"I know I'll probably die down here, in this shit hole…but I don't wanna be forgotten…so here goes" -Farlan Church Journal

"I don't wanna be stuck in a cage anymore, I wanna be free!"-Isabel Magnolia

The Underground District, Stohess

"The Underground District is located under the safest section of land and is protected by the three outside Walls. An abandoned underground, left over from the sealed Immigration Plan…In this land cast aside from the light, it's not uncommon for those who are born and raised here to rot away without even a glimpse at the surface world"-Secrets Untold: The Hidden Worlds, Armin Arlert

"Here, sorry for the wait. Payment for both this time & last time" said Farlan doling out the day's pay. The money was split in half, the lesser amount being given to the three boys on the couch while the larger half went to the boy with the limp in the armchair. "You guys better not spend too much even if it's a mistake. We're being observed" he warned over the cheering boys.

"We know. Let's go guys!" answered the younger boy as the group followed after him.

"Jobs have been a lot easier since we got our hands on the ODM gear" Farlan stated in reply to the questioning look from Levi where he sat at the table polishing his knife, "Everyone's share has increased too"

"It seems one has increased more than the others. What's the reason?" Levi observed checking over his handiwork.

"His…Jan's legs has gotten worse again…You've noticed, right?" replied Farlan referring to the boy who had limped out of the room only moments earlier, "Medicine is really expensive. The price recently went up too. Seriously, those damn Underground merchants…Have you heard? The Stairway toll also went up"

"Yeah…"

"With that, it's even less likely for any of us to ever see the sunlight. We have to buy our way up no matter where we go, they increase the price as they want. Even if you manage to pay and get outside, without citizenship you can't stay long. You'll be sent back immediately. Apparently the lack of sunlight causes people's legs to go bad, it's not like knowing that will change anything though"

"Your mother was the same, right? So…that's why. Even so it still looked like a large sum"

"It's compensation. It…might already be too late. At the very least, I hope he finds a good hospital"

"I see"

"How much more do we need to live on the surface?" Farlan wistfully asked. Levi didn't answer at first, all too used to his friend's ramblings.

That was until a commotion outside caught their attention. Something heavy smacked itself into their door, rattling it on its hinges. Leaping to their feet with weapons in hand, the two crept towards the door. Farlan gripped the doorknob and glanced towards Levi before he ripped the door open, letting it bang against the wall as it swung inwards.

The two relaxed their stances slightly when a small red haired girl tumbled into the room, falling face first at their feet as she continued to clutch at something that she was holding to her stomach. "What? It's just a kid. That's a surprise" commented Farlan, no longer tensed for a fight.

"Not…a kid…I'm not…a kid!" muttered the girl, glaring up at the two from her place on the floor.

"Is that so? I won't feel bad for kicking you out then. I'll let the fact that you dirtied the floor, slide. Get out. Now" drawled Levi.

"What? Can't you move?" Farlan asked.

"Of course I can! Don't look down on me!" the girl retorted as she shifted upright revealing a small bird wrapped in a dirty white cloth clutched in her hand. What a hard-headed kid Levi thought as a shout from outside caught his attention. A thunder of footsteps came to a stop just below their doorstep. "Tsk. Brat, are you being chased?" Levi asked receiving no answer from the girl who had sat up with her back against the door.

"What should we do?" Farlan questioned.

"Shit! That bitch…she really bit into me" grumbled the rotund man, "When she's caught, I'll be the first to have fun with her!"

"There's no fun or anything on a brat like that" replied one of the man's companions. Now standing in their doorway, Levi and Farlan listened to the men as they leered over the tiny girl at their feet. Levi let out a noise of disgust at the words.

"Hey you!" called the rotund man, catching sight of the two in the doorway "You see a dirty little kid run this way, right?"

"Those are the only kind around" retorted Farlan as the man began to make his way up the steps.

"You guys are the thugs in this area?" the man asked.

"Pardon?"

The man stopped on the stair landing once he had full view of the scene in front of him. Both boys stood guard on either side of the open doorway, weapons in hand as the girl sat hunched over against the door, refusing to meet anyone's eye. "Oi! I've found her! I thought as much. Are you guys friends?" the man asked as his companions joined him on the landing.

"Not at all" replied Levi.

"Then hand her over to us, you'll be sorry if you cover for her. After all, she tried to get past the 11th stairway without paying!"

Both Levi & Farlan jolted in shock at this revelation but neither said a word, "You guys should know this, the 11th stairway is under the jurisdiction of one of the nobles, Lord Lobov. Anyone who tried to pass there without paying is to be prosecuted. Of course, you guys will be charged too for being her accomplice"

"If you guys get it, hurry up and hand her over!" ordered the companion.

"I don't care anymore, move away from her!" ordered the rotund man as he forced himself up the second flight of stairs and into the room, clapping Levi on the shoulder as he passed. He barely made it a step or two inside before Levi cut his finger. It was only a small cut, barely anything to worry about but it was pissing blood.

The man clutched his injured hand to his chest as Levi grabbed him by the lapels and lifted him down towards his face. "Don't touch me with your filthy hand. I might get dirty" Levi threatened before tossing the man out the door and down his steps.

"Oh my…you can't do that. We always prioritise hygiene" chirped Farlan as the man's companions tried to hold up their unconscious friend, "Wash your hands and come again"

"These guys are dangerous! Let's go!" ordered the blonde as the two companions dragged the rotund man away from the trio.

"Hey, how long are you going to hold it to your stomach?" Levi asked turning back to the girl as he cleaned his knife "It'll die y'know"

"B-but I thought it'd be warm" replied the girl as she stopped clutching onto the bird, cradling it instead.

"What's with the bird?" Farlan asked.

"It got lost on its way here, probably through some duct. So I thought I'd bring it to the surface" replied the girl, never once meeting their gazes.

"Don't tell me you tried to break through the Stairway just for that?" Farlan asked incredulously.

"This guy would want to fly instead of being stuck here underground" she answered petting the bird.

"Well, that's fine and all, but…it's wing is injured, y'know" said Farlan coming to kneel beside the girl.

"Eh? Really?"

"Wow! You're really good at this!" the girl cooed as she watched Farlan carefully bandage the bird's wings. "That's right! What's your name? I'm Isabel" she introduced.

"I'm Farlan…and that's Levi" he replied nodding towards where Levi lounged.

"Farlan and…Brother Levi" Isabel murmured.

"Brother?" Levi muttered.

"Listen! Let me join you!" Isabel exclaimed after a pause.

"Eh?"

"You guys have been using the ODM gear, right? I've seen it before. I was envious, you guys fly around like birds. Please I want to try it too!"

"What do you think?" Farlan asked Levi. Levi didn't reply at first, instead getting up to leave. It was when Isabel pleaded again that Levi replied.

"If you stay here, you need to learn how to clean before you learn to use the ODM gear" Levi merely stated before leaving the room much to Isabel's confusion. Isabel glanced over at Farlan who nodded at the young girl with a small smile had her spinning in her seat and yelling her thanks after Levi.

Over the next few weeks, Isabel learnt not only how to wear the gear, but how to operate it-even if there were a few bumps along the way. She had been so happy when the bird she had saved, had finally healed his wings, her elation at the small animal's recovery had almost been palpable.

Learning to clean to Levi's standards however, had not been something she enjoyed. There was always something that had been missed or wasn't clean enough, it was a wonder her hands hadn't bled with all the scrubbing she had done.

Begrudgingly, Levi would admit that he had come to care for Isabel, seeing her as the little sister he never wanted. You probably wouldn't have noticed it, had it not been for the small gestures here and there. She'd offer him food, he'd ruffle her hair and so on.

Watching her use the ODM gear for the first time and the expression of pure bliss on her face as she soared far above the dirty city below had brought forth a strange sense of pride within him. He wasn't usually the sentimental type, so what gives?

They had found a cavern out of the way that held an opening in the ceiling, where sunlight poured in. It was here that she released the bird. Isabel wouldn't admit it, but she had fought to keep the tears at bay when she farewelled the small bird.

A single feather had floated down and landed in a small puddle at her feet. Against Levi's protests she had knelt down and tucked it into her hair. The white feather stood out like a sore thumb against her read hair, but she kept it there uncaring what it made her look like.

The trio returned from yet another outing on the ODM gear to find a well-groomed elderly gentleman checking a pocket watch outside of their home. "What's the deal, old man? You want something or what?" Isabel asked as the trio came to a stop underneath the bridge.

"I've come for a job request" replied the man as he pocketed his watch.

"Didn't you get the wrong house? This isn't a handyman shop" replied Farlan.

"I promise you a reward"

"Go home!" barked Levi leading the trio forward and towards their home.

"But I've already paid the deposit"

"You're kidding, right? This is the first time we've met you" retorted Farlan as they paused on the steps.

"That's true. But you should already know about him" replied the old man looking across the street to where Jan was slumped against a man in a fedora. The man helped him towards the carriage, before they stopped next to the second man who stood there.

"Jan!" cried Farlan.

"His leg is already at its limit. He needs to get treatment at a hospital on the surface. Isn't that right, Levi?"

"What's the meaning of this?!"

"I told you, didn't I? It's deposit for the job. You'll listen to the details now, right?"

"Fine, then" replied Levi with clenched fists as he watched the two mean lift Jan into the carriage.

The trio followed the old man all the way up the staircase, until they stopped before the last flight of stairs. Escape was right there, it was almost within reach. They could almost taste it. The trio blinked rapidly against the harsh sunlight the streamed down past the ornate carriage that stood at the top of the stairs.

"Is that them?" a voice murmured.

"Yes, I've heard that they're excellent" replied the old man that had led them here.

"Who the hell are you?" Levi questioned, raising an arm to block the sun from his face.

"It's understandable that you're wary of me. But you'll learn it's okay to trust me" replied the rotund man, his voice a deep rich tone.

"Heh, how could we?" added Farlan.

"The fact that I'm here says everything. I'm at a great risk just by being here…Have you received the deposit already?"

"I don't know how things work on the surface, but in our world it's called taking a hostage" replied Levi.

"That's just a contingency plan we laid in place. When you have successfully completed the job, you won't only be getting a huge sum of money…But also, citizenship on the surface"

After confirming, that yes, this was a legitimate deal the trio had spent about a week or so planning and sorting out how they would go about completing this job request. "Levi, everything's ready" stated Farlan as their accomplice pulled on a long brown coat and disappeared out the door. The man in question, looked up from checking over the ODM gear he had donned and nodded towards Farlan as the memory of the lord's warning washed over him.

"…I'll tell you this one thing…" stated the Lord, stopping the trio in their tracks "Regardless of whether you accept this job or not, the target will still make contact. In other words you can't remained unrelated in this matter"

The sound of ODM gear ripped through the street as the crates flew and knocked their contents to the floor. A man in long brown coat grabbed a white package and ran off much to the discontent of the merchants. "Bastards! They had us! It's those pests again!" cried a merchant.

"There they are! Someone call the Military Police!" called another.

"Yahoo!" called Isabel as she flew after Levi and Farlan.

"Levi! They're here! The pursuers!" Farlan called having glanced over his shoulder to see the group of figures cloaked in green.

"Heh, the Military Police again? Haven't they learnt their lesson?" Isabel chuckled looking back at the group. She turned to Levi expecting praise for her witty comment only to deadpan at his response.

"Are you an idiot?" he asked.

"Those moves! They're not the Military Police!" Farlan called.

"Yeah…no mistake, it's them. The Wings of Freedom crest…It's the Scout Regiment!"

"Heh! As in the people who battle the Titans? They're different than I expected"

"You guys know what to do, right?"

"Of course!" chirped Isabel.

"It''s the job, right?" added Farlan before the trio split up, pulling their pursuers in different directions.

Now then, let me see how good the Scout Regiment really is! Levi thought as he accelerated on the gas, twisting and turning through the different short cuts and paths that he knew by heart. Coming out on the other street, he was barely able to dodge the attempt to slice through his wires as he zoomed on.

Passing under a low bridge for cover, he was soon under attack when one of the Scouts burst through the clay, sending the dirt flying everywhere and knocking him to the floor. Levi rolled to a stop, flipping back to his feet and swung his knife towards the scruffy blonde scout, barely nicking his hand as the man dodged. Levi moved to strike again when a clean shaven blonde Scout appeared from above, blade in hand as he engaged Levi in combat.

"Stop it. Take a look around you" stated the blonde as the two struggled for dominance. Levi had a firm grip on one of the blonde's wrists and his other hand gripped tight to the knife which in turn was gripped tight in the blonde's other hand.

Levi's eyes glanced around at the situation around him as he continued to struggle with the larger man. "Let me go you bastard! Damn it all!" cried a struggling Isabel as a female Scout tried to restrain her.

"Levi!" cried Farlan his calm facade falling slightly as he caught sight of Levi's situation. Levi paused for a moment before letting his knife clatter to the floor with a scowl upon his face.

"You're quick at reading the situation" praised the blonde as the two backed off from each other.

It didn't take long for the three to be stripped of their ODM gear, placed in chains and pushed to their knees in front of the blonde Scout with the others surrounding them. "I'm going to ask you a few questions and you're going to answer. Where did you get this?" started the blonde gesturing to the ODM gear they had taken from the trio, "You guys are skilled with ODM gear, who taught you all that?"

He received no reply from the trio as he moved forward to stand in front of Levi, "You're the leader, right? Were you trained in the military?" When no reply was given, Levi's head was smashed into a muddy puddle by the blonde's feet. Levi struggled to move his head and glare up at the man before him, his gaze full of hatred. "I'll ask you one more time. Where did you learn to use the ODM gear?"

"Not from anyone! We learnt it ourselves!" Farlan burst out.

"Self-taught, you say? I don't buy it" replied the blonde.

"Buy it or not, it's true! Just 'cause your head's so far up your own ass!" Isabel cried receiving a smack to the back of her head for her efforts.

"You surface dwellers wouldn't understand!" Farlan added.

"That's enough! Let brother go! Quit being cocky you son of a bitch!"

Levi was yanked from the dirty puddle by the roots of his hair, the muddy water ran down his face like tears and dripped onto the floor. The blonde knelt down in the puddle Levi's face had been in moments before as he spoke, "My name is Erwin Smith and yours is?"

"…Levi"

"Levi…Why don't we make a deal?"

"A deal?"

"I will let your crimes go unpunished. In return, lend me your strength and join the Scout Regiment"

"And if I refuse?"

"The Military Police will take you. Considering all of your crimes, you and your friends won't be treated very nicely. Choose wisely"

"…Fine. I'll join the Scouts" Levi spat.

Now garbed in military wear, the trio stood in leisurely stances as part of the newest batch of Scout recruits. The past few days had been such a blur. Between being shipped from the Underground to the Scout HQ and all the obstacles that they had to overcome just to get to this point…it was almost like they had been transported to an entirely new world.

One where they were no longer one of the top dogs. Levi hated it. He hated that they were being paraded around like some shiny new toys and he held no doubts about that. That's all they were to these people, shiny new toys to use until they broke.

"ATTENTION ALL!" cried Commander Shadis from in front of the Scouts. The trio stood only a few paces behind them, all with different levels of boredom on his or her face. "FROM TODAY, THESE THREE WILL BE FIGHTING ALONGSIDE YOU ALL! INTRODUCE YOURSELVES!" There was a moment of silence before Levi spoke up, his arms still crossed.

"The name's Levi" he drawled.

"Levi…the first thing you'll need is some goddam discipline! Next!"

"I'm Isabel Magnolia! Nice ta meet'cha!" said Isabel, her tone far more cheery than Levi's.

"My name is…Farlan Church" saluted Farlan.

"Flagon, these three will be assigned to your squad. Look after them" Shadis ordered much to the dismay of Flagon. That's what you get for complaining, asshole. Shadis thought.

"M-my squad, sir?" stuttered Flagon.

"Did I stutter?"

"N-no…But shouldn't Erwin…"

"Erwin is tasked with the soldier's formation. The new recruits will be your responsibility, is that understood?"

"Yes, sir! Understood!"

Yes, Levi hated this new arrangement, but so did Flagon. It was the one thing they had in common.

"These are the barracks" Flagon instructed, leading the trio to their final destination after giving them a brief tour of the HQ. It was quite a spacious room filled with large wooden bunk beds that ran the length of the room. The light from a few lanterns danced around the room, illuminating the beds that stood beneath them.

"There are quite a few" Farlan commented as he followed the captain inside, his sack of things thrown over his shoulder.

"Yay! We're all in the same room!" cheered Isabel who came in next. Levi brought up the rear but said nothing.

"Women have a separate section" said Flagon.

"What?! But I wanna stay here!" Isabel cried.

"You two boys will sleep lot have been living in the dumps of the Underground, but do try to keep this place clean" Flagon continued as he watched Levi walk over to the beds the captain had pointed out and ran his fingers along the underside of the top bunk. Rubbing his dusty fingers together, he still said nothing but Farlan & Isabel knew that that wouldn't last long. Levi liked things to be clean. Apparently this wasn't clean enough. "Wh-What's with that look? How dare you approach a superior officer with that attitude-"

Levi's scowl never left his face as Farlan's arm suddenly came down in between the two, moving to stand between them so as to subtly try and break up the argument before it even began. "Sorry! Got it, we'll try and keep the place clean" he saluted.

"Tch. You'll begin training first thing tomorrow, got it?" replied Flagon walking out the door, calling over his shoulder as he went, "Your hand's upside down!" To which Farlan quickly corrected it.

Behind him, Levi was already obsessively cleaning his fingers, something that did not surprise Farlan when he scolded his friend. "Don't pull any more stunts like that, Levi. We've got enough eyes on us already, we don't need anymore"

"Did you not hear what that piece of shit was spouting out of his shitty mouth?" Levi replied clenching his cloth covered fist.

"We weren't caught by accident, you know. I hope you haven't forgotten why we're here, Levi"

"Yeah, I know"

"…The Scout Regiment will likely come after you. Be sure to put up a little resistance. There are two things you'll need to do for me. First you will obtain a certain document which is in the possession of Erwin Smith and secondly, to kill the Scout Regiment's Corporal Erwin Smith. Those are your jobs…"

Isabel loved horse riding. It was her favourite part of training. Her and the horse moved in tune, hearts beating as one as they raced in circles around the field. Up here in the saddle, it was almost like she was flying. Like she was free. "You're a natural! Have you done this before?" a female Scout asked.

"Nah, but I've always been fond of animals. This guy likes me too!" chirped Isabel, petting the horse's mane.

"No way!"

"I'm serious!"

Off to the side, Levi was being fitted for the regulated ODM gear. The group before him watched on as Flagon commented on the way he held in the blade in his grip. Muscle memory making him fall into the familiar hold of how he had always held his knife. It seemed so little in comparison.

"What the hell do you think you're doing? The blades weren't designed to be held like that. Do you wanna die the moment you step outside the Walls?" said Flagon.

"That might just happen to you" replied Levi who had turned his back to the group and made his way over to the forest where is ODM aptitude test was supposed to take place.

"What did you just say?"

"All I have to do is slice the Titan's nape, right? I'll do it my way"

Flying through the trees felt as natural as it had done in the Underground, Levi found, even more so with the wider platforms to make his tight twists and turns. Down below he could hear whispers of a conversation from the group as it floated up through the canopy.

"Was he given any formal training?" Hanji asked as she watched him fly.

"No, I don't believe so" replied Moblit.

"Good, very good! Everything from the way we search for Titan to the way we take them down is dependant upon the individual methods. Woohoo! This is starting to get interesting!"

"Do you really think you can take on a Titan without training?" one of the Scouts that was manning the wooden Titan called up to Levi who was fast approaching. There was no reply as Levi spun underneath the jaw of the Titan and yanked himself up onto the tree branch above the target. Spinning the blade around his preferred grip, he launched himself downwards and sliced through the fleshy nape of the Titan with such strength that chunks of foam flew.

"Woah! What's with that incredible speed?"

Flagon landed on the trunk of the tree that Levi had just vacated so that he could evaluate Levi up close. So that he could find a flaw, any flaw that would allow him to dismiss the trio from the Scouts. So this is the 'talent' that Erwin was talking about? It wasn't going as well as he had hoped.

Levi stood guard outside Erwin's office while Farlan shifted through the captain's things. They had been lucky enough to catch a moment when Erwin hadn't been holed up in his office for hours on end. Thank Maria for long winded meetings!

Dammit! Where is it? Farlan thought as he searched the bookshelves and the desk in the corner. I though this would be easy, considering how little things there are in here. He was soon brought out of his thoughts by Levi's quick knock on the door signalling Erwin's return.

He did a quick once over of the room to see if anything looked like it had been rifled through before he slipped out of the door and back to the barracks where Isabel was waiting, with Levi in tow. They missed Erwin by seconds.

"We won't find it no matter how many times we look" explained Farlan looking downcast "It's probably best to assume it isn't in his room"

"Then where could it be?" Isabel asked.

"What do you do with something you really want to keep safe?" Farlan questioned in return.

"Inside my bra of course!"

"Now, I'm pretty sure Erwin doesn't wear a bra, so it's highly likely that he's carrying it with him. And so I was thinking…We could use the next expedition to our advantage. Outside the Walls, Erwin and the others will be concentrated on the Titans. We just have to wait for an opportunity"

"I see. Great idea!"

"You okay with that, Levi?"

"Sure" Levi replied his thoughts flashing to their capture; of how his friends struggled against their bonds, "But I'll be going alone"

"What?!" the other two chorused.

" You two, just think up any excuse to stay behind"

"Brother…" Isabel trailed "Why?!"

"We haven't seen a real Titan yet, and it'll be out first time outside the Walls. It may take all we've got just to make it back alive. But if I'm by myself, I'll manage it easier"

"But-"

"So what you're saying is that we can't handle it, right?" Farlan interjected with his eyes narrowed.

"That's right. At least, that's how I feel"

"How can you say that?! You won't know until we've at least tried! What's wrong? This isn't like you!" Isabel cried.

"If you won't stay behind, then we're done talking! We'll wait for a different opportunity" Levi snapped with his hands clenched at his sides. He then walked off, ignoring the protests from his friends as he made his way outside to try and cool before he faced them again.

Sitting upon the turrets that lined the castle wall, Levi stared up at the cloudy night sky and revelled in the evening breeze that blew through the meadow, carrying scents of dewy grass towards him. "Brother…" came Isabel's quiet whisper from behind him, making him turn in his seat.

"Levi, let's talk about this" started Farlan with a look of determination plastered across his face. Levi was gonna hear what they had to say whether he liked it or not, "I can't agree with you going alone, that's still just as dangerous for you!"

"You said that when we first stepped outside it'd be the three of us all at once. Have you forgotten?" added Isabel.

"It's the same. When you can't see the moon or the stars, the sky up here is just the same as down there" Levi replied facing forward once more.

"The colour of the sky, sure. But…but it's different" said Farlan, Levi glancing over his shoulder at them.

"We know that there's no ceiling! It's completely different!" Isabel's approach was a lot less gentle than Farlan's.

"That's right. The sky is endless, it may be just as dark, but it's far different from underground"

"Look! The moon is do bright! Right? There's a difference, isn't there?" Isabel and Farlan sat down on either side of Levi as they watched the moon come out from behind the clouds, basking them in its eerie glow.

"Yeah, we're not underground. We'll never go back down there"

"He's right, Brother. The three of us always manage to pull through, right? It'll be the same with the Titans, let's do this together"

"Levi, believe in us"

"Alright, I'll believe in you" Levi smiled.

"Yay! Brother sure is a stubborn one, ain't he?"

23rd Scout Regiment Expedition
Shiganshina District

"OPEN THE GATE! TODAY, WE TAKE ANOTHER STEP FORWARD! SHOW ME THE FRUITS OF YOUR TRAINING! SHOW ME THE STRENGTH OF HUMANITY! WE WILL NOW BEGIN THE 23RD EXPEDITION BEYOND THE WALLS! CHARGE!" Shadis called as the gate opened and he led the charge out into the open fields beyond the Walls. The Underground trio couldn't help but bask in the sun as they took their first steps outside the Walls. It was open air and wide open spaces out here. It was heaven

"What are you doing? Don't lose your focus!" Flagon called racing up Levi's left, "We're not here to sightsee, there's no telling when we could run into a Titan!"

"Hah! If we do see one, we'll clean it up for you!" Isabel laughed full of bravado.

"Idiot! You wanna be the first to die?"

"What's your problem?"

"You're only able to talk like that 'cause you've never seen a Titan before. You have no idea just how many good soldiers have been eaten…"

"TITAN SIGHTED! AHEAD AND TO OUR RIGHT! IT'S A 15 METRE!" came the call from up the front.

"That's…a Titan?" Isabel muttered, "It's fucking ugly"

"TWO 10 METRE TITANS COMING UP THE REAR!"

"They're too close for us to slip away" murmured Shadis looking over his shoulder at the lumbering giants, "PREPARE FOR COMBAT! EQUIP YOUR ODM GEAR!" The soldiers needed no more reminders as they took to the air, using the trees to fly forward and leaving the horses to continue on in the formation as they had been trained to do.

"Flagon, shoot your flare!" ordered Erwin.

"I know!" replied the captain as he shot a red signal flare up into the sky.

"Commander, let's tighten our formation. It looks like it's going to rain"

Up ahead the older officers of Flagon's squad took down the 15 metre that had been approaching them. "Incredible!" Isabel watched on in awe as the soldiers moved with ease and practised movements.

"They're far more impressive than the Military Police!" Farlan added from her right. "They're here! Two of them!" Two Titans had somehow managed to sneak in behind the two and were close on their heels.

"You two, stay your course!" Flagon cried looking over his shoulder at the situation. Unfortunately he had forgotten to take into account the third member of the trio who had turned back to face the Titans. Farlan and Isabel didn't even think twice about going to help Levi with the Titans.

Are they trying to get killed? Flagon thought as he watched Levi launch up into the sky, using his horse as a launching pad and struck his blades through the nape of one of the Titans. His blades cut clean through as he span, using the recoil in his taut wires to shoot back up into the air.

Levi could only watch on as Isabel and Farlan took on the second Titan. Together they launched themselves at the Titan, blades at the ready. Levi felt like his heart was in his chest as he watched the Titan grab Isabel in a tight hold around her legs; a quick flash of blades and she was free. Farlan was next as he went straight for the nape, slicing through the meat with a strength that was fuelled by a desire to protect. Levi stowed his blades when the Titan fell.

"ALL TITANS HAVE BEEN ELIMINATED! EVERYONE REGROUP!"

"How was that Levi? We took down a Titan all by ourselves!" Isabel crowed remounting her horse along with Levi and Farlan. "We did it, Brother! We did it!"

"Yeah…You guys did well" said Levi.

"Captain, those three…" trailed a Scout.

"Yeah. Im beginning to understand why Erwin was so insistent on having them join" Flagon quietly replied to the Scout next to him.

"Indeed, that was impressive considering it was your first time" added Erwin coming up next to the resting group, "But you used too much gas, you need to be especially conservative out here"

"You're expecting me to take the priority of my equipment over the lives of my friends?" Levi replied, cutting off Farlan before he even had a chance to speak.

"You're performing a lot of unnecessary movements. Are you beginning to have doubts? If you are, that'll be the death of you very soon"

"Damn him! He'd better watch his back when he's alone!" Isabel muttered angrily.

"Shh! He'll hear you!" Farlan scolded.

It didn't take long for the sprinkling rain to start coming down in buckets, making it hard to see not only the landscape around them, but the Titans hiding in the mist. Damn! It's difficult to see in this rain! Erwin thought, thankful for the many layers he wore. If the storm gets any worse, the flares won't be of much use.

"Erwin, should we reduce our speed?" Shadis asked.

"Yes, though I'd like to get away from this open area as soon as possible" he replied before firing a green signal flare up into the sky. Hoping beyond hope that the rest of Scouts could see it through all this rain.

"I didn't know rain could be this heavy!" Isabel complained tucking her chin further into her cloak. Even with the hood on, it didn't provide thatch protection from the pelting rain.

"Neither. We won't even be able to see any Titans before it's too late!" replied Farlan.

"This is our chance" Levi piped up as he leant low over his horse, "We'll use this rain as a cover and get close to Erwin"

"Levi! Are we gonna go for it, Brother?" Isabel asked for reassurance.

"Yeah. But it's be suspicious if all three of us were to break away at once. I'll go alone"

"True, it's probably best not to carelessly move around" agreed Farlan.

"Alright, fine. We're counting on you, Brother! Go and secure our surface citizenship!"

"If anyone asks, tell them I went to survey the terrain"

"Got it!"

Just you wait Erwin Smith! I'll kill you with these two hands! Levi thought as he rode off into the fog. Farlan and Isabel waved furiously as they watched their friend and brother disappear into the long hanging fog, their hopes and dreams riding on his shoulders.

That was the last time they ever saw him, that was the last time they saw anyone. It's almost funny how quickly their demises came upon them; staying back in the promise to stay safe only to end up spending their last few moments drenched in fear.

Both Farlan and Isabel had never felt true fear like this, only here and now when they were staring death right in the face. In his last moments Farlan thought of Levi and Isabel, and the memories they had made in their short time together. His friends, his family. Gone.

"It is only in death that we are truly free"-Anonymous