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Ch.36- "Destruction"
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The sun may have risen over the horizon, but within Wall Rose, the sky was dark enough that a lamp was needed to provide enough light to read by. Erwin shouldn't have been reading; he should have been laying there with his eyes closed, resting if not sleeping, enjoying what little time he had that wasn't yet devoured by his duties. The one thing he strove to do was keep his personal and professional life apart, andthis was setting a dangerous precedent.
Even so, once his eyes had fluttered open despite his best efforts to keep them closed, the gears in his mind began turning, and once his thoughts returned to the mission that was awaiting them tomorrow, he knew rest would be impossible. At the very least, laying in bed was more comfortable than sitting at his desk, propped up on his arm as he stared at the map of Stohess, trying to figure out how they could potentially keep the Female Titan, if Annie transformed, away from the more densely populated residential areas. The area around the tunnel was mostly commercial, but there would always be people around, and the Survey Corps carried little authority to forcibly evacuate anyone…
The deep, even breathing behind him lulled his own breaths into a similar pattern, keeping him calm, content, even as he mentally calculated how many casualties they could incur while still considering the mission a "success". Things would be so much easier if he could just tell Nile what was he was planning, but then he wouldn't just have to worry about tipping off their quarry, but the Assembly too. Fifteen years ago, Nile proved that he had a very different set of values than Erwin, and the years they'd spent apart only served to widen the gap between them. He was mired so deep within his thoughts that the tickle crawling up his spine nearly caused him to jump out of his skin. His hand, desperate to brush off whatever was touching him, stilled as he brushed against warm fingers. Looking over his shoulder, his panic and confusion immediately melted into a smile. Thomasin was smiling as well, though hers was a touch more guilty, half hidden by his pillows.
"Sorry, I didn't think you'd freak out like that."
"I did not 'freak out'- I thought you were a spider." Setting the map on his bedside table, Erwin rolled over to fully face his wife. His wife… he still couldn't believe it. It felt like a dream, a taste of an afterlife he'd committed far too many sins to ever hope he'd reach. "I didn't wake you, did I?" He asked in a low voice, earning a small hum in response.
"No. I'm used to waking up early. Don't know how early this is, though."
"It's almost seven."
"Wow, I slept in late…" Thomasin lazily raised her arm to shake back his sleeve until her hand finally poked through. She grabbed the back of his neck, drawing him closer. "When do you have to start working?"
"Officially at nine, but I don't keep to a schedule." There were times when he'd be so busy going over expedition reports or expenditure logs that he'd find himself still at his desk when the sun was coming up, and simply eschew sleep until the following night. He kissed her, slow and deep, as though that might soften the blow of his next words. "We're going to have to head back to Trost in a few hours to begin preparing for our next mission. Since Hange and Cecile are heading east, you can go with them until you have to split up. Someone from their squad can escort you back to the Calaneth gate."
"I can walk back on my own. There is a road there…" She exhaled slowly, deeply, a silent breath on his neck that had goosebumps rising along his skin. "You know, that's the hardest thing about all this… If I still lived in Shiganshina, it would be so easy. The ferry was right there… Going to districts around the Walls takes most of the day. It would be so nice if there was a ferry that went all the way around the walls…" Erwin frowned slightly, idly tracing meaningless patterns on her back.
"Maybe one day, we can use the Walls for transport. There are already lifts and tracks along most of them- when the Titans are all gone and we don't need the canons anymore, perhaps we can put mine carts on the tracks and we can get from district to district like that." Thomasin laughed wryly.
"I don't think most people would want to go on top of the Walls to ride a rickety cart that could be blown over by a relatively strong wind. You'd be surprised how many people are afraid of heights."
"I suppose you're right. Maybe we can put tracks and mine carts along the roads?"
"I don't think that would be much faster than a horse and wagon, though."
"Ugh, you're right again… Well, I guess the only option is hurry up and seal the breach in Wall Maria so you can move back to Shiganshina." She frowned, drawing back just enough for him to see the displeasure on her face.
"Or you could move to Stohess." Erwin heaved a long suffering sigh.
"Fine. I'll move to Stohess and you'll move to Shiganshina. I don't know what that's going to solve, but if that's what you want…" Her frown was dissolved in a fit of snickers, and he smiled widely. This was heaven. Every second he could ignore the spectre of death closing in from every side, past and future, was bliss. Thomasin rolled onto her back, stretching until he could hear faint pops from her joints.
"Well, you're gonna be in Stohess tomorrow, right? Maybe if your mission doesn't take too long, you can come down and spend the night with me again?" She looked so hopeful that he had to force himself not to turn away.
"It's not wise to make plans like that," he told her quietly. "If everything goes well, it shouldn't take that long, but odds are I'm probably going to end up in Ehrmich, if I'm not summoned to Mitras."
"Oh. Well, I understand. Even within the Walls, it's not like your job is any easier." It wasn't even that her face fell as she listened to him. She continued smiling, but her eyes… he could see that joyful, innocent excitement at the prospect of being able to see him again soon sputter and dim like a dying candle. Rolling over as well, Erwin leaned over her, resting his weight on his arms, as though he could shield that flame inside her, despite his own words being what was causing it to flicker.
"But I promise you that, as soon as this mission is over, I'll come see you. Reports and letters and all that can wait until after I see my beautiful wife and tell her how much I love her…" She laughed softly as he kissed both her cheeks.
"You're going to be writing reports the whole way to Calaneth, aren't you?"
"Of course not! …definitely on the way back, though." She chuckled, the sound slowly giving way to a sigh.
"Well, at least I get to have you for a little while longer. That's… that's enough for me." Thomasin turned her attention away from him, staring up at the ceiling. "I guess I'll stay in here until it's time to go, and then… huh. I can't really think of a way to get back to Trost without drawing attention to myself. I guess I can ride with the supplies?" He frowned at her words, despite the inflection that they might have been a joke. Or might not have been.
"You'll leave the same way you came- riding with me. I'm not ashamed of you, Thomasin; I'm not trying to hide you from my soldiers." Groaning softly, she sank deeper into the pillows, as though she might be swallowed by them if she tried hard enough.
"I know, but I just feel like I shouldn't be here. I don't belong here. I'm an interloper."
"You… are a nurse…" he began slowly, "who is keeping an eye on me to ensure that I don't collapse because I have not been feeling well these last two days. If anyone is foolish enough to complain about your presence, that's what we'll tell them. And that's what I'll tell your Captain Hyles as well." Thomasin giggled slightly.
"You are so good at lying." A half smile tugged at his lips, but didn't quite meet his eyes.
"The best lies have a grain of truth in them. But that means that you're going to have to put your uniform back on."
"Can I at least keep your pants on underneath?"
"I'm afraid I need them more than you."
Showering in the derelict castle was a miserable experience, the cold water chasing any lingering remnant of sleep from his mind. Erwin, half jokingly, half hopeful, suggested that they bathe together to keep warm, but Thomasin declined with a smile almost as icy as the water itself. Barely hosed down and back in two day old clothes, he didn't feel clean by a long shot, but at least no one but Mike would have to endure him redolent of sex. He was straightening the creases left by the knot in his pant leg when Thomasin hopped out of the tiny bathroom, already dressed with a damp towel draped over her shoulders. He offered his arm as a balance rail as she made her way over to the bed, sitting hard.
"This is Hell," she told him, apropos of nothing as far as he could tell. "You live in Hell. Why don't you have stoves in here to heat up the water!?"
"Because we barely use this base. Why waste money buying a dozen portable stoves when those funds can be put to better use procuring gear?" She gaped at him, paying no mind to the water dripping from her hair into her eyes.
"…my god, you are cheap…"
"I am not cheap. I have to prioritize matters of life and death over comfort!"
"Getting hypothermia from cold showers is a matter of life and death!"
"If anyone in the Survey Corps has a constitution that is so frail they get sick from taking a shower, they were not fit to join this regiment in the first place." Thomasin shook her head and clucked her tongue as she squeezed the rest of the water from her braid.
"How can you be so cruel? These people are giving their lives for humanity; I think they deserve at least the barest of creature comforts."
"Take that up with the Assembly. I'm sure Colonel Aleister would grant you an audience." She shivered- he doubted it was from the cold- but did not continue arguing.
It felt like a low blow, even to him, bringing up that awful man, but he had to impress upon her just how difficult of a position he was in. In fact, if he was being perfectly honest, the members of the Assembly probably would be more inclined to listen if she made a request rather than him. A pretty woman would hold the attention of most men. Buckling the many belts of his ODM harness, Erwin thought back to the way Aleister looked at her, such an… exotic beauty… It hadn't been lust in his eyes; that would have been upsetting but not unusual. No, it was something more akin to… revulsion. But not the disgust one might feel upon seeing someone ugly. It almost reminded Erwin of the looks Scouts wore when they saw Titans in the flesh for the first time. The instinctive unease that came from looking upon something so familiar, yet so incomprehensibly wrong.
"Erwin?" He blinked and looked up. Thomasin had placed her hand over his, and it was only upon seeing it that he realized he was clenching a fist so tightly around his belt that the leather was creasing. He released it immediately.
"Yes? What is it?"
"Why are you so upset? Is it because of what I said?" She squeezed his hand. "I was only joking, don't- don't take that seriously…" He fixed her with a sympathetic smile, lightly smoothing over the faint furrows above her brow with his other hand.
"No, it's nothing to do with you, Thomasin. I'm just remembering that I'm going to have to speak with the Assembly myself after this mission. I despise those men…" She turned her gaze to the floor, rubbing his knuckle with her thumb.
"I don't blame you. It's cruel that you're expected to stand in front of those monsters and act like you aren't praying for their deaths…" He frowned slightly, taken aback by her harsh words spoken in such a gentle, pitying tone.
"What do you mean?" She raised her head, her brows drawn together.
"What, you aren't?"
"Why would I?" She opened her mouth immediately, but quickly seemed to think better of what she wanted to say, closing it with a slight shake of her head.
"I guess you wouldn't-"
"No." He shifted on the bed to face her completely, taking both her hands in his own. He subconsciously ran his own thumb over the silver band on her finger, as though reminding himself it was still there. "Why would I wish them dead? Because of the Wall Maria 'reclamation'? I mean, I despise them for that, don't think I don't, but to wish death on a people for an order even I admit was ultimately beneficial to humanity as a whole…?"
"The what- no. Not because of the culling. They-" Her eyes darted away from his own, her jaw clenching tightly. He couldn't tell if she was angry or afraid of what she wanted to say. He gave her hands a squeeze.
"They what? Tell me."
"I don't wanna… make you think about this…"
"If it's causing you this much distress, I think I should know."
"You do know; I don't wanna remind you."
"I'm not a child, Thomasin; I don't need you to protect me from whatever it is you think I've forgotten." She bowed her head, staring at his lap rather than his eyes as she spoke in a small voice.
"Those are the men who killed your father…" Erwin blinked slowly, hearing her words but not truly grasping them.
"Wh-what do you mean…?"
"You always said the government killed your father because he knew the truth. The Assembly- that's the government. You really think the king himself cares about what some crackpot teacher in Krolva told his son? He probably didn't even know your dad was onto him; Mr. Reed told me that the king relegated all his duties to his ministers, like, thirty years ago. Maybe they didn't strike the killing blow, but… the MPs that did would have been acting on their orders. MPs don't care about shit like that unless they're forced to." The silence that lapsed between them was so absolute that, even through the floors, the faint impression of voices beneath them could be heard. His grip on Thomasin's hands loosened enough for her to pull them free, which she did, only long enough to wrap her arms around his shoulders, drawing him into an almost painfully tight embrace.
"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry; I shouldn't have said anything-"
"No. You absolutely should have." He drew back, meeting her gaze. "You're not wrong- it's incredibly likely that the men currently serving on the Assembly are the same ones who were serving when my father was killed." A wry chuckle suddenly worked its way up his throat. "I wonder if they would answer me were I to ask them why they did it?"
"Erwin, don't even joke about that." Thomasin's voice was firm, bordering on harsh, the only hint of fear that which shone through clearly in her eyes. He gave her a reassuring smile.
"I wouldn't actually do it, of course. I've come too far to risk everything now." The smile faltered. "Besides, I sincerely doubt they'd even know what I was talking about. It's been twenty five years, after all…"
So much time had passed, and yet that wound was still raw enough that the scab could be ripped off, leaving it to bleed and ache anew. The only thing he could do now was push the pain from his mind; who would it benefit to become distracted now? Burying the lingering unease as far down as he could, he slipped the bolo tie- washed and dried, of course- around his neck. He went to tighten it, but Thomasin's hands got there first, sliding the emerald up until it sat at the dip of his clavicle. She lightly traced a finger over the cabochon, her brows scrunched up in frustration, or perhaps pain- they looked too similar to tell apart.
"What? What is it?" Her jaw moved as she seemed to chew on her words, before answering him so quietly, he almost couldn't hear.
"Just thinking… You have this thing because of your father. I honestly don't think you would have joined the military if he were still alive. You would have been too happy to care about what was beyond the Walls. I wouldn't have met you. You wouldn't have become a commander. You wouldn't have been so upset by a mission that you came to me the other night. This thing… this thing is what gave you to me… and it's going to be what takes you away…" Erwin caught her hand before she could pull it away, kissing her fingers.
"No, it's not. I know things seem bleak now, and I know I'm only exacerbating that, but believe me when I say that it will not always be like this." He hesitated, thinking hard how to word what he wanted to say without saying too much. "I can't tell you what our next mission entails, or even what it hopes to accomplish, but just know that if we succeed, we may well be on our way to eliminating the Titans once and for all." His free hand went to her face, caressing her cheek before lifting her chin to face him. "You said I was stupid and stubborn enough to lead humanity to victory… I'm asking you to be stupid and stubborn enough to actually believe that." Her despondence turned to halfhearted annoyance as she twisted her hand to squeeze his.
"Oh, fuck you- you don't get to use my inspirational words against me…"
~o0o~
The sun just began peeking over Wall Rose by the time Erwin had gathered all of the documents he needed to bring back to Trost. Down at the stables, members of Cecile's squad were readying the horses. It was late enough in the morning that most everyone had probably already eaten, which was the only reason he managed to coax Thomasin from the room, allowing him to lock it.
"No one is going to pay you any mind," he assured her. She shook her head, pulling a thread from her sleeve and winding it around her finger until the nail began turning an unsightly purple.
"This is the Training Corps all over again- I hate eating in front of other people…"
"What about me?" She scoffed.
"You're not people."
"Didn't you eat with your squad when you were in the Survey Corps?"
"I occasionally sat at the same table as the rest of them and ingested food while they were also eating, yes." Erwin frowned slightly, fixing her with an almost exasperated stare.
"…I honestly think you could have scraped a place into the 89th Corps' top ten if you'd actually applied yourself." She pulled a face.
"Ew. Why?"
"You managed to survive two missions in Titan-infested lands despite having no ability to work with other people whatsoever. I'll bet good money that you weren't even on first-name basis with the other members of your squad."
"I was not."
"And yet you managed to kill Titans. Twice, no less."
"Technically, that is true."
"That leads me to believe that you're a lot more competent than you let on. I feel like Levi might have realized that fact much sooner than I did when he tried to reenlist you; he has quite an eye for talent, it seems."
"Levi is stupid and full of shit. He doesn't know anything about anything." Thomasin began limping away from him, but he caught her by the elbow.
"How did you get on the stable roof yesterday?"
"I climbed," she told him flippantly, as much of a non-answer as possible.
"With one leg?"
"Yup. The same as Levi." She turned back to face him. "I assure you; it is not as impressive as it sounds." He doubted that, but kept his doubts to himself. She clearly knew he didn't believe her claim, and stopped as they reached the stairs. He'd already descended two before realizing she wasn't following, about to ask what was wrong until his words caught in his throat.
"What are you doing!?" He whispered harshly, trying to remain as quiet as possible on the off chance there were Scouts lurking around on this floor. Thomasin had hiked her dress up to her thighs, and was undoing the thick leather belts around both her waist and leg. Leaning on the banister, she handed him the prosthesis.
"Bring this down for me."
"Thomasin, what-"
His eyes widened as she pulled herself over the railing, already knowing what she was gearing up to do as she crouched but still unable to stop himself from crying out in protest as she leapt down to the railing of the banister below, her body compressing as she balanced herself with her hands and, crouching like a cat readying itself to pounce, repeated the process as he jogged after her. On the one hand, she was absolutely right- it wasn't impressive… for a solider. These were the techniques they'd had to learn before even being assigned ODM gear, learning how to safely land on non-flat surfaces and absorb impacts. Her movements were the kind of basic, year-one skills twelve year olds were expected to know.
But on the other hand, he still winced ever time she hit the ground. She wasn't a soldier, not anymore. She might have been wearing the insignia of the Garrison, but she was also wearing a dress, symbolic proof that she was not intended to be moving in such a manner. She reached the ground floor before him- to be expected, given that she'd jumped past all the stairs. She leaned against the oak newel, flashing him a lopsided grin while trying to catch her breath as he reached her.
"See? Nothing fancy. That Armin boy could probably teach me a thing or two."
"That Armin boy has two legs. Please don't tell me this is something you regularly do."
"Of course not." She reached for her leg, lifting her dress far less to fit it back in place. "It's not like I have endless free time. Just a few times a month so I don't get rusty again… usually on the way to work…" Erwin had barely opened his mouth when she flashed a stern glare in his direction. Her voice turned cold. Harsh. "I wasted three years of my life in the Training Corps, goddammit, and I am going to get something out of it. I am not going to be eaten by a Titan- that is the one way I refuse to die. You cannot possibly fathom the agony of having one of those things bite down on you. I escaped that fate twice, and god fucking help me, I will murder any MPs who try to force me to go anywhere again…"
She roughly, with more force than was probably necessary, re-buckled her belts, breathing hard through her nose. Erwin slowly closed his mouth, frowning slightly. He hadn't realized the fear of another Titan attack had weighed so heavily on her mind all these years. Of course she thought about it- the possibility probably wasn't far from most peoples' minds- but she never seemed so worried. So afraid… If the mission tomorrow went well, they would be able to capture Annie Leonhart without her transforming, but if it didn't… He didn't have long to worry about the terror that would ensue when a Titan was spotted so far within Wall Rose as Thomasin straightened. She wobbled on the spot for a moment, then went limp. His arms shot out to catch her before she could hit the ground.
"Thomasin? Thomasin!" Her eyes were open but unfocused, her lips moving wordlessly. After a few seconds, she began blinking, as though she were just waking up.
"Oh, ff… Did I- did I f-fall?"
"I think you passed out." He had to force the panic he felt to not come through in his voice as he maneuvered her to the stairs to sit. She chuckled weakly, more of a moan than anything.
"I… I shouldn't be running- running around on an empty stom-stomach…"
"Let me take you back upstairs and get Hange; they're the closest thing we have to a medic here-"
"You're looking at a medic…" She pushed him away weakly, stretching out across the step and propping both her foot and the end of her peg on the railing, paying no heed to her dress riding up to her thighs. "I deal with people fainting all the time. I just gotta lay down for a minute- don' worry about it…"
That was easier said than done, especially when she sounded so weak and he felt so helpless to do anything for her. The realization that this must have been what she felt like every time he went on an expedition was sickening, the frustration of such impotence… Reaching out, Erwin took her hand, squeezing her fingers as he rubbed her knuckles with his thumb. Turning her head to face him, she smiled, reaching out with her other hand to tap his nose.
"Don't look so scared. Like you don't see people in worse shape all the time." True, but… those people weren't her. He forced himself to smile back.
"You're right. I shouldn't be worried. Knowing you, you pulled this little stunt on purpose, just so you wouldn't have to eat in the mess hall…" Thomasin chuckled.
"Damn. You know me too well, Smith. I mean… if you actually felt sorry for your poor, sweet wifey, you could just bring me something to eat out here-"
"No."
~o0o~
Despite the majority of Scouts having migrated outside to finish the final preparations needed to return to Trost (undoubtedly missing the luxuries they'd grown accustomed to, like hot food… and hot running water), the Section Commanders and lieutenant remained seated, remnants of their pitiful breakfast still on the table. They'd suffered their time doing menial tasks, and were more than happy to indulge in the few moments of peace and quiet their hectic schedules allowed. It was too early to bother with cooking, especially when there were more important things to take care of, and every soldier had long since grown accustomed to the taste of field rations.
Mike's head was on the table, seemingly dozing, so naturally Erwin was foolish enough to believe he would be allowed to take a seat unaccosted. As if he hadn't known the man for thirteen years… Without even bothering to lift his head, the taller blonde's arm shot out, roughly shoving his commander away before grabbing Thomasin's arm (not nearly as roughly) and pulling her into the nearest chair to act as a buffer.
"You don't get to sit next to me until you put on clean clothes."
"I'm going to have you committed to an asylum, Michaelis." In spite of his threat, Erwin was feeling charitable enough to scoot his own seat a bit further away from Mike. He knew his second-in-command was only complaining about dirty clothes because they were in mixed company, although he had a feeling that the real reason he wasn't loudly complaining about the actual smell that was bothering him was to spare Thomasin the embarrassment of having their dirty deeds aired out in public. She herself was lowering her head to his level, trying to get a better look at his face.
"Are you alright, Mike?"
"Mrrf. Tired." Slowly, he raised his head, and though they were slightly obscured by his fringe, there were visible dark bags under his eyes that made him look even older than he was. "Usually, we get a month's break between missions, at least. Ever since that fuckin' Colossal showed up at Trost, it's just been one thing after another…" The others grumbled in agreement, sans Hange.
"Yeah, but think about how much we've gained! A Titan, on our side! An endless amount of research potential! All the teeth I can grab!"
"What?" Hange looked up, but if Thomasin's shock and disquiet at their desire for teeth instilled any form of shame in them, it was quickly forgotten.
"Thomasin! You probably have to deal with people bleeding a lot, right?" Cecile sharply punched their arm.
"Not during meals, you ghoul!" she seethed, but the darker woman still answered tentatively.
"Well, if you mean 'do I deal with a lot of people who are bleeding', then yes… if you mean 'do I deal with people bleeding profusely'… also yes."
"Great! So if I were to, hypothetically, disembowel someone- say, a teenage boy- what could I do to mitigate the chances of him bleeding to death while I'm still running tests?"
"Uh… you can start by not disemboweling him…"
"Hange." Erwin's voice was sharp as he set about opening the cans of rations still stacked on the table. "The only person getting disemboweled is going to be you if you don't stop bothering my wife with your derangement. Thomasin doesn't feel well; she doesn't need to hear about such disgusting things now." Horace raised a brow.
"What, you wore her into the ground already?"
"Don't be gross, Horace." Thomasin chuckled dryly.
"Trust me; I'm not the one getting worn down. No, I just demonstrated to Erwin that I still remember some of my military training- you know, the maneuver drills we had to learn before we were assigned ODM gear- and got a bit lightheaded."
"You were showing off." Cecile leaned her arm on the table, resting her chin on her palm.
"I'm surprised you still remember that stuff. Planning on rejoining the Corps anytime soon?" Thomasin's lips continued smiling, but something in her eyes grew just a little colder.
"No offense to any of you fine soldiers, but I'd rather chew broken glass. The Titans already got a taste of me- don't you think that's enough?"
"We could use some good medical staff."
"I suggest you enter an arrangement with the medical university in Roddel since its the closest- you need medics, their students need real-world experience working on bodies." Erwin paused in opening a tin of canned fruit.
"Is- is that something they might actually agree to?"
"Why wouldn't they? They already intern at the Garrison hospitals. They probably have a couple surgical students that would love to stitch the Scouts back together." He leaned back in his chair. Honestly, it had never occurred to him that medical students might be the answer to one of their prayers.
Doctors generally gave the Survey Corps a wide berth, not only because the few times they'd actually had a resident physician on staff several decades ago their wages were incredibly poor, but also because most people within the Walls simply were not prepared for the trauma of seeing what Titans did to human bodies, not even doctors. The low survival rate of injured soldiers coming back from beyond the Walls undoubtedly turned many doctors away as well, but if it were possible to market this grisly affair as a valuable learning experience… He put a pin in that thought; he had enough things to think about at present without wondering if he could also convince would-be physicians to dedicate their hearts.
With a veritable smorgasbord on display, Erwin pushed the open rations before Thomasin, allowing her her pick. Staring at the food, she gave him an apologetic grin.
"You eat first. I'm fine." He frowned slightly.
"No, you aren't." Did she expect him to forget her fainting spell literal minutes after it happened? "Eat."
"I will! I just need to… work myself up to it. I'd kind of forgotten how strong the yeast smells…" Scoffing under his breath, Levi pushed his chair back and got up from his seat, skulking over to some corner of the mess hall. They watched him curiously for a second, Cecile with a scoff of her own.
"Don't tell me Tiny's gone and gotten offended? That midget is the pickiest eater here."
"Nobody likes seeing food wasted…" Thomasin said quietly, before fixing her husband with a hard stare. "Which is why you need to eat. I know you; you won't even think about food until this mission is over, and God only knows when that'll be." Mike laughed low in his throat.
"You can't expect him to eat this crap; you got him spoiled on home cooking again."
" 'Again'?"
"Yeah, it took years to beat that shit outta him, then what happens? He spends the night at your place and you make him actual food. All that effort for nothing…" Hange screeched, jabbing an accusatory finger in Erwin's direction.
"I knew it! You would never stay at an inn! You lying- Aurgggh!"
"No, no- I never lied to any of you. Mike said I stayed at an inn- I simply said I lost track of time and needed to clear my mind." If looks could kill, Mike's eyes would have him dead and buried.
"You giant bag of dicks- I cover for your horny ass, and you respond by throwing me under a carriage." Hange's jaw had practically dislocated from how widely they gaped in abhorrent disbelief.
"How could you, Erwin? I was- we were worried sick about you, and you were off getting some…?!"
"Please don't blame Erwin," Thomasin entreated them, "it's entirely my fault. He did come to my house after your mission, but he just wanted someone to talk to. I made him spend the night, and most of the next day. I was worried about him, too, but…" She dropped her gaze to the table, her fingers fidgeting nervously. "I confess, I was mostly just lonely. I only get to see him twice a year, if that, and I missed him so much… He kept telling me he needed to get back to work, but… I just wanted to have him around a little longer. I know it's selfish, but I just couldn't put humanity over myself… I could never be a Scout again." The frustration his Scouts had towards him melted away, their gazes turning sympathetic as they stared at Thomasin. 'A cute girl with the world's best sob story does get preferential treatment, it seems…'
It wasn't as though the circumstances had changed- he'd still shirked his duties simply to, as Hange so eloquently put it, "get some", but that moment of weakness seemed far more palatable- nay, forgivable- when it was framed as him having no choice but to console the woman who loved him and yearned for his presence. Obviously, it was the other way around as far as Erwin was concerned, but given that Mike's finely honed bullshit detector wasn't going off, it seemed there was a sizable grain of truth to her version of events. His nostrils flared, and his expression immediately turned reticent as he reached out and rubbed her back, the way he often did to the soldiers in his section after missions.
"Hey, don't feel bad. We get it. Erwin might've been physically fine, but he was just as messed up as anyone after that mission. Probably more. If I'd gone home lookin' like that, my folks would've kept me for a week." The others all nodded and murmured their agreement. Thomasin looked up, smiling at them.
"You're all so sweet, so understanding… I'm so glad Erwin has people like you in his life, to look after him when I can't…" In spite of the pallid tinge that had yet to dissipate entirely, and the dark circles under her eyes, she was a vision of gentility and sweetness, and as Erwin glanced at his companions, it quickly became clear that he was not the only one to see it.
"An angel…" Hange whispered, their eyes alight.
"A goddess…" Horace's voice was just as low, but filled with a quiet reverence.
"My wife…"
"How dare you, Erwin?" Cecile chastised him. "How dare you keep this beacon of light and hope from us!?" Before he could even attempt to defend himself, a clatter of porcelain interrupted him. Levi set a steaming cup in front of Thomasin, none too gently, the delicate aroma of tea wafting over them.
"All of you are pathetic." Hange's dewy-eyed awe shifted to dismay.
"What the…? You said there wasn't any more tea!" The petite man collapsed back into his chair, taking up his own cup with one hand while the other pulled something from his jacket's pocket.
"No tea for shitty glasses." He tossed what he held across the table, and had Thomasin not reacted quickly enough, the pack of hardtack would have smacked her in the face. She smiled fondly when she realized what it was, directing that smile at the man himself.
"Aww, such a sweetie. Thank you, Levi~"
"I didn't do it for you; I just want you to hurry up and stuff your face with something so you'll stop talking. Every word out of your mouth makes me wanna puke…" The daggers being glared at him had no effect on his demeanor whatsoever.
"How could you say such a thing?!"
"You tiny little hellspawn…"
"Clearly he's jealous- the only question is, is he jealous of Erwin, or of Thomasin?"
Perhaps another man would be upset by the harsh words directed at his wife, or perhaps he would be jealous of the fact that, in spite of those harsh words accompanying them, Levi's actions were clearly preferential and Thomasin responded as such. And only just a few years ago, he would have. Erwin remembered burning with jealousy when Thomasin had been more interested in this "little bird" than him, but there was no inkling of such a feeling now. The only thing he felt now was an odd sense of confusion and disquiet brewing in his gut.
All with that shitty fake smile plastered on her face…
We're not strangers…
For people who'd only spoke for a few hours at most, they certainly had built up a rapport. And that was good. Erwin was glad his wife got along with his friends.
000000000
The main street leading into Stohess had been cleared, with only MPs lining either side. They all stood at attention, rifles slung over their shoulders as they saluted their passing commander. Nile himself hadn't even bothered checking the carriage Eren was riding in- the moment Erwin waved at him through the small window of his own carriage, his thin lips had twisted as though he'd tasted something spoiled, and he sent one of his officers to check the rest. It would have been hurtful if it wasn't exactly what Erwin was hoping for. Armin was the one who suggested they use Jean Kirstein as a body double- he was a bit taller and slimmer than Eren, but seated, they looked similar enough. It was a good thing the carriages were as dark as they were, because the wig they'd bought on such short notice looked horrible and a closer inspection would have been enough to dismantle the entire operation… but since when were MPs known for closely inspecting things?
Smooth as the streets in Stohess were, the carriage still jostled enough to make writing a pain and a half, but he needed to finish this background request before they left the city. He frowned as what little light the windows afforded dimmed, looking up. Levi had yanked the curtain closed, leaning back in his seat and scowling. Erwin gave him a look.
"You can do paperwork whenever- I don't wanna look at this shitty scenery."
"Then avert thine eyes."
"I can still see it from my periphery. The sight of that many MPs makes me sick." The other man set aside the paper on his lap, folding his hands as he regarded his lieutenant.
"When was the last time you took a carriage through one of Sina's districts? Six years ago now, I think?" Levi said nothing, the faint lines around his mouth etching deeper. "I didn't even have the decency to ride back with you that day. I stuck Frey in there to keep an eye on all of you."
"That's probably the only reason you're still alive. I'd have slit your throat if you sat that close to me back then." Erwin smiled slightly.
"I'm glad you trust me enough for that to no longer be the case." He paused for a second, before adding, "So what were you and Thomasin talking about the other day?" Levi's gray gaze lifted, but nothing else on his face shifted.
"What, she didn't tell you?"
"I'm asking you."
"Because she didn't tell you. Don't you think if she wanted you to know, she'd tell you?" His words, truthful and innocuous as they were, felt like a pinch against an exposed nerve. Pale blue eyes hardened, as did his voice.
"I'm asking you. What were you talking about?"
"I wa-" Levi brought his hand up suddenly, slapping it over his own mouth. Erwin leaned closer, growing concerned as, even in the shadows, he noticed the muscle jumping in Levi's cheek as his fingers shook where he dug them into the flesh of his face.
"Levi, what is it? What's wrong? Are you ill?" Breathing hard through his nose, the shorter man slowly lowered his hand, forcing his tense shoulders to relax as he glared daggers at his commander.
"Erwin. I'm gonna tell you this once, because I respect you and consider you a friend- if you ever do that again, I will cut your tongue out."
"Do what?" Gray eyes flashed dangerously, almost black in the shadows.
"Don't play stupid with me- you know what you're doing! This isn't the first time you've done it!"
"Done what? Levi, I swear to you, I have no idea what you're talking about! If you feel that I am overstepping my boundaries and using my authority to try and pry into your personal life, I sincerely apologize. You don't have to threaten me; just say it's private." Slowly, the dark-haired man began to relax in earnest, the anger darkening his face giving way to confusion.
"So… you're really not doing it on purpose…?" Erwin reached up to rub his temples. This was not the time nor place to be getting a headache.
"Levi, I am not a mind reader- I have no idea what it is you think I'm doing, other than sticking my nose into other people's business."
"Yeah, you do that too…" Levi crossed his arms over his chest, but for once, the gesture seemed more defensive than something born of annoyance. "Just forget I said anything, okay? This is clearly a 'me' problem." That was easier said than done. Erwin wasn't worried about Levi following through on his threat so much as he worried about whatever turmoil was playing out behind his eyes. Maybe the stress of the last few days was just getting to him.
"I'm sorry for dragging you along. You're in long need of a rest."
"I can rest when I'm dead. I insisted, remember?"
"Yes, and I should have ignored your insistence and brought Horace. If things should go awry, you'll be in danger-" Levi scoffed, rolling his eyes.
"Don't worry about me, Blondie-" Reaching down, he seemed to fiddle about with the heel of his right shoe. When he straightened, it was with a knife in hand. "I'm at my best when things go awry." He twirled it deftly, and Erwin suppressed a shudder as he remembered a similar knife- maybe even that very same one!- being driven towards his throat with enough force to snap an ODM blade clean in two. The unease must have been clear on his face because Levi stilled the blade, scoffing again, quieter this time. "Relax, I said I'd have slit your throat back then- clearly that is no longer the case."
"Why do you have a knife on you?"
"I always have a knife on me when I'm in plainclothes."
"Why?"
"In case shit goes awry. Look, if we can't capture this bitch, the MPs are gonna accuse you of sedition or some shit. Someone's gotta cover for you while you belt an escape." For as tired as the conversation was leaving him, Erwin couldn't help but smile slightly.
"You'd help me flee the Military Police? You know that's an executable offense, right?"
"They gotta catch me to execute me. I was losing these pigs back when you were still jerking it to the tree in the Training Corps."
"I never-"
"And speaking of jerking it, next time you and the gimp are fucking on base, could you at least have the decency to keep it down? Some of us actually try to sleep at night …not me, but I still don't appreciate that shit." The blood drained from Erwin's face. His voice didn't falter in the slightest.
"We didn't do anything last night." Levi cocked a thin brow, and Erwin immediately regretted waking up that morning.
" 'Oh, f-f-fffffuck, you're s-so goood'-"
"Why were you listening to us…?!"
"My room is right next to yours."
"I told you to sleep on the ground floor!"
"And I told you I don't like any of those rooms-"
An ear splitting crack, like the greatest tree that ever stood snapping in half momentarily deafened them. The rumble that followed was so loud, Erwin could feel it all the way down to his bones. 'So it's begun…' Whatever he was talking about before fell away, replaced entirely with the mission as he threw open the door and hopped out of the carriage before it even came to a halt.
The MPs were staring in the direction of the sound, many of them still covering their ears, almost all slack jawed. Nile had dismounted, and while he too was standing there like a gormless lackwit, he at least had the sense to order part of the escort team to investigate the source of the sound. Unfortunately, the disturbance had also caught the attention of the civilians, who were coming out of the homes and businesses they'd been waiting out the procession in.
"Nile! Dispatch all your troops immediately and have them begin evacuating civilians closer to the inner Wall. We have to assume that a Titan has appeared." Snapping out of his daze, Nile turned to face him.
"Are you out of your mind!? This is Wall Sina- there's no way a Titan would just show up here-!" An explosion came from the same direction as the thunder, smoke or dust wafting over the roofs… or, just as likely, Titan steam.
"You can deny facts later, Nile- right now, your main objective needs to be keeping civilians as far away from the area as possible." Anger was quickly overtaking his surprise as the other man stepped closer to him.
"No, my main objective is not falling for your bullshit. Get back in that carriage and-"
"Hey, what the hell are you doing, Yaeger!? Get your ass back in-"
"No, it's gonna be your ass if you call me 'Yaeger' again!" Jean had leapt from his carriage as well, throwing his wig in the face of the flabbergasted MP who had tried to restrain him. The boy stopped in front of Erwin, saluting. "Where do you need me, Commander?"
"Get equipment from Squad Four and rendezvous at the cut-off point."
"Sir!" Tossing his cloak over his shoulder, he ran past a disbelieving Nile, ducking into the nearest alley.
"Wait… wh- hold on, what the hell-?!"
"Commander!" One of the officers from Hange's section swung down, stumbling a bit from the weight of the extra gear he carried. Of course they wouldn't have let Erwin in wearing his ODM gear, meaning he had to send it ahead. He spoke as he began connecting the hoses to the motor.
"What's our situation look like, August?"
"Not great, sir. The Female Titan transformed before it entered the tunnel. Section Commander Cecile's squad couldn't apprehend it."
"Where is it now?"
"I'm not sure. Squads Five and Eight are trying to keep it in place."
"What of Eren?"
"Unclear, sir. He was in the tunnel, however."
"Very well. Return to Hange- tell them I'm on my way."
"Yes, sir!"
"Hold on- wait one goddamn minute!" Erwin pointedly ignored Nile's harried shouts as he holstered the last of his blades and addressed the handful of Scouts from the other half of Cecile's section that made up their escort.
"Alright, all of you are with me. We rendezvous with the capture squad-"
"NO! The hell you will!" He'd have walked straight past Nile, and the other man clearly sensed his intentions, because the gun that was already in his hands now leveled directly between Erwin's eyes.
The dozen or so closest MPs aimed their own rifles at him as well, and Erwin wondered if these in particular were competent enough to pick up on their Commander's silent order, or if they were just desperate to exercise a display of force on someone other than petty criminals. Either way, he was not impressed. Surely these fools could hear the destruction just as well as he could, even with his diminished hearing, yet none of them even considered beginning evacuations. He expected such behavior from most MPs, but to see mismanaged priorities from Nile was disappointing.
"You blatantly disregard a royal summons, you aid in the desertion of a soldier, and now you've got that fucking monster running loose in my district!?This is outright treason! I am well within my rights to shoot you where you stand!" The carriage creaked as Levi stepped out.
"Think, Nile," he drawled. The fact that he was actually using the man's name was all the indication he gave that he found the situation more serious than his nonchalant tone implied. "I find it hard to believe you're actually as stupid as you look. You're a hair trigger away from making the biggest mistake of your life." Nile didn't even give the other man a passing glance, his eyes cold and hardened with fury as he glared at Erwin.
"Take. The ODM gear. Off. Or I will shoot you." Despite the sweat beading at his hairline, his arms were steady, more so than any of his soldiers. They might miss, but Erwin knew full well that if Nile's finger tightened on that trigger, he'd be dead before he hit the ground. He'd always been the best in their class when it came to munitions…
What the hell are you doing, Smith?! Take your finger off the trigger! You only put your finger on the trigger when you wanna shoot something! Idiot…
Another crack, another rumble, and Nile lowered his gun just enough to cast a terrified glance over the rooftops.
"What the fuck…?" He turned back to face Erwin. "What was that? What the fuck was that?!"
"A Titan. I'd say that one was Eren."
" 'That'- So what the fuck was the first one!?"
"Sir! Commander Nile!" A pair of MPs ran up to him, their faces white as sheets, cold sweat dripping from their chins and noses.
"Berkeley, what-"
"It's Titans, sir! Two of 'em! Hashing it out in the streets!"
"Where's the escort squad?"
"Helping with evacuations. They've already leveled the Order's cathedral, I-" The taller of the two turned away and doubled over, retching as his breakfast splattered on the ground. The shorter man did not vomit, but he looked close to it, his eyes wide and glassy from the horror he'd borne witness to.
"This must be what it was like in Shiganshina… in Trost… They knew we thought they'd hit Ehrmich, so they came here instead to punish us for our arrogance…"
"No…" Nile seethed, his teeth clenched in a hateful snarl, "there's only one arrogant piece of shit here who's punishing us!" He raised his gun once more, and Erwin didn't miss the way his finger twitched on the trigger. "You did this, Erwin! You brought this Hell to our door!"
"I know. I acted entirely on my own authority, and I offer no excuses." His candidness only served to further infuriate the man. His gun hanging at his side, Nile stormed up to him, grabbing the collar of his shirt so tightly the starched fabric bit into his neck, choking him.
"You 'know'… You know, and you would choose to bring to ruin to humanity! It's not enough that the delusional freaks like you choose to die, it's not enough when some act of God wipes out a third of our population- now you're trying to drag us all down into your fucking death cult!" He tightened his grip. He was close enough that Erwin could see his hazel eyes gleaming with angry, frightened tears. "Why… tell me why, god damn you!"
"For humanity… for victory-"
"Bullshit!" Erwin had spent too long practicing only unarmed hand-to-hand combat. He'd forgotten how fast an arm could swing a weapon against another human… and how much it hurt to be struck by one. The butt of the rifle hit him right in the solar plexus, hard enough to knock the wind from him, doubling him over. Nile's gun was pointed at his head, but the barrels of the other officers were leveled somewhere behind him. Trying to catch his breath, Erwin held up a shaking hand, bidding Levi to stay where he was. "You're nothing but a traitor… I ought to kill you where you stand! No one would fault me for it; you're as much of a threat to humanity's survival as the Titans, you heretic!"
Those words hurt more than the sharp ache in his ribs. Nile always called him delusional back when they were cadets, but he was always the first one to stand up for him when the other boys in their barracks called him a "heretic". 'When did we grow so far apart, Nile… when did you turn against me…?' He didn't ask such a thing, of course- he didn't think he could stomach the answer. Not now. Breathing deeply, he straightened, looking his old friend dead in the eye.
"Do as your conscience dictates, Nile. My post is yours."
"Wha…?" Clearly, that was not the reaction he'd been expecting.
"The Female Titan must not escape. Cecile is unaccounted for, but Hange is in charge of secondary containment."
"Wait-"
"We have horses and capture canons ready on the other side of the Wall, but if she-"
"Hold on-"
"-somehow makes it back into Maria territory, she can-"
"Shut up!" Nile stared at him, shaking his head in utter disbelief. "Do you hear yourself? Do you really believe that this is for the good of us all?"
"I wouldn't have done it otherwise, Nile. You have no idea what horrors lay just outside your gilded cage… a single step forward is worth it if the alternative is falling into the maw of the things waiting for us on the other side of that Wall." Erwin stepped forward, and Nile fell back a step out of habit. He pointed angrily over the roofs, where the smoke and dust had turned the sky a sickly yellow, where faint screaming could still be heard.
"Does this sicken you? Does it terrify you? Because this is not a fraction of what your life is about to be." He took another step, grabbing the barrel of the rifle and keeping it aimed dead at his own chest. "If you think all of this will stop and the Titans will just go away if you kill me, then by all means, Commander; fire at will." The moment he grabbed the gun, Nile took his finger off the trigger, but it took another few seconds for him to wrench the gun away, finally tearing his gaze from the cerulean eyes it held.
"All of you, lower your weapons! Place this man in custody! Wagner, Stone- alert the Garrison; we don't need any fires spreading! The rest of you, join the escort squad and focus on evacuation!"
"Sir! Yes, sir!" The scuffing of boots on stone almost swallowed the jangling of chains. Erwin held his hands out willingly, ignoring the look of disgust the officer cuffing him wore and instead focusing on the disgust still twisting Nile's face.
"Thank you, Nile."
"Fuck you, Erwin. I wash my hands of you; you can be the Assembly's problem." The other commander thrust a sharp finger into his sternum. "And I am not cleaning this up for you. This is your doing; you explain this to the mayor, to the people."
"I will," Erwin told him plainly, raising his voice slightly as the other man began walking away. "After all, I'm sure everyone will want to know how a Titan managed to embed themselves into the Military Police." Nile missed a step, freezing and looking back over his shoulder, so slowly it was as though he was afraid of what he might see.
"…what did you say?"
"There were two Titans in Stohess today. I already told you the second one you heard was Eren Yaeger. The first was one of your MPs, a new recruit by the name of Annie Leonhart."
~o0o~
The residences and storefronts may have looked nicer, but when they were crumbled, smoldering ruins, they looked no different from the destruction in Trost or within Wall Maria. MPs and Garrison soldiers were already kitted out in gloves and masks, clearing rubble and dragging away bodies, mostly in pieces. The passage leading to the Underground was completely destroyed, massive sinkholes formed where both the Female Titan attempted to crush Eren, and where he burst forth in his Titan form. There were far fewer casualties in that area compared to the other ruined streets, but there was still carnage. Scouts, some in plainclothes disguises, some in full uniform, littered the cobblestones, piles of twisted, broken limbs.
Erwin spotted something amidst the gore and wandered away from his escort, ignoring Nile's demands that he stop right that instant. He knelt beside a long, red smear, the chains of his shackles clattering softly as he reached out, his fingers reverently brushing against the dusty Wings of Freedom emblazoned on the back of the jacket. He didn't need to turn her over- he recognized Cecile's long strawberry blonde hair even when it was glued to the stone with her blood and skin. Well, at least it didn't catch in her gear… Swallowing hard, he stood, turning and meeting Nile before he could get too close. The other man leaned a bit to look past him, his face taking on a sallow tinge as he noticed how mangled the remains were.
"This…" he could barely speak. "What… What should we do with-?"
"Burn them," Erwin told him, his voice gruff.
"Wh-what about their families?"
"What about them? Their families will get their cloaks, as they always do."
"But-"
"Would you want your children to see you looking like that? This is nothing new, this is nothing special, Nile. This is what the Survey Corps is. Burn them before flies start gathering; the last thing you need in a ruined city is a plague." Was he being too harsh? Perhaps, but what choice did he have when these fools were just standing around, gawking? Nile was soft- too soft to take charge in a situation like this, so Erwin had no choice but to step up and do it for him.
He'd sent Levi to take one of the carriage horses and locate Hange. Hopefully they were alive, and Armin and Mikasa as well. The Assembly had been summoned, and he needed to get the facts straight before they arrived.
Once they were in the MP headquarters, Nile was gracious enough to have Erwin's cuffs removed, perhaps assuming he wouldn't attempt to flee when he was surrounded by armed officers on all sides. Of course, he also confiscated Erwin's ODM gear as well, just to err on the side of caution. He couldn't fault his old friend; he'd have done exactly the same. The sun had set past Wall Sina before Hange showed up, wild eyed and jittery. And not the good kind of jittery, he quickly noticed.
"What? What is it?"
"Um… um… okay, good news and bad news… and… yet-to-be-categorized news. What do you want first?"
"…good news." He desperately needed some of that, and it seemed Hange felt the same as they sank into the nearest chair, turning it slightly to face his own.
"We have Annie Leonhart in custody." Erwin breathed a quiet sigh of relief. The day wasn't completely lost, then.
"What's the bad news?" The section commander winced.
"It's also concerning Annie. She, um… she kind of… well-"
"We don't have time for your hemming and hawing, Hange! Out with it!"
"She's encased in an unbreakable crystal cocoon!"
"…what."
"Yeah, I bet you miss the hemming and hawing now! By the time we cut her nape open, Annie had already formed some kind of hardened shell around herself."
"And it shows no sign of weakening?"
"Not yet. We've got her stored underground. I sent Levi down there with some of my squad, just in case she gets any ideas." Well… at the very least she wasn't dead. He sighed deeply.
"Alright, we can deal with that later. What's the last piece of news?" Hange slumped in their seat. With their hair falling into their face, he couldn't see their eyes, but he could see their hands shaking, could hear the ragged edge in their breathing.
"You know how we were wondering why the Colossal and Armored Titans always went for the gates?"
"Because they're weaker."
"Right. But did you ever wonder why they're weaker? Why they couldn't build the gates out of whatever the Walls are made of?" Hange looked up, the setting sun reflecting in the lenses of their goggles, almost obscuring the terror in their eyes. "It's Titans, Erwin. The Walls are made of Titans." He was already sitting, but his knees still felt weak.
"Is this some kind of twisted joke, Hange…?" They laughed bitterly.
"You really think that if I could come up with something this fucked up that I wouldn't have already hypothesized it!? I saw one of them, Erwin- I saw its eye, I saw its mouth, it- it's huge. Almost as big as the Colossal. The Female Titan managed to rip a chunk of the Wall out… if they ever decide to go after the Walls instead of the gates… that might be the end of us-"
"It will not be." His voice was firm, indicating a level of confidence he absolutely did not feel. "We've already caught one of these perpetrators- one we weren't even looking for. The others must be close by. Hange, when the Assembly meeting is over, get the request form I was filling out from Levi and have it sent to the southern Training Corps."
"A request for what?"
"Annie Leonhart's background check." Sighing, Hange sat back in their seat, pushing their goggles to the top of their head and rubbing their eyes.
"We might need to dig into the Order of the Walls, too. That Pastor who was at Eren's trial, Nick? He wasn't even surprised that there was a Titan in his beloved Wall. He told us not to let sunlight reach it- how the hell would a clergyman know that Titans are active in sunlight, hmm?" Erwin frowned deeply.
"A member of the Order is on the Assembly as well… I wonder if this would come as a surprise to Pastor Roderich…?"
It was well and truly night by the time the Assembly showed up, their faces livid as they spotted Erwin, though thankfully they held their tongues. Reports from witnesses across all three branches were stacked in piles along the table, and the district mayor scanned through them with an ever-darkening expression.
"Commander Erwin, if you'd already marked your target, why didn't you ask the Military Police for assistance?"
"Unfortunately, sir, we don't know where the Female Titan's comrades could be hiding, nor do we know how many there are. This is the fourth Aberrant Titan we've encountered in five years. Believe me when I say I wished we could have. The Survey Corps needs all the help it can get, but if we told the MPs of our plan ahead of time and that information reached the wrong person, today's devastation could have been threefold at least." They couldn't argue with him, as much as they clearly wished they could. At the very least, the mayor didn't look like he was currently praying for Erwin's agonizing death.
"I commend you for identifying and subjugating at least one of these threats, Commander, this… 'Annie Leonhart', but do you truly believe all the damage, all the casualties, were worth it to apprehend a single target?" He inhaled deeply. His eyes ached, and he could feel a sharp ache beginning in his temples.
"We endeavored to minimize damage and casualties as much as possible, but I'm afraid our own deficiencies allowed precious civilian lives to be lost, and for that failing, I deeply and sincerely apologize, from the bottom of my heart." That was what they wanted to hear. That this was his fault, that this happened because he did something wrong, and not because battles could not be fought without spilling blood, innocent or otherwise. Opening his eyes, he fixed the man in front of him with a steely gaze, and spoke the words they needed to hear.
"However, had we allowed the Female Titan to escape, or even more egregious, sat back and done nothing until she decided to strike again, I assure you we would be courting a far worse disaster. We acted to mitigate the damage."
"So you claim, but do you actually have any proof that what you did was necessary to prevent humanity's demise? You haven't gotten any information from Annie Leonhart. We can't question her, we can't even execute her. So in other words, your efforts were in vain-"
"No. They weren't. Have you been to Trost recently, sir?" The man blinked, taken aback.
"No, I have no business in the south."
"You should come visit. You should see what actual Titans are capable of. The Titans that were in Stohess today were what we have tentatively named 'Shifters'- humans who can shift into a Titan form. While they have the size and strength and appearance of the Titans beyond Wall Rose, they are, unmistakably, human. They maintain human intelligence, and more importantly, they do not eat other humans. As I explained to Premier Zachary and Colonel Aleister following our 57th expedition, the Female Titan displayed an ability unlike anything we'd ever seen before. She was able to summon hordes of Titans- the mindless, man-eating variety." Erwin set his hands on the table and leaned forward.
"That is what you had in your city, Mayor Loden. A soldier who ranked fourth in her class, who slaughters trained Scouts by the dozens, who can rip sections of the Wall off… and who can summon the things that want to devour us. The Titans in Stohess weren't trying to kill anyone but each other. Every civilian casualty was simply collateral damage, and the Military Police couldn't even evacuate them in a timely fashion." He turned his attention to the dark-haired MP standing behind the Assembly. "Commander Dok, if Annie Leonhart had decided to transform yesterday, when the Survey Corps was not here, what would the MPs have done to stop her?" Nile blanched, a tic going off in his cheek.
"We would have apprehended her-"
"Really? MPs who have never even seen a Titan in the flesh would be able to do what Scouts who have been fighting on the front lines for over a decade couldn't? If that's the case, why didn't you apprehend her this time?"
"We didn't have time to prepare-!"
"There will never be time to prepare. Just as the Colossal Titan gave us no warning when it destroyed the gates of both Shiganshina and Trost, the Female Titan would not, either. If she had destroyed the Wall and summoned a horde of ravenous Titans, what could anyone have done? That is what our efforts prevented. A tragedy far greater than anything any of you have ever experienced and, as long as I am capable of preventing it, ever will. There are enemies hiding within our Walls, gentlemen, and I intend to hunt down and capture Every. Last. One-"
"COMMANDER! Commander Erwin!" The door slammed open, a red-faced, sweat-drenched Scout collapsing against it.
"Tomas?" Hange approached him, one of the members of Mike's squad, and helped pull him to his feet. "What is it?"
"Sir… Wall Rose… Wall Rose is compromised."
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A/N- So, I know media only exists to be consumed and forgotten in this day and age, and I know people have things going on in their lives, but a little feedback would really be appreciated. I'm not asking for paragraphs of text lauding me as a literary god- I just want the barest minimum of interaction to know that the hundreds of thousands of words I've put online are being read and that I'm not just throwing them into a bottomless pit. An "I liked this chapter" or "this chapter was pretty slow" is more than enough. I've had a commenter leave me basically the same comment on every chapter, and looking forward to that one email a week is pretty much what's been keeping me posting for months now. I still go back and read the comments left on earlier chapters because they mean so much to me, but then I wonder what I'm doing wrong since no one seems to like the later chapters. I'm sharing this story online because I want people to enjoy it, but I am not a mind reader; if you don't tell me you like it, I'm forced to assume you don't. I'm not asking for a comment from every reader on every chapter; I just want to know if anyone is even invested anymore, or if the TV is just playing to an empty room.