Levi had been trying to escape the notion of his precious Ranger being an enemy spy. He had grown attached after the crazy trust exercises on the field.. The evidence pile had seemingly built itself up, while the police held the case. Now the suspect was in a disposition to talk. The captain was fine being the bad guy for the sake of a better world. Although his inner conflict on the subject of you came up unexpectedly. For one, you were the only person who knew where he was. Second, you were taking care of him. "First official question: Do you want to kill Eren Yeager?"

You shook your head.

"What sort of relation is Nero to you?"

You had trouble thinking of an accurate description, "An unforgivable demon I should kill."

'Good answer', Levi though. He set his teacup down. "Do you like chess?"

You almost laughed at the question. You couldn't believe this was a serious question. "No one to play with."

'Fair enough', the relaxed midget mused. "Last one: Why don't you speak much around us?"

The question was very personal. You wanted to help your war buddies as much as possible. Though there was little the reply would help any war-like situation. "When people speak-" You had practiced the speech in the mirror many times, "they get used to saying nonsense. Then their voices get drowned out in other's verbatim nonsense. Pretty soon, no one can hear something important, because all they will remember is the nonsense that was spewed." The words spilled quite pleasantly down. Speaking your mind felt pleasurable. "When I speak, others listen and have no choice but to hear the reason. Quality over quantity…" You were distracted in getting the words correct, you forgot to check on your audience. He once again stared in his distant blank expression. It was as if glass separated both of you. A gap that ran lower than the earth's core. Your cheeks went red from embarrassment without any clue of what he thought. The tired captain sprawled on the couch. "You should talk more."

"I just said-"

"You made sense. You speak in logic, a ground not to be trifled with. It is good. Refreshing, actually. People have fallen victim to chatter. Though it is not all worthless. While talking can get crazy, it is for the purpose of clarification. Communication clears conflict."

The circumstances warmed your heart. Not a full hour before, Levi was beating himself up. The present displayed a captain with a strong head on capable shoulders. The situation was too pure for your heart. Levi was stretched out, helpless on your couch chatting over tea! Furthermore, he was in your father's dress shirt with bed hair. And here you thought Levi couldn't look any more attractive. There it was.

You stood. "I have animals to take care of. Try not to hurt your arms. Uh- and your clothes are on the clothesline outside. Slip on a pair of shoes at the door."

Levi was right, communication was clarification. You brooded silently about the past incidents. They seemed so far away, almost as they never happened. Levi took his time to get up. No complaints. You lifted a sack of feed and exited the house. The weather had been on and off; cold to hot. The day was mediocre. But like always, the farm bathed in sunlight. It was rarely downcast or lacking in light. The chickens greeted you. The younger ones stayed farther away. You had to sweep your foot around to clear the path. Making it to the sheep pen, you started pouring the grain. The future wasn't a subject you liked to think about. Too much anxiety. With the future looking bright, it shined as the present.

Crash

Levi fell down. His knees had buckled in exhaustion. He had tried to grab something and found a cord. The cord was attached to a pan rack. The pans had made a racket. The Ranger ran into the house, dropping the sack near the door. You found Levi cradling his arms cussing a storm through clenched teeth. Pots and pans lay scattered across the floor. The furniture had tipped. You scoop him up and carry him to your bed. The captain huffed, "Fuck if Nero isn't dead."

You put a hand over the Captain's mouth. You sensed company. Mr. Akerman was puzzled. Taking off your hand, you shushed him. "Don't say anything till I say you are okay."

You strode out of the room and shut the door. Levi breathed heavily.

" 'Fear it, Ophelia, fear it, my dear sister,

And keep you in the rear of your affection,

Out of the shot and danger of desire.'

-Shakespeare

"What wise words. So, Ophelia, what are you doing this fine day?"

You ('Ophelia' in this case) picked up a shoe and threw it at Bruce. "Fuck off!"

Your brother looked down at the pots and pans. "Oh, sorry. We can sit down. Or I can-"

"Yes leave… please."

Bruce looked at the low table and the crooked couch that had knocked it over. Bruce grabbed your arm and pulled up the long sleeves. When he only saw old scars, he sighed. You tugged the arm away. "I don't need your sympathy. We are enemies."

Your older brother's golden eyes closed. "Not here. Here, we are family. You are my little sister. I may not be the best older brother on earth, but I care."

You had trouble telling his intentions. 'Caring' was a facade. Many times he had been nice. This was too nice. The only explanation was, like the quote, a play. "So sudden. I'm sure you just want to catch me in a vulnerable state. I may be younger, but I am an adult. Leave my house. Mother left it to me."

Bruce knew his leaving hurt his already sick and grieving mother. He was also aware of how crude he was to his sister. "I only request the first day of spring."

You stood your ground, pointing him toward the door. Before shutting the door he turned, "Take good care of our stuff."

You put the pans in the sink, adjusted the furniture, and salvaged Levi's clothes. Your cheeks burned in frustration. Bruce was crude to act concerned. If you had given in, he would have laughed at you for falling to his nice side. The ground was scattered in dirt. You slipped off the dirty shoes and visited the room. "Hey, sorry about the sudden visit."

Levi was sitting up in bed, back against the wall. His eyes were almost closed, facing the ground. "Levi?"

He looked up. His eyebrows tensed. "What a nice family reunion. Time to explain, Ophelia."

"That-that's not my name. And you wouldn't understand."

"The main problem is that I have no way of understanding. There is nothing to hide if you are innocent."

Once again, Levi had proved you wrong. "My brother, Bruce, is a titan. He goes by his middle name. Those who dwell within the wall know him as Nero."

You wanted to hide desperately. You feared what the person you admired thought of you. You waited for him to say something.

"Well?"

"Well," The Captain shut his eyes, "What do you want me to say?"

"Accuse me," You suggest, "Cuss me out, or tell me you are mad. You know, like with your scouts."

Levi moved a finger, beckoning his Ranger. You hugged yourself with fear. Levi reached out and grasped your shirt collar. His face lingered close and below. He reached to your belt, pulling a king from a string. It was just as he suspected. Levi leaned back again, holding up the glass chess piece.

"Check."

Hanji was calm in front of her squad when she couldn't recover her Captain. When in her office, papers flew. She dumped a drawer of parafanillia. It was almost as if the scientist was searching for something. Much like Levi. Her brain scattered, which is dangerous for one as genius as she. Once dumping everything out, she sat down under her desk, tugging at her front bangs. "Levi, where are you? God! Don't leave me alone. Not like this."

She crawled from her dark den and kicked the nearest thing. The bookshelf retaliated, falling down on her.

The scouts were not so downcast at first. They ran drills in the morning and relaxed in the evening. Connie and Armin started fighting over the state of the base. The second day finished drills, but everything descended into chaos. Sasha raided the kitchen dry. Mikasa beat up Connie and Goggles. Armin was trying to organize the stuff that drifted naturally. Eren was stressing over the situation, almost threatening to turn into a titan. No one slept. When Hanji lined both squads for next morning drills, they all realized how chaos played then like a fiddle. Even better, Jean showed up on horseback. "What happened?"

The squads notified Jean on the situation. He was away on request to train recruits for the new royal guard. "Well, the first order is for us all to get cleaned up."

"Yes," Hanji agreed to the statement of cleaning. "Horse-face is right. We will pause drills for today and tomorrow to clean."

Jean watched the wild pack of animals return to their civilized selves. The Commander was the only one who was completely thrown off. Her messy hair turned into a ratted mess with a hair tie. Her eyes went bloodshot and nose red. No one brought it up since they already knew. She had cared about the missing captain the most, they depended upon each other. Their symbiotic relationship kept the scouts in check. He was the dad and she the cool aunt. A pair. Miss Zoe addressed the group, "Captain is alright. We haven't found any more than the titan carcasses. If there is nobody, we presume Captain Akerman is alive. I have filed a request for permission to officially search for him. The term for his condition is M.I.A. Anyone who says otherwise will be subjected to cleaning the bathroom with their toothbrush and has to run a full day of drills only incorporating ten-minute breaks. Then I will subjugate them to reading off the elements of the periodic table till I fall asleep."

The crew understood. Armin was looking troubled. The other two saw this and committed to meeting in the basement after the day's activities.

"What are you thinking, Armin?"

Eren drifted off in space, but Mikasa was engaged in the conversation. "Since we got rid of the main titan threat, the world has calmed. Though, we might have let a nest of bugs grow while eradicating the other."

The Akerman elbowed Yeager to pay attention. The cleaver blond continued, "Nero escaped. That means he could build an army."

The hatch of the basement opened unexpectedly. The three stared at the intruder. Jean held up a hand, "I'm in."

"You haven't heard anything."

"I have heard your group talk before. You three always end up in the thick of it. I am in."

Eren was now engaged in the conversation. "I think this all ties into The Ranger, Nero, and Captain Akerman," Armin stated as a summary. "What should we do first?" Eren asked. Jean nodded, trying his best to combine all previous knowledge on the subject. "The Ranger would be our best bet. Get to him, we find the location of Captain."

"Right, but-" Mikasa paused, "He is strong."

Armin hummed a bit. "The last encounter, we practically lost."

This was the first time Jean had heard anything of the sort. "Even you?!"

"Even Mikasa," Eren affirmed. "Then the midget told him to stop."

"Who has to meet the Ranger?"

"Erwin [dead], Hanji [otherwise occupied], Petra [dead], us three [nearly no base knowledge], and Sasha."

"I never thought it would go down to this."

The four contemplated other ways, but it all came back to needed information.

The four horsemen- I mean, the four scouts galloped- I mean, The four scouts marched to the glutton for answers.

The rain poured. It was difficult to see his hand in front of him. Then he saw them. Anger swelled with terror. Her severed head lay lip on the ground wide-eyed.

Levi sat up. He breathed heavily. The faces of the fallen haunted his dreams. Tears had already swelled in his eyes. He sniffled and tried to wipe away the tears that kept falling. Usually, he would wake up, wipe his face, and jump out of bed to start the day. But he was stuck. There was no work to be done. The stitches were replaced and he was forbidden to get out of bed because of the pan incident. It was actually raining outside. He stuffed the pillow into his face and gave the cry some time.

A soft piano began to play. Levi didn't notice. Then there was a knock on the door. Levi hugged the pillow tight, trying to fake a simple groggy voice, "What do you want?"

No reply. The Captain didn't want to get caught crying. The door opened. The hinges squeaked, overdue for repairs. Levi stuffed the pillow back to his face. "Yes, I am awake!"

The Ranger had a cup of tea in hand. "Are you… crying?"

He hiccuped as if on cue. "No," He ignored the obvious sign. The cup made a clear noise setting on the nightstand. Ranger sat on the floor. Levi lifted his head up, "Don't sit on the dirty floor!"

He had taken the pillow from his face. His cover was blown. Tears flowed like a faucet. He ran a hand through his hair. A huff escaped, "Alright, I am crying! Poke as much fun-"

The clever listener hugged the crying man. He gasped in surprise. He watched her sit on the bed, holding his head against her shoulder. He sniffled between sentences, "What I am crying about. Well, I had a bad dream. A… nightmare that always haunts my sleep. It always happens when it rains. A sort of Pavlov effect the universe cursed me with." His breathing was jagged. "A torturing reminder of many who have died for my life. That makes me the bad guy. They always die thinking I am this cold bastard killing machine who cares about nothing. But I-I care. Everyone has a life, a precious soul. They just need to find a purpose for it. Right?"

The two shifted positions on the sheets. Levi hugged his pillow and rested his head against the Ranger's lap. "You're not uncomfortable with my head in your lap?"

His caretaker shook her head. She whispered lightly. He responded with a pained whimper,"You want to know how I grieve? Um, I try to proceed with work after their death. At first, everything feels numb. Then I refuse to think about them. When I find alone time, I just break. I'm human, in the end, after all. Please-" The breathing slowed but still paused suddenly. He looked up, "Don't think I am weak."

He sniffed and the avid listener (to the Captain's surprise) ran her hands through his hair. His eyelids began to droop. He could hear the relaxing sound of his hair being combed back. Some time passed and he noticed the music. His voice had drifted calmer, "What is that music?"

He got his reply. He rubbed his face on the thigh, "Clair de Lune, sounds sad… but beautiful. Not as sad as Moonlight Sonata."

"Are you comparing them because of their name?"

"Yes, in a matter of fact, I am comparing them by name. I don't really know that many classical songs." He heard a little laugh. "You think it's funny?! I don't. Not many people get the luxury to sit down and listen to music all day."

The comforting hair rubs stopped. "H-hey, don't stop. I did not mean you aren't a hard worker." There was a well taken pause before adding: "I was jealous. We have lost many works of art due to the war. Sometimes I wish there was a vault of lost works, preserved and safe. Then history wouldn't become such a mystery. We wouldn't fight for a newspaper column that can read in minutes."

The listener started playing with his hair again. He had stopped crying. The notes resonated through the house.

"I messed up on that part. It was a 'b' flat there."

"This is a recording of you? You have a piano." His question was confirmed by a light hum. "Oh, and that is why you know so many songs. Who taught you?"

The music got heavier, and his reply was sorrowful. "Your mother must be proud of the person you have become: A strong, hard-working, well-developed lady. She raised you well. When I can walk again, play the piano for me? I would love it. Where do you keep the piano in this small place?"

He found himself chuckling in dark humor. "Everything important is in basements nowadays. There isn't by any chance a secret I should know about in the basement, right? Good."

The two listened to the music and rain dance in harmonious wavelengths. The two went together, despite the rolling lightning' abrupt sound, which was muffled by the walls. "Thank you for saving me, taking me in, and taking care of me. Even though I don't deserve to be happy, can you do one thing? Hold me till I fall asleep."

The Captain drifted off into a deeper, secure sleep as the last few notes whispered a goodbye kiss. The Ranger squeezed a tear for the Captain, "You are wrong, Levi. You deserve all the happiness in the world. Goodnight."

The second the appeal was declined, Hanji demanded Mikasa and Connie to travel with her to debate the approval. Hanji composed a Resolution to Queen Historia proposing orders of business considering the search of Captain Levi Akerman. Armin and Jean got the signal for execution from Mikasa to continue their plan while Hanji was gone. The plan was for Jean, Eren, and Armin to attract the attention of Ranger. From there, Eren was to turn titan and battle Ranger. Armin and Jean were then to trap the person in combat. They stole away the night Hanji left.

Nero sat down. "They secured the wall, but they are getting softer. Peace makes humans slow. We should attack before Christmas time. That way, everyone will be at home."

Fergus Downer hit the tabletop. Nero narrowed his eyebrows, "And you think different?"

"What about that bitch?"

Nero darkly stared down the bold man. The people around the table coward at their boss's rage. "Ranger, you mean?"

"I do, actually." Fergus spoke up, "While she continues to live, you have a soft spot. I refuse to have a weak leader."

"I do not have weak spots. I am capable of killing her on the battlefield."

"What about the countless times did that fucking bitch have opportunities to kill you?"

The table agreed with the fair point. Nero refused to move his rules set in place. "She never has the gut beside the fact of her power. Her physical strength is the opposite of her mental strength."

A table member spoke up, "Fergus, what about the time you went ahead against the Ranger?"

The question put the bold speaker off, "Exactly why we should eradicate her."

Nero stood up, "We won't have to worry about her in this equation. For now, I forbid anyone to attempt fighting her."

Fergus slouched back in his chair scanning for allies based on their expression. Nero left the room. The others stood to leave. Fergus pulled a woman shifter aside, "Are you with me?"

She nodded in resolution. "He will have no choice but to thank us."

You were taking a joy cruise through the forest. The air had turned bitter after the rain. It was the turning point of autumn. The plants would start losing leaves faster than the breeze caught. It was a sunny, cold, and muddy morning. Your thoughts drifted to Levi. He was different from the Captain who yelled at scouts. Different in a good way. His tears were justified and overdue mourning. You felt guilty intruding on him. Levi clearly didn't want to be caught crying.

A behemoth hand swept behind you. You move around to find a black-haired titan with large brown eyes. It looked like a monkey without legs. The teeth were sharp and the jaws were slack. The daunting part was the translucent white eye that flailed about, hanging there. A tree crashes down almost falling on you. The monkey titan hops, mouth open for consumption. The tree feller was a thin-boned titan with a potbelly. The monkey saw it approach and jumped away. This gave enough time for you to jump and attempt an escape. The potbelly titan forms a large 'o' with its lips. The monkey titan vocalized a laugh, swinging gaily. Water accompanied by vapor spewed in the pressure of a fire hose. The blast was terrifying. This unexpected ability raised many questions. Those of which could not be answered. You lept onto a tree directly above the titan. In a bout of confidence, you yelled, "Right here, freaks!"

As planned, the titan sprayed the scalding water upwards. The monkey stopped laughing. It spared no time launching toward you. The problem now was to eliminate the boiler for good without dying by a monkey. You dove toward dense shrubbery. The monkey titan slid into the wet ground. The ground gave way and the tree titan struggled and slipped in the dirt like a toddler on ice. Without legs, the limiting limbs prooved their inexperience in the form. The boiling titan avatar was recovering at an alarming rate. You made haste and tried to cut into the nape. Then the skin erupted under you and you flew back landing on your side. A man tore out the ocular connecting muscles. He laughed pulling out a dagger. "I have waited a long time to do this."

You sit up, glancing toward the noise. The monkey was still trying to get up. Attention turned to the threat. "Remember me?"

You don't explicitly remember his titan, but his mannerisms struck a chord. The man slid down the lump of flesh with a crazy grin. His hair was half braided and half shaved. Before you was Fergus Downer, your cousin from the destroyed beach village. You stood up sore, "Thank goodness it is only you, I was worried for a second."

"I should cut off your head and mount it on my fireplace."

His smile didn't fade, only his eyes got wider. This was no human, it was a wild animal. You pointed the blade at him, "Insanity really is incurable. Pity, we use to be friends. Die a fast death for me."

The wild thing lunged in anger. This was his downfall. Even as kids he would have bouts of anger. The ground stopped shaking. You turned to see the monkey titan spring at you from a low branch. Fergus had been mortally wounded. Unfortunately, his voice still worked. He laughed in mistaken victory. You rolled and the titan got a mouthful of Dirt and Fergus pie. To put a cherry on top, you scaled the momentarily incapacitated fur beast. One jab and the deed was finished. The adrenaline still ran through your veins throbbing. Your head pounded and the pain flooded in. The dagger had cut a sizable laceration across your thigh. It stung. You checked the ODM equipment and it had run out of fuel. The predicament was inconvenient. Levi would be awake by now. He might search for and trip on something. (Again) The fact he hadn't eaten yesterday haunted your heart. You would be a terrible hostess!

You got up wobbly. Using the splintered sword, you cut a piece of Fungus' sleeve since he won't be using it anymore. This area of the forest isn't known for titan sightings. That is why the ambush was improperly prepared for. You had no more spare swords. Your distance from Willow Pond was less than a mile down. Sucking in the pain, you walked down to soak in your sorrows. The gear absorbed the sunlight.

"I found the cloak by that tree."

"Great, now how long are we to wait?"

Armin sat down on a jutted root, "If it comes down to it, we may have to lure him out."

Jean breathed in the cold air. "I can set up a lento."

Eren spotted movement. It was the ranger. He hung the hooded cape up and set down the gear. "Hey, Armin, Jean."

He pointed. Jean got up and adjusted his straps. "I will go on that side of the pond, wait for the signal."

Without Mikasa, they altered the plan slightly. Eren would hold the Ranger, leave the titan form, and let Jean point a gun at the Ranger. Armin would be doing the interrogations.

This was easier for them since you only had a knife on you for protection. The Cape and gear were chilling. You were unaware of the conspiring team. The task on-hand was stressing you out. The water was freezing, but you endured the temperature. It felt better to be clean and injured beside dirty and injured.

Jean pushed the Cape off the branch with a long stick. Armin nodded to Eren. The titan shifter wanted to enjoy the torture after the beating his team took the last encounter.

You saw Eren's attack titan and your heart sunk. Your luck had plummeted to the center of the earth. You ran toward the large titan. Armin ran the same direction as Eren while Jean waited for an opening. You decided to pass under his legs through an aleatoric chance. The gash was not happy. It hurt badly. You drew the knife and passed under Eren while he bent over to grab you. You smile before crashing into the unseen short boy. Both fell to the ground. You held your head that possessed a light headache getting heavier by the minute. Armin stood up in haste. Eren spun around and trapped you in a fist. Jean swung down pointing a pistol. "You are surrounded." Eren satisfyingly announced in triumph. He grinned devilishly. Jean rolled his eyes. The blond shifter just had a brief thought. "What if he can't actually talk? No accounts had him-"

You were on the brink of tears. The day could not take a worse turn. Armin's eyes went wide, "I meant she- she is known to not talk. This is awkward."

Kirstein cringed, "Eren, she can't talk without her hands. Stupid as always."

You watched the little scene play out with a front-row ticket. "How else can we restrain her? She bested Mikasa hand-to-hand. We can't risk losing this."

You pry a hand free with the knife. The wound was hurting from the pressure. Pulling the mask down with small tears forming, you shout, "Ask me! I can talk!"

Armin was startled, "Where is Captain Levi?"

"Safe and recovering. Man, you guys are a thorn in my side! Any more questions?"

Eren slapped your face. "That is for my dignity."

Jean took a turn, a slap. "That is for Mikasa."

You could justify their perspectives but the day had been a quick escalation of pain. You cursed your voice for being naturally mellifluous. "Can you free me? I'm wounded." Talking was hard. You wondered if being straight up would communicate enough. Jean nodded. Eren hesitated, "How can we trust you?"

"I am the only one who knows where Levi is, I was attacked by titans, got a wound, and just want to eat something. I have had the best intentions."

Against Eren's wishes, the two others helped you down. Eren considered pulling his titan hair for a rope. Jean drew a picture in his mind. "What a troublesome misunderstanding."

"We are all at fault here, sorry."

You tried a smile. "Levi is lucky to have loyal troops like you. I am surprised Hanji was not the one to lead this."

"We are going against her knowledge," Eren darkly grumbled. "I am also against trusting you."

The scouts had kindly allowed you to use their first aid kit. Eren had a strange memory of you, that was not his. Jean gave you a cracker.

"I should apologize for not being a straightforward character in this situation. I was not used to being around so many people. But getting to know everyone struggling, one gets a good view of attitude."

"How is Levi?" Armin asked for elaboration.

"His arms were cut deep and jaggedly. A few scattered piercing wounds are not too bad. His ankle was sprained. If you come back in a week, he might be mended enough to travel back."

"It takes a while. Yet, another problem, we will have to explain this to the higher-ups. Our site may not be as efficient to collect our Captain."

"How is- Is Hanji well?"

Jean piped up, "Not at all. The two are a pair of thieves. One without the other is like missing your other arm."

Your headache may have come back. The facts were undeniable. "Gr- uh, Thank you." The two fit perfectly as a power couple. The relationship would be healthy and cute. Both would be happy. "Armin, I have news about Nero."

"Eh?" All three asked.

"The two titans who attacked me were a part of Nero's crew. I battle them constantly, but this is a step. Find a way to keep up security on the wall no matter what. I have a feeling of dread after the attack today. Be ready."

"Hey, so-" Eren calmed down, "You are on our side. No alternative goal."

You thought painfully of your mother's last wishes. The memory of holding Levi, reassuring the strong soldier. "My alternate goal is happiness." You look at the astray teen. "Winning for the sake of winning is useless without an alternate goal. Too shallow for even you. Humans are far from simple. To the core, I know to stick with my kind and to care. To care and to be cared for by someone who will be happy with me."

The three listened to your rambling. You sputtered a whispered apology. Jean had a sad look in his eyes as if he understood. Armin thought of his alternative resolve of the ocean and how he reached it. Eren was hit to the core. His mental distress and memories (that weren't his) told of the hopes and goals of another. He understood perfectly.

"One week," Eren brought up.

You nod. The tormented boy nodded back, "We will do our part. Take good care of Humanity's Strongest."

The meeting was another world. The depth you connected was a lifetime worth. The departure was somber full of resolve. "See you later, My Scouts."

They nodded and pulled their horses toward the wall.