There were four patches on the table. They each depicted the same pattern – wings of blue and white against a gray shield. A normal collector would be hard pressed to keep them all due to signs of damage. Levi wasn't a normal collector.

The patch on the left had loose strings where the white wing overlayed the blue. Their loops would flatten and spring back into miniscule archways when brushed. It was hard to say if the imperfection was from a manufacturing error, or if it was because its owner had possessed a habit of crossing his arms when he laughed. It had been torn from Eld's left sleeve – his other arm hadn't been found.

The second patch from the left was pristine; the jacket it had been cut from was less than a month old. About three weeks back, Gunther had damaged his old jacket when a blade broke and ricocheted back at him during a training exercise. He had sighed, sticking his fingers through the gap with a forlorn expression. Gunther had a penchant for keeping his uniform in top condition, thus the jacket was replaced entirely despite Levi's offer for a field repair. Even when Gunther's neck had been sliced open and he'd been left to hang like an animal for slaughter, the jacket didn't show a single scuff. Great care had been taken on Levi's part to remove the patch from his breast pocket as precisely as possible.

The patch next to Gunther's was nearly torn in two. It had come from a sleeve Levi had found skewered on a branch. Loose strands of white had floated with a slight breeze, catching spots of sunlight and looking not unlike a broken spider's web. Levi had been able to determine the sleeve had belonged to Ouro through process of elimination – where any other remains of Ouro had ended up went undetermined. This had provided Levi hope for a fleeting moment when he had scoured the foliage below and called Ouro's name until his voice had grown hoarse. No answer ever came.

The last patch on the far right had a slight burn mark from the time Petra had leaned too close to a candle sitting on a table when taking a peek at a map over Eld's shoulder. The damage was little more than a singe; Petra had insisted it wasn't anything of note despite Gunther's remarks about a replacement. Eld had made a joke about Petra being more likely to be the bringer of her own demise than a Titan. This had caused Petra to laugh, stating that she hoped his comment wouldn't come true since they would all certainly be lost without her.

Even though Petra hadn't been the cause of her own death, her teammates still felt lost without her presence – what was left of them, anyway.

"Captain."

Levi rose from his seat. He collected the patches placed along the table, tucking them into his breast pocket as a Scout soldier stepped into the dimly-lit room.

"Are they out of the meeting?" Levi asked.

"Yes, sir," the soldier said. His head turned to follow Levi as the shorter man stepped past. "The Commander is headed for the gate – Unit Captain Hange is in the courtyard."

"Any updates on the prisoner's status?" Levi asked, coming to a stop so he could regard the soldier over his shoulder.

"Nothing yet," the soldier said. "I'll let you know if I hear anything."

"Thank you," Levi said, turning and continuing on his way. "You're dismissed."

The stone courtyard of Military Police Headquarters had transformed into something nearly unrecognizable by nightfall. Torches had been placed along every column, crates stacked against every wall, and clusters of Scout and Military Police soldiers alike went about preparations as if hot coals were beneath their feet. The news of a breach to Wall Rose had put a quick end to any tension between the two regiments. How long that peace would hold was hard to say.

The higher ups of the Military Police hadn't been pleased concerning the Scout's plan to capture a Titan in the middle of an unsuspecting suburb of Stohess. The prior evacuation of a majority of the citizens, and the fact the mission was a success, were stated to be the only reasons Erwin had been allowed to leave the scene a free man. This didn't mean he hadn't still been tied up in meetings with the council for the majority of the afternoon.

Word had finally come down Erwin would soon be making his leave to head south with a fair chunk of the Scout and Military Police regiments. The delay was frustrating to no end; Erwin having confided this to Levi during the short time two hours prior he'd been allowed to break for a meager supper. Levi's suggestion of telling the higher ups to go fuck themselves and head out on their own accord had been dismissed. Erwin had made a point that as many eyes, ears, and blades were needed as possible in their current situation of having no knowledge of where the wall's defenses had been breached.

"You won't be coming with us due to your injury," Erwin had said. He had stepped around Levi, placing a hand on his shoulder in passing. "But you and I both know that won't stop you from handling things here if it comes down to it."

Levi's level expression had mirrored Erwin's resolve. "There are only two Titans under this roof, and I don't make the same mistake twice. I can more than handle it."

Shouts grew louder as Levi stepped into the center courtyard. A long table from the canteen had been drug outside for the use of Hange's makeshift workstation. She appeared to be finalizing the assignments for the units in her section when the pen she had in hand grew still. Somehow Hange had picked up an extra sense when it came to detecting Levi's presence. It had likely evolved over years of kicks to the back of her knees from being late to various missions.

"Has there been an update on her status?" Hange asked. She handed the stack of assignments to a waiting officer across the table. The nod he gave her was returned in kind before Hange looked over her shoulder towards Levi.

"The Female Titan is still unconscious, as far as I know," Levi said, leaning against a crate at his back with his arms crossed.

"Eren falls unconscious for some time after becoming a Titan as well," Hange said. "I wouldn't expect things to be any different with her. If the Female Titan awakens while I'm gone, only interrogate her concerning the breach in the wall. I have an idea on how to approach her later which I think will be more beneficial than our usual methods."

Levi wasn't moved by this one way or another. "I take it you mean using that Military Police brat who caused a scene. I'm planning on having him transferred to a cell when he's discharged by the medical bay."

"No."

Levi's eyes narrowed. The plan of action was perfectly reasonable, which was why he couldn't decipher the sudden shift to Hange's demeanor.

"Marco Bodt can be transferred to an observation room in the same wing as Eren Jaeger," Hange said. "Like Eren, his activities should be monitored, but not entirely restricted outside of making any form of contact with the Female Titan. And he will not be interrogated without me present."

Levi mulled on this for a moment before speaking.

"That boy accompanied you when you came to visit Eren the night before those Titans you had captured were killed … and he has a suspiciously close relationship to the people around here who keep popping up as Titans. I think he should be questioned as soon as possible."

Hange slammed her palm on the table. This caused a line to form between Levi's brows. The difference in temperament between Hange and Levi was like night and day – Hange was the eccentric dreamer; Levi the level-headed realist. Despite their differences, the pair operated generally on the same page and shared a mutual respect. It was unusual for there to be a disagreement where one side couldn't at least make sense of the other.

"Marco will be left alone," Hange said. A shadow fell over her features. "Is that clear?"

Levi's frown deepened. "There's nothing wrong with my hearing – I'm looking for an explanation."

"My explanation isn't one you'd accept, so you won't get one," Hange said.

"Does this have to do with that woman from the Military Police?" Levi asked. "Her name was also Bodt, and that surname isn't common enough to be a coincidence."

"Please trust me on this, Levi."

Hange sighed, the tension ebbing away. "You'll need to wait for me to get back. We may have bigger problems anyway, depending on what's going on with this breach."

Levi attempted to extract any information he could from studying Hange's resigned expression. He looked away when he was unsuccessful.

"I'll put my faith in your judgment," he said. "Although I feel I'm due an explanation when you return."

"I don't hold that against you," Hange said. She straightened, watching a young Scout soldier approaching at a jog from across the courtyard.

Jean stopped on the other side of the table and offered a salute.

"Section Commander," Jean said. "Commander Erwin is requesting your presence at the front gate. He also wanted me to inform you Eren, Mikasa, and Armin will be remaining here under Captain Levi's supervision to give him aid in the event the Female Titan breaks loose."

"Annie."

Jean's brow furrowed.

"I think," Hange said, her attention drifting elsewhere. "I'm going to get into the habit of calling her Annie." She looked up to meet Jean's stupefied expression. "Speaking of which … I'm waiting on a background report for her. Do you know anything about it?"

"No, Section Commander," Jean said, regaining his composure. "Is there someone you'd like me to ask?"

Hange shook her head. Her cloak had been thrown over a nearby crate and she scooped it up and swung over her shoulders. "We have more urgent matters. I'm sure I'll have it by the morning. Inform the Commander I'm on my way."

"Right!"

Jean took off at a jog. His retreat was a cue for Levi to push himself off the crate and make his own exit.

"If we're lucky," Levi said. "Everything here will stay contained without issue. Don't hesitate to send word if you need me on the front line. Also–"

Hange met Levi's gaze when he stopped to look over his shoulder. Levi's expression darkened.

"I hope you haven't forgotten what that monster in the dungeon cost us," he said. "Take that into consideration before treating it like one of your pets."