—
TREES REACHED AS FAR as the sky in the forest, with their towering forms creating a completely new atmosphere. The lush green ceiling above casts a spotted shade on the forest floor, where sunlight filters through the densely packed greenery, creating a sense of light in a place filled with shadows. The branches stretch and intertwine exclusively above the reach of the tallest Titan. All Scouts, outside the center ranks, were ordered to find an arm off the trees and stand by. No explanation and no questions are allowed to be asked.
"Do you believe this B.S.?" Jean is the first to say anything in a while, all soldiers were confused but none of them wanted to argue with direct orders, "Am I the only one who wonders what happened with the whole 'logistics base' thing? Or why we didn't go galloping home after the Female Titan showed up? Why're we suddenly all playing birdhouse? Oh, wait, no. I know the last one. No, Titans allowed in the center rank's nature retreat."
Jean, as always, chooses to speak out his opinions. Even if no one offers to directly listen, they have to involuntarily.
Juliet was found perched on a thick branch, and Bertholdt stood on a tree somewhat far, but still close enough to be visible to her. Despite knowing he'd survive any dangerous situations within the operation, she was pleased to see him doing okay. That and she was sick of dealing with Reiner and his captious commentaries by herself.
"Fool. He's got no idea what's going on," Jean mutters.
"He'll hear you," Armin whispers to him.
The two converse lowly within themselves, hardly audible to Juliet, who stands on the tree right behind them. She'd gotten so inattentive to the point where her foot repetitively found itself coming in contact with the tree's oversized trunk, "Five-meter Tian approaching!" The squad captain alerts.
The Titan stomps at a quick pace, arms wailing uncontrollably as it nears the woods. With the number of people, all huddled up together outside the forest, the Titans' curiosity peaked. Assumably in search of a fun feast.
Armin's head isn't concentrated on the Titan sprinting toward them. His mind buzzed with a multitude of thoughts, the rhythmic clatter of the Titan's footsteps seemed to sync with the pulse of his contemplation, does Commander Erwin know the Female Titan is after Eren?
"Armin," He gasps, coming out of his meditation, "Bear with me. Our orders are to keep Titans out, right? Right?"
A myriad of Titans accumulated together on the ground below. A few extensive hands reach as far as they can, attempting to capture the humans beyond them.
Juliet lets out a nervous huff, sweat falling down her forehead. I guess the possibility of being eaten increases the more Titans form around us. I get eaten right now and we're screwed. A skittish smile starts forming on her face. The oversized eyes of a seven-meter titan lock onto Juliet, overseeing her every move and waiting for an opportunity.
In an attempt to clear her uneasy feeling, her gaze guides itself to the little casts of the sky prying through the leaves. Black smoke peaks through. She's in there.
Without Jean's objections, the yanks and crashes of the Titan's hands become louder. The next time Juliet turned to glance at the Titans below, that same seven-meter Titan gripped the trunk to get closer.
A few distant thunders reverberated through the air, the echoes questionably identifying them as cannon fire. The booms were never heard alone, each followed by at least six more. The faraway noise haunts the melody of conflict, stirring an array of emotions within the group. Juliet can't help worrying about her titan-shifting friend. When did they get these cannons in here anyway?
"Whaddya say we get outta the way?" Jean suggests. Another Titan was in the process of discovering how to climb the tree. Each hand and leg shaking, struggling to hold itself up.
The Titan below Juliet was now a few feet away, with its head leading trying to get its mouth the closest it possibly can. She clings her wires to the next available tree, jumping to pull herself away. The Titan extends its neck, opening its mouth wide and biting at the air right next to her, only narrowly missing.
"That ugly bastard really wants you," Jean says when the group secures themselves onto a nearby branch.
"I've never had anyone chase me this hard," Juliet says, offering Jean a playful smile, "Might give him a chance."
"You have horrible taste," Jean shakes his head, giving her a look of disappointment. The two friends enjoying a playful banter didn't make Armin feel any better.
"That one's really getting the hang of it. At this rate, he's gonna try his hand at building a damn tree house," Jean locks his eyes on the Titan.
"The alarming thing is that this shows that they can learn," Armin gives his insight, "Not a pleasant thought. Of course, they probably all develop at different rates."
"They want us keeping these Titans outta the forest, right?" Jean asks, "I think I just figured out why. We're here to lure the Female Titan into a trap. C'mon. What else could it be? It's like you said. There's a person inside it steerin' the thing. Commander Erwin wants to find out who."
Juliet felt herself freeze, her mind grappling with Jean's ideas unfolding before them. She's caught in the suffocating grip of shock, mouth agape, eyes widened. She's stuck. Countless thoughts ran through her mind.
Armin held a similar look for entirely different reasons.
The previous climbing Titan collapsed with a thunderous roar, sending a series of rumbles and knocking the two soldiers previously pondering out of their heads.
Jean remains moderately calm, "Well, he certainly wasn't in the right. Why 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. Maybe saved some good people."
Anxiety grips Juliet's chest like a relentless vice, its presence weaving through her thoughts and creating an unsettling knot in her stomach, though her exterior shows otherwise. There's a certain irony lurking in the air as Jean angrily declares his alternative plan, a certain unidentified 'spy' unraveling the situation before them.
Juliet began to contemplate if Commander Erwin knew there were others alongside the Female Titan, is that why he kept this from all of us?
"No. He did what was necessary," Armin says. The confidence in his voice shows his support for Commander Erwin's plans.
"Really? Was it worth all the lives we lost already?" Juliet faces him, but he doesn't look at her, "He'd walk us to our deaths to simply chase his curiosity." She mutters her last comment.
"Yeah. Are you seriously trying to defend him? Do you know how many of us died so the commander could play intrigue?"
"Of course I do. All I'm saying is it's easy to judge in hindsight," Armin offers his friends an explanation, knowing that it'd take their stubborn heads longer to understand Commander Erwin's objective, "At the time, though, there was no way to know how things would turn out. He's a commander, not a soothsayer. He had to act on what he had. Period."
Jean and Juliet stayed quiet, "He had to choose, a handful of us, or all of us? What would you have done? He made a decision. He sacrificed a hundred lives for the good of mankind."
Juliet realizes that he has a point. If any of the other Warriors had known about this plan, this probably would've ended bloodier, with greater casualties and possibly the engagement of the other, if not all, Titan shifters.
"I may be naive but, there's one thing I know beyond all doubt. Genuine harbingers of change must be able to do what others won't dare. Sacrifice their heart. Accept the burden of doing the unspeakable. Whether we like to admit it or not, the fact is this. To rise above monsters, we have to abandon our humanity. That's the irony, really. If you can't let it go, it's not worth holding on to," Armin's eyebrows furrowed as he finally got his point across.
Jean grits his teeth, annoyed at the fact that Armin is right.
To rise above monsters, we have to abandon our humanity. Those words lingered in Juliet's mind, refusing to dissipate, casting a shadow over her contemplation.
She looks away, letting her eyes wander elsewhere, her thoughts overtaking her, To rise above monsters, to rise above us. Without even knowing it, Armin was breaking down the monster right in front of him.
The sudden and deafening roar echoes through the forest, reverberating in the air and sending Juliet on high alert. Like an extinct, her hand comes up near her mouth, ready to bite down if she needs to.
Jean and Armin gasp in sudden shock.
A distant rumble quickly escalates into thunderous stomps as the ground shakes beneath them. A cluster of uncountable Titans surges towards the forest, their collective momentum unstoppable. The sudden realization of the result of that roar causes Juliet to rest her hand.
"What the hell is this? They– They're all going in! Why are they ignoring us all of a sudden?" Jean says mouth open in confusion and fright. He sticks his wires into the trunk of the tree for stabilization, and Juliet does the same, finding it harder to balance the longer the stampede goes on. She impulsively grasps Armin's arm, trying to restrain him while he's preoccupied with observing the Titans coming through.
When a larger Titan stomps through, the ground below them shudders a bit harsher pushing Juliet to stiffen her grasp on Armin's wrist. He didn't mind at all, mostly because he didn't even notice it happening, too caught up in the charge of Titans.
Once it finally calmed, their group stood in silence from the shock. The sudden blue smoke appearing in the sky made them feel calm, at least Jean and Armin did.
Juliet had Annie on her mind. This could mean several things to her, was she caught? Did she get away? Did Commander Erwin outsmart us?
"Come on," Armin rests his hand against her arm. His calm demeanor rubbed off on her.
Soon enough, the group was on their horses, heading back toward the walls. Juliet takes a safer option and rides with Jean this time around. He was more relaxed with having her right behind him, "So if we're going home, that means the operation's a success, right?"
"Hopefully so," Armin replies, "If that is the case, then that might mean they've already discovered the Female Titan's identity." Juliet's hopeful that it isn't the case.
"I wouldn't mind knowing that myself. Still, I'm impressed with the commander," Jean begins, "How'd he know she'd come after us once we took Eren beyond the wall?"
Juliet wonders that same thing, how did he know?
"Think about it. During the Trost invasion, did it strike you as odd the way the Titans suddenly halted their advance midway through?" Armin says.
"Huh?"
"They must have intended some purpose when they destroyed the front gate, but they never made a move on the inner gate. Nor did they interfere with Eren when he sealed the breach. Perhaps, something happened which made them re-evaluate their plan entirely," he continues. Juliet could only remain silent, listening in but not offering any words.
Armin undoubtedly noticed her silence, but he presumed it was from the blow she took finally getting to her. He could never assume that her silence came from the fear that they were being exposed.
"And what would that be?" Jean adds, clearly curious about what Armin thinks.
"Something drew their focus away from Wall's destruction. Something that forced them to call off the attack," Armin says.
"You mean Eren's transformation?"
"That's the most logical conclusion."
"Wait, but then that would mean–"
"It means they were there," Armin says, figuring it all out, "Whoever called off the attack saw Eren transform. It means the enemy is one of us." The words coming out of his mouth made Juliet's grip falter, but she quickly tightened her hold to not fall off.
"Are you alright?" Jean yells loud enough for her to hear, "You've been quiet for quite a while."
Juliet decides she has to mutter up something to say to not seem questionable, "Yeah, just–" She couldn't come up with anything, "Yeah."
Jean settled for not asking further questions and taking her in to get checked as soon as they made it back inside the walls.
–
"Feeling better?" Jean asks. He sat next to Juliet who was told to lie on the bed till she felt better. A cold wet cloth rests on her forehead, leaving the hair around her face damp and glistening from the moisture. To play the part of the wounded, Juliet settled for resting her eyes, falling asleep at some point.
"Yeah," she sits up, the cloth falling as a result, "Feeling a lot better. I didn't expect to fall asleep, sorry." Three new faces were in the room. Armin and Mikasa stood waiting further away from her. Commander Erwin stood directly by the door, maintaining an even further distance.
Jean takes the fabric from her lap, placing it on the table next to them, "It's alright. It was actually quite peaceful being here." Juliet rubs her eyes wearily, feeling the weight of exhaustion slowly stray the more she continues.
Juliet takes notice of the tall blonde near the doorway, "Commander Erwin, Sir," her fist finds itself at her chest, right above her heart.
"Diekman," His low voice replies, "Glad to see you doing well."
"W–what are all you guys here for?" Juliet feels uneasy, especially with the Commander here. She can't think of anything she may have done to make her suspicious.
"Armin has a suspicion about the identity of the Female Titan," Juliet felt her heart drop, "Since you fought her I want to get your intel. I hope your judgment isn't too foggy from the fall." The monotone voice only makes her more weary.
"Of course not, sir," she nods her head, a little too eagerly, "Anything to help."
Armin speaks with a trembling voice, "I believe that the person controlling the Female Titan is also the one who killed Hange's test subjects. For that reason, I think the Female Titan is no other than Annie Leonhart." His accusation echoed off the walls, leaving Juliet stunned. Her mouth drops unconsciously. She feels a tension grip her tighter and tighter with every passing moment. Her mind starts buzzing with worry at the sound of her friend's name. Her thoughts racing in a relentless loop of uncertainty.
"Wha– but I thought she was cleared..." Juliet says quietly, mostly to herself.
"The ODM gear she showed wasn't hers," Armin turns over to Jean, his eyes widening in shock, "I'm more than confident that the gear she presented was Marco's. I've worked on his gear a considerable amount of times so I know it like the back of my hand."
Jean gulps at the mention of his lost friend's name. Juliet reacts similarly to the memories his name brings, the visual of his death reappears in her mind.
"She also reacted to the suicidal maniac comment I made about Eren and no one outside of our training corps would know that! Look, I know it may be far-fetched, and I'm willing to listen to any disproofs–" Armin is cut off.
"I believe you have a good lead, Arlert," Commander Erwin interrupts. Armin gasps at the support, always doubting his conclusions before anything, "I've already gone and conducted a plan to capture Leonhart. Captain Levi is waiting for us to further discuss."
Within a few minutes, the group found themselves being led away by Erwin. As they ambled along the forest path, a tranquil silence enveloped them, broken only by the soft rustle of leaves underfoot. Each member seemed lost in their own thoughts. Juliet could only think about how she was going to warn Annie about this. Not a word was spoken until they reached the building. Captain Levi and Eren were waiting inside, sitting with a dramatic distance between them. "Sorry to keep you waiting," Commander Erwin lets out the first words.
"What the–" Eren mumbles, "Why– Why are you all here?"
"We believe we've uncovered the Female Titan's true identity," Eren gasps, Juliet feels her heart stop, "She won't slip away this time."
"The day after tomorrow, we'll be passing through Stohess District en route to the capital. That's when we'll strike. It'll be our first and only chance to do so. Once we've set foot in the interior, the government will assume custody of Eren, and the Scouts' authority to continue operations will be limited," Commander Erwin discusses a plan, "Thus unless we wish to concede defeat...we must flush out the enemy now."
"So here's what we do. While in Stohess, we use Eren as bait, luring the target into this underground passage. The deeper, the better. Get her well beneath street level. That done, she should be easily immobilized, even in Titan form. If she transforms before reaching the tunnel, well, at that point she'll be your responsibility, Eren," Erwin continues, the group silently taking in everything.
"Right. So we know she'll be in Stohess?" Eren asks, "There's no chance she'll bolt before we get there?"
"No. She won't risk going awol." Juliet takes every little detail, trying to figure out her own plan. If she sends a letter, will they know who it's from? Would it make it in time? Her fingers tap her leg as she's in her thoughts.
"Wait, you mean she's–" Eren says.
"Armin, here, identified her. She's an MP. Likely responsible for the deaths of Hange's test subjects. And a fellow trainee in the 104th Cadet Corps," Erwin seems more determined than ever.
"Wha–? You can't be serious! I trained with her?" Eren asks.
"I'm sorry but yes. She's one of us."
Armin tries his best to explain the indictment to Eren, laying out the evidence he has discovered. Mikasa butting in on the occasion to tell Eren he needs to fight, no matter who the opponent is. At some point, Eren stands from his chair abruptly, bringing Juliet out of her haze.
"Okay, we get it," Captain Levi interrupts the friends bickering, "Do you have anything else on her? Any sort of concrete evidence?"
"Nothing, sir," Armin replies.
The closeness of Levi's voice makes Juliet nervous, she sits one seat away from him, "I–I mean...there's the fact that she looks like the Female Titan?" He's so intimating that she feels like she shouldn't even speak.
"Really?! What the hell's wrong with you?" Eren stands up from his chair again. Juliet's eyes widen as he looks straight at her with his eyebrows furrowed, "What kind of evidence is that?" Juliet grinds her teeth, finding his behavior annoying. She gives him the same look she's giving him.
"So basically, we're going after her without proof," Captain Levi sighs.
"You're kidding me, right?" Eren looks at his friends next to him, but neither of them bats him an eye, "This is insane! What if it's not her? What if she's not the monster you all say she is?"
"If it's not her, she'll be cleared. End of story," Mikasa says. She doesn't let Eren's tone falter hers.
"No one wants to condemn her prematurely, least of all me. But–" Armin speaks up again, "Either we make a move on circumstantial evidence, or we sit back and let the central government condemn you." Juliet could acknowledge that this was a smart move from them. This meeting is making her realize that she needs to concentrate on the mission, they're gaining on them. She can't afford to sympathize anymore.
She looks at Jean from the corner of her eye, afraid that she'll be yelled at by Captain Levi if she even moves an inch. His face is still but she can tell he's nervous.
"Do you hear yourselves? You're talking about Annie," Eren gets out.
"Eren. Don't stand there and tell me this conversation isn't ringing any bells," Mikasa tells him, "You fought hand-to-hand against the Female Titan. Was there anything about her techniques that seemed familiar?" Mikasa began to talk to Eren more directly, leaving the rest of the cadets at the table to listen to the incoherent words.
"No one else is to know about this," Commander Erwin says, "You're all dismissed." With that, everyone stands from their chairs and gets ready to leave.
"Diekman, you stay," Captain Levi says, not even glancing at her.
Juliet doesn't take another second to sit right back down. She sees the individuals she came in contact with, leave. Armin offered her a glance, but he didn't hold it for long.
Commander Erwin peaks over his shoulder before finally walking out, shutting the door behind him. Juliet assumes that he already knows what Levi is going to tell her.
"I'm sending the rest of the Scouts that came from the 104th training corps down south of Wall Sina while we capture the Female Titan," Levi looks over at her with a stern stare, "I want you to go with and report back anything that raises any suspicion."
"Suspicion?"
"Clearly, the Female Titan isn't working alone. It's safe to assume that others may have trained alongside her," He explains, "Just keep an eye out. Don't do anything extravagant or stupid."
Juliet felt flush. She couldn't tell if it was the fact that Levi knew there were others, or if it was his behavior that made her nervous, "Of course, Captain."
"That's all," He gets up from his seat first, "Get out of here, brat."
Juliet got out of there fast. She didn't think she'd have time to tell Bertholdt and Reiner, so she settled for not telling them right away.
"Hey," Armin peeks his head in front of her. Armin, Jean, Mikasa, and Eren had waited for her outside the building.
She gives the blonde a nervous smile.
"What'd Captain Levi say to you?" Eren asks. He takes the lead, walking the group right back to where they came from. Mikasa walks right beside him. Armin and Jean follow behind right next to Juliet.
"He's sending me to watch the rest of the Scouts that we trained with. Told me to report back anything suspicious," She replies. The soft crunch of their steps fills the air.
"What? We made this whole plan to capture the Female Titan and he sends one of the top ten cadets off to babysit?" Jean seems upset about having one less soldier on their side.
"What the hell?" Eren exclaims.
"Does that mean he thinks there's another threat?" Armin asks. He turns to Juliet as he speaks, making sure he tries to maintain eye contact but he's finding it difficult.
"That's what he was implying, yeah," she finds it easier to look at him, finding it tranquil.
Eren stops in his tracks and faces the three cadets behind him, "Be honest, do you guys really believe Annie's the Femae Titan? Do you really think she could've done this?" The questions being aimed mostly toward Jean and Juliet. Eren knows the opinions of his friends already, but those two stayed quiet most of the time.
She waits for Jean to reply first, but he just averts his gaze elsewhere.
"I don't know what to believe," she speaks up, "B—but I trust Armin's judgement."
The corner of Eren's lip lift up, "Of course you do." Armin's mouth opens in fear, knowing what his friend was implying. He couldn't stop Eren, the embarrassment overtaking him.
"What?" Juliet's eyebrows narrowed on him, she didn't understand what he was alluring.
"What?"
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"What's what supposed to mean?" Eren says playing dumb. Mikasa's hand finds itself landing harshly on Eren's head.
"Hey! What the hell!"
They continued on leaving Eren's comment behind. The moment Juliet found an opening, she separated herself from the group. With the sky darkening and the clouds looming overhead, her pace quickens, each step a frantic beat against the pavement. The urgency to reach her dorm gnawed at her. Thoughts about Annie's safety were racing through her mind. With another corner turned the familiarity of the halls hit her.
She sighs in relief when she opens the door and sees the room empty. In a frenzy of urgency, she rifled through drawers and scattered papers, desperately searching for something to write on. Something she could write a warning sign on. She settles for a page of a book, ripping it out and placing it on the desk in front of her. She grabs the pen, dipping it in ink before landing her eyes on the page. One of the words sticks out to her. Look out.
The book she'd pulled a page from was talking about the changing seasons, telling those who choose to read the book to look out for snowfall near the mountains. She circles the first two words and folds the paper. She goes back into the drawers reaching for the envelope that was hidden behind everything else, forcing the paper into it.
She doesn't sign it, nor does she leave any mark that may lead it back to her.
She chooses to get the letter out as fast as possible, expecting it to reach Annie by the next day. Juliet can only hope that Annie gets the message and stays out of the way of the Scouts.
—
Apologies for the late post! :/
Schools really been kicking my ass, especially with my finals coming up. That being said, the next chapter may be late too but I'll get it out as soon as I can!
After my finals, updates will be back on track to be posted every Thursday.
Vote & Comment. <3
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March. 2024