"Is Unit Captain Celine alright?" Eren asked, setting a tray of mugs on the long dining table of the captains' cabin. He and the rest of the Special Operations Squad were present, along with Unit Captains Moblit and Celine. The latter of which had her head down as she slept. Eren figured it was the first time he'd ever seen her sitting still and he couldn't help but feel some concern.

"Celine's been putting in some extra work over the past few days," Moblit said. He elbowed the woman at his side until Celine stirred with a groan.

"She's overly dramatic," Levi said from the head of the table. He accepted an offered mug of tea from Armin before taking a sip.

Everyone at the table flinched when Celine's fist came down hard enough to rattle the dishes. She lifted her hand, pointing at Eren and Ymir. The droopy expression on her face gave the impression of her being half-asleep.

"You two," Celine said. "You're both failures at being able to harden your skin."

Eren could feel heat rising up his face. Ymir sat to his right and looked away with a scoff.

"Plugging the hole in Wall Maria utilizing you two leaves us two options," Celine said, putting up two fingers. "Both options include assigning you to guard duty. The first option is a formation where you'll defend a caravan of supplies all the way to the wall. Between you and the majority of the Scouts, the idea is the Titans can be held off long enough while the hole gets patched. Personally, I think it's the weakest option. There's a good chance at least one of you would die."

Ymir opened her mouth. Words died on her lips when Celine brandished a finger in her face.

"The other option is the one I think has the highest chance of success," Celine continued. "Once again, you two will help to defend a squadron of Scouts headed to the wall. What you'll be defending won't be a caravan; your job will be to ensure Annie Leonheart makes it safely to the hole. She'll use her hardening ability to seal it in an instant, and that will be that."

"Oi."

Heads turned to regard Levi.

"We've already decided using the Female Titan isn't a viable strategy," Levi said.

"That's not entirely correct," Celine said. She leaned forward in her seat to get a better look at Levi. "You've made that decision without consulting the rest of us. I think we have different opinions on the subject."

"Hange put me in charge of this mission because she trusts my judgment," Levi said, unwavering. "After reviewing all the information, I remain unconvinced the Female Titan is something we can trust. I won't risk the lives of the members of the Scout Regiment over the weak assumption of putting all our faith in a traitor."

Celine's expression turned sour. "Your personal grudge doesn't–"

Moblit lifted a hand. He met Celine's gaze, staring her down until Celine looked away.

"We'll table the issue for later," Moblit said. "For now, we'll move on to giving you all an update on the armor Celine and I have been developing. We took into consideration Captain Levi's concerns of overburdening the horses, and have come up with the solution of designing components which can take the place of some of the field shelters when not in combat use. This diagram here shows all the components for Eren's prototype, and how they interconnect …"

The remainder of the meeting was unintentionally guided by Moblit. Pauses for Celine to hop in were only met with a dismissive wave. Celine seemed more interested in glaring at Levi over the rim of her cup as the captain ignored her presence entirely. Her attention only drifted away when the meeting came to a close and she took up her rotation of cleaning duties while the other members of the squad cleared out. Eren reached the threshold of the cabin door and paused instead of following the rest of his squad into the night.

"Give me a minute," Eren said, glancing at Armin and Mikasa. Armin responded with a nod while Mikasa pursed her lips. Armin had openly admitted finding Celine intimidating, but admired her skills of observation and analytical thinking when it came to the Titan armor development. Mikasa's impression of her superior was less positive and stemmed mostly from watching Celine repeatedly kick Eren's ass in hand-to-hand combat training.

Eren offered a wave over his shoulder and returned to the kitchen, stepping next to Celine as she placed mugs into a basin of soapy water on the countertop. "Can I help?"

"Sure, kid," Celine said. It appeared most of her energy had been taken up attempting to make Captain Levi catch fire with her eyes alone. Celine washed the mugs with a droopy expression before handing them off to Eren to be dried.

"What you do is impressive," Eren said, running a cloth over the rim of an offered mug. "The drawings for the armor are really good. What's the thing in Unit Captain Moblit's book that looks like a doll?"

"I call it 'Titan Fodder,'" Celine said, keeping her eyes on the shallow basin of soapy water. "A second can be the difference between making an escape and getting bitten in half. This invention acts as nothing but a distraction, but Moblit has informed me even something sounding so trivial would be a huge benefit. Did you read through all of Annie Leonheart's notes?"

"Armin and I have been making our way through the report," Eren said. His stomach squirmed when Celine gave him a side glance which indicated he'd given the wrong answer. "We're almost done, though!"

"Good," Celine said, returning her attention to her task. "Everything in there is vital. In particular to this conversation is the reason why most attempts at refocusing a Titan's attention have failed since their singular goal is becoming human again and they'll ignore all other stimuli. I used this information as the base of 'Titan Fodder'; dressing up a life-sized straw doll and tying it around a soldier's back or to the saddle of their horse. The soldier can cut the doll loose in the event of a Titan encounter. In theory, the doll will act as a diversion for the Titan just long enough for the soldier to escape."

"Wow," Eren said. "That's really smart. Have you guys tried it yet?"

"There haven't been any scouting missions outside the wall since I drew up the prototype, so no," Celine said.

This didn't dampen Eren's mood. "What you and Unit Captain Moblit are doing … It's nice to see soldiers outside the Scouts putting in effort like that. I hope I can help to make your idea with the Titan Armor work, too."

"There isn't a choice," Celine said, handing Eren another mug. "My observations make me think defense is the only option you might be able to pull off."

Eren's hands stilled. He looked up, a frown on his lips. "You think … that's it?"

"Ymir is a stronger fighter overall," Celine said with a shrug. "She's faster, and can dole out more damage from that bite of hers. Your combat ability still needs work. I'll admit you're alright at copying moves, but all you do is copy. You don't make anything your own."

Celine held up another mug. She turned her head to regard Eren with a frown when he didn't accept it. "Is there a problem? I'm only stating what I've perceived."

"No, Unit Captain," Eren said. He took the mug, keeping his eyes averted as he dried. "I didn't think I was letting you down. I'll work harder."

"Eren."

Eren and Celine turned to regard the source of the voice. They were met with Mikasa holding a lantern, the item being the only source of light outside the lit candles around the kitchen. Shadows played about the lines on her face as she stepped forward.

"You train every day going long past when your body is spent," Mikasa said. "You've lost weight, and you cut your sleep short to fit in more drills. Entire days went by with you straining yourself to harden your skin; no one telling you to give up until you nearly passed out. Don't listen to her when she says you're not doing enough. You're going to collapse at this rate."

Celine sized Mikasa up with a look of contempt. She turned away to pick up the final mug. "If you're finally going to decide to talk, maybe try thinking a little more before you speak. I've seen the thing we're up against. The Beast Titan is far more intimidating than the Colossal Titan was by a long shot. It has both strength and intelligence at a level you can't imagine. Eren can't compete with it as he is now."

"Don't encourage him to cause himself harm!" Mikasa said, raising her voice. "If you–"

"Don't, Mikasa," Eren said.

Eren drew his mouth into a fine line. He accepted the final mug from Celine, his eyes dancing over the fine grooves in the porcelain as it rested in the towel.

"You heard the Unit Captain," Eren said, voice soft. "I'm not trying hard enough. I need to push myself further; I won't be able to protect anyone if I fall short. Whatever I have to take on … my own hardships don't matter as long as I can ensure my comrades are safe."

"Eren … that isn't true," Mikasa said.

Eren didn't have to look her in the eye to know there was worry etched over her features. It was nice having others care for his well being … but sometimes Mikasa's looks bordered too close to pity. Eren had proved again and again he wasn't something fragile Mikasa needed to protect. He had the ability to end her life in an instant with a pinch of his fingers if he wanted. Yet Mikasa still felt the need to throw herself into the fire to keep him from burning.

"Every mistake means a life lost," Celine said. There was a glimpse of her reflection in the murky water. The grim image became distorted when she lifted the basin. "We can't afford to make mistakes here. Keep that in mind, Eren."

Celine didn't appear bothered by the death glare being thrown her way. She stepped past Mikasa and used her elbow to nudge open the front door.

"I understand," Eren said. He placed the final mug down and made his way to the door. Frustration was working to burn a hole through his chest. He grasped onto the feeling and allowed it to guide him from the cabin without offering Mikasa so much as a passing glance.

"Get up."

"I'm getting up!" Celine snapped. Her landing had been far rougher than anticipated. Wet grass squelched beneath her boots as she straightened, Celine frowning at the mud on her knees. The mud became less of a concern when Celine took a step forward and winced.

"I think my ankle might be sprained," she said.

"What does that matter?" Levi asked. He was watching her from a wide branch roughly forty feet from the ground. He'd carried Celine up to the branch a moment ago and tasked her with making it to ground level on her own. Her landing had been successful, although far from elegant.

"Am I supposed to give a shit if you're injured?" Levi asked. "I was under the impression we should ignore whatever hardships we put on ourselves in order to reach perfection."

Celine's expression darkened from under the hood of her white cloak. The garment had grown soiled with traces of mud and blades of grass within minutes of their exercise. It was a blatant message that the Military Police were never expected to do a damn thing to sully their image. Their cloaks were on a very short list of objects Levi felt deserved to be covered in filth.

"Were you eavesdropping the other night when I was talking to Eren?" Celine asked.

"I didn't have to be 'eavesdropping,'" Levi said. "You were loud enough to be heard on the other end of the cabin."

"Fine, I'll practice what I preach," Celine said. She activated her ODM gear. A few seconds left her landing next to Levi, her boots skidding across the damp bark before coming to a stop. She lifted her hood to better regard Levi in a defiant nature.

Levi crossed his arms beneath his own cloak as he leaned against the tree's trunk. "Are you expecting me to praise you for that?"

"Of course I am," Celine said. She slid her arms from view, but not before Levi caught a glimpse of a tremor. "That was the first time I made it up into a tree on my own."

"Congratulations," Levi said. "You're a fraction closer to reaching the skill level of the group of children back at camp."

Celine's eyes narrowed. "You're a shit teacher."

"I can say the same," Levi said, unbothered. "After I heard what the gloomy brat said, I'm going to be restructuring Eren's combat exercises. He won't be any good to us if he keels over from exhaustion and malnutrition."

"He's fine," Celine spat. She looked Levi up and down in disbelief. "I've seen how you expect the rest of your squad to function. I don't ask anything of Eren you wouldn't have him do yourself."

"That's the issue," Levi said. "We haven't been communicating concerning Eren. You didn't inform me he was doing additional hand-to-hand training during your afternoon experiments when he switched out with Ymir. It means he's been getting strained to his limit since we began focusing one-on-one time to develop their skills. I can assure you; I'm kicking his ass enough in the mornings to be more than sufficient for the remainder of the day. I don't want you breaking one of our most valuable tools because you can't stop being curious over how far he'll bend before he snaps."

Celine grit her teeth. "That's not what this is about."

"Is that so?" Levi said. He moved forward, his gaze digging into Celine to find what he was searching for underneath. "Then it only means this whole thing has more to do with your own shortcomings."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Celine said.

"I asked Moblit why he and Hange never offered to teach you to pilot ODM gear," Levi said. "I was expecting some contrived answer concerning keeping you placated. What I learned instead is that you turned them down. It was also interesting to note the fact your initial ODM training started far before you joined the Cadets. You had experience learning to pilot from your mother."

Celine's eyes grew wide. "How do you know that?"

"I know how to read," Levi said. He took another step forward. Celine's reaction was an indication he'd picked up the scent leading him to the answers he was looking for. "Most of what was written about her sounds like bullshit, but she had enough merits to make me think she possessed some skill. How can you repeatedly fail after learning from someone like her?"

A flurry of droplets fell over Levi from a billowing cloak. Celine had lifted her arm and brought her hand down in a blur. She stopped herself at the last moment; Levi felt her fingers just brushing the hairs peeking out of his hood. He didn't move an inch, meeting her enraged expression with a steady stare.

Celine pulled back her hand as if she'd been burned. "Haven't you heard? My mother was perfect. Her only shortcomings were as a teacher."

"I disagree," Levi said. "You know all the fundamentals of how to be a pilot better than most. The issue comes down to your panic whenever you're asked to take those fundamentals and put them all together. That has nothing to do with your mother."

"You don't know shit."

Celine clenched her jaw. "You have no idea. What was I supposed to do, huh? I had to be the perfect daughter to the perfect soldier. Anything short of that meant I was regarded like I was garbage. The best thing my mother ever did was give up on me when I turned seventeen. We hardly spoke the last three years before she died. Then that bitch went and made herself into a fucking god. Even after she's gone … I will never be good enough."

Levi scoffed. "I have a hard time feeling pity for someone who's only issue was their mother investing too much in their personal development."

A smile grew on Celine's face. She let out a laugh with no mirth behind it. Her crazed expression shifted to the mist in the distance threatening to swallow up the trees.

"Do you know the last thing my mother ever said to me?" Celine said. Her smile widened. "She said: 'Are you planning on being a burden to me for the rest of my life?'"

Burden

Levi recalled the confrontation he'd had with Celine over the loom. There was finally an answer to the moment her will to fight had drained from her entirely like ODM gear losing steam. The remark he'd made had struck a chord in a tune Celine didn't want to remember.

"... learn how to stop being a burden to everyone around you."

Any sign of emotion melted from Celine's face. Her voice grew distant. "What I would've given to be ignored. I think I was around six when I started combat training. One of my oldest memories was being kicked in the ribs. Having my face pushed in the dirt … being made to eat the dirt when Mom got upset over how many times I allowed her to knock me off my feet … Staying up was hard, though – she was much taller than I was."

Celine tilted her head back to stare at the clouds peeking through the leaves. "I was improving around the time I was eleven. Then I got unlucky; that was when my mom discovered Marco and … and his mother."

A shift to Celine's tone gave her a soft, almost tender demeanor. She placed a hand on her cheek and dropped her gaze as if regarding someone half her height.

"'Your father has a secret family in Jinea, Celine. He feels that the family he has here isn't good enough. Don't worry; he'd never risk his image by leaving us outright. Just know we'll never be more than trash in his eyes.'"

Celine's hand dropped limply to her side. All traces of her previous performance fell away in an instant. "Things turned pretty sour after that. It wasn't just during training, anymore; I had to be on high alert at home. Being caught off-guard by a headlock meant I'd pass out and have to make up excuses to the instructors over why I was late to school. If my reflexes were ever too slow, I'd get knocked off my feet or pushed down the stairs. I had to eat my meals off the floor if I disappointed her in any way. My mother said it was helping, and Papa just … pretended not to notice, because he was also terrified of her."

Levi studied what little he could make of Celine's still profile from around her hood. An unexpected memory floated to the surface.

"You know, Levi," Hange had said, smiling at him from across her desk. "You and Celine are pretty alike."

Levi regarded Celine with a slow blink. He tilted his head to follow her gaze into the forest. "There was someone in my life who acted in the manner he believed was necessary to allow me to survive. I was saved the trouble of dying in a gutter somewhere, but in exchange was subjected to pain like I'd never experienced before. I learned how to fight, lie, and steal after having it repeatedly demonstrated on me, first. It wasn't long before I wanted more than anything to slit his throat; every day of my existence under his watch was like a waking nightmare. Then one day I looked around and he was gone. As soon as I was able to stand on my own, I was alone."

Celine's hood tilted slightly. "Were you still a kid?"

"A few years younger than the brats back at the cabin," Levi said.

"Was this man your father?"

"No," Levi said. "I think he'd been an old friend of my mother's. The reason we met was because he'd come looking for her. Unfortunately for him, he'd arrived three days too late. My mother's illness had taken her by then."

"I'm sorry."

It was a simple sentiment. It was also genuine. Levi allowed it to wash over him for a moment before continuing.

"No need. I can't say my own mother ever expected anything of me. I was a mistake. She'd been everything I had, but I could see in her eyes she wanted me to disappear. More than once in her fevered state she wished we could switch places."

No response came from Celine. Levi regarded her profile from the corner of his eye. "I can tell you're pitying me."

"Obviously."

Levi's eyes narrowed. "Most people would deny that."

"Why?" Celine said. She turned to meet his gaze. "What you just said is really sad. I feel sorry for you; I feel like that's a natural response."

"Are you expecting me to respond in kind?" Levi asked.

"Out of politeness, maybe," Celine said. She looked away, crossing her arms. "I can't say I care that much, though. Telling you all this about myself is nearly the equivalent of talking to a stranger. You don't give a shit. That's actually kind of refreshing; you won't care enough to ever repeat what I said or treat me differently than you have before."

Levi frowned as Celine leaned toward him. She met his gaze with a smirk.

"You'll still look at me and call me a failure of a pilot, not giving a shit why," she said.

"You're right," Levi said. "The only soldiers I've seen who were worse than you are long dead."

"Don't count me out of that, yet," Celine said, a cheerful nature to her tone. "I've still got plenty of time to snap my neck out here. You'll then have to find someone else to be the other member of our 'Messed-up Mother's Club.' Considering the personalities of most of the kids in your squad, I'm sure it wouldn't be hard."

"You're irreplaceable," Levi said. "No one else is inept enough to need lessons."

Celine threw back her head in laughter. Water droplets scattered from her hood as her shoulders shook. It was an odd reaction Levi was unsure what to do with.

"The only time in my life anyone has called me 'irreplaceable,'" Celine said, settling down. "And the reason behind it is because I'm inept."

She regarded Levi with a smile. Behind it was something tender mixed with a hint of melancholy. It made her seem small. There was a difference like going from watching a roaring fire to keeping a matchstick lit against a cold wind.

"I may have misspoken," Levi said, holding her gaze. "You're not inept – your expectations are warped. The reason you fail is because you think anything short of perfection is wrong. You're used to your natural talent allowing you to succeed in many areas without the need to put in additional effort. If you think about tackling the challenges as they come, you're more than capable of becoming a good pilot. A change in mindset will help you go further than working yourself to death."

Celine watched Levi with a furrow to her brow. She leaned forward and let out a soft hum. Her eyes narrowed like she was inspecting a piece of machinery she'd never seen before.

"Your eyes are blue," Celine finally said.

Levi couldn't mask his puzzlement. "What the hell does that matter?"

"It doesn't," Celine said. "I just noticed it, and it's a nice color."

Celine turned away. She took a deep breath, exhaling deeply. A sharp nature appeared behind her eyes as she stared ahead. "I don't care if I have to claw up there with my nails and teeth. I'm getting to the next branch three kilometers ahead."

Levi turned his head to follow her gaze. He counted on his hood hiding the lift to the corner of his mouth. "I'm not going to help you. That includes soiling my uniform from peeling your remains off the bark."

"I figured," Celine said. She clasped the controls at her hips as her smile widened. "I'm going to royally fuck this up. I want my mother to scream up from Hell over how much I disappoint her and that I'll never be good enough no matter what I do. I'm going to drink that music in."

Celine launched herself from the branch in a cloud of steam.