Chapter 15: The Uprising Part 5: Treacherous Jewel
"Ugh! It's got to be at least midnight by now, when do we get to sleep?" complains Sasha.
"When I say you get to now shut up!" hisses Levi. Sasha groans and slumps down to the ground with her back against the alleyway we've been watching out of for the past five hours. I won't deny I'm pretty sick and tired of standing or sitting in roughly the same place all day. We've deliberately moved around a little, swapping places and pretending to leave to area altogether. That hasn't really provided much relief though. "Matthias," whispers Levi, "I want you to double back around this building and approach this street from the south end. Then turn off at the end and meet up with Armin. See if you can see anything going on inside."
I nod and as quietly as possible I follow his instructions. As I come back out into the streets I walk past the single story brick building we've been watching this entire time. I deliberately avoid looking at it directly but carefully scan the windows for any sign of movement. There's still a light coming from one of them casting the shadows of several people sitting around a table against the drawn blinds. Nothing really worth noticing though, just like the last twenty times the Captain had someone do this. I'm beginning to wonder if his information was really credible after all. With a sigh I slump down behind two worn out crates in the alleyway where Armin is waiting.
"Anything?" he asks, his voice clearly imply he expects the correct answer.
"Not a thing," I reply. "Just like last time, and the time before that, and the time before that. I'm not so sure we're in the right place."
"I guess it's kind of a good thing Mikasa's not here isn't it?"
"How do you mean?" I ask turning to look at my blonde haired friend curiously.
"Well you know her. By this time she would've already stormed the place and given away any sort of pretence of cover we currently have."
"Yes, she really cares about Eren a lot doesn't she?"
Armin nods, "being in love tends to make people do irrational things." He gives me a rather meaning glance at that.
"What?"
"You were far too rash back at the tavern you know. We could've been more diplomatic about getting out of that situation."
"Maybe. Probably. Look I really don't know what I was thinking okay. All I know is that I acted pretty much on instinct as soon as that guy went for Historia."
"You should try to keep your emotions more in check."
"I'm not so sure you have the right to criticise me on that point. You're not in the same position as me."
"There are people I care about in danger as well," protests Armin, though he looks a little uncomfortable as he says it. "But you're right; I don't have anybody like that to worry about. In fact part of me dreads that happening."
"Why?" I ask with genuine astonishment.
"Because watching you, you seem to be messed up all of the time. You're over protective and irrational and so often you don't pay attention to what's going on. Also when I think about how much you fidgeted and were nervous around Historia back when you first met her, I'm not so sure I want to go through that myself. I mean you actually threw up from nerves on the day you decided to ask her out for real!"
I turn slightly red with embarrassment at the memory. "I guess that makes sense. There are a lot of parts about being in this kind of a relationship that aren't all that great, especially in getting to this point. But well, it feels like the good out ways the bad. When Historia and I are together I feel happier than at any other time in my life. There's a sense of peace I get from it. I think that when it comes to it all the negatives are worth enduring for the positives."
Armin raises an eyebrow at that and I can tell he isn't completely convinced. "I'm really not sure if I believe that. I mean, I've fancied girls before but I've never tried to take that anywhere. To be honest I can't see the point; I'm not exactly the most attractive person around."
"Oh come on! There's nothing all that special about me in that department either you know. From what I can tell girls look for more than just good looks."
"I suppose so but- His voice cuts off.
"Armin what is it?" He nods towards the safe house. I get up onto my knees and peer over at the building through the dark. A group of six men have just come out carrying a lantern. The light flickers and sends out a faint yellow aura, revealing the brown jackets, knee high boots and white trousers of soldiers. My mouth falls open as I distinguish the green unicorn symbol on their shoulder patches. "The MPs are here?" I hiss in surprise.
"It looks that way. Now shush, I'm trying to watch." The MPs turn to face a second light source emanating from inside the building. It's difficult to see clearly what's going on because they're surrounding the door and acting a bit like a screen. Two figures come out but I can't see them clearly. Then another man comes out carrying what looks like a smaller person in white shirt with a blind fold over their mouth. The group parts to allow one of the two figures to step through. It's Bruce Yeager, dressed in the same long brown coat we saw him in two days ago.
"All right Levi come on out, I know you're there," he says cheerily. Armin and I hastily duck down behind the boxes. "You and your little group of nursery rejects have been moving around here all afternoon so don't try to make me think you're not here." I can hear him tapping his foot impatiently. "All right then," he says in a far less friendly tone of voice, "we can do this the hard way." He claps his hands together and Armin and I look up just in time to see four figures leap down from the roof tops on either side of us.
"He, he knew all time," gasps Armin. The four figures are all Military Police armed with a pistol in one hand and a sword in the other. They're wearing the same anti-human ODM Gear that the hunters were wearing before. I hurriedly draw both of my weapons, but I know that there's no way we can possibly hope to fight these people. There are four of them against two of us and we don't have our ODM Gear.
From the scuffling noises that precede from all of the nearby alleys it seems that the others have all been ambushed in the same way. "Bring them out here," orders Bruce and the MPs gesture for us to move. Reluctantly Armin and I obey walking out into the exposed road. I look over my shoulder to see that the others are out here as well, with two MPs to every one of us. We're outnumbered worse than two-to-one and we don't have proper weapons. "Ha ha! Looks like I hit pay dirt," laughs Bruce. "Turns out we didn't need you after all Forrae. So much for your oh so impressive skills huh? Which one are you anyway?"
Bruce looks at all our faces curiously. "Oh come on, at least give me a hint will you! I've had to work with you indirectly for the past five years, you might as well tell who you are now that I've done your job for you." No one says anything. Bruce sighs and shakes his head, "sulking is not a very becoming trait Forrae."
"What the hell are you talking about?" spits Levi.
"I want to know which one of these brats is our precious secret weapon. I don't know what name they've been going by these past few years, in fact I don't even know what gender they are; I've never seen them."
"You mean one of us is a traitor?" I ask.
"Very observant this one. Hard to believe someone so stupid could do so much damage." Bruce looks closely at Jean, Ymir, Sasha and Armin. "Look I know it's one of you two so speak up will you!" All four remain silent. "Ach! This is ridiculous! Of fine then, we'll just have to shoot you along with the others and when you don't die then we'll know it's you." Bruce snatches a musket from the waiting MPs and aims it at the four of them. "Where to start? How about you shorty?" he says pointing the musket at Armin.
Armin grimaces. "I'm not a traitor," he hisses, "and I'd rather be dead than let everyone else think I was."
"Very brave aren't you. Or perhaps you're or special little one huh?" he says pointing his weapon at Sasha this time. Sasha shakes her head frantically. "Heh, maybe, maybe not. What about you?" he asks aiming the weapon at Ymir. She scowls back at him defiantly. "That's not a very good way to treat your elders kid. I think I'll do you first." There's a bang and flash as he fires. The shot goes straight through Ymir's middle and embeds in the dirt. Historia lets out a cry as Ymir slumps forwards onto her knees.
Bruce bends over and looks her in the eyes. "Well, anything?" he asks curiously. When Ymir says nothing he grins, "if you are Forrae you'd better start healing now. You lose much more blood and you're not going to make it."
"Oh shut up," hisses Ymir. "Even thought I never had to meet you directly you were always a total bastard." To my amazement she stands up, flicking her hand to send specks of blood all over the dirt path. They evaporate into steam before they reach the ground. White vapour billows out of the wound in Ymir's waist as it quickly heals up.
"Y-Ymir?" asks Historia in a small voice.
"Sorry kiddo, but that's not my real name," says Ymir turning to face her. "My name's Forrae Juvel. I'd like to say that I did actually kind of like you for what it's worth. Oh well, I suppose I shouldn't be so disappointed; it's not like you're going to die or anything. Not that I can say the same for the rest of you."
"You're one of them!" gasps Jean.
"Oh don't lump me in with these filthy idiots," says Forrae haughtily. "In fact don't even try comparing me to those other three numbskulls who went and got themselves caught. I suppose I shouldn't expect anything less from amateurs. I've been at this job for over a hundred years now."
"What? But, but we spent three years together," stammers Historia, "we grew up together."
"Ah that was easy," says Forrae with a wave of her hand. "You don't actually think I look like this do you?" She gestures to her own body with obvious disgust. She shimmers and her skin grows pale, her hair growing out longer and turning an incredibly pale blonde, almost white in colour. Her face becomes far more beautiful and her eyes change to a deep ocean blue. Her height actually increases by a few centimetres, despite the fact that she rather tall already. Instead of being sixteen she looks more like she's in her late twenties.
We all just stare with our mouths open. Forrae looks totally different to how she did less than a second ago. "I'm Forrae Juvel and I'm one hundred and thirty six years old," she says. "Now can we just kill the others and get this over with?" she asks Bruce.
"My pleasure," he says. "But first, I'd like you to admit that it was me not you that got them."
"Oh yeah fine, whatever," says Forrae, somewhat sulkily.
"Can't you do better than that?" asks Bruce with sneer.
"I could always rip out your heart and feed it to you if you'd prefer!"
"Geez, quite the temper eh? All right then let's get this done now that I've had my fun." Bruce returns the borrowed musket to its owner and nods at the MPs behind us. Two behind me and Historia grab us and pull us out of the way. I struggle frantically at my two captors but they've pinned my arms behind me and I can't move.
"All right then, take aim," orders Bruce. The remaining MPs aim their muskets at the others. "Ready and, wait!" exclaims Bruce suddenly. "I almost forgot; I was going to do it myself wasn't I Ackerman?" With a grin in Levi's direction Bruce produces a pistol from an inside pocket of his coat and strides over to him. Levi scowls back at him, his eyes mirrors of pure hatred. "Ah, same old Levi Ackerman; in character right up until the very end," says Bruce, levelling his weapon at Levi's head. He cocks the pistol. "Goodbye Levi, it's been a most unpleasant experience."
Then comes the splitting bang of the gunshot.