Chapter Text
The moon was long gone but the sun had not yet risen when they reached the Trost gate. The sky was near white, and beginning to brighten.
“I don’t see anyone on duty,” Jean said.
“That’s stupid,” Levi said. “There’s always someone on duty.”
“I don’t see them either,” Armin frowned.
Levi reached for his harness and pulled out a flare, which he fired. “There, now they know we’re here.”
They waited awhile.
“Um, Levi, nothing’s happened.”
Levi scowled up at the gate. “Jesus Christ.”
“ Hello ?” Hange called. “Garrison buddies?!”
Silence. Levi looked around. This was starting to get off putting.
“Alright,” he said. He got off his horse, followed by Hange. “Dismount.” He took off his horse's reins and saddle, then hit it’s hind legs. “Go! Live a long, happy life!”
“Captain, that’s your horse!”
“I know what it is, Springer. I can’t carry a horse over a wall.”
“Oh.”
“Giddyup!” Armin said, and his horse went galloping off.
“Bye!” Krista said, and her horse vanished.
“Git!” Sasha told her steed. One by one, the horses disappeared. Jean and Hange’s both seemed reluctant to go, but eventually, they too left.
“Righto,” Hange said. “Up we fly!” They shot their gear up and scaled the wall. Levi followed them, and everyone else joined them.
The Trost district seemed still and silent. There was no one on the streets.
“Back down!” Hange said, and flung themselves from the wall.
“God,” Levi muttered. “Don’t be so melodramatic.”
They all landed neatly inside of Trost and began to walk through the streets.
“Where do you suppose everyone is?” Armin asked.
“I don’t know,” Mikasa said.
“I don’t get it,” Sasha looked around. “I thought civilians had moved back in!”
“They had,” Hange said. “I-”
There was the unmistakable zing of three dimensional gear, Levi turned. A group of four soldiers had appeared, and they all landed in front of them and pulled down their hoods. He recognized the fair haired woman who’d let them out.
“Oh,” he said. “I was wondering when you’d get-”
She cut him off. “This is neutral ground. What are you doing here?”
“What?!”
“I said, this is neutral ground! Why are Scouts here?”
“I don’t understand.”
“We have an agreement! This is civilian land .”
“Civilian-”
“Why are you by the wall?!”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Levi said.
“Yeah!” Hange nodded. “We just had to climb the wall because no one would let us in!”
“We’ve been on an expedition,” Armin added.
The woman gave them a scrutinizing look.
“Rico,” one of the soldiers said. “Didn’t we let them out at Karanese?”
The fair haired woman turned to look at them for a moment, then nodded. “That’s right.” Rico turned her attention back to the group. “Pardon me, I’d forgotten. Weren’t there more of you?”
“Yes. We had trouble.”
“Was the expedition a failure?”
“No, actually.”
“Really? Hmm. Well, the Scout land is-”
“I don’t understand,” Levi said again.
“Last I heard, you were holding a steady front,” Rico began again. “You have from here to near Chlorba, and a good deal of the inner wall.”
“I still don’t understand.”
“Escort them to the gates,” Rico instructed the other soldiers. “I’m going to finish the patrol.” She disappeared and Levi turned to the rest of her squad.
“Any of you want to translate that for me?”
“It doesn’t need much translation. She told you where your territory was.”
“ Our territory?!” Jean narrowed his eyes. “Who else would have any?!”
“The Military Police.”
“What?!”
“Come on,” one of the soldiers said. “There’ll be an uproar if you’re found here.” They started walking and Hange lengthened their stride to join them.
“Um,” Hange said. “Excuse me, I was wondering if you could maybe explain a few things?”
“Depends on whether or not you can listen and walk.”
“I am not capable of listening.” The soldier sped up and Hange gave them an angry look before slowing to join Levi. “I am irritated and confused.”
“So now you’re brutally honest about your abilities.”
“I figured they deserved the truth.”
Levi sighed. "Idiot."
"But you love me!" Hange pulled a face. "You're not blushing hard enough."
"Hange!"
“Faster,” the soldier said, and they all sped up. The sun started to rise. They finally reached the gate in the later morning. “Go east,” they instructed. “I wouldn’t go west if I were you.” A man went to open the gate and the stunned group went past Wall Sina.
If Trost had been quiet, then Sina knew no sound. There was no buildings, no people, nothing. They made their way to the nearest Scouting base in what must’ve been an hour. It was not a good sight.
The doors had been broken. The group split up to check out the rest of the building. Levi headed up to his room. He hadn’t been in here since before his trial.
The door wasn’t open, but it wasn’t closed either. He pushed it open. His room had been ransacked. There were papers on the floor, his bedsheets were in a new location, and one of his curtains was on the floor. He stepped forward and heard a crunch.
Levi looked down, and bent over. He scooped up the remains of a flute. His stomach clenched.
There was no way stepping on it would have delivered enough force to break it unless it had already been cracked. Someone must’ve thrown it from its place in his desk to the floor. He wasn’t even sure if he’d broken it himself.
Someone could have broken his flute.
He grit his teeth and put it in his cloak before storming outside.
“Hange!”
“Here-yo,”
Levi stormed down the hall and found them in their office. There was a bit of a mess there, but not much.
“I know, it’s crazy huh?”
“My floor had a new carpet. Of paper .”
“Oh. Well, whoever it was, they cleared me out.” Hange opened a drawer. “See. Look. Empty. Thank God Moblit had back-ups, huh?”
“We’ve got to get going. We need to find some other Scouts.”
“Agreed.”
They gathered the rest of the group and headed out. They must have walked for sevral hours. Then came a thundering of hooves, and Levi turned. A group on horseback was coming towards them. As they drew closer, he recognized them as Scouts.
“Mike!” Hange shouted. Levi squinted. It was Mike.
He drew his horse up sharply, the scouts behind him stopping.
“Hange, Levi!”
“‘Lo,” Levi said.
“You’re back!” Mike scanned the group. “Ah, was it a failure? You lose your hors-”
“Nope!” Hange squealed. “Nope !”
“What?”
“I touched Wall Maria. I touched it, Mike.”
“You’re kidding.”
“I do not kid about touching walls . And I met a cannibal. And I can turn people into Titans.”
“Excuse me?”
“But you’re not going to,” Levi said. “Right?”
“Probably.”
Mike gave Annie a look. “And, why’s she here?”
“Complications, maybe you can explain.” Levi said. “Why is Trost neutral ground?”
“Oh,” Mike said. “That. It’s a bit complex. We’re at war, actually. With the Military Police.”
“Fuck,” Levi said. “Fuck. Fucking hell.”
“That’s just great,” Hange said. “I’m gone for like, a day.”
“It most certainly was not a day.”
“We have to finish our patrol,” Mike said. “Our base is on Wall Rose. Can you make it within a day?”
“Jesus,” Levi said. “I guess.”
“Good, I should see you there.”
They were thundering off, and the rest of the trek began. Levi had been hoping to return and ride back to the nearest Scouting base and have a bath, then issue a report by lunch, but oh well.
They walked for most of the remaining day. Sasha, Connie, and Jean were all complaining about their feet by the time the sun was setting. They really didn’t understand what was going on. They reached Wall Rose just after dark and scaled the wall before heading to their base in the area.
The doors were locked. Hange knocked loudly and yelled that they were here. A moment later the door was opened by a dark haired woman.
"You're back!" She opened the door to let them all in.
"You kids, go get some food and go to your dormitories," Levi instructed, then turned to the woman. "Erwin?"
"In his study, you should be able to get in."
"Kids," Hange said. "Meet us tomorrow morning so we can get you up to speed and go over report writing!"
"Hange," Levi started down the hall. "Faster."
"Coming!"
They headed up the staircase to Erwin's study. Levi saw a fair amount of people he didn't recognize.
Hange knocked on the door to Erwin's office and they were called in. When he looked up and saw them, he stood up immediately.
"You're back! Please, sit down." Hange took the chair and Levi stood behind them. Erwin sat down as well. "How did it go?"
"We made it," Hange said, and opened their pack. "We were able to obtain Grisha's journal, and information on Titans."
"That's all?"
"I know it doesn't sound like much, but it could unlock many doors. We've discovered a liquid that can turn people into Titans if injected properly, and know more about Titan abilities." Hange pulled out the journal and handed it to Erwin. "I'm still in the process of going through his other papers."
"And the Shifters?"
"We still have Annie with us."
"Oh?"
"The Military Police took Bertholdt, Reiner, and Ymir. Annie is hoping we'll be able to help get them back."
"Ymir turned out to be a Shifter as well," Levi added. "Now, maybe you could fill us in on what we've missed?"
"I'm not done yet!" Hange chided, and threw an arm around Levi. "I'm going to woo him!"
Levi flushed.
"Best of luck." Erwin leaned forward. "Just over a week ago, there was a stratified attack from the Military Police, on several Sina bases, and one on the inner wall. A few Scouts were captured, and are assumed to be in prison. We responded with defense, and Garrison made the decision to evacuate civilians. I suppose you could say things began to spiral out of control there."
"We were attacked?"
"Yes. Two of our stations in Sina and one in Rose were attacked. One was burnt to the ground."
"Another was ransacked, right?"
Erwin nodded.
"Who was arrested?" Levi asked.
"We still don't have a proper casualty list , it's estimated to be about thirteen. We are certain of four- Thomson, Marius, Artemis, and Moblit."
"Moblit?!" Hange stood up sharply.
"Hange-"
"Where are they keeping them? Where?!"
"We don't know. Now, I need your casualty list."
"We have thirteen survivors," Levi said. "Including Bertholdt, Reiner, and Ymir."
"Who are also in custody."
“Only thirteen.” Erwin nodded. “Who?”
“Let’s see,” Hange said. “We have Annie and Mikasa, Armin, that kid- what’s his- Donovan and Krista, Connie, Sasha, Jean, and us.”
“Nanaba? Johann? Petra?”
Hange shook their head. Erwin nodded again. “Right. When can I expect reports by?”
“A day for me,” Levi said.
“I’ll wait till I’m through with the papers.”
“They’re not priority. How soon can you join patrols?”
“I dunno.”
“I’ll see to it,” Erwin said. “Get some rest, for now. It’s been awhile.”