Chapter 59: Opportunities
Henri Bocker took in the wonderful smells of his labor as he added the final touches to lunch. Rabbit stew topped with mushrooms, garlic, parsley, and a whole assortment of fresh spices. These things were far harder to come by ever since Wall Maria fell, but being able to catch rabbits and purchase the right ingredients for his and Haydn's wedding anniversary made it far more special. He hoped that it would taste as well as it smelled.
"Honey, it smells so good," Haydn said with a beaming smile as she took a whiff of the heavenly aroma.
"I'd wait a few days before thanking me," her husband warned. "For all we know, this was my convoluted scheme to give us all food poisoning."
Chuckling, she kissed him on the cheek. "It's going to be just fine. You're just nervous about today."
"Daddy, I'm hungry," their five-year-old daughter complained for the fourth time.
"Be patient, Ana," he chided. "We're almost done."
"You said that already." Ana was trying to perfect her pouting skills.
Haydn was about to give her a stern warning, but then, the ground started to rumble. It took a second for her to realize the shaking had a rhythm, almost like… footsteps! "Henri!"
Her husband's eyes widened in horror when he came to the same conclusion. "Titans! Take Ana to the bathroom now!"
She knew exactly what he was doing, and she was beside herself. "Henri, no. You can't-"
"Go!" he yelled, taking his rifle off the wall as the shaking grew worse. It was coming for them.
Holding back a terrified sob, Haydn grabbed a protesting Ana by the arm, and pulled her towards the bathroom. Once inside, Hadyn shut the door and locked it. "Ana, be quiet!" she ordered harshly as the two took cover in the bathtub. She desperately hoped that her husband would return safe and unharmed… even if that hope was useless in this situation.
With his wife and daughter safe in the bathroom, Henri inhaled deeply, his fingers turning white from gripping the gun so hard. He said a silent prayer to whatever deity existed before going outside to draw the Titan away. "Down here, you bastard!" he shouted, firing a shot at its head.
The Titan's cheek was grazed, but it slowed to a stop upon seeing him. It gave him a second to get a good look at this thing. Skinless, blonde hair, feminine physique… it didn't take long for Henri to recognize the creature as the Female Titan. The same Titan that devastated Stohess twice, slaughtered countless Scouts during the Expedition, and he just fired a shot at her.
Surprisingly, she didn't look angry. More amused than anything. "Your aim needs a little work," she told him without moving her mouth.
Henri was at a loss for words, nearly dropping his gun in shock. His attention was grabbed when he spotted a young man on her shoulder coated in some sort of liquid.
"Hi there," the teenager greeted with a wave. "Can I borrow your shower please?"
The morale of the 104th was, for all intents and purposes, shot straight to hell. With the utter failure of keeping Eren and Historia escape on top of the original Levi Squad almost completely destroyed, things were looking very bleak. The group had rendezvoused back to the warehouse where they had captured the amateurs from earlier. For now, the only thing any of them could do was figure out the next move while they rested inside the building. Eld was forced to sit against a large box with a crude bandage over his shoulder wound. The round went out the other end thankfully, but it still hurt like hell. Until it healed, there was nothing he could do. The cadets ate slowly, even Sasha, trying to process everything that happened.
Armin couldn't even bring himself to take a single bite of his rations. He could still see himself pull the trigger and the back of the man's head explode with blood and brain matter flying everywhere. He didn't hesitate for a moment. He just… acted. No longer could he call himself innocent. His hands were stained with blood.
"My first kill was when I was eight years old," Levi finally spoke, staring directly in Armin's eyes. "A scraggly man was trying to steal some food I managed to find. I can still smell his putrid breath when we wrestled for the scraps. Even when I stabbed him, the stench didn't change. Just like you, I felt sick to my stomach. I couldn't even stand to look at the food I killed him over. Then, my guardian showed up, and he told me that this was the world I have to survive in. If people are willing to kill each other over the pettiest things, then either die or kill them first." He wasn't the type of man to hesitate, but he knew this information could make or break the squad. They needed to know. "My guardian was Kenny the Ripper."
The cadets' heads popped up, their eyes widening from the shocking news.
"You were raised by a serial killer?" Connie asked, mortified. He looked ready to make a run for it.
The captain nodded. "A killer, a liar, and a complete bastard. He was all I had growing up. He taught me how to survive, so whatever his sins are, I have to thank him for that, at least."
Jean shook his head. "I can't believe how easy it is for you people to dehumanize them."
"If they're trying to kill us, we're not going to hold back, Jean," Mikasa told him sternly.
"So, you'll take as much pleasure as you can killing them, right?" he shot back, glaring at the Asian.
She recoiled briefly from his sharp words. "What? What are you talking about?"
"You enjoyed killing that man who molested Armin," Jean accused with a clenched fist. "You made it a slow death on purpose!"
She couldn't believe what she was hearing. "Like you said, he assaulted Armin," she replied while her eyes narrowed dangerously. "What I did to him was justified, and you know it. Unless you think a child molester should be given a slap on the wrist."
"Hey, guys, knock it off," Connie intervened, trying to make himself heard among the raising voices. "We shouldn't be fighting, okay?"
"Shut up, Connie!" Jean shouted as he shot to his feet along with his current opponent. "You know damn well what my issue is. If you think killing a guy slowly for your own amusement is okay, then I suppose we should give Annie a clean slate since you two have the same fucking mindset!"
Mikasa would have lunged at him were it not for Levi grabbing her by the back of the collar.
"Both of you sit down. Now!" he ordered, his tone booking no argument.
Begrudgingly, the two slunk back on the boxes, though they continued to throw death glares at each other.
"Whether you enjoy the kill or not makes no difference to me," Levi said. "You do what you have to in order to survive. That's the situation we're in. You want to spare lives, Jean, keep your hands clean? Not a single person in this room can count on you. If Armin didn't act, you'd be dead as well. You know that, so just accept it."
Jean gritted his teeth, desperately wanting to scream at the insanity of the whole thing. It was all so much to handle. He wished the entire day was just a long nightmare, but he was wide awake, and there was nothing he could do about it. So, he halted every moral argument building up in his throat and swallowed them. "You're right, Captain," he admitted. "I wish you weren't, but from now on… I won't hesitate again. From now on, it's shoot to kill."
Levi gave a single nod before standing up. "Now, let's give our guest a chance to speak."
The prisoners, all gagged and tied up, were separated into different areas of the warehouse, but the middle-aged man nearby missing most of his hair seemed to be the ringleader. His eyes were twitching out of fear when the captain knelt to his level. Once the gag was removed, the man spoke quickly. "Please, have mercy. I'm just an old merchant trying to make ends-."
"It's you," Mikasa interrupted suddenly, a dark look coming upon her. "You were the head merchant in Trost. You blocked the exit with cargo and almost got civilians killed by the Titans."
"I know this man," Levi confirmed. "Dimo Reeves, right? No use lying to us about your identity."
Dimo grimaced at being found out so easily. Then again, giving his status, he shouldn't have been surprised. Honesty was all he had left to offer. "Look, I didn't even want this damn job. The Military Police didn't give us a choice in the matter."
"How convenient," Mikasa replied suspiciously.
That riled him up. "Let me give you a piece of knowledge about this country, brat. You own a profitable business, and the government owns you in the blink of an eye. And now that we've screwed up our job, they'll take everything we own. I know how they work: kill me, and then stage accidents for my employees, including my idiotic son."
In the corner, the portly, browned-haired man gave muffled protests at that.
Levi scoffed. "So, you're just going to lie down on your fat ass and take it? I've heard stories about a merchant who, after the attack on Trost, offered jobs and good wages. What do you think is gonna happen to the district once all of that disappears? I give them one single month in the winter."
Dimo averted his gaze despite the captain having a point. "You want me to join your cause, don't you?"
"I want to know the location of Eren and Historia," he responded simply. "I doubt the MPs would trust you with that knowledge, so I'll settle for the soldiers that contacted you about the job. We'll take care of the rest."
Dimo gave a sigh that seemed to age him in a matter of seconds. He was too old for all this nonsense. "If I do this, what guarantee do I have that the people of Trost won't starve to death?"
"None whatsoever," was the blunt answer. "That being said, they'll probably be safer with us than without us."
The fate of Trost rested on Dimo's shoulders, and he felt every ounce of it. It was all a risk. If the Scouts failed, so many would suffer, but… he was already dead anyway. He finally stared at Levi and gave his answer. "Better to die trying to help people than die sitting on my ass."
Even though he didn't show it, Levi was pleased. "Good. Then we're in agreement. Connie, tell Sasha we're heading to Dauper village. Make sure her people don't shoot us for trespassing."
"Uh, yes sir." With a proper salute, Connie went outside to go inform Sasha of the news.
While the remaining prisoners were released, Levi was already planning his next moves. He hadn't forgotten what Annie theorized concerning Historia. Now that they were going after an Interior MP, it was time to find out the truth of the matter. "Amsdale, report!"
(A few minutes prior)
Dillon had been in many awkward situations throughout his life. Most of them had something to do with Annie due to his actions, hers, or a combination of both. Hell, he thought getting caught having sex by Levi could never be topped. But taking a bath outside in a large bucket while the very armed owner watched just waiting for the excuse to shoot him, and the Female Titan sitting in the background overlooking the situation? Peak awkwardness at its finest. At least getting her saliva off him was compensation for this.
It had been over two hours since they fled Yarckel District. Thanks to the lack of grapple points, there was no way the MPs could pursue them. Even on horseback, it would take far too long, especially since Annie could outrun steeds easily. When they were far enough away, Dillon suggested they stop somewhere to get some rest and maybe some supplies. If the house was populated, the two could roll with whatever circumstances came their way… even if this particular circumstance was unusual.
"I appreciate you letting me use this," the Psion finally said as he tried to make some sort of small talk.
"Not that you two gave me much choice," Henri growled, the grip on his rifle tightening.
Dillon rolled his eyes. "We didn't threaten you once and we let you keep your rifle. That has to count for something."
"Then why the hell is she still a Titan?" he demanded as his eyes darted to the Female Titan. "Looking for any excuse to crush us under your heel?"
"Consider this an added incentive to not shoot my boyfriend," Annie stated coldly. "If you've got a problem with that, leave."
While it was a reasonable explanation, Dillon didn't completely buy it. Annie was intimidating enough without her Titan form. Hell, she could've just tied the man up to ensure nothing would happen. He had a feeling the saliva-covered woman lying in the grass was the reason.
"Henri, don't provoke them," Hadyn pleaded, grasping his hand tightly. "Please."
The man turned his head to her before embracing her with one arm. "Where's Ana?" he whispered.
"I sent her to her room and locked the door," she whispered back. "She'll be safe."
"Amsdale, report!"
Dillon nearly had a heart attack if his slight yelp and sudden movements were any indication. He ignored the strange looks and responded. "I'm here, Captain Levi."
"What happened?" Small talk didn't exist in Levi's life.
While her boyfriend was busy dealing with the captain, Annie finally felt like she could relax for a moment. Granted, there was a man ready to shoot Dillon and the woman she despised very much was present, albeit unconscious, but it could've been worse. She was concerned about the state of Dillon's mentality. He still didn't open up about what happened, but it was obvious Carolyn played a big role in it. Once she woke up, the blonde would finally get some answers.
Annie's silent musings were interrupted by a slight rustling in the bushes. Her gigantic eyes darted to her right and spotted someone in the bushes. It was much smaller than the average human, and there were soft giggles emanating from… oh, God. It was a runt. A female runt. A child!
Ana had managed to unlock her door from the inside, and slipped down the stairs, following the sounds of voices. Maybe they were playing hide-and-seek! She loved playing games. She stopped in her tracks when she saw the biggest girl she'd ever laid eyes on. And she had blonde hair like her own curls! Her curiosity got the best of her, and she giggled again as she approached the blonde. She crept closer, making a wide circle toward Annie's back, then stopping and tiptoeing toward the Female Titan's crossed legs, fascinated by the huge toes that peeked from under the massive knee. Her gaze trailed upward, and she craned her neck back to look up at the big eyes. Her brow furrowed when she realized something important was missing, and her bright, airy voice finally spoke clearly.
"Why are you not wearing clothes? Mommy says ladies shouldn't run around without clothes on."
Of all the most possible questions, that one had to be asked. The thing stared up at the Female Titan with awe and curiosity like she was some sort of attraction at a zoo. Titans were terrifying creatures, not something to giggle at-it was getting closer. What was it going to do? She couldn't swat the runt away. It was too… small for that kind of treatment. "Dillon, help me!"
Dillon quickly turned around (it was a bit difficult considering he was still in the bucket) and the minute he spotted the source of Annie's troubles, he couldn't help but snicker. "Oh, the horror."
Were it not for the parents' timely intervention, Annie would have raked him across the coals for that remark.
"Get away from our daughter!" Henri shouted, pointing his rifle at the Female Titan.
"Ana, no!" Haydn scooped up the child and carried her back into the house as quick as she could.
"She approached me. I had nothing to do it," Annie told him with narrowed eyes.
"Shut up!" Henri glared at the two with hatred in his eyes. "You want to take our food, our water, fine. If either of you freaks come near my family, I will kill you." With that finality, he stepped inside and slammed the door shut.
Dillon heaved a sigh and climbed out of the bucket. "He's right about one thing. You don't need to be in Titan form right now. You're able to hide the smoke signal."
"We still have to travel, and we're fresh out of horses," she pointed out. "This is the fastest way of transportation we have. You know how much multiple transformations can take out of a Shifter."
He pulled out his clothes from the same bucket and started wringing out the water and soap. It was time to give her the news. "Things didn't go well for the Scouts. Eren and Historia were taken prisoner."
Annie shook her head. "It's really sad when I'm not even surprised by this point."
"Petra and Gunther are dead."
She froze. While she didn't know the two very well, there was a small feeling inside of her that felt sad for their loss. "They were good soldiers. I'm sorry."
"Me too." Dillon pulled on his pants, grunting as the water seemed to weigh his body down, but he would adapt. "Levi wants us to head to Dauper Village. The mountainous terrain and the remoteness of the village should be an advantage against the MPs."
"The village of hunters," Annie mused, a small smile gracing her lips. "I have to admit, I'm intrigued to see this place."
"But first, we have something important to do." Using his powers, Dillon began dragging the large bucket towards his mother.
"Wait, are you about to…?"
"I never did like wasting water." He tilted the bucket down, and a wave of soapy-water crashed into Carolyn.
The lawyer was awakened and rolled over by the assault, sputtering out the liquid that entered her. She heaved, and some saliva was extracted as a result. Her eyes focused, seeing that her son was standing over her without offering a hand to help her. "Dillon, what… what happened?" Carolyn managed out once her coughing subsided.
"The Military Police were trying to kill us all," her son explained. "We managed to get out, but you fainted."
Her cheeks darkened with embarrassment as she brushed back her wet hair to get it out of her face. "I thought she was going to… she put me in her mouth, for God's sake."
"And I'd do it again in a heartbeat," Annie growled as the sides of her mouth stretched slightly. "Just try and test me."
A shiver ran down the lawyer's spine at the thought of being at her mercy again, though vitriol in her tone caught her off guard. "What? Why are you… you betrayed my son. How can you say something like that to me?" Even now, she still had the guts to stand up to the Female Titan. Hell, the fact that she could stand without falling was a feat in it of itself.
There was no way in hell Dillon would give her a chance to relax, a chance to breathe, or even a chance to think. He was going to get what he wanted now. "I know the truth."
Those four words turned Carolyn into a mute, paralyzed in place. It wasn't until she faced Dillon that it became clear what he just said. She was mortified. "Dillon-"
"I know that you're a Marleyan," he went on as if she never spoke. His tone was low, but it contained the cold fury that welled up in his heart. "I know about Project Psion. I know my father was an experiment. I know what you did to him and all those people!" His hands clenched into fists while he glowered into the eyes of the woman he called Mother.
She couldn't bear to meet his gaze for more than a few seconds. There was nowhere to run, and nowhere to hide. "I made a mistake," Carolyn admitted quietly, doing everything she could to keep her composure. "My desires got in the way of all the people that died. I wasn't in charge of the project, but… it was so important to me."
"Create a new breed of humans and eliminate the Titans," Dillon summed up. "As a Marleyan, that must've been your patriotic calling."
Slowly, she nodded. "To see a world without those monsters crawling all over? I would have given everything for that dream."
"Everything being whatever lab rats you could find," Annie said in a contemptuous tone. "How's that dream going now?"
"Back off, Annie," Dillon warned suddenly, his eyes darting to her silver-blue ones. "You want to observe? Then keep your mouth shut."
The Female Titan was taken aback, but it was short-lived as she felt a nice, swell of anger building up. There were a lot of things she could put up with. Disrespectful condescension from her boyfriend was not on the list. Perhaps a not-so-gentle reminder was exactly what he needed to get his head out of his ass.
Dillon anticipated this as he quickly sent her a message. "I need you to trust me, Annie."
That statement alone raised so many questions and quelled her anger for the moment. He was up to something. That much was obvious. Since this was a moment where they weren't fighting for their lives, Annie decided to let this play out.
"When they scrapped the project, it must have been devastating," Dillon commented, gesturing for her to continue.
"I poured my soul into it, and they were going to throw it all away!" Even after 20 years, the frustration was still fresh. "I succeeded. I refused to let those bastards brush it off like it was nothing. That's why I took Matthew. I… I couldn't let everything go to waste." She turned away as tears filled her eyes. The weight of her sins bore down on her with no signs of relenting. "It was all so wrong. Treating them like objects, letting my pride get in the way… of course your father would want to kill me."
Dillon shifted his feet uncomfortably. It was starting to echo Annie's confession.
"Everything changed when we came here. It was a new beginning, a new life. It was a chance for me to make amends to Matthew for what I did. He deserved a better life." A smile slowly formed over her face as her tears dried up a bit. "That's why we ended up in Yarckel. He deserved something better than what he had in Marley. I never expected we would fall in love, but when we had you… it was the happiest day of our lives." When she had the spine to face him, she went a step further and embraced her son tightly. "Dillon, I'm so sorry I'm not who you thought I was, but I love you more than you can possibly imagine. The past is just that: the past. I'm not that person anymore. Please believe me."
The turmoil in Dillon's heart was almost too much to bear. He didn't know what to believe about Carolyn anymore. She was a murderer, yet still she was his mother. He wanted to sink into her embrace and open his heart to her like he once did. One thing stopped him. "Zackley knows, doesn't he?"
The sudden question surprised Carolyn. "What?"
He forced himself to look into her eyes. "He made sure that I wouldn't be executed for treason that day. I used to think it was out of the goodness of his heart, but… that's not true, is it?"
The lawyer breathed out a sigh and shook her head. "No, it's not. When you developed your powers for the first time, he found out. He had been watching me ever since I became a lawyer. He… he wanted you and your father to become part of his crusade against the government. If I refused, he would've had us all killed. The weapons you built and the training? It's what Darius wanted."
Dillon stayed silent after that revelation, processing her words. He closed his eyes, though that did nothing to prevent the tears from streaming down his face. His voice was soft, she had to strain to hear. "I see. You know something, Mom?"
"What?"
When his eyes opened, they were silver and full of rage. "You're lying!"
Carolyn could not stop him from reaching the memory he sought for. It was something she was desperate to hide. No amount of mental defenses could stop him, especially with how powerful he was now.
"Matthew, don't you see?" She hadn't felt this excited in a long time. "This is the opportunity we'd been waiting for. Come on! Let's set up a meeting with Darius."
"Carrie, he's just a child," he protested, grabbing her arm before she could dash away. "You can't expect him to fight the government."
She his hands into hers without losing her beaming smile. "He won't be a child forever. He'll grow, he'll get stronger, and then, we can finally destroy the corruption once and for all."
With an enraged shout, Dillon shoved his mother away from him. "An opportunity!?"
Carolyn clutched her head, the pain from having a memory forced from her guards affecting her. Still, it was dull compared to her secret finally being revealed. "Dillon-"
"You haven't changed a damn bit, Mother," the Psion spat. Each step he took towards her was one step closer to strangling the life out of her. "Project Psion, your job, my father me, it's always been the same to you, hasn't it? Opportunities to be exploited no matter who suffers."
Carolyn backed up until she was up against a tree. Her heart was pounding so hard, it was ready to burst out of her chest and make a run for it. "Dillon, please…"
"Are you proud?" he demanded, his eyes still glowing. "Are you proud of your precious tool, your weapon?" A loud crack filled the air as a fissure in the trunk of the tree appeared. "That's all I am to you. The freak of nature you throw at your enemies!"
"That's not true!" Carolyn wept as she desperately tried to placate him. "It's not that simple!"
"Then for once in your life, tell me why!" Dillon begged. He wanted to break down, punch someone, anything to make this all stop. "Why couldn't I just be your son? Why is that not enough for you!?"
The tree behind her continued to crack until the whole thing exploded off the roots, flying across the ground. She let out a terrified shriek as she tried to get away, but a skinless foot slammed directly in front of her, blocking her escape.
"Going somewhere, coward?"
Annie had long suspected something was off with Carolyn since the day they met. She knew Dillon wouldn't have seen it for understandable reasons, but the Shifter knew an opportunist when she saw one. Marley was crawling with them. Matthew's confession fueled that observation. The extent of how far she was willing to go was something she never saw coming. A child being manipulated into a weapon? Annie was more than willing to allow the red haze consume her.
The mewling lawyer had fallen to the ground, terrified out of her mind. No one would be rescuing her. Dillon, on the other hand, was on his knees with his head facing the ground. Better he not see what happened next.
"You turned your son into a tool," the Female Titan snarled. There was so much she could say, but words were meaningless. Only one thing mattered. She lifted her foot and brought it down hard towards the screaming woman.
Annie's attempted stomp was suddenly thwarted from an invisible force that halted her movement. Her eyes darted to the tear-stricken boy that had his hand out to her. "Dillon, let me go," she said slowly, trying to push through his grip.
Despite the bleeding and the emotional upset he was going through, Dillon didn't budge. "No."
Annie couldn't believe what she was hearing. "Look at what she's turned you into. She's been using you for her own selfish purposes. You're her soldier!"
"This isn't how it ends," he growled as the blood poured from his nose. "Not yet. The Scouts are going to get every piece of information out of her. Once they're through, we'll decide what happens to her."
Another growl emanated from her throat, but in the end, this was his mother. He had every right to make the final call concerning the woman. Heaving a sigh, she backed away.
Wiping away the blood and his tears, Dillon stalked towards Carolyn, who stared up at him with fear. He didn't give a damn about how she felt. "You're going to tell the Scouts everything. If you hold back, I will make you regret it." Hardening his tone and demeanor were the only defenses he had right now.
"D-D-Dillon-"
One well-placed punch from the Psion was enough to knock her out cold. It gave him little comfort doing that, but he wasn't going to regret it. Whatever questions he had left, he would let the Scouts get them. They were less likely to kill her than he was.
AN: Not a whole lot to say, but I have a feeling you guys are gonna volunteer for Carolyn's firing squad. There's a bit more to look forward to concerning her story, but I'll stay quiet on the matter.
Ana is the name of the artist who did some fanart for my story under the name Book-Nose on Deviantart. Please check out her stuff. It's really good.
Another problem I have with Attack on Titan's third season is that, somehow, the Scouts manage to find random cabins and houses in Wall Rose's territory. I decided on giving Dauper a highlight next chapter so we can explore the birthplace of Potato Girl.
I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, I look forward to your reviews, and I'll see you all in the next one.
