A White Bird with Blue Eyes.

It hadn't taken long for the news of Lily's twenty-fourth birthday to spread amongst her friends like a raging wildfire — something she attributed to her two mischievous brothers. Most likely an attempt to have some fun at Lily's expense. And so she stood, several pairs of excited eyes watched her as she threw the two perpetrators a sour expression.

"You've had this planned for a while, haven't you?" She accused Joshua, the older man throwing his arms up in a mock surrender as he gestured to the others that had cornered the blonde woman within the mess hall between duties.

"Hey, I merely said your birthday is soon. It was their idea to go out drinking to celebrate." The brown haired man defended, nudging Timothy's shoulder in the meanwhile.

"He's not lying. For once." Timothy merely added.

"Hey, come on now. I'm not that bad."

"You are." Timothy and Lily's blunt response echo each other as they glanced between themselves, finally settling on glaring at their eldest.

"C'mon Lillian. How often do we actually get a chance to head into Trost off duty?" Eld reasoned, giving her an encouraging smile. Lily threw the tall blonde man a sour look.

"You're using my birthday as an excuse to get shit-faced." She pointed out bluntly, her hands resting on her hips as she leaned against the table she was nearest.

"Who knows, getting out of headquarters might do you some good." Gunther interjected, giving her a comradely pat on her shoulder.

"Not you too Gunther," Lily scowled, her arms now crossing over her chest. "And I thought you might understand."

The dark haired man merely shrugged. "Can't blame me for not wanting to miss out on the obvious entertainment."

"C'mon Lily," Petra encouraged. "Is there anything that will convince you to go?"

Lily thought for a moment. She honestly preferred not going all together. The inns often reminded her of Lady Caroline's and while the burly woman was manageable, the crowd of any underground tavern was about as pleasant as horse shit. Drunk sleazy men with no sense of boundaries, thugs and gang members acting like they owned the place — granted above ground was far more amicable, she still would prefer just spending her time enjoying some free time alone. Probably sketching some landscapes or immersing herself in a good book.

Still, Petra was eagerly awaiting her terms and Lily was struck with an idea she thought was equally cheeky as it was fool proof. she straightened, staring her ginger friend dead in the eye as she said. "Convince the Captain to come and you've convinced me to."

"Done." Petra replied immediately, causing Lily to blink, almost stunned by the ginger's confidence in their agreement. Lily stiffened but refused to back down. She had committed to it now, lest her pride take an unwanted hit.

"I don't know how you'll pull this one off Petra." Oluo interjected, his tone weary as he gave her a doubting stare. Petra lifted her chin in defiance as she shook her head.

"Just wait and see Oluo. Lily will be eating her words very shortly." The ginger swiftly left the room, her face fixed in a determined expression as her ginger locks swished about her at her furious pace.

Watching as her form disappeared around the corner, Lily whipped her head in the direction of the rest of the group. "Did I miss something?"

Eld merely shrugged, a small, almost knowing smile graced his lips as he departed from the room in a casual manner. Gunther laughed to himself, shrugging his shoulders as he left the room after Eld.

"Don't look at me!" Oluo exclaimed, shrinking away from Lily's accusing glare. Her brothers looked about as confused and shocked as Lily felt. The two glancing between each other before shrugging.

"Hey, if she's actually able to convince him to come then I won't complain." Joshua remarked.

"Oh, of course. Hate the Captain any other day of the week but put alcohol in front of you and suddenly you couldn't give a shit." Lily snarked, her tone bitter as she huffed petulantly. "Typical."

"What can I say? I'm a simple man." Joshua shrugged. "Besides, you were trying to convince me I had the wrong read on him just a few months ago. Maybe I started listening to you."

"That's a first."

"You're awfully sassy today, Lil." Timothy pointed out, to which Lily outwardly ignored with a blank stare. Her two brothers laughed at her as Oluo scampered away, not willing to chance her wrath for the day.


As it turned out, yes. Petra had managed to convince their Captain to come along to their little adventure into Trost for Lily's birthday. How her ginger friend had achieved that was beyond her. What was even more startling was how quick it seemed for the dark haired man to agree to it. Perhaps Petra really did have a way with people. That or she found Hange to bother him with it, Lily really couldn't tell.

Hange had caught on about the little escapade through Timothy. The little rascal had more than likely blabbered to the Section-commander knowing full well they'd jump at the chance. Lily often found herself wondering when their strange friendship had developed, yet oddly enough she couldn't help but think Hange had all but adopted her to be their friend.

With this all in mind, it subsequently led Lily into her current predicament; what to wear. Lily wasn't usually one for agonising over such a meaningless detail, not since she entered this world at the very least. Her student's performances or championships she often just wore a smart suit with her usual amount of make-up. But now she was slightly out of her depth.

It was now that, alone, looking at the mirror of her dresser in her shared dorm did she realise how out of place her mind felt, at times she'd remember her life before it all. The simplicity of the problems back then, her day to day life, her hopes and dreams seemed so endlessly far away and yet in her heart of hearts she knew she still had so far to go.

And then there were moments like now; how she felt her life now blurred into the details of her past life. Seven year she had spent living in Paradis and still as time continued on she felt the old part of herself drift further and further away. Faces and names became more difficult to remember as places blurred in her memory. She still had difficulty remembering which day was her birthday — she had spent so long on her feet that moments as simple as a birthday seemed to slip by her unnoticed.

She let out a sigh then, watching her shoulders lose their tensed posture in the mirror. If she were honest, she barely remembered what she looked like back then. All she sees is herself now; toned with muscles, covered in scars both shallow and deep, a permanent shadow upon her face.

Once again she had changed. She wasn't the fresh recruit to the survey corps, but a veteran now, going on her second year. A member of the most elite squad under the one known as Humanity's strongest. And now she too held a symbol of hope for those amongst the regiment. Humanity's defender.

The title always caused her face to sour in distaste. She doubted she'd ever not feel out of place with that title. She didn't deserve it, not when she had lost her first squad. Not when Daveen, Terrance and Lucas still remained left behind.

But they will never be forgotten.

That she promised to herself. So long as she breathed she'd remember them. It was the least she could do, after all it's all she could do.

She shook her head, the last thing she needed was that morbid mindset bringing down everyone's moods. No, she'd focus on changing into a simple tan ankle-length skirt and white blouse, being sure to wrap Lyra's blue scarf around her neck.

She paused at her doorway, her golden eyes locked onto the soft blue of her scarf held gingerly in her hands. It would be three years soon since they lost Lyra. Lily often dreamed about that day — of when Lyra's body crumpled to the floor, of when Lily hadn't hesitated to shoot that MP, and of the last words the dark haired woman had spoken. If there were one thing Lily regretted — it'd be the fact she never kept her promise to the woman, of her seeing the sky.

Her hand clenched around the precious object. I will keep them safe Lyra.

Her eyes caught the forms of her brothers; Timothy in a simple tan shirt and brown pants, with Joshua sporting black dress pants and a white shirt. The pair greeted her with matching smiles.

"Look at you, wearing a skirt, didn't think I'd see the day." Joshua whistled lowly, jokingly wiggling his eyebrows knowing full well it'd ruffle her feathers.

"C'mon Josh it's her birthday, let her dress up a bit." Timothy nudged the brown haired man playfully.

"Knock it off you two." She hissed, scowling at the pair. "Don't make me wipe those shitty grins off your face myself."

"And get my fresh shirt dirty? Wouldn't dream of it." Joshua's smile reminded her of a Cheshire's grin, the man holding out his arm for the blonde woman to loop her own with. Lily let out a long huff, rolling her eyes but accepting the gesture, allowing her elder brother to lead her off towards Trost, Timothy trailing beside them, his hands in the pockets of his pants.

The night air was crisp, the biting of winter hinted at its rapid approach in the way Lily tugged at her sleeves in an attempt to stave off the cold. Joshua rubbed her arms playfully, jostling the smaller woman jokingly.

"Josh-!" She exclaimed, batting him away with a light scowl. "Don't be an ass."

"Take one to know one." He rebutted, his smile widening so much so that it was almost contagious. "Besides, you looked cold. Needed to warm you up somehow."

"Oh shut it." She'd shove him roughly, the action doing little more than speed up his walking for a few paces before he'd chase her off with an attempt to pick her up. Lily couldn't fight off the smile that stretched across her features.

"You know it's been a while since I've seen you two smile so broadly." Timothy interrupted, his face oddly fond as he watched the two. His blue eyes had lost their edge and adopted a younger expression to them. "It's nice."

A hum left Joshua, his gaze turning towards the night sky, the twinkling of stars greeting him as his face turned more relaxed, a content expression taking hold of his features. "It has been a while, hasn't it. Do you think she's watching us?"

"Lyra?" Timothy asked, his gaze following Joshua's shortly after a contemplative moment. "I guess so. I think she'd be proud of us — for what it's worth."

"That or berating us. Probably both." Lily interjected, her gaze following her brothers, golden eyes watching the now familiar constellations fondly. "We made it didn't we? We're above-ground, staring at the stars, rising to the sun every morning..."

"No more starving, not worrying about Lady Caroline breathing down our necks." Joshua added.

"You mean breathing down your neck, Josh." Lily pointed out bluntly, her eyes rolling as she glanced at the brunette. "You being almost consistently late to courier meetings."

"Hey, I wasn't going to turn down a free drink…. Or three."

"Unbelievable…" Lily shook her head, her voice quiet yet amused as Timothy laughed, Joshua merely shrugging his shoulders in response.

A beat passed between them before Lily let out a long sigh, pausing to fix both her brothers with a firm stare. Timothy and Joshua stopped also, spinning around with confused glances towards her. Lily took a breath in. "I want you to know I'm proud of you — Both of you."

"You going soft on us now Lil?" Joshua's surprise was poorly hidden by the joke, shifting his stance somewhat as his gaze turned concerned. Timothy shot the elder brother a glare before fixing Lily with his own pair of concerned blue eyes.

"Put a sock in it Josh," Lily hissed, surging past the two men petulantly. "Last time I try to be nice."

Timothy's tension in his body seeped out alongside his exasperated chuckle, Joshua sputtered for a moment, "Wha- Hey! Wait up, Lil!"


The chime of the bell within The Trusty Traveler announced their arrival, several sets of eyes darted towards the trio's entry with varying degrees of excitement. Lily's eyes found the group situated in the same place they had been during Petra's celebration into the Special Operations squad. The images of Lucas's animated gestures and smiling face alongside Terrance's more timid wide-eyed stares greeted her like a mirage under a hot sun.

The pang in her chest was smaller now, that much is all she was willing to dwell on. She was alive and they weren't, it was as simple as that. Or so she kept telling herself, unwilling to surrender herself to the hoard of grief left buried deep inside of her.

Time and place Lily.

Forcing a small smile onto her face as she nudges her brothers, sensing the familiar pulls of their own grief hiding behind their somber gazes. Joshua nodded his head to the bar, the unspoken words of 'I'll meet you there with the first round.' Floated between them.

Lily waved the brunette off, rolling her eyes as she pulled Timothy along by the sleeve of his tan shirt. The younger man rolled his blue eyes in turn, the beginnings of a smile tugging at the corner of his lips at the small determined woman before him.

"Lillian!" Petra holiered, a tankard in hand as it sloshed slightly. "Happy birthday!"

Lily's nose scrunched up in amusement towards her ginger friend. The tipsy woman gestured broadly to the group as they too sent her birthday wishes and warm smiles. Lily's eyes wandered over the familiar faces at the table. Hange had sat herself down next to Petra, the brunette slung an arm over her shoulder as the two would giggle like school children. Gunther and Eld sat on Hange's flank, Timothy already taking the spot next to Gunther, immediately immersing himself in a quiet conversation with the dark haired man. Oluo had his back facing towards Lily, waving Petra off as she giggled drunkenly.

"Well, looks like you lot already got started before us!" Joshua had reappeared, deftly holding several tankards of ale in his hands, dropping them onto the table with a heavy thunk. "Oi, Oluo. You betting we can beat Eld in a drinking competition?"

Oluo craned his neck up from opposite the girls, tossing the tall man a pompous look. "Is that really a question?"

"That some big talk, Oluo. You sure you want Petra to carry you back to headquarters again?" Eld shot towards the other blonde, his smile wide on his face as he lazed on his chair, reclined back slightly as he gestured with his Ale.

Oluo sputtered, his cheeks heating up a dusty pink colour as he dipped his head, averting his gaze as he muttered something about his drink supposedly being spiked. Petra tutted at him, before Hange nudged the ginger playfully.

"Oi, quit squabbling and find a room you two!" The scientist exclaimed, the table bursting into a fit of racious laughter as Lily's two friends turned red from embarrassment.

"Hange!" Petra scolded, sounding awfully like a mother disciplining a child. "We are- that's not going to happen!"

Lily shook her head, taking the open seat next to Petra as she watched Eld, Oluo and Joshua pull their chairs closer together, stealing a free table to place their drinks as they prepared for their own little contest. In the corner of her eye she spotted Gunther and Timothy exchanging money, clearly placing bets on who they believed would tap out first.

Petra surged out of her chair at lightning speed, the screech of the chair's abrupt movement causing the men to pause their work and glance up at the surprisingly energetic woman with concern.

"We haven't given Lily her gifts yet! Don't start getting too drunk already!" Petra scolded, her face pulling into a petulant scowl as she gestured animatedly. She had already pulled out a small, cloth sack from her person, grabbing hold of Lily's hand to deposit the item into her palm gently. "This is from all of us."

Lily blinked, surprised they even thought of something to get her. She glanced up, a smile working its way onto her face as she murmured her thanks.

"Don't thank us yet, you haven't even opened it." Eld pointed out with a smile, gesturing to the bag encouragingly. Lily took a breath in, pulling the string apart that held the small sack closed. Slipping her hands into the bag, she noted the item within was cold, almost freezing as her fingers slid over something smooth.

Pulling it out gently, Lily's golden eyes widened upon finally seeing what it was. A small, silver bird that fit perfectly within her palm greeted her with a sparkling, soft blue quartz in the place where its eye would be. On the back was a small pin, meant to act as almost a broach on someone's person. Glancing up to see Petra's expectant amber gaze, Lily breathed out her Thanks with a soft breath.

"It's for your scarf — to keep it around your neck." Petra supplied helpfully, eagerly smiling as she noted Lily's awe stricken face.

"We know how much it means to you and after you lost it that day on training, we figured it'd be a good idea to keep the scarf around your neck no matter how fast you fly." Eld added, his face tender and soft, an understanding shone behind his warm eyes.

"Thank you, all of you." Lily said softly, her hands holding the small gift with tender care, already beginning to fix it into place on her scarf, feeling her whole soul warm at the heartfelt gift.

"It's Oluo's idea." Petra gestured to the blonde man, who seemed to flush under the added attention, waving it off as if it was nothing. Lily's small smile widened slightly at the petulant way Oluo responded.

"I mean it's a bird. We're the scouts wearing the wings of freedom. It's not that creative." He shrugged. Joshua patted him generously on the arm.

"Yea but it has meaning." Joshua interjected, glancing over toward Lily's transfixed expression, her hand yet to leave the object. "Anyway, we also got you some stuff too Lil."

She blinked again, her head tilting to the side as she opened her mouth, ready to object. Timothy held his hand up, a package in his hand as he said, "Too late!"

He handed her the package, Joshua also passing her a smaller one as the two watched her eagerly open the plain tan paper. Her eyes found a new brown leather journal, her hands gently tracing its leather binding with care as her gaze filtered over to the set of sketching pencils.

"We remembered back in the day you used to spend a bit of time writing and drawing who-knows-what in that old black journal of yours. Figured you could use a new one and since we actually earn money now, we wanted to get you something nicer this year." Joshua supplied, his smile broad and full.

Lily blinked away the burning in her eyes as she nodded her head in thanks, untrusting of her voice as she gingerly tucked away the gifts to the side. She smiled then, full and wide and hurting her cheeks as she mirrored the barely-held-back-tear-filled expression her brothers wore.

The night continued on, Oluo and Joshua pulling in Eld for a comradely drinking contest as Timothy and Gunther exchanged won money between the two. Petra huffed petulantly as her gaze filtered across to the entry-way and back towards Hange.

"He said he'd come." Petra grumbled, crossing her arms over her chest as she glared at her tankard. Hange merely patted the ginger on her head despite the shorter woman's swatting.

"He's a busy man. Sure, he's just doing paperwork and drowning himself in tea." Hange dismissed with a wave of their hand. Petra huffed, her face dropping slightly. Lily tilted her head at the woman, curious as to what would elicit such a response.

"Everything alright?" Lily asked softly, her expression neutral as she nursed her tankard. Petra startled, mouth opening to say something but stalling as her gaze drifted behind Lily's form, a smile pulling at her lips.

"Captain! You made it!" Petra beamed, surging out of her chair so quickly it groaned at the movement. Hange leaned back from the jarring movement of the ginger, letting out a startled sound in the meanwhile.

"Tch, this place is a mess. And so are all of you." Was the Captain's blunt greeting, his disdain written across his face as he stood a few paces back from the group's table. The other's shared their greetings to their Captain. However Oluo's demeanour seemed to drop slightly.

Lily narrowed her eyes as she watched his form. Oluo's eyes darted to and from the figures of the Captain and Petra, a forlorn expression creeping onto his face until Joshua pulled his attention back towards their competition. Lily tugged at her scarf, the curious interaction causing her to wonder if there was more to Oluo's play-acting as the Captain then both herself and Petra first assumed.

Her musings were drawn to a sudden stop at the sound of a chair being pulled out besides her. To her left, Captain Levi had settled himself in the free chair beside her, his posture Leaning back, an arm over the backrest as he waved off the offering of a drink, opting instead to merely listen to the group's conversation, permanent boredom etched into his features.

Lily's gaze drifted over the group before her, a small smile settling itself on her face as she merely soaked in the energy of her friends. Joshua, Oluo and Eld's consecutive slamming of drinks once they finished their cups. The hushed voices and slight jabs Gunther and Timothy shared as they watched the other three. Petra's slurred conversation matching Hange's own as the two often would break out into songs or Petra lurching out of her chair to scold someone.

The atmosphere was surreal, almost a different world entirely all of their own. Like the threat that lingered at their doorstep was nothing more than a story to scare children; a fairytale in a distant reality.

Something jarring clawed its way into the forefront of her mind. A vicious and sinister thought that demanded her full attention so much so that her chest suddenly felt constricted by a heavy rock. A feeling that encased her being in dread.

Memories collided with reality and suddenly she was back in time, to where it was just Squad Daveen, celebrating Petra's new position. To when those familiar faces were smiling and happy, when their own little world had existed, ignorant to their impending doom right around the corner.

The room suddenly felt too hot, too suffocating and too loud all at once. Lily's hand flew to her scarf, adjusting it slightly as if it would assist in letting her breath more easily. Her jarring movements seemed to be drawing the attention of her comrades as Lily placed her tankard gingerly onto the table, rising from her seat.

"What's up Lil?" Joshua asked, his attention solely on Lily's flustered form. She adjusted her stance slightly, feigning a drunken sway as she waved him off.

"I think I drank a little too much. I'm okay, just going to get some fresh air for a moment." She lied smoothly, her gaze looking elsewhere as she willed herself to stay composed. Joshua threw her a narrow eyed look as she watched her. Eventually he relented.

"If you're not back in five we'll come check on you." Joshua stated. His tone was firm despite the slight slur.

Lily nodded, excusing herself from the group and heading out the door swiftly, her hands clenched into fists as she wandered the streets, heading for the canal just a few buildings away. Finding a small bench, she sat down abruptly, her skirt swaying at the sudden movement.

With a shaky breath, Lily felt her fingernails dig into the flesh of her palm, a strained gasp leaving her shortly as she reeled with the sudden onslaught of emotions. Her mind had jumped from the previous reminiscing to something far more dreadful, Head filled with the events of her last squad's demise, and the anxious thought of events repeating.

A cacophony of anxious thoughts thundered so loudly in her head that she hadn't even registered the additional presence until the sound of their scoff caused Lily to startle. Her hands fumbled as she swatted away the pesky tears that had slipped from her eyes.

"I was wondering where you had wandered off too." The Captain's voice was softer than usual. A breath of silence passed as he sat himself beside Lily. A foot's width of distance between the pair.

Lily refused to look up at him, aware her face held the tell-tale signs of her recent tears. However she still managed to keep her reply even. "I needed some air."

"Tch," the sound was enough to cause her to glance up at him, face half obscured behind a curtain of strawberry-blonde locks. His steel-grey eyes had lost their sharpness to them as he regarded her, his face still held a scowl however. "I'm not complaining. It's too loud in there, smells like shit too."

With the realisation that the Captain wasn't going to push her on her recent display of vulnerability, she found her usual demeanor seeping back into her body. A comfortable air passing between the two.

"And the tables are sticky from all the spilled alcohol. Never mind the layer of dust I saw on their window seals." Her voice was quieter than usual, a softer edge had creeped into her tone as she idly fiddled with her new pin on her scarf. An amused huff left the Captain then at the mutual complaints of the Trusty Traveller. His steel eyes rolled before he dipped a hand into his black suit jacket, pulling out a sizable bag.

"This is for you." His tone was clipped and abrupt as he passed her the small bag. Lily took it gently, her golden eyes darting to his steel ones with mild surprise.

"You didn't have too-"

"Just shut up and take it." The Captain grumbled, his eyes narrowing as sharply as his tone had been. Lily scoffed then, pulling on the draw string to peek inside of its contents. White, tiny, crystals of sugar resided in the small sack seemingly unassuming. Closing shut the draw strings, Lily turned back to her Captain, a warmth filling her chest as she opened her mouth, surprised at the lack of words leaving it.

The scowl that greeted her caused her shock to morph into amusement. The Captain's expression worsened at her quiet laugh. "So you don't keep pulling that face every time you take a drink of tea."

"I could just drink coffee, you know." Lily's amusement seeped into her tone as she gingerly held the bag of sugar close to her chest, a widening smile pulling at her features.

"Tch, you're not the only one who drinks tea at midnight." The sour tone the Captain used did nothing to hinder the surprise at his admission. Lily flushed slightly as she realised he must've spotted her during her usual midnight routine of tea brewing. Her hope that the tea would help her insomnia had long-since developed into a habit.

"Thank you." Her tone was sincere as she held the Captain's steel gaze, a different kind of expression on her face this time. Her smile was soft and full of all the warmth she felt from the small gesture.

"It's just a bag of sugar." He rolled his eyes for a second time, gaze wandering towards the canal and away from Lily's expression. She scoffed in amusement, following the Captains gaze as she settled herself into the content silence the two shared.

Yes, indeed it was just a bag of sugar.

And yet, it held so much more meaning than any words or grandiose gifts could ever give Lily in that moment, for it meant he had payed attention to such a small detail, he had thought enough about what to give her that he had gotten her a seemingly small gift that meant she could once again enjoy her tea.

"My office…" he trailed for a moment, a pained expression crossing his features for a beat, his steel eyes met her golden pair. "You're welcome to come to my office if you're unable to sleep… so long as you keep quiet."

Lily snorted then, her nose crinkling in amusement. "Afraid I, of all people, will talk your ear off at midnight?"

The scoff she received was enough words to say he was done with the conversation. He pushed himself off the bench and turned, offering her a hand as he nodded his head toward the tavern their friends still resided in. "Let's get these brats home."

Lily took the outstretched arm with a quiet thanks, allowing the stronger man to pull her up. She let out an amused laugh. "Aye, Captain."

The dark haired man scowled slightly, shooting a glare at Lily as he bluntly replied. "Just call me by my name outside of duty. Getting tired of it. Especially from you of all people."

"What the hell's that supposed to mean?" She paused, crossing her arms and fixing the man opposite her with a matching glare.

"Grovelling doesn't suit you." He stated blandly, his stare as indifferent as his tone. He shoved his hands into his pockets as he turned to leave. Lily huffed, walking a little faster in order to catch up.

"I do not grovel." She hissed petulantly, her eyes catching the amused quirk of his lips, causing the woman's scowl to deepen as she shook her head. Pretty bastard. She thought to herself.


Hange's request for a titan capturing operation had finally got the green light, and Lily began to spend a concerning amount of time in the vicinity of the scientist. Being the only on field medic for the operation meant that it was Lily's responsibility to ensure they had all the supplies they'd need for the special operations mission.

Additionally this meant she spent a lot more time working with paperwork then training with her squad. It didn't bother too much considering the headway she had been making, now that Petra, Oluo and herself finally found their own feet. And it wasn't like Lily hadn't had time to spare, her long nights alone becoming a prime time for her logistics paperwork to be sifted through.

This night in particular, she found herself engrossed in several requisition forums. A few sat in a pile to her right, all filled out and patiently waiting for her superior to approve, as she stressed over her current forum, unsure how much she'd need considering the odd circumstances of the operation.

A pair of footsteps greeted her from outside the dining hall. The presence startled her, considering it was once again deep into the night and most personal had long since retired for the night. Glancing up, past her cooled coffee, she spotted the dark haired figure of her Captain with mild surprise.

He paused, having stopped at the mouth of the doorway to fix the blonde woman with a scrutinising stare. Lily tilted her head in a curious way until he eventually headed for the kitchen located a table ahead of her own, his voice just loud enough to be heard.

"I did say you were free to join me in my office, Lillian." His usual blank tone did nothing to stop the curiosity that crawled into her head at the use of her first name. The change was just subtle enough to pull her mind from her task and give the dark haired man her full attention.

"In all honesty I've been so busy with paperwork that it slipped my mind." She replied in earnest. Forgoing her forums instead to pick up her cup of forgotten coffee, she entered the kitchen and proceeded to rinse and wash her cup out, deftly pulling out the small sack of gifted sugar as she turned back to the brooding man. "Mind if I have a cup as well?"

He shrugged his answer, expression fixed in a pinched scowl as he glared at the stone wall ahead of himself. Lily frowned as she noted his tense disposition.

"Something on your mind, Levi?" Lily found the sound of his name odd despite the quiet tone she used. She lifted a hand to her scarf, tugging softly on the fabric as she willed her expression to stay neutral.

"Hange hasn't shut up about the operation for the last three hours. If they sprout one more shitty comment about rushing paperwork we might lose a section-commander." His tone was utterly bitter as a hand reached up to pinch the bridge of his nose in effort to relieve some of his stress. "If they shut up long enough, maybe I'd be done by now."

"Ah." Lily stated sheepishly, glancing at the paperwork which would undoubtedly be awaiting the Captains signature for approval. A sigh left her as she considered her wide-awake being. "If there's anything I can assist you on, I wouldn't mind the distraction."

Lily received a side-eyed look from the dark haired man. A beat of silence passed the two as he considered the offer. Eventually he relented, nodding his head slightly. "If four-eyes come back you can distract them for me."

Lily let out a scoff as she rolled her eyes. She snatched up the whistling kettle to brew their tea. "Not exactly what I meant — but sure."

Lily paused suddenly, a spoon dipped into her bag as she glanced over her shoulder to look at the broody man. "Would you like some sugar?"

He threw her a glare now, his steel eyes awfully dark in the dim candle light. "Idiot, I bought that for you, not me."

Lily threw him a challenging glare that rivalled his own, standing her ground she replied "Tch, I'm not giving you the whole damn bag, I'll still be using it."

"Fine — whatever." He relented after a moment, his glare settling elsewhere as Lily returned to the task at hand. She placed one generous spoonful of sugar in each of their tea before giving them a good stir. With both cups in hand, she offered her left to Levi politely.

Levi took the offered tea without much hesitance, already moving out of the kitchen and towards the corridor out of the dining hall. Lily scampered over to her own paperwork, glancing up in time to see the dark haired man pause for her at the mouth of the hall's entrance. She swiftly snatched the forums up before making her way quickly alongside The Captain towards his office.

With a deft shove, his door creaked open, his form passing swiftly into the room and settling himself into his office chair. Lily placed her teacup upon his desk, pausing only to close the door to his office before settling herself down in the chair opposite her Captain.

Levi took a generous sip of his tea, letting the flavour wash over him for a moment before Lily was fixed with his piercing silver eyes. "How are the requisitions coming?"

"Smooth enough. I have a few more forums for you to approve but once that's done I should be set for the operation." Lily informed, taking a sip of her tea once she finished.

"Good, one less thing to worry about." He sighed, hand running through his dark locks as he glanced at the mountaining paperwork upon his desk. Lily took a moment to glance around his office, noting with a pleasant surprise at how clean the room was. Most things were organized and tidy, all except his desk, which lay littered in varying piles of paper. She hummed to herself, glancing at a pile of requisitions undoubtedly meant for the squad's equipment, some forums half completed as others seemed to be awaiting approval from Levi.

Plucking up a set of half finished paperwork, Lily placed them to her left. She shuffled a few papers into separate piles. One requiring to be filled out completely, others needing just a signature. Feeling his burning stare, Lily glanced up to meet his eyes with her own. "I said I would help."

"You intend on doing that by organizing my desk?" His tone was flat as he stared at her. Lily scowled, the urge to flick him rose as she scoffed indigently.

"I intend on helping by filling these forums out, that way you'll only need to focus on signing them."

"I can do that myself."

"It'll be faster if I help, besides it sure beats staring at the ceiling for the rest of the night."

"Tch." He relent finally, hand reaching out to pull the first page off the top of a newly made pile. Smiling to herself in satisfaction she wasted no time setting about the dramatically smaller pile of forums awaiting to be filled out, taking care to read through them carefully.

A few times she would ask if there were additional things that needed to be added, or how much would be needed to be requisitioned, eventually the two cutting through the mass of paperwork in a timely manner. Her pile began to dwindle and so too did her restless mind. Drowsiness began to edge into the back of her mind and she found her pace slowing considerably.

And it seemed she wasn't the only one to notice her lethargic state. Levi had paused in his writing to give the shorter woman a scrutinising stare, eventually abandoning his pen to lean back, stretching his body slightly. "You should retire for the night."

"I'd rather get this finished," Lily objected quietly, her brow creasing with effort as she still had yet to pause in her writing. "I'm almost finished."

"And I'd rather not have my specialist passing out during training." He replied firmly. A beat passed and Lily had still yet to look up at her superior, opting to push through and continue the work silently, a fleeting hope that he might let her continue.

The rustle of his form leaning forward barely registered in Lily's mind until the feeling of his warm palm on her writing hand caused her to glance up, meeting his sharp, steel-grey glare, a curtain of pitch hair falling lightly into his eyes. Lily froze for a moment, unsure how to handle the situation as her breath caught.

"What happened to knowing your limits?" His tone was quiet but authoritative as he held her hand in a firm yet not unkind grip. Lily frowned then, a sigh leaving her lips as her shoulders fell from their tensed position.

"I'm not ready for another night of nightmares. They get worse before an expedition." She admonished, her tone soft and quiet as her golden eyes found the grooves of the wooden table far more interesting than the dark haired man's intense gaze.

The hand on her own squeezed for a moment before it retreated back along with Levi's body. He leant into the back of his chair, a sigh leaving his lips as a hand ran through his hair. "We can't let something like that get in the way of our duty."

Lily blinked for a moment, the word 'we' causing the woman to glance up at the man before her. Understanding lingered behind his eyes as he regarded her with a neutral expression. A wall broke in her mind and she frowned, looking away as her breath rushed out of her alongside her confession.

"I miss them. Squad Daveen."

"I know." Lily blinked again, startled at the quick reply as she glanced back up at Levi. "Don't regret their deaths."

"I don't," She replied just as quickly as he had. "I mourn them still, but I don't think there was anything I could do… Not unless I can stop people from panicking."

The bitterness in Lily's tone wasn't missed by the Captain, his eyes narrowing slightly. "You're angry at them?"

"No. Yes. Maybe… I don't know." She sighed, frustration entering her tone as she glared at an unassuming bookcase to her right. "If Daveen hadn't panicked, I'm sure the others wouldn't have faltered when they did. Maybe if Daveen hadn't let her own fear get the better of her they'd all be here still."

"Not everyone is unshakeable." He pointed out, tone neutral as he regarded Lily with a flat expression. Lily deflated slightly, nodding her head in agreement as her hand dropped its grip on her pen to pull at her scarf idly.

"Doesn't change my point; Daveen was responsible for all those under her command. She slipped and I didn't know what to do." Lily let go of her scarf to run a hand through her hair, catching slightly on her hair band as she tugged it out of her locks.

"You still managed to pull those idiot cadets' together long enough to make it back to Trost."

"And yet all I can remember is how I failed the rest of my squad." She snapped bitterly.

"And you say you don't regret." Levi pointed out blankly, his tone turning sour as he called her out. Lily once again deflated as she sighed.

"You're right," she rested her arms on the table before her, chin on her palm as her expression turned into something more somber. "I apologise."

Levi scoffed, crossing his arms as he gave her a blank stare. "I don't need your apology. Just hurry up and go to bed, brat."

Lily's nose crinkled as she shook her head, with a roll of her eyes she pushed herself out of the chair, leaving her stack of now finished forums in the pile of his that required a signature. She deftly picked up the cups, however paused when Levi's hand rested over her own.

"Keep it here. I won't sleep just yet."

"If that isn't the pot calling the kettle black I don't know what is." she snarked, face morphing into a petulant look as she relaxed the grip on his cup to pull her hand back and rest it on her hip.

"Bed, now Carter." He barked out quietly, his tone biting but non-threatening.

"Tch, fine — what-have-you." Lily stalked over to the office door, pulling it open only to pause at the threshold. Glancing back over her shoulder she sighed slightly as her tone softened significantly. "Good night, Levi."

She pushed past the threshold, gently pulling the door shut and just before she had it fully closed, Levi's voice greeted for the last time that night.

"Goodnight, Lillian."


The thundering of hooves began to recede as the two squads arrived at the elevators, west of Trost district. Section-Commander Hange was first to dismount, already coordinating with their squad to organise the titan traps they had prepared for the mission.

Timothy tinkered with one of the hook-barrels, an experimental piece of technology designed to fire an abundance of barbed hooks into the body of a titan in an attempt to restrain it on short notice. The wires inside were thicker than their Omni-directional movement gear, making the barrel itself a rather heavy object which needed to be transported upon cart.

"Oi, Hange. You know we're going to have to set these things up on the ground? No-way they're going to reach the titans from up here." Timothy spoke up as he pulled away from a set of barrels, glancing down below at the thirteen and ten meter titans below. The pair of monstrous beings groped uselessly at the wall in a feeble attempt to reach the soldiers above.

Lily let out a sigh, the frosty morning air greeting her with a bone-chilling wind. Winter was fast approaching meaning they had only a short window of opportunity before the snow would set in, making any and all operations much more perilous. She stood at the edge, the tips of her boots hanging off the wall as she glanced down at the groaning titans.

"Well, we'll just have to send them down with the horses!" Hange retorted, skipping about the place as they adjusted things here and there, explaining to their squad mates how to properly deploy the nets without them getting tangled on the drop down.

"Eld, Gunther. Take out blondie down there, we'll capture the other one and get this over with." The Captain ordered, his face pulling into scowl as he glanced down at the two useless beasts.

"Aren't they too big for the nets?" Lily interjected, frowning in thought as she glanced between the shorter brown haired titan and their weighted net. Levi joined her then, glancing over at the nets as he considered her statement.

"That's what the hook-barrels are for!" Hange exclaimed, hurrying over to the two the unsettling manic glint in their eyes as they directed members of both teams. "We'll just need someone to lead Rowny away long enough for us to set them up."

"And how long are we going to need to play titan bait?" Levi's sour tone did nothing to dampen Hange's ecstatic mood. The scientist outright ignored his biting tone.

"About five minutes tops." Hange shrugged, already skittering over towards Nifa, the small woman had been helping Keiji as the man irritably kicked the side of a hook-barrel harshly.

"We're just going to gloss over the fact they've already named the damn titan?" Timothy interjected, his face pulled into one of perplexion as he gestured bluntly at the uncaring scientist.

Lily glanced at Levi, the Captain's gaze focused downwards as both Gunther and Eld descended towards their target. Looking back at Timothy she smirked slightly. "Yes."

The replying scoff only caused Lily further amusement, her right hand coming to pull her blue scarf up to hide her widening smirk as she ducked out of the way towards Petra and Oluo.

"I really don't wanna get grabbed again." Oluo whined, his eyes watching his comrades as the pair deftly eliminated their target, occupying the other titan's attention long enough so their horses could be safely lowered down.

"You won't get grabb Oluo, stop whining. At the very least the Captain will just come save you again." Petra scoffed, turning away from the tall man as she crossed her arms.

"Could be worse, you could have a titan nibble on your leg like a teething puppy." Lily's blunt interjection caused Petra to jump slightly as she spun around. Oluo turned pale at Lily's words and a sort of sick satisfaction caused the woman to scoff and roll her eyes in an attempt to ward off the growing smirk.

"Lily!" Petra's smile widened, a look of relief flooded her features as she grasped Lily by the upper arm. "Please save me from Oluo's whining, I can't take much more!"

"Tch, I'm not whining." Oluo hissed, crossing his arms as he huffed petulantly, lifting his chin. Petra opened her mouth for a retort when Hange's sudden reappearance paused the ginger woman.

"Horses are down! Go, go, time to distract Rowny!" The energetic Section-commander called, almost vibrating with excitement as they gesture wildly.

"You heard shitty glasses, get down there and grab your horse." The Captain ordered, already moving into action as the trio whipped out their triggers and sped off the top of the wall.

The wind whooshed wildly by her ears, almost deafening her at the speed she fell. Her cloak flapped loudly behind her, hair pinned back as her form plummeted. A few feet before the ground she launched her anchors, skidding alongside the wall as she whistled to Kahavi.

Her golden stallion let out a neigh in greeting, hooves pounding into the dirt, causing chunks of earth to kick up behind his strong legs. Meeting Lily as her brown boots landed on the grassy soil, Lily wasted no time mounting her trusty friend and spurring him in front of the brown titan.

Rowny, as Hange called it, turned to her with wide, sad green eyes. Its face looked like it was locked in perpetual sadness, huge mouth downturned in an exaggerated frown, fuzzy brown locks bouncing with every movement. It reached out an arm towards Lily, however her faithful steed merely darted out of the way.

"It's on me!" Lily called out, straining her usually quiet voice to reach the other members of her squad. She spurred Kahavi once more, the stallion letting out a loud snort as they led the hungry titan a safe distance away.

Squad Levi continued to hold the titans attention until the sight of a green flare trailed into the late morning sky. Levi ran his black mare directly under the titans legs, pulling its attention towards himself as they rocketed towards the wall.

"Stay a safe distance away from the titan and head for the wall, be sure to keep its attention on the Captain!" Eld called out from Lily's flank. The squad moved swiftly then, their horses strategically spaced out in a wide semi circle as they followed a few meters back.

The Captain abandoned his saddle in favour of his gear, the wires shooting out and latching onto Wall Rose, his body swiftly following behind as Rawny collided face-first into the gigantion wall. It stumbled, falling onto its rear as its crumpled face began to steam.

The moment the dark haired superior reached the top of the wall, Squad Hange dropped the weighted net. It fell towards the earth below at record speed, the throw was perfect as the net spread itself out mid-air. It hit its mark, Rawny crumpling on itself slightly at the new weight.

"Quickly, use the pikes to nail it to the ground!" Hange called to them, the whirring of their wires signalling their recent descent as the brunette waved them over towards the hook-barrels and pikes.

Lily dismounted, Kahavi skittering off somewhere a safe distance away, snorting and slightly spooked. Lily pulled her blades out as her eyes turned to the horizon, uncomfortable as she split her focus between the endless grassy plains and the fumbling, half captured titan.

Gunther and Oluo already began nailing some pikes into its back leg when Lily heard the guttural scream from Petra. With wide eyes Lily turned to look over at her friend's direction.

"Lillian!" Her full name came out as a screech as Petra's stricken expression was barely registered. Rawny's size had meant the net didn't fully weigh the creature down, and now its arm stretched itself out towards Lily.

Lily reacted with lightning speed, her hands pulling at the triggers as she let her hooks dig into the wall, her feet the only thing balancing her as she skid across the grass, swiftly moving out of the unstoppable hand. With a push from her legs and a quick adjustment of anchor placement, she was sent flying up the wall.

"Launch the hook-barrels!" Hange called out, their voice loud and clear despite the distance.

Bang!

The sound of several hooks being launched at once echoed off Wall Rose, wires latched themselves into the titans lower body, causing it to topple over onto the ground, struggling with itself, arms flailing wildly. Petra skittered back a few meters alongside Gunther. Eld and Oluo had ducked out the way and headed up the wall to safety.

It was no use, the titan was far too big and was already pulling several of the Hook-barrels along with itself as it started hauling itself forward towards its target. Squad Hange jumped into action, attempting to rectify the somewhat malfunctioning situation as best as their engineering minds could

Lily swerved out of another outstretched hand, her wires abruptly ripped from their spot in the wall as the titan's hand interrupted it. She twisted wildly in the air, anchors attaching to the titan as she slowed her fall, rolling as she hit the ground once more. She had to avoid killing it.

It reached for her again, Lily's face twisting in a scowl as she attempted to propel herself skyward again.

"Hange! The Hook-barrels aren't holding it!"

Snap!

Again, her wires broke and she hit the ground, only barely missing the grasping hand. Her breath was stolen from her in one ragged gasp as she dived out of the way. Grass and dirt stained her uniform as she rolled onto her feet, spinning as she sliced the hand of the intruding beast, its palm exploding into chunks of flesh.

"Gah!" The sound ripped itself from Lily's throat, the effort used in her swing took more out of her than anticipated. Eld and Petra attempted to assist the others by slicing at the titans limbs, slowing the creature down.

"I'm putting an end to this!" It was the Captain's voice she heard, and within seconds a blurred figure of himself had zipped by the nape of the titans neck, Rawny going slack immediately after as its flesh sizzled and disintegrated.

Hange had rushed forward then, eyes wide and face full of alarm. Lily dropped her defensive positions, sliding her swords back into the sheaths as she took a moment to breathe.

Hange half tackled Lily then, much to her own surprise. She had half-expected the scientist to rush up to Rawny and make a fuss over the death of the titan like they had once before. However Hange almost picked up the shorter woman in a bear hug instead.

"Hange!" Lily exclaimed, freezing in the scientist grip, unsure what exactly to do with herself as she was lamely jostled by the energetic section-commander.

"I really thought you were a goner then." Hange said seriously after they let go of Lily. Lily shook her head.

"I wasn't going to let that thing kill me, even if I was struggling." The words were bitter as she glared at its corpse.

"We won't be having any casualties if I can help it." It was Levi now who spoke up, his tone was dark and he had yet to look up from the steaming titan corpse, seemingly stewing in his own thoughts for the moment.

"Aye, do you have any idea just how long I've been waiting to find someone who shares my ideals?" Hange nodded firmly, pointing an accusing finger at Levi. "And you're less grumpy than broody over there, that's always a bonus."

"Tch," Lily scoffed, rolling her eyes. Hange didn't seem phased by her cold dismissal, instead turning back to their squad to issue some orders.

"What a pain in my ass." Levi finally looked up at Lily, his tone was less bitter as he gave the blonde woman a once over.

"Me or the titan?" Lily asked bluntly, her eyes narrowing at the Captain as she began idly dusting off her uniform.

"Both." He replied simply. Crossing the distance between the two, he flicked her forehead, causing her to flinch back and send him an accusing glare.

"What the hell-"

"Don't go getting yourself killed over some idiot titan. You're worth more than some shitty giant." His tone was biting and harsh, almost like he was scolding her for struggling in an open field. Lily was about to send a scathing reply when she noted his strange expression.

He was angry, yes. But it didn't seem directed at herself, and for a moment she wondered why. There wasn't much time to ponder this, as abruptly as he had flicked her, he turned away, heading for the section-commander.

Petra eased up besides Lily, giving her a curious once-over. "What was that about?"

Lily glanced at her friend, mouth slightly agape as she merely responded. "I have no idea."

Kahavi snorted in slight agitation, eagerly pawing at the ground beneath himself as he bobbed his head. Lily hushed the stallion quietly, patting the side of his neck affectionately as he settled somewhat. Next to her Petra shuffled in her saddle, glancing at Lily to give her a firm, determined nod. Oluo, who was beside Petra, seemed adamant about focusing ahead of himself, chin raised and posture stiff.

Squad Levi had mounted up and began their search for a smaller titan, in a reattempt of the capture. As of this moment a gaggle of four titans could be seen from the small forest line they paused at. While it was no forest of giant trees, it was far more than any grassy plain they had crossed prior.

"We should lead them over here. Better chance with our ODM gear." Eld summarized, watching the titans with his own telescope besides the Captain. "Looks to just be four. Tiny one's roughly six meters. Tallest is thirteen."

"We'll waste time trying to drag that lot over here. Eld, Gunther. Take on the tallest. Petra, Oluo, you have the right one. The left is mine." Levi commanded, his tone serious as he glared at the horizon.

"Captain. My orders?" Lily's tone matched his as she threw him a sharp stare.

"You've the fastest horse. Not to mention you're quick with your gear. Put two and two together Carter." The Captain hadn't even turned to look at her, instead spurring his mare forward, the rest following shortly after. Petra tossed Lily an impressed look, causing Lily to throw a confused one back.

"What's that for?" Lily asked, gesturing to her friend's face.

Petra shrugged, "Not often do you hear compliments like that from the Captain is all."

Lily scoffed loudly, rolling her eyes, "Petra I might need to have a look at you. I think you have a concussion."

"Believe what you want." Petra shook her head, a smile on her face as she focused forward.

The titans had finally noticed their approach, turning and lumbering over towards the Special operations squad with gleeful expressions. Lily weaved her way through the ongoing battle, under the legs of a thirteen meter titan until the beady, blue eyed, six meter titan fixed its gluttonous gaze on herself and Kahavi.

"Titan on me!" Lily called, pulling on Kahavi's reins to lead him towards the wall, where Hange's squad resides patiently waiting for their return. Fumbling with the smoke round, Lily prepared the small flare gun with a green round in preparation of her arrival.

Peeking over her shoulder, she was relieved to note her squad mates had swiftly eliminated their targets, moving forward to flank around Lily at a safe distance. The only one to not follow this large semi-circle formation was the Captain, who joined her side upon his pitch black mare.

"Can you keep up?" The question almost startled her as she glanced over at the broody man, his features shadowed by a curtain of swaying black locks, silver eyes, sharp and piercing, peeked through.

"Outside of you, I'm the fastest with ODM gear." Lily stated firmly, pushing as much confidence as she could in the statement. "If anyone can keep up it's me."

A beat passed as the two stared at each other. Electricity filled the air, paired with the urgency of the following titan caused the hairs on Lily's nape to stand on end as she locked her wild eyes to her Captains.

He turned forward one more time, body stiff and expression unreadable. "Fine. Don't fall behind."

"Yessir."

With the wall in sight, Lily lifted her arm, pinning her head against the raised limb and covering her other ear with her palm. The resounding bang echoed along the plains as the streak of green smoke touched the heavens. A replying green smoke trailed into the air roughly a hundred meters out from their current position.

Squad Levi adjusted their approach, aiming to lead the titan head on towards the trap squad Hange undoubtedly had prepared in the meantime.

The blonde and black steeds thundered towards the base of the colossal walls at impressive speeds, the titan trailing a distance behind the pair, lumbering around like one would after a few too many drinks.

Lily lifted herself up onto Kahavi's saddle, careful to keep her body in tune with his gallop as she felt her body harden in anticipation. A quick glance to her side confirmed that Levi was already atop his mare, hands holding his grips steadily as he focused on the wall ahead of them. He threw her a glance, a question in his eyes.

Having doubts?

Lily returned the questioning stare with a defiant one, her chin rising up as she returned her gaze to the gigantic wall. With well practiced fingers, she activated her equipment, allowing her body to soar off the back of Kahavi and into the air.

The feeling of weightlessness passed for a mere moment before her body jerked forward with her swift accent to the top of the walls. Another glance told her she was falling behind slightly. Gritting her teeth, Lily balanced herself, thinning out her body and keeping her limbs as close to herself as possible all the while keeping her balance. Her form soared a few feet under the Captain's as they reached the top of Wall Rose.

The moment Lily's boots hit the sturdy wall's surface, the sounds of the hook-barrels filled the air as Hange's voice called out for the net's to drop. Stalking towards the edge, Lily glanced down and was pleased to note this time they had indeed subdued the spritely titan.

It thrashed, wailing every time a member of Squad Levi or Hange impaled the creature with the large nails or jabbed at it with a spear. Despite the damage inflicted to the titan, it refused to turn its hungry gaze away from the group upon the walls.

"Ugly little fucker isn't he?" Rashad, a member of Squad Hange commented idly, glancing down the wall at the still thrashing titan.

"You say that as if there's good-looking ones." Laura complained, coming alongside Rashad to glare harshly below.

"Yeah, well… he's certainly nowhere normal looking. I mean just look at his face, it looks flat."

"You're looking flat." Laura grumbled, returning to the supplies and dragging along Rashad with her.

Lily glanced back towards the titan, noting how it finally seemed to settle. Its thrashing form has been mostly pinned down by either the weighted nets or abnormally large nails. A sigh left her lips as she felt her overly tense body finally relax itself.

"About time we caught one." She muttered as she stuffed her sword grips into their holsters, glancing over at her broody Captain curiously.

"Let's hope it's not a waste of our time then." Levi pointed out with a blunt and unforgiving tone. He glanced over at Lily then, nodding his head towards the slowly gathering group below. "You should head down there. You wanted to help figure them out."

Lily rolled her shoulders as she shook her head. "And here I was hoping you wouldn't ask me to go down there with Hange."

"Tch, get moving brat."

Lily shrugged as she let her form slip off the side of the wall, hands yanking her holstered hand grips and engaging her gear, the anchors slowing her decent enough that she could safely land on the grassy floor below.

Hange's loud excited exclamations were more than likely so loud even Levi could hear them clearly from where he stood upon Wall Rose.

"We got one! We actually got one! Yahoo!" Hange bounced around a couple times before finally adjusting her goggles, their manic gaze fixing themselves on Lily's approaching form. "It's time to get studying!"


Authors Note:

would like to apologise for the exceedingly late uploads. irl has become difficult and busy with the addition that this is just a hobby, and one of many for that matter. I'll still keep writing when I have the time. but for now I just ask that you be patient.

as always. thank you so much for reading.

sincerely,

enjoy.