-Chapter 17: A Little Heart to Heart-

It had been a few days since Maverick had shocked the entire regiment with his theory as of the possible origins of their giant man-eating foes. While he proclaimed it as a simple theory, many had seen it as plausible, considering it was him who was telling it. Some were still troubled with the idea that their hated and feared foe might be, or were, human at some point. While some scouts could keep their emotions in check, it was not uncommon to hear some feared mutterings and hushed whispers at night.

But, as the commander had reminded them, regardless of their supposed origins, the titans were still a threat, and had to be dealt with as such. For the Survey Corps still had a mission, to reclaim their lost territories and secure said territories for the remainder of mankind. The titans, regardless of what they were, were a detriment and had to be taken out of the equation, if the human species were to survive.

And so, the scouts soldiered on with their tasks and duties, with the knowledge that there was possibly more to their enemy than meets the eye.

-oOo-

Makeshift testing grounds, inside Wall Maria

We find the members of the fourth squad in their natural habitat. Performing their dangerous and life-threatening experiments on their man-eating enemies. Maverick was able to mutilate yet another titan and successfully bring it back to their makeshift research area for examination.

Unlike Gimpy, this titan had a somewhat normal looking musculature and properly proportioned limbs. Despite it looking somewhat thin it could have passed for a human, if it wasn't for its height of 7 meters and the ever-present grin on its face. This one showed more gums in its smile, leaving some scouts a bit unnerved as they maneuvered around it. Minus a few of course.

"Is the subject secured Moblit?" Hange asked, atop the back of their captured tian. She showed little to no concern as the titan tried to move, her only actions being the readjustment of her footing.

"Nets and limbs are nailed down, Squad Leader." Moblit answered with a thumbs up, while also backing away from the hungry looking titan. With a nod Hange turned to their large statured comrade.

"Mav?" Her response came in the form of the titan's head suddenly being grabbed by its hair and being subjected to Maverick's terrifying presence, which made it take pause in its struggles

"It aint going nowhere…" Maverick spoke in stern tone, causing the titan pupils to shrink and for its grin to turn downward.

"Heh, Alrighty then." Hange quickly jumped off the titans back and walked a few feet towards their first capture, which was still under Maverick's terrifying spell. "Look Gimpy you have a friend now!" Hange gestured to the other capture with jazz hands. Gimpy showed no interest in its kin, instead its focus was all on the marked man, who gave him a toothy grin.

"Hope you two can get along. Now, we'll have to name him too." She began to rub her chin, until the voice of her assistant entered her ears

"Is it really necessary?" Moblit asked, keeping his distance away from the restrained creature. Hange could only sigh in response.

"Of course, Moblit, we can't keep calling it, it. It's the least we can do…." She muttered the last part under her breath before returning to her more cheery tone. "Right then, Mav why don't yo-"

"Actually Hanji, why don't you do it this time?" He spoke, stopping Hange's train of thought. "Oh?" She voiced out receiving a nod from the marked man.

"Yeah, I named the last one, you should give it a whirl." He said while spinning his finger. Hange stayed silent for a moment before a small smile began to form on her face. Containing a chuckle, she turned her attention to the captured subject.

"Right, let's see now…" She eyed the creature making out any noticeable features that might help her in thinking of a name. Its glossy eyes and returning smile followed her as she moved around, trying to find the right name for it. She eyed its face, noticing the very visible hollow cheekbones and slight stubble it had on its lower area. It was somewhat familiar, but she couldn't help but forget where she had seen a facial structure similar to the titans'. She tried to search deep in her memories, trying to find that face.

Minutes passed as her face scrunched up before suddenly her eyes widened as she snapped her fingers.

"*Snap* I got it! Gein! Your name is Gein!" She exclaimed, receiving odd looks from everyone present.

"Gein?" Her large statured companion asked with crossed arms. Turning around she responded with a little tale of her own to tell.

"You see, long ago, there was a group of cannibals that lived in the mountains. They would prey upon poor hikers and make all sorts of dishes out of them. Stories say that the group numbered in the dozens, all part of the same family. And this fella here looks exactly like one of them!"

Hange received a variety of looks from her companions, ranging from uncomfortable awkwardness to borderline disgust. Even Maverick had a flat look on his face, as he struggled to make any sort of comment. Looking to his male colleague he was met with a knowing look that told him to just accept it.

"Alright then, Gein it is, I guess." Was all he said in response. Hange simply gave a smirk as she looked back at the now christened Gein.

"Excellent. Now, let's begin…"

And thus, they began their tests, once again performing the similar experiments that was used on Gimpy. The only difference they found with the now named Gein was very receptive to pain, as he began to scream and moan the moment he was stabbed with a spear. The creatures' guttural screams echoed through the area, to the point where some locals in a nearby town reported to the Garrison about hearing sounds that were described as "the screams of the damned." Many Garrison troops immediately deduced that the scouts were the cause.

Some went to tell the scouts to keep it down, only to nearly suffer from heart attacks at the sight of two corralled titans inside Wall Maria. Moblit managed to somewhat ease their worries, saying that they had received authorization from their commander and commander Pixis to perform these experiments. Only for Hange to frighten them once again when she asked if they wanted to participate in their experiments.

-oOo-

Hours later, inside Survey Corps Headquarters

The moon had risen fully by the time the members of squad four had arrived back at headquarters. With many of the scouts already resting in the barracks one couldn't help but notice the calm silence inside the building. Far different from the hustle and bustle that the building is subjected to during the mornings and afternoons.

As their footsteps echoed through the hallway, they finally reached their last destination for the night. That being the lab of the Section Commander.

"*Sigh* Another day of test complete…" Hange muttered as she opened the door and making her way inside. As the two men entered the room, they were met with the sight of Hange who was currently looking at the many notes posted on the center wall of the room. Taking a couple out she looked at them for a few seconds, before chuckling to herself and crumpling up the paper.

For the last few days this less than jolly attitude after hours was the common sight of the squad leader, which if the marked man was honest was rather disheartening. Whether this was her true personality seeping out or not did not matter, he didn't wish to see a mind such as hers so downtrodden.

With that in mind Maverick gave a questioning look to his compatriot and gestured towards their leader, to which Moblit shook his head and pointed at him in response. With a nod he spoke out to the woman.

"You alright?" Maverick asked as he slowly approached his superior. She didn't look in his direction as she continued to read whatever was on the paper before ripping it up and grabbing another. After the third crumpled up paper she finally responded.

"Hmmm? M-y-yeah, yeah…looking at all the theories I made…about them…h-how they might have come to be…" Maverick sighed as he watched his comrade place her goggles up and rub her eyes. He knew that was the cause. A revelation such as that would make anyone uneasy, even the most fascinated such as her would be troubled by the theory. His features softened as he went to try to console her, starting with a slight jest.

"Pretty much dumped years of your research down the drain, didn't I?" He said as he slowly patted her left shoulder. Hange immediately raised her head in response, taking his joke seriously.

"No! No, no, no, no, no, Mav. I'm not upset about that. You gave us what we wanted! What so many before us died for!" She then began to stutter as she tried to turn her thoughts into words. "I-I'm still just…I didn't expect something like what you proposed."

He could only give his comrade a somber look. He had expected such a reaction from the scouts, for they had dedicated themselves to protect humanity, and what he revealed to them had most likely cracked some morals and resolves. He stayed silent allowing Hange to continue.

"I-I know you said it was just a theory, b-but…I-I mean you have so much more experience than anyone in the regiment combined!" He gave an understanding nod. Turning his head, he saw Moblit shuffling some paperwork that was strewn across the table

"Moblit?" Upon hearing his name, he met Maverick's gaze and began to scratch his cheek.

"W-Well, like she said. Your theory is the most credible one we have. Regardless of if it's a theory or not, everyone pretty much sees it as fact." An uneasy smile formed on his face, just as Hange continued.

"*Sigh* Feel like my heads still spinning….to think that we've been killing peo-" She wasn't able to finish her sentence as she felt Maverick's grip on her shoulder harden.

"*Hanji.*" Upon hearing his hardened tone she turned her head and was surprised to see the quite serious look on the marked man's face. "Don't think of them like that. It's not going to help, believe me." Both her and Moblit were a bit surprised to hear him say that. Not what he said mind you, no, it was the sudden shift in his tone that they questioned.

"W-What?" Was all Hange could say before Maverick continued, not before letting out a breath as he prepared himself.

"As…inhumane as it sounds Hange, we can't think of them as people anymore, they're giants. Giants that have a constant urge to eat human flesh." He placed both his hands on her shoulder as he tried to get his point across.

"Giants that have kept you and your people from leaving these walls and have destroyed countless lives remember?." A series of confusing emotions ran through her body as she tried to focus on what he said, as he sent a piercing look into her eyes. Seconds later he turned to her assistant.

"Don't think I have to remind either of you about what they did a couple months back right?" The two remained silent, for they knew of what event he was talking about. Hange began to nod her head, for her comrade had a point. She couldn't imagine someone with a conscious being capable of causing so much death and destruction. They would have to be a complete unhinged monster.

Maverick began to speak once again, this time, in a softer tone.

"Whatever has been done to them has happened. And as far as we know, it's irreversible….we can't hesitate when it comes to them." Hange continued to nod her head while patting her companion's large hand, for there was not much more to be said.

"You've had to deal with this before…haven't you?" Came the remark from Moblit. The neutral expression on the superhuman was all he needed to know on the subject.

"Like Erwin said, were dealing with feral man eaters, nothing more, nothing less. Right?" Like Hange, Moblit nodded in response, while her face hardened as she stared at the wall of notes and papers.

"Right…Your right…*sigh* They're nothing more than mindless creatures that have brough us nothing but trouble…" Hange's hand slowly began to form into a fist, recalling the faces of comrades and friends who were no longer with them. Maverick noticed her change and was quick to respond.

"And were going to find out just how the tick, right?" A small smirk formed on his face, as he tried to bring his commander back from her funk. She stared back at him for a few moments, and aware of what he was trying to do, gave a small smile and a nod in return.

"Right then. Why don't we do something different?" The two scouts gave a questioning look to their comrade who turned towards the mess of papers on one of the desks.

"I mean, were pretty much the R&D department of the regiment, aren't we?" The two nodded in agreement, though still left unsure of where he was going with this.

"So, lets diversify ourselves." He turned towards one of the chalkboards in the room. Grabbing one of the larger sized chalks he began to sketch out something the two were unable to see.

"What'd you have in mind?" Moblit asked as he tried to see what Maverick was writing on the board.

"We gotta even the playing field Moblit. Not just find out how they function, but how the kill them easier and faster. " He said without looking back at the two. Hange slowly began to piece together what he was thinking, just as he turned to let them see what he wrote.

"Develop new weapons? But our blades are the most effective, plus we've trie-" Hange quickly placed her arm around Moblit's shoulder. Turning his head, he was met with the questioning look of the squad leader, as if he just asked the inanest question to have ever been asked.

"Moblit…who are we talking to?" She said simply. Moblit's eyes suddenly widened as he realized just how ridiculous his inquiry was. The chuckles from the marked man brought his attention forward as he gave him a smirk.

"I didn't spend nearly a decade as the pupil to the Greek god of all craftsmen for nothing. Not to mention my degree from the Imperial Engineering School." The mention of this aforementioned school caused Hange to revert back to her usual look and behavior.

"Care to tell more?" She inquired with a sparkle in her eye. Maverick couldn't help but smile at her expression, seeing it as a much-welcomed return. And as much as he wanted to indulge her, he had to make his point first.

"A story for another time. Anyways point is, if someone here managed to develop something as advanced as the ODM gear, then I'm damn sure we can cook up something just as effective." His statement once again seemed to reignite Hange's inquisitive nature as her small smile turned to a full grin, as the thought of developing anti-titan weaponry began to flood her mind.

"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's get started!" She exclaimed as she began to rummage through the papers littered across the room, desperate to find at least one clean piece. However, her assistant seemed to have had enough for the day, and made it known to her.

"How about we get some rest first Hange, its already late enough as it is." Her head turned around sharply, slightly spooking the poor scout.

"Come on Moblit, we have to strike while the iron's hot!" She was about to continue, before she felt yet again the sensation of a large hand on her left shoulder.

"I'm with Moblit on this one." Maverick said, giving his fellow male college a wink, receiving an appreciative look in return. Hange however had a look of utter betrayal on her face, as if she had been dealt a great blow, and with the best pleading look she could muster she tried to change her companion's mind.

But Maverick would have none of it as he continued. "It's late Hange, and no doubt Erwins' gonna want us front and center when the giants come a knockin." Her pleading look immediately disappeared as she began to mumble out curses and complaints under her breath. He swore he could hear a few choice words from her, most being directed at the vice-captain.

"We'll get to brainstorming tomorrow after we deal with the first wave, yeah?" Hange stopped in her tracks and sharply turned around, while holding out her right pinkie finger.

"*Pinkie promise?*" Maverick had to contain his humor as he couldn't believe she would use a childish method while speaking in such a serious tone, like a child who had been promised a toy. Then again, he did teach her this, only a matter of time it would be used against him.

With an amused grin on his face he held out his left pinkie, which was coiled around Hange's almost immediately. "*Pinkie promise.*"

Her serious expression gave way as a smile soon returned. With the matter settled the three began to pack up and retire for the night. Moblit was the first to leave, with Maverick following suit. However, he was stopped by Hange who held his arm back. Turning around he was met with the surprisingly sheepish look from his superior, who struggled to look him straight in his eyes.

"Thanks…for making me feel better." Was all she managed to say before she gave an appreciative smile towards him. Maverick simply patted her head as his featured softened.

"*Glad I could help Hanji…*" He spoke in English before making his way for the door. However, before he headed to his room he turned towards her with one last remark.

"*Besides, a smile suits you so much better…*"

With that he left the lab, letting out a yawn as he walked into the hallway. The squad leader however stayed motionless inside the room, as his words replayed inside her head. As the seconds passed a slight tingling sensation had suddenly made itself known inside her. She soon laughed it off however as she packed up her notes and made her way out the door.

"Oh Mav, always know what to say don't cha?"

-oOo-

The following day, inside the mess hall

It was the early in the afternoon as Maverick was currently enjoying a meal with his comrades after preventing yet another group of giants from making it through the breach. He munched on a drumstick as Hange went off on a variety of ideas for weaponry that came to her in her sleep. Joining them was Miche and Nanaba, who had overheard and wanted to hear more about what the goggle-eyed scout was on about.

"Weapon development? Didn't the commander order for titan research only?" Nanaba asked once she was given a brief run down on what Hange was talking about.

"He did, but to be honest we haven't gotten much out of the titan besides that he screams when we jab him with spears. So, Mav suggested we should explore some…other pursuits, shall we say." Moblit responded. Hange turned to her assistant with a raised eyebrow, for it seemed he neglected to mention a crucial detail.

"The titan has a name Moblit." Moblit simply let out a sigh under his breath before taking a swig of his drink "Of course, Squad Leader." The flat tone in his response was evidence enough on how he felt about the restrained man eater.

Wanting to get back on topic Nanaba turned to the large, marked man who was finishing up his meal.

"So again, why weapons? Are our blades not good enough?" Maverick held his finger up as he was currently wiping his mouth with a rag. Setting it down on the table he elaborated in earnest.

"I never said that. Just think we should increase our arsenal. Diversify, you know." The blonde gave an understanding nod, as her interest was piqued.

Over the years the scouts did attempt alternate methods to kill titans, granted she wasn't a member at the time, but she like many others had heard the tales. As well as the failures that came with those tests. But maybe it would be different this time, with Maverick at the forefront, maybe she would see the rise of new innovative titan killing technology in her lifetime. It was a pleasant thought, to see history be made in front your eyes.

What Hange said next would most certainly cement those feelings. As she patted Maverick's arm with a smirk forming on her face.

"~Mav says he's got a degree from some fancy schmancy engineering school way back when. So that should give us an edge in our designs~" An engineering school? Seems that their resident superhuman had both brains and brawn to match. A rarity in many men nowadays.

"Oh? Well, aren't you educated~" She rested her head on her hand as she gave the man a coy expression, receiving a huff from the man. She found herself staring at the man for longer than she thought as he responded to her claim.

"Yes, me big brain. Me know everything, you know nothing." He spoke in his "neanderthal" speech eliciting a few chuckles from his companions.

"Did you have something in mind already?" Miche asked, finally making himself known to the rest of his comrades. Maverick nodded as he tapped on his skull, which held the great memory archive that was his brain.

"Did have something racking in my head for a while…" Whatever he was about to say was caught in his throat, as the marked man spotted the halfling make his way towards a lone table, with a more than usual hardened tone.

To be honest he had noticed it early on in the day but decided to not say anything while he was in close proximity. But now it would seem that fortune had given him a chance, as he chose to sit in the farthest table. With that in mind he turned to the others with a slightly hushed tone.

"Oi, does shortman seem…moodier than usual." Everyone gave him odd looks, minus the tall blonde, who responded in kind

"You noticed it too…" With a nod Maverick was about to inquire more, until Hange beat him with a careless wave of her hand.

"Oh please, he's been like this since forever." Maverick gave a disapproving look. While she may have had a point in regard to his usual behavior, it was a different story today.

"But not like this. Look at him." Hange was about to turn but was stopped by her large comrade. "Don't turn your head, use your eyeballs." She did just that, and as her eyes turned the corner she saw. While being seated alone was rather usual for him, his brow was even more furrowed as he practically stared daggers into his meal. Seeing his point she turned back to the group, as Maverick inquired further.

"Miche, you've known him longer than me, is this usual for him?" All eyes turned to the man who simply took a bite out of his lunch before lowering his head and giving a short and simple answer.

"No, but he was like this once, before you came along." Maverick slowly hunched forward, expecting more information, only for Miche to shake his head. "Not my place to say."

The large man deflated a little as he readjusted himself. However, Miche seemed to not have finished saying his peace as he presented a plausible cause to the captain's behavior.

"Your theory's' most likely the cause." Upon hearing this Maverick let out a sigh as his eyes turned towards the lonesome scout, although one wouldn't notice seeing as his eyes lacked any pupils. "Of course…"

"*Sigh* It's understandable, but like the commander said, they have to be stopped." Nanaba remarked as she began to pick at her meal. The group continued to eat away, until Maverick's voice was heard once again.

"I'll see if I can talk to him later." He received some surprised looks from his comrades. For they saw what he was going to do as quite the undertaking. Many saw Levi as someone very...unapproachable, shall we say. What with his sharp tongue and the emotionless yet piercing expression that was constantly on his face. But with Maverick being who he is, they figured he might somehow find a way to lift the cloud atop the captains' head.

"Good luck." Miche replied. With that the subject of the grumpier than usual Levi ended, and soon they returned to more pleasurable topics.

"So, how was the school life for you? I'm honestly curious." Nanaba asked with her head resting on her hands once more. Obliging the blonde-haired tomboy maverick leaned back a little in his seat as a nostalgic smile formed on his face. Everyone seated listened with attentive gazes as he went on to describe his chaotic and life-threatening tenure in the school of engineers, with a few other scouts listening in from their own tables nearby.

-oOo-

Hours later, inside the scouts' headquarters

It was late in the afternoon as we find the halfling captain walking across the hallway towards the kitchen area of their headquarters. He had been in a foul mood for a few days now as his mind was in a sort of turmoil. All because of a certain glowing giant who had turned everything he knew upside down. He hoped to somehow soothe his nerves with a nice cup of black tea, for it always brought him comfort.

But as he turned and opened the door, he was met with the one person who was responsible for his troubled mind.

"What do you want?" He asked in a unamused tone towards the marked man, who was resting an arm atop the countertop. It was almost as if he was waiting for him to enter. His voice held no humor as he spoke and made eye contact.

"Noticed you been out of it for a while now. Cause of what I said, no?" He was right on the money, though Levi would not give him the benefit of the doubt as he raised his eyebrow in response, hoping to elude the superhuman.

"You know what I'm talking about." He shouldn't have been so surprised. Maverick had lived for who knows how long, such low brow deception tricks wouldn't fly past him. Still, he was not in the mood to talk.

"I'm fine. Shouldn't you be keeping four eyes in check?" His question was immediately answered as Maverick pointed towards a nearby window.

"Moblits' got me covered." Levi moved towards the window and as Maverick said, was keeping Hange busy. He saw the assistant being dragged around the plaza for reasons he would rather not know. "*Hmph* Leaving poor Moblit alone, how heartless can you be..." His remark was met with a few chuckles. "I'm sure he can deal with it, he was able to before I came along."

"Cause he had alcohol on his side." His sharp remark caused the large man to snort out in laughter. Levi saw this as a chance to make his tea while the superhuman was busy. But soon Maverick was back with his request.

"Still, were getting off track. I honestly wanted to talk with you." Levi said nothing as he stirred his teacup before taking a sip. He soon tried to make his way out of the kitchen before he felt a sudden pressure on his shoulder.

"Just a few minutes, I swear." His insistence on this was starting to get to Levi, as two conflicted feeling sprouted in his mind. On one side he wanted to shove the big hand off and tell him to mind his own damn business. But on the other hand, something told him that maybe he should give the man a chance. He's been alive for God-er Gods know how long, he must have dealt with something similar, maybe even walked the same path he did for a time.

So, with a resigned look he took another sip from his cup before turning towards the marked man.

"Alright…" Maverick gave the man an appreciative smile as he patted his shoulder. However, he raised an eyebrow as he watched the man make his way out the door.

"Great. Grab your gear and follow." And already he was starting to regret it. Where the hell was he taking him to? Was HQ not sufficient for this?

"And where you dragging me?" He asked with a sharp gaze only to be met with a sly look from the 7-foot-tall man.

"You'll see." He said nothing more as he disappeared into the hallway, his footsteps echoing out as he passed. Seeing as he had already said yes, Levi simply took a deep breath and gulped down the rest of his tea before set the teacup gently onto the nearby table, burning throat be damned.

-oOo-

Atop the outer wall, Shiganshina District

After equipping their ODM gear the two made their way across the district, well, Maverick was leading the way, while Levi simply followed along. They soared across the district receiving looks from the Garrison who were either on patrol or in the mists of fortifying the area. Their looks turned more into shock as the two scouts began to go up the outer wall. As the two reached the top they were met with a few Garrisons on titan watch alongside a view of the sun setting over the horizon.

"Again, why did you drag me here?" Levi asked again, this time in a more hardened tone. Maverick, unaffected by his tone shift walked towards the ledge of the wall, keeping his eyes on the scenic view.

"Just to talk, nothing more." He sat himself down on the floor, mindful of his gear, before patting the right side of the wall, motioning for the halfling to do the same. He sighed once more as he slowly set himself down leaving his legs to dangle outwards. The two stayed silent for a few seconds, making no eye contact with another, with Maverick eventually making the first moved "So, still troubled by what I said?"

'What do you think?' Levi thought. Of course it troubled him, for nearly two years he had amassed a bloody toll on the large man eaters thinking they were nothing but monsters. But now...now things were all sorts of fucked, like some sick joke had been played on him. Those thoughts permeated as he tried to speak his mind.

"I don't have a problem killing them if that's what you're asking." He said with a firm tone, before falling into silence once more. Maverick simply stayed silent as he allowed his shorter comrade to get his thoughts together, as his expression turned a bit more distant as he slowly started up again.

"Before the scouts,…had to do a lot to survive…" Maverick's eyes slightly narrowed, as he already had a rough idea as to what he trying to say. He made no effort to push for any more detail, amendment that Levi would say what he wanted to say.

"Just…easier to think they were nothing but stupid looking monsters that looked like us…" Levi began to tap his fingers along the wall, his hands feeling empty without the grip of his blades, or a teacup to steady himself.

"The shit you brought up…didn't even want to think about it at first, but slowly, it was starting to make some sense…" His eyes stared off into the orange-colored sky. It was a look Maverick was very familiar with, for Levi seemed to be having his own memory flashes. However, he didn't have to go through it for long, as the sudden yells from some nearby Garrison brough him out.

Looking in the direction some of the soldiers were pointing towards, they saw the sight of a few large statured creatures stumbling their way across the land.

"Hmph look at that, just when we're talking about them…" He continued to stare at the limbering creatures, ignoring the sound of the Garrison getting themselves prepared, only for Maverick's questioning tone to sound out.

"Did you do it?" Levi s eyebrow was raised at the sudden odd question. Turning his head he was meet with the serious expression of Maverick as he looked him straight in the eyes.

"Are you the one responsible for creating them?" He gestured towards the figures who were slowly making their way towards the wall. Levi's brows furrowed, what kind of accusation was that? Like he had the knowledge or darkness in his heart to bring these creatures to life.

"Hell no." He responded with a hardened tone, which seemed to be the right answer, as Maverick's neutral look gave way to a small smile.

"Then?" He shrugged as he spoke, eliciting a huff from the halfling. Levi understood what he was trying to say, why feel guilt when you weren't part of the problem. Easier said than done for most, Maverick had plenty of years to handle his demons, if his tone on the subject was anything to go by. What he said next cemented those thoughts.

"Said this to Hange earlier so I'll say this again, we can't think of them as people. Whoever they were is gone. Nothing more than a mindless husk with a constant urge to kill people." Levi though in agreement. They were monsters through and through, no matter of research and discoveries would change that.

"Seriously look at them. Do you think those things still have a soul, after everything we've seen them do?" He emphasized while pointing at the approaching giants. "Even if they did I bet the'yd be screaming, pleading for something to put them out of their misery. Right?" Levi stayed silent as he closed his eyes, taking a few deep breaths as he processed everything. Seconds passed before he exhaled one last time and opened his eyes.

"Right…" The two scouts said no more, just simply took a few minutes to admire the setting sun, despite the sound of the scrambling Garrison and the sight of the nearing titans. It wasn't until the sound of squealing erupted from a distance that they looked outwards, to see the giant boar Caesar burst through a nearby forest, and charge towards the wandering titans. He managed to bring down two to the ground, and bit into the leg of one of them. A chuckle escaped the lips of his marked rider as he watched the boar drag the giant away from the others, all the while the giant flailed about.

"Well, I think that's all the time we have, we'll be expecting guests soon." Said Maverick as he picked himself up and dusting off his pants. "Why don't we go down there and introduce ourselves hmmm?" He gestured towards the lumbering horde. In response Levi looked forward then down at the scenery before him, just as a set of blades were taken out of their scabbards. While he preferred to have the entire regiment on this, he felt the large man beside him was more than enough backup, not to mention the large swine. Besides it was only a few, nothing they couldn't handle.

"Might as well." With a smirk Maverick followed suit, unsheathing his now signature "guillotine" blades. The two prepared themselves for their large adversaries. Not before Maverick had one last thing to say.

"One last thing, if you still feel some conflictions about it…" His eyes narrowed and his voice took on a hardened tone.

"Just remember what they took from you…and pay them back tenfold…"

With that Maverick descended down the outer wall, leaving Levi behind atop for a few minutes, eyes wide as he replayed in his head what he just told him.

"What they took from you..." The moment he said those words did the grips on his controllers suddenly harden, as two certain individuals entered his mind. Did he know? If so, who the hell told him? Was he just that damn perceptive, or was he just overthinking things?

Suppose it didn't matter in the end, what mattered was he understood. Levi soon steeled himself, blocking out the shouts from the Garrison, and jumped down the wall, following his large comrade.

-oOo-

Maverick's Room, inside the barracks

It was late in the night after his talk with Levi do we find Maverick inside his room. By candlelight and adorned in his nightwear he flipped through the pages of his personal notebook, tidying up his sketches. Trying his absolute hardest not to smudge their images.

He sighed as he found himself once again on the face of his recent editions. Reminiscing on those happy days once more.

"*Sigh* Guess I was due for another tumultuous life..." Images of a lush countryside soon began to flood his mind. Warm memories of a much simpler life, vastly different from the life he lived now. Where the only dangers he had to face were the occasional wild vermin and less than peaceful vagabond.

Then the images shifted to the one who had made him whole again. Of how they met for the first time, how she helped him readjust to the peaceful serenity of the country, and of course…how could he ever forget the day they confessed their love for one another.

How beautiful she looked in her flower coated dress, that lovely smile on her face as they spoke their vows under the great oak…and of the passionate kiss that lasted far longer than either of the two thought.

Even after the children arrived, and the ups and downs that came with married life, their love for one another stood the test of time.

But of course, it would all come to an end. He knew, she knew, their children knew…that when the time came, he would leave them, and that he would not be able to join them in the next life. They didn't blame him of course; it was circumstances far beyond his control. All he could do was hold her as she passed on and repeat his vows.

"Though our souls are now parted love, I hope you know that you and our children will always hold a place in my heart…now and forever"

Trying to alleviate the aches he began to flip through the pages once more, where he noticed he had pretty much filled the entire notebook. He softly chuckled to himself, seeing that it had taken him less time to fill it. A testament to his skills he supposed.

"Gonna have to get a new one. I'm far from done…"

Just as he said that did he feel a sudden…disturbance. It wasn't his battle sense, no, instead it was a very different sensation. It was as if some…event, of some sort, had just occurred, a sudden shift in the winds.

And as quickly as it arrived, the feeling suddenly began to fade and dissipate.

This left Maverick rather curious than concerned. What had occurred in those few seconds, more importantly should it be cause for concern? He continued to stew in his thoughts, debating whether to investigate of leave it be for now.

In the end he decided to simply leave it be, as he had no real idea where the source was, not like he had a map marker in his head, well, not anymore at least. With that in mind he carefully placed his notebook inside the bedside cabinet and blew out his candle retiring for the night.

A/N: And so Maverick continues to help elevate the Survey Corps, with the hopes of new, innovative, and highly explosive titan killing weaponry. I'm sure this will cause no issues with the higher authorities of the Wall, who are ever weary of the marked man. We also get to see a little bonding between humanities first and second strongest soldiers.

Originally, I was gonna have Maverick tell another long-winded story to Levi but scrapped it. I figured that Levis' the kind of guy who likes things short and to the point, pun entirely intended. We also see him open up a little to Maverick, not spill his guts out completely, but enough for Maverick to make an educated guess on Levi's background. I figured that in the months that Maverick has been in this world, Levi's trust in him will have increased at some point.

Also, as it is the month of February, and considering the day this part was uploaded, this chapter contains a few sprinkles of romantic elements. Throughout this story I have planted a few seeds, that will bloom in the future. But I think we all know who has the greater chance of beings Maverick's "fated one" shall we say. Which brings me to my next question to you, the reader.

Monogamy or Polygamy? When I first started this story, I had the idea to have my OC have multiple relationships. However, I know that harem stories can be rather unpopular, with many being rather shoehorned in or not as well developed. I do have an outline for both types, but I thought it would be fun to have my readers decide. So with that in mind I made a poll where you guys can decide where the romance of this story will go. The poll will end on March 1st, so I implore you to make your vote as soon as possible. The poll itself can be found on my bio.

Edit: For some reason the link doesn't work here, but it does on my Wattpad, so if you wish to vote, you can find it there, at least until I can fix this issue.

Think that's all I wanted to say. Once again thank you for reading and I hope you continue to enjoy, until next time.