A/N: Hello, readers! Another chapter is here! Enjoy!

edited on february 6th, 2022 @ 11:32am

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𝓒𝙷𝙰𝙿𝚃𝙴𝚁 𝚃𝚆𝙴𝙽𝚃𝚈-𝚂𝙸𝚇.
𝓟𝙰𝙸𝙽.

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AFTER LEVI SHOUTED KENNY'S NAME, he threw his blade towards the man, making it spin in a complete rotation as it went closer to Kenny's face. The blade clashed with his guns and managed to turn, aiming the gun towards them.

Levi shoved Simon behind him, using his cape to avoid the bullets. "Simon, head that way!" Levi shouted, pointing to the other direction in which Simon nodded in reply, running over towards the edge of the roof. He could hear gunshots behind him as he jumped off the roof.

Simon loses his cloak as he heard the sounds of ODM gear on both sides of him, making him click his tongue in annoyance as he connected to one of the buildings before jumping onto the roof and began running. Gunshots were coming from behind him as he barely managed to avoid getting hit.

He turned back and saw three soldiers heading towards him armed with guns. Simon jumped off the building before connecting his wires to another building and taking a turn. He could see one of the soldiers in front of him.

"Move!" Simon ordered before shoving him down the building as two more soldiers headed for him before Simon got out his blade, moving to the guy on the right and stabbing him in the throat.

He quickly moved to the second guy and stabbed him as well, making him fall of the roof.

"You've improved." Simon heard a familiar voice say as he looked up and spotted someone very familiar to him. "Simon, my boy!"

"Conner!" Simon shouted.

"Tsk! Show some respect to your father, boy!" Conner exclaimed before shooting at Simon who easily dodged.

"So it seems you've been alive all this time. What the hell are you doing in the Military Police?" Simon questioned.

"Well, Kenny needed some assistance and I offered." Conner responded. "I hear you're married to Levi now, eh? I'm offended I didn't get an invitation."

"It was a small wedding. Close friends and comrades were the only ones invited." Simon retorted.

"I really wish I can stay and catch up, old man, but I got somewhere I need to be!" Simon informed before hopping down the building.

He went through the streets and found Levi ahead of him and the wagon in front of him, which held a knocked out Eren and Historia in. Simon turned the corner and followed them.

"Levi!" Simon called out, making him turn as Simon saw blood poured on the side of his face. Before Simon knew it, Levi used his gear to pierce into the soldier behind him, he flew past Simon, making him move out of the way as he slashed the man, killing him.

Simon continued following the wagon along with a Levi and the rest of his squad. "Listen up! They're used to fighting other people! They already got three of ours. If we're gonna get those two back, you can't hesitate! If you get the chance, you kill! Got it?!" Levi informed.

"Roger!" Mikasa answered.

Levi hooks his ODM gear on the chest of one of the men and pulled him off the cart. Levi was about to kill another guy, but was chased by another.

"Armin, Jean! Secure the wagon! We'll cover for you!" Levi ordered.

"Sir!" Armin replied.

"Another dead..." Jean mumbled.

"Jean!" Armin shouted as both of them landed on the wagon.

The woman driving the wagon noticed the two and pointed a gun at them. She gets knocked off the wagon as Jean pointed his blade at her. The woman knocks his blade away before pointing the gun at him.

Simon and Mikasa went towards the woman and got their blades out, but before they got there, a gunshot went off, showing that Armin was the one who shot the woman.

Simon then saw three soldiers aiming their guns at the two. Levi headed to grab Jean while Simon grabbed Armin, preventing the two from getting shot. The soldiers quickly jumped on the wagon and rode off with Eren and Historia.

Simon landed with Armin as the two watched both Eren and Historia be taken away, he looked back at Armin to see him gripping onto his arm tightly, tears pouring out of his eyes while Mikasa's shouts of Eren could only be heard.

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Simon was sitting on a crate next to Levi as he frowned in disappointment that they had failed to get Eren and Historia back.

"What's wrong?" Levi spoke up, breaking the silence. "This grimy place kill your appetite?"

Simon let out a long sigh. "Levi, I don't think that's the issue here." He replied.

"Jean, there's something I don't understand..." Armin began.

"What's that?" Jean questioned, looking up.

"When I shot that gun to save you... I honestly thought I didn't make it in time." Armin responded. "Sorry, but... why was I the one that shot first?"

Jean gritted his teeth at the thought, thinking back to when he almost got shot by that woman. "That's..." He started to say, but before he could give an answer, Levi did it for him.

"Because the other person hesitated. It's true." Levi replied as Jean widened his eyes.

"Armin, I'm sorry... I should've done what I had to do." Jean apologized.

"I know what it is..." Armin mumbled. "The person that I killed... I bet they were a nice person. Someone that was much more human than I am... I pulled the trigger so easily... I did... I'm..."

"Armin, you've got blood on your hands now. You can't go back to who you were." Levi informed. Simon smacked Levi's arm as he gave no reaction.

"Is that supposed to reassure him?" Simon questioned.

"Why would you say that?" Mikasa asked.

"Embrace the new you. Just think, if your hands were still clean... Jean wouldn't be here right now. I'll tell you why you pulled the trigger... Because your comrade was about to die. Armin... Thanks to you getting blood on your hands, nobody on our squad ended up dead. Thank you." Levi told him.

"Captain Levi, I..." Jean started to say. "I thought it was wrong to be fighting other humans... And wrong for you to order us to do it. I was afraid to be hurting other people. But... I'm the one who was wrong. Next time, I'll shoot."

"I never said anything about who was right or wrong.  I don't even know myself. Are you really the one in the wrong?" Levi questioned as Jean widened his eyes before standing up. "Now then... It's about time we hear what he has to say."

The group turned towards one of the kidnappers tied up a few feet away from them. Simon and Levi stood in front of the man as they saw him start to shake and tear up. Levi removed the gag from his mouth.

"Wait! I'm just an old man used for moving wagons around the—"

"I've met this man once before." Mikasa interrupted him. "In the city, people were calling him Boss."

"Yeah, I know. Dimo Reeves, right?" Levi questioned, causing the man to huff but Simon's glare stopped him from giving an attitude.

"We were just following orders the Military Police forced on us. And failed big time... They'll plunder the Reeves Company for all that it's worth. They won't stop with me and my dumb son. They'll make sure all my employees die in so-called accidents." Dimo explained.

"So you'll die without a fight?" Simon questioned as Dimo gave him a confused look as Levi continued.

"Trost should have collapsed by now, but it's preserved. That's because the Reeves Company brings people and work together. But if the company was gone for good, just how would few survive the winter?" Levi spoke up.

Dimo looked over at Levi in question. "Are you suggesting I team up with you?" He asked.

"We just need to know where Eren and Historia are. If you're supplying the Military Police, we can figure something out." Levi responded.

"But can you stop my city and employees from dying of starvation?" Dimo countered as Levi crouched down in front of him.

"I can't guarantee it. However, you can trust that we'll move towards the end." Levi answered.

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After convincing Reeves to work with them, the squad soon set up a trap for the Military Police which was a location they were sent to. They successfully captured two of the Military Police officers and dragged them into their hideout where they were tied up.

Simon and Levi were torturing a Military Police soldier as they waited for Hange until Simon started laughing hysterically.

"What are you laughing at?" Levi questioned.

"Sorry, sorry." Simon calmed down so he could speak. "I can't take you seriously with that damn apron on."

"You're the one covered head to toe in blood. Tch, disgusting." Levi commented, holding a syringe.

"Sorry, I'm late! You're still going at it?" Hange asked, bursting into the room with Moblit and Rachel right behind them.

"Yeah, Simon and I are pretty new to this." Levi responded.

"Sannes! You should know I'm a novice at human torture, so please bear with me!" Hange told him, walking over and holding up a tool.

"Wait! What do you even want?!" Sannes panicked. "Who the hell tortures without asking questions?!"

"Oh, right... We do have some questions for you." Levi responded. "Where are Eren and Historia? Why are you after Historia? What's the Reiss Family?"

"Too slow! Can't you see that we're in a hurry?!" Hange exclaimed. "Simon! Pull his fingernail off!"

Simon picked up a tool and gave Sannes a dark look. "This is gonna hurt you more than it's gonna hurt me." He spoke, scaring Sannes.

Simon peels off the fingernail as Sannes screams could be heard throughout the hideout.

After the torturing session, Simon hummed. "Sorry, I can't peel nails as well as you. Just how many did you peel to get so good?" He mocked.

"Too many to count. Within these cramped walls, do you know why war has never broken out?" Sannes asked. "It's because the First Interior Squad dirtied our hands to protect the peace. A teacher too smart for their own good... A stupid couple who tried to fly... A whore from some ranch in the sticks! Humanity has only made it this far because we erased them! You should be thanking us! I've never seen anyone get more pleasure out of torture than you guys! You're monsters!"

"But I'm not even afraid. I... I have... I have the King, I... believe in the King and peace in the walls. That all the things we've done were justified... But... To think it hurt this much... Go on and torture me to death already. That's all I ever did with this blood-stained life of mine."

The three didn't respond until Levi began walking away. "Time for a break." He said while Simon, Hange, Moblit, and Rachel followed after him.

"That's troubling... I'm beginning to feel sorry for him." Hange commented before they closed the door.

"Quit shoving me. It hurts..." Sannes heard Ralph say from the outside.

"You're pathetic. It only took you one nail to make you talk." Levi stated, making Sannes eyes widen. "Sannes doesn't have any nails left. You're nothing like him."

"Like I care? That was his decision. The guy never shuts up about peace and the King. The rest of us hate him. Do us a favor and kill him already." Ralph confessed, reading off a script that Hange was holding.

"We're not letting it happen until he verifies your story." Levi informed.

"You already got what you wanted out of me. Gimme a break. Will I be getting a bed in my cell, or what?" Ralph asked, continuing to read off the script.

Simon, Hange, and Levi walked back into the room Sannes was kept in.

"Ready, Sannes? Let's try again. This is tough for me, too, but I'll do my best to—" Hange began.

"Reiss is the true royal family." Sannes interrupted.

Simon, Levi, and Hange returned to the rest of Levi's squad. "The true royal successor... is Historia?" Armin questioned in disbelief.

"In other words, both Eren and Historia are likely wherever Rod Reiss is." Hange said, looking at Moblit as he nodded to them, showing them a sketch of an old man.

"That's him." Levi announced.

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A/N: Another chapter is done! You slowly got introduced to Conner! Thanks for reading!

Word Count: 2146 words.