Wartihog and Hitch were making their way through the forest, trying to find any traces of any Scouts.

"Don't you think they're having a spread out a little too much?" Hitch asked.

"We're more likely to find them if we're all not in the same area," said Wartihog.

"But why did I had to get paired up with you, of all people? Spill it Wartihog, you schemed this up so that we would get some alone time?"

"Look, Hitch, no offence, but you were my first choice either," he said bluntly.

"Oh, is that right? Well, good for you then."

"Anyway doesn't this seem odd to you?" said Wartihog turning his attention to the mission. "Why would the Scouts murder a civilian and run for the hills? This is the same group of soldiers who consistently risk their lives for the sake of humanity."

"Give me a break, did you forget? Think about what they did to Nexus, the way they turned it into a battlefield. How many dead bodies do you think we carried? Eir has been missing ever since; they still haven't aching heard junk out of my room. It's annoying."

"In fairness, the casualties were so high because us MPs reacted too slowly," Wartihog pointed out. "And the Scouts managed to uncover a Titan in hiding within our ranks and took a prisoner. I highly doubt the Military Police could have done that. How is disbanding the Scouts what is best for humanity?"

Hitch then suddenly heard movement and raised her rifle. "Be quiet; listen closely."

They moved in closer and saw Fishlegs filling some buckets at a stream.

"Don't move!" said Wartihog as they quickly approached him, aiming their rifles at him. "Turn around slowly." Fishlegs raised his hands and slowly got to his feet. "You must be a Scout. Not a sound, do not say a word. Now listen and do exactly as I instruct—"

Then suddenly jumping down from the treetops were both Eret and Astrid; they landed behind them and pressed their swords against their throats.

"That's the way," said Eret. "Now, hand your guns to the one in front."

With no other choice, the two of them handed Fishlegs their rifles.

"Don't say a word, right?" he said.

Meanwhile, at Meridian, Stoick was in the dungeon when the noble military uniform entered his cell.

"Sorry to have kept you waiting, Stoick," he said. "I know this is sudden, but it's time for your interrogation."

Stoick just sat there looking to find.

At the same time, Spitelout was talking to a few journalists about recent events.

"So the Survey Corp murdered a civilian in cold blood?" said the head journalist. "You sure about this?"

"I'm told that the evidence is strong," said Spitelout. "But with that said, I can't confirm anything that I haven't seen."

"So then the Interior Police are running this case without oversight?" said the young journalist.

"Hey, you cut that out!" said the head journalist matching his book. "I'm sorry about him, Commander Spitelout; Sigurd here is still a rookie. He doesn't quite understand how things work yet. Don't worry, the Interior Police aren't the subject that we plan to write about, and the same goes for that new ODM gear."

"Thanks, Roy, see ya," said Spitelout, though secretly he was deeply troubled. 'That new ODM gear worries me. Those guns are useless against Titans, but their perfectly human combat. It was as if that gear was made specifically made for killing Scouts. Also, judging from the fact that its existence was hidden from us MPs, I get the impression that we aren't off the list of people it can be used against.'

He then quickly turned and looked back at the two of them. "Anyway, we should get a report from them soon. Just be patient."

Cleaver was currently running for his life as he was being chased down by members of the Interior Police.

"What's the rush fat ass?" said an MP.

Cleaver looked back and saw three MPs hot on his trail, and they were gonna catch up to him at any second. He panicked so much that he ran down an alleyway, unaware that it led to a dead end.

"Way to go, that's a dead-end idiot," the MP smirked.

"Dammit!" said Cleaver and attempted to climb over some crates.

However, swing down from the rooftops was Valka, and she quickly grabbed him and placed her hand over his mouth so he wouldn't speak. She then pulled her cables back, sending him flying back up towards the rooftops just before the MPs turn round the corner.

"Shit, he disappeared!"

"Say what? Check the next alley! He can't escape!"

Sadly for them, he did manage to escape, though with some help from Valka.

"You're the son of Gorm Gulson, right?" Valka asked, kneeling towards him. "What's your name?"

"I'm Cleaver," he said.

"Cleaver, nice to meet you," said Valka. "My name is Valka Haddock, this is sudden, but if the MPs are trying to hunt you down, then I'm assuming that you must know the truth about your father's death? Could you tell me how it happened?"

"I made a stop so that I could piss," he said. "That's when the Interior Police found my dad; there was a tall grey haired guy with a black coat and hat. He slit my dad's throat."

"Anyway, I'm glad to see that you survived," said Valka. "Now we can make the truth known public."

"You're crazy!" Cleaver stared. "Haven't you seen today's newspaper? If the MPs say that you guys did it, then that's the truth; my testimony means jack shit. They'll figure out that I was there; the Interior Police know I saw everything. I will be hunted for the rest of my life, and all I can do about it is running and hide until I'm caught. My life is over now."

"Yeah, maybe," said Valka. "The thing is, that isn't exactly sunlight living to me. Try looking at it this way instead of spending the rest of your life skulking around like a scared rat until you get murdered. You can stand up like a human and face your enemy even if they might kill you."

"Why the hell would I? Not everyone has the same disregard for their lives as you. You know what? I am scared, and I have every right to be."

"Your family, the company, don't you think they deserve to know the truth?"

"Come on, that only what is best for you!"

"Of course it is!" Valka snapped and pulled him towards her. "You need to start thinking about what is best for you too!"

"Hey, who is making a racket over my roof?" said a voice.

"All right, you're coming with me, Cleaver," said Valka grasping his hand hard.

"What? Your gang had already lost; just give up!" Valka then began dragging him across the roof. "Why don't you know when you're beaten?"

Valka merely smiled back at him. "That's really simple. Defeat is the only thing the Scout Regiment has ever known."

Eret's squad, meanwhile, had disarmed both Wartihog and Hitch and had tied the two of them up.

'Get past the checkpoint disguised as MPs and snoop around until we find where Ragnar is,' said Eret. 'It's a shit plan, but it's all we have. There is no time; if we don't act, now we're.'

"Captain," said Hiccup handing him their captors' identity papers.

"Now then," said Eret as he rose to his feet. "Your Nexus District Military Police Private Wartihog Pigson…"

Wartihog just stared at him. 'Captain Eret, it's him?'

"Same assignment Private Hitch Daredotter," Eret continued. "We need to dispose of you."

"Because of what you did, Nexus is a graveyard," Hitch spat. "Over a hundred people were killed!"

"Huh?" said Eret looking at her.

"Hey…" Wartihog hissed.

Hitch ignored him. "You bastards, I bet you all think you're some kind of hero's of justice, but you're not! You drop dozens of innocent families straight into hell on that mission of yours!"

"Yeah, we did," Eret admitted.

Hitch then looked to the rest of the squad. "Hey, you. You're from the Southen Cadet Corps, right? So you trained with Eir Stormheart. Were you a friend of hers? No, she wouldn't have made friends there either. Way too gloomy and unapproachable for that; she was just afraid of people like a scared little kid. Now I'll never get the chance to learn anything about her; she is officially listed as missing, and do you know why? It's because one of your Titans turned her into an ugly red stain on the street!"

"Actually, no," said Eret. "It's because the Titan we captured was Eir Stormheart herself."

Wartihog and Hitch stared at him because they could tell by looking at his eyes that he wasn't lying. Hitch was more devastating than any of them because this meant that her argument had collapsed in on itself.

"By the gods, it makes me sick," said Eret. "Nobody knows anything about this world, not us or anyone else. Except for the bastards at the centre of it all. We're letting you go, but we do give ourselves a head start on you."

"Eir," said Hitch in a state of shock.

"Hey, Captain Eret!" said Wartihog. "Please let me join you in your course; I believe the Military Police are in the wrong here. If there is any way that I can fight this world injustice, then that's what I want to do."

"Easy, calm down," said Eret.

"I swear that I won't let you down, sir!"

"No, I have no way of telling if you have enough resolved to make an enemy of the state," said Eret as he sheathed his sword and looked at his squad. "Let's go. Take them deep into the woods and tie them up, Heather!"

"Sir!" Heather nodded.

"Captain," said Hiccup as Eret walked by. "Would you let me do it instead?"

Eret looked back at him. "Knock yourself out."

Hiccup then began escorting both Wartihog and Hitch deep into the woods.

"All right," said Hiccup as they came to a stop to a hillside.

"We'll forget everything we saw here," Wartihog vowed.

"I know you will because both of you are about to die," said Hiccup as he drew his knife.

"No, he said let us go!" Wartihog yelled.

"The captain might be a bit of a softy, but I'm not. I'm ready to do what needs to be done," said Hiccup.

"You have to believe us; we won't betray you! We know that you're fighting to protect humanity!" Wartihog and quickly looked at Hitch, who was clinging to his arm. "Right, tell him!"

Hitch nodded ferociously.

"As if I will take your word for it," said Hiccup. "You MPs have been hounding my family for the past hundred years, you tortured and murdered my grandfather, and now you have my father on the execution block, so how can I trust a single word you'll say!"

Hiccup then dashed towards Wartihog, but then he tripped and hit the ground, dropping the knife.

Wartihog quickly picked it up. "Run Hitch, I'll cover you!"

Hiccup then quickly pinned him against the hillside and pressed a gun right beneath his chin. "What do you think will kill faster? That knife or the gun under your chin?" Hitch then immediately ran off. "You feel like trying; let's race."

"Please, we're on the same side here!" said Wartihog.

"Why the hell would anyone believe you that you want to join the Scouts?" Hiccup asked. "My comrades are getting rounded up like criminals as we speak. What makes you think we can win?"

"Because you haven't quit, despite the odds, the Scouts are still fighting," he said. "I made a mistake when I chose my regiment, but your Scout, you chose to risk your lives for others, so I'll trust you."

He then dropped the knife, and Hiccup smiled, but then suddenly it was hit in the head by a large stick courtesy of Hitch.

"You jerk!" Hitch roared, readied to pound him to death.

"Stop!" Wartihog yelled, stopping her. "He was just trying to test us!"

Hitch looked down and saw that the garden was, in fact, a piece of dried wood.

"Are you crazy?" Wartihog stared, looking down at him. "Even with my hands bound, I could have taken a swing at you with that knife and done some real damage. How do you know that I wouldn't do it?"

"I didn't," said Hiccup groaned. "However, your words make you seem as if you were honest about everything, so I took a bit of a gamble."

"Are you one of the fools that Eir told me about?" Wartihog asked.

"Couldn't say, though all of us are fools," said Hiccup as Wartihog helped him up. "However, if we're going to win this war, I think we all have to be rather stupid and crazy. I think I can say for certain that you prove your dedication. This should be enough to convince Captain Eret, will be counting on you from here on out."

Later that afternoon, both Wartihog and Hitch escorted them to a fairly undermanned outpost.

"As far as I know, this is the least manned checkpoint in the region," said Wartihog.

"Good, we'll handle things from here," said Eret. "Get back your squad before they're suspicious."

"Right," they nodded and began to leave.

"Wartihog… Hitch… we're grateful," said Eret looking back at them.

The two of them stopped and looked at him before saluting. "Sir!"

"All right, this time we're picking the fight," said Eret.

The commanding officer was in his tent writing a few reports when he heard the sound of a wagon. He turned and saw a wagon heading towards them at very high speed, and it smashed through the barricade.

Riding on the wagon were Snotlout and the twins, and the MPs were taken completely by surprise. Within moments the three of them had managed to knock out every single one of them.

Hiccup and the others were waiting on the hilltop for Eret when they saw him arriving, dragging the commanding officer.

"Stand down," he said.

Fishlegs looked down at his captive. "Captain… isn't he?"

"He's with the Interior Police; I've got questions for him," said Eret. "Let's move."

At the same time at Trost, Cleaver was running through the streets with MPs back on his tail. He had made the mistake of running into yet another dead end located in several badly damaged buildings from the Titan attack.

The MPs smirked and laughed.

"Thanks, dumass, there won't be any witnesses in an abandoned dock like this," said the commanding officer.

"Dammit," said Cleaver looking at them terrified.

"I owe you big time, thanks a bunch Gulson," said the commanding officer panting. "I mean, you gave us the slip before; back in the alley, I really thought that I was screwed." He then collapsed began beating his fist against the ground with tears in his eyes. "My boss would have killed me; I'm serious." He then picked himself up and smiled, brushing the tears in his eyes. "Thanks for coming back Gulson, nice knowing you."

The MPs then immediately drew their rifles and aimed them directly at him.

"No, wait! Don't shoot yet, please!" Cleaver begged. "Why did my father had to die? Did the Interior Police kill him?"

"What? I don't see why that matters to you? After all, you are about to be a corpse yourself in a moment."

"Please, before I die, I want to know. What did my father do to justify killing him?"

"Huh? I thought you know? He betrayed us and started helping out those bastards in the Scout Regiment."

"So his orders… they came from the Interior Police? You guys had him kidnapped those Scouts?"

"Well, it was a different squad, but yeah. Guess old Gorm didn't say too much about it, at least not in his dimwitted excuse for a son."

"And what if he refused to do it?" Cleaver asked, looking serious.

"Oh, he knew way too much. We would have killed him, I mean, we killed him anyway, but that's what he gets, that damn idiot. What made him think the Survey Corp could help this trash city?"

"You would never understand."

"Hmm?" said the commanding officer pressing his hand against his ear.

"You think that your real smart shit, don't you? Want to know the last thing my dad taught me? He said that a good merchant should trust his nose, and I'm glad I listened because it led me to the people who could avenge him, and I side with them."

"You're going to die here, piggy!" the commanding officer yelled, raising his rifle. "No need to be brave; go on and squeal!"

"My business with you is over, asshole! Why don't you take a look at of you?" Cleaver yelled, pointing upwards.

Then suddenly, jumping down from the rooftops were Valka and Mason; the two of them quickly took out the commanding officer's men. Valka quickly charged at him, and he quickly fired his rifle, but she sidestepped it just before he fired, causing the bullet to miss. She then spun around and kicked him hard in the face as hard as she possibly could.

"Section Commander, that was way too reckless!" Mason yelled as he tied the men up.

"We pulled it off!" Valka yelled. "Did everyone hear him?"

"No, the Scouts are here, but why?" the commanding officer groaned.

He then looked up, and his eyes widened as a huge crowd of people had emerged from the buildings.

"This dump isn't abandoned."

"Bet it seems unlivable to you, yet we're here. The place isn't as nice as it used to be, but it is still our home. We heard everything about Gorm and who had him killed; every last one of us is a witness."

"Yeah, well, it doesn't matter," said the commanding officer. "Because it is the Government that decides what's true. Idiots, don't even think for a second that you can get away with this you're in for a world of—"

He was then silenced when Cleaver sat on top of his face, and he looked at the people. "Listen, you'll all be fine because the Gulson company will protect you. You trusted my father, Gorm, well now I'm in charge. So, from now on, you can count on me. That's a promise."

Everyone then slowly began to clap.

"Glad to hear it, Mr Gulson."

"Speak up next time!"

"Glad to see that you stepped up," Valka smiled. "Hey, you give them hell, Cleaver."

"Right," he nodded.

Valka then looked at Roy and Sigurd, who had been listening start to finish.

It was late at night, and Eret was still questioning the Interior Police commanding officer.

"Screw you," he said.

Eret then kicked him in the face. "Where did they take Ragnar and Historia?"

"You bastards, you think you're so brave? That post was manned by recruits; they barely knew how to wipe their own asses. No one is going to think that your heroes for beating them down."

"Yeah, the guilt is telling me apart," said Eret and then slammed his foot into his jaw. "But what really gets me is this mouth of yours. I'm going to suggest that you start talking you're still able to use it. Now, where are Ragnar and Historia."

He then pulled his butt out of his mouth, revealing that he had succeeded in knocking out several of his teeth.

"You can't wait," he said, spitting out some blood. "All that's left to you now is to find some filthy corner to hide it! Covered in mud and shit! If you don't earn yourselves in, then every last Scout we capture will get the noose, starting with the guiltiest one of them all Stoick Haddock!"

Eret had enough and immediately pinned him against the tree, and there was a sound of a crack as he had broken his wrist.

"That's right?" said Eret as he screamed in anguish. "That's what you get for not answering my question. Some Scout lives are more valuable than others, only those dumb enough to agree that joining us." He then released him. "Again, where do they take Ragnar and Historia."

"I-I don't know," he said. "Nobody told me, I swear! Grimmel Huntsman doesn't like to read his business known."

"Huntsman?" said Eret. "I know Grimmel, that his last name?"

"It is, but…"

Eret frowned. "He never was much of one to share information, not important stuff anyway. But I bet you have a rough idea; you best try to remember."

"No! Stop!" he pleaded.

"You still have plenty of bones left for me to break," said Eret grabbing his arm.

"Damnit! Are you insane?"

"Maybe."

"Somebody is coming towards us," said Heather raising her bow.

Eret quickly pinned the MP to the ground, and everyone else took positions.

"And there's more than one," Heather added.

"Told you," said the MP, smirking. "Your beat, struggle you want. One way or the other, the Survey Corp will be destroyed."

Spitelout had went to retrieve Stoick from his cell, and he was quite beaten up.

"You've seen better days," said Spitelout. "Kinda funny, you were lecturing me just the other day. Soon you will be set before the king, then his counsel determine your sentence and what to do with the Survey Corps."

"So you came," said Stoick coughing out a bit of blood. "Tell me, Spitelout, where did you relocate your family after Trost? Nexus, was it? How's Adelaide? I trust your daughter and wife in good health."

"They should be just fine," said Spitelout looking slightly troubled. "After what happened at Trost, and they deemed it too dangerous for them to stay there. I wanted them to bring them deeper into the interior, but the best I could do was get them relocated to the East side of Wall Rose."

"I see," said Stoick.

"Why ask that? What's going on?"

"I trusted something to Commander Alvin whenever that crucial moment comes…" He then looked towards him. "What happens next is out of my hands. It will be your choice to make yours and theirs."

The council had gathered to discuss the interrogation of Stoick.

"So what did we learn from the interrogation?" the merchant Noble asked.

"Not much," said the noble in military uniform. "Stoick didn't even realise Pastor Mildew was with was north of the Walls. So Historia can make all the claims she wants, and it won't matter. They were all amount to nothing."

"What a farce," said the priest.

"They don't know it, but in truth, they are nothing more than cattle in a pen simply waiting to die," said the fat noble.

They then heard a knock, and a servant entered.

"My apologies, but Stoick Haddock has arrived," he said.

"Very well, we will be along," said the merchant Noble.

"Once Stoick has been executed, all will be according to plan," said the fat noble as they rose to their feet. "The Haddocks have been a thorn in our side for a hundred years now, but today we can put an end to it."

"What of his son? He may very well carry on his father's legacy, and then, of course, there's Stoick's wife?" the merchant noble questioned.

"It will only be a matter of time before we capture them, and they will suffer the same fate. Once all the Haddocks are dead, the secret of the Walls will be kept as safe as ever, and the King's peace will be insured… forever."

Stoick was tied up and was brought to the throne room, and there sitting on his throne was King Fritz, or rather the fake King, and sitting below him when his council members were ready to pass judgement upon him. He was forced to kneel before them, but he already knew what awaited him.

"Stoick Haddock, do you have any last words?" the fat noble asked.