The humid air slapped her cheeks as Isanna soared above the cracked streets that snaked through the Underground City, whizzing past cracked buildings as the swishing of her 3DM gear lines sliced the air and guided her zipping figure. 

They were just behind the Military Police that covered the vanguard of their impromptu formation, and just ahead of them were the three flying thugs.

One look and Isanna could tell their proficiency with the vertical maneuvering gear; she was definitely impressed. 

Her eyes caught a distant bridge overlooking the street, forming a particularly low arch. Isanna watched with mild amusement how the thugs dived downwards, one of them boldly pushing through a man that was innocently pulling a wheelbarrow holding a few sacks. They merged in the shadows below the bridge and disappeared from her sight.  

The Military Police was caught in a surprise and abruptly came to a halt just a few meters from the arch, their figures hanging beside the buildings as hooks suspended them; not daring to dive that low enough. 

The Survey Corps soldiers were a different breed, however. A smug smirk formed on Isanna's lips as she shot a hook line on the side of the bridge and dived down, her body declining and using the momentum to swing through the extremely low arch while her comrades did the same. Because they were just built differently like that. 

Once Isanna reached the other side, she shot two hooks to the buildings on each side of the street and propelled her body upwards, flipping her body in midair before she continued her pursuit of the thugs. 

"They're quick." The raven turned to her left to see Mike gliding through the air just like her, his fixed eyes on the trio. 

Not long, the criminals picked up their pace and made a sudden sharp turn on a pillar of thick rocky earth that was rooted deep on the ground and stretched high up to the grounded ceiling of the Underground. 

They're testing us, Isanna thought with a smirk as she and her comrades hooked a line on the pillar and whirled around the structure, her eyes catching the way one of the trio shot back a look at them. 

The undercut guy. 

As the chase led back to the city, the group of three then decided to part ways. Two of their soldiers made a turn to each side to follow the ones who had changed courses, while Erwin, Mike and Isanna remained in their route; three pairs of eyes fixed on the figure who seemed to be their leader.  

Isanna watched with slightly widened eyes how the undercut guy suddenly picked up his pace, shooting his figure in a blurry line through the narrow streets and disappeared into one of the windows of the aged buildings, leaving a trail of gas behind. 

"He's not planning on making this easy for us, huh?" The raven chuckled as Erwin ordered Mike to go ahead and intercept him from the front, who promptly obeyed and zoomed past their line of three, forwards. 

Erwin and Isanna flew past the building where the thug had disappeared into, before the former made a quick U-turn and snapped forward, blades already brandished just as the figure of the undercut guy jumped out of a window. However, he hooked a line to the next building and zipped away just a few inches before Erwin's blade could reach him. The thug flew away and disappeared into a short tunnel of fragile bricks that was already close to toppling down.  

Isanna had stopped atop a small building, watching with interest as Mike leaped down and crashed through the tumbling bricks of the tunnel, shoving the undercut thug beneath the rubble. As the two figures rammed through a tower of crates and landed on the ground, both men wasted no time and engaged into a battle; Mike wielding two of his blades while the other raised a sharp dagger. 

The undercut guy flipped backwards as he moved to a fighting stance and lunged forward, parrying Mike's blade and flinging it into the air with a grunt. 

Isanna's eyes snapped wide. He deflected Mike. That wasn't something any normal thug could do. Her eyes went towards the flying blade and she leaped off the roof, snatching the hurtling weapon as she dived down towards the ensuing battle below her. 

Using his enemy's shock, the thug launched himself once more, aiming to plunge his blade deep in Mike's chest with the intent to kill.

CLANG!

The thug narrowed his eyes as Isanna landed in front of him, parrying his knife with the blade that he had previously sent flying away. For a second, their eyes clashed in a heated stare. 

Then, Isanna twisted her wrist, ricochetting the knife from the man's grip. She heard him click his tongue before he swiftly kicked her hand, causing her to lose her hold on her weapon as it clattered away. 

Now weaponless, the both of them wasted no time and lunged towards the other, exchanging a series of attacks in a fast blur, after-images from punches, kicks and dodges following their movements like an entrancing dance; neither side yielding.

This guy, Isanna gritted her teeth in an annoyed smirk as she raised an arm to block his monstrous kick. He's fucking strong. 

There weren't that many who could endure this long in a hand-to-hand battle with her back in the Scouts except for Mike and Erwin; the other soldiers always ended up being thrown away. She was the War Goddess for a reason. 

But something told Isanna that the man in front of her was someone more ferocious. 

It seemed her opponent also wanted to end their battle quickly, since he reeled back his fist the same time Isanna did, before the both of them thrusted towards the other with all the force they had. The girl snapped her free hand and grabbed his wrist before it could pummel her face, with the man also blocking her incoming fist with his palm; both figures could feel their arms shaking at the endurance battle, their eyes narrowed at each other in a glare. 

"Stop, look around you."

Erwin's voice caused the thug to glance at him, his stormy-grey eyes then darting to the side to see his two colleagues now handcuffed and held by two Scout soldiers, the redhead cursing and struggling while the other with blond hair was contrastingly calm. 

Isanna's fixed attention on her opponent never wavered as she watched him weigh his options, before he finally relented and loosened his grip on the girl. She also pulled her hand back and took a step behind her, carefully studying the short man. 

She glanced at Erwin as the blond walked over to the undercut guy. "You're good at reading the situation."

The thug narrowed his eyes at him and remained silent. 

Turning to Isanna, Erwin nodded at her and signaled to cuff him. 

The raven stepped behind the undercut guy, relishing at the fact that she was a bit taller than him, and took out a cuff from the inside of her jacket. "Don't resist."

"Tch."

Isanna raised an amused brow. That was the first word she heard him utter. 

Soon enough, the trio of apprehended thugs were kneeling down in front of Erwin after having their 3DM gears strapped off from their bodies.

Erwin clutched on one of the stolen handgrips and lifted it for them to see, a scrutinizing gaze studying the three thugs. "Your vertical maneuvering skills were excellent. Who taught you?"

Just as Isanna expected, not one of them answered. The man with short curls of ash blond was casually avoiding Erwin's eyes with pursed lips, the redhead girl was returning his gaze with a fiery look of her own - probably trying to look intimidating, and the undercut guy was glaring daggers at the ground. 

Erwin stepped to the undercut man. "You're the leader, right? Have you ever received military training?"

Isanna watched as the undercut guy raised his head, shooting a dark glare through the strands that fell over his eyes.

Erwin's lips twitched into an amused smile at his expression, undaunted at the glare. The thug was a living example of 'if looks could kill'. "That is the face of a man who wants to kill me and escape."

He then glanced at Isanna knowingly. "I'd like to avoid any rough treatment if I can.."

Having understood what he meant, the girl nodded and stepped behind the undercut man; she lifted a foot and slammed it behind his head, shoving his face with a rough splash on the mucky puddle. 

The other two thugs flinched and looked at the state of their leader in shock. 

"Ngh - !" The undercut man moved his head tremblingly, trying to fight back from the weight of Isanna's foot pressing down on him. 

Erwin regarded him with his usual stoic. "I'll ask again. Where did you learn vertical maneuvering?"

The thug managed to move his head to shoot the squad leader a murderous look, ripples of the puddle fluttering across the moist ground. 

"We didn't learn it from anyone!" yapped the redhead with twin pigtails, "you think we're gonna let a civil servant push us around?!"

"We figured it out so we could survive in this dump! Anyone who doesn't know what sewage tastes like couldn't understand!" The other man in light-colored hair added with a sharp stare, clearly furious at the rough treatment they had given his friend.

There was a brief silence as Erwin eyed them. "My name is Erwin Smith. What are your names?"

When nobody answered, Isanna lifted her foot from the thug's head and crouched down, grasping his dark strands in a balled fist and rammed it hard on the puddle once more. She proceeded to yank his head up, the man coughing and hacking up the dirty water.

"Nguh - " the man gasped - "ghak - !"

Erwin stared at him unblinkingly. "I applaud your determination. But keep it up, and we'll move on to your comrades."

The undercut guy's eyes widened as he saw the other soldiers whip out their blades and threateningly pressed it close his friends' necks. Eyes narrowing in menacing slits, he shot a feral glare at Erwin while liquid dripped down from his strands down to his face, bruises forming on his skin due to the rough shoves he had received as soft pants escaped his lips. 

"You bastard," he growled. 

"Careful with your words," Isanna retorted, tightening her grip on his hair, "I don't like it when people insult my squad leader."

Erwin repeated his question. "What is your name?"

The undercut guy gritted his teeth, water dripping down his chin and after a pregnant silence, finally answered.

"It's Levi."

Erwin looked pleased. He stepped forward and bended a knee in a crouch, unmindful of the mud staining his knee-length boot. 

"Levi," he started, "would you make a deal with me?"

•

After Levi had accepted Erwin's offer of joining the Survey Corps, the trio of thugs were brought to the underground military barracks for processing purposes, something about their underground citizenship and handing them over to the Scouts - Isanna was practically next to useless whenever paperworks were involved, so she didn't bother to ask. 

As the raven exited the barracks together with Mike, her eyes landed on the two figures that were engaged in a conversation not too far from the entrance.

She strolled over towards the two men as the blond trailed behind her silently. 

"They aren't the type to obediently follow orders, I'm sure you know that. How do you even plan on disciplining them?" There was skepticism lacing the question Nile directed at Erwin. "Will those random thugs even be helpful to the Scouts?"

"They'll certainly be more helpful than you," Isanna spat when she was within hearing distance, stopping beside Erwin as she crossed her arms and glared at Nile. 

The dark-haired man returned her glare. "This is a talk between superiors, Herrmann."

"Pft. All I see is a piece of shit giving his unneeded opinion that's just as shitty as himself."

Nile growled at her, shifting his look back at Erwin. "Teach your girlfriend some tact, won't you? If she's going to be the right hand woman of a future Commander, she should at least act the part."

With clenching jaw, Isanna lashed forward and grabbed the man by the front of his uniform. "I don't need your advice, Dok!"

"Isanna." Erwin's voice was quick to intervene, his voice thick and commanding as he stepped forward to grab her wrist. "Enough of this."

The girl gritted her teeth, Nile not backing down from her glare as they held each other's eyes in a stare down. 

"Isanna," Erwin repeated, more forcefully this time, "put your hands down."

After what seemed like eternity, Isanna roughly shoved Nile back and stormed away, purposely bumping her shoulders with him as she past by.  

Nile clenched his fists as he lowered his gaze on the ground, a thickened air shrouding the three men after the raven girl walked out. 

Erwin's frown was etched deeply as he watched the back of the girl who was stalking away, before he turned to Nile. "We'll be returning to Wall Maria tomorrow with Levi and his companions."

Nile didn't lift his gaze as he grumbled in reply. "Sure."

And with that, Erwin stalked away after Isanna's figure, without another word as he walked past the raven man.

Nile finally raised his eyes and saw Mike staring at him with inquisitive eyes. After years of spending with Erwin, the blond had also become a master of hiding his emotions, he noted. He guessed it was only Isanna who remained expressive - although some part of him told him the only reason why she was so open in her hatred towards him was because they used to be friends. 

"I never blamed you for anything." Mike's sudden confession eventually broke the silence, bringing Nile back from his thoughts. 

The dark-haired man was briefly at a loss of words. ".. Thanks."

"How's Marie?" the blond asked.

"She's been doing well," Nile replied, thoughts going back to the ginger, "we're expecting a second child."

"Congratulations."

"Thanks."

Mike nodded and saluted his farewell before he finally walked away and followed after the two of his comrades, but not before he patted Nile on the shoulder as he past by him.

"Take care, Nile." Mike's voice was low, but it reached his friend.

Nile didn't look back as the blond walked away, leaving his figure standing by the barracks. The raven silently clenched his jaw and balled his fists, trying to not think of the fact that he was once again left alone by the people whom he once considered his comrades. 

Because he knew that in the first place, he was the one who left.