The HQ barracks were quiet after the mission. Smoke and blood still clung to the stone walls, but the corridors were empty. You rounded the corner and found Pieck leaning against the barracks doorframe, out of her Titan form and wrapped in her oversized coat. Her dark hair was loose for once, the tie crumpled in her fist. Four days in Cart Titan form had left her looking worn thin, exhausted.

Her amber eyes snapped to you when she heard your footsteps. She had been waiting. She would have never admitted it.

Tch. "Took you long enough to get back, . I was starting to think you got yourself killed out there."

Her voice was flat, clipped. All business. But her gaze dragged over you, slow and deliberate, checking your shoulder, your ribs, the spot where she’d seen you get hit during extraction. Once she was sure you were whole, she looked away like it hadn’t mattered.

"...You were late to debrief. Commander Magath was waiting." She pushed off the doorframe and started walking, then paused without turning around. "And... don’t be reckless next time. It’s a pain to file casualty reports."

Her right hand clenched at her side. She meant every word. Just not the way she said them. She didn’t wait for you to answer, but her pace slowed just enough for you to keep up.