Hello all! Back again with another chapter. It took awhile for me to get it to flow the way I wanted it to. Based off my outline for this story, I have a feeling that it will be a long one in comparison to my previous works on this site.

I would very much like to thank those that took the time to read, review, follow, favorite this story. It really is fuel to the fire for those that pour our geekiness into these stories. I am so glad you are enjoying it so far and hope you stick with me until the end. To all my followers who have stuck with me through this long hiatus – THANK YOU!

As the story turns….

Chapter Three: On Top of the World

Serenity's hair whipped behind her as the Captain shot up quickly toward the top of the wall. The wind from the speed at which they were going caused her eyes to tear up. She buried her face into his chest, not thinking about how such an action would be interpreted.

Levi stiffened slightly as he felt her warmth. He didn't know what to do, but he couldn't ignore that the movement made his insides turn a bit. Whether that was good or bad had yet to be seen. His hand moved of its own accord as he placed it on top of her head. Shielding her a bit more as they continued to climb. Serenity's blush deepened at the contact.

Soon though, they began to slow down, and she could hear his feet hit the stone of the wall. She peeked her head out from his chest as she gazed around at the shocked expressions of the soldiers. She smiled nervously at them as they gazed in bafflement at the sight of the petite woman. A tall blonde man with some very prominent eyebrows was the first to approach. Arms crossed over his chest as he studied her.

"Levi, who is this?" The blonde asked. A level of distrust entering his voice. He was surprised that Levi of all people brought this unknown person with him - especially after everything that had just happened. She wasn't even tied up, which had the man raising an eyebrow at the Captain.

Levi set the woman on the ground as he tried to collect his thoughts. He recognized that bringing her here was a risk, but there was something about her he couldn't quite put his finger on. He thought back to what she had said before. About maybe there was something they were overlooking, and there may be another way. Perhaps she had fresh eyes to help with the situation they found themselves in, maybe not. But at this point they have been dealt too many loses. She said the population was seven billion. Could it be that she knew the history of the world? Could they use that knowledge to turn the tide?

Levi noticed that the woman was about to speak, but he simply laid a hand on her shoulder. Preventing her from doing so at this point.

"Her name is Serenity Moon, Commander Erwin." Levi answered. His stance formal as he faced the leader of the Scouts.

Serenity's eyes widened as she realized that this tall man was indeed the leader of this section of the military regiment. Her back straightened as she stared into his blue eyes. Trying to show respect while also showing no fear.

Erwin's eyes met hers as he took her in. His breath hitched a bit as he recognized how beautiful she was. Such a distraction could easily manipulate many of his soldiers into trusting her, but Levi? He didn't fall for such parlor tricks, so what had she done to convince him not only to bring her to the top of the wall, but also to not bind her? He also noticed how carefully he had been holding her.

"So, that's a name." Erwin said. "But WHO exactly is she?"

Serenity bit back a giggle. It was almost exactly what Levi said when she had given him her name. Levi caught the merriment behind her eyes as she glanced at him. He could only roll his eyes at her. "Have something to say, brat?" A small smirk reaching his lips.

Serenity just laughed. "Not particularly. Just having a deja vu moment."

Erwin's eyes widened as he looked at the two people in front of him. What was going on? He cleared his throat to get the Captain's attention once again.

Levi jerked his gaze away from her to face his Commander. Slightly embarrassed about getting so distracted by this woman he just met. "Commander," he began as he tried to explain the unusual situation. "I found her just outside of this wall. She approached not long after the Armored Titan left with Jeager. As far as who she is, well..." he paused, not exactly sure of what to say. In all fairness he didn't even know the answer to that question. "She came from outside the walls. According to her, her home has been destroyed, and she was trying to find anywhere that still had human life. Beyond that, I cannot answer your question. I took her into custody under the impression that whoever she is, she could be an enemy and potentially an asset for us."

Serenity blinked at his words. Of course, he still looked at her in that way, they had only just met, but it was a first for her. She was always the hero when she was here on Earth. Everyone slept better knowing that her and her Senshi were out there trying to defend humanity, but all that history had been washed away. She would have to start from the bottom to rebuild her reputation.

"If you took her into custody, please explain to me why she is not bound." Erwin said. "If she is a shifter or anything like that, surely having her able to readily access her limbs would be dangerous for us."

Levi hesitated. He knew he should have tied her up, but then he remembered her words when the ten-meter approached. He remembered her bleeding hand as she had been cut by the blade. She had not turned. Sure, she could still be holding back a Titan form, but regardless there was something in the way she held herself...he couldn't put it into words, but he believed she didn't want to hurt anyone. Titans and humans alike.

"She tried to save me when a ten-meter approached Commander." Levi said. "Albeit stupidly," he scoffed as he glanced at her briefly, "but as of now I do not believe she is a threat. If she is, I could easily take care of the issue. I saw her cut during the fight as well, she did not shift. She also appeared completely unaware of what has been going on here and the true nature of Titans."

"How is that even possible?" Erwin as incredulously.

"Believe me, I wondered the same thing Commander, but her answers seemed true." Levi said. "Regardless, I do believe there is more to learn about our mysterious guest." His eyes found hers and he had to blink at the disconnected nature of them. She had soldier eyes. The eyes of someone who has seen far too much in life. He hadn't noticed up until this point the sadness there. Perhaps that was why she could so readily see the sadness in the Titans' eyes.

Levi looked back at Erwin. "Also, there is more information that I need to relay to you. Preferably in a private meeting. I suggest we take her to the cells at headquarters until we can figure out how she got here and why."

Serenity wasn't hurt by his declaration of what to do with her. He didn't know her. Hell, she didn't know him. For all she knew, they were the ones responsible for all this destruction, but at least, for now, they weren't actively trying to kill her. Levi seemed as if he was a man of his word and followed orders. He wouldn't be Captain if he didn't. He did save her from the Titan. His touch as he bandaged her hand and carried her up the wall was very gentle. Serenity's cheeks flushed a bit at that thought.

Levi studied her as he watched the thoughts play across her face. Acceptance, understanding, confusion, and...

Is she blushing? Levi thought to himself. The sight left him in the same precarious state as when his eyes first met hers. His defenses went down, and his stomach gave a jolt. He blinked to try and get his mind straight again. I wonder what she is thinking...

Serenity almost slapped herself when she felt her cheeks heat up. What on Earth are you thinking?! She knew very well she needed to be distant. She didn't need to form friendships, relationships, anything. She was the Cosmic Warrior. She had one purpose here. To help humanity. Then she would leave and be forgotten. If she grew attached, then that is just another piece Chaos would use against her.

She had no clue why this man, of all the people she has met throughout her time as Cosmos, affected her so much. But there was something about him. Something that reminded her of Endymion. He was different than him, sure, but he gave off that same protective energy that he did. Her eyes watered at the memory of her beloved. Of how he died taking one last stand to protect her. To protect the "Hope of the Universe" as he put it. What she wouldn't give to have taken his place. Just so that he could live out his life in peace. She savored the memory for a second more before she rebuilt the walls around her heart. Life was easier if she felt nothing. She took a deep breath and looked at Commander Erwin.

"I understand the concerns you and the Captain have, Commander." Serenity said as she stood up a bit straighter. She spoke in tone that showed respect to the man in front of her. "I will not cause any trouble, and I will go wherever you lead me. That being said, please know I am not your enemy. My one and only goal in this universe is to save life, not destroy it."

Erwin had been steadily watching the girl after Levi had stated that she should be held in their cells. He saw the thoughts passing through her mind and knew immediately that she would not fight them on this. Even before she opened her mouth to confirm it. The blush however was an interesting surprise. His gaze drifted to Levi - curiosity evident in his face.

Focusing on the last words that she uttered, Erwin closed the distance between him and the woman.

"Universe?" He questioned. His mind hovering on the word.

Serenity blinked at her mistake but didn't miss a beat. "A saying Commander, just trying to convey my resolve in protecting life within the best of my abilities."

"And what abilities would that be?" Erwin questioned. An eyebrow raised.

She was about to open her mouth, but Levi cut her off.

"Commander, while she may not know what Titans are, at least according to her, it is clear from her agility, swiftness, and movements that she is a fighter. Whether that speaks to the nature of her character is yet to be seen." Levi said. "She was able to have me pinned to the ground in a matter of seconds before I could even land a strike against her." He added sheepishly.

Erwin's eyebrows shot up at this admission. "You?!" He asked incredulously. "Humanity's Strongest Soldier?!" He couldn't help a small chuckle escape him.

Levi narrowed his eyes at the Commander, but he didn't speak another word.

"I wasn't trying to hurt him." Serenity argued. "I was just trying to defuse the situation so that we could talk it out. Minus those sharp ass blades of his." She added - mentally sweat dropping as she placed a hand behind her head in embarrassment.

Erwin only laughed louder, causing the Captain to roll his eyes as the Commander found humor at his expense. "I have never heard of anyone defeating Levi in a one on one, so I would very interested to get to know a bit more about your background and training." Erwin said. "Of course, given the fact that you have been trained and possess apparent skills, it will be necessary to hold you until we get more answers. We will likely also need to file a report with the higher ups to decide what to do with you."

Levi interjected, "Commander, I would hold off on that report until I speak with you about my conversation with her and we learn more. Please remember what the Military Police attempted to do with Jaegar once they found out he was a shifter. If she is an asset to us, we don't want her falling into the wrong hands only to be executed. I don't have much faith in the leadership of the Military Police at the present time."

Erwin nodded at the wise words of his Captain. Perhaps it would be best if they kept her a secret. He could trust the cadets currently present. Especially considering most of them were unconscious and were dealt heavy damage during the recent battle with the Armored and Colossal Titan.

"Very well." Erwin agreed.

Serenity looked around at the soldiers laid out before her. Most of them had severe burns to them. "Will they be ok?" She asked. A hint of emotion behind her voice.

"They will need rest. Unfortunately, we do not have a lot of time." Erwin said. Not adding more detail.

"You need to go after the one they took?" She with asked. Erwin nodded to her question, but still did not provide her with further information.

Serenity walked up to a dark-haired girl that was laid out on the ground. A blonde boy kneeling over her, trying his best to tend to her wounds. Erwin attempted to stop her before she could approach, but Levi grabbed his arm. Erwin was about to protest, but the look in Levi's eyes told him to just observe. For the time being at least.

The blonde boy looked up to the woman. His eyes widened as he saw her face, and a blush instantly appeared on his face. He was so absorbed in looking after the dark-haired girl, that he didn't notice Serenity at all. He opened his mouth the speak, but the words never came out.

Serenity smiled at his nervousness. Her face giving off a gentle glow as she looked at him. "Hi, my name is Serenity." She said, continuing to smile. "Is she doing ok?" She gestured to the unconscious girl on the ground.

The boy shook his head. "I believe she hit her head pretty hard, plus she has some bad burns." He hesitated for a moment before he said, "Her name is Mikasa, and I'm Armin."

"It's nice to meet you Armin." Her gaze shifter back to Mikasa as she tried to assess the damage, before looking back at the others unconscious from their injuries. She knew she could likely heal them with her power, but that would draw too much suspicion. The injuries didn't look life threatening, so she tried to think of the best course of action to help them. "If she hit her head, there may be some swelling associated with it. She needs ice, and they all need some cool water to assist with the burns. It would be wonderful if you also had some honey, natural honey. It can help in speeding up the healing process for the burns. I am not sure if aloe vera grows here, but it is an excellent natural remedy as well. First though, they need to be taken out of the sunlight as soon as possible. It will only do more damage to their burns."

Armin blinked at her. "Are you a doctor of some sort?" He asked.

She chuckled darkly. "No, just seen enough bloodshed to last for a hundred lifetimes. Sometimes you pick up on some helpful knowledge here and there."

Erwin and Levi looked at each other before staring back at her. Both of their minds filling with questions.

Erwin let a breath out before saying, "you heard her. Let's get these soldiers moving as best as we can. Gently and with little movement. We will regroup back at headquarters." With that order, the soldiers that were still standing began to slowly move the fallen ones into the lifts. Careful not to move them too much. Before they could reach Mikasa, she finally shot up screaming out "Eren!"

Serenity placed a hand on her shoulder. "Not too fast. It is very likely you have a concussion and moving like that will only worsen it. Does anyone have any water?" Serenity called out. A tall blonde man she had yet to meet approached, carting a skin that appeared to be filled with water.

"Here." He said as he thrust the bottle to Serenity. She cradled Mikasa's head as she encouraged her to drink. Mikasa refused at first, still in shock over what happened and the fact that Eren was stolen from them. If only she had been quicker. Stronger. Serenity though would not allow the girl to refuse.

"Eren was your friend?" Serenity asked. "Family?" Mikasa's eye met hers as they narrowed at the woman she didn't recognize. Her eyes filled with anger, sadness, uncertainty, and self-loathing at how she had failed Eren. Serenity could only sigh at the girl. Understanding her immediate distrust of a complete stranger. "Look," Serenity said. "You don't know me, I don't know you, but I can tell that Eren is important to you. You want to save him? Huh? Go after him? Well, unless you drink some water, allow yourself to heal, and face the limits of your body, you will fail before you can even begin." Serenity's words weren't meant to be harsh, but were more so a reality check for the young girl. She knew oh to well the need to save someone, even if it meant killing yourself in the process. Truth is that you might end up getting everyone else killed because of your own recklessness. Her Senshi flashed across her mind as she thought of that.

Mikasa still glared at the woman, but she took the skin of water without any argument. She drunk it greedily, not realizing how dehydrated she must have been.

"Slowly." Serenity said. "Don't shock your system too much. You have been through a lot."

The blonde man knelt next to them, offering what appeared to be some kind of food to Armin and Mikasa. "I don't have any extra, my apologies...Serenity was it?"

"Yes." She confirmed. "May I ask your name?"

"Captain Hannes with the Garrison Regiment." He answered simply. "I've known these two since they were mere kids." He smiled, but his worry showed in his eyes.

They are still kids. Serenity thought, but quickly remembered that she was only 14 when Sailor Moon was thrust upon here. Life has a way of dealing unfair hands to so many.

Armin and Mikasa didn't seem interested in eating what Hannes had provided him. Serenity was about to argue with the two, until Hannes spoke up.

"This feels familiar, huh?" Hannes eyes gazed off into the distance as he spoke. "You two have been running damage control for that little hothead since the good old days, if I recall correctly." Mikasa and Armin looked at him with sad eyes.

"Why does he do it? Always leave?" Mikasa asked to no one in particular. Her eyes filled with tears. Serenity couldn't help but feel as if she were invading their privacy, but she was rooted to the spot wanting to make sure they ate and didn't do anything irrational.

"He always ends up someplace we're not." Mikasa added in a whisper.

"Yeah, it does seem to happen a lot." Armin said. "Ever since we were kids, Eren liked to run off on his own. Leave us worried sick. Who knows? That's just the sort of person he's meant to be. Maybe."

"Doesn't seem very fair." Hannes continued. "But what do I know? Different time, different place, same problem. Not exactly what I'd call a healthy relationship. Am I wrong?" He laughed a bit to himself as he continued. "The neighborhood bullies weren't quite so tall, but I suppose there are similarities. He was always looking for a fight. Five guys want to take him on, and he wouldn't think twice about jumping into the fray like an idiot."

He paused as he chose his next words carefully. "But you know, I may not have ever had the privilege of seeing Eren win, but I never saw the little son of a bitch back down either. Kid's got fire. He gets knocked on his ass, he gets right back up again. It's in his blood."

Serenity smiled slightly at the description of this 'Eren.' While she might not always itch for a fight, no matter how many times she was knocked down, she got back up again. Realizing there was something bigger than her that was worth fighting for.

"You think he'd let himself be snatched away without fighting tooth and nail?" Hannes asked with a laugh. "Not a chance. Whatever strength he's got left, he'll use it."

Mikasa's and Armin's eyes lit up at what Hannes was saying. They began to devour their rations, trying to rebuild their strength so that they could save their friend.

Serenity stood as she saw them renewed with a new sense of purpose. "I'll leave them to you." She said to Hannes. "Clearly they are in good hands." Hannes nodded at the girl while giving her a half smile. Serenity turned back around only to be faced with the grey eyes that belonged to Levi.

He had been listening to the entire exchange. He marveled at the way she took control of the situation and instantly gained the trust of the three soldiers. Which meant either one of two things: she was a well-trained spy or someone who held genuine concern. He still wasn't sure which. He didn't miss the words she had given to Mikasa. While the girl obsessed over protecting Jaeger, Serenity had given her a harsh dose of reality. She was injured and could not just go charging out on her own, no matter how fierce of a soldier she may be. Everyone had to be aware of their own limits. Both physically and emotionally. It was a battle he constantly fought himself as he thought of his aching ankle once again. Only a seasoned warrior would recognize this, which further proved his idea that Serenity was trained and well versed in battle. More than likely she has been where Mikasa is now and wished she had done things differently. She has faced loss. That much was obvious based off her words and the sharpness behind her eyes.

As she looked at him, he mulled over what to do with her. He knew that she would need to be held at headquarters, but should he bind her? With so many unknowns, he knew that he should. The Commander would want him to, and he would bet that she would put up no fight or take no offense to it. He held some rope in his hand as he weighed his options.

Serenity looked from the man to the horizon. "It feels as if you're on top of the world up here. Beautiful, but terrifying knowing the reason behind the construction of these walls." She tore her eyes away from the grassy plains and the blue skies as she began to walk closer to Levi. "Is it time for me to be taken off to a cell?" She asked, the dark humor behind her voice.

Levi nodded. "Yes. It is not necessarily an affront against you, but with the way the world is, we cannot take any chances."

Serenity sighed as she nodded her head in acknowledgement. She turned around and held her hands together behind her back. Levi hesitated. She could sense him trying to decide whether to do this.

"Please don't worry about it." Serenity said. "I recognize the position you're in, and I don't hold it against you. It would not look favorably on your or your division if you allowed me into your headquarters without being bound. While I may not necessarily like it, it isn't up to me. It is your duty, Captain."

Levi blinked at her words as he moved closer. If she was a spy, she was doing a very good job of saying the right words to break down their guard. He grabbed her wrists gently as he set to tying her wrists together. Tight enough to prevent her from breaking free, but not so tight as to hurt her.

Serenity chuckled as she gazed at the man over her right shoulder. "But rope instead of the standard handcuffs?" She asked. "That's a bit kinky isn't it, Captain?" A smirk playing on her lips.

Levi froze at what she was suggesting, and his face heated up as he blushed slightly at her words. She giggled. "I made Humanity's Strongest Soldier blush. I'll consider that a win."

"Tch." Levi scoffed, shaking his head to regain his thoughts. "Don't expect it to happen again, brat."

"Whatever you say, sir." She breathed out with a final laugh. At least she wasn't the only blushing mess around here between the two of them.

Levi just rolled his eyes as he guided her to one of the lifts. Regardless of this unexpected visitor, he could safely say that things were about to get even more interesting.

And there it is! Of course, Serenity will end up in a cell. Can't be too trusting of people in Attack on Titan, lol. The real question though will be – what kind of information will the Captain and Commander find out from her? Stay tuned!

-Lizzy