Hey guys, here is the next update of this fanfiction. Hope you have been enjoying the read so far.
Anyway, here is the next chapter and enjoy.
Chapter Cover: Sarah seating upon a boulder with the moon shining from above her as she had her blades planted on the ground beside her.
Chapter Thirty-Seven
From Shadows
Eren's rogue Titan let out a powerful roar as the young man went through the transformation again. I was standing with Hange, Captain Levi, Armin and Historia upon a hill somewhere looking down toward where the Titan was. I could see part of Eren's body hanging from the nape as the Titan barely had any muscle this time. The powerful roar it had let out was the only sign he gave that he was alive before collapsing into a hip of limbs and his body started steaming away. I stood on the edge of the cliff looking down at Eren with a light frown upon my face. I had never seen him get pushed like that before.
"Eren, what are you doing?" Hange yelled down at him, "The fate of Humanity rest upon you. GET UUUUP."
The Titan barely moved beneath us.
"His form changed again," Captain Levi said looking down at him, "He is not even ten-meter-tall and some of his body lack muscle. Plus, Eren's scrawny ass is hanging out."
"I can see that," Hange answered before raising her voice, "EREN, think you can still move? Give us a sign."
But the Titan remained unresponsive, compared to how active he was during the first transformation where he could understand whatever instruction that was given to him. Dressed in my ODM gears along with pants, I stared down at the young man feeling a light worry coursing through me. I have never seen someone's body fused like that with a Titan body like that before and it made me wonder if he had overused the transformation somehow.
Not like I ever tried something like that before, I thought.
Even with the Titan unmoving body, that didn't stop Mikasa from rushing forward yelling out her brother's name leaving the other two guards behind. Levi noticed what she was doing.
"Great," he said, "The brat is at it again…off to the rescue. She never learns, does she?"
"There is no response," Hange said, "I'm calling the experiment off…"
Hange flew off the cliff along with Moblit aiming straight toward where Eren was, leaving the rest of us above there looking down at what was happening. Levi let out a sigh before glancing at Armin.
"Well, not the outcome we've hoped for," Levi continued, "If this continue, we're still a long way from using Eren's Titan to seal the wall."
"We knew it was going to be like grasping at proverbial straws," Armin answered with a light frown upon his features.
"The plan is strategically sound," Levi said, "And sound simple in theory. We've just need to get Eren there. It could still work…it all depends on him."
I glanced at him.
"How do you propose that to happens?" I asked him, "It's not like we can force it out of him. Despite the feats Eren has accomplished, his limit of transformation seems to be two so far. As we've seen, the more he transforms, the less he can communicate with us not telling the strange gibberish he was writing earlier…."
Armin stayed silent thinking for a moment.
"I wonder why he mentioned Dr. Yeager," he said, "Sarah that ever happened to you?"
I shook my head.
"I was trying to keep my ability a secret," I told him, "Didn't really have the chance to experiment like you guys are doing right now."
Levi stayed silent as he glanced at me but I kept my gaze upon the steaming Titan beneath us as the experiment was completed. Everyone went off to their duties to make sure that there was no one around and Levi glanced at Historia.
"You go back with Eren," he said, "Reyne, you're coming with us. If you want to talk to Hange then that is your chance."
I nodded at him and followed the man down toward the carriage. Eren was already placed inside with Mikasa kneeling beside him. His entire face was steaming but I could see the grinning skull there as well as the missing eyeballs that he had. Hange looked a bit worried but from the steam that was rising from his body, the young man was still alive…somehow.
"Captain Hange," I spoke out drawing her gaze toward me, "There is something that I need to talk to you about, if that's okay."
"Talk with me about?" Hange repeated crossing her arms ready to listen.
I nodded, explaining everything I've discovered in my discussion with Mikasa days prior and Hange was silent throughout it all with a light frown upon her features as she listened.
"You think Nick know about this Ashler person that is somehow connected to your Titan?"
I nodded at her.
"He seems to know more about the Walls and the true state of the world," I told her, "And since he was the one who give you the warning about me, I though that maybe if I talked to him, I could get an understanding or some piece of information that could be useful."
Hange glanced at the short man.
"You're okay with this Levi?"
"It wont hurt to talk to Nick again," he said, "Doubt he is going to say anything else, but the kid wanted to talk to him. Since Nick is under your protection, I just facilitate what it needed to happen. We're heading back to Trost anyway…"
Hange let out a small hum.
"Well, I don't mind you tagging along," she said, "Only if you allow me to run some experiment upon you Titan and get some new intel. I have heard quite a bit of rumor about your Titan form over the years and I must say, I am eager to know it personally."
I leaned away from the woman slightly, seeing the mad glint in her eyes.
"Er…I don't mind," I told her.
Hange gave me a light grin.
"Okay, come on along Sarah Reyne," she said, "You're coming to Trost with us….after we put Eren away and get some food."
The patrol we've send out to survey the area came back with no sign of anyone in the vicinity something that caused the group to relax a little but not by much as Captain Levi had everyone working around the house yet again. Since I was leaving with Hange and him later, I only went to get a quick shower before strapping with the ODM gear and my Scout cloak.
Saying only a quick goodbye to my friends, I rode off with Captain Hange that night along with Levi and Moblit aiming straight toward Trost where probably answers were waiting for me. The hour was late by the time we reached Trost District and Levi went on his separate ways, probably to report to the Commander about the experiment's failure about Eren using his hardening ability.
"We'll spent the night here," Hange said, "Then tomorrow, we'll go and see Nick. Hope he'll be talkative with you than he was with me."
I stared up at her as I sat down in the room that we were in.
"We'll know by tomorrow," I answered.
Hange took a seat across me with both of her arms crossed and her eyes staring straight at me. I looked back at her, feeling confused at the searching gaze.
"The more I'm hearing about you Sarah," she said, "The more puzzled I get. All this time, they were in the possession of a Titan ability and yet, did nothing to help humanity fight back. At the beginning, I was thinking that it was an us vs them battle. Humanity is a good guy and Titans are the monsters we have to defeat to be able to have freedom. Yet, with all these recent secrets that have come to light…makes one wonder just how much do we really know."
She seems curious about it and I found myself thinking about that too.
"I've been feeling that way ever since I saw Eren got out of a Titan body right in front of me a month ago," I answered her honestly.
Hange actually laughed.
"This small world of ours changed a lot when that happened didn't it?"
"It did," I answered softly.
The next morning.
Dressed in my Scout uniform I followed Hange straight into the barrack where she said she had Pastor Nick staying at. I was feeling a light nervous feeling coursing through me as we made our way up the stairs straight toward Nick's room. It was still unbelievable that I was actually going to get the answers that I was puzzling about these past few days. I really hope that the Pastor would be able to answer my questions about the Ashler and whoever they were.
"What's the MP doing here?" Moblit asked.
I instantly looked up toward the end of the hallway, finding a MP soldier standing at the entrance of a room looking down inside. Hange had instantly increased her steps and I was right behind her, wanting to know what was going on here. Why would the MPs be here of all place and this early in the morning too.
"Hey, what's going on here?" she asked, "Let me through."
She made to push herself into the room but the MP that was getting out of the room pushed her out. The man was easily taller than she was, his eyes looked like he didn't even have a wink of sleep that night. In that few moments, I caught sight of the inside of the room, where a MP was kneeling beside an unmoving and bleeding form which was bleeding heavily from his features and his hands…
"Don't get any closer," the MP spoke out holding his riffle in front of us.
"Yeah this isn't your jurisdiction," the tall MP said, "A simple robbery murder."
He closed the door behind him, stationing himself in front of it with both of his hands at his side.
"They've been a string of them lately," he continued, almost like he was too bored to even tell us the full story.
That didn't seem to seat well with Hange however.
"I'm not buying it," she argued, "His nails were torn out…"
She trailed off when the MP placed a hand upon her, almost pulling at her jacket.
"What Unit are you in?" The MP growled.
But Moblit interfered pulling the man's hand off her.
"Section Commander Hange Fourth Squad," he said sternly, "And I'm XO Moblit Berner…she is our assistant, Marie."
The MP gave me a dirty look as Moblit let go of his hand. I gave Moblit a confused glance at the fake name but didn't say anything.
"You know, when your whole branch is garbage being high rank doesn't make you smell any better," he growled, "Listen, that man wasn't killed by a Titan. One man killed another…this isn't Scout business."
Hange had stayed silent for a moment.
"You're with the First Interior Squad," she said simply, observing the writing that was above their breast pockets.
"Funny, what is the Capital's MP doing all the way out here in Trost?" Moblit wondered.
First Interior Squad…it's rare for them to be even out of the Capital based on what we learned from bootcamp. For them to be here of all places…
"What's so strange about it?" the MP said looking at them his tone taking a defensive edge, "Someone got to get the real work done while you people run around playing soldier."
"Hey…," I started but Hange instantly placed a hand upon my shoulder to stop me from talking.
"You're right," she said, "I see it now. I'm worthless compared to you. Just being in your presence is an honor. Please let me shake your hand."
Hange took hold of his hand in her owns.
"You said that this is a robbery," she said, "Poor Nick, I didn't realize he had anything worth stealing."
"Of course, he did," The man said as if it was obvious, "Anyone know the Church make all it's trinkets out of iron."
Hange looked surprised.
"Are you saying Nick was affiliated with the Order of the Walls?" she asked.
The MPs seems suddenly tense.
"What are you playing at?"
"He was a friend, you see," Hange explained, "that's why I rushed down here…except, I always thought he was a craftsman making chairs or something. I even put that on his application to board here…still I suppose that this is a reminder of how you really don't know people as well as you though."
"Enough, let go," The MP snarled pulling his hand from Hange's grip.
His bruised hand…
I feel my eyes widen lightly as I remember the beaten corpse of Nick I had seen in the split second before the door had closed.
No way…don't tell me…
"…when you catch the culprit, would you say this to them for me," Hange was saying from beside me, "That what you did to him was justified perhaps even righteous. Well, I don't give a single shit about what your motivations was. I promise you, I'll personally see to it that you are tortured and the horrors threw upon you will be greater than what my friend suffered. Yes, far greater."
A manic grin had appeared upon Hange's face at that last one that even shocked me. But then, her face went back to normal as she continued.
"Please pass that along," she said and with a hand upon my shoulder the young woman lead me away from where the two MPs were standing. I didn't need to turn around to know that their gaze were fixed upon our back.
When we left the floor and making our way out of barrack. Moblit spoke up.
"The pastor…you think they killed him?"
"Yes I do," Hange answered, "That man's name was Jell Sannes. The skin of his fists were split open. Nick was tortured by the Interior's MP and was murdered."
Hange gave me a sideway look.
"Sorry Sarah," she said, "Looks like you won't get to question Nick after all."
"But why would they kill him?" I asked her, my voice small, "Is it because of what he told you about…you know who?"
Hange seems to think about it for a few moments.
"Maybe," she said, "We're going to have to report this back to Levi and Erwin need to know as well. Sarah, keep your secret to yourself. The less people that knows about it the better. It seems that whoever we're fighting this time, is from within the Walls."
I gave her a nod that I understand her.
This situation was starting to get out of control fast and I had a feeling that I won't like it when the shit hits the fan.
We returned to the cabin late that afternoon. I was still reeling that Pastor Nick was murdered of all things and since Jean was on watch duty, he was the first one who saw us coming. The young man waved as we approached and I tied up my horse before heading for the house with Hange and the other two following after us. Levi was already there with a light frown upon his features as he looked at us.
"From your expressions, I would assume that the talks with Nick didn't go well?" he asked looking at us.
I shook my head.
"Not exactly," I answered, "I didn't have a chance to talk to him at all."
"Why?" Levi asked.
It was Hange who spoke this time.
"Pastor Nick…was murdered in the Trost barrack earlier today," she said, "By the interior MPs."
Everyone in the room had a shocked expression upon their features at the news staring straight at us. Levi took a seat down upon the chair that was beside him running a hand through his face while Eren, Armin and Mikasa were giving me curious looks. I simply shook my head at them, not wanting to talk about it yet. Sasha quickly got some tea out for everyone as we were all now seating. I had taken my seat on the nearby couch with a cup in hand, still reeling at what had happened earlier today with Pastor Nick.
"I knew the Church will want to get their hands on Nick when they learned he was cooperating with us," Hange continued, "That's why I hid his identity and stashed him in the barrack. I never imagined they would use soldiers to kill him. This was my fault…I should have been more careful."
Levi only took a sip.
"They've tortured him," Armin said, "Presumedly for information. Did they just wanted to know what he told us?"
"Most likely," Levi agreed, "But these are the Interior MPs we're dealing with. You can bet that there is something deeper at work…now, how many nails was the good Pastor missing?"
I glanced up at the odd question and even Hange was surprised.
"How many?" he asked, "You saw right?"
A bloodied hand flashed within my mind…
"I only got a glimpse," Hange said, "But all the nailbed I saw were empty."
Levi frowned lightly.
"People who talk, talk after one, ripping off more won't make a difference" he said, "I'm impressed. I didn't think much of Pastor Nick…but whatever his faults, he stuck by his belief to the very end….which mean, they have no idea that we know about the Reiss family…or about Sarah's supposed connection to the Ashler."
I thought back to that. It was Pastor Nick who had given the Scouts the idea that I might kill Historia and it didn't seem that the MPs were aware of it.
"You're right," I said, "The MPs didn't seem to be all that interested in me…or maybe it was because I was with Hange that they didn't try anything."
Levi frowned.
"Given what they've done to the good pastor," he said, "I won't put it pass them. Reyne, you are not to leave our side anymore. Now I don't know what's the connection between Ashler and the Reiss family but a man died today because he knew the truth. You got away the first time, you might not be so lucky a second time?"
I given the man a nod of consent.
Right…given what happened to Nick, these soldiers have been armed and we weren't. Would they have really open fire on us without warning just to get to me? Would Hange and Moblit would have been killed…just like Nick just so they could get their hands on me?
"The government is up to something," Levi continued, "And it seems we've got a target on our backs."
The door was instantly thrown open as I instantly looked up at it, finding Nifa there. The young woman was dressed in a traveling cloak and quickly made her way toward the man.
"Captain Levi," she said, "A message from Commander Erwin."
She pulled out a folded piece of paper, handing it toward him. The man opened it, reading its contents quickly.
"I went to tell him about Pastor Nick," Nifa continued, "But he gave me this instead and sent me off."
An urgent look appeared upon Levi's face.
"Get your gears now," he ordered standing up, "Make it looks like we've never been here. You have ten minutes."
From the urgency in his tone, I didn't waste any time getting up the second floor and quickly working upon adding my ODM gear to the belt I was already wearing and then throwing on a cloak upon my body. My clothing and stuff were thrown into a bag quickly along with my flute case.
"Sarah, your rifle," Sasha told me.
"Thanks," I told her catching the weapon giving it a quick look over to see it still loaded before making my way out of the room.
With us done, Captain Levi quickly took us and the horses away from the house and as we were climbing through the trees away, I heard the sound of numerous horses approaching and glanced back toward the house noticing many torches moving on about.
"Keep moving," Levi said, "We need to put some distance between us and that house as quickly as possible."
We reached the top of a small hill that gave out a view toward the small house we've been staying these pasts few days and saw that it was crawling with people now, all of them armed with rifles and with torches. Even in the distance, I recognized the unicorn sigil of the MPs.
"That was close," Connie said, "What if they had caught us? Would they've have ripped our nails too?"
"I don't want to know the answer to that question Connie."
"How did the Commander know they were coming?" Armin asked, looking at the Captain.
Levi frowned again.
"The government passed down some new orders," he said, "They've been a freeze on all Scouts activities beyond the Wall."
I snapped my head toward him in shock.
Wait…what?
"We've been ordered to hand over Eren and Historia…and Sarah, you're to be handed over as well but it's for your execution."
"What?" Jean said shocked.
I can feel myself paling at this, the gun in my hand suddenly feeling like a lead weight.
"Captain," Nifa said, her tone grave, "I didn't have time to tell you but some MPs showed up for the Commander just as I was leaving."
"What like he is some kind of criminal?" Hange snapped, anger in her tone.
"They're bringing out this fight in the open," Levi said, "No more hiding from the shadows."
"They're going to protect the Wall's secret at any cost," Hange theorized, "But why? And why exactly are they after Eren and Historia for. They don't want them dead…unlike Sarah, who they just want to execute…it can't just be because of her Titan ability. No one else knew about that…"
"Who knows," Levi said, "They want these three and they're not being subtle about it. It makes lingering here dangerous. We'll move them to Trost."
"You're taking them to a place where a man was just murdered?" Moblit questioned.
"Heading toward the Interior would be worse," Levi said, "With Trost in a panic, it should be easy to slip in…and if things do go all to hell, we can use these in the city."
He moved his cloak revealing the ODM gear he was wearing.
He looked up at us again.
"We don't know the identity of our enemy yet," he said, "I have an idea on how to change that. Hange, I'll need some of your squad."
"No problem" she answered, "I'm going to Commander Erwin, and Moblit is coming with. The rest, follow Captain Levi."
I turned away from them, looking out toward the sun which was now setting. The order had come out to take me down for execution. But why was the government so afraid of? I understand going after Eren. Historia because she was connected to the Reiss family who somehow is aware of the secret of the Wall…but what about me. What is it that drew their attention to me?
Hange was right. Not a lot of people know that I am the Gray Titan so it can't be because of that…is it the relation I share with the Ashler? Is that why they…
A hand was upon my shoulder drawing my attention toward it. It was Eren.
"C'mon," he said, "We're moving."
Armin and Mikasa were waiting for us as they looked at us and I nodded at the young man.
"Right," I said, "Let's go."
The Scouts on the run...
Next Time: Blood on my Hands
Jacques0 out.
R&R