.˜"*°• L I T T L E M O N S T E R •°*"˜.

         To her luck, Levi hadn't been serious about making her share a tent with Apollo that night. They built it together on the sand, which had cooled down under their bare feet now that the sun had lowered in the sky. The waves crashed against the shore behind them, lulling the Scouts into a content peace as they huddled around the bonfire that evening to cook speared fish that Apollo and Zero had caught earlier in the day. It made a delightful change from the field rations they had been consuming since they departed from the walls, and Missy realized that she had almost forgotten what it felt like to be full.

She was unsure if it was the fresh, sea air or the way the waves still crashed against the sand, but she let herself be lulled into a peaceful, dreamless sleep that night. Levi had taken first watch, and by the time he swapped out with Eld a few hours later, Missy was fast asleep. He undressed quietly, glancing over at her every so often. He huffed out an amused laugh as he watched her chest rise and fall. She hardly looked like the tough, strong soldier that she was when she looked as she did now. Her mouth was slightly agape, her breathing steady and quiet, and her features were in a state of peace that Levi nor anyone else rarely ever got to see. 

It was safe to say that their last day heading east had been the most enjoyable part of this mission. Missy woke up the next morning feeling fresh and rested as they packed their belongings up and departed on their journey back to the walls. They would be circling around and taking a different route back, and it was clear that the entire group was glad for this. Having to go back through that silent forest, or towards that red-brick village, was not something any of them were willing to do. 

The journey home would take a number of days, but they soon realized that the ride back in this direction was a lot less chaotic than their journey east. They did not cross anymore undocumented Abnormals, or any Titans sleeping underground. There were still many normal ones prowling the land on their journey, but after what they had experienced so far these now seemed a hundred times easier to take down.

Missy was still riding with Levi, but it seemed the more days that passed, the more comfortable it felt to be close to him. Her arms no longer draped loosely around his waist in fear that she was making him uncomfortable. Instead they wrapped around him tightly, her chest molded to his back. It seemed that physical touch didn't seem to bother the two as much anymore. Sometimes Levi would even rest one of his hands on her forearm, steering his horse with one hand instead of two. It was a small gesture, but it made the walls around Missy's heart tremble dangerously, the cracks in its hard exterior splitting further each day. 

"You're quiet today," Levi mumbled from in front of her. "What's wrong?".

Missy lifted her head from where it rested on his back, shrugging lazily even though he couldn't see. "Just tired". 

"Don't lie to me, brat," He replied, pinching the inside of her arm softly. "We're almost back at the walls, so whatever is on your mind you should get it off your chest now". 

Missy chewed her bottom lip, leaning her head back down on his back. She inhaled softly, his sweet scent filling her senses. She clenched her jaw, eyes widening as she realized what she had done. It was not normal to do that, right? It wasn't normal to gain a sense of comfort from the way someone else smelt.

She shook the thoughts from her head, reminding herself that he was waiting for an answer. 

"It's two things," She replied, her voice quiet. "The closer back we get, the more guilt I feel for leaving Comanche in that forest". 

Levi frowned, his eyes focused ahead of him as he continued to ride forward. "You did what you had to do to survive, Artemis," He reminded her. "Plus Titans don't attack animals like they do us, so he's most likely alive and well". 

"That doesn't make me feel any better," She bit back. "He was my responsibility. It was my job to take care of him and keep him safe. I know Apollo said that he's just an animal, but he was my animal. My friend. Something that was mine to care for, and I failed miserably". 

He didn't take offence to the bite in her tone, knowing it was angled more towards herself than him. He sighed through his nose, reaching up to squeeze the arm that was locked around his waist. "You would be dead if you hadn't switched to ODM gear in that forest. And for the record, so would I. You saved me, remember?". 

Missy thought back to the events in the forest. She had almost forgot what had happened, being too focused on what she had lost rather than what she had achieved. 

"I still miss him," She replied softly, a vulnerability in her voice that made Levi want to turn back around and march straight into that forest to get her horse back. 

But he had tried that already. 

"I know you do," Was Levi's answer. "To be quite honest, I'm rather jealous that he's still going to be free outside of the walls. Imagine all the things he will see and all the adventures he will go on". 

Missy's throat bobbed at Levi's attempt at cheering her up. She was grateful for him, even if they'd had their fair share of arguments on this mission. A lot had changed since they left the walls. They had become closer, sometimes almost accidentally a little too close. Her mind drifted back to the night in the hot spring and she felt her cheeks flush, moving to bury her face into the back of Levi's green cloak. They had shared a tent for the entire week, sleeping less than a few inches from each other the whole time. They had stepped over the boundaries now from being just a soldier and her Captain, and she would go as far as to say that Levi had become a friend. Of course, that would change at some point too, seeing as they were still going to be married. The thought of crossing yet another boundary, this time between friendship and partners, erupted a feeling inside of her which she wasn't sure was good or bad. It made her feel nauseous, but in the type of way she felt the first that she had ever used ODM gear. The feeling you get in your stomach when you have to drop a few feet before soaring off again. Bad, right? A bad feeling. Definitely.

"What's the second thing on your mind?" He asked. 

Missy took longer to reply than she meant to. The words hung off the tip of her tongue, not knowing whether or not speaking her thoughts aloud was the best idea.

"I don't think I want to go back," She whispered, her voice barely audible above the clattering of horse hooves against the ground. "Some part of me just doesn't want to go back to those walls".

Levi didn't know what to say. He understood what she had meant, but nothing he could say would change the fact that they had to go back.

"It's been dangerous," She continued. "And scary, being out here. We lost a lot that we will never be able to get back, but at the same time, I've never felt more free". 

She was right, they had all felt it. 

"I know we could never live out here with all of those Titans wandering free, especially with the new Abnormals we've discovered, but it still makes me sad to know we will be caging ourselves within those walls again," She sighed. "Caging ourselves in with a murderous enemy. And not to mention the fact that within those walls neither of us has any human rights anymore". 

Levi bit the inside of his cheek, tightening his hold on the leather reins. They would indeed be going back to a cage. One that was currently infested with people who wanted death and destruction, and a royal party that wanted to use them both like lab rats. Levi cleared his throat.

"Maybe we should've stayed at the beach," He whispered. "Infinitely". 

An amused huff left Missy's throat. "Don't tempt me". 

She knew he wasn't being serious, yet that didn't stop her from imagining what it might have been like if they had stayed. They'd have been free, and happier sleeping under the stars with the waves crashing softly against the golden beach to lull them into peaceful slumbers. Although, if they didn't go back to the walls then the madness going on within would never end. They would choose another couple to undergo this ridiculous experiment and they would still force the rest of her family to marry and bear children. As much as Missy longed to be free from the future that had been forced upon her, she also wouldn't allow another to suffer in her place.

As soon as the walls came into view, the Scouts noticeably slowed down their horses. Not enough to come to a complete stop, but enough to show that they were hesitant. It was debatable these days whether being inside or outside of the walls was the safer option, but then Missy would think back to the scaled, blind Titan that had torn her friend to ribbons and decided that perhaps her fantasy of living outside the walls was indeed just a fantasy. 

Since they were arriving from the east, they would be entering through the gate that opened up to Delegade. Missy's stomach churned once she realized the first thing she would be seeing upon arriving home was those blood-soaked streets. The Garrison would have been working on the city whilst the Scouts had been gone, but she doubted the blood-stains would have disappeared completely after only a couple weeks. The gate lowered in front of them, the destroyed city coming into view. The group rode through, allowing the Garrison to close the gate behind them quickly just in case any Titans turned up. Missy buried her head into the back of Levi's cloak, deciding she didn't want to see the torn up city around her, but as Levi rode forward he reached his hand back to tap on her thigh. 

"Look up". 

She did so, blinking away the stars in her vision as she gradually became adjusted to the light again. Her first glance at the city had her eyes widening in their sockets, darting around as she stopped leaning against Levi and sat up straighter on the horse. No blood could be seen, as if the streets had been scrubbed vigorously. All debris had been removed, and the buildings that had been crushed were now in the midst of being rebuilt. A lot of work had yet to be done, but it looked less like a war zone and more like a city that was healing. Missy still felt the feelings of dread and grief as they sped through the streets, but they were faded, deeper down than they had been before. 

Upon arriving back at headquarters, Commander Pixis of the Garrison Regiment was there to welcome them back.

"It's good to see that you've arrived back in one piece, Captain," Pixis said, watching as Levi dismounted his horse and held a hand out for Missy. "Even though it seems your group is a little smaller than when you departed". 

Levi motioned for Missy to remain beside him, his grey eyes scanning the area before landing on Pixis. "Where is everyone else?".

"You are the first two squads to arrive back," Pixis replied, his hands clasped behind his back. "It is still early in the day, so I'd encourage you both to go and settle back into HQ and the Garrison will let you know when the others arrive".

Levi didn't waste any time as he turned Missy by her shoulder and led her into HQ. 

"Go and shower," He ordered, jerking his head up the stone steps. "And eat something". 

"What about you?" She asked, raising an eyebrow at him. 

"I'll do the same after I've dropped some things at the office," He replied. "Go on".

She pursed her lips but began her climb up the old, stone staircase. She got half way up before turning back around to see Levi still stood at the bottom with his arms crossed and his eyes on her.

"Why are we the first back?" She asked, her voice travelling down the stairs and echoing slightly through the empty halls.

Levi took a moment to think before he replied. "They'll be back soon. Stop worrying. Go".

With that, she let out a breathy sigh and continued up the staircase and towards the showers. She peeled her uniform from her tired body and looked into one of the large mirrors on the wall. Her eyes danced along the curves of her naked form, pausing over each new scratch and scar that hadn't been there two weeks ago. She was thinner, her waist slimmer and her body paler and lacking nutrition. She traced the white scars on the insides of her thighs with the tips of her fingers, a silent reminder that someone within these walls had attempted to get her killed by tampering with her ODM gear. The bruises on her arms had faded to nothing, but her thighs were permanently scarred from the way the straps had cut into them. She blew out a breath which both removed the strands of hair from her face and fogged the mirror in front of her. The mission had taken its toll on her, and she definitely had come back a different person than she had been before she left. She stood under the hot shower, her muscles screaming in response as she thought over all the details of their mission. They had discovered two new types of Abnormals. Silent Titans, and then whatever the fuck that thing had been in the office in the red-brick village. They had discovered the Silent forest, a place that seemed to have adopted the energy of the Titans living within and plunged anyone who entered it into an ever-growing silence. They had also come across Titans who hid underground, possibly sleeping for years until the smell of humans woke them from their unconscious state. 

And lastly, the beach. 

They had uncovered a lot of new things during their time outside of the walls, but more than anything, Missy had discovered a lot about herself too.

She always knew she was strong, but she had pushed past her limits on their mission and fought like the little monster she had been trained to be. Not by Alec, however. She had fought like the monster Levi had trained her to be. 

Levi. She didn't even know where to start. She lifted her head, letting the water wash the grime from her face and hair, her eyes fluttering closed as she recalled each and every moment that she had spent alongside the Captain these last couple of weeks. Truthfully, they hadn't spent much time apart. They slept in the same tent, shared the same horse, ate together, and fought together. Levi had not let the girl out of his sight for nearly the entire time. They would also not be the same as they were before they left the walls. Things between them were different now, and Missy could feel it strongly. He was no longer just her Captain, or her squad leader, he was someone she trusted and felt safe with. Artemis had spent her entire life wishing for someone in which she could feel safe with, someone who she didn't have to second guess. She did not second-guess Levi Ackerman. Not anymore. She felt it first on the night they discovered her gear had been tampered with, the way her heart had squeezed in response to him threatening to throw whoever was responsible from the top of the wall. 

Her face flushed under the stream of the shower, her arms wrapping around her body as she felt the same flutters in her chest. Those flutters... she didn't like them. It was a foreign feeling to her, and one she did not feel like asking Levi to explain to her this time. She lowered her head, watching the way the water fell over her face, travelling down the curves of her breasts and lower. She tensed as she remembered the night in the hot spring, how Levi had jumped in the water to save her from an insignificant piece of river weed. She thought back to the feeling of having him close to her, her naked body pressed up against his soaked form, and the feel of his growing erection digging into her lower abdomen. 

Her thoughts were disrupted by the bathroom door swinging open, revealing exactly whom she had just been thinking rather inappropriately about. 

"Levi!" She hissed, making sure her body was covered by the wooden cubicle wall. "What the hell are you doing?".

Levi stood by the door, his hair for once rather disheveled and his breaths heavy as if he had just been running. "Come with me". 

"I'm a little busy," She spat, throwing a shampoo bottle in his direction. 

He caught it in his hand with ease, his eyes not leaving hers for even a second. "Comanche is back". 

Her scowl dropped, staring back at him as shock laced her features. "What?".

"He found his way back to the east gate," Levi explained, letting the bathroom door close behind him and stepping further into the shower room. "Hannes just came to tell me". 

"Give me that towel," She whispered, reaching back to turn off the shower. 

He picked up the white towel on the bench and took it to her, watching as she wrapped it around her naked body. He could only see her from the neck up over the wooden door shielding her from his sight, but it still made his throat constrict. 

"Wait for me outside. I'll dress quickly". 

He nodded, shaking himself out of his thoughts and striding towards the bathroom door again. Less than five minutes passed before Artemis had flung the bathroom door open and marched out with a grey hoodie and black leggings on. "Where is he?".

"Still over the wall," Levi responded, matching her stride as she attempted to put her ODM gear back on whilst speed-walking down the hallway. "There's Titans at the east gate so they can't lower it. Artemis, slow down and put your gear on properly". 

"No," She replied immediately, buckling up her straps around her arms.

Levi threw an arm out to stop her strides, successfully bringing her to a stop before kneeling down in front of her to buckle up her leg straps. "He will still be waiting there. You need to put this on safely, I'm not having another accident like last time". 

Missy bit the inside of her cheek as she finished securing her upper straps, looking down to watch his fingers thread the straps around her thighs and fasten them together tightly. Once he had finished, he stood up and motioned his hand towards the door. She didn't bother to wait for Levi to tack his horse up, shooting her wires into the nearest building and soaring away. The wind cut at her damp cheeks and whipped through her wet hair as she flew towards the east side of Maria at an alarming rate. She didn't think she would believe it until she saw it for herself. How had he managed to find his way back to the walls all on his own? It should have been impossible. Less than ten minutes had passed before her feet made contact with the east wall and she began to sprint across it towards the outer gate. A group of Garrison members were waiting at the top of the wall when she arrived, stopping their conversations to face her as she sped towards them.

"Down there," One of them said, pointing down below the gate.

Missy peered over the edge, her heart almost jumping out of her chest as she saw the familiar brown coat of Comanche to the left of the gate. Four Titans were pawing at the entrance, their faces poised upwards.

Levi landed on the ground behind her, demanding information from the Garrison members as Missy continued to watch over the edge. The Titans were ignoring her horse completely, more interested in the group of humans sat on the top of the wall staring down at them. It was true what Levi had said, Titans didn't care to devour anything but humans. 

"We should probably wait until the Titans have gone," One of the Garrison men suggested. "We can't lower the gate until they do. We can't risk them getting in just for a horse". 

"Fuck that," Missy muttered loud enough for them all to hear before leaping from the top of the wall.

The Garrison shouted after her, crowding around the edge of the wall to watch as she fell. 

"Captain, Sir-".

"Leave her be," Levi replied, his voice calm as he crossed his arms over his chest casually. "You know exactly who she is, so she's more than capable of getting rid of a few Titans". 

The Garrison didn't look convinced, but turned back to watch the scene unfold. 

Missy hadn't even bothered scaling the wall. She had just jumped, letting herself free fall down towards the awaiting Titans. Adrenaline surged through her veins as she felt the wind whip through her hair, the ground getting closer and closer. As soon as she was in close range, she shot her wires into one of the Titans and soared towards it at the speed of light. The Titan didn't even have time to react before it's nape had been sliced and it was falling to the floor in a heap of steam. She quickly moved to the next, swinging herself upwards and tearing her swords through the back of its neck. Levi watched from above, the ghost of a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips as he watched her massacre the beasts below. He cleared his throat, attempting to rid his chest of the pinch of pride that he felt as he watched her take down one after the other until she was completely hidden by the fumes rising from their dead bodies. 

They were dead. All of them. Within the space of a minute. 

Missy panted, jumping from the corpse of a Titan as she lifted a hand to wipe the slick sweat from her forehead. She headed straight for Comanche was was waiting for her now by the gate. 

"I knew it," She managed to say through rugged breaths, wrapping her arms around his neck. "I knew you'd come back". 

The gate in front of them lowered until Levi was visible to her now at the entrance. She grabbed Comanche's bridle and strode through the gate, stopping beside Levi once she was safely inside with the gate closed behind her. 

"That is one clever horse you have there," Levi praised, reaching out a hand to stroke Comanche's nose. "I don't think I've ever seen anything like it". 

Missy grinned as Comanche tilted his head to rub against hers, a happy whinny escaping him as she patted his shoulder. 

"Captain Levi, sir," A member of the Garrison called, jogging over to the pair. "Another group of Scouts have just arrived back to HQ". 

Levi and Artemis shared a look, before they both hopped up onto Comanche's back and made their way straight for HQ.