Chapter 57: Enter the Ripper
Getting into Wall Sina undetected was far easier than people made it out to be. Well, easy for a Titan Shifter at least. All Annie had to do was travel to an area of the Wall where there were no houses, transform, and use her hardening to climb up a column. She knew that the Titans in the Wall were not part of the column, so the holes she made when she dug her fingers in them would not be detrimental to society.
"You don't have to cling to my face, you know," the bemused Female Titan pointed out. "My hair is stronger than you give it credit for."
"I'm not taking any chances," Dillon shot back anxiously as he clenched her skin harder.
The Psion was more than a little annoyed that he couldn't use his ODM gear to scale the Wall, but given that getting the tanks replenished would require a miracle. Instead, her opted to wrap Annie's hair around him tightly while gripping her head like his life depended on it. Without the gear, heights were not his thing.
Once they made it to the other side, Annie hardened her body and disposed of it. At least the MPs wouldn't be able to track them without the large plumes of steam. Given that Wall Sina's territory was so close to the capital, there were far more cities within than forests and villages. The forests that did exist were much smaller, which is where the two made camp in. They couldn't even put on a fire without risking the MPs discovering them. All they had for light was the moon, which was more than enough for the Shifter to get to work on Dillon's disguise.
"Quit flinching," Annie ordered, using a boot knife to cut his hair. "I'm more likely to stab you if you keep moving."
"Well, that makes me feel better," Dillon responded sarcastically. "I never liked getting a haircut."
"Afraid they'll mess up your perfect style?" she taunted with a roll of her eyes. "You're lucky I'm not cutting it all off."
"People using sharp objects on me freak me out a bit," he admitted with embarrassment. "I always think I'm going to lose more than just my hair."
"And you're not allowed to stab your barber. I can understand your trepidation." Finally, she pulled away and rinsed off the knife with one of their canteens. "That should be good enough."
Using a shard of glass, Dillon stared at her handiwork. His hair that was once curly became a thin layer covering the top of his head. He grimaced at the unfortunate style, but if it meant blending in, it was a small price to pay. With a sigh, he put the glass aside. "Glad the knife had other uses than just stabbing people."
Curious, she gazed at the initials and read M.A. "I thought you had two. What happened to the other one?"
"Last time I saw it, it was sticking out of my father's chest," he answered softly. "Never did get the chance to replace it."
Annie handed it back to him, a sympathetic look on her face. "People say it gets easier as time goes on. Not for us."
He nodded in agreement and sheathed it in the scabbard. "Sometimes, I wonder if I made the right choice going against him. Maybe he and Elise could've helped us all against our enemies."
She took a seat on her sleeping bag. "And other times?"
"Other times, I know he would've gone after you and possibly our commanders down the line," Dillon added bitterly.
"You know you can't change the past, Dillon," the Shifter said. "So, why keep going down the what-if road if it gets you nowhere every time?" She gazed at the small campfire and heaved a sigh. "Damn it, I do it, too. What if I never joined the Warrior program? What if I went home sooner? What if I didn't kill Marco? I never stop asking myself those questions."
The blacksmith stared at the stars that weren't covered up by the clouds. "I guess the best thing we can do is ask ourselves what we're going to do next."
"We're going to be killing humans." Once again, there was an edge in her tone. "All for the greater good."
He pursed his lips at the thought. "I'm not looking forward to it, but if I have to, I will. All I know is that if we don't give them everything we've got, we're dead, and the country is doomed."
"The human race is so full of shit no matter which side we're on. We need a do-over," Annie declared, flopping onto the bag with her back towards her boyfriend. "Wipe the slate clean and try again."
"Maybe, but not everyone lives the life we do."
That brought her to a brief silence as she let the words sink in. "No one should ever experience it. Maybe now… I fight so that doesn't happen."
Dillon pondered his next move carefully, but he knew it needed to be done. "I need you to promise me something, Annie." His lowered voice carried a warning. "There's no avoiding a fight, and I know you'll turn into a Titan to gain the advantage. What you did to Jensen, to Elise, and a hell of a lot of other people… don't. Not again."
Those dark urges always existed every time she was a Titan. Brutal deaths were inevitable, but the sadistic tendencies she carried begged for satisfaction. She wanted to make those disgusting MPs squirm before they died. And yet, she had to hold onto the fear she experienced when she was in Dillon's mind. It was the only way to stop herself. "I promise."
The tense silence didn't fade until after they fell asleep.
(Trost District)
Bait and misdirection, the two terms every Scout worth their salt were intimately aware of. Fighting Titans who thrived on devouring humans forced them to employ these tactics. The same rules applied for going up against humans, even if Mikasa abhorred the idea. It was bad enough that Eren and Historia were on the other of the District without her, but using Jean and Armin as body doubles to lure the enemy out of hiding took the cake. The fact that Armin resembled Historia more than Annie ever could made it worse. Sadly, it wasn't Mikasa's call to make, and her childhood friend was determined to succeed in this ploy.
Walking into Trost slightly clustered together put targets on their back, leaving little surprise when the enemies made their move. How the move was made shocked the whole group. Two men charged on horseback with a cart attached and grabbed the body doubles as they were passing by. Brazen tactics in full view of the civilian populace? Not a great look.
"Arm-! I mean, those bastards took Eren and Krista!" It was a miracle that the kidnappers didn't turn around right after Sasha's unconvincing performance.
As planned, the remainder of the team pursued them with their ODM gear, being careful to avoid catching the kidnappers' attention. Considering they just swiped two children, soldiers or not, the civilians were far less likely to report the Scouts to the Military Police. They followed them from the rooftops until they came to a stop at a small warehouse. Jean and Armin were dragged inside quickly, giving the Scouts time to surround the building. One of the kidnappers exited the warehousr and took off to inform his employer of their catch. Sasha, Levi, and Connie kept an eye out for the reinforcements that could show up while Mikasa peered through the window to check on how the disguises were holding up, ready to pounce if necessary. What she saw made her queasy and furious.
Expectedly, Jean and Armin were tied to chairs opposite of each other. What wasn't expected the remaining kidnapper rubbing his hands all over Armin's chest, whispering disgusting, perverted things in his ears. The blond looked ready to scream, shutting his eyes tightly while the molester kept going. Mikasa's blood boiled and she almost smashed through the window to cut the bastard into several pieces were it not for Levi yanking her back.
"The hell are you doing?" he demanded, pinning her against the wall just to be on the safe side.
Mikasa's dark eyes glared into his. "He's pawing all over Armin. You can't expect me to stand by and let that happen." If the captain even thought of letting this go for the sake of the mission, she would gut him where he stood.
Levi only hesitated for a few seconds before releasing her. "Do it quickly and hide the body."
Mikasa was taken aback by the sudden conscience he had, though she got over it quickly. "Of course, Captain," she replied, preparing to sneak inside.
"I'll check on Eren and Historia," he told her. "Once you apprehend the amateurs in charge of this fiasco, all of you rendezvous with me. Is that clear?"
She nodded. "Yes, sir. We'll take care of it."
Satisfied, Levi took off without another word.
Getting inside the building was the easy part. The windows were hopelessly unlocked and unguarded, causing Mikasa to wonder how this place hadn't been robbed before. Still, an unlocked entrance with no creaking sound attached to it was a miracle she would accept in a heartbeat. Quietly, she hopped down to the ground level with the help of the wooden supports. Seemed the guard was too preoccupied with Armin to pay attention.
"Come on," the scumbag sneered lecherously, gripping Armin's chest tighter. "Just one little moan."
Whimpers escaped Armin's throat as tears filled his eyes. That was the final straw.
Mikasa charged from her hiding place and grabbed the man by the back of his collar, pulling him away. He had no time to even think of a way to defend himself as she smashed her fist into his face. Her abnormal strength paid off when he staggered back into a stack of boxes. She was right on him when she plunged a blade deep into his chest. It was like dipping a knife into butter. Effortless. Blood seeped from the fatal wound as he began choking. Mikasa just stood there and watched him die, her expression colder than ever before.
"M… Mikasa!" Armin's voice snapped her out of it and she faced him. He looked mortified more than anything, but was to be expected after what he just went through.
"I'm sorry I didn't intervene sooner," she lamented quietly, pulling out the now-red blade from the corpse.
Jean didn't know what to think. On one hand, the sick bastard had it coming. People like didn't deserve to even have hands. That being said, he was more than a little unnerved by Mikasa's ruthlessness. He could easily see Annie and Levi doing that without feeling a damn thing, but to see that from Mikasa felt… wrong.
Connie poked his head through the window. "We've got company," he announced in a loud whisper. "Four men heading this way."
With a grunt, Mikasa dragged the body behind some in the back. There was no chance at cleaning the blood trail left by the body, so she would have to act fast before they spotted it. Still, she took the time to cut Jean and Armin's bonds. "Get ready," she told them. She took cover in a narrow space between two crates just as the men entered the warehouse.
"You sure these two are Eren and Historia?" the man in front asked. His voice sounded familiar but she couldn't remember where she heard it.
"They match the descriptions," another man answered. They were beginning to pass by Mikasa's hiding spot.
"Wait, where's the guard… and what the hell is that smell?"
Mikasa sprung into action, leaping into the air and kneeing one of the men in the face. He went down hard while slammed the second one into the ground with such force, the floor cracked. Now, there were only two left. Fearfully, a portly man with brown hair tried pulling a gun on her, but he failed to shoot even when she dashed towards him. He deserved the spin kick that sent him flying into a few crates, breaking them on impact. Jean and Armin finally made their move by rushing the first two men that Mikasa took down.
"Don't try anything," Jean growled as he tied him up.
Pinning the leader of the group to the floor, Mikasa asked, "Are there any more, Connie?"
"Nope! Just those four," he assured. "We've got them covered.
None of the Scouts noticed the leader slowly pulling out a gun… except for one.
An arrow pinned the weapon to the ground, causing both the man and Mikasa to recoil.
"You try that again, and the next one goes in your ass," Sasha warned from her perch, drawing another arrow.
"Tie them up and leave them here," Mikasa ordered. "Levi wants us to meet up with him."
Despite how smoothly the operation went down, none of the cadets relaxed. Experience taught them that if there was a chance for something to go wrong, it would. The only question was when things would fall apart.
(Mitras)
As per usual for Wall Sina, the streets were bustling with assortments of activity among the populace. However, whereas the Districts had sellers to attract civilians into a crowd, the common crowd was the army of carriages coming and going throughout Mitras. Traveling was by no means rare, but with the massive population within the capital, there was little wonder as to why the roads were so congested.
Unfortunately, because people walking were far more uncommon and more likely to be checked by MPs, the situation forced Dillon and Annie to take separate carriages. Staying together would draw attention, but apart yet close was the best strategy. Annie managed to secure glasses, wore her hair down, and even tried being gentle.
"Could you please take me to the library, please?" she requested, channeling her inner Krista Lenz. Her nausea was disguised with a smile.
The driver nodded with a warm smile and went so far as to open the door. "Of course."
Dillon, on the other hand, had his own version of charm, especially when his disguise didn't fool his driver for more than two minutes. Like Annie, he also sported glasses, but his face still remained the same. Perhaps he should've gone all the way and became bald.
"I'm certain you have people that appreciate you in this life," Dillon said in a cool, low tone as to not attract attention. "People that would be very unhappy if you did something stupid. So, here's what you'll do: you will take me to Mitras Cafe, I will pay you, and then you go home to be with your family. You try anything to get in my way…" He flashed his eyes briefly to drive the point home.
The driver looked ready to faint on the spot as he complied quickly.
As they traveled, Dillon slumped in his seat. He was already on edge and the meeting hadn't even started. Being surrounded by people that could attack him at any moment plus the fact his driver knew his identity, things would get complicated fast.
"If you don't relax, you're going to expose yourself," Annie warned in his mind.
He resisted the urge to sigh. "I'm no infiltrator. I already had to threaten my driver to stay quiet. Can't imagine how you three managed all this time."
"Years of preparation and powerful motivators," she explained. "You're at a disadvantage, but you have to focus on why you're here. Don't let your anxiety blow the whole thing."
It took only fifteen minutes to reach the cafe, which was only a block from the library. Keeping the cloak wrapped around him tight to hide the ODM gear, he stepped out, tossing his driver a small bag of coins. His supply of money on hand was just about gone, so if he wanted an income, the Scouts needed to come out on top.
He took a seat at a table that gave him a view of the road and the surrounding buildings. His eyes darted at every person and every carriage. It was two minutes until 10:00, and he would be completely attentive. Of course, whenever the MPs were passing by, he was conveniently distracted by the menu or the glass of water he ordered just happened to obstruct his face. If Kyler was still alive, she would probably ream him for his lackluster attempt to blend in.
The logical part of Dillon kept demanding him to walk away. The Scouts needed him and Annie during the revolution, not split off from the group to get personal answers from the old man. However, Dillon's desperation included an ill-conceived counter: if the revolution failed, then this would be the only chance he had to find the truth. In the end, it was a selfish desire and he was going through with it no matter the consequences.
Finally, he spotted a carriage that was part of a small convoy. Seemed like the Supreme Commander couldn't travel without his entourage of soldiers protecting him. Through the window of the carriage door, he spotted Zackley staring directly at him. That was Dillon's cue to establish the link.
"Can you hear me, Commander?" the Psion asked after a brief flash of his eyes.
"So, this is how the mind link works," Zackley began with a tone of intrigue. "Very interesting and very useful in the right situations."
"Like avoiding a face-to-face meeting to keep the government from coming after you," Dillon said as he took another sip of his water. "I applaud your cautiousness, sir."
He brushed off the compliment and got down to business. "In the trash bin behind the restaurant is a useful tool you're going to need. Retrieve it, and only then, we will talk."
Dillon resisted the urge to sigh in annoyance and casually walked to the back. Sifting through trash was not his idea of a productive use of his time, but Zackley was calling the shots. At least it wasn't fertilizer. Quietly, he brushed away all the discarded food and other trash until his hand landed on something metallic. He pulled it out to see that it was a sheathed falcata. A familiar falcata.
"This is the falcata I gave Annie," he realized, shocked that he was seeing it again. "I thought the MPs seized all her weapons and mine from the Forge."
"They did, but I was able to convince them to grant me custody of that particular weapon after the trial ended," Zackley explained. "A reminder of our ever-changing fate, and the knowledge of what was to come."
Carefully, the blacksmith tucked the weapon inside his cloak. "You're talking about the government turning against us."
"Don't delude yourself into believing they were ever on your side," he warned sternly. "They've been looking for an excuse to dissolve the Scout Regiment for years. And now, thanks to you and Commander Erwin, they can do so without any backlash from the people. What little supporters you had are gone."
Dillon visibly winced at the blow. While Stohess was always going to end badly, allying with the instigator of that atrocity was the best way to stab the people in the back. No justice for any of the fallen. "Is there any good news?"
"You wanted answers, so here I am to fulfill your wish."
He couldn't place it, but there was something off about the man's tone. It annoyed him that he couldn't figure out why, so he focused on the matter at hand. "It's something I should have asked a long time ago, but I just accepted it as a part of my life within Wall Sina."
Zackley chuckled, a foreign gesture from the man he knew. "Your mother was quite skilled in keeping you from asking the important questions. Made it easier to mold you into the man you are today."
From those words alone, Dillon felt a pit forming in his gut. "And how would you know that?"
"It's easy to accept a lifestyle at such a young age when it's drilled into your head. 'The government is corrupt.' 'The Military Police are full of swine who would break laws to get what they want.' Sentiments you've now accepted in your life as truth." The more the commander-in-chief talked, the more goosebumps appeared on Dillon's skin. "Of course, those two are irrefutable facts, but keep bringing it up and focusing on these things is bound to give you a feeling of anger."
"Where the hell are you going with this?" the Psion growled, clenching his fist.
"I'm surprised you haven't figured out. Or, maybe you have and you don't want to admit the truth." The tone in Zackley's voice was oozing with smugness, something that made it seem like Dillon was speaking to someone else. "But truly, I kept your family protected out of the kindness of my heart."
"You're a clever man, sir," Dillon replied. "There's no way in hell you would risk your position for our sakes out of simple virtue. There's an ulterior motive."
"You wound me, son. You think so badly of me?"
Dillon was ready to kick over the trash bin as hard as he could, but he managed to hold back at the last second. No need to draw attention. "Quit playing games with me and tell me the truth."
"Very well," Zackley conceded. "You are free to peruse through my memories if you doubt my claims. In fact, I recommend you do so to get the full perspective."
The blacksmith prepared himself for the images he would be seeing. Already, he felt like the worst would hit him at any moment.
"I remember the first time I encountered your mother. Headstrong, fiery, ambitious, and quite amusing. It was quite entertaining the way she treated the courtroom as a battlefield, but she was a clever woman. When she began winning cases for her clients, the government began growing concerned. Naturally, that would entail her execution along with her husband. I decided to give her one chance to prove her worth, be someone worth living in this country."
A memory began to unveil itself in Dillion's mind. He was sitting in an office with only a desk separating himself from a much younger Carolyn. A bulge in her stomach revealed she was pregnant, though he doubted that would slow her down.
"You're making quite an impression, Mrs. Amsdale," Zackley noted. "There are few people who would take such a stand in the courtroom."
"It's that reason why I'm doing this, Supreme Commander," Carolyn responded coolly. No sense in trying to hide her motives from a calculating man like him. "People stay silent when deception and injustice rule, so I can't sit idly by while it happens."
"Your sentiment is to be commended, but it will not get you far," he told her bluntly. "The government sees you as an annoying thorn in their side, and I view you as nothing more than entertainment." He leaned closer to her with a hard look on his face. "Tell me, Mrs. Amsdale: why should you not be swept away?"
Her brave exterior remained, though anyone could see that it was just a farce. Unless she could answer him, her life and the lives of her family would be forfeit. Heaving a sigh, she removed a golden necklace from underneath her shirt. "Open it, and tell me what you see."
Curious, Zackley took the jewelry and opened the pendant at the bottom. Inside was the smallest painting he had ever seen… except it looked too real to be a painting. A small girl and her mother were frozen in time smiling at him. "What… what is this?" he asked.
"You think this country is the only one that contains humanity," she told him, her tone reeking of confidence. "You think you're the only ones left. You have no idea what goes on in the world around you, but I do. Tell me, Supreme Commander: are you ready to throw all that knowledge away?"
The man finally tore his gaze from the picture and allowed a smile to creep onto his face. "I believe we can come to an arrangement."
The memory faded away, allowing Dillon to finally speak up. "All this time, you knew the truth."
"It's why I gambled so much on you and the Shifters," he replied. "With the threat of the Marleyans, having you three killed would have crippled this country, left us defenseless against our real enemies. Carolyn was clever, though. Knowledge kept her alive and she took advantage of my curiosity. In exchange, I convinced the government that she could do no real damage. She could satisfy the few without causing turmoil. If she ever became a figure that would be rallied behind, then she could be extinguished."
Dillon let out a relieved sigh. It wasn't as bad as he thought it would be. "So, that's why you put us under your protection."
"At first, that was the case. Then, seven years later, she and her husband came to me with a proposition."
Once again, the memory of Zackley's office appeared, but this time, Carolyn was accompanied by Matthew. Unlike before, she conveyed an air of well-restrained excitement while Matthew had determination on his expression.
"We have a proposition for you, Darius," Carolyn began. "I've told you a lot about the country we're from, but what I failed to tell was about a certain project we were a part of. Matthew, would you demonstrate?"
With a nod, the blacksmith's glowed silver, and a book that was on his desk began to float in the air.
Zackley recoiled, a natural response to an unnatural phenomenon. "What the hell is this?" It was one of the few times he had ever lost his composure.
"This is an opportunity," Carolyn answered with a grin. "Recently, we discovered our son contains these same abilities. Unlike Matthew, they weren't injected into him; they were inherited from his father."
"So there are two people within these Walls with this power," Zackley whispered in awe. "Fascinating."
"I've accepted a long time ago my efforts to turn the tide against the corruption were useless in the long run," she went on. "In light of that, there's only one solution: eliminate it by any means necessary."
Yet again, the Supreme Commander found himself smiling. "You mean to start a revolution."
She nodded in confirmation. "Once Dillon is old enough and strong enough, we will launch a coordinated attack and dethrone those bastards for good. They will have no defense against what my husband and son can do."
"It will take some time to train him to fight against their forces," Matthew finally spoke as he put the book back down. "But we will be ready. They will never see us coming."
Dillon forcefully yanked himself away from the memory and staggered back until he hit the wall. He thought nothing could surprise him anymore, that the people he loved sunk the lowest they could. This… he didn't know what the hell this was.
If Zackley thought the boy was suffering, he twisted the knife further. "You were always meant to fight against the corruption, Dillon. To let your powers go to waste would be a great disservice to this country. You are the greatest weapon we have ever received."
Every memory of his life before the military passed through his eyes. Learning to fight with special techniques, becoming stronger with his Psion powers, creating all sorts of lethal weapons under the guise of doing business… this was what it all added up to. He was a tool forged in the fires of opportunity.
Throughout all this, the man just kept talking. "Now, when you're done feeling sorry for yourself, you should probably go save your mother."
Dillon's head snapped up, his fury building up ever so slowly. "What the hell are you talking about?"
"You're a wanted man, Dillon. Who do you think the MPs will target to get to you? I can't protect criminals, so consider my protection eradicated. Of course, the smartest tactic would be to save yourself, but you don't have the spine to make that choice again." The tone of Zackley's voice gave way to the cruel man he truly was. "You're hoping for a lie from your precious mother to soothe your soul. It's a shame you can't accept the reality of what you are, Dillon. Maybe then, you could become the sharp edge this country needs instead of the boy who wallows in self-pity."
The Psion imagined an egg breaking, and he hoped that Zackley's skull would be that easy to crush. This man reveled so much in his superiority, his ego, it made Dillon sick. "When this is over, you son of a bitch, I'll-"
"You'll be a good boy and behave yourself," he interrupted coldly. "I am the Supreme Commander of this country. You can't do anything me without damning the Scout Regiment for good, not to mention your life. Now, I'm going to have an early lunch. You should get going."
In a fit of rage, Dillon threw off his cloak and took to the skies. There were shouts coming from below, but he didn't care. "Annie, we need to get to Yarckel!" he shouted audibly and mentally.
A second later, his girlfriend followed in his actions, trailing right behind him. "Dillon, what happened?"
"The bastards are going after my mother," he snarled, his vision filled with red. "We'll talk later!"
He purposefully ignored everything Annie had to say as he traveled east towards the Yarckel District. Zackley was right about one thing: the last chance for truth was currently laying in the hospital. He would get to the bottom of this no matter what it took. He truly hoped that there would be a battalion of MPs between him and his mother. He needed to vent, even if it meant killing every single person that got in his way.
(Trost District)
From on top of a roof, a cloaked Levi watched the covered wagon carefully as it traveled through Trost. Any MP with a single strand of intelligence would investigate an obstructed wagon being driven by a well-known Scout, which, in this case, was Eld. Putting him, Eren, and Historia in harm's way like this perturbed Levi, but if this was necessary to fight the enemy, so be it.
Petra, after scouting the area, finally joined Levi as Eld was shouting at a crowd to move out of the way. "Still no MPs in sight, Captain," she said, keeping her hood on tight. Gunther was on a nearby rooftop as backup. "How'd the body double mission go?"
"It was a success," he answered without even sparing her a glance.
Petra knew that tone all too well. "Something's bothering you."
"The kidnapping was sloppy," Levi explained. "The Military Police have the decency to be cautious, especially when their reputation is on the line. So, why change tactics now?"
There was a hidden objective within this, and yet, Levi couldn't see it. That bothered him the most. There were only two people in his life he could never get a good read on: Erwin and… no, it couldn't be. Not him. "Petra… have you ever heard of Kenny the Ripper?"
The ginger-haired woman gave him a look of confusion. "Of course. The mass murderer that slit the throats of a hundred MPs. People seem to think he's an urban legend."
His dark eyes finally fell upon hers. "And what do you think?"
Despite the uncomfortable coldness she felt, she gave him an answer. "I think… he's someone that did exist. Captain, what does this have to with the situation at hand?"
Levi looked away from her and observed the wagon intently once more. "You're right. He's not a figment of someone's imagination. He's real. When I was a kid in the Underground, he raised me to survive, made me the man I am today."
Petra's eyes widened in horror. "What? But he's…"
"No one gets the luxury of adult influencers when they're too young to speak," he went on. "In some ways, I was lucky to have him as my guardian. In other ways, it would've been better if I just faded into the ground along with everything else."
Once the shock passed by, The woman gave him a sympathetic look. The temptation to offer her apologies was really high, but she knew he wouldn't like that. "For what it's worth, I'm glad you're here."
Levi didn't understand why he was being open with Petra now of all times. He had a job to do: protect Eren and Historia from their enemies. Besides, a man like Kenny wouldn't work with the Military Police. Like him, he was a thug and a bastard. But this whole situation, it really felt like… Eren and Historia weren't the bait. Levi Squad was!
"Petra!"
In one second, Petra turned to face him with another confused look. In the next second, the front of her head exploded into a shower of blood and gore. It sprayed over Levi's arm that stretched to grab her, his face frozen in a look of horror. More gunshots were fired and he heard Gunther's scream in the distance. They got him, too.
Following his instincts, Levi took cover behind part of the roof. Even from that vantage point, he could still see the lifeless form of Petra. She had so much hope for the future, one of the few specks of light in the dark world. One sho extinguished that beautiful light forever.
"Well, Levi, it's been a while, hasn't it? Have you grown up yet?"
The captain stiffened, know that voice all too well. With every step that approached him, he knew who was coming.
Throughout the sky, several soldiers grappled around on ODM gear, though theirs were slightly modified. Instead of blades, they had guns. Useless against Titans and perfect against humans. They were all converging on him.
With a whoop, Petra's murderer swooped around to face Levi, aiming two guns at his head. His hair had grown a bit longer, but that same wild expression he knew all those years ago had returned with a vengeance. "Nope! You're still a runt, boy," he crowed with a manic grin.
With nothing left to hold him back, Levi screamed a single word. The word truly conveyed the pain he felt losing his squad from such an underhanded maneuver. It allowed a venting point for the fury that consumed his entire being once again. Above all else, it was a promise that his comrades, his friends, would be avenged. "KENNNNNNYYYYYYY!"
AN: At long last, Kenny has arrived. Now, we can really get things going. Big AU incoming so bear with me, please.
The deaths of Levi Squad was a moment I had been planning for a long time, especially Petra's death at his hand just to twist the knife further. I have a feeling you guys saw this coming, but I hope I did the scene justice. While I won't spoil it for you guys, this act of murder has opened the door to quite a few possibilities with Kenny.
On a smaller note, I have a rant I'd like to go on. When I saw this episode in theaters, when we got to the scene of Armin being molested, I was disturbed, but do you know what made it worse? Many people in the theater were laughing at this scene. I know everyone has their own sick sense of humor, but this… I was disgusted. It made the scene far worse, and it will ALWAYS be a point where fans of the show sunk pretty damn low. Even worse, Mikasa remains completely casual while her childhood friend is getting assaulted. Um, what!? Considering what happens in the future AND she values Armin, I believe she would kill the guy.
And now, we talk about Dillon. There is just no end to his misery, is there? Sadly, the reason this is the direction I went is because knowing what I know about Zackley and Wall Sina, it was the only thing that made sense to why the Amsdales lived so long, and it explained everything. From Dillon's skills at fighting, to building weapons, to his opinion of the MPs, it all added up to this. I will be very interested in what you have to say.
I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, I look forward to your reviews, and I'll see you in the next one.
