Lara (Long-Fic Levihan | Armin Arlert X OC)

Chapter 84 - Jaëgerists

"Wh-What the heck?!" stuttered Niccolo, hands raised, walking backward.

Still pointing the gun to his head, Floch got into the room, followed by a few more rebel soldiers carrying rifles, ready to fire. Everyone who was already inside the room was completely stunned and gathered around Hange. Armin and Lara clung even tighter in their embrace as if they both wanted to protect the other. Niccolo also went into Sasha's arms.

"Floch?!" exclaimed Hange, standing up immediately.

"I'm glad you're here, Commander Hange," he replied, with an enigmatic look. "You certainly know where Zeke is. I want you to get us there."

"Wait a minute!" exclaimed Hange, opening her arms, "We have no intention of going against you!"

"We rejected your proposal," replied Floch, impassively. "We won't negotiate with the Armed Forces."

Hange frowned, feeling tense. Everyone behind her stiffened nervously.

"And why is that?" asked Hange, gritting her teeth.

"It's Eren's decision," replied Floch. "Commander Pixis would never leave the fate of the island in our hands. He's certainly hatching some plan to take the Founding Titan from Eren while we're on the move."

"Don't you think you're being paranoid?" Lara dared to ask. "Or is that what your comrades in the Garrison Division said?"

Floch took a good look at Lara and then at Armin (who were still embracing each other), from head to toe with an expression of disgust. He then gave a very sarcastic smile.

"Squad Leader Lara. I mean," Floch faked a cough, "Captain Lara. First, congratulations on your engagement. Second, do I look like I'm still your subordinate? Will I be forced to prove to you that this is not the case? Or will you and your mother come with us? We know very well that you both know where Zeke is."

Floch looked at some of his companions, who cocked their weapons, making everyone feel their bodies tremble. Lara looked at him with scorn.

"Damn it!" exclaimed Jean, through gritted teeth. "How did they know we were here?"

Niccolo then caught everyone's attention by exclaiming:

"Chris?!" he turned to the waiter who had talked to him earlier, astonished. "It can't be! Are you working for Yelena?!"

"Niccolo..." replied Chris, impassively, "you ended up getting too close to the Eldians," he looked at Sasha, who grimaced at him, "I knew this day would come. I was right not to show you how to reach them."

"Floch!" exclaimed Hange, stepping forward, "Listen to me! We can't waste time fighting among ourselves! They served wine with Zeke's spinal fluid to Paradis soldiers! This whole time, Zeke was manipulating us!

"So what?!" replied Floch, with a strange smile, "Are you talking about the idiots of the Military Police? They'll still be idiots, only bigger. Can we go?" He turned his back, walking around the room, "Tie them up, now!"

Then, rebel soldiers tied up Hange, Lara, Armin, Mikasa, Onyankopon, Connie, Jean, Sasha, and Niccolo, making them all form a large circle, with Floch in the middle. Some pointed their rifles at them. Everyone moaned in indignation, and at one point, Hange raised her voice:

"Hang on, Floch! We never mentioned the Military Police!"

"It cannot be..." Lara widened her eyes, with a grimace of pain, as they tightened the ropes in her hands behind her back. "You knew everything all along!"

Then, to everyone's desperation, Floch turned to Lara, slowly, with a completely maniacal smile, putting his index finger in front of his mouth.

"Please, be quiet inside the restaurant," said Floch, now walking slowly towards Lara. He had such an insane expression on his face, that she cringed when Floch leaned in front of her. Their faces were very close now and Lara could smell his sour breath. Swallowing hard, she noticed that Floch was looking at her lips with great interest, which sent a chill through her entire body. Lara desperately sought her fiancé's eyes, who was on the other side of the large room.