Home chapter 5
"Hannes what the hell are we doing here?" Armin said as he and the older man wandered seemingly aimlessly around the docs
"We're looking for leads," Hannes said pulling the collar coat up around his ears
"Leads?" Armin asked as he followed the older man to a small building on the edge of the docks, it was a small one story shack with peeling paint and a hanging sign that read walls edge
"Yes," Hannes said as he pushed the door in letting the warm glow of the lights out "the garrison has many informants all over the island"
As they entered the building Armin's lungs burned as he took a deep inhale of the smoky air, taking a minute Armin let his eyes adjust to the dull lit room. On either side of the room there were booths, straight ahead there was a bar with stools, behind the bar stood a big hairy man dressed in a dirty apron.
"You two!" the bartender called at Armin and Hannes "get the hell out we won't serve you!"
"We're here for info, not your nasty stalk," Hannes said as he ignored the bartender and continued walking towards the back room Armin in tow
"Hey! I said get out!" the bartender yelled as he swung a heavy fist towards Hannes's head. Reacting with lightning fast reflexes Hannes threw himself to the right, just out of the way of the bartenders reach. "Last warning get out!"
"We don't want a fight" Armin pleaded "we're just looking for my friend"
"Alright, I warned you," the bartender said as he charged at Hannes. Once again Hannes leaped out of the way with speed that was remarkable for his age. As the bulk of the bartender crashed into the booth Hannes produced his long knife holding it out at the man
"No trouble friend," Hannes said as he signaled for Armin to pull his blade as well. As Armin drew the garrison's long seax he gripped it in two hands his knuckles turning white as his nails bit into the pommel of the blade.
Once again the barkeep charged at them, Hannes stepping back pushed Armin forward "go ahead" he said as the bigger man came to a stop in front of the small youth, producing a large hunting knife. Duking under the barkeep's wild swings Armin rolled to his feet to the right of the barkeep to see the hunting knife sunk into the edge of the stool behind where Armin once stood. Duking under another powerful swing Armin came up this time behind the barkeep, when he heard Hannes call "there take the swing" acting on instinct Armin swung the knife in a horizontal ark clipping the small of the bar keeps back causing the big man to rear up and swing around in a large backhanded swing. Duking again Armin heard Hannes call again "there you go his him again"
Swinging again Armin now caught the man in the leg causing him the pullback, jumping back as well Armin suddenly stumbled on one of the overturned stools. Falling over onto his back Armin gasped as he smacked his head on the corner of one of the booths making him drop the knife. Looking up Armin rolled to his left as the big man swung down at where Armin once was missing him by a hair. Jumping up Armin jumped back as the barkeep swung his arm back, leaving Armin separated from his knife. Ducking under another slash Armin heard Hannes call again "where the hell is your other knife!?"
"I don't have one!" Armin yelled as he rolled to the left of a vertical slash
"Why the hell not!" Hannes hollered
"You never gave me one!" Armin called as he ducked under another swing
Suddenly the man hollered in pain as Hannes moved from behind the bar and put several slashes into the man's back. spinning around the man swung a large slice at Hannes's head, deflecting the swing away Hannes grabbed the man's hand in his and pulled him forward slamming his head into the butt of his knife. The barkeep reeled back his free hand clawing at the spot where the butt had made contact, using this distraction Hannes brought his knee up into the man's gut making him double over in pain until Hannes once again slammed the butt of his knife into the back of the man's skull causing him to fall over on the floor.
Turning back to Armin Hannes saw him reclaim the knife and resheath it "let me see your jacket boy" Hannes said as he took the brown jacket finding no knife in the small sheath on the inside left
"I didn't even notice that," Armin said in wonder as Hannes passed him the jacket back
"Little known secret pocket," Hannes said showing Armin the small knife Hannes held in his jacket "here don't lose it
"Right," Armin said as he slid the small half foot blade into the pocket noting its place
"Come on," Hannes said as he made his way to the back room
Entering the back room Hannes was greeted by several guards with large hunting knives flashing roses on his blade the men stepped back, one of them going to go check on the barkeep, "what do you want" one of the guards said
"We're here for information," Hannes said
"Fine just don't make any more mess," the guard said ass he let them through, going down a long stairway they came to a door that led them into a large hall where at least three hundred people crowded around tables
"What is this place?" Armin asked as they passed between tables
"This is a gambling hall," Hannes said as he pushed his way through
"I thought the government prohibited gambling?" Armin said as he studied the money being thrown down on games
"They did, but these places aren't in line with the government," Hannes said "before you were born we couldn't even drink"
"Why doesn't the garrison stop this?" Armin questioned "this is all illegal"
"Is it hurting anyone?" Hannes said stopping to face Armin
"I guess not," Armin said sheepishly to which Hannes nodded and continued on to the back of the large room where they came upon another bar this one manned by several men and women, moving to a stool Hannes and Armin sat down and Hannes called one of the bartenders
"What can I get you?" the bartender, a skinny young man said
"We're looking for information," Hannes said slapping down a bill Sliding the bill under the counter the bartender gestured for Hannes to continue "we're looking for a Marleyan woman who's been abducted by the tian warriors"
"Titans?!" the bartender exclaimed "sorry we don't know anything about titans"
"I think you do," Hannes said as he stuck his knife into the counter making the bartender go rigid at the sight of the double roses
Glancing around the bartender made sure there were no others on earshot "o.k. But you didn't hear this from us, supposedly the titans have evacuated the island, not a single hit has been made by them and word is they got a woman but that's all I know"
Nodding Hannes slipped the man another bill and with that, they left the bar. Turning to Armin Hannes gave him several bills "here, go see what you can find, don't push it" and with that, they separated. Wandering around the makeshift casino Armin got the same general answer 'a Marleyan woman and no more titans'
As Armin wrapped up a conversation with one of the dealers he suddenly felt a hand on his shoulder, turning quickly his hand went to the knife on his belt.
"Armin what the hell are you doing here!" Hitch said smiling at the young man "this doesn't seem like your kind of place"
"Hitch?" Armin said astonished "what are you doing here?"
"Well I have to get out every now and again," Hitch said gesturing around them "this is a good place to unwind, even if Marlowe doesn't like it here, but what are you doing here, is Annie here too?"
"Hitch?... Annie was taken" Armin said a waver in his voice
"Taken!?" Hitch demanded, "what do you mean taken?"
"Marleyans from her home took her and we don't know where they have her, and Eren," Armin said showing her the knife he got off the attackers
Taking the knife Hitch turned it over in her hands "quick come here" she said as she dragged Armin to a table where several people were gambling. grabbing one of the men she dragged him away "privet ya neobkhodimost' vash Pomogite"
"Da," the man said
"Skazat' mne okolo etot lopast'" Hitch said handing the man the knife, taking the blade the man examined it in turning it over his hands testing the blade he handed it back to Hitch "Chto zh?"
"Eto yavlyayetsya Marleyan, sdelal ot ruka" the man said
"blagodaryu vas," Hitch said as the man nodded and returned to his gambling
"Who was he?" Armin asked as he and Hitch returned to the bar
"He is a member of the 'bratstvo'" Hitch said as she ordered a drink "we look out for each other"
"What did he say," Armin asked as he pushed away the drink Hitch gave him
"Its homemade" Hitch said "that's all he can figure, sorry"
"It's fine," Armin said standing " I gotta go"
"You're going after them?" Hitch said making Armin stop
"Ya, I am, they have Annie and I'm going to find out why," Armin said turning from the bar
"Then I'm coming with you," Hitch said
"No, I can take care of myse…." Armin began
"I know you can, I want a piece of those bastards too, for what they did to Marlowe," Hitch said slamming the cup onto the bar "and think carefully if you can even stop me"
"Fine" Armin said so off they went to find Hannes
"So what did you find?" Hannes said as he, Armin, and Hitch made their way out of the small shack
"Nothing," Armin said shaking his head "you?"
"I think I found a lead on a guy who can help us," Hannes said stopping to face them "some guy called the owl"
Armin twitched impatiently as he, Hannes, and hitch sat in the car outside the warehouse district waiting for rico, ian and mitabi "so who is this guy, one of your informants?" Armin asked as he scanned the road for Rico and the others
"No, he's not one of us, one of our informants says he knows things through," Hannes said
"Can you trust him?" hitch said "could be a trap
"I trust the informant," Hannes said "he served on the force with me back in the day"
"And if it is a trap?" Armin and hotch asked
"That's why I called Rico, Ian, and Mitabi," Hannes said getting out as he saw Mitabi's car pull in "Rico, take Hitch and go around the north side and find a way in, Ian, Mitabi go through the south, Armin your with me"
With that they split up Armin jogging to keep up with the old man's stride as they entered the front door Armin took in the surroundings. There were boxes stacked everywhere large equipment was scattered about as well, against the far wall they learned a man with a half mask covering his face, the owl.
"So you made it," the owl said strolling towards Armin and Hannes
"You're the owl?" Hannes said his hand going to the knife on his back
"That I am," the owl said pulling open his red jacket to show a large knife strapped to a holster under his armpit making Hannes raise his hands away from his own knife
"My informants say you know about the Marleyan woman and the islander boy, can you tell me where they are?"
"Yes I can, but I need something in return," the owl said
"And what's that?" Hannes said skeptically
"Tell me where is Grisha Yeager," the owl said "and I'll tell you where to find Eren and Annie"
"What do you want with the good doctor?" Hannes said putting his hand in front of Armin to stop him from doing anything
"I have business with the 'good' doc.," the owl said "and you know where I can find him"
"I do," Hannes said "but why should I trust you"
"Look at it this way, without me, you can't find your friends, so you either tell me where I can find the doc. Or I'm going to go home" the owl said stepping forward to face Armin and Hannes
"You listen here you…" Hannes began
"He's in Shiganshina" Armin blurted out "now tell me where. Is. Annie"
Nodding his head the owl said nothing, turning he began to walk away from a dumbfounded Hannes and fuming Armin
"Hey!" Armin began after the owl
"They are in the MPA holding facilities in Liberio," the owl said not bothering to turn, leaving the building through the back door
As the back door slammed shut, Hannes regained his composure "what the hell have you done!?" Hannes demanded grabbing Armin by the shirt
"I found out where Annie is, now let go!" Armin said pulling at Hannes's hand
"How do you know she's there? How do you know you can trust this owl" Hannes demand
"Because he's a titan," Armin said "others wore the same jacket and masks if anyone knows where she is it would be him"
Sucking in a deep inhale Hannes turned away from Armin pulling at his hair "and what about Grisha? What do you think he wants with him hu? The owl is going to kill him and you sent him right to him!"
"You don't know that," Armin said defending his actions
"Ian, Mitabi!" Hannes yelled "go to Grisha's home in Shiganshina and make sure the owl doesn't strike and tell Pixxis to send you reinforcements"
"Right," Ian said as he and Mitabi left
"What about us?" Rico asked as she and hitch regrouped with Hannes
"We're going to finish this" Hannes said as he turned to leave
As Armin, Hannes, Rico, and hitch sat outside the heavily guarded holding facility Hannes gave them their plan "Armin, you and I are going to go overpower those two guards and take their uniforms, we'll leave the door open for Rico and hitch to go search the other way, ok? let's go"
Laying low on the ground Armin and Hannes snuck up on the two guards that patrolled around the outside of a loading area. On Hannes's signal Armin jumped up grabbing the man around the neck and dragged him down holding his arm around the man's neck and under his jaw, so he wouldn't make a sound. With the two men unconscious Armin and Hannes dragged them away to a secluded area where they took the guard's body armor, jacket, and masks.
Taking one of the guard shirts Hannes cut it into strips tying the man's hands behind their backs and gagging them, leaving them where they lay in the bushes just outside the view of the facility. Entering the loading facility Hannes signaled for Rico, and hitch to go left while Hannes and Armin went right.
As Armin walked behind Hannes through the loading area he watch the people moving back and forth loading boxes no one noticing Armin and Hannes, they all wore similar body armor and jackets it was the masks that were different, a hand full wore designs on their masks usually gnarly looking sets of teeth, the rest were simple black cloths like the ones Armin and Hannes had.
Exiting the loading area they came to a large set of doors, crossing the threshold they came out to a three-way hallway "which way?" Armin muttered to Hannes
"Let's keep going straight," Hannes said continuing on their way
As they began down the straightaway someone from behind called out "hey where do you two think you're going" Turning they came face to face with a tall woman her mask showing rows of sharp white teeth.
Eren let out a exhausted grunt as the torturers dropped him to the floor of the cell, pushing himself up with a puff he sat on his haunches staring at the door for a moment making sure no one else was coming, glancing over at the cot in the corner he saw Annie was still not back 'how long have they had her?' Eren thought as he settled down into a sitting position and closed his eyes 'i can't leave till they bring Annie back' Eren thought as he focused on controlling his breathing
For several minutes the cell was quiet until Eren heard the sound of footsteps, slumping himself over Eren made it seem he was sleeping as the door to the cell opened and in walked the armored and colossal titan dragging Annie behind them.
Dropping Annie on the floor the armored titan squatted in front of Eren lifting his head in one big hand, "so you're still alive?" the armored titan said "I guess you're stronger than the beast thought" dropping Erens head they left shutting the door behind them
Laying still for a few minutes Eren held his breath for what felt like an eternity forcing himself to count to one hundred backward. Finally done Eren got up and crept over to where Annie still form lay, lifting her head form the ground Eren began to shake her desperately trying to wake her before the Titan's came back.
After several minutes Eren gave up, 'she's not going to wake' thinking for a moment Eren came to a decision he grabbed the key and hoisted Annie onto his back "come on Annie, we're getting out of here"
Alright everyone sorry it's late so here's an extra long chapter for you.
fox
