"Apparently it was a total failure."

"They didn't even make it close to Shiganshina."

"The Military Police are taking Eren Jaeger back from the Scouts. Finally – I can't believe they left a monster like that unchecked for so long."

Erwin Smith had been the commander of the Scout Regiment for the majority of Celine's memory. During that time, she couldn't recall a mission they'd returned from with this much negative public perception. There were rumors many Scout soldiers didn't want to leave home out of fear of being harassed. Complaining about wasted tax money and the massive loss of life was an opinion with a growing amount of popular support; it wasn't a stretch of the imagination for some instances to turn violent.

Celine stopped by Hange's place before and after work every day since her friend's return. It added over two hours to her commute, but she couldn't ignore the panic rising in her gut when there continued to be no news other than what she overheard at headquarters.

Hange never answered the door when Celine came calling; it was hard to tell if Celine was being ignored, Hange was keeping a low profile, or if her friend wasn't home entirely.

Cans of rations were left at Hange's doorstep in case Hange was isolating herself for her own safety. This was certainly unlike Hange, but the silent ride back to Sina was uncharacteristic enough of itself to make Celine anxious. The cans would always be gone by the next time Celine would stop by. Whether or not it was Hange who was taking them was unclear.

An unmarked letter arrived in the mail four days after the Scouts' return. Celine's shoulders tensed when she opened the note and immediately zeroed in on the slanted, sloppy handwriting she'd grown familiar with over the years.

'After dark. Bring food.'

"You ass," Celine said, a smile stuck to her face.

As requested, Celine waited until nightfall to make her way to Hange's place. She swapped her uniform for a plain white button up tucked into a loose pair of sage-green pants since it was obvious Hange wasn't looking to draw attention. A large bag was thrown over one shoulder while Celine's hands were busy with a bundle wrapped in thick cloth. She was grateful when Hange opened the door to the sound of her footfalls instead of Celine having to shift things around to knock.

"As if the food I was leaving you wasn't enough," Celine said as she pushed her shoulder against the door. "I got this onion and egg pie from Ms. Rebecca. I've also brought four bottles of wine, so I hope you remembered to actually put the glasses somewhere they wouldn't get broken."

"Aren't you a thoughtful houseguest?"

The door opened fully and Celine froze. There were … three more people present than she was expecting. Two of them sat at Hange's table; the third, and the one who had spoken, stood off to the side with his arms crossed as if touching anything in Hange's apartment would make him go up in flames.

The sound of the door closing caused Celine to jump. She looked over her shoulder in shock as Hange secured the locks on the door.

"It's a pleasure seeing you again, Celine," Erwin said. He stood, offering his hand. A patient expression watched Celine set aside the pie and accept his shake.

"Ah …"

Miche Zacharies also got to his feet. "You may not remember me," he said, "but I'm–"

"I remember you," Celine said.

Miche flinched. Celine's expression was pleasant enough, but a twitch to the corner of her eye conveyed Miche would do better than to attempt greeting her with a handshake. He instead brushed his fingers over his cheek as if there was a tingle acting as a reminder of the swollen pink mark Celine had left him the last time he got too close. He cleared his throat and returned to his seat.

"Would you like to sit?" Erwin said, offering his chair. He raised an eyebrow when Celine seemed to regard the item as if it were cursed.

"No, thank you," she said. "I can stand."

"If you can find a spot that isn't covered in garbage," the man behind Erwin said.

Something about the man was familiar enough to make Celine think she'd seen him before. She was generally gifted with putting names and faces together, but she couldn't place him despite her best efforts. The man was about as tall as Celine, making him fairly short, and under his gaze she earned the same level of disdain as the clutter around Hange's apartment. This caused Celine's genial appearance to slip, resulting in the man's eyes narrowing further.

"Come on, Levi," Hange said. She adjusted a stack of books before taking a seat atop the pile. "It's not garbage if it has a purpose!"

Levi?

Celine looked back to the man with dark hair as he scoffed.

Is this Captain Levi of the Scouts? I always imagined him being a bit like Erwin … This guy is just a prick.

"We should've met at my place," Levi said. He scowled at an open can of brown mush which had been left on the stovetop.

"The point was that Celine knows how to get here," Hange said, lifting her hands as she shrugged. "And she's the one we needed to talk to."

"Huh?"

Celine's mouth drew into a thin line as four sets of eyes landed on her.

"Celine," Erwin said. He returned to his seat, lacing his fingers before him on the table. "I asked you here to make a request. I would like to preface this request by telling you it has to do with assisting the Scout Regiment with an endeavor we hope will benefit all of humanity. However, I'm sure you're aware the Military Police has issued a statement to temporarily halt all instances of aiding and abetting Scout Regiment proceedings until further notice. I can guarantee the silence of any involvement from the members of my regiment gathered here, but if under unforeseen circumstances your identity is revealed, you may face charges of treason."

Miche crossed his arms with a sigh. "You're not giving her a good reason to help us."

"I mentioned it was for the good of humanity," Erwin said.

"Ah …" Celine cleared her throat. "What is it you're actually looking for me to do, Commander?"

"Right," Erwin said, getting back on track. "I would like to request access to the Bodt Textiles factory. I can assure you our work will be done in a night; all materials used will be replaced, and we will leave no trace of our presence. In the ideal case our plan is successful and dealings within our regiment regain a sense of normalcy, your family will be properly compensated."

The expression on Celine's face had been morphing into a state of greater confusion with every passing word. She crossed her arms and tilted her head. "What … exactly will you be doing?"

"I'm afraid I can't tell you that."

Celine's eyes darted to Hange. The blank stare she got in return indicated there would be no help on that front. Her attention drifted back to Erwin. She rested her chin in her hand in thought.

"You say this is for the good of humanity?" Celine asked.

"It is," Erwin said.

The emotion drained from Celine's face. This prompted Hange to sit up straight, her expression growing grim.

"My father's factory employs two hundred and sixty-four people," Celine said. "I can't say what you're asking of me will be good for humanity if all those workers lose their jobs when the Military Police shuts down the factory because I helped you manufacture something off the books. If you require these resources, you'll first have to provide me with compensation."

"You selfish pig."

Levi's eyes narrowed as he met Celine's gaze. "Humanity's wellbeing is on the line, and it all boils down to money for people like you," he continued. "I don't know why we put our faith in someone from the Interior who couldn't give two shits about anything outside of filling their pockets."

"Levi," Erwin said, a warning laced in his tone.

"It's alright," Celine said. "Negotiations can be dicey; I've been called much worse things by much taller men." She matched Levi's look of contempt. "However, I would suggest you try using that small head of yours before you speak. I'm asking for compensation under the circumstances my father's factory is shut down and his staff will need to be provided for."

"You know what would be even better for them?" Levi said, unphased. "Not losing everything they have when the abnormal Titans inevitably return to knock down another one of Rose's gates. Your shortsighted mentality is no different than the other morons in the Military Police who can't see past their noses. You people like to hide behind your self-righteous rhetoric to seem like you care; in reality you'd abandon everyone you view as beneath you if given the chance. It's disgusting."

"Is that so?" Celine said, tilting her head. "How about I drag you from your high horse and show you something really disgusting? I'll cut your tongue out and push it so far up your ass it makes it back to your mouth, you condescending piece of–"

"We're capturing an abnormal titan!"

Hange leaping to her feet caused the stack of books which had been acting as her seat to topple over in a clatter. Her eyes darted about as she became the new center of attention.

"Keep your mouth shut, idiot," Levi said, shifting his disdain to a new target.

"I'm asking you all to trust Celine," Hange said. Her hand was thumped against her chest in determination. "Because I trust Celine with my life, and I don't think it's fair we ask her to risk so much without giving her all the facts!"

The anger which had been threatening to consume Celine subsided.

She trusts me … that much?

"I see," Erwin said. He mulled on this for a moment before looking to Celine. "I'm inclined to believe Hange's judgment. Can you in fact be trusted with the details of our operation, Celine?"

Celine's attention drifted from Hange. She held Erwin's gaze for a moment in thought.

"That depends," she said. "Is the Titan you're trying to capture that boy Eren?"

Levi's eyes widened. There was even a hint of surprise in the generally collected Erwin's voice when he spoke.

"Would that make a difference concerning your cooperation?"

"It would."

Erwin watched her with an impartial mask before speaking again. "No, it isn't Eren. We believe there's another person who can transform into a Titan and has the intention of taking Eren prisoner."

"Really?" Celine said. She frowned at the floor. "From getting locked up by you guys, to being taken by a Titan … that kid has it rough."

He's also a close friend of someone I don't want to disappoint.

"I'll help you," Celine said. She lifted her head. "However, I'm not going to do so without some conditions."

Levi let out a soft tsk. This went ignored by Erwin as he continued to regard Celine in a steady manner. "Name your terms."

"I want to know what it is you're making, and be present during the time of its manufacture," Celine said. "I apologize Commander, but I have doubts about your claim that your team can accomplish your job in a single night, unnoticed, without the aid of someone who's actually worked in the factory."

Celine held up two fingers. "Second, I want to hear about this Titan and how you plan to capture it, and lastly …"

A third finger was raised.

"I want you to be open to any insights I may have of helping your efforts. I can assure you I can be more useful than simply providing a key."

Hange stomped her foot with a victorious whoop. "That's the spirit, Celine! I told you all she was the right one to come to!"

The chair beneath Erwin let out a squeak as he turned to the side. "What do you think, Miche? I'd value any insight you have."

Miche regarded Celine through half-closed lids. "For all of our safety, I think we should agree to what she wants."

The sound of Hange letting out a snort was covered up with a hasty cough.

"Do I get a say in this decision?" Levi asked.

"You've already made your grievances known," Erwin said. "I am aware of your reservations, Levi, but in this instance, I believe Celine has the upper hand and we have to act accordingly. I can say I don't have the means to provide any form of compensation for factory workers if any are negatively affected by our actions. However, I will make a promise to use every connection I have at my disposal to help them if the worst happens. I will also agree to your other terms with no further modifications."

"This is a terrible idea," Levi said, resigned.

"Then it's settled," Celine said. She shook Erwin's hand, a trace of something smug running through her smile as she locked eyes with Levi.

"It'll be a pleasure working with you."

Celine was mostly silent during the first half of the meeting. She piped up on occasion to ask clarifying questions concerning the abnormal Titan to be captured, which had been dubbed the Female TItan due to its feminine appearance. It was faster than most observed Titans, and its actions indicated it had the intelligence of a regular human.

"So this thing alone caused most of the destruction from the last expidition?" Celine asked.

"That's right," Erwin said, keeping his expression even. "The Female Titan possesses the ability to draw the attention of other Titans to its position. It utilized this to wipe out a portion of our formation before being captured. The ability was used again to escape when we had it cornered. When the dust settled, forty-eight soldiers were confirmed deceased."

"No way …" Celine said, eyes wide.

"It kills ruthlessly," Levi said. He turned his head to look out the window. "Soldiers were dead in the blink of an eye. It was like nothing we'd faced before."

"So it really is a person, then?" Celine asked, locking eyes with Hange. "It's like you thought … about someone else like Eren running around."

"Yes, and no," Hange said. She had rebuilt her perch upon the stack of books, resting her elbows on her knees and lacing her fingers before her mouth. "This Titan outclasses Eren in hand-to-hand combat skills by far. It also has an ability to harden its skin into a material our blades can't penetrate."

"But the wires you used to pierce its skin and hold it in place worked," Celine said. She put her palms on the table, her gaze boring into Hange. "How? Was it due to the arrow tips putting enough pressure on single points of contact for it to break through?"

"We caught it off guard," Miche said, drawing Celine's attention. He crossed his arms as a line formed between his brows. "When it was given time to prepare, it would harden its skin to keep us from cutting the person controlling it out of its nape."

"Then the bitch called her Titan cronies to cause a distraction," Levi said. He didn't appear as outwardly upset as Miche, but the disdain laced in his tone was easy enough to pick up.

Celine glanced at Levi for a moment before looking down at the table. "That Titan won't be able to call for help inside the walls, though. It'll be on its own."

A smile tugged at the corner of Hange's mouth. "That's right. What do you think, Celine?"

"You already mentioned using the wires again to capture it," Celine said. She continued to stare at the table, her fingers tapping in a rhythmic pattern. "I agree with this reasoning; it worked before when it was caught off guard, so it'll work again. Using a net as a second method of immobilization is good, however you should also use a third. There's also the issue of getting through its hardening ability."

"We had explosives at our disposal on the expedition," Erwin said, studying Celine. "We didn't have a chance to test their effectiveness against the hardening ability before the Female Titan escaped."

"Said explosives have also been seized from our possession by that brainless sector of the military you belong to," Levi said.

The drumming of Celine's fingers stopped. She lifted her head to lock eyes with Erwin. "I know where you can find ignition powder stores that won't be missed; not for a day or so, anyway. Cannons, too. Possibly some grape rounds which could help in getting through that armor if needed."

The corner of Erwin's mouth tilted up. The person sitting at his side didn't appear nearly as pleased as Miche frowned.

"How do you have access to something like that?" Miche asked.

"A certain fool in the Garrison owes me a favor," Celine said, her gaze sliding to Miche. "And he knows better than to ask any questions."

Three hours were passed, eight sketches were drawn, and one onion and egg pie was consumed over the second half of the meeting. Celine sketched diagrams and explained the capabilities of the power looms in her father's factory. When it came down to the final assembly of what the Scouts were looking for, Celine was confident the power looms could do what was needed, plus some. Hange was giddy over the prospect of utilizing an idea they had come up with to capture Titans over two years prior. It'd been scrapped as being impracticable considering the conditions it needed to work, but under these particular circumstances, the idea was promising.

It was nearly dawn when Erwin exchanged a nod with Miche and rose from the table. They shuffled around a wayward stack of books and made their way to the door.

"We'll have everything prepared on our end in one days' time," Erwin said. "I'll expect to meet you two at the gathering point in Laurel Town. I'll have the rest of my unit move in once we get the signal."

"Celine and I will make sure everything's all set," Hange said. "I'm not letting the Female Titan slip out of my hands a second time."

Erwin nodded. His gaze drifted to Celine. "I want to thank you again for your assistance in this matter. You're taking a tremendous risk by offering us aid." Erwin didn't smile, exactly, but something of a softer nature fell over his features. "I've been meaning to tell you I'd met your mother briefly some time ago. It was after I first became Commander. Her intellect and strong will were commendable; you certainly live up to her reputation."

Miche followed Erwin out the door while purposely ignoring Celine's gaze. Levi didn't bother with any form of parting as he made his way out of Hange's apartment as fast as possible. He'd gone the entire night without sitting, leaning, or even grazing a single surface despite the fact he appeared to be nursing a leg injury.

"Oh, did you hear that?" Hange said, closing the door behind her guests. "The Commander sure was throwing a lot of compliments your way, eh? Maybe after we capture a Titan …" Hange lifted her hand in a grand gesture before touching her fingertips to her chest and speaking in a dramatic tone, "… you'll be capturing his heart."

"Not interested."

Hange frowned. She watched Celine make her way to the window. Celine crossed her arms as she gazed into the darkness.

"Is that so?" Hange said, dropping all manner of theatrics. She adjusted the straps of her goggles to scratch her hair. "A few hours were all it took to lose interest in him, huh? I can admit the Commander can come off as a bit humorless, but he's fine enough company once you get to know him."

'I'd met your mother briefly some time ago … you certainly live up to her reputation.'

"I'm a fickle woman," Celine said. She moved away from the window. "I'm also dead tired, so I'm going to go home." She leveled Hange with a weary glare for long enough to make her target fidget.

"Eh?" Hange said. "Do you … need something?"

Celine darted forward. The sudden movement startled Hange enough to take a step back, but she didn't move fast enough to escape Celine's trajectory. She froze when Celine wrapped her arms around her torso.

"What they said about what that Titan can do …" Celine said, her voice muffled from Hange's jacket. Her grip on Hange intensified. "I'm glad you came back."

The embrace was over before Hange could get over her shock. Her eyes grew dewy as Celine opened the door.

"Ce-Celine! That was so cute! I'm so lucky to ha–"

The remainder of Hange's sentiment was cut off as the door closed behind Celine with a click.