Disclaimer : I do not own Shingeki no Kyojin / Attack on Titan nor its characters.


"They aren't your normal criminal group. They're nothing but cruel bastards... but you needn't worry, our guards are highly-skilled. I have the utmost faith in them… and one day, I will slaughter every last one of those shitty Ackermans. That's why I don't have time for this. If those Ackermans continue to live, it'd mean destruction for this land. They killed too many innocent lives… they killed the people I loved." He mumbled the last part extremely softly, as if he wasn't meant to say that. Mikasa managed to hear it, but it seemed like her mind was elsewhere by then.

"…You must really hate them." She muttered, before her eyes shifted towards the lake, where she saw her reflection, along with the agony in her pained eyes. The words, 'killed too many innocent lives' began to echo in her head, not to mention it seemed like the Prince was also a victim to their vile acts. Then, she remembered the bloody massacre that she caused underground during her first bloodlust outbreak.

Just how many… innocent lives did she take at that time?

"I do. I hate and despise their existence. They are nothing but mindless freaks. Who wouldn't fucking hate them?"

Mikasa could agree that she was a mindless freak, but hell… it wasn't as if she had a choice to not walk on this bloody path. Well, not that anyone knew that. Even if they did, Mikasa knew that the things she did were still inexcusable.

Again, there was this silence that lingered for a brief period. During that brief period, Mikasa forced those memories out of her. "Yeah…" The raven uttered, as she took a deep breath. It wasn't time to have flashbacks to her bloodlust outbreaks. 'Control, Control, Control.' she chanted in her mind. She stared at her reflection once again, before closing her eyes so she wouldn't have to look at that monster.

"…I hate the Ackermans too."


I wonder when the last time I killed someone was? was the first thing that raced through Mikasa's mind the moment she had woken up from another nightmare.

Slowly, she sat up and looked out the window to see that the sun had barely risen. If she was still in the underground, she'd have probably began her training around this timing, that or have embarked on a mission with Levi. Now living the life of a 'Princess', she had longer hours to spend asleep. It sounded strange to her when she concluded that sleeping longer hours would take her some time getting used to. She was too adapted to waking up early hours, sometimes even before the clock hit five in the morning.

The sun rise is pretty. She noted, admiring the orange glow in the distance, spreading its rays while it rose from its own slumber. With the underground being a literal underground city, it wasn't as if she could bask in the sunlight or watch even the moon hanging in the sky so often. Especially when Kenny didn't permit her to take on missions on the surface.

The nightmare she had just experienced was nothing new, yet it was enough to cause her to wake, hand clasped around her chest, gasping for air. This recurring nightmare she had was nothing more than a dark memory from the past… the memory of the massacre that she caused.

I do. I hate and despise their existence. They are nothing but mindless freaks. Who wouldn't fucking hate them? The words that the Prince said last night began to echo in her mind once again. It was an agonizing reminder to her of how much she hated her bloodlust… how much she hated herself.

After last night's ball fiasco, some of the Princesses and daughters of aristocrats left—it seemed that the misunderstanding that the Prince had found himself in had chased away some of the possible candidates for the position of his wife. Moreover, the dispute that his advisors publicly and shamelessly had with one another brought concern to some of the Princesses. While Paradis had lots to offer, they didn't wish to be caught in future conflicts within the Council for a multitude of reasons. It was something Advisor Hanji came to regret having acted so shamelessly rather than deal with it behind closed doors and away from the public eye.

She just couldn't control her rage when they bashed Eren like that, pushing all the blame to him without a proper reason. It wasn't typical for her to lose her cool so easily, and a part of her blamed the little alcohol she drank.

All in all, they left; for the Princesses who left, their nation already had enough resources, and just being an ally of Paradis was good enough for them.

Some stayed, either because of greed or desperation. Paradis had quite some things to offer that the other nations had trouble attaining. And should a union between families occur with his marriage to a woman, such a direct connection would mean that Paradis would be obligated to share their riches; and maybe even prioritize sending their riches to them.

Mikasa knew for a fact that a few of the Princesses and daughters of high aristocrats who stayed were quite reluctant. It wasn't because of the fact that they disliked the 'attitude' Eren had showed the other night. But rather, the idea of an arranged and forced love didn't sit well with a few. Unfortunately for them, their parents didn't give them much of an option.

Was it bad that a part of Mikasa rather be a Princess forced into a marriage? It was better than being a deranged murderous monster. Even if she wasn't exactly free, at least less innocent lives would be lost. It didn't matter if she was to be doomed for a loveless marriage if she had that Princess sort of life. It was better than being a goddamn Ackerman cursed with bloodlust.

I will slaughter every last one of those shitty Ackermans. Again, Eren's words echoed in her head. Words that she agreed with. However, it seemed like his advisors had other ideas, or rather they wanted the Prince to focus on other things.

That night, when his advisors had found him in the garden, along with Mikasa, they wanted to bring him back to the castle to address an apology before more guests could rethink their decision of staying. That's when another argument erupted.

"I told you, I don't want a marriage! There are more important things! Like ridding the world of the damned Ackerm—"

"Enough! You're making a fool of yourself… and in front of another Princess!" He gestured to Mikasa who watched silently, shaking her head as if to say that it was fine, but clearly it was ignored. "Your parents would be so disappointed in you if they heard your words!" She watched as the anger boiling in him reaching its peak, his clenched fist that tightened, preparing itself to punch someone.

"Eren!" Another voice called out, it was Hanji. The four-eyed woman approached the brunette, her eyes softening and began to reason with him as nonchalantly as she could before violence could erupt.

Mikasa was quick to note how Eren treated this advisor differently from the others—she could tell this from the way his balled-up fist slowly loosened. It also didn't take a genius to figure out who the Ackermans killed that he considered to be loved ones; it should be his parents, right? Why else did he act so exasperated whenever they were brought up? She knew that they had passed away, however having lived in the underground for most of her life, she had much more things to worry about than royal affairs.

Though, Mikasa couldn't help but wonder why at that time—why Kenny (or any other Ackerman at all) would kill the King and Queen when he hated doing anything associated with royalty. Or maybe that was the reason why he didn't want to do any missions which involved them or their affairs directly; not until now. Or, it wasn't Kenny who killed them—and it was just another skilled assassin who threw the blame at the Ackermans because hell, did everyone love framing and blaming the Ackermans.

After that disastrous night, Mikasa was escorted to a guest room meant for esteemed guests or royals to rest. As for Levi, he was sent to another guest room at another part of the castle. And honestly, if Mikasa didn't have her constant nightmares, she'd have slept like a baby in her luxurious guest room which was probably ten times bigger than her one underground. (Maybe she was exaggerating, but compared to the almost torn-down hideout where she lived, this was definitely better in some sense.)

I wonder when the last time I killed someone was?

The haunting memory finally hit her.

The last time I killed someone was two weeks ago.

Kenny was the one who accompanied her that time. And after she made her kill, her hands began to tremble again, and her breathing became heavy. Her head was in pain, it was like an intense migraine had hit her. Slowly, she felt herself losing control…

This was how things went sometimes, Mikasa could easily deliver a kill—but whatever would happen after was always a gamble. She could either go mad, or, nothing would happen. Thankfully, over the years she did manage to control it a little better… but unfortunately, not enough. And unlike Levi who tried his best to handle her bloodlust in a gentler way, Kenny was… stricter.

Similar to Levi, Mikasa had mixed and conflicted feelings when it came to Kenny. Sighing, she quickly shove that memory away as she got out from the bed. I might as well take a shower and get dressed. She thought.

She walked over to retrieve some clothes that she had packed, before making her way to the private bathroom, which was connected to the room she slept in. She wondered how rich the royal Jaegers were, honestly. Or just royalty in general. Albeit, it wasn't the size of the bathroom wasn't what astounded her, instead it was the clean water running down when she turned on the tap.

Back in the underground, water was scarce. Clean water was even scarcer. And in the current hideout where she and Levi lived, there were times the water in the showers would be brown (and if so, Levi would curse and scorn in utter revolt.) or, water wouldn't run at all. Even so, the underground dwellers made the most of it. It really baffled her to overhear some Princesses complaining about their own guest room the other day.

Mikasa began to undress herself once she had closed the bathroom door. It was then she noticed the full-body sized mirror bolted against the wall beside the bathtub. (Again, a bathtub was something she considered to be opulent—she really didn't understand why the Princesses were complaining. Even the mirror had what appeared to be golden frames with intricate patterns.) She also saw her reflection, or more specifically, the reflection of her bare back after she shifted her long black hair aside, and had unclasped her bra.

Although to be frank, it wasn't really that bare; not with that on her skin. On the upper and middle part of her back, was the letter 'A' in a circle, carved and tattooed into her skin—to which, brought back another series of memories she'd like to forget.

She didn't remember much of what happened. Although, she did remember that she was around nine years old during then. According to Kenny, she was knocked out and kidnapped and was about to be sold on the black market, until he rescued her, that is. And the letter 'A' was apparently the symbol or brand designed by the crooks who stole her, to apparently mark her as their property to use.

It was all a blurry memory, considering she had been unconscious for the most part. The idea of being sold off to strangers who would do who knows what sent a shiver down her spine. It made her feel so sickened.

"…But, if they do interrogate you and suspect your identity…" Traute's words began to echo, breaking the raven out of her thoughts, "You can show…"

"You can show that letter that is carved on your back. Conveniently, another term for Oriental is Asian. And conveniently, your fake surname starts with an A. It'll lower their suspicions, no one would just tattoo that on their skin without reasoning, plus it isn't uncommon for royalty or clans to have a symbol or crest be carved or tattooed onto their skin. You can manipulate them into thinking that."

Who would've guessed this vile symbol, or trademark imprinted on her skin would've become useful?

Heaving another heavy sigh, Mikasa shook her head to rid her thoughts. After she was done with undressing and filling the bathtub, she cautiously entered and soaked herself in the comforting warm and clean water.

If only she could live in such a luxury forever, but alas… she had a mission, a dirty mission to complete.

Suddenly, the water didn't feel so clean anymore.

"…I wonder what Levi is doing…" She droned out wearily.


By the time Mikasa had rose out of bed, Levi had already began his search around the castle.

Unlike Mikasa who had gotten a bedroom all to herself, Levi had to share his with more than 5 men who snored too loud the entire night. And inevitably, the short male found himself in a grumpy mood.

Taking a glance around his surroundings to ensure it was clear of any presence, he took out a small map of the castle that Kenny had given them. Although, despite the map they were provided with, Levi couldn't find this place in this damned large castle. It had multiple different buildings and sections for different purposes. For a moment, he felt pity for the staff members who had to clean this whole damn place.

Soon enough after wandering around for almost half an hour, he found himself lost. Not because Levi couldn't read maps; for what it's worth, he had once successfully navigated himself in an aristocrat's mansion with another annoyingly complicated map for a separate mission. It was just, this castle was too goddamn big—from the outside it looked big, but once you entered, hell, it was fucking enormous.

All he wanted was to find the library, where vital information would most likely be stored. But at the same time, he wouldn't mind accidentally stumbling into the secret lair that Kenny wanted them to locate. He wanted to get this over with. Sure, bathing in actual clean water was a bliss, but he knew better than to get used to this… freedom, to this normal, extravagant life. Because the reality was that he wasn't a knight, and Mikasa wasn't a Princess. They were killers, assassins and murderers. They were wanted people in the worst possible way imagined. They were Ackermans.

And this was the worst possible place to be, for wanted people like them who were unwanted in society.

There weren't just thousands of guards in this place, no. There were uncountable numbers of royal guards roaming in this place too. The difference? Well, normal guards in Paradis were often stationed at areas around Paradis for 'simpler' tasks. They could fight, sure. But, the royal guards on the other hand… they were known for their brute, inhuman strength. They were known as The Azker, well known amongst many nations for their dedication and strength that they offered to the royal family. Maybe that was why those advisors that Levi observed to seemingly detest the bratty Prince hadn't usurped and steal power yet; not when they wouldn't have their skilled military, or even the surface civilians (who were grateful towards the royal family) behind their back.

Speak of the devil. Levi thought, hearing the sound of footsteps approaching. Swiftly, he kept the map away before he continued to stroll. There was no point of attempting to hide back in the shadows. He wasn't a criminal; not now at least. He was supposed to be a knight. Besides, he could already think of lies to use to explain why he was walking around the castle when the sun barely came out.

"What are you doing?" A hoarse voice queried.

Levi calmly turned, making eye contact with the rather tall blonde male whose brows slowly furrowed after those words left his lips. Blue eyes, blonde hair. What a combination.

He looked familiar, though. And Levi presumed that he probably saw his face while reading over the documents Kenny gave.

"I'm looking for Princess Mikasa Azu's room. I haven't had the chance to properly speak to her after last night's… mess. The Princesses were quickly escorted to their rooms after the Prince's apologies after all. I would like to check how she's doing." He responded, biting back the urge to make a comment on how ridiculously big this shitty palace was which made his job harder. What restrained him was the fact that he didn't need to get kicked out.

He raised a brow in suspicion, and hell, were his eyebrows like a fucking bush. "This early?"

"I'm still adjusting to the time here. Nations that are far apart tend to be some hours behind or ahead."

"…Alright." He said, seeming to buy Levi's lie. "Walk straight ahead, you'll see a staircase to your right, head up one level, walk straight ahead again and turn left when you see a large crystal flower statue. You'll find her room somewhere there, I assume you have the Princess's room number?"

If Levi had a notepad with him, he'd have jotted all that shit down. Because Bushy-brow's directions made more sense than the map Kenny gave him. He wondered if it was outdated. And if it was, curse that old man. "Thank you for your directions Mr…?"

"Erwin." He responded flatly. That name rang a bell in Levis brain. He finally remembered where he had seen and heard of him. His face had been sketched onto one of the documents Kenny had given them, and even that four-eyed woman had mentioned him too. He was Erwin Smith, the Head of and Commander of the Azker Royal Guards who was rumoured to even have authority over the regular guards, too. Well, now Levi really hoped he didn't give off anything worth suspecting. He wasn't in the mood to be watched, observed or stalked.

Erwin then nodded his head, as if expecting him to do some introductions as well. "Levi." The raven said flatly, "I'll take my leave now." With that, he made his way to Mikasa's room.

And despite the fact Erwin disappeared from his sight when he looked back after walking straight for almost a minute, he could easily tell he was being followed. Just great. He thought. Did I really do something suspicious? Or does he think I'm going to steal that crystal flower thing?

Well, whatever. The library can wait. I wanted to check on that brat anyway. He sighed, before making his way towards the room where Mikasa rested.


Mikasa's bath ended in less than fifteen minutes. She didn't have all the free time in the world to waste soaking her body in the bubbly water, besides, it wasn't as if their lavender-scented soap could cleanse her of her bloodstained sins.

The clothes she picked to wear for the day were… well, humble, to say the least.

There were many outfits in her bags that could display the 'riches' she had. But Mikasa didn't wish to stick out like a sore thumb like yesterday's ball. Then again, putting on clothes that commoners might often wear could also still make her the odd one out if all the women today decided to dress extravagantly to impress the Prince.

Mikasa scoffed at that idea. The Prince… being impressed by that. Yesterday's events were enough to justify that His Majesty wasn't interested in that sort of thing.

She wore a simple long-sleeved blouse, along with a long rosewood pink in colour skirt that covered up her knees. Mikasa honestly considered wearing another Kimono again, but it seemed like a waste. The Kimono was beautiful, she didn't want to dirty it if today's activities landed her in the garden. There were other clothes too, like dresses and such. But she didn't want to be too restricted, especially when some of them seemed like it required her to wear a corset.

Besides, simplicity was best… right?

Mikasa walked over to another full-body sized, golden-framed mirror in the guest bedroom, which stood near the window. "I should probably just tie a pony tail…" She mumbled, knowing fully well if she tried anything complicated on her own, her hair would turn into a bird's nest. As she reached out for a brush to lessen the untidiness that was her hair and free her tangles, her eyes took a glimpse outside the window. It was undeniable that the scenery outside was beautiful.

For one thing, she saw greenery. She could see the clear blue sky, along with the clouds that looked so fluffy. It was better than the underground, where everything was almost the same shade as mud or mould. Flowers could barely be grown there. Not to mention, the air was much fresher on the surface.

Just then, something caught her attention. Although she was at a fairly high level of the castle, her sharp eyes manage to spot a familiar looking staff member below in the garden—who was chatting with another blonde, though her hair seemed lighter than the male.

Is that Armin? She wondered. And if it is, who is he talking to? The two blondes chose a place that looked secluded, and from Armin's nervous stance, she could tell that the person he was talking with was probably important; or at least held a higher position as compared to him.

The lady in front of him was wearing a dress that was pretty much glistening, despite the fact that the sun was barely up yet. Were those diamonds sewed onto her dress? Mikasa wondered, squinting her eyes. Is it a Princess?

Though, before she could confirm any of her thoughts, she heard a knock at the door. Who could that be? This early? Her focus shifted to the door as she made her way towards it.

"Who is it?" Mikasa called out, and she was then met with a familiar grumpy tone. "It's me, brat."

Fortunate for Levi, it seemed like bushy brows had finally went away when he figured the male wouldn't deter from the directions he had given him. "I'll be quick." Levi said, loud enough for Mikasa to hear through the closed door, but soft enough to ensure any busy-bodies wouldn't eavesdrop. "As you know, everyone is to assemble later for breakfast with the Prince. I'm not sure what's happening after, but I may be late."

And before Mikasa could question, he continued. "I might as well sneak around. I plan to go to the library, to see if there's anything useful. Or better, to see if that secret lair is there."

"Why the library of all places?" Mikasa asked, leaning against the door. "We might as well wait—"

"The library, aside from the Prince's bedroom which I still have no idea in hell where it is because of this big shitty house, is a good place to start. Supposedly, from this even more shitty map," It didn't take Mikasa long to know he was irritated by the poor map Kenny gave him, and that his insomnia made his grumpiness worse. "The library looks rather big. Who knows what's there? For all we know, if luck is on our shitty side for once, someone might've misplaced an important book there."

Has luck ever been on our side? Was what Mikasa wanted to ask, but she bit back her tongue. If luck were ever on their side, they wouldn't have been cursed with this dreaded, hellish bloodlust.

"Then let me follow y—"

"If the Princess disappears, that'd draw too much unwanted suspicion. Especially when clearly, you already stick out like a sore thumb."

"Fair enough…" Mikasa mumbled.

"…You're feeling alright, are you?" He asked after a small pause.

"Don't worry." Mikasa assured, "I'm fine."

"Alright." Levi sighed before turning around, "Don't do anything shitty while I'm gone, brat." With that, he left.

Mikasa walked back over to the mirror, grabbed her brush and hair-ties. Levi seemed like he was in a hurry… and it stirred up conflict within her. On one hand, she wanted to finish this mission just in case if their true identities were ever uncovered. On the other hand, she wanted to drag on this mission. Because this was the closest thing she'd ever get to experience being normal. For one thing, this mission didn't necessarily require her hands to be stained with blood that could risk another outbreak of hers.

But then again, this was Kenny who assigned this mission. He could be using them as pawns for something more that he was secretly devising. Or, he could be lying and had planned to stage another massacre on the surface of Paradis because he was repulsed by the royals.

Despite growing up with Kenny for the most part, Mikasa never really understood him. He was cruel, he once seemed like he was about to kill Levi for trying to defy his bloody fate. At the same time, he wasn't cruel. He at least bothered to try to ensure the assassinating missions were targeted at people who seemed to deserve it rather than just accepting a bunch of randoms that people requested to be slaughtered when they haven't done anything that bad. He let her—a problematic Ackerman—continue to live. He bothered trying to help her control her insanity, even if it training with him became harsher and gruelling. Any remaining microscopic niceness he had had diminished after her bloodlust outbreak.

Mikasa once overheard a conversation between him and Levi, a few weeks after the massacre she caused. At that time, Kenny slowly became… merciless on her.

"It isn't her fault that she couldn't control it!" Levi barked, and thirteen-year old Mikasa at that time swore she could've seen the intent to murder in his greyish hues. "You're pushing her too much. You continued fucking sparing with her even though she clearly had enough! She was crying and begging for you to stop… she's only fucking thirteen!"

"Bloody hell like I care! She can take it. She's a damn Ackerman." He argued back, "How else am I supposed to control that monster Harh?! When she goes crazy during those trainings, yer' expect me to just sit there and gently knock some sense into her with feeble hands?!"

"We're all monsters." Levi hissed, and that was the painful truth. "She just became a teenager for fuck's sake! It wouldn't kill you to be slightly nicer in sparring… like not fucking kicking her guts while she's throwing up shit! She didn't even turn."

Carelessly, the following words slipped from Kenny's tongue, "I should've killed her then…"

Levi's eyes turned to slits. "What did you say?" His hands had balled into fists, "Don't you fucking dar—" They raised up and were about to punch him hard in his face. However, despite his swift movements, Kenny caught his fist.

Mikasa had anticipated for Kenny to punch Levi back then, to put him in his place. She was shaking, then. She felt guilty, so guilty. But, instead of a violent scene unfolding, Kenny let go of Levi's fist and sighed heavily, pinching the bridge of his nose while he tried to calm himself. And for a moment, Mikasa could've sworn she saw a vulnerable, and maybe even sad look on his face. It was for a split second, and she nearly thought her eyes were fooling her in that split second.

The Ripper never showed weakness, he especially emphasised never to show weakness… and yet…

"I don't plan to kill her." He finally said, but Levi didn't seem trusting of his words. Kenny glanced to the side where Mikasa peeked from the corner. Although she reacted quickly, hiding back in the dark corner, she was sure he knew she eavesdropped—and she expected to get in trouble. She should've hidden herself better, but she felt too weak to disguise her presence at that time. Although, for Levi, it appeared like he was too angry to notice her.

Surprisingly, Kenny didn't drag her out and yell at her. He faced back to Levi, whose blood was clearly still boiling. It almost looked like he was about to have a bloodlust outbreak of his own. "Fine. I'll be 'nicer'." Kenny spat, seemingly disturbed at the mere thought of being nice. "But I'll tell yer' brat, if she doesn't control it soon, she'll end up being the cause of 'er own death."

She wondered if that was Kenny's warning to her back then—that if she didn't control her bloodlust, she'll meet an early demise. Though, he did keep his word. He was still harsh, but not so merciless anymore.

One thing was for sure, though. Kenny was a man full of secrets.

Once the raven brought herself back to reality, her focus shifted back to the mirror to see that her hands were braiding her hair automatically while she had been drowning in past memories. Her hands always seemed to fidget when she was too deep in thought, too distracted to hide or suppress such emotions.

"Ah, whatever." Mikasa sighed. "I'll settle for a braid."


At long last, Levi finally managed to find the library. It had been in another building within royal grounds, and hell was it huge. It was packed with many shelves which were filled with numerous books of a wide variety. There were some desks and chairs around as well, for anyone who wanted to stay in this silent—void of any humans at all— environment to read.

He wondered why the library was built this big, and filled with uncountable books. He doubted this library would be bustling with people anytime soon, considering the only thing that currently lingered around corners were specks of dust that Levi tried to ignore, but to no avail.

Many books were covered with dust, and Levi had in no doubt believed that some of the older books had ugly yellow pages to match the filthy book. He had seen so many servants and maids serving and cleaning during and after the ball, and yet there weren't enough to clean this place? The amount of dust was just appalling for a clean-freak him.

The appalled male began to take light steps, surveying the area meticulously. There didn't seem to be anything suspicious. He wondered if there was some secret passage that could only be opened if he pulled open a random hidden book or if he twisted the head of a stone statue he saw a few sections and shelves ago.

It sounded incredulously stupid, yes. But he had done something similar on accident in some rich bastard's mansion, and it worked. What was this, a shitty fairy-tale? He had thought back then.

Whatever it was, if it involved pulling a book from a shelf, there may be an obstacle.

There were just some shelves that were… too high.

A part of him suddenly wished he brought Mikasa along, but even with her height, she wouldn't be able to reach the highest bookshelf in this library. The other part of him rather not, not just because her absence would bring upon suspicion from the rest of the guests but also because he would utterly dread the short jokes she'd definitely make if she found out. Though, he found it radically shitty that a bookshelf would stand so tall. What was the purpose of building it that high? To hide something?

All the more reason he had to find a way to reach up to the highest shelf, somehow.

Just then, a loud screeching sound echoed the room, shattering the library's peaceful atmosphere completely. For a moment, Levi thought it was some choking insane duck that had just crashed through a window to seek help removing whatever was stuck in its throat. And he would've believed it, if he hadn't taken checked to see what or who caused that outrageous noise.

It's her. Levi thought. That four-eyed woman. Hanji Zoe.

With the four-eyed woman's back facing him, he watched her hands scrambling about, reaching out and retracting back. What is she doing? He frowned.

Well, whatever the case, it seemed like she had tripped, which had resulted in a series of 'Ows' that left her lips after her earlier screech.

From the information Kenny had given them, there was no 'Hanji Zoe' in any of them—at least, not in the important documents about high-ranking military personnel. Yet, Levi wasn't able to sense her presence when she had entered… that was, until she tripped, fell, and screamed like a duck gone mad.

All he knew about her as of now was that she was an advisor who was close to Prince Eren.

Well, Levi thought as he watched her scrambling to pick up her fallen books, If she's an advisor who is close to the Prince, she might know something about that secret lair.

With that thought in mind, Levi went over to help her. "Are you looking for something?"

Hanji turned around, and then looked up to the direction where she heard a masculine voice, and it was only then did Levi notice she wasn't wearing her pair of glasses. "Huh? Who are you…?" She squinted her eyes. "Is that you, Nanaba?"

Is her eyesight that shit? Levi wondered, considering he had mistaken her for a woman.

"Wait no… Is that you… Ber… Bertolt Hoover? Why does your voice sound so… wait, so the Princess of the Crystal Empire did come? I—"

"No, it's me. The guard of the Princess of Hizuru." Levi corrected, glancing around the ground before he spotted her glasses. Right next to her. "You dropped this." He murmured, unimpressed before he picked it up and returned it to her.

"Ah! Thank you!" She gleamed as she wore them, and proceeded to quickly pick up the scattered books on the ground which she had dropped earlier. Before Levi could've offered his assistance, she posed a question, "What are you doing here anyway? Shouldn't you be with the Princess?"

"She told me to check if this place has a library or not. She enjoys reading, and thought your library would offer her books she hadn't seen before back in Hizuru or from the East Sea region in general." He lied smoothly, and thankfully, the pony-tailed brunette didn't show any signs of wielding any suspicion towards him, "Originally, she wanted to accompany me but her presence is compulsory for today's breakfast, no?"

"Hmm… she sounds a lot like Armin! He reads a lot." She laughed light-heartedly as she stood up, with the stack of books in her hands, "Still, I didn't think you, who told me yesterday that you consider yourself as her brother, would leave he alone like that. Gee! She may want you to help her find the library, but being alone in this new environment must be nerve-racking for her! Ya know? Especially after that longgg isolation!"

Okay, maybe Levi was wrong. Maybe she was suspicious of him, well, that or she was just joking around or taunting him.

Regardless, Levi continued with his act, "She's a stubborn one." At least, that part he wasn't exactly lying. "And I'm not one to defy her orders unless it's stupidly absurd. But that's very unlikely of her. Moreover, I trust Paradis's famously strong guards to watch over any guest of the Castle. Anyway…" He trailed off, and his eyes looked towards the pile of books she carried. In an attempt of changing the subject, he spoke, "Let me help you carry those books to wherever, you did fall."

Hanji raised a brow, "Doing favours for the advisor won't make the Prince favour choosing Princess Mikasa."

Hell, like I fucking ever want that. Levi thought to himself, holding back a distraught look.

"I know. But, the Princess values helping others in need. She'd hate me if—"

"Fine! Fine! If you insist!" She gave in, mostly because she didn't want to make two trips. After all, she still had more books she wanted to take. "But it's not going to do you and Princess Mikasa any favour! Anyway, you can help me carry those books. I'm going to get more to bring it down to my lair." Hanji said before she raced towards another section to collect more books.

Lair? Levi's eyes narrowed. Is she referring to the secret lair that Kenny was talking about? Perhaps this mission will end faster than I thought…

"Come on slowpoke! Carry those books here and help me carry these! Oh and there's more!"

"Tch." Levi clicked his tongue, "Who is she calling slowpoke?" He grumbled under his breath before carrying the pile of books as he walked over to her.

Soon enough, the two of them were carrying several books towards her lair. Levi still couldn't believe she needed this many books for god knows what weird reason. "We're almost there!" She chirped.

There was definitely something off though, and Levi could sense it. If this was such a 'secret lair' why was this woman openly showing it to a stranger? Well, unless this was a trap and an ambush. It was highly unlikely though, they couldn't possibly have figured out their identities, right? There was also the other reason that maybe, Hanji Zoe was actually a naïve and stupid woman that he mistook to be sharp.

But Levi knew that that wasn't true. Hanji Zoe was anything but a stupid woman. A four-eyed woman who needed these many books, who was a troublesome sharp woman that had been asking him rather alarming questions, wouldn't be that stupid. So, why?

"And we're here!" She exclaimed, and Levi found himself standing in front of the cleaning supply room. And before he could've had the chance to make a sarcastic remark, Hanji kicked open the door—revealing… a room full of mops, brooms, brushes, soaps…

"Wha—"

"Shhh!" She hushed before she placed the books down briefly, strolling over to the shelves holding toilet paper rolls before rummaging through her pockets to finally dig out a key. It was only then did Levi notice a small keyhole on the wall, hidden behind the toilet paper rolls that she soon pushed aside.

Placing the key in, and turning it, the wall became a door—and opened when she pushed it, revealing a flight of stairs leading downwards. "Don't worry, I promise it's not manure down there!" She joked before picking back up the books and headed down into the darkness.

"It better not be some shit…" He muttered under his breath as he followed after her. He didn't sense anyone else around, and he hoped that was the case. The last thing he needed to deal with was a damn ambush.

And upon entering her lair, did Levi's eyes widened at the shit he saw. Not literal shit, but it was close enough, and enough to nauseate him to the point where he felt bile rising up to his throat. Irritation was bubbling within him as well.

"What the fuck." He cursed.


"Don't do anything shitty while I'm gone, brat." Was what Levi had warned her. At first, Mikasa found it ridiculous for him to tell her something so obvious. Of course, if there was trouble, she'd like to avoid it if possible. She still had to carry on this act to the end.

And she wasn't the type to draw in trouble, willingly.

So, Mikasa didn't know how the hell she found herself in this situation. Everything was going fine, until she was confronted by the Princess of the Crystal Empire, whose pair of crystal hues shot her a cold, distant look that would've sent a shiver down her spine had her life not resemble a gory horror story since birth.

"Spar me." She said—no, she demanded.

Never in Mikasa's life would she have guessed that this cruel world and her cruel fate would have led her to spar with the Princess of the Crystal Empire, Annie Leonhart.


Author's Note:

Phew! Finished this before November ended… now there's my other two fanfics… haha… siGH Writer's block sucks! To be honest though, writing Kenny is hard :/ maybe it's just me haha. I hope none of the characters seem to OOC. Anyway, I hope this chapter was okay haha :3

Anyway Please Leave A Review! I'd love to hear your thoughts!