After Baldrick had left, Isanna relayed to Erwin everything she'd found earlier that day while scouting Reiss territory. It was already late into the night by then.

"I dug everything I could," she said, taking out a roll of paper from her jacket and handing it to Erwin. "Rod has some secrets of his own, it seems. Secrets we've yet to uncover."

Erwin unrolled the parchment with one hand and skimmed through the contents. "This should be enough for now. Good work."

Isanna nodded before she plopped onto the bed and slumped forward, elbows on her knees and a hand on her chin. "So tomorrow.. Lovof and I will be heading to the interior, then?"

"Correct," Erwin said. He walked to the table by the window and tucked the papers underneath a book.

"Sneaking into the capital's prison.. that's a risky move. It's bound to be tight in Interior MP security."

"It's needed if we want to get answers from the inside," Erwin said. "Nicholas Lovof is our best bet. He may know something more about the government, seeing as he's worked closely with the Lang company in the past."

When he didn't receive a reply, Erwin turned around and noted the way Isanna's brows were furrowed together and lips were pursed.

"A penny for your thoughts?" said Erwin.

Isanna seemed to be deeply drowning in her thoughts, seeing how she didn't even acknowledge him. Erwin had to call her name to get her attention.

"Right." She blinked and shook her head. "Sorry. Didn't hear you."

"Is there an issue?"

She shook her head. "No."

Erwin gave her an analytical stare in silence. And then, "You cannot lie to me."

Blinking, Isanna turned to look at him across the room. A silent beat passed.

"It's just, this whole bit about the government and stuff," she admitted, sighing. "Don't get me wrong, Erwin. I trust your plans, I really do. But, we still have little information over everything, and overthrowing an entire monarchy that's been reigning for over a century feels too overkill, even for you." She swallowed. "Can we.. can you even get out of this unscathed?"

After hearing her thoughts, Erwin went silent. The hush in the room was ironically deafening, Isanna thought, and she could practically feel him mulling over his answer.

"Have you grown timid?" Erwin said, confusing her.

"What?"

"I remember you used to approach ideas like these with more vigor," Erwin recalled. "You were always the first one to jump into action and enjoyed doing operatives that required your fighting prowess."

Isanna went silent after his honest observation. Her gaze lowered. It was true she used to enjoy fighting in the past—but that was before the Fall, before everything turned for the worst. Recently, she was always on edge.

"Yeah, probably," she muttered, her still voice loud inside the quiet room. "Honestly... I feel like I'm on a steady decline. I made a hasty decision back at the 57th expedition.. then I let Eren get kidnapped right under my nose, and then I eventually made you lose an arm. And Mike—" she bit her lip— "nothing's.. been going right for me. I feel anxious."

Erwin watched as Isanna released another loud sigh and held her head, continuing her rushed spiel.

"What if something bad happens again? I mean—something bad always happens, I know, but what if it's a different kind of bad? Worse? I can't even imagine anything happening that's worse than what we've been through, but—"

Her lengthy monologue was only interrupted because Erwin had stepped into her line of sight and knelt in front of her, catching her attention when he cupped her cheek and locked eyes.

Isanna didn't understand how he could do the bare minimum and it'll still be enough to calm her down. Maybe Erwin just had that much of an effect on her—maybe she was just that whipped, which was kind of weird, concerning that they've known each other their entire lives; you'd think she'd grow used to his presence after all this time.

"The fact that you can admit you're anxious means I shouldn't be worried, then," he said.

"What do you mean?"

"Your admittance of your fears is what makes you strong," Erwin said. "I won't tell you that my plan is completely fool-proof, but I can guarantee it's a strategy that will yield the most effective results."

At his assurance, Isanna found herself easing up. Spoken like a true commander. There was an unexplainable magic in his words. Erwin could utter random words and it would still sound like the speech of the century to her ears.

"And," Erwin added, as he gently took Isanna's hand in his and brought it to his lips, placing a chaste kiss on her knuckles, "you didn't make me lose an arm."

He lifted his eyes and peered at her underneath his lashes, the intensity behind his gaze making her stomach churn.

"I decided to lose it for you," he finished.

Isanna nibbled on her lip but never broke eye contact from him, feeling her face heat up. Erwin was approximately an entire head and a half taller than her, so it was a nice change to be the one looking down on him this time.

Look at this bastard, trying to sound cool. "Is losing an entire arm your idea of a romantic gesture, Smith?"

"Perhaps."

His answer was plain and simple as always. With her hand still in his, Erwin stood and sat on the bed beside her, twiddling with her fingers. Isanna found it strangely endearing, especially coming from a reserved guy like him.

They stayed like that for a while, in complete silence, but instead of worrying about the endless possibilities that could happen with the stunt they were gonna pull, Isanna was mildly surprised she could stay relaxed this time.

She stared at the way he gently held her hands like fragile glass. Contrary to his intimidating appearance, Erwin didn't have a solid grip whenever he held her. He always had soft touches, which was an odd contrast to his large hands. Or hand, in this case. Another part she found endearing about him; Erwin Smith was a paradox, a complicated textbook that always greeted you with something new and unexpected every time you turned a page. On the outside, rumors painted him out to be a demonic commander. Little did everyone know of the soft side hidden underneath all that facade, the side of him that lost his innocence too early, and the side that was just chasing a dream in this cruel world.

"I've been meaning to ask," he suddenly said, tearing her from her thoughts. "Would you still have followed me.. even if I'd chosen a different path?"

It was a sudden question. Isanna had to take a few seconds, but it didn't take her long to give her answer. She had the same answer years ago when they graduated the military academy, and she had the same answer now.

"I would," she said without hesitation. "I'd follow you anywhere. If you'd gone to the Military Police, I would have went with you. If you'd gone to the Garrison, I would have gladly went with you. Even if you chose to live a normal life within these walls, or followed after your father's footsteps and became a teacher, I'd still choose to be with you."

"Because that's where I'm happiest," she said, looking at their hands, still intwined together. "It doesn't change the fact that the world's a shit hole... it's full of shit... but if there's one good thing it gave me, it's you."

Erwin had went silent after her spiel, so she was suddenly feeling rather self-conscious. Embarrassed, even. She stole a glance at his face and scratched the back of her head sheepishly.

"Uh.. was that.. too cringey?"

To her surprise, Erwin wordlessly wrapped an arm around her shoulder and pulled her against his chest. He gently squeezed her and nuzzled his face into her hair.

"No," he murmured, eyes closed as he kissed her temple. "It's what I wanted to hear."

During his talk with Commander Pixis, Erwin had mentioned his father's story. Ever since then, thoughts of the decision he'd made years ago to join the Survey Corps had been stuck in his mind, thinking of whether it was the right one, and whether he'd lived a meaningful life as a soldier.

It had not been an easy path. He had to admit he often thought death was the easier option. But every time such thoughts sprang up, her face almost always popped up in his mind. And then, it felt as if it was illegal for him to die and leave her like that.

For once in his life, there was one reason other than his dream that made Erwin want to live.

"Can I kiss you?" he suddenly said before he could even think.

Isanna was visibly surprised at his request. Ever since.. that day at the hospital, they'd never initiated anything that intimate again, because the situation never called for it. She could tell Erwin was rarely the type to yearn for any intimacy, so she never asked him for any.

And yet here he was, looking like a puppy. An overgrown puppy.

"You know you can kiss me whenever you want, right?" she said, a small smile tugging her lips. Probably the first smile she wore in days.

He hummed and leaned down to peck her lips—briefly, just like his words.

"I value your consent," he said, moving to kiss her cheek. "I don't want you to be uncomfortable."

"You'll never make me uncom—" She held back a shudder when she felt him kiss the sensitive spot behind her ear. Just like his touches, his kisses were soft. And it made her toes curl and her stomach felt like it was doing somersaults, because the next thing she knew, Erwin was leaving a trail of kisses from her jawline down to her neck, then to her shoulder, attacking every bit of skin he could reach with an agonizingly slow and tender pace.

Isanna closed her eyes, a contented sigh leaving her lips as her head lolled to the side, her body reacting to his touch. For someone who had no experience, he sure knew what he was doing. Or maybe he just learned from her, because if so, he was a fast learner.

Her breathing got heavier with each lingering kiss on the sensitive spots of her skin, Erwin's lips becoming a hot fire of desire the longer he continued.

And then when his kisses became more demanding, he moved back to capture her lips in a lock of intensity, licking her lips for entrance, which she gladly gave him. She shuddered when she felt him brush his hand underneath her shirt, the heft of his large palm pressing firmly on her bare waist. He guided her towards his lap and then, she was straddling him, lips still connected. His soft kisses had turned rougher, and Isanna didn't know what caused it, but she loved the feeling of his tongue—aggressive, riddled with passion and lust—exploring every inch of her mouth that made her melt into his touch, because Isanna never thought the day would come where she'd get to see Erwin unhinged.

It was getting hot, really hot, and when Erwin finally pulled back it left Isanna breathless, speechless, and mouth closing and parting like a fish out of water.

Erwin rested his face on her shoulder, hot breaths leaving parted lips. He planted a soft kiss on her shoulder once more before affectionately nosing her cheek.

"You are precious to me, so I want to take this slow," he said, leaning back to look at her still flushed face as if he didn't just literally kissed the breath out of her. He took her chin and looked at her in the eye.

"Next time, I will have all of you, completely," Erwin whispered in a low voice, possessive, the kind of voice that made Isanna lose her own, and all she could do was nod. But if she were to be honest, it was getting difficult to ignore the blatant bulge that had been poking her thigh for a while now.

Nibbling her lower lip, she hastily got off his lap and tried to play it casual, even when her legs wobbled.

"Yeah, haha, so.. I just remembered I had something important to do, so—good night!" And with that awkward squeak, she turned around and speed-walked out of the room, completely missing the smirk and amused gleam on Erwin's face.

Isanna didn't know if it was good distraction or a bad one, but whatever happened, it totally didn't prepare her for the chaos that was about to happen the very next day.

•

Next morning...

Hanji was in a pinch. The Interior MP had gotten Eren and Historia, and the plan was in shambles. Plus, she'd just reached another groundbreaking revelation.

"Hanji-san, please slow down a bit!" Moblit cried as he tried to keep up with her steps. They were in the corridors of their subdivision in Trost, in a hurry to find Erwin.

Hanji didn't listen. She continued her pace even as she rounded the corner, bumping right into Isanna.

"Han—"

"Isa! Sorry! Is Erwin still in his office?" Hanji interrupted, still in a hurry.

"Ah, yeah," Isanna answered, noticing that she was restless. "What's wrong?"

"Something urgent came up." Hanji jogged past her. "See ya!"

Isanna watched as Hanji picked up her pace and practically sprinted down the corridor, loud footsteps bouncing against the walls. She looked at Moblit, who profusely apologized for Hanji's edginess.

"It's fine." Isanna waved him away. "Take care of her for me, Moblit. She tends to get reckless when she's excited. You know that."

"Yes, Sergeant," Moblit affirmed, before he bid farewell to her and followed after Hanji.

Isanna collected her thoughts and continued her way out of the building. She sent one last glance at the window in the upper floor where the commander's office was, before she exited the subdivision and hiked down the streets of Trost, heading to her rendezvous point with Baldrick.

•

Erwin had just finished changing when Hanji barged into his office with a loud noise, her voice louder than usual, and with a clear tone of urgency.

"Is Erwin here?! There you are!"

She didn't even pause to catch her breath.

"Eren remembered some vital information about the titans! And it's bad news! We need to rethink our plan! We need to—" The exhaustion after sprinting finally reached her and Hanji lost the strength in her legs, falling on her bum with a thump. She panted heavily and tried to catch her breath.

In the middle of Hanji's outburst, Erwin had been calmly pouring water into an empty glass. When she finally stopped talking and was catching her breath on the floor, Erwin handed the glass to her.

"Cut to the chase," Erwin said. "What's the problem?"

Hanji grabbed the glass and looked intently at him, her face grim and still out of breath. "Reiss.. wants to eat Eren."

Minutes after, the two were seated and were discussing a conversation Eren had overheard between Ymir and Reiner. Moblit, who had arrived shortly after Hanji, was standing by the wall.

"That's my take," Hanji finished. "What do we do?" She went on to have a monologue about their current situation with Eren and Historia, mulling deeply about how they could retrieve the two from the MP's clutches.

She was only interrupted when Erwin stood and walked to the next table, picking up a parchment.

"What's that?" asked Hanji.

Erwin raised the paper and turned back to her. "The information on the Reiss family I had Isanna collect yesterday. I have inferences on my own, and so do you. I believe they're both largely connected through this."

Hanji accepted the paper and was about to briefly skim through the contents when a Scout entered the office.

"Commander Erwin! The Interior MP first squad is demanding to see you," he announced. "They're going on about an organized murder, in the middle of town..."

Hanji had to do a double-take. "... Murder?"

Erwin on the other hand was quick to move. He grabbed his uniform coat and shrugged it over him, the right sleeve hanging loosely. "Get away from here, Hanji."

"Wha—? What are you planning?" she demanded, standing from the seat. "What about squad Levi?"

"Levi can decide for himself," said Erwin. "You too, Hanji. Do what you think is best."

"What are you talking about?" Hanji was on the verge of pulling her hair in frustration. There was no way she wanted to shoulder the responsibility so suddenly like this. "What about Isa? Where was she going, anyway? Maybe she can help me."

Erwin paused briefly. "I already assigned her for something else. You, Levi, and her. The three of you have your own jobs to do. Meanwhile, I need to be the face of the regiment."

He continued, "Hanji Zoe. The next commander of the Survey Corps will be you."

Moblit who had been listening to them from the side was caught off guard at Erwin's sudden announcement. Right after that, a solemn silence hung inside the room, and after leaving some more words, Erwin finally left.

Moblit stared at Hanji, who had gone noticeably quiet.

"Damn that eyebrows, doing whatever he wants.." he heard her mutter as she tightly gripped the paper in her hands, a look of irritation passing through her face. Moblit swallowed nervously.

"Moblit, let's go."

They managed to sneak out of the subdivision in the middle of the chaos. There were already MPs waiting outside and herding the Scouts into a line. Everyone in the regiment except for her squad, squad Levi, and Isanna were being arrested.

They managed to hide into an alley a few blocks away from the subdivision. Even from where they were, the unrest among the citizens and soldiers could be felt. It seemed that the Scout's reputation had hit rockbottom; it was already low, but with the current situation it had gotten even lower, which was an amazing yet unfortunate feat at the same time. Truly, a feat only the Survey Corps could achieve.

"What do we do now?" Moblit asked.

Hanji didn't have an answer. At least, not yet. "Tsk. We need to move fast before this worsens." She wondered if there was anything—anyone she could use in their situation. Reeves had been killed, but she had no proof that it was the MPs.

"It's strange," Moblit suddenly mused.

"Huh?"

"The commander said you're next in line," he said. "I was sure it would be the Sergeant Major."

Hanji went silent. Certainly, it would seem strange. Considering the hierarchical system in the regiment, Isanna should be the next commander.

But..

An annoyed smirk crept up Hanji's lips. That man is playing favorites. "No way would Erwin make her the next commander. He treasures her too much for that."

"... Eh?"

"Come on. We need to find a witness. Let's turn this situation around."

•

"Couldn't you just ask for permission to walk in there? You're a councilman, aren't you?" Isanna said as she backed against the wall of a building, hidden in a dim alley. It took approximately around an hour and a half by carriage to get from Wall Rose to Mitras.

After meeting with Baldrick, they'd headed to the prison right in the heart of the capital. Buildings were more congested, and the deeper they weaved through the city, the more nobles Isanna saw meandering on the streets. She felt uneasy being right at the center of the capital, especially since it was where most of their enemies resided. Should things go awry, all she had was herself and Baldrick's unhelpful company.

Speaking of Baldrick, the man grunted, peering out of the alley and looked towards the large compound right across the street. It was a large-scale prison, considering it was the one of the main buildings handled by the Interior MP. Iron fences stretched around the facility and in the middle was a tall gate, guarded by two soldiers.

"I may be part of the council, but I don't have big authority because my pops screwed up the last time, remember?"

"It's a miracle they still made you part of it, then," she mused.

Baldrick grunted again. "Instead of running your mouth, why don't you look for a way for us to get in?"

Isanna rolled her eyes and stepped forward, pulling him by the back of his collar and choking him in the process. She discretely stuck her head out of the alley and scanned their target destination with a scrutinizing stare.

Nicholas Lovof is somewhere inside there, she thought, squinting. The gate was guarded. There was no doubt security would be even tighter inside. And they had to accommodate the fact that they had no knowledge of the layout, as well as where Nicholas was being kept.

She glanced at Baldrick, irritation welling in the pit of her gut. If the teenage her had been told that twenty years later, she'd have to work together with this annoying brute to raid a prison to get answers from said brute's father about her corrupt government, she'd probably laugh it off as a sick joke.

"Tsk. Should we distract them?" she suggested, looking back at the MPs who were on stand-by in front of the gate.

"How?"

"I don't know. Maybe you can go tap dancing in front of them or something."

Baldrick's face twitched in annoyance. "For the girlfriend of a bright commander, you sure are dumb."

As the memories from last night seeped in, Isanna swore her face warmed up, and she could only hope the dimness of the alley was enough to hide it.

"Shut up," she snarled, and went back to being serious as she thought about how they could get in. "Is there a back entrance?"

"Don't know. Never explored the prison before."

"You're so goddamn useless," she muttered, irking him. She peered outside once more, before coming to an idea.

•

The fence turned out to be an advantage for them in the end. Because had it been a plain wall, they would have had a hard time scaling over it without garnering unwanted attention.

Isanna held in her breath as she swung her legs over the fence and leaped down, bending on her knees when she landed. Her 3DMG underneath her cloak clanged at the movement, and she cringed at the noise.

Let's hope nobody heard that. She crouched low. Luckily they chose a blind spot where they were hidden behind bushes. Discretely, she peeked through the gaps of the bush when—

"Oomph—!"

Came a thump behind her.

Isanna flinched and looked behind her, the glare in her eyes hardening when they landed on an upturned Baldrick with his ass sticking in the air.

"Pipe down, will you? Wanna join your pops in jail that much?" she hissed.

"Shut up," he grunted, lifting himself and trying very hard not to look embarrassed. And failing miserably at it. "The gear's heavy as fuck. How do you even fly with this thing?"

"Didn't you join the Training Corps for a while? Shouldn't your body be more conditioned?"

"That was years ago. And I didn't train seriously."

"Sounds like a you problem."

Baldrick's patience with her was running on thin ice (and vice versa), but Isanna had already motioned for him to stay quiet while she surveyed the place. He grumbled something incoherent and obliged.

Isanna squinted as she scanned the compound. The grounds were emptier than she'd imagined. Actually, it was completely desolate, not a single soul. She'd thought there were more guards roaming around the place, but this worked better.

There was only one building, but it was large. A few stories tall, too. Scouring the place for one man sounded like pure torture.

"Follow me and keep up," she ordered without looking at Baldrick. "Or I'm leaving your pathetic ass behind."

In a matter of seconds, the both of them sprinted across the courtyard and reached the building. Isanna gestured for Baldrick to wait at the other end of the door, before she lightly pushed it open and peeked inside through the gap.

Empty. She gestured for Baldrick to follow her in.

Once they were inside, it was already a hallway. The walls were made of iron metal, exuding cold air despite it being a hot afternoon outside.

"Can't you walk more quietly?" Isanna said, frowning. "You walk as if you want the whole world to hear you."

"It's the gear," he retorted.

Just in case, Isanna had him strap on to a spare 3DMG. She'd thought he'd be able to manage it considering he trained with her batch back then, but she was seriously starting to doubt his skills now.

"Do you have any idea where Nicholas could be?" Isanna asked. They'd already begun walking down the corridor, soft footsteps tapping across the cold metal floor. "You think they have him in the upper floors?"

"Probably."

Isanna clicked her tongue, fighting back the bubble of annoyance from bursting. On top of not knowing the layout of the place, they had a hard time cooperating with each other. The only good thing was that there didn't seem to be any MPs in sight. She wondered if they were on lunch break, or something.

"Let's check each rooms we pass by," she decided.

And it went on for a few minutes. After Isanna made sure she couldn't hear any one inside, they discretely opened doors and sneaked a peek inside, only to be met with disappointment after disappointment. All the rooms on the first floor seemed to be storage rooms and offices.

The building was huge, and several times they'd have to choose which way to turn. Baldrick had suggested they split ways, but Isanna decided otherwise. It was too risky to find each other in this series of maze in case something went wrong.

All the while, they never ran into anyone.

Feels too good to be true.

"Oi, Herrmann. Don't you think it's gotten hotter?"

Isanna slowed her pace and frowned at her surroundings. "Yeah. The walls have went from iron metal to slabs of bricks, too."

"What does that even mean?"

She intently eyed the dim distance ahead of the corridor. "Means we're on the right track. I think."

"You 'think'?" Baldrick repeated, skeptical. He followed behind her nonetheless.

The longer they hiked down this corridor, the dimmer their vision became. What used to be smooth metal surface below their steps had turned into a bricked pathway, and so did their walls. The air felt thicker in this part of the building.

When they reached the first empty cell, they were certain that they were indeed on the right track.

"Now this feels more like a prison," Baldrick commented as they continued to pad down the bricked corridor, occasionally glancing left and right to scan the row of prison cells. They were all strangely empty. Torches hung by the walls in between cells, flickering flames dancing in the dimness.

It definitely felt like they were on the right track. Isanna's gut feeling told her that. And yet..

There still isn't a single MP.

She narrowed her eyes and rested a wary hand on the hilt of her blade as she continued to walk. She strained her ears in case of incoming footsteps, but to no avail.

"Remember the plan, Lovof," she said. "We just extract information from Nicholas, then we skedaddle. Regroup with Erwin, okay?"

Neither were aware that at that very moment, Erwin was already being arrested by the MP in Trost, squad Levi was fighting for their lives in an ambush, and the entirety of the plan was tipping in shambles.

"I know," Baldrick huffed.

They walked. And walked, and walked some more. Each tap of her footstep seemed to echo louder than the previous one, and the hair on her skin stood on end. She could see clearly, and her heart was ramming against her chest, all nerves in her system spiking up.

And then when they reached the next cell, Baldrick froze.

Isanna was about to ask why he stopped, until her eyes landed on the person inside. At the back of the cell, leaning against the wall, was a hunched figure. She had to strain her vision to see clearer, because the person looked like they were blending together with the shadows.

Baldrick swallowed thickly. "... Father..?"

Isanna noticed there was something dark flowing beneath the person. For a split second she thought Nicholas had somehow peed through his pants, but when her eyes adjusted to the scene, her eyes shot wide, blood running cold through her veins.

The liquid beneath the person was blood. And it was coming from Nicholas' slashed neck.

He was dead.

No, Isanna thought, correcting herself. He wasn't dead.

Nicholas Lovof had been killed.