Chapter 15 - Down the Drain
The arrow whizzed through the air, whistling as it travelled towards a pigeon sitting in the tallest branch. There was a pause before the sound of snow crunching could be heard as the pigeon fell. Sasha raised her hands and whooped with joy as she sprinted off to retrieve it. 'Great! Scare all the other animals away… brilliant job…' Al thought as Sasha sprinted off and returned holding the dead bird.
"Look at the size of this!" Sasha marvelled as she held up the pigeon, "This is huge-"
Al raised his hand, gesturing her to keep quiet. He was crouched on the ground examining the trail left in the crisp white snow. "Look… Deer tracks… must be close by as well…" Sasha's eyes widened as she darted to where Al was and peered over his shoulder. Her eyes widened as a huge smile appeared on her face.
"You're right! And it must be huge! Think about how that's going to taste!" She beamed, her mouth beginning to water. Al's face creased as he glanced up at her and then shook his head as he got up and brushed down his knees.
"Yeah whatever. Just quit drooling and let's catch this thing first…" Al remarked as he followed the tracks close behind. They followed the trail for a couple minutes, their boots crunching in the snow. Sasha examined Al's weapons closely before looking at her own bow which was already worn out.
"Nice bow…" Sasha remarked as she glanced at Al's bow slung over his shoulder, "Where'd you get it?"
A smirk appeared on Al's face as he unslung his bow and held it out proudly, "Made it myself a couple months ago. It's not as good as my first one at home but it certainly does the job rather well… Hunted God knows how many animals with this…"
Sasha shrugged as she looked around her, paying close attention to her surroundings, "...Impressive…" she muttered, "Although I bet I can do far better…"
Al snorted as he glanced at her, his smirk getting wider, "Really? With that sorry excuse of a bow?"
Sasha turned around and lowered her bow, glaring at him, "Yes… Of course I can…Any day of the week!" She remarked defensively.
Al simply shrugged and his smile turned into a grin, "... The others said you have one hell of a stomach so you probably wouldn't mind when I make you eat those words…" Al tried to stifle his laughter as Sasha whirled around to him, her face red with anger. "What? I'm just saying! A hunter is only as good as his bow and… well…" He raised his weapon and looked between his and her bow, "I guess we know what the conclusion is…"
"As if you know!" Sasha retorted, clearly insulted "I grew up in Dauper! Hunting was our speciality! It was my life! As if you could talk to me about being the better hunter!"
Al chuckled as he shook his head, "Well, screaming your head off isn't proving your point now, is it?" Sasha was about to yell back but stopped. Finally, she lowered her head and frowned, her face red with a mixture of anger and embarrassment.
Al grinned even more as he sighed out, his breath turning cloudy in front of his eyes, "Okay how about this. Next time we do this, we're going to see who the better hunter is. If you win, I'll give you this bow and I will take back everything I have said." Sasha grinned and was about to reply until Al cut her off, "But I win…" He paused as he looked upwards as he thought briefly for the perfect punishment, "... You're not allowed to set foot in the pantry for two days…"
Sasha's eyes widened so much that Al thought that they would pop out of their sockets. "What?" Al shrugged, trying so hard to stop himself from laughing at Sasha's reaction, "Some hunters were forced to go on weeks without catching anything… Not that you should be worried about that, I'm sure…"
Sasha snapped out of her horrified trance and shook her head. Almost instantly, a determined expression was fixed on her face as she nodded, "Done! That bow will be mine!"
Al chuckled as he was about to reply when the sound of branches snapping could be heard far away. Both of them stopped, glancing at each other before looking to where the noise came from. Almost instantly, they sauntered off as quickly and as quietly as they could to where the noise is until they hid behind a large, fallen tree trunk. They both peered over the top to see a large deer feeding just over 14 metres away. Sasha slowly sat herself down as she pulled an arrow from her quiver and slotted it onto her bow, "Well… I guess this is practice then…" She muttered, "Care to show me how you're the so-called better hunter?"
"Oh, just watch and learn… watch and learn" Al grinned as he pulled back the string and aimed steadily at the deer's head. He exhaled slowly before steadying his aim and letting go, the arrow sent whizzing towards the animal.
BANG!
A loud gunshot rang out as the bullet hit the target. Eren exhaled as he steadied his aim and continued to fire, metallic sounds ringing in the air as the bullets hit their targets. Mikasa sighed out as she continued to read her book. As the final bullet hit its target, Mikasa finally gave up and shut the book, staring at Eren. "Eren… What is it?"
Eren tossed the gun aside into a nearby chair and sighed out, "We both know what I'm annoyed about". Mikasa blinked before shaking her head. "You mean with Jay?"
"No not him. It's Al." Eren exhaled and scowled as he looked out, his eyes settling on a pair of footprints in the snow trailing towards the forest. Al and Sasha had left hours ago to go hunting with a pair of bows and quivers full of arrows. He had considered carrying out his plan earlier but this had provided the perfect opportunity to plant what he had made and leave to prepare the rest of his plan. 'Besides… Al doesn't seem to be targeting Sasha… Mikasa seems like the only person he's planning to kill…' He assured himself as he continued to stare at the forest.
"Whatever this grudge or whatever you have with Al…" Mikasa replied calmly, "Maybe you should just let this go…" Eren whirled around and stared at Mikasa, disbelief written all over his face as he looked at her. He shook his head as he took a step back.
"Are you serious?" Eren demanded, "Have you actually forgotten about how just over a week ago, you two could have killed each other!? I mean, how could you even overlook something like that!? Why is Al so different?" Mikasa exhaled as she closed her book and looked up at Eren.
"He's someone close to him…" Mikasa remarked, causing Eren to shrug.
""So? We've all lost people. People we cared about. What makes him so differen-" Eren retorted, a mixture of confusion and annoyance in his voice but was interrupted by Mikasa.
"Al lost his brother in Shinganshina," She stated, causing Eren to stop dead in his tracks. He blinked and his mouth opened in shock as he heard her say the name. He shook his head as his face creased, trying to get his head around what Mikasa had said.
"Wait…So back then…when the titans broke in… and Mo-" Eren stopped himself, trying to force down the memory of what had happened, "H-His brother...was there?"
Mikasa nodded, "His older brother. He was part of the Garrison, evacuating everyone out of the area and he got killed…I mean, we might have even seen him when we were getting out of Shinganshina… In that sense… He may not be so different to us..."
Eren shook his head as he tried to get his head around what Mikasa had said, "N-No…He had to be there! He had to see the titans to even try to understand what it was like then…We saw Mom get eaten with our own eyes! Al's brother died while Al was just sitting up in his mansion as if nothing was happening!"
Mikasa sighed out and shrugged, "Then why would he choose to join the Survey Corps? If that was the case, wouldn't you think he'd prefer to be a part of the Garrison or even the Military Police?"
"I-I don't know!" Eren retorted, "How could I? Look… But… Does that even matter now!?"
Mikasa gave Eren a patient stare as she stood up straight, "More than ever…We need to know we can trust them… After Reiner and Bertolt…" Her face curled with disgust as she said those names and continued, "We can't afford to let our guard down but we also need their help if the threat is as bad as the others say…Don't get me started with Jay, I don't trust him for one second… But Al's the only one who can keep him under control…we saw for ourselves…And that is how I know we can rely on him…"
Eren stared at Mikasa, completely stunned. He tried to say something but nothing came out. Mikasa lowered her head before walking away, "I need to put this book back…" She muttered before heading back into the Retreat and closing the door behind her, leaving Eren completely alone and silent.
'No way… No way….Mikasa actually seems to genuinely trust Al now. He had actually gotten to her. He's gone further than I thought he would….' He then paused, 'But if what she said was true… Then does that really make him like us?' Eren thought as he looked down at the knife concealed beneath his coat.
'So...should I really stick to the plan?'
KNOCK! KNOCK!
Armin looked up from his desk. He sighed out as he brushed down his clothes and rubbed his eyes. 'Great… Probably Eren just ranting on about how he doesn't trust the others… Or Dante and the others goofing off…' He grasped the door handle and twisted it, opening the door. He looked up ahead and froze. Standing at the door was Jay, standing as still as a statue and fixing him with a dark stare. Armin stared back in anticipation, not sure what to expect next. Jay blinked before averting his gaze for a brief second and opening his mouth to say something.
"...Hi…" Jay stated after a long pause, followed by a long period of silence.
"...Er… Hi?" Armin answered, looking around the corridor, wondering if anyone was nearby. "Erm… What is it?" He asked uncertainly
Jay exhaled before looking towards the floor, "Let's just say… in hindsight… I wasn't a big fan of how we left our last conversation… The game as well…"
Armin blinked before shrugging, "Well… you did say the reason you kill is because you think that a surprisingly large amount of people deserve to die and no one else is able doing the job… but… It's nothing I haven't heard before…" He thought, thinking about Eren and his usual outbursts. 'God only knows how many messes that got Eren into…' Armin thought as he remembered his usual fights with Mikasa and the courtroom incident, "...But didn't you say you forfeit, leaving me as the winner…"
Jay exhaled before remarking flatly, "That I did… I also thought back to that and realised that I had an advantage by 7 moves that I could have exploited…". Armin nodded slowly before Jay continued slowly, "Also because… You're the only one in a long time who actually plays chess with me… Either you're patient or tolerant enough or you're the only one who knows how to play…" Jay admitted, clearly uncomfortable.
Armin's eyebrows raised in mild surprise, "Oh… So Al and Dante don't-"
"Al sees entertainment in flirting with any beautiful woman he sees, drinking and wrestling bears in the middle of the woods, while Dante has the attention span of a pigeon and wants to prank everything with a pulse… That leaves only me..." Jay remarked hesitantly, taking Armin by surprise.
'Well… that was rather quick off the tongue…' Armin thought for a moment, "...Did you just admit you play chess with yourself?"
Jay blinked before thinking again, "...Yes… I… Do that a lot..." He muttered awkwardly, "Honestly… None of the others really play…"
Armin nodded slowly, trying to figure what to say next. 'Seeing how awkward it is for him, he might actually be genuinely sorry…" . He blinked before clearing his throat, "Okay… Give me a couple minutes?"
Jay blinked in surprise before answering, "...Sure…" He replied before gliding off down the corridor towards the study, not looking back at all.
LINE BREAK
Jay walked into the library with the chessboard under his arm. '… That went...well?' He thought uncertainly to himself as he approached the table and set down the chessboard and began to arrange the pieces out.
RRIIIPPP!
"Crap!" A voice suddenly called out, causing Jay to stop and look up as he heard the sound of cursing and tape being ripped. Slowly, he began to walk forward closer to where the voice came from. 'What the hell?...' He thought as he turned around the corner and saw a pair of legs sticking out from beneath the shelves. They kicked out in annoyance as banging could be heard from beneath the shelves, followed by even more cursing. Jay exhaled in annoyance as he stormed up to them, grabbed them by the ankles and hauled. Out from beneath the shelves slid Dante, his hands bound together by tape and rope.
"Oh… hi…" Dante gave a faltering smile as he tried as best as he could to wave his hands which were bound together. "Um… sorry could you… uh…"
Jay leaned down and grabbed him by the lapels, hauling him roughly onto his feet. Jay also picked up Dante's hat, which he took and placed at an angle on his head. Dante grinned as he looked at Jay who was frowning at him. Dante tilted his head to the side as his grin cracked slightly, "...What?" He asked, through his smile.
"You're actually going to make me ask, aren't you?" Jay muttered as his frown deepened into a scowl. Dante looked away momentarily before giving him a helpless shrug. "Er… I don't-"
"What are you doing?" Jay asked in annoyance, causing Dante's face to drop in realisation.
"Oh… just testing a trap… Why?" He asked, his grin broadening. Jay exhaled as he rubbed his eyes. "Look… It's not what you think…" Dante continued, causing Jay to look up at him wearily, "It's for Peter!"
Jay remained perfectly still, staring at Dante. He blinked as he looked at him and tilted his head, "Who the hell is Peter?" He asked quickly.
"Oh! Peter the pigeon!" Dante remarked cheerfully, causing Jay's face to drop completely, "It's a pigeon that I keep seeing every day!"
"...Are you serious?" Jay asked quietly, wide eyed and completely stunned, his mouth hanging open in shock.
Dante nodded his head, "Absolutely! It just keeps appearing everywhere! When we were fighting Levi's squad, it was there! When I was shooting outside the manor in the morning, It was ther-"
"No! Dante! Are you insane!?" Jay interrupted him, completely taking him aback, "... Actually… Don't even bother trying to answer that… You'd probably find a way to come up with an 'ingenious' answer…" He muttered sarcastically.
"Oh thank you!" Dante beamed but his face creased as he thought about what Jay said, "... I think…" He then shook his head and continued, "But what I'm thinking of is the name of the pigeon doesn't really stick… So… Do you wanna help me?" He smiled.
Jay stared at Dante, his expression unreadable. 'Every time… Every goddamn time…' He thought but shook lowered his head. "...Get out… J-Just get the hell out…" Jay ordered wearily, glancing up towards Dante. Dante nodded slowly before looking down.
"OK sure... But first could you just-" He began hopefully as he raised his bound hands together towards Jay but noticed his scowl, "Nope, well, that's fine…" He shrugged as he headed his way out of the library, dragging all of his items with him. "Just think of that name for me, thanks!" He called out before the door slammed shut and Jay sighed loudly. Finally, he trudged back to his chessboard and finished arranging the pieces. He silently sat down in the chair and looked at the place opposite him. Seconds had passed. His brow furrowed as his mind began to tick. 'Something's...off…' He thought as he glanced around him and then at the opposite king. He stared at it long and hard before exhaling and his jaw tightening. '...It's you, isn't it… You have something to say…' Jay looked around before leaning back in his chair and calling out.
Jay suddenly slammed his fist down and stared all around him. "Come on out! I know you're there! You wanted to talk, now talk!" Jay called out loud, looking around to see him. But there was no sight or sound from him. Finally he sighed out and clicked his knuckles. 'Fine… I guess that's how it's going to be…' moving his pawn two places in front of him.
"He bothers you… Hell, they all do…"
Jay looked up at the pieces to see the Mangler, his scratched, metal mask clamped over his face and his elbows resting on the table. He was wearing the exact same uniform as Jay but his front was splattered with blood, some of it pooling beneath the table. Without taking his gaze of Jay, he picked up a pawn and moved it forward. Jay sighed out in annoyance as he shook his head, moving his piece forward as well.
"Dante's always been like that. We both know that. He's not a bad guy. Anything but-"
"I wasn't talking about Blackwood…" The Mangler stated, "I was talking about Artlet. Yeager. Ackermann, all of them..."
"That's their job. That's what makes them who they are…" Jay muttered, "You're bothering me right now-"
"Don't give me that!" The Mangler retorted sternly, his fists clenching on the table. "You've been shutting me out for far too long. There is something wrong!"
Jay exhaled as he gave him a half hearted shrug. "Oh, if I had a diamond every time that has been said…" Jay remarked, "Of course there is something wrong. Everything is damn wrong. The titans! The walls! Humans! The two of us! Especially the two of us! The list goes on a-"
"And on and on and on! Yeah, you told me…" The Mangler muttered before pushing another piece forward, "Hell! The fact that you're having a conversation and playing chess with your 'other self' inside your head despite how many people could be seeing this just shows how crazy you are! But you should also take note that's something I don't give a single shit about that. The others may whine and complain about how cruel the world is. I just want to make sure we're crueller..."
Jay nodded curtly, "The only viable option…" He grumbled in agreement
The Mangler's hands shot out, grasping Jay by his collar. Jay's face remained perfectly calm as he slowly clenched his jaw. He exhaled as he reached up and prised his hands away before, moving his piece forward and taking his bishop. "... Tell me… Do you still believe that now… Look me in the eyes and tell me that you still believe that wholeheartedly, even at this very second" The Mangler sneered before adjusting his pieces.
"Of course I do..." Jay grumbled before pushing his pieces forward, "...Nothing has changed… And it never will..."
The Mangler tilted his head before moving his piece, taking Jay's pawn, "Then why did you apologise? Why say sorry for speaking out the truth? You had never done it before… There's something else, isn't there… That incident on the walls… You can't stop thinking about it, can you? Why? W-"
Jay pushed his rook forward and looked at the Mangler, giving him an abysmal stare, "I never apologised for what I said. I simply apologised for the timing and how easily I lost my temper… It seemed reasonable at the time and it still does. And as for the incident, I thinking about all of the potential consequences that have and may have occurred if I have picked alternative options, all of them far worse than our current situation..."
The Mangler leaned forward, studying Jay's face in close detail. Jay looked up and glared back, the silence thick and heavy between the two of them. Finally he leaned back in his chair and shrugged as he casually shifted his piece, "... Fine… I'll take your word for it… You've certainly delivered, especially when it came to protecting your friends and family… And more importantly ourselves"
Jay stayed silent as he moved his piece forward, exhaling through his nose as he moved his piece forward.
"...Or managing to eliminate every opportunity of being discovered by anyone who could jeopardise us. I guess we should consider ourselves lucky that your friends didn't rat us out when they had a chance..." The Mangler noted.
"Loyalty is a two way thing… In order in increase our chances of staying relatively safe, we need to give them a reason to. I chose to stand by them and give them support when needed. It's-" Jay remarked.
"Something they want from Jayden Talbot?" The Mangler let out a humourless chuckle. Jay looked up and stared at him, his face showing nothing. "It's what they deserve… More than anyone else I can think of…" Jay retorted coldly.
The Mangler rolled his shoulders, "And humanity needs me around. They just don't have to know about it, that should be more important…" He remarked. Jay grunted and shook his head in mock disbelief. The Mangler got out of his feet and leant over the chessboard, his hands balled into tight fists as the leant against the table.
"Why even try to deny it!? I am the greatest asset any soldier can have. Your mind has the greatest capacity and ability to contain and utilise said asset! Our motives may be different according to whatever the hell you want to believe but the outcome is the same as always. You need me and I will always need you. And humanity needs us...But you can't let any emotion or self-doubt get in the way! Hell, even the others are going to bring us down as well! We can't afford that!"
"Who said I was experiencing that?" Jay remarked, "And besides, I think there might be someone else who could be able to-"
"Enough!" The Mangler set his piece forward loudly, "What is your fixation with her? She's gone. She left your life! It's done. And soon the others may follow. Al? Dante? Whether if it's their choice or not, they will leave. But I won't! I will always be here for you...by your side till the very second you drop... Have you forgotten all about that?"
"...Of course I haven't…" Jay replied after a short pause, "You're always there to remind me…"
The Mangler let out a dry chuckle, "That's only scratching the surface. I am and always will be a part of you, Jay. I am everything you wanted to be when you were little. Strong, ruthless, someone who knows what needs to be done… And in the long run, it's the best for the both of us…No matter what the others say or think, you'll be doing the right thing in the end… Because we work together and that's how it'll stay that way…"
Jay shrugged as he moved his piece forward, "That's comforting… But that's how it'll be… especially with the whole Senator thing we got in our hands…"
"All the more reason why we have to stick together no matter what…". The Mangler noted before pausing to think. He eyed Jay from the table and asked casually "...And if nothing has changed… What do we do to people who stand in our way?" He asked placing a piece forward.
"Dismember them…" Jay answered instantly, making his move.
"Kidnappers?" The Mangler pried as he made another move, giving Jay the opportunity to take his piece
"Bludgeon them all until nothing's left…" Jay muttered automatically, taking the Mangler's chess piece away.
"Human traffickers?" The Mangler couldn't help but smirk, clearly enjoying the moment as he pushed another piece forward, ripe for the taking
"Gut them and feed them to the dogs…" Jay replied, his voice beginning to fill with venom as he took another piece.
"Child killers-" The Mangler began as he shifted his piece only slightly before Jay reached out and prised it from his grip.
"Skin them alive and hang them all for everyone to see…" Jay growled as he moved forward and took his rook.
"After all, we done it all before, haven't we... and the truth is-" The Mangler continued as he pushed a chess piece forward.
"We'd do it all again in a heartbeat…" Jay cut in smoothly, looking up at the Mangler as he moved his piece in place, finishing his move. Jay finished. The Mangler stared at Jay, completely silent before beginning to laugh slowly.
"That's the Jay I know…" He grinned as he selected his queen piece carefully with a gloved hand, "So… We're on the same page?"
Jay looked down at the chessboard and exhaled sharply. He held his queen piece and looked up to give the Mangler a nod, "Always…" He remarked as they both made their move at the same time, slamming their pieces down at the same time.
"Jay?"
Jay looked up quickly to see Armin at the doorway, watching him in a mixture of surprise and intrigue. "So you weren't kidding with the whole playing with yourself thing?"
Jay looked down at the chessboard to see all of the pieces had been moved. 'Dammit… Again?" He thought as he licked his dry lips and nodded, "Yeah...J-Just a little habit… I was waiting…"
Armin walked up to the board and examined it in detail, "So… in the three to four minutes it took me to get here… You made...what? About 29 moves in total?""
"...31..." Jay muttered distantly, looking at the board. 'He's right…' Jay thought, 'I made that many calculated moves in less than 5 minutes… Something's wrong… Something's very wrong…'
"So…" Armin began, trying to get Jay's attention, "Can I interrupt your game?"
Jay blinked before looking to him, "Oh… sure…" He replied quickly as he rearranged the pieces back into position. Armin glanced at Jay before taking a seat and opposite him. "Quite a careless opponent, don't you think?" Armin noted before moving his piece forward. Jay looked up and tilted his head in curiosity. Armin glanced upwards to see his reaction only to look down at the board. "I mean, you took quite a few pieces, there must have been something wrong… correct?"
"He wanted that all along…" Jay remarked. "He doesn't care, he'd use any piece for bait…"
Armin glanced upwards before looking down, "You don't seem to… You reserve most of your pieces… Well, at least until the last couple of moves I saw…"
Jay paused before moving his piece forward, "...I… um… guess you could say we came to an understanding…"
Armin's face creased in confusion as he moved his piece, "...Why… do you say 'he'?..." He asked, curiosity overwhelming him, "You're playing yourself… Why say 'he'?"
Jay glanced upwards uncomfortably before clearing his throat. He pushed his piece forward and Armin's eyes widened as he examined Jay's move. 'That shook him… He'd never make a careless move like that. Something about that really took him off guard…' He exhaled slowly before moving his knight and taking his pawn.
"I should say sorry…" Jay muttered quietly, clearly uncomfortable as he studied the board, "How I said what I said… may have been unnecessary…"
"I've gotten used to it by now…" Armin shrugged as he looked down at the chessboard, "I mean, with Eren practically all the time…"
"I should know…" Jay grumbled out loud as he finally moved his piece forward, his shoulders relaxing slightly.
"Yesterday, I heard him mumbling about seeing Al almost constantly yesterday…" Armin continued as he moved his piece forward. Jay only nodded slightly before moving his chess piece.
"Also something about the armoury…"
Jay froze almost instantly, his blood running cold as his mind tried to register what had happened.
"What did you say?" Jay breathed out, his eyes fixed on Armin and his brain trying to register what Armin had said. "Say that again in those exact words…" Armin looked up and was about to reply but noticed Jay's reaction. He felt shivers up his spine as a sense of unease filled him completely
"I-I said I heard him mumbling… about seeing Al almost constantly… Yesterday..." Armin stammered nervously. "And… something about the...armoury?"
Jay exhaled as he leaned back in his chair, a mortified expression fixed on his face as it hit him like a tidal wave, the pieces finally fitting together. 'I got it wrong… I completely got it wrong… It wasn't me he was focusing on, it was Al! And he was in the armoury… He got something from there and he's… We need to find them!'. Instantly, Jay sprung up from his chair and pulled on his coat. "Armin. We have to find both of them!" He called out as he sprinted towards the door.
"Wha- Jay! Wait!" Armin called out as he got up onto his feet and ran after Jay who was already running through the corridor. "What's going on!?"
"Eren got a weapon from the armoury! He's going to kill Al!" Jay yelled out, not looking back as he looked around wildly. Armin's eyes widened in shock as he tore after Jay. Jay sprinted through the corridor as kicked down the door leading to Al's room and looked around. He clenched his jaw as he saw a note neatly folded on the table in front of him. He rushed over and picked it up, his eyes darting over the writing. As soon as Armin arrived, Jay swore out loud and ran out past him towards the study. He thundered down the hallway and barged through the door, staggering into the study and looking around the room. "AL!" He called out as he looked around the room, panic written on his face.
"He's not here…" Jay's head snapped to the direction to where the voice came from. Standing near the window was Mikasa, turning away from one of the shelves.
"Have you seen him? Or heard where he was going? Eren as well?" Jay demanded as he looked at Mikasa. Mikasa's face darkened as Jay mentioned Eren's name and she began to storm up to him, her hands bawled into fists.
"Why the hell should I tell you?" She growled, a scowl fixed on her face "Hell, I should probably kill you for what you did to Eren!"
Jay let out a humourless chuckle as he shook his head, "Of bloody course… As much as I want to discuss that, we really can't. This is urgent! Al and Eren, they're-"
"You could have killed him! And I also know about the mess you got into with Armin!" Mikasa snapped angrily, causing Jay to lose his temper.
"Well, the thing with Armin is that he will always be far smarter and more competent than your dipshit brother considering what he's going to do." Jay remarked icily, infuriating Mikasa greatly," So please stop being so goddamn blind about your precious little Eren and just-"
"Eren's trying to kill Al!" Armin exclaimed from the doorway breathlessly. Mikasa turned to Armin, frozen on the spot as she heard him. 'Eren… trying to kill Al?' She thought in disbelief, 'He wouldn't. He can't be. Right?' . She shook her head, staring at Armin and hoping he was wrong. "Armin? Eren wouldn't… W-We know him. He wouldn't do something like that! He w-"
"He would…" Jay cut in, the hostile edge in his voice had died down a little "He got weapons from the armoury. And I saw him and I knew that he sure as hell wasn't going to stop."
Mikasa shook her head, the worry beginning to show on her face, her mind flashing back to the time she was in the armoury and how the door was left unlocked. "No way. Jay, he-"
"Jay's right…" Armin noted, glancing between the two of them, feeling rotten on the inside, "Look, I don't want to admit it either but we both know him better than anyone else. That's just who Eren is. He just runs off towards danger looking for a fight."
Mikasa stared at Armin, completely stunned. She looked at him for anything to say otherwise but failed. She was about to reply until Jay reached into his pocket and pulled out a note, holding it out to her. "Listen…Just... Did you write this to Al?" Jay asked steadily. Mikasa glanced from Jay to the note in his hands and read through. Her blood turned cold as her face fell with shock. She looked up to Jay and slowly said, "This is Eren's handwriting…"
Jay exhaled and turned to look at Armin, sick realisation written all over his face.
"But why?" She breathed out quietly, "Why?"
Jay sighed out as he ran a hand through his hair and began to pace around the room frantically, "It's something that got to do with you and Al. I don't what exactly but maybe he thought Al was trying to kill you. And now, he had started his plan…"
Mikasa breathed out, her mind racing, "I don't know where he is. He was talking to me about Al before I left. That's all I know!"
Jay breathed out and scowled, cursing out loud and hit his fist against the mantelpiece. He cursed out loud as thought desperately for a plan.
Armin lowered his head in deep thought, "We got to split up…" He muttered, getting both of their attention "That's all we can do. Cover more ground, search the Retreat, both inside and out. All we can do is hope the two don't find each other before we find them…"
Jay clenched his jaw and nodded, "Alright. I'll find Dante and we'll search outside on the left side of the Retreat. Mikasa, search the right side. Hopefully you can talk some sense into Eren. Armin, find everyone and get them to search. Is that understood?"
The other two nodded almost instantly. Jay returned the gesture and stormed out followed by the others.
"This doesn't change a thing…" Mikasa hissed to Jay, "You still have to answer for what you did…"
"Whatever you say…" Jay growled, "But just know that if we don't stop them, we may have to answer for a lot more…" And with that he turned around the corner and disappeared from sight.
2 years ago
Jay exhaled as he sat down on the lowest step on the staircase and began to tighten his boots, pulling tightly at the leather and adjusting the harnesses around his legs. After inspecting them one more time, he nodded as he pulled on his jacket and began to walk off to find Dante and Al.
"Uh… Jayden?"
Jay stopped in his tracks and looked over his shoulder. Standing only a couple of metres away from him was a small boy with black hair and big golden eyes, peering up at him from around the doorway. He looked almost exactly like Al but much smaller with a thinner frame.
"Yes?" Jay asked, his voice was gentle as he walked up to him and kneeled on one knee to look at him at eye level.
"Y-You and the others… The expedition is in a couple of days, right?" the boy asked anxiously, moving away from the doorway so Jay could see him, nervously fidgeting with his hands.
"It is… We're just getting ready… It's only a practice one though…" Jay answered as he looked at him. The boy nodded and sighed out shakily as he looked down at his polished shoes.
"OK… that's… fine…" The boy muttered quietly. Jay blinked as he tilted his head and stared at him.
"What's wrong?" Jay asked carefully, making sure that he was picking the right words and not to put him on the spot, "Is there something you want to tell me? Or Al?"
The boy nodded slowly, "Yeah… There is… But don't tell Alphonse I said this-"
"Elias, you know I can't just-" Jay sighed out wearily.
"Please protect him," The boy blurted out quickly, taking Jay aback. The boy was about to say something else but stopped and swallowed before looking down, "...I heard about what happened outside the walls when Father is arguing with Mother or Alphonse… The titans, how most people don't come back, everything… If anything happens, please keep an eye on him… Markus died because of the titans and I barely knew him…" He sniffled miserably, "I don't want to lose Alphonse, he's the only brother I have left… Please don't let him die…"
Jay blinked, completely stunned. 'Wow… I wasn't expecting that at all…' Jay lowered his head and sighed out. "What about Dante? He can help as well…"
The boy gave a reluctant shrug, "Dante's nice and all… but… You'd always tell the truth when it matters. The others would lie just so that I wouldn't find out how bad it is… That's why Penny can tell you anything...So… do you promise?"
Finally he looked up at the boy, his tone was gentle and there was a thin, reassuring smile on his face as he placed a hand on his shoulder "Elias… I'll look out for your brother... He will come back home… I promise…"
Elias blinked before a wide smile appear on his face, "Thank you…" He sniffled, trying to wipe his nose with his sleeve. Jay reached into his pocket and pulled out a handkerchief, holding it out towards him. Elias gladly took it before blowing his nose and smiling once again. "Thank you so much…"
Jay lowered his head as he pulled up his collar and glanced around him. 'I'll promise I'd protect him for you..' He thought as he pushed open the door and ran outside '...Even if that means from himself…'
5 minutes before current time
Al rubbed his eyes as he flopped into his chair, suddenly feeling extremely exhausted he tossed his gloves into the drawer and shut it. '...I should probably get down to writing that letter to the Commander…' He thought as he selected a piece of paper from his desk and reached for his pen. He dipped it in a pot of ink and was about to write until something caught his eye. At the far end of the desk was a neatly folded sheet of paper. Carefully, he reached out towards it and picked it up. 'To Al?' He thought as he read over the front and opened it.
Al
Something came up and I badly need your help. You're the only person I know who can help me with something like this. It's not safe to talk in the Retreat. Meet me outside. Please don't tell anyone else about this. Not even Eren or Armin.
Mikasa
As soon as he finished reading, he dropped the letter before throwing his coat on and disappearing out into the corridor and rushing outside.
Al huffed out as he jogged through the trees looking around for any sign of Mikasa. 'It would have helped if she could have been a little specific…' Al thought as he looked around and sighed out wearily but thought again, 'But if someone else found that letter, they'd suspect something is wrong… I shouldn't blame her for that… Besides the fact that she wanted to talk to me alone means that it's serious…' Al breathed out and shook his head before continuing to jog on. It was his second time around the Retreat and still there was no sign of her. Al continued to glance around until he heard a snow crunching behind him and instantly turned around, swinging his arm around till he saw who it was.
"Hey, what is it?" Eren asked, looking towards Al. Al visibly relaxed his arm as he sighed out, straightening his posture.
"Oh, it's you…Thought you were someone else…" Al remarked, "What are you doing out here?"
'Dammit… I wasn't expecting him to notice me…' Eren thought but he simply shrugged, "I needed some fresh air and saw you wandering about here… You?"
Al nodded slowly before looking around, turning away from Eren "Fancied the same thing as well…" He answered vaguely. "Anyway have seen Mikasa by any chance?" He asked, focusing on his surroundings.
"No… afraid not…" Eren remarked as he stared at Al, his hand going for the knife attached to his belt. His hands gripped the handle as he silently took a step closer towards Al.
"Dammit…" Al shrugged as he looked around, still fixated on his surroundings, "That is pretty convenient though…" He muttered out.
"That's odd...Why would she want to talk to you?" Eren asked as he took another step closer until he was at arm's length away.
"You tell m-" Al began but stopped. His blood ran cold as he froze on the spot, a single horrible thought playing out in his mind. '...Wait… I never said Mikasa wanted to talk to me...How would he know… unless…' Before he could even continue that thought, he heard small metallic sound behind him. His eyes widened as his head whipped to the side, his eyes focused on what was behind him. From the corner of his eye, he could see Eren's arm blur towards him and he ducked instantly. He could feel the wind only inches above his neck as he backed off, his eyes fixed on the dagger in Eren's hand. "Wha- What!? Eren, what are you-!" He glanced upwards only to see Eren lunge forwards, slicing out as wildly as he could. Al continued to dodge until he raised his elbow and it connected with his wrist. Eren yelled out as pain as he staggered back, clutching at his arm and looking at Al with pure loathing.
"Eren! Have you lost your mind!?" Al yelled out, not taking his eyes off him. Eren growled as he darted forward and swung. "Shut up! SHUT UP!"
"Eren! Listen to me! Calm! Down!" Al ordered before Eren swung out again at him, causing him to jump backwards.
"I SHOULD'VE ACTED SOONER! YOU'RE JUST LIKE HIM! LIKE THAT BASTARD! I WON'T LET YOU KILL HER!" Eren screamed out.
"Eren what the hell are you talking about?" Al demanded, staring at Eren, his eyes wide.
"Just admit it you're one of them!" Eren yelled back.
"You're not making any sense! What do you mean by 'one of them'!?" Al asked in confusion only for Eren to scream back.
"You're a titan shifter!" He yelled out. Al's expression dropped and his blood ran cold. 'Oh crap… Oh crap!' He thought as he shook his head. 'How did he find out!? How did he even suspect that!?'
"Eren… Listen to me…" Al called out as he raised his hands in order to try and calm him down, "Just calm down… And let's talk about this… You're clearly not well… We can talk about this… There's is no-"
"What!? No way that you're a titan shifter!?" Eren sneered, "Well tell me this… Where did your scar on your cheek go, huh!? Al's hand shot up to his face and felt the unmarred skin. The scar he had got when Sasha's arrow grazed him during the fight in the church was gone. However, what had attracted Al's attention was the heat from where the scar was meant to be and he could feel steam being formed and dissipating into the air. He cursed as he realised what had happened. 'Dammit! There's no way I can talk him out of it… Maybe, I just try and calm him down and at least explain to him and that we aren't threats'
"Don't even try and patronise me!" Eren spat out angrily, "In fact… I probably never felt so clearly in my life until this point! So just do us both a favour and confess!""
"Alright then yes. I'm a shifter just like you. Is that what you wanted to know?" Al confessed half yelling.
Eren let out a hysterical laugh as he wiped his mouth with his sleeve, "I knew it...I knew it! A-And let me guess!? Jay and Dante!? They knew. Or better yet, they're titan shifters as well!"
Al stayed silent as his jaw clenched momentarily, cursing to himself. Eren noticed his reaction and took a step back, a deranged grin on his face as he shook his head in disbelief. "I was right… All of it, everything was a goddamn lie…"
Al raised his hand and shook his head, "No! Eren! Listen to me!" He called out, trying to talk some sense into him, "It wasn't a lie. You have to believe me-"
Eren gritted his teeth in anger as he clenched the knife, "Like hell I would! And Commander Erwin told us to trust you!? Hell, we're better of with Bertolt and Reiner with us compared to the rest of you!"
"Dammit, Eren!" Al yelled out exasperatedly, "Just drop the knife and hear me ou-"
"And I bet that whole sob story with your brother in Shinganshina was just another lie as well!" Eren sneered. Al froze completely. He stared at Eren, his hands bawling into fists without him realising. His posture straightened a little as his chin jutted out slightly "I wouldn't continue if I were you..."
"Or what!?" Eren scoffed, "Does it look like I care at all!? About your stupid dead brother lie"
"Eren… Stand. Down." Al ordered, his voice was low and filled with venom.
"Well go on!? What's going to happen!?" Eren yelled but Al's fist blurred, connecting squarely with Eren's jaw, sending him tumbling to the ground. The knife spun out of his hand and landed metres away from them into the snow. Eren groaned as he slammed his fist into the snow as he slowly got onto his hands and knees and spat out into the snow. Al slowed his pace as he exhaled, allowing his hands to unclench and him to lower his guard. "No one needs to know about this…" Al breathed out steadily, "This was just some misunderstanding… And we sorted it out, just-"
Eren suddenly kicked out, his boot connecting firmly against Al's stomach. Al's eyes flew open as he stumbled back and fell into snow, grunting out loud as he landed on his shoulder at an awkward angle. Eren glanced back before scrambling to his feet, his hand outstretched towards the knife. Al gritted his teeth as he pushed himself onto his feet and charged forward. His arms wrapped around Eren's waist as he tackled him, Eren fingers on grazing the knife. They lost their footing and slid, crashing into a nearby tree. Eren cried out in pain as he took the brunt of the fall as his back hit the tree. He gritted his teeth as he sent his elbow crashing down onto Al's shoulder. Al grunted as he felt his grip loosen and Eren sent his elbow crashing down again onto his shoulder, causing Al to stumble and collapse into the snow. Eren saw his chance and kicked out, his boot connecting with Al's side and causing him to roll over to the side in pain. Eren staggered back before hobbling over to the knife, pain shooting up his ankle as he made his way closer.
'Dammit! Come on! Just a little closer!' He thought as edged closer to the knife. He leaned down to grab the handle and pulled it out of the snow. He glanced over his shoulder to see Al staggered onto his feet. 'I need to find a way to distract him and then I could finish it once and for all!'. Quickly, he searched around him before grabbing a large stone covered in snow. His fingers were numb but he clenched it with all his might as he whirled around to see Al. Al finally steadied himself and looked up to see Eren moving towards him. Eren swung out with his left hand, chucking the rock and sending snow flying. Al raised his arms and grunted as the rock thudded against his jacket and shielded his eyes from the snow. He lowered his arms just in time to see Eren swing out with his knife, the blade slicing through the air and towards Al. 'Crap! No way to back away… There's only one thing I can do…' He realised and without giving it a second thought, he swung out with all of his strength towards Eren's hand.
Mikasa rushed through into the forest, the trees blurring past her and her boots crunching in the snow. She pushed away branches and vaulted over a fallen tree without losing momentum and continued to sprint through. 'Oh God, what is Eren thinking!?' She thought, trying to stop the panic that was threatening to overwhelm her, 'He can't seriously be doing this! What Jay and Armin said can't be true! He can't! Why would he want to kill Al of all people? And what might Al do?' She shook her head as she continued to sprint through. 'All I need to do is to get there before they-'
Suddenly, a high pitched screamed filled the air. Mikasa skidded to a halt, her head perked up as she heard a loud scream from the forest. She blinked in surprise as she heard it. 'What was that?' She thought as she looked around, trying to pinpoint where it came from. 'It… No way… It's sounded like it was human!'
Eren turned deathly pale and he screamed as he landed onto the floor, clutching at his broken, bleeding fist. Al staggered back, shocked to see bone sticking out from Eren's hand from several disgusting angles, his jaw hanging wide open in shock. Al looked down and his eyes widened and he clutched at his forearm. His fingers were smeared with Eren's blood but covering Al's knuckles was pale blue crystal. "What the… what?" Al breathed out as he stared at it. 'No way… could it be… my titan's ability?' Al hesitantly as about to touch it but suddenly it cracked and began to fall piece by piece. Al looked up and rushed over to Eren, a sense of dread hanging over him. 'Oh God! If Mikasa sees this…'
"Eren!" Al yelled out, "EREN!"
Eren screamed out as he scrambled onto his feet towards Al. Steam was flaring out from Eren's right arm as he reached for his belt and swung out the dagger with his left hand. Al cursed as he stepped back, the blade nicking his shirt. Eren lunged forward and Al quickly stepped to the side. He wrapped one arm around Eren's neck and the other prying the knife out of his hands and casting it out to the side. Eren yelled out in fury but Al tightened his grip, choking out Eren.
"Enough! Don't make me hurt you!" Al growled as he squeezed harder, "Just give up!"
Eren struggled, kicking out and tossing and turning to escape. His vision began to darken and his flailing became weaker and weaker. He tried gasping for air but his airways were cut off by Al's arms. He grabbed Al's arm with one hand and tried to pull as hard as he could but to no avail. "Guh...G-G" Eren spluttered out weakly is he continued trying to break free. 'Almost there…' Al thought as he looked down at Eren struggling to get out, 'Just need to-'
He suddenly stopped as he heard the familiar, quick sound of footsteps crunching in the snow. His blood turned cold in sick realisation as he slowly dared himself to look over his shoulder to see Mikasa, staring at the two of them in complete horror. Al breathed out in disbelief. He opened his mouth to say something but nothing came out. His grip around Eren's neck loosened and Eren sucked in air, his brain and lungs were screaming.
"GO TO HELL!" Eren screamed out as he lifted his hand to his mouth, ready to sink his teeth in. Mikasa's eyes widened and she had began to rush forward. Al looked down and his expression turned into that of horror. Time had slowed down.
"EREN! DON-!" Al screamed out but it was too late. Eren bit hard into his hand, drawing blood, bright yellow light enveloped them both.
BANG!
AN:
What a chapter. It certainly took a long time but once again, thank you so much for your patience. Next, we'll see how the relationship between Levi's squad and the GSC are pushed to the limit in the following chapters. This should be interesting
Have a great day!