ERWIN
"As you might imagine we have many questions." the Stohess mayor addressed not only to me but to the room full of government officials, MPs and a lone wall priest attending the exoneration hearing, and as expected, all their eyes turned to me demanding answers.
What reason would the order of the walls be doing at a military exoneration hearing?
"If the target's identity was beyond all doubt, why would you neglect to request aid from the military police?" the mayor queried as if the answer to that question wasn't already obvious. We had been infiltrated by our enemies right to the heart of our walls, and my gut was telling me that the armoured and colossal Titan and god knows who else were still out there waiting for their moment to bring us to our end.
We need to strike while the iron is hot.
"Discretion. We have reason to believe she was operating in conjunction with other insiders, I felt that it was necessary and involved those only well above suspicion sir." I explained though it wasn't the complete truth as I had purposely left out the part where I didn't trust the Military police to look past their own self-importance as glorified government lapdogs and see the truth for what it was.
The interior has its own agenda and it doesn't go hand in hand with the Scouts.
"Yes, and the price of your discretion was the near obliteration of Stohess, well done." the mayor jeered, and I felt my lip twitch at his disregard for the lives my Scouts had given to rip the enemy from their midst.
Can't lose composure here, I need these men behind us, not against us.
"I didn't foresee the scale of the damage, sir." I apologised, "Blame my incompetence."
"Blame isn't going to rebuild my roof." the man to my right spat oblivious to the fact that there would have been no roofs left if we had allowed Annie Leonhart to go undiscovered, and that still might come to pass unless we find her accomplices.
"If the female titan was left to roam free, the wall would be subject to breach, and the damage to Stohess would have been beyond devastating." I defended and one look at the men around this table showed just how underprepared they all were if the wall was to be breached.
"Perhaps." The mayor reluctantly admitted as his eyes flickered to the wall priest, "Erwin you have me grasping at straws to exonerate you, what I need is proof that your tactics yielded some manner of benefit. Granted Annie Leonhart is rendered innocuous but also essentially useless."
"Yes, sir. That she is." I conceded, and gasps of outrage filled the room, but my eyes remained solely on the mayor and his nervous gaze that was continually shifting towards the wall priest.
What power does this man have?
"Are you saying it was all for nothing?" the mayor asked incredulously and I seized this moment to press my advantage.
"For nothing? I believe this latest tragedy has moved us forward by leaps and bounds. Not long ago, we hadn't even imagined the possibility of humans turning into titans, now we are not only aware of the enemy in our midst, but we've managed to catch one of them. Make no mistake there are more out there, and we will hunt down every last one. The initiative is ours, starting now we launch an attack on the Titans within our walls." I declared, my eyes finally meeting the wall priest's in a challenge "Today we are at war."
AURORA
A gentle breeze filtered into the room via the open window as the sound of church bells ringing called the occupants of Stohess to their evening vigil for the dead, and all I could do was stare out the window, watching as people milled by with a heavy burden on my heart.
And so, the mourning begins, at least these people still have a home to go back to, the people of Wall Maria weren't so lucky.
Sighing, I hugged my arms around myself contemplating where this morning's events left us standing in the grand scale of things. Annie had been captured, she was now no longer a threat but her accomplices were still roaming free, the armoured and colossal Titan had yet to make another appearance or another attempt at the walls, but if my gut feeling was anything to go off, then we wouldn't have long to wait until they did.
They don't know we know about Annie, we need to keep pushing while we have the advantage of surprise.
Life seemed to speed up on me after parting from Levi in Stohess this morning, and as such I had ran around like a woman possessed completing my debrief, checking in with Hange, looking for Jean, and checking in with medical before being directed to this very room which housed Eren's sleeping form and making my way here with haste, I was greeted to the sight of Armin, Rian, Mikasa and Jean as they rested in various positions around the room all deep in thought as Eren slept soundlessly in his bed.
Strange how we all found our way here, almost like we were pulled to one another.
The silence in which we had all found ourselves in was weirdly comforting, it allowed me to hear my own thoughts instead of the screams of dying men, and after all the chaos that this morning brought, it was soothing to simply think and bask in the light pouring through the window and closing my eyes, I did just that as a fleeting peace settled over me.
I wonder if I will ever find true peace, somewhere quiet with Levi where only those who we allow can find us... yes that would be nice, a proper home once this is all over... if this is ever over...
"Hey?" Mikasa's gentle voice drew my attention and opening my eyes, I turned towards her to see her leaning forward to greet a stirring Eren as his eyes slowly opened, taking in everything around him, "You feel okay?"
"Yeah." Eren mumbled, and when his eyes found mine, I smiled at him, "In fact, it's weird how okay I feel."
Something we both have in common.
"So is Annie still stuck in that thing?" Eren inquired though judging by his tone, he already knew the answer to that question.
"Yes," I answered simply, Annie's crystal coffin was deep underground under the surveillance of the survey corps and if I had my way it would never see light of day again, nor would I ever have to set eyes on her again though I knew that was unlikely given that was precisely where Levi was heading this morning after we parted ways.
Whether he shows it or not, he will have taken what happened this morning hard, he wanted retribution for Oluo, Petra, Gunther, Eld and all the countless others we lost.
"You would think that after all that we sacrificed to get her back; fate would cut us a little slack," Jean grumbled, and my eyes flitted towards his face to see that it still held echoes of the rage he was displaying this morning, but not only that, his words struck up my own feelings on the concept of fate, or more specifically how it could go fuck itself.
It's up to us, no one is going to save us, so we will have to save ourselves.
"It's humbling how far she will go to keep her secrets." Armin expressed, and my eyes snapped to bore into the back of his head in disbelief at his admiration. Annie had committed mass murder to keep her secrets hidden, destroyed countless lives, nothing was humbling about that, it was monstrous.
"Humbling? More like infuriating!" Jean snarled, and I smiled despite myself at seeing his fire return after his breakdown this morning.
"You let her go Eren." Rian declared suddenly, and all eyes, including mine, turned to him in confusion when it suddenly dawned on me that Eren had given Annie a way out. It was moments after he had bitten her nape off, I just hadn't realised at the time because I was so focused on reaching him but now looking back it was clear as day, Eren had hesitated, enough so that whatever it was that Annie did to crystallise herself had happened, he had given her an out.
"Why?" I asked incredulously as I met his teal eyes only to shrink away at the torment inside them as he looked at me with desperation.
"I didn't mean to; I just could help it." Eren lamented as his eyes fell from my face to stare at his hands, "When I saw her face, I just froze."
Compassion, he had allowed Annie to live because of his empathy for her, and as much as I wanted her to pay for all she had done, I couldn't fault him for feeling something so utterly human, no matter how displaced it may have been. Sighing, I walked over to Eren and cupped his face with my hands before leaning down and pressing my lips to his forehead as his entire body tensed at the same time as pain shot through my head.
Not again.
Banging rattled the door causing me to jump and retreat from Eren who was staring off into space with a faraway look in his eyes before jerking and fixing his eyes on my face with concern. Warmth all of a sudden welled in my nose and reaching up to brush my nostril, I felt a hot liquid run over my fingertips, and I didn't even need to look at the red now staining my fingers to know I was bleeding.
What is happening to me?
"Armin Alert. Jean Kirstein, you two are up first." an Mp ordered as he opened the door without permission and I hastily wiped the blood from my face, "Aurora Sparhawke, Rian Sparhawke, Commander Erwin has requested you both go and see him in his quarters."
"Debriefing time." Jean sighed as he stretched before making his way to the door with Rian and Armin following closely behind him.
"For you two maybe, more work for us." Rian scoffed before turning to wave at Eren and Mikasa as he left the room with Jean and Armin.
No rest for the wicked.
"Try and get some rest Eren, you need it" I smiled before I too turned and ruffled Mikasa's hair as I left, jogging to catch up to the others who were halfway down the corridor.
"I can't get my head wrapped around it, this whole fighting fire with fire business or whatever. Is that really the only option we've got?" Jean asked wearily as he rubbed the back of his neck, and I frowned as I thought on his words. Our people are starving, we don't have the luxury of taking the long moral high ground, not when so many lives depended on us, that and everything else we have tried to this date has gotten us nowhere, for now, the path before us was the only road we could take.
"Not necessarily, it's just the only one that's presented itself, and now we know Eren can do it." Armin speculated and Rian nodded his head in agreement as he silently listened to the moral debate.
"Yeah well if it's that easy for the fight to turn us all into monsters, then maybe we don't deserve to win." Jean sighed, running a hand down his face before turning to look out through the windows to the setting sun as we continued to walk by and I found myself not entirely disagreeing with his viewpoint.
We have no place in the new world we are fighting for, we've committed too many sins but that doesn't mean we shouldn't keep striving for it.
"Maybe not but the world we are fighting for will have people born into it that are good and decent, maybe we have to be the monsters so that they don't have to be" I considered and startled slightly when Rian's hand found my shoulder and gave it a slight squeeze.
"No one ever promised us we would come out unscathed." Rian pointed out softly, "War is the death of innocence."
A sombre silence fell on us all as we continued to make our way through Stohess HQ and I couldn't help but think about the overwhelming truth in those words, war is the death of innocence, it was the first thing we had sacrificed and yet at the same time, never before had the drums of war been the call of ascending hope as it was now, and hope is like a weed, once it's in the flower beds it's hard to kill and it takes over everything giving way to a new garden.
A new world.
"This is us." Rian motioned the wooden door beside us, pulling me from my philosophical thoughts and blinking, I watched Jean and Armin tilt their heads in parting and walk away from us still in deep thought, and I knew I had to say something to remind them what it was that we were fighting for.
"Boys?" I called out, and both Jean and Armin stopped, looking back to me waiting, "Freedom in her wisdom has chosen you to defend her, and she has chosen well. You are some of the best humanity has to offer, and I'm proud to serve with you both" I proclaimed, and I caught the small smile on Rian's face as I placed my hand on my heart and tilted my head forward in respect.
"Likewise, Ma'am." Jean expressed as both he and Armin saluted before turning and disappearing down the corridor.
"That was nice." Rian smiled softly as he knocked on Erwin's door.
"It was the truth." I shrugged before hearing Commander Erwin summons and entering the office, "Sir, you wanted to see us?"
"Yes, I have separate tasks for both of you." Erwin informed us, straight down to business as he handed us separate missives," Rian, I want you to coordinate with Levi and Hange and help them sort out this mess with the walls. Discretion is necessary for this, as I'm sure you will soon come to understand once Hange shows you what we are looking at and frankly I need our best minds on it to figure out what we are dealing with"
He is separating us? Why? We've always been assigned together and what does he mean about the wall?
"And me sir?" I asked cautiously as a bad feeling settled in my stomach at the thought of being parted from Rian.
"With Eren safe, I need you to ride to headquarters during the night and inform Miche of our success here and report to him for duty." Erwin declared, and I felt my stomach drop at the thought of being so far from everyone, "He's currently guarding the other cadets from the 104th and should anything untoward occur he will need soldiers he can count on. Any questions?"
None you would appreciate hearing.
"No, sir." Rian and I replied in unison, our missives grasped in our hands.
"You both earned your ranks out there, well done. Dismissed." Erwin concluded and saluting, Rian and I left his office and made our way down the hall.
"Short and sweet." I drawled as I looked over the sealed missive and cursed my rotten luck for being assigned this task, I mean I understood why, I was a fast rider and one of Miche's trusted scouts, but that didn't stop the gnawing in my stomach telling me how bad of an idea this was, even if I was getting to see Miche, Nanaba and Gelgar sooner rather than later.
"I wonder what he means by mess with the walls." Rian mused as we entered the courtyard and looking up, I smiled to myself as I spotted Nifa waiting in the alcove leading to Hange's office and knew instantly who she waiting upon.
"I guessing you won't have long to wait; your escort is here." I smiled warmly as I waved at Nifa who in turn waved back with a blush on her face as she met Rian's eyes.
That's cute.
Strong arms suddenly wrapped around me as Rian crushed me to his chest, squeezing tightly, and It wasn't long before my arms came up to wrap around his middle, my head burrowing into his chest as I inhaled his familiar and comforting scent.
I don't want to leave him, I don't want to leave any of them.
"This is the first time we will have been truly apart, and I want you to promise me that you will take of yourself" Rian insisted as he leaned back and brought his hand up to cup my face, "In fact, I want to hear you say the words' I promise Rian, I will take care of myself'"
He doesn't like this anymore than I do.
"I promise Rian I will take care of myself." I smiled as I tilted my head into his palm, "But that goes both ways too, keeping thinking smart and make sure the others stay out of trouble while I'm gone."
A full-time job in itself.
"I will." Rian swore with a grave expression, "We will see each other soon, okay."
"Yeah yeah," I scoffed as I pushed his hands away playfully to break the sombre feeling of separation, "Now go and see Nifa for wall's sake."
Smiling, Rian shook his head before ruffling my hair as he turned to make his way over to a beaming Nifa and not wanting to intrude on any private moment I set off back to my dorm to collect my gear with a heavy heart which only grew heavier when I saw who was waiting for me outside my door.
He isn't going to like this.
"What did eyebrows want?" Levi drawled as he opened the door for me, allowing me to enter before him.
"I'm being sent back to headquarters to inform Miche of our success and to return to his command." I smiled sadly before I began rushing around the room, collecting what I needed for the journey to Survey HQ, avoiding his gaze as I went.
No point prolonging this, just need to rip off the bandage and get on with it, it isn't like it is forever.
"When?" Levi murmured catching my arm as I walked past him by the door and pulling me close to him, his cold grey eyes searched my face for something though what I did not know.
"Erwin wants me gone before nightfall," I answered only to yelp in shock as Levi grasped my face and brought our lips together in a passionate kiss before pulling back with a wicked smile.
"Well, we best be quick then." Levi whispered as he brought our lips together once again and kicked the door shut.