Humanity's Strongest Woman

by xDollfie

In every empire, there is an epic era that defies the boundaries of time and immortalized itself in the history books. For mankind, an epic era they will never forget has finally emerged. The war between humanity and Titans has finally come to a head. Love cease to exist in a time like this, but they found it, and promised that it'll be worth it. Every stubborn inch of it [LEVIXOC]

32. In Love And War

A/N: Huge shoutout to Amira, my dearest reader who is such a kind and sweet girl. Thank you for introducing me to the song 'Fools' by Lauren Aquilina, which served as inspiration for this chapter and many chapters to come! Also thank you for helping me out with this chapter, and providing some much needed constructive criticism!

New cover art for the new arc to defy destiny, drawn by Okisura!

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Humanity's Strongest Woman by xDollfie

Chapter 28 — In Love and War

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It was said that love and hate are one and the same.

Some might beg to differ and argue that there was a thin line that differentiates them. However, wasn't it true that love makes you equally as vulnerable as hate? Afterall, Ida had seen how love was equally as detrimental as hate. Love chains the person, it strips away one's freedom and guides their behavior. It was a binding agent that cemented people to different paths.

Love was equally as vicious as hate. Love could easily tear down cities, take down even the bravest heroes, and inflicting neverending torture on a person's soul.

Was it was the love that Elsie Starke had for her twin brother that drove her to such unthinkable acts, or was it was her unquenchable hate that prodded her forward?

She felt it before her mind could even register what had happened. A hot searing pain that came with the intense steam. It scorched her skin to a point that she felt like she was burning alive. She remembered the intensely concentrated energy that burst forward and effectively obliterated everything in its path. She felt an arm snaking around her waist, she felt herself fly, and then she heard the deafening sounds of a Titan's roar.

Then a sharp pain in her head followed by a blank emptiness.

The darkness she saw was brief but it was coaxing her to fall deeper into it. But Ida wouldn't allow herself to fall — not yet, she had told herself with astounding conviction. Her body wouldn't give up just yet.

No matter how battered and broken her body was, she would fight.

She stirred on the ground, desperately fighting the pull of gravity. Ida couldn't even remember the last time her body was so badly battered, but she was sure that she would surely remember this pain in the future. It was like a snake that encroached her soul, binding it tightly with searing venom. She let out a groan of anguish and gathered all her strength, managing to finally pry her eyes open.

It was a scene that she would never forget.

An immense 14 meter Titan stood at the place where Elsie once stood, roaring as if the world was coming to an end. Its cry was deafening and the world that surrounded it shook as proof of its suffering. The area was scorched black and the grandiose manor was reduced to nothing but a pile of rubble with a singular kick from the Titan.

Mother! Ida wanted to scream, but her throat was bone-dry.

The Titan had a distinctively feminine build, with long locks of red hair, but it's physique looked emancipated right down to its long gaunt arms. It looked nothing like Elsie — there was no way that Ida could ever forget how she looked — but she was sure it was her.

"Ida…"

She heard the sound of Seth's weak hoarse call. However, she couldn't find the strength necessary to turn to him. Instead, using whatever power she could muster, she focused on regaining her vision. She knew that Seth was approaching her by his presence, and she felt a bloodied hand snake towards her neck, lifting her up from the ground.

"Ida! Fuck!" Seth cursed loudly when he saw the large wound on her head. The red hot blood leaked from her wound, streaming down the sides of its face till it met with her scarlet hair which matched its coloring.

Because they were so near the vicinity during Elsie's transformation, it didn't matter whether Seth had grabbed her almost instantaneously and tried to propel them away from the powerful blast using his gears. Seth had only realized his miscalculation when the intense blast knocked them a few meters away while they were mid-air in their escape for safety.

Thankfully, he had managed to regain consciousness quickly, but the flying debris had wounded him and destroyed his gears beyond function.

"Ida, hold on!" he cried in a mixture of fear and worry. He saw that she was barely conscious, but the Titan going on a rampage behind him didn't give him much time to weigh his options.

How did Elsie Starke manage to transform when Jaron had so clearly assured his soldiers that she would be unable to? Seth didn't know. But something was terribly clear to him: from the way that erratic and violent way her Titan was acting, he wasn't sure that whatever remains of Elsie's consciousness remained within it.

He snapped his eyes to the Titan rampaging behind him, only to see that it had no other than a wounded Jaron Starke in its immense grasp. He heard a blood-curdling scream just as he averted his eyes, and he understood that it was the last that he would ever hear of him.

This time, finally, after all the years of living under the terror of her twin, Elsie Starke had won.

Seth was confident that almost all of what remains of Jaron's soldiers were probably dead from the explosion of Elsie's transformation into a Titan, or that they were mercilessly killed by her. The soldiers that were with Jaron were equipped with a specialized kind of anti-personnel vertical maneuvering equipment that consisted of guns, not blades — they were meant to kill humans, not Titans.

Soldiers loyal to Jaron were the least of Seth's worries. The Titan behind him proved a much greater threat. With his gear destroyed and the wounds he had received, he wasn't sure that he would be able to get out of the vicinity safely with her.

Just as he felt all his hope of survival rapidly drain from him, the sounds of thundering horses and gears functioning caught his attention.

"Commence the operation" he heard a deafening voice boom from another side of the field. "Takedown that Titan!"

The green cloaks of the approaching legion were clear enough for him to discern that it was the Survey Corps.

o o o —xπ{Ö}πx — o o o

Levi Ackerman was never a man of many words, but it didn't mean that he was ever at a loss for them. He was merely always anticipative — hardly did events even slightly surprise him, and in the rare occasion that they did, he was quick-witted enough to come up with a response of some kind.

And yet nothing, nothing, prepared him enough to see barely conscious Ida Starke a few feet away from him in the arms of another man — barely alive but breathing — after believing that she was truly dead. In his darkest moments since he heard the news that she was dead, he had always seen her figure cold on the floor of Reiss Chapel, bleeding in a pool of blood as the ragged breaths slowly died from her lips.

And then in Levi rose a fear — a great fear — he couldn't lose her again.

"Ida!" he shouted, an indescribable expression on his face.

In mid-air, he forcibly turned his body and shot his grapple towards a tree, propelling himself towards her.

Levi didn't care if he had specifically received instructions from Erwin to kill any possible signs of threats on sight, he didn't care if he had broken formation, sending the entire legion into disarray. He was unraveling.

He truly did not understand himself anymore — whatever remains of the famous Captain Levi was turning to dust in his eyes. That tart sardonic tongue, his impeccable calm mind for strategy and warfare, the unyielding conviction to devote himself to humanity and his duty.

Levi Ackerman was focused on one thing and one thing only: to keep her alive.

He acknowledged the blooming feeling in his chest and he knew what it wanted of him. Like a slave to it, he dutifully obeyed what his heart was telling him. He wanted — no, he needed to be by her side.

"Levi!" Erwin called after him, seeing that he was heading towards the field instead of charging towards the Titan. He bit back a curse when the Captain did not respond to him.

Quickly, Erwin assessed the scene in front of him, taking in the huge burnt markings on the ground. Piecing it together with the loud boom he had heard, and the bright light he saw when his small assembly of soldiers was charging here. Erwin knew what that Titan in front of him was: it was a Titan shifter.

With clenched teeth and a quick sound of annoyance at his prized soldier's sudden erratic behavior, Erwin grabbed the signal flare that was in his pocket and shot it into the sky. The black smoke signaled something that the rest of the legion understood clearly.

"Eren!"

At the command, Eren behind him nodded with vigor. Immediately, he balanced himself on top of the horse he was riding and shot his grappled towards a tree, launching himself into the air. Once he was at a safe distance away from the legion, he bit onto his hand violently and drew blood, invoking and calling the Titan within him.

BOOOOM!

Levi reached her just as Eren pounced onto Elsie's Titan form. The two Titans roared with such intense ferocity that the surrounding trees shook. Dropping to the ground and reeling his grapple back in, Levi felt his heart pound ferocity against his ribcage. His breathing hitched to an abrupt stop.

He wasn't seeing things this time, was he?

No, he was sure. In a swift movement, Levi didn't even acknowledge the brunette with the scar on his face that was holding onto her and he reached out to grab her from him.

"Ida!"

She stirred in his arms when she heard the voice. It couldn't be him, a voice told her. But Ida Starke could recognize that hoarse low voice anywhere. As if his voice was a source of power to her, she fluttered her eyes open.

"...Levi?" she croaked out weakly.

She was met with a haunting pair of grey eyes that hosted a dark shadow. She gasped softly, a wave of relief washing over her. How long has it been since she had last seen him? Why did it look as though he had aged? Lifting a small trembling hand towards him, she gently touched his face with her hand. Ida needed to know he was real. Upon confirmation that he was truly there in front of her, tears welled in green eyes.

Levi stiffened at her familiar touch, wondering just when her warm touch had turned so cold.

Armin was the first to reach them on his horse. "Restrain him!"

Sasha dismounted and rushed towards his command. In one quick swift violent movement, she pinned the suspect to the ground. Seth groaned in pain on the ground when he felt the crushing impact.

"Armin…" Ida murmured through cracked lips.

At the call of his name, Armin spared her just one shocked filled glance, blinking as if he was seeing things before another agonizing Titan roar snapped him out of his stunned reverie — it was a reminder of the dire situation they were in.

"Armin! Levi! What happened?!" Erwin demanded, wondering why they had stopped mid-battle. Forcing his horse in an abrupt stop, he clenched his teeth and glared at them. "We need to dispatch that Titan immediately and assist Eren!"

At that command, Ida stubbornly fought through the agonizing pain and shouted, "No!"

Upon hearing that familiar voice, relief of the greatest kind flooded him as he looked at the red-haired woman in Levi's arms with exaggerated slowness.

Erwin understood Levi's uncharacteristic actions immediately. When he had heard of Ida's death, Erwin Smith had willingly accepted his death sentence and had refused to appeal for a reprieve. He had resigned himself to an eternity of damnation in hell for what he had done, but now that she was alive, he had never felt more guilty. But he wasn't about to show it. Not now when humanity was under threat. He kept himself composed.

Levi's taut features hardened as he watched Ida struggle defiantly to sit up. As much as he wanted to knock her out so that she could lay down in order not to aggravate her wounds further, the distress in her voice stopped him.

"That is Elsie Starke!" she screamed that statement. "Please, don't hurt her!"

Seth finally broke his silence. "It's too late."

Erwin tore his gaze from his pleading daughter, and on cue, Sasha lifted his prisoner up by his collar and etched her blade threateningly on his neck. "Talk! What happened?!"

Seth grunted in pain, but he kept his expression composed. "Elsie Starke wasn't supposed to transform," he said, flinching when Sasha tightened his grip on him. "...In order to do that, she had to fully fuse her consciousness with her Titan body and become one with it. That Titan is working on pure instinct to kill now — that command was her last will. Even if you manage to get her out of her Titan body, it won't be long before she's dead."

"And Jaron Starke?" Erwin questioned calmly, appraising this newfound information with firm hollow eyes.

"Dead." Seth deadpanned with a mischievous smirk. "She ate him."

Ida was frighteningly conscious by now and even though she struggled to sit up, in light of the fact of what Elsie had done to save her, she ignored the pain. "No! There has to be another way!"

"There is no other way," Levi confirmed harshly with underlying dread. "If Elsie had any form of intelligence left, she would've stopped fighting the moment she saw the Survey Corps."

Ida's eyes flashed in vivid defiance. "You don't know that!"

"We need to subdue her," Erwin ignored his daughter's cries. With calculating cold blue eyes, he observed the situation briefly before adding, "Her Titan form seems to have a great form of endurance and regeneration. It isn't a good fighter, but even Eren is having a hard time at the rate that Titan is regenerating."

Another agonizing Titan roar pierced the air and the sound of gears functioning entered the vicinity. Cries of soldiers echoed as they charged forward towards the two Titans fixed in an intense battle. Just a few kilometers away, a fierce battle raged on.

"Levi," Erwin said stoically, but it was enough for the man he was calling to know what his next instructions are. His command was plain on his frightening cold, composed face.

Levi's expression grew darker, and so did his scowl. Jean came forward to assist Ida in his arms, taking her from him. "Take care of her, get her to safety," he added quickly, standing up. His rough hands were already on his gears.

Astonished emerald eyes widened significantly in horror when Levi's movement confirmed the very dreadful thought swarming in her mind. "No! Levi, don't!" Ida called after him almost beggingly, but he didn't stop.

Levi did not even turn to look at her.

Ida Starke might have smiled and laughed with him, but deep down, he wasn't sure that she truly knew what type of a monster he was.

"Jean hold her back," Erwin ordered without a trace of emotion, not faltering even at the sight of her struggling. He then moved to Sasha who was still holding Seth prisoner with his blade. "Take him back as a prisoner, knock him out if he tries anything."

Desperately, Ida tried to stand up and chase after Levi. She lifted her trembling hand, trying to grab him back, "No! Levi, please!"

That's right, Levi thought inwardly, his teeth meeting together in a tight clench. Ida truly did not understand him. For if she did, she would not be begging him now.

"Ida-san! Calm down!" Jean was having difficulties holding Ida back on the ground. She was strong even within her disoriented state. "Your wounds!"

A new tide of pain, like a sharp dagger transfixed in her heart, came over her when Levi launched himself into the air, leaving her screaming on the floor as Jean held her back in a deadlock.

o o o —xπ{Ö}πx — o o o

"Eren! Eren!"

Armin's voice sounded far away, but the tug on his arm confirmed that he was just nearby. Hot steam enveloped him soothingly, and it didn't take long for his senses to come back. He felt the strong muscle-like bonds that fused him to his Titan body snap and in an instant, his Titan body started to disintegrate into a large smoke.

"Eren are you okay?" Mikasa kneeled beside him as he laid flat on the ground where Armin had dragged him away from his Titan body. His cheeks bore the marks of a recent Titan Shift. He blinked a few times for his vision to focus.

Eren let out an uncomfortable grunt. Titan shifting required strength, and even though he didn't feel any pain when he was in his Titan body, he felt unbearably weak now. The fight with the red-haired Titan was intense. In truth, he had easily overpowered the Titan, knocking it down with swift kicks and punches. But it was it's intensive regenerative abilities and endurance that were the problem.

No matter how many times he had brought the Titan down, it would almost regenerate its injuries in an instant. However, what Eren found truly odd was the fact that it felt as though the person piloting that Titan had little to no intelligence. It was clear to him that while it was a Titan Shifter, the moves it made were out of pure instinct rather than strategy.

Thankfully, the battle ended quickly when Levi showed up.

He stood up with the aid of Mikasa and he clenched his teeth in anger. "Who the hell is piloting that Titan?"

Through the aid of Levi, Mikasa and the rest of the soldiers. They had managed to cut open the nape of the Titan Shifter with Levi dealing the killing strike. The trio walked towards the corpse of the other Titan, only to find a woman had emerged from its nape.

"Who is that?" Mikasa questioned puzzledly, hatred searing in her narrowed eyes. The red hair that the woman possessed gave her a clue.

Levi wiped the Titan blood off his cheeks with the back of his hand. "That's Elsie Starke."

Without a moment of hesitation, Mikasa took her blade from her blade box and moved towards the woman. "I'll cut her out."

"Wait, don't!" Armin held her back, his eyebrows clashing together in confusion. "Look… she's bleeding from where her Titan body is merged with her."

Levi's eyes widened at this disturbing revelation. He looked to see that what Armin pointed out was true. A despondent shadow cloaked his expression.

Was that guy right after all? Was there really no saving Elsie Starke? He scowled menacingly at this thought.

The Commander of the Survey Corps arrived shortly to inspect the spoils of war. He climbed up the red-haired Titan Corpse with ease. It took no time at all for the calculating blonde to notice the blood and what the soldiers were staring at.

"...It's almost as if she is permanently fused to the Titan body… It looks as though the Titan flesh is… eating her?" Armin said, observing the unconscious woman.

Erwin remained eerily silent next to her. How long had it been? he wondered inwardly. Years, surely. It had been so long since Erwin Smith had seen Elsie Starke that the moment he laid eyes on her, the memories he had tried so hard to suppress recoiled, launching a vicious onslaught and shook his very being to the core.

She had surely grown old, but there she was — looking so serene that she might be just in peaceful sleep — embedded in Titan's muscle and flesh as her blood flowed endlessly in pools.

Never in a thousand years could Erwin Smith predict that this would be their fated reunion he had dreamt about in his darkest hours.

"Perhaps, we could cut around her?" Armin offered a solution, moving closer to the unconscious woman to observe. He silently wished that Hanji was here, the bespectacled scientist would surely know what to do. But she was exempted from the mission due to a broken arm. "The Titan corpse doesn't seem to be disintegrating even though the host had emerged from its nape."

Mikasa stepped forward with her blade, "I'll cut the bitch out then."

Everyone watched with hitched breaths as Mikasa expertly cut around Elsie. The cuts that Mikasa made didn't bleed, but as soon as she was done, the Titan body started disintegrating with hot steam.

How odd, Armin thought. With how Elsie was encased in a cocoon of Titan's muscle and flesh, it mirrored that of Annie's protective crystal where she laid asleep even till today. Elsie's arms and her lower part of her body was fully encased within the surrounding Titan flesh, leaving only part of her head and upper body.

"It was just like the time where Hanji-san did experiments with Eren transformation…" Armin recalled as he analyzed the situation. "There was once where after multiple transformations continuously, Eren was fused so tightly with his Titan… and he started bleeding from where he was connected to his Titan body. In order to get him out, Hanji had to literally peel his skin away from the Titan's bonds. We never continued experimenting for fear that he would truly merge with his Titan body. But we've never seen a host fused to its Titan body to this extent."

"If we do cut her out, she'll die," Erwin stated as if he was dreading his own statement.

"If she isn't dead already," Levi deadpanned, his lips thinning in a straight line.

However, on cue to the Captain's scathing remark, a small weak voice drew everyone's attention. "E — Erwin… is that you...?"

Mikasa pointed her blade immediately to the lying redhead on the ground who still had her eyes closed. Her expression warned of hideous vengeance.

Erwin grabbed Mikasa's shoulder to stop her. "Wait…"

Slowly, Elsie opened her eyes. She let out a small groan of agony. Her features contorted in a show of indescribable pain. Tears trickled down her face and she tried to steady her breathing. Erwin's breath hitched at the blood that flowed out of the places where the Titan flesh connected with her at every small move she made. The blood was stark red against the approaching daylight.

Erwin kneeled down beside her calmly. "...Elsie, I'm here."

Elsie let out another groan. She bit her lip to steady her voice, trying desperately to focus on the man who she loved and shared so many memories with.

"...Look at you… damned eyebrows..." Her breaths were heavily labored and small, but she carried on, "...You lost a damned arm… Y — You've grown old, and… you're not as handsome anymore..."

Erwin couldn't help but smile softly at her remark — it was just like her to say this. Yes, she was supposed to be like this. Fiery, sarcastic, and brutally honest, not caring about the situation and saying whatever the hell she wanted.

Around him, the squad watched in stunned silence; seeing a sight of the revered stone-faced commander that they have never seen before. It took just one small gesture that Levi made with his head for the rest of the squad to fully comprehend what was going on. They took a few steps back, granting them some privacy.

"...You're hurt…" Erwin stated obviously in a strained voice.

Elsie too tried to remain strong, but as soon as she heard his strained hollow voice, she felt her eyes water. She wanted to reach out to him, to touch him, but her hands were fused to the Titan flesh around her. Even now, even at this point in time, things had remained exactly the same.

Their circumstances hadn't changed — no matter how much she wanted to reach out to him, to feel him, something was always holding them back.

Elsie smiled softly, her bloodied lips trembling.

"...No regrets, remember…?" she reminded him hoarsely, her soft voice cracking. She tore her gaze from Erwin's stoic expression and moved it to the young teenager that was standing a few feet behind him. "...Even you've grown up… Eren…"

Eren swallowed what seemed like shards of glass shredding his throat. "You… know me?"

The red-haired woman did not elaborate, but she gave him a small knowing smile. He was so young when they had their first encounter, it was highly unlikely that he remembered her.

Elsie closed her eyes and breathed, getting straight to the point. The pain was too unbearable and she wasn't sure that she could stay awake any longer. "Erwin… I'm sure you know the situation now… I'm dying…"

Erwin Smith wished that she wouldn't speak as if she were waiting for death, but he said nothing. Despite the despair that was skyrocketing through his body, no stinging tears bloomed in his eyes. No, Erwin Smith was pragmatic enough to accept the brutal truth. But even though there were no tears, no heartfelt gesture of undying love, Erwin acknowledged the anguish that coiled in his stomach.

It wasn't as if he didn't love her.

It was just that he had said his goodbyes years ago.

Elsie's expression was one of understanding. Even in the face of her impending death, Erwin was not one to flinch. But she didn't care, she loved him anyway. "...Ida... I leave her to you… Protect her..."

"I will," Erwin promised steadily in a heartbeat.

Tears streamed out from her eyes at this. How long had she dreamt of this moment? Every day if she weren't lying. As she stood by the window of the room that had held her prisoner for years, she had always wondered where he was.

But it was too late for regrets and there was no time for confessions of love.

"...L — Let Eren eat me… Transfer my powers to him…" she finally stated. "...It's what his father would've wanted as well…"

With all his power, Erwin wished he could have done more for her. But it was far too late for regrets. He had chosen his path long ago, and at her advice, he had stuck to it. However, he couldn't deny that he was slightly horrified at how his resolve to achieve his dreams had turned him into something that he couldn't even recognize.

Even at this very moment as she lay dying in a pool of blood — Erwin wanted nothing more than to question how Elsie knew the mysterious Grisha Yeager. He wanted to know what she knew about the Titans and the Starkes. He wanted answers.

How revolting, he thought to himself.

All his life, he had been through countless agonizing situations, but nothing could have been more painful and intolerable than watching her bleed to death, too weak to even form complete sentences.

Was it the fact that she was dying that was intolerable? Or was it because she was dying without passing on her knowledge? Truly, Erwin didn't know.

"...Don't worry...eyebrows…" Elsie reassured him in a low voice as if reading his mind. "You'll get your answers then... Eren will inherit my memories… So hurry…"

She trailed off, coughing. It hurt so much, but Elsie willed herself to carry on. Just a while longer, she told herself. "Erwin… I'm sorry that it had to be you… to give the command…"

Sorry. Erwin clenched his fist, disgust boiling in his stomach. He was shameless enough to not to even conjure out a retort to deny what she had suspected in her last moments. No, Erwin Smith would not look away from the monster he had become. This was the last time he would ever see her, and yet he could not bring himself to apologize as she did.

What good were apologies when it came too late? What could he change now? Why on earth was she apologizing when it should've been him?

Over the span of his lifetime, Erwin Smith had said countless goodbyes. You lose and you gain something — that was the way his world was. So why was this goodbye so particularly painful?

"Would anything change…?" He found himself asking even though he knew the answer. "If I've stayed years ago as you asked."

Elsie smiled at him bitterly with bloodied lips. "...You already know the answer, Erwin…"

Weariness took over him and surged through his veins at her confirmation. Like a pair of intersecting lines, they had met at one point and shared something, but it was their fate that they should forever drift apart. He was a Smith, and she was a Starke. Like star crossed lovers, their love story was a tragedy right from the very start. But while she was his Juliet, Erwin could never be her Romeo.

His life was something he could not offer her. It was not his to give.

And so, Erwin settled on only giving her a stern nod.

Levi Ackerman watched the pair in a silent understanding from afar. Years ago as he served under Erwin, he had come to the conclusion that to be bound and so transfixed on a dream was the devil's path. He, who walked through a blood coated path without a single footprint. To be something like Erwin Smith, who had stepped on countless bodies as stairs to climb up in order to reach his dreams, required a certain level of inhumanity.

However, even as he was painfully aware of this fact, as he watched Elsie's glass-like eyes, adoring Erwin in her last moments as though he was the most righteous person on earth, Levi wanted to puke. For with the exact same pair of eyes, Ida had once looked at him that way as well, awhile he left her in a pool of her own blood.

How could Erwin ever forgive himself? No, how could he ever forgive himself?

There is no prize worth the corruption of his soul, surely.

As much as Levi wanted to tell himself that he wouldn't be like Erwin Smith, he found himself drawing back on that statement. He simply wasn't confident that he isn't already someone like Erwin Smith.

Levi's eyes were transfixed on the pair as Erwin lifted his hand, approaching Elsie who was falling back to unconsciousness. Her labored breaths were loud and pained. But just as his hand was about to touch her in an attempt to soothe her pain in her last moments, Erwin recoiled it back abruptly and stood up. It was almost as if he was afraid of what he would do if he touched her.

Without another word, Erwin turned around and walked towards them.

"...Are you done saying your goodbyes?" Levi was the only one daring enough to speak, for the rest of the squad hushed their tongues and looked away out of consideration.

"There is nothing more to do, it's too late," Erwin confirmed with hard eyes, earning a grimace from the Captain. "There's nothing more I can do for her."

But you did nothing for her, Levi thought inwardly, reeling in disgust. But he composed himself from saying anything more. Even till the very end, you did nothing.

"Eren," Erwin ignored the disapproval that was clear on Levi's face and proceeded to issue out commands. "Get ready to transform, you need to eat her."

"No!" A sharp adamant voice rang, forcing Erwin to tear his gaze away from a rather horrified looking Eren to Ida who was approaching him angrily. As she desperately limped as fast as she could towards them, the blade in her head gleamed under the approaching sunlight.

"Ida! Stop!" Jean came running behind her. Even though he was running after her, from the altercation of his tone, everyone could tell he was wary of the threatening blade that was in her hand.

Just a few moments ago, Ida had broken free and easily disarmed him, issuing threats to kill him if he were to stop her.

In a haste, Levi moved forward and grabbed her, confident enough that she wouldn't hurt him. "Ida, don't look."

"No!" She tried futilely to shake his grip off her, but before she could part her cracked lips to speak, Levi's hollow expression halted her and her heart stopped.

The scathing words that she wanted to retort coated her mouth like dry sand. That hollow, desolated, and pained expression that Levi had spoken it all: there truly was no other way. Comprehension flooded her faster than she could have blinked.

Please, his gray eyes were pleading. He didn't want to hurt her. Please, just close your eyes and try to look away.

Tears that had welled in her eyes spilled eyes freely, even though she desperately wanted to hold them back. The ghost of what was left of her strength all but vanished as she crumbled to the ground on her knees. The blade landed noisily beside her. The monster in her heart clawed her soul as she tried to process the situation. But Ida didn't cry any additional tears.

Truly, if she was being honest, she had no particular reason to object to what the Survey Corps must do. Hadn't she been so resolved in her determination to not betray them ever again? Didn't she declare that she would do anything, absolutely anything, to find out the truth?

Hadn't she already placed the survival of her comrades over that of her mother's long ago?

She felt the grip that Levi had on her hand tightened slightly as if telling her that no matter how rough it was, he will be by her side. With exaggerated slowness, she lifted her head to look at him. An indescribable expression flashed across his features as she looked at him with such hollow dead eyes that it almost paralyzed him. It was frighteningly cold. Her tears had stopped and she trembled no more.

And he knew what had happened.

Under the rising sun, in a field of corpses and among a decimated manor that still held the tremors of a Titan's destructive power, Ida Starke was truly reborn into a true vicious monster that mirrored her father.

She too had chosen her path and that there was no looking back.

In a battle of love and war, Ida had made her choice.

Erwin witnessed this scene with a shadow of trepidation. He understood immediately that she had made her choice. With a nod directed to Mikasa and Armin, the squad left the vicinity, leaving Eren to do what he must do.

However, in a turn of events, just as Eren stood there, soaking in the figure of the unconscious woman he was going to consume. Loud footsteps echoed, but these weren't just any ordinary footsteps, for it sounded far too loud for a mere human being. The ground trembled slightly beneath his feet, sending everyone into shock.

"TITAN!" A soldier called from the back lines with such horror that it momentarily paralyzed everyone.

A few agonizing screams from soldiers followed shortly and on cue, a quadrupedal form Titan appeared, easily charging forward through ranks of the small group of soldiers, smashing any off-guard soldiers that were in its way.

"Eren!" Mikasa screamed, flying forward and grabbing onto the teen before safely propelling herself out of the way in safety. Levi immediately grabbed Ida and followed suit while Jean aided the crippled commander to safely with his gears.

The entire squadron was caught off guard as everyone scrambled to safety in whatever little trees that were left in the aftermath of the vicious battle by utilizing their gears. However, the quadruplet Titan was not aiming for Eren like the squadron had expected, instead, it went forward to the unconscious Elsie Starke. In a flash, it had grabbed the huge chunk of Titan flesh that she was kept prisoner in with its huge jaws and immediately charged towards the plain open field with frightening speed.

By now, the small squadron had regained their footing and assessed the dire situation.

"Tch. After that Titan!" Levi barked out a loud command after placing Ida on the ground. At this point, Ida's battered body had finally shut down from shock. "Take care of Ida!" He ordered quickly to Jean nearby, ready to spring into battle with his gears, but the entire operation went into a halt when Erwin stopped them.

"No!" Erwin shouted loudly. "Do not chase after that Titan!"

Levi glared at him incredulously. "What?"

"It's retreating towards the Walls, it's out in the open plains now, away from any trees! We will be in a severe disadvantage with our gears! Even with our horses, we cannot afford to chase after it!" Erwin summarised calculatingly, his eyebrows clashing in a furious furrow at the unfortunate turn of events. "We will retreat with Eren to safety! We don't know how many of them are out there, it could be leading us straight into an ambush!"

It was a tough choice to make, but the life of Eren Yeager's far surpassed that of Elsie Starke's and the promises of hope her memories might bring. Seeing as he had only assembled a small squadron consisting of twenty-five soldiers on this assignment, and taking into account the incredible speed that the Titan was moving, Erwin was smart enough to discern that retreating was the best option.

Armin came running towards them. "Commander! There was someone on that Titan's back!"

"Someone?" Levi glowered menacingly at this revelation. "Did you see who?"

Armin shook his head, his eyes downcast with a sadden glint. "No, the cloak that person was wearing shielded her face, but I did catch a small glimpse of her."

Erwin's frown deepened in a condescending manner. "Her?"

The young blonde nodded. "She had long scarlet red hair."

o o o —xπ{Ö}πx — o o o

The entire time the doctor was attending to Ida's wounds, Levi lingered outside the infirmary, silent and brooding. He was sure that Mikasa, who had come to report to him, had sensed something heavy on his mind, but frankly Levi didn't give a shit. At least the younger soldier had enough sense in her not to question it, keeping her mouth firmly after saying what she needed to know.

Several soldiers of differing ranks encountered him outside the infirmary, but merely grit his teeth and focused on not driving his fist into the walls, or their smiling faces.

The truth was Levi was seething.

And his anger was entirely directed towards one person: himself.

How could he be so fucking stupid? Had he learned nothing?

When the doctor finally stepped out, he explained that other than some fractured bones and external wounds, Ida was doing well. She was still unconscious, but she would make a full recovery. Levi merely listened to everything with a blank expression, his heart aching as the long-buried emotions started to resurface.

Having done his duty, the doctor left the infirmary. Levi slammed the door behind him, before resting his back against it, relieved to finally be in a private space.

Slowly, he moved his gaze towards the unconscious figure lying in the infirmary bed. Levi could hear the blood gushing to his head. His heart pounded in his chest when he approached her.

Ida is alive.

He repeated it in his head, over and over, as if Levi couldn't believe it himself. Ida was alive, right in front of him – the person that he wanted to see so badly for one last time when he thought she was gone. He remembered the day of her first expedition, how she came back unconscious too, and how he stood by her bedside, watching her unconscious figure as he waited patiently for her to wake up.

Even now… this damned woman never changes…

His hand reached out automatically, and he was surprised to find that it was trembling slightly.

A frown touched his dark features when his fingers touched the thick bandaged on her head.

His chest started to constrict, and it was getting harder to breath. The emotions that he had painstakingly buried were pounding on walls he had built, begging to resurface and take life again. Levi swallowed dryly as he forcibly pressed the emotions back down.

But there really was no-one here to judge him if he broke down, was there?

Except Levi wasn't the type to completely break, he never had been. The only way he had known how to release his pain or grief was to kill. Even if it was only temporary, destroying his enemies was the only thing that seemed to heal him. But it wasn't enough, it never had been. No matter how many Titans he slaughtered, no matter how many humans he killed, at the end of the day he had never achieved the feeling that he had avenged his comrades' death enough.

But with her… it was different.

As though all his energy had been sucked out of him, Levi collapsed into the chair beside her. He held her small lifeless hand in his hands and brought it to his head. "Thank you…"

Gritting his teeth, Levi clasped her hand tighter. The walls that he had built was futile against the current of his emotions, and the floodgates opened, and suddenly it was as though those lifeless emerald eyes were on him again, burning holes into his dark soul and haunting him.

After her 'death', he had sworn he would never find himself in that position again.

And yet, here she was, alive right by his side again.

He wondered why he was torturing himself with this. Levi knew the right answer deep in his heart. No matter how grateful he was that she was alive, the right thing to do was astoundingly clear. Over the years, he had loved and lost. Be it friends, family, or comrades, he had ultimately failed to protect them. Had ultimately failed to prioritize them, no matter how much his heart wanted to.

Ida was no different.

Everything that happened was fucking evidence of that.

He cursed himself for that night, where he allowed himself to so easily fall into the comfort of a subordinate and his emotions. He cursed himself for that night, where he had left her to die for humanity. As Levi held Ida's hands, silently begging for her to wake up soon, he rehearsed all that he wanted to say to her when she woke up.

Apologies? Ida wouldn't want that.

But what else could he offer her than apologies?

What else could he offer her, other than a shitty dangerous life on the battlefield?

Stay by my side, even if I could never prioritise you? Even if one day, we'd both have to sacrifice our lives for humanity? Bullshit. Utter bullshit.

Ida didn't deserve that.

He didn't fucking deserve someone like her.

His features were still when Levi gazed at her sleeping face; beautiful, even when she was all battered up and bandaged. His heart ached to see her like that. "Tell me I'm doing something fucking right…" he asked her, even though he knew that she wouldn't answer. "…fuck damn it, Ida, just wake up…"

Tightening his hands over hers, he brought it back to his forehead. Then, a large comforting hand landed on his shoulders. Levi looked up and Erwin was looking down at him, his blue eyes gentle. He hadn't heard him come in.

Erwin's hand squeezed around his shoulders. "She's alive."

And Levi knew what the Commander was saying.

She's alive and that's what matters the most.

His lips parted. "Erwin… I…"

He what? What was there to possibly say that could make any of this less painful? He couldn't protect his daughter. He had left her to die. Left her as though she meant nothing to him – as though she was just another disposable soldier.

Another tight assuring squeeze of his shoulder came. "It wasn't your fault, Levi."

Erwin's words struck his chest with a dread he had long-anticipated, and he shut his eyes tightly when the hollowness in his chest seared.

Hah. Humanity's strongest?

Wasn't it so fucking ironic that the hero everyone marveled at couldn't protect the people he wanted the most?

o o o —xπ{Ö}πx — o o o

"W— Why… No… How could you keep something like this from me? To protect me?"

"Yes."

"But mother, don't you see — it's exactly because of selfish people like you that thousands of people have lost their lives… It's exactly because of your desire to protect me, that humanity has fallen this far… You could've done something, changed something…"

"All is fair in love and war, Ida. There is no act too terrible or too great when you're protecting someone you love or making war on your enemies."

Ida Starke was conscious, but her mind was in a dream-like state. She refused to open her eyes, for deep down she dreaded the consequences. She didn't want to face reality just yet. For a while longer, she wanted to dream. She could feel the soft bed beneath her just as much as she could feel the pain through every tangible part of her body.

In the stark silence, she replayed the memory.

"Wise words from the devil's daughter," Ida sardonically bit back with a menacing glare. Her words were cold and brutal. The disgust in her expression was all too clear; she loathed her. "That's what the victorious claim, not the defeated; the powerful, not the powerless! How could it be fair?! Was it fair to the innocent people who died under the hands of the Titans?! Was it fair to my comrades who gave up their lives?! Is it really fair to say that a mother's extreme love for her daughter is valued just as heavily as thousands of lives?!"

"You don't understand, Ida," Elsie stated simply, her eyes were downcast as though she was afraid to meet her daughter's eyes. "To keep this secret for so long, it hurt me too… You just don't understand..."

"You're right, I don't." Ida sounded desperate. She was inundated with anger, questions, and demands. "And I will never understand! Make me understand how you can keep all of this a secret from humanity yet walk down the streets of Shiganshina District with your head held high knowing we're responsible for keeping them caged behind walls like cattle! I don't get how you could look at Erwin, my father, and watch someone you claimed to love struggle and gamble with his life for the truth even though you knew the truth all along!"

Elise looked beyond exasperated at this point, she understood that everything Ida said was true. But when she parted her lips to speak again, her voice was unbidden, her face carefully neutral.

"One day, when you are a mother. One day, when you have found someone that you love — truly love. One day when you have discovered the truth of humanity. Then you will understand what I mean Ida." Finally, she met Ida's eyes with a look of unwavering conviction. "You can't take away dreams from people, for without something to fight for, we are lost."

"That day will never come," Ida countered back with venom. "I will learn from your mistakes, mother. And I'll never repeat them. You might think yourself innocent, condoning the crime through silence, aiding and abetting in the murder of thousands… It's because of people like you, people like the Starkes, and the Reiss family with a sick sense of justice and righteousness… that this world is so twisted!"

"Ida, what is it that you wanted me to do back then?" Elsie sighed loudly, feeling her throat close up. "I merely wanted to protect you, this world will condemn us for what our ancestors had done. It is our destiny. Do you think that I want to hide something like this from your father too? It hurt me, more than anything. It hurt me… Why do you think after all those years, after we left to live at Shiganshina, I never once went to find your father?! I cannot even bear to look at him!"

Tears spilled out from her eyes as Elsie downcasted her eyes, overwhelmed with regret and hate for herself. "I cannot... change anything, Ida… I cannot rewrite a thousand years of history... I cannot change destiny..."

"Then you are weak."

Elsie looked taken aback from her daughter's cold statement. But she only smiled. "Yes, but I can see now that you've thankfully inherited your father's strength."

The memory assaulted her but kept her eyes closed. Strength, the word echoed in her mind. Strength does not come from winning, but one's struggles develop your strength. Ida had been a witness through Elsie Starke's struggles and weaknesses. A coward who hid the truth of humanity all while defending her actions with unbridled shameless pride.

All is fair in love and war, she had said. Hah, Ida wanted to laugh.

Even up till the very end, Elsie Starke was a coward who had chosen death instead of repenting for her sins.

Was she a coward though? Another voice in her head whispered.

Surely her sacrificial last action was surely a sign of strength as well. But it came too late, another stronger voice countered in her mind.

Yes, surely, Elsie's strength came far too late.

She was a thousand lives too late.

She was determined no to be another Elsie Starke in the history of her family.

With that resolution made in her mind, she snapped open her eyes and breathed, sucking in the sweet air through hungry gasps. Her vision was crystal clear. Even though the pain of her mother's death was clearly still lingering as proof that her heart was still made of glass, her mind was made of concrete stone.

She sat up with great difficulty, but she fought through the pain, swinging her legs off the bed. Her head was throbbing. Ida grimaced as she touched her head to see that it was securely bandaged.

Suddenly, a voice interrupted her thoughts.

"Ah, you're awake!" Sasha came running into the ward. Hurriedly, she walked to the redhead that was still seated at the side of her bed. "You've been asleep for a week! How do you feel?"

"Sasha… It's nice to see that you're well…" Ida croaked hoarsely, gritting her teeth through the headache that felt like jackhammers pounding her brain. With a migraine stuck, Ida was it's prisoner, quite helpless in her cage of pain.

But regardless one thing came into her mind only, "Where's Levi?"

"Oh, Captain sat by your bedside for the entire week! He even slept here, but Commander Erwin asked for him so he stepped out for a moment— hey! Ida, wait! Where are you going?!"

Ida muttered a quick thanks to the horrified Sasha before she hopped on her feet. She was out of the door in a matter of seconds. In her long white gown, barefooted, she sprinted through the hallways of the headquarters.

She passed by puzzled soldiers as she ran through the hallways. Their faces were a mixture of disbelief that after a week of lying in a coma, she was up and running. She could sense their confusion at her hurried state. Some soldiers even called out after her. Was it Connie she saw?

But Ida didn't care.

She didn't care what was going to happen tonight. Titans could rip through the streets and end humanity and she was sure that she would not even bat an eye. The fight for humanity's freedom could wait.

Even if there were no one left to go on with the fight. Even if she was the only one left standing.

Ida could only care about one thing.

She spotted him just as she ran into the mess hall of the headquarters. A tsunami of relief washed over her. His posture was rigid as he stood in a makeshift circle with Hanji, Eren, Mikasa, and Erwin as they conversed.

Without another word, she ran towards him at maximum speed, right to his back, and slammed her body to his, wrapping her arms around his waist.

The sudden embrace caught even the revered Captain off guard. Levi didn't even have a chance to turn around to see her charging towards him in lighting speed.

"Ida-san?" Eren squeaked, appalled that she had woken up. From what he heard, she had sustained serious injuries.

In that instance, everyone in the mess hall kept their silence with curious anticipation, watching the two.

His heart was pounding against his chest and he stood still. Levi knew who these arms around him belonged to even without Eren mentioning her name.

How many times throughout the past week did he wish that she would wake up? It didn't matter if she was a crying ball or a violent hurricane when she did — he only wanted her to open her eyes. But now that she was awake, all the words that he had planned to say died in his throat, never forming coherent sentences.

How long had he dreamt of this moment during his darkest time that he thought that she was gone from this world? How much did he wish that she could appear in front of him again and continued being the annoying brat that she was? How desperate was he to hold her in his arms again?

Somewhere at the crossroads of reality and dreams, Levi stood there, in the middle of the mess hall, feeling her warmth and heartbeat at the back of his chest.

Unbreakable, he remembered that Ida had remarked that about him before.

But at this point, Levi wasn't too sure that he truly was unbreakable. His fingers moved on their own accord and clutched her hands on his waist. Her warmness seeped through to his cold palms.

They say you die three times in your life. Once when you stop breathing. Once when everyone who knows you die. And finally, once when the person you love dies.

Levi Ackerman was no stranger to death, for he had died once before. He was aware of the taste of death. The feeling of living without breathing, of hoping without feeling. He had died once when heard of the news of her death. And that prospect frightened him, but not as much as knowing he was the one who heartlessly abandoned her to die.

As tempted as he was to turn around to look at her, Levi didn't. Like a fool, he knew he could not bring himself to do it because doing so would mean accepting that this woman didn't care that he had left her just like that at Reiss Chapel, in a pool of her own blood, and that was something Levi would never accept.

He did not deserve her.

And yet…

"...Why are you here?" Levi only said dryly after seconds had passed. "You should be in bed recuperating."

She did not answer him. At her silence, Levi scowled fiercely. She should've been back in bed resting. Hanji had even warned that it wasn't easy to bring her back from her near-death like state. And yet, there she was, as foolish as always, running and chasing after him, not caring about how despicable he was.

He felt a surge of anger brew in his belly. When will this damned woman start to prioritize her wellbeing? In one swift movement, while still holding onto her hand, he finally turned around in a fit of anger, breaking her embrace.

"Ida, get the hell back to bed or—"

"I'm home, Levi." Ida cut him off, already knowing that he was going to chide her for being so reckless. His hard gaze softened at her brilliant smile. "I've come back home."

Suddenly, Levi felt very serene as he looked at her and his frown dissipated in an instant. His heart seemed to beat steadily, unperturbed. He took in her genuine smile and her glistening eyes that spoke nothing of relief and longing with a composed expression.

She didn't wait for him to say something before she closed the gap between them and hugged him again.

After many trials and temptations, she was finally home.

Levi's eyes narrowed slightly, he was contemplating what he should do next. Embrace her back? He wished could, but he was a soldier in the middle of a war, and Levi had always been someone who was more practical compared to the impetuous Ida who acted solely based on her emotions.

As she lay asleep in a coma for the past week, he had watched her every day, and each day he was inundated with heavy regret.

If only he had done something back then.

If only he had placed her above his duty.

If only he had loved her as selfishly as she loved him.

If only…

But to him, there was no such thing as 'if only', nor would he allow the word 'regret' to victimize him.

No matter what kind of wisdom dictates the option you should pick, no one will be able to tell if it's right or wrong until you arrive at some sort of outcome resulting from your choice, Levi had always told himself. He had drilled it long inside of him that he was only allowed to believe that he wouldn't regret the choices he made.

But even as the rational side of his mind was screaming, he remembered how Erwin recoiled his hands back just as he reached out to touch Elsie one final time — afraid of what would happen just by one touch. Recoiled his hand back in such a cowardly way, that if he were to even touch her, the barriers he had set around his heart would break, and he would unravel.

But the circumstances were different; their circumstances were different. Their story had not seen its ending yet; they were no Erwin Smith and Elsie Starke. She was alive. Ida had come back home. The regret for what he did to her was miserably holding him back. Levi knew he didn't deserve her, just like how Erwin didn't deserve the love Elsie had for him right to the very end.

And yet…

Yet...

Yet...

He didn't want to regret this moment as well.

Not today, he told himself. The war can wait.

He would never be a coward like Erwin Smith.

Just one more time. Before the regrets and his sins settle deep in his soul again. Before the rational side of him spoke again. Before another war erupts and tears them apart again.

Just once more...

In a second, his hands moved and he embraced her.

Closing his eyes, Levi took in her scent, pulling her closer to him. He relished on her every breath as she breathed softly. He counted every heartbeat of hers that he felt. He cherished her warmth as her heart thumped blood furiously through her veins.

She is alive, he echoed over and over again in his mind.

He didn't know how long he held her before a loud cough from Erwin forcibly interrupted his thoughts. Ida gasped and instantly pulled away from him in a hurry at that signal, finally realizing that she was not alone in the mess hall. A furious blush hit her cheeks as she wiped her wet eyes with the back of her hand to compose herself.

"Hanji, Erwin…" Ida murmured softly and she steadily walked towards them. Pulling them both at their necks with her arms, she brought the taller pair to her height, nuzzling her head between them in an embrace. "I've missed both of you."

Erwin and Hanji froze at Ida's sudden display of tenderness. She released them and dragged her attention to the pair of teenagers at the side. Ida smiled brightly when she looked at them with fondness. "Eren is it just me, or do you look as if you've seen a ghost?"

"I — Ida-san!" Eren quickly went rigid at her remark. "Welcome back!"

She ruffled the taller boy crown of brown hair, smirking at how he was still as jumpy as she had remembered. "I suppose I do owe you an apology for what happened…"

"I think you owe all of us an apology," Mikasa added brusquely.

Ida laughed good-naturedly at Mikasa's remark, but Hanji grabbed her wrist before she could utter another word. "What in the world are you doing out of bed?!" she demanded. "Do you know how hard I worked to keep you alive?!"

"You're wounded as well," Ida did not answer her but chose to avert the subject, noticing that her right hand was in a cast.

Levi watched the scene impassively as Ida chuckled and issued a small apology to a frantic and insistent Hanji, who was issuing threats to tie her to bed for her to recuperate if Ida didn't listen to her demands.

He felt the sides of his lips ever so slightly lift when Erwin came forward to berate the redhead, who had her cheeks puffed out in anger by now.

Home, she had said.

She had come back home.

Ida Starke was finally back at his side. Back to the same streets and home, to the same people. Yet everything has moved and changed in her absence. Perhaps it was even foolish for Levi to imagine even one thing would remain the same.

It was odd. Levi had dreamt of this scene a hundred times over. There she was, with her fiery red hair, all smiles, with the same candy charm bracelet that he had given her still on her wrist. Ida was much calmer than he had expected her to be when she woke up. The smiles and laughter came naturally and without the rage and despair that had completely overwhelmed her the night of the mission to capture Jaron Starke.

She's changed.

And somewhere deep in Levi, between the countless debates that he had with himself, he finally settled on the truth that he had changed as well.

He sighed defeatedly.

No, it didn't matter. Nothing mattered now. Talks of saving humanity could wait, the arguments and tears could wait. He had shouldered the burdens of humanity for so long. He had grown weary. It was fine to sit back and savor the situation just once, to relish in its warmness.

He went over to the redhead who was pleading her case to Hanji and reached out, placing a calm hand on her head.

Ida stopped at his touch, turning to him in curiosity with surprised eyes. But Levi said nothing.

Welcome back, shitty brat.

o o o —xπ{Ö}πx — o o o

The days passed quickly and surprisingly without so much of an incident.

After Hanji had managed to get Ida back to her bed to rest, Ida dutifully informed everyone about the truth of the Titans without holding back. Erwin, as expected, had taken the news of his former lover's dark heritage with an impassive expression that was hard to discern. Despite the appalling revelation about the origins of Titans and the dark heritage of the Starkes, Hanji had dejectedly pointed out that this information did little to help them, and that they were back to square one.

Even if they knew the truth of the Starke and the Reiss family now, everyone who had valuable information was long dead.

Still, there were many unanswered questions pertaining to the truth of humanity.

Still, humanity was at the losing end.

To add on, Erwin had also made reasonable sense that they could not confirm nor deny the validity of Elsie Starke's words. Perhaps there was much more to discover. With that thought in mind, Erwin had given Hanji a task of interrogating the other survivor of the Starke Mansion incident; Seth Fischer

And when it came time for Ida to know what happened to Elsie, Erwin had given the heavy burden of breaking it to her to Levi. 'You know how to handle her best', he had said impassively. And truthfully, as much as the Captain wanted to adamantly deny it, Levi knew that Erwin was right.

Imagine his surprise when Ida, who was well known through the legion for her uncontrollable emotions, took the news with calm verbal assent.

"Oh," she murmured softly, downcasting her gaze. "I see… That's unfortunate. It's a no wonder Erwin is so disappointed with the results, Eren did not inherit her memories…"

At her statement, Levi let out a dark hiss so frightening that even Ida was taken aback. It was clear to Ida that he was extremely displeased at her reaction — or more like her lack of emotion — that she was portraying. And she couldn't pinpoint exactly why Levi was so livid with her reaction.

Wasn't this what he wanted all along? Hadn't he chide her about reeling in her emotions before?

Elsie Starke would be dead either way. The only thing that had changed was the circumstances surrounding her death. In any case, she would die either by being eaten by Eren or by the enemies' hands in a bid to transfer her powers to a more suitable, loyal host.

Ida Starke had made a choice to prioritize her comrades and humanity above all others and she was hell-bent on sticking on her path.

She would never be a cowardly bystander like Elsie Starke.

Did Ida's heart winch terribly when she heard the outcome of her mother's sacrifice? Yes. But she wasn't sure if it was for the right reasons. She was almost certain she felt more dismayed that her mother's sacrifice had gone to waste rather than the fact that she was surely dead.

Somehow, this drastic change in demeanor in Ida had annoyed her Captain more than she had realized. But despite his displeased countenance, Levi did not say a word of disapproval in silent mutual understanding.

And with all the skeletons in the closets finally revealed, the pair attempted to settle back to how it was before. Every day, Levi would make it a point to visit her by her sickbed and they would make small talk.

But their topic of their conversations never broached on what had truly happened between them during the time they were apart on separate missions, or even the fact that they had once shared a passionate night together.

Things were... normal.

And truthfully, Ida did feel a 'tiny bit' affected with this normalcy.

But she didn't push the topic forward either. Ida was perceptive enough to understand that the night between them was never supposed to happen. But it did, a voice in her heart would argue every time and she would only swat it away. She was satisfied and content just staying by his side, she would argue back like a fool.

However, it wasn't to say that a black cloud did not settle between them. Ida noticed the changes early on. Levi made it a point to keep a distance from her, even going so far as avoiding physical contact with her unless absolutely necessary. The physical awkwardness between them was choking to say the least. But like him, Ida had decided to skip the topic altogether.

As much as it was killing her to find out the real reason Levi was acting this way, she understood that it might be due to the fact that he needed more time.

After all, they had been through so much. She had betrayed him when he asked her to stay and left to find Jaron Starke on a solo suicidal mission. They had drawn their swords at each other in a cry for blood. He had abandoned her to bleed out on the cold floor when he chose to prioritize Eren's safety.

So the pair desperately attempted to settle back to their routine conversation and duties, burying their innermost feelings in pursuit of greater things for the sake of humanity.

With all of the corrupt noble households subdued under the military's command, most of the noble families were stripped of power and kept under lock and chain at Darius Zackley's pleasure. Under the new military command, the royal government was disbanded. Historia will inherit the crown and Ida would inherit all Starke's estates and title of nobility.

Ida knew that they were mere figureheads and their sudden forced inheritance was only placed on them to stabilize the situation, calm the people, and give the military an excuse to control their family's vast fortune. Despite knowing this, she had agreed hastily.

"If making me a damned puppet would help the military take control of the situation and gain the people's trust and loyalty, then so be it," she had stated. "The last thing we need is another uprising."

Newspapers were published to the civilians about the corrupt Reiss royal family and the nobility who placed their interests above the people, but to Ida's chagrin, it did not go in-depth about the Starke family being the creator of Titans or anything about Titans for that matter. Instead, the Starke family was portrayed as a corrupted family 'loyal to the Reiss family'.

"It's a half-truth," Ida had argued in a meeting with Darius Zackley. "The people deserve to know the truth."

Just as Elsie had warned, this information was far too serious to be taken lightly. The military had deemed that it was too dangerous to reveal so soon after an uprising. The fact that both Jaron and Elsie Starke were dead after dropping a truth bomb did little to help as well.

"No, we cannot reveal it to the public just yet. It'll cause mass panic," Darius Zackley concluded. "All we have are Ida's words on what Elsie Starke told her. And Ida, you yourself said that Elsie didn't know much."

"She knew that the Starkes created the Titans," she drawled in a deadpan. "Are you doubting my credibility, sir?"

Darius Zackley ignored her. "Erwin, you said that Elsie Starke knew Grisha Yeager?"

"Yes," Erwin stated, unfazed. "Which is why we must go to the basement of Grisha Yeager, I believe that we can find our answers there."

"Mm," Darius hummed in understanding. "We don't know the whole truth about this world or the Titans yet, we'll hold this information off from the public for now."

The military was doing it for her safety too, Darius Zackley added moments later. But Ida could sense the bullshit coming from a mile away — the military was more concerned about securing power and stability than anything else. However, she did not argue any further after Erwin's interference.

And so came the day of Historia's coronation.

Ida knocked on the door before entering, not waiting for the person inside to answer. Historia stood in the center of a grand room in front of the mirror in a long silk white gown and a heavy woolen cloak.

"If you expect me to curtesy and show my reverence to you as would befit a noble lady, you would be sorely disappointed, your majesty," she sarcastically said, an obvious altercation in her tone as she reached the last part of her statement.

"I would expect nothing less of you," Historia chuckled, taking a seat at the table.

Ida joined her at the table with a curious expression. She looked so different compared to the past. Was it due to the majestic cloak she was wearing, Ida didn't know. But Historia carried herself with an air of superiority and condescension that she would never have expected from the blonde.

Perhaps it was in her blood.

"So…" Ida began slowly, tapping her fingers on the table. "Here we are… two illegitimate daughters who overthrew their vile families and saved humanity…"

Historia's expression was carefully guarded. "Here we are…"

"Erwin wanted me to wear a stinking dress just like yours for the coronation," Ida added brusquely, frowning at the memory. "I told him that Titans would wear clothes before I would ever do it."

Historia stern eyes relaxed as she broke into a soft chuckle, eyeing her uniform. "A true soldier to the bone."

Then a silence passed through them as the small laughs died down. With the tension building up with every second, Ida decided to quickly touch on the purpose she had come for before it got too heavy.

"Do you regret it? Killing him?"

Historia knew who she was referring to. "No."

"I don't regret my actions either, nor do I mourn my mother's death."

"Are we…" Historia's words drifted off, almost as if she was debating on the right words to say.

"Vile? Inhuman?" Ida suggested firmly, cocking her brow. She contemplated on the matter briefly, before shrugging her shoulders indifferently. "No, we are not. We're merely doing what is necessary."

"What if they were right all along?" Historia challenged in a deadpan. Trepidation cloaked her soft features. "What if… what our predecessors did the right thing by hiding all of this from humanity?"

"Our predecessors were murderers," the redhead replied scathingly in a heartbeat and it was clear to the blonde that Ida had decided her stand long ago. But then a soft understanding came over the redhead. "...They did right in their books Historia, not ours."

When the blonde remained silent in contemplation, Ida sighed loudly. "Do you know... a different version of you exists in the minds of everyone who knows you. Everyone you meet creates a different version of 'you' in their minds. You're not the same person to everybody, and the person that you think you are isn't really anyone at all."

Historia's pupils widened at this and Ida elaborated when she sensed her confusion. "What I am saying is… Who you are now, to the thousands of people out there, is different from the 'you' that your father knew. Starkes, Reiss… It doesn't matter what our names are… You are a hero in their eyes, Historia… Don't disappoint them."

"Is that what you tell yourself every day?" Historia inquired softly.

Ida debated on her answer before settling on telling the truth, "Not every day, just on the days when I start to feel like shit."

At this, the blonde and the redhead shared a genuine laugh before they were interrupted by a sharp knock at the door. "Historia, it's about to begin soon," Jean peeped through the door. "Ida-san, we have to go."

"Yes, we'll be there." Ida waved him away nonchalantly. Getting off her seat, Historia quickly threw her a small look of thanks. The redhead smiled back in understanding, before leaving her to complete her preparations.

Jean was outside the door waiting.

"Jean, you're still here."

"Ida-san," Jean greeted brusquely with a firm narrowed expression, moving out of her way.

"Wait," she stopped him. "I've been wanting to apologize to you personally."

"For what?" Jean raised a curious brow. "I know you did what you needed to do. After all, the commander had assigned you a specific mission to—"

"It doesn't matter." Ida halted him midway with a show of her hand. Her lips were pursed in silent contemplation for her next words. "...I never wanted to hurt you."

Jean allowed the silence to linger before saying, "I know."

She rubbed her arm nervously. "...I wouldn't deny that back then my intentions were far different than what it seemed. You see, I wanted to save my mother… and I could only do it if I have fulfilled what Jaron wanted of me..."

"But you didn't do it, did you?" Jean countered sharply, but his eyes were much more relaxed now. "I'm still alive now. How many can say that after fighting with the infamous Ida Starke?"

"Don't jest about it now," Ida made a disturbing face at his remark. "I mean what I say."

"I know," Jean replied firmly. "And if it'll make you feel any better, I forgive you."

Ida smiled, grateful that he understood her intentions. "Thank you, Jean-boy."

Jean's cheek grew into a flush at this and he twitched nervously. "H— Hey, Ida-san… Will it kill you to forget about that? How did you know about that anyway?!"

"I just know." Ida giggled at the boy's frazzled state. "And it's just Ida to you now."

The boy blinked at her laughter, realizing just how much she had changed from before. From his memory, the superior he had always respected had always carried a hollow dead-like expression as if her soul was gone and long-dead. As if she had no will and purpose to live.

But as she giggled uncharacteristically now in front of him, Ida's eyes twinkled with brimming life and hope that he had never seen before.

o o o —xπ{Ö}πx — o o o

Ida's heaved a heavy loud sigh. Finally, Historia's coronation was over. After standing in the sweltering hot sun for hours, watching the pretentious ceremony that the old farts in the military had come up with, all she wanted to do was retreat to her room for a hot bath. She observed that Levi, who stood beside her in the line of soldiers, had grown just as weary from the celebrations as she was.

Analyzing him, she frowned when she saw that he looked as though he was deep in contemplation as he stared impassively at the sea of civilians. Her curiosity sparked and she followed his line of vision.

Ah. Ida felt her heart clench when she realized that he was staring straight at a father and son pair who were cheering enthusiastically for the heroic Queen who had defeated her vile father's Titan.

Being so consumed in her own thoughts, she had nearly forgotten that she wasn't the only one who had lost a family member during this vicious war.

They had left the courtyard and were far away from any soldiers' earshot before she brought up the topic.

"Hey… did you meet with Kenny Ackerman?" Ida saw that Levi had frozen almost instantaneously at that name. "Before he died that is."

His reply was short, almost as if he didn't want to elaborate." Yes."

"...I see…"

Ida pierced him with a familiar pair of calculating eyes as if trying to search the very depth of his being. His features contorted when he saw this. Levi had forgotten how perceptive Ida could be when she wanted to.

"He spewed a whole lot of bullshit before he kicked the damned bucket," he added for good measure, masking his features with his signature scowl. "A bunch of crap about how everyone must be drunk on something in order to continue living in this world. But he said nothing about Titans if that's what you're asking."

"I met him before he died as well," she admitted, earning a quirk of his brow from Levi. From his expression, she supposed that Kenny had not deigned to pass on this information to him.

"He's your family isn't he?" she inquired. "You didn't just take the last name Ackerman just because he raised you."

A condensing aura emitted from him before he tersely said, "He's my mother's brother."

"Oh," Ida blinked. Honestly, she had thought Kenny was his long lost father. "...I never expected that… I hope you're feeling okay."

Something snapped in him at that moment. He didn't know whether it was because Ida had brought up Kenny, or whether it was because she had expressed concern about him. It was probably the latter. Any other day, Levi would have accepted this concern with a subtle nod and a few scowls of annoyance to ease her worries so that she would leave him alone, but not today. Not when she was acting like this.

"When are you going to drop this facade, Ida?" Levi glowered demandingly. "It's getting fucking annoying if you ask me."

Ida was taken aback by his sudden hostility. "I don't understand what you mean."

He clenched his fist, feeling his anger growing at her blatant display of nonchalance. "This — all of this — stop acting like you suddenly don't give a damn about everything and go back to being the shitty brat that you are."

"Why do you care so much anyway?" Ida countered back angrily, not liking the tone that he was using. "It seems to me that you clearly don't want to talk about what happened or you wouldn't be keeping me away at such a distance. So why should I?"

Levi's eyes went wide, but he quickly narrowed it back. He hadn't expected her to bring it up so easily and directly.

"Whatever happened between us—"

"—is a mistake, I know." Ida finished the sentence for him, throwing him a pointed look. In truth, she didn't plan to confront him like this, but her anger got the better of her. Seeing the way the conversation was steering towards now, Ida supposed she couldn't stop. "Tell me, are we really going to act like nothing happened?"

It was one of the rare moments that the quick-witted Captain was tongue-tied. Yes, he should've retorted scathingly before launching into a reminder that they were in the middle of a war — a war that had seen devastating casualties. A war both he and she were inclined to participate in for it was their duty.

So no, she shouldn't be with someone as despicable as him. Someone who could offer her nothing, Levi would've added last in conclusion.

To Levi, they were both strong in their own rights, he was confident that they could handle it.

They were sinners. They were the 'tainted'. The beasts on the battlefield. The Survey Corps' pillars of morale and hope. Their seasoned hearts were too ruthless to break. They have been through so much that something like this… something like love couldn't possibly break them.

And yet, Levi couldn't seem to open his lips to speak.

She tore her gaze away from him at his silence, breaking the deadlock. Ida looked almost disappointed in him.

"I thought you were dead," Levi suddenly admitted in a monotone after seconds had passed. "...After I left you there… when the Reiss Chapel crumbled, everyone thought you died under the rubble..."

Comprehension flooded her as she pieced the series of events together — was this the reason why he was avoiding her? Because he felt guilty that he had left her behind? Because he felt responsible for her 'death'?

"All is fair in love and war, Levi…" she said, sounding upset. Ida was taken aback that she was quoting her mother's words, but she didn't let her surprise display in her voice. "I do not despise or blame you for abandoning me back then."

Levi grit his teeth, looking away from her. "I did what I had to do."

"I understand, and I did what I had to do." Ida drawled in a dull monotone, showing that she wasn't affected by his words. "But can we just stop beating around the damned bush and address the fucking elephant in the room? I must say you have mastered the art of effectively avoiding me while not avoiding me altogether."

As she had predicted, Levi had reacted with the only reaction that he would display when cornered: underlying anger.

"What the hell do you want me to say then?" He growled almost calmly, but the steel hiding in between his tone was clear.

It was Ida's turn to mentally take a brief exit from the heating argument to contemplate. That what we had wasn't a mistake, she had wanted to retort shamelessly. But the words turned to dust just as quickly as they were conjured up in her mind. The truth was, as strong and ruthless as the both of them were, underneath the soldier's uniform, they were far too fragile and too scarred to guess what would happen if they were to take another bite of the forbidden fruit.

They were fine as they were now, surely. They were far from fine, they were comfortable. But Ida had always been far more honest with her feelings of human nature than her revered Captain — she wanted more.

And yet, she too, couldn't open her lips to convey her true feelings.

"Is this the reason why you're acting like this?" Levi demanded angrily. "Because you think that I'm avoiding you?"

Ida frowned at his accusation. "No."

"Then what?" he pressed on unmercifully. "You know the answer to your question, Ida. We are soldiers in the middle of a war. We have a fucking duty. We don't have time to be arguing like shitty brats about nonsensical shit."

"Is that all you care about?!" Ida's eyes flickered in anger. "Duty? If its so, don't act like you fucking regret for a minute about leaving me behind to bleed out at Reiss Chapel! It was your duty, wasn't it?! So stop avoiding me!"

Levi seethed in silence and the pair entered a tense deadlock with their glares. Ida bit her lips and broke it soon after. She breathed out slowly, calming her anger. Levi always had a nasty temper and there was no use arguing with him when he was this angry.

The sounds of cheers and laughter filled the vicinity from the open window, drawing her attention.

"Look… Levi…" Ida went forward to the windows, looking at the enthusiastic crowd below who cheered victoriously. "The people are celebrating, everyone is celebrating. It's humanity's small win, the civil war has finally come to an end. At least now, we finally know the truth about the Walls... "

Levi grimaced, not sharing her awe. "It's a false peace."

"But isn't it still peaceful?" Ida countered back, swallowing a lump in her throat when she saw his dark unamused glare. She sighed loudly again when she realized he had failed to understand the true intentions behind her words. "...Why can't we just sit back and relax for once? To not think about duty or whatever… To truly celebrate, even if it's for a brief moment? Are we truly not deserving of it? But we worked the hardest and sacrificed the most. Don't we deserve to be happy as well?"

Loneliness etched itself on her face before she added, "It is because we are sinners?"

It was her way of saying that it was okay to confide in her, to take a brief moment in a serenity, Levi knew. He knew she was rounding up his reaction at her offer to take a bite of the forbidden fruit—Ida was asking him why it wasn't okay for them to continue what they had shared that night.

"Do you still think you are that?" Levi inquired brusquely, his eyes hidden under his fringe. "A sinner?"

We are sinners, Jerome Starke's voice echoed in her mind at Levi's confrontation. Ida remembered what her grandfather had called them; the devils on earth. Throughout her time alone with her thoughts, the redhead had battled with the truth. How could she be responsible for the actions of her ancestors? Surely she was no devil. But the flame of Elsie's warning had lit a spark in the forest that was her soul.

Deep down, Ida knew that no matter how much she tried to hide, to reason, to debate, she knew that she was a sinner.

For every time she would think otherwise, she would remember the countless lives she had taken. She would remember the horrible actions that the twisted world had forced upon her. She would remember the blood and the screams, and the cool touch of metal in her hands. She would remember the faces of her dying comrades.

But then a realization struck her — this twisted world needed sinners. It created sinners. For without them, nothing would ever be achieved.

She finally parted her lips to speak, "We have to be sinners to be saints."

Ida could tell that reaction wasn't something Levi wanted to hear for he had frowned terribly upon hearing that.

"From what I recalled, you used to call shitty celebrations like these uncouth and disgusting," replied Levi in his customary bitterness. "You said it was pretentious."

Ida knew that he was insinuating that what they had; the comfort that they found in each other was just like this celebration. It was all just a pretense, a facade, they couldn't find happiness at the end. Levi had cleverly used her own words against her. It dawned upon her that in her Captain eyes, she was still the foolish girl years ago.

The girl who lived on nothing but hate, anger, and blood.

The girl who didn't believe in things like taking a break, enjoying the little things in life, or even finding love.

The girl who chose to bury her innermost feelings and suffer in silence.

The girl who stupidly believed that people like them—the sinners—have no right to happiness.

But that girl was long gone and dead. And while Levi can try his best to appeal to her, she would never reply again.

"...That was a long time ago…" she drawled in a dull monotone, frowning.

He scoffed loudly, his voice edging a sharp hatred. "You're still the same piss-poor brat whether you delude yourself into thinking otherwise."

Ida clenched her jaw, and seethed, "And you have to admit that Kenny's death affected you, whether you deluded yourself into thinking otherwise, you damned stubborn midget!"

It was a low blow to mention Kenny, Ida knew. But she was so angry and it had clouded her judgment. She knew that Levi was never one to openly display his emotions, choosing to hide his feelings and suffer alone, but there he was, accusing her of doing the same thing of hiding behind a facade when she was actively trying to persuade him to confide in her.

So even though she knew that it was a sore spot, she poked it anyway.

Levi did not give her a reaction, instead, his face settled on the same cool bored expression that he had always worn. But she could sense the intimidation in his gaze, almost as if in a silent warning that she should not push any further.

She broke from his cold glare, her expression reverting back to a calm state. A pregnant pause skipped between them before Ida shifted her footing and sighed defeatedly as the regret overwhelmed her.

"...Look, I get it, family is complicated. Starke, Ackerman, Reiss or Fritz or whatever the hell they go by now… They all have their problems. From the time I've spent with my family, I realized how fucked up they truly are. But that's fine…"

"What the hell is fine?" Levi demanded coldly, annoyed that she was beating around the bush.

She answered simply, "Because we have our real family here, our names don't matter."

Another pause skipped by, but one less defensive than before.

"I'm sure you know by now, I'm impossibly selfish to a point I don't give a fig about humanity. I don't care about Titans or saving the world. I'm not as honorable as you. I care only about the people I know and the only reason why I've decided to turn my back against the Starkes… Even going as far as to abandon my mother if need be, is because my real family is here. You are my true family, Levi."

Family.

Levi looked at her, his dark eyes barely flickering. Ever since he was a kid, Levi's eyes were always dead. From the time he had realized his mother, Kuchel Ackerman, was dying. To the time when he begged for someone at the brothel to help her, and finally when he stood rotting in the room with his mother's corpse, wasting away in hunger. Levi's eyes had long died years ago.

Then Kenny Ackerman came, far too late to save his sister, and raised him up albeit in a twisted way before ultimately abandoning him again. He didn't know how to be a good parent, Kenny had admitted so easily before he died. Levi had expected it would give him some form of closure, yet the scars forever settled in his heart.

Levi's throat had gone dry, all signs of anger and his trademark cold expression gone. Years had gone by and he hadn't thought of the true meaning of family.

His comrades were his family, he used to tell himself. The Survey Corps was his home.

However, he was cynical enough to understand that they were never his true family.

True family would never sacrifice each other lives like this.

And now, in the middle of a heated argument, Ida had just so easily declared that he was her true family. Despite knowing that he had abandoned her at the Reiss Chapel in a pool of blood. Despite knowing that she would always place second against his duty to humanity. Despite knowing that he could never regard her as something more, the redhead had declared it so easily.

Aloof and as uncaring of others as he always had been, he now looked at Ida pensively, waiting for her to say something. Ida stepped forward and slowly took his hand into hers.

She gave him an appraising look, but he remained still, not moving at her sudden touch.

"...So can't you treat me like one too? Can't I be your family? Isn't it okay, just for a moment, to pretend that what we had… wasn't a mistake?"

He said nothing again and Ida bit her lip, looking down.

"Levi... I…"

Her statement was drowned out by the abrupt boisterous voices of their squad. Eren and the rest came down the hallway with Historia, the newly minted Queen, in the center leading the way. They seem to be in a nervous debate about something.

Ida faked a cough and quickly let go of his hand. She nudged him softly, quickly trying to chase away the tense atmosphere. "Heads up, the shitty brats are on their way here."

At this, Levi's eyes darkened and cleared his throat, reverting back to the stoic superior facade. Etching away from the redhead, he stuffed his hands in his pocket. Upon his squad nearing him, Levi came forward, wondering if something was wrong.

Instead, he was met with a loud gasp at his appearance as the entire squad came to an abrupt standstill.

All eyes fell to Historia who trembled upon seeing him. She shook vigorously, her eyes horrified. She looked as though she was charging up her courage before she braced herself and let out a battle cry, unceremoniously charging forward and with her fists. Levi calmly saw her hit coming, turning to his side and she punched his arm without him even flinching.

"WHOA!"

The entire squad burst into a resounding cheer at Historia's bravery. Their eyes were wide and their mouth hung open in awe. Ida's hands flew to her mouth to stifle a giggle at their adorable child-like reaction.

"Hahaha!" Historia laughed, holding up her fist in victory. "How did you like that?! I'm the Queen! If you got a problem—"

"Heh."

At that uncharacteristic soft chuckle escaping from Levi's mouth, the squad's face darkened, staring at their revered, always stoic and cold Captain as if he had finally lost it. Even Ida couldn't help but stare at him shockingly.

Yes, Ida was right. His family was right here.

Levi's lips curved up slightly in amusement. "Thank you... All of you.."

"Oi… He's finally lost it…" Jean murmured out loud, horrified, but his voice was just loud enough for Ida's sharp ears to pick up on. He backed away slightly, terrified.

Eren sweatdropped, looking equally as horrified. "...Captain… did all that cleaning finally got to your head…?"

Levi's smile left his lips instantly the moment he heard that comment, but the calm amused expression remained.

Ida walked towards them with a dark expression and slung her arm around Historia, who shuddered upon her touch. The teens held their breaths as they watched her. Oh no. They knew that look.

"You brats, if you are going to hit him…" she said darkly, pausing for dramatic effect before suddenly breaking out into a smile. "Aim for his face!"

"Huh?!" The teenagers gaped at her reaction in unison.

Eren's jaw dropped at Ida's uncharacteristic support for hitting their Captain. Being under their command the longest among all the new recruits, Eren knew that Ida had always been uptight about noise and strict about maintaining decorum. She was just as strict as Levi.

So what the hell was wrong with the two of them today?

Mikasa smirked devilishly beside her and nodded approvingly, "For once, it seems that you and I agree on something. Go ahead, Historia. Do it."

Sasha and Connie gulped in unison at Mikasa's suggestion, knowing that they were done for it now. Surely they would get punished, whether it was by Levi or Ida hands. But the redhead only burst out into a round of laughter. Upon seeing this, the squads' jaw dropped even further.

"Something wrong…" Sasha declared, shaking, she looked as if she wanted to make a run for it.

Armin paled, wondering if he should call a doctor. "C — Could it have been the sweets?"

"...Hanji-san did say she hit her head pretty hard…" Mikasa mused calmly, crossing her arms.

"...Should we make a run for it?" Connie suggested to Sasha, gulping.

Jean felt a shiver run down his spine. "Is this a new way of mental torture…?"

"It's nothing!" Ida declared innocently with a chuckle, moving away from Historia. "We're just in a good mood."

A paused silence skipped by them as the disbelieving teenagers held their breaths, looking for any indication that they were going to get slaughtered. Ida smirked at them, crossing her arms. "Well… If you don't want a back-breaking punishment of cleaning the stables, you better make a run for it while the damned midget is still in a good mood."

At this suggestion, the teenagers stiffened. "C — Captain!" they all squeaked and saluted in unison, apart from Mikasa who remained stoic, before they hurried away. Historia threw Ida a quick smile, before following them shortly.

"Oi, what the hell was that about?" Levi demanded the moment the teenagers were out of earshot.

Ida playfully shrugged. "Don't know, they seem to be slacking under your care… Captain…"

She tried to maintain her nonchalant expression, but she broke out into another chuckle. Her smile was so contagious that even the ever stoic Levi felt his lips twitching upwards.

"See it isn't so hard is it?" said Ida as she wiped a tear from the corner of her eyes.

He frowned imperceptibly. "What?"

"To smile like that."

"Tch." Levi scoffed indifferently, crossing his arms. "Stop daydreaming with that stupid head of yours and clean up my office later."

All traces of smile vanished from the redhead. "Huh? Why?"

"It's your punishment for insubordination, brat." Levi deadpanned domineeringly. "Who gave you the damned galls to call me a bloody midget in front of the brats?"

"H — Hey!" Ida stuttered at his sudden change of mood. "I'm a noble lady now! You can't just order me around! I could easily bankrupt the Survey Corps you know?!"

Levi remained unfazed at her threats. "Last I heard you were still under my command. So shut it, and get to work."

Ida's jaw fell open in shock, but Levi merely swatted her away cooly like she was a pesky fly. Her fist clenched into tight balls and she punched him at his arm at the exact same spot Historia had hit him.

"Stupid midget! I hope you drown in bleach one day!" she cursed before storming away in a fit of anger, grumbling under her breath.

His expression was carefully hidden under his fringe as Levi let out another small chuckle at her usual antics. Really, he didn't know what to do with her. One moment she could be arguing with him and talking about a whole load of sentimental crap about 'family' and the next moment she was storming away in a child-like tantrum.

He touched his arm, noticing that it was sore.

Damn it, that hurt, you damned brat.

o o o —xπ{Ö}πx — o o o

The day of Starke Mansion Battle, Wall Rose.

The wind blew around her face as she sat on Pieck's back. Ivy had always enjoyed riding The Cart Titan due to its astounding endurance and frightening speed. It was almost as thrilling as flying.

However, she had found something far more exhilarating than riding Pieck's Titan Form ever since she came to Paradis Island. Ivy found that she had taken a curious fondness to the devils of the islands. They were far more interesting and complex compared to what Marley taught all Eldians children from a young age.

From Reiner and Bertholdt, she had learned about the false history that the devils within the walls were led to believe for the past century and she couldn't help but laugh. It was almost as though the people of the walls were nothing but a science research experiment that they didn't know they were a part of, dancing to the whatever sadistic tone that the first King of the Walls wanted them to.

Freedom? Paradise? What a glorious joke. There was no freedom for these devils even beyond the walls.

Did these devils foolishly believe that they were the only humanity left? So many of their soldiers had died for nothing. They had died for a false cause.

And that thought delighted Ivy greatly, amused her even.

"Yahooo!" she cheered from on top of the Cart Titan in a jolly mood, raising both her hands up to feel the wind. When Pieck had finally stopped at a secluded dense forest in Wall Rose, Ivy hopped off the Titan with ease.

She pulled her hood down. "That was a fun ride! Did you see the faces of those devils, Pieck? It was hilarious!"

Grinning from ear to ear, Ivy did an excitement bounce with her steps.

"Quicky, quickly, drop it!"

The Cart Titan wide jaws opened on her excited urging and the huge chunk of Titan flesh that still encased it's host came falling out of it, landing on the ground with a loud thump. A sadistic gleeful glint touched Ivy's green eyes when she finally saw the host's face. The woman brought a sense of familiarity with her red hair even though Ivy had never met her.

Ah, she paused in a momentary realization, knowing she had struck gold. She had hit the jackpot.

"Damn it Ivy!" Pieck emerged from her Titan form. She quickly swatted the hot steam that was blocking her visions and glared menacingly at the redhead. The Titans marks underneath Pieck's eyes were giving more potency to her glare.

"Zeke's clear instructions were that we were to escort Jaron Starke safely out of Wall Sina and back to boats! If it wasn't for your interference and insistence to grab that Titan Shifter, we wouldn't even have to expose the existence of the Cart Titan! We nearly got killed!"

Ivy pouted cutely, feigning guilt. "Which is why it was a grab and run!"

The moment that she saw two Titan Shifters fighting when they came to Wall Sina on an escort mission, Ivy knew that the wiser move would be to stay in the shadows and gather intelligence. But Ivy couldn't help it, she wanted to see the devils wrim and struggle. Plus, knowing sweet Pieck's nature to care for her comrades, there was no way she would've let her go alone, so she exploited it.

Ivy smiled sweetly at Pieck, fluttering her eyelashes. But when Pieck's disapproving glare did not falter, she settled on giving a plausible explanation for her actions.

"Didn't you hear what the Armoured and the Colossal Titan said? These devils are at a severe disadvantage with their gears when they are in an open field. I was right, wasn't it? No one chased after us! Everything went according to plan."

Ivy clapped her hands together at that happy declaration, which only earned a disbelieving scoff from Pieck.

"We should've aimed for the Founding Titan," Pieck countered back sharply, throwing a look at the lump of Titan flesh on the ground. "Not this… thing."

Ivy shrugged. "If we went after that Yeager boy, I don't think they'll stop chasing us no matter how disadvantaged those fools are."

"Who is this anyway?" Pieck moved forward to take a better look at the woman lying on the ground. She was unconscious and barely alive. "There are only nine Titan Shifters; if the Attack and the Founding Titan is with Eren Yeager, could this be the Female Titan...? But didn't Reiner say that Annie is still alive, encased in her hardening crystal?"

"No, this isn't the Female Titan…" Ivy shook her head. She uncharacteristically lowered her voice, which was a vast difference when her usual carefree tone. "It's the tenth Titan Shifter… Created from the last piece of Ymir's soul that was passed as an heirloom in the Starke family…"

Pieck's eyes were back to their usual relaxed state. But she raised a curious brow, "How do you know?"

"I just do…" Ivy murmured, her green eyes suddenly devoid of life. "It came to me as a dream..."

Usually, one would immediately look at someone who had said that with a look of disbelief as if they were joking. But Pieck knew better than that.

Throughout the years of Ivy living in Marley, she was infamous even among the Marleyan people for she was born on Paradis Island. She had always been a source of curiosity and fear — a living symbol of the devil that Marley had warned everyone about.

And all throughout her life, many had looked at her as though she was a specimen. If the Eldians that lived at Marley were a bunch circus to the Marleyan people, Ivy was surely the main attraction. Pieck had recognized early on that Ivy was special. It was this 'specialty' of hers that had the Marleyan government so invested in her anyway.

Pieck wondered if Ivy was remembering her vicious and scarred past and she assumed her predictions were right for the girl was uncharacteristically silent, looking as though her mind was in another place.

"...So this was the clown Jaron's trump card, he was going to use this as his ticket to gain full amnesty in Marley…" Ivy murmured softly. She paused as though she was debating something before her neutral expression slowly morphed into malicious excitement in a flash. "How exciting, it's a shame he kicked the bucket before we arrived."

"That snake has been dangling information in front of Marley for years, Ivy," Pieck informed her calmly with a loud sigh. "He knows way too much information about the Subjects Of Ymir, didn't he say he was a Titan researcher? Marley would've gained a valuable asset with him in his ranks."

"Oh dearest Pieck," Ivy's voice was cloaked with fake adoration. "Please don't tell me you truly believe that Jaron Starke truly sides with Marley? Men like Jaron only serve themselves. If he can betray his own family, his own people, he can betray anyone."

Pieck didn't argue with her, knowing that she had spoken sense. Jaron Starke was truly a curious and suspecting figure among the Marley government. From what little information she had gathered from the Marley government and officers; Jaron had betrayed Paradis Island, his homeland, years ago.

According to Zeke, who had the closest relationship to the Marley government, it was at his suggestion that Marley had decided to execute the Paradis Island Operation, where they sent four young warriors — four children — to retrieve the Founding Titan.

It was a foolish plan, Pieck had thought sourly and she wondered now if the Marleyan Government had played exactly at the palms of Jaron Starke's for surely the operation had met with terrible consequences.

Now that Pieck has given it some thought, she was certain that Jaron Starke knew who the true royal family was. Surely he knew where and who the Founding Titan resided in. But he had somehow convinced Marley that he was just as clueless as them.

And because of this oversight, Marley has lost the Female Titan. And now with Zeke and her dispatched to assist Reiner and Bertholdt, she understood that things had taken a turn for the worst.

But what purpose did Jaron Starke have for causing such a war? Pieck wanted to know. But dead men spoke no tales. Perhaps Ivy was right after all. Perhaps Jaron did truly serve only himself. In the midst of war, both sides of Paradis and Marley had taken considerable losses. Jaron could have just sat back in safety and bided his time, waiting for an opportunity while Marley and Paradis exhausted all their resources.

Ivy broke her train of thought. "Pieck, you have it don't you?"

Pieck knew what Ivy was asking for. "No, you can't, we have to await instructions."

"This woman will die before we make it to Shiganshina. Look, she isn't healing." Ivy rebuffed. "Do you want the power to pass on to another random Eldian child? You know what happens when the host dies before someone inherits the power. And if this power ends up at the Eldian devils' hands… Marley wouldn't be too happy, right?"

Pieck sighed. Again, she was outmaneuvered by the manipulative redhead. There was simply no other option than to let the redhead inherit this unknown Titan Shifter.

She supposed she could've eaten the mysterious Titan Shifter, combining the powers of both Titan Shifters. But there was something telling a perceptive Pieck that there was no telling what would happen or what consequences there were for inheriting a newly created and unknown Titan Shifter's power. Marley would've lost both the Cart Titan and this newfound Titan power if something were to happen to her.

It was an unknown power that was simply too dangerous to inherit and only a lunatic like Ivy would hastily do it in a heartbeat.

"Fine suit yourself. You explain to Zeke though, I have no part in this."

Digging into her pocket, she threw a small black box to the redhead who caught it happily.

"Alright!" Ivy cheered. Pieck had always been the sweet, easy-going girl. It was easy to get her way around her. "Now shoo, Pieck, get out of the way before the blast hurts you."

Pieck shrugged. The blast wouldn't do much damage to her. She was a Titan Shifter after all. But she complied and walked away, not wanting to argue. It was clear to her that Ivy was not particularly sane. From her own experiences as a warrior, no one was ever truly willing to inherit a Titan Shifter, and even if they were willing, there was always a silent shadow of fear.

But there was no trace of fear coming from the redhead. Only unbridled excitement. Surely, Ivy had a few loose screws here and there.

But who would be sane after all that she went through? A voice in Pieck's head reasoned with pity.

Ivy opened the box as she hummed a cheerful tune. Poking the needle into the bottle of Titan spinal fluid, she observed the liquid slowly transfer to the hollow tube of the injection with anxious anticipation.

"...Ida…"

The woman on the ground murmured, forcing Ivy to peel her eyes from the injection. She almost let out a cry of joy when she found that the red-haired woman had regained consciousness — it'll be so much more fun to eat her when she was awake to see it.

Elsie's emerald green eyes finally focused on Ivy. "...Ida…"

"Ida…" Ivy repeated, her expression turning hard. "You know… I'm really sick and tired of hearing that name."

Elsie Starke's face had hosted the same horrified look as Reiner and Bertholdt when they first saw her. Was this Ida Starke really so similar to her? A wretched smirk etched on her lips.

"No… You're not her…" Elsie's voice came out dry and hoarse, but the horror came through all the same. "Y — You can't be her…."

"Yes, I'm not," Ivy confirmed and pointed the tip of the injection at the woman on the ground. "And if I were to guess correctly, you're Elsie Starke."

Elsie was paralyzed from the shock, the blood in her veins had turned to frozen slush. "W—Who are you?"

"Dear mother…" Ivy drawled almost sadly but a serpent's smile twisted on her lips. "It saddens me greatly to hear that you can't recognize your youngest daughter… But how could you? I was just a baby when dearest uncle Jaron handed me to Marley as a peace offering and as proof of his loyalty. A mere toy… for Marley to torment and do whatever they like because of our special bloodline..."

"N — No… No, it can't be true… H — He said you were dead…"

But even with her adamant denial, in Elsie's last moments, she knew that Ivy was speaking the truth. Twins were a common occurrence in the Starke family's bloodline. It was a curse that followed them through the generations.

The only problem was that Ida's twin didn't survive the difficult labor.

"Hehe," Ivy giggled childishly at her reaction, the whites of her teeth gleaming. "Don't worry mother dearest, I'll convey your undying love to my sister... when I see her."

A needle piercing through thin skin. A loud blast. A Titan Roar. An agonizing scream. A loud crunch of bones breaking. A deafening rip of flesh tearing. Scarlet blood flowing. The taste of blood and flesh.

And it was over.

The next time Ivy Starke opened her eyes, she was met with Pieck's concerned eyes as she held her in her arms. She could feel a surge of power in her, slowly moving in her veins. She could hear Pieck's worrisome calls for her. She could feel the warm steam enveloping her soothingly like a lullaby.

The still air was cut in half when the newly reborn Titan Shifter suddenly erupted in a fit of maniacal laughter. The laugh was so hateful, so cold, so painful that it caused Pieck's body to shiver uncontrollably once.

"Everything is fair in love and war…" Ivy murmured softly in a daze when her laughter finally died down. A lone tear escaped her lower lashes.

Strange, whose words were those? She couldn't recall.

But the love is now over, and now the war begins.

---

Finally! Levida is back together after so many chapters! Now that everything has been set into motion, bring on the romance! **bangs keyboard**

Let me know what you think about this new chapter if you have the time! How do you like the new Ida? For me, I'm seriously excited to be finally introducing Ivy, she's one of my favorites and most complex character. Please leave your thoughts! It keeps me going :D

Also, happy holidays to everyone out there!