Chapter 32

New Mission

A couple weeks it took for her to heal, but Kara was still tired at times. Jean hadn't left her side and helped her out when she needed it. They had transfered to a cottage to protect Eren and Historia. Levi and the team was called by Hange to run tests on Eren. Levi ordered Kara to rest while they went to the training.

It was night by the time Jean and the rest of Levi's squad got back to the cottage. Levi had gone back to town to talk to Erwin. Eren was unconsious from transforming 3 times and almost having his face ripped off. Jean and Conny get him in his bed.

"He looks just as terrible as before." Jean grumbled.

"Least he's healing." Conny said. Steam was coming off Eren's face. Jean stepped out of the room and headed for his and Kara's to check on her.

Kara was sleeping curled up under the blanket. She was starting to regain her stregnth. She woke to someone slipping under the blankets and pulling her into a strong chest. Kara turned in Jean's arms and burry her face in his neck.

"Your back already." Kara said. Jean pressed a kiss to her forehead.

"Yes. Eren is healing. His body took a toll after the third transformation. Commander Hange almost ripped his face off." Jean said.

"Damn. I missed it. Where's father?" Kara said.

"He went to talk to Erwin. He'll be back later. You hungry? I think Historia has food ready." Jean said. Kara could smell the food and felt her stomach growl. Kara sat up and got up, pulling her jacket on. Jean walked with her into the kitchen. Historia happily scooped soup into two bowls for Jean and Kara. The two ate in silence as Historia disappeared to head to bed.

"How's Eren doing?" Kara asked as Mikasa entered the room.

"He's healing right now. Should be all better in the morning." Mikasa said. She grabbed some food as Jean and Kara finish up and put their plates away. Jean and her headed back to bed. Jean fell asleep with his arms wrapped around her body. Kara laid staring at the wall. To much was on her mind. She wasn't sleeping well after the incident with her father. She turned her body in Jean's arms and wrapped her arms around him, burrying her face in his chest. His arms seem to tighten around her. She listened to his heartbeat as she let sleep take her.

he next morning. Kara and Sasha stood on the guard post. Kara was leaning against the railing with her gun over her shoulder. Levi had come back late last night. Kara watched the sunrise. It was really early.

"Kara!" Sasha called. Kara looked at her friend. "Hange and the others are back. Let's go let the others know." Kara nodded and climbed down. Sasha and Kara greeted Hange.

"How you feeling?" Hange asked, looking at Kara.

"Better." Kara said. They enter the house

"Hange and the ohter are back! We're meeting in the main room." Sasha called.

They all stood in the parlor. Levi stood in front of his squad. Jean stood next to Kara.

"Now what's this about?" Levi asked. Hange was staring at the table. Hange looked at Levi.

"I'm sorry. Pastor Nick.. He was murdered." Hange said. Kara's eyes widen as Sasha gasped. "Today. In the Trost barracks." Hange explained how she found Pastor Nick dead and the Interior Military Police were there to stop her from looking at the body and that the Interior Police were involved in his murder. Everyone sat at the table. Kara made tea for everyone and handed out the cups. She sat in between Jean and Sasha. No one, but Levi touched their tea. "I figrued the Church would want to get their hands on Nick when they learned he was working with the Scouts. That's why I hid his identity and had him stay in the barracks. I never imagined they would use soldiers to kill him. This was my fault. I should have been more careful." Levi took a drink from his tea as everone sat in silence. Kara was looking at the table.

"They tortured him. Presumably for information. Did they just want to know what exactly he'd passed on to us?" Kara asked, looking at her father.

"Most likely. But these are the Interior MPs we're dealing with, so you can be there's something deeper at work here." Levi said. He turned to Hange. "Now, how many nails was the good pastor missing?"

"Uh?" Hange said.

"How many? You saw, right?" Levi asked.

"I only caught a glimpse of him, but all the nail beds I saw were empty." Hange said. Kara felt her blood run cold.

"People who talk, talk after one. If they don't, ripping off more won't make a difference. I'm impressed. I didn't think highly of Pastor Nick. But whatever his faults, he stuck by his beliefs until the end." Levi said, looking at Historia. Hange gripped the arm of her chair tightly. "Which means they have no idea we know about the Reiss family." Historia had revealed to everyone she was Lord Rod Reiss daughter. "But, the government is up to something. And we've got a target on our backs." The door opens and Nifa steps in.

"Captain Levi, sir." Nifa said. She walks up to Levi. "I have a message from Commander Erwin." Levi took the paper from Nifa and started to read it. "I went to tell him about Pastor Nick, but he gave me this and sent me off." Levi's eyes lowered.

"Father. What is it?" Kara asked.

"Get your gear, now!" Levi said. "We're leaving. Make it look like we were never here." Everyone gasped. Kara ran to her room and quickly got her ODM gear on with Jean's help. She helped with his gear as she grabbed her cloak and put it on.

Little later. Everyone stood on top of a hill and watched as MPs surround the cottage they were at. Kara held a gun as she stood with Levi and Jean.

"That was close. What if they had caught us? Would they rip our nails off?" Conny asked. Kara put a hand on his shoulder.

"How did Commander Erwin know they were headed here?" Armin asked, looking at Levi. Kara reached for Jean's hand and took it. He squeezed her hand.

"The government's passed down some new orders. There's been a freeze on all Scout activity outside the wall." Levi said. Kara gritted her teeth as others gasp. "We're to hand over Eren and Historia." Mikasa didn't look happy.

"Captain. I didn't have time to tell you, but some MPs came for the Commander right after I left him." Nifa said.

"What? Like he's some kind of Criminal?" Kara asked.

"They're bringing this fight out in the open." Levi said. Kara looked at Levi. "No more working from the shadows."

"They're going to protect the wall's secrets at any cost. But why? And what exactly are they after Eren and Historia for? They don't want them dead, so what are they planning?" Hange asked.

"Who knows? But they want these two and they're not being subtle about it. Which makes lingering here dangerous. We'll move Eren and Historia to Trost." Levi said. Hange's squad gasped.

"We're taking them to the same district where Pastor Nick was just murdered?" Moblit asked.

"Heading toward the interior would be worse." Kara said. Levi nodded in agreement.

"With Trost in a panic, it should be easy to slip in. And if things do go all to hell, we can use these in the city." Levi said, moving his cloak aside to show the ODM geam.

"That's true." Armin said.

"We don't know the identity of our enemy yet. I have an idea of how we can change that." Levi said. Kara and Jean share looks. "Hange, I'll need you to lend me some of your squad."

"No problem." Hange said. She thought for a moment. "Alright. I'm oging after Commander Erwin. Moblit's with me. The rest of you will got with Levi."

"Roger. "Abel, Keiji, and Nifa said as Hange and Moblit walked to the horses. Eren ran to talk to Hange.

"Father." Kara said. Levi looked at Kara. She had a calm look on her face. "You think this will work?"

"Let's hope it does." Levi said.

The next day in Trost. Jean was dressed like Eren and Armin was dressed as Historia as they walked towards the back. Kara was walking with Levi as bells ring through the city. Eren and Historia were in a cart.

"Try not to walk clustered together. We'll stand out." Levi said. Mikasa and Kara were scanning the crowd. "Eren and Historia, just act normal."

"Why's the royal flag hanging everywhere?" Conny asked.

"Today must be the anniversary of the king's coronation." Sasha said. She looked at Conny. "Once a year they hand out extra rations to celebrate it."

"Oh." Conny said.

"May I have your attention, please." A MP called from a stage. Levi's squad comes to a stop to look at the man on the stage. "King Fritz has heard of the hardships in Trost. He is donating the royal family's reserves." Villagers gasp and Kara raised an eyebrow. "Form a line. There's plenty to go around."

"Oh, thank goodness!"

"Long live King Fritz!"

"All that food and he's giving it away?" Sasha said.

"It's not as if he needs it all. Easier to control people when they're not starving." Levi said and continued to walk. The others soon follow. They didn't notice someone watching as they walked. They walked for awhile till Levi came to a stop. He turned and looked at the others. "Behind us! Look out!" Levi pulled Kara out of the way as the others move as a wagon comes at them. Men grab Jean and Armin and pull them into the wagon.

"Armi... Uh, I mean, Christa and Eren! Those bastards are running off with them!" Sasha called. Kara shook her head at Sasha for almost giving their friends away as the wagon disappears. Mikasa and Kara ran after the wagon.

They arrive at a warehouse. Mikasa and Kara look through a window to see Jean and Armin tied to a chair. Jean had sweat running down his face as he watched one of the comrades foundling Armin, who was shaking. Jean looked away with gritted teeth.

"Armin isn't going to last long." Kara said.

"If that was you, Jean would have given you guys away." Mikasa said. Kara wanted to go in Historia's place, but Levi and Jean refused for that to happen. Levi wanted her help with watching the wagon.

"Yeah." Kara said. She sighed. "Let's go back to the Captain." Kara shot her hooks off and Mikasa and Kara went to where Levi was waiting and land on the roof.

"How's everything going inside?" Levi asked.

"If we wait very much longer, they'll see through Armin's disguise." Kara said.

"He's being pawed at." Mikasa said.

"I see." Levi said.

"How's your leg? Any better?" Mikasa asked. Levi rubbed his leg.

"I can move well enough. Now, then.. Did you two notice? These kidnappers are obviously rank amateurs. Why wouldn't they use professionals for a job like this?" Levi asked. Levi stood up and Kara stood as well. "You can handle the rest on your own. Kara and I are gonna make our way to Eren. Come and meet up with us when you're done taking out the trash here."

"Yes sir." Mikasa said.

"There's one more thing you should know. Both of you. Just in case. Tell Armin and the others, too." Levi said. Mikasa and Kara gasp. "Our enemy is not Titans right now. It is humans."

"Your kidding." Kara said. Levi gave her a look and she knew he wasn't.

"Let's go." Levi said. Kara and Levi took off. They found Nifa and landed on the roof. All of them had their hoods up as they watched the wagon that had Eren and Historia. It was stopped by a crowd of people at the moment.

"Captain. Kara." Nifa said.

"Well?" Levi said.

"The road's crowded, but I've seen nothing unusual. It's not far to Commander Pyxis' from here, so I think we're good, but how's the body double mission?" Nifa asked.

"A sucess." Levi said.

"You don't seem pleased about it." Nifa said.

"I'm not." Levi said. He seemed to be deep in thought as they watched the wagon. The crowd was starting to move and the wagon was able to move.

"Captain. Wagon's almost on the move again." Nifa said.

"Nifa, Kara, you've heard of Kenny the Ripper?" Levi asked.

"The mass-murderer in the Capital? The one who slit the throats of over a hundred MPs?" Kara asked.

"I thought he was just a urban legend." Nifa said.

"The stories are all true. He's no legend. I lived with him back when I was a kid." Levi said. Nifa laughed.

"Yeah. Very funny, sir. This is really the time to be making jokes." Nifa said. Kara looked at Levi. He was holding a straight face and Kara knew he was not joking. Footsteps were heard behind them. Levi grabbed Kara as gun cocking was heard.

"Nifa!" Levi yelled as a gunshot rang out, barely missing Kara as Levi shoved her into the roof to avoid being hit, but a bullet hit Nifa in the head. Kara gasped as Nifa laid twitching on the ground. Levi pulled her up. A man was behind them as Levi pulled her behind a tower.

"Father. What's going on." Kara said. Levi shushed her as another gunshot rings out and Kara knew the other soldier was killed. Kara held her breath.

"Remember what I told you and Mikasa." Levi said. Kara nodded.

"Long time, Levi!" A man's voice called. Kara grabbed her handles to her gear. The man was walking up the roof. "Still a runt or have you grown some?" Metal clanging came. Kara heard sounds of ODM gear came. Kara gasped as people shot in the air with guns drawn. Levi growled as Kara gritted her teeth. Hooks landed on the tower above them and a man lets out a yell as he shoots up above them. "Nope. Don't look like you've changed much at all, boy, and this must be Kara." Levi pulled out his sword, keeping Kara behind him.

"Kenny!" Levi shouted. He threw the sword at Kenny. "Get ready to run!" Kenny shoots the sword out of the way and takes aim. Kara jumped in front of her father and used her cape to block a shot from Kenny with her cape. She dropped the cape. Levi took a last look at Nifa as he pulled his daughter into a run as they slid down the roof with gunshots right behind them. Levi and Kara slid off the roof and sent the hooks flying and headed to get to the wagon. They were now in the fight for their lives.

AN: Father and daughter duo. Lol. Sorry for the late update. Till next time.