In the city of Trost, the streets were dark and quiet. It was late at night, many residents already turned in for the evening. Apart from the warm glow of the street lights that went up and down the roads, sitting on opposite sides of each other and creating a warm illuminating glow just bright enough to light the way for late night, weary travelers. A stray Black mouth cur sniffed at some trash cans outside one of the markets, digging his paw at one of the cans, having caught whiff of something he was interested in.

Curfew was becoming earlier and earlier for the residents of Paradis, as the Jaegerists had caused more and more fear and distress. Families retired at dusk into their homes, and anyone brave enough to stay out late either carried some form of protection, such as a firearm or a knife, or they simply hurried home as quickly as they were able to. And while Queen Historia and the government tried their hardest to deal with the ever growing problem, it was becoming evident that this was only going to get worse.

It seemed like everyone was in their homes for the evening…all except for one individual, Section Commander Hange Zoe was exiting a building to retire to where she was staying for the night, having to pass several alleyways on her way. She stretched long once she exited the building, groaning in exhaustion before sighing. She showed no fear or weariness unlike the typical residents, proving her experience as a soldier. After such a long, stressful day of meetings and trying to figure out manners of how to deal with both Marley and the Jaegerists, she was just ready to down a bottle of bourbon and crash in her bed. How she missed the simpler times, when the most she had to concern herself with was learning all she could about how the titans worked. She would much rather be dealing with titans, fighting them or merely just studying them. She greatly missed those long sleepless nights where she could just hyperfixate on them and their biology…but these days, all she wanted to do was sleep, instead of having to deal with the drama and problems with humans.

In one specific alleyway she started to approach, a figure was hidden in the shadows, hoping she would pass him by. He wore a dark gray cloak with the hood up, watching her start to walk by. Hange, who had been rubbing the sleep from her eye, continued her slow walk towards her bunker for the night. Each of her steps remained silent, as her glance turned to pan the environment around her. Something had seemed… off. It was all too quiet, even this late at night there was always some sort of noise. It felt as if nature had fallen silent, hiding from a threat still unknown to her.

"That's odd…" Hange mumbled to herself, turning around to study the shadows for a moment, before her eye narrowed, attempting to focus on any odd shapes lingering within the deep pits of the alleyways. The hidden figure had placed his hand on the side of a brick building, not realizing just how old it was. With a slight shift, a piece of the brick came loose from his hand and hit the cobblestone pavements before he could catch it, creating a loud knock against the stone.

Hange took a step forward, and was immediately froze, hearing the strange noise.

"Who's out here?! Come out with your hands up!" Hange immediately commanded, her voice hitching slightly in her frightened state, as her hand moved to pull a small pistol from her cloak, aiming it towards the shadows.

"I am not afraid to put a bullet in you, whoever you are. Step out where I can see you! Now!" Hange commented further, growing more and more impatient as she gritted her teeth, pulling the safety of the gun towards her, as her finger gently began to squeeze the trigger slightly, ensuring that her shot would be quick, although rather the shadows came a long sigh of annoyance.

"God damn it..." a male voice was heard, as the cloaked figure finally walked out from the alleyway.

"I suppose I don't have a choice...you've already found me.." he pulled his hood down, revealing long brown hair, green eyes and a blank, almost eerily nonchalant expression.

"Long time no see, Hange" Eren spoke, looking her dead in the eye, not seeming at all intimidated by her weapon, not even seeming to notice it.

Hange felt her heart drop into the pit of her stomach, the grip on her gun tightening to ensure it didn't drop. Her expression remained frozen in surprise, as she struggled to find the words through her jumbled mess of thoughts.

"What the hell… Eren..?" Hange finally stuttered out, narrowing her eye as she studied his nonchalant expression, as well as his ignorance on the weapon aimed towards him.

Slowly, she moved to step closer to him, still holding the pistols barrel aimed right in between his didn't say anything else at first. He simply looked around the area, scanning his surroundings to ensure they were alone before he continued.

"I admit, I'm surprised...I didn't foresee meeting you here...which creates a complication..." Eren hesitated before continuing.

"I saw how much of a mess the Jaegerists have been causing you guys...sorry about that." his apology sounded irritatingly insincere.

Hange hadn't spent one hour with one of her lost comrades, and she was already furious at his monotone reaction. She dropped her gun to her side loosely, still keeping her grip wrapped around its trigger.

"You aren't sorry, Eren. You do however… have a lot to answer for. Which means you're coming with me." Hange responded, allowing her own tone to grow cold, hoping that this would allow her enough control over her emotions to avoid her acting out rather harshly within false judgment, placing her in a fairly dangerous situation.

She didn't know where Eren had been all of this time, but she had every right to worry about how his strength had been, and how unpredictable he just might be. Under normal circumstances, she would be happy, even overjoyed to see him alive…but knowing how much trouble his followers were causing, and seeing he looked alive and well…Hange came to the most obvious conclusion that his and Mikasa's deaths were nothing more but a fabricated lie…as many theorized.

"Sorry Hange...but I can't go anywhere with you. Not just yet. I've made my decision and I plan to see it through..." Eren glanced up slightly at the night sky before continuing.

"The Marley Festival is approaching...I've heard that the Tybur family will be not only attending..but hosting it" he started to ramble a bit, keeping that nonchalant tone.

Hange took another step closer to Eren, glaring daggers through his nonchalant expression as she stopped a mere few steps in front of him. She listened for a moment, trying to connect all of the dots within the maze she had now found herself in the middle of.

"What the fuck are you talking about? The last thing we need is you to come back from the dead and do whatever it is your planning."

"It may be selfish to ask...but I actually have a request for you...it's about Mikasa," Eren cut her off, ignoring her questions. His tone, which had been mostly nonchalant this entire time, did let a small amount of emotion shine through at the mention of his partner.

Hange paused for a moment, moving to cross her arms as she watched him, looking his stature up and down, still trying to see if this wasn't some hallucination from her lack of good night's rest. It wouldn't surprise her if she had finally gone off the deep end and began losing it, waiting for Levi or someone to spot her talking to an empty alleyway.

"We buried her ODM gear near where we thought you both had died. You can visit her there and talk to her yourself." Hange responded harshly, motioning towards the docks nearby.

"Mikasa's alive, Hange. Neither of us died that day," Eren revealed simply, seeming almost annoyed with her ignorance, talking the second Hange reached the end of a sentence, not giving her much time to think.

"The way things are right now...I can't go back to her. But I need to make sure she's safe...and you're the only person I can entrust her location to..." Eren went on to explain.

"In the meantime...I'll make you a deal. Ensure Mikasa's safety and allow me to carry out my plans...and I'll rein in the Jaegerists." he began a negotiation, with a cocky tone of voice.

Hange moved to push her glasses up the bridge of her nose, lowering her head with a heavy sigh as she mumbled under her breath.

"Because of course that's what this all was. I wonder how I didn't figure it out sooner, considering how predictable you three always were." She snapped slightly, moving to hide her gun back in her cloak.

"And what would you do if I didn't accept your silly little deal right away? You've put me in quite the sticky situation, Eren. Besides… I don't even know where she's hidden, let alone where Armin ran off to. But I'm willing to bet that they have gone the smarter path than you." Hange replied, shifting her own tone to become more cocky, a harsh bite to each of her words.

Eren's expression slightly shifted at the mention of Armin, a very slight crack in his nonchalant, unbothered manner.

"Armin's gone?" He questioned.

"He received a letter and left a while ago…you seem surprised," Hange noted, studying him carefully.

Eren didn't answer as he leaned slightly against the stone wall, pondering for a few seconds. It made perfect sense…the one person Mikasa would reach out to and trust the most…still, knowing she sent that letter…she put her location at risk. Eren both wondered and worried if it had fallen into the wrong hands before it reached Armin. For now, he took comfort in knowing it at least got to Armin, otherwise he wouldn't have taken off so quickly.

"She's here." Eren then pulled a map from his coat pocket and held it out to Hange. "I've marked her location. Memorize it. Once you've done that, tear the map up. Or burn it, Just destroy it, to ensure her location doesn't end up in the wrong hands. Hopefully Armin did the same…if that's where he went…" He instructed.

Hange frowned, looking at the map, Mikasa appeared to be in uncharted territory…a country that she had never seen or been to before. It was extremely far from Marley and Paradis…at least a few weeks out in sea, and possibly a few more in riding. Hange looked back up at Eren again, holding her cold glare.

"What's going on, Eren? You seem…unusually worried about Mikasa, and you've pretty much hidden her on the ends of the earth." Hange asked, her curiosity shining through.

"I just want to ensure she's safe. And away from all this. Listen Hange…I'd much prefer you just accept my deal. Nothing is stopping me from transforming right now and throwing this city into chaos. I know you don't much care for your own life. But there's plenty of civilians here that are living in ignorant bliss." Eren replied coldly.

Hange peered her glance down towards the map, narrowing her eye as she reached out to grab the paper. She firmly pulled it from his grasp, before gently tucking it into the interior pocket of her cloak. Although the commander was hesitant to trust Eren.. But that sense of curiosity always struck her in the worst scenarios, usually driving her towards decisions she wouldn't make otherwise. She remained silent momentarily, sensing that generosity within Eren's words, causing her shoulders to tense slightly.

"No need for the threats Eren. You and your little cult have done enough damage to humanity, and we have lost a good few comrades because of it. But you would know about that." Hange remarked coldly in response, pushing her glasses up the bridge of her nose as she lowered her head slightly, heaving a defeated sigh.

"I am not afraid to die for my people, unlike a certain scout who ran off as soon as things got tough. I will go and make sure Mikasa is safe, but only because I have to see with my own eye how you were able to draw one of my strongest soldiers to elope with you... Especially considering you aren't much of a catch yourself." Hange felt a smirk prod at her lips as she continued, patting her chest where she had hidden the simply nodded, standing straight again and choosing to ignore her last, snarky comment.

"I appreciate it, Hange. I'm sure she'll be happy to answer your questions." Eren glanced up at the night sky, seeming fixated on the direction towards Marley. He seemed to be envisioning something…every little detail, before glancing back at Hange.

"It isn't close. I recommend getting access to a big boat, one you can bring your mount on. I'm trusting you, Hange." He said simply, speaking with that same monotone and emotionless voice he's adopted in recent years. He then pulled his hood back up, and walked back into the alleyways, vanishing in the shadow

Hange watched Eren for a moment, allowing his words to linger in the air as she continued to glare at the back of his head. His time apart from the scouts hadn't changed him much, and he still was the same moody Eren that she had last seen in Marley. But now there was something more…he had become cold, withdrawn…Hange would even argue, manipulative. What happened in the year he and Mikasa were gone? Hange had no idea what he was planning, and she wondered if she should even question it... considering that she and her scouts were useless weapons against him.

Her dedication to protecting humanity and her comrades, however, always had its way of chiming in when she was faced with nagging questions. She felt her mind fog with numerous scenarios that ran through her head, constantly repeating itself and prying at the idea of her losing whoever she had left. The sudden overbearing thoughts had caused her chest to tighten slightly, not with that familiar passionate hope that would often tug at the heart in times like this.. but a hopeless somber constriction had collapsed around her, practically cutting off her breathing. She sighed shakily, turning her head and slightly parting her lips to ask the question that had been harboring her.

Before she was able to respond though, Eren had already disappeared into the shadows, completely fading away as if he was some ghost who had haunted her nightmares. She groaned slightly, panning her glance around her surroundings, ensuring that no one had listened to their encounter. Finally, when the silence of the city around her reassured her of her worries, the commander turned her position and made her exit towards her quarters for the night, brushing a hand through her own hair anxiously.

By morning, Hange had secured a boat, and rode her mount to the shore, having departed from the island of Paradis shortly after. She had told Levi she was going on some 'confidential mission' in an effort to end the war…she could tell he didn't really believe her, but he let her go regardless.

Eren had also left, and was already standing in the country of Marley. He stood on top of a building watching the sun rise and the beautiful sea. The water seemed to sparkle on the surface from the light allowing a brief moment of clarity before looking down upon the residents of Marley. Dozens, no hundreds of folk had gathered for the festival. Men, women, children, even mothers carrying practically newborn infants. There were also a few dogs wandering about, and several draft horses attached to carriages. Automobiles also drove through the streets that weren't heavily crowded.

He had seen this scenario in the paths…many times. And most of them, involved his attack happening at night, during the Tybur speech. But on this path…Eren felt much more impatient, restless. Mikasa and the state he left her in lingered in the back of his head, like a haunting he couldn't escape. She would be well into her pregnancy at this point…likely already showing. He took some comfort in knowing Armin was there…and Hange on her way…but still. Eren experienced a mixture of emotions…part of him wanted to just return…hold Mikasa and promise her he would never leave her again. But another part…told him that would be the selfish act. Mikasa, and their child, deserved to live in a world free of titans and war…and this very act he was about to commit…would jumpstart the chain of events leading to that future.

With a small, almost silent sigh, Eren lifted his hand to his teeth, glaring sharply before biting down hard. In a golden flash, lightning struck the building and the Attack Titan formed, with his long brown hair, pointy ears and muscular build, he roared wildly and leapt down from the building, using his hand to anchor himself, ripping pieces of the structure out before landing firmly on his feet, causing the ground to shake. He glared, and began heading directly for the crowds of people.

Two Months Later….

Far across the sea, and several hundreds of miles, possibly even thousands in land, the peaceful isolated cabin remained undisturbed. In fact, it was fair to say that the entire world was completely unaffected by titans or war apart from Paradis and Marley. Mikasa was relaxing inside, resting on the couch in front of the lit fireplace. It was afternoon, and it was another uneventful but extremely peaceful day. They haven't heard much news from Marley or Paradis, but in a way that was almost a blessing. Armin was outside chopping wood, the weather was a beautiful sunny day. Mikasa leaned her head back softly against her pillows, her mind a jumbled mess as more time passed.

Her hands rested on her swollen abdomen, which had gotten much bigger in the last two months. She only had one more month of carrying her unborn child, which made the reality of her situation seem to crash down harder. In just a month, she would be giving birth…to her and Eren's child. Her entire world was about to change…she would be a mother. The thought and realization made her both anxious, but also joyful. On one hand, she knew this place was safe for her to raise her little one. But on the other hand…the future still felt so uncertain…it felt like this peaceful paradise could be wiped out in an instant if they let their guard down even just slightly.

As time had passed, it didn't take much for Armin to adjust himself into the daily routine around the cabin. The shift in lifestyle had still been an adjustment, but being with Mikasa had made it much more easier. The two had continued sleeping in the same bed, which at first was only to ensure that Mikasa was able to rest. Now though.. it had become a routine for Armin, and he was unable to sleep without her warmth somewhat beside him. It was a sense of peace, and a time where he was relieved of his constant racing thoughts, which had gotten so jumbled they were barely able to be formed into words.

Armin had continued to chop the wood, throwing the axe firmly over his shoulder, before slamming its blade down into the log, splitting it into two pieces. He never was the strongest of his childhood friends.. but his time in Marley and recent months on Paradis had forced him to up his own strength a bit, merely for his own survival. As a result, he had been able to do many more tasks around the cabin, which had allowed him to ensure that Mikasa was properly resting herself and the baby. If there ever came a bigger threat though.. Armin didn't trust that he was able to ensure himself in a fight, not without some sort of gun. His titan wouldn't be an option either, the explosion from him transforming alone would destroy this entire region. Innocent lives would be taken, and Mikasa's home would be destroyed. Not to mention the risk of exposing the power of the titans to this side of the world.

This thought seemed to haunt him, causing his stomach to churn each time he had allowed himself to ponder on it too long. Slowly, he straightened his position slightly, turning his head towards the horizon as he carefully dropped the axe down beside the chopping block. Tensions rose in his shoulders, as he felt that twinge of guilt stab into his chest harshly, causing a frown to fall upon his lips.

As he continued to watch the horizon, he allowed the gentle afternoon air to fall through his hair. His head turned slightly towards the path leading towards the cabin. At first.. nothing seemed totally out of the ordinary. It had just been as quiet as it had been for the past two months. However.. there had been some sort of shape that was approaching in the corner of his eye, causing him to lift his glance towards the horizon again. Suddenly, he saw a silhouette burst from the trees.. seemingly it had been mounted. Given its quick pace, Armin sensed a form of unease that had fallen in the air, causing him to narrow his glance before turning towards the cabin.

"Mikasa, stay inside." Armin warned, moving to grab the axe again. He braced its handle in his hands, before focusing his glance towards the silhouette, watching as it continued to approach.

Mikasa heard Armin's warning, feeling her shoulders tense up. She stayed put on the couch, but her mind began to frantically debate. She knew she was in no condition to fight, and that she couldn't risk her baby. But...what if it was an enemy? What if something happened to Armin? She had grown so used to him being here with her...the mere idea of losing him made her physically sick. The anxious thoughts triggered a headache as Mikasa winced, holding the side of her head.

The last time there had been a visitor at a cabin she was in...it ended with her parents being murdered and she had been helpless to stop it. She didn't want that to repeat, only this time with Armin. She couldn't bear that. She glanced over at the fireplace, where a bow and some arrows had laid. Eren had left them in case Mikasa needed to defend herself and was unable to handle a firearm.

Outside, Armin kept his eyes locked on the silhouette as it continued to ride up the path and toward the cabin. The closer the stranger had gotten, the more Armin had found himself growing uneasy. Not only did their mount look far too similar with the paint coat, lighter overgrown mane and massive scarred hole in his throat from a past attack, but the rider had been wearing a jacket that was handed to the scout regiment before they had made their way overseas. This rider had been much less interested in keeping themselves hidden like Armin did, which alone had caused enough concern for Armin. He clenched his jaw, raising the blade of his ax in position, preparing to strike.

The rider lifted its head, noticing Armin briefly in the yard of the cabin, before lowering their head once more and urging their horse into a sprint. The large mount neighed out loudly before following the rest of the path toward the cabin, shaking out his mane as he snorted loudly. The closer the rider got, the faster their pace had gotten. Despite approaching at such a rushed pace, the rider had remained unarmed, although holding a holstered weapon on its hip. Finally, the rider made their way towards the cabin, swiftly sliding their massive mount to a stop just in front of Armin. Before the horse halted fully, the rider hopped off of the horse's saddle, landing firmly in front of him. The sun had immediately fallen upon a head of dark brownish-red hair, which had been tied back in a small ponytail. Upon their features, an eyepatch had covered one of their eyes, and a familiar frown stared down at Armin, her expression remaining monotone for a moment as she seemed to be processing what had been standing in front of her.

"Armin Arlert. You abandoned your post and put your comrades at risk. Come to find out.. you're harboring a soldier who we had believed to be dead for months." Hange's stern voice spoke out, her chest heaving slightly as she attempted to catch her breath from the ride.

"Hange..? How did you find us here?" Armin questioned, attempting to shield the anxiety in his voice as he swallowed the large lump forming in his throat. He kept the handle of the axe firmly grasped in his hands, still prepared to make a sudden move.

"Commander Hange.. please understand that there is so much more to this!" He continued, motioning his hand towards the cabin. "Mikasa is in there, yes she's alive.. yes she's safe."

"Eren wasn't kidding about hiding out here after eloping like he did. At least he was honest there... But pointing me to where your friends are hiding doesn't do much. You and Mikasa have a lot to answer for. Especially with Eren being as useless as ever.." Hange responded sternly, resting a hand on her hip as she turned her glance towards the cabin, frowning slightly as she allowed herself a moment to process everything as best as she was able to.

The air was tense for several seconds as the two talked, and upon hearing the familiar voice Mikasa felt it safe to at least come out and see what was going on. Still, as a precaution she kept the bow and arrows swung over her shoulder as she approached the door. Taking a deep breath, she pushed it open and exited the cabin, stepping out fully and seeing Hange. She was wearing her white gown and pink cardigan, and of course her red scarf.

"Is everything okay, Armin..?" Mikasa asked quietly, not wanting to be too silent in case Hange somehow didn't notice her.

Armin parted his lips to respond to Hange, only to be interrupted by his dear friend, who had made her way out of the cabin to check in on him. Nervously, he turned his glance towards her. He shook his head, trying to motion her silently to go back inside as he moved to carefully drop the axe beside his own feet, turning his glance towards Hange again.

Hange immediately recognized the woman's voice, turning towards the source of the sound, hoping to put a familiar face to her words. However, she was met with an entirely different woman, with much longer hair, wearing more comfortable attire…and most notably and shocking to Hange…was Mikasa's large swollen abdomen that had practically replaced what was once a much more muscular frame. It was a wonder how the poor girl managed to get to her feet on her own in such condition, looking about ready to pop. Hange studied her features for a moment, recognizing that build in her face, as well as that familiar head of black hair and those dark eyes that always held a slightly different shape from everyone else's showcasing her Asian heritage. Hange felt a twitch in her eye as she studied the woman, feeling a forced smirk peak at the corners of her lips. Despite her next round of words…Hange felt a deep rooted relief to see Mikasa alive. For some time, Hange had grown to view Mikasa, as well as Armin and Eren, as her own kids. She and Mikasa had especially formed a stronger connection after that horrid day when they were forced to choose between Erwin's life and Armin's.

Seeing Mikasa break down back then…it was heartbreaking but it also humanized her immensely…and for the first time Hange had seen that strong soldier crack, and break down. While Hange understood Mikasa's past trauma to a degree…seeing her in such a state had struck a cord within Hange, and jumpstarted her much more motherly and protective nature not just towards Mikasa, but all of them. And seeing Mikasa in this state…heavily pregnant…without Eren…it made Hange feel a similar way, as she did that day. Despite her sentimental feelings, she knew that there was still alot to answer for.

"You abandoned your squad... Faked your deaths... and forced us to all grieve a lost cause.. Just so you could elope and get pregnant?" Hange questioned darkly, feeling her smirk practically tightening her jaw as she clenched her teeth. Frustration had consumed her, and the sense of betrayal had entirely overtaken her ability to process through the overwhelming amount of confessions she had found within minutes. "You have got to be fucking kidding me.."

"It's not as simple as that! You came in here unannounced and immediately began interrogating us! At least give us a chance to answer your bombarding questions before you conclude that!" Armin blurted in, moving himself in between Mikasa and Hange, glaring at the commander with a stern glance. He pulled his own hands into a fist, allowing his courageous heart to chime through his anxiety for a moment as he pulled his hand into a fist, puffing out his chest slightly.

"Trust me.. the weight of this all was a lot on me too... but this story has two complex sides.."

Despite Armin's constant negative image of himself, he had found confidence chiming through him when it came down to protecting Mikasa and the baby. It was as if his purpose had shown itself, and his intense love and care for his childhood friend had been the only source of strength and hope that he had faced since their fake deaths. He had already lost Mikasa once, and now he knew he would be shattered if he had to spend even a month apart from her. His stance on humanity had now shifted, and his once hopeful desire that the world's problems would be solved through simple solutions had now changed to a selfish desire to protect only what he had loved.

"You can cast your judgment on me... but I cannot let you hurt her. "Armin's phrase was simple, yet his words had packed quite the bite. A threatening glare remained locked on his features, as he kept his glance towards Hange.

Mikasa stayed quiet to let the two finish talking, before finally using her voice again in an attempt to prevent further conflict.

"I'm sorry Hange. You're not entirely wrong, and I take full responsibility for abandoning all of you. It was…beyond selfish...and never should have happened. At the least, I owe you an explanation..." She exhaled before continuing, leaning slightly against the door frame, her hand cradling her heavy abdomen.

"Back in Marley…Eren approached me… and offered for us to just...run away together. Leave it all behind, and live out his remaining four years in peace. It was his idea...but I agreed to it. I've wanted nothing more than to just live a peaceful life with Eren. It's what I've been fighting for…all this time. But..things seemed to change when I became pregnant. Eren left the day after I told him...and Armin's been taking care of me for a few months now. I have no idea why Eren left, or what his intentions are...but we swear...we have no idea where he is or what he is planning.." She assured Hange.

Hange listened to Mikasa silently, keeping her hardened glance locked towards her as she moved to cross her arms. At first, she didn't want to believe Mikasa… but she was quickly met with the realization that Mikasa was never the one to lie, let alone disrespect her commander.. even if she was no longer a soldier. Along with this, the lines quickly began to connect, and a realization struck her with Eren. Hange growled out in frustration, lowering her head as she moved to pinch the bridge of her nose, attempting to keep her cool.

"I found Eren in Trost when I was leaving my post for the night. He promised me to rein in the Jaegarists if I went to your disclosed location and ensured your safety. However.. I think you were simply a pawn to his game." Hange began to explain, her tone still dark as she moved to grab her horses reins, pulling his head into her grasp, before petting the bridge of his nose.

"I didn't think you'd know, but now you do. I'm almost positive Eren had sent me off of Paradis…and that entire area of the world… so he could play out his plans without a hitch.. you just happened to be the right excuse I needed to truly leave my squad behind." A sadness fell over her as she continued, heaving a hopeless sigh.

"I can't say I don't blame you for leaving. I've considered elopement many times throughout my career. But.. my only living purpose now stands with protecting my squad and leading my soldiers into the fight for humanity.. and even that has been beaten into the ground." Hange rambled, moving to brush a strand of hair hanging in her face, tucking it back into her ponytail.

Armin had noticed Mikasa's movements, immediately rushing to her side before grabbing her hand carefully. He shot her a reassuring glance, before he wrapped an arm around her, allowing her to shift her weight onto him. His glance then turned towards Hange, a sad frown falling upon his face, easily recognizing what she had been talking about.

"I wouldn't have left if I didn't know about her… but I can't leave her like this Hange… I wouldn't be able to live with myself knowing I let her deal with this alone…"

Mikasa leaned against Armin, sighing softly.

"I know our choice was selfish...and for that I'm sorry. That said...I can't go back there. Not now..." Mikasa admitted, looking down and caressing her swollen belly.

As of currently, her mind was a mess. She missed Eren, but still felt a level of resentment at him for leaving her like this. She was happy to have Armin here with her...maybe even a little too happy. And now...she had guilt for abandoning her team and commander.

She couldn't return...not even after her child was born. She refused to abandon her child to go off and fight in a war that she...frankly at this point cared very little about. This was her life now...and she planned to keep it that way. With that said..she knew that Armin might not be able to stay with her forever. He held the Colossal Titan, and he was hand picked by Hange to succeed her as Section Commander. Realistically, he wouldn't be able to abandon that position. And once the baby was born...he would have to return is whatMikasa was figuring.

Hange shifted her glance between the two of them, cocking a brow as she studied their gestures for a moment while Mikasa explained. A confused expression fell over her features, clearly noticing the odd tension lingering between the two of them, something that wasn't there before. At first, she believed that this baby of theirs was Armin's, given how they were acting. It was unexpected…everyone knew how crazy Mikasa was about Eren…but clearly something had changed. Which had caused quite the confusion once Mikasa had confessed it was indeed Eren's. Slowly, Hange heaved a soft sigh, recognizing that their choices had been made, and she had little ability to convince them otherwise.

"I'm not here to convince any of you to come back. Especially with Eren lingering around like he is.. likely already causing a massacre as we speak." Hange began, feeling a sense of dreadful guilt fall over her as she explained.

The sun's reflection shined down on the lens of her glasses, hiding her eyes as she lowered her head slightly, fighting back the painful sting in her chest as she pondered on just how many comrades would be lost. Slowly, she turned her head towards the horizon, allowing the warmth to fall on her face as she felt a chill slither down her spine, a sense of unease falling over her.

What exactly would happen to these two if Eren were to return? Surely he wouldn't be as sweet a father as Mikasa intended for their child.. and he could easily turn on these two just as he turned on his fellow scouts. Clearly, everyone he had once considered close, were now simple pieces to the massive puzzle he had built around his plan for humanity. Maybe that was the intention all along.. but either way, Hange was met with the harsh reality that Eren was doing anything if it meant this sick game of his would play out. Her comrades back at home were prepared to throw their lives aside for the sake of humanity and had spent all of their time training to meet this goal. Armin and Mikasa did as well, but they were now met with another harder task, protecting an innocent soul that was going to be born into this cruel world. Not only were they forced with this labor, but they were forced with little weaponry, not to take on a titan.. but to face the cruel sadistic ways of their kind.

"However, you cannot think that you're fully safe out here. Even you should know that Armin." Hange finally continued after a few moments of silence, allowing her mind to quickly conjure up a proper plan, turning her head towards her mount, focusing on the saddle bag as she furrowed her brows slightly.

"I packed a set of ODM gear and weapons, I'm confident you still know how to use it well. I'll leave it with you before I return to Paradis. It should give you a good advantage if you find yourself in a pickle."

At the topic of Hange leaving, Armin suddenly felt an odd sense of panic overwhelm him. Before he could ever figure it out, he began speaking. Talking as he thought, as he often did.

"Wait! Hange! Why don't you stay here with us? Surely you know much more about Mikasa's pregnancy than I do. And we could use the numbers if Eren returns with... bad intentions.." He suddenly chimed in, not recognizing the desperation laced within his words.

His voice quieted down, lowering his head as he continued about Eren, heaving a soft sigh. Despite his hatred towards him, he was a childhood friend, and that loss was not one he had been able to grieve properly in a long time. With that, Armin knew he could only do so much for Mikasa…and felt more at ease knowing another woman, who was a bit older and more experienced, would be able to help Mikasa in ways Armin couldn't.

"You can stay with us until you decide otherwise. The scouts have Levi to guide them.." He finished quietly.

Mikasa blinked, looking surprised at Armin's sudden suggestion of Hange staying. But she also felt strangely relieved as well. As much as she appreciated Armin's help, she was sure that there were things only Hange knew. There was an awkward pause between the three after Armin's request, as the wind started to breeze gently. Hange stifled a laugh, snorting slightly in her attempt to keep her composure towards Armins genuine concern.

"I've never had to help birth a child myself. But I'm sure us girls do know a bit more when it comes to our bodies." Hange responded, her voice strained as she continued to fight keeping herself composed.

There was something equally endearing and downright comical to see Armin in such an odd situation, having to care for a very pregnant Mikasa. Of course they were comfortable with each other, being childhood friends, but still…thinking back on Armin's more timid side as a cadet, Hange couldn't help but picture the panicked mess he would be if he had to help Mikasa deliver by himself. Armin felt Mikasa's surprised glance on him, causing his cheeks to flush slightly as he turned his head away from her, forcing his eyes shut.

"I'm sorry Mikasa… I just want all of this to go as smoothly as possible. And I worry that I'll provide some sort of complication. Hange would know better than I would if something happened." Armin attempted to explain, turning his head towards Hange as Mikasa finally spoke up gently.

"At the very least...why don't you come inside and stay the night? We could talk more..." Mikasa finally offered and opened the door and gesturing gently for Hange to come in.

She wanted to not just talk more with Hange, but also to hear about her comrades, her friends and how they've been doing. Its been several months without knowing what happened to any of them. What's been happening with Marley and Paradis as well.

"I'll at the very least stay the night. It isn't often that I get to catch up with one of our strongest fallen warriors. You left quite the legacy on your comrades, and they often look to your methods when in times of crisis." Hange explained softly, moving to walk towards the door before grabbing it for Mikasa, gently allowing the other two to go in before her.

"Besides.. I still have a lot of questions you both have to answer for."