'Shots! There's shots coming from over there!'.
'Do you think that they ran into some trouble?', Jean wondered.
'It seems likely', Mikasa commented, 'The captain gave F/N and I a message. As of now, it's not just titans. We're fighting humans too'.
'Huh?', everyone turned to look at us, but without hesitation Mikasa began to soar away, using her ODM gear.
'Let's go everyone!', I ordered, everyone following.
'Where are we going?', Sasha questioned as we moved at a fast pace.
'To see if the captain, Eren and Historia are alright', I answered, as I spotted something out of the corner of my eye.
'Look! There they are!', Connie shouted, also noticing, 'Captain Levi', he worried.
'The hell is that!', Jean grew shocked, as we all did, Captain Levi was being chased down by a group of people we'd never met.
I guess those are the humans we are fighting.
Levi sliced through the person chasing him, grappling him with his ODM gear to then finish off the job. It startled me a little, I could see it in the others too. But nonetheless, we had to do what we had to do.
'Follow the wagon!', Levi commanded as we all turned the corner with him, allowing us to see someone else directing the wagon that held an unconscious Eren and Historia in it.
'Listen up', Levi mentioned, 'These soldiers were trained to fight other people, they've already taken out three of ours', we all gasped, his eyes turning to mine, 'If you hesitate for so much as a second you'll be dead'.
I knew exactly why he looked at me.
'The moment you see an opening, go for the kill', he demanded.
'Yes sir', I stated, as did Mikasa.
Levi flew down to the wagon, instantly taking out the guy protecting the driver, 'Armin! Secure the wagon with Jean, we'll keep you two covered!'.
'Sir!', Armin agreed, nervously.
'He killed him', Jean had a dumbfounded look on his face.
'Just do it Jean, get back Eren and Historia and we can think on it later', I told, worrying he'd hesitate like I used to.
Jean looked at me, he didn't want to do it, but right now it was either that or we lose our comrades, and I think the second option for him was worse.
The two of them landed in the wagon, startling the driver, Mikasa and I flew alongside, although still hidden enough that we wouldn't be spotted.
Holding a gun up to Jean and Armin's face, the driver left their back unattended, leaving a chance for Mikasa to swipe in.
'AGGH!', she kicked them, causing the gun to fall and for them to fall off of the horse and into the wagon.
'DONT MOVE!', Jean painfully pointed his sword towards the enemy's face, her becoming angry.
Quickly, she managed to flip over, discarding Jean of his weapon and having him now fall to the floor. She pointed her retrieved gun at him, his face laced with fear.
'JEAN!', Mikasa screamed, sprinting towards the wagon as did I, before a gunshot went off.
Ringing in my mind.
I looked down, Jean, still sitting there with his same worried face.
It was our enemy who has taken the fall, the bullet leaving Armin's hand.
'Armin', I whispered, his face still gritting and his arm still pointing with the gun directly behind him.
'Shit', Levi breathed as more people arrived to harm us, 'Armin! Jean!', he bellowed, swiping in to retrieve Jean ans Sasha did Armin, just before the wagon reached the tunnel, leaving an unconscious Eren and Historia in there.
More gathered, taking over the wagon completely as they grew further and further away, Mikasa began to move, but was held back by Captain Levi.
'Let em go', he stated, 'We're running on fumes', holding her back.
'NOOOO', she screamed, not wanting to let Eren get taken once again.
I tried to edge forward, but Jean's arms wrapped around me.
'Let me go!', I shouted, squirming to be released as I grew more worried, familiar feelings creeping back into my bones.
'Stop', Jean begged, holding onto me.
I looked up to him, his face seemed nearly drowned out, tired, not surprised for a man who nearly just met with death.
I stopped, relaxing my body and falling to the floor for letting it happen again. I felt hopeless, I barely helped at all in the last minutes there.
'EREEENNNN!', Mikasa screamed out.
'Let's go!', Levi ordered, walking off back towards the warehouse we had visited earlier.
I stood up, looking around to see all of my comrades. Mikasa still staring out, Armin staring into space, Jean, Connie and Sasha aswell trying to grasp what had just happened.
And in that moment, I realised, I needed to be strong for them, because who else would?
'Come on', I looped my arm underneath Mikasa's and pulled her along with me, taking Armin's too, and began walking.
'Go in front of me', I motioned with my head to the other three, wanting them to walk ahead of me and in between Levi so that I could keep an eye on them, especially Jean.
'I'm fine now', Mikasa let go of my arm as we continued down the street, I still held onto Armin's.
'You sure?', I asked, looking at her face which didn't meet mine.
'Yeah', she replied, monotone.
'If you say', I faced forward, knowing damn well she wasn't, but decided to let her have her own space.
'You're not looking too good Armin', I brushed his hair out of his face.
'I think I might be sick', His eyes stayed widened as he told me, not any other thought going on in that mind of his.
'Hey Captain', I called forward, Mikasa's arm slowing intertwining with mine again, which I didn't make a deal out of, I just let her get comfortable and want me again, 'Do you mind if we find somewhere where Armin can be sick?'.
'Fine', he spoke, turning to me, 'Just meet me back at the warehouse straight after'.
'Yes sir', I nodded, hand in hand with Mikasa on my left and Armin on my right, we moved slightly faster and found a stream where the boats with cargo transported through.
'Let it out buddy', I pat Armin on the back as his body completely rejected his previous actions, spewing into the water.
'It's okay', Mikasa offered her hand.
'I'm sorry', Armin bawled out as we continued to support him.
'Dont be Armin you did what you had to to save Jean, i'm sure he's more than grateful you saved his life', I retorted.
'Yeah', Mikasa agreed.
'If you didn't shoot that bullet he wouldn't be here with us now and you'd be more mad at yourself for that', I held onto his back, 'You want any water?'.
'Yes please', he answered, I handed him my bottle, 'I think it's all out now', he stood up, I brushed his silk blonde hair out of his face.
'Good', I smiled, 'Wipe your mouth and gargle some water, then spit it out and we'll head on back to Levi and the others'.
'Mhm', he nodded, a mouth full of water.
'What do you thinks gonna happen now?', Mikasa questioned.
'Not entirely sure', I answered, 'We'll have to wait and see what the captain says, regardless, we need to replenish our weapons and ODM, we cant do anything without that'.
'Ready', Armin wiped his mouth, appearing still shaken up, I turned towards him again.
'Come on then', I took his arm and smiled.
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'What's wrong? Did all this filth kill your appetite?', Levi questioned as we now sat within the warehouse, Sasha keeping guard outside.
'No', Armin replied, 'Jean? There's something I dont understand'.
'What's that?', Jean wanted to know.
'When I turned around to try to save you, that woman already had her gun to your head. It's funny, how could I have shot before she did?', Jean winced at his question.
'I dont know', he faced down to the floor, closing his eyes.
'You shot first because she hesitated', Levi answered, 'It's simple'.
'I'm sorry Armin', Jean put forward sternly, 'You wouldn't have had to save me if i'd just done my job'.
'I know what it is', Armin realised, 'The woman I shot back there, I bet she was a really kind person. She must've had a lot more human empathy than I ever did. I pulled that trigger so easily, without a thought'.
'I'm...'.
'A killer', Levi finished his sentence, 'And now that your hands have been soaked in blood the person you once were is gone for good'.
I turned to Levi, his answer throwing me off a bit, he knows what Armin is like.
'Why would you say that?', Mikasa blurted.
'He shouldn't regret it for one second', Levi affirmed, 'Because if you'd chosen to keep your hands clean, Jean would be a corpse on a cart right now'.
'I'll tell you why you pulled the trigger, because your comrade was about to die. Armin, everyone in our squad survived today, because you got blood on your hands. Thank you'.
'Captain Levi. I thought it was wrong for us to fight other humans sir. I thought it was wrong that you ordered us to do it. I mean, we became soldiers to protect people, but now, I see that I was in the wrong sir, next time I swear I'll shoot', Jean promised.
'I never said anything about what was right or wrong. My moral high ground shot to hell, I have no idea who's in the right at this point', Levi finished.
'Now then', he looked over to one of the guys we had earlier tied up, 'I think it's time we heard what our guest has to say'.
He walked over, holding himself high, and took off the gag in which disallowed the man to talk.
'Mercy please', our captive begged, 'I'm just an old man that used to move cargo!'.
For some reason, Mikasa stood up, it looked like something in her mind had connected as she walked over to the criminal on the floor.
'I didn't want to but they-'.
'I've met this one before', She pointed out, 'He seemed to be a prominent merchant'.
'Yeah I know him', Levi nodded, 'Dimo Reeves right?'.
He scoffed, 'This damn job was forced on us by the military police, and now that we've completely botched it, they'll plunder the Reeves company for everything it's worth'.
'First they'll kill me, then they'll set up accidents for all my employees, my dumb son too', he continued.
'You just gonna lay down and take it?', Levi begged to differ, 'There's a reason Trost recovered from that titan attack. It's largely because of jobs and money brought in by the Reeves company. Tell me, if your company were to disappear, how many would survive the coming winter?'.
'So what?', Dimo commented, 'You want me to join you?'.
'We just need to know where Eren and Historia are. If you're in contact with the MPs, I think I have a plan'.
'And can you give me your word that the people of Trost wont end up starving to death?', he asked.
'I cant guarantee it', Levi knelt, 'That said, I believe you'll have a better chance with us than without'.
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And so the plan damn near worked.
Our hoods up, covering our faces and weapons, we managed to locate the wagon in which we could rid some of the MPs plotting against us.
'Are we there?', A soldier peeked his head out, to his surprise, being met with a gun to the face from Jean.
Before letting him utter a word, Jean smacked him in the face with it, causing him to drop to the floor.
'REEVES YOU PEICE OF-', the other soldier moaned before being knocked out by Mikasa's gun.
'Sorry gents, that's how it is', Dimo Reeves announced.
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A few hours later, we arrived back at our main base, Levi left us immediately to deal with some business in the cells below us, we awaited Hanji's return with Moblit, and whilst, we could hear the screams and pains of whatever form of torture Levi was letting onto him.
Dejl Sannes.
'Finally', Hanji spoke, arriving much later and soon taking off their coat, placing it on a handle with Moblits.
'Hanji', I smiled, getting up from my chair at the table and running up to them.
'I'm glad you're all back safe', They smiled, brushing their hand across my head as the rest of us entered.
'Hanji. We have some buisness to deal with', Moblit motioned towards a door that would lead to a basement, or a dungeon, or whatever it was called.
'Right, with Djel Sannes', They chuckled, 'We'll be back, for the mean time you guys stay here. We can fill you all in afterwards'.
'Bye', I waved off to Hanji who rushed away fast, being followed by Moblit.
'Are they really gonna torture him again?', Armin asked once the three of them had left.
'We'll see in a second', I replied, and not moments later deafening screams could be heard all the way from the cell.
'Here we go again', Jean sighed.
'The screams seem louder than when the captain did it', Sasha observed, sadly.
'I know it's to save our friends but, it still makes me sick', Connie explained.
'Let's face the facts', Armin's head stayed lowered, 'We're criminals now'.
My head turned to his as we all sat at the table, waiting for him to continue.
'Our last enemy wanted to eat us, we dont have an excuse like that for killing these people, it's just that their views are different. No, it's just that they're in another group. For that we'll take their lives', he became immensely saddened.
'Armin', Mikasa muttered.
'We're not good people, not anymore at least', he placed his head on the table, I placed my hand on his back for comfort.
I could feel his guilt from a mile off.
Immediately, Hanji, Levi and Moblit came upstairs, closing the door behind them, they had news which seemed like they needed to get out in a haste.
'What's going on?', I stood up.
'Sannes broke, we know why Historia is now such a wanted person', Hanji told as we all got out of our seats and stood up in front of the three of them.
'Why?', I questioned.
'The Reiss family are the real royal family', they revealed.
'Meaning', My face dropped at the realisation.
'You mean the rightful heir to the throne is Historia?', Armin gasped, all of our eyes wide.
'That's correct, and based on that knowledge we're assuming that she and Eren have been taken to Lord Reiss', Hanji looked over to Moblit, who revealed to us a picture of Lord Reiss himself.
'That's him', Moblit disclosed.
'There's a bit more we should discuss about the situation before we head out, everyone take a seat', Hanji told, and so we did.
My heart sank at the next few words.
'It's about Eren'.