Chapter 18

Disclaimer: I do not own Attack on Titan

Rated M for gore violence, language, and sexuality

Enjoy

Safehouse, westside of Wall Rose, 850...

"I was born in the northern lands of Wall Sina. I don't know specifically where...my mother never really told me," Vanessa confessed. "She told me she intended to leave me in the woods to die, but...for whatever reason...she changed her mind."

Historia sat quietly on the pillow. The room was dark save for the single lamp between them. It was just the two of them as everyone else was asleep upstairs. The night was cold, so they were both wrapped up in thick blankets. Historia was surprised Vanessa was willing to share her story. Her true story. Historia had already told hers. She told everyone their first night at the safehouse.

"For as long as I can remember, we were always moving," Vanessa continued. "When we moved to a new place, my mother would get a meaningless job. Anything that didn't require too much background-checking. Anything that would allow us to leave at a moment's notice."

She wrapped the blanket tighter around her shoulders. "My mother was a singer from the Interior, that much I knew. She caught the eye of a man from the Reiss family. Then...something happened. I don't know the details because any time I would ask about my father or her old life, my mother would hit me. Once, she even shoved down a flight of stairs."

Vanessa stuck her right arm out and rolled back her sleeve, showing a faded scar just under her elbow. "I broke my arm on the last step."

Historia furred her brows. "Why would she...?"

Vanessa stuffed her arm back under the blanket. "My mother was...she was a broken woman. Whenever she would hit me or shove me, it wasn't out of anger...I think. It was mostly fear. She was always looking over her shoulder. I never understood why we were afraid. No one ever seemed to pay any attention to us. She even had friends whom she trusted to keep us a secret, but not to keep us safe."

Memories of Pyxis came to her mind. "She went to great lengths to always stay one-step ahead. I don't know why she kept me. She made it very clear my existence was the reason for us to be afraid. I don't know if she ever truly loved me. Actually, I don't think she did."

"Why?"

Vanessa closed her eyes. "On the day Wall Maria fell, my mother has managed to secure my passage onto the ferry. She had been sleeping with one of the commanding officers. But he only let me on board. My mother told me to be strong because she wouldn't be able to protect me anymore. She told me my name was Vanessa Raske, and to never speak my real one. Never."

Vanessa clenched her fists. Even after 5 years, she could recall the feel of her mother's weight when she hugged her for the first and last time. The puffs of her mother's breath on her ear. "She said: 'If the catch you, if they find you...kill yourself. I'm sorry I didn't do it for you.' Then I never saw her again."

"Then the MPs found you," Historia recalled. "The men in black?"

Vanessa nodded. "I still don't know my father's name. My mother never told me. But then Lord Reiss came and made them send me to he south the enlist. I look nothing like him, and neither do you, but..."

Historia thought for a moment. "We have the same eyes. You and I look identical, sure, but...I remember his eyes." She shifted on the pillow she sat on as she recalled something else. "I told Bertholdt we were sisters to save you, but...now I don't think it's so far-fetched."

"No, I don't think it is."

Historia tilted her head. "You...never told me your real name. Back before we set out to rescue Eren and Y..." she paused to collect herself "...Ymir, you almost told me your name."

Vanessa looked away in shame. Historia reached over and placed her hand on Vanessa's knee. "Nothing is more freeing than the truth."

She withdrew her hand to give her sister space. Vanessa took a long and deep breath to summon her courage. She met Historia's gaze and said, "Cassandra Reiss."

One week later...

"Here, Sasha. This one's for you." Jean shoved the crate into Sasha's arms before she could protest.

"What is this?" she demanded, straining to keep hold of it. "It's heavy!"

"It's full of potatoes," he revealed. "Your favorite, remember?"

Jean handed another crate to Armin while he grabbed the last one. Sasha was frowning at Jean over his question. "I'd forgotten about that."

"Oh, don't worry...we're here to remind you."

"Everything's gotten so expensive," Armin noted, purposefully changing the subject. They headed for the house. "We need to be careful and ration these supplies."

"He's talking to you, Sasha," Jean snipped. "You even try to steal any more food, we'll have Captain Levi chop you up into bite-sized, little pieces. Got it?"

"What? I would never," she assured him. "Probably."

"What was that?"

They stepped inside and piled the supplies onto the dining table. Eren was sweeping around, his hair tied back in a bandanna while Cassandra was washing dishes. "We don't need to depend on all these groceries," Sasha pointed out. "We can just go hunt in the mountains."

"We can't," Armin said. "Hunting's prohibited, even all the way out here. What if we get caught by some farmers? Or the game warden? We're trying to lay low. Word travels fast and-"

"Okay, okay, I get it." Sasha threw her hands up in defeat. "I won't hunt...probably."

"I heard that!" Jean snapped.

"Hey, did you guys wipe the mud off your shoes before you came in?" Eren asked.

"Are you kidding?" Jean scoffed in disbelief. "Do you not see all this shit we're carrying?"

"You idiot. You really think an excuse like that is gonna play with Captain Levi?" Eren furred his brows, genuinely worried about Levi's impending anger. "Bad enough I had to make your bed for you this morning then you go and pull this crap?"

"Shut up! Who are you, my mother?!"

"We're back," Mikasa announced.

She entered the room carrying an armful of freshly chopped logs and an axe. Historia walked beside her, carrying the rest of the logs. Armin let out a strange yelp-gasp upon seeing Mikasa. "What're you doing chopping wood? You're still injured!"

"Gotta stay in shape somehow."

"You were grabbed by a titan!" he argued. "You should be in bed recovering!"

"You're wasting your breath," Eren interjected with a sigh. "I caught her doing sit-ups earlier, too."

Jean flinched at that statement. "Oh, so you're a creep, too?!"

"Huh?!"

Cassandra had finished with the dishes and walked over to help Historia pile the logs by the fireplace. Sasha chuckled as she unboxed the crate of bread. "Funny...it kind of feels like we're back in the Cadet Corp."

"Yeah, but it makes you wonder why Commander Raisa chose us for the new Levi Squad...protecting Eren, Chris-" Armin blinked upon realizing his mistake "-I mean, Historia, and Van...Cassandra. Sorry."

"It's fine," Cassandra said. "It takes some getting used to."

He began to reply, but then noticed Sasha stuffing something into her satchel. "Sasha...what did you just put in your bag?"

"It's something thats definitely not bread."

Jean and Armin began bickering, forcing Sasha to confess to the theft. Mikasa was trying to squeeze by them to put the axe away while Eren joined in on the bickering, urging them to help him finish cleaning. Cassandra and Historia watched them, unsure of what to say or how to react. The door opened, but the others were too lost in their argument. Levi and Raisa entered. "What's with all the commotion?"

"Adjusting to the new living situation, ma'am," Cassandra answered.

Levi walked over to the table and wiped his hands under it, feeling a layer of dust. Eren and the others finally noticed the two superior officers and immediately froze. Levi held up his dust-covered fingers. "I thought I gave you plenty of time."

Eren slapped his hand to his forehead in frustration while the others exchanged worried glances. Levi pulled out his handkerchief and cleaned his hands. "Nevermind. We'll discuss your utter failure at a later date."

"If you remember. Eren!" Raisa called. "Hange is anxious to get the experiments under way."

"Right. Yes, ma'am."

The woods, three hours later...

Eren suddenly screamed. He thrashed and roared as his titan body gave out and he collapsed onto the ground. The Scouts surrounding him moved about, their horses uneasy about nearly being squished. Mikasa gasped as she steered her horse out of the way. "Eren!"

"What's wrong, Eren? Get up!" Hange exclaimed. She stood on the small cliff with Levi, Raisa, Moblit, and the Reiss girls. "The future of humanity depends on you, dammit! Get up!"

"Third time and his form's changed again," Raisa noted. "He's not even ten-meters tall, and his body seriously lacks any muscle."

"Plus, Eren's scrawny ass is hanging out," Levi added.

"I can see that," Hange snapped. Eren's emaciated titan body was slowly steaming. "Eren! Think you can still move? Give us a signal or something, will ya?!"

Down below, Mikasa hopped off her horse. "Eren!"

"Mikasa, wait up!" Jean called.

Above, Levi sighed again. "Great. The brat's at it again. She never learns, does she?"

"Hange, I think we're done for the day," Raisa said.

Hange growled in frustration then hopped off the edge, flying down with Moblit and screaming Eren's name. Levi and Raisa watched silently as Hange landed on Eren's back, and began pulling his body. "Hot! Think you can ease up on the steam a little?"

"Hey, be careful with him," Mikasa warned. "Can't you see he's bleeding?"

Hange ignored her. "Whoa! He's practically fused with it! I can't get him free!"

"Hange!"

"He's practically becoming one with his titan form! He might end up turning into a regular titan if we try it once more! Should we?!" Hange continued yanking on Eren with each word. She yanked harder and the tendons holding his face ripped, exposing his real skeleton. Hange screamed and Mikasa joined her. "You see his face, Moblit?! Sketch it! Quick! We gotta get this! His face his gone!"

"Section Commander, have you no compassion at all?" Moblit scolded.

Mikasa drew her blades and cut through the tendons, freeing Eren. Hange fell back onto her rear with Eren still in her arms and his face steaming. "Oh...um, sorry about that."

"Not the outcome we hoped for," Levi told Raisa. "We're still a long way from Eren being able to use his titan to seal the wall."

"True, but that's the whole point for these experiments," she said. "The plan may be strategically sound, but all of it is riding on Eren. It could still work."

"Experiment's over!" Hange announced as Moblit finished his sketch. "Bring the wagon!"

Raisa stepped to the edge to shout down. "All troops, withdraw at once! Canvas the area!"

"Withdrawing!" Keiji answered.

The Scouts spread out, heading off in various directions to ensure they remained unseen. Levi turned back to the Reiss girls. "Both of you, ride back to the house with Eren. We're headed for Trost."

"Yes, sir," Cassandra said.

She turned and steered Historia down along the side of the cliff. By the time they made it down, Mikasa and Hange were loading Eren inside. His face and hands were covered in steam, and Mikasa was on the verge of tears. Hange folded a blanket and placed it under Eren's head. "He'll be fine...I think. He'll be as handsome as ever in no time."

Smith Residence, Trost District, Wall Rose, that night...

"I see. Another failure, then." Erwin tapped his finger on his desk. "Imagine if it had worked. We could've plugged the hole in Shiganshina in less than a day."

Katya gently closed the door behind her and walked over to the coffee table. She set the tray of tea down, and began pouring cups. Raisa accepted her cup and asked, "where are the kids?"

"With mother," Katya answered. "Your boys, too."

"We need information," Levi declared, accepting his cup from Katya. "It's not like there's books on the subject. That would make things too easy."

"What about the Reiss girls?" Raisa asked. "Pastor Nick said they would be able to give us insight into the nature of the walls. They could tell us things that he couldn't."

"Katya did an extensive background check on both of them," Erwin said as Katya set a tea cup down in front of him. "Illegitimate daughters of the Reiss family. Neither of them had happy childhoods to say the least. Oddly, Historia was legitimized as a trueborn child of Lord Reiss just a few days after Wall Maria fell."

"What about Cassandra?" Levi asked.

"The historical records of the Reiss family is by far one of the strangest archives I've investigated," Katya informed. "Both girls are recorded as bastards born to a 'Lord Reiss', but only Historia has been legitimized."

"Okay, so they are sisters."

Katya shrugged. "I don't know. There are records of previous lords, but the dates don't quite match up. The family trees don't look right. Rod Reiss is a mere lord from Wall Sina, yet someone has taken the time to constantly change his family records."

"What do you mean?" Raisa asked.

"The first thing I found was Historia's legitimacy and the Reiss family tree showing only him and Historia. Cassandra was part of it, but not attached to anyone. Once I dug further..." Katya picked up a thick file "...I found older copies of the family tree. Every thirteen years or so...it would change. Names taken off. Children and-or spouses erased. Before the Wall fell, Lord Reiss had a very big family...now, it's as if they never existed."

Levi and Raisa exchanged glances. Erwin stood up and went to the window, scanning the horizon as the sun was setting. "Somehow, Lord Reiss is to the key to all this. A mere regional lord. Why would he know the secrets of the walls?"

Safehouse, westside of Wall Rose, the next day...

Eren pressed the cool cloth to his face. His skin was still warm from hours of healing. Cassandra sat on the edge of the bed, a bowl of cold water in her lap. Eren took a deep breath. "I can't believe I slept a whole day."

"At least you're handsome again," Cassandra noted. "Mikasa won't kill Hange now."

"What?"

"Anyway, how're you feeling?" She took the cloth back and re-soaked it. "Do you remember what happened during the experiments?"

Cassandra gave him the cloth, and Eren folded it up, pressing it against his neck. "No. I don't...I don't remember a single thing. How did it go? Was I able to do it? Harden my titan body?"

She shook her head.

"Nothing at all? Really?"

"Hange checked to see if there were parts of your titan body left behind after, but there wasn't." She set the bowl down on the nightstand. "You really don't remember anything? You transformed, like, three times."

Eren absentmindedly folded and unfolded the damp cloth as he thought. "I remember transforming the first time, beginning the tests, and...nothing. That's it."

Cassandra scratched the corner of her eyebrow. "Well, you can ask Hange later. She and Moblit recorded everything, so they can give you a play-by-play."

"Do I want the play-by-play?"

She made a face. "Probably not."

Eren hung his head. "Great. Ultimately, this means we can't proceed with the mission to retake Wall Maria, right? Because I wasn't able to harden."

"Yeah...but it was only one experiment. Well, three-in-one, but still." Eren raised his head to meet her gaze. "You haven't been doing this for very long, and every time you transformed it was because you had to. Fight titans, lift a boulder, get your ass kicked...you've never really tested your abilities till now. So...don't get too disappointed. I know Hange isn't done with you yet."

Eren took a deep breath. He felt some of his guilt lift, but not all of it. He glared down at his clenched fists. She was right. He had to keep fighting. Cassandra noticed blood oozing out of Eren's left nostril. She grabbed the cloth and held it under Eren's chin, catching the droplet. "You're bleeding."

He re-focused on the cloth she held, and noticed the little red drops in the white cloth. "Oh. Thanks."

He placed his hand over hers, taking the cloth from her. But the moment his fingers touched her skin. A shuddering, simple memory came to mind. He was looking at himself in the mirror, brushing his hair. But he looked different. Older. With long dark hair. He looked like Cassandra or Historia. Eren felt a sharp pain and the image was gone.

"Do you have a fever?" Cassandra asked.

Eren rubbed his forehead, feeling the pain subside. "No, no. Just...a headache."

She stood up, grabbing the bowl. "I can let you rest some more. I'm gonna head downstairs to help with dinner."

"I'll come with you." He threw the covers off.

Cassandra waited by the stairs as he put on his shoes and grabbed a sweater. He followed her down into the small hallway that led to the kitchen. Historia was by the stove, stirring the giant pot of stew. Mikasa was standing beside her, cutting up the fine spices while Conny was at the table, peeling a few potatoes. He glanced up as they walked in. "Oh, hey. You're awake."

"What?" Mikasa whirled around. "What're you doing? You should still be in bed."

"I'm alright. I'm tired of being in bed," he said. Eren walked around to the table while Cassandra went to the sink. "Besides, the least I can do is help make dinner."

"Just...please, take it easy," she begged. "Don't worry about the experiments."

Eren said nothing as he grabbed the knife and a carrot. "All I care about is getting a chance to bring down the beast titan," Conny said. "That hairy bastard took everything from me. I want it dead."

Eren watched Conny warily. Cassandra paused from pulling bowls out of the cabinet. "Conny, careful you don't cut yourself."

He blinked then glanced down at his hands. He hadn't realized he was shaking. The peeler in his hand was dangerously close to his thumb. He set the tool and the potato down. "Thanks, Van...Cassandra. It's about time to switch lookouts." He turned to Mikasa. "You ready?"

Mikasa nodded. Cassandra took over for her in cutting up the spices as they left. Historia turned back to the stew, feelings of jealousy building in her chest. "Must be nice. All of you know what you want even if it won't be easy to get. I don't even know what I'm fighting for anymore."

"Thought you wanted to rescue Ymir," Cassandra said.

"Rescue? No." Historia slumped her shoulders a bit. "At the time, I didn't understand what she was doing. I just wanted her to be safe. Since then, I've been thinking. When she left, Ymir chose her own path. I have no right to change that. She doesn't need me to."

"So, what do you want to do?"

Historia hugged herself. "I don't know."

Cassandra set her knife down. In truth, she was envious of Historia. Yeah, she knew what she wanted. She wasn't sure at first, but when Reiner held her in his palm...when she had that moment of fear that he would squeeze her to death...she knew exactly what she wanted. What she needed. Cassandra noticed her hair was getting into the spices. She hadn't realized it gotten so long.

"Well, at least you started talking," Eren said. "You haven't really said anything since you told us your story. Even stopped smiling."

"Why should I?" Historia asked, shocking Eren. "Sorry, but the sweet little Christa you thought you know...well, she's gone. You can all hate me for it or not. I don't care either way. All I am is...I don't even know what I am anymore."

Cassandra resumed cutting up the spices. "Feeling nothing is something. I know it sounds like an oxymoron, but...you shouldn't have to feel a certain way. Especially not about the Christa façade. Vanessa wasn't nearly as good as Christa, but they were means of survival."

"Well, I didn't really like Christa," Eren interjected. "No one's actually as nice as you pretended to be. It was unnatural and frankly, a little creepy."

Cassandra frowned, eyeing Eren suspiciously. Historia glared at him, but then slumped her shoulders even more. "Oh."

"Now, you're just a normal girl," Eren continued. "Stupidly honest, maybe, but still normal."

"Eren, you wouldn't know normal even if it kicked you in the face," Cassandra said and stuck out her tongue for good measure.

"Why, you-!" He paused mid-snarl, a memory flashing into his mind. "...how did I forget that?"

"Hange and the others are back!" came Sasha's voice. "We're meeting in the main room!"

The three of them entered the great room. Hange and Raisa's squads sat on the couches along the wall while Levi Squad sat at the table. Raisa sat on the armrest of the chair Hange plopped down on. "So...obviously our original goal still stands. Using Eren to plug the hole in Wall Maria."

The teenagers blinked in surprise. "I know a lot has changed, and the results of the experiments were disappointing," Raisa continued, "but we can't lose sight of the future. Our plan might still work. Hange, care to go over the details?"

"Uh, yeah." Hange sighed. "The Garrison is been fully mobilized. More so than ever before, but they don't have nearly enough manpower to contain the chaos thats ensuing. We have to take back Wall Maria. We need stability. Peace."

She furred her brows and met Raisa's gaze. "I want to move forward with more experiments. We need to do everything we can to fully understand his abilities and limits. We don't have time to waste, I know, but...I want Eren to lay low for now."

A silence settled over the room. Raisa and Levi exchanged confused glances. Eren nearly rose from his seat. "What?"

"But why?" Armin asked. "We should keep trying."

Hange rubbed her forehead. "The situation is complicated."

Raisa unfolded her arms and placed her hand on Hange's shoulder. "Tell us. What's wrong?"

"Pastor Nick is dead." She removed her hand and inhaled sharply. "He was found late last night in the Trost. I don't know the exact cause of death...but I know for certain he was murdered."

"Murdered?" Armin breathed.

"I had thought that the church would try to get their hands on Nick once they learned he was aiding the Scouts," Hange continued. "That's why I hid his identity and boarded him in the barracks, but...I never imagined they'd send soldiers to torture and kill him. I was naive. It's my fault he's dead."

"They...tortured him. Presumably for information?" Armin guessed. "Did they just want to know what he passed on to us?"

"Most likely," Levi agreed. "To determine the location of Eren and the Reiss girls as well as the information we have."

"We have shared this information with Commander Erwin, Commander Pyxis, and the rest of the Survey Corps," Moblit informed. "We've turned the tables on the Interior MPs. We're watching them. But...they could change their minds quite easily. They could decide it's not worth hiding in the shadows and use their manpower to locate us."

"We've taken some considerable lengths to ensure this location hasn't been compromised," Harold added.

"Is this why you want to hold off?" Raisa asked.

Hange nodded. "From the moment Eren's powers were discovered, the MPs have been trying desperately to get their hands on him. Granted, recent events have changed things. They're moving into the Garrison's jurisdiction. They're choking down Commander Erwin's authority. They're not even focused on the instability of society!"

She took a breath and rubbed her forehead again. "Look, it's becoming more and more obvious that Reiner and Bertholdt have allies on the inside. We need to be worried about being stabbed in the back while our attention is on fighting them."

"So?" Levi said. "You're saying we should forget about all that and host tea parties instead?"

Hange rolled her eyes, exhaling in frustration. "That's not what I'm saying. But it wouldn't hurt for Eren to lay low...for now."

"For now?" he echoed in disbelief.

Raisa held a hand up, silencing Levi. "Hange...this isn't like you. I understand you feel responsible for Pastor Nick, but from what I've been told...he's not a man who was so easily broken. You said he was tortured...how?"

"What?"

"How was he tortured? Could you tell?"

Hange thought for a moment. "His face was beaten in and...and he was missing some nails. I only saw his left hand, but I think they were all gone."

Raisa nodded, slightly impressed. "Those who talk talk after one. If not, ripping off more won't make a difference. So...it's a safe bet he didn't talk. The Interior MPs have no idea what we know...especially about you Reiss girls. But, the government is up to something and we've got a target on our backs."

The front door burst open, and Nifa entered the room. She tossed her hood down and hurried over to Raisa. "Commander Raisa! Ma'am, I have a message from Commander Erwin."

She handed Raisa a folded note. "I went to tell him about Pastor Nick," Nifa continued, "but he gave me this and sent me off."

Once Raisa finished reading it, she tossed the note into the lantern on the nightstand. "We need to move. Now! Make it look like we were never here."

Within two hours, the safehouse was swarmed with men. The scouts waited on a clearing of the mountain, watching as MPs raided the cabin. Despite being several hundred yards away, Raisa could see the men perfectly in the setting sun. She was surprised the MPs had found the location, so fast except...the men below didn't quite look like MPs. Conny nearly hugged the rifle in his hands. "That was close. What if they had caught us? Would they rip our nails off, too?"

Armin turned Raisa who was loading up her horse. "Ma'am, how did Commander Erwin know they were headed here?"

"Oh, yeah...didn't you say this place was yours?" Conny added.

"My mother's, actually," she said. "Our first home before we moved to the east side. It's surprising they found it at all. More importantly, the government's passed down some new orders. There's been a freeze on all Scout activity outside the wall. We're to hand Eren, Cassandra, and Historia over into MP custody."

"Section Commander, I didn't have time to tell you, but..." Nifa wiped her brow "...some MPs came for the Commander right after I left him."

"What, like he's some kind of criminal?" Hange demanded.

"They're bringing this fight out into the open," Levi noted. "No more working from the shadows."

"They're going to protect the walls' secrets at any cost," Hange said. "But why? And why are they after all three kids? They don't want them dead, so...what're they planning?"

"Who knows," Levi answered with a shrug. "But they want them and they're not being subtle about it. Which makes lingering here dangerous."

"There's another safehouse to the north," Raisa informed, pointing north. "It's a bit of a hike, but they'll be less likely to-"

"We should head to Trost."

All eyes turned to Levi. Raisa shook her head. "That's not a good idea. The Interior MPs were just there."

"Heading toward the interior would be worse. Even if we bypass the villages and towns, the risk is too great," he argued. "With Trost in a panic, it should be easy to slip in. And if things do go all to hell, we can use our ODM gear in the city. We don't know the identity of our enemy yet. I have an idea of how we can change that."

Raisa exhaled in defeat. "Alright. Hange, let us borrow Nifa. I don't have a MO in my squad anymore."

"Sure."

"Harold, go with Hange. You'll have to be our go-between while we're separated."

"Yes, ma'am."

"Let's move out!"

Hange and her squad headed for their horses. Levi and Raisa squad headed for theirs. Levi walked up beside Raisa, stopping her before she could mount her horse. "I get your apprehension, but why are you so hesitant to go to Trost?"

Raisa shook her head, glancing at the men still searching the cabin below. "I don't know. Something doesn't feel right."

Trost District, Wall Rose, the next day...

Levi led his squad through the streets of the downtown area of the district. Eren, Historia, and Cassandra stayed in the middle of the group with Levi, Sasha, and Mikasa standing guard. "Try not to walk clustered together," Levi ordered. "We'll stand out."

Sasha glanced around, noticing the unusual scenery. "Today must be the anniversary of the king's coronation. But this is going a little overboard."

"May I have your attention, please!" called an MP. Levi stopped the group to watch the MPs up on the stage. "King Fritz has heard of the hardships in Trost. He's donating the family reserves. Form a line! There's plenty to go around."

Sasha blinked in surprise. "All that food and he's just giving it away?"

"It's not as if he needs it," Levi said. "Easier to control people when they're not starving."

With that, they continued on. They headed down market avenue, passing through quietly. Levi kept a watchful eye out, and suddenly, he felt a chill crawl up his spine. "Behind us! Lookout!"

Before the kids could react, a carriage rode through the group, knocking them down. Three people scooped up Eren, Cassandra, and Historia. Sasha got up. "Oh, no! Ar...uh, I mean, Christa! Those bastards are getting away!"

Center of the city...

Eren, Cassandra, and Historia sat quietly in the wagon with Raisa. Keiji sat in the driver's bench, steering the horse on a path through the main street. They all felt the wagon come to a stop, and the horse whinny in complaint. "You there!" Keiji yelled. "Outta the way!"

Eren sighed for the 100th time. "Is this really gonna work, Commander? Jean looks nothing like me?"

"Levi feels this is the best way to get our enemies out into the open," she answered. "I have a feeling he's right in that the body-double ploy will work. These people don't know what you kids really look like."

"What makes you say that?" Historia asked.

"The men that raided the safehouse...they weren't MPs."

Historia and Cassandra exchanged glances. "If they weren't MPs, who were they?" Eren asked.

"Amateurs."

"That's odd," Cassandra noted. "Why all this runaround? Can't the MPs just arrest us and spin some sort of story in their favor? What's the point of hiring someone else?"

"Maybe they don't care," Historia guessed.

Raisa said nothing. She knew the Cassandra had a point. Levi's plan was sound, but...something bothered her. She couldn't identify it specifically, just an itch at the back of her mind. Choosing amateurs for this job plays to the MPs' goals for plausible deniability, but...something still isn't right. Raisa turned her attention to the sliver of light coming from the gap of the wagon cover. She could see people moving.

Bang! Bang!

"Was that...were those gunshots?" Eren asked.

A terrified scream caught their attention. Keiji snapped the reins, and the horse took off at full speed. Raisa stood up, prepping her ODM gear. "Are we being attacked?" Eren asked.

"Stay put," she ordered. "Under no circumstances are you-!"

An anchor pierced through the top of the wagon cover and yanked, ripping it clean off. Everyone ducked. Raisa raised her head and gasped as she came face-to-face with a gun barrel.

End of Chapter 18