"What's wrong?" The Captain's voice echoed throughout the dimly lit warehouse they were all sitting in, the sound bouncing off the dirt-stained walls. He raised a questioning brow at Armin who they noticed had been deathly silent ever since the incident a few hours earlier. "The grimy place kill your appetite?"
The blond shook his head, opening his mouth to respond. "No...it's just..." He began to say, glancing up to look at the boy seated beside him. "Jean, there's something I don't understand."
Perking up at the mention of his name, Jean furrowed his brows. "What's that?"
"When I shot that gun to save you, I honestly thought I didn't make it in time," Armin muttered out. "Sorry, but...why was I the one who shot first?"
At his statement, Jean gritted his teeth, about to say something when Captain Levi beat him to it. "Because the other person hesitated," He told them. They all turned to look at him, causing the man to shrug his shoulders. "It's true."
Ducking his head, Jean looked regretful. "Armin, I'm sorry. I should've done what I had to do."
The blond continued to stare at the roaring fire in front of him, the glowing flames dancing in the air. "That woman I killed...I bet they were a nice person. Someone that was much more human than I am," His eyes were wide open, as if recalling the events. "I pulled the trigger so easily...I did..."
"Armin," Captain Levi's voice cut through the air sharply. He stared at him, his gaze hard. "You've got blood on your hands now. You can't go back to who you were."
Across him, Mikasa frowned, appearing upset at his words. "Why would you say that?"
Yet the Captain kept his eyes trained on Armin. "Embrace the new you. Just think, if your hands were still clean, Jean wouldn't be here right now," He told them firmly, and the group grew silent at the unmistakable truth. "I'll tell you why you pulled the trigger. Because your comrade was about to die."
"Armin, and you too, Taryn," He said to them all of a sudden, catching the attention of the girl sitting alone in one corner, Taryn perking up at the mention of her name. "Because of the two of you, nobody on our squad ended up dead," He told them after a while, an unwavering sincerity in his voice. "Thank you."
Silence enveloped them, hearing only the crickets and the sound of the warm fire cackling, until Jean decided to speak up, looking as if he had something on his mind. "Captain Levi, I thought it was wrong for us to be fighting other people, and wrong for you to order us to do it," He began to say, before gritting his teeth once more. "But I'm the one who's wrong. Next time...I'll shoot."
The Captain stared at him in understanding, sighing. "I never said anything about who was right or wrong," He replied with a serious face. "I don't even know myself. Are you really the one in the wrong?"
Jean didn't seem to have anything to say after that, keeping to himself as he pondered over the Captain's statement. Levi stood up, breaking the silence, his eyes raking over their faces. "I think it's time for all of you to go to sleep. You all need energy, who knows what's in store for us tomorrow."
With his words, they murmured back a response of agreement, watching as he disappeared further into the warehouse. They stood up as well, putting away their used dishes and scrambling to get their beds for the night ready.
Laying down on their beds—which were really just a load of blankets stacked on top of each other so as not to feel the stiffness of the cold ground—the tiredness and exhaustion from the day took over them quickly, pulling the group into a deep slumber. Loud snores and light breathing soon filled the air, courtesy of their sleeping comrades. Yet Jean was wide awake, blinking at the ceiling.
He couldn't seem to put himself at ease no matter how hard he tried to keep such negative thoughts away. He assumed it was the same for the others, but the feeling of unease was outweighed by that of fatigue, making it easier for them to fall asleep. Heaving a deep sigh, he turned his head to look at one of the many windows of the old place, the silvery light from the moon peeking through, illuminating the night sky.
Maybe it was because he came so close to losing his life that day, or maybe it was guilt from the way Armin had to get his hands dirty just to save him. He saw how the poor boy emptied his guts out earlier just because of that, and combined with how he was harassed by that old pervert, the whole situation was already proving to be too much. He felt pity for him, along with a plethora of other emotions he couldn't quite seem to put a finger on.
His eyes fluttered shut, willing himself to sleep, though he peeled them wide open again once he heard someone sniffle beside him. Due to the lack of supplies they had, which unfortunately included proper sleeping bags, they were all spread out in one line on the multiple blankets placed alongside each other, so being next to one another was unavoidable. An unconscious Connie was lying on his right side and Taryn on his left, seemingly awake.
She was facing the other way and was positioned a considerably good distance away from him. As he studied her, he suddenly remembered how they found her once the Captain ordered them to group together and fall back—all alone, her throat wounded, trembling and soaked in blood, a mixture of her own and someone else's. A soldier's dead body was seen lying right beside hers and it didn't take a genius for anyone to figure out just what had happened.
Ever since then, the girl had been deathly silent, only speaking up when necessary. Jean couldn't deny that it made him feel worried, remembering that she too got a taste of being close to losing her life. The only difference between them was that he hesitated, and she didn't.
Not helping himself, he inched closer to her, patting her on the shoulder lightly to catch her attention. She immediately stiffened at his touch, further indicating that she was awake. "Taryn," He called out softly. "Are you crying?"
He could see her bring a hand to her face, as if to wipe her tears, before mumbling out a low response. "No."
Gently grabbing her shoulder, he pulled her towards him, letting the girl face him. Getting a clear view of her face, he noticed that her eyes were red and watery, her nose being the same exact shade, her cheeks flushed. She really is crying.
His lips twitched into a small, comforting smile, wanting to at least lighten the mood. "You're pillow's wet. Don't tell me that's drool?"
She scowled at him. "So what if I'm crying?"
He sighed, his fingers unconsciously reaching out to tuck a stray strand of her hair behind her ear. He then felt himself staring at her, admiring the way the pale moonlight lit up her face, highlighting her glossy eyes. "I'm not making fun of you, you know," He whispered slowly. "It's okay to cry..."
She met his gaze, understanding and gentle. "You can tell me about it," He began to say. "I'll listen."
He could see her taking in a deep breath, almost as if she was preparing herself the things she was about to say. "I killed someone, Jean. I—I'm horrible," She croaked out, her words barely more than a whisper. "I could've easily shot him anywhere, injured him, but I killed him. He probably had a family, and now..."
His brows knit together frustratedly. She shouldn't put the blame on her when all she did was prevent herself from getting killed.
"It wasn't your fault. That soldier attacked you, didn't he?" He raised a brow at her, his voice taking on a sharper tone. "Captain Levi's right. You did it to survive. I'll have to kill people too, to survive. If you didn't pull the trigger, you would've..."
His gaze travelled down from her face to her neck, finding the bandages wrapped around her throat to cover her wound. Unconsciously, his jaw clenched in anger at the sight. Who in their right mind would even do that to a girl?
Then again, he remembered that they were in a middle of a conflict, and even the fact that they were young didn't stop their enemies from trying to kill them. But the resentment he felt towards her attacker didn't fade one bit, only growing with every second he spent looking at her bandaged neck. Swallowing thickly, he tore his eyes away from the sight. "How's your throat?"
"Better," She shrugged, though she was obviously avoiding his stare. "I just...feel bad."
"That's okay. I still think killing is the wrong choice, but we have to. I understand that now," His voice was low, almost as if he hated himself for saying the words. "And Taryn, you're the most wonderful person I know, so don't be too hard on yourself."
Jean saw how her cheeks instantly went from a deathly pale to a light pink shade, the color slowly returning to her face, and he felt himself smile. Earlier, he had been hesitant about the whole ordeal, but seeing her in front of him right now made him determined. He wanted to protect her, and whether it be by killing people or just by making her smile, he'll do it.
Not allowing himself any second thoughts, he snaked a hand around her back and pulled her into a hug, burying his head in the crook of her neck. She froze for a few moments before eventually relaxing in his grasp, wrapping an arm around him as well.
His face grew hot at the action, but he ignored it, along with the butterflies he was currently feeling in his stomach, tingly and bothersome. Seriously, it's not like we've never hugged before.
None of them said anything for a while, her soft breathing against his chest being the only things he could ever focus on. He felt comfort in her embrace and he couldn't deny the fact it made him feel something, feelings that he knew friends shouldn't be having towards each other. He convinced himself that he was just confused and didn't know what they were, but maybe, he just didn't want to admit it.
With another sigh, he dismissed it all, emptying his mind of all thoughts. He looked down at Taryn's now sleeping face, and before he could think about what his actions meant, he pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead, shutting his eyes as he whispered the words. "Goodnight, mudface."
...
Even though they were several rooms apart, the painful cries of the soldiers could be heard loud and clear, almost as if they were right in front of them. The group sat together around a table, fidgeting, sneaking furtive glances at each other as they listened to each scream and shout. They couldn't help but feel sorry for the soldiers that were currently being tortured by the Section Commander.
"It starts again..." They heard Jean mutter, looking down at his palms folded neatly on top of the table. His statement made Armin hum in agreement, the blond's gaze also fixated on the surface before him. "I feel like the screams are louder than when the Captain did it, though."
"Even though I know it's to save those two, it makes me sick." Connie added, preoccupied with staring at the room's stone walls. And right at that moment, the man being tortured gave out a bloodcurdling scream, causing them all to wince from the uncomfortable nature of their situation.
"Let's face it, we're criminals now," Came Armin's voice, slow and unsure, cutting through the air sharply. "The enemies that we're fighting—we're not killing them because they're trying to eat us. It's all because their views are different from ours...well, just the group they belong to."
He paused, clearly hesitating, before choosing to continue. "All of us, we're not innocent people anymore."
They couldn't find anything to counter his words, agreeing with him silently in their minds. It was the cold, hard truth. People were after them, they were branded as criminals, and they had done things that was far from what others would consider as innocent. Armin and Captain Levi were right—they weren't seen as good people anymore.
The doors to the room suddenly burst open, fortunately breaking the suffocating atmosphere. Levi himself and Hange soon revealed themselves, wearing aprons that were stained crimson with blood, no doubt from the prisoners they had previously tortured. The sight instantly made their stomachs churn in discomfort, some of them even turning their heads away discreetly.
Hange stepped forward, and though they would usually greet them all with a bright smile, their face had on a serious look, which only meant that what they were about to disclose was utterly important. Levi trailed after them, his expression mirroring theirs, causing the group to gulp nervously as they waited for the two to say something.
Hange sighed, before glancing up, their gaze hard. "Reiss is the true royal family. The King Fritz currently on the throne is a fake," They informed. "We suspect that's why Historia was taken. For Eren, it seems like the government has plans to feed him to a Titan of their own."
The news came as such a big shock to them that it took them all a moment to fully process Hange's words, their mouths opening and closing in surprise as they struggled to say anything at all. Armin furrowed his brows, appearing as confused as they were. "Eren will be eaten?"
Hange nodded, taking a few steps forward while they continued to explain. "Eren remembered a conversation between Ymir and Bertholdt, and speculating based on that, it's revealed that Ymir was formerly a Titan wandering alone outside the Wall," They rambled on but the others understood well enough, nonetheless. "Bertholdt, Annie and Reiner had a comrade that she ate."
"When a Titan eats someone, they don't change back into a human. But what if they ate one of Reiner's comrades? They're humans who can transform into Titans. In other words, if a Titan eats someone with that power, they revert back into a human, and they obtain the power of those they eat."
"In that case, Eren is just a vessel who is bound to be replaced," Hange paused, their expression grim. But it seemed as if the group already knew where the conversation was heading, as worry took over their faces, casting a dark shadow upon their spirits. "If the government has a Titan of their own, they'll be the one to eat Eren."
Taryn heaved a deep sigh as she shifted in her spot, holding her beloved crossbow closer to her. Leaning against a tree while staring at the prickly, green grass underneath her dirty, worn out boots, her mind kept wandering back to the group's discussion and Hange's explanation, overwhelmed by the situation they were currently in.
The government was after them, there was this big thing about eating Eren and transferring powers and it just felt like they were all caught up in a huge game of cat and mouse, with the latter position being obvious as to who it was between them. There were still a lot of things she didn't understand, but it seemed like she couldn't do anything about it either way. Just like what Armin stated, they weren't good people anymore.
Lost in her thoughts, she didn't notice the multiple pairs of footsteps approaching her, nearing the spot she was zoning out in. It was only when a hand enclosed around her chin and urged her to meet a certain someone's gaze did she snap back to reality, her cheeks flushing almost instantly.
"What are you staring at, miss?" Jean asked with a teasing voice, a ghost of a smile playing at his lips. "Seriously, you should focus. If I were an enemy, you'd be doomed by now."
"Sorry..." She mumbled back as a response, taken aback and unfocused. She then caught sight of Armin and Mikasa, their hands full of supplies and heavy looking bags that she scrambled to assist them with. "Did you get the things?"
Mikasa nodded, handing her a sack. "Yes, along with some extra food," She told the girl before looking down at her own load, the bag in her hands being filled with an assortment of bread and starchy vegetables. "I think it's enough to last at least two more days."
They began to head back to where the others were camping, surrounding a fire while they kept watch for any intruders. The crunch of their soles against the dried leaves and stray branches made their heads turn towards the disturbance, catching their attention.
"Captain, we brought the supplies." Jean announced to the group as he carefully placed the crate he was carrying to the ground, before wiping the light sheen of sweat that had started on his forehead, presumably due to the blaring heat. She and Mikasa followed suit, arranging the supplies in an orderly manner.
Armin rushed to the Captain, appearing to have something important to say. "The Military Police were handing out these," He informed as he outstretched an arm, handing the man a newspaper that he managed to snatch while rummaging for supplies. His brows furrowed in worry. "If it's true, then the Scouts will be disbanded."
Growing curious, Taryn inched closer to Captain Levi, reading over his shoulder as he held out the newspaper to look at. There was a sketch of him that took over most of the front page, and beside it were a dozen of paragraphs that all entailed the same details—that the Scouts were dirty criminals, and that Commander Erwin was guilty of murdering a civilian.
They were all lies, obviously, false tales that the government spread to evoke fear and division among the people. She couldn't help but feel conflicted, shocked that they were able to do something as horrendous as that.
Armin stopped right beside her and it looked like he had even more information to disclose. "I also heard they'll be hunting for us tonight. They're also putting guards on all the vital roads and it's impossible to get through without a pass."
"Captain, what now?" Armin prodded, with Mikasa right beside him as she mirrored his worried expression. "If we don't hurry, Eren will—"
"Calm down. They're using a wagon, it'll take at least a day to reach Reiss' territory," He informed them calmly, shutting the two up. "We'll have to use that time to come up with a plan."
"Captain, I hear footsteps," Came Sasha's voice, informing them of the sudden intrusion. She narrowed her eyes at a fixated location just ahead of them and they knew for a fact that it had been the direction of where the intruders were approaching from. "They're coming this way."
Levi wasted no time and stood up, his actions overcome with a sense of urgency. "Armin, position yourself near the river and pretend to be drawing water. Mikasa, you and I will be watching from the trees, we'll take them down when necessary," He ordered them. "The rest of you, hide and have your weapons at the ready."
Immediately, they rushed to take cover behind the trees, the trunks fortunately big enough to conceal them out of sight. They watched as Armin crouched down the river bank, pretending to be filling the bucket in his hands with water. The footsteps grew louder from behind, revealing two familiar faces clad in Military Police uniforms, their rifles pointed towards the ground cautiously. Marlo and Hitch, Taryn recognized, having been with them during the whole fiasco at Stohess.
They caught sight of Armin, their eyes widening in alarm. "Don't move!" Yelled out Marlo, pointing a gun towards the blond's head. "Slowly turn this way."
Dropping the buckets, Armin raised his hands in surrender, turning to face the two soldiers. They could see Marlo's face visibly change in expression, almost as if he also recognized Armin. "You must be a Scout," He commented, before tightening his grip around his rifle, keeping it high up in the air. "Now listen to me and do as I—"
He didn't get to finish his sentence as Levi and Mikasa swooped down from the sky, taking ahold of their arms, successfully restraining them. Marlo was struggling in their grasp but stopped moving the moment the Captain raised a sword to his neck threateningly, his glare frightening. "That's right. Hand over your guns to the one in the front."
Afraid, they surrendered their weapons to Armin, who took it with a determined gaze. "And not a word, right?"
Tying rope around their wrists, the Captain gestured for them to come out, barking out another order. "Keep watch for any more!"
Taryn and the others spread out at his command, heading over to their designated spots. While Sasha and Jean stayed with the Captain, assisting him in what he needed to do, she was accompanied by Connie, weapons in hand as they scouted the area surrounding them.
Their job was mostly just to stand around and watch for any approaching enemies, but the whole thing was easier said than done especially since they were under the burning heat of the sun.
They started their job, studying the countless things happening before them. Jean passed by them once, with the ropes used to restrain Hitch and Marlo in his hands, the boy claiming he was just following the Captain's orders to tie them up someplace more secure. Though he looked terribly suspicious, they let him be, finding no reason to question his actions.
Ever since then, nothing interesting had happened so far. And they were already starting to sweat, the two leaned their backs against a big old tree, looking up at the sky and totally forgetting they were supposed to keep watch of the area around them. Connie sighed loudly as he wiped the beads of sweat trickling down his temple, his cheeks flushed from the heat. Taryn did the same, pulling out a bottle of water from her bag and proceeding to chug the whole thing down.
She finished drinking, gulping down the last drops of water thirstily. Twisting the cap back unto the bottle, she turned to face the shorter male with a raised brow. "I'll keep watch over there. You'll be fine on your own?"
Connie responded with a nod, still leaning against the tree, his eyes shut as if he was trying to fall asleep right then and there. "Yeah, sure. Be careful."
She smiled, patting him on the shoulder. "I will."
She walked away from him and began to head further into the forest, glancing around as she passed by the tall trees and bushes. After a while of finding a nice, secluded spot, she then looked for a rock to sit on, hastily throwing all her belongings down on the same surface.
As she sat down on the smooth rock, she caught a glimpse of a long trail of ants just passing by in front of her, seemingly on the way to their colony. Unconsciously, her lips twitched into a smile as she watched them go, even considering that she might be going insane at how terribly amused she was.
She knew she was supposed to be on guard and keep watch of the area she was in, but truthfully, that had just been her excuse to get a breath of fresh air. With the way things were going, it wasn't rare for her to feel suffocated, and sometimes she just wanted to relax, taking a deep breath as she kept on watching the little ants.
As she was staring at the ground distractedly, a body suddenly bumped into her, snapping her out of her trance. "What the—" Startled, she looked up and saw Hitch, free and wandering around, completely opposite of what the Captain wanted them to be. "Hitch?"
Hitch's eyes widened immediately after seeing her, turning around to run along the other direction. But Taryn got ahold of her arm and pulled her back just in time, earning a small squeak of surprise from the girl. "Where do you think you're going?" She asked, her brows furrowing in confusion. She then moved her head glanced around, looking for any sign of Jean and Marlo. "Aren't you supposed to be tied up..."
The next thing she knew, Hitch's face was twisted into a pleading expression, her hands clasped together in desperation. "You...please let me go. Marlo's about to be killed by that crazy horseface!"
She could only question just how ridiculous her words sounded. "Huh?"
But Hitch looked serious, desperate even. She seems very concerned about that Marlo guy. "He swung a knife at us! Please help me!"
Now it was her turn to widen her eyes, disbelief flooding her features at what she just said. She didn't need to wonder who the 'crazy horseface' she was describing, already knowing the answer to her queries. What did confuse her was what she mentioned about a knife and why the hell Jean was attacking them with it. "He—what? Why?"
Hitch appeared annoyed at this point, obviously wanting to get back to Marlo as soon as possible. "I don't know, ask him! He just stopped and said he wanted to kill us all of a sudden!"
Still confused, Taryn could only stare at her, as her mind began to scramble for an explanation behind Jean's bizarre actions. A sudden idea popped into her head, something that would help her get to the bottom of everything.
Picking up a stick from nearby, she handed it over to the girl, who took it with a strange expression. "Here..." She muttered. Hitch looked at her as if she was insane for giving her a stick, to which she only responded with a roll of her eyes. "If you think I'm giving you a weapon, you're damn wrong."
Sighing, she immediately rushed to the other way, not wasting any more time. Taryn secretly followed her, careful not to make any noise. She was curious as to why her friend wanted to become a killer all of a sudden, and also a bit worried, fearing the scolding they would surely receive if the Captain ever found out about them messing around with the captives.
While she was concentrated on trailing the girl's footsteps, she could hear Hitch scream loudly from a distance, followed by a cry of pain that was no doubt from Jean. Alarmed, she ran over to the scene and was surprised to see the boy collapsed unto the ground, covering his head, while Marlo tried his best to restrain Hitch even with his wrists tied together.
The sight was truly something to behold, chaotic to the point that she had to prevent herself from sighing in exasperation. "What happened?" She asked, her brows knit together in confusion.
Clearing his throat, Marlo walked over to Jean lying on the ground, offering him a hand and helping him up on his feet. "We'll behave, we promise," He then announced, before moving to drag the girl along with him, returning to where the others were. "Hitch."
He beckoned for her, causing her to roll her eyes at him, grumbling. "Fine, fine."
They watched as the two began to make their way back to their camp, where the Captain was no doubt waiting for them. Crossing her arms, Taryn turned to look at the boy beside him, an unimpressed look on her face as she urged him to tell her what the hell was going on.
He shifted awkwardly in his spot, intimidated under her stare. "Don't look at me like that."
"Like what?"
"Like I did something wrong."
She scoffed, quirking up a brow. "I did hear something about a knife, what the hell was that about?"
A smug look began to take over his features, a smirk playing at his lips that threatened to spread. "I was testing them," He told her, skillfully twirling around the knife in his hands. "To prove their sincerity."
She didn't even question why he came up with such a crude way of proving their sincerity, only keeping silent as she studied the big bruise starting to form on his forehead. Glancing at the stick she gave to Hitch earlier, now on the ground, it didn't take a genius for anyone to figure out what just happened.
She broke into a chuckle, looking up at him teasingly. "And that ended nicely, with Hitch beating you up."
Jean could only sigh in response, closing his eyes shut as the pain from Hitch's attack caught up with him. "She hits hard. I feel like my head is about to split open—"
He was cut off as he felt someone kiss him gently on the forehead, his eyes immediately flying open, wide in shock. He could see Taryn walking away from him, her back facing him, but he already knew that she had been the one to...kiss him. His feet felt glued to its spot, his body paralyzed as he sensed a blush making its way towards his face, turning his skin into a bright red shade.
He slowly brought a hand to where her lips touched, his heart fluttering just by the thought of it. "What was that for..." He muttered, still not believing what had happened.
Maybe she knew that he had kissed her while she was 'asleep' and this was just revenge, or maybe she just did it because she wanted to. But whatever her reasons were, he didn't mind, his heart a racing mess and his mind a jumble of thoughts as he began to trail after her. Oh well, he wasn't complaining.
...
With the help of Marlo and Hitch, the group had been able to break into a military checkpoint, successfully taking down a whole squad of soldiers with a quite chaotic surprise attack. They also managed to capture some senior-looking ones for interrogation, which led them to their...rather brutal situation at the moment.
An MP, battered up and wounded that was no doubt due to their sudden intrusion, was collapsed against a tree, suffering under Levi's glaring eyes. He knelt down to face the man, his jaw clenched and his gaze hard. "Where are Eren and Krista?"
Panting, the beaten up soldier dared to glance up at him, returning his stare with the same unwavering intensity. "Oh, you're so brave," He muttered lowly, his tone threatening. "That checkpoint back there was just recruits who could barely wipe their own ass. You think you're some sort of hero, beating them down?"
They could almost hear the Captain sigh in exasperation as he took a step forward. "What an atrocious thing we've done," He began to say, unbothered by the insults the soldier was spewing at him. "But what's more atrocious is this mouth of yours. I recommend you start talking while you're still able to use it."
Levi then roughly pressed his boot against the man's face, making not only the soldier, but also all of them watching, cower in fear. "Where are Eren and Krista?" He asked impatiently, digging his heel harder into the man's open mouth, before finishing him off with a harsh kick to the face. The others flinched at the impact, frightfully tearing their eyes away from the scene.
They chose to instead focus on their surroundings and pay attention to any approaching enemies. Crossbow in hand, Taryn scanned the nearby areas, eager to spot anything unusual. She thought she spotted some silhouettes of two people up ahead, but she couldn't be sure...
Another loud shriek caught their attention, revealing Captain Levi now gripping the man's arms, twisting the limbs against his back painfully. He sighed, almost as if he was bored of the whole thing already. "You still have plenty of bones left to break."
The soldier's face paled a great deal, his features washing over with fear. "You...you're insane!"
"Maybe I am."
Beside her, Sasha perked up, readying her bow. "Someone's coming from that way!" She hissed in warning, turning to face the Captain with wide eyes. "More than one!"
They got into position, reloading their weapons, pointing them towards whoever that was approaching. They held their breaths in anticipation and their hearts were hammering inside their chests like crazy, the nervousness inside them almost reaching a breaking point. It was only when the two figures drew closer and started to get a little bit clearer, did they exhale in relief, lowering their guns immediately.
Section Commander Hange greeted them with a bright smile, with Moblit right beside them, the two looking delighted. "Good news. The coup d'ètat was successful!" They cheered, handing out a newspaper to the Captain. "Premier Zachary has control of the Capital and administrative district. For the time being, the nobility hasn't rebelled."
Gasping, the group rushed to surround the Captain, reading over his shoulder as they were eager to know what the newspaper said about them this time. Their eyes scanning over the sentences, their hearts filling with joy with every word they read. It was just as Hange said—the coup d'ètat that the three regiments planned was successful, the nobility was revealed to be a bunch of corrupt officials, and the fake King Fritz was dethroned.
Armin turned towards them excitedly, a grin beginning to form on his lips. "What about the Boss Reeves incident?"
Hange crossed their arms, looking almost pleased. "We got a confession that proved the charges unfounded. His son Flegel really pulled through."
"Just like it's written there, it shows the charges were bogus, they abused their power, and that King Fritz was a total fake. All our actions were justified self defense," They continued, before glancing up at them all with a wide grin. "In other words, we're free people now."
At first, they didn't know how to react, their bodies only standing there frozen from the shock. But soon enough, the joyful feeling of happiness took over them, and the next thing they knew was that they were jumping and cheering in the air, relieved that finally, at long last, they were free.
They hugged each other, tears of relief brimming at their eyes, while the other soldiers watched them with amusement, undeniably happy about the whole thing as well. Soon enough, they were told to settle down, the Section Commander standing in front of them all with a determined gaze.
"But things aren't over yet," Hange told them. A warning of the things coming their way. But they no longer felt afraid, only determined, courage surging through them fiercely as they vowed to rescue their friends. "Now, let's find Eren and Historia, and put an end to this battle."
...