AUTHOR'S POV:
"Eren! What in the-" Connie yelled but was cut off when Eren raised his bleeding palm up to their views.
Everyone except for Faye, Mikasa and Armin gasped.
"Eren..." Sasha trailed off with wide eyes.
Gabi sat there in wide eyed and fear while Faye, Armin and Mikasa had a straight face as if they knew about it beforehand.
Eren placed his bleeding hand on the table. "I wanted... to talk with you guys. Conflict isn't necessary to solve Eldia's problems." He looked away. "Hange-san is fine. We're just moving her."
"Eren, we're the ones who wanted to talk." Armin said.
"Hmm." Eren said and looked at them.
"What made you go attack Marley all on your own?" Jean asked.
"Did Zeke and Yelena really talk you into joining them?" Connie asked.
"I am free." Eren said after a moment of silence.
"Huh?" Sasha, Connie and Jean said in confusion.
"The things I do and choices I make are all decided by my own free will." Eren said calmly.
"So your actions after meeting Yelena were all you?" Faye asked.
"Yes." Eren calmly replied.
"No, you're being manipulated." Mikasa said.
"Huh?" Eren said.
"Yeah. The Eren we know would never such a thing." Sasha firmly said.
"Yeah. What happened to you, Eren?" Connie asked. "Are you betraying us like Reiner and Bertolt did?" He sadly asked.
"Eren?" Sasha said and looked at Faye, Amrin and Mikasa who had serious expression on their faces.
"So, Zeke really did manipulate you into joining him." Jean said.
"You can say that." Eren said and the others except Mikasa, Armin and Faye gasped.
"What do you..." Sasha trailed off.
Mikasa slightly nudged Armin under the table.
"It's not you, Eren. The Eren we know would never cause such destruction even to the enemies." Armin said. "You are-"
"Armin, didn't you once tell me that the only way to change something is to rise above monsters." Eren said and Armin gasped. "That's what I did and whatever I will do is necessary."
"No. You are being manipulated by them." Mikasa said. "I know you care about us more than anyone!" She stood up. "Don't you? The reason you saved me in the cabin..." She leaned forward and brought one hand up to her scarf as she stood up. "The reason you gave me this scarf... is because you're kind-"
"Keep your hands on the table!" Eren yelled causing them to flinch.
Mikasa froze and slowly sat herself back down with the same serious expression.
"Eren..." Sasha trailed off with wide eyes.
"What exactly are you trying to accomplish, Eren?!" Jean yelled.
"Nothing serious." Eren said, looking down. "I spoke with Zeke at Marley." He looked to his side. "I came to know about a lot of stuffs that day." He looked up at them. "Even if I betray you, are you guys ready to kill me?"
All of them flinched.
"Eren?" Sasha said with disbelief.
"What are you talking about, Eren?" Mikasa asked.
Eren looked at her. "Zeke told me a lot about the Ackerman clan too."
Mikasa gasped with wide eyes. "Huh?" Her expression turned to seriousness when Armin again nudged her.
"The Ackermanns were intentionally designed to protect Eldia's King." Eren explained. "Back then, faced with a life-or-death situation, you heard my order: 'Fight'. In that moment, instincts awoke from within you."
Mikasa looked down, holding her scarf.
"By mistake, you thought I was the host you had to protect." Eren said.
"N-No." Mikasa muttered.
"No? No, what?" Eren asked.
Mikasa looked up at him. "It wasn't... a mistake. It's because it was you, Eren! It's because of you I became strong."
Eren let out a sigh and looked away. "Ackermanns with awakened powers apparently get sudden headaches. It happens when their old self resists being forced to protect their host."
Mikasa gasped with wide eyes and Armin nudged her again.
.
The others couldn't even utter a word.
.
Eren looked at her. "Sound familiar?"
"N-No..." Mikasa trailed off.
"Your family was made to forget who they are and live only to protect." Eren said. "In other words, protectors with no free will."
Armin furrowed his eyebrows. "Eren, stop!"
"You mistook me as someone to protect that's why you would always come forward to save me, putting your life in danger." Eren said.
"No... It's not..." Mikasa trailed off, looking down.
"Then why do you always put my life above yours?" Eren asked.
Mikasa looked at him. "Because I love you, Eren! I already have said that to you!" She semi shouted, holding her scarf.
Everyone except for Faye gasped.
Armin nudged her again and shared a look.
"And you expect me to believe that?" Eren said and looked away. "Do you know who I hate more than anyone?"
Mikasa and the others gasped.
"Eren!" Faye shouted angrily.
"I can't stand the sight of someone who obeys orders without question." Eren said and looked at her. "I may have never hated you before, Mikasa. But I hate you now."
Everyone gasped and stared at Eren with wide eyes. They didn't even know what to say anymore.
Mikasa gasped, letting out a soft cry. Then tears began fill her eyes.
When Armin looked at Eren, Eren blinked one time.
Armin then leapt to his feet and snarled, charging at Eren from across the table.
"Eren! How could you say that to-?" Armin yelled and threw a punch but it was blocked.
Within a second Mikasa slammed Armin to the ground, pinning him down against the table.
Everyone gasped at the sudden change of atmosphere.
Armin lightly groaned and looked up. "Mikasa?"
Mikasa's eyes widened and she gasped, looking in shock at what she had just done.
"Your entire life has been dictated by your Ackermann blood, Mikasa." Eren said.
Mikasa recoiled from Armin, tears still filled her eyes "N-No!"
"It's who you really are." Eren said.
Armin snarled again and lunged at Eren, punching him across the left side of his face.
Eren didn't react as he and Armin tumbled onto the floor, the table flipping.
Armin threw a second punch but Eren casually sidestepped it.
Eren delivered a quick uppercut punch to Armin's chin, bloodying Armin's face as a small spray of blood spewed from his mouth.
"Eren!" Faye cried out with wide eyes.
Eren then grabbed Armin and threw him hard against a nearby cabinet filled with wine and glasses.
The glass shattered against Armin's body and several of the plates fell onto him.
The others were too shocked to do anything.
Two Yeagerists burst into the room, guns drawn.
"Sir!" One of them called out.
"I'm all right." Eren said and turned to the Yeagerist. "Start restraining them and put them in prison except..." He pointed at Gabi. "That kid over there. Keep her somewhere else."
Gabi looked surprised and then uncomfortably glared at Eren.
"Yes Sir!" The Yeagerists said and began to restrain them.
Mikasa and Faye slowly made their way to Armin, getting on their knees next to him to tend him.
Steam started to emit from Armin's wound.
"Like I said, if you guys tell us where Zeke is, there's no need for us to fight." Eren said, looking at them. "Come along and behave." He looked to the soldiers. "Take them."
"Yes, sir."
"Is that it? Is that all you came to say?" Armin yelled and Eren looked back at him on the ground. "That you wanted freedom just so you could hurt Mikasa?" He stared up at him. "Tell me: Who doesn't have free will in this case?"
Eren remained silent.
The Yeagerists escorted the others out.
Connie and Sasha had tears in their eyes as they felt betrayed by Eren.
"Eren..." Sasha trailed off as she was too stunned to speak.
Jean was gritting his teeth the whole time. Then he turned to Eren. "Where are they taking us?!"
"To where it all started. Shiganshina." Eren replied.
After they left, Eren looked down at Armin, Faye and Mikasa. "I am... Sorry..." He then left the room.
.
.
Levi moved over to Zeke using his 3d gear, landing in front of him.
"Enjoying your book?" Levi asked as he approached the campfire.
"I am, for one I've read seven times." Zeke responded.
"You've been eavesdropping more than reading." Levi said.
"Can you blame me when I've read it this much? By the way, is there any wine left?" Zeke asked.
"What wine?" Levi asked. "I choose those soilders who don't drink. Anything wrong with this?"
Zeke slightly gasped and looked down. "No. Nothing."
Suddenly, the thirty soilders moved over behind Levi using their ODM gears.
Levi looked back at them.
Suddenly, all of them pointed their rifles and blades at Levi.
Zeke gasped at this.
"Hey! What do you think you are doing?" Levi angrily asked.
One soilder stepped forward. "We are part of the Yeagerists." Zeke's eyes widened but Levi kept his straight face. "Put your blades down, captain."
"And what if I won't?" Levi asked.
Suddenly, the Yeagerists shot his rifile, aiming at Levi's chest, making his gasp.
Levi fell to the ground, clutching his chest. "You damn brats."
"Restrain him." The Yeagerist said and four Yeagerists took Levi with them to the forest.
Another Yeagerist stepped forward at Zeke. "Zeke, more Yeagerists will soon arrive here to escort you as there may be MPs in hiding. Wait till then. We are taking care of Levi." He left.
"This is goodbye, Captain!" Zeke shouted with a smirk. "Farewell. In the end, we couldn't trust one another. Still, even if I explained my intentions, you wouldn't understand." Then he began to read the book again. 'Only Eren and I do. Once I get out of this forest, that's where you'll be. I hope you remember where and when we are supposed to meet, Eren.'
After some moments, he put the book down and closed his eyes. "Mr. Ksavar... I will accomplish our mission soon..."
.
.
Mikasa, Faye, Armin, Connie, and the rest who were captured at the restaurant, including the Braus family were in a cell with dull expression except for Armin, Mikasa and Faye who had a serious expression.
Mikasa still had her scarf wrapped around her.
.
Eren was looking out a window with a teary eyes.
.
'The only way to live is to fight...'
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