WhIP

by footfungus

nederlands verhalen over mijn otp

4. Somewhere between Sorrow and Bliss - LxP

somewhere between sorrow and bliss

passionesque

Summary:

To everyone within the walls, Captain Levi might be their greatest hope of saving humanity. But to Petra, he is more than that. Because unlike everyone else, she sees him for what he is—a man with his own set of virtues and flaws.

She might have stared right at Death's crystalline blue eyes, felt the scorching heat of its large fingers against her neck in the Titan forest, but Petra remembers the vow she's sworn to the Scouts and more importantly, the vow to her captain—to Levi. To be at his side till the very end.

AU if Petra survives in the Female Titan arc.

Notes:

Hi. So yes, I really do have a thing for dead sad pairings :") Anyway, this is mostly canon-compliant and will follow through the anime should Petra live from the Female Titan Arc. Enjoy

Chapter 1: Prelude

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

Everything had started with Oruo.

He'd wanted to head to the market, eager for more freshly baked buns and their mothers had cajoled Petra into following him. "Keep an eye on him, dear," her mother had ordered cheerfully while exchanging sly glances with Oruo's mother. "You know he listens to you."

Petra had agreed and together, they'd meandered around the bustling crowds and stalls, which involves her dragging Oruo away when he got distracted, while simultaneously ignoring his childish snipes and retorts about how he didn't need a babysitter like her. "If you wanted to be around me this much, Pet, you could have just said so," he'd announced grandly. Petra had merely rolled her eyes and twisted his right ear, enjoying his outraged squeal.

For as long as she remembers, she and Oruo had always been joined by the hip. Being neighbours, they grew up together, played with each other throughout their childhood. He was the knight to Petra's princess. Though, more than once, Oruo had bitterly complained when she broke away from the role of being the damsel in distress and fought him as a knight instead.

"Girls can't be knights, Petra," he'd said imperiously in that snotty know-it-all tone of his.

In response, she'd taken her stick—that was meant to represent her sword—and hit him across his head. "Take that back, Oruo!" she would snap and Oruo would squawk indignantly and shove her, leading to them tussling messily in the dirt. Their mothers would watch on indulgently with gleeful smiles and that would be that.

As the years pass, and despite their differences, Petra will readily admit that Oruo is her best friend and that she knows him like the back of her hand. Especially his penchant for being easily distracted—something that has not once changed since their adolescence.

Hence it comes as no surprise that she's lost him in the crowds.

One moment, Oruo had been in front of her, complaining loudly about the sudden influx of people blocking the way and the next, he's gone. Petra glowers, craning her neck to look for his stupid blond head but due to her certain shortcomings, ahem, her height, she can't see him. She has even resorted to climbing atop a wooden crate to get a better vantage point, but to no avail. No doubt he's gone off without her to get his bread. Grumbling petulantly under her breath, Petra decides to head home first when the grinding of the gates of Wall Rose sounds.

The clip-clop of horseshoes against cobblestones and the groaning of worn wooden wheels of carts meets her ears. Petra pauses on her makeshift stand to see green cloaks with the infamous emblem of the Wings of Freedom and weary-looking men and women on their horses carving their way through the crowds.

The Survey Corps have finally returned from their expedition outside the Walls.

It is just her luck that she's managed to get a good spot near the back with everyone else who is eager to catch glimpses of the Scouts.

Petra can see Commander Erwin at the front leading his soldiers back home. He is bruised and a little dirty, his blond hair ruffled from riding against the wind. Regardless of the carts full of the dead and the wounded trailing behind him, he still rides on, his blue eyes hard and determined.

Her eyes drift to his side and that is when she sees him.

It is as though time has stopped.

Captain Levi. Humanity's Strongest.

Petra has heard of him before. Everyone has. But not once has she been granted the opportunity to see him in person. Until now.

She's never expected the salvation of humanity to be the sour-faced, scowling man with dark inky hair falling into his face. As he rides past the gaping and cheering crowd, his lips curl derisively and Petra swears that if it is possible, he would start swearing and cursing the whole lot of them just for being there.

As he approaches her position, Petra realises that he is shorter than she'd thought he would be. With Commander Erwin at his side, he is practically a dwarf, like one of those mystical creatures from one of her mother's fairytales. His eyes, Petra has to admit, are the most startling and captivating feature of his. Hooded and dark with shadows under them, they are bottomless pits with zero emotion. Yet, there is no mistaking the downturn of his mouth as he gazes darkly at the crowd. Unlike his comrades who are battle-worn and covered in blood, Captain Levi looks none the worse for wear.

And as if he could sense her awestruck gaze on his form, the man turns and their eyes meet.

During that scant few milliseconds where their gazes have locked, something takes hold of Petra's heart, digs their bony fingers around the organ and squeezes. Hard.

Her eyes widen.

His glower deepens.

Her heart skips a beat.

Captain Levi glances away and rides on.

And life as Petra knows it, has changed irrevocably.

Mouth falling open, she stares mutely at his retreating form. Her amber eyes focus on the dual wings stitched meticulously on his green cloak. Lightning strikes at her soul with purpose and her heart aches with something she cannot express or identify. Her world has shifted on its axis.

This is when Petra knows with great certainty that she will never be satisfied with the life everyone expects her to lead, to be a wife looking after her husband and raising their children, and perhaps even helping her father with his vegetable stall in the market.

No, Petra presses her lips together as she furrows her brows, what she will do is to devote her life to the Survey Corps and more importantly, to Captain Levi.

That, she feels with every fibre of her being, is the path destiny has set her on.

Exhaling shakily, she represses the urge to rub at her chest, to relieve some of the discomforts. Petra trembles at her newfound purpose and lifts her chin. Come next year, she will enlist, to serve humanity in defeating the Titans, to serve him.

"Hey, Pet, what'd I miss?" Oruo sidles up to her, his mouth stuffed with honey-glazed bread. He frowns. "What are you doing up there anyway?"

Apparently, devoting herself to Captain Levi meant loads of cleaning.

Petra's hands are raw from scrubbing the floors. She wrinkles her nose at the faint scent of disinfectant seeping through the white handkerchief around her face. Bleh. When she first caught sight of Captain Levi all those years ago, not once has she thought him capable of being this obsessive over cleanliness.

Well, she sighs and dumps her cleaning rags into the soapy pail, as compared to Oruo who has the dubious honour of cleaning their toilet, Petra thinks she's better off. Better the floors than their shared lavatory.

Living with three men (not including her captain because he takes care of his messes) has opened her eyes to the horrors the male species is capable of. Thank the goddesses that being the only girl in their squad allows her to use the latrine first in the mornings.

"Ral, who the fuck said you could take a break?"

Petra blinks and she is ashamed that a squeak leaves her mouth. Damn Oruo. Hastily, she grabs the soggy rags and continues scrubbing the floor in manic desperation. "I'm sorry, sir! It won't happen again!"

She peeks up and Captain Levi is standing over her. His features are mostly hidden due to the matching white handkerchief around the lower half of his face, leaving his narrowed eyes free to glare down at her.

"Tch," he finally grunts and turns on his heel, a feather duster in his hand as he marches up the stairs.

Petra pauses and waits in anticipation.

The sound of the bathroom door burst open and Oruo squawking about doing his best and not preening in the mirror echoes down and she bites back her giggle. Wringing her rags, she dumps it back into the pail and drags it out of the barrack, emptying the dirtied water down the drain.

"Psst, Pet!"

Petra looks up and the comical sight of Gunther and Eld peeking at her from the side of their barrack makes her snort. She tugs down the white handkerchief from her mouth. "What are you two doing? The captain—"

"Yes, we know!" Eld huffs and scratches at the bandana over his head. "I've cleaned the windows three times over but the captain still manages to find fingerprints. Gunther, here, has been oiling and cleaning the gears but Captain Levi says his efforts are as useful as Commander Dok. Pet, come on. We've been at this since morning! Go tell him that dinner is starting or some shit!"

"Eld!" She tries not to laugh at her captain's backhanded comment on Nile Dok. Right from the start, everyone in Squad Levi had been made aware of the captain's loathing for the Commander of the Military Police.

"What?" The blond shoots her a wide-eyed look brimming with innocence. Petra scoffs, fighting back a grin as she plants a hand on her hip. One would think being the captain's second would grant Eld some joy in cleaning. "Please, Pet, we're dying! You're the captain's favourite, he'll listen to you!"

Petra chews on her lips, doing her best to ignore the tight clenching of her gut at Eld's words.

The captain's favourite.

Petra isn't wistful enough to believe that, no matter how much she wishes it to be true.

Still, she allows herself to be suckered in by Eld and Gunther's pleading faces. "Oh, alright," she concedes. "I'll go speak to the captain about it."

"Speak to me about what?"

Despite facing down hordes of titans and going through the rigorous and strenuous training to be a scout, Petra drops her pail and whirls on her feet at the unexpectedness of Captain Levi's arrival. "Sir!" She hastily salutes and behind her, Eld and Gunther drop their respective cleaning appliances and follow suit.

"Ral," he says flatly with a raised brow. His eyes move towards the two men at her back. "Gin. Schultz. What shitty idea do you all have that prevents you from completing your tasks?"

"Ahh…" she trails off and glances at Eld, who promptly jabs her in the back. Petra jerks her attention back to the captain who meets her gaze unflinchingly. "It's almost sundown, Captain and um, well, because we have the uhh, training tomorrow, the special training for that formation you talked about during breakfast today, I would like to suggest that um… maybe we couldstopforthedayandhavedinner—"

"Ral. Shut it."

"Yes, sir." Petra can literally hear the facepalm Eld would have done if the captain isn't here. She thinks Gunther might even groan.

"So you three shitheads think that you deserve to call it a day?"

"... ahh, is that a rhetorical question, sir?"

"Ral, one more word from your mouth and you'll be helping Bozad with the lavatory."

She bites her lip and nods frantically.

Captain Levi glowers and her heart leaps in relief. Petra recognises this glower as the 'Fine, I'll Let You Shitheads Have Your Way' glower, rather than the 'Fuck You And All Of Your Dreams, Shitheads' glower.

"Fine," he says in a flat tone, his grey eyes impassive as ever. "Have it your way, shitheads. But if any of you damn brats fail the training course tomorrow, you'll help fix the lavatory because fucking Bozad broke a pipe and it's flooded."

"Wait, what?" Eld bursts out and begins making a mad dash back into their barrack. "Bozad!"

Gunther groans and Petra can't help the laughter bubbling out of her throat. Her eyes shift to her captain and the brief flash of amusement in his usually dark and stormy gaze causes her to catch her breath. However, when she blinks, that look has disappeared and her captain is back with his inexpressiveness once more.

Later, with the mess hall teeming with cadets and soldiers, Petra is thankful for being in the Special Operations Squad for it at least grants them the benefit of a table all to themselves. Or perhaps it is solely due to Captain's Levi's withering glare as he picks at his food. She hides her fond smile at that familiar sight behind a bite of her potato.

"Sir," Eld greets as he drops his tray beside her. "Uh, I think Commander Erwin is trying to get your attention."

Petra glances behind and true enough, Commander Erwin is subtly gesturing for her captain. It doesn't take long to see why, as beside him is Squad Leader Hange Zoë gesturing wildly with their hands as they stand on a chair. Moblit is at their side, clearly fretting and begging for them to sit and have some sustenance.

"Don't fucking care," Captain Levi mutters and glares warningly at Eld. "I can't even take a shit without Four Eyes ruining it. Tch. Serves Erwin right for not having the common sense to have dinner in his office."

"That's right, Eld," Oruo blusters as he nods proudly, setting his cutlery down as he narrowly misses hitting a cadet behind him. "Stop bothering the captain when he's eating. What kind of second-in-command are you?"

Clearly used to Oruo's antics, Eld reaches out to flick his fingers against Oruo's forehead. On her other side, Gunther snorts at the indignant shouts from Oruo. And all Petra does is roll her eyes. As her boys begin quarrelling amidst stuffing their faces, she takes the chance to sneak glances at Captain Levi.

It's been years since she has first caught sight of him, but the feeling of awe and admiration he evokes from her has never faded. However, Petra is self-aware enough to admit that her girlish dreams of Humanity's Strongest have long worn off. She'd once likened him to the knights in shining armour in the stories of her childhood. She'd assumed him to be gallant and charming, capable of sweeping her off her feet while simultaneously getting rid of titans for the sake of humanity.

Reality, Petra has come to find, is a totally different thing altogether.

Upon being selected for Squad Levi (which is something she's never thought possible), she's discovered that Humanity's Strongest isn't what everyone portrays him to be. He's short. He's rude and utterly unafraid to say what he's thinking, be it to his subordinates or superiors. His inclination with terrible bathroom humour makes her cringe, while his obsession with cleanliness terrifies her.

But Petra likes this version of him. This ass of a man she's come to know and serve under is the real Captain Levi. Who is before her doesn't contain a smidge of the propaganda released by the press, there are no fronts or facades and putting on airs to bolster his infamous reputation. He is just Levi. Her captain. The man she's chosen to truly devote her life to. The man she might actually lov—

"Honestly, Pet, if you simply wanted to gawk at me, all you had to do was ask."

She rolls her eyes and points her fork in his direction. "You dropped sauce on your cravat, Oruo."

"Aargh! Fuck!"

Gunther, who holds the title of being the nicest member of their squad, diligently hands over a thick wad of napkins.

"Come on, Pet." Her best friend dabs gingerly at his now-soiled cravat. "Weren't you the one always chasing after me when we were kids? It's not like there's anyone else here at the table you can look at."

The truth of that innocuous statement stings harder than it should and Petra can only muster a dirty look at Oruo as he smirks, looking way too proud at his supposedly clever remarks. Opposite her, Captain Levi looks up and turns to Oruo. His grey eyes are sharp and flint-like.

"Bozad."

"Yes, sir?"

"Shut your idiot trap."

"Right away, sir."

Her other two boys begin sniggering under their breaths and Petra grins and forks another mouth of baked potatoes into her mouth. As more bickering descends on their table, she takes the opportunity to treasure everything. She's experienced the gruelling training required to join the Survey Corps, been to expeditions outside the walls, braved the risks of being eaten by titans and yet, she's still here, breathing. She's alive.

Not for the first time, she tries to commit every detail of tonight to memory. From the savoury potatoes and baked bread she's eating to the taste of apple juice sliding down her throat, the sounds of people laughing and talking. Smiling at the new-found level of ribbing and bickering amongst her boys, Petra takes in the sight of Oruo's smug smirk, of Gunther being all stoic-like with traces of amusement and mockery in his gaze, of Eld puffing out his chest in a misguided attempt to imitate some high-flying MP they all can't stand.

Tucking a lock of her hair behind her ear, Petra slides her gaze forward to find Captain Levi's eyes on her with an intensity that makes her gut twist and her palms turn clammy. Beneath her chest, her heart begins beating an erratic beat that can only be composed by him.

Around her, everything becomes mute and despite knowing it to be futile, she tries to discern his blank face for something—anything.

Before she can, Captain Levi glances away, a muscle ticking in his jaw and Petra is left feeling bereft.

Petra has always been a coffee kind of girl.

It isn't until she's part of Squad Levi that she's introduced to the wonders of tea. Now, she can't fall asleep without a soothing cup of chamomile tea warming her belly. Hence, her wandering down the hall and into the kitchen in the dead of night in just her nightgown and dressing robe draped loosely over her shoulders.

What stops her at the doorway are the lit candles on the table and the sight of the captain dozing on one of the chairs, sheets of documents spread out in front of him. His form is hunched, head drooping and Petra notes that he is still dressed in uniform, his starched cravat tied stiffly around his neck, and his hair falling into his closed eyes.

Just this once, she seizes the chance to study him without being caught. The ache and desire to touch him, to run her fingers through his hair, to caress the knife-sharp planes of his face fills her with an intensity that almost takes her breath away.

She shouldn't feel this way, this she knows, but all her life, Petra has always flirted with the idea of adventure, of taking risks. When it comes to the choice of which regiment she should join or her taste in men, she's always leaned towards the edge that skirted danger and impropriety.

Therefore, the life she's living today.

Eyes lingering on his slumbering form, Petra debates on foregoing her nightly cup of tea, considering her captain's capricious sleeping patterns or lack thereof. Naturally, that choice is taken from her when the captain jerks upright and fixes her with a bleary glare.

"Ral, what're you doing up?"

The huskiness of his voice sends a certain thrill down her back and Petra shuffles her feet, her face feeling overly warm. How long has he been aware of her shameless gawking?

"I just wanted to make a cup of tea before heading to bed, sir."

He merely grunts and straightens in his chair.

Petra decides to take that as permission and begins boiling the water needed. Preparing a handful of tea leaves and dumping it into a cup, she hesitates and turns to her captain over her shoulder. "Captain, would you want tea too?"

He raises his gaze. "Yeah. Why the fuck not. The usual, Ral."

The crude language bounces off her and Petra smiles and begins prepping a second portion. Soon enough, with gentle care and precision she's seen Captain Levi adopt when preparing tea, she sets down their cups. Petra then settles on the chair adjacent to his and peers at the documents littering the table. Her captain has never liked doing paperwork, often claiming it was for the masses who were too 'chicken shit' to venture out of the walls.

For that comment, Commander Erwin had tasked him with double the paperwork for a whole week.

Remembering the foul cursing and dirty glares from that incident, Petra quickly takes a sip from her cup to hide the smirk that is on the verge of being physically expressed. She wouldn't put it past her captain to make her run extra laps in tomorrow's training if he caught sight of it.

At her side, Captain Levi picks up his cup in that odd peculiar manner of his—with his lithe fingers gripping the rim and ignoring the functioning handle—before taking a sip.

Petra had once caught Oruo imitating the action, the idiot. Sure, she may idolise the captain, vowed to devote her life to him and their shared purpose of eliminating titans, she might even love him, but not once has she tried emulating him as Oruo does on a near-daily basis.

Just for that, she'd elbowed him hard and the hot beverage in Oruo's cup tipped over to splash onto his shirt. After, her best friend never held his cup as Captain Levi did. Though, that doesn't stop him from wearing a cravat and having his hair styled with an undercut.

With the steam rising from the little white mug, Petra sits in silence, enjoying the companionship the captain provides as he slowly and grudgingly goes over his paperwork. Some might claim it to be exceedingly awkward, to be in the presence of someone as intimidating as Captain Levi without a single word exchanged but Petra finds comfort in it.

After all, it is a nightly ritual only the both of them partake in.

As a loose lock of her hair falls into her face, Petra hastily tucks it behind her ear as she subtly studies the captain to the best of her abilities. With the lit candles bathing the room with splashes of warm amber, Petra bites her lower lip when the shadows cast against her captain highlights the angular planes of his face.

To everyone within the walls, Captain Levi might be their greatest hope of saving humanity. But to Petra, he is more than that. Because unlike everyone else, she sees him for what he is.

A man.

Captain Levi, Humanity's Strongest, is just a man like any other, with his own set of virtues and flaws.

Additionally, with the rumours that follow his military career in the Survey Corps, of him originating from the Underground, of the myriad of crimes he must have committed before meeting Commander Erwin, and eventually enlisting, Petra isn't disillusioned by him. Not as she had been when she'd first seen him.

Her captain isn't a good man.

But Petra believes that he has a good heart and that's all that matters to her.

"Erwin is planning another expedition soon," the captain utters abruptly, breaking the quiet and Petra blinks owlishly. "He wants to block the hole caused by the Armoured Titan. It's the only way we can retake Wall Maria."

"Oh," she hums, enjoying the warmth of her tea settling in her gut. "Did Commander Erwin say when, sir?"

"No." Captain Levi fixes her with a contemplative look over his cup. "That eager to be back out in the field, brat?"

Petra shrugs and traces the rim of her teacup with her index finger, fighting the flush heating up her cheeks. "That's my job as a scout, Captain. I'll just like to know when and if it'll be my last trip so I could savour the sights and everything before that."

The captain scoffs, leaning back in his chair to tug at his cravat. "You're fucking batshit crazy, Ral."

She laughs, cradling her teacup in her hands. "I heard that being crazy is a requirement to join the Survey Corps, sir."

"Tch."

With that, Petra drains the last of her tea and wishes her captain to have a goodnight. And if she catches the brief softening in her captain's dark and stormy gaze, Petra doesn't allow herself to dwell on it.

After all, she must be imagining it.

Notes:

you can find me on my rivetra tumblr blog levis-petras 👀

Chapter 2: The Female Titan I

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

"I think Commander Erwin has officially lost it."

Petra raises her brow at Eld's sceptical tone as he straps his ODM gear at his hips and fingers the hem of his slightly torn jacket. She shrugs and tightens the harnesses keeping her blades close to her form and watches as he goes through his satchel again.

"Don't let the captain hear you say that," she says lightly when Eld tightens the buckle keeping his bag tied to the saddle of his horse. "And there's nothing wrong with trying to find a way to seal the hole caused by the Armoured Titan."

"Yeah, well, it's been what, five years? One would think that by now, the commander would accept that it'll take a whopping miracle for that to happen."

"Commander Erwin wouldn't have made it this far if he gave up that easily, would he?" she counters easily, nudging Eld with a playful grin. "And I have faith in the commander that he will help us retake Wall Maria."

With the majority of the scouts, including the veterans, leaving for a scouting expedition at noon today, supplies have been in high demand. Hence, Petra and Eld are tasked with guarding the items they managed to procure on short notice while Captain Levi and her other two boys went off to get more rations. Apparently, Commander Erwin intends for this mission outside the walls to last longer than their two-day trips.

Petra gazes mournfully back at their barrack. She will really miss sleeping in a proper bed with her nightly ritual of having tea with the captain. With autumn soon approaching, the idea of huddling around a fire in just her uniform and cloak to stay warm doesn't appeal to her, but if they are successful in finding a solution to retake Wall Maria, Petra will gladly brave through it.

"Pshhh, don't you mean Captain Levi?"

Petra blinks at the smirk adorning Eld's mouth as he bats his lashes in that obnoxious manner that never fails to make her giggle. Except now. It only makes her brows furrow in confusion. "What?"

"Oh, come off it, Shortstuff. It's just the two of us now. Tell Uncle Eld everything."

She purses her lips and narrows her eyes. "Okay, Tallstuff, what are you talking about?"

Ignoring her jibe, Eld raises a brow and the knowing gleam in his eyes makes her stomach twist. "You are aware that I'm the Captain's Second, right?"

"Yes…"

"Argh, Pet, I may be the Captain's Second, but even I know that Captain Levi doesn't trust and rely on anyone else as he does with you."

Acutely, Petra can feel the dull flush of heat spreading from her chest and up her neck as Eld starts to waggle his brows in her direction. It is now her turn to rummage through her pack. At least this way, with her back facing him, her squadmate isn't able to see the red tinge on her cheeks. Still, she hastily ducks her head to allow her hair to drape down and wills her heart to stop thumping hard in her chest.

"That's not true," Petra manages to say once she's sure her speaking capabilities are not compromised by the ache in her heart. She turns back to Eld. "The captain trusts us all—"

"Yeah, yeah, then why are you always flanking him while we're out during scouting missions?"

"It's because we are of similar stature, hence me being able to almost match his speed?"

Eld sniffs, stroking his goatee with his thumb and index finger. "Well, then why does Captain Levi always need you to help him with his paperwork?"

"Oh for Walls' sake, Eld. They are just reports, there's no need for that kind of insinuation—"

"Hmmph, the lady doth protest too much, methinks."

Petra rolls her eyes. She should have known lending Eld those old copies of plays her mother owned would bite her in the ass. "Captain Levi doesn't like paperwork, so to make his life a little easier, I just help him when I can." She decides not to tell Eld it is mostly a weekly routine of theirs too.

"Ooh, making his life easier, eh? Are you sure filling out reports are the only thing you two do all alone in his office?"

"Eld!"

The blond throws back his head, roaring with laughter as he slaps his knee repeatedly. Petra can only gape at him, her jaw hanging in the air as she blinks furiously. By now, she's pretty certain her face is as red as her hair.

"Oh, lighten up, Pet. I'm just having fun." Eld grins widely, a salacious smirk on his face as he holds up his hands innocently in the air. "But with the way you're behaving, you can't blame me for thinking that there's more between you and the captain."

Fighting the urge to fidget, Petra takes care to meet Eld right in the eyes. She won't give herself away, not when her squadmate has hit the nail on the head. How many times has she fantasised about entering the captain's office and for him to immediately crowd her against the wall with a hard punishing kiss? Or how while filling up reports, Petra would glance up to find her captain looking at her with hunger and lust in his dark gaze, before sweeping off the paperwork to the ground so that he'll bend her over his usually immaculate desk, and fuck her like she wants to be fucked?

Hard and demanding. Raw and animalistic. Arduous and unyielding.

The idea of him nudging her legs apart with his knees as he flips the hem of her nightgown up and over her ass, tugging her panties down so that he can sink his length into her unimpeded—

At that thought, her thighs quiver as liquid desire coils low in her belly and Petra lifts her chin, determined to get a hold of herself and her taboo desires regarding her captain. "Well, there isn't," she says primly, clutching hard on her horse's mane. "And I wish you wouldn't say such things. Captain Levi is our superior. What if someone overhears you?"

"All right." Eld's eyes soften and he reaches over to ruffle playfully at her hair. "I'll drop it, but really, what I can guarantee is that you are the captain's favourite. I mean, during training, he's always, 'Ral can do it, why can't the rest of you morons do it too?' or like 'if Ral, who is more than two hundreds pounds lighter than you brats put together can pull it off, why are you all sucking ass?'"

Petra is cut off mid-giggle at Eld's rather accurate imitation of their captain when the approaching sounds of horses grab her attention, and there in front of her is the aforementioned man of their inappropriate conversation.

"My favourite, eh?" Captain Levi utters flatly, his hooded eyes are fixed on them and Petra flushes as she and Eld straighten and thump their curled fists on their chests in salute.

"Uh, sir!" Eld greets as he shoots Petra a panicky look from the corner of his eyes.

Anxiety begins filling every fibre of her being and she twitches on her spot. How much could he have heard? Eld had the sort of voice that boomed and echoed, informing everyone nearby the details of his conversations. She'd been lucky that their barracks are positioned at the end with hardly anyone around, hence her lack of fear of being overheard by any of their comrades. Till now.

Petra thinks she might willingly feed herself to a titan should she find out Captain Levi had been privy to the earlier parts of their conversation.

"So, Gin, you think that because you're my second, you're allowed to have an opinion on the ongoings of this squad?" Captain Levi's tone is dry as he crosses his arms over his chest.

"No, sir," Eld says with a straight face and Petra pales when she sees the cheeky gleam in his eyes that is a prelude to his smartass remarks. "But I have to be honest with you, Captain, that it hasn't escaped my notice that you do favour Petra the most."

"Eld," she hisses under her breath but freezes when Captain Levi shifts his unyielding gaze her way.

"No, what the hell are you talking about, brat? It is me who Captain Levi favours the most!" Oruo announces, interrupting as he deftly dismounts from his horse and swaggers towards them, his hands tugging proudly at the lapels of his jacket.

Petra snorts at the irritated glower the captain tosses Oruo's way but her attention is detracted by Gunther's arrival. Unfortunately, the stoic man is pulled into the bickering between Eld and Oruo which has now descended into a rather childish argument of 'No, I'm his favourite' and 'No, I am.'

"Will the lot of you shut your fucking traps?" the captain barks and pinches the bridge of his nose in a manner that Petra is sure is designed to express exasperation. "As of now, Schultz is my favourite because he knows when to keep his idiot mouth close."

"But, Captain—"

"What did I say I value about you, Schultz?"

"My ability to stay quiet," Gunther offers and rubs the side of his neck.

"Yes," Captain Levi snaps. "So if the rest of you brats can follow his example, it'll be fucking great because in case any of you forgot, we are leaving Wall Rose now."

In unison, they mumble acquiesces.

The captain grunts and pivots on his heel, making his way to the lumpy sacks attached to the back of his horse. To no one's surprise, he pulls out a small circular tin of tea leaves and puts it in his satchel.

From the corner of her eyes, Petra sees Eld holding an imaginary teacup with the captain's odd grip. He makes a sipping motion, his pinkie sticking out as he feigns an expression so full of bliss that it makes a short giggle escape her mouth. Gunther at least can stifle his chuckle with a well-timed cough, while on his part, Oruo begins huffing about the total disrespect the captain is given. Unable to help herself, her giggle morphs into a full belly laugh that resounds around their compound.

"Ral, shut the fuck up."

"Sorry, sir."

They have been out of Wall Rose for hours and already, they have encountered their fair share of titans. The Special Operations Squad have split from the rest of the scouts to serve as distractions and to eliminate any titans they come across, while Commander Erwin leads the other soldiers to the edge of Wall Maria to engineer a way to seal up the hole left behind by the Armoured Titan.

As she flies through the trees, every nerve of hers is alight with fire while adrenaline shoots through her veins. Ducking over a branch, Petra watches as her boys fend off a fifteen and six-metre titan with ease that only Squad Levi is capable of.

With Eld taking the lead and both Oruo and Gunther flanking his sides, the trio work in tandem, dispatching and slicing thick chunks of flesh from the titans' nape. As she soars from one tree to another, Petra can see the hot vapour rising from the titan corpses littered all over the ground.

At least here in the Titan forest, they can maximise their usage of their ODM gears.

"Eyes straight ahead, Ral." At her side, Captain Levi grunts and ducks, narrowly missing a flying limb from Oruo's attack.

She nods and glides through the air, twisting away from stray branches and the like. Behind her, she can hear the steady thundering footsteps of another small horde of titans chasing them. From the corner of her eyes, she spots the erratic jumping of an Abnormal. Great.

Petra only has to wait for a subtle nod from her captain before she falls into the three-prong formation their squad had managed to perfect only a month ago. Having worked together, learning each other's strengths and weaknesses, the Special Operations Squad has more than flourished. Together, the group work seamlessly; Eld, Oruo and Gunther dive straight ahead, garnering the attention of the approaching titans, while Petra and Captain Levi split ways, rising higher in the air and waiting for the opportune moment to strike.

True enough, Petra catches sight of the Abnormal scurrying on all fours, its head is lopsided, mouth gaping wide as it eyes her with neutral impassivity that belies its cruel nature. She can't see her captain, but she's pretty sure he can see her, so Petra gestures with her fingers towards the Abnormal. Without waiting for a response, she flies low enough, her gas cylinders hissing as she gets ready to execute a last-minute turn from the Abnormal's flailing limbs.

Sure enough, the mechanical whirring of an ODM gear sounds and she watches in awe as Captain Levi spins through the air, plunging and weaving before his blades slice through the Abnormal with effective brutality. She doesn't stick around, but urges herself forward, noting the open position of an exposed nape of a ten-metre titan that Gunther is keeping distracted.

Petra swings, her stomach leaping dangerously in her gut as she somersaults through the air and digs her blades into the thick flesh of the titan. Mustering her strength, she grits her teeth and drags her knives, cleaving through flesh as the steaming titan blood splatters like raindrops all over her face.

She doesn't mind the mess and swings up to a thick branch to watch in satisfaction as the titan she's killed collapses to the ground in a pile of gangly limbs and steam.

"Ohhh, Shortstuff! Way to go!" Eld cheers as he conducts a manoeuvre that has him landing smoothly at her side. "Gimme a five."

Petra grins, brushing her hair away from her face and smacking her hand against Eld's palm gleefully, high from her kill. "You weren't too bad yourself, Tallstuff."

"Oh, I know." He smirks. "Been trying to increase my solo titan kills to beat Bozad."

"Ha! As if any of you pigs could match my titan-killing aptitude in the field," Oruo retorts, fluffing his cloak from the opposite branch.

"Oi!"

Petra looks up and Captain Levi is glowering at them as he curls his lips derisively. "We have a schedule to follow. Let's keep moving." With that, he whistles sharply, mounting his horse which had been waiting patiently at the base of his tree.

Without further words exchanged, together, they too summon their horses and join the captain and head out of the forest.

She doesn't know how long they have been riding, but along the way, Gunther and Oruo have raced forward with Eld trailing slightly behind them. There is heckling and another squeak from where Oruo has bitten his tongue.

Petra doesn't join them. Not when she belongs at her captain's side. Plus, with the tension lining Captain Levi's form and the grim lines on his face, she can tell something is bothering him. She decides it best to remain silent and be alert.

She deduces that they should be heading towards the edge of Wall Maria, near the district of Karanes when she notices the captain slowing to a stop. Her brows crease at the way his face is streaked with a frightening expression of conflict and horror.

A chill goes up to her spine. "Captain Levi? What's wrong?"

He clenches his jaw, yanking on his reins. "We have to go. Now."

Petra doesn't hesitate. "Where to, sir?"

"Trost!"

She isn't given a chance to respond when he thunders away. Knowing her implied orders, Petra grabs the attention of her boys and together, they begin riding in earnest towards Trost which is perhaps two hours away. Sensing the urgency, her boys are quiet and sombre as they ride at full speed at her side. Ahead, Captain Levi is a mere speck on the horizon, leaving clouds of dust in his wake.

Strangely, through their journey, they do not encounter any titans, which Eld has pointed out, is something to be worried about. "Where did they go, then?" he calls out, voice flat and devoid of emotion.

None of them responds.

Wall Rose comes into view and the sight of home fills Petra with relief, though that fades when she sees clouds of smoke, black and ashy, rising in the air.

"Is that coming from Trost?" Oruo yells out.

The sight that greets her fills Petra with immense horror and grief. The gates of Trost have been destroyed, leaving a large gaping hole in the wall as though something large had forcefully shouldered through.

The Armoured Titan, her mind supplies numbly.

And if that isn't bad enough, she can see a large handful of titans approaching the gate, clearly sensing the human lives that live within.

No, Petra refuses this to be like Wall Maria and Shiganshina all over again. She grips her blades tightly in her hands, readying herself to strike and kill as she rapidly approaches the damaged wall.

However, just as she's gearing herself to leap off her horse towards the titans, to eliminate the threat they pose to the innocent lives within Trost, a deafening roar resounds through the air. Petra halts and before she can even comprehend the source of that noise, it is followed by an earth-shattering crash as what she guesses is a giant boulder land right at the gates, plugging the hole. Though, how that is possible astounds her. Nothing can be strong enough to lift a boulder of that magnitude.

"Holy fuck!" Eld shouts from her side.

"What the hell—"

She isn't given a chance to ponder more on the subject when the sight of the captain abandoning his horse and swinging up the walls in a blur of green catches her attention.

"The captain!" She cries out and follows after him, swinging from brick to brick, her blades out at the ready.

The familiar comforting sounds of ODM and harsh panting echoes through her ears but nothing registers in her mind until a flare is shot up to the sky.

"Is that a yellow flare?" Gunther grunts. "What mission was completed?"

Petra doesn't respond. Landing on the top of the wall, she quickly assesses the situation. The death and carnage that greets her almost bring her to her knees. How could things have changed so drastically within mere hours? Earlier today, she'd ridden through those gates, savoured the sights of people milling about in the streets. Children had played while doting parents looked on. And now, everywhere she turns, she can see corpses of her comrades, of innocent citizens lying amongst the rubble. Her breath shudders but Petra refuses to fall apart now. She can't. Humanity is relying on them—the Scouts, or what few little has returned and remained.

She makes a move towards the numerous titans approaching the boulder at the gate but—

"The bloody fuck?" Eld chokes out.

Surely her eyes are deceiving her because Petra cannot be seeing the harrowing sight of a boy being cut out of the nape of a titan.

A titan whose form she has completely missed out on seeing.

A titan who must have been the source of that scream.

A titan who must have blocked the hole with that boulder.

"I… I'm not dreaming any of this up, am I?" Gunther asks quietly, his voice bordering on disbelief and trepidation.

"No," Oruo answers gravely, his lined face grimmer than ever. "No, you're not."

Eren Jaeger.

To think that this fifteen-year-old with emeralds for eyes and a head full of messy black hair had been responsible for saving Trost and by extension, Wall Rose... Petra can hardly believe it. And it is all because he has the impossible ability to shift into a titan.

Petra chews on her lower lip as the boy hunches into himself, as though to make himself smaller. She guesses it can't be easy, not when he's the focus of everyone else around them, of being the recipient of suspicion and hostility. What tugs on her heartstrings are the bloodstains on his white shirt from the now-healed cuts and bruises he'd gotten (courtesy of her captain, who'd played the part of a necessary villain) and how he's shuffling his feet and avoiding everyone's gaze.

"Hi," she says softly with a smile, stepping forward and offering her hand for him to shake. "You're Eren, right?"

Eren blinks, eyes going wide as though he's surprised anyone is even willing to speak to him. "Um… yes. I—"

"Oi! Don't touch him," Oruo yells, smacking her hand away.

"Oruo!" she snaps, recoiling and rubbing her now stinging palm. "That wasn't necessary!"

"He might eat you!"

"I wouldn't!" Eren shouts indignantly, eyes alight with fire.

"Oi. Shut it, you damn brats." Captain Levi grunts as he steps out from the courthouse and descends the marble stairs. "You're attracting attention."

True enough, she spots the contemptuous glances from the MPs and the representatives of the Church of the Walls. Instinctively, she shifts closer to Eren, hoping to shield him from the animosity directed his way.

"So he's really coming with us?" Eld speaks out with furrowed brows. While the blond hasn't visibly displayed any signs of ill-will, there is no mistaking the cautionary atmosphere around him.

"Yes. Now saddle up and let's go."

She offers Eren one last smile before mounting her horse. The six of them pair up and begin their journey to the old Scout Regiment headquarters in Wall Rose. With Gunther and Eld being two inseparable peas in a pod as they take the lead, naturally, she falls to her captain's side at the back and forces herself not to react as Oruo begins to play tour guide and does all he can to intimidate Eren.

"...back in the early days, when everyone had high hopes. Still, to think that this oversized decoration would end up as the perfect holding place for you…" Oruo sighs and shakes his head, fidgeting with his cravat, the inflexion in his words sounding eerily similar to that of the man at her side.

Petra scowls. Hopefully, Oruo can feel the weight of her glare centred at his back.

Eren looks back at them. A glance to her left gives her the image of Captain Levi staring blankly back at him through slitted eyes.

The boy hastily turns around and jumps in his saddle when Oruo leans close.

"Don't get cocky, rookie."

"Come again?" Eren stammers out.

"I don't know if you're a Titan or what, but don't assume Captain Levi is going to stick with a wet-behind-the-ears-brat—uck!"

Petra stifles her snort at the splatters of blood spewing in the air from Oruo's penchant for biting on his tongue while riding a horse. Serves the idiot right, she can't help but think a tad fondly as they journey along the weather-beaten roads.

Compared to the battlefield Trost has become, Petra should be glad to seek solace in the tranquil and serene woodlands surrounding them, reminding her that there is more to life than death and bloodied corpses. And yet, her focus is on her captain. Peeking to her side, she sneaks another glance in his direction and chews on her bottom lip.

"Whatever it is you have to say, spit it out, Ral."

She fights the flush creeping up her neck. Huh, maybe she hasn't been as discreet as she thought she'd been.

"Sir," Petra starts slowly, lowering her tone. "Commander Erwin intends to use Eren to seal the hole up in Wall Maria and Shiganshina, doesn't he?"

Captain Levi turns to her, grey eyes cool as ever. Though, Petra thinks she can see a glimmer of something in those depths. "Tch. That obvious, huh?"

She tries for a smile but Petra is sure it comes off as a grimace instead. "It isn't that hard to figure it out. Having a titan on our side would count as a major victory for humanity."

"But is he?"

Petra stops, her nose wrinkling. "What?"

Her captain shifts his jaw and jerks his chin towards Eren. "Is he really on humanity's side?"

She falters and turns her eyes towards Eren who is now doing his best to avoid Oruo's flailing limbs as her best friend struggles with the blood-soaked handkerchief in his mouth. But, she wants to protest, he's just a boy—a child! However, Petra knows how foolish and naive that sounds, because at the end of it all, the boy is a titan and trusting him blindly would get her and her squadmates killed. It would even put her captain at risk.

No, she will never allow that to happen.

She gives her captain a grudging nod. "I see."

Captain Levi arches a brow, his voice dry and sardonic. "Do you?" His eyes harden. "Make sure Jaeger isn't only the potential liability amongst us."

Petra blinks and frowns, her gut twisting painfully at the distrust in his tone. Beneath her chest, her heart wilts at the verbal punch he's practically thrown her way. After everything, hasn't she done enough to prove her loyalty and devotion to him?

"I do, Captain," she says shortly, her knuckles turning white from how hard she's gripping the reins. "You should know that I will never do anything that will put our squad in jeopardy."

"Tch," he grunts and the rest of the journey descends into silence.

As per custom, the first thing they do upon reaching their new dwelling is to clean. And with Captain Levi's high standards, the castle is practically spotless and gleaming under the pale moonlight. Exhausted, they file into the dining room where a sturdy table awaits them. Still stinging from their interaction in the forest, Petra settles onto a chair furthest away from the captain. It isn't something she's wont to do considering the way Gunther's brows shoot high up on his forehead. Thankfully, he doesn't comment.

It may be petty of her, but her sore heart is still too wounded to care.

And yet, it doesn't explain the way she'd defended her captain in front of Eren earlier. Stupid, stupid, stupid. She groans inwardly and scowls into her teacup. Arriving late, she is at least, granted a reprieve of making tea for everyone. From the slightly bitter tang the steaming liquid leaves on her tongue, she can surmise that Oruo had been the one tasked for the job.

It is only when her ears catch wind of a major expedition to take place in thirty days that Petra looks up. Eld continues, frowning as he shares that even the fresh graduates from the 104th will participate in venturing out of Wall Rose.

Over the table, Captain Levi meets her eyes and she swallows thickly, recalling this to be the topic of their earlier conversation.

Petra lowers her gaze, her thumbs smoothing over the glossy surface of the ceramic cup in her hands.

"I'm not in charge of coming up with missions," the captain says, leaning insouciantly back in his chair. "But, knowing Erwin, he has put far more thought into this than we have."

Apparently, during these thirty days where they are on standby here in the middle of nowhere, they will train and Squad Leader Hange Zoë will drop by to experiment on Eren—the titan miracle. The new hope of humanity. And while it hasn't been explicitly written down, it is clear to everyone present that Eren Jaeger will be kept under close watch.

Oruo bristles and puffs his chest out. "Don't worry, Captain, should anything happen, rest assured that I will be there to put a stop to the brat before anyone gets hurt."

The captain doesn't blink as he scoffs. "What, are you going to watch him piss or take a shit too?"

"Ah, uh, well—"

Luckily for her best friend, Squad Leader Hange Zoë bursts into the room in a whirlwind of manic excitement and chatter of their eagerness to work with Eren. Petra almost feels guilty for leaving the poor boy to deal with Hange alone (their fascination with titans and the like has garnered them an infamous reputation amongst the three military regiments, leaving most of their comrades afraid to even mention the word 'titan' in their presence) but after a full day of riding and cleaning, she wants nothing more than to crawl into bed.

Silently, she shuffles out, tossing Eren an apologetic glance over her shoulder before heading up the main stairs leading to the bedrooms.

"Oh, that was close," Gunther mutters and rubs the side of his neck. "The kid should have known better than to talk about titans in the Squad Leader's presence."

"Yeah, well, tough," Eld snorts. "Better him than us."

"Good that you feel that way, Gin," Captain Levi sniffs and grimaces as he brushes his thumb against a dusty spot on the bannister. "Now that Eren is no longer able to clean the gardens, you can take over the job."

"More cleaning?!"

"Are you volunteering to clean the stables?"

"No, sir! I think Oruo mentioned that he'll be more than honoured to help you in that."

"Excuse you!"

Her captain grunts and waves them off dismissively. "Cute. Now, get the fuck out of my face."

Not needing further encouragement, her boys scramble off and Petra is quick to follow suit when—

"Ral, wait."

She pauses mid-step. Petra glances over her shoulder. Having not moved an inch, Captain Levi is still standing at the same spot, his back leaning against the wooden bannisters of the stairs. His arms are folded across his chest and his lips are pressed into a thin line as he regards her through narrowed eyes, his hair falling artfully over his forehead.

"Captain?"

His jaw shifts, his gaze lifting to flit over their surroundings before settling back on her. The dim lighting provided by the few lit candles provides her captain with a rather surly impassioned look as he scrutinises her with dark steely eyes. Deep in her gut, her stomach starts to twist.

A muscle in his cheek twitches. "Don't get too close to that titan brat," he grits out sullenly.

Petra blinks.

Whatever she thought he would say… well, she hasn't expected him to say that.

"Captain Levi, I know that you don't trust him. And you're right that I shouldn't. And I don't," she says carefully, her brows furrowing. "But Eren is just a boy, he's only fifteen and—"

"You'll get yourself killed if you keep up with that sort of shitty thinking."

"Well," she sputters at his abrupt interjection. "But, sir, surely there isn't anything wrong—"

"Look," he snaps, eyes hard and glittering with a fervent sort of ferocity that is highlighted by the lit candles. "If you end up getting killed by him, I'll drag your corpse back from the dead and kill you myself. Painfully. Got that, Ral?"

Her mouth gapes uselessly as he gives one last disdainful sneer before stomping off.

Could that be the captain's way of showing concern? The mere idea seems preposterous but Petra can't help the way her stomach flips or how her heart is now thumping precariously beneath her ribs. Her breath shudders and before her brain has full control over her decision-making faculties, she runs after him.

"Captain! Wait!"

He stops but doesn't turn to face her. "You should go to bed, brat." With his words lacking the acerbic bites she's grown used to, Captain Levi sounds tired—drained, even. He sounds older than his thirty-four years of age.

Petra hesitates, her fingers itching to reach out to him. "You shouldn't worry about my death, sir. I—" She takes the chance to wet her lower lip, her shoulders slackening. "Ever since I've signed on, I have dedicated my life to serving the Survey Corps… to humanity. And if my death accomplishes something, even a small step towards victory against the titans, I will have no regrets."

Yeah well, she would have some regrets. Like not being brave enough to kiss her captain and to confess how she feels about him. Nor will she be able to fulfil her desires of wanting him, of being in his arms, of sharing his bed, of having her naked skin pressed against his. But then again, she doesn't think those really counted.

Captain Levi is utterly still. His shoulders aren't moving and Petra wonders if he's even breathing. She almost wishes he'll turn around so that she can see his face.

"I…" she trails off, her heart hammering away in her chest. This, she feels, is some sort of turning point for the both of them. For what, she doesn't know, but Petra is determined to say her piece. After all, she could be earning her death from the Scout's upcoming 57th expedition. "I have devoted my life to the Corps… and to you too, Captain."

"You have no idea what the fuck you're doing," her captain snarls and turns to her, his eyes flashing. In this exact moment, Petra likens him to a rabid dog she'd seen once when she was a child. "You're young. You can—"

"No," she interjects and meets him squarely in the eye. "This is my destiny, I know it. Have known it since I saw the Scouts return from an expedition outside the walls when I was young. Following you is the path I'm meant to take."

She might have omitted that one tiny detail of him being the sole reason she'd enlisted in the first place. But it doesn't matter anymore. Not when her priorities of serving in the military have shifted once she'd gone through the training required of their cadets, once she'd believed in the cause of serving humanity.

Typically, the courage Petra has somehow mustered to spill her guts to her captain disappears as quickly as it came, leaving her feeling too exposed… too vulnerable. Her captain isn't helping matters by standing as still as the marble statues like the ones she'd seen in Wall Sina's various town squares.

Just as she is about to give up and make a hasty retreat to her room, Captain Levi clenches his jaw and swallows roughly. At his sides, his fists are curled, and where his face is as impassive as ever, he leaves his eyes to express his emotions.

What she sees are turbulent storms in those dark grey irises. It's as though he's barely restraining himself from reaching out to throttle her. His lids lower and when they are lifted once more, every emotion Petra thinks she's seen is erased. All that is left is a blank slate.

His cheek twitches once more and his tone is dull. "You shouldn't give your life away so easily, Ral. Especially to someone like me."

As always, Petra isn't given the chance to respond when the captain tugs at his cravat and walks off.

She's never seen anything like this before.

Commander Erwin's formation for the Survey Corps' 57th expedition is close to flawless. It should be flawless. Of course, that all changes when green flares are shot into the sky and the formation is split into three groups. Petra blinks as she glances at the two groups diverging away from the entrance of the Titan Forest. Nonetheless, she urges her horse to speed up to catch up with her squad after delivering her message to the other scouts.

She can hear Eren's incessant questions and her captain's dry sarcastic remarks from her position on the left. But all Petra can think about are the many lives they have lost thus far. Especially the ones flanking the right of Commander Erwin's formation. How many more of her friends and fellow soldiers have to die before they are free?

The abrupt burst of a black flare shakes her out of her maudlin thoughts and it isn't long before they see the Abnormal speeding towards them through the Titan Forest.

Through her years of killing titans, Petra has never seen one that looks and behaves like the Female Titan chasing after them. There is a sort of cruelty and carelessness in the way it kills her comrades, as though the lives it takes are all part of a game.

Blood rushing through her ears, Petra's heart pounds as she pushes her mare to go faster. Behind her, the screams of agony of the men and women dying behind her at the hands of this monster fill her ears. Frantically, she begs her captain for orders. She doesn't think she can take any more of this. Why are they running instead of facing the Abnormal head-on?

Unfortunately, all her captain does is to take out his flare and fire it upwards.

Her jaw drops at the high-pitched noise that emits from the shell and her mind spins with confusion as her captain calmly orders everyone to keep moving forward and not to look back. The frantic way her brain churns settles and just from that instruction, Petra is reassured that her captain has a plan in place. With the way her boys quieten, their faces taut with grim determination, they too understand that.

Of course, Eren Jaeger is the exception to that.

The boy is crying, pleading and protesting with all of them to turn back to help the reinforcements who are all getting brutally slaughtered as soon as they arrive. Petra understands his agony, and she tries to convey that at this point, there is nothing they can do except to keep their faith in their captain and to trust him.

Being the hot-headed boy he's known to be, Eren is all but ready to bite into his hand to transform, and Petra watches in panic and anxiety as the titan-shifter and her captain verbally grapple with each other.

She thinks she might sink with relief when Eren hunches forward, his green eyes blazing with determination to put his trust in them before he apologies fervently under his breath for the death of another soldier not more than a few metres away. At that, Petra can only give him a weak smile before she turns back to the front.

They could have been riding for hours and her hands are already itching to grab her blades when she hears the Female Titan accelerating. Abruptly, a huge shadow looms and Petra thinks this might be it when—

The sound of hundreds of grappling hooks are fired and Petra can almost scream in relief when she catches sight of Commander Erwin in the trees. There are many scouts positioned in the branches, their hooks trapping the Female Titan in place. She suspects she's even caught sight of a few newly-designed restrained weapons filled to the brim with gleaming arrows attached to spiralling wires.

This, she has come to realise, is the Commander's way of catching whoever is piloting the Female Titan in its nape. Someone like Eren Jaeger, who has the dubious gift of being a titan-shifter.

With Captain Levi joining the Commander to unveil the identity of the Female Titan, he leaves Eld in charge and they don't stop until they are near the outskirts of the Titan Forest, awaiting further instruction.

Relief is like a heady aphrodisiac wafting through her blood as she leans against the bark of her tree and smiles gratefully at Eren. "Thank you for trusting and putting your faith in us, Eren."

The boy flushes but before he can respond, Gunther yells out the flare calling for a retreat has been signalled. Together, they gather their things and set off. Petra doesn't even mind the playful ribbing that Eld gives or the divulging of how she and Oruo have soiled themselves on their first expedition. Compared to all they have experienced today, she is just glad that she and everyone she loves has made it out alive.

Despite the levity surrounding her squad, Petra can't help the sense of foreboding that fill her gut. But before she can voice out her discomfort, another flare sounds and they move towards the figure soaring parallel to them. It has to be her captain; she knows with surety that he's safe and alive as well.

"Captain Levi? No, it's not!" Gunther shouts. "Who are you?"

Petra blinks, her mouth gaping and before she can even react, the mystery figure, donning the uniform of a scout, rushes towards them, blades spinning and—

Just like that, her friend is gone.

What happens next is a haze of rage so deep it clouds her vision and sinks into her bones and Petra is delirious on it. Vaguely, she is aware of auto-piloting, her body weaving through the air as she swears vengeance on the Female Titan for Gunther's death. Dimly, she remembers yelling at Eren to make his escape.

It is only then that the three members of Squad Levi start moving. Together, they manage to blind the Female Titan, effectively pinning it against a tree before slashing at its arms viciously. With grief choking her and anger so intense that it feels like madness, Petra doesn't acutely remember a time where she's hated someone with this much resolve until today.

Eld moves in for the kill, his brows knotted with fury and determination and the next thing she sees is him being bitten, his blood spurting in the air as the Female Titan clamps him between its teeth, canines flashing before spitting him out.

Petra screams.

It isn't possible. It hasn't even been thirty seconds and yet, the Female Titan is already on the move.

Everything around her slows and all Petra can see is the Female Titan converging towards her. Through muted ears, she can hear Oruo's panicked shouts and the thundering of her heart. And no matter how fast she urges herself forward, she cannot help the blind hysteria that coats her sensibilities.

That is what costs her.

Not watching where she's going, her ODM cables twist around a branch and she's violently flung backwards, her back colliding with the unforgiving surface of the trunk of a tree. Something along her ankle cracks and she would have sobbed from agony if she's capable of it. It doesn't help that a bough the size of a horse has landed on her body, pinning her down. The tree shudders heavily, the branches groaning as the Female Titan throws its foot in her direction.

It could either be luck or a curse, depending on the way she looks at it, but the titan limb meant to shatter her into pieces hits the spot over her head instead.

The Female Titan misses her by mere inches.

In fact, it is the upper part of the bough the titan has crushed under its feet. Furthermore, with the large branch holding her captive, Petra is lucky enough that she's mostly covered by foliage.

Hence, the titan's assumption that it killed her.

Through bleary eyes, she sees the retreating grotesque form of the monster as blood, thick and hot, pools in her mouth while excruciating pain lances throughout her body. Petra wishes for death. No, she prays for it.

Better death than to be in this state of unyielding torment.

Her head throbs and the metallic scent of blood is thick in the air. It may be hers, or Eld's or even… Oruo's. Petra lets out a hoarse gasp at that, remembering the familiar cry that had been cut short just moments ago.

Everyone she knows and loves is gone.

Tears slip down her cheeks and Petra weeps bitterly, her ribs protesting with every inhale of air she takes. Dying would be what she deserves. What right does she have to survive when everyone in her team is dead?

Unable to move, she closes her eyes, feeling the immeasurable ache of her bones, of the screaming nerves in her torn and ripped flesh. There may even be blood pooling out of a wound from the back of her head. That, she remembers from medic training in the Corps, is something that requires immediate attention.

Unwittingly, her mind flashes to her parents back in Wall Rose, of her mother's warm nurturing smiles, of her father's heaving laughter as he catches her in one of his customary bear hugs. Another tear trickles down her cheek; she'll never see them again.

And her mind drifts to her captain.

She sucks in a shallow breath. More than anything, Petra is glad that Captain Levi had stayed with the rest of the Scout veterans. Who knows what could have happened should he remain with them. Petra would like to think that he'll be able to beat the Female Titan but with how her squad has all been obliterated (and they were the elite titan killers) she's glad he's safe. She just prays to the goddesses that they'll watch over him and help him to heal from his squad's untimely deaths.

Petra even prays that Eren has made it out alive.

Her limbs are growing numb and from a brief experiment that has her whimpering, she isn't even able to move her legs.

She's dying.

That's okay. She's fine with that. Petra's done her time, did her duty in serving humanity. And like she'd promised, she has devoted her life to Captain Levi.

This is it.

Just as she's about to let go, to allow the darkness to consume her, the whirring sounds of an ODM device echoes through the air and she huffs out a breath. Even in death, of course, she's bound to hear the machines that have aided her in her career in the Scout Regiment.

"Ral?"

Petra opens her eyes and squints. She blinks. She must be imagining the sight of Captain Levi rushing towards her from the trees.

"Oi! Ral, you brat!"

She parts her lips and a jumbled sounding mess of vowels leave her throat. Petra tries again, doing her best to focus on the approaching face of her captain. She forces her tongue to cooperate despite the coagulating blood in her mouth. "Captain?" she slurs thickly. "That you?"

"Yeah. Tch."

Wrinkling her brows, her head lolls to the side and callused fingers cradle her face. Whatever sort of prelude to the afterlife this is, Petra doesn't mind; Captain Levi is here to send her off. "Thank you," she murmurs. "Fought well. Good."

"Petra, just hang on. You're fine."

Petra doesn't know if her captain is trying to reassure her or himself. She even thinks she can hear the thread of raw desperation in his voice. The overwhelming part of her that loves him wants to ease his worries and to tell him to get away before the Female Titan shows up to finish her off for good this time.

"Like fuck I'll let that happen." The angry rumble in her ears is accompanied by the ringing of blades swinging and slicing through something. Not soon after, the heavy weight resting on her torso is lifted.

"Captain Levi," Petra mumbles, her tongue curling clumsily around her words as the edges of her vision get darker with every second that passes, "I-I like the way you say my name."

This time, she puts all of her energy into focusing. Her sight clears and her captain stares down at her, his usually impassive face is full of horror and desperation.

Typical of her, Petra gives one last weak smile before falling into peaceful oblivion.

Notes:

Thank you all so much for reading and for the amazing support this has gotten! I'm totally blown away by it and I'm super glad you guys love it! also, I think this may be extended to more than 4 parts :") but we'll see! Thank you all so much for reading and have a good week!

You may also find me on my rivetra blog here levis-petras too! :)

Chapter 3: The Female Titan II

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

The first thing she sees when she opens her eyes is the wide expanse of the cloudless sky.

Petra wrinkles her nose, squinting against the harsh rays of the sun shining onto her face. She turns her neck to shy away from the glaring light, only to find the move is impeded by something holding her head firmly in place.

"Ral?"

"Uhhh," she croaks out and this time, when she turns, she's able to move freely. Her head throbs and a sudden jerk beneath her aching body sends a jolt full of agony shooting through her nerves.

Awareness begins to filter in and belatedly, Petra realises she's on a cart.

A cart that is similar to the ones the Scouts use to carry the dead and the wounded back from expeditions and recon missions.

Her eyes snap wide open and she's met with black hair and a sharp jawline. For a moment, everything stops and Petra can only stare in horror at the limp body lying next to hers.

"Captain?" she whispers hoarsely.

"What?"

She blinks, hearing the rough baritone of her captain coming from her other side. But no matter how much she tries to turn, to see with her own eyes that he is alive and well, her body refuses to cooperate.

"Oi, brat. Stop moving."

At the rough warning issued her way, Petra calms and she takes comfort from the fact that Captain Levi must be doing fine if he could sound so irritated and concerned all at once.

She settles back on the worn wooden planks, feeling twinges of sensation crawling up her legs at every pull the horses make. She decides to focus on the unknown body beside hers. It doesn't take long; she may be delirious from her brief encounter with death, but upon closer look, she recognises Eren Jaeger's head of untidy hair.

"Eren?" she slurs, the name leaving her lips in a jumbled mess but Captain Levi must have understood her question anyway.

"Kid's fine," he utters flatly. "You're not, so shut up and get some rest."

She makes a sound of acknowledgement but whatever response the captain might have given is interrupted by shrill screams and thundering footsteps.

"Fuck," Captain Levi curses and he gives some shouted order that Petra cannot decipher because the edges of her vision are starting to swim. The cart picks up speed and the jostling increases, causing the sharp pain prickling all along her body to intensify.

Petra might have cried out but the darkness clouding her mind consumes her once more.

However, just before she fades into oblivion, she can hear the unmistakable sounds of her comrades being eaten alive.

When she opens her eyes again, Petra is met with the familiar sight of the medical wing in the Scout Regiment's headquarters in Karanes. Being part of the Special Ops Squad has her landing in the infirmary more often than not, but with the stark reminder of being all alone in a room, with no familiar face in sight…

Petra's lashes lower and she stares numbly at the splint prodding out from the thick layers of bandages covering her fractured ankle. As she tries to lift herself to better assess the damage done on her person, the tight pressure of the rough cotton strips around her ribs causes her to hack out a few dry-sounding coughs. And while she may not have a mirror to look into, she just knows her face is full of cuts and bruises to accompany the dressing around her head.

Her gaze then shifts to the multiple cuts lining her arms. They may be considered trivial to the rest of her injuries but Petra can't move her eyes away. Not when every one of them reminds her of the resounding failure that is the Scouts' 57th expedition, which had consequently led to the death of her squadmates.

Dead.

The word rings hollowly through her mind and her bottom lip quivers.

Oruo, Eld and Gunther. Her boys are now gone.

They'd died horrible deaths, knowing nothing but fear and desperation before they breathed their last. Petra will never be able to forgive their murderer for the unforgivable sin of taking their lives. None of them deserved the horrific death they had received. And to think that it'd been a human who'd done it—someone who should be championing humanity...

Petra closes her eyes.

She might have lost many of her friends and acquaintances to titans, but the boys had been her family.

Why is she the only one who has survived? Why does she have to live with this insurmountable guilt and pain of making it while her boys didn't? If only... If only she'd gone in for the kill instead of Eld, if she'd been the one to head towards the titan-shifter in the woods, or if she'd reacted faster—the endless possibilities of what she could have prevented send her mind spinning.

A tear rolls down her cheek and Petra turns, nestling her face into the pillows, letting the thin fabric soak up her sorrow and grief. Her body might be injured but Petra thinks her heart has been irreparably shredded into bloody ribbons.

"Ral."

Through glassy eyes, she can make out the blurry outline of her captain. Blinking forcefully, she chases the tears away and heaves her protesting body upright. "Captain," she croaks out, trying to maintain some semblance of dignity and pride that the Female Titan has all but robbed from her.

"Oi, lie the fuck down."

She shakes her head and no matter how much she wills the tears back, her eyes start to sting once more, the lump in her throat growing bigger by the second. Ducking her head down, she fights valiantly but loses the battle.

A sob is ripped out of her throat and her hands curl into fists at her sides. Her bruised and cracked ribs are screaming from the exertion it's put through from her weeping, but none of the pain can be compared to the anguish in her soul.

"Hey."

A shadow looms over her and without thinking, Petra throws herself forward, burying her face into his pristine grey shirt, her fingers curling tightly into the material as gut-wrenching sobs wrack her frame.

Against her, Captain Levi jerks before going still and belatedly, Petra comes to the realisation she's never touched him this intimately. Not once has she laid her hands on him the way she's doing now. Through the fabric of his shirt, she can feel the heat of his body emanating from him, feel the muscled planes of his lean form against her tear-streaked face. Cheeks hot, she's about to pull away, to provide excuses for her lapse in judgement because after everything, he is still her captain and despite the losses she's suffering through, she has no right to—

Her mind comes to an abrupt halt.

Captain Levi relaxes, and Petra can sense the exact moment when the tension in his torso is released. For the briefest of seconds where she thinks despair has fully taken over her mind, Petra thinks she can feel a hand ghosting over the small of her back.

She stills.

Her breath catches.

It feels like an eternity has passed before the air whooshes out of her lungs when the captain gives into whatever impulse he's suffering from and touches her.

His palm is pressed against her back. The action is a mimicry of the way a lover gives comfort.

Her heart flatlines.

It speeds up when the pressure he exerts on her skin grows firmer.

Ironically, that sobers her up.

As though she's struck by lightning, Petra pulls out of his hold. Inwardly, she mourns the loss of his touch but pushes the thought away. "I'm sorry, Captain," she rushes out raspily, unable to meet those heavy-hooded eyes. "That was inappropriate—"

"Shut up."

Her mouth clamps shut with an audible click, and she can only gape up at him once her mind fully registers the articles of clothing on his person.

As long as she'd been in Squad Levi, Petra can count on one hand the number of times she'd seen her captain dressed in civilian clothing. Without his uniform and customary cravat, her captain hardly looks the image of being Humanity's Strongest.

"You got hurt," she points out, eyeing the way her captain favours one leg over the other.

"Just a scratch," he replies, looking disgruntled, arms crossed over his chest. "Erwin has put me off duty. The fucker."

She can see the darker stains of her tears on his grey shirt and dimly, Petra is just surprised he hasn't barked at her for it. Nor has he rushed out of the medical wing to get a fresh shirt.

"I... " she starts, only to trail off, the words dying in her throat.

Whatever she wants to say are things that hardly matter anymore. So, she settles for the easiest question that wouldn't prod further at her broken heart.

"Where's everyone?" she asks, referring to the five empty beds around her. Usually, the medical wing here had rooms that could house up to six patients at a time.

Captain Levi shrugs and slouches against the wall. "Either got better or died from their wounds."

"Oh," she murmurs listlessly. She darts her tongue out to wet her lips, running over cracks and flaky skin before raising her gaze once more. "How long—"

His mouth forms a thin line. "A day."

A day, her mind repeats blankly. Petra can hardly believe that in just twenty-four hours, everything she's known has changed this drastically.

"W-who else made it out?"

"Not nearly enough," he says, using the same tone with flat-sounding vowels and intonations that might as well be used to speak about the weather. "We got ambushed on the way back."

"Are they…" Petra inhales, bracing herself, "Are they all gone?"

It doesn't take a genius to figure out who she's referring to. Her captain clenches his jaw, his eyes moving away from hers. "Yeah."

Releasing a shaky exhale, she sags against the wooden headboard of the bed. Her temple throbs and the cuts on her face sting from the saltiness of her tears.

With how she sought confirmation to a question she already knew the answers to, she might have been a closet masochist. Hasn't she seen Death approaching Eld and Gunther with greedy fingers? Hasn't she heard how Oruo had failed in his attempt to avenge them from the Female Titan? And yet, despite knowing that her squadmates have truly perished in the Titan Forest, having her captain corroborate all that she knew doesn't make the truth hurt any less.

And finally, Petra settles on to what she truly wants to know. Her fingers curl into the sheets as her swollen puffy eyes flash with fire. "Has the Female Titan been apprehended?"

"No." If it's possible, Captain Levi's expression darkens. His jaw turns taut and Petra knows if a titan is to show up, it would bear the brunt of his immeasurable rage. "They got away."

Strangely, Petra just feels numb at that admission. However, the crippling sensation that overcomes her chest belies the unfeeling parts of her heart and soul. After all they have suffered and lost, how could the Female Titan escape? How was that right?

And then, her mind falls to the titan-shifter she remembers lying beside her at one point.

"What about Eren?" Her gaze lifts. She can't bear the thought that her boys would have died for nothing if the Female Titan achieved its goal of getting to Eren. Or that a mere child of fifteen had been brutally killed by that monster—a child who she failed to protect.

Captain Levi's expression doesn't change but Petra can see the slight tension easing out of his shoulders. "Kid's fine, that bitch titan nearly got him, but we managed to get him back."

"We?"

As if on cue, the door swings open and Eren Jaeger steps in gingerly, his head swivelling around the room before focusing straight on her. His green eyes widen and he rushes in, all but dashing towards her.

"Petra!" he calls out, his voice wavering as he approaches. "You're awake!"

Something in her heart squeezes and all she can feel is the relief that he is fine. She manages a weak tremulous smile. In the thirty days Eren Jaeger had joined them in the abandoned scout headquarters, she'd bonded with him, heard about his dreams of living a life without titans to see the world beyond the walls, and more importantly, to avenge his mother.

Behind him, Petra can make out the faint glimpse of a raven-haired girl with a red scarf entering the room. Briefly, Petra recalls seeing her once at the castle, constantly trailing after Eren. This, she thinks, eyes roaming over the girl's quiet elegant demeanour, is Mikasa Ackerman.

"I'm sorry," the boy cries out, dropping to his knees at her bedside, his hands trembling at his sides. "It's my fault!" Eren's eyes are glassy with unshed tears. "If only I made the correct choice, they'll be—"

"Eren," she interjects quietly, reaching out for his shoulder. The titan-shifter sniffles and his red-rimmed eyes tug at her heart. "It's not your fault, no one blames you. No one could have predicted how things would have turned out. I'm just glad you're okay."

Eren makes a sound similar to that of a child seeking comfort from a parent, and although her body is threatening her with growing nausea for overexerting herself, Petra leans closer to hug him.

"Oi," her captain barks, grabbing Eren by the cuff of his jacket collar and yanking him back from her side. "Don't touch her. She's still not well."

"Right!" Eren blinks hastily, shame clouding his features. "I'm sorry, I wasn't thinking!"

"Tch. Get out."

"Captain!" Petra protests but she is ignored.

"Yes, sir! But, uh, what about Commander Erwin? Won't he be coming later?"

At that, Petra blinks, her ears perking up in interest.

Captain Levi scowls, his lips curling. "You were supposed to keep that to yourself."

Eren flushes, his eyes darting to hers before he angles his head away as more apologies are rapidly spewed out. Sensing the captain's irritation, Mikasa Ackerman grabs Eren and tugs him out with such force that contradicts her skinny frame.

"Captain," Petra starts, taking stock of his defensive posture. "What did Eren mean? Why's the commander coming?"

Her captain glowers, his eyes gleaming with warning as he crosses his arms, retaking his previous insouciant posture at her side. "The Female Titan may have escaped but Erwin thinks we have another shot at capturing her."

"So Commander Erwin has a plan?"

"Yes." The captain looks as though the admission is dragged out of him forcibly.

"When?" she asks, throwing off the blankets covering her legs and torso, shifting her weight on the mattress. "Now?"

Captain Levi ignores her question, gaze narrowing. "Where the fuck do you think you're going?"

Petra shakes her head, breathing noisily through her nose, fighting the second wave of nausea when her hand brushes her bandaged ribs. "The meeting," she grits out. "I have to be there."

"No, you're not. So sit the hell down."

Her lips press into a thin line and Petra meets her captain's gaze without flinching. "Yes, I am," she says in a tone that brooked no arguments. When her captain lifts his chin, gunmetal eyes growing steely, she pushes on. "Captain Levi, please. You don't understand, I need to be there!"

"No."

"But—"

"Look, Ral. You're in no shape to be even lifting your ass off that bed."

"I know that, sir." Her eyes are turning glassy again but Petra refuses to back down. She won't compromise on this. Not when the ghosts of her family—of her boys—are haunting her mind with the last time she'd seen them alive. "But I owe it to them to help take the Female Titan down. I'm the only one left. You weren't there to see how… how…" her voice breaks and Petra inhales sharply, praying for the goddesses to grant her strength to continue.

He shifts on his feet, angling his face towards the window, giving her the side of his face. "You don't have to—"

"You didn't see how Gunther was killed, or how Eld was bitten in half," she rushes out. "Nor did you hear Oruo's screams. I did, Captain. And I have to live with the fact that while I'm here speaking to you, they're not." Her face almost crumples as she finishes but Petra holds herself back. She stares beseechingly at him. "Please."

Captain Levi's expression grows shuttered and Petra hates being the cause of that look on his face. But now, being a part of any plan to stop the Female Titan takes higher precedence than anything else. Even the feelings of love and devotion she has for him.

Petra refuses to let all those soldiers' deaths be in vain.

A muscle in his cheek twitches and his lids lower. "Fine," he concedes reluctantly, voice rough and sullen. "But if I hear a single squeak of pain from that trap of yours, I'm sending you straight back here."

"Thank you," she whispers, blinking hard. She pauses. "Could I…. could I say goodbye?"

The stricken way her captain's face contorts sends her heart hammering unsteadily. And it is only then that Petra realises how haggard and exhausted he looks. The bags under his eyes are darker, the lines around them are more pronounced and if she isn't wrong, there is a bitter sardonic edge in those grey depths.

"Captain Levi?"

"There isn't anything left of them," he says dully, shoulders hunching inwards. "Their bodies had to be left behind."

"Oh." That is all she can manage to say.

Captain Levi clears his throat and pushes his body away from the wall. "I'll get the nurse."

With that, Petra can only watch mutely as he makes his way across the room with purpose in his slightly limping gait. However, he stops at the doorway and looks back at her from over his shoulder. His mouth parts, and it's as though he wants to speak, to express something other than condolences and apologies.

But Petra knows that the captain has never been one for such words (there are times she doesn't think him capable of it). Instead, she relies on reading the wealth of emotions that swim turbulently in his gaze.

For all of his famous sayings of choosing decisions that will cause the least regrets, Petra can see that very emotion in his dead stare. What accompanies that weighted shadow is a million questions he will never breathe life into.

Petra smiles softly, and that action alone is her answer to the wordless questions he's levelled at her.

Captain Levi clenches his jaw. The storm in his eyes abates briefly before he gives a curt nod and walks out.

To Petra, hobbling down the stairs with a hairline fracture on her ankle and bruised ribs isn't as hard as it seems. It certainly is easier than the training required to use ODM. But with the added factor of her captain eyeing her critically for any signs of pain, and with Eren offering to carry her down every time she nearly loses her balance, Petra thinks it might actually be easier for her to slide down the steps on a wooden board.

The thought of that hurts, considering it's something she'd done with Oruo when they were children. Her eyes mist but Petra forces the well of emotions down. Later, she tells herself. She'll deal with her grief and take the time to mourn when the perpetrator is brought to justice.

"Thank you, Eren. I'm fine. I promise," she says, breathing slowly as she ignores the ache in her muscles and the throbbing at the back of her head. "And yes, I can manage the crutch on my own."

"But—"

"Oi, Eren, leave it," Captain Levi interrupts sharply, settling at the head of the table. "If Ral says she's fine, then she's fine."

The boy visibly deflates. "Oh, okay."

It doesn't take a genius to figure out despite no one holding the failure of the 57th expedition against him, Eren still has undertaken the burden for it. Petra merely sighs and gives the boy a gentle squeeze on his shoulder before moving to the chair at her captain's left. She can only watch forlornly as Eren seats himself at the other end of the table, his eyes fixed on the grainy patterns of the wood.

Putting her crutches aside and resting the length of them against the edge of the table, Petra looks up and stills. She hasn't realised it, but the sight of the vacant chairs around the table hits her hard.

From the way the captain sips at his tea, staring at nothing in particular, Petra knows she isn't alone. Before she can comment, the door opens and Commander Erwin steps in with his aide at his back, and three teenagers she recognises from the 104th, one of them being Mikasa.

"Petra?" The commander blinks as he catches sight of her. His blue eyes dart to her captain who promptly shakes his head as a response. Commander Erwin clears his throat, his thick blond brows furrowing heavily. "I've heard from Levi that you've awoken but I had thought you would still be in the infirmary."

"No, sir," she speaks, crossing a fist over her chest in salute. "Captain Levi has informed me that you may have a plan to capture the Female Titan. I hope that I can have your permission to be a part of this, to be of some aid in any way that I can."

Commander Erwin nods, his gaze softening with understanding. "Of course. Again, I am sorry about your team. But I am glad that you have made it. We thank you for your sacrifice."

"Thank you, sir." Petra lowers her gaze, uncomfortable with the way the kids from the 104th are gawking at her. With the help of a nurse, she's washed away the dirt and grime from her person and donned a loose dress that wouldn't be too constricting over her wrapped torso. However, the bandage around her head is something that cannot be missed. Nor the scrapes on her cheek and arms. Or even the glaringly huge cast protecting her ankle.

After hearing about the wounded who'd made it back, but had eventually succumbed to their injuries, Petra realises how lucky she'd been. Given this second chance at life, she is as committed as ever to serve humanity with every fibre of her being, to seize any opportunity that comes her way to eradicate the world of titans. Moreover, she will ensure that her boys had aided humanity, that their deaths weren't in vain.

"Enough with this bullshit. Spit it out, Erwin." Captain Levi sounds impatient and with the harsh set of his mouth, he is mere seconds away from threatening bodily harm.

"Very well." The Commander's eyes harden. "We believe we've found out who the Female Titan is."

"What?" Eren jerks in his spot.

"We will capture her this time." Commander Erwin vows and Petra shifts her attention to the three teenagers at his side. Like Eren, they'd lost the shine of innocence in their eyes despite only being fifteen. Together, all three of them paint the very picture of sombreness and yet… disbelief. They were practically adults possessing the bodies of children.

She watches as they take their seats, the commander rolling out a map over the table as his aide begins distributing copies of reports. Squinting, Petra eyes the landmarks and roads that speak of Stohess.

"We will do it the day after tomorrow while passing through Stohess District on our way to the capital," Commander Erwin decares, looking at everyone around the table. "This will be our first and last chance to capture her. Once on the other side, the government will take custody of Eren, and we'll have difficulty investigating those bent on destroying the Walls. Both of which will foster mankind's destruction. We'll have to bet everything on this operation."

At that, Petra can only stare flatly at the blurring words on the reports laid out in front of her. She had gambled, thinking everything would be fine before the 57th expedition, that her team would make it out unscathed as usual. Well, she'd lost, hadn't she? What was one more bet?

Even now, if she focuses enough, she thinks she can hear Eld's numerous witty remarks and Gunther's quiet laughter. Hell, she would do anything to hear Oruo and his bragging about being the best soldier in their squad. Beneath the table, her hand trembles and she digs her nails into her palm.

Around her, everyone nods in agreement and the commander goes on to share the details of his plan, of how Eren will be taking on the responsibility in luring the Female Titan underground. Eren agrees eagerly, his eyes shining with determination until he recoils in his chair upon hearing the person controlling the Female Titan could have trained with him in the 104th.

Petra stills, her eyes snapping to the other three kids who are watching the titan-shifter grimly.

The blond boy at Eren's side, Armin goes on to share his theory about their suspect. As he starts listing down his reasons for identifying the Female Titan as this particular cadet, Petra almost feels faint at the idea of a teenage girl being the orchestrator in the brutal massacres of her comrades.

An ugly part of her is itching to lash out at Armin for having such suspicions and for keeping them to himself until now. If only he'd acted sooner, had shared his misgivings with others, her team could still be alive. Petra closes her eyes as Eren starts to argue in defence for this girl—Annie Leonhart.

How many lives could they have spared if they acted on this information sooner?

Nevertheless, as Petra watches Armin's eyes go glassy, his lower lip trembling as he explains himself, she releases the tinge of resentment she feels towards him. This matter had been entirely out of her hands and adding to that, it's too late for such regrets. Nothing she says or does will bring her boys back. Furthermore, holding on to such negativity towards Armin who couldn't believe his friend had been a titan would do her any good.

And yet, this reasoning of hers doesn't aid in patching up the hole left by her squad's deaths.

Upon opening her eyes, she glances at her captain. At her side, he is as expressionless as ever, but Petra can see the tightening of his fingers as he grips onto the reports. Feeling the weight of her stare, his gaze flicks to hers and all she can do is force a weak smile onto her lips (though, Petra is pretty sure it comes off as a grimace instead).

Still, it helps and her captain releases the creased reports before leaning back in his chair.

Eventually, after ironing out more details and countering Eren's endless arguments about the possibility of Annie being the Female Titan, the meeting concludes with things to proceed as planned. The Raid on Stohess, as Commander Erwin had called it, would take place two days from now.

Unfortunately, due to the severity of her injuries, she's been forbidden to partake in the mission. Petra accepts this decision without much of a fight. Even though every fibre of her being is more than eager to help, to serve justice to the girl who has soaked her hands in the blood of her fellow soldiers, Petra knows she'll be more of a hindrance to everyone else if she is to set foot on the battlefield. But that doesn't mean she's okay with it.

"Let me join you in Stohess," she counters firmly, once she and the captain are alone. Petra ignores his scoffing and concentrates on taking steady steps back to the infirmary.

"No," Captain Levi snaps, tone brittle and waspish. "You'll remain here in Karanes. It's a direct order, Ral."

"But, sir, I'm not taking part in fighting the Female Titan," Petra argues as she uses her crutch to balance herself while she slips off her boot single-handedly. "And you know that I am capable of defending myself. I've had worse injuries before and with ODM, I can easily get myself out of danger."

"Real fucking funny," he utters dryly, glaring down at her. "You're never one to walk away from danger."

Sinking onto the mattress, Petra snorts, and belatedly, she realises it's the first proper smile she has since returning from the Titan Forest. Immediately, she stills and inhales sharply. The hollow pang punching her violently in the chest reminds her of the loss of her squadmates. Guilt is a bitter tang on her tongue. How could she be smiling when their murderer is still walking free without a care in the world?

"Now look here, Ral," the captain continues scornfully, his frown deepening. "You nearly got crushed by that bitch titan and you still wanna chase after her? You can't even walk without that." He gestures to the crutches with a jerk of his chin. "You'll just get in the way."

"I'm sorry, Captain," she starts, chewing on her lower lip and raises her gaze to meet his hooded ones. "But I have to go to Stohess to see her taken away with my own eyes. I owe it to them."

"Tch," he grunts, sneering. "You gonna use that shit excuse every time you want things your way?"

Her eyes widen. "Of course not!"

"It was a joke," he deadpans and Petra blinks hastily. It may be years, and while she may have figured out her captain's tells regarding his thoughts and emotions, the same can't be said for whenever he tries to make light of a situation.

"Ah, I see," she says and swings her legs onto the lumpy mattress.

"No, you don't," Captain Levi rolls his eyes, "you're a real shitty liar."

Again, she huffs out a laugh but the unwavering glare thrown in her direction sobers her up. "Please, Captain. I swear I won't get in the way at Stohess. Or if needed, I can aid in evacuating civilians."

Captain Levi grunts, grabbing her crutches and leaning them properly against the wall near the window. He pauses, throwing another filthy look her way. "I'll be a fucking phoney if I told you not to get involved, huh?"

Her eyes drop to the way he's favouring his right leg. She's more than aware that he would be at Commander Erwin's side the whole time in Stohess too. Knowing she has won, Petra hides her smile as she tugs at the sheets. "Yes, sir."

"Wipe that smirk off your mouth, brat," he says churlishly. "Fine, you can go. But if I see your pasty face near the Female Titan, you're deskbound for a whole-ass year."

"Deal." Petra beams and settles against the pillows, watching as he pivots on his heel and begins to stomp out of the room. After a brief war with herself, Petra gives in and calls out, "Captain?"

He stops at the doorway and turns to look at her over his shoulder. "What?"

"Would you," she pauses, hesitating, her voice growing softer, "would you mind staying till I, um, fall asleep?"

Petra is an elite soldier, she might even consider herself a veteran, but after the events of the past forty-eight hours, she doesn't think she can close her eyes and not see the Female Titan in her dreams, ripping away everything she holds dear.

A long silence ensues and she is more than ready to rescind her suggestion, to pretend the words have never left her mouth when Captain Levi walks to the chair at her side.

"Tch. Fine."

Hiding her surprise, Petra pulls the blankets up, ever aware of his intimidating and yet, captivating presence. Despite it all, with him near, she feels safe. Beneath her dress, the cotton strips around her chest itch against her skin but with how preoccupied her mind is on the things she wants to say, Petra ignores it.

"Captain?"

"What now?" he grumbles and the surly edge in his voice almost makes her smile.

"Thank you."

"What the fuck for?"

She presses her lips together. With it approaching midnight and the lone candle flickering at the bedside table, she can barely make out his features. Good. "Thank you for finding me," she murmurs, turning so that her eyes are fixed on the ceiling and the dancing shadows caused by the flame. "Thank you for saving me and for bringing me home," she adds in a tone softer than a whisper.

Captain Levi remains quiet. She doesn't think she can even hear him breathe.

Petra wonders if he's still in the room with her.

A quick peek in his direction answers her question. Yes, she can make out the faint outline of his body sitting at her side, arms folded over his chest. Silence reigns and Petra doesn't know how long it's been since she last spoke. She's about to drift off when—

"Petra."

"Sir?" She sighs, the lazy beckoning of slumber pulling her consciousness away inch by inch from the present.

"Your father… he, uh… found me when we came back from the expedition. He said that…"

"Hmm?" she hums sleepily.

"He said that in your latest letter… Never mind. Forget it."

"Mmm, 'kay." With that, Petra gives into the welcoming embrace of sleep.

She doesn't dream of titans or her fallen friends.

Not for the first time, she listens as Jean Kirchstein complains about being a decoy for 'that suicidal maniac' and that in no way does he desire to wear a wig that makes his scalp itch. Petra waits and soon enough, Eren Jaeger begins yelling across the room that it'll be impossible for anyone to believe that Jean and his 'horse face' looks remotely like him.

Petra gathers that this animosity between both boys is the lingering resentment of an unrequited crush on Jean's part for Mikasa Ackerman.

Apparently, the stoic girl only has eyes for her childhood friend, Eren, and is whole-heartedly devoted to his welfare. Petra doubts the girl is even aware of the emotions the taller boy has for her.

However, Eren Jaeger is completely oblivious to how the girl feels and is more concerned and focused on the titan threat. Petra even catches the way he waves Mikasa off for nagging him about things that he doesn't care about. Such as his safety.

This, Petra surmises, is a love triangle of epic proportions.

In the grand scheme of things, such quarrels are considered trivial and ridiculous, but to Petra, it is a sort of normality she has missed since Trost has been invaded. But with how similar her love life is (or the lack of it due to how she feels for her captain), Petra can't comment or provide any advice to the trio.

"Well, it's not like I'm dragging everyone down to die with me!"

"Oh yeah, say that again, Horse Face! I dare you!"

Jean growls, and Petra almost grins at the way he glances at the corner of his eyes to see if he has Mikasa's attention. Unfortunately for Jean, the girl has her sights focused on oiling her ODM gear as she listens to Armin who is on his third anxious rant of the morning.

Petra can hardly blame him.

The day of reckoning has come for Annie Leonhart.

Even though they have three different plans in place, Petra isn't naive enough to believe that things would be smooth sailing. There are so many things that could go wrong, considering how they mostly rely on Eren being able to face the Female Titan with no holds barred. Because at the end of the day, Eren had trained and served in the cadet corps with this girl. Bonds formed during three years of service in the military aren't so easily destroyed. Petra can only hope that Eren knows what his duty demands of him.

Pushing her hair away from her face, Petra smiles reassuringly at Armin. Soon, the MPs will arrive and begin to escort them to the capital. She straightens her loose blouse that is tucked into a long flowing skirt that reaches a few inches above her ankles. Spending the whole of yesterday gearing her battered body to prepare for Stohess had been taxing. But the determination to see this through had been a driving factor that allowed her to move without much aid (except for her crutches).

Like she'd reminded her captain two days ago, she has had worse injuries than the ones she's currently ailing from. There was that one time her horse had thrown her off due to Oruo putting a mouse in her satchel. From that incident, she'd gotten a broken tailbone and a dislocated shoulder with a concussion. Or the other time when her cables had twisted mid-flight and she'd crashed hard into another cadet before tumbling down through several branches. She thinks she might have been off duty for three months just from that event.

For her boys, Petra will brave through anything.

"Jean, put the wig on," she instructs, her voice interrupting the beginning of a fight as the taller boy has his hands fisted into the collar of Eren's shirt. "They'll be here soon. You three ought to leave now. The MPs cannot see you." The last bits are directed to Eren and his two friends.

Jean grumbles mulishly but does as she says, slipping on the matted black wig on his head while the trio starts to fasten their ODM devices and rain cloaks. They manage to leave with moments to spare before the MPs barge through the doors, lining the hallway with grim condescending faces.

"Let's go, Eren," Petra says, gesturing for Jean to lead the way.

As they enter their assigned carriage, she catches a glimpse of her captain at the commander's side. Unlike Commander Erwin in his uniform, the captain is dressed in civilian clothing once more, and she can't help but admire the fine cut of his dark suit that highlights his lean form.

Captain Levi turns and their gazes lock. He scowls but gives a resigned nod of acknowledgement. Despite agreeing to let her come, she knows he still isn't happy with her decision and his giving in.

Petra returns his nod as Jean guides her up the steps of the coach.

Through their journey, they sit in silence, and with the horses pulling them closer to Stohess with every trot, Petra prays that things would go according to plan. With how much the scouts are putting on the line, they cannot afford for this to go sour.

It isn't long when they pass the gates of Stohess that Jean speaks up. "Hey, um, Petra?"

She turns, tucking a lock of her hair behind her ear. "Yes?"

He ducks his head. "I heard about your squad… I'm sorry that the rest of us weren't of much help."

As it's wont to do, her heart constricts at the mention of her boys. It may have been days and while she has accepted their deaths, the reality of their loss still sits keenly with her.

"You don't have to apologise, I doubt there's much you could have done against her," she says, gaze tracing a particularly nasty cut along her forearm. "I believe that if you were there, you might have died too. None of us was prepared for this. Who would have thought humans were capable of being titans?"

Jean manages a weak smile but whatever response he might have given is interrupted with the abrupt glare of hot bright light. The thunderous sound of lightning striking down from the sky sends chills down her spine and Petra slides the window open.

Everything is electrified.

Her gut twists.

She hopes that it is Eren who has shifted and not Annie.

The carriage comes to a halt and Petra can hear shouting from the MPs on their horses and cries of disbelief spreading through the ranks.

"What's going on out there?" Jean demands urgently but she ignores him at the sight of Commander Erwin stepping out of his coach, a hard look in his gaze.

"Nile! Deploy all troops immediately!" the commander directs firmly, his blue eyes gleaming with anticipation and determination. "We should assume a titan has appeared."

Nile Dok gapes and begins protesting that it isn't possible considering they are in Wall Sina. He is proven wrong when the distant echo of screams and demolished buildings hit their ears. The Commander of the Military Police pales, his face taking on a waxy sheen.

"Argh, that's it!"

Before Petra knows it, Jean has all but kicked the door to their carriage open and leaps out, his cloak in his hand as he shoves past an MP who tries to stop him. "I'm done playing dress-up!" he hollers, ripping off the wig and running across the road.

Hastily gathering the folds of her skirt, Petra scrambles out and chases after him "Jean, wait!"

"Commander, I want to help too!" The former 104th cadet begs, eyes flashing with fire and grit, and it isn't long before he's dashing off to be outfitted with ODM from the 4th Squad stationed nearby.

"Erwin, what the hell was that?" Nile Dok demands, his face turning red just as another scout comes bearing a case of ODM gear. "Hold on, Erwin!" the weedy man squawks indignantly as Commander Erwin calmly slides on his gear.

"All able-bodied soldiers, follow me!" Commander Erwin orders, his voice carrying over the square and Petra doesn't miss the way the blond emphasizes the words 'able-bodied'. She refrains from making a face. "We're going to rendezvous with the Capture Squad!"

"Erwin! Stop!" Nile shouts, holding up his rifle and directing the barrel at his counterpart. "You're committing a clear act of treason against the Royal Government!"

Petra blinks, acutely remembering why the Survey Corps always held a low opinion on the Military Police Regiment. A titan is on the loose, rampaging through Stohess and creating utter havoc and all Nile Dok cared about was the rules? Honestly.

Even now, she can hear the increasing volume of screams and shouts in the vicinity. They are accompanied by the groaning of granite towers crumbling to mere blocks as clouds of dust and soot disperse through the air. The raging flames of the fallout spread, devouring everything in its path with greedy scorching licks that leave nothing but ash and debris in its wake. She can even make out the sight of some of the MPs on the rooftops gawking at the disaster.

Screw it. Petra makes a move for the ODM she'd secretly stashed in the carriage the previous night. She is dimly aware of the escalating tension between the two commanders but pays them no mind as she clips on her harnesses and tightens the straps that secure the gas canisters and blades to her hips.

"Ral, what the fuck?" Petra turns to see the captain glaring at her.

"I'm sorry, Captain," she whispers and releasing the catch on the device, she takes off.

The wind flies against her face, the air thick with despair and terror as she weaves past semi-destroyed buildings, following the carnage left behind the Female Titan as it cleaves through Stohess, heedless of the destruction it's caused.

No, her eyes flash, Petra won't allow the deaths of her comrades and the sacrifices they have made to be in vain.

Up ahead, she catches glimpses of the grotesque form of the bitch titan (as her captain so aptly called it) and the few scouts doing their best against it. Her hair whips around her face and her weakened body protests against the extra load of her ODM and blades it's forced to carry. Ignoring it all, Petra focuses on the last moments she had with her team back in the Titan Forest and it fuels her, pushing her forward to see this through.

The fact that she sees no sign of Eren or his titan form causes her heart to sink. Any previous hope she has that Eren had prevailed in the beginning is squashed.

Regardless, Petra will carry out her duty.

She can hear Jean yelling at Armin, his voice lost amongst the uproar in Stohess as they chase after Annie. A blur of black zips through the air and for a brief moment, Petra thinks that her captain has made it, but the feminine yell reveals it to be Mikasa.

Together, the trio lunge towards Annie, but despite their combined efforts, they are no match for the Female Titan who is too adept and knowledgeable in ODM tactics and formations. Fortunately, from the briefing three days ago, Petra recognises this lane as to where Plan C is to take place.

True enough, Hange yells, popping up from behind a chimney. Bolts of cables are shot, winding themselves around the Female Titan as its metal arrowheads pierce through flesh. A net of nails is released and with that, Annie is pinned to the ground. Unfortunately, their triumph is short-lived. With a violent kick, Annie manages to free herself and is on the move once more.

Ever the quickest to react, Mikasa Ackerman goes in for the kill, her lithe form is a mere streak of red and black as she spins and slices at Annie's titan form whenever there is an opening. Recognition hits and Petra likens her movements to the way her captain kills in battle. Before she's given more time to ponder on the similarities, Mikasa is kicked in the gut while turning mid-air.

Just as the younger girl falls, tumbling down to the ground, Petra steps in.

Unsheathing her blades, she moves, diving for the ankles and the back of the Female Titan's knees. This is for Gunther, she vows silently and gives a series of violent swings and well-executed manoeuvres that allow her to fly out of the way as Annie falls on her front, hot vapour rising from the chunks of flesh Petra has hacked off.

Without waiting, Petra spins, fury rushing through her veins as she digs her blades into Annie's right shoulder, effectively slicing an arm off. That's for Eld, she adds, gritting her teeth.

Beneath her, Annie screeches as she struggles to rise to her feet but Petra is relentless. Adrenaline courses through her blood, and Petra viciously does the same to the other arm. And that was for Oruo! She uses her blades as a crutch, the tips sinking into flesh as she limps her way up.

"Remember me?" Petra whispers, standing over Annie's nape, exchanging her blades for a new set from the holsters at her hips.

Annie jerks, angling her head to look up. With the way those ice-blue irises contract for the barest of seconds, Petra can surmise that yes, Annie does remember her from the forest.

"Good."

Remembering the way the Female Titan had focused on healing one eye over the other, Petra quickly takes the opportunity to swing her blades down—

Only to encounter crystallised flesh.

The metal remnants of her broken knives fall around her and Petra curses furiously. But the warning bells in her head that have always served her well starts ringing. Driven by pure instinct, she flies off, seeking temporary safety against the side of a brick wall, just as Annie lurches, bucking hard. Her newly regenerated arm swipes over her nape where Petra had stood mere moments ago.

Teeth gnashing, Petra can only watch in helpless frustration as Annie is back on her feet once more, looking no worse for the wear. Her eyes widen as a foot is thrown in her direction, and the fact that this is a literal repeat of the Titan Forest has her stilling, her blood freezing in her veins.

"Petra!"

Arms grab her by the waist and she's flown to safety where the rest of the scouts are waiting.

Limp with exhaustion, her knees buckle and Petra staggers back into Jean and Mikasa who are holding her up with concern and dismay on their faces. But most of all, Petra cannot believe she has failed. Around her, she can hear the murmured whispers of awe that she, the lone survivor of Squad Levi (not including the captain) is still up and hellbent on taking down the Female Titan despite the severity of her injuries, that she'd almost done what the others couldn't do.

"Petra, what were you thinking!" Hange Zoë rounds up to her and demands. "Levi is going to have your head!"

Petra simply shakes her head and watches as Annie flashes them a look eerily similar to that of a smirk before taking off.

With her bones heaving and her muscles screaming, she squeezes her eyes shut and does all she can to ignore the terrible throbbing at her temples. She has failed. She froze at the time where it counted the most.

Eld, Gunter and Oruo. Her head hangs and tears spill down her cheeks. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry I failed.

"Look!" A scout shouts.

The sudden wave of heat rushing in their direction has her eyes snapping open and Petra gapes as hope blooms like flowers in the spring after a long, arduous winter. Flashes of lightning and thunder erupt, bathing the ruins of Stohess in shades of yellow and green; they are the telltale signs of the emergence of a titan.

A bestial roar is released and Petra's heart soars as Eren, in his titan form finally appears.

The showdown between both titans is every bit captivating and horrifying as she thought it would be. With the savage removal of limbs, brutal violent punches and throws, and the usage of their surroundings to gain the upper hand on each other, it is every bit the horror show titans are known for. Petra doesn't allow her thoughts to dwell on the dead from this skirmish. Instead, on autopilot, she flies with the scouts and watches as Eren takes beating after beating from Annie, who is growing more desperate and anxious by the minute.

Just as she thinks Eren might be done for, he erupts in a fresh burst of fury, his limbs regenerating at a speed she's never seen before and tackles his opponent down. The impact of that throw has them sliding near the edge of the wall, sending whole blocks of houses flying. Somehow, Annie manages to escape from Eren's grip and climbs up the wall, scrabbling at the bricks with her crystalised fingers. Her plans for evading capture are foiled with Mikasa slicing through her knuckles.

What happens next might be a scene for the history books as Eren rips his counterpart into pieces. The screams that Annie releases as Eren claws at her face causes shivers to crawl up her spine, but no matter how barbaric and bloodthirsty his actions are, Petra cannot look away.

She doesn't look away when Annie is torn apart, her mangled form screeching as limbs and titan gore fly in all directions. And just when Petra thinks Eren might eat Annie after tearing out her nape, a flash of brilliant blue light appears, blinding everyone.

Petra doesn't know the phenomenon that just occurred. She can only crouch and shield her eyes from the storm. However, when the dust finally settles, all that is left are the skeletal remains of the titan-shifters. With Jean aiding her down the roof, she hobbles towards the square where the remaining scouts have congregated to gape at the aftermath.

Immediately, her gaze falls onto the huge crystallized rock that houses a blonde girl with sharp angular cheekbones and pretty delicate features. Petra can only stare. Unknowingly, she moves forward, her eyes tracing over the girl—the Female Titan, Annie Leonhart.

How could this girl be the architect of so much destruction?

At her side, Jean yells, unsheathing his blades. "ANNIE! GET THE HELL OUT OF THERE!" He begins ferociously attacking the crystal with a maniacal gleam in his brown eyes. His hands begin to tremble as his blades are reduced to shards of metal. "All the shit we've been through and this is what we get? The silent treatment? Oi, Annie! Don't be a coward! Get the fuck out!"

"That's enough." Captain Levi's voice is flat as he clasps a hand onto Jean's shoulder. "It's over."

Over.

Petra meets her captain's cold gaze, his words ringing through her ears. Over. Yes, they've managed to capture the Female Titan. With her body practically running on fumes and relying on the sheer desire to avenge her fallen comrades, it comes to no surprise that with the fight over, she feels the full impact of her inflamed wounds.

Her body reaching its limit, her shoulders slump and Petra finally gives in to exhaustion. Knees buckling, she crumples to the ground, or she would have had it not been for her captain catching her. His grip around her bicep is tight but after the events of today, she doesn't mind. Petra doesn't even have to look at him to know the state of his mood. The angry volatile energy that surrounds him is more than enough.

Mutely, they watch as Hange organises their soldiers to drag Annie Leonhart underground.

Despite accomplishing their mission of capturing the Female Titan, Petra can tell everyone is aware that their victory is bittersweet. With Annie in her crystal and no way to get her out to talk, the whole operation almost feels pointless. They may have immobilized her and the threat she poses, but the mounting number of unanswered questions and the ruins of Stohess outweighs it all.

Like a double-edged sword.

"Oi, let's go."

Petra nods. Clutching onto her captain, she limps along with him, the day's activities have pushed her too much and it's taking all of her strength not to drop to all fours to crawl. Thankfully, Captain Levi must have sensed her limitations and allows himself to be a human replacement for her crutches.

No more words are exchanged as he leads her to the medical wing. As a nurse fusses over her for reopening her cuts and aggravating her bruised ribs and further fracturing her ankle, Petra can only avoid her captain's furious glower by lowering her head and keeping her eyes to the ground.

After being given new bandages and a set of crutches that she fully makes use of, Petra trails after the captain who leads her to the underground basement of the Scout Headquarters in Stohess. It is where the scouts have secured Annie.

Together, they stand side by side, looking up at Annie's sleeping face encased in titan crystal. The flickering flames from the torches on the walls gleam over the jagged edges of the rock and Petra itches to touch it. She wonders if Annie is aware of their presence.

Again, to think that this girl—this child—had been responsible for the murder of her boys is near-unthinkable.

Petra turns away, unable to face the Female Titan any longer.

She doesn't think the crippling grip grief has over her heart will ever abate.

Moving her attention to her captain, she notes the tense way he holds himself. The rage in his eyes are barely repressed and the downturn of his mouth speaks volumes about his current emotional state. Hesitating because this could backfire on her spectacularly, Petra reaches out slowly and lays a hand over his shoulder, squeezing gently.

It is a gesture of comfort and nothing more. She's done the same to countless people, but with her captain, it feels like something taking flight in her gut for the first time.

At her touch, Captain Levi relaxes, his fists uncurling.

She bites back a smile.

Now, to address the other tension in the room.

"Captain Levi," Petra starts hesitantly. "I'm sorry about disobeying you." At the look he throws her, she hastily continues, meeting his sardonic glare without flinching. "But I'm not sorry for my actions. If I was given a choice, I'll do it all over again."

Her captain scoffs. "That's a shitty apology."

"I know. But I won't lie to you, sir. I'll understand if you were to send me for a disciplinary hearing."

Captain Levi is silent, his narrowed eyes contemplating her for what seems like an eternity. His lashes flicker and he sneers. "You're a complete idiot if you think I'm not tying you to a chair for the next month."

Petra blinks and she laughs.

The tightness around her heart lessens.

Notes:

Much thanks to the folks over at tumblr for being such an incredible group of support and encouragement + the hype lol 👀 you guys are the best! Again, thank you all for reading and I hope you enjoyed this spin as we are totally diverging away from canon at this point! The next arc would be the clash of titans and I believe it's only going to have 1 chapter so there's that! As always, let me know what you guys think 💖

I hope that most of everything is close to canon considering how much fact-checking I had to do, plus the open tabs of fandom wiki asfgjajskd 😂

Chapter 4: Clash of the Titans

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

The rim of Petra's cup might be chipped and worn, but it's still a cup filled with soothing green tea that allows her to sit and drink with her captain at her side. Cradling the porcelain sides, she looks out of the window, enjoying the orange hues of the sunset staining the sky.

It is odd, she thinks, that after the events of the day—the rampage in Stohess, the confrontation with Annie, the dead and wounded strewn all along the streets—the sky could still look so breathtaking as it beckons the gentle embrace of the night.

"Fucking disgusting," Captain Levi grumbles, slamming his cup down onto the table. "Should have known they'll use shit leaves like this."

She huffs out a laugh, the bitter tang of the tea gracing her tongue, but Petra still drinks it. If anything, she's just grateful that she has the chance to sit and breathe—to just be in the moment.

"Well, I think Nanaba tried her best," Petra says loyally, thinking of her friend from Squad Mike.

Her captain grimaces. His lips curl as he glowers darkly at his cup. "Of course it's them. With how Mike's always sniffing around like a damn dog, he should've been able to tell good tea from the shitty ones. Fucker probably did it to spite me."

Petra grins and leans back in her chair. The friendly rivalry between her captain and Squad Leader Mike was hardly a secret among the older members of their regiment. "Well, Captain," she starts teasingly. "I've heard that Squad Leader Mike is still peeved that you've replaced him for the title of Humanity's Strongest."

Captain Levi scoffs and rolls his eyes. He turns to face her, an arm resting over the back of his chair. "Ral, you know I fucking hate that title." A beat later, he gives her a measuring glance. "Since when do you talk to Mike?"

"Oh, no, Captain," Petra hastily rushes out at his unflinching stare. "You know that I have monthly outings with Nanaba and Lynne back in Trost on our off days."

He grunts. "Figures. Though with how Nanaba's fucking around with Mike, you'll think she'll keep her trap shut."

Petra's cheeks turn crimson.

"I wasn't aware you knew about that," she says haltingly, finding it hard to meet her captain's inquiring but knowing gaze.

"Tch. I'm not blind, Ral. Pretty sure Erwin knows too."

"What?" she sputters, leaning forward, which results in her almost tipping her cup over. "He does?"

"Yeah." The captain grunts and tugs at his cravat. "Let's hope for the sake of those 104th brats that they're keeping it in their pants."

Petra furrows her brows. "The 104th? Why—"

Captain Levi shifts his jaw, his brows knitting harshly. "Mike and his squad are watching them in the southern district near Sina."

"Sina?" she echoes. "Why? What's going on?"

"Erwin thinks there might be another titan-shifter amongst that group."

Petra stills. The air whooshes out of her lungs as though she's been dealt a staggering blow to her chest. Another titan-shifter? Like Annie Leonhart?

"Who?" she demands. "Who does the commander think it could be?"

Her captain shrugs. "Don't know. It's just a suspicion at this point. But Erwin thinks it's all connected to the fall of Wall Maria."

"Well, I'm sure Squad Mike is more than equipped to deal with these titans," Petra says weakly. But even to her own ears, she knows her attempt to be optimistic is just a way to reassure herself.

Captain Levi grunts.

She can only stare numbly at the cup in her hands. With a start, she realises her fingers are trembling.

The fall of Wall Maria and the subsequent act of sending their citizens-turned-refugees to deal with the titans had been a severe blow to humanity. Upon hearing how the government had thought this the best way to deal with the rising food shortages, Petra had cried, imagining that it'd been her family forced out of the walls to be cannon fodder—to be sacrificed for the sake of humanity.

In the end, it'd bolstered her spirit and determination to do all that she can to drive the titans out permanently. And if Petra had to give her life to the cause, so be it.

It may be slightly more than a month since she'd learned that humans are capable of being titans, that titan-shifters existed. And despite having seen Eren Jaeger transform with her very eyes when they occupied the abandoned castle in Wall Rose, Petra still finds it hard to believe.

But faced with the possibility that there had been more than one titan-shifter who'd knowingly infiltrated the Survey Corps was nothing short of terrifying.

"Does Commander Erwin think that the Armoured Titan is one of the kids from the 104th?"

Captain Levi raises a brow. "And so what if it is?"

"I…" She raises her gaze, meeting her captain's flat, dull eyes. "I don't understand how they can be capable of taking innocent human lives. Aren't these titan-shifters human too?" Petra's shoulders slump. "That titan-shifter, Annie Leonhart. She's just a girl." And she'd killed Eld, Gunther and Oruo.

The captain clenches his jaw, and the lines around his eyes deepen. It's as though he has heard the words she hasn't said aloud.

"Tch," Captain Levi scoffs. His grip on his cup tightens. "Then it means you know shit about humans, brat."

Petra frowns. "Sir?"

"If you ever take a visit to the Underground, you'll be fucking surprised. Most of the people there are animals."

Ever since she's joined the Corps, she's heard the many tales that follow her captain. From how he'd been a criminal before Commander Erwin blackmailed him into joining the Scouts or that he'd been a supplier of illegally acquired ODM devices in the black market, hence, Commander Erwin's intervention. Although, the most popular rumour Petra has heard is how Captain Levi had been born there, that he'd crawled his way up from the Underground.

Petra stares. Is this her captain's way of confirming that rumour? Or is he merely referencing occasions where he'd visited the city for missions? Regardless, Petra will never breathe a word of this to anyone. She'll take it to the grave.

"Well, I suppose that makes sense," she starts hesitantly. "There's that serial killer who murdered members of the Military Police years ago, Kenny the Ripper. He's never been caught till now, has he?"

Captain Levi pauses. For a moment, Petra wonders if she imagines the way he stiffens in his chair or how his eyes have darkened with something like recognition.

"Captain?" she prompts carefully, tilting her head.

"No," he finally says shortly, tone bland. "He hasn't."

Before she can reply, a scout bursts into the room, his eyes are wild and frantic as he thumps his curled fist against his chest in salute. "Captain Levi, sir! The Fourth Squad urgently requests your presence!"

"What now?" Captain Levi snaps as he tosses an irritated look towards the messenger. "Does Mobilt need help in restraining Shitty Glasses again?"

"No, sir! There's a titan in the walls!"

Petra freezes. She is unsure if she's heard the scout right.

"What?" Abruptly, her captain pushes himself away from the table. With one violent yank, the scout is pulled by his jacket lapels to meet Captain Levi's heavy-lidded glare. His knuckles turn white from how tightly he's gripping the scout. "What did you say?" he hisses dangerously.

"It's true, sir!" The messenger is practically shaking in his boots as he speaks. "From the fight between the two titans, parts of the wall had crumbled, revealing another titan's face!"

Petra doesn't wait for her captain. Grabbing her crutches, she hauls her aching body out of the chair and hobbles out. Bypassing the many hallways of the Scout's stronghold in Stohess, she exits the building and makes her way to the town square where Eren had defeated Annie hours earlier.

Blind to her decimated surroundings or how the MPs are gathering the fallen and the wounded citizens, she limps forward. Behind her, she is dimly aware of Captain Levi trailing after her. However, as she approaches the edge of the wall, Petra can only stare at the animated group of civilians and scouts gaping up and—

There.

Petra comes to a stop; her jaw slackens as her eyes spot the gaping hole in the wall. There, as clear as day, she can see parts of a titan's face as it stares passively down at them. Disbelief courses through her veins, and she cannot understand how this is possible.

All this while, have they been protected from titans by titans in the walls?

Her knees feel weak at that realisation.

Unable to wrap her mind around it, Petra turns to her captain. Through her years in the military serving under him, she has long known that he is hardly ever taken by surprise. Be it in the field or their barracks; Captain Levi deals with everything that comes his way with the same scowl and bland-sounding tone.

Instead of being graced with that familiar glare on his angular features, Petra takes in the way Captain Levi's eyes are heavily lined and shadowed as he stares grimly up at the titan. The way he furrows his brows and how his lips are parted speaks volumes about his struggle to accept this new undeniable piece of their reality.

Petra is glad to know she isn't the only one who's stunned into speechlessness at this harrowing sight.

Not far away, she spots Hange grappling with a pastor from the Church of the Walls. Decked in his black robes and gold jewellery, the priest is wide-eyed and ashen as he gestures frantically at the titan.

Beyond the walls, twilight is slowly approaching, painting its ribbons of pink and purple shades against the darkening sky. However, her attention is caught by a scout on horseback riding through the streets. Any other day, she might have brushed it off, but the urgency and desperation the scout emits from his stricken expression calls out to her.

"Hey!" Petra shouts, gaining the messenger's attention. "What's wrong?"

The scout pauses, yanking hard on his reins. His frantic gaze darts to the man at her side. The scout relaxes, and he fists a trembling hand against his chest. "Sir!"

Even in civilian clothing, Captain Levi is easily recognised by members of the Scout Regiment.

"What is it?"

The scout swallows roughly. "The titans! They have been spotted in Wall Rose!"

At her side, Captain Levi lets out a string of curses so filthy that it even makes the messenger flinch. Petra, on the other hand, can only blink.

True to her captain's nature, he doesn't knock before entering the commander's study.

Behind him, Petra hobbles in sheepishly and manages a clumsy salutation.

"Too fucking bad those damn titans can't give us a break, eh?" Captain Levi remarks flatly and slams the door shut.

Always one to cut to the chase, the Commander turns from his spot near the windows. His blue eyes are alight with fire. "Can you go?"

Head snapping to her captain, Petra holds her breath.

She knows without a doubt that Captain Levi will answer the Commander's call to face the titans.

But would she be allowed to go too?

With her injured body pushed beyond its limit from her attempt at taking Annie down, Petra knows she's in no shape to be off fighting titans. She would only be dead weight, and hence, it would make the most sense for her to stay behind in Stohess. But first and foremost, Petra is a soldier. Her place is at the battlefield where the action is. She may not be able to fight, but surely she can provide aid in planning out battle formation and tactics.

With all that she's familiar with changing by the minute, Petra refuses to be left behind. She can't. She needs to be involved. Plus, after all that she's lost, Petra doesn't want to be separated from her captain because deep in her heart, a part of her is afraid she'll lose him if she isn't by his side. Petra had failed her boys. She can't fail her captain too.

Fully committed to remaining at her captain's side, Petra gets ready to protest his inevitable decision to leave her behind.

Captain Levi pauses. His head shifts ever so slightly to his right so that he can meet her gaze. Those steel grey eyes flicker with an emotion she can't decipher before they harden, and Petra's heart falls. With that one look, she knows his answer.

Her stomach sinks, and she swallows thickly.

"It's not like I have a choice," he mutters and lifts his chin. "But I doubt Ral, and I would be of much use. If titans have really breached Wall Rose, we'll be ordering soldiers around and providing backup to Ehrmich. Other than that, we'll just be sitting around on our asses."

Petra gasps.

Has she heard her captain right?

Commander Erwin blinks. "The Military Police Brigade will be assisting us in those aspects."

Captain Levi scoffs. There is no mistaking the derision in his tone. "Tch. I won't even trust them to wipe my ass after taking a dump."

The commander stills. Those piercing blue eyes—that never missed anything, which has always reflected the cunning mind that repeatedly circumvents the political machinations of the military and has pushed the Scouts to more significant standing—darts to her for the briefest of minutes. They then flit back to the captain in a calculating manner.

From his spot behind his desk, and with the flames of the candles casting a large shadow against the window, Commander Erwin further narrows his gaze.

Giving no quarter, Captain Levi stares flatly back at him.

To Petra, it feels as though a wholly different sort of conversation is being conveyed through the air. It is a conversation she is not privy to.

In the end, Commander Erwin backs down. He gives a curt nod. "If the two of you are joining us, you ought to get a move on. We're leaving now."

Wordlessly, Petra can only give the blond commander a mute salute before she chases after her captain in the hallway. "Captain Levi!"

He doesn't stop. "What?"

"I…" she trails off haltingly. "I didn't think you would have let me come with you."

The captain throws her a sharp look over his shoulder. "Knowing you, Ral. You would've found a way to sneak along. I just thought I'd save myself the trouble of yelling when I find out."

Petra's cheeks redden at that relatively accurate assessment.

"Ah, I see," she says lamely.

"Oi," he snaps abruptly. "If you don't move fast enough, I'm leaving you behind. And if that happens, I don't want to hear you whining."

Petra snorts but quickens her speed.

Entering the stables, they settle onto the last cart that Eren and his two friends already occupy. Leaning against the coarse wooden sides of the cart, Petra smiles gratefully at Mikasa, who hastily shifts to make space for her.

"I didn't know you were coming, Petra," Eren asks, worry filling his eyes as he takes her crutches and rests them on the wooden boards that make up the floor of the cart.

She beams reassuringly at him. "You know I can't stay away from the action."

The titan-shifter frowns, mouth open to argue, but Mikasa steps in with a chiding glance. "You should've seen her earlier, Eren. She almost got Annie when none of us could."

"You did?" Eren demands, green eyes shining in awe.

Armin nods. His voice is tinged with a tremor of remorse. "After Mikasa was kicked in the air, Petra managed to bring Annie down by hacking her limbs off. It's just too bad about that hardening ability of hers, though."

Petra flushes at the admiring glances shot her way by the three kids from the 104th. Glancing up, she catches the quick flash of pride on her captain's face, and her cheeks redden further.

"It was nothing," she hastily murmurs and tucks her hair behind her ear. "I still failed where it counted."

"But you were injured!" Eren bursts out. "I'm sure if you weren't, you would've been able to take her on!"

Her heart falls a little at that. Petra remembers that despite working in tandem with Eld and Oruo to avenge Gunther, they still failed. And what's more, her boys had lost their lives in the process, leaving her alone to deal with the aftermath—to grieve them.

"Oi, brats, that's enough." Captain Levi's gruff voice sounds.

She looks up to see him tugging at his cravat. Her captain's arms are folded across his chest as he regards them with a cutting flint-like stare.

Immediately, Eren begins issuing a series of apologies that she hastily waves off with a forced smile. However, what lingers on her mind is the brief look of mutual understanding and grief she has seen in those dark depths.

Before Petra can ponder more on that slight softening in Captain Levi's eyes, Squad Leader Hange and a Wallist priest joins them in their cart. None too gently, Hange shoves the man to the captain's side before sliding onto the benches.

Petra recognises him to be the man who'd been yelling at the Fourth Squad earlier. She can only stare at the priest's heavily-lined face before her attention falls to the heavy looking gold chains around his neck. Petra may be religious, but she certainly isn't towards the Order of the Walls, who believe that interfering with the three walls is a sin.

"Um, what is a Wallist priest doing here?" Armin asks hesitantly.

"Oh," Hange grins, slapping their arm against the priest's stiff back. "Yes! Nick and I are the best of buddies, right?"

The priest grimaces.

"Don't let him bother you," Hange continues cheerfully. "The whole make-up of this squad doesn't make any sense. Does it, Levi?"

Her captain doesn't even bother looking in Hange's direction. "No, I think it might," he deadpans. "Erwin picked them out for a reason."

Petra purses her lips, eyeing the 104th scouts on her left. From Mikasa's placid youthful countenance to Eren's determined set of his jaw and Armin's furrowed brows as he gawks at the priest. If she squints, Petra thinks she can even see Jean right at the front at the gates.

She can't help but mourn the carefree children they had been before the reality of titans tainted the childhood they ought to have. With the stark visual reminder that children are being sent off to fight, Petra prays that this vicious cycle of wars and bloodshed will come to an end.

Unbiddenly, Petra thinks of Annie Leonhart and the lines she must have crossed to take the lives of humans so easily.

As the gate is raised and they begin their journey to Ehrmich, Petra cranes her neck back to stare at the walls. All her life, Petra has been taught that the walls are the only thing keeping humans safe from the titans that roam the outside world. And to think that there are hundreds of titans embedded in those grey bricks, that they could've broken free all this while, sends a chill of absolute fear down her back.

She thinks of her father's vegetable stall stationed near the wall, of how close he is to danger without even knowing. Petra makes a mental note to send more money for him to get a better spot near the gates that lead to the interior.

Around her, the sound of horses thundering along the weather-beaten path is all she can hear. That is until Eren breaks her out of her thoughts. "What? Did he know? There are titans inside the walls, and he already knows about it?"

That garners her full attention. Petra snaps her head back to the front to gape at the priest.

"Yes, however… " Hange frowns. There is an odd flash of desperation in their brown eyes. "He's kept his mouth shut this entire time. But now he's coming with us to witness the harsh reality. Will his beliefs remain strong enough for him to remain silent? Or will seeing it with his own eyes make him question himself?"

Typical of Eren and his hot-tempered nature, he gets to his feet and begins demanding answers. With every word that he yells, Petra feels them slam hard into her gut, reaching out to the part of her that has served the Survey Corps so fervently.

Yes, shouldn't saving the lives of innocent people be of higher priority than one's own beliefs?

Petra shudders and closes her eyes, trying not to think of the bodies she's seen strewn all over Stohess or the faces of her comrades being torn apart and eaten alive.

The sound of a gun being loaded catches her attention. Petra opens her eyes to see her captain with a pistol in his hand. Its barrel is pointed to the priest's side as he utters a threat to blow a hole into the clergyman if he doesn't start talking.

Petra can only blink at this rather thuggish display of her captain.

She's seen him with rifles, marvelled at his aptitude with knives and how he'd taken men down with his fists and knees. But a handgun that could easily fit in the inner pocket of his jacket? That spoke of experience and a sense of indulgence that leaned towards the gangs that occupied the more inferior parts of town.

That theory of Captain Levi being a notorious dealer in the black markets sound more plausible with every second that passes.

Of course, what floors her is how Hange guesses that the priest, and subsequently, the Order of the Walls, knows something more important than the fate of humanity.

She can see sweat beading on the pastor's temple as the weight of six pairs of eyes is levelled on him. His face blanches further when Hange continues their theory of the walls being made of hardened titan skin. The way Pastor Nick lowers his head and closes his eyes is a confirmation of everything.

Petra can only listen as Eren hesitantly agrees to figure out how to use his titan ability to block the holes in both Trost and Wall Maria. She can see the apprehension in his eyes as the pressure of the world is hefted onto his bony shoulders.

"I guess—"

"It doesn't matter what you think," Captain Levi interrupts coolly. His grey eyes are hard, his tone flat and grim. "You have to. There's no other choice."

Never mind that the captain is her superior; Petra might have kicked him in the shin for increasing the burden onto Eren's skinny frame. At this rate, she wouldn't be surprised if the fifteen-year-old keels over from the sheer number of responsibilities thrown to him just for being a titan-shifter.

Petra leans forward, her gaze pleading. "Captain."

Captain Levi flicks her a glance. "Don't coddle him, Ral. We're out of options." He tilts his head towards Eren, gaze narrowing. "Everyone is struggling. You have to succeed."

With the severity of his words belying his deceptively calm manner, Petra captures it as the moment which bolsters Eren's determination to help.

"I will! I'll do whatever it takes to seal the wall!" The titan-shifter declares with a jerky nod. He looks down and picks up the bronze key hanging around his neck. "The basement," he trails off. "My dad's basement."

Petra doesn't miss the exchange of worried glances between Mikasa and Armin as Eren friend begins talking about the basement in his home back in Shiganshina and the possibility of his deceased father holding all of the answers they are seeking.

It isn't long before they reach Ehrmich and Petra allows Captain Levi to help her off the cart. His grip is firm around her waist, but unfortunately, his hold is fleeting. Still, Petra savours the brief warmth of his body against hers. With a shy smile, Armin hands her crutches over. Any lingering resentment she feels towards the boy for his initial silence about the Female Titan's identity vanishes.

"Thank you, Armin," she smiles and squeezes his shoulder before carefully balancing her weight on one foot.

Petra may have the foreknowledge that the citizens of Ehrmich would be evacuated out of their homes should the titans succeed in breaking through the walls. Still, she has not expected the wave of crippling emotions to crash over her when she stares out at the crowd.

Misery is thick in the air.

Petra thinks she may even choke on it.

She can hear the wails of children, of soldiers calling for the citizens to leave their belongings behind. Everywhere she turns, Petra can see families huddling close together as they trudge towards the interior with their meagre belongings, their faces full of hopelessness and grief as they abandon everything they have known behind.

Petra closes her eyes. As a member of the Scout Regiment, she feels the staggering guilt of her failure to uphold her vow to the people. How many years has it been since she'd dedicated her heart to eliminate the threat the titans pose?

And till now, she has nothing to show for it.

Nothing except for the memories of the friends she'd lost ever since enlisting that hot summer day.

Bowing her head in a silent apology to Ehrmich's citizens, Petra pushes on.

Up ahead, Captain Levi has kicked the priest forward before he begins sneering and shooting disparaging remarks in the clergyman's direction. Even though despair and shame are apparent in his aged features as he gawks unseemly at the displaced crowd, Petra doesn't feel a twinge of sympathy for him.

Any compassion or respect she might have felt for the man has long disappeared after hearing how he and his order have knowingly withheld valuable information about the titans and their world, leading to the numerous deaths of innocent people over the years.

Lips thinning, Petra looks away.

Keeping her head bowed, she follows the group to the lifts that would bring them over the wall, knowing that this is where both she and Levi would part ways with the kids. Naturally, this is when the priest begins to speak after further pressure from Hange.

"I can't say anything," he murmurs and gives a string of excuses about how he and the other believers of the Order of the Walls do not have the authority to provide the information needed freely, that it's too great a decision for a single person to make. Brows knotting, Pastor Nick adds that the Order has only served and obeyed the sacred will, that they've been instructed to monitor someone under the aforementioned will.

"Monitor?" Hange echoes.

"That person has joined the Scout Regiment as of this year. Her name is Historia Reiss. She is also known as Krista Lenz."

Petra notes the way the three former cadets of the 104th gasps as recognition hits.

"Her?" Eren sputters, taking a step back.

"You must find her at once. Only she may know the truth which even we cannot perceive."

At the back, Petra can only close her eyes and slump her shoulders. Another teenager with the weight of the world resting on her shoulders? Petra cannot understand how much the universe has shifted that it's allowing the fate of humanity to depend on literal children.

Beside her, Captain Levi scoffs and churlishly mutters something under his breath about how cursed the 104th cadet corps is turning out to be. Petra suspects she's heard the words 'fucking brats' and 'damn kids', and despite the severity of their circumstances, she can't help the tiny smile that graces her lips.

"Wait." Hange pales. "If she's in the 104th, then she's deep in the front lines right now!"

"Then let's go!" Eren shouts and turns to the door.

Watching as the three kids begin strapping and hooking themselves up with ODM devices, more than anything, Petra wishes she can be out there with the rest of her comrades fighting the titans. If only she isn't injured, she could be out in Wall Rose doing her part as a scout. Flashes of memories hit her, and Petra imagines she can see the ghosts of her boys in her peripheral, heckling and teasing as they prepare for expeditions.

"Don't even think about it," her captain hisses in her ear.

She blinks. "Sir?"

"I know that look on your face, Ral." Captain Levi narrows his gaze. "You're not going."

Petra cracks a grin at the warning in his storm-filled eyes. "I wasn't, Captain. I know my limits, and I promise I'll be in your sights the whole time. Here," she reaches out and hooks her arm around his bicep. "There. Now you'll know if I wander off."

Exhaustion may be creeping up on her, hence her rather bold, impulsive action of looping her arm with his. It's a move that surprises them both. In fact, Petra is half-expecting the captain to brush her off.

He doesn't.

Instead, Captain Levi merely grunts. "Damn, brat," he mutters and looks away.

As much as her captain may grumble and moan and bitch about Eren and his two friends, Petra can see the way he cares for them in that brusque manner of his. Offering the trio words of advice related to their respective strengths and weaknesses further solidifies her observation and warms her heart.

With Armin, Mikasa and Eren listening attentively to the captain as he imparts his words of wisdom, Petra freezes when they turn expectantly to her.

Belatedly, she realises they're waiting for her to do the same.

"Um," she stammers, stiffening in her spot.

Petra has never been a leader. Instead, she's a follower. She is fully aware of the qualities that she possesses, and none of them includes being able to put one's own desires over the greater good (or at least most of the time). So what exactly can she offer?

And then, a particular memory hits.

"Trust your instincts," Petra finally says, echoing the words spoken to her by the man at her side from so long ago. "Let them guide you. They'll never let you down."

The trio nods solemnly. With that, they're off, taking the lift that will bring them over the wall. As she gazes at their retreating forms, Petra implores the goddesses with every fibre of her being that it won't be the last she'll see of them, that they'll return safe and whole.

"Instincts, eh? Who would have thought you were paying attention."

She flushes at that sardonic tone, keenly recalling the short speech Captain Levi had sneered at her when she'd first joined his squad.

"Yes, sir." Petra smiles and shrugs. "You were right. Whatever mistakes I've made, trusting my instincts have led me to this day." To be here with you.

Her captain's jaw slackens, and the way he flicks his gaze searchingly over her face makes her cheeks flush hotly. A muscle under his eye twitches, and the slight furrowing of his brows makes her breath catch.

To Petra, it feels like she's thrown back into the past, to that very first day she's seen him back in Trost—where he'd forever altered the course of her destiny.

Back then, she'd been but a starstruck teenager, disillusioned with the freedom and adventure Captain Levi, and by extension, the Survey Corps have represented. But now that she's found purpose in life, Petra is grateful to have been at that exact spot in the market at Trost.

She can't imagine what her life would be now had she not seen the scouts return.

"Petra." With how raw and guttural her name sounds from Captain Levi's throat, Petra stares at him with wide eyes as her lips part, her heart pounding from the way he's looking at her. "You—"

The sound of increased activity from their surroundings break their bubble.

Captain Levi clamps his mouth shut, and whatever emotions she's caught sight of in those grey irises, they vanish. As the captain silently ushers her to another wagon where they'll now head to Trost to regroup with the MPs stationed there, Petra's mind lingers on the possible words he'd wanted to say before he was interrupted. She decides not to dwell on it.

For the second time that night, Petra finds herself staring up at the walls as the horses pull them further away from Ehrmich. However, without Eren and his friends to distract her, Petra is painfully aware of the empty spots around her.

Those vacant spaces are a painful observation that her boys are no longer amongst the living. The jagged hole in her heart grows smaller by the day, but Petra knows the ache of their loss will never truly fade. From the corner of her gaze, she thinks she can see their ghosts watching her with grim but encouraging expressions.

Petra darts her eyes up to her captain. "What do you think the boys would've said about all of this?" she asks quietly.

His hooded gaze flicks to hers. "Something stupid." Her captain shrugs. "Bozad would have bragged about having suspicions even though his head is in his ass the whole damn time."

Her eyes mist. Yes, Oruo would have lightened the mood with his boastful remarks, and Eld would chime in with something equally idiotic, while Gunther would make that huffing laugh that often sounded like a wheezing cough. Her heart clenches at the memories that flood her brain, and Petra ducks her head and grips hard onto the edge of the bench until she's sure her knuckles have turned white.

"I miss them," she confesses in a tone softer than a whisper. "How is it fair that I got to live and they didn't?"

Captain Levi is silent, but she can feel the weight of his assessing stare on her.

"Life isn't fair," he finally answers. His tone is flat and deprecating. "In this wretched world we live in, bad things happen to good people. And there's nothing you can do but accept it and move on."

Despite the bluntness of his statement, Petra finds comfort in it.

"You're right, sir." She shifts on her spot, leaning her elbow on the side of the cart to keep herself steady from the rhythmic rocking done by the horses. Petra looks up and smiles gratefully. "You should rest, Captain. It'll be a while before we reach Trost."

"You should be telling yourself that," he says dryly, slouching insouciantly, mirroring her posture. "You're dozing off as you're speaking."

Is she?

With a start, Petra realises that she is. Her brain feels fuzzy, and her limbs, sluggish. Has she really been up for more than a day? After all that has happened, Petra finds it hard to believe that it's only been mere hours since she'd faced off against Annie in Stohess.

"Get some sleep. I'll wake you when we arrive at Trost."

Too exhausted to argue, Petra curls up on the bench, mindful of her fractured ankle as she lays her head on the rigid wooden boards.

With the comforting presence of Captain Levi nearby and the twinkling stars watching over her, she sleeps.

It is after daybreak when they arrive at Trost.

Feeling refreshed and more alert, Petra watches the scouts and MPs gather around the empty streets. She and Captain Levi had contributed their bit, offering insights into where it would be best to strike and the ideal formations in the respective areas around the plains near Wall Rose.

Sitting in the shade, she watches the scouts diligently fill up their supplies and tend to their horses. At the same time, the MPs are huddled in groups, talking and occasionally bursting into raucous laughter that echoes around the abandoned buildings.

"Fuckers," Captain Levi sneers at her side.

Petra cannot help but agree. Even after Wall Maria's fall, the MPs are probably the only regiment in the military that regards the titans as mere nuisances and not the threats they are to humanity.

"Hi, Petra. Captain."

She turns to see Jean Kirchstein with a sheepish and uncertain countenance as he approaches.

"Jean." Petra smiles. She pats the spot next to her. "Come and join us."

The boy blinks and glances towards the captain. Upon receiving a blank stare in return, he awkwardly climbs onto the wagon and shifts closer. Rubbing the side of his neck, he clears his throat and mumbles, "I, uh, didn't think you'd be here."

"That's what Eren said, too," she replies and grins at the automatic scowl that forms on his features once the titan-shifter is brought up.

"That suicidal maniac," he mutters darkly. "He's gone with reinforcements to get the rest of the 104th, right?"

Petra's smile fades. "Yes."

"Oh. Good."

"Is there anyone you know?" She tilts her head, feeling sympathy etched into her heart at the ill-disguised expressions of concern and anxiety in Jean's stare.

During the operation at Stohess, she'd bonded with Jean, enjoyed hearing about the antics of him and his fellow cadets. But more notedly, Petra feels a particular kinship with him when he'd shared about the friend he'd lost, Marco Bodt. If Jean's suspicions are confirmed, Annie had a hand in that boy's death in Trost.

"Yeah, a few other dumb kids," Jean offers weakly. His shoulders slump. "I hope they're okay. I, uh, haven't seen them since we came back from the Titan Forest. But knowing Sasha, if they're out there any longer, she'll starve the rest with how much she eats."

Unable to help herself, Petra teases, "Not Mikasa?"

Jean's head snaps up. His cheeks turn bright red, and there's a hunted quality in his wide eyes as he gapes at her. "Uh, Mikasa?" he squeaks. "What—Why would you even suggest that?"

Beside her, Captain Levi scoffs and rolls his eyes heavenwards. "Not that gloomy brat."

Petra starts to laugh at how Jean begins fumbling with excuses about how he certainly doesn't have any feelings towards Mikasa Ackerman and that they're just friends. "Actually, we're barely friends," he protests weakly, but Petra hears the wistfulness in his tone and sees his brown eyes soften when he speaks of the stoic, raven-haired girl.

Any response she might have given is interrupted by jeers coming from the three MPs opposite them.

"Hey, Levi!" One of them calls out tauntingly. "Where have you hidden the titans? I thought this was an emergency!"

Jean scowls, his head snapping towards the MPs as he curls his hands into fists. From the way he grinds his teeth, she can tell insults are ready to be released from the tip of his tongue. Petra can't blame him. She too wouldn't mind using her crutches to knock some sense into those—

"What?" Captain Levi raises a brow. His gunmetal grey eyes are cold and relentless. "You all seem so disappointed. Sorry that you couldn't fight titans today. But I can't help but wonder where the hell were you assholes when there were titans in Stohess."

One of the MPs blink. "Um. Stohess?"

"While you lot were off kissing ass, my subordinate," her captain gestures to her with a rough jerk of his chin, "was fighting them off even while injured. On our next expedition, why don't you take her place? See those titans you're so eager to fight."

The trio blanch in unison.

"Well, uh," one of them stammers. "Thanks, but we're busy with the work in the interior and all."

Petra turns to her captain. She thinks her heart might burst from the praise he's given. Albeit the harshness of his tone, Captain Levi's words settle sweetly in her bones and fill her gut with warmth. "Thank you, Captain."

Her captain curls his lower lip. "Tch. Don't go thinking I'll allow you to disobey my direct orders again."

She fights off a smile. "Of course not, sir."

"Does this mean you're the captain's second?" Jean asks inquisitively.

Immediately, Petra's face falls. The captain's second? That title doesn't belong to her. That had been Eld's position. Not once has she thought she'd hold it because the alternative would mean that her friend is gone. And now that has come to pass; Petra gazes down. She imagines she may even be able to hear Eld's infectious booming laugh.

"Well, Kirchstein, there's only two of us left, so yes, Ral's my second."

Jean flushes and ducks his head. "I'm sorry, sir, that was insensitive of me and—"

"Shut it and go get some water for Ral."

"Ah, yes, sir!" The boy salutes clumsily and hastily scrambles out with his gangly limbs bumping into the sides of the cart.

Once they're alone, Petra lifts her face, meeting her captain's impassive features. "Captain, your second? I…" her eyes shift away. "I don't think I deserve that honour."

"Hey, Ral—"

As it is wont to happen as of late, Captain Levi is interrupted by the return of the advance squad. The two soldiers are panting as perspiration drips down their faces in buckets. Eagerly, Petra climbs out of the wagon, inching forward with the rest of the soldiers.

However, the news that they reveal is damning.

"I see. So there was nothing wrong with the wall?" Commander Pixis asks, his heavily lined features creasing as he crouches down.

"None, sir!"

"As I had suspected." The commander of the Garrison Regiment hums thoughtfully, exchanging a particular, knowing glance with Commander Erwin.

"However, there's been a bit of a situation," the man adds shakily, going on to share that they've encountered the scout unit led by Squad Leader Hange, and amongst them were a few cadets from the 104th. "And it turns out three of them are titans!"

Petra pales.

Immediately, her thoughts flash towards Mike and Nanaba. Lynne, Henning and Gelgar.

No, she refuses to accept that they're gone too. Titans can't have snuffed out the lives of her friends that easily. Not when Squad Mike is comprised of veterans who'd been around long before Wall Maria's fall.

At her side, Captain Levi's face tightens, and she can feel his body going fraught with tension.

"Who were they?!" Jean is yelling, close to grabbing the bushy-haired brunette at the front.

Sadly, Petra can only watch him, remembering Hange's earlier suspicions about the Female Titan having two possible accomplices amongst the 104th—Reiner Braun and Bertolt Hoover. The documents obtained revealed that both boys came from the same town as Annie. She hopes for Jean's sake that they aren't the friends he's worried about.

When it's revealed that the titans in question are the Armoured and Colossal Titan, and that they'd been successful in defeating the scouts and capturing Eren, Commander Erwin rises. His blue eyes gleam with that impassioned manic fire that he's known for as he orders everyone to mount their horses and prepare to ride out at once.

At the sidelines, Petra leans numbly against the wall of a building. Her thoughts go to Eren, Mikasa and Armin, to her friends in Squad Mike, Hange and Moblit, and the countless soldiers she had seen leaving Ehrmich last night.

Dead, dead, dead.

"They can't be gone," she whispers, sinking to sit at the uneven steps at the cobbled pathway as the troops ride out with determination in their faces. "Not the veterans or those kids." Petra turns to her captain. "We should be there. Not sitting around and waiting."

He flicks her a wry look, his hair falling into his eyes. "Too bad that's what we're doing. Neither you nor I are any good in the field with our fucked up legs."

"I know." Petra turns back to the now-empty streets. How many of the men and women she'd seen earlier would return in one piece? How many of them would make it back alive? Curling her hand into fists, she slumps back against a brick wall in defeat, cursing her wounded self and inability to be out with her comrades.

At that, Petra pauses and sneaks a look at Captain Levi. With acute clarity, she recalls that evening in Stohess where she'd seen that softening in his gaze right before he turned the commander down.

"Captain?" she starts hesitantly.

"Yeah?"

"You didn't have to stay behind, did you?"

He scoffs and crosses his arms. "What?"

She chews on her lip. "Commander Erwin asked if you could fight, but you turned him down. Why?"

Did you do it for me?

Captain Levi studies her. A beat later, he quirks a brow. "Tch. What's it to you?"

Petra blinks. "I've seen you in action, sir. You can mow down titans without ODM, and your body heals unnaturally fast. You could have fought today."

His jaw shifts, but he doesn't comment.

To Petra, Captain Levi looks particularly recalcitrant as he rests his forearms on his knees and fixes his gaze forward.

"You did it for me, didn't you?" Petra presses carefully, her heart beating erratically away beneath her ribs. She doesn't know what to make of this discovery. "Captain, I…" she lowers her head. "I'm sorry that I held you back."

"Shut up with that shit." Captain Levi sounds tired—drained, even. He still doesn't face her, and Petra wishes he would. "You didn't," he murmurs as an afterthought. "It was my choice in the end."

His admission shocks her into silence.

Petra gapes at him. Her lips part, and her brain struggles to come up with a suitable response like informing him that he shouldn't be putting the lives of others below hers, that she's not as essential and necessary to the Scouts like he is. And more pointedly, that he should have left her behind and do his duty for Commander Erwin and humanity.

But the overwhelming part of her that loves him trembles in blissful joy.

"Petra."

It isn't often that the captain uses her name (though she's noticed him using it with increased frequency as of late). Petra peers at him searchingly. "Sir?"

Captain Levi is silent, but after what feels like an eternity, he finally speaks. "After we got back from the Titan Forest, your father approached me."

A slight pang of guilt claws at her for not visiting her family. "Oh, how was he? Is he doing okay? What did he say?"

"He's fine," he answers, a strange expression flitting across his features. "He told me about your letter." Captain Levi angles his head towards her. "Your most recent letter."

Petra stops. It feels like the blood has been drained from her face.

"My most recent letter?" she repeats weakly, her cheeks hot with mortification. Her palms turn clammy. "I, uh. What did he say?"

Please say nothing.

"You should know. You wrote it."

Great.

Petra has never thought that Captain Levi would ever learn about the feelings she has for him, considering how she's been prepared to take them to the grave. "I'm sorry, sir. I… I had no idea my father would share that with you. That had been privately personal," she rushes out, her voice faltering. "Nonetheless, I formally apologise if it made you uncomfortable—"

"I already knew."

She chokes. "What?"

He throws her a disgruntled expression, a wry flicker of amusement in his eyes. "I'm not an idiot, Ral. You didn't exactly hide it well."

Her face flames, and desperately, Petra prays for a hole to magically appear so she can bury her head in it.

She sincerely hopes he isn't referring to the occasional nights where she'd touched herself, imagining it was him and his fingers grazing her naked hips, leading a path right to the apex of her thighs.

Desperately, she begs any deities listening that he hadn't heard her cry out his name at the end.

Swallowing, Petra ducks her head. "Oh." She wets her bottom lip. "Captain, I promise that whatever I feel for you won't affect my duty and commitment to humanity and the Scouts. I am fully capable of separating my head and heart. But if you wish for me to transfer to another squad, I can do so, but I hope that—"

Captain Levi scowls heavily. "No, that won't be necessary." He begins to fiddle with the small row of buttons on the cuff of his jacket sleeve. "But in regards to whatever feelings you think you have for me…."

"Sir?"

"There's nothing for you here," he says stiltedly after a long pause. "I'm… I'm not a good man."

Petra blinks. She's been expecting a proper rejection, of him informing her in brittle clipped tones that he's her commanding officer and how inappropriate it is for her to hold such emotions like love for him, not these self-deprecating remarks.

"But you are!" she protests vehemently, ignoring his startled countenance. "You're wrong, Captain. I've served at your side for years, and I know you may not think it, but you have a good heart. The Royal government and the MPs don't care about the ordinary citizens, but you do, sir. You care for all the soldiers under your command, and with every life that's lost, I've seen you grieve for them, assuring them they'd not died in vain and that they were helpful to humanity."

Captain Levi's hooded eyes have widened marginally, his mouth is parted, and the way the muscles in his jaw twitch ever so often speaks volumes of how taken aback he is by her words.

"You once said that this world is wretched and cruel," Petra adds earnestly, imploring him to listen and to believe her. "But even when things got hard, you never gave up. Instead, you went on fighting. When the boys died, I…" She lowers her gaze in shame. "There was a part of me that wanted to give up and die with them back in the forest."

"Petra." Her name sounds like a strangled mess coming from his throat.

Her lips twist as she continues, "I'll admit I've wondered why you hadn't left me behind too. But in this world where everything is so fleeting, you taught me to persevere despite the pains and burdens. You taught me to live. So, trust me when I say that you are a good man, Captain Levi."

She takes the chance to steal another glance in his direction, noting the pensiveness of the angular planes of his face.

"And regarding how I feel for you, sir…" she trails off hesitantly, ignoring that tight squeeze in her chest at the reminder that her feelings are unreciprocated. "It's okay. You don't have to say anything. We don't even have to mention it ever again. I just—I think after everything, I'm just relieved that you know now."

Her breath hitches. Her pulse races wildly in her veins. Petra waits for him to speak, to acknowledge the words she's left hanging in the air between them.

Gathering all the courage she can muster in her gut to face him, her gaze darts back to his. Petra is prepared for rejection or perhaps, even acceptance (though that is wishful thinking on her part) after all she's said.

Instead, she is met with his usual impenetrable expression that is akin to a brick wall.

Typical of him, Captain Levi says nothing. He simply lets out a heavy exhale and turns away.

Her shoulders sag, but Petra is at peace.

Together, they sit in companionable silence until the sun bleeds across the sky and the thundering of horses announces the scouts' return.

The revelation that titans could have been humans is nothing more than a massive slap to her face. Petra doesn't even want to think how many people she has killed if Hange's theory is true. Instead of serving humanity, has she been out murdering innocent people who had the unfortunate fate to live as titans?

The thought of that is unbearable.

So she distracts herself by fussing over the 104th kids who have returned. Thankfully, the group of them are alive and well, except for Jean, who is currently unconscious from a skirmish with several titans.

She hears about the events at Utgard Castle which led to the loss of Squad Mike, of the heavy casualties sustained from battling the Armoured and Colossal Titan, of how the commander had been brave and defiant even when he'd lost an arm. From Mikasa, she hears how Eren had manipulated titans to go after the other two titan-shifters at the last possible minute with some unknown godly power.

Hence, it comes to no one's surprise when her captain selects the six of the former 104th cadets to join his squad. With the truth of Historia Reiss' noble background coming to light, Commander Erwin had tasked the new Squad Levi to protect the girl and Eren.

Which brings her to this very moment three days later.

"Captain, I do appreciate the gesture, but Eld has always been your second. I can't accept it, not when I've failed him as a squadmate—"

"Eld is dead, Ral," Captain Levi interjects flatly.

Petra flinches at the abruptness of his words.

Captain Levi shifts in his spot, tugging at the hem of his cravat. His tone is gentle but firm, belying the grim message he's conveying. "There is no point taking the blame for what happened. For the sake of humanity, we have to look forward, to keep our eyes on the living. Do you get it?"

Her lashes are clumped with tears, and the lump in her throat is suffocating. But Petra understands. "Yes," she says quietly. With a shaky exhale, she braves a tremulous smile. "If the offer still stands, I'll be honoured to be your second, sir."

"Good." Her captain nods, a glimmer of satisfaction is visible in his slate-coloured stare. "We'll leave Trost the day after tomorrow. I'll let you inform those brats."

Petra manages a fond grin at that. "Yes, Captain."

With a hand gripping onto the handle of her crutches, she begins to shuffle out. However, the captain's call of her name halts her in her tracks. "Oi, Petra, wait."

Turning to look at him over her shoulder, she blinks owlishly.

Her captain clears his throat, looking vaguely uncomfortable and uncertain as he regards her with heavily furrowed brows. His jaw shifts, the grinding motion audible to her ears, and to Petra, Captain Levi looks as though he's struggling to come up with the words he wants to speak.

She waits.

What could be hours pass, but Captain Levi still doesn't speak.

"Sir?" Petra prompts carefully, taking one step closer towards him.

"I—" he starts but cuts himself off and yanks at his cravat in a manner she deems as agitation. "Out of everyone who died that day… I, uh, I am relieved that you were the one who made it out alive."

Petra gapes at him. Her jaw is hanging off its hinges while her mind is shortcircuiting. She can't have heard that, could she?

"Captain," she whispers breathlessly, her lungs feeling way too tight in the confines of her chest.

Her captain scowls heavily in her direction, his eyes skittering around the room as his neck turns a dull shade of red. "There," he snaps. "Now, get the fuck out, Ral."

She does.

Managing a jerky nod, Petra practically dashes out of the room. Once the door is slammed shut behind her, she presses her back against the wooden boards and clutches at her burning cheeks.

That night, Petra is kept awake with her brain replaying that sentence on repeat.

Out of everyone who died that day, I am relieved that you were the one who made it out alive.

Notes:

Sorry for the delay in this update! I've been distracted with Rivetra Week (inserts shameless plugging of my entry over here)

I hope this is okay because I've underestimated myself in writing multi-chaptered fics again—this would be longer than 7 chapters, but shorter than 15. but we'll see 👀

I'll do my best not to take weeks updating this, but I'll admit getting distracted with another wip in the works oof 🙈 For those on tumblr/discord, yes, it's the war hammer titan! petra fic asdfghjk.

As always, feedback is very much welcomed and thank you all so much for your support! 💖

Chapter 5: Uprising I

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

The familiar sounds of squabbling has Petra rounding the hallway of the small cottage where the new Squad Levi has settled in for the time being.

Pushing the kerchief down from the lower part of her face, she ambles towards the sitting room to see the area in total chaos. Where Connie and Eren had been tasked to sweep the dust-covered floor, they are now yelling at Jean, who is giving back as good as he can as he gestures wildly over an upturned pail. The puddle of grimy water is steadily spreading over the floorboards, but the boys are too caught up in pushing the blame to each other to notice.

"You boys ought to clean that up soon," Petra calls from the doorway, effectively capturing their attention. "Captain Levi might be back soon."

She tries her best to repress the growing grin on her lips from the trio's identical looks of alarm on their faces at her comment.

"Yes, Petra," Jean answers as he hastily picks up the bucket, but not before jabbing Connie in the arm pointedly. "But for the record, it was Eren's fault."

"What?!" Eren sputters, yanking off his kerchief and balling it up in his fist. "Oi, Horse Face!"

"Hey, hey," Connie squawks as he tries to intervene, situating himself in the middle. However, being dwarfed by the two other boys, he isn't of much help preventing the escalating skirmish. "Eh, lookit! Get your arms out of my face!"

"The three of you, stop it," Petra orders, adding a gentle but firm edge to her tone. "Jean, go help Armin and Sasha with the food. Eren, Connie, please clean this up now."

They acquiesce without further complaints, but Petra catches the dirty scowl Eren throws Jean's way.

The 104th kids, Petra has learned while observing the past few days, are a mix of different personalities that somehow mesh well together. It could be the bonds formed from three years of training in the Cadet Corps or the shared trauma of finding out that three of their friends had been titan-shifters, which led to squaring off against them outside Wall Rose.

Whatever it is, no amount of heated arguments or petty snipes can hide the strong ties of affection and affinity the 104th kids had with each other.

"Hey, Petra, is there something you need help with?"

Her gaze shifts from Connie, who had been following the captain's exact directions to sweep the floor with quick, precise swipes. She shakes her head, smiling fondly at Eren. "No, it's okay. I got the windows clean. Once we're done, we can get started on lunch."

"Lunch?" Connie perks up, looking decidedly cheerier. His eyes widen comically as he clutches his broom close to his chest. "You have to remember to hide some of the rations from Sasha!"

Petra grins as Eren gapes and begins nodding his head frantically.

Yes, with the days spent with the kids, she's gotten to know her new squad better. She now knows about Sasha's insatiable hunger, of Connie and Jean's playful banter and ribbing, of Eren and Mikasa's tragic childhoods, of Jean's initial plans to join the military brigade before the death of Marco Bodt, changed everything. She even hears Armin's dream of seeing the sea—a vision he and Eren share. And despite the impossibility of Connie and Sasha being related (with them coming from the villages Ragako and Dauper, respectively), Petra suspects they must be separated at birth with how they finish each other's thoughts.

And lastly, for Krista Lenz—no, Historia Reiss —there is not much Petra has gleaned from the girl. Ever since her return from Utgard Castle, and the subsequent skirmish with the titan-shifters, Historia has shown none of the vivacious nature she's known for. Instead, she is quiet, following instructions with a defeated, lost stare in her cerulean blue eyes.

Everyone had tried reaching out to her, but the younger girl is obstinate in her silence and quiet one-word answers.

Petra may not know Ymir, only hearing breadcrumbs that the girl had been a titan-shifter too, albeit a titan with an unknown ability. Regardless, she understands how hard it is to lose a dear friend. After all, no one knows loss more than members of the Scout Regiment. Even so, she hopes that Historia would begin sharing and leaning towards their team for support, especially with the long journey ahead.

Nevertheless, the new Squad Levi brightens her life with their antics, bringing joy and laughter to her soul again with its younger members. While they are certainly not a replacement for her old squadmates, the former members of the 104th Cadet Corps chase away the lingering ghosts her boys left in the wake of their deaths.

"Oi! Did you guys wipe the dust and dirt off your shoes before you came in?" Eren barks as he waves his broom threateningly in the air.

Petra simply sighs and makes space on the table for Armin and the milk churn in his hands. Together, she and Sasha unpack the crate the girl has brought in. Counting the loaves of bread and potatoes, she is vaguely aware of Jean bursting into righteous anger at Eren's incessant nagging.

Of course, it is Mikasa's entry that breaks the spiralling argument.

"You got grabbed by a titan!" Armin cries out in protest, already reaching out for the bundle of firewood in Mikasa's arms. "You should be in bed!"

"I tried to stop her," Eren says with the sort of exasperation a teenager can only supply, "but she won't listen. I even saw her doing sit-ups earlier too."

"How dare you, you peeping Tom!"

Petra exchanges wry looks of humour with Sasha, who promptly snorts in an unseemly manner at Jean's reaction. By now, Jean's crush on the stoic raven-haired girl isn't exactly a secret to anyone with two pairs of functional eyes, except for Eren and Mikasa herself.

"How does that constitute as 'peeping'?" Eren retorts incredulously.

"Eh? Can you even spell that, you bastard?"

Shaking her head, Petra takes the lid of the crate and is ready to move the supplies they've gotten but stops when she catches Sasha slipping something into her bag. Raising her lashes, she meets the girl's wide-eyed expression. Quirking a brow knowingly, Petra shifts her eyes to the lump in Sasha's satchel before flitting back to the younger girl's face.

Sasha blinks innocently, and in those chocolate brown irises, Petra is unable to refuse her beseeching gaze.

Feigning nonchalance, Petra turns away to help Connie move the potatoes to the other counter near the sink. As she does, she doesn't miss the awestruck and grateful glances Sasha casts her way.

Unfortunately for the brunette, Armin is quick to react, having caught sight of her minute looting.

"Sasha, what did you just put in your bag?"

That is the signal for everyone to converge around the girl.

"Why, you…"

"Oi, give it back!"

"Sasha, take it out."

"Aargh, how many times is this now?"

The door slams open, and Captain Levi steps in. "What's this commotion about?"

As her captain takes in the scene around him, Petra fights the urge to laugh at his scornful expression. But then, his grey eyes quickly find hers across the room as he strides past the bickering group and runs a hand along the underside of the table.

She winces at the grimace on his sharp features as he stares flatly at his fingers.

At the other end of the table, the 104th kids involuntarily shiver and hastily take a step back. Even Historia, who is standing at the corner by herself, blanches.

Captain Levi glowers at his dirt-stained hand and flicks his eyes to hers. "Oi, Petra." His brows furrow, and his lips curl. "You know my cleaning standards. Weren't you supposed to be supervising them?"

Petra grins sheepishly, leaning her hip against the cabinet. "Yes, sir, but I believe they tried their best," she answers loyally.

Captain Levi rolls his eyes and mutters something incomprehensible under his breath. But with the familiar way his mouth shapes the words, she figures it is something along the lines of 'those damn brats'.

"Never mind," he says flatly, whipping out his handkerchief from his inner jacket pocket and begins meticulously wiping the grime off his digits. "We'll discuss your shitty cleaning skills another time."

Petra huffs out a tiny laugh. She can see Connie gaping and Jean cringing. No doubt, the pair are already imagining the multitude of tasks ahead of them.

"Eren, Hange is itching to get the experiment started."

The titan-shifter nods jerkily and swallows. "Right. Yes, sir."

Together, they abandon their cleaning supplies neatly at the corner of the room before lining up to troop out of the cottage.

"Wait." Sasha blinks. She pauses at the table, looking crestfallen and horrified and indignant all at once. "What about lunch?"

Petra cannot look away.

She gazes down in worry at Eren's unconscious titan form from her spot on the edge of a cliff, where she stands alongside her squad and with Hange and Moblit. Unlike the fearsome creature it'd been back in Trost, and at Stohess, this version is pathetically weak by default.

"What's wrong, Eren! Get up! The future of humanity is riding on you!" Hange screams animatedly, their hands are gesturing wildly in the air. "Get up, dammit!"

Petra purses her lips and takes a step forward, worrying her bottom lip between her teeth. "Captain Levi…" she speaks up, trailing off. "I don't think Eren can do this anymore. Please, he needs a break."

He glances at her from the corner of his eyes and gives a brief nod. Then, to Hange, he crosses his arms. "Hey, Four Eyes. Eren's not the same this time. He's not even ten metres, and some parts of his body don't have muscles. Plus, his ass is hanging out."

"I can see that!" Hange snaps. They start to yell, shouting down at Eren to give a sign if he's capable of moving or if he could even hear them.

Petra fidgets anxiously, trailing her gaze over Eren's scrawny, malnourished-looking titan form. Despite having Eren on their side, there is still so much to learn about titan-shifters and the abilities they possess. And with the other three titan-shifters—who hold the truth about the titans and their world—forever out of their grasps, how long would they take to uncover it all?

With the unavoidable fact that Hange's experiments with Eren have failed, the possibility of reclaiming Wall Maria seem to grow further away by the minute. And if they aren't able to retake Wall Maria, whatever lies in the Jaeger's basement in Shiganshina would be nothing but an impossible dream.

When Eren doesn't react and steam begins to rise in copious amounts from his titanised flesh, worry takes root in Petra's heart. She huffs anxiously and makes a move to hurry down but is stopped with one sharp glance from her captain.

"Eren!" Mikasa cries out, leaping off her horse, her dual blades at the ready.

"Oi, Mikasa!" Jean shouts behind, yanking hard on his reins.

"We're done here." Hange is resigned as they jump down the cliff, their ODM devices whirring as they take flight.

Petra's fingers clench. She watches in mute horror as Hange yanks hard at Eren's body, only to encounter resistance as his face is melded into the nape of his titan's form. Mikasa is protesting heavily as she grapples with Hange about the proper way to sever Eren from his titan.

When they finally manage to lug the unconscious titan-shifter away from the now-evaporating corpse, Petra exhales heavily. Her shoulders slump in relief.

"Looks like we've got a long road ahead before we can use the Titan hardening ability to seal the wall," her captain mutters derisively. He is visibly unphased with his relaxed stance at how Eren is being tugged away with ribbons of titan flesh clinging onto his face and arms.

Armin nods a tad dejectedly. "Yes, I knew we'd be grasping at straws from the start." The boy darts a glance towards her, and Petra offers a small encouraging smile.

"Strategically, it's not a bad plan." Captain Levi shifts his jaw. His hands rest on the straps fastening his ODM gear to his hips. "Instead of lugging tons of supplies, all we need is to get Eren there." Petra catches the measuring way his hooded gaze lingers on the group below. "Whether or not we're grasping at straws will depend on Eren," Levi adds blandly.

At that, Armin lowers his head as anxiety and grim determination filters onto his features. "Yes, sir."

Hange's shouts that declare the experiments being drawn to a close capture Petra's attention. She peers down, leaning slightly over the edge, noting Jean and a member of Hange's squad dispersing on their horses as they begin to leave the area.

"You ride in the same wagon as Eren," Captain Levi says abruptly, sparing Historia a glance before turning to Petra. "I'll be going to Trost with Hange. Someone has to tell Erwin it'll be a while before we can take Wall Maria back. Obviously," he drawls wryly. "You're in charge."

Petra nods. "Yes, sir."

As Historia quietly walks down the hill, the hood of her cloak pulled tight over her head, Petra catches the narrowing of her captain's sharp flint-eyed glare as he watches the girl's hunched retreating form.

"Petra."

"Captain?"

Captain Levi fixes a steely gaze in her direction. "Watch her. Don't forget that she's somehow involved in this shitty titan business. Got it?"

Petra blinks. She opens her mouth to protest, to defend Historia from her captain's suspicion, but the eerie sense of déjà vu fills her. Instantaneously, she is catapulted to that very day where she'd first met Eren Jaeger outside the courthouse. It is the same day Captain Levi had warned her in his abrasive curt manner of being too trusting while on their way to that old abandoned castle.

The air whooshes out of her lungs, and her lashes lower. Petra presses her lips into a thin grudging line. She knows she has changed. With how the universe has shifted, she has been forced to adapt to meet its ever-changing demands.

Instead of feeling the righteous indignation from that day or the crushing hurt of her bruised pride at the thought of her captain not having faith in her judgement, Petra only feels a steady sense of calm and grim understanding.

She isn't that ignorant soldier who views the world in black and white anymore, who unfailingly thinks that titans are the sole enemy of humanity. Too much has happened for Petra to believe blindly any longer—to have an unyielding belief in all she used to know.

She may still have her confidence in people and their better natures, but faced with the harsh reality that humans have a heavy hand in it too, what with titan-shifters like Annie Leonhart and her two accomplices invading Wall Maria, bringing so much death and carnage with them… Petra thinks she can even understand Captain Levi's disdain for the masses.

She may disagree with it, but she gets it.

"Yes, sir. I do," Petra answers solemnly. As she turns, she spots Historia trailing forlornly behind Mikasa.

Captain Levi merely raises a brow but says nothing.

Together, they walk down the hill, with her pausing every few minutes so as not to strain her healing ankle. The waning sun glares weakly through the canopy of foliage above them. It is a stark contrast to the ruins of Stohess or Trost. To Petra, it is a change of scenery that she sorely needs. But if anything, it is a reminder that while they can afford this much-needed break, it is merely a short reprieve for the rocky road ahead.

As they descend the hill in companionable silence, Petra has come to realise that with her and the captain being the last two members of the original Special Operations Squad, something has changed. There is a… shift in their dynamics. With them sharing the grief and loss of Eld, Gunther and Oruo, of their roles in dealing with the catastrophe the Female Titan had caused, there is now some invisible string binding the both of them together.

Petra is used to depending on Levi for direction.

With him as her captain, she's learned to trust him inexplicably, to place her life in his hands, and have faith that he would do what's best for everyone. Now, she realises that there is a reciprocal aspect in their relationship where Levi has come to depend on her too. Lately, he has started to turn towards her for advice; his eyes would search for hers, inexplicitly seeking her opinions and her assurance.

That being said, Levi is more mellow now too. Of course, those who don't know him the way she does will disagree, but Petra notices. She doesn't miss the way he watches her for signs of discomfort from her mostly healed injuries or how he tends to be more mindful of the limitations and capabilities of his squad.

Or everything could just be in her head after how she's all but confessed her undying love to him back in Trost.

Still, the part of Petra that will always love her captain relishes the increased attention and care. She may not receive his heart in return, but this, she knows, is enough for her and her duty-bound resolve.

"Captain, what would Commander Erwin do if Eren isn't able to use his titan hardening ability?" she asks, grabbing onto a branch of a tree at her side for support.

Captain Levi grunts at her side. "Probably sulk and stomp around. But knowing Erwin, he'd do whatever it takes to get Wall Maria back."

At that, she purses her lips.

Sometimes, she wonders if Commander Erwin's ultimate goal is to truly eradicate the titans and free humanity or if he has a higher motive that he keeps close to his chest. It would be near-treasonous to have such thoughts, but in the abyss of her grief, she has also speculated if Commander Erwin had willingly sacrificed the Special Ops Squad just to get at Annie Leonhart.

Yes, she is fully aware of how Commander Erwin had instructed her captain to refuel his gas canisters and restock his blades, leaving the squad vulnerable that fated day in the Titan Forest.

However, with how loyal her captain is to the head of the Scouts, Petra stays silent.

"Ah," is all she offers in response. "I see, sir."

"Oi, brat." The captain scowls. He throws her an annoyed glare. "I thought I told you to drop the title."

Petra trips over an invisible root of a tree. She gapes at him, wondering if she's heard him right this time because she knows she didn't the first time around. "But Captain, I... " she trails off hesitantly, wetting her bottom lip. "I thought you weren't serious."

"When have I ever not been serious?"

"Um, when you make jokes with toilet humour."

He frowns, brows creasing further. "Those aren't jokes."

Petra blinks rapidly. "Oh." Inwardly, she winces and prays that she can hide her flaming face. "I'm sorry, sir."

"Petra," he grits out. "Knock that shit off."

Her cheeks flush from the roughness of his tone that is used to pronounce her name. However, the sullen, almost irritated look on his face makes her smile. "Alright… Levi," Petra says carefully, her tongue curling slowly around the two syllables.

She knows she has uttered her captain's name thousands of times, and this shouldn't be any different. But addressing him without his title seems more intimate, that it speaks of something more profound than the professional relationship required from a commanding officer and a subordinate.

Her captain, no, Levi grunts. "Tch. Damn brat," he mutters, but Petra notices the brief softening in his stormy gaze as he regards her.

Their eyes meet; grey on amber. And within the confines of her lungs, Petra's breath stutters.

That night, with Levi having departed for Trost with Hange's squad, it gives her the chance to bond further with the 104th kids. She watches fondly as Jean and Connie peel the potatoes for dinner while doing their best to block Sasha away from the toasted loaves of bread near the counter.

"Oi, Sasha!" Connie yells, sticking his booted foot out in an attempt to kick his friend out of the way.

"But I'm so hungry!" the girl wails, clasping her hands together in a mimicry of a prayer. "Please, just one bite!"

"Yeah, no, what the hell happened to the loaf you stole this morning?" Jean barks and smacks Sasha's hands away.

"What loaf? I don't know what you're talking about!"

"Ehh? You filthy liar!"

Alerted by the commotion, Mikasa and Armin begin dragging Sasha away from the counter. While Armin is unable to block Sasha's flailing limbs and is unfortunately decked in the face, Mikasa looks on stoically as she yanks at the brunette and forces her onto a chair.

Later, as they sit and eat, Petra observes the petty squabbles and name-calling. All of it, she knows, is in good fun. Even Historia, who initially had been the odd one out of the two groups of threes, shyly contributes, bringing up training anecdotes that have the whole table roaring in laughter.

Her heart, Petra realises, has never felt so full.

Her gaze darts from Jean's smirk as he waves his hand dismissively in the air, to Connie's disbelieving snort, and then to Sasha gobbling up her bowl of stew at an alarming rate. Petra shifts her attention to the other side of the table, focusing on Historia's tentative smile and Armin's sheepish grin, and lastly, to Mikasa's rare throaty laugh.

All of them (even Eren, who is still abed after the day's activities) makes her think of her boys.

Right there and then, with the three goddesses as her witnesses, Petra silently vows that she would do anything to protect them—her kids.

She may have failed her boys. But for her kids, failure isn't an option. She won't allow it. This time, with acute certainty, Petra knows she would do everything she can to ensure that the 104th kids make it to the end.

It is late when she wanders down to the kitchen that night. As per her habit, with a cup of camomile tea at her side and a lone candle giving enough light, Petra sits back to write.

It's been a while since she's written to her father. With everything that has happened, Petra hasn't found the time to compose a letter that can adequately express everything she wants to say and feel. Even more so, when she'd received multiple ones from her parents demanding her resignation from the Scouts after her near-death experience and to start a family.

Petra starts with the customary greeting and well-meaning questions about her family's health and the state of their vegetable stall. Then, tugging the shawl she's draped over her shoulders, she goes on to explain her convictions towards her unfailing commitment to the Scouts—to humanity.

Pen pausing over her unfinished sentence, Petra gazes at the lacklustre words she's written down. Even at first glance, she knows it isn't adequate to explain her devotion to her duty as a Scout and Levi's Second. The phrases she's used like 'making the world a better place' and 'it is the right thing to do' seem paltry compared to the things that lie in her soul.

She sets the pen down. Then, taking a sip from her now cooling tea, Petra glances out of the windows, catching a glimpse of Mikasa and Connie in their guard towers keeping watch for the night.

How exactly can she make her family understand the fire that has been kindled in her very being to see this through to the very end?

For Wall's sake, how can she even address the fact that her father had let slip the contents of her previous letter to her captain? Till now, her cheeks burn at the memory that her secret longings of love and kinship… weren't a well-kept secret after all.

Since the revelation of her letter coming to light, not once have her feelings been addressed again. Petra is relieved about that. With Historia and Eren under her care, she can't be distracted by her human wants. Not when her duty to humanity should take precedence over everything else.

The sound of muted hoofbeats and the subsequent bang of the door shakes her out of her musings. And as though titans have summoned him out of her thoughts, Levi steps into the room. A pinched, sour grimace is on his face as he slides his cloak off and hangs the worn garment onto the coat rack near the door.

"Levi, y-you're back," Petra blurts out. "I thought you would be staying the night in Trost,"

"Tch," he grunts, throwing a dull look at her over his shoulder. "With those money-grubbing shitheads? No."

She watches as he moves around the kitchenette with ease in the near-dark. Soon enough, a cup of steaming tea is in his grip as he settles at the adjacent chair to her right. As he takes a sip from his brew, holding the porcelain in that bizarre manner of his, Petra is reminded of the late-night tea sessions they shared back in their barracks.

Back when things made sense.

Her chest aches at this small semblance of familiarity.

"How is everything?" Petra asks, catching the frown on Levi's face that is harshened by the dim light. "What did the commander say?"

Her captain shrugs. He leans back in his chair in a posture that speaks of casual derision. "He reacted as expected. Erwin called the whole thing a failure."

Petra bristles at that.

With how much Hange had pushed Eren to get the results everyone hoped for, Petra recalls the excessive nose bleeds and the fatigued air that hung around the titan-shifter whenever he was called to perform. As clear as day, she remembers Eren's unconscious form as they towed him to his room to rest hours ago. Even now, with the moon glowing eerily in the sky, marking it as more than half a day since the experiments commenced, the boy is still dead to the world, caught in between the land of wakefulness and the chasm of slumber.

"Erwin also said that Historia is the illegitimate daughter of Lord Reiss."

"Lord Reiss?" she echoes thoughtfully. "He's just a minor regional lord, isn't he?" Petra grips her cup with both hands and wrinkles her nose. "Why would the Order be instructed to monitor his illegitimate child?"

Levi quirks up a brow. "That's what Erwin said."

"Ah."

As they continue drinking their tea, Petra takes the chance to study her captain under her lashes. She takes in Levi's distant blank gaze as he stares at the lone flickering flame, of the pale exposed skin of his throat where a cravat usually sits, and then, to the smooth utilitarian lines of his suit that outline his leanly-muscled form well.

Her cheeks flush hotly, and Petra is infinitely glad of the darkness of their surroundings. But when her eyes flit back to his face, she jerks when his stare locks onto hers.

"I hope you're not writing anything about me in there," Levi drawls out sardonically, chin jutting towards the sheets of paper sprawled out over the table.

Petra's face flames. "No!" she squeaks and immediately gathers the pages into one neat stack. "No, I'm not!"

He scoffs. "Right," he says lazily, hooking an arm around the back of his chair to regard her through hooded eyes. "If you say so."

The underlying arrogant edge in his tone irks her. Petra narrows her gaze and sits up primly in her chair. "I wasn't," she repeats firmly, and perhaps, blasély. "Papa was talking about his vegetable stall and how he's gotten a young man to help out. He's even written that we all should meet one day. Or at least when I get back home. And I told him I would."

Her captain narrows his gaze.

Petra offers a breezy smile and gathers her unfinished letter. With that, she wishes him goodnight and makes her way back to her room.

Unlike instances in the past, this time, it is her turn to walk away. And as she retreats, Petra feels the scorching intensity of his gaze on her back.

The death of Pastor Nick sends a sudden pall around the room.

"He was murdered," Hange says grimly, their bespectacled gaze swings wildly around. They then explain the morning's events, concluding that the Interior Military Police tortured the clergyman before murdering him.

Petra pales as Hange shares the state they've seen Pastor Nick's body in. Her grip on her teacup tightens. Petra may strongly dislike the members of the Order of the Walls, likening them to cowards for guarding their secrets at the expense of innocent lives, but she will never wish death on them, and not in the cruel way the priest had spent his last moments.

Around her, the 104th kids stiffen, their eyes wide in disbelief and ill-disguised horror. Levi, on the other hand, is as impassive as always.

"I figured the Order would want to deal with Nick since he was cooperating with the Scouts," Hange adds tearfully. Petra succeeds in not looking in Historia's direction. "That's why I hid his identity and had him stay in the barracks, but… To think they would use soldiers to kill him… I was too careless. It's entirely my fault."

Petra's tea is primarily untouched. The thought of murder, so blatantly done by the MPs, makes her gut churn and roil. And from the ashen, shell-shocked faces of her new squad, Petra easily surmises it the same for them.

Only Levi is unflappable. Without blinking or reacting to Hange's tale, he simply picks up his cup and sips at his tea.

"Did…" Armin starts haltingly, only to shrink back when everyone turns to him. "Did the Military Police torture Pastor Nick just to find out what he spilled to us?"

From the corner of her eyes, Petra catches Historia casting her gaze down. Her youthful face is full of guilt and despair as she visibly hunches her small frame inwards.

"Most likely." Levi sets his cup down. His tone is bland, but there is a pensive edge to it that has Petra on alert. "But it was the Interior MPs, which means there's something more to it." He then turns to Hange at the window. "So how many of the priest's nails were ripped off?"

Petra blinks.

"What?" Hange asks.

"You saw, right? How many?" Levi presses in that dry inflexion of his, as though he's making idle conversation about the weather and not something nefarious like torture.

Hange frowns. "It was only a glimpse, but all of his nails were ripped off as far as I could tell."

At Petra's side, Sasha gags and claps her hands over her mouth. Opposite her, Armin shudders as he turns a peculiar shade of green, while Jean grimaces and rubs his neck in a manner she deems as agitation.

While the kids aren't strangers to gore and violence from slaying titans, Petra knows it is a different concept to comprehend when such brutal methods are turned on humans instead.

Her captain scoffs. "Those that spill the beans would do so right after one is ripped off. If they don't, peeling more won't make a difference."

Petra gapes. She is positively sure her ears are deceiving her because her captain cannot be talking about torture and its subsequent results on the human psyche this easily. But when her mind falls to the instances where she'd seen him in action, knives out and fists ready to pummel into flesh, she stops.

Pausing, she tilts her head and silently contemplates the profile of her captain. She remembers the small handgun tucked into his pocket from their journey to Ehrmich after the events of Stohess, his general ease in dolling out threats, and his aptitude for breaking noses and twisting arms.

Again, that rumour of Levi being a dealer in the black markets come to mind.

However, with the added imagery of him dressed in his grey dress shirt and navy jacket, her captain reminds her of the thugs that loiter around the more impoverished edges of town.

Oddly, and perhaps embarrassingly, Petra isn't repulsed. Instead, she feels a quiet thrill shooting down her spine. Liquid heat begins to pool low in her gut, and she squirms in her chair, and unwittingly, she squeezes her thighs together. Petra sincerely hopes her face isn't flushed pink.

"I thought the priest was a fucking idiot. But he didn't turn away from what he believed in, all the way until the end," Levi continues, snapping Petra away from her derailing thoughts. "In other words, they have no idea we've caught wind of the Reiss family."

Historia's lower lip quivers.

"But someone in the government is up to no good, and their eyes are locked on us." Levi shifts his jaw, hooded eyes narrowing in thought. "We have to be careful now."

Her captain's last six words send everyone into sombre silence. The implication of his sentence, of the possibility of contending with someone in power, who has the influence and the MPs at their beck and call, is a jarring reminder that while they are scouts, titans are no longer the only enemy they face.

The door to the main room bursts open, and collectively, everyone flinches. Connie goes a step further as he yelps and accidentally tips over his cup of tea.

"Captain Levi." Nifa, an auburn-haired woman from Hange's squad, marches in. There is urgency in her gait as she hands over a piece of paper to Levi. "A message from Commander Erwin." Nifa takes a step back and clasps her hands behind her back. "I went to tell him about Pastor Nick, but he sent me off with this."

Petra watches curiously, offering Nifa a wavering smile in greeting.

As far as Petra remembers, she and Nifa had hit it off immediately during their years serving in the Cadet Corps. The spark of their friendship solely lies from enlisting into a predominantly male brigade and having to battle off the casual sexism thrown their way. Or it could be that both of them had been called 'carrot-top' for the red hues in their hair. Whatever it is, Petra had found a kindred spirit in Nifa.

With them heading into different teams after graduation and being part of two very distinct elite squads, they hardly ever got the opportunity to meet up. Regardless, Petra considers her fellow redhead a treasured friend—even more so with the recent loss of Nanaba and Lynne resting heavily in her gut.

"Everyone, out," Levi barks, his eyes grow cold and steely. "We must leave now." He rises from his chair, staring everyone down. "Leave no trace that we were here."

Galvanised into action, everyone follows suit without asking questions. By now, used to life as soldiers, they simply react and obey orders. Together, they gather their meagre belongings, and it isn't long before they're at the edge of another mountain ridge, looking down at the cabin being swarmed by soldiers.

"Ohh, that was close," Connie mutters. His eyes are wide, and his grip on his rifle slackens. "Had we left a moment later, what would've happened to us?"

Armin frowns and turns to the captain searchingly. "What would make Commander Erwin…."

Levi shifts his gaze away. Against the darkening hues of twilight, the planes of his face are heavily shadowed. "New orders came from the government. There's been a freeze on all Scout Regiment activity outside the Wall. They're telling us to hand over Historia and Eren."

Petra stiffens. At her side, Mikasa glowers indignantly, reaching to grab Eren by the elbow.

Nifa steps forward from the rear and adds, "And right after he gave me the message, the MPs came for him."

From her spot, Petra listens keenly as both Levi and Hange conclude that whoever the enemy is, is merely seeking a way to obtain Historia and Eren alive. It is soon decided that Squad Levi will head to Trost and that they'll be joined by three members of Hange's squad, Nifa, Keiji and Abel.

Hange themself will be accompanied by Moblit to help Erwin out. Before the pair take their leave, Eren steps forward and hands a small letter to Hange, who promptly takes it before riding off.

As they begin their journey towards Trost, and with Nifa and her squadmates taking the lead, Petra finds herself falling back to the rear where Levi is.

"Levi," she starts, her voice low and hesitant. "We're not going to walk into Trost without a plan, are we?"

He flicks her a look, his expression wry. "We are. It'd be fucking stupid if we went in blind." Levi straightens, his grip on the straps of his satchel tighten. "I suspect the enemy will be watching the city closely. No doubt they'll spot us on sight if we all enter together."

She nods. "What do you propose we do?"

"Same as Stohess," he says, gesturing towards Jean upfront. "We'll get the brats to play Eren and Historia."

Petra looks forward, cataloguing the only two possible contenders in their squad to act as Historia's double—Mikasa and Sasha. Eyes falling onto the raven-haired girl, Petra knows Mikasa Ackerman is definitely out of the question. With her stony gaze and razor-sharp tongue, there is no way she could pose as the innocent-looking, wide-eyed Historia. Sasha, on the other hand, isn't exactly capable of duplicity. However, out of the two, the latter is who Petra would put her money on.

"How are you going to get Sasha to play Historia?" she asks carefully, taking stock of Sasha's wild mane and Historia's blonde locks. "The both of them don't look anything alike."

Levi scoffs. "Tch. Who said Sasha's going to be Historia?"

She blinks. "Then who? Mikasa?"

"No." Her captain rolls his eyes. "Armin."

"What?" Petra blurts out, more than incredulous at her captain's unmoved countenance. "But… But he's a boy!"

"So? If you squint, he looks like a girl anyway."

Mouth gaping, Petra stares at him blankly. She thinks her jaw might be on the ground. "Captain Levi," she sputters. "Y-you can't be serious!"

"What, then, Ral? If you have a better option, say it."

She hesitates. Glancing towards Historia, Petra notes the similarities between the younger girl and her, starting with their short stature and slim build. Her heart races, and before she can even think twice, the suggestion is out of her mouth. "Me."

"What?"

Petra turns to him and lifts her chin. "I'll do it. I'll pose as Historia."

Levi stops. His glower deepens, and she knows if she were anyone else, they would've pissed themselves from the expression of sheer displeasure on her captain's face. "No," he all but growls. "That's a fucking shitty idea."

"Captain—"

"No, Ral. That's my final answer," he answers flatly. The captain's tone is laced with a dark undertone that practically dares her to challenge him.

Which she does.

"Levi," Petra implores firmly, the resolution to serve and protect burning fiercely in her heart. "We don't have a choice. No one else can do it except me. And with everything riding on Eren and now, Historia, we cannot leave anything to chance. You know it is the right call to make."

The furious gleam in his gunmetal grey gaze stuns her. The muscle under his eyes twitches, and she thinks she can even hear the way he grinds his teeth.

A long silence ensues, and if the rest notices they're lagging, they don't show it.

Still, Petra refuses to give any quarter; she meets his unflinching stare boldly.

"Fine," Levi grits out, glaring. "Have it your way." With that, he abruptly turns away and strides past her.

While she may have won this battle, to Petra, it still feels like a hollow victory.

"I hate wigs," Jean mutters mulishly. Petra catches the way he stops himself from reaching up to fuss with the black matted thing they've kept since Stohess. "Why do I have to play that suicidal maniac again?"

"Well," she replies teasingly and tucks a blonde lock behind her ear, "at least, I'm accompanying you this time."

The gangly boy grins sheepishly. Together they end up at the rear, keeping watch for any suspicious characters who would pay too much attention to their presence. Ahead, Levi and the rest of the kids are milling about, taking in the city's sights that are decorated copiously with the royal family's flag.

"Today must be the anniversary of the King's coronation!" Sasha cheers. "Once a year, they hand out a lot of rations."

They stop at a makeshift podium where a few MPs stand and announce the generosity of King Fritz for all to hear.

"What a king," Sasha continues, already salivating over the free rations the MPs are handing out. "He sure is generous."

"Where there's a will, there's a way," Levi utters blandly; however, there is no mistaking the derision in his barbed words. "People are weak, especially when baited with food."

Petra bites her lower lip at that. Before she can comment, a flicker of a movement catches her attention. From the corner of her eyes, she spots shifty-eyed men gazing at her and Jean from amongst the crowd. Her shoulders tense in preparation while her veins are coursing with the thrill and anticipation of pre-battle adrenaline.

It doesn't take long. True enough, just as Levi spins around, a warning issued on his lips, a wagon thunders behind her. Before Petra can react, meaty arms grab her by the waist, and she's hefted over the side of the cart and flung hard onto the wooden boards.

Disoriented, she blinks blurrily to see the jowls of a slightly obese man before something hard hits her temple. With that, oblivion swallows her greedily into its dark depths.

When she wakes, Petra is greeted with the view of a dim and dusty warehouse. Gaze sharpening, she is met with the sight of Jean's stricken gaze. Sweat is beading down the sides of his temple as he struggles to clamp his mouth shut.

A few seconds later, Petra understands why.

"Eh, you look as good as you smell." The hand that rests on the small of her back is pressed insistently into her. It is then followed by a puff of rancid breath wafting over her face as another hand begins to creep up her torso.

She grimaces, meeting Jean's conflicted, agonised countenance.

"You like that, eh?" A man pants hoarsely into her ear. "I know you would!" He starts to push closer, enveloping a fleshy arm around her shoulders.

Petra squirms in his grasp, silently cursing the ropes bound around her waist and wrists. She glares hotly at the stranger. "Touch me again," she warns lowly as indignation and fury rises in her gut. "And I'll drive a fist into your face."

"Oh ho, feisty little thing, are ya?" their kidnapper croons, near-slavish in delight. "Can't wait to hear you moan in your cute little voice." Fingers begin to crest higher up, and Petra grits her teeth at the thug's increased panting.

"Oi!" Jean yells, unable to restrain himself any longer. He begins thrashing wildly, feet kicking at the legs of his chair in a weak attempt to dislodge his bonds. "Don't touch her! Leave her alone!"

Petra has had enough. Locating the thug's foot, she stomps hard on it before snapping her head backwards. Her actions have it's intended effect. With her skull making impact with the man's nose, cartilage breaks and the sound of an agonised howl echoes around the grimy storehouse.

"You bitch!" The thug groans, holding on to his profusely bleeding nose. Droplets of blood, crimson and viscous, stain the front of his shirt as he throws daggers at her with his beady eyes. He begins to converge towards her, grubby fingers curving around her neck. "You'll pay for that. Boss said I could do anythin' I wanted, s'long no one knows."

He then licks a stripe up her cheek with his tongue.

She can hear Jean shouting in protest. Squirming, Petra squeezes her eyes shut, yanking desperately at her bonds. Disgust is a dreaded disease seeping through her veins as the man nuzzles sickeningly against her throat.

At that moment, Petra wishes she is anywhere but there in the present.

The next thing she knows, the splintering sound of glass shattering rings through the air, and the ruffian is yanked away with such force that he emits a pig-like squeal as he tumbles to the ground. In wordless fascination and awe, Petra watches the way Levi has the thug in a chokehold. His steel eyes flash with that indiscernible emotion she's come to see more as of late before it is shadowed with something dark and ominous—something inhumanely terrifying that speaks only of sheer madness and brutality.

Without missing a beat, a punch is thrown into her harasser's cheek.

The sickening crunch of bone snapping from that one blow sends shivers up her spine.

That is followed by a series of relentless, punishing uppercuts that renders the gangster as nothing but a punching bag.

As Levi deals jab after jab with an intensity that borders the tipping point of no return, Petra cannot look away. Not even when her captain silently beats the man black and blue with nothing but his fists and the sheer enormity of his rage. In fact, Levi is practically a blur of brown and navy as he moves and hauls the man up by his collar and slams him harshly against the side of a wooden crate.

"Petra!"

Dazed, she turns to Jean, who has his wrists untied by Mikasa.

"You gotta tell the captain to stop!" he calls out, eyes brimming with something like wariness and apprehension. "The others could be back any minute!"

She blinks. Right.

She and Jean were merely the bait to lure out their unseen enemy. Alone, they are more than capable of dealing with these gangsters who'd abducted them. Levi, on the other hand, along with the three members from Hange's squad, are to trail Eren and Historia with the full intention to shield them from further threats.

"Captain!"

That doesn't garner his attention.

She tries again. "Levi!"

That does the trick.

Her captain stills, and Petra exhales in relief when he woodenly removes himself from the bruised and bloodied man. Eyes falling onto the mangled form of the thug, Petra knows she should feel sympathy and a degree of horror from what the captain had done.

Even more so when she recalls the abominable treatment Pastor Nick has gone through at the hands of the MPs.

Instead, she feels nothing. Nothing except grim satisfaction that the thug had gotten what he deserved for attempting to sexually harass a young girl against her wishes. He may not have done so, but the intention was there. Historia was what, probably fifteen? Sixteen? Utter loathing and disgust revulsion fills her at that.

Looking up, Petra meets Levi's measuring look; his impenetrable walls are higher than ever. Specks of blood all over his face as he whips out his handkerchief and wipes at his cut knuckles with a clean methodical approach.

"Levi…" she trails off, struck by the feeling that she's under some sort of scrutiny from the man, as though he is searching her face for something he expects to see. Her stomach twists—not at the show of violence he has just displayed—but at the way he'd come to her defence.

Or, more notedly, how Levi has put her above the mission.

The magnitude of that shakes the foundations of the carefully maintained walls around her heart.

His lashes flicker imperceptibly, and because Petra has known her captain for years, she automatically knows when his guard is going up. Furrowing her brows, she feigns a grimace. "Captain, please don't say I told you so," she starts warningly. "I did what I had to do."

The tension that lines his form bleeds out of him. Levi rolls his eyes, and Petra notes the slackening of his jaw and the way his shoulders lose their rigid form. Taking a small hand-knife from a sheathe on his boots, he approaches her, adopting the familiar countenance of her disgruntled captain.

"Too fucking bad. I told you this was a shitty idea," he sneers disparagingly.

She huffs out a weak laugh as he slices through her bonds with a deft flick of his blade. "Yes, but I don't regret it." Petra tilts her head and quirks a brow. "Armin would have been caught from the lie immediately if things were to progress."

Levi's face darkens. At his sides, his fists are clenched. "I should kill him."

"No, it's fine. I'm fine," Petra stresses firmly. "He doesn't matter."

Hastily rubbing her sore wrists, Petra pauses when the pad of a rough, calloused thumb brushes ever so softly against her cheek.

It should alarm Petra that the hands which have almost beaten a man to death not even an hour ago can be so tender and careful against her skin. Instead, in some broken way, it endears him to her even more.

Slowly, she tips her head, locking her gaze with his.

The raw emotions swimming in those grey irises steals the air from her lungs.

Whatever she wants to say, the thoughts and emotions she wants to express are just a jumbled mess on the tip of her tongue. All Petra can manage is a murmured, "Thank you." Her lips part, and she starts haltingly, "You didn't have to…."

Levi shifts his jaw and glances away. His hand drops from its position against her cheek as he takes a step back. "I should go after those brats."

She nods, her mind still spinning from their shared moment. "Yes. We can handle it from here."

Levi hesitates, his face flickering with some internal war he's fighting in. But after taking stock of Connie, Sasha and Mikasa positioning themselves around and hiding amongst the crates and support beams, he nods curtly. Pivoting on his heel, the captain makes a move to leave. However, he stops and turns back, the brown hem of his cloak trailing over his booted ankles.

"Oi, Petra."

She looks up.

Her captain's brows furrow. "Tell the brats that we'll be dealing and fighting with humans too."

Petra's stomach swoops. She swallows hard, but the lump in her throat that has appeared ever since the priest's death still doesn't go away. Levi's confirmation simply makes the anxiety in her belly thrum with renewed vigour.

She steels herself. She can do this. For now, she will put aside the moral quandary that has been itching at her conscience and do what duty demands of her.

"Yes, sir."

Levi casts one last look at her before he leaps onto a crate and vanishes through the broken window.

When the culprits behind their abduction finally show up, Petra watches as Mikasa makes quick work of them. The way the girl fights, tossing men three times her size, is eerily similar to that of the captain. Her movements are lightning quick, and the adroit manner she weaves and ducks with fluid grace is mesmerising.

Later, as they haul the four bound and gagged men to a dark corner, Petra hastily rips off the wig and outfits herself with the ODM gear Sasha has brought for her. Tightening the straps of her harness across her chest and back, she slots the metal holsters and gas cylinders at her hips, savouring the familiar, comforting feel of her blades in her palms.

"Hey, Petra," Jean calls out hesitantly. He, too, is outfitted with ODM and is approaching with a conflicted expression on his face. "What did Captain Levi mean earlier?"

Her heart squeezes painfully.

To think that her kids would have to go against everything they were taught, that titans aren't the only threat they now face, that they would have to fight people…. That they may even have to go as far as harming them….

"I—" Petra starts but immediately cuts herself off. The sudden appearance of some intangible affliction gnaws at her. Always one to trust her instincts (especially when they have always served her well), she shakes her head frantically. "Later. We have to go now. Something is wrong."

Jean blanches but is, as always, quick to obey orders.

Collectively, they swing their way up to the roofs and wait in silence. As Petra perches onto the faded red shingles, she scans the horizon, gaze sweeping past the walls and the weathered tops, searching for something—anything that justifies the uneasiness she feels in her gut.

Petra sees nothing.

But the stillness in the air is reminiscent of the dead calm before a storm.

She presses her lips into a thin line, bracing herself for whatever challenges the universe deems fit to toss their way.

It is ironic, Petra thinks distantly. Everything changed the day Eren Jaeger involuntarily revealed the existence of titan-shifters all those weeks ago in Trost. And now, back in the same city that has set off the following chain of events—they have come full circle.

"Gunshots!" Sasha swivels her head towards the northern part of Trost. "From there! I heard a bunch of shots!"

Petra lets out a shaky exhale. She steps forward, squinting towards the direction Sasha is pointing to. She can't make anything out, but when she strains her ears, Petra can hear the dim echoes of guns being fired at a rapid pace.

"Do you guys think something happened?" Jean demands as he rises to his feet.

"Most likely," Mikasa answers flatly.

Fingernails digging into the fleshy parts of her palms, Petra lifts her chin. "That's probably Captain Levi. We should go." She flicks the gears of her ODM device, prepping the gas canisters to take flight before turning back to her kids. "Earlier, the captain said that…" she trails off and meets Jean squarely in the eye. "From now on, we'll be fighting humans too, and not just titans. Be prepared."

The 104th kids are alarmed.

Sasha gasps while Armin and Connie visibly recoil, but it is Jean who takes a step back. "What?" he stammers. "You mean…"

Petra doesn't hesitate. "Yes," she says firmly, adding a touch of iron into her tone. "It's exactly what I mean." She doesn't miss the way her voice wavers too. Still, Petra is relieved when Mikasa gives a brusque nod before zipping off, disappearing from view.

Casting one last lingering glance at the ashen faces of her kids, Petra takes off. Her gas canisters hiss as she weaves and sways between buildings. It isn't long before she catches up with Mikasa. Not far behind, Petra can hear the other squad members trailing behind. Together, they soar over buildings, scanning for any sign of Eren and Historia and Levi.

Levi.

She falters.

While Petra knows that Levi is undoubtedly more than capable and adept in dealing with whatever adversaries come his way, the parts of her that are tied to him—be it her heart or her soul—can't help but worry about his welfare.

It is Connie who shakes her out of her thoughts. "Hey! There goes Eren!"

Her head snaps towards the front, and her eyes zero in on the rumbling cart where she catches a glimpse of Eren and Historia sprawled out haphazardly over the wooden boards. From how still they are and that Keiji is not piloting the wagon, it suffices to say that their initial plan has been foiled and that Squad Levi has arrived just in time.

"The captain!" Someone shouts from behind.

Petra doesn't hesitate. She turns, executing a manoeuvre that allows her to change direction mid-flight, and she urges herself forward, only to come face to face with the unforgiving surface of a brick building. However, years worth of experience from fighting titans gives her the ability to swerve just in time, missing a deadly collision with the wall.

Diving forward, she rounds the corner, just in time to see a man strapped with an odd variation of ODM on his back. In his hands are two heavily modified guns, whose barrels are aimed right at Levi.

Her blood freezes when the weapons are fired.

The sound of the bullets being released, similar to that of canons, resounds through her ears. To Petra, it feels like everything has slowed down. She thinks she can even see the deadly metal pellets flying through the air as they hone in on their target—her captain.

As quick as lightning, Levi shifts to his left, successfully avoiding being hit, and lets loose one of the metal cables from his holsters. His aim lands well and true, right into the stranger's torso, piercing through garment and flesh, its claws lodging firmly within the man's belly.

With one harsh tug, the soldier is yanked forward, just in time to meet his end at two quick swings of Levi's dual blades. Under the sun, those knives which have always ended the lives of titans are now stained with blood—human blood.

Petra thinks she can hear violent swearing from the boys and the barrage of bullets spraying wildly in her surroundings, but that is all merely white noise to her ears. In some odd way, she feels a sense of disassociation settling into her mind.

Dimly, she hears Levi barking out orders to go after Eren and Historia, telling them that the men and women they'll face are used to dealing with other people. He further informs them that three of their own have died in his stony, detached manner.

Nifa, Abel and Keiji.

Instead of the grief and loss and rage that should strike her soul, Petra just feels numb at that revelation. Meeting her captain's hollow apologetic gaze, she stares blankly back at him and gives a tiny sombre nod.

In a blink of an eye, all emotion but determined rage is washed away from his features. "If we're going to get those two back, you can't hesitate! Kill if you get the chance! Got it?"

Kill.

That one word reverberates through her mind.

Pushing aside her doubts and the emotional turmoil raging through her being, Petra surges forward. She moves, spinning and ducking from the attacks of these unnamed soldiers who have access to weapons she's never seen before.

From the corner of her eyes, she registers the sight of Jean and Armin landing in the cart before she manages a deadly blow to an adversary's chest. Blades slicing through skin and cleaving through flesh and bone, Petra continues methodically, lunging from one target to another.

In this moment of utter insanity, Petra is Death personified; her dual blades are its infamous scythe as she steals the breath of life from these faceless men and women.

The metallic tang of blood hangs heavy in the air as it clings to her senses. Unlike titan gore, human blood doesn't evaporate. Instead, it becomes a sticky coagulating mess on her person, reminding her over and over again that her soul is now forever tainted.

"JEAN!"

The horror and urgency leaking from Mikasa's voice snap her out of the dream (or, more accurately, the nightmare) she's under. Landing against the side of a building with her attention snapping towards the girl, Petra quickly takes stock of the situation of Jean being held at gunpoint.

Unfortunately, gauging the distance between her location and the wagon's speed, Petra knows she won't make it in time. Breath caught in her throat, she watches as Mikasa dives in for the kill, knives out at the ready.

The woman cocks her weapon.

No, too soon and too late, Petra's mind cries. Mikasa isn't anywhere near yet—

A gun goes off.

A shrill scream is released, and it's only later that Petra realises it's coming from her.

Relief is a heady thing on the tip of her tongue when it is revealed that Armin had come to Jean's rescue. The boy is trembling, and even from her spot against the wall, Petra can see the tears brimming in his shell-shocked eyes.

She bows her head, allowing herself to feel the tidal wave of guilt that rises in her chest for being unable to shield Armin from committing murder. A beat later, Petra tucks the regret and shame along with the other myriad of emotions she cannot name. Later, she would weep for the loss of his innocence and boyhood, but now, she still has her task of getting Eren and Historia back.

Leaping off the wall, Petra finishes off two more men. Her gas cylinders hiss each time she rotates in the air. A cynical part of her is thankful that humans do not have the thick flesh that titans do; this way, she doesn't have to waste precious scant seconds to replace her blades with those she stores at her hips.

"Shit! Armin! Jean!"

Petra is fast enough to observe Sasha and Levi grabbing the aforementioned boys and pulling them to safety just as bullets are released into the spaces they had stood.

With the way the wagon is fast approaching the gates leading into Wall Rose, Petra makes the most impulsive decision of her life. She charges forward without hesitation, utilizing as much gas as possible to get her close to the cart.

In that small window of opportunity the goddesses have granted her, she lands deftly, feet creaking against the planks of wood and only wincing at the aching twinge from her ankle. Breath caught in her lungs, she gazes down at the unconscious forms of Eren and Historia.

What can she do?

"OI, RAL, GET THE FUCK OFF!"

She ignores Levi.

No, who should she choose?

Looking up, Petra takes note of the multiple figures converging towards her menacingly, the elongated barrels of their guns gleaming dangerously under the blazing sun. Her eyes dart towards the utter fury and horror on Levi's face.

In that split second, she makes her choice.

I'm sorry, Eren.

She grabs Historia by the waist and shoves her out, watching as the girl lands roughly on the cobblestone road. As that happens, three soldiers descend towards her, just as the cart passes the gates that separate Trost from the interior of Wall Rose.

One of them kicks the back of her knees, forcing her down. For the second time that day, something hard—probably the butt of a rifle—lands against her temple.

The last thing she hears is Levi's wrathful roar of her name.

The rhythmic rumbling of a horse-drawn coach wakes her.

Keeping her eyes closed, Petra shifts ever so slightly as she tries to get a feel of her surroundings. Back at Trost, she figured she would have met her end after saving Historia, but with the way her wrists are sore from being bound to her back and how her head is pounding, Petra guesses she still has her feet fully planted in the land of the living.

"Oi, I know yer awake, girly." A rough masculine voice drawls out lazily. That is followed by the sharp sting from a smack against her cheek. "Don't go bullshitting around, eh."

Startled, her gaze flies open.

The first thing she registers is the weak moonlight shining through the shuttered windows of the coach and the shrill chirps produced by the crickets from the woodlands. Eyes swinging to the front, Petra is met with a reedy-looking man who is outfitted smartly in a blue buttoned shirt with a dark waistcoat covering his torso. Straps and buckles that Petra likens to the harnesses she wears due to ODM are strapped around his form, connecting to the metallic plates shielding his chest. His face is long and gaunt, the skin under his eyes are sunken and heavily lined, and the sharp, knife-like planes of his face speak of the immense danger that radiates from his person.

However, what catches her attention is the black fedora jammed on his head and how the flat brim pulled low over his forehead doesn't hide the malevolence and violence lurking in his eyes.

"Oh, ho, yer a pretty little thing," the man hoots and cackles, slapping his thigh as though he's just told the funniest joke ever spoken aloud.

Petra stares blankly at him.

"Not one for words, are ya?" She detects a faint trace of an accent only spoken by the high-flying gangsters operating around the interior. "Heh, funny. With how that brat's always sulking and pouting, I would've figured yer one of those chatterbox dolls that ne'er shut up!"

Who?

Petra thins her lips, her gaze falling onto the deadly mechanisms at his hips.

"Where's Eren?" she demands calmly, lifting her chin in open defiance. "What do you want with him?"

"The boy?" The man shrugs. "Nothing. Though, you shouldn't be worryin' about him, girl. No point crying over a walkin' corpse."

Her heart stops, but before Petra can comment, the man interjects wryly. "But that goes the same for ya too. Thought I shoulda blow yer head clean off back there, but then," the man's slitted gaze gleams with ill-disguised amusement. "The way that runt yelled after ya, heh, it would be a waste if ya died. Tch. Wouldn't be that fun when the fireworks go off."

"Fireworks?"

He offers a shark-like grin. "Ooh, yes. BOOM!" His sudden shout makes Petra jump in her spot, but it is the deadly hardening of his eyes that sends chills up her spine. "You got in my way. I ain't forgettin' that. Everyone knows there's no gettin' at me twice ."

She furrows her brows.

The man tilts his head, reading the confusion on her face. The corner of his mouth quirks up. "Ya ain't heard of me?"

Mutely, Petra merely shakes her head.

He rolls his eyes and scowls heavily. "Eh, thought that runt would give a little more respect to the man that raised him, but heh, talk about him being an ungrateful brat, ya?" He then slumps back against his seat in a manner that screams of insouciance and irritation.

Oddly, Petra is reminded of Levi at that particular action.

"I'm Kenny." The man leans forward, propping the brim of his hat up with his fingers, looking almost smug. "But you might know me as Kenny the Ripper."

Notes:

Hi hi! This is me telling everyone that i'm not dead! 😅 As always, thank you so much for reading and for the wonderful support given to this fic so far! though at this point, I think whatever I wrote is all over the place ksadjkalsdjakll Anyway, feedback is always welcomed! 💖 ✨ Again, thank you for reading!

Chapter 6: Uprising II

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

Kenny the Ripper.

The man who has killed hundreds of MPs all those years ago.

Petra can only stare in mute horror as the man grins. His canines flash from beneath his lips, and the next thing she knows, the carriage has come to a stop. Unceremoniously, she's yanked out of the coach by two men and shepherded into a well-maintained three-storey home with neat hedges and bushes lining the perimeter of the estate.

If it isn't for the way she'd been brought here against her will or how eerie the house looks under the weak glow of the waning moon, Petra would have thought the cottage beautiful.

"Oi, stop gawkin' around, girly."

Unwittingly, something cool and metallic is jammed warningly into the small of her back. Without even having a look, Petra knows it to be the barrel of those wicked guns that are kept on her adversary's hips. Pressing her lips together until they form a thin line, she grudgingly follows after the notorious killer, staring apprehensively at his ominous shadow that looms over the ground.

With the knowledge that her kidnapper is none other than the infamous serial killer, Petra feels a steady thrum of fear beaten into her lungs. The defiance and bravery from her earlier ignorance have dissipated, leaving her in this odd limbo of fear and numbness.

"Welcome to yer humble accommodations," Kenny sneers and kicks a door open with his booted foot, causing the oak panel to bang harshly against the wall. "Hope ya enjoy yer stay!"

With that, Petra stumbles into the room when a hand pushes her over the doorstep. Hands bound behind her back with rusted iron shackles, she barely manages to right herself before another man enters with an unconscious and gagged Eren.

"There," Kenny removes his hat with an exaggerated flourish and a smirk. "As ya can see, the brat is fine. For now."

She scowls, but already, her attention is on the titan-shifter. She shuffles towards the bed, eyes scanning over Eren for signs of possible injury that could explain his unconscious state. With the shallow rise and fall of his chest and his laboured breathing, she concludes that he's merely out cold.

However, there is no missing the cruel-looking metal device that is lined around the circumference of his head, shoved crudely between his teeth, stretching the length of his mouth.

"What's that for?" Petra demands and whirls around. "The gag," she clarifies when Kenny stares blankly at her. "It's hurting him."

The man rolls his eyes. "Oi, didn't I tell ya to pipe the fuck down? Tch. He's a corpse anyway. There ain't a point in creatin' a fuss."

"Then just use something else!"

"Nah, none of us needs him turnin' now, do we?"

At that, Petra pauses. The implication behind Kenny's words means that the mechanics of Eren's titan-shifting ability isn't such a secret after all. She eyes him warily, stiffening at the way his grin morphs into a lupine smirk.

"Oh, yes. Heh." Kenny flicks at the brim of his hat with his index finger. "I know if the brat is to transform, he has to bite himself first, eh? Though I think it's gotta do with blood."

Petra refuses to say a word. Unfortunately, her silence is the confirmation Kenny needs.

He barks out a wheezing laugh that wracks his frame. "Aw, come on, girly. No need to look so sour! Have some grace in losing!"

"I didn't know you would know the meaning of that," Petra eyes him and answers tartly.

If she expects Kenny to look insulted by her attempt to throw him off his game, she is disappointed when the man practically lights up like the candles on a birthday cake. "Ooh, look! Ginger Doll has a smart mouth! What'cha think of that, Cavern?"

Petra's eyes shift to the statuesque blonde at Kenny's side. With dull, flat eyes, the woman blinks once. Her tone is even and without inflexion as she answers, "It's very good, sir."

"Tch," Kenny scoffs at his second-in-command's lacklustre response.

Carven may be impassive in her demeanour, but Petra doesn't miss the woman's cool, assessing stare raking over her face.

Defiantly, Petra lifts her chin, her amber gaze meeting those cold blue eyes. She may be terrified of Kenny, but Petra refuses to give any signs of weakness to this woman and her lifeless stare.

"Eh, get out of here! See if that shoddy old fart has arrived." Kenny waves his hand dismissively. To Petra, he crouches down and snickers, his steely grey eyes gleaming with mischief. "Now, you, on the other hand, oughta sit still and look pretty for our honoured guest!" That is soon followed by two condescending smacks against her left cheek.

Heat rises to her face, and it takes all of Petra's control not to flare up in fury and indignation. She manages to clamp her mouth shut when Kenny rises, his posture shifting to a predatory manner, thumbs hooked into the belt loops of his pants as he turns to face the door.

A minute later, Petra understands the shift in countenance.

The round squat face of Rod Reiss appears in the doorway. Dressed in a well-tailored brown suit that members of the nobility can only afford, he doesn't bother with any polite greeting or even acknowledges Kenny's mocking bow.

The nobleman's hollow eyes are narrowed as they regard Kenny before falling to Petra in what seems like a disapproving scowl. "That's not my daughter," Reiss speaks bluntly, holding onto his bowler hat.

Kenny shrugs. "Ya, ya, I would know. I did kill her mother the last time. Heh, one would be unable to forget those kiddy blank eyes."

Petra rears back in horror.

She remembers that one night over dinner when Historia shared about the loneliness of her childhood, of how her mother was murdered right in front of her, and how her last moments were spent spitting words of hatred and resentment toward her child.

Later that evening, Petra recalls crying silently into her pillow for the young girl and the cards fate had dealt her.

Reiss stiffens, his face visibly growing colder. "I wish you wouldn't speak of that unfortunate incident with such candour."

"Look here, King," Kenny sneers, his tone dropping dangerously. "I told ya I would deliver—"

"Yes," Reiss interjects sharply. "You did say you would. But you didn't. I don't see my daughter. You've failed and now the Scouts holding her captive would have their guard up."

"I got you the other shitty brat—"

Back against the wall, Petra watches the growing tension between the two men. To her, it feels like a battle of wits, of who could outsmart the other despite both combatants coming from two different worlds.

A beat later, her gaze flies up to Kenny when her brain catches onto the term he has used to address Rod Reiss.

King.

She blinks.

Mind spinning, Petra is reminded of the questions surrounding the importance of the Reiss family and why the Order of the Walls had been dedicated to serving them. The priest's voice echoes through her mind, of them having to monitor Historia and how she alone has the knowledge of everything.

Could that be...

Petra's stare jumps toward Rod Reiss, clarity and a form of awareness sifting through the muddled workings of her brain. Before she can comment or do anything, belatedly, she realises that she's under scrutiny by the stout nobleman.

"Tell me, Kenny," Reiss says harshly. His brows are furrowed, and the corners of his mouth are twisted into a line of barely-restrained irritation. "How would you redeem yourself? All you had to do was bring me, Eren Jaeger and my daughter. Instead, you got me... whoever that is."

"Oh, her?" Kenny snickers. He turns sideways to peer down at her. "She's bait."

"Bait?"

"Ahh, yes. I might not have struck gold, but I got the next best thing," Kenny brags with a leer.

Petra forces herself not to fidget under Rod Reiss' dismissive glare.

"Do pray tell." Reiss' tone is dry and cutting.

Kenny smirks. "We'll make a trade," he announces. "Her for your daughter."

"Who is she that would warrant such importance from the Scouts?"

"Ya weren't fucking there today," Kenny replies in a sing-song voice. "Ya didn't see the way the runt called for her. Tch. Thought I beat it out of him all those years ago, heh, but I guess that's on me for thinkin' I did a swell job on teaching survival skills."

Petra's throat tightens.

The only one who she remembers calling out for her in those last moments had been her captain—Levi.

The implications of whatever Kenny is saying slam hard into her gut. The idea of Levi being hurt at the hands of this foul murderer—Petra thinks she might be drowning, from both rage and horror.

Is this another missing puzzle piece regarding Levi's checkered past that has always been shrouded in mystery?

"I am not asking you for a story!" Reiss snaps as he finally releases the reins holding his temper back. His hands are clenched into fists at his sides. "I am demanding to know what are you and your Anti Personnel Control Squad are going to do!"

"Sheesh, for cryin' out loud," Kenny growls, and Petra can see the instinctive way he reaches for the gun strapped to his hip, only for his scarred fingers to halt at the last minute. "Rest assured, that brat would come after her."

The way both pairs of eyes—one, icy blue, and the other, a malevolent grey—fall onto her form causes her to stiffen.

"I hope you are right," Rod Reiss says grimly. "You have always exceeded my expectations with your performance."

The unspoken warning reverberates around the room.

A muscle ticks furiously under Kenny's right eye, but instead of giving in to the unpredictable rage that demands the spilling of blood and bone that Petra thought he would, the serial killer simply gives a bland smile without teeth. "Yes, King."

Rod Reiss barely spares Kenny another glance before he pivots sharply on the heel of his polished shoes and stomps out.

On Kenny's part, the man lets out a muted yell through gritted teeth. Abruptly, he spins towards her, eyes flashing warningly. "Don't yer dare ruin this for me, girly. I warned you before that there ain't getting at me twice."

With one final slam of the door and the subsequent sound of multiple locks being enabled (though Petra thinks it unnecessary considering the thick iron shackles encircling her wrists), she is finally left alone with her thoughts.

Her shoulders sag as her brain churns with all the half-baked information she has gleaned from the heated conversation between Rod Reiss and Kenny. If both men had been unafraid to let slip such details in front of her, Petra knows the longevity of her life is in question.

She has to make it out of here.

And yet, she can't help her mind from wandering towards Levi.

Over the past few hours, where Petra has the misfortune of being in Kenny's presence, the man has mentioned not once but twice that he had a hand in raising her captain. The added recollection of how Levi had reacted when she'd brought up Kenny the Ripper, along with the similar vocabulary and crude mannerisms both men use, adds credit to the sheer impossibility.

If you ever take a visit to the Underground, you'll be fucking surprised. Most of the people there are animals.

All this while, Petra has figured that Kenny's accent reveals his origins from the gangs in the interior. But what if he (and by extension, Levi) originated from the Underground?

Quickly, Petra dismisses that line of thought. There isn't any point in dwelling on that now. Not when the pressing issue of escaping with Eren takes precedence.

Shuffling towards the bed, her forlorn gaze falls onto Eren's limp form before trailing onto the reddened skin around his bonds.

Regret is a thick and bitter emotion resting heavily on her tongue.

If only she'd been strong enough to save him, to prevent the titan-shifter from falling into Kenny's hands, all of this could be avoided.

Manoeuvring her body so that she could at least spread her legs out and prevent them from cramping, Petra rests her weight against the wall and closes her eyes. With how her head was knocked around again, Petra simply wants to give in to the exhaustion crawling over her skull like a thick wool blanket, threatening to bring her under.

She just prays to the goddesses or any other deities listening that the rest of the kids and Levi are alright.

Being rudely awakened with a sharp kick to her gut is undoubtedly not how Petra thought she would start her day.

"Oi, geddup. The boss wants to see you."

Blearily, she gazes up into an unfamiliar bespectacled face. Sensing another booted foot coming her way, Petra forces herself to move. However, her limbs are too sluggish, and her mind is a dazed mess.

Before she knows it, she's hauled up roughly by her shoulders and led out of the room. Feet tripping over the bare wooden boards, Petra does her best to scan her surroundings for possible escape routes or even weapons she can use. Ducking her head, she takes note of the men and women standing guard around the house.

Stomach sinking, Petra realises she and Eren would be sorely outnumbered.

As she bypasses the many rooms and their elegant furnishings, Petra can't help but gawk. Never has she seen wealth displayed in such a manner. Petra feels out of her depth with the ornate gold frames enveloping elaborate oil paintings, delicate floral designs lining brick walls, and even multiple marble statues decorating corners.

And yet, she can't help but feel the house is nothing but a mausoleum. There is a strange stillness in the air, a haunting quality that sets her spine into an uneasy line of tension.

Soon enough, she is led into another room on the first level that consists of a long dining table with meagre food laid out on white porcelain plates. Naturally, her eyes land on the smirking figure at the end of the room.

Her mouth purses and Petra allows herself to be guided further into the room and onto the adjacent seat to Kenny, who has a wide grin splitting his narrow face.

"Eat up, girl."

Her gaze shifts down to the slightly burnt toast laid in front of her. She stares hard at it.

"It doesn't have poison, you stupid chit," Kenny sneers derisively. "If I wanted ta kill you, it would be done with something that woulda blow your head right off!"

Petra stares flatly at him. Oddly, her shoulders relax just the tiniest bit. "I can't eat with my hands tied up, can I?" she retorts back.

Kenny sniggers obnoxiously and jerks his head. Promptly, Petra hears the metallic clangs of keys jingling before the iron bonds slacken. Relief is a heady aphrodisiac to her sore arms as she cautiously stretches, flexing her fingers and gently rolling her tender and bruised wrists.

"Now, tell me, girly, how is that little fucker doin' these days?"

Hunger hasn't even been a factor until she's literally tearing her teeth into the dry slice of bread. Within seconds, the entire thing is gone, and the ache in her belly is lessened.

"It's Captain Levi to you," Petra says sharply, settling back and eyeing the chipped cup full of hot tea sliding down her way.

"Ha!" Kenny chortles, leaning back so that he is balanced on the two back legs of his chair. Petra resists the urge to push him. "Nah, to me, he's that little runt I found all those years ago. Who did ya think taught him those moves? Those fuckers in the military?"

"I—"

"Yes, that's right." Kenny pushes on, his lips curving into a cruel grin. "Me. Ya think he could make it without me? Tch."

She stares dully at him, her gut twisting uncomfortably. "Why?"

"Eh? Why what?"

"What do you gain from helping Rod Reiss?" she presses.

Kenny snorts. "Little brats like you should mind yer own business. S'not as though you'll be able to understand anythin'."

Before she can provide a cutting rebuttal, the door opens, and Kenny's second-in-command strides in. "From Mitras, sir."

"Hah?"

Petra watches keenly as Kenny skims his narrowed, flint-like gaze over the small letter before his grin morphs into a variation of those deranged smiles she's seen only on titans while outside the walls.

"Ooh, finally," he says gleefully, holding the letter between his middle and index fingers. "Some fucking good news at last. Wanna hear it, doll?"

Taking her silence as an acquiescence, Kenny rises and begins narrating in that lazy drawl of his how the Scouts are being hunted for treason for cold-blooded murder, which has consequently led to Commander Erwin being arrested by the MPs.

"The Reeves merchant?" Petra repeats blankly, unable to fully process everything that she's hearing.

"Y'know," Kenny rolls his eyes impatiently. "Those blabbering morons who got you and that other fake brat. Heh. Knew they were rats before they got all mouthy."

"I—" she stops herself. Hesitating, she licks her bottom lip and forces her jaw to work. "Th-they're dead? All of them?"

She is thrown back to how Levi had brutally beaten that man who'd assaulted her. Blood had splattered like raindrops all over the floors, and Petra doesn't think she can ever forget the sound of bone snapping and breaking under exerted force and Levi's rage.

Now, without the anxiety and adrenaline thrumming through her veins from yesterday, her stomach roils at the very memory of how Levi had practically thrashed a man just for touching her. Blood and violence aren't new to Petra, but seeing it firsthand meted out by her captain with such brutality...

With every fibre of her being, Petra prays that Levi hadn't callously taken a life—no matter how horrid the person had been—for her.

She doesn't think she could deal with that sort of guilt.

"What does it matter? Tch. We deal with snitches the same way we deal with rats—a blade in the mouth and gut." Kenny shrugs, looking almost comically pensive. "Though I did think I was goin' soft on that old man, heh. Whaddya think? I shoulda strung him and those shits of his like shiny lights on Christmas, eh?"

She can't describe the contrary mix of emotions that fill her; relief grips her heart in a vice-like grip that it hadn't been Levi who killed a man for her. On the other hand, revulsion is a slimy sensation coiling in her gut like a snake from hearing Kenny talk about cold-blooded murder with such indifference.

Petra tips her chin up, boldly staring Kenny down. "Do you really not feel remorse about the lives you've taken?"

"No," Kenny deadpans, dragging the vowel out. "Killing isn't hard."

"They were people..." she trails off, her lower lip trembling. "Yes, they may not have been innocent or totally blameless, but they had a life! Family and friends—"

"Yer one to talk, Ginger." Kenny eyes her with malicious mirth in those grey irises. He leans closer, steepling his hands together and resting his elbows on the table. "From what I heard, ya killed ten of my men in less than an hour."

Petra stills.

The breath in her lungs turns stale, and her hands tremble.

To her, it feels like time has slowed down, the hands on the clock have stopped, and all she can hear is the blood roaring through her ears.

She has, hasn't she?

She'd taken lives.

The toast she has eaten feels like ash and sandpaper on her tongue, and the lukewarm tea resembles a mixture of sewage water bubbling in her stomach. The reminder of the faceless men and women she's killed with her blades back in Trost causes her stomach to churn.

Ice creeps up her veins at the realisation that Petra had been ruthless and calculative despite her mostly disassociating during her kills. Going for vital organs and arteries (which are information she's retained from the compulsory medical courses back in the Cadet Corps), her knives have never missed their mark as she'd soared through the air, lunging from one adversary to another with deadly accuracy.

Blood and flesh.

Muscle and bone.

Slicing and severing.

Till now, Petra realises she hasn't even seen her victims as humans. Rather, nameless targets, similar to the wooden dummies used in training.

"Oh," she whispers, staring unseeingly at the table.

Like she's said to Kenny, those men and women she'd killed, they had families and friends—loved ones who would grieve terribly for their deaths. What can she say to them? She, who had stolen the very air in their lungs with her actions, who'd done so without any hesitation whatsoever.

Remorse and guilt roil dangerously in her stomach, whereas shame simmers beneath her ribs and threatens to choke the very life out of her.

Before, she'd skimmed over the possibility of Hange's theory that titans had been people once. Never mind the overwhelming evidence laid out at the village in Ragako, Petra had all but shoved Hange's approach to the recesses of her mind. This way, she doesn't have to entertain the idea that she'd taken human lives willingly, that she's a murderer.

But now, with her sins laid out so blatantly in front of her, there is no denying her bloodthirsty actions. Nor are there any excuses for Petra to hide behind.

She is a killer.

Nothing more. Nothing less.

Her gaze drops to her pale hands. If Petra squints hard enough, she suspects she can even see her fingers coated in blood. She knows that no matter how much she scrubs or washes them under running water, the viscous crimson life-giving fluid has stained her palms irrevocably.

She likens them to the fable her mother had once told her: about a woman who'd encouraged her husband to kill for power, who'd eventually been driven into madness from guilt and paranoia of actions, who'd started imagining to see spots of blood all over hands.

It is fitting, Petra thinks with a sense of detachment. She's committed the ultimate crime, and now, her tattered soul is paying for it.

"Ya know, it never gets old to see the face a person makes when they kill for the first time."

Blankly, she looks up at her companion who offers her a row of gleaming teeth.

"Tsk, don't look so glum!" Kenny drawls, amusement shining in those dark depths. "Yer should be proud with those skills. Heh, never really seen anybody take that many people down in such a short time except for the runt."

Petra doesn't hear any of his taunts. Instead, meeting Kenny's malevolent eyes reminds her of Nifa, Keji and Abel and how they are no longer amongst the land of the living.

She can literally feel the blood draining from her face. "Oh god," she mutters. Her fingers shake, dropping the teacup on the white saucer, causing a resonating crash around the room. "They're dead."

"Oi oi, brat! Don't go hurling yer guts out or I'll make yer clean it with yer face!"

"They're dead!" She gasps out, hands grappling at her chest in a weak attempt to stop the overwhelming ache and grief in her heart that threatens to bring her under. Lower lip trembling, Petra can feel tears gathering at the corners of her eyes, clumping her lashes. "Did you kill them?" she demands brokenly.

Kenny looks nonplussed as he picks his teeth with the tip of a steak knife. "Who?"

"Nifa and her team," she whispers hollowly.

"Eh?"

Petra closes her eyes. Her chest starts to rattle with heartbroken sobs as she tries to repress her grief for now. "It isn't right," she manages through shaky breaths, once again locking away her turbulent emotions. "Killing," she clarifies when Kenny raises a brow. "Killing isn't right."

"Heh. Well then," Kenny leans forward, a derogatory smirk curling on his thin lips, "what about the lives that you took?"

Petra bows her head. "Killing your men... Murder is a crime against humanity. It's a vow I have broken as a Scout who has sworn their life to the cause. I know what I've done will haunt me for as long as I live and I will accept the consequences of my sins."

An uncomfortable silence permeates the room.

The screeching of a chair being forcefully pushed back echoes. Looking up from beneath her lashes, Petra observes Kenny stalking away from the table and towards the doorway of the dining room.

Just as she fixes her eyes onto her discarded and shattered teacup, settled on ruminating over the chain of events that have landed her here, Kenny scoffs.

In an uncharacteristic show of candour, his face turns taut. "Ya shouldn't be crying and be bothered about the dead. Ya should be more concerned with the living," he says flatly. "In the grand scheme of things, the dead don't matter."

Petra gapes, rage and indignation over the slain souls removes the filter from her mouth with vengeance. "Don't you get it?" she bursts out. "What right do we have to attempt to play God? To have a say in who should live or die? That we get to kill without hesitation?"

Kenny releases a bark of wild laughter. "It seems yer the one who don't get it, girly." He straightens, tipping the brim of his hat in her direction. "In this world where titans walk," he adds with a manic glint in his steely grey eyes, "we are gods."

Notes:

Yeahhhhh, it's been a long while. Life was crazy and tbh most of this was written back then. But I was looking at this unfinished chapter and I figured I'm still pretty proud of what I wrote and you guys deserved something for being so patient and supportive all this while. So here is Kenny and Petra because I would have loved to see them interact at least once in the manga/anime

And of course, with the new season up and running, it kinda has my brain roving.

I can't make promises for when I will update next but I believe the uprising arc would end in 2 more chapters.

I'm sorry I couldn't reply to anyone's comments in the previous chapter but do know that I read every single one of them (more than once) and I seriously appreciate it from the bottom of my heart because your feedback is invaluable.

Thank you all for reading and if you'll like, let me know your thoughts!

Chapter 7: Uprising III

Notes:

this ridiculously long chapter is dedicated to irina for being the best support a writer can ever have because without her encouragement, this chapter will never have seen the light of day. Irina, ily and hope you enjoy this one! 3

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

Being held hostage by the infamous serial killer, Kenny the Ripper isn't as horrifying as Petra had thought. Ever since she'd been in his grasp, she figured she'd lay waste in a cell to have information of Squad Levi's movements extracted from her, or to be a punching bag for the mass murderer and his merry band of criminals.

Instead, Petra has been mostly left alone.

Meals comprising slices of bread and the occasional mashed potatoes are delivered twice a day by a sullen reticent soldier who prefers to glower darkly in her direction without meeting her gaze.

With the windows boarded up and a lone candle flickering in the corner of the room, Petra doesn't have a way to guess how much time has passed. But with every minute that crawls by, she thinks she might go a little insane with only her thoughts for company. Thoughts about her squad—of Levi and the kids and their wellbeing, of the harrowing circumstances the Scouts have found themselves in flitter through her mind incessantly. It doesn't help that her brain has been earnestly trying to figure out how Historia and Rod Reiss and the Order of the Walls fit into this narrative, or why Kenny chose to play a part in the downfall of the Scouts with brute force or dirty manipulative tactics.

Petra knows she holds the majority of the puzzle pieces, but no matter what, she can't see the complete picture.

Furiously, she shakes her head, resisting the urge to wrench her hands uselessly away from her bonds. She doesn't have time to be sitting around, waiting to be rescued. Petra had gotten herself into this mess; she needs to get out of here. She needs a plan.

Not for the first time, her eyes drift towards the bed Eren had occupied on their first day of captivity. Unsurprisingly, the titan shifter had been relocated to another room. For safekeeping, Kenny had leered with a malicious smirk and a cackle when his men had roughly dragged the boy out on his knees. Traute merely stood at her captain's side, overlooking the proceedings with a blank look on her face.

If it wasn't for Rod Reiss and whatever nefarious plans he has in mind, Petra would have thought Eren dead.

Before she can ponder more on that harrowing thought, the door is violently kicked open and Petra recoils, eyes squeezing shut from the sudden burst of light filtering through the entryway. The heavy iron chains wrapped around her ankles and her wrists jangle noisily from her movements before booted feet surround her.

The next thing she knows, a rag emitting a pungent chemical stench is pressed against her mouth and nose.

Eyes widening, she struggles, her body pushing back against the ungiving hold of her captors to put some distance from the drug that is slowly but surely entering her system. Already, Petra can sense the edges of her vision turning darker by the second. A hand, masculine and rough, fists into her hair and forces her forward, pressing her nose further into the rag.

Her fall is inevitable.

With one last weak gasp, her shoulders slump and oblivion is a familiar friend beckoning her to its dark depths.

When Petra opens her eyes, she is greeted with the startling sight of crystalline blue.

Unable to get a hold of her bearings, she closes her eyes and steadies her breathing, fighting the wave of nausea that must be an unfortunate side effect of the drug used on her person. As awareness gradually settles into her distorted and hazy mind, Petra forces her gaze to focus on her surroundings. Her arms might be bound well with ropes at the small of her back, but she's given mobility in other areas.

Her lips part in wonder. She is in a cavern, unlike anything she's been in before. In every direction her gaze darts to, the unnatural blue hues of the cavern is all she sees.

The air in her lungs whooshes out, and a shiver goes down her spine. This shade of blue, with its glittering kaleidoscopic variations of colour, reminds her of the icy tones she'd glimpsed in Annie's unfeeling titan eyes.

Her stomach lurches at the memory.

"... Scouts started a coup d'etat ... regiments changed sides."

The very mention of the Scouts has Petra focusing on the ongoing conversation. Without making any sudden movements, she presses in closer, taking note of Rod Reiss and Kenny's positions and how they seem to be on the edge of a cliff overlooking a wide expanse that is made of the same material as the crystalline walls of the cavern.

Interestingly, two sets of stairs have been formed at both ends of the ledge. Craning her neck, Petra realises that they lead down to the empty space at the foot of the cliff in a mimicry of the ballrooms she'd seen in the interior.

However, what sends chills down her spine is the sight of Eren bound like a sacrificial lamb at an altar. Chains, thick and heavy, are wrapped around his waist, pinning him to his knees as they anchor him on the ledge. His arms are spread wide; the same chains pulling his wrists apart, leaving him entirely exposed and vulnerable. Even the sadistic metal gag in his mouth remains.

Clearly, Kenny and his men have done their research, covering all their bases to prevent the titan-shifter from transforming.

"Everyone knows the King's a fucking fake," Kenny utters contemptuously. "Tch. All the big shots are getting captured. It's a fucking royal shit show, thanks to those meddling cunts from the Garrisons. Best to get a move on, King."

"Yes, all right. But that doesn't matter until you rescue my daughter from—"

"Yeah, yeah, you'll get yer damn girl," Kenny growls. "I told ya the runt would come for her! Quit nagging!"

"Kenny, undoubtedly, you do not grasp the importance of Historia," Rod Reiss says, irritation colouring his words. "She's the key to everything!"

"Tch."

Petra can literally hear how hard Kenny is grinding his teeth. She may not be well acquainted with the serial killer, but even she knows how close he is to erupting in a mad burst of fury at being condescended to.

Carefully, she tests her bonds, stretching her fingers and rolling her wrists, only to learn that Kenny has tied an extra loop around her ties. With the other end being held loosely in his grip as though it were a makeshift leash, her chances of escaping have greatly diminished.

Her eyes narrow. Brain whirring, Petra shifts her gaze around the cavern in all of its unnatural beauty. There has to be an exit point somewhere. What's more, she also needs to figure out how many of Kenny's soldiers are loitering around and what exactly is Rod Reiss up to from having both Eren and Historia in his clutches.

Petra may be bait, but she refuses to be a damsel in distress. She'd been one of the youngest cadets selected to be part of Squad Levi due to her titan-killing prowess, and she'll be damned before she lies around waiting to be rescued.

"It seems your captive is awake." Rod Reiss' mild tone breaks through her thoughts, and Petra startles. "Take her and your Anti-Personnel Control Squad and deliver Historia to me as soon as possible. The time to set things right has finally come."

At that, she hastily glances up. The look on the nobleman's face is incredibly unnerving as he stares at Eren with a mixture of disgust and apprehension, as though his eyes are locked onto something beneath the titan-shifter's skin.

"Five years," Rod turns away and mutters to himself. "Frieda, you'll be back..."

At her side, Kenny scoffs, poison dripping from his words. One of his thumbs is hooked into his belt loop as he looms over Rod. "Ya shoulda been the one, not Uri."

Frieda? Uri?

Rod Reiss flinches violently. The leather satchel his hands are gripping onto resembles that of a medical kit doctors carry. Petra doesn't miss how his knuckles are bone white from holding the bag to his side, or how his stocky form is trembling.

"It was his duty!" The man abruptly shouts, eyes going wide. "The Founder chooses! And it was Uri's destiny to inherit it! Just like Frieda's!"

Petra blinks. Her mind spins at the new information that has been revealed; none of it makes things any clearer. When Kenny's eyes narrow dangerously, she makes the choice to stay silent, filing away the details that have been slipped. With how she's sandwiched between a ruthless and remorseless killer and a man who seems to be getting progressively deranged by the minute, she thinks it would be best not to attract any more of their attention.

Kenny pauses before bursting into raucous laughter. "How nice of ya to sacrifice everyone but ya own damn self, King. So much for the bonds of family, eh? But I suppose it now makes sense how folks like us get along so well, heh."

The tension that crackles between both men is unmistakable.

"You wouldn't understand," Rod Reiss croaks, his voice cracking as it adopts a haunted, lost quality. "The Founder had been stolen and it is only right that it is returned to the Royal family. Historia will do her duty as befitting her status. Once that is done, only then can humanity be saved."

Kenny scoffs, straightening his gangly form as he adjusts the brim of his hat with his gloved fingers. "Right," he drags out the vowels in the word and rolls his shoulders. The sound of creaking bones echoes and Petra grimaces. "Then I s'pose we'll best be on our way, King."

Rod Reiss makes a noncommittal sound as he waves the serial killer off before turning to face Eren. The boy is visibly dazed, his body slack, making no signs of acknowledgement when Rod Reiss approaches. By now, Kenny is yanking obnoxiously at the rope around her wrists but Petra doesn't turn away.

She can't. Not when Rod reaches out with shaky hands to brush his fingers against Eren's forehead and there's a glimmer—an iridescent glow in Eren's emerald green eyes, heralding the existence of something ancient and alien.

Petra's breath catches.

That is the last thing she sees before an iron grip clenches down on her shoulder and forcibly pushes her towards the steps, leading her away from Eren.

They walk in silence and with how Kenny jerks at her leash every few seconds, Petra distinctly feels like a sheep being led to slaughter. As they trudge through a large entryway, Petra spots the movement of Kenny's soldiers as they position themselves around the various pillars situated around the cavern.

With keen eyes, she watches the way they move with their gear. They may not be ODM, but with how the gas canisters are vertically fixed on the operator's back instead of the hips, and how the harnesses are similar to that of the Scouts, Petra figures the basic functions are the same. And if it became necessary, she can work with it; after all, Petra hadn't been a scout in the formidable Squad Levi for nothing.

Now with Kenny and Rod separated, Petra seizes the chance to capitalise on the tension brewing between both men.

"What do you get out of serving Rod Reiss?" Petra is very aware of the numerous pairs of calculative gazes trained on her. "And what did he mean by humanity will be saved by Historia? Do you really believe Rod Reiss can bring about humanity's salvation?"

Kenny sniggers gratingly and ignores her, swaggering up to the end of the cave where another flight of crystalline steps are formed towards a wooden door braced with ordinary grey bricks. "Heh, remember what I said about fireworks, girlie?"

Petra purses her lips, bristling at his continued dismissal as they ascend. "And remember when I said that Rod Reiss is just using you and your soldiers?"

At that, Kenny stops. He heaves out a sigh and turns to look at her over his shoulder. A wicked smirk forms on the corner of his lips. "Stupid brat, don't ya think I'm using him too? The King isn't the only one here who can play a long game, y'know?" At Petra's blank stare, the mass murderer scoffs, face twisting into something cold and unfeeling. "Tch. C'mon, gimme some credit here, Ginger Doll. Do I really look like a man who doesn't gamble once in a while, eh?"

Petra merely offers a flat look.

"Sheesh," Kenny sneers while rolling his eyes. He continues stomping his way upwards. "No wonder that snivelling runt is so hooked on ya. The little shit has mummy issues, heh."

Before Petra can reply with something equally cutting and vitriolic, she is dragged towards the doorway and shoved down a dark tunnel. Stumbling, the billowy ends of her skirt tangling around her legs, she is led towards a ladder with a trapdoor above her.

Petra pauses, and she squints at the old rickety structure that doesn't seem able to take her weight.

"Oi, get a move on, brat," Kenny drawls lazily, jamming the barrel of his gun into the ridges of her spine. "After all, ladies first."

Scoffing, she whirls around on her feet. "How can you expect me to climb up a ladder with my hands tied behind my back?"

Kenny growls and with a gleam of silver from an all too familiar blade, Petra's hands are free. "No funny business, ya hear me? I ain't letting the likes of ya to get in the way of my dreams."

Petra doesn't respond. Lips flattening into a mulish line, she ignores the ache of her wrists and grabs the wooden rungs, heaving herself up. Flinging the trapdoor open, she gapes at the surroundings of an abandoned chapel.

"Funny," she mutters dryly, scrambling up from the last rung and sweeping dust particles off her blouse. "I never took you for a religious sort."

Kenny snorts, adjusting his hat as he slams the trapdoor shut and roughly ushers her to the front of the church where the altar lay. "Whaddya know about anythin', girlie? I told ya, little morons like ya should mind their own business. Plus, God doesn't exist in this world—"

The sound of horses and shouts interrupt the religious tangent Kenny is heading to and Petra's heart leaps with hope.

The Scouts have arrived.

"Fucking finally!" Kenny lets out a wild bray of laughter. With a quick manoeuvre that causes Petra to feel like a marionette dancing to her master's strings, she is forced to her knees as the barrel of Kenny's gun is nudged against her temple.

She freezes, her breath hitching in her throat at how huge the weapon looks from her peripheral vision. Petra is acutely aware that all it would take was a squeeze of a trigger and her brain matter would decorate the walls of the church in a macabre display of art.

"Sorry, girlie," a predatory grin forms on Kenny's narrow, gaunt face. "It's nothin' personal. Now, let's get down to business!"

As if on cue, the double doors of the chapel fly open, punctuating Kenny's gleeful declaration of the impending battle. At the sudden sound, Petra flinches when Kenny juts the gun even closer to her head. Beneath her chest, her heart is slamming vigorously against her ribs, as though she'd been forced to run for life from an Abnormal Titan on foot.

"Petra!"

The members of Squad Levi falter once they catch sight of her. Connie and Sasha are slack-jawed as they gawk at her and the gun against her temple. Historia is stricken, blue eyes wide in horror as she shies behind Sasha. Jean is frowning, visibly conflicted as he takes a hesitant step closer before being tugged back by Armin who eyes Kenny warily. Mikasa, the gloomy brat that Levi has declared her to be, is glowering with murderous intent that radiates off her in waves.

A tension she isn't aware of dissipates at seeing her kids alive and unharmed. Her gaze softens as she exhales, breath shuddering out from her lungs as she offers them a weak smile.

And then, her eyes fall on Levi.

Petra's lips part, and the part of her who'd been torn from disobeying his orders, who feared that she'll die without ever seeing him again rears its head. Her gut clenches and God, the things she'd wanted to say, the things she'd wanted to do, all surface from the recesses of her mind where they'd been strictly under lock and key.

However, the very sight of him brings some semblance of peace over her being, quieting the rioting thoughts in her brain, and soothing the ache in her soul.

Never one to allow his emotions get in the way of duty, Levi is the epitome of a brick wall as he studies Kenny impassively with flat grey eyes. Knowing her captain well, Petra is certain he is assessing the situation, casing their surroundings and already mapping out at least four possible exit routes in case of an unexpected ambush, all while aware of the threat pressed against her head.

His flint-like eyes narrow the slightest bit before they flicker to Petra, scanning her appearance critically for any indication of injury or abuse. Finding none, Levi lifts his gaze to hers.

That brief glance where their eyes lock reveals a wealth of emotions that steal the very air in her lungs.

"Hey Levi," Kenny drawls, tapping the muzzle of his weapon against Petra's skin tauntingly to a rhythm he can only hear. "Nice of ya to drop by. How's the weather lookin'?"

Levi's scowl darkens. "Oi, brats, get a move on," he commands, breaking the kids out of their stupor as he swiftly draws out his blades. "We got an idiot to save."

Immediately, that galvanises the kids into action. Together with Hange and Moblit, they scrabble down the trapdoor with barrels and crates before disappearing from sight, leaving Levi alone with Petra and Kenny.

"Tch. How fucking sweet," Kenny sneers. "C'mon, runt, show me what ya got. It's just ya and me now, heh."

Before her, Levi glares witheringly. "Sure," he says dully. "Though I never thought you'll be cowardly enough to be hiding behind someone."

Kenny cackles. "Not true," he says in a sing-song voice. "I'm just here to make sure yer dealt with properly. No point letting ya get past this point, if not, it'll all be for nothin' and I can't have that."

Levi tenses, lips pressed into a thin line as he edges closer.

"Bang, bang! Here ya go!" Kenny suddenly yells, planting a booted foot at the base of her spine and the mere force of his kick sends Petra propelling forward in a mess of tangled limbs.

From the way Levi's eyes widen in horror, she doesn't need to guess what's next on Kenny's agenda. On sheer instinct, Petra forces herself to curl into a ball as she tumbles down the short flight of steps from the altar just as the thunderous sound of a gun goes off.

Bracing herself for the blinding pain of being shot causes, Petra flinches violently. However, Kenny's curses and Levi's subsequent grunts tell her that she's yet again miraculously escaped another close brush with death. Adrenaline coursing through her veins like liquid fire, Petra glances up to see what had been a wooden pew being disintegrated into a mess of wooden splinters and shards.

To think if she hasn't ducked down on instinct, that the bullet hasn't narrowly missed her head...

Involuntarily, Petra shudders. Her limbs feel like jelly and nausea roils turbulently in her gut. But it is the sounds of battle that break her out from the haziness descending on her mind.

Mustering every bit of strength, she pulls herself up to her feet, watching in muted awe how Kenny is able to meet Levi blow for blow. The infamous criminal is older and may not have the experience in fighting titans, but to Petra's well-trained eye, his skill in evading Levi's lunges and blades are incredible.

"Oi Levi! Didn't I teach ya to be faster than this, eh?" Kenny taunts gleefully. "Or are ya really the worthless brat I always thought ya were?"

Levi doesn't reply verbally but responds with a series of brutal swings of his blade. If it weren't for Kenny's fast reflexes, blocking the hits with the metal barrels of his guns, the man would have been shredded into bloody ribbons.

Turning away from the raging battle above her head, Petra ignores the urge to stay and help. Without ODM, she is pretty much useless and a hindrance. Where Kenny might go full out and bring down the roof over their heads if he so wished, Levi would in turn be more cautious due to her unprotected state.

Ignoring the explosive skirmish where debris has begun raining down on her, Petra scrambles towards the trapdoor. While she may not be of aid to her captain, Petra intends to ensure that Rod's plans pertaining to Historia and Eren will never come to fruition.

Planting her feet at the sides of the ladder, Petra slides down with ease and sprints through the corridor leading to the underground cavern. As she kicks the wooden door open, the reverberation of explosions fill her ears while smoke, heavy and dense with soot, clog her airways.

She coughs, staggering forward to see Hange and Armin firing smoke signals.

"Petra!" Hange yells, "You're okay! Where's Levi?"

Shaking her head furiously, Petra waves the Section Commander off. "Still battling it out. Where's Historia?" she demands urgently. "We need to get her as far away from here."

Hange blanches. "She went with the rest to rescue Eren!"

Petra grits her teeth in ill-disguised panic and frustration. "No, that's what they want! They need her together with Eren!"

"Shit," Hange curses and hastily pushes their glasses up. "Goddamn shit! That explains the note Eren gave me!"

An angered cry reaches her ears and Petra manages to avoid getting clocked in the face with her battled-honed instincts. With Hange occupied with their own fight, Petra would have to deal with this on her own. Eyeing her adversary who seems to be leading her into a fistfight, Petra gears herself up.

Ducking and weaving away from coma-inducing blows, she seizes the chance and ruthlessly jams her elbow into the exposed hollow of the soldier's throat. She may not be armed, but the lack of armour and weapons allows her to be more agile—quicker on her feet.

Kenny's man rears back with a winded wheeze, grasping at his neck with wide watery eyes. Petra doesn't hesitate, she squares up and slams a fist into his nose.

Cartilage crunches and blood gushes. Taking advantage of the man's distraction, she puts all of her weight into driving her foot into the man's shin.

Bone breaks and the man releases an anguished howl. Without pausing for breath, Petra nimbly settles onto the balls of her feet and delivers a roundhouse kick into the soft, weak spot on the side of his neck that sends the soldier flying down the crystalline stairs.

He lands awkwardly, head twisted at an impossible angle and Petra knows he's dead.

She doesn't dwell on the life she's taken. Instead, Petra scrambles towards the body, unbuckling harnesses and removing holsters from the fresh corpse.

As she straps the numerous harnesses onto her torso and arms, Petra is dimly cognizant of the chaos occurring around her. Sliding the gas cylinder onto her upper back, followed by attaching the bullet cartridges on the outer sides of her thighs, she gently squeezes the triggers of the operating device, testing its mechanisms that control the functions of her stolen equipment.

It doesn't take long for Petra to apply basic ODM theory to the foreign device.

Like she'd speculated earlier, the operating controls of the Anti-Personnel's vertical manoeuvring gear don't seem to differ as much as ODM. Though the way the line of fire and anchor trajectory are both faced in the same direction is a serious limitation that would leave her rear end completely exposed, Petra knows she can work around it.

Years of being in the field avoiding Titans as she slaughters them have taught her how to be fast and skilled in the air.

Getting to her feet, and without pause, boosts herself up in the air to begin her search for Historia.

Soaring through the smoke-filled air, Petra catches glimpses of her squad facing their foes head-on without any of the uncertainty they've shown back in Trost. Their movements are sharp and precise, blades cutting at specific killing points as they ruthlessly battle it out in the air.

To think that her kids have accepted that their hands had to be stained with blood makes her heart pang with the never-ending bout of guilt and shame for failing to protect them.

Regardless, she quashes away her emotions, intent on finding Historia and rescuing Eren.

Petra leaps from target to target, fingers squeezing the foreign triggers that release bullets with immense stopping power, resulting in heads exploding like watermelons like those she'd seen at holiday festivals.

Naturally, it doesn't take long for the Anti-Personnel Control Squad to realise that their adversary is using their weapons against them. With two more soldiers felled by her hand, Petra finds herself surrounded.

Gritting her teeth, she takes cover behind a pillar as bullets are fired continuously in her direction. Feeling the crystalline pillar begin to disintegrate from the sheer force of firepower, she figures it won't be long before she'll be utterly defenceless.

"Petra, go! We'll cover you!"

Perking up at the familiar voice, she catches a flicker of red and black before her assailants are plunged from the air, eyes blank and limbs slack.

Whispering a murmur of thanks to Mikasa for her support, Petra surges forward, eyes searching for any sight of Historia.

However, as the smoke begins to settle and there still isn't any hide or hair of the blonde girl, Petra can only conclude that she'd been taken to Rod.

Swearing quietly under her breath while firing her weapon at yet another soldier, Petra resolves to grab back both Eren and Historia on her own. With the Anti-Personnel Control Squad having their hands full with the Scouts, and Kenny being dealt with by Levi, she should be able to face Rod without any issue.

The nobleman wasn't a soldier, and hence, would be subdued easily.

Resolutely, Petra zips past the ensuing mid-air battles, only to come to a stop when Kenny's second in command appears in her line of vision.

"You're not interfering in the ritual," Traute Carven says in her usual impassive detached manner. "I cannot have you getting in the way of Kenny's dream."

"Kenny's dream?" Petra repeats dryly, slotting another cartridge from her holsters into the barrel of her left gun. "All I know is that the man is off his rocker."

Carven doesn't visibly react to the slight against her captain. "You don't understand. There's an enemy outside these walls that we cannot defeat and all we can do is wait until they break down the Walls and destroy us."

"An enemy outside the Walls?" she echoes, brows furrowing. "What the hell are you talking about?"

The older woman continues as though she has not been interrupted, "Kenny's dreams will free us from the hell that is our meaningless lives. Only Kenny and his dreams can turn the tables on this meaningless world behind the Walls."

Petra resists making a face at the diatribe being spouted. Clearly, the statuesque woman was off her rocker too. Her hands tighten around the handles of the operating device. "I guess it's too bad that I don't believe in whatever harebrained ideology your captain is preaching."

With that, Petra leaps off the pillar she's been resting on and dives towards Traute, guns aimed at the unflappable blonde. The aforementioned woman merely arches a brow and lunges ahead. Together, they meet in a shower of sparks as the metal barrels of their guns slam and slide against each other with unexpected strength.

Clenching her teeth, Petra raises her gaze, only to see an unrelenting resolve burning in Carven's cold blue eyes. At that, the faintest glimpse of a rueful smile crosses her lips. It seemed that while they may be on opposite sides, Kenny's second in command and her aren't that different after all. Or at least they shared the same unwavering determination to serve their respective captains and their goals to the very end.

Though Petra doubts that Carven carries a torch for Kenny as she does for Levi.

"I'm sorry," Petra says flatly, kicking a foot out towards Carven's unprotected abdomen, causing the woman to lose her balance in the air and stutter backwards. "I can't let you involve Historia and Eren in whatever mess you've gotten into."

"Then we are at an impasse," Carven observes blandly, skilfully recovering from Petra's blow and spinning somewhat gracefully around a pillar and firing both her guns simultaneously.

"We are," Petra murmurs to herself, weaving back from the deadly cartridges that explode thunderously behind her.

However, hearing a pained yelp from her rear alerts Petra that one of her comrades have fallen. Snatching a quick look, she finds Hange tumbling down from a brutal collision with a crystalline pillar. Blood is smeared all over the gleaming support and if it weren't for one of her kids or Moblit coming to the Section Commander's aid, Petra would have flown over to Hange's unnaturally still body at once.

Still, it is a reminder that she doesn't have the time to stretch out her fight with Carven. Eliminating the threat that is Rod Reiss takes precedence over anything else.

Chancing a glance at Kenny's Second in Command, Petra furrows her brows, wishing for the familiarity of ODM and her trusty blades. While she may have more experience than the blonde in terms of mid-air battles, Traute Carven is more capable in the usage of the Anti-Personnel Control Squad's gears.

And hence, they are evenly matched.

Ironically enough, the disparity in their skills with the vertical manoeuvring device gives Petra an idea. Quickly, she feigns panic, pretending to fumble with the controls in her hands that voluntarily halt the airflow of the gas canister on her back.

Naturally, she falls.

And predictably, Carven surges forward like a predator hunting its cornered prey. Taking advantage of Petra's apparent failure, the blonde squeezes the trigger of her weapons, only for her to miss when Petra avoids the trajectory of the bullets by speedily elevating herself higher in the air.

This time, it is Petra's turn to take aim and fire.

The last thing she sees of Traute Carven is shock and dismay on her angular bloodied features as she plummets down to the unforgiving ground with a sickening crack.

Petra doesn't wait; she races onwards to the first part of the cavern. Just as she bypasses the opening that leads to the make-shift altar where Eren is held, she falters at the sight of Historia waving her fist threateningly at Rod Reiss as she screams her lungs out at him.

Petra blinks. Whatever she's expecting to see hasn't been that.

"What's done is done!" the girl shrieks. "If Eren inherited the power from his father, and if you know so much about the titans and the walls, why can't you tell him everything?"

"You don't understand!" Rod sputters, face scrunching up as he shies away from his enraged daughter. "Only the true power of the Founder can be utilised with the blood of the Reiss family. And that's you, Historia! Only you have the ability to wipe out the titans from this world!"

A disbelieving scoff leaves Historia's lips. Upon closer look, Petra notes that her fist contains a syringe filled with purple liquid. "Then tell me! If this so-called power can only be used by the Reiss family, why didn't any of you in the past 100 years eliminate the titans and liberate humanity inside these walls? Why didn't Frieda do it before Grisha Jaeger ate her and stole the Founding Titan?"

Petra blanches. The latter bit of information could only mean that Eren had most probably... ingested his father to inherit his titan ability. Suppressing her shivers of disgust and horror, she manages to shake herself back into action.

Rod stutters, jaw working uselessly as he eyes the way the syringe is shaken wildly in the air. "There's a vow from the First King renouncing all acts of war upon its family line! But you could overcome it!"

Unimpressed with her father's response, Historia growls. "I've had it with you making excuses and trying to manipulate people for the sake of humanity!"

"Historia—"

"I'll never betray my friends!" The girl releases a yell as she flings away the syringe and stomps a booted foot on it. "I'm going to live a life I'm proud of!"

The glass shatters, and Rod lets out an anguished howl as he scrambles on all fours to gape helplessly at the rapidly spreading fluid tainted with tiny glistening shards. "What have you done?!"

Deciding enough is enough, Petra swiftly navigates through the air and deftly lands at Historia's side. "You've done well."

"Petra!" the girl gasps, eyes shining in relief. "You're okay!"

"I am," Petra smiles and squeezes the blonde's shoulder. "I was worried about you, but I'm glad to see you've got things handled." Her grin soon fades. "But enough talk, we have to get out of here now. Do you have the keys for Eren?"

"Now just wait a goddamn fuckin' minute!"

The blood in Petra's veins freeze as Kenny stalks forward from a hidden alcove. His hat jammed over his head is slightly skewed, while a copious amount of blood is seeping out from the white fabric over his torso. Funnily enough, the blood loss doesn't seem to be hindering the serial killer in the slightest.

In fact, other than that substantial wound, Kenny seemed fine.

Petra pales at that very implication.

Where was Levi?

Instinctively, she pushes Historia back, shielding her from the mass murderer's enraged glower.

"Is it true?" The man demands, voice thick and hoarse, as he hauls Rod Reiss up by the lapels of his jacket. "So unless it's a Reiss who eats that shitty brat, they can't become a true king?"

"Yes," Rod croaks, hands grasping uselessly at Kenny's wrist. "What are you—"

"ARGH! For cryin' out loud, ya used me this whole time—" Kenny grinds his teeth and shoots a poisonous glare toward Petra, clearly recalling her prior accusations. "Tch." A malevolent expression crosses his features. "Fine. Have at it, King!"

With a move that Petra has not anticipated, Kenny slams Rod down, shoving his face into the spilt fluid from the broken syringe.

"Eat shit, ya filthy double-crossin' cunt!" Kenny bellows madly, laughing as he lifts himself in the air. His wild grey eyes meet Petra's. "And here's what I promised ya, Ginger Doll! The real fireworks!"

The man lets out a crazed whoop as he disappears from sight as Rod Reiss begins to glow. Blinding yellow light fills the cavern and the spine of a titan shoots up from the nobleman's body. Petra swears violently under her breath.

"Historia, get Eren free now! I'll cover you!"

Together, they sprint up the curving flight of stairs. With Historia taking charge, she slips a ring of keys from her father's bag and hastily attempts to match them to their respective locks.

Meanwhile, Petra can only watch in dawning horror at the formation of Rod Reiss' titan which appears to be causing the cavern to gradually collapse. Rapidly forming cracks zip up the sides of the walls as hot steam emitted from the titan's emergence fills the air.

An exit. She has to figure out the exit that Kenny had used.

But where?

Desperately, her eyes comb over the fractured crystalline walls for any sign of an opening. Petra shifts her gaze up towards the crumbling ceiling. If only there is someone on the surface who can find a suitable spot away from the unstable earth.

"You guys!"

"What the hell is that?!"

"It's falling! The place has gone straight to hell!"

Whirling around, Petra is met with the appearance of her kids and Levi.

She cannot describe the wave of relief that crashes over her to see that they are alive and well despite everything.

"Petra, watch out!"

"Get back!"

Arms are wrapped around her waist, forcefully pulling her backwards just as huge chunks of the cavern crash into the spot where she'd stood at the ledge of the cliff scant seconds ago.

Air knocked out of her lungs, Petra gapes. Her shoulders sag and her fingers curl into the soft grey cotton of Levi's shirt.

"Oi, Ral, pay attention, don't just stand there gawking like a moron." Levi's words are admonishing but Petra can identify the way his eyes seem to drink her in as they all huddle with their backs against the wall.

"Sorry, Captain." She offers a curt nod, hastily pushing back the lingering warmth Levi's arms bring. Regretfully, she shifts away from his hold and directs her attention back to Rod Reiss whose titan form appears to be larger than any titan she'd seen.

"So, uh what exactly is that?" Jean questions, voice high from raw panic and desperation. "It's bigger than the Colossal Titan!"

"That's Rod Reiss," she offers and the range of expressions she receives makes her stifle a laugh.

Sasha goggles at her, eyes going comically wide. "You're kidding!"

"It would make sense. He was ugly in the posters too," Connie mutters in a matter-of-fact tone as he rubs the back of his neck.

"Ehh, you're not one to say whose ugly!"

"Regardless," Levi cuts in before the discussion derails. "We have to move out." Taking charge, he narrows his gaze at the looming titan. "We'll die if we remain here. Though, it'll be a bitch to navigate through that mess."

"What about this?" Historia pipes up, holding up a small bottle containing yet another purple liquid. "Could this help? It says 'Armour'."

"Argh, what does that even mean?" Jean cries out, shielding his eyes from the dust and dirt that are now pouring all over them.

"I know I've always been weak and useless!" Eren declares abruptly, his face screwing up determinedly. "But just this last time, let me believe in myself!"

Before anyone can stop him, the titan-shifter rips his arm away from Mikasa's supporting grip and snatches the vial from Historia's hand. With that, he dashes towards the cliff and leaps into the air.

"EREN!"

Mikasa's scream is deafened by the appearance of Eren's titan who promptly settles itself in front of Squad Levi, and starts generating several crystallised support that snakes up towards the ceiling. The diamond-like substance thickens as it creeps and merges, constructing a web that prevents the disintegrating cavern from falling over their heads.

"What the—"

"Everyone! Get underneath Eren!"

When the dust settles and the rumbling of the collapsed carven stops, Petra opens her eyes. The sight of the network of hardened titan crystals takes her breath away, and with trembling fingers, she reaches out to touch it. The cold iridescent material starkly reminds her of the cocoon that enveloped Annie back in Stohess.

"Heh, guess you aren't that useless after all," Jean comments, breaking the stunned silence that has settled around them. However, the way he helps Eren to his feet belies the verbal jab.

"It looks like we can now secure Shiganshina." Levi's words bring attention to the crystallised titan corpse that Eren left behind. "It took us a long time and lots of people had to die so we could get here."

Somehow, instead of feeling exhilarated over the prospect of reclaiming the lands lost to the titans, of being a step closer to their original goal, Petra simply feels...tired.

How many people have died for them to make it this far? How many of her friends or squadmates had been mere stepping stones for the Scouts to reach their life-long objective of eradicating titans for the sake of humanity?

In the grand scheme of things, she knows that everyone—namely Commander Erwin and his most fervent supporters—would claim it a necessary sacrifice.

Personally, Petra doesn't think so.

With exhaustion-laden bones, she emerges from the hole leading to the surface and is greeted by Rod Reiss' massive titan lumbering towards Orvud District, no doubt sensing the human lives within.

Exhaling softly, Petra presses her lips together as she takes in the night sky illuminated by the flames wreaked by the titan in its journey toward the city.

Beneath the distant stars, she feels insignificant—small. It's as though the worries of the world they live in don't matter.

Fighting and killing, that's all she seems to be doing these days.

When would it all end?

Lost, her eyes drift towards her captain's back as he commandeers the kids into action.

Levi must have sensed her gaze for he turns and raises a brow. "Oi, Ral. Get a move on."

As though his words are the spark that is required for her heart to burn, Petra's eyes soften as new strength fills her lungs.

That's right. She's a Scout and after her many years in service, she's more than familiar with the concept of grief and guilt and the many burdens the dead leave on her shoulders. There isn't time for her to mope around. Not when she intends to uphold her solemn vows dedicating her life to humanity.

She will do what she has always done. She will take things in stride and move forward.

Lifting her chin stubbornly, Petra makes her way to Levi's side and smiles bravely. "Yes, Captain."

By daybreak, Rod Reiss' titan has been eliminated by none other than Historia, who with Erwin's lightly-veiled guidance, declared herself the rightful ruler of the Walls, subsequently removing the people's worry of a military dictatorship after overthrowing the false King.

Armed with the knowledge that her kids are now safe within the Walls, Petra fulfils her duties as Levi's Second as she joins him in securing the perimeter on the outside of Orvud District. Accompanied by some members of the Scout Regiment, they ride in silence.

To any lingering observers atop the Wall, they would have made a nice shot to fulfil Erwin's propaganda in boosting the reputation of the Scouts, especially with the beating it'd gone through the past few days. With the picturesque golden sun and fluffy clouds that dot the skies, a squad full of Scouts riding determinedly against the background of the ravaged lands caused by slewing a titan—yes, public opinion would have risen in their favour.

Gripping the reins tightly, Petra stares at the trail of destruction that Rod Reiss' titan has left in its wake. Her mind spins. While many of her questions may have been answered back in the cavern, new pieces of the increasingly-complicated puzzle have arisen.

She heaves a sigh and glances to her left. Petra jolts.

There against a lone tree near the edges of a forest stood the silhouette of a tall, lanky man with a familiar fedora on his head.

"Captain!" she shouts, earning Levi's attention. "There!"

Levi doesn't pause. Dismissing the rest of their comrades, he tugs sharply on his reins, guiding the horse speedily towards Kenny, whose leer seem to grow wider.

A frown forms on Petra's face as she approaches.

Of course, fate is unfairly kind to the man who'd engineered the demise of Rod Reiss, whose actions almost led to the near decimation of Orvud District, allowing the mass killer to escape with nothing more than scratches and a superficial knife wound on his torso.

"Tch," Kenny grunts as Levi leaps down from his horse and greets the older man with a muzzle of a rifle aimed in his direction. "Shoulda knew ya would have made it out alive."

"Kenny," Levi says tersely and for the first time, Petra is allowed to observe the interactions between both men without being in a hostile situation. "What are you doing here? Your comrades are all wiped out. And you seem fine enough to have disappeared by now."

"I told ya," Kenny's gaze shifts to hers and Petra flinches. Involuntarily, her fingers tighten on her own rifle at the dark amusement painted on his gaunt features. "I like watchin' fireworks."

Levi's face darkens. "Was it funny? Killing all those people? Murdering Scouts who were just doing their duty?"

Distinctly, Petra feels a sense of déjà vu at the turn the conversation has taken. From the gleam in his steely eyes and the shark-like grin on his face, Kenny seems to agree.

"What would ya know about anythin', ya damn brat." Kenny pushes himself away from the tree and reaches into his jacket. "Yer as stupid and useless as yer mother—"

With an incensed roar, Levi flings his rifle to the side and lunges at Kenny. Levi's hands grab at the lapels of the older man's jacket as he slams him violently against the tree. "Watch your fucking mouth!"

Petra blinks, taking a hesitant step back. This appears to be a conversation she shouldn't be privy to. However, the curious part of her that'd been given the few crumbs about Levi's past made her stay Still, with restraint she doesn't know she possesses, Petra moves several steps back until—

"She was a pathetic excuse as an Ackerman. And if I hadn't taken ya away, ya would have been as spineless and weak as she was."

"I said watch it—"

Kenny releases a hoot of sardonic laughter. "Gimme a goddamn break, runt. Ya wouldn't do it. Ya didn't kill me back then, and yer not gonna do it now."

Levi growls. His lips pulled back into a snarl. Once more, he batters Kenny back into the tree. "Try me."

"Tch." All sign of amusement fades and Kenny straightens. His lips turn downwards as he forcibly shoves Levi off him. "Get the hell off! I ain't gonna go to my grave with ya bein' the cause."

Instinctively, Petra loads the cartridge of the rifle in her hands warningly. The wooden handle of the weapon is gripped tightly between her fingers but her hold is steady and her aim would land true.

"Ya got spunk, girlie," Kenny observes, a hint of a smirk tug on the corners of his mouth. "Almost makes me miss the times we shared together, heh."

Petra screws her face up in disgust and a disgruntled huff escapes from her throat. But by then, Kenny's attention has shifted back to Levi who glowers darkly. "You... How did you know my mother?"

"All these years and ya still couldn't figure it out? Tch. I'm disappointed in ya, runt." Once more, Kenny reaches into his jacket and pulls out a small rectangular box. "And it ain't what yer thinkin', ya moron. I'm just her brother."

It takes all of Petra's concentration to prevent her jaw from dropping. From the way Levi visibly reacts, brows forming a tiny wrinkle as they knot together, and how his mouth gapes, Petra can tell that hadn't been the answer he'd been expecting either.

"If we're blood-related as you say, why did you leave me that day?"

Kenny snorts and thrusts the box into Levi's chest. In a rare show of sombreness, his lip curls. "'Cos I ain't a father figure for ya to look up to. And I certainly ain't sorry for bein' a shitty uncle but leaving ya with survival skills was the best thing I coulda done for Kuchel."

Petra observes the way Levi flinches at the spoken female name but distracts himself with the case in his hands. "What the fuck is this?"

"That is me washin' my hands off this shitty titan business," Kenny declares, cocking his head.

"And you expect us to believe you've given up on your dreams just after this?" Petra demands, stepping into the exchange for the first time. She nudges the rifle closer to the infamous criminal. "Carven was very informative about you and your dreams and how you planned to give meaning to her meaningless life."

If Petra ever thought Kenny incapable of experiencing human emotion, the grim look that flashes across his features belies that impression.

"So I assume yer the one who dealt with her?"

The sinister undertone of Kenny Ackerman's words have Petra tensing and Levi stepping in front of her in a bleak attempt to shield her from his uncle's glower.

"Yes," Petra admits blandly.

An indecipherable glint flickers in those cold grey depths before they disappear, tucked away neatly behind a well-worn disdainful sneer. "Everybody I met was the same," Kenny starts, suddenly looking old and weary, and Petra is reminded that for all of Kenny's sins, he is still astonishingly human. "Everyone needed somethin' to be drunk on, to keep them pushin' on. Everyone is a slave to somethin'. Like yer damn Scouts and yer search for freedom beyond the Walls."

For someone who loved rambling and enjoyed killing, Petra found that the man was making too much sense.

"But life is one big fucking yeehaw of a joke and then ya die. And I'm done bein' a slave." Kenny adjusts the brim of his hat, setting it just so that it shields his eyes. With one last glance at his nephew, he gives a nonchalant shrug. "Don't die too early with yer quest, runt. I can't have ya ruining my reputation if ya off yerself too soon."

Kenny then eyes Petra. His mouth curls into a smarmy grin. "And as for ya, Ginger Doll, it does seem ya can get in my way more than twice, heh."

With that, he activates his gear, boosting himself in the air before disappearing from view.

As Historia is presented to the crowds of adoring citizens as the new Queen of the Walls, Petra cannot help but feel a glimmer of maternal pride as she watches the crowning ceremony. She recalls the conflicted shadow the girl had been before, who'd seemed lost and moved through life without purpose.

But now as Historia greets the crowd with a gentle smile and steely determination in her big blue eyes, Petra is immensely proud of how far the girl has come.

And as she waits in the hallway of the government building where the reception is hosted, Petra fidgets with the belt resting around her hips from the new army green military uniforms. She isn't used to it, but it is just another reminder of how things are drastically changing.

"Here."

A glass of red liquid that had to be fruit punch is pushed into her hand. She takes it, murmuring her thanks as Levi settles at her side. With the barest hint of sunlight streaming in through the glass panes of the full-length windows, casting shadows across Levi's sharp angular features, Petra thinks that her captain had a serene air about him that hadn't been there before.

She can only think of what—or who—had been the cause of Levi's newfound inner peace.

Looking back, she and Levi ought to have stopped the infamous Kenny the Ripper from escaping. The man was wanted for the numerous crimes he'd committed under his belt. And yet, as Kenny hoisted himself in the air, Petra had found that her fingers were glued to her rifle, unable to do anything but watch with a contrary mix of emotions brewing in her gut as he'd vanished.

As deplorable as the man was, something had stayed Petra's finger from squeezing the trigger. Sure, she knew that Kenny was more than capable of avoiding her shots, but it was the principle of the matter. She had done nothing to stop him from leaving.

"Erwin should be here soon," Levi mutters, crossing his arms impatiently as he leans against the window frame. "Once the reception is underway, he'll be wanting to know more about the titan shit you've heard from Rod Reiss."

"Of course, captain," she answers. A beat later, Petra grins and continues thoughtfully, "Captain Levi Ackerman. It does have a nice ring to it, doesn't it?"

Levi makes a face, grimacing as her smile widens. "Tch. Should have known you would have told Eyebrows and Shitty Glasses about that."

"Well," she shrugs, draining the rest of her beverage, "It'll be good for Mikasa to know that she does have family members—"

"Distant family members," Levi interjects brusquely, looking distinctively uncomfortable with the prospect of having actual blood-related relatives.

Petra finds herself trying not to erupt into giggles at that.

"It doesn't matter if you and Kenny are distant relatives," Petra adds. "It's more of her knowing she isn't alone in the world. That ought to bring her some comfort."

He scoffs, slouching, adopting a sullen manner that Petra recognises is a ghost of Kenny's many mannerisms. "Tch. I doubt being related to Kenny the Ripper would bring the gloomy brat much comfort."

Okay, touché, Petra concedes silently, remembering the big reveal of Levi's bloodline and family name. Mikasa hadn't actually batted an eyelash at the revelation over a squad dinner. Rather, the girl had remained silent, tucked between her friends as she ate her baked potatoes.

"Fair point, but—"

"Enough," Levi snaps exasperatedly, giving her a dark look from the corner of his gaze. "I still haven't given you an ass-whooping for charging right into the enemy back in Trost. What do you have to say for that, Ral?"

Levi may have gained answers about his past—which he'd shared with Petra haltingly in the privacy of the dark during their nightly routine of having tea before bed—but he still had much to learn about improving his bedside manners.

It is something that Petra wouldn't have any other way.

She fidgets, fighting the flush creeping up her cheeks at her impulsiveness that could have put everyone in further danger. Officially, Levi had the right to throw her into a cell for solitary confinement for disobeying his orders in the line of duty. But of course, Petra knows that her captain has more of a bark than a bite.

"Considering things have turned out so well for us and the government, maybe there isn't a need for that?" she suggests hopefully, looking up at her captain from under her lashes.

Levi scoffs derisively, allowing the faintest hint of weariness to bleed onto his face. "One day, that luck of yours is going to run out, Petra. And when that happens, what are you going to do?"

She stills, looking over her shoulder to gaze at the horizon through the window. "I'll cross that bridge when I get to it."

"You just have to have an answer for everything, damn brat," Levi grumbles and runs a hand over the undercut of his hair.

Petra doesn't miss the slightest softening of his tone, or how his gaze almost seem fond as they lock onto hers intently. Her heart flutters at the sudden awareness of how close their bodies are, how Levi's clothed arm is pressing against hers, and how very handsome and dashing he looks decked in the new uniform.

Her cheeks bloom with heat and when Levi arches a brow, looking faintly interested and amused, she flushes further.

Thankfully, the sounds of approaching footsteps gather their attention and Petra turns, drawing her eyes toward the kids in her squad.

Levi pushes himself off the wall, facing the group who radiates a mix of anticipation and apprehension, save for the newly-minted Queen who looks as though she might keel over and heave out the contents of her guts. Abruptly, Historia's face scrunches up before she lets out a war cry, running forward to land a fist against Levi's arm.

Petra blinks.

The rest of the kids let out astonished gasps, as though they couldn't believe that Historia had actually landed one against their fearsome captain without being punted through the air in retaliation.

Historia, on the other hand, laughs and raises her fists triumphantly. "How'd you like that?! I'm the Queen! If you got a problem, you can just deal with it!"

"Hell yeah, Historia. That's the spirit! Knock him out!" Jean cheers, encouraged by Sasha and Connie's raucous congratulatory whoops.

"Watch it, Kirchstein," Levi utters coolly, causing the taller boy's countenance to whiten as he clams his mouth shut.

Petra snorts inwardly. Levi would never admit it, but she can tell that the man is more than amused by their squad's antics.

And as usual, if Jean were to get told off, Eren would jump in to bask in his squadmate's humiliation and discomfort, resulting in noisy bickering that echoed and bounced off the walls.

"Um, Petra?" She turns and is met with the bashful blues of Historia who crept to her side in the midst of their team's skirmish. The girl flushes, clearly conflicted over something before she steps forward and to Petra's shock, throws her arms around her. "Thank you for everything," Historia murmurs, words slightly muffled as she presses her face into the starched material of her uniform.

The air whooshes out of Petra's lungs in one fell swoop. Unbidden, tears start to prickle in the back of her eyes, and without delay, Petra reciprocates the hug the blonde had given. She squeezes tight, remembering the ill-fated story of a young girl who'd been starved of maternal affection and love since she'd been born.

Heavy, booted footsteps herald the imposing form of Erwin Smith, who smiles pleasantly as he informs everyone in that clear smooth voice of his that the reception requires the new Queen to be present for it to begin.

Historia withdraws, eyes bright with unshed tears as she nods and beams. "Of course. Shall we?"

Together, the kids (including the still arguing boys and a ravenous-looking Sasha) lead the way to the hall where everyone awaits. As they pass the commander, Levi nods in acknowledgement before trailing behind his squad, hands in his pockets.

As Petra steps in line with Levi, she glances over her shoulder to see the side profile of Commander Erwin staring out of the windows in the direction that she knows leads to Shiganshina.