Chapter 10: Judgment Among Men and Monsters
YUGI'S P.O.V.
I awoke with blurred vision from my bed trying to make out the figures I saw before me.
As my vision corrected I saw the cold stone ceiling above me...
I move my wrist slightly and my metal restrains clanked along the bed post.
I sighed in frustration...
I'm still in a dungeon...
"Hey Yug, are you up?"
I looked to my left to see Eren sitting up and looking at me.
Oh yeah...
Eren's here too...
Apparently this dungeon is meant for monsters...
Guess what that makes us...
I sat up and replied, "Yeah... I'm awake..."
He nodded and said, "Hey... do you think if we asked for a chess board, they would bring one down?"
I looked up and said, "I don't know... maybe..."
He nodded and said, "It's better than doing nothing... Just sitting here is going to drive me crazy..."
I nodded and said, "I see if our guard can be persuaded..."
He nodded and said, "And maybe... He can tell us what's going on out there..."
PEGASUS'S P.O.V.
"Hey, is it true that two Titans sided with humans?"
"Whoa, there's Titans fighting on our side now?"
"Oh stop listening to everything you've heard. More than likely the recapture plan failed and now Refugees are going to start flooding in..."
"Can you believe it! The military has Titans on the team!"
"Who knows, maybe we can reclaim Wall Maria! Finally humanity has a savior!"
That what was buzzing through the streets of the interior of Wall Rose as I walked though the streets.
One month...
One long month ago, we arrived here in the midst of the Battle of Trost.
From what I was told, Yugi boy and this Eren sealed the breach... as Titans...
Now I know Yugi boy had powers thanks to the Millennium items, but this...
This is unreal...
Everyone of them came to visit us in our temporary home...
Everyone except Yugi boy...
He was in the custody of the Military Police along with Mr. Yeager.
I walked down the street toward the little hovel we called home.
At first, it was crowded...
10 people in one space... there just wasn't enough room...
Then we heard the news about Trost...
207 people were either dead or missing...
897 were counted among the injured...
From what Kaiba boy and the others told us, the streets were littered with bodies...
They had to pick up the bodies of their fallen comrades, some they didn't even know was dead, until...
After that, a shared determination rolled through out the household that couldn't be persuaded out of.
Their decision did not waver when they left.
Exactly 3 days after the clean up operation in Trost, Mai, Ryou, Shiro, Duke, Serenity, and Marik entered the 105th cadet core and never looked back.
In five months they'll graduate and pledge themselves to one of three regiments, and that will be that.
I entered the house and saw Ishizu and Mokuba cleaning up the dishes and Solomon sweeping the floors.
I looked at them and said, "I've got news..."
Mokuba looked at me and said, "Is about Trost or..."
I replied, "It about Yugi boy and Mr. Yeager..."
Solomon's eyes brighten up and he said, "Go on Maximillion! What's the news?!"
I looked at them and said, "According to some of the MP's running around they're going to be a trial to decide which regiment gains custody of the two. If the Military Police get them, they'll be excuted on the spot. Then if the Scouts get them, they'll become weapons of the military and be used to reclaim Wall Maira and reach Shinganshina."
Ishizu shook her head and said, "It will be a tough decision and with all the hysteria from 5 years ago... my bias the judge..."
"It will be a bit hard to get a bias option from Premier Dhalis Zachary."
I turned around to see Kaiba boy standing the doorway with a girl with fare blonde hair and icy cold eyes, both wearing their cadet uniforms.
Mokuba smiled and said, "Seto! Annie!"
He hugged the two with a great big smile.
Kaiba boy petted his younger brother's head and said, "It's good to see you Mokuba."
Annie looked at him and said, "You grown since I saw you last."
He smiled and said, "Thanks!"
Ishizu looked at her and said, "We were never properly introduced, I'm Ishizu Ishtar."
She nodded and said, "Annie Leonhart."
I sighed and said, "She sounds like Kaiba boy..."
He growled at me and said, "Pegasus... Don't call me that!"
Annie looked at him and said, "Seto... calm down... he's just pushing your buttons."
Seto?
Only little Mokuba calls Kaiba boy that...
Why on earth is she...
"Seto is she your girlfriend?" Mokuba bluntly asked.
Then the unbelievable happened...
They blushed!
As long as I ever known him he's done many amazing things... but this takes the cake!
He replied, "Uh... Well..."
Mokuba smiled and said, "Don't be embarrassed about it. I think it great you found a bit of happiness in all this crazy..."
Solomon nodded and said, "Right, beside no ones going to judge you for that."
Annie gave a soft smile and said, "Thank you..."
I looked at him and said, "Now what about this Dhalis Zachary?"
Annie looked at us and said, "He's in charge of all the regiments, and considering Yugi and Eren are still Cadets, he oversee the court and it's treated like a court martial. He had no allegiance that would sway him one way or another. It all comes down to a simple fact."
Ishizu then asked, "And that is?"
Kaiba boy replied, "If Eren and Yugi are a asset or liability to mankind... That is the deciding factor on if they live or die."
YAMI'S P.O.V.
"Mikasa... you have to eat something..." Armin said as we sat at the table for lunch.
Tea, Tristen, and Joey sat next us silently eating their food...
Trost changed them...
It changed us all...
But not as much as Mikasa...
She been worried sick about Eren and Yugi...
I nodded and said, "You haven't eaten all day and your body can run on nothing."
She looked at me and said, "I'm fine..."
I held up a piece of bread and said, "Prove it... Catch!"
I threw the bread with great accuracy at her.
She barely missed it...
Armin replied, "See? Now eat something..."
She sighed and began to eat the the soup in front of her.
She was about finished with a man with a beard came walking and yelled, "Cadets Mikasa Ackerman, Yami Motou, Armin Arlet, and Joey Wheeler, hop two!"
The four of us stood up and said, "Sir!"
He yelled, "You four are ordered to attend and act as witnesses at today's deliberation."
We looked at each other and as the news set in...
We're going to their trial... and possibly, they're execution...
EREN'S P.O.V.
"Checkmate." Yugi said as he moved his piece into position.
I groaned and said, "Not again..."
The guards laughed at me and one said, "I don't know why this kid so damn good at this, but it hilarious to watch!"
Yugi smiled and said, "At least you're getting better... took 12 more turns than last time."
I smirked and said, "Yeah, yeah, Mr. King of Games..."
The guards looked at us funny and one asked, "Why call him that?"
Yugi smiled and said, "It's sort of a nickname that stuck from my cadet training. Chess, cards, dice, any my brother and I played game really, we would come out on top, thus the called us the Kings of Games."
I nodded and said, "At least your nickname was good..."
The other guard looked at me and asked, "So what did you get stuck with?"
Yugi smirked and said, "Eren wanted to join the Scouts from day one, some people thought that was crazy for wanting to join them, so they called him... The Suicidal Maniac."
The guards burst out laughing and said, "Man, that hilarious!"
I looked at Yugi and said, "Geeze Yug! Are you trying to get me laughed at?"
He shook his head and said, "I just though it's lighten the mood to talk."
The first guard looked at us and said, "I still can't wrap my head around the fact that you two can turn into Titans... You not monstrous or hell, you don't even act like their a evil bone in your body."
Yugi replied, "We're not bad... we barely know anything about it actually... and afterwards... we could barely stand and we were coughing up blood."
The second guard whistled and said, "Damn kid. That sucks..."
I nodded and said, "Yeah..."
The guards looked at us once more and the first said, "You know... monsters or not you don't deserve this... If I wouldn't be court martial for doing it, I let you out of the restraints..."
The second guard nodded and said, "Honestly, I wouldn't call you a monster... I may have a week ago but now that I've got talking to you guys... Your not that bad..."
I smiled and said, "Thanks... we haven't got this much conversation with anyone since all this stuff happened..."
Yugi looked up and said, "Yeah... I haven't talk to my friends since... since the Battle for Trost began..."
He looked down and said, "I wonder what they're doing now... all of them..."
I nodded and thought of our days in the cadet core and all the things that set our friends apart from the rest...
Mikasa, Yami, Armin, Joey, Marco, Sasha, Tea, Connie, Tristen, Ymir, Krista, Kaiba, Annie, Reiner, and Bertolt...
I miss them all...
Even Jean and his horse face...
I heard the clank of the doors and a man and a woman wearing Scout uniforms came up to the bars.
The woman had long brown hair pulled in a ponytail and a set of goggles.
The man on the other hand, had short choppy blonde hair and whiskers all over his face.
The woman looked at us and said, "So then you're Eren and you're Yugi. Are you well? How are things?"
I looked at Yugi as she continued her small talk questions and he had the same look I did...
Confusion... Why was she here?
She smiled "I'm really sorry the both of you have been waiting so long, but now's here's a chance to finally get out."
Out!
Yes!
No more jail cell!
"But only one small detail though... you'll both have to put these on for me. Okay?"
She held up two sets of metal handcuffs...
Well at least we get to walk around...
Dammit, Yugi's optimism is rubbing off on me...
We were soon had our hands clasped behind our backs and out of the cell.
The guards waved a silent goodbye as we walked out of the dungeon.
Then I saw it...
Sunlight.
I felt the warm light hit my skin.
Oh how I've missed it...
I looked at Yugi who had a nice smile on letting the sun warm his skin as well.
That dungeon was dimly lit and cold as ice.
This was nice and all, but then the thought hit me.
Where are we going and who are these people?
The woman smiled and said, "My name is Zoey Hange and I'm a section commander in the Survey Core and this is a fellow section commander Miche Zacharius."
The man got in way into our comfort zone and sniffed us...
Yugi looked at him and asked, "Uh... why did you..."
Hange replied, "Oh don't mind him. He makes a habit of giving new people a through sniff. Tends to laugh though his nose a bit, but I doubt he means anything by it. Quirks aside he is a skilled section commander."
We walked up to a door and she said, "Aww poo! I just rambled on and now we're here. Well I'm sure it's fine. It's probably better if I don't explain anyways."
A different set of guards guide us from behind into the doorway.
I yelled, "Hey... W-Wait...!"
She looked at us as she closed the door and said, "It's selfish of us, but all we can do is put our blind faith in you two. Best of luck!"
Yugi yelled, "Wait!"
I turned around and saw where we were...
A courthouse?
We were in the basement of a courthouse for the entire time?
The new guards put their guns up against us and said, "Alright, move it you two!"
YUGI'S P.O.V.
"On your knees both of you!" The new guard order.
I miss our other guards already...
Eren and I knelt to the floor and metal rod was stuck in the hole behind us, clasping out cuffs to where we couldn't stand or fight back...
We were at their mercy...
Why are all these people here?
Just staring at us...
Is some on going to explain what hell going on?
I looked over and saw Yami, Joey, Armin, and Mikasa standing in the crowd.
My friends!
I heard a door open and a man with grey hair, a beard, and glasses to a seat in the judge's chair.
He looked at us and said, "Alright, shall we begin?"
He held up a small set of papers and said, "Your names are Eren Yeager and Yugi Motou, and as soldiers you've sworn to give up your lives when called to for the good of people. Is that correct?"
We both replied, "Yes Sir."
He nodded and said, "As an enlisted soldiers during a time of war, this deliberation will be held as a court-martial; as commander of our armed forces, this matter is left to my desecration. Thus I will be the one who decides if you two live or die."
Oh God no...
It's what I feared...
"Any objections?"
We replied, "No, Sir..."
He nodded and said, "Both you astuteness is appreciated. Let us proceed. As expected, concealing the existence of you two has proven impossible. Unless we publicly disclose both of your existence in one fashion or another we risk the outbreak of widespread civil unrest."
"A choice must be made and the regiment that takes custody of the two of you will determine your fates. The Military Police or the Scout Regiment."
"Now let's hear what the Military Police Regiment proposes."
A man stepped forward and said, "Thank you, my name is Nile Dawk, Commander of the Military Police. Our recommendation after a thorough examination of their physiology, subjects Eren Yeager and Yugi Motou should be disposed of immediately."
"It's true that their Titan abilities helped in turning back the latest Titan incursion. However, their existence is stirring up rebellious ideas as well. For the greater good, after we've had gathered all the information we can from them, we would see them made fallen warriors of humanity."
"Unexceptionable!"
I looked and saw to the left of Nile was one of the Wall Cultist.
He yelled, "These vermin have defiled the walls... walls built by God's great wisdom!"
Kaiba is right about these guys... completely insane...
They worship walls...
Walls of all things...
Apparently five years ago they were just ignored them... but now they're got a lot of power...
The Premier turned and said, "Now I'd like to hear the Scout Regiment's idea."
Erwin nodded and step forward. "As the Commander of the Survey Core, I Erwin Smith prepose the following. Let Eren and Yugi join our ranks, reinstate them as full members of the Scouts and we will utilize their Titan ablities to retake Wall Maria. That is all."
The Premeir looked at him and asked, "Hmm? Is that it?"
Erwin replied, "Yes, with these two in out ranks I am certain we can reclaim Wall Maria. I believe it is clear what our utmost priority should be."
The Premier nodded and said, "Quite bold. Tell me, from where would you launch this operation? Pixis, the wall is Trost has been completely sealed, correct?"
Pixis replied, "Yes, I doubt its' gate will ever open again."
Erwin looked at him and said, "We'll depart from Calaneth District to the east, from there we would approach Shiganshina by establishing a new route from scratch."
"Just a damn minute!"
I turned and saw a member of the merchant's guild as he yelled, "Our time and money should go to sealing all the gates! That's the only thing the Colossal Titan can break! So seal them up and end it all together!"
Then a man yelled, "Shut up you Merchant Dog! With Titans on our side we can return to Wall Maria!"
Another man yelled, "We can't afford any more of your childish heroics!"
Then Levi said, "Squealing louder, won't help your case Pig."
I turn to Levi as he said, "While bolstering our defenses, do you think the Titans are going to stand idly by? And when you say 'we' can't afford, do speak of anyone other than your fat merchant friends? Do you pigs even relize most of our people are struggling to survive off what little land we have left?"
The merchant replied, "I'm just saying that all we need to do is seal the gates if we want to live!"
The cultist looked at him and said, "Hold your tongue, you miscreant! You suggest we meddle with our gift from God himself?! The wall is a miracle and it..."
Here we go again with the crazy guy rant...
Honestly I just numbed it out of my brain considering he thinks the wall are religion.
They continued to argue until the Premier said, "Order! I ask that you save your personal sentiments for another venue."
"Now then, Mr. Yeager and Motou, I have a question for you. As a soldier, you made a solemn pledge to heed humanity's call, can you two still do that by controlling your Titan abilities?"
Eren yelled, "Yes Sir. We can!"
He replied, "Oh is that so? But it says here in this report for the Battle for Trost contradict that statement..."
Hell, I forgot to tell Eren about losing control!
This is bad...
Very bad...
The Premier looked at Eren and said, "Just after transforming, you Mr. Yeager, swung your fists at Mikasa Ackerman... In fact in order to subdue you, Mr. Motou here broke your arms..."
A shocked looked came on Eren's face.
The Premier then asked, "Who is this Mikasa Ackerman?"
Mikasa stepped forward with my brother and said, "I am, Sir."
He nodded and said, "And I see Mr. Motou files do not lie about his identical twin brother, Yami Motou. Now is it true that Mr. Yeager assulted you in Titan form?"
There was a long pause until finally Mikasa replied, "Yes... It's true..."
Eren looked like he was on the brink of tears...
He almost killed his own sister and didn't know it...
An uneasy mumble rolled over the crowd until Mikasa said, "However, both Eren and Yugi has saved my life on multiple accounts... Against other Titans, Cannon fire... I ask that you take these facts into consideration as well..."
Nile yelled, "Objection! I believe personal feeling play a part in her testimony."
"Let the record show that Mikasa Ackerman was orphan at a young age and adopted into the Yeager family, meaning she is practically Mr. Yeager's sister."
"Also we made a shocking discovery... Eren Yeager and Mikasa Ackerman at the tender age of nine dealt with three adult kidnappers by stabing them all to death!"
What?!
I didn't know that...
She was kidnapped...
Nile looked up and said, "Granted this was self defense but we cannot help but question Mr. Yeager humanity."
"As for Mr. Motou, he and his brother have lived with their grandfather in Trost since they lost their parent in a house fire... Other than this record there is little written about the Motou's in general, barely anything was found."
"Knowing all of this, should we really invest in them, not to mention the very fate of humanity?!"
They began making accusations about us, until I heard the ones that made me snap.
"Maybe she's one! Him too! He a twin, maybe they both can change! I bet both of them aren't human either!"
Another man yelled, "Yeah we should dissect them too just to be safe!"
I yelled, "Now hold on just a second! We might be a monsters, but they have nothing to do with this! They are innocent!"
They yelled, "Like we believe you two..."
Eren yelled, "It's the truth!"
They yelled, "They must be ones if you two protect them!"
I yelled out, "STOP IT!"
It sent a quite through the room and I said, "No... you're wrong... about it all..."
Eren nodded and said, "But you're so intend of pushing selfish agendas! You're blind to what's in front of you..."
The mumbled, "Wh-What?!"
I snarled at him and said, "What does even matter... none of you have seen a Titan, so why the hell are you so afraid?!"
Eren yelled, "There's no sense in having power if you're not going to fight! If you're too scare to fight for your lives, then fine, let us do it!"
I yelled , "You... You're all cowards! Just shut up, and put you faith in us!"
They stood dumbstruck for a moment and Nile order his men to take aim.
Then felt a sharp kick to my face knocking out a tooth from my mouth.
I looked up and saw Captain Levi swiftly kick Eren's head as well and went back and forth between the two of us until we were spiting up blood.
Through the blurriness, I saw Mikasa, Yami, and Joey about to go out, but Armin and Rico stopped them.
Levi put his boot on my head and said, "You know personally, I feel nothing inflicts discipline like pain. You two don't need a good talking to, what you boys need is to be taught a lesson, and you two happen to be in perfect kicking position."
He began kicking at us more, with hard hit make more blood come out.
Then finally Nile said, "N-Now... hold on Levi..."
Levi had his boot on Eren's face and he asked, "What is it?"
Nile replied, "It's dangerous... What if they get angry, turn into Titans?"
Levi kicked me in the gut, held me up by the roots of my hair, and said, "Don't be silly. You guys want to dissect him, right?"
He looked down at us and said, "From the time they transformed they say that Yeager and Motou were able to kill 50 Titans before running out of strength... That's 25 each..."
"As enemies, their intelligence makes them all the more dangerous..."
"And for those who didn't read the report, Motou was in complete control the entire time, when trying to move the boulder and was rated one of the most tactically advanced cadets right along Arlet and Wheeler..."
"Even so, I could take them out easily. How many of you can say the same? Before you torment the beast, think long and hard, can you actually kill them?"
Erwin raised his hand and said, "Sir. I have a proposition."
The Premier nodded and said, "Proceed."
Erwin looked at us and said, "These boys' abilities includes too many uncertainties, so I suggest this; Eren Yeager and Yugi Motou will be placed under Captain Levi's supervision and we'll conduct a mission outside of the wall in 6 months after we replenish our troops."
The Premier asked, "They will be joining you?"
Erwin nodded and said, "Yes Sir, and based on the results of the mission and decide is they have control over their abilities and prove their value to man kind."
He looked at Erwin and said, "And they will be closely supervised... and if they loose control?"
Levi looked at us and said, "I can definitively kill them if it comes to that. Only real problem is there is no middle ground."
The Premier looked down and said, "Then I've made my decision."
EREN'S P.O.V.
"Well that went better than expected." Hange said as she cleaned the blood off our faces.
She looked at Yugi who had a large gash running down his cheek and asked, "Does it hurt?"
He nodded and said, "A little..."
She smiled and said, "Describe it to me!"
We both said, "Huh?!"
Erwin walked up and said, "Sorry for all that, but it did get you placed in our custody."
I nodded and said, "No... I get it... The pain was worth it..."
Yugi nodded and said, "Just make sure my brother stays away from Levi until we explain..."
Erwin laughed and said, "I noticed. He and the those other two look like they were about to charge."
I gave a weak smile and said, "That them for ya..."
Erwin looked at us and said, "You two have my admiration and I'm glad you're on our team."
I replied, "Thank you Sir."
Levi sat down between us and asked, "You two don't resent me now, do you?"
Yugi replied, "N-No... I saw what you did was necessary Sir, and I still owe you and your squad a debt for saving our lives."
He nodded and said, "Good then."
Hange glared at him and said, "Still don't you think you went too far! You knocked out Yugi's tooth!"
She held up a cloth revealing she grabbed it.
Levi looked at us and said, "You two be thankful you aren't getting dissected by people like her."
She glare at him and said, "Don't compare me with them! I would never kill these two!"
She looked at Yugi and said, "Hey, let me check your mouth."
He opened his mouth and Hange looked inside.
She gasped and said, "Your tooth... it grew back..."