Note: though somewhat rude of me to suggest, I do recommend you reading the post-outro sequences for Chapters 12, 21 and 22 to get some context for the first half of this chapter.
"Yes, but what if I told you that Mikazuki Augus, and by extension, Gundam Barbatos, is still alive?"
McGillis Fareed had said that with quite a fair bit of confidence and in a dramatic tone, no less. In his honest opinion, when speaking of such information, he had to be proper in his delivery, and considering how important this bit of info was, at least to Orga, he supposed that being dramatic was called for.
And now, he just needed to wait for Orga to process that bit of information…
What McGillis had not accounted for, however, was for Orga Itsuka to jerk forward in his seat and grab McGillis Fareed by the collar of his black suit the very moment Mikazuki's name had left his lips, not even bothering to process the rest of what he had to say as he pulled him close and showed him just how mad the he was. And the blonde would have been lying if he claimed to not be threatened by his gaze…
Said gaze held fury that seemed immeasurable. Fury born not from a company boss who felt his establishment to be on the line, nor was it born from the battlefield. No… this was the fury of a man who had suffered a tremendous blow to the heart years prior and was just beginning to recover… only for him to crumble down once more as soon as McGillis even suggested that his best pal was still alive.
"McGillis Fareed…" muttered Orga Itsuka, his bang shielding one of his eyes as he spoke, and the blonde in question felt his calm demeanor falter just a little when he saw the Tekkadan boss' visible eye widen as his iris shrank down, showing that his rage was genuine. "I can forgive you for selling us out to Biscuit's killer all those years back. I can forgive you for using us in order to improve your damn company…
"But one thing that I will not forgive you for is bringing up Mikazuki's name so nonchalantly!"
"You misunderstand, Orga Itsuka," assured McGillis as he gently seized the Tekkadan leader's wrist in an attempt to get him to release his collar. Orga didn't seem convinced, however, as he simply tightened his grip on the man's collar, and at that, the blonde allowed his calm demeanor to fade away as he offered Itsuka a glare that just barely rivalled his in intensity, though to his credit, the Tekkadan boss did not back down. "Orga Itsuka, I sincerely apologise for speaking his name so abruptly. But know that the information I wish to share will most likely put a smile onto your face."
The sincerity in McGillis' voice was strangely genuine, lacking the typical professional and condescending undertone that he usually had, and Orga, despite knowing better than to trust this snake, grimaced and released his collar, shoving the blonde back into his seat as he did so. At that, Fareed recomposed himself, adjusting his tie as he sighed in a mix of relief and apparent irritation.
"You have a minute to explain yourself," snarled Orga, to which McGillis simply nodded.
"Thank you, Orga Itsuka," thanked McGillis with a smile as he sighed, though when he noticed how Orga was still standing from the other side of his desk, seeming ready to strangle him for real if he didn't do what he had promised, he shook his head just a little and got on with it. "Seeing as you did not hear me completely just then, allow me to explain myself.
"Mikazuki Augus is possibly still alive."
And at that, Orga blinked as he processed that information, though before long, he grimaced as he slammed his knuckles onto his table, something that got no reaction from McGillis outside of him lowering his head a little.
"You bastard… don't go saying shit like-" began Orga, ready to unleash the gates of Hell themselves onto McGillis as soon as he made such a claim, consequences be damned, only to pause when Fareed rather abruptly reached into his suit and pulled out what appeared to be a tablet. Standard issue tech, Orga recognised, with the only thing separating it from the stuff Tekkadan used being the Gjallarhorn logo near the top, and he eyed it briefly before glancing at McGillis.
"You thought I'd come here, into the Den of the Wolves, claiming that one of their long thought to be dead pack members is still alive, without evidence?" quipt McGillis, his tone as cocky as his expression as Orga raised a brow and glanced at the tablet. Frowning a little, he reluctantly took a seat and picked the tablet up, tapping its screen and activating it without much issue.
And as soon as he saw what it held, the Tekkadan leader felt his breath get stuck in his throat.
"T-This…" muttered Orga, staring at the screen in disbelief, his mind still unable to process this new bit of information as he fumbled over his words, allowing McGillis to speak up.
"Approximately three weeks ago, I was approached by a head engineer that served under me. He told me that he received an audio transmission from a Mobile suit long thought to be destroyed," explained McGillis as Orga stared at him. "That Mobile suit would be-"
"B-Barbatos…" muttered Orga, reading the name on the tablet with his eyes widened beyond belief. As he did so, Itsuka felt his grip on the tablet tighten as he looked up at Fareed. "But… how…"
"Though this is but a theory, I have deduced a reason behind all this," said McGillis as he leaned back on his chair. Orga's silence was his prompt to continue, and he smiled at that. He wasn't the type to be theatrical, though with such a focused audience sitting right in front of him… it was hard not to be. "Orga Itsuka, do you recall the tragedy that took place nearly 300 years ago?"
"Yeah yeah, I know. Calamity War, all that crap! Get to the point!" growled Orga, his frown growing in size as he spoke. Though a history lesson was not always a bad thing, the possibility of his best bud being alive, somewhere out in space, had caused Orga's patience to hit its limit. He needed to know if they could get him back, now. Noticing this, McGillis nodded and continued.
"As you know, there were originally 72 Gundam Frames, all named after the 72 Demons of Ares Goetia," continued Fareed, picking up the pace just a little though still keeping the essential pieces of information in. "Many were destroyed during the War, or they simply fell off the grid, such is the case with Gundam Marchosias, leaving only 26 in the present day.
"However, though records regarding the Calamity War are very rare… I have it on good authority that following its end, more than 26 Gundams were still operational. In fact, the records that I have scanned through say that there were roughly 43 units still functional following the conclusion of the war."
"So the history books were wrong, big deal. Just get to the point," grumbled Orga, his already thin patience running thinner as McGillis chuckled, something that didn't help much as Orga grimaced. "Look, if-"
"However, during the 300 years that followed the end of the Calamity War… many more units were lost. Though a majority were destroyed in combat, a small minority of these units have simply vanished off the face of the world, with no evidence of their existence whatsoever," cut off McGillis, smiling as he finally got to his point, and at that, Orga couldn't help but go silent as he processed that information, slowly catching onto what Fareed wished to tell him. "If you recall, there were no salvageable parts of the Barbatos after the Graze Ein had self-destructed, yes?"
"...there weren't…" realized Orga, his tone reflecting his realization as he eyed McGillis in shock. "But… how?"
"Ahab Reactors… the quasi-perpetual power source designed by Professor Ahab before the Calamity War. Such a powerful source of energy, would you not agree?" muttered McGillis, smiling as he spoke. "How powerful they are… and how mysterious their properties can be… Gjallarhorn may have studied them for over three centuries, though most of our knowledge regarding their properties remains a mystery to all but the man who created them…"
"So you're saying that this… Graze Ein did something with its Ahab Reactor that just sent itself and Mika to some random place?" inquired Orga, mildly confused as McGillis nodded.
"The more specific term would be that it sent itself and Gundam Barbatos to a random part of space. One that is lightyears outside of our solar system… and one that would take much more than a century to arrive at," explained McGillis, and at that, Orga examined the tablet he was holding onto further, only to widen his eyes when he saw how far Barbatos was from Earth.
"F-Four lightyears?!" proclaimed Orga, standing up so fast that his chair fell onto its back. McGillis ended up chuckling a little at that as Itsuka grimaced, unsure of how to process this information, though he quickly acknowledged something as he turned to eye McGillis, his calm demeanor simply returning as he narrowed his eyes. "Oi… you… you usually only come to us when you have a job…"
"As perceptive as ever, Orga Itsuka," praised McGillis as Orga grimaced at him.
"Don't fuck with me… not today," grumbled Orga as he frowned, and at that, McGillis smiled wider, knowing that he already had Orga by the neck at this point.
"I know, Orga Itsuka. And as such, allow me to get to the point," replied McGillis as he leaned forward onto the Tekkadan leader's table. "I wish to hire Tekkadan in the foreseeable future… not as Montag, but as McGillis Fareed. I have a project that will require testers, a project that involves a potentially revolutionary piece of technology."
Though he was rather vague about all this, Orga had a feeling that he knew what McGillis was getting at, and with a sigh, he shook his head.
"Though I'm tempted, I can't speak for the others. You'll need to wait for their answers," clarified Orga with a frown as McGillis nodded in understanding. "Them… and Teiwaz."
"I understand that much. You're family, aren't you? Watch out for them," advised McGillis with a smile as he stood and adjusted his tie. "That in itself concludes our meeting, Orga Itsuka. I hope you may grant me an answer before I look to someone else to test this experiment, though I highly doubt that outcome will happen. I have about a month before this piece of technology is created, after all. I will speak of compensation once the time has come.
"And please, do not speak of my identity to the rest of Tekkadan just yet. It would be best if we saved the reveal for a more… convenient time."
"Yeah, whatever," was Orga's somewhat nonchalant answer, though deep down, he couldn't help but shudder as he watched Fareed pick up his Montag mask and put it on before leaving, allowing Orga to think of his options in silence.
Of course, there was little to no reason to think on any of this. Though some of the newer members of Tekkadan were probably unwilling to do so, the founding members would most likely do anything to get their old friend back.
After all, if there was even a slither of a chance that Mika was out there… if there was even a small glimmer of hope for them to bring back a member of their family, Tekkadan would grasp onto that chance and not let go…
Elsewhere
Eren Jaeger's trial had ended with him being entrusted to the Survey Corps.
Over the course of the past five or so hours, the Military Tribunal had pondered over the fate of the Cadet, with every Brigade Representative (read: Commander) being present to chime in on their opinion regarding Jaeger's fate. Even a handful of Cadets from the Trainee Brigades, all handpicked by reliable seniors, Civilians and the Wall Cult, for God knows why, were brought in to perhaps attain some insight on the matter.
He was to be judged not by the laws which applied to a civilian, but by the laws that applied to a soldier, and as such, every Brigade Representative had to speak their piece, with the Civilians, Cadets and Wall Cult offering potential insight.
Jaeger's fate, however, would ultimately be decided by the Premier of the Three Military Brigades, Dhalis Zachary, an elderly lad with quite the beard and hair that was just as grey. As expected of someone with his rank, Zachary was known to be a man who judged those before him as fairly and logically as possible, and none were more suited to deciding Jaeger's fate than him.
For the Garrison, represented by Dot Pixis, they remained neutral. Pixis expressed just how impressed he was with Jaeger, having seen his conviction and apparent selflessness whilst speaking to him atop Rose. However, he also voiced concerns regarding his lack of control with his Titan form, having viewed it as a potential danger to mankind, and as such, he solidified his stance as a neutral, with the men that he had brought alongside him maintaining his stance.
The Military Police Brigade, represented by Nile Dawk, on the other hand, expressed their concerns for Eren Jaeger being left alive. Though Nile did acknowledge Eren's feats during the tail end of the Trost incident, he still considered him a threat to mankind, one that had to be eliminated, though not before he left behind as much information regarding his abilities, at least. A handful of civilians and fellow MPB members did voice their support for Nile's stance, and though it didn't mean much, Zachary did take some of them into account.
In between the proposal of the Military Police and Survey Corps, however, was the opinion of the Wall Cult, or more specifically the opinion of their representative, Pastor Nick, some dude dressed in robes. To put it simply, he wanted Eren killed post haste, though when his ramblings went on for too long, Zachary had to tell him to shut up as politely as he could.
And finally, there was the Survey Corp's proposal, with Erwin Smith as their representative, to no one's shock. His proposal was simple, to enlist Jaeger into the Survey Corps and use his ability to potentially retake Wall Maria. Such a claim was so outrageous that even a handful of his soldiers appeared appalled, though Hanji, as one would expect, was salivating at the thought.
Zachary had weighed the options rather heavily, being mostly indecisive on the whole matter, though to his credit, he was able to think about it even as Levi Ackerman began beating the crap out of Eren for speaking. Unbeknownst to him, however, Levi kicking Eren around gave Erwin a bit of an idea whilst also enraging a certain other person who stood in the crowd of Cadets.
"I propose that Eren Jaeger be entrusted to the Survey Corps and be under the watch of Team Levi," proposed Erwin, to which Zachary raised his brow, a sign for Erwin to continue. "I intend on bringing Eren Jaeger on our next expedition beyond the Walls. When we return, you may see the results and decide on if he more beneficial to us, dead or alive.
"And should he go out of control, I am confident that Levi and his team will be able to stop him."
At that, Levi snorted as he glanced up at Zachary.
"Yeah, I'm sure I can kill him."
With that said, Zachary sighed softly to himself as he leaned back on his chair, the past five hours of debate getting to him as he thought of the best course of action.
And finally, he nodded and leaned forward.
"Eren Jaeger, I hereby entrust you to the Survey Corps."
And with that, the session had come to an end, with a beaten but still unbroken Eren sighing in relief while Levi rolled his eyes, unsure of how to feel about being entrusted with a kid like Jaeger.
Hanji Zoe sighed in apparent relief as she gave Levi a thumbs up, much to his irritation, while Mike rubbed his nose, the sudden loss of tension in the room making it itch just a little as he held back a sneeze, with Nanaba and Gelgar inching away from him just in case. And Erwin himself… he couldn't help but sigh in relief as the faintest of smiles itched its way onto his face.
They had one strong weapon in their hands now… though then came the other… more complicated issue…
"Though this session has concluded, it does not mean that we may depart," spoke up Zachary, his attitude and general tone of voice hardening once more as he sat upright in his seat. Everyone present turned back to face him once more, most of whom were now eyeing him with apprehension after his decision to allow Jaeger to live, though he didn't let that deter him as he continued speaking. "We have but another topic to discuss before we may leave.
"The issue of the Mechanical Titan."
And at that, Zachary glanced between the three Military Brigade representatives, a clear sign that he wished for them to put forth their proposals for the fate of the Mechanical Titan, though he was surprised to see that all three of them appeared apprehensive.
The first to speak up was Nile, who cleared his throat before speaking.
"It is in my belief that the Mechanical Titan is a dangerous threat which must be removed at all costs," proposed Nile. "The reports that I have received regarding its behaviour is troubling. Though I will not disregard all that it has done to benefit mankind, the 'Titan' is extremely unpredictable, and many reports state that it is also intelligent, perhaps just as intelligent as humans. Such a dangerous Titan is not to be trusted, and I propose that our best course of action is to terminate it."
With his proposal concluded, Nile bowed his head and took a step back, allowing another representative to speak up as he did so. Several MPB members and Civilians also chimed in, expressing their approval of Nile's words, though as before, he could only backlog them.
"Erwin Smith, have you anything to propose?" inquired Zachary, to which Erwin nodded as he stepped forward, his expression as neutral as ever as he took in a deep breath.
"As with Eren Jaeger, I believe that this Mechanical Titan could be a powerful inclusion into our ranks," proposed Erwin, and at that, Hanji nearly fainted while everyone present, including Zachary himself, widened their eyes at his absurd proposal. Even so, he didn't let that deter him as he continued. "Though unpredictable and perhaps even unreliable, there is an undeniable amount of intelligence found in this 'Titan'. It seems to be able to differentiate friend from foe, human from Titan, and perhaps, it could even come to listen to orders given to it."
"So you claim that this Mechanical Titan is the equivalent of a trained horse?" clarified Zachary, to which Levi rolled his eyes while Erwin attempted to suppress a chuckle.
"In a sense, it is," replied Erwin. "It shows clear signs of intelligence that all other Titans, even Abnormals, lack. And, if I were to make a guess, I believe that the Mechanical Titan may be more like Eren Jaeger than we realize…"
"HERESY!"
The sudden yell of Pastor Nick, of all people, caused the entire room to turn towards him in apparent surprise, with even Zachary appearing to be taken aback by his sudden yell. Of course, Nick didn't seem to care as he pointed a finger squarely at Eren, who was still restrained at the center of the courtroom.
"TO ALLOW EVEN A SINGLE ABOMINATION TO LIVE IS ALREADY ENOUGH OF AN INSULT TO OUR SAVIORS, BUT TO ALLOW THE METAL BEAST TO LIVE AS WELL?!" proclaimed Pastor Nick, seething with rage as he spoke. "I PROPOSE THAT WE CLEANSE THIS WORLD OF BOTH, FOR IT IS THE WILL OF OUR SAVIORS, THE ONES WHO HAVE KEPT US SAFE FOR MILLENIA!"
This went on for quite some time, with Nick doing his best to persuade Zachary into ridding this world of both Eren and the Mechanical Titan. For some unexplained reason, Zachary didn't really bother to tell him to shut up again, though one could assume that he found his speech rather amusing. However, before he could tell him to stop talking for the sake of everyone else in the room, Dot Pixis beat him to the punch and cleared his throat.
The simple act of Pixis clearing his throat was more than enough to catch the attention of Zachary, who turned to eye Pixis with a raised brow. Everyone present followed his gaze, as did Pastor Nick, and they all raised their brows when they saw Pixis smile.
"Hm, if I may, Zachary, I would like to support Erwin's proposal," said Pixis, surprising everyone with his words, Zachary included. For as long as anyone could remember, Pixis has never taken any sides whilst in a Tribunal, often remaining neutral and allowing the Military Police Brigade and Survey Corps duke it out, so to see him actively partake in this conversation, well… it was a shocker, to say the least, even to his Garrison juniors, though before they could question him, the Commander spoke up. "Though it is true that the Mechanical Titan is a potential threat to us all, we shouldn't overlook the power it holds and its lack of aggression towards mankind.
"However, need I remind you that the Garrison and Cadets who fought in the Trost Incident have more experience fighting alongside the Mechanical Titan when compared to any other Military Brigade?" added Pixis, smiling as he glanced a little at Nile, who looked somewhat offended, before he continued. "Though I myself did not fight by its side, I have it on good authority from my Elite Trio that this 'Titan' is indeed non hostile towards all of mankind, with it going so far as to save one of my them, Commander Ian Dietrich, from certain death."
At that, Pixis gestured for the Commander in question to step forward. At that, Ian noticeably tensed up at the prospect of speaking to the Tribunal, though he was quick to get over it and nod before stepping forward with both arms behind his back.
"Brigade Premier Zachary," greeted Ian with a mild nod, and a returning nod from Zachary prompted him to continue. "As Commander Dot Pixis has said, Mitabi Jarnach, Rico Brzenska and myself have fought alongside the Mechanical Titan during the Trost incident, and I can attest to his words. The 'Titan' showed no hostility towards any of my men, nor did it show any towards the Cadets that fought alongside us. Many lives were saved thanks to its involvement, and I strongly believe that to destroy it would deprive mankind of one of their greatest assets in winning the war against the Titans."
To hear Ian, of all people, say such things was admittedly quite a surprise to a few Survey Corps, seeing as how he didn't exactly agree with what they were doing, though Erwin couldn't help but smile a little as Dietrich continued.
"If I may add onto Commander Erwin's previous comment, however," added Ian, rubbing his chin thoughtfully as he spoke. "He spoke of how the Mechanical Titan is similar to Eren Jaeger. If I am correct, you meant to say that it could be controlled by a human before you were interrupted, yes?"
A nod from Erwin confirmed Ian's thoughts, prompting him to continue.
"I wish to support this statement," declared Ian, much to the surprise of everyone, sans Rico and Mitabi, though he ignored most of their shocked expressions as he continued speaking. "On the battlefield, I witnessed how the 'Titan' had moved. Its movements were fluid and elegant, very much unlike that of a regular Titan, and very much like Eren Jaeger in a way. It made use of its weapons with trained precision, precision that only a trained soldier of the Military Brigade could show off…"
"You make a valid argument, Ian Dietrich," muttered Zachary, much to the chagrin of Nile and the irritation Pastor Nick, who would have began a yelling fit if Zachary had not continued. "However, I wish to know, if a human did control the Mechanical Titan, why have they not emerged from the 'Titan'?"
And at that, a new voice spoke out, this one distinctively belonging to Hanji, who walked up and raised her hand.
"Hanji Zoe of the Survey Corps," acknowledged Zachary, with Levi shuddering a little as he eyed Zoe, who smiled a little as she saluted. "Have you something to add?"
"Indeed I do, Brigade Premier Zachary!" replied Hanji heartily, prompting Zachary to chuckle a little under his breath as he nodded. Though professionalism was to be upheld, especially now, of all times, Zachary had to admit that it was hard to not at least snicker at the Captain's enthusiasm. "If I may?"
"Please," answered Zachary, giving Hanji the alright to continue talking as she smirked and vaulted over to the center of the courtroom to make herself at the center of attention, much to Levi's irritation as Eren held back a mild smile. He may have been in immense pain, in no small part thanks to Ackerman, Hanji's enthusiasm was rather infectious.
"Alright, so, as most of us here know, the first reports regarding the Mechanical Titan date all the way back to five years prior, before the Fall of Maria," began Hanji, rubbing her chin thoughtfully as she spoke. As the soldiers all around her muttered in acknowledgement of all that, a handful of her fellow Survey Corps gestured for her to take that back, considering how that was mostly classified information and civilians and Cadets were not meant to know of this, though she ignored most of them as she continued. "We found it during one of our expeditions beyond the walls, where it saved us from a handful of Titans before leaving.
"Considering how it was found out in the wild, I strongly believe that it has been out in the exterior, beyond the confines of Maria, for quite a long time, beyond five years, perhaps. As such, we can deduce that it, if it really was a human who is able of becoming a Titan, has much more experience than Eren Jaeger when it comes to transforming into their Titan form, so much so that they can maintain it for much longer than him.
"Of course this is just a theory, y'know? Who knows if it's correct. Even so, I believe that it is extremely plausible and also an extremely sound one. Then again, if it's incorrect, we can find some other way to perhaps control it. If we try hard enough, we can achieve anything, after all! Just gimme a few days and-"
"That is enough, Hanji," cut off Zachary, holding a hand up to silence Zoe, who pouted a little as she nodded in defeat. And at that, Zachary went silent as he rubbed his chin thoughtfully, pondering all the information that Hanji had given him as she moved to check on Eren.
'An human controlled Titan that possesses more experience in their abilities, you say…' thought Zachary, coming to a quick conclusion before he cleared his throat.
"I wish for one of you to inform the soldiers within the Mechanical Titan's holding point about Eren Jaeger's inclusion into the Survey Corps," spoke up Zachary, catching everyone's attention as he spoke. Many were taken aback by his proposal, though a handful weren't too surprised, knowing what he meant to do with this.
As for Pastor Nick, however…
"O-OUTRAGEOUS!" roared Pastor Nick, losing any and all semblance of cool as he leaned forward on his podium, intent on making his voice heard as everyone turned their attention towards him. "YOU BELIEVE THE CLAIMS OF THOSE WHO FORSAKE THE BLESSINGS OF OUR GODS?! HAVE YOU GONE MAD, ZACHARY?!"
Most who heard Pastor Nick's claim thought him to be mad, to speak to Dhalis Zachary, of all people, in such a way, though the man himself simply shook his head, sighing at Nick's single minded devotion towards the Walls, amused at his ramblings. Of course, he still kept his professional demeanor strong as he shook his head.
"THOSE WHO VENTURE OUT INTO THE WILD, THOSE WHO FORSAKE THE BLESSINGS OF OUR SAVIORS, ARE NOT TO BE TRUSTED!" continued Pastor Nick, with his words irritating the Survey Corps quite a bit, with Mike's brilliant nose being more than enough to smell the growing animosity the soldiers had towards the Pastor as time went on. "DECEIVERS, THEY ARE! THEY ARE HERE FOR ONE THING, AND THAT IS TO TARNISH THE WORK OF OUR LORDS! TO EVEN ALLOW THEM TO CONTINUE EXISTING IS A SIN ALL ON IT'S OWN!"
Off to the side, Rico found herself grimacing as she heard Nick ramble on. As with most soldiers in the Garrison, Brzenska didn't find herself agreeing with the Survey Corps' way of business. And yet, she, alongside a few others, could at least respect their tenacity and dedication to their jobs. The soldiers had more courage than anyone in the Garrison brigade could ever wish to achieve, and to hear them be bad mouthed so openly by someone who wasn't even a soldier… well, it was enough to irritate her greatly.
"I DEMAND THAT THE ICONS OF SIN BE PUT DOWN IMMEDIATELY!" continued Nick, pointing a finger at Eren as he growled. The Cadet noticeably flinched at that, with another in the crowd looking ready to pounce onto the Pastor and rip him to shreds at any given second. "THE ACCURSED HALFBREED AND THE BEAST FORGED FROM METAL! IF WE ARE TO KEEP OUR SACRED LAND PURE!"
If only Pastor Nick knew of the going ons inside the apparent sacred land of his… the thought of him learning of all that crap made Rico smile just a little, though it quickly faded as Nick continued on with his ramblings, with a vein popping up on her forehead as he did. Both Ian and Mitabi noticed the aura of irritation, irritation that was slowly turning into anger as the seconds ticked by, and wisely stepped away from her before she could explode. Likewise, Pixis, alongside several others, noticed it as well and took a few steps away from the Elite.
"I IMPLORE YOU, ZACHARY! YOU MUST-"
"I volunteer to relay this information to the guards watching over the Mechanical Titan, Brigade Brigade Premier Zachary!"
Rico's sudden yell was enough to catch everyone's attention, with the Elite in question stepping forward to make her presence known. Though subtle, there was an unmistakable hint of animosity in her expression, one that was primarily directed towards Pastor Nick, though only briefly as she continued.
"I volunteer to relay the information, Brigade Premier Zachary," repeated Rico with a frown that showed her irritation more than anything else. At that, and seeing no reason to deny her request, Zachary nodded.
"Your service is appreciated, soldier. Please," replied Zachary, motioning for her to get a move on, and after a quick salute, she did as such, leaving the courtroom in favor of informing the guards of all this.
And if they were honest, everyone present in the courtroom wished that they were in Brzenska's position when Pastor Nick continued yelling out how heretical all this was.
Likewise, Zachary silently wished that he was not the Brigade Premier once more, considering how stressful this all was.
A short while later
"She really is taking quite a while to come back…"
As she muttered that, Mina clasped her hands together in a somewhat impatient manner, fidgeting a little as she waited alongside the rest of the courtroom. Somehow, Pastor Nick was still yelling out heresy, with the other soldiers, Cadets and even some civilians feeling rather sick of all that by now.
"Yeah, but she's headed to Trost, don't forget. We're in Sina, and heading there will take some time," reminded Nac, who was standing beside her at the moment. Currently, the two of them, Annie included, stood somewhere near the front of the Cadet group, though rather unfortunately this meant that they had a front row seat to watch Eren get his face smacked around by Levi. During that time, Mikasa appeared ready to lose it, with the only thing keeping her calm being Armin.
Even now, Eren remained strung up to that metal pole near the center of the courtroom, seeming exhausted as he knelt there. Levi and Hanji were both still standing by him, with the former being there out of apparent obligation to kick his ass if he were to speak up once more whilst the latter seemed keen on examining him from head to toe, much to Mikasa's irritation.
Eventually, Pastor Nick's yells became less intense, a sign of his exhaustion as he reluctantly stopped speaking, much to everyone's relief. And with that came the silence, with the entire courtroom being engulfed in it and allowing the soldiers to reflect on past events.
In the case of a good majority of Cadets, however, this was just a time for them to recall the deceased faces of their fellow soldiers.
Mina herself had to bite down on her lip real hard to stop herself from remembering those unblinking eyes of the several Cadets that she had seen during the cleanup operation of Trost. She knew a handful of those who had fallen in combat, and though the same couldn't be said for those she didn't recognise, she still felt her stomach fall whenever she saw the body of a fellow soldier.
Likewise, Nac, in spite of his apparent jovial nature following the end of their undertaker duty, seemed less energetic than usual. He was more silent than anyone could remember, often blanking out from time to time, and his chatty self had become a little more subdued.
And yet, the one who had changed the most drastically was, shockingly enough, Annie. Ever since the end of their undertaker duties, Leonhardt had not spoken a single word to either Mina or Nac. Hell, she had refused to even make eye contact with them! To say that this confused Mina and Nac greatly was quite the understatement, and though they had initially dismissed this as her coping with all the death in Trost, when she had kept this up for the entire day, they eventually came to worry for her.
"Annie… you've been acting differently recently…" muttered Mina to her friend, who didn't acknowledge her as she kept her gaze fixed to whatever was in front of her. At that, Mina shuddered a little, not knowing if she should press the matter, though she was quick to steel her resolve and gently shake her blonde friend's shoulder. "Annie…?"
Still no response, with Annie turning her head a little to avoid eye contact with Mina, who bit her lower lip a little.
"Annie…"
"Just stop talking, Mina," muttered Annie, her voice barely a whisper as Mina blinked in shock. Leonhardt's voice sounded so… hoarse… and hopelessly depressed for reasons unknown to her, though before she could stop herself, she outstretched a hand and rested it on her friend's shoulder. "I said…"
"Annie, we're here for you, me, Nac, even Reiner and Bertholdt," assured Mina, allowing the smallest of smiles to appear on her face as she spoke. At that, Annie turned to glance at her friend from the very corner of her eye, unsure on how to reply, prompting Carolina to continue speaking. "We're friends, aren't we? You can tell us anything… and we'll be there for you, no matter what. So you don't have to be afraid… we will never turn you down…"
As she said that, Nac peeked over the top of Mina's head and offered a gentle smile, having listened in on the conversation as he nodded in agreement. To anyone else, a gesture like that would have given some form of comfort… some form of happiness to them. And yet, to Annie, it only served to tighten her heart further as she held back a grimace.
"You… you can't help me on this," muttered Annie shakily, the guilt rather apparent in her voice as she glanced away from her twintailed friend, who frowned helplessly. "Just… leave me alone for a while… please…"
The genuine remorse in Annie's voice was unmistakable, and it was enough to make both Mina and Nac feel their hearts crumble just a little. Nearby, however, a certain pair of like minded Cadets couldn't help but grimace a little. They knew that Annie acting the way she did was paramount to what they wished to accomplish… but to see her like this, it hurt them quite a bit…
"Do you think that… she's thinking about him…?" muttered Nac to Mina, and at that, the latter grimaced as she turned to fix her taller friend with a sharp glare, prompting him to recoil a little.
"Don't say that like he's dead!" whisper shouted Mina as Nac gulped. "Mikazuki's alive, I know it! He wouldn't die like this!"
"I know… I know… but…"
And at that, the door to the courtroom rather abruptly swung open, interrupting Nac's words as he turned to look at it. Though he had a bit of a height advantage over others, it was still rather hard to see who had entered, though he could just barely see that Rico had returned.
And behind her was…
It was…
"H-Holy…" muttered Nac, having choked out those words as he unconsciously took a step back, his eyes widened in shock as he saw who Rico had brought in with her. Mina, on the other hand, raised an eyebrow as she noticed Nac's reaction, and likewise, Annie perked her ears up at that as well. "T-That… t-t-that's…"
"... Nac?" muttered Mina, gently grabbing onto her taller friend's arm as he felt his knees quiver. "Who is it? I can't-"
"I thank you for your assistance, Rico Brzenska. I see that the human within the Mechanical Titan chose now to reveal himself?" greeted Zachary, oblivious to the mental breakdown the Cadets were experiencing as he greeted the returning Cadet. At that, Mina raised a brow while Annie raised her head up just a little.
"Indeed," replied Rico, her hands behind her back as several soldiers widened their eyes in shock or gasped audibly at the sight of the person who had been controlling the Mechanical Titan this whole time. Hell, even Rico herself appeared take aback by all this, though she kept herself composed as she cleared her throat and allowed the person to step forward.
And when they did, the person became visible to both Mina and Annie, who were taken aback by who the person was… and the latter would have lied if she said that she didn't allow a gasp to escape her lips.
A gasp that held a mixture of relief, genuine happiness… and legitimate terror.
"If I may, allow me to introduce you, Brigade Premier Zachary, to Mikazuki Augus of the 104th Trainee Brigade."
Yall are probably gonna murder me for leaving you guys hanging again… and for that, I sincerely apologise.
Me and my proofreader/best pal discussed the length of this chapter and we agreed that it would be best to cut it short. It was mean of us, I know… but it was more to maintain the pacing of the chapter. That, and things would've been a little messy if we crammed the entire reveal into this chapter. I hope I didn't anger too many people with this decision.
Onto some other things. Firstly I've gotten an in house internship at my college. It isn't the best, but manageable. Secondly, my birthday just passed, so I'm officially 18 now! I already feel like dying, but I'll stay here till this story is finished at least.
Anyhow, as usual, I'm terrible with outros, so I'll just get on to the replies…
Spyro fanboy: no worries, I'm doing well and am quite healthy, and believe me I don't really belong in an anime studio. I'm better just writing on my own with my pal assisting. Oh and another thing, I believe that Dead344156 was also making a joke. There's no need to get so defensive for my sake, though I do appreciate it…
MachineOmega: many thanks. Though I didn't get a proper one, I still got an in house internship. And regarding the reaction… next chapter?
Niuzu0130: revealed… in the next chapter
Artyom-Dreizehn: well, who knows…
Touhoufanatic: well, it's not that explosive just yet… but who knows…
UndeadLord22: well we can't have Mika just run off in Barbatos now, can we?
daggercloak000: well I'm glad you liked it! And here's the next chapter!
tempest light 85: admittedly it is rather stressful to write a few of these, especially this chapter, since I'm basically cockblocking everyone into oblivion. Even so, the fact that people enjoy this just makes me feel accomplished, and knowing that others are apparently inspired by me feels great! Ultimately, that's why I, and many others, write, because people enjoy my stories even if I find them below average.
Adriaus Nighthunter: well I hate to tel you that we have another one…
Doctor Snake Eater: it'll hit… in the next chapter!
Luard: many thanks my dude! And no worries, the internship isn't too taxing on me so expect a few more chapters before… next year…
noobie53: I'm glad you liked it!
Arenjie: I do apologise that it wasn't up to your expectations. And regarding how Mike smelled him, I was gonna just say it was him having a strong nose… though that was dumb so I modified his words to make it sound more plausible. Many thanks for pointing that out!
Agent-G: this one's a long one. I will admit to forgetting about the Alaya Vijnana system just a little bit, which is my mistake, and I'll also admit that I did miss my chance at making a few of the previous chapters more interesting by making him stay behind rather than join the Military Brigades. However, even so, I won't be making any of those changes, seeing as it would require me to completely rework a handful of the more important elements of the story. I sincerely apologise for that.
Also, in regards to originality, I will openly admit that I probably could've been more original. As such, me and my proofreader have talked about a few alterations to the Female Titan arc. Of course, don't expect too much, considering how I'm usually quite a let down.
Dead344156: I GOT THE INTERNSHIP! And I humbly apologise to the mighty Quokka!
One final note before I leave.
Spyro fanboy mentioned how many of you are showing support, and honestly, I couldn't be happier. Though some critiques, like those from Agent-G, are a little harsh, I know that it comes from a good place. Without criticism, none of us will be able to improve, so don't hesitate on criticising me.
As of me updating this, we have about 338 favorites and 394 followers as well. I sincerely thank all of you for following and favoriting, and I wish every one of you well!