Lost in her thoughts, she returned to their shared apartment, which she found unlocked. She enthusiastically entered and took off her jacket.
"Levi? Are you at home?" She called into the room while noticing that the crew had already installed new glowing lighting in their flat as well. She looked down to smile at Levi who had just come out of the bathroom. "I'm so glad you're home. I need to talk to you about something," her smile fell as she saw him fixing his ODM gear.
"Sorry. Could it wait? I urgently need to escort Eren to former Commander Shadis. It turns out he knew Eren's father," Theia just opened her mouth silently when he didn't even make eye contact with her to walk past her. He gently kissed her forehead and put on his shoes. "We'll talk tonight, okay?" He assured her, even though she knew very well that nothing like that would happen. He left their apartment, and Theia was left standing again in the empty, silent room, still holding her military garrison jacket in her hands, which she tossed on the hanger with distaste. Disappointed, she went to the bathroom, where she could still smell Levi's soap. She sat down on the bathtub, which she began to fill after a while. After her bath she went into the bedroom where she opened the closet to find a hair towel that Levi had placed on the top shelves. She raised her hand and frowned.
"How is it possible for such a short man to hide something in such a high place?" She complained to herself and jumped up to pull the towel as the entire pile fell to the floor. Theia held the towel between her fingers and sighed angrily as her eyes fell on the mess around her. She sat down unhappily and stared absently when she noticed the scout unit's leather jacket. She reached for it, thinking it must have been mixed in Levi's laundry, but the name Smith was clearly embroidered on the shoulder of the jacket. She stroked the fabric and returned to old memories of wearing that jacket as camouflage among scouts after Levi, Furlan, and Isabel joined the survey corps. She smiled and got up to put on her jacket. She stood in front of the mirror, where she looked at herself proudly.
Have you forgotten that the blood in your veins is the blood of the Smiths?
She exhaled unhappily and looked away from the mirror. "Shit,"
Trost District August 12, 4:40 p.m
In the evening, Levi didn't return home. She assumed that, she knew that he had full hands with preparations for the expedition, which was approaching very quickly. And when she didn't have the chance to meet him for the next few days, she decided to look for him herself. But she didn't find him at his father's office or in his office, he wasn't even with Eren. The last option that occurred to her was Hanje. Therefore, she went to her laboratory, where Hanje was currently improving a new anti-Titan weapon. "Hello Hanje, isn't Levi here?" Hanje jumped up from the table and ran to the other side.
"Yes, he was here. He had just left with Moblit to prepare thunder spears outside the city. The last test will take place in an hour," she answered with disinterest and Theia rolled her eyes.
"Serious? Does that guy ever stop at one place?" she exhaled in frustration.
"Well, you're right, he's been very busy lately," Hanje added, not noticing Theia's frustrated face. "Please Theia. Can you explain to me again how your explosive needles work? Specifically, I mean the unlocking method," Theia walked over to the table and pulled a pin from her hair to stick it into the wooden surface.
"The needle is attached to a metal string that ends at the trigger with some gunpowder. The release will cause a spark and then an explosion," she tugged gently the string as Hanje examined it in fascination.
"Could the wires from gear be used?" Hanje asked curiously and Theia nodded.
"That wires are also made of steel, so yes,"
"Can I borrow that pin?" Hanje asked and Theia placed the weapon on the table.
"Do you want to use a thunder spear with a similar mechanism?" Hanje nodded, still looking at Theia's weapon.
"Who created such perfect weapons for a specialized unit?" Theia sat down in a chair and looked around Hanji's office, which needed some cleaning.
"Theodor Heering. Co-founder of the specialized unit," Theia looked away. "Did you talk to the father? Is he really going to participate in the expedition?" Hanje smiled and placed Theia's weapon on the table.
"I'm rather surprised that you are not going to participate to protect him," Hanje leaned against her desk as Theia lowered her gaze. "Four hundred soldiers transferred to the survey corps. You know best that the military garrison is losing its importance and you even resigned from a specialized unit. What do you want to do now?" For the first time, she could see Theia, speechless.
"I can't..."
"When do you think you can change things? Definitely not with hands in the pockets," Theia sadly looked away. "Erwin participates because he is aware that he is doing it for the good of humanity. You stay because?" Hanje paused and looked into Theia's undecided eyes. "Because Levi wants it?"
"He would feel that I betrayed him," Hanje rolled her eyes and smiled.
"Being his wife doesn't mean you've lost your free will. You always did exactly what you wanted and didn't look at others. You are Smith. And this fact is never going to change," she winked at her as Theia looked down with a smile. Hanje walked up to her and put a hand on her shoulder. "Levi will deal with it, but will you deal with yourself if you sit here while your loved ones fight and die? This battle is one of the greatest that humanity faces. We need you Theia," both women jumped in shock as Levi burst into the room along with Moblit who nervously ran around the table to grab some materials about the experiment, he had forgotten.
"Hey four eyes! What are you still doing here? Go to your place now!" Theia turned to a surprised Levi.
"Levi, please can I talk to you?" She addressed him as Moblit handed him the documents.
"I'm sorry, I know you wanted to tell me something, but I really don't have time right now..."
"Hey! Levi! Come here at once and hear what she has to say!" Theia's eyes widened at Hanji's serious voice as Levi sighed and stepped into the room. He crossed his arms over his chest and looked into Theia's eyes.
"I'm listening..." he urged her and Theia took a nervous breath.
"Levi, I know you won't be happy by my proposal, but I would like you to at least listen to me and..."
"Captains! Prime Minister Zachary is here! We have to leave immediately for the test!" She was interrupted by Moblit's urging voice, causing Levi to turn around in frustration. He returned his gaze to Theia and stroked her head.
"I'm sorry, I really have to go, but I promise that everything will be different after this expedition. Trust me," the door closed and she stood alone again. She exhaled angrily and clenched her fists. She felt so useless, invisible and alone. She had enough.
Trost District August 13, 2:10 p.m.
"Are you sure about that?"
"Absolutely sure,"
"Are you ready to die?
"I'm not going to die..." after her answer, Erwin smiled and signed the request for Theia Ackerman's transfer to the survey corps directly under the approval of the commander Pyxis.
"What did Pyxis say?" He asked curiously.
"He said you prepared him for it," she measured her father with a look.
"May I know the reason for your decision?" Theia thought for a moment.
"I don't want to hate myself more than now. If I'll lose someone else behind those walls while I sit with my arms folded, I'll go crazy," she clearly looked at Erwin's missing hand. "I know I can't convince you to stay here, so I'll come with you and do whatever it takes to get you home," she smiled sincerely as she looked into his bright blue eyes. He got up to walk over to the closet, which he opened and searched it for a few seconds until he pulled out a brown, leather scout jacket when Theia stopped him with her hand. "I'll keep this one," Erwin breathed as Theia proudly stroked the Smith name embroidery on the jacket she was wearing.
"I don't know anyone who looks with wings of freedom better than you," he acknowledged, placing a hand on her shoulder as the door of his office opened and Levi walked in, his eyes fixed on the documents. When he noticed Theia, he looked up at her in surprise and placed the papers on the table.
"Are you practicing some kind of show here?" He asked, crossing his arms over his chest and looking at Theia's outfit in frustration. Erwin removed his hand from her shoulder and returned to his desk.
"I would like to assure you that I intend to keep your rank of captain. After we lost many veterans and especially Miche's unit, I need to replace him. I'll assign to you some elite soldiers along with Mina Carolina and Flosh Foster from your former team who also joined the scouting unit," Theia nodded and Levi frowned in confusion.
"Hey, what the hell are you talking about?"
"I just accepted Theia's transfer to the survey corps. She will participate in the next expedition," Levi heard Erwin's words as if from another room. His chest tightened until he felt like he would never breathe again. He stared ahead, trying to absorb the information his head couldn't understand.
"What?" He finally asked in a low voice. "That's the first time I'm hearing about it..." his gaze darkened and his hair covered his face. He hid the fingers into fists and bounced off the table he was leaning against, but Erwin stopped him by grabbing his shoulder. He looked seriously into his face, which was consumed by anger.
"That's a good father. Please leave us," Theia asked in a calm voice and Erwin let out a breath. He got up and reluctantly left his own office, which was consumed by agonizing silence. "It looks like you finally found some time for me, no. Even now you listen just to father's words not mine," she smiled, looking at his motionless figure.
"When did you want to tell me? In the morning before departure?" Theia sighed at Levi's comment.
"I tried to tell you, and not only once, but everything was always more important," she looked at his face, where she could clearly see the overflowing fury. Levi's eyes fell on Erwin's desk where he found the documents confirming Theia's transfer. He took them in his palm and tore in half with one quick move.
"We'll pretend it was just a stupid joke," he threw the pieces of the document back on the table and Theia smiled.
"Do you think you changed the world when you tore some useless papers?" He raised a piercing look at her. He bounced off the table and walked towards her, but didn't stop. He reached out and grabbed her by the neck, roughly pressing her body against the door. Theia let out a painful breath.
"What's your point? What are you punishing me for this time?" He hissed between his teeth.
"I never punished you for anything," she answered and instinctively reached for his wrist to at least try to pull him away. In vain. On the other hand, Levi's grip grew stronger and he pushed his body against hers. He pressed her other hand against the door and blocked any attempt to fight back.
"You know fucking well what you mean to me and yet you try your fucking best to put herself in danger and drive me completely crazy!" He shouted into her horrified face.
"Levi, enough. You're being irrational," she whispered because she was running out of oxygen from how tightly he was holding her.
"The fact that I'm worried about you is fucking proof of my love! If it bothers you so much, you should have found someone who would be not interested at all!" Theia's pupils widened. "I asked you for one thing. Just one! And what will you do? You're fucking me!" He threw her to the ground with all his might until her body crumpled the rug in front of Erwin's desk. Theia coughed to get oxygen into her lungs.
"I tried to talk to you about it, but I wasn't even existing for you for months!" She raised her eyes to look into his devastated face. "You know what? Stop that all. Calm down and we'll talk," she sat down on the ground and held her stomach, which was turning upside down. She thought she was going to throw up.
"I don't want to calm down. I don't even want to talk. I'll make sure you don't go anywhere. A captain with broken arms will definitely not be participating in any expedition," Theia immediately forgot to breathe. He walked until he stopped right in front of her with indescribable fury in his eyes.