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Episode 26- The Beast Titan

Gaia stared out of the window, completely bored as Levi read through his papers. She could see a lot of civilians from where she sat. His office was on the second floor and had a great view. She opened the window and stuck her hand out and let out a sigh as felt the familiar feeling of the sun on her skin, she then felt a gaze on her and turned to see Levi looking at her,

"Yes?"She asked,

"Why do titans need the sun?" he asked, she sighed at the question, he has been asking a lot of these kinds of questions as of recently, ever since she learnt how to speak properly and he learnt that she could think for herself.

"Don't know," She answered, making it apparent that she was annoyed at the question,

"But you would tell me if you did know, right Gaia?" He asked suspiciously, turning towards her in his chair.

"Don't you trust me?" she asked as she got up and walked towards him,

"Can I?" He asked, she stood directly in front of him,

"But will you though?" she asked and she crouched down to eye-level in front of him. Since has she become so cryptic? Then again, she spent of her time with Levi Ackerman, of course she would have developed that trait.

"Why won't you answer the damn question?"Levi asked,

"Because you already know the answer," She replied with a smirk which aggravated him even more, she decided that this conversation had to come to an end before it became a fight. She left herself out of the crouched position and leaned closer to him, she could already see him getting flustered,

"Levi, let's practice talking?" She whispered to him, causing his face to go red and her smirk to widen,

"G-Gaia, I-" he started but was interrupted, as a messenger jumped through the open window (with his manoeuvre gear)

"Captain th- oh shit sorry" he said and turned around to avert his gaze, Gaia straightened herself and Levi cleared his throat letting the messenger know that it was okay to carry on.

"Hanji, has requested that you make your way to the wall immediately," he finished his message and left immediately avoiding eye contact,

"Do you want to come with?"Levi asked as he got up and strapped on his manoeuvre gear,

"Yes please" She replied as she followed him to the window, she looked at him confused,

"Wait, I haven't ever taken you anywhere with manoeuvre gear, have I?" he asked chuckling,

"Man-oo-ver?" she asked still looking confused. She could tease him so much sometimes he could forget that she has been with humanity all for long,

"This," he pointed at his manoeuvre gear that was now secured around his waist,

"No, just a horse, I like horse," she replied with a smile,

"Okay this is going to be slightly different," he said smirking knowing full well that it was nothing like being on a horse, it was way more intense,

"Come here," he said, she obeyed and stepped closer to him, he wrapped his arm around her waist and put her arms around his neck,

"Hold tight," he commanded while smirking and she did what she was told. With a smirk, Levi jumped out of the window. He waited for Gaia to scream. Letting them free fall till they were nearly on the ground and then only repelled upwards. To his surprise, she was completely silent, nothing but the sound of her long hair whipping behind them. He quickly looked down at her and noticed that she had a dumb grin on her face as her hair blocked her vision. He spun them in the air, making her hair leave her face and continued on rapidly. Her eyes widened and her smirk grew when she saw where they were. Levi picked up his speed in hopes of at least frightening her a little, but all it did was make her giggle. He smirked and shook his head, leave it to her to suppose him like this. Only she would just enjoy something like this. Most scouts take a while to get used to their manoeuvre gear.

They finally made it to the wall and stood a rooftop near where everyone was gathered looking at the wall. The smirk immediately left Levi's face as he scanned the area, no one seemed to be running away, so there probably was not another hole in the wall. That's when he noticed it, the titan in the wall, he looked over at Gaia who seemed to just notice it as well, her eyebrows were arched, clearly she had prior knowledge of this.

"They will be covering it up soon to keep it out of the sun," Hanji explained as she landed next to him,

"I see, do you know anything else about this situation?" Levi asked, not taking his eyes from the titan in the wall,

"No," Hanji replied. Gaia covered her mouth and looked over at Hanji, this was the first time she had ever seen her that serious.

"However, I have an inkling that Pastor Nick might know something about it," Hanji added as she leaned against a chimney,

"Then I suggest you get to it soon, before the coward goes into hiding somewhere," Levi replied,

"You are right" Hanji replied as she stood up straight getting ready to leave,

"Anything to add Gaia," Levi asked, as he noticed that her hand has not left her face,

"Levi... it stinks," she replied in disgust, Levi and Hanji looked at her in confusion, they could not smell anything,

"What does it smell like?"Hanji asked looking at the girl,

"I don't know... but it's putrid," she said and tried not to gag,

"Odd," Hanji commented,

"Let's not make any reports on that until we understand what she is talking about, " Levi said to Hanji who held a look of understanding in her eyes, before leaving.

Finally, a cloth covered the titan's face and the smell seemed to die down. Gaia then removed her hand from her face and took a look around, Levi looked at her and noticed that she was looking at the ground.

"Are you scared?" he asked, stepping closer to her,

"Of?" she asked, not looking away from the ground,

"Of how high up we are," he explained,

"No, I'm taller than this," she replied, this caused Levi's eyes to widen, it was really an odd way to look at things, he thought carefully on how to ask his next question,

"Were you ever this small before they cut you out at the wall?" he asked her,

"If I was, I can't remember" she replied. It made sense now, why she looks at her hands and feet and why she looking at the ground the way she is, she feels as if she is not in her own body, being in her titan form is the only thing she has ever known, Levi could not imagine how uncomfortable that felt. He continued to watch her as she stared at random things,

"Let's go," as he grabbed her and made their way back to his office. It was late afternoon as the made their way back through his office window, he went back to his desk and was about to continue with his work when he saw Gaia head snap towards the wall.

"What is it?" He asked looking out towards the wall, half expecting a titan to be leering over it, but there was nothing there,

"Something is wrong, Levi, something... is really wrong," she said as she continued staring that direction, her hands gripped the windowsill as she listened alertly,

"How do you know that?" He asked, as he made his way to her, to attempt to calm her,

"The... birds" she whispered to him, he looked out but all he saw were birds flying in random directions, there also was not many, he was about to ask her what she meant but was stopped by a know on the door.

He went to the door and answered it, he soon learnt how correct Gaia was about something being wrong,

"Gaia, go to our room, stay there until I come and get you," he said as he left to head to Erwin's office.

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