AN
There will be some major canon divergences starting this chapter. I'll try to keep them small and subtle, but some changes are inevitable because of the events soon to come.
On an unrelated note, how hot is Levi when he is being chased by Kenny in the anime?! My God.
Levi
"Kenny!"
My scream ended with a growl, as all the anger and frustration and hurt I felt intertwined and aimed at the one man in front of me. I clenched one of my blades and threw it at him, sharp metal cutting through the air with a wisp. Kenny blocked it with his gun at a last moment and his face twisted with surprise. It didn't last though, and the next moment, he aimed his pistols at me, ready to pull the trigger. Before he did just that, I threw my cloak up, hiding behind it and skewing Kenny's aim.
Just as he'd taught me.
Shotgun shells broke through the thin material right above my head, missing by an inch. I turned quickly, my eyes scanning the surroundings, as I contemplated the best way to escape. My gaze landed on Nifa's lifeless body bent over the roof's ridge like a broken doll. Shame swirled in my stomach, but I couldn't focus on that. No regrets — I had to keep reminding myself of that, even if it nauseated me.
It was all because of Verity.
Fuck! Just thinking her name boiled my blood with fury to the point of pain. But I tried to shove those thoughts away, as I jumped over the ridge and slid down the rooftop. Sharp cracked edges of the broken shingles cut at my skin, but the sting was a welcome reprieve, as it made my mind focus on the moment. I readied myself for a jump when I reached the edge and engaged ODM, taking flight between the houses, twisting and turning as I went, avoiding bullets that fell down on me like rain.
Kenny was not messing around this time, and it took one too many of my best maneuvers to shake him off my tail. When I was sure he wasn't following me; I turned in the direction the wagon was supposed to go, with Eren and Historia inside. They were what Kenny wanted, which meant I had to keep them away from him at all costs.
Just as I took sight of the carriage, the woman — one of Kenny's — shoved Keiji's unmoving body from the driver's seat and took over the reins. I gritted my teeth, noticing two unconscious bodies in the back of the wagon. Speeding, I took a sharp turn at the next crossroad, hoping to catch up. The zipping sound of ODM reached me just when I rounded the corner, and I came face to face with three more of Kenny's men. My body reacted on its own, and the hooks shot down, my gear pulling me to the ground, just as three consequent shots fired. I barely avoided getting hit, straining my body to turn as the ground neared. I released the hooks and shot them to the closest building. My reaction lacked the necessary speed though, and I practically scratched the ground with my ass, as I pushed with my arms at the pavement to lessen the hit.
ODM worked, and I got pulled forward and up, away from my followers. I rushed down the street, swaying from one building to the next, keeping low to the ground and avoiding the traffic.
They predicted our every damn move. No. Not predicted. They knew of our every move before we'd even made it.
Thanks to Verity.
Avoiding more shots, I nearly crashed into a wagon stacked with crates. Instead of avoiding it, I aimed for the cargo, somersaulting off the top box and glimpsed behind as I went. The pursuers didn't budge, and more shots sounded, bullets ricocheting off the paving stones. A shadow hovered over me, and I glanced up just as Kenny jumped from the roof of the building, guns at the ready.
Bang! Bang!
As shots fired, I swirled, changing directions, the soles of my shoes scraping at the uneven bricks. This helped me save some time, as neither Kenny nor his men expected my change of directions. They caught up quickly, though, bullets crashing into the pavement all around me. I swayed left and right as I flew forward, jumping from the building's walls on one side of the street to the other.
Jumping from wall to wall, I'd reached another crossroads, blocked by a wagon. I slid down one of the top crates just as another shot landed inches away. Wood splinters scattered, biting at my skin just above my left brow. Blood trickled down my face and into my eye. It burned, and I had to shut my eye, which made all the maneuvering that much harder. I sped up, aiming at the end of the street, where a bar stood.
Swinging doors hit me on the shoulders as I flew in sideways, feet first. I landed on the bar, cringing at the impact.
"It's Levi of the Scouts!" screamed one of the patrons. I ignored him, gathering myself into a crouching position on the bar top.
"Make yourself at home, sir!" Bartender squealed, and I could hear Kenny land just outside the entrance. Rubbing at my eye, I flicked the blood away.
If this kept up, I would lose my team, Eren and Historia.
"It's the damnedest thing. I seem to be smelling a rat in this fine establishment," Kenny said, as his heavy footfall sounded on the porch steps. "Come on out, little rodent. The sheriff is here!" He yelled, jumping inside, and I rolled off the bar and out of sight. "I aim to exterminate all the vermin I can find."
I crouched behind the bar, listening for his footsteps. But Kenny didn't move from his place near the door. A long moment passed, and he yelled again, sounding frustrated: "Oh, come on! You here or not?"
I sighed, resting my back against the hardwood. "Right here, Kenny. Been a while. I really thought you'd be dead by now, what with all the MPs you were butchering. But now you are great friends, huh?"
"Yeah, well, adults do plenty of things kids like you can't understand," he said in a mocking tone. "Oh, right. My mistake. You're supposed to be an adult now, but you're still such a runt. It's hard to tell," Kenny chuckled. "Always hoped that I might get to see you in action someday. I can't say I'm disappointed, either. Seems you still remember every trick I taught you. But didn't I tell you not to trust a pretty face? Because, if I had, you'd know not to trust anyone who's got big sorry eyes and a cute blush."
Chair legs squealed loudly against the wooden floors. I closed my eyes, resisting the blazing urge to yell back, lash out in hurt and anger. It wasn't his mistake. No, it was mine. I fell for the easiest trick in the book. It was pathetic. Yet, I couldn't walk out without having at least some answers. "I must have fallen asleep during that one. Care to remind me?"
Kenny chuckled again, and in the next moment, a chair crushed into the neatly set line of spirits at the back of the bar. Glass shards splintered, and I covered my face with my hand, as the scent of alcohol strengthened around me. "Did you like her? Such a gem I'd dug out from that little hellhole we all crawled out of. But if I've known how damn stupid you'd be, I would have used someone less valuable on you. Someone with a prettier face, perhaps. Or a sadder backstory. Yeah, that would've worked ten times faster."
All his trash-talk slipped right by me. My mind latched onto the one specific thing he'd said. Little hellhole. She was from the Underground just like me and Kenny. I should've known. "So, is this what you do nowadays? Go and pick out trash in the Underground? Grew tired of butchering MPs, huh?"
Another chair crashed into the wall above, and more glass rained down on me. "Don't judge someone until you've tried their shoes on. Did I raise you so poorly?" He clicked his tongue loudly in disapproval. "You know what it's like down there, Levi. When you get out and see just how big the world really is, you bet it hurts like hell. So, every man needs himself something to distract him. A hobby. May be the only source of fulfillment we'll ever find in this wretched world."
My hands clenched into fists at the concealed meaning behind his words. He always told half-truths. I'd do better to remember that. And she was not my concern. She was my enemy. I couldn't even think of her name anymore.
"Oh, I see. Is that why you blew off my people's heads, then? 'Cause it's fulfilling?" I asked and reached to the bottle shelf to twist one of the last standing bottles. I reached over and grabbed a gun, sprawled on the hidden shelf right under the bar top. Watching the dim reflection in the bottle's side, I readied for a shot that might determine if I lived or died.
"Yup. To achieve my grand goal, I'll kill as many as get in my way. And you're no different. You kill too, when it benefits you," Kenny said, his voice smug.
"Yeah," I drawled, shoving the rifle up and pointing it at the entrance. Using the reflection as my aim, I lined the gun up with Kenny's chest and shot.
His pained grunt and a loud thud that the doors made were a small reprieve as Kenny flew out of the bar, hopefully with a decent sized hole in his chest. The man had more cards up his sleeve than most people's sleeves, however. But I couldn't deny a small satisfaction at hitting him.
Picking out from behind the bar, I shoved the rifle into the hands of its owner and readied myself for a long chase.
If I knew something about Kenny, it was that he never gave up.
The crackling of fire held little of its usual calming appeal. We'd lost Eren and Historia. So many people died. And it was because of how blind I'd been when it came to… her.
Armin sat there, pale and unmoving, just staring at the piece of smoked meat in his hand. He had his first kill today. It never went easy. Jean uncharacteristically looked just about the same as Armin. They were both quiet. Guilt-ridden. If I had any strength left in me, I would've talked them out of it. But my mind was just as occupied. And the guilt burning like acid in my stomach — just as potent.
Sasha and Connie looked troubled, but the side glances they threw at me made my anger stir all the more. Mikasa was the worst, though. The brat couldn't handle even a minute worth of separation from Eren. And the way I had to restrain her so as not to allow her to chase after the stolen wagon obviously didn't sit well with her. Her angry glares might have disturbed me if I didn't have something else to be just as angry about.
They didn't ask questions. Not after I said that Kenny's men killed four of our own. They'd assumed Verity was one of those kills. I didn't correct them. For better or worse, it felt right not to do so. To leave some dignity behind the character she'd played within this team. However fake it was.
"The woman I shot back there… I bet she was a really kind person," Armin said all of a sudden, staring into one spot, like a madman. "She must've had a lot more human empathy than I ever did. I pulled that trigger so easily. Without a thought. I'm…"
No matter the irritation I'd felt when he spoke, I couldn't help but to sympathise with him. I knew all too well what Armin was experiencing. I'd gone through that in what felt like ages ago. And Kenny was the one who'd held my hand back then. No matter that he was the one to put the knife in it, he'd held me afterwards, explaining just how life worked. You either kill or get killed. You die or you fight back. Lie and trick your way through or get defeated and starve to death. It was easy when he explained it. I had to learn the hard way that he was mistaken on so many levels in his view of the world. I could only imagine what kind of bullshit he'd filled her head with.
I shouldn't care. She was an enemy.
"A killer," I finished for Armin, catching his terrified gaze. "And now that your hands have been soaked in blood, the person you once were is gone for good."
"Why would you say that?" Mikasa gasped. I ignored her, continuing to talk to Armin alone.
"You shouldn't regret it for one second. Because if you'd chosen to keep your hands clean, Jean would be a corpse on a cart right now. I'll tell you why you pulled the trigger. Because your comrade was about to die. Everyone on our squad survived today because you got blood on your hands. Thank you."
"Not everyone," Connie whispered. "Verity is gone. And most of Hange's team as well."
I stiffened as the silence fell once again. The need to tell weighed heavy on my chest then, and no matter the hit my ego and reputation would take, I had to be honest with them. They relied on me, trusted me with their lives. How could I keep this from them? Especially when it jeopardised my judgement and affected them firsthand.
I sighed and got to my feet, preferring this talk to be over as soon as possible. "She isn't dead," I stated, glancing over at the surprised faces of my teammates. "She turned out to be one of them. She has been working for the opposite side all along."
"That can't be right!" Mikasa exclaimed, jumping to her feet. I looked at her, surprised. I've never seen them even talk before, much less would have guessed they were close enough that Mikasa would try to protect her.
"Well, it is. And if she isn't dead yet, she will be the next time I see her," I said, turning away, anger heating my blood.
"That's impossible, though. Verity — an enemy? But she'd been on your team for ages now! How could this have happened?" Mikasa continued her questioning.
"Just like someone can pull a trigger, someone else can choose to side with your nemesis," I said, staring into the dancing shadows, stirred by the moving fire. "You shouldn't look for a reason behind someone's actions. Most often than not, there isn't a good one."
I grew to trust her, and she'd betrayed it. I let her into the team and onto the secrets of the Scouts. I'd let her crawl deep under my skin, and the scratches she'd made along the way hurt like hell. How long was it since the last time I'd let someone this close to me? How long since I grew so attached to someone? I should've known better.
Stepping away from the fire and out of the warehouse I couldn't help the clenching pain in my chest and the burning bite of the familiar rage that latched onto my heart, digging its teeth into the old scars, that wouldn't heal no matter what I did or how much time passed.
Verity
The house, no matter the rich and well thought out interior, screamed unwelcome. I looked around, puffy-eyed and exhausted, disinterested in the surroundings but needing to check for threats, just as my training demanded. Kenny left me in the spacious living room. Big couch and two armchairs surrounded the heavy looking wooden coffee table in the center, all facing the tall fireplace, with no embers in sight. The lights were off everywhere, and the full moon's light broke through the floor to ceiling windows, which lined up one side of the chamber. Dark green curtains pulled to the side, their ends falling in a puddle on the stone-clad floor.
My eyes swept around the room, and a sudden wish for my bed in the Scout's cabin overwhelmed me. My chest ached, but I couldn't cry anymore. Self preservation kicked in at some point in the last hours, ridding me of all the emotions. I felt hollow, like a porcelain doll. No thoughts stirred in my foggy brain, no feelings played, no memories haunted. I was just there, doing what's ordered and breathing the air I needed. Just like I'd been back in the Underground.
It felt as though my body wasn't my own. But when I commanded — my hand moved, when I strived to see what was behind me — my head turned. But it felt foreign, stuffed. As if I was deep under water.
Eren and Historia were escorted up the stairs in the luxurious house hours ago. Kenny didn't allow me to follow them, so I stayed where he'd left me. In the parlour, staring at the cold wooden planks stacked in a pile in the equally cold fireplace.
I couldn't even think anymore. My head hurt from all the crying I'd done. Thinking about the choices I'd made split my chest in two. I almost felt like I didn't deserve to feel this pain. As though it would be too noble to let it crack me. I didn't deserve to feel bad. I didn't even deserve an easy death.
Footsteps sounded, but I didn't bother to look who approached. It didn't matter if it was someone who wanted to hurt me or not. I would probably welcome the pain if they did, anyway. The couch dipped near me, but all I did was blink at the blinding light of a torch lamp placed on the coffee table.
"Your team escaped," Kenny's voice sounded. I didn't reply, and the silence that followed slowly transformed from painful to demanding. "Levi did too, annoying brat. Do you have any idea where they could hide?"
It barely registered that he'd asked me a question. I shook my head, refusing to let his words sink in too deep.
Not my team. Not anymore.
"That's funny, because I got a feeling you two kicked it off. And I'm rarely ever wrong, if you need a reminder," Kenny's voice strained, barely hidden annoyance pulled at the notes. I swallowed hard, but I had nothing to say. Not anymore. Kenny sighed dramatically, and the couch dipped again when he moved. "You are testing my patience right now. I'm so close to my dream coming true, I don't need any interruptions when I finally reach it. So I need you to tell me where Levi and his squad can be, and I want you to think carefully before you answer. You know what happens when somebody disappoints me."
Did I, ever.
The bitter taste filled my mouth when I finally turned to face Kenny. His eyes gleamed with that dream of his, so close he could practically brush it with his fingertips. I'd never seen him so lit up, so invested in anything. He'd never looked at me like that in the years he spent training me for this mission. Like he actually cared.
"I don't know," my voice sounded strange, foreign. I couldn't recognise the cold undertones that rang with animosity within it. Kenny regarded me silently, and I would've shivered from the severity of his gaze, had I any strength left to do so.
"You disappoint me, Verity. All the years I'd spent on you, and this is how you treat me? I thought your loyalty was your strongest suit. Did it shift while I wasn't looking?" His tone sent chills down my spine. He spoke as though he could see right through me. Like he'd known all the deepest, darkest thoughts of mine that even I wasn't aware of. He shook his head after a while, when I didn't reply, and his face turned. All the soothing emotions evaporated. The scolding in his look would've made me run on any other day. But now? Now, I just couldn't bring myself to care.
His hand flew up then and landed on my cheek with a hard slap. My head swirled, and I fell off the couch from the impact. The impact burned on my skin, as I tried to gather myself and get up, eyes stinging with the tears my body couldn't produce. I placed my hand on my cheek, soothing the hit mark.
"You useless brat. If it weren't for me, you would be rotting in that shit hole by now. Spreading your legs wouldn't even save you from that. You should be thankful for all I've done for you. But you plot against me," Kenny growled, and I heard him shift closer. I stood on my knees, cradling my cheek, when his hand landed in my hair, and he pulled, forcing my head back. "I won't allow anyone to stand in my way, you hear? That includes you. So you better cooperate until I decide to rid of all the leftover obstacles in my way. Now spill it!" He jerked my head then, and my vision darkened from the pain in my scalp.
"The woods," I breathed, choking on the air. "They would hide somewhere in the woods. But I don't know where."
Kenny's grip was gone just as fast as it had appeared. I wheezed, leaning down on the floor as Kenny stood up. I heard him walk away, mumbling something under his breath. But I couldn't focus on his words anymore, as the hurt flooded in like a surge of an opened dam.
And all I could hope was not to drown in it.
Levi
"I made it! You haven't finished yet, have you?" Hange yelled, bursting into the cellar room. I'd chosen for the torture chamber. Fixing my gloves, I turned to face her, scalping my features into disinterest.
"No. Haven't even gotten my feet wet."
"Sannes!" She turned to the restrained MP, tied to a chair. "I'm only a novice at human torture, but while I lack experience, I plan to give this job my all."
"Hold on!" Screamed the man, and I regarded him with a bored stare. "At least tell me what you want! Who the hell tortures someone without asking questions?"
"Oh, yeah," I said, picking up one of the knives laid out on the table in front of me. "We do have some questions. Where were Eren and Historia taken? What do you want with Historia and what is the Reiss family?"
The man didn't budge. No surprises here.
"Come on!" Hange rushed. "Can't you see that we're in a time crunch here?"
When he didn't reply yet again, she picked a set of splinters from the toolbox and applied them to the fingernails on his left hand.
The screaming never sounded sweeter.
"Fuck," Hange breathed, leaning on the cellar wall and sliding down it in exhaustion. "I must be doing it wrong. Who keeps true to their faith after so many fingernails?"
I took a seat at the last step of the staircase, removing my gloves and studying the bloodstains on my apron with disgust. The MP soldier we'd spent the last two hours with had an unexpected amount of resolve in him. No matter the pain we applied, he didn't talk. My patience was running thin, and it was never a good sign when that happened.
"You think she is with them?" Hange asked out of nowhere. I stiffened, my body instantly recognising who she was referring to.
"Does it matter?" I asked instead of answering. I couldn't think of her without an itch to break things.
"Doesn't it?" Hange asked, and I could feel her eyes on me, studying my reactions.
"You were wrong. She was a spy all along. I shouldn't have trusted your judgement."
She sighed and straightened her legs on the dusty cement floor. "I might have been wrong about that, but I know a friend when I see one. Happened with you and the same applied to her," she paused, as if mulling over something. "I've got to be honest. I didn't expect this to be the outcome. Her behaviour was odd, yes. But nothing pointed to her being a spy for MPs. It just makes little sense."
"Her act was good. We all fell for it."
"It wasn't an act. At least not everything was," Hange shook her head. "How did she even end up with Kenny?"
"Same as I did, I wager. He picked her up on the streets of the Underground."
"And decided she is a good fit to infiltrate your team? Nah, it doesn't make sense."
"I don't see what doesn't make sense to you," I snapped.
She regarded me questioningly, and her gaze softened when she spoke again: "You won't like what I'm about to say, but you need to hear it anyway, so brace yourself," Hange took a deep breath before continuing. "She didn't act. Not when she was around you or me. Not every time. No one can be so attached to the character they are playing not to snap at one point. Especially with our line of work. She risked her life during our missions multiple times. Would someone do that just to prove a point? I doubt that. There must be some other forces in play here. We just don't know what they are."
"You are searching for a meaning where there is none. She betrayed us. Betrayed Scouts. She works for our enemy. What else do you need as proof?"
Hange shook her head. "It's not proof that I need Levi. I've got enough already. It's the reasoning behind that I'm interested in."
I stood up abruptly, anger taking the better of me. This was dumb. Hange was searching for castles in the clouds. But I knew better. I wouldn't make the same mistake again.
Next time I see her, she won't get a chance to spill one more of her lies.
Verity
Seeing Eren chained to the cave walls made me ill. His arms stretched back, heavy shackles encircled his wrists and ankles and the chains the width of one of my biceps stretched away from the cliff-like podium Eren was standing on and onto the side walls, no less than 50 feet away. He was bare-chested and shivering from the cold. A metal rod stretched his lips, forcing him to bite down on it; leather cords ran to the back of his head, keeping it in place, gagging him.
Eren struggled against the restraints for a while, but now he hung limply on them, quietly listening to Reiss explain his plan to Historia. They stood just behind him, Reiss hugging his daughter to his chest, rubbing her back in a calming gesture. I craned my neck, trying to catch Eren's eyes, but he averted them, just as he did for the past day and a half. He wouldn't look at me. Not since he'd realized that I was in on this. That I'd betrayed everyone.
His words still rang in my ears. When Kenny's men pulled Eren out of the mansion and he finally saw me among his enemies. It took him a few moments to put two and two together. But I would never forget the look of pure shock on his face when he screamed at me, while being shoved in the carriage: "I thought you were my friend!"
I didn't know what I was anymore. Where I belonged. The people I loved always ended up hurt, no matter my actions. This time, however, I was the reason for it. And the hate I'd felt towards myself could've burned the city of Trost.
The heavy pull in my chest never went anywhere, and the ache in my heart had only intensified. I could not watch Eren like this. I could not think of how the rest of my team felt now. I could not remember the look on Captain's face when the truth had finally spilled.
"Hey, what's the holdup?" Kenny's loud footsteps sounded, echoing off the tall cavern walls. He passed me, ignoring my presence altogether, as he looked up at Reiss. "Whatever you're talking about, we don't have time for it. Things're going straight to hell outside."
"Do explain. What's been going on?" Reiss replied, his voice way too calm and collected, given the situation. I couldn't help the anger stirring in my blood while I looked at the chained Eren, his head hanging low.
"Well, the Scouts started a coup d'état, and all the regiments have taken their side. Everyone found out that ol' King Fritz was a fake. Yup, it's been a royal shitshow," I gasped, staring in disbelief at Kenny's broad back. The King was a fraud? What the hell was Kenny talking about? "Matter of time, 'til they show up here. So you'd best get a move on."
"All right then, I will. Now take the Anti-Personnel Control Squad and defend the entrance at all costs," Reiss ordered, shifting his gaze to me. Kenny didn't reply, staring him down the length of his nose. Reiss sighed heavily. "I already told you that the ceremony can't be done in the presence of you or your crew."
"Aww! Where's the trust, Your Majesty? Did I make ya mad?" Kenny laughed, and I went still, processing his words. Did he just say "Your Majesty"? What the fuck was going on? Was this Kenny's dream? To replace the monarchy? "Fine. Sorry. I'm just so worried about you."
"I trust you. It's because of that trust that you're here. Now go."
"I feel the same, Your Grace," Kenny nodded, holding his wide cowboy hat with one hand. He turned then, catching my eye and nodding for me to follow.
We walked away, and Kenny clicked his tongue angrily. Glancing back at the farthest side of the cavern, he grabbed my forearm in a painful grip and brought me closer, whispering into my ear: "Stay around here and listen for what our dear Reiss has to say. When the hell breaks loose, I will need you at the entrance, though. So tread carefully."
Releasing my arm, he turned away and engaged the ODM, flying off and leaving me alone among the glass-like pillars and the chill that ran down my spine from his words.
Levi
The church had undoubtedly seen better days. It looked freshly rebuilt, but the haunting feeling it emanated made the hairs at the back of my neck stand on end. Or perhaps it was the understanding of the impending battle ahead — I couldn't tell.
The anger that had boiled in my blood ever since that moment on the roof had partially dimmed, replaced with the bitter hurt that swirled in my chest. I no longer could outrun the thoughts of her. No longer could I ignore the sting her betrayal had left right in my heart. I could not keep fooling myself any longer, forcing my conscience to believe that the only reason it hurt was because she'd made me look like a damned idiot. It wasn't just my pride that took a hit. Not only did innocent people die because of her, but something had cracked inside of me, and the acid-like bite that continuously traversed my body was a damned good sign that I was overlooking something.
Something I wish I didn't have to touch, but couldn't ignore anymore. I might have been an even bigger idiot than Verity had made of me. And the realization of the desired closeness; of the feel of her silk-like hair underneath my fingers; of the abyss awaiting me in the depth of her eyes; of the sweet moans that would escape her lips when I… Fuck.
Rubbing at my eyes, I forced a deep breath down into my lungs. It couldn't have been happening to me. It was ridiculously stupid. I could not have had such feelings for someone who had betrayed me. It was impossibly dumb. Laughable even. Yet, truthful nonetheless.
"Found it. A hidden door," Hange yelled, bringing me out of my thoughts. I sighed, thankful for a brief distraction, and turned to face her. I kneeled near the overturned rug and the hatch, clearly visible against the solid concrete flooring. "Reiss, Eren and Verity should be inside. Hopefully, the layout's close to what I predicted."
"These presents better pay off, considering the time we spent prepping them," I motioned to the barrels that my team was unloading. Hange looked at me, and her heavy gaze struck my nerves.
"What?" I snapped, glowering at her.
"Are you sure you are ready for this?"
"Ready for what?"
"You will undoubtedly face Verity in there. Are you ready for that? Because I can tell that it's been gnawing at you," Hange said, studying my face.
Irritated, I shoved to my feet, watching Armin struggle with a barrel he'd just brought in. "What's been gnawing at me is that Eren and Historia have been abducted. Not much else."
"Right," Henge sighed, getting to her feet. She was a tad taller than me, annoyingly so, and her contemplating gaze seemed to scrape me raw. I glared at her, annoyed at how easily she could predict my feelings. "I just want to make sure you do nothing you will regret afterwards."
"Like killing a traitor?" I asked, painfully aware of the unwanted ears around.
Hange shook her head. "Like killing someone you truly care about."
My heart sped up, and the rage burned at the tip of my tongue when I snapped back at her: "You have no fucking idea what you're talking about. Worry about yourself."
Hange smiled weakly, and her voice softened, as she looked at the hatch in the ground once more. "Oh, I know what I'm talking about. I just wish that it all played out differently."
Verity
"All right, Historia, it seems we are finally alone," Reiss said, unaware of my position behind one of the glass pillars.
"Father," she whispered back, sounding eager. It twisted my stomach to think that she was actually accepting this fate her "father" had chosen for her.
"I'm sorry for making you wait. Listen, Historia, I imagine that this will sound strange to you, but Frieda isn't entirely dead," he said, referencing his deceased daughter. "Your sister's memories are still alive. Would you like a chance to meet her again?"
"Yes!" Historia replied, just barely allowing her father to finish. Way too eagerly for my liking. She was taking a bait on the clear-as-day lie. Or at least a half-truth. I could smell it like a fucking hound, thanks to Kenny's training.
Reiss smiled happily at her and kneeled near his bag. He rummaged in it for a long moment, and finally pulled out a small box, almost as long as my forearm, but not wide at all. He flicked the hinges open, and something long and pointy glistened inside. I squirmed, trying to get a better look from my position.
"What's this?" Historia asked.
"This is a syringe with Frieda's spinal fluid. Once injected into your system, you will become a titan. Then, you'll need to consume Eren, and obtain the power that his father's stolen from us," Reiss explained, and my blood ran cold from the realization.
Was this the reason for humanities' titan problem? And he was planning on transforming his daughter into one of them?! What did consuming Eren change, though? Did he mean that if a mindless titan ate a shifter, like Eren, then they became an intelligent species once more?
Before I could finish this trail of thought, though, the shouts sounded from the other end of the cave. I could clearly hear Kenny's orders raining down on his squad. This was my cue. The Captain was here, and the time has come for me to face my greatest weakness.
And I didn't have any idea how that would go.