Chapter 13

Disclaimer: I do not own Attack on Titan

Rated M for gore violence, language, and sexuality

Enjoy

Military Police Headquarters, Stohess District, Wall Sina, 850...

Erwin listened intently as Raisa delivered her report. "...for the time being, we've covered the wall with sheets," she informed. "We can take further measures after sundown. Employ the Garrison to patch the hole."

"Good."

Raisa glanced out the window. Beyond the city view was the unmarred part of Wall Sina. "Zoe is questioning Pastor Nick as we speak. It's disturbing to think the bastards from the Order of the Walls have been keeping such secrets. I don't know about you, but I don't appreciate being treated like sheep."

"I agree," he said. "Humanity has been kept ignorant and compliant for over a hundred years. And if we continue this way, the enemy will wipe us out."

"Well, Harold should be returning soon with the records I requested," she reminded. "Give us a better idea as to who Annie's accomplices are."

Erwin tapped his finger on the desk as he thought. He felt impatient, anxious over the enemy's next move. "Have you been able to gain any intel from Annie Leonhart?"

Raisa shook her head. "The crystal she cocooned herself in is very thick and nigh impenetrable. And I'm getting absolutely nothing from her. It's like...she's frozen. No thoughts, no dreams, no vitals...nothing."

"Perhaps Katya could try. She's a more adept at interrogation via those methods."

"I'm going to pretend to not be offended by that," she said, raising her chin. "But if I couldn't get anything, Katya won't be able to either."

Erwin accepted this. He got up and faced the window. "If not Annie, then we must look elsewhere. Take a handful of your elite and ride out for the southern safehouse. Mike doesn't know we've confirmed the Female Titan's identity. Have him back you up in questioning the recruits."

Raisa raised an eyebrow. "In the event I'm able to verify the suspects, what do you want me to do with them?"

"Detain them," he said, glancing back at her. "I trust you to make the necessary arrangements to do what must be done. Get the information however you can. You only need to identify them...proper interrogation can come later once we have them secured."

Raisa thought for a moment. "I'll take them to the old HQ. The dungeons there are deep enough. I'll leave now."

Erwin turned back to the window as she left. Raisa paused outside the door after closing it. She took a deep breath and headed for the courtyard. She found Lynne and had Henning summon the rest of her personal squad. They gathered in the stables and prepped their horses. "Section Commander!"

Harold suddenly came to a halt from his full sprint. He nearly doubled over, trying to catch his breath. "Section Commander...I'm glad I...caught you. I have...the records...you requested."

He held out the papers, and Raisa took them. "Section Commander," Dirk said, "aren't we pressed for time?"

"Gimme a second." She flipped through the files. At the top was Annie Leonhart's records, and everyone else's was underneath. She read quickly but carefully. Raisa suddenly began rearranging the records, grabbing five papers and placing them on top of Annie's. "Get these to Commander Erwin. Dirk, you stay here and take command of our section."

"Ma'am?" Dirk frowned as Harold took the files back.

"Tell the Commander I've narrowed it down to five suspects," she instructed. "He'll act accordingly and both of you will need to provide leadership in my absence. Understood?"

"Yes, ma'am!"

"Commander," Harold said, "shouldn't I go with you? I'm your Lieutenant."

Raisa mounted her horse. "That you are. Which is why I'm trusting you to back Dirk up. Don't fail me."

"Ma'am!" Harold saluted.

Mess Hall, three hours later...

Vanessa stared down at the food in front of her. Armin sat beside her while Jean sat across. The food smelled good, but she had absolutely no desire to eat. She forced herself to take a bite of bread, and reluctantly chewed. Armin noticed this. "What's wrong?"

Vanessa seemed to snap out of her trance. "Huh? Nothing. What's wrong with you?"

Armin blinked in confusion. "You, uh...you just seemed kinda depressed."

"I don't know what you're talking about," she said. "I'm right as rain."

"Bullshit," Jean said. "You're not as good of an actress as you think."

Vanessa furred her brows. That comment hurt, more than Jean could ever know. Christa came to her mind for a moment. "Guess I'm just frustrated. First, we're being infiltrated by titan shifters and now, there's titans in the walls? What's next?"

"I don't know," Armin answered. "It's terrifying. There are no signs of stress, no cracks, no crevices between the rocks of the walls. We can't even really tell how they were constructed. Suppose they're built with the same stuff Annie's trapped herself in?"

"Think the walls are made up of hundreds of titans?" Jean asked.

"We can't unsee what we saw," he said. "They've been there all this time...for a hundred years, never moving. Heh. Maybe they should all go for a walk."

"Ha! Was that a joke?" Vanessa asked. She pressed her shoulder against his, and Armin blushed slightly. "Man, you're lucky you're cute."

"Th-Thanks," he replied softly as she sat back. "It's ironic, though. We've been protected from titans by titans."

A Scout officer burst into the room, shoving the door open. "Scouts! Get to the stables! Wall Rose has been breached!"

Southern Safehouse, Wall Rose, two hours ago...

Raisa Squad stared in confused shock at the sight before them. The safehouse was in near ruins with various steaming titan bodies. Most of them were half-evaporated skeletons. While a couple of them scouted the area, Raisa studied the sight before her. Henning rode up beside her. "What is this? What's going on?"

Raisa noticed something on the ground near the main house. "How can there be titans here?" Henning continued. "Are they...were they Leonhart's accomplices?"

"No. These are regular titans," Raisa answered.

She dismounted and walked over to the mysterious thing. Upon approaching, her face darkened. On the ground was a half-eatened human body. A Scout. She knelt down beside it. One leg was missing, and the other was broken like it was crushed. While the body still had the blade holders strapped to the thighs, it was missing the main ODM tank. Raisa gently touched the thigh and she felt a wave of utter terror and pain. She quickly withdrew her hand. My God. Lynne walked up beside her. "Any idea who this was?"

"Unfortunately, no." Raisa stood up. "Whoever it was...he fought valiantly. Took out five titans."

"Section Commander!" Axel shouted as he approached, holding a torch. "We found titan tracks coming from the south, and more headed west."

Lynne gasped. "The south? Then...that means...!"

"Wall Rose has fallen," Raisa said. She marched back to her horse and mounted. "Our mission is going to have to wait. Mike most likely had his squads split up to alert the surrounding villages and towns. The recruits are probably with them. We'll follow the tracks to the source."

"Not back to Stohess?" Lynne asked.

"Word's probably already reached Erwin. If so, he'll organize the regiment to engage the enemy from Ehrmich. The breach comes first. We need to know exactly where the hole is. Let's move!" Raisa steered her horse southwest. The squad fell in line. Something's wrong. If there was a breach...this place would be crawling with titans. So...where are they?

Stohess District, Wall Sina, present...

Vanessa helped load ODM gear into the wagon. She handed off the gear to Eren who then handed it to Mikasa to load. Eren was grumbling. "Great. Somebody explain to me what this means."

"Means Wall Rose has been breached," Vanessa said. "Refugees will be flooding into Wall Sina as we speak. All of humanity...shoved into this tight space. This sucks."

"You could say that again." Armin handed her the final ODM gear.

The Scouts began to mobilize, preparing to exit the inner gate of Stohess. Moblit climbed onto the driver's seat while Eren, Vanessa, and Armin followed Mikasa into the wagon. Vanessa handed Eren a blanket. He thanked her and wrapped it around himself. Mikasa fussed over him, pulling the blanket up around his shoulders. "Eren, you'll get cold. Wear it tight."

"Sorry to keep you waiting!" Hange's cheerful voice pulled their attention. "Took longer to prepare than I thought."

Levi climbed on and scooted to the edge, facing Mikasa. A pale-faced man in black robes climbed on next, followed by Hange. Armin stared at the pale-faced man, noticing the ornate gold necklace he was wearing. "He's, uh...he's a priest from the Order of the Walls."

"I know!" Hange said, draping her arm across Nick's shoulders. "Ol' Nick and me are thick as thieves! We go way back!"

"That's funny," Vanessa noted. "Because he's eyes say 'no', and his face also says 'no'."

"Trust me. Makes about as much sense for him to be here as the rest of us," she assured them.

"That's kinda random," Eren said.

"On the contrary," Levi interjected. His arms were folded under his suit jacket, and he seemed to be holding something in his right hand. "Erwin's thrown us together for a reason."

"Open the gate!" shouted a Garrison soldier.

As the inner gate rose, Erwin steered his horse around to face the soldiers. "The status of Wall Rose is unclear, but everything up to Ehrmich is safe. That's the route we'll be taking. Let's move out!"

"Yes, sir!"

Levi glanced at Moblit. "You heard him."

"Sir!" Moblit snapped the reins.

The horses followed the regiment through the gate into the countryside of Wall Sina. Armin glanced back at the wall, his mind wondering back to the thought of titans in the walls. Erwin led the Scouts en route towards Ehrmich. Vanessa tucked some loose hair behind her ear, and noticed Nick staring at her. Glaring, actually. Vanessa met his glare, waiting for him to back down. "What's your problem, man?"

Nick finally broke his gaze and lowered his glare. Hange was messing with a rock in her hand. "Excuse him. He's...had a rather rough day."

"He was glaring at me like I kicked his dog or something," Vanessa pointed out. "It's rude."

"Perhaps 'rough' was the wrong word," Hange said. "Nick here is a very special man within the Order of the Walls. In fact, he was the one who instructed us to cover up the titan's face in the wall."

The four kids gasped. "He's not willing to talk yet," Hange continued. "But we'll see how he feels after a harsh dose of reality."

"Wait, wait! Back up!" Eren insisted. "You're joking, right? This guy knew?"

"Uh-huh. Afraid so," she answered. "Faith keeps him quiet. Firsthand experience, though?"

"To hell with that!" Eren slammed his hands on the cargo box between them. "No! We're doing this backwards! If this son of a bitch knows something, he needs to come out with it! Humanity's on the brink of extinction and all you care about is keeping your oath?"

Eren almost fell forward as his vision blurred. Mikasa eased him back into his seat. "Take it easy. You're not fully recovered."

"There's more than one way to get the truth," Levi noted. "Granted, I may not be in top form at the moment, but it doesn't take much strength to squeeze a trigger."

He adjusted his arm, and pressed the gun against Nick's side. "That said. I'm genuinely hoping I won't have to blow a hole in you to settle this. How 'bout you?"

"Threatening him doesn't work, Levi. I've already tried," Hange revealed with a sigh. "Agree with him or not, there's no denying our priest here is a man of principle."

Vanessa frowned in a mixture of confusion and anger. "Man of principle? What the hell is so important that he's willing to abandon humanity?"

Southern Wall Rose...

Gelgar led Reiner, Bertholdt, and Conny through the darkness with silent fear. The only light was from their torches, and he could barely see five feet in front of him. He flinched upon seeing something in the distance. Four torch lights. He gestured for the recruits to stop as the torch lights mixed, illuminating someone he did not expect to see. "Section Commander Raisa?"

Raisa was the only one not holding a torch. Her squad frowned in confusion, raising their torches to get a better look at Gelgar and the recruits. "Gelgar? Where's the rest of your squad?"

"We...split up on Commander Mike's orders," he answered. "To warn the villages. Evacuate them. I took these recruits as part of the southern team to investigate the wall."

"And? Did you find the breach?"

"No, ma'am," he said, shaking his head. "The wall is perfectly intact along the eastern route."

Raisa quickly glanced at the recruits behind him. It's been three hours since we found the titan bodies at the safehouse. We haven't seen a single one since, and it's been quiet. What the hell is going on? She steered her horse around. "Then the hole must be farther west. We should keep moving."

"I don't understand, Commander. What're you doing out here? Weren't you in Stohess escorting Eren Jaeger?" Gelgar asked. Bertholdt and Reiner exchanged glances.

"I'll explain later, Lieutenant," she said. "Right now, the breach is the priority."

"Section Commander, there's a group up ahead," Eckhart informed.

Everyone turned westward. Three torch lights approached, and Nanaba came into view with Christa and Ymir behind her. She blinked in surprise. "Section Commander Raisa...I'm surprised to see you out here."

"So I've been told. Were you following the wall from the west?" Raisa asked.

"Yes, ma'am. We did't find any irregularities. No titans either," Nanaba revealed. "Have you found the hole, then?"

Gelgar felt a bead of sweat roll down the side of his face. "No. We haven't found it, either."

Raisa gazed out over the distance. To everyone else, it was pitch black nothingness. But to her, everything was different shades of gray. Her only source of true color coming from what was illuminated by the torches. The wall was a good couple hundred meters to the south directly in front of them. She glanced west and then east. As far as she could see, the wall was perfectly fine. Lynne's horse stirred, and she ruffled it's mane. "Could you guys have missed it?"

"Not likely," Henning countered. "A hole big enough for titans? Anybody would've been able to see it."

"Section Commander, what should we do?" Gelgar asked. "Check again?"

Raisa noticed the exhaustion on the recruits' faces as well as the sluggishness of their horses. "How long ago were the titans spotted? When we crossed paths with Thomas, he didn't say."

Nanaba sighed as she thought. "Oh, maybe...eleven hours ago. We've been riding around since then. To be honest, our horses are on the verge of collapse and so are we."

Raisa tapped her finger on her saddle as she thought. "The Scouts have probably made their way to Ehrmich by now to deploy. No doubt Commander Pyxis has organized an eastern defense to keep the titans from spreading further."

"I don't know if we'll make it to the eastern line," Nanaba said despairingly.

Raisa glanced back and pointed north. "We can stay there for the night."

"Huh?" Gelgar furred his brows. "Where? I don't see any...?"

The clouds parted and light from the full moon pierced the dark lands. Over a hundred meters away was a ruined castle with tall towers. Raisa noticed Bertholdt staring at her, but he quickly looked away. She harrumphed and her hose whinnied in response. "It'll do. Let's go."

"Yes, ma'am."

Gelgar and Nanaba followed Raisa Squad towards the castle. One side of the walls was completely gone, bearing the insides of the fortification. There were makeshift stables, and the horses were put up. Lynne and Axel managed to find a water source, and some left over hay for the horses. Everyone else made their way inside the tallest tower. The recruits were quiet and obedient, prepping a campfire and some tea. Henning and Eckhart canvased the other floors of the tower. Raisa waited with the recruits. As soon as Lynne and Axel returned, Raisa gestured for Nanaba and Gelgar to follow her up to the roof. "Section Commander," Nanaba said as they walked up the stairs. "Did you come across Mike on your way here?"

"I did not," Raisa confessed. "Was he with the other teams?"

"No," Gelgar answered. "He stayed behind at the safehouse to distract the titans. There were nine of 'em."

The image of the half-eatened body came to Raisa's mind briefly. She shrugged it off. "I'm sure he's fine," she said as they reached the roof. "Listen, the true reason why I'm out here with my squad isn't to pinpoint the breach. In fact, I didn't know about it until after I left Stohess."

"Then...the mission to capture the Female Titan was a success?" Nanaba asked.

"Not quite," she answered with a sigh. "Annie Leonhart is indeed the Female Titan. However, she cocooned herself with hardened crystal. And we're unable to get her out."

"What?" Gelgar gasped. "H-How? So, then...?"

Raisa leaned back against the wall as she folded her arms under chest. "I know. It's confusing as hell. In the end, we were up against someone we truly knew nothing about. Backed into a corner, and she still had a means to escape us."

Nanaba rubbed her chin in thought. "If that's the case...then the suspicion of the Hundred-and-Fourth is even stronger. One of them, if not more, could be an infiltrator."

"Commander Erwin tasked me with questioning the recruits to determine who her accomplices could be...and detain them." Raisa's eyes darkened slightly. "Before I left, I received the background reports of the twenty-three recruits that enlisted with the Scouts as well as Annie Leonhart's."

"The infiltrators are definitely a recruit? And in the Scouts?" Gelgar asked, almost in disbelief.

Raisa nodded. "I've narrowed it down to five suspects. Fortunately, four of them are just sixty feet below us." She noticed their uneasiness. "My squad is already aware of my intentions. I'm only questioning them. I don't want to arouse suspicion, and I don't want to cause a panic. Especially if one of them is a titan shifter. The last thing we need right now is a full on battle with the Armored and-or Colossal Titan."

Gelgar and Nanaba exchanged glances, and then gave Raisa looks of determination. "What do you need us to do?"

Southern Road, Wall Sina...

Levi leaned forward and looked over at Hange. She had been humming as she examined the rock in her hand. "Hey, four-eyes. Since when are you a geologist? Or are rocks just that fascinating?"

"What, this?" Hange met his gaze. "It's not a rock. Not an ordinary one, anyway. It's a hardened piece of skin left behind by the Female Titan."

"It didn't vanish?" Armin gasped.

"No. This random fragment broke off when Annie reverted back to her human form," Hange revealed, noticing Nick's defeated look. "It didn't evaporate. Didn't simply go 'poof'. So, that got me thinking. When I compared it with a sliver of the wall, it's texture and composition were...for all intents and purposes, virtually identical. If my hypothesis is correct, the surface was constructed using consolidated titan skin."

"You're kidding," Vanessa breathed.

Armin gasped again in realization. "So, then-!"

"Easy!" Hange slapped her hand over Armin's face. "It's rude to steal someone else's thunder."

Vanessa grabbed Armin's arm to keep him from falling out of the wagon. "As it stands, we'd be hard-pressed to find a rock big enough to plug Wall Rose," Hange continued, keeping her hand over Armin's face. "It'd have to be just the right shape and size, and we don't have specifics yet."

Armin mumbled something through Hange's hand. "But, on the other hand, where there's a will there's a way." Hange finally removed her hand, and Armin took a breath of relief. "Picture Eren utilizing his hardening ability while in titan form."

"I could...patch the hole," Eren said, shocked.

"The sealant should be composed of the same material," Hange pointed out. "And the hardened bit won't dissolve once you've transformed back. This might be less of a long shot than it sounds. Thoughts?"

"Well, anything worthwhile incurs a little risk," Armin noted. He clenched his fists as he thought. "If we can manage to shore up Wall Rose, Wall Maria starts to look fairly promising. Vital as it is, the outpost infrastructure slows us down to a crawl. The time and resources needed to transport materials are immense. But, if supply wagons don't have to be accommodated, we can make our way to Shiganshina much faster. And what if we decided to carry out our plan in the dead of night?

"Why the dead of night?" Vanessa asked.

"The titans are effectively motionless."

"That's not bad," Hange hummed. She grabbed her chin as she thought. "In fact, it's genius. Particularly if the group is small enough to slip by undetected."

"Yeah. Just bear in mind, though...the whole plan hinges on whether or not Eren can seal a hole, again."

All eyes except for Nick's turned to Eren. He squirmed a bit, growing uncomfortable. "It's, uh, probably unfair for me to even ask," Hange said apologetically. "But do you think you can?"

"What he thinks really isn't the issue," Levi said before Eren could reply. "You either will, or you won't. That's the reality. Our comrades are breaking their backs, but without you...it's nothing. Failure isn't an option."

"I'm prepared to do whatever it takes, sir!" Eren gave Levi a look of determination. He reached into his shirt and pulled out the key. "My father's cellar. That's where the answers are. If there's a grain of truth in what he told me, everything depends on us making it there."

Vanessa glanced up over Eren's head. "We're here," she announced. "Ehrmich."

Utgard Castle, Wall Rose...

Raisa sat beside Lynne on a large crate by the fire. Henning, Axel, Nanaba, Eckhart, Conny, and Reiner sat on the floor across the camp fire. Christa and Ymir sat against their stair wall on a couple blankets. Bertholdt sat on a chair at the table against the far wall. Raisa ignored Bertholdt's staring, but she took note of the feeling of nervousness he gave off. She watched the flicker of the flames and took a sip of her tea. Axel was messing with an abandoned, strange-looking kettle. "Someone was here not that long ago."

"Weird," Henning noted. "This place is super close to the wall. Seems odd anyone would live here."

"Bandits probably used it as a hideout," Lynne suggested with a shrug.

"A sign on the way in said 'Ruins of Utgard Castle'," Nanaba informed. "This must be a historical site. I had no idea this place was even here."

"Not many people know about it," Raisa added. "Supposedly, it belonged to some noble family who ruled the surrounding hills. Generations before the walls went up."

"Didn't know you were historian," Henning teased.

"There's a lot about me you don't know," Raisa countered with a smirk. "I'm an endless abyss of mystery and beauty."

"And bullshit."

Raisa shot him a dirty look. Gelgar entered the great room, shoving the door open with his shoulder. He held a green, glass bottle. "Take a look at what I just found."

Lynne scoffed in disbelief. "No way. Is that what I think it is?"

"Uh-huh." Gelgar gulped as he studied the bottle. "Can't really read the label, though."

"Too bad egghead isn't here," Raisa said, taking another sip of tea. "Bet he'd know what it is."

Gelgar thought for a moment. "Oh! You're right. Moblit would definitely know what this is. Probably just needs to smell it-"

"Are you seriously about to drink in front of a superior officer?" Lynne asked with a raised eyebrow.

Gelgar flinched and recomposed himself. "Of course not! I-I'm gonna save it for later."

"You know," Henning nudged Raisa's leg, "there are worse ways to spend the night than having access to top-shelf contraband."

"Careful, now," she warned with a smile. "I'd hate to have to arrest you all."

"That sounds like a lot of paperwork," Gelgar noted, still examining the bottle.

Raisa got up and walked over to him. She held out her hand, and Gelgar reluctantly handed over the bottle. "There shouldn't be any titans crawling around at this time of night, but we'll take turns keeping watch. You and Axel take the first shift."

"Yes, ma'am." Gelgar studied the seriousness in her gaze despite her neutral tone.

He and Axel headed up the stairs, whispering and gossiping. Raisa flicked her gaze to Bertholdt who looked away as soon as her eyes fell on him. The great room wasn't hot. In fact, it was a little cold. Yet, Bertholdt was sweating. Christa raised her hand. "Scuse me, Section Commander. What if it turns out that Wall Rose isn't actually compromised? Where do, uh...where else could they be coming from?"

Raisa studied Christa's worried expression. She walked back over to sit beside Lynne, setting the liquor bottle on the ground. "Given the limited information we have...we know they came from the south, but, I'm curious as to what you kids think."

The five kids blinked in surprise. Christa hugged her knees as she thought. "I have no idea. I just thought...maybe the situation isn't as bad as we think."

"She's got a point," Nanaba said. "We haven't really seen that meany titans...only the initial sighting, a relatively modest handful."

"Wait...Conny," Ymir called. "What about your village? You said it was in south where the titans passed through, right?"

"Totally destroyed," he answered. Raisa listened intently with an unreadable expression. "It was crushed to tinder and bits of rubble."

Ymir slumped her shoulders. "I'm, uh, I'm sorry."

"Nobody got devoured, though," he added. "Looked like they all got out, so there's a silver lining, at least."

Henning and Lynne exchanged glances, recalling the secret conversation they all shared an hour ago. Ymir frowned and tilted her head. "I thought you said your village was destroyed?"

"Well, the houses and stuff were, but the people themselves must've all escaped. I mean...they had to've."

"What makes you think so?" Raisa asked.

Conny fidgeted with the hem of his shirt. "There wasn't any blood...or any other remains. It's gotta be the only explanation. Still, though. Something I can't get out of my head." He met Raisa's gaze. "There was a titan on top of our house. Just lying there."

"Lying there? It didn't try to attack?" Lynne asked. "Was it an abnormal?"

"It couldn't move on it's own," Conny revealed, furring his brows. "But, I just...I have no idea why...but it reminded me of my mom."

Raisa's eyes widened ever so slightly. Conny rubbed his forehead in frustration. "Am I crazy?"

"Conny, what did I tell you?" Reiner scolded. "It was your-"

"Are you for real?!" Ymir burst into loud, obnoxious laughter which surprised everyone. "You actually think your mom might be a titan?! Oh, honey! As itty-bitty as you are? Please! We all knew you were dumb as a bag of rocks, but this? Whoa, man! This takes it to a whole other level!"

Conny blushed in embarrassment, and frowned. "Ha-ha. Yeah. Have your fun. Guess I was kinda asking for it."

"Don't stop there," Ymir continued, "if mother-darling's a titan, it's only logical to assume dear ol'daddy is, too. Basic biology. How else could they-"

"Okay, I get it!" he snapped.

"That's enough," Raisa ordered. "You've all had a long day. Get some rest."

She flicked her gaze to Reiner. He was still watching Conny. She studied his serious, guarded demeanor. No...too much of a hero-type. Again, she caught Bertholdt staring at her. Raisa set her cup down and stood up. "In the meantime...Hoover, right?"

"Uh...yes, ma'am." Bertholdt hesitated for a moment then stood up.

"Come with me."

Bertholdt watched her head for the stairs. He inhaled sharply and followed after her, sneaking a glance at Reiner. Henning stood up, and silently followed behind Bertholdt. Once they reached the top of the stairs, Raisa held the door open for Bertholdt. He paused, giving Raisa a confused look. She smiled politely as Henning stopped behind Bertholdt. "After you."

Bertholdt shifted his weight from foot to foot. Henning raised an eyebrow. He was a couple inches shorter than the boy, but he felt it wouldn't take much to bring the scrawny kid down. Raisa tilted her head, still smiling. "What's wrong? You're not disobeying a superior officer, are you?"

"No, ma'am." Bertholdt swallowed back his nervousness and stepped through the doorway.

Garrison Headquarters, Ehrmich District, Wall Sina...

"With all due respect, Section Commander, he keeps looking at me like I'm the worst person in the world," Vanessa complained.

"I hear you, dear, but like it or not, Nick is a valuable asset," Hange said. They walked through the courtyard, heading for the great room. "And besides, I think that's just his neutral expression."

"But it's directed at me! And I have no idea why."

"Then suck it up," she ordered. "We have other priorities than Nick's personal opinions of you right now."

She paused, noticing Levi and Nick walking back from the main street. Moblit stopped in the middle of herding Eren, Armin, and Mikasa towards the exit. "Section Commander, we're pressed for time."

"Oh. Thanks, Moblit. Give me a sec." She walked over to Nick. "So? Seen the light yet, by any chance?"

Nick lowered his gaze. "Oh, goddamn it!" Hange snapped. "Make up your mind! This isn't some spiritual test! Lives are on the line!"

"Alas, I have no choice," he confessed. "Neither myself nor the others who believe are at liberty to divulge the truth."

"Fat lot a help you are!" She threw her hands up in the air. "Thanks for keeping us company! It's been fun!"

"I'd offer my help, if I could," he said as she began to stomp away, "but a duty as great as this one is beyond me. The Order of the Walls abides by the sacred will our faith commands us to obey."

"Whose sacred will?" Hange demanded. "God?"

"I can't answer that. But...what I can do is provide you with the names of those who can." Nick finally met Hange's gaze then looked over at Vanessa. Her eyes widened in fear as realization hit her. Hange looked back and forth between them, confused. "They are the key. Two unholy souls born of lust who hold the fate of-"

"Shut up!" Vanessa suddenly lunged. She managed to grab hold of his sleeve before Levi stopped her. "Shut the fuck up!"

"Vanessa, calm down," Levi ordered, his arm wrapped around her middle.

She fought against his hold. Nick yanked his arm free and gave Vanessa a look of regret. This enraged her more. "You pompous asshole! Don't you dare say another word!"

"I said calm down!"

Levi shoved Vanessa away from Nick. Hange quickly grabbed her shoulders and steered her over by the crates of potatoes. Vanessa was breathing heavily with tears welling up in her eyes. Eren wormed past Moblit and ran over. "Hey, you okay? Vanessa?"

"I'm afraid we've come to the end of what I'm free to share," Nick declared. "The rest I leave in your capable hands."

Hange eased her grip on Vanessa's shoulders. "Moblit, take Nick to Keiji. We need to get to the bottom of this."

"Yes, ma'am."

Nick went willingly and silently. Hange turned back to Vanessa. She was staring down at the ground in utter terror, shaking like a leaf as she hugged herself. Eren watched her helplessly, lost as to how to comfort her. Hange leaned down, trying to see Vanessa's face. "Vanessa, you need to start talking."

She shook her head furiously. "I-I can't! You don't...you don't understand."

"Vanessa, calm down," Eren urged as softly as he could. "We don't have a lot of time. Just tell us what Nick was talking about."

"No!" Vanessa shrugged him and Hange off. She stepped away and turned to face them. "You have no idea what those people are capable of!"

Levi narrowed his eyes at Vanessa, reading through her terrified demeanor. He grabbed ahold of her arm, and she flinched. He thought she would throw a punch, but she moved to run away. However, his grip was firm. "Listen. You need to get your shit together. Our comrades are about to face yet another attack that could wipe out all of humanity."

"I know that! But I can't-"

"Shut up," he growled. Vanessa leaned away in fear.

Hange placed her hand on Levi's shoulder, giving him a look to back off. He silently let go of her. Hange steered Vanessa back to face her. "Vanessa, I know you're scared. And we don't have time to properly question you about everything. At least...tell us who the other person is. Nick said there were two of you."

Vanessa bit her lip, trying to calm herself, but failing miserably. "You don't understand. I...we both have sworn to tell no one. We could be killed. You all could get killed just for even knowing!"

"They're fucking priests," Levi pointed out. "And you're a trained soldier. What you could they possibly to do you? To us?"

"It's not the priests I'm afraid of."

Eren gently placed his hand on her back. "Look, they're right. You need to talk. You can tell us everything. You know we've got your back. We wouldn't let anything happen to you."

"He's right," Armin added. "If you tell us, we can better protect you and whoever the other person is. You can trust us. You know you can."

Vanessa flicked her frightened gaze from her friends to Hange and Levi. Mikasa took a step forward. "You've been running your whole life. Hiding...always looking over your shoulder," she said. "Aren't you tired? Of being afraid? You joined the Scouts because you wanted to make a difference. To use your skills to give humanity a fighting chance. Well, now it's time to pay up."

Eren realized Vanessa had stopped shaking. "What's it gonna be?" Mikasa asked. "Hide or fight?"

Vanessa slumped her shoulders as she closed her eyes. She never felt more scared in her life. Scared of the uncertain future once she opens her mouth. Vanessa took a deep breath. "Okay."

"Section Commander, the regiment is mobilizing," Moblit pointed out.

"I know. Give us a goddamn second," Hange snapped. "Vanessa, tell us...who's the other person?"

Vanessa wiped her eyes. "Christa. Christa Lenz."

End of Chapter 13