"Do you believe this bullshit?" Jean mutters below Armin and above me.
After tying our horses up, the squad leader told us to get in the trees and to slay any Titan that tried to get in.
We weren't exactly told why we have to be in the trees right now, but I assume it's something to do with the Female Titan.
"Am I the only one who wonders what happened to the whole logistics base thing or why we didn't go galloping on home after the female Titan showed up?" Jean asks rhetorically. "Why are we suddenly all playing birdhouse?"
"Jean, we've just got to trust the command-" I start.
"Oh...wait. No. I know the last one." He interrupts. "No Titans allowed in the center ranks nature retreat." He looks at the squad leader that commanded us to get in the trees. "Fool...he's got no idea what's going on."
"He'll hear you." Armin warns quietly.
"Why would I care?" Jean replies. "He's not explaining anything to the ones risking their lives. Look at him. He acts all calm and in control, but you can see he's petrified."
I look up at him over my shoulder. "What do you mean?"
"They say when officers in the field are deemed incompetent by their men they can be relieved of duty." He look as his blade. "Or in more extreme cases, they can die from serious stab wounds in the back. I suppose there's all kinds of accidents that could happen out here."
I stiffen at his words just now. Surely he isn't going to act upon his own words...right?
"Hold on..." Armin starts. "Whatever you're thinking of doing..."
Jean sighs. "Look. I'm just talking. The whole situation's screwed and I need to vent, alright? You don't have to be so stiff, Shortie. I'm not going to start a mutiny. Well, not yet anyway."
I relax my body. "You shouldn't even consider starting one to begin with."
"I'm not going to." He confirms and sighs again. "Just...answer me this. Both of you. Do you agree with this strategy or is it a bunch of crap?"
Armin lets out a small gasp, while I stiffen up again.
"It's just...you both look like you know something I don't." Jean adds.
I look up past Jean and at Armin, who is looking down at the moment. Do we have the same assumption that I got earlier? I know he has something on his mind, but...is it the same thing that's on mine?
"Well, uh..." Armin begins.
"Five meter Titan approaching!" The squad leader informs.
I look straight out in front of me and see the arriving Titan, which is probably bringing along more Titans behind it.
I look down and let out a quiet sigh. 'This strategy...there's got to be a solid reason as to why the commander used it..."
I feel my eyes widened, as I look back up. 'Unless...he knows about the Female Titan coming to the center rank for Eren. He probably does know and wants to confront her before she-'
"Armin! Y/n!" Jean yells. "Get out of your trances!"
"Hm?" Armin hums.
I shake my head. "Sorry...what is it?"
"Bare with me..." He starts in a wavering tone. "Our mission is to keep the Titans out, right?"
My eyes wonder down below us to see many Titans scratching at the tree to get us. I let out a small, frightened gasp. If they start climbing the trees, then I'm definitely going to have to move. I'm on one of the lowest branches.
Jean continues. "We don't have to fight them. Just keep them out of the forest, right? Please tell me I'm not wrong..."
"You're not wrong, but you're not entirely right either." I reply.
"Heh? What do you mean?" He asks.
"The squad leader only said to slay any that try to get in, but they're only going for us. So, unless any try to get in, we don't have to fight." I explain.
Suddenly, there are some explosion sounds coming from deep inside the forest.
"Wonder what that is..."Jean remarks.
"It sounds like cannons, but we definitely didn't and couldn't bring any of them..." Armin replies.
The two thoughts that instantly came to my head was: 'Has the Female Titan found them yet? Is it something they're using against her?'
"Uh, never mind that. We should really move. That Titan's climbing the tree." Jean informs.
I get out of my train of thought to see that there is a Titan climbing up the tree. It's slow, but it's climbing up. I just had to think about them climbing earlier, did I?
"Let's go higher." I suggest and immediately shoot my hooks into a higher limb and propel myself up there. Armin and Jean follow close behind me.
I land on my limb and let out a quiet sigh. I hope everyone is doing okay right now. I can only see Ymir, Christa, and Bertolt right now from where we are. I'm glad they're okay.
"With the rate this bastard is going, he's going to start making a treehouse." Jean remarks, after landing on his limb.
Armin lands on the limb below me and above Jean. "The alarming thing is that it shows that they can learn. What an unpleasant thought..."
"They may develop at different rates though." I add, brushing my hair aside.
"You two, they want us keeping these Titans out of the forest, right?" Jean asks.
I nod, even though he can't see it. "Yes...that's why we're in the trees."
"Well...I think I just figured out why." He looks back at us over his shoulder. "They actually wanted us to just lure the Female Titan into a trap. Come on, what else could it be? It's like you two said, there's a person controlling that Titan and Commander Erwin wants to figure out who it is."
He looks back in front of him. "It's the only way all the pieces fit. Are you both with me?"
Armin and I look at each other before looking at Jean. "Yeah. We're with you." Armin replies.
I propel myself down to the limb Jean is on. "There's only one good explanation for this all..."
Armin appears beside me. "There's a spy."
I glance over at him. 'So you do have the same assumption as me. I hate to say it, but...I think it's someone we trained with. It'd make sense with the timing of how she just so happened to appear when we set out on an expedition.'
Jean scoffs. "Why would he put so many of our lives at risk just because one of us can't be trusted? Hell, we could've smoked out the spy. In the meantime, we could've saved some good people."
I hang my head. "Like Ness..."
I notice Armin tighten his grip on his blades. "The commander was just doing what was necessary."
"Are you seriously trying to defend him?" Jean asks, sounding a little angry. "Do you know how many of us died so the commander could play intrigue?"
"Of course I do." Armin replies. "All I'm saying is that it's easier to judge in hindsight."
Jean raises an eyebrow. "Huh?"
"Listen. At the time, Commander Erwin had no way of knowing how things would turn out. He had to act on what he had." I explain and look down again. "It's terrible, but...it could've been all of us dead, instead of a handful. What would you have done?"
"Uh-" He starts.
"Commander Erwin does one thing that no other commander does. He sacrifices his heart." Armin continues on explaining. "Whether we like to admit it or not, the fact is that to rise above monsters, we have to abandon our humanity. That's the irony really."
"If you can't let that go, then it's not even worth holding onto to begin with." I add.
Suddenly, some roaring is heard from deep inside the forest, startling all of us out here. Something even more strange happens...the Titans ignore us completely and start running into the forest.
"What the hell is this?!" Jean exclaims. "Why are they ignoring us all of a sudden?!"
"I'm sure it has something to do with that roar!" I reply.
Not too long after the Titans had gone in, flares are shot up into the sky, but they're a different color from any other flare we've seen today. They're blue.
"Hold on..." Jean starts. "Doesn't that mean it's over? We're going back home?"
The squad leader from earlier propels up to us. "Grab your horses, kids! This expedition is over! We're riding back!" He leaves.
I look at Jean. "Does that answer your question?"
"I guess it does." He replies and propels himself to the ground to untie his horse.
"Come on." Armin waves his hand and propels himself down to our horses.
I follow him down and run up to Adeline and hug her around her neck. "I'm glad you're okay." I pull away from the hug and rub the bridge of her nose. She neighs and rubs her head against my own.
"I think you're the only one that's grown a great connection with their horse." Armin remarks, climbing on top of his horse.
I start untying Adeline's reins. "Well, it really helped her become more obedient to me and if there's something I need her to do, she does it thoroughly." I climb on top of her after untying her reins. "She's a great horse."
"Let's go!" The squad leader instructs.
Armin and I ride out of the woods, following the squad leader. What's everyone going to think of us? Coming back after hardly an hour and we've lost so many. What happened to all the strength the Scouts had before we joined?
"Hey! You two!" Jean calls put from behind us, eventually joining our side. "If we're going home, that means the operation was a success, right?"
"We can hope so." I reply.
"If that is the case, then that means they might've already discovered the Female Titan's identity." Armin adds. Well, I think Armin and I have already had an idea of who is in the Titan.
"I wouldn't mind knowing that myself." Jean replies. "Still. I'm impressed with the commander. How'd he know she'd come after us, once we took Eren beyond the wall?"
I clear my throat a little. "Think about it, Jean. Did you find it odd when the Titans halted their advancement during the Trost invasion? They must've intended some purpose in breaking down the front gate..."
"But they never made a move on the inner gate." Armin notes. "Neither did they interfere with Eren while he was sealing the breach. Perhaps...something happened that made them re-evaluate their plan entirely."
"What would that mean?" Jean asks.
"That something drew their focus away from the wall's destruction. Something enforced them to stop the attack." I answer.
Jean gasps softly. "You mean Eren's transformation?"
"It's the most logical conclusion." Armin replies.
Jean looks down. "No...but then that would mean-"
"It means they were there." I answer. "Whoever called off the attack, saw Eren transform. Unfortunately, it means the enemy...is one of us."
"As in a Scout?" Jean questions.
I shake my head. "Maybe, but...I mainly mean as in someone we trained with."
"What?!" He exclaims.
"It makes sense." Armin remarks. "We don't have any solid evidence of who it could be yet though."
"This is crazy..." Jean mutters.
I sigh. "Yeah...it is."
"Heads up, soldiers! It's time to retrieve bodies! We've got to try and bring something back to all their families!" The squad leader commands.
I look back over my shoulder, seeing a few of my friends, but not all of them. I look back in front of me. 'Please be okay, everyone...'