Chapter 89
Broken Trust
How would anything be accomplished with the sort of opposition now before them? The docks, in which all had arrived, were littered by Floch's soldiers, all in preparation of opposition themselves. All carrying Thunder Spears, ready for their own fight.
"I can't believe Floch made it here this early…" Hange would mutter whilst gazing through a pair of binoculars; of which she could only see from one lens. Next to her nestled Magath, also scoping the area.
"It'll be over for us if those Yaegerist's destroy that flying boat." He would insist. "So why haven't they done it yet?"
Hange sighed, followed by a frown. "Most likely unsure that we're still alive and trying to stop all this. Besides, destroying a ship would be simple. But after the world is destroyed, it would take decades to recover such progression in technology. They may want the flying boat for themselves to explore a little bit before nothing but our little island exists. However, if they do learn that we're here, I'm sure they'll destroy that thing in an instant… Even if we had the power of all Nine Titans; even if we had more Bloodborns than just Fury, stopping them would still prove difficult."
Magath would smirk in his response. "But if we falter here also, we have no chance in stopping the Founding Titan. Let's think of a – "
"Shh!" Hange would hiss. Her eye widened as she gazed up at the amount of clouds in the near sky. A distant vibration felt beneath their feet. "Eren…"
"They'll reach us soon at the speed they can travel." Magath would grimace, both he and Hange returning to the group behind them on the lower bank, hidden from the eyes scouting over at the docks.
Fury stood next to the cart in which Levi was only just waking from. She leaned forward, making gestures in which noting his bandages needed changing to prevent infection as he still healed. The others adjusted their equipment. Still unsure of themselves allying with those they once knew as their enemy.
Annie would be the first to break the silence. "We have to kill them. All at once. Me and Reiner can use our Titan powers, alongside your weapons. And if need be, Fury's abilities also."
"I never agreed to that." Fury would reply.
"Why?" Annie simply asked. "Now isn't the time to debate morals regarding whether or not it's okay to succumb to our enemies forced control."
Fury would frown, and yet she was unable to offer a response as Levi then tugged on her shirt for a drink of water.
"If we just attack the docks all out, the Azumabito will get caught in the crossfire." Mikasa would then point out, remembering the fact they were down there as the flying boat belonged to their Clan.
Annie showed no care in this regard. "They may be distant relatives to you, but to me, they are still enemies who attacked my home."
"No." Came the soft refusal of Pieck,who lurked out of her Titan nape just enough to speak. "It will be a problem if we let them die. Correct?" Her direction was towards Onyankopon, to which he would nod as he stood next to a still bound Yelena.
"I should be able to pilot it on my own, though." He would express. "But without their engineers, that thing is just a boat without its wings. Though they are currently folded to make it easier to transport on water. But even just extending them won't be enough to make it fly. It was originally meant to be transported to this harbour, receive maintenance and inspections, before allowing it to be used for operations."
Reiner stepped forward. "How long would that take?"
Onyankopon frowned in uncertainty. "I'm not sure. You'd have to ask the Azumabito that."
"So…" Annie would sigh. "We now need to protect the Azumabito also and secure enough time for them to prepare the flying boat. Yet on top of that, you're all going to tell me that you don't want to kill any of those Yeagerists who would willingly try to kill us in return?"
"I don't." Jean grimaced. "Some of them were with us back from the Training Corps, you know?"
"Well then, what's the plan?" Annie would hiss. "I need telling. How exactly are we to keep both the flying boat safe and the Azumabito, whilst also securing time for them to get things ready without killing or stopping anything that interferes? Armin. Tell me your plan. Just like you did… When you cornered me."
"One doesn't exist." Pieck interjected. "Either we settle this in one go, or we lose everything."
"Hold up here!" Connie reeled. "We're here to save people! Yet the first thing we think of is to kill! Why is all this happening!?"
Annie lightened her expression." You're right… To begin with, none of you have anything to do with us. Nor do you have any reason to make a hard choice such as this. If any of you were in our place that day, you probably would've chosen not to breach the Wall. Unlike us…"
"None of you have to fight." Reiner agreed, then turning to Fury, who herself stood conflicted in having to do to them what she once did to Erwin, in the past, remembering the pain he felt… "Not even you, Fury. But can you at least stay back at a safer distance and watch over Falco and Gabi? If the Yeagerists find you, you'll be forced to decide whether you like it or not."
Fury, with her brows then frowning, had her eyes set upon Gabi, who the young girl herself shuddered at the piercing gaze; understanding the boundary still needed between them due to what she did to both Sasha and Isaah, who she now understood Isaah being important to Fury. Before being able to even potentially decline Reiner's request, Connie then had one more question.
"So you want us to just watch you kill each other?"
Jean then also wanted to speak his thoughts. "Can this really be solved with a Titan rampage?"
"I, for one, am not interested in becoming a spectator." Hange approached. "I've already killed Yeagerists myself, anyway. But more importantly, unless you're all deaf, we don't have much time left. Up there, you can hear the Colossal Titans approaching, along with the mass amount of steam hovering in the air. Judging by their speed, they're about to arrive at Marley. The closest cities to the sea must've been destroyed by now. I didn't think they'd cross an entire ocean this fast…"
"Tell us where Eren is heading!" Bellowed Magath, who had his hand around the throat of Yelena. "I'll end up snapping your neck unless you tell me! Don't worry though, I'll make sure it won't kill you quickly!"
"Well…" Yelena coughed violently as Magath then released her. "That would be a relief. But I've changed my mind… I don't want to die until I've seen how this all ends. Take me with you, and I may just tell you of Eren's destination."
Hange placed her hand atop Magath's shoulder. "We don't have time to play torturer now. We have to secure the flying boat.
The man would then calm, a saddening expression then revealed itself as he turned to everyone behind him. "Armin, Connie, Mikasa, Jean, Hange, Fury… Levi. I want to apologize for my behavior last night. I was wrong. I spoke flippantly about justice. Even now, I try to justify my opinions and actions. But that was because I was afraid to reflect on myself and see the Marley side within me. That isn't any of your faults. It's wrong to place wrong doings of the past on your shoulders just because of the race you were born into…" He would then turn once again. "Pieck, Reiner, Annie… There's also no reason any of you should be burdened with the world's hatred, either. However, we do have a responsibility to remember this history and pass it on to future generations. Eren wants to destroy everything. We can not let him. But if we continue to be blind, this will never end. That's why…" Magath would then bow to all of them, stunning the likes of Gabi and Falco, who watched on from near Levi and Fury. "... I beg you, please overlook my foolishness for now."
"... I refuse." Armin would be the one to speak out. "I refuse to just stand by with clean hands."
"I'll stay behind, with the kids, Levi and Yelena." Fury looked Hange's way. "Does that sound all right?"
It would take a moment, but Hange would nod. "If Floch knows you're here, with Levi also, we may as well just jump in guns blazing. My idea would be to fool him into thinking we're still on his side." She would look Armin's way, who stood near Connie. "Perhaps you two could call attention to a little something. Inform Floch you lost sight of us, and the use of the flying boat could be used in order to find us from above. Spin a story, tell them Reiner killed Jean, or something, also."
Jean grit his teeth at the thought, but clutched to his rifle. "That gives me a chance to sit above, keep an eye out, shoot if needed…"
"Mikasa." Hange then addressed. "Should all else fail, I'm going to need you to get in there and save the Azumabito from Floch. He may be blinded by Eren, but he's not stupid. I have no doubt that he will question Armin's lie of losing us."
Mikasa would nod, understanding her role as Hange then gazed back at Fury. "We may need you… should all else mess up. It's unfair of me to ask any of you to do this, but we've come this far. Fury, if push comes to shove, I'll fire signal flare for your backup. You may need to use those powers of yours, before this all ends. In the meantime, Annie and Reiner, you two becoming Titans to help Mikasa keep the Azumabito safe would also be of great advantage. Just protect your napes. These spears were created to blow apart that very spot, hardened with crystal or not."
It wouldn't take long to hear Armin's yells to Floch of needing the flying boat. With Connie, he would stay near the creation, doing their best to persuade the Yeagerist's in letting them put the wings back on.
Jean took his place upon the rooftops, aimed down his sights to pull the trigger if he needed to, despite his shaking of the thought at killing friends. Mikasa, with Hange and Magath, bypassed through back alleys, waiting for their signals to move by Armin, whilst Annie and Reiner remained covered, should all else fail.
With Fury remained Pieck, who would be there as the getaway, still locked inside her Cart Titan, as Yelena with Gabi and Falco sat atop her back. With Levi, Fury watched on. Her stomach twisting at the thought of knowing she could halter the majority of the Yeagerist's with a simple fluctuation of concentration. But knowing the pain they would endure; their muscles fighting against them, worse than any bullet wound, she still wasn't sure if she should be their last back. Levi glanced at her, with his single healthy eye, showing her he somewhat understood her confliction. She would sigh. This was no longer about how she felt anymore. The bigger picture was Eren, who now marched with thousands of Colossal Titan's to trod over the rest of the world. Stopping Willy Tybur was one thing she could agree with, but this… Where did it all start going wrong, she wondered.
"You can't separate humanity from violence." Yelena would mutter, as Onyankopon held onto her bindings. "Right?" She then looked in Levi and Fury's way. Both of them grimaced at her words, because they were truthful. Levi, who held onto violence in regards to Zeke. And Fury, who was born with abilities meant to keep people in check, who also currently looked over to Gabi, yet unable to forgive the girl for Isaah's death.
A gasp then emitted from them all, as two transformations took place at the docks. Both Annie and Reiner ready to become a wall for the onslaught of Thunder Spears that were about to be thrown their way. Explosions and fire coming from the building the Azumabito were held in by Floch, along with several gunshots coming from Armin and Connie's direction.
"Hands will be bloodied, after all." Pieck spoke, her Titan standing with Gabi and Falco on top, with Onyankopon now helping Yelena up there too. "A lot of trust has just been broken, in Floch's eyes, if he is still alive over there."
"Onyankopon." Fury muttered. Her eyes fixated on the fighting over at the harbor. "Take Levi with you. Keep those kids safe. I'm going over there."
"But-" Onyankopon stalled.
"It's my choice after all, right?" Fury pushed some of her hair behind her ear before she then began to make sure her equipment was solid and comfortable. "Maybe it's time I start being what I was born to be. Besides. . . Who else can say they are humanity's last Bloodborn?"
Looking back at them all, Fury would offer a small smile to them before she would place an anchor from her ODM to take her over into the brewing fight.