Hello! Another friday, another update! Though on that note, NEXT friday, the 29th, I won't be uploading. Perhaps on the Saturday. But I'll be travelling back from a holiday next friday so won't be sorting another upload until at least the next day, or perhaps the next week. So potentially a skipped week to come! Sorry about that, but the rest and relaxation is caaaaalling!

"Stop just fuckin' standing there!" Sente bellowed, swaying as he wielded the half snapped 3DM gear blade around. It would do little good against a Titan, but could easily be fatal to a human. "Help me."

The nurses looked at each other, and a couple of them stepped back.

Jack wasn't there for me, he had no idea I was even in the infirmary. A small advantage. I looked around the office and spotted a letter opener. Not much, but better than a bed-pan. Maybe. A bed-pan would remain a back-up idea. I plucked the letter opener from the desk and returned to the door, peering and seeing how Jack had staggered over to a vacant bed and perched himself there. He was favouring his left foot and not using his left arm at all. Maybe he hurt them during his escape? Maybe he had already encountered cadets and made a mess of things. Either way, I couldn't let the nurses deal with him, and the patients were either too ill to move, asleep, or just plain nervous wrecks.

Time to distract, I guess.

With no other way out of the office, I could only hope to make a decent entrance, and keep Jack away from anyone else. He looked as if he might be drunk again, not that I was sure where he might have found booze. Then again, if he headed straight for the supply rooms then he might have had plenty of time to get soused. If drunk, overpowering him would be easier. Hold him down until someone could grab some shackles. It might work. Maybe.

"Come on! I'm a fucking Scout, look after me!"

"Oi!"

I stalled by the door, still hidden, my own words silenced by my surprise. Captain?

"Sente you've not been a Scout for a long time, and you know it." My Captain drawled, and I peered through the gap in the door, watching him march into the infirmary and take charge. Perfect. Unless of course he got cut into ribbons instead of me. A sizable cut already ran along his forehead, and a bruise was forming at his temple. Had Jack got the jump on Levi outside and already hit him in the head? Shit. Was Levi okay to fight? Humanities Strongest, sure, but still potentially concussed.

Sente took a half-step away from his bed, stalling as his glassy eyes landed on my Captain.

He blinked. He looked Levi over and then his lips curled into a warped grimace – like he couldn't decide between a sneer and a snarl. The blade swung in my Captain's direction, pointing as it wavered in Sente's slack grip. I hoped Levi didn't underestimate the oaf. Jack had seemed loose and unsteady in that corridor as well, right before he kicked the crap out of me and almost tore my clothes off. The letter opener was tucked into my uniform at the back, pressing against my spine like a lifeline. Not entirely unarmed. If I was needed, I could get out there and help.

"How's that, Captain Levi? Not a Scout? Why? Because I went and got falsely accused of bullshit by some filthy whore?"

I didn't miss the way my Captain's jaw tightened. "Good to know your delusions are still in place. Persistent in your attempt to become the victim, hm? Brave move. Or pathetic. You know the truth, Sente, now find a spine and take responsibility."

"My trial was bullshit, it was all gonna be bullshit. You paid them or something. Or sucked their dicks. I dunno. But you turned them all against me! You and her!" Sente staggered a step before righting himself. "The guards, the higher ups, none of them would listen. All because your slut cried about being taken advantage of or some shit."

"If you really believe that, then somehow I pity you even more." Levi sighed and Sente glared, taking another few unsteady steps.

It seemed like the Captain was trying to get Sente into a frenzy of some kind. Made sense. That made mistakes more likely. As skilled as my Captain was, even he had to be wary when a drunken maniac was waving a 3DM gear blade around. I swallowed hard, knowing full well I hadn't imagined the sheen of red on the blade. Hopefully it had been barely a scratch, and Sente hadn't cost us a recruit.

"Put down the blade, Jack. This will only make things worse."

"My entire family has turned their backs on me. I've 'tainted' their name supposedly. But you, if you got her to just take it all back, made it all go away, it could be fixed!"

"For one thing, I won't be getting her to do a damned thing. Sanshi is not some doll to be played with. Beyond that, I would never ask a Scout to lie for a rat." Levi folded his arms and stayed still when Sente made another lurch forwards, only a couple of metres away now.

An orderly had already scurried away a few moments before, sneaking out when Jack was ranting about his hard times. Someone would come soon enough – be it the Commander, or someone with some shackles or at least a good bit of rope. The nurses were corralling the patients to as far away as possible, being careful not to attract attention.

Sente laughed bitterly. "Where'd you get off being all high and mighty? Huh?" He shook his head. "You all drooling for Sanshi. But at the end of the day, we all know what she is."

"A damn good soldier?"

"Nah. A killer." Sente giggled. "First her Daddy, then her damn team! Poof! Gone! I heard all about it, every damn name she scrubbed off the lists. Sick bitch."

My hands curled into fists, heart thundering, clogging my throat. It wasn't true. I knew that. I had moved past this crushing guilt, hadn't I? And yet the second he spat that venom, it stung all over again. Why care about what this snake said? It mattered no more than mud being scraped off my shoes.

But at the end of the day, I had to help. Even if my Captain got a good hit in, there was still the risk of Jack getting that blade somewhere vital. Two distractions were better than one.

I swallowed hard and stepped out. "If I'm guilty of that, I'll make amends, Jack. How about you do the same?"

His head snapped in my direction, teeth bared, blade still pointing at Levi. "I have nothing to apologise for!" He screeched. "It's all because of you!"

And here he comes.

With a bellowing roar Jack launched himself at me, blade flailing. Levi tripped him and sent him crashing to the floor, but again Sente swiped the blade to avoid Levi managing a follow-up move. I grabbed an empty (unfortunately) bedpan and dashed over, whacking Jack across the head. Clunk. Another swipe of the blade. I dodged back, coat getting a quick trim. Keep moving. Jack was on his feet, flailing between me and my Captain. I stepped again, keeping us headed towards empty beds. Jack lunged. He swiped. I and Levi dodged and tried to use any openings. A slice ran along my Captain's sleeve and one of my boots now flapped from where Jack had tried to slice my calf. He was everywhere, trying to find an opening was proving near impossible.

"Stay still, bitch." Jack snarled, waving the blade again.

I edged back. "I don't want to hurt you. Put the knife down and maybe they can be lenient."

"Don't wanna hurt me, huh? What you gonna do? Charm me? Fuck you." He swiped, I clumsily dodged back, him only catching along my forearm before I managed to kick him back. He spun and swiped at Levi, who only just managed to change trajectory in time to avoid a slice along his stomach. "You've already ruined my life with your shitty lies, Sanshi. So c'mon, fucking fight me!"

I raised my fists, not wanting him to know about the letter-opener yet. "Fine, if you insist. Bring it, you pathetic psycho."

Focus on me. Give my Captain an opening dammit.

"Whore!" Jack yelled, casting aside a chair, making it smack off a bed frame, a leg splintering. Sure it was intimidating, but it was also likely going to be attracting attention as well. Make noise Jack. Go ahead. "You're gonna take it back, you're gonna admit to the lies and beg for it by the end."

"Likely." I scoffed, flinging another bedpan, buying myself a few inches of space.

Cornered. Short of diving out of the window, I had nowhere to run.

Cornered? Fucking rush them, Numbnuts. Screech as loud as you can and run at the fuckers.

Keza's wisdom had worked as kids, but I think that might have been more based in the sheer confusion of street thugs seeing small girls suddenly going ballistic. But it was worth a shot.

I drew a deep breath. Levi approached slowly, as silent as possible.

I sunk lower, keeping Jack's eyes trained on me. As well as me trying to think how to actually subdue him, without being skewered myself. My feet squeaked against the newly cleaned floors, and I glanced to the side. A mop. It wouldn't do much damage, but at least it had some reach. I readied myself. Jack started a swipe. Levi lunged. I ducked to the side, clasped the mop, spun on the spot and swung it in a wide arc, intending to smack Jack on the side of the head and at least blind him for a moment. It swung. Jack yelled. Levi kicked him in the ribs. The mop struck and curled around Jack's face. Perfect. Levi tackled him to the ground and pinned him in place.

The letter opener slipped free and skittered against the flooring.

"Jack stop!" I yelled, approaching as my Captain dug his knee into Jack's back. I guessed he would be slippery from being out in the rain, and icy cold to the touch. If he wasn't beaten to death by us, then pneumonia would be having a pretty good go at him soon. "You really wanna turn an attempted rape charge into murder?"

Jack sneered. "Gonna sort me out again, Sanshi?"

"If I can, yeah."

He laughed and wriggled harder, his buggered shoulder making a horrible crunching noise under my Captain's hold. A nurse approached with some heavy duty bandaging, not rope or shackles but it would do in a pinch. Levi reached for it, and Jack rolled, dislodging his hold just long enough.

They tumbled, Jack kicked Levi in the head. Shit. Levi blinked hard, obviously dazed, it no doubt being caused by whatever hit to the head he'd had already. I tried to grab Jack as he staggered for the doorway while my Captain regrouped.

"There's nowhere to fucking run!" I yelled, desperate to stop his rampage spilling any further through the compound.

A few nurses wailed in nervous concern – not a bad warning system. I grabbed his shoulder, wrenched him back from the door, he spun and – SLAM! My head smacked off the stone wall. I was on the ground. But for less than a second. Jack grabbed my hair. Oh shit. He's going to slice me open like a bag of flour. Just like Vincent did with Mum.

Why hadn't she tried to grab the knife?

Seeing double, I saw the knife coming, I reached, grabbing for his wrist, catching the blade instead. He wrenched it free of my grip, slicing deep into my palm. I screamed.

"Fuck you, Jack!" I finally caught hold of his wrist and hauled him downwards, bringing him to the ground with me, gaining another slice along my arm. "Gah!"

"Stupid… Fucking… Bitch!"

Schlink.

The letter opener dug deep into my hip.

Ow.

He grinned. "Feel that, whore?"

"Y-Yeah…" I grabbed the hilt, holding the blade in whilst I gave him a swift head-butt, but his grip was sound. "Finally s-stuck something in a girl, eh?"

He went wide-eyed with outrage, and twisted the knife. I cried out, the noise melding with the voice of a nurse.

She ran over, eyes wild as she swung a candle-stick. "Leave her be, you animal!"

Thunk.

She stared. Everyone stared.

Jack wasn't moving. His eyes continued to gape at me, pupils blowing wide as his sneering lips went slack. He swayed, and slumped to the side, fingers releasing the knife as he fell. The bloodied candle-stick tumbled from the nurse's hands, landing next to his head, one corner bloodied, and a sizeable dent in Jack's temple. He twitched, gurgled on spittle. He stared at me.

The room swam and I tried to keep pressure on my hip, but it was hard as my hands were struggling to have any strength with the palms cut open. Running steps approached. I sunk back on my knees, unable to look away from Jack's staring gaze. Was he dead? Dying? Did I care?

"Sanshi? Fucking hell..." My Captain demanded, suddenly in front of me, searching my face for something. "Sanshi?"

"S-Sorry, sir." I gulped, my hands slipping from the blade again. My Captain's eyes flitted down and went wide for a moment. "He got a couple good hits in. He…" I blinked hard, the noise in my head still bouncing around from when Jack made me real personal with the stonework. "He got me with the ... the learner opener."

"Letter opener?" He translated.

"Yeah." I drew a long breath. "Did Jack hurt anyone else?"

"Got me with a fucking brick outside, but otherwise a couple of shallow wounds on cadets as he flailed around the place. Nothing serious. Now stop deflecting. What're your injuries?"

I held my hands forward, my palms torn open, I turned my arms to show the cuts. I tapped my head where a bruise was likely formed, or a split in the skin, I wasn't sure. There was probably others, but the main one was the hip wound where a blade continued to sit lodged. My Captain pressed some material against the wound, far harder than I was managing. I hissed in pain but stayed put.

He sighed. "I don't think this has hit anything vital, you'd be bleeding worse than this if it had. How's your head?"

"All three of you are very handsome." I whispered and flinched when he pressed harder. "A little woozy but otherwise fine. Sorry, I didn't think about weapons in here. I didn't–"

"You probably saved a couple of these lives. Hush." He sighed. "Can you walk?"

"Sure thing." I got up and he immediately pulled my arm round his shoulder as he led me to a bed. "Never a dull moment, eh, sir?"

"You're exhausting, Sanshi. We'll get you patched up, you're not getting out of coming through with Jaeger to the other base."

"Good. Wouldn't miss it for the world." I chuckled and held onto him a bit tighter, shivering as the image of that knife slicing along my palms replayed. "He was really gonna kill us."

"Pathetic shit."

"Scared little worm more like." I huffed another laugh and groaned at the dull ache filling my leg on the side I had been stabbed. "Give me a Titan any day. Less pointy."

"Put more weight on me."

"Thought you said I was h-heavy?"

He held me tighter. "You're barely a bag of potatoes, Brat."

"Mm, caught you im another sh-sheeky lie then…"

"Sanshi?"

I blinked hard. "Just woovy."

"Stay awake if you can, need the docs to check that head wound."

"Gonna look at my head? Fuck. Good lurk." I giggled and Levi sped us up, my foot dragging a little. I focused on staying awake, very aware of how little my Captain was joining in my jokes, he wasn't bantering. Something was up. Or he was worrying too much. Either way, time to just follow orders.

The doctors looked me over and put my condition down to a few 'close calls' and a light case of concussion. Cleaned up, bandaged and cleared for rest, I was put in a quiet corner of the infirmary. The Nurse that finished off Sente had been taken to a room to settle down, her panicked guilt pouring out of her in sobs. I sat propped up in the bed, clasping a fresh tea provided by my Captain who was sat by my bed, cravat laid to the side, boots off, weary to his bones. He had a couple of bandages in place as well. I asked a nurse to bring some food, as our dinner had been rather unceremoniously interrupted by Jack's failed escape attempt.

With some food in us and fresh tea mixed with something a little stronger, we began to feel a bit more human. I opened the window beside me, allowing fresh air to tickle my nose. The rain was still falling, though I suppose even if it hadn't been we wouldn't be going anywhere tonight. Too dark, and too bruised.

I sighed. "Long day, huh?"

"Mm." My Captain looked around the quiet infirmary and then stood to pull the curtain around the bed, perching next to me once our bubble was sealed. He put a hand to my cheek and looked me over, that tiny crease between his brows deepening. "This could have been so much worse. You were lucky."

"Give my skills a little credit." I smirked and he mirrored it, nodding, running his thumb under my non-bruised eye. "How's the nurse doing?"

"Panicked. Horrified at what she did, but it seems clear that Sente was going to murder you and likely a few others if he had been allowed to keep going. She regrets it, but she still did the best thing in the moment. Had we not been here… Well, we would likely be dealing with a very empty infirmary."

"Damn waste." I sighed and leaned into his hold. "Even when we're dealing with massive revelations like Eren being able to turn into a Titan, we still have just the usual idiocy of humans attacking humans, huh?"

"One of the few things you can depend on in this world is people screwing each other over." He leaned in and gently kissed me. "I'm glad you're alright, or at least, no worse than a few scrapes and a bit of a leak by your hip."

I bit my lip. "I really didn't want him to die. I wanted that shithead to have due process and serve some time."

"You didn't kill him, and the Nurse didn't meant to. But the main thing is, Sente's death isn't on your hands, Robyn. Understand?"

"Yes." I put my forehead to his gently and just took a moment to breathe.

Petra, Eld and Gunter gaped when they saw me clamber out of the back of the wagon. I'd been unable to ride my horse back along the road. In a few days I would be fine, but one night's sleep wasn't good enough for healing that hip wound enough for horse-riding. Captain Levi, with his own bandaging clear to see, filled them in on the details, and as shocked as the team were, even Oluo raised a brow when it was revealed Sente had died. It was poor Eren I was more worried about. The poor kid looked bamboozled. A lot had happened since I saw him yesterday afternoon.

I went over and put an arm around his shoulders. "You doing okay, Eren?"

"Uh yeah… Are you?"

"I'll be fine." I shrugged and he looked less than convinced. "Just a part of life, eh? Gotta fight in order to live."

"Yeah but you do seem to take that to a whole new level, Robyn, even for me."

I winked. "I guess you can just keep in mind that you're entering a whole new world of fuckery then!"

He snorted and shook his head. "You're a weird one Robyn, but I'm glad you're here."

"Me too, kid." I ruffled his hair and headed back to the supply wagon where Petra was stood with blankets and a lecture at the ready.

The journey from there took a solid half day, and I dozed off a few times as I lay in the back of the wagon, lulled by the gradual movement and dappled light breaking through the trees. This was going to be a strange time. Training, but with a Titan. Madness. But maybe we would learn something new.

"Learning? Y'doing nothing but stall, ya useless fuck. Results is what we need, y'hear? Now get that skinny brat down there and figure the shit out." Rasping voice. Stink of cigar smoke.

"I'm doing all that I can. Get out of my house, I don't give a damn if you're the king's pet."

"Watch it, Sanshi. My rippin' days ain't that far behind me."

I frowned and blinked awake as another bump nudged me from unconsciousness. Whose voice was that? I tried to reach for the broken memory again but it had faded as I woke. Maybe I made it up. Maybe. I ran my fingers over the bandaging on my palm. How much of my past had I blocked out? It seemed like so much was missing, slowly reappearing or tricking me as it went. Had Vincent made me forget things somehow? Keep the rat in the dark. It made sense, it seemed like something he would do. But how?

"Mile marker!" Eld called from up ahead.

I sat up, smoothing myself down and re-braiding my hair. Plenty of work lay ahead. The mess inside my mind could be deduced later on. Or never at all. It was Hanji that seemed to think it was going to be useful. Or at least, that was what she had said before. A while ago. She might have new fascinations now. Regardless, it was just noise to me. Just nightmares and shitty Vincent behaviour. That wasn't going to help anyone.

And there we have it, Jack Sente has been taken off the table! I hope you enjoyed the resolution to that wee arc, I'm looking forward to the upcoming one with Eren's training and the mission to follow! Dun dun duuun! But anyway, thanks for reading, following and faving. Love seeing reviews too! I won't be uploading next friday, as mentioned in the first note, so either see you next saturday or the week after next! Cya!