him that or Johnson might have been a pile of broken bones on the floor right now. Levi landed them both on a branch and dropped Johnson to the floor, grimacing as the kid crawled to the edge and threw up over the side.

"Johnson!" Toby called, landing and crouching down to see if he was okay. Levi left them to go towards the others.

"DIL!" Tabitha screamed and Levi's eyes widened, moving fast towards them. He muttered a curse when he saw them. Brand was hanging precariously over one side of a tree trunk by some wire. Dilan was hanging the other side, but her body was limp. What the fuck happened here?

"Grab Dilan. I'll get Brand. We cut them loose that the same time. Got it?" He called to Tabitha who was freaking out.

"Yes sir!" She refocused, moving fast towards Dilan.

"IS SHE OKAY?!" Brand yelled, struggling to see what happened.

"Shut up and stop moving." Levi ordered and Brand flinched but did as he was told. Levi got closer, blinking as it looked like Dilan had shot one of her wires into Brand's 3DMG. How did she...? Deciding he could ask questions later; he grabbed Brand and unsheathed a blade. "Ready?!" Levi called to Tabitha.

"Yeah!" She replied.

"Now!" Levi ordered. They both cut the wires connecting the pair at the same time. Levi shot a wire into a branch, lowering both himself and Brand to the ground and dropping the idiot before running over to Dilan and Tabitha who were on the ground too. "What happened?" He said seriously, crouching down beside them.

"D-Dilan hit her head saving Brand. She wasn't going to make it, so she shot a hook into his gear and looped round a tree to stop him falling. But the abruptness of the weight pulled her up and she went into the tree." Tabitha explained shakily, feeling the back of Dilan's head and her eyes widened. She pulled her hand back and they both stared at the large amount of red on her palm with dread.

"Shit." Levi muttered, checking her pulse as Tabitha froze in shock. He sighed in relief when he found it. Of course, the brat would do something so reckless to save someone else. Fucking idiot.

"Is she okay?!" Brand yelled as he ran over after managing to detangle himself from the gear. He gasped when he saw her. "Shit."

Johnson and Toby landed at the same time and looked at Dilan with wide eyes.

"Shit is right. What the fuck were you two thinking?!" Levi reprimanded, passing Tabitha a white cloth. The girl folded it with shaky hands and placed it on the back of Dilan's head, soaking up the crimson. When neither idiot answered in shock Levi was about to yell at them again but a gasp from Tabitha caught his attention and he looked back round to see Dilan had cracked open her orange eyes into slits.

"Dilan?" Levi questioned, slowly. She took a moment to understand what was happening before cracking a tired smile.

"That... that was a bad idea..." She croaked. Levi sighed in relief as Tabitha smiled, wiping her eyes.

"Yeah it was, dumbass." He rolled his eyes and helped Dilan sit up.

"How are you feeling?" Tabitha asked, keeping the cloth on the back of her head. Dilan blinked.

"Dizzy... oh hey Brand. You cool?" She smiled, drunkly. Brand kept staring at her in surprise and guilt. Levi rolled his eyes.

"He's fine. How many fingers am I holding up?" Levi asked, holding up three fingers. Dilan furrowed her brows as she stared at them, taking way too long to answer.

"6?" She mumbled. Levi sighed.

"Not even close. You probably have a concussion." Levi said, but Dilan clearly wasn't processing.

"... m'fine. John...son... okay?" She forced out the words, her face screwed up in the concentration of staying awake. Levi couldn't believe this girl. Could she worry about herself for once?

"I'm fine Dilan." Johnson said softly, guilt clear in his voice, stepping into her eyeline and she smiled in relief before closing her eyes slightly and falling backwards. Levi caught her before she could and tapped her on the forehead.

"Stay awake. That's an order." He said seriously. He wasn't a medic but even he knew people with concussions shouldn't fall asleep. Not until they know how bad the damage is. Dilan frowned.

"But I want to sleep." She whined, yawning a bit.

"Stay awake for me, yeah Dil?" Tabitha pleaded; her eyes glossy. Dilan sighed, leaning into Tabitha a bit.

"Fine..." She whispered.

"I'm going to pick you up now, okay?" Levi reminded. The others looked slightly confused that he was asking, which was fair enough, considering his track record. He wasn't normally this considerate, but Tabitha seemed to get why and gave him a grateful look. Dilan nodded tiredly. Pleased she wasn't freaking out about the idea he picked her up, standing and looking at the two idiots.

"Since you two caused this mess, you can both jog back to the compound. Mike will be expecting an answer for your stupidity, so I suggest you come up with one, quickly." He warned and they flinched at his coldness. Levi didn't spare them another glance before shooting his gears and flying into the trees. He didn't use Dilan's method to move. Despite it being quicker it was more dangerous and didn't work well if you were carrying a person. He looked down at Dilan every now and then to make sure she was still awake.

"You... look worried." She smirked tiredly. Levi rolled his eyes. They had lost Tabitha and Toby a while ago. He was still moving fast.

"Shut up. I'm pissed. You think I like carrying your injuried ass everywhere?" He frowned. Dilan laughed weakly.

"Sorry, sir..."

"I mean how did you even make that shot without stabbing him?!" Levi ranted. Okay... maybe he was a little worried. The brat was bleeding a lot.

"Focus... don't worry... you'll get to my level one..." She trailed off, closing her eyes. Levi shook her a bit and she flinched in surprise, opening her eyes again. "Fuck..." She whined; her face scrunched up in pain.

"Sorry, just stay awake. We're almost there." Levi comforted. Dilan nodded, taking shaky breaths to calm the pain.

It wasn't long before they got back out into the open again and Levi dropped down next to a pacing Mike. His eyes widened as he saw Levi and Dilan coming over and ran towards them.

"The fuck happened?!" He yelled. Dilan flinched slightly at the volume making Levi glare at Mike. He took a breath and calmed down, following Levi as he continued to walk with the brat towards headquarters. "What happened?" He asked quieter.

"Dumb and dumber will explain it to you. I got to get Dilan to the infirmary, she hit her head." Levi replied briefly. Mike put a hand on his shoulder, stopping him.

"Give Dilan to one of the cadets and explain it to me. They will take her to the infirmary." Mike said sternly, guesting over one of the workmen who replace the titan dummies. Levi looked down at Dilan, noticing she was gripping his t-shirt tightly. She was too weak to talk but her eyes said it all; 'don't let him touch me'.

"No." Levi replied, glaring at the guy that came over and he backed off a bit.

"Levi what the hell is with you lately? You used to hate this girl! Is something going on?" He said exasperated. Levi gave him a look.

"I don't know what you're trying to insinuate. Dilan is hurt and we're wasting time on this conversation. I don't trust that shit to get her there." Levi snapped.

"You've been reckless lately, Levi. Erwin can't give you the Captain's position unless I say your ready." Mike said coldly. Levi couldn't believe they were having this conversation right now while Dilan was bleeding out.

"We'll talk about this later." He replied, walking off, ignoring the calls of his name. What a waste of time.

MIKE'S P.O.V.

After watching Levi walk away, ignoring him, Mike was positively fuming. He waited impatiently for the others to come back. Toby and Tabitha were next, and he had to order them to stay, shutting down their multiple protests of wanting to go to Dilan, while they all waited for Brand and Johnson. Tabitha was glaring at him and Toby was frowning in annoyance. He didn't know when they had all become so disobedient. He knew it wasn't Dilan's fault exactly, but they had all changed a lot since her arrival. Johnson was more confident, Brand was a better fighter thanks to the lessons Dilan gave him, Tabitha was kinder and less cynical, Toby was more forward and Levi... well... Mike wasn't sure what Levi was. The kid used to take orders no questions asked. Sure, he had opinions and he voice them if he thought something was stupid or unnecessary, but he had never had such a long streak of disobedience before. Not since he first arrived here at the corps. Was Dilan bringing out the underground in him?

The boys got back a while later and Mike discovered both of their gears were damaged. After a detailed explanation of what happened Mike found of that Dilan was injuried saving Brand. He couldn't even be mad at the girl. She was the most selfless little shit he had ever met. Sure, he disliked her at first, but she dropped the bitchy act eventually. She was a good kid so he couldn't understand why she was changing the team so much. Why did they all care about her so much? More than normal comrades cared about each other in his opinion. The squad spent the whole day searching for her yesterday.

Yes, Dilan was talented, funny and smart but he couldn't see why they were all so obsessed with her. Tabitha had been glued to the girl's side since her first expedition. The boys had fallen for her long before then. And Levi... Levi was just weirdly protective. Mike had caught him glaring at everyone who was staring at Dilan this morning. Mike wasn't sure what was going on with him. He wasn't overly friendly to the girl, but Mike supposed he hadn't seen the how the pair act when their alone. What it felt like was a shift... a shift in loyalty. He had just seen it before his very eyes. Between orders, following the chain of command, and Dilan. Levi chose Dilan. Why; was the question.

After thoroughly chewing Brand and Johnson out, giving them stable duty for 2 months thanks to their stupidity and getting a teammate injuried because of their little pissing contest, Mike dismissed the squad for lunch. Mike shook his head in disbelief as all of them ran towards the infirmary, opposite direction to the mess hall. He sighed, deciding he needed to talk to Erwin about this. Maybe he would have some insights.


It took Mike a while to get back to the compound, walking through the hallways and stopping at Erwin's door. He knocked and waited.

"Come in." Erwin's voice rang out. Mike opened it and saluted firmly, closing the door behind him. Erwin smiled. "Mike, I wasn't expecting you today." He greeted, dropping the formalities. They were old friends after all.

"I know. I was wondering if we could talk about an issue. Are you busy?" Mike asked. Erwin smiled and shook his head, gesturing to the seat opposite his desk. Mike nodded and sat down.

"What's wrong?" He asked. Mike sighed, rubbing his face wearily.

"Nothing's wrong per say. I'm just having trouble controlling the squad at the moment and was hoping for your thoughts on the matter." Mike said. Erwin raised a bushy eyebrow.

"Troubles? Did Dilan do something again?" Erwin asked sceptically. Mike sighed.

"Yes and no. It was actually Brand and Johnson who were the problem. They lost control of their gear because of a stupid argument and Dilan hurt herself saving one of them." Mike explained. Erwin's eyes widened a fraction.

"Again? Seriously that girl spends half her life in the infirmary." He mumbled, raking a hand through his hair. Mike chuckled.

"Indeed."

"How bad is it?" Erwin asked, a hint of worry in his eyes. Mike frowned slightly. He wasn't sure. He was so focused on Levi's insubordination he didn't check Dilan's condition. That was pretty careless of him. "Mike?" Erwin snapped him out of his thoughts.

"Head injury. Hopefully it's just a flesh wound." Mike replied. Erwin nodded.

"Well cadets misbehave all the time. It was lucky Dilan intervened preventing a worse result. Now what did you come to ask me?" Erwin got straight to the point. Mike sighed.

"She's... changing them Erwin. I don't know how to explain it, but they've become more disobedient. It's like their obsessed with her! And Levi, I don't even know what's going on with him." Mike ranted. Erwin chuckled a bit.

"Indeed. Well, in terms of the squad, I imagine they are protective over her thanks to her month's absence. They grieved her death, correct?" Erwin asked. Mike nodded. "Well to grieve someone then get them back. Nothing short of a miracle in the corps. I expect they are reluctant to lose their friend again. Grieving someone twice sounds like a horrible ordeal. Although it may be inevitable the way Dilan goes about life." Erwin said logically. Mike sighed in understanding. His friend was too smart sometimes. What he was saying made sense. Perhaps the squad will get back to normal with a bit of time. They just need to get over Dilan's return to the living and their guilt for not realising she was alive sooner.

"And Levi?" He questioned, watching as Erwin frowned a bit.

"I'm undecided on the Levi matter. Somethings changed in him. He's always followed the greater good ruthlessly since his friend's death. You saw the way he treated Dilan when he thought she was some sort of spy. He was brutal to the girl." Erwin sighed. Mike nodded in remembrance. Levi was harsh on her. The first week she held a fair few bruises that Mike knew were Levi inflicted. That scarf around her neck didn't fool him. But he couldn't accuse anyone without evidence, and he doubted the girl would show him the mark if she went through the trouble of covering it up. "But since I sent him to tail her in the underground, he seems to have a complete change in attitude regarding Dilan. The way he defends her... I haven't seen it since-"

"Magnolia and Church, sir, I remember." Mike finished for him. Erwin nodded, rubbing his face.

"Somethings bugging me, Mike. Something I feel like it is right in front of my face." Erwin mumbled. Mike nodded; he felt the same way. They were missing something. "Did the deeper background check on Dilan ever come to anything?" He asked after a while. Mike frowned slightly.

"I'm not sure. Hanji was in charge of it. I'm not sure if she continued after Dilan's rescue." Mike replied.

"Not even a second name?" Erwin questioned. Mike shook his head.

"Perhaps she doesn't have one. Levi doesn't." Mike reminded. Erwin sighed.

"Either that or she's hiding it for a reason. We won't get it out of her. I'm putting you in charge of the background check Mike. Hanji and Dilan have gotten too close, I don't trust her to withhold any incriminating information." Erwin said seriously. Mike nodded.

"I won't let you down." He said, standing. Erwin smiled in approval.

"I know. Keep it quiet and don't involve Levi or Hanji. We don't know where their loyalties lie anymore." Erwin muttered the last bit, clearly annoyed. Mike nodded and saluted, leaving the room. He was slightly more relieved. Hopefully they would have answers soon enough.


A/N: Hey! First of I know Dilan sacrificing herself for another person the chapter after she said she was going to start trying to care is a bit of a contrast but Dilan is a creature of habit. She's spent so long feeling worthless, like her life is less important than others that she is going to find it hard breaking from that cycle but I think with some help she'll manage to pull through.

Levi and Dilan's friendship starts to show a lot more in this chapter and it's obvious Levi's starting to let go. Starting to just let it happen even if he is wary about letting another person in.

Mike and Erwin have started scheming which will be very important for the future.

Next chapter will have a bit of a time skip. Prepare for some developments! Thanks for the comments guys. They make me smile and I'm so glad you're all liking the direction I'm taking. I know it's slow but we'll get there. Thanks for reading! Like and review if you can and stay safe! X