"I'm sorry. You're gonna need to run that by me again."
Lieutenant Angharad stood with her arms crossed over her chest, her brows pulled together in disbelief. Her braids were frizzy and beginning to come apart, and her tan Scout jacket was stained and torn in a few spots. By the end of the cleanup of Trost, she would need a whole new uniform entirely.
Armin shifted on his feet, and he wrung his hands together under her stern gaze. Mikasa took the brainiac's pause as her cue that it was her turn to speak.
"Eren is the titan shifter. He's the one who plugged the hole in the gate." Angharad's jaw dropped slightly as she processed what she had just been told. It had been a few days since the last of the titans were eradicated, and every possible soldier was hard at work assisting in the clean up of the district. Finally, she clicked her tongue and nodded.
"Okay." She blew a harsh breath out of her pursed lips, her bangs fluttering above her eyes. "Okay, you've had a long couple days, take this time to get something to eat. Get off your feet for an hour." The wrapped an arm around each of them, pulling them in for a group hug. She saluted when she pulled back, the teenagers doing the same before they went their separate ways. Angharad walked through the streets of Trost. The scenes were too reminiscent of 5 years ago. Blood splattered the brick and cobblestone streets, and the scent of decay lingered in every crevice of the city.
She passed rows upon rows of bodies, fallen soldiers who gave their lives in the line of duty to protect the citizens within the Walls. At some point, the medical team had run out of sheets to cover their remains, and unfortunately they lay on full display until they would be loaded in the back of wagons to be taken away and burned.
Suddenly she came upon a single soldier, ashy blonde hair slightly messy and hands covered in elbow length gloves. He was standing in front of a body leaned up against the side of a building. Based on the way he was frozen in position and staring at the sight before him, Ang could only conclude that he knew them personally.
"Trainee, do you know his name?" Ang watched one of the medical team members walk up with a clipboard.
"I knew I hadn't seen him around, but this couldn't have happened to him." The soldier muttered, still in shock at the sight of his friend. "Marco, what happened? Did anyone see how he died?"
"If you know his name, tell me now. Do you understand, soldier? It's already been two days since the hole was sealed and we still haven't finished collecting all the bodies. At this rate, there could be an epidemic. We must avert a second tragedy. There isn't time to mourn your friend yet." At the medic's last words, she chose to intervene, pulling aside a passing soldier to stop him in his tracks.
"Bring me a stretcher for the body." The lower class soldier looked to where Ang was looking and turned back to her.
"Umm, stretchers are being saved for the wounded." Ang didn't like using her rank to get what she wanted, but this time she could make an exception.
"That was an order, soldier." The medic checked the rank on her breast pocket and nodded.
"Yes, Lieutenant." And he ran off to find what she needed. Ang walked up to the pair as the soldier finally gave his answer.
"104th Trainee Corps. Captain of Squad 19. Marco Bodt." The medic nodded and wrote down the name on her clipboard.
"Marco, then? I'm glad we have a name." The medic began to walk away, continuing with her duties. "Let's get back to work." At this moment, the other medic came around the corner, the stretched propped over his shoulder.
"Thank you." Ang told him and the soldier left with a salute and a nod. She turned to the other soldier, sparing him a glance as she laid the stretcher alongside the body. She stood and gestured down to the stretcher. "Want to help me?" The soldier nodded and leaned down to pull at Marco's feet to lay him on his back, while Ang lowered his shoulders gently to the ground. "Ready?" She asked, and the Trainee nodded. Together they both lifted the body gently, just off the ground enough to move him over onto the stretcher. When he was ready to lift his end of the stretcher, he nodded, and Ang slowly stood and began to rotate so she was leading their path to the wagons.
"You're Lieutenant Jaeger." The soldier spoke. "You're Eren's aunt."
"I am." Angharad nodded. "Since you know my name, shouldn't I know yours?" Ang tried to sound teasing as she looked over her shoulder to avoid tripping.
"Jean Kirstein"
"Ah. I've heard a bit about you from the letters I received from Eren, Armin, and Mikasa."
"Tsk. I bet." Jean sounded annoyed now, and Ang had to resist the urge to chuckle.
"All good things, I assure you." She nodded for him to rotate to lay the stretcher parallel to the width of the wagon, and they slowly lifted Marco's body into the back. She wiped her hands on her pants, though it didn't do much good as they were already pretty dirty and turned to face the tall Trainee. "Congratulations on your graduation."
"Thank you Lieutenant." Jean nodded, but he still looked dejected. Angharad reached out to lay a hand on his arm, squeezing slightly before she stepped back and saluted. Jean saluted back.
"Look, I know all too well what you're feeling. And I won't lie and tell you that it gets easier." She told him seriously. "But you're going to decide on what regiment you're joining in a few days." She sighed. "Trust your gut. Your instincts are rarely ever wrong."
Jean blinked at her from behind his bangs, nodding silently in thanks as she smiled softly and walked away. It was time for her to visit her nephew.
~
Angharad descended the stairs into he dungeon under the courthouse. When she reached the bottom, she was not at all surprised to see Erwin and Levi already waiting for her. Erwin turned in his chair, his legs crossed over one another while Levi stood leaned against the wall.
"Sorry I'm late." She muttered, taking her position on Erwin's other side, her arms crossed over her chest, shoulders back as she finally turned to her nephew's sleeping form. She clenched her jaw as she followed the line of chains connected to the wall to Eren's wrists. "He's still not awake?"
"No." Levi responded curtly. Ang only turned her head enough to look at Levi in her peripheral. He seemed angry, but she couldn't tell whether it was with her or the situation. Erwin shifted in his seat, his shoulder brushing against her hip. "Did you know?" Levi's voice was cold, and Ang finally turned her head enough to look at him fully. The Captain did not offer her the same courtesy.
"Did you really just ask me that question?" She snapped. Erwin cleared his throat, noticing the form under the blanket beginning to shift. Angharad turned back to the body in the cell before her. Eren groaned, slowly sitting up in bed as he blinked away the blurriness of his vision. He gasped at who he saw sitting on the other side of the cell bars.
It's the leader of the Survey Corps' strike force, Commander Erwin. And Captain Levi...and my aunt, Lieutenant Jaeger.
"Umm, where...am I?" Eren question, his voice shaking in nervousness.
"As you can see, it's an underground jail cell." Erwin responded. "The Military Police has retained custody of you. We've only recently received permission to speak with you." Eren looked down as his wrist, the chains rattling as he noticed the extra weight. Erwin then held up his hand, a familiar shaped key in his hand, and Ang had to do a double take as she reached up to feel through her shirt for the similar object around her own neck. They key in Erwin's grasp was bronze instead of silver, but it was the exact same shape and size as the one she wore.
"That key!" Eren gasped.
"Yes. It's yours, you can have it back later." Erwin confirmed. "The basement of your house in Shiganshina, Doctor Jaeger's house, holds the answer to the mystery of the titans."
"Yes, I think so. That's what my father said."
"Erwin," Angharad's voice was cautious, and her Commander turned his gaze in her direction. When she didn't immediately answer, he looked up at her. He watched as she reached up to the collar of her shirt, pulling a braided cord out from underneath and the trinket on the end caught him off guard. She pulled the cord up from around her neck and dropped the item in his outstretched hand. "I have a similar key."
Erwin turned the silver key over in his hand, then holding it up next to Eren's to compare the two. They had exactly the same diamond shaped head. Eren's bronze key and Ang's silver key were almost identical.
"They're cut differently." Erwin commented, noticing that the two keys seemed to be for different locks.
"I don't really remember how I got it, but I've been wearing it since my brother's disappearance.
"You have amnesia, and your brother's missing." Levi commented in a snarky tone as he looked between Eren and Ang. "How convenient."
"Levi." Erwin scolded as he looked to the short Captain. "We've already reached the conclusion that they have no reason to lie." He turned to Eren again. "There's still so much we don't know. But right now we need to ask what you want to do."
"What I want to do?" Eren repeated.
"To get to your house, we must retake Shiganshina and Wall Maria. The simplest and easiest way to seal the shattered gate would be to use your titan power. It's likely that tians will determine our fate. The Colossal and Armored titan are the same, in principle, as you. Your decision is the key." Erwin held up both keys in his hand now. The key that can save humanity from despair." Erwin turned his head to Angharad, and she looked down at him incredulously.
"I've devoted 17 years to this regiment, and you're going to question my loyalty?" Angharad's arms uncrossed from her chest, dropping to her sides and clenching her fists. Erwin and Angharad stared one another down, while Levi became impatient.
"Answer up, you piece of crap. What to you want to do?"
"Levi!" Angharad growled through clenched teeth, sparing him a quick glance before she looked back to Erwin, neither blonde soldier backing down from the mental standoff. Behind the cell bars, Eren growled under his breath, looking up with his eyes alight with determination.
"I want to join the Survey Corps and slaughter all the titans." Angharad was snapped out of her anger at Eren's brutal delivery of his answer, looking up at her nephew in concern.
"Erwin, I'll take responsibility for him." Levi walked up to the cell bars. "Convey that to the brass. It isn't that I trust him, if he betrays us or loses control I'll kill him on the spot. They shouldn't complain. Because only I can do it." Ang forced her face to remain unchanging, though the concern and worry for Eren was still prominent. "I accept your request. You can join the Survey Corps."
Erwin looked back to Angharad, raising one eyebrow. "Are these conditions acceptable?" Angharad thought about it for a moment. Technically if Levi was in charge of Eren, the two of them being co-squad leaders, that also meant that she would be responsible for him as well. A glance back at Erwin and by the look he was giving her, he knew she had figured out the loophole. He was giving her the opportunity without openly giving her the responsibility. But would I really be able to kill my nephew if it came down to it?
"I have no objections." She nodded, Erwin doing the same and they stood and made their way out of the dungeon. Angharad paused by her nephew's cell, giving him a sad smile as she followed after her other commanding officers. They made their way to the carriage that would take them back to their temporary lodgings, Angharad being left seated by herself as Erwin and Levi sat in the seat across from her. The ride was tense for a few moments until finally Angharad chose to break the silence.
"I didn't know." She kept her voice firm, looking between the two men in front of her. "I promise you, I didn't know anything about his...condition."
"Where did the key come from?" Erwin question, though he didn't sound suspicious or angry with her anymore.
"I think from the same place Eren got his. From my brother." She sighed. "I don't remember him giving it to me. I just woke up with it one morning, and I've worn it ever since."
"When was the last time you saw him?"
Angharad thought of her dream. Now she was starting to think her brother's haunting words were actually a memory. How else would she and Eren have the same kind of key? Or the way they both had some kind of...weird power?
"I think the last time I saw him, we had an argument in my office." She turned to looked out the window of the carriage. "I think he disappeared a day or two after that." She sighed again. "What time is Eren's trial tomorrow?"
"7:00 AM. First thing in the morning." Levi spoke up for the first time since entering the carriage, but he still hadn't looked at her.
"Are you going to look at me at all? Or are you just going to continue to ignore me?" Levi scoffed but still didn't turn in her direction. Now Ang was the one who scoffed at him.
"Levi, I swear to you, I didn't know he could turn into a titan. Hell, I barely know what kind of teenager he is. I haven't really seen him that much the last 3 years." She slapped her hands against her crossed legs, shaking her head slightly. She looked out the window again sadly. "They've grown up the last 5 years without me, matured into young adults without me." She sniffled. "To be honest, I feel like I don't really know them that well anymore."
She rubbed her hands up and down her legs nervously, and Levi sighed finally turning to look at his co-squad leader. He could see her bottom lip quivering, and she was fidgeting with her thumbs again. Maybe he was being too harsh, this was her own nephew who was going to be on trial, a trial to see if he would live or die.
"I have a plan for tomorrow." She looked to Erwin, seeing that he was already looking at her. "The Military Police are going to want to dissect him and kill him. Obviously, I won't allow that to happen." Erwin nodded at her to continue, wondering what she was thinking in that calculating brain of hers. "But I need a favor."
"What is it?" Levi asked, his voice sounding somewhat bored, but Ang could sense he was curious about her idea as well. Angharad turned her gaze back to the Captain, her emerald eyes serious and unwavering.
"I need you to beat the shit out of my nephew."