Whatever he was hiding, it was more than the fate of humanity...but just how much would he reveal?
~~~
An hour had passed since we left Trost and we still haven't arrived yet. The ride progressively grew quiet and the silence allowed for me to take better account of the things around me.
The moonlight was especially bright tonight, a full moon on display that lit up our path. As I continued scanning our surroundings, I noticed a small glare hit my eyes. I narrowed my eyes as I took a small look around, uncrossing my legs in the process and as I leaned forwards. Scanning over my surroundings, I spotted Hange fiddling with a small piece of crystal. It's hue was unmistakable, it was a fragment from Annie's body.
Knowing Hange, she must've grabbed a piece from off of the floor after the battle in Stohess, but why was she fiddling with it? Her eyes were glued onto it as silence continued to hang in the air, and I drew myself away and leaned back onto the edge of the wagon. Hange would bring it up when she needed to, she said she was going to discuss it anyway so she wouldn't go back on her word.
"Hange." Levi hissed, disrupting the silence, leaning his head out a bit to gaze at the object in Hange's hand. A second passed without an answer from her, which wasn't odd, she often got lost in her discoveries. "Oi, shitty-glasses. Are you're hobbies so boring that playing with rocks is somehow fun for you?" Levi crudely asked. Although it may have sounded rude, it was just his way of asking what Hange was fiddling with.
"Yeah, that's right." Hange replied, finally peeled her eyes away from the crystal and extended her hand for us to get a better look at the object. I lifted back away from the railings of wagon and leaned a bit closer to get a better look at the crystal myself. "But this isn't an ordinary rock. Its a hardened fragment of skin left behind by the Female Titan." Hange explained.
"Huh? It didn't disappear?" Armin asked, leaning a bit forward, intrigued by Hange's intel.
"Right!" Hange perked, hopping out from her seat slightly as she closing her fist over the crystal. "Annie reverted back from a Titan, but it was still intact even though it broke off from her body. It didn't evaporate, nor did it disappear." Hange continued, spilling her conspiracies.
Now that I think about it...I noticed that too. Every time I saw someone run their blades against the hardened crystal, it would simply shatter and fall to the ground without any signs of steam that would raise from it. But that still didn't give me any clues on what she found out through her research.
Hange eyes lit up once more, a glare flashing over them before she began to speak again, "So I thought of trying something out...When I compared it to a piece of the wall, the pattern and composition were practically identical. In other words, the wall is a barricade of humongous Titans. And if I'm right, the surface is constructed with hardened Titan skin." As Hange finished her statement, I watched as Nick lowered his face, shutting his eyes in the process.
Hange quickly glanced over, watching over Nick's façade for any signs of distress.
I raised a brow as I saw Nick's reaction. Perhaps we were correct, so what now? What other secrets were you hiding from us? This was only a small test, and Hange knew it too, if we could make it seem like we were capable of breaking down all of the secrets of the walls and the outside world, would Nick confess?
"That's exactly what Armin said earlier..." Mikasa contributed, her voice breathy as she was bewildered over the parallelism between both claims. I shot my gaze over towards Armin who suddenly gasped, perking his head up a bit before speaking.
"Th-Then--" However, before Armin could say anymore, Hange harshly clamped her hand over Armin's face, pushing him back and preventing him from speaking any further.
"Hange!" I yelled out in concern, leaning forward more as I put my hands onto the seat beside my hips.
"Let me finish Armin!" Hange exclaimed, ignoring my statement before continuing to talk, "As is stands, we'll be appointed to fill the hole in Wall Rose. That is if we can find the perfect boulder to plug it. But if...But if Eren, in his transformed state, could use the Titan's hardening ability to seal the hole in the wall..." Hange paused, allowing us to fill in the last part of her theory ourselves. It was plausible...but even with that plan, we didn't even know how to get Eren
"Use me...to seal the hole?" Eren whispered under his breath, bewildered by the idea, however, the all-familiar tone of determination in his voice never wavered.
"It should be made of the same material. And seeing how the hardened section didn't evaporate, even after you reverted back from a Titan...it's possible..." Hange's observations filled my soul with hope, even if it was false hope that relied on little evidence, it was worth a shot.
"I think it's worth the risk to try. And assuming it does work, reclaiming Wall Maria is feasible too. Ah--and up until now, we've had to transport a large quantity of materials and supplies when traveling outside of the walls. That's why the need for outposts past the wall limit our progress. But if we don't have to accommodate supply wagons...we could quickly make our way to Shiganshina...and...What if we carried out the plan at night?" Armin suggested, to which I fully agreed with. For a rookie, he was quite intelligent. I felt the corners of my lips slightly turn up as--he even has to potential to become a commander.
However, although Armin's plan was out best shot in being able to sneak back to Wall Maria, they were forgetting the most important part of this operation. Could Eren even do this? Although Eren had a keen sense of purpose and will to fight, that isn't the only thing we needed from him. In order for this plan to work, we needed him to be able to harden his skin which we didn't have a single clue how to do. Not to mention, what if Eren couldn't do it? Judging from how the three different Titan's had different characteristics about them, did that influence what kind of power they had as well? Maybe being able to harden your skin was an isolated power that came solely with the Female Titan.
My mind trekked for miles, doubts clouding my mind and I wish I wasn't like this, but I couldn't help but worry and be cautious about every single thing.
"At night?" Hange asked, tilting her head a bit in the process as she leaned back.
"Yes. During the night, the Titans can't move." Armin replied, a new confidence filling his voice as he spoke that I'd not heard before. It wasn't like last time when he accused Annie, his voice was awfully unsteady and I could hear guilt slip into his voice as he explained why he thought she was the Female Titan, but this time, he was sure. He knew what he wanted to do, and had a plan to follow.
"I see..." Hange said as she brought her hand up to her chin. "If the group was small enough, you could sneak all the way to Wall Maria. The current situation is as bad as it gets, but...we still have a glimmer of hope." Hange was right, this was our only hope...I needed to stop overthinking and just trust that we can pull this off.
"Yes, but remember..." I intervened, my eyes trailing towards Eren's, "...it all depends on whether Eren can seal the hole or not."
Eren's eyes slightly widened, I felt a bit bad for him as we threw, yet, another harsh responsibility onto his shoulders.
"I realize asking this hardly seems fair, but...do you think you can do it?" Hange turned her gaze towards Eren as she asked Eren, causing everyone to draw their gaze towards him as well. It felt like the wind subsided for the moments of silence that passed as we sat in silence awaiting for Eren's answer. His gaze was slightly shifted down, eyes widened a bit as he processed the information given to him...I haven't known Eren for a long time, however, I knew he hated to disappoint those around him who were counting on him, which could lead in him answering "yes" under pressure, but it wasn't like he really had a choice in this matter...did he?
Eren lifted his head, and I saw his eyes slightly lower before answering, however, someone had beat him to it.
"It doesn't matter what you think. You have to. There's no other choice. We're out of options. Our forces are struggling so desperately there's nothing else they can do. You have to succeed." Levi's voice was cold and stoic as he revealed the truth of the matter. Eren really didn't have a choice, our only choice was to succeed and if we were to fail, it would most likely be our last shot in being able to preserve humanity's future.
Eren inhaled sharply before answering, "I will! I'll do whatever it takes to seal the wall!" Although he seemed fairly confident in his skills, I averted my gaze to the scenery around me slightly doubting it. We were going to need more time in order to get Eren's skills to where we needed them to be, and just how long was it going to take? Weeks? Months? Years? How long could we hold onto this small strand of hope for? Our forces were already struggling and with Wall Maria and Rose both falling, how long was it going to take until Wall Sina was gone as well? What happens after that?
Eren had an impressive craving for freedom, and always did what he could help others and humanity. It was something almost so revolting, but at the same time...it felt so right. It was something I felt often too, the crave for more than what we have within these walls, but I know that I'm not the best soldier, nor do I have any special powers like Eren does to help me stay alive so...just how long can I hang on to this life before I end up dying as well?
I shut my eyes, tilting my head back and allowed the wind to sweep over my face; still tuning into the conversation as I was turned away.
"The basement..." I heard the sounds of a chain clash against something else metallic as Eren spoke, he must've pulled the key out. "My dad's basement" his voice softened, as grew a bit quieter as he mentioned his father, "If what my dad said was true, we'll find the answers to everything there." Eren stated, grasping onto the key tightly. A moment passed of silence as the conversation faded away and I felt the speed of the wagon slow down, causing me to open my eyes. As I turned my head back towards the front, I finally spotted the Wall standing before us.
"It's Ehrmich District." Hange calmly stated, as she peered at the wall as well.
As we passed through the gates and into the city, the streets were bare, not a single person in sight. I guess they were evacuating the city already. The wagon came to a stop and we quickly got out and headed into the city on foot.
~~~
The walk was predominantly quiet, the only sounds trailing being our breathing and our of sync footsteps as we made our way towards the supply house near the interior of the city. We eventually reached a short staircase that lead downwards into the heart of the city, and from where I was, I could hear the sounds of voices and walking begin traveling from the streets below. They just started evacuating the interior part haven't they?
Everyone had already went ahead to the supply house, however, Levi and I took a small detour, dragging Nick along with us.
As we grew closer to the exit of the staircase, I was surprised to see Nick stop as he spotted the large crowd of people slowly making their way towards the gates. I could hear the sharp sound of his breath hitch as he stood frozen.
"Levi, we need to get moving soon. Snap him out of it." I whispered to Levi who was walking in front of me. He hummed in response, quickly acting. He brought his good foot up, slightly kicking Nick's back and setting him off balance. However, Nick's attention didn't stir, his gaze never leaving the crowd of citizens.
"Oi, keep moving. You'll end up looking like a lost kid." Levi hissed, taking his foot away from Nick as he stood up straight again.
"Th-This is..." Nick whispered out, his voice sounding hoarse due his reluctant act to remain silent before. I moved down the stairs to where Nick was and could fully see the situation unfolding. It was heartbreaking, I could feel guilt swell into my throat, even though I had nothing to do with the situation. But it was always like this, and I could only watch as they sat, alone and afraid of what may happen next.
"What did you expect to see? This is what happens when the walls fall." I coldly remarked, masking my feelings of guilt as I tried my best to continue on with the mission and make Nick spill any more secrets that he was hiding.
As we stared into the crowd of people, cries and whimpers filled the voices of young children, while older males and females stood stiff as they walked and shot short glances towards us. Nick took a step forward, a shaky breath leaving his mouth as his gaze was drawn to a young child within the crowd that yearned for his mother and father. However, before Nick could take another step forward, Levi quickly put a hand on Nick's shoulder, holding him back from moving any further.
"Oi." Levi slightly raised his voice, causing Nick to slightly snap out of his trance. His body flinching as Levi laid his hand on his shoulder. "Where do you think you're going? Take a good look at the faces of the people who've lost everything. The faces of everyone you and your people abandoned. If you're church's wish came true, and Titans came flooding through the walls, we'll all be gobbled up in their stinking mouths and die in the most miserable way possible. All of humanity, digested as one." Levi's voice was chilling, even sending Nick out of his trance completely as his arms fell limp and his body seemed to loose feeling for a second as he stumbled over his feet as he turned back around to the staircase. A haunting expression dwelling within his orbs as he silently walked back up the staircase.
"So, do you think he's had a change of heart?" Levi asked, directing his question towards me. I slightly lowered my gaze as I thought about it. The feelings within Nick's eyes and tension along with resentment within his body language were quite visible to me.
"I don't think Nick has ever hated humanity or wanted it to perish. If he did, he wouldn't have done anything that day in Stohess, just like all the other Priest there that stood idle, not wanting to risk their lives or secrets being exposed. It was simply a mask he put on when conducting his job as a Priest, and this is the first time its cracked. A mask that has been cracked can never be completely fixed--fragment it stays as you find your way to glue the pieces back together. However, there will always be people who can see past those cracks and sloppily glued pieces, and those people are us." As I finished my statement, I turned to gaze at Levi who's eyes held an unreadable emotion. It was something I couldn't read, however, what was weird was that, even under the orange lights, I could clearly see how blue his eyes were.
~~~
As we returned back to the supply base, I spotted Hange and the others were already heading towards the door and beginning to leave. I needed to get ready to leave with them as well. I had already told Molbit earlier to prepare a horse for me, so I just needed to put my equipment on.
"Section Commander, we need to hurry!" Molbit yelled out towards Hange, who's gaze was drawn to us as we made our way towards them.
"Give me a minute." She replied, sharing a small glance back towards Molbit before slightly jogging towards us. As she reached Nick, she was quick to ask, "Have you had a change of heart yet?" Her eyes showing signs of urgency as the clock ticked down. Nick refused to lift his head as he kept his gaze glued to the floor. Moments passed and everyone in the room was growing impatient with Nick's refusal to answer.
Hange was the first to lash out, taking a step forward towards Nick, her foot stamping into the ground harshly. "We don't have time for this! You know, don't you!? Will you talk, or will you not?! Make up your mind already!" Hange complained, her tolerance for Nick's silence growing thin.
"I...cannot say anything. The other believers are the same as I, and that will never change." Nick replied, his voice growing lower with each syllable that left his mouth. Hange turned around, furious at his answer as he was still reluctant to help the fight against the Titans to save humanity.
"Well thanks for nothing! We're so grateful for all the help you've been!" Hange quickly turned around, her fist balled up so tightly that her knuckles had turned straight white.
"It's too great of a decision for a single person to make." As Nick suddenly began speaking again, I grew a bit surprised, as did Hange as she stopped in her tracks and listened to Nick's claims. "The Order of the walls must always adhere to the sacred will we're bound to obey." Nick answered, causing me to raise an eyebrow. Sacred Will? Who's sacred will? If I remember correctly, before he was in our custody, he always spoke of how the walls were a gift from god, but holding a sacred will for god about these walls and knowing secrets that haven't been unveiled to even the people that were following such a religion meant that this was no sacred will from god. So, who was it?
"Who's will?" I asked, drawing their attention towards me. Nick shot a small glance at me before lowering his head again.
"I cannot say anything. However, I can inform you of a name, who under their sacred will, we are instructed to monitor." Nick answered, drawing our full attention as he was about to reveal the name of the person. "That person joined the Survey Corps as of this year." Nick stated, causing Eren, Mikasa, and Armin to all grow shocked. Even Mikasa who was fairly stoic as well, she hadn't expected such an answer. "Their name is..."