Never Normal Again

Uma's POV

Leave time had ended and everyone was slowly returning to HQ. Other than Hange and her crew, Franc was the first to burst through the doors filled with questions about the attack. Though he tried to hide his concern, his urgency was apparent. I was told that I was the first person he went to see. Apparently, he thought I was dead. That's how I learned the extent of how quiet we were being about the incident. I wish someone had told me, but with everything that was going on, I had been forgotten about in the madness.

It was confirmed there was an attack on Survey Corpse Headquarters but no further details were given. However, the rumors that had spread were apparently quite varied edging on the fantastic. Maybe Erwin and the higher-ups were using them as a smoke screen to conceal exactly what we did and didn't know.

I had spent the morning cleaning my room when Franc barged in. He didn't exactly need an invitation, but my door was closed, so I had expected at least a courtesy knock. Franc wasn't that kind of friend, though.

I was singing an old mountain song under my breath, barely loud enough for anyone to hear. However, when Franc entered the room I immediately stopped.

"My god, she's singing," he said with a smile. "Next thing you know, she'll take up baking." Apparently that was his way of greeting me.

"In your dreams." I scoffed, tossing him the cleaning rag I had in my hand. "Why don't you make yourself useful?"

"I was joking," he assured me. "Besides, I'm already stuffed with sweets as it is. My daughter learned how to make scones while I was away, so you can only imagine what I ate for every meal."

"Must have been terrible for you," I told him, deadpanning. "All I had was shitload of tea with a side of 'fuck you'… the last part mainly provided by the terrorists."

"Shit," Franc murmured, shaking his head. It seems like he was still somewhat in disbelief about the whole thing. Rubbing his temples, he then took the dust cloth to one of the windows. I hadn't actually intended putting him to work. But as long as he didn't have a problem with it, I was okay. If Oulo saw, he'd probably get pissed off and tell Franc to stop letting the green horn boss him around. I think he was just peeved that a woman commanded more authority than he did.

"You know, it took me a whole lot of arm-twisting just to figure out if you were still alive. No one's giving out any details about what happened."

"It's probably Commander Erwin's doing. He has his reasons." I said, knowing that from now on, everything would be played close to the vest, especially after what we saw in the woods. Franc only snorted at my answer.

"That might be, still, there's a soldier back in Carpov who's lucky to have all his teeth after I was through with him. All I managed to eek out of him was that no Survey Corpse members were killed."

"I'm glad to hear you were concerned," I told him, with a wry half smile. Though, I tried keeping the mood on the light side, the mental image of Franc interrogating someone was certainly not a pretty one.

Picking up a dust mop from the corner, I started to work on cleaning all the flat surfaces in the room.

"You know, you can sing if you want. I was just being an ass." Franc told me after a few minutes. It was his way of asking me to continue. As tough a man as he was, he had a soft spot for all folksy things like songs and festivals. It was as endearing as it was weird.

"I can't." I told him.

"Why?" he shrugged. "You're not bad at it."

"Thanks…" I mumbled sarcastically, not very flattered by his lukewarm vote of confidence. "Anyway, it's not a song others are supposed to hear. It's supposed to be sung alone." Actually, it was a funeral song, and not polite to sing in public. But it was one of the only songs I knew from my village.

It was the tale of Artur of Nasse, the young hunter who set out to chase down Life so he could ask him what is man's purpose on earth. In the story, young Artur grows up and then grows old, having wandered the wild looking for Life just so he may ask this one question. Throughout the song, he recounts all the incredible, wondrous things he's seen and taken part of, until finally, he lies down to rest. On his deathbed, Artur realizes that he has answered his own question about Life. He dies peacefully having fulfilled his quest.

It was tradition that in the evening after the service, the deceased's loved ones would go out to the grave one at a time and sing 'The Hunt for Life'. It was a last right of passage for the dead so they could travel into the afterlife. To me, it was a way that the living could say one last goodbye. It took a month after her death before I could sing that song for my mother. It was the same evening I left the orphanage. Again, it was not an appropriate song to sing on a whim.

Looking over at Franc, I knew he didn't understand. It was a mountain tradition, after all. I doubted many knew about it in the South. He seemed to let it go, though.

We continued to work until the mess hall opened for lunch. Levi walked by an hour before, slowing his pace considerably when he saw that we were cleaning. Franc noticed it too, letting out a laugh once he left.

"I think the Captain's in love." He joked.

"Yeah, with the mop," I said, coolly resting the cleaning instrument over my shoulder. Although I was able to make a quick comeback, I could feel my face reddening.

Not that I thought Levi was being a pervert or anything, it was just that things weren't normal between us anymore. Not after the five tumultuous days we spent together. There really was no going back to the way things were and I'm certain people were bound to notice the change.

A moment later, Levi walked back into my doorway, coming from the other direction with a cup of fresh tea in his hand.

"Commander Erwin has called a mandatory meeting tonight after dinner. Once you're finished eating, gather in the yard." He said, giving us no hint he heard our joke from before. However, I had this paranoid feeling he probably did.

"Yes, Heichou." Franc confirmed, followed by a swift nod from me.

"Franc, your room has been untouched for five days. You should clean it next." Levi told him, his gaze flickering to mine for a brief moment before leaving. For some reason, it compelled me to go after him. Telling Franc I'd be right back, I quickly headed out the door.

"Has Hange found anything yet?" I asked, my voice low enough for only him to hear. I was so close to his side that I could feel the steam rising from his tea.

"Four-eyes is working on it," he sighed.

I really shouldn't be asking him anything about it, but I couldn't help myself. I was already involved, whether the higher-ups liked it or not.

I could feel a new buzz in the air, a tension fueled by the attack. For those in the know, all engines were now geared towards finding the attackers and preventing another strike. Everyone else seemed to carry on with their daily duties in worried confusion and I doubted the meeting tonight would clear any of that up. Time was not on our side, and though it had only been a day since the investigation began, the urgency was obvious- like the tightening of a bowstring about to snap.

Levi, though calm and collected as always, seemed to carry this new aura around with him. Perhaps it was merely because of his involvement in the matter. I wondered if I carried it too.

"Do you mind if I speak freely, Heichou?"

"When don't you?" I took that as a yes.

"I've been thinking about what you said yesterday, about the killer deriving pleasure from torturing his subordinate. If the attack was internal it's disturbing to think they'd leave a delicate job like this up to someone who's so unhinged. Do you think that maybe his personality fits with what they ultimately plan to do?"

Levi looked over at me then. It was as if for a split second, his worries mirrored my own. "It's possible."

"It's something to think about, I guess." I paused for a moment, glancing down into the murky waters of his tea. The rising heat warmly caressed my face. "No one has told me what to do regarding any of this." I said.

"I know." He sounded as if it were done on purpose. "There's going to be a meeting in the war room after the announcement tonight. Erwin wants you to be there."

"Alright, thank you," I nodded, heading back to my room. As I crossed over the threshold, I noticed Levi was still standing where I left him, his eyes drawn to the floor in deep thought and his tea held limply at his side. It unsettled me for the rest of the day.

AN: REVIEW FAVOR FOLLOW! Hello everyone! I know this chapter is a bit shorter, but at least it took less than a month to update. I'm really glad Franc has returned because he's pretty fun to write for. There's a lot about his character that I'm looking forward to expanding upon such as his family and background. To me, he's a loveable brawler character.

Also, I want to thank my beta reader Xxser3ndipityxX for helping hurry my process along and reassuring me what I'm writing is not utter crap. You've been an amazing help.

I have a good vision for where this next arc is going so updates will hopefully be more frequent. I've had a few people ask if Eren is in this story. Indeed he will be once we reach that point in the timeline. Rest assured, there will be a lot more Levi drinking tea and all-around ass kicking before then.