That clingy assistant had been... clingy a lot towards Hange. He spent almost every second of the day with her. And worst of all, she didn't mind and seemed quite happy with it. Either she just paid no attention and was dense as she ever had been, or she did it because she liked the attention. But she wasn't one to seek attention. So another option was...

They had something secretly going on.

Of course! Levi would've love to act like it didn't bother him... but it did. He wasn't a huge fan of that assistant from the start anyway. It never occurred to him why but Moblit was like some sort of competition. And it felt like whatever competition it was, he was currently winning it. Levi could tell because his blood boiled at Moblit's presence. But mainly when he was with Hange.

Petra had also been present a lot more lately. She had been classed as a creep by Levi. She shot grins whenever she could, fluttering her lashes and messing around with her hair. Levi had convinced himself he wasn't aroused by things like that. As well as being creepy, Levi didn't trust Petra. Everything they'd been through the past few times all somehow, summed up to Petra. The rumours especially.

She'd been going on about future plans and marriage. The battle to retake wall Maria was planned for in a couple of days. Zhiganshina district was their aim. The basement. They had to get to the basement. But with Reiner and Bertholdt on the run... fear was all that was left. Who knew when they'd pop out.

***

"Whatever happens, come back alive", Levi stated "even if it's not in one piece"

"I could say the same to you. Come back alive short Ass, even if it isn't in one piece", Hange agreed.

Like always before they left the questioned protection between the walls, Levi and Hange were next to each other on the horses. And once again, they rode out to face the deaths of many that was to come. Losing comrades one by one. Life as a soldier was difficult. It was unclear whose death was next. And when death came it'd be hard to grieve. Where was the time to do so? When there was trouble after trouble. How could you sleep when being tormented with screams of a fellow human and soldier being ripped to shreds and not being able to live past this horror? Levi often debated whether staying in the underground was far better than being here.

Sure streets were filthy and the air was suffocating. But if he'd just stayed he wouldn't have lost both Farlan and Isabel. Those he'd saw as family when his mother left him. And when that son of a bitch, Kenny neglected him.

Levi could fend for himself. He was a skilled thug. He'd spent most of his life taking from people. He had business down there even though he was targeted amongst a lot of authorities and the military police. But all the survey corps ever did was take more than what he had stolen. And feared that the next would be Hange.

The basement held the most possible answers to their questions. It was worth risking lives for. At least they had a higher chance of survival thanks to Hange's new weapon; the thunder spears. They had gone through a forest at night where titans were unable to move and managed to spot one. Of course it wasn't in motion. Finally they arrived outside of wall Maria.

Everyone had set out as planned with Levi and Hange standing back to back.

"The entire wall and they decide to stand on top of each other like that", Mike sighed preparing some of the thunder spears.

"It's not cute", Petra muttered under her breath walking past Moblit who watched her with a questioned face. Eren had plugged up the hole just fine.

Just when all we're going according to plan, Levi was spotted slicing violently through Reiner thanks to Armin finding out their secret hideout. Hiding in the walls was a great place. And this had interrupted all they had planned. But it was, in the least, expected.

All had split up. Hange's squad along with Petra and a few others had gone off a different direction. Eren, Mikasa, Armin, Jean and Connie had their goal set to distract the Armoured Titan. Levi on the other hand was on the side where titans had appeared from nowhere.

The beast Titan.

***

"Petra this isn't the best time..."

"Oh but it is. For all we know, we could die during this fight. I can't die without being honest with you, section commander"

"I don't want your honesty, Petra. This isn't the right time"

"I told everyone. I made up that rumour. You know the one of you and Captain Levi?..."

Hange was distracted. Petra was currently being an unbelievable asshole. And Moblit was unsure whether to interrupt or not. For he knows she could get even more distracted by his nagging voice telling her to focus.

'I knew it had something to do with her! Focus Hange... focus...'

"I despise you, Hange. You stole everything. And I hope this will be your end", Petra chuckled lightly. Hange was ready to spin round on the manoeuvre gear but there was an explosion.

Their location happened to be where the colossal was heading. This really was the end. Petra had starting laughing like a maniac.

"It is the end! I called it!", she was laughing hysterically.

"HANGE!", Moblit yelled pushing her forward. She was sure what to do. Her other lens on her glasses broke ruining her vision for one of her eyes. Moblit and Petra along with everyone else got caught up in the explosion. All but her.

***

"What's that explosion? Is that where Hange and the others are? Did I miss someth-", Levi snapped back to reality noticing the huge blocks of ricks thrown at them.

"Shit...", he muttered "I didn't see that-"

They were dying. One by one. Screams were everywhere.

Hangewas against the idea of Armin getting revived in place of Erwin. He was a great commander. And now he wasn't here to see the people of Paradise being free in the very distant future. She left their conversation moving to an isolated area for sometime.

Levi soon too joined her only to be greeted with a few drops of tears rolling down her cheeks. He didn't know how to react. He'd never seen her like this. She was the only one who knew how to handle someone in tears.

He took a seat next to her on the wall.

"Do you-"

"Yeah... I want to talk about it. I don't like any part of it. Moblit's gone. Erwin's gone. And I know I told Mikasa we just have to move forward it's so difficult letting go of those you held close to your heart. After all it's my fault Moblit's dead. He risked his life saving me", Hange sobbed quietly.

"You held Moblit close to your heart?"

"Of course. He was my assistant, Levi. A faithful one. And Erwin making me commander? I don't think I can handle it"

Levi let out a long sigh "I'm not excited about loosing Erwin either. But there is one person I'm glad survived"

She lifted her head, sniffing, looking like a little child who'd been crying for hours.

"I'm glad you survived. Even if that meant losing your eyesight. I owe Moblit one."

Hange nodded not willing to say much. She questioned whether to tell Levi what Petra said before her needed death or not. In the end she gave in spilling it all to him.

"You're dense if you hadn't realised that sooner", he told her in shock "Aren't you meant to have a sharp brain? She made it so obvious even on that particular day... well what's gone is gone. And since your new commander perhaps you should fiddle with the rules"

"Like giving us women black trousers". Levi chuckled slightly.

"And you're in charge of what happens to us next"

She looked at him puzzled. Them as in the remaining of the survey corps, which there isn't much of left? Or them as just the two of them?

"Us. Just the two of us"

Hange's face heated up. Her guesses were right and he wasn't just being an asshole. Who'd have thought someone like him had feelings?

"Captain Levi?, Hange? We'd like to show you the basement, if you don't mind", Armin interrupted them, pointing towards everyone that had been waiting for sometime. Hange stood up.

"Right. Lead the way, Armin"

Lives were lost just to get to this basement. It was sure to hold lots of answers. Which it did as they discovered when Mikasa, Eren, Levi and Hange got.

Maybe it was a new beginning.

🤪😰😀💅🏽