"Jean." Armin called out in the darkness. The boy didn't respond. Armin was moving quietly in the abandoned district of Trost. With no lights coming from any of the houses, the city streets were lit by an almost full moon. The stars were barely visible.

Noticing Jean sneak further into the empty streets of the city, Armin called a little louder, "Jean!" The soldier finally turned around. Eyes widening he sprinted towards Armin, "What are you…?" The salmon haired boy quickly covered his mouth.

"Shh! Do you want to get caught by the patrol!" He slowly released Armin's mouth. He pulled Armin towards one of the darker allies.

Jean wasn't wearing his usual military uniform. He was dressed in dark green trousers, a dark green vest, covered by a light green suit jacket. Orders had been given to stay within the fortress and rest. So why did I catch Jean sneaking outside?

"Jean, what are you doing?" Armin asked, "We are supposed to stay in the barracks with the others." Jean was looking towards the street they just exited, looking back to Armin he answered, "I saw Captain Levi leave the building. He said he was headed for the Wall."

"Your tailing Captain Levi?!" Armin exclaimed.

"Shhh! Any louder and he'll hear us!" Jean whispered.

Armin kept his voice low, "Jean, are you insane. You're already disobeying orders by being out here. Tailing a Captain… I don't even think there's a punishment for that." He held his head in his hand. He had a headache.

Jean looked back to the empty street, "He's turning a corner, I'm gonna lose him if I don't…" Before Jean could move, Armin grabbed his arm, "Jean! What are you doing? We need to go back right now before someone catches us."

Jean ripped his arm away from Armin's hand. "I need to follow him." And moved forward.

Armin saw the boy sneak back onto the street. Armin looked back at the fortress. The dark building loomed in the distance.

Despite his exhaustion from the day, Armin couldn't sleep. A memory… no, a nightmare kept him up. A dream about a forest, and a voice. But he couldn't recall the details. It was the only reason why he saw Jean sneak outside the fortress.

Armin returned his gaze to Jean. He was making a turn deeper into the city. Closer to the wall.

Armin followed him.


Jean knelt behind a cart. He was now at the edge of the city, only three or four kilometers from the wall. The Captain was still walking towards the wall. Just as he said. Jean recalled the conversation he overheard with the Officer Nifa.

Jean had been sitting at the edge of a dimly lit corridor. He was on the second floor of the atrium. The moon light filled the outside corridor below him. A large tree sat in its center.

Jean was munching on some stale bread. He had stolen food from the kitchen and was eating it in the dark. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't sleep. It was like a memory… no, more like a nightmare keeping him up. A strange looking tree and a harsh wind? He didn't know what. What he did know was that it was keeping him up.

"Nifa," The voice came from below, taking him out of his thoughts. "If Hange or the Commander wake up, let them know I'm out."

Jean peaked over the wall.

Two beings stood in the lower atrium. One had bright peach colored hair, while the shorter one had slick black hair. Is that Captain Levi? Jean heard a million rumors about the man when he was a cadet. A ruthless titan killer, the best soldier in the corp. No, in all humanity. Jean corrected himself.

He had only interacted with him once, back in Stohess district. Jean recalled that Levi had commended him for his enthusiasm but reminded them to be careful. Jean knew to be scared of the man, but that interaction made him rethink the rumors. Would a ruthless monster killer really be worried about a new cadet?

The Captain was walking across the atrium, holding his coat. The officer kept in step with him, "Yes sir." Despite her professionalism, she gave a worried look, "In case they ask, exactly where are you headed, sir?"

The Captain stopped at the tree to face her, wearing his coat, "I'm going to the wall. Checking with the patrol. They haven't reported in a while."

"Sir, if you need a report I can…"

"It's alright Nifa," He said, cutting her off, "I need the walk." He was about to walk away when she asked, "Sir, are you… are you expecting a report?"

He looked back at her his face showing no emotion.

"No."

Jean took a gulp. The woman's question plagued his thoughts. Why would the Captain go ask for a report if he didn't think they had anything to report? Does he actually think something is coming? Jean's first thoughts went to Reiner and the other titan shifters. Were they coming back? But that didn't make any sense. Whatever Eren did, he made sure the mindless titans attacked them. Then what does he expect them to report?

Jean felt a hand touch his shoulder. He grabbed it, ready to throw whoever was behind him, only to see a pair of large blue eyes looking at him.

Jean grabbed his chest, taking a deep breath, "Damnit Armin, you almost gave me a heart attack."

The boy shrugged, "Sorry." Armin was wearing civilian clothing, similar to his suite, but all in different shades of dark blue. The only light blue item was his buttoned suit jacket.

Jean returned his gaze to the Captain in the distance, "I thought I told you to go back."

"You didn't."

Jean looked at him confused, "I didn't?"

Armin shook his head. Jean recalled their earlier conversation. I really didn't.

"Well, you should go back. No reason to get in trouble alongside me." The Captain turned another corner. Jean crouched under the cart and followed his tail. He saw Armin move alongside him.

"Armin." He gave an exasperated sigh.

Ignoring his annoyance, Armin asked, "Why are you following the Captain?"

Jean noticed Armins serious look. He wasn't gonna go back to the fortress, even if Jean dragged him there himself. He took a breath, "He's expecting a report from the Garrison. I think he thinks something… or maybe someone is coming to the wall."

Armin narrowed his forehead in confusion, then his eyes widened from the realization, "You don't think…"

"I don't know. But that's what I'm going to find out."

They reached the intersection where the Captain turned and hid behind a pile of boxes.

Jean felt Armin staring at him, "Jean, why are you doing this? Even if there is a chance that the Captain thinks… he's still out there, he would surely report it to the Commander."

"But we wouldn't get that information."

"Jean…"

"Armin, please… I…" He couldn't articulate his thoughts. He let his head hang between his knees, taking a deep breath.

"Mar…" He couldn't even say his name. But Armin had a right to know. He took another deep breath.

"Marco was alive. When we were still cadets here in Trost." He shifted his focus to Armin, "He survived the attack alongside us. I don't remember when we separated for the second part of the mission, but I remember he survived." He took another deep breath, returning his gaze to the cobblestone. "But after the whole incident, I found his corpse. His face, half eaten. I don't even know how…" He balled his fist. Armin stayed silent.

He looked to Armin again, "Even if Jason is gone, I want to know why. I can't… I won't allow myself to stay in the dark."

Silence filled the night.

Armin's gaze shifted to behind Jean, "The Captain is moving." Jean turned, seeing the Captain turn another corner. He smiled. "Yeah… Let's move."

And so they did.


Levi was extremely disappointed by the two scouts tailing him. They were doing a piss poor job of it to say the least. The fact that they hadn't noticed him trying to lose their tail was a sure sign of their incompetence. But he appreciated the effort.

He decided it was time to lose them for real. As soon as he turned a corner, he sprinted quietly towards one of the allies. His ankle wasn't at its best, but that wouldn't stop him from climbing one of the houses.

Reaching the top of the roof, he jumped back the way he came. Seeing his two followers he hid behind a protruding roof window. Strange. It was two of the new cadets. If he recalled correctly, the blonde haired one was close with Eren, while the other graduated with them.

Despite their lack of experience, they have shown themselves to be resourceful. If it wasn't for the blond haired cadet, they wouldn't have discovered who the Female Titan was. And the salmon haired boy was passionate. At least passionate enough to tail him.

He jumped towards another building, carefully avoiding them. He successfully landed in a street behind the two. Walking back towards the main road, Levi thought to himself. They'll be punished later. If he didn't think he was doing something stupid, he would have confronted them now. But he was pretty sure his hunch was wrong. He was pretty sure.

And yet that storm…

When the others returned from their mission, a strange storm had followed them. Levi saw things in that storm that he didn't think were real. But he was sure he saw them. He had never hallucinated before, so why would he start now.

And all the earlier reports about their return. Most everyone in the party was discussing a forest that was trying to attack them. But by the end of the evening, no one even remembered the incident. He even asked Erwin about it before he left, and the man insisted that nothing of the sort happened.

He wanted to return to the wall and ask members of the Garrison if they remembered seeing the storm.

If Pixis's men didn't see it, then maybe that storm really wasn't there.

Even then, he wasn't sure if this would confirm his suspicions. Something strange was happening. And whatever was causing it was connected to that boy. Why he thought this he did not know. For sure his prisoner was dead by now. He was dead the moment he left the walls on his own.

You saw me in the forest.

Yes. Balling his fist he thought, And now another person under my command is dead.

"Captain!" A loud voice disrupted the silence behind him. Turning around, Levi was shocked at the person approaching him.


"Jean… I think we lost him."

"What do you mean we lost him! He was right there."

The two boys left their hiding spot to look for the man.

Jean was right, Captain Levi had just turned a corner, and the boys waited to let some distance gain between the two. However, when they turned that same corner, the Captain was missing. They had turned into a dead end, with a closed bakery at the end of the street. They checked every ally he could have turned into in this backstreet, and yet the Captain was not to be found.

Armin's thoughts got the better of him, "Do you think he knew we were…?"

Jean grabbed his shoulders, his eyes filled with fear, "No, there is no way! We were careful… right?"

Before Armin could answer, they heard two gunshots ring out in the distance. Both Armin and Jean looked towards the sound. It was coming from the main road.

They looked at each other, confirming that they were both still going along with this crazy plan. They then ran back towards the main road.

Entering a narrow alley, the closer the two got, the slower they became. As they inched closer towards the main road, they heard two distinct voices. One was definitely the Captains. The other was an unknown female voice. She was at the end of a laugh by the time the two were close enough to hear the conversation.

"Don't you see Captain!" She said, "The fates have dealt their hand! They've given you and your people a chance to live. And have given me a chance at revenge."

Peaking their heads to get a glimpse at the conversation, Armin saw the two figures in the distance. He saw Levi glaring at the figure standing before him. The figure was clad in a dark robe, her back to them none of her features could be discerned.

Jeans back to the duo, he looked back at Armin. Armin shrugged, unsure of who the stranger was, they returned their gaze to the mysterious conversation.

"But the primordial mother won't leave your winning horse alone." The woman continued, "She wants his power most of all. How Ouranous will convince her to keep her hands off of your trump card still baffles me."

"What's your point?!" The two boys shook at Captain Levi's yell.

"My point, Captain, is that I have taken a gamble, and I believe it will pay off."

The woman proceeded to point to the sky. When Armin's eyes followed her pale finger, he marveled at the wonder.

A streak of light appeared above the cityscape. It arced across the sky, creating a path of green and blue light. Armin had seen shooting stars before. But this one was the largest he had ever seen.

"But, just to make sure you understand what a threat I can be…" The woman's voice came back, interrupting the light show in the sky. As soon as Armin returned his gaze to the street, an arrow met his face. Before he could react, Jean's arms pulled Armin towards the ground. The arrow hit the wood behind him.

The two boys took deep breaths, looking at the arrow. It sizzled and decayed everything around it. "You idiots!" Levi yelled in the distance, "Get back to the fortress! NOW!"

Jean got up, grabbing Armin, but the boy wouldn't budge, "We can't leave you here Captain!"

Levi gave an exasperated sigh, "Eren is in danger! GO!" He pointed towards the fortress.

Hearing those words, Armin allowed himself to be pulled by Jean. The two boys then began to sprint as fast as they could back to the base.


Mikasa sat at the windowsill. The white pale curtain slowly moved in the night air. There was no moon tonight, but the stars felt just as bright. She held an apple in one hand and a knife in the other. Staring at the uneaten slices on the bedside table, she decided to place the uncut apple back in the bowl. He wouldn't eat it anyway. She shifted her attention to the bed she was tending to.

Eren was turned away from her. She could tell he wasn't sleeping, but after all that happened today, she understood why he didn't want to talk. They had lost Mr. Hannes. If there was any hope of returning to those old days, they were gone now.

How many more people? She thought to herself. How many more people can she handle losing? How about Sasha? Jean? Connie? She leaned her head against the open windowsill. Armin? She shook her head in disgust. No. She couldn't think that she could handle losing any of them, let alone Armin. She couldn't even imagine losing him let alone…

NO! Don't even think about it! She grabbed her red scarf. He won't be gone because you will protect him. And Armin. And the others.

The image of Mr. Hannes haunted her mind. Him getting crushed by that titan. The titan that took everything away from them. Her, lying there, not able to do anything because of her crushed ribs.

She rubbed her aching torso. I'm sorry Mr. Hannes. I wasn't strong enough to save you.

She looked back out the window. The night sky was beautiful. A dark backdrop for glistering stars to twinkle in brightness. The world is cruel. But it is also beautiful.

She put both her arms, crossed, out of the window and placed her cheek on them.

Closing her eyes, she recalled those days. When Armin, Eren, and she would play with Mr. Hannes. Oh how he reeked of alcohol. She chuckled softly to herself. And how big his smile was. She never thought anyones face could make that shape until she met Mr. Hannes.

You know Mikasa, if you smile more often, those boys wouldn't be so scared of you. Come on, give it a try.

Her lips twisted upward awkwardly. He gave her a pitying face. Well we can work on it.

She smiled at the memory. A light tear went down her face.

Straightening her posture, she rubbed her eyes open. I'm sorry Mr. Hannes. We won't be able to get those days back. Not without you. But I promise you. She stood grabbing the windowsill. The wind flowed through her scarf. I promise I'll protect Eren and Armin in your stead.

As soon as she stood, she noticed a shooting star at the center of the sky. It arced over the city, in hues of green and blue. Mikasa's eyes widened at the sight. She had never seen anything so beautiful.

And so fast. She narrowed her eyes at the object. Is it getting bigger?

Before she could react, a flash of green and blue hit her eyes. A strong wind knocked her off her feet, forcing her body to hit the back wall. She lost her breath at impact.

Hitting the floor, she took a shaken breath. She was still injured from the battle earlier that day. This hit would knock her out for sure.

Raising her head, she tried to look at what had hit her, and her eyes widened in shock.

The blonde haired boy who was presumed dead was standing at the window. His clothes in taters, his ODM equipment nowhere to be seen. A golden liquid was pouring out of his eyes and ears. Surrounded by a bluish green tint his mouth seemd to be moving, but Mikasa couldn't hear him.

Who is he speaking to? It was only then that Mikasa realized Eren was standing in front of him.

Mikasa took a shaky breath. Nails scratching the wooden board, she tried to summon any strength at all. She needed to get up, she needed to protect Eren. That boy has been nothing but trouble since he appeared. She was sure he would hurt Eren.

I need to get up!

But her body would not respond.

The bluish green light tint faded, and the boy collapsed. Eren caught him, placing him gently on the floor.

The last thing Mikasa saw before blacking out was Eren's eyes. He looked apologetic.

As Eren went for the knife on the bedside table, Mikasa held out her hand. As darkness consumed her, she thought to herself, am I not powerful enough this time too?

END OF SEASON 2