Part 53
The Village
-2 months later-
"Sorry to keep you waiting, Erwin." Spoke a Government official. The rattle of keys echoed through the cell chambers as Erwin's was unlocked. The Commander himself, sat in filth with dirtied clothes, kept his prominent stare fixed upon the cobbled stone beneath him. "It's sudden, but let's get this interrogation over with, shall we?"
"I can't believe I'm about to spring myself back upon these people again…" Fury muttered, though loud enough that those following her surely heard. "But I never thought the MP's would have the balls to come way out here too."
"They want us dead." Levi interrupted. "You included. So it's not surprising at all that the Government has suddenly decided to let us hear their shit speak."
Fury could only agree, as her gaze moved out towards the confinement of the upcoming village. It took her a moment to allow the reality of that which was the death of Hexis; the man who told her all the answers she had sought for. But… There was also someone else in the village that she hoped would remember her. He was just a boy back then. How has the time potentially changed him?
"This looks like fine hunting ground!" Sasha squealed, as she earned a hiss from Connie.
"Really? Even now, you gotta think about your damn stomach?" He asked her through gritted teeth.
Sasha shrugged in innocence. "Hey, I'm just saying! Small place like this out here will have access to all the succulent meat they want… MMmmm…"
"Sasha." Mikasa muttered in a clam tone, yet she began tugging on the girl's ponytail. "Not now."
"Oi!" Sasha cried out from the pull as her ears then picked up the sound of movement. "Captain!" She called out as she held up two fingers. The rest of the squad, the likes of Connie, Armin and Jean, dropped to the ground to be out of sight.
"Are you serious?" Fury nagged. "This soon?"
"Stay out of sight, all of you." Levi commanded as he looked up at some tree branches above him. "Mikasa, follow me. Armin, stay out in the open and act as our bait to lure them over here. They won't expect us dropping from above."
Though hesitant, Armin nodded and he even gained a pat on his shoulder by Fury herself as she and the rest delved into deep bushes. Armin, pulling his hood up, turned around towards the direction of the village and began with his pretence. The cracking of dead twigs beneath their boots grew louder as the two MP's, with their firearms, etched closer to Armin.
"P-Put your hands up!" The female called out, aiming her sights at Armin, who slowly raised his hands. Voluntarily, he then turned around to face the MPs to only see that their eyes had widened at seeing him. And as expected, Levi and Mikasa volleyed down towards them both, bringing their Cutters up to their throats as they were now the ones to hold their hands up in an act of surrender.
"Give them to him." Levi ordered as Armin then simply decided to just take the guns off the MP's themselves. Levi then forced the both of them onto their knees as Mikasa pulled down their hoods to reveal them. Yet all they earned were frowns from everybody. "So you two disguised yourselves as Officers… Why? To follow us in the hopes you'd find out where Eren and Historia are?"
Levi then began to circle them. Fury and the others then coming out from the bushes. "Marlo Freudenburg." He spoke in an almost taunting manner. "And Hitch Dreyse. Now as for how we'll get rid of you…-"
"Because of you guys, people were killed in the Stohess District." Hitch interrupted, her hues shaking. "You might think that you're all heroes of justice, but the victims and their families have been dropped straight into hell!" Her feared gazed then befell upon Fury as an aggravated sigh came from Levi. "You there." Hitch addressed. "You're that… Freak! You're the one that people are calling a Bloodborn! And you were involved with the Titan attack. Did you know Annie Leonhart? Were any of you even friends with her?"
There was only silence at the mention of Annie's name. And as for being called a freak, Fury couldn't help but take that one personally.
"No… I doubt she had many friends." Hitch continued. "Being as aloof as she was. But it was like she was afraid of other people. I never got the chance to really know her. Yet the reason they still haven't found her is because she was killed by the onslaught that came from those two Titans!"
"No." Levi corrected, remaining calm despite Hitch's outburst. "One of those Titan's was Annie herself." And yet this only came as a shock to both Hitch and the silent Marlo. "Fuck, it makes me sick… Nobody knows about a damn thing when it comes to this world we live in. That is except for those bastards at the centre of all this crap. As for what we'll do with you both, we'll let you go as soon as we're out of sight."
"Wait, Captain!" Marlo then called out in a spur of bravery. "Please, I wish to help! I never did think what you are all doing is wrong! If I can help correct injustice, I'll do whatever it takes!"
"Not a chance." Levi replied, walking away from them both. "I can't tell how prepared you are about making an enemy of the Government." He then gave a subtle nod to Fury, who was stood next to Mikasa of all people with. "Sasha, tie them up somewhere out of my sight."
"Wait!" Jean called out to Sasha, halting her run towards Marlo and Hitch whilst Levi continued on with Mikasa, Connie and Armin. "Hey, Fury? Do you think the Captain would mind if I did it instead?"
Fury herself gazed upon Jean's determination. He hasn't been in his usual mind set since he was faced with being shot at by one of Kenny's soldiers. Was he looking for redemption? A way to build up his courage? The silence was then broken from the smirk that came from Fury.
"Knock yourself out." No fourth-wall breaking here… "Just hurry it up. The sooner we get inside the village, hopefully the safer we all might be."
"What the hell happened to your face, man?" Connie asked Jean as he had finally made it back to where they all scouted out the village the hoped to spend the night in.
Jean rubbed his head. "Almost got knocked the hell out…" And that earned another smirk from Fury.
"Can you all just stay here while I go in there?" Fury requested. "Trust me, these people aren't used to seeing the type of weapons we're all carrying."
Levi gave her a nod. So this really was the village she spent four years within. He couldn't help but wonder… If these people have survived without walls… can the rest of humanity?
With a beating heart, Fury exposed herself from the deep foliage and began to walk towards the open entrance into the village. And even though they just had to deal with the likes of Hitch and Marlo, she was once again confronted by people who seemed to not have any cares in the world upon their shoulders. And yet, things felt different this time around for Fury. She couldn't help but feel a sense of oppression was surrounding the area. As she walked further in, the villagers began to appear lifeless; tired almost.
If only Hexis was still here…
"No way…" Came the voice of a young boy. "You really have come back? Aya, is that really you?!"
Arms flung themselves around Fury's waist, which was an instant uncomforting for her insecurity of letting people too close to her. "You didn't forget us…"
"Shit…" Fury muttered under her breath, doing what she could to unlink the boy's arms. "Isaah. Is that you?"
"Don't play games!" He complained, looking up at her. Though only slightly. She was short herself.
Fury patted his head. This was Isaah. The young child that used to play with her blunt Cutters and wanted to soar in the air like she did with her ODM.
"Listen, before anything else is said, I need a favour, kiddo."
-Later that night-
"Ah! So you're the Captain Levi that Aya told me about!" Isaah spurred with excitement as Levi and the rest were brought into the village with the welcome of some of the villagers themselves. Yet Isaah's outburst earned him a clip around the ear by Fury as she hissed at him, a deep frown on her face.
"Meat!" Sasha screeched as she was offered food, along with the others. "Lightly glazed with honey, man, you guys know how to cook!"
"Isaah, who overlooks things here? Or, better yet, who has been overlooking things here since Hexis passed away?" Fury asked and yet she was only met with sadness from Isaah in return.
"No one…" He muttered. "Not since soldiers came in and began taking half of our food to feed themselves in an encampment they have set up not far from here."
"MP's?" Fury suggested to Levi in a hushed tone. It was the only logical thing to think of right now for the both of them.
"They've set up barricades everywhere!" Isaah continued.
"I'm betting the one in command of that encampment might know where Eren and Historia are." Levi theorised, folding his arms. "There's no way in hell this is a coincidence that they're out here posting barricades too."
"But how?" Fury questioned. "There's no way they knew about this place. And the only person I've ever told is…" She then sighed, running her hand down her face. "Erwin."
"Don't you dare, Fury." Levi hissed, narrowing his gaze. "Isn't all this one of Erwin's gambles anyway? He's trying to help the people, not make it damn worse for them."
"Hey!" Isaah butted in with a fierce resolve. "Don't call her Fury. In this village, she's Aya to us!"
Levi blinked.
"And you may be some big Captain behind those fancy walls you all live behind, but out here, you're all just as normal as I am!"
"Normal, huh?" A small mock from Levi and yet he wasn't in the mood to argue with a child. "Suppose we better break through that camp then. I'm going to wanna have words with whoever overlooks that camp in general. Guess we could just charge in, guns blazing."
"Can I join?!" Isaah then asked with potential, overlooking the fact that she just spoke up against Levi of all people.
"No." And that was all he would get in return from Levi as he turned to devise a plan to the rest of them, who were eating happily. Leaving a silent Fury left with the boy.
"You're still using Fury? Really?" He asked her. Yet despite him being a child, it felt like a scold for Fury herself.
"It's just a name." Fury replied, though it still sounded like a half-ass attempt at an excuse.
"Hm…" Isaah tapped his chin. "So if it's just a name, can I call you Furry? Or Furrball? Or Foory?"
And yet all he received from Fury was an aggressive glare. It unnerved him for he remembered the first time she gave him that look when he accidently ignited one of her gas chambers of her ODM.
"Fury it is!" He continued. "Well, to your allies anyway. To us, you'll always be Aya."
"Go to bed." She ordered him as Fury too then departed to be with the rest of them, who were now plotting on what was the best way to divide and conquer.
