"That's the checkpoint with the weakest security."
"All right. We'll handle the next part," Levi answered Marlowe. "Get back to your squad before they suspect anything."
"Yes, sir."
The Scouts were currently hiding in bushes, waiting for Levi's command. Marlowe and Hitch started to walk away, but stopped once Levi called out to them. "You saved our asses."
Marlowe and Hitch saluted. "Sir!"
Levi looked back at his squad. "Let's go! It's our turn to go on the offensive!"
Y/n, Jean, Connie and Sasha loaded on a carriage with Jean holding onto the reigns. Sasha had her bow ready and Connie his swords, while Y/n held onto her shotgun. All of them yelled as they broke through a bunch of crates, infiltrating the camp and crashing through a bunch of MPs.
It wasn't long before they stood atop a hill, each of them on high alert. Shuffles were heard and Y/n and Jean immediately raised their shotguns.
"It's me," Levi said. He was dragging a man by his jacket.
"Captain, he's—"
"With the Interior Police," Levi cut Armin off and dropped the man on the ground. Jean lowered his gun, but Y/n kept hers pointed at the man just in case. "I've got a few questions for him. Let's move."
They found a spot in the woods where they were pretty sure no one would look for them and Levi got straight to torturing him for information. It was dark by then; Y/n stood on guard with her back to the scene, shotgun at the ready, not wanting to see the brutality. Everyone else was scattered around.
There was a kick, then a grunt. "Where are Eren and Christa?" Levi asked.
The man chuckled. "Look how bold you are. You just defeated a checkpoint full of recruits who barely knew which end of the blade was up. You think beating them up makes you some sort of hero?"
"Pardon our insolent behavior," Levi said. More grunts followed. Looking back for a moment, Y/n noticed Levi's boot in the man's mouth. She wanted to gag and looked away again. "But we're no match for the insolence of your mouth. I recommend you start talking while you're still able to use it. Where are Eren and Christa?"
The man coughed. Levi must've taken his boot out. "You're wasting your time! You'll spend the rest of your lives covered in mud and shit, chasing your tails inside the walls. By failing to turn yourselves in, you're sentencing your captured allies to death! Starting with the most guilty of them all, Erwin Smith!"
More grunts. A crunch, then a yell. Y/n didn't look back. "Shut up," Levi said. "That's for not answering my question. Even among the Survey Corps, some lives are more valuable than others. Our group of fools has already learned that lesson. Tell me where Eden and Christa are."
"I—I don't know!" the man cried. "They don't tell me things like that! Kenny Ackerman is a very cautious man!"
Y/n looked back then, at Levi and Mikasa.
"Ackerman?" Levi asked. "I know Kenny. Is that his last name?"
"Yeah."
"Well, he always was light on the details. Doubly so for the important ones. But you must have some idea. Here, let me jog your memory."
"Stop it!"
"You still have plenty of other bones for me to break," Levi said and grabbed the man's arm, pulling it back.
"You're completely insane!"
"Maybe I am."
Sasha suddenly lifted her bow. "Someone's coming from that way!"
Y/n quickly dropped in a crouch behind a tree, her gun aimed up. She noticed Jean not too far from her, Armin on the ground next to him. Sasha was also behind a tree with her bow while Connie was at her feet with his gun.
"Didn't I tell you, Captain?" the man spoke from the ground. "You're wasting your time. One way or another, the Survey Corps will soon come to an end!"
Y/n could see hooded figures advancing towards them. She narrowed her eyes — there were only two people.
Once close enough, the two people took their hoods off, revealing Hange and Moblit. Y/n's body immediately relaxed.
Everyone was gathered around Levi as he held the newspaper Hange had given them. Y/n's chin rested on top of Connie's head as she read despite the poor light, her eyes wide in wonder.
"And there you have it," Hange said. "The coup d'était was successful. Premier Zachary has taken control of the capital and the administrative district. As of now, the nobility has made no attempt to rebel."
"What about the charges for murdering Reeves?" Armin asked.
"We got a confession that proved the charges unfounded," Hange explained. "His son, Flegel, really pulled through. They even wrote that our actions were justified in self-defense. In other words, we're free people again."
Everyone gasped and looked at each other — Y/n and Jean's eyes met before everyone broke into cheer; Y/n wrapped her arm around Jean's shoulders as she happily jumped up.
"We're free again!" Y/n called as she fully wrapped her arms around him, pulling him as close as possible and burying her head in the crook of his neck.
"Yeah," he breathed in her ear, squeezed her even tighter.
". . . and, of course, Eren and Historia, are all still somewhere else. If we can't find them soon . . ." Y/n pulled away at Levi's words. Right. This isn't over yet.
"I may have a lead on that." Hange brought up a book. Everyone turned to look at them. "Let's get there and put an end to this battle."
———
Y/n held tightly on her horse's reigns, riding next to the carriage Levi, Hange, Mikasa and Armin sat in. Connie, Jean and Sasha were nearby, too, listening in as Hange explained what they'd found and Levi explaining how strong Kenny was.
"Then there's no way we could beat him . . ." Sasha said.
"Maybe if we waited for the backup—"
"Absolutely not." Mikasa cut Connie off.
"I know it's out of the question!" Connie defended. "Eren might be eaten already if we wait 'till morning."
"But based on what the captain said, he must have at least one weak point," Armin reasoned.
"You serious, Armin?" Jean asked.
"Yeah. He may have the training, but he doesn't have our practical experience," Armin explained.
"His name is Kenny the Ripper," Y/n said. "I'm pretty sure he's got some experience."
"Not helping, Y/n," Sasha called out, but they all knew she was right.
"But, Levi, how do you know so little about Kenny the Ripper when you lived with him for so long?" Hange asked.
"Sorry. I didn't even know his full name until recently. Apparently, it's Kenny Ackerman." He looked at Mikasa. "Are you two related?"
Mikasa explained how both her parents were driven out of the cities and ended up living near the outermost wall, but that she'd never found out why the Ackermans were persecuted.
"Has there ever been a time where you felt like some kind of power suddenly awakened inside of you?"
"There has," Mikasa answered.
Levi explained how Kenny had experienced that, too. How he himself had felt it, too.
———
They made it to a house in the middle of nowhere. The recruits were tasked with preparing a few 'surprises', while Levi and Hange looked for a supposed trap door that would lead them to wherever they were keeping Eren and Historia.
It didn't take them long to find it hidden under a carpet.
"All right, we're good to go," Armin said after a while.
"Are we?" Levi asked. "And is everyone prepared to get their hands dirty?"
Y/n shuffled on her feet, shotgun in hand. As if we have a choice.
"Looks that way," Levi said.
They all climbed down through the trap door, passing down the loaded barrels. When they made it to a door, Levi ordered everyone to get back before he kicked it open, then pushing the three barrels out.
There were thuds as they fell down the stairs; Y/n couldn't see much, but she could make out the brightness of the room and she wondered what exactly they were about to enter.
They ran in then, Sasha with her arrows lit. She aimed one at one of the barrels, making it explode. Levi and Mikasa charged in through the smoke, while the rest of the Scouts used smoke signal guns to create more diversion.
"Thirty-five enemies! They're gathered behind the pillars!" Levi yelled. "Continue as planned! We'll take them all down here!"
Y/n grabbed her handles and triggered her wires, shooting up in the air. She was only armed with her swords while the enemy had guns, so she tried to fly within the smoke as much as she could.
She snuck up behind two enemies; she remembered Armin's words about the malfunction of their guns. She raised her sword and slit the woman's throat clean, while she struck the man right through the heart. Blood flew around but she didn't turn to see. She couldn't, not unless she wanted to throw up mid-air.
I just killed someone. She shuddered, her eyes spotting another woman flying near her. No. You can't think about this right now. Focus. You can pity yourself later. She raised her swords again and, much like how she would slay a titan, she twisted her body, spun and slid the woman's throat as well.
That's three how. Three lives I've claimed.
She heard gunshots and looked up, seeing a man aiming at her. She narrowed her eyes and quickly dropped down, back into the smoke.
She flew ahead again, looking around for more enemies. There was a cock if a gun behind her and by the time she'd turned around, she noticed an arrow stuck in the woman's throat as she started falling down. Y/n's eyes immediately flew to Sasha, who was still at the door with Armin, who was still shooting smoke signals. Thanks, Sasha. She needed to remember to actually thank her after.
Another barrel blew up, creating more spoke. Y/n continued forward, another man falling in her sight. She quickly sliced through his neck and continued forward.
Y/n heard a yell and looked at where a blonde woman flung Hange into one of the crystal pillars, causing them to fall down, unconscious.
Y/n's body stiffen as she noticed the blood Hange's body had left behind. "HANGE!"
"Now! Fall back to the final defensive post!" the woman yelled.
Y/n's eyes narrowed as they fell on the woman, immediately switching direction and going towards her. She'd started maneuvering away, but Y/n didn't care. I'm faster. I'm stronger. Y/n used up more gas to go quicker.
Her comrades followed her. They made it through another tunnel and Y/n followed; suddenly, the people in front of her disappeared from sight and a net dropped down, covering the edit.
Y/n halted, holding onto one of the walls. She wasn't sure if she could cut through the net and she couldn't rush in alone. "Fuck."