"They were handing those out" said Jean as he gave Armin a leaflet.
The blonde boy looked at it with a shocked expression.
"Dimo Reeves had been killed!" He exclaimed "and the MPs are accusing captain Levi. They're shutting down the survey corps!"
That information gave everyone a bad feeling.
"We expected something like this to happen" Dina finally said, "right now, we need to stick to the plan and find Rod Reiss."
It was hard to tail the first brigade. Since Dimo had been killed, the scouts had to find them on their own. After a long search, they came across a very suspicious transport to the Stohess district.
"It has to be that undertaker!" Armin said, "why else would someone stay at an inn with two coffins?"
"Nevertheless" Jean interjected "since the corps had been dissolved, I think everyone knows the implications…"
Silence filled the air.
"Soon we'll have to face off against other humans…"
Everyone seemed to be brooding over that. Ever since Dina's revelation, they still hadn't quite registered the very thought of them being the centre of the whole world's hate. Many of the scouts didn't believe in what Dina said, but they still seemed depressed with that notion.
"The titans are humans, Jean" Dina spoke "our very own people. And like it or not, we're going to face more humans in the future."
"Dina's right" Connie interjected "if we want to survive, we need to overcome every obstacle, even if it means killing other… our own people..."
The blonde woman looked down. Connie was the first person who believed her. Mostly because he swore to avenge his family, but alos, he wanted to think that his mother was still there, in his home in Ragako.
They were waiting in the arranged spot. For some odd reason Dina had a bad feeling. As if something was about to go terribly wrong.
Suddenly a loud noise spread though the district.
"That's gunfire!" Sasha exclaimed "There! Multiple shots!"
"They found the captain!" Armin yelled "we'll switch to plan B."
Originally, Levi was supposed to scale the wall using his vertical maneuvering equipment. Then, they would switch to horseback. Armin was supposed to ride the wagon and follow the hearse. After that, they would secure the wagon and the two coffins which most likely contained their companions.
Since the MPs found the captain, Armin couldn't shadow the hearse like they originally planned. Nothing was certain, that was for sure.
"The gunfire is getting closer!" Sasha exclaimed.
"It's closing in?" Jean asked.
Indeed, it was weird. How were the MPs able to use guns and follow Levi at the same time?
"You can't chase someone with vertical maneuvering gear while firing a gun" Sasha spoke.
There was another question in the air. What kind of military policeman could keep up with Levi's team?
"It's here!" Mikasa yelled "the hearse!"
Dina turned to see that it had just passed the gate. They started to ride in parallel with the hearse.
Suddenly captain Levi swished out of the gate. Everyone looked and saw that he was being chased by the MPs.
"What's that?" Jean asked as they rode forward "is that vertical maneuvering equipment?"
It was really unexpected. They had a special kind of gear which used guns instead of swords.
'So they must some kind of an anti-personnel unit' Dina thought as she rode on her horse.
One of the policemen swished over to the captain and pointed a gun at him. Right as he pulled the trigger, Levi fell back in the air and cut him in half. The display of violence seemed to bring Jean into a shock.
"Focus on the road!" Dina shouted at the boy, trying to kick him out of his stupor.
"Where are the other three?" Sasha asked, noticing the captain was alone.
Instead of answering, Levi swished to the side giving them a signal to go left. As they rode behind Armin, the captain landed on the wagon.
"Stop chasing the hearse" he said, "our plan leaked."
"What?" Armin asked.
"We're giving up on Eren and Historia for now" the captain explained "their plan was to use the two as bait and kill the rest of the survey corps. More ambushes are probably up ahead. That's how they killed the three with me."
Even though it did seem like that, this wasn't the end of the world. They still had time to regroup, and if Dina's predictions were correct, it would take some time for Rod to do what he had planned for the kidnapped.
"Armin" Levi turned to the blonde leading the wagon "go left to open ground as fast as possible."
"Sasha, Connie, you bring the horses. Jean, provide fire from the cart. Dina, Mikasa and me will use the vertical maneuvering equipment to assist in the escape."
"What about Eren and Historia?" Mikasa asked worriedly.
"We just have to find a different way" Levi responded "and that's assuming we make it out of here alive. Kill the enemy when you can."
"I could transform" Dina suddenly said, gaining everyone's attention "the MPs here, don't have the right kind of equipment to fight a titan. I could easily get them."
Levi considered that for a moment.
"We're still in the urban area" he finally said "the people of Stohess hadn't forgotten the last titan fight here. Do it only when your life is in a direct danger."
She nodded at that.
"Captain!" Armin yelled "they're here! Multiple enemies from the right!"
As they made the sharp turn, Levi, Dina and Mikasa jumped off the wagon. Dina mostly tried not to be hit by the bullets. She flied around, trying to score a hit against any of them.
"They're getting around us!" Mikasa suddenly cried out.
Indeed, one of the policemen managed to get over them and get close to the cart. Dina, who wasn't doing much before, swished through the air as fast as she could. Before the female MP managed to pull a trigger of the gun pointed at Armin, Dina kicked the woman in the head.
The MP fell over and landed in the cart. Momentarily, Jean pulled out the gun and pointed it towards her.
"Don't move!" He yelled with panic in his voice.
'He's trembling' Dina thought as she looked at the boy.
The woman seemed to sense his uncertainty, and with one swift kick, she knocked the gun out of his hands.
"JEAN!" Mikasa yelled as she tried to get close to the wagon.
This time it was the female MP who pointed a pistol at the shocked boy.
BANG!
Suddenly, she fell off the wagon with a deaf thud. Dina looked towards the cart and saw that it was Armin who took the killing shot.
"Come on!" The blonde boy yelled "we're almost out of town!"
