AN: I've gotten a few people asking me for my thoughts about recent revelations concerning the manga recently. I'm not going to give anything away, but I have already made up my mind on how this story is going to end, canon be damned. I will give my thoughts on how I feel concerning certain… developments within the manga, but it will take awhile before we get there. All I will say is three words: I'm not impressed.


Chapter 65: Stepping Up

Why did I volunteer for this? That question repeated in Armin's head as he waited outside the door of the interrogation room. Breathing exercises failed to calm his nerves since whatever happened next determined the fate of the Scout Regiment. No, that wasn't it. Dealing with Titans sounded much more preferable than performing an interrogation. Perhaps it was because it was a test to see who could crack first. Playing mind games with a man who was part of a corrupt government was easier said than done.

"Armin, don't be so nervous," Mikasa advised at last. "You can handle this."

He let out a sigh, trying to relieve some of the stress. "Sorry. It's just… this day doesn't seem to end." It took him a second to decide to change the subject. "How are you holding up, Mikasa?"

The Asian glanced away briefly out of shame. "I shouldn't have lost it like that. We're supposed to be on the same side." Once again, she found herself fiddling with the scarf. "I'm-"

The door swung open, catching their attention as Moblit stepped out. He shut the door before addressing the duo. "He's shackled to the chair, so he's not going anywhere." His light brown eyes stared directly at Armin. "The only reason I'm letting you take charge is because you have a history of coming up with good plans even during bad situations. Don't make me regret this."

"I understand, sir," Armin replied, hiding whatever anxieties he had remaining under a mask of bravado.

"Mikasa, you and I will provide backup in case something goes wrong," he instructed her. "Don't interfere unless absolutely necessary. Is that clear?"

She nodded. "Yes, sir."

No turning back now. Armin thought as he entered the room.

Per the usual standards, Sannes's wrists were tied to the arms of the chair and his legs were bound to its legs. There was no chance of him escaping. Still, it didn't hurt to have a contingency ready, which is why Moblit and Mikasa stayed in the back while Armin approached the man.

"So the Scouts allow children to conduct torturous interrogation," Sannes said with disdain. "Just another despicable crime the Regiment will answer for."

Armin slowly dragged a chair over to the shackled man and sat down once he was directly across from him. "You tortured and murdered Pastor Nick, Corporal. How do you sit there and condemn us when your own hands are dirty?"

"Because I serve the greatest purpose, boy," he answered, a slight tinge of pride in his tone. "To protect this country above all else. If I have to commit atrocities in service to that, so be it."

"Everything you've done has been to hide the truth from us," Armin shot back angrily. "That's not protection, and you know it."

The corporal shook his head in disappointment. "You really don't get it, do you? Are you so desperate to hold onto the concept of good people only doing good things?"

He narrowed his eyes at him. "I want to hear you try to justify your atrocities. The secrets, the murders, all of it. We know so much of what you're hiding, so look me in the eye and explain it."

"Armin…" Mikasa warned softly.

"Let him be," Moblit said just as quiet. "He knows what he's doing."

"I doubt that very much." Sannes stared point-blank at his face without hesitation. "It seems I'll have to explain this so a child can understand. Tell me: why did you lie to Annie Leonhart?"

Armin was taken aback by the question. "What?"

"You could have told her that you figured out her identity," he elaborated. "Instead, you deceived her in an attempt to capture her. We'll ignore the fact that it's because of your incompetence that hundreds of people were senselessly killed for now. Focus on figuring out why you didn't tell her the truth."

The blond decided to humor the MP and answered, "If I had told her, it's highly possible she would have tried to escape, or transform in an attempt to find Eren herself. There's no way to know for sure, but the situation would have been bad one way or the other."

Sannes nodded in agreement. '"The truth will set you free?' A fine lesson for the children of this world, but it disregards the fundamental truth of humanity, Armin. We are a destructive race, prone to violence when our comforts are removed, or when fear drives our actions. Humans can turn into Titans. Who's to say that, in the blink of an eye, your friends, your loved ones, your neighbors won't turn into Titans in the blink of an eye?"

"But that's not how it works," Armin protested rapidly.

"Don't tell me it didn't cross your mind once when you discovered the truth."

He opened his mouth to respond, but no words came out.

"I thought so. Even so, where did you get this information from? The war criminal who is responsible for the deaths of hundreds of thousands of innocent people?" The corporal shook his head with a tsk. "You may believe her, and we of the inner circle know the truth, but the common man is not so willing to take her word for it. They will panic, they will protest, and then… they will riot."

A part of Armin could see where he was coming from. When Eren was discovered to be a Titan Shifter, the first thing the Garrison did was attempt to kill him out of the mere idea of humans becoming Titans. To temper the growing paranoia, they had to pretend that Eren was part of a secret project of the government. Come to think of it, what was the cover story they gave for Annie to satisfy the populace? Another secret project that went rogue? He never thought about these things until now. Still, he wasn't about to throw in the towel just yet. "You give humanity too little credit."

"And you give them too much," he shot back with a snort. "Sure, there will always be individuals that don't conform to the norm. We are a part of that group, but the collective has always been predictably fearful and prone to violence. Individuals like us must keep them under control if we are meant to survive. That's why discussing the outside world has been taboo. That's why technological advances are snuffed out. Above all else, that's why the truth can never come into the light." Sannes allowed these facts to sink in for a moment, silently relishing the conflict on Armin's face. He decided to twist the knife even further. "It's a shame your parents never understood."

His blue eyes widened at that statement. "...what did you say?"

"They left you with your grandfather under the guise of taking a trip to the Interior. At least, that was what your grandfather claimed."

Armin clenched his fists as a fire welled up within his soul. "This isn't about me."

"Oh, but it is." A smile slowly spread across his face. "The inquisitive child desperate to know the truth about the world, always looking for answers that will soothe his soul. But there is always that lingering question that has haunted you for years: why are Mommy and Daddy dead?"

Moblit stalked forward. "That's enough out of you, you bastard," he snarled.

"Stay out of this!" Armin demanded furiously, leaning closer towards the corporal. "Was it you? Did you kill them!?"

"They threatened the security of this country by trying to escape to the outside world," Sannes explained while his smugness overflowed. "I eliminated that threat for the good of the people. I had the opportunity to kill you and your grandfather as well, tie up all the loose ends. The only reason your pathetic life was able to happen was because of me! Show some fucking gratitude!"

Armin said nothing, a cold wave of fury pulsating through him. The very thought of shooting Sannes where he sat sounded so good. His hand even began to stretch towards his personal pistol. To avenge his parents' deaths would finally bring the closure he had been needing for a long time. Then, he halted his movements and whispered, "Nice try, Corporal."

The MP tilted his head at him. "What are you talking about?"

"If I kill you, we can't get the information we need," the blond explained simply. "It was a good plan, trying to get me so emotionally compromised that I would shoot you in a fit of rage. Unfortunately, you made one, crucial mistake."

"And what the hell is that?" Sannes questioned with a glare.

"You gave me the tools I need to destroy you." An unsettling smirk appeared on Armin's face. "You're right about one thing: humanity is predictable. They'll completely lose their minds when the truth is thrown out there. But their rage won't be directed at the Scouts for a change. Oh, they'll be going after the government for hiding the truth."

"We control what the press, boy," he snarled defiantly. "If we demand that the sky be called 'purple,' then that's exactly what the people will read."

Armin was completely unfazed. "Collectively, you would be right, but didn't you say a few moments ago that there are individuals who don't conform to the norm?" He allowed that reminder to sink in briefly before going on. "Your grasp on the people is slipping away, and you don't even know it. They are afraid of what will happen next. All it takes is the right push."

"Heretics can be squashed like insects," Sannes shot back. "A few fires to put out, but it's nothing we can't handle. You have nothing!"

"We have Dimo Reeves. A merchant well-liked in Wall Rose. Tell me something, Corporal: what do you think will happen if the MPs are linked to his murder?"

For the first time since the interrogation, the man's eyes began to widen as horror finally set it. "You… what are you planning?"

"It's quite simple, really," Armin replied, unsympathetic to his plight. "Dimo is actually worth more dead than alive to us. All we have to do is kill hm, and then ensure that the MPs are implicated in his death."

Sannes jerked against his restraints without accomplishing a damn thing. "They'll see through your lies!"

"I doubt that very much. We also have his cowardly son on a leash. We'll have two of our men disguise themselves as MPs and stage a public confession while they attempt to 'tie up loose ends.' Conveniently, that will be held in a place where there are eyes and ears in just the right spots. Then, the Scouts will swoop in and save the day, finally proving that the Scout Regiment is for the people, not against them. Combine that with the articles we'll be sure to have printed out, and you've got a blazing inferno that will consume all who get in its way." His smirk widened into a grin. "You have to admit the ingenuity of this plan."

"Damn you!" Sannes roared as he continued to try and break out. "You're talking about a bloody revolution that will kill thousands of people! You don't care about a single life within these Walls; you just want to seize the throne for yourself!"

Armin grabbed onto the arms of the chair and leaned in closer, his voice dropping low. "Every single month, we go outside these Walls to find a way to defeat the Titans. Sacrifices are inevitable, so why not weaponize them? We obliterated Stohess for the opportunity of seizing Annie Leonhart. Plenty of corpses, civilian and military, littered the street, but they paled in comparison to our goals. There is not a single line we wouldn't cross, Corporal. You've pushed us towards the edge, and now, we'll fight back by any means necessary."

The MP gritted his teeth, enraged by the callousness of the cadet. His composure had been completely shattered. "Monsters… you're all monsters!"

The blond rolled his eyes while backed away. "Insults aren't going to save their lives. Tell the truth about the Reiss family, and we won't have to take such extreme measures."

Sannes stared down at the floor, unable to speak. He swore an oath to protect the King above all else. It was for the good of the people. He always believed in that, but now, the entire country was at risk. One false move could destabilize everything they've created for the past century. Perhaps if he had been wiser, quicker on the trigger, none of this would be happening.

"Have it your way." Armin stood up and began to head for the exit.

"The Reiss family is the true ruling power in these Walls." The words escaped Sannes's mouth before he could stop them.

Freezing in his footsteps, he slowly glanced back at the MP. "Go on."

The corporal exhaled a shaky breath. He betrayed his oath. He was damned for sure. "They've always been in power, ruling behind figureheads so if the king was ever targeted, they'd only succeed in killing a puppet. Nothing more."

Moblit decided to take over now that he was spilling the beans. "What does Rod Reiss want with Historia and Eren?"

"I don't know. I swear I don't!" Sannes threw them a silent plea to believe him. "We were explicitly ordered not to harm them. No one knows why." Tears welled up in his eyes the more he talked.

The temporary leader of Scouts let out a sigh. "I guess we'll just have to put the pieces of the puzzle together ourselves."

Armin nodded in agreement. "Let's see if we can figure something out.

Sannes was no longer listening to them. He was quietly weeping, his shoulders shaking from the motions. "My King… please forgive my betrayal."

Armin carefully approached him, pitying the man. "You know what gets to me? I believe you when you say you're trying to protect this country. Even when you murdered so many people, I believe you had humanity's best interests in mind. I should hate you, but I can't find it in me to."

The corporal's eyes widened once more as the implications set in. "Wait a minute… you were bluffing?"

"I did," he confirmed. "I just wanted to know what you care about the most and attacked that." A sigh escaped him, emotionally and physically worn out from the whole day. "Those who are willing to sacrifice everything can bring about change… but when you give up everything, what is there left to live for? A blood-soaked road littered with the bodies of your victims." It seemed like he was talking more to himself than to Sannes.

Mikasa gripped his shoulder from behind. "Come on, Armin. We need to rest."

Nodding, Armin stood up and followed them to the door.

"Armin…" Sannes croaked, wanting to have the last word. "It's the order of things. The Reiss family ruled for a hundred years. Perhaps their time… our time is up. Good luck."

The cadet didn't say a word as he left the MP alone. He felt scummy for pulling such a gambit, but he was glad his only sin was deception and not actually going through with it. Now, they had to figure out their next move before the MPs had a chance to retaliate. Without the support of Hanji and Levi, it was going to be very difficult.


Morning arrived quicker than anyone would have preferred. The bags under their eyes were clear indicators of how much weight was on their shoulders. Still, they had to press on despite the exhaustion. Too much was on the line for them to give any less than their all.

It was with this attitude that Moblit, Armin, and Annie met with Markus in his office.

"Since none of ya decided to break out yer commandin' officers during the night, Ah can conclude that yer willing to respect mah authority," the chieftain began. "In light of that, Ah will hear you all out."

"Thank you, sir," Moblit replied. He wasn't a fan of giving out high-magnitude information to someone outside the Scout Regiment, least of all with the man who imprisoned his superiors. That being said, he needed all the help he could get. "Does the name Rod Reiss sound familiar?"

He nodded. "Yeah, he's one of the high-rankin' nobles in Sina. Before Wall Maria fell, he used ta buy our meat from time to time."

"According to Corporal Sannes, he's actually the true ruler of this country," Moblit revealed. "He's been the one turning the screws on us as of late, pushing the First Interior Squad to take us out by any means necessary."

"Ah see." Markus briefly processed the information before asking, "If he deems the Scout Regiment as a threat that must be eliminated, why wait until now ta strike?"

"Because they didn't have the forces necessary," Armin theorized. "They knew the Scouts were a force to be reckoned with, so they must have spent years trying to build up a squad powerful enough to kill us all. At least, that's the only explanation I can think of."

"Only one that makes sense," Moblit agreed with a nod. "Part of me is surprised they didn't just lock the gates anytime we went outside the Walls."

"They're corrupt bastards, but they aren't stupid," Annie pointed out. "Pulling a stunt like that before I allied with you would've caused an uproar."

"And now, they can work on eliminatin' you all one by one, even if it means launching an attack on mah home," Markus finished with a grunt. "I'm betting that's what they'll do first."

"Not unless we strike first," Moblit said as he laid out a map on the desk. "Right now, Yarckel is the closest District to this village. My guess is that they'll try to come at us through there… eventually. We've got an immediate problem to deal with first." He circled an area slightly south of Dauper. "About 32 kilometers away from here, the MPs commandeered one of our Scout outposts. They are what's separating us from our Scout reinforcements at Castle Utgard."

"How did ya find this out?" Markus wondered. "Did ya speak to Sannes again?"

"I decided to enlist the help of his comrade," Annie responded. "It wasn't too hard."


Outside of the village, Ralph was tied to a tree with a gag around his mouth. He was trying to spit it out, but it was far too tight for that. Annie stood in front of him, fiddling with her ring, pulling out and retracting the blade.

"Ralph, was it?" she asked in an eerily calm voice. "Do you know what it's like to be eaten by a Titan?"

His eyes bulged out at that statement and gave muffled shouts to her.

Annie ignored his attempts and just continued talking. "If you're lucky, the head comes off or is crushed between teeth. Painful, but it's a quick death. Swallowed whole, well… that's a different story." She scratched her fingers, allowing them to bleed. "You're stuck in a pool of stomach acids, unable to climb out. The heat is so intense, you feel like you're suffocating. The skin slowly starts to burn and, given enough time, starts to melt. Hurts like hell for sure, but that's not over. The ground beneath your feet caves in and you sink into the acids. Burning, drowning, and slowly being digested by a malformed system. Bones break, your body folds, you slowly turn into mush."

Ralph was shaking so badly, it was possible he was on the verge of wetting himself.

Annie gave him a cruel smile. "So, will you talk or shall I indulge myself?"


"Being a nightmare has its perks," Annie admitted. "In any case, he confessed that the MPs were going to launch a full-scale attack on Castle Utgard. Now that they know we're here, they will probably adapt the plan into a two-pronged attack. One on Utgard and another here." She tapped on Dauper for emphasis.

"So, ya plan on takin' down the outpost," Markus inferred. "Bold move."

Moblit shrugged. "Not really. This is tame by our standards. With the government gunning for us, there's safety in numbers."

"Then there's the matter of finding our friends." Armin let out a somber sigh. "Rod has them, but that's all we know. He could have them anywhere."

"One problem at a time," Moblit advised. "The minute we figure out where Rod is keeping them, we'll rescue them."

Markus cleared his throat to get their attention. "Ah suppose this is the part where you ask me to release Levi and Hanji. Ah'm afraid I'll have to continue to retain custody of your superiors."

Moblit resisted the urge to groan, but he couldn't keep the irritation out of his voice. "But Chieftain-"

"Yer buildin' up your forces. Who's ta say ya won't try to burn this entire village in retaliation for our actions?" he questioned with a hard look in his eyes. "And even if ya could guarantee that won't happen, how do Ah know ya won't put our lives in jeopardy again on a whim?"

"It's too late to take back what happened," Armin said softly. "We got you involved in our fight, and the only way your village will be safe is if you hand us all to the Military Police. But if you're the man I think you are, I don't believe you'll do that."

Markus sighed and gave them a slight smile. "Don't think it hasn't crossed mah mind. Ah was sorely tempted to yesterday, but… the government took so much from us. Payback against them sounded pretty damn good."

"We don't have the luxury of revenge," Moblit added, gesturing towards the Shifter. "If we were, Annie would be dead now. We needed her help because we're desperate, and now, we need yours. You can't protect this village by staying out of the fight. You have to make a choice. Help us, or don't."

The chieftain of Dauper pursed his lips as he carefully weighed his options. There was no way in hell he would help the MPs, but that meant putting his faith in the most reckless, morally-corrupt branch of the military. How many innocent people, his people, would die in their pursuit of the greater good? On the other hand, how many innocent people would die if the government won this battle? "...Ah'll help ya, you damn lunatics."

Moblit couldn't help but chuckle. "We've been called worse."

Armin breathed a sigh of relief. Diplomacy wasn't a dead art after all.

"I'd like to make a request, Chieftain," Annie said hesitantly.

His eyes immediately darted to hers in surprise. "Oh? What's that?"

Taking a deep breath, she told him.


Restless was one of many things that could describe Hanji when she laid her back on the only cot in the cell. She spent her time looking for any imperfections in the stone ceiling, though she found none. Despite this, she kept searching, hoping to find something to take her mind off the conversation with Eld. In some ways, she greatly resented him for making her and Levi unveil their inner demons. In other ways, she felt a bit of relief for finally revealing what was in her corrupted soul. None of these things, however, lightened the weight on her shoulders.

Truth be told, the fate of the Scout Regiment hung in the balance unlike any situation that befell them in the past. Commander Erwin was stuck inside the Interior under house arrest with no way of contacting his soldiers, she and Levi were stuck in a cell thanks to that damn Psion taking matters into his own hands, and their reinforcements were still scattered to the winds. It was fortunate that she had a good man like Moblit taking charge of the situation. True, during her experiments, he was always paranoid, but keeping everyone grounded was his speciality.

Further looking on the bright side, Hanji appreciated how quiet the other prisoners were now. Sannes cried himself to sleep, going on and on about how he betrayed the King while Ralph just stared at the wall with shame tormenting him every second. It was clear the interrogation paid off. As for Carolyn, there was nothing left for her to say until she got out of her cell. Of all the prisoners, that bitch was probably the only one who had a decent night's sleep.

Then, the doors to the prison opened, allowing sunlight to grace them all at last. First, that Otto guy and another Dauper guard entered followed by Moblit, Eld, and the cadets of the 104th with the exception of Dillon. They all looked tired, especially Sasha and Eld, but they were all here.

Otto withdrew a chain of keys from his jacket pocket as he spoke. "Captain Levi, Section Commander Hanji, Chieftain Markus has decided to let ya out. He'll even lend a few of his men ta stick it to those damn MPs."

Hanji shot out of her bed, bewildered by the change of events. "Seriously? Just like that?"

The man nodded. "Yup, though he wants ta make somethin' clear: he still doesn't like either of ya."

Hanji couldn't keep the smirk off her face. "We're Scouts. It comes with the territory." Her eyes drifted to Armin. Somehow, she had the feeling he had a hand in this.

"Uh huh." Otto handed the keys over to Moblit. "Care ta do the honors?"

"With pleasure," the man responded, striding over to the cell.

"No."

That single word stopped Moblit dead in his tracks, his eyes widening. "C-Captain?"

"Levi, what are you doing?" Hanji asked, shocked as the rest of the Scouts.

The dark-haired man clenched the metal bars as tight as he could. This was not one of his strong suits, but he couldn't shake Eld's words no matter how hard he tried. At this point, he had nothing left to lose. "Family, a good home, a code of morality, a worthwhile purpose… all of you have at least one of those four, and I hate every single one of you for that."

Eld raised his eyebrow as he pondered where Levi was going with this.

It didn't take for him and the others to find out. "My entire life, I had none of those things. That's how it is in the Underground. You do whatever horrible thing you can imagine to survive down there. That is my reality. Fight to live no matter who your enemies are. Up here, it's no different. Enemies everywhere, Titan and human. Kill them all no matter the cost, and you live." His dull grey eyes glared at the group. "But all of you? You have pathetic sentiments that hold you back, sentiments only Mommy and Daddy could have given you. You signed up to kill Titans, not humans, and that hurts your fucking souls. Torture comes up, you pale at the very thought. I can do it in my sleep! You want to know why I hate you all so much? Those same sentiments that make you weak are the same sentiments I can never have no matter how hard I try!"

What was he doing? Why was he saying these things? Levi didn't understand the point. He was coming across as a pathetic creature begging to be pitied. And yet… he was being honest to his comrades. Such a stupid thing to focus on above all us, but here he was, doing just that.

"Peace… I have never known it. All of you have. Even you, Annie, so it's easier to fight to get that back. Me?" Levi looked exhausted, twenty years older than he actually was. "If it meant reaching a single day to sit down, feel the sun on my skin, and close my eyes… I'll keep fighting for it." Finally, he took a moment to see their reactions.

Most of the cadets exchanged looks with each other. This wasn't anything like what they were used to seeing from their Captain. Eld gave a barely perceptible nod. The words he'd spoken the night before had the desired effect. Annie, however, differed from all the rest. Her gaze never wavered from Levi whether he could stand to look at them or not. For her, it was like confirming what she had suspected all along about the man's true weakness. There was some strength in letting go of his deteriorating pride to finally admit the truth about himself, and she respected him for that.

"I can't order any of you to continue following me or Hanji into Hell. That goes for you two." He glanced at Eld and Moblit. "Right now, you have a way out. Go join the Garrison, stay in this village, do whatever the hell you want. I'm giving you a way out because if you stay here, you will kill humans under my orders, interrogate them through any means necessary, and if we fail, the noose is going to be the end of that road." The captain let out a long-suffering sigh. "I can't do this alone. I need your help."

Eld didn't even hesitate for a second. "Sorry, Captain, but until my heart stops beating, you're stuck with me. Besides, I'm not gonna let Gunther and Petra's deaths be for nothing."

"I made a promise to Eren's… our mother that I would protect him no matter what," Mikasa said with a determined glint in her eyes. "Even if I didn't make that promise, I would keep fighting. That includes tolerating you two as my superiors."

Armin nodded in agreement. "The world has become so much bigger. I'd be an idiot to abandon the fight now, of all times."

Moblit looked Hanji dead in the eyes and said with utter sincerity, "You know you can count on me."

The Section Commander nearly burst into tears hearing those words, but she managed to hold. "Thank you, Moblit." While she spoke in a soft voice, she hoped he knew how much that meant to her.

Levi knew those four would stick around. They all had their personal stakes in the fight for one reason or another. Now, it boiled down to the the boy struggling to kill their enemies, the boy who lost his village to the Titans, the hunter fighting to stay conscious, and the Titan Shifter who was truly feared.

Sasha spoke first. "Well, Ah already committed myself the second Ah shot that MP last night. Ah'm gonna see it through 'til the end."

"Realistically speaking, what can we do if we stay out of the fight?" Connie asked. "We're all wanted criminals. Even if we resign from the Scouts, they'd still come after us. So…" He heaved a heavy sigh. "...if I'm gonna die, might as well do it trying to win."

Jean pursed his lips as one by one, his comrades were willing to still follow this man to the end. It was undeniably a tough call to make, but Connie's words had serious merit to them. In a way, it was already too late to stay out of the fight. There wasn't really anything he could do that didn't involve throwing in his lot with Scouts. He couldn't half-ass it, either. It was with these thoughts that he decided to carry the burden as well. "I won't give up my soul no matter what happens. I won't compromise my humanity forever. Lines are drawn for a reason, but… I'll fight with you, Captain Levi. You have my word."

All that remained was Annie, who currently had her arms crossed. "I've never believed in a damn thing. Marley, Eldia, all of it was bullshit to me. The only thing that mattered was my father and living what was left of my life with him. Then, Dillon showed up and infected me with his ideals. There's a small part of me that still resents him for that, but it gets less and less as the days go on. I find myself caring about you bastards, wanting to risk my life to make sure you make it out alive. You're fighting for something that guarantees that you will all die one way or the other. Why should I stick around for that?" A small smile appeared on her lips as a chuckle was released from her throat. "Hope. I actually have that in my life, and I don't want to lose it." That smile went away as quick as it came. "No matter where this road takes us, you can count on me."

A great wave of relief coursed through Levi and he replied, "You won't hear this often, so enjoy it while you can. Thank you."

Hanji tilted her head at him. "Captain, are you… smiling?"

The man immediately coughed. "Don't be stupid. Of course not. Moblit, open the damn door."

"Uh, there's one more thing," Moblit pointed out sheepishly. "There's an added arrangement to the deal: under no circumstances is Dillon Amsdale to be harmed in any way. He is, as of right now, under Dauper's protection."

"I wonder who put that idea in their heads," Levi deadpanned, looking at the Shifter responsible. "When this is over and we manage to succeed, we're going to have a chat about the idiot's fate. Until then, you have my word. Can we go now, or is my uniform a violation of Dauper, too?"

Moblit responded by unlocking the cell door and pulling it open. "It's good to have you back, you two. Ten hut!"

The cadets all saluted, though both Sasha and Eld winced at moving so quickly.

"At ease," Hanji said with a wave of her hand. "We have work to do."

"Yes, we do."

Levi almost groaned audibly. The other Amsdale in his life was grating on his nerves. He didn't bother turning to face her. "Really? Tell me, Carolyn: are you a soldier whose many years of experience could help turn the tide in our favor?"

The lawyer faltered. "N-No, but I-."

"Then, are you secretly another Titan Shifter hiding among us humans or a being with supernatural powers?"

Carolyn was starting to lose her patience with him. "Levi, that's not the-."

"By all intents and purposes, you are completely and utterly useless to me." Levi hid the small amount of satisfaction he felt interrupting her. "Don't worry. We'll get to you when the time comes, and you will answer all of our questions." He gestured for the others to start leaving the prison. He was growing tired of the place, though he decided to reveal one thing he realized she didn't know. "Just to let you know… Dillon killed your husband. Think about what he could do to you."

Carolyn lunged at the bars, almost as if she was trying to squeeze through the gaps between them. "What!?" she yelled, horrified. "Levi, what did you say!?"

He didn't bother responding and just walked away. Let Carolyn scream herself hoarse. It was far less than she deserved. For now, he would focus on the matter at hand: fighting back against the government. The MPs thought they had the upper hand. It was going to be a hell of a scene to witness their expectations crumble before their very eyes.


AN: Finally made it to this point. It felt great utilizing Armin in this capacity. I feel bad that I underused him up until this point. High time he had the spotlight on him to remind us why he's one of the better characters of the show.

Sannes reminded me why the "good and bad people is a matter of perspective" thing works. What Armin said about him is what I believe about him. He believes himself to be a patriot, a soldier of the people and the king. Granted, he was screwed up, but in some ways, I could understand him. To be honest, I don't remember if Sannes was the one who murdered Armin's parents, but I don't think it matters in this case. On a side note, if any of ou have a problem with how Ralph gave it up so fast, remember: he was easily forced to pretend he gave up information so Sannes could talk.

The one section I was concerned about the most was Levi opening up. I was afraid I would screw it up when he finally decided to listen to what Eld told him previously. Don't worry, though. He is still Levi, but I think he has some form of a soul left in him.

I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, I look forward to your reviews, please consider adding to the TV Tropes page, and I'll see you in the next one.