WhIP

by footfungus

nederlands verhalen over mijn otp

8. Captive - Levi x Petra

Captive

MissErikaCourt

Summary:

Levi is forced into joining the Survey Corps in order to keep Isabel and Farlan safe from the plotting Commander Erwin. He must come up with a plan to rescue his two friends before it's too late, but he'll need help to do it. The setting is one year after the events of the A Choice With No Regrets OVA.

Notes:

So, this story is a labor of love. I originally started posting it probably a year ago, but took it down because I felt like it wasn't really going anywhere. Well, I've revisited, and it's definitely going places now, and it's apparently going to be twice the length that it originally was. I hope you all enjoy it and, please, feel free to leave comments to let me know what you think! I'm always up for feedback!

Chapter 1

Chapter Text

It had been one year since Levi set foot on the surface. One year since his first expedition with Erwin Smith, the bastard Commander of the Survey Corps. He had brought Isabel and Farlan with him and their mission had been simple. Kill the Commander and be granted permission to live their lives on the surface. However, that plan was foiled when Erwin figured everything out. Levi was able to save his friends from the titan threat, and they all survived the expedition, but the price they had to pay for trying to take out the Commander was steep. Now, the Commander had Isabel and Farlan locked up somewhere that Levi couldn't reach them. They were hostages for Erwin's cause, and Levi was the one person that could save them. All he had to do was be the Commander's puppet and do whatever he was asked. It was easy in theory, but in reality, it was something else entirely.

The truth of the matter was that Levi and his friends weren't any more free above the ground than they were under it. Isabel and Farlan were probably in chains somewhere, and Levi was confined to the small, dormitory style apartment in the barracks with the rest of the soldiers in the Corps. Anyone else probably would have been happy to have been given such a high rank in the Corps, a roof over their head, and their own squad to command, but Levi wasn't just anyone . The only reason he'd agreed to all this was to keep his friends safe, and now he wasn't even sure where they were. He hadn't been afforded the luxury of contact with them for the whole year after the expedition. It was probably Erwin's way of keeping him under his thumb, but his patience for that was running thin.

Still, although he wasn't happy, he found himself somewhat proud of what he'd accomplished in the time he'd been on the surface. His squad was full of good people that Erwin had at least let him hand pick. Petra, Oluo, Gunther, and Eld were strong soldiers, and people that Levi was proud to know, but he couldn't say that he considered any of them friends. They had a trust bond, sure, it was important for any squad to have that if they didn't want to die a horrible death in the field, but other than that Levi still considered them only comrades. Only people that were there to make sure he didn't die, and he would do the same for them. Unnecessary death was something that Levi couldn't tolerate, and these people making the choice to serve a cause that he was forced into didn't mean that they deserved to die.

All these thoughts and more were something that constantly plagued Levi, now that he was alone more often than not. Most days he just sat in his stupid apartment drinking the mediocre tea that Erwin had given him out of the ugly looking standard issue mugs that the military had at their disposal. His life had boiled down to this. How in the world did he find himself in a situation this absurd? He sighed as he sat the mug down on his table and let his head rest in his hands.

"Dying on that expedition would have been better than this." He muttered to himself as he stared at the table. He found himself thinking that he almost would have been happier if they'd just stayed underground when he heard a knock on the door, but he didn't rise to open it. He didn't even say a word. He knew it wouldn't matter anyway. They would just barge in, it didn't matter if he wanted them to or not. That's how it had always been.

Sure enough, the door opened only a moment later, albeit slowly, as if the person behind it felt uncomfortable intruding.

"Levi, Erwin needs to see you in his office." A voice said as the hinges on the door creaked. He looked up to see Hanji standing in front of him, the same kind of sad expression on their face that they always had when they came to summon him.

Levi was inclined to think that Hanji was a decent person, personality quirks and eccentric tendencies aside, but they also seemed to be very close to Erwin. For that reason, Levi could never trust them, not fully, no matter how bad it seemed they wanted to earn his trust. To him, everyone but his squad was an enemy, even his own squad might be enemies under the right circumstances, and he always had to stay on his guard.

"As you wish," Levi said with a sigh after a moment, pushing himself to his feet and bending into a sweeping bow to mock the authority that Hanji had over him. At least he could do that much to let everyone know how disgusted he was with this whole situation. Not that he really tried to hide it in any way.

"Come on Levi, you know I don't like this whole situation either. I don't want you to be a prisoner, it's the only way he thinks he can get this to work." Hanji said, their expression a little pained. He had a hard time believing that they cared as much as they let on, though. After all, they'd volunteered for the Survey Corps, they didn't have to be forced into it. Anyone that willingly followed the orders of Erwin Smith had to have something wrong with them.

"Whatever you say, four-eyes." He answered, clasping his cloak around his shoulders and walking out the door. They ran to catch up to him, he had to have an escort when he left the confines of the prison cell he called his room, and more often than not that escort was Hanji.

"If you would just give in and admit that what he's doing is the right thing you would be free to do what you want, you know."

"Would he also let my friends go? If they're even still alive." It was the same conversation they always had on these walks to Erwin's office. Every time he was with Hanji they tried to convince him that what Erwin was doing was right, that he should just agree to stay without being threatened, and every time all he wanted to do was tell Hanji to go straight to hell.

"They're alive," Hanji assured him, staring at him intensely while they spoke. "He wouldn't lie about that."

"So you've seen them, then? You know for sure that they're okay and where they're being kept?" He didn't expect their answer to be affirmative, he just wanted to test them. To see if they really knew any of this information for sure.

"I...I haven't seen them in person, but I know the people that have. I know that they're safe and being taken care of." The look on Hanji's face when they uttered that sentence made Levi feel uneasy like they weren't telling the whole truth. What part of the statement wasn't the whole truth was still a mystery to him, though, and not one that he was comfortable with. "Besides, I trust Erwin. I know that he keeps his word, and you should trust in that fact too. He really isn't the man you think he is."

"You don't have any idea what kind of man Erwin Smith really is. No one knows that but him, but I have a pretty good idea about him. I think I know what kind of man he is, and it is not a good one."

"Why can't you just let yourself trust him?"

"The only people I've ever trusted are Isabel and Farlan. Until I know they're safe, Erwin hasn't earned my trust."

The rest of the walk to the administrative building that held Erwin's office was in silence. Hanji kept stealing glances at Levi as they walked, but he just kept staring straight ahead, face expressionless as they walked by the people milling around on the streets. They all knew who he was, they stared as he walked by, Humanity's Strongest Soldier, a name that they'd coined for him the moment he came back from his first few expeditions alive with not even a scratch. He hated that they looked up to him like that, he hated that this was the reputation he'd gained for working with Erwin, and he hated the attention he got because of it all. No one ever talked to him as he walked through the streets, though, and that was one thing that he was thankful for.

When they arrived at Erwin's office Hanji escorted Levi inside before they saluted and left him with a worried glance. He'd learned to overlook things like that. There was no way they could actually be concerned for him. It was just a ridiculous concept.

"Good of you to come, Lance Corporal," Erwin said, gesturing to a chair in front of his desk. Levi had no intention of taking him up on his offer.

"I had no choice or I wouldn't be here. I think you know that." Levi answered, standing in the middle of the room with his arms crossed in front of his chest. A defensive stance, he knew, but he was feeling pretty damn defensive.

"I understand that's the way you feel, I wish you understood that's not the way it has to be."

"Where are they, Erwin?" Levi asked, cutting to the chase. That was the only thing he wanted to know, he asked every time he was brought here.

"Safe," Erwin answered, the same as he always did.

"No one is safe here. I want to know that they're alive!" He let his arms drop to his sides and clenched his fists there as his anger grew, trying not to completely lose his temper.

"You want to see them."

"Yes," Levi answered, but what Erwin said wasn't a question. "Otherwise how do I know that you haven't already killed them?"

"If you put a bit of your trust in me, Levi, you wouldn't have to wonder that."

"You have done nothing to earn my trust! I want to see them! I won't be doing anything else for you until I know they're alive!"

"As always, you'd rather take the hard route than the easy one, I see. I'll have Petra take you to them after I talk to you about your next mission." Erwin agreed, gesturing toward the chair again. "Now, will you please sit down and hear what I have to say to you?"

"If they're hurt, I will kill you." Levi promise, moving toward the chair and reluctantly sitting to listen.

"Yes, I know, you tell me every time you're here." He rolled his eyes and handed a manilla envelope to Levi before sitting in his own chair behind his desk. "That folder contains classified information about where the titans may be coming from. I need you to go there with your squad and investigate. It should be simple for you, and for them, given your skill levels."

"What should I expect to find there?"

"Hopefully, nothing," Erwin answered. "The village you're going to seems to have been attacked by titans last night, but there's something odd about it that I'm hoping you can figure out."

"What's that?"

"You'll just have to go there and see for yourself."

"So you're sending me in blind? Are you planning to kill me and my squad?"

"No, you're much too important to the cause to just kill you. I just think you'll be fine with what information you've been given." Erwin smirked and then clasped his hands on his desk in front of him. "Petra should be in the dining hall. Tell her to take you to see your friends. She'll know where to go."

Levi didn't say anything else, he wasn't exactly sure what he could say in that situation. Every time he'd asked to see Isabel and Farlan, Erwin had turned him down. He wasn't sure what made today any different.

Perhaps Hanji had told Erwin what Levi said about him, or perhaps it got back to him another way. It wouldn't have been hard, he wasn't shy about what he said about the people that were holding him prisoner. Nevertheless, he was now on the way to see his friends after a year of being kept from them, or at least that's what Erwin wanted him to think. He didn't let his guard down, even though he felt a slight flutter in his stomach from even the thought of seeing them again. He tried to regain his composure as he walked into the dining hall and found Petra sitting alone in a corner. She looked up at him and smiled as he approached, always happy to see him.

"Erwin said you could take me to see Isabel and Farlan. Did he lie?" He asked, crossing his arms in front of his chest.

"No, I can take you to see them if that's what you want," Petra said, although she looked a little worried at the thought.

"Take me, then," Levi ordered with such a ferocity in his voice that it made Petra jump a little at the sound of it. He hadn't meant to be so harsh toward her. If he was being honest with himself, Petra was probably his favorite member of his squad. She was loyal to a fault and, out of all of them, he had no doubt that Petra was the most devoted to him. Whether that was a good or bad thing was yet to be determined. She was probably the only person here that he absolutely trusted in this ridiculous place. She wouldn't voluntarily deceive him, that he was sure of.

She got up from her seat and started walking out of the dining hall quickly with Levi trailing behind her, the same nervous energy that seemed to always be about her when he was around clinging to her body and making her movements a bit jerky and ungraceful.

"Heichou, I just want you to know, I haven't seen them in a long time. I don't know what's happened since the last time I saw them, Erwin doesn't like me going down there." Petra said reluctantly as she brushed a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

"Of course he doesn't like you seeing them. He doesn't trust you. He thinks you're more loyal to me." He answered. It was no surprise to him that Erwin didn't trust Petra, she'd shown her loyalty to him more than once, and it was sure to be something that gnawed at Erwin's own trust in her.

"I am loyal to you, Heichou." She answered in a hushed tone, no doubt knowing that what she was saying was dangerous. She unexpectedly took his hand and dragged him into an alleyway, away from prying eyes and ears, catching him off guard as they were both thrust into a tight space together. "I know that what he's doing to you is wrong, and maybe even his whole vision for the Corps is wrong, but I feel like I don't have a choice. I signed up to be here. I thought that we were supposed to be fighting for the good of humanity not...whatever it is that we're actually fighting for."

"It speaks to something when the Commander's own soldiers are questioning whether they should be following him or not." Levi looked off to the side if only to distract himself from how close they were still standing together.

"At least following you I know that you'll make the right choices for your squad, to protect the people that you care for. I know that you won't hurt people unnecessarily. You're good , Heichou. I trust you, and I hope that you can trust me, too."

"Petra," He was taken aback, he had never tried to win her trust or make her follow him, she was doing that all on her own. He wasn't sure what exactly he'd done to earn this admiration, but somehow he felt like he was taking advantage of her. He tried to distance himself from her in the small space of the alleyway, backing up as far as he could before he spoke again. "You must not be paying much attention if you think I'm a good person."

"I think you're the one that's not paying attention, Heichou."

He quirked an eyebrow upward before she looked away from him, his gaze obviously too much for her to handle at the moment.

"Come on, we're almost there." She said, leaving the alley and continuing toward a large building in the middle of town. They entered and immediately started descending staircase after staircase, plummeting to the deepest confines of the prison that was built under the city. It reminded Levi of where he had come from, and that gave him chills. They'd been promised, upon arriving on the surface, that they would never have to return to a place where they couldn't see the sun, and it was his fault that his friends had been put there again. Petra stopped outside a door labeled S-240 and inserted a small key before turning to him.

"Like I said, I haven't seen them for a while. Are you sure you want me to open it?" She asked uncertainty plastered all over her face.

"I have to know if they're alive." He answered, steeling himself for whatever he might see behind the door. She nodded, turned the key, and pulled the door open quickly to find Isabel and Farlan huddled together in the corner furthest from the door. They looked terrified as they squinted up at him, the light from the hallway outside pouring into the room and making it difficult for them to see him. Their faces were sunken and their clothing looked loose around their bodies. They were starving, and they were terrified.

"P-please, don't hurt us again. We'll do whatever you want." Farlan pleaded over the whimpers of Isabel as she buried her face in his chest. "We don't know anything! You have to believe us!"

"Farlan...Isabel..." Levi's voice was barely more than a whisper, it had been ripped away from him at the sight of them like that. "What has he done to you?"

"A-aniki?" Isabel instantly recognized his voice. His breath hitched in his throat as he heard her call him the pet name she'd always had for him. She had never called him by his real name. Just aniki, big brother. Somehow he felt like he didn't deserve that title anymore. She tried desperately to push herself to her feet and run to him, but the only thing she managed to do was fall forward. Levi rushed in to help her up and audibly gasped when he touched her. Her skin was cold and she felt like nothing but skin and bone.

"I'm here, Isabel, everything is going to be fine." He tried to reassure her, but his voice betrayed him. "I thought you were dead..."

"We might as well be." Farlan chimed in, not sounding nearly as excited to see him as Isabel had. "We're withering away down here. They barely feed us. They keep us in the dark. I would rather be dead than be here."

Farlan's words were haunting. They echoed the words that Levi had just said to himself earlier in the day, and he silently cursed himself for letting Farlan share those thoughts with him.

"I'm trying to get you out of here, I've been trying this whole time..." Levi said desperately, clinging to Isabel as he spoke.

"If you were really trying to get us out of here you would have just agreed to stay with the Survey Corps. The only reason they're keeping us here is so they don't lose you. You can't even give up your own pride for long enough to just assure them that you'll stay so that they'll let us go."

"No, that's not true." Levi wanted to say more, but the mixture of emotions he was currently feeling was too potent for him to think straight. He wanted to tell Farlan how much he missed the two of them. He wanted to tell them how miserable he'd been for the past year, obeying every order just on the hope that he would see them again, but he couldn't make the words come out.

"I don't want to hear anything else you have to say, Levi. If you really cared you wouldn't fight them. The day they threatened to put us here you would have spoken up. You couldn't do that, though. You're too proud . You're too good to sacrifice yourself for us. You think you're better than everyone, you always have. I should have known better than to put our lives on the line hoping that you would do the right thing for us."

"Farlan..." Levi was shocked at the words coming out of his best friend's mouth. How could he believe any of what he was saying? How could Farlan honestly believe that Levi hadn't been doing everything in his power to save them? Was this what Farlan had always thought of him? That he was too proud ? That he only served himself and no one else? Was that really the impression he gave everyone?

"Please Aniki, just get us out of here. We'll...we'll die if you don't." Isabel spoke through sobs as he pulled her close to his chest. He felt as though if he squeezed her too tightly she would shatter into a million pieces.

"I will. I'll save you, I promise." Levi said, speaking to Isabel, but looking at Farlan.

"That's what you said when they took us away too, but how long has it been? I can't tell days from nights down here. It feels like it's been an eternity." Farlan's cold gaze fell on Levi firmly as he spoke his next words. "How long has it been, Levi?"

"A year," Levi answered, blinking back the stinging sensation of tears building in his eyes. It had been so long since he'd actually cried that he hardly remembered the feeling.

"A year..." Farlan chuckled, but there was no humor in it. "A year of torture. Do you know what they've done to us? Do you know what they've been trying to figure out?"

"They don't trust me...they told me that the two of you would be kept safe...that they would give you anything that you asked for. They said as long as I did what they wanted..."

"And you believed them? What an idiot." Farlan scoffed, cutting Levi off before he said anything else.

"Heichou...we have to go." Petra's voice carried into the cell from where she stood at the door. Levi didn't look back at her, but he could tell that she was upset just by the sound of her voice.

"Heichou? Seems like you've done pretty well for yourself Levi. Why don't you go back to your new life? I'm glad you've managed to make friends with the fucking enemy!" Farlan yelled but his voice was still weak and frail. Levi helped Isabel back over to where Farlan sat and she looked up at him as he backed away.

"Please Aniki, we won't last much longer." She pleaded, and Levi's tears almost spilled over as he turned toward the door. How he'd managed to keep them from doing so would always be a mystery to him.

"I'll get you both out of here, just hold on a little longer." He said before he pushed past Petra and out into the hallway again. She closed and locked the door behind him, her face pale and her hands trembling as she turned the key and then turned to face him.

"What are you planning to do?" She asked, clutching the key to her chest as she looked at him. She probably halfway expected that he might overpower her and take the key forcibly to free them, but in the back of his mind, he knew that wouldn't work. He would need help to get them out, and that wouldn't be easy to find.

"Nothing." He said sternly, then grabbed her hand and pulled her toward the staircase. She made a little strangled noise that sounded kind of like a mouse being stepped on as he pulled her away from the door.

"Nothing? Heichou...did you see them? You can't just leave them-" She started but he stopped abruptly in one of the narrow stairwells, turning toward her and practically pinning her against the wall.

"I'll tell you," He whispered, close enough to her to hear her breath hitch in her throat. "But not here."

He turned again and kept walking and Petra tucked the key into her pocket and followed him dutifully back to his room, letting him lock the door behind them before she uttered another word.

"You need my help, don't you?" She asked.

"Yes, but not just you." He looked away from her, raking a hand through his hair as he paced the floor in his small room.

"You want the whole squad to help you..."

"Do you think I can trust all of them with this?"

"You can trust Gunther and Eld." She answered, but the look she gave him indicated she had something more to say.

"But I can't trust Oluo with this?" He inquired. He'd thought as much. Oluo had always seemed like he held some kind of vendetta against Levi.

"Oluo is very loyal to Erwin. In fact, I've thought for a while that he might have been planted here to keep tabs on you. Also, he's a little...jealous."

"Jealous of what?" He asked, but he realized the answer almost as quickly as he'd asked it.

"Well...you...He's upset that you always get all the glory and...well..." She was sputtering the way she always does when she's having a hard time forcing herself to say something, so Levi thought it best to just fill in the blank for her.

"He's jealous because I get your attention instead of him."

"Heichou! What...where would you get an idea like that?" Petra blushed and stammered her way through her sentence and it wasn't the least bit convincing.

"Petra, don't be stupid. How would you expect me not to notice? Did you think that I just don't see you staring when you think I'm not paying attention?"

"I guess I just didn't really think things like that were apparent to you." She took a deep breath as if to prepare herself for something. "Anyway, we have other things to focus on."

"Yes, but we also have this," Levi said, tossing the envelope Erwin had given him onto the table. "Erwin gave us a mission."

"He gave you a mission and then agreed to let you see Isabel and Farlan. He's letting you know how bad it can get for them if you refuse him. You haven't exactly been amiable the last few weeks."

"He's punishing them to prove a point. He wants me to know that every time I disobey him he hurts them. So, we have to go on this mission, but not before I talk to him again. I'm going back to his office. Will he be there?"

"He should be, but Heichou, what are you going to do?"

"I'm going to tell him exactly what I want in return for this mission. I'm going to promise him that he will die if he doesn't start treating them better, and then I'm going to promise him that I'll continue to do whatever he wants me to do. I'll make it look like seeing them has aligned me with his cause and then, when the time is right, I'll kill him. Just like I was meant to do on that first expedition outside the walls."

"It's risky..." Petra said, toying with her hair the way she always does when she's nervous.

"Can I count on you to help?" He asked, watching her closely for any signs of refusal. He saw none.

"Anything for you, Heichou." She said with a small smile.

"Good, now take me back to his office."

Chapter 2

Chapter Text

Levi didn't knock when he got there, he didn't pause at the door, he just charged straight through, opening the door with such force that it crashed against the inside wall of Erwin's office with a loud bang. Hanji was there when he walked in, and they jumped at the unexpected sound.

"Levi?" They asked before he pushed them out of the way and slammed his fists down on Erwin's desk.

"Get them the hell out of there, Erwin!" He yelled, the seriousness of his words conveyed in his actions. "Get them out of there or I swear, Erwin, I will kill you. I don't care what happens to me. If you don't get them out of there and make sure they're alive I will fucking kill you!"

"We've been through this before, Levi." Erwin started with a smile, completely unfazed by Levi's display of anger. It made his blood boil. "As long as you agree to do whatever I ask of you, without hesitation or arguments, they'll be kept safe."

"I want them out of that god damned dungeon! Get them out of there, get them the help they need, and let them live on the surface and I'll do whatever you want. I'll be your perfect soldier and do all the bullshit missions you ask of me, but not until I know they're safe. You might have them, but if you don't have me then it doesn't matter. I'll take my own life if it means that you're left without your strongest soldier, and that's a promise. If you don't do this for me you'll lose the one thing you need to accomplish your goal. Get them out of there, Erwin, or no deal."

Erwin looked thoughtful for a moment, clasping his hands in front of his face, elbows resting on the smooth surface of the desk, the way he always did when he was thinking about something. Levi had learned to pick up on the signs, the subtle hints that he'd made the infamous Survey Corps Commander ponder his actions.

"Fine," Erwin finally said, and Levi almost gasped at his decision.

"Fine?" He asked, a loose strand of hair falling into his face.

"Fine. I'll have them placed in a house, I'll get them medical care and make sure they can recover fully. I'll even let you visit them once or twice a week so that you know for sure that I'm keeping my side of the bargain. But, at the first sign of unwillingness to do what you're asked, Levi, I will kill one of them. I'll make you watch, and I'll make it slow so that you know not to cross me again."

"How do I know you're going to do what you've promised this time?"

"Because you're going to give me a reason to keep my word this time. Their lives rest in your hands. Make sure you don't fuck it up." Erwin placed his hands in his lap then, leaning back in his chair and looking down his nose at Levi. "Now get the hell out of my office and go prep your squad for the mission. And Levi, just remember that I've got eyes everywhere. I know what you're doing at all times, so don't try anything stupid. I may not be able to kill you, but if you betray me you'll wish that I had. "

Erwin smirked as Levi stood in the middle of his office, trying not to let his face betray what emotions were swirling around in his head. He turned slowly to exit the room before he heard Erwin's smug voice again.

"Aren't you forgetting something?" He asked, and Levi knew immediately what it was that Erwin was expecting. He didn't say another word, he just turned to face the Commander and gave him a salute before turning again and exiting the room. Hanji shut the door behind him and as soon as they did he let himself fall back against the wall outside, his eyes closing as he accepted his defeat.

"Heichou," Petra's voice funneled through the fog in his mind, concerned and close. He opened his eyes to reveal that she was hovering right in front of him, her brows furrowed as she looked at him.

"I've just signed my soul away to protect my friends, even though I have no idea if Erwin will keep up his side of the bargain. Make sure Farlan hears about it." Levi said before pushing himself off of the wall.

"Don't worry, Heichou, we'll keep them safe. They'll be fine."

"Somehow I just don't believe he's going to keep his word. He gave it too easily." He stopped, remembering what Erwin had said to him. He has eyes and ears everywhere. "We'll talk more when we get back to my room."

Petra didn't say another word, she didn't even protest following him back to his room, not that he was allowed to go back without her anyway. She had effectively served as his escort for the entire day, and it didn't seem like she was going to stop anytime soon. He was thankful that it was her, though. He trusted her, there was no way that she would betray him, he was sure that she could help him with his plan without a doubt. But now he was wondering if he should let anyone else in on the plan.

Erwin was right, he has people everywhere, listening to everything. Reporting back to him. Bringing someone else into this would just make the risk of being caught even higher. All his troubling thoughts were still swimming in his head when they got back to his room and he heard the soft click of the door locking behind them.

"So, does the plan still stand? Should I go get Eld and Gunther?" Petra asked, breaking Levi from his thoughts.

"No. I don't think we should trust anyone else with this." He answered reluctantly, taking a seat on the small bed that sat against the far wall of the room.

"Not even the members of your own squad?"

"You said yourself that you think Oluo is keeping tabs on me for Erwin. How well do you really know Gunther and Eld? Do you know for sure they would be loyal to me?"

"Eld is your second in command within the squad. Do you mean to tell me that the two of you don't trust each other?" Petra looked like she didn't believe a single word coming out of his mouth, and maybe she was right to think that. Levi wanted to trust his squad with this. He wanted to think that they could help him save his friends, that they would stay on his side even through this battle, but he just couldn't be sure.

"I trust Eld to keep me alive, if only because Erwin has ordered him to do so. I'm not sure if he would go along with helping me break two people out of prison. They're fugitives, as far as he knows. And I'm almost positive that he wouldn't agree to help me assassinate the Commander of the Survey Corps."

"Do you want me to find out who's loyal and who isn't?" Petra asked, arching an eyebrow at the suggestion.

"How?" His tone of voice made it obvious that he thought she might be more than a little crazy at this point, but it didn't seem to faze her.

"It's no secret that there are people within the Corps that don't agree with what Erwin is trying to do. They don't agree with how he just throws away the lives of the soldiers, and they know about your situation, too. Heichou, they know you're here against your will, and they know that something is keeping you here, they just don't know what it is. People hear rumors about these things all the time, and they feel bad for you."

"Great, I need everyone's pity." He scoffed, leaning forward and placing his elbows on his knees. Petra rolled her eyes at his comment and kept going.

"I can figure out what Gunther and Eld think about it. I can figure out if they would revolt if they had the chance. All I have to do is get them alone somewhere and ask the right questions."

"And if you ask something that implies what we're trying to do, and one of them is a spy for Erwin, then all of this planning and scheming will be for nothing."

"Heichou, can I ask you a question?" Petra crossed her arms over her chest as she spoke but she still waited for his response.

"Go ahead." He answered cautiously, not sure what she was thinking.

"As long as we've been in this squad together, have I ever let you down?"

Her question caught him off guard. It wasn't something he'd been expecting her to ask. This was a side of Petra that he'd never really experienced. She was confident, and a little cocky, and it made him feel better about her plan.

"No." He answered after thinking back on everything they'd accomplished as a squad. She blushed a bit, but she carried on.

"Then trust me. I won't do anything to jeopardize the plan and I won't let anyone figure anything out that they aren't supposed to know. For once, stop trying to do it all yourself and let me help you, okay?"

Levi sighed, realizing how exhausted he had become trying to figure all of this out himself, and nodded to her. Today had been a trying day, just the few moments spent with Isabel and Farlan were enough, but everything else he had been through today had really put him through the ringer. He felt fatigue take him over so suddenly that he thought he might just collapse on the bed then and there and sleep through the night. He would never be that lucky.

"You need to get some rest. We need to have a meeting about the mission tomorrow, right? We leave the day after?"

"Yes," He answered raking a hand through his hair.

"We'll meet you in the library then, around noon so that you can get plenty of sleep."

"Fine." He answered, laying back on his bed as Petra walked toward the door.

"Good night, Heichou. I'll see you tomorrow." Petra's voice seemed far away as Levi closed his eyes, listening to her gentle footsteps and the creaking of the hinges.

"Good night, Petra." He answered, and he heard the soft click of the door as it closed behind her.

This was all crazy, and she was crazy for going along with it, but maybe that was a good thing. As he drifted off to sleep he kept thinking about what they would need to do when they got back from their mission, and if they could even accomplish any of it.

oOo

Against Petra's wishes, Levi had only gotten a few hours of sleep before he was up and pacing his floor again. It wasn't unusual for him, the lack of sleep, but it was something that he didn't think he would ever quite get used to. Still, he tried to relax and get in the right mindset for the meeting they would have later in the day. The sun hadn't risen yet, and he was sipping his first cup of mediocre tea for the day while he thought about what he would need to say to his squad to get them ready.

He was surprised to find that the majority of his morning had been spent thinking about Petra. Not for any particular reason, just for the fact that she had agreed to help him without hesitation. He'd only seen that kind of dedication from Isabel and Farlan, and now he was almost sure that their trust in him was irreparably broken. He wondered if Farlan would ever trust him again, or even if he would be able to save his friends from their horrible fate.

These were the kinds of things that occupied his thoughts for the early morning hours and far past the sunrise. He wished for a moment that he could go to the cafeteria and get something for breakfast but realized quickly that Hanji would be bringing that to him soon. Having to be escorted around the grounds had its perks, apparently, and they included having breakfast brought to his room so he couldn't stir up any trouble walking around alone, even if it was just out of the barracks and down the street a block or two.

So, when there was a knock on his door, he stayed seated like he always did, expecting Hanji to invite themself in as usual. He was confused when, after he made no move to open the door, there was another knock. This wasn't like Hanji at all.

Slowly he pushed himself from his seat and walked toward the door to open it. He was more than a little surprised when he opened the door to find Petra standing there with a tray and two covered plates. Surprised, in a good way, though. Petra was much more pleasant company than four-eyes.

"I hope I'm not disturbing you, Heichou. I told Hanji that I could bring your breakfast this morning, she was complaining about how much work she has to get done today. Am I too early?" She asked, a small smile on her face as she held the tray.

"No, come in." He said, moving to the side and allowing Petra to enter his room. She still seemed timid, maybe a bit scared to be inside the room where he spent all of his time, but she was doing a good job concealing it, for the most part, with smiles and conversation.

She set the tray down on the table and removed the two plates. Levi blinked as he took in the fact that Petra had brought her own breakfast to his room to eat with him. That was something that had never happened before, and he couldn't say it was unwelcome.

He sat down in the same chair he'd been in before Petra had shown up to his room and uncovered his plate to reveal a typical breakfast, and Petra smiled at him directly. It was like staring into the sun. Her smile was so bright that he thought the room might have become a little brighter because of it.

"You don't mind if I join you, right? I thought you might want some company." She said, sitting down in front of her own plate.

"You can stay if you want." He answered although he was sure that wasn't exactly the answer she'd wanted to hear. He wished he was better at being personable, if only for her sake, but he was sure that Petra understood his personality by now. Surely she knew that he wasn't trying to be rude to her, it was just the way he worked. He'd always been an abrasive person, he'd been no different when he got to the surface. His squad and everyone he'd ever met had Kenny to thank for that personality trait.

"I managed to talk to Eld and Gunther a bit last night after I left here."

"And?"

"They're worried that Oluo is loyal to Erwin as well." Petra removed the cover from her breakfast then and started eating. Levi glanced at his mug and realized that Petra didn't have one of her own.

"Do you want tea?" He asked, watching her as she ate. "It's shitty but it's better than nothing."

"Sure," She answered, and there was that smile again, lighting up the room and making him feel...happy? Maybe, he wasn't sure. Why would Petra be able to make him feel that way just with her smile, anyway? He shook off the feeling and moved toward the kettle that sat on top of the wood burning stove that kept his room warm, reaching for one of the ugly standard issue mugs and a tea bag and preparing the tea for her. He placed the steaming mug on the table in front of Petra before he took his seat again.

"Thank you," She said and wrapped her hands around the mug as if to keep them warm. It wasn't even that cold out, but Levi still found the action to be appropriate for her.

"So Oluo can't be trusted. We'll have to find a way around that if we don't want him finding out what we have in store for Erwin." Levi said, tearing his eyes away from Petra and letting them settle back on his breakfast. It wasn't nearly as interesting as she was, but he kept his eyes trained there as he ate, regardless.

"We can have secret meetings with Eld and Gunther without him knowing. I could even distract him from time to time while you talk with the others about plans." Petra said it so nonchalantly that it caught Levi off guard.

"You can distract him?" He asked, the words sounding a bit more accusatory than he would have liked.

"Well, I can just spend time with him, you know, keep him occupied and keep his mind off of what you might be talking to the others about. It won't be difficult." She sipped at her tea, waiting for his approval. He was sure that Petra meant what she was saying in a completely innocent way, but if anyone heard this conversation out of context they might be a bit worried about Petra and Oluo's activities while she was supposed to be distracting him. Levi wasn't even sure why his mind had wandered into this territory, but he knew he didn't like the idea of it.

"He doesn't need to be distracted. Plus, I need you to be at the meetings too."

"I can meet with you at a different time if you'd like. We really need to make sure Oluo doesn't catch on, Heichou. He enjoys my company, he won't be thinking about anything else while I'm with him. You know this is the right thing to do."

He narrowed his eyes at her. How could he tell her that he was uncomfortable with her being alone with Oluo without giving her the wrong impression? He wasn't sure there was a way to do that, honestly. He just knew that he didn't want Oluo alone with her. He also knew that he probably didn't have a choice in the matter. Petra normally followed orders wonderfully, but Levi thought she might not give up so easily this time.

"Fine," He grumbled, sipping his tea and grimacing at the taste. Why couldn't they just give him good tea? "You can be the distraction, just watch yourself. He might get suspicious."

"I'll be fine, Heichou, but I'm flattered that you're concerned about my well being." Petra smiled as if she knew something that he didn't.

"I'm concerned about the whole squad's well being. If we're caught we'll all be killed or thrown in prison. I'd imagine Erwin will choose the former for you and the others, or worse." He didn't want to mention what he was thinking out loud, but he knew that Erwin would more than likely torture them before he just killed them, and force Levi to continue to do his bidding. He'd said it himself, he can't kill Levi. He's too valuable to Erwin's cause.

"We won't get caught." Petra put down her fork and shot him a look that he'd never seen on her before. It was something between determination and a sureness in their plan that shook him to his very core. He wanted to look away, but there was something in the back of his head telling him not to.

"You're right," He finally answered when he'd had enough of Petra's glare. "I trust you, and Gunther and Eld. We won't get caught."

"Good!" Petra smiled and resumed her work of clearing her plate of all the food that was on it. Petra was a small woman, so Levi was astonished when she was actually able to finish the large plate of food. Petra spent a lot of time surprising him, though, so he had gotten used to it at least a little bit.

A glance at the clock told him that they still had hours before their scheduled meeting with the rest of the squad to go over the mission, but he found himself actually enjoying Petra's company. He didn't really want her to leave, but he wasn't sure that she would want to stay cooped up in his room with him. As if she could read his mind, Petra spoke up.

"Heichou, would you want to get out of here for a little while? I know that you aren't allowed to leave your room without someone escorting you, but I would be willing to show you around the city if that's something you're interested in."

She sounded so sweet and thoughtful that Levi really wasn't sure how to react. In his time on the surface, no one had really shown him any kind of compassion, but Petra was always the exception. Her kind-hearted and loving nature was a nice reprieve from the ridiculous life he was forced to live.

"You mean you aren't tired of babysitting me yet? After yesterday I was sure you would want rid of me." His words came out a little more harsh than he'd meant them to, but it didn't faze Petra at all. He found it hard to mask his true feelings about his situation, regardless of how rude it might sound to those around him. He'd never been one for hiding his thoughts from others.

"I'm not babysitting you." She rolled her eyes as if that was the most preposterous thing she'd ever heard. "I just thought you might want to actually see the outside world. How much of the city have you even gotten to experience since you've been here?"

"Not much." He answered truthfully, there was no reason to hide anything from Petra.

"Let me show you around and take you to some of my favorite spots in the city before we have to go meet the others. Won't it be nice for you to spend some time outside?"

He couldn't deny that what she was saying was correct. All the time spent underground made him accustomed to not seeing sunlight often, but he longed for it. That was the whole reason he wanted to come to the surface, to see the sun and let it soak into his skin and feel the warmth of it. Not to be locked away in some dank room, still hoping that he can taste freedom one day. He didn't have to think about the offer for very long.

"If you want."

"You're never very enthusiastic about anything, are you Heichou?" She asked as she pushed herself up from her chair and collected their dirty dishes.

"Hard to be enthusiastic when you're a prisoner."

"For one day, at least, let's pretend that you're not. I'm not here to keep tabs on you or make sure you don't get into trouble. I just want you to have a good time." She smiled and he looked at her as if she'd grown another head. He didn't even know anyone on the surface had the capacity to be this unapologetically kind to him. She walked toward the door and Levi followed without another word. This might be strange for him, but he was determined to try and enjoy this time spent with her. It was the least he could do to repay her for her kindness.

He followed her through the hallways of the barracks building, down the stairs and out onto the street. It was strange, leaving the building for something other than a forced meeting with Erwin or an expedition, but it was a welcome change that he thought he could probably get used to.

It was a beautiful day outside, the sun was shining and it was warm, and it was everything that Levi had always imagined the surface to be. His experiences with the outside world were mostly from expeditions, which meant that beautiful days like this one were filled with death and blood-curdling screams from comrades, and that tended to make these kinds of days not so beautiful anymore. Today, though, was different. Today he was walking down the cobblestone streets of Stohess with Petra and he wasn't expected to charge into a bloodbath. Today he was just expected to have a good time. He wasn't quite sure how to react to it all.

"Where are we going?" He asked as he walked beside her, hands shoved into his pockets as he took in the scenery that they passed by.

"If I'm as perceptive as I pride myself on being, I know that you are a big fan of tea." She answered with a smile. "So we're going to a tea shop not too far away from here."

"How would you know that about me?"

"Well, considering that every time you took a drink of that awful tea we just had for breakfast you made a face like someone was kicking you in your gut, I'd imagine that you'd like to have something a little better. You're always drinking tea, Heichou, so of course, I would assume that you like it."

"You're right." He answered, glancing at her out of the corner of his eye. "The tea they gave me really is disgusting.

"So the tea shop will be our first stop, then."

"Where else do you plan to take me today, Petra?" He asked curiously, the inflection in his voice giving away just how interested he was in this little outing. He hadn't meant for that to happen, but Petra just had a way of drawing things out of him.

"It's a surprise, you'll just have to wait and find out." She giggled and he almost just stopped dead in his tracks at the sound of it.

This was a side of Petra that he didn't normally see. He was used to seeing her serious, dedicated to the cause that they were fighting for. Fierce and ready to take on anything that anyone threw at her. Now, though, while they walked through the streets together, with no other objective than just going to get tea, he understood why everyone else seemed so fond of her.

"I don't like surprises." He managed to say in a somewhat annoyed tone. He really didn't like surprises, but he found it hard to be upset about anything that Petra was doing at this very moment.

"You'll like this one, don't worry."

They walked for a while longer before they stopped in front of a small shop on the street. It was a hole in the wall, really, it didn't look like anything special from the outside, but when they stepped inside his whole opinion on the matter changed. The aroma of different teas hit him as soon as they walked in, and he couldn't help but let himself take in a deep breath and savor the smell.

When he was underground it had been very rare that he was able to find good tea leaves, but here he could tell it wouldn't be a problem. There were so many canisters filled with different teas that he was sure he must have died and was in some strange form of heaven. He felt like a child in a candy store, completely in awe of what he was seeing around him.

"Good morning, what can I help the two of you with?" An old woman standing behind a counter asked as Levi wandered around the shop. Petra immediately answered her, but Levi was too focused on all the different teas, some of which he didn't even recognize the names of.

"Heichou, do you want to have a cup of tea here? I know we just had some, but I thought you might enjoy it." Petra said, turning back to him from where she stood at the counter, he simply nodded and she ordered tea for the two of them before he followed her back to a table that sat in the corner of the small shop. He had decided that this could easily become his favorite place in Stohess if he was allowed to visit here more often. Perhaps he and Petra could come back here together regularly if she didn't get tired of his company.

"I hope you like the one I picked. It's my favorite." Petra said as they sat down on opposite sides of the table, facing each other like they were a couple on a date. It was strange, Levi had never been in a situation like this. Would people start to assume things about the two of them if they were seen out together like this? He found it almost impossible to think that anyone would assume anything like that about him , but it was still something that nagged at him.

He shook those thoughts from his head, deciding they weren't worth the effort and picked up the delicate china cup that his tea had been served in. He found that he loved everything about this little shop, the more time he spent here the more he wanted to just stay and let all his other responsibilities fall by the wayside.

"Do you like it?" Petra asked as if she was genuinely concerned if she'd made the right choice or not.

"It's good. You made a good choice." He answered, taking another sip.

"This is the only place I've been able to find this specific kind. I've been coming here since I was a little girl to get this tea. There's really nothing like it." She sipped her tea and he felt a weird flutter in his chest as he watched her. He turned his attention back to his own tea instead of trying to figure it out, though. Despite his strange feelings, he still found himself wanting to talk to her. He never really found himself wanting to talk to anyone, but apparently, she was an exception.

"Thanks, for bringing me here. This is the first good cup of tea I've had in a long time." He said with a sort of weird scowl that managed to make him look like he was upset that he was thanking her for something. Yet again, Petra was unfazed by his complete lack of experience in anything kind and only smiled in the face of his strangeness.

"We aren't done yet, Heichou. We still have another hour and a half before the meeting. I want to take you to one more place if that's okay." She answered, finishing off her tea and handing him a small bag that she'd previously placed at her feet. He looked at it for a moment, inspecting the name of the tea shop that was printed on the bag.

"What's this?" He asked although he was sure he knew exactly what was inside. He peered into the bag and saw a canister that confirmed his suspicions.

"I bought you some good tea leaves so that you don't have to drink whatever that was that we had with breakfast. It really was horrible, Heichou. I'm sorry the Commander is putting you through that." Her smile never faltered and now her tone was jovial and light, it almost made him want to smile until he realized that she'd spent her own money on the tea, money that he was sure she didn't have enough of, due to the wages of the Survey Corps. His scowl deepened.

"You didn't have to do that."

"No, but I wanted to. Just accept them, please. I want you to have at least one thing that you don't hate. Maybe they'll put you in a better mood for our mission tomorrow."

"I doubt it." He answered.

"Me too, but at least I tried." Petra shot back quickly and then pushed herself up from her chair. "Ready for our next stop?"

"Sure," He answered, finishing off the last of his tea and walking out the door with Petra and his bag of tea leaves in tow.

"This next place is a bit further away, but we'll have enough time to get there and back before the meeting," Petra said as she began walking down the street at a brisk pace. Levi found himself enjoying his walk with her. She had a certain pep in her step that made him feel as if the world wasn't a horrible place.

It seemed that the titans were the last thing on her mind as she clasped her hands behind her back and walked down the cobblestone street, a smile on her face as she greeted the people around them. The people that stared at Levi like he had two heads and whispered about him as they passed. He thought that just being in Petra's presence might make him look a little better than everyone perceived him, though. The man that was being held captive by the military. The notorious thief and thug from the underground city. He wondered if people would ever see him as anything other than that, but it didn't really matter to him either way. He just wanted to live a quiet life, after all this, and hopefully, he would be able to.

When they began to leave the scenery of the city behind in favor of greener backdrops, Levi wondered where exactly Petra was taking him. He trusted her with everything he had, but he couldn't help but let the questions swirling in his mind come out of his mouth.

"So it's not another shop, then?" He asked, watching her as she waved to yet another person as they passed.

"No, not another shop." She answered, but that was all the information she gave. It was a little frustrating that she wouldn't just tell him. He didn't feel like a prisoner in her presence, but he still felt uneasy being led somewhere that he had never been.

"Then what?"

"Can you just trust me?"

"I do." He felt strange admitting it out loud, and it would be hard to miss the blush that spread across Petra's cheeks at his admission, but neither of them said anything about it.

"We're almost there," Petra said quietly, brushing a loose strand of hair behind her ear as they walked. She wasn't looking forward anymore, instead, she was looking at the ground, maybe in an attempt to hide her burning face, but it didn't work very well.

Finally, they cut off of the street and across a field where a single, large tree sat in the middle. Levi had only ever seen expanses like this outside of the walls, where he couldn't stop to enjoy them. Seeing something like this somewhere that he felt he could enjoy the scenery was almost awe-inducing.

"So this is it." Petra said, motioning to the tree in front of them. "I know you lived underground for a long time, and that you don't really get to come outside, so I just thought you might enjoy spending some time out here for a while. I come here to think, or just to relax after expeditions or meetings. Do you like it?"

"It's...a tree." He said, raising an eyebrow at her and looking around. They were completely alone, not another soul as far as the eye could see. The sun was beating down on them, warming Levi's skin and making him feel somehow at ease in this place that he'd never been to before today.

"Well, yes, it is," Petra answered somewhat awkwardly, sitting down at the base and leaning back against the trunk. "It's a nice place to come when you want to be alone. I know that you can't really be alone at any point, but I thought...that maybe we could come here together sometimes? When you want to get away from everything."

"You'd do that for me?" He asked, not because he was really wondering but because he was taken aback that someone would actually want to spend time with him like this. Every other person he'd encountered on the surface tended to keep their distance, but for some reason, Petra just kept coming back. The little giggle she let out at his question made his eyes widen a bit, he hoped she didn't notice.

"Why wouldn't I? You've done a lot for me, Heichou. You handpicked me for your squad even though I was just a shy girl that probably showed no potential. You trust me with your life when we're beyond the walls. You gave me a high military rank and position that I never would have achieved otherwise. I'm part of the most elite squad in the Survey Corps! To say that I haven't been ecstatic since the day you chose me would be a lie. Plus, you just seemed like you might need a friend or...some way to just take your mind off of everything." She paused, as if she was waiting for him to say something, he just wasn't sure what she wanted him to say.

"So, you feel indebted to me for giving you all these things?" He asked, leaning against the tree beside her. He was sure that wasn't the response she'd expected, but he just needed to hear her say it in certain terms.

"I'll always be thankful to you for what you've given me, but that isn't the only reason. I guess...I just enjoy spending time with you, Heichou. You might not be the most talkative person in the world, you might even be just downright rude sometimes, but at least you don't treat me like a child, like someone that needs to be protected. You treat me as your equal , and coming from you that means a lot."

"I'm not anything special." He answered, looking away from her. He found it hard to believe how highly Petra thought of him. Like he was some great person that deserved praise. He knew he was anything but that. He knew the things that he'd done to survive underground. Those were things that he couldn't get away from with a change of clothes and a high military rank.

"Why do you always look down on yourself like this? Like you're some horrible person not deserving of anything?"

"You don't know what I've done in the past. How would you know what kind of person I am?"

"Bad people don't devise plans to save their friends from a horrible life. You're not a bad person , Heichou."

"Levi," He corrected, shoving his hands into his pockets.

"What?"

"When we're alone you can call me Levi. I think you've earned that much since you've been so kind to me today."

"Okay, Levi." Petra smiled and closed her eyes, enjoying the peaceful surroundings they'd found themselves in.

"Are you nervous about the mission tomorrow?" He asked, finding that he wanted to try and make conversation with her again. In all his life he had never wanted to talk to someone as much as he wanted to talk to her.

"I'm always a little nervous, but we have a good squad, I trust all of you to keep me safe."

"You don't need anyone to keep you safe. That's why I chose you. You can hold your own out there just as well as the rest of us."

"Well, I trust all of you to help me if I get myself into trouble, then."

"We should go back." It was an abrupt change of subject, but it was the truth and an unwelcome truth at that. Noon was rapidly approaching and they would need to be in the library to meet with the rest of the squad. The mission wasn't really something that Levi wanted to think about, but it was better than trying to puzzle out exactly what Petra was trying to achieve with this little outing today.

"You're right." She answered, and he offered his hand to help her up from the ground. She hesitated only for a moment before she accepted the offer, and they were on their way back into the city again.

"Let's stop by my room before we go to the meeting. We'll never hear the end of it if the rest of them figure out that you bought this for me." Levi held up the bag that he'd been carrying the whole day and Petra smiled at him.

"Okay, Levi," She answered, and they walked the whole way back to the barracks in a companionable silence that Levi was sure he would never be able to share with anyone else.

He wasn't quite sure what this connection with Petra that he was feeling was all about, but he found that he was actually happy about it. Hopefully, though, his happiness wouldn't be short-lived. There was far too little of it since he came to the surface, and he could only hope that Erwin wouldn't snatch this ray of sunshine from his life, too.

Chapter 3

Chapter Text

When Levi and Petra got to the library he was thankful to find that the rest of the squad had not yet arrived. He was sure he would have had to endure some kind of comment from at least one of the other men in the squad about his arrival with Petra if they had been there. So, instead of having to shoot comebacks at his squad, Petra and Levi took a seat at one of the empty tables that would be big enough to hold them all when they did arrive.

Levi was still thinking about the pleasant morning he'd spent with Petra, and how she'd admitted that she enjoyed spending time with him. He didn't let himself think too much of it, nothing good would come of that, but he couldn't help but think there was something more behind her words. Something that she wanted him to know but was too shy to say. Her relative silence since their walk back from the field she'd taken him to was another indicator that there was something else that needed to be said. He would ask her about it later, though, because just as the thought hit him, Oluo walked through the door and over to them.

Oluo had always irked Levi for one reason or another. He was a man that Levi never thought he would be able to get along with, and that feeling only intensified when Oluo started mimicking his actions and dressed similarly to him. He could not figure out why the other man felt the need to do any of those things, but he did know that it was probably the most annoying thing on the planet.

"Hello, Oluo," Petra said sweetly, smiling as their squadmate walked over to them and sat down beside Petra. Of course, that's where he would sit. The man was constantly after Petra's attention for some reason.

"Hello Petra," Oluo said with a smile, and then looked at Levi. His smile vanished. "Good afternoon, Heichou."

Levi didn't feel the need to respond to Oluo with words, he just nodded in the other man's direction and kept his gaze forward, toward the door that Gunther and Eld should be walking through at any moment. They all knew how much he disliked tardiness.

Still, he couldn't find it in himself to be angry with Eld and Gunther about anything when they walked in a few moments later. They weren't really what was bothering him. Oluo wasn't even the main source of his foul mood, although he'd helped it along when he chose to sit next to Petra. Levi wasn't exactly sure why that had irritated him so much either. Those reasons, however, were nothing compared to what was really bothering him. Farlan and Isabel were rotting away in a dungeon and he was here talking to his squad about a mission that Erwin was sending them on. He should have been thinking of a way to break his friends out of prison but instead, here he was, sitting around a table in the library going over formations and battle plans.

"Glad you could all make it," Levi said, trying to keep the irritation out of his voice and failing miserably. Gunther and Eld looked at him strangely for a moment but didn't say a word. "You all know that we're here so that I can brief you on our newest task. The Commander has ordered us to ride to Ragako village inside of wall Rose. It seems to have been attacked by titans.

"Wall Rose is breached, Heichou?" Eld asked inquisitively. If Levi could credit Eld for anything, it was his ability to keep a cool head, even when the most disturbing of news was being relayed to him. That's why he was Levi's second in command for the squad.

"Apparently the first squads that were sent out were not able to find a breach in the wall, no," Levi answered to the astonishment of his squad. Petra was even gaping at his side as he spoke. He hadn't divulged any of the specifics of their mission to her before.

"How would titans have attacked this village if the wall hasn't been breached, then?" Oluo asked with a smug look on his face. Levi wanted to slap that stupid look right off of him.

"That would be why we're being sent to the village. To find out what really happened." Levi looked around at his squad, at their baffled and somewhat intrigued faces, and it confirmed for the umpteenth time that he'd picked the right people to fight alongside him. Except for Oluo, maybe, but Levi would be able to remove him from the squad once Erwin was out of the way.

"So," Gunther said, leaning forward onto the table. It was clear that he was a little worried, but a spark of excitement also shone in his eyes. "When are we leaving?"

"Tomorrow at sunrise. I'd like to get this business over with and get back in a reasonable amount of time. I want everyone at the stables and ready to go as soon as the sun is above the horizon, understood?"

"Yes, Heichou!" They all said simultaneously, earning a 'shhh' from a nearby library patron. Perhaps the library hadn't been the best place to meet, but Levi wasn't about to host them all in his small room.

"Good, you're all dismissed, then." He said rising from his seat and looking toward the door. Gunther and Eld had already started making their way out of the library, but Oluo had hung back to talk to Petra. Seeing as she was Levi's escort, he had no choice but to stay with her while Oluo spoke.

"Petra, would you like to go and get lunch with me? I'm about to head to the cafeteria now." Oluo said a sly smile on his face. Levi wanted to smack that look off of him too.

"Oh, thank you Oluo, but I actually had a big breakfast this morning, I'm really not hungry. Plus, Heichou needs an escort to get back to his room and I told him I would walk with him." Petra answered gracefully. Watching her turn Oluo down was almost like watching someone perform. It was an art, and Petra made it look easy. Levi almost smiled at the sight of it.

"Oh," Oluo glanced at Levi, who was standing with his arms crossed in front of his chest at the end of the table, and looked him up and down as if he was assessing him as a threat. "Well, if you change your mind you know where to find me when you're done with your work."

Work. Oluo had just referred to Levi as Petra's 'work' and Levi wanted so badly to say something about it. But what would he say? What could he say that wouldn't shift some sort of suspicion onto himself. He decided to just stay quiet, despite what he wanted to say to the other man. He would have plenty of time to tell Oluo Bozado exactly what he thought of him, but for now, it was smarter to stay quiet.

"I'm ready whenever you are, Heichou," Petra said with a knowing smile as if she could read his mind and knew how much he wanted to beat Oluo for the backhanded comments he'd just uttered. Levi looked at Oluo one last time before he turned and he and Petra walked out of the library together. He made sure that Petra kept pace at his side instead of walking behind him. He thought maybe it would send a message to Oluo, but he decided the other man would be too stupid to figure something like that out.

They walked in silence for a few minutes before Petra spoke up again.

"So, what was all that about?" She asked when they were clear of the library, an inquisitive and entertained tone to her voice. Levi hadn't thought he'd been too obvious of trying to slight Oluo, but apparently, Petra had caught on. He should have known she would.

"I don't know what you mean." He answered, trying to steer the conversation away from his somewhat childish and jealous behavior.

"Well, you were certainly looking at Oluo in a strange way before we left."

"You mean the same strange way he was looking at me?" Levi couldn't help but let it slip. The way Oluo sized him up as if he were trying to determine who would win in a fight, had really gotten under Levi's skin. That wasn't something he would willingly admit, but it had happened nonetheless.

"I noticed that. I did tell you he was jealous of you, Heichou. That's why he does the things he does."

"Is that also why he got a cravat? To imitate me?" He asked, shoving his hands into his pockets as they walked together toward his room.

"You should see his impression of you when you're not around." Petra teased and Levi thought he might completely lose his shit before they finally made it to his room.

He wasn't looking forward to being locked inside for the rest of the day, but he supposed he didn't really have a choice. This was how it had always been. Petra had only given him a momentary reprieve. He couldn't expect her to drag him around everywhere she went, after all, he was sure she had her own life outside of the military.

"I...um...I have a few things that I need to do today, to get ready for the mission tomorrow. If you want I can come back and we can go to dinner together later. I know you probably get tired of the cafeteria food, so we can go to a restaurant in the city." She smiled and brushed her hair behind her ear in a shy way that made Levi want to tell her to calm down, that he would never deny anything she asked of him. "I mean if that's something you might be interested in. I don't want you to think that I'm being overbearing or anything."

She cast her eyes downward as if to avoid his gaze. Her shyness was endearing, cute, how could she ever think that what she was asking of him would be something that he wouldn't want to do? The idea was absurd to him.

"That sounds nice," He answered, trying not to sound over eager but still give her an answer that would stop her from feeling so awkward when she wanted to ask him to do things with her. He wasn't really sure what was happening, why he was suddenly so drawn to Petra when she'd just been another soldier before, but he wasn't about to turn her down. He could even find it in his heart to be nice, maybe even pleasant to her.

"Great!" Petra said, perhaps a little louder than she'd meant to. A few other soldiers in the barracks turned to look at them and a blush crept across her face before she spoke again. "I'll see you later then, Levi."

Her last words to him before she turned and practically ran down the hall were quiet. They weren't alone, but no one could have heard what she said. No one heard her use his name but him, and he thought that her voice might be his favorite way to hear it. He snapped out of it as he placed a hand on the doorknob, a sudden feeling of happiness taking him over. Petra had a way of doing that, it seemed, but he found that he was beginning to like it more and more as time went on.

oOo

Levi found himself fretting over his appearance way more than he ever had before in the hour leading up to his...what was it? A date? An outing? An...appointment? None of it sounded right. An evening with Petra was just that, time spent with her, a whole evening of conversation and food and just spending time with her. He thought that he might be worrying too much about the whole thing, but that didn't stop it from happening.

He couldn't recall ever being so nervous about anything in his life, and he wasn't honestly sure why he was feeling this way. He didn't even remember being this anxious the day of his first expedition beyond the walls, where this whole mess started. Maybe if he had been more nervous, more aware of what was happening, he could have stopped his friends from being taken captive.

Even now with his impending...whatever with Petra on his mind, the thought of his friends suffering was still looming over him. How could he actually let himself enjoy this knowing that they were locked away in some horrible, dark cell, wondering if they would even survive another week, another day? He knew that Petra would tell him that they would be fine, that she would help him get them out of there and make sure that they were okay, but he still found the thought of them being stuck there while he was preparing to go out and have a good time with her unsettling.

What would Farlan say if he knew? He'd made it quite clear that he thought Petra was the enemy, but he didn't know her, not the way Levi did. If Levi could even say that he knew Petra at all. He hadn't really taken the time to get to know her likes and dislikes, what made her happy, he'd just seen her as another soldier for the cause until recently. Another person that would fight and give up their life for Erwin's mission, if he called for it.

Now he was beginning to see that Petra was different from the rest of the soldiers in the Corps. She cared deeply, and fiercely. She wanted to do anything she could to protect the people she called her friends, and somehow Levi had found himself in that category. He had no idea what he'd done to deserve that honor, and an honor it truly was.

Levi had met a lot of people throughout his life, he knew that human beings were inherently evil at their core, but somehow Petra managed to avoid that darkness. Petra Ral was nothing but a shining beam of light in the dullness of this horrible world. She was pure and meant the best for everyone, no matter their horrible intentions. She saw the best in Levi, even though he knew what kind of monster he truly was. She didn't care about his past, she had never even asked a single question about what happened in the underground city, she only cared about helping him to achieve what he'd set out to do. He only hoped that accepting her help in this mess wouldn't turn out badly for her.

When he decided to let her help he didn't think about what could actually happen to her. This would be dangerous. This was treason. This was directly defying the orders of their military Commander in order to carry out their own goal. Petra could be killed during this mission, but he supposed it wasn't any different than any expedition they'd ever gone on before. Somehow the titans didn't seem like as big of a threat to Petra's safety as Commander Erwin Smith did. Levi wondered how exactly that was.

Regardless of any of those thoughts, he knew it was the right thing to do, and he knew that Petra wouldn't back down from this challenge even if he asked her to. So, he would just have to go along with their plan and hope that nothing went wrong. If he believed in any kind of god he might have prayed for it, but it was evident to him that no god existed in this cruel, uncaring world.

He could think about all that later, though, because right now someone was knocking softly on his door. Someone, he knew, could only be Petra. He thought for a moment how strange this whole arrangement was. If this was some kind of date shouldn't he be the one picking her up? Shouldn't he be the one taking her out to fancy places and showing her a good time? He didn't have any experience with this kind of thing, and honestly, he wasn't even sure if that was what was going on, he just knew that it seemed backward. He also knew that nothing could really be done to help it at this point. The reason Petra was picking him up for their...whatever this was is because he couldn't go anywhere by himself. When all this was resolved he would pay her back tenfold for all the kindness she showed him.

He opened the door to find Petra beaming at him. She looked absolutely radiant, a bit of her hair was pulled back in a crown braid that circled the top of her head, keeping loose strands of hair out of her eyes. She wore a simple white button up shirt and a long, black skirt, it really wasn't anything special, but Levi thought that she looked lovely. He wasn't sure if that was the type of opinion he was supposed to have of her, but he couldn't stop himself from thinking it regardless.

"Are you ready to go?" She asked, her cheeks a bit pink probably from the way he'd been staring at her since he opened the door. He nodded and walked out, closing the door behind himself and falling into step with her as they left the barracks building.

"Are you going to tell me where we're going this time or is it another surprise?" He asked, managing to keep his tone even, not to give away the weird feelings swirling around inside him.

"Well, it was going to be a surprise, but if you really want to know I can tell you." She answered, glancing up at him out of the corner of her eye.

"You don't have to tell me."

"Oh? Have you warmed up to the idea of surprises then?"

"Not really, but I trust that you won't take me somewhere that I'll hate."

"Well, you pretty much hate everything," Petra said jokingly, a small smile gracing her features.

Not you. I could never hate you.

He wanted to speak the words aloud but thought it might be too much. Too awkward. Too forward. Too...something.

They walked for a few blocks before a bar could be seen in the distance. A bar, but it was more than that, too. It was some kind of restaurant as well. Levi was surprised, at first, he never pegged Petra as the type that would spend her time in bars, among the degenerates that frequented them. Much like Petra, though, this bar was more than meets the eye. From the outside, it kind of looked like a dump. Levi's skin crawled just looking at it, the dirty sidewalks and drab exterior making him want to run home and get some cleaning supplies. The outside reminded him too much of the underground, but the inside was a different story.

Much like the tea shop she'd taken him to, the inside of this place made Levi see it in a whole new light. The décor was simple, yet elegant. Pristine, red tablecloths were draped over small tables, a single candle burning in the middle of each of them that gave the whole space a cozy feel. The walls were rough wood but hung with paintings that Levi had never seen the likes of before. Perhaps they were done by a local artist, but he didn't know enough about art to know the difference.

The staff was all dressed in semi-formal attire, although there seemed to be no dress code for the guests. Levi hadn't worn anything special, but he supposed he looked good enough to be in an establishment of this caliber. Overall, he already liked the feel of this place, and the fact that it wasn't very crowded was a plus.

He followed Petra to the podium where the host stood and paid no attention to what was being said before the man walked off and they followed him. They were led to a small table, just big enough for the two of them and somewhat out of the way of the rest of the guests. Levi wondered if Petra had asked for this table on purpose to keep prying eyes off of them.

"Well, what do you think?" Petra asked as they sat down. He briefly wondered if he should have pulled out her chair for her, but this wasn't a date, right? It was just...he still hadn't figured out exactly what it was. Maybe it was just Petra being nice. She seemed to do that a lot.

"There aren't many people here, isn't that a bad sign?" He asked, looking around at the three other couples seated around them. Perhaps Petra was trying to make this into a date without it being an actual date. It was weird. Should he ask about it?

"No! It's just a well-kept secret! I used to come here with..." Petra stopped talking suddenly as if whoever she was about to bring up would be a taboo subject. Perhaps they would. Levi didn't know anything about Petra's life before she came into his, she could have any number of dark secrets lurking under her bright and cheery exterior. "Um, I just used to come here all the time. The food is really good, I think you'll like it."

"Petra, what exactly..." He paused, although before he'd started speaking he'd decided that he was just going to ask her what exactly they were doing here together, now he found the words hard to say. He was nervous again, almost just as nervous as he'd been before he'd left his room and he found it so infuriating that Petra could make him nervous but titans trying to devour him didn't faze him at all. He finally just barreled through his anxieties and attacked the issue head-on. Nothing would come of this weird middle ground they were both softly treading through. "What is this?"

"What?" She seemed like she was confused, but the blush on her face said otherwise.

"Why did you ask me here tonight? Why do you really want to spend so much time with me? I know that you're a genuinely nice person, Petra, but I'm not used to even nice people being nice to me. No one likes to spend time with me. I'm rude. I'm crass. I'm abrasive. I'm basically everything that someone like you should be repulsed by. So why?"

Petra's eyes were wide as if she hadn't expected this sudden outburst. Really, though, who would expect something like that? Especially coming from him, of all people. She blinked quickly as if to try and regain her composure, and she was about to speak when the waiter came to the table and interrupted the moment. Levi rolled his eyes and slumped back in his chair with an audible sigh as the waiter read off the restaurant's specials. Petra ordered something, Levi hadn't heard what, and he just ordered the same thing.

"And a scotch, neat," He added just as the waiter turned to walk away. He looked back to Petra and saw that her hands were in her lap, probably fidgeting with the edge of the napkin that she'd placed there. Her eyes were turned downward and she was biting her lip every so slightly as if she was really struggling with what she was about to say. Shit. He'd made her uncomfortable. Well, that was the last thing he'd been trying to do.

"Levi, I told you before...I just really like spending time with you. I know that's hard for you to understand but all those things that you listed...well, they just don't seem to apply to me. Yes, you are rude and crass and abrasive and angry, but you've never been any of those things to me. Is it really so hard to fathom that I might enjoy your company? I want us to be more than just comrades, I want us to be...friends." Petra's eyes were sparkling with something that Levi couldn't quite pin down as he watched her. He could tell there was more that she wanted to say, but she hadn't felt the need to say it, and he wasn't going to pry.

He'd gotten his answer, though, she apparently wanted to be his friend. It was strange to him that something like that could even happen on the surface. As far as he knew everyone up here just thought of him as another random thug, someone blackmailed into joining the Survey Corps because of the crimes he'd committed underground. To Petra, though, he seemed to be someone else entirely.

"Oh," He answered, and he knew that wasn't exactly what she was expecting but he couldn't even form any other words at the moment.

"Is that...okay?" She asked timidly, arching an eyebrow.

"Of course."

"That's good. You were scaring me." She smiled sweetly but that sparkle of...something never left her eyes. He didn't have to dwell on it much longer, because their food was arriving, along with his drink, and he didn't think he'd ever been so happy to see alcohol in his life.

He watched her as she dug into her food, not hesitating for even a moment after it was placed in front of her. He was always astonished how much she seemed to love food, but there were many things astonishing about Petra Ral. His lips turned up at the corners ever so slightly as he watched her. Any passerby wouldn't have known that it was a smile, but he just couldn't help it when he was looking at her.

Suddenly his thoughts turned to something far more grim. The mission tomorrow. Bright and early. The first mission they'd been on in quite some time, and it was coming all too soon. This new friendship came with its downsides, and one was that he found himself worried about Petra being in the field. It wasn't anything new for him. He'd been worried about Farlan and Isabel too, on their first mission outside the walls. He'd wanted to stop them from going, but they refused, and with Petra, he didn't have a choice.

Besides the fact that Petra was generally just hard headed and would not back down from any challenge, it would be strange for him to order a member of his squad to stay back during an important mission. The more important thing, however, was that Erwin would then know of his special feelings toward one of his squad mates, and he would surely use that against him. He couldn't allow that to happen. He wouldn't let another one of his friends be taken by Erwin Smith.

"Your food will get cold if you don't eat," Petra said, her somewhat strange motherly instincts apparently kicking in and breaking Levi out of his troubling thoughts. He looked down at his food for the first time since it arrived. It was soup, although he wasn't sure what kind, but it didn't matter much. Anything would be better than what they would have found in the cafeteria. He sipped his drink before he started to eat as well.

"About the mission tomorrow, I want to try a different formation while we ride toward the town." He started and Petra looked up at him eagerly, as if what he was about to say was something incredibly interesting. "I thought we could try kind of a 'v' shaped formation. I'd be the middle, you and Eld would be behind me and to my left and right flanks, and Gunther and Oluo would be behind the two of you. It'll be fairly spread out, still, in order to scout for titans, but I think it'll be effective." And it'll allow me to better keep an eye on you.

"That sounds interesting! I'm sure whatever you decide will be fine." She smiled and turned her attention back to her soup, but didn't offer much criticism on his idea. He would take that as a good thing. That meant that she hadn't caught on to his true intentions of changing the formation.

He was about halfway through his own meal when he felt an eerie sense of unease wash over him. It wasn't that anything, in particular, had changed about the restaurant, but he felt as though someone was watching him now. He glanced up at Petra in time to see her face pale before she immediately looked down at her soup. Something was very wrong, and he had the feeling he knew exactly what that something was. All of his feelings were confirmed when he heard slow footsteps walking up behind him. He turned his head to the side just in time to see Erwin stop beside their table.

"Lance Corporal," Erwin's deep baritone sounded around the small space, echoing through every corner of the room and rattling the both of them to their core. They weren't doing anything wrong, Levi knew that he knew that he was allowed to go anywhere he wanted as long as he had an escort, but that wasn't what he was worried about.

Levi hadn't wanted Erwin to know of the friendship he'd formed with Petra, and by the look of her, she hadn't wanted him to know either.

"Commander," Levi answered, trying to keep the malice out of his voice and failing miserably.

"I didn't expect to see you here, and with such lovely company. Am I interrupting your date?"

"It's not a date!" Petra said a little too quickly, and Levi's eyes narrowed only slightly as he watched her before he turned his attention back to Erwin.

"Ah, forgive me. Just friends enjoying a candlelit dinner together, then." Erwin's eyes had settled on Petra and Levi could swear that he saw her trembling. Was she worried about the same thing Levi had been worried about just moments ago?

"We were actually discussing the mission for tomorrow," Levi spoke up, trying to tear Erwin's attention away from Petra.

"Is that so?" Erwin asked, only glancing at Levi for a moment before he continued to watch her. If he was trying to send a message, Levi was getting it loud and clear. "Well, I hope the discussion is fruitful. I'll leave the to of you to it, then."

Erwin looked at Levi one more time before he turned to go to his own table, and that single look was all he needed to know that Erwin was plotting something. Levi didn't plan to disobey the Commander again, so Erwin shouldn't have any reason to take action against him, but Levi knew the Commander well enough to know that he didn't really need a reason for anything he did. The uneasy feeling Levi had before only grew larger.

"Let's go, Petra. I've lost my appetite." He said, pushing himself from his chair and downing the rest of the liquor left in his glass before laying some money on the table and walking away. Petra followed swiftly after him, but he could tell she was shaken from the encounter. Having the icy blue gaze of the Commander fixed on her for so long was probably the reason for that.

"I was going to pay." She said as they walked out and onto the street. Her voice was a bit shaky before she took a deep breath to calm herself.

"You paid for the tea." He answered.

"Levi, are you okay?" She asked quietly as they passed another couple on the street. Their pace was quick, but he didn't think Petra would mind.

"Are you?" He asked, glancing at her. "You were shaking."

"I-I'm fine!" She said quickly, crossing her arms over her chest. She was in that defiant mood again, the one she got in when she thought that people were taking pity on her. In a way, Levi supposed that he was, but not because he thought she was pitiful. He was genuinely concerned for her well being.

"I'm glad to hear it." He answered. "Let's just get home. We need plenty of rest for the mission tomorrow."

"Sure." She looked down at the cobblestones as they walked and Levi knew he needed to say something else. Petra was supposed to be happy, chipper, she wasn't supposed to be looking down and feeling bad about anything.

"Thank you, for the dinner. It was way better than anything from the cafeteria. We should go back sometime."

That did it. She looked up at him, her eyes wide and a smile to match plastered on her face.

"Of course!" She answered, and just like that everything seemed right with the world again.

The rest of the walk back to his room was relatively silent. The only sounds were of their feet scuffing against the cobblestones and the hushed whispers of those around them as they realized who exactly Levi was. Still, when they arrived at his door he found himself not ready to part. He was worried about her, he realized, and for good reason. The way Erwin looked at her would haunt his dreams if he was ever able to sleep. Against his better judgment, he did the only thing he could think of.

"Would you like to come in?" He asked, and he thought he might have to prompt Petra to breathe again because her breath hitched and he didn't see her take another one for a long time.

"If that's okay." She answered sheepishly. He didn't say anything in response, he just opened the door for her and waited for her to walk in, hoping that she would take what he was about to say to her well and not try to punch him out for it instead. It could really go either way.

Once the door was closed and locked securely behind them he mustered the courage to speak again.

"Are you scared?" He asked, and he could tell that she was confused.

"Of you?" She raised an eyebrow.

"No, of Erwin. I saw the way he was looking at you like he's scheming. I don't like it. Are you scared of him?"

"I would be lying if I said it wasn't a little unsettling." Petra sat down in one of the chairs around Levi's small table and he walked over to put the kettle on for tea, he thought they might both need some after what had just happened.

"You know what he did to my other friends. You've seen it with your own eyes."

She shivered at the thought of what he'd said, wringing her hands in her lap as he spoke.

"I don't want to put you in danger, Petra. Not any more than I already put you in by choosing you as a member of my squad. I want to make sure that you're safe."

"Don't be silly." She started, turning to face him. "Erwin wouldn't do anything to me."

She didn't sound the least bit convincing.

"Will you stay here tonight? To put my mind at ease?"

"What?"

"I know it might be...strange, and I know that you can take care of yourself, but what he's done to Isabel and Farlan isn't something that I can forget so easily. I take care of my friends, Petra, I don't want to see that happen to you. So please, for my sake, just stay here. You can have the bed. I don't sleep much anyway."

"But you do need to sleep. Tomorrow will be a long day." She argued, but he could tell her resolve was weakening.

"I can sleep in the chair, I prefer it anyway." He motioned to a chair in the corner as he spoke and watched as her eyes slid over to it, then back to him. "Is that a yes, then?"

"Will you really be able to sleep in that thing?"

"Much better than if I were worrying about you."

"Fine." She sighed in a show of frustration but he could tell by the way that her shoulders slumped forward that she was secretly relieved that he'd asked her to do this. "But you know the others will talk."

"You've been showing up with me everywhere anyway, they won't talk any more than they already are."

"Thank you, Levi. Truth be told, I really am kind of worried about the way that he was looking at me. I don't know what he's thinking but...it can't be anything good."

"That's exactly what I'm worried about."

Chapter 4

Notes:

This one is probably just a tad shorter than most of the other chapters, but I hope you all enjoy it all the same! The story is starting to pick up! This chapter is also the major part of the story that makes it canon-divergent, so just keep that in mind while reading!

Chapter Text

Petra had been right to worry about Levi's quality of sleep, but it wasn't because he was in the chair. He stayed awake because he was afraid of what might happen if he were to close his eyes. He was afraid of who might sneak into the room while they both slept. He stayed awake for fear that someone would be sent to capture Petra and keep her captive to be held over his head as well as Isabel and Farlan. He may have been wrong in that line of thought, though.

Erwin probably knew how important Petra's presence on the mission would be, and he wouldn't want to put his soldiers in unnecessary danger, would he? He'd done it before, but would he put the lives of his most elite soldiers on the line to keep Levi from straying? Levi was sure that Erwin wouldn't want to risk it. Of course, that line of thought only came to him after he'd sat up most of the night.

Petra had been able to fall asleep relatively quickly after she laid down in the bed. Her breathing evening out within minutes of her head hitting the pillow. Levi wondered how anyone could go to sleep so quickly when he'd struggled with it his entire life, but most people weren't like him. He tended to forget that he was the odd one out most of the time. Maybe one day Petra could help him figure out how to sleep so soundly, but tonight he wasn't so lucky.

He managed to get a few hours of sleep before he got up to start his preparations for the mission. He would have to go to the stables early to get his 3DM gear, Erwin didn't allow him to keep a set in his room, for obvious reasons.

He looked over toward the bed to see that Petra was still sleeping soundly and wondered if he should wake her. Surely her internal clock would be going off any moment now, but he didn't want to be late, either, especially since he always made such a fuss about the rest of the squad being late.

He padded across the room quietly and stood beside the bed for a moment. How exactly does one wake someone up gently? He felt like touching her would be too personal, too intimate when they hadn't ever shared any kind of contact like that before. He rolled his eyes, knowing that he was being ridiculous, and placed a gentle hand on Petra's shoulder. She stirred ever so slightly, moving into his touch before he shook her as gently as he could.

"Petra, it's time to get up, we need to be at the stables soon." His voice was softer than he thought he'd ever heard it before. It reminded him of the way that his mother used to wake him in the mornings.

As soon as she realized what was happening and where she was she practically bolted out of the bed.

"Um, thanks," She said, scrubbing the sleep from her eyes with her hands and moving toward the door. "I just need to go to my room to grab a few things and get my gear on and then we can go."

He only nodded, but he was sure she didn't see it. She was out the door so quickly that he wondered if she was just running away from him . For some reason, she seemed extremely flustered at the thought that he was waking her up. Or maybe it was that she'd slept in his bed all night? She did seem a bit uneasy about even staying the night before when he asked her. He would have to ask her about all that later.

When she finally arrived back at his door, fully geared and ready for combat, they headed toward the stables. The air was cold this early in the morning, and it raised goosebumps on Levi's skin as they walked hurriedly to their destination. When they arrived, Levi wasted no time getting into his gear, securing it to his body with the belts and straps that he'd equipped before he left his room. He finished with only a few seconds to spare before Oluo waltzed into the barn.

"Good morning Petra!" Oluo said pleasantly, smiling down at the petite woman as he walked toward her. Levi was suddenly glad that he was standing right next to her. Oluo being close to her made him feel sick. "Heichou, you look like death. Didn't get much sleep, huh?"

"Insomnia's a bitch, what's your excuse for looking like shit?" Levi snapped back in his usual bothered tone. Petra's eyes went wide for a moment and Levi could have sworn that he saw her smile just a bit before she composed herself. Oluo just glared at him for a moment and went over to the stall that his horse was being held in.

"You really do look tired, Heichou, are you sure you're okay?" Petra asked when she was sure Oluo wasn't paying attention. She looked worried, but he should have seen that coming, she always looked worried when she thought he wasn't getting enough rest. It had been a running theme since the first day they were all officially a squad.

"I'll be fine. I never get much sleep anyway." He replied as he walked over to his horse and began to saddle it for the mission. Petra side eyed him as she worked on saddling her own horse, but he chose to ignore it. She would be hovering over him for the entirety of the mission because of his lack of sleep, he could already tell. He just had to try not to let that bother him.

Gunther and Eld had just arrived as Levi finished tightening the girth of the saddle on his horse, and he nodded to the two squad members that Petra had confirmed he could trust. They didn't say anything to him but worked on getting their horses ready to leave. The sun would be rising soon, and that would mark the start of their mission, but for now, Levi had a few moments to relax.

Once he was done with his horse, Eld strode over toward where Levi and Petra were standing together. He looked serious, but he always did before missions. Eld was Levi's second in command, and there was a reason why he'd picked him for that job. He always took their expeditions very seriously, and Levi knew that Eld would never let any of their squadmates die if he could help it. Today, though, the look on his face was a bit different from other times. There was something behind that serious expression that Levi knew they couldn't talk about right now.

"Heichou, I think we're all ready to go. Is there anything we need to go over before we head out?" Eld asked. The man towered over Levi, but he didn't really find it intimidating. Most people towered over him, it seemed, but it still irked Levi that he had to look up to someone that was supposed to be his subordinate.

"Our riding formation has changed a bit. We'll be in a 'V' this time. The long-range scouting formation doesn't work for a group of our size, so I want to make sure we can stay close to each other. I want you and Petra behind me, Oluo and Gunther in the back. Understood?"

"Yes, Heichou, I'll go let the others know." Eld saluted, a gesture that Levi didn't normally require of his squad, but somehow it felt different this time. It felt like Eld wanted him to know that he was on Levi's side. Levi looked at Petra and she smiled at him sweetly before she mounted her horse and Levi followed suit. Once they were all gathered together, Levi spoke again. He'd never been one for the dramatic, motivational speech, but he did have something to say.

"I want this mission to be executed cleanly. No stupid mistakes, no casualties. We're all coming back from this alive. The squads that were sent ahead of us said that there were no titan threats, but I want all of you to remain on your guard." He said, watching the faces of his comrades as he spoke. Eld, Gunther, and Petra all looked somewhat inspired by his words, but Oluo was staring off into the distance somewhere. Levi turned his horse to make his way toward the gate and everyone followed, and by the time they were riding out he had forgotten all about Oluo's slights.

Levi had always had a habit of looking toward the sky when he rode through the gates. He'd done it ever since his first expedition, and much like the first time, today it looked like rain.

Before that first expedition, he never really got to see the sky, so it was a tradition that he couldn't bring himself to let go of, just looking up and admiring the vast blue expanse. Back then it made him feel free, to be above the ground and riding out beyond the walls with Isabel and Farlan by his side doing the same. Now, it just reminded him that, until he broke free of the chains that are the Survey Corps, he would always be like a caged animal. A bird in a cage. A captive.

"Heichou, can you stop cloud watching and pay attention? You were just telling us to be on our guard." Oluo shouted at him. Ah, so he had been paying attention. As much as Levi hated to admit that Oluo was right about something, he snapped his head forward and focused on the wilderness in front of them.

The ride wouldn't take them long. They would just have to go from Stohess district to Ragako, check out what was happening there, and come back home. Hopefully what they would find would be uneventful, but Levi couldn't allow himself to become too comfortable with the situation. Just because he didn't believe them to be in any danger didn't mean that they weren't . Erwin was known to hide details, and he had done a lot of that with this mission. There was something more to this. Something sinister that he wanted Levi to find out for himself. He still needed to stay on his guard, despite what all the other squads said.

He looked back to his left, where he'd stationed Petra, and he would have thought that she didn't even notice the gesture until he saw her eyes slide toward him. He'd told himself all throughout the night that he wouldn't worry about her today, that she could hold her own, but there was a creeping feeling in his gut that just wouldn't go away. The feeling that they were all in danger, and that he needed to protect her.

The formation spread out only a bit after they cleared the gate of Stohess, making it easier for them to ride and look for threats. He kept Petra and Eld close, the two people that he could trust the most, in his eyes, and focused on the mission.

So far there hadn't been any sign of titans. He was beginning to think that Erwin had lied to him outright until they reached the outskirts of the village they'd been headed for.

Ragako stood in ruins. The houses were smashed in, fences were broken and the town looked like a shell of what it used to be. They all came to a halt, stilling their horses near the stables where, shockingly enough, the town's horses still stood.

"Gunther, Oluo, go check the other side of the village for survivors. Eld, do a sweep of the perimeter to see what you can find." Levi ordered and his squad nodded and took off to their tasks. Levi and Petra dismounted their horses and began to look around where they'd stopped.

"There isn't any blood," Petra said as her eyes scanned the roads and houses.

"Not a single drop," Levi answered, and then his attention turned back to the horses. "We'll have to search the rubble for bodies, but I suspect we won't find any of those either, and that doesn't make much sense considering the fact that all of these horses are still safely inside their stalls."

"What do you think happened?"

"I have no idea, but I don't think it's anything good."

"Do you think..." Petra paused, unsure of what she was about to say.

"What?" He asked, knowing that there was more.

"Do you think that Erwin knows what happened here?"

"It wouldn't be surprising if he did. He sent us here for a reason. I don't know what that reason is, but he wants me to know something, I'm sure of it. Whatever we find here, we'll have to puzzle out what it means for me."

They were quiet for a long moment, thinking about the possibilities before they heard hurried hooves trotting up behind them. Eld reigned his horse to a halt just before he reached them, a panicked look on his face, and Levi knew that he'd found something.

"What is it?" He asked, prompting Eld's panicked response.

"You need to see this, Heichou. Please, come with me."

Levi and Petra mounted up again and followed Eld further inside the village. It was eerie how quiet the place seemed for how utterly destroyed all the buildings were. If titans weren't the cause of this, Levi wasn't sure what was .

And that's when he saw what Eld had been so worried about.

In front of them, lying on a completely destroyed house, was a large titan with blonde hair staring at them with dead, gold eyes. The titan's arms and legs were so thin and frail that Levi was sure they weren't in any danger of it getting up and attacking. He doubted there was even any muscle in the limbs to allow the titan to lift them. It just laid there, staring at them, mouth agape as they looked on.

"How..." Petra started, but it seemed like her words were caught in her throat.

"I don't know," Eld answered as if he could read her mind. "There's no way it could have walked here. Look at it. Its legs are completely useless. The only way it could have gotten here is if..."

"It was placed here." Levi chimed in, confirming what Eld and Petra both had to be thinking. He'd never experienced anything like this before, and he had no explanation for it, but he couldn't think of any other way for this particular titan to have appeared here.

"How can that be possible?" Petra asked, never taking her eyes off of the titan. It might have been apparent that the titan couldn't move, but Petra clearly didn't trust it. Her instincts outweighed the evidence in front of her, although her wits were still about her. Petra really was an extraordinary person.

"I don't know how, but that's the only explanation."

"What about the other people in this village? This titan couldn't have eaten them if it can't move." Eld said as he looked at the wreckage that was Ragako village. "It doesn't make any sense."

Eld was correct in saying that none of this made any logical sense, but they were still unaware of where titans even came from. Was it so inconceivable to think that titans could be a form of human? They looked enough alike, but that was the only similarity. Levi thought himself crazy for even allowing the thought to cross his mind, but still...

"Heichou," Petra almost whispered his title, tearing her eyes away from the titan just long enough to look him dead in the eyes. "This might sound crazy but, what if the people of Ragako were the titans that attacked? I...I don't know how or why, but if the people turned into titans it would explain why the town is destroyed but there's no blood. It would explain why all the horses are still here, and it would explain why this titan is here, lying on this house, without any way to get here. You said yourself that you thought they were placed here. What if they were made here."

"Who would be able to do such a thing? And how?" Eld asked the question, but Levi already had the answer in the back of his mind.

Who had the power to perform titan research? Who had a twisted enough mind to perform experiments like this on innocent people? Who sent them to this godforsaken village in the first place? Erwin Smith. The bastard Commander of the Survey Corps .

"It was him." Levi's voice was barely above a whisper, but Petra heard him immediately and turned to face him. "He knows. That son of a bitch knows what caused this. He sent us here for a reason, and I'm willing to bet that it wasn't for us to figure it out for him. He's always several steps ahead of everyone else. He knows how it happened. He might even know how to make it happen. We need to go back to Stohess, now ."

"Heichou, what are you talking about?" Petra asked. He wasn't sure if she was playing dumb in front of Eld or if she just wasn't following, but he didn't have time to explain it right now. Erwin wanted Levi to know this for a reason, and that reason was that this was how he planned to hurt Isabel and Farlan. This was what Erwin was planning to do to them if Levi disobeyed again. It wasn't a mission to figure out what happened in Ragako, it was a threat.

"Eld, go and get Gunther and Oluo, we're leaving immediately. I need to talk to the Commander." Levi was gritting his teeth so hard that he was surprised he was even able to choke out the words he'd just said. As soon as Eld left them, Petra moved her horse up beside him. She spoke only loudly enough for him to hear her.

"Levi, what are you thinking?"

"This is a threat from Erwin. He's the one that did this. He likely had another squad, one of the ones that were here before us, exterminate all the titans that actually posed a threat. They left this one as a message to me. He wants me to know that this is the fate of all of my friends if I cross him again, Petra. This is what he'll do to Isabel and Farlan...to you."

Petra seemed to be shocked into silence, and for good reason. Levi had dropped a bombshell on her. He didn't know how he would react if someone had told him this very information, but the look on Petra's face pretty much summed it up for him. She looked scared. She looked worried. And he was the reason for it. This, he reminded himself, is why he didn't make friends after Isabel and Farlan. This was exactly what he'd been afraid of. Now he would have to do everything in his power to keep her away from Erwin. To keep her safe, because he had no idea what Erwin's next move was, and that was perhaps the most frightening part.

oOo

The rain started shortly after they left Ragako, and by the time they got back to the gate at Stohess they were all completely drenched. Oluo, Gunther, and Eld had put their horses away and taken leave as soon as Levi approved it, and he and Petra were the only ones that remained in the stables.

His head had been swimming the whole ride back. Swimming with the thoughts of what Farlan and Isabel would look like as titans. Whether they were still in that same cell where he saw them just two days before. What Erwin was planning to do next. It was all too much for him to think about as he fumbled with the buckles of his 3DM gear.

"Let me help you." Her voice was muffled by the loud sound of the rain hitting the ground outside the open doors of the stables, but she'd spoken softly anyway. Petra's hands were on the buckle on his chest faster than he could react to what she'd said, and soon she'd helped him rid himself of the gear that was weighing him down. Somehow, though, he didn't feel any lighter. He felt as though a huge weight was sitting on his shoulders. One that he wasn't sure he could carry on his own.

"What do we do now?" He asked although he'd meant to keep that thought to himself. Also the word 'we' had been 'I' in his mind, but his mouth betrayed his thoughts and included Petra in this dangerous game he was playing with Erwin.

"We need to get them out of that dungeon sooner rather than later," Petra said, her voice still so hushed that he could barely hear it over the sound of the heavy rain.

"It seems impossible." He said, running a hand through his soaked hair.

"Let's go back to the barracks and get some dry clothes. We can talk more about it there."

They walked slowly out of the stables and didn't pick up their pace once they were in the rain again. It didn't matter much, they were both completely soaked from their ride back to Stohess, and Levi couldn't bring himself to rush. In fact, the rain felt somewhat soothing in his current state. Maybe if he stayed in it long enough it would wash away all the self-doubt that he was feeling. Maybe it would wash away this horrible, hopeless feeling that had sunk into his bones.

By the time they reached his room, he'd completely numbed himself to what had happened. Now the only thing left for him to think of was revenge. Revenge for what Erwin had already done to his friends, and hopefully action fast enough to stop Erwin from hurting them any more.

"Levi, I'm going to my room to change clothes. I'll be right back. Please change into something dry while I'm gone." Petra's voice once again broke through the fog of his thoughts before she headed toward her room. She glanced at him once more before he walked inside and looked around. He was in a fog, but he could at least dress himself.

He took off the soaked clothes from their mission and hung them over the door of the bathroom to dry before he changed into something drier and warmer. He'd begun to shiver a bit, but he wasn't sure if that was nerves or the chill he'd gotten from being in wet clothes for so long. It didn't matter, anyway. There were more important things to think about at the moment.

A knock sounded on the door indicating that Petra had returned from her room. He hadn't realized just how close it was to his in the barracks until tonight, but he was secretly glad for it. If anyone was welcome around him right now it was her. She would be able to help him through this, to figure out what the next move would be.

"Come in." He said the words loudly enough so that she could hear them through the door and she wasted no time obeying. She was wearing an old t-shirt and some lounge pants but she still looked just as beautiful as she ever had.

There was that word. Beautiful . Invading his thoughts about Petra and ingraining itself into his image of her. Before she'd just been strong. Intelligent. Quick on her feet. Now she was all those things, plus beautiful. It was hard for him to understand why that word had snuck into his definition of Petra Ral, but he could accept it.

"How are you feeling?" She asked, closing the door behind her and walking toward where he sat on the bed. She didn't get too close, stopping in the middle of the room as if she hadn't just slept in this bed the night before.

"Cold, but I'll be fine." He looked up at her again, examining her towel dried hair that was still kind of a mess. "And you?"

"I'll be fine, Levi, don't worry about me." She smiled and he suddenly felt a little warmer.

"You can sit down if you want. I'm sure you're just as tired as I am."

"Thanks," She answered, hesitantly walking over to the bed and sitting down beside him. She seemed stiff like she was uncomfortable sitting there with him, and it completely baffled him.

"We need to do something about this." He said suddenly, shifting their conversation to the topic that had been plaguing him since Ragako.

"What exactly do you plan to do?" Petra asked, clasping her hands in her lap as she spoke as if she was afraid to put them anywhere else.

"I want to make sure that Erwin can't hurt them anymore. There are two options for that. We can go break them out now, or we can go for Erwin now. Those are the only two choices we have, that I can see."

"You want to try to kill him tonight?" She asked, her eyes suddenly going wide at the implications of what he'd said. He knew it was rushed, but he had to do something. He couldn't allow Erwin to turn Isabel and Farlan into mindless titans, cursed to roam around outside of the walls for the rest of their days. Until Levi was sent to kill them. He wasn't sure he would even be able to kill them under those circumstances.

"Unless we can figure out a way to get Isabel and Farlan out of that dungeon immediately, it's the only option we have."

"I understand that you're scared, Levi, but don't you think we need to think this through a little more?"

"Don't you get it?" His voice was louder now, louder than he'd ever been with Petra before. He didn't want to act this way toward her, but the fatigue he felt from the mission and his general stress about the situation didn't afford him much control over his emotions. "Erwin is already five steps ahead of us. If we don't act soon he'll win! He'll get exactly what he wants!"

"And you don't think that putting you in this state of mind is something that he wants too?" Petra asked, and now her voice was louder than he'd ever heard it before. He'd never heard Petra yell like this, not unless the situation in the field demanded it, and now that frustration was aimed at him. "He's trying to make you throw rational thought out the window and just attack! He wants a reason to punish you, to make you suffer! If you don't act against him he doesn't have a reason to hurt them."

"He doesn't need a reason. He can do whatever he wants when it comes to them! The monarchy won't stop him, that's for damn sure. They probably don't even know he has Isabel and Farlan as his prisoners."

"You don't need preemptive revenge, Levi, you need rest. You need to make sure you're not doing something stupid before you just act. You're smarter than this. If you make these kinds of decisions you let him win. Just...promise me that you'll stay here and get some sleep tonight. We can talk about it more in the morning when you're thinking more clearly."

"Fine," He replied, although he didn't like what he'd agreed to. Every moment they spent waiting was another moment Erwin had to plan his next step. Levi doubted he would be able to sleep with that knowledge, but he would try.

"Promise me, Levi." Petra looked kind of stern now, motherly almost as she spoke to him.

"I promise I won't go out in the middle of the night and try to kill Erwin. I couldn't do it without help anyway."

"Thank you." She rolled her eyes and smiled a bit before she pushed herself up off of the bed. "I'm going back to my room now unless you still need me to stay.

"I'm fine." He answered, and she turned to make her way toward the door. "Petra,"

"Levi?" She asked, turning back to look at him again.

"I'll see you tomorrow." It came out of his mouth more as a question than he'd meant it to, but he couldn't go back now. He wasn't even sure what had prompted him to say that kind of thing, but it was something he wanted to confirm. He wanted to hear her say it so that he knew she planned to see him again in the morning.

"I'll see you tomorrow." She said with a smile and walked out the door, closing it softly behind her.

He let himself collapse on the bed, then. Curling up under the covers and letting their warmth lull him into a half-awake state. His sheets didn't smell the same as they normally do, though. They smelled like fresh rain, like dew in the mornings when the sun is just rising over the horizon. He realized after only a moment that this must be what Petra smells like, and that realization sent him to sleep faster than he'd ever fallen asleep before.

Chapter 5

Notes:

Oh, hi, this story was due for an update. I'm sorry it took a bit longer than I promised before, but hopefully, this chapter is well worth it!

Chapter Text

Levi woke up the next day to find that he'd slept through the whole night. He wasn't sure if it was because of mental and physical exhaustion or the comforting smell of Petra that lingered on his sheets, but he was happy for it, regardless.

It was only after his sleep-addled mind had fully regained consciousness that he had the sense to be worried about Petra. Why he hadn't thought to ask her to stay in his room again was a mystery to him. He could only chalk it up to the fact that he was so preoccupied thinking of everything else that had happened, the thought never crossed his mind that she might still be in danger.

He hoped that he was just overreacting, that Petra would be knocking on his door any moment and bringing him breakfast and smiling at him in that way that she always did because nothing bad could have possibly happened to her. Still, the unpleasant thoughts nagged at the back of his mind.

When Petra didn't show up for a full hour after he'd woken up, though, he had convinced himself that something bad was happening. He wasn't supposed to leave his room without an escort, but Petra's room was just at the other end of the hall. He wouldn't even be leaving the building, surely he wouldn't be punished for just checking up on her. He didn't care, though. He needed to make sure she was still safe. He wanted to put his mind at ease, and if breaking one small rule allowed him to do that, he would do it a thousand times.

He left his room almost as quickly as he'd decided it was necessary. He could see her door from his end of the hallway, but the closer he got to it the more scared he became. Still, if she wasn't there it didn't necessarily mean anything bad had happened to her. It could just mean that she was busy this morning, that she was meeting with a friend, that she'd gone to get breakfast. It could really mean any number of things, but the innocent things weren't what Levi's mind kept wandering to.

He stopped outside of her door and took a deep breath before he knocked sharply three times. The rooms weren't that big, that knock would be enough for her to hear, and yet she wasn't coming to the door. He knocked again.

"Petra," He said her name loudly enough that she could hear it on the other side. Still no answer. He tried the doorknob and it turned. The door wasn't locked. He found that odd, especially with everything else that was happening at the moment, but if he entered and nothing was wrong he might make her angry. The feeling that something was wrong wouldn't leave him alone, though, and he decided that Petra's anger would be worth facing to make sure that she was okay.

When the door swung open all of his suspicions were proven correct. The room was trashed. Signs of a struggle were apparent in the way furniture was tipped over and strewn all over the room. Petra was a fighter, and strong, someone much bigger than her would have had to come to take her away for her to actually be overpowered. Levi could think of two people off the top of his head: Erwin and Mike. Possibly the two largest members of the Corps. Too large for Petra to handle on her own without the use of some kind of weapon.

He left her room and hurried back to his own to wait for Hanji to bring his breakfast. He would use that opportunity to get to someone that could help him. Eld.

Eld was the person he trusted the most after Petra. He would be able to help him get to Erwin's office and ask the right questions. The waiting might kill him before that, though.

He couldn't believe how stupid he'd been. Why had he not asked Petra to stay in his room again? It was his fault that she'd been kidnapped, and he couldn't begin to imagine what had been happening to her all night. He didn't want to. He hated himself for letting his guard down like that, especially right after what they'd found in Ragako. This was a power play, he knew it yesterday, but he didn't act on it. It was apparent now what he would have to do. If he wanted to get Petra back, if he wanted to save Isabel and Farlan, he would have to get rid of Erwin now.

He knew all of these things and yet he was still stuck. Petra had been right about one thing last night, he would have to be smart about this if he wanted to keep Erwin off his trail. He would have to continue obeying the rules, at least until he made sure Petra was safe.

He waited for a long time before he heard a knock on the door, but this time was different than all the others. This time he rushed to the door and swung it open, determination pushing him forward. This time he didn't wait for Hanji to open it on their own because he had a reason to want to see them. But this time it wasn't Hanji that stood behind the door waiting for him.

It was Erwin.

Levi was floored when he saw the Commander standing in front of him, smirking down at him as if he'd won their little game. But this wasn't a game to Levi. This wasn't fun or amusing, this was the lives of his friends hanging in the balance. This was a civil war between members of the Survey Corps.

"Lance Corporal," Erwin said his title as if it was some kind of joke and pushed past him to enter his room. He looked around at the tidy little space before he turned back to face Levi again.

"What did you do with her?" Levi asked. He tried to keep calm, but it was evident to him, and probably to Erwin as well, that he was anything but.

"I'm not sure who you mean."

"You know damn well who I mean." Levi gritted his teeth as he spoke, grinding the words out as best he could. "Where is Petra? What did you do with her?"

"Ah, I thought you might be looking for her. I'll take you to her if you want." Erwin's smirk never left his lips and it only made Levi feel worse about the situation. His anger was outweighing his guilt right now, but he had the feeling that would change later.

"If she's hurt..."

"Let me guess, you'll kill me? It worked out well for you the first time, didn't it?"

"Just take me to her," Levi demanded. He expected Erwin to push back because of his tone but, instead, the much taller man exited the room with Levi following behind him.

Levi was surprised when he was led to a carriage and the door was opened for him to climb inside. He did as he was instructed and Erwin climbed in behind him, the two of them silently riding in the carriage for quite some time before Erwin spoke again.

"You've been planning something. You, and Petra." His voice was calm, emotionless, but Levi could see the malice behind his cold blue gaze.

"I don't know what you mean," Levi answered, but Erwin only smirked at his denial.

"The funny thing about torture is, with enough of it anyone will tell you what you want to hear."

"What did you do to her?" Levi asked, fury burning through his veins as he thought of what Petra might have endured through the night.

"Nothing that will have lasting physical effects. She'll recover." Erwin turned to look out the window of the carriage as they rode together as if this were some mundane conversation for him. "She did tell me what I wanted to know, though. You've been plotting behind my back, Levi, and you know what happens when you disobey."

"That's impossible. There's nothing to tell. If she said anything to you it was because you threatened her. Torture might get answers, but that doesn't mean they're the right ones." He was trying to maintain his cool outward appearance, but he knew it was cracking with every word.

The thought that Petra had told Erwin anything about their plan wasn't necessarily upsetting to him. He would want her to divulge information instead of letting herself be tortured, but he couldn't be sure that this wasn't another one of Erwin's tricks. He was sure that Erwin had Petra somewhere, but what he wasn't sure about was how much she told him if anything at all. Erwin was all about mind games, being one step ahead of his enemy, but Levi wouldn't let himself fall into those traps so easily.

"I'm certain that what I've been told is the truth. Petra might be loyal to you, but there are certain things that scare her enough to divulge your secrets."

"If you're so sure that I'm planning something, why don't you tell me what you've learned?"

"If I told you that I would lose the upper hand, wouldn't I?" Erwin looked back at Levi then, a knowing expression on his face. "Just sit tight and enjoy the ride, Lance Corporal. You've got a big decision to make when we get where we're going."

oOo

The ride was much longer than Levi thought it would be, but when the carriage finally did stop he was made painfully aware of where exactly they were. He'd only been this far a handful of times. Wall Maria loomed over him like a dark cloud as he and Erwin stepped out of the carriage. Erwin placed a firm hand on Levi's shoulder and pushed him forward, toward a lift that would take them to the top. When they entered the lift Mike entered with them, and the long ride to the top began.

"Just for good measure, Mike will be restraining you. We wouldn't want you to try anything rash when we get to the top. So, hands behind your back, be a good soldier and obey." Erwin ordered, and Levi couldn't really deny him what he'd asked. The small space wasn't enough to fight in, and even if he could fight now he would quickly be overpowered by the two much larger men if he had nowhere to run. So, he obeyed, and his wrists were tied together so tightly behind his back that he began to lose sensation in his fingers almost immediately.

The rest of the ride was in silence. Levi counted down the agonizingly long minutes that it took to get to the top of the wall, but he wished that he wasn't there at all when they finally stepped out. Isabel, Farlan, and Petra all appeared in front of him, bound and kneeling on the top of the wall. They all looked horrible, but his eyes lingered on Petra the longest. Cuts and bruises adorned the soft features of her face, an angry black bruise circling her left eye stood out the most against her pale skin. The way she knelt in front of him, off-kilter and leaning to one side, told him that one of her legs had to be injured as well. He wasn't sure how many other injuries she had, but he felt anger and frustration for all of it. He never wanted this for Petra. He should have just kept her at an arm's length.

"And now for your choice." Erwin grinned at Levi's side as he pushed him forward, taking him closer to his three friends. He didn't want to look at any of them. He was ashamed of what had happened, angry that he'd let this happen to so many people that he cared so much about. He'd take their place in a heartbeat if he could, but he knew that Erwin would never stand for that.

When they got close enough for Levi to see the tears that were slowly streaming down Petra and Isabel's faces, Erwin stepped away and Mike took his place at Levi's side. He watched as Erwin walked toward Petra, placing a hand on the top of her head and patting her like she was a dog. Levi wanted nothing more than to lunge forward and make Erwin regret ever laying a hand on her, especially since she visibly flinched at his touch, but his hands were, quite literally, tied at the moment. He would get his revenge in due time, but for now, he had to play along.

"As I said before, the next time you disobeyed me I would be killing one of your friends. Now that I know that there are more than just two, well, that gives me a few more options." Erwin removed his hand from Petra and walked over to stand beside Isabel and Farlan. "The choice you have to make today is simple. Which one of these people will die? Your oldest friend? The little girl that you've come to love as a sister? Or, perhaps, the woman you've come to admire as something more than just a comrade?"

"I won't let you kill any of them." Levi's voice was low, seething with rage that tore through him like a lightning bolt.

"That's not one of the options."

"Levi," Petra's voice was shaky and weak, but it still caught his attention immediately, drawing his eyes away from Erwin and over to her trembling frame. "You can't let him hurt them any more than he already has. I know you don't want to make this choice but, if you have to then..."

"No." The word was firm and unwavering, more an order to stop speaking than an answer to her unsaid suggestion.

"Please, for once in your life, just let me help you. This is the way I can help you. You've wanted them to be free for so long, don't you think that this is the best way to do it?"

"I'm not sacrificing any of you for this! Human lives aren't something you can gamble with!"

"It seems you've grown more attached to Ms. Ral than I originally thought." Erwin chimed in again and let his gaze fall on Petra. It seemed that she was struggling to stay in her kneeling position, but she was fighting through whatever pain she was experiencing the best she could. "I gamble with human lives every day, it's part of my job as the Commander of the Corps. Are you telling me that you can't make a simple decision like this in order to save lives? You can't sacrifice the few for the good of the many?"

"I won't willingly sacrifice any of them."

"I see, well, I'll have to make the choice for you, then. Someone is dying here today, Levi. You will be punished for what you've been plotting behind my back."

Without warning, Erwin took a fistful of Isabel's hair and dragged her toward the edge of the wall. Levi saw Farlan move, but all he could do was fall to his side, struggling to do anything with his hands tied behind his back. He heard Petra's gasp, heard Isabel's strangled cries, and then he heard his voice, far away and distant, as if it wasn't his own.

"Let her go!" He cried, moving forward before Mike pulled him back. He struggled so hard against his restraints that he could feel blood dripping from his wrists and running down his fingertips.

"If you don't want her to die you need to make a choice, Levi!" Erwin's voice carried on the wind, back toward where Levi was standing with Mike firmly holding him in place.

"Levi please, just pick me. Let me go in her place. She's just a child!" Petra's voice was sad, but it was loud enough to break through his thoughts. His eyes darted back and forth between Isabel and Petra. His head was involuntarily shaking from side to side. He had no control of his own body anymore, the stress of the situation was too much.

Erwin pulled a small black box from the inside pocket of his jacket, holding firmly onto Isabel's hair with his other hand.

"Time's running out," He said as he opened the box to reveal a small syringe, and Levi realized then that Erwin wasn't just going to throw her off of the wall, he was going to give her a much worse fate.

"No! Just...take me!" Farlan's voice broke through the panic as everyone's attention turned toward him. He was still struggling to get back on his knees without the use of his hands, but he got their attention all the same. "Izzy doesn't deserve this! She's just a kid like Petra said. Let me go in her place."

Farlan's eyes locked with Levi's and he could tell that this was really what Farlan wanted. He could recognize a selfless decision when he saw one. Levi would have been willing to give up his own life for any one of them, and he could see that same resolve in Farlan's eyes as clearly as he could feel it.

"Is that your decision, Levi?" Erwin asked, halting his motions only for a moment.

"I..." His words were caught in his throat. He knew what Farlan wanted him to say, he knew he had to say something soon or Isabel would suffer. He looked to Farlan again, his breath coming faster as he tried to mull over the situation in his head.

"Please, Levi, just say it. You can still save her." Farlan's voice was lower now, more serious, and Levi knew it was the right decision to make.

"Well?" Erwin asked, watching the situation play out with a sickeningly smug grin on his face. All Levi could do was nod, but apparently, that wasn't good enough for the Commander. "I want to hear the words."

"I choose Farlan," Levi said his voice, and will, broken.

"Very well." Erwin threw Isabel to the side and she landed beside Petra before he drug Farlan over in his place. "Mike, bring Levi closer. I want him to see exactly what happens when he disobeys my orders."

They both seemed to have a thing for using hair as a control mechanism because Mike yanked Levi's hair so hard that it brought tears to his eyes. He pulled him to the very edge of the wall and made him kneel beside Farlan, who was looking down at the few titans that had started to gather underneath them.

"You made the right choice." Farlan said, not looking at Levi but speaking to him as if no one else was there with them. "Now you can still save Izzy, and you better make damn sure that you do, Levi, because I'll come back and haunt your ass if you fail."

"I'll save her." Levi's voice was almost a whisper as he watched his friend, but he knew that Farlan heard it.

"I'm still pissed at you for getting us into this mess, but at least now I know that you were trying to help." Levi was confused, but Farlan quickly filled in the blanks. "I had a talk with Petra earlier today. At first, I thought she was just another one of them but...I can see why you trust her. She told me everything, so I guess I can forgive you. Just don't let them keep doing this shit to Izzy and...don't let Petra slip through your fingers, you fucking idiot."

"What?" Levi was taken aback by Farlan's words, not just about Petra, but about his forgiveness. He didn't have long to dwell on it, though, and he didn't get an answer to his question from Farlan because Erwin butted into their conversation without a care.

"Well, as touching as this little reunion is, it's time to pay your price. Watch closely, Levi, this is why I sent you to Ragako." Erwin jammed the syringe into Farlan's neck and pressed the plunger down quickly before he kicked the man off of the wall. Levi wanted to reach out to him, to save his friend's life because this wasn't something that Farlan deserved, but it was far too late for that.

Memories of time spent with Farlan flashed through his mind in an instant. The day they met, when they got their first set of 3DM gear, avoiding the useless MPs in the underground city, saving Isabel from the thugs that were out to get her. Too many memories to count, good, bad, and everything in between flashed before his eyes, mimicking the bright flash of light that lit up the area beneath the wall. When Levi could see again he saw something that would haunt his dreams for the rest of his life. A titan, around twelve meters tall, silver-blonde hair, and light blue-gray eyes that stared up at him in blissful ignorance. Farlan wasn't dead at all. He'd been turned into a titan, cursed to wander the outside of the walls for the rest of eternity. In Levi's eyes, that was far worse than death.

They'd puzzled it out before, Levi and Petra, they knew that Erwin was somehow turning people into titans for his own gain, but now Levi knew exactly how he was doing it. He still didn't know why, but how was enough to go on for now. They would find everything out in due time, but now all he cared about was saving Isabel from the same fate. Erwin leaned down close to Levi's ear as he watched the titan that used to be his best friend wander around at the bottom of wall Maria.

"Stop your plots, obey me completely, and you'll never have to see this happen again. Do you understand?"

"Yes," Levi answered, willing this encounter to just end already because he couldn't stand to watch any more.

"Good." Erwin pulled away and stood up to his full height once more. "Mike, I want you to take the girl back to her cell, Petra and Levi will be free to go back to their day to day lives, now that they know the price of betraying me. Hopefully, they've learned their lesson. I can't very well go imprisoning either of them, they're part of my best squad. We'll cut them free of their restrains once we get down from here and see them back to Stohess district."

Mike nodded and drug Levi away from the side of the wall before he went to scoop up Isabel. Levi's guess was that she was too weak to walk by herself and had to be carried, so Mike did just that and carried her toward the lift, leaving Levi and Petra on top of wall Maria with Erwin, the man that had caused them both so much pain.

Now, with everything out in the open, Levi wasn't quite sure that he even cared if Erwin knew how much he cared for Petra. There were so many things he wanted to say to her, so many questions he wanted to ask, but for now, he would settle for the one that was most prevalent in his mind.

"Are you okay?"

"I'll be fine, given a little bit of time," She answered with a small, sad smile before she looked up at him through thick eyelashes. "Are you?"

He wasn't sure how to answer the question without seeming weak or broken, and he definitely didn't want to be seen as either of those things by Erwin, so he just nodded, knowing that Petra would draw the truth out of him later. She always did, and perhaps this time she would draw out some truths that he hadn't even realized until now. He felt stupid that he didn't see it before. All the signs and hints were there, right in front of his eyes but, as always, his mind was set on other things.

The lift came back up and they boarded it with Erwin, riding down in silence and boarding a wagon that had been parked at the bottom of the wall. This would be their way back to Stohess, and then they would have to face a whole new set of challenges, but for now, Levi allowed himself to really feel everything. He wanted to remember what it felt like to watch Farlan transform into that mindless monster. He wanted to remember what it felt like to see Petra when he arrived at the top of the wall. He wanted to remember all of it because that would be the driving force for what came next. Vengeance. And this time Erwin wouldn't make it out alive.

oOo

Levi and Petra were cut free of their restraints and dropped in front of the barracks building where they lived, still reeling from their experience. It was late in the day now, the ride back to Stohess taking up most of the daylight hours, and they were both exhausted. Petra could hardly stand on her own, so Levi slung her arm over his shoulders and wrapped his around her waist to help her up the stairs to the floor where they would find their rooms. They didn't say much as they walked, they just stayed silent and tried to ignore the stares of the people around them as they struggled to get where they were going.

He didn't even ask her where she wanted to go, her room was no longer an option. He would never let her out of his sight again if he could help it. He would never let Erwin lay another finger on her. When they were inside his room he helped her to the bed and she sat there on the edge, massaging her hurt leg as he wandered over to a cabinet where he kept a few medical supplies.

"Are you really okay?" He asked, pulling one of the chairs from his table over to the bedside and sitting down in front of her. It was a closer proximity than he'd be comfortable with any other time, but he'd already decided what he was going to do when they got back to the safety of his room.

"I'm fine, but thank you for worrying about me." She answered reaching out and catching his forearm to examine the angry red gashes on his wrists from the ropes that had dug into his skin. "But you're going to need to clean these up if you don't want them to get infected."

"I'll be fine." He said, but he didn't pull his arm away. He enjoyed the feeling of her fingers on his forearm, careful and soft as she held him still.

"Let me help you." She insisted and dug through the first aid kit on his lap until she found some bandages and alcohol swabs. He relented and held out his wrists for her careful examination, even though he felt like he was the one that should have been taking care of her.

She'd gone through so much for his sake that he didn't want her to have to lift another finger to do anything for him. It was a useless thought, though. Petra would never let him shoulder the burden on his own. Farlan's words played through his head then, some of the last words that Farlan ever spoke to him.

Don't let Petra slip through your fingers, you fucking idiot.

"Petra," He said her name so softly that he almost didn't recognize his own voice, but that was how he thought her name should be said, how he hoped he would be able to say it from now on. She looked up at him, briefly distracted from her work at cleaning his injuries. "When I realized what happened this morning...I was scared. Scared that you were hurt or...worse."

"You don't have to be worried about me, Levi," Petra said as she returned to her task, and it was obvious to him that he wasn't doing a very good job at this because she was more concerned with wrapping his injuries than what he was saying to her. He huffed a sigh and pulled his arm away from her, reaching up to grasp her chin and forcing her to look into his eyes.

"I don't know what I would do if something happened to you. If you were taken away from me...like he did with Farlan." He paused, but he knew he needed to push through and say what he wanted to say. He couldn't let Farlan down for the second time. "You're very important to me, Petra, I want you to know that. Not just as a comrade or a friend but...something more. I have never cared for anyone as much as I care for you, and I'll make him pay for ever even thinking about laying a hand on you."

"What...?" She seemed shocked but didn't try to pull away from him. Her face had turned a lovely shade of pink as he spoke to her and her hands were clasped tightly in her lap.

"When I saw what he did to you I was so angry I could have killed him right there. I would have if I was able to."

"Levi..." Petra started to interrupt, but he couldn't let her say anything until he was done. He wanted her to know everything.

"Just wait. I need to tell you this," He said gently, and waited for a nod from her before he continued. "You were selfless and brave and determined. You wanted to sacrifice yourself for two people you had never even met before in your life, all to help me. It's clear to me now that you would do anything for me, and I want you to know that I feel the same way. It goes beyond the trust of a squad leader and his subordinate, it goes beyond being comrades, it's much more than anything I've ever experienced before. I don't know why I didn't see it before, but it's pretty fucking clear now. Petra..."

"Don't." She finally sounded more like herself again, but it wasn't the reaction he'd been expecting from her interruption. Not the one he'd been hoping for. "I'm so happy to hear all of this from you, Levi, I really am, but please don't say anything else right now. You've been through a lot today. You've experienced a lot of emotions. I'm so thrilled that you want something more from this, from me, but...I just think you should take more time to think about everything."

He wasn't quite sure what else to say. These kinds of things didn't come easily for him. In fact, he'd never had any experience with anything like this before. He let his hand slip off of her chin and let her pull his wrists into her lap so that she could continue cleaning his wounds instead of trying to carry on this conversation. That seemed like the easiest option at the moment, anyway. She wrapped his wrists with bandages and, instead of letting him take his hands back, placed hers in them and looked up at him with a smile.

"I'm sorry that you had to experience that today. I know how hard it must have been for you to see that, but it won't happen again, we'll save Isabel. I'll do it myself if I have to. That sweet girl doesn't deserve this, and Farlan didn't either."

"How much did you get to speak to them today?" He asked, tightening his grip on Petra's hands ever so slightly. The thought that he would never be able to speak to Farlan again was too much for him, but he wanted to know what he'd talked about with Petra.

"There wasn't a lot of time that we were unsupervised together, but I got to talk to them enough to know that they're good people, just like you."

"Farlan and I have killed people in the underground. How can you keep calling us good?" Levi had never understood how Petra could look at him the way she did, but he was glad that she did now. Don't let Petra slip through your fingers, you fucking idiot.

"I don't care what you've done in your past. I judge you by what I've seen since I've been with you, and what I've seen has been nothing but good. Fighting for your friends, going on expeditions outside the wall, saving me and caring for me the way you do. There's no way you can be a bad person, Levi. Not in my eyes."

"What did I ever do to deserve someone like you?" He asked although he hadn't meant to say it out loud. He decided that it was best not to wait for an answer to his ridiculous question, though, not that he expected her to come up with one, and did something else instead.

It was ungraceful, it was hesitant, it was even downright clumsy, but he closed the distance between the two of them quickly and pressed a soft kiss to Petra's lips that set off fireworks behind his eyelids. It didn't even matter that he had no idea what he was doing. It felt right, and it definitely seemed that she didn't mind it, judging by the way her hands tightened on his and pulled him just that much closer to her.

They broke away at the same time, but Levi didn't want to lose the closeness he had to her right now. Instead, he leaned his forehead against hers and listened to her breathing. It was soothing, in a way, and it made him feel better about the situation at hand. Of course, Petra being here with him couldn't make all his troubles go away, but he felt better being close to her all the same.

Her eyes were closed, even after he stopped kissing her, but there was a smile on her face. He took that as a good sign, even if he had no idea what to say now.

"I have to say, I didn't really expect all of this tonight." She finally opened her eyes and looked straight into his, the warm amber orbs making him feel at home.

"I wanted you to know, just in case." He reluctantly pulled away then but kept a firm hold on her hands. "How's your leg?"

"I'll be fine soon, it just happened when they came to get me."

"What exactly happened?" He moved her hands to the side and placed his on her leg just above her knee. "Where does it hurt?"

"I was trying to fight Mike off when he came into my room last night, but he hit the side of my knee pretty hard with the leg of a chair that got broken in the struggle," She answered, seeming a bit flustered at Levi's hands on her. He thought that was a little strange after the kiss that they shared, but he tried not to think about it too much, preferring to focus his energy on helping her to get better.

"Let me wrap it for you, it'll heal faster that way." He looked up at her to gain her approval and all she did was nod in response, her cheeks flushed as she wrung her hands in her lap. For someone that was so otherwise confident, Petra was very timid and shy when it came to things like this. Levi found it endearing in a way, and it only made him more fond of her.

He scooted his chair back away from the bed just enough so that Petra could stretch her leg out a bit, allowing him better access for wrapping it, but it wasn't until he started to lift the bottom of her now tattered skirt to more easily work that he noticed her shiver a bit. He looked up at her, puzzled, and the same shade of pink that had been on her face practically the whole night was still there.

"Are you cold? You can use the blankets on the bed." He said, and it earned a giggle from her that was so adorable he couldn't help but smile a bit in return, even if he had no idea why she was laughing.

"No, I'm fine," she said, still giggling. "Go ahead."

He arched a brow at her before he went back to his work, pulling some bandages out of the first aid kit and beginning his careful work. He tried not to let his eyes linger too much on the smooth, exposed skin of her legs as he began winding the bandages around her knee. He could tell it was uncomfortable for her by the way she hissed at the slight movements, but she didn't complain a single time.

"Thank you," She said with a smile, then took a deep breath and fell back against the pillows after adjusting her skirt. It had been a long day for her, and she probably hadn't gotten any sleep the night before. He was sure Erwin hadn't allowed it.

"You're tired," He said, it wasn't a question, but she nodded regardless. Suddenly, her smile was absent from her face and she looked nervous.

"I'm scared," She replied. Levi thought that this was probably the first time he'd ever seen her scared of something. It was shocking to see such a strong woman scared of anything at all, but everyone has fears, even the seemingly fearless Petra Ral. Even Levi himself.

"You don't need to be scared. I'll make sure he never puts another hand on you," He said, moving from his chair to sit on the bed beside her. After their kiss, he felt more comfortable being close to her, and it seemed that she didn't mind how close he'd come to her, either, because she had sat up again and was now leaning on his shoulder. He wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her closer. "Stay with me again. I don't want you staying by yourself anymore. Especially not with that injury. I know that you're strong and you can hold your own, but if they come after you again I'm not going to leave you to fight alone this time."

"I would like that," She answered, seeming a bit less frightened than she had been before.

"Do you need anything from your room? I can go and get it for you if you want. I don't have much here, but if you need something to sleep in you can have one of my t-shirts. Your clothes are filthy."

"I...don't really want you to leave. Can I just borrow something for now?"

"I'll get it for you." Reluctantly, he left the bed where he'd been sitting with Petra and walked over to a dresser where he kept his clothes pristinely folded. He went into the drawer that held all of his workout clothes and pulled out a t-shirt that had always been a bit too big for him, he thought he'd heard from someone that women liked to sleep in over-sized shirts or something, and walked back over to her after also grabbing a pair of baggy shorts.

"I can go into the bathroom while you change if you want, I know it's hard for you to walk right now," He said as he watched her smooth her hands over the neatly folded clothes lying on the bed beside her.

"Just turn around. I trust you not to peek," She said with something of a mischievous smile. He did as he was told, though, ever the gentleman in Petra's presence. After a bit of rustling and a few grunts of effort he heard her say, "Okay, I'm all dressed now."

When he turned around she was smiling at him, just like she always seemed to be, and just like always it seemed to light up the small room. She was beautiful even with a black eye and cuts and bruises. She was beautiful in oversized t-shirts and baggy shorts. She'd stopped him just short of a confession earlier, but he had never been so sure of anything in his entire life. Now he understood why beautiful was a part of his definition of Petra Ral.

"I'll sleep in the chair again," He said, turning to walk toward the spot where he'd spent the night before their mission.

"Actually," Petra's voice stopped him in his tracks and he turned around slowly to see her crawling under the blankets. "I know this bed is small but...could you sleep here with me? Even if you don't sleep...I'll just feel safer if you're close by."

"I'll only be across the room, Petra," He said, pointing toward the chair.

"Please. I'll sleep better this way." She looked a little sheepish then as if she was afraid that she was overstepping some boundary. "If you're too uncomfortable with it you don't have to but...it would make me happy."

"Fine," He walked toward the bed and she immediately scooted to one side, allowing him to slide under the blankets effortlessly. "There's not much room."

"That's okay with me," Petra said, cuddling closer to him and laying her head on his chest. He didn't know what to do. This was all new to him, and weird and awkward, but if Petra was happy he could live with a little bit of awkwardness.

"Thank you for everything, Levi," She said, her voice low and quiet in the darkness of the room. He wanted to answer her, to tell her that he would do anything to make sure she was safe and happy, but her breathing had already evened out. The woman really took no time to fall asleep at all. He rolled his eyes but he wrapped his arms around her tighter before he closed his eyes and noticed something very familiar. The scent of dew. The way the rain smells when it first starts to fall. Petra. And he drifted off to sleep just as easily as she had.

Chapter 6

Notes:

Ah, I'm horrible at predicting when I'm going to post chapters. I'm so sorry for the long wait for this one! Hopefully, though, you'll enjoy it despite my torturously long time between posting chapters!

Chapter Text

When Levi woke up the next morning his shoulders were stiff from the weight of Petra laying on his chest all night long, his arms wrapped around her to keep her close. It was possibly the best reason for stiff shoulders in the world. They had barely moved at all since they drifted off to sleep, and Levi found that this was probably the most pleasant way he could think of to wake up in the morning. He hoped he never had to spend another restless night pacing the floor or another lonely morning drinking tea at his table by himself. Petra filled a void in him that he hadn't even really known existed.

He didn't want to disturb her, it was still early judging by the very small amount of sunlight that was filtering in through his window, but his body wouldn't let him sleep any longer, so he watched her.

He watched the steady rise and fall of her chest, the way her eyelids fluttered ever so slightly every now and then, the way her mouth was slightly parted, and he thought all of it was perfect. He could lay here with her like this forever and never get bored. He knew, however, that they would have to get up sooner rather than later. He knew that they still had a job to do and, while Petra was physically unable to really do much of anything without help right now, they could at least make a plan.

He waited a few more moments before he began running his hand through her hair, a much more gentle and intimate way to wake her up than he'd used the last time she stayed with him, but he wanted this to be the status of their relationship now. He wanted gentle and intimate. He wanted peaceful and comfortable.

She seemed to enjoy the attention, moving into his touch, although obviously not completely conscious yet. He pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead and heard the slow intake of breath that meant she was roused from sleep. He looked down at her to see that her eyelids were fluttering open to gaze at him, still tired from the exhausting events of the past twenty-four hours or more.

"Good morning," He said, still running his fingers through her hair as he spoke. She smiled and rolled closer to him, pressing her face into his chest with a sigh.

"I'm still tired," She said in a sleepy voice, wrapping her arms around him to keep herself anchored there.

"I'd imagine you are, but Hanji will be here soon."

"Hanji?" Petra sounded confused for half a second before she realized why exactly Hanji would be showing up at their door, and her confusion quickly turned into panic. "Should I change out of your clothes? What if they ask questions about us? What am I supposed to say to them?"

"You don't have to say anything to them if you don't want. Hanji doesn't need or deserve an explanation about anything from us. If they bother you too much I'll take care of it." He kissed the top of her head then and reluctantly left the bed in search of clean clothes for the day. Usually, he would already be dressed and ready for his day by now, but something about Petra made him want to relax. He wanted to spend more time with her, but there wasn't much time to be spent lazing around his room. He showered and got dressed quickly, just in time to hear a knock at the door. His hair was still wet and Petra was still scrambling to the edge of the bed as if she was trying to make it less evident that she'd slept there when Hanji barged in the door. Judging by the look plastered on Hanji's face, though, all of Petra's efforts were in vain.

"Petra?" Hanji said the name as a question, but Levi had the feeling it was supposed to be a form of greeting instead.

"Hello, Hanji," Petra answered, her cheeks turning redder by the second as she sat on the bed with her hands clasped tightly in her lap.

"Um, I brought breakfast. Now I guess I know why Erwin told me to bring two trays this morning."

"Put it on the table and leave," Levi ordered. Despite the general awkwardness in the room he still had no trouble being his usual self. He didn't want Hanji staying here any longer than necessary.

"Um, sure," Hanji answered, doing exactly as they were told and walking back toward the door. They paused for a moment to look between the two of them again before their brows furrowed in thought and they left without saying another word.

"That was..." Petra started to say something, but it seemed she wasn't quite sure what she wanted to say. Levi decided it probably wasn't that important, since it was more than likely just about Hanji, and walked toward her and held out his hand. She didn't seem to understand at first, so he thought he should probably at least help her out with that.

"You want to eat don't you?" He asked, perhaps a little too unkindly.

His time spent in the shower allowed him to think of what exactly had happened yesterday, and it soured his pleasant mood more quickly than he would have liked. It had given him time to think about how he'd never get to see Farlan again. It gave him time to wonder if Isabel was alright. He hadn't even noticed how she reacted to the whole thing, didn't have time to while he was dealing with his own emotions. For all he knew Isabel could hate him for picking Farlan to take her place instead of Petra. She could hate him for allowing anyone to be hurt at all. He didn't remember her like that, though, that wasn't the Isabel that he'd known in the underground, but grief can change a person.

He could tell that Petra knew something was wrong as soon as they sat down at the table together. He knew that she wanted to ask about it, but she was staying quiet. Perhaps because she had her own traumas from yesterday that she wasn't ready to talk about, or perhaps because she felt uncomfortable asking him about what he was thinking. Except she probably knew exactly what and who he was thinking about. It would be odd if he wasn't thinking about Farlan the day after he was taken away from them forever.

"Do you...want to talk about it?" Petra asked, picking at her food but not really paying much attention to it.

"No," He answered abruptly, but that wasn't exactly true. He wanted to talk about Farlan, and the mission they'd set out on, and why it was more important now than it ever was to get Isabel somewhere safe, but he couldn't find the words to start.

"Levi, you know that you can talk to me about anything, right?"

"Didn't I just say that I don't want to talk about it?"

"Well, I want to talk about it." Petra's voice was stern as she put her fork down on the table and watched Levi with something akin to determination in her eyes. "Watching what happened yesterday was horrible. I know it has to be affecting you somehow. It's affecting me and I barely even knew Farlan. The few moments I spent talking to him made me really understand why he was your best friend, Levi, and you can't tell me that you don't feel something after that."

"Of course I feel something," Levi scoffed, crossing his arms in front of his chest and feeling a bit uncomfortable under Petra's intense gaze. She'd never looked at him that way before like she was disappointed in him like she couldn't understand why he wasn't telling her every little thing.

"Doesn't it hurt to keep it all bottled up inside?"

"It's no different than anything else."

"I keep telling you to let me help you and you still won't listen. Have you always been so stubborn?"

"I don't need your help with this. I've gotten pretty used to losing the people that I love." He looked away from her then, trying his best to escape her gaze. Of course, it didn't work, but he could keep trying.

He felt her hand on his, pulling his arms away from his chest and giving him a less defensive posture, and he looked up at her again to see that her gaze had softened, the dark bruise around her eye intensifying the look of pleading on her face.

"You don't have to go through this alone anymore. I want to be here to help you with everything, not just this mission that we've decided to go through with. I want to be by your side for much longer than that. Can you understand that or are you too dense?"

"I'm not dense," He answered, not able to think of anything better to say. It seemed that his usual acclimation to witty comebacks was nonexistent with Petra.

"Just stubborn then?"

"Didn't you learn that from talking to Farlan?"

"I know you're hurting, and it's fine if you don't want to talk about it, but I'm hurt too. Farlan was your best friend, wasn't he? Why did you pick him over me? You could have saved both of them. I was completely ready to go in their place."

"Because I don't want to lose you. Farlan was my best friend but, Petra...you're much more than that. I didn't have much of a choice, not after he begged me to pick him, not after what he told me just before..." Levi stopped, knowing that he had said too much. He hadn't planned on letting Petra in on the details of his conversation with Farlan just before Erwin threw him off the wall, but he'd gone too far to stop now. He knew she wouldn't push him for that information, but he decided she needed to know. He took a deep breath before he continued as if he was preparing himself for something far more difficult than just cluing Petra in on a few details.

"What Farlan told me just solidified what I was already thinking before I got there. Do you know what he said about you?"

"I...I couldn't hear. I knew he said something to you," She answered, her voice softer than it had been before.

"He told me not to let you go. You don't know Farlan well, but he never would have said something like that on a whim."

She looked away for a moment, seemingly embarrassed by what he had said. He was afraid for a moment that he'd said something wrong before she looked up at him and smiled.

"You don't have to worry about losing me. I'll be here for as long as you'll let me stay by your side. Let's focus on trying to make sure Isabel is okay, and then we can worry about everything else."

"You're hurt, there's no way we can continue with the mission right now. I can't even leave my room by myself, and I'm sure Erwin doesn't see you as a fit escort anymore."

"Did you think I didn't have a plan for something like this?" Petra picked up her fork again and started eating, her eyebrow raised just a bit, as if she couldn't believe he would underestimate her so much. He looked at her incredulously for a moment, wondering what she could possibly mean before she continued. "I told Eld if I didn't speak with him at least once a day he should assume something is wrong and come looking for us. Since we were gone all day yesterday, I'm assuming he'll drop by here again today to check up on everything. You really should give me more credit, Heichou."

She used his title as if she was trying to make a point. She hadn't actually called him that while they were alone since he gave her permission to call him by his name. The ghost of a smirk played across his lips before he heard a knock at the door. When he went over to answer it he found none other than Eld standing outside.

"Heichou, I'm glad you're okay, I was looking for you yesterday, do you know where Petra is?" Eld asked, clearly too flustered to look over Levi's head and into the room. So, instead, Levi moved out of the way to reveal Petra sitting at his table and wearing his clothes. Her cheeks were only a little pink at Eld's reaction, which was a sharp intake of breath and a glance between the two of them.

"Don't just stand there gawking, come in if you have business with us," Levi said before Eld hurried in and he closed the door behind him. "Have a seat."

"Thanks," Eld said, sitting down across from Petra. "What happened to your eye, Petra? Who did that to you? And Heichou, your wrists are bandaged. Where were the two of you yesterday?"

"Erwin is up to his shit again," Levi answered, plopping himself back down in his chair and taking up his fork to finish his now-cold breakfast.

"We're fine if that's what you're worried about. A little roughed up, but nothing we can't handle," Petra said with a smile, as if she was trying to ease Eld's worry. It didn't seem to Levi that it did much good, but he let her keep trying anyway.

"What did they do to you?" Eld asked, looking back and forth between the two of them.

"They kidnapped Petra and turned one of my friends into a titan before Erwin threw him off the wall," Levi answered, deadpan. He could tell that Eld didn't know what to say. Levi's answer was so nonchalant that it could have been mistaken for normal conversation, but he'd turned his emotions off for this particular chat, and that made talking about it a lot easier.

"I'm so sorry, Heichou," Eld said, regardless of how aloof Levi sounded. "So we need to work more quickly to make sure your other friend doesn't meet the same fate."

"Well, there's a bit of a snag," Petra chimed in again. "I can't fight right now, I think that was something that they did on purpose, so Heichou will need some extra help from you."

"Anything you need. I'm here to help."

"We need to get Isabel out of that filthy cell that they're holding her in," Levi said, taking up his teacup in place of his fork, his appetite had faded quite a while ago, anyway. "She won't last much longer in there. She was all skin and bones."

"Do you know where she is?" Eld asked.

"S-240, if they haven't moved her to a different one. We don't have the key anymore, but I can pick the lock, that won't be an issue. The problem will be getting her out of there and back here undetected."

"We can't bring her back here, Heichou," Petra added, placing her fork on her empty plate. "This is the first place they'll look. We need to go somewhere that they won't think of looking."

"You can't walk, and I'm not leaving you here by yourself," Levi said, forgetting for a moment that Eld was still in the room. His answer earned him a curious look from his second in command, but nothing else was said about the issue.

"Gunther can help me get somewhere safe, right Eld? Can you relay all this to him?"

"Sure, we can find a place that's safe to hide out and take Petra there in advance."

"You'll need to make sure that you aren't followed when you do it," Levi said, not completely sold on the plan, but he supposed it was better than nothing. If it meant that Petra was out of harm's way, he could deal with it. "And I want Gunther to stay wherever this hideout is with Petra while you and I go and break Izzy out of the cell."

"You know that, if we stay close to the city, it'll only be a matter of time before Erwin finds us. Isabel won't be able to fight in her condition, and neither will I. Do you have somewhere to go after she's able to travel?" Petra chimed in again, her hands absentmindedly rubbing at her injured leg.

"I have family in the mountains inside of Wall Maria. I don't know them that well, and they haven't seen me for quite a while, but I'm confident they'll help me out." Levi looked to Eld after he answered Petra's question. The mission would rely on all the help that he could get, but he still wanted to make something abundantly clear. "This will be dangerous Eld, and you'll probably never be able to return to Stohess or the military again after we're done. If you want to back out, you still have time."

"Not a chance, Heichou. I'm not one for going back on my word. I told Petra I would help, so I'm going to help. Erwin's always been a snake, I'm sure he's done more than a few unsavory things during his time as the Commander, and I'm tired of it. If it means that the Survey Corps will be in better hands for future generations, I'm willing to help," Eld said with a small smile. When Levi looked to Petra she was smiling too, despite her injuries and the large, dark bruise around her eye, and suddenly Levi felt hopeful again. Like this whole mission would work out. He may have lost Farlan already, but he would save Isabel if it took his life.

"Alright, Eld, please talk to Gunther and begin looking for a safe place where we can take Izzy after we get her out of the dungeon. I'll give you a couple days, but that's really all I can spare. She's not going to last much longer without medical attention and a good meal." Levi began barking orders as though this was just another mission. Knowing that Eld was fully behind him gave him the willpower to push on. He could do this. They could do this. Together. "And keep all of this information from Oluo. I'm sure he's still feeding Erwin information, so try not to be too suspicious. Don't change the way you speak to him, don't act any differently around him, just try to get this done without tipping him off."

"Yes, Heichou, I'll get right on it," Eld said, pushing himself up from the table.

"And Eld, check back in with us tomorrow. We can't leave this room alone and we'll need some way to communicate plans with you. Just make sure you aren't followed when you show up."

Eld didn't say anything else, he just nodded to both of them and left the room to carry out the tasks he'd been given, leaving Petra and Levi alone again. It wasn't awkward, not really, but he felt a certain tension between them now that hadn't been there before. His words seemed heavy on his tongue when he spoke to her, and her cheeks were painted a lovely pink more often than not. He couldn't really figure it out, but he didn't really need to. There were things far more important than a strange feeling between the two of them. A magnetic pull that urged him to move closer to her.

"How's your leg feeling today?" He asked instead of acting on whatever strange desires were bubbling up under his skin.

"A bit more sore than it was yesterday," Petra admitted, looking down at her bandaged knee that was visible due to the shorts she'd been wearing. He thought his clothes looked good on her, but he only thought it for a moment before he pressed on. He looked at her knee as well, sighing at the state it was in.

"It's swollen," He said, getting up from his chair only to move it closer and sit back down. He'd decided before that he wasn't going to get any closer to her, that his desires needed to be kept in check for now, but it seemed they were a bit stronger than his will to stop them. He laid his hand gently on the bandaged area, earning a sharp intake of breath from Petra. "It hurts that bad?"

"They must have really done a number on me. The adrenaline from yesterday must have kept the pain at bay."

"And Mike did this to you?"

"Yes," Petra answered quietly. Levi had never been sure exactly which side Mike was on. He didn't take the man as someone who would just blindly follow orders, but he also didn't take him as someone who would disobey a commanding officer. In truth, Levi thought that Mike might be in a similar situation as himself, without the blackmail and friends being kidnapped. Mike was just doing what he was told, regardless of the consequences. Still, he'd hurt Petra, and he would pay for that dearly.

"Is he the one that did this too?" He asked, placing a delicate hand on the side of her face and brushing his thumb over the darkened, purple skin around her eye."

"Yes," She answered, even more quietly than the first time. He decided that everything he'd been thinking about Mike just a moment ago had to be bullshit. If he was willing to hit a woman, especially Petra, there wasn't a good bone in his body.

"He's on the list, then," Levi answered, slowly unwrapping the bandage from around Petra's knee.

"The list?" She asked, her voice gaining an amused tone.

"The list of people that I'm going to beat the shit out of after this is all over. I guess it's a mixed list, actually. Some people are just going to get beaten, others are going to be killed, it really just depends on the severity of the crime."

"And who all is on this list?"

"Erwin is at the top."

"Of course," She said with a smile, entertained by what Levi was saying. He couldn't help but smile a bit himself at how ridiculous it all sounded, now that it was being said out loud.

"Then there's Mike, for assaulting you in your room and dragging you up to that wall, and putting his filthy hands on me."

"There are more?"

"Only one more so far."

"And who's that?"

"Oluo," Levi was a little embarrassed about the last one. As embarrassed as he could be, anyway. There wasn't any real reason for Oluo to be on the list, but he was there regardless.

"What on earth has Oluo done to deserve to be on the list?" Petra asked a little bit of shock bleeding into her otherwise jovial tone.

"Isn't it obvious?" Levi finished unraveling the bandage and placed his hand on Petra's knee again, more gently than before, and began to rub the sore spot there even more gently. Petra's cheeks turned pink again.

"N-no," She stammered, obviously flustered at his actions.

"He's always chasing after you. Asking you out to dinner and trying to make stupid jokes and otherwise vying for your attention." Levi looked away, a sour expression on his face as he thought about the ridiculous man that tries to imitate him in order to earn Petra's affections.

"I knew that Oluo was jealous of you, but I had no idea it went the other way around too." Petra giggled and placed one of her hands over her mouth as if she was trying to hide it.

"What are you talking about?" Levi asked, completely oblivious to what she was trying to say. Apparently, it was hilarious, though, because she was still laughing.

"You're jealous of Oluo too, aren't you?"

"That's ridiculous." Levi almost took his hands away from Petra's knee, but he was enjoying the physical contact too much for that. So, instead, he just rolled his eyes and continued his careful massage of her sore muscles.

"Is it? I thought that look that you gave him after the meeting in the library was just because of how he was looking at you, but now that I think about it, it looked more like a challenge."

"You sound ridiculous, Petra. I'm not jealous of Oluo Bozado. I have nothing to be jealous of."

"If you say so," Petra giggled again and Levi rolled his eyes before he felt her hands on top of his. He looked up at her to see her smiling and something snapped inside him. Would she protest if he told her that he loved her now? After he'd had time to recover from the events of the previous night. Would she tell him to wait even longer, even despite this ridiculous tension that hadn't gone away? Would she tell him to stop if he kissed her again? Because kissing her was really the only thing he could think about right now. Still, something like that may be too much at the moment.

Petra was right in saying that they'd both been through a lot in the past few days. He had no doubt about his feelings for her, and no one would be able to convince him that they weren't real, but perhaps it was best that they take things slow.

He tore his gaze away from her face and focused it back on her knee instead, observing the changes since the night before. It was much more swollen, and there was a bruise forming there now. It didn't look quite as bad as the one around her eye, but it was getting there.

"It needs to be elevated, and maybe left unwrapped for a while." He said, looking back up at her. He got out of his chair and moved it forward a little more, close enough that she could stretch out her leg and rest it there. "It might not be comfortable right now, but I think it'll help in the long run."

"Thanks," She looked up at him and smiled and he felt like he wanted to kiss her again. Instead of a full-on kiss on the lips, though, he settled for placing one on top of her head.

It was strange, this domestic feeling that seemed to permeate his small quarters, but he liked it. He liked the feeling that he got from taking care of Petra, and he liked, even more, the feeling of her sleeping in his arms. He never wanted to lose it, and hopefully, when they were done with their mission he wouldn't have to.

oOo

The next few days moved by more slowly than either of them would have liked, but Eld and Gunther were making progress in the tasks Levi had laid out for them. They'd found a small house on the outskirts of Stohess that was just far enough away to allow them to lay low while Isabel recovered. Now all that was left to do was actually free her from her prison.

Petra was recovering from her injuries nicely, but she still had a while to go before she would be able to use 3DM gear again, and that meant that Levi and Eld would still have to carry out the next part of the mission alone. He wasn't looking forward to it, not by a long shot, but he was confident that the two of them could retrieve Isabel and make it back to their hideout safely. That didn't stop Petra from worrying, unfortunately.

"I know this is urgent, but don't you think you would have better chances if I was able to help you?" She asked, sitting on the bed while Levi toweled off his hair from his shower. They'd fallen into a kind of routine for mornings, and it usually involved waking up early just to lay together, Petra's head on his chest while he ran his fingers through her hair. It had become something that he wasn't willing to go a day without doing.

"You saw her on top of the wall, Petra," Levi answered, not feeling the need to explain any further. He draped his towel around his neck before he looked over at her, and he saw the understanding on her face.

"I'm just worried, that's all. I know that you'll be fine but..." She trailed off as if she had more to say that she just couldn't spit out.

"I can outmaneuver anyone they could even think about sending after me, even carrying Izzy on my back, and Eld is good too. We'll be fine, and when we're done I'll meet you at the hideout and I won't leave your side again."

"Just be careful."

"I'm always careful," Levi said and Petra rolled her eyes at him, smiling slightly as she pushed herself to her feet and limped over to the table. It was still difficult for her to walk, but she was doing much better than she had been a few days ago, and Levi was eternally thankful for that. In no time she would be back to her old self, able to defend herself again, and that was something he was eager for. The thing he was most eager for, though, was saving Isabel from the disgusting cell she'd been held in for a year, and that would be happening tonight. He would still have the majority of his day with Petra, though, and that was enough to take his mind off of the mission for a while.

"Eld is supposed to be coming by today to go over the last details of the plan, right?" Petra asked as Levi slipped a well-pressed white shirt over his shoulders and began to button the front. He didn't miss the way Petra's eyes lingered on his bare chest for just a moment too long before she tore them away from him.

"Yeah, I'm sure it'll be a while though. He's been visiting pretty frequently lately, he'll want to wait until there aren't so many people around the barracks."

"So around lunch time then."

"I'd say so."

"Good. That's good," She said, glancing around the room. She was acting strange like she was nervous about something, but she hadn't seemed nervous about anything at all since the very first night she'd stayed with him. It was enough for him to notice, but not enough for him to have the first clue what she could be nervous about.

He walked slowly over to the table and took his regular seat at the head of it, watching as she glanced quickly at him, turned red, and then set her gaze on the floor. Something was definitely strange.

"Are you okay?" He asked, his tone equal parts concerned and annoyed. He hated when she wasn't just straightforward about things, but he was also understanding about it. That didn't mean he couldn't be just a bit annoyed when she did it.

"Y-yeah, everything is fine," She stammered, trying to meet his gaze and failing miserably. Her cheeks turned a lovely shade of pink as she fixed her eyes on her hands clasped tightly in her lap.

"It doesn't seem like everything is fine."

"I don't know what you mean."

"Well, you can't even look at me, so something seems a bit off." He crossed his arms in front of his chest and leaned back in his chair, waiting for her to look up at him again. When she did she was able to hold his gaze for a bit longer, but her face turned redder than it had been before.

"I'm just...distracted," She explained, albeit poorly.

"Distracted by...?" He questioned, nearing the end of his patience. There was a long pause before she spoke again, and whatever she said was unintelligible. "What? I can't hear what you're saying?"

"It's...it's nothing, really. It's not something we should be focused on right now. For the time being, we just need to make sure that you can get through this mission safely and rescue Isabel. So let's go over the plan one more time." Petra brushed off his questioning expertly, but he knew there was something still there, lurking just beneath the surface that she wasn't saying. Whether it was something good or bad he wasn't quite sure, but if she didn't want to talk about it, he wasn't going to push her. Besides, that was something they could discuss once they all got to the safe house later that night.

"If you say so," he answered, but he still gave her a look that let her know that he didn't quite believe what she was saying. "The plan is pretty simple. You'll go with Gunther to the safe house ahead of us while Eld and I go to break Izzy out of her cell. It'll be quick and quiet, and we'll be with the two of you in no time once we make our escape."

"I'm glad you're so optimistic about it, but it's hard not to worry." Petra wouldn't meet his eyes, but he could tell just how worried she was about it as she spoke. Her voice shook a little, she toyed with her hair, brushing it behind her ear as she looked at the floor. They were all telltale signs that Petra was incredibly nervous, and he didn't like seeing her that way. He hardly saw her that way at all, if he was truthful, so he knew that this was really bothering her.

"I don't want you worrying about us. Nothing will happen to any of us, understood? Have a little more faith in us than that, Petra," Levi said as he watched her. She looked up momentarily and smiled a half-hearted smile before she resumed her fidgeting, and it was almost more than he could really take. Without giving himself time to think about it, or talk himself out of it, he moved to Petra's side and pulled her out of her chair. He was gentle while still managing to be firm as he pulled her to her feet and into his arms. At first, he'd only meant to embrace her, but he realized that he wanted so much more than that in the middle of the act, and pulled her into a crushing kiss that seemed to take her by surprise. She blinked rapidly before her eyes fluttered shut and she leaned into him more, letting him support her weight instead of relying on her still injured leg.

When he'd decided to kiss her, he hadn't meant for it to turn into anything more than a sweet, delicate kiss of reassurance, but it was quickly evolving into something hungry. Something heavy and passionate. Something that conveyed their mutual feelings of worry and adoration for the other without words. He hadn't meant for it to turn out that way, but he was glad it had as the kiss deepened and he found himself leading her back toward the bed that they'd been sharing. It was a sort of gravitational pull, and not something that he'd really done consciously, but Petra didn't seem to mind. Just as they reached the bed and Petra sat down, though, there was a knock on the door that made Levi turn back and glare at it as if he wanted to kill whoever was on the other side.

"If it's not important, fuck off," Levi shouted through the door, moving over Petra.

"Um, it's me, Heichou." Eld's voice was muffled, but it was undeniably him, and Levi was suddenly unsure if he really still liked Eld or not. It seemed that their time estimate had been a bit off.

"You should probably let him in," Petra said quietly, sounding a bit upset as she shot him a longing look. He sighed and moved to the door to open it as Petra took her seat at the table again. He was sure that Eld could tell he was annoyed just by the look on his face, but that didn't stop him from getting down to business.

"Um, sorry, I'm a bit early, but Gunther and I thought it would be best if we got Petra out of here sooner rather than later. He went to go get a couple horses to take you guys to the hideout. Do you think your leg is good enough to ride?" He asked, looking to Petra for her approval.

"I think I can manage," She answered. She still seemed a bit flustered, but she was mostly in control of herself as she spoke to Eld.

"Good, once you're settled in there we can start planning our attack." Eld turned back to Levi to speak then, and Levi nodded in response. The reality of the situation was beginning to settle in now. Tonight was the night that they would rescue Isabel from the dungeon that had been her home for what was probably the longest year of her life.

It wasn't long before Gunther was knocking on the door as well, and his sudden arrival seemed to remind Petra that this whole plan was about to be set into motion. Normally she would be discreet. Normally she would pretend like there was nothing between the two of them in front of their squad, but today wasn't a normal day.

He hadn't been standing far away from her, but it was still enough for her to struggle to limp across the distance and throw her arms around his shoulders. Levi was sure that the shock reflected on Gunther and Eld's faces was plastered on his as well as he returned the embrace. He was sure that this secret if it was even really a secret at this point, was safe with their squad, but the sudden display of affection in front of them was surprising.

"Please be careful," She whispered to him, her mouth so close to his ear that he could feel the warmth of her breath against it.

"I will," He answered quietly, although still loudly enough for Gunther and Eld to hear, even though they acted like they didn't. When they broke their embrace Petra limped closer to Gunther and Levi followed.

"I'm ready to go," She said sweetly, and Gunther nodded at her and then looked at Levi.

"Make sure you keep her safe. If any harm comes to her you'll have me to deal with." Levi made his thinly veiled threat and Petra sighed beside him.

"Y-yes Heichou. You can count on me," Gunther answered, and before Levi could say another word he was walking out the door, helping Petra along as best he could, and she gave him one last look before the door closed behind them.

Levi was thankful that Eld didn't ask about what had just happened because he didn't want to explain. As much as he genuinely cared for Petra, he had to force himself to push her from his mind. He had more important things to think about right now, like his survival, like Isabel's survival. He and Eld would have a long and dangerous night ahead of them tonight, but he knew they could do it, then there would only be one thing left. That one thing was the most important thing he'd ever do in his life.

Kill Erwin Smith.

Kill Erwin and be free. It was so close he could almost taste it.

"What's the plan, Heichou?" Eld asked as he moved to the table to sit down.

"Listen carefully," Levi said as he took his seat, raking a hand through his hair. "I'm only going to say this once."

Chapter 7

Notes:

Let me just start by apologizing for how long this chapter has taken to go up. Life has been a bit...hectic, to say the least. But, what can I say, the start of the new season has inspired me, and so, here's a brand new chapter! I hope it was worth the wait, and I hope I haven't lost too many of you lovely readers during the hiatus that I took from this story!

Chapter Text

They had to wait a while after the sun went down. Three hours. Just to be safe. They wanted to make sure it was dark enough to make their escape easily through alleyways and back streets. They wanted to be invisible after they got Isabel out, so they waited. And the waiting was excruciating.

When they finally agreed that it was dark enough, Levi and Eld slipped out of the barracks building and made their way to the stables where the extra 3DM gear was kept. Levi didn't anticipate using it at all, but it was better to be ready for anything. They quickly geared up and made their way directly toward the large building where Petra had taken Levi the first day he'd seen his two friends. Now he would only find one of them there, but saving her was his first priority at the moment. Isabel's life was hanging in the balance, and he would make sure she was brought back safely.

The front door to the large building was unlocked, and they gained easy access to the stairwells that would take them down to the cells. They moved quietly, their footsteps inaudible as they descended the cold stone steps into the darkness of the cells. Levi wondered if there were other people in the cells they were quietly passing, but he didn't care about any of them.

When they finally got to the door labeled S-240, Levi pulled a small lock pick kit from his pocket and set to work. He was suddenly very grateful that he'd picked up these skills while he was in the underground city as the tumblers fell into place and the door swung open.

He halfway expected not to see her there or worse, to find her slumped against the wall lifeless and cold, but when the door opened she looked up at him and smiled, and he ran to her like a magnet was pulling them together with unstoppable strength.

"Aniki, you came for me," She said in a quiet voice, seemingly already aware that they would need to be as silent as possible.

"Of course I did. Climb onto my back and hold on tight. We're getting you out of here and taking you somewhere safe," He said, turning his back to her and stooping down to allow her to climb on. She barely weighed anything at all, and he knew it wouldn't be hard to use his gear with her on his back if the need arose.

"Let's go, Heichou, they don't even know we're here yet, but the next patrol will be close to this building soon. We need to get out of here fast," Eld said quietly as Levi exited the cell and closed the door behind him.

They quickly climbed the stairs, Levi being careful not to jostle Isabel too much, and made it out of the building and into a nearby alleyway just as one of the MPs patrolling the outside turned a corner. It was a close call, but they'd made it out of the building. They were almost safe. All they would have to do now was make it to the stables and they would be as good as free.

"It reminds me of home," Isabel's voice was still soft as she spoke, but close enough to Levi's ear to catch his attention. "The way you're rushing through this alley. It reminds me of what we used to do when we were getting ready for a job at home. We'd sneak through these alleys undetected, get to where we needed to go, and strike. It was so easy. So fun. Farlan always loved it."

The way she said Farlan's name made Levi painfully aware of just how much she missed him, but there was nothing he could do about it right now, or maybe ever. Farlan was more than likely lost to them, but he wasn't about to stop Isabel from remembering him.

"We can sneak through all the alleyways you want when you get your strength back. They'll be sorry they ever brought us to the surface," Levi answered quietly as they rounded another corner and ducked into an adjacent alley. They were almost there. Just a bit longer and they'd be riding toward their hideout.

"I think it would be more fun to live somewhere quiet. Somewhere that we don't have to steal from people, you know? Somewhere that I can look at the sky and not feel like I'm going to be eaten by titans or killed or tortured."

"As soon as it's safe, I'll take you somewhere just like that. I promise," Levi said just as they ducked into the stables. Eld had already saddled two horses prior to their mission, and they mounted up and immediately sped away from the stables, away from the heart of Stohess, and toward the outskirts and their hideout. For the first time since Levi joined the Corps, he felt like something was finally going right. Now that Isabel was safe, he could focus on killing Erwin, and that brought a smile to his face that he was glad neither of his companions could see in the darkness that surrounded them.

oOo

The ride from the heart of Stohess took most of the night, and it was very late when they finally made it to the hideout. Levi and Eld were both exhausted as they climbed off of their horses, but Levi still gathered Isabel up in his arms and carried her into the house anyway. He expected it to be quiet when they arrived. He expected Petra to be soundly sleeping somewhere while Gunther stood guard, but that wasn't the case at all.

When Levi walked in the front door Petra was already rising and moving quickly toward him. As quickly as she could, anyway, with her leg still healing. The look of relief on her face made him feel loved as she stopped in front of him.

"I'm so glad you're all okay! Can I help you with anything? What do you need me to do?" She asked as she looked Isabel over. Levi fought back a smile and walked over to a couch to lay Isabel down on it. Once Isabel was safely deposited on the couch he stood back to his full height, turned to face Petra, and pulled her into a hug that caught everyone off guard. He heard Eld clear his throat and watched as he and Gunther both turned away from his sudden display of affection, and relaxed when he felt Petra's arms wrap around him in return. It only lasted a moment longer before he broke away.

"We should get something for Izzy to eat. Did you bring any food to this shit hole?" Levi asked, still standing relatively close to Petra as he spoke. His squad seemed to snap back to attention as he asked the question.

"I brought some rice. It's not much, but she probably shouldn't eat anything big right now anyway," Gunther answered, rising from his seat to make his way to the small kitchen on the other side of the house.

"Izzy, I bet you would like a bath, wouldn't you?" Petra's voice was soft and motherly as she spoke to Isabel, and Levi tried his best not to reveal that he was listening in on their conversation.

"I haven't had a bath for...I don't even know how long," Isabel answered with a small smile on her face.

"If you're okay with it I can help you get cleaned up. I know you're probably weak right now, but I'll help you get your strength back."

"Thank you, Petra!" Isabel said, sitting up and throwing her arms around Petra's shoulders. It wasn't something that Levi had seen before, Isabel reacting so warmly to an outsider, but he supposed Petra just had a way of getting to people.

He was about to ask Petra if she needed help getting Isabel to the bathroom before she lifted the girl's small frame into her arms and carried her away into a room in the back of the house. Levi could see a small bed through the open door before Petra and Isabel disappeared inside the room and closed the door behind them.

"So, what's next, Heichou?" Eld asked after Levi had joined him and Gunther in the kitchen.

"Next we need a plan to get rid of the Commander," Levi answered coldly, not meeting either of their gazes as he spoke. "I'll need everyone for this plan to work, so we're going to have to wait until Petra is fully healed and Izzy is back on her feet. It'll take a while, but we'll need a while to make this plan. It has to be perfect."

"And once we get rid of him? Then what?" Gunther asked, paying close attention to the rice that was steadily cooking on the stove.

"Then we'll all need to disappear. I know a place that I can take Izzy and Petra, I'm sure the both of you would be welcome there too, at least until you can find somewhere that you would rather stay." Levi looked away from his comrades for a moment, feeling the pressure of everything he was asking of them for perhaps the first time. "I know the two of you are giving up a lot to help me with this. I want to thank you both, sincerely, for everything you've done."

"Don't sweat it, Heichou. We weren't happy with what Erwin was doing either. If it means getting the Corps out of his hands and into someone else's, someone who won't kidnap kids as ransom, then we'll do whatever it takes."

"But...Heichou, if you don't mind me asking...what's going on with you and Petra?" Gunther chimed in again, and Levi's cold gaze slid back to his subordinate. He had no intention of sharing any details of his personal life with Gunther.

"I mind," He answered, and Gunther quickly returned to his work. Eld chuckled in the corner of the room before Petra walked in with a concerned look on her face.

"Levi," She said, dropping his title all together as she addressed him. "There's something you need to see."

He followed her through the small sitting room and through the bedroom Petra had taken Isabel into before they arrived in a bathroom. Isabel was sitting in the tub, her back turned to him as to not reveal anything, but he saw what Petra was talking about the moment he stepped foot inside the bathroom. Angry red slashes adorned Isabel's back and arms, some of the scars much newer than others, but all of them in places where clothing would hide the damage. These were marks that Isabel would have for the rest of her life. Marks made by whips or belts or some other instrument that someone had used to beat her with. Levi grit his teeth as he looked at the damage that had been done.

"Who did this to you, Izzy?" He asked more calmly than he thought possible.

"I...I don't know who they were. There were a few different men that would come to the cell they kept us in, but it was never the Commander. They wanted information about you, about what we did in the underground, how we learned to use the 3DM gear and why we were so good at it. I never told them anything," Isabel explained, her voice shaking and quiet, her back still turned to him.

"You should have told them everything. They may not have hurt you like this..."

"They still would have hurt me. It didn't matter what I said, they never believed anything that Farlan and I ever told them. Eventually, we just stopped trying to talk to them and let them do what they wanted. That didn't stop them either."

"I'm sorry, Izzy," Levi said, his voice cracking a bit with the weight of his apology. This was his fault. He'd caused this horrible pain that Izzy and Farlan had to go through, and now Farlan was dead because of him. He wouldn't make any more mistakes.

"It isn't your fault, Aniki, you did everything you could to get to us." Isabel turned her head back toward Levi, a mischievous glint in her eye. "But we're gonna get our revenge, right?"

"Damn right, kid," He agreed, and she smiled before she faced forward again and Petra led him out of the bathroom, closing the door behind them.

"I've never been as angry as I was when I saw those marks on her. I knew Erwin was a horrible man, but I didn't think he would stoop so low as to have a child tortured for information." Petra clutched at the collar of her shirt as she spoke, not meeting Levi's gaze.

"We'll make him pay," Levi said firmly, reaching out to her and placing his hand on her arm. It seemed like a comforting enough gesture, and one that she seemed happy for because she relaxed into his touch immediately.

"I hope you're right." She looked back toward the door. "I should go help her finish up before her food is ready."

Petra began to turn away before Levi caught her hand and pulled her back for a moment, pressing a soft kiss to the top of her head.

"Thank you for helping her," He said, releasing her hand.

"Of course, it's no problem at all. What she's been through...I couldn't even imagine being put in a position like that. I want her to feel like a normal kid again, so I'll help as much as I can."

"I'm sure she appreciates that," He said, and Petra smiled at him one last time before she retreated into the bathroom again.

Levi made his way back to the kitchen to see that the rice was done cooking and was now sitting out in a bowl, steam steadily rising from the top as Gunther sat there looking proud of what he'd accomplished. It wasn't much longer before Petra carried Isabel back out and to the table and sat her down in one of the chairs.

"Eat slowly, Izzy, your stomach won't be able to handle a lot all at once. I know that you're very hungry, but only eat a little at a time for now," Petra said as Isabel picked up her chopsticks and began to slowly eat her meal. Levi could tell it was taking all of her strength not to devour the whole bowl in five seconds flat, but she was doing well with Petra's instructions.

"You should all get some rest, you've done enough for one day," Levi said as he looked around at his exhausted squad.

"I'm fine, I'll stay up with you and Izzy," Petra answered as she took a seat at the table.

"Well, I'm not gonna argue," Eld chimed in as he pushed himself from his seat and Gunther followed quickly behind.

"There are two rooms upstairs, do you wanna take your pick, Heichou, before we claim them?" Gunther asked as he headed toward the stairs.

"I'll be fine with the couch," Levi answered.

"Suit yourself. Petra, the room with the big bed is for you, then."

"Thanks, Gunther," Petra answered with a smile and then turned her attention back to Isabel. They all said their good-nights and Levi was left in the quiet kitchen with Petra and Isabel.

"You should get some sleep too, you've been up all night," Levi said, watching Petra as she sat across from Isabel.

"Mm, I'll be fine. I wanted to talk to you anyway," She answered and Isabel glanced up at Levi as if she were worried that she was interrupting some private moment of his.

"What about?" He asked.

"It didn't take you very long at all to get back here. I guess everything went smoothly?"

"Aniki was so quiet, and that guy that was with us was good at watching out for guards. No one even knew we were sneaking around outside," Isabel chimed in through a mouthful of rice and Petra laughed a bit.

"Eld is very good at keeping watch," Petra agreed before she looked back to Levi, her expression more serious now. "But you didn't run into a single person? Not even inside the building?"

"I thought it was suspicious when we got there, but I wasn't thinking about anything but saving her," Levi put a hand on Isabel's head and ruffled her hair as she ate. "The front door to the building was unlocked, there weren't any guards on the inside either. I thought it was a trap for a while, but everything went off without a hitch. We weren't followed, and no one saw us leaving. Still, I don't like it. It was too easy."

"Did you tell Eld any of this?"

"No, I was going to bring it up tomorrow. I'm sure he felt the same way."

"Do you think that he meant for you to rescue her?" Petra looked a bit scared as she asked the question, and it was more than likely good that she was. Erwin was always four steps ahead of them. He never let anything like this happen without a good reason behind it. It was something that Levi had been thinking about since before he made it back to the hideout.

"Maybe," He answered, Isabel looked up at him as he spoke. "But it doesn't matter right now. Like I said, we weren't followed, I was sure of that. Even if he wanted us to get Izzy out of there, he doesn't know where we are now. We'll have time to figure out what he's planning and make some plans of our own."

Petra nodded resolutely before she leaned forward and yawned. He knew that she was tired, she had to be after being up all day and all night. Not to mention that all of her energy was probably spent worrying about him while he was gone. She was too stubborn to just go to bed, though, and he knew it. She wanted to stay up with him, regardless of how ridiculous that sounded to Levi himself.

"I'll be right back," She said, rising from her chair and making her way toward the bedroom with the attached bathroom.

Levi and Isabel both watched her go, and Isabel waited until she heard the soft click of the bathroom door to say anything.

"Aniki, is Petra your girlfriend?" She asked with a knowing smile. Levi was taken aback, but his face didn't show it. He looked at her for a moment before he thought he could control his voice enough to answer.

"No," He said, but Isabel's smile never faded. It wasn't that he didn't want to give that title to Petra, but he had no idea what they would actually be classified as. He didn't much like the title, to be honest. It sounded too immature, too childish, and not nearly enough to describe what Petra actually was to him.

"Well, it sure seems like she might be your girlfriend. I mean, the way you hugged her when we got back here said a lot, in my opinion."

"She's just a very good friend, Izzy, that's all," He answered. He wasn't sure why exactly he felt the need to hide this particular information from Isabel, other than the fact that she would harass him relentlessly if he gave her any room to do so. Really, when he thought about it, he wasn't sure why he was trying to hide whatever he and Petra had from anyone.

"Yeah, sure, 'just a friend'. You know that's, like, the oldest excuse in the book, right? Farlan tried to tell me that about some girl he met back home once, but you and I both know that the girl in question wasn't 'just a friend'. Plus I saw the way you look at each other. I don't look at my friends like that." Her smile was still in place, but it had grown wider with every bit of evidence she presented.

"How can you be in such bad shape and still be such a colossal pain in my ass?" Levi asked, his tone cold, but Isabel could always see through that. She knew when he was joking with her, and she knew when she could push just a little bit further to find out what she wanted to know from him.

"That's what little sisters are for, you know. I'm supposed to annoy you and ask you about your girlfriends and try to embarrass you. It's all in a day's work."

"You're a menace," Levi said, ruffling her hair one more time before he pulled her into a hug. The reality that she was actually here, that she was safe, was really setting in now that the excitement of the day was over. He was finding it hard to control the intense feelings of love and relief that were coursing through him. "But I'm glad you're safe now."

"Come on, Aniki, don't get all mushy on me now." Isabel joked, but her arms wrapped around him to return the embrace all the same. The hug didn't last long before he pulled away, but he thought it was probably enough to let her know just how happy he was to have her back.

When Petra walked back into the kitchen she was wearing the same knowing smile that Isabel had worn only moments ago.

"I hope I'm not interrupting a moment." She said, looking to Levi.

"Not at all," Levi answered, expressionless.

"I think that's all I can eat right now," Isabel said, leaning back in her chair a bit as she spoke. "That's the most food I've had for a long time. I'm stuffed."

"You should get some rest, then. You probably haven't had a good night's sleep for a while either." Levi added, and his statement was punctuated with a yawn from Isabel.

"You're right. Having a bed will be a luxury!"

Levi took that as his hint to scoop Isabel up from her chair and carry her into the room with the bathroom attached. The bed was small, but it was perfect for Isabel. She immediately curled into the blankets, nuzzling the pillow as if it was the best thing she'd ever seen.

"Comfortable?" He asked as her eyes started to flutter closed.

"You have no idea,"

"I'll just be out there if you need me," He said, and turned to leave before he heard her tired voice again.

"Aniki," Her eyes were barely open, but she was looking toward him when he turned around to look back at her. "Farlan was right, up there on the wall. Don't let Petra slip through your fingers. You really would be an idiot not to hold on to her."

Levi was shocked for a moment. If Isabel had heard that part of their conversation, he wondered if she'd heard everything else that Farlan had said before Erwin pushed him off of the wall. He allowed a small smile before he answered her.

"Good night, Izzy." He said quietly, turning toward the door again.

"Good night, Aniki,"

Levi left the room where Isabel was now sleeping and closed the door behind him, finding that Petra had already cleaned up the kitchen and was now sitting on the couch. He walked over to her without hesitation to sit down beside her.

When he'd left her that day it felt like he was leaving a piece of himself behind, and being back in close proximity to her was a relief. He'd wanted to kiss her when he got back, and he would have if his whole squad hadn't been standing around watching. The hug was enough to raise some questions, and he'd already seen the consequences of that. But there was nothing stopping him from kissing her now. So, he did just that. He placed his hand on the back of her neck and drew her closer to him, placing a gentle kiss on her lips before he pulled back.

"Have you been waiting all night to do that?" Petra asked with a smile as Levi's arm rested around her shoulders. She leaned into him, laying her head on his shoulder and closing her eyes. He knew she had to be exhausted.

"I might have been," He answered.

"I'm glad you made it back safely, but I still think this is a trap." Her sentence was punctuated with a yawn, but Levi knew she was still awake.

"I'm sure Erwin's got something up his sleeve." He looked over at her and pulled her a little closer. "You're tired. Why don't you get some sleep?"

"I don't want you to have to sit out here by yourself. I'm sure you're tired too, but I'm also sure that you probably won't get any sleep. You're too worried that someone will find us, but you didn't want to express that fear because then Eld and Gunther would have offered to do rotating watch shifts. So you think you're going to do it all by yourself."

"How exactly do you know all that?" He asked, a little taken aback by her guesses.

"Because I know you pretty well at this point, and I know that you don't want the rest of us to go out of our way for you, or for Izzy."

"You've already done that much,"

"Fine, you don't want us to go any further out of our way. Regardless, if you're staying up to keep watch then so am I,"

"Your eyes are already closed, Petra,"

"I'm just resting them," Petra's voice already sounded a bit groggy, and Levi knew if he waited just a bit longer she would fall asleep leaning against his shoulder despite her protests. So instead of answering her he just sat with her, waiting to hear her breathing even out so that he could lay her down on the couch more comfortably and he could stay up and keep watch for the rest of the night. To his surprise, though, she began to talk again.

"What will we do now that we have her with us?"

"We'll wait for the two of you to get better. That's the only thing we can do. We'll need everyone's cooperation to make sure we can get rid of Erwin and make our getaway without incident."

"But what if they find us before then?" Petra's voice suddenly sounded small, less tired and more worried. When Levi looked over at her she was looking back at him, her eyes shining with a sort of fear that he wasn't sure he had seen there before.

"They won't find us."

"But what if they do?"

"Then I'll take care of them and we'll move somewhere else before they can send anyone else here."

"You're okay with killing the people that Erwin sends after us?" Petra watched him closely, and he knew he had to answer this question carefully. He didn't think that his answer would change how she felt about him, but the fact that the immediate answer that sprung to mind at the mention of her question was 'yes' didn't seem like a good thing.

He would kill anyone that tried to hurt Petra, or Isabel, or any of his squad mates, and he knew that might not be something that Petra would like to hear.

"To say that I'm okay with it might be a stretch. I'll do it if I have to, to keep you safe, to keep Isabel and everyone else safe, but I won't be okay with taking the life of another person. I'm simply doing what I have to do to make sure the people I care about survive. No more, no less." He wanted to avoid her gaze while he answered her question, but there simply wasn't a good way to do that. They were too close together, in far too intimate of a setting to try and hide himself from her line of sight. So, instead, he looked straight into her eyes while he spoke, hoping that what he was feeling was being conveyed to her that way.

"I understand what you mean," She said, and she rearranged herself so that her head was laying in his lap instead of on his shoulder. This new position seemed more comfortable for her, and it allowed Levi to run his fingers through her hair, so he wouldn't complain. "I just hate that we might have to take the lives of people who are probably completely innocent in the whole matter. They're just following orders, doing what their Commander tells them to do. They don't even know that his motives are malicious."

"There isn't anything we can do about that,"

"I know," Petra's eyes closed as she spoke. "I just wish there was another way."

"It will all be over soon enough, and then we won't have to worry about killing anyone or anything ever again. We'll have a peaceful life with Izzy in the country."

"That sounds nice," Petra said, her voice softer and laced with the sleep that was taking her over.

Before Levi knew it Petra was sound asleep in his lap, her breaths had evened out and her body had finally relaxed. He knew that she needed the sleep. She'd been up for far too long and it wasn't something that she was used to. If she was going to be energized tomorrow she would need to sleep at least a little tonight, and he didn't mind being her pillow. The only thing he was concerned with was explaining their position to the others in the morning, but he could hope that Petra would wake up before the rest. Instead of worrying about everything that their mission brought, he decided that he would just enjoy the moment, and hope that everything would work out for the best.

Chapter 8

Notes:

Oh, hi...so I have no explanation for being gone this long other than severe lack of motivation, writer's block, and just life throwing curveball after curveball. In these past three years, I got a job that I loved, had to leave it because of COVID, got engaged, got married, and bought a house. Needless to say, I've been a bit busy. Nevertheless, I'm back, and I have a renewed motivation to work on this story. I did start off this story with a note saying it was a labor of love, and I am always drawn back to Rivetra. What better time to try and finish up this story than during the final season of the show that started it all. Attack on Titan has a very special place in my heart, as does Rivetra, and it's only fitting that I continue work on this story and give it the ending that it deserves. That being said...I'm not sure how many more chapters this story has in it, but I will write it until I feel that it has reached its end, no matter how long it takes. I hope those of you that have been loving this story are still here and can enjoy this next chapter that has taken me three years (!) to complete and post. *sweatdrop* I just hope that this chapter, and the buildup that comes with it, was worth the wait. I promise it won't be another three years before I update again.

Chapter Text

His eyes snapped open when he realized that he'd drifted off. He was supposed to be keeping watch, but his exhaustion had apparently gotten to him, and that was something he couldn't afford to let happen again. He tried his best not to wake Petra as he stretched, her head still laying in his lap where she'd been for the whole night. He would have to wake her before the others started wandering around the house if he didn't want to be questioned, but he was beginning to wonder if that was worth it. He'd much rather allow Petra to keep sleeping and answer some questions than disturb her and make her feel like she had to move. Besides, he knew she had to need more sleep than that. She'd been awake for far too long before she finally drifted off.

Still, he would need to check on Isabel. He knew that she was probably more comfortable being here instead of in a prison cell, but the trauma of what had happened to her couldn't have just disappeared. Levi still didn't really know what exactly had happened to her. He just knew that they'd hurt her, and that was enough for him to swear vengeance on anyone who laid a finger on her. Regardless of his strong feelings toward those people, though, he knew that his actions alone weren't enough to make Isabel feel like she was safe. He knew she'd gone to sleep last night, but would that keep the nightmares at bay? Would she have been able to sleep through the night knowing that those people were probably looking for her? It reminded him too much of his childhood. Always on the run, never feeling safe. He didn't want that for Isabel, and he would do his best to keep her from going through it.

He gently moved Petra's head onto a pillow and slipped out from underneath her, being especially careful not to wake her as he left the couch and walked to the door that Isabel would be sleeping behind. He didn't knock, just in case she was actually sleeping, but when he opened the door he was met with a pair of wide, green eyes that held a deep seated terror that seemed to vanish as soon as she realized who was opening her door.

"Aniki," She said quietly, but Levi didn't say anything in return. He just walked over to her, sat down on the bed, and pulled her into the embrace that she was already moving toward the second he sat down. "I'm so scared. I know I shouldn't be. I know that you'll protect me but...what if they find us? What happens if there are too many for all of you to fight off? What if they take me back to that place?"

"They're not taking you back. They don't know where we are and even if they did, I wouldn't let them lay a finger on you again. You just have to trust that Petra and I, and the others, can keep you safe. These people have devoted themselves to my mission. They're loyal to me, nothing bad is going to happen to you again."

"How can you know that?" Isabel asked, wiping a tear away that had begun to fall down her face.

"Would you wanna fuck with me, knowing that I'm humanity's strongest and carried out a rescue attempt without being detected?" He asked, trying his best for a jovial tone. He hadn't done it in so long that he wasn't sure it was coming across right, but it seemed to be helping Isabel feel better. "Because I wouldn't fuck with me."

"I guess we should just hope that they have the same mindset, then." Isabel looked across the room, away from Levi, as if she was deep in thought, but didn't say anything else. Levi didn't know what else to say to her. It would be better if Petra were here with him, to talk to Isabel and reassure her that everything was going to be alright because that was something that Petra had always been good at, but instead he was alone trying to pick up the shattered pieces of a girl that had seen more in the last year than he could ever dream of.

"Are you hungry?" He asked suddenly, realizing far too late that it was a stupid question. Isabel had always had a big appetite for a girl her size, but considering what she'd recently been through, her appetite had more than likely doubled. Levi wondered briefly if they'd even brought enough food for everyone.

"Yeah, is anyone else awake yet? It's still dark out." Isabel's eyes were trained on the window now, her gaze unwavering as she stared at the dark, drawn curtains.

"It's just me so far." Levi answered. "But I can make something for you."

"I'd rather wait for Petra. You never were the best cook, Aniki." Isabel laughed and Levi huffed.

"Brat." He rolled his eyes. "Do you at least want to move into the other room? It might be better than sitting in here alone."

"Sure," Isabel said and, before she could protest, Levi had scooped her up out of the bed and was carrying her into the other room. The weight of her in his arms was nonexistent, and he was determined to get her back into shape as quickly as possible. Even if he had to learn to cook himself so that he could make sure she ate when she was hungry. He wondered if this was what having a child would be like. Constantly watching over them, taking care of them, making sure they ate properly. Before, the prospect of having a child of his own was off putting, but now he thought that it might not be so bad. He found that he enjoyed taking care of others, despite what he outwardly showed the world.

"Did she sleep here last night?" Isabel asked as Levi placed her gently in a large armchair that he thought might be comfortable. It was really his only option, since Petra was taking up the whole couch.

"She refused to go to bed to get a decent night's sleep. I told her I would be fine on my own, but she insisted." He explained, leaning against the wall since all available furniture in the living room was in use.

"Hmm, that's interesting."

"What's interesting? " Levi questioned, his slightly annoyed tone shining through.

"Well, you said she isn't your girlfriend, but you two seem to care for each other a lot."

"Izzy." His tone was chastising, but it didn't stop Isabel.

"I mean, people who don't care about each other don't stay up at all hours of the night to keep each other company, and they definitely don't show the kind of affection that you two showed to each other when we first got here last night. I'm just saying, Aniki, I think you need to see this for what it is."

"And what exactly do you think it is?"

"I think she loves you," Isabel said in such a matter-of-fact tone that Levi gaped a bit at the sureness of it. "And I think you love her too, you're just too stupid to realize it and she's too shy to say anything. Surely you must have noticed something."

"You must be in worse shape than I thought. You're hallucinating."

"Go ahead and keep trying to brush it off, just don't get mad at me later when I have to say I told you so."

"You're out of your mind if you think that she could feel that way about me. You know me better than anyone, Izzy. Do you think that someone like Petra would really fall in love with someone like me?" Levi knew that Isabel was partly right, regardless of his protests. He knew that he loved her, he'd even tried to tell her as much, he just wasn't sure if Petra was ready to return those feelings. He wasn't sure if she was ready to hear the truth of the matter.

"Aniki, you know that you're not nearly as bad as you think you are, right? If you were just a horrible, unlikable person then Farlan and I wouldn't have wanted to be your friends, your squad wouldn't be so loyal to you, and Petra definitely wouldn't have offered to die in my place when we were on top of the wall."

"Petra probably would have done that for anyone," Levi answered, halfway looking for some way to prove Isabel wrong. "That's just the kind of person she is."

"That may be true, but it still doesn't make anything else I said wrong. Farlan used his last words to make sure that you don't fuck this up." Isabel gestured between Levi and Petra. "So don't fuck it up, okay? Just...show her how you feel, you know? I'm sure she probably already knows since you couldn't hide it from me."

"She knows," Levi said, turning his attention to the still sleeping Petra on the couch. He wanted to tell Isabel everything that had happened between the two of them, if for no other reason than to get advice on the matter. He realized that it was kind of sad that he was asking a girl half his age for advice on romance, but he just wasn't sure what he was doing and, although he was sure Isabel had never had any romantic interests of her own, he was sure she knew a bit more about it than him.

"What? How does she know? Did you talk to her already? What is going on?"

"I'll tell you about it later."

"Aniki! You can't just do that!" Isabel whined, and perhaps a bit too loudly because Petra began to stir. It was still too early for her to be awake after going without sleep for so long, but there wasn't really anything Levi could do to stop her from waking up.

She opened her eyes slowly, rubbing the sleep from them and stretching her arms above her head. Levi and Isabel both watched her intently, as if they'd never seen something so fascinating before. He wasn't sure if that's why Isabel was really watching, but it held some truth for him. He enjoyed seeing her like this, in the moment before she was fully conscious. He somehow thought it might be a way for him to see a part of her that she didn't normally show the world. It was short lived, though, as soon as she realized where she was. She looked around and smiled at Levi before sitting up on the couch.

"Good morning, Petra!" Isabel said, perhaps a bit too loudly for how early in the morning it was.

"Good morning," Petra answered quietly, still obviously getting herself together after waking up. Her hair was slightly messy, but Levi found it endearing and cute. He really did love seeing her in the mornings. "Did you sleep well, Izzy?"

"I slept for a little while," Isabel answered, trying not to give too much away of her struggle the night before.

"It'll get easier as time goes on." Petra smiled as she read the situation and offered her comfort to Isabel, and Isabel smiled in return, but didn't say much else.

"The others aren't up yet, like you shouldn't be." Levi almost sounded like he was lecturing Petra, but they both knew he was just concerned.

"I'll be fine, Levi, you don't have to worry about me so much."

"I'm not worried." He snapped before he really thought about it. If anything, in Isabel's eyes, that just made him look more guilty. "Everyone just needs to be alert, just in case something happens."

"Aniki, I noticed something just now." Isabel perked up, a devilish smile spreading across her face, and Levi knew he was in trouble. "Why does the rest of your squad call you Heichou, and only Petra is allowed to call you Levi?"

He should have seen that question coming, but it still caught him off guard. He couldn't answer it simply, not in the least, and he knew that Isabel already knew the answer anyway. He was just too stubborn to admit it. He would deny that they had a relationship of sorts until the day he died, if he had to. If it meant that Isabel and the others didn't get to make their remarks.

"Oh, it just slipped," Petra explained. "We're good friends and sometimes I forget when we're at work that I should call him by his title instead of his name."

"Right." Isabel rolled her eyes, already knowing the truth of the matter. They all remained quiet for a moment before Petra spoke up again, apparently trying to disperse the feeling of uneasiness radiating from herself, and from Levi.

"I wonder how much longer the others will be asleep. Shouldn't we start talking about what to do next?" She asked, and it helped to change the subject, but it didn't help remove Isabel's gaze from Levi.

"We should probably at least get an emergency escape plan ready, just in case," Levi answered, and that seemed to shift everyone's attention off the previous subject.

"Emergency escape?" Isabel asked, as if the thought hadn't even crossed her mind before this very moment.

"I thought you said no one saw you?" Petra added, but it was clear that she understood why this was necessary.

"I don't think they did, but we can't afford to take any chances. If they find us, I'm sure they won't hesitate in killing any of us, and with the two of you injured and unable to fight, I don't foresee that kind of situation going in our favor."

"There's a cellar that has another exit above the ground. The door is hidden pretty well, so I'd imagine they wouldn't be able to find it unless they were really looking. If we have to, we can use that as a means to get out of the house, but after that...I'm not sure where we could go," Petra said, her voice suddenly soft and with a twinge of nerves. "we can't make it over the wall right now, they'll have patrols looking for us."

"We should start scouting for a place to fall back to once Gunther and Eld wake up." Levi chanced a glance at Isabel to see that she was just staring at the floor, her eyes unblinking as she let the reality of the situation settle over her. "It's just a precaution, Izzy, nothing to worry about."

"Nothing to worry about," she repeated, but he knew she was just parroting his words. Her voice was void of emotion as she mimicked him, and he didn't miss the concern in Petra's eyes as her gaze fell on the girl.

"Izzy, it'll all be okay, I promise," Petra chimed in, trying her best to hide the concern that Levi had seen only a moment ago. "I won't let anything bad happen to you again, and neither will Levi, or anyone else in this house. You know that, right?"

"I know it's just...scary," Isabel answered, her eyes shifting to look up at Petra only for a moment before they returned to the floor again.

"I get scared too, sometimes, about this kind of stuff, but do you know what helps me?"

"What?"

"It helps me knowing that Levi would do anything to keep me safe, just like he would for you or Eld or Gunther. It helps me to know that everyone here is a family, and that we'll take care of each other. Even when I'm scared, thinking about that gives me the strength to go on."

Levi was taken aback for a moment at the sincerity of Petra's words, but could he really expect anything less from her, at this point? She was always sincere and honest about everything, sometimes it worked against her, but right now it seemed to be helping because Isabel was looking at her with a sense of wonder that he wasn't sure he'd ever seen on her face. It was becoming clear very quickly that Petra was someone that Isabel was going to cling to, and that made Levi feel strangely happy, even if he couldn't explain why.

"I guess you're right," Isabel said with a slight smile, and just like every time she had smiled since he'd gotten her back, it made Levi feel like he'd finally done something right.

"Are you hungry? We still have some rice left that I could make for you," Petra said, and Isabel really perked up at that. She nodded with enthusiasm and Petra got up and slowly made her way to the kitchen. Levi wondered if she was putting on a brave face, as far as the pain in her leg was concerned, or if it was really feeling that much better. She'd been walking around the house a lot since they'd arrived, and he knew it still had to be bothering her, but if it was she wasn't really letting it show. The only evidence that there was still anything wrong at all was the slight limp in her gait, and even that was starting to fade.

The sound of clattering dishes coming from the kitchen must have roused the other members of the squad, for Eld and Gunther were making their way down the stairs shortly after Petra had begun preparing their modest meal. Levi knew that this meal would mark the end of the rice supply that they'd brought with them, and that they would need to go out and get more food soon, which would put them at risk of being found, and that put him on edge. He helped Isabel to the table before he took his place at the head of it, staying completely silent as the other two men made their way into the room.

"Good morning, everyone," Eld said with a bit of a smile. Levi couldn't return it, but he never really returned smiles to anyone but Petra and Isabel, anyway. "How's everyone feeling this morning?"

"Fine, all things considered," Petra answered with a smile as she half turned, taking her attention away from her task only momentarily. "Think you and Gunther could go out and find some more food after breakfast? This is the last of our supply."

"Yeah, I don't see why not."

"You have to be careful when you go out," Levi chimed in, his tone marking just how serious he was about the ordeal. "They're looking for us. All of us. If you're spotted wandering around here, they'll know we're holed up in this particular area of town, and they might even follow you back. I expect the both of you to be on your guard."

"Yes, of course, Heichou," Gunther answered as he sat down at the table. "We'll make it a quick trip, just to find some food and that's it."

"I know you're both capable, but I don't want anyone feeling like we're safe here. We can't be lulled into a false sense of security."

"Heichou, I don't think anyone is feeling too safe here. I know I don't," Eld spoke up again, his voice carrying a somewhat unsteady tone. "I don't know about you, but I don't like the way the plan played out yesterday. Sure, we got out of there with no trouble, but what do you think that means?"

"I was thinking the same thing," Levi answered, and spared another glance at Isabel to see that she was staring at the table in front of her. She was no doubt a bit in shock from everything that was happening, and knowing that she wasn't out of the woods yet certainly didn't help matters at all.

"It was too clean. It makes me think that someone wanted us to succeed."

"That someone being Erwin," Petra added, apparently feeling no need to beat around the bush.

"So what's gonna happen then?" Gunther was looking around the room like he thought someone had the answers but, unfortunately for him, there wasn't anyone here that knew any more than he did. "Heichou, what do you think it means?"

"I'm not sure what it means yet, I just know that we should keep our guard up. Erwin is always a few steps ahead, I'm sure he had a plan to deal with something like this, and if he did, we should expect something within the next few days. We'll just have to lay low, only go out if we absolutely have to. It's the only chance we have at staying undetected this close to the city." Levi's voice was steady, but he felt anything but behind his cool facade. He knew that Erwin had something up his sleeve, he just wished he knew what that something was so that he could better prepare for it.

They hadn't been followed to the hideout, that much he was sure of, so he knew they had at least a couple more days before they were found. He also knew that Erwin had undoubtedly sent out search parties to look for them, probably telling them to be as discreet as possible, as to not rouse suspicion from the townsfolk, or Levi and his motley crew. It would be difficult to outsmart him, Levi knew that, but he was confident that they could out fight him, if need be. Even with Petra injured and Isabel all but immobile, he thought that himself, Eld, and Gunther would be enough to take on any number of troops that Erwin might send, if he was as concerned about discretion as Levi assumed. He just hoped that he was predicting the Commander's moves correctly because if he wasn't, the mistake could prove fatal for all of them, and that wasn't something that Levi was willing to consider.

"I'm sure everything will be fine," Petra said, placing a hand on Isabel's. Levi saw Isabel flinch briefly before she realized that Petra was the one touching her and relaxed again, but it still didn't lessen the impact of the situation. Isabel was terrified, and she had every right to be, but Levi wished desperately that he could find some way to give her peace. "We should just focus on getting Izzy well again so that we can move on, right?"

"You're right," Levi answered, and although the mood in the room didn't lighten, the subject did change a bit. "I'm not a doctor, but I know a thing or two about malnutrition. It'll take a while for her to get her full strength back, but full strength isn't needed to ride a horse. We just need to make sure that she's strong enough to walk and support herself before we head out."

"I'll recover fast, Aniki, don't worry. I won't slow you down," Isabel said, and although her voice was shaky, her determination was clear.

"I know you will, kid," Levi said, just the hint of a smile playing at his lips.

Once breakfast was over, Eld and Gunther gathered a few things, including some plain cloaks with hoods to hide their faces and some knives that they shoved into their boots, they were out the door and headed toward a small market. They would be able to find more food there, perhaps some other useful supplies as well, but most importantly they would be able to figure out what the military presence was like around the house. If there weren't many soldiers around, it meant that they would be safe there for a while, but they would have to keep tabs on it, which put them at a bigger risk. If they were seen by the wrong person it could be catastrophic for them. All it would take was for Nile or Hanji or anyone they knew to see them and they would be fucked. Royally fucked. Levi knew it, Eld and Gunther knew it, Petra knew it, but none of them wanted to say it out loud.

It seemed that they were all finely tuned into Isabel's mental and emotional state right now. When she was stressed or upset they could all feel it. Levi thought that, perhaps, he could feel it deeper than the rest of them, in a way that only he could connect with her, because he had known her for so long. He wasn't sure if that was his own emotional response at having her back in his care again or if it was real, but he was in no position to question it. All he needed to understand was that he knew when she needed him the most, and now, after the talk about what Erwin's next move would be, was one of those times.

She was trembling slightly when he walked over to stand behind her, and he was sure it wasn't because the room was cold. Petra had left her seat beside Isabel to clean up the remnants of their meager breakfast, and Levi had gotten up to lean against the wall before he got that feeling, that horrible feeling in the pit of his stomach that told him that Isabel was having a hard time. It was in the way that she trembled ever so slightly, the way that her hands gripped the edges of the table so hard that her knuckles turned white. It was in her unblinking stare as she seemingly memorized every pattern in the grain of the wood that the table was made out of. She was scared . Not just scared, though, terrified, and even that didn't seem like a strong enough word to describe it.

He hadn't even seen her that scared when they were facing the titans, and he knew that was all but terrifying for her, no matter how much she'd wanted to do it. Whatever they had done to her and Farlan in that prison, it had left marks that she would likely never get rid of, aside from the physical scars on her body.

He wanted to help her, to let her know that she would be safe with him, but he knew he shouldn't enforce an idea like that and make her feel like there was nothing left to worry about. Nothing good could come from hiding the actual danger that they were still in from Isabel. It would probably only make matters worse if something bad did happen. He knew that, and yet he still wanted to lie to her to make her feel better.

"Izzy, what do you think Eld and Gunther will bring back? What are your favorite foods?" Petra asked, and Isabel seemed to perk up a little bit when she realized that Petra was speaking to her.

"Mm, I don't think I ever really had any favorites. We kind of just ate whatever we could find before we came to the surface. Aniki and Farlan always did a good job of finding food for us every day. We didn't ever go hungry," Isabel answered with a slight smile, although Levi could still tell that she was worried and scared.

"My favorite foods are sweets. I just can't get enough of them. Anything sweet, or a pastry, or some kind of candy. I can't get enough of them."

"I don't even know if I can remember the last time I had something sweet. We didn't really get a lot of that in the underground city." Isabel seemed both nostalgic and sad when she mentioned their home. He wasn't sure if she missed it or if she was happy that she wasn't there anymore, although it seemed to him that it would be hard to miss something that caused them all so much trouble. Then again, she had been through a lot more since they came to the surface than she'd ever had to deal with underground.

"We'll have to change that, then. The next time Eld and Gunther go out to get supplies, I'll tell them to stop at a sweet shop," Petra said with a smile, and the way Isabel's eyes lit up at just the thought of getting some kind of confection made Levi's heart ache. She really was still just a child at heart. Someone young enough to get excited over the idea that she had been promised candy, and Erwin saw it fit to torture her and leave her with a lifetime of scars, both emotional and physical. The thought of it brought back a rage that Levi very seldom felt.

"How's your leg, Petra?" Levi asked, suddenly changing the subject. He couldn't help it, he knew that Isabel was actually enjoying the conversation, but he couldn't let himself get complacent, not with the blind rage that was coursing through his body. All he could think about was getting back at Erwin, killing him for what he'd put Isabel and Farlan through. He wanted to do it as soon as possible, and that meant that his whole team had to be ready to fight.

"It's feeling a lot better now. I'll probably be able to start using my gear again soon. How soon, I'm not sure, but it barely hurts anymore," Petra answered with a smile.

"And Izzy, do you feel any of your strength coming back?"

"I feel a lot more optimistic about everything going on than I did when I was locked up in that jail cell, but I can't say I feel any strength coming back yet. I think if I just keep resting and eating good food I'll be strong again in no time," Isabel answered with a smile, but Levi couldn't return it. It wasn't the answer he'd wanted to hear, and he knew it was silly to expect that she would be better only a day after her rescue, but the mounting pressure that he was feeling with each passing moment made him anxious. He didn't normally feel anxious. He normally felt like he had things under control, but there were too many things right now that he felt no control over. Too many variables.

"Good," he answered with a sigh, and he knew that Isabel could tell that wasn't the answer he'd wanted to hear. "Just keep getting stronger, Izzy. You'll be better in no time."

"I'm sorry, Aniki...it's just going to take some time," Isabel answered, and the tone of her voice made his heart ache. He'd made her feel guilty without even trying, a talent of his that he wished he didn't have.

"I know, Izzy, it's not your fault. I'm just…"

"Worried?" Petra chimed in, although he would never admit to what she had suggested. She was right. He was worried. He was worried that they would be too slow, that they would be discovered and have nowhere to run, that they would be separated, that Eld and Gunther would be captured while they were out looking for supplies. He was worried about so many things, but he didn't want to express any of them to Petra and Isabel, or any of the members of their little group. He didn't want to worry them, even though he knew it was inevitable. They were probably all just as anxious as he was, although he hadn't really seen it from anyone but Isabel.

He couldn't agree, couldn't really think of anything to say at all when he was faced with such an accusation, and so he just stared at her, as if he could just convey with a single look all of the emotions he was feeling and couldn't express.

"It's okay to be worried about it...we're doing something dangerous, we all knew that when we set out on this mission," Petra started her voice and expression soft and understanding. "But we still signed up for the mission regardless, because we believe in you, in what you're capable of. Erwin is a powerful man, but the right people can overthrow him. We're the right people. I know it. I know we can do it. I know you can do it."

"I don't want anyone else getting hurt senselessly because of me," Levi answered, letting his vulnerability show for just a moment. It was likely something that Isabel hadn't really seen. The most desperate and vulnerable he'd ever been in front of her was on the top of the wall just before Farlan was pushed over the edge. He never wanted her to see him that way again. "I want to break this senseless cycle once and for all."

"I know we can do it, Aniki," Isabel chimed in again, and her childlike optimism somehow made him feel better about the situation they found themselves in. "We can do it together, the five of us here. We'll make a better world for everyone living within the walls."

"As long as I don't have to sacrifice anyone else for that to happen, I'm willing to take the risks."

"We'll all make it out of this together, Levi," Petra said, smiling sweetly at him, and he didn't even care that Isabel would be adding that little interaction to her proof that there was something between the two of them. He needed her warm smile right now, and her reassurance. He needed to feel like everything they were doing wasn't a huge mistake.

Chapter 9

Notes:

Look at me go! A One-shot and a new chapter for this story in less than two days! I struggled a bit writing this one, although it will pick up after this, I promise! I hope it's worth the read!

Chapter Text

It had been a few weeks now since they had taken refuge in the small house that Eld and Gunther had found. Petra's leg had all but healed, and although she tried to hide it, she was excited that she would be able to help out more with their mission now. Isabel's condition had improved greatly, too, although she still needed help sometimes, which Levi could tell bothered her. She wanted to be free, to be able to do things all by herself again, and he understood that. At the same time, he didn't want her getting in over her head, which he knew she would do if she was given the opportunity.

Things were starting to look up for the first time in a very long while, and while Levi liked that Petra and Isabel were getting stronger, it presented a new set of challenges. He knew they would have to move soon, that they needed to move long before now, but the thought of leaving this house and going out among the general populace scared him. There were too many things that could go wrong if they left this house. Too many variables. Always too many risks, and yet it had been his idea to attempt something as foolish as this plan that they had set in motion.

The fact of the matter was that Levi wasn't quite sure what came next in his grand plan. He knew the goal, to overthrow and kill Erwin and take the Survey Corps from him, but he wasn't quite sure how to get there. He knew it would have to involve 3DM gear, he knew it would be dangerous, he knew some of them were very likely to die, though he would do anything in his power to keep that from happening. He just didn't know how all the pieces fit together yet, and to say that it was frustrating was an understatement.

"Heichou, we're going to get some supplies, and to scout the military presence in town again. Want anything in particular?" Eld's voice cut through Levi's thoughts and jerked him back to reality. He noticed that Eld and Gunther were clad in their typical plain cloaks, the same thing they always wore when they went into town to gather supplies and intel. They didn't seem too concerned about what they were about to do, but every time they went out Levi grew more worried about their situation.

"No," he answered, his response curt and short. "Just don't be out too long. We've been missing for a long time now, they'll be more desperate to get us back and get intel on what we're doing."

"Yeah, we know, Heichou. We'll be back quickly," Gunther said, although Levi could tell that he was growing complacent. They had all gotten too used to being here. They felt too safe.

"Eld, get some of those delicious pastries you got the last time if there are any available! Izzy and I really loved them!" Petra shouted from Isabel's room just before Eld and Gunther were about to walk out.

"You got it, boss!" Gunther shouted back, and Levi couldn't help but smile at least a little at how close they had all grown in their time here. Petra and Isabel had bonded especially well, and it was amazing to him just how well the two of them got along.

It made sense, as far as Levi knew Isabel had never had a mother, at least not one that she could remember, and Petra seemed to be filling that void in her life. Levi loved that the two of them got along so well, and he loved watching them together. It felt so domestic, so much like a family that he had never had or been a part of before. He thought that it might be filling a void in his life, too.

He still hadn't tried to talk to Petra about his feelings again, although that never stopped them from being affectionate toward each other. It still baffled him that Petra hadn't wanted him to say what he'd wanted to say just after he had rescued her from Erwin's clutches. His feelings hadn't changed, she had to know that. She probably knew that what he wanted to tell her that day was true when he was trying to say it, but for some reason, she'd stopped him. He wasn't sure if he would ever understand.

"Aniki, I'm getting stronger every day!" Isabel said as she made her way out of her room and into the small living room where Levi was standing. Petra followed her out and stood in the doorway, watching with a proud smile as Isabel walked out to the middle of the room all on her own.

It was something so simple for everyone else, and yet it was such a huge accomplishment for Isabel. It made him proud to see her improving, and happy to see that she was getting stronger. Strong enough to hold her own again. Strong enough to get their revenge on the commander that had killed Farlan.

"You're doing great," Levi answered, but his tone didn't sound happy or proud. His thoughts were preoccupied, as they normally were these days.

"I can't wait to get back in 3DM gear! I haven't used it in so long! Do you think I'll forget how?"

"No, it's like riding a bike, you never forget," Petra chimed in happily, which was a welcome reprieve for Levi. He loved Isabel, but her constant energy and cheerfulness were something that Levi couldn't deal with all the time. He needed to stay focused. He couldn't relax.

"We'll have to get you your own set somehow if you want to practice before things get serious. I'm not even sure where you would be safe practicing," Levi said, his mind racing trying to think of how to get the gear for Isabel.

"I'm sure we'll figure it out," Isabel answered, not paying much attention to just how serious of a topic this really was. He knew she wanted to fight, but it seemed like she wasn't willing to put in the effort necessary to reach that goal.

"How did you guys get the gear when you lived underground?" Petra asked, and he wasn't really prepared for her to ask that question. Levi hadn't wanted to tell Petra anything about the underground, really, or the kind of person he was before he came to the surface. She'd told him before that she didn't care what he did before she met him, that what made him a good person was what she knew of him now. If she knew about what he'd done in the past, would she still want to help him?

"It's not important," he answered just as Isabel was about to launch into a story. Isabel knew how they'd gotten the gear. She knew that they had beaten three MPs to a bloody pulp before they robbed them of their gear and left them in an alley to die. Isabel would have happily told Petra the story because she'd thought it was amazing at the time. She probably still thought it was something to be proud of, but Levi knew that it was anything but.

"Aniki, it's a really good story," Isabel protested, her face drooping as she tried to intensify her sad puppy look.

"I'm sure Petra doesn't want to hear about how horrible we were to people before we came to the surface," Levi said firmly, and Isabel seemed to get the hint.

"It doesn't matter how you got it," Petra started again. "The important thing is that you learned how to use it, and I heard you were all amazing with it. All three of you. The Scouts were sent for you because no one else could catch you."

"We would have killed them too if they hadn't outsmarted us. They used Isabel and Farlan against me then, too. Just like Erwin is now. Always using the people I love to threaten me."

"Levi...why are you being so…" Petra started but she hesitated, perhaps unsure of what she wanted to say next. Unable to find the right word.

"You're a wet blanket, Aniki," Isabel supplied, and Petra giggled a bit. "I mean, even more than usual. What's wrong? Are you hiding something from us?"

"I'm not hiding anything, I'm just trying to keep our goals in mind. Everyone is getting too comfortable here. It's not good. You all seem to be forgetting that we aren't safe here."

"We're not forgetting, we're just trying not to dwell on it all the time. It's scary to think that someone could come bursting in the door at any moment. If we all thought about that all the time, no one would be able to do anything, much less focus on recovery or plans. I know you're worried, I am too, but we can't dwell on it. The best we can do is have a plan for if someone tries to come in, which we do." Petra was almost scolding him for what he'd said, but he knew that she was just trying to help him. Regardless, all he could think about was the potential of losing Petra and Isabel again. Not a thought he liked to entertain.

"We need to stay alert. If we get complacent and stop thinking about what could happen we'll fall into his trap. I know Izzy isn't completely recovered, but I think we need to leave soon. Do you think you're well enough to ride a horse, Izzy?" Levi asked, looking to Isabel when he was done speaking.

She looked worried for a moment like she wasn't sure how to answer his question, and it was a look he wasn't used to seeing on Isabel's face. She was always rambunctious, willing to do the craziest things, but now she seemed timid.

"I...I might be able to. It's hard for me to say. Doing anything that takes too much energy is hard for me right now. I might be able to ride double with someone if I absolutely had to," Isabel answered, although she didn't seem confident. Levi didn't like that her confidence was lacking in her answer, and it made him that much more worried.

"You won't have to do it unless something happens. I just wanted to know that you can," Levi elaborated, although the anxious look never left Isabel's eyes.

"I...think I'm gonna go lay down for a while," Isabel said, her voice low and somewhat sad to Levi's ears. He hadn't meant to scare her again, not like this, but it was important that they be ready for any situation.

He watched her leave and, once the door was closed behind her, Petra turned her gaze on him. The look of disappointment in her eyes was greater than he'd ever seen it.

"Good job. I was just starting to get her to feel better," Petra said, crossing her arms over her chest.

"She doesn't need to feel better, she needs to feel prepared. Nothing good is going to come from her thinking she's enjoying a nice holiday away from her prison cell. She needs to be ready to act at any moment," Levi argued, his annoyance growing stronger.

"She doesn't need to feel like someone is inevitably going to swoop in and take her away, either. She needs to feel at least a little secure. She is safe with us, you've told her that a million times since we've been here and now it's like you're going back on that. Telling her that we're not safe and that we should always be on guard."

"We should always be on guard. The longer we're missing the harder they're going to look for us. You have to know that as well as I do. It's only a matter of time before they start searching every empty house in Stohess and beyond. She needs to be prepared for the possibility that the enemy could show up at our doorstep at any moment."

"And if that possibility cripples her and puts her in a state of fear so deep that she can't even sleep at night, what good does that do?" Petra asked, her voice rising only slightly as she seemed to be getting angrier with him. "You know what she was like the first few nights we were here. She barely slept at all, and when she did even the slightest noise would wake her, and she wouldn't be able to go back to sleep. Being prepared is one thing, but if you're so paranoid and afraid that you can't even sleep you can't possibly be prepared to fight off intruders. You're going to put her right back in that mindset if you don't calm down. I've never seen you this scared of anything before, Levi. Not titans...not anything."

"The only thing that scares me now is losing someone else that I love. I can't lose Izzy again...or you, or any of the squad. You're all too important to me," Levi admitted, and that seemed to shed some light on the situation for Petra.

"You can't be so scared of losing us that you put us in more danger, though. You know me, I can take care of myself, especially if I have my gear. No one is ever going to catch me as long as I have it. Besides that, no one would be stupid enough to fight us all while we're together. As long as we're aware of what's going on around the house, and keep taking night watches as we have been, I think we'll be fine. Izzy needs just a little bit longer to heal completely. We can buy that time as long as we continue to be careful."

"The longer we stay here, the more paranoid I get. They have to be closing in," Levi said with a heavy sigh. Thinking about this constantly was giving him a headache, but he couldn't stop the thoughts from coming.

"We just have to keep believing that everything will work out for us. We're always careful, all of us. You haven't even left this house since we got here, and neither have I, or Izzy. I know they're still looking for Eld and Gunther too, but they're so careful when they go out. Besides that, probably not many people from the Corps know what Eld and Gunther look like. You're the most recognizable person in the squad. As long as you stay out of sight, everything will be fine, I think."

"What if Oluo is working with them? He knows Eld and Gunther. He was on the squad, so he has intimate knowledge of how I operate and how I think. I don't like him, but I can't say that he's an idiot. If he's helping them, they'll find us faster."

"I've never seen you so worried before," Petra said, a worried look on her face. "If you let your fear overpower you, you won't be able to think straight. Isn't that what you always told us?"

"I was never this afraid to lose before. If we lose this time it means something worse than death. I can't let that happen to any of you." Levi was struggling to stay composed, and he knew it was scaring Petra but he couldn't help himself. His nerves were fraying. He was losing the perfectly crafted composure that he managed to keep intact constantly and he didn't know how to get it back.

Petra moved toward him then, slowly and somewhat cautiously, but persistently. Her lips twitched upward in sort of a sad smile as if she felt bad for him, which was the last thing he really needed right now. Instead of saying anything, though, she only pulled him into an embrace, something that he hadn't known that he needed so much. He wrapped his arms around her, squeezing just slightly, and the warmth and pressure of her body against his somehow soothed some of his worries. It was still there, he was still scared, but somehow Petra being so close to him and showing her affection to him made him feel like everything really would work out somehow.

One of her hands found its way to the nape of his neck where her fingers idly played with the loose strands of hair there, and he heaved a deep sigh and closed his eyes. Who knew that the best stress relief was a hug and someone playing with his hair?

Perhaps it wasn't just the actions she was taking, but the meaning behind them. He knew that she cared for him, and she hadn't really been able to show him that fact while they'd been here. Things had been too chaotic, there had been more important things to worry about, but right now he really needed this. It was ridiculous just how much this was helping to ease his stress.

"Everything will be okay," Petra started, her voice low and soft and comforting. "Because we're all here together, and we trust each other, and we work well together. You picked us all for a reason, even Izzy. We'll make it through this."

"Izzy kind of picked me," Levi said, the tension releasing from his shoulders as he spoke. "But I don't regret taking her in. She needed someone. Needed me."

"She still needs you, and I think you might need her a little bit, too," Petra said with a little bit of a chuckle.

He was finally starting to feel a bit better when he heard the coded knock on the front door that alerted them that Eld and Gunther had returned. The embrace that he and Petra had been sharing ended, but not without a quick kiss pressed to her forehead.

He walked to the door to unlock it and let their squadmates in, but he couldn't help the nagging feeling that something was wrong. He knew he was probably just worrying himself again, that he was overreacting and that he should just trust his squad, but his gut was rarely ever wrong. When he opened the door, his fears were realized.

He didn't see Gunther and Eld standing there, instead, only Eld was in front of him, and there looked to be blood splattered on his face.

Eld rushed inside, and Levi could do little but close and lock the door behind him. He heard Petra gasp as she took in the disheveled state of Eld, and it seemed that neither of them really knew where to begin asking questions. Levi started with the one most prevalent in his mind.

"Were you followed here?" he asked, and he knew the first question should have been 'are you alright?' or 'where's Gunther?', but he couldn't bring himself to ask those when the one he asked was the most important to him right now.

"I wasn't followed. I lost them in town. Gunther...he was shot," Eld said, out of breath and distraught as he tried to give answers to the questions he likely knew Levi would ask him. "I...I don't know if he's alive or not. I didn't have time to react. I just had to get out."

"Eld, are you hurt?" Petra asked, rushing over to him to try and inspect him. There was blood, although not a lot of it, and Levi assumed that it was the blood of their comrade. They must have been standing close together when he was shot.

"I don't think so. They shot at me, but nothing hit. I don't know how I managed to get away," Eld answered, patting himself down as if he wasn't even really sure if he had been hit by one of the bullets that had been shot at him.

"Did they kill him?" Levi asked, his tone even, very unlike Petra's which was full of worry.

"I'm not sure. I heard the shot, I heard him react to it and felt the blood on my face. He told me to run. We had this plan, if anyone ever found us out, we would split up, lose them, and meet back at the house. I was hoping I would find him back here but…" Eld stopped, the realization setting in that Gunther had either been captured or killed, and no one said another word for a moment.

"If they didn't kill him, they'll torture him for information. That or use him as bait to lure us back out. Regardless, it isn't safe to stay here anymore. If they have him, he might tell them where we're staying," Levi said, his thoughts spilling out as fast as they were forming.

"He won't tell them where we are," Eld said, and Levi detected the slightest hint of defensiveness in Eld's tone. He knew his squad was all close, they all trusted each other, and he trusted them too, but he knew that there were ways of getting people to talk.

"I don't think he would under any normal circumstances, no, but people can only stand so much torture before they start to break."

"Aniki, what's going on?" Isabel asked, emerging from her room. Levi had hoped that she wouldn't hear them speaking. He had hoped that he would have time to formulate what he was going to say to her, to let her in on what was happening gently instead of letting her be bombarded by it all, but nothing ever really went according to plan.

"Izzy," Levi started, not sure how to tell her what was happening.

"Where's Gunther?" she asked again, seemingly putting things together on her own. She was a smart girl, and Levi did not doubt that she would figure everything out on her own if they didn't just tell her. "Why is there blood on your face, Eld? Are you hurt?"

She was asking questions so quickly that none of them really had any time to answer them. It seemed that she might have been answering the questions for herself just as quickly as she was asking them.

"Izzy, try not to panic, okay?" Petra said, her voice soothing and soft, just as it had been when she had been speaking to Levi earlier.

"What happened?" Isabel asked, her questions sounding more and more frantic every time she spoke. It was clear that she was starting to panic, but Levi had no idea how to comfort her or stop her from reacting.

"Eld and Gunther ran into some trouble, we're not sure where Gunther is right now...we just know that he's been shot. We're hoping that he'll turn up here sometime soon," Petra explained the situation calmly, but it didn't help Isabel's panic.

Levi saw Isabel's eyes go as wide as saucers, he noticed the way her breaths sped up, fast and short, and he noticed how she seemed to become instantly unsteady on her feet. He wasn't sure if he'd ever seen it before, but he was pretty sure she was having a panic attack. Something that he imagined other soldiers in the Corps might experience just before their deaths in the field, but something that he had never had the misfortune of experiencing for himself.

"They found us," Isabel almost gasped as if she couldn't catch her breath long enough to speak. "They know where we are and they're going to come for us now. Aniki was right, we got too comfortable and now they're coming to take me back…"

"Izzy, look at me," Petra said, trying to get Isabel to focus on her but the younger girl's eyes were too busy frantically darting around the room as if she couldn't focus on anything, as if she was looking for some kind of answer on the walls and ceiling of the house. "You need to breathe, okay? Deep, steady breaths. I know it's scary, but you're panicking."

"How do you know they didn't follow you here? You shouldn't have come back!" Isabel shouted, her panic suddenly turning into anger toward Eld, who was in a sort of state of shock himself at the events that had transpired. "You could have led them all back here!"

"Izzy, you need to calm down. Blaming Eld for something that you don't even know is not going to help anything," Levi said, perhaps a bit too sternly for the situation.

"We'll all die because of this! I know they followed you! We have to leave right now, Aniki, we have to go!" Isabel was clearly frantic, looking for an answer to a situation that they weren't even sure they were in yet, and Levi could tell that Petra wasn't sure how to calm her down, or if she even could.

"Izzy, please, just take a few deep breaths, okay? I know you're scared, we're all scared, but you have to calm down. You're panicking," Petra said again, trying to help Isabel get a grip on what was happening.

"Izzy, you're being too loud," Levi said calmly, his voice even in an attempt to help Isabel find calm again.

"How can I not be? We're doomed!" Isabel all but shouted, her emotions still running wild.

Levi couldn't take it anymore. If they hadn't been found already, they surely would be if someone heard her shouting, and so he did the only thing he could think of to force her to get a grip. He pushed Petra out of the way, perhaps a bit more forcefully than he needed to, and slapped Isabel right across the face. It worked, and she stopped shouting. Her hysterics calmed and her breathing was more even, although still a little too fast for his taste, the look on her face was devastating.

"Levi…" Petra said quietly, almost just as shocked as Isabel that he had hit her.

Isabel didn't say anything, she just stood in front of him, her hand cupping the spot on her cheek where his hand had made contact, and he could swear that he saw tears welling in her eyes. He felt horrible for hitting her, but he was beginning to panic himself, and he saw no other way around the situation. It was a split-second decision, and one that might prove to be wrong, but it was the only option he saw.

Before anyone else could say anything more, Isabel moved as quickly as she could to her room, which still wasn't fast but it was fast enough for none of them to react before she closed the door and locked herself in.

Levi tried not to show his regret at what he'd done, it wasn't really his thing, after all. He knew, though that Petra and Eld could sense his instant regret. He knew that what he'd just done was going to take a toll on his relationship with Isabel, especially after everything that she'd been through. How could she continue to trust him if he was going to do the same thing that her abusers had done to her?

He couldn't hide his disappointment in himself for long, and he hung his head, casting his gaze toward the floor instead of at anyone else in the room. He couldn't say that he was ashamed of many things he'd done in his life, but this was definitely one of them.

How would Petra see him now that he'd done something like this? Would she be afraid of him? Afraid that he might do the same to her if she ever steps out of line. The thought was preposterous to him, he could never hurt Petra, and he was sure he didn't physically hurt Isabel, but he couldn't deny that the action had left room for doubt.

"I shouldn't have done that," He said quietly, only just loud enough for his comrades to hear him. "I just didn't know how to get her to stop."

"Heichou…" Eld started, a sadness in his voice that Levi thought he might be hearing for the first time. "We know you didn't mean to hurt her."

"Does she?" Levi asked, and it didn't seem that either of them had a real answer to the question.

"I'm sure she does."

"I should apologize…" Levi started, lifting his head to look toward Isabel's door.

"You should leave her alone, for the time being," Petra chimed in, and he thought he might have heard some anger in her voice. "I think she needs some time alone after that. You know what she's been through, you doing that to her...I'm sure she needs some time to reason it out."

"I'm sorry," Levi apologized to Petra, knowing she wasn't the one that needed it but feeling as though he should still say the words.

"Don't apologize to me, I'm not the one you hit," Petra said, her voice cold, and his fears that what he'd done somehow damaged his relationship with Petra as well only intensified. "There are more important things to talk about while Izzy cools off, anyway. What are we going to do now that we may have been found out?"

"I don't think they know that you're with us, Heichou. They may think that it was only me and Gunther. I know I wasn't followed back here. I was very careful. It'll buy us a little bit of time to figure something out, but once they start putting two and two together…" Eld paused, knowing that Petra and Levi would be able to fill in the blank space in his sentence.

Levi let the silence hang between the three of them for a long time. He was stuck between trying to reconcile the situation with Petra and planning their escape from Stohess but to where? They didn't have another place lined up, and it would be dangerous to leave the house without arrangements being made. They wouldn't be able to make it to where his relatives were in Shiganshina in just one day, and that meant it wasn't an option.

"We still need to find somewhere new to go. Somewhere further away from town. They'll start sweeping all the houses within a certain radius of the town to try to flush us out, we just need to be gone before they start doing that," Levi answered, his voice devoid of emotion.

"How will we find somewhere to go if they're looking for us, though?" Petra asked, a bit of worry bleeding into her voice, overshadowing her anger toward him that had been there just moments ago.

"I'll find something," Levi stated, no question to his tone. He knew the only way they would be able to find something is if they kept doing patrols, and Eld wouldn't be able to handle that alone.

"You don't mean that you're going to look for yourself," Petra said. Not a question, but Levi answered it anyway.

"It's the only way we're going to be able to find a new place to hide. Eld can't be the only one looking, that'll take too long. You're recovered enough to protect yourself and Izzy, you said that yourself just a few moments ago. If Eld and I are both looking, we can cover more ground."

"Heichou, that'll be a lot more dangerous," Eld argued, seeming to come back to his senses a little bit after what had just happened. "They're actively looking for you, and you're pretty recognizable. If they find you, we're done for."

"They won't find me," Levi said matter-of-factly, the same sureness in his voice as he always had. "We can lay low for the rest of today. In fact, we probably should. We don't need to be stirring up any more trouble after what happened to Gunther. We'll go out tomorrow, and we're not limiting ourselves to houses anymore. Izzy is strong enough to be able to rough it a little. We need to find any shelter that seems suitable and get there soon."

"I don't like this idea," Petra said, her voice hard and resolute. "You're putting yourself in more danger than you need to. Eld and I could go out looking for shelter, you don't need to expose yourself for something like that."

"I don't think I'm the best person to stay with Izzy right now. I doubt she wants me around much," Levi replied, trying to hide the disappointment for himself that he was sure was evident in his voice. "This is the best way to do it."

"Okay, we'll go and look for a new place to stay tomorrow morning, then," Eld nodded, his tone resolute.

"You should go get some rest, Eld, you've been through a lot this morning. I'm sure you need some time," Levi suggested and Eld did little more than nod before he made his way to his bedroom, leaving Levi and Petra alone in the living room.

"Are you alright?" Petra asked, her expression showing that she clearly knew that he was having a hard time.

"I'm fine," he said, not the answer she was looking for, and certainly not one that she believed.

"You should stop lying to try to make everyone around you comfortable."

"I'm not lying, I'll be fine," he answered again, a little agitated that she wouldn't just drop it.

"You feel bad for hitting Izzy, right?" Petra asked, drilling on, trying to get him to talk about his feelings when she knew he wasn't good at it.

"Of course I do, but how am I supposed to apologize to her for that after everything she's been through? She probably thinks I'm a monster just like the rest of the worthless pieces of shit that used to abuse her."

"I'm sure she doesn't think of you that way, but I know from the look on her face earlier that you scared her." Petra moved closer to him, reaching out to take his hand and lead him to the sofa. He didn't fight her, but let her pull him around wherever she wanted to take him.

He was exhausted, as he normally was, letting his mind race through the night, not allowing himself to sleep because of all the thoughts that buzzed around behind his eyelids. There was no way around it, the physical and mental exhaustion he felt from being in this situation for so long was taking its toll on him. Now, the situation had gotten even worse, and on top of it all, he'd hurt Isabel. Every time he thought about it he just couldn't see why people dedicated themselves to him like Petra and Eld and Gunther had. Such a shitty person didn't deserve the love of all these people.

"I just couldn't get her to stop shouting," he said, his voice low and soft.

"I know, I'm sure she'll understand everything in time, but she needs to take some time to herself to process," Petra said, her voice calming and relaxing. He thought that, if she just talked to him calmly like this every night, he might be able to sleep.

"I can't let anyone else get hurt," He said, some of the fight coming back into his voice, although he knew he still sounded exhausted. "Gunther was never supposed to get hurt. He could be dead, for all we know. I can't let it happen to anyone else."

"It won't," she said, and this time it was Levi who found himself lying his head in her lap. She gently raked her fingers through his hair, massaging at his scalp as he laid there staring at the wall in front of the sofa. He thought that any normal person might involuntarily shed a tear in this situation, but he couldn't seem to even remember what crying felt like, he hadn't done it in so long. Besides, he thought he might be too tired for even that display of emotion. He just felt empty, but at least Petra's presence grounded him for now.

"If you keep doing that I'm going to fall asleep," he said if anything just trying to talk to keep himself awake.

"Maybe you need to sleep," Petra said, and he could hear the smile in her voice even though he wasn't looking at her to see it.

"It's the middle of the day, I shouldn't sleep right now."

"You don't sleep in the middle of the night when you're supposed to, so what does it matter what time it is right now. If you're tired, you should sleep."

"Then you'll be the only one awake," Levi protested, trying everything in his power to convince her, and himself, that he should stay awake.

"I think I can manage," she answered. "And if anything happens, I'm sure you'll wake up before I even get the chance to wake you."

"I don't need to sleep, I'll be fine," he protested, but his eyelids were growing heavier with every word.

"Exactly how long has it been since you've had a good night's sleep?" Petra asked although he was sure she had a good idea of how long it had been.

"I'm not sure, the days just tend to bleed together," He answered and he knew that she was judging him.

"Levi, do yourself, and all of us, a favor and get some sleep. I promise I'll wake you up if you need to be awake. You can't shoulder everything on your own forever, and you can't fight at your best if you're exhausted like this."

"You've gotten bossy since we started this mission," Levi rebutted and he heard her chuckle a bit at his words.

"I've always been bossy, just not with you. Now I feel like I can boss you around without fear of punishment," she said, a jovial tone to her voice.

"Hm, my mistake for making you feel that way," He shot back, still witty even though he felt like he had minimal energy to put into it.

"Go to sleep, Levi," she sighed with another small laugh, and before he knew it he was drifting off to sleep as Petra's fingers continued to run through his hair.

Chapter 10

Notes:

Hello! I have been working so hard on this story the past few days, and really enjoying writing it! I hope updates coming so fast now are an encouragement to all my readers that I'll actually finish the story! I never intended to abandon it, and have been so inspired recently to write it. So, here's ANOTHER new chapter, and things are starting to pick up a bit in this one! Enjoy!

Also, there's a bit of a trigger warning here for descriptions of violence.

Chapter Text

When Levi woke up again he could see that it was just starting to get dark out, and the fact that he'd slept away his day irked him as he reached up to rub the sleep from his eyes. Petra hadn't tried to wake him, and that meant that nothing notable had happened while he had been asleep, but he couldn't help but notice that she wasn't in the room with him anymore.

He got up off of the sofa with a slight groan, the lumpy cushions having done nothing good for his back, and tried to stretch the soreness away before he quietly made his way toward Isabel's door. He didn't enter the room, remembering that he may not be welcome there at the moment, and instead stood just outside. The door had been left slightly ajar, and so he could tell that Petra was inside the room speaking to Isabel, although it was hard to make out what she was saying to the younger girl.

"...didn't mean to, you know that." Petra's voice was so quiet that he couldn't make out the first part of her sentence, but he had the feeling he knew what the two of them were talking about.

"I know...but that doesn't change the fact that it scared me." Isabel's voice was a bit louder, and so it made it easier for him to hear what she was saying. "Aniki has never hit me before, not even once. The fact that he did it today...and knowing everything that's happened...it makes me think he might have changed."

He cursed himself silently hearing Isabel confirming everything that he'd been afraid of. He had made her fear him, at least a little, by lashing out at her like he had. Her opinion of him had changed, judging by what she had just said, and he hated himself that much more for making her feel that way.

"I know that must have been scary for you, but I promise Levi is still the man that you knew before. He's so caring and kind, even if he doesn't want to admit it. If anything, the only thing that's changed about him is just how much he's willing to give up to make sure that we all stay safe. What he did earlier was out of fear and panic, and I know panic is not a word you associate with him, but fear can make people do strange things," Petra said, her voice only slightly more audible now. Levi couldn't help but feel happy hearing Petra say all those things about him, even if he still felt like absolute trash for what he'd done.

"I know...and I know that should mean something but I just can't look past it. Aniki was never the kind of person that would threaten to hurt me before. I never imagined he would, and now I'm not sure how I'll react anymore when I see him getting angry. Being in that prison cell really changed things for me, I don't handle bad emotions like that well anymore." Isabel sounded defeated as she spoke, and it made Levi feel like he had let her down even more. The young girl with the bright eyes and carefree attitude that had gone into that cell had stayed there. Isabel was a different person now, no matter how much Levi wanted her to be the same as she always was.

"It will take a long time to regain your trust in other people, maybe even longer now, but I just want you to know how he feels about it. I know Levi isn't the best at talking about his feelings, but earlier he was telling me how horrible he felt about it. He was so afraid that he'd done something so horrible that it would push you away forever, and I know that it feels like you can't trust him anymore, but I hope talking to me helped you understand why he did it. At least a little?" Petra was trying her hardest to mend things with Isabel for him, but he felt like it might take a little bit more than a talk to fix this.

"I understand, but you have to understand that I may not react the same way to him again for a long time. Until I know for sure that he's not going to hit me again. I'm not even sure how I'll react to seeing him again," Isabel said, sending another pang of guilt through Levi's body. He didn't think it was possible to hate himself more than he already did, but Isabel was proving him wrong.

"I'll try to help him understand that. Just as long as you know that we're still on your side, and our promise to keep you safe hasn't changed."

"Of course."

Levi walked away from the door then, having heard all he could stomach. He wanted to charge in the room and tell Isabel that she was being ridiculous, that he would never hurt her on purpose, but he knew from what she said that it would likely only make the situation worse. He needed to try and keep his distance from her if what she said was true. At least as much as he could in this house, and wherever else they might end up.

He made his way to the stove to boil some water for tea, perhaps the only thing that might calm his nerves and his racing thoughts. He heard Isabel's door swing open and then close again after someone came out, he only assumed it would be Petra since Isabel didn't seem to want to come out or speak to him. He was right, and he heard her trying to sneak up behind him just before she spoke.

"Were you eavesdropping or do I need to recap what I just talked about with Izzy?" Petra asked, and the fact that she had some idea that he might have been listening made him shake his head in disbelief.

"I heard," he answered. Only two words, and the tone in which he spoke them probably conveyed everything Petra needed to know.

"Do you understand, though?" she asked, and he heard a chair scuff against the floor as she pulled it away from the table so she could sit down.

"I understand that I've further damaged my relationship with Isabel through my reckless actions and that she doesn't trust me anymore. Is that about the gist of it?" Levi asked, bitterness seeping into his tone that he knew Petra was used to hearing.

"Somewhat, but there is still hope that you can reconcile. As I said, you just need to give her time. If you were listening you'll know that."

"Mm, but what am I supposed to do in the meantime when she flinches every time she sees me or is constantly worried about me losing my temper?" Levi asked, bringing a steaming teacup to the table and sitting down at the head of it.

"You deal with it until she's comfortable. It's not the best, and I know that, but it's better than her hating you, isn't it?" Petra asked, and he couldn't argue with her. He could only nod his answer. "I know it's going to be hard, but it'll get better. You just have to prove it to her again. Shouldn't be hard, since you love her like she's your little sister."

"I deal with it," he repeated, although he wasn't sure he knew how to do it. "It'll be easier for me to deal with it and for her to recover if I'm not here. I'll go out and try to find our next destination."

"What? Alone? I don't think that's a good idea," Petra argued, but he had all but made his mind up before he even voiced his thoughts.

"I'll be fine, I'll stay hidden. We need to find somewhere to go as I said before. Nothing is going to get better until we leave this place." Levi was resolute. Petra wasn't going to change his mind, but he could tell she desperately wanted to.

"At least take Eld with you, please," Petra asked again, but he wasn't in the mood to go back on what he'd said.

"Eld doesn't need to go out again after what he went through today. I'll be fine, Petra," Levi urged again, but the fight in Petra's eyes didn't fade.

"Then I'm going with you," she stated, seemingly as unwilling to change her mind as he was.

"I don't think so."

"Think again, then," she insisted, crossing her arms over her chest in defiance. "I'm not gonna let you wander around on your own after something like that. None of us would know what had happened if you don't come back."

Her voice was steady but he heard the fear in it as she stated her argument. The same reason that he was being so paranoid was the reason she didn't want him to go out alone. People were looking for them, and she was worried that he might be caught. Still, her defiance was annoying.

"And if I order you to stay here?" he asked, and she didn't seem to falter.

"We defected from the military. You don't have that kind of authority over me anymore, Levi. And you especially don't have that authority over me if you want anything to come of our relationship. You don't get to boss me around just because you're worried about me or want to protect me. I can hold my own. That's why you picked me for your squad, and that's probably why you have such strong feelings for me if I had to guess. I'm not staying behind." Petra was resolute. He knew he wasn't going to sway her, and the fact that she was putting up such a fight about it had been one of the qualities that had been appealing to him, in their relationship and in his decision to add her to his squad.

Her fight, her determination, and the fact that she was never willing to back down were all things that drew him to her. He just wished, for one god damn second, she would listen to him instead of being so stubborn.

"Fine, hard-headed brat," he said, finally giving in, although it pained him to do so. "I'm going to look for a shelter tonight, so if you wanna come you should go get ready."

"We should wake Eld and let him know that we're going," Petra said, smiling at her apparent victory over him.

"I'll go do that. Be ready to go by the time I come back downstairs," he said before he turned to climb the stairs to the second floor where he would find Eld's bedroom.

He didn't look back at Petra, but he knew she was ecstatic over that little victory. In a way, he was glad that it made her happy, but that didn't change the fact that he was worried about her going with him. It was putting her in unnecessary danger, but it was something that would have to be done. He just hoped that she was really as ready to fight as she thought she was. He didn't want to have to find out that she wasn't the hard way.

He slowly made his way to Eld's bedroom and knocked on the door, and it only took his squadmate a moment to open it.

"Heichou," Eld said, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

"Petra and I are going to scout for a new place to stay. I wanted to make sure you were awake in case anyone comes snooping around. Izzy's...okay I guess. She's in her room," Levi felt like he might have been bombarding Eld with too much directly after he woke up, but he was just trying to hurry the explanation along so he could get out of the house. He hadn't realized how tired of this place he had grown since they got here. He found that he couldn't wait to get outside.

"Sure, no problem. Are you sure that's for the best, though? I mean, Petra is probably still a little weak, and the risks of you leaving…"

"I know," Levi interrupted. "But you still need rest and we can't wait much longer. We'll be fine."

"I trust you. Just be careful, we didn't think there was much to worry about when we went out earlier today," Eld urged and he probably knew he didn't have to remind Levi about it, but Levi was glad that he had.

Levi nodded and headed downstairs again to find Petra clad in a long, hooded cloak waiting by the door. She definitely wasn't wasting any time. She seemed just as anxious to get out of the house as he did at the moment, and he couldn't say that he blamed her. It was beginning to feel like a prison of itself, and that wasn't a good feeling to have when they were already on the run.

"Ready?" she asked as he walked toward the door to gather his own cloak. He hadn't put it on since they'd arrived at the house, and it seemed like a bad omen that he was wearing it again now.

"As ready as I'm going to get," he answered, drawing his hood over his head. She did the same and they left the house together, neither of them sure if they would even be able to make it back again.

The sun had completely set in the time it had taken them to leave the house, and the air felt cool and dewy on his exposed skin. He was glad it was dark now because that would make it that much harder for their enemies to spot and recognize them. It was the perfect time for them to leave the small house that had been their safe haven since they'd gone rogue.

"Where should we start?" Petra asked as they made their way out of town. They walked calmly, not in a hurry to get anywhere in particular, and Levi couldn't help but think of the last time they'd calmly walked down a street together. It was when they'd gone to dinner together, before Erwin had kidnapped her, and before Farlan had met his untimely demise. He remembered how good it felt to walk with her like that, how free he'd felt for the first time in so long. He wished he could feel that good now, but all he could feel was worry.

"I think we should get as far from the town as we can, see if we can find any abandoned houses or caves in the surrounding area. Obviously, a house would be nice, but we have to take what we can find," Levi answered

"Okay, sounds like a plan," Petra smiled, and their walk continued in silence after that. It wasn't uncomfortable or tense, no matter what had happened earlier in the day, but it was the same as it had been the last time. Comfortable, warm, like something he wanted more of.

The moon was bright tonight, and that would help them on their way, but it would also be a detriment. People would be able to see them more easily, and so he didn't want to let his guard down even for a moment, no matter how much he longed for that sense of normalcy. Even if his life had been a mess back then, too, at least it wasn't as bad as this. Being fugitives, running from the military. It was much harder to enjoy anything at all now.

"It's kind of nice to be out of the house, don't you think?" Petra asked, her voice quiet as she spoke.

"At least I don't feel like I'm suffocating," Levi replied, although he did agree with her statement. He felt that he couldn't be completely truthful for fear that it would make her feel too comfortable.

"It'll get better soon, you know," she said. "We'll get through it, and we'll all be able to be happy again."

"How are you always so optimistic about everything?" He asked, and perhaps it struck a nerve because her tone of voice was terse when she spoke again.

"How are you always so pessimistic?"

"I didn't mean it as an insult. I just don't understand."

"I just try to see the best in everything. I look for the silver lining, the light at the end of the tunnel, you know? It's better than thinking the worst of everything. For me, at least," she explained, as much as he would have liked to be able to think that way, it never worked for him.

"If I don't think about the worst possible thing that could happen, I can't be prepared for it," Levi answered, and he saw her thinking about his response like things were clicking for her that she had never thought of before.

"I guess I get that, but doesn't it get hard, constantly thinking of the worst of every situation?"

"Of course, but if I try to forget about it I don't feel as capable of doing what needs to be done. If I had left the walls every time we went on an expedition thinking nothing would go wrong, a lot more people would be dead."

"You have a point," she answered and then paused. "I guess that's why we compliment each other so well. You're always prepared for the worst, and I'm always thinking of the positive things that can happen. We bring a balance to the team that wouldn't be there otherwise."

"One thing is for sure, the team would be a much drearier group if you weren't a part of it," he confessed, and that made her smile.

"You have to admit, though, you do feel freer like this, don't you? Sure, we're on the run and we have to be careful, but don't you feel less weighed down than you did before? Like...like something could change tomorrow and we wouldn't have to worry about hiding anymore?"

"It's odd, but I do feel less restricted here, even if we're technically more restricted than we were before. I guess I don't feel as though someone is always watching me. They may be looking for me, but if they don't know where I am, they can't watch me. That's freeing in itself." Levi felt strange admitting it, but he had to agree with her. Walking outside by moonlight with her right now made him feel like they didn't have to worry about anything. It was liberating, and it was dangerous, given the reality of the situation.

"Won't it be wonderful to be able to walk together without worrying about anything? Just the two of us, after this is all over." She sounded wistful when she talked about it like it was a far-off dream that may never become reality. He didn't want to think that it would never be reality. This was something he could try to be optimistic about.

"Mm, we could live out in the woods, somewhere that no one else will bother us. Maybe in just a small border town. We could open our own tea shop," he said, allowing himself to get lost in the fantasy with her.

"I can just imagine it. It would be so wonderful." She reached over to take his hand then, and he couldn't find it in himself to not let her do it. Even if just for a moment, he wanted her to be able to indulge in this fantasy, to imagine what their life together could be like.

"That would make all of this worth it."

Petra smiled, and she was about to speak again when they heard the familiar sound of footsteps coming toward them. There was a patch of woods along the whole left side of the road they had been walking down, and so they quickly darted there for cover, making sure to stay quiet so they wouldn't be detected.

"...heard he was pretty roughed up, but still alive. It's a shame what's gonna happen to him because of all of this," a male voice said as the footsteps got closer and closer. It didn't take long for Levi to figure out that they were soldiers, by the looks of their clothes, and he had a feeling he knew who they were talking about.

"Erwin's usually pretty level-headed, from what I've seen, but when I tell you he looked angry when he saw that guy…" a female soldier replied. "I feel a little bad for him. He probably just thought he was following orders."

"I told everyone, that guy from underground turned out to be no good after all. The Commander tried to give him a lot, and the asshole turned it all down and is now trying to dismantle the whole military. That's what you get for trusting underground trash, I guess." The male soldier scoffed and the female seemed to nod in agreement.

Levi could feel his blood boiling the longer he listened to them. He felt Petra's hand on his arm, trying to comfort him somehow, but he couldn't seem to get control of his temper. He turned to Petra, voice low, and began to rattle off instructions.

"If you're good enough to fight, now's the time to prove it," he whispered, his voice barely audible. "I want these two incapacitated. They know where Gunther is, and it sounds like he's still alive. If we can figure out where they're holding him, we could still save him."

"Levi, I don't know if that's a good idea," Petra whispered back, watching the two soldiers get closer to their hiding spot, strolling along the road at a slow pace. "I want to make sure Gunther is safe too, but what if we fail and they capture us instead? What if it's bait?"

"There's no one else with them. It's the perfect time to ambush them. If things start to go sour, just end them and fall back into these woods. Do you think you can do it?" Levi asked, and he could see the hesitation in Petra's body language. "You don't think you can kill them?"

"It's not that I can't...I would just rather not. I know Erwin is horrible, but these soldiers...what have they done?"

"You know what they did to Gunther. Do you think any of these soldiers would hesitate to kill you if they thought they needed to?" Levi asked, the sharpness to his voice startling Petra as she listened to him. "They wouldn't, in case you need that answer supplied. Any of them would gun you down, just like they did to Gunther. If we don't figure out where he is, you know what will happen to him. Now, are you going to help me with this or not?"

"Yes, I'll help," Petra answered, although she sounded like she had been beaten into submission.

He understood why she was hesitant. He didn't want to have to kill anyone either, but he knew it was a real possibility, and something they wouldn't be able to overlook if they wanted to make it through this.

"Okay, once they pass us by, we'll jump out and restrain them. I'll grab the man, you go for the woman, okay?" He asked, and Petra nodded as they watched the two soldiers grow closer and closer.

"Oh well, it can't be helped," the male soldier started again. "What's the saying? If you lay down with dogs, you'll get fleas. It's as simple as that. The company they're keeping is gonna land them in prison, nothing you can really do about that."

"I guess you're right. It's just so hard to understand what people's motives are, though. What if they're doing it all for a reason?" the woman asked, and the man looked at her like she had offended him.

"Are you kidding? What could their reasoning be? Erwin has what's best for all of us in mind when he makes his decisions!" The man yelled, and Levi hated just how terribly wrong the man was in his assumption.

Levi tuned out their conversation after that, hyper-focused on what he and Petra were about to do. The two soldiers passed them by without a care, and then they sprung into action. The soldiers hadn't been prepared at all for an ambush, and Petra gained control of the woman relatively quickly and without a struggle. Of course, it probably helped that she had pulled a knife on the woman. The man, however, gave a bit more of a fight, but he was still no match for Levi, regardless of how much larger he was.

"Not a single sound, understood?" Levi asked, trying to make his voice and demeanor as threatening as possible. The two soldiers nodded and Levi and Petra dragged them off of the road and out into the woods. They were likely scared for their lives, and they should have been, and so it made the situation a little easier to manage.

They walked until they found a steep hillside, somewhere that would make it harder for their captives to bolt and getaway, and Levi threw the man up against the slope as hard as he could. Petra was a bit more gentle but still dominant over the other woman as she pushed her to stand with her comrade.

"We heard your conversation, and you have our friend," Levi said, his voice cold as he spoke to the two soldiers. "Where are you holding him?"

"Like I would tell you that. You piece of garbage!" The male soldier spat, his anger clear in his features.

"If you're going to be difficult I'll just kill you now and save us some time."

The female soldier shuttered at Levi's threat, clearly scared of him, and it hurt Levi a bit that he'd had that effect. Of course, that had been what he was going for, but he didn't like people looking at him that way.

"Yeah, just go ahead, I'm not gonna tell you shit! You all deserve to rot!" The male soldier shouted, his features twisted into an angry grimace.

"I don't want to hurt either of you," Petra started, stepping forward, always the voice of compassion. "We just want to know where our friend is and that he's okay. I know you've both been told certain things, but I can assure you that they aren't true. If you knew the truth to the whole story, you might think differently of us. That man that you're holding, that your comrades shot, he's special to us. We just don't want anything bad to happen to him."

"Yet you're both willing to ambush us and kill us to get him back? I'm not buying it."

"You don't have to buy it, but if you want to save yourself some pain you'll tell us where he is," Levi growled, getting tired of going back and forth with the soldier.

"I...I'll tell you where he is if you just let me live," the female soldier spoke up, her hands shaking slightly as she spoke. She was terrified, Levi knew the look when he saw it, and he knew that she would likely do anything to save her life at this point.

"Clara!" The male soldier shouted and the woman flinched. "Are you kidding? We can't tell this scum anything!"

"Are you willing to sacrifice your life over something like this? Because I don't think I am. I don't even know for sure why we're all so determined to find these people. What did they do besides defect?" Clara asked, and the man only seemed to be getting angrier as he listened to her speak.

"It doesn't matter! What the Commander says is law! You're a soldier, you should be following orders, not questioning them!"

"Did you ever stop to think that, maybe, that was what started this whole mess?" Clara asked before she turned back to Levi and Petra. "I really don't know either of you, but I've heard how good you are at fighting the titans. Both of you are part of the most elite squad the Survey Corps has. I'm not sure what happened, but it must have been terrible to make you all rebel like this."

"This is fucking ridiculous! I can't believe you're siding with the enemy!" The man shouted again, rounding on his comrade. "It doesn't matter if we live through this situation, if the Commander finds out we spilled secrets he'll have us put in prison for the rest of our lives!"

Clara seemed to think about that for a moment before she looked between Levi and Petra, and Levi saw the resolve in her eyes. She was going to give them the information they needed, and she didn't care about the consequences from the military.

"They're holding him in a house in the middle of town, it's kind of been our headquarters while we've been searching for you all. He's really badly hurt, though. I'm not even sure how he survived the gunshot at such a close range. I can see why you picked him for your squad, Heichou. If all of your squad is as strong as he is, no one will be able to stop you," Clara rattled off some information for them, but it wasn't enough.

"How many soldiers are guarding him?" Levi asked his tone flat even after receiving compliments from her.

"It varies. Right now there are probably close to twenty, but the numbers will only grow by tomorrow. The Commander knows we're getting close to finding you now, so he's sending reinforcements."

"Is Gunther conscious?" Petra asked, her voice filled with hope that they were finally getting some answers. "Will he be able to run if we go to get him?"

"He's conscious on and off. I think the pain is what knocks him out more often than anything else. Of course, it doesn't help that he's being interrogated for details on where the rest of you are hiding. He's strong, but I don't think his body can take much more."

"Good," the male soldier spoke up again, and Levi rounded on him as soon as the word left his lips. "I hope you all suffer a fate worse than death for what you're planning to do!"

"I'm getting tired of your additions to the conversation. If you don't shut your mouth I'll break your jaw, then we'll see how easy it is for you to keep spouting lies," Levi threatened, although the man just chuckled at him.

"Go ahead, I know I'm as good as dead, and I'm sure Clara is too. You don't know us, you can't trust that we won't run back to camp and tell everyone that we found you, that you're somewhere in this town. I'm sure it would take us no time to find wherever you're hiding if we all started searching right now. Just go ahead and kill me, because I'm not gonna tell you shit!"

"Sagan, just stop!" Clara shouted, and her comrade looked over at her. "You're blindly following without having any information at all! Someone that was brought up from the underground wouldn't throw away their chance at living up here without a good reason! If you just think about it for a moment, doesn't it start to add up?"

"I never took you for a sympathizer, Clara. I didn't think you would betray our military like this in the face of danger. You're just as bad as they are!" Sagan lashed out, and before Levi and Petra understood what was happening, he had tackled Clara to the ground, his strong hands around her throat.

"Levi!" Petra shouted, springing into action to try and stop Sagan. Petra managed to grab the man, but he threw her off and somehow managed to take hold of Petra's knife in the process. Levi was so preoccupied with trying to get Petra away from Sagan that he couldn't stop what Sagan was planning.

Sagan didn't hesitate, as soon as he had Petra's knife he plunged it into Clara's chest, right over her heart.

"Levi, do something!" Petra shouted again, and he knew it was too late for the girl, but he also knew he had to get the situation under control before Sagan lashed out at them.

Sagan might have been bigger than Levi, but it was clear that he wasn't as strong. Levi had already overpowered him once, and he knew he could do it again, especially in the extremely emotional state that his opponent seemed to be in now.

Levi acted quickly, wrenching Sagan off of Clara, who was sputtering and struggling to breathe on the ground, and subduing him off to the side. It was easy to get the knife away from him, and once he had, he didn't hesitate. He plunged Petra's knife into Sagan's skull, straight through his temple, halting the larger man's movements instantly.

"Just hold on, Clara, you'll be okay," Petra said, but it sounded like she was so far away from Levi in the moment. He could hear her comforting Clara, trying to make her believe that she wasn't going to die, but Levi knew the truth of the matter. Even if they had access to life-saving medical treatment right now, they likely wouldn't be able to get her to it in time, as far out in the woods as they were now.

"Petra," He said, moving over to where Petra was trying frantically to stem the flow of blood pouring from Clara's wound.

"Levi, we need to help her," Petra said, her voice cracking with emotion. "She doesn't need to die, she helped us."

"She's lost too much blood already," he answered calmly, watching as Petra fretted over the girl.

"We can't just leave her here, she helped us!" Petra argued.
"We can't do anything for her now."

"Why are you so heartless?!" Petra shouted, and he knew that it was just the emotion of the moment, but it still hurt coming from her all the same. He understood that Petra had felt a connection to this girl, that she pitied her because of the situation, that she might have even trusted this girl that divulged military secrets to them, but Levi didn't value any of those things above his squad's lives. In the end, both of the soldiers would have had to die to ensure their safety, just like Sagan had said.

"She's already dead," Levi said coldly before he pulled a cloth from his pocket to wipe down Petra's blade. "We need to go back and tell Eld what we found out."

Petra just sat there by Clara's body for a long moment, her back turned to Levi as she looked at the younger girl's pale features and cold, blank eyes. Levi always hated looking at their eyes. He always felt like they were judging him.

"She didn't need to die," Petra whispered, and Levi knew that she was crying by the way her voice sounded. He knew that Petra hadn't signed up for the Corps intending to kill people, and he knew that she hadn't ever wanted to, but that was the reality of this mission. No matter how much a person insists that they're ready to take another person's life, he knew that no one ever really could be prepared for something like that. Petra had insisted that she could do anything he needed her to do to help him with his mission, but it seemed that killing people was harder than she had imagined, even if she didn't directly have anything to do with it.

"It's done now," Levi said although he knew that it wasn't helpful. He knew that Clara didn't deserve to die, Petra was right about that, but that had been the outcome, regardless.

"Is this what we're going to become? People that kill indiscriminately until we reach our goal? That wasn't what we agreed on. I never wanted to kill innocent people." Her voice was so soft, so sad, that it was hard to make out what she was saying.

"I told you before, Petra, I'm not a good person. I'm going to do whatever it takes to reach my goal. We're all just soldiers, except we're fighting a different kind of war now. People are all like this, at their core, willing to fight and kill for what they want, for what they believe in. The sooner you realize that you'll have to take some lives to survive this, the better."

"She was cooperating with us!" Petra shouted, her voice much stronger now. He could hear the anger in it, and she turned to face him as she spoke. Tears were streaming down her face, her hands were covered in the girl's blood, and it broke his heart to see her this way. "You told them that if they cooperated we wouldn't kill them!"

" I didn't kill her, Petra. Her comrade did. Her blood isn't on my hands," he said, although he realized it might have been a poor choice of words.

"So you can look me in the eye and tell me that you weren't planning on killing them both once we got the information we wanted?" Petra asked, her voice shaking as she looked up at him. "Can you tell me that truthfully?"

Levi didn't say anything to her question, and that seemed to be enough of an answer for her. The truthful answer to her question was that he had been planning to kill them both, just like Sagan said moments before he attacked Clara. He couldn't let them go, not after they'd both seen him and Petra. It was a liability that needed to be taken care of, surely Petra understood that.

He didn't know what to say to make the situation better, likely because there wasn't really a way to do it. Petra was devastated at what they'd done, and he just...didn't feel anything. He knew he'd been desensitized to things like this a long time ago, but the fact that it hurt Petra so much, hurt her view of him, made him upset as well.

"We should go back," he said again, although his voice sounded far sadder to his ears this time than it had last time he'd said it.

Petra didn't say anything else to him. She picked herself up off of the ground, snatched her knife out of his grasp, and started walking back toward the road that they'd started on, even though she was now covered in blood. He knew he should stop her, but he also knew that there was no way he was going to get through to her right now. As far as he knew, she hated him after what they'd just done, after what he'd confirmed to her was going to happen from the very start of this encounter. He sighed as he followed after her, afraid of the damage that this encounter would do to their relationship.

"Petra, we shouldn't go out in the open looking like this," he said, picking up his pace to catch up to her. She was practically running through the woods now, seemingly trying to put as much distance between herself and him as she could. When he finally caught up to her he grabbed her wrist, he could feel the tacky blood there as he pulled her back toward himself, and it only made him feel that much worse.

"Don't touch me!" Petra shouted, perhaps a bit too loudly for how close they were to the road now. "I don't want to be with you right now!"

"Petra, please, I'm just trying to keep you safe. You can't walk through town looking like you just killed someone. You have blood all over you, just come with me," Levi pleaded but Petra wasn't having it. She balled the fist of her free hand and started swinging, pounding on his chest with as much force as she could muster in her distraught state, which admittedly wasn't much. She hadn't stopped crying, and it hurt him to see her like this. It was something he never wanted to see, not on Petra.

"I said let me go!" she shouted again, although this time her voice was quieter as if she was coming back to her senses, realizing that she might be putting them in danger.

"I'm sorry, Petra. If there had been another way…" Levi started but he wasn't sure what else to say. There hadn't been much of another option. They had gotten some good information on where Gunther was being held, and that had been the plan all along. In his eyes, what had happened had been a success, although a bit unfortunate. Still, he hated how much it hurt Petra.

It seemed that Petra had given up her fight, because instead of trying to push him away now she was leaning into him, crying into his chest openly. All he could do was wrap his arms around her, embrace her and try to somehow comfort her, even though he was likely the last person she wanted comfort from right now.

They stood that way for a long time until Petra's gasping sobs quieted and her breathing settled. She was letting him hold her, but did that mean anything now? She likely thought he was a monster now, no better than Erwin. Disgusting. Was she so desperate for comfort that she could push it all aside for now, or was she finally coming to terms that it was unavoidable? He knew it would have to be something they would talk about later, but he dreaded the conversation.

When he finally felt that she had calmed down enough he let her go, and she just stood in front of him, misery drenching her normally bubbly persona. He didn't know what to say, didn't think there was anything he could say that would make her feel better, and so he just took hold of her hand again and led her back to the house through the woods. Neither of them said anything else the whole way there.

He swung the door open and Eld immediately panicked at the sight of them. Levi hadn't noticed how much blood had been on his own body, too worried about Petra to notice, and they likely looked horrible.

"Heichou! What happened? Are you both alright?" Eld asked, springing up from the sofa. He didn't move forward but looked back and forth between the two of them as Petra looked down at her hands, covered in Clara's blood.

"We know where Gunther is," Levi answered, and before Eld could say anything else Petra rushed to the sink to try and scrub the blood away. Levi couldn't look at her, but he heard her retching in the kitchen, disgusted with what the two of them had done.

"What? How?" Eld asked, clearly confused by what was happening.

"We found a couple of soldiers while we were out, they were talking about Gunther so we subdued them and asked some questions," Levi explained as Petra retched into the sink. "We got some good information out of them."

"What happened to them?" Eld asked although Levi was sure he could gather what had happened without him supplying that answer for him.

"They're dead," he deadpanned, and at that moment Eld let his gaze drift over to Petra, and then back to him.

"Fuck," Eld breathed, raking a hand through his hair. It was a lot of information to take in all at once, he couldn't blame him for being distressed. "Neither of you are hurt?"

"No, not physically, anyway."

"Then all this blood…" Eld trailed off, at a loss for words. "Is Petra alright?"

"I don't think so," Levi answered, heaving a frustrated sigh. "You should check up on her."

"What about you?"

"I don't think she wants much to do with me right now."

"No, Heichou, I mean are you alright?" Eld asked, concern clear on his face.

"I'll be fine. Just take care of Petra. I'm going back out."

"By yourself?"

"There's something I need to do."

"Heichou!" Eld shouted after him, but he'd already stormed back out the door. Taking those soldier's lives, making Petra see him in this light, it wouldn't be for nothing. He was going to find Gunther, and he didn't care how many people he had to kill to make sure his friend got back safe.

Chapter 11

Notes:

This is a bit of a gory one, so if descriptions of violence and blood bother you, read with caution. I'm planning to get on a schedule for updating this fic, so expect updates every Monday! As always, I hope you all enjoy the next chapter of this story!

Chapter Text

He didn't know exactly where he was going, but he was confident he could find it before dawn. Clara had said that it was a house in the middle of town, and if they were holding a hostage there, he was sure there would be armed guards outside. He knew what to look for, and he was confident that he could take care of whatever half-assed excuses for soldiers were stationed there, be that twenty or more. With the amount of rage rushing through his blood right now, he was confident he could handle a whole army by himself.

He had to make this right, everything with Isabel, with Petra, they wouldn't be able to move on until he fixed the mess he'd put himself in, but he couldn't fix that until he had his team back. Gunther was part of his team, and so he needed to rescue Gunther to get things back on track.

It was late at night now, and he knew that most people in the town would be sleeping, so he felt slightly better about the fact that he was still walking around drenched in blood, but he knew he would likely collect more before the night was over. There would be no way to hide it when he returned to the house. Petra would see, would put two and two together, and it would likely degrade her image of him even further. He would just have to try and make her see that what he was doing was for the good of all of them. He just didn't know how to do it.

He tried to forget about his problems with Petra and Isabel right now, he had something else to focus on at the moment, anyway. He would sort it all out once this night was over.

He had only been in town for a few minutes, but he had already found soldiers idling around a building that seemed to be a bar. He would follow them when they left, knowing that they would take him directly to whatever building was functioning as their headquarters. He would have to be patient, but patience was something that he was running very low on. He didn't have time to wait for a bunch of drunk soldiers to saunter their way back to wherever they were stationed, and yet he couldn't really do anything to hurry them along.

It felt like an eternity before a couple of them finally left, staggering their way down the road, laughing and joking with each other as if they weren't about to lead him to where his friend was being tortured for information. He grit his teeth at the thought that they could be enjoying themselves while one of their own was tortured. But he knew it was all orders to them, they were just doing as they were told, but that didn't make him any less angry.

It seemed odd to him, working on his own again after so long having some kind of team backing him up. Although, he hadn't forgotten what it was like to work alone, to not have to worry about protecting anyone but himself. It was a freeing feeling that he didn't get to experience anymore and that only made him feel more confident in what he was about to do.

He crept along the alleyways and shadows, following the oblivious soldiers as they made their way toward the center of town. They never noticed him the entire way there, and he was happy for it as he hid in an alley nearby where he could watch the door. He needed to get some kind of idea of how many people were in the building, where they were stationed. He couldn't just charge in completely blind, he had to have a little bit of information first.

The two drunk soldiers swung the door to the building open, giving him a decent look inside at what seemed to be a large room. In the room, he saw at least three other people. Five against one weren't great odds, but he knew that he would be able to handle it like he somehow always did.

There weren't any guards stationed outside of the front of the building, and so he thought it might be a good idea to check out the back. If there were no guards outside, it would make it easy for him to slip in without being detected, and take out anyone who might be in his way while he was doing so.

Once again, he used the shadows around the building as cover, ducking between buildings and eventually finding his way to the back of the building that the soldiers had gone into. This time, he saw two soldiers outside, seemingly taking a cigarette break. Upon closer inspection, Levi found blood on one of the soldiers' sleeves. Gunther's blood. The sight of it made him scowl.

"Man, I wish we could just have one night off like the rest of these clowns," One of the soldiers complained as he took a drag from his cigarette. "We're stuck inside making this poor guy's life hell while everyone else parties it up. Fucking ridiculous."

"Yeah, well this guy isn't gonna last much longer. You've seen him. He'd lost a lot of blood before he even got to us, we're just drawing out the process," the other soldier answered.

"I guess you're right, but you know the Commander ain't gonna be happy if we can't get something out of him before he kicks the bucket. I don't know about you, but I'm not trying to get on the Commander's bad side. I don't wanna be the one getting hunted down and tortured."

"We should probably get back to it, then, if you're worried about it. Like I said, he doesn't have much fight left in him," the second soldier said, snuffing out the butt of his cigarette on the side of the building.

"Yeah, you go ahead, I'm just gonna finish this off," The first soldier motioned to his cigarette, which still had a considerable amount left before the second nodded and took his leave.

The door opened and closed, and Levi knew that this was his chance to take one of them out. One of the men that had been personally torturing his friend was standing in front of him, alone and unaware of who was watching, and he wasn't about to let that chance slip through his fingers.

The soldier turned his back to Levi's position, still content smoking his cigarette, and Levi lept into action. He knew the soldier had heard him, but it was too late. Levi put the other man in a headlock, forcing the man to his knees as he slowly choked the life out of him. He knew he had to be quiet, but it was hard to fight the urge to let this filth know exactly who was ending his life and why.

He fought his urges, though, and didn't speak a word, waiting for the soldier to eventually lose consciousness and fall limp in his grasp.

As much as he knew that he could leave the soldier on the ground and still complete his task, he felt that the situation was much more personal. He knew that Petra might hate him for it, but he took the soldier's knife from his belt and made sure to finish the job before he moved on.

Inside, he could hear several people throughout the house, although he couldn't figure out the layout just by listening. He knew he didn't want to run into too many at once, and so he would have to be very careful moving through the house to try and locate Gunther. He could take them all on if he had to, but it wasn't something he was trying to do on purpose.

The room that he was standing in now looked like some kind of sitting room, and to the left and right ends of the wide room were two doorways. He could hear men talking through the doorway on the right, and he assumed it must lead to a kitchen or dining area, and so he chose to go quietly through the doorway on the left. There didn't appear to be anyone in this room either, but there was a door that he suspected led down to a basement. He was sure that was where they would be keeping Gunther, but getting down there if someone was already there would be tricky.

He was trying to figure out the best way to get to the basement when he heard footsteps coming toward the room he was in. The house was obviously just an operating base, and so there wasn't much to hide behind in the room he was currently in. There wasn't really any furniture, or another door he could go through besides the one that led to the basement, so he knew he would have to fight here if he didn't want to get caught. He just hoped that he could do it quietly enough to not draw a crowd.

He moved quickly to stand flush against the wall that the door was on and readied his knife as the footsteps got closer and closer. He would strike quickly, as soon as the soldier came through the doorway, hopefully before the man's peripheral vision could even make out that he was there. After that, he would have to move to Gunther quickly, or he would risk other soldiers finding the body and raising the alarm.

The situation was nerve-racking, but the adrenaline it supplied him with offered focus mixed with whatever strange force made him so adept at killing. He was able to zero in on the sound of the footsteps, almost imagine exactly how far away the soldier was from the door without even looking. As soon as the soldier stepped into view, he reached out, grabbing him by the collar and pulling him closer to plunge his blade into the man's abdomen and then up past his ribs. Levi knew how to kill quickly, and that was exactly what the blow had done without so much as a sound. However, he hadn't accounted for the fact that there was a second set of footsteps.

He had been so focused on the first set that he'd tuned everything else out, including a second soldier that had been right behind the one he'd just disemboweled in the doorway. From the sound of the scream that was produced at his actions, this soldier was a woman, and at her scream, he heard at least five more sets of footsteps rushing toward him.

When he stepped through the doorway he didn't hesitate, didn't even take the time to look at the female soldier because he knew what he would have to do to her. As quickly as he dispatched the first soldier, he got rid of her as well, making no effort to cushion the thud that her body made when she hit the floor.

"Karina?" he heard a voice calling from the room where he'd entered the house, and two more men rushed into the room where Levi's second victim was lying on the floor. They looked at her corpse for only a moment before their eyes locked on him, and they knew all too well who he was.

"Fuck, he's here!" One of the men shouted, and the rest of the footsteps he'd heard before rushed toward the room and crowded in. These were the odds he hadn't wanted, five against one, but he was still confident in his ability to dispatch them.

Only three of them seemed to have weapons, and they would be the ones he'd need to get rid of first. They were the most dangerous, especially if one or two of the others managed to wrestle Levi's weapon away from him and pin him down somehow. He didn't think they would be allowed to kill him, but he didn't want to take any chances.

He glanced around the room and found his first target of the soldiers that were armed, a relatively young-looking man that seemed to be scared to death of the situation he currently found himself in.

Petra would want Levi to take him hostage somehow, to use him to get out of the situation without having to kill the sniveling coward, but Petra couldn't have everything she wanted, and she wasn't here to know that Levi was planning to kill a boy probably not much older than Isabel. It's for the good of the team .

He charged forward, his sights set on the boy, and slashed his throat so quickly that the poor kid didn't even process what had happened to him. Not a quick or clean death, but enough of a distraction for Levi to take out one more of the soldiers that had a weapon. Two down, three to go .

"Fucking get him!" A soldier yelled, and two of the unarmed men charged forward to try to restrain him. They made it far too easy to dodge them, though, and one of the men ended up with a long slash from Levi's knife on the side of his face. A miscalculation on Levi's part, he'd meant to slash his throat as he'd done to the boy.

"Don't fucking move or I'll shoot you, I swear to god!" A hefty voice rang out from the doorway where all the soldiers had charged in, and when Levi looked toward the source he saw a large man with a rifle pointed right at his head. "Our orders are to take you alive, whatever the cost, but I'm not willing to let the rest of my men die so that Erwin can have his lapdog back!"

"I'm not sure Erwin is the kind of man you want to cross," Levi rebutted, still hyper-aware of the other two soldiers that were ready to attack.

"I'm willing to bet he'll be lenient," the man said.

"I wouldn't be so sure."

"Put the fucking knife down and surrender nice and easy before I have to really hurt you, shrimp," The soldier demanded, but Levi just stared at him, ready for whatever attack the three remaining soldiers would throw at him.

"I find that people only revert to name-calling under two conditions. Either they've run out of legitimate insults to throw out, or they're scared. Which one are you?"

Levi only had a moment to react when he saw the two soldiers behind him lunging to pin him down, but the moment was more than enough for him. He spun away from them easily, even managing to land a good, hard blow to one of them with his knife, likely putting him out of commission for the rest of the fight. Only two more, you're almost done .

He was very aware of the amount of additional blood he'd collected around the sleeves of his jacket and on the fringes of his cloak. He would no doubt look like a mass murderer by the time he made it back to the house, and if he was honest, he wouldn't consider himself much different from one.

His mind was clouded with those thoughts when he heard the gunshot ring out, although he was still just fast enough to avoid something tragic. The bullet grazed his upper arm, and it hurt like a bitch, but it meant that the soldier would now have to reload the single-shot rifle. Levi smirked devilishly at the man, and he knew that had been his only chance.

"You should have practiced your aim," Levi said before he dashed forward and seized the man, slamming him against the wall hard, the soldier's head bouncing with great force off of the drywall and left a slight crack. The soldier groaned before Levi brought his knife up under the man's chin and shoved it through his brain.

The last soldier left was cowering in the corner of the room, terrified and literally shivering as what was probably his commanding officer slid down the wall, still and lifeless. There was so much blood covering the floor that it looked like someone had tried to paint the hardwood surface red. Levi slowly walked closer to the last soldier, looking down at him through rage-filled eyes.

"Tell Erwin that this is what happens when he tortures my men. Tell him if he wants me to stop, he should stop looking for us. Before he knows it, the whole Corps will be dead at my hand if he doesn't. Tell him Levi sent you. Don't stop running until you reach him," Levi said before he yanked the soldier up and pushed him toward the door. The other man stumbled and tripped over his own feet, then struggled to turn the handle on the door to make it out of the building, but after that he was gone, and Levi only had one more stop to make.

So far, he hadn't seen the other soldier that had been smoking outside when he first arrived, and that meant that the man would be in the basement with Gunther. Levi knew that he would have heard the commotion overhead, and so he was sure the man was waiting for him.

Sure enough, as soon as Levi descended the stairs, he found the soldier that he'd seen outside. He also saw Gunther. His poor friend was covered in blood, perhaps more blood than Levi had soaking his clothes right now, only this wasn't the blood of Gunther's enemies. It was his.

"Levi Ackerman, I presume?" The soldier asked, eyeing Levi as he made his way down the remaining stairs to stand on the cold cement floor of the basement.

"And you are?" Levi asked, uninterested in whatever answer the man would give.

"I'm Xavier," The man answered with a smile. "I'm guessing all of my comrades are dead."

"Good guess," Levi spat. "Mine doesn't look much better."

"I assure you, he is still alive, although for how much longer might be up to you."

"You're a dead man regardless, so I suppose I can listen to whatever shitty ultimatum you have for me before I kill you."

"If I were afraid of death, I certainly wouldn't have taken this job," Xavier smirked as if he knew something that Levi hadn't figured out yet.

"I'm getting bored. Say what you need to say."

"Erwin wants you to know that he's having fun with your little cat and mouse game and that he's closer than you might think," Xavier said, and Levi was puzzled by what exactly he'd meant by that.

"I'd say to let him know that I'm ready for him, but you're not going to be seeing him again," Levi said, but before he could move to kill the man he pulled a small gun out of his waistband. Instead of aiming at Levi, Xavier aimed straight at Gunther and pulled the trigger. Levi heard the bullet hit home with a sickening thud and he couldn't even stop to check if Gunther was still alive. He was filled with so much rage that all he could do was lunge forward toward Xavier.

He tackled the man to the ground, knocking the gun from his hands. Xavier didn't seem to be putting up much of a fight anymore, perhaps he knew that he'd already been defeated, but that wasn't going to stop Levi from brutalizing him.

Levi raised his knife above Xavier's head and plunged it straight down into his skull, a feat that a normal man may not have been able to accomplish, but one that was easy for his supercharged strength. He knew the first blow had killed the man, but he couldn't stop himself. He plunged the knife down again and again and again until all that was left of Xavier's face was a pile of meat and bone shards.

Levi tried to control his breathing, to calm his heart rate, he knew that he'd lost control, but he couldn't stop the rage that was burning through him now. He wiped the blade off on Xavier's lab coat before sheathing it in his boot and pushed himself up off of the ground. His exertion had taken more out of him than he'd thought, and he stumbled a bit as he got to his feet, but steadied himself and stood just in front of the chair that Gunther had been seated in.

He knew it was probably hopeless, but he couldn't leave without checking on his friend. Without knowing for sure that he'd lost yet another person that meant something to him.

"Gunther, I came to save you," Levi said, his voice barely above a whisper in the now deathly silent building. He didn't hear a sound now. Not footsteps of soldiers, not gunshots, not ragged breathing from his friend, not the wild beating of his own heart that he'd seemed to tune out now. He just heard...nothing. Silence. The indication that it was all over, and he had won, but somehow he still felt like he lost.

"I didn't want to leave you in their clutches. I fought so many of them," Levi breathed, his voice strained from the emotion that he didn't want to let spill out. "I didn't want them to be able to do this."

He waited for what seemed like an eternity for Gunther to say something back to him, but his subordinate remained slouched over in his chair, his head hanging to his chest, only held up by the ropes they'd used to secure him to the chair. He walked over to him, hesitantly and slowly, and pushed his head to the side so that he could feel for a pulse, but there was nothing. No matter how much Levi wanted to believe that Gunther could survive what he'd been through, he couldn't find a fucking pulse. It was infuriating, what he'd gone through for the past night was all for nothing. He'd damaged his relationships with Petra and Isabel, and he'd lost another person he cared for. Will it ever end?

"I'm sorry, Gunther," Levi apologized, heaving a sigh before he turned to collect Xavier's gun. As much as he wanted to take Gunther's body with him, to give his friend a proper burial, he knew it wasn't practical to do so. He looked at his friend one final time before he turned to head up the stairs and leave the bloodbath he'd created behind.

Once he ascended the stairs again, he made sure to collect the rifle, and whatever ammo he could find lying around the house, as well as some food that he stored in a backpack for ease of carrying, and he started to make his way through the quiet streets to get back to the safehouse.

He couldn't think of anything but how many people he'd just killed for nothing, how it would degrade Petra's opinion of him to nothing if she knew what he'd done. This was why he'd never wanted to get close to people again. This was why he tried to tell her how horrible he was.

By the time he reached the safehouse again, the sun was starting to come up over the horizon, and he was so exhausted that he felt like he could sleep for days. The door was locked, and so he used the coded knock that they'd become accustomed to and was greeted by Eld. At least Petra hadn't opened the door to see him drenched in blood. Eld looked almost just as shocked as he thought Petra might have, though.

"Heichou, you're not hurt are you?" Eld asked as he pulled Levi inside, realizing that he wasn't going to move on his own.

"No," he said, a one-word answer was all that he could muster. He shoved the pistol and rifle that he'd collected into Eld's hands and let the heavy bag of food drop to the floor.

"Gunther?" Eld asked, the tone of his voice revealing that he wasn't expecting good news.

"Dead," Levi said, and even he could hear the crack of emotion in his voice as he spoke.

"Are we still okay here?"

"We need to leave as soon as possible. We can't wait to find another safehouse. They're so close to finding us, Eld. We need to get everyone ready to go."

"We can't leave right now, you clearly need to get cleaned up and rest and...Isabel isn't ready," Eld argued, but he stopped quickly when he saw the look in Levi's eyes, the look of a trapped animal desperately trying to find a way out.

"We can't stay here if we don't want to get caught. Pack your shit and get ready to leave. I want everyone ready by the time I'm done washing this mess off."

"Yes, Heichou," Eld answered, and he raced off to Isabel's bedroom shortly after that. Levi assumed that was where Isabel and Petra were both hiding, and he wondered how Petra was coping with what had happened earlier in the night, how she would react to knowing what he had just done. He suddenly thought he must know what Petra had felt like earlier when she'd been retching into the sink.

He peeled his cloak off over his head and hissed at the pain that shot through his right arm at the motion. He forgot that he'd been grazed, and he'd probably lost some blood because of it. It was the least of what was paining him right now, though. He removed his jacket and shirt after that, gritting his teeth through the pain before he tossed all of his garments in the trash. There was no way he could wear any of that again. The stains would never come out, and even if they did they would always remind him of yet another failure on his part.

He had almost gotten all of the blood off of his arms and torso before he heard footsteps coming up behind him. They were quick and steady, and they stopped about five feet behind him. He didn't want to turn around and face either of the two people who might be standing there, he wasn't sure if he could. Isabel could forgive him for killing, she'd helped him do it in the past, but that didn't make him feel any better. And Petra. He just knew that Petra would look at him like he was disgusting. Like he was filth that was never worth her time. He couldn't face either of them right now, he wasn't sure how he would ever be able to look them in the eyes again.

"Levi," Petra's voice was shaking, emotional, worried when she spoke his name, and that made the pain he was feeling even worse. "Why did you do that on your own?"

"I didn't want you to have to do it," Levi answered, his own voice steady but quiet.

"You're hurt," she said, taking another step toward him. "How bad is it?"

"They only grazed me, it's nothing."

"Let me see."

"Petra, please...just...don't," he said, his frustration with himself overriding his want for Petra to be close to him, to soothe him the way she always did, to make him feel like he wasn't really the monster he knew he was.

"I want to help you," she said, although it sounded like she was crying now. "I know you just...you probably just did some pretty horrible things, and it's hard for me to accept that you can do them so easily, but that doesn't mean I don't still want to help you."

"I don't deserve your help, I wish I would have never let you or Eld or Gunther come along with me. At this rate, you'll all end up dead before it's over. It may never be over." He couldn't stop his thoughts from spilling out, he was too emotionally drained to control it.

"I don't care if you think you deserve it," she said, her voice still teary but more confident as she closed the distance between them. She stopped beside him, staring down at the pool of red-tinged water that was in the sink in front of them.

"I couldn't save him," Levi admitted, lifting his head to look at her. "He was as good as dead when I got there. I don't think he ever even knew I was there."

"But you tried," she said, not looking at him but staring down into the sink. Perhaps she couldn't bring herself to look at him anymore. He wouldn't blame her. "That's all that matters. You tried."

"A lot of good trying has done me so far." Levi sighed and gripped the side of the sink hard before he felt Petra's hand on his. When he looked at her again she was looking directly at him, tears streaming down her face as she tried her best to comfort him.

"Let me help you get cleaned up so we can go," she insisted, taking the cloth that he'd been using to wipe the blood off of his body from him and wetting it in the sink again.

"I can do it myself," he argued, but he didn't want to fight her if she was willing to help. The truth of the matter was that he was far too exhausted to do it himself, and he could use the comfort after what he'd just done and seen.

"You clearly can't," Petra insisted, ringing out the cloth and then wiping it over his skin. He wanted to take some kind of pleasure in letting her take care of him, but it seemed he couldn't really feel anything right now. He just felt numb, like everything that was happening was far away. Like it was all a dream or a nightmare.

"Why do you even want to help me now? You know what I just did, don't you?" He asked, not able to look at her again as she continued wiping the cloth over his bloodied body.

"You had to," she answered, her voice quiet but even. It was true, he did need to do what he'd done in order to try to save Gunther, but it didn't make it feel any better.

"As good as I thought it would feel to kill the people responsible for hurting Gunther...I just feel empty now. I didn't accomplish anything with that. All it earned me was more blood on my hands and another dead comrade."

"You can't blame yourself," Petra said, trying to somehow make him feel better about the events of the night.

"Then who do I blame? I'm the one that pulled you all into this mess. If I hadn't asked for your help Gunther would still be alive, and you and Eld would be living easy lives instead of running with me."

"And Isabel would still be rotting in a jail cell, or dead. I know you feel like a monster, but I did a lot of thinking while you were gone. I felt horrible for what happened with those two soldiers we found on the road, but the truth is that if we hadn't...If that hadn't happened then it would likely be us dead in the woods right now. I don't like it, but it's a necessity for what we've chosen to do. I understand that now, but that doesn't make it any easier. I'm sure you know that." Petra rang the cloth out in the sink again, the blood dripping down into the water and turning it an even darker red. "You shouldn't have gone to do that on your own.

"I didn't want anyone else getting hurt."

"So, instead, you just went and got hurt all by yourself?" Petra asked, an irritated tone to her voice. "That's not any better."

"It's barely a scratch," he said as she ran the cloth over it and he winced with the pain it caused him.

"It sure seems like it," she answered sarcastically. "We should stitch it up before we go."

"Fine." He agreed, letting her finish cleaning him up. She made sure to gently wash all of the blood off of his face, taking great care to make sure no traces remained, but he couldn't make himself look at her while she did it. Even knowing that she forgave him, that she understood what they had to do, he just knew that if he looked into her eyes he would see judgment. She would look at him like he was a monster, and that was what he would deserve. It was what he'd always deserved.

Once he was clean, he sat down on the sofa so that Petra could stitch up his wound for him. She was quick and gentle, and he wasn't sure if he was still numb or she just did such a good job that he barely felt the needle pricking his skin. He was happy to have her there to help him, despite what she'd gone through in order to be there. She helped him into another shirt and supplied him with another hooded cloak to wear before Isabel came out of her room.

"Aniki," she said quietly, moving over to the sofa but not sitting down with him. He found that it was just as hard to look at Isabel as it was to look at Petra. The two people he cared most about but couldn't bring himself to face right now. "Please don't ever go off on your own like that again."

Her voice was quiet but still stern as if she were lecturing him for putting himself in danger. She still seemed slightly afraid to speak to him, but at least she was speaking to him. It was an improvement, no matter how much he knew he didn't deserve it.

He didn't answer verbally but nodded to her instead, a silent agreement that he would be more careful in the future. She seemed to accept the answer, but the tension between them lingered in the silence.

Before they left, they made sure to strap on their 3DM gear, although they still hadn't found any for Isabel. She would have a horse, and that would give her an advantage, but the fact that she didn't have gear of her own made Levi feel uneasy. He wasn't even sure she would have been able to use the gear correctly in her still weakened state, but it would have made him feel better knowing that she had an added layer of security. Still, they couldn't wait around to find any right now, and so he'd given her the pistol that he'd found instead. Eld carried the rifle, slinging it over his back with the strap that was fastened to it.

Levi still felt horrible, like he was in a waking dream, going through the motions of what he was doing without really feeling like he was present. He wondered how long it would be before that fog lifted and he would be able to experience things clearly again. He guessed he probably needed some sleep, but he knew he wouldn't be getting any right now, or any time soon.

Eld seemed to understand Levi's predicament, and so he quickly took charge of their small group as they mounted their horses.

"There's a river that runs pretty much all the way to Karanes from here. We might have to do something cheeky to get past the guards at the walls, but after that, we should be able to walk through the wilderness to get to Shiganshina," Eld said, examining a map that he had taken out of a satchel he was carrying. "Your relatives should be there, right Heichou?"

"They should be," he answered. "They won't be expecting us, but I'm confident they'll take us in."

"Alright, we'll head for the river, then."

They set off without much more talk, Isabel riding Gunther's horse on her own, even though Levi knew she wasn't confident in doing so right now. He found it hard to be assertive of things at the moment, though, and so he said nothing. He just rode somewhere in the middle of their small group, letting his horse follow Eld's and not paying much attention to where they were going. His hood was drawn up over his head so that no one could see his face, and the rest of the group had followed suit. He thought they might look a bit more suspicious that way, but no one seemed to give them a second glance.

It was strange leaving the house that they'd been hiding in for so long after everything that had happened. He didn't feel like they were safe traveling in broad daylight, but he had taken out most of the military presence in the town the night before. Regular townsfolk weren't of any concern to them right now. No civilians would know that they were all rogue scouts on the run from the military. To them, their group just looked like a pack of traveling merchants or a gang of thieves. Nothing out of the ordinary.

Still, being out during the day when people could easily identify him was nerve-racking. He knew once they got out of town they wouldn't have much to worry about, but the thoughts were still there in the back of his mind. What would happen now, if someone saw them? If someone attacked them? He wasn't sure that he would be able to fight, and he knew that Isabel would have a hard time protecting herself. Would Petra and Eld be able to handle a mob of soldiers on their own? He somehow doubted it, even with the extra firepower their group possessed now.

It seemed like the only thing they could do for the time being was try not to be discovered. He needed time to rest before he would be at his peak strength again, but he had no idea how long it would take them to find a suitable place to do that.

The more time passed, the more he wished he could have done things differently. It was too late to go back now, and they'd lost too much to give up. He knew he would need to press on, to see this mission through to the end no matter what it took. He just hoped that they all had the strength left to do it.

Chapter 12

Chapter Text

They'd been following the river for most of the day, and Levi knew they had to be approaching the wall, which meant there would be a checkpoint with armed soldiers guarding it. He was in no condition to try to fight off anyone else right now, and he had the feeling that no one else really was either, no matter how much they all insisted they were ready. It seemed that Eld was picking up on the group's collective exhaustion, and so they found a suitable place to set up camp for the night.

Getting off of the horse was the sweetest thing Levi could remember happening to him in recent memory. His bones and muscles ached and groaned as he climbed down and tied the reins to a fallen log where the others had left their horses. He stretched and scowled at the protest of his sore body against his movements before he found a place to sit up against a tree.

He knew he should be helping to do something to set up camp, whether it was gathering firewood or unpacking supplies, there was always something that could be done, but he just couldn't bring himself to do it now. Nothing felt like it was all that important anymore, at least not at the moment.

He noticed that Petra kept looking at him, the same concerned expression on her face that she'd worn since she'd helped him clean the blood off of himself at the house before they'd left. He knew she was taking pity on him, feeling bad that he'd committed the atrocity in Stohess singlehandedly. She shouldn't feel bad for him, but he knew that was the kind of person that Petra was. Someone that forgave far too easily. He surely didn't deserve it.

While he was busy paying attention to Petra, Isabel managed to sneak up beside him, just as quiet on her feet as she'd always been, although perhaps a bit more clumsy, presently. She stepped on a twig that shifted his attention toward her as she stopped at his side.

"How are you feeling?" she asked timidly, her body language still telling him that she felt uncomfortable around him right now. She had every right to feel that way, but it still bothered him all the same.

"Exhausted," He answered something that he was sure she could see with her own eyes. He knew she was trying to make an effort to get comfortable with him again, to show herself that he wasn't horrible, that he hadn't changed, but he wasn't sure she would find that if she looked right now. He surely didn't feel like the person he used to be.

"Petra said you got hurt when you went to try and rescue Gunther."

"It's nothing more than a scratch, don't worry about me, kid," he answered, and she smiled a bit at his blas é dismissal of his injury.

"Well, Petra said you got shot, so that's a little more than a scratch, I think," Isabel said, placing her hands on her hips as if she were about to lecture him.

"Petra must not know the difference between a graze and a bullet wound."

"Still, someone did shoot at you. Their intention wasn't to just graze you." Isabel still looked concerned, but she had a determined look in her eye that told him she'd come over to talk to him for a specific reason.

"You're right, their intention was to kill me, because I had just killed all of his men. He didn't kill me though. I'm sure, for a moment, he wished that he had," Levi answered without emotion, mostly because he didn't think he was capable of emotion at the moment.

"I know you must think I'm upset with you, and not for getting shot at, although I'm upset about that too. I mean...about what happened yesterday. I just wanted to let you know...it did scare me a lot, and it's hard for me not to think that you've changed but...I also know that you wouldn't have gone to try and rescue Gunther and make things right if you were a different person. It still scares me that you lashed out at me like that, but please don't be too hard on yourself, Aniki. I know how you get sometimes. I don't want you to feel bad."

Isabel seemed like she was genuine in what she was saying, and it was a relief to him that she didn't think he was someone that would hurt her, but he didn't have the emotional capability to be happy about it. Not right now, anyway. He wished he could smile at her and tell her how happy he was to hear that, but all he could think about was how to make sure that he never hurt any of them again. He wasn't sure it was possible.

"Thanks, Izzy," He said, although he could even hear that his voice was emotionless and plain. It seemed like she understood, after all, she had seen him in worse condition than this before. He was sure she understood how he was feeling.

"Please try to get some sleep now. Eld says we're gonna have a hard day tomorrow," Isabel said before she crouched down beside him and pulled him into a hug. He was surprised by it, but he was even more surprised when she placed a delicate kiss on the side of his head, right at his temple. He was sure his face reflected the shock he was feeling inside. "I love you, Aniki. Please don't let yourself slip away."

She got back to her feet quickly after that and walked over toward the horses. Levi watched her as she left, still surprised at what she had just said to him, but he was glad to have heard it. This time when he noticed Petra looking at him, she had a smile on her face, and he knew that she had been watching the whole event unfold.

He tried his best to stay awake, but he knew none of them would blame him for drifting off to sleep for just a bit. It wasn't the most comfortable place, but leaning up against a tree sitting on the cold ground was as good as he was going to get for now. He let himself relax, let his head hang down and stretched out his aching legs, and drifted off before he could even think about stopping it from happening.

oOo

It was the middle of the night when he woke up again, although he couldn't be sure exactly what time it was. The canopy of the trees above him kept him from seeing the positioning of the moon, but he knew it had to be late. He looked around to see Petra and Isabel sleeping close together by the fire, but Eld was still awake, not sitting far away, likely keeping watch. When he saw Levi starting to move he offered him a kind of smile.

"I hope you slept well," Eld said quietly in an effort to not wake the two sleeping women.

"As well as you can in a situation like this, I guess," Levi answered just as quietly.

"It's been pretty quiet around here since we settled in. No signs of any other people, anyway, which is a relief. How's your arm?"

"It's sore, but it's fine. I'll be able to fight," Levi answered but he knew that wasn't the reason that Eld had been asking him how he was. He knew that the remainder of his squad had been worried about him, it was evident all over their faces every time he looked at them. At least Eld looked like he felt a little better now.

"Good, because we're probably going to have a fight ahead of us," Eld said, and Levi knew he meant the next hurdle in their mission. They would have to get past the wall so that they could make it into Karanes, and then into the radius of the outer wall, Maria, to find his family. They were so close to safety he could almost taste it, but he knew the closer they got, the more dangerous it would be.

"I'm sorry that I couldn't save him," Levi said after a moment. He knew that no one really blamed him, but he still felt the need to apologize for what had happened. "I tried."

"I know. It's not your fault, Heichou. We all knew what we were signing up for when we agreed to this. Gunther was just as committed to the cause as the rest of us are." Eld's words were comforting, but it still hurt that this was something they'd all just grown to accept.

"We'll all get our revenge soon," Levi said, determination in his voice. He knew that Eld believed him, and the other man nodded without saying another word on the matter.

"Isabel says she's confident she can use 3DM gear for what we'll have to do tomorrow," Eld started again, changing the subject to something more constructive. "We'll have to scale the wall somehow. We'll likely have to fight a few Garrison troops."

"It can't be helped. We'll just have to try our best to not be lethal. I don't think Petra can handle having to kill someone again so soon."

"The Garrison isn't under Erwin's control officially, but I have the feeling he has some men on the inside. We'll just have to hope that none of them are in Karanes." Eld sounded hopeful, but Levi knew that deep down they were both thinking the same thing. Likely all of Erwin's inside men would be in Karanes. That was the most logical place for Levi and his squad to try to cross over the wall, after all. Erwin wasn't an idiot, and it was clear that he'd been anticipating all of their moves so far. Thinking that they wouldn't have to kill anyone else tomorrow was a pipe dream, and he knew it.

"It's not really something we can make a concrete plan for," Eld said, and Levi could tell how concerned he was about it. "Besides that, once we cross the wall we won't have our horses anymore unless you can think of some way to get them through. It's not like we can use the lifts to get them over, not while we're trying to hide."

"It would certainly be a lot easier if we weren't on the run, but that's the reality of the situation. We'll all be on foot after tomorrow. It'll take much longer to reach Shiganshina that way unless we can find more horses later on."

"We'll figure it out. We've figured out everything else," Eld reassured him, or at least tried to. It helped a little, knowing that Eld was so confident that they'd be able to complete this part of their mission.

"We'll figure it out," Levi agreed with a nod, and he didn't miss Eld's half-smile. Things were getting more difficult, but somehow they both seemed to feel optimistic about what was to come.

It was several more hours before the sun started to peek through the thick canopy of trees above them, and when the rays started shining down Petra and Isabel started to wake up. Petra was first, having always been an early riser before, and it was no surprise that Isabel fought tooth and nail against it. Levi found it almost funny how long she'd tossed and turned on her makeshift bed before she finally got frustrated and opened her eyes.

He felt better now after some sleep, although he was sure Gunther's face would still haunt his dreams just like Farlan's did since he felt responsible for their deaths. He wondered how long he would dream about them after it was all over, and decided that it would probably be a lifelong thing. No matter how hard he tried to keep his demons away, they always found a way back in. It was a truth he would have to live with. However, as long as Petra and Isabel didn't have to live with it, he didn't mind shouldering all of that burden.

"Good morning," Petra said sweetly as she walked over toward the spot where he had been sitting. The fire had died out a long time ago, and all that was left of it was a smoldering pile of ash. He missed its warmth, but he found a new sense of warmth spreading through his body hearing Petra speak to him so sweetly.

"Good morning, did you sleep well?" He asked, trying to forget about the unspoken problems between the two of them for now. He wanted desperately for their relationship to return to the way it had been before they'd embarked on this journey, and for now, he was going to let himself pretend like nothing was wrong. He deserved that much, at least.

"Well, I can't say it was as good as when we were in the safe house and we had beds, but I feel rested. How about you? I hope you're feeling better today," she said, and he could tell she was still concerned about his mental and physical state. He couldn't say he was 100%, but he definitely felt better than he had last night.

"I feel better. More well-rested," he answered vaguely, although she still didn't seem completely satisfied with that answer. She didn't press the issue though, likely feeling like she wasn't welcome to pry at his feelings at the moment.

"What about your arm? Can I take a look?" she asked, her eyes drifting toward the spot where he knew the bullet had struck him. When he looked down at it himself, he noticed that a bit of blood had begun to soak through his otherwise pristine white shirt, and he sighed at the stain that he saw.

"It's not bothering me, but you can look if you insist," he answered, trying not to let her know that it did still hurt a bit. He didn't want her to worry. He was sure she was worrying about enough things as it is.

Petra moved over slowly, looking at the stain on his shirt before she made a small 'tsk' sound and her hands moved to the buttons on the front. He inhaled sharply as her fingers worked deftly at the buttons, popping them all open with ease and helping him slip the shirt down off of his arms. Once that was out of the way, folded and neatly placed on her makeshift bed, she worked at the bandage that she'd wound around his injury.

"I'm sorry, I thought that would be enough bandage to keep the blood from soaking through if it started bleeding again," she apologized, tossing the bandage to the side since it was soiled and then examining the injury.

"Don't apologize. It isn't your fault I got shot," Levi said, glancing down at her face as he spoke. "How does it look?"

"It's a little red and puffy, but that's pretty normal for a wound with stitches, especially rough ones that were done by someone with no training. We just have to keep it clean to make sure it doesn't get infected. That's the last thing we need on top of everything else," she answered before she left his side to dig through her bag. She returned with the first aid kit that had been in the safehouse before and popped it open, taking out the roll of bandage, a swab, and a bottle of antiseptic.

"You may not be trained, but I think you're doing pretty well taking care of all of us," he said, watching as she poured some of the antiseptic on the swab and started dabbing carefully at the wound. He couldn't help but hiss at the stinging sensation it caused.

"Well, someone has to take care of you all. You're very accident-prone," she said with a smile before she started winding the bandage around his arm again. "You really should be more careful, though."

"I will be, I promise," he said, catching her gaze as he spoke. "I promise I won't do something like that alone again."

"Good," she said, tying the bandage tightly and using it as an excuse to break their eye contact. He could tell she was flustered, that she was fighting something, but he didn't know what it was. Perhaps it was her feelings for him, now that she knew what kind of man he really was, but he couldn't be sure.

She helped him back into his shirt, but this time he did up the buttons on his own as she walked away to dig through the bag of food that he'd brought back for them. She was talking to Isabel, and she seemed fine, they both seemed fine, but he knew inside they were both hurting. They were probably scared, being out in the wilderness and on the run only a day after their comrade had been shot, kidnapped, tortured, and killed. It was more than a little scary.

Still, Petra did her best to keep everyone's mind off of the horrible things that happened, and Levi found that she was actually quite good at it. Isabel was smiling, Eld was laughing as he sat by the long extinguished fire. Everyone seemed completely normal, like they'd all gone on a camping trip together and nothing had gone wrong. At least he could count himself lucky that no one but himself seemed to be having an internal mental breakdown.

They ate a simple breakfast of some dried fruit and nuts before Levi and Eld got ready to make their way toward the wall. They'd decided that they were going to do some recon work, to see how many soldiers were guarding the gate into Karanes. They might even be able to snag Isabel some 3DM gear if they were lucky enough, and Levi hoped that they would be because it would be considerably more difficult to carry Isabel on his back now that she was nearing her normal weight.

Maneuvering was hard enough with just his own weight, but adding her threw off his sense of balance. He wouldn't be able to pull off tricky moves to evade capture or harm if he had to carry her. It would be better for all of them if they had their own gear.

They were just about to set off on their mission when Petra walked up to Levi. She looked nervous, and he couldn't quite figure out what was bothering her.

"Levi, can I talk to you for a minute before you go?" she asked, her eyes cast down at the ground as she spoke to him. There had been a time when Petra couldn't hold eye contact with him, but that time had long since passed, or so he thought. Right now, he was getting the feeling that she felt that way about him again. Intimidated, or shy. Whatever it was, he was eager to find out.

"Sure," he answered, and she took him by the hand and led him away from the rest of the group. Once she felt that they were far enough away, or at least out of earshot, she turned to face him again, and he could see worry on her face as she did so.

For a long time, she just stood there in front of him, as if she couldn't figure out how to start whatever she'd had to say to him. She nibbled on her lower lip, her hands seemingly unable to still in the fidgety motions they were performing.

"I don't really know how to start," she said and Levi couldn't really do anything but watch her because he was terrified that whatever she had to say was going to be something bad. "I guess I just need to say it because I would be devastated if I never did and you…"

"Petra?" Levi questioned, trying desperately to make her look up at him so that he could try to read the emotions in her eyes.

"You really scared me when you ran off like that all on your own. I was afraid that you wouldn't come back, even though I was upset at you for what we did to those soldiers...If you wouldn't have come back from your little solo mission I would have hated myself for not telling you this sooner. It was stupid of me to try to hold it back for so long, especially since you already know. I'm sure you already know."

"Petra, you're scaring me," he admitted, something that he was sure she wasn't expecting him to say. She was, though. The way she was speaking to him was making him incredibly nervous.

"If you would have died and I never told you that I love you, I would have regretted it for the rest of my life. And before you criticize me for doing the same thing I told you not to do after a traumatic incident...it's not the same!" She said, and her intention was direct but her tone was a bit watery. He could tell that she was feeling very emotional right now, that she might even start to cry, and he knew that what she was saying was true.

"You're right, I did already know that," he answered, although he felt considerably better now that she'd spit out what she was trying to say. "It's still nice to hear though. Especially after you saw what a monster I can be. I was afraid you'd never be able to love me."

"I keep telling you, you're not a monster," she answered, and she stepped closer to him and pulled him into a hug that he happily returned. It was so nice to have Petra this close to him again, to know for sure that she still felt the same as she had before they left, before they'd had to do unspeakable things to survive.

"I have to get going," he said reluctantly, but not before he kissed her, sweet and gentle. He wanted nothing more than to stay there with her in the woods like that and forget all of their problems, but he knew they still had a job to do, and it wasn't going to wait forever.

"I love you, Levi. Please be careful," she said, reiterating the sentiment that she'd clued him in on moments ago.

"I love you, too. Make sure you and Izzy stay hidden while we're gone. If anything happens, run. I'll find you." He held her for a moment more before he forced himself to break the contact, and he instantly felt the loss. They walked back to the camp together, and Isabel was watching them as they arrived.

"Be careful, Aniki, Eld. Make sure you get back safely with my 3DM gear!" Isabel said excitedly as Levi walked toward Eld. They had both equipped their gear, ready for any situation that they could be put in, and hid it underneath their long cloaks.

"We'll be back in no time, kiddo," Eld said with a smile.

They opted not to take their horses in order to be quieter as they approached the gate. They would need to stay in the shadows, hide in the treeline in order to observe the soldiers there more easily. Levi could only hope that there weren't too many soldiers that they would have to avoid, and avoiding was the plan, at the moment. It was important to get Isabel her gear, but they weren't going to risk their lives to do it. There would likely be other, easier opportunities that would come up in the future, although it would be a bit of a hassle if they couldn't pull it off now.

They didn't have to walk far before they began to see the wall looming in front of them, and they both made sure to stay as silent as possible. They were able to get relatively close to the wall, able to see the gate and where the soldiers milled around while they were on duty. As far as Levi could see, there were four at the bottom, but it was impossible to tell how many might be at the top.

"I bet they take shifts," Eld whispered as they watched their targets. "There are probably even fewer soldiers on the ground at night, maybe none at the top."

"It seems too easy," Levi whispered back, a terrible feeling creeping up his spine as he watched the soldiers. "Erwin has to know that this is where we were headed. Why would he leave so few soldiers here?"

"Maybe you got rid of most of them in Stohess."

"There's no way he's this unprepared for this…"

Levi could tell that something was wrong. Erwin had to be expecting them here, and he was sure they would have found an army guarding the gate to Karanes, but instead, they found four soldiers. Four . It was impossible for Levi to know what Erwin was planning, the man was always too many steps ahead of him to be sure, but Levi knew that Erwin had something up his sleeve. His conversation with Xavier flashed back to his mind then. He's closer than you think . It was an ominous phrase and one that Levi still couldn't decipher as he watched the soldiers at the bottom of the wall.

"Look, there's a patrol coming. This could be our chance to get Isabel her gear," Eld said, and Levi's attention was drawn to a soldier that was walking along the treeline near the wall. It would be risky to get even closer, but if they could catch him out of sight of the rest of the soldiers, they might be able to get his gear and leave.

"We need to get over there," Levi pointed toward an area that was well hidden from the soldiers at the bottom of the wall. "When this guy walks past, pull him into the treeline. Keep him quiet, if you can. We'll try to question him and take his gear."

"Aye, Heichou," Eld said as they both moved into position. Levi tried to stay back further than Eld, opting to be the threat in the scenario that they were about to put this soldier in.

They readied themselves, waiting patiently as the soldier strolled at a leisurely pace close to the treeline. Eld was ready, and when the soldier passed just a bit too close he yanked him into the woods and clapped a hand over his mouth to keep him from shouting out to his comrades. Levi and Eld dragged the soldier further back into the woods, and Eld held him steady as Levi moved around to face him.

Levi's hood was pulled down over his face in an effort to obscure him from the rest of the world, but by the way the soldier struggled, Levi knew that he understood who they were.

Levi drew one of the swords from his 3DM gear, pointing it toward the man as he struggled in Eld's hold. A threatening gesture that he hoped would help their situation.

"Not a fucking word out of you, understand?" Levi asked and the soldier nodded frantically, eyes wide as he watched the tip of the ultra-sharp sword in front of his face. Levi nodded to Eld, and his comrade removed his hand from the soldier's mouth.

"P-please...I don't wanna die," the soldier said, his voice hushed as he spoke, shaking with fear.

"Cooperate and you won't have to," Levi said. "Take off your gear and lay it on the ground there."

The soldier did as he was told, Eld behind him and ready to seize him again if he tried to run, but the soldier did no such thing, and his gear was removed and in a pile on the ground faster than Levi had ever seen someone get out of it before.

"I heard what you did to HQ...you slaughtered all of them…" the soldier said, and Levi tried his best not to show the regret on his face for what he had to do there. "I'm just following orders...guarding the gate. I didn't do anything to your friend, I swear."

"What do you know about what Erwin is planning next?" Levi asked, his steely gaze focused on the soldier, unwavering.

"I don't know anything! I swear! I just know my orders are to guard the gate, to let people know if I see anything suspicious. I won't tell them though, I swear I won't tell them that I saw you. I'm not ready to die…"

"How many are at the top?" Levi asked, not acknowledging the man's pleading.

"It depends on the time of day. Sometimes ten, sometimes five...I'm never up there so I don't know for sure, it's just what I heard the others talking about." The soldier's hands were shaking as he spoke, his eyes nearly bugged out of his head as he frantically explained everything that Levi wanted to know.

"How many guards are at the gate at night?" Levi asked.

"Usually just two. I have night guard tonight." The soldier stopped, seemingly realizing something that he thought might help him. "I can help you get through the gate! If that's what you're trying to do, I can help. I swear I won't tell anyone, I just don't want to die. If it spares my life, I'll help you get through tonight."

Levi looked past the soldier at Eld, and he saw the distrust in his comrade's eyes, the same distrust Levi was feeling right now for the man, but it seemed like an intriguing offer, and Levi thought this man might just be desperate enough to actually do it.

"How many soldiers are on the other side at night?" Levi asked, not acknowledging the offer quite yet.

"Probably the same amount, just two, although I really don't know for sure. I'm only ever on this side of the wall, and I'm based in Stohess, so I never go to the other side."

"What's your name?"

"Gerard. My name is Gerard, Sir," the man said, anxiety taking over the tones of his voice.

"Gerard, how do I know we can trust you? You're scared shitless right now, obviously saying anything that you can think of that might save your life. How do I know you're telling us the truth? How do I know you won't run back to that gate and tell everyone that you just saw me here?" Levi asked, venom in his voice.

"I have a family...a wife and two daughters in Stohess. I don't want to die and leave them alone doing something as stupid as this. I don't wanna die for my gear. I just want to see my girls again. I'll do anything if it means that I'll get to see my girls again…" Gerard seemed genuine, although Levi was still having a hard time trusting him. It came with being a fugitive on the run, and he knew all too well how capable men were of being deceitful.

"Do you have a picture of your family?" Levi asked again, and Gerard frantically dug in his pockets to pull out a picture. Levi snatched it away from him, taking a good look at the picture. He didn't want to take this man away from his family, but he was fully prepared to do so.

"That's them," Gerard answered. "My girls are only six and two. I don't want them to forget about me. I have to get back to them alive."

"I'll tell you what, Gerard, I'll hold on to this picture of yours. If you betray us tonight, after we've killed all the guards at the wall, we'll make sure you stay alive. I'll find your family, your beautiful little girls, and your wife, and I'll kill them all in front of you. And that's a promise you know I'll keep, isn't it?" Levi asked, his words so harsh, so cruel that he even saw Eld flinch at their impact. He thought that meant that they were believable enough, and it certainly seemed like that was the case since Gerard started crying as he spoke.

"Please, I won't betray you. I'll help you through the gates. I'll do whatever I have to do," Gerard pleaded, falling to his knees as Levi sheathed his sword again.

"Good. We'll be back an hour after nightfall. Make sure you're ready to do what you need to do," Levi tucked the picture of Gerard's family into the breast pocket of his shirt before he spoke again. "And make sure you get some more gear before you head back to the wall, it'll raise too many questions. Now be a good little soldier and get your shit together. No one can know that you saw us, understand?"

"I understand...I understand. Thank you, Sir. I won't disappoint you," Gerard answered, scrambling to his feet as he wiped his tears away on his sleeve. He saluted Levi and Eld before he ran off in the direction of the wall.

"You really think he'll stay loyal to us?" Eld asked as he gathered the 3DM gear that Gerard had left on the ground in front of them.

"Unless he wants his family to be murdered he will," Levi answered, his cool facade never fading. He wondered what Eld must think of him now, watching him threaten to kill a woman and two small girls if he didn't get what he wanted. Did Eld think that it was something Levi was capable of actually doing?

"I hope you're right, Heichou," Eld said, and Levi couldn't help but share the same worry.

Levi sighed as he looked around the forest, and for a moment he just stood there. They'd accomplished both goals they'd set out for, but somehow he didn't feel any better about it. He couldn't get what Xavier had said to him out of his head. He's closer than you think . The sheer possibilities of what that could mean were too many for him to even think about. Did he know where they were? Was he able to follow them without any of them knowing? It seemed unlikely, but the paranoia was beginning to make him think otherwise.

Perhaps that was all it was, paranoia. A phrase planted in his mind to make him think that they were in more danger than they actually were in order to try and get him to move recklessly. If that was the case, Levi couldn't let him win like that. He couldn't let Erwin get into his head when they were so close to getting somewhere that they could finally breathe and think about the next step. He knew it was too much for him to think about on his own, and so he decided that he should clue Eld in on the conversation.

"Eld, I've been thinking about something, I want to get your opinion," Levi started as they began their walk back to their camp.

"Sure, Heichou, what is it?" Eld asked, slinging the 3DM gear over his shoulder.

"When I went to try and get Gunther I ran into a particularly interesting man. He seemed to hint that he had intimate knowledge of whatever Erwin was planning to do."

"What did he say?"

"He told me that Erwin is having fun chasing us and that he's closer than we think. What do you think that means?" Levi asked, and for a moment Eld seemed like he was seriously mulling over the question in his mind.

"It could be something that he said just to get you worried. You know, like a mind game," Eld answered, although Levi didn't think it sounded like he was completely convinced that that's what it meant.

"Erwin does love his mind games," Levi agreed.

"But...it feels strange to me like he was meant to tell you that. Almost like they knew that you would come and encounter him just so that he could tell you that. He could have been telling the truth, in which case we should probably be a little worried."

"What if he told me that just to make me anxious? What if he wants us to act rashly so that he can catch us out?" Levi asked, and Eld was quiet again for a moment.

"That could be the case. He may have no idea where we are, and so he's trying to get us to do something risky so that he can start tracking us again." All things that Levi had already thought of. "I think it's pretty unlikely that he's been able to track us so far. We were careful."

"Then how did they find you and Gunther in town?" Levi asked, and Eld didn't seem to have an answer to that question. "I think we need to get back to camp. Now."

Their pace was a little bit faster after that, although they were still trying their best to move quietly through the woods. Levi felt like his heart was about to burst out of his chest, his anxiety driving him to move faster and faster. He was still vigilant, as was Eld, making sure that they checked every corner they rounded and every small hiding place they might stumble across, but they didn't see anyone on their way back. He knew that was a good thing, and it should have made him feel better but he wouldn't be able to be calm again until he saw Petra and Isabel waiting for them at their camp. He wouldn't be able to push down his worries as only paranoid thoughts until he knew they were safe.

They slowed down as they approached the camp, making sure to be ready for any surprises that they might face as they got closer. Levi motioned for Eld to spread out so that they would have a better tactical advantage if they did come up on someone that wasn't supposed to be there, and Levi's fears were proved correct when he heard voices that didn't belong to Petra or Isabel.

These were decidedly male voices, and one of them sounded awfully familiar to him.

He took the opportunity to zip up into the trees while he was still far enough away that the sound of his gear wouldn't alert whoever was disrupting their camp, and he glanced to his right to see that Eld had followed his lead.

"It doesn't seem like there's anyone here," one of the voices said, although he wasn't sure who this one belonged to. His suspicions were proven correct when he saw Oluo, the familiar voice that he'd heard moments ago, standing in the middle of their camp.

His blood boiled so hot that he thought steam might be rising from his ears. That traitor. That bastard . Levi wanted to swing down and disembowel him with his swords, to look into his eyes as he watched the life drain out of them, but he knew he couldn't. He knew he needed to gather more information. There would be plenty of time to make Oluo suffer later.

"Well, the fire is still smoldering, they couldn't have gotten far. Their horses are even still here," Oluo said, his voice still just as cocky as it always sounded. "Search around the perimeter. They have to be here somewhere."

Their dialogue confirmed to Levi that Petra and Isabel hadn't been captured, but it still wasn't an ideal situation. He'd told her to run if anything happened, but he hadn't told her where. He had no idea where they would have gone, and it scared him knowing that they could be anywhere.

"It makes me sick that Petra chose to follow after that trash," Oluo started again, kicking the leftover, charred logs that had been their fire hours ago. "When we find them, if I can convince the Commander, I'll make sure I can show her what a real man is like."

Levi set his jaw, fighting against every instinct that he had to swoop down and kill Oluo where he stood. If he could learn anything from listening to them talk to one another, he wanted to wait.

"I'm sure the Commander won't give a shit what you do with her as long as he has Levi," the other man answered, digging through the saddlebags on the horses.

"Petra deserves someone that can look after her and give her a good life, not someone that will force her to run and kill her fellow soldiers. There's no way she picked a life like that, actually. He probably forced her to go with him so that she could be his little toy. He seems like the kind of creep that would do something like that."

"Whatever you say, Oluo," the other soldier said, rolling his eyes.

Levi could barely contain his anger. He was gripping his swords so hard that his knuckles were white as he listened to what Oluo was saying. He could never let Petra fall into enemy hands again because he knew what would be waiting for her if she did, and he was sure Erwin would agree to it if it meant that there would be one more thing he could hurt Levi with.

"Find anything?" Oluo asked, finally shifting his attention back to their task at hand. Levi was glad because he was sure he wouldn't be able to listen to much more of it.

"Nothing here. We should look around close by, though," the other soldier said, and they walked away from the camp then. Levi found Eld in the trees and zipped over to him after Oluo and his soldier were out of earshot, and he knew that Eld had heard everything that Oluo had said as well because of the look he was giving him.

"Heichou, we need to find Petra and Izzy," Eld said, a worried expression on his face.

"They're on foot, they can't have gotten far. We need to find them before Oluo and his band of idiots does," Levi agreed, and he would have been lying if he had said that he wasn't terrified of that possibility. "Do you think this is what Xavier meant when he said they were close? How did they find us?"

"I'm sure that they had to know we would be on the run after what you did to the forces in Stohess. They probably just sent out search parties, which means there could be several other groups of soldiers in these woods looking for us," Eld answered, and it seemed like everything that they had to say to each other only made the situation worse and worse as they came to drearier conclusions.

"We can't let any of those soldiers find Petra and Izzy," Levi asserted and Eld nodded.

"Should we split up?"

"I don't think that's a good idea. We're already spread too thin. We need to stay together, and we have to find them and get back to the gate before nightfall or we'll miss our opportunity to get out of here," Levi said, and he was sure he heard a bit of panic in his own voice that Eld was sure not to overlook.

"Let's start looking then. I don't think they would have tried to go any closer to the wall, that would be too dangerous," Eld said, shifting his energy to possible search locations.

"They'll be on the ground. Petra is strong, but she can't carry Izzy on her back and use her gear at the same time. Let's stay in the trees and look for them below.

"Aye, Heichou," Eld said, and they both fired their hooks and sped off into the distance to search for Petra and Isabel. Levi only hoped that they could find them before someone else did.

Chapter 13

Notes:

Sorry for the late chapter, guys! I fell behind since I wasn't feeling well for a few days, and I've just finished the chapter today! I'll try to keep on schedule for the rest of this story since I don't have any upcoming deadlines irl that I'll need to focus on now. Thank you, as always, for being patient with me and for enjoying my stories! Happy reading!

Chapter Text

The forest was quiet, save for the sounds of the gas being expelled from their gear as they zipped through the treetops in search of Petra and Isabel. The longer they looked, though, the more discouraged Levi was starting to get. He knew that they had to be close by, but finding them in the thick forest was going to be close to impossible. He wished desperately that he had discussed some kind of plan with Petra about where they could meet up, where she should go if she felt like they were in danger, but he hadn't had the foresight to do that.

Now, with what he knew of Oluo's plans and the fact that there were probably dozens of soldiers out looking for them all, he was starting to feel cornered. If he couldn't find Petra by nightfall there was no way they would be able to go through with their plan to get into Karanes. They had to find her not only because the opportunity they'd been presented with was too great to lose, but because if he lost her and Isabel everything would be pointless.

He knew that Eld could tell that his mindset was getting darker and darker, and he was trying his best to hide the fact that he was starting to panic a bit. Petra was smart, she would be able to hide and run from the people trying to capture her, but that didn't make the situation any less dire.

"Heichou, maybe we should go to the ground and look for caves or some other place they could have taken refuge," Eld suggested as they scanned the ground. "We'd never see something like that from up here.

"You stay in the treetops and keep looking for them, try to keep an eye on me while you're up there. I'll go to the ground," Levi said, taking the more dangerous job for himself in order to keep Eld safe. If someone was going to get ambushed or shot at, he didn't want it to be a member of his squad.

Levi dropped down to the forest floor with caution, sheathing his swords in an effort to make it harder to spot him. They hadn't seen anyone running through the forest as they were gliding in the treetops, but being on the ground gave him a perspective that they hadn't had from above. The undergrowth in the forest was particularly thick here, and that gave him a place to hide if the situation arose. He would need to stay quiet, and try to stay low to the ground if he could, and above all, he needed to be vigilant.

The first gunshot he'd taken had only grazed him, but out in the woods where people could likely see him before he ever knew they were there, he would be at a severe disadvantage. He was sure that, if someone was lucky enough to get a shot on him while he was unaware, the bullet wouldn't just graze him this time.

He knew he would have one advantage, though. He was much quieter than all the other oafs they'd encountered in the forest so far, and he would be able to stay undetected that way as long as someone didn't see him from far off.

The soldiers that were stumbling around in the forest weren't used to being in terrain like this. Levi thought that some of them may have never even left the safety of the cities before now, and so he knew he would be able to outplay them. His whole life before he'd come above ground had been nothing but sneaking and killing, and those were two skills that he knew would come in handy.

He quietly moved through the trees and undergrowth, his eyes scanning his surroundings as he went. He counted himself lucky that he had always been fairly vigilant, and it paid off when he heard some branches snapping in front of him. He crouched down low, letting the thick undergrowth conceal him as he watched for whatever he had heard.

These soldiers weren't quite as talkative as Oluo and his companion had been, and they were quietly moving through the forest, pistols drawn and ready to shoot at the first sign of movement. Levi tried his best to control his breathing, to slow his racing heart as the soldiers stepped closer and closer. If he had to, he could try to kite them, to move around the bushes and trees that were helping to conceal him, and use them as cover to pivot around the danger.

He took his eyes off of the soldiers for only a moment to scan the treetops, and he spotted Eld stopped on a thick branch near the top of a tree. He knew his second in command would be there to help him in a flash if he decided to engage with the soldiers, but he wanted to avoid it at all costs. If there were other soldiers nearby, ones that he hadn't seen yet, the noise that a scuffle would make, and the possibility of gunshots being fired, would alert them. After the night he'd had when he went to find Gunther, he didn't want to end up in another fight where he was outnumbered.

The soldiers stepped closer, and Levi moved slightly, barely audible as the bushes behind him rustled while he moved around a tree he was hiding behind. He could no longer see the soldiers, they were too close to him for him to peek his head out and take a look, but he could still hear them moving, their feet making the dry leaves on the forest floor rustle.

He would use his keen senses to know when he needed to act, counting on Eld to make the first move if he saw that he was in danger. If he heard the gas being expelled from Eld's gear, he would know to lunge out and attack the soldiers, he only hoped it wouldn't come to that.

As the soldiers kept moving, Levi kept moving around the tree that concealed him, taking extra care not to step on any twigs or particularly noisy material on the ground. It was nerve-wracking, and he was getting impatient as he moved, knowing that every moment they were stalled here Petra and Isabel could be struggling against captors or fighting soldiers so that they could escape. He didn't like to think that they might be fighting alone, and it was impairing his judgment. He just wanted to get out of here so that he could find them.

His thoughts were scattered, and he wasn't paying close enough attention to what he was doing while he worried about Petra and Isabel, and he made the mistake of stepping on a twig. Something that he had just been judging the soldiers pursuing them for, a rookie mistake, and he'd made it himself. The soldiers were so close to him now that there was no way they didn't hear it, and he heard their footsteps speed up after his mistake.

The next thing he heard was Eld's hooks sinking into the tree he was hiding behind, and Levi jumped out just in time for Eld to take out one of the soldiers. Levi drew one of his blades and plunged it up through the other soldier's abdomen, hearing the sickening squelch of metal slicing through flesh and organs. The soldier's eyes grew wide as he realized what happened, and Levi saw the life slowly drain out of him as he retracted his blade and the soldier dropped to the ground.

"Shit," Levi cursed, wiping his blade off on the soldier's jacket before he sheathed it again. "We're going to keep running into them. They're crawling all over the place."

Eld reached down to take the pistols from the two men they'd just killed, no doubt knowing that they would need more firepower in the long run.

"You're probably right. I just hope that Petra and Izzy aren't having the same luck that we are," Eld answered, tucking the pistols away in his bag.

"We have to be faster or they'll be found," Levi said, his urgency bleeding through into his voice. He knew that Eld could tell he was starting to panic, and he also knew it was very unlike him to do something like that, but this whole mission was starting to take a real toll on him.

"If we're any faster we'll be too loud. They'll swarm us."

"If we're not faster, they'll find them. You heard what Oluo said at the camp. He can't find them." Levi clenched his fists at his sides as he spoke, trying not to be too loud and alert any soldiers that might be nearby. "I won't let him find them."

"Alright, new plan," Eld said, reaching back into his bag again and retrieving the two pistols they'd gotten off of the soldiers. "If stealth isn't an option, we'll just have to be more forceful. We only have twelve shots between us. I don't think I have to tell you this, Heichou, but don't miss."

Eld held out one of the pistols to Levi and he took it quickly, examining the gun before he nodded to him and they started on their way again. It would be significantly harder to use their gear while they were wielding pistols, but it couldn't be helped. They couldn't waste time quietly sneaking through the forest right now. They were putting themselves in more danger, but it was a risk it seemed that they were both willing to take.

Still, it would require some amount of stealth for them to make it with only six shots a piece. Even then, there was no guarantee that they would be able to find Petra and Isabel before they ran out of bullets. The odds seemed to keep stacking up against them, and the more things went wrong, the more nervous Levi became.

They started moving again, much faster than they had been, but still slower than Levi would like. He knew Eld hadn't had much training in fighting other people, but he was much too used to it. Even despite that, Eld mimicked Levi's movements and mannerisms well enough that he caught on to how he should move fairly quickly. They were always scanning the forest in front of them, watching for enemies, pistols at the ready in case they needed to use them. They went on for a surprisingly long time before they encountered another group of enemies.

It seemed that the search teams were made up of two soldiers a piece, which made it easier because Levi alone was worth at least eight of them if his raid on their HQ had meant anything before. He knew Eld could take on several soldiers at once, as well, so their job was easy.

The guns would make it easier, but they still wanted to try and be as quiet as possible, so they engaged in hand-to-hand combat with the two soldiers and dispatched them quickly. Levi cleanly snapped one of the soldier's necks and Eld dealt a crushing blow to the other's head with the grip of his pistol. No shots fired. No loud noises to alert other soldiers in the area, and yet Levi was still anxious that they were walking into a trap.

His attention was too divided again, he needed to focus, although focusing felt impossible with everything swimming through his head right now. He felt Eld's hand against his chest, holding him back, and when he looked to the left he saw that there was a group of four soldiers standing just outside of a cave.

Eld had been right, there had been a cave for Petra and Isabel to hide in, and Levi was pinning all of his hopes on them being in there. Of course, the four soldiers standing outside were hoping the very same thing, and they were preparing to go inside.

"We can't let them go in," Levi said quietly, only loud enough for Eld to hear. The entrance of the cave was fairly close to where they had stopped, and he didn't want to alert them to their positioning.

"We can't be sure that Petra and Izzy are in there," Eld whispered back, although Levi could tell that he was just as worried about the soldiers going into the cave as he was.

"What if they are?"

It was a difficult decision, whether to fight the soldiers and go in or to wait and see what happened, but Levi couldn't bring himself to wait any longer. If Petra and Isabel were inside that cave and the soldiers were inside too, something far more fatal than being captured could happen to them.

"What do you want to do, Heichou?" Eld asked, uncomfortable asking the question, likely because he already knew what the answer was.

"We need to fight them and get inside. There's no other way to know if Petra and Izzy are inside before it's too late," Levi answered, and he knew that Eld thought that his judgment was being clouded by his emotions, but his second in command nodded at him anyway, his grip tightening on his pistol.

"What's the plan, then?" Eld asked, ready to take on the mission that they'd decided on.

"We need to take out these ones as quietly as possible. There's a possibility that there are some inside the cave already. We'll go in and see what we can find after we take care of the ones out here," Levi explained, and Eld didn't seem confident, but he still nodded anyway. "Let's use our gear to maneuver around them, we'll try to get behind them so that we can take them by surprise."

"Aye, Heichou. I can't say I think this is a good idea, but I'll do it. If Petra and Izzy are in there, we need to help them."

"You flank to the left, I'll go around the right side," Levi said, and without another word, they parted ways to fulfill their newly found mission.

Getting rid of the soldiers was easy. The poor men never even heard them coming, and they were dispatched quickly, Levi and Eld each taking two of them out. Once they were done with that, the only thing they had left to do was go into the cave.

Levi knew it was going to be dark, and it wasn't like they had any kind of light source to help them see better within the depths of the cave. He wasn't sure that they would even be able to see anything at all once they got in, which made him think that Petra and Isabel may not have picked this particular spot for their hiding place. Would Petra have even been able to get Isabel to venture into the dark depths, knowing that it could spark a panic episode from how similar it was to the cell she used to be held in?

Regardless, they still had to check. If they didn't check inside the cave and they passed up their friends, Levi wasn't sure he would be able to forgive himself if something happened to them.

They crept into the cave quietly, listening for any signs of other people inside. The only thing that Levi could hear was his breathing and his heartbeat, along with the slow and steady drip of water somewhere within the cave. As they crept deeper and deeper, he was getting more convinced that Petra and Isabel weren't inside. It was almost too dark to see, and he knew he shouldn't, but he wanted to call out their names to see if they would answer him. It might be risky, especially if other soldiers that they hadn't seen had gone inside the cave before they got there, but if Petra and Isabel were here, he wanted to know.

"Petra! Izzy!" He called loudly enough that his voice echoed off of the walls of the cave and bounced back at them. They waited for several moments, listening for any sounds deeper within the cave, but they didn't hear anything.

"I don't think they're here, Heichou," Eld said, sadness in his voice as he spoke the words.

"I think you're right," Levi agreed, although he couldn't hide the disappointment in his voice either.

"We should keep looking. They're still out there somewhere," Eld said quietly, and they both turned back to make the trek to the mouth of the cave again.

Levi was feeling discouraged, after everything. Had they already been captured? He was beginning to think that they might have been, considering the fact that they hadn't found them yet. He didn't think that Petra would be careless, but if enough people were looking for them, it was likely that one patrol group had been able to find them. He didn't want to believe it, but the possibility was beginning to look like the only one in his mind.

As they exited the cave, Levi got a bad feeling suddenly, almost like a tingling up his spine that alerted him that something was wrong. Almost before he could act, he heard the click of a hammer being pulled back on a gun, and he lunged at Eld and pushed him out of the way just in time to hear the shot crack through the air.

"Are you alright?" Levi asked, quickly getting to his feet as his comrade did the same.

"Yes, you?" Eld asked, looking around the forest for any sign of who had just shot at them. The sun was starting to go down, and so the forest was getting dark fast. The thick canopy of trees blocking out what little remaining sunlight was left in the day.

"I'm fine. We need to find the shooter," Levi said with urgency. "Take to the treetops, meet back here once you feel you've searched enough. Be careful, Eld!"

They didn't really have time to think because Levi heard the click again and immediately took off into the trees. Eld did the same before whoever the shooter was could pull the trigger this time, and Levi knew that the shooter would likely have a hard time hitting them while they were using their gear.

Levi zipped through the trees, scanning the ground frantically as he looked for the shooter. It was dark on the forest floor, but he was confident that he and Eld could root whoever was shooting at them out and put an end to them swiftly so that they could continue their search for Petra and Isabel. As darkness loomed over them, though, he couldn't help but think about their time limit.

He didn't want to miss out on their opportunity to get through the wall and into a different district, but he absolutely refused to do it without Petra and Isabel. He knew Eld felt the same way, but if they missed out on this chance he wasn't sure when their next one would come about. Would Gerard try to help them through the gate again at a later date since Levi had threatened his family? He was sure he could persuade him, but he wasn't sure when the next opportunity to speak with the soldier would arise. There was no way around it, they needed to find their comrades now .

"Heichou!" Levi heard Eld's voice from the ground, and he zipped toward his comrade without a second thought. He landed on the ground next to Eld and took in a sight that he could have gone his whole life without seeing.

Isabel looked to be unconscious, lying on the ground bound and gagged, blood dripping from her hairline. He could tell she was still breathing, but the fact that someone had hurt her again made his blood boil. Next, he saw Petra, kneeling in front of Isabel in much the same manner that she had been on top of the wall when Erwin threw Farlan off. He saw that her hands were tied behind her back, but she didn't have a gag like Isabel did, and he noticed a hand fisted in her hair, pulling painfully as if to remind her that she was a captive.

When he allowed himself to look at the person that had caught them, he found a new sense of rage that he hadn't known he was capable of feeling. Oluo had Petra by the hair, kneeling at his side, staring smugly at Eld and Levi as if he'd won the whole game.

"Heichou, Eld, long time no see," Oluo said with a grin. Levi noticed that the long rifle they'd had before was slung over Oluo's shoulder, his hand that wasn't fisted in Petra's hair was on his hip, where their pistol was also fastened. "I had the feeling I would see you all again though. Isn't this a touching reunion? We're only missing one person from our squad otherwise, everyone would be here."

"Oluo, take your hand off of Petra before I relieve you of it," Levi growled through his teeth. Petra looked scared, tears streaming down her face. He wasn't sure if it was because of the pain of Oluo's fingers yanking at her hair or if something else had happened to her. Either way, Levi would kill the bastard for laying a finger on Petra in the first place. Especially after hearing what he'd said about her before.

"I don't think you're in the situation to be making threats, Heichou," Oluo said, the title leaving his lips like a curse word.

"What makes you think I'm not in a position to make threats? You know what I did in Stohess, don't you? Do you think I'm afraid of you?" Levi asked, his cockiness coming through in his voice only slightly. He wasn't afraid of Oluo, not at all, and he wasn't afraid of whatever reinforcements might be rushing toward them, either. He knew that he and Eld could take out whatever mediocre soldiers were called to this little gathering with ease, he just wanted to make sure they could do it in a way that ensured Petra and Isabel's safety.

"I don't think you're afraid of me, no, but you are very afraid of losing these two very lovely ladies." Oluo moved behind Petra then, crouching down to get more on her level before he yanked her head back by her hair. He placed his free hand on her chin, gripping her face roughly as he knelt behind her. Levi knew that Oluo wanted to avoid killing Petra if he could, for his own disgusting personal reasons, but he knew that Oluo could easily snap her neck in that position if Levi or Eld did anything rash.

"Do you think you could hurt her before I can get to you?" Levi asked, his anger plain in his words now. "You know who I am, Oluo, you've seen me fight. Do you think you're faster than me? Do you think you're stronger?"

"No, I don't, but I also have a question for you. Do you think you're faster than a bullet?" Oluo asked, and Levi heard that telltale click again, just as he'd heard outside of the cave, except he heard several of them, in the trees all around them. He saw Eld stiffen at his side, and he couldn't help but feel like they'd been a little defeated in this ambush. He would find a way out of it, just like he always did, and no one else was going to get hurt except Oluo and the soldiers threatening them. He just hadn't worked out how he would do it yet.

"You're making a huge mistake here, Oluo," Levi said, his fists clenching at his sides. He wasn't sure how exactly they were going to get out of this situation, but he knew they had to , and he knew they had to do it soon.

"I don't see any mistakes being made. In fact, this seems like a great way for me to move up in rank. Erwin will be so pleased that I was able to track you down and bring you back, he'll likely reward me with whatever I want." Oluo looked down at Petra then, the fingers that held her chin stroking her face as he spoke. She'd closed her eyes by then, but Levi could see the pain on her face at the implication Oluo was making, and it only made him angrier.

"If you don't get your filthy fucking hands off of her I swear I'll kill you right where you fucking stand!" Levi shouted, but Oluo didn't even flinch, he just smirked at him. He was trying to get under Levi's skin, to make him act irrationally, and Levi was playing right into his hand. He just couldn't help it. He hated seeing Oluo's hands on Petra after what he'd overheard. He hated the fact that he felt so helpless right now.

"I'd like to see you try before you get shot down!" Oluo shouted, and it was the first sign of anger he'd seen from his former squadmate. "You don't understand just how bad of a situation you're in, do you? Do you know how many soldiers have guns pointed at you right now?"

"Not enough," Levi spat, and Oluo laughed in his face.

"Not enough? You have to be out of your fucking mind! You really think you can outrun a bullet. You really think you have any chance at all of getting out of this situation without being hurt and dragged back to HQ kicking and screaming. It's hilarious." Oluo laughed while he spoke, mocking Levi as he and Eld stood there helpless.

Oluo yanked Petra to her feet after that, still fisting his hand in her hair before he wrapped his arm around her waist instead, holding her right up against his body. It was likely for defensive purposes. Oluo knew that Levi wouldn't make a rash decision and try to slash him if Petra was in the way, but Levi still hated seeing him touch Petra like that.

He couldn't think. There was too much happening, too many people were in danger for him to formulate a plan. He couldn't act without someone getting shot, and he knew it wasn't likely to be him, no matter how Oluo threatened him. He knew that the soldiers in the trees would shoot at his comrades in order to hurt him. Erwin wanted Levi back too much to order them to hurt him in any way, at least physically. They could break his spirit, though. They could kill all of his comrades in front of him, just as he'd threatened to do to poor Gerard earlier in the day, and that would be it. If he lost them, he would lose the will and want to fight. He would lose everything.

Suddenly, he thought of what Xavier had told him in the basement of the house where Gunther had died. Erwin is closer than you think, so where exactly was he? Levi looked around the woods for a moment, almost expecting to see the Commander loitering off in the distance with that smug grin on his face that he hated so much, but he couldn't find him. He knew he was lurking somewhere nearby, though, and he decided that he would give in and just ask the question.

"Erwin is close, right? Is that why you're here? To capture us and take us to him?" Levi asked, his expression unreadable. He saw Eld turn his head toward him as he spoke, likely confused about just what Levi was planning.

"Are you giving in?" Oluo asked, surprise coloring his features as well. "I knew you cared about Petra and this brat behind me, but I didn't think it would be enough to turn yourself in."

"I won't be captured again, we're not going back to that life, but knowing Erwin, he's got something else up his sleeve. So, where is he? Somewhere nearby, yes? Somewhere close enough to hear what we're saying to each other?"

"No, I'm afraid. I don't know where the Commander is right this second, but I know where to take you to turn you in," Oluo answered, and Levi could tell he was telling the truth. Oluo wasn't in the loop like Xavier had been, he didn't know the inner workings of the operation. Levi sighed as he tried to think of what to do when he caught a little bit of movement at Oluo's feet.

Isabel still had her eyes closed, but it seemed that she was feigning her unconsciousness now. She was barely moving, and she looked to be trying to wiggle free of her restraints. He didn't want to draw attention to her, so he thought the best thing he would be able to do was keep talking to distract Oluo, and all the other soldiers around them, from realizing what she was doing.

"Why is it that you follow him so blindly?" Levi asked, trying to get Oluo to focus on him. "Do you really know what kind of man Erwin is?"

"I feel like I have a pretty good idea," Oluo answered with a smirk.

"Then you know that he's willing to torture and kill innocent children and women in order to get what he wants? He's willing to make us all charge headlong into the titan's grasp just so he can try to unlock the mysteries that they hold. Do you think that makes him a good person?"

"I don't give a shit if he's a good person or not. The only thing I care about is that he gives me the reward I want for being a good little soldier and doing his bidding. I mean, I could retire from the Corps after this, if I hold up my end of the bargain. I'd never have to see another titan again, and neither would you, Petra if you play your cards right," Oluo said with a smile as he squeezed Petra against his body again. It made Levi's blood boil, but he knew that he needed to keep up his distraction so that Isabel could do whatever it was she was attempting right now.

"I'll never go along with anything that you want," Petra practically spat at Oluo as he held her, defenseless and armed with nothing but her words. "I'd rather die than be forced to spend a single second with someone like you!"

"I feel like you would change your mind if you were actually faced with that choice." Oluo grinned and caressed her cheek with his free hand. She jerked her face away from him as far as she could, but there was little she could do while she was bound and forced to stand so close to him.

"I'm gonna warn you one more time to stop touching her like that," Levi said angrily, watching the scene play out in front of him and knowing that there was little he could do at the moment. Oluo only smirked at him before he wrapped both arms around Petra's waist and hugged her tighter against him.

"Empty threats won't get you anywhere," Oluo said just before Isabel freed her hands and slashed at his Achilles tendon with a small knife. It seemed like she had severed it cleanly, and Oluo let go of Petra and dropped to the ground in pain. Eld and Levi acted quickly, using their gear to zip in and snatch the two women up before the soldiers in the trees could even process what was happening. He heard a few shots ring out, heard the bullets ricocheting off of the trees around them as they sped away, but no one was hit, and that was something that he was grateful for.

Levi wanted more than anything to stay and torture Oluo for what he had said and done to Petra, but he knew it was more important for them to all get out of there than it was for him to exact his revenge. He would get it later, once Petra and Isabel were somewhere safe, and that was all he could think about right now.

"Nice thinking, Izzy! You did good, kid!" Eld said as they traveled through the treetops. Isabel looked awfully proud of herself for her quick thinking, and she seemed to be enjoying the sight of Oluo's blood on the blade of her small knife. Levi was shocked that they hadn't relieved her of all of her weapons, but he thought she might have just hidden that one well enough that they'd missed it.

"Are you both alright?" Levi asked, looking down at Petra in his arms as they moved through the trees. She hadn't said a word since they'd made their escape, but tears were still steadily streaming down her face.

"I'm okay, Aniki," Isabel answered, but Levi could tell that Petra wasn't by the look on Isabel's face as she waited for her to respond.

"We should stop here for a minute," he said, and they made their way to the ground under the cover of some thick bushes and undergrowth. They had gotten quite a bit of distance on the spot where Oluo and his soldiers had been, and they would be able to hear them if they came looking. Levi was more worried about Petra right now than having to fight those soldiers, anyway.

He carefully cut away the ropes that were binding Petra's hands and she rubbed at her wrists when he did so, angry red marks left behind from how tightly she'd been tied. She didn't say anything, though, and Levi knew that was a bad sign. Petra was always optimistic about situations, even if things had gone badly, but right now she seemed broken.

Isabel and Eld were speaking with each other, Eld taking a look at the injury on her forehead, and so he thought it was as good a time as any to try to get Petra to talk to him about what had happened.

"Petra, what happened while he had you?" Levi asked, his voice soft as to not scare her. She seemed to be in shock, not processing what was happening around her, and when she finally snapped back to reality and her eyes met his, they immediately welled with tears again.

"I never thought Oluo could be such a monster," she finally said, her voice so quiet that it could barely be heard over the wind rustling the trees. "I didn't think he was capable of something so foul."

"What did he do to you?" Levi asked, his anger getting the best of him at the thought that Oluo did anything to her at all.

"He's obsessed," she answered, not really what he was waiting to hear, but a clue as to what he'd done. Levi didn't have to think too hard, not after what he'd heard Oluo saying at their camp. He and Eld had only been gone for around an hour, though, and surely Oluo hadn't found Petra and Isabel in enough time to assault Petra before they found him again.

"Petra, if he hurt you in any way, please let me know," Levi said, his voice still angry. He knew that she could tell he was fuming, and that he might have an idea of what had happened to her.

"He, he didn't do anything too serious he just...he kept touching me," she said, and a cold chill ran down her spine at the thought of what had happened. It took everything Levi had not to leave her there with Eld and charge back in to kill Oluo on the forest floor where he had been writhing in pain when they escaped. He didn't need Petra to say more than that, he already knew how Oluo had been touching her.

"I'll kill him," Levi answered in more of a growl than anything.

"I knew he had a thing for me before we left but I never imagined...I didn't think he would be so vile as to just take whatever he wanted from me."

"I'll fucking kill him," Levi said again, although this time his growl must have been more audible. He could feel Eld and Isabel's eyes on him as he listened to Petra, his whole attention on nothing but her and how it would feel to drive his swords through Oluo's skull. He started to turn, but Petra caught his arm before he could get away.

"Please don't leave me alone again," Petra pleaded, and it snapped him out of his murderous rage as he saw another tear slide down her cheek.

Petra had never been weak, and he knew that's not what this was, she was just scared . She was allowed to be scared, after all, what they were doing was pretty scary, but he had never really seen her show it. She was being vulnerable with him, the same way he'd learned it was okay to be vulnerable with her. She was asking him to forget about revenge on Oluo for the time being and stay with her, to make sure they could all get out of this situation safely, and there was no way he could deny her of that.

"Heichou, we need to get to the gate soon," Eld said, breaking up the moment they'd been sharing. He was right, it had been dark for a while and he didn't want to lose their window of opportunity now that Petra and Isabel were back with them. It seemed that Oluo and his crew hadn't removed Petra's maneuvering gear, and instead had just bound her so that she couldn't use it, so she was still ready to escape if they had to. Eld gave Isabel the gear that they had gotten for her and helped her equip it quickly before they set off toward their destination. They were so close to getting further away from Erwin that he could taste it, but the nagging words of Xavier kept echoing in the back of his mind.

Once they made it to the gate, they found that what Gerard had told them had been true. They could only see two guards at the gate, and one of them was unmistakably Gerard. He seemed to be nervous, and he was glancing around the dark forest watching for them as they all showed themselves.

They had their hoods drawn up over their heads, but Gerard seemed to know it was them just as soon as they stepped out onto the path. It seemed that his fellow guard was unbothered by the fact that they were there, and Levi assumed that he was just oblivious to the whole situation.

"Gerard," Levi said quietly as they stopped in front of the soldier. He looked nervous, but he nodded at them in greeting anyway.

"Follow me, I'll make sure you gain passage all the way through. I had these made for you, they're kind of like passports. They should get you through any other gates you may need to pass without question," Gerard answered and handed Levi some credentials that he had pulled out of his pocket.

Without another word they all went into the tunnel that would lead them to the other side of the wall, Gerard leading the way in front of them as they all quietly walked. The guards at the other end didn't give them any trouble, either, and Levi was surprised at just how smoothly their little plan had worked out.

"Please be safe, Heichou, and good luck to you all," Gerard said just before he started to turn back to go back to his post.

"Wait," Levi said, and Gerad froze in place, turning back to face him with a worried expression on his face. Levi pulled the picture that he'd taken from Gerard from the pocket of his shirt and handed it back to him, watching as the other man cautiously took it from his grasp. "Thank you, Gerard. Make sure you make it back to your girls."

"Thank you, Heichou," Gerard whispered as he clutched the picture to his chest, tears starting to well in his eyes.

Levi turned away from Gerard then and toward his friends, looking out over Karanes from where they stood. They still had one more gate to get through tonight, and they had to move quickly if they wanted to make it there.

"Let's go, we don't have much time to waste here," Levi said, and his squadmates nodded and followed after him as they left Stohess behind them. He was still concerned about Erwin being nearby, but he felt considerably better knowing that they'd made it through one checkpoint. With the credentials that Gerard had made for them, they would likely be able to make it through the second gate with ease, as well. He only hoped that Erwin hadn't laid another trap for them.

Chapter 14

Notes:

Back on schedule again! Although the last few chapters have been a little slow (in my opinion) it's all necessary for what's about to happen next! This chapter is the build-up for something big! Happy reading!

Chapter Text

They had been taking a moment to breathe after everything that happened, perhaps a moment that they couldn't spare, but still one that they needed. It was clear to Levi that Petra wasn't coping well with the events of the night, and he knew there was likely little that he could do to help, but he still felt like he needed to do something.

Petra and Isabel were sitting together on a low wall near the gate, and Levi and Eld were standing not far away. He knew that it was dangerous to loiter so close by, but he knew that Petra needed a moment to sit and rest, and he wasn't about to take that away from her after the traumatic events of the night.

"Heichou, we should really go. I don't like standing around here like this," Eld said, glancing at their surroundings and eying a gathering of Garrison Regiment soldiers that were standing nearby.

"I know," Levi answered, his gaze flicking to Petra. Eld caught the look regardless of how cautious he'd been when he'd done it. "I think she just needs a minute. Why don't you and Izzy start scouting into town? I'll try to talk to her and calm her down a bit."

"Sure, Heichou," Eld answered.

"If something happens, meet us close to the next gate. Try to stay hidden," Levi urged, and Eld nodded before they both walked over to where the two women were sitting.

Isabel looked worried as she sat beside Petra, her hand on the older woman's shoulder in an effort to soothe her. Petra hadn't been sobbing, but she had been quietly and steadily crying since they got away from Oluo and his thugs.

"Izzy, let's go scout ahead," Eld offered quietly in an effort to not disturb Petra any more than necessary. Isabel glanced at Petra, then at Levi before she nodded to Eld and took her leave with him. Levi didn't feel good about separating from them, but he knew he needed to talk to Petra, to try to help her through what had happened so that she would be able to continue fighting.

"Petra," Levi said her name quietly, so softly that he hardly recognized his own voice. He was aware that the group of Garrison soldiers was still watching him, but he was so focused on helping Petra that they didn't matter right now. "Please talk to me so that I can try to help you."

"I...I don't know what to say," Petra stuttered, her voice soft and sad.

"I won't let him get away with what he did to you. I don't have to know what it was, you don't need to tell me, but I just want you to know. He'll suffer for what he did because seeing you suffer makes me murderous," he said gritting his teeth as he spoke. Even just thinking about all the vile things Oluo wanted to do with Petra made him fume. He hated thinking about that disgusting excuse for a man laying a hand on her and thinking of the way he was touching her before Levi saved her made his blood boil.

"I just want it to all be over. I just want to go somewhere that they can't find us, so we can be together and not have to worry about any of this," she said, tears still streaming down her face as she spoke. "I just want to be happy."

"I know," Levi said, taking her hands and gripping them firmly in his. He thought the contact might soothe her a bit, and that was confirmed when she squeezed his hands tightly. She needed someone to hold on to, someone to lean on right now, and he would be that for her whenever she needed it.

"We've been through so much, and we're almost there. Being captured again really scared me. It was even scarier than being in Erwin's clutches. I didn't know what they were going to do with me, what they were going to do to Izzy...Those soldiers weren't like Erwin. Erwin has a plan, those soldiers just wanted...they just wanted to gain their own satisfaction. They didn't care what happened to us."

"As soon as we're out of Karanes we'll only have a few more days before we arrive at my relative's house. We'll be safe there until we can figure out the next step. Petra, I promise I will never leave you alone again, okay? Never. So you don't have to worry about Oluo finding you again. He won't want to run into me again."

"I love you, I'm sorry I'm making everything more difficult," Petra apologized and Levi pressed his forehead against hers.

"You're not making anything difficult," he answered before he pressed a kiss to her lips. She seemed to relax just a little then, and he was relieved for it. He didn't want her feeling like she was in danger all the time, regardless of just how accurate that feeling was.

"Hey, get a room!" One of the Garrison soldiers shouted toward them, ruining the moment between them. He felt Petra stiffen at the sudden shout, and Levi turned to see that a few of the soldiers had gotten much closer to them than he had hoped.

"Wait a second...isn't that, isn't that the guy they're looking for?" Another one of the soldiers asked, and Levi heard Petra let out a small, scared noise. He still had a good hold on one of her hands, and before he could even think about what was happening he pulled her off of the low wall she'd been sitting on and started running.

Even in Petra's grief-stricken state, she still understood that they had to get away from the soldiers, and despite how she felt she was keeping up with Levi quite well. He wouldn't let go of her hand, though, just in case she found it impossible to keep going.

"Hey, get back here!" A soldier shouted after them, drawing the attention of the people that were still milling around the city. It was getting late, which meant there weren't crowds of people for them to disappear into, and that lessened their chances of escape as they dashed through the streets.

"Petra, we might need to shift to 3DM gear, are you able to do that?" Levi asked as they rushed through the city. He was too scared to look back, to see how close their pursuers were or how many of them there were. He was only concerned about creating enough distance between them for himself and Petra to get away.

"I can," she answered, her voice sounding stronger than it had moments ago. He thought she might have shifted into survival mode once they started running, and he was thankful that she had the ability to do that, regardless of what other thoughts were swimming around in her mind.

"Wait for my instruction. It's the last resort," he said, taking a turn that had them cutting through an alleyway. He felt compelled to look back then, and saw that they still had three soldiers chasing them, better than what he had imagined, but still not good.

Once they exited the alleyway he saw a marketplace not far down the road. There were still a considerable amount of people wandering around in the marketplace, and so he knew that would be their best chance of losing the soldiers that were chasing after them. There were stalls selling various wares lining the streets, and he knew that if he could just get far enough ahead of the soldiers and cut in between the stalls, they would probably be able to lose them.

So, that's just what he aimed to do. He picked up the pace only slightly, keeping a firm grip on Petra's hand as he did. She seemed to struggle a bit to keep up, but she would only have to run for just a while longer. Finally, he found the ideal spot to cut in between the stalls, making a sharp turn and pulling Petra along with him. After that, they ran down the road a bit before he yanked her into a tiny gap in between two buildings, just big enough for the two of them to fit if they stood chest to chest. They sank back into the shadows, Levi holding Petra against his chest, trying to control his heavy breathing so that the soldiers wouldn't hear them if they ran past. He could feel her head against his chest as he heaved heavy but quiet breaths, his heart pounding against his ribcage so hard that he thought it might even be audible.

They stayed for only a few more moments before he thought it might be safe, and he peeked his head out of the small gap to see that no one suspicious was loitering on or around the street before he let out a sigh of relief and stepped out of their hiding spot.

"Are you alright?" he asked as Petra stood in front of him still breathing heavily. She looked exhausted and out of breath, and it worried him a little that she was so tired. He knew they wouldn't have time to stop and rest now, not since soldiers had spotted them. They would likely raise an alarm, which meant they also couldn't just walk through the next gate as they had hoped.

"I'm okay," Petra answered, although he didn't quite believe her. "We should find Eld and Izzy and get out of here."

"You're right. I told Eld to meet us near the other gate if anything went wrong. We should head there. Let's just keep our hoods on and keep to ourselves. As long as we don't draw any attention we should be fine."

Petra nodded, but she didn't seem optimistic about the situation, and he wasn't used to seeing her like that. Petra always tried to think the best of everything, so seeing her so gloomy made him worry about her.

"Just don't let go of my hand, we'll be out of here in no time," Levi tried to reassure her, but it didn't seem to help that much.

They kept their hoods drawn as they walked through the city, cautiously avoiding any soldiers that were lurking around. Most of them seemed to be drunk, which Levi had come to expect from the useless Garrison, but some seemed like they were alert and searching for something. He knew that something was him and his squad, and so they did their best to avoid them without drawing unnecessary attention.

On foot, the city seemed bigger than he remembered it to be, and it was taking them longer than he would have liked to get to where they would find the gate. If only they had been able to bring their horses with them they would have been through the city in a breeze, but things had gone wrong, and they had been rushed, and their horses had likely been seized by the soldiers that were probably still scouring the woods looking for them.

It took around thirty minutes of sneaking through the city, but they managed to make it to the other side and take cover in an alleyway. The gate was close enough for them to see, and there were at least six soldiers at the bottom, thanks to the fact that the ones at the previous gate had been alerted to their presence. Levi cursed himself for not going somewhere else when he had been trying to comfort Petra, but he didn't regret trying to help her. She had needed it, she still needed it, and they just didn't have time.

"Do you see them anywhere?" Petra asked as she carefully peeked out of the alleyway they were hiding in. Levi scanned the area carefully for a moment before he saw Isabel standing outside of a building further down the street.

"There," he answered, and took her hand again to lead her toward where he knew the rest of the squad would be. When Isabel saw him her eyes went wide, and she seemed relieved to see the both of them together.

"Aniki, where have you been? We've been waiting," Isabel said, her tone sounding worried as she looked the two of them over. She still had a bit of dried blood on her face, but there would be time to get rid of it once they were out of this city.

"Avoiding soldiers, where's Eld?" Levi asked, never dropping Petra's hand.

"Scouting to see how heavy the security is around the wall," Isabel answered. "Petra, are you alright?"

"W-what? Me, I'm fine, Izzy, don't you worry about me," Petra stated with a smile, although Levi knew she was putting on an act for Isabel. Levi knew that Isabel wasn't stupid, though, and with the amount of trauma she'd been through he imagined she could recognize it when she saw it. He knew they were both worried for Petra, but he also knew that they would both help her through everything once they were safe.

When Eld came back to the group he didn't seem like he had any good news to convey and confirmed as much as soon as he opened his mouth.

"I haven't seen the top of the wall, but there are way too many at the bottom for me to feel safe using those fake credentials that Gerard gave us," he said with a sigh. "We're better off going over the top."

"You're probably right. Should we try to get to the rooftops to scout it out before we just go in blind?" Levi asked, looking at his squadmates as he spoke.

"It would be a good idea," Eld answered, and the other two nodded their agreement.

"Alright, let's just try to stay together if things go bad, alright? If we have to separate, we need to be in pairs, just like we just were, understood?"

"Got it, Aniki," Isabel answered with a smile.

"Aye, Heichou," Eld answered, and Petra didn't speak but just nodded instead. Levi was getting more and more worried about Petra as time went on, and the fact that she seemed to be avoiding speaking wasn't making matters any better. He hated himself for letting Oluo get to her, but he knew it couldn't be helped now. The experience would fade with time and Levi would have to help her through it. He was confident that she would feel better once she was somewhere safe, somewhere that they couldn't be found. It was just getting there that was the problem.

They carefully made their way up to the rooftops with their gear, making sure to be quiet and tread softly on the roofs of the buildings. They didn't want to be detected, and if anyone inside heard them on the roofs it might not turn out well for them.

Once they got to a place where they could easily see the wall, they found that their options got a little better. Levi only saw four soldiers on top, and they were quite spread out. If they could just somehow get past them without any of them noticing they would be home free.

"We need a distraction so we can get over the wall," Levi said as he scanned the top. "We have to draw their attention to the ground."

"How are we supposed to do that?" Isabel asked, perplexed.

"Make a lot of noise at the bottom, make sure even the guards at the top can hear it and wonder what's going on. When they're busy trying to figure it out, we fly over the wall," Eld explained and Isabel looked like she understood the general idea.

"You can maneuver, right Petra?" Levi asked quietly, turning to Petra to check on her again.

"I have to," she answered. He knew that she was physically able, but he was worried about her mental state. If her head wasn't in what they were doing, it was likely that she would mess up somehow. It was very unlike her, but he knew that she wasn't really feeling like herself right now.

"Just stay close to me, okay? I'll make sure you stay safe," Levi said, placing a hand on her head and petting her hair softly. She nodded and he pulled her closer to press a kiss to the top of her head before he turned back to the rest of the group. Isabel and Eld both looked concerned, but he knew that they were ready to get the whole thing over with.

Levi paused and looked around at the ground below the wall. There wasn't much to be seen, except for some merchants that had set up their stands around the base of the wall near the gate. They were likely there to try to sell wares to travelers before they made their way back through the gate to get home after a visit to the city. Right now, though, they would be the perfect way to distract whoever was on the top of the wall.

He hated to do it, but Levi knew he would need to cause a big enough scene at one of the stands to make sure that everyone's attention was on it, and that meant that he was going to set fire to the stand. It made him feel bad that he would be destroying someone's livelihood by setting fire to their wares, but if it meant that he and his squad could put more distance between themselves and their pursuers, he would do it over and over again.

"Eld, take the flint out of one of those pistols," Levi instructed, referring to the pistols that they had taken from some of the soldiers they'd fought in the woods. "I'm going down there to light a fire. Don't leave this rooftop without me."

"Levi," Petra started to protest, a worried expression on her face as she took in the details of the plan. "You said you wouldn't leave me again."

It was so unlike her that it severely worried him. Petra was strong, she could defend herself, but right now she was feeling vulnerable. Weak. He knew she wasn't, but right now wasn't the time to try to convince her of that.

"I'll be right back, don't worry," he said, trying not to be swayed by how terrified she looked. "Stay with Eld. Izzy, come with me and distract the merchant while I do what I need to do. Eld will take care of you if anything happens, Petra."

Eld looked to Levi and nodded, a silent confirmation of what he had just told Petra before he handed the flint to Levi. He offered one last reassuring look to Petra before he silently made his way down to the ground with Isabel. Once they had landed, he turned to Isabel to see that she didn't look even the slightest bit scared of what they were about to do. He took it as a good sign.

"Alright, don't get yourself in too much trouble, but distract him until I'm done lighting the fire. Just...ask him the prices of his wares or something, anything to keep attention off of me," Levi instructed and Isabel nodded.

"Yes, Heichou!" she said with enthusiasm, which earned a withering look from Levi.

"Don't call me that," he said.

"Why, everyone else does?" Isabel argued.

"Everyone else isn't my kid sister," he said, and that seemed to make her rethink her strategy. She smiled to herself before she looked back at him.

"Fine. Aniki."

"That's better. Get to work," He said before he sent Isabel on her way and he got into position at the back of the stand. He would have to make sure that he had time to make the fire big enough to cause a fuss, and that meant that Isabel had to play her part well, too. He had all the necessary tools to be successful in his objective.

He heard Isabel start in on her questions and immediately got to work. He saw that there was some gathered straw and other dry material on the cobblestone streets nearby, and so he snatched it up and placed it around the base of the wooden stand. After that, all he had to do was create a few sparks and blow on them a little to make sure they caught. Once the fire was big enough to be satisfactory, he dashed off into a nearby alleyway to hide and wait for Isabel.

"Oh my god! Your stand is on fire!" Isabel's voice was loud and carried to where he was, and it only took a few more moments for chaos to break out. Isabel made it back to him, and they both zipped back to the rooftop to regroup with Eld and Petra.

On the ground below there were dozens of people scrambling to try to put out the fire, and the guards at the gate and on top of the wall were all craning their necks to try and see what was going on.

"This is as good as it's gonna get," Levi said before he looked at his squad. "Let's go now. Get to the top and then jump off the other side, shoot your hooks so you hang against the wall."

They all acted without even responding, executing the complicated maneuver with ease. The only slip-up was that Petra didn't land right against the wall and ended up smacking up against it pretty hard. She regained her footing quickly, though, and seemed to be alright, which didn't keep Levi from worrying about her.

There wasn't a town on this side of the wall, and so they slowly rappelled down the side and landed on the ground with ease, concealed by a small wooded area from prying eyes on the top of the wall.

"Are you alright, Petra? You hit the wall pretty hard when we came over the top," Eld asked as they walked slowly through the small patch of woods.

"I think so, I might have a bruise on my shoulder and hip, but nothing I can't manage," she answered politely, although her voice still didn't sound as chipper as it normally did.

"From here we'll make our way to the Titan Forest. There'll be a lot of tourists there that we can blend in with, and it'll help to be able to take shelter in the giant trees there instead of having to camp on the ground. It should only take us a few days to get to Shiganshina after that," Levi stated, his gaze settled on Petra as he spoke.

"We'll have to cross over another wall," Eld said, his tone serious. "Hopefully, all the fuss over us will have died down by the time we get there and we can just walk through the gate.

"We don't need to actually get into Shiganshina. My relatives live out in the mountains outside of the district. We don't have much more to worry about from here on," Levi explained and the mood of the group seemed to lighten up a bit.

"We're almost there," Petra said to herself quietly with a sigh of relief.

"It won't be much longer now," Levi agreed.

"We should camp here and try to get some rest for a bit since we've all been up all night," Eld suggested, and Isabel and Petra both seemed to agree that it was a good idea. They hadn't been able to gather most of their camping equipment from before, and so Levi knew it would be a bit of a restless night for all of them, but even getting a tiny amount of sleep would be better than trying to make it all the way to the Titan Forest with no sleep at all. They had a lot of walking to do, and little cover in between where they were now and the forest.

"That's a great idea," Isabel agreed, looking weary. She didn't even take the time to think, she just sat herself down by a tree and leaned up against it, and Levi would have been lying if he'd said that didn't seem like a good idea. He took Petra's hand and led her toward a somewhat secluded spot, although not too far away from the others in case they needed to be alerted of something, and sat down on the hard ground. Petra followed suit, leaning against his side, her head on his shoulder as they took in the silence of the woods.

"How are you feeling?" Levi asked as they settled in, Petra's eyes fluttering closed every now and then, his arm around her shoulders and holding her close to his body.

"I'll be alright, you don't have to keep asking," she said, not unkindly but definitely with a bit of bite to her voice. He couldn't say he blamed her, he thought he might have been getting on her nerves with all the questions, but he was genuinely worried about her.

"Sorry, just concerned," He replied and she reached down to grab his hand and rested them in his lap.

"I'll be fine with time, I just wanna forget about it right now and focus on getting where we're going. Thank you for being concerned about me. What about you? Is your wound healing alright?"

"I'd forgotten about it," he replied with a slight chuckle. "So I guess that means it's healing fine. You didn't hurt yourself too badly when you jumped over the wall, right, you're not just saying that you're alright so that no one will worry?"

"I'm not you, Levi," she shot back.

"Fair point," he said, resting his head against hers as they lounged. "You'll be meeting my family soon, you know."

"Hm, big step," Petra said, her voice quiet and sleepy sounding.

"I wish my mother was still here, so I could introduce the two of you. She would have loved you, I know she would have."

"I would have loved to meet your mother," Petra said, suddenly seeming more awake than before. "The fact that you're even thinking about that...it makes me feel really good."

"I think about her more than I'd like to," he answered, and that was exactly the truth of it. He still couldn't believe that he was even able to remember his mother, considering how young he'd been when she died, but his thoughts were full of nothing but her no nights that he couldn't sleep. He just wished that she were still there for him to talk to about his problems, about his friends. He wished he had family close to him that he could introduce Petra to. He missed her, and he wasn't sure he would ever stop.

"What happened to her?" Petra asked, her voice soft and empathetic even before he revealed the information she wanted to know.

"It's a long story and not one that I really like to tell," he answered. He thought about not saying anything more, but he had been the one that had breached the topic, and so he would feel bad for dropping it when Petra got curious. "She worked in a brothel. Calling her a whore doesn't really seem right, but I guess that's what she was. I don't really know what happened to her, I just know she was sick for a long time, and one morning I woke up and she was dead. I spent a long time there after that, I don't really know how long before my Uncle, Kenny, came and got me."

"Levi…" Petra's voice was soft and sad, exactly what he'd expected after his explanation. "I'm so sorry that happened to you."

"It's in the past, and it made me stronger. Doesn't mean I don't miss her, though. My life would have been different if she'd lived," he said, a twinge of sadness in his voice as he spoke of her.

"What was her name?"

"Kuchel," Levi answered.

"I'm sure she was beautiful, and I know she was a good person if she instilled the values in you that you have today."

"Kenny sure didn't do it," Levi said, trying to inject a bit of humor into an otherwise heartbreaking conversation. "Like I said, she would have really loved you."

"I'm sure I would have loved her, too," Petra said as she let her thumb massage slow circles on his hand, a comforting gesture that he would have been lying if he'd said he hadn't enjoyed. "What about your Uncle? What's he like?"

"You don't wanna hear about Kenny, he's a bastard," Levi said with a shake of his head. "I wouldn't even want you near him, who knows what that asshole would do."

"That bad?" she chuckled.

"Worse, probably."

"Your family seems like a lively bunch, I hope the ones we're going to meet aren't as bad as you make your Uncle out to be."

"I haven't seen them in a long time, but from what I remember of them, they're good people. We'll all be safe there."

"It'll be nice to be able to be somewhere and not have to worry about who might be chasing us."

"Yeah," Levi answered but he wasn't completely sure he would ever feel that way. At least not until Erwin was dead. He knew that he had told Petra he would never leave her alone again, but he had been thinking about what he wanted to do once they got settled in with his cousins. He wanted to go back for Erwin, and he didn't want anyone else involved in it.

The fact that he had already gotten Gunther killed was enough for him to make the decision. When they had started out, the plan had been for them all to work together to take Erwin down, but he knew that when the time came he wouldn't be able to allow himself to let anyone else risk their lives for his revenge.

He wasn't sure how he was going to tell Petra, and he knew neither she nor Isabel would take it well. They both wanted to help him, and Isabel had a vendetta of her own, but he just wouldn't be able to handle it if he lost someone else that he loved because of his own selfish wants.

Regardless, now wasn't the time to bring it up, and especially not since Petra had fallen asleep resting her head on his shoulder. He took a deep breath, unsure of what the future would hold, but he knew for sure that nothing was going to stop him from achieving the goal that he'd set out to accomplish.

oOo

He had let his eyes flutter closed a few times during the night, but he was always jolted back awake by nightmares. This was a new occurrence for him that had only just started tonight, as far as he knew. The nightmares were vivid and horrible, and always involved Petra, Isabel, or Eld being hurt or killed by Erwin. Levi didn't think that he would ever be able to sleep again if these were the kinds of dreams that were going to plague him. He took a deep breath and released it as a sigh as he saw the first beams of sunlight filter through the trees, and decided that they all needed to get going.

"Petra," he said her name softly, quietly before he turned his head to gently kiss the crown of hers. She stirred quickly and looked up at him through thick, black eyelashes.

"It's morning already?" she asked, sitting up and stretching her arms above her head.

"Unfortunately," he answered. When he looked toward where they had left Eld and Isabel last night he saw that they were both awake and getting ready to leave, respectfully keeping their gazes away from himself and Petra.

"You didn't sleep at all, did you?" she asked, getting to her feet and dusting the dirt from the ground off of herself.

"Too many nightmares."

"Nightmares?" she sounded more concerned than he thought she would have been over the admission. "What kind of nightmares?"

"It's not important, they were just dreams. Let's just get ready to go. We have a long walk ahead of us."

"Levi…" Petra blinked at him as if she was hurt that he was unwilling to talk about something as insignificant as nightmares with her right now.

"I'm fine, Petra, I promise. Let's just go," he urged and she looked unsatisfied but she agreed anyway.

"Everyone ready?" Eld asked as he looked around at their group. Levi had to admit, they all looked miserable and tired, but that was what being on the run made you into. He didn't like to see all of them that way, but he just kept telling himself that it wouldn't be much longer until they had a safe place to sleep.

"I think so," Petra answered, and they all gathered what little belongings they still had and set out toward the Titan Forest.

They walked at a leisurely pace with the stress of Stohess and Karanes behind them. They knew that they would be safer outside of those districts and that soldiers likely wouldn't look for them within wall Maria unless they got a tip as to where their group might be. Levi was feeling more secure, now in the fact that they had lost the soldiers that had been tailing them in Stohess and chasing them in Karanes. His distraction last night had worked and gotten them over the walls into a much safer area, and he was relieved for that.

Still, his nightmares were on his mind. He knew that the nightmares that he'd had last night were a very real possibility and that he would have to be extremely cautious to keep them from becoming reality. As long as he didn't see a reason to hide, though, as long as no one was tailing them, he knew he would be able to push the horrible thoughts to the back of his mind.

"So, Aniki, are you ready to talk about you and Petra yet?" Isabel suddenly asked, and Petra paled at his side while Eld pretended he wasn't interested.

"Pertaining to…?" Levi asked, although he knew exactly what Isabel wanted to know, she had asked him about it before.

"Are you ready to admit that you're a couple yet?"

"That's…" Levi started, but Petra quickly stepped in.

"Is he not admitting it?" Petra asked and this time it was Levi's turn to be surprised.

"Petra…" he said her name chastising, but she just smiled at him.

"What? Don't you think it's a little too obvious to keep denying it now? You know they've seen you kiss me, right? You're not exactly shy about it."

"He wouldn't admit it before," Isabel said, half turning back to look at them as they all walked together. "But I've seen the way you look at her and the way you hold her hand and worry about her so much. You don't have to hide it, we know you're in love."

"Isabel," Levi said her name sternly, her full name and not just her nickname as he usually did, but all she did was laugh at him.

"What, I'm just stating the truth! You probably wanted to go way out here in the middle of nowhere so that you and Petra could be together and get married and have a bunch of babies or something. Oh my god, would that make me an aunt?" Isabel seemed ecstatic at the thought of being an aunt, but all it did for Levi was make him scowl more deeply. He looked over to Petra to see a lovely blush on her cheeks, and he couldn't tamp down the warm feeling that was rising in the pit of his stomach at the thought of having a family with her.

"Heichou, it really is pretty obvious," Eld chimed in, and Levi couldn't stop himself from looking at his squadmate in shock at his words.

"I guess the cat's out of the bag then," Petra said with a laugh.

"I'm not sure it was ever in one, to begin with, honestly," Eld added, and that drew an even heartier laugh from both Petra and Isabel.

"I'm glad you're all so interested in my love life," Levi scoffed, feeling uncomfortable about the conversation.

"What? I think it's cute seeing you guys all in love. It's a nice change," Isabel said with a soft smile. "I don't like seeing you so sad and upset all the time. When you're with Petra, at least you're happy."

"She has a point," Eld added.

"So, I'll ask you again, just the same question I asked in the safe house. Can you answer it truthfully this time? Because I know it was true back then, too," Isabel said, turning to walk backwards so that she could watch Levi as she spoke.

"What's that?" Levi asked, apprehensive.

"Aniki, is Petra your girlfriend?" she asked with a smile, and he wanted to deny it because the term girlfriend didn't seem to span far enough to cover how much Petra really meant to him. It sounded too childish for the seriousness of the emotions he felt for her.

He looked to Petra to see that she was watching him just as adamantly as everyone else was before he looked back at a grinning Isabel.

"If I say yes will you stop asking me?" he asked, which earned a scowl from Isabel.

"Only if you answer truthfully."

"I don't like that word, it doesn't fit us," he said.

"What? Girlfriend?"

"Yeah, she's more than that. Petra's not a girl, she's a woman," Levi said, turning to look at Petra again. He needed to look at her to say the rest because he wasn't sure he could make himself say it in front of other people. He could curse himself all he wanted, but he had to admit that this was one thing he could consider himself to be shy about. "She's the woman that I love. So girlfriend seems like too cheap of a word for what we have."

"Levi," Petra said his name softly and with a warm smile that made him feel butterflies in his stomach.

"That's what I was looking for," Isabel said, and Levi suddenly found himself feeling embarrassed over what he'd just said in front of his whole squad.

"It's about time you realized it too, Heichou. I think Petra's been pining over you ever since the first time she saw you, which might have been a lot earlier than you think," Eld chimed in, and now it was Petra's turn to get embarrassed, it seemed. Her cheeks turned a deep pink color and she looked shocked that Eld would say something like that.

"Eld Jinn!" she shouted in a motherly, chastising tone.

"Oh yeah?" Levi asked, his curiosity piqued.

"Heichou, we were trainees when Petra saw you for the first time coming back from an expedition. I'm pretty sure she's been smitten with you ever since. She talked about you all the time."

"W-what? I did not! Eld, tell him I didn't!" Petra said, her voice sounding a little panicky.

"Oooh, it's a love story! Petra, was Aniki your prince charming in shining armor riding back home through the gates after every expedition?" Isabel teased, and Levi couldn't help but chuckle now that Petra was the subject of their teasing.

"I...I just thought that he was really brave for going out on so many expeditions! And I always heard that he was so strong and...I just thought that was very admirable!" Petra answered, flustered.

"Yeah, and you always dragged all of us to the gates to watch him come back through with that look on your face like...like you wanted to run up and hug him or something," Eld said with a laugh.

"You're dead to me, Eld!" Petra shouted playfully. "Oh my god, this is so embarrassing."

"I told you before that it was pretty obvious, didn't I?" Levi asked and Petra turned to him with that same surprised and embarrassed look on her face. "You don't have to be embarrassed. Obviously, I feel the same way."

"That doesn't mean he had to tell you about all that," Petra said sheepishly, and Levi reached over to grab her hand, pulling her a little closer as they walked, their joined hands obscured by their long cloaks.

"I already knew all of that," Levi said softly, almost a whisper, although he knew everyone else could also hear him.

"H-how?" Petra asked, dumbfounded once again. It seemed she was having revelation after revelation today.

"Because I noticed you in the crowd. Every time. It's part of the reason I knew of you when I was looking for the people for my squad. I wouldn't have picked you if I didn't think you were strong, but the fact that you seemed to be...interested in me didn't hurt the decision."

"So, in other words, he picked you because he liked the attention," Eld chimed in, and now it was Levi's turn to glare.

"Well, I think it's cute, and I'm glad that you're keeping that promise to Farlan," Isabel said with a kind of sad smile before she turned to face the way they were walking again.

Levi understood what she meant by what she had said, and he couldn't deny that he was happy about that fact as well. Farlan had told him not to let Petra slip away, and he was determined not to let it happen.

He squeezed Petra's hand lightly as they walked, looking over at her and giving her a small smile before he looked forward again. They still had a long way to go until this nightmare was over, but it felt like things were finally taking a turn toward safe and normal, and he thought he would let himself enjoy that. At least for a little while.

Chapter 15

Notes:

Hi guys! Sorry for missing the update last week, there were a lot of things going on and I've had some writer's block. T_T However, I've got the new chapter for you today! Just a quick note about Levi's relatives. These are Mikasa's parents if that wasn't obvious enough from the text. No matter how hard I looked, I could not find canon names for them, so I named them something of my own accord. I hope you enjoy the chapter! Happy reading!

Chapter Text

"WHAT? You've gotta be kidding me! Are these trees even real?" Isabel shouted as they all made their way toward the Titan Forest. They were still quite a ways off, but the giant trees could be seen a good distance away, and Isabel seemed to be enchanted by them. "I've never seen anything like this before!"

"They're real, and they are pretty cool. I don't think I've ever been here before, either, but I've always heard about it," Petra chimed in as she looked off into the distance. Levi hadn't let go of her hand for their whole walk, and he'd enjoyed the small amount of contact they were able to maintain.

"This is amazing! Aniki, I never even imagined anything this big could exist!"

"Don't have a stroke, they're just trees," Levi said, not nearly as excited as Isabel was to be experiencing the trees. He hadn't seen them before, either, but they were just trees, after all. Nothing to get too worked up about.

"Once we get inside we can go off the path and find a good place to rest for a while," Eld said. "There shouldn't be any tourists off the paths, so we should be safe there."

"What about guards? Who stands at the entrance?" Petra asked, concern evident in her tone.

"Shouldn't be guards, maybe just some normal people working there to take money for entry. They shouldn't have a clue who any of us are, so we should just be able to pay the fee and go in," Eld answered.

"I bet they're even bigger up close!" Isabel said with excitement.

"That is generally how that works, yeah," Levi said with a sarcastic tone.

"Stop being such a wet blanket! Why do you always have to ruin all the fun? How are you not more excited about this? I mean, you spent your whole life in the Underground City up until around a year ago. Aren't you excited to see something this big? Something like this could never grow down there."

"Not many things grow down there at all."

"That's not the point!" Isabel said with growing irritation. "I guess you're just determined to make everything dumb and boring. Just let us have fun!"

"I'm sorry, Izzy, I don't mean to take your fun away. I'm just tired and irritable. Let's get into the forest so we can all get some rest," Levi answered, feeling genuinely sorry for making Isabel feel dejected. He just couldn't stop thinking about his nightmares, and the more he thought about them, the more nervous he got.

They walked a bit further before they ran into a line of people waiting to gain entrance into the forest. Levi had to admit, the trees were absolutely massive up close. They dwarfed everything around them and made the surrounding area look like a miniature village, and it was something that was definitely amazing to see.

Isabel was just as in awe as she had been from the moment they laid eyes on the forest, and she was trying her best to just stand still in line as they waited for their turn to buy their tickets.

"This is so crazy," she said as she craned her neck back to look straight up at the trees before she started to teeter and fall backward. Eld was there to catch her and put her back on her feet again after she'd lost her balance, but that didn't stop all of them from getting a good chuckle out of it.

They didn't have to wait too long to get to the front of the line, and Petra smiled sweetly at the nice-looking woman that was taking money and handing out tickets.

"So that's four, then?" the woman asked as she smiled at their ragtag group.

"Yes, please," Petra answered before she handed over the necessary payment for the four of them.

"Enjoy your time at the Titan Forest!"

Levi had always thought the name of this place was somewhat morbid. After all, they were using the name of one of the most dangerous creatures to exist as a tourist attraction, but he couldn't say that the name wasn't fitting. As they walked into the forest the sun was all but blotted out by the tall trees, the canopy completely shading them. The floor of the forest was covered in fallen leaves and moss, and he could see mushrooms scattered about the ground as they walked deeper into the forest.

The path was sectioned off with simple bamboo fencing, and it would be easy for them to vault it and disappear into the darkness when no one was around to see them. The problem was that there were so many people walking down the path that he wasn't sure how exactly they were going to disappear without being seen.

"This is pretty amazing," Petra said softly as they walked through the forest, she was looking around with wonder in her eyes, much the same as Isabel, and Levi was suddenly happy that they'd been able to make it here together. It might have been kind of cliche, but he liked the idea of doing all the stupid tourist trap attractions with Petra. He liked the idea of leading a normal life with her and visiting places like this on the days when they didn't have anything better to do, and it made him feel happy that they were able to do it now, despite everything else.

"I feel too small here," Levi said suddenly, only speaking his mind about the matter. "Trees shouldn't be this big."

"Mm, but isn't it cool that they were able to grow this tall? Something like this could never happen anywhere but here, where they have plenty of room to grow as tall as they want and no one is threatening to cut them down."

"It would be so cool to practice maneuvering here!" Isabel said excitedly.

"Not so loud," Levi said quickly, hushing her. "No one needs to know that we have gear, don't let too much slip."

"Sorry, I didn't think about it," she said sheepishly in response to his intense reply.

"It's fine, I don't think anyone heard."

"You seem awfully on edge," Petra said, concern in her eyes as she watched him.

"I'm fine, you don't need to worry," he reassured her, but he could tell it didn't help. "Let's just wait here until there's a break in people walking down the path and then disappear into the forest. Then we can finally get some rest."

It had taken longer than he would have hoped for the people to stop pouring into the forest, but finally, there had been a gap. Levi waited another moment, just to make sure no one would see or hear them, and then he pulled the triggers on his gear and shot up into the trees, Petra, Isabel, and Eld right behind him.

It was a bit freeing to zip through the trees like this, uninhibited by anything else. He still didn't feel safe, not until Erwin was dead, but he felt more at ease knowing that he could quickly maneuver away from any danger and that his squad would be right behind him.

His squad. It was different now. A weird combination of the past, present, and future. Isabel was the only remnant of the past, constantly there to remind him of what he'd lost, but she was also a piece of the future, just like Petra was. Eld, he had the feeling, would be a steadfast friend through all of it, and he almost smiled at the fact that fate had somehow given him people that he actually liked.

Once he felt they were far enough away from the trail and deep enough inside of the forest, he stopped on a large branch. The branches of these trees were much larger than normal trees. Some of them were big enough for all four of them to stand on comfortably. He thought it would be a good place to camp, to make sure they all got the rest they needed for the rest of the trip.

It wouldn't be much longer until they reached the mountain residence of his cousin's, but he didn't want to be completely exhausted when they arrived. He knew he wouldn't be able to make a good impression if that happened.

"This is as good a place as any to rest," Levi said, glancing around the still forest.

"I'll take the first watch shift," Eld volunteered, and Levi kind of hated how often the other man seemed to stay up and watch while the rest of them slept. They'd all had a hard time recently, he knew that Eld needed the sleep just as much as he did.

"I can watch," Levi answered, but Eld only shook his head.

"Get some sleep, Heichou. I'll switch out with you in a couple of hours and you can watch then," Eld said, not argumentative but not ready to roll over on the issue.

"Fine," he answered, zipping over to the tree right beside the one they'd been standing on and sinking down to lean his back against the trunk. Petra wasn't far behind him, and she settled down beside him against the tree. Isabel had almost been snoring before they even stopped talking about who would take the first watch.

"This really is amazing," Petra said, glancing around the forest with wonder.

"Mm," Levi hummed, too tired to give any real reply.

"Is something bothering you?" she asked. Of course, there was something bothering him, there were several things bothering him, but he didn't want to burden her with any of them.

"Just the mission," he answered, his eyes closed as he leaned back against the tree trunk. "You should get some sleep, you know."

"So should you," she answered.

"I'm trying but you won't shut up."

She lightly smacked his arm.

"I'm just worried about you. I know you're carrying a lot right now. The whole thing with Erwin...getting us all to safety, it's a lot for one person to do all on their own. You could let me into your mind just a little, you know." She sounded hurt that he wouldn't share things with her, but it was for the best. After all, he knew she wouldn't like the fact that he was planning on leaving her with his family to go and fight Erwin on his own. She would protest it, he knew she would, but she didn't have a voice in the matter. He wasn't going to put her in danger again.

"You're always inside my mind," he answered quietly, and she was quiet for so long that he had to crack his eyes open to look at her, to make sure he hadn't said something wrong.

"I know I am...and you're always inside mine, that's why I'm worried that you're not telling me everything," Petra answered and then turned her face away, looking down at her lap. "I just keep getting this feeling that you're going to do something stupid and get yourself hurt."

"Hm, join the club," he answered, putting his arm around her shoulders and pulling her closer. She seemed to be upset by his comment but didn't push him away.

"Please just look at me and tell me that you're not keeping anything from me. Look me in the eye," she said, and when he looked at her this time he saw mistrust, fear, nothing that he ever wanted to see in her eyes while she was looking at him. But he couldn't just tell her that he planned to leave her behind, not after he'd sworn that he wouldn't.

"I'm not keeping anything from you," he said, just hoping that she didn't see the shine of a lie in his eyes. Because that was exactly what he'd just done. He'd lied to her about his intentions. He could only hope that she would forgive him when the time came to act.

"I believe you," she said and he tried his best not to heave a relieved sigh. He'd convinced her. Now maybe he could get some fucking sleep.

"Rest, please. You need all your strength," he urged, pushing her head back down against his shoulder and leaning his back against the tree.

"Once we get to your cousin's house I bet we'll all get to have beds again. And showers," Petra cooed, talking about even those basic things as if they were luxuries. He supposed to someone on the run from the government simple things like that were luxuries.

"A bed would be nice, but a shower," he almost moaned at the thought of it. He hated being filthy. He couldn't remember the last time he'd had a proper shower.

"Maybe once we get there we can share one," Petra said, her voice soft.

"A bed?" he asked.

"Mm, that too." She kissed his cheek and he felt his skin heat up.

"Go to sleep, Petra," he urged. "Before you say something you can't take back."

"Don't wanna take it back."

"Sleep, now," he said, shaking his head.

She took a deep breath and let it out in a sigh, and it only took a few more moments before her breathing evened out and he could tell she was asleep. With her cuddled up against him, the sweet promises of shared beds and showers still hot on her lips, he drifted off in no time.

oOo

He woke up to the sound of 3DM close by. How long had he been asleep? He was ready to spring into action if he needed to, but he realized that it had only been Eld zipping over to speak with him.

"Care to switch out watch duty now?" Eld asked quietly as to not disturb Petra, who was still asleep against Levi's shoulder.

"Yeah, get some sleep, Eld, you deserve it. I'll stay awake," Levi answered and his second in command saluted him before he zipped back to the other tree to settle down and get a little bit of sleep.

Levi looked down at Petra, peacefully sleeping against his shoulder, and couldn't imagine not waking up to her face every day. If this journey had taught him anything, it was that he needed her, he loved her, and if he didn't complete his mission he would almost certainly lose her. That wasn't a possibility that he wanted to entertain.

He wondered what she might be dreaming about while she slept, or if she was dreaming at all right now. She looked peaceful enough like she wasn't worrying about anything at the moment. He thought that must mean that she wasn't dreaming because he was sure that no one could have nice dreams while they were on the run. Especially not after what she'd been through with Oluo.

If he ever saw that piece of trash again he would make sure he was punished for even thinking about doing anything unsavory to Petra. Just remembering Oluo's hands on her made him grimace. He would have to remember to tell Isabel what a good job she'd done incapacitating him so that they could get away. Otherwise, Levi wasn't sure how he would have gotten them out of that situation.

He watched Petra sleep for at least a couple more hours before she started to stir. Their weird sleep schedule meant that the sun would actually start going down soon, but Levi thought it might be better to make the remainder of the trip into the mountains at night, anyway. If they moved at night then there was less of a chance of them being seen, and that was better for all of them.

"You awake?" he asked as Petra lifted her head off of his shoulder, bringing a hand up to rub at her neck. Probably the angle at which she'd been leaning against him had left a crick in it.

"Mm, barely," she answered. "We're leaving soon, yeah?"

"Yeah, we should get moving so that we can make it to my family's house by morning. They'll be up with the sun."

"Finally, we'll be safe," she sighed, a small smile playing across her face.

"We won't be safe until Erwin's dead," Levi reminded her, but it didn't seem to be what she wanted to hear.

"You said yourself we would be safe with your family, that no one would know where we were hiding. Doesn't that mean that we could stop all of this? We don't have to fight him if we're there. That's what it sounded like," Petra said and she looked more worried than anything while she spoke.

"We'll never be safe if he's alive. He'll look for us everywhere," Levi answered and Petra frowned. "If you think he can't do some digging and find out that I have relatives in Shiganshina, you're wrong."

"Are you sure you're not just saying that because you want revenge?" Petra asked. Levi was starting to get irritated with her. He knew she was only worried about him, but he was right.

"You know that's part of it. It always has been," Levi answered although the direction the conversation was headed in was annoying. "I don't wanna talk about it right now. We have other things to focus on."

"We always seem to have something more important to focus on when it comes to talking about your feelings and motivations," Petra sighed, stood up, and dusted herself off.

"You knew I wasn't the 'let's talk about our feelings' type from the get-go. Not my fault you're just finding a problem with it now," he replied and he knew it was cold, but this was not the time to have this conversation.

"Fine, whatever," Petra said, shutting down her emotions and withdrawing. He didn't like that she'd found the ability to do that now, he felt like it was his fault, but it was better to be able to do it until they were at least out of the forest and inside his cousin's home. They would talk about it then.

"Let's get everyone together and get the fuck out of this forest. We'll be able to rest and...and talk about thing's once we get to my family's place," Levi said, deciding that he would talk with Petra about her concerns once they'd made it to their destination. It might not be what he wanted to do, but he owed that much to her.

"Thank you," she said, and she looked genuinely thankful that he'd agreed to talk to her. He only hoped that he wouldn't fuck everything up worse.

They regrouped with Eld and Isabel and elected to keep traveling using their 3DM gear until they reached the edge of the forest instead of walking on foot. Levi felt safer off of the ground if he was being honest, and he had the feeling the rest of his group might feel the same way. They reached the edge just as dusk was starting to settle in. Levi could see the bright oranges and reds of the sunset, his gaze fixed on the edge of the forest, and then something hit him hard .

He was knocked out of the sky and onto the ground with a thud, Eld, Petra, and Isabel close behind him. When he was able to gather himself, push himself off the ground and check on the others, his blood ran cold.

They were completely surrounded. More soldiers than he had ever seen encircled them just inside the forest, guns trained on their little group dead in the middle. As the wall of soldiers parted and someone came walking through to the center where they stood he knew they had been caught. He saw the sick smirk on Erwin's face before the man even came to stop in front of them

It didn't help much, but he and Eld stood in front of Petra and Isabel, blocking his view of the two women. Levi didn't want Erwin's icy gaze falling on either of them. He didn't want him to have the pleasure of looking at the terrified expressions on their faces.

Levi scowled at him. He wanted to charge forward and slice his head off, but he knew his friends would pay the ultimate price if he did. If only he had just left them all at home. If only they had been faster.

When he took a moment to look around and gather himself he noticed that the thing that had taken him out of the sky had been Mike, and the large man was still standing close by. Along with Mike he also saw Hanji, who was standing to Erwin's right. The soldiers that had taken Petra, Isabel, and Eld to the ground had been soldiers he didn't recognize, but they were also all standing too close for comfort. He felt trapped, like a rat in a cage, and Erwin smiled like he had the cheese.

"Lance Corporal," Erwin said with a devilish smirk. Levi wanted to rip his head off.

"You had to bring the whole fucking Corps to make sure I didn't kill your ass, huh?" Levi spat at the man, venom dripping from his words as he spoke.

"Just an insurance policy. You managed to make it quite a long way before we tracked you down. If you hadn't been seen inside of Karanes district comforting your lover we may not have found you," Erwin said with a smile. None of his smiles seemed genuine. They were all menacing and evil, a barely veiled threat to go with his calm words. Levi heard Petra suck in a breath behind him. He knew she would blame herself for this shit.

"Yeah, well, if you're asshole soldiers wouldn't have been planning on assaulting her then I wouldn't have had to stop and comfort her," Levi growled.

"My soldiers' desires aren't my responsibility. The only thing I want from them is their jobs done. If they happen to fulfill their own desires while also completing what I desire of them...well, it can be forgotten."

"Bastard," Eld growled beside Levi, knowing the toll what Oluo had done had taken on Petra. They were a family now, of a kind, which meant that Eld got upset when the others got hurt just as much as Levi did.

"Since you managed to make it this far, I thought I would strike a deal with you. I'm sure it's not what you'll want to hear but, well, you don't have much of a choice now, do you?" Erwin asked, the stupid smirk still on his face.

"We're about to make it a lot further once I take care of all your little lackeys here," Levi said, his voice low and dangerous.

"I wouldn't advise that. The moment you make a move these soldiers will take your little friends in their sights. I might be wounded, but not before your darling Petra and Isabel and the only friend you have left in the world are gunned down. All because you couldn't recognize a good deal when you saw it. How would that sit with your conscience? Do you think that would be something you wouldn't regret?" Erwin asked and Levi felt burning rage coursing through his veins.

The man he had wanted to kill for the last year was standing right in front of him and he couldn't do a damn thing about it!

"I think you should listen to what he has to say, Heichou," Eld said quietly, trying to keep his voice down so that Erwin couldn't hear him from the distance between them. "I don't think we have much of another choice right now, anyway."

"What the fuck do you want, Erwin?" Levi asked, glaring daggers at the man.

Levi's gaze flicked to Hanji and he noticed that they wouldn't look at him. He was sure that they didn't want to be here, threatening him with Erwin, but he'd made them come along. They almost looked sick.

"I'll give you a fair shot, since you made it this far, you won't get another chance like this," Erwin said with a wicked grin that meant he was scheming something. Levi knew it, but he didn't have another choice in the matter. They were surrounded by more soldiers than he cared to try and count. Even with all their skill combined, he knew that his group was too far outnumbered to have a chance.

"Just fucking spit it out already! I'm tired of your god damn games!" Levi spat, clutching the grips of his swords so hard that he thought they might shatter in his grasp.

"Meet me in Trost, I'll give you at least a day to relish in your small victory of making it this far. Take your team to the safehouse you were heading for, enjoy a day with your beloved, and then come to Trost and we'll settle this the old-fashioned way. A duel."

"A duel?" Levi questioned, confused but venom still dripped from his words.

"We'll have a duel, and whoever comes out alive, or at least unharmed, will win. If you win, no one will ever bother you again. You'll be free to live the rest of your miserable life playing house with one of your subordinates and your damaged excuse for a surrogate child. If I win, all of you soldiers come back to Stohess with me. You'll serve in the Corps until the unfortunate time of your demise, and you'll take orders from me. It's only fair, after all we've been through together. What do you say, Levi?"

Erwin watched him, his cold blue eyes devoid of all emotion. If anything, Levi thought he might look amused, like this was the climax to their game and he knew he was going to win it.

"You can't have them back!" Levi spat, not willing to give in to his demands.

"I could just order you all killed or captured right now. That would be far easier for me, perhaps the smarter option, but I thought this one would be more fun. If you don't agree, I'll kill them all one by one while you watch and drag you back to Stohess to serve forever. If you think your life has been hell up to now, you'll wish you could go back to this once I'm done." Erwin's voice was angry now, dark and sinister and threatening.

Levi knew he wasn't bluffing. He knew that Erwin would make good on that promise and do it with joy. He grit his teeth as he tried to think of a different way, any other way to get out of the situation they'd found themselves in. He wasn't willing to let them die, though. Petra, Isabel, Eld, they all meant an incredible amount to him and letting Erwin know that had been a mistake. If he had to watch them die the way he watched Farlan turn into a titan, the way he watched Gunther be murdered in front of his eyes, he wasn't sure he would be able to go on. He knew he wouldn't.

"Heichou, what do you want to do?" Eld asked, completely ready to face the rifles of all the soldiers surrounding them. He knew that Eld would do whatever he asked without question, that he would sacrifice his life to try to get out of the situation and complete their mission, or just go out fighting instead of being captured, but he didn't want that to happen. He didn't want to lose anyone else.

"Fine, we'll do it your way, Erwin," Levi agreed, sheathing his swords. He heard Petra gasp behind him as he said it.

"Aniki!" Isabel shouted, but Levi cut her off.

"I'm not afraid to fight you, Erwin. I've been telling you I would kill you since day one. I won't pass up the opportunity to do it. You'd better be ready," Levi answered, resolute.

"Levi, you can't. You know this is a trap," Pera said quietly, but he was sure that the soldiers around them, and maybe even Erwin had heard her.

"He's been trying to trap us this whole time and hasn't succeeded. At least in this trap, it'll only be me that has to suffer the consequences. I know I can beat him, and when I do I'll be able to come back to you and we won't have to worry about anything," Levi answered her, looking toward her for only a brief moment while he spoke before he turned his attention back to Erwin.

"I'll look forward to seeing you then. I'll give you a week to get there. One week from today, we'll see how this little game of ours ends," Erwin said with a smile. He then motioned for his soldiers to disperse, and they did so while Mike and Hanji stayed at his side to make sure Levi didn't try anything cheeky.

"Just one more question," Levi started as the three soldiers left in front of them started to turn and leave. Erwin looked back at him. "What if I don't show up?"

"Clever. Cleverer than I gave you credit for. I thought you were just muscle." Erwin chuckled. Levi wished he could knock the stupid grin off his face. "I know where you're headed. Abel and Kara Ackerman, your cousins in the mountains of Shiganshina. If you don't show, I'll know where to find you. If you aren't there when I arrive, I'll kill your cousins anyway and keep searching for you. You'll never know peace until the day I'm dead."

Levi froze. His relatives, his cousin Abel and his wife, Kara, were being threatened now. Two people that Levi hadn't even spoken to in years being threatened all because of him. He felt empty, lost. There was no way to save everyone like he'd hoped. The only way they could all survive was for him to kill Erwin, just like he'd always thought.

"I hope you're ready for the duel, then," Levi growled, his anger burning through his words as he spoke.

"I'll see you in Trost, Levi," Erwin said before he turned to leave. Still, he looked back once more. "And make sure you're all present for the duel. When I win, I want to be sure I don't have to go searching for my soldiers."

"I'm sorry, Levi," Hanji said as they walked away with Erwin and Mike. They were the only one he truly thought felt bad about the whole ordeal. If he could, he would try to liberate them from the military once he killed Erwin.

Levi was burning with rage, but he couldn't will himself to say or do anything else. He knew that he could probably get to Erwin now, but if he was focused on killing Erwin it would leave everyone else open, and Levi knew exactly who Mike would go for first.

"Levi," Petra's voice was soft behind him and he knew she wanted to comfort him, but he didn't think there was anything she could do. Levi's eyes were fixed on the retreating image of the Commander and his soldiers. He didn't want his friends to have to be a part of it again.

"Not now, Petra," he said through gritted teeth. He didn't want comfort, he wanted action, he wanted revenge , but it was something that wasn't quite in his grasp yet.

She didn't try to say anything else to him, but he could tell she wasn't happy about his dismissal. She wanted to talk to him about what had just happened, to try to make him feel better, but there was nothing that could make him feel better about being blackmailed and threatened. Besides, he wanted to feel the anger. If he felt the anger that Erwin gave him it would be that much easier to kill the bastard and be done with the whole damn thing. He wanted to feel it because if he felt it he couldn't feel worried or scared. Anger was the only emotion he needed right now. It would be the only one he needed until he finished the job.

"We should get going if we want to get to your cousin's house by daybreak tomorrow," Eld said, trying to get them back on track. At least one of his friends understood what he was feeling, that he didn't want to talk about it right now.

"Aniki...are you really going to do that?" Isabel asked as they started walking again. Levi could feel the exhaustion and fear radiating off of his small group in waves, but there was nothing to be done about it right now.

"I don't have a choice, Izzy," Levi said, his tone firm, but she just kept pushing.

"If you don't go we can just stay at the safehouse and wait for him. We could kill him on our own terms. We could do it together so that you don't have to fight him alone."

"Izzy…" he started. He could feel himself getting frustrated with her. He didn't want to yell, but he knew it was coming if she kept pushing the subject.

"I'm just saying, if we're all together then he won't have the chance to hurt anyone. We could come up with a plan. We'll keep everyone safe."

"Isabel just shut the fuck up and let me do what I need to do!" Levi snapped, finally. He turned back to face her and she actually looked scared of him, something that he'd never seen on her before, but he couldn't bring himself to care right now. "You don't have any idea how Erwin actually is. He's always five steps ahead of us. If we plan to do something like that, he'll have an even better plan, and then when we're all defeated I'll have to watch the three of you die. I can't handle that! I can't! So just keep your god damn mouth shut and do what you're told!"

Everyone around him was silent, shocked by what he'd just said to Isabel and the intensity with which he'd said it. He was sure Isabel didn't know how to react, but he saw tears beginning to well in her eyes as she looked away from him.

Petra immediately wrapped her arms around the girl, glaring at Levi while she did so. He would have to answer for that later. He knew he shouldn't have yelled at her, but it was too much. Everything that was happening right now was too much for him to process. He couldn't think through how he was going to make sure Erwin lost this duel and keep everyone happy at the same time. It was impossible for him. He would have to apologize later and he knew it, but right now he was too angry to think about it.

"We need to keep moving, like Eld said," Levi said again and he started walking before anyone acknowledged what he'd said. He heard them all behind him, though, and knew that they were following.

"It'll be alright, Izzy, we'll figure it out," Petra whispered to the girl as they walked, but it only irritated Levi, just like everything else that had happened today.

He didn't want to hear Petra comforting Isabel over what he'd said because there was no reason she should be upset about it. It was the truth. Erwin was always ahead of them in every way. If they made up some plan to try to get the upper hand he would flip it on them and they would all end up getting hurt, in one way or another. There was no way that he could stop this from happening. He would just have to go through with it, as much as he didn't want to.

He stormed forward, knowing that no one was in much danger anymore. Erwin had caught up to them, he had made his threats. They weren't in danger of being ambushed or abducted anymore, which was somewhat freeing but also incredibly depressing. Erwin knew exactly where they were and exactly where they were headed, and so he didn't feel bad about leaving everyone in the dust so he could get just far enough ahead of them so that he couldn't hear them talking anymore.

He was tired, and frustrated, and angry, but at least no one was in danger right this second. That gave him a great source of relief. Once they got to Abel and Kara's house they would talk about what was about to happen, but right now he just wanted to be alone.

Chapter 16

Notes:

Trigger warning for mentions of suicide in this chapter!

Chapter Text

The sun was just coming up when they finally made it to Abel and Kara's house. Levi sighed in relief as he saw the small log cabin surrounded by gardens and flowers. There were a couple of horses in a small barn off to the left and Levi saw a man tending to the animal as they approached.

Abel was an Ackerman, and so he heard them long before they should have been heard, but when the man looked up and saw Levi his jaw almost hit the ground. He didn't seem too concerned with the fact that there were three other people following him, or that they all looked bone-tired and haggard, he simply rushed over to them, blinking in surprise.

"Levi? Is that really you?" Abel asked as he looked him over, eyeing his friends for a moment before focusing his full attention on Levi.

"Yeah, and don't make the 'you haven't grown an inch' joke. I've heard it too many times," Levi said, his mood still sour from their confrontation with Erwin.

"I almost didn't recognize you! It's been years."

"I'm sorry to drop in on you like this," Levi started, trying to quell his bad mood and appear at least somewhat pleasant. "My friends and I have been traveling for a long time to get here. We wondered if you might be okay with us coming in for a bit?"

"Of course! You're family, and any friends of yours are friends of ours as well! Let me just run in and let Kara know that you're here. Do you mind waiting outside?" Abel asked as if he was nervous about bringing them inside.

"Yeah, that's fine."

"He doesn't look much like you, Heichou," Eld said as Abel walked away and disappeared inside the small house.

"Lucky him," Levi answered.

"Levi, we need to talk," Petra said sternly as she stepped in front of him. He really did not want to have this conversation with her, maybe ever, but especially not right now.

"After we're settled in," Levi said and Petra didn't seem to like his answer but she conceded to him anyway.

Abel waved at them from the door of the small house and Levi and the others made their way inside. Levi was shocked to see that Abel's wife, Kara, was heavily pregnant. She still looked just as beautiful as the first time he'd seen her, exotic and different. She didn't look a minute over twenty, although that had been the age she was when he'd first met her.

"Levi, it's been too long," Kara said with a smile as they all walked in. She waddled herself over to them and attempted a hug, kissed Levi on the cheek, and he just couldn't bring himself to stop her. Something about her reminded him of his mother, and so he had a soft spot for her.

"Yeah, looks like you two have been busy since we last met," Levi said which made Kara blush and Abel stammer. "Uh, these are my friends Isabel and Eld and my...uh…"

"She's his girlfriend," Isabel chimed in, her eyes bright as she looked at Kara. "Her name is Petra."

"Izzy…" Levi grumbled but he didn't try to correct her. Petra might have been angry with him, but she still blushed at being called his girlfriend. It might have been the first time he'd seen her anything remotely close to happy since they'd encountered and killed the soldiers in the woods. He almost smiled himself.

"Well, it's nice to meet you all. What are you doing so far out here? Last I heard you were still underground, Levi," Abel said and his voice sounded a bit sad. "I haven't talked to Kenny in years, though."

"Yeah, count yourself lucky. He's not exactly an upstanding citizen these days," Levi answered.

"Was he ever?" Abel chuckled. Levi couldn't argue with that.

Abel had known what kind of man Kenny was, and he had probably seen Levi's uncle more recently than Levi himself had. Levi couldn't avoid Abel's question, though. He wanted his cousin to know exactly why they were here, and he wanted to make sure that he was okay with it.

"The Commander of the Survey Corps went underground and arrested me for...well a number of reasons, but mostly because he just wanted me to join the Corps. Isabel was with me when that happened," Levi explained, but he knew it didn't explain why they were all here.

"So, you're in the Corps now? That's admirable. You're doing a good thing, Levi," Abel said, his eyes looking a bit sad as he looked toward Kara.

"Mm, well I was. We survived our first mission and the Commander took Isabel and my other friend, Farlan, prisoner as a way to keep me in the Corps. He tortured them both." He saw Isabel wince at his words but he kept explaining. "He killed Farlan, so we all ran. Eld and Petra helped me bust Izzy out of prison and we've been running ever since."

"That's awful," Kara answered, holding her swollen belly in both her hands, a pained look on her face. "I'm glad you got away."

"Are they still looking for you?" Abel asked, and Levi understood the look of fear on his cousin's face as he asked the question.

"No, they found us and they have no intention of coming here. I just have to go back to Trost in about a week. Alone. I was wondering if you wouldn't mind taking us in until then. I know your house is small, but we don't have anywhere else to go. I just want Petra and Izzy to be safe," Levi answered, letting some of his emotions slip.

He knew Abel would understand how he felt about this, knowing that Abel's wife was pregnant. He would have a family of his own soon, and Levi felt like Petra and Isabel were the closest to a wife and child he was going to get in this life. He understood that Abel was concerned for his family's safety, but he thought his cousin might see that he felt the same about the people he'd brought here.

"You're absolutely welcome to stay," Kara answered before her husband could say anything in reply.

"Kara," Abel started to protest but Kara gave him a sad look.

"I know we don't know each other very often, but I know a man trying to protect the people he loves when I see one. Abel, you and your cousin are more alike than you might like to think."

Levi thought they looked like complete fucking opposites, but he understood what Kara was trying to say. If there was anything that an Ackerman would kill for, no questions asked, it was the people they loved. Levi thought Kara might have understood that Levi was only doing this to protect his family. Not the family he was born into, but the one he had made for himself. He saw understanding wash over his cousin's features, then.

"Fine, you can stay. Only if you're sure that the Commander isn't sending people for you," Abel conceded.

"I'm sure. He basically told us as much," Levi replied.

"We have an extra room in the house and a couch in the living room, there's a loft in the barn, as well that someone can stay in. I'm sorry we don't have more comfortable accommodations," Kara said but Levi shook his head.

"Don't worry about it. It's not like you were expecting four people to crash in here and ask for shelter. We appreciate the hospitality. Thank you, Kara," he said and he genuinely meant it.

"Anything for family," she smiled and it made him feel warm. Family. It was something he wasn't used to, but he thought he could start to like the idea of it.

"I've got some things to do around the farm, so I'll leave you all to get settled in. You should get some rest, you all look exhausted," Abel said as he walked toward the door of the house.

"Thanks," Levi answered as his cousin left the house and they were left with his pregnant wife.

"Petra, Izzy, you two take the rooms inside the house. I'll take the loft, I don't mind sleeping with the horses," Eld said with a smile.

"Thank you, Eld," Petra looked relieved and took up the offer quickly.

"What about you, Levi? Where will you sleep?" Kara asked as she put a kettle on the simple wood-burning stove that sat against the wall. He knew he liked Kara. She liked tea, just like him.

"I don't sleep much. I'll just take that chair over there," Levi answered, pointing to an armchair that was sitting across the room.

"If you say so," she smiled and shook her head. "I'm really sorry you've all had to go through what you've been through. It sounds like you've all had a really hard time."

You don't even know the half of it.

"Thanks, it's been...something," Levi answered, trying not to get too into that conversation now. He knew he would have to talk to Petra about things later on and he didn't want to have to do too much talking in one day.

"Well, if you'd all like to get cleaned up, you can take turns with the tub. You'll have to heat your own water for your baths, but it's better than nothing," Kara said again as she pointed to the stove. "I've got some big pots to heat it with and there's a well out back that you can get water from."

"Thank you, Kara, really," Petra chimed in now, which was great because Levi was getting tired of talking and thanking people over and over again. "You don't know how much we appreciate you taking us in, truly."

"I couldn't turn you all away, especially knowing what you've been through. It wouldn't be right. I'm happy to give you a place to stay and some food." Kara smiled. She really was too kind for her own good. Levi hoped that wouldn't come back to bite her later.

"Eld, let's leave the ladies here to chat and start getting some water so we can all scrub the grime off," Levi said. Anything to get out of this house. Anything to get away from the little glances that Petra kept giving him that meant she wanted to talk about the decision he'd made with Erwin.

"Sure, Heichou," Eld answered, and Kara gave the two of them two big pots that they could fill with water from the well.

As they walked out, Levi could tell that even Eld felt the need to talk to him about something. He hated that everyone just wanted to talk all the time. Couldn't they just live with his decision? Weren't they supposed to follow his orders no matter what, like they always had? He loved them all, but they were starting to wear on his nerves.

"Heichou," Eld started as they reached the well and Levi practically slammed his pot down on the ground.

"Before you start, Eld, just know that I came out here to get away from Petra so that I didn't have to talk about my feelings or whatever. Please, just help me get the water and shut the fuck up," Levi snapped and Eld looked taken aback but not like he was going to stop talking.

"That's fair, but you're going to have to talk to Petra about Erwin eventually. Probably Izzy, too. They're both worried about you. We're all worried about you. You can't go into that trap alone, even with your strength. Erwin is luring you back in, and you know if he captures you, I'm not going to be able to stop Izzy and Petra from going back to get you. I'll be right there with them."

"I can't help that he's not allowing anyone else to be a part of it. And I won't put Abel and Kara at risk, especially not now that I know they're expecting a brat. I don't have any other choice."

Levi yanked the rope that would pull the bucket up from the well, trying to focus all of his attention on that instead of how irritated he was getting about what Eld was saying. It didn't matter if his second in command was right about everything he'd said, there was no way around it. He had to go to Trost alone and fight Erwin. It was the only way they could win their freedom.

"All I'm saying is that maybe there's a way for us to be there without Erwin knowing," Eld said as he watched Levi dump one bucket into the pot and throw it back down the well.

"Fat fucking chance," Levi replied as he heard the bucket hit the water below and started reeling it back up again.

"Heichou, with all due respect, if you go in there on your own and get yourself captured you'll be achieving the one thing that you set out on this mission to prevent. If you get captured, Petra, Izzy, and I are coming to get you. We might get captured too, maybe killed, but we won't let you stay there in hell with Erwin for the rest of your life. If you do this, our blood will really be on your hands. I hope you can handle that."

Levi was taken aback by Eld's bluntness. He had always been one to speak his mind, to let Levi know what he was thinking about a plan, but he didn't think his second in command had ever opposed a plan so vehemently. He wasn't sure what to say or think, so he just kept reeling the bucket up until he could dump it in the pot again.

"I would die if he killed Petra or any of you," he said quietly, not comfortable with being so vulnerable in front of yet another person. Petra had been enough, but letting Eld see him like this made him feel weak. "That's why I have to do this. If I don't go, he'll kill all of you, and Abel and Kara, too. I can't stand for that."

"We just need a plan to get rid of him before he can hurt anyone. Go to the duel, make sure that he thinks you're there alone to fight him like he wants, but make sure that you have backup so that you can get rid of him for good. Let us help you, Heichou. You can't do it all on your own, as much as you want to believe you can."

"Well, we only have a week to come up with something. Less than that, really. It'll take a day, at least to get to Trost," Levi answered as he pulled the last bucket up from the well to finish filling his pot. "I'll talk to Petra tonight. Maybe she'll have some ideas."

"Thank you, Heichou. You won't regret trusting us to help you," Eld answered with a bit of a smile.

"No regrets is kinda my thing, Eld. In case you haven't noticed," Levi answered, although he still felt heavy. He had told Eld he would think about it, but he hadn't completely decided yet. He did not want Petra following him back to Trost, because he knew he would be distracted if she was there, but he also knew that Eld had a point. He couldn't do this alone. If they could think of a good enough plan, he wouldn't.

oOo

The rest of the day was spent cleaning up and catching up with Abel and Kara. Levi was happy to have a bath and scrub the dirt of weeks on the run off of his skin. Isabel was giddy at the fact that Kara was going to have a kid. Petra seemed interested as well and asked Kara about names she'd picked out for the baby. He'd heard the name Mikasa and thought that it was weird, but he knew that Kara had a strange background. Maybe it was a name from her exotic culture, when cultures other than Paradisian had existed.

Abel beamed at his wife's side as she spoke about their child, happy to be a father when the time came. Levi wasn't sure he'd ever be able to be a real father, although it wasn't something that he had completely ruled out. He felt that he was getting some good practice with Isabel, anyway. If there was a way for kids to just pop out as teenagers, Levi thought he could probably handle being a father.

When the time finally came to sleep, Levi found that he was wide awake, and it seemed that Petra might have been, as well.

"I'll sleep on the couch, Petra can have the bed," Isabel announced as if she was being an extremely charitable person. Levi secretly thanked her, because he knew he and Petra would need some privacy to talk. He knew she was worried about him, about what he was planning to do, but he also knew that she really needed to talk about what Oluo had put her through when she'd been captured by him.

"Good kid," Levi said, patting the top of Isabel's head. "By the way, good thinking before we escaped Stohess, in the woods, you know. Don't know how you hid that knife from them, but you did a good thing, kid. Keep up the good work."

Isabel beamed at him as he praised her for cutting Oluo down in the forest. He'd been vague, but she'd understood what he was talking about.

"Thanks, Aniki!" Isabel said with a wide smile.

"Get some sleep," he answered before she retreated to her couch to lie down.

"Levi, could we talk, please?" Petra asked, looking somewhat nervous about asking. That was probably his fault, he'd snapped at her one too many times over the course of the past twenty-four hours. He didn't want her to feel like that toward him. Just another thing he had fucked up on this whole giant cluster-fuck of an adventure.

"Sure," he answered, following her into the room that she'd been offered.

She closed the door behind him and when Levi looked around he could tell that this would be the baby's room. There were cute toys and decorations around the room, although there weren't many. Kara and Abel didn't have a lot of money, so decorating their child's room was hard for them. Levi knew the kid would be loved, though, and that was what really counted.

It took Petra a moment to gather the courage to speak again. He could see the shy, reserved girl that she'd been when he'd picked her for his squad, fidgeting her clasped hands in front of her like she was afraid to say what she wanted to say. Then he saw tears. Fuck.

"I know you've already made up your mind about what you're planning to do with Erwin, but I can't just sit here and let you go without telling you what a horrible idea I think it is," Petra said, the tears shining in her eyes but not falling yet. She was doing her best to keep them in, but he knew it wouldn't last.

"Yeah, it seems like everyone thinks it's a big ass mistake, but what would you have me do? If I don't go, Kara and Abel and their unborn kid are as good as dead. You and Eld and Izzy too. I can't live with that blood on my hands when all I have to do is go to Trost and beat the guy's ass," Levi argued, although he had told Eld he would think about other options, he still couldn't see any. There wasn't another way. Not without putting his family in danger.

"Just let us help you. Just like we've been doing this whole time," Petra argued, her voice still soft and meek. He knew it wouldn't stay like that for long, though, because he had the feeling she was about to get angry.

"Yeah, look where that's gotten us. Gunther is dead. You've been hurt, maybe not physically, but they hurt you. If they find you with me when I go to Trost they'll kill you, and I can't live with that. You need to stay safe. All of you need to stay here and stay safe," Levi argued, his tone flat and calm for now, even though he was incredibly frustrated.

"We were all willing to be hurt or killed when we agreed to this," Petra said, her voice low and filled with anger now. "We knew the consequences and we still went on with the plan because we care about you. Do you really think we're just going to sit by and watch while you walk yourself into a trap? I didn't take you for a martyr."

"I started this whole thing because I wanted to save Izzy and Farlan. Farlan's dead too, just like Gunther, and if Izzy dies then it's all for nothing. I'm not putting her in danger, Petra. Not again."

"You think she won't be in danger if she stays here?" Petra asked, her voice a bit louder now but he could tell she was trying to keep herself under control so no one knew they were fighting. "Do you think we all won't be in danger if we stay here and allow you to be captured? They'll come for us, too. They'll drag us out of here kicking and screaming. If you trust Erwin Smith on his word at this point, you're a damn fool!"

That was it. She'd pushed him over the line.

"I don't trust that damn blonde asshole with anything, but what the fuck else do you want me to do, Petra? I have to at least try to keep you all safe! If I go to Trost, at least I can make sure that he dies, even at the cost of my own miserable life. Then at least you'll all be safe from him. If he lives we're never safe. Don't know how much I have to beat that into your head before you fucking listen!"

"And if you die, I'm going with you! I agreed to this mission in the first place because I care about you and Izzy and everyone else! If you die, I don't have anything left to live for. My career in the military is over, the love of my life will be gone, and all I'll have left is myself and my regrets about how I should have been there to help you!" Petra said, still keeping her voice down, but he could feel the emotion in it.

"You'll still have Izzy and Eld," he answered, that was the only thing he could think to say.

"If you die trying to kill Erwin and you don't succeed there won't be any future for us. We'll be hunted down for the rest of our lives and then killed, or worse, and you know it. If you go to Trost alone, just go with the knowledge that I won't be alive for long if you're not successful."

It wasn't a suggestion. What Petra had said was final. If he died on this suicide mission Petra would end her own life, and it would be his fault for not listening to her now. No matter how he looked at it, Petra died. She would die if he tried to hide from Erwin. She would die if he was captured because she would come looking for him. She would die if he was killed because she would take her own life. There was no winning this situation.

"Petra, this is impossible! How do you expect me to make this decision? Any way you look at it, one or all of us dies."

"We won't die if we're all together!" Petra said and that time she did shout, although she looked embarrassed about it. She sniffed and quieted her voice again. "We're a squad. We work well together without even having to talk to each other. If you let us come with you we can handle it. I swear we can. You just have to believe in us."

"You all can't come with me. Like I said, I don't trust Erwin's word. I feel bad enough for telling Abel that Erwin wouldn't come here if I agreed to go to Trost. I'm afraid he'll send someone here to punish them for helping me while I'm away. I need someone to stay here to protect them. You and Izzy can do that. Eld can come with me as backup," Levi said, desperately trying to think of any way to change Petra's mind about going to Trost with him. If she and Isabel stayed here to look after Kara and Abel he would be able to think freely while he was there.

"Right, just the two of you against the whole of the Survey Corps is supposed to make me feel better about the situation?" she asked. She looked more angry now than sad, although she still had tears in her eyes.

"The two of us are easily worth five of them," Levi answered. Not good enough. Petra rolled her eyes. Damn brat.

"Oh, so there are only ten people in the Corps now? Should be easy for you to handle on your own then," Petra snarked, shaking her head.

"You're such a fucking brat, you know that?" Levi asked, his anger bleeding through his words. He tried not to be angry with her, but it was getting really fucking hard. "Maybe if you could think about someone other than yourself and your own needs for five damn seconds, you would understand why what you want is dumb."

"All I do is think about you and the others. That's not fair, Levi."

"Yeah, well, the world ain't fucking fair and neither is this situation that we've found ourselves in. You're just gonna have to be a good soldier and deal with my decision. It's final. Eld and I will go to Trost and you and Izzy will stay here and protect Abel and Kara. That's it. I'm not talking about it anymore." Levi crossed his arms in front of his chest and stared Petra down, the tears that had been standing in her eyes finally fell.

She didn't wail or sob but cried silently as she stared at him, her amber eyes shining with hurt for what he'd said to her. He couldn't help it. Sometimes you had to hurt people to get them to do what they needed to do. This was one of those times. Petra would just have to learn that she couldn't get everything she wanted, no matter how much it hurt him to make that decision.

"After everything that's happened, I thought you might be a little more understanding," Petra said through her tears. Her voice was watery and shaky as she spoke, and he knew he was the one that had made it that way, but it was necessary right now if he wanted to keep her alive.

"Yeah, well, you knew I was an asshole when you got involved with me."

"This is a stupid decision, Levi, and I think you know that. Either you don't think we can ever get away and you're just going there to be captured or killed, or you really think that you and Eld can take on everyone in the Corps, both of those options make you way less intelligent than I gave you credit for. Either way, if you don't come back, just know what my plans are," Petra said, her tone flat and serious. He knew she wasn't just saying this to scare him.

"So you would just leave Izzy alone in this fucked up world to fend for herself? She's only sixteen, for fuck's sake. She would have no one," Levi said, his voice hard.

"Izzy isn't my responsibility."

That was cold, especially for Petra. She was completely shutting down with the thought of him being gone for good.

"You don't mean that," he said, and even to his own ears he sounded offended.

"Izzy is a big girl, she can take care of herself. She has all the knowledge she needs, and Abel and Kara would never leave her to fend for herself if they found out that you were dead or captured. She might be sad for a while, but she'd have a family to look after her, and a little adoptive sibling on the way. She'd be just fine."

"If you end your life, I'll never forgive you," Levi said, his words cold and clipped.

"Good thing you'll be dead by the time I do it, I won't have to seek your forgiveness."

"Petra!" Levi finally shouted, and if it hadn't been obvious that they were arguing in this room before, it certainly was now. She flinched at the intensity of his voice, but he pressed on anyway. "Get over yourself. You lived just fine before me and you'd be able to live fine without me. You're being dramatic."

"I'm not the one that's insisting on walking into a trap alone. Who exactly is being dramatic?" She asked, her eyes burning with furious tears. "You asked us to come along with you on this mission so that we would all be safe. I'm not going to let you walk away from here alone pretending like you're doing it to protect us. I'm either going to Trost with your knowledge and permission or without it, you can choose whether we make the trip there together or not."

"Why can't you just fucking listen to me?" Levi asked, exasperated. He was nearing the end of his rope. He hated arguing like this, and if he didn't bring it to a conclusion soon he was going to explode and say something that would really hurt her.

"I always listen to you when I think your judgment is sound, but I don't think it is this time. Your mind is too clouded with what could happen and you're not thinking about what we can accomplish as a team. I'm not going to let you go and ruin the rest of your life because you can't trust us for some reason."

She took a step toward him, then, closing the distance that had been between them during their argument. He was tired, and all he wanted to do was hold her, bend to her will and tell her that they could all stay together, but his gut was telling him that it was the wrong move. Instead of letting her touch him when she got close enough, he pulled away.

"I love you, Petra. I really do, and that's exactly why I can't let you come to Trost with me. You're a distraction. I need to stay focused. You're staying here," he said, his voice cold. She withdrew herself and sank back away from him, his words seemed to wound her as much as not letting her touch him had.

She didn't say anything else. Instead, she just turned away from him, walked back toward a small bed that was in the corner of the room, and sat down hard. He wanted to comfort her, but what could he say? He couldn't give her what she wanted right now, not if he wanted to finally bring all of this to an end so that they could really be together. He wasn't sure what to do besides walk out of the room and leave her with her thoughts.

Real fucking nice, asshole. He thought to himself as he exited the room and closed the door behind himself. When he entered the living room again Isabel was sitting up on the couch looking at him with tired, sad eyes. Great. Now he'd have to have another talk. He was getting tired of emotions.

"What, kid?" He asked as he collapsed into the armchair that sat beside the couch.

"You and Petra just had a fight," Isabel said. It wasn't a question, just a statement of fact.

"Yeah, we did."

"Because you won't let us all go to Trost to help you."

"Right again. You wanna keep going or are you gonna stop at two for two?"

"I think she's right, I think you're being stupid."

"Were you listening in at the door or something?" Levi asked, the anger back in his voice. He was just so tired. He didn't want to do this again.

"It wasn't hard to hear you both when you kept shouting," Isabel said. She sounded every bit the sad teenager in that moment. He felt kind of bad that she'd heard them like she'd just overheard her parents having a screaming match. Fuck. How much had she heard? He hoped she hadn't heard what Petra said about leaving her to fend for herself.

"Listen, I know none of you agree with the decision I made, but there's not another way to do it. You're just gonna have to shut your mouth and live with it. I'll be back here in no time," Levi explained, but like Petra, Isabel wasn't going to take that as an answer.

"You just think we're all too weak to help you. It's just like when you tried to make Farlan and me sit out the expedition because you were afraid we were going to die. We didn't die. You always think everyone around you is so frail and weak, Aniki," Isabel explained, and she sounded so sad while she did it.

"You are all weak," he said, and he knew it was true regardless of what everyone else said.

"Weaker than you , sure. Everyone is weaker than you, but that doesn't make all of us weak. Petra and Eld are some of the strongest people I've ever met, and I know you think so too because you picked them to be in your squad. I'm strong too, even though you never want to admit it. You're just afraid of losing everyone, that's why you don't want us to go."

He hated exactly how right Isabel was right now, but he'd be damned if he was going to admit it to her.

"You're just a kid. What do you know about being strong?" Levi asked, trying to upset her a bit so that she would just stop arguing. He should have known better.

"I'm a kid that was practically raised by you, so I think I know a lot about it."

She kind of had a point there.

"Maybe you're right, about being afraid of losing you all," he answered, all of the stress of his talk with Petra finally breaking him. "I know what it's like to lose someone you love. If I lost everyone I don't wanna know what I'd become. Not sure how I could get any worse than I already am, but…"

"Aniki, you just have to trust us. You know we're all strong, and you know we can help you. Besides that, how do you think we'd all feel if we lost you? We love you, too, you know."

"Yeah, yeah, I know," He conceded, heaving a heavy sigh. "Guess it's just easier for me to think that you all could get along without me."

"Maybe Eld could, maybe I even could, but Petra…" Isabel stopped talking like she was afraid to say the rest of what she was thinking. Maybe she'd heard Petra after all.

"I know," he agreed.

"You need to just accept the fact that none of us are going to let you go to Trost alone. You're stubborn, I get it, but I think maybe the three of us are more stubborn," Isabel said, cracking a small smile.

"I'm not gonna tell you all to come with me," He said, a finality to his voice, and Isabel was about to protest before he kept talking over her. "I'll think about what everyone said to me tonight since none of you can seem to live with my decision. I'm not promising anything, but I'll think about it."

"Good, that's all I want you to do." Isabel smiled again and laid back down on the couch.

"Go to sleep, kid," Levi said. "That's an order."

"Yes, sir!" She said with a laugh and a salute, it was enough to make him grin to himself.

He never would have thought that, out of the three people that had talked to him about his decision, Isabel would be the one to change his mind. He wasn't going to even admit that his mind had been changed yet because he still had his reservations about the squad coming with him to Trost, but he knew that in the end, that's how it would turn out.

Before long, Isabel was snoring on the couch. He wanted to knock on Petra's door, suddenly, to talk to her about what he'd said before, about what she'd said. He knew now probably wasn't the right time, though. He'd talk to her tomorrow when they'd both had enough rest and could think clearly. He just hoped that he hadn't caused any irreparable damage saying what he'd said to her.

Chapter 17

Notes:

Hi guys! I've changed the rating of this story now from Mature to Explicit because of...reasons. ;)

Just a warning before you start reading! Hope you enjoy!

Chapter Text

Levi didn't sleep. Just like any other night. He was starting to become exhausted, which wouldn't be good when he had to go to Trost, but he still had a blissful few days to not think about that. All he wanted to think about was Petra, spending time with her where they didn't have to worry about being constantly hunted and in danger. He would make the best of these few days for them because they might be the last ones they have together.

It seemed pretty fucking unfair. It seemed like their relationship was just starting, and they might be ripped away from each other already. He would make sure that didn't happen. If it killed him, he would make sure. Except, he couldn't die. Not if he wanted Petra to stay alive.

He knew he should talk to Eld and Isabel about what Petra had told him, that she might take her own life if anything happens to him, but he was afraid. He didn't want to believe that Petra would do something like that. Talking about it felt like it would force it into existence. Still, he knew he should tell someone. He didn't want Petra to die if there was a chance that she could live a happy life, even if it wasn't with him.

The sun was starting to come up now. It shone through the windows in the living room that Levi and Isabel had stayed in, casting rays over the floor. He watched little dust motes dance in the sunlight as it got stronger and stronger, and he decided that it was time to do something useful. If they were going to stay here with his cousins, they needed to pull their own weight. He pushed himself out of his chair just as Abel came out of his bedroom, closing the door behind him.

"Levi, you're up already?" he asked quietly, not wanting to wake the sleeping girl on the couch. The whole house was still quiet.

"Never slept, really," Levi answered and Abel looked concerned. "Need any help around the farm today? We can't just lay around here and accept your hospitality without giving something in return."

"Well, if you're offering, I won't turn you down," Abel said with a bit of a laugh. "Kara should be up soon, she'll take care of breakfast for everyone. Let's head out and check on the horses."

They left the house after Abel grabbed his hat off of the rack and Levi breathed in the fresh air. He would never get tired of this, even after a year on the surface, he found it energizing when he could look up at the sky and breathe deeply. It motivated him to keep fighting, in all aspects of his life, but especially right now.

Helping to take care of the horses would also be calming for him. Regardless of how Levi felt about most people, he had always loved animals. Of course, he didn't let others see his love for them often, but he thought it might not be too bad to let it slip now. Horses and other animals calmed him just as much as being with the people he loved. He was glad to help Abel with this task.

Levi went into the barn while Abel went to the well to get water for the horses. There were only three, but he didn't imagine Abel and Kara really needed that many. Levi knew that his relatives lived simple lives on this mountain, probably only leaving to go into town every now and then for something they couldn't grow or produce themselves. The need for horses was still there, but barely. They helped to till the gardens and offered some help getting to town, but Levi had the feeling that they were mostly pets. If Abel was anything like him, he just liked their company.

The horses blustered when Levi walked in, but they were calm and allowed him to reach up and stroke their velvet muzzles. They seemed like well-behaved creatures, and Levi took great pleasure in allowing himself to give each of them little pets and strokes. The horses seemed to enjoy it just as much as he did. He couldn't help but smile just a little.

"I think they all like you," Abel said as he walked into the barn carrying a bucket of water. He opened the door to one of the stalls and walked in, and the horse inside greeted him cheerfully as he dumped the water into its trough.

"The feeling is mutual," Levi answered. "Always have liked animals more than people."

"Mm, they're definitely better company than most people, these days. That's why we live way out here."

"It seems like you two have a nice life here," Levi said, thinking about what it would be like to live a similar life with Petra. He wondered if she would like it out here in the fresh air with no one to bother them. He thought it would be perfect.

"It has its ups and downs. Kara likes to be out of the cities. People tend to stare," Abel said. Levi could feel the tension in his words.

"I can understand that," Levi answered, likening his own experiences with the people in the cities to what he thought Kara might feel. They stared at him because he was Humanity's Strongest. They stared at her because they saw her as some exotic commodity. Levi understood why his family had secluded themselves.

"It's nice here, though. The air is fresh, the soil is fertile, and we have everything we need. Starting a family just seemed like the natural choice."

"It must be nice," Levi said, and his cousin must have noticed the tone in his voice.

"You could have something like this too, you know. I mean, once you're finally free of the Commander," Abel said. He sounded confident about it like he knew that Levi could overcome whatever challenges he faced in the coming days. Levi was starting to become more and more afraid that he wouldn't be able to, and that thought really scared him.

"Listen, Abel, can I talk to you about something?" he asked. He really fucking hated talking, but this was important. This was about Petra.

"Sure," Abel answered.

"I'm worried about Petra. I mean...what will happen to her if I don't come back from Trost," he said and Abel looked concerned. He stopped what he was doing in the horse's stall and watched Levi carefully. "She told me yesterday that she would hurt herself if I didn't come back."

"Yeah, I thought something might have been wrong. You two are good at hiding your arguments, but we heard a few raised voices," Abel said. Levi suddenly felt a little embarrassed about that. Of course, his cousin had heard them.

"Sorry about that," Levi apologized but Abel shook his head.

"No need to apologize, I get it. It's a stressful thing." Abel paused. "I understand why Petra is worried, but I'm sure you'll come back to her. If it makes you feel better, I'll watch over her until you get here. I know your squad will do the same, but if she's planning on hurting herself…"

It seemed like Abel wasn't quite sure how to finish that sentence.

"Even if I don't come back, I want her to live a full life. I don't want her cutting it short because of me. That's not fair to anyone. The world won't be as good without her in it," Levi answered. He hadn't really meant to let that slip, but it was out in the open now. If his cousin couldn't tell he was in love before, Levi thought he had a pretty good picture of it after that. Abel smiled a knowing smile.

"I get it, I'll look after her. You should talk to your squad though. That little girl will be devastated if anything happens to Petra, I think. It seems like she looks up to her a lot."

"Izzy is a firecracker, but she needs a mother figure. I think Petra took to that role pretty immediately," Levi said. He thought back to their first days in the safe house when Petra babied Isabel. She had bathed the girl, slept in her bed with her, helped her eat, and gain her strength. Petra really adapted to being a surrogate mother very well. Isabel would need her.

Izzy isn't my responsibility .

He knew that Petra hadn't meant that when she'd said it, she was just trying to make sure he didn't leave her here, but the words still echoed in the back of his mind. He didn't want Isabel to have to go through two losses so close together if he didn't come back.

"It seems like Isabel really looks up to Petra. I'll make sure she doesn't lose her," Abel smiled again before he continued his work. Levi went into the stall next to him and started to muck it out as they talked.

"Thanks. I know this is a lot to ask of you after all these years," Levi started but Abel interrupted.

"No, not at all. Family is family, no matter what. I don't care how long it's been since we've seen each other, Levi, I won't desert you and your family."

"My family…" Levi repeated the words to himself, liking the way it rolled off his tongue. His squad really had become his family now. He was proud of that. "Thanks, Abel."

"Any time."

oOo

Once the horses and other farm animals were all taken care of, Levi and Abel headed back toward the house. He could already smell their breakfast being cooked before they even entered the house, but when they got inside he suddenly felt famished.

Isabel and Petra were sitting on the couch in the living room when they entered, and Abel hung his hat on a coat rack just inside the door as Levi walked over toward his family. Eld was in the kitchen with Kara, helping her cook, he probably understood that Petra wasn't in the mental condition to help just by looking at her.

Petra looked absolutely exhausted. There were dark circles under her eyes and her hair was a mess. She didn't look like she had slept at all during the night. She didn't look up at Levi as he entered the house, but Isabel did, and Levi instantly saw the concern on the young girl's face when she locked eyes with him.

You need to talk to her, now. Her gaze seemed to say as she looked at him. Concern and a little bit of rage reflected in her big green eyes. He sat down beside her and she shied away from him, scooting closer to Isabel instead. That hurt. He had hurt her with what he'd said last night. He knew he should have apologized.

"Petra, can we talk?" he asked. Isabel seemed proud of him but Petra didn't react much at all.

"I'm not sure there's much more to talk about," she said, refusing to look at him. He hated how downtrodden she looked.

"There's lots to talk about. Come outside with me," he said, reaching toward her hand but she pulled it away from him.

"I don't wanna talk anymore," she answered. Well, that was fucking fantastic. He just wanted to fix what he'd said so that she wouldn't feel so horrible, but it didn't seem like she was willing to let him.

"You always wanna talk," he said, a little frustration showing through in his voice.

"Breakfast is almost ready!" Kara said, her voice happy and soothing in contrast to Petra's which was dark and sad. He decided to let the talk go until after they'd eaten, although he didn't feel like eating much knowing that Petra was upset with him.

They all gathered around the kitchen table together, something that Levi was not used to since he had barely had any family growing up. It was nice sitting with them, though. It felt right as Kara brought plates of food over and set them in front of everyone sitting at the table. Petra stared at her plate like she'd never seen food before.

"Petra, you should eat," Isabel said. Levi could tell she was worried about her.

Petra didn't reply, but she did pick up her fork and start eating. She was just going through the motions, too upset to really be present in the moment. He had to fix this.

After breakfast, Isabel helped Kara clean up, Eld and Abel went outside to do some more work on the farm, and Levi followed Petra into her room and closed the door.

"Can't believe I'm the one forcing the talk this time," Levi said as Petra walked to her bed and sat down.

"I don't think there's anything left to talk about. You said you weren't changing your mind, so I'm not sure what else there is to say," Petra said, her voice flat.

"Don't be so dramatic, Petra." He was already irritated. This was going to go great.

"I'm right though, aren't I? You said you were going alone regardless of what I thought."

"I just don't want you getting hurt."

"It's a little late for that, I think."

He walked over toward the bed and sat down beside her. He had to make this right or he would definitely regret it. If he left here and died in Trost, he would never forgive himself for filling his last week with Petra with sadness and anger.

She didn't shy away from him this time when he sat beside her, which gave him some small amount of hope that he could fix the situation.

"Do you hate me now?" He asked. Maybe that would be better. If she hated him then maybe she wouldn't be so upset if he didn't come back.

"I could never hate you," she answered. Well, so much for that plan. "I'm just upset. I can't lose you already."

"You won't lose me," he said. He turned toward her and reached out, pulling her into an embrace, his hand on the back of her head. She was resistant for a moment, but she melted against him quickly. She didn't really want to keep him at a distance, no matter what she tried to project.

"You can't promise me that, no matter how strong you are. It doesn't matter if you're strong if they trap you."

"I haven't changed my mind. I don't want the squad going with me to Trost, it's too dangerous," he pulled away from her just a bit so that he could look at her while he spoke. She looked sad and scared, but she looked back at him. "But I don't want this week to be a bad one. I want us to be happy together before I go."

"When you talk about it like that it sounds like you don't even believe that you'll come back," she said, her voice shaking.

"I just don't want either of us to have any regrets about this little reprieve that we're having now. I want to make sure you're happy."

"Then I'll be happy while you're with me," she answered. It wasn't exactly what he wanted to hear, but he would take it if that's all he could get. He would have five more days with her before he had to go, and he would make sure she spent every minute of that time with a smile on her face.

"I love you," he said quietly, almost whispered, only for her to hear. He thought for a moment that she might cry, but she managed to hold it back.

"I love you more," she answered, her voice shaking.

"Doubt it, brat," he answered, and then he kissed her. It was sweet at first, slow, simple, but Levi could feel how much desire she was trying to hide.

She moved closer to him, she might as well have been sitting in his lap on the bed, and he wouldn't have complained if she had been. He'd been trying to hide it, trying to hold back how much he wanted her, because they were never safe. He couldn't think about it before, wouldn't let himself, but now they were safe. Now they were somewhere where he didn't have to watch their backs every second of the day. He could finally, finally let himself feel everything he wanted to feel with her.

He moved forward, urging her to lay back on the bed, and she took his cues perfectly. She knew what he wanted, even if he really had no idea what he was doing. He'd imagined how it would go before, late at night when the rest of the squad was still asleep, but he knew it would be much better than anything he could dream up himself.

She laid underneath him, her hands gripping the sides of his shirt. He didn't think he could pry her fingers out of the material if he wanted to, not that he would want to do something dumb like that. She looked up at him with the most smoldering expression he'd ever seen on her in the time he'd known her, and suddenly he wasn't sure if he could control his desires anymore.

He leaned down, supporting himself on his forearms, and kissed her harder than he ever had before. She welcomed the heat, and her lips parted beneath his. His tongue slipped in and smoothed over hers, exploring every inch of her mouth like it held the meaning of life itself. Maybe it did. Maybe Petra was the meaning in his life. If that was true, he would happily accept it.

Petra let go of his shirt only to move her hands underneath it, smoothing her palms over his abdomen teasingly. His muscles tensed under her touch and she made a soft humming sound as he kissed her. This was as far as they had ever gotten, he wasn't really sure what to do next, and he thought she might know it. He felt inadequate, inexperienced for maybe the first time in his life.

She gently pushed him and he rolled off of her, letting her guide his movements since she seemed to understand the general idea of sex. He couldn't relate. She guided him to sit against the headboard of the bed, peeled his shirt off of him, and tossed it to the side. He watched the shirt fall to the floor and stared at it lying there in a puddle until he saw another shirt join it.

Oh.

He looked back at her to see that she had removed her own shirt and was moving to straddle his lap. He did his best to keep eye contact, but he had the feeling that wasn't what she wanted right now, anyway. He let his eyes wander over her exposed skin, down from her face to her neck, to her collar bones, and finally stopping on her pert, small breasts. He swallowed and he was sure that she heard.

"If you want to be happy these next few days together, let's make it the best it possibly can be," she said, her voice low and sultry. She let her weight rest on him, and he felt the pressure exactly where he wanted it. Petra knew what she was doing. She would help him.

"Show me how," he said, vague but he thought she understood.

"Do whatever you want. I'm yours. I always will be."

"Fuck," he breathed the word so quietly he wasn't sure she'd even heard it.

His hands almost instantly moved to her breasts, kneading them and letting his thumbs circle her nipples until they were erect. She really seemed to like it. She let her head fall to the side as she lost herself in the sensation. If she liked his fingers there, maybe his mouth would be better.

He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her closer so that he could reach and sucked a nipple into his mouth. She gasped at the sensation, he swirled his tongue around it, sucked lightly, and she threaded her fingers through his hair and pulled lightly. Oh. That was a nice sensation. A little bit of pain with the pleasure he was feeling from her being so close to him was a nice mix.

"I thought you didn't know what you were doing?" She gasped, rocked her hips against him, which drew a sound from him that he'd never heard himself make before. What was he supposed to call that, a moan? Did he moan? There was a first time for everything.

"Just going on instinct here," he said as he pulled away from her.

"As usual, your instincts are very good. What else are they telling you?" She asked.

"They're telling me that you should be in charge," he answered, and that took her aback. She looked at him, lust burning in her amber eyes, and made the decision to take him up on that request.

"Not used to giving orders to you," she said before she reached down to unbutton his pants.

"I don't have a fucking clue what to do, so get used to it," he growled. She moved off of him only long enough to relieve the both of them of the rest of their clothes. She seemed to enjoy the fact that he was ready for her after she'd barely even touched him. That was what Petra Ral did to him. He wouldn't have it any other way.

"Even when you're giving me all the control, you're still giving orders," she giggled as she climbed back on top of him. He couldn't help but stare. She was perfect. Every inch of her skin was beautiful, he wanted to know how she would squirm when his lips touched her. He wanted to know if she would moan his name in pleasure.

"Sorry, I just can't help myself," he said and she positioned him at her entrance. His breathing sped up when she sank down on him. This wasn't like anything he'd ever felt before. This was better than any sensation he'd ever felt in his entire life. He was suddenly terrified that he wouldn't be able to keep it up for very long.

She draped her arms over his shoulders, her fingers tangled in his hair, and she yanked his head back hard. He hissed with the mingled pain and pleasure and gasped as he felt her lips on his neck. He placed his hands on her hips and tried to guide her movements, to see if he could draw it out as long as possible because he was pretty sure he never wanted this feeling to end. If he could live his entire life like this, he would.

As her hips sped up, so did her breathing. Her chest rose and fell with every quick breath she took, and he couldn't help but lick and suck at her breasts as she bounced on top of him. He thought he might have found one of her favorite sensations because the way she moaned and sighed made him near his inevitably fast end.

"Shh, my family's out there," he said quietly, and she bit her lip as she tried to stifle her moans. Fuck she looked good like that. Red-faced and biting her lip, eyes hooded as she rode him. He wanted to save that picture of her in his mind for later so that he could look back at it and see what he did to her.

She picked up the pace of her hips and leaned forward to kiss him, captured a groan as it left him, and swallowed it. Now her tongue was in his mouth, her breasts brushing against him as she moved. He ran his hands up and down her back softly, urging her on as he got closer and closer to his climax. She stopped kissing him, threw her head back as she moved, and tried her best to stifle the moan she let out when she finished. Just looking at her like that was enough to push him over the edge, and he finished inside her while she straddled his lap.

She didn't seem to want to move off of him after, even after he'd grown soft and slipped out of her. She seemed to like the closeness that they shared like that, and he couldn't complain. He loved her. More than anything. If he didn't have to leave this house in five days and go try to fight for their freedom, he never would. He would stay in this bed with her until the day that he died if it was possible, but everyone was probably wondering what had happened to them, and they couldn't hide in here forever.

"I love you," she said, her voice shaking with tears. He didn't think you were supposed to cry after sex, but he didn't really blame her this time. It was almost like she was grieving him before he even left.

"I love you, too," he answered, kissed her on the top of her head.

He held her close as she got off of him and sat by his side, her head leaning on his shoulder. He loved the feeling of their naked skin pressed together like this, savored it for a few more moments before they got up and dressed again.

She seemed at least a little happier after that, although he wasn't sure if she really felt that way or if she was just putting on an act for him. She'd told him that she would be happy while he was with her, so he thought that she was probably just putting up an appearance. He knew that, as soon as Petra was alone, she would sink back into sadness. She would sit on the bed that they'd just had sex in for the first time and cry over the fact that he might leave in five days and never come back to her. Suddenly, he wanted to make sure that she wasn't hiding any weapons in there, just in case.

He knew he was probably being a bit paranoid about it, but he couldn't take what she'd said to him lightly. He knew that she planned to end her own life if he didn't come back, so he would make it as hard as possible for her to do that before he left. Right now, though, he wanted to spend some more time making her happy.

"Do you wanna go for a walk?" He asked after they'd gotten dressed. He didn't know the area around the cabin all that well, but he thought they could probably manage a walk and get back in one piece.

"Just the two of us?" she asked, her cheeks flushing a little bit like an embarrassed school girl. Even after everything they'd been through together, it seemed she still got a little nervous at the thought of spending time alone with him.

"Just the two of us," he answered, and she smiled. She nodded instead of speaking again and they headed out of the room. Levi was happy to see that not really anyone had loitered outside of the room, except Isabel was still sitting on the couch.

He locked eyes with her, and he had the sneaking suspicion that she knew what had just happened inside that room if the stupid grin on her face was anything to go on. He glared at her, daring her to say anything about it. Although, he was a bit curious about how audible they had been. It would be more than a little embarrassing if Abel and Kara knew that he and Petra had just had sex in their future child's room. He suddenly felt a little bit weird about it.

"Aniki, you look happy," Isabel said, a teasing tone to her voice.

"Cut it out, kid," he said, his voice dangerous. Of course, he would never actually threaten Isabel, but he thought he might come close if she started teasing him about sex. Damn brat.

"What? I'm just saying, you both look super happy. You must have had a very good talk in there," she said with a smirk. Petra was starting to turn red now.

"Isabel," Levi said, his voice forceful. She knew that he never used her full name unless he was annoyed or angry with her. She shut her mouth pretty quickly. "That's enough."

What a dad thing to say.

"We're going for a walk, Izzy, can you tell the others where we've gone?" Petra asked, her voice already sounding lighter, happier. Isabel took notice, she looked happy.

"Sure, I'll let them know," she answered. "I hope you can have another nice talk while you're gone."

Levi glared and pulled Petra toward the door. He really was done getting teased about sex by a sixteen-year-old.

"Do something useful while we're gone. Don't just sit around here being a free-loader," Levi ordered, trying to find a way to deal with how flustered he was over the situation without showing it.

"Yes, sir!" Isabel laughed as Levi and Petra walked out the door together. He laced his fingers through hers, walking toward the forest where they could be alone with no prying eyes or listening ears. It was nice to feel this freedom, relaxing. It felt like they truly could do anything they wanted without worrying. He hadn't felt like this in a very long time.

"That was your first time, wasn't it?" Petra asked after they'd walked a considerable distance away from the house. He was taken aback for a moment and then felt slightly embarrassed before he answered her.

"Yeah, was it that obvious?" he asked.

"You just seemed unsure. You never seem unsure about anything. I'm sure you'll get the hang of it soon." she smirked.

"Are you planning to test that hypothesis at all?" he asked. He felt the burning want for her coming back.

"Well, we do have five days before you have to leave. I want to make the best of them like I said before. I can't think of anything better than teaching you what you like in bed. You should at least know that before…" she trailed off. She was trying to be happy, but he could tell that she was still upset about Trost. He didn't blame her. It had to always be in the back of her mind, just like it was for him.

"Mm, I'm more interested in learning what you like. I think I already have an idea," he said as they walked, but he could feel her buzzing beside him. Their mutual want was thick in the air, but they were walking through the forest. Just the thought of having sex out here made his skin crawl.

"You did a good job finding that out," she answered with a musical giggle. It seemed to echo through the forest and bounce off the trees, it made the forest seem more magical, somehow.

"We can experiment some more when we get back. There are some more things I want to try, for research's sake."

"Just for research?" she laughed. Her laughs and smiles were genuine right now. Maybe he was doing a good job taking her mind off of the things she didn't want to think about.

"Hanji always said you have to research things before you can come to a conclusion," he answered. Why was he thinking about Hanji? He didn't even think he liked them that much, but he was still thinking about them now, with the looming duel in Trost and the weight of his possible death or capture on his shoulders. He shook it off. He wanted to focus on Petra. "I plan on doing as much research as possible while we're here."

"Why wait until we get back?" Petra asked, she stopped walking and looked at him, that same lust burning in her eyes that she'd had back at the cabin.

"We can't fuck in the woods, Petra, it's unsanitary," he said. Regardless of how much he wanted her, he didn't think he could bring himself to have sex here.

"We don't have to lay on the ground. We don't even have to completely take our clothes off. Just…" she paused, her want was clear in the way she almost frantically spoke to him. "Come here."

She pulled him over toward a large tree and started to kiss him hard, her tongue licking against his bottom lip. He couldn't help but give in, and he pushed her back against the tree, pressing their bodies firmly together. Already, he was starting to get hard, and he knew she could feel it considering how close they were. One hand tangled in his hair again while the other slipped down his body to cup him through his pants. He hissed at the sensation. He wanted to feel her hand on him, really on him instead of fumbling through the fabric of his pants.

He ran his hand under her shirt, feeling how hot her skin was to his touch. He loved feeling like she wanted him so badly like she was ready to do anything for him, regardless of where they were. It still made him uncomfortable, the thought of having sex out here, but he didn't think he could stop himself now.

He had an idea that he wasn't sure would work right, but he wanted to try. He quickly unbuttoned his pants and she watched as he sprung free, bit her lip as she looked at him, and then she removed her underwear but kept her skirt on. He hoisted her up, supported her between his own body and the tree she'd been pinned against before, and guided himself inside.

She moaned as he fully sheathed himself, and he couldn't help but do the same feeling how ready for him she was. He slipped in with minimal effort, his body flush against her as she wrapped her legs around his waist to steady herself. He unbuttoned her shirt so that he could see her breasts, played with them with one hand while he used his other to support her. His lips found her neck and he licked and sucked until she was writhing, moaning his name. He loved the way his name sounded coming from her lips when she wanted him this bad.

"Levi, move," she said, and he realized he'd not been doing much with his hips. She was begging, not demanding. She thought he'd been teasing her, filling her up but not causing any friction. If she wanted him to move, he couldn't deny her that request.

Slowly, he began to move his hips, pumping in and out of her with purpose. Her eyes fluttered closed and she moaned again, enjoying the sensation of their bodies. He still had no idea what he was really doing, and she knew that, so she continued to guide him.

"Faster," she said, leaning forward against him to whisper in his ear. Her breath fanned out against the side of his face and left a ticklish sensation there that only spurred him on even more. He followed her orders, picking up his pace and also thrusting a little bit harder. He didn't want to hurt her, but if he liked it a little bit rough, maybe she would too.

"Hah, fuck," she sighed as he thrust again and again into her, fast and hard. Her breasts bounced a little every time he thrust into her, and he couldn't stop himself from licking and sucking at them again.

She was louder this time. Why not? There was no one here to hear them and give them a hard time after. She moaned fairly loudly, which only spurred him on even more. The sound set something off inside of him that he couldn't hold back, some animal instinct that made him want to go faster, fuck her even harder, make her scream his name in pleasure before she climaxed.

He was getting out of control now, he could feel himself nearing the height of his pleasure, and the way she was squirming and moaning while he worked was bringing it on faster.

"Petra, I'm…" he started but she captured his lips in a heated kiss. She shoved her tongue into his mouth, lost in her own pleasure, begging him for more. He didn't think he could go any faster, but somehow he did, and he swallowed her moans as they finished almost simultaneously.

He stayed there with her pinned against the tree for a few moments as he continued to kiss her. Their tongues danced together in mutual bliss as they came down from the high of their orgasms. He didn't think that anything could feel better than this. How had he lived this long without it? It was maddening that he hadn't acted on any desires before. Somehow, though, he doubted it would be as good or as meaningful if it wasn't with Petra.

He gently helped her off of him and placed her feet on the ground before he put himself away, watching as she buttoned up her shirt. She was gorgeous. He couldn't believe she was his. He walked up and embraced her, pulled her close against him, and kissed her gently. There wasn't want or lust in this kiss, just love, and tenderness, and she smiled when they broke it.

"How was that, am I learning?" he asked with a small smirk as he pressed their foreheads together.

"Mm, I don't know, I think we still need some more practice," she snarked, kissed him again.

"Brat," he answered playfully. He kissed her one more time before he pulled away and took her hand instead to continue their walk.

He loved her, he truly did. He had never felt this for anyone else before, and that both scared and excited him. He wanted to hold on to this feeling for a long time. Forever, if possible, so he would make sure that he came back to her. He had to come back to her. He couldn't give this up, not ever.

"We should walk for a little while longer so that Izzy doesn't pick up on what happened again," she said with a laugh.

"What, are you embarrassed of me?" Levi asked as they walked hand in hand. The forest was calming, it made him feel like they didn't have any troubles at all.

"No. Trust me, I'm not embarrassed of managing to be the only woman to fuck Humanity's Strongest," she said matter-of-factly. "However, Izzy is a kid, and I feel...motherly toward her. It's just embarrassing for her to call us out like that. It's like our child knowing that we just had wild, passionate sex."

"Was that wild?" He asked. He didn't have anything to go on after all. Petra laughed at him. What a brat.

"Well, no, but people's minds can wander. I'd rather our whole family just not imagine what our sex is like."

"You have a point," he smiled. "We can walk for as long as you want."

She smiled and then they were silent, walking through the forest together hand in hand, not a care in the world. They had plenty of things to worry about, but he didn't want to think about them. He knew Petra didn't want to, either. So they didn't. They listened to the birds in the trees, the wind rustling the leaves as they walked peacefully with no destination in mind. If Levi could live the rest of his life like this, doing things like this with Petra, he would be happy until the end.

He would make it a reality. Not even Erwin Smith was going to hold Levi back from his happiness. He would make sure of it.

Chapter 18

Notes:

Hello guys! I'm so sorry for the delay in this chapter! It's a little bit shorter than normal ones, but it's edging us ever closer to our finale! I'd say there are likely 2-3 more chapters left in this story after this one! I hope you all enjoy the chapter!

Chapter Text

Four more days before he had to leave this little piece of heaven that he'd found in the mountains of Shiganshina. He knew he had to do it, but Levi found that, with each passing day, he only wanted to stay here more. He wouldn't risk his family's lives, though, not for his own selfishness. He wouldn't have any regrets in that regard. The only regret that would come from going to Trost would be if he lost the duel, and he was confident that he wouldn't.

Petra had kept her word and had been happy while they were together here, but he could always see the lurking darkness under the surface. He knew what she planned to do if he didn't come back to her, and he knew that she meant to follow through with that plan. Eld and Abel had told him that they would do their best to keep her safe, to keep her from hurting herself, but there was only so much the two men could do. Petra would find a way, she always found a way to get what she wanted.

Still, lying in bed with her watching her sleep, it was hard to be too upset with anything she did. He was convinced that she was an angel on earth if things like that really existed. She looked so peaceful, so worry-free when she slept, he wanted her to always be this way. He didn't want her to have to worry about whether they would be ambushed and killed or dragged back to Stohess in chains or fed to the titans. He didn't want her to worry about becoming a titan. He just wanted her to be happy, and he wanted to be happy with her.

It was somewhere during those blissful morning hours, Petra asleep in his arms cuddled against his chest, that he decided he needed to leave for Trost a day before he'd planned. That would only give them three more days together instead of four, and that hurt, but he thought it was necessary. If he left early, maybe even in the middle of the night, then Petra wouldn't be able to try to follow him. He would make it to Trost early, and maybe even be able to end the whole ordeal before it started.

If Levi could get to Trost before Erwin was expecting him, then he could sneak in and kill the bastard without all the fanfare and formality. That's what he had wanted from the very beginning, anyway.

He would talk to Eld about it later and see what his second in command thought of the plan, ask him if he thinks it's the right move. Until then, though, he would spend more time with Petra. It was all he wanted in life, anyway.

He didn't want to leave the room, but he had decided that he would help Abel with the horses and other animals every morning as repayment for letting them all stay in his house. Four extra people was a lot to take on when you had a wife as enormously pregnant as his cousin's was, and he wanted to make sure that they all weren't a burden to them.

Levi regretfully removed himself from Petra's sleepy grasp and she only hummed and rolled over as he left her in the bed. He smiled at her as he watched her get comfortable again and then quietly left the room. He wanted to be able to wake up to her every morning for the rest of his life, and he would make sure he could if Trost went well.

When he left the room in favor of the shared rooms of the house he realized that Abel was already up and moving around. Isabel, of course, was still snoring lightly on the couch. The girl slept like a rock, always had. Levi nodded to Abel and the two of them made their way to the barn, just like they had the morning before.

"Seems like you and Petra have made up," Abel said and Levi thought he saw a knowing look in his cousin's eyes. He decided to ignore it and play it cool, although he was sure that Abel had some idea of what had happened between Petra and Levi.

"She's still not happy with me going to Trost, but she's happy spending time with me for now. I know she's still dreading the day that I leave," Levi answered, his earlier thoughts tucked away in the back of his mind. Should he run the idea past his cousin? He was an Ackerman, after all, he would understand what Levi was thinking about the situation, wouldn't he?

"Women are never happy when their lovers leave them on some grand expedition," Abel answered with a small, sad smile. "Petra understands why you have to do this, she's just worried. I'm sure she's told you as much. She doesn't seem like the type to hold in her feelings."

"You've got that right," Levi answered as they entered the barn. He immediately went to the black horse that he'd taken a liking to yesterday when he'd helped Abel in the barn. The horse whinnied as he walked up and he stroked its soft nose. "She'll be happy when I kill the bastard and we don't have to worry about him anymore, though."

"She surely will, if you come back to her."

"I know that's what she's afraid of, but you know me, Abel. We're blood, you understand what we're like. It's damn near impossible to kill us," Levi said in a cocky tone.

"Damn near, but not completely impossible. I'm sure you've heard this before, probably from Petra, but even you can't outrun bullets."

"I can outrun them enough for it to not be fatal," Levi said, resigning himself to his thoughts on the matter. It didn't seem that Abel wanted to give it up, though.

"We might be faster and stronger than every other human in these walls, but we can still die. You should remember that. Kenny probably drilled it into your head that we're invincible…" Abel started but Levi cut him off.

"Don't talk to me about Kenny, you don't know him like I do. He taught me what we are, everything I need to know, I don't need another lecture on it from you."

"I'm just saying, Levi, you should treat your life like it's just a bit more precious. You have people that love you, that would be devastated if you disappeared from this place, you shouldn't play with that. Take it seriously. Do what you need to do, but do it wisely and with a plan. I don't know the Commander, but I've heard he's brilliant. Do you think you can outplay him?"

"I have to," Levi answered, his voice hard.

"Then you need to work together with your team. I'm no military man, but your team is everything, I hear. You should trust them more," Abel said before he ducked out of the barn to go to the well for water.

"What the fuck does he know, huh?" Levi asked the horse who blustered and nodded its head. He wasn't sure what that was supposed to mean in horse, but he wasn't sure it was anything good.

Still, he knew that Abel had a point. He liked to think he was the strongest, he'd been told that for basically his whole life, but strength didn't matter if he was outplayed. Being outwitted was the one way that Erwin would win this fight, so he knew Abel was right when he said that he had to be smart about it. Levi wasn't completely sure how he could hope to outwit the genius Commander of the Survey Corps, though. It was a long shot, at best, but maybe with his squad's help…

No. He wouldn't put them in any more danger. He didn't care that they had devoted their lives to this mission, he didn't want to see any of them hurt. Not again. Not after Gunther. He couldn't live with himself if any of them were killed. He wouldn't let Abel change his mind on this, no matter how much he was starting to make sense.

Levi decided to stay and take on stable duty on his own while Abel moved on to check on the rest of the animals. After all, Levi didn't mind spending time with the horses alone. He didn't talk much, but somehow talking to these horses was much easier than talking to people would ever be. Maybe it was because they couldn't talk back or tell him how fucking stupid he sounded.

"What do you think? Should I ask for their help even though they could be killed in the process?" Levi asked the black horse as he brushed the animal down. There was a catharsis to the action, one that Levi desperately needed. He knew that talking and having sex, regardless of how enjoyable he'd found the latter to be, couldn't provide him with the relief that simple actions like this did.

The horse looked back at him and whinnied. He wasn't sure what that was supposed to mean. Probably not what he wanted it to mean.

"Even if we have a plan if we all go to Trost, there's a huge chance that it won't work out, that Erwin will be expecting me to try something. If he figures it out we'll all be fucked."

Again, the horse didn't say much, but that's probably why he liked it. He could talk as much as he wanted to these animals and they would never talk back or argue with him. Maybe that's what he needed, sometimes.

"I know I should let her make her own decisions, but she doesn't know what's best for herself sometimes," he said as if he were arguing with something the horse had said to him. If anyone heard him talking to this horse he was gonna hurl himself off of the side of the mountain and hope that it killed him. "I just want to keep her safe."

"Ever think you could have just said all this stuff to me in person?" Petra's voice came from the front of the barn and Levi froze in place. Now he had to throw himself off the damn mountain. "The horse is good practice, but you can talk to me, you know."

"Forget you heard any of that," Levi answered as he looked out of the stall to see Petra standing in the doorway. "And don't say anything about it to anyone else."

"Is that a threat?" she asked, a somewhat flirty tone to her voice.

"What if it is?"

"Hm, I don't believe you. You wouldn't threaten me," she said with a laugh. She seemed cheerful, but there was still that darkness underneath the surface.

"Where'd Abel go?" He asked, trying to change the subject and make Petra forget that she'd caught him talking to a horse like it was a person.

"I think he's taking care of the chickens now, I wanted to come and see if you needed any help."

"Help if you want," he answered gruffly. No matter how much he cared about her, sometimes he still couldn't help his attitude. He guessed he just still wasn't that used to receiving so much help from people.

"I always knew you had a soft spot for animals," Petra said with a smile as she moved on to the next stall over. The horse blustered at her as she entered but she giggled and spoke to it and it seemed to calm down. Every living thing on earth loved Petra Ral, it was a fact.

"Yeah, well, it's harder for animals to be assholes," Levi answered as he finished brushing the horse and moved on to mucking the stall. This was his least favorite part, but he liked doing it just to spend more time with the horses.

"I guess you're right about that," Petra said with a laugh, and then she got quiet for a moment.

"Everything alright over there?" He asked, waiting for her to say something else.

"Are you really thinking about letting all of us go into Trost with you?" she asked, her voice shaking only slightly. She was nervous to bring it up, and he knew it was his fault that she was so nervous about it. After the last time they'd talked about Trost, he was surprised she'd asked at all.

"I'm thinking about it, but I haven't made a decision."

"We could help you. You probably wouldn't even have to do the stupid duel if you just let us come along," she said, her voice sounding a bit stronger now. He'd given her hope that he would change his mind by just mentioning the fact that he was thinking about it.

"I want to talk to Eld about it first before I make any big decisions. Alone. Eld has always been smart, way smarter than me, he'll have some good input," Levi answered and Petra huffed.

"Why can't I be in on the talk?" she asked defiantly.

"Because I want to talk to him alone first. He'll have good insight for me."

"Fine," Petra relented, but not without an attitude. He loved her, but she could be a pain sometimes.

"I'm sorry this is hard, Petra, but no one ever said it would be easy," Levi apologized, he truly meant it. He didn't like seeing her in so much pain. Sometimes pain was necessary, though.

"I know, I just wish it didn't have to be. I just want it to all be over."

"It will be, soon enough," he answered, hoping that what he said was the truth.

oOo

Levi and Petra had worked in the barn for hours with the horses, and it was actually very enjoyable, despite how dirty the work was. He would never get tired of horses.

When they were done, they both cleaned up before they had a small lunch together, and then Levi went in search of Eld. He didn't have to look far, Eld and Isabel were playing catch out in the yard with a baseball, and every time Isabel successfully caught the ball she would get the biggest smile on her face. Levi liked seeing her acting like a kid. It was what her whole life should have been like. She would have a life like that soon enough, but for right now, Levi and Eld needed to talk.

"Heichou, wanna join in?" Eld asked with a bright smile as he tossed the ball to Isabel.

"Yeah right! Aniki doesn't like things like this," Isabel said with a laugh.

"I like things like this…" Levi rebutted, somewhat hurt that Isabel thought he apparently didn't like anything fun.

"Could have fooled me."

"I actually needed to talk to you, Eld. If you have a minute," Levi said, hating to pull him away from his game.

"Sure thing," Eld answered, tossing the ball back to Isabel.

"I told you he doesn't like anything fun. Now he has to ruin our good time," Isabel said with a dramatic eye roll.

"It'll only take a minute, and then we can all play," Levi answered, which earned a smile from Isabel. "Go see if Kara and Petra need any help inside."

"Don't forget to come and get me when you're done!" Isabel shouted as she dashed off into the house.

"What's going on, Heichou?" Eld asked and Levi could sense the hesitance in his voice. Everyone seemed to be on edge lately.

"I wanted to run an idea past you. I was talking to Abel earlier about Trost. He says it might be better to have you guys with me. If we came up with a good enough plan to finish this…maybe we could just get it done together and be free. I don't know how it would work, I don't have a plan, but I wanted to ask what you thought about it," Levi explained. He wasn't sure why he felt so nervous about the question. Eld was still his subordinate, after all, but somehow he felt closer to his squad now.

"Did Petra finally get to you?" Eld asked with a smirk.

"Didn't I just say it was Abel's idea? I couldn't help but think that he had a point."

"I think it would definitely be safer for you, in the long run, but it also runs more risk. Taking us all with you means the possibility of losing more people," Eld said, thinking out loud. It was definitely something Levi had already thought about.

"Yes, but I'm not sure that I can do it alone. Like you all keep pointing out, it's likely a trap. If I go to Trost alone, I probably won't come back, one way or another," Levi said, finally letting the realization sink in. They were both quiet for a moment. Eld seemed to be deep in thought.

"If we all go, we have to have a plan," Eld said.

"Of course. I wouldn't want to go in without an idea of what we're doing."

"We'll also need to go in separately. You'll still have to enter the city alone, to keep suspicion down. I'll lead the rest of the squad in. Honestly, we probably need an inside man. Got any more friends in Trost we don't know about?"

Levi had to think for a moment. That was a fat fucking chance. Did Eld understand who he was talking to? Did he have any more friends in Trost? No. Hell no. He hadn't even tried to make friends with anyone besides his squad.

And then it clicked.

Maybe he hadn't tried to make friends with anyone, but he thought he might have made one by accident.

Hanji Zoe. Perhaps the only person besides Petra and the rest of his squad that seemed to feel bad for his situation. Last he'd seen them, they hadn't seemed too happy about Erwin's decisions. When he'd seen Hanji in the woods a couple of days ago they had seemed absolutely distraught. Maybe they would help Levi. Maybe.

"Hanji," Levi said quietly, not quite sure of the statement himself. "Maybe Hanji would help if I could get in to talk to them."

"They did seem pretty out of sorts when we saw them in the forest," Eld agreed. Levi could see the twinkle of an idea hatching in Eld's mind.

None of them were as quick-witted as Erwin, but Eld could give him a run for his money. This could work. It really could. Levi was starting to become more confident in that idea. They just needed Hanji. If they had them, they could achieve this goal.

"Say we could get Hanji to help us. They let us in through the gate the day before the duel is supposed to happen. We all meet up with you, use 3DM gear to get into Erwin's personal quarters, get rid of him, and get out of the city before anyone knows what happened," Eld said, almost at a whisper, as if he was afraid to speak the words for fear that something would go wrong just because he said them.

"That makes Hanji a criminal too," Levi said calmly. He wasn't even sure that Hanji would help them. He was sure they were tired of Erwin's methods, though. He could tell just by looking at them in the forest. Maybe this would work.

"If you think you can convince them to help us, I think it's worth a shot. If you can't…me and the girls will find another way into the city to help. I don't know how, but we'll do it."

"I think I can convince them," Levi said resolutely. He was sure of it. He could make this work. Petra would be happy, Levi would be happy, Hanji would be free from Erwin's tyrannical reign over the Survey Corps. It could work. It could fucking work. He could have hugged Eld for hatching this stupid plan. He wouldn't, but he thought he could probably justify it if he were so inclined.

"We should tell Izzy and Petra about it, see what they think," Eld said and Levi nodded.

"Let's wait until this evening to bring it up. If this is the plan, I'll have to go to Trost early. There's still room for everything to get fucked up."

"Yeah, Petra probably still won't be happy about not traveling together, but I think she'll agree if she knows it's necessary for the plan."

"Fuck. This could work. This could really work." Levi felt like he might be in shock. Ever since Erwin proposed the duel he'd been set on the fact that he had to go it alone, but now it seemed like he had options. If they could pull this off then they would all finally be free. Petra would be ecstatic. Isabel would be determined to help him kill Erwin for what he'd put her through. This could be their way out. Finally.

"I'll go get Izzy so we can play some more catch with her since you promised," Eld said with a grin and Levi felt like he wanted to roll his eyes.

"Yeah, fine, I'll play a little bit with the kid. She deserves to have a little bit of fun before we all go on this suicide mission," Levi answered. Eld nodded and headed into the house to get Isabel. If this plan worked, this could be their lives from now on. He wouldn't let it fail.

oOo

Dinner came and went and Levi was still struggling to figure out how exactly he was going to bring up the plan to Petra and Isabel. It still wouldn't be ideal for Petra, although it would be more like what she wanted. Isabel would likely just jump at the chance to be in on the action, and he wanted her to be able to.

He wanted Isabel to be able to get back at the man that had hurt her, that had killed Farlan, but he also didn't want a kid going down the path of vengeance. He knew what that did to young children firsthand. He wanted her to remain carefree and child-like for as long as possible. Even if some of that had already been stolen from her.

Eld kept looking at him throughout the whole dinner that they shared with his cousins. He tried to ignore the glances, but it was hard when they came every five minutes or so. Eld really wasn't one for subtlety. He'd give the whole reveal away before it even happened if he kept acting so damn suspicious.

Petra and Isabel cleared the table so that Kara wouldn't have to do it herself. It seemed the woman was having a harder time getting around every day they spent here. Levi was sure she would have her baby soon, he kind of hoped they wouldn't be here for it. Childbirth made him anxious, and being anxious was the last thing he needed right now.

"Do you want some tea, Levi?" Petra asked as she stood by the stove. God, he really fucking loved her. She always knew what he needed, somehow.

"That would be nice, and I need to talk to the squad once it's done," he said. Eld tried not to act surprised, Petra paled a bit at the mention of a meeting, and Isabel just seemed slightly confused. He wasn't particularly excited about what they would be like after they heard the plan.

"I think we'll turn in early tonight," Abel said with a smile as he helped his wife toward their bedroom. "Gotta get all the sleep we can before the kid gets here."

"Good night!" Isabel called after them sweetly, the rest of the group nodded toward the couple's exit, and then it was just Levi and his squad. The room was suddenly so quiet that it made him uncomfortable. A room with this mix of people in it was never this quiet.

"Levi, what's this about?" Petra asked, he could hear her nerves in her voice as clear as a bell. He didn't want to worry her anymore. He knew this news would make her happy, but he hated making her wonder in the meantime.

"I have to leave for Trost soon, you all know that," Levi started.

"Four days," Petra reminded him.

"Probably a bit sooner than that," Levi said and Petra's eyes went wide with shock. Isabel started to protest but he held his hand up. "Let me finish before any of you start complaining. Eld and I had a talk earlier today. Well, Abel got me thinking about it actually, and then I spoke with Eld about it. I think it would be good if you all came to Trost with me, instead of going alone. Eld and I came up with a plan."

The kettle started to hiss just as he finished speaking and it snapped Petra out of the stupor she was in. She ran to the pot and started to prepare tea for the four of them, bringing the cups to the table two at a time. She brought hers and Levi's last and sat down beside him.

"It'll mean that I have to leave for Trost a day or so early so that I have time to set everything up. If it all works out well, Hanji will let the three of you through the gate and into the city, and we can work together with them to take Erwin out," Levi explained quietly as if he was afraid someone was listening to their scheming.

"What if Hanji doesn't cooperate?" Petra asked, staring straight forward.

"We'll find another way in if Hanji doesn't work out," Eld added. Good, at least he was there to help Levi explain.

"The plan is to sneak you all in the night before the duel and make our way to Erwin's personal quarters. If all goes to plan, we'll be able to catch him off guard there and end this. I won't have to duel him for our freedom and the rest of the Corps will be free of their dictator. I think installing Hanji as the new Commander would work out well for everyone involved."

"I'm in, I just have one request," Isabel said, her tone serious. "I wanna be the one to finish him off. Please, Aniki. It's the only thing I want. For everything he did to all of us. I wanna make him pay."

He knew she was completely serious, and he couldn't blame her for wanting everything she'd asked him for, he just hated that she wanted it.

"I'm not gonna stop you, brat. It's your decision to make. When the time comes, if you still wanna be the one with Erwin's blood on your hands, I'll let you do it," Levi answered, and his heart sank at just how happy that made Isabel. He hadn't seen a smile that big, that terrifyingly cruel, on her face for a very long time. Maybe not ever. They were a merry bunch of fucked up people, him and his squad. If they were fucked up, it was Erwin's fault, and he would pay for it with his life.

"If this works out well, we'll all be free," Petra said, the realization suddenly hitting her. She didn't look scared or sad anymore, she looked determined. The fire had been lit inside her again, the one that drove her to do anything it took to succeed. Levi loved that fire in her. He never wanted it to go out.

"We're pretty confident it will work, if we pull it off right," Eld answered, further reassuring the squad of their plan.

"It has to work," Petra stated plainly. She wasn't really addressing the whole group, though. She was looking right at Levi, her eyes burning with determination, her voice shaking. He knew that she would put everything she had into this mission, and that scared him, but it also made him even more hopeful that it would succeed.

"It'll work," Levi assured her, speaking only to her, just as she had to him.

"I think that means we have a plan, then," Eld said with a smile. It was the first time Levi had seen them all genuinely excited about something for a long while. He hated that the source of Isabel's excitement was the death and possible torture of another human being, but he thought that it might be worth it if it meant that Isabel got her freedom after it was done. For once, his squad looked hopeful.

"It's settled then. I'll leave in two days, you all leave the same night. You'll have to travel quietly and discreetly again to get back to Trost without being spotted, I want you to take your time. If everything works out well with Hanji, the two of us will be at the gate the night before the duel is supposed to take place. We'll let you in, and we'll go from there," Levi stated, the plan coming together right before their eyes. It was terrifying, there was no denying that, but Levi was confident that it would work. Like Petra said, it had to work. Their lives depended on it.

"Let's get our freedom back," Petra said, and Levi smiled at her. He really couldn't argue with that statement.

"Let's get our freedom back," he echoed.