Chapter 45
Willow watches the raven-haired girl in the corner of the room as she nervously chews on her lip, unwatched by any of the men in the room. She notices that she's not happy with this plan, or that there are areas in the plan being discussed that she can improve on.
The blonde listens to the proposal the Marleyan officers are suggesting, and it's an absolute shit plan. A full-frontal assault with the remaining Titans against the Scouts at the shoreline is what they are suggesting. She shakes her head, thinking of all the ways this could turn badly.
With Mikasa and Levi, the Female, Jaws, and Cart are all at risk for an attack to the nape. With Armin, their entire militaries are at risk of an atomic explosion that will level their forces. Pieck can see the flaws just as clearly as Willow can, but the girl is far too hesitant to speak her peace.
Willow thinks about Eren and the look the others gave him on the airship. She's reminded of Hange's words to him, and it's clear that they are not as complaint with his plan as she may have initially thought. Mikasa risked her life to save Eren, Levi caused damage to his body to save Eren, the Scouts time and time again have risked their lives for the boy they've deemed the Suicidal Maniac.
This was not their doing and the attack on Libero was not their choosing, but rather their hands were forced to react to the singular actions of Eren. He might have a small following of Scouts that agree with his methods, but after the death of Sasha and so many others, it's clear their devotion to saving the rash boy is dwindling quickly.
A full-frontal assault will not be needed, but rather a small scale and strategic attack against Eren and those who blindly follow him. Once he's been taken out, the burden of following him for the sake of their history will diminish.
She cannot say without a doubt that Levi will lay down his arms when they make their attack on Eren, but she knows that Armin and Mikasa will gladly lay down their lives for the Suicidal Maniac, and those two together are the biggest threat to them.
Willow keeps her eyes on Pieck as she becomes increasingly bothered by the plan that's being suggested by the Marleyan officers around the table. They have blocked themselves off as they discuss what strike will prove to give them the most tactical advantage in a battle with an enemy that they have never fought against.
"Might I suggest something?" Willow's voice is strong and loud enough for everyone in the room to hear. Reiner stiffens at her intrusion while the officers glance back at her. "The plan is a terrible one," she tells them, "Respectfully so," she adds with a condescending tone.
"Excuse me?" an officer begins puffing his chest up and preparing to argue with her, when Theo stops him with a single hand to his chest.
"Do you have a suggestion?" Theo asks her instead.
"I'm sure Pieck does," Willow says, turning to the raven-haired girl.
Her light features drop and she lifts her hands up in surrender as she waves her palms at the men. "Oh no, I have nothing, please continue," she sooths quietly.
"Pieck," Willow begins, "I can see it in your eyes. You have a plan."
"Well don't hold out on us," Porco adds with a grunt.
"Please, Pieck," Theo begins humbly, "the floor is yours."
The officer that spoke up against Willow slugs his shoulders down as the black-haired woman steps forward. "I believe a full-frontal assault will be predicted and provide us with the least tactical advantage."
"And what would you suggest?" the officer jeers.
"Eren made his move against us with the knowledge that we would fight back, and that we are planning another counterassault. He wouldn't do that if he had just the Founding Titan," she begins. "The Founder doesn't have much power unless it's in the hands of someone with royal blood. So, he must have a work around with that, and that's how he plans on initiating the Rumbling.
Reiner gasps as he thinks about Kris—no, Historia. With her blood they can insight the Rumbling, but would she really allow him to unleash such a travesty onto the world?
"He's a threat, no doubt," Theo begins. "So, we will need to strip him of his Titan."
Pieck inhales a labored breath, "A stealth attack, singularly targeted at Eren, the Founding Titan," she suggests. "I believe that Porco and I alone can carry out this attack," she tells them as her eyes scan the room, seeing the tension in Willow and Reiner's eyes. "I believe it best we be the ones to attack since the Scouts do not know our faces as they do yours," she tells the duo. "We have Yelena and Zeke to consider, but I believe we will be able to adequately avoid the two."
"How do you plan to get on the ground and what is your strategy from there?" Reiner speaks up, not outright refusing the proposal.
"We dock at their wharf under the guise of Eldian refugees seeking sanctuary from the Marleyan forces," she suggests and the Marleyan officer in the room stiffen at her comment—as if the idea of an Eldian seeking refuge is preposterous to him.
"And what happens when the Colossal welcomes you with another blast like that at our harbor?" Theo challenges her.
"Armin wouldn't," Reiner begins and all eyes transfer to him. He stiffens and clears his throat at their harsh glances. "He isn't the type to retaliate without hearing people out first."
"He didn't seem keen on listening to any of our navel forces before he eviscerated them," Porco snaps at the blonde.
"Reiner's right," Willow speaks up. "The boy's hand was forced by Eren's actions. If he's not near Eren, he will consider a truce if we have enough evacuees to convince him."
"What are you suggesting?" the Marleyan officers sneers at her.
"We gather up the women and children most wounded by the devastation that Eren caused and bring them to their doorstep to show them the aftermath of their actions," Willow returns strongly. "And then under that guise, we sneak in a handful of Warrior forces. I don't imagine you'd care much if we lose the lives of these filthy devils on that ship?" she tilts her head in a condescending way that makes the officer grit his teeth.
"Assuming we are not gutted at the shore," Theo begins as he turns to Pieck. "What next?"
"Eren will know that I won't be able to kill him, and that we will be forced to feed the Founder to one of our soldiers. Attacking him outright won't have him concede," she tells them. "So, I tell him that I am working against the Marleyans and offer up an alliance. Seeing my hometown attacked with no support from the Marleyan forces that I worked to protect will be a good enough defense," she tells them. "From there, I will lure him in a vantage point where Porco will be able to consume the Founding Titan."
Willow thinks for a moment, watching as the black-haired girl proposes her plan. She looks into her dull gray eyes and tries to find some sort of conviction in them.
She thinks about her plan to convince Eren that she is no longer a faithful soldier to the Marleyans and she wonders how much of the act is for show. Willow can't imagine how someone as intelligent as Pieck could but into the bullshit the Marleyans are trying to sell the Eldian people. Is she a good enough actress to fool Eren into her belief, or does she truly believe it?
Willow is unable to assess if the woman truly believes in the words that she's suggesting, but it doesn't matter if she does; all that matters is that Eren buys into it and drops his guard long enough for Porco to devour him.
"How will you get Eren in a place where he can be consumed without him noticing Porco's transformation first?" Reiner challenges her with arms crossed over his chest.
"I will promise Eren the location of the Eldian soldiers that I snuck onto the island with. That knowledge alone should entice him to a location where Porco can devour him. We can scope out a perfect area before we strike," she informs him.
"And if he doesn't?" Willow voices her concerns aloud and the room shifts their attention to her. "What if Porco doesn't devour him, what will you do next? Because if there's anything I've learned from Eren, it's that he doesn't like to die easily."
Pieck looks at her with soft eyes as she smiles her whimsical grin at her. "That's when you and Reiner come from the sky and show him how you two have fought for Marley over the years."
Willow stands in the shower, allowing the hot water to massage her nape as she stands there stiffly. Her eyes are shut tightly, and she tries to keep the images of the carnage at bay. The sounds of water splashing around her reminds her of the waves from the sea, and she wishes she was on its banks rather than here. It's the night before Pieck and Porco head out, and she isn't sure how she's going to tell Reiner that she's going with them.
She hears the clicking of the bathroom door opening, and two steps enter the room. She sees the outline of his body past the curtain, but he doesn't make a move to draw back the fabric to look onto her. She waits a moment for him to speak, but he does not.
"Care to join me?" she asks him, her voice cracking from lack of use.
"Sure," his rough tone returns.
She hears the clinging of his belts and the thumping of his boots hitting the ground. After a moment of watching his shadowed silhouette undressing, he draws back the curtains and steps into the shower with her. She turns around and steps forward, giving him room as he situates himself behind her. He allows the stream to hit his collarbone as she hangs in front of him, facing the shower wall.
"Are you trying to burn your skin?" he grunts as he moves the lever a bit to cool down the stream.
"I like hot water," she informs him. "It was a luxury the Scouts never had," she responds meekly.
He replies with an agreeing mumble, and works on lathering his body with the warm water. She keeps her eyes fixated the white tile of the walls in front of her, as she's unable to look him in the eyes.
After a moment of hearing him shifting behind her, she finally feels his rough hands softly graze her shoulder. She finds herself flinching at his touch and he frowns at her reaction. "I know what you're planning," he begins in a low tone as his gaze fixates on the peach fuzz of her shoulders when the goosebumps rise against her skin.
"Humm?" she hums at him in response as her eyes remain on the white tiles.
"I've known you long enough to recognize that look in your eyes. The one that tells me you're dissatisfied. That you're conspiring against the plan."
She turns her head to him, and he pushes her damp hair over her other shoulder. Their eyes meet and she's surprised to see his expression is softer than his tone would have suggested.
"Conspiring?" she asks, not really liking that word and he notes that she doesn't deny his assessment.
"You weren't happy with the plan Pieck put into place; or at least your part in it," he returns.
She swallows hard and her bright blue eyes sink down to the ground. "Part of me believes that Eren will see this all coming. We won't have the upper hand if you and I aren't on the ground."
Reiner brushes his large hand at the back of her neck, his thumb softly playing at her earlobe. "What are you planning?" he asks her, wanting to crack open her skull, finding what weighs her down and pulling it out of her.
Willow swallows hard at his tone, taking note of the dissatisfaction in it. She knows that he would want nothing more than for her to be by his side when they make their counterattack, but she can't… not when they have a chance of winning this.
She takes in a deep breath as she thinks for a moment. "Mikasa and Armin," she begins with a crack in her voice. "His friends will prove useful."
"We'll handle them accordingly," he says dismissively as his body tenses behind her.
"No," she tells him as she turns her body to face him now. She looks up at him, the top of her head barely reaching his shoulders. Her brows furrow with confliction as her eyes glisten at him for understanding. "They will be useful to us," she reiterates and he looks down at her with a confused glare.
Willow takes in another labored breath as Reiner's hands meet at the sides of her neck, brushing her jawline with the pads of his thumbs while the rest of his fingers lace around her neck and tangle into her hairline.
"You didn't see them," she begins with a drying mouth. "The look on their eyes when Sasha…" her voice hesitates when she sees the prominent frown on his lips, and she remembers that she was his friend as much as theirs. She tries to find a more tactful way of approaching this conversation, but finds none. "They felt betrayed, Jean especially."
"What are you suggesting?" he asks her impatiently as she dances around her request; if that's even what it is.
"I can meet with him… with Jean and—"
"No way," he returns sternly. "Not a chance," his voice gains in ferocity. "Have you already forgotten that he shot you out of an airship?" he hisses as his grip tightens around her face.
"Of course not," she responds to him. "But that doesn't change what Jean felt about Eren. If I can meet with him and suggest—"
"No," his voice shakes his chest with how deep of a growl he uses on her. She looks into his eyes and they turn hard as ice. It's the same look she was given by Hal when she suggested attacking the Armored Titan's mouth.
"Reiner," she returns with a strength in her tone. She doesn't have Malik to fight for her here, and though the years of losing people has diminished her will to fight, she will not let this end here. "They don't support him," she informs him. "We can use that to our—"
"I don't care," his voice rises as he tightens his grip on her as if she will dissipate before him if he doesn't. "I'm not going to let you put yourself in a situation where I won't be there to assist."
"I don't need your assistance," she says lacing her fingers between his palms and her cheeks, but he doesn't let up his grip on her. "I will meet with him and—"
"I said, no," he continues.
"Stop speaking over me!" she rises her voice into a yell that causes Reiner to be taken aback. She pulls herself from his grip and leaves the shower. She tugs on a towel and wraps her soaking body in it.
"Willow," Reiner grumbles as he shuts off the water and grabs for his own towel. "I'm sorry," he begins as she turns to him.
"They didn't want to be here, Reiner!" she snaps at him. "You could see it in their eyes that Eren left them with no choice. Their loyalty in him is dwindling now that he's harmed innocent people. Jean and Armin are good people and will not stand by and let Eren continue this self-destructive rampage. Unleashing the Rumbling will cause the death of millions of people; they will not stand idly by and watch it! If we manage to convince Jean and the others to join our cause, we will be better off in the fight against him, especially with Mikasa and Armin on our side."
"They won't join our cause," he warns her now in a leveled tone.
"I am not asking them to be Eldian soldiers. I am asking them to fight against the man that led Sasha to her death; against the man that forced their hands to slaughter people they would have never met." Willow looks into his eyes as they fall to the ground. "You know them better than I do, but from what I know, Jean is an honorable man, and he will not let this stand. Especially when they find out what Zeke really plans."
Reiner rubs his palm over his lips as he thinks. "Mikasa and Armin will not bite," he warns her.
"They will if the other Scouts do. They are not blinded by their past with Eren as you may think. Mikasa, maybe, but Armin can see reason, and he can guide Mikasa to see the same."
He sighs, closing his eyes and thinking for a moment. He looks onto her, his eyes darting between her eyes as he reads how important this is for her. He exhales a labored sigh and parts his lips to speak to her. "What can I do to help?" he asks her reluctantly, wanting nothing more than to stand by her side when they begin this war, but knowing they will not win that way.
"I want you to do everything according to plan, but trust me that I know what I am doing down there."
"The last time you said something like that, you trapped yourself in a crystal that only Zeke could get you out of," he returns skeptically.
"I know," she returns honestly. "But things are different…" she sighs looking up at him with glistening blue eyes. "I have something to live for."
Willow's eyes focus on the mess of golden hair that accompanies her in her bed. He's lying on his back, pointed to the ceiling and sleeping softly as the early morning light peaks in through the window of her apartment. She watches as his bare chest lifts and falls with his steady sleepy breaths. She focuses on the line of his pecks, digging down his skin to his navel where the sheets begin. She wants to trace down the line of his chest, but worries her touch will wake him.
She isn't a stranger to this anxious feeling in her heart. It's the overweighing feeling stacking on her chest for what the day will bring. They've found themselves in this position countless times; naked in bed, still sore from the night before with the overwhelming feeling of dread at how the battle in the horizon will play out. Will this be their last battle? Will this be the last night they spend together? These are the moments that Willow hates the most.
He agreed to her plan, and even though it was clear in his golden eyes that he didn't like it and didn't want to support it, he does because he knows it's the best plan of action that they can make.
She takes in a sharp breath as she watches him sleep. His features are hard, and there is a prominent line pressing between his brows as he frowns deeply. There's something plaguing his dreams again, and she wishes more than anything that she could go in there and stop whoever is disturbing him in a time that should be his most peaceful. It has been so long since he's had nightmares, and she hates that they've returned.
He was doing so well with her, and there was hardly a moment where he was overwhelmed by his past decisions. But now, with the return of Eren and everyone else on that island, he's back to shifting and sweating through his dreams.
She takes in a labored sigh, knowing that now's the time that she dreads; the time that makes her hate these pre-war mornings. She lifts the covers from her bare body and quietly swings her legs to the edge of the bed. She lifts herself carefully from the mattress so not to disturb him while he sleeps. She gets dressed quickly in her Marleyan uniform, placing the red band on her arm with a sickening feeling gnawing at her stomach.
Once she is dressed, Willow glances back once more at the blonde sleeping in her bed. She's unable to wake him in this moment, knowing that if she does, her resolves in leaving for the mission will crumble in favor of staying with him. More than anything, she wants to stay with him, she wants to fight with him, she wants to be with him. But she knows that she can't, and she needs to see this mission through.
She will see him on the battlefield, and they will protect one another as they always have. This she promises him before turning from him and leaving the room.