Sup everybody! There is a slight spoiler in this chapter since it follows one of the OVAs and a special chapter in the manga which is 18.5. Just wanted to warn you. I hope that all my readers enjoy the latest chapter. Please leave a comment or critique when you are done! Love ya guys.

Saph's PoV

Sleep evaded me as I laid in the covers of my bed. Petra had wanted to talk with me after dinner, but I had been quick on my feet with returning to my private quarters. That hadn't lessened the irritation digging into my skin and laying eggs of insomnia. The only reprieve might have been finding sweet relief in spending the night on Levi's floor once again. Not that I could do it now, knowing the growing attraction between Levi and Petra. What if I walked in there and she was already sleeping in my spot? Or worse, tucked into his bed?

That image stained on my closed eyelids, even if I drifted off, horrifying nightmares would consume the dreams. Shadows with sharp teeth and invading hands had evolved into a bleak loneliness with sorrow invading every empty gap. Reality had the tendency to appear in disturbing and distorted forms when the imagination was supposed to be an escape.

In this fit of annoyance and hurt, I went outside to find Petra silently looking up at the stars. Half-expecting Levi to be found somewhere, I was about to head back inside.

"Oh Saph! I had been wanting to talk with you. We didn't get a chance to since you left right after dinner."

Not wanting to give hint to what might be the reason I left, I leaned against the wall. A short nod all all it took to indicate that I'd listen to her and not go anywhere. "What did you want to talk about?"

"I wanted to ask you about your thoughts on the Levi matter."

And that was where all my fears had seemed to contort until they were a mass of everything that was making me uncomfortable with the situation at hand. All I wanted to do was leave. "Why? It's not like you need my permission."

Strands of silky hair slipped through Petra's fingers as she scratched her head. "When I was growing up, my friends and I would talk about the cute boys in our neighborhood. I'm more comfortable when I discuss that part of life to someone else. Makes you feel not so alone when you're vulnerable."

"I'm not the right person to be talking too about this. My life didn't allow for cute boys, pretty flowers, and romance. It was rough, terrifying, and you never knew what might happen next."

"You know Levi. What to expect from him, how he thinks."

"Not as well as everyone seems to believe."

"Just answer the goddamn question, Saph." An anger filled voice made both Petra and I start.

My lips curled into a grimace of their own volition before I turned around to face the person walking into the heavy outside atmosphere. "What are you doing out here, Auruo?"

His gaze never wavered from Petra as he answered my question. "You weren't in bed, Petra, so I got worried. Decided to come looking for you."

"Do you think it's selfish Auruo? To want to be with him even when we are fighting for humanity?"

Her quiet words brought up to the image of Isabel and Farlan to my mind. Levi's quick smiles and blunt but not sharp words as he spoke to them. Did he regret befriending them? Or was those moments of happiness well worth the pain their deaths brought?

Auruo was in the middle of responding to Petra when I focused back on the present. "No. It's not selfish because you deserve to be happy."

"In the end, isn't it up to Levi?" I snapped in irritation.

"You guys are so loud," Leon complained as he stepped into the open air. "Why are you even having this discussion in the middle of the night?"

"I just came out here because I was having trouble sleeping."

A smirk appeared on Leon's face as he threw an arm over my shoulders. "You know, I'm readily available to help you with that. I always have a great night's rest after a workout."

Disgusted, I pinched his sleeve between two fingers, dropping the unwelcome limb back to his side. "Thanks, but I'm good." It was hard to restrain myself from punching him in the face.

"Fine. Fine. The offer isn't going anywhere anytime soon." Leon glanced at Auruo, "Let's leave these lovely ladies back to their discussion. My man, I shall give you some tips on how to smoothly interrupt the building sweet romance of their the girl you are pining for and your boss."

"That seems to be oddly specific advice," Petra commented.

Auruo's ears were red as he grabbed Leon's collar and dragged him back to their den.

"Petra, you should do what you want. Why you're trying to include me?"

"Because you're important to Levi, and I even if you don't like to show it, he is important to you."

A great sigh left my lips. Petra was making me weary. "What does it matter? We've known each other for multiple years, yes. That doesn't change the fact that you're in love with him. You are so stubborn about hearing about my opinion on a matter that doesn't relate to me, but I am busy trying to find my baby brother. It would help me very much if you stopped pestering me about your love life."

"Do you not care?"

I did. I cared too much and that compromised my whole reason for existing. What was the point of caring for Levi if I lost what I lived for in the process? No. There was no singular thing stopping me from explaining what was going on in my mind and heart. There was also a rippling sense of inadequacy that had begun to build up ever since the first time I saw the two of them laughing together. Petra making him tea. Levi protecting her. It was the notation that I couldn't make him as happy as she could that left me silent on the matter. I had no right to try to stop her. For everyone's sake, Suzus, Levis, Petras, and my own, I will let matters progress without trying to alter the course in any way, shape, or form.

"I do care, Petra. That's why I'm trying to stay out of the way. This is something you have to do, not me." My copper eyes stared into her amber ones. For a moment, I considered wishing her all the luck in the world, but all I did was give a tired smile. "Good night."

Without hearing her acknowledgment, I turned around to go back to my bed. The sheets were cold as I slipped underneath them. Squeezing myself into a ball, I tried to generate some heat as I rolled onto my side. The last thing I saw before sleep overtook me was the wall dividing Levi and I.

In the following months, a sense of change accompanied by unease began to take ahold of the Special Operations Squad. Petra and I had grown closer due to her seeking me out whenever we had some free time (my ability to disappear whenever Petra and Levi were together had grown exceptional). Auruo had begun to pester and pick fights with me daily. Whenever he could show a hint of insubordination, he took it. Sometimes it would get so bad that Levi would have to order him to back off. My theory that Auruo was out to get me began to solidify, this put some cracks into the trust of the team as a whole.

Since I avoided Petra and Levi when they were together (which began to feel like always) and Auruo, I had begun to spend more time with Leon. He had become the one I complained to about Auruo's behavior. Flirting aside, Leon seemed easy to talk with, and I had begun to see why so many members of the Survey Corps had a thing for him. Chatting with the handsome male didn't mean my mind stop wandering constantly to Levi.

I had forgotten how to act normal around him. Every interaction left my knees weak and lungs heaving for breath. The playful pushes and taps of the past had to be avoided in case I slipped up. Leon was observant, and it wouldn't be long before he caught on. At least Levi and Petra were dense. The two of them were so occupied in their own little space that no spare thoughts for my flustered state were made.

Conflicted, I maintained a distance from the both of them. That didn't change how my place was right by Levi's side as his second in command, and that meant riding near him when we went out for expeditions. It was a minute comfort to know that nothing could change that fact.

Settled in comfortably as we waited for the gate to open, I sensed that Hanji could be in an even odder mood today. She was the solitary person who was ecstatic about going out to where the Titans wandered around. But having her jumping up and down in the saddle seemed a little bit much. "Levi!" She shouted with glee spotting my Captain.

"No."

"You don't even know what I was going to ask? Maybe I was going to inquire about borrowing some of your cleaning supplies so I could give the whole Headquaters a rub down!"

Narrowing his eyes in contemplation, Levi finally glanced at the woman. "You'd do a shitty job, so it doesn't matter."

"It's not like you were going to ask that anyway," I added, "you hate cleaning."

"I would clean every day if Levi wanted me to if he would help me capture a Titan!" Hanji shouted. Her ponytail bouncing along with the rest of her body.

"No. That's a waste of effort. I'll have no part of it."

Realizing that Levi couldn't be persuaded further, Hanji turned to Mike.

"What about you Mike? Want to give it a go? Help me capture a Titan? With your super smell it should be easy enough for you!"

"That doesn't make it any less dangerous for him Hanji," I sighed. I didn't know how the woman could become so occupied with studying those monsters when most of us were just trying to make it through the expedition alive. "You'll have to get Levi, Mike, and Erwin on board if you want the chance to be able to study one that's alive."

"That's where you are wrong, Saph! If I get Erwin's permission, he can order these two boring men to help me out. Right?"

I leaned backwards as she moved closer to me. "Then why are you talking to me? I have no part in this matter. You should go and try to convince Erwin since you seem to believe it'll be so easy."

Hanji's reply became lost as Erwin made the command to go forward. Horses whinnying and hooves pounding on the dirt trail reverberated in my ears as we began to move. The sound wasn't unusual nor the formation. However, as we entered Wall Maria, the unusual cry of glee could be heard. Startled, I watched as Hanji shouted with joy while she raced ahead of Erwin. Not heeding his commands to fall back to her group.

"Tch that idiot is going to get herself killed."

After steadying Lucifer as he threw his head about, I swiveled to face Levi. "I'm surprised she hasn't yet, but she is one of the smartest people in the military."

"If only that applied to common sense and not just science."

I couldn't agree more with his sentiment. Since Levi's Squad didn't have a designated position, we were the ones who were usually sent after anyone who broke line. This had included Hanji more times than I would've thought possible.

Auruo curled his lip in derision. "Tch. Maybe we should just let her get herself killed next time she does it."

"That's too cruel! Just because Hanji can be a little… enthusiastic doesn't mean she deserves to die," Petra reprimanded him.

"Besides", Leon added, "our brave Captain would never let somebody die an unnecessary death." He was all smug tone and feral grin as he said that while staring directly at Auruo. Something had been going with those two recently and yet I hadn't been able to figure out what yet. They weren't acting like buddies, but more like Leon just mocked the young man constantly.

With not another word spoken, we were all left with our own thoughts as we made the ride to where we would set up camp. While my head remained a messy pile of contemplations, the world stayed peaceful. Only twice did we have to move because of Titans. No attacks nor deaths made us reach our destination sooner than any of us had originally expected.

The village that had been decided to spend the night in was surrounded by forest. Sleeping near a place where Titans could easily be hiding nearby always made me edgy, but I knew that if night fell before we got to the next town, we would be easy snacks. While Titans are lethargic at night, not being able to see what is in front of you leads to accidents and getting lost.

Petra, Auruo, and I were standing outside Erwin's tent, keen on listening in to hear if Hanji might get what she wanted, a captured Titan.

"I don't care if we decide to bring a Titan home with us as long as I'm not bait again," I muttered out thinking of the last time Erwin had given into the scientist's pleas.

Petra leaned close to me, her ginger hair tickling my ear. "Why were you bait again?"

"Lucifer is the fastest horse even though he is a vicious dumbass who does nothing but cause me trouble whenever I ride him." I glanced back at my horse who was tied up by himself. All the other horses were closer together, but since he nipped and kicked constantly, he had to be separated. "He has stayed alive longer than any other horse I rode. I have to give that much to him."

"You aren't planning on killing him, are you?" Petra asked with wide eyes.

My head tilted, I mulled over her words. "Lets just say that if he throws me when we are running away from rampaging group of Titans again, I won't be so inclined to make sure he doesn't get stepped on."

"Erwin said that we don't have enough men," Auruo interrupted. "When was the last time a Titan was caught alive?"

Shrugging my shoulders, I turned to look at him. "Not since I've been here."

"Fifteen years. It has been fifteen years since anyone has studied a live specimen. Do you know how much we could have learned about them in that time?" Overhearing our conversation as she followed Erwin out of his tent, Hanji approached us instead. The rejection of her idea hadn't dampened her spirits at all.

Auruo crossed his arms over his chest. "It's no use Hanji. We put our lives on the line just trying to kill those damn things. Capturing one alive would almost be imposs-"

Before he could finish, Hanji grabbed Auruo's shirt collar and lifted him closer to her.

"Answer me this Auruo. Say you and Levi fought to the death tomorrow. Would you win?"

Auruo struggled in her grip, "Of course not. I can't breathe!"

"I know how you could win that fight. Do you know why? He might be faster, stronger, and smarter than you. Levi exceeds you in every way!"

"Let me go, Hanji!"

"The only way to beat him would to be to have the advantage of doing your homework. Learn where he works. The food he hates. His taste in woman. How many times he takes a piss. Just find out everything you can about him. Use your knowledge and exploit his weakness. If you don't do that before you fight, you'll die for sure!"

Hanji wasn't physically stronger in Auruo, her excitement towards Titans gave her a strength that seemed comparable to Levis. Once she got a hold of you to talk about her experiments or the subjects in them, you were a goner.

"Hanji!" Petra cried as she grabbed one of the woman's arms in an attempt to have her drop Auruo.

Still smiling, Hanji let go of Auruo who looked to be on the verge of being unconscious. "My bad, but you get what I'm saying right?" Waving as if she hadn't nearly killed a comrade, Hanji walked off.

Petra bent down to inspect the dazed guy. "Are you okay?"

Auruo rubbed at his throat. "She damn near murdered me right then and there."

"What a shame she didn't," I mumbled out, watching the retreating back of the scientist.

"You and Hanji are both crazy bitches that should be in the nuthouse," Auruo yelled at me, still on the ground.

Huffing, Petra put her hands on her hips as she frowned at him. "You shouldn't speak so barbarically."

"Why am I getting a lecture? Saph and Levi both speak way worse than me!"

Suddenly, Mike leapt off of the roof of the house he stood on seconds before, a smoke cloud of red trailing behind him. "There is movement in the forest! All personnel prepare for combat!"

Lucifer shifted all around as I raced towards him. A front hoof pawing at the ground, I could tell he was ready for a run. Swinging my leg over his back, I was able to sit up in time just to see Hanji began to race out of the camp.

"I'm going on ahead, Erwin!" She shouted triumphantly. "Here I come Titans!"

"Go after her Saph and Levi," Erwin commanded us.

"That moron."

"Come on Lucifer."

The two of us left behind the rest of our squad as we tried to reach her. Seeing her break out of the tree line with a Titan closing in, Levi got in between the two and distracted the beast with a smoke signal.

"Stay out of my way Levi!"

Without warning, the Titan veered off path and sprinted back into the forest. Screeching to a halt, Lucifer bucked at my harsh tug of the reins. "That's strange. Even if it's abnormal, I've never seen one run away from people."

Auruo, Leon, Eld, and Petra had finally caught up with us. "It doesn't seem to be after Hanji anymore so what should we do, Captain?"

I growled in frustration as I saw Hanji began to chase after the Titan. "We still need to go after her. There might be more that we haven't spotted yet, or that one could change its mind and attack again."

Nodding to one another, we set off once more.

"This must be an abnormal."

"Not even an abnormal has done this before."

"Isn't that why the have the name? They don't do your average Titan man eating things?"

"It doesn't matter," Levi said, "We will slaughter it where it stands."

The ground shaking slightly with the weight of the 6 meter class Titan running about, I had to keep an eye out for trunks overhanging branches. Guiding Lucifer, we steadily fell behind Auruo's horse. Lucifer might be the fastest, but he didn't maneuver as well in places that required turns unlike Auruos.

Levi, Petra, Eld, Leon, and I let him take the lead as we spread our horses out to make sure the Titan wouldn't slip away. Maintaining this position, we hunted down our prey as it entered an open space surrounded by white flowers with a singular tree in the middle.

"I got this," I heard Auruo shout up ahead.

"Stop!" Hanji screamed.

Momentarily stunned by what she had said, Auruo paused in mid-air. Recognizing the danger, I quickly lept off of Lucifer and scaled the nearest tree. Auruo began to scream as the Titan plucked him up out of the sky. Thankfully, Levi was able to sever the arm that held his subordinate hostage, and with a quick leap off of a branch paired with a backflip, I safely landed a cut on the Titan's vulnerable neck.

Landing lightly on the ground with the help of my 3DMG, I gazed, unconcerned, at the whimpering Auruo who still lay in the things hand. If Levi hadn't been there, he would have been injured severely, or at worst, devoured.

Already taking his trusty white handkerchief out of his pocket, Levi began to wipe the blood off. "Are you okay?"

Sniffling, Auruo had a hard time responding. "Captain, I'll follow your orders forever!"

"Hey! What about me? I killed the damn thing."

"I would have died if Captain Levi hadn't been here. You might have gotten rid of it, but he was the one who saved me."

"You wouldn't have needed saving if you hadn't put yourself in danger in the first place. For someone who wants to be Levi's second, you sure have a long way to go," I sneered.

Pissed, he stood up and approached me, "Don't act so tough. You would have gotten caught if you had been in the same position!"

"Why did you kill him?" Hanji cried out as she fell to her knees. "He was going to be an important specimen. If we could have brought him back to headquarters, humanity might have taken a step forward."

Shocked hearing how easily his life would have been thrown away by Hanji for the pursuit of her research, Auruo didn't move.

Worried, I ran up to Levi who was stalking towards the woman with anger plastered all over his features. Staying out of the way, I prepared to take action if Hanji or him drew out their weapons with the emotions running so high.

"You stupid four-eyed bitch," he snarled in her face, "end up as Titan shit if you want to, but don't ever endanger the lives of my men."

Silence befell on everyone. Part from Levi's rage and part from his statement. Unusual to hear such a passionate declaration from the man, I smiled despite myself. Feeling warm, I looked around to see how everyone else reacted to his words. Eld and Auruo seemed pleased, Leon looked bemused, and Petra seemed as if she might start crying at any moment. For a second, Isabel and Farlan popped into my mind. It wasn't that no one thought he didn't care, it was just that he never actually showed it. Maybe it had something to do with him losing everything before.

Everything shattered right when Hanji opened her giant mouth. "Titans don't defecate." Her statement so mind-blowing that even Levi seemed surprised. "They don't have a digestive system."

Jaws hanging wide open, I hurriedly approached the two of them. "Just let her go, Levi."

Shoving her away from him, Levi stomped off. I could hear Petra in the distance thanking him for saving Auruo accompanied by wondering if he had gotten himself hurt in the process. Her soft trill words not bringing any of the usual pain as I stared down at Hanji. Bending down, I offered her a hand.

"Do you think I was in the wrong, Saph?" She asked as she took ahold of my palm.

"Completely," I responded as I helped her up. Tightening my hold, I yanked her until my mouth stopped right next to her ear. "I don't care how far you go to get the info you want on Titans, but don't you dare endanger Levi because of it."

Not at all perturbed by my threatening tone, Hanji gave me a curious look. "I don't know why you feel the need to protect Humanity's Strongest."

With the image of a smiling blonde hair boy and a red-haired girl with pigtails still in my head, I answered her in all seriousness, "Because he is still human."

"Fine. Fine. I'll be more careful next ti-" Hanji stopped mid-way. Craning my neck, I saw that Petra had caught her attention. didn't ask anything else. We both inspected Petra who seemed to be trying to say something.

"Did a Titan do that?" She asked, her voice barely above a whisper as she raised a shaking index finger.

The whole squad focused on what she was pointing at. The eerie sight sent shivers down my spine. A headless body in a gap in the tree. It adorned a Survery Corps outfit. Clenching my fist, I took a few steps forward. It was a creepy yet interesting sight that I couldn't seem to pull away from.

Only Hanji was willing to approach it. Her demeanor somber as she went up to scrutinize what could exclusively be a dead member of the Survey Corps. "This soldier died a year ago. Their name… let's see… Ilse Langnar. I can't believe it. Why would a Titan do such a thing?" Stepping down from the roots, Hanji faced all of us. Her eyes widened, "Levi? What's that?"

Not paying attention to what my Captain had been doing, I spun around. Holding our breaths in collective anticipation, we watched as he flipped through the pages of what looked like to be a journal. "It's the fruit of Ilse Langnar's labor. It says that the Titan we had just killed... spoke."