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Chapter Text

Levi Ackerman

Captain Levi was not a military leader. He had never been a military leader. Military leaders planned, commanded, and coordinated armies. Levi took orders. He worked in small squads miles from the top of the decision making chain. The difference between them was the difference between stones and mountains. 

Yet, people commonly mistook him as the latter. Even now, gathered around the long meeting table in the palace with some of the most renowned leaders within the walls, he could see in their eyes the weight of their expectations. 

Leader. 

Hero.

Protector. 

They regarded him with the same respect they themselves garnered. They clung to his words despite his brutal delivery. Couldn’t they see him for what he was?

A simple captain. 

A soldier.

“An Ackerman…” A voice in his head harangued. 

His invitation to the meeting told him that even Historia, despite personally fighting in his squad, overestimated his role in her military.

Queen Historia he reminded himself. 

Dressed in regal white, backlit by the sun streaming in through open curtains, she glowed in her position at the head of the table. Her golden hair flowed over her shoulders, the look in her eyes as firm as the walls.

Sitting poised and postured, it was almost hard to see the placid girl he’d known as “Krista Lens” sitting in the Queen’s seat.

Almost.

Though she presented a powerful image, Levi saw her small glances around the room, never letting her eyes rest on something for more than a moment. She repeatedly clenched and unclenched her hands into fists, twiddling her fingers nervously under the table. Sitting next to Historia felt like tightrope walking in a lightning storm. She probably didn’t think anyone noticed but from his vantage point sitting directly to the side of her, the electrified movements kept catching his eye. 

She had a right to be nervous , he mused. Barely a week ago, these people wouldn’t spare Historia the time of day. Now, despite her inexperience, they’ll do whatever she tells them to. He would be intimidated too!

Levi studied the room’s occupants. Nine of them in total sat around the long table, General Darius Zackly, Commanders Dot Pixis and Nile Dok, Damion Burns—the Captain of the Military Police in the Mitris District, the garrison section commander for Wall Rose, two chiefs of the Military Police from Stohess and Orvid, Historia, and himself. Erwin would normally be in his spot, but for some reason Historia had specifically requested he attend. 

He wrinkled his nose, frowning. Though much had changed in the last two weeks since the uprising, he could still detect trace amounts of alcohol coming off the Military Police representatives across the table from him. 

Lazy bastards.

He didn’t know why he was surprised they were still slacking off. An entire kingdom overthrown and a new monarch put in place and the only consistent thing you could count on is that the Military Police would get sloppy drunk every night. 

At least Nile had that going for him. Every single officer under him might be a hopeless wreck, but the man actually had one shred of dignity for himself. Although the mustache he grew almost erased that shred entirely. 

Levi’s eyes flicked back to General Zackly as he spoke up. 

“I vote we take the nobility that continue to resist and give them...ah motivation to stop.” He smiled a gleeful, almost disturbing, toothy grin. 

Groans and “oh god no” echoed around the table. A look of horror and disgust spread across several faces, Historia’s included. Levi’s lips twitched ever so slightly upward. 

“General,” Captain Burns leveled a steely gaze at Zackly. “You’ve really been allowed a lot of leeway with your...methods. You aren’t serious about continuing with it?”

“Deadly.” The general met his eyes.

“Excuse me—“ Historia tried to cut in.

“Come now Zackly, don’t you think it’s a bit soon to bring that wretched contraption out again?” Nile asked. 

“Excuse—“

“Absolutely not!” Zackly said with a smile. “And I haven’t heard a better idea thrown out in the hour we’ve been here already. You all might think it crass, but you have to admit; it’s effective.”

Pixis raised an eyebrow. “Effective is one word for it.”

“Excuse me!” Historia cut in with a raised voice, eyes flickering between the officers. Their heads immediately turned to her outburst, and she noticeably shrunk under the gaze.

“I think we’ve derailed enough off of the original topic. Rerouting supplies doesn’t have that much to do with nobles, like I mentioned 15 minutes ago.” She gave a pointed look to Zackly who shrugged.

“Shall we move on to our next topic?”

The occupants of the table hushed as the queen shuffled through the neatly aligned papers in front of her on the table again, searching for something specific. Levi glanced at his own stack, noting their disorganized state. Aside from his initial brush through them, skimming the information thereon, he hadn’t touched them for the entirety of the meeting.

He groaned internally, suddenly remembering a mountain of paperwork waiting for him back in his office.

Why am I here? He sighed internally. A list of soldiers better suited to attend the meeting numbered off in his mind, Erwin and Hanji at the top of it. If Historia wanted input on literally anything, Titans, strategies, or random scientific facts, they were the ones for the job. All Levi could offer were some organizational tips and tricks for keeping dust off surfaces.

But of course, Erwin was resting after the events of the last few weeks and Hanji was back at headquarters under medical leave, a leave required by an emphatic Moblit and himself. She’d tried to reject it, but he’d threatened to shoot her again if she didn’t rest. 

Historia cleared her throat, having located her desired notes. 

“The children in the walls are suffering." She announced, eyes glancing downward. “Specifically the orphans. Titan attacks leave us all scrambling to regain some semblance of normality, but none more than the orphans. Many of them lose parents or siblings to the monsters. Some die of starvation because no one makes sure they are fed.”

Levi peeked at the paper in her hands. Her voice was stiff and she kept glancing at the words scrawled across it hastily, like she was... reading off of it. 

That poor girl. He glanced at Zackly who looked bored. The man had been talking over her almost the entire meeting, and now he had the nerve to demean her, even in that small way.

This was why Levi never gave speeches.

“As you should all know by now, I have planned an initiative to rescue and nurture all the suffering orphans within the walls.” She said. “Operations for this initiative began three days ago, under the direction of Commander Dok, and have been running smoothly.”

That’s a good boost to her reputation though, Levi nodded silently. The queen had announced the initiative within days of her coronation, and people were already starting to praise her name for it as though she were a deity.

“However,” the Queen continued glancing up, “Despite the contribution from every branch of the military, I am disappointed to see no efforts made toward certain sections within the walls.”

The leaders shared looks. 

“Your majesty,” Nile spoke first, his tone gentle as if he was talking to a distraught child. “I apologize, but we’ve delegated every city to Military Police squadrons. There wasn’t a single town or village that wasn’t considered.”

“I agree with Commander Dok,” Pixis said next. “I’ve personally assigned Garrison soldiers to allocate resources in rural areas as well as more populated towns. We’ve sent troops everywhere.”

The others nodded their own agreement. 

“Yes, and like I said, those efforts have been greatly appreciated.” Historia said, steady. Her nervous ticks were beginning to melt away. “But it hasn’t been enough.”

Even Levi flicked an eyebrow up at that. 

Where are you going with this?

“Commander?” She directed at Nile. “Is the underground district within the walls?”

The somewhat relaxed atmosphere vaporized in an instant. The words about to fly out of Nile’s mouth shriveled and fell away. 

Levi’s eyes widened. You can’t be serious. His heartbeat jettisoned and he grit his teeth. 

The underground was not the place for the government to intervene. There was no law, no order. It was chaos and pain and dark all swirled together into a heinous scar under the capitol. Like a bouquet of poisonous thorns amidst a wedding. And Historia wanted them to be working an operation there? 

All eyes regarded Nile. 

Nile hesitated before answering. His voice caught awkwardly in his throat, like he was trying to describe the most gruesome details of a murder scene. 

“Er—well yes. Yes it is.”

“And,” She paused, “are there currently people living in the underground district?”

“Yes…But your majesty—”

“Then why, pray tell, did zero consideration for the district come up in any of the drafts I saw? Why were no squadrons assigned to the city?”

The silence returned, more robust this time. It was like a thick ooze had slowly flooded the room, stifling the words that would begin to dissuade Historia from this track of thinking.

Zackly and Pixis exchanged looks. Nile clenched his teeth, looking like he wanted to say more but didn’t. Levi stayed quiet, tongue tied, yet curious as to how this would play out.

“The underground,” Nile began slowly at last, “Is dangerous. There are regions of it that we don’t dare enter. The entire place is crawling with bandits, thieves, and worthless scum.” He glanced at Levi. 

Levi flicked an eyebrow up in response. Really?

“Furthermore,” The commander hurriedly continued, looking back to Historia. “Aside from the few patrols always stationed down there, we don’t run investigations or searches in the district. It would be suicidal. As it is, our outpost sends reports of frequent lootings and near deaths almost every month.”

He paused, glancing at Captain Burns who nodded gravely. 

“It’s just too risky, your Highness.”

Historia’s jaw clenched.

“I see.” She said calmly. “And I suppose that means we ignore them altogether?”

Nile wisely didn’t answer.

Historia’s eyes gave away nothing as she scanned the faces around the table. Each looked down in turn, unable to meet her eyes. 

“I suppose that because we were born with an advantage that we forget about our brothers and sisters who weren’t so lucky? That we abandon the humanity we just worked so hard to take and leave people, children, infants, at the mercy of a dark world where the only answers are death and poverty?”

“My life hasn’t been half as hard as those who live underground, but all I knew for most of it was confusion. All I knew was that I was a burden. I was worthless. If I’ve been given a shot at a better life, then others deserve it too.”

She paused before continuing. 

“As I stated previously, I intend to help all the children within the walls. That includes the ones in the underground. And I would like the underground district to be included in the initiative.” 

A determination flared in her eyes, one that no one knew what to say to. The council members glanced at each other again or looked away. 

Levi let out a breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding, suddenly finding his notes very interesting to stare at. 

An inkling of why he’d been requested here was now very apparent.

She wants your support. 

And without meaning to, Levi found himself racing through the streets of the underground again. Nine years old and stealing from stores to stay alive. Fifteen years old and running strikes against the police. Twenty-some years old and being recruited by Erwin. 

The dirty atmosphere and constant chill of fear tasted like stale bread in his mouth. An emotion he used to know. A memory he’d forgotten. 

He shut his eyes against it. He didn’t want to remember. Historia was right of course. Living conditions underground were almost as bad as living outside the walls in Titan territory. Everyday was a gamble. He knew that better than anyone else around this table. 

And yet...

He thought about faces he’d known in the underground. Faces he’d long since forgotten the names for. Other children who hadn’t been as lucky as him. Not that he would describe his life as lucky, but when their faces disappeared off the streets they never returned.

It wasn’t until long after his mother had died that he’d realized what must have happened to them. 

But this…opportunity...we could change that for some of them...

Something inside of him tugged at his conscious. Like Historia said. She’d been given a second chance. For whatever reason, Levi too had been given a second chance.

But, a small voice reminded him, it wasn’t his problem. He wasn’t even supposed to be here. He was a soldier for god’s sake. 

But we could give others the same chance we got…

No! He shouldn’t be making these kinds of decisions. These were life changing policies and he wasn’t qualified to make them— 

“I support including the underground in the operation.”

All heads snapped to him.

Oh god, what am I doing?  

“I’ll even help oversee the inclusion.” He continued, before he could talk himself out of it. “I know the underground. I can run the operation smoothly.” 

Silence. 

His knuckles were turning white with how tightly he was gripping the table.

“His—Queen Historia is right.” He said, clearing his throat. “Humanity’s borders don’t end at the surface. The underground community deserves our help, and now that we stand on firm ground we can give it to them. We start with children and the young and move our way through the system.”

The others stared at him. Pixis in particular wore a slight smile, his eyes twinkling. Levi, refusing to show his discomfort, turned back to Historia. 

The gratitude in her eyes was brighter than the sun behind her.

Thank you, her expression said as she smiled. 

I didn’t do it for you, responded his sullen mind.

It was Captain Burns that spoke next. 

“You know, he brings up an interesting point.” He mused. Thankfully, most all the heads in the room turned to him, away from Levi

“Most people living underground were relocated after the fall of Wall Maria. With our plans to retake the wall...well I’m sure people would be happy to move home.” The police captain said thoughtfully. 

Levi nodded. “While that’s true, those people aren’t the primary objective. There are loads of unlucky brats with no homes and no homes to move back to. They would be our primary focus.”

The military folk nodded. Some scrawled additional notes on their papers. 

“An operation in the underground…” Burns spoke again. He brought a hand to his chin, pondering the notion. Then, he slowly began to nod, a smile spreading across his face. “I can’t turn down a good challenge. And with Captain Levi down there, I would be more than willing to lend support from the Mitris police force.”

“I appreciate that Captain.” Levi nodded. “But all the same, I would direct the operation from above ground—“

“From here?” Burns grinned at him with humor. “My patrols down there know the streets, sure, but you, Levi? You lived there. We’d have the upper hand. I would even go as far as to say that without you, we might as well not send anyone into the underground.”

Historia tilted her head. “I’m not sure if I would agree to that extreme, but he makes a valid point Captain Levi.”

Levi shifted his gaze to Burns and Nile, holding back frustration. This was why he didn’t make decisions. He already lost control of the situation! 

“Regardless,” he said, changing the subject, “It would take some two dozen or so of your high trained soldiers. Do either of you have men to spare for that?”

“...possibly…”

“Absolutely!”

Nile and Burns’ shot each other a look at their simultaneous answers, Burns' smirk and Nile’s frown contradicting each other

Levi sighed. Leave it to Nile Dok, the biggest pain in his ass, to be as unhelpful as possible in any situation. 

“Anyways, from there,” he continued. “We can divide the city into sectors and assign groups to search them. Each group will have a directive to look for orphaned or poverty stricken children and bring them above ground. When a system gets in place, it will be a smooth operation without need for much monitoring from anyone.”

Nile folded his arms, sitting back in his chair. 

“It’s certainly risky....but...I don’t see any reason that wouldn’t work.” He said, narrowing his gaze at Levi. 

Burns flashed Levi a subtle thumbs up, grinning as if they had just become best friends.

Levi loathed it entirely.  

“Then it’s settled.” Historia declared. “Captain Levi will lead the operation. The troops will go underground and commence the instructions. Are there any objections?”

Levi looked at her, objection on the tip of his tongue. He didn’t want to go underground. Not at all, but as he gazed at her, sitting upright and poised, no more nervous ticks distracting her, he couldn’t. He would find a way out of that part of it, but he would do it discreetly. No need to rail on her confidence. Especially not publicly, like some of the others had been doing. 

No one else spoke up, although they looked considerably more thoughtful and completive about the operation.

“Captain,” She spoke to him, “I’ll expect the operation to get underway immediately. I am assigning Commander Dok to this as well. The two of you will share equal responsibility for the operation and I expect compliance.”

Nile’s eyes bulged out of his skull like someone had just choked him.

“Your Highness—” He started, but was abruptly cut off by Historia.

“That will be all for the day.” She concluded. ”I think this meeting has gone on long enough. Thank you all for your input and attendance. I’ll be sending a follow up message tomorrow with directions and instructions on how to proceed with what we’ve discussed today.”

Chairs crashed against the floor as the occupants of the table immediately began moving and standing up. 

The weight of what he had just agreed to hit Levi at once, and he wanted to bury his head in his hands. This was not what he needed right now. You just gave yourself another months worth of paperwork you idiot! He chastised himself. Plus the headache of getting yourself out of actually going down there!

But suddenly a hand landed on the table beside him. Damion Burns his neatly trimmed goatee appeared, looming over him. 

He was a handsome man, the kind that made a small twinge of self-consciousness shoot through Levi at being so near him. His perfectly tailored military suit hid what was obviously a well toned body. Not many military police took the time to work out and it showed. But Burns looked too clean and posh to not give a damn about maintaining a reputable look.

“I didn’t mean any disrespect earlier.” The police captain said, sliding into a chair at Levi’s side and pulling it in close. “But I was worried you might back out if I didn’t add the pressure of the council.”

Levi frowned at him, pushing his own chair back slightly. “Of course not.” 

“I really think your support in the underground is essential to our success. However, in exchange for my offering your services, I’d like to make an offer to you as well.” Burns’ deep brown eyes sparkled as he spoke. 

“What kind of offer?” Levi said.

“An offer of my aid. To help and assist you with anything you may need!”

“You would come underground too?”

Burns paused before answering. “Not exactly...unless you think it would help. Being your eyes and ears above ground was more of what I had in mind.” He sheepishly admitted. 

Levi’s eyes flicked towards Nile, who was talking urgently to Historia. He still looked upset. 

“But I can lend supplies, safe-houses, contacts.” The police Captain continued. “You say the word and it’s there.”

Levi considered the offer. He didn’t know Burns well enough to distrust his offer, and all he’d ever heard about the man was how much of an asset he was to the police force. He seemed genuine, which was refreshing after a day spent in politicking. 

A shadow suddenly crossed his face as someone passed through the light of the window from his side. It was a man who stalked over to Burns, leaning down to whisper something in his ear, and Levi found that he could not tear his eyes away from him.

Because the man’s skin was completely white. Alabaster light reflected off his bald head, and when Burns nodded and the man straightened up, Levi was ashamed to admit how horrified he was of his face. 

Sunken red eyes glanced at him from gaunt features. His lips pressed together in a line so thin, Levi wildly wondered if he had a mouth at all. His military police uniform looked fresh and new, yet that only added more dissonance to his appearance. 

The man reminded him of how shadows used to scare him as a child. Tall and scrawny, yet elongated features and limbs looking like they could rip him apart. Scared faces etched into permanent frowns.

He shivered in spite of himself. 

“Later Zane.” Burns waved a hand in the air dismissively. “It can wait.”

The man nodded with a customary salute, but it looked so wrong. Like a peace treaty written with blood. He stiffly walked away and back through the door he had just entered through. 

“Excuse my cousin.” Burns said, twiddling with a ring on his finger. “Zane is the only family I trust these days. He just got promoted to my head chief here in Mitris, but sometimes he forgets that business can wait.”

“It’s fine.” Levi said, trying to forget the look in Zane's eyes. It took him a moment to remember what they had been talking about. 

“I’ll need to consult with Hist—the queen before I solidify my decision on your offer.” He said, rising from his chair. “I’ll be in touch.”

And with that, he turned and left the room.

Zane was thankfully nowhere to be found in the crowded, sun-lit hallway. He did however spot Nile again on his way out and discreetly shot him a dirty look. The commander glanced his way, but Levi was already pushing through the crowd by then.

He wanted to get out. Out of the palace. Away from the people.

Especially since images from the underground pressed against him. Hunger and fear. Darkness and ice.

He would not go back. He couldn’t go back. Not now. Not after learning about Kenny being his uncle. Not after the discovery that he was an Acker—

Stop! He chastised himself. Just stop, you’re not going back!

He would talk Historia out of it and tell Burns he was too busy to do more than direct the operation. They could find someone else for that part of the job. It was ridiculous to think that he was the only person who could be a guide underground. You could pay any one of the low lives down there a coin and they’d lick the dust off your boots. 

“Captain Levi!” A girl-ish voice behind him interrupted his thought.

He turned to see Historia, rushing towards him through the throng of people, skirts rustling between her legs. She brushed against nobles and military men alike, they in turn jumping at the sight of their new queen breezing past them. Her bodyguards, who had been waiting outside the doors, were startled by the sudden flurry of motion and also moved through the crowd to follow. 

He waited for her to clumsily catch up to him, bodyguards right behind her. 

“Captain,” She panted, “I thought I would miss you. You left fast so fast!”

He blinked. 

“Anyways, I was wondering if we could have a word in private.” She gestured to a side hallway. 

“Of course.” He responded immediately.

“Great!” She motioned to the guards. “Leave us.”

He motioned for her to lead the way, which she did. A few of the stragglers in the hallway watched them go, most however turned back to their respective conversations which died out as they ventured further down the hallway. As Historia settled on a worthy meeting spot, she turned back to him, eyes bright.

Levi stuffed his hands in his pockets. 

“First of all, thank you so much Captain!” Historia bubbled over. “Thank you for listening! That council is so frustrating, and I knew they would disagree with me about the operation unless you backed me up.” 

She shook her hands in the air, showing her frustration, and it struck him once again just how young Historia was. 

We were both asked too much at far too young an age. 

“But I’ll just get right to the point.” Her eyes shone brightly. “I’d like to be a part of one of the squads in the underground.”

What? He opened his mouth to answer, then frowned as she continued. 

“And I know what you’re thinking, I shouldn’t go and it will be too dangerous and—“

“Yes, it’s too dangerous.” He cut in. “You’ll get killed.” 

“Right, but if you’ll just listen for a—“

“No.” 

“Captain Levi—“

“What do you have, a death wish?” He hissed at her. “How many lives did it take to put you where you are? And now you want to throw that away?”

Did all the sacrifice mean nothing to her?

With Historia gone, the nobility would rise up in rebellion against the military. Most of them had military men in their pockets anyways. The Survey Corp would be gone. Murdered. The Garrison wouldn’t be in much better shape. And then what would humanity do if the Colossal or Armored Titan decided to return? 

“We can’t risk you on a throwaway mission to the slums.” He said, steeling his eyes on hers. 

The light was gone from them. A raging fire burned in their place. 

“Let me speak.” She said coolly. 

Levi bit his tongue. She had command over him now. He took orders from her. It didn’t matter what else he had to say to her. 

“I didn’t ask to be the queen.” She jabbed a finger dangerously close to his face. “I seem to recall you and your comrades were the ones who put me here. I was happy playing soldier.”

She raised a second finger at him.

“Second, there are people who need my help. I’m not going to turn my back on them.”

Her eyes bored into his, fierce determination burning in them. 

“And third,” She faltered, arm dropping. “You know as well as I do how much good we can do for those people. We owe it to them. I owe it to them” 

And there it was again, that little prick in his heart.

She’s right. 

He sighed. 

But she has to make it out alive...which means...goddammit.

He tried to dodge around where his thoughts were pointing him, but it was blindingly obvious. 

The chill returned to his spine, spreading through every nerve.

“Fine.” He huffed in defeat. “But I’ll only allow it on one condition.”

“Yes! What is it?” She practically yelped.

He matched the intensity in her gaze. “You will be under my constant supervision, and you don’t get to make the rules. It’s kill or be killed down there and my job is to keep you alive. Understand?”

She nodded furiously, eyes wide. 

“Good.” He looked outside to the courtyard below. The sun was shining, providing an absolutely gorgeous day. Warm light bounced off the walls and he could smell the freshness of the air. 

All things that would vanish in an instant upon his return to the underground. 

He held back a shiver. 

“I’m going to speak with Nile. Expect to plan for the operation within the next day or two.”

He moved to walk away from her as she nodded again. 

“And Historia?” He said.

“Yes?”

He took one last look at her, white dress, confident stance returning, wide eyes, and child-like expression of excitement. 

“Don’t speak a word of this to anyone else.”

Chapter Text

Historia Riess

“...an MP, but the Scouts can’t even get their heads on straight long enough to-” Nile flicked his eye up at the sound of Historia clicking the door open. The snarky twist on his lip melted into one of formal respect. 

Immediately, standing in a crisp salute, Historia almost didn’t hear his next words over the sound of his chair scraping backwards, “Queen Historia, it’s a pleasure to see you.”

Levi glowered at Nile for a beat longer before abruptly turning in his chair to face Historia. She noticed he couldn’t quite conceal the irate furrow of his brow. He seemed about ready to trade blows with someone for breathing too loudly. 

Did Nile suggest he was cleaning the windows wrong or something?

Historia inclined her head slightly, in greeting. Kicking the door closed, she lazily tapped over to the polished table and slid into a rigid chair across from Levi. She felt both sets of eyes transfix on her as she grinded her chair underneath the table, but didn’t care in the slightest to meet them. 

“Uh, at ease. No need for over formalities.”

“Oh thank god.” Nile said, lowering himself to his wobbling chair in the following silence. 

Unsure of how to begin, the queen glanced, unobtrusive, back and forth between where Nile and Levi were seated. Wait...why were they so far apart-

Oh? Historia raised an eyebrow, incredulous. 

They literally sat as distantly as they could possibly manage, but made sure they didn’t have to meet each other’s eyes. Nile at the head of the table, and Levi on the side at the other end. They’re like children in self imposed time out.

Historia was glad she’d come in when she did. Any longer and she might have been interrupting a little more than an unfriendly repartee. 

“So,” Levi cleared his throat. The livid construct his face had been carrying for Nile was gone. The emotion that replaced it Historia had never seen the hardened captain wear. Nor did she recognize it.

“How is…” He trailed off.

It sounds like he’s in pain, Historia thought idly, meeting his eyes. Yeah, that looks like the very definition of a painful experience… 

“… are you,” he finished.

There was an unfortunate moment when Historia’s confused eyes met her former captains until he involuntarily snapped his eyes shut with a grimace, and pinched the bridge of his nose. 

Now Historia could tell, it had been uncertainty in Levi’s eyes. An expression so seldom worn by the man that Historia had barely recognized it notwithstanding how often it found a home on her own face.

I can’t believe… THE Captain Levi uncertain?

Time crawled. 

Nile gradually raised a hand to cover the upturn of his lips. The mustached man began silently shaking a few seconds later, pure mirth in his tearing in his eyes. 

He’s never going to live that down.

It was odd, really. Historia hadn’t ever interacted with high ranking leadership, that is to say, leadership at all in any way that didn’t end with her following commands. At least until the end of her military service. It had always simply been that they gave commands and she followed them. 

Basically, the new queen was floundering in deep water when it came to engaging or communicating on the same level with the very people who used to make her clean stables without a second look. 

She grinned. Just a little.

Who knew I could hold conversation better than humanities strongest. 

Part of her wondered idly if Erwin, Hanji and the others ever felt the distinct, overwhelming, emphatic urge to never ever make another sound to spare themselves from embarrassment. 

Historia couldn’t decide whether or not she was hearing Levi whisper various expletives or Nile huffing, and snorting, just as quiet.

Well, how is are you? Don’t leave him hanging!

“... Fine… I’m good, I think,” Now it was Historia’s turn to curse bitterly. 

Well, THAT made a whole lot of sense! You THINK you’re good? Oh, god, I’m never going to get this moment back...

Historia grit her teeth, death gripping the wooden arms of her chair. 

One…

Two…

Three...

Levi cleared his throat, not meeting anyone’s gaze. He looked like he still wanted to say something, but had forgotten how to speak altogether. 

The look of unbridled glee on Nile’s face as he looked between them, made Historia think she might as well have given him a permanent key to the palace’s food storage. 

Four…

Five…

Six...

I can’t look anymore. Historia took a leaf out of Levi’s book, and scrutinized every individual fine grain of wood in the table.  

I can’t tell which one of us is the hopelessly lost cause. He started this conversation, but I gave it the power to keep living. 

Seven…

Eight…

Nine…

It felt like Historia was walking barefoot over a path of rusty nails. 

Somebody please save us from ourselves!

Ten…

Eleven…

Twelve...

Levi cleared his throat for the sixth time when Nile had finally had enough. 

“Is there something in your throat there, Captain?” He couldn’t keep his voice from shaking, like he was mere moments from breaking into uncontrolled hysterics. Tears congregated in the corners of his squinched eyes.

Both their heads snapped up. 

Historia just stared at Nile.

Maybe he can save this. 

Levi, however, bolted to his feet, shaking in a vehement rage. If Historia was being profoundly honest, he stood the same way scouts did when they were about to brutally slay concourses of titans. Nile just stared back at him. Everything from the way he slouched to his raised brow screamed “ just try it ”. 

The skin on the captain’s knuckles was white. 

This is the kind of situation I can actually read…Thanks to Jean and Eren fighting pretty much always. Ymir always used to joke that they—

Historia coughed suddenly. She made enough of a hacking wheeze that she drew both Nile and Levi’s attention, if for no other reason than to see if she was sending herself into an early grave. 

Can’t have the new queen choke on her own spit and die because you were all too distracted killing each other. Nice to know you’re a valuable part of keeping ranking officers alive.

Now that she had both the blockhead’s focus on her she couldn’t help but shrivel a bit and cling to the arms of her chair unappeasably. It felt like she could strip the whole chair down to scraps from just the pressure in her fingernails. 

“Uhh,” Eloquently put, dunce. Historia winced, “How about we start the briefing…”

Levi sat down. Nile pulled a stack of papers and a rolled map from a satchel under the table. 

“Ahh, right,” Levi had brandished the illusion of hunter and prey while regarding Nile just seconds ago. Why did it fall away and show Historia this markedly distracted, insubstantial, and remote person now?

“The underground,” The captain’s voice held no inflection, but to Historia it seemed like he was whispering. The same way someone would whisper to a terrified child.

“What do I need to know about it?” 

Nile snorted. Historia glanced over as he continued. 

“I doubt anything we can teach you would prepare you for that,” he coughed slightly, “With all due respect, that’s why you shouldn’t be coming, your highness. In fact, we can easily carry on without you—“

Historia snorted, attempting to cover the hurt she felt. This AGAIN? I’m not helpless. 

“Well, excuse me, but I hope everyone remembers how they made sure to pick a queen that wasn’t a dandelion in the snow. I’ve been through the military. I’ve finished titans without assists. I hope at the very least you don’t forget how I dealt the killing blow to Rod Reiss,” Dad... Historia stopped abruptly, like she’d run too close to a sheer ledge. She continued slowly, “I’m sure that nothing can be too much after that…I’m sure I can handle it.” 

Stop telling the queen what they can’t do! 

Historia let out a breath after that, feeling her outburst run out of steam. She looked down, and pursed her lips. She hadn’t meant to rant, but… well, it was like she said. A queen not a dandelion.

“Historia, have you ever been robbed?”

What the hell?

She arched her eyebrow at a somber Levi.

“...Not that I’m aware of.”

“Ever been anywhere… unsavory,” The word was spoken like the captain could actually taste it,” Some areas of Trost are like that…”

“...not really,” Historia could feel a frustration beginning to grow. 

Of course I haven’t been there! Levi, of all the people on the mission YOU know the most about my old life. Why bother asking?

“What about the farm you lived on,” the captain continued, searching Historia’s face intently. ”Were there ever too many workers and not enough resources to go around? Did anyone ever have less than enough, and was segregated, or maybe caused a racket about it?”

“No,” Historia supplied, “Every one had enough to get by,” She thought of Freida, “and any conflict we did have was resolved quickly.”

Levi glanced at Nile as if unsure of how to continue. The man at the end of the table shrugged almost imperceptibly. 

“Captain Levi,” Historia said, flat toned,” I understand and accept that I don’t know the state of the people in the underground. Sure, I’ll admit I’m absolutely clueless.” Levi looked back at her, leaning heavily on the table, “But I need you to understand.”

Nile was looking at her too now. Historia pursed her lips, eyes finding her shaking hands.

But I can not … I won’t… leave anyone who I can help. Never,” She looked up with conviction, and met the eyes of her silent companions, “It doesn't matter where they’re from. That means going into the underground. ME going. That’s why I’m here!... as queen, I mean.”

Historia could have sworn she saw people in those empty seats between Levi and Nile. With the warm supporting smile of Freida, and adoring dedicated glint in Ymir’s eye, Historia couldn’t help but grin hesitantly.  

“I owe it to too many people to stop trying before I’ve even started.  If we can’t give them a chance to live lives better than ours, then who can? So, understand or don’t, I’m going to help the children underground. This mission is the most important thing I can do as a queen.”

She was met with even more silence. However, it wasn’t the agonizing gritty silence from earlier. This was soothing. Concentrated. Historia gave the smallest of salutes to the empty seats, before Nile spoke.

“I understand, Queen Historia,” Historia cocked her head. Nile’s voice was much more emotional than normal. She looked to Levi.

His face might have been intimidating, with all it’s low hard lines, but Historia swore she saw a small grin grace the captain’s cold exterior. When she met his dark eye’s he gave her a hard sharp nod. In another person, Historia thought his reaction might be similar to publicly swearing fealty to her cause. 

“Right then,” Historia ended the moment, and cut the silence out of the air, “Tell me about the mission. And this time you don’t have to ask if I know anything. Assume that I don’t.”

“Yes,” Levi looked pointedly at Nile by whom the stack of papers and rolled maps lay. “Nile—if you would.”

The commander rolled his eyes, brandishing a map from the stack and rolling its crisp edges out on the table. Historia’s eyes breezed over the gold etchings, the waterways and intricate textures drawn on by skilled hands. Red dashes marked alleys and buildings throughout the map of Mitrias, scarring it. There were about twelve in total. 

“There are thirteen entrances to the underground.” Levi pointed at the dashes. “Nine run under Military Police rule, three have substantial damage and cave-ins to the main passages, leaving us with one in the private possession of the noble Nicholas Lovof.”

Nile scoffed, but hushed after yet another glare from Levi. 

“We will be taking his stairs into the underground.”

“Why?” Historia asked. 

“Glad you asked.” Nile cut in. “Since no one knows you’re in on this princess, we can’t use Military Police stairways. They keep too many records, permits and all, it’s a lot of paperwork and I don’t want to get into faking all of that. Plus, we don’t want someone seeing you there on accident and spreading the word underground that the Queen is coming to spend the summer there.”

Historia bristled at the nickname. Princess?

“Additionally,” Levi noted. “We’ll need to keep our distance from the other squads going underground. We sent the first three down today, and the last four will join them tomorrow. We have them stationed at safe houses throughout the district with directions to search specific sectors. So long as we stay out of those general areas, we shouldn’t have a problem with them.”

“Though,” Nile stroked his mustache. “They are there as backup if we get into a pinch.”

“Which won’t happen.” Historia added firmly. She wouldn’t let anything happen. Not if she could do anything about it. 

Wood scraped on the floor as Levi pushed his chair back, walking to the pile of maps, and instead of asking Nile for assistance, rummaged through the pile himself until locating another map. Nile in turn, held back an eye roll as Levi laid a much older map on top of the other one. 

“This is the underground.” He said, smoothing out the crinkled edges of the faded paper.

Historia’s eyes flew across it, trying to sort through unfamiliar shapes and streets. She liked to think she was good with maps, but this one seemed decades old and rarely updated.

“Is this the newest map we have?” She asked, not bothering to mask the doubt in her voice.

“Unfortunately yes.” Nile answered, glancing at her. “We don’t send many people down there to begin with, let alone cartographers.”

Now it was Historia’s turn to hold back an eye roll. It wasn’t Nile’s fault, but she couldn’t believe how incapable the previous government had been! She liked to think she was doing a better job in a few days than they had done in 100 years, and she was a teenager!

“It’s fine.” Levi said, scanning the lines on a map like they described an old friend. His eyes flicked from side to side, calculating. “We won’t need it much.”

Right. Maybe Historia should just ask Levi to draw them a new map. Or at least to help document the underground a bit better.

“Where will we be primarily working?” She asked curiously.

“All over. I have several leads I’ve been thinking of. We’ll set up camp somewhere in this area—“ He gestured to a side part of the map. “—and work until we find something or until we decide to end this.”

He looked up at her, a funny expression crossing his face.

“The Scouts are discussing further plans for the expedition to retake Wall Maria. Erwin is requesting I be ready for leave anytime between three to four weeks.”

“Meaning we have until then to get this up and going without you.” Nile finished for him. “Well that shouldn’t be too hard. We have eight patrols, counting us. That’s 23 of us, all working around the clock.”

Historia nodded. This was looking good. Really good. A warm feeling fluttered up from her stomach, and she couldn’t help but smile. It was finally coming together.

“You have my word that you will be able to leave when you are requested, regardless of the state of the operation.” She directed towards Levi. “I just ask that you give as much time as you are able.”

He nodded without speaking. 

“What about your covers?” She asked, changing the subject. “How are you accounting for the fact that you’re supposedly not going underground?”

Levi paced back over to his chair, sitting and crossing his arms. “Armin will take care of that. I’ve briefed him on the mission and your role. He’s trustworthy and smart enough to talk any nosy brats that come sniffing our way out of our hair.”

He paused, glancing at Nile. 

“Though, aside from the four of us, Armin included, no one else knows you are going underground.” 

The serious inflection in his voice made Historia gulp back a flash of fear.

“Actually, I uh—may have entrusted that information to a few others.” Nile said, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. “But I trust both of them with my life, and I wouldn’t have told them if I didn’t think we’d need their help.”

Levi’s head whipped to Nile so fast Historia worried he might have sprained something. “Who?” He demanded.

“Captain Burns.” Nile answered. “I know you already turned down his offer for help, but I feel that we need him. He runs every military police operation in the capital and has for the past year. He’s as trustworthy as they come, not to mention he’s the one supplying us with soldiers. Without his help this will be a lot harder to pull off.”

Levi’s eyes narrowed a fraction. “Who else?”

“My second in command, Adelia. She actually went underground with the first three patrols a few hours ago. I’ve known her since she was a toddler and I personally picked her to take charge of the underground squads. She’s practically family, even babysits my kids every once in a while.”

He looked between the two.

“You can trust them both, I swear.”

“I believe you Commander.” Historia gave a quick nod. 

Levi held his glare for a moment longer, clearly not liking the news Nile had just said. 

“Fine.” He sighed. “But you should have checked with me first.”

“I’m sorry, I must have missed when you became the new Commander in Chief.” Nile sneered.

Levi slammed his fist into the table.

“Do you think this is a joke—“

“That’s enough!” Historia interrupted, surprising herself as both sets of eyes flashed to her. “I don’t want to regret choosing either of you for this mission, but you’re making me doubt my faith in the military.” She gave them both a pointed look.

They really are like children.

This was going to be an interesting operation.

But, she resigned, glancing again at the empty seats. This wasn’t about her. It was about them. The others, the children.

Levi sighed as he brushed a hand over his head. 

“When we’re underground we need to constantly be on our toes. Anything could happen at any moment, so we can’t exactly not be telling each other everything.” He glared at Nile. “Regardless, Historia’s safety comes above everything else. If things get too dangerous, we leave. If the other patrols report too much danger, we leave. We’re not going there to frolic around in shit.”

Historia nodded. 

“We’re going to be fine Captain. I trust both of you to keep things under control.”

________________________

“Well?” He asked, glancing around the palace hallway. It was empty save for the two of them.

“It’s better than we expected.” The other man said, joining him in the torchlight as the night stretched on. “They aren’t telling anyone that the Queen is going underground.”

He froze, heart skipping a beat. 

“Are you serious? No one at all?”

“Well, aside from a few people, but yes.” The other man answered. “I didn’t stay for long, but I overheard them talking logistics about sneaking her down with them. It will just be Levi, Nile, and her alone for at least a few weeks.”

He couldn’t believe his ears. This was beyond what he could have hoped for!

He smiled at his friend. “Good work. We could have never made it this far without you. We have a lot to plan.”

His friend nodded back and left without another word. His silhouette faded until it melted into the darkness.

The man sighed, smiling. For the first time in years things were finally going right. Levi was walking right into the palm of his hand and bringing the new queen with him. 

They would be vulnerable underground, vulnerable enough to be destroyed. 

And without Historia, the government would crumble.

And he would be there to pick up the pieces.

Chapter Text

Historia Riess

One . . . two . . . 

Historia inhaled slowly, detecting a hint of sweetness in the breeze. 

Three . . .

Muscles tensed, she felt the pressure against her feet pressed firmly to the brick alleyway, her back against the wall. 

Four . . .

A dark wave of nervousness rolled around her stomach like a swarm of insects. 

Five . . . six . . . seven . . 

She exhaled. 

Eight . . . nine . . . ten . . 

That’s it! I can’t take it anymore!

“Will you stop?” She whipped around, ponytail slicing the air and barely missing Levi’s face. 

The glare he leveled at her rivaled her own.

“Stop what?” He demanded, taking a step towards her. Too close.

“That!” She hissed, jerking back.

His frown deepened. “We set pretty clear conditions. You don’t leave my sight. Ever. So what’s your problem?”

She held back an eye roll. “This,” she made a circling gesture around herself, “Is my space. I’m not going to die if you aren’t standing within a meter of me.”

Levi snorted, making her ears turn red. 

“Don’t laugh! You’re hovering!”

Realization flickered on his face, but he hid it with a sneer.

“Whatever, I’m not here to coddle you.”

Thankfully, he shuffled back a few steps, casting his eyes across the courtyard outside the alley they stood in. 

As Historia’s nerves calmed after chastising the Captain, she immediately regretted the outburst. His hovering wasn’t that bad really...just annoying. With his back to her now, she kicked herself. Why couldn’t she just deal with it? Her bodyguards at the palace were much worse. There, she could hardly go to the bathroom without someone close enough to hear her pee. That was beyond awkward. 

And at least Levi could be reasoned with. Plus, Nile didn’t hover at all. In fact, the longer she spent around the Police Commander the more indifferent he acted towards her royal title. It was different, but strangely refreshing to be treated as a human and not a queen. 

Oh well, She sighed, following Levi’s gaze into the courtyard beyond. 

It bustled with the activity of a day winding down. Merchants packed up their carts, the smells of their baked goods fading as they did so. Golden sunlight danced around small feet as children chased each other across the cobblestones. Mothers chatted idly while carrying their shopping from the day. 

Orange clouds rolled sparsely above them, shattering the blue with dark shades and vivid light. In the dead of summer, the warm and humid days usually chased off any clouds, but these remained. As if god himself painted the sky with a few quick strokes. 

The beauty of the simple moment struck her more intensely than she expected. What must it be like to live a normal life? Without responsibility? No politics or war to fight, only sun and life. Her legs itched to join the thrall of kids, dashing through their mother’s skirts. She longed to go shopping and smell the flower bouquets. 

Especially with where they were about to go.

Stop getting distracted! She chastised herself. 

The knot in her stomach returned. 

She searched for Nile’s short choppy hair on the rooftop across from them. Spotting his dark shape against the golden light, she frowned. 

“How much longer until the guard changes?”

Levi fixed his eyes on Nile. “Soon. Be ready.”

Historia sucked in a shaky breath. 

Why am I so nervous?

Levi glanced at her, noticing every one of her small movements. Her annoyance flared, but thankfully, he made no motion to move by her. He looked like he was about to say something, or like he wanted to say something but couldn’t find the words. After a moment, he turned back to Nile. 

She grimaced. He probably hates talking to me...I’m so young and clueless and he’s so composed. Either that or he’s nervous too—

Suddenly, he stiffened. 

“Nile’s gone.” He whispered. 

Historia tensed. 

“Get ready to move. He’ll be here any second.” Levi motioned her over. 

THUD 

THUD

THUD

Her heart hammered against her chest.

Here we go 

Historia moved to Levi’s side, straining her ears for Nile’s heavy footsteps over the din of the courtyard.  

Carts rumbled down walkways. Birds chirped on tall rooftops. Children laughed and squealed. 

There!

A distinct, hard footfall thumped it’s way over to them. 

She found her throat dry as she swallowed. This was her last chance to change her mind, to cancel the operation. This was her last moment being untouched by the world below. 

Once again, inadequacy struck her. Who was she to boldly announce a rescue operation in a realm she’d never come within a hundred meters of? Who was she to nobly sacrifice for people who didn’t give a crap about her or humanity above the surface?

What if it was all a bad idea? The delusions of a child who had never held true power?

Nile burst into the alleyway, his grey cloak trailing in behind him. They all wore them. Dark and nondescript.

“Let’s go.” He announced. 

A flurry of cloaks and the alley was empty. 

“How long do we have.” Levi asked, pulling his hood over his head as they entered the courtyard. Historia did the same. None of them could afford to be recognized here. That would set them back hours, if not days. Levi didn’t have that time, and she needed him in on this. She was still beyond grateful he was coming at all...even though she had definitely guilt tripped him into it.

“I had some men leave a little wine outside the check in station, just in case.” Nile chuckled, heels clacking against the cobblestones. “It ought to keep them occupied for a while. Lovof might pay his men well, but nobles attract nobles, laziness attracts laziness, and lazy men love their drink.”

Historia couldn’t see Levi’s face with his hood up, but she saw him give a slight nod in Nile’s direction.

“Perfect.” He remarked. “I’m glad we could count on your expertise in alcohol and laziness.”

Nile shot him an annoyed look.

That makes two of us Nile. Historia thought, a half smirk forming on her face. 

They continued across the courtyard.

Their target building stood in the only part of the area that wasn’t busy with customers. Wooden rafters and decorative brick lined the normal looking structure. If Historia hadn’t been told otherwise, she never would have suspected the newer store as a front. 

The Violet Palette the sign on the door read in a fancy script. 

Mannequins lined the store windows, boasting styles and swatches of bright fabrics. Vivid laces and silks draped around flashy dresses, and Historia found it all repulsing. In her opinion, only the finest and most haughty of noble ladies wore such wretched things. Terrible people. 

Although, she noted, maybe the store did give itself away partly. No one would wear the dresses hanging there, let alone buy them. The styles were too outdated. With how picky the nobles she knew were, she felt a flash of pity for the owners of the store.

“Did you trigger the distraction?” Nile asked, skepticism dripping off his voice. He and Levi walked in step just ahead of Historia as they crept along the shaded corners of the courtyard. 

“I know you aren’t one for patience, but it will be sounding off any second now.” Levi pointed out. 

As if on cue, gunshots started ringing through the alleys and side passes. People in the courtyard reacted immediately. Screams and yells echoed right alongside the explosive sounds. 

Smoke started pouring from the alley they’d come from as well as several other side passageways. People flooded from buildings, and seeing the chaos, added their cries to the throng. The courtyard turned to mass panic. Mothers grabbed their children, vendors abandoned their goods. 

Most importantly, the employees of the Violet Palette spilled out onto the street. 

“Tch,” Nile clicked his tongue. “Always so dramatic with you isn’t it.” 

Historia watched people rush past them as they neared the shop. Some brave ones ran into the alley the smoke originated from. Although she and Levi had hid the smoke bomb and cracking powder well, it would be discovered quickly. They didn’t have much time.

“Those men just ran into the alley.” She voiced to her comrades. “We should hurry.”

The three of them ran the last few meters to the shop doorway, which had been left open. Nile ducked inside, but Levi stopped at the frame, motioning her inside ahead of him. She slid into the room, pausing to see what caught his eye.

His gaze was fixed on the setting sun. So intense. So...desperate. As if he was drowning and the sun was his only lifeline. 

It terrified her. 

His eyes flicked to her as if realizing she was watching him. 

“What?” he growled. 

“Are you coming?” She said, covering a flash of embarrassment. 

He didn’t answer, but sighed and moved inside. 

The two of them ducked behind shelves of fabric, moving further into the building. If possible, the dresses that hung here were even more extravagant than the ones in the window. They hung from racks around the small space, billowing and flamboyant. However, now Historia actually found herself grateful for their sleek folds and boisterous skirts. No one would see them from outside.

They located Nile by a door in the back. “It’s got to be somewhere back here…” He muttered under his breath. The hinges creaked as he pushed open a musty storage room.

A blast of cold hit her face. 

“Looks more like a closet to hell than an entrance to the underground.” She remarked.

“Is there a difference?” Levi deadpanned. 

Nile moved ahead of them into the room. “Levi, come help me look in here. It’s completely different with the store renovation, but I think the entrance is in here.”

Levi moved to follow the tall commander, but paused, turning to her. 

“Stay here.” He motioned. “But keep watch and tell us immediately if someone starts coming this way.”

“I will!” She promised.

She folded herself into a rack of dresses, the musty air of day old perfume filling her nostrils. From her vantage point, she could peer out into the activity filled courtyard but still had eyes on the two men in the storage closet. 

The air grew quiet and still, much in contrast with the continued chaos outside. Historia watched as several Military Police appeared, uniforms crisp and clean, confusion lining their brows. One of them, a younger woman with short chopped hair and glasses, questioned a bystanding vendor. Her eyes flashed and she bolted off in the direction of the smoke. Two other officers followed.

The distraction is working. 

Historia allowed herself to let out a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding. 

Although her nerves about the underground came at her with a twisting force, another part of her stressed about being discovered before they even made it down there. If someone from the Military Police or worse, the Scouting Legion, discovered her and the two high ranking officers sneaking around she’d never be allowed to enter the underground district. It would take months to develop a “safe” enough plan for her to travel into the gloomy place. Months that she knew children down there didn’t have.

She huffed at the ridiculousness of it all. The queen, not be allowed to do as she pleased? How much power did she even hold

Plus, Nile and Levi would both suffer great consequences from aiding her in the ‘technically’ illegal conquest. Their ranks would be stripped at best. She didn’t want to consider more terrible fates. 

And it would all be her fault. 

She shook her head, clearing the thoughts from her mind. 

She did another visual sweep of the courtyard when, crap!

One of the vendors outside was talking to a new MP and pointing in the direction of the shop. Alarm growing, she watched as the MP nodded and cautiously made his way over to the exuberant store. 

Suddenly feeling very exposed, despite being folded into a puffy orange flower of a dress, she quietly called out to the men in the room.

“Someone’s coming! An MP!” 

Levi met her anxious expression. He opened his mouth to respond when 

CLICK

A sound, loud enough to echo through the store, rung from the small room.

“Yes!” Nile whooped. 

“Shhhhh!” Historia hissed, ducking out of her hiding spot. She glanced back out the window at the MP only to find him gone.

Where did he go—

CREAK

The front door of the shop groaned open and Historia froze. 

The small room stretched open just meters from her position...across an aisle visible from the front door. 

Levi kept his eyes trained on her, one hand raised toward Nile in a cautious motion. 

Historia saw a gaping black expanse behind an open doorway inside the room. 

They had found the entrance! 

CLACK

CLACK

Footsteps against the unpolished wood floor probed into the store. 

“Who is in here.” The voice of the MP boomed. 

Historia exhaled softly, daring to breathe. She could lie and say she had been dress shopping and hid when she heard the gunshots. Or, she could sneak around the racks and shelves and knock the man out from behind. 

Her eyes flicked to the shadow cast in the golden light of the sun as it approached her position. 

Neither of the options struck her fancy. 

“I SAID WHO IS IN HERE!” The MP shouted again. 

Movement from the storage closet drew her eyes back to Nile. He abruptly pulled his gun from a hidden holster in his boot and quietly moved to the doorframe. Eyes as wide as saucers, Historia watched him bring the gun to his face and cock it. 

She shook her head furiously, but that didn’t stop him from bursting into the aisle, barrel pointed directly at the MP.

“Ahhh!” She heard the MP shout. 

“Hands in the air—Soldier..?” Nile feigned surprise.

“C-commander Dok!” The MP stuttered out. “What are—why—what are you doing?’

Nile relaxed his hold on the pistol, resting the barrel down at the ground. Levi met her eyes again as she visibly relaxed. 

Nile’s got this. He seemed to say. 

“I could ask the same for you. And my apologies for startling you..uh, you have a name soldier?” Nile questioned, gesturing to the MP.

“Coleman Sir! Lance Coleman!” came the reply. 

“Lance, eh?” Nile chuckled. “Well sorry again for that display a moment ago. I was out in the town with my wife and saw three crooks scrounge in here a few minutes back. I came to check the place, but found it empty. When I heard the door open I thought it was one of them coming to off me.”

“Of course not, Sir!” Lance said. “And my sincere apologies too, Sir!”

Nile waved a dismissive hand in the air. “All is forgiven Lance. Just an embarrassing mistake.”

“I was talking to a vendor outside who said there were three people wearing dark clothing that came in here. We think they may have been the ones who caused the disturbance outside.”

“That’s probably the case.” Nile’s brow creased in thought. 

Shit! Historia thought. Nile is wearing dark clothing!

“Well,” Nile continued firmly, “There’s no one in here. I just finished checking the back room when you burst in here. They must have escaped through the window or something.”

Commotion burst from outside, and all of them turned to listen. 

“Sounds like they found something.” Lance voiced. 

“You go on ahead of me.” Nile pointed. “There’s one more thing I want to check before I join you.”

“Of course Sir!” Lance announced before Historia heard the rapid click of his boots leaving the store. 

Nile shook his head, annoyed, after the MP disappeared. 

“Seemed like a good kid. And, if he’s a good cop too, he’ll be back. I don’t think he fully believed me.”

Historia dashed across the aisle and into the small room, grateful for the time Nile bought them. She stopped short, faltering at the entrance to the underground. 

Cool air from the gaping black expanse streamed across her cheeks, rustling the loose strands of her hair that were too short for her ponytail. Light barely touched the deepness, disappearing less than a meter past the doorway. It opened up like a scar in the Earth, the vein of it trailing down its very heart. 

It was terrifying.

And exhilarating. 

This is it. You can’t change your mind now. 

She took one step, then another. Her feet crossed the threshold, while her heart screamed at her to turn back. 

Nile trailed in behind her, shutting the door to the entrance behind them with a hiss. The light from the evening sunlight disappeared entirely leaving them stranded in thick blackness. 

Historia tried to suppress a shiver.

She heard Levi and Nile shuffling into the expanse and moved to follow them. Ice crawled up her veins. 

Oh my god...it’s so dark!

She couldn’t breathe. 

There was no air in here. 

Instead of thinking rationally, she reached her hands out in blind panic, scrambling for something, anything, solid in the darkness. 

Her right hand smacked into something soft. 

“Oi,” Levi’s voice hissed from her right. “Are you trying to take out my back?”

Her face flushed.

“Sorry!” She whispered immediately, jerking her hand away. “I-I just—I can’t see a thing!”

“Please tell me you brought a torch.” Nile’s dry voice came from her left. “And tell me you weren’t planning on us literally walking blindly to our deaths. 

Historia didn’t dare take another step forward. She heard movement from the right and then gasped as a hand gently wrapped around her left arm. 

“Relax.” Levi sounded near her ear. “It’s just me.”

Hands trembling, she tried to calm her furiously beating heart. “Sorry!” She breathed again. 

She heard more movement then Nile let out a choked breath. 

“What are you—?” He hissed. “Oh hell no! No offense, low pockets, but you’re the last person I want to hold hands with.”

“Fine by me.” Levi retorted in a low voice. “I’d rather see you walk off the side of the stairs to your death anyways.”

More shuffling. 

“I’ll just—er...hold your cloak.” Nile said.

Historia could practically see Levi rolling his eyes. 

“Come on.” the shorter man said. “Let’s go.”

He began moving forward, lightly pulling on her wrist as he did so. Historia stumbled a little moving further into the darkness.

How can he be so confident?

Her body stopped shaking, but she still shivered every few seconds. 

“Stairs.” Levi warned. 

She froze, stretching out an unsteady foot. The uneven ground disappeared before her, and as she lowered her foot into dark uncertainty, it finally made contact with another low patch of familiar rocky ground. 

She let out a shaky breath.

I can do this. 

Levi slowed, seeming to understand her hesitancy. Her next foot fell downward until connecting with her second step down the underground stairway. 

Then the next step passed under her and the next one. 

She grasped onto Levi’s guiding hand, hoping he wouldn’t notice the death-like intensity it held. The stairs were moderately steep, but in the cool darkness each one felt like a slick boulder, waiting for her to slip and fall to her doom.

Eventually, the air around them grew denser, as if hitting a wall. Their footsteps stopped echoing in the void, and they came to a stop.

Levi let go of her hand, and she stifled a gasp. She was all alone in complete darkness.

“There’s a door here,” He said. “Hang on.”

Historia was glad no one could see her face or feel her heart trembling. The walls she couldn’t see pressed in on her, trapping her. Suffocating. 

CLICK  

HISS  

A crack in the darkness opened and...

Light. 

Beautiful light. 

It slugged its way into the tunnel, orange like fire, illuminating the rock walls like feeble moonlight. 

She tripped over herself hurrying towards it. 

The three of them spilled out onto a wooden landing in a larger tunnel. Bright, fiery torches lined the walls, lit every few meters. The landing led to, unsurprisingly, more stairs, which trailed on downwards. 

Despite the torchlight, the air chilled her to the bone. 

“How far down do we have to go?” She dared to ask.

“Until the air isn’t fresh and you feel like you’ll never be warm again.” Levi’s expressionless face peered down the stairs.

Nile mouthed my god and rolled his eyes. “It’s not much further Princess.” He winked, trying to lighten the mood. “They didn’t renovate this part. We just go down this passage and BOOM! Underground city!”

“Oh wow, that close?” She appreciated his attempt to keep the atmosphere light, but her stomach twisted relentlessly anyways.

“Yep!” He said, popping the ‘p’. “But look at the bright side, at least we don’t have to hold hands anymore."

Levi glared as he shut the door to the landing with a CLANG that echoed down the brick-lined tunnel.

“Are you all done chatting or should we keep waiting here?”

“Shorty’s right.” Nile announced, cracking his back. “Best not to stand around. Shall we?” He gestured downwards.

“Lead the way.” Historia smiled.

He chuckled, jumping down to the first steps. She followed a moment later, Levi bringing up the rear.

Despite the light, none of them spoke as they descended through the dim tunnel, as if they were trudging to a funeral. Historia found her mind wandering yet again. What awaited them at the bottom of the steps? What lives would they change? Would any of them expect their queen to fall so low as to bring them up from the dust?

She decided it wasn't danger that filled her with unease. How could it with her present company? She trusted the two men with unwavering confidence. Unless something went drastically wrong, which was unlikely, their safety was guaranteed. 

No, it wasn’t thugs or knives that scared her.

If anything, the thing that kept her awake at night, that set her heart trembling and filled her with doubt was herself.

Was she really brave enough to face this, or was it all a mask that would crumble at the first sight of trouble?

The stairs evened out onto another landing, cutting off her thoughts. A metal door awaited them, dull gray and bricked into the wall. 

Nile strode up to it, pulling at the handle. It swung open easily, revealing an unknown dimness on the other side. Not dark per say, but she couldn’t make out anything except vague shapes.

“Well, here we are.” He announced proudly, as if he was showing them something he’d created himself. “Not too bad of a view, is it?”

She walked through the the door and immediately lost her ability to speak.

Levi took three steps out of the door, past her, and stopped dead in his tracks. 

“Shit.” he announced. 

“Is that the only word in your vocabulary?” Nile scoffed, moving to stand beside him.

Historia pushed them out of her way, unable to believe her eyes. 

The city.

Amidst the gloomy dampness, the underground city stood like an old resolute house against a windstorm. It spread across the massive space like a wildfire, burning with color and life. Spires, buildings, and towers stacked up onto rocky slopes and down cliffs. Hundreds. Thousands! All cowering under the cavernous ceiling as giant stalagmite-like columns stretched from the ground to high above them. Streets carved their way through the void, lights twinkling through all of them.

Darkness loomed around every edge, a reminder of the eternal night of the underground. 

“It’s...it’s...huge…” She breathed. 

“What did you expect?” Nile retorted.

She opened her mouth to answer then shut it. She didn’t know what she’d been expecting...but it certainly hadn’t been this.

This changes everything . . .

“Still have that death wish of yours?” Levi drawled. “You might understand better now, this won’t be an easy operation. It’s not too late to turn—”

“No.” Historia answered with more firmness than she felt. 

If we turn around now I’ll never come back.

“We’re not turning back. We can’t” She finished. 

Levi shrugged as if to say suit yourself. “In that case, let me give you a proper introduction.”

He flourished an arm dramatically over the expanse, drawing her eyes to each area of it.

“Your Majesty . . . welcome . . . to the City of Hell.”

Chapter Text

Levi Ackerman

Permanent. 

It was everywhere. Not just in the air. Not just on his skin. It was in his eyes. Lungs. Etched into his soul. 

Winter underground was hell without fire. 

Don’t move. Don’t breathe. Don’t sleep. Don’t touch anything. And don’t cry unless you want to scrape frozen salt off your face.

Infinite. 

Sometimes the cold was like an awful headache. Blossoming in the night. Creeping like a wraith, dismissed as a shadow. Only when it was too late, you were rushed upon in pounding crushing waves. Oh, that you could have run when you had the chance. Killed the parasite before it colonized. All you could do was clutch your head and wait for the pain to pass. Or wait for someone to find your body. 

Dominating. In every way. 

Of course it wasn’t always cold. Sometimes a frigid ache could burn like an open wound. Sometimes a shiver tore mercilessly across his tense shoulders and down his bony spine, ripping limbs out of whatever ineffectual cocoon was most comfortable. Whatever. 

He’d stopped shivering days ago. 

What replaced spasms of shivering was worse. The shell of callous “unfeeling” in his fingers and legs was sidelined by a horrible throbbing pounding in Levi’s head. 

It felt...swollen. Like his brain was too big for his skull. Every shallow beat in his heart was echoed with a cacophony behind his eyes. “Cold, cold, cold,” it screamed. 

Pain, really, was the repeating factor here. It was...

Eternal. 

Winter underground reigned indefinitely. With definite judgement. 

Levi dared open his eyes. It was hard to learn that dwelling on pain made him suffer for it twice. But he DID learn that lesson. He’d been forced to learn it. Pain is temporary unless you give it power. Then it lasts forever. So don’t dwell on it!

He needed to focus his attention somewhere that wasn’t his crescendoing headache. A distraction. 

Well...

He could almost pretend it was night. Not this filthy room. Could make himself believe he couldn’t see the stars because of clouds and trees, and a roof. Not whatever was silently screaming through the gloom at him. Whatever lived in these deep corners. 

Maybe the smell was some kind of animal. A big one. Big enough to pervade all the air. Not the sweat and rot and feces. 

No rats. No insects. No street fights. Scuffling blind in the dim. Those were… people. Noisy people. But harmless. 

If he shifted from side to side just enough, it was like feeling the open air above ground. Yes, that’s it. Side to side. Just the wind… just the wind….

A COLD wind. NO!

Levi stopped swaying and held his breath. His head throbbed torturously and his hands listlessly moved up to hold his temples. He’d lost precious heat by moving his arms.

Shit. 

No wind was better than cold wind. The pain cold inflicts was the same above ground as it was below. Levi was absolutely certain of this, even as his eyes fluttered closed. 

What would I give to not feel anything at all?

“...Everything,” he whispered, somber. He was sure even the rats couldn’t hear him. Levi wedged his head between his knobby knees, as his tears froze to the ground.

________________________

Levi kneaded the side of his head irritably at the memory. A recurring twinge had been bombarding him since… 

Since the stairs. Since he watched the sun blip out of existence. 

It stole his breath to think of how fragile the light had been. How easily its existence shattered, and how quickly darkness rained down around him. 

It’s not going to last forever! The faster we get something in place the faster I’m out. I WILL leave soon. 

He shook his head, adjusting his pace as he led Nile and Historia forward on the dingy street. They’d snuck past the cheap security at the bottom of the stairs and were now deep in the heart of the city, heading to an inn where they would set up camp for the time being.

Levi knew the route without needing a map. He knew every street. And the longer he was down here, the more it all came flooding back to him

The underground was the bad afterthought of a heedless day. The years had brought the old buildings, unhonored age, and trademarked the title “humanity’s most slovenly” with nauseating pride.

It had a preeminence for being repugnant, vibrating with the egregious. It was the irremovable stinking stain upon the already filthy tapestry of history inside the walls. Notable even among the unthreadable gory chucks of mass death and nobility injustices. 

And it couldn’t have felt more like home—

Shut up! It’s not!

Levi blinked rapidly as heavy drunken feet rounded every innumerable stone step. Every wooden board was covered in a thick sheen of something else. Whether it be spit, sweat, dirt, or something even less welcome, peeling one layer just uncovered a different layer of rot. Same for the people. Past any wintry exterior was the coat after coat of pain and sickness that caused it. 

It was disheartening how quickly he found himself caught up in it again. 

He couldn’t deny how accustomed he’d grown to the sun. Despite the lifetime suffered here against the few short years living above ground. It was the warmth. The light…

Needless to say, he’d been resisting the urge to look up, like a reformed addict runs from their vice. But the hard truth was slowly sinking in like the beat of his footfall. He would only last as long as he pretended to not be where he currently was.

...His illusion was strained. 

No, it was dying. Reality bleeding through. 

It would be comical to watch someone pretend not to be exactly where they were, if it wasn’t such a nightmare.

And indeed, the voice in his head laughed at him. How long do you think you can keep this up for?

Long enough. He growled back. 

Historia and Nile remained quiet as they rounded another corner, heading deeper into the city. Every step carried them further from the stairway and deeper into the jungle of buildings with garbage for weeds and people with dead eyes replacing the wildlife.

Someone screamed directly into Levi’s ear. It was starting to get on his nerves, the way it grated and twisted, scalding his pounding brain. 

“Bread and flour only five-“

“-if you have coin!”

“Mr. Jamison can fix any-“

Another few people slammed into him—none too gently—making his progress through the crowd constantly off kilter, slow, and left him in such a dense cloud of annoyance he was only a few moments from breaking face. 

If anyone gets to close, all bets are off. To hell with blowing our cover.

He skillfully side-stepped a few others and hurried on his way.

On the main roads, it was shameful to leave an inch of space unused. Whatever vendors couldn’t find a home lining the edge of the street leached into the road where people walked. Like warts on an ugly face. 

They crowded into him like a plague, stealing the air he breathed.

Saying that Levi didn’t care for physical contact was a vast understatement. The sheer amount of people constantly pushing and pressing around him made his skin crawl . It elucidated what he thought the inside of a titan’s stomach must feel like. 

 What was worse was what every person trailed behind them. 

Their smell. 

They could be piss poor, have less than a threadbare shirt to cover their back, but still carry a scent lethal enough to kill droves of titans. 

Indeed there wasn’t a soul Levi passed on the street that didn’t tempt him to break off his own nose. The unsavory, unwanted details of the food they ate, the places they lived, and how long it had been since they’d taken a sanitary shit were all made chokingly obvious to him. 

Good thing I didn’t ask for help from M—

He cringed. It was too soon, too soon. Much to soon.

From Mike He’d wanted to say. But he couldn’t—no, wouldn’t. 

But what I wouldn’t give to have him here…

Levi felt his features flatten, and his shoulders slump. Suddenly instead of glowering at the thousands of filthy faces passing him, he was staring at two thousand slime encrusted foot coverings. 

Yes, he decided. This was a mistake. All of it.

An hour into their mission and he already decided he needed to go home. 

He could tell Historia he was sick. That would work, though he had never faked an illness before. But dealing with her and Nile for a week would be enough to make his already pounding head double in intensity. Maybe he could use that as an excuse. A reason to leave this sorry excuse for a massive shit hole.

Speaking of, where are…

Levi curbed his aggressive pushing through the crowd to look over his shoulder. Like a heavy stone thrown in a river, he sunk to a stop.

Where…Damnit! Where are Historia and Nile? They were right behind me!

Levi pivoted, hunting for his companions, eyes darting like a nervous rabbit between disorganized rows of heads. The growing flame in his head burgeoned and flickered. He ignored it. 

If you need to find Historia and Nile, you won’t have any luck in the middle of the damn road. 

Nodding, Levi made his way towards the side of the street, where the current of people was more ebb than a flow. 

Levi had visited the slums of several cities above ground before. Each was an unpleasant experience, but in each he found the same hardened look on the faces of the people that lived there. They were the poor, the lower class, the criminals and the orphans alike. 

But they all had one thing that the people here did not.

They all had life in their eyes, 

Under the veil of the underground, this city spun like a revolting churn. The people stopped looking human. 

No one ever sought this place. It existed for nothing but dirty money grabs. Existing  here was like getting a prison sentence. Because the world knew.

It was a nightmare. A never ending coma, stuck forever in terror and darkness. Only those most lucky woke up to see the sun and taste pure air.

The longer you stay, the less likely it is you’ll ever wake up again. 

Scowling, Levi lifted his scarf around his nose. There were few things in this world that he reserved his spite for. The underground was one of them.

Don’t dwell on it, fool. No one forced you to come back. So at least have the decency to NOT screw it up. How did you even manage to lose them so fast? 

The crowds moved and swayed, drunken around him, impartial to his spike of panic and unease until—

SLAM

Levi grunted in shock when someone collided with his side

“HEY,” a voice hissed with venom,” WATCH IT ASSHOLE!”

What the hell piece of—

Looming in front of him was a monster. All the words Levi had ever learned to describe powerful underground scum swirled in his mind now.

Gruff, evil, threatening,

The man’s dark brows crested lower when Levi didn’t respond to his malevolent commentary. 

Huge, heavyweight, filthy, split-knuckled, gold toothed, bloodridden

The monster cracked his neck like the start of an avalanche, and made a fist. His beady eyes narrowed on Levi for a moment. 

Frigid exterior, COLD, cold, cold, cold, with a cold fire that doesn't emit any light. He is the underground.

But then he was straightening, and pushing Levi to the side before leaving him in the dust and disappearing into the crowd. 

Levi, staring after him, made no move to brush off the encounter. His head was crushed by the voice ringing in it. 

Don’t be so surprised, Ackerman. You’ve looked colder than that.

“No…” he whispered. He felt his surroundings fade as the whirlwind in his head sucked him under. 

Oh, but you did, didn’t you! You still have that same cold—

Levi desperately wished the voice in his head would stop reminding him how truthfully comfortable he felt here. Like the underground sang in harmony with his very soul. 

It’s almost like you missed it—

No! 

Levi growled like a feral animal. The throb in his skull spiked.

Shut. The hell. Up. Never think that again. He asserted his consciousness.

Find. Historia.

He took a deep breath. 

Find. Nile.

Another.

And get. The hell. Out of here. 

And kept walking. 

A vantage point. That was what he needed. Somewhere to get a higher perspective of the goddamn street and the sludge of creatures moving through.

And... there!

Scanning around him, Levi spotted a slope ahead and to the left. He immediately ducked through the tangle of limbs and faces, not wanting to spend a minute more in the crowd. 

He shook off a shiver, his body struggling to decide if it was cold or numb. To feel pain or skip straight to shock. He couldn’t shake the feeling of a toxic sickness sticking in the corners and cavernous ceilings. It clung to everything.

It's a goddamn shitty existence. 

There were plenty of other words for it, but Levi knew those ones fit best. Not that he needed to spare it a sober thought. 

Levi passed a corner market, sneering at the distasteful selection of “food.” Past that, a corridor opened up, trailing onward before steeply dropping off into—

He froze. 

The buildings on either side of the drop off towered over it like dark stilts propping open a gaping mouth. It seemed to grow as he stood still as a statue back on the street. The crowds moved around him, jostling him and cursing at his ignorance of them. 

But he couldn’t hear them. 

Because screeching cries from the void at the end of the alley screamed up at him. Their voices grated on his nerves, clawing at his sanity. 

Mom…

His body parts were shutting down, one by one.

The oppressive darkness crowed into him in ways the people on the street never could. It seeped into his heart. His lungs. 

Can’tbreathecan’tbreathe...

The void was so dark that Levi suspected god himself could have had dipped his brush into the lightest parts and come back with the color black.

The path to the Island lay before him, and he couldn’t be more terrified.

________________________

The Island. That’s what they called the area Levi grew up in. Ironic, right? Lowest of the low. In elevation and in concept. The deepest darkest dirtiest part of the underground. Isolated in its filth, and alone in its silent dilatory devastation.

An island, sure. 

Island of scum.

The salt in an open wound. The runt in a pack of vultures. 

Three murders a night. Eight in the day. You were rich if your income came with four walls around you. 

Most people did business in the alleyway. 

Most people slept in the alleyway.

Most ate out of it. 

Everyone died there. 

Levi struggled to contain his fear of such a fate while his heart burst out of his chest. He tried to become part of the background. 

Don’t find me—pleasepleaseplease—I’m not here. Damn it, I NEED this if I want to eat this week, so walk PAST me, PLEA-

Levi hunched over, listening, as a pair of panting ragged adults ripped into the alley. 

No luck.

He searched frantically for an exit at the far side, already aware that it was fruitless. He knew this area better than his mother's- no. No, no, no...than his own face. There was no exit. 

“Little rat ran in here…”

Levi’s turned his head slowly, so as to not alert the people of his location. His eyes were wider than the holes in his shirt. 

CRACK! 

The other had lost his patience, and threw something into the wall. A barrel maybe. 

“Get out here NOW, ya stupid bug, and we’ll only whip ya a little!”

Shaking his head, Levi sidled backwards farther into the dim corridor. 

There’s no way they’d let me live after what I stole. 

His foot smooshed into something. When he gazed down, he gagged and screamed at the same time, resulting in a small pained whine. 

No, no, no. It’s horrible! Why-

“Wait, Wait, Wait!... Hear that?”

Levi stopped the noise immediately. 

He just stared down at his feet. Petrified. 

The damage, however, had already been done. Heavy booted footsteps raced towards him faster than a slashing knife. 

There was no time to think. 

If there had been, Levi would be dead. 

He dropped to his hands and crawled inside…

Skin tore. Something oozed into the rancid pool on the ground. White clattered together. 

Levi held his breath. Closed his eyes. Waited. 

The footsteps came closer. A muffled voice was reeling in angry confusion.

Don’t think about it. Dontthinkaboutit! DONTTHINKABOUTIT!

His head started to pound. He needed oxygen. Soon. He kept almost perfectly still. Still as the grave...

Still as the massive corpse he was hiding inside. 

Something crawled down his arm, but he didn’t dare move to brush it off. 

The voice of one of the adults got closer, then closer again. It sounded like he was standing right over him. 

“Damned idiot! Can’t spot a damn runt? It’s my ass on the line too you know! I can’t believe you just- aaaargh!”

And then the corpse' head was flying off. Levi felt it distantly, like it was a shadow of his own body.

Something gory slipped from the ceiling of his hiding place as the corpse was jostled, and splattered on his face. 

It slid over his eyelid and across the bridge of his nose, like a wet tongue. 

It’s too much! I can’t take it anymore!

Levi had never scrambled away from something faster. Not even when his life depended on it. 

________________________

I hate this place. 

Another wave of red hot rain diffused over his brain. It felt like someone was wrapping his head in a blanket made of pins and needles. He took a deep breath, barely hearing the young voice calling distantly at his back. 

“ Hey! Slow down, or we’ll lose you!”

Scowling, Levi lifted his scarf around his nose.

Don’t dwell on it, fool. No one forced you to come back. 

He pivoted briskly away from the road to the Island, twisting back into the foot traffic. 

And we will NOT be going down there so forget about it—

“LEVI! ”

He whirled to face the voice, now screeching directly in his ear.

Leave me ALONE!

Historia’s blue eyes shone under her cowell. Nile towered close behind her. 

“What?” He gasped. 

The sludge of people moved around them, leaving a hole in the endless river of filth.

“We almost lost you.” She accused. “Slow down a little, will you?”

Levi only now realized how fast his heart hammered in his chest. How pathetic had he become in such a short amount of time? That an old path to his home—NO! It was never a home. And it shouldn’t have this effect on him!

He make a—tsk— with his teeth and turned away, afraid that if he tried to say something his voice might give out. Blessedly, neither of them said anything else as they followed close to his back.

The sound of their footsteps behind him drummed into his head reminding him of why he was here. He let it ground him, telling his heart that, no, they were not stuck here and no, they would not be going to the Island. 

It was all just bad memories. Nightmares. Nothing to dwell on.

So he shook it off.

The three pressed on, thankfully leaving the Island far behind as they trekked to the Riverfront district. The thrall of people diminished the further out they went, and the buildings even grew more and more scarce.

Here, the underground delved into tunnels, each burrowing into the depths of earth like massive worms searching for food. Levi knew they connected to other stairways eventually. Those ones were manned by Military Police, but he longed to run to them. To leave this all behind.

Nile and Historia remained silent for most of their journey, doing nothing to keep his mind occupied as they took in the city with mixed reactions. Nile, understandably, walked with suspicion in his step. He subtly eyed around street corners and into empty doorways, always watching for danger.

Historia, on the other hand, looked horrified. She tucked her arms around herself, hugging in close as if trying to keep the touch of the deep off of her. It was futile, of course, but that didn’t make it any easier to see her cringe away from each unsavory sight.

Which left Levi with his own trembling thoughts until they finally reached their destination.

“Is this it?” Historia asked, eying the tavern.

“Yes,” He answered, grateful for the distraction. “People leave this area alone. It’s an unspoken rule. We’ll be safe from most things here.”

The Riverside Tavern and Inn proudly attested to the fact. Siting poised on the side of a burbling dark expanse of water, it let it’s welcoming architecture and design advertise for it. It had slanted roofs and cottage-like shutters stretching across the double floors. Wrapped around the front of the building was a porch that descended to the river and transformed into a small dock. The light from within was warm and welcoming, contrasting sharply against the dank blue and brown everything else around them held. To Levi, it was like seeing something in color after prolonged exposure to black and white.

He beelined towards it like a moth to a flame. 

The door swung open with a squeak, alerting the desk worker to their presence. He looked up as they walked in, curious. 

Levi took an extra long look around the main room to judge its cleanliness. A bright fire cheerfully burned in the hearth of the main room, lighting the space along with many smaller candles placed in lanterns on the wall. Piles of newspapers stacked by the door fluttered as the cool air from outside invaded the warm space. A small table and a few chairs decorated the room aside from the desk and the worker who they walked up to.

Levi wanted so achingly to run to the fire and let it melt off the chill in his bones. No matter how he turned or shifted, the cold seeped in like a window left open in the winter.

“I need to book a stay for myself and my two children.” Nile announced, reaching the desk worker.

Levi scowled at him from behind his scarf.

Children? Since when was that our cover story?

“Certainly.” The worker agreed, grabbing a paper and pen. “And how long would you like to stay?”

Nile glanced at Historia while speaking. “At least a week. Potentially more.”

Levi stared at the wood paneling of the floor. A week. A week in the underground. Could he—would he make it?

No. Don’t be ridiculous , he scolded himself. Erwin will send for you before a week is up. 

He had to. Levi was sure that any longer than that and he would regret coming in the first place.

He shifted his gaze as Nile talked logistics with the worker.

The trickling sounds from the river were muted inside the lobby, but he could still pick out the noise amidst the din of the room. Resisting the urge again, he strolled past the fire over to the window of the lobby to catch a look outside.

The world beyond the filthy window was dark, reminding the sinking pit in his stomach that they were so very far from home.

He frowned, cupping his hands against the glass to peer through again. Now, he could clearly make out several spots of light around the bank of the river. A crumbling brick river wall formed the path that the river followed. It’s inky blackness reflected only the barest pricks of light from lamps and windows. It traced into the endless night, circling back towards the heart of the city.

In a strange way it was beautiful. The same way that winter sunsets captured color in just the right way, despite the killing cold they required. Ereathrial and unique. 

Something flickered in the corner of his eye. He glanced back at Nile, noticing Historia’s awkward stiff pose. She was so out of place, so far removed from anything resembling normal. He pitied her. Really.

He moved his eyes back outside.

The glare from the light within was terrible. Levi pressed his face up as close as he dared against the smudged, foreign surface. The windows hadn’t seen a good cleaning in weeks, he decided. The reflection of his face glared back at him, worse than a moment before. He could clearly see the outlines of his eyes, staring back from within his cloak. The dark outlines of his scarf and hood made his skin look deathly white and—

The eyes blinked.

Levi gasped, pushing away from the window. He tangled his limbs as he scrambled away, barely catching himself from a meeting with the ground.

WHATTHEHELL

Every eye in the room turned to him, all conversation stopping dead.

“Something is outside!” He yelped. 

Nile’s eyes immediately narrowed as Historia moved closer to him. 

Levi pulled a knife from his boot, slowly moving up against the wall. He toed closer and closer to the window, ready to pull it open in a single motion. 

He and Nile locked eyes. The commander nodded.

Levi jerked his arm forward and pushed the glass pane outward, knife brandished threateningly.

The cool air from outside trickled in, brushing locks of hair against his ear. Nothing else stirred. The distant sounds of the river along the quiet din of the underground was all that existed beyond the walls.

What..?

“I—I swear I saw something.” He stammered, bringing himself back around. “A face. It was watching us.” 

“A face?” Nile asked, still poised for an attack. “What did it look like?”

The innkeeper scoffed at his table. “It’s unlikely you saw anyone. We have contracts with merchants above ground. Thugs mess with us and they don’t get fed.” He straightened a stack of papers that the breeze from the window had jostled. “Is this your first time underground? You’re the jumpiest customer I’ve had in weeks.”

Levi bristled at the comment, but he found himself unable to answer. “I could have sworn…” 

He stuck his head back outside, eyes gleaning over every patch of light. They lingered over every dark area, straining to see anything shifting or moving, but there was nothing.

“Levi.” Nile called. Levi looked back and saw the commander giving him a look that said tell me later, but leave it for now.

He suppressed a shiver, scratching his head at a new spike of pain. 

“Pardon the interruption.” Nile turned back to the man, “But yes, we can pay in full.”

Levi pulled the latches to the window shut, trying to process what had just happened. He moved back to the center of the room, frowning as Historia joined him. 

“What did you see?” She pressed, eyes wide.

“I don’t know.” He shook his head, “I—I thought it was someone...or something. I don’t know.” 

She stared at him, hands trembling as she tugged her cloak in closer.

But Levi’s mind couldn’t erase the image of someone else's eyes staring back at him.

Chapter Text

Levi Ackerman

10 days later

Levi gagged, splashing through another puddle of shit. The putrid liquid sloshed onto his shoes and pants with a vengeance. The stains would be a nightmare to wash out, but he had other problems to worry about. 

Like the men following him.

Well, chasing was a better word for it.

Darting through a crowd of people, he pushed over boxes and toppled wagons in his haste. He had to GET AWAY. They would kill him. 

The people cried out, shocked. He didn’t care. The cavernous ceiling of the underground hung over him like a dark cloud, closing in on him like the men behind him.

The air froze against his exposed cheeks, his neck, and collarbones. It rippled through his clothes like mist, chilling him to the bone. 

He ran harder. 

Without ODM gear he felt stuck. Trapped, like a bird with its wings cut off. How had he ever managed without it? 

Turning down a less crowded street, he gasped for breath. His lungs were on fire. He’d been running for what seemed like hours.

His feet slammed into the dirt, one after the other. Over and over, kicking up dust in his wake. They would know where he went. He couldn’t lose them like this. 

He growled, glancing back. 

Indeed, a flurry of dark cloaks flashed around the corner, closing in behind him. Three of four of them, eyes dark and faces unreadable, pursued him like vultures. Terrifying, death-like vultures. 

His instincts absolutely screamed in his mind. He had to MOVE. 

He cut sharply around another corner.

Then stopped short with a gasp.

The small alley between two short buildings dropped off abruptly to a sheer cliff. Barely a meter from the tips of Levi’s shoes was nothing but open air. Open air and a one way trip to the slums below.

The Island.

No no no no no no no no…

The black hooded men appeared in the alley entrance.

Levi whipped his head to face them. He bared his teeth, growling like a cornered animal. The ground shook as the men stalked towards him.

“Levi Ackerman…” The nearest one groaned. His voice sounded like a man with burnt lungs gasping for air. “You can’t escape this…you can’t escape US!”

Levi’s chest tightened. He scooped up a rock from the ground, hefting it in what he hoped was a threatening way.

“Who are you?” He growled, hating how his voice held a little tremor.

A second shadowy figure spoke. “We are everything you wish to avoid…”

“...Everything you HATE!” The one behind him said. 

Levi reared the rock back, prepping it to throw. Maybe he could knock one of them out and in the confusion he could leap up to one of the roofs and—

“LEVI!"

Levi whirled his head around at the new voice. 

Historia locked eyes with him from a new scene that appeared to his left. She knelt in front of a small building, a bar from the looks of it, with her arms wrapped around a large cage. Levi swore he’d seen the place before, but his attention was pulled away by the look in the young queen’s eyes. They were wild with fear, and, Levi now saw that the cage was filled with two small sobbing children. 

“LEVI PLEASE!” The young queen pleaded. “YOU HAVE TO HELP US!” 

No sooner than she had spoken the words, one of the hooded men appeared behind her, knife in hand. He plunged it into her, burying it up to the dirt encrusted hilt. The point of the blade protruding out of Historia’s chest.

Levi’s heart skipped a beat, shock rocking him in his heels.

Historia gasped, blood dripping down her pristine white dress. She turned to him, utter betrayal written across her face.

“You couldn’t save us...” She whispered the words, but somehow Levi heard every syllable as if they were crashing directly into his ear drums.

A clawed hand grabbed his wrist.

He gasped, looking back in terror as another of the hooded men grabbed his other arm. He immediately twisted, pulling his arms from them, but they possessed impossible strength.

“Historia!” He screamed.

“Now you must fall…” The first one said. “Goodbye Captain Levi. Wake up in HELL!”

Before Levi could take another breath, he was forced back and pushed off the ledge. The air, something he normally felt so free in, captured him in its sticky blackness. He plummeted towards the buildings below. 

You couldn’t save us…

Historia’s eyes permanently etched themselves into his mind. He had failed her. After he had sworn to protect her, he had failed.

He crashed into the ground with a jerk. Everything in his body broke, simultaneously. The pain was beyond indescribable, and Levi felt his consciousness being ripped away from his physical self. 

Images flashed in his mind. His mother, the brothel they’d lived in. Furlan, Isobel, a thousand other faces he’d known. Kenny. Empty plates, rats, piles of corpses like garbage stacked in the streets. A bar and unknown faces, a fight.

And then everything went black.

________________________

Levi awoke with a gasp, pushing himself backwards so abruptly that the chair he’d been sitting in crashed to the ground with him in it.

He groaned, pressing a hand to his head.

He’d been dreaming. 

“That’s all it fucking was.” He breathed. “A fucking dream.” He choked back a laugh. It had felt so real.

His heart raced in his chest as he lay on his toppled chair on the floor in their room at the Riverside Inn. The dream was already starting to fade, and Levi now realized how ridiculous most of it was. But still, the image of Historia was...disturbing.

He sighed, glancing around the room.

As far as places he’d stayed in underground, this one really wasn’t bad. It had a main room, a bathroom, and two bedrooms, one they’d given to Historia and one that Nile and he shared. Though, Levi preferred to sleep at the table in the main room. The rooms were plain and sparsely furnished. Cheap candle holders presented the only light therein. Levi’s mother would have said they were kings if they had lived in such a place.

He sat up, trying to ignore the throbbing pain in his head. He looked at his hands, sure that they would be trembling, but they seemed to hide his inner shakiness. A little more pale than normal but not bad. He was still wearing his clothes from the day before, dark trousers and cotton shirt. His shoes were even still on.

With difficulty, he pushed himself off the floor. The wood seemed to suck the heat out of his body. He turned, grabbing a match and lighting one of the candles on the table. 

Dim light flooded the room, casting shadows across the walls.

Levi picked the chair up off the floor and slumped back into it.

He was exhausted. A quick glance at the clock told him he’d only been asleep for maybe two hours. He must have drifted off after Nile and Historia had turned in. The long hours they’d been toiling over the past week and a half weren’t wearing him down like he wished they would. He would never admit it, but he envied his companions being able to escape this eternal nightmare and actually sleep.

He sighed again running a hand through his hair. His stomach churned like he had drunk a glass of the sewage outside with dinner, reminding him of something else he refused to admit. 

He felt absolutely physically horrible in every way.

It had all started small, just a buzzing headache. No big deal. He got them all the time, and he usually slept them off. But this one had been there to greet him, like an old friend, when they entered the underground. It had stuck around like an unwanted quest ever since. 

Then had come the bouts of nausea. They were bad, oh, they were so awful. He could barely stand the stench of everything. Body odor mixed with cigarette smoke and piss all thrown together with the perfume of decaying corpses. He gagged every time they stepped outside. It made his appetite a bad joke, an afterthought that vanished like smoke. 

But he honestly preferred that to the panic attacks. He’d tried to keep them low key, but Nile and Historia had been catching on. It was the looks they gave him...like he was fragile. Like his knees might give out at any second.

But no, after ten days back underground, he was ready to leave it behind. All of it. 

He looked at the table where he’d fallen asleep. A few papers and a map lay scattered across it. One paper had Levi’s own scratchy handwriting scrawled across it. Their list of potential leads. 

Every line on the list was crossed out with a jagged line. 

As his stomach threatened to make him vomit, Levi wondered if reality was any less of a nightmare than his actual dreams had been.

Over the last ten days, they had trekked through every district of the city, climbed every street, looked through every tenement and makeshift orphanage and for what? They had helped no one. Not a single soul.

There were no children to be found. No orphans ran the streets, at least, not like he remembered. Sure, there were a plethora of homeless scum, even entire families out on their luck, but no children.

They’d gone undercover in gangs, trying to probe for information. They had volunteered at makeshift soup kitchens, taken part in religious charity gatherings, hung around the streets like beggars, and even tracked down several of Levi’s old contacts, but they had come up empty handed. 

He found it beyond frustrating. Not only was he of little to no use, but he didn’t see an end in sight for the operation.

And...though he felt terrible for it, everyday he hoped—no, he was desperate for Armin to send word for him. That Erwin finally needed him back at HQ. That he could leave this hell and return to life.

But, day after day passed with no letter. No leads. No children.

He was ready to give up. Captain Levi. Completely done with this shit.

But…

Levi couldn’t lie. Despite the lack of progress, he felt like they were walking right past all the answers they were looking for. Like they were close enough that it was dancing right under their noses...

Maybe one more day...he could fake being okay for another day? Couldn’t he?

He jumped as the door to Historia’s room creaked open.

The candle light illuminated a messy bun of blonde hair poking out, followed by the queen's young face a second later. The expression written across her eyes spoke murder, but her mouth said:

“What are you doing?”

Awake as he was, Levi could not for the life of him think of a single excuse to justify sitting alone at the table at the ungodly hour of morning. His mind sludged through reason after reason, pausing thankfully to note that while upset, Historia was very much alive and not dead like in his dream.

“Nothing.” He finally said.

Neither of them said anything as they stared at each other across the room. 

Historia yawned, glancing at the clock. “Shouldn’t you be asleep?” 

He raised his eyebrows a fraction of a millimeter.

“What?” She moved out of the doorway to cross her arms at him. She wore a plain dark nightgown which exposed most of her arms, unintentionally mocking how cold Levi felt. 

“I apologize for the noise just now,” Levi said, realizing he probably woke her up, “But you can go back to sleep.”

“What, so you can sit out here and sulk in the dark by yourself?”

“I’m not sulking.”

“Then why are you awake?”

“Why do you care?”

Historia kept staring at him.

“Are you still going with Nile tomorrow?” He sighed, anxious to change the subject. “To the outpost?”

“I already told you. I can’t.”

“We can come up with an excuse. We won’t blow your cover.”

“It’s more than that…” She glanced at the door to Nile’s room. His faint snoring could be heard inside. She sighed. “Look, it doesn’t matter. I’ve decided to stay behind.”

“What for?”

She shrugged, moving to the table and taking a seat across from him. “I don’t care for meetings.”

Levi could empathize with that. “Still, you should go. Get out of all of this shit for a day.”

“And sit with Nile in all day?”

“He’s just meeting with Burns about the operation.”

She bit her lip. “Yeah, well maybe I don’t want to talk about it.”

Her eyes trailed downwards to the map, tracing across the many roads and districts they were all now very familiar with. 

He suspected there was something she wasn’t telling him. He was pretty good at guessing when subordinates didn’t want to say something, but spending a week and a half with Historia had not made Levi any better at talking to her. 

Trying to hold a normal conversation with the girl was like trying to hug a wild bear. One wrong move and it was over. Meaning that asking her something was definitely out of the question. 

He looked at the map as well. The candle flickered across the gentle lines he’d drawn in himself. The map was old, maybe older than Levi. It had been pretty inaccurate, leaving out key areas and keeping others too small proportionately. He was no cartographer, but he liked to think it was better now than it had been. Not that it was doing them any good either way. 

Something nagged at him from his dream, but it was just out of reach of his consciousness. Like a butterfly that kept flitting away. 

“How are—“

“We should—“

He grimaced as they spoke at the same time. “Go ahead.” He prompted her.

“Sorry,” She grinned, “I was just going to ask how you’re feeling?”

“I’m fine.” He straightened in his chair to further sell the image. 

“You sure? You know, you could go with Nile and rest at the outpost or—“

“I’m fine Historia.” He said, shutting down her argument. He wasn’t going to sit by and not do his job just because he wasn’t feeling great. He was here to protect her. She didn’t leave his sight. 

She looked at him, unconvinced. “What were you going to say?”

“Since you’re not going with Nile or back to bed, we may as well plan our day tomorrow.” He said, blinking against the candle. It was starting to get a little too bright for his headache.

She cleared her throat. “Yeah we should.”

He looked at the map again, unsure where to start. The list glared in the corner of his vision. 

“Do you remember when we were in Coldwater the other day?” Historia voiced first.

“Yes.” He mused. 

Coldwater was the highest district in the underground. The area was nice, full of the richest people underground. All the fresh water from the surface cycled through the ground, naturally purifying before streaming into the underground river, which started in Coldwater. It was home to the best the underground had to offer...which was still less than the worst places above ground. 

“I can’t explain it, but there was something there...I just feel like we missed something, you know?” She continued.

He didn’t. “I suppose…”

She sighed, “Part of me feels like we’re never going to find them. That, I don’t know, that we’ll have to put the whole operation on hold and return to the surface. What then?” She fixed her eyes on his. “What happens when we have to go back and we couldn’t save them?”

You couldn’t save them…

Levi’s heart skipped a beat. He sucked in a sharp breath, images of men in dark hoods swirling in his sight. 

But no, they were fine. They were safe in their room at the inn. No one was out to get them. 

He opened his mouth to answer when he finally remembered what was nagging at him. The bar from his dream, the one Historia had been... killed in front of. 

It was a real place. 

“Hang on.” He frowned, sliding the map towards him. 

Historia watched him as he traced his finger across the Coldwater district on the map. “What is it?”

His head throbbed. “Seth…”

“Who is Seth?”

“He—“ Levi stopped. Seth was a lot of things, some of which didn’t need to be brought up right now. “He owns a bar...I think.”

She raised her eyebrows but didn’t probe any further. 

Levi’s finger stopped on a corner of the Coldwater district, not too far from the military police outpost where Nile would meet with Burns the next day. 

“Here.” He said.

“What is it?”

“It’s uh…” He trailed off. He hadn’t been prepared to talk about that tonight.

Historia raised her eyebrows at him. “Yeah..?”

“It’s a...uh...a bar.” 

He pressed a hand into his skull, willing the pain to go away. He wished he could dig a hand into his brain and dig it out.

Yes it was a bar. But it was also so much more than that. Levi didn’t know how to explain it to her without delving into Furlan. Because Furlan had lived there. After his parents died and before he met Levi, Furlan had been taken in by a man who looked after street urchins. 

“Captain,” Historia looked skeptical. “Do you want to go to a bar tomorrow?”

“No—I, why would I want to—no! This one is special. There’s someone there who might be able to help us.”

“Seth?”

“Yeah, Seth.”

She bit her lip, drawing her hands together. Her fingers twirled around a loose strand of her hair. There was nothing energetic about the movement. In fact, for the first time since she’d joined him, Levi noticed the bags under her eyes. 

Add that to the list of things we have in common. 

“It’s hard to explain.” He sighed. “I didn’t know Seth, but a friend of mine did.”

And here we go.

“It’s okay Captain.” She said. “You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to.”

She knows you’re weak. Sneered the voice in his head. She’s been doubting you since the moment you walked down here. 

Ah, yes. It was back. It always appeared sooner or later. 

“No it’s fine.” Levi brushed it off. “If it helps the mission then I’ll share.”

Historia gave him an encouraging smile. 

But where to start?

“I had a friend. Furlan was his name. He...he was a good man. One of the best. He was from the underground as well. His parents died when he was young and he lived on the streets to survive.”

Levi paused. This was harder than expected. 

“What happened to him?” The queen asked. 

“He was lucky.” Levi blinked. “He was damn lucky. An old fool took him in. He wasn’t the only one either. Furlan said there were a handful of kids that the old man took care of.”

“I’m guessing the old man is Seth?”

Levi nodded. The details were foggy. Furlan wasn’t extremely open about his past. None of them were. The more people on the streets knew about you the more they could exploit.

“I think so. Furlan took me by the bar that the old coot owned once. It’s up in Coldwater. He never did say much about Seth other than he was a good man and that he took good care of him.”

Historia looked thoughtful. “He sounds like a promising lead. Do you want to check it out tomorrow?”

“I—“ Levi stopped. Did he want to tease his old memories like that? He was struggling enough as it was. Old faces haunted his dreams, visions of times long since past. They’d done a good job of steering away from anything that hit too close to home, but this? The only thing worse would be waltzing into the Island!

The clock ticked in the background, joining the night’s quiet chorus. 

He glanced at the map, trying to cover his hesitation. “We may as well. It’s on the way to the outpost for Nile. We can split paths in Coldwater.”

Historia grinned. “He’ll be so excited to hear we get to spend more time with him.”

Levi’s lips twitched into a smirk. He secretly enjoyed how the queen was picking up on his tendency to annoy other military officers. Especially Nile. The poor man was nearly at his wits end with them pushing all of his buttons all the time. 

“I’ll let you tell him the good news.” He muttered.

“Hopefully he doesn’t push you in the river again when he finds out!” She replied laughing. 

He grimaced, remembering how frustrated Nile had been that day. 

“That’s why you get to tell him.” 

They both froze as Nile snored extra loud from beyond the door. 

“You should really get some sleep.” Levi reasoned. She needed to be well rested for the day. Maybe once she was gone he would fix himself a cup of tea. That always made him feel better.

“Yeah, I’m going back to bed.” She yawned. She stretched her arms and legs, standing from the table. “Thanks for the info about Seth.”

He nodded as she padded towards her room.

“Oh, and Captain?” She blinked, blushing slightly as she turned back. “You should try to get some sleep too, okay?”

He narrowed his eyes a fraction. “Is that an order?”

“No its—well, I don’t know. Does it need to be?”

He was getting really tired of this. It wasn’t her fault. In fact it was his fault that she didn’t know he damn well couldn’t sleep. 

“I’ll try.” He lied, looking down. 

The detailing in the floor was nothing special, but it was better to look at than the worry he knew Historia’s face would hold. After a moment, the sound of her door clicking shut signaled that she was gone. 

He sighed, grimacing as he glanced at the clock again. His migraine throbbed in sync with the waves in his stomach. 

No he wouldn’t be getting any more sleep tonight. 

________________________

The early morning torches were not lit on the streets as the man strode past empty doorways and dark windows. Heads turned from the shadows, watching with tired eyes at the brisk pace he traveled at.

He ignored them all. 

Pushing into the large building at the end of the block, the man entered a chamber of hallways. He moved with feet that had long since memorized the route, stopping on the second floor in front of the only room with a candle flickering from the crack under the door. 

He strode in, making eye contact with the only other person sitting in the room.

“Today. It has to be today.”

The other man paused before answering but was unsurprised by his new companion. 

“Why?”

“You’ve been watching them, right?”

“Everyday.”

“Good.” He nodded. “I’ve trusted from your lack of reports that nothing has gone amiss?”

His friend inclined his head. “Nothing has happened. The three of them do the same thing every day more or less. They search, come up empty handed, and they go back to that inn every night.”

“Have they seen you?”

Another pause.

“Levi saw me on the first night, but he’s been growing weaker.”

The man frowned. “That’s unusually careless of you, but what do you mean about Levi?”

“He appears to be getting sick. Might be the effects of this goddamn place getting to him.” His friend shifted. “He hasn’t said anything to Nile or Historia to my knowledge. They will be easy to take out.”

The man allowed himself to sink into a chair across from his friend. “Good. Good, this is fantastic! And my sincerest apologies go to you. You shouldn’t have to suffer down here with them.”

His friend nodded, “I appreciate the sentiment, but you haven’t answered my question. Why today?”

The man smiled. 

“They’ll be a little extra vulnerable today.”

Chapter Text

Levi Ackerman

“Well, this is my street.” Nile said, surveying the busy corner.

Levi halfheartedly scanned the roadway as well. His head throbbed like a steel drum, banging against his head with every footfall that slammed past him.

“The outpost is that way—“ Nile jabbed a thumb down the street. “So don’t go too far in that direction.”

“I’m sure we’ll be fine, Commander.” Historia said with sweetness coating her voice. “But I’m a little worried that you won’t be the one coming back tonight. Isn’t there a set of stairs right next to the outpost?”

Nile laughed. “There sure is! And god if it wouldn’t be nice to go visit the wife and kids...” He glanced at the ceiling wistfully.

Don’t do it, don’t do it, don’t do it…

“Weren’t you leaving?” Levi glared at him.

Nile held up his hands in defeat. “Yeah, yeah. You win this round shorty. You can finally go fuck around in the underground without me, while Burns and I chat over wine and bread.”

“You can shove your wine up your—“ 

“Be sure to bring back some fresh supplies!” Historia interrupted with a twinkle in her eye. “And I wouldn’t mind a little extra tea for all of us.”

Nile rolled his eyes. “I’ll see what I can do.”

He turned to Levi, fixing a death glare at him. “If anything happens to her while I’m gone I will literally cut all your fingers off one by one, feed them to Hanji’s new stupid experiment titans, and then throw what’s left of you off wall Rose. Got it?”

Levi grunted, crossing his arms.

Satisfied, Nile turned and started walking away.

“See you tonight.” He called back, flipping them off. 

Historia rolled her eyes, discreetly shooting her own rude gesture back. She adjusted her cloak, making sure her cowl covered her face. Her nose wrinkled as she did so.

“To Seth’s?” She asked him.

Something in Levi’s stomach twisted as Nile was lost in the crowds. It wasn’t that Nile provided anything close to resembling comfort, but now that it was just him and Historia...well he felt off about it. Like they were teasing fate. Being on their own meant they were that much closer to Levi’s nightmares becoming reality.

His head continued to throb.

“Yeah.” He gestured down the street opposite where Nile had gone. “Let’s go.

________________________

Seth’s bar reminded Levi of a wilting flower. Faded paint and peeling wood told of the beauty it probably once had. Window shutters hung at an angle, barely hiding the lack of glass behind them. 

The bar nestled itself between a sorry excuse for a cafe and a boarded up shop. They all stood two stories tall, the upper windows overlooking the bustling vendors as they set up shop around them. People moved through the street, occasionally glancing at the bar, but mostly avoiding it. 

It might have been cozy, once. A place to grab a bite to eat with a friend perhaps.

But like everything else, the touch of the underground left it with a haunted feel, as if everything that entered would come out hollow and cursed.

“Here we are.” Levi stopped, examining the people passing them. He swore he just saw—no. Was that a hooded figure..? But no one in the crowds paid them a second glance.

“...are we gonna go in...or just keep standing outside?” Historia drawled. 

Levi shook himself out of his daze. “Come on.”

They strode across the street, taking care to dodge around the gradually growing hustle of people. Dirty looks fell on them, their too clean clothes, their straight postures, the life in their eyes. 

Levi dared looking into some of them. A mistake. 

Dead eyes, lifeless and dull stared back at him. For them, today would be another day with no food. Another day with no light. Without hope. 

He swallowed, hurrying his pace. Ignoring them wouldn’t make them go away, but sooner they were out of the open the better. 

Historia pushed open the door to reveal a long, dimly lit room, barely pierced from street lamps outside. Levi glanced around it, noting with disgust that the smell of alcohol reeking from within was stronger than the ever present stink of sewage.

Two dark figures sat huddled at one of the dozen tables while a blonde man stood wiping a glass cup at the bar at the far end of the room. Behind the bar, shelves of colored glass bottles and barrels of presumably alcohol sat stored. The narrow space ended with a door at the back, behind the bar next to a set of stairs. 

Levi nodded Historia in the direction of the man behind the bar, and they strode across the room towards him. 

As they moved, the polished surface of the floor gleamed up at him. Every table and chair looked freshly wiped down, no spills or blood on the floor. Even the corners of the room looked dust and cobweb free. Of course, it would take a close inspection to see how truly clean it was, but Levi was nonetheless impressed.

The man looked up at them as they approached. “What can I help you youngsters with today?” He said, making Historia stifle a snort. Levi pointedly ignored her as they each took seats on rickety stools. 

“We’re not kids.” Levi answered, purposely inflecting his voice to sound deeper as the man placed the glass he’d been cleaning down on the counter. His bright smile was out of place, but it only grew at Levi’s comment. He wore it with such confidence, as if he were the proud owner of a grandiose wine shop and Levi and Historia were his first customers of the day. He was tall and built, not an uncommon sight above ground, but most people underground were short and stocky, their growth stunted by lack of sunlight. His height only made the man stand out more.

“My apologies,” The bartender said, his brown eyes gleaming. “What can I help you two very short adults with.”

Levi eyed the bartender, pain irritating his head. “We’re looking for Seth.”

“And who, might I ask, is looking.” He responded without missing a beat. 

“A friend.”

“Ha!” The man exclaimed, his shoulder-length blond hair bouncing with him. “Okay friend. Got a name?”

“Furlan.”

Something almost imperceptible shifted in his gaze, but he continued to smile as he wiped his hands on a clean apron.

“That’s funny. You don’t look much like a Furlan.”

“I didn’t say my name was Furlan.” Levi steeled his eyes on the bartender’s own brown ones. “You asked for a name. I gave you one.”

The bartender quirked an eyebrow, turning away to push the glass he was formerly cleaning onto a shelf. 

“Right then.” He laughed. “Well, Not Furlan, Seth isn’t around anymore, but his bar is, so can I get you a drink?”

Levi and Historia exchanged looks.

Her eyes, which had been so alive earlier, were sinking. She swallowed, shoulders slumping as disappointment set in. Another dead lead.

“What do you mean by not around?” He tried again, hopeful.

“What do I mean?” The man answered, turning back to them with two glasses in hand. “I mean that, sadly, Seth is no longer with us. He’s dead. Now—“ He set the glasses in front of them. “Can I get you two anything?”

Historia cleared her throat, regaining her composure. “We’ll just take two waters please.”

The man winked at her. “Sure thing sweetie.”

Saving no amount of flair, the man grabbed their cups and strolled over to a sink. He filled them and brought them back, letting the crystal clear water drip on the sides. 

Levi’s throat suddenly itched like someone had rubbed sandpaper over it as he gazed at the water. 

“Here you two go.” The bartender smiled again. “No charge for water. Folks shouldn’t have to pay for what nature gives us for free.”

“Thank you.” Historia said, accepting her cup.

Levi grabbed his glass but hesitated before guzzling it down. Did he want this man to see his face?

Turned out he didn’t have to worry.

A loud thump sounded from the floor above them and the bartender’s attention was instantly drawn towards the stairs. 

“If you two will excuse me for a moment.” He strolled off, whistling a tune Levi didn’t recognize.

Without wasting another moment, he moved his scarf down and downed the water in one go. The icy liquid trailed down his throat, soothing his flaring headache for blissful seconds. 

“What now?” Historia’s voice sounded to his side. 

He looked at her, setting his now empty glass down. Her water sat untouched, and she trailed a finger across the wooden counter listlessly. 

The light flickered from outside, but a glance proved nothing out of the ordinary. Levi frowned, eyes scanning over the other bar attendants as they stood to leave. Apparently he wasn’t the only one who liked privacy. 

“I don’t know.” He sighed, placing his hands down on the counter.

“We’ve been at this almost two weeks now.” She trailed on. “And what do we have to show for it?

He didn’t answer. What comfort could he offer? She was right. They had nothing.

The queen sniffed, wiping at her nose.

“This was a stupid idea. What was I thinking? I’m sorry I dragged you into this. You and Nile and everyone else.” She continued. Her eyes looked red, even in the dim lighting. 

His heart went out to her. He knew what it was like to be frustrated, to want to give up. But he had absolutely no idea how to express that to her in a meaningful way. Don’t give up. You can do it. No, it all sounded ridiculous coming from him. 

He scrambled to think of something to say, trying to decide if it was even worth opening his mouth when—

pad

pad

pad

A soft shuffling sounded from the stairs. A young girl, maybe nine or ten years old, appeared walking down with a bundle of folded towels in her hands. Her brown hair was tied in messy braids, probably done by herself, and her navy dress was plain but neat. Her eyes trailed over him with more suspicion than should have been able to grace such a young face.

She padded down the rest of the stairs, moving behind the bar as far from them as possible. Setting the towels on an unseen shelf, she glanced at them once more before darting back up the stairs like a bird.

If Levi hadn’t watched the whole thing happen he might not have believed it. 

“Did you just—“ Historia whispered.

“Yes.”

“Was that a girl?”

“Yes.” He muttered. “Something is definitely off about this place.”

Historia’s eyes were childishly wide. “Do you think she belongs to the bartender?”

“I don’t know.” 

Heavy footsteps sounded on the stairs. The bartender was returning.

“Let’s stick around for another minute or two.” He motioned. 

The blond man reappeared, smiling at them as he returned behind the counter. He picked up his rag, resuming his polishing. One glass after another, he wiped grime off them before stacking them on the shelf. 

Levi watched him out of the corner of his eye, ignoring the pain pricks there. The man went to clean up the table where the two men had been sitting. He kept whistling that tune, keeping pace with it while he worked.

Historia sipped at her water, hesitant to reveal her face.

When the man returned behind the bar, he surprised Levi by turning to face them again. 

“What do you two hope to gain from watching me?” He asked. Levi would have expected more hostility in his words, but they were instead filled with curiosity. “I promise, Seth really is dead. He’d be the one serving you personally if not. Of that you can be certain.”

He eyed the man carefully, sorting through questions to ask. “Seth had a reputation.” He finally voiced. 

The man nodded. “Most people ‘round here do.”

“He helped people. A lot of people, but he helped children too.”

“Sounds right.”

“That’s what we’re here for.” Levi hoped his eyes carried his sincerity, realizing that covering half of his face didn’t exactly promote trust.

The bartender scratched at his clean shaven chin. “What exactly are you trying to get at?”

“We’re hoping to find out what his sources might have been.” Historia spoke up. “We’re from the surface.”

Levi bristled instinctively as she revealed the information. He had warned her over and over not to drop stuff like that, but she kept forgetting. It was just a matter of time before the wrong ears heard about their plight and used it against them.

“Like he said,” She continued, “We want to help children down here. Knowing where Seth found them. Who he talked to. The works, it would make all of our lives easier.”

“And I’m guessing you two think I know all of that?”

“All we know is we came here looking for Seth, and we found you instead.” Levi voiced, grimacing against a new spike of pain shooting through his head. 

“True.” He nodded. “You did find me. Name’s Patrik, by the way.” He proffered a hand to them which they both shook in turn.

“And I’m assuming your name isn’t actually Furlan.” Patrik raised an eyebrow at Levi. 

“No...it’s Levi.” He answered, glancing around again. He didn’t like dropping his name. Not even above ground. If he met someone who by chance didn’t recognize him, he liked to keep it that way. No sense drawing attention where it wasn’t wanted. 

But here? He hated the feeling that by uttering his name it felt like every eye from outside the bar was instantly turned on him. Like the hairs on the back of his neck were standing straight up, being counted. 

Another flash of something flared in Patrik’s eyes, but he disguised it with a chuckle. “Levi and…?”

“...Krista...” Historia muttered. 

“Ha! Okay, well I’ve never met two people more afraid of their own names, but it’s a pleasure nonetheless.” He grinned back. “How long have you folks been down here?”

Another exchanged glance. 

“A while.” Historia admitted. “Long enough that a lead would be very profitable. And, we could make it worth your time.” She gave the man a knowing look.

Patrik nodded, looking unconvinced. “Okay, okay. Well, let’s try something. You ask your questions and I’ll see if it jogs any memories about Seth. Eh?”

The queen’s posture sprang up like a flower in the sun. 

“Deal.” She agreed. She gave a small glance to Levi, trying to share her excitement.

“To begin with,” She said. “Our sources above ground are few in number, but they all affirm that orphans run the streets like vermin, and that’s a quote by the way. I don’t actually think that.”

Patrik shrugged. 

“However, if those rumors are true, we haven’t seen proof of it. So first, are there actually that many orphans here, and if so, why are there so many?” She asked. “Where do they come from? And do they die off as they get older or do they join with gangs or meet some other fate?”

The standard set of questions. They’d been asking these things everywhere they went. All Levi ever remembered getting in response was a bleak “I don’t know” and a shake of the head.

Patrik listened intently while she spoke, drumming his fingers on the counter. “Hmmm. I can’t say that anything is coming to mind...however…” He trailed off, glancing again at the stairs. 

Levi took the opportunity to look outside. 

Nothing. Again. Just like last time, and the time before that.

He couldn’t put his finger on it, but his gut was tugging like a cord at his stomach. Get out. They needed to move. Been here too long. 

But...there was no reason...why would...they were fine...weren’t they?

He pressed a palm against his skull. 

“Nope. I got nothing.” Patrik feigned a sigh. “Seems my memory runs dry about those things. Happens when you’re young. You don’t remember much about the important details.” He shrugged again, flashing them a regretful smile. 

Historia eyed him. “You just said ‘however’ though. What were you going to say?”

Patrik placed a smug finger against his lips, as if he’d been caught saying something inappropriate. “I did say that, didn’t I.”

“You did.”

“Tell you what.” He tapped his finger against his face. “I don’t know much about you. You don’t know much about me. We have no reason to trust each other. My life doesn’t change without you in it, but it sounds like you’re in desperate need of my assistance.”

Levi didn’t like where this was going. 

“Prove to me that you have good intentions and that you mean what you say and we’ll talk again. Who knows, my memory might improve by then.”

“Are you shitting—“ Levi growled, but Historia held up a hand.

“—what he’s trying to say is what kind of proof are you looking for?” She gave Levi a look that said save it.

He flashed her an intense glare back.

“Hey I don’t know.” Patrik laughed. “You guys figure that out and come back. You’ll know where to find me.” He patted his hand against the counter. “If I’m not here it will be my brother Len. He’s a little shorter than me, got a shorter temper too so maybe bring your happy face next time Levi, eh?”

Levi internally rolled his eyes. Were they really going along with this?

“Oh!” The bartender exclaimed. “Here’s Len now!”

The three of them turned to the front door as it swung open.

True to his word, Len was a short man. Thin and brown-haired, he walked with an air of importance, as if he owned the bar and everything in it. He gave Levi and Historia a brief, disdainful glance before heading towards the far end of the bar, two books clutched under his arm.

“Hey Lenny!” Patrik grinned. “Come meet my new friends! I think they’ll be coming around again.”

Len turned his head and flashed them an uncomfortable smile, the kind you give your enemy when social norms won’t allow you to glare daggers at them. He immediately turned back to the bar, placing his books gently on the counter, and began shifting through the pages. A journal, Levi realized after seeing the scrawled notes. 

Patrik gave the two of them a look, leaning in close. “Siblings, am I right?” He rolled his eyes, straightening up. “If you two will excuse me for another moment.”

He waltzed over to Len and the two engaged in friendly conversation. Levi didn’t listen too closely. 

“Well, this has been interesting if nothing else.” Historia noted quietly. “And before you disagree, I think we should humor him. We have nothing to lose.”

“You want to go along with his game?” Levi asked in disbelief, returning his hand to cover his eye. “People like him just want money. All he has to do is lie and charge us for it.”

“He hasn’t asked us for anything.” She pointed out.

“Yet.”

“I don’t know. Something seems off about him. Off in a good way. I can’t put my finger on it. Also, are you okay?”

Levi glanced outside, taking his hand off his head, fresh stabs of heat replacing it. “I’m fine.”

She looked at him skeptically.

“What?” He leaned away from her. “It’s just a headache. It will go away.” 

He hoped. 

Patrik laughed behind them.

“Okay,” Historia continued. “But I think he knows something. What if all he really just wants to know if he can trust us? It’s worth a shot.”

Levi grunted back. She had a point. Though, he was still suspicious.

“Let’s talk to Nile, see what he thinks. We can come back.” He agreed. 

Patrik and Len walked over to the stairs, exchanging a few more words before Patrik turned to face them. He smiled, striding over and leaning in close to them.

“Hey listen here,” He said abruptly the dropping the smile and looking around. The easy going demeanor had all but left his eyes, leaving a surprising sincerity and almost...fear behind. “I don’t know exactly where you all plan on going next, but I have a feeling it’s not going to be anywhere safe.”

Levi noted the annoyed glare flashing across Len’s face. 

“Probably not.” He agreed carefully.

Patrik nodded, before fixing his eyes directly onto Levi’s. “Then take this for what you will. Be careful out there. Some of those MP’s? They were thugs a week ago. No one knows why or who recruited them, but thugs enforcing the law? Someone is playing a very dangerous game and I wouldn’t want to be on the losing end.”

“We’ll watch out. Thank you for the warning.” Levi said, suppressing a violent shiver. Every movement sent his head pulsing with pain. 

Patrik nodded, patting the counter. “Good. Okay then.” He sprang back, classic grin splitting his face. “So Len is going to take over here, I’m needed elsewhere. Help yourself to the water, it ain’t going anywhere.”

“And thank you, Patrik.” Historia said.

“Of course hun.” Patrik waved as he walked away. 

He and Len approached the stairs, exchanging a few more words between them. Then, he disappeared up them. Len returned to the bar, but came around the back and wrapped a dark apron around his waist. He glanced at them, but said nothing as he went about rummaging through supplies behind the counter. 

“We should go.” Levi nudged Historia. “We can grab something to eat on our way back.”

She nodded. “You lead the way.”

Levi took a regretful look at his empty glass, wondering if it was worth it to ask Len for a refill. One look at the man’s face and he decided against it.

They stood, turning to leave. Levi adjusting his cloak as he did so.

“I don’t give a shit about who you are.”

Levi whirled back towards the voice that had spoken. “What?”

“I said,” Len glowered at them, “I don’t give a shit about who you are. Don’t come back to our establishment and don’t talk to my brother again.”

“Sir,” Historia started. “We were just talking about an information exchange—“

“Did you not hear me?” He growled. “Get the fuck out of my building and don’t come back.”

Historia stumbled like she’d been slapped. Levi too felt a wave of anger flood over him. It wasn’t that the words themself were that bad. Hell, they’d heard much worse the last few weeks, sometimes coming from Levi’s own mouth, but them being directed at the Queen was not okay. 

And he knew it must be shattering her hope like an avalanche. 

“You say something like that to her again and you’ll have a lot more to worry about then us coming back.” Levi said, his tone low but dangerous.

Len glared at them but said nothing more as they turned to leave.

They made their way back across the narrow room to the storefront. 

“What the hell was that about?” Historia whispered as they neared the door. Her voice was shaky, like she was about to cry. Levi saw red.

“I don’t know.” He admitted, surprised by how on edge the encounter left him.

His eyes darted to the windows as they approached, catching the light glinting off something gold.

“No, it’s okay. I’m just tired. We have to be close to something Captain, we have to be—“

“Wait.” Levi held an am out in warning, blocking her from opening the door. “Something’s off.”

He ran his other hand across his face, trying to block out the pain trapping his mind.

Oddly enough, he only noticed now that the voice in his head had been silent since they entered the bar.

Please focus. Just FOCUS!

He gestured for Historia to back up behind a table and flattened himself against the wall by the window. Sliding across to the glass, he remained hidden from the outside. Peering through, he scanned the faces outside. Lamplight illuminated passing merchants and workers on the wide street. Everyone hurried to their destinations, the underground was no place to stop and sightsee. No one gave the bar a second glance. 

So the hooded figure in a dark cloak standing still in the middle of the street, staring directly at the bar made Levi freeze. 

The hood flared up as the man drew his arm back, something weighty resting in his hand. His arm obscured his face, but as it drew up, Levi noticed something. A glint of light. 

A small square of gold. 

The man was wearing a ring...

And something inside of Levi’s brain tried to signal him, but it was too late. 

“Get down!” He bellowed to Historia as he saw the man launch the handhold toward the bar. 

She didn’t react immediately, and Levi scrambled around the table, desperately trying to make it over to her before—

CRASH

The sound split the room as something smashed through one of the front windows.

He barely processed it before barreling into Historia. She yelped as they tumbled to the ground. 

And then—

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMM!

The world erupted in red.

Chapter Text

Levi Ackerman

Everything was on fire!

Levi reached his arms up as high as he could and pulled himself up onto the bed. His toes were left dangling in the air as he scrambled up. 

“Mom?” he sobbed. His cries sounded pitiful, even to him. “Mom where are you?” 

He searched through the blankets, but of course, she wasn’t there. 

He knew she wasn’t there. 

Flames erupted in his sight, and he gasped, pulling a blanked in close. 

“Mom!”

The scratchy edge of his too large shirt rubbed painfully against his skin. It scratched and itched more right now than it ever had before. Like every inch of his skin was crawling with cockroaches.

When would she be back? Was she coming back? He didn’t know. Everything hurt. 

He breathed deeply, tears forming in his eyes. Oh how it all burned! 

“Mom please! Where are you?” He sobbed to himself as he fell to the pillow. His tears stained the threadbare fabric like the blackening touch of ash. 

“Please…”

But she still wasn’t there. Instead he had only pain as his company...

...pain that was relentless, flooding into every nerve and blood cell like water bursting through a dam.

Levi let out a scratchy cough, praying for the fire in his back to fade. Everything around him was black and gray. The whole world buzzed with the fury of a thousand violent bees.

Someone broke out in a bout of coughing to his side, but the sound was far away. Everything was far away. Smoke and dust filled the air. It burned his eyes. 

Filthy...god it’s everywhere. Can’t breathe...can’t see...

The smoke caught in his throat. 

He rolled on his side, hacking, chest protesting the prolonged exposure to the mess. Involuntary tears bit at his eyes. 

Someone wrapped their arms under his and jerked him up to his feet. His head spun wildly as he tried to stop coughing. He blinked rapidly against the smoke, eyes stinging. 

“Use your scarf!” 

Historia? He recognized the girl’s high voice, despite the buzzing in his ear.

He grabbed the scarf on his neck and covered his mouth with it. Sure enough, it acted as a sort of filter in the thick smoke. 

“What the hell was that?” He rasped, vision clearing. His throat felt like someone had ripped it out and dragged it across the entire underground city. 

Both he and Historia jumped back as a sudden crash of flames burst from the middle of the room. The floor and ceiling supports burned with angry light, threatening to harm.

“Move!” He barked, pushing into Historia. The momentum forced her to move with him back towards the bar. They stumbled into it, ducking behind it as angry red sparks exploded from the parlor.

Levi immediately slumped against the bar, slouching down as his lungs tried to escape his chest. 

“WHAT THE HELL?” A snarling voice on his left made him jump.

Len crouched with them, pitifully shielding his head with a towel. His hostile expression held no mercy for the two.

“DID YOU TWO CAUSE THIS?” He screamed.

Levi opened his mouth to answer but was cut off by both another coughing fit and explosion from the front.

“No!” Historia all but screamed back over the chaos. “Of course we didn’t do this!”

“WE HAVE TO PUT IT OUT! THE FIRE IT WILL RUIN EVERYTHING!”

“There’s no time! We have to get your brother and get out of here!”

A look of confusion crossed the man’s face. “Patrik..?” His voice trailed off. “No, no, he already left with the kids. But you two can help fix this—“

“Is there another way out of here?” Historia cut him off. Her voice was steady despite everything literally burning all around them, and Levi mentally thanked her for it. 

Len on the other hand looked like he’d been slapped, but the expression only lasted a moment before fading. “I—yes. Yes, the back door.” His eyes flicked to the door to their right. 

“Then let’s go!” Historia directed. She pulled Levi up again, half dragging him to the door. 

Len beat them to it, his wits seemingly returning, and he flung the door open letting in a cool shaft of air. 

They rushed through it entering a small hallway, and Historia slammed it shut behind them. Throat burning, Levi doubled over again, almost dry heaving as he choked. 

Despite the haze and hacking, something prodded at his mind. Something wasn’t adding up, and he swore he saw something in that brief moment before the explosive had been thrown.

“WHO—WHAT—WHY IS MY BAR ON FIRE?” Len shouted at Historia, who was effectively blocking the door back into the raging inferno. The poor man was near to ripping his hair out with how tight he grasped it.

“I’m so sorry,” She held her hands out helplessly. “We don’t know what’s going on, but if we stay out there we’ll get burned. Did you say this leads out?”

Smoke started flowing from under the door. 

“But this is—” Len cried. “I can’t leave this behind!”

“Len please!” Historia pleaded. “That fire will kill us all! It’s too late to save the bar, but it’s not too late to save us, and as long as we’re alive the bar can be replaced.”

Len stood, dumbfounded in shock. Levi wasn’t sure if it was because of the fire or Historia’s boldness.

Afraid that speaking might cause another coughing fit, he watched the smoke building in the room steadily. Heat radiated off the door, like a furnace turned on full blast waited right on the other side. His head spun, everything registering slowly. He thought he heard Historia saying something else to Len, trying to compel the man to listen.

But he knew they were out of time. 

A glint of something...what was it?

“We need to move.” He croaked, voice grating. 

That got their attention. He sidestepped both of them, moving further down the hallway. He’d gone halfway when Len spoke up. 

“There’s a door on the left.” The bartender said, tears in his eyes. “It takes you out back to the waste dump. We should--we should get going.”

Levi nodded at the man to show them the way. The three of them made their way towards a door at the end of the hallway, the sounds of fire crackling and popping faded behind them like smoke vanishing in air. 

The door creaked open, dumping them onto a back alley filled with trash and old wooden planks. 

Levi greedily sucked in a breath of air, nearly choking on its purity. He swore if anything else made him actually grateful for the awful district he’d shoot himself. 

Historia also removed her scarf and breathed in the smokeless air. Len cleared his throat. 

The alley stretched back to the main road they’d come from in one way and to a steep cliff face in the other.  Levi knew it would take you on a one way trip to the Island slums.

Despite the danger around them, Nausea swelled at the thought of how close they were to the place. A bad taste filled his mouth, like he could suddenly taste the pollution he knew was out there.

“Let’s go.” He rasped. “We need to cover some ground before--”

BANG

The wood above Levi’s head exploded, splintering everywhere as he raised his arms defensively. 

To his horror, as he looked for the source of the bullet, he saw him.

The man who had been haunting him for days.

Dark robes swirling around him in the wake of his stride, the hooded man stood in the entryway of the alley, plain as day. Levi couldn’t see his face, but the twisted way he moved, like a creature made of nightmares, made his stomach bottom out.

He gasped as the man readied his gun at them.

“RUN!” He bellowed, throwing himself in front of Historia. 

BANG

More splintering. Right where Levi had been standing a second before. 

His brain was running on pure survival instinct as he grabbed Historia’s wrist and tore down the alley towards the cliff. 

Can your Ackerman instincts keep you and them safe? The voice in his head returned with vengeance. 

FUCK YOU! He snarled back at it.

The rapid heavy footsteps of Len behind him gave him some small measure of comfort. At least the man wasn’t a complete idiot. He knew danger. 

“GO LEFT AND FOLLOW MY LEAD!” He barked as they exited the alley. “We need to shake that guy!”

“Who is he?'' Historia gasped, dashing with him.

“Focus on getting away.” He growled through clenched teeth, wincing at the stabbing pains in his skull. “We’ll talk about him when he’s not chasing us.” 

Bursting out of the alley, Levi stopped short, halting both his and Historia’s forward momentum. The alley dumped them onto a narrow ledge overlooking most of the underground. Little lights from windows and lamps sparkled across the dark expanse, twinkling innocently, telling nothing of the disgusting horrors hidden among them.

Like he had promised Historia earlier, it was quite the view. 

A few stray rocks, kicked up from their feet, tumbled into the steep drop, down to the area below them. 

“WATCH OUT!” Levi yelled as he jerked Historia to the left just as Len barrelled out of the alley. His breath caught as the man barely stopped short of the ledge. 

BANG

BANG

Gunshots tore at the ground behind Len’s feet. The bartender yelped, scrambling out of the line of fire. 

“Careful!” Historia cried. 

“NO SHIT!” He gasped back, eyes flaring. 

Levi’s head absolutely throbbed. Stopping only made the pain worse. He barely registered the firing bullets, instead the primal urge to just get the hell away from here slammed into his mind. 

“Come on!” He said, clenching his teeth. “And don’t fall!”

“Where are we going?” Len gasped as they started running along the ledge. 

“Away from here.” Levi growled back, not slowing down. “You don’t need to come with us. They won’t be looking for you.”

Why had he told Len that? It was true, wasn’t it?

“How do you know?” Len cried back.

BANG

Another bullet streaked in front of the group, and Levi felt the air rush past his face as it went.

“I don’t know for sure, but we need to shake them, and we can’t wait for you!” 

Len slowed to a stop, conflict crossing his face. Unfortunately, they didn’t have time to wait for him to decide. Without warning, Levi tore down an alley to his left, Historia in tow. The poor girl was doing her best to follow him, despite the bolting speed at which they ran. 

“Wait!” She screamed. “We can’t just leave him there!”

“It’s too late.” Levi cursed. “He was taking too long to make up his mind. You’re more important.”

The two of them charged down the alley, spilling out back on the main road they’d originally come from. And back to the road the man had been on. Levi hoped the man had taken to pursuing them and wasn’t still standing on the road waiting for them to make a mistake like the one he was about to lead them to. 

He paused for a moment. His mind ran in overdrive, calculating routes and hideouts. There was a safehouse for the mission planned a block away, but that was likely too close to have time to run to without shaking the mystery man. But, if they could make it across this zone into the one below it...

That will have to work. 

He tore forward, darting between carts and people. Historia narrowly avoided all out collisions with three people. 

“Levi!” She cried. “You need to stop! We have to make sure Len is okay!” 

He ignored her, instead, abruptly changed directions to run up the street instead of across it. 

A sloped street grew to their left and Levi led their dash towards it. He checked behind them again before rounding the corner. 

His blood ran cold at the sight of the man in the dark cloak bursting through the crowded street, following their every move. 

“Shit!” He cursed. “He’s still there!”

“What? How?” 

“Follow my every movement. It’s about to get interesting.”

The two of them tore up the rise. Levi hoped Len made it out safe. The man didn’t deserve to die because of some stupid crossfire attack on Historia. 

What did you see? You KNOW it!

FACE IT ACKERMAN. The voice screamed.

But there was no time to dwell on it. The buildings on the rise soared overhead, with citizens of the underground going about their day. Dodging through them was like running through a corn field, with limbs sticking out at odd angles and almost smacking into people he hadn’t seen a second before, but Levi’s goal was a tunnel just ahead of them. They had to keep going!

Skills from his thieving days took over his taxed mind, and by muscle memory alone he ducked under a low doorway into the stone tunnel, Historia dashing behind him like a shadow. 

Icy cold enveloped him immediately. More cold than before.  

Cold cold cold, so cold.

It hurt.

It numbed his toes, not that he could feel them.

This, he decided, was much worse than the fire from earlier.

His voice had long since grown hoarse by the time Kutchel finally stormed into the room. Levi hated seeing her angry or hurt, and she looked nothing short of furious as she flung the door open. Her horrible scowl shattered the instant she saw him lying half dead in their bed. 

“Mom…” he tried to say, but his throat felt like the over-charred food they had to eat last week. 

“Oh my god,” Terror filled her eyes. “Levi what did they do?” She rushed to his side, laying a hand on his forehead. 

Ice. Cold. Hurts. 

He let out a pitiful moan at her touch. 

She gasped and pulled away. “Baby I’m sorry! I’m so sorry!” Tears streamed down her face. “We’ve got to cool you down!” She shifted the blankets around his thin frame, pulling them off and letting more cold air attack his vulnerable skin. 

For a moment, there was nothing. But then the ice flooded his veins like rainwater. His whole body felt its prickling touch. It split every nerve, racing down his spine, out to his fingers and toes. 

“It’s okay baby, it will be okay. Just look at mommy and it will all be okay.” Kutchel smiled for him, all her anger melting away.

She looked so much happier now, and Levi thought for a moment that everything really would be okay. 

“It’s all going to be okay.”

He closed his tear-stained eyes, feeling his mother replace her hand on his head. 

“See honey? We’ll be okay. Stay with me and we’ll be fine. Stay…”

“...with me!” He yelled, pulling Historia after him.

The tunnel swallowed them whole, leaving barely any light to see by. Luckily, or maybe horribly, people actually lived in this tunnel and lanterns illuminated the glistening stone ahead. It twinkled in the dark, like some kind of mockery of a warm hearth, inviting him to join.

Levi the soldier might have. 

Levi the thief had other ideas.

A small side corridor expanded to his right. He pulled Historia down it, barely glancing back to see if their pursuer was there.

The rough stone echoed under their feet as the tunnel expanded downward. Levi could hear rather than see the growth of the pathway. Though not by lanterns, a small amount of light bounced around from another opening further down. The pathway would connect them with a lower district, one with a large market they could hopefully lose their follower in.

They quickly descended through the sloped tunnel. Levi noted the heavy panting from Historia, and he guessed she would soon tire. They would need to stop and catch their breath. But they couldn’t stop now. It was difficult, but he picked out the distant sound of their pursuer’s feet pounding against the ground distantly behind them.

He cursed again.

“Len“ Historia panted. “Is he dead?”

He couldn’t think about that now. 

“Levi—“ She heaved. “You left him there...didn’t you?” 

“We need to focus—“ He started.

“To hell with that!”

Historia abruptly stopped behind him. The opposing force of his forward dash against her sudden stop ripped her wrist free from his grasp. 

He stumbled forward a few more steps, the tunnel curving around him to reveal the exit several meters ahead. The dim light of the underground pooled into the exit from the distance. 

“What are you doing?” He screamed at her. His heart pounded with terror. Their pursuer would catch them any second if they stayed here. “We can’t stop!”

“We came down here to save people.” Historia stubbornly reasoned. “All we’ve done so far is waste our time and put people in danger. That man back there? We don’t know what he wants. Maybe instead of running from our messes like criminals we should actually do something!”

“That man is trying to kill us!” Levi hissed. “You can be damn well sure of that.”

“No!” Historia yelled, clenching her fists. “We need to find a better way or this operation is useless.”

“Fine, and we can do that when we’re not being chased.” He growled at her taking a step back towards her.

A dark silhouette appeared at the top of the sloped cavern.

Terror shot though Levi as he glanced up. It wasted no time shooting towards them, a rush of darkness in the already dark tunnel. 

“MOVE!” Levi reached out for the stubborn queen, pulling her away from her stance. A bullet tore through the air where she’d been a second later, the sound cracking through the tunnel, splitting his ears. 

They tore down the remainder of the tunnel, adrenaline pumping, as it opened back up onto the underground district. A long straight street stretched out into the distance before them. It traveled for several kilometers before the end cut off somewhere beyond eyesight, but from their position it looked like a sharp knife cut through a painting of a town.

Filling the street were people of all ages. Some slugged through the streets in a hollow daze while other lugged packs and bundles. They scurried around like ants, moving this way and that. Some hurried while others gathered. 

“We’ll lose him in the crowd!” Levi panted. 

They ran across the street towards some shops, cloaks whipping behind them. People gave them looks, their faces dull and lifeless despite the action around them.

A large figure appeared in front of Levi, glaring them down and blocking their path. Too late to move, Levi barreled right into the man, knocking him over with a huff.

Historia screamed.

“Keep going!” Levi gasped, not stopping.

They ducked through clumps of pasersby. Levi tried to scan around them for more the hooded man, but didn’t see him.

“Change of plans.” He decided. ”Let’s get off the main road.” The stitch in his side protested as he pushed himself to further stride towards a particularly tall building. He didn’t have time to admire its height or uncommon brick styling as he led them around its curved walls. Ignoring face after face glaring after them, he counted his rapid breaths, praying for this to work. 

“Up ahead there’s another tunnel.” He pointed at a dark opening ahead of them, still running. People spilled in and out in groups, clearly unfazed by the darkness. “Through it, there is another drop off to the slums. We don’t want to take our chances there if we don’t have to. Be careful.”

Historia, out of breath and probably mad at him, simply nodded. 

Together, they dove into the cool underpass. Once again, iciness washed over Levi’s skin like a bucket of water. He shivered, slowing to a fast-walk behind several laborers towing a large cart. 

He examined the faces passing by in the darkness. The tunnel was short, already the other side was in sight, and it allowed light to pool in from either opening.

Scowls and defensive looks met Levi’s own pensive one. He tried to shoot back his signature glare, hoping it didn’t come off as weak as it felt. 

The men towing the cart moved like a stubborn cow. Every step through the tunnel lasted a lifetime, making Levi’s nerves scream. He fought the urge to check behind them every five seconds. 

Hurry up hurry up hurry up.

He bit his tongue hard enough to taste coppery blood. 

Finally, they neared the exit to the tunnel. Levi held out a guarding arm, blocking Historia from plowing through it. 

He shot her a look. Wait.  

She regarded him, wide-eyed. 

Toeing out of the tunnel, Levi scanned the surroundings. Sure enough, the crowd tapered off to either the right or left, following the road that ran along another drop off heading straight down…

...back home. The voice sneered at him. 

His heart hammered, but he sucked in a deep breath, remaining calm and calculating. 

A lot of options presented themselves to him. There was his old thieving hideout for starters. A few abandoned buildings, old tenements, brothels and deserted marketplaces all flashed in and out in a wild heart beat. 

No, none of those would work. 

They were all below them in the slums. 

He searched, scanning each balcony and ledge nearby. That one was too open, the one across from it sharing the same problem. The crowds were thinner here, not enough people to blend in with. 

What to do? Where to go?

Had their pursuer tracked them this far?

An idea popped into his mind. 

His cloak whipped around him as he turned back into the tunnel. 

“I have an idea.” He announced softly to Historia who was still wearing the same look of fear and shock. “We don’t know where this guy is going to follow us, so the only thing we can do is make sure he can’t follow us.”

“What do you mean?” Historia whispered, breath shaking. 

“I mean head out on that ledge and round the corner. There’s a small outcropping we hide behind. When he gets there, we ambush him.”

Historia looked conflicted. “Do you really think he’ll fall for it?” She squeaked. 

“I don’t know.” Levi admitted. “But we can’t keep running from him forever.”

“Okay.” She agreed finally. 

He motioned for her to follow behind him. “Follow my lead. Stay close.”

Light bounced off stone as their footsteps echoed through the short passageway. Literally light at the end of a tunnel. Was that why dread pooled in his stomach like a thick fog? Would they die here in this damn filthy tunnel surrounded by strangers? 

You’ll die as you lived. A thief in the night. A forgotten face. Another piece of scum who couldn’t escape the clutches of the underground…

He swallowed, each pounding word from the voice sent a stab of pain through his head and a jolt of fear through his heart. 

As they neared the exit, Levi slowed. 

Something was off. 

Not again!

He sniffed the air, trying to detect anything out of place. Nothing there. His eyes darted back and forth, shooting like a bullet around each face. 

What was it? What was it? What was it?

Two people glanced above the ceiling to the tunnel. 

A child wailed in its parent’s grasp. 

Light hit his face as he exited the tunnel. 

Another group outside had their eyes fixed above his head.

What are they looking at?

“Shit! Get back!” Levi shouted a moment too late as three men dropped down onto the path from above. 

“Going somewhere, surface walkers?” one of them spat. His enormous frame blocked the road, sending bystanders scattering in fear. His face twisted into snarl, revealing a row of yellowed teeth under a thick mustache. 

Historia’s hand bumped into his back. Levi didn’t need to look back to sense the fear radiating off her. 

“It’s not your business, and you’re in our way.” Levi glared back. 

“Oh, it’s not?” the man raised an exaggerated hand in mock surprise. He took a step forward bringing a terrible stench of body odor and sewage with him that wafted into Levi’s nostrils. “Well pardon me and my friends. We’re here to make it our business.”

“WATCH OUT!” 

Historia’s shriek echoed around the tunnel opening as the three men pounced on their group. Levi pushed her backwards, taking the brunt force of two of the men. He lost track of everything as he they tackled him to the musty earth. 

The wind was knocked out of him in an instant, and during his moment of disorientation, one of the men punched him square in the jaw. 

Blinding stars erupted in his vision. Someone screamed. 

His vision cleared, but he instantly gagged on their stench as it engulfed him fully. The two men’s muscled arms and short statures made quick work of pinning him to the ground. One of them growled at him and raised another fist. Levi squirmed out of the way barely as the fist shot towards his face, smashing instead into the dirt.

The third fist he didn’t dodge as well. It smashed into his face, knocking it back into the ground. Levi thought he might pass out from nausea. He tasted blood. 

You’ll die right here! In the piss filled dirt with all the other thugs! 

Thugs.

Wait. 

The man reeled back his fist, coming in for a finishing blow, the unicorn emblem on his jacket becoming clear to Levi for the first time since they’d pounced on him.

Time seemed to slow down as his brain made the connection.

He’d been in this same situation before, when he was much much younger. Fresher on the street, he’d been caught stealing by other gangs and punished. Left bleeding and bruised until someone had pity on him and took care of him until his health was restored. 

But he’d been punished by other thugs.

Not Military Police. But these aren’t Military Police, are they?

The next time he’d been caught, he was ready. 

And he was ready now. 

The man’s fist flew towards him and Levi let years of honed instincts take over.

He brought his feet up and smashed them into the heads of the men on either side of him. They screamed in pain, tightening their grips on Levi’s arm’s.

Perfect.

He twisted himself around the two of them, turning his arms in their grasp. They weren’t expecting the sudden momentum, and his hands, balled into fists, slammed into their chests, hopefully knocking the wind out of them.

A beat later they both fell back, letting him go. He savagely kicked them both in the side, leaving them gasping on the rocky path.

Levi brought his head up wildly, the adrenaline blocking out waves of nausea. Something trickled from his nose. Probably blood. 

He searched for Historia only to find her being dragged back down the tunnel, kicking and screaming, by the third man.

He growled, running up behind the man. The thug whipped around faster than he’d been expecting, swooping his arm through the air directly towards Levi’s face.

He gasped, ducking out of the way as he felt the air swoosh past his face.

He delivered a rapid succession of small blows to the man’s arms. A crack sounded. The man screamed, clutching the arm.

Historia recovered quickly, and she slammed her toe directly into the man’s crotch. He howled in pain, the sounds echoing through the circular space. 

Levi felt no pity as he dealt a deadly blow to the man’s face, leaving him to flop unconsciously to the ground. 

Dust puffed up around his body.

“Are you okay?” Levi asked Historia. 

Her hair splayed out, ruined from the man’s rough treatment. “I’m—I’m fine. I’m fine.” She said, clasping her hands together to keep them from shaking. “Who were those men? They were wearing police uniforms...is that what Patrik was talking about?”

“I know.” Levi said, bringing a hand to his head. Was it just him or were the walls spinning? “We need to get somewhere safe.” 

“What do we do?” She asked him, wide eyes boring into his.

“It would be easier to hide if we could blend into a crowd.” He answered, but his mind was clouding up as the adrenaline rush faded. His hands, damn , his whole body was shaking. As the adrenaline wore off, pure agony poured into his skull, every throb threatening to send him spazzing to the ground. 

“Are you—are you okay? Levi?”

He didn’t answer immediately and man on the ground began to stir. No other citizens were in sight. They had all cleared out when the fight began.

“Uh, on second though, let’s just get out of here.” Historia said in a rush. “Up? Yeah? Great, let’s go.”

She motioned for him to follow as she ducked further into the tunnel, back towards where they’d last seen the hooded man.

They darted back up the enshrouded sloped path, checking every corner for danger.

Levi’s heart raced. He swallowed thickly, the bile in his throat doing nothing against the barrage of pain. His head was going to explode. Each hit of his foot against stone felt like the entire tunnel was crashing in on him.

Finally, they broke back out into the dim light of the underground.

“This way.” He panted.

Up ahead, people continued to swarm the area, which he now identified as a marketplace. Buildings rose tall and wide, stretching across the public area. They stood like a fence, as if keeping the darkness at bay. And indeed, light from many lamps and fires blazed all around the square, almost inviting.

They delved into the crowd, and within moments, the two of them were surrounded by people. They needed to be more cautious than this. They probably stick out like a sore thumb, but Levi’s rational side felt like it was floating away, a feather in a breeze. 

Now Ackerman...

He kept walking. Heart racing, feet heavy as they pounded into the ground. The world blurred past him, faces and dirt and buildings all becoming one dark mass.

Give up. You’ve lost. Give in...

But then he wasn’t walking. He wasn’t even moving. His face burned as it smashed into the ground, cheeks scraping against rocks and dirt. 

He couldn’t breath. Couldn’t think. 

The cavern ceiling was on fire.

Someone was touching him.

Had they been caught?

Fear flooded his mind, and he gasped through the haze.

His vision cleared enough to see shockingly blue eyes under a hooded cowl.

Historia.

“Levi?” She moved her scarf down so he could see her face. Her lips moved slowly, and Levi wondered wildly if they were underwater. She looked scared, eyes wide with shock. Maybe they were drowning. 

“Levi!” Her hand, icy cold, touched his head. 

He hissed. 

“Shit! You’re burning up!”

He tried to shake his head, to move at all. He was drowning, couldn’t she see? He would drown and never see the sun again. 

“Please stay with me!”

But he couldn’t.

Give up AND DIE!

Her voice faded out, and his body gave up

Dark crowded in on his mind until there was nothing.

Just blissful sweet nothing.

No pain. No fire or ice.

Just black. He liked it.

“Levi? Sweetie can you open your eyes?”

No. Of course he couldn’t. Someone had glued them shut. 

“Come on baby. You can do it for me.”

She was right. Mom was always right.

Levi grunted, trying to push his eyes open, for her. His eyes were crusty and filled with goop, but through all that her face was clear and warm. 

She smiled down at him. “There’s my little hero.”

He tried to smile back but ended up coughing instead. 

“...mom...wh...what...hapnd?” He mumbled through dry lips.

She smiled again, but sadness crept behind her eyes. She started brushing his hair, running her slender fingers through it. It felt nice. 

“Well baby, some people here get jealous that you’re so special. They think I should spend more time with them so they tried to make you sick.”

“Did...did they burn me?” He whispered. 

“No they didn’t burn you.”

“What did they do?”

Kutchel looked away from where she sat on the bed, gazing across the room to his pathetic pile of toys and belongings. He followed her gaze but didn’t see anything important there.

“Mom?”

When she turned back to him, there were tears in her eyes. 

“Why are you crying?” He coughed. 

“Because baby, I should have been more careful. I should have made sure no one could come in while I was away.”

He looked at her, confusion spreading on his face.

She sighed, wiping her tears.

“Hun, did anyone come by last night?”

Levi didn’t know why that was important, but he searched through his fevered mind. He would find an answer for her. 

“I think so.” He whispered at last. “Someone brought a treat for us.”

“And did you eat it?”

Yes, he remembered clearly now. The stinky man from downstairs had come by last night while she was out. It had been strange, especially since no one ever came by to visit them. Well except for the angry lady, also from downstairs, who liked to yell at mom, but aside from that, they rarely had company. It was how Levi liked it. Just him and mom. 

And the filthy man had brought them extra bread from the kitchen. Levi had been so hungry, and they never got to eat bread! He’d gobbled it all up…

“Yeah…I’m sorry. I didn’t wait for you....” Tears threatened to fall from his dry eyes. 

“No no! Honey, it’s not that!” She hurriedly waved her hands in the air. “Whoever came by didn’t give you good food. They were trying to make you sick with it.”

He stared at her blankly, a nasty feeling building in his stomach.

“Oh…”

“But I’m not going to let that happen anymore. Mommy is going to talk to them and tell them how special you are. No one gets to interrupt our lives here, okay?”

He couldn’t help the smile that cracked on his face.

“Haha, come here you!” She pulled him up from the bed, gentle as always with every touch, and wrapped her arms around him. His face pressed into her neck as he smelled the hint of lavender on her skin. 

“No one can hurt you when I’m around.”

Levi closed his eyes, letting the dark swallow him once more.

But when he blinked his eyes open again, he didn’t expect the black to stay. Nor could he see an end to the gaping expanse rising far above him on both sides with a thin gap of dim light striking through it. His head spun, and he groaned in misery, feeling every bit his age as he shifted against rigid ground.

“Captain?” A quiet voice sounded to his side.

He huffed out a breath, turning his head a centimeter to see a small hooded figure enshrouded in the shadows.

Historia.

She leaned forward towards him, and he tried to sit up.

Bad idea. 

Pain slammed into his head like he’d been clobbered with a brick. His jaw ached, He groaned again, laying his head back, a whirlwind of motion spinning inside. Bringing his hand to his head, he shuddered, finding dirt caked in his hair and face. 

Don’t think about it. Don’t think about it. 

“How do you feel?” Historia appeared, hovering over him. 

He felt himself flush, making the pain in his throbbing skull even worse. “I’m fine.” He stammered, harsher than intended. 

Historia flicked an eyebrow up. “Wow, really?” She asked, sarcasm tainting her scared voice. “Since when does fine mean collapsing and passing out for twenty minutes after running for you life?”

Collapsing?

“I—what?” Levi asked, furrowing his brow in confusion. “What happened and where are we?”

She turned away, gazing at their gloomy surroundings. “In an alley.”

He blinked his eyes against the spinning until they were able to focus on their surroundings. The streak of light above was actually just the place where two buildings ended and the cavernous expanse began. The two of them were far enough in the alley that Levi could still hear the din of the market beyond the brick walls. 

“What happened?” He asked again, turning his head to her fully.

Historia looked back at him, her head cocked. “You don’t remember?”

He tried thinking back, but the last thing he could remember was getting jumped on by the thug-Military Police so he shook his head no. Well, he tried to. It came across as more of a small shake in both directions. “No.”

“We were walking to the marketplace to get away from those men who attacked us, and you kind of—well, you just stopped moving and fell over.” Though her voice was soft, there was an edge of distance to it as well. She curled up her legs, hugging them to her chest and resting her covered chin on them. “I thought you had been shot or something, but that didn’t make sense, and you were burning up with a fever when I checked on you. I managed to drag you here.” She gestured to the space around them. “I didn’t see anyone else following us.”

Levi laid in shock. Collapsed...fever...dragged... the words churned around his head, making him more dizzy with each hash. He had a vague collection of memories, blurs of faces, screams of fear, the terror of being chased through this god-forsaken city over again, like nothing that had happened above the surface in the last decade mattered at all. Thinking about it made him even more sick to his stomach. 

...Ackerman...Ackerman...Ackerman…

Please stop. He pled with the taunting,

“How are you feeling, really?” Historia asked, turning to look at him.

He searched her eyes, letting himself get lost in the concern swimming around her expression instead of his own pathetic anxieties. A flicker of annoyance crossed him, tired as he was. 

“I’m fine.” He bit out.

Though he could only see her eyes, it was enough to convey the savage skepticism in her expression.

“I’ve seen dead people look more ‘fine’ than you look right now.” She deadpanned. 

He glared at her. “I said I’m fine, and we need to get going.” He started pushing himself up, managing to sit without a rush of pain this time. “Who knows where that damn hooded shit-face is at this point.”

He braced an arm against the dusty brick wall and lifted himself to his feet.

For a second, he really did feel totally fine. 

And then nausea and the searing migraine came back like a lurching tidal wave, completely bowling him over. Next thing he knew, he was on all fours throwing up, adding his own contribution to the filthy alley.

He didn’t need to see the concerned look on Historia’s face to know it was there. More annoyance flickered in his mind which immediately sent another spike of pain and nausea wracking through him. 

He retched again, and again, dry heaving when nothing came up. A moment later his arms gave out and he fell to the ground. 

“Uungg” He let out a soft moan, cheeks flushing at the admittance of how miserable he felt. Normally he could deal with physical pain. It was more of a mental thing than anything else. Easily ignorable. 

But this?

Everything was crashing into him at once! It was pure torture!

There was no cast he could wrap around a savage headache, no medicine on hand for an upset stomach. Though, he suspected both were much worse than they appeared to be right now. Something still nagged at him, what he’d seen at the bar, coupled with the constant pessimistic voice in his head, and what must be PTSD from visiting the hell hole he’d crawled out of combined into one big mess. He was a mess, slowly falling apart, getting pushed further and further towards a breaking point. 

His body couldn’t take much more of it.

But Historia had to take priority over all that. 

“Levi? Will you drink this?”

Hmmm?

A smooth silver flask pressed against his lips. Cool liquid trickled into his mouth, and he drank it all.

Realizing he was sitting again, he fought through the haze in his mind. Historia was by his side, holding both him and the water up. As he suspected, her face wore worry like a queen wears a crown.

The omnipresent din of the courtyard grew louder down the alley. Countless footsteps echoed off dozens of haphazard structures. Carts rolled, people chattered. 

Levi froze at a sudden thought. “Nile?” He rasped. 

Historia shook her head in dismay. “I have no idea where he is. We were supposed to meet back up with him tonight, but as far as I know he could still be at the Military Police outpost.”

“This mission is over. We have to find him and get the hell out of here.”

She didn’t answer, instead looking away. Levi thought he saw tears in her eyes as she stared down the alley, as if everyone she wanted to help was sitting there watching her, knowing she couldn’t offer them anything but empty promises. 

“I’m sorry.” He whispered. “We don’t have a choice. This has gotten too dangerous. I can’t...I can’t keep you safe...”

“I know.” Her voice barely reached his ears. 

Levi closed his eyes against the complete misery, willing it all to be just another one of his horrible nightmares. This couldn’t be real, it couldn’t be happening. It was—

“HEAR YE! CITIZENS OF THE UNDERGROUND DISTRICT OF THE GREATER MITRIAS AREA! AN OFFICIAL ANNOUNCEMENT FROM QUEEN HISTORIA RIESS HERSELF!”

Historia jerked her head back at the booming voice coming from beyond the alley. Her eyes locked onto his, confusion and shock registering past her tears. She stood, leaning him against the wall, and dashed to the corner of the alley to peer out of the shadows. 

“You need to come see this.” She called back to him after a moment. 

The gravity of her tone made Levi’s blood freeze. He forced himself to his feet, leaning heavily on the wall, and slid himself over to her. She moved out of the way for him so he could look out to the packed courtyard.

Over the swirling sea of heads and moving bodies, A tall man in Military Police regalia stood, perched on something in the middle of the throng of people. He unrolled a single piece of paper, clearing his throat as people stopped to watch. Several other officers stood with him, forming a protective circle around him. The populous around them followed suit, although their faces spoke more of fear than respect as they backed away from the small gathering. 

“What the hell is this?” Historia hissed, her tone dangerously low. “I haven’t made any announcements in weeks.”

Levi noted silently that the girl must be picking up on some of his poor language before turning his attention fully to the man in the courtyard. 

“EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY, ALL CITIZENS OF THE UNDERGROUND DISTRICT ARE TO BE PLACED UNDER A STRICT CURFEW. NO ONE IS ALLOWED ON THE STREETS PAST SUNDOWN.” He paused, looking up from the scroll of paper. “THAT TRANSLATES TO YOU FOLK AS ABOUT EIGHT O CLOCK. ANYONE FOUND OUTSIDE AFTER THAT TIME WILL BE ARRESTED ON SIGHT. NO QUESTIONS ASKED.”

The roar of shock and outrage tore through the crowd like wildfire. 

“What!” Historia cried in outrage. Her voice was lost in the cacophony of sound.

“FURTHERMORE,” The man continued bellowing over the uproar, quieting many of the protesting people. Several of his protective circle of men leveled guns at the citizens around them, leaving them backing away terrified. “CITIZENS WILL NOT BE ALLOWED FREE ACCESS TO ANY STAIRWAY LEAVING OR ENTERING THE UNDERGROUND DISTRICT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES ALSO EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY.”

If the roar of protest from the last announcement was loud, the cries that shattered the air now were a furious whirlwind. Men and women alike shouted and screamed. Levi saw some crying and wrapping their arms around themselves.

At the far side of the courtyard, he noticed a few people clearing the way for a single man pushing through the significant crowd that had gathered. He watched him approach the center without fear as the announcer continued to shout. 

“AN INVESTIGATION IS IN PLACE, AND THE MILITARY POLICE NEEDS THE COOPERATION OF THIS DISTRICT TO COMPLETE IT. MILITARY POLICE PATROLS WILL BE ASSIGNED TO MONITOR THE STREETS AFTER CURFEW AND MAN ALL STAIRWAY ENTRANCES.”

The man cleared through dozens of people, pushing and shoving his way to the front. He turned to face outward into the crowd, bald head and beady red eyes gleaming in the lamplight. 

“Officer Randor?” Historia exclaimed. “What is he doing here?”

No no no no no no no no… Levi examined each face of the officers as best he could from the distance. His stomach threatened to give him another round of dry heaving. 

“Those aren’t military police.” He whispered. 

“What do you mean?” Historia asked. “Who are they?”

“It’s like that bartender said. There’s been thugs acting as MP’s.” He grunted back. “Like the ones that attacked us.”

Officer Zane Randor scanned the faces in the courtyard with a sneer. His gaunt face, pale even in the dark area, looked like the face of a nightmare, straight from the depths of hell. Levi shivered in spite of himself. 

“SO LONG AS PARTICIPATION, RESPECT, AND COOPERATION IS GIVEN BY ALL CITIZENS OF THE UNDERGROUND DISTRICT, THE MILITARY POLICE WILL ACT IN A LIKEWISE FASHION. OPERATIONS ARE EXPECTED TO WRAP UP WITHIN A WEEK, WHERE ACTIVITIES WILL RESUME AS NORMAL.

“SIGNED WITH AUTHORITY FROM QUEEN HISTORIA RIESS BY CAPTAIN DAMION BURNS OF THE MITRIAS DISTRICT.”

“Burns?” Historia clenched her hands into fists. “What the hell is he doing? This will mess up our operations down here! And I never approved of any extra patrols or—CURFEW? What is he thinking?”

Levi silently agreed with her, or rather, he would have if his mind wasn’t fully preoccupied by a single horrifying fact that had just become all too clear. 

“Isn’t it obvious?” He said quietly, the words falling from his lips like an avalanche of icy daggers. She turned to look at him, but he kept staring out into the crowd, unable to take his eyes off of it. 

“Burns wants us dead.” He finished, gritting his teeth. 

“Burns wants us dead?” Historia repeated in disbelief. “Levi—I—what? What are you talking about?”

The crowd beyond twisted and moved like violent wind moving through the branches of a tree. People whipped this way and that, some pressing in on the small circle of officers for further details on the announcement. But that little glint coming off the hand of Officer Randor held Levi’s attention. 

“Levi?” She said again, trying to get his attention. “You better tell me this another one of your poorly timed jokes.”

“No.” He answered hoarsely. He was losing it. The battle for his mind, his sanity, all hell was breaking loose. His head spun, the dizziness threatening to send him to his knees. 

They were stuck. Trapped. 

He somehow found the voice to tell her. “The hooded man that just tried to kill us was Officer Randor.” 

“No. You’re wrong—he can’t—I don’t—How do you know?” She stammered. 

The light from Officer Randor’s pinky finger flashed again. A square of gold, twinkling in the dark. 

“They’re wearing the same ring.”

Chapter Text

Damion Burns

Damion Burns laughed as he slid his chair back from his desk. “Commander Dok!” He greeted the man as he sauntered into his office. “Well aren’t you quite the sight! I see the underground has been treating you well.”

Nile grinned as he walked in. His dirty, filth-stained clothes carried the faint stench of out there with him. “If it treats me any better I’ll have an arm or leg missing by next week.” 

“Oh, you’d probably find a way to make the look suit you!” 

The two men smiled as they clasped hands over Burns’ desk. 

Nile heaved a heavy sigh, slumping into the chair across from Burns. “It is so good to be here. So so good.” He closed his eyes, relishing the moment. 

“I can only imagine.” Burns exclaimed, pulling out two glasses and a bottle of wine. “I’ve done plenty of field work out there, but nothing to the scale of this operation. I insist you tell me how it’s been going?” 

Nile’s eyes popped open at the sound of wine pouring into the glasses.  

“Bless you my good man. I don’t dare drink anything but water down here.” 

Burns chuckled. “It’s that bad?” 

The other man nodded solemnly. “I think we’re going to call it soon. The operation. It’s been a wash. Absolutely nothing but a waste of time and energy.” 

Burns frowned. That wasn’t what he’d been expecting to hear, though he wasn’t surprised. 

“Go on?” 

Nile looked at his hands. “I haven’t had the heart to tell Historia. Well, neither of us have, but we’ve worked over half this city now and we can’t find anything. Not even a solid lead on orphans or children. It’s like people stopped having children!” 

“My god...What is the queen saying?”  

“She hasn’t said anything, but I can see it in her eyes. She won’t give up until she’s become the hero of the underground.” 

Damion bristled at the comment.

“How very...noble of her.” He sniffed. 

Nile glanced at him.  

“What do you mean?” 

“It just seems selfish to me,” He looked at his wine with distain. “Stealing you from your family, taking two dozen officers from their usual posts, and wasting all this time down here for her own personal agenda? It’s an interesting leadership style. Not one I was expecting.” 

“Historia is learning. It’s a good thing she’s trying to do, and it will rally her a lot of support.”

“Still. Between you and me, I think she made a better Scout than queen.”

Nile looked doubtful, and Burns’ noticed the lack of agreement. Mentally, he sighed. 

Plan B then I guess.

“What about the Captain?” He quickly changed the subject. “Is he still being a pain in your ass?” 

“Oh don’t get me started on Levi.” Nile dragged a hand over his face, slouching to one side. “The man has been a pain in my ass since the day he discovered I existed. Now, I’m pretty sure his only goal every day is to make my life as miserable as his.”

Burns forced a smile. “So it’s not great?”

“It’s the opposite of great. It’s hell. And I think he’s been sick the last few days, though he won’t say anything about it. He just swears more and glares at you with his stupid washed out face.” 

“I’m still surprised he agreed to come back.”

He glanced at the clock. Any second now. 

“And I’m surprised I haven’t punched him yet.” Nile retorted. 

Burns let out a strained laugh. He was normally a better actor than this, but without Nile’s support his next moves were going to be a lot harder.  

“How’s the wine?” He changed the subject. 

Nile opened his mouth to speak when the door to the room slammed open, an out of breath soldier appearing in its place.  

“Sir!” The middle-aged man’s wild eyes met his own. “There’s been a chemical explosion in the area! There’s pollution in the streets!”

“There’s been a what?” Nile yelped, jumping to his feet. 

“Chemical spill!” The officer gasped, eyes bulging. “At least one building is on fire!” 

Zane you blastedly perfect man. Well done!

“Good heavens!” Burns exclaimed, feigning shock and pulling a pouch from his pocket. He moved his hand over Nile’s drink while the man was turned away, dumping its contents into the stagnant red liquid. “Where was it at? Are our men safe?” 

“It was a few blocks over Captain! We aren’t sure how much it’s spreading yet, but I’d advise everyone to stay inside until we sort this out and get a headcount.”

“Stay inside—what kind of spill was this?” Nile sputtered.

The officer in the doorway glanced at Burns right as he withdrew his hand, a knowing look flashing across his face before replacing it with fear.  

That man deserves a raise,  Burns thought, impressed. Why, he was actually shaking! 

“We don’t know yet sir. But standard procedure says a safety control team needs to check it out before we let normal activity continue.” He said, fiddling with his hands.

Damion gave him the slightest of nods back. Well done, he tried to convey.  

“It could be nothing,” the officer continued, “But we had an incident a few years back where a pipe to the mines burst and spread chemicals through the river. Hundreds of people died from poisoning. We’re just trying to be careful sir.” 

“Officer,” Burns addressed the trembling man. What was his name again..? “Has the control team been sent out yet?” 

“Yes, I just alerted them as well. They’re on their way out now.”

“Good, tell them to let all officers out there to quarantine in the closest available building and to stay off the streets. We’ll stay in the outpost until further—” 

“Tell the control team I’m coming with them.” Nile interrupted. 

“Sir..?” the officer glanced back to Burns.  

No, he shook his head slightly. 

Damn Nile. Now was not the time for idiotic heroics.  

“I have a few dozen of my men on the streets.” Nile continued. “I refuse to stay here if they need help.” 

“Nile, come now!” Burns scoffed. “You can’t be serious.”

The commander turned a harsh gaze on Burns who froze at the intensity. “Deadly.” He uttered.  

“Sir,” The officer said. “I’ll go tell the team to wait, but they won’t be able to hold off much longer.” He gave a quick knowing look to Burns and a brief salute before jogging back through the door and down the hall. 

Good man.   

Burns returned his gaze to Nile. Sweet innocent Nile. Nile who had helped him countless times, a man he felt strong kinship to.  

And currently, the last person standing in his way of success.

This is for your own good.   

“Please,” He reasoned, pouring thick anxiety into his voice. “You can’t go out there and risk your life!” 

“To hell with that Damion,” Nile’s eyes flared like wildfire. “Historia is out there, and you damn well know it’s my job to keep her safe!” He slammed his fist on Burns’ desk for emphasis, making the wine shake in its glass. 

Burns flinched then shook his head at Nile’s naivety. “This is preposterous! Do you even know where she is at? She could have been contaminated by the spill.” 

A trickle of fear crossed Nile’s expression, replacing the hostility. “I—I need to find out.”

“No, you’re not trained for this!” Burns shot back, suppressing an eyeroll.  You’d be risking your life for nothing, and I can’t let you do that!”

“It’s my job.”

Burns stare grew cold. “Then it would be my job to tell your wife you died because of a gamble.” 

Nile’s jaw went slack like he’d been punched. He fumbled for words, none coming out. 

“I’m sorry friend, but I won’t do that for you.”

Nile was quiet, and Burns understood. He really did.  

Family was the most powerful of weaknesses. A man would do anything for his family.  

He sighed. “Listen, I have men on the ground. I have eyes on the streets. Let me go out and look for them for you.”

Nile’s head shot up. “What?” He demanded. 

“I know where you’re coming from. I wouldn’t be able to sit while my comrades were in danger either. I’ll go out and find her. You have a lot more to lose than me.” 

“Don’t be ridiculous.”

“I mean it.” 

Nile’s eyes grew wild. “Damion, no! Like you said, it’s too dangerous!” 

“Oh for crying—” Burns started. “Nile, I come down here far too often for my or anyone’s liking. I’ve seen my share of the people and the danger. I’m more familiar with it than you.” 

Nile continued to hold a stubborn gaze so Burns continued.   

“Do you really think you can lay that kind of logic on me, that it’s not too dangerous for you but it’s too dangerous for me?” 

The Commander’s gaze fell. He looked down to his hands, unsure. 

“You trust me, right?” Burns prodded incredulously.  

Nile’s eyes flicked up immediately. “Of course I do.” He assured.  

“Then let me find them for you.” Burns said, his stature unflinching, his eyes unwavering. “I’ll send someone to you to let you know the second we know about their whereabouts.” 

Nile didn’t respond. Burns could practically see the gears turning in his head as he weighed the options before him. Really he admired the man’s commitment to the throne. Admirable as it was, Burns couldn’t help but feel a little jealous that it was dedicated to a little girl and a profane captain.  

“Besides,” He added with a tilt of his head. “I will need someone to watch the outpost while I’m out there. You’re definitely the most capable person here to do that.”

At long last, Nile sighed and slumped his shoulders in defeat.

“Okay.” He agreed. “But if you don’t send a message to me the moment you lay eyes on them—” 

“I’ll let you know.” Burns smiled. “I swear on the throne.”

“God.” Nile shook his head. He eyed the glass of wine before abruptly grabbing it and downing half the contents in one go. “This is going to be a long night.” 

________________________

Roughly fifteen minutes later, Burns slipped out of his office, careful to shut the door behind him so it barely clicked. 

Zane Randor was waiting outside. 

“Nile is out of the way.” He greeted the officer. “The drug in his drink worked perfectly.” 

“Excellent.” Zane smiled. It was a moderately disturbing sight, but Burns had grown far used to it in his many dealings with the man. Different as his features were, he more than made up for it in his talent in violence and his dedication to Burns. 

“What’s the status on Historia and Levi?” Burns asked him, beginning to walk down the hallway.  

“We...lost them.”

He flipped on Zane in an instant, a dark wave of rage coming off him. “You what?” He barked, the sound echoing through the empty space.  

“We lost them in the crowd.” The bald man answered, his sunken eyes darting away from Burns’ fury. “We didn’t anticipate how well the Captain knew the streets. They gave us the slip.”

“You didn’t anticipate someone from underground knowing the streets—” Burns held back an eye roll, wanting to strangle someone. 

He swallowed his fury, running a hand through his combed hair. “Fine, it’s fine. I’m fine. This is why we made a back up plan. We’ll switch to plan B. Call in the men. Tell them to start patrolling. I have to return to the surface. My absence won’t go unnoticed, but I’ll be back tomorrow. You go make the announcement for me. Where did we lose them?”

“About a district down from here.” 

Burns thought for a moment. He could have killed someone for the set back, but they were playing a game of cat and mouse, only in this case there were several dozen cats and two little helpless mice. Surely they couldn't have gone far in the time he’d been at the outpost.  

“Then make the announcement there.” He ordered. “They have to be close by. And do the same in the surrounding areas too.”

“Of course Sir.” Zane responded without hesitation. “What about the other police patrols?”

This time, Burns didn’t hold back the eye roll. “Blasted operation! I don’t care, just get them out of the way. And don’t kill them.” He added. 

“Of course, Captain.”

“And Zane?” Burns waited until he had his subordinates full attention. “I want to see the end of Historia and Levi myself. Use whatever means you need to detain them, but keep them alive until my return.” He needed to see them die himself. He wouldn’t be satisfied until he saw the light leave their eyes. 

“Of course, Captain.”

And with that, Zane turned abruptly and disappeared.  

Burns sighed. They were so close.  

“A few more hours. That’s all.” He muttered to himself before following Zane.

Chapter Text

Historia Riess

Historia watched Levi dry heave for the tenth time, a growing pit forming in her stomach. She glanced back at the mouth of the alley again. The crowd had begun to disperse leaving few straggling groups behind. She was sure that the group of Military Police was still out there...along with Officer Randor. 

Half of her wanted desperately to run out there and beg one of the officers for help. The operation aside, Levi was obviously sick and needed medical attention. 

But the other half of her was still stunned. Frozen in place by what she’d just heard. 

“They’re wearing the same ring.”

Of course, leave it to Captain Levi to drop a bombshell of a revelation like that and then collapse into a sick mess. He hadn’t been able to keep his feet under him so she’d hurriedly dragged him back into the shadows of the alley.

“Captain?” She asked. He looked near dead with exhaustion, holding himself up on his hands and knees, shaking. “Hey, hey, come on, I need you to tell me what’s going on. You can’t be serious about Randor, right? Are you sure you saw a ring?”

“The ring.” Levi murmured. His teeth grit in pain, pressing a weak arm against his stomach.

A few barked shouts sounded from the courtyard. 

“Captain, please!” She shrieked. “We don’t have time—I don’t know what’s going on!”

“No time.” He agreed. “Burns is a Lovof...he’ll kill us. He has the ring, the family ring. It has their crest on it. I saw it. I missed it.”

“You’re not making sense! Who are the Lovofs?  We need to worry about Randor! Come on!”

“...Lovofs. They all got arrested...I thought they did.” He was mumbling incoherently now. “He must be from the daughter...Randor had the ring too...how did I not see the ring...”

“Captain—“ She tried to interrupt him.

“He’s working for Burns, and now we’re trapped—“ Levi abruptly sucked in a huge gasp, looking her dead in the eyes.

Historia froze. Gone was the pained expression, now replaced by a drowning expanse of fear in her former superior’s eyes.

“We. Have. To. Get out of here!” He grit out before his arms gave out and he collapsed in a heap.

Patrik’s bar blowing up around them had been bad enough. Being chased by a hooded assassin had been considerably worse. But watching Levi in such a weak and fragile state, succumb to sickness and mental anguish? That frightened her most of all. 

Her heart trembled. Her hands shook. She needed him now more than ever, but the overbearing constant protectiveness he’d displayed early on were completely gone. Not even a stray curse word tumbled from his gasping lips. 

Her nerves were so on edge that she almost missed the shouting from the courtyard.

“...search everywhere! Patrols take to the streets immediately, report back any findings…” 

Oh god.

She was out of time.

“Okay, up we go.” She slung an arm under Levi, not so gracefully lifting him to his feet. He stumbled, groaning under his breath. 

Somehow she pulled the both of them towards the mouth of the alley. The weight of Levi leaning on her slowed their progress, but her fear kept her moving. His head lolled as she pulled his hood over his face. 

Peering out into the now almost empty marketplace, Historia paused. Light flickering of candles illuminated the area, hiding much in the shadows. On the far side from them, the clump of Military Police stood conferring. Their bright tan jackets stood out in bright contrast against the nondescript clothing of literally everyone else. They were easy to spot, which was pretty much the only bright side she could think of at the moment. 

A few of the last stragglers limped near, and just before they passed the alley she moved out in front of them. Hopefully they would blend into the sorry group. Just a couple of poor underground husks to ignore. 

One of the military police officers turned to look at them. His eyes scanned through the group, seeming to see right through her. 

Her heart thundered. She gulped.

The officer turned back to his group. 

They continued to limp forward, leaving the courtyard behind. The other people split paths from them, leaving the two of them exposed on a strangely empty street. 

“...I know...somewhere we can go. It’s the safest...place.” Levi’s whispered voice made her jump. 

“What?” She croaked. 

“We can’t go to the safe houses.” He wheezed. “They’ll know.”

The realization almost broke her. They had told Burns everything. He knew every detail about the operation, and that meant Randor likely did too. And if he really was the one chasing them…

No. She couldn’t let herself dwell on that now. They could figure a way out of this when they were safe.

“We need...hide. They can’t find us…” Levi said.

“Can you show me the way?” Historia asked. “You said you know somewhere?”

He paused. 

“Yes.”

She glanced at Levi as he spoke. He looked pretty bad. Under his hood, his dark hair was plastered across his forehead. His chest heaved with every breath, his arm still wrapped around it. Most worrisome of all, she was holding up a concerning amount of his weight with his arm slung over her shoulder. It was getting heavier by the second.

He had been in mental anguish since setting foot here, but only now did Historia finally see the full extent of the toll it was taking on him.

And she wanted to scream.

After all, it had been her insistence that swayed Levi into coming. Her decisions started this chain reaction for him.

Her failures seemed to pile up like books, each one detailing the many reasons she was unfit to lead. Unfit to be a queen. Unfit to rule. And unfit to help. 

Is this what you meant when you said live a life to be proud of Ymir? To go wallow in the muddy underground and die, dragging everyone down with me?

She could almost see her friend strolling along next to them, rolling her eyes and stuffing her hands in her pockets.

“Of course not you idiot.” She would have said.

Silent tears slipped down Historia’s face.

“I’m sorry…” She whispered, not sure who it was directed at.

The road before them twisted and cut around several tightly packed structures. They towered over them, connected by overarching bridges and second story balconies. It would have looked nice, the architecture lux, but years of decay with no upkeep left it all holding together like a child’s craft. 

People darted out of sight like rodents. Groups of them stared out of windows and alleys at every passerby. Surely the word was spreading like a disease across the thousands of ears underground. The Military Police were on the streets and the streets were none too happy about it.

Historia sucked in her chest.

“...we need to go down...they won’t follow us down there.” Levi’s head bobbed. His eyelashes fluttered, but he managed to gesture his arm up.

She frowned, but followed the directions. Around the corner, the streets took a darker turn. Literally. The road dramatically sloped down into a realm of shadows. Less candles illuminated shops and taverns. More people clumped in the middle of the street. Vague glints of metal indicated knives being held in every other hand. 

Darkness clung with a jealous hand, and it wasn’t letting go. 

Despite his weakened state, Historia was suddenly very grateful to have Levi so close. 

“Captain, where are we going?” She asked, afraid for the answer. 

She could barely make out his breathed answer. 

“The Island.”

________________________

Historia wasn’t sure how long they’d been walking when she realized she could no longer see the cavern ceiling.

They had trudged down the sloped street as it caved into tunnels and back out to desolate streets. The air was stale, stagnant. The whole place stunk like the rotting corpse of a titan, only it invaded every inch of her making it hard to think. It was as if they were marching right into the heart of one of the monsters. 

Here the buildings grew up and around them like a forest of trees. They were packed tightly and grew out at odd angles. Some were hardly more than hovels carved into the sides of cliffs. 

And high above it all were the faint lights of the upper districts, loftily placed to look down on the lowest of the scum of the earth. 

Even in the poorest areas there was still discrimination and hate. 

It broke her heart in a way she couldn’t explain. 

Levi had stayed quiet most of the way. Occasionally, he would groan or mutter something his breath, looking up only to give her vague directions.

“Go towards the tall building.”

“Through there, past the fences.”

“Around there.”

She tried asking him for more specifics, but he kept losing focus so she’d given up. Her feet ached against the dirt and gravel. None of the roads underground were paved, but here it was even less so. The well worn foot paths reminded her of the brutal hiking trails Shadis forced them to endure in their training days. 

The only light came from candles lit along the way. Every three or four buildings apart the tiny fires flickered from inside onto the path like stars on a cloudy night. Each time she glanced inside one of the structures she saw silhouettes huddled in clumps. They barely moved. Even in the deepness, she could see the thin frames and tattered clothes.

The estate she’d grown up on flashed through her mind. She’d never gone hungry or been without clothes. Though she’d been ignored all her life, the absolute luxury she lived in was something the people forced to live here would have murdered her for.

That’s why we’re here. She tried to tell herself, but the words clattered around her mind as if it were hollow. 

They kept going, one step at a time. Historia’s eyes stung with tears. Her legs shook. To her surprise, she found herself missing Nile. He regularly bothered her with his dismissive attitude and overbearing protectiveness, but despite all that, he had always listened to her. Even when they disagreed he made sure to let her be heard. 

What she wouldn’t give for one of his reassuring nods right now. Hell, she didn’t even know if Nile was still alive. 

What if Burns killed him like he tried to have us killed? Nile was supposed to meet with him today.

The thought made her shoulders sag. 

“...up there…” Levi weezed. “The blue door.” 

He fumbled his arm in the air, catching onto Historia’s free hand. She was alarmed at how feverish his skin felt. 

“I don’t see a blue door.” She whispered back, scanning the street. It was packed tight with crumbling wooden structures. Rotted planks and old nails poked out of the ground at odd angles. A rusty tin cup and spoon lay dented in front of what looked like an old tenement. Her boots crunched against broken glass.

“...there.” He mumbled, finally raising his arm to point at the tenement.

Historia gulped as they stopped.

At three stories tall, the building should have been imposing, but the roof caved in over half the third floor leaving it lopsided like a chair missing a leg. Old shingles hung from its walls, attempts to cake them on with mud and clay evident behind them. The entryway gaped open like a mouth with a single blue tinged door hanging off one side.

“What is this place?” She said, horrified. 

Before Levi could answer, a looming black figure appeared in the doorway.

“Strangers aren’t welcome in these parts.” A gruff voice boomed from it. Historia could faintly make out the lines of the man’s eyebrows, furrowed at them. 

“S—s, sorry!” She yelped, jumping back. “We’re leaving.”

The man scoffed. “Leaving so you can come later?” 

His burly frame began advancing towards them. Historia’s heart shook. 

Run!

“I’ll save you the trip.” 

She desperately tried to pull Levi with her as then man gained on them. 

But Levi broke away from her with an abrupt jerk. 

“Captain!” She gasped, stumbling.

Levi stood with his back to her. The man roared, rearing back his fist. Impossibly, Levi caught it and twisted it around. A jagged crack sounded a moment later. 

The man howled.

Levi threw him to the ground, digging his knee into the man’s neck. 

“Are there any more in there?” He hissed in a tone so filled with venom Historia didn’t recognize it. 

“No!” The man choked out. “It’s just me! Please—don’t kill me!”

Levi glared down at the man for another second before releasing him.

“Get out of here.” He spat. “Come back and I’ll kill you before you walk in the door.”

The man whimpered, clutching at his broken wrist. Levi kicked him savagely in the gut and the man scampered away.

Levi turned his eyes to Historia, and her heart skipped a beat.

Pure animalistic fury twisted the captain’s face. He glared at her, and she took a step back.

“...Captain?” A tear fell from her face.

All at once, the wave of anger melted from his face and he sagged. She barely caught him in time before he crumpled to the earth.

“Home…” He rasped. “We’re home.”

Chapter Text

Historia Riess

The night did not belong to Queen Historia Riess.

Her new kingdom claimed the land, and to an extent, everything sun fell on. Underground was something different, like another world in which she visited. She retained some measure of dignity, but lacked any real authority. 

While traveling with the Survey Corps, Historia had flown at the very forefront of humanity, like a leaf in the wind. That freedom, and the might of the soldiers, seemed to carry such force with it, as though they could change the world. 

She sat now, with an unconscious Captain and only her thoughts to keep her company. A faint breath of light shone in through cracks in a boarded up window, and the eternal night extended in all directions around it. Unending darkness, lit by a few puffs of light. Consuming everything with a vengeance, including the two stowaways.

Captain Levi was laying on the ground a meter or so from her. His cloak was a thin sheet against the chills racking his body so Historia had covered him in her own cloak, opting to feel the cold press of the wall against her instead. She didn’t dare touch the rags strewn about the place to try and warm herself. 

How could anyone live here? She wondered. Barely two weeks underground and she was ready to never see it again. Between the last few hours running for her life and the days before sludging past without a single smiling face, she could feel the weight of her pains and aches pinning her to the ground. But, another glance at Levi reminded her that some people weren’t lucky enough to leave. 

Imagining a lifetime spent in the never ending darkness and filth made her shiver and wrap her arms tighter around herself. 

We’re going to leave. We’re going to leave. We have to leave. We have to.

Silent tears slipped down her face. 

No, she did not control this night. She would never control it. 

The night pulsed through the aged building they hid in and then back out, spreading like a rat infestation through the streets. It swirled around her, beating against her thoughts, reminding her that hundreds of hearts were beating outside. Thousands of stomachs also ached with hunger in the city. 

How could she have been so foolish? To think she could change something so big?

“The sun...it’s so... beautiful…”  A soft voice mumbled.

Historia shook herself out of her grief and pushed her icy limbs across the floor to the delirious Captain.

“Hey,” She breathed, “Are you awake this time?”

“Don’t you see it?” He pointed, arm rising limply before dropping back to his side. “It’s so warm...and the colors…”

Through the dimness, Historia saw his eyelashes flutter. She pinched her lips together, resting her wrist on his forehead. 

His skin felt like the outside of a pot left on the coals overnight. A furious but constant flow of heat ebbed through him, and he flinched away from her. 

“...cold…”

She watched him pull away from her, clutching the cloaks against him, feeling totally helpless. What had she ever done to deserve this? 

“Try to go back to sleep Captain.” She sighed. “You need to rest.”

The boards creaked under him as he curled in on himself. Eventually, his heavy breaths slowed into soft whispers. 

And she was left once again with nothing but her thoughts.

A selfish part of her was tempted to wake Levi up. He wasn’t normally good for conversation, even less so now, but then at least she wouldn’t be alone. 

She shivered against the cold, drawing her legs close around her. 

Hours passed as the night pressed on around them. They were the only ones in this building, Levi’s earlier stunt ensuring that. Historia had lugged him up a set of stairs and scouted out a room with a window. Being able to see any incoming threats should have put her mind at rest, but the odd noises in the walls and on the street outside triggered her senses—too many voices to relax, too treacherous to let her guard down for even a moment. The sounds were sometimes rodents in the walls, sometimes thumping from the floor below. Historia stifled gasps when the voices came to close. 

If she had to guess, and she didn’t want to, she suspected there was a clump of thugs waiting somewhere outside. Waiting for the right moment to attack. 

The air was stale and stank of alcohol and feces. Though her eyes had adjusted to the intense darkness, she still had a hard time seeing more than the faint glints of light across the surfaces around them, the bits of trash strewn on the floor, the broken bed frame, and Levi’s too pale face. 

He would occasionally mutter some other gibberish in his sleep. Things like ‘don’t go’ and ‘I’m sorry’ was all she could make out. Every moan of pain he let out made her heart clench like a fist was squeezing it. 

THIS IS YOUR FAULT.

The words screamed in her mind, and she squeezed her eyes shut against the tears that came after.

An imaginary form slumped down against the wall next to her. Ymir. Again.

This is wrong. You’re a good girl Krista...Just because you want other people to think of you as someone who’d literally die for another...dragging someone else to his death just for that? Only a bad girl would do that, right?

Historia wanted to throttle her friend’s voice as it echoed like a taunt in her head. Fine, she’d made mistakes! But now? Now she was actually trying to be genuinely good, to be the girl Ymir wanted her to be, and look at where it was getting her? 

“I’m trying to be good.” She muttered to herself.

The imaginary Ymir shrugged, gesturing towards Levi. 

You should probably try harder or he’s going to die. 

The image of her friend vanished, and Historia sighed again. 

She thought of her dream, one she’d had all her life. For people to see her as kind, good, and purposeful. Of sitting down with comrades and mattering. Of not being clumsy little Historia. Stupid, in the way, and a waste of space. 

When offered the chance to erase that girl, to say goodbye to ‘we wish you’d never been born’ Historia Riess and say hello to Krista Lenz, it had been a dream come true. Only later did she see how living a lie was the furthest thing from being the person she wanted to be. 

Well now she was stupid-grown-up Historia Riess, Queen of the walls and probably about to die. What she wouldn’t give to be Krista right now. 

If only she’d planned this operation better. If only they’d prevented Patrik’s bar from burning. If only she had done a million other things better. 

Face it. You’re hopeless and now you’re going to die in the dark. 

Levi groaned and muttered something she couldn’t make out. 

She choked out a silent sob, resting her face in her dirty hands. 

The night consumed her. 

________________________

Historia jerked awake at the racket thundering from below. 

How long had she been asleep? Were they being attacked?

She held her breath, listening to the sounds outside the door so carefully she could hear her heart slamming against her chest. 

One…

Two…

Three…

Four…

What if they were right outside?

Five…

Six…

She only had a small knife to defend them. Her mind flashed to where she kept it, tucked into her belt.

Seven…

Eight…

The knife made no sound as she drew it from the sheath. 

Nine…

Ten…

Eleven…

The floorboards outside creaked. God, they were standing right there!

Her hands shook as she rose to her feet, still not daring to breathe.

And then…

The creak sounded again, along with the sound of retreating footsteps. 

Whoever was outside the door walked away. 

Historia didn’t let her breath out until she heard the distant clomping of heavy footfalls down the steps. 

Across the room, Levi suddenly stirred and tried to sit up. “Wha—where—ughhh.”

She rushed to his side, incredibly grateful he was awake. “Hey hey hey, relax! It’s okay!”

He looked up at her through eyes glazed with pain. “Where are we?”

“I’m not sure…”

Levi pushed himself up on one hand, the other clutching his stomach. His head swiveled around the dark space. If possible, it grew even whiter than it had been before. 

He began to struggle to his feet.

“We need to get out of here!” He gasped.

“What do you mean?” She hissed, helping him up. “You brought us here. You said it was safe!”

CRASH  

Sounds exploded from the floor below them. Whether accidental or purposeful, Historia didn’t know. Regardless, her stomach plummeted. 

Levi’s eyes turned to her, almost child-like fear painted through them. 

Her heart stopped beating.

“GO!” He hissed.

Somehow, Historia found the strength to move her feet and pull Levi after her. They left their shadowy refuge behind and exited back into the hallway. 

To her horror, the same footsteps from before pounded up the stairs like the drumbeats of war. 

“We shouldn’t have come here…” Levi whispered like a chant. “...shouldn’t have come back…”

But Historia was too far gone to listen. She gasped breath after breath as she pulled Levi further down the hallway and away from the stairs.

They could find another window and escape through there. She thought she had seen another from outside.

She kicked a door in at the end of the hall, wild tears falling from her eyes at the dozens of rats that scampered away from her. She leaned Levi against the wall, quietly closing the door behind them. 

That would buy them precious seconds.

Now…

She didn’t allow herself a breath of relief at the window to this room not being boarded up. Quickly examining it, she found that it was all together broken with only scraps of shattered glass around the frame. 

“Captain,” She hurried back to him. “Listen to me.”

His head lolled, eyes unfocused as he muttered incoherently. 

“ Levi!” She grabbed his hand.

He flinched at the contact, eyes snapping up.

“Listen, you have to listen. Those men are here to kill us—“

SLAM

The distant slam of a door in the hallway pounded in her ears. Men laughed, a harsh raking sound that left her trembling. 

“We have to jump out the window.”

A small spark of...something flared through Levi’s dead eyes, but he seemed to understand the danger. He nodded slowly.

“Come on! We’ll go together.”

The mud on the street glistened in what little light shone from doorways. A few hovels lay low to the ground, people hiding out of sight within. 

Where will you go? A small voice asked, but she shut it out.

The men barked in the hallway. Getting close. 

Historia threw a leg up over the window sill, then the other. She helped Levi do the same. 

“Ready?” She breathed to him.

He nodded blearily. 

Don’tlookdowndon’tlookdowndon’tlookdown…

The door to their room flung open with a crash.

“THERE THEY ARE!”

“GO!” She cried and pushed herself off the ledge, pulling Levi with.

For a literal second, the air rushed past her face as they plummeted, but then—

THUD

Her knees buckled under her as she crumpled into the dirt. The air was ripped from her lungs by an unseen force, and she gasped, blackness crowding in against the already dark street. 

“What the hell?” An outraged voice cried from above.

Adrenaline shot through her, and she groaned, rolling to her feet.

“Come on!” She gasped, grabbing at Levi who had rolled a meter away and was also breathing heavily. 

The two took off running further and further away from the horrible place they had spent the night. 

Those men might not have had the Military Police emblem on their backs, but that didn’t mean she wanted to be anywhere near them.

And so they ran, past low hovels made from mud and clay. Past beady eyes peering out of every shadow. Past flickering candles and packs of stray cats. Past the stink from the river which looked like a writhing mass of black bile. 

And at steep incline upwards towards the dim twinkle of the underground, they left the Island behind.

Chapter Text

Armin Arlert

Armin Arlert woke up to the sound of angry shouting. It took him longer than it should have to realize that no one was yelling directly at him, but rather the sound was coming from outside the window of his office. 

Well, not his office. 

The office he’d been assigned to work in.

The office in the palace at Mitris. 

He shook his head to clear the fog from sleep. How has he fallen asleep on the job…again? A week in the palace and you’d think he would feel more urgency in his duties, but Armin spent most of his days wondering what he should do to appear busy. 

Because there had been absolutely no news from Captain Levi, Historia, or Commander Dok. He was grateful because that meant he didn’t have to do anything, but worried because what exactly was going on down there?

He yawned, straightening the papers on his—er, the desk he was using.

A glance outside showed the beautiful orange clouds of sunset, bathing the courtyard in a playful light. Armin liked to think that one day maybe he’d have someone to enjoy a similar scene with, maybe on a walk around the city.

The shouting however was definitely distracting. A cluster of common folk were pouring in from the gates, and the palace guards were not having it. Angry waving and tense postures spoke to the unheard conversations, and Armin sighed. 

Too bad it didn’t concern him.

His stomach grumbled and he rose to his feet, stretching. 

Dinner time already? Yes, from the look outside.

He figured he may as well wander down to the marketplace and see what all the fuss outside was about on his way. Maybe he would take the long way to the marketplace, around the water channel. Anything to take up the time before he could call it a night and go home.

The door closed quietly behind him as he locked it with a small click. He walked through the empty hallway with a yawn. After two weeks of working in the royal palace, you would think he’d be used to the place by now. It turned out to be quite the opposite. Barely a moment passed without him gawking at the sheer size of the place! Though Shiganshina was only a few days' ride from here, he’d never felt further from the small town he’d grown up in. From those weed strewn cobblestone pathways, he’d never dreamed of stepping foot inside the palace.

And yet, here he was, tiny compared to the large doorways he pushed through. Armin Arlert. Scout. Friend. Trusted confidant. 

Bored…

“It’s fine.” He muttered out loud. “The report is due tomorrow.”

Straightening his posture, he strode out into the courtyard. 

He instantly felt trapped in his standard military coat, the heat growing stuffy against his skin, but he wore his wings blazoned on his shoulder and back, broadcasting to the entire area that, yes, he was a part of the Scouting Legion.

And he was proud of it.

But currently, no one was paying attention to him or his jacket. Everyone in the yard, about 40 people, was gathered around the gate. Their clamoring voices clashed like thunderclouds. Armin wondered if he could walk around them without drawing attention. 

A closer look provided an interesting scene. About half the people in the crowd wore the uniforms of the Military Police. Though several of them had weapons with them, most kept them safely strapped onto their backs or shoulders. However, the rest of the crowd was made up of dirt covered faces. People in filthy rags and muddied capes shouted and pushed against the guards. 

What was going on?

He wanted to hear their conversations, to see what was going on. Curse his nosey tenancies, but he couldn’t help—

“…I am part of the patrol, and these were our orders!”

Oh?

Armin stopped short. Who said that?

He scanned the faces, both sides until his eyes landed on a slender woman with brown hair near the front of the confrontation. Her fiery eyes refused to back down from the guard she debated with, and clutched tightly in her hand was a single pristine piece of paper. 

Adelia. Nile’s second in command. 

Armin’s feet were flying across the cobblestone before he was even aware of it. 

“I don’t like the attitude you’re taking with me, and making such a scene at the palace!” The guard barked at Adelia. “I should throw you all in the streets—“

“Adelia!” He called. 

Both of their heads shot over to him as he pushed through the throng of people around them. 

“Hey,” He said as he arrived. “What’s going on here?”

“That’s what I’d like to know too.” The guard sneered. 

Adelia rolled her eyes. 

“What’s your name sir?” Armin asked. 

“Section Commander Wilson, Scout. ”

He nodded, ignoring the snide tone. “Why is the underground patrol back? Why the commotion?”

“We got this—“ Adelia began. 

“These officers left their posts underground to cause a disturbance at the palace while the Queen is on holiday.” Commander Wilson interrupted. 

To her credit, Adelia didn’t react to the guard’s rudeness. 

“We received orders last night to leave the underground.” She said firmly. “I have them right here.”

She held up the note. 

“I showed it to you already, but for Armin’s sake, I’ll read it again.” She shot a glare at Wilson. 

“All members of the Underground Initiative,” Adelia read off the note. 

“Due to several unforeseen circumstances and dangers, the ‘Underground Initiative’ is to be terminated until further notice. All Military Police part of the underground operation are to return to the surface. Time will be granted to gather supplies and guarantee the security of all safe houses. 

Upon arrival to the surface, all MP officers will report to the royal palace where they will debrief with their senior officers and await reassignment. Failure to comply with this notice will result in disciplinary action.

Please direct any questions to Captain Burns or Officer Randor. 

Thank you,

Nile Dok, Commander 

Damion Burns, Captain”

“What?” Armin blinked. 

“It’s hogwash.” Wilson stated. 

Adelia rolled her eyes again. 

“Will you just tell me if Commander Dok is back from his leave?” Her voice was tight, tired. 

Wilson stood straight. “No. He’s been gone for over a week.”

“Thank you. That’s all I needed to know.” Adelia turned to leave, giving Armin a gesture to come with. “My men and I will leave, but I’ll remember your name for later Section Commander Wilson.”

The man glared after them as they left. 

Adelia signaled a few other people to leave, and together the entourage of about 20 soldiers left the courtyard behind. Armin struggled to keep up with the determined pace she led the pack at.

“Nile didn’t sign that note.” Her furious tone met his ears. 

“What do you mean?” He panted. 

“I’ve worked alongside Commander Dok for years.” She glowered. “His handwriting isn’t that neat. He doesn’t talk that flowery, and he wouldn’t do something like this out of the blue without consulting me first.”

“He didn’t talk to you?”

Adelia stopped abruptly, looking him in the eye. 

“Nile was supposed to meet up with me yesterday to discuss the operation.”

Armin didn’t like where this was going. “Supposed to..? What happened?”

“He never showed up.” Her ponytail whipped around as she scanned the street outside the courtyard for listening ears. “Also, I’m guessing Captain Burns isn’t around either?”

“No. He went underground earlier today.”

Adelia nodded. 

“Something isn’t sitting right with me about him. Plus, it was Randor who delivered the note to us, and he was never filled in on the details of the operation. Their involvement seems suspicious at best.”

Armin’s mind finally caught onto something that had been nagging at him since he laid eyes on Adelia in the courtyard, and his eyes widened. 

“Wait, where are Historia and Levi?”

The other woman’s mouth hardened into a thin line. 

“No one knows.”

“Are they still underground? Without backup?” 

She shook her head. “To our knowledge, yes. Not even a gangly cadet is with them.”

Armin grasped the tops of his hair. “This is not good.” 

She gave him a hard look. “Kid, I know you’ve been working hard up here, but I’m organizing my patrols to return to the underground. Are you going to help us?”

“Of—of course.” Armin stuttered. His heart hammered in his chest. He had never been underground, never wanted to go there, was he really up to helping a rescue operation there?

“Good.” She gave him a small smile. “Be ready to leave by morning. We’ll meet you here then.”

And with that, she turned to go, the rest of the patrols following behind her. 

Armin watched them go until they disappeared down a far street. The bustle of a day winding down in the city was alluring, but ethereal. As if it was everyone else who didn’t belong on the streets instead of Armin. 

His stomach grumbled angrily at him, reminding him of why he’d stepped outside at all. 

“So much for being bored.” He whispered to himself before turning back towards the palace. 

He had a lot to do before morning. 

Chapter Text

Historia Riess

Historia decided that the Military Police would not be the thing that killed her. Neither would the thugs glaring from back alleyways, nor the polluted streets or water. Not even the rats that scurried around her feet.

Nope. 

If she was going to die from anything it would be from tripping while trying to lug Captain Levi’s deadweight up a steep incline back towards Coldwater. 

Last night, she had found them a tiny alley to rest in after escaping from the Island, then she’d woken up to find the Captain’s fever still much too high. Then they had narrowly managed to slip out of the alley after four or five patrols had almost spotted them. And finally, they’d been making their way, slowly, back to Coldwater as the city bloomed to life around them when Levi had lost what little strength he had. 

She was practically carrying him now, his arm slung limply over her shoulder again. 

In spite of herself, she wondered what the next 24 hours could possibly bring. 

They had been following a main road as it snaked through the poorer districts of the underground, tracing along the river. Every so often they stopped to let Levi rest, tucking into side corridors filled with boxes and vagrants limping through and constantly checking over their shoulders for Military Police patrols. Each time they continued, it was harder and harder to get Levi on his feet.

 Now he was barely putting one foot in front of the other. 

Her only comfort was hope. A wish. If Nile was bumbling around somewhere above, they would find him. Historia was ashamed, embarrassed to realize that her only plan consisted of that single hope. And if it fell through…?

She didn’t want to think about it. 

And god, how she missed Ymir in times like this. Her friend always knew what to do. The two of them got into heaps of trouble through training. Actually, it seemed like Ymir couldn’t stay out of trouble to save her life, but they always figured it out. 

She blinked back yet another round of tears. 

You probably wouldn't have gotten into this situation in the first place, huh Ymir?

“You know,” She grumbled, adjusting her hold on Levi again. Her breath puffed mightily against her face scarf, condensing against her skin. She would have been sweating buckets if not for the constant chill of the underground. “You and the Scouts already owed me big for this whole ‘queen’ thing. But you? You, Captain, are going to be paying this back for a long time. You and the horse shit in the royal stables are going to become great friends. It could use your obsessive cleaning touch for the rest of the damn year.”

Gravel crunched under her boot. 

“...mm...s’rry.” She almost missed the soft voice, spoken so near her ear. Levi’s eyelashes fluttered, trying to stay open.  

He looked so pathetic, and her gaze softened. “I’m surprised you’re awake.” 

“...I’m...not…?” He said slowly, like each word drained a little bit of his soul. Those dark eyes, sunken with tiredness, gleamed against his flushed skin. “...should’ve...brought...Hanji…”

Historia’s heart sank. Abysmally low. Of course Levi wished she was Hanji instead. Who was she kidding? She could barely help him walk! And Hanji was a genius, always on top of her game. 

You’re just a worthless girl. 

She sighed in defeat, gazing at the ground. “Yeah, we should have.” She eventually agreed. 

Levi didn’t answer. 

They trekked on, passing buildings with the faint glow of candles inside, awnings covering people slumped against walls, and carts pulled by men with shaking hands. The city never seemed to end. Another dozen side streets splitting off of the main road here. Another over crowded tenement there.

The sounds of screaming children echoed from dark rooms while angry chatter filled the streets like pebbles in a river. 

A mother stood huddled against a lamppost, trying to smile for her swaddled child. An old man with the tattered vest, sat, unable to stand or walk out of an alley to get food. A teenager gave her a death glare. A shopkeeper swept at dust in vain. A gaggle of begging children looked down. 

And Historia’s heart crawled out of its pathetic pit and withered with ache for these people.

Even the stray cats or dogs tugged at her emotions, their bony frames sticking out against their fur.

It hurt. It hurt to see the people like this. Her people. The people she swore to protect and serve. The people she didn’t realize existed until she walked among them. 

I’m so sorry. 

She wanted to tell them she would make it better. That their lives would get easier. But as her arms ached and her feet begged her to rest, she knew they would be empty promises.

So she looked away, not meeting their eyes. 

________________________

It felt like hours had passed by the time they at last reached Coldwater. The familiar din of citizens bustling through their day met Historia’s ears like an old song she’d forgotten. There were more smiles and less homeless. At least, that was, compared to other areas. Though, upon reaching the peak of the marketplace, only a few streets over from the disaster of Patrik’s bar, Historia realized a crucial error to her ‘plan.’

She had no idea where to look for Nile. 

Not even where to start. 

Her eyes dragged over the area, each face dragging a portion of her strength out of her. She wanted to cry. After everything they’d been through the last 24 hours, the last week, and even the last month. This was what it all came to? A dead end in this hell hole, piss pit, god only knows where, hollowed out, glorified cavern?

Had humanity forgotten the real enemy? The threat to their existence? Did titans even exist in the worlds lived down here? And what was the point of saving humanity if all they did to each other was worse than literally being eaten alive?

She tried taking another step forward but faltered.

What was the point? She had no ideas. No leads. No help. Nothing.

“...water...do you...hvvv...water?” Captain Levi breathed, eyelashes fluttering. 

Well, except for that. She did have water.

“Yeah,” She frowned, checking his forehead. It continued radiating heat like an oven. “We should stop and rest.”

A growing crowd gathered near them, but she spotted a stack of boxes piled near enough to be among them but hidden from most eyes. Pulling Levi with, she made her way over and set him down to rest against the boxes.

A voice boomed out over the crowd. People cheered, a surprising reaction from anyone in the underground, but Historia couldn’t care less about what the speaker had to say as he hushed them and began preaching. 

Unscrewing the cork from her waterskin, she helped him drink almost half the contents before he started coughing. She put the skin away, making a mental note to refill it at the next chance she got. 

With his face scarf removed, and in the better light Coldwater provided, Levi looked horrible. His skin, deathly pale, glistened with sweat. His eyes sunk into dark circles, barely even open. The intimidating Captain who slew titans and oversaw squads lay limp and frail, like a rag doll. Even lifting a knife would be a feat for him right now.  

Her hands hovered over him uselessly, frustrated. They would need to look for a doctor if they couldn’t find Nile. Even if they found the Commander somewhere in this cursed city, Levi would be out of commission until he received medicine. 

The speaker’s voice rose in pitch, sounding out clearly over the bustle of people in the area.

“...QUEEN HISTORIA WILL CHANGE ALL OF THAT!”

Historia recoiled at the sound of her name. 

What the hell?

She stood up, peering over heads to get a look at the speaker.

And to her surprise, she found Len. The bartender’s brother, standing on a box, reading from his journal to the crowd like a politician giving a speech.

“...THE QUEEN WANTS US TO HAVE LAND. SHE WANTS US TO HAVE LIVES. SHE DOESN’T WANT ANYONE TO ROT AWAY IN A PIT LIKE WE ALL DO.”  Len spoke with all the force he had shown at the bar however, now that it wasn’t channeled directly at her it was far less intimidating. He would gesture and influx his tone. The crowd reacted to all of it. He was a conductor, and the crowd was his choir.

“SHE HAS A PLAN RIGHT NOW TO RETAKE WALL MARIA. MANY OF OUR HOMELANDS ARE WITHIN THAT WALL. IT IS RIGHTFULLY OURS. BUT IT WAS STOLEN BY TITANS. THE NEW QUEEN HISTORIA IS NOT AFRAID OF THE TITANS. SHE DESTROYED ONE BIGGER THAN THE COLOSSAL TITAN AS IT ATTACKED THE WALLS.”

Cheers erupted from some. Others dropped their things and clapped.

“SHE WILL BE THE ONE TO RETAKE OUR LAND, TO BRING BACK OUR HOMES. TO GIVE US A CHANCE ABOVE THE DIRT!”

A few had tears in their eyes.

“PEOPLE, I DO NOT CLAIM TO BE A PREACHER. I AM ONE OF YOU. I WALK AMONG YOU EVERY DAY. I WAS BORN UNDERGROUND. I KNOW THE MISFORTUNE OF LIVING HERE. IN FACT, MANY OF YOU KNOW THAT VAGRANTS DESTROYED MY BUSNESS JUST YESTERDAY.”

Len paused, eyes scanning over the crowd. Historia broke out of her daze to tug her scarf higher on her face. 

“BUT BECAUSE OF THIS, I KNOW HISTORIA IS THE WAY. SHE IS THE TRUE HEIR TO THE THRONE AND SHE WILL LEAD US OUT OF DARKNESS. YOU MUST BELIEVE IN HER!”

Historia listened, dumbfounded as he went on and on. Promises of money, food, livestock. Len listed off things that she was apparently supposed to give them. More things than even the royal palace had stocked up! A sick knot twisted up in her stomach, threatening to make her vomit. How could he say these things? Where had he heard all of this? And how—

“You know, Len thinks he’s special because he can stand on a box and be tall, but I do that everyday and people just call me a giant.”

Historia spun around to find a tall blond man, grinning at her as he leaned on a box.

Patrik.

“Oh my god!” She exclaimed. “Patrik! You’re okay!”

He chuckled. “Of course I am. Why would I not be?”

“You—the bar—it burned down. How did you get out?” She stammered. 

The bar-less bartender scratched at his neck. “Lucky for me, I’m magnificent. Looks like you and your partner weren’t so lucky?”

Historia glanced at Captain Levi, slumped against the boxes. 

“We’re not partners, but yeah…uh…we’ve been better.”

Patrik bent down, shooting Historia a look that said may I? And gestured to Levi. 

She nodded.

Patrik pressed his wrist against Levi’s forehead, grimacing as he witnessed the burning fever. He then lifted the man’s arm, limp as a wet cloth, and checked his pulse. Levi barely reacted.

“How long has he been like this?” He asked, a new seriousness in his tone.

“About a day.” She said. “I don’t—I don’t know what happened, but we got caught in some trouble and we were trying to get away. He just—collapsed. One second he was running and the next he was on his face in the dirt, and that’s not like him at all. He’s looked sick the last few weeks but he won’t ever say anything or accept help or—or…” She trailed off, realizing how much she had just spewed.

“Sorry. It’s been a long day.” She sighed, slumping down next to Levi. He barely stirred.

“No need to be sorry.” Patrik gave her a half smile.

She choked out a laugh. There was every reason to be sorry. This was entirely her fault. 

“What about your bar?” She mumbled. 

“Excuse me?”

“Your bar. They attacked it because of us. It’s my fault.”

Patrik sat back on his heels, sighing deeply. His posture slumped and he turned his head to watch the crowd. 

“...JOIN WITH ME IN PRAISE FOR THE QUEEN!”

Historia winced as roaring cheers and shouts erupted around them. Her heart trembled, feeling the weight of their expectations settling on her shoulders like being drowned in mud. 

“I’m sorry.” She said again when they quieted down. “It’s all my fault.”

Patrik’s face scrunched up like he couldn’t decide if he wanted to laugh at her or seriously talk about her sanity level. 

“About the bar…” He said slowly. “It’s alright. Well, no...it’s not alright, but Len can handle it. He hates fixing that place up, gets all stubborn and swears like mad and I love watching it. It’s hilarious. Actually, I should really be thanking you for providing me with some quality entertainment.”

She stared at him. Where was he going with this?

“But more than that, what am I trying to say is...it’s just that...well, you’re her aren’t you.”

Historia froze. “What do you mean?”

He rubbed at his neck. “We shouldn’t talk about it here...but I’ll tell you what. Come back with me to my place. It’s safe—I promise.” He held his hands out in a placid gesture. “Only me and Len know where it is. Plus, I have supplies. Medical supplies. I can help him.”

Historia glanced at Levi. He coughed, the movement wracking his entire body. He needed medicine…

But what if it was a trap? What if Patrik was lying? Could they trust him? What if he was just waiting to sell them out? He definitely needed the money right now.

She looked into his brown eyes, searching them for malice. 

But only saw genuine concern.

“Okay” She nodded slowly.  

Oh god, Nile was going to kill her. 

Patrik grinned. “Great! Okay first thing, let me take him off your back.”

He bent down again and gently lifted Levi’s prone form from the ground. She bit her lip, the sight of a stranger with her comrade in his arms alarming. But, she was choosing to trust him. 

“He’s surprisingly heavy for a small guy.” Patrik grunted, maneuvering Levi onto his back. “How did you get him all the way here?”

She shrugged, moving to her feet. “He was mostly awake until now.”

“Fair enough. Shall we?” He motioned to the street. “I’ve heard just about every speech Len has about the new queen, so unless you’re dying to hear his dramatic flare at the end..?”

“...QUEEN HISTORIA WILL BRING PEACE INTO THE UNDERGROUND! SHE WILL FREE US FROM OUR CHAINS BELOW…”

“No, I’d really rather not.” She shuddered. 

“I didn’t think so.” Patrik chuckled. “This way.”

Chapter Text

Historia Riess

Cozy.

Historia never thought she would describe anything in the underground that way, but despite the fact that Patrik’s home leaned a little to the left, had nails popping out of the walls, and was constructed of the same mud, brick, and rotted wood as everything else down here, it definitely felt cozy.

Patrik had led her back through the streets of Coldwater, taking her on some routes she recognized until he ducked into a side alley she’d never noticed. Here, in the middle of the district, the buildings were stacked so close together that they appeared to literally be built on top of each other. 

They’d walked right past most before coming to Patrick’s home and entering. 

In the front room, a fire blazed in the hearth, red and orange, lighting the space. A few small wooden chairs arranged themselves neatly before it with a longer bench resting against the wall. The floor was surprisingly decorated in scraps of carpet and mismatched rugs. At one end of the room, a hallway led deeper into the house, while scraps of paper hung along the walls.

Drawings, she realized with a start. They were children’s drawings. 

The whole place smelled of stew and smoke, a refreshing change from alcohol and sewage stench. It was charming and quirky, much like the man who owned it.

Her feet begged her to go sit in front of the fire, let it warm her over, but she hovered in the doorway. Patrik had already placed Levi down on the bench, where he slumped down until his hood covered face lay against the wood. He gave him a small pat, looking around. 

“Hey kiddos!” His voice echoed through the hall. “We have guests!”

A crash of sound erupted from above them, and the patter of several small feet came darting across the ceiling and then tumbling down stairs. 

Two youthful faces appeared in the hallway, the girl from the bar and another young boy, both bobbing and bouncing with a tornado of energy. They ran up to Patrik, squealing and questioning him at equal rates.

“What happened today sir?” 

“Did you fix the bar?”

“When are we going to the surface?”

“Who is that?”

Historia froze, feeling like a thorn in a patch of daisies. The girl pointed a finger at her, youthful features full of suspicion. 

Patrik laughed, a sound warmer than the fire. “Oh Naomi, you don’t have to worry about her. These are my new friends.” He gestured at her and Levi. 

Historia’s throat tightened at the word friends.

The two youngsters peered at Levi on the bench as if noticing him for the first time. 

“Who is this?” The boy sniffed, “Why is he sleeping?” 

Patrik lifted the boy into one arm. “He’s not feeling well. He’s going to stay with us for a little while so he can feel better.”

He seemed content with the answer, nodding his round face.

Patrik grinned, turning back to Historia.

“Krista,” He smiled. “This is Naomi and Amos. They’re siblings. Orphans. Naomi is 12 and Amos is 7. And you two? This is Krista and her friend. Okay?”

The brother and sister nodded their heads earnestly. 

“Amos?” Patrik asked, setting the boy down. “Will you go grab a few extra blankets from upstairs? And Naomi. Will you get the medical kit from the kitchen?”

The two children immediately dashed off to their respective locations.

Historia couldn’t help but stare at them as they left. Orphans. Siblings. They were exactly who she’d been looking for the whole time! And Patrik…he was so at ease about the whole thing. As if he wanted them to be safe and taken care of. 

“Good kids.” Patrik said wistfully after them. He glanced at her statue-like self in the doorway. “Please,” he gestured with his free hand. “Come in and have a seat. You must be exhausted.”

She finally found her voice at that moment.

“Why?” Her choked voice caught with emotion. “Why are you helping them? Us? You have so much—you could lose everything.”

A funny expression crossed the bartender’s face, like he had stumbled into the mud only to find a stack of coins buried under his shoe. He turned and busied himself with checking Levi’s temperature and pulse.

“I’m not going to lie.” He sighed at last. “When you two left my bar burning behind you, I had half a mind to chase you and take you out myself.”

Guilt sludged through her mind, gushing like water from a bullet hole in a barrel. “Why didn’t you?” Her voice shook. 

“I recognized him. Levi.” He paused, looking the flushed Captain over. Amos reappeared from the hallway carrying a sloppy pile of blankets that nearly obscured his head.

“I got em!” He said, proudly brandishing the pile, his eager brown eyes peeking over the mass.

Patrik grinned with a fondness that melted her heart. “Thanks buddy.” He said, rubbing Amos’ dirty blonde hair. He took the pile and set it down on the floor by the bench. “Now, I need your help with one more thing. Will you and Naomi go into the kitchen and find something to eat for lunch? I need to talk to my friend for a few minutes.”

“Can we eat the apples?” Amos asked earnestly.

Patrik considered the offer, “Only if you clean the upstairs.”

The boy’s face fell, but he obediently began trudging towards the hallway. “Okayyyy.” He sighed.

Sounds of the boy clambering around for dishes and food could be heard through the passage after a few minutes. 

Naomi also returned a moment later, offering a box and a glass of water to Patrik before turning to go and join the clamor in the kitchen.

They were lucky to have such a good home. 

“You really should sit down. You look terrible.” Patrik said as he began rummaging through the medical box.

Historia looked at him, a thousand questions on the tip of her tongue. But her mouth could only form one.

“Will he be okay?” 

The question hung in the air while the kids chatted distantly in the kitchen. 

Patrik looked thoughtfully down at Levi, considering her question. 

“Has he been having chills or nightmares?”

“Yes, but he doesn’t really sleep. At least, not from what I’ve seen.”

“Sounds about right.” He nodded. “I think what we’re looking at is an extreme case of PTSD. Not too uncommon among undergrounders, but tie that in with whatever mental damage that comes with fighting titans mixed together with returning underground and you get a delightful trauma sandwich.”

Historia stared at the man. 

“Err—“ His smile faltered at her expression. “What I mean to say is that he probably had an onslaught of symptoms all at once upon coming back here, and his body more or less shut down as a result of it. It doesn’t help that he skips sleeping, but unfortunately that’s pretty common with people who experience this.”

“Will he be okay?” She repeated. 

“Probably.” Patrik shrugged. “I have medicine I can give him, but in the end, this is something he needs to fight through, and he definitely seems like a fighter.”

Historia nodded, looking at the floor.

“Now will you please sit down? Please?”

Patrik’s smile won her over this time, and Historia found her feet moving without her knowledge. Her bones screamed at her in relief as she slid into one of the chairs. Her tension melted away like ice. She sighed audibly.

“Yeah that’s what I thought.” Patrik laughed. 

“Thank you.” She said pointedly. This man was a buried gem. She could have kissed him if her feet could have held her weight up again.

“You said you recognized Levi?” She brought the conversation back to earlier. “How?”

“Did you ever meet his friend Furlan?” Patrik asked while peeling Levi’s hood and scarf off.

Historia shook her head, “No. Levi mentioned him, right before we met you.”

“Eh, that’s a shame. Furlan was the best of us. The most caring guy you’d meet. He used to live with me and Len, a long time ago.” He wet a cloth and laid it on Levi’s forehead. “But, he really only had us until he left. Every time he came back, he’d talk about how miserable he was with the thugs he ran with. We told him to leave them, come back. We could have used his help...”

“But?” She prodded. 

“But then he met someone named Levi, and his whole life flipped. All of a sudden he was full of life again. He had light in his eyes. He’d talk about living on the surface, like it was an actual possibility!” Patrik glanced up, scanning the room until his eyes landed on a pillow resting on the chair next to her. He reached over, grabbing it. 

“I got curious about Levi.” He continued, gently lifting the small captain’s head and pushing the pillow underneath him. ”Furlan never brought anyone home with him to visit. Too dangerous, but I saw them running heists occasionally. It’s pretty hard to mistake people with ODM gear down here, and I picked up on the fact that Furlan had a set. But I always wished for a chance to meet this Levi of his in person.”

Satisfied by his set up, Patrik busied himself by digging through the medical kit. After some consideration, he brought out a few small jars. Historia was too exhausted to do anything but watch as he mixed the contents together in another small jar.

“Anyways, it's been a while since then. Furlan is long gone, somewhere up on the surface, and rumors spread years ago that Captain Levi was the newest and greatest soldier anyone had ever met. Crazy to hear that he came from the underground. When I met you two, I saw it all in his eyes.” Patrik said as he stirred. 

“What do you mean?” Historia replied. 

“I’ve seen the look in his eyes before.” He threw back at her, propping Levi up with one hand and bringing the mixture to his lips. The Captain coughed against the foreign liquid, but Patirk murmured soft words of encouragement to him. When the mixture was gone, he gave Levi the glass of water, letting him drink it all up and returning his head to the pillow. 

“It’s a look you know intimately living here. A look that knows hell, and his eyes have seen the depths of it and glared back.” He stood and, satisfied with his work, leaned against the wall and turned to her. “But I’m no fool, and it didn’t take much to add it all up. This is Captain Levi. And you’re Queen Historia, aren’t you?”

Historia sighed, leaning forward to bury her face in her hands. “God, is it that obvious?”

Patrik laughed again, slapping his knee. “Ha! I knew it!” He paused, a sheepish grin replacing the laughter. “Well, actually, I was only about 80% sure, but don’t tell Len that.”

He broke out into another chuckle, so lighthearted. Warmth blanketed her skin, her worry melting, and she couldn’t help the smile that graced her lips as a result. 

“I won’t, but now that you know my secret, tell me about them.” She pointed down the hall where Amos and Naomi could still be heard eating and chatting. 

“You would want to know about them.” Patrik rolled his eyes, but smiled. “Well they aren’t mine. 

“How did you find them?"

He thought for a moment. “These two were down in the Island. Been there much? Nasty place.”

Historia pushed back a shudder. “You found them there?”

“Yep! They were begging for food a few times a week outside this soup shop I pass all the time. Best soup in Coldwater. You need to try it.”

“Soup?”

“Yeah!” He grinned. “It’s as close to surface quality as you’ll find down here—but we’re talking about the kids. Sorry. I followed them home one day and saw they were homeless. Brought them back here and was working on sneaking them above ground when you two stumbled into my bar.”

Historia’s eyes widened. “You were taking them to the surface?”

“Were is the key word there.” Patrik’s smile faded. “They’ve double patrols and stair guards since then. It’s been impossible to sneak around.”

Historia’s excitement died down. 

“That’s my fault too.” She grimaced. 

He waved a dismissive hand. “You didn’t know that would happen. Besides. There’s always another way up there.”

She nodded, examining her filthy clothes. 

After a beat of silence, Patrik spoke up again. 

“Hey, don’t be so down. I want to show you something. Wait here.”

She frowned as he disappeared into the hallway.

His footsteps sounded above her, and after a minute he came running back across the upstairs and down the hall. His grinning face appeared in the entryway, and he was unfolding a large piece of paper in front of her. 

“Look at this!”

At first glance, the mixed lines and symbols were a mess of chaos to her eyes. Names were scrawled across dozens of the sections in no discernible pattern. She traced along the vaguely familiar shapes until she realized what it was.

“This is the underground.” She stated. 

“Sure is!”

“But what are all these symbols?"

“That’s where I’ve found kids. The little cross next to their name means I got them above ground safely.”

Historia gasped. There was a cross by every name. 

“Patrik this is—there’s so many of them!”

“I know.” His smile stretched from ear to ear.

“How do you do it?”

“Oh, I’ve been doing it my whole life. It’s what Seth did, and I just carry on the legacy.”

“It’s amazing!” Historia breathed. 

“Thank you.” He smirked. “You know, when you two came to me at the bar the other day, I had my doubts. But like I said, I needed to know I could trust you before I was willing to help you.”

“And?”

Patrik did a small bow in front of her, folding up the map. 

“It would be my honor to help the Queen of the walls with my work.”

________________________

“Who are you?”

The harsh voice jolted Historia from her sleep. She jerked in her chair, heart leaping. 

It took a moment to remember where she was. Low embers of a fire glowed in a hearth. The dull scent of smoke filled her nose. A light snore echoed through the nearly empty room. 

That’s right. 

Patrik’s house. But the man was nowhere to be found. Instead, standing in the open doorway was a stranger. 

An angry stranger. 

Historia pressed herself as far back in her chair as she could, eyes wide. 

“Answer me.” The man lowered at her, looming in the doorway. In the light from the dying embers she saw his brown hair, short stature, and stack of books folded under his arm. His clothes and hair looked like it had been clean and styled at some point, but had become disheveled, like he’d been shouting in front of a wild crowd…

Oh!

“Wait!” She held up a non-threatening hand. “You’re Patrik’s brother Len. Right?”

If possible, his expression grew more suspicious. 

“Get the fuck out of my house.” His eyes flared. 

Panic seized her heart. She stood from her chair, a blanket which she hadn’t noticed slumped down in a heap at her feet. 

“W—wait please! I promise, we aren’t here to hurt you.” She pleaded as he approached her. He wasn’t that much taller than she, but the rush of anger behind him made him three times as big to her. “Patrik was helping us!”

“US?” He barked, scouring the room. His eyes landed on Levi who was still dozing despite the sudden commotion. The man’s eyes widened like he’d just discovered a filthy rat tail in his morning porridge. “What the hell is this?!”

Historia backed up against the bench Levi lay on, gasping when she bumped into it. Her heart leapt to her chest as the man stalked towards her. He bared his teeth, cursing under his breath. 

This was it. This was the end. 

After everything, she’d be killed by intruding in a madman’s house. 

A meter away, he reached an arm out to her. 

She flinched, hunching protectively over Levi. 

“Hey, hey, hey! What’s going on?” Patrik’s voice boomed from the hallway. Historia looked up to see him, alarm ringing on his face as he entered the room and discovered the chaos. 

“WHAT?” Len barked back. His whole body was poised, taut like a catapult waiting to fling his anger at something.

Patrik rushed over and placed himself between Len and Historia. He brought his arms in the air, blocking Len who in turn recoiled in disgust as if Patrik was infected. 

“These are my friends. I’m helping them!” The former bartender insisted. 

“Shit, of course—of course you fucking are.” Len sneered. “Why am I not surprised?”

“Len, just leave them be.” Patrik locked eyes with his brother, boring down on him. Historia was impressed. Len looked like he could tear her throat out, and yet, based off Patrik’s expression, this was something normal for him. Inconsequential. 

“I’m taking care of it.” The younger man said, making Len’s eyes snap up. 

“Like you’re taking care of getting rid of those kids?”

Patrick bristled at the comment. “Do we really need to go over this again? I’m working on it. End of story.”

“The story has gone on long enough if you ask me, which you didn’t.”

“Don’t flatter yourself into thinking I need your permission.”

Len snorted. “That’s rich coming from someone who always does whatever the hell suites his fancy.”

Patrik narrowed his eyes. “I said I’m taking care of it. And, might I remind you, this isn’t your house. You don’t get to call the shots.”

“You’re right. It’s Seth’s.” He waved an angry arm around the room. “And look at the state of it. Two vermin in the living room, two more upstairs, trash on the walls. Oh Seth would be rolling in his grave if he had one!”

“I’m not going to have this argument with you again.” Patrik’s tone was dangerously low. 

“Don’t you dare take that tone with me! He meant for his living to go to us. To ME AND YOU. Not the scum from the Island.”

“They deserve a better life. Seth would have given them one.”

“Well Seth isn’t around, is he?”

“And this kind of attitude from you is exactly what got him killed.”

Len stumbled back like he’d been slapped. His mouth gaped, searching for something to say. 

Patrik immediately slumped, his shoulders losing their tight posture. “I’m sorry.” He apologized. “I didn’t mean—”

“Don’t.”

“Len—“

“Save it.” The other man snapped. Historia saw the anger, billowing like a storm behind those brown eyes, but in the midst of the storm, a small flower balked before the wind. He was hurt.

“I’m sorry…” Patrik tried again, appealing to Len’s softer side. “It’s just...there’s been so much bad in the world lately and I’m frustrated. I know you’re frustrated too. It’s confusing...trying to live every day down here when all the shit from the surface ends up on our tables every day.”

Historia pushed away a wave of guilting thoughts, listening as though her life depended on it. 

“I don’t want to make life harder for you.” He continued. “You know that. You know that Len. Right?”

He waited for Len to give an answer, but the other man glared at him with cold eyes and arms crossed.

“Even with everything going on, I need you to trust me.”

“Trust you?!” Len exploded, his hot anger making her flinch. 

“I know last time didn’t work out the way you wanted it to but—“

“The hell it didn’t! I’m still cleaning up your messes from last time! ” His shouting escalated. 

“Len, please,” Patrik pled. “I need you to trust me on this one. Don’t do something we’ll both regret.”

Len’s eyes burned with hatred and pain. He didn’t speak, couldn’t speak if she guessed. 

Without another word, he turned and stormed out of the house. 

The door slammed shut behind him with enough force that the walls shook.

Levi stirred behind her.

She let out a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding, not daring to move and disrupt the void left behind. 

Patrik’s posture slumped even more as he stared at the shut door. She knew that look. The look of a broken man trying to fix too many people. It crashed down on her all at once and she gushed out her regret

“I’m so sorry.” She babbled out. “We shouldn’t be here. Len is your family. We’ll leave.”

Patrik looked at her, shaken out of a daze. “No, no it’s not you.” He started, then sighed, running a hand over his face. “God, it didn’t used to be this bad, but Len has always had this thing about fairness. He had it tough growing up. To him, no one deserves more than he had unless they work for it.”

“You don’t have to make an excuse for us.” She said, her voice a whisper. “We’ll go. I can’t cause you any more trouble than I already have.”

Patrik sighed, leaning against the wall with his hands in his pockets. He didn’t speak for a moment, instead, studied the drawings lining the hallways. On a closer inspection, Historia saw that they weren’t drawn on paper as she’d suspected. It looked like old newspapers, carefully flattened into drawing sheets.

Each drawing was a mess of scrawled lines and shapes. Even the ones that had more definition lacked any realism. 

Of course, none of these kids had teachers or a school to attend. No one would ever teach them to read or write. Patrik himself likely didn’t know more than the basics to get by. 

“You’re welcome to leave.” The kind man spoke at last. “I can't and I won’t keep you here. But I can tell you’re exhausted and neither of you are in good shape to make it through the night.” A wry grin spread on his face. “And I did just finish setting up beds for you upstairs.”

Historia could only stand, dumbfounded. “I—we—I can’t…” She stuttered like a fish out of water. Then, remembering her manners she said, “Are you sure?”

“I’m sure.” He said, voice serious. “I meant what I said before about you. We need you. Your people need you.”

“Thank you.” Her eyes sparkled. “We, no, I will personally make this up to you.”

“It would be much appreciated.” He winked. 

“Of course!”

Patrik clapped his hands together, rubbing them afterwards. “Well then, let’s get you two settled in.”

Chapter Text

Historia Riess

Historia had been in some extremely magnificent rooms in her life.

This wasn’t one of them.

Patrick had set them up in what must have been his own bedroom. She sat on the foot of his bed, feet propped up like a child, arms wrapped around herself. It did nothing to ward off the cold.

Levi slept fitfully in the blankets next to her. 

She found it hard to bring herself to fall asleep after the incident downstairs a few hours prior, and, despite exhaustion pulling on her eyes like anvils, she stared continually at the undecorated walls. 

The room was hardly wider than the hallway to it. However, no art or extravagant tapestries hung from these walls. No gold trim or pain adorned the wooden planks. The only light came from a small candle flickering on the desk and window opening to the street lights outside. The room contained only three pieces of furniture, the bed, a small desk, and a desk chair.

True to his word, Patrick had laid a bed of blankets for her to sleep on down on the floor. It was a beyond sweet gesture that tugged at her heart. And her eyes. 

Despite it, she found it difficult to leave the bed and Levi's side. 

She yawned again, rubbing sleep her face. 

If—no, when they reached the surface again, the first thing on her agenda, after taking an hour long bath, would be to relocate Patrik and the kids to the surface and provide them with anything they needed for the rest of their lives. 

Okay, no. That was dramatic. But in all seriousness, they owed him their lives. She shuddered at the thought of spending another night in the Island. And how much longer would Levi have made it without medicine? They would have been caught for sure. 

Yes.

She would ensure Patrik was richly rewarded for his help. 

Maybe rebuilding the bar would be a good start. 

Levi stirred, and she glanced at him.

His eyes blinked open, confused but aware.

“Captain?” She asked with hesitation.

“Where are we…?” He croaked out, coughing at the end.

She took another glance at the room. “We’re with Patrik. Do you remember anything?”

He opened his mouth to answer, but was interrupted by another coughing fit. Historia grabbed a glass of water from the floor, offering it to him. He accepted it without a word, sitting up and chugging the contents down.

“Thank you.” He rasped out. “And no, all I remember is Burns and we were going back to Coldwater...” he trailed off, wincing.

“Yeah, well, you didn’t miss much. Nothing good anyways.” She tried to sound positive. She pushed herself off the bed, coming around to check Levi’s temperature.

He flinched when her cold wrist touched his head. He was still warm, but his fever had definitely gone down. 

She sighed in relief. Maybe things were finally taking a small turn for the better. 

“We’re with Patrik?” Levi asked.

She nodded returning to her seat at the foot of the bed. “We ran into him in the marketplace. I was—er, trying to find Nile. Found Patrik instead.”

“Nile’s still gone then?”

She nodded. 

“I don’t know where he is. He could be at the outpost, but your guess is as good as mine.”

“Shit.” Levi said after a pause.

"Yeah," Historia let out a bitter laugh. “That about sums it up.”

They sat in silence for a moment. 

“How long have we been here?” Levi spoke up again.

Historia looked around as she thought back. “A couple hours? I’m not sure. We got here and then I fell asleep but then Len woke me up and it’s been at least two hours since then.”

Levi looked like a child trying to read out of a difficult textbook. “Len? The brother?”

“Yeah. He’s...not very friendly for being a preacher.”

“He’s a preacher?”

“Yeah.” She snorted. “And a real jerk.”

Historia thought she could see Levi mentally sorting facts into categories. 

“What happened?” He asked at last.

She thought for a moment. “Len...well, he didn’t expect to find us here when he got home and wasn’t too pleased about it.“

“Oh.”

The silence returned. Historia was glad to hear Levi's breathing evening out to a steady pace. Much better than his rasping gasps last night.

“How are you feeling?” She asked, feeling stupid for asking such an obvious question.

Levi didn’t so much answer as grunt out, “Fine.”

“So just as good as always then?” She smiled, though it didn’t reach her eyes.

He grunted. 

Another silence lapsed. She couldn’t tell if he didn’t want to talk, didn’t have the energy to talk, or just didn’t like talking to her in general. She couldn’t blame him for any of the options. 

But since she couldn’t fall asleep and a question kept nagging at her mind, she at last broke the silence again.

“Hey Captain Levi?”

“Hmm…?”

“What was that place we went to last night? Down in the Island?”

He didn’t answer. She let the question hang in the air, but after a moment had to glance over at him. Had he fallen back asleep? But no, he sat there, eyes somewhat glazed over, staring ahead at the wall. 

“It was where I grew up.” He said softly. 

She perked up, interested. Levi rarely talked about his childhood. Sometimes she forgot he was ever a child. Hadn't Captain Levi just sprung into existence one day, a fully mature man?

“You grew up there?" She pressed. "With your parents?”

“No. Just me and mom.” Again, the answer was soft. Barely a whisper.

“Oh." She cringed. "I'm sorry, that must have been hard." 

He grunted in agreement. 

Historia asked her next question before she could stop herself.

”Where is she now?”

Levi shifted, turning away from her a fraction. She immediately chastised herself. 

Oh Historia you idiot! Why did you ask that?

“She died. Right in front of me.” His voice was a hoarse now, and she guessed it wasn’t because of his fever this time.

“Levi I am so sorry, I shouldn’t have—“

“It’s fine. Same thing happened to you right?”

“I—I...yeah.” She fumbled for words, hot with embarrassment from her tactlessness and that he’d known such a personal detail from her life. “How did you know that?”

She saw him shrug, even in the darkness. “Word got around. I think it was mentioned in a list of crimes reported against Rod? Can’t remember for sure. Couldn’t have been easy for you though.”

Just like that, the conversation had been turned to her, but she was at a loss for what to say.

“No.” She managed at last. “It was horrible, but I was so young. I didn’t really know what was going on.”

He nodded. “But it wears on you.”

"Yeah," She agreed. “It does.”

Another thought struck her. “I’m really sorry.”

“For what?” He asked, voice dragging.

“That your mom died.”

“It’s not your fault.”

“But—” She started.

He raised an eyebrow at her, somehow managing to look intimidating despite being weak and worn out on a pile of blankets

She sighed. “Nothing.”

It is my fault we came here in the first place…

“What was she like?” She changed the subject.

“Who?” Came his gruff reply.

“Your mother. What was she like?”

Levi didn’t answer again. She glanced at him, wondering if he might have fallen asleep. He was staring at the ceiling, eyes clouded over.

As the silence drew out, she wanted to take back the question. It didn’t really matter. She had just been curious, and maybe trying to help him get his mind off the present. 

“I don’t remember.” He said softly.

Historia frowned. He was lying, she could tell by his voice. It was the same one she used when anyone asked her about her own past. But she didn’t press. There were some things better left unsaid.

“But I do know one thing.” He muttered. “I know she chose to live here. Underground.”

“What?" Historia blinked. "Why would she choose that?”

“For me.” He spoke slowly, as if cherishing the implication of the words. “I didn’t even know until recently, but my name; Ackerman. We aren’t, my family, the bloodline wasn’t welcome in the walls. I don’t know why. But they would have killed me for it. That’s why I’ve always been just Levi. And it worked. She saved me.”

Because of his blood. 

Historia tried to picture a woman who fit the picture of being the mother of someone like Captain Levi but struggled. The closest thing she could picture was someone like her sister. Freida. Only she looked more like Levi. Sharper features and darker hair. 

She smiled. “I wish I could have met her.”

Levi grunted again, changing the subject. “How is the bartender?”

“He’s good.” She replied, welcoming the topic change. “And you’re not going to believe this, but he’s the key to everything! He’s literally been doing what we came down here to do for years! That girl we saw at the bar? She’s here right now and another boy too. He was trying to get them above ground the day we met him! And Levi, he wants to help us! He has notes and maps and—

She abruptly cut off as something downstairs crashed, the sound echoing up the stairs. 

Both she and Levi eyes shot to the door, towards the source.

Two voices argued loudly below. Male. Angry.

Patrik and Len.

“...but the brother..?” Levi raised an eyebrow at her. “I’m guessing he’s not a fan?”

Historia gulped. “Hang on,” She whispered. “I’m going to go listen.”

“Be careful.” Levi nodded back, watching her tiptoe through the door.

She crept back along the short upstairs hallway to the landing of the stairs, careful not to shift her weight too fast and make a creaking sound on the floorboards.

At the landing she stopped, holding her breath and listening intently.

“...how could you say that? What’s wrong with you?”

Shit.

Len was back. And he sounded livid.

“Nothing is wrong.” Patrik’s calm but reasoning voice came next. “And I meant what I said. Throwing them out is the biggest mistake you’ll ever make.”

“And why is that? Give me one god damn reason why I shouldn’t storm upstairs and kill them myself?”

“Well for starters that’s morbid and beyond you.”

Historia heard Len scoff before Patrik continued. 

“And second because that girl you keep insulting is Queen Historia.”

Standing alone on the landing, her eyes widened. She felt herself freeze as though she’d been caught stealing. Patrik was giving away their secret! Just like that! And to someone who already seemed intent on harming them.

A long silence stretched out below, and Historia cowered back, wondering if she would need to fight for her life in just a few moments. She pulled a knife from her belt, hiding it in her sleeve.

“You must take me for a fool.” Len’s voice sounded at last. Every word was like a precise blade thrown at a target. Though she wasn’t in the room with the two men, she could feel the tension, thick as Wall Maria.

“Do you really thing I’d say something that stupid if I wasn’t serious?” Patrik protested. “Okay, maybe I would. But just—hold on. Hear me out, okay?”

“Fine!” Len snapped back. “Do tell what in god’s name the Queen, hope of humanity’s survival and ruler of the walls would be doing in the most dangerous part of society, risking her life?”

“Rescuing children.”

“You can’t be serious.” Len’s voice dripped with savage sarcasm. 

“Yes! And I have my reasons! You’ve overheard the talk, I know you have. People come into the bar—well, they were coming into the bar, but they talked about it. And you know I can get people talking. The rumors from above? They think she’s here in the city! And then a sweet girl shows up at my bar a few weeks later tailed by someone who matches Captain Levi’s description perfectly? It’s obvious!”

It really was. Historia made a mental note to chastise herself later on being so obvious. 

“It really is obvious.” Len replied. Cold. Hard.

“Right?” Patrik exclaimed, relief flooding his voice. “I mean, I know I’m a genius, but it didn’t take much to figure out—“

“It’s obvious that you’re still just as gullible as you’ve always been.” Len cut him off. 

“I—I...what?”

“There are always rumors coming down, but most of them aren’t true. You know that as well as I do. Whoever it is you have upstairs isn’t the queen. My guess is that they’re a couple of vagrants from the Island trying to sneak their way to the surface and using you to their advantage. Get that pounded into your thick skull would you?”

“Hey easy! Easy!” Patrik protested. “Your ears are turning red. And you didn’t see the look in their eyes at the bar Len. You can’t fake the look in the eyes of surface walkers.”

“Patrik, listen to yourself!” Len barked back. “I can’t believe...you know, the military police are out there patrolling the streets right now, and you know what rumors I’ve been hearing? There’s two wanted criminals out there. They probably match the descriptions of your two ‘friends.’” He said the word friends like it was akin with murdering children. “I might slip a note to Theo and his patrol. They’d love to be the ones to bring them in, and I’m sure there’d be a reward bounty.”

“You lay one finger on them and I swear—“

But Historia had heard enough. 

Trying to hold back a wave of vomit, she stumbled quietly, like a drunk kitten, back to Patrik’s bedroom.

Levi’s posture was taught in the bed. Alarm rang on his face as she entered.

“We have to go.” She gasped. “Now!”

He understood, nodding. “Help me up.”

SLAM

The loud crash echoed from downstairs of what could only have been the front door slamming again. Len sure did have a flare for the dramatic.

“Oh god this is not good.” She panicked, putting an arm under Levi and positioning her knife in her back pocket. 

Together they stumbled from the room and down the hallway. Levi coughed pathetically at her side.

“Do you have a weapon?” He rasped.

They passed a doorway, the door cracked open. Inside the slit, Historia saw a bed frame and more drawings. It must be the kids room.

“Yes.” She responded. “In my pocket, but we have to get out. Len thinks we’re frauds. I don’t know what he’s going to do.”

Together they lumbered towards the stairs like an injured dog. She couldn’t blame Levi for being so weak, but carrying him like this wouldn’t get them far. 

They reached the landing and carefully began descending the stairs.

Slowly.

One at a time. 

Every hair on her neck stood on edge. 

Just make it down the stairs. Down the stairs and there’s probably a back door. Back to...back to the streets...

She pushed back her dread of being on the streets again and focused instead on helping a shaky Levi down the stairs.

They had nowhere to go, no options.

The front door banged open and her heart stopped. 

“Len?” Patrik’s surprised voice echoed up to them. He hadn’t left the front room. “What are—oh god, Len get these men out of here.”

“I think I’ve had enough of your way today.” Len’s unmistakable cold tone came next. 

Historia cursed under her breath. They were cornered. The only option now was hiding...or jumping through a window. Again.

“Back upstairs!” She hissed at Levi. There was no way he’d be able to make it downstairs at his current speed.

“They’re upstairs.” Len voiced from below. “All of them.”

All of them..? 

But she didn’t have time to think about it. They finally made it back to the landing, none too soon. Footsteps rang like alarm bells through the hallway. Lots of footsteps. 

Shit. 

Her hair snapped against her face as she whipped her head around, wildly searching for another option. 

The door to the kids room stood, still cracked open. It was a bad idea, but what choice did she have? 

She and Levi pushed through the doorway, silent as the grave as footsteps marched in cadence up the steps.

Patrik’s cries and pleading were a constant chorus in the background, like a bird chirping over a battle. A sharp thud sounded, and his voice suddenly quieted. 

Please please let this work. She begged to herself, pushing the door shut with a soft click. Her body pressed against the wood, the scent of it filling her nostrils. It was piney, with a sour after thought she couldn’t place. 

Heavy boots clanked outside. At least four people. Probably more.

Her eyes met Levi’s. His expression dulled and pained. There would be no help from him. The heroic captain she had knowingly dragged into hell. Oh what good it had done.

I’m sorry. She wanted to speak, wanted to tell him he could hate her. That it was okay. It was her fault. 

But no words came, not even a whisper escaped her trembling lips.

“Where are they?” Muffled shouts shot through thin walls and the children stirred in their beds.

“Check the other room.”

More footsteps. The sounds of people shuffling around. 

“No wait! Please STOP—“

Historia barely had time to move out of the way before 

SMASH

The door to the bedroom flew open, hinges screaming.

Or maybe that was her screaming. 

The two children jumped from their beds. Scared tired eyes tore through bundles of blankets, the new crowd of faces strange to them.

A wicked toothy grin bearing mad sauntered into the room. He had the eyes of a rat, beady and insane, but looked as though he’d finally found a proper meal. Heavy set and short, he carried the trademark attributes of other thugs she’d seen underground. 

But unlike others, he wore the stark white emblem of the Military Police on his uniform.

“Well, well, well. What do we have here?” He took a menacing step forward, spreading his hands out in front of him. 

“Four of em?” A new voice joined the rat like man in the entryway. He was a tall, scrappy looking thug. Dressed in the same uniform, but obviously too small for the coat and pants. Malnutrition. Another trademark gift from the underground. “That will pay us for weeks!” He exclaimed, his voice high pitched.

Historia’s mouth was drier than sand. 

Her mind was frozen. 

Just do something you idiot!

A commotion from the hallway sounded and Patrik, bleeding and stumbling like a drunk, came pushing through the men into the room. They let him pass, sneering in disgust as blood stained his blond locks when he pushed them out of his face. 

He positioned himself between Historia, Levi, and the men in the doorway. The children cowered behind Historia, crying silent tears. 

“You’ve all gone too far.” He straightened himself up, murder raging in his eyes. Historia wasn’t sure which look scared her more, the men or Patrik’s. Gone was any hint of hospitality or humor. The ocean of hate emanating from him was deep enough that she momentarily forgot about everything else. 

“Leave now, or you will regret stepping foot here.”

“Oi, I don’t think I will.” The man drew a gun from a side holster. “Now please—” He clicked the gun into place, aiming it directly at Patrik’s chest. “Step aside.”

Patrik stood there, dumbfounded at the gun. He looked at it like it might bite him, and then he drew his hands up, slowly, like he was debating cutting them off instead. He stepped to the side, his head lowered in shame.

Though fully clothed, Historia had never felt so exposed in her life. 

“I heard you lot was causing some trouble.” The man stalked towards her. 

She HATED the tiny whimper that escaped her mouth, ashamed by the thought that maybe they would think it was one of the children who made the sound.

Levi chose that moment to find a well of strength. 

Before Historia realized what happened, Levi slid the knife from her pocket and launched himself at the man, driving the blade into his outstretched  arm. The man howled as he crumpled to the ground. His gun dropped to the floor.

Levi snarled, rearing up at the other men in the doorway. To their credit, they looked as surprised as Historia was, but they didn’t react fast enough. 

Another man fell to a quick strike at his legs. Levi was grappling with a third when—

SLAM

A knotted fist collided with his face, sending him sprawling back into the room. He coughed, choking on what little air he could gasp in as he stumbled and fell to the floor. Patrik shook himself out of his surprise and rushed to catch Levi. 

Len walked into the room, looking horrified and impressed as he gazed at his fist, then at Levi, weakened on the floor, and back. 

“Len, leave him alone!” Patrik yelled. “He’s sick!”

“That monster just attacked us!” Len yelped back.

Levi wheezed into his sleeve. Historia though she saw a dark stain left behind.

“What you’re doing is wrong.” Patrik stood, again standing between Levi, Historia, the children, and the others in the room. “Tell these men out. They won’t come back.”

Len rolled his eyes, turning from Patrik’s glare. He scooped up the dropped gun then helped two of the officers to their feet.

“Just take them and get this over with.” He sounded tired. He handed the gun to one of them who in turn pointed it at Patrik. The bartender gulped, backing up against the wall. 

The three men, bleeding from Levi’s attack, rounded in on her, teeth bared. She swallowed, instinctively raising her arms to shield the two kids cowering behind her. One of them gave Levi a swift kick in the stomach, before stalking towards her again. 

Levi groaned in pain.

“Against the wall missy.” The thug's voice was low. Dangerous. 

Patrik refused to meet her eyes.

Len looked at her with hatred. 

And so Historia swallowed her pride and her fear and turned to face the wall. Her arms were swiftly grabbed, and a thick rope tied them together. 

This was it. The end.

“You two get up with her. NOW!” The man barked at the children who burst into tears. 

“What? No!” Patrik exclaimed. Shock and fury boiled in his eyes. “You can’t take them. They belong on the surface!”

“Shut it!” The man yelled at him. “NOW GET ON YER FEET!”

Naomi jumped up and pulled Amos with her. She cried as she whispered for him to place his hands behind his back, like Historia was. 

It broke the young queen’s heart. 

“DON’T YOU DARE TOUCH THEM!” Patrik screamed as he tore across the room and attacked the thug. A few fists flew before the second and third thugs grabbed Patrik’s arms and pulled him off of Theo. 

“NO STOP!” He wailed. “LEN STOP THEM!”

Len looked away as Patrik struggled against the two men. They were stronger than him and pinned his arms back. 

Theo took more rope and bound the arms of the two children. He grabbed Historia's arm, dragging all three of the prisoners to the doorway. 

But what about..?

“Let me have that one.” Theo pointed at Patrik. The two men released him as Theo grabbed the bartender’s neck, raising him against the wall in a chokehold.

“Theo stop!” Len said, realizing what was happening.

Theo ignored him, and Patrik’s hands clawed at the thick fingers around his throat.

“Leave him!” Len said firmly. “That wasn’t the deal.”

Theo growled, glancing at Len only for a moment. To his credit, Patrik refused to look his brother in the eyes as he was lowered to the ground, choking as the thug released his hold on the man. 

“Bastard.” He rasped, coughing. “You’re a fucking bastard.”

“You didn’t leave me with a choice.” Len steeled his eyes on the ground. “Get them all out of here. Now!”

Theo looked down at Levi, still clutching his stomach and wheezing. He rolled the man to his back using the toe of his boot. Levi glared up at him with what intensity he could as a foot was pressed against his chest. 

“You’re a small runt, but I can see you like to cause trouble.” Theo spat on the ground next to Levi’s face. Levi flinched. 

“But see,” the thug continued. “That’s not gonna work for us because boss needs you alive, and we can’t have you causing trouble again now can we?”

“...go...to hell!” Levi spat through gritted teeth. 

Theo laughed, taking his boot off Levi. “I’m already there.”

Then he lowered his pistol and—

BANG

Historia gasped.

Levi screamed as the bullet tore through his right thigh. Blood streamed everywhere. 

“That should do the trick.” Theo looked satisfied. He nodded to the other two men. “Load these four into the wagon. We’re bringing them in.”

Chapter Text

Levi Ackerman

“At least I can finally scratch this off my bucket list.” Levi mumbled, examining the walls of their cell.  

Historia’s glare might have made him take back his statement, if only he weren’t feeling so damn lightheaded. “Who the hell puts jail on their bucket list?” She crossed her arms.

He shrugged, slumping against the bars. Talking was...difficult, like he had a mouth full of cotton. He honestly just wanted to pass out again.  

“Why are you so upset? It’s clean. Warm.”

“It’s a jail cell.” 

“Yeah but...it’s…” He frowned. “...safe..?” 

Historia laughed, a dark bitter laugh, and he hated how it sounded coming from her. It was like a patch of ice, refusing to melt in the heat of the sun. 

“How exactly are we safe?” She hissed. “I screwed up, got us and those kids captured, and you shot! Pardon me, but this feels like the furthest fucking thing from safe that we could possibly be!”

He winced, re-positioning his injured leg. 

She was mostly right, of course. But as Levi glanced around the tiny cell, the Military Police flag that hung on the back of the door to the room, the torches lighting the space, he couldn’t help but feel a measure of relief.  

“At least we aren’t being...chased anymore…” He closed his eyes, cheek pressing into the cool metal bars of the cell.  

His whole body felt heavy, like he’d jumped in and out of a river with a full set of winter gear on. Even his thoughts felt sluggish, though not like before. 

Everything was clear now...just... slow. Levi didn’t know if the drugs Patrik had given him were causing it or blood loss. 

“How are you feeling?” Historia’s voice was softer now, the hostility from before gone. 

“I’m good.” He grunted.

He was not good. 

“Never felt better.”  

He felt terrible.  

The truth was, his fever burned in the background, like the coals of a dying flame. Able to flare up at a moment's notice. Though muted, he wondered how long the medicine would keep it at bay. How long before the dam burst and he succumbed to it again? 

It felt like days had passed in the fog of his memories, not being able to tell what was reality and what was fake. Whispers pressed at him, haunting him, pacing around in the shadows and corners of his sight. The fever made them into a fiery blockade against rational thought and reason.

Quite simply, Levi the soldier, the one who thought he was past all this, the man who commanded squads and became a living legend had disappeared. Levi the thief, a scoundrel, a man who chased away fear by hiding in cold denial replaced him.

And it terrified him. 

It’s who you are. The voice reminded him. You could never live up to the man you pretended to be on the surface. Give up on Captain Levi. Your “friends” will forget you. You never mattered to them.  

He thought of Hanji. She didn’t know he was down here. No one knew, except Armin. But Hanji would be angry. 

He thought of Erwin. Of his current squad of teenagers who looked up to him so much. Of Mike. 

Forget about them. Run away from it all…it’s what you do. It’s what Ackerman’s do. 

He heaved a sigh, not wanting to believe the voice, but not having much else to listen to.

“You aren’t looking much better.” Historia's voice cut through his thoughts. 

“Thanks?” He said, opening his eyes. Of course, he was met with Historia’s ever present concerned frown. He almost laughed at himself for not predicting it. 

“How’s your leg?” She asked.  

He glanced at his thigh again, feeling the pain lance through him. A steady, dull throb morphed around the injury, seeping into his muscles and tissue. The bullet had gone straight through, tearing through the muscle of his right thigh and exiting several centimeters above his kneecap. It hadn’t hit any arteries or bone, thankfully, but left behind a hole roughly the size of a small coin.  

Wrapped around it all was Historia’s cloak. The tattered cloak of a queen. Bloodied and torn, used as a bandage for a useless soldier like himself. 

Leave it to the underground to fuck you over three times and leave you to die, he thought bitterly.

“It’s shit.” He grimaced at last.

“I’m sorry.” She said, “That’s all I had. You—you were bleeding so much when they threw us in here and I didn’t want you to die so I did what I could to stop it, but...I’m sorry I don’t have anything else to help.” 

“Historia—” 

She looked at him, eyes watery.  

“I’m so sorry.” She whispered.  

“For what?” He scoffed. “You didn’t shoot me.” 

“But it’s my fault. All of it is. Getting caught. You getting hurt. Coming here in the first place and dragging you with me. It’s all my fault. And I’m sorry. You have every right to hate me and I don’t blame you if you do.” 

Well that was unexpected. 

“What the hell are you talking about?” He countered.  

“I just—“ She started, swallowing and glancing to the ceiling. “If we—if we hadn’t come here, none of this would have happened. The kids, you, Nile. It would all be the same as before.” A single tear slipped down her cheek. 

Oh no. 

“It’s not your fault.” He said immediately, but the words felt flat, even to him. 

“Oh really?” She laughed, but the sound was bitter, like the tinkling of shattered glass. “And how exactly is it not my fault? Did I not beg and plead with the council to let this happen? Did I not insist you and Nile come with?” 

“That’s not what I—“ 

“Oh then what did you mean? Because this all really feels like a shit ton of ‘my fault’ and I don’t know how you can justify it any other way. I chose to do this. I made you and Nile come with. Burns used my poor judgement to his advantage.” 

God, she was really digging herself in. 

“I meant it’s not something you should beat yourself up for.” He muttered, feeling dizzy. 

“And why the hell not?” She was full on crying now, ugly tears sliding down dirty cheeks.

His leg flared with pain and he winced, sliding further down the cell bars. He grasped the wound, willing the pain to subside as he gathered his thoughts.

“You can’t always blame yourself for everything that goes wrong.” He gritted out. “It’s a shitty thing to do.”

Historia wiped at her tears. “It feels like I should though.” She wailed.

He sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “I know.” 

She froze mid-wipe, staring at him like he’d just proclaimed himself queen. 

“You do?” 

“Yeah.” He frowned, peeling the cloak back from his leg to get a better look at his injury. It was a clean wound, but oh how it throbbed! Even looking at it seemed to increase the intensity, pulses of lighting shooting through him.

But it was easier to look at than Historia while he talked.  

“Things happen. Good or bad.” He explained. “You don’t have control over nature anymore than I do. Titans could invade the walls tomorrow and humanity would cease to exist. You can’t change that.” 

He heard her shift against the wall, listening to him intently 

“You also can’t control what others do. Believe me, I’ve tried.” He continued. 

She huffed in agreement. 

“But most of all,” He glanced at her still glistening eyes. “You have to remember you only control yourself. Whatever you choose to do, whatever is going on around you, you can’t go back on the choice you made. So choose to move forward.” 

Now he looked her full in the eye. Her face swam with a storm of emotion. Fear, regret, guilt, shame, pain. It all hid behind eyes as bright as the sun. Levi knew how well that light could hide the darkness. 

“Our situation is less than ideal.” He frowned at the room. “But crying over what has been or what could have happened won’t change anything. You made your choice, and yeah, it had some shitty consequences. But you can’t regret the choice you made. You don’t have the luxury. You don’t have the time, especially in the world we live in. Especially in the underground.” 

“So…” She looked confused. “Are you saying we should just give up?” 

Levi groaned, wishing Hanji was there for the millionth time. “No, I mean you have to keep going. Keep fighting. Crying is useless and will cloud your judgement.” 

She was still frowning at him. 

“You’re strong, and you have a lot of potential in front of you, but if you give up here you’re wasting an entire future. Don’t let your mistakes define you, let them give you strength to make better choices in the future.” 

Realization dawned on her face and she nodded. 

“Yeah, that makes sense.” She agreed. 

“Good.” He said, satisfied. “Now as for—“ 

He cut off as a clang echoed in from the hallway. Both of them drew silent, holding their breath.  

Was it Burns? A guard? 

Multiple sets of footsteps shuffled quietly, the sound growing like an angry swarm of bees.  

A voice, commanding and harsh, sounded right outside their cell.

And then 

SLAM  

The door burst inward revealing two stout military police officers, both bearing rifles and snarls. 

“On yer feet!” The one in front barked at them. His gapped teeth were nothing compared to his filthy hair. Levi loathed the way it stuck with a vengeance to the man’s sweaty, balding head. And the stench that wormed its way over to them! Holy hell!

“I said GET UP!” 

Historia helped and jumped to her feet. 

“Where did you take the two children?” She demanded, standing strong.  

The men glanced at each other before chuckling.  

“Oh they’re fine. Real fine. Now UP!” 

“What did you do to them—” 

“NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS.” The man slammed his hand into the bars. “Now do I have to make you get up or are you gonna do it yourself small fry?” 

Levi tried to stand, but as soon as he put weight on his injured leg, he swayed. He let out a grunt of pain as his body fell slack, sending him toppling over to the ground.

Well, he would have hit the ground if Historia hadn’t caught him. 

“Thanks.” He rasped, struggling to see through the fog of pain. 

“Now’s not really the time.” She muttered under her breath. 

The guard at the bars rolled his eyes at their sorry state. Him barely standing and Historia supporting his weight. Pathetic. 

Levi blushed, but a wave of anger took over. Or maybe that was just his fever coming back. Regardless, red hot energy swept through him, and he bared his teeth at the guards as they approached the cell. 

“A’right, here’s the deal.” The guard spoke up again. He had been at Patrik’s house. Hadn’t he? Taller and lanky, with an unkempt beard? Levi couldn’t remember. “You move. I shoot you. You yell, I shoot you. You try and untie yourself, I shoot you. Ya got it?” 

The man didn’t look like he cared either way. He would simply be glad to do his work, whatever it may be, so he can go home and be fed at the end of the day.

Levi found it harder than expected to blame the man for threatening them.

“I said, ‘ave ya got it?” He repeated, raising an eyebrow at them. 

“We get it.” Historia said, and Levi caught a slight eye roll coming off her.  

Nice. He thought slyly. 

“First you.” The bearded man said, pointing to Historia. He brandished a set of keys from his belt, inserting one to the lock, and opening the door with a clank. He pulled a pistol from a holster, aiming it directly into the cell. Right at Historia. Levi gulped.  

Historia gently bent down and helped him rest against the stone before slinking out of the cell. The man trained his gun on her the whole time. The first guard, the heavyset one, pulled a length of cord from his pocket, grinning at Historia like she was a prize pig. Levi’s stomach rolled.

He watched, helpless, as the guard turned the small girl around and, none too gently, bound her wrists behind her back with the cord. Though she said nothing, Levi could tell by the pain in her eyes that the man tightened the cords too much against her tiny wrists. 

His skin burned.

“Ok, you next.” 

It took Levi a moment to realize they were talking to him.  

They had to be kidding.  

“I can’t walk.” He said bluntly.  

“Course ya can’t.” The guard with the gun said. “That’s cuz Theo fed ya a bullet. Would ya like another one?”  

Without warning, he cocked his trigger and fired a round into the ceiling. Everyone recoiled from the impact sound ringing in their ears.

“UP!”

Levi growled, but, staring the man down, pushed himself to his feet. Well, foot more like. He leaned heavily against the bars, his crutch. The only support near him. 

Then, without breaking eye contact, he let go of the bars, letting his weight shift to his bad leg.

Pain lanced through him, and he almost buckled beneath it. He sagged under the force, but stayed upright, walking on his other foot. He repeated the process, limping past the guard, not blinking once.

If the man was intimidated, he didn’t show it. 

“Great. Yer a good little prisoner.” He sneered. “Tie him up.” He gestured to the other guard. Training his gun back to Historia, he muttered “And if you even think about trying anything heroic…” 

Historia sighed. “You’ll shoot me.”  

The guard laughed. “Exactly! God, it’s a shame we ‘ave to though!” He grabbed a piece of Historia’s hair, giving it a sniff.  

She flinched and tried to recoil away, but he grabbed at her hair. “Don’t try and play now. You’ll regret it.” His face was inches from hers, and Levi resisted the urge to drag the man up through the underground and kick him off of Wall Shina.

Instead, the heavyset man shuffled behind Levi, grabbing his arms in the process. His wrists stung as the rough cord suffocated them, strangling the blood flow. He refused to let his discomfort show, choosing to bite down on the inside of his cheek to let his mind focus elsewhere. 

The taller guard released his finger off the trigger, apparently satisfied at their bound state. He walked up to Levi, towering over him like an ugly knotted tree, and sniffed his dissatisfaction.

“This the bullet hole?” He said, gesturing to Levi’s bad leg with his gun. 

“...yes.” Levi grit out. 

The man nodded, thoughtful. He tucked his gun back into its holster, examining the leg. Then, he suddenly reared his own leg back and 

SMACK  

Levi crumpled to the ground on the impact, screaming at the onslaught of pain. Bound hands couldn’t clutch against the wound. Couldn’t touch it. Blackness drowned his vision. 

Please don’t pass out, please don’t pass out…  

He moaned, molten sludge burning through him. His mind, a lake of fire.  

...don’t pass out, please…  

Seconds? Minutes?  

His vision cleared, after how long he didn’t know. 

He saw Historia, body ridged against her bindings, shouting at the two rogue soldiers. 

His ears rang, but he could vaguely hear her chastisement. 

A blur of color and he was jerked upright. He moaned again. Embarrassing. His body was useless, an empty husk, refusing to comply with his will. 

The pungent smell of the soldier invaded his nostrils. Body odor, excrement, drugs. He coughed against it, finding his face barely inches from the fake officer’s.

“That’s for back talking.” He spat, disgusting droplets of it hitting Levi’s face. “We gonna have any more problems with that?” 

“...” Levi breathed against the man’s grip, tightly clutching his soiled shirt.

“What was that?” The man growled, shaking him. 

“...n—no…” He gasped. 

The man eyed him for a second longer, then his whole demeanor changed, and he set Levi down against the wall. 

“Excellent.” He exclaimed, clasping his hands together. He gleefully drew his gun back out. “Let’s get a move on then. I’d hate for boss to get there before us.”

“Get where?” Historia glared at the man. 

The man smiled. “We call it the slaughterhouse.” 

________________________

The “slaughterhouse” turned out to be a meat cellar. 

Levi was shoved unceremoniously inside, cursing as his leg gave out underneath him and he fell to the ice cold cement floor. He gasped against the bloodstains there, shivering even as his skin steamed with white hot fire. 

Glancing up, he saw hooks, clearly meant to hold meat, hanging down from a gate-like ceiling every few centimeters apart. Though, he noticed, the ceiling was lower than a normal one. Just taller than himself. 

Historia also swore as she was shoved inside, though she managed to stay on her feet. The guards moved in after her, tall and lanky keeping his gun trained on them the whole time. 

The heavier one grabbed Historia’s bindings and loosed them. 

“Not a breath out of line princess.” He puffed into her ear. She cringed against him.  

He quickly set to work re-tying her hands in front of her body. When he finished, he reached up towards one of the hooks. To his horror, Levi watched him grab one of them and lift Historia’s arms to it. She cried out as her arms wretched upwards, the bindings catching on the hook. She half dangled, half struggled against the hold. Her toes could reach the ground, but only just.

“You next rat.” Levi heard the man approach and knew he was in for the same treatment. 

Sure enough, he was yanked off the ground, held in place as his arms were jerked around, tied and re-tied, and lifted towards the ceiling. 

He dangled, pathetically. Head lolling. Barely feeling anymore. The cold from the floor numbed him from his fingertips to his toes.

The man gave him another jab, though thankfully he spared Levi’s leg any more trauma. 

The guard with the gun again holstered his weapon. He watched with satisfaction as the two of them hung like a couple of pigs, ready to be beaten to death.

“Ohhh ho!” He chuckled. “Boss is sure gonna be happy when he sees this! Don’t you think Mack?” He gave a joking elbow to the heavy man who grunted. “We’re basically handing him the throne ourselves! Ha! And with flair.”

Levi breathed in a shuddering breath. It was absolutely freezing in this cellar! It seemed to pound away at him, breaking his will with every jab and insult that echoed around the small brick room. 

...just give up…  

...give up and die...  

“Why, I don’t think Burns himself could have packaged these two up any better than this! And just think, when he comes to kill them no one will think twice about there being blood in a meat stor—“ 

THUD  

The tall man’s face went completely slack. His eyes rolled up in their sockets and he fell, face first, to the ground. 

Mack, the second man, whipped his head around in confusion.

Then— 

THWACK  

He too was sent sprawling to the ground, jaw hanging. 

A third man waltzed into the room, sporting a brick in one hand and a pistol in the other. His hair was wild, almost as wild as the look in his lively gray eyes, and his facial hair was an unforgiving mess of last year’s fashion. 

But Levi had never seen a sight more beautiful. 

Because Nile had found them.

Chapter Text

Levi Ackerman

“Do you two have any idea how much of a pain in my ass you are?” Nile raged as he stormed into the cellar. 

Though he would never in his life admit it to the man, Levi was very happy to see him. He almost smiled. Almost.

“I mean, just look at you.” The military commander continued grumbling, setting his brick against the wall. “Strung up like a couple of dead men. Dead men and women, but still, here I am, coming to save your ungrateful asses.

“How did you find us?” Historia exclaimed, still dangling from her wrists. Levi’s own wrists were starting to complain about holding his weight. 

Nile rolled his eyes, moving over to her and helping to lift her hands off the hook. She slung down, gratefully rubbing at her wrists as Nile removed her bindings.

“It was easy.” He explained. “All I had to do was follow the smell of idiocy. That, and I got drugged. Woke up to a world of noise and chaos so naturally I figured you two were involved. Followed a couple of guards down to the cellar...and looks like I was right”

“Well we owe you our lives.” Historia said with gravity. “They—oh shit. Burns is on his way! Shit shit shit.” Her eyes flew over to Levi. “We have to get him down and get out of here!”

Nile nodded, quickly moving to lift Levi’s arms off his hook.  

As his weight came crashing down, a rush of nausea welled up in Levi’s stomach. The blood drained from his face as pain returned to his leg. He stumbled, catching himself before completely falling to the ground. His vision went fuzzy, but he saw red coming from the poorly wrapped injury. 

“Shit…” He cursed.

“Hey...uh, you don’t look so hot there shorty.” Nile’s face appeared in his vision.  

“He got shot!” Historia hissed. “And I didn’t bandage it very well.” 

Levi wanted to slap Nile and move for god’s sake, but his body refused to budge.  

“You’re telling me he’s got an open bullet wound?” 

“Yes!” Historia moved an arm under his shoulder, leaning in to support his weight. A familiar system. “But we can discuss that later. Let’s get out of here? Yes?” 

“Let’s go.” Nile moved to Levi’s other side and slung his other arm over his shoulder like a strap. 

A flush of embarrassment ran through Levi as he was hauled through the room like a rag doll. Not since being two or three years old had he felt this helpless. He wanted to protest, to tell Nile and Historia that leaving him was okay. He would only slow them down.

His head lolled as they moved as fast as they could back through the base. Out of the cellar, some warmth returned to the air, but Levi’s skin still crawled like someone was running an ice cube over it. 

At the same time, he could literally feel his fever returning. It dragged through him, like an ox pulling a cart of flaming mortar through the mud. It spilled and splattered, leaving dregs of fiery burning waste in it’s trail.  

He coughed, but it racked his whole body. 

“I think his fever is back.” He heard Historia mutter to his right.  

“Back?” Nile’s hushed whisper asked incredulously. “Seriously, how long was I gone for?”

A distant clatter distracted them. It couldn’t have been further than a room or two away. Someone was close.

“Here!” Nile whispered again, a more urgent tone. “Get in here quick!”

Levi was pulled through a doorway into darkness. The door closed behind them with barely a sound.  

He shook his head, trying to clear the haze forming within.

Give up! His voice hissed. How much more will you take before you give up?  

He didn’t have the energy to even ignore it. He was weak. Feeble.  

It’s over…  

________________________

Damion Burns

Damion hated cellars. Almost more than the underground. 

Though, he mused, the underground was kind of like the cellar of the capital. Or even the entire walled kingdom.  

It was rotting, stunk, dark, crowded with rats, and generally not a place most people ever wanted to spend more than thirty seconds in.

And it was bloody cold!

He sighed, listening to Zane’s footsteps as the two descended the stairs to the basement of the military outpost. 

“I’m sad we’ll be leaving this place behind.” He said somberly, glancing at the man.

As he predicted, Zane didn’t react.

So he continued. “So many fond memories together here. That time we locked up half the crime bosses in the underground, when we confiscated all the codeloine and re-sold it, or what about that time we had an actual rat infestation?” He chuckled. 

“You hate it here.” Zane deadpanned. Always right to the point with him. It was why Damion liked him so much. You could always trust a man who didn’t hide anything behind emotion.

“You’re completely correct!” He laughed. “I was just trying to see things from our beloved, darling queen’s point of view.” 

The two rounded the corner at the landing of the stairs.

“Really we’re doing them a service.” He declared. It was something he’d said before, but something he liked saying over and over. The more he said it, the more he believed it. “She wouldn’t have lasted as queen much longer. It would have been another blood bath to put someone on the throne after that. Better to get rid of her now. Get rid of all of them.” 

He trailed off. Yes, getting her out of the way was necessary, as unfortunate as Historia’s circumstances were, she was stopping him from seeing justice. It wasn’t her fault she was chosen by the military to be put in as queen.  

He honestly felt bad for her. 

But his thoughts turned to the other prisoner currently locked up in the room at the end of the hallway they just entered.  

Captain Levi.

His blood immediately boiled. All remorse he’d felt a moment ago was gone.  

Levi should have died a long time ago. If Burns had worked his way up in power any sooner he would have personally seen to it that the man be arrested, accused, tortured, shot, hung, or really anything unpleasant and life ending. The man didn’t deserve to breathe the precious air above the surface, and never should have been given the privilege to walk the same ground that Damion’s parents or grandfather had.  

The noble, self-sacrificing shit show the captain put on for the rest of the Scouts and humanity sickened Damion. He’d never met a man more selfish, one who cared for others only enough to see them fall while he never suffered a scratch.

Yes, he mused as he turned the knob to the cellar turned prison cell. Levi's actions condemned him, and he would pay the ultimate price. 

________________________ 

Historia Riess

The howl of rage that echoed from the basement cellar was loud enough that Historia and Nile both heard it from the floor above. 

“There goes the element of surprise.” Nile commented darkly, adjusting his hold on Levi’s unconscious body.

“Did you really expect us to keep it?” Historia replied dryly, trying to disguise the jolt of fear that ran through her. The anger in that scream was... terrifying.

“No.” 

The three vagrants crept through the shadows of the military police outpost. They’d passed through the rest of the basement after hearing the footsteps subside outside the door they hid behind. Now they just needed to get out without being spotted.  

“This way.” Nile whispered, pulling them towards a side room. Historia was beyond lost at this point. The holding cell she and Levi had been locked in was somewhere on this floor she thought, but they seemed to be in a completely different area from that. This one was full of boxes and old uniforms and supplies. Cobwebs filled the dusty area, nothing like the earlier cells—

Oh god. She gasped, freezing in place.  

Nile noticed her outburst immediately. “What? What’s wrong?” 

How could they have forgotten? Even with everything going on? 

“Patrik’s kids.” She whispered, horrified. “They’re still locked up.” 

She met Nile’s eyes, exposing her pure fear to him. His expression spoke of another weight, worry for their own lives.  

“What are you talking about?”

“We met a bartender and he had these kids. They helped us. He's doing what we're trying to do.” She tried to explain, rushing the words together. “We were with them before we got captured, but they took his kids. There are two of them, they were just down the hall from our cell.” 

Nile swore, swallowing and looking at the ceiling.  

“Nile.” She said, choking back tears. “We can’t—we can’t leave them. It's everything we came down here for.” But she already knew… 

We can’t get them either. There’s no time. We’ll be caught. 

He turned back to her, eyes surprisingly moist. It was something she never expected to see from the hardy military police commander.  

“I’m so sorry Historia.” He blinked back tears. “We have to go…”

I know. She wanted to say, but she couldn’t find the words. Hell, she couldn’t even find the strength to nod her agreement. All she could do was follow Nile, blindly, numbly, as he led them through the old base. 

I’m sorry, I’m so sorry, I’m sorry.   

The words screamed in her mind, screamed so loud it was deafening. She wanted to match it with her own voice, let her throat burn and scratch as she yelled her frustrations and guilt to the world. She deserved to feel that pain, to suffer in the smallest amount to pay for the pain she caused others.  

The pain she had caused Levi and Nile. The pain Patrik must be in right now.

The pain those two kids would suffer. 

Her silent tears plummeted to the ground, leaving a trail of drops in their wake. 

Nile led them through room after room, footsteps sounding rapidly on the floors above them. Each room they came to was empty, as if the entire floor had been abandoned. They continued until they came to a set of stairs going up. After a quick survey of the room, Nile propped Levi against the wall and motioned for Historia to stay put with him. 

“These stairs lead out.” He pointed up. “But I’m going to check the other side, there’s bound to be patrols.” 

She nodded, still unable to speak. 

Nile crept up the stairs, careful to stick to the sides to create less noise until he reached the top. He pressed his ear against the wooden door, listening intently for a minute.  

They would only have one chance to make a run for it. If they were spotted or made too much sound, there wouldn’t be a second chance. It was already a miracle that Nile had found them.  

“I think we’re in the clear.” Nile whispered as he descended the stairs. “Let’s get out of here.” They picked Levi back up and made their way, carefully, up the stairs. Nile waited a moment to listen at the door at the top.  

“On three.” He breathed.  

Historia nodded, barely able to breathe herself.  

“One.” 

Her heart thundered in her chest. 

“Two.” 

They had to make it. They couldn’t afford to not. 

“THREE!” 

Nile pushed the door open, and the three of them burst out into the cool air of the underground.  

Historia sucked in the air, never expecting to be glad for it. She hardly thought as she ran. For everything she was worth, which wasn’t much, she ran. For her comrades. For those she’d met in the underground. For Ymir. For her kingdom. 

The stairs let them out onto a back lot, a considerable distance away from the next set of buildings. Of course, leave it to the Military Police to build their outposts as far away from the rest of the underground as possible. It was like a diseased corpse, something everything else skirted around.  

“Head towards the buildings.” Nile ordered, tugging them on.

Not a soul in sight, she noticed. Even at the line of businesses, hardly anyone occupied the streets.  

The two of them ran in big awkward strides as they juggled Levi between them. The poor man stirred in and out of consciousness as they jostled his body, not caring about gentleness. Historia hoped they weren’t furthering his injuries any more, but decided that it was actually the least of their worries right now. 

As soon as they made it to the line of buildings they would be safe.

“Wssss...gonngg on?” Levi slurred. His head lolled as he tried, without success, to hold it up. 

“Just running for our lives.” Nile panted. “Not that you’re being much help. Of course you managed to find trouble. Why am I even surprised?”

“Not helpful.” She snapped back at the commander, shutting him up. “Where are we going? Do you know of a safe spot?”

Nile pursed his lips, thoughtful. “I think I know a place. It’s not far from here, and Burns wouldn’t know it. He always avoided the grungy field work underground so he doesn’t know the area as well as I do. That means it should be safe.” He trailed off. “But honestly I can’t think of anywhere else.”

She nodded. “Then let’s get there.”

Every nerve in her body screamed at her to turn around and make sure no one was following them. Every step she took sent a vibration in the dirt, a trigger to their former captors. They would be caught. They would die here. 

But no one came. 

And as they reached the buildings and ducked behind them, back into the streets of the underground again, Historia glanced back.  

The outpost stood undisturbed. It looked abandoned, safe for small flickers of light within. 

An uneasy feeling sunk into the pit of her stomach.

“Nile…” 

“What?” He glanced at her. 

She opened her mouth to answer when she caught the eye of a woman hovering in a doorway. The woman’s eyes darted away from Historia the moment they connected, flicking to look further down the street. Then she looked back. She slowly backed into the house, but Historia saw the fear within. 

It was only then she noticed the still emptiness of the street around them.

“Shit!” She hissed. Her brain triggered like a rabbit. She was prey, being hunted, and even though they had just escaped death, the predators were close.  

She could feel them.

“We have to get off the streets!” She turned to Nile, but wasn’t met with his gray eyes back.  

No, Nile’s eyes were trained on something in front of them. Something towards where the woman had been looking.

Historia immediately turned to look, and was met with a single man, looking figure blocking their path. His cold expression burned with ice within, his arms poised to fight, and his pale skin almost glowed as flickers of light reflected off his bald, gaunt head.

Zane Randor stood in front of them. 

He cocked his head, teeth splitting his face, but not in a smile. “Going somewhere?” 

His arm flexed and Historia saw the unmistakable glint of a gun barrel, pointing at the ground. In his other hand, she spotted a knife.

“Get down!”

A force shoved her to the side. 

Nile, pushing her and Levi down as the first shots rang out. 

BANG  

Up was down and down was reversed as Historia landed with a thud to the dust. She coughed, scanning for Nile.  

BANG  

A wave of pure adrenaline tore through her, drowning out her terror.  

BANG BANG  

Tufts of dust sprang up around her in coordination with the explosions in her ears.  

BANG  

A red hot sting slashed her arm. One of the bullets had grazed her. 

She crouched on her feet, leaping away from the spot she’d landed in.  

BANG  

Another spray of dust powered her face. It had been right where she was a moment ago.  

Heart hammering, she scanned the area for Nile and found him charging straight at Randor! The commander leapt off a pile of boxes, hooking his arm and catching the bald man around the neck. The two went crashing to the ground, the pistol flying from Randor’s hand. 

Historia watched it fly, frozen, unable to do anything but watch as Nile and Randor wrestled in the dirt. 

Randor drew his knife back, slashing at Nile who jerked away from him. He slammed his knee into Randor’s chest, making him drop his knife, centimeters away from Nile’s face. 

That was enough. She didn’t have much formal training with guns, but she knew how to hold her own with a knife. She dashed over, knocking the gun with her feet in the process. It slid across the dirt and out of sight.  

Reaching the two men, she deftly avoided a leg lashing from Randor as Nile attempted to get the upper hand on the man. No such luck. Randor easily bested Nile in muscle. For every push Nile made against him, he pushed back harder. It was like watching a bird fly against a hurricane.  

She made a grab for the knife.

Then Randor suddenly screamed, leaping off of Nile and onto her like a tiger.  

Prey. She was prey. And she was about to be killed. 

“No! Get off!” She screamed in pure terror as she was pummeled to the ground.  

His weight was crushing on her small body. She struggled in his grasp, willing her muscles to just be stronger. Fight! Push back! But then Randor reared a fist back and drove it straight into her skull.  

SMASH  

Stars blinded her vision. Oh god...he’d punched out her eyes. Her lungs...she couldn’t breathe.  

Another scream spilt the air, maybe her own. She groaned, head filling with poison and acid. Thick lead split her skull in two, a fierce headache battling against her consciousness.

And then… 

The crushing weight was gone. Replaced instead by the icy cool air once again. Her vision cleared and she groaned, feeling blood trickling from her nose. 

Next to her, Nile and Randor wrestled again. Nile initially had the upper hand on the man, pushing him off of her and keeping a tight grip on one of the man’s arms. But it came to no avail as Randor flipped the older man off of him, rolling the two of them further away from Historia. 

She clutched her head in her hands, world spinning as she rolled to tuck her feet under her. 

Nile let out a cry of pain as Randor crulley bent his arm around his back.

“Nile—“ She rasped, coughing. 

BANG  

Historia’s heart skipped a beat. 

No…  

The two men in a heap stilled, one sliding off the other. 

“Nile!” She choked. She willed herself to move, pushing off the ground and stumbling to her feet.  

No no no no no…

But then… 

Nile sat up, pushing the motionless body of Zane Randor off of him. Shock ran across his face.  

And a bloodied red bullet hole sunk right through the other man’s chest.

Zane Randor was dead. 

As if time froze, both Nile and Historia turned to face the unknown assailant who had fired the gun. 

But found Levi. 

Somehow, he was standing, but was paler than ever, with blood running down his leg in a wobbly stance and a pistol aimed out in front of him. He blinked once, looking confused. A violent shudder ran through him, and he collapsed to the ground in a heap, strength spent. The gun landed in the dust with a light clink beside him.

Chapter Text

Historia Riess

Nile’s “safe place” turned out to be an abandoned tenement building. The place reminded Historia of an old sock she’d discovered while cleaning between the wall and her bunk at the training corps dormitories. Threadbare, stinky, and hanging on by literal threads.

The tenement was much the same, forgotten in it’s squished space between an abandoned storage building and a used clothing shop. A gaping hole opened up like a mouth where a front door should be, revealing the gloomy interior to any passerby. Inside, boards and debris stuck to every surface like leaves in the fall. 

Nile pointed them straight to the top floor. Carrying Levi between the two of them, they carefully made their way up landing after landing, over obstacles and through the broken frames of the building until they reached it. They let the shadows swallow them, choosing to join their dark ranks. 

Historia let out an involuntary shiver at the dim light coming through the upper floor windows. As they laid Levi down, she worried it might be enough to give them away, that they would be found. Any second someone could alert Burns to their location and they would die.

I hate this.

The room itself was a testament to better times. A rotted wood bunk bed was pushed to the far side, along with a few chairs. A table leaned against them on its side. Old shredded clothes decorated the floor like confetti, as if a cat had gone feral in a laundry room. 

The base layer of the floor was completely missing leaving only the wooden framework to cover the open expanse. Historia suspected a skilled trapeze artist would struggle to brave the skinny boards covering the hole. 

Rodents scratched around in the walls, occasionally scurrying out into the open before flicking back to their hiding spots. 

In all honesty, the scene before her looked more like the aftermath of a titan attack than anything this close to the capital had the right to be. 

At least it’s better than the Island. She shivered again. 

“You okay?” Nile asked as he rummaged through his pack.

“Yeah.” She lied, ignoring everything including the light cut on her face and her spinning head. “It’s just cold.”

“It’s as cold as hell.” He agreed without looking up. “I remember coming underground for patrol every once in a while, especially before I got promoted, and every time I got back to the surface I couldn’t shake the chills for a week.” He shook his head, lost in thought.

Historia frowned. Returning to the surface? Back to sun and city. Returning to luxury and life. Guards to wait on her and food stockpiled to last for years. 

That life was so foreign now... 

“Sounds rough.” She offered.

Nile sniffed in approval, pulling several items from his pack while Levi stirred on the floor in between them. Historia regretted not looking for a cleaner place to lay him down on, but the state of the place was atrocious. She didn’t even have anything to cushion his head from the filthy floor. He would have hated it, but he’d been unconscious since...well since he’d shot Zane and collapsed.

Nile had said it was because of shock. But looking at the flushed face of the Captain again, Historia couldn’t chase away the doubt crawling in her mind.

“Are you sure he’s going to be okay?” She asked softly, stomach feeling sick at the sight before her. The memory of Levi standing with the gun and then collapsing looped obsessively in her mind. 

Nile glanced at her, working a knife through several larger chunks of wood. “Levi?” He asked with a hint of surprise. “Of course! Trust me princess, he’s been through a whole lot more than this. Hell, if shooting him was all it took to stop him, my early policing days would have been a breeze.” He chuckled. “I think he’s going to wake up, grumpy as ever, and curse how shitty of a shot the police are. He’s actually going to complain about it! I can hear it now, why didn’t those shit-faces aim a little higher and blow out my intestines? Then I could die in peace. ”

Historia let a small smile grace her lips. “That’s a good impression of him.”

He smiled wryly back. “You should hear Zackley’s. The man can imitate anyone.”

“Zackley? Really?”

“Swear to god!” Nile held a hand up. “He’s got such an interesting sense of humor, as I’m sure you’ve started to pick up on.”

She rolled her eyes. “Oh my god, he does. I’m glad I’m not the only one who’s noticed.”

“Not at all. There’s a whole network of us that like to chat about the upper military officials. Everyone from Keith Shadis all the way to our little pal Levi here. We go out for drinks every now and then, I’ll have to invite you next time.”

Historia pictured herself sitting around a tavern, much like Patrik’s, but instead of dark and gloomy this one was filled with white light from outside and torches from within. It was warm and smelled of expensive alcohol and fresh meat cooking. She saw herself, Nile and his wife, surrounded by several other military police officers. They were talking and laughing and making fools of themselves. Not a soul worried about unseen dangers.

It was enough to make her heart swell.

“I’d like that.” She smiled. 

“It’s a deal then.” He smirked, standing up. “Now, we need to cauterize Levi’s injury, or he’s going to run the risk of infection, and to do that we’ve got to make a fire.”

He strode across the room to a pile of bricks and wooden planks. Maneuvering to the side of one plank, he pushed over a meter or two, revealing a small fireplace behind. 

“Did you know that was there?” Historia asked, impressed. 

“Sure did.” He grunted. “I used this place way too many times while I was on patrol. It’s good to have somewhere you can warm your feet.”

She nodded, watching him work. 

In a matter of minutes, he had struck stone against flint, sending a spark into a teepee of sticks in the fireplace. A small orange glow now emanated from the hearth. 

Historia scooted herself closer, watching as Nile stirred the coals with a poker. He took the knife he’d been cutting wood with earlier and set it in the coals. 

The two sat together like that for a few moments. The only sounds were that of the fire crackling to life and Levi’s faint snoring.

“Nile?” She asked, finally breaking the silence.

“Yeah?”

“We have to go back...don’t we?”

He didn’t answer, nor did the faint orange glow on his face reveal anything. The crackling of flames popped in her ear. A comforting sound. It reminded her of the fires she and her friends used to sit around after long, hot days of training. She wished she had a full belly and comfortable blanket to wrap herself in now like she had then.

Nile’s posture slumped as he sighed an answer. “Yeah, we do.”

The acknowledgement of the statement made it that much more real. Against her will, her eyes began to fill with tears.

He sat back, turning to face her. “Realistically, we can’t get out of the underground until we stop Burns. He knows our safe houses, god, he even recommended a few. He has patrols roaming the streets. By some miracle, if we actually made it to the stairs without something else going wrong, we’d never be allowed passage. He’d have people watching for us. Any other way out would require ODM gear which we obviously don’t have...”

She listened, not having anything to add to the bleak summary. 

“And blast it all,” He cursed. “He set everything up perfectly around our plan. He knew when to attack. He set us up with passage through the Lovof stairs, he hired people who knew the streets. I can’t believe I didn’t see it sooner.” He scoffed.

Lovof...

“Wait a minute…” She said, heart thudding as she made a realization. “We totally missed something.”

“Missed what?”

“Levi said Burns was wearing the Lovof family crest on his ring.” She explained with wide eyes. “Zane too. They are part of the Lovof family. That has to have something to do with all this...right?”

Nile paused, running a hand through his spiky hair. “God...if that’s true...then this is starting to make a lot more sense.”

“What do you mean?”

He swallowed, glancing upwards. “Let me just start off by saying that politics is messy business.” He sighed. “Several years ago, the Scouting Legion was instrumental in the arrest of a man for siphoning funds from them. That man was Nicholos Lovof, and he is the man who owns the stairs we came down on.”

“Okay…”

“Lovof was corrupt, but—and I say this nicely—no one gave a damn about the Scouts so nothing was done about it. Even Shadis hardly said a word about it, the poor sap. That job really ate away at him, but it put Erwin in a perfect position to come in and run a private operation against Lovof.”

“A very Erwin thing to do.” She noted. 

“Extremely.” He agreed. “And being classic Erwin, he set up a gamble. He heard that Lovof hired a couple of thugs from the underground to kill him, so he turned right around and offered them positions in the Scouting Legion too.”

“He didn’t!”

“Oh he did!”

“Did they take the offer?”

Nile gestured back to Levi. “Why don’t you ask him.”

Historia’s jaw dropped. “It was Levi ? Levi was hired to kill Erwin ?”

Nile chuckled. “Listen, I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw him in the uniform either. I mean, imagine you’ve been hunting a criminal for three years and then he shows up at your job with a higher rank than you. God bless, Marie, but I was in a storming rage for days after I found out.”

“That sounds frustrating.” She agreed. “But still, I’m surprised Erwin is alive if Levi was supposed to kill him.”

“Oh right, well his gamble paid off. Levi and his friends were the bate and Lovof fell right into the trap. Levi got lucky and Lovof ended up with a life sentence on his ass.”

“Was Furlan one of his friends?” She asked.

“I don’t know any Furlan, and I really don’t have any idea who his friends were. But I did hear something about him being the only survivor from his squad on his first mission outside the walls.” Nile shrugged. “Since then, he and Erwin have been practically inseparable. Anything Erwin does, Levi goes along with. You’d think the man doesn’t have a mind of his own, but then he opens his mouth and you quickly find out you don’t want to be on his bad side.” He thought for a moment. “Or any side.”

Historia smiled. “He’s not that bad.”

Nile scoffed. “Honey, believe me. He is.”

They waited a few more moments, watching as the flames licked at the knife. Nile wrapped his hand in a scrap of cloth before reaching in and pulling the blade from the embers. He examined the hot metal, glowing slightly in the darkness, and waved a hand close to it to test its heat. 

“Okay I think we’re ready but...uh...this will be tricky. We’ll both need to hold him down so he doesn’t hurt himself. Or us.” He looked at her, reading the uncertainty on her face. “Why don’t you take his arms and I’ll hold down his other leg?”

“Yeah, sure...uh…” She stuttered back, scrambling to her feet. “Should we wake him up?”

“Unfortunately for him, we will need to.”

“Right.” She nodded, as they moved back to Levi. 

The Captain looked about the same as he had all day, which was both good and bad. Good because he didn’t appear any worse than before, but bad because his skin was still ghostly pale with flushed red cheeks manifesting his burning fever. He hadn’t shifted at all from when they’d laid him down. 

Historia reached a tentative hand and jostled his shoulder. “Hey, Captain? Levi? Can you hear me?”

He immediately flinched at the contact, eyes fluttering open, though they looked glazed and unfocused.

“...mmhh…” He breathed. His eyes drooped shut, only to slowly blink open again, as if they were caked with wet glue.

Historia looked helplessly at Nile. “What should I tell him?”

“Uh…” Nile looked as flustered as she, but he dug into his pocket in the lapse. Pulling out a leather pouch, he held it to her. “He can bite down on this in a second. We need to clean off his wound first.”

He set the cloth and knife and untied Historia's former cloak from around Levi’s leg, careful to jot jostle the man. Dried blood caked around the bullet hole, and he twisted the cap of his water skin, pouring precious drops around it.

Levi flinched, but otherwise didn’t react. 

“Okay, have him bit down on it now.” Nile directed. 

Levi’s eyes were closed again so she gave him another small shake. “We need you to bite down on this. Can you do that? Levi?”

She didn’t wait for a response, but he put up no resistance as she pushed it between his teeth. 

“Okay, it’s...uh...mostly in the right place.” She reported, her hands hovering awkwardly, feeling too big and too small simultaneously.

“Good enough.” Nile said. “Go ahead and hold his arms down.”

Levi’s hands were limp and warm as she held them to the ground on either side of his face, and she had the ridiculous image of cooked pasta flash through her mind. 

Nile positioned one knee on Levi’s uninjured leg, picking the hot blade back up. “We have to cauterize both sides of his leg, so on three I’ll do the top. We’ll give it a few seconds and then I’ll lift the leg and repeat the process. Got it?”

“S—sure?”

“Perfect.” He nodded. “One...two... three !”

Nile pressed the blade down flat right over the bullet hole. 

For a split second, the horrible sound of sizzling flesh was all that existed. Then a terrible scream ripped from Levi’s throat as his whole body jerked against both their grips. He pushed against them with incredible force, nearly knocked her hands away. 

After what felt like a full minute, Nile pulled the knife off and the resistance vanished. 

Historia sucked in a huge breath, falling back. She let herself clump into a heap, her breath escaping shakily. 

“One done. One to go.” Nile panted, wiping an arm across his brow. 

Levi let out a groan despite his teeth clenching around the pouch.

Nile looked at him with pity, lifting the man’s leg to expose the exit wound. “Sorry pal. Ready for two?”

Historia nodded, her arms shaking as she pressed Levi’s arms back down. They just needed to get this over with. 

“One...two... three!”

The second time was worse. Levi’s scream felt more raw, more wrenching. Historia wanted to let go of him, knowing that he was in such horrible pain. Pain she couldn’t even imagine. Pain she didn’t want to imagine...

Three seconds later Nile pulled the knife off and moved away from Levi. “There.” He said. “That wasn’t so bad, was it?”

Historia dropped Levi’s arms like they were covered in acid and watched as they fell limply to the ground. His eyelids fluttered, and for a horrible moment she worried he might have been fully conscious for the ordeal. But as his head rolled to the side, his eyes closed for good. 

“Captain..?” She breathed. 

He made no motion to answer, so she quickly pulled the pouch out of his mouth. However, he remained motionless, breaths coming in quick, short inhales. 

Nile grabbed the sleeve of his shirt, using the knife to carefully cut half of it off. He tore it into several long strips. Bandages. 

Careful hands tied the clean cloth around Levi’s injury, checking to make sure they weren’t too tight, but that they would protect against infection. 

“He’ll probably be out for a while, princess.” He observed. “Best to let him sleep while we figure out our next steps.”

But Historia kept staring at the unconscious Captain. Her eyes were moist.

“...He’s in so much pain…” She said. 

Nile glanced at her, noticing her expression. He finished, sitting back and pushing up the remainder of his sleeves. 

“He’s going to be okay.” The man told her flatly. “Like I said, he’s been through worse.”

“I know...It’s just that...I feel horrible.” She trailed off, the sick feeling returning to her stomach. “It’s like, he saved us earlier when he could barely stand up, and all I could do was sit there and feel useless.”

Nile’s pale eyes gleamed in the low firelight. 

“And—and, I just keep seeing him collapsing in my—in my head. He—I thought he was...that he was dead. And he did it for me, he’s saved me so many times and he’s suffering for it all when it’s my fault.”

She sniffed back tears.

Nile didn’t say anything for a moment, and Historia felt despair fill her. 

He thinks it’s my fault too. He’s going to leave us and go back to his family...people who are actually important to him. 

“Princess, none of this is your fault.” Nile said softly. “If any of us have anyone to blame it’s Burns.”

She shook her head. “But it was my idea to come down here in the first place. Mine! Levi didn’t want to come. You didn’t want to come here. We would all be safe if I hadn’t done anything.”

“Are you saying that you think our lives are more important than the kids down here?”

What?

The question hit her like a slap to the face. 

“Tell me honestly Princess,” He spoke again. “Do you think you are more important than anyone down here?”

“Of course not.”

“Am I?”

“No—”

“Is Levi?”

She paused. 

“No one is more important than anyone else. We all deserve to live.”

Nile smirked a little as he nodded. “Then tell me why you want to go back? Why do you want to confront Burns?”

Historia frowned. “Because he’s threatening a lot of people.”

He nodded again. “Yeah, he’s threatening everyone. Not just the people down here, but everyone in the walls. If he wins, everyone loses.”

“And we can’t let him win.”

“We certainly can’t.”

“But I don’t understand how that makes it not my fault that we’re here.”

Nile sighed, crossing his legs. 

“What I don’t think you understand is that we all have your back. 100%. I do, Levi does, the council does, though they have a poor way of showing it. We all want you to succeed as queen. Hell, we need you to! But we all chose to follow your lead on this. You may have ordered us to, but we all know it’s for the greater good. We didn’t know initially that Burns was corrupt, but knowing that doesn’t pull our support from you away. If anything, we only want to keep you in the throne more.”

“But why?” She said, silent tears falling freely. 

“Because you care.” He smiled wryly. “You care so damn much that you were willing to go to a place that literally no one wanted to go to just so that you could help the people who were most in need. Tell me someone else who would have done that?”

Historia scrounged through her mind, trying to think of someone to prove him wrong. 

He lifted his eyebrows expectantly, emphasizing his point. 

“I’m sure someone would have.” She mumbled.

“But you’re the first person in a hundred years who did. That’s pretty significant if you ask me, which you kind of did.” He winked. “What I’m trying to get at Historia is that you have the potential to make a massive difference to humanity, and we all believe in that. People are willing to sacrifice for what they believe in, and that’s what me and Levi and everyone else is doing for you. You just have to make sure you’re something worth believing in.”

Historia sat there, letting the words sink in. The low heat from the fire wafted by her, tickling at her cheeks and fingers. It all seemed like so much, that the expectations were too high, but something in her heart tugged at her. 

He’s right you idiot. The words echoed through her mind in Yimir’s voice. Get out of your own head and listen to someone else for once, eh?

She almost rolled her eyes at the sarcasm.

“I can do my best.” She said to Nile.

“That’s all we need kiddo.” He smiled. “But like you said, we have to go back to the Military Police outpost because I sure as hell ain’t staying in the underground for another week. Our best shot is striking right at Burns, and I think I’ve got the beginnings of an idea.”

He rose from the ground, winking at her. Moving to the fire, he threw a few more sticks and some old cloth on the embers to keep them alive. She felt the renewed heat flare across her exposed cheeks.

“Come sit over here with me.” He looked back at her, gesturing at the space by the fire. “With my brilliant military tactics and your experience I bet we can come up with a plan that will impress even Levi when he wakes up. What do you say?”

“Alright.” She smiled, moving over to him.

________________________

Zane Randor was dead.

The fact danced in his mind like a plague, resounding, repetitive, and threatening. 

His too pale skin, always so white, but even more so as it was silhouetted against the dark earth of the underground roadway looked too much like a skeleton and not enough like his beloved cousin. It shot a dark bullet hole through his heart.

The loss, emotions aside, was a terrible setback as it led to the loss of his quarry and one of his most trusted friends. 

But emotionally?

Damion’s entire world threatened to collapse on him. To stop his heart from beating and leave him motionless on the road, abandoned by life just like Zane had been. 

The loss echoed down the dark well of trauma Burns never delved into. Only now the well spilled over in angry waves, splashing against the joy in his mind. Erasing it from sight.

Levi had done this. Historia had done this. But Nile...he had disappeared and Damion could only guess that he was with them. 

The added betrayal, even if unintentional, from his former friend stung deeply, only adding to his firm belief that family were the only people he could trust.

It was time for this to be over. Historia needed to die. 

He sighed, wiping a hand over his face to hide his emotions. 

“Take the body to the outpost. We’ll give him a proper burial when we return to the surface.” He directed a nearby guard. 

“Sir.” The man moved to follow the orders.

Burns turned back towards the outpost, unable to bear the sight of Zane’s sightless eyes.

He’d known this wouldn’t be easy, but the toll his objective was taking was getting far too steep. How many more needed to die before justice was served? 

“Two.” He whispered to himself. “Just two more.”

Historia. She would die. She would die terribly. Tragically.

And Levi.

He cringed at the thought of the man. 

Levi would regret ever stepping food on the surface.

Chapter Text

Levi Ackerman

Levi cursed as his foot caught on something and he fell forward. The air rushed past his ears, encompassing. 

He slammed into the dirt with a THUD.  

Dust bloomed around him like water. He couldn’t see anything but brown. He coughed, swiping his arms through the air to clear it.  

Then he stood up, brushing himself off. A few leaves stuck to his pants, now covered in the fine brown dust from the road. 

He glared downwards. A small innocent-looking root stuck up from the unpaved roadway in the countryside. The trees above flickered in the wind, illuminating the damn thing in a bowl of sunlight.

“Fuck off.” He said to it. Were his instincts really that bad? 

The breeze danced through his fingers as he slid them into his pockets. Best to just continue and hope no one saw that.  

Levi’s feet pulled him to an unknown destination. He passed through country sides and farming fields, Wall Sina looming in the distance. Where was he going? And why was he so at ease? Wasn’t there something...going on? People he was with?

Strange. 

He kicked at a dandelion, sending the seeds to attack the otherwise green grass around the path. 

He breathed in, savoring a subtle sweetness in the air. The golden rays of the sun bounced playfully off leaves above him, and he instinctively stood a little taller as they invited him to join their dance in the wind. He declined the invitation, promising the trees that he would inevitably be flying among their branches before too long. Maybe even tomorrow as he trained in the scouting legion barracks.

But for now, he was heading down this road going somewhere important. He frowned. At least, it had seemed important. The more he tried to focus on it the further it slipped away. He would have more luck gripping a fistful of oil.  

His eyes scanned the trail. He knew this road. He often paused at that tree to... 

And then it was gone. Again.  

He sighed, rounding a bend in the road.  

Maybe he was meeting up with someone. That could be it. He didn’t have a lot of friends, but occasionally he liked to check up on people— 

He froze. 

A cottage stood at the end of his path. There was nothing special about the wood and brick trimming, no fancy architecture to distract. It was practical and stood firm in the clearing. A bounteous garden thrived off the land next to it, and a small ring of smoke rose from the chimney. 

The faint smell of fire roasting in the hearth pulled him out of his daze.

Nestled into a bank of trees like a fairytale, the whole area sent his heart rate spiking. It was perfect and beautiful, clean and proper, and suddenly he remembered why he knew this area.  

Because the house was hers.  

His mother’s. 

Or rather, it was the house she should have had. The house she deserved. It was what he would have given her if she was still alive . 

He grimaced, stomach twisting with another realization. 

I’m dreaming.  

And just like that, the sun felt colder, the air took on a sour quality, like a rotting animal carcass rested nearby, and the breeze hit him like early autumn frost. 

Other than the steady rings of smoke from the chimney, nothing stirred in the clearing. Levi wondered if it was too late or if he had time to sneak away before she noticed him standing there. 

You damn fool...running away from your own mother like a child.   

Stopped by indecision, he remembered the many times this had happened before. It didn’t matter if he dreamed he was in the Scouting Barracks, patrolling outside the walls, or wandering around Stohess. She always found him. She always reminded him of what he had lost. How he had failed her.  

He eyed the door of the cottage, wondering if she would find him if he ran as fast as he could. Maybe she would appear in the farming fields? Tearing roots up from the path? Or would she walk out of the front door in just a moment? 

As if on cue, it swung open, crashing against the wall and stopping his heart. 

And there she was. 

Beauty wasn’t a word that described Kutchel Ackerman. Rather, it was a definition that she set the rules for. She made grace look effortless. Even her small movements were calculated and firm though gentle and kind.  

Ebony black hair flowed over a plain burgundy work dress. The folds of it twirled around her elegant frame, neither complementing or taking away from her beauty. Her soft features, so kind, looked out with expectancy. 

She glided through the doorway like a dancer, poised and proper, but the minute her eyes landed on him she froze. 

“Hey baby,” She smiled. And god, Levi’s knees went jelly.

“...hey mom.” He whispered, all hesitance from before melting away. It didn’t matter. It should have, but he didn’t care. She opened her arms to him, and he stumbled the last few steps towards her before falling completely into her embrace. 

Lavender. Smoke. Cotton.

The smells filled his nostrils as he breathed in her scent. Her thin arms wrapped around him, holding him close, and she pulled his head to rest against hers. 

“It’s been a while.” She whispered. “What took you so long?” Her fingers carded through his hair, the most soothing sensation he’d ever felt. Like the golden rays of the sun, kissing his skin and warming his chest. 

“I—“ He started. What had taken him so long? Thinking back through his memories was like trying to swim through syrup. He pulled at a memory, but it sank deep deep away out of his reach.  

“I can’t remember…” He mumbled.  

Kutchel laughed, pulling away from their embrace. “I’ve never heard that excuse before. If I didn’t know any better I’d say you were trying to avoid me.”  

Yes, he needed to get away from her. She would hurt him. Remind him of the pain. The horrible pain. 

She lightly tapped his nose. “Come on sweetie, let’s get inside and set the table. I’m just finishing with the soup.”

“Soup?” Levi quirked his head as she took him by the hand and pulled him inside.

The ordinary interior of the cottage testified to Kutchel’s cleanliness, a trait that had obviously been passed down to Levi. Every surface was dust free, including the dining table and eating surfaces. Neatly folded blankets rested in a basket next to a couch by the fireplace. Even the wood flooring looked freshly waxed.  

The scent of freshly cooking vegetables filled the room, bouncing around like a cloud. 

It all spoke of systematic order, and Levi’s chest relaxed at the satisfaction of it all.

“Let me grab the dishes.” Kutchel said, leaving him at the table. 

He watched as she glided into the kitchen area, grabbing bowles, utensils, and steaming soup. A few moments later and they sat across from each other, the hot vapor melting into his nose as the smell of hearty vegetables filled his senses.  

“How is it?” Kutchel’s eyes shone.  

Levi dipped a spoon into the thick broth, bringing it to his lips. He savored the taste of potatoes and beans as it fell through his throat.  

“It’s amazing!”

She smiled, taking a few bites herself.  

Even as his guard dropped, a part of him screamed to leave. Surely any moment Kutchel would take a bread knife and stab herself, leaving him to watch in shock as she bled out and blamed him for it. Or maybe she would try choking on soup. Perhaps she would take a length of the rope out front and— 

“You don’t want to be an Ackerman.” Kutchel said abruptly. The statement came out of nowhere, racing by and leaving Levi’s brain behind several seconds.

“What?” He blinked at her.

“You don’t want to be an Ackerman.” She glanced at him, slowly stirring her soup. “Why not?” 

“I—I don’t know what you mean.” He stammered.

“Levi, you know lying won’t get you anywhere. Is that really your answer?” Her eyes twinkled.  

He opened his mouth to speak when—

“Ahhhhh!” Doubling over, he let out a groan as a wave of intense pain hit him forcefully. Acid pooled into his stomach while an avalanche crashed into his skull. It was all tight tight tight too tight, like being crushed in a titans grasp. 

It left him gasping for air.  

When his episode passed, he looked up to see Kutchel looking at him, simply waiting as if still expecting an answer to her question.  

Was she torturing him now instead of herself? How was that possible?

He blinked up at her, clutching his stomach with one hand as the last of the sludge ebbed away.  

“I don’t care about being an Ackerman.” He said, fierce determination ringing in his voice. “It’s just a name—Ahhhhh!”

The fire came back in force, doubling him over again. This time it burned so intensely that Levi wildly thought there must be a hole in his stomach. 

What the hell?!

When the pain faded again, Levi blinked away fogginess to find himself curled up on the floor to the side of his chair. He pushed himself up on shaky arms, checking himself over for injury.  

Nothing.  

He didn’t miss the beat of teasing skepticism in Kutchel’s eyes as he slid himself back upright.  

“Levi…” 

“What?” He barked, fiercer than intended. 

“Don’t you see what’s going on?” 

He didn’t give her the benefit of an answer. She was just a dream. She wasn’t real. She didn’t need him to admit anything.  

Are you really trying to prove yourself to a mental construct of your own mother that you created? 

Now there was a familiar voice in his head. 

Kutchel’s eyebrows twitched ever so slightly, a facial movement Levi recognized as one he made frequently. Disappointment.  

“You’re not fooling anyone here Levi, and I’m trying to help you. Will you let me?”

Levi sucked in a few deep breaths, wondering if the pain would hit him if he opened his mouth again. “Help me with what?” 

No pain. He took it as a good sign. 

“Help you accept who you are.” 

“Accept who I am?” He let out a bitter laugh. “What are my dreams turning into fucking therapy sessions now? First you haunt me every night, and now you want to sit around a damn table and talk about our feelings over dinner?” 

A new silence entered the room, big and fat. It sat itself down at the table, an uninvited third guest, making him painfully aware of its presence.  

“Well?” He directed at his mother. 

She looped a strand of her coal black hair, same as his, through her fingers. Anyone else at the receiving end of Levi’s anger would shrink before him like frost in the sun and try to never run into him again. As she sat there in that stupid chair he wished he could have bought her, in this fucking house, in the beautiful countryside, it only made him more upset that she looked more thoughtful than anything.  

“Levi you know I’m not real.” She said softly, as if he were a child. “But you also know that you’re too stubborn to listen to yourself sometimes. That’s why I’m here. I’m here to tell you that you’re making yourself suffer because you won’t listen to the clues your body was trying to give you.”

“What are you talking about?” He kept his voice low. Low and steady, sucking in more deep breaths. 

She fixed her eyes on him. “You refuse to accept who you are. You’re an Ackerman, and yet you don’t want to be one. Coming back home? To the underground? And denying that it’s a part of who you are?” She laughed. “It’s like you’re trying to swim upstream and not get wet.”

Levi bristled at the comment. “I’m not—I’m not trying to swim anywhere.” He faltered, slumping back into his chair. “I just...I didn’t want...I don’t…” 

He couldn’t formulate the words he was trying to say. His mouth was a boulder, difficult to move and useless.

Memories of the last few days started returning to him. Yes, they had gone Underground. And Historia and Nile. They’d all been working there...then Randor and the bar burned. Damn...he knew going underground wasn’t going to be easy, but could he never catch a break?

“The sooner you can accept the truth, the faster you can heal.” Kutchel encouraged. “Just speak what’s in your heart. I already know what’s there so you don’t have to be afraid.”

Levi nodded mutely, but it wasn’t her he was afraid of.  

“I—“ He tried again. 

But nothing came. 

Levi brought his hands to his face and pushed forward to lean on the table.  

“I can’t be an Ackerman.” He finally whispered, the words floating into the air and hovering. Spoken into the silence, they echoed over and over in his mind. He expected the awful agony to come back, but it never did. 

So he continued.  

“If I’m an Ackerman now, then who have I been all my life? How—how can I lie and say I belong with the Scouts? The line of Ackermans is the line of scum. They’re vermin. I can’t be one and be a Captain. It’s tearing me apart.” 

That was it.  

Since setting foot underground, since leaving his life on the surface, Levi unintentionally dug up unresolved conflicts in himself. Saying it out loud made him realize, with a start, that it had all been affecting him this whole time. 

Just like Kutchel had said moments before.

“Tell me more.” She said, nodding.  

“Ackerman’s run…” He trailed off, turning away. “They run away from their problems. From their family and friends. That’s what you did. That’s what Kenny did.” 

She didn’t say anything so he continued. 

“I don’t run from my problems.” He stated. It was true...wasn’t it? He had faced his fears a thousand times over, the worst of them coming true all too often.  

“I’m not afraid of dying.”

He stopped, not knowing what to say next.  

Silence filled the room. It wasn’t awkward or painful. In fact, Levi felt a strange sense of peace? Yes, he felt oddly comfortable having spilled his heart. Like putting on a tailored jacket, it settled on his skin, sitting just right. 

“When you were a baby,” Kutchel added. “I often wondered who my little boy would grow into. Would you live above ground as a merchant? Would your soft heart love to garden like I did? Would you be like the heroes in the stories I used to tell you.”

He swallowed, fighting back sudden hot tears.

“Think of how proud I was to discover that my sweet precious boy became the greatest hero of them all.” 

A drop hit the table under his cheek.

“...that was before.” He whispered. “Now that I know...it’s my fate to leave it all behind. Isn’t it.” 

“Not at all.”

Wood creaked as she shifted in her chair.  

“Being an Ackerman isn’t a bad thing Levi. You need to understand that. Ackerman’s give their whole hearts to a cause. To life. They devote themselves to something higher than themselves.” 

To devote your heart…  

“You’ve always sworn to protect those who can’t protect themselves. To give strength where others could only give weakness.” 

“What about you?” He asked.

“I swore a loyalty to you.” She said. “I didn’t know who you were at the time, but I knew if there was ever to be someone like you, a child of mine, that I had to give them the chance to live. Unfortunately that meant life underground, at least to start out with. Baby you know my plan was always to get us above ground. To send you to school and to live in a house like this one.” She gestured to the room. “It’s the perfect house; the one you would have given me. It’s the one I wanted to give you.” 

“And Kenny?”  

Her eyes cast downward. “He had his loyalties elsewhere. As much as I wish he could have changed his heart, there were others who needed him more than you did.” 

“I had nothing…” Levi said.  

“And neither did he. I think that was part of why he left. He was afraid of having someone to lose.” 

Well that hadn’t been the answer he was expecting.

And yet… 

It all made sense. Somehow. The fears and questions from before were... fading? 

“I’m an Ackerman.” He said, the name still tasting a little foreign on his tongue. “I’m Levi Ackerman.” 

Kutchel smiled. “Yes, you’re my perfect son. A defender of humanity, a hero. And an Ackerman.”

“What does that mean...I mean, moving forward. What do I do?”

She thought for a minute tapping her finger against the table.  

“I think a lot of that depends on what you want to do.” She hummed. “I can’t be here to guide you through everything, but you don’t need me to. You have a lot coming in your future, and if being a protector of humanity is what you want to be then there’s no force that can stop you, even knowing your history. The only thing strong enough to stop you is yourself, and I think the last few weeks have proven that point.” 

He grunted in agreement.

“But also realize that it’s okay to make mistakes.” She continued. “You’re a good person Levi, and you haven’t given yourself enough credit for all the good things you’ve done.” 

“I don’t feel like they matter.” He mumbled. 

“Of course they do! Levi do you realize without you, hundreds of people would be dead? That thousands more would live in greater fear of titans? Without you, ODM gear techniques wouldn’t have been discovered. The Scouting Legion would be in ruins, and children would have no heroes to look up to.” 

He looked at her, the sunset lighting her hair with yellow light. 

“And,” She placed her hands on the table reaching across for his. He took them, relishing in her touch. “That’s not even starting on the impact you’ve had for your friends and comrades. They need you Levi. You’re their river, guiding and constant. You drive them towards their goals. Think about Hanji or Erwin, or all the soldiers you’ve led. Even the young queen and Nile. They need you.” 

Like the last rays of the sun, Levi felt the turmoil in him evaporating. With each word out of his mother’s mouth the pit in his stomach was filled. Even that nagging voice in his head, the one that had been constant since stepping foot underground was completely silent. 

It was pleasant, if a little off putting.

He felt as if he could sink into the chair and disappear forever, weightless among the coming night. He would like that, to feel as free as the clouds, nothing to hold him down. 

He looked into his mother’s cool grey eyes, a reflection of his own. 

And smiled.  

“Thank you.” He said.  

She smiled back, standing and pulling him up as well. She stepped to the side of the table and pulled him fully into her arms.  

“I love you.” She whispered to him. 

Levi said nothing as a silent tear slipped down his cheek.  

________________________

Historia started, a loud noise shaking her awake. She pushed a lock of hair from her eyes as she glanced around the room for the source of the noise. And then…  

Her eyes widened and she instinctively elbowed Nile who was dozing lightly to the side. 

“Hey, hey! Nile!” She shoved the other man awake. “I think Levi is waking up!”

“What?”  

She scrambled over to the Captain and pressed her hand against his skin as his eyelashes fluttered.   

“His fever is gone!”

Chapter Text

Historia Riess

Historia swore she would never take socks for granted again. 

As she and Nile shuffled down the hallway of the Military Police outpost, she glanced down at her sore feet, the sound of her footsteps muffled by her gray socks. Nile, who was also wearing socks on his feet, walked next to her dragging an unconscious guard towards the armory. 

“You know, for MP’s, they sure weren’t very good at uh…policing?” She remarked. 

“You know, for a queen, you aren’t very good with words.” He retorted. 

She let out a soft laugh, despite her unease.

She and Nile had cleared the first two floors of the Military Police outpost with relative ease. Nile knew the patrol routes, said he had come up with them ten years ago and they never bothered changing them. It had made it easy for the two of them to sneak up on each group of one or two guards and take them by surprise. 

She glanced at the ceiling, knowing Burns was still up there somewhere. He would have more guards with him. Probably more guns too. 

She almost rolled her eyes. 

When have things ever been easy for me?

They turned a corner and arrived at their temporary base of operations: the armory of the outpost. 

Nile dropped the guard with a huff and knocked lightly on the door. Two distinct raps. 

“It’s just me idiots.” Came an annoyed reply from inside. 

Historia grinned and pushed open the door. 

“Took you two long enough.” Levi drawled as they walked in. He sat with his arms crossed, his feet resting on a table. He looked far too bored than someone infiltrating a military outpost had any right to be. 

“Well,” Nile grunted, dragging the unconscious guard inside. “We can’t all scratch our lazy asses all day. Some of us actually have to get our hands dirty and work.”

Historia shut the door behind them with barely a click, not that any guards would hear them. They were all too busy being unconscious in the back closet of the weaponry she and Nile just stepped into. 

“I despise getting my hands dirty.” Levi flicked an unimpressed eyebrow at them, and Historia hid a smirk from her face. It was good to see the Captain back to his usual grumpy demeanor, even if that meant a few insults here and there. 

“We’ve got good news and bad news.” Nile said, ignoring Levi’s comment as he shoved the guard into the side room with the rest of them and shut the door. 

“I’m on the edge of my seat.” 

The Commander glanced at him before sighing and slumping down into a chair at the table. 

“The guards are taken care of,” He gestured to the closed door, “But the kids were nowhere to be found. We searched as much as we dared.”

Levi’s eyes met hers for the briefest of moments as if checking to make sure Nile wasn’t messing with him. She pressed her lips together in a frown.

“Did he move them?” Levi asked. 

“Probably not.” 

Historia shifted. “We think he’s keeping them close…possibly to use as bait.” She bit her tongue at the thought. 

Using children as a lure for us. For me. 

Levi nodded slowly. 

“Are we ready for phase two then?” He asked. 

“I don’t think we have a choice.” 

The three glanced around, tension in the air. The slow creaks in the old wood of the base made the hairs on her neck stand up. They had come so far, but there was still an impeding obstacle keeping them from returning to the surface. 

Damion Burns. Captain of the Mitris District and traitor to the throne. 

Part of her wanted to stay here. Why bother Burns? They would be safe underground. They could find a place to coop up for a while until it was safe to sneak up again. 

A better part of her knew she couldn’t do that. Did her life mean more than so many others? How many had already died to see her live, and how many more would have to? Did those two kids have to suffer the same fate because she didn’t want to face her fears?

“How’s the leg?” Nile nodded at Levi.

“It’s functional.” 

“Are you going to be able to do your part of the plan?”

“I’ll be fine.” He replied, rubbing his leg. Historia didn’t miss the wince he tried to hide. From the look Nile shot her, he didn’t miss it either. 

Levi sighed, lifting his leg from the table with both hands, wincing again as he did. “I’m just ready to get out of this hell hole. But since you two took so long with the guards, I managed to find a set of reliable ODM gear. I’ll be ready as soon as you need me.”

“Excellent.” Nile clapped his hands. “Then all that’s left to do is royally piss off Burns—”

“—More than we already have.” Historia noted with a wince of her own. 

“Naturally. Then it’s a simple game of wit and charm and–boom! We’re home on the surface before supper.”

She smiled. “I can almost smell the bread cooking in the oven already.”

“That’s the spirit.” He winked. “Now get your shoes on. We have a military captain to catch.”

________________________

Levi Ackerman

Levi listened as the receding footsteps of Historia and Nile faded from earshot. This part of the plan depended on him being not around them so he planned on staying put. Well, he planned on resting for at least another two minutes before dragging himself through personally designed hell that was standing and walking. 

He gave his leg an especially disappointed frown as he contemplated standing up. It sent him a snarky flare of pain in response. He glared at it.

So dramatic.

But it was time to move. 

He lifted said leg off the ground experimentally, grimacing only slightly at the sharp twinges of pain that flared up it. It really was feeling better since Nile and Historia had cauterized it...as unpleasant as that had been. And he could walk on it. It just hurt like a bitch.

Which was why he was grateful for the familiar straps and belts of the ODM gear that currently clung to his body. It was a far cry from armor, but to Levi it was a pocket of safety, a bubble in which he was invincible. 

Even with a healing wound.

He stood up slowly, easing the weight onto his injured leg. 

It stood firm. 

Satisfied, Levi hobbled towards the door to the armory. 

His leg started filling with heat, but nothing unbearable, and so he pushed through to the hallway. 

Down the empty corridors he limped, pausing occasionally at distant sounds from floors below.

But he pressed on. 

He had a military captain to kill.

As he turned a corner, none too carefully, he cursed as a person appeared. The scrape of a knife and a flicker of motion, and Levi unfortunately found himself at the point of the weapon. A weapon held by a very pissed off person with dirty blonde hair. 

The frown and anger looked wrong on the normally jovial face, but it quickly changed into a look of shock. 

“Levi?”

It was Patrik. 

________________________

Historia Reiss 

“So…are we just going to…wait…here…until he shows up?” Historia asked, shifting her weight in the empty doorway. 

“That was the idea.” Nile admitted sheepishly. “Unless you want to wander the halls some more and risk being shot.”

Images of Zane dying before her eyes and the Military Police thugs shooting Levi point blank ran through her mind. No thanks. She’d rather not meet any end of a gun. Ever. 

“I just think it’s a little obvious if we’re just standing in the entrance to the outpost without any apparent weapons.” She said, fingering the hidden knife sheathed under her shirt. 

Her voice echoed ever so slightly in the empty room and down the wooden hallways. The outpost was nothing ornate. She was pretty sure the stables of some outposts above the surface were nicer than here. The dim lighting of the underground was constant here, even in the presence of the enforcement of the world above. It spelled it’s same sentence here as it did everywhere, dark corners, years of dust in the unseen cracks, and that foreboding sense of doom. 

Lovely place.

“Should we make some noise?” She wondered. 

Nile thought for a beat. Then, he walked over to a nearby table holding some curled, yellow papers. He hunched down to grab it and then abruptly threw it on it’s side. Papers spilled everywhere as the table made a resounding—CRASH—onto the floor. 

Historia didn’t even flinch as the sound resonated through the empty rooms beyond. 

Nile gave her a smirk. “Think they heard that?”

“I think Armin probably heard that.” She rolled her eyes. 

Chills ghosted over her arms. It would never be warm here. 

They waited. 

This was a stupid plan she thought. What was to stop anyone from shooting them on sight? 

Or maybe it was genius. Only time would tell. 

That's what she was afraid of. The test of time.

After a few moments, footsteps sounded from far away. They stomped away, getting closer and closer with every second. 

Historia swallowed, her throat papery all of a sudden. 

The footsteps drew closer. And closer. Down some stairs. Across rooms they had cleared of guards. Up to the room next door. 

Now she heard angry huffs. The clanging of metal. Curses muttered under stinky breath. 

She unintentionally stepped closer to Nile. 

“Here we go.” He muttered as the first guards entered the room and spotted them. 

________________________

Levi Ackerman 

Levi glared at Patrik. 

Patrik gaped back. 

“What the hell are you doing here?” Levi cursed. “You need to leave.”

The other man shook his head, clearing the confused look. A small smile appeared on his lips.

“Captain Levi, I certainly didn’t expect to find you here. Unless, don’t tell me, they just hired you as a new officer for this fine outpost?”

“How did you get in here?” Levi snapped. 

Patrik spread his hands in front of him. “I followed the cart that took you and the kids here. I’ve been camped out across the street outside waiting for an opportunity to break in. Then to my surprise I saw Historia and some other fellow sneaking around and wouldn’t you know it, they took out all the guards. Made it a whole lot easier to get in.”

Levi fixed him with a blank stare. 

“Didn’t see you though. Hence the surprise a moment ago.” He brushed a lock of blonde hair from his eyes. “Sorry about that, by the way.”

“This isn’t a time for joking.” 

“I didn’t say I was.” 

Levi sucked in a frustrated breath. Leave it to him to always stumble upon the most annoying people. He should have guessed there would be some unforeseen person coming in and messing their plan up. Didn’t that always happen to him?

“We don’t want your help.” He said, turning and limping down the hallway. “Just stay out of our way and we’ll get the kids back to you.”

Levi didn’t look back as he made his way down the hallway. 

In the distance, a CRASH echoed up from the entrance of the building. 

Nile and Historia. 

The plan was in motion. Even more reason for him to leave Patrik behind. He didn’t need anything getting in the way right now. He needed to focus, he needed—

“Can I just ask—”

“Shit!” Levi hissed at Patriik’s sudden appearance in front of him. The man had literally materialized, and Levi glanced back to make sure this wasn’t another person.

Patrik looked at him funny. 

“Ahem,” He cleared his throat. “As I was saying, can I just ask what exactly your plan is?”

Patrik’s eyes held kindness, hardened by a line of determination. This man wasn’t going to just let Levi go without him. Annoying shit. 

“Those kids might not be my flesh and blood but I’m responsible for them.” He reasoned. “And if you’re going after them, it only makes sense for me to help.”

“You’ve done enough.” Levi paused before continuing. “We’re very thankful for everything you’ve done. We couldn’t have made it without you, but you can’t get hurt because of us.”

Patrik raised an eyebrow at him.

“Good point. I would hate for someone to get hurt. Especially if they got shot. Nasty business that is, getting a bullet out. How’s your leg doing by the way?”

Levi glared at him. 

“You know glaring isn’t a form of communication.”

“It is if it makes you shut up.” 

Patrik rolled his eyes. 

“Who would have guessed that you were such an ass?” He muttered. “Look, I’m not going to get in your way, but I assume you have some kind of plan? Please tell me you have a plan. Unless you were thinking about limping and glaring your way through here?”

“We have a plan.” Levi sighed. “I’ll explain it.”

Patrik smiled. 

“I think you and I are going to make a great team.”

“That makes one of us.” 

________________________

Historia Reiss 

Historia yelped as two hands shoved her unceremoniously into the mess hall. Tables stacked themselves haphazardly against the walls while old broken chairs lay toppled around them as if someone had run an entire horseback regiment through the room.  

Nile was pushed in after her. She quickly scanned the room and spotted Naomi and Amos, backed into a corner and tied together. She breathed a sigh of relief, but her blood boiled as one of the guards noticed her staring and raised his gun at them. 

Just wait until that gun is pointed at your face instead.

One table in good repair sat near the side of the room. A single occupant brooded there with his arms crossed. His normally neat military uniform was wrinkled and covered in dust. His ODM gear clung to him like a ratty flag after a windstorm. He had the shadow of facial hair and a look of seething disgust sitting flatly upon his usually charming features. 

Yes, Damion Burns scowled with hatred as she walked in. And, she thought, if looks could kill, this one would have personally escorted her to the foot of a titan, skewered her with a thunder spear and watched as she was devoured whole.

At least if that were to happen, she could spend her last moments above the surface. 

The guards herded them towards Burns until they stood barely two meters from him. For what stretched into an eternity, they all stood there, Burns glaring daggers at them while Historia’s heels grew achy from lack of movement. 

Burns’ jaw twitched in slow motion as he contemplated them. Historia swore she saw herself blink in the reflection of his eyes. 

At long last, he shifted, leaned forward on one arm, then spoke. 

“I am truly sorry you had to get dragged into this, Nile.” Burns said, turning to the commander.

Nile gaped at him before spitting. “The hell you are!” He glared. 

Burns flinched, but didn’t change his expression. “You weren’t supposed to know about any of this.”

Nile raised an incredulous eyebrow. 

“You were planning on covering up the biggest murder in history and not getting caught? Do you hear yourself man?”

“You could have helped me. You know none of this is right.” He gestured to Historia. “She should never have taken the throne.”

“That’s besides the point! Look at this! Look at all the lies you’ve hid, the people you’ve killed. Do you think this is any more right?” Nile reasoned, straining against his restraints. 

Burns shook his head, not letting a word of Nile’s phase him. “We could have served side by side for a long time. I will regret this day for the rest of my life.”

“I’d prefer to be forgotten by a traitorous murderer like you.”

Burns actually looked sorrowful as he turned back to Historia. 

“As for you child, I will relish in your fall.”

She blinked against the pure red wave of hatred that slammed into her. She could plainly see it now, she wasn’t an obstacle to Burns. She represented everything he detested about the world.

And now she stood helpless before him. 

“You should have never inherited the crown.” He pushed his chair back from the table. “There were dozens of men more well suited for the role of king than an insect like yourself.”

“I didn’t even want it.” She spat, feeling brave. “Who in their right mind would? What kind of power can anyone wield in a world that could be destroyed overnight?”

“The power to save lives!” Burns said, slamming a fist into the table. “The power to send your enemies away. To protect your family! To save them—“

He choked back a sudden sob, the tension in his fist melting away. Despite the circumstances, Historia felt…awkward as Burns let a few stray tears trace down his cheek and land in his lap. 

“No more.” He whispered. “I won’t play a soldier anymore. I’m sick and tired of the lies and the games. No more pawns.” He looked up, and the look in his eyes scared Historia more than when he was blindingly angry. 

“And that is why you have to die. All of you.”

“Damion,” Nile cut in. “What are you talking about? All the lying—? What games? We’re—I’m so confused. No one has to die!”

“THEN WHY DID SHE HAVE TO?” Burns roared, leaning forward in his chair. The anger returned in vengeance, bringing with it hot tears. “WHY DID MY MOTHER HAVE TO?”

He paused, wiping his face with a dirty sleeve. The other guards stood firm in their positions, glancing at each other as if they were as uncomfortable as Historia and Nile and the kids.

“I—who? Did—what happened to your mother?” Nile asked softly. 

This is good. Keep stalling Nile. Keep him going. 

Burns turned red-rimmed eyes towards Nile. They glistened as he sniffed and straightened up in his chair.

“She died.” He whispered. “She died in prison.” He let out a harsh laugh that turned into another choked sob. “She d-didn’t even last a day. They tore her apart. All of them did. The other inmates. Dad almost killed himself when he found out...of course, they didn’t let him.” His eyes shifted to Historia, pure venom leaking from them. “They didn’t let him because you had him locked up too.”

Historia’s stomach lurched. 

“What?” She gasped.

The dark circles under his eyes hung heavy as he scowled at her. “You had almost every noble locked up for...what were the charges again? Treason? Backstabbing? Withholding information from the public? You slapped every charge you could think of on them and sent them hauling like a pack of dogs!”

“They died because of you. All of them, my mother, my friends, my family. Dad is the only one I have left and god—you even killed Zane—“

He trembled in his fury, like a tree before a windstorm, shaking to the core. The legs of the chair were his roots, the only thing keeping him from toppling.

“Zane was trying to kill us.” Nile said. “We barely made it away with our own lives.”

“And am I supposed to pity you?” Burns spat. “Should I feel bad that you murdered my cousin?”

Nile swallowed, twisting his arms in their restraints. “No. You have every right to hate us...to hate me. This has all been my fault. You can take your anger out on me. Levi and I—“

Burns' eyes snapped up like a wild animal. He bared his teeth, tears vanishing in an instant. 

“Where is Levi?” He screeched at his guards. “Where is that DEVIL?”

“Sir—” One shot up. “There was no sign of him sir. Just these two.”

Burns met her eyes. 

She gulped. 

He moved his face towards her so they were centimeters apart. His odor stunk up to her nose and she tried not to breathe. 

“Where. Is. Levi?” He hissed. 

She stared into his eyes, not daring to blink, let alone answer. 

“He’s dead.” 

Burns moved away from her. “What?”

“He’s dead.” Nile repeated. “His injuries were too severe.”

For a moment, there was silence. 

The wild, wide-eyed expression on Burns’ face held tense, and then slowly relaxed into a smirk of relief.

“About damn time.” He said, slumping back into his chair as if exhausted. “It’s about damn time he paid for his sins.” He started laughing. It wasn’t a joyful or relieved laugh, and it reminded Historia of injured soldiers she’d seen, the ones who started to go crazy when their pain became too much. 

But it looked like he was too far gone to notice their lie. 

“Well pardon my rudeness, but Historia and Nile it’s time for you to join him. Guards?” Burns motioned for two of his men. They stalked over to the small group and pulled Historia and Nile towards the wall. 

“Damion you know this is wrong!” Nile barked as he stumbled when the guards pushed him. “Think about everyone this will affect! If the queen dies what happens to the military? What happens when the armored or colossal titans come back, and we know they could appear anytime!”

“Those are hardly my concerns.”

“HOW CAN YOU SAY THAT?” Spit flew from Nile’s mouth as he shouted.

Regaining her stance, Historia wiped her tears to find Naomi and Amos being dragged to join them against the wall. She tried to look reassuring as they rushed to grasp at her, sobbing and hanging on tight. 

“What’s going on?” Naomi cried, burying her face into Historia’s hip. 

“It’s okay.” She whispered, trying to hug the kids in close with her bound hands.

“People will decide their own fates.” Burns said. The expression on his face was hollow, as if he felt no emotion at all. “The smart ones will live and the foolish ones will die. It’s always been that way, Nile.”

“What about the defenseless ones?” Nile reasoned. “What about the mothers? What about my family? You would leave them at the mercy of titans?”

Burns’ face darkened. “If that’s what fate decides for them because of their choices then yes.”

“Do you even hear yourself? What happened to you Damion? You were my friend!”

“And I thought you were mine too. You’ve clearly shown where your loyalties lie, and that’s not with me.”

Burns stood from his chair, sighing as if he was carrying the weight of the crown himself. 

“I thought we could have an intelligent conversation before I killed you. Or—“ He grimaced. “—part of me thought I might be able to talk you into joining me...I see now how naive that was.”

He pulled a box on the desk towards him. It was beautiful and ornate, and when he opened it up, Historia saw the black glint of a gun barrel. 

“But I’ve had enough. I’m ready to finish this.”

He loaded the chamber of the gun with nine bullets, looking at each as if saying farewell to a friend.

Then he pointed the gun, aiming directly at Historia’s heart from across the room. 

“Ladies first?”

Chapter Text

Historia Riess

“Excuse me—” a voice cut through the black. 

Historia cracked open her eyes to see the same dim light reflecting off rotting wood as before. Not exactly what she thought the afterlife would look like 

Wait. 

Burns never fired…

“Oh god…this is awkward.” The voice continued from over in the entryway. “Nice gun. I don’t fancy that you’re pointing it at my friend, but you don’t seem like the most savory fellow anyways.” 

I know that voice!

Sure enough, Patrik grinned like a drunk caught in the middle of a street fight as he waltzed into the room.

Burns gaped at him. 

“Though, I can’t help but notice—” Patrik continued. “—that along with my missing friends, you seem to have found my missing children as well. Maybe you’re more of a man than I thought.”

Naomi and Amos saw him then and began to cry out for help.

Burns cocked his head as though Patrik were a giant talking chicken instead of a man on a rescue mission. Historia hid a grin. 

Just wait!

“Who—“ Burns opened and closed his mouth several times as if trying and failing to form a coherent thought. His arm quivered in place, shaking the barrel of the gun still aimed at her heart.

“Who the hell are you?” He sounded more surprised than angry. He turned to the guards. “Who is he?”

They shrugged, looking equally surprised.

Patrik pointed a finger at himself. “I’m Patrik, and you kidnapped my kids. I can’t blame you for that, they’re a good looking lot.” He winked at the kids. “But you’ve messed up my plans which has royally pissed me off.” 

Burns gaped at him again. His eyes flitted to Nile who held his gaze without wavering.

Then, as he shook, he dared a glance at Historia. And she held nothing but burning fire in her eyes.

“You won’t win this.” Her voice was calm. Even. 

Something changed in Burns. For the first time since she knew he was behind everything, since she and Levi had run for their lives, since this whole mission had begun, Historia saw a flicker of fear in the Military Police captain’s eyes. 

She smiled. 

And then all hell broke loose.

CRASH

The windows above them exploded in a cloud of dust and crystal. Glass flew around Historia like daggers. She cowered, shielding Amos. The guards screamed. Burns howled at them, backing away. His footsteps were unsteady, scared. 

Historia sensed more than saw the shadow flicker overhead, then, a soft thud and the scrape of a blade kissed the air.

Levi!

He landed in front of the small group in a crouch, one leg out and ODM gear gleaming. With his body tensed for action, and a blade to the side, no one noticed the lingering tremble in his leg. No one except Historia.

But it didn’t matter. 

Levi had come to kill Burns. 

She grinned. 

Burns gasped at Levi, his expression a frozen mix of anger and fear. He grasped at the arm of an equally stunned guard.

“SHOOT THEM!” He screamed. “SHOOT THEM NOW!”

In a blink, Levi dove a hand into a small pack and drew out a dull black sphere. He threw it at the ground and dove at the men.

Gray smoke erupted from the sphere while gunshots rang out in erratic patterns. In seconds, Levi became hidden in the smoke cloud which was growing rapidly by the second/ 

Historia ducked again, pushing the two crying children down. The smoke cloud swallowed them and Historia a second later. 

“It’s okay!” She insisted. “We’re going to be okay!”

“Historia?” Nile called among the chaos. 

The gray cloud plumed in the air, expanding through the room. It pushed against every board like it was trying to escape. Men screamed everywhere.

“I’m here!” She called. 

“Naomi? Amos? Historia?” That voice was Patrik.

“Here!” She called out again.

This was madness. She yelped as a gunshot whizzed past her side. Why was this their plan? 

Oh right. Because they were desperate. 

“Nile!” She demanded towards the sound of his voice, pulling the sobbing children close. “We need to get them out of here!” 

He appeared, finally, as a disembodied hand waving through the smoke. His face followed a moment later, coughing. 

“Where are they?” He asked, eyes squinting.

Historia pushed the still crying children into Nile. Naomi stumbled.

“Where’s Patrik?” Her tiny voice pleaded. “I want to go home.”

Historia frowned, smoke itching her throat.

“He’s here. He just—“

“Naomi? Amos?” Patrik appeared out of the smoke, eyes scanning around frantically. “Where—god, there you are!” 

The three embraced in the smoke, gunfire and screams echoing around them. Patrik’s fist clenched tight around them, nearly pushing the air right out of them. Not exactly the time for a reunion, but Historia couldn’t stop it.

“Right.” Nile said. “Can we go now? We don’t have the luxury of waiting around anymore.” 

Despite how rapidly it filled the room, the smoke was thin in some pockets as the air flowed around them. Too much longer and it would escape completely.

But the screams suddenly. So did the gunshots. Levi must have done his job well. Terrifyingly well.

Historia stood and pushed into the smoke, waving it out of her way.

“Levi?” 

She heard someone ahead of her. A man. He was breathing heavily. Probably tired. Probably Levi. She moved closer. 

A few steps. 

Closer to the breathing and–

The breaths stopped. 

CLICK

A blur of black hair, dirty clothes, and metal barreled into her as—

BOOM

A gunshot fired past, streaking the air she had just been standing in.

She and the force hit the ground. Hard. She gasped coughing. 

“Levi?” She groaned. “What the hell—”

“Burns is getting away!” Levi spat, identified himself with his dark tone as he cursed above her. 

Indeed, amid the jolt of pain from hitting the floor, Historia heard a pair of heavy footsteps breaking into a run. Levi tore after them, engaging his ODM gear as he went. 

In a moment, both were gone.

Historia sat up, shaking off a daze.

The smoke was all but gone now leaving the room in shock aftermath of Captain Levi’s destructive power. Men lay scattered like toys across the floor. Some bled out in silence while others moaned. Their weapons, so deadly and threatening before, sat a few meters from each of them. Useless objects on the ground.

None were Damion Burns.

“Where did they go?” Nile’s voice sounded from behind. He walked up beside her and helped her up. 

Historia scanned the room with bated breath. Her eyes caught on one of the guns and froze. 

A terrible idea coursed through her. 

“Nile, make sure Patrik and the kids get out safely.” She said, not taking her eyes off the gun. She took off towards it, not waiting for Nile to form a retort.

She scooped up the pistol, barely pausing to grab it, before darting out the hall and towards the courtyard outside. 

“Historia! Wait—“ Nile’s voice cut off as she rounded a corner, pistol in hand. 

What are you doing? The rational side of her brain screamed at her. You’ll get yourself killed!  

But she didn’t care. 

For once, this isn’t about me. 

It was about stopping Burns. It was about the children behind her. It was about Nile and his family, or Levi and the scouts. It was about her kingdom.

And nothing was going to stand in her way this time.

________________________

Levi Ackerman 

Burns soared ahead of Levi, grappling onto the low hanging stalagmites from the cavern ceiling. His movements were the opposite of Levi’s own, frantic, desperate. Levi watched him like a hawk, waiting for an opportunity to strike.

Of course, he didn’t have long-range weapons of any sort. Aside from flinging a sword blade at Burns, which had a low chance of hitting him, there was only one option that would realistically stop the man.

Burns shot a hook at another rock pillar, but this one didn’t stick. He faltered in the air for a split second before shooting another hook and connecting to the roof of the stairs entryway. 

Levi sucked in a breath, ignoring the aches spreading around his body like a spiderweb.

Now was his chance. 

Unfortunately, it also meant it was time to sacrifice his gear. 

So be it.

With a grunt of exertion, Levi twisted his body in a mighty launch of his hooks. They shot outward with more speed than a diving bird, tearing the air like daggers. 

True to his aim, the hooks latched onto Burns’ own ODM cables. The man tried to shake them off, but Levi yanked on his gear for all he was worth. This had to work!

For a moment, they continued soaring over the yard. 

Then, with a lurch, Levi retracted his cord, pulling him into a direct crash course with Burns as they both began to fall downwards. 

He slammed into the man with the force of a boulder, digging his elbow into the man’s back. They plummeted. 

Levi’s knuckles turned white from his grip on the man’s collar, keeping him pinned under him.

CRASH

Dust clouded in his vision as pieces of ODM gear crushed and went flying. His blades were ripped from his hands. He choked, all sensation lost in the impact. His sight was a blur of brown and gray, nothing registering past his eyes.

Throbbing pain ebbed from his leg and chest. PAIN. PAIN. Oh god, it hurt!

He rolled to his stomach and vomited, pinching his eyes closed against the horror.

Not his best landing by far, but a spectacular one nonetheless.

Too bad Nile and Historia hadn’t been here to see it.

SLAM

A force crashed into Levi’s side, sending him sprawling across the dirt and rocks, pieces of it digging into his ribs like spikes. He had probably broken a few, not that he could do anything about it.

He groaned, trying frantically to clear his sight. Black weaved through his vision like the back of a tapestry, flashes of color and confusion surrounded by a sea of dark.

A distinct click sounded to his right. The reloading of a gun. 

He tried to stay as still as possible before abruptly flinging himself away from the sound right as—

BANG

A gunshot ripped through the air, deafening to his tired self. 

His vision cleared enough now to see the shape of a person, tall and imposing, looming near him, gun pointed directly at him.

Burns.

The rogue captain growled as he took aim at Levi again. The cock of the trigger was all it took for adrenaline to spike in Levi and to push himself up.

Without thinking, he sprang at Burns, knocking the man to the ground as another bullet roared through the air past his ear. The two went crashing down, a tangle of limbs, and for the second time in less than ten minutes, Levi desperately clawed at the man to keep him under him. If he lost the upper hand and Burns made it up the stairs it would be over. All of the effort it had taken to put Historia on the throne would be for nothing. All the lives lost in the process, Hanji’s squad, Mike and his squad, Levi’s own squad and countless others before them, would have been lost for nothing. Humanity would never move forward. 

So Levi fought harder. For them. 

But Burns wasn’t taking defeat easily.

He screamed at Levi, pushing and grabbing at him. Actual spit flew from his mouth, some hitting Levi in the face. Disgusting. 

Burns pried one of his hands free, moving quickly. Levi shifted, trying to keep the man pinned. He dodged a swiping punch, and another, moving fast. But he was losing his grip on the man. And Burns could feel it too.

With a mighty roar, Burns swept his legs out from under them, pushing upwards. Levi pushed back, gritting his teeth. If only he had his full strength! Burns would never win an even match against him.

But right now?

Levi didn’t know and that scared him.

But you’re an Ackerman. A voice soothed. Being strong isn’t your only strength.

In this fight for the upper hand, Levi was a boulder, but Burns was a river, constantly pushing until Levi gave in. 

Which he was starting to do.

His arms were straining, trying to keep the larger man down on the ground, but he could feel his strength running out. He couldn’t keep this up for much longer.

Trust them. Your friends can help.

Burns used his free hand to grab at Levi’s injured leg, gaining another purchase hold on him.

No wait, Levi realized too late. It was so—

Burns dug a clawed finger into Levi’s bullet wound. Pain split his vision with fiery red. He screamed in agony as he went limp, crumpling off of the man like a rag doll. 

“Give up Levi!” Burns spat. “You belong here, you’ll die here. Ackermans were never meant to live above the ground!”

No!

“...you’re—wrong.” He grit out. 

Every vein in his body flowed with fire instead of blood. Was it possible, he thought, to feel every inch of your body melting into pain like this?

Even as the words flashed through his mind his sense of his surroundings began to fade. He was losing consciousness.

“Ackermans have always been trusted—” He spat, trying to hold on, to keep fighting.

But all he saw was black.

________________________

Historia Riess

The sight in the courtyard was not surprising, but it still horrified her.

“No!” She screamed, faltering in her run. 

Under the close stalagmites of the cavern, Burns glanced up, too far away for her to make out the expression on his face as he stalked towards an unconscious figure.

Levi!  

Tragically close to the entrance of the stairs that would take him back above ground, Levi lay among shattered pieces of ODM gear. She could only imagine what had taken place in the few moments between them leaving the room in the outpost and getting here. The few moments she had teared through the building like a wildfire. 

Her heart thudded in her chest. Levi couldn’t die today. No one could. Not today.

Her feet found their purchase as she broke back into a desperate run towards the two men.

________________________

Levi Ackerman

Levi couldn’t move. Couldn’t breathe.

He groaned, trying to open his eyes. It was like pushing aside concrete barriers.

He heard footsteps. Burns! 

But they were...walking?

Towards him, he noted as the sounds grew louder.

He finally cracked his eyes open, screaming protests from his aching body. 

And as soon as he saw what was above him he wished he hadn’t come to at all.

Burns loomed over him once again, gun directed at his skull between his eyes. 

The gun clicked, a whisper that thundered in his ears against the hurricane of sound echoing around them.

The next moment seemed to stretch on forever. Frozen. Slow.

He couldn’t see anything except for the gleaming black barrel of the gun. 

He prayed to whatever cruel force running the universe for mercy on Historia, Nile, and the children they had rescued. They didn’t deserve to die here. He had done his best to protect them.

To protect all of them.

His eyes slipped shut.

Their faces. Every single one. Each flashed in his mind, his mother, Kenny, faces from his childhood underground, Furlan, Isobel, Mike, and countless other scouting comrades. 

...being strong isn’t a bad thing. Being the only one left means you carry a piece of them with you. They become a part of you…

Now, he thought, he could return to them.

He’d made his peace. 

Levi Ackerman would die a happy man.

BANG

________________________

Historia Riess

Historia watched Burns’ gun fly out of his hand, careening towards the cavern ceiling like a saucer. 

I hit it!

A breathless gasp escaped her throat as her heart started to beat again. 

Burns howled with rage, watching his gun hit the ground and slide out of reach. He snarled and pounced on an unsuspecting Levi, bringing his hands to a chokehold around the captain's neck.

“I WILL END YOU!” The enraged man screamed. 

Historia scrambled to aim the pistol again, no longer worried about setting off a gun by missing the shot.

BANG

BANG

Two rounds unloaded themselves into Burns’ shoulder, dropping the man like a sack of bricks.

He fell to the floor screaming and clutching his wounds next to Levi who gasped, trying to catch his breath, eyes bugged out.

She dashed over to them, keeping her pistol up.

Burns’ eyes flashed to her, a furnace of hate. He pushed himself up, screaming in pain. Torturing himself. She saw the desperation in his movements. He had no options left.

“GET BACK!” He bellowed, raising his fist menacingly over Levi. 

She immediately raised the pistol, pointing it back to Burns. “I wouldn’t do that if I were you.” She muttered.

Another click sounded to her right. A glance to the side showed Nile, blood trailing from an unseen cut on his face, pointing another weapon at Burns. “It’s over, old friend. Give up.”

Burns eyes shot between the two of them, like a pair of birds, trying to escape a cage. His fist lowered, slowly. It was like watching ice melt as the fury slid from his eyes and he realized it was over. 

No guards flooded out the outpost. The doors to the stairs remained firmly locked. Zain Randor’s body lay somewhere, decaying.

There would be no reinforcements for Damion Burns. He had reached his end, and he knew it.

The pistol grew weighty in Historia’s tight grasp as she watched the rogue captain fall back onto his butt. He let out a shaking laugh, in disbelief she guessed. His laughs continued, less steady than a hundred year old rope bridge. His whole body shook until he caught himself from falling forward on one hand, his other shoulder bleeding from the bullets.

drip

The soft plink of the tear was almost unnoticed by her as she lowered her gun, Nile doing the same beside her. But fall it did, and then a stream of tears followed from Burns’ face. 

He was crying. 

His soft sobs tore at her heart. Even now, after knowing everything he’d done, against her, against her friends, even against humanity, she felt…bad for him. 

All that was left for the pathetic man before her was a life in prison, a disappointment and a failure to his family.

Nile approached Burns, looking his pistol over as he glanced between the two. “I ought to just end it now. Save more people from this endless war of hate.” He spat out bitterly.

“No.” She commanded.

He looked at her funny, as if she had just turned purple and grown horns out of her head. “And why the hell should I not shoot this two timing bastard who tried to kill us a dozen times in the last week?”

She swallowed.

“Because.” She started out, glancing back at Burns' cowering form again. “He will be brought to the surface where he will face the consequences of his crimes. He will be an example to others who still oppose us.”

Nile looked so confused it was comical. “You’re...sure...about this, your highness?”

“Absolutely.” She nodded. She had never been more sure about anything in her life.

He sighed. “As you wish.” 

Pulling out a length of rope, Nile stepped over Levi and grabbed Burns’ arms. A moment later, he securely tightened them against the man’s back. 

Historia let out a sigh of her own. Finally, they were safe. Finally they could leave this hell hole. Finally they—

“...could I get…a little…help…here” A weak whisper sounded from the ground. “-cough–cough– please..? ”

Oops.

“Sorry!” She yelped, rushing over to Levi. She tucked her gun into her belt, crouching by her downed friend. “Are you still alive?” 

She gave him a quick once over, counting the glare he shot at her as a good sign. 

“Does it look like I’m fucking dead?” He gasped. 

“Always the optimist.” Nile said, crouching by her. “You look fine to me. A little less on the appealing side, but you never looked that great to begin with.” 

Levi closed his eyes, letting out a careful breath. “You two are hilarious. Remind me to request a permanent leave from–cough–working with either of you when we get back.”

Historia smiled. She actually smiled. 

He was fine. 

They were fine.

“Are there medical supplies back in the outpost?” She looked back to Nile. “I think he’s going to need something before we go back up to the surface.”

Just as Nile opened his mouth to answer—

THUD

Historia whirled her head towards the doors to the stairs where the loud noise had emanated from. 

THUD THUD

“What’s this?” Nile seethed, loading his gun. He kicked Burns over, revealing the man’s puffy red cheeks. He was a wreck, an absolute shell of the man that had threatened them not minutes before. 

“Is this another one of your traps?” Nile barked at him, shooting Historia a look that read get behind me.

Alarmed, Historia grabbed Levi by the arms and pulled him to his feet. He staggered a little but caught himself as she supported him. 

THUD THUD THUD THUD

Before they could do anything else, the doors to the stairs burst open and soldiers began spilling into the outpost courtyard. 

Chapter Text

Historia Riess

Historia wanted to scream.

A dozen soldiers, dressed in traditional military police uniform, sidelined the ragged bunch in an instant.

No…we were so close…

Her heart sank. They couldn’t run. Not now. They couldn’t fight. 

We won’t make it. 

Levi coughed, his weight shaky as she held him up.

Guns clicked, drawn with a whisper. The sight of them made her breath catch. She took a defensive step in front of Levi—

“Historia! Levi! Nile!”

Was that—

“—We’re here.” She choked. “We’re alive!”

The guns withdrew. Shocked faces filled the crowd around them. Armin Arlert pushed his smaller form through them, Adelia, Nile’s second in command, following right behind. A grin split their faces when they saw the rag-tag group. 

“Your highness.” Armin smiled, slowing to walk towards them. “When I heard you were missing I didn’t think you would be the first person we bumped into underground.”

Historia laughed, or thought she did. It sounded more breathy and strangled coming out. “Armin, your timing is perfect.”

He nodded, then glanced at Levi, Nile, and then to Burns who was still sputtering on the ground. 

“Maybe,” He agreed. “It certainly seems that you had things under control.”

He examined her closely. “Though, you could do with a fresh change of clothes. I almost didn’t recognize you.”

Historia looked down at herself.

Her shoes and trousers were indistinguishable from each other, brown and crusted with dirt and other unspeakable grime. Her hands, shaky and still supporting Levi, looked a shade or three darker than her normal skin tone. 

She didn’t want to think about her hair or face. An inkling of Levi’s obsession with cleanliness suddenly made sense. 

The soldiers around them began to move again. Two of them picked Burns up off the floor, further securing the sobbing man. Nile greeted Adelia with a grin and a grasp of the arms. 

“You are by far the finest soldier in the entire Military Police Regiment Adelia. I can’t thank you enough.”

Adelia grinned in response. 

“Just doing my duty sir.” She saluted. “Something felt off when we were ordered to return above ground. Then you didn’t show up for our weekly meeting, nor were you above ground. No one had seen or heard from Historia.”

She paused, glancing at the queen. 

“Your highness, we did not mean to disobey orders, but there was every reason to suspect Burns.”

Historia nodded. 

“You were right to suspect him.” She agreed. “He took what started as a noble quest and turned it into an elaborate trap to kill myself and Captain Levi. For such an act, he will be tried at the court and spend the rest of his life in prison.”

Armin’s eyes widened. They all watched as the two soldiers securing Burns steered him back towards the entrance of the stairs. Their footsteps sounded back as they began climbing and echoed long after they disappeared from sight. 

Historia let out a breath. 

He was gone. And now the only thing keeping her from returning to the surface was the few meters between her and the door. 

And one other thing. 

“Nile,” She turned to the man, grabbing his attention. “Will you help Levi? I need to go find Patrik.”

Nile nodded, taking Levi by the arm, and with help, lowered him to the ground. The commander ordered for a stretcher to be brought for Levi, and Historia let out a breath. Levi would be fine, and now in safe hands, she could focus on her most important goal. 

Historia turned and jogged back towards the Military Police Outpost. She scanned the windows for light or any signs of movement but saw nothing. 

Part of her wondered if Patrik had stuck around. Once reunited with Naomi and Amos, he had no reason to see things through for them. He didn’t owe them anything. Quite the opposite in fact, but she worried that she would search the outpost and find no sign of the man. 

And somehow she knew that if he didn’t want to be found in the city he wouldn’t be. 

She slowed outside the doors. 

None of the soldiers had followed her, nor had Armin or Adelia. Odd as it was, she was grateful. Patrik might shy away from MP soldiers, even if they meant no harm.

The building loomed over her, ominous and cold.

Empty. She thought. 

As Historia stepped into the dimly lit hallways of the outpost, she felt a chill run down her spine. The silence was deafening, and the air was thick with the scent of dust in the aftermath of their fight here. The only light came from a few flickering candles in lamps on the wall. 

She took a few tentative steps forward, her boots padding against the floor. Her heart was pounding in her chest as she moved through the empty halls, scanning each room for any signs of life. But the entire outpost was deserted, and she couldn't find any trace of Patrik or the children. 

Historia's mind raced as she searched every nook and cranny of the building, eventually finding herself back in the courtyard.

“Patrik?” She called. 

The outpost answered her call with silence. 

She sighed, feeling spent. Her feet carried her with reluctance back towards Nile and the others. 

Maybe she could send a messenger to find him once they were back above ground. Or maybe, she could—

“You called?” A jovial voice sounded behind her.

She spun and saw a grin on the face of a blonde man casually leaning on the doorway to the outpost.

“Patrik!” Historia’s heart leapt at the sight of him. Relief washed over her as she grinned stupidly back. 

“Sorry to miss all the action out here.” He replied, resting a casual hand on his hip. “I needed to get the kiddos somewhere safe. Did you get him? Burns or whatever his name is?”

She nodded. “We got him. He’s being moved above ground now, thanks to you.”

Patrik nodded, his face dirty. He looked as exhausted as Historia felt, shoulders slumped, body leaning against the wall of the outpost. But, unlike her, he had an air of nervousness about him, his eyes darting around, not wanting to look her in the face. 

“Patrik,” She started. His eyes shot up to meet hers, and in his gaze, past the happy facade he put up, was fear. Realization slapped her in the face. He was scared she was going to turn on him too. Just like Len had. 

Historia paused. Thinking through what she wanted to tell him. 

“We would love for you to join our operation above ground.”

Patrik’s eyes grew to the size of smoke bombs. 

“You can’t be serious.”

“I am.” She reassured him. “We came down here weeks ago looking for children to rescue. Turns out that the reason we’ve been highly unsuccessful is because someone has been doing that job for years. With your help, we could save them all.”

Patrik was uncharacteristically quiet. 

“We would also pay for and rebuild Seth’s bar.” She added on grimacing. 

Patrik laughed. 

“I don’t think we’ll need the bar if we can run the operation from the surface. Though Len might appreciate it. Him and his backstabbing ass deserves to run that bar into the ground.”

Historia smiled. 

“So it’s a deal?” She asked. 

“How could I refuse her royal highness's generosity?” Patrik said with a small bow. “I cannot wait to get started.”

Historia felt a small warmth in her chest at his words. This is how she would become a fine ruler, not through force or fear but through partnerships. 

“Thank you, Patrik!”

________________________

Levi Ackerman

“Send for reinforcements from above. It’s going to take some time to get all the fake MP officers off the streets.” Nile directed Adelia. 

The woman nodded, her ponytail whipping as she turned to go. Levi watched the encounter from the floor of the cavern. His pain buzzed, drowning out his other senses and making it near impossible to care that the ground was rocky and extremely uncomfortable. His ribs ached, his leg throbbed, his head threatened to split open. 

Nile, looking satisfied at the soldiers all running around them carrying out his orders, returned to crouching at Levi’s side. 

“Are you hanging in there shorty?” He asked softly. 

Levi nodded his head with difficulty. He felt just about as bad as he had the whole time underground, only now there was no nagging voice in his head. There were no feverish chills racking his body. Yes, he was in great pain, but it was pain that would heal. Pain that would leave as soon as they got some medicine flowing through his veins. 

It wasn’t tormenting him, it just hurt. He could deal with hurt.  

“Good man.” Nile said, giving Levi an awkward pat on the chest. “We’ll be wrapping things up in a moment and then be getting you out of here.”

Levi grunted in response. He heard the muffled footsteps of a soldier approaching them. 

“Sir,” An MP officer approached Nile. “We found the body of Officer Zane Randor outside the outpost. What would you have us do with it?”

Nile stood, pausing. Zane had terrorized Levi and Historia, nearly killing them several times. But he had been a member of the Military Police and had served the throne faithfully until recently.

Zane had also almost killed Nile. Levi was sure Nile wasn’t going to forget about that fact, despite any honor that anyone might owe the dead officer. 

Levi was glad he didn’t have to make this call. 

“Bury it near the outpost.” Nile said finally. “Zane committed treason and doesn’t deserve any honorary burial.”

The soldier nodded, darting off the way he had come. 

Levi closed his eyes and stopped fighting the buzzing that threatened to overcome his consciousness. He drifted, in and out of reality, unsure if the voices he heard echoing through his skull were real or imaginary. He thought he felt someone touch his forehead, then lift him. 

It didn’t matter to him. Historia and Nile were safe, and he would be fine. He could let go. He could rest. It was okay.

“Levi?” A voice interrupted his peace. 

He opened his eyes and saw a blurry figure with shockingly blue eyes peering down at him. 

Historia…

“Levi,” She said again, smiling now that his eyes were open. “We’re leaving. Up the stairs.” 

She gestured towards the still open stairway leading back to the surface. Back home. 

Levi’s chest felt a little lighter. He tried opening his mouth to say something, even to thank Historia, but he found himself all too tired. 

She seemed to understand. 

“We’ll get you to the palace and take care of your injuries.” The young queen promised. “You fought well. You saved us.”

Levi tightened his mouth to a line. 

A thought shot through his mind all at once, causing a flicker of panic to cross his eyes. He pushed through the mountain of fog and pain to open his mouth. 

“If I pass out…” He slurred, eyes already drooping under their heavy weight. “...if I pass out b-fr we get back…”

Historia waited, eyebrows raised with expectancy.

Levi swallowed, pushing back a wave of exhaustion. “Wake me up so I can see the sun…” He breathed. 

She nodded as if agreeing to carry his lifeless body up the stairs herself. “I will.”

Levi tried to open his mouth, to say thank you, but the words never came. He let himself slip into the welcoming darkness.

He slept through the soldiers carrying him up the hundreds of steps that led to the surface. He didn’t even stir. 

When he next opened his eyes, it was to a familiar sight of Historia leaning over him. She was smiling. 

“We’re back.” She whispered.

Levi turned his head to see the beautiful golden beams of sunlight bathing him and the courtyard around him in precious sweet light. The sky high above was a crisp blue with puffy clouds threatening a storm later. 

He smiled. 

Like a lot of people who have experienced heavy injury, trauma, and exhaustion, Levi’s brain then took a break from reality. He wouldn’t remember being carried to the palace where attendants rinsed rag after rag of soapy water on him until he was clean. He wouldn’t remember how they laid him in a bed so padded it nearly swallowed him whole and where the palace doctor treated his wounds. He wouldn’t remember how Historia personally brought him a cup of tea, helped feed him soup, or how he slept for nearly 40 hours after the ordeal.

When Levi finally woke up, he felt disoriented and groggy. He forced his eyes open to find a nearly consuming darkness around him. 

His heart jolted, unsure of where he was or why he couldn't remember how he’d gotten here. 

As he adjusted to the darkness, he scanned the space around him. The room was simple yet elegant with a high ceiling and stone walls. The walls were painted white and adorned with intricate carvings and tapestries that depict scenes of battles, landscapes, and historical events.

Candles, housed in brass holders hanging on the walls, emitted a soft, flickering light that created a warm and peaceful ambiance. Cozy. 

He blinked. 

He tried to push himself up but found instead that his arm sunk deep into a plush white duvet. A stack of equally comfortable pillows held him up from behind. He was a prisoner in a jail of feathers and cotton. 

Levi groaned, a sudden flash of pain shooting through his ribs to his head. 

A figure stirred to his side. Beside a wooden nightstand holding a small vase of fresh flowers and a pitcher of water, sat a petite girl in a simple white dress dozing softly in a cushy chair.

As Levi blinked against the dull pain, Historia opened her eyes and sat up straight. "Captain, you're awake," she said, a soft smile playing on her lips.

Levi grunted, still trying to adjust to his surroundings. "Where am I?" he asked.

“Back in Mitris. We’re at the palace.” She answered. “How are you feeling?”

It was a good question, but Levi found himself unable to answer. The pain was spreading hotter and he felt himself growing drowsy as if to fight it off. 

“I’m fine.” He mumbled, closing his eyes.

Historia said something else, but Levi was already gone. 

He slept for another day, barely waking when the doctors came to change his bandages or when Historia came and sat by his side. 

When he next opened his eyes, bright sunlight teased at his eyelashes making him squint. 

Now in daylight, Levi could clearly see the two huge windows, one on the south side and one on the east, spilling sunlight into his room. Someone had opened one, and the summer breeze wafted over his skin. He tasted fresh grass, cobblestone, and felt alive. 

He loved it. 

Sitting up, Levi stifled a gasp at the protest from his injured ribs. He remembered a fight, doing something stupid and falling. Crashing , he corrected his shoddy memory. And hadn’t there been a gun earlier..?

He glanced at his injured leg, just a lump in the white sheets. 

The pain from the bullet throbbed with a dull ache that reminded him of a whiny child. Persistent, but not unbearable. 

He grimaced, remembering now when Burns had dug his fingers into the freshly cauterized wound. Levi was no stranger to pain, but the memories of just how much fresh agony he endured underground would certainly keep him more careful in the coming weeks. 

Levi’s eyes traveled to the door as he heard a knock. He cleared his throat and called out. 

“Come in.” He croaked, his voice scratchy and barely above a whisper. 

The door creaked open and in popped the small frame of a young blonde girl. Her eyes glittered and looked as alive as the sunlight. 

“Captain,” She greeted him, waltzing in. 

He nodded in return, saying nothing. 

Historia wore a customary regal, white dress. It was simple and form fitting, with little lace and décor. Atop her head was a small crown. 

She pulled one of the ornate chairs right up to Levi’s bedside and plopped herself down into it. 

“Guess what!” She said, getting comfortable. 

He flicked an eyebrow up at her. “What?”

“You aren’t going to get arrested.”

Levi tilted his head at her incredulously. “Why would I be arrested?”

Historia shrugged. “Everyone saw you and Nile with me coming back from the underground. People started talking. Rumors floated around, you know. Captain Levi and Commander Dok dragged the queen with them underground to fight thugs and such. As foolish as it was, people actually started accusing you of kidnapping me and started demanding justice.”

Levi raised both his eyebrows at that. 

“Completely ridiculous, I know.” The queen continued. “But you can’t make it illegal to be suspicious.”

She crossed one leg over the other. 

“Anyways, with some help from Armin, we spun a story together about how I actually got kidnapped while on holiday by some of those corrupt MP officers. They were the ones who ‘dragged’ me underground and held me against my will for a week. It was incredibly lucky that you and Nile were already underground and happened to find me. Who knows what might have happened otherwise.” 

She gave him a knowing look.

“You saved us, Levi.” Historia said in a serious voice. “You saved us over and over again. Thank you.”

Levi frowned. He glanced at his nightstand for the cup of tea but found none.

“There’s really no need to thank me Historia.” He muttered. “I was pretty useless for most of the mission.”

The girl shrugged. “You can keep telling yourself that if you want, but the point stands that we wouldn’t have made it out alive without you. So, thank you. ”

“You’re welcome.” He whispered. 

A silence fell upon the two of them. Levi glanced at the Queen’s face and saw nothing but calm composure. He couldn’t help but feel a similar sense of contentment. The underground had been harrowing and dangerous, but they had emerged victorious despite the cards stacked against them. They had accomplished their goal. 

“Burns had his trial yesterday.” Historia interrupted the silence. “We didn’t want to put it off, even if it meant you wouldn’t be there.”

She glanced at him. 

“Your physical state said a lot about what your testimony against him might be. As it stands, there were a dozen eyewitnesses that saw the aftermath of an ODM gear fight. You two were the only ones wearing the gear when they showed up. The evidence wasn’t hard for them to piece together, especially with mine and Nile’s testimonies.”

“What was the verdict?” Levi cleared his throat. 

“Life in prison.” She said bitterly. “Better for him to rot in there than to continue rotting the minds of the nobility.” 

It seemed a fitting end for the former captain. Burns had played with them as if they were pawns in his elaborate game to steal the throne. Mischievous, lying, and hungry for power, Captain Damion Burns would suffer the same fate that he had tried so hard to avenge his family of. 

It was a cruel twist of fate, but Levi couldn’t help but be glad he never had to lay eyes on the man again. 

A new thought crossed his mind. 

“What happened to Patrik?”

Historia’s smile grew. 

“He’s helping us! He agreed to come to the surface and take over the operation.”

The queen’s eyes were positively sparkling as she told him about how Patrik had gratefully accepted the position and was working in accordance with the Military Police. She explained how he fit right in at the orphanage she had built post coronation and had already brought three more children from the underground to it.

“I don’t know how the underground hid gems like Patrik and you from us.” She finished. “But I’m thinking maybe next season we should start recruiting soldiers from there.”

Levi choked on the glass of water he’d picked up. 

Historia laughed. “I’m only joking!”

“It was a shitty joke.” Levi murmured, shooting her a glare and looking dismally at the spilled water on his shirt.

“I must have picked up shitty humor from you.” She said with a wink, rising from her chair. “I’m afraid I have to go now. There’s a near constant slew of people demanding my attention. I’ve been avoiding them as long as I can, but now that you’re actually awake I can’t keep excusing myself to come check on you.”

She turned to the door, her hair glittering in the sunlight behind her. 

“Oh,” She stopped, turning back and reaching her hand into a pocket of her dress. “I almost forgot. Nile told me to give this to you before you returned to the Scouting Legion. It is addressed to Erwin, but he said you should read it too.”

She produced an ivory letter scrawled with Nile’s scratchy handwriting. 

“Where is Nile?” Levi asked, taking the letter. “Is he alright?”

Historia nodded. “He returned home for a week or two of leave. Said his wife would murder him if he didn’t.”

Levi scoffed. “Sounds worse than dealing with Burns.”

“I wouldn’t know the wrath of a spouse, but I think you might be right.” Historia chuckled. “Come and tell me before you head back to the Scouts. Erwin will need you back soon, but I’d like to see you off.”

And then she was gone. Her footsteps echoed down the hallway after her. 

Levi thumbed the letter for a moment, flipping it over. He would need to return to the Scouts soon. They would be making preparations to return to Shiganshina before the end of the month. 

Eventually, he tore the letter open and began reading. 

Commander Erwin, 

I hope this letter finds you, whether it be well or otherwise. 

To cut any unnecessary formalities, I must begrudgingly admit that Captain Levi proved to be a valuable asset on the Queen’s mission underground. However, I must also admit that he was nothing but a nuisance. 

From the moment we began discussing the mission, he caused nothing but trouble. His insubordination and arrogance have made it clear that he has no respect for authority. He has caused conflicts with my men and even disrespected me in front of my subordinates.

It is indeed lucky that circumstances allowed me to be in need of saving and that Levi was able to step in and actually do something of worth. He may be a headache to deal with, but he has proven himself to be a valuable member of society. Sometimes. 

Therefore, I must begrudgingly thank you for lending us this troublesome individual. I hope that we will never again need his services.

Additionally, Captain Levi’s insubordination left a staggering impact with our young and very influenceable queen. I can scarcely talk to the girl without some scathing insult being flung at me from her. I will employ corrective measures around her where I can, but I’m afraid the damage may be too far done. 

I suggest you pull Levi aside and severely chastise him or strip him of rank. It is improper of a man to be holding the title of Captain and treating his superiors so poorly. With luck, he won’t influence any other budding soldiers.

Sincerely,

Nile Dok,

17th Commander of the Military Police Regiment

of the Inner Walls

End.

Chapter Text

From Chapter 5: Rolling In the Deep 
(Scene is implied)

From Chapter 14: A Job Well Done

From Chapter 20: Don't Want to Let You Down

Other art from the story:

Chapter Text

From Chapter 14: A Job Well Done