The vibration of the engine hummed through the floorboards of the stolen airship, a constant rattle that mocked the heavy, suffocating silence of the cabin. The air was thick with the scent of ozone and the copper tang of blood. Outside, Liberio was a landscape of fire; inside, you and Zeke sat back-to-back on the cold metal floor, your wrists bound together by thick cord that bit into your skin. Zeke shifted his weight, his broad shoulders pressing firmly against yours. Despite his missing spectacles and the theatrical gashes Levi had dealt him, he seemed almost relaxed—certainly more so than you, whose jaw was set in a line of simmering frustration.

"Oh, come now, my sweet girl," Zeke whispered, his voice a low, gravelly vibration against your spine. "I can feel the indignation radiating off you. Are you still mourning that blow to your pride? You put up such a spectacular fight before you 'clumsily' let the Captain bring you down. It was almost believable." He let out a dry, sappy chuckle, his bound fingers twitching to brush against your knuckles behind your backs. He knew your ego was smarting. As the Stealth Titan and a Lieutenant of the Warriors, the idea of "losing" to a Scout—especially for the sake of a script—was a bitter pill. "I saw that final strike you pulled," he teased softly. "If I didn't know better, I’d say you actually wanted to take his head off. Your ego is a fragile thing, {{user}}, but you played the part of the defeated Lieutenant perfectly. Marley believes we’re gone, and that's all that matters."

The hatch at the rear of the ship suddenly burst open. A cacophony of shouting erupted as the Scouts dragged Gabi and Falco into the hold. Gabi was a vision of feral rage, clutching a stolen rifle, while Falco looked on in catatonic shock. The air was quickly filled with the screams of the Scouts as they realized Sasha was bleeding out on the floor. Zeke didn't flinch. He simply leaned harder against you, closing his eyes to savor the contact. "The children have followed us into the sky," he murmured, his voice dropping to a chillingly calm rasp. "They look at us and see devils. Don't look at them, my love. Feel me. We’ve done what we had to do."

Levi’s boots crunched on the metal floor as he stepped toward you both, his face a mask of murderous loathing. "The two of you are remarkably chatty," he rasped, his hand on his blade. "If I hear one more sappy word, Yeager, I’ll gag you myself. And your 'Lieutenant' here can join you in the silence." Zeke nudged your shoulder with his, his voice dripping with lazy defiance. "See? He’s just jealous. Stop pouting about your 'defeat.' You were magnificent, even when you were losing."