Chapter 17

Learning the Truth

This was the first time Kuroko had ever drowned his sorrows in alcohol. He was never one to drink anyway, as it dulled the body and mind, but in that moment drinking the burning liquid was all he cared about.

It had been a few days since the Scouts returned from the failure that was the 57th expedition. Getting back to headquarters had been a somber affair. Everyone went about their routines in silence. Since joining the Scouts, that was the first time everything felt hopeless.

When it came to Kise's body, that became an internal discussion. Since it was the only body they had managed to bring back, the Scouts had been the target of a lot more distaste than usual. Kuroko could not blame the populace for their reaction. He would have had the same one if he were on the sidelines.

How to handle the body became another discussion. Protocol was to bury it with the other soldiers in a cemetery for the military, but doing that did not sit right with Kuroko. He argued for Kise's body to be given to his family, which was a breach in protocol. However, with the decision left to the commander, he went with Kuroko's suggestion.

That had been another painful event. When Kise's parents arrived to see their son, watching his mother break down in tears almost made Kuroko drop his soldier persona. He was watching the reaction of his friends parents towards their dead son. Kise's father was the one that spoke to him, as his mother could not be torn away from her son. He had asked if his son died a soldier's death. Kuroko could barely squeak out a yes. Kise's father was just pleased that they could at least bury one of their children.

Those words hurt Kuroko the most. He remembered the story the blonde had told them as cadets about his sisters and how they disappeared. Only being able to bury one child made the man standing in front of Kuroko a bit happier. It left Kuroko wishing that the blonde were alive.

When that had finished, there was another problem to contend with. The MP's were quick to arrive when they got word of the mission's failure. The summons for Eren and Erwin were given from Premier Zachy himself. Kuroko knew that many in the MP's were just happy that they had a reason to kill Eren and maybe arrest Erwin. He also knew that Akashi was likely plotting something as well.

The summons was for the week after they returned. It gave them time to plan out a proper defense case and something else. However, that had yet to be done as the somber air had yet to lift within the regiment.

As Kuroko thought back on the events that had transpired and his only response was to have another drink. He could feel the burning taste numbing both his senses and his pain. He would give anything to not feel the sadness he was currently feeling.

He was currently sitting alone in his makeshift office. The papers and files he had stacked neatly on his desk were now haphazardly organized on his desk, while also being on the floor. He had angrily pushed all of the papers aside on the day of their arrival. Now it was just him, a bottle of booze, and a mess of papers.

He barely registered the knock on the door as he downed another glass.

"Come in," he mumbled.

The door opened slowly and in walked Connor and Momoi. Momoi eyed him with concern as he eyes moved to the bottle on his desk. Connor had a frustrated look to him. Kuroko knew why the two were in his office. He owed them an explanation.

Kuroko did his best to regain his composure as the two walked up to his desk.

"You've really let yourself go," Connor jabbed.

Momoi elbowed him in the ribs, causing him to rub his side.

"Sorry. It's been a rough few days," Kuroko said. "This felt appropriate." He held up the bottle of alcohol as he said that.

"Locking yourself in here and drinking isn't the way to cope," Momoi said gesturing to room around them.

Kuroko let out a sigh as put the bottle back on his desk.

"We should come back when he's more collected," Momoi said.

"No, we should do this now. Putting it off won't help," Kuroko said as he stood up from the chair.

It was obvious to the two that their captain was bit drunk. He walking was wobbly, but he could still keep himself upright. There was a slight slur to his voice, but not enough for him to be unable to form cohesive thoughts.

"I owe you guys an apology and an explanation," Kuroko said as he moved in front of Connor.

However, Connor responded by connecting his fist to Kuroko's jaw. The force of the punch caused for Kuroko to stumble back into the wall. He used the wall to steady himself, but he still slid to the floor.

"Connor, why did-" "It's fine, I deserve it," Kuroko said cutting off Momoi.

"Damn right you do," Connor said. "I managed to knock the drunk out of you too."

"Mostly," Kuroko replied.

Kuroko massaged his jaw before standing up again. Connor did manage to get him thinking straight. He took in a deep breath and released it as he stood. He could feel Momoi and Connor's stares towards him.

"The real purpose of the expedition was kept from most of the regiment. The higher ups decided on that. I was the one who put forward that," Kuroko said.

"You?!" the two said at the same time.

Kuroko nodded. "The real purpose of the mission was to capture someone like Eren. Someone who can transform into a titan. They were the enemy."

"That was easy enough to realize," Momoi said.

"Yeah, with hindsight," Connor added as he crossed his arms. "Why the need for secrecy then?"

"Because Erwin realized that there was a mole in the military. They would've have made their way to the Scouts anyways, but we wanted to force them to come out on our terms," Kuroko answered.

"We?" Connor asked.

"The Commander and I. We came up with the original plan, which was to draw out the titan shifters."

"Why couldn't you tell us that?! Did you think one of us was the mole?! Did Jonathan, Simon, and Rachel have to die?!" Connor asked angrily.

"Do you not trust us, Tetsu?"

Kuroko sucked in a pained breath. "Of course I do! I know I can trust you. But not telling you was not my call. It was the Commander's!"

"Erwin?" Momoi asked.

"Yes. My suggestion was for only Erwin, Hange, Levi, Mike, and me to know. Keep the circle as small as possible. Erwin brought to the table that everyone who was a member of the regiment before the initial Colossal Titan attack should know. It was to appease Levi, as he was not that willing to follow the plan."

"You wanted to keep the circle that small? Why?" Connor asked.

"It would be the best way to keep any details about the plan out of the mole's ears. In the end we went with what Erwin suggested. He even gave me the okay to tell all of you," Kuroko said.

That last bit hurt the most to say. He could see the betrayal in their eyes. He would not blame them if they lashed out in rage. He felt like he deserved it. He had betrayed their trust. It would be difficult for them to regain the trust they had.

"He said you could tell us, your team, and you decided against it," Connor said.

Kuroko nodded. "Yes. I wrestled with that decision for so long. I wanted to tell you, I knew it would keep you guys alive. In the end, I followed Erwin's decision. Look where that got me."

There was silence after that. Kuroko was unsure how they would respond to what he had said. His decision caused for three of his team members to die and distrust to from with who was left. He turned his gaze to the floor. Kuroko let out a breath and was first to break the silence.

"I understand you being mad at me. If you don't want to be part of this team anymore, it can be dissolved. I can tell Erwin," Kuroko said.

Connor and Momoi looked at each other, then back to Kuroko.

"We aren't leaving. I'm not mad enough to make that decision," Connor said.

"You were following orders. We can't really fault you for doing that," Momoi added.

"But I-" "Don't say it. I'm with Satsuki. Despite given the authority to tell us, you decided to follow the original directive," Connor said, cutting off Kuroko.

"I'm just glad you trust us enough that you wanted to tell us," Momoi said.

Kuroko was surprised. He was not expecting for them to be so understanding. He was expecting to get yelled and a plethora of other things. Being forgiven was the last thing he thought that would happen. A pained smile came to Kuroko's face.

"I promise that this won't happen again. Know that I trust both of you without question," Kuroko said.

"Glad we got that all straightened out. Now then, you better not have been thinking about finishing that without us," Connor said pointing.

Kuroko turned to his desk and chuckled.

"There should be enough left," Kuroko said. "Plus it's the good stuff."

"Better not have Gelger find it," Momoi added.

The comment caused for all three to laugh. The moment of levity was something Kuroko desperately needed. While the somber air had yet to lift, they had taken the first step.

—-

Kagami could not sleep. He had barely managed to keep his eyes closed since the regiment had returned to headquarters. He went about his daily chores as he usually did, but he was always unmotivated to do them. He had a lot weighing on his mind.

What kept him awake at night was trying tp process if the identity of the Female Titan really was who he thought. If it was, it had a lot of implications. If his assumption was right, then that put several other people on a suspect list. If he was wrong, then that meant he was not as good at reading people than he thought. However, his instincts rarely failed him. It was what kept him alive when living on the streets.

Finally accepting he would not be able to fall asleep, he sat up from his bunk, grabbed his jacket, and exited the barracks. He wanted some time to think before he said anything. He wanted to be absolutely sure of his theory before confronting the problem. He knew that Armin was suspecting something as well, but they had yet to be able to talk about it. Kagami had promised the blonde they would trade information, but that had yet to occur.

Kagami let out a breath and ran a hand through his hair. He needed some fresh air. He had to climb a few steps before making it an open balcony. Headquarters was a mostly solid structure with only a few open areas. He gazed up to the sky, allowing himself to be only consumed by his thoughts.

I don't want to believe it, but everything points to it being true. The way she moved and her eyes.

The cold gaze he had seen was all he could see if he tried to get some sleep. That cold, angry gaze. The determination to kill was also what tipped him off. He could only wonder why she did not make sure he was crushed in the rubble of that house.

"Why didn't you finish me off, Annie?" Kagami mumbled to himself.

"What about Annie?" a voice asked.

Kagami's eyes shot open when he heard. He slowly turned, hoping it was not several people. He did not feel relieved when he saw who it was. He turned to see a sleepy Christa standing in the doorway of the balcony. While she was now someone who immediately raised a red flag, what she just heard could fall onto the ears of whom he did not want to find out.

"Nothing. I didn't mean anything by it," Kagami said, trying to deflect the conversation.

Christa gave a sleepy shrug before moving to his side. Kagami noticed how unkempt she looked. It was likely she had just woken up or something had startled her to wake up.

"Okay then," she replied, adding a yawn.

"What're you doing awake anyway?" Kagami asked.

"I woke up and saw you exiting the barracks. It took me a minute to actually get out of bed though," Christa answered.

Kagami chuckled. "You didn't have to come here you know. You could've just gone back to sleep."

"I saw you and got worried. I know how you can be," Christa said.

Kagami rose an eyebrow. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Last time you went off on your own, you repeatedly punched a wall," Christa answered, her eyes falling to the red head's hands.

Kagami held up his hands and stared at them. They were bandaged as usual, but beneath the bandages were healed hands. He could easily form fists and grab things now, but if he did anything too strenuous they would begin to bleed again.

Kagami let out a sigh and let his hands drop to his sides. "I guess you're right there."

After that, there was silence between the two. Both turned their eyes to the sky. Kagami kept his thoughts about what he originally was thinking about. He was still wrestling with the options.

It doesn't hurt to just get the idea out there.

Kagami let out a frustrated breath. The more he thought about it, the more he wondered why he survived the encounter.

"Hey, Taiga," Christa began to say.

Kagami looked towards her. He saw the somber expression she had. "Yeah?"

"Are you out here because you're wondering why you didn't die?"

There was silence again. The wind picked up, causing for their hair to move with it. The two locked eyes. Christa had the same somber expression, while Kagami was more neutral. Kagami, however, was not surprised by the question. He wondered if she knew about him wanting to die. He knows he has given vague hints about it, but never outright admitted it. As far as he knew the only people who knew were Josh and Aemilia.

Kagami nodded. "Part of the reason."

"Do you want to die? Is that why you're out here?"

It was a genuine question. It had no emotional weight to it. Christa wanted to know why the red head was so dead set on dying. He wondered again if she knew. If Kagami was being honest with himself, if there was anyone he could open up to, it was Christa.

Kagami let out a breath and turned to the sky. "Yeah, I do. This life isn't worth living. I realized that when I didn't have a place to call home."

"But isn't Shiganshina your home?"

Kagami shook his head. "No. It's a place filled with pain. All my memories of that place are the beatings I took as a kid, the times I spent in prison, and going to sleep hungry. No one deserves that."

There was silence again. Kagami did not turn his gaze back to her. He kept his eyes firmly towards the sky. Christa kept her eyes on him, but when she realized that he would not turn to her she looked towards the floor.

Christa had not expected Kagami to be so forward about it. To her it was something that one kept to themselves. She had to believe the only reason he shared it with her was because he trusted her. She tried to reach out and grab his hand.

She wanted to tell him that he had people in his life that cared about him and losing him would end up bringing sadness. Tell him that she wanted him to stay alive. This distant look in his eye kept her from doing that.

Christa was broken from her thoughts when she heard Kagami sigh. He turned to her. The distant expression was still there.

"We should get some sleep. Tomorrow's going to be a long day."

Kagami then turned to leave. Christa tried to reach out and grab him, but, again, she stopped herself. She thought that now was not the right time. Like many of the others, the recent mission had left scars. Some were visible, others were not.

When Kagami exited the balcony, he left with a strange feeling. He felt as if there was more he wanted to say. A feeling he needed to express. He put a hand on his chest and clutched his shirt. He took a step back, wanting to return to that balcony, but he did not. He had to remain focused on what was on his mind. He had to figure out the truth.

—

The next day was the same as the previous. Everyone went about doing the chores they needed to get done. This time, the regiment had the looming date of summons.

Armin could only wonder what would come about from that day. It was likely that Eren would be taken into custody of the MP's. That was a fate he did not want for his friend. Since their return, Eren had been kept in the stockades. The blonde had had minimal contact with his friend since then. He spent most his days trying to wrap his head around what had happened during the expedition. Though, he had yet to act on the information he had discerned.

There was still the matter of the information Kagami had. Armin knew he had pieced something together, but he had been unwilling to say anything. He wanted to talk to the red head, but he had been avoiding him for the last few days.

Armin pushed those thoughts aside for the moment and returned to his task. They had to prepare for the summons and the outcome of it.

"Hey, Arlert," a voice said.

Armin looked up to see Kagami walking towards him. He could tell by the look on his face he wanted to talk.

"You got a sec?"

Armin nodded and put down the crate he was holding.

"I'll be right back Sasha," Armin said, turning to the side.

Kagami looked to his side to see the girl's head popup from behind a crate. It was obvious she had just shoved some type of food into her mouth. She raised her hand in a salute, while Kagami rolled his eyes.

"Let's find somewhere quiet," Armin said.

Kagami nodded. The two recruits walked into headquarters. Unbeknownst to both of them, Mikasa had over heard them and followed the two.

When Kagami and Armin felt that they were alone, they sat in a corner of the barracks to talk. There was a period of silence between the two. This was the first time the two had really been alone to talk. Each time they spoke to each other while part of the group of the 104th.

The first to break the silence was Kagami as he suck in a breath. "Let's trade info. We both pieced something together, and have the link to the piece."

Armin nodded, but shifted his gaze to the ground. "That's what I was thinking as well."

"You start," Kagami said flatly.

Armin nodded again. He took a moment to collect his thoughts. Now was the moment of truth, wether his theory was right or not.

"During our encounter with the Female Titan I found it odd that she never actually attempted to kill me. Afterwards, when Jean, Reiner, and I engaged the Female Titan, I had to find a way to save Jean from getting killed. I blurted out that Eren had been already killed by her."

"That got her to stop from killing Jean?"

Armin nodded. "However, it was the phrasing that got her to stop. I didn't actually say Eren's name. Because her target was obvious."

Kagami rose an eyebrow. "What did you say?"

"I called Eren by the nickname he was given during our cadet days: Suicidal Maniac."

Armin looked up to see the gears turning in Kagami's mind. It was likely that whatever information he had was starting to make more sense.

"That would mean whoever was in control was a member of the 104th." Kagami took another moment to process. "That means I'm right." His words came out as a murmur, but Armin caught it.

"You're right?" Armin asked.

"Did anything else happen? I want to all the details before I can have anything concrete."

Armin shrugged, but understood where he was coming from. "Not much to tell after that. Though, while she was distracted, Reiner went in for the kill. He was almost crushed but managed to escape by slicing her fingers off."

Kagami placed a hand on his chin as he heard the final part of Armin's encounter. Now there was almost no doubt in his mind. Kagami knew who the Female Titan was. He had to tell the higher ups. He knew of one person who would talk to him without going through the chain of command.

"I know who the Female Titan is."

Kagami stood up and began to walk out of the barracks. Armin was quick to follow, asking who he was thinking. Kagami wanted to wait. He wanted to only tell his superiors. Armin would find out then, but something compelled him to say something. It was likely the look in Armin's eyes. The want to know.

Kagami let out a resigned sigh and turned to the blonde. "I think the Female Titan is Annie Leonhart."

That made Armin stop in his tracks. In his mind, gears were turning as well. Then came the look of realization.

"We have to tell Captain Tetsuya. I know he'll tell the Commander."

"Shouldn't we go straight to the Commander with this? The less people that know the better," Armin argued.

"I would, but I think he'll be able to give us a more certain picture. I overheard him talking about how Eren froze in the middle of his battle with her."

As Kagami opened the door to exit, he saw Mikasa standing in the doorway. It was obvious she overheard their entire conversation. Her expression was rock hard. It was obvious she was angry. But Kagami knew that expression all too well, she wanted to go and kill Annie. Before she could leave, Kagami put a hand on her shoulder.

"Let go."

"No."

"If you don't let go, I'll break your arm," Mikasa threatened.

"Take a minute to cool off. We're not even 100 percent sure yet," Kagami said.

"He's right. We need a bit more information before we can make a firm decision," Armin added.

Mikasa's expression softened, but her rage remained. Kagami could understand where she was coming from to a certain extent. However, they needed to keep calm about everything. He had to keep Mikasa with him now, mainly out of fear she would run off.

"We have to find Captain Tetsuya. Have you seen him?" Armin asked.

"No, but I saw his subordinates on the way here," Mikasa said.

"Doesn't he have a makeshift office somewhere?" Kagami asked.

"I think so," Armin said.

"Are you looking for me?" a voice asked.

The three recruits looked around, trying to find where the voice came from. However, they found no one.

Then came a defeated sigh that caused all three to jump.

"I'm right in front of you," the voice said.

The three blinked and in front of them appeared Captain Tetsuya. He had his arms crossed and a slightly annoyed expression. The three jumped back in surprise at the captain's sudden appearance. Even the usually stone faced Mikasa was caught off guard.

"I'll ask again, are you looking for me?"

"Yes, sir. There was something we wanted to inform you of," Armin said.

"Based on the looks you guys had before, I'd say it's serious. Follow me."

The captain turned on his heel and the three followed him. The group navigated around headquarters. They went up stairs and turned many corners before reaching their destination. The captain opened the door and the three entered into his office. To the surprise of the three, the office was surprisingly messy. Papers were thrown about, as well as other odds and ends.

"Sorry about the mess. I haven't had a chance to pick it up," Kuroko said.

Kagami looked down, trying to avoid the papers. As he did so, one caught his eye. He knelt down and picked it up. He surprised to see the information was about him. It had his cadet scores as well as a few other notes.

It's nice to know Commandant Shadis thought highly of me, Kagami thought.

"So, what did you want to talk about?" Kuroko asked.

The three looked at each other and nodded.

"We think we may know who the Female Titan is," Armin said.

Kuroko's eyes slowly widened as he processed the words the blonde had just said.

"Is that door closed?"

The three looked back to the door. It looked closed, but the captain's tone made them all worry. Kagami moved towards the door. He made it sure it was closed and locked for safe measure. He even looked outside to make sure no one was listening.

"Tell me everything."

Armin spoke first. He told the Captain about the encounter he had with the Female Titan. He made a point to talk about how she reacted to what he said, and what it entailed. Kagami spoke second. Also recounting his fight with the Female Titan.

For Kuroko, a lot of gears started turning in his head. Now the reason why Eren had hesitated for a moment was making sense.

"So, that's why he hesitated," Kuroko said.

"What do you mean, sir?" Armin asked.

"Towards the end of the fight between Eren and the Female Titan, she got into a fighting stance. Eren recognized it, and brought his guard down. The look on his face told me everything."

"Fighting stance?" Mikasa asked.

Kuroko nodded. "It made his completely stop in his tracks. His rage disappeared."

"Do you remember what the stance looked like?" Kagami asked.

There was an urgency in his voice. For Kagami, it was the last piece he needed in order to fully convince himself on the identity of the Female Titan.

"I made sure to commit it to memory. I believe it looked like this," Kuroko said. He then turned his hands in fists and brought them up to his face, using his arms to block it. His legs also took on a familiar position.

Now Kagami was left without a doubt. He knew who the Female Titan was.

"I can tell by the look in your eyes, you've realized whoever you thought it could be is who it is," Kuroko said.

"Yes, sir. The identity of the Female Titan is Annie Leonhart."

Kuroko took a moment to process the name. He remembered reading over her cadet file. She had made it into the top ten and joined the MP's.

"There's something I'd like to add to that," Armin said.

"It'll have to wait. You can tell the commander the rest," Kuroko said. "Stay here. I'll get him."

"Yes, sir," the three said simultaneously.

—

"Are you completely certain of this?" Erwin asked.

By the time Erwin had arrived with Kuroko, the sun had begun to set. Present in that room were Captain Levi, Section Commanders Hange and Mike, and two more high ranking Scout regiment members. When Kuroko went to find Erwin, he thought it was best to involve the other higher ups too. When the group had arrived to Kuroko's office, the three recruits that were waiting there all stiffened in attention at their arrival.

Armin, Kagami and Kuroko took a moment to recount everything they had discussed. Their encounter with the Female Titan, and what pieces of the puzzle for her identity were. Before finally dropping the bomb that was her identity.

Armin nodded. "Yes, sir. We figured out it was the only possible option."

"Tetsuya, can you confirm what they're saying?" Erwin asked, turning to the Oriental captain.

Kuroko nodded in response. "Yeah. We had each had a piece of the puzzle. When we pooled our experiences it all lines up. Plus, I'm sure Levi can attest to my piece."

Erwin turned to Levi, who only nodded as a response. But Kuroko could tell that the injured captain wanted to find who was responsible. He too wanted to avenge his fallen comrades.

"What information do we have on our culprit?" Erwin asked.

"She was in the top ten of the 104th, and was the only one to join the MP's. From the information I have, she's stationed in Stohess," Kuroko answered.

"Stohess," Erwin mused.

"Isn't that Seijūrō's jurisdiction?" Hange asked.

"Who's Seijūrō?" Kagami asked.

"Captain of the Military Police stationed in Stohess. Basically everyone there answers to him. He's also part of my cadet corps. Ranked first and holds the highest score a person can get while training," Kuroko summarized.

"Will he be a problem?" Mike asked.

Kuroko put a hand on his chin and thought about that. He was not entirely sure. "We won't be able to avoid encountering him, but not sure past that."

"We'll deal with that later. For now we have to figure out a way to corner her," Erwin said.

"We have to pass through Stohess to get to the interior. That's the easy part," Kuroko replied.

The superiors of the recruits then began to talk amongst themselves. All of them were planning out how the mission should be handled. It was obvious to the three of them that the newer members of the Scouts would not partake in this assignment.

"Uh, excuse me," Armin said.

All eyes turned to him when he spoke. Armin shifted in nervousness at the sight of having so many eyes on him.

"If you have something to say, feel free to speak your mind," Erwin said, his voice hold an authoritative calm.

"To be completely honest, we're running on the assumption that Annie is the Female Titan. There's still the possibility she isn't," Armin said.

There was a look of confusion between everyone present, even Kagami and Mikasa had one. However, some where to quick to understand what Armin meant.

Kuroko let out a sigh and turned towards the blonde. "He's not wrong. The evidence does point towards that direction, but there's still that small chance it isn't true."

"Then what do you suggest?" Erwin asked, turing to Armin.

"We test her. If she passes then she's in the clear, if not then we better prepare for a fight," Armin answered.

"We can't exactly just give her a written paper that says 'circle the correct answer'," Levi said.

Erwin and everyone else was quiet for a moment. They all realized they had jumped to conclusions too quickly. Even Kuroko kicked himself for not seeing every angle. His rage towards the Female Titan clouded his better judgment. It could've also been the amount of alcohol he had drank in the days prior.

"Why don't you help us out here, Armin," Kuroko said.

The blonde looked between the two people at his sides. Mikasa simply shrugged, while Kagami rolled his eyes.

"What're you looking at us for?" Kagami asked sarcastically.

"Right, sorry," Armin said as he shuffled towards the table in the center of the room.

"You two are dismissed for now. We'll get you if you're needed again," Erwin said.

"Yes, sir," the two said.

"Make sure you speak none of this to anyone," Erwin added.

The two recruits nodded and made their way out of the room.

—-

Night had fallen and in Kuroko's office were only him and Erwin. The two had been going over the plan. It was crude, but definitely workable. Kuroko skimmed through the files of all the cadets that joined the MP's. There was not much that stood out about them. The only one that did was Annie Leonhart. Most of her background before entering the cadets was a mystery. Other than where she was born, which even that felt fake, nothing else about here was known. He set down the paper with a sigh and ran a hand through his hair.

"Find anything?" Erwin asked.

Kuroko shrugged. "I'm not sure. While the evidence does point to her being the culprit, there's always that small chance it isn't true. I don't want rage to cloud my decision, but I feel like it is."

"I understand. There's a lot riding on this. If we capture her, a lot of our questions will be answered," Erwin replied.

"I hate having to assume the worst in people, but all there are so many signs that it's hard to ignore them."

Erwin did not respond to that. He turned his attention back to the map of Stohess. While Kuroko returned to his own work. He had to figure out a way to get around Akashi. No doubt he would meet them when they would travel through Stohess. The chance of meeting an armed patrol unit was also likely. There was also the fact that Aomine and Midorima might be there as well. He had sent them all a letter informing them of Kise's death, as well as his plan of giving his body to his family. He had yet to receive word from them, but he would likely see them in person soon.

Kuroko let out a sigh and sat back in chair. Now there were two things he needed to worry about when reaching Stohess. One part of it was bearable, while the other was not.

"Erwin," Kuroko began to say.

The Commander looked up and acknowledged him with a nod.

"Leave handling Seijūrō to me. I'll leave the capture of the Female Titan to you," Kuroko said.

"You sure? I know you and Seijūrō don't have the best relationship."

Kuroko nodded. "I need to face him in regards to Ryouta's death. My focus should be there. I'll still be ready for when we need to mobilize to take on the Female Titan."

"I'm sure you of all people can handle it," Erwin replied.

The two returned to silence and what they were looking at before. Kuroko knew what he had to do. Who he had to face. However, he was unsure if he was ready for that.

AN: And with that this chapter ends. Sorry for taking so long with this chapter. There was something in chapter that wasn't clicking and spent a while rewriting it. Plus what's going on irl was making me super depressed and left me really unmotivated to write. Because of that, this chapter may feel a bit lackluster compared to the others. I wanted this chapter to be a bridge for Kuroko and Kagami with the upcoming arcs. I hope to get back into the swing of things soon, but I'll be taking a short break from writing.

With that out of the way, I hope you enjoyed this chapter and stay tuned for the next one. If you'r eejoying the story feel free to follow, favorite, and/or review if you haven't. Feel free to follow me on Twitter, as I post story updates and other things there.