Time moved quickly in the days following the coup d'etat. Hange had discovered the existence of the Reiss Chapel in the northern part of Wall Rose. It was there that the Scouts speculated Eren and Historia were being held. Levi and his squad moved swiftly to occupy the territory. However, this was no easy feat.
When they arrived, they were met with a barrage of Military Police, including Kenny Ackerman. The battle proved to be hard, and time was of the essence as the plan to feed Eren to Historia was uncovered.
After a long and arduous fight, Levi's squad managed to make it in time to save Eren and Historia from the wrath of Rod Reiss. However, in the process, Rod had lapped up some remaining titan serum and transformed into a sixty meter titan. The Scouts managed to make it out of the Reiss Chapel's underground caverns alive, thanks to Eren's titan hardening abilities. But there was no time for celebration, because Rod's titan was already headed straight to the closest city; Orvud.
You, on the other hand, were already in Orvud, being held in a high profile Military Police prison, where you were scheduled to be executed early the next morning.
With Rod's titan on its way to the city, the Scouts needed all the help they could get. In an urgent meeting, Erwin, with the help of the MP's, formed a plan to save the city of Orvud from total destruction. However, in the shadows, the Scouts had another plan of their own. And with you next in line at death's row, they had to act fast.
You laid lifelessly on your shabby cot, the moon casting an eerie glow into your cell. Pieces of hay stuck out from your makeshift bed, causing you to hopelessly shift around in endless aggravation. You could do nothing but stare at the cobblestone ceiling, wallowing away in a deep state of depression.
This was it – your last night alive. You'd almost hoped you had just died by a titan during those years alone outside the walls. Even a painful, horrifying death would be better than this slow, agonizing one. And having to wait on the edge of it, completely helpless, was the worst part.
You fiddled with the necklace Levi gave you around your neck. There were so many things you still had left to do. So many words left unsaid. Countless questions you needed answers to. Was your brother alive? What was there beyond this small, cramped part of the world? Now, none of these questions would ever be answered. You draped your forearm over your eyes, shielding your face from the cruel reality you were trapped in.
Tears began to stream down your face and you kicked the wall in frustration, letting out a cry of angered despair. Hatred ran through your veins. Hatred for a world that has done nothing but degrade you, when you and your family have given everything for them. And the worst part was they would never know.
This was the malediction of the Protector Titan. The curse that forced its bearer a life of giving and never receiving. An obligatory bond that demanded unyielding loyalty to an unforgiving, ungrateful, and treacherous world.
They would never experience the horrifying nights when you and your family would have to hide while your grandfather fought off titans that wandered too close to your home. They would never see the exhaustion on your grandfather's face after he'd been gone for weeks, slaughtering god knows how many titans. They would never know the undying sense of duty and loyalty your family had for a civilization that wanted nothing more than to see them dead.
They will never know the haunting memory of your father's dying breath, or how it drove you mad every night when you lay awake, wondering if your brother was still alive. Or the gutting feeling of wondering if you truly were all alone now.
Levi's face flashed through your thoughts and your brow furrowed in sadness. That's right, you weren't alone anymore. You do have friends. Hange, Armin, Sasha, Jean, Levi. They had taken you in, despite every reason not to, and you failed them. You had spent the last few days wondering if anyone was coming to save you like Erwin promised, but now, sitting here on your final night, that hope had disappeared entirely.
You wanted so badly to see Levi again. His sense of familiarity and strength was something you so deeply needed in your current state. You wanted to go back to the night he first talked to you and offered you tea. Or the night up on the walls. If you could do it again, knowing what you know now, you would have cherished it more. You would have finally told him how you feel, rather than acting like a coward and shying away from him.
You sighed, pushing the memory from your mind as you turned to lay on your side. You had wanted to cry at the hopelessness of it all, but you had no more tears left.
Soldiers had come to bring you dinner at some point, but you only turned and ignored them, further sinking into your despair. However, with nothing better to do, you finally turned your attention to the plate that lay at the foot of your bed. On a white porcelain plate was a hearty serving of steak, with a savory brown sauce, and a nice portion of rosemary potatoes. You scoffed, My death row meal. How nice of them to do it up a little.
You slowly sat up and crossed your legs, pulling the plate to your lap. After taking a bite, you savored the taste for a while. It definitely beat the stale bread and cheese from the previous nights. Prison food was not for the weak.
You took your time eating, trying to make every last bite count. At least this took your mind off of your impending doom for a while. You ate in silence, listening to the distant sounds of the city coming through the grate in the upper corner of your room.
You had almost finished your meal by the time you heard a muffled commotion on the street outside of your cell. You stopped eating, turning your ear to whatever was happening outside, trying to catch some context clues.
Then, silence.
You shrugged, chalking it up to just some drunk idiot tripping over himself. However, you were sorely mistaken.
"Adeline!" You heard a familiar voice call out in a hushed yell. "Which one of these cells are you in, dammit?"
You immediately threw the plate to the side, and stood up on your bed, trying to reach the top of the grate to see who was calling for you. You let out a small cry of relief as you saw Hange carefully peeking into each cell on your block, presumably looking for you.
"Hange!" You said, garnering the brunette's attention.
Her eyes lit up as they met yours and she rushed over to your makeshift window, kneeling on all fours to see you better. You reached out a hand through the grate and she desperately grabbed it.
"I'm so glad you're here." You began, your voice choking up as you spoke.
You could tell Hange felt the same as she squeezed your hand in reassurance. "Me too, Adeline. But listen, I don't have much time. That guard I knocked out won't be down forever." So that commotion was her. "I need you to listen carefully. We're gonna get you out of here. But we have to wait until tomorrow, when you're on the way to the gallows. So for now, just lay low and trust us."
You shot her a worried look, "Hange, I don't have time to wait that long! Why not just do it now?" You asked in desperation.
She frowned sympathetically. "I know, I know. I would if I could. But this prison is too heavily guarded. I could barely get past those guards to get this message to you. And besides," she cringed at the thought of something you couldn't quite decipher, "We have a much bigger problem on our hands."
"What? What is it?" You begged her to continue.
"It's a long story, I can share details later but...", she sighed, "Our mission to get Eren and Historia back succeeded, but we accidentally also summoned a sixty foot titan who is on its way to Orvud right now. It's Historia's dad."
You shuddered, "Wow, that's some fucked up family trauma..."
Hange nodded, "He's a pretty gnarly looking titan too. And he's going to trample this city to the ground if we don't stop him first. Which is why, tomorrow morning, when you get brought out to the gallows, we'll rescue you. You'll be out in the open, so it'll be much easier. After that, the city will soon realize a titan is coming their way, so I'm sure they'll be a little preoccupied and we can slip away in the chaos."
You sized her up in hesitation, "If you think this will work, then I trust you."
"It was actually Levi's plan. He's been shitting bricks about you since you got caught. I don't think I've seen him this distracted in a while." Hange teased.
Your eyes lit up at the mention of him. "He's here?" You asked hopefully. The thought of being in such a close vicinity to Levi made your stomach twirl.
"Yes he is." Hange chuckled. "You can see him tomorrow. But Adeline," she paused, looking you in your eyes, "when we rescue you tomorrow, if everything goes to plan, you must be ready to fight. The battle doesn't end until Rod Reiss is killed. And we need your abilities to help. I know it's a lot to ask of you. Y'know, considering the people I'm asking you to protect are the same ones who want to kill you, but-..."
"I will do whatever it takes." You cut her off. You wanted revenge, yes, but it did not have to cost thousands of innocent lives. These civilians are not the ones who sentenced you and therefore are not the target of your vengeance.
Hange smiled, and squeezed your hand once more. "We all missed you." She said.
You smiled with her, letting her know you feel the same before dropping her hand. "You should probably go now." You suggested. "I will talk to you tomorrow."
She nodded and said her goodbyes before running off into the night, leaving your mind scrambled with new information. If what Hange said was true about Rod Reiss, then God help us all. But one thing was for sure — you finally had a shot at making it out of this alive.