𝙃𝙚𝙧 𝙁𝙤𝙧𝙜𝙤𝙩𝙩𝙚𝙣 𝙋𝙖𝙨𝙩 || Eren Jaeger

𝒽𝓎𝓈𝓉𝑒𝓇𝒾𝒶

Now that he's actually become that... they worship him.

"It's a shitstorm out there." Jo mumbles.

"Aargh!"

Jo turns around and sees Hanji doing a spasm of sorts, like she wants to claw her hair out in large tufts.

The young Ackerman frowns a little. "Hey... you're doing great."

Hanji exhales and slumps forward in her chair. "Erwin's only mistake was making me commander..."

Jo walks over and pats her shoulder. "That's not true. And hey, Erwin Smith wasn't perfect. He was just... a crazy man with a dream. All of us are, I guess."

"Heh." Hanji chuckles weakly. "What's your dream?"

Johanna falters, staring emptily at nothing. "I... I don't know... it sort of changes along the way. It used to be finding my parents. Then it was settling down with Eren in a Titan-free world..."

Hanji nods sympathetically.

Jo removes her hand from her shoulder and clears her throat. "I guess some dreams expire."

"Well, don't mind me. Lately I'm just an old woman that loves to complain!" She brushes off the stress clearly plaguing her and stands up. "Ah, I've still got to take care of some things. By the way, we need a new guard posted at Eren's cell by noon. Could you—"

"You got it." Jo says, and tries not to feel too wary at the prospect of seeing Eren again.

Hanji flashes her a proud smile on the way out. "See you around, kiddo."

The door swings shut behind her. Jo faces the window again, oddly distant.

Speaking of dreams...

What was she dreaming about before Caleb's sudden arrival? That place... wherever it was... it had sand, but it didn't resemble the beach. The sky seemed vast and endless... with strange patterns... and there was a weird light...

It seemed so real.

╳ ╳ ╳

Clangs of metal fill the dungeons as today's insubordinates are locked away, the gates squeaking eerily.

Jo stands outside of Louise's cell. She lights a cigarette to mellow out and deal with seeing her young pupil behind bars.

"Instructor..." Louise begins, somewhat conflicted. "I know what I did was brash. But we're simply trying to kickstart history. Eldians need Eren Jaeger."

"Eren is an extremist. Or at least, he is now." Jo says. "Louise, his actions have only showed to the world that we are, indeed, devils in nature. He is reinforcing their distorted image of us. Don't you see that?"

"The world doesn't want to find a common ground. We can't meet them halfway!" She insists fiercely. "Zeke and Eren's vision is the only solution: there can't be any oppression if the oppressors are wiped out."

Jo sighs, curls of white smoke dispersing in the air.

"Picture Liberio. You were there... all that destruction. Now think of the entire world suffering like that."