She had woken up with a start, and upon doing so, she jolted up from the bed she had been on and gasped out in terror.
In an instant, a large handful of memories came flooding back to her. The whole debacle with the Female Titan… nay, with Annie Leonhardt, had returned to her in a moment's notice. She had… gotten in the way, to say the least, with her insistence on following Mikazuki to Sina via Barbatos having resulted in him getting heavily injured during the battle. She wasn't able to recount the events too well thanks to how her head was currently thumping, almost as though someone had hit her with a Mace.
Bringing a hand up to her head, Mina rubbed at her forehead and frowned heavily as she attempted to regain her bearings. Her vision spun as she attempted to refocus herself, and that in itself took some time, with her struggling to even sit upright as she propped herself up on one arm and pinched the bridge of her nose. Breathing in and out deeply several times over, Carolina slowly but surely steadied her racing heart and reopened her eyes after a few moments of this repetition, and when she did… she realized something rather… worrying as she widened her eyes at her surroundings.
Now that she was looking around herself with a clearer gaze, Mina realized that she was in a cell. One meant for prisoners… not soldiers. Widening her eyes at this, the girl took a cautious look around herself before pinching her arm to confirm whether or not she was hallucinating, and upon doing so, she heard a humorless and somewhat hollow chuckle ring out from outside her cell at the gesture.
"Don't bother doing that, kid. You're not dreaming… this whole mess you've got yourself into is legit," mused the voice of the other individual, prompting Mina to wince as she turned towards the speaker. When she had done so, she found herself locking eyes with Hanji Zoe, who stood by the opposite end of the cell bars, leaning against the wall with her arms crossed. She sounded so… tired, both in her voice and in her outwardly appearance, with her eyes bloodshot from stress and her hair messier than usual.
Seeing her superior made a small surge of energy pass through Mina as she tensed up and instinctively got ready to salute her, but at the same time, she wasn't sure what to do, exactly, so she just… idled a little, eliciting a small but mirthless smile from Hanji as she got off the wall and approached Carolina's cell. Getting in close, she brought a hand up and grabbed onto one of the bars of her cell.
"You remember what happened, don't you? Everything that occurred back in Sina. Don't answer, it's a rhetoric," began Hanji, with her eyeing Mina critically as she spoke. The aforementioned girl didn't like that look she was giving her… it was so un-Hanji-like to be this cold and direct with… anyone, really, though she wasn't willing to talk back to her, not yet, at least, as she bit her lip and nodded, prompting her superior to continue. "Then tell me, Mina Carolina, how much did you know about Annie's true nature beforehand?"
"True… nature? About her being able to turn into a Titan?" asked Mina for clarification, to which Hanji nodded solemnly.
"Yes. And please be truthful. The MPBs intend on interrogating you, should I fail to obtain any form of noteworthy information beforehand, so lying to me would be… counterproductive," confirmed Hanji, and at that, Mina had to wonder how long she had been standing there, waiting for her to wake up. She was almost touched by that, though she said nothing of it as she nodded lightly.
"W-Well… I didn't know anything about it. Honest! I just… well…" began Mina, only for her to trail off when she remembered something. Hanji tilted her head at this sudden shift in her demeanor, with her expecting her to follow up on it all the while, and much to her relief, Carolina did as such, with her shifting uncomfortably as she grimaced and spoke. "I… had a few suspicions, but… t-they never seemed p-plausible…"
"Suspicions. And you never brought them up with any of us?" stated Hanji, incredulous at this response. Mina winced at this, knowing that she had breached her superior's trust in her by keeping this information under wraps, but even so…
"I didn't want Annie to get into trouble! I… I'm sorry. Whatever punishment you have for me not sharing my suspicions, I… I-I will take f-f-full responsibility for it!" proclaimed Mina on impulse. Hanji was quick to shift her glasses up to the top of her head and pinch the bridge of her nose at this. She didn't know Mina all too well, but by all accounts, the girl was an honest and dependable soldier, according to Keith and Sys, and sue her, but she still had some bias towards Mikazuki, and Mina's words had been spoken with such conviction that it made it difficult to think she was lying.
"Calm down. No one's blaming you just yet, kid. We're not having you executed because of a suspicion you didn't share, but by that same virtue, I… I just need to tell you that you won't be walking out of here unscathed. I doubt the others will be satisfied to learn that I didn't get much of substance out of you, so they'll probably try to… coax you into speaking the truth. If not through threats, then through more… physical means," muttered Hanji, with her frowning lightly as she relayed this to Mina. the girl shrunk down a little as she acknowledged this, though she still nodded regardless, prompting Zoe to sigh as she turned to get ready to leave. "I… shouldn't linger. My job here is done, and I'll… try to get a good word in for you, kid."
And with that, the bespectacled woman began to make her leave, though before she could take more than two steps away from the bars, however…
"W-Wait! May I ask a question before you leave… ma'am…?" halted Mina, with her holding a hand out towards her superior as she spoke. Pausing at this, Hanji hummed and stopped her walking in favour of turning towards her fellow soldier, imprisoned or not, and noticing the sign to continue, Carolina continued; "Mikazuki… where-"
"That information is confidential… but… he is alive. Unconscious, but still very much alive. That is all I can share now, I'm afraid," responded Hanji, to which Mina felt her shoulders slump in relief. Mika was fine… he was alright…
"... and… Annie?"
The surprise was very much apparent on Hanji's face, however, when she heard her next question.
"Annie? You're still concerned over the traitor? Hah… well, she's alive. That's all I can share about her, so don't bother pressing the issue," mused Hanji, with her almost smiling as she waved Mina off. "Alright, I can't linger for too long. My reputation amongst the higher ups isn't all that good, after all, and if they get too annoyed, they could kick me out of Sina without a second thought!"
And with that, the bespectacled woman waved Mina off once more and marched out of the room, with the sound of a door slamming shut being audible moments later. Once she was gone, Mina was left to her own devices, with her bringing her knees up to her chest and hugging them closely as she tried to process her current situation.
Stuck in a cell, with the potential accusation of treason put against her, and having gotten in the way of her friend's battle… all of it was rather overwhelming to her as she dropped her head down onto her knees and sighed deeply.
'I'm such a fool. I shouldn't have followed Mika into the cockpit. I should've just stayed put, I… I should've just… I should've just stayed out of the way…' thought Mina sadly as she just… sat there. Silent.
She didn't know when tears began falling down her cheeks as she did so, but they did. The lack of sunlight peeking into her cell made it difficult to tell how much time had passed, but even so, she knew hours had gone by before she had lost consciousness.
And even if it was of no real comfort to her, the dreamless sleep she found herself in was still a good escape from her current situation…
Line break
"How's the kid?"
"Terrible. But she'll live."
Those were the words that Levi and Hanji had chosen to greet each other with as the latter entered the Sina office that had been readied for the higher ranking Survey Corp officials. Whilst a good majority of the individuals handling the aftermath of the battle between Barbatos and the Female Titan were MPBs or Garrison troops, many Survey Corps still remained behind of their own volition in order to assist in the clean-up operations. Others, however, had to stay out of obligation.
Amongst the latter group were Hanji, Levi, Mike and Erwin, the four key pillars of the Survey Corps, all of whom were asked to remain behind for varying reasons. Hanji in particular had been asked to check up on Annie after she had woken up and been interrogated, something that she was privy to as payback for what she had done to so many of her allies. Her meeting up with Mina earlier was just something she had been doing by the sidelines whilst waiting for Leonhardt to regain consciousness.
Considering how it has been two whole days since the end of the battle, Hanji was beginning to wonder if she would even wake up in the first place.
That aside, Levi and Mike had remained behind to guide the less experienced MPB members around Barbatos. Unlike the Survey Corps or the Garrison, the inner wall soldiers were unfamiliar with how the Gundam operated, and they were all incredibly hesitant to approach it, leaving Ackerman and Zacharius to do their job for them, much to their dismay.
Erwin had the toughest job out of the four, which was to be expected, honestly. As the Commander, he was the one held responsible for the actions of his subordinates, and considering how all of this had been planned out by him, the guy had a lot to answer for, especially when one took into account how much convincing he had done in the shadows to even get approval to set this plan into motion.
"Erwin?"
Blinking as his name was called, Erwin looked up from his desk in the room, with him frowning heavily as he focused on the speaker, Hanji, with a withered look. Zoe was definitely worried for him, as evident by the stare she was giving him, and it was for good reason. The feeling of hopelessness was already sinking into Smith, even as he tried to distract himself from the inevitable in regards to Mikazuki's fate, though at the same time, he tried to appear optimistic as he exhaled gently and smiled at Zoe, who could see through that false grin in an instant.
"Yes, Hanji?" mused Erwin as he watched the bespectacled woman move in and sit atop his desk. He would complain, but then again, this wasn't exactly his desk, so who cares? Levi himself huffed as he marched up to stand by the opposite end of the desk, frowning all the while. Of the three, Ackerman looked the least ragged, though that wasn't saying much.
Hanji had been pulling all-nighters as she was asked to be present in the event of Annie waking up for immediate testing after her interrogation was complete, and Erwin himself had been tasked with running through the many documents that required his signature in regards to payments for collateral damage. Hanji thought that she saw a slip that said something about potentially rescinding his rank of Commander, though Erwin was quick to catch her gaze and hide the document under all the others, much to her chagrin.
Levi in particular had been tasked with keeping watch of Barbatos through the night alongside his teammates and Squad Mike. The two Elite Squadrons tended to rotate around when it came to overlooking the Gundam, with Squad Levi taking morning shifts whilst Squad Mike took the night shifts, and seeing as how the sun was setting, it was now Zacharius' turn at the chopping block. Overseeing Barbatos was very much a job more suited to the MPB, who were the de facto guardians of the inner sanctums, though they were all too scared to do so, leaving it to the Survey Corps and Garrison to do their jobs for them.
'Bloody cowards,' thought Erwin with a grimace as he shook his head to dispel that thought. No, best to not think such things. Considering his current state of stress and exhaustion, he was likely to say it out loud as well, so best to not risk it…
"You doing alright? If you need another cup of coffee, I could get Petra to go get us another batch," offered Hanji, with her smiling lightly as she spoke. Erwin responded to this with a light smile, one that showed his appreciation more so than any words he could give, before he shook his head. Coffee did sound good right about now, but he didn't know if he deserved to feel that way, especially after all the failures that had offered in the past few weeks…
"Thank you, Hanji, but I'll pass. I just need to get a few more documents out before I can call it a day," assured Erwin with a smile. Hanji… had no idea how to respond to that as she nodded sadly and sighed deeply, though as for Levi, he rolled his eyes and crossed his arms.
"Sleep for two hours, presumably. The other brigades are working you half to death, Eyebrows," grunted Levi, with him glaring at Erwin as he spoke. The somewhat unsavoury nickname from his youth was more than enough to make Smith snort in amusement, though outside of that, he simply sighed as he sorted out another stack of documents that required his signature.
"They have reason to do so, Levi. I've made empty promises that never came to fruition, and ultimately, I cost them the lives of countless soldiers and hundreds in the form of damage reparations. This is probably the nicest they'll be to me for a long while," huffed Erwin, sounding somewhat resigned as he leaned forwards and began reading through this new batch of documents. Levi hated how defeated the guy sounded, though he spoke nothing of it as Hanji groaned and pinched the bridge of her nose.
"Either way… I'm assuming the other Commanders didn't take too kindly to your… failure?" muttered Hanji uncertainly, to which Erwin grimaced. Hanji wasn't far off in saying that, but there were a few that were, surprisingly, on his side.
Nile, for instance, did voice some small support for Erwin, especially after he had essentially helped minimise the damage that could've been done to Sina, but even that in itself was paper thin, with Dawke still clearly holding some resentment towards Smith for making promises he could not keep. Pixis offered no comment, even if he did stare at the blonde with some disappointment, and Zachary…
The guy had made it clear in a Military Tribunal that had taken place the day prior that he was… disappointed in Erwin's actions. Simply put, he had placed his faith in Smith's words, in the fact that Barbatos could be a key turning point in humanity's war against the Titans with its strength and speed, but after its lackluster performance amidst the Expedition, alongside its abysmal failure to subdue the traitor in Sina, he realized that, in his own words, his faith had been misplaced.
"Take a guess," grunted Erwin, annoyed as he signed off a document, and after tossing it into the pile of other signed documents, he continued on to read another, with him pointedly ignoring the looks of varying sympathy that his subordinates were giving him all the while.
"And how's the brat? The shorter one?" inquired Levi, with him shifting the conversation topic to a certain other person with relative ease. In response to this, Erwin glanced his way in annoyance.
"You already know that he's still unconscious, so I assume you want to know his fate?" clarified Erwin, and when he nodded in affirmation, Erwin grunted, signed another slip of paper, and continued. "He will be executed by the end of the month."
The gasp that rang out from Hanji and Levi's brows raising up slightly were good enough indications of their shock, though they were quick to realize that, in a way, this was to be expected. In the eyes of the military tribunal, and possibly the civilians they were meant to protect, both Mikazuki and Barbatos were dangerous, too dangerous to be allowed to live, and they had to be dealt with as soon as they lost their worth. To the Survey Corps, they had immense worth, but to everyone else, it was just a ticking time bomb that was waiting to explode and take all of them out with it.
Back during the brief for the plan to capture their target within Sina, Erwin had assured the higher ups that he would be able to pull this off without a hitch, and that, in the event of it being necessary to call him in, Barbatos would be able to take down the Female Titan within just a handful of seconds with minimal collateral damage and fatalities. He had assumed incorrectly… and now, he was being grilled by both his superiors and his fellow Commanders for making this mistake.
Zachary, however, had the final say in the fate of both Gundam and pilot, and all he cared to add on was this:
"That boy will be executed. And his machine… melted down for scrap. It has become clear to me that neither is of worth to us, and we will gain more from removing both of them."
Erwin had argued. Of course he had. He stated that the Gundam and its pilot had saved many lives during the Expedition, and, in spite of the heavy collateral damage, it had not put even a single person, be they soldier or civilian, in harm's way. It was still very much a tactical advantage, to keep it on the team… but the others had argued back, stating that, even with all the lives it had saved, the mechanical monster's performance was not up to par, and the decision to have both its pilot and the machine itself killed and melted down remained.
The decision was final, and all Erwin could do about it was wait. He could only wait as the day of Mikazuki's execution drew closer and closer, with him grimacing at the very thought of it all the while.
"So… that's it then, huh? Our best shot at victory… just… gone?" mused Hanji, with her sounding very much upset as she crossed her arms tightly. To this, Erwin… said nothing, though his silence was telling all on its own, and at that, Zoe slammed her fist into the top of his table, yelling out in anger all the while. "FUCK! Why can't these fucking IDIOTS see that the Gundam's our best shot at winning this?!"
"Because they're afraid," grumbled Levi, with him shaking his head as he spoke. Hanji and Erwin both glanced at him when he spoke, and seeing as how he had their attention, the diminutive man continued to speak. "We already know this, don't we? Only the Survey Corps and a small portion of the Garrison know what the brat and his tin can are both capable of. But the difference lies in the fact that we saw it firsthand.
"We've seen that damn thing topple Titans like it was nothing. It can fold an entire platoon of soldiers without even glancing their way, and even against one of those transforming Titans, it can tear them apart. That damn thing is a monster, and we all know it… but the fact that the brat's controlling it changes it up. There's a human element to that pile of junk, and that side of it makes it, at the very least, dependable on the battlefield."
"If that's the case… then why are they trying to destroy it? It's tough, sure, but it's tempered by a human heart, isn't it…?" asked Hanji, with her grimacing deeply as she spoke. For his part, Levi couldn't help but scoff at the question; Zoe might've been a seasoned Survey Corp, but she was still naive, and whether it be intentional or not, the woman had turned a blind eye to the darker parts of the human heart.
Admirable in a weird way, but at the same time, not the most desirable quality to have.
"Because controlling a heart isn't easy," butted in Erwin, with him grimacing as he leaned forwards and rested his elbows on the table. "The higher ups want a machine that can do nothing but destroy Titans and get them results. Barbatos can do both, but in their eyes, Mikazuki Augus is stopping it from reaching its full potential, and because only he can control it, him being a liability therefore makes Barbatos a liability as well, and as with most things, they're going to cut that liability loose before it can affect them directly."
"What they're asking for is a Titan, not a soldier, dammit!" proclaimed Hanji, enraged at this revelation as she got off the table and slammed her palm onto its surface. Levi flinched a tiny bit but still found himself agreeing with that statement whilst Erwin remained mostly unphased. "So what, they're gonna kill the guy off… because he's not the obedient little controller that they want him to be?! That's fucked up!"
"I… agree, but even so, in a way, I can understand their train of thought," admitted Erwin, with him frowning heavily as he spoke. At this, both his compatriots gave him expressions that perfectly encapsulated their shock, though before either could protest, or before Hanji could protest rather, Smith held a hand up to stay them. "I do not agree with them. I can simply understand where some of them are coming from."
"You have a minute," grumbled Hanji, annoyed, and for all it was worth, she got a gulp out of Erwin as he nodded and continued.
"To them, Barbatos is a powerful force, and that's where it ends. We members of the Survey Corps, however, know better. Barbatos, if anything, is just a weapon, and Mikazuki is its wielder. The weapon is oftimes just as powerful as the hand that wields it, and try as it might, it will never shoot something its wielder does not want it to," explained Erwin, with him frowning lightly as he spoke. Both Hanji and Levi seemed a little perplexed by his wording at first, though as the seconds ticked by, the former seemed to get it a little as she hummed and rubbed at her chin.
"Mikazuki's only so strong… kid's tough, but even he has limits. Physically and, evidently enough, emotionally," muttered Hanji. Her tone of voice wasn't sad, but it wasn't particularly upbeat either. Somewhere in between, perhaps. "When he realized that he was fighting his friend, he must've been devastated, even without his other friend sitting on his lap through it all."
"Hmph, either way, we still need to ask the question of when he figured out the traitor's identity," stated Levi, with him grunting as he changed the topic lightly, to which Erwin scowled.
"I discussed the matter with Mike beforehand and he told me that he noticed a slight change in his behaviour after the expedition," supplied Erwin, to which Hanji flinched.
"And he didn't tell us…? Neither Mikazuki nor Mike?" muttered Hanji sadly, to which Erwin waved her off.
"Mike had originally suspected that he was recovering from the Expedition. First timers tend to get like that, after all," said Erwin in defense of Mike. "And Mikazuki… if it is true that he knew about Annie's betrayal of humanity, or at least suspected it… I doubt that he'd turn her in until he had no other choice."
"... would that be considered treason?" inquired Hanji worriedly, to which Erwin frowned.
"... yes. It would, which is why I do not wish to let anyone else know of this. Mikazuki is already set to be executed, but it is possible to perhaps belay that command. I just need more time to work on a defense for him," mumbled Erwin. "Should word of his treason come to light… whatever chance he has for walking out of this alive would be null and void."
"... sometimes I wish that those two never showed up," grumbled Levi after a few moments of silence, with him crossing his arms as Hanji gave him a bewildered look. Erwin seemed ambivalent to his words, though more so for Zoe's sake, he explained himself. "The damn brat solved a lotta problems, sure, but he's also a problem in himself. We know jack shit about him, and the other brigades won't stop staring at us with a critical eye because of him."
"Yeah, so what? You'd rather us revert back to the status quo of just throwing our men at the Titans and hoping that we'll win that way?" argued Hanji. Her tone of voice was heated, that much was clear, and it made Levi pause as he heard her out. "It's obvious to me how we weren't getting anywhere before the Gundam appeared and joined us. We were just marching to our deaths, but no one was willing to point that out. We were meant to be beacons of hope for the general populace, soldiers that would win us this fucking war, but we weren't winning jack shit!
"And then… in comes Barbatos, a war machine that can win us this war. A beacon of hope for soldiers fighting a hopeless battle. I can only imagine how many lives have been saved thanks to it just being here, how many families can rest easier knowing that their sons or daughters are still alive. And you want to imagine a world without it just because it makes paperwork easier? You must be some sort of body double, cos the Levi I know would not say such a thing!"
"Fuck off, Four Eyes, I'm just speaking my mind," snapped Levi, with there being a little more heat in his voice than usual as he scowled at his fellow soldier. "That brat's good, but he still fucked up on a lot of aspects, and I'm not gonna hold back on smack talking him."
Opening her mouth, Hanji was ready to form a retort in regards to how Levi should at least try to sugarcoat his words, especially to a young man that had so little to lose at this point, though before he could do so, Erwin slammed his palms onto the table he was sitting behind and stood up so forcefully that his chair toppled behind him. Both Levi and Hanji paused at this, with them glancing over at Smith… only to pause when they saw just how annoyed he seemed to be.
Well, not annoyed. More stressed than anything.
"That is enough! There are more than enough issues for us to be dealing with at the moment, and the last thing we need is for the two of you to be bickering like children!" proclaimed Erwin, with him grimacing deeply as he spoke. In response to this, both Zoe and Ackerman nodded and reluctantly broke off from their argument, with neither having seen Smith this stressed or upset before, though the commander seemed to notice how he had been a little too harsh, as he sat back down and sighed to himself. "I apologise…"
"No, it's fine. Stress' getting to all of us, y'know? Honestly, I'm surprised you hadn't snapped at us earlier!" laughed Hanji awkwardly, scratching the back of her neck all the while. Ah… she wasn't wrong, honestly. There were a few times when Erwin had almost lost it in the past two days, be it during meetings with the other Commanders or whenever he saw a document berating him or his subordinates for his failings. The guy had been on the razor's edge for quite some time, and it was amazing that he only just snapped.
That aside, not much else was said between the three as Erwins sorted through the documents before him, though as the sun set, Levi himself had moved over to the sole window in the room and peered out of it, with him frowning deeply all the while.
"... the repairs for the damages on Sina are going rather smoothly, huh?" mused Levi absentmindedly, to which the other two present glanced his way, and moments later, Hanji's face fell a little more than usual as she nodded. Erwin… chose not to comment on it, as he was aware of how 30% of the Regiment Funds pumped out to repair Sina was being averted to repairing the damages dealt to it amidst the brawl between Gundam and Titan.
The final strike dealt to Annie was a devastating one, with Barbatos having dragged her up the side of Sina before slamming her back down to the ground. The impact on its own had probably overturned several buildings, but the damage to Sina itself had been the most severe.
However, the most damaged portion of the Wall had been near the apex of the structure, where a massive hole could be seen curving outwards. It was large, ugly and very much in need of repairs… but before said repairs could be underwent, many a soldier had been able to stare into the interior of the Wall…
… and from within it, something had stared back.
"... we're… not gonna like, talk about that, huh?" mused Hanji as Levi and Erwin turned to glance at her. The former didn't seem too interested in doing so, outwardly at least, but inwardly he really did wish to know what the fuck was inside these blasted Walls that were protecting them, especially after what he saw back then, though as for Erwin…
"That… is an issue for another time, Hanji. For now, we must focus on rebuilding Sina and then on Mikazuki's potential execution," hummed Erwin, to which Hanji nodded solemnly. She seemed to understand his sentiment, but it didn't stop her from feeling restless about the matter. Levi, noticing this, grumbled and moved towards her, motioning for her to follow him all the while.
"Whatever. Either way, shit's currently fucked, and all we can do is watch and wait while Eyebrows unfucks it up. Best to not disturb him in the process," mused Levi as he motioned for his four eyed friend to follow him. At that, Hanji, somewhat reluctantly, left the place with him, with her giving Erwin a two fingered salute all the while. Smith seemed a little upset that they were leaving, but considering their duties and how late it currently was, he supposed it was to be expected.
A few seconds after they had left, Erwin clasped his fingers together and leaned his forehead against his knuckles, grumbling lightly all the while. His stress was reaching a boiling point by now, and unfortunately enough, he didn't have an outlet to release it. Thankfully enough, however, the Commander had enough experience in keeping his emotions suppressed, and as such, he was able to bottle up all his stress, for now, as he simply groaned, got up and leaned back away from his table.
Lolling his head off the backrest of his chair, Erwin simply sighed as he regathered his bearings and got back to work…
"Good grief…"
Mike didn't like this. Not one bit.
Two days had passed, and in those two days… not much had really happened, honestly. Nothing that was good, anyways. The decision to have Mikazuki executed had been told to him incredibly early, more so because he was the primary overseer for Augus, and when he had heard this… the Elite couldn't help but scowl at the prospect.
He… tried his best to defend Mikazuki, but it was mostly for naught as Zachary had made his mind up by then, and there was no use trying to dissuade him. At best, Mike had only really delayed his execution, as Dalis did still wish to interrogate Mikazuki when he had woken up, whenever that would be, though after his interrogation, he would certainly have his head on the chopping board, which was… less than ideal, to say the least.
Not only that, though, but…
"Hey! Wouldn't some explosives work better in tearing this apart?"
"Do you WANT to test your luck with this monster?!"
… the MPB, the braver ones, anyways, were already here, trying to melt the Gundam down for spare parts, though considering its size, they couldn't exactly just throw it into a furnace and have it melted down. Frowning deeply as he turned towards Barbatos' slumped over form, the Elite ignored the tentage that had been formed around it and watched as a few of the soldiers made attempts at ripping into the unit's armour. The Nanolaminated paint made it resilient to their strikes, but after continuous chipping and attacks, and dozens of broken blades, the soldiers were able to break off a tiny portion of the unit's armour, just not big enough to warrant so many blades being wasted in the process.
For now, however, they would scale things back and work on breaking the Gundam down bit by bit. The method with explosives was the most viable option as of now, but considering how durable the unit was, the soldiers reckoned that they'd blow all of Sina up before they did Barbatos. By all means, Mike was glad for this, as it meant that, even if Mikazuki were to be gone, at least some part of him would remain. It was a dark way to see things but… it was the best he could offer at the moment.
Of course, there were talks of breaking it into bits with the Wall mounted cannons, though it was best not to think about that…
"They're still at it, huh?" hummed Gelgar from his spot in the compound holding Barbatos, catching Mike's attention as he turned to glance at the guy. The pompadour haired man seemed a little uneasy by the efforts the MPB were putting into destroying the Gundam, but still, he supposed that they were probably taking bets on who could destroy it fastest, winner take all, and regardless of who won, the soldier wasn't looking forward to learning if they could tear it apart.
Right as he said that, however, the soldiers present all heard the sound of reinforced glass being shattered, and moments later, they all turned to see that a single MPB had managed to break the glass lights on the Gundam's left knee. Upon doing so, he whooped victoriously before stabbing his sword into the now exposed portion of the unit's knee and wiggled the blast around to perhaps stab into something within…
… though moments thereafter, the Gundam's optics abruptly blared to life, if only for a split second, unnoticed to everyone but Mike himself, and sent a powerful shock through the MPB soldier's blade and up into his body, causing him to convulse and fall from his spot on the unit's knee. Screaming out in pain, he began falling and hit the ground with a loud thump, with his body convulsing lightly as he took in several gasps of air.
The other soldiers present were all quick to rush to his aid before they ushered him out of the compound and off to get some medical attention, and before long, only Squad Mike and a few Garrison soldiers remained to guard the Gundam in its unmoving state. Raising a brow as he observed this, Mike silently wondered if that was supposed to happen… though he didn't think too much of it as he watched a Garrison soldier march up to him.
He recognised her as Rico Brzenska, a reliable young woman and a soldier that owed a lot to Barbatos and Mikazuki.
As a Garrison, regardless of her status as an Elite, Rico had been unable to get any solid information in regards to Mikazuki outside of the fact that he was, presumably, still alive. The same applied to her fellow Elites, Ian and Mitabi, and it seemed to be riling them up. They did have an out in this situation, however, and it came in the form of Mike. Brzenska seemed to have been waiting for the perfect opportunity to approach him, and seeing as how the MPB soldiers were all in a panic as they tried to get their comrade some medical treatment (with some of them thinking that Barbatos was attacking them and fleeing, funnily enough), Rico reckoned that now was a good enough time to approach her fellow soldier.
"Mike," greeted Rico as she stood head-to-shoulder with the aforementioned man, who nodded.
"Rico," echoed Mike, and at that, she continued.
"Regarding the boy…"
"Last I checked, he is well. Just unconscious. That fight must've taken a lot out of him."
"... that's a relief. In truth, I had expected them to kill him whilst he was still unconscious."
The worry behind Rico's words was apparent. They hadn't much of a chance when it came to interacting directly with one another, but Brzenska still owed the pilot her life after he had not only assisted in retaking Trost, but also in saving the lives of her fellow Garrison Elite. The least she could've done was worry for him… and for all it was worth, on Mikazuki's behalf, Mike appreciated the concern.
"They will not. Even if the MPB are irrationally wary of him, they are still keen on learning more about his Gundam before they have him executed."
"Executed…?! That's… news to me."
"Yes. It is, and I hope it stays with you and no one else. Outside of perhaps Ian and Mitabi, at least."
"... it is an irrational move."
"People tend to do stupid things when scared, and the MPB are terrified of the potential Barbatos holds."
"Even after it proved itself during the Trost incident?"
"Especially after it proved itself back then. It proved itself stronger than any soldier on the battlefield, and such raw and uncontrollable strength poses a threat to the way of life within Sina."
"So the higher ups want to snuff out both man and machine to maintain the status quo? How pathetic… can we do nothing to stop this?"
"We have tried. But the Tribunal does not care. Even Zachary has started to see Mikazuki and Barbatos as a liability to all of us."
"So he… he approved of his execution and the Gundam's termination?!"
"... yes…"
"I… I see…"
"..."
"..."
Not much else was said between the two as they went back to their usual silence, with Rico silently fuming at the decision made by Dhalis while Mike stood in silent acceptance. Staring up at Barbatos, Zacharius clenched one of his fists tightly to the point of having his knuckles whitening as he held back a scowl. Mikazuki and Barbatos had underperformed… that in itself was clear to him… but with that being said, Mike still found it hard to blame them completely for this.
No man was an island, after all, and even with something as fantastical as Barbatos under his belt, Mikazuki could only do so much on his own. The Survey Corps, whilst having trusted him, might have relied just a little too much on him during the expedition, with a good chunk of Erwin's plan to capture Annie back then having hinged almost solely on the Gundam rather than the strength of the entire formation as a whole. Zacharius had turned a blind eye to this back in the meeting room all those months back, with him having complete faith in Smith back then, but now that the results were out, he couldn't help but frown at his superior's decisions.
Hindsight was always perfect, he supposed. Perhaps he should've been a little more vocal during those meetings. If he altered the plan, if only by a little… he could've probably changed this outcome. Gah… no point in thinking about that now, he reckoned. What-ifs were not a part of Mike's forte, and looking back wasn't either. He'd just march onwards without regret, for that was what a Survey Corp was to do.
"Uh, Captain… sir?"
Blinking a little as he snapped out of his trance-like state, Mike turned to see a Garrison soldier standing behind him with an awkward look on his face. Rico turned towards him and raised a brow, and at that, they looked at each other. Both herself and Mike were at the rank of Captain, so they had no idea who he was referring to, and upon noticing this, the younger soldier gulped and pointed at Mike, who grunted, a sign for him to continue speaking.
"Uh… we managed to subdue a junior soldier-"
"Was it Nac Tias again…?"
"... yes sir."
"... take me to him."
"... yes sir…"
And without another word, Mike Zacharius, growing somewhat annoyed at how this was the third time in two days, followed the younger Garrison soldier onwards as he led him to where they were holding Nac Tias once more.
Nac Tias had been in several pickles in the past… and in truth, none of them could even compare to the one he's been in now.
"Once more, Nac Tias…"
Titans, he could handle. Superiors being dicks… he could deal with. Mina, Annie and, on occasion, Mikazuki asking him for some spare change on occasion to get a snack? Okay he probably couldn't handle that all the time, but still…
"We must ask…"
Basically, Nac, despite his average physique and even average-er ranking amidst his fellow soldiers, could handle just about anything; he was a Survey Corp for a reason, after all.
"Why…"
But what he couldn't handle, however…
"... were you found trying to break into the office of Nile Dawke? For the third time this week, no less?"
… was the fact that he did not know the fate of his friends!
Grimacing as he processed his interrogator's words, the usually calm, collected, cheerful and endlessly patient Nac Tias leaned forwards in his chair, leaning into the table no less, and set both his hands atop the aforementioned table, where he scowled so deeply that even the MPB interrogator flinched at him. Good; Tias wasn't in the mood to be his usual polite self. He was here for answers, dammit!
"You already know why, sir! I just want to know what happened to Mina, Annie and Mikazuki!" proclaimed Nac, with him grimacing as he acknowledged how many times he had made this demand. He was reaching his boiling point by now, as he had asked countless individuals, ranging from common foot soldiers to some higher ups. He had even managed to get a brief audience with Erwin at one point to ask him about this, though all he got was a sad smile and an apology, with Smith stating that it's confidential before moving on.
All of those responses only served to embolden Nac into finding the truth… and he had attempted to do so by breaking into Commander Nile's office.
Thrice.
All three attempts had failed, and now that the soldiers were sure that he wasn't going to stop trying until he got some sort of answer, they had a choice; to answer him… or to lock him up indefinitely.
What they went for was rather obvious, as evident by how the boy was now being held in a room that was barely illuminated by a handful of torches. The interrogation process was practically just a formality at this point, as they knew what the tall dude was trying to find by now, and even he knew this, and as such, he wasn't even going to bother to pretend to be nice with them like he did the first two times.
"As we stated in the past, Nac Tias, we cannot reveal anything in regards to Annie Leonhardt, Mina Carolina or Mikazuki Augus. Information behind them is highly confidential, so please-"
"No, shut your goddamn mouth, damn you! I'm their friend, so the least you could do is tell me whether or not they're alright and let me see them!" protested Nac. His interrogator seemed perturbed, especially when Tias had lumped Annie, of all people, in with his friends, though he dismissed this quickly with a sigh.
"I have made it clear that I cannot divulge any information behind these three individuals, so if you'll please-"
"OH FUCK YOU!"
Yelling out in anger as he said this, Nac pulled at his hair and began convulsing around in a rage. He seemed to be at the absolute end of his rope… not that anyone could really blame him on that, and after a few moments of spazzing out, the young soldier slammed his head into the table, making an audible bang sound that caused the soldier to flinch. He remained this way for a handful of moments before his shoulders began to shudder, and seconds later, his interrogator saw that he was sobbing.
"Just… fucking tell me, please… they're the only ones I've got, the only ones mum has in this world aside from myself… I just want to know if they're alright… please…"
His voice was that of a broken man, someone that just wanted answers at this point, and the man sharing the room with him would've been lying if he claimed to not feel some form of sympathy towards him. With that being said, however, his duty still came first, and by all means, he was going to keep his vow of silence, even if he felt rather bad for Nac by now, so with no small amount of sadness in his heart, he shook his head and opened his mouth to deny him of this…
… though before he could do so, the door to the room squeaked open, prompting him to turn towards it and spot…
"Captain…?"
Mike Zacharius stood behind him, seeming mostly neutral as he motioned for him to get up and get lost. Flinching a little at his wordless demands, the soldier opened his mouth to retort to his superior, with him wishing to state that he had been assigned here in the first place, but Mike cut him off with a cold glare, one that reminded the soldier of his place in the chain of command, before he reluctantly nodded and left. With him out of the way, Zacharius moved in and sat on the seat that his subordinate once occupied, and moments later, he grunted, a gesture for Nac Tias to lift his head, which he did.
"You wish to know about Mikazuki Augus, Annie Leonhardt and Mina Carolina, yes?"
"C-Captain…?!"
"Well, I can tell you about them, kid."
And to that, Nac, despite his current emotional turmoil, couldn't help but smile as he processed his words. And for all it was worth, seeing the younger soldier beam so widely almost made Mike smile himself. Still though, as his superior, Mike had to maintain an air of authority over him, and as things were now, he kept his usual demeanor as he watched Tias straighten his back, wipe at his eyes before hastily saluting him.
In truth, Mike was impressed by how Nac had not forgotten his manners, especially after he had yelled so loudly at the other superior, though he didn't dwell too much on it as the guy greeted him, only for Zacharius to cut him off before he could finish.
"At ease, soldier. No need for formalities, not right now, at least," mused Mike, cutting his junior off lightly as he spoke. Nac loosened up a fair bit at this, a good sign, Mike reckoned, as he shook his head and continued. "Alright kid, I'll cut to the chase; you want information regarding three individuals, yes?"
"Y-Yeah, I do! Whatever you need in return, I'll offer it, sir! I can't give much, but I'll still do my best to deliver! Money, manpower, Hell, even fucking… I dunno, a portion of my fingers! Just say the word and they'll be yours!" proclaimed Nac without hesitation. His dedication to his friends wasn't too much of a surprise to Mike, who had read reports that spoke of Tias' loyalty in the past, but he was still a little taken aback by the lengths the young man was willing to go to protect them.
Hell, not even protect them! He just wanted to know if they were alright!
"Cool it. None of that will be necessary; I'm willing to tell you about their conditions, though you must swear to me this: you will tell no one about this, am I understood?" stated Mike seriously. Nac could sense the seriousness in his tone; he sounded more serious now than he did whilst on the field, though he didn't let it deter him as he nodded firmly, eliciting a chuckle from Zacharius all the while. "Good."
"Currently, Mina Carolina is still very much alive. I can't tell you where she is or what her fate will be, but rest assured, she is alright."
Frowning deeply as she pulled her knees up to her chest, Mina draped the covers of the blanket over her shoulders as she suppressed a soft sob. The turmoil that came with what had happened in Sina all those days prior had come back to her tenfold after she had awoken from her nap, and it… didn't bode well with her whatsoever.
"I assume I can't visit her, Captain?"
Outside her cell, a pair of MPB soldiers grumbled as they listened in on her whining, with one mumbling about potentially shutting her up as he moved towards the door to her cell, though he was quickly stopped when a third individual cleared his throat.
"That is correct. But rest assured, we have some of our own watching out for her."
Over by the far side of the room stood Eld Gin, seeming annoyed at the sudden movement of his fellow soldier as he leaned against the wall, arms crossed and with an irritated look on his face. Glaring at the guard, the man sent a silent message to him, one that was duly noted as the MPB shuddered and stepped back, something that made him scoff before he glanced back towards Mina, who curled up deeper into a ball as she tried to properly process the fact that, on a technical level, she was now a traitor to humanity.
Eld… had no proper opinion on this, as they had not been able to interrogate either Mikazuki or Annie on this, but even so… he wasn't willing to give Mina any sympathy until he was sure that she was on their side. The least he could do was keep watch over her, however, at the command of his Captain, and if he had to make sure a few punks stayed away from the emotionally crippled girl until further notice, then so be it!
"Well… that's a relief."
"Regarding Annie Leonhardt… she is currently being held in an underground bunker. That is all I can reveal at the moment."
"I… I see… i-is she a-alive?"
"... yes."
"A-Alright… that's good to hear."
For all it was worth… Hanji's eyes, in spite of the anger, hatred and pure, unadulterated malice reflecting within them, still shone with no small amount of pity as she observed Annie Leonhardt's limp body through a small window on her cell door.
"I must say, Nac Tias; I am surprised to hear that you are still worried for Annie Leonhardt, even after all that she's done to hurt us."
"... what can I say? My friends and I… we share a special connection, I suppose."
To say that the soldiers were keeping her locked up like an animal would've been a massive understatement. The room they had shoved her in was a repurposed penitentiary that had been shut down decades prior; Zoe would rather not think about who had been locked up here in the past, and the living conditions were even worse than worst! Them being a few dozen meters underground made the temperature a lot colder than she was comfortable with, and the cell Leonhardt was confined to was absurdly small and unsanitary.
Annie herself had her hands restrained in manacles to prevent her from attempting to transform, not that doing so would do her any good as the cramped space made it a dumb move regardless. There was just barely enough space in that damn cell to fit two more people, and Hanji silently wondered if the higher ups had intentionally shoved her into such a cell.
'They're giving me just enough space to carve this girl apart when she wakes up. How thrilling… I get to dissect a proper Titan Shifter for a change… this oughta be a dream come true for me!' thought Hanji as her mind attempted to wander once more. It attempted to find that enthusiasm it once felt when the prospect of performing research on Eren was still a fresh idea, or when she had managed to get Mikazuki to show her Barbatos… but alas… she was incapable of doing so. Instead… '
'But why… why do I feel so empty about this…?'
And right as she thought of this, the bespectacled woman blinked when she thought she heard some groans coming from inside the cell.
"Hm… either way, as for Mikazuki Augus, he is currently being held under maximum lockdown. It should do your psyche some good to know that his conditions are not as severe as Annie Leonhardts."
Frowning lightly as she observed Mikazuki's prone body, the nurse that had been called in to keep an eye on him couldn't help but feel a little nervous as she watched over the young man.
It felt… strange, to see him up close and personal. As a member of the medical staff within the MPB (not to mention that she was the only medical personnel that was willing to volunteer to keep an eye on the kid), the nurse had been fed rumors in regards to how the boy acted; everyone claimed that he was either a lapdog to Erwin, akin to how Levi and Mike were, or that he was just a monster waiting to stab them in the back. Suffice to say… the pilot wasn't talked about in the most caring of manners, and in truth, when she had volunteered to watch over him when no one else would, the nurse felt no small amount of terror at what she was about to get herself into.
When she had walked in on Mikazuki's unconscious form, the nurse had expected him to just spring to life and choke her out without warning, and as if she had sensed her worries, Nanaba, who was with her at the time, assured her that Augus would do no such thing, though it did little to ease her worries. The medical specialist really did think that the young man was a monster in human skin.
But as the days dragged on, and as the junior soldier laid there, motionless save for the occasional tilt of his head and the up and down movement of his chest, something occurred to the young woman…
"Mikazuki… he's… still out cold?"
"Yeah, he is. Under constant surveillance and given medical attention, though, so you don't need to worry about him on that front."
"Thank goodness… I was worried that the MPB would try to fuck him over in some way. They seem to forget that, well… he…"
… Mikazuki, despite his speciality and how he piloted a Gundam, was human, just like the rest of them, and like all humans, he was vulnerable.
It would've been so easy to just… smother him in his sleep, but as things were now, the nurse was content with fixing him back up to full health. She wasn't the best at her job; she had only risen to her current position less than two years prior, but she was by no means an amateur either, and with minimal issue, she was able to locate a few injuries and get them patched up. The worst that she had to fix was a cracked collarbone, specifically the right collarbone, which needed a splint to allow it to heal properly.
That aside, she had to place the boy's entire right arm in a cast as well. She had felt around for injuries, and she winced when she could feel several minor fractures within. None of them would heal without external aid, so she provided as much as she could before stepping back to allow time to mend his injuries. It was, admittedly, a little comical, seeing the somewhat diminutive young man with his arm held in a cast that was made for someone that was probably 50% taller than he was… but that wasn't really important at the moment.
The last thing the medical specialist did was seal up a small handful of injuries that were located all around his body via stitching. Thankfully enough, there weren't all too many that needed stitches; a few on his left arm and just a tiny bit on his back and chest. Whilst closing his wounds, however, the medic did notice how there were dozens of other old wounds all around his small frame, making her wonder…
'What exactly gave you these injuries…?'
… best to not pry, she supposed. Curiosity was one thing, but digging too deep into another person's history without their consent was a whole other issue all on its own, and even if he was branded a traitor by a majority of the active Military Brigades, she wasn't willing to see him as less human than she was and violate his privacy, even if he was out cold.
"Is he doing alright, doc?"
"!"
The sudden voice of Gelgar, accompanied by the sound of the cell door closing behind her, snapped the medical specialist out of her trance-like state, and rather instantaneously, she turned to spot the aforementioned soldier, plus Lynne, entering into the room. The female Survey Corp wasted no time in moving to Mikazuki's side to check on his condition, though as for the guy, he stood by the doc and stared at her expectantly.
"Oh! Well… Mikazuki Augus seems fine, for now. The worst of his injuries have been covered up by now, and all the minor ones that run the risk of infection have been sealed shut," assured the medic sheepishly as she scratched the back of her neck. Gelgar seemed to take her words at face value as he sighed and nodded, though not long after, he grumbled to himself.
"And what about him not waking up, though?" asked Gelgar, to which the nurse winced.
"Mikazuki Augus' injuries will heal, but mentally… he is no doubt exhausted. The mind needs as much rest as the body, you know? And considering how long he's been out for, it seems as though Mikazuki has been exhausted, both physically and mentally, for quite some time."
"Geh! That's a load of baloney right there! Think if I slapped him, he'll-"
"Gelgar, play nice."
The mild scolding from Lynne stung Gelgar quite a bit, but still, he took the hit and shut himself up. At the same time, the older soldier sighed as she placed the back of her hand against Mikazuki's forehead, only to sigh in relief when she confirmed that he wasn't running a fever.
"Don't mind him. Gelgar's just worried for Mikazuki, but he's too much of a man to show it," joked Lynne with a grin. Her teasing smile was almost enough to break her fellow soldier as he flinched at her words, though before he could retort, the medic chuckled lightly and held a hand up to her lips.
"I see… this boy must mean a lot to your team if you're all willing to make occasional stops to see him. I reckon security is tired of asking for your reasons for visiting and just letting you pass at this point," smiled the medic, with her recalling how, over the course of the past three days, the members of Team Mike had come to check up on Mikazuki. The doc wasn't here for all the visits, of course, but over the course of the past three days, she had seen all members of the squad rolling up to check on the pilot… barring Gelgar, anyways, as this was the first time she's seen him here.
At one point, she did see Levi, alongside Hanji and Petra, sitting by the pilot's bed, with all three of them just observing him silently. Nothing much was really said as they stared down at the young man with varying looks of sadness, though before they had left, Petra Ral had left a red flower by the bedside table as a sign of goodwill before departing. It was a sweet gesture, the nurse reckoned.
"Well, it's the least we can do at this point. You're an MPB, so you know what fate awaits him… and even if it breaks my heart to admit it, we probably won't be able to rescue him from being fired upon by soldiers that see him as just a failed weapon," bemoaned Lynne, with her shaking her head lightly as she spoke. Gelgar rolled his eyes at that, with him finding his superior's little speech to be… alright, for the lack of a better word, but still… "When Mikazuki Augus was put under our care, I, personally, made a vow to protect this kid."
"Because of his power?" asked the doc for clarification, only for Lynne to chuckle.
"Well, yes, but also because, well… he's my junior. The kid's Gundam was only part of the reason as to why I wanted to keep him safe. A lot of other soldiers see him as just some weapon, and honestly, I kinda did at first too, but still, I eventually figured that, well, he's…"
"Like us," mused the medic, with her staring down at Mikazuki's unconscious form with a sad look in her eyes. Lynne and Gelgar were surprised by her interruption, though they said nothing as the doc continued. "He has a unique power that only he can access, but at the end of the day, he's only human. He has hopes and dreams, he feels pain and sorrow… he bleeds the same blood as we do, and like most of us… he'll die eventually. Under all the rumors… and under all that metal on his Gundam, he's still a person, just like us. That's what you were trying to say, right?"
"Yeah, just about," mused Lynne, with her grinning lightly as she spoke. Meanwhile, Gelgar scoffed a little as he moved over to the bedside table rather lazily. The medic tracked his movements closely as she grew curious about what his intent was, and much to her surprise, the Elite soldier ended up pulling a small flower out of his jacket before setting it down onto the table. The flower that Petra had left behind some time ago laid motionless beside it, and Gelgar didn't think to comment on its presence as he set his own down by its side.
"A little surprising, though. I thought you'd see him as some sorta monster or something, just like how almost everyone that's not a Survey Corp does," hummed Gelgar, sounding a little respectful of the doctor as he spoke. In response to this, the MPB medic simply smiled lightly.
"Not everyone in the MPB is as narrow minded as you'd think, sir," grinned the medic, eliciting a flinch from Gelgar as he scrunched his face up in defeat. At the same time, Lynne let out a light cackle.
"She's got you there, Gelgar," smiled Lynne, to which Gelgar lightly swatted the top of his superior's head in annoyance.
"Can it!" growled Gelgar, annoyed, though moments later, he recomposed himself and pinched the bridge of his nose, and at that, he continued. "But… whatever! Listen, doc, when the brat eventually wakes up, you tell Mike first, alright? Tell no one else but him. He's got a soft spot for the midget at this point, not that he'd ever admit it."
"Well, in all fairness, we have all become rather fond of this boy by now. Some of us just refuse to accept that," grinned Lynne, eliciting a blush from Gelgar as he silently acknowledged how Mikazuki had grown on him after he had been assigned to watch over his sorry ass for the past few months. As of now, it seemed as though only him and Henning were unwilling to accept that they were growing to like Augus' presence, and even if they denied it vehemently, they were still torn over the fact that the higher ups wanted him dead.
"Shush, you…" mumbled Gelgar as he brushed a hand through his hair, and at that, he grumbled and moved to leave the cell. "But my first point still stands, you got that? Get in touch with us the moment he wakes up. Not your superiors, not the other MPB members, but Squad Mike, you got that? We'll compensate you for your cooperation if you do."
"That is very generous of you, Gelgar, but considering how frequently your teammates visit Mikazuki Augus… I doubt that it would be necessary," hummed the medic, and as a bit of a jab, she added: "as a matter of fact, I believe the one that goes by Henning had only just left the cell about… three hours before the two of you entered."
"Henning? Never thought he'd willingly visit Mikazuki under any circumstances," mused Lynne with a smile. Gelgar grinned at this, with him silently acknowledging how he had gotten some new blackmail material for the youngest member of the team, though he kept that to himself for the time being as he shrugged and motioned for his superior to follow him in leaving.
"Well, he's a big softy under that grouchy exterior of his, and this more or less confirms it," laughed Gelgar, eliciting a roll of Lynne's eyes as she got up from her spot beside Mikazuki and stretched a little before following her fellow Elite out of the room. Before doing so, however, she did spare the pilot one last squeeze on the shoulder and a few words of comfort, not that they would do him any good, she reckoned, but it was still something.
"Like you're one to talk, Mister I bought the flowers that signify health and security Gelgar," snickered Lynne, to which Gelgar grumbled and began defending himself vehemently, so much so that the medic could still hear their bickering, even after they had long since left the room. Their energy was something that she grew somewhat envious of, but even so… she didn't let her mind dwell too much on that as she turned back towards Mikazuki and sighed softly to herself. "But either way, doc, keep an eye on the kid. He's… important to us."
"You got it. It's the least I can do right now too, you know?"
"Do I ever…"
And with that, the two Elites departed, leaving behind an emotionally frustrated medic to continue overseeing Mikazuki for now.
"He… will wake up, right? R-Right?"
"Yes. He will. You, more so than even me, should know that Mikazuki Augus is strong. He'll wake up…"
"And when he does, I can see him, right?"
"..."
"R-Right…?"
"I will see what I can do. My position as Captain should allow me to pull some strings to get you through security, but considering how my higher ups in the Military Tribunal are considering stripping me of this rank and demoting me… I wouldn't get your hopes up."
The shock that was present on Nac's face shone through rather intensely, and upon noticing it, Mike raised a brow in amusement. "Something wrong, kid?" mused the older soldier as he stared at Tias' shocked face, and in an instant, he shook his head violently and swung his arms around nervously. Ah… so this was what Keith's reports were going on about.
Keith Shadis' reports stated that Nac was an easygoing young man. Unfortunately, due to his previous orders to oversee Mikazuki and Mikazuki alone, he was unable to interact with the young man personally until now. He had initially thought that Shadis had been pulling his leg, especially after the guy had been acting so aggressively as he attempted to learn about the whereabouts of his friends, though as he told and assured him of their safety, however briefly, the guy had loosened up, and by now, he looked to be in a calm state of mind, much to his amusement.
"No… n-no, sir, it's just, well… I didn't think they'd strip you of your rank is all," commented Nac, with him scowling lightly as he spoke. Mike's simple response was to chuckle lightly as he shook his head in amusement.
"Look at it this way, kid; I was meant to oversee Mikazuki Augus. Erwin assigned me to do this because he trusted me. Our superiors trust Erwin, and by that virtue, they would trust his faith in me," stated Mike, with him crossing his arms as he spoke. "Erwin told me that I was supposed to keep the kid in line, but any smartass can read between the lines and figure out that our higher ups just wanted to weaponize the kid, and they wanted my team and I to whip him into shape."
"But… you didn't, right…?" asked Nac worriedly, with him almost dreading a response as he spoke, and to that, Mike chuckled lightly as he shook his head.
"In truth, we almost did. We didn't know anything about the brat outside of whatever Keith wrote up for us, so we were expecting some hotshot with a mean streak. But honestly…?" hummed Mike as he leaned back on his chair. The records that Keith had offered them were… questionable, to say the least, and contradictory in more ways than one.
Shadis considered Mikazuki to be an S-Class soldier in most categories; Strength, Dexterity, Concentration, Health and Agility were always his strongest spots. Leadership and Intelligence needed some work though, and by all means, his cooperative skills were… selective, to say the least. The pilot had issues with working with others outside of his small friend group, and by all accounts, his higher ups wanted that to change.
They wanted a soldier that would follow their every whim when it came to Anti-Titan combat. Who could blame them, really? Mike, despite his annoyance at them seeing Mikazuki as a weapon rather than a person, could understand where they were coming from, as the pilot was an absurdly dangerous person. Them wanting him to be completely under their control was understandable, but in truth, Zacharius was happy that Augus had not changed.
Many saw him as an emotionless husk, Mike would've been lying if he said that he had not either, but after spending a few months with the gremlin, he had to say… the kid was a good one. He actually cared about others in his own unique way, and rather than fighting for himself, his actions showed that he fought almost solely for others. His actions during the Preliminary Expedition, the Expedition itself and, debatably, during his bout against Annie proved this much.
His higher ups wanted the perfect soldier… but in Mike's eyes, Mikazuki was already one. Strong, dependable, somewhat aloof but with a hidden heart of gold, he was everything the Survey Corps needed, with or without Barbatos… and he was going to be taken away from them in such a short span of time.
"I'm glad we didn't. Mikazuki was fine how he was back then, and he's fine how he is right now."
"Well, you and I can agree on that, Captain," grinned Nac, with him showing some legitimate happiness at Mike's affirmation of something he knew from the start, though his delight was quickly interrupted when Zacharius added on.
"Not much of a surprise there, kid. After all, you and your friends were probably the ones that molded him into the person he is today," mused Mike with a smile. Nac noticeably flinched in confusion at this, with him getting ready to ask about that comment, though before he could do so, a knock could be heard on the door to the interrogation room, and in an instant, Tias shut his mouth as his superior turned and grunted. The individual peeking in through the peephole of the cell nodded at this as they opened the door, and once it was open, it was revealed that the individual was Nanaba, with Henning standing behind her, seeming rather nervous when compared to his fellow Elite. "Nanaba? What seems to be the problem?"
"Sir."
Only a single word was uttered by Nanaba, though it was spoken in such a dire manner that it instantly told both Tias and Zachary that something was up, and whilst the former was confused by this, the latter was quick to widen his eyes in shock as he got up, perhaps a little more forcefully than intended as his chair was shoved to the ground as he stood, and stomped out the room.
"Nanaba, take care of Nac Tias. Get him out of here; if anyone asks for clearance, tell them he has my approval to leave. He's been… scolded enough by now, and they have my word that he won't attempt anything like this again in the future," ordered Mike stiffly as he motioned towards Nac, who flinched at his sudden shift in tone. In truth, he had initially sounded like a cool uncle just moments prior… what could've warranted such a sharp shift in demeanor?
"Yes sir," was Nanaba's response to Mike as she entered the interrogation room whereas her superior exited it. He exchanged pleasantries with Henning rather quickly before the duo sped-walked off to parts unknown, and as they vanished, the blonde turned towards Tias and motioned for him to stand. "You, with me."
"Y-Yes ma'am," was all Nac could mutter out at that point as he stood up and followed Nanaba out of the room. Silently, he walked behind her out of the building he was being held in, and whereas his superior ignored them, Tias couldn't help but notice how several individuals were observing them from a distance and snickering at their expense.
"Look, it's a member of the highly regarded Elite Squad Mike!"
"She doesn't look so tough, honestly. I could take her on."
"They asked the Survey Corps to take care of those monsters? No surprise they lost control of em!"
"Think she's gonna screw that brat?"
"Doubtful. He's newblood, so he's probably not too stupid to do such an idiotic thing."
"..."
"..."
"Ma'am?"
"Be silent and follow, Nac Tias. You're in enough shit at the moment, don't try to make things harder by letting their words hurt you," instructed Nanaba, quiet but stern, as she marched on with Nac in tow. Tias reluctantly did as she said, with him hooking his thumbs into his belt as he followed her closely. Once they were out, however, and after they were a good distance away from the building the junior soldier had been held in initially, Nanaba, sighed in relief and pinched the bridge of her nose in annoyance. "Good grief, we're out of there…"
"Their comments don't bother you, ma'am?" asked Nac curiously, eliciting a huff from Nanaba as she shook her head.
"Oh they do, but I've learnt to deal with them. Don't let it get to you, those soldiers worked hard to get to where they're at now, but they've been living a comfy life for a majority of their careers. They've grown complacent, and they've forgotten what it was like to fight their way up to the top as Trainees," mused Nanaba as she motioned for Nac to follow her to the horse stables. Nac nodded at this, though she wasn't finished. "They don't see us as equals since all they know about us Survey Corps comes through word of mouth. These soldiers have probably never seen an actual Titan until just a few days ago with Annie Leonhardt, and they assume that taking one down is as easy as one two," Nanaba snapped her fingers, "three."
"Well, if anything, the stuff our drill sergeants taught us kinda told me the opposite," laughed Nac, eliciting a snort from Nanaba as she rolled her eyes.
"Indeed, but as I said, complacency. These are soldiers that will probably never have any reason to swing a Sword at a Titan, so they see themselves as above us for that," responded Nanaba with a hint of amusement in her voice. Nac nodded at this, with him scowling a tad at that second bit; he knew firsthand just how terrifying Titans could get. Downplaying the threat they posed was a stupid decision, but alas… "Either way, end of conversation. You're headed out of Sina, ASAP, kid. Bringing you in here with us was a stupid thing to do in the first place."
"You don't regret it though, don't you, ma'am?" rebutted Nac with a grin as he jumped onto the back of a horse, and in response to this, Nanaba rolled her eyes as she sighed. Once more, Squad Mike allowing Nac Tias to follow them into Sina all those days prior had been a dumb move on their part. Even from a tactical standpoint, Tias would've been a liability to them… but still, they had brought him here anyways, and in truth, they didn't regret their decision.
The young man deserved to know the truth, after all, and if Mikazuki wasn't going to give it to him, then they would be the ones to do so.
"No. No I don't, kid. Now get lost."
A slight chuckle escaped Nac's lips at that, and he saluted his superior before he departed Sina on horseback. Nanaba watched him leave until he was out of view, and once he was gone, the soldier exhaled sharply as she shook her head and, without turning, spoke out to no one in particular.
"She's awake, isn't she, Gunther?"
And in response to this, from behind a pillar that almost perfectly hid him from view, Gunther Schultz smiled as he nodded.
"Yeah, the bitch's awake."
"Good. Let's get to work then."