Levi

My hand didn't waver, as one of my swords painted a crooked arch in the air between us. There were no reckless thoughts and no pain, and my fingers didn't tingle from the fantom touch of her silky hair. No memories clouded my mind, and my pulse stayed even.

Because it couldn't have been any other way.

Because I didn't care.

And I was determined to keep telling myself that until it became the truth. I forced my mind blank and studied Verity. Her chest rose in rapid shallow breaths, and her big eyes focused on me and me alone. Not even the weapons in my hands, as though she didn't feel the danger radiating from the blades. She was looking at me. And her eyes, so dark, it almost swept the ground from under my feet, seemed to gaze into my very soul. As though she knew I wouldn't attack. As though she could tell how much this hurt.

Bullshit! She was irrelevant!

It shouldn't have hurt. Why would it? Yes, the way she played me was frankly embarrassing, but it wasn't anything I couldn't fix. Yes, I was annoyed with how much my stupid head fixated on her, and how my thoughts refused to abide, bringing back various memories and torturing me. Like, each time when her cheeks went red with embarrassment. Or when my fingers glided along the pale skin of her fragile wrists. When I carried her away from the forest after the mission meant to capture the Female titan. How her soft little body curved itself around my front in the saddle, adjusting to me just perfectly.

Fuck!

I should've found a way to get rid of this infatuation before it blossomed.

Sucking in a deep breath, I made sure my expression didn't budge as I shoved all of those thoughts away. Focusing on the moment, I had to remind myself of the reason we all ended up here. Eren and Historia were abducted by Kenny and his men. And Verity was one of them.

She'd made her choice. And so have I.

"Do you have a death wish?" My tone was calculatingly cold, ringing with dangerous notes. Verity flinched, but kept quiet, and her eyes didn't shift from mine. For once I couldn't read emotions on her face, however fake they might have been. Her expression stayed vacant of anything, leaving out even the mock regret she ought to be portraying. No matter Hange believed that Verity didn't lie about it all. I thought otherwise. She was fake through and through.

My grip on the sword tightened, muscles straining. I didn't want to be affected by her. But I fucking was. Would I carry on with what I had to do? Yes. No matter how hollow it left me, I would carry out my duty. I took one step toward her, readying myself for a kill that would no doubt haunt me for the rest of my life, when someone grabbed my other arm, weakly jerking me back. I glazed behind, and my eyes met Hange's. She could barely stand, leaning heavily on Moblit, as she reached over, stopping my advance. I glared at her, but she didn't bat an eyelid. Four-eyes knew me too well, saw right through my masks as though they were made out of glass.

"Don't," she whispered, her eyes half-closed and her breathing heavy, pained. I jerked my arm out of her grasp and faced Verity again. I had to do it. There was no doubt in my mind. "Stop!" Hange yelled, effectively freezing me to a spot. I watched Verity as her eyes jumped to the wounded Hange at my back. Her lower lip trembled, and something akin to hurt ghosted over her face.

I didn't buy it.

"Shove it, four-eyes," I grumbled.

"She saved me, you dumbass!" Hange croaked, and her voice rang with some resemblance of laughter, which sounded hysterical to my ears.

"My ass, she did," I bit back.

"Captain Levi," Armin said. "We saw it. She cut down that woman from the MPs who attacked Squad Leader Hange."

I gritted my teeth, but didn't move an inch, my weapon still comfortably heavy in my outstretched arm, the tip of the blade outlining the wounds it would soon carve. Verity's gaze returned to mine, and the voiceless pleading in it broke through the carefully crafted barrier that encircled my heart like Wall Maria. My heart clenched, and I did my best to ignore the residual sting. Raising my chin, I regarded Verity, trying to bring an end to the fight between logic and the rotten hope that wouldn't dissolve no matter what.

"Speak," I ordered. Verity pursed her lips, staying silent. It agitated me, and on a vim I stepped forward. The blade met resistance when its tip pressed into the middle of her chest, soaking into the grey linen of her shirt. It didn't rip through it, neither did it break the skin. But the threat was clearly received. Verity gasped and a whimper slid past her mouth. "Speak," I repeated, lower and more quite this time, letting some emotion slip into my voice. I saw it when she broke, her eyes shut and her breathing hitched.

"I will tell you everything," she whispered. But her answer didn't satisfy me. In fact, it did quite the opposite. Rage rushed into my blood, like a deadly poison, numbing me to the aftereffects of the moment. I pushed closer to her, the tip of my sword digging deeper, but still not drawing blood. I leaned down, hovering above her. She shrank, and her shoulders shook.

"Is that the best you've got?" I asked. "Tell me then, why shouldn't I kill you right here and now?"

"Because I chose you."

Verity

Those words felt foreign coming out of my mouth, as if belonging to my mother's native tongue I'd never learned to speak. It did nothing to the truth behind them, though. I made my choice once and for all. I chose Captain and my team. I chose Scouts.

And now I would have to pay for this choice.

Captain went still. I could feel his breath messing with stray hairs at the top of my head. His blade dug into my midsection, chugging itself in between my ribs. It was unpleasant, but I deserved it and that much more. He was too close now. I could feel the heat radiating from his body. I couldn't look him in the eye, so I shifted my gaze down his face. My eyes glued to his mouth for a moment, and my heart rate spiked, as if it had only now picked up on the danger I was currently in. The deep scowl on Captain's face left his lips tight, and the corners turned downwards. I could feel his gaze blaring a hole in my face, and my cheeks suddenly heated. As if there wasn't a weapon positioned right above my heart. As if the Captain wasn't the one holding my life in his hands.

"What does it matter if you did?" He asked after a long silence. His voice was raspy and, I swear, I heard a deep rumble in his chest as he continued. "A word from someone like you holds no value."

My knees went weak, and the entire world shattered. His words repeated in my head, louder and louder each time, until all I could hear was this buzz of voices. He didn't believe me. Of course, he didn't. Why would he? I was a liar and a spy. I'd betrayed him and the Survey Corps. There was no reason to listen to anything I said.

I shook my head, fighting back angry tears. I wouldn't show my hurt. If I had to go, I would prefer to do so holding at least a resemblance of dignity. As if I had any to begin with…

"We don't have time for this!" Mikasa yelled, interrupting my thoughts. She stopped a few feet away from us, facing the Captain. "Eren needs help!"

A moment passed, and the Captain finally shifted. The press of his blade disappeared, and he stepped back, lowering his weapon, but keeping a firm eye on me. "Armin, Moblit, get Hange out of here. The rest of us, we move out."

Everyone jumped into motion, and Mikasa was the first to sprint away. Hange smiled at me weakly, as Armin and Moblit led her away. I looked at Captain, who didn't move to follow his team, as they ran through the cave. The cold of his gaze reached deep into my heart, clenching it in a stinging frostbite. I wanted to tell him everything at that exact moment. I wanted to retch my heart out and promise to never, ever lie to him again. To promise that I would always stand with him and cover his back with my own life.

But I was done with lies. And giving out promises I knew I couldn't keep was just a type of untruths I'd told myself for way too long. So instead, I just held Captain's gaze, silently pleading him to accept me.

His face probably looked emotionless to the side observer. But I knew him too well, to be fooled with that disinterested scowl he wore. He was angry. Blazing with fury. But there was something else in his gaze, as it roamed my face, searching for any sign of deceit. He stood half turned, his blades lowered. He didn't look ready to fight, but I knew better. He could've killed me in a span of a second if he deemed so necessary.

I opened my mouth to speak, but the Captain interrupted me with a raised hand. I watched the fingers of his other hand pale from the tight grip on the sword. Muscles in his arms strained, as if he was fighting against the will of his own body to strike the enemy. Strike me.

That thought sent a wave of pain through my body. Like an electric shock, it travelled from the tips of my toes and into the roots of my hair. It felt as though every cell in my body reacted, screaming in agony. But the worst of it was the heavy knot of guilt tightening in my stomach. The shards of my broken heart sliced at my ribs, and the sting spread over my chest with every ragged breath I took.

I'd lost him.

And he'd never even been mine to begin with.

"I will deal with you after Eren and Historia are saved," the Captain said in a threatening voice that made me shiver. No matter the fear, though, my heart leapt as the sickening hope settled within. "You better watch your steps. My hands become twitchy around people who break my trust."

I would never break his trust again, I vowed to myself. And I would do everything in my powers to win his good graces back.

Levi

I couldn't do it.

Fucking idiot!

I couldn't kill her. I'd planned to, but my body just refused to comply, as if it knew better. I clenched my teeth, watching Verity glide through the air from the corner of my eye. She hadn't begged, even though she had to have known I was planning on it. As if she'd accepted her fate long before she'd jumped to save Hange's life.

We were not moving fast enough, and it played on my nerves. I had to be there with my team. I needed to get Eren and Historia back. But I also couldn't overrun Verity. Giving her my back seemed like the worst of ideas. And she seemed content on keeping her current speed, as if she was on a lazy afternoon practise and not in the life-or-death scenario. I shouted at her, and she sped up, matching me.

The entire cave shook, and a blast of yellow light shone from the other end, followed by a loud roar. Wind blew, catching me mid-thrust, and I was thrown to the side. Forced to regroup, I twisted, landing sideways on the pillar on feet. Verity screamed, but I couldn't distinguish the words. The column I'd landed on cracked, and I barely had time to jump off, when it crumbled to the ground, taking pieces of ceiling with it. Chunks of stone fell, and the dust sprung into the air. I coughed as I maneuvered to the side, spotting Verity sprawled on the ground and scrambling to her feet. I landed near her, grasping her arm and jerking her upright. "We gotta run!"

She nodded, and we sprinted as the ceiling continued to collapse in patches of solid concrete. Pillars cracked here and there, but what made my skin crawl was another ear-splitting roar that shook the walls of the cave once again. It wasn't Eren, I realised. Then who? Historia? Kenny?!

Jumping into the air again, I maneuvered past the falling stones, heading for the source of the sound. A few moments later, I saw it. Whatever the fuck it was.

An enormous mass of titan meat was sprawled in the space in between pillars at the very end of the cave. I couldn't even tell where the head of this… thing was. But it grew in mass with every passing second, its body pushing at the columns and the ceiling, as debris fell around it like goddamned snowflakes.

"Captain!" Verity screamed, tearing my attention from the monstrosity in front of us. She jerked her head, pointing at the stone rise to my right, where half-naked and chained Eren stood. My entire team surrounded him, fiddling with the chains. I lunged up, sending my hooks into the closest wall and landing just mere feet away from them.

"What the fuck is taking so long?" I asked just as Verity landed beside me. But my words died in the thundering roar that the titan'd suddenly let out.

"It's even bigger than the Colossal titan!" Sasha said, looking at the growing titan dumbfounded. The titan moved, crashing its overgrown shoulders into the walls. Stones fell, and a loud crack followed, drawing everyone's attention.

"The ceiling! Look out!" Mikasa screamed, just as the last lock on Eren's restraints clicked. Jean and Conny pulled him back, barely avoiding being crushed by the falling debris.

"Get back!" I ordered, shoving those closest to me to the wall behind us. With the stone at our backs, we watched the monstrosity in front of us crush the cave with every damned move it made. Dust coated the air, and small stones flew every direction, biting at the bare skin of my face and forearms. We were fucked. There was no easy way out of here. I could feel Verity come to the same conclusion as she shook near me.

"We will be buried alive!" Jean said, his voice uncharacteristically calm, bordering on hysterics with its disinterest.

Eren sobbed loudly, and I watched him slip down the wall and plop onto his ass. "I've been dead weight every damn step of the way. This power never should've been given to me. I can't be humanity's hope. I'm just too weak." He looked to the side and froze, mumbling something under his breath.

"That's not true, Eren!" Verity said from my left, but I refused to face her. Seeing that fake caring mask of hers would only sprinkle salt on the bleeding wound.

"C'mon. Stop playin' the tragic hero," Jean retorted, smirking at Eren. "Of course you're too weak to accomplish jack by yourself, but no one expects you to."

"Yeah, calm it down," Connie chuckled, even though it rang with fakeness. "We've been through a whole lot worse that this, man. Still, it's gonna suck tryin' to fly through that mess."

"I'll take Eren," Mikasa instantly jumped in, just as she always had when it concerned the boy.

"It's useless. You know we won't make it," Eren said.

"So we should do nothing?" Historia practically screamed at him. "Wanna sit here and hold hands till we're crushed? Or till we burn to death?!"

"Listen. I really hate that I do this to you all the time, but," I said, gathering my thoughts. He was right. We probably wouldn't make it through the titan and all that falling debris. One hit to the head was enough to end it all. And the chances of avoiding that were zero to none. But I couldn't really tell any of them that. I couldn't tell my team that it was most likely the grand finale to the Scouts Corps. That there was little chance of us making it out alive. So I squared my shoulders and faced Eren, ignoring the weight of Verity's gaze pointed at the back of my head. "You've gotta make a choice here."

The brat looked at me, as though my words held the answer to all life's questions, and suddenly nodded. He jumped to his feet and sprinted toward the growing titan, picking something from the ground as he went. Another blinding light shot out, but I turned away, as a pumpkin sized stone crashed into a wall above me, sending pebbles running on our heads. Instinctively, I looked at Verity, as if to check if she was hurt.

Our gazes met, and I froze. Her face, for once, wasn't guarded, and the pained expression that twisted her beautiful features made my heart ache with longing. Her dark eyes were clear and telling. I could see the long-lasting pain and guilt that gnawed at her; the all-consuming loneliness that made her lash out; love and care that she yearned to share, but never could, for whatever reason. She'd never looked so vulnerable and so alive. She'd never looked more real.

So I shoved away my fear. I choked down my doubts and hurt. I stumped my regrets and dove into the trust that emanated from her, giving in to the primal need to protect when the world came crashing. As more stones fell, and the walls shook angrily, threatening to tear away our lives, I did the only thing that felt right.

I covered her with my body.

Verity

Fear choked me, and the pain inside my chest was splitting me in two. But for once, I didn't care.

When Captain's arms encircled me, bringing me close to his chest, the entire world disappeared. It might have burned in the fires of Hell for all I cared. When the Captain embraced me, everything dissolved into nothingness but him and me. The heat of his arms curled around me, and his body pressed me firmly into the wall. His racing heart beat against my chest, and the overwhelming sense of safety crushed into me with a wild intensity.

I pushed my face into the crook of his neck and shoulder, breathing him in. The faint smell of lemon and mint scented soap he used was intoxicating. But his own scent made my head swirl all the more. Honey-sweet yet bitter at the same time. It reminded me of the warm summer evening, just as dusk was about to settle in. The groggy taste of campfire smoke at the back of my throat, and the inebriating sweetness of the pear cider. The comfort and familiarity of his smell hit me like a punch. It was mind-blowingly euphoric and painfully erotic.

I shivered, just as the world fell apart around us. Stones fell and crashed, but I didn't care. I wrapped my arms around Captain's back, drawing him closer. My fingers dug into the muscles at his back, and he dropped his head into my hair. My skin broke into goosebumps, when his hot breath brushed my neck, and one of his hands slipped down the wall and curled around my hip. I pressed tighter to his body, losing myself in the feel of him, when the world finally went quiet.

Captain moved suddenly, breaking our quiet paradise, and his hands disappeared in an instant. I opened my eyes, confused at the loss. I almost whined when the Captain moved away from me, looking over the glass carcass that covered us all like a tent. Crystall branches sprawled around, like a tree crown, coming from the hardened titan sitting a few steps away. Eren's titan.

Mikasa screamed and ran toward him, Jean and Connie followed, clenching their swords. I stared at Eren in disbelief. He'd hardened himself. In crystall. Just like the Female Titan could. Which meant he could close the hole in the Wall Maria.

Was humanity saved?

Levi

The smoke curled in the air, mixing with low-hanging clouds of road dust. It blended with the settling sun, throwing dark shadows at the ruins the crawling titan'd left in its wake. I could see it in the distance. Each step it took shook the earth, sending a chill down my spine. And it was headed to the Wall Sina.

I clenched horse's reins tighter in my grip, throwing one last look at the nearing titan and disregarding it. Erwin's horse stopped just before me and his gaze swept around the caravan, pausing on Verity, sitting in the open carriage with Eren, Historia and wounded Hange.

"Anyone hurt?" Erwin asked, and I motioned to Hange, lying at the bottom of the wagon. She raised her hand in greeting, but the gesture seemed to take too much of her strength, and her hand quickly fell back onto her stomach. "You've done excellent work, all of you," at his words, my gaze shifted to Verity, as did Commander's. She sat in the wagon, shoulders slumped, staring into her own feet. She didn't seem to even notice Erwin's approach and his contemplating gaze, as it ran her up and down, no doubt assessing the threat. I'd contacted him about her actions prior, so there was no doubt he would question me relentlessly about it once there would be time. Which there wasn't any now.

"I've got a whole slew of things to report, but first…" I trailed off, looking pointedly at the approaching mess of a titan. "It's Rod Reiss. I look forward to hearing your thoughts on this, Commander." Erwin gasped and looked away, visibly shaken by the news. His gaze moved over the faces of my crew before he turned to face the titan.

"Time's short. We can't afford to stand here and chat. Head back to the Wall."

"You're gonna let that thing drag its fat ass all the way to Sina?"

"Well, more specifically, I'm letting it continue towards Orvud District," Erwin said and his eyes glazed over as they would do when he had a plan in mind.

And I had a feeling I would not like it.

The dawn could've been beautiful were it not for the huge ass titan dragging himself toward the Wall we stood on. I should've felt nervous or angry. Scared even. But all I could do was think of the way Verity's nails dug into my spine when I'd embraced her back in the cavern.

The ceiling was falling on us, the lives of my entire team about to be cut short, yet I couldn't shake that gut-wrenching fear at the thought of her lifeless body. I couldn't let it happen. No matter the sting, her betrayal'd left. No matter the solid reasoning, I could conjure to back it up. I just had to do all in my power to keep her safe. All logic be damned.

And I was now regretting it.

Verity stood to my left, watching the Rod titan near us with each passing second. Her posture was painfully straight, unnaturally so. I could tell from the way she carried herself that she was afraid. All of us were, I guess. But her rigid spine and the stiffness in her arms spoke volumes. And I hated I could read her so.

Walking away from the edge, I grasped her elbow, forcing her to follow. She did, but her gaze never left the approaching titan. We walked the wall for a few moments, just out of the earshot. I faced her, gathering my wits when she spoke first. "I know what you are about to say, and it doesn't matter. I understand."

Her words took me off guard, and I raised a brow at her. She shook her head before answering my silent question: "I know that what happened in the cave didn't matter. And I know that I'm a long way from gaining back your trust. But I promise I will do anything in my power to regain it."

That… hug didn't matter. Because it was a mistake made by an upset mind at a face of a nearing death. And her acknowledging that fact didn't change that she was a problem. My problem. I needed answers, and I needed to keep her in line. To watch her like I would a killer play with a knife a few feet away.

For now, she would have to wait. I would deal with her after the imminent threat to humanity was eliminated. Clearing my throat, I scowled. Verity seemed genuine in her words and promises. But then again, she did so before as well. "What makes you think I would ever come to trust you again?"

A sad smile curved her lips then, and her hands reached up to hug herself. "I have nothing else to lose, so I'm making my best bet."

"I'm letting you go free for now. But once the titan is done for, you will answer all of my questions, and I don't give a shit whether or not you feel like talking. You will tell how you ended up with Kenny, of all people. How you agreed to work against the Survey Corps. And how you thought that playing against me was your best bet." My voice twisted at the end, growing lower and deeper with unvoiced threats. But I gave little shits. She betrayed me and all I'd believed in. She should've been lucky to draw another breath.

And it was entirely on me why I didn't feel hostile enough towards her anymore. No matter how much I would prefer to.

Verity

Cold water bit at my skin, like a thousand needles digging in deep. I gasped, unprepared for the sting, as I dropped the bucket onto the concrete of the Wall.

"Next!" a garrison soldier shouted, and I moved away, fighting the shivers shaking me to the bone. The wind picked up, and it scratched at my very core with each blast.

Shots fired, and even the smell of gunpowder, which screamed of the upcoming battle, didn't warm my insides. I stared at the approaching titan, engulfed in smoke. It was half steam evaporating from its ugly ass body and half gunpowder from the dozens of canons taking shots from the very edge of the Wall.

Looking at this thing dragging its twisted body, I couldn't help but think of Kenny. Was this what he'd wanted? It made little sense. The way he'd talked about his dream… It seemed devastating in its grandeur. As if it was more than anyone alive could comprehend. And yet, this was what it all came down to. A deformed titan of a royal blood crawling its way to the walls of one of the inner cities.

What the hell did Kenny accomplish by this? It couldn't have been what he strived for. But I also couldn't shake the feeling that his wishes were beyond my reach all along. Whatever they were, I was pretty sure he wouldn't be able to accomplish them, no matter how hard he'd tried. It might've been because he and I were similar in the desires we'd held close to our hearts. They were so far-fetched from the reality of the world we lived in, it was stupid to even dream of anything beyond our reach. But we did. No matter how much it hurt us too. No matter how much we wished we could stop. It was just not an option. It was bigger than us.

The difference was still that my dream was simple and humble in its core. I wanted human contact. I strived for understanding and comfort. For love. But Kenny… I still couldn't understand his desires. And my foolish self, that believed he could solve all my wishes, had received a hard slap from reality, forcing me to stand back and reevaluate.

If only I'd been smarter from the beginning. If only I could've seen Kenny's infatuation with something beyond my reach. Maybe it all could've played out differently. Maybe I could've been different.

Or maybe I would've rotten in the Underground. Assaulted and tearless. Because my stupidity didn't deserve any tears shed.

I stepped away from the water line and joined Captain and Commander, standing on the edge of the Wall.

"Looks like the field cannons are even less effective," Erwin said, glaring down at the still moving titan.

"Makes sense. The cannons on the wall have a way better angle, and they didn't do shit to it either," the Captain responded, glancing at me for a brief second, before he faced the Commander again. "What's the problem?"

"Unprepared soldiers, scrapped together cannons, and shallow leadership. The titans had only attacked from the south. Not only is this a northern garrison, it's in the interior. Therefore, I can tell you for a fact this is the best we'll get."

"Yeah. That much is painfully clear. And of course, your strategy for getting us through this battle comes down to a gamble. Just like every plan that you've ever come up with," Captain regarded Erwin then, and the Commander nodded. They shared a long look, speaking volumes about how long they knew each other. Captain finally tsked and averted his gaze, looking at the titan once more. "Let's hope you hunch is as good as always this time around."

I followed his gaze, watching the monster near the wall. He ignored every cannon shot, slithering closer with each passing second. Commander stocked away, and the Captain raised his hand in a silent command. Our team gathered behind me, all but Eren, who stood to the side, ready to transform and play his part.

Each move the titan made shook the ground. The wall trembled underneath my feet, and the fear coated my skin with sweat. I watched, horrified, as the monster lifted its unproportionally thin arms and brought them down on the wall. Soldiers screamed, but their voices dimmed in comparison with the thundering crunch of stone reverberating through the entire structure upon the slam of the titan's hands.

"Fire!" The command sounded, and everyone sprinted into action. ODM sounded, and catapults released the barrels full to the brim with gunpowder right into the titan's face, as he pushed himself up the wall and into a standing position. Explosions hit, and the smoke erupted, scratching at the back of my throat. I watched as the pieces of burned wood flew off, and the titan's disrupted features emerged from the black smoke. Unscathed. As much as one could say that about that half-face, the monster wore. Patches of skin and steaming meat-like substance tore off its gaping skull. Just looking at it nauseated me. But that was until the titan straightened, and his insides slipped right out of his torn stomach and into the wall.

I fell to my knees and dry heaved, my stomach empty and incapable of retching. Yellow light shone in the corner of my eye, and then Eren sprinted, shaking the Wall with each step he took. He ran by us, carrying a sack stacked with gunpowder on his back. He neared a titan and jumped, sprinting up his outstretched arm until he reached his shoulder. He gripped into the titan's jaw and shoved his sack down the titan's throat. The heat did its deal, and in the next moment, another explosion sounded, this one even more deafening. Pieces of titan flash flew off, scattered in every direction. Steam erupted, and the stench of cooking meat hit my nose, just when Captain's command pierced the air.

I didn't hesitate, determined to follow his every command to a dot, scrambling to my feet and reading for a jump. Wind whistled in my ears, and the cold bite of the morning air felt pleasant on my sweaty skin. I aimed for the closest chunk of titan flesh I could spot flying into the city. I twisted in the air, slowing my approach as I swung. My blades cut through the steaming piece with an overwhelming ease, and I threw a hopeful glance back at the still standing titan. I was obviously unlucky in my choice of targets, as the monster didn't even flinch. Clenching my teeth, I focused on other falling pieces of flesh, picking one at random, when, a few moments later, a triumphant yell sounded. I glanced back at the titan, only spotting a decomposing mass. It crumbled to the wall and broke off, separating into the already evaporating pieces.

I breathed a sigh of relief, as I operated my gear into the Wall, and scaled it, landing on top with a relaxed smile stretching my lips. It was short-lived, however. Because once the Captain landed just a dozen of feet away, all I could think of was his demand I talked, and my promise to always tell the truth from now on.

Levi

The sun was already setting, yet the search was far from over. We walked over half of the collapsed cave grounds, yet there was no sight of Kenny. The man seemed to disappear into thin air. His team, however, splattered the crystallized stones with their blood. We didn't even bother to recover their bodies, as we went through the area searching for the specific one that could give us some answers.

Verity followed my every step, like a tamed dog. She was this quiet presence that I felt with my skin but couldn't shake off. She avoided my eyes ever since the battle ended, and her expression once again locked up in an emotionless mask. It unnerved me, but I couldn't bring this up in front of people. No, that conversation would have to wait until we find Kenny and I lock them both in separate cells.

I shoved a stone with my boot, uncovering a torn piece of bloodied cloth, no body in sight though. Just as I was about to walk around the closest pile of concrete, a soldier yelled out to me, gesturing over excitedly. I didn't have to look at Verity to feel her body go rigid with panic. She must've guessed the same as I did.

Kenny was found.

The trail of blood ran up the grassy hill, heading toward the few lonely trees growing on top and overlooking the crashed mess that has once been an underground titan cave with lush fields sprawled above. Spilled blood had already darkened, leaving dark marks, like some sort of pavement leading to the body, leaned on the tree.

I grabbed my rifle tighter and glanced at Verity, letting her move slightly ahead of me. Her eyes were glued to the figure propped on the tree trunk. She didn't make a move to go to him, whether out of fear of what she'd see or simply because of my order to stay close — I couldn't tell. I took a step toward Kenny, and Verity, as if on command, shifted, breaking into a run. My hands jerked on the weapon, and I fought an instinctive urge to aim, as Verity fell to her knees near Kenny the Ripper. The man who'd saved me from an untimely death when I was a kid and taught me to fight back. The man who'd rescued Verity in a similar manner, from what I'd gathered. The man who put her against me, and then did his best to end my life himself.

Kenny lifted his head, and said something to Verity, as I moved closer and into the earshot. When he noticed me, the slight smile he wore for Verity disappeared. "Shit. Not you again," he said, breaking into a cough. One of his hands was pressed to the bleeding wound in his stomach, and half of his face had been burned. The blood trickled from his mouth and down his chin, yet the man still found strength to curse at me.

"Found what's left of your squad. It looks like they were crushed in the cave. I guess you're the only survivor?" I said in a way of greeting, throwing a quick glance at Verity. Her head was lowered, and I couldn't see her face, but her shoulders shook with a slight tremor.

"Sure looks that way," he croaked.

"Between the burns and the blood you've lost, there is nothing that can save you now." At my words Verity jerked. Her face flew up, and she clasped Kenny's free hand on the ground. Tears streamed down her face, and her whole body shook with silent sobs, as she looked at the dying Kenny.

"Oh yeah?" Kenny smirked at me, and his hand left the wound to pull out a small wooden box from behind him. He clicked the lid open, and inside in a velvety cloth lay a syringe with a single glass capsule, filled with liquid. I didn't have to ask what that was. "Swiped this sucker out of Rod's bag back in the cave. Seems, if I just stick myself, I'll turn into a big, strong titan. One of the dumb ones, unfortunately. But for a while it oughtta keep me alive."

"You had the time and strength to inject yourself before we got here, if you wanted," I said, trying my best not to portray how much we needed that box.

"Fair point," Kenny croaked, dropping the box the ground. "I guess I'm just scared. If I don't inject it right, then… I might turn out the same as Rod. All messed up-like."

"Kenny," Verity whispered, and he looked at her, a small smile returning to his face. "I'm so sorry! Please forgive me. I should've never left you. I…"

"It's alright. You've been a good girl," he said, and a sob broke free from Verity's trembling lips. "Do me a good one, and keep this runt in place, will ya?"

I tried to ignore his words and the violent sobs that shook Verity's body, but something inside me cracked seeing her like this. I kneeled beside her, and grabbed her shoulder, hoping that the small gesture would bring some sort of comfort. She looked at me, and the pain and horror that pooled in her eyes, swept the ground from under my feet. My hand strained, fingers digging into her bony shoulder way too hard.

"We humans, we're all the same. Every last one of us," Kenny said suddenly, drawing my attention. His voice was quiet and rough, and he was stopping to cough up blood every few words. "For some it's drinkin'. For some it's women. For some, even religion. Family. The King. Dreams. Children. Power." He leaned his head back into the trunk and regarded me with the look of a tired old man, who had wasted his life away and resented himself for it. "All of us had to spent our lives drunk on somethin'. Else we'd have no cause pushin' on. Everyone… was a slave to somethin'. Even him." He coughed again, spitting blood on himself. "So. What's your poison, runt?"

His question hit me like a punch, and his knowing gaze only added to the shocking revelation he'd tried to embark on me. But no, that couldn't have been true.

"Take care of her," Kenny said, pushing a box into my hands. I stared at it, dumbfounded. It was only when I'd lifted my gaze that I saw Kenny's eyes go blank, and his body relax. Only then did I hear the heartbreaking scream that Verity let out.