Ill keep it short, If anyone wants to know where i have been the last few months go to my profile for an explanation, i don't want to put a long explanation in the chapter space since i just want to focus on the story.
Enjoy.
Chapter 13: Greatest Joy
Each remaining member of the 104th had their hands over their hearts as they saluted the Officer directly in front of them. They had been loitering around for quite some time, patiently waiting for an order from someone. At some point some began to speculate that they had not been needed for anything further, or had even been forgotten about. Just as they were about to accept the fact that they would not be doing anything of value for the rest of the day, A Military Police Officer had walked in and informed them that he would be assigning them their duties.
"Alright, you trainee scrubs! I'm going to be telling you your assignments. I don't like repeating myself so puck up your ears and listen carefully. Eren Jaeger, Bertholdt Hoover, Reiner Braun. You three are on patrol duty! You are to gear up and meet your Commanding officer Mitabi Jarnach of the Garrison on the eastern side of Wall Sina."
"Yes sir," The three of them echoed,
Eren turned to Mikasa who was looking a bit apprehensive at being separated, "Don't give me that look Mikasa, It's just some patrol duty. We're soldiers now, so we can't cling to each other like children! Let's do our job."
Mikasa swallowed, her eyes becoming downcast, "Fine..."
"Jaeger! Did you not hear me the first time? Go gear up!"
"Yes sir!" Eren quickly caught up to Reiner and Bertholdt who were both looking excited at the thought of working together on patrol.
"Mikasa Ackerman, you will stay right here on Kitchen duty, Ian Dietrich will be your commanding officer, go meet him in the kitchen, he is expecting you in 5!"
"Yes sir..." Mikasa spoke giving the Officer a halfhearted salute, before walking in the direction of the kitchen.
The Military Police officer glanced awkwardly at the remaining trainee's, some short bald midget, and a brown haired girl, both looking at him, and eagerly waiting for him to tell them their assignments.
The only problem was that nothing was written down for them.
"Are you Connie Springer, And Sasha Blause?"
"Yes, sir!"
"There is nothing written here for you two by Shadis, so I suggest you sit down and wait for further instructions."
The officer saw them visibly deflate before the brown haired girl's eyes seem to shimmer with new found hope "Sir," She said raising one hand, and wiping the drool that suddenly appeared from her mouth with the other.
"May I suggest I be assigned to Kitchen Duty?"
She was almost shaking with anticipation.
The Officer took another glance at his instructions and realized there was one last thing written there.
"Actually, Instructor Shadis informed me that under no circumstances must Sasha Blause be assigned to the kitchens."
Sasha clenched her fist and narrowed her eyes, her expression becoming almost feral with anger, "That damn bald bastard...he knows me too well."
"So are we just suppose to sit here and do nothing?" Connie asked, his disappointment with the situation abundantly clear.
The Officer shrugged, "Looks like it. Stay here and await further instructions, I'm sure there's something we can find to keep you two busy."
Sasha and Connie walked lifelessly back to the benches to take a seat, both disgruntled at being cast aside.
It was his greatest comfort.
The feel of the strong liquid sliding down his throat and the slight buzz that followed soon after always somehow managed to clear his head when there was too much to think about.
And as Commander of the Garrison this occurred often.
Luckily he had his lovely assistant Anka to keep him in check.
"Commander Pixis," She began, mildly irritated "Please refrain from too much alcohol consumption so close to the meeting."
"You are correct Anka, I should stop."
He took a sip and then another before continuing to traverse the hallways of the Military Police Headquarters. His two assistants following dutifully behind him.
"Gustav," He said, "Would you brief me on the situation."
The tall brown haired man snapped to attention, "Yes, sir. Commander Erwin has asked for your presence in Commander Nile Dawks office prior to the meeting."
Anka stepped closer to him and forcefully snatched his small canteen away from him just as he was about to take another drink.
The action did not phase him at all, "Will there be anyone else in attendance?" Pixis casually reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out another canteen bringing it to his lips.
Gustav smirked slightly as Anka growled at her superior officer, "Instructor Shadis will also be there."
"Shadis? Does he not have an entire Academy to look over?"
"Apparently, the situation regarding the riot near wall Sina was too much for the Military Police to handle, and Nile Dawk requested the help of the trainee's in the Academy to even out the numbers."
"Oh Nile...bringing children into this..." Pixis said sadly.
With a quick swipe, Anka once again snatched the canteen from him before it could meet his lips.
Pixis paused, flexing his fingers as if he was making sure they had truly been rid of an alcoholic beverage.
This lasted for barely a moment before Pixis bent down and reached into his long brown boots to procure a small bottle barely the size and length of a finger. In an instant he was drinking greedily much to the chagrin of his Assistant.
She let out a cry of frustration, wondering how this man could be both brilliant and incredibly childish. "Commander Pixis!"
He wiped his mouth and smiled, before giving her a look of complete innocence "What?"
"So you've gotten pretty popular lately, Armin..." Ymir said, addressing him first.
Armin scratched his head in embarrassment "I guess..."
Krista approached his bedside to grasp his hand in both of her's "Are you feeling alright, Armin?"She said kindly, "We heard about everything that happened."
Armin nodded and smiled at her good nature, "I'm fine Krista, and thank you."
He took a quick glance at Annie standing behind Ymir, the girl was brushing the bangs from her face while she remained silent, her eyes looking at anywhere but him.
"So you going to tell us how you managed to free all those slaves on that jacked up leg of yours?" Ymir asked with a slight smirk.
Armin bit his lip at the question and shook his head, "Sorry, I-i cant really answer that."
"Can you really not tell us? Or is it just that you don't want to?"
"I can't" Armin clarified, "I'm not allowed to divulge any information before the meeting."
"You sure? I mean I understand if you don't want to talk about it. The experience must have been traumatic, I wouldn't be surprised if you somehow managed to lose your innocence."
Ymir was met with a slap across the arm courtesy of Krista, "Ymir, Don't be insensitive!"
Ymir shrugged off the hit, "What? I'm only trying to get some answer's, isn't that why we came in here?"
"That may be true, but you should be more gentle, we don't know what kind of horrible thing's he's been through."
Armin laughed awkwardly as Ymir and Krista's exchange rapidly declined into full fledged bickering.
He took the chance once again to focus on Annie who remained in the same position she was before. Armin wondered if she was finding it difficult to insert herself into the conversation, he knew she wasn't much for small talk. Maybe he should call out to her?
In the process of debating whether to act or not, Ymir had broken off from her squabbling with Krista to observe the interaction between the two with interest.
"My god," She groaned, a hint of exasperation in her voice, "You are two are so obvious."
"Come here," A moment later Ymir had thrown a protestant and slightly confused Krista over her shoulder and walked out without a word.
The two remaining occupants of the room remained silent as the new situation dawned on them.
"Hi," Armin greeted, trying to break the oppressive silence.
"Hi," was her simple response.
"How have you been, Annie?"
When he had uttered her name, Annie finally chose to turn her gaze to meet his. "Better than you, I can imagine..."
Armin laughed slightly, "How about Eren and Mikasa? Are they okay?"
"Eren is still a moron, and Mikasa is still whatever the hell she is..."
"So they're fine?"
"Excellent."
"Are you, Krista, and Ymir the only ones here?"
Annie shook her head "No, practically the entire Trainee Academy is here."
Armin's eyes widened considerably at the news, "The entire...but why?"
"Didn't you hear the commotion outside when you were coming in? There wasn't nearly enough Military Police to handle all that."
"So the trainee's were called in as reinforcements? The situation must be pretty bad then..." Armin felt something in his stomach churn uncomfortably. He couldn't help but feel like this was somehow his fault, how could he have possibly known that him trying to survive could lead to something like this. Now, even his friends were involved.
"Armin? What happened to you?" Annie asked,
Armin was bit taken back by how genuine her voice sounded, "I-I can't tell you, It's not that I don't want to It's just that...I can't."
"Its alright, I get it"
"You do?" Armin questioned, a bit surprised by her acceptance. He had expected a little more of a fight from her.
"If you can't tell me then I wont push it, but tell me one thing..." She stepped closer to his bedside "did they hurt you?"
Armin gave her a a reassuring smile and clasped her hands in both of his "Annie, I'm alright... and thank you."
There was a few brief moments of silence as no words were exchanged between the two, Armin wondered for a minute If he had done something wrong, he moved his head slightly to observe her better and found that she had her gaze stubbornly fixated on her hand that was wrapped in his, looking at it as if it was a foreign object.
"Annie?"
"I got to go..."
Armin blinked, that was quick.
"Wait, Annie."
She broke free from his gentle grasp and turned towards the door. "Sorry, It would look bad if someone walked in here when we were specifically ordered not to..."
Before Armin could muster up a response to her sudden change in behavior, the blonde girl had closed the door behind her leaving a very confused Armin gaping wordlessly.
Commander Pixis walked inside Nile dawks office with an air of joviality, his beverage secured firmly in his hands.
He first nodded to Erwin who was standing near Dawk and looking over his shoulder at some documents spread across the desk, he then turned his attention to Shadis and gave him a nod as well.
Both men returned his gesture and Nile motioned for him to come closer.
"Pixis, nice of you to join us." Nile greeted.
"Well, I am known for my benevolence, gracing you with my presence is merely part of my naturally angelic personality."
"Always playing the fool aren't you Pixis?" Shadis interrupted, sounding both annoyed and amused.
"Shadis, How are you my dear friend?"
"As well as can be expected when my students are out and about involved in a crisis that is beyond their training."
Erwin grabbed one of the files on the table and marched over to Pixis to hand it to him.
"This is the necessary information you will need to be aware of during the meeting,"
Pixis took the file and skimmed through it quickly,
Statements...reports...men involved...Armin Arlert...
Pixis paused to take a look at his unprecedented academic achievements but what interested him even more was what was written under it...
"Well, Nile, this is quite unexpected! I had no idea you were so...ambitious."
"My ambition had nothing to do with the course of actions I took, I was simply doing my duty of protecting the inner walls from all conceivable threats."
"But to go to such lengths...I'm assuming that the people who are aware of this are the ones standing in this room right now and a select few others."
Erwin nodded in confirmation, "Yes, you are correct, there are few that are privy to this information, I would trust you to review it before the meeting."
"Very well...Say may I meet this boy? This all seems quite fascinating and I would hate to pass up on the opportunity to speak to one so...gifted.
"I'm afraid, I'm going to have to decline, Pixis." Erwin began, his tone leaving no room for argument "The Survey Corps and its members have been assigned with the security of Armin Arlert. Thus all communication will have to go through me. Maybe I can arrange for something after the meeting but until then..."
Pixis waved him off and smiled, " No worries, Commander Erwin. I understand,"
Erwin nodded and turned his attention to Shadis, "Is all the information I requested ready?"
"Yes, I gave it Hange Zoe."
"Good, do you know where she might possibly be?"
"She informed me that there is a lounge in the eastern side of the headquarters, where your personnel is based, Erwin."
"Very well. Pixis, Nile,I will see the both of you at the meeting."
Pixis noticed the silent exchange that happened between Nile and Erwin but chose not to comment on it. Instead he smiled happily and waved Erwin goodbye.
Pixis left the room a few moments later and handed the file to Anka as he stepped out.
"Anka, Im going to need Rum...and lots of it."
He was going to have to be at his best after all.
Levi was never one for politics, In fact he hated the stupid little mind-games they played with each other with a burning passion, but at this point he was actually hoping for the meeting to start just to cure his boredom. Though it wasn't all bad, At least the lounge was kept clean to an acceptable degree, he had approved the kitchen area before Hange had stormed it claiming she was going to cook them up something good, while Levi had decided to sit at a burgundy sofa with a coffee table in front of him and catch up on maintaining his blades. Erwin, who had stepped into the room a few minutes ago was sitting directly across from looking over a multitude of profiles that Hange had handed to him.
"You're always looking at some kind of paper or file. Don't you get tired of it?" Levi commented dully, idly cleaning his blades with a sanitized handkerchief.
"The contents of the documents differ Levi, it keeps things interesting..." Erwin responded, his attention never straying too far from his papers.
"How interesting?"
"Very Interesting...for example look at this trainee."
Erwin slid the file across the table and Levi stopped cleaning his sword to grab it.
"Mikasa Ackerman," He read, and took a moment to read her profile.
"So...we got a regular prodigy over here,"
"Yes she is quite skilled, keep reading."
Levi read further.
That's when his eyes widened a tiny bit, "She and this Jaeger kid killed three men?"
"More importantly, they were slavers."
"So you looking for some kind of connection then? Wouldn't it be pointless since those guys are dead?"
"The connection is always there Levi, sometimes you just have to dig a little deeper..."
"Well that wasn't cryptic at all...You get off on this shit don't you?"
"It can be mildly...cathartic."
"So is this the part where you leave and tell me to go do some seemingly useless thing that actually turn out to be part of your plan later on?"
Erwin stood up and strapped his Survey Corps coat to his shoulders,"You're catching on Levi."
"I'm a quick study..."
"Mikasa Ackerman is stationed with the 104th, she should be inside the barracks near Wall Sina, I want you to reassign her to guarding Armin Arlert."
"Can we do that? She isn't exactly a Survey Corps member so we really don't have authority over her."
"No worries, Levi, Shadis has already handed me full control of the 104th."
"Alright, if you say so, I guess I'll see you at the meeting then."
Erwin gave him a curt nod before walking out of the lounge. Levi stood up, ready to follow suit but was stopped by an exuberant shout.
"Wait, Levi!" Hange called to him, running from her spot in the kitchen carrying something in her hands that he didn't recognize.
"What?" He demanded, a bit annoyed by her constant energy.
Hange kneeled in front of the coffee table and unwrapped whatever she had in her hand revealing some kind of weird rectangular, brown...thing. "Here, taste this."
"It's brown..."
"So, It doesn't mean it doesn't taste good! Come on Levi, just give it a tiny itty bitty little taste! Pretty please!?" She urged, nearly shoving the thing in his face in her enthusiasm.
He gave her a blank stare in return, "It's the color of shit."
Hange snorted, "Oh, don't be like that Levi! Next thing you know you'll be telling me sunsets are the color of piss!"
"They are..."
"Just taste it!" She insisted
"No."
"Please!?"
"No-" As he opened his mouth to reject her once again, Hange had taken the opportunity to shove a piece of the shit colored...whatever it was into his unsuspecting mouth.
He choked as he was forced to start chewing reluctantly.
He felt his anger rise, He swore to whatever god was out there that one day he was going to...kill...this...woman...whoa.
"This is...good."
The flavor, the richness, the taste.
"See, I told you that you weren't going to regret it!" Hange said, grinning triumphantly at her success.
"What is that anyway?"
Hange smirked, a cheerful glint in her eye at his question, "In Wall Sina they don't have rations like we do, they have meals, where they eat in courses. When they finish their meal they have desert."
"Just tell me what it is already..."
"Chocolate."
Armin Arlert watched as the Commander of the Survey Corps walked slowly around the room, his hand folded behind his back. He had walked into this room a few minutes ago completely catching him off guard. Armin had been told by Hange that Erwin was going to see him, but as much as he racked his brain. Armin could not find a reason as to why Erwin wanted to. The logical conclusion would be that it had something to do with the meeting. But Armin was sure that he had told Erwin everything he needed to know about the situation.
It was not like he was going to be there right?
"Armin, would you like to participate in some idle conversation?" He asked, Erwin stopped and took a look at his watch, before turning it twice, Armin briefly wondered what purpose the action served but decided that it was of little consequence. "There is some time left before the meeting, so it should give us plenty of time." Erwin stated.
"Oh yes, I um, that would be great!" Armin could barely contain his enthusiasm, In the back of his mind he wondered why Erwin seemed to fixate so much attention upon him. It was honestly bizarre to Armin as he was not special in the slightest. But he would not pass up this opportunity to converse with someone he was already starting to admire greatly.
Erwin pulled a chair and took a seat at his bedside.
"Before we begin, I want you to think of me not as a Commander, or a person of authority but simply another human being."
'Amazing, he-he actually wants me to speak to him as an equal!'
"Okay..." he said feeling both hesitant and excited.
Erwin stared into the boy's eyes looking to see if he would maintain his gaze, Unfortunately Armin would not meet his eyes.
' Your actions are different from your words Armin Arlert. but It would be unreasonable for me to expect him to suddenly see past my superior position. Let's give him some assistance.'
"Tell me Armin, how was your time in the Academy? I know that you were there for a relatively short period of time, but you managed to leave quite an impression on instructor Shadis."
Armin felt his eyes widen. An impression? On Shadis? The small time that he had been in the Academy the man had done nothing but scream and belittle his lack of strength. He had even threatened to throw Armin out of the Academy on several occasions.
"Really? But all he ever did was..." Armin trailed off as bitter memories of the less then stellar performances he had when it came to most of the exercises.
"Armin, rest assured that Shadis is a man that can be hard to please, he is a perfect example of someone who is stubborn when it comes to what he considers the definition of a soldier. But he is not unreasonable, he told me in his own words that you excel in all Academic subjects, and when it came to Titan theory you were a genius.
"A...genius?" Armin whispered disbelievingly, The same man who had once told him that there were stray cats more frightening than him considered him a genius? It was a hard thing for him to process.
"And I know several people who would agree with him, our very own researcher Hange Zoe practically demanded to adopt you when I showed her your notes."
Armin felt a slight smile cross his face, he was rather fond of the brunette woman.
'A smile, it is almost reminiscent. It seems that Hange spoke to him and it went rather well. Her enthusiasm can be quite infectious, if at times misguided. Anyhow, I can use this topic to establish familiarity with him.
"Hange also informed me that you and her had a rather long discussion concerning the titans."
Erwin observed carefully as the boy's eyes begin to shine and he could practically see the stiffness melting from his shoulders "Oh yes she explained to me some great theories that she had! Like for example she had a theory that Titans are most likely not entirely made up of bone and muscle considering their weight is far lighter then it should be considering their size, one of the questions we addressed was their regeneration ability, new skin, bone and muscle should never regrow back so quickly let alone out of thin air-"
Erwin felt his lips twitch slightly as the boy spoke almost without pause, only stopping long enough to take short breaths in order to continue. The boy shared a passion for figuring out the mysteries surrounding the titans as much as Hange. He needed to keep him on topics that surrounded his bespectacled comrade in order to keep the conversation more casual and less formal.
"Did Hange show you her laboratory by any chance?" Erwin asked.
Armin shook his head, "Oh she wanted to but I kind of couldn't make the trip at the time..."
"That's unfortunate, Hange's workplace is quite a spectacle, it matches her unique personality rather well."
Armin laughed, "I can only imagine,"
"She has shown you some of her notes I presume? Hange is not the type of woman who would miss the opportunity to share the knowledge she has acquired since arriving at the Survey Corps." Erwin said, leaning back into the chair.
"Yes, she did, the amount was kind of intimidating but I am an avid reader so It wasn't something that I didn't enjoy."
"Good, I'm glad. So were there any new conclusions or theories that you may have formed with the new information that was presented to you?"
Armin ran his fingers through his mop of blonde hair, his gaze fixed steadily at his white sheets and his eyes looking thoughtful.
"I haven't actually had the chance to thoroughly review all I've learned, distractions keep piling up so it's been rather hard to focus on anything that doesn't include pain in my leg."
Erwin nodded " Understandable, an injury such as yours can have a profound effect on your life, luckily you are young and have plenty of time to build a future for yourself despite this setback...I'm curious, would you ever consider joining the Survey Corps if and when you recover."
Armin nodded, a hint of sadness in his voice, "Yes...I decided to join a long time ago."
"Most recruits aim for the Military Police or the Garrison, what made you choose the Survey Corps?" Erwin asked, It seemed like he was going to get a better grasp of Armin Arlert today.
"I chose the Survey Corps shortly after my grandfather died. He was the only family I had left and I had to watch the government force him to try and take back Wall Maria. I knew immediately that it was just a purge, to rid the remaining walls of people that they could no longer afford to feed."
Armin gripped the bedsheets tightly in his fists, remembering the raw emotions he had felt in those horrible days after he had watched his grandfather walk away towards his death, a worn old hat the only reminder that at some point in time, Armin Arlert once had a family.
"For a long time I was angry, I was just tired of so many things that were out of my control. For an orphan I really had no choice but to join the military, but I made the decision to join the Survey Corps because I wanted to help make a change. My friend Eren was the one who made me realize that we were deluding ourselves into thinking that a life inside the walls was any sort of life at all. He inspired me to join the Survey Corps and chase true freedom outside the walls instead of an illusion of one within."
"Those are admirable reason's Armin, I daresay that in comparison my own reason's for joining seem quite tame..."
"And what are those reason's?" Armin asked.
Erwin was silent for a moment, his eyes once again reconnecting with Armin's, this time there was a strength in his gaze, a lack of hesitance that Erwin speculates those foolish slavers had seen before they had been thoroughly eviscerated mentally.
'Brilliant, Armin Arlert, Brilliant...'
"There are very few things I believe in...Armin. The first is the ability for the human race to conquer overwhelming obstacles by something as simple cooperation...Another is how we define ourselves through overcoming these obstacles."
"What do you mean?"
"Armin...I believe the Human race defines itself through its miseries."
"Through its miseries?"
"Just like how we cannot define darkness without light, or how we cannot know what good is without evil, human beings can never define it's happiness...it's joy without their miseries."
It was as if an Aura formed around the man, one of absolute conviction, and absolute certainty.
"How can know the extent of our love without a fundamental understanding of our hate? How can we revel in the dreams of what heaven may be like if we don't quiver at the nightmares of hell.
"The history of humanity may have been lost, but I know one thing and that is as of right now the titans are among the greatest threats, among the greatest misery humanity has ever faced. And I...more then anything want to overcome this. I want to see the other side of this nightmare, Armin. I want to see and understand the true beauty of this world, after I have understood for so long and so well the grimness, the hate, the tears. I want to see Humanities greatest joy and help bring about our greatest Era.
"You truly believe then?"
"Believe what?"
"That we can defeat the Titans?"
"Of course...You do not?"
Armin didn't answer, instead choosing to stare at his legs underneath the sheets knowing that one of them was broken.
Armin's head snapped up when a finger was pressed over his heart, he met the eyes of Erwin Smith, It was filled with a deadly determination that Armin could not even yet comprehend.
"Armin...I am a believer in the human spirit, something that is untouchable...incorruptible by a force even as terrifying as the titans. It is encased in flesh that is fragile and weak, frightful and cowardly, afraid of the death that can ravage it so quickly or wither at it away slowly. But the spirit is what keeps it strong! It is the abstract part of us that sheds tears for the ones whose struggles unfold so unsightly before our very eyes. It is the will that pushes us forward as seemingly insurmountable obstacles are placed in our paths. The spirit is the part of us that uses our miseries and fears, our hopes and our dreams, as stepping stones to something greater.
"The spirit is what makes me ask myself 'What can I accomplish as an individual?" Yet it is also what makes me ask myself "What can we not accomplish as one?"
"You asked me if I truly believe we can defeat the titans Armin, My answer is that what we are capable of as human beings is something that the titans should be very afraid of."
A long silence followed.
Armin felt frozen by the strength of his gaze and the force of his words.
It was unlike anything he had ever seen before.
Armin was startled by the sudden beeping sound that reverberated around the room.
Erwin glanced at his arm and pressed a button on his watch causing the sound to cease.
'An alarm.' Armin realized, his pulse still racing.
"I'm afraid our conversation must be cut short, but before I go I want to ask you one last question."
"Do you believe that a perfect world is achievable, Armin Arlert?"
Armin paused to think about the question, 'Is this some kind of test? I wonder what he wants me to say?" Armin shook his head and rapidly cleared the line of thought from his head. 'No that's stupid it would be pointless to answer like that.'
"No... I don't believe a perfect world is achievable...however, I believe in the never ending pursuit of one,"
'Interesting' Erwin thought to himself.
"Why? Why do you think we must always pursue one?"
"Because I think that the striving for perfection will always yield better results instead of being content with mediocrity."
"But yet you believe we can never achieve it?"
Armin nodded "I don't think true perfection can ever be achieved, because perfection is not something we even fully understand and everyone has a different definition of it. In my opinion, however, perfection must remain the ideal, our final destination as a species, as long we strive towards that ideal we can grow and better ourselves as a society, and as a race. Even if what were chasing is an illusion, it is an illusion that is necessary."
Erwin did not say another word, with his back turned Armin could not Erwin's eyes that were shining with pure unadulterated glee.
Brilliant, Armin Arlert...Brilliant.
Another chapter done, to anyone that is still for some reason reading this i want to say thank you. writing these stories and getting this feedback from you guys have made it all worth it.