Lando sat in a room with all of the Scout's top captains, they were discussing retaking Wall Maria. Levi and Lando were sitting off to the side.
"In other words, Eren's father, Grisha Yaeger…is likely a human who came from outside the walls," Erwin said.
"Yes," Hange replied. "Just like Annie, Berthold, and Reiner, he possessed the power of the Titans. But different from those three he was supportive of humanity within the walls."
"If he was so interested to know about the Scouts and such, we could've used more support of his." An officer added.
Lando felt an elbow hit him from his side and looked over at his Dad.
"Pay attention," Levi said.
Lando sighed he was letting his mind wander because they had been talking about nothing for about 30 minutes now.
"I wonder…" Hange said. "From the moment he entered the walls, he was searching for the royal family all alone, I'm sure. And that…That's something you do not do without incredible resolve. That same father wanted to show his 10-year-old son, eager to join the Scouts, the basement of their house."
Lando looked over at his father who was staring at the ground thinking.
"On death's door, he said the truth of it all was…in the basement. What in the world do you think is down there?" Hange asked.
Lando thought about it, he would guess something to end all the Titans but it could be Grisha's favorite cookie recipe as well.
"Things which mustn't be said,'' Erwin said. "No…things Grisha Yaeger couldn't say even if he wanted to. That which the first king Reiss wiped from our memories...memories of our world…is what I hope but… Pondering about it here won't accomplish much. The preparations are finished today. The operation to retake Wall Maria starts in two days. Want to know what's in the basement? Let's go see for ourselves. Isn't that what Scouts do? Let all your squads know."
"Right, keeping it a secret of course, yeah?" An officer said.
"On a day like this, we deserve some meat, right?" Another said.
"Good idea." The officer said. "Gotta show those kids us adults gotta be counted on."
"What about Commander Sadies keeping secrets from us?" An officer asked.
"Forget about him," Hange said. "We don't have time to deal with him."
"I'm shocked Hange." A female officer said. "You used to adore him!"
"Shut up!" Hange said.
Lando was about to walk out with the other when his Dad grabbed him and shut the door with his back.
"What is it, Levi? Lando?" Erwin asked.
"It's a bit hasty but…" Levi said. "What will you do after retaking Wall Maria? I'd guess a defense plan comes first, but…After that?"
"Eliminating threats," Erwin said. "Outside the walls, there seems to be someone hoping the Titans will eat us all. Of course, the answer to who's in the basement, I imagine. It's as I said earlier. We'll plan that after the basement."
"I'm asking this because you might not live that long," Levi said. "You can't exactly move like you used to."
Lando looked over at Erwin's missing arm.
"Let Hange call the shots," Levi said. "You'll just be dead weight. Let the good news come to you. We'll tell the others I argued till you gave in. No…that's actually what I intend. Fine with that?"
"Don't do that," Lando said.
"And why not?" Erwin asked.
"Hange doesn't have it in her," Lando said.
"She has been Section Commander for a long time," Levi said, giving Lando the shut-up look.
"She has.' Lando said, ignoring the glare. "But she can't make the hard choices."
"Why can't she?" Erwin asked.
"Like I said she doesn't have it in her," Lando explained. "If we needed to send every Scout to their death to win, she wouldn't order it. She would not look at the bigger picture."
"Lando." Levi scolded." Be quiet."
Lando didn't say anything after that.
Erwin thought for a bit.
"I'm not fine with that Levi," Erwin said. "I'm fine with being food. Use me as bait. The chain of command will still be in place. If I'm gone then Hange." Erwin was looking at Lando after saying that. Erwin still trusted Hange. "If Hange's gone the next. It's true, this operation will be dangerous, but…to humanity, it's more important than anything else. That's why I've gone to such lengths. This is all my plan. If I don't do it, the success rate will plummet."
"That's right this operation might fail, but… Levi said. "Like Lando said, if you bite the dust in the process, we're doomed. So just sit at your desk and keep using your head. That's the last thing the Titans would want. And for humanity, it's the best thing going for us."
"No, you're wrong," Erwin said. "Our best option is for me to gamble it all-"
"Hey, hey, hey, hey!" Levi interrupted. "Hold up…Keep using that bluff around me and I'll break both of your damn legs."
Lando just gave Levi a confused look.
"I'll make it nice and easy to attach them later," Levi said. "But the operation to retake Wall Maria will proceed with you weeping here. It'll be a bitch to get to the toilet though."
" A wounded soldier should stay off the battlefield," Erwin said. "However…There will come a moment when we learn the truth of our world…and I must be there for it."
"Is it that important for you?" Levi asked. "More than your legs?"
"Yes," Erwin said.
"More than humanity's victory?" Levi asked.
"Yes," Erwin said.
"I see…" Levi said quietly.
Levi then turned around and was about to open the door before saying.
"Erwin…I'll trust your judgment."
Lando followed Levi out.
"Why did you but in?" Levi asked.
"I did what I thought I should do," Lando explained.
"You think that low of Hange?" Levi asked.
"As a leader, yes," Lando said.
Levi sighed.
"Ok."
"Hm?" Lando asked,
"So if Erwin would die, who would replace him," Levi said.
"Nobody," Lando said. "He is irreplaceable."
"If you say so," Levi said. "Now come on, the Scouts are having a celebration before tomorrow."
Lando and Levi walked over to the dining hall where everyone already was, there was food on every table. The main thing being meat.
"Go have fun," Levi said.
"You know I hate these types of things," Lando said.
"Mhm," Levi said.
Lando walked into the hall and sat down with the rest of Levi Squad and about 10 minutes later a cook came out.
"This may be a special night, but…" The cook said. "Let's not let the public find out! Behave like soldiers without causing a ruckus!"
"Eh…Meat?" Conny said, looking at the table.
"Am I dreaming?" Sasha asked with her hands on her head.
"Tonight's the night before we retake Wall Maria!" The cook said. "Cheers!"
After he said that the entire room erupted into chaos, people arguing, people fighting, and Sasha tried to immediately eat the entire thing.
Conny had her in a chokehold while Jean was yelling at her.
"Don't you start pulling that shit, potato girl! What the hell do you think you're doing?!"
"Cut it out, Sasha!" Conny yelled. "I…I don't wanna have to kill you!"
"You can't eat the whole thing alone!" Jean said.
Jean eventually grabbed it out of Sasha's mouth, but Sasha bit Jean's hand and wouldn't let go.
"You're eating me! Eating me! Eating me!" Jean screamed out.
"Sasha!" Conny screamed. "That meat it Jean! Have you lost your mind!?"
Sasha kept trying to eat anything while Conny tried to subdue her but she somehow punched Marlo in the face causing his nose to bleed.
"Conny, would you knock Sasha out already?" Mikasa asked.
"I'm trying!" Conny said. "She should be unconscious but she still is moving."
Lando walked over to Conny.
"Move." He said.
"What do you mean?!" Conny said.
"Just let go of her," Lando said.
"But she'll eat everything!" Conny said.
"No she won't," Lando said. "Trust me."
"O..Ok!" Conny said and let go of Sasha."
Sasha tried to scramble after the meat but Lando put her in a chokehold and kicked the back of her knee causing her to fall, Lando who still had her in a chokehold then put his foot on the back of her leg and as she tried to scramble away it knocked her out faster.
"How did you do that?" Conny asked.
"She basically knocked herself out by moving," Lando said.
"Cool," Jean said.
Conny and Eren tied her up while the others ate.
"That should do it," Conny said.
"I thought we would never stop her," Eren said.
"Can you believe this freak?" Conny asked Eren. "And to think she once offered to share meat with everyone."
"Huh?" Eren asked. "When?"
"Four months ago, when we were servicing the cannons," Conny said.
"Only four months have passed since back then?" Eren asked.
"Only four months," Conny said. "But just think: Four months later, we're in Levi Squad! We climbed the ranks in a flash."
A smile formed on Eren's face.
"It's because you're a genius," Eren said, slapping Conny's head.
"Damn, straight I am," Conny said, punching Eren. "Let's eat our food before it goes cold."
Lando was sitting at the table eating his food while the rest of the Squad was talking.
"Don't you see?" Jean said to Marlo. "You're in the rear guard cuz' you got no experience."
"I understand that I may be weak, but…" Marlo said. "Isn't the vanguard the best place to learn enemy moves?"
"What's this?" Jean said. "Trying to act all tough talking about self-sacrifice."
"But if we're not all of that mentally, how will we be efficient as a unit?" Malro asked.
"Listen here…" Jean said. "Everyone starts out as a recruit. If we throw recruits into battle like cannon fodder, they'll all be too dead to learn. Which is why it's your job to sit in the back and study, so you can come home in one piece."
"Hmm.." Marlo said thinking.
"But the most useless of them all is the suicidal maniac who only knows how to charge in. Right?" Jean said trying to annoy Eren
"Jean…" Eren asked angrily. "What do you mean by that?"
"Who else but you," Jean said. "You suicidal maniac."
"Actually I found something out recently," Eren said. "I'm quite a normal person, you know? So if you're saying that to me that just makes you a coward, Jean."
Armin who was sitting between them looked anxious, then the two of them jumped at each other.
"You're so full of yourself, you pig shit!" Jean yelled.
"You trying to grow the hair out your mane, horse face?!" Eren yelled.
Lando sighed these two would never stop.
"Just don't hit each other in the face," Conny said.
"What the hell are they doing?" Marlo asked.
Eren and Jean were pushing and shoving each other until Eren uppercutted Jean's stomach.
"You bastard!" Jean said, punching Eren in the chest.
The two were fighting now and while they were Jean was still talking.
"But seriously…" Jean said dodging a punch.
"Ah?" Eren said.
"If you didn't have those Titan powers you would be dead ten times over. And every time Mikasa and Lando would swoop in and save your ass. If you insist on being suicidal…I'll just have to kill you!"
"Hey, Lando," Marlo said.
"Hm?" Lando said.
"Why are they fighting…and why is Jean saying he is going to kill a comrade?" Marlo asked.
"They felt like it," Lando said. "And of course, Jean is trying to kill the person who this entire operation is relying on."
"That's something I'll have to take to heart!" Eren yelled, punching Jean. "You should start showing your mom some respect, Jean-boy!"
"Would you forget that?!" Jean yelled back, punching Eren.
"Shouldn't we stop them?" Armin asked Lando and Mikasa?
"No…" Mikasa said. "I think it's fine."
"Someone else can this time," Lando said.
The two fought for a while until they were completely tired out but their egos were too big so they kept fighting with very slow punches.
Levi slowly walked over to them.
"Hey." He said calmly before sending them both to the ground.
"You're all too damn rowdy," Levi explained. "Go to sleep."
Then Jean started to barf on the floor.
"And clean that up," Levi said.
"Yes, sir!" Everyone in there said.
Levi walked out after that and Lando made his way over to the door and left without anyone noticing. When Lando walked out there he saw that his Dad was nowhere to be found, so he looked around and eventually found him behind a door sitting down drinking something.
"Didn't I tell everyone to go to bed?" Levi said to Lando.
Lando sat down across from Levi.
"Having fun?" Lando asked.
"Lots of it," Levi said.
"Why are you out here?" Lando asked.
"Gatherings aren't really my thing," Levi said.
"You forced me to go inside," Lando said. "But you couldn't?"
Levi didn't say anything.
Lando sighed. "I made some new drawings if you wanna take a look."
"Sure," Levi said.
Lando slid his journal over to Levi who started looking at it.
"It's weird when I say it, but…" Lando heard a voice, he looked over and saw Eren, Mikasa, and Armin. "Shouldn't you guys watch out for me more?"
"I knew if you got hurt I would've healed up quick so I just watched," Armin said.
"That's so cruel," Eren exclaimed.
"You're the one who incited it," Mikasa said.
"But…" Armin said. "At least you're spunky again."
Eren looked down for a moment.
"I'm glad we met the Commandment," Eren said. "I..It doesn't…Whether I'm spunky or not, I'll do what I have to do. But, yeah…It's easier now. Kept thinking about stuff I can't change. And wondering why I couldn't be strong like Lando and Levi…I was jealous. But even Lando and the Captain…alone can't do much. Which is why we've gotta find the things we can do. And by joining together that's what makes us powerful. Every person is different. And it's all for times like this."
"I think you're right," Armin said with a smile.
"Once we retake Wall Maria ... .and defeat all the enemies coming for us…will they come back?" Mikasa asked. "Those days…"
"We'll bring it back," Eren said. "But some things are forever changed. We'll make them pay for that."
"Yeah," Mikasa said.
"But there's more than that," Armin said. "The sea…A salt lake so big that merchants could spend their whole lives and still not get all the salt. There's more than just Titans outside the walls. Fiery water, lands of ice, sandy snowfields…I joined the Scouts so I could see all of that."
"Y-Yeah," Eren said. "You sure did."
Armin looked like he was thinking then he jumped up.
"Right?!" He exclaimed. "Let's start by finding the sea! You still doubt it's real, Eren! You'll see! it does exist!"
"All right then," Eren said with a smile. "Guess we'll have to go see."
"It's a promise then!" Armin said. "You have to!"
"Yet another conversation only you two would get," Mikasa said.
"We can explore the outside world!" Armin said. "It's gotta be way bigger than inside the walls!"
"Okay, I get it," Eren said.
Lando looked over at Levi who had an expression on his face.
"You made a promise like that too huh?" Lando asked.
"You're too good at reading people," Levi said. "I did make a promise like that."
"I'm guessing they aren't around," Lando said.
"No, they're not," Levi said.
"Is it Furlan and Isabell?" Lando asked.
Levi looked over at Lando who held his arms up in innocence.
"Mom told me about them."
"Yes it was them…" Levi said.
"I know what it's like.." Lando said. "Me and Mom made promises that we never got to keep…"
"Yeah…" Levi said,
"And it doesn't get better over time…" Lando said.
"It doesn't…" Levi said.
The two sat in silence for a while, and Armin, Mikasa, and Eren had already walked away.
"The drawings were nice," Levi said.
"That and killing Titans are the only things I'm good at," Lando said.
"Speaking of which you should get to bed," Levi said. "We retake Wall Maria tomorrow."
"I guess…" Lando said.
Lando stood up and started to leave and when he was about to go.
"Lando," Levi said.
"Hm?" Lando asked.
"Goodnight, and thank you, and uh…I...I love you." Levi said.
Lando smiled.
"Love you too Dad."
End of Chapter 45.