Chapter 5
The Walls
"Hurry up damn it!"
"I'm trying!"
"It's them. You got to get out of here. Eren! Just take Mikasa and run now!"
"I want you more than anything, but first I need you on your feet!"
"Sweetie, listen to me. My legs have been crushed, even if you could get me out of here I can't run. There's no time-"
"WHATEVER I CAN CARRY YOU!"
"WILL YOU JUST SHUT UP AND LISTEN TO ME FOR ONCE IN YOUR LIFE! ONE THING I AM ASKING YOU, ONE THING! Mikasa, make him.."
"Eren?" Mikasa's ssaid, interrupting Eren's voices inside his head.
Eren blinked back into reality, finding himself beside Mikasa and Armin who'd both were looking at him in deep concern. It'd been a while since they were paying attention to the aura as they waited for Captain Carla's squad to arrive. After Carla had freed Emet from his titan form, Eren was sitting quietly, remembering that day. His ignorant, hot-headed and childish self in desperation trying to save his mother from the ruins that was once Eren and Mikasa's home in Shingshina District. That day, when he lost everything.
"Eren, are you alright.?" Armin asked, hoping this time Eren would answer.
"Um, yes." Eren nodded, "Just a little lost right now."
"You're crying." Mikasa pointed out, watching Eren notice a small tear that escaped his eyes and quickly brushed it off.
"It is a lot to take in right now." Armin said, trying to comfort Eren. "Were you ever aware of Carla's past?"
"No. Just knew she worked as a waitress when she met my father, then got married to him. Then had me, that's really it." Eren replied, trying to think back if there ever was a time he knew anything more about her. However all that he could remember was Carla scolding his desire to join the Survey Corps. None of this made sense.
"I wonder if Grisha knew." Mikasa wondered, sitting herself beside Eren.
"Probably not." Eren said, watching Mikasa sit close to him, their eyes catch hold of each other before Armin begins to think aloud,
"It's strange that your mother was against you joing the Survey Corps, though. There must be a reason for it. Oh look, I think her squad has found them." Armin said, turning his direction to the aura at the sound of horses hooves trampling the ground.
"CAPTAIN, ARE YOU ALRIGHT?"
The woman from earlier who spoke with Milo and Eleanor was leading the squad of 15 soldiers behind her, surrounding the left remains of Emet's titan. All was left was bones and decayed flesh as the smoke evaporated into the air. There stood Carla, standing beside the titan along with the still unconscious Emet who was resting on the ground, completely healed. Not a single trace of cuts, scars or bruising was on Emet's body. Kai and Aimi were still standing on the tree, they barely spoke since Carla stopped Emet from killing them due to the unexpected blow of events still haunting them both.
"Bernadine, status report." Carla asked, looking at the speckled woman who jumped off her horse.
"They're fine. The two survivors are still outside the forest with the medics team. There's no more titans for now." Bernadine reported, gasping suddenly as she noticed the decayed titan behind her Captain, noticing the unique facial features. "Captain... Is that?"
"A titan? Yes. A rare species, isn't it." Carla replied, frowning down at Emet.
"Oh my god, it's truly different from the rest. It's features are so distinctive. But, who's he?" Bernadine said as she saw Emet, kneeling down to check if he was ok.
"Another survivor, but he's unconscious at the moment. There's two more up there." Carla pointed up to the trees, "I need to speak with them though privately. Can you bind this one for me."
"Bind him?" Bernadine questioned Carla, wondering why this man needed to be tied up whilst unconscious.
"Yes, he tried to attack me earlier." Carla said, hiding some truth from the Squad Leader Bernadine Sukan and fortunately doesn't ask anymore questions to her Captain.
"No problem, do you need assistance getting up there?" Bernadine offered, referring to Carla's damaged gear.
"Yes." Agreed Carla, "Can anyone give me their maneuver gear?"
"Captain." A man offered, standing beside Carla as he takes off his own.
"Thank you." Carla said to the man, now putting on the fresh gear.
Two more soldiers arrive at the scene but instead with steering a empty carriage led by horses as they pull up in front of Carla, Bernadine and the random solider who gave up their gear to the Captain. All of the soldiers were standing between gaps of trees, keeping an out for anymore titans that may try to attack. However some of the soldiers couldn't help but stare at the rotten titan on the ground, making them uncomfortable due to his frightening state.
"We must be lost in time." Kai said to Aimi, watching Carla talking to her squad members, looking up occasionally to Kai.
"What you mean?" Aimi asked, confused on what he meant.
"Well for starters, titans are meant to be extinct. Yet we were chased down by them today. Titans only predominately existed on Paradis Island over 50 years ago. Yet they're here, so we must be on Paradis. The reason why I think that is we've been recused by a Military group called the Survey Corps. I know that because both of parents were apart of that group. Do you see that symbol," explained Kai to Aimi, pointing at one of the soldiers capes of a winged crescent.
"Yeah?"
"That's the Survey Corps symbol. They are a branch of the Military who most actively involved in direct Titan combat. They try to-"
"Explore the outside walls." Carla interrupted, appearing behind Kai and Aimi and startled them both. "I am impressed that you are aware of such knowledge."
"U-uh.." Kai sweat dropped, unsure if the woman meant it or not.
"Well, you can continue your fun facts about us later. You need to answer my questions." Carla said, "I am Carla Rin, Captain of the Survey Corps under the role of Commander Hunter. I lead a Special Operations Squad undergoing our 30th expedition outside the walls but due to unexpected events.." Eyeing Kai and Aimi saying due to them getting in danger, "Has led us to put our course on hold."
"Sorry about that." Aimi apologised, feeling however that it wasn't enough for the trouble that has been caused.
"Sorry?" Carla raised her eyebrow, "Fair enough. I am more irritated at the sudden migraines you've festered me with. Who is Armin and Mikasa?"
Kai and Aimi look at each other confusingly, wondering what Carla had meant about the festering headaches. Kai scratched his head, looking at Carla who seemed just as lost at he was.
"Well, Armin Arlert is my father. I am Kai Arlert. Mikasa Ackerman is Aimi and Emet's mother." Kai explained, pointing at Aimi to reference the girls name within his sentence, "We don't know what's going on here. But our parents were once too members of the Survey Corps."
"They were? I don't recall them. When did they start training?" Carla said, putting her hands on her hips.
"Umm.. I think they were in the 104th Training-"
"104th?" Carla exclaimed, "Uh...Kai, is it?"
"Yes?"
"Right, Kai. We're currently recruiting our 75th Training Corps members, where on earth are you getting those figures from." Carla stated, now starting to doubt Kai's story but was surprised to see him shake his head as he retorting back,
"No, Armin and Mikasa were in the 104th Training Corps. They started in the year 847 and then they officially joined the Military in the year 850 because they trained for three years. That's what my father told me, wait... What Year are we even in if you're saying you're only recruiting your 75th?"
Carla, shocked to hear such accuracy about the training duration. "Your in the year 830."
Aimi and Kai gasped, their heart plummeting to the ground to hear what Carla has just told them, this couldn't be true...could it?
"How are we going to get home." Aimi said, trying to control the panic in her voice to hear they managed to be nearly 50 years back in time.
"Home, what you mean home? If you're saying your mother was in the Survey Corps, wouldn't that mean your not far from where you're supposed to be? Your still on Paradis." Carla explained, trying to make sense of what was happening here.
"Yeah, but... our present year is 879." Kai said, wondering if Carla was truly going to believe them.
Emotionless, Carla looked down to see Emet was now lying inside the kart, his hands behind his back all tied up. This leaves a pause of silence, making Kai continue further,
"You see, something happened where we ended up in this forest. There are five of us altogether, we were chased by titans. Emet was attacked by one and was almost killed, but somehow he transformed into a titan himself.. I don't know how exactly, but I know about the curse of Ym-"
"Curse of what, now?" Carla interrupted, furrowing her eyebrows.
"Um, n-nevermind. But we need to get back home, we don't even exist yet! That means.. Father doesn't exist at the minute either.." Kai gulped, worrying that something bad may happen from this.
"But where is Armin and mum?" Aimi asked Kai, thinking that if their parents doesn't exist right now yet Aimi and Kai are alive right now- where could their parents possibly be?
"Your right Aimi, where are they?" Kai asked himself before lifting his eyes back to Carla, "Can you help us?"
"Help you? How can I help you find two individuals who I don't even know, or better yet if you are truly from the future.. how am I suppose to find them when they don't even exist? Plus you are forgetting we're breeched by titans.. I have a duty to fulfil. I can't help you when Paradis is the only what's left of humanity-"
"Your wrong, they could be outside the walls." Kai cuts in, "If we're outside the walls, they could be too. As for humanity. It's not what you think."
"What do you mean by that?" glared Carla, tsking, "Plus I can't help you when that devil is a titan himself, do you understand the causality he may cause."
"His name is Emet." Aimi corrected Carla, sounding irritated by Carla's comment about her brother.
"Excuse me? Want to watch your tone?" Warned Carla, making Aimi regret pissing off the Captain.
"Listen! I know things look bad right now, but we need help one way or another. If you had visions of our parents, it means you have a connection to them somehow. How about we make a deal, if you help us in whatever way you can and under your complete control- I will take responsibility and control Emet. Then, when we're ready, you can get rid of us. If we're on a island surrounded by titans, we won't survive this and we'll never get home. I'll prove myself to you that we are from the future. If we don't get back to our timeline, something bad will surely happen." Kai begged Carla, seeing how unimpressed she looked because of with his request.
"Please, Captain. We'll do anything. Help us."
Kai was looking desperately at Carla, making her feel uncomfortable at what he was asking from her. She felt more unease about the visions more than anything because that was something that truly did happen. Now coming to think about it, Armin- the little boy, looked somewhat related to Kai. Their features almost identical. Carla stood there for a moment, now looking to Aimi and felt a strange sense of familiar. Maybe, just maybe. If she does help, then all this madness will go away.
Carla looks down to the ground shouting, "Bernadine, get up here- signal the soldiers to move out as well."
Kai raised his eyebrow, watching a woman tell off the soldiers to get going as they started to saddle up on their horses. Then a woman shoots up for the tree Aimi, Kai and Carla stood on as she landed on her feet kneeling down. Bernadine looks up to Kai and Aimi, analysing them before asking Carla,
"Where are heading to Captain?"
Carla moves towards to Kai, wrapping her arm around his back and starts to hand over the edge of the tree, making Kai question what she was about to say.
"We're returning to the walls." Carla answered and then orders Bernadine, "Take the girl."
Bernadine nodded, standing up tall who was actually a few inches smaller than Aimi smiles at the her. Aimi smiled meekly back, surprised that the stranger was quite friendly.
Kai, realising what Carla was going to do smiles at the woman asking, "So you're going to help us?"
"Not until I speak with Emet. However I'm not wasting anymore time here waiting for him to wake up where titans can show up." Carla grabbed tighter on to Kai, jumping off the branch as he falls down with her. In mid-air she continues, "Once we get inside the walls, you'll see what I'll expect from you in order to recive my help."
Kai nodded, he turned his head back to see Bernadine had Aimi beside her. They four land of the ground and were told to get inside the carriage. There Aimi sees Emet lying on the ground, only to frown before she could smile to see her brother was all tied up.
"Why is Emet tied like that?"
"I don't trust him, simple as." Carla bluntly replied, saddling on a brown mare who was given by Bernadine for her to ride on. "No more questions until we reach Strorirch District."
Before Kai could ask about the location, Carla already rode off and commanded her soldiers to follow her. Kai sat down facing Aimi and Emet. Aimi sighed, looking down to her brother and placed her hand on his head. She felt relived to see her brother was alive, sleeping almost peacefully on the ground. Aimi allows herself to smile, grateful that he didn't die. That he's here, even if he is a titan shifter. Emet is still her brother and that's all that matters. Kai on the other hand was looking at the almost disappeared remains of Emet's titan until he couldn't see it anymore. Kai then wondered to himself if he'd ever want to see Emet's titan again.
It wasn't long before they were all outside the forest and began to run down the flat land of green fields. Kai and Aimi were amazed to see how large the forest was, stretching far and wide. A perfect spot for titans to hide in. It was nice to see the blue sky and clouds floating above them, the sun beaming down on them compared to its hidden rays trying to penetrate through the trees when they were in the woods. Aimi notices to her right another group of soldiers along with another kart, she squints her eyes to see to familiar faces sitting inside of it. Aimi gasped and began to grin, standing up and begins to wave out to them shouting at the top of her lungs,
"HEY! MILO! ELEANOR! HEY!"
Milo, perking up to hear that voice looks to see Aimi was waving from his left. Eleanor noticed Aimi too and shoots up screaming back,
"AIMI!"
Milo stands up, waving back at his best friend, "YOUR ALIVE! WE SURVIVED!"
Aimi was close to tearing up, smiling in pure joy and replied, "WE SURVIVED!"
The soldiers who led the karts, both men smiled awkwardly at each other. Thinking these survivors were quite a bunch. Suppose it couldn't be helped. Kai on the other hand sighed with a smile of awe, happy to know that everyone is ok. That somehow they managed to survive from the titans, it was enough for him to feel grin again. Carla, who was leading the soldiers could hear Aimi screaming at the other survivors, however doesn't make much of a response and continues her journey. They had quite a trek ahead of them, the sooner Carla sorts them out, the better.
As their journey across the fields was almost an hour, Aimi starts to see a interesting shape ahead of her. It what looked like a mountain at first, but the more closer the mountain became, the less of a mountain it was. Seeing that the mountain had one flat line going horizontally across and instead of it vertically pointing up.
"Kai, do you see that?" Aimi asked Kai, making him turn his head as he was originally facing his back from what's ahead.
Kai stood up, putting his hand over his eyes to try see more clearly. There he saw was one great wall, it stood coldly still at a height of what Kai estimated at 40-60 metres tall. His eyes widened, remembering the stories Armin told him when he was a little boy. How the walls were like a birds cage.
Aimi stands up beside Kai, feeling uncomfortable to see those very walls for the first time. It almost looked like it had to be a dream, that these walls would only exist in those darkened imagination. But in the Year of 830, they were real.
"Is it just me, or does this feel unnatural?" Armin asked, his first time seeing the walls again since 854.
"It just feels like they've never left." Mikasa said in a underwhelming tone.
"Those walls.. Those damn walls." Eren grumbled, "However, I never experienced what life is like on Paradis without those walls being there unlike yous guys."
Mikasa and Armin exchange looks to each other, feeling a little sorry for their friend to not experience what it was like on their homeland without the cage that surrounded Paradis. However, in a way, it was something Eren didn't truly deserve to see after the crimes he committed. The Rumbling was the worst of the worst, Eren already knew that himself. Some may argue that Eren done the right thing to commit genocide, to wipe out the cycle of hatred towards Paradis. The oppression they faced, the countless events of suffering Eren had to undergo without giving him much choice to endure. Yet some may argue Eren did have a choice to walk from it, but Eren was never a man to back down. He always pushes forward, even to the point where he created hell upon the world.
"Eren, there must've been another way, you know." Armin said, trying to say it in a way that didn't come across as an offense.
Eren doesn't answer, he doesn't want to answer. The talk about the Rumbling, the actions he's made, the debates he's had within his head from the moment he saw them through kissing Historia's hand. The sleepless nights, the nightmares, the events unwinding before him. As the days turns to months, then months turns to a year and eventually reaching 4 years until that exact moment he when Eren touched Ymir the Founder.
"Eren, I am talking to you." Armin insisted, not letting the conversation go.
"Armin, I don't want to talk about it."
"Why not? You know, I never understood on that day when you told me; 'I don't know why.' You do know why! Yet I had to accept that answer as your reason!"
Mikasa, sitting between the two men holding back the tension between each other, sighing as she listened to Armin and Eren bickering;
"Armin, that is my reas-"
"No it is NOT! Eren-"
"That's enough." Mikasa scolded at Armin and Eren, frowning in disappointment. "Can we just focus on the kids and then has this conversation at another time? That happened 25 years ago, what's happening to our children is what they're experiencing right now. Stop it the pair of you."
Armin holds back on the rest of his sentence. He had so much to say to Eren. Unlike before during his experience in the Paths with Eren, exploring the world together. Armin struggled to have his conversation with Eren, and Eren too struggled with Armin. One being that as they were travelling through time and seeing different parts of the world, keeping track wasn't easy because they were jumping from one place to the next. Plus, for Armin to see his dream come to life, his and Eren's goal- it was so hard not to get distracted. The shimmering lights in the sky, the fire-like water to the very ocean. Armin was able to understand the reasoning behind Eren's actions, but doesn't understand why Eren decided to go through with it when he knew fine rightly how inhumane and awful it was. Why couldn't Eren try to find another way without the Rumbling and still somehow reach Mikasa's end result.. There had to be another way. Or if Eren possibly told Armin or Mikasa at least the future memories he experienced, maybe something could've been done. Eren on the other hand remained silent, avoiding eye contact with Mikasa and Armin as he stared into the aura and sees the gates open from the walls.
"They're arriving at Strorirch District." Eren said.
"That's at the West Side of Wall Maria isn't it?" Armin wondered, sighing at the change of conversation.
"Yes. Never actually seen that part of Paradis. It'll be a new experience for us as it is for Kai and the rest." Eren responded, choosing to avoid getting irritated by Armin's frustration. He couldn't really blame Armin for his feelings. "Wonder why there though, if mum is from Shinganshina, it would make more sense to go through there."
"We'll just have to wait and see then." Mikasa said, seeing the Survey Corps enter through the gates of Wall Maria, now arriving at Stororich.
The Strorirch District is a town located on the West edge of Wall Maria. The district is built within an outcrop of Wall Maria and fortunately compared to Shinshina- Titans don't stretch as far as there in order to consume humans. The District was a larger population as the houses were built in stone or brick. Immediately, Kai and Aimi were shocked to see the comparison of Paradis in the Year 830 compared to 879. The town looked grimy, overcrowded and there were signs of insanitary places.
The crowds of the town had started to form when the Survey Corps arrived, watching Carla leading her squad through the main road. The whispers between them as they pointed at Kai, Aimi and even Milo and Eleanor who were in the cart ahead, pointing out how different they looked due to their clothes and seeing that they weren't members of the Survey Corps. It was like two different worlds have merged together.
"Maybe we should sit down." Kai suggested, "We're drawing attention to ourselves."
Without replying Aimi sits down beside Kai, making it harder for the crowd to see their faces. Of course it was understandable why the crowds were curious. It's not often they see individuals who aren't members of the Survey Corps enter inside the walls, especially when those themselves are not allowed to do so.
"Why are they looking at us like that?" Aimi asked, feeling uncomfortable.
"Probably because we look like we're not from here." Kai replied, eyeing to the cart in front to see if Milo and Eleanor had copied them which thankfully they did. "Plus, we just entered the walls. Nobody bar the Survey Corps are allowed to leave and return into the walls."
"Why not?"
"Well, Eldians before the Rumbling we're not allowed to leave the walls." Kai started to whisper to Aimi, ensuring nobody heard him, "Dad told me his parents were killed by the Military Police because they tried to escape the walls to explore the world. Their reason was due to, "protecting" them from the titans. When really it's because Paradis was trying to shield away from the world."
"What do you mean, shield away from the world?"
"Because Paradis is seen as the Island Devils, y'know.." Kai said, waiting for Aimi to twig on to what he was trying to explain to her. "Because we can turn into titans."
"We can?" Aimi exclaimed, a little too loudly as Kai hushed her.
"Yes!" Kai whispered, covering Aimi's mouth with his hand, "Look, I'll try explain everything to you another time. Here is not the place."
Kai lets go of Aimi's mouth, looking around and was taking in the location of the Strorirch District. Aimi was watching over Emet, worried that her brother was still unconscious as he laid beside her. It's been hours since they left the forest. The sky began to change colour to form a gradual sunset with tones of orange, red and hints of purple. They were now at the heart of Strorirch, the town was at its busiest as the people continued to do their daily things. Carla ordered majority of her soldiers to continue on whereas Leader Bernadine and several others stayed. Milo and Eleanor were asked to get off their kart as well Kai and Aimi. The soldiers who carried them grabbed a stretcher and placed Emet on it, still passed out. Milo and Eleanor hurried over to Aimi, wrapping their arms around her in relief, exchanging words that they somehow survived. It was such a long day for them, feeling as though they had been awake for more than 24 hours. They notice they had pulled up at the side of the main street in front of a large building.
"Get inside." Ordered Carla, now standing as she held her horses' reigns.
The four done what they were told and entered the building in what seems to be the Survey Corps Headquarters. The four stood there in the centre of the hallway, watching Carla and Bernadine entered the building and begin to have a conversation they were unable to hear. When the conversation ends, Carla walks into the closest door to her right, slamming it hard that causes the group to startle. Bernandine glanced over to them, approaching them and said with a smile;
"I'll escort you to rooms to stay in. We'll provide you fresh clothes. This is the Survey Corps Headquarters on the West Side of Paradis, however you'll only be here for one night and we'll continue our journey from there."
"Where are we going?" Asked Kai.
"That's a conversation for you to have with the Captain. She's asked me to tell you that you're only to inform us when Emet has woken up. Until then Captain Carla doesn't want to speak."
"Oh, ok." Kai said, surprised about the response and uncertain on when Emet will wake up.
Bernadine shrugged, lightly chuckling; "Well common now, let's get you freshened up. I'm sure you're exhausted after today. I am Bernadine, so please feel free to reach out to me anytime. I look forward to getting to know all of you."
Everyone was grew to like how friendly Bernadine was to them, especially after today when they were almost eaten by titans. Shortly later, the group were spilt up. Aimi and Eleanor were placed in one room, making Milo, Kai and even Emet grouped together. The rooms were reasonably sized but didn't have much to them. Only 3 single beds and one chested drawer by the wall. Kai sat by the windowsill as he looked outside. There was no longer the colours of the sunset but instead a deep navy black fabric that twinkled with stars. The town shimmering its dimmed lights to prevent the darkness caving in, this wasn't like the current Paradis at all. But it was interesting to see how the island evolved over the years. Kai had his hoodie on, wearing the hood over his head. It turned out the boys didn't really need to change, what they wore were actually appropriate. Milo, who was lying on the bed in the middle between the three, twiddling his thumbs as he stared up to the ceiling.
"Kai." Milo said, still staring into the ceiling.
"Hmm?"
"What the hell happened today?"
Kai chuckled, shaking his head and replied, "No idea, Milo. Think we managed to get sucked up into the world of rampaging titans."
"I see." Milo sighed, not really finding any of this humorous. He was traumatised, facing those monsters and death itself was a lot to take in. "When do you think he's going to wake up?"
Milo's question makes Kai move his head away from the window and stares to furthest end of the room, where Emet was lying on the bed closet to the door. His hands now facing his front however still chained together.
"I have no idea." Kai answered, "Try wake him up sure."
Kai didn't think Milo would take his suggestion quite literally as he watched the younger man jump up off from the bed, scooting over to Emet and causes the sleeping individual to then gasp in horror as Milo slapped the unconscious Ackerman in the face yelling,
"OY, WAKE UP!"
Emet's eyes opened like lightening at the sudden attack across his face, gorging in pain as he sits up.
"What the hell, Milo?"
"Should've slapped you earlier." Milo said, returning to his bed and folded his arms to the back of his head.
The muddled up Emet glared at Milo, then remarks to see Kai sitting on the windowsill. Emet then noticed he was in an unfamiliar place, this wasn't home at all,The last thing he recalled from his nightmare was this unbearable pain coursing through his body, screaming at some sort of monster to go away before everything turned black, leading him to where he is now.
"Where.. Where are we?" Emet questioned, still looking around the room.
"Heh, you're not gonna believe it." Emet said, rolling his eyes over to Kai expecting him to answer Emet's query.
"We on Paradis Island in Strorirch." Kai answered, sighing as he sits up from the windowsill and walked towards the door. He remembered that he had to notify Carla once Emet was awake.
Emet frowned, "Funny. Now really, where are we?"
"I already told you." Kai answered again, opening the door and just as he was about to step out- there stood two soldiers with loaded guns were outside making the young Arlert jump back with a small yelp.
"Is he awake?" One of the soldiers asked Kai, unpassed by the young mans shock.
"Uh, yes. I was about to infor-"
"Inform Captain Carla!" Interrupted the other soilder, yelling down the corridor and in response another member agreed to by their request. "Go down the hallway, and bring him with you."
A little taken back by the orders, Kai turns his head to already see Emet standing up behind Kai, realising that it was him the soldiers were on about. Emet walks over to Kai asking,
"They mean me, don't they?"
Kai's eyes tell Emet the answer, walking out of their room and makes way to the same room Carla had entered. There another soldier stood by the door, opening it for Kai and Emet and closes it shut when they stepped in. The room was dark with only two candles that gave the space some light. There ahead of the men was a desk, surrounded by books and documents, two chairs in front of that desk and sitting it behind was Carla. Who was currently writing a letter, remaining to keep her eyes onthe paper as she spoke;
"So, finally awake then?"
Emet raised an eyebrow to see a woman sitting by the chair, acting as if he's supposed to be up ages ago. He was a little weirded out by how old fashioned everything looked, that even the soldiers didn't look close to the Yeagerists back home. This couldn't be Paradis.
"You not going to answer?" Carla said, shifting her eyes to Emet, her face now more clearly identified for the Ackerman to know she was talking to him.
"I don't know what you mean by that." Emet replied, being honest with her.
Carla grunted, pointing her hand with a feathered pen towards the chairs, "Sit down you two."
Kai and Emet heads towards the chairs, sitting down and waited till Carla stopped writing her letter. The tension was definitely present in the room, the woman puts her pen in the inked pot, sitting back on her chair and crosses her arms. Her eyes pinned on Emet, it's been him she's been wanting to talk to.
"So you're Emet Ackerman."
"I am."
"Well, Emet. Do you have much recollection of where you are?"
"I was told I am on Paradis."
"You don't think you are?" Carla asked, curious by Emet's choice of words.
"Well, I haven't looked outside. But that's what Kai told me."
The tone of Emet's voice made Carla frown, lowering her eyes due to his sarcastic comment as she continued, "Do you remember much of earlier?"
"No."
"You sure?"
"Yes."
"I find that hard to believe."
Emet started to frown back at Carla, wondering why he's being pinned on ever since he was woken up. Kai began to sense the friction between Emet and Carla, knowing his friend didn't like being cornered.
"Why am I being interrogated? Who even are you?"
Emet's tone made Carla glare, looking as if she'd punch his face in but answers back in disgust, "I am Carla Rin, Captain of the Survey Corps. Who happened to give you a second chance at life, when clearly you don't deserve it."
"What's that suppose to mean?!" Emet snapped, leaning over his chair in frustration but was stopped by Kai as the calmer individual intervened,
"My apologies Captain, I believe Emet genuinely doesn't remember what happened earlier. On his behalf, I hope to lead the conversation and explain the circumstances at hand."
Kai's professionalism made Carla prevent herself from furthering questioning Emet as she too was close to regretting spearing Emet's life, for the devil he truly was.
"Well, I expect you to explain to him the events that has taken place. All I ask from you, Emet, is to control yourself. If you go against my order, I will finish you myself."
Carla's words struck Emet in shock, threatening to end his life for whatever reason. It made him worry in the back of his mind what exactly happened while he was asleep all this time. He peers his eyes to Kai, already looking back at Emet as if to tell him not to talk anymore and leave the rest to him. Emet slouches back to his chair, letting Kai and Carla discuss further while he was left with no knowledge of what is going on.
"I can assure you, I will make sure he doesn't do anything." Kai assured Carla, sitting back to face his body language towards Carla. "May I ask for a map, please?"
"Why?" Asked Carla, raising her eyebrow at the request.
"I would like to know where we are and tell you where we're from."
Carla stands up from her chair, walking over to a wooden wardrobe and from one of the installed drawers opens up the top shelf to reveal a scroll. There she returns to her desk and unrolls it, placing it on the table for Kai to see. A map that shows the geographical location of the Walls of Paradis Island, the Kingdom of Eldia. There she begins to explain,
"This is Paradis, where the last remains of humanity is kept within three walls built by the 145th King of Eldia, Karl Fritz. Their divided in three Structures. Wall Maria, Wall Rose and the Centre Wall Sheena. There you'll see smaller divisions of Districts, you are here." Carla points at the West side of the map, "Strorirch District, does any of this look familiar to you?"
"Yes, my father has a map of Paradis. But..." Kai trailed off, unsure if he should finish his sentence but it was too late as Carla persisted;
"But what?"
"In the future.. These walls don't exist anymore."
Carla's eyes shrunk in fear, hoping that what Kai said wasn't true, "But that's impossible! T-the, the titans-"
"They don't exist either."
The room fell silent. Carla's face looked like she came from hell and back. Emet stared at Kai as if he had done something he shouldn't have, if it was true that Emet and Kai were trapped in the Year 830- would telling someone this sort of information be a good idea? Kai, trying to hold back his regret as he literally told a woman of the past the future ahead...might've been the biggest mistake of his life.
"I see." Carla said, "Then.. Where are you and the rest from."
"Emet and the rest are from Shiganshina. I am from Mitras." Kai pointed at both locations from the map, still feeling awkward after his time exposure.
"Mitras? So your father is a noble man?" Carla said, interested to know more about the boy she invisioned in her head.
"Oh no, he too is from Shiganshina, that's just where he's mainly based now. If you're wondering about Mikasa, she's from Shinshina too."
Carla hummed to herself and muttered, "That maybe explains how we may know each other."
The Captain rolls up the map from the table and returns it to its' spot. She no longer looked shocked from what Kai had exposed to her about the distant future. Carla sits down, sighing before she stares blankly at the men in front of her, grabbing her feathered pen and begins to write.
"Uh.. Captain." Kai starts to speak.
"Yes?"
"May I ask, with respect.. Who you are writing to?"
"My Commander, informing him about today."
Kai panicked, hoping she wasn't for writing down what he just told her. Emet too looked worried for what Carla had to write down. Carla noticed the men's reaction and continues,
"You said if you want my help it'll be under my control...didn't you Kai?"
"Yes.. I did." Kai admitted, lowering his head and begins to regret his deal.
"Well then, this is part of our agreement. Now go back to the room, tomorrow we leave at dawn." Commanded Carla, finishing off the last word in the letter as the sound of the pen marked the paper with its noise.
Kai wanted to beg the woman not to repeat what he had said, but felt it was pointless and instead stands up from the chair. Emet copied Kai, both exiting the room. However Emet turned back to Carla asking,
"Where are we going?"
Carla puts the feathered pen back in its place, folding up the letter and slides it in an envelope, then closing it with a waxed seal that causes great discomfort for the men as they anticipated for the Captain to respond. Finally, Carla raised her eyes to Kai and Emet and spoke in a blunt tone,
"Well, if you want to survive this world. You must learn how to."
Kai and Emet raised their eyebrows, unsure of what Carla had meant by learning how to survive. Then Kai realised right away what she had meant, his eyes displaying complete anxiousness;
"You mean to survive from the titans... Does that mean we'll be joining military?"
Emet looked over to Kai, still lost in the midst of the conversation and stared back to Carla who's eyes spoke with answers. In this world, the only thing to protect yourself is from titans. The only way to stop the titans is to kill them; meaning for Kai, Emet and the survivors from the future will indeed be joining the Military, but at what cost?
Author's Note:
Alot of conversation in this chapter isn't there? Definitely wanted to focus on more on what's being said.
Disclaimer:
I do not own the characters of Shingeki no Kyokin, they belong to the rightful owner. Other characters later mentioned in the story will be referenced also as the fanfic progresses. The only characters I have ownership are ones created from scratch. Also, IF YOU ARE ANIME ONLY OR HAVE NOT COMPLETED THE MANGA, PEASE DON'T CONTINUE TO READ THIS STORY. Unless, you love spoilers then that's fine by me!
I don't have a lot to say this time. Just hope whoever is reading is enjoying the story so far. I am curious though, what do you NOT like about the fanfic.
And also, *salutes*
Shinzou o Sasageyo!