Part 63
The Night Before…

They both shared a longing kiss. Erwin and Fury. That was once all their clothes had returned to being on them.
Silence only surrounded them both. Their lips quickly pulling away from each others as a pound rippled from a knock on Erwin's office door.

"Come in!" He invited, using his only hand to fasten the button left on his shirt. Fury making sure to sit back in her chair, away from the Commander, as it was Levi who came through the threshold. His eyes dark from the circles of tiredness around them. The Captain slouched against the closed door, eyeing both Fury and Erwin.
The two had no clue as to what he just heard.

"Leave." Levi then spoke at Fury. His tone low.

Fury stood from her chair, her brows narrowed. "Excuse me?" She was then interrupted by Erwin himself, who had raised his hand in order to quickly stop the two from verbally sparring. Things still haven't been the same since Levi gained his truth and discovered Fury knew of Kenny, his connections, all these years. The Captain still struggled to see things from her point of view.
Fury sighed. Her eyes briefly closing before they opened once more to offer their glare at Levi, who had stepped aside for her to leave. Even being kind enough to open the door for her. Yet Fury herself did not want to argue with Levi. Because she, unlike him, has been able to put herself in his shoes after he learned Kenny was his uncle. She knew she had hurt him in some way. But Levi has always been good at hiding his deep nature. Just like she was. Something Kenny taught them well.

"Fasten your buttons properly." Levi muttered to her as their shoulders skimmed passed each other's. Though neither men could see, Fury's cheeks reddened as she emitted a disgruntled noise, closing the door behind her.

Silence once again. Erwin himself feeling unnerved. "What is it, Levi?"

"It's quick thinking…. But what will you do personally after Wall Maria has been retaken?" Levi would ask, placing both of his hands into his overcoats pockets. "Perhaps a defence plan comes first, but I'm talking about after that."

"We eliminate the threats that remain." Erwin hastily responded, and yet he did so in the commanding tone he is so used to using. "Outside the walls, there seems to be someone hoping that the Titans eradicate us all. Of course, the answer to who that is, I imagine, is in the basement beneath Eren's old house.
As I stated earlier, all plans will be made after the basement is reached."

Levi's eyes narrowed. "I'm only asking this because not many of us might live that long. You yourself can no longer move the way you used to.
So let Hange call the shots. You'll be nothing but dead weight anyway.
I can tell people, like Fury, that I argued with you until you gave in. So are you fine with that?"

Erwin frowned. All he could see in that moment was his father, telling him the stories he came to believe in about a world beyond the walls, the Bloodborns and that the King was nothing but a sham.
"Oh I'm fine being food." He would mutter, causing Levi to widen his eyes. "Use me as bait. The chain of command still remains. If I do die, then Hange will replace me as the Commander. And if Hange dies, the next will take her place too. It's true, everything that happens next will be dangerous, but… to humanity, it's more important than anything else. That is why I go to such lengths. This is all my plan. If I don't do it, the success rate will plummet."

"Yeah, that's right. The operation might fail… But if you bite the dust in the process, we're all fucked either way. So sit at your damn desk and keep using your head. For humanity, it's the best thing going for us." There came a short pause from Levi as his head lowered, his short frame still slouched against the door. "And I need someone here for Fury to come back to…"

Erwin's eyes were then the ones to widen. Levi was smart. Of course he knew of his little affair with Fury. But why did he care? And yet, all Erwin could do was disagree. "You're wrong. Our best bet is for me to gamble it all-"

"Hey, hey, hey!" Levi barked. "Hold up… Keep using that shitty bluff around me and I'll break both of your legs. I'll do it nice and easy, so that they recover quickly. Either way, the operation to retake Wall Maria will proceed with you sat weeping in here. It'll be a bitch to get to the can though."

Erwin chuckled. "I'd like to avoid that… However, there will come a time when we learn the truth of our world… And I must be there for it."

"Is a dream that much more important to you than the likes of my friend?" Levi asked. A single blink coming from him. "More than humanity's victory?"

"Yes." It was one word. A word Erwin didn't need the time to even think on. And it was enough to stutter Levi.
The Captain sighed, followed by a nod as he turned and opened the door. "Then I will trust your judgement."


Night had fallen. The rustle within the Mess Hall bellowed out into the quiet streets as the Scouts were given a lavishing meal before the battle to retake Maria begins tomorrow.

Fury sat upon a set of stairs. Her eyes focused on the sky above her. It was a simple thing, but she was glad that she could still see the stars. She rubbed her hands. The chill of the air only meant that winter was closing in. She placed both under her arms, to keep them warm as a small gust of wind whistled by her.

"… O-Ouch…" Came the disgruntled groan behind her. Fury turned her head, only sighing when seeing it was Eren. "Oh… great…" He would then mumble to himself as he rubbed both his winded stomach and busted lip.

Fury chuckled. "Who beat the shit out of you this time, shithead?"

"Nobody!" Eren hissed, earning him rolled eyes from Fury. The boy then sighed, bravely taking a seat on a step right next to Fury herself, who strangely did not object. "Captain Levi busted both me and Jean when we were tussling. Argh… Right in my nuts, too!"

"Yeah… Sounds like something Levi would do." Fury muttered. "I swear he enjoys it sometimes…"

"I heard you've known the Captain for some years, right? Can't you tell him to take it easy on us?"

"And why would I do that? Frankly, you're all getting off soft with him. Discipline makes the best soldier… Or so they say. Believe it or not, but Levi is looking out for you all. Just like he did with his old squad. Just because he beats the shit out of you for being a jumped up little prick doesn't mean he don't like you…"

"Little…? Ah, never mind…" Eren huffed, also folding his arms due to the nightly chill.

"Just… keep doing what you have to do, shithead, and Levi will be on you less and less. He doesn't like weakness. Who the hell does, anyway?"

Eren paused for a moment. "Whether I'm seen as weak or not, I'll always do what I have to do. Though I can't seem to help thinking about the stuff I just can't change. Wondering why I can't be strong like Mikasa and the Captain. Or even you. I think I've just been jealous… But even Levi alone can't do much himself. Which is why… we all need to find things that we can do. I think by joining together, that can make us all powerful. Because every person is different."

What could Fury say to that? It was comprehended. And yet her thoughts travelled back to how her life was before she found friends. Eren made his point. Alone, she was weak. With them, she was strong.
"Yeah… I guess you're right." A timid smile grew on her face. Her heart wished it enough for her eyes to let her see Isabel and Farlan, play fighting in front of her. Whilst she would be making the food and Levi would appear to break up the fight. Followed by complaints from Isabel whilst Farlan, with pride, would claim that Isabel owed him her favourite blanket. Fury's eyes softened. A glaze of water layering over her hues as the pigmentation of her friends vanished from before her.

"Eren… do you think that once we all retake Wall Maria… and shut down all the enemies coming for us… will they come back? Those days…"

"I'll bring them back." Eren replied with resolve, unaware that Fury's pain cut deep, just like his own. "But Fury… even you must know that some things are forever changed… Let both of us make them pay for that."

Fury nodded. Her eyes clearing, then took to looking at the stars once again. "We'll see." She whispered. "But what about your friend Armin? Doesn't he have a dream to see something called the Sea? I can't help but believe his little stories that there is more than just Titans out there.
The village I stayed at, as well as Isaah. Both proof that life can happen beyond these damn walls."

"Armin joined the Scouts for that dream of his. Of seeing the Sea that he claims is full of salt. That dream of his has kept him fighting." Eren recalled. "But I've always doubted that it ever exists. And yet, Armin still believes that it does. So I guess we'll all have to see it together."