Of Epic Proportions

by authorinprogress97

And I thought life was hard enough the first time. OC self-insert (because I'm that shameless)

14. Judgement

And I thought life was hard enough the first time.

OC self-insert (because I'm that shameless)

I'm like a day late, but that's okay, right? You've got to admit that I have a crazy updating schedule as is. I'm dragging my feet now, man. It ain't flowing easy.

The tribunal. AKA Levi beating the shit out of Eren and Dani not being to do a thing. And maybe a demonstration of Dani's annoy the shit out of people talent.

Pixis is a cool dude. I mean, look at his moustache. Any dude with a moustache has got to be cool. Awesome 'stache.

It's almost two in the morning, peace out everyone.

-0-

I rushed to the mess hall, my hair in a disarray (as usual). I checked over my shoulder to see if I was being followed (not that it ultimately would have mattered) before opening the door to the mess hall. I scanned the seats, finding Mikasa and Armin immediately.

"Hey," I chirped, sliding into the space next to Armin as I pulled the soup Mikasa had taken for me towards me.

"Have you heard anything?" Armin asked immediately.

I nodded, hurriedly tying my hair into a ponytail. "They're going to have an inquisition over Eren."

"Eren's inquisition," Mikasa murmured. "What's it about?"

Both of them turned to me, but I shook my head. I hadn't managed to learn much from my gossip mongering. All I knew was that Darius Zackly, head of all three military branches, would appear for the tribunal and that both the Recon Corps and the Military Police were going to place proposals over custody of Eren.

"I'd guess they're deciding what to do with Eren," Armin inferred as I hurriedly inhaled my soup. I kept glancing towards the doors; I had seen a bunch of military personnel on my way here and I had heard the mention of witnesses. I didn't doubt we would be called in for the trial.

Mikasa frowned slightly. "What to do with him?" she repeated.

Armin glanced at me and I nodded slightly. It would be better if she found out now so that she wouldn't fly into a rage later in court. He looked down as he answered, "Probably whether to kill him or let him live."

Her eyes widened as she slammed her spoon onto the table top, standing up. I bit my lip as I noticed the horrified look on Mikasa's face. I sighed quietly. We knew Eren wasn't dangerous. The problem was that everyone else didn't. Titans have always been synonymous with monster and with the thought of 'Titans turning into humans' would scare the crap out of any lesser human being.

Of course, the fact that we had never heard of such a thing would also fuel the terror. They didn't know that it was humans turning into Titans, not the other way round. Lack of knowledge added to terror just as much as a horrifying monster did.

Like I said before, the thinking in this world was pretty small-minded, for the most part.

The door was pushed open and I immediately darted my eyes to it, spotting three soldiers in Military Police uniform, two of them armed with shotguns. The bearded man read out, "Mikasa Ackerman, Armin Arlert and Danika Vale!" He looked around the room, although I didn't see the point in that. It wasn't like he could recognise us. "Are you here?"

"Yes, sir," Mikasa answered for the three of us as Armin and I shared a look before getting out of our seats. I gulped down some water before leaving my bench, looking up at the Military Police soldier curiously.

He peered down at us with a stern gaze. "You've been ordered to appear as witnesses at this afternoon's inquiry."

With that announcement, he left. I could feel Armin's and Mikasa's surprise.

"Witnesses," Armin murmured.

"Maybe it's because we know Eren best," I guessed. "Not to mention we were there when Eren… you know. Turned into a Titan. Twice."

Armin hummed thoughtfully, pursing his lips in thought. "I wonder how Eren's doing."

I shrugged. I hadn't heard anyone say anything, but I knew he was in a dungeon, being chained up like some animal. I wanted to get angry at the thought, but I understood why they did so. Just because I understood didn't mean I had to like it.

Mikasa's expression darkened. "If I find out they harmed Eren…" she muttered lowly. She didn't have to finish her threat to know that whoever it was who laid a finger on Eren would suffer her wrath. Mikasa's protective instincts trumped mine any day.

Ah, crap. Levi's going to beat Eren up. I certainly hadn't forgotten that.

I shot Mikasa an apprehensive look. Well, it wasn't like Levi-nii ever gave good first impressions. Or second impressions. Actually, he rarely gave any good impressions.

"Well, are you guys done?" I inquired, eyeing their almost empty bowls. "If you are, we can start heading to the courthouse now."

Armin blinked at me before looking down at my empty bowl. "Oh, you're done?"

"You know where the courthouse is?" Mikasa asked, raising an eyebrow.

I nodded. I had passed it several times in my busy morning of information gathering. There was where most of the reliable information was, after all. Most of the soldiers there simply regarded me as an interested civilian as I had forgone my jacket earlier in the morning. It was easier to get information on Eren if they didn't know I knew him or suspected that I did.

"As far as I can tell, Armin's right," I informed them as we made the trek to the courthouse. "Both the Recon Corps and the Military Police are going to make proposals for custody over Eren. The final decision will be made by Darius Zackly."

"Darius Zackly?" Armin repeated, eyes widening slightly as he recognised the name. "They managed to get him here from Wall Sina?"

I nodded, twisting my fingers into my dad's ring. "That's why the tribunal is only being held today. They had to wait for him to arrive."

Mikasa's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "Who's Darius Zackly?"

Armin and I shared a confused look. Sometimes I forgot how little Mikasa and Eren cared about military politics. I mean, in the long shot, they didn't really affect us until we became people of consequence, like commander-in-chief or commander of a certain faction. I couldn't really blame Mikasa for not knowing. I only ever took an interest because I knew we'd need the information and Armin took an interest because, well, he's Armin.

"He's the head of the entire military," Armin answered. "In other words, he's responsible for all three branches: the Military Police, the Garrison and the Recon Corps." He shook his head. "I don't envy him. He has to make a lot of difficult decisions, a lot of them involving what to do with a human life."

"I heard that he's in charge of overall decisions for humanity," I added. "You know, what would help us progress and win against the Titans." I frowned slightly, my voice taking on a grim tone. "If he decides that Eren should be placed under the Military Police, I have a feeling that he'd mean to sentence Eren to death."

Mikasa's lips thinned in displeasure. I doubted she was going to allow that. I wouldn't allow that either, nor would the Recon Corps. I just had to trust that all of this would go according to canon and Eren would end up in the Recon Corps.

As we entered the military court, I had to admit that I was surprised by the number of people that had turned up for it. Sheesh, I thought court hearings were only meant for those involved, not for the general public. In a way, I guess everyone was involved. I eyed the man in pastor's robes with thinly veiled disgust. Ugh, I really dislike those Wallists.

The three of us stood in the witness' stand. I spotted Rico there and nodded at her, receiving a nod of acknowledgement in return. She was one of the few surviving members of the elite squad other than Mikasa. I hadn't doubted she would be here.

We stood at attention, waiting for Eren to be brought up.

Eventually, the door was swung open and we got our first glimpse of Eren in days. He looked… healthy enough. Maybe he was a little paler than usual, but he didn't look malnourished and I couldn't make out any bruises or signs of abuse.

The two Military Police soldiers roughly grabbed Eren and pulled him to the middle of the court, pushing him forward with the barrel of his gun. My jaw clenched as Mikasa made an outraged noise in the back of her throat and Armin shifted uncomfortably. Well, no signs of abuse until now.

Goddamn Military Police.

"Kneel there," one of them ordered as the other soldier brought in a metal pole. I frowned. Honestly, his hands are cuffed behind his back. It's not like he can do much. I couldn't protest as they chained Eren to the pole. It irked me that Eren just did what they were told. He wasn't a monster and he didn't deserve to be treated like one.

Eren looked around the room, no doubt taking in everything. He looked towards us and his eyes widened. I raised my eyebrows slightly. Had he not expected us to be here or something? Of course we would be here. We were his friends. Nothing, not even his freaky Titan shifting, would change that fact.

The door at the front of the room opened and I turned my eyes to the judge's stand, where an elderly man was making his way up to the seat. His hair was completely grey, along with his beard. I thought he looked like a grimmer, slightly more shaven version of Santa Claus. He took off his coat, folding it onto the surface next to him. He rolled up his sleeves and looked down at the sheets of paper on the table.

"Well then, let's begin," he announced, eyes flitting from side to side as he read the reports or whatever it was. He lifted the sheets of paper closer to his face, readjusting his glasses. "Eren Jaeger, yes? You are a soldier, sworn to sacrifice your life for the greater good. Is that correct?"

"Yes, sir," Eren answered, looking apprehensive as hell. I wondered what they told him before he entered court that had him looking so nervous.

Zackly nodded to himself. "This is an exceptional situation," he noted. "This tribunal will be held under military law, not civilian. The final decision rests entirely in my hands." He finally looked away from his papers and even from where I stood, I could feel Darius Zackly's sharp gaze. "Your fate will be decided here. Do you have any objections?"

I swallowed, feeling doubt creep into my chest. In canon, the Recon Corps had gained custody of Eren. All of the events had gone as I had anticipated, but what if this didn't? I could hardly call my existence canon. I shook those thoughts away. I couldn't think like that. If I couldn't even change – I swallowed – Marco's fate, I could barely change this. I was sure it'd be fine.

Armin's gaze shot to mine and we shared an apprehensive look. The tension was so thick I hardly dared to breathe. We had known this was a possibility, but having our guesses confirmed was hardly a relief.

Eren looked down and I saw his Adam's apple bob as he swallowed. "No, sir."

"I appreciate you perception. I will be direct." Zackly glanced down at the papers once more. "As anticipated, concealing your existence has proved impossible." Well, you don't say. I'd like to see them try hiding a fifteen-metre class Titan controlled by a fifteen year old. "We must make you existence public in some form or a threat to humanity other than Titans may arise."

I frowned slightly. He was right. If the people didn't know more about Eren and his Titan shifting abilities – more specifically which side he fought for, they might riot. We really didn't need more trouble on our hands than there already was.

"What I will decide today," he continued, "is which force will have custody of you: the Military Police, or the Recon Corps. Then, I ask the Military Police for their proposal."

"Yes, sir," one of the Military Police soldiers answered, stepping up. Wait, no, not just a normal soldier. The commander-in-chief of the Military Police, Nile Dok. I remembered him. I had asked him about that Titan boy while I was collecting information as a civilian and he had told me to piss off. Pleasant guy, that one. "I, commander of the Military Police, Nile Dok, will present my proposal. After a thorough investigation of Eren's body, we believe he should be eliminated immediately."

"… Thorough investigation?" I repeated quietly, mildly confused and almost disgusted. I had to wonder what kind of thorough investigation they did. It had better be with Eren's knowledge or so help me.

"It's certainly true that his Titan power overcame our previous peril," he continued, reading from what I assumed were notes before looking up at Eren. Ouch, if looks could slice flesh. "However, now his existence threatens to spark a civil war, so we ask him to die for humanity's sake, leaving behind all the information we can."

I had to bite back a scoff, almost choking on it. Eren's existence threatened to spark a civil war? There were a number of things that could start a civil war. I had a feeling that a civil war had been brewing for decades and they were just using Eren's appearance to revolt. Utter bullshit.

"There is no need for that!" the man next to Dok boomed. I sneered silently; when did those Wallists find it fit to show up at military tribunals? "He is an invasive pest. He has deceived the walls that embody God's wisdom. He must be killed at once!"

"Pastor Nick. Order, please," Zackly urged, cutting the pastor's rant short. "We'll hear the Recon Corps' proposal next."

"Yes, sir." Commander Erwin Smith stepped forward. I chewed on the inside of my lip, almost impressed that he hadn't pulled out any papers to refer to. I hoped he had a good argument prepared. "I, thirteenth commander of the Recon Corps, Erwin Smith, will present my proposal. We would welcome Eren as an official member of our forces and use his power to retake Wall Maria." I waited for him to continue, but all he said was, "That is all."

I almost fell over even though I wasn't moving. That… was all. One sentence was all he had prepared. I – there are no words I can think of to describe my bafflement.

I wasn't the only one surprised, apparently. Armin's arm jostled against mine and I noticed his eyes widened minutely, the smallest glint of fear appearing.

"That's all?" Zackly asked. His facial expression didn't change, but I thought I could hear the slightest tint of surprise in his voice.

"Yes, sir," Erwin confirmed. "With his power, we can retake Wall Maria. We believe it is clear what our priorities should be."

"I see. And where do you plan to begin this mission?" Zackly turned to where the Garrison were assembled. "Pixis, the Trost wall has been completely sealed, correct?"

"Yes, it can never be opened again," Pixis replied.

"We would like to set out from Karenese, in the east," Erwin explained. My arm twitched at the sound of my hometown. Right, the fifty-seventh expedition had started from there. "From there, we will proceed to Shiganshina. We will determine the route as we go."

"Wait a minute!" a civilian (a merchant, I could tell from his clothes) protested. "Shouldn't we seal all the wall gates once and for all? The Colossal Titan can only destroy the gates. If we can strengthen them, we need not endure further attacks!"

I eyed him with poorly hidden disdain as Pastor Nick spat, "Shut up, merchant dog!"

Is that the way humanity is going to live forever, within two walls? That would only strengthen the feeling of being trapped. We would never move forward, forever stuck within our manmade (at least, I assumed they were manmade) cages of our own design.

"With that Titan's power, we can return to Wall Maria," someone behind us insisted.

"We can no longer indulge your delusions of grandeur," the merchant growled, looking manic.

"You talk a lot, pig," Levi suddenly commented. I glanced at him, immediately noting the uninterested look on his face. He hated politics quite a lot, didn't he? "Where is your proof that the Titans will wait while we seal the gates?" He made a good point. "The we you speak of are only those you wish to protect; your friends who help line your pockets. The people who starve because there isn't enough land to sow don't even figure into the thoughts of you pigs."

I thought of my house, back in Karenese. We didn't have much land, not being able to afford it, but we always managed to get by. I had always wondered how, but I guess some commission was given to Dad for his service in the military. We always had a bit of cash leftover and I asked Dad once why he didn't buy more land. He told me land was expensive and we had to make do with the land we already had, our miniscule plot of land that barely provided us enough crops for half a year each season. We never starved, but there were families much bigger than ours with plots half the size of ours. They were the ones that suffered, not these merchants with pockets that jingled when they walked.

The merchant looked flustered. "We just thought we could survive by sealing the wall gates – "

"Silence!" the pastor hissed, whirling towards the merchant with a glare. "Impious traitor! Mere humans altering Wall Rose; walls that were a gift from God? Can you truly see those walls, God's work far beyond human capabilities, and not understand?"

"Thanks to them, it took ages before we could even mount weaponry on the walls," Armin murmured.

"They have a lot of support and power, which makes them difficult," Rico added reluctantly.

I huffed out a sigh as I watched Pastor Nick rant, getting way into the merchant's personal space. "They've especially gotten a lot of support since Wall Maria fell," I sighed. "God knows why."

Zackly banged on the table top with his palm, cutting the squabbling men's quarrel short. It was just starting to get interesting, too. I glanced back towards Zackly. Aw, no gavel?

"Silence," the grey-haired man rumbled, effectively shutting them up. "You may discuss your personal philosophes and opinions elsewhere. Jaeger, I wish to confirm something. Can you continue to serve as a soldier, using your Titan powers to benefit humanity?"

Eren didn't even hesitate as he answered, "Yes, I can."

Zackly hummed thoughtfully. I didn't like the look on his face. If possible, it looked grimmer than it had previously. "But the report on Trost's defence says this: Immediately after turning into a Titan, he swung his fist at Mikasa Ackerman."

Eren jerked, turning towards Mikasa. I tried not to look too worried. He probably didn't remember the initial moments after he first shifted, when he lost control.

"Tch, you want me to lie in a report? Hiding the truth wouldn't help humanity," Rico hissed and I looked over at her, seeing Mikasa glaring at the elder. As much as I wished she had left that detail out, she was right. It was a setback and it had to be mentioned in the report. Even omitting it was considered lying.

"Is Mikasa Ackerman present?" Zackly asked.

"Yes, that's me," she responded.

"You are Ackerman? Is it true that as a Titan, Jaeger attacked you?"

Mikasa turned back to Eren and I could tell she was thinking of what to say.

"Lying isn't going to help Eren one bit," Rico muttered, glancing at her.

"… Yes, it's true," Mikasa answered reluctantly.

Murmurs and whispered erupted in the courtroom. The look on Eren's face was nothing short of horrified. He definitely didn't remember anything.

"But on two previous occasions, Eren saved my life in his Titan form," she continued, almost pleading. "The first time, mere seconds before a Titan would have had me in its grasp, he stood between us, protecting me." I watched Eren, but the light of recognition didn't appear. It must have been before Armin swooped in and saved her. "The second time, he saved Armin, Danika and me from an HE shell. I would like these facts to be considered as well."

"I object," Dok called. "I believe these comments are coloured by her own personal feeling." Excuse you? "At an early age, Mikasa Ackerman lost her parents and was taken in by the Jaeger household." I was about to open my mouth to object when he continued, "Our investigation has also revealed a surprising fact about the underlying events." He looked back down at his notes as I held in my rage. It was best to hear what he had to say first so I had a better rebuttal. "At age nine, Eren Jaeger and Mikasa Ackerman killed three robbers who tried to kidnap her."

Gasps rang through the room and I couldn't hold it in anymore.

"If I may object," I said loudly, letting my voice travel, "I don't see the relevance of that event to this case. It had happened years ago and if I recall correctly, kidnapping is still a criminal offense." I bit back the they deserved to die that almost slipped out. Not the best comment to make. "It was in self-defence!"

"Even if it was in self-defence," Dok interrupted with a glare aimed towards me, "their fundamental humanity is questionable. Is it right to entrust humanity's fate and lives to him?"

"That's right," someone gasped. "He's just a Titan that infiltrated us by pretending to be a child!"

"So is she!" the merchant whispered, horrified as he pointed towards Mikasa. "Do we know she's human?"

"Of course she's human," I argued, my voice as sharp as I dared to allow it. "If she had been able to turn into a Titan, wouldn't she have done that when she was cornered? Anyone would have done that." I turned a scornful eye towards Dok. "How could Eren's fundamental humanity be questioned? Yes, he had killed, but it was to save a little girl – who he had never met before – from a human trafficking ring where she would most likely be sold as a – a sex slave!"

The court quietened at my outburst. Armin placed a hand on my elbow in warning, but I was on a roll. They needed to hear what was going on beyond their safe little bubbles.

I sucked in a deep breath as I reigned in my anger. I needed to stay calm, but it was my friends they were accusing of being monsters. I knew them. I knew of their messy pasts and I think I would know if two of my best friend were monsters.

"Cadet," Dok said sharply. My spine straightened as I recognised what he was trying to do. He was trying to remind me of my place. Okay, I had spoken out of line, but they were being ridiculous. "I suggest you learn your place – "

"What is your relationship to Eren Jaeger, Cadet…?" Zackly asked. He turned his gaze towards me and I had to admit that it was a bit chilling. He looked completely relaxed amidst the tension, but his gaze was hard and unforgiving as well.

"Danika Vale," I supplied. "I'm – I know Eren and Mikasa. I know them well enough to know they're not monsters."

"Answer the question, Vale." Stern.

"I'm his friend."

"If that's the case, it's safe to say that Danika Vale's comments are also compromised by her personal feelings," Dok said. "Not to mention she obviously has no respect for authority."

My first thought was, look here, you little shit, but that would have only cemented his theory that I was a disrespectful little brat who only knew how to speak out of turn. But goddamn look here, you little shit!

"I was just stating facts. Sir," I gritted out. I took in another deep breath, looking around the courtroom. "Most people would have stayed at the Ackerman residence and waited for the Garrison to make their move. I mean no offense to Garrison soldiers, but they were just too slow. If Eren hadn't acted, they would have lost the kidnappers' trail and Mikasa would have been gone forever. Instead, Eren chooses to put his life in danger to save some random girl he doesn't know. What does that say about his fundamental humanity?"

Zackly's eyes stayed on me for a while, the scrutiny obvious in his eyes. I stood at attention, letting him. If I was lucky, maybe I would be given a chance to make my case.

Zackly cleared his throat, finally looking away from me and folding his hands together. "Commander Dok is right. As a cadet, you should learn your place." God, I could practically feel Dok's smugness even if his facial muscles didn't even twitch. "However, you have made an interesting case."

Silence reigned over the courtroom once again. I thought a miracle might have happened and everyone finally grew some common sense, but then the whispers started, more horrified than the last.

"Why would she care so much?"

"They're just friends, aren't they?"

Then one comment took the cake, made by our favourite knucklehead merchant: "She's probably one of them!" he nearly shrieked.

I would have had an affronted look on my face, but I was too busy admiring the stupidity adults had. Just… wow. Look at all that stupidity.

"That's right," some other idiot yelled. "We should dissect both of the girls, just to be safe!"

Excuse you, girls? We're not just a couple of little girls.

"Wait!" Eren yelled, his voice cutting surprisingly well through the panicking voices (they're adults panicking over a bunch of teenagers, please). "I may be a monster, but leave them out of this!"

Eren…

"We can't trust that!" the merchant screeched.

"It's true!" Eren retorted.

"If you're covering for her, that means they're one of you!"

Ridiculous. This is why we never let panic cloud our judgement.

"NO!" Eren growled, his voice echoing through the room as his shackles rang loudly. I startled, inhaling sharply. The whole room went silent at the sight of his rage. Eren seemed to take a deep breath, calming himself down. "I mean, you are wrong. You're simply coming up with theories that fit whatever it suits you to think."

"What did you say?" Dok demanded. He jerked as Eren turned his eyes towards him. Pathetic.

"Eren…" Armin murmured. The blonde was frowning a little, looking like he was itching to step in and say something.

"Besides," Eren continued, "all of you people… you've never seen a Titan! What are you so afraid of? What is the point if those with means and power do not fight?" I glanced at Armin; he could recognise those words too. It was starting to sound like the speech Annie had given him all those weeks ago. I… hadn't realised Annie's words had such a powerful influence over him. "If you're afraid to fight for survival, then help me! You… you cowards!" I bit my lip. Eren, please stop talking. "Just shut up and bet everything you have on me!"

There was this horrified silence that followed. I glanced around the room. It was only a matter of time before one person snapped. When that happened, it would either end with Eren's death or his induction into the Recon Corps.

"Weapons ready!" Dok ordered and the soldier next to him scrambled to comply.

"Yes, sir!" He aimed his gun towards Eren. I had to admit that I panicked. Where was –

Eren let out a grunt as a foot drove into his face. I held in a gasp as I noticed Levi (when the hell had he gotten there?) was standing in front of I watched, Levi aimed a kick straight to Eren's gut. My fists tightened reflexively and as Mikasa made to lunge forward, Armin grabbed her.

"Wait, Mikasa!" he gritted out, holding her back.

"He… means well," I choked out as Levi beat Eren to a pulp. I wanted to protest, but I knew this was the only way the Recon Corps could gain custody over Eren. They wouldn't have allowed it otherwise, even with my argument. I still couldn't help the surprised yelp I gave out when Levi stomped on Eren's head, smashing it to the ground.

"This is a personal opinion, but I believe pain to be the best way to train someone," he commented with a look of disdain aimed at Eren. "What you need is to be trained like a dog, not a man. It's easier to kick you while you're kneeling too."

I looked away as Levi continued kicking Eren. It turned my stomach, which was a little ironic. After what I had seen, what I had been through, I couldn't stomach the sight of Eren being beaten to a bloody pulp. Maybe it just annoyed me that I couldn't do anything to stop it. Like I could stop Levi.

"Wait, Levi…" Dok protested weakly.

Levi paused. "What is it?"

A shiver seemed to run through the Military Police commander. "That's dangerous. What if he gets angry and turns into a Titan?"

Levi turned his eyes to Eren again, delivering another kick to the latter's face. I winced. "What are you saying?" Levi said monotonously. He grabbed Eren's hair and dragged Eren's face up to his. "Aren't you going to dissect him?" He released Eren suddenly, causing him to flop to the ground. "When he turned into a Titan last time, he killed twenty other Titans before collapsing. If he is an enemy, his intelligence makes him a formidable foe." There wasn't a hint of arrogance in his voice as he added, "Still no match for me, of course, but what will you do?" I twitched, internally fangirling. It was true, of course. They didn't throw around titles like humanity's strongest fighter without probable cause. "Anyone persecuting him should also consider that fact. Do you really think you can kill him?"

A bead of sweat travelled down my neck. I didn't like hearing Levi-nii talking about killing Eren. Sure, he wouldn't actually kill Eren – not that Mikasa would allow it, nor would Armin and I – but it was a very real thing. Levi could easily kill Eren. Much more easier than anybody else could.

Erwin's arm shot up. "Sir, I have a proposal," he offered.

"What is it?" Zackly drawled. Frankly, he was starting to sound a little tired.

"The details of Eren's Titan power remain uncertain, making it dangerous. Thus, I propose to have Captain Levi take responsibility for Eren's control and embark on an expedition outside the walls."

"With Eren in tow?" Zackly questioned.

"Yes, sir. Based on the expedition's results, I'd like you to judge whether Eren can control his Titan power and whether he is a boon or bane to humanity."

I had to admit that I was impressed. He had come up with that plan on the fly. He might not have had any preparation done, but he excelled at quick-thinking. I guess you couldn't be commander of the Recon Corps and a damn good one to boot without being able to make up plans in a split second.

"Control Eren Jaeger," Zackly mused. "Can you do it, Levi?"

"I'm certain I can kill him," Levi drawled and I glanced at Mikasa as she jerked in Armin's hold, rage plastered across her features. "The only problem is I doubt I can do any less." I could practically hear Mikasa's growl of rage.

"Then my decision is made," Zackly stated. He shuffled the papers on his desk, clearing his throat. "I therefore assign Eren Jaeger under the care of the Recon Corps. Court dismissed."

•●•●•●•

Whenever I got angry, I would be muttering under my breath and generally whining to Armin. Mikasa angry is a completely different thing. She didn't mutter, but the look on her face would have most grown men running in the opposite direction. Her black eyes would darken into soulless pits of pure hatred and her wrath could be assured.

To say that she looks scary would be an understatement.

Rico kept shooting Mikasa what I was beginning to think were concerned looks. I couldn't blame her. Mikasa had her gaze fixed on the ground in front of her as her hands clenched and unclenched.

"Is she… okay?" Rico asked hesitantly, shooting Mikasa another look.

"She'll be fine," Armin answered as I put my arm around Mikasa's shoulders in an attempt to calm her down. I didn't expect it to work, but at least I tried. "She's just…"

"Pissed," I offered. "What are our odds of catching Eren and the rest of the Recon Corps before they leave?"

"Slim," Rico answered on a sigh. She glanced behind her to where the rest of the Garrison soldiers were. "I have duties to do. Stay out of trouble."

If I didn't know better, I would have thought there was an almost fond tone in Rico's voice. As it is, I was pretty sure she just didn't want the three of us to cause more trouble than we already did.

"We probably missed them already," Armin sighed. "Maybe we should just meet up with the rest of the graduates. Dani?"

I tore my gaze away from where the Garrison soldiers were – more specifically Commander Pixis. I blinked at him. "Uh, yeah," I agreed. I shook my head, waving away Armin's concerned gaze and pulling my arm away from Mikasa. "I'm sorry, but I have a – thing to do. You guys go on without me?"

"Are you going to get in trouble?"

I glanced at Mikasa, seeing she had controlled her rage enough to participate in normal conversation. "Nah," I replied casually, putting on a smile. "I just have some questions to ask."

"About your father," Armin guessed. I wasn't surprised he had managed to catch onto my line of thought.

I nodded. "Yeah. I'll see you guys later."

They left as I watched Dot Pixis carefully, waiting to ambush him the moment he was alone.

The moment I heard him confess he had known Dad, I was made aware of just how little I actually knew about my parents in this life. There were cues that I had picked up here and there – like my dad's military background and my mom's gypsy heritage – but they had never actually told me. I didn't even know where my parents came from or what they did before they had me and got married. There were blanks in my knowledge that I should have known, but didn't. It wasn't a priority for me to find out everything about my parents, but now I had the means, so I might as well take advantage of it.

I walked forward, my footsteps echoing slightly in the almost empty hall. Pixis looked up, but he didn't look surprised. Maybe he had anticipated it.

"Commander Pixis," I greeted, saluting him.

He nodded. "As you were."

I relaxed into a more comfortable stance, hands behind my back. "If I'm not taking too much of your time, I'd like to ask you a few questions."

He walked away, leaving me confused. I thought that was his way of dismissing me, but then he turned around with a raised eyebrow. "Are you coming?" he asked, turning back and continuing to walk out of the courthouse.

Um, okay. I jogged lightly to catch up with him.

He didn't say anything until we were halfway to the wall. It was quite unsettling, walking next to Pixis like this. This was the man who had saved us, but he had also sent men I knew to their deaths. He had blood on his hands and I didn't quite know what to feel about that.

He cleared his throat and I flicked my eyes to him. He wasn't looking at me, his gaze fixed forward.

"You're curious about your father," he stated.

It wasn't a question, but I answered anyway. "Yes, sir. You… said you knew him?"

"That's right."

I hesitated, wondering if it was okay for me to say it. Ah, what the heck. "He… never mentioned you." Then again, I was eight at the time. I doubt talking about his old military friends were hardly the first thing he was going to say to his eight-year-old daughter. The stories would hardly be light-hearted or even appropriate to tell me at that age.

Pixis chuckled. It sounded a little sad. "Ah, I imagine he hadn't. They were hardly meant for the ears of a young girl. We used to get into quite a bit of trouble together."

I bit my lip. "Was my father part of the Garrison?" I asked.

His eyes flickered to me and I could read the surprise before he closed off all his emotions from me.

"He never told you?" he asked me right back. I shook my head, frowning slightly. Was it supposed to be common knowledge…? "Your father was part of the Recon Corps."

I stumbled, but Pixis didn't even blink. My dad was a member of the Recon Corps? No freaking way. I mean, I always knew Dad was a restless man, the routine life we had led grating on his nerves some days, but I hadn't thought he had been that adventurous. At least it cleared up his mild disdain for the walls, even if he was grateful for the safety it provided.

I had to wonder if Levi-nii knew my dad too. The timeline might not have been right, but there's a possibility.

"You have your father's spirit, cadet," he commented. "I can see it in your eyes. I never knew your mother, but I imagine you're quite like her as well. There are traits in you that I could never see in Aaron." We stopped as we reached the wall. He clapped a hand to my shoulder in an almost grandfatherly fashion. "Your father wouldn't have been happy knowing you would follow in his footsteps, but he would have been proud nonetheless." His eyes crinkled into crescents as he smiled, but I thought I could detect a hint of irony in his smile. "It's a shame we won't ever get a Vale in the Garrison."

He walked away before I could think of a response. I was trying to compartmentalise my thoughts and sort out my feelings.

I had to admit that I never really thought about why Dad never had any friends over. Mom's friends would occasionally drop by when they were passing through town, but Dad's friends never made an appearance. It… made sense now. Somewhat.

I didn't know why, but finding out about Dad being a former member of the Recon Corps made me feel like I understood him a lot better now. I understood some of his actions a little better and why he would respond to this with that when others would respond with something else.

I had to wonder why he quit. Was it because he met Mom? Or maybe he had sustained injuries that convinced the military to release him. He could have even just decided to quit because he had had enough of the death and danger.

I sighed, making the trek back to the tent where the graduates of the 104th Training Squad (what was left of them, anyway) would be. It wasn't much, but at least I learned a little bit more of my dad.