Chapter 87
Rebirth

"To them, it was just gas that was made into a weapon. Because that gas contained my own spinal fluid. Any Subject of Ymir who inhaled it would be rendered frozen – unable to move. All I had to do was open my mouth, and through the Paths, I send the power of the Titans to those paralyzed fools. That's why the Titan's from that village moved to my Will…"

"Show some damn respect…" Came the bellow of Fury. A hand raising in front of her belonging to Levi, as the two of them sat around a fire with Zeke opposite.

"It's not "that" village. It's called Ragako." Levi would correct sternly. "That's the name of the village full of innocent people, just living their every day lives, that you came along and ruined."

Pushing his glasses up, Zeke gave a nod. "I wish it was something I didn't have to do. But if I didn't, the Marleyan's would have learned that I was allied to Eldia; to Paradis. It would have been impossible for me to have brought hope to this island at that point... Didn't I already tell you lot this when I first landed? Why must this one here, especially, keep bring it up?" His thumb pointed its way to Fury, who scoffed in return.

"We're not like you." Levi continued. "Because unlike you, we're capable of feeling guilt. And I don't really trust you to know if you actually do want to help save Eldia or not, but to me, it's clear as all hell that you don't give a shit about human life."

Zeke sighed, peering his gaze Fury's way. "… I bet he wasn't popular with you ladies when he was younger… Don't act like you know someone to know everything they're feeling."

"I know." Levi muttered. "And… I was popular enough."

"Well good to know!" Fury bolstered. Frowning, she stood, giving Zeke her glare as she turned to remove herself from being near him. It was getting harder every day being out here with him, knowing who he has taken from them all.

"What is her problem? Can't you both see I'm trying? I'm following orders to eventually meet up with Eren and get on with the experiments."

Levi's own glare then pierced Zeke's way. "She has a name. And how could you ask such a dumb-ass thing? Not only did you take away lives of people we cared for, but then you had the audacity to demand you get her pregnant. Now I'm not the one to decide things around here, but there are just some things in my own conscious I cannot allow to happen."

"And yet… You're okay with your Queen still bearing her own child, for the sake of eating me?" Zeke would hum. "Be thankful the offers into the negotiations were altered, or I'd be getting to know miss Fury a bit more out here for the sake of a very powerful child."

A twitch came Levi's way. A single intake of the biting cold air and he reluctantly releases his grip from his blade. Even if Zeke was just trying to get under everyone's skin, Levi didn't want to give him that satisfaction either. "As for Eren, that's another order we need to wait for."

"Well you should send on a message that if they think they have time to spare, they are mistaken."

"Captain Levi!" Came the bellow of another Scout, who hurried on over to the talking pair whilst Fury began pouring liquid into a cup and would begin to drink swiftly. She looked above her, to see the endless number of Scouts that Levi had brought with him out here; all just to keep Zeke in line. "News has been sent to us that Zackly has been assassinated."

"What?" Both Levi and Fury both spoke, then moving away from Zeke, who had then lifted a book he was reading, though doing his best to listen in on the distant conversation.

The soldier continued his message. "Apparently the Yeagerist's have control of everything in the walls. It has come to some belief that that it has been caused by Zeke, through the actions of Eren and Yelena. Now the Yeagerist's are wanting to bring Eren to Zeke themselves."

"Is Pyxis really just going to obey to that demand?" Fury would ask.

"I'm guessing they still have plans to have someone eat Eren…" Levi would mutter. A hand then clutched his head, eyes narrowing upon the flashbacks given to him in their many. "I've saved Eren's life over and over. My comrades dying every time. Yet I pushed on because I believed it was the best thing for humanity. And now where has that belief gotten me… If this is all a joke; it's a damn shit one. But what was that hope we once looked for? What did it feel like? All of that bullshit leading to this… Isabel, Farlan, Petra, Erwin…" Levi then glanced Fury's way, who stood with her own hand atop his shoulder, showing her concerned gaze over to him. The realization hit Levi. He'd lost many and yet there were still those who remained. Those who know how to deal with him; understand him.

"Levi..?" She would speak softly as the Captain lowered his hand and released his pained expression.

"If this is all about feeding someone to a Titan, there's a better option… Eren's not the only to have an appointment with death. Not when we have Zeke to give to someone too."

Fury took her hand away. "Is that such a good idea? I want that man punished as much as you do, but not a few moments ago, you affirmed you took orders from those in command."

"Rip his arms and legs off, if you have to." Levi growled, pulling himself away to go over and stand above the sitting Zeke, leaving Fury with the confused soldier.

"Is the Captain serious?" He would ask.

"Levi isn't one for jokes or lies…" Fury would mutter, giving a sigh and running a hand through her hair. "Just do as ordered. Go back to Pyxis. Tell him there's complications or something out here and that Zeke can't be allowed to remain."

"So you want me to lie instead? Squad Leader… I can't, what if things change?"

Fury's expression saddened. "Believe me, a lot of things are about to change…"

Swiftly, a gasp then left the mouths of Fury and the soldier, as behind them, an echoed roar left the mouth of Zeke as he was sprinting further away. Levi looked up to Fury's position with a widened and feared gaze, as around them, the Scouts that were brought on the mission began to fall from the treetops like dead leaves. Each of them grasping at their throats and dropping their weaponry from body numbness. As each fell, a blinding light consumed one by one, each of them hitting the ground below in their new Mindless Titan forms. The forest shone with radiant light as the earth then began to shake from the trampling of freshly made Titans.

Amid the chaos and swift changes of all the soldiers, the gust of wind that followed the single cluster of shifting was enough to throw Fury off the treetop herself; her back and head slamming against another nearby tree as her unconscious form itself fell to the ground in its now broken state. As for Levi, witnessing all of his soldiers becoming Titans, who also believed Fury was now among them, barely had time to release his thoughts, as a Titan launched its way to him; though quick enough Levi has always been to anchor his ODM high enough out of the way.

And for the brief moment it allowed him, with gritted teeth, Levi recalled the answer to this situation.

"Wine?" Fury asked. "Since when was alcohol given when out on missions?"

One soldier squealed in anticipation. "Squad Leader! Captain! You guys! This is rare Marleyan wine that only the lads in the MP gets to drink! Come on! Let us live a little!"

"That's what tea is for…" Levi mumbled, recalling Fury taking a drink of something herself as the rest of the Soldiers hustled around the crates full of the wine offered to them.

Recalling this, the reality hit Levi. "Shit! Was Zeke's spinal fluid in that wine? How long ago was that set up?! But their bodies never froze though, like he expressed those in Ragako did. Was that another lie?" His eyes began to frantically scan each Titan that was now clawing the tree he was anchored to. "Fury… Did you drink it too? I don't see you!" His eyes widened as the Titan's began to grasp at being able to climb the tree, causing Levi to scurry further up with being chased from behind. "This isn't normal behavior for Titans! Is that because of you too, Zeke?!"

Swiftly, Levi altered his direction to avoid the launching bite from a Titan behind him, and yet, all he could wonder was if the soldier's he called comrades were still in there at all. Did they have any free will left? He barely had time to ponder… It was either Levi's life today, or that of those he could only view as monsters now. He inhaled, calming himself. The gripping of his cutters came after, along with the shredding of all of the napes belonging to the Titan's. Each one falling and beginning to disintegrate. Each one a life cruelly cut short so that one man could make his escape.

And now Levi was coming for Zeke.

"Not again!" Came the feared bellow of Zeke as he bit hard into his own flesh, giving him the power to transform into his Beast Titan as Levi pursued. "Well then, come and face me, Levi!" He would call out whilst hardening his nape. "What happened to your comrades and your cute little girlfriend?! You didn't kill all of them, did you?! The poor things… All so young!"

"Desperate!" Levi came from above Zeke's Titan, Thunder Spears at hand. "All you had to be was a good boy and sit in silence. I'm not sure what gave you the idea that you could run from me. You think I'd hesitate to kill Titans just because they were my own soldiers? Because they were someone special? Do you have any idea how many people I've had to kill already?!"

Levi launched a barrage of Thunder Spears to Zeke's nape, avoiding the Titan's reach to grab him before they punctured through his crystal. One by one, Levi pulled on the fine thread that caused each to trigger. Each one exploding enough to shred Zeke's nape apart and leave his own body as mangled flesh as it already began to try and heal itself. Levi approached the man, lifting him by what hair upon his head he had left. "Alive? Good. I wasn't ready to kill you. Not yet."

Though it was some time, Zeke was soon able to open his reformed eyes. Coughing up blood whilst still in the process of healing. "Stop moving." Levi ordered as Zeke felt the deepened pain in his abdomen. "There's a wire connected to that Thunder Spear that's buried in you. One wrong move, and there's no coming back from it. Now listen closely. You toyed with the lives of my soldiers. Took yet another friend from me. Was it also your plan to end up here with me sobbing and covered in your own shit and blood?"

"Where… Are… My glasses?" Zeke would cough.

Levi huffed. "I don't give a crap. You won't be needing them anymore."

"I have… a Mission… Euthanasia…"

"Say that again?"

"Euthanize… Eldia… ! I won't let you down!"

Zeke pulled at the wiring connected to the Thunder Spear with what strength he had. With widened eyes, Levi moved as quick as he could before the explosion set alight. But it was swift. Both caught up in the destruction as its shrapnel found its way into Levi, hurling him far enough that he almost landed in the nearby stream and dismembering two of his trigger fingers for his ODM. Zeke now a shattered remain as light rain began to fall, dimming the fires left behind from the blast and leaving Levi's life left unknown.
In the remains of the forest, the distant explosion brought an unconscious Fury back to life. She gasped for air, and then clung to her abdomen, able to feel the displacement of her own ribs within. Confused, she looked around to see the still disintegrating remains of the soldiers she accompanied not moments ago.

"… what happened...?" She asked herself. Head pounding and even her back in pain too, Fury pulled herself to her feet and dragged herself forward. With no sign of Zeke or Levi, it didn't take her long to put two together. And with hearing the nearby explosion, her heart began to thud.

Grimacing and doing her best to stay balanced, Fury leaned forward, finding and picking her canteen in which Levi saw her drink out of, unbeknownst to him that it was just water she herself poured from the nearby stream leading out of the forest. Now, she began to follow it, though not before finding a set of spare cutters to leave with, as the rest of her ODM had been shattered by her impact. "I hope… you're okay…" Fury breathed. Each step more tiring than the last until she finally exited and stepped into fresh light. She took a quick knee, though the rest itself could not last long.

"Floch!" Called a soldier, pointing to her as the rest aimed their guns. Fury, confused, only then saw one thing in the distance; that being Hange holding an appeared to be dead Levi. Her eyes shook, and Fury shoved aside her pain to get back to her feet and hurry over, shoving the soldiers aside along the way.

"What happened?!" She cried out, kneeling next to Hange. "Hange, what happened?!"

"Didn't know the Bloodborn was still alive…" Floch addressed, standing above the two, who both held onto Levi.

"Just shoot him in the head!" Barked another soldier, earning a deathly glare from Fury, who's body was frantically shaking. The rain wetting her clothes and loosening her hair that it covered her face more.

"He's already dead…" Hange muttered, Fury then swiftly looking over to her with the inability to believe it. Hange looked back to Fury as she continued to speak. "The Thunder Spear's explosion has short range, but up close, it cannot be survived. It seems the shrapnel of it ripped through Levi's skin and tore his organs to shreds."

"Show him to me." Floch ordered. Yet neither Fury or Hange pulled their gaze away from each other.

The sudden appearance of one last Titan from within the forest then emerged upon them all, as they watched it collapse to the ground and writhe in pain; smoke beginning to be pulled in and consumed by the Titan instead of it usually emitting outwards upon their deaths.

Every watched on in confusion, even Hange as Fury then cupped Levi's cheek, who himself then managed to twitch and show her he was still alive and that Hange was doing her best to sway Floch away from shooting him. Her eyes fluttered as water filled them, glad to know he clung on. A small pull to Hange's cloak was then made, and whilst Floch stared on at the Titan, the two female's pulled Levi into the flowing stream and made their escape; soldiers then starting to shoot bullets their way as Floch accepted their run.
A single body then fell from the womb of the Titan amidst the smoke. Laying there was a naked Zeke; fully recovered.

"Zeke?" Floch called, running over whilst placing his rifle behind his shoulder as Zeke stood onto his feet. "What the hell happened?"

"A little girl…" He muttered. "Kneading sand and reshaping my body. It felt like years in that place… Yet it seems to be less than a day here. Was I seeing Paths?"

"Where are the Scouts that accompanied you and Levi out here?"

"No longer an issue to us now. What of the Ackerman and the Bloodborn?" Zeke would respond non-coherently.

Floch frowned. "They took to the stream, along with Hange. I can only assume Captain Levi was still alive."

"No matter…" Zeke inhaled, moving forward. "Nothing stands in my way of getting to Eren now, assuming you can still take me to him?"

Floch nodded, giving one last glance over at the stream; disliking the fact he was made to be a fool of by Fury and Hange, who themselves now heaved Levi's limp body onto the river bank and taking deep breaths from being in the water for so long.

Fury, having enough of a break, checked over Levi again, noting the pieces of his cutter buried into his skin upon his face.

"He'll be okay." Hange affirmed. "Gonna leave some nasty scars, but he's alive. What happened with Zeke?"

Fury shook her head. "Zeke, he… I guess he tried taking off. Turned all the scouts into Titans. I think the blast from the Thunder Spear was what had me recover from being knocked unconscious… I saw you holding Levi and… And…"

"I know you two are close." Hange sighed, though earning a raised brow from Fury. "But he's not out of it yet. We have to get this shrapnel out before his wounds get infected. What's worse is that Floch will most likely have sent people out to look for us. The killing just doesn't stop…"

Fury fretted. "One of us is going to have to go back. To let the others know of what's changed. But I can't in good conscious leave Levi out here in this state…" She would take a glance down at Levi. A violent slash now traced his right cheek and through his eye, and it didn't take her long to see he was also missing fingers. She clenched her eyes closed whilst holding onto his hand to offer him comfort. And yet all she could think of was how Zeke almost took that last line of sanity from her by nearly killing the one person she's known since her teenage years. With the revelations of Eren's truth still only known to her, Fury was left confused now more than ever.