Levi was on top of a wall in Trost District, the same one where he had struck a deal with Dimo Reeves before the insurrection. He didn't know how he was up here since he had no ODM gear and because of his leg injury, but that was of no concern due to the sight ahead of him.

There were Titans everywhere. A bunch of three and four meter ones, some ten meter ones, and some standing fifteen meters. He'd been good at estimating heights from which to strike after several expeditions. The Titans with such menacing faces mindlessly wandered around for their next victim to devour on and puke out before moving on to the next. The only problem was that there were no people in sight. Had they been evacuated? Had they been all eaten?

Not that he could do anything without weapons and his bad leg. Then, the whooshing of tanks releasing gas resounded. He looked over his shoulder. His final squad had come to clear the area, and in tow were the Marleyan Warriors who quickly transformed into Shifters. They didn't seem to notice him, but they did their job in a matter of time. Most of the Titans had been killed, and the entire district filled with steam.

His squad stood in the main plaza, celebrating their victory. But then, out of the steam, it looked like some of the Titans had taken on human form, except this time, they were not innocent Marleyan Eldians civilians sent to Paradis for their existence. They had turned into Jaegerists dressed in black and wiedling guns at them, making just as ferocious faces.

"If we fight, we win!" They screamed.

Levi tried to scream out, but gunfire quickly drowned out any other sound.

He snapped awake, entangled in a blanket. No more Titans. Just human beings, he thought to himself to calm down. Not that either were better than the other.

The true enemy we have been fighting all along is humanity... civilization. Or, if you will, the world. Was it Hange who had said that? He couldn't remember.

What ungodly hour had he woken up at? Neither of the other men kept clocks in the room, but based on the orange and red sky outside and the fact that they weren't in bed, it was probably early morning. No worse than usual then. They'd left for their manual labor jobs in the district. Newspaper had said something about the potential of relocating more refugees to the city, so more housing was needed. Who knew if any land outside of what wasn't trampled would ever be inhabitable again?

Other than another nightmare, Levi had slept considerably well when Viola wasn't fussing in the other room or Martino wasn't snoring like a damn motor engine. As his mind cleared up- much slower than it had years ago- he recalled Karina's concern for him and outright gratuity for his presence despite him being a cripple. Tch, the last part was on him. And then came the sickening but true recollection of the situation on Paradis. He could only hope that the situation was more peaceful than his nightmare.

He stood slowly to prevent another embarrassing fall and paced himself to his dresser to get some of his neatly folded outfits. No chance of going outside today for any walks with or without his wheelchair. Too much political tension in the air for him to be seen out there. He wondered if the brats should even be at school these next few days or if the other men should be at work today. Not his call to make. But they had to keep surviving. He did too. He fumbled around in the dresser in the dimly lit room for a casual shirt to wear. The spring weather was still too cold for him to be comfortable. His right hand eventually dragged out a soft knit gray shirt made of wool from the sheep of Esereso's moors left untouched by the Rumbling.

Esereso. The name of Onyonkopon's land. Funny thing. He would never be at home on Paradis again, but the land which welcomed him by merit won with blood still seemed so far off, almost more than three years ago.

His two remaining fingers on his right hand cramped up, unused to usage since he had become more adept with his left hand, which had always been his dominant hand for blowing punches, just not holding tea cups or throwing pillows at brats going in circles again and again. He dressed himself and took a look in the mirror by the door. Nothing out of the ordinary. Same ugly ass scars jutting his face. Same haircut he'd had for the last thirty years of life that he never planned on changing. Needed a damn shave though. Along with dusting, he was becoming a lazyass with stubble he had always been so meticulous at maintaining in the military. He could at least hold off on looking like a geezer on a pension with a decent razor.

Karina and the other women probably weren't awake yet- how they could sleep with a crying baby was beyond him. But he couldn't stay imprisoned in his own room all morning. He could go outside and watch the sun rise. Just like the "peaceful" old times. He picked up his black jacket hanging on a chair and made his way out.

Theo whimpered in his cage in the kitchen, desiring to be free as well. His paws pattered as the door clicked open and shut without him following Levi. Same sentiments, mutt.

The front lawn of the home had a small patio with some chairs made of wire. They weren't his armchair, but he made himself just comfortable enough on that spring morning while almost nobody else was awake save for some redbreast birds who didn't give a damn about Titans or politics, only survival.

Survival. What would have happened if Zeke succeeded at his plan three years back? Not that Levi had plans for kids of his own unless he'd settled with a woman, but who would he or anybody be able to pass their stories onto? Marley wanted them gone for good, devils damned to hell where they belonged. But Dolph had been right about them needing them to keep breeding in frail hopes of becoming honorary Marleyans for their own purposes. All they needed was the power in the right- or wrong- hands, and they'd rule the world. And the right story to tell the children against their heritage while blotting out their own wrongs.

In one case, it led to a young boy being brainwashed and having his father and mother use him as their tool, only for him to turn on them as he continued to seek a power that would reorder the world to make things right according to him and his teacher and the government they lived under to stop such abuse against their people and against the world.

And that was the man he swore to kill and succeeded at killing. When he himself was killing Titans, hundreds of them, he was killing human beings who didn't know what was the truth or the lie about life. Rejoice. Everything went as you wanted.

The gentle breeze rustled the leaves on the trees and bushes. A mother redbreast pecked at the wet ground for bugs or worms that hadn't drowned in the rain last night to feed her chicks in the nest. An unlucky worm in the wrong place at the wrong time squirmed, begging for mercy, but it was too late as it was held in the bird's mouth in takeoff. He rubbed his bad leg, knowing what that felt like but with some serpent Titan.

Speaking of survival and birds, the unlucky bird killed at Falco's hands had a small burial plot by the tree on the lawn. Mateo buried it before leaving for work. Or maybe it was luckier than it seemed. At least the bird got a place to rest unlike millions. Levi hoped that Erwin's burial plot remained untouched by the Jaegerists. It was unmarked, but it was rather close to the former Underground City. Hange wasn't as fortunate. Probably just blood and guts used to grow plants again.

The sky became paler and paler as the day settled. He was almost unaware of the time passing when the door behind him cracked open. He didn't flinch.

"Levi? Good morning." Karina stood there wrapped in a dressing gown and her headscarf wrapped. "Did you sleep alright?"

"Fine," he spoke abruptly, then paused. No need to be a rude houseguest and a liar about her brother's snoring. "Good morning."

"Enjoying the sunrise? Sunlight can be good when you have melancholia." She nodded pertly with a touch of sadness in her hazel eyes.

"Still worried about Reiner?"

"Why, of course." Oh. That was dumb question.

"Thought so. Same with the other brats." Not just the ones on Paradis. He turned his head. Karina may as well know. "Nightmare about Titans last night that turned back into humans… Jaegerists... and of fucking course I was dead meat on a wall watching the brats get filled with bullets."

Karina fussed with her headscarf. "Titans being turned back into humans? Oh yes, I see." While they were being interned, many Eldians were interviewed by Marley's forces about what they remembered about being a mindless Titan and compared this to knowledge of new Shifters observed in the past. Many did not seem to remember anything, maybe due to the curse being broken. But a few recalled a very desolate experience. Connie was rather shaken for the time being but never went into detail, only saying that it was dark.

"Tch, yeah. It's that…" he faltered. How would he make any connection since he couldn't even turn into a Titan? After all, if things had gone wrong, he would have had to find a way to kill them all with the help of the Shifters, even the woman in front him. He stroked his hair. Dumb time to think of this. "How long would it take for them to snuff out some fanatics with guns? The royal guard's probably got some trained snipers. Take them out like wild game. Never know what struck them."

"We'll find out soon enough. The morning news program should be starting soon. I can make some morning tea if you like."

Levi didn't need to reply. He stood up and moved himself inside.

…

The morning news program was, in fact, delayed due to "technical issues'' on the station's end. Instead, there was a rare recording of a symphony made before the Rumbling that broadcasted. Paradis didn't have too many musicians, and even those that did play instruments used them sparingly at special events. Levi didn't like all the noise radios made, but sometimes, string instruments helped him calm down, especially when he decided to read more of the clan history book while sipping tea that tasted far better than whatever Onyonkopon got him.

Sigrid had taken Theo out for his walk to prevent all kinds of havoc while Karina and Tina spent most of their time waiting as they tended to Viola, who was also just starting to try foods other than milk. She was making a mess to the rhythm of the percussion, but there was a part of the book that Levi was so invested in after his morning conversation with Karina that he didn't even notice the phone ringing in the background.

While the members of the Ackerman clan are genetically Eldians, they are unable to turn into Titans as per numerous studies. (Just as Hange guessed, Levi thought.) Additionally, members of the Ackerman clan have an unusual design flaw which has perplexed Titan scientists for decades.

In the year 1855, two captured children of the Clan Esau were observed under the care of Marleyan scientist Dr. Francis Cobbler at the Titan Research Society, classified as Child #1 and Child #2.

Child #1 was a three year old male at the time of capture who displayed little to no memory of his past prior to capture. He could not give his name when asked and had no recollection of who Child #2 was and only desired to be playing with the toys he was promised after experimentation.

Child #2 was an eight year old female at the time of capture who displayed clear signs of trauma from being captured and detained for experimentation. It was of note that she knew that her mother was Marleyan. There had been no known previous Ackerman clan members to theTitan Research Society who had lineage from an Eldian and a non-Eldian parent.

Initial tests proved that neither child had any ability to fight as an adult at full power, perhaps yet to be awakened. Before the discovery of early documentation by the royal family which explained the reasoning for it, there was little understanding as to why the royal family had created such strong soldiers but never used them as Titan shifters for optimal battle strength. Dr. Cobbler had theorized that the Ackerman clan, unlike other Eldians, had a separate biological means by which they functioned. In an unprecedented move which nearly violated ethical codes of research, Dr. Cobbler injected both children with Titan serum as used on normal Eldians in an attempt to turn them into Titans. However, neither child turned into a Titan. Instead, both of them suddenly became physically strong.

Child #1 was able to carry a carton filled with bricks to one end of a room without falling or dropping the box. He had cried upon injection, but his emotional reaction was due to his age. No behavioral abnormalities were otherwise noted.

Child #2 was unique in her reaction. While she also obtained great strength, one peculiarity observed in Child #2 was her newfound protective nature and bond with Dr. Cobbler. Prior to injection, she had no fondness for him and only fear whenever he ran tests on her. Being fully aware of what becoming a Titan would entail and rather than fearing the pain of the syringe, Child #2 started to fight back and had to be restrained by Dr. Cobbler's research team of ten adult men to complete the experiment. In comparison to Child #1 who only needed one adult to restrain him, this baffled Dr. Cobbler.

Following the injection, Child #2 expressed an almost solemn understanding of why she was being tested upon and why her ancestors deserved punishment because of how they defended the King. She knew why her parents had died following after the King and why she and the other child from Clan Esau, Child #1, were now here. If it was to help stop the atrocities of the Eldians, she was going to dedicate herself to the cause. She subjected herself to painful experimentation day after day willingly, even when Dr. Cobbler offered a nice day outside the Internment Zone with Child #1 with treats an Eldian child could not normally enjoy.

Behavioral studies conducted by Dr. Philip Fernsby on other members of the Ackerman clan observed that Ackermans with full power- not those like Child #1- often had deep emotional connections and loyalty to one other person regardless of blood or current romantic relations. This was most often observed between members of the royal family and the Ackerman clan, but there were various exceptions. Yet despite these deep connections, rebellion was always possible.

One day, Dr. Cobbler decided to test the loyalty of Child #2 to him. He took her to a ceremonial hall used for the transfer of Shifters in a historic temple for Ymir worshippers and sat with her. He explained to her that he was really an Eldian scientist working in secret for the Marleyan government in atonement for his ancestors' sins and that he wanted to die. He had concealed a serum-filled syringe in his coat and asked her to inject him if she was truly loyal to him. Presented to Child #2 by research assistants were two blades used by the Ackerman clan to traditionally kill Titans.

"Loyalty is what the Ackerman clan was designed for. Let us see you obey me unto my death," Dr. Cobbler quipped. Skeptically, Child #2 picked up the serum, but then she reportedly screamed and smashed it. And she did not stop there. Child #2 went on a rampage in the ancient temple, slicing into columns and sacred artwork left behind. It took several hours to restrain her after she calmed down. When later interviewed, Child #2 stated that she wasn't going to do anything to let Dr. Cobbler turn into a Titan. From that day onward, Child #2 was more reluctant to participate in any experiments, refusing to put herself or Dr. Cobbler in any danger even if he tried to persuade her that he wouldn't hurt her or himself. She claimed she wasn't stupid enough to listen to him anymore if she didn't want to.

The anomaly of Child #2 baffled Dr. Cobbler. If the royal family had designed the Ackerman clan to serve and protect them and their power, why was there no failsafe to ensure that the Ackermans could not rebel against the King or another person to maintain absolute loyalty?

Levi wasn't sure if he wanted to continue to sicken himself with tales of a child being abused by her captors for the sake of familiar knowledge, but he was interrupted first by the women.

"Oh dear. Dear dear dear…" Karina moaned, rubbing her forehead. Tina paced nearby, equally stressed. Levi snapped out of the revolting portion of Ackerman clan history, now curious what else in their cruel little world was wrong.

"News from the embassy?"

"Not even from Paradis. The school is calling all Eldian families. None of the Eldian children are to report to school today and until further notice," Karina replied.

"They worried about the Jaegerists?"

"No… or maybe yes," Tina sighed. "There was… somebody that burned an effigy of the Eldian empire on the school lawn and made a blood sacrifice with the same message left on Cecilia and Ramon's door but now on the school wall in large letters. I don't think that it's local youth doing this…. I'd better call Cecilia to get Gabi home." Tina left the room. Viola babbled nonsense from her highchair, probably wondering why she couldn't make any more messes with mashed fruit.

The brats' school was an unsegregated school with many Eldian and other refugee children with some native children as well, part of Esereso's integration project in the post-Rumbling world in hopes of raising them to tolerate each other and not hold knives to their throats in the years to come. Fights commonly broke out, not exclusive to everyone being solely against other nationalities. Nothing on this scale before though.

The stringed instruments slowed and softened in the background, a decrescendo into the somber part of the story without words. Levi placed the book on the side table. "Is it the church here behind these attacks or covering the assailants' asses?" Tch, it wouldn't be the first time a religious group was covering for some people within it with a lot of power.

"Language, please!" Tina shouted.

"They said nothing about that. Only if the police decide to investigate. But then even if they do there's no guarantee they will properly investigate and find-"

The symphony went dead on the radio. Then, some annoying jingle buzzed, and a grainy voice spoke.

"Turn it up," Levi demanded. Karina jumped to it. She fumbled with it. "To the right, the right!" The two became absolutely silent. Tina had already dialed the Grice's residence, but she strained to listen in at the same time.

"This is Esereso Global Report. Good morning. It is the third year since the devil Eren Jaeger was wiped off the earth. We bring this breaking news update from Paradis where the Alliance of Eldians Against the Rumbling has been hidden following a terrorist attack carried out by a subfaction of the Jaegerist Party. Early reports indicate that the mastermind behind the bombing which claimed the lives of dozens of Paradisians has been captured and killed."

They could feel the tension release in the room.

By the Walls. The Creator. Whatever people called their god. That was fast. Almost too fast.

"43 year old Richard Jackson was a commander in the inner wall Sina when he began to plot with a circle of specially trained soldiers to carry out the attack. Initial reports state that three years ago, he lost his nephew to the Alliance's actions at the island's port. He left behind a vendetta in his village, Snate, for public readership.

Jackson decried the arrival of the Alliance for its execution of Eren Jaeger, the public hero of the Rumbling for many Paradisians, and made calls for their immediate detainment and execution. When the allied forces of Queen Historia Reiss and Hizuru denied his plan, he plotted to bomb the Alliance upon their arrival at Trost HQ. Further investigations reveal that the bomb planted was faulty and went off at the wrong time."

Levi tried to remember. He'd been strapped to the Cart Titan's back like a sack of potatoes during most of the fight. Which one of the cadets' friends did they have to kill that day? There were too many that Hange had to kill in those last few days and far too many he had to slaughter through to get to Zeke. Too many former comrades turned into monsters.

"Tina! It was a faulty bomb that went off!"

"What? I'm on the phone. It was- No, Gabi, it's the radio. Tell Mrs. Grice to turn the radio on if she hasn't!"

"Shut up!" Levi motioned. The reporter continued.

"Jackson was not detained by the military police. He was found dead of blade and gunshot wounds with his hands bound by red cloth along with seven other conspirators in Sina in a private residence. It is unknown at the time if he was killed by a lone assassin or a group of assailants. Further investigation will occur in the coming days. In the meantime, extra security precautions are in effect, and the negotiations between the Alliance of Eldians and Paradis are set to begin in a few days.

This is the latest news on the situation and we will bring more when it is available. The Creator bless all living spirits and drive the evil ones to the chasm." The radio cut back to soft music. The women embraced each other in the kitchen, Karina softly weeping.

"Oh… oh, Gabi dear. They're okay," Tina choked out words over the phone. "Your cousin is safe again. Tell Falco if he doesn't know."

That was it? Where the hell had Onyonkopon been to alert them earlier today? How much distress could he have saved them? Tch, forget about him. Hopefully they weren't celebrating victory too early. Like more and more damn Titans always appearing from the forests, some other Jaegerists could be plotting in the backwaters of Paradis.

"Okay, okay, Gabi. But stay inside. We're not going to cause any more trouble than we need to. It's still dangerous for them and us. Oh, I do hope your father knows."

Good. They're not as naive as they were the other day. Levi raised his teacup and took a sip. That was the closest to celebration he would get.

The radio cut back on abruptly with that same annoying jingle. He almost hoped that there was more news about the Alliance, maybe Armin could speak up at last. But it was only the latest weather report, some news about refugees to be relocated to Esereso from a dingy camp, and a warning for travelers that road repair work was being done on a major road for the next month. Not even a word about the brats' school being painted in sacrificial blood.

…

The piece of good news that altered the mood in the Braun household was like a fresh vegetable in soup made with two-day old rainwater in the internment camp. The women were about, cleaning the place as if Reiner and the others were returning home imminently. Tch, I'd be cleaning the place if my leg weren't being a pain in the ass. And then Levi remembered his own windowpane which had probably collected even more dust unless the pipes in the place decided to leak out more shitty water and ruin everything else. Besides, Karina insisted that as the guest, he had no reason to be taking care of their home. Much less their own brats.

But the women were mostly cleaning to burn off some of that nervous tension that had built up over the last day. Karina kept scribbling something on a notepad, a menial list of things to be cleaned and re-cleaned as if they were in military quarters. Not that he hated that, but poor woman. What if no news had been given today? Or bad news? Who knew if blunt words would have helped more at this point?

Speaking of, Falco's parents had been speaking to Onyonkopon that morning, hence why he didn't deliver the relatively good news before it was broadcast. He was aware of the brat's condition, the vandalism at their home, and at the school, and would bring this to the Eldian Rights Commission's attention. A representative would investigate Dolph's mistreatment and seek a doctor for him and at an asylum for Falco that would accept Eldians.

Gabi was going to stay with the Grice's until early that evening. More night patrols would be sent on the lookout in Eldian neighborhoods for any suspicious activity, so the drive home would be safer. This wasn't the first time that more patrols were sent to Eldian refugees' neighborhoods. When they first resettled, the riots had continued for weeks on end. It was like the time Zeke and Pieck had first infiltrated Rose and the flocks of people moved inward, except this time, the discrimination toward the poor and needy Eldians wouldn't be a temporary inconvenience to the rulers of this country.

It was almost noon when Tina went to settle Viola for a nap and Sigrid took Theo out again. Karina was preparing a basic potato dish for lunch. They'd all probably had more potatoes to eat than they ever wished, but potatoes were one of the few crops to grow abundantly in the damaged ground, even if they were tainted by blood and bones of humanity.

Tch. Onyonkopon would probably explain this in a theological way about the Creator and good and evil spirits being connected.

Levi stood up slowly and made his way to the table. Being served tea in a chair once today already was enough. He could make himself more presentable for the time being before probably having to be stuck in a hospital bed again. Just had to pretend that this was the mess hall in his old headquarters after Annie snapped his ankle.

Karina smoothed out her cleaning list on the counter. She muttered something to herself then sighed. "Oh, sorry. It's a devil to keep this place clean. Never used to have to keep a list in the Internment Zone."

"Too small a place, or because you can't be arsed to do it?"

Another soft sigh. "Yes. The second. You've sure made an honest woman of me." He raised his eyebrow. She blushed and spattered, "Oh, I meant-"

"I know." No time for damn innuendos, not after last night's round of honesty with himself. "The brats and Onyonlopon think I have your melancholia too. Let a windowpane collect the tiniest damn smudge of dust, and I've grown senile. I'm not about to hire a maid to clean up after me either. I just don't feel like I need to clean like the bastard I once was." He stroked his undercut hair. "Am."

Karina served two fine scoops of mashed potatoes on his plate. Better eat up before the neighborhood curfew was set in place and they could only get groceries in a two hour time window with all the other Eldians with nothing left by time they arrived. Maybe they should have prepared that bird. She scooped some for herself.

"Read some more today?"

"Yeah. About the Ackerman clan not turning into Titans."

"What a coincidence." Twice in one day about Titan trauma. Change of subject.

"Two brats from one of the clan divisions were prodded and jabbed with serum one day which made them strong. Older girl was traumatized as shit by this scientist and listened to everything he said. He tried to manipulate her one day to kill him, but she rampaged through an entire Ymir cult temple to get him to stop. Never took an order from him again."

She nodded. "Temple? Why would Marley take the poor girl there to see the face of the devil Ymir?"

"Beats me." He took a bite of potatoes. "The Marleyan scientist thought there was some special connection to Ymir that other Eldians didn't have since they couldn't turn into Titans. But why? Hell if I know."

Karina pondered for a moment before speaking. "Do you remember the official report drafted by Muller and Armin and given at the internment camp? About Ymir Fritz?"

"That she couldn't let go of her bond to Fritz and gave the rest of us hell?"

"Yes, yes. It's just that… oh…." she messed with her headscarf. "The Titans. When we were Titans that day…."

His eye widened, the realization dawning on him. "Say it. Unless it's going to upset you."

"From what I remember briefly... It was a nightmare. When I was a little girl in the Internment Zone, my friend Isabela got severely punished for being late for school one day. It wasn't even her fault. There had been a terrible fire on her usual route. But the Marleyan instructor used her as an example. She was locked in the "dark box" as we called it. It was really a small closet that was made soundproof from the inside."

Great. More fucked up experiments from Marley on children.

"They had to recite the list of grievances that the Eldian empire committed against Marley and the world. From the outside, Isabela could hear the instructor yell that he couldn't hear her and she had to do it all again. This would last for hours sometimes. We all just wanted to please the instructor and be good and atone for our- our ancestors' sins. We just wanted to be appreciated."

"And you felt like this as a Titan?"

"It was, but far worse. At least as a schoolgirl, I knew that the instructors had to release Isabela eventually. But as a Titan, I felt I had no way of knowing if I would even go back out of the… darkness. I wanted to be back in the world. I had so much to live for despite our ancestors's sins and my own with Timothy and Reiner. I just had to kill to live again- anybody who was there- even if it was my Reiner who had to die."

Levi took a swig of tea. It was still too early for wine. "If shitty glasses- Hange were here, I can't imagine what years of her work told her would make her feel. Some poor brat is enslaved and attaches herself to a power hungry bastard man and to a worm, only to curse us all to be monsters in a contest to survive or eat each other."

He paused to collect himself. Isabel and Farlan. His vow. His promise. That order he just could not fulfill. Karina urged him on.

"And then the royal family makes us, whatever the clan is, to not be mindless monsters, but gives some of us strong attachments awakened after trauma to one person in particular, sometimes the royal family, sometimes not. We're loyal but can break away despite how strongly we feel." Those same blue eyes. He scoffed. "All for the good of the person, maybe humanity depending on how you define it." Maybe some damn fine wine would be good now.

….

Meanwhile on Paradis

"Already?" Connie exclaimed. "They really caught the bombers?" Historia's personal messenger had opened the bunker door to where the Alliance was in hiding. The men had been in the middle of a card game they learned in the internment camp a few years back, trying to take their mind off the state of the world.

"Yes, Mr. Springer. It was one of the relatives of the Jaegerists you assassinated back at the port three years ago. Samuel Linke-Jackson was his name. A local to Snate. It was his uncle behind the bombings." Connie gulped. That had been his doing years back.

Pieck, who had been laying on the lower bunk of a bed, sat up. "I told you. They wouldn't forget. As long as we're still alive and even dead, they won't like us. Your mother has been almost too forgiving and-"

"Hey! She would not do that. She doesn't even remember you!"

"Connie! I don't resent any of the people here. I'm just being realistic." She took a swig of some cheap beer from her bed table. "Commander, wouldn't you agree?"

Armin, who was sitting on the lower bunk across from Pieck with Annie, glanced up. His blue eyes looked more somber than usual. "If that is the way that the people of Paradis are going to act, we shouldn't have been so naive. And the news of just who it was who was killed will be in the newspapers too. If they put that with our story of helping civilians after the bombing… maybe it won't work."

Jean and Reiner worked to clean up their card game. "However they were captured and killed, it's done," Jean spoke. "They didn't hesitate to go after innocents, so whoever got to them wasn't going to stand back and let more innocents die. We're not going to worry about what some newspapers think about Samuel's relative. Let's worry about the children and anti-Jaegerists who were affected too."

Reiner nodded. "Concurred. Gabi really wants to see her friend here again. Can't let more people die even if none of us or them are really sinless. Hey, is Historia aware of just who it was?"

The messenger snorted, "Yes. That is why I'm reporting this to you, Mr. Braun." He rolled his eyes.

Annie did the same toward Reiner. She didn't even interact with Historia- known as Krista to her during her time in the Survey Corps-, but even Reiner's soldier persona's strange infatuation with her pissed her off. "Anyways, any word on Mikasa from Hizuru or Historia?"

"Why yes. I have some classified information to share with you regarding the assassin responsible for the death of Commander Richard Jackson and his subfaction."

Everybody cocked their heads.

"You may ask her yourself. It was Her Majesty's request that she be sent to explain everything to you."

From around the corner outside, a woman dressed in the Survey Corps' old black signature suit with the Wings of Freedom showed herself. Her carriage was strong and graceful, and her long black hair was tied in a ponytail. Around her neck was the same red scarf she had always worn but with a few stitches and repairs made. Her cool gray eyes made commanding contact with the awed and shock-filled ones in the bunker.

"Hello, everybody. If I didn't fight, we would lose."

.