After I died

49

Anastasia

After the conference we attended and Eren just disappearing Hanji decided that I'd keep looking for Eren while staying in Marley while the others would go back to Paradis. I didn't come to the port with them to not raise suspicion so short before I'd go to the military. I stood at the door of the Azumabito mansion, saying goodbye to everyone until reaching Hanji, who I hugged really tight. "Make sure he doesn't do anything stupid.", I said, chuckling, not wanting to let go.

"People usually tell us this the kther way around.", Hanji replied before stepping back to make room for Levi. He only took my hand at first. "I'll be fine, promised." Suddenly, Levi pulled me into a hug just after I had finishedmy sentence. "I love you.", he whispered, barely loud enough for me to hear as he kissed the top of my head. "I love you too. Take good care of Maggie, yeah?", I answered twhich he nodded. "Of course." "And now go before I change my mind and just abandone the mission." He rolled his eyes and stepped back, thohis expression was soft adn almsot sad no matter how much he tried to hide it. "You know I wouldn't mind."

"Stop making this harder than it needs to be." He raised an eyebrow at my plea. "Oh so I'm the one making this hard?" "Levi. We gotta go, the ship will be leaving without us.", Hanji called from behind Levi. He sighedbut then pulled me over for one last quick kiss. "I can't loose you too." "You won't. Now go." He finally turned around and walked with the others to get to the port. I turned back to Kiyomi and went past her to get inside. "We have all documents and connection ready so you can leave tomorrow. Me and Onyankopon will brign you to the train station." "Thank you."

I spent the next two days replaying all the things I knew about the region that I claimed to be from for the sake of this mission, as well as listening to Kiyomi explain some historical and cultural thingsI should know. She indeed brought me to the train station that next day, the jounrey would probaby take about two days to get to the front where I'd been stationed. I was told that this front was the last fight that had to be decided. Apparently there was a fortress that needed to be taken down in order to destroy a military port right behind it.

I was picked upat the port by a group of higher up in a truck who droveme to the front. We could heard the bombs and shots from miles away, about half an hour before I could even see what was happening. The weather was petty warm which probably caused a bunch of people to dehydrate in the trenches that I saw from a distance. When arrive at the front lines, I was greeted by a general, whi extended his hand. "Oh Agent Srijokowitsc, we're pleased to greet you here." I held back from a grimace at the mention of my old name. It was necessary tho since the name 'Ackermann' was probably quite popular over here.

"The pleasure is on my side, general Magath. I'm glad I can be of use. I was informed of some special children." He nodded, calling over to a group of four. "These are our warriors, potential heirs to the armoured titan. Filthy eldians.", the general explained. "You will be working with them, teach them some useful stuff from an agents perspective." The general was ordered over to a hut for strategy making so I was alone with the children. "Gabi Braun, ma'am. I'm the best if them all do what will you teach first." "Enthusiasm, I see. And tge rest if you is?" The other three looked at Gabi, then me, before a blond boy started speaking. "I'm Falco Grice." "Udo Bock.", the dark haired boy said. And finally: "Zofia Reitsch."

A bomb hit near us, causing people around us to start running around frantically. "Get down there, go.", I instructed the children, ushering them to a somewhat safe place in this trench. The artillery started to quiet down after about ten minutes so we could get gack down. I got myself basic information about the children training and their lives that day. Zofia seemed pretty quiet, Udo was the logical one, Falco seemed like a sweet boy, always looking out for his comrads first and Gabi.... well Udo say she's a force of nature. Skilled, no question, but pretty full of herself at times.

The children were skilled, my most logicall response would have been to sabotage them and get them killed, but after all... they wete just children, I couldn't send them running into open knives, not when they had families waiting at home, not when I had Maghie waiting at home, not when they were just children... like I used to be. How many people had deemed me a threat then? Had tried to kill me? I wouldn't repeat such a crime, I couldn't.

That evening I sat with Magath, looking at the map on the table. "And you've been here for how long? 4 years?" "A little less.", he replied. I nodded at his reply, I shouldn't give them too good of advices, wouldn't want this war to end too fast. It had to drain Marley, physically, emotionally, morally, financially. I gave plan ideas that got us smaller victories but with unnecessarily high material loss and while secretly preventing bigger success.

I couldn't write letters home or recieve any, so I just had to hope for the best, that all of them were fine. Maggie was with Levi, that's the safest she could be. The others were all together, looking out for eachother. Sasha was probably training the shots I taught her. Hanji possibly had a break down everyday. Oh how much I wished to be there to comfort her. Levi most definitely stayed in Maggies room at night, telling himself she'd need him when in reality, he just couldn't sleep alone in an empty room anymore.