Chapter 37
Heading Back
Levi sent Sasha, Conny, and Kara up to see if they can find a escape route. Kara was given orders to help bandage Hange. Conny climbed out of the hole to the surface. He held out his hand and helped Kara out.
"Go let the others know we found a way out." Kara said.
"Over here!" Moblit called waving as he saw Kara and Conny.
"Let them know Moblit, Hange, and Armin are found." Kara said. Conny and Sasha nodded and quickly went too let the others know. Kara ran towards the wagon.
"Here's some bandages." Armin said. A crash came. Kara and Armin turned and her eyes widen. The Titan that was in the cavern was crawling on its hands and knees towards the direction of the wall. "What is that?"
"Its the Titan that brought down the cavern. Levi will explain when he comes out." Kara said. Kara got in the wagon and started to bandage Hange. "Its not to deep, but you might not be able to use ODM gear for awhile." Hange groaned.
"Hange." Levi said, coming over.
"I'll be fine. You daugther said the wound isn't deep." Hange said. Historia and Eren got in the wagon. Jean came over with two horses. Kara jumped down from the wagon and came up to the horse. She swung herself up onto the horse as Armin got into the seat of the wagon. They rode after the Titan. Kara, Jean, Conny, and Sasha were holding torches. They saw horses heading their way with Erwin leading them. Kara was riding behind Levi. Armin pulled the wagon to a stop.
"Erwin." Levi said as Erwin came up to the side to look in.
"Anyone hurt?" Erwin asked. Levi came up to Erwin.
"Yeah. Hange took a hit." Levi said. Hange lifted a hand.
"I got her bandaged up. The wound isn't deep, Commander." Kara said. Erwin nodded.
"You've done excellent work, all of you." Erwin said.
"I've got a whole slew of things to report, but first." Levi said. Erwin looked at Levi.
"Anything on that Titan?" Erwin said.
"It's Rod Reiss." Levi said. Erwin gasped. "Look forward to hearing your thoughts on this, Commander." Erwin looks at Historia then looks back at the Titan.
"Time's short. We can't afford to stand here and chat." Erwin said. He turns his horse around. "Head back to the wall."
"You're gonna let that thing drag its fat ass all the way to Sina?" Levi said. Kara and Jean share looks.
"Well, more specifically, I'm letting it continue towards Orvud District." Erwin said. They started riding towards Orvud. Kara watched the Titan. It was dragging its face across the ground. Eren and Historia explained everything that happened in the Cavern. That Lord Reiss was after what Eren had known as the Founding Titan that the Royal family held for a century. Kara found it hard to believe, but nothing seemed to surprise her today after Reiner and Bertholdt's betrayal.
"Alright. Time to think." Kara looked at Hange as they rode. "First off, Lord Reiss was after the Founding titan's power. And that power currently resides within Eren. Thing is, the Founding Titan can only be used at full potential by someone of royal blood. But then, when a royal does obtain the Founding Titan's power, they suddenly take on the First King's ideology, which means they'll refuse to do anything about the Titans. Well, this certainly is a conundrum. So the First King thinks this is true peace huh?" Kara snorted lightly. Levi shot her a glare over his shoulder. She bites her lip. "I'm gonna have to go ahead and disagree with him there."
"You know, we still ahve the option to go back. We just need that Titan to eat me. We could still have a true Founding Titan." Eren said. Mikasa turned her head. "It's possible."
"Wait, you don't mean?" Mikasa said.
"It's worth considering." Levi said. Mikasa shot Levi a glare.
"Mikasa. Hear him out." Kara said. Mikasa shut her mouth before she went to shoot her mouth off.
"Once Reiss turns back into a human, we could capture him, and undo the First King's brainwashing. Assuming that it can be done, it may well open a path to save humanity." Levi said. He looked at Eren. "Tell me, Eren. If that turns out to be our best bet, are you really willing to do it?" Eren turned and looked at Levi. There was no fear on his face.
"Yes, I am." Eren said. Jean, Conny, and Sasha share looks. Kara saw Mikasa face fall at Eren's words.
"Eren. I can't let you." Mikasa said. Eren wouldn't look at her.
"Let's not forget the other option. First off, the plan you're discussing is full of flaws. For one thing, it might not be possible to free my father from the First King's will. And no matter how you restrain him, if he alters everyone's memories, we're finished. And consider how much there is that we still don't know about the Founding Titan. This isn't worth the risk." Historia said.
"She's right." Kara said. Everyone looked at Kara. "It's not even guaranteed that Reiss would turn back to normal if he did eat Eren. That's just a hypothesis. No one's actually seen it happen before." Historia nodded.
"So far, we've only been led by destructive pacifists. And if they'd kept the Founding Titan's powers, that's how it would stay. This is humanity's first chance to escape from them." Historia said. Eren gasped. Historia turned to look at Eren. "Eren. Your father wasn't evil. He was trying to save humanity from the First King. He stold the Founding Titan from my sister, and then he murdered my father's wife and children because he had no other choice." Eren looked down and his eyes to be watering as he seemed to remember a memory. Eren put a hand to his head.
"You mean..." Eren said.
"Yeah, that's right. The Doctor Jaeger I knew would only have done something like that if he felt like he had to." Armin said.
"Agreed. He must've known another way. A way to save humanity without Reiss blood. And that must've been why he left you the key to your cellar." Mikasa said. Eren looked at Historia and Kara. Both nodded in agreement.
"What? Your cellar? Oh, yeah, right. I'd forgotten all about that. You mean it's actually important now?" Sasha asked.
"Apparently, it is." Conny said.
"What matters most to me is that we have a way to plug Wall Maria." Jean said. Kara looked back at Jean. "The way I see it, that makes our choice pretty clear." Kara nodded in agreement.
"You know, that's actually a fairly convincing argument." Levi said.
"For whatever it's worth, I think we should stick with Eren, too." Hange said. She looked at Historia. "But listen. Are you sure about this, Historia? That Titan's a major threat. It's not like we can just let it wander around freely inside the walls. Capturing it isn't an option. It's way to big. Which means that..." She points towards the Titan. "Our only way forward is to kill your father." Historia looked towards her father. Kara didn't miss the Historia's eyes almost watering. Historia turned towards Eren.
"Eren. I should apologize." Historia said.
"What?" Eren asked.
"Under the Reiss Chapel, I really considered turning into a Titan and killing you." Historia said. Mikasa gasped. "And honestly it wasn't to save humanity. I just wanted to believe my father was right." Mikasa's face softened. Kara smiled softly. "Even more than that, I wanted him to like me. But it's time for me and him to part ways now." They rode through the night.
"Eren. Try using your ability to control Titans on the Titan." Hange said.
"I can try." Eren said. He stood up and turned towards the Titan. Erenn started throwing punches. "Stop moving, now! I said stop! Hey, I'm talking to you! Hey, asshole! Ya hear me? C'mon you stupid old bastard! Why won't you listen?" Eren stopped. The Titan wasn't listening.
"Looks like that didn't work." Kara said as Eren fell back into his seat. The others sighed.
They reached Orvard District. Kara jumped off her horse. Jean came up to her.
"I think I can sleep two days." Jean said wrapping an arm around Kara as they walk towards the steps to the headquarters.
"Two days none stop with hardly any sleep. Starting to feel like my father." Kara said. Jean pressed a kiss to her head.
"I heard that. Don't need you sleeping as bad as me with no sleep." Levi said. A soldier came towards Levi.
"Please have your squad stand by in the hall now. They're almost ready to begin the meeting." The Soldier said.
"We'll be right there." Levi said. Historia and Eren got off the wagon. Levi turned twoards her as the rest of the squad joined him. "Historia. I forgot to tell you. There's something we need you to do."
"What's that?" Historia asked.
"This is an order from Erwin. Once we finish off this Titan, seeing as you're the true successor to the throne, you'll become queen." Levi said. Everyone gasped.
"Father?" Kara asked.
"Wait. Queen Historia? You're kidding right?" Sasha asked.
"The coup d'etat was successful, but.. the people won't follow military rule forever. We need to give them a heartwarming story. One where the rightful heir retakes her crown from the pretender." Levi said. Historia looked down.
"Oh, I see." Historia said. Conny held up his hand.
"Hey, uh, you heard what Historia was saying earlier, didn't you, Captain? Cause, well, it sounded to me like, maybe, in siding against her dad, she finally broke off from that part of her life, ya know. It's just like.." Conny started.
"Like what? You have something to say, then say it." Levi said. Conny looked terrified.
"Um, I.." Conny started.
"Hey, Captain?" Jean said. Levi turned to Jean. Kara looked up at Jean as she stood next to him. "What Conny's trying to say is that Historia finally broke free from the Reiss family, and decided she's more than just a bloodline. So for us to force her into another role for that reason.. I.. I just don't think it's fair." Kara took his hand and squeezed it.
"Honestly." Levi looked at Kara. "Jean is right, but it should be her choice. She shouldn't be forced to do something she doesn't want to."
"Thank you Kara. But it's fine." Historia said. Kara and Jean looked at Historia. If my next duty is to become queen, then that's what I'll do."
"But, Historia..." Armin started.
"I do appreciate your concern, but whether this is forced on me is really up to me to decide. And I've decided." Historia said. Kara smiled at the girl. Kara remembered Historia being the timid girl when she joined the Cadets, but she had come a long way. Historia turned to Levi. "Captain. Before that, I have one condition for you." Levi looked at her.
"And that is?" Levi asked.
"While my fate is still my own, I want to put everything on the line." Historia said. Levi nodded.
In the Garrison Office. Eren had his ODM gear on. Hange had a sling. Kara stood next to Mikasa with Jean next to her. Levi stood in front of her. Footsteps came and Kara turned to see Historia come in with ODM gear on. Kara smiled as Historia came to stand next to Mikasa. Mikasa looked at her.
"Once you're queen, you can punch that smug runt right in the face." Mikasa said. Kara had to bite her lip from giggling. That would be something she would love to see. Jean and Conny snickered.
"Shh." Kara elbowed Jean as a soldier ran in.
"Sirs. We have determined the Reiss Titan's location. It's Southwest, approaching Orvud. It's fast. At this rate, it'll reach the walls before dawn." The Soldier said.
"Right, understood. Commander Erwin. I'm sure everyone here would like to hear your plan. How can we evacuate the people in such a short time." Commander of the Garison, Carsten asked.
"That's not part of the plan." Erwin said.
"What's that." Carsten said, looking at Erwin in shock.
"The people of the Orvud District will need to stay exactly where they are." Erwin said. Garrison Soldiers gasped. The Scouts kept straight faces.
"But Commander.." Carsten said. Erwin kept a straight face. Carsten gritted his teeth and grabbed Erwin by the shirt. "What the hell are you thinking, Erwin? If we don't get these civilians out of the city, they'll die by the thousands! That hulking monstrosity will be a stone's throw from the wall in the morning."
"That Titan is an Abnromal." Hange said.
"Right, and what the hell does that even mean?" Carsten asked.
"It behaves strangely. Unlike most Titans we've encountered, it's only attracted to large groups of people. Hence the word abnormal. Put simply, given the choice between a few soldiers right next to it and a distant, but densely populated city, it'll choose the city. So if we were to evacuate Orvud's populace to the interior of Wall Sina right now, the Titan would change it's course, destroying the wall and anything else in it's path. Left unchecked, it could make for the city with the greatest density of people, Mitras. The ensuing rampage would deliver a devestating blow to humanity. As we rode for Orvud, we had Eren Jaeger attempt to use his recently discovered power to control Titans. Rod Reiss' Titan didn't react in any way." The soldiers stood in silence.
"If we're to stop this thing, it'll have to be outside the walls of Orvud District. For that to happen, we require the citizens here to act as bait. However, this doesn't change the fact that our first and foremost duty as soldiers is to proect the people. In the event that we're unable to halt the target, we'll take measures to minimize civilian losses. We'll announce a district-wide evacuation drill tonight. The people will be gathered away from the outer wall, ready to escape if the battle is lost." Erwin said. Carsten lowered his eyes. Kara held her breath.
"It seems there's no other choice." Carsten said.
"The body of this Titan is the largest we've seen yet. As such, it presents an easy target. Our wall mounted cannons should prove highly effective, but if we can't bring it down with artillery.." Erwin said. He turned towards Levi's Squad and the others. "The Scout Regiment will throw everything we have at it." The Scouts stood with straight faces. Plans were made.
'I hope Erwin is right. We can do this with no casualties. It's a gamble.' Kara thought.
AN: New chapter up. Anyone else excited for March. I am. Till next time.