Mikasa walked the streets undercover with a medium length auburn wig adorning her figure with voluminous curls bouncing off her shoulders. Her Eldian cuff sat snuggly on her left arm, with the white armband contrasting uniquely with the long, solid red dress she wore.

The plan was the same for the last few months: stay undercover, stay invisible, and observe from the shadows. There wasn't much more to it; Mikasa was there for support more than anything. Eren forced the scouts' hands and now she was here.

Living here didn't leave her with many hobbies besides angling. The one thing the internment zone had that slightly interested her was all of the natural freshwater fisheries. All of the different species fascinated her—selling the fresh catches kept her financially afloat in the town that Annie, Bertolt and Reiner came to know as home.

Reiner...

She saw him a few weeks ago from the place she set up shop. Seeing him again after his departure four years ago elicited a visceral response from her. Mikasa knew people changed in a few short years, but what she saw was a miserable and despondent shell of a man. His mannerisms were foreign to her: he seemed quiet, insecure and his overall being was so monotonous.

The way he dragged his feet with his slumped shoulders made him look small. His intimidating and confident self was seemingly gone. The "Soldier Reiner" she came to know him as was killed.

She wrinkled her nose and shook her head, that personality wasn't even real. All there was was the Reiner now and that's all there was to it.

From what she remembered a few weeks ago, he walked around with a couple of kids behind him.

Was he their mentor? She thought.

What kind of leadership skills were there to copy from him though? Was he teaching them how to commit mass genocide? Or some other unspeakable atrocities of war?

She hissed under her breath. It's not like her and the scouts weren't about to do the exact same thing to these people.

Regardless of what she thought though, Mikasa noted that he didn't seem as happy as she thought he'd be. For someone who wanted to go back to his hometown so desperately—only to be visibly gaunt and depressed—confused her.

But after living in Marley for the last few months, she couldn't blame him. The prejudice here was overwhelming with a large disregard for Eldian-born people. Even the warriors who were hailed as the "heroes who'd bring Marley back to it's former glory" were only granted "honorary Marley-hood", denoted by their red armbands.

Of course, it didn't really mean anything.

The warriors still ended up living in the internment zone and were watched 24/7 just like every other Eldian. The only real benefit they had was to be able to leave Liberio occasionally.

Warrior or not, the way they treat people is deplorable and inhumane—the sanctimonious religious and political propaganda used was only to undermine and restrain every person with Eldian blood.

When she saw how miserable he looked in this place he called "home", she couldn't help but think about his island persona every now and again.

Mikasa sighed and sat down on the bench just a few feet away from his home. After settling in Liberio, luck would have it that she would eventually see him and find his residence. Staring daggers into his window kind of helped her dissociate from her current objective.

Although her correspondence with her teammates were limited, she was able to send several messages to Jean to document her proof of life. Since the messages were searched, she couldn't write any sensitive information in them.

It didn't really matter much anymore since she hadn't received anything in weeks.

The Ackermann just chalked it up to them limiting correspondence since they were getting closer to the date of action. Either way, Mikasa felt relief that this was going to end once and for all.

Her high hopes deflated when she saw movement from his window. Watching him every night made her... feel things she couldn't explain and things she certainly wouldn't admit to. Monitoring his movements was a... side mission of sorts—one that she hadn't documented in any messages sent back to Jean.

Watching him was something of a cold comfort; she didn't understand why, but her legs led her to him everyday.

Shifting her attention towards the sky, she saw evening quickly turn into dusk. The last bit of sunlight was engulfed below the horizon behind Reiner's building.

Of course, time flew by as it usually did whenever she got to see him.

Inhaling a sharp breath, her shoulders slouched. Mikasa wasn't sure she'd ever be able to forget about him.

And maybe for that reason, or perhaps in spite of it, she noticed something about Reiner being here wasn't right.

As she felt over a smooth pebble in her hand, she looked up at his window.

Maybe she just never knew the real him.

The curfew for all Eldians was to be before sunset, and as the light dwindled, Mikasa arose from her bench and headed back home.

Then something caught her eye.

And as she snapped her attention back to his window, a small gasp escaped her lips.

Why would you... her heart pounded in her chest. She felt her throat tighten and the air escape her lungs. There was no time to think—her feet guided her in his direction.

Mikasa quickly found the entrance into his shared living quarters and ran down the hall. All the doors were the same color and close together. She got to the end where she estimated his room to be.

She stood so still in front of the door that she could've heard a pin drop. The beat in her chest were like drums in her ears and her hands shook as she grasped the knob.

Locked.

Dammit. She took in a deep breath and steadied herself. Consequences be damned, she knew if she didn't act, he'd be gone.

Without another thought, she took a few small steps backward and launched herself into Reiner's door.