Since you seem to like SNK, I want your opinion: Reiner VS Annie in their titan forms. Who do you think would win?
I mean depends on what versions on the characters but 9/10 times I'd say Annie wins. Reiner as the Armored Titan is larger, physically stronger and with better protection thanks to his plates, but Annie is the better fighter. She would just use his momentum against him, and she can just harden herself to break through his armor. Eren without the ability to harden was still able to break those plates with techniques he learnt from Annie. Reiner would put up a good fight maybe, but I think Annie's Female Titan would win because her martial arts give her the edge lmao
mentions: fiance! female! reader x levi ackerman - non-titan/modern au.
synopsis: levi ackerman has a day off with his fiance, but he doesn't know your pregnant until you accidently said it.
sᴇᴄᴏɴᴅ ᴘᴏᴠ
—
The first thing you noticed when you stirred awake was warmth.
Not the warmth of the blankets that you'd cocooned yourself in, nor the trapped warmth beneath them. It was heavier, more physical. It was the heat of another person pressed against your back.
Strong arms were wrapped around your waist, holding you close against a firm chest. Even in the half-conscious state you were in, there was no mistaking who it was. The familiar weight of his body, the strength in the way he held you, and the slow breathing against the back of your neck told you everything before your eyes even opened.
Levi.
A faint smile tugged at the corner of your lips as you shifted in his embrace, attempting to turn around so you could see him. It could barely be considered movement, yet Levi reacted immediately. His arms tightened around your waist, pulling you closer before you could escape his embrace.
"Levi?" you murmured, your voice thick with sleep.
The only response you received was nothing more than a low grumble from him.
It was enough.
From that alone, you knew he wasn't asleep. It was clear that he had been awake for some time, judging by how quickly he had reacted, and from the way he still held onto you, he had no intention of letting you leave the bed.
Not that you minded.
Between your respective jobs, mornings like these were rare. There was something healing and soothing about them, allowing you to relax against the cushion of your shared bed while listening to the steady sound of his breathing.
After several more minutes in silence, Levi finally released you. His arms loosened from around your waist before he sat up. He was usually quiet in the mornings, so the silence didn't concern you.
Your half-lidded eyes followed him as he swung his legs over the side of the bed, making sure his bare feet didn't touch the floor, or it would inevitably lead to him changing the bedsheets for the third time that week.
You rolled onto your back, watching your fiancé disappear into the bathroom.
Knowing Levi, he'd spend the next thirty minutes showering under water hot enough to melt the skin off someone. According to him, the scalding water killed every germ that could latch to his skin, despite the fact that it always left his body flushed with a temporary reddish tint every single time he stepped out of the bathroom.
Even though you repeatedly told him that the heat would only make his skin more susceptible to irritation and soreness, he remained unconvinced, insisting that he would rather have sensitive skin than be dirty.
Typical.
With a soft sigh, you finally pushed yourself upright and slowly climbed out of bed. The house was eerily silent as you stepped into the hallway.
The corridor was lined with framed photographs, which were kept in pristine condition due to Levi's cleaning and maintenance skills. Your attention drifted toward the photograph from your first date, a smile tugging at the corner of your lips as you stared at the picture that was nearly a decade old.
Maybe that was one of the reasons you had accepted his proposal; Levi had always been the kind of man who made you feel safe, regardless of his mood.
The kitchen was quiet when you entered, the morning sun peeking through the blinds, painting golden streaks across the floor and countertops.
You walked toward the cabinet, grabbed the kettle, and closed the cabinet door. After rinsing it beneath hot water, you filled it and placed it onto the stovetop before turning the burner on.
Once that was done, you took a seat on one of the nearby chairs.
While you sat there waiting for the water to boil, your hand drifted toward your abdomen, rubbing the area gently through the fabric of your shirt. You were around six weeks pregnant.
You hadn't told Levi yet, and it wasn't because you didn't want to.
In reality, you had spent the last several days debating how and when to tell him. It wasn't easy, especially given that Levi had never brought up the idea of having children. You hadn't even realized that several minutes had passed while you were lost in your thoughts.
"What are you doing?"
You jumped slightly, quickly removing your hand from your abdomen before turning toward the sound of his voice.
Standing in the doorway was Levi, his black hair still damp and neatly combed back, not a single droplet of water left on his skin. He was dressed in his usual house clothes: a simple black shirt that hugged the lean muscles of his upper body and a matching pair of sweatpants.
He took a step forward, clicking off the stove, and folded his arms over his chest. "The water was done when I got out of the shower. Why didn't you turn it off?" he asked calmly.
"I didn't... I..." you quietly swallowed the lump in your throat before sighing. "...Can I trust you with something... important?" you said, your fingers wringing together in anxiety before meeting his eyes.
Levi knew nearly everything about you, and whenever you deliberately held eye contact with him, it usually meant that whatever you were about to say was serious. One of his eyebrows quirked upward as he leaned back against the countertop, giving you his undivided attention.
"Have you... Wait, no... Let me rephrase that... Do you think anything's weird about me?"
"Yes." he responded immediately, not beating around the bush.
Your eyebrows went up in surprise at his blunt answer. "W–wait... you already knew that I was pregnant...?"
Levi's stance immediately changed after that, his eyebrows furrowing in shock and confusion. "Pregnant?"
The room fell silent as the two of you stared at each other.
"You're pregnant?" he asked, breaking the silence, finally unfolding his arms as your words slowly sank in.
Your mouth opened before closing, but you couldn't come up with an excuse to trick him or anything.
It was already out there now so you might as well say it with your full chest, taking a deep breath. "...yeah..." you admitted softly, your gaze slowly drifting toward your hands.
At your quiet admittance, Levi looked away for a few moments, trying to gather his thoughts before turning back to you. "And you didn't tell me?" he asked, sounding neither angry nor particularly happy.
"N—no, it's just... I didn't... You never spoke of having children..."
By the time you finally gathered the courage to lift your head, Levi had already moved from where he was standing and taken the seat beside you. His bluish-gray eyes lingered on the spot where your hand had rested, and there was something almost... softer in his dark gaze.
"Stop overthinking things," he began, lifting his eyes from your stomach to meet yours. "Just because I don't spend my time talking about children doesn't mean I've never thought about them, and that certainly doesn't mean that I wouldn't want one."
You broke eye contact with him, looking away from his unwavering gaze.
"I'm not done talking," he said, lifting your chin so you would look at him. "I know exactly what you're worried about. You think I'd hate children because they're loud, messy, and dirty. And yes, they are all of those things, but none of that matters nearly as much as you think it does when it's our child growing inside of you."
"I didn't tell you because I was scared..." you admitted, your voice beginning to tremble. "I thought you'd be upset or think we weren't ready. I just... I didn't know how to tell you something this big without making you hate me."
Levi simply stared at you before placing a hand on your shoulder. "Everything was going to change eventually," he said quietly. "And if you really thought that I was going anywhere because of this, then you really haven't been paying nearly as much attention to me as I've been paying to you."
The tears you had been holding back finally slipped down your cheeks as you buried your face in his chest. His eyes narrowed, but he didn't make a move to push you away, especially knowing what he knows now.
A while passed, and neither of you made a sound, simply sitting together in comfortable silence. Eventually, you looked up at Levi through your tear-stained eyelashes, slowly sitting up, still sniffling. "Do... do you want tea?" you asked, already beginning to stand before Levi's sudden grip around your wrist stopped you. "You just told me you're pregnant, and you're already trying to get up and make tea. Sit down and let me do it."
"But—"
You tried to protest, but Levi was already on his feet, crossing to the stovetop to pour the still-scorching water into a glass jug before adding the tea ingredients. He didn't say anything, but the silence told you everything you needed to know.
I'll protect both of you.
The thought made you smile, and you brought your hand back to your stomach, catching Levi's attention as his gaze drifted to the place where your hand rested. Though you couldn't see it, a faint smile tugged at the corner of his lips before it quickly disappeared as he looked down at the tea that was only halfway finished.
There was nothing in this world that he would treasure more than the family he had been given.
Word Count: 7.8k | Previous Chapter | Next Chapter
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“He's Kenny the Ripper. If he's there, he'll be our biggest obstacle.”
Levi's voice remained even, though the weight behind his words settled over everyone. He paused briefly before continuing. “As for how dangerous he is... just imagine having me as your enemy.” The silence that followed was immediate, but after a second he clicked his tongue and shook his head. “Actually, forget that. With all the weapons that bastard's carrying now, he'd be even tougher than me.”
Sasha's face paled. “Then... we wouldn't even stand a chance against him.” Connie swallowed hard before speaking up. “C-Can't we just wait until we meet up with the troops—” “Absolutely not,” Mikasa cut in before he could finish. Connie immediately straightened. “R-Right... we can't. If we wait until morning, Eren might already have been eaten.”
Trying to steer everyone's thoughts somewhere less hopeless, Armin spoke up.
“According to Captain Levi's story, it's not like Kenny doesn't have weaknesses.” Jean looked toward him. “You really think that's true?” Armin nodded. “Even if he has all that training, things don't always go smoothly in actual combat.”
Hange hummed thoughtfully before turning to Levi. “Still, you lived with him for so long and that's all you know? Just what's up with that, Levi?” Levi answered with his usual flat expression. “My bad. I only recently learned his full name too.”
Your thoughts caught on that single detail. Ackerman. Just like Mikasa. Though unlike Levi, Mikasa's features had always struck you as belonging partly to somewhere beyond the island. Hizuru, perhaps. She had the look of someone born from two different worlds.
“Kenny Ackerman...” Levi's eyes shifted toward Mikasa. “Is he a relative of yours?” She grew quiet for a moment before answering. “According to my parents before they passed, my father's family—the Ackermans—were persecuted inside the Walls.”
Her gaze drifted somewhere distant as she recalled the story. “My mother was Oriental, so she stood out too. Being different made it hard for either of them to fit in anywhere.” She folded her hands together absentmindedly. “Because of that, they left the cities and settled in the mountains near the Walls. That's where they met and built a life together.”
She frowned faintly. “I never understood why the Ackermans were persecuted. My father wasn't a different race like my mother.” Levi watched her in silence before asking another question.
“Have you ever suddenly experienced a moment where it felt like a tremendous amount of strength awakened inside you?”
Mikasa froze. After a moment, she slowly nodded. “I have.” Levi's expression remained unreadable. “Kenny's had that moment.” His eyes lowered briefly. “I have too.”
You had suspected there was something different about Levi's strength long ago. Skill alone couldn't explain everything he was capable of, and now there were two Ackermans standing within the Survey Corps. Two people possessing an ability that neither Marley nor the Warriors had accounted for. If word of this ever reached Marley, they would undoubtedly recognize it as another unpredictable variable.
Two awakened Ackermans on Paradis was not something any military strategist would simply ignore.
-
You reached the chapel under the cover of night, and it was unnervingly quiet. Too quiet. The kind of silence that made every footstep feel louder than it was. Hange moved ahead of the group, carefully searching the stone floor before crouching down.
“Found it,” they called, keeping their voice low. “A hidden door.” Everyone gathered around as they brushed the dust away, revealing the concealed entrance. “Eren and our enemies should be down there. Hopefully the layout is like I predicted.” They looked back at the group with determined eyes.
“The gift we prepared better be worth all the effort.” Levi adds.
One by one, everyone readied themselves. Along the way, you'd managed to collect extra rifle ammunition from the guns Hitch and Marlow had surrendered, so you made one final check of your weapon, ensuring every round was loaded and within reach. Beside you, Armin quietly announced that the preparations were complete.
Levi swept his gaze across the younger soldiers. “How about all of you?” His tone was calm, almost detached. “Ready to get your hands dirty?” No one answered aloud. They didn't have to. The hesitation that had once defined them was gone, replaced by grim resolve. Whatever innocence remained had already been chipped away over the past weeks. They knew what had to be done.
The hidden door groaned open, revealing a narrow staircase descending into darkness. The air grew colder with every step until another set of heavy doors came into view. Just as Hange had predicted, they opened into an enormous underground chamber supported by towering stone pillars.
Mikasa didn't hesitate. She drove her boot into the doors, throwing them wide open as several barrels rolled into the cavern. The gifts you'd prepared for Kenny's squad. Barrels packed with gasoline.
Sasha immediately loosed a flaming arrow, and the explosion thundered through the cavern, fire erupting before thick black smoke swallowed the room. Armin fired smoke flares moments later, adding even more cover until visibility became almost nonexistent.
You raised your rifle toward the shifting shadows beyond the smoke, waiting. Then Levi's voice cut through the chaos. “Thirty-five enemies in sight! They're gathered behind the pillars!” Before anyone else could react, he and Mikasa disappeared into the smoke with their ODM gear.
“Continue the plan!” Levi shouted. “Crush every last one of them!”
Almost simultaneously another voice rang out from the opposing side. “All troops, spread out! Surround them one at a time!” It had to be the woman leading Kenny's unit in his absence. Around you, your comrades launched themselves into the cavern while you and Sasha remained near the rear, providing covering fire. Armin continued firing smoke rounds to keep the battlefield concealed.
Their anti-personnel gear left their backs exposed whenever they faced forward, and after every two shots they needed precious seconds to reload.
It was an opening you exploited without hesitation.
You fired once. Then again. Then a third time. Every bullet found its mark.
Sasha's aim was remarkable. She'd once told you about growing up hunting in the forests, and it showed in every arrow she loosed. But there was still a difference between the two of you. Sasha hunted animals to survive, and every human life she took now weighed upon her afterward. You had been trained to hunt people. Enemies. You'd been taught to leave your conscience behind long before pulling the trigger. There was nothing left to mourn for those standing on the opposite side of your sights.
The irony almost made you laugh. Before long, these comrades fighting beside you would become those same enemies.
Through the thinning smoke you caught glimpses of Levi and Mikasa tearing through Kenny's squad with frightening precision, each movement practiced and merciless. Then Kenny himself appeared, swinging effortlessly into the cavern. He seemed to say something to Levi, though you couldn't make out the words.
You lined up your sights and fired straight for his head. At the last possible instant he twisted aside as though he'd sensed the shot before you'd even pulled the trigger. Your bullet shattered stone instead.
What the hell...?
The two Ackermans clashed immediately, their movements almost impossible to follow. Whenever Kenny briefly entered your line of sight, you fired again, forcing him to divide his attention between you and Levi. At one point his head snapped toward you, irritation flashing across his face as your interference disrupted his rhythm.
It was all Levi needed.
His blade carved across Kenny's stomach before the older man disengaged and vanished deeper into the cavern.
The battle was far from over. Gunfire echoed between the pillars as both sides continued fighting. Your attention shifted just in time to see Hange crumple, their body jerking from the impact of a bullet that tore through their shoulder.
Your heart lurched.
You rushed toward them as the enemy retreated farther into the cavern, dropping to your knees beside them. Pulling the clean handkerchief you'd gotten into the habit of carrying—because Levi was always insisting on keeping his hands clean—you pressed it firmly against the wound to slow the bleeding. Moblit and Armin quickly took over, supporting Hange between them as they prepared to evacuate.
Your eyes swept across the chamber, landing on the heavy net stretched across the path ahead, blocking any straightforward pursuit. You were still considering how to deal with it when the air suddenly trembled. A deafening crack split the cavern, followed by the unmistakable surge of heat and pressure that accompanied a Titan transformation.
So they did have Titan serum.
Or rather... The royal family did.
“Captain!” Armin shouted, pointing toward a narrow opening in the cavern wall. “There's a way out!”
Levi looked only once before making his decision.
“Moblit. Armin.” His voice never wavered. “Get Hange out of here.”
You found Eren exactly where you'd feared he would be—still chained to the platform, blood trailing from the fresh cut across his forehead.
Relief came only briefly. He hadn't been eaten yet. Your gaze shifted beyond him, and your breath caught.
The Titan before you was grotesque, enormous, still growing even as it crawled forward. Its body was horribly misshapen, its spine twisted and exposed, stretching into an impossible mass that dwarfed even an ordinary Colossal Titan. The transformation had gone wrong.
The spine... it must have been damaged.
There was no time to dwell on it. Everyone rushed to free Eren from his chains, and the moment the last restraint gave way, the cavern answered with a deafening crack. The ceiling began collapsing overhead, chunks of stone raining down around you. The group barely escaped before the platform disappeared beneath the rubble.
“This is bad!” Jean shouted, staring around at the sealed cavern. “There's no way out!”
Eren collapsed to his knees. “I...” His shoulders shook violently as tears spilled down his face. “Ever since the beginning... I was never humanity's hope...” His voice cracked beneath the weight of his own despair.
Your eyes drifted downward.
Among the rubble, half-buried beneath shattered stone... A bottle.
You recognized it instantly.
Hardening serum.
There was hope for Paradis.
And despite everything—despite Marley, despite your mission, despite the war tearing your heart apart—you couldn't bring yourself to deny them that chance.
Quietly, so quietly that no one noticed, you nudged the bottle forward with the tip of your boot. It rolled across the floor until it stopped beside Eren. His watery eyes fell to it.
“…Armor?” Before he could react, the others spoke over him.
His friends.
The people who had followed him this entire time. “You've always been useless,” one of them admitted bluntly. “You've dragged us into dangerous situations over and over.”
“But we've always done it together.”
“Because you can't do it alone.”
“I'll carry Eren,” Mikasa declared without hesitation. Jean grabbed hold of Historia. “We can't exactly take it slow, so hang on if you want to live.” Still Eren shook his head. “It's useless...” He looked completely broken.
“We can't get out.”
Historia’s brows knitted together. “So what?” Her voice echoed through the collapsing cavern. “We just do nothing?” “You want all of us to sit here holding hands while we're crushed to death?”
“Because we're enemies of humanity?”
The words lingered in the air.
Enemies of humanity.
Levi's voice finally cut through the noise. “You know I hate saying this every damn time...” He looked directly at Eren. “…But you have to decide for yourself.”
Eren's hand closed around the bottle. Still crying, he bit through the glass. Moments later, light engulfed him.
The explosion of transformation shook the cavern, but instead of attacking, the newly formed Titan put its hands to the ground. Crystal spread in every direction, hardening into enormous pillars that caught the falling rock before it could bury everyone beneath it.
“Quick!” Levi barked. “Get under Eren!”
His hand caught your wrist before you could move on your own, pulling you beneath the shelter of the newly formed crystal just as another section of ceiling collapsed overhead. Silence gradually replaced the thunder of falling debris. The hardened structures remained.
They didn't disappear even after pulling Eren out of the titan.
“That’s what I call hardening, even after cutting you away, the titan hasn’t disappeared.”
Levi looked upward, giving an approving hum. “…Pretty impressive.”
Your attention drifted back to Eren. “…That bottle...” Eren paused. A thin stream of blood suddenly trickled from his nose. Without thinking, you stepped forward and pressed your sleeve gently beneath it.
The first time every Warrior used hardening... They'd all gotten nosebleeds.
“You can keep explaining,” you told Eren softly.
He nodded awkwardly, your sleeve muffling part of his voice. “I... I found a bottle that said 'Armor'... I bit it… And then... this happened.”
Levi nodded. “So that's why you couldn't do it before.” He crouched slightly, studying the hardened crystal surrounding them before looking back at Eren. “This means... We can seal Wall Maria.”
Hope.
Real hope.
Even as the conversation turned toward the sacrifices still required to reclaim humanity's land, the atmosphere had changed. For the first time in what felt like forever... There was something worth believing in.
Levi's eyes shifted toward you.
He frowned immediately.
“…That's fucking filthy.” You blinked. “What?”
“Stop that already.” He gestured toward your bloodied sleeve. “The bleeding's probably stopped.” Looking up at him from where you were crouched beside Eren, you smiled faintly. “I gave Hange my handkerchief, I had to make sure he didn't get lightheaded from the nosebleed.”
You finally pulled your arm away.
The bleeding had indeed stopped.
Levi sighed, reached into his pocket, and produced a small switchblade. Without another word, he carefully sliced away the bloodstained sleeve from your shirt.
“I had a handkerchief.” His voice was flat. “Next time, ask me before you press your arm against some other man's mouth.” You couldn't help yourself. “It was his nose.”
“Don't argue with your superior.”
“My superior is being ridiculous.” The corner of his mouth twitched ever so slightly.
Before he could answer, Armin's voice echoed down from above.
“Captain! We've secured an exit!”
Relief swept through the cavern as the others began climbing down. Everyone had made it out alive. Sasha launched into an excited explanation in her thick village accent, speaking so quickly that half of it became impossible to follow. Despite everything, you found yourself smiling.
Levi, of course, ended it.
“Let's go.” He glanced toward the distant rumbling. “We're going after that big-ass Titan.”
Once everyone emerged onto the surface, the true scale of the destruction became impossible to ignore. The monstrous Titan had flattened everything in its path, leaving a trail of devastation across the landscape.
Waiting among the gathered soldiers stood Erwin.
His single remaining arm rested calmly at his side.
“Is everyone alright?” he asked. “Hange's our only casualty,” Levi answered. From nearby, Hange weakly raised a blood-covered hand in greeting.
Erwin let out a quiet breath.
“Well done, everyone.” His gaze finally settled on the grotesque Titan dragging itself across the earth. “…What's that Titan?”
“Rod Reiss,” Levi answered simply.
Erwin looked genuinely surprised.
“I think we'll need your call on this, Commander,” Levi said, drawing Erwin's attention away from the grotesque Titan crawling toward Wall Sina and back to Eren and Historia.
Erwin surveyed the scene only briefly before making his decision. “Regardless, we don't have time to stand here discussing this.” He turned his horse. “Return to Wall Sina.” Levi frowned at the retreating commander. “You're just going to let that big-ass thing crawl right up to the wall?”
Erwin paused.
His eyes drifted toward the distant silhouette of Rod Reiss's monstrous Titan, watching the direction it dragged its impossible body.
He turned back. “To Orvud District, actually.” His expression remained calm, unwavering. “That's where it's headed.”
The order spread through the ranks, and before long every horse was galloping alongside the grotesque Titan as it slowly crawled toward humanity's next battlefield. Even during the ride, there was no shortage of revelations.
Hange broke the silence first.
“Let's put everything together.” They glanced toward Eren before continuing. “Basically, Rod Reiss wanted the Founding Titan back. But unless the holder has royal blood, they can't draw out its true power.”
“Even then,” Hange continued, “if someone with royal blood inherits the Founding Titan… they're still controlled by the First King's will.”
“They refuse to liberate humanity from the Titans.”
Your brows knitted together.
The First King's... will? What did that even mean? Why would the Founding Titan refuse to save humanity within the walls?
Everything Marley had taught you insisted the King within the Walls had threatened the world—that if anyone dared attack Paradis, he would unleash the Rumbling and flatten the earth beneath countless Colossal Titans.
So why... Why would someone with that power choose peace instead?
Hange hummed thoughtfully.
“Interesting, isn't it?” They looked almost fascinated. “So this...” They gestured vaguely toward the Walls surrounding humanity. “This is what the First King considered true peace.” What a strange definition of peace.
Eren lowered his head.
“In other words… we still have another option.” Everyone looked toward him. “If that Titan eats me…Rod Reiss will become human again and humanity will still have a true Founding Titan.” You looked at him quietly.
He really believed he was the problem.
Levi answered almost immediately.
“That's true, we could always do that.” He looked directly at Eren. “But are you actually prepared to go through with it?” Eren nodded without hesitation. “…I am.” A quiet sigh escaped you before you could stop it.
“No.” The wagon fell silent.
Everyone turned toward you.
“There isn't any proof the First King's will can be resisted.” Your voice remained calm despite the unease twisting inside your chest. “This power has existed for generations.” “If someone of royal blood could have simply ignored that will… someone already would have.” You looked toward Eren.
“That path is futile.”
Historia spoke before anyone else could.
“She's right.” Her gaze swept across everyone gathered on the wagon. “And you're all forgetting our other option.” She glanced toward you with a small nod. “As Miss Iris said—” “Just Iris is fine,” you interrupted gently. Historia smiled faintly before continuing. “The first plan has too many flaws.”
“What if Rod inherits the Founding Titan and simply erases everyone's memories? There are still too many things we don't understand.”
“That's true,” Armin agreed. “Even if Rod Reiss eats Eren… there's no guarantee he'll even return to normal.” Historia nodded. “Exactly. Everything we've ever known about the royal family points to one thing, they've always chosen surrender, they've always chosen peace but now…” She looked toward Eren.
“The Founding Titan was stolen from them.”
“For the first time in over a century… someone outside the royal family possesses it.” She clenched her fist. “This may be humanity's only chance.”
The wagon fell quiet again.
Only the sound of galloping horses remained as the monstrous Titan continued dragging itself toward Orvud.
Humanity within the Walls’ last chance.
Eren let out a slow breath, realization finally settling over him as Historia turned to face him.
“That's right. Your father was trying to save us... and humanity... from the First King.” So Grisha Jaeger had stolen the Founding Titan. But why? How had an ordinary man even learned about its existence, let alone where to find it?
“He stole the Founding Titan from my sister,” Historia continued quietly, “and murdered all of the Reiss children because he had no other choice.” Eren clutched at his head as memories surfaced.
“Dad…”
“That's right. The Dr. Jaeger I know wouldn't do something like that without a reason.” Armin adds.
A doctor. Your thoughts caught on that single word. A theory—one so unlikely you almost refused to entertain it—began forming in your mind. If Dr. Jaeger had possessed the Attack Titan and somehow knew about the Founding Titan, then perhaps he had been like you.
An Eldian from outside the Walls.
Your pulse quickened. Zeke's grandfather had been a doctor, and Zeke had once turned in his own Restorationist parents to Marley. Could Dr. Jaeger have been his father? If he was, then who had given him the Attack Titan? How had he survived being sent to Paradis? How had he managed to infiltrate the Walls and live among the people without anyone suspecting him?
And if that theory was true... then Zeke betraying his parents had ultimately worked in Paradis' favor rather than Marley's. Grisha Jaeger hadn't been another obedient Eldian—he'd been a rebel, someone fighting against Marley's oppression from the very beginning.
By the time your thoughts finally settled, the group had already returned to Wall Sina.
Before you could fully gather yourself, Erwin called you over. “Good to see you again, Iris.” A small smile crossed your face. “I'm glad they didn't take your other arm, Commander.” He gave a quiet snicker. “You've been around Levi for too long.” Despite everything, you couldn't help smiling a little wider. “Come with me,” he continued. “We'll prepare for the strategy meeting. I'll need you recording everything—we only get one chance to execute this correctly.” You nodded without hesitation.
“Yes, Commander.”
The plan was surprisingly straightforward. They would allow Rod Reiss' monstrous Titan to reach Orvud District, letting the people witness the threat with their own eyes. By then, the creature would have scraped away most of its face from dragging itself across the ground, leaving its mouth exposed. Eren would transform from inside, blow Rod Reiss out through the back of the nape, and expose his true body. Then Historia would deliver the final blow herself.
That last part had been entirely her idea, and it was a clever one. The people wouldn't simply accept an unknown girl as their queen because someone claimed she carried royal blood. They needed to see her save them. They needed a reason to believe in their new monarch.
For once, everything unfolded exactly as planned.
Rod Reiss fell, Historia struck the decisive blow before the eyes of the people, and the cheers that echoed through Orvud District welcomed the birth of a new queen.
At long last, things were beginning to fall into place for the people of Paradis. Which only meant that soon, you would fall out of place. Whether you died here or eventually returned across the sea to Marley, your time within these walls was drawing to an end.
—
After back-to-back battles and revelation after revelation, everyone was finally allowed a brief moment to breathe during Queen Historia's coronation. It was a grand affair, the streets overflowing with cheering citizens celebrating their new monarch, but even surrounded by their joy, none of you truly felt at ease.
Too much had happened, and there was still far too much waiting beyond the horizon.
Once the ceremony ended, you quietly slipped away from the crowd, intending to keep to yourself, only for Eren's group to find you. Before you could even ask what they wanted, Historia, Eren, Armin, Jean, Connie, Sasha, and Mikasa were already dragging you along.
“Come on,” Mikasa said simply. “It'll be fun.”
“Hold on,” Eren said as he looked at Historia in disbelief. “You're seriously going to do it?” Historia nodded despite the obvious nerves written across her face. “Yes... I am.”
You blinked, still unsure what exactly she was planning. How was this supposed to be fun? And why had they brought you along?
“Mikasa was just joking about it,” Eren insisted. “Right, Mikasa?” Mikasa remained completely serious. “After you smack him,” she instructed Historia, “tell him this: ‘I dare you to hit me back.’”
Your brows lifted.
Then, in the distance, you spotted a familiar silhouette approaching. Realization settled over you almost instantly.
Oh. This... this would actually be fun to watch.
Levi noticed the group gathered ahead of him and walked over without much thought. Historia's breathing grew uneven as she stared at him, clearly battling every instinct telling her not to go through with whatever she had planned. Then, before she could lose her nerve, she rushed forward and punched him square in the arm.
Everyone erupted at once. Some shouted in horror. Others in excitement.
Most were probably feeling both.
You couldn't help smiling as Levi's eyes found you standing among the group. One brow arched in silent question, as though asking whether you had known about this all along.
Historia quickly puffed herself up despite the obvious panic in her eyes. “How'd you like that?” she declared. “I'm the Queen! If you have a problem—” She never finished.
Levi let out a quiet laugh.
The entire group froze.
Then... He smiled.
A genuine, unguarded smile.
“Thank you,” he said softly, looking over all of them. “All of you.”
“I needed that.”
No one moved. No one seemed capable of reacting. As silence settled over the group, you felt yourself slowly breathe again.
He was smiling.
It was the same small, almost imperceptible smile he reserved for the rarest moments... the one he always seemed to show you when no one else was looking.
It softened every sharp edge of his face.
For a fleeting moment, the weight he'd carried for so long simply... disappeared.
He looked... Beautiful.
—
A lot had happened since the 57th Exterior Scouting Mission.
What had begun as humanity's largest expedition had become the catalyst for revelation after revelation. The truth behind the Female Titan, the identities of the Armored and Colossal Titans, the royal family's secrets, Eren's newfound hardening ability—every answer seemed to uncover three more questions. The military purge had also left humanity considerably weaker, costing them experienced soldiers and talented leaders, but not everything gained had come at a loss.
Deep beneath the Reiss chapel, the Scouts had discovered a glowing ore unlike anything they'd ever seen, one that burned with a constant light and promised advancements that would benefit humanity for years to come.
More immediately, Eren's hardening ability had allowed Hange and their engineers to develop a new anti-Titan weapon: a massive guillotine-like mechanism fitted with a hardened tree trunk that could be dropped directly onto a Titan's nape, killing it without forcing soldiers to risk their lives in close combat.
Even so, progress came with its own price. Eren had been pushing himself relentlessly, transforming again and again in hopes of mastering hardening, and his body was beginning to protest.
His nose bled more frequently now, and after another failed attempt, he staggered slightly before Levi quietly knelt beside him and offered a clean handkerchief. “Use this,” he said simply, watching as Eren accepted it with an exhausted nod.
You remained silent until the others drifted back into conversation, then stepped beside Eren as naturally as you could, keeping your voice low enough that only he could hear.
“When people fight with a purpose,” you began quietly, “they also fight to stay alive for that purpose.” Eren looked up at you, still holding the handkerchief beneath his nose. “Think about who you're fighting for... what you're fighting for... why you're fighting at all.” Your gaze lingered on him for a moment. “Hold onto that will, Eren.” You offered him a small, tired smile. “Live hard.”
He blinked, clearly surprised by the advice.
Perhaps he thought your words were strange, or oddly timed. But it was the only guidance you could safely give him. A Titan shifter's body could endure unimaginable punishment.
What truly stopped regeneration... Was giving up.
God, it was almost as if you were tying up loose ends before disappearing from their lives.
Lately, you'd found yourself doing everything you could for them. You continued assisting Erwin with his endless reports and meetings, helped Hange organize and record the growing mountain of research they'd accumulated, sorted paperwork alongside Moblit until late into the evenings, and even spent time training the younger soldiers whenever they asked.
Sasha had been the first to point out that you were surprisingly skilled with a rifle, and before long you'd found yourself giving them all advice on marksmanship, positioning, and conserving ammunition. Piece by piece, you were leaving behind everything you knew that might help them survive.
It felt less like fulfilling your duties... And more like preparing everyone for the day you were gone.
Preparing them... For a future without you on their side.
For a future where they'd have to face your real comrades and alongside them, you, the real you.
Not long afterward, Eren came forward with something new. While sorting through fragments of Grisha Jaeger's memories, he'd recognized a man he knew in both his father's past and his own—the former Commandant of the Survey Corps, Keith Shadis.
Erwin immediately decided someone needed to hear whatever Keith knew firsthand.
As usual, he entrusted you to attend in his place.
There was no chance you would've stayed behind anyway.
If Grisha Jaeger truly held the key to everything happening now, then every missing piece of information mattered. Keith received all of you inside his office, quietly observing the group before him. "It's only been a few months," he murmured, "and yet... I hardly recognize any of you anymore."
Hange folded their arms. "You know why we're here?"
Keith's eyes settled on Eren.
"Eren... you resemble your mother so much but those fangs lurking deep in your eyes..." He looked somewhere far away. "They're your father's."
Eren leaned forward immediately. "Please." His voice cracked. "Tell me everything you know about him."
Keith let out a tired breath. "In the grand scheme of things... I know nothing." He lowered his gaze.
"But I can tell you a story."
"A story utterly useless to humanity, the story of my past… as nothing more than a bystander."
He began twenty years earlier.
Back then, he'd discovered Grisha Jaeger wandering alone outside Wall Maria near Shiganshina District and brought him inside after having him briefly detained for illegally entering the territory. Keith introduced the mysterious outsider to life within the Walls, and during their conversations often spoke of his frustration that humanity remained imprisoned by the Titans.
Grisha had admired that determination, remarking that only "special people" could join the Survey Corps. Keith had carried those words with him, convincing himself that perhaps he truly was someone destined for greatness.
As the years passed, Keith continued serving in the Survey Corps while Grisha established himself as a doctor within Shiganshina. Together they battled a deadly epidemic, and Keith watched as Grisha slowly grew closer to Carla before eventually marrying her.
After the Eleventh Commander's death, Keith himself inherited command of the Survey Corps. Yet despite believing he had been chosen for something extraordinary, nothing improved. Expedition after expedition ended in failure. He even rejected one of Erwin Smith's proposals—the Long-Range Scouting Formation—believing that if the idea truly held merit, Erwin could implement it after succeeding him.
The defeats only continued.
Each failed expedition chipped away at Keith's confidence.
Returning home meant enduring insults from civilians while hearing whispers that Erwin would've made a better commander. One day, Carla introduced her young son, Eren, asking Keith if he truly intended to continue risking his life beyond the Walls. Frustrated and exhausted, Keith lashed out, insisting ordinary people could never understand why he fought.
Then came another disastrous expedition in the year 845. Standing before a grieving mother whose son would never return, Keith was finally forced to admit that every sacrifice the Survey Corps had made under his command had accomplished nothing. That was the moment he realized he wasn't one of the "special people" he'd always believed himself to be.
Accepting that truth, he resigned as commander and passed leadership to Erwin Smith.
After Wall Maria fell, Grisha asked Keith to help search for his family. Together they eventually found Eren, who tearfully revealed that Carla had been devoured by a Titan. Grisha took his son into the forest, determined to set him on a path of vengeance. Keith tried to stop him, arguing that Eren wasn't necessarily special simply because he existed.
"My son is different because he's my son." He ordered Keith not to interfere.
Not long afterward, a strange thunder-like sound echoed through the forest. When Keith investigated, Grisha had vanished. Only Eren remained, unconscious on the ground. Keith carried the boy back to safety.
Back to Mikasa.
Back to Armin.
"...That," Keith finished quietly, "is everything I know."
Silence lingered inside the room.
It was Eren who finally broke it.
"So… That's it?"
Hange's expression hardened. "So now we know the real reason you resigned." Their voice was calm, but there was unmistakable bitterness beneath it. "It wasn't because you wanted to atone for the soldiers who died under your command, It was because you realized you were never special. That's the childish reason you've been hiding here."
"Quit it, Hange." Levi's voice cut through the room before Keith could answer.
"Please stop, Squad Leader Hange, the Commandant’s right." Eren pleaded. "I was never special, I was just the son of a special man."
Then, almost as though hearing a voice carried from years ago, Shadis spoke.
"Your mother… She said something once." Eren looked up.
"'Is it wrong not to be special? I don't think so. When it comes to my child... it's fine if he's never great. He doesn't have to be better than anyone." A lump rose in your throat. "After all… Just look at him. He's so cute."
"He's already special… because he was born into this world."
Something inside you shattered.
Because for as long as you could remember... Your worth had only ever been measured by what you could accomplish.
By how useful you were.
By how obedient.
By how worthy of inheriting a Titan.
By whether Marley deemed your existence valuable.
No one had ever told you that simply being born... Could be enough.
Even though every theory you'd pieced together about Grisha Jaeger seemed to be proving true, your mind barely lingered on him anymore. The possibility that he had come from beyond the Walls, that he had inherited the Attack Titan before Eren, that he may even have been connected to Zeke—all of it slowly faded into the background.
Instead, your thoughts remained trapped on a single sentence, spoken by a woman who had been dead for five years. "He's already special... because he was born into this world." You couldn't stop hearing Carla Jaeger's voice.
The words echoed through your head again and again, gentle and unwavering in a way that felt almost foreign.
Special... Because he was born.
Not because he was useful.
Not because he was better than others.
Just... Because he existed.
You wondered what it must have been like to grow up hearing words like that.
You missed your mother.
God... You missed her so much.
You tried to remember her voice, but every year it became a little harder. You remembered the warmth of her embrace more than her face now, remembered the way she'd quietly fixed your hair before sending you off each morning, remembered the softness in her eyes before Marley had taught you to fear looking the wrong person in the eye.
Would she have said something like Carla had? Would she have told you that you were already enough? Or had Marley stolen those words from her long before you were old enough to understand them?
You'd spent your entire life believing that your right to exist depended on what you could offer someone else.
Your throat burned.
For the first time in years, you wished your mother were there to tell you that everything would be alright.
Not as a Warrior.
Not as an honorary Marleyan.
Not as Iris.
Just... As her daughter.
—
After months spent cleaning up the aftermath of the coup and addressing everything that had been left in chaos, the operation to reclaim Wall Maria was finally beginning to move forward once more. Preparations were underway across the Survey Corps, every soldier aware that this would likely be humanity's greatest gamble yet.
Among the many countermeasures now at your disposal was something even more dangerous than any weapon—a single syringe filled with Titan serum. Kenny Ackerman had left it behind, and now it rested in Levi's care. One injection. One chance to turn someone standing at death's door into a Pure Titan, allowing them to inherit the power of a Titan shifter should the opportunity arise.
It was an impossible responsibility, and the decision of who would receive it when the time came had fallen solely to Levi.
Now, gathered inside Erwin's office, the commanders finalized what little remained to be discussed. Routes, supply lines, formations, contingency plans—everything had already been considered countless times before. In the end, only one thing truly mattered.
The operation to retake Wall Maria would begin in two days.
One by one, everyone filed out of the office as the meeting came to an end. You lingered for only a moment before stepping into the hallway, instinctively glancing back through the still-open door.
Levi hadn't moved.
He remained standing across from Erwin, the others long gone, the quiet between them saying more than words ever could. You could almost guess the conversation they were about to have.
Erwin was missing an arm.
As a soldier, he was no longer the man he'd once been.
Levi didn't want him on this mission.
Not because he doubted him… But because he didn't want to lose him.
You lowered your gaze.
Even so... You already knew it wouldn't end the way Levi wanted.
—
The mess hall was louder than it had been in months.
Laughter bounced off the wooden walls, mugs slammed against tables, chairs scraped across the floor as soldiers shoved one another over card games that barely mattered, and somewhere in the middle of it all someone had begun singing so terribly that bread was being thrown at them from every direction.
For one evening, everyone was pretending there wasn't an operation waiting for them in two days. Pretending they weren't marching toward Wall Maria. Pretending some of them weren't already as good as dead.
You couldn't join them.
Not because you didn't want to, but because something inside you had been screaming for weeks now. You'd felt it growing since the battle at Shiganshina was first mentioned, maybe even long before then.
The inevitable was coming.
Moblit, oblivious to the storm raging inside your head, quietly slipped another slice of meat onto your plate every time you managed to finish one. "You've barely been eating," he muttered, earning an amused snort from Hange across the table.
"If we're all dying soon," Hange laughed, pouring another splash of liquor into your cup, "we might as well make sure you die full."
You managed a smile because they wanted you to. You thanked them because they deserved that much. And you drank because it was easier than explaining why every beat of your heart felt unbearably heavy.
By the time Jean and Eren were loudly arguing over something and half the mess hall had begun cheering them on, you quietly excused yourself. No one stopped you. Hange only waved the bottle toward you before filling your cup one last time. "Take it with you."
So you did.
The cold met you the instant you stepped outside. You climbed the familiar stairs until you reached the rooftop overlooking headquarters, settling near the edge where the wind brushed through your hair.
Above you stretched an endless sky scattered with stars, peaceful in a way the world beneath it had forgotten how to be. The alcohol buzzed warmly beneath your skin—not enough to make you forget, only enough to dull the edges of the pain. Your thumbs absentmindedly traced the rim of your cup as your thoughts wandered where they always did.
Reiner. Bertholdt. Zeke.
They wouldn't leave empty-handed. Marley hadn't waited five years just to abandon the mission now. They would come back. They had to. They'd come for Eren. For the Founding Titan.
Probably not for you.
A bitter smile tugged at your lips.
Maybe that was for the best.
Maybe you'd die during this operation before anyone ever learned what you really were.
Before Levi looked at you with hatred instead of—
The rooftop door creaked open behind you.
"What the hell are you doing out here?" You didn't have to turn around. "It's fucking freezing tonight." His footsteps crossed the rooftop, deliberate and familiar. "You'll catch a damn cold."
You finally looked over your shoulder.
Levi stood there, already wearing that irritated expression that never quite hid the concern beneath it.
"I feel warm," you murmured. His nose wrinkled almost immediately. "Of course you do." He crouched beside you, taking one sniff before clicking his tongue. "You reek of alcohol."
"Hange kept pouring me drinks."
"That doesn't mean you have to keep drinking them."
"...Mh." You looked back toward the stars. "Sorry."
Without another word, he reached down and grabbed your hand. His palm was warm, grounding, impossibly familiar.
"C'mon." Before you could protest, he'd already pulled you to your feet. "We're going inside."
His office hadn't changed.
The scent of tea still lingered faintly in the air. Papers were stacked neatly across his desk, his cravat hung over the back of a chair, and the old couch sat exactly where it always had. He guided you toward it before kneeling in front of you.
You watched him silently.
It felt like forever since you'd been here.
Slowly, he began unlacing your boots.
"...Levi." The word came out so quietly you weren't even sure you'd spoken aloud. "What?"
He didn't look up as one boot slipped free, then the other. Carefully, he peeled off your socks as though it were the most natural thing in the world.
"...I'm sorry." That finally made him lift his head. "For what?" His eyes searched yours.
"For smelling like alcohol..." A brief pause. "...Or for avoiding me like the plague?"
Your breath caught.
Of course he knew.
How wouldn't he?
For nearly two years you'd always found each other somehow, whether over shared cups of tea, late nights buried in paperwork, or quiet walks through headquarters. Somewhere along the way, those little moments had become yours.
Then you'd started disappearing.
Little by little.
Without answering, you leaned forward until your arms wrapped around his neck, your forehead resting against his shoulder.
"...I'm sorry." His body stilled before his arms slowly settled around your waist.
"If you are..." His voice was quieter now. "...Then stop trying to leave."
You lifted your head just enough to meet his eyes.
"Why do you keep saying that?" Your voice trembled. "Where would I even go?"
"I don't know." The answer came instantly. "I just..." His jaw tightened. "I can feel it."
His eyes never left yours.
"Every day you're farther away than you were the day before." His grip tightened ever so slightly. "So stop." The words cracked in a way you'd never heard before. "Whatever the hell you're doing... stop."
"If you disappear..." A humorless laugh escaped him. "I'll find you." No hesitation. "I don't care where you go."
"I'll drag you back here myself." He glanced toward the couch beneath you. "Then you can finally sleep, I'll make you."
A tiny, broken laugh escaped you through your tears.
Even now... He thought your exhaustion came from overworking.
Not from drowning beneath guilt.
"I..." Your voice broke. "I don't think..." Your eyes wandered around the room. The couch. The books. His office. The future the two of you had once quietly imagined together.
"I don't think we'll ever wake up together." Your chest tightened painfully. "We're never going to move this couch into the house you told me about."
Levi's face became completely still.
No anger.
No confusion.
Only silence.
Finally, he spoke.
"...You don't want me anymore."
It wasn't a question.
It was the only answer he could find.
Your head shook so violently it hurt. "No." The word escaped with a sob. "No..." Fresh tears spilled down your cheeks. "I do want you." You laughed helplessly through your crying. "God… I want you so much."
His brow furrowed.
"Then what is it?" His voice was almost pleading now. "Why do you keep pulling away?"
"I..." You couldn't breathe. "I'm scared."
"Of what?" He reached up, brushing another tear from your cheek. "Tell me."
"I'll handle it, I'll take care of whatever's scaring you."
"You can't."
"Why not?"
"...Because it's me." The room fell silent. "I'm scared of myself."
Your voice barely rose above a whisper.
"I don't know who I am." Every word felt like tearing yourself apart. "I don't know which parts of me are real." Your shoulders shook uncontrollably. "And..." A sob caught in your throat. "I'm going to hurt you."
"There isn't anything I can do to stop that."
"So I've been trying..."
The sentence died before you could finish it.
Trying to leave.
Trying to make him hate you.
Trying to make goodbye easier.
Instead, he lifted both hands and gently cradled your face. His thumbs brushed beneath your eyes, catching every tear they could.
"Hurt me." You stared at him. "I don't care." His forehead rested against yours. "Just..." Even his voice broke. "...Stop running away from me."
"Please."
"No." A sad smile touched his lips. "You don't want me to leave, I know that now."
"You've never wanted that."
His thumb stroked your cheek again.
"So when the day comes you really don't want me anymore… I'll go, I won't make you ask twice."
"But that isn't today." His eyes searched yours. "So tell me."
"...Do you not want me anymore?"
You couldn't answer. You only cried harder. Because the truth was painfully simple.
"I want you." The confession fell apart between sobs. "I want to stay with you, I want to sleep beside you, I want to wake up in your arms."
"I want..." You covered your face, unable to bear looking at him. "I want you to tell me everything's going to be okay." Your breathing hitched. "That we'll be okay." Another sob escaped you. "But I'm so scared."
Levi didn't answer right away.
Instead, he gently pulled your hands away from your face and looked at you as though you were the only person left in the world.
"...Don't be." His voice was barely louder than a whisper.
He kissed you.
Softly.
Never demanding.
Never desperate.
Just enough.
Just enough to say everything the two of you couldn't.
His lips lingered for a heartbeat before his forehead rested against yours once more.
You loved him so much that every instinct inside you begged you to push him away before fate could. Before Marley could. Before your own hands became the thing that destroyed him.
You loved him so much that death felt kinder than surviving long enough to watch the look on his face when he learned the truth.
So you held him.
As though you could memorize the warmth of his embrace, the rhythm of his breathing, the quiet way his fingers curled against your back.
Knowing... This would be the last time he ever held you without knowing you were his enemy.
