"So you let us live, you can have the blueprints." Your tone was braver now, more demanding, more hopeful.
"You kill us, blueprints are gone."
"Tell your titan friends to go away— you go away, and I'll signal Levi to let you know where the blueprints are. You've already done what you needed to do— you don't need to kill anymore from this island right now do you? There's nothing to gain from killing us, BUT I can give you something..." Your voice sounded strangled.
"...if only you let us live."
A few seconds after, he stood up, commanding his minions to follow him.
And they walked.
Far.
Farther.
And you fired the flair.
Soon after, Levi fired it too.
You felt like a newborn breathing his first air, totally oblivious of how many minutes had passed that you'd blankly looked ahead.
Until Miche gently squeezed your hand, making you aware of your surroundings again.
Right. It isn't the time to space out. If Levi only brought Marco's gear to trade, Zeke will know soon that you lied in regard to the blueprints.
So before that, you need to get to the horses and—
"Phoebe," Miche had to hold you before he almost fell to himself, standing on one foot.
"Hold on to me—" He said, "Your knees are failing you."
"We don't have much time, sir." You said, trying to stand up from the slump you've made on the floor. Your knees buckled, your pants wet, your arms desperate for rest.
"Sir Levi doesn't have blueprints in there, I bluffed the titan…" You now realized how shaky your voice had gotten.
Miche remained silent. You looked where his eyes were set. The distant galloping sound echoed in the wide, shadeless field, revealing a figure at the distance.
"Petra." He sniffed the air, and said her name.
"You two!" She called. No second was wasted when she alighted from her horse, and immediately tended to Miche's broken leg.
"We lost Braun. There were titans and a monkey that… talks." Miche told her even before she could kneel. She briefly regarded him with a look and began tending to his leg. Your eyes searched for… for Levi. You didn't want to admit it, but somehow, your eyes did. And even if he wasn't able to come, you won't be disappointed. You knew the man must've been busy. You won't ask—
"Where's Levi?" And your neck snapped turning to Miche's direction, it hurt. Miche just asked what you were repressing at the tip of your tongue, and asking it so directly didn't make it all the better for your… chest. Feelings— whatever it's called. He glanced at you like you shared a dirty little secret, like he overheard something so scandalous.
"Asking for a friend." You couldn't help but raise an eyebrow.
You nodded and pursed your lips. Of course. You basically begged him to get on with your plan and had to make him choose between your selfish whims and his duty. Checking your well-being after giving in to your selfish request is the last in the list of his priorities right now.
And of course, you'll understand. There's no way he'll be so eager to see your mortal status, and there's no way you're disappointed that he's not here.
You're eager to see him? No. You're eager to thank him. That's all. You're just grateful he changed his mind at the last minute.
"Captain went ahead." Petra responded in a preoccupied tone, not even lifting her eyes to meet either of both. That, you're thankful she didn't pay attention to Miche's teasing tone.
"Eld was left in charge but the captain couldn't leave the station that long so he had to go back. After all, we are dealing with a shifter here."
"Which is why I didn't expect him to delegate this important task to Eld." Petra had sharpness in her tone, even a deaf could hear.
And you glimpsed that noticeable transition in Miche's expression.
From teasing to hardened, you didn't like the implication of the thing you just heard. You don't regret asking help from Levi to save a life. To save a family's life.
And all the more that it wasn't a mistake.
You didn't even notice when Petra left for the horses. She assisted both of your mounting, having been told twice that Miche will suck up the pain and that get himself up no problem.
The man didn't want to admit it, but as much as he didn't want others to be burdened, he needed the help.
And you didn't not notice it. That look. A particular disdain swept in your direction before Petra focused back on the stirrup.
She glanced at you, and maybe she noticed everybody's discomfort, or she got the tension hanging in the air, but that around her suddenly changed from hostile to neutral.
Like Petra regretted saying that in front of a survivor.
"B-But what really was that?" Her tone became friendly. "It's my first time seeing a furry titan, and it talked?"
"We can talk when we get to Hermina." Miche replied coldly. "You're under orders to go back, Petra?"
"Yes sir," She replied. The horses gained momentum, and eventually, the cold wind was in your face, the scent of heat and grass burning at the entrance of your nose. Miche kept looking behind your shoulder, apparently looking out in case the titans followed you, but no one did.
No one spoke to each other or tried pleasantries. Petra's strength supported his balance until you arrived at an empty ward.
You limped behind them, almost bumping at Miche's back before you realized how different the temporary headquarters of the Survey was in Hermina.
First was the assaulting sourness in your nose. The acidity of their cleaning agents flaunted in the air, the type that attaches in your clothes the moment you leave.
Then the windows. Huge and arched, the materials? Limestone. It just added to the easiness of the ward, your eyes adjusting to the bright, clean structure of the ward.
The nurses were in a cream uniform; their aprons, as white as brand new clothes. They hid their hair in a white… sort of like a turban that you didn't know what it's called, but the way they twisted; hiding the locks of hair gave them the air of dignity and respect called from their profession.
And they were just walking around, setting the bed, linen blankets carried by them.
The beauty and calmness of the hall almost made you forget the war going on outside.
"I'll leave you both here." Petra posed a salute, ready to turn her heel before—
"Petra, relay this to Erwin when you see him out: That monkey titan took my gear, and said something about his grandfather and how he could introduce Phoebe."
Petra couldn't somehow grasp the implications of the information, but immediately wore an alert, persistent expression.
"I think Miche meant the titan is intelligent, and it implies that they have a family outside the walls." She glanced at you, making you uncomfortable.
"Which means that these titans might have a whole civilization we know nothing about." Miche completed the sentence—
"And that I don't know them. Miche can attest to that." You just had to add it in. She gave you a hard stare, her expression from feigned bright and alert to genuinely bitter and suspicious, the nurse attending Miche wanted both of the women out of her sight.
"I'll take you to another bed, Phoebe." Her tone was colder than ice, her grip in your arm pinched and dented your skin that you didn't even need the help to limp faster to the bed she was taking you.
Petra dragged you in closed cubicles and wide, empty halls.
A spot where not one soul could hear you even if the words she's about to say stab you where she knows will hurt.
"Phoebe," Hearing your name from Petra's lips stiffened your shoulders. "We're grateful you went high and above with Annie's capture and tipping us the shifters' names, but you can't keep on doing this."
You remained silent. You knew where Petra was getting to, you just hoped she's not going to say it.
"You sabotaged the expedition in exchange with information but—" She inched closer, as her tone turned to a hiss.
"That I get, now this? Saving one man in exchange for more deaths?"
"Petra, I get the sympathy but Miche, someone's waiting for him—"
"And you think those soldiers don't? We lose sir Levi on the field for just one minute and you'll count how many bodies you see tomorrow morning— if there's a body to recover at all—"
"I'm sorry I saved one man who just told you something new about the titans." You responded, not even bothering to hide the annoyance anymore. You could feel yourself heating up at the argument, your temper from so many things that took place in the span of two days were ready to rage.
"Is that what you want me to say?"
She sighed in resignation. Looking at the cream-colored floor in its dented, chipped ancientness, Petra's teeth grinded to control her temper. She paced back and forth, her hands running from her forehead to the top of her head.
And she stopped in front of you, her eyes leveled to yours, blazing in anger with all their hazel glow.
"Sir Miche took an oath." She voice got lower now. Laced with suppressed anger, ready to fire when provoked.
"He is ready to die for the cause—"
"Petra between being born and dying, there's something in the middle called living."
"And for Humanity, we are ready to do whatever it takes. That," At this point, her eyes were veiny and wide, her fingers eloquently expressed her blatant disapproval.
"That is what we're living for."
And before you knew it, her gait was reckless and angry, the sound of her gear clanked loudly, she didn't even dare suppress it.
And her absence, the quiet only made your unsaid words clap in anger, your heartbeat drummed inside your ears as the heat traveled in it.
And the tears rolled, the sobs came and eventually, your frustrated scream was repressed by the pillow.
Why is it so difficult to do one good thing in this fucking world? You save one boy and they torture you. You show them what you know? They enslave you and watch your every fucking move!
You try to save one man— just one man hoping to give one future to a family and you receive an earful like it was the baddest thing anyone could've done?
Your blood tainted the cream pillow case, the fingertips dug in the softness of the pillows. You heard the rolling of an upcoming bed, Miche coming to the picture, parting the fabric curtains that separated both of you.
"You're done— that was fast." You attempted to wipe the sloppy tears, hoping a feign, small smile would cure the stoic, almost waiting expression of Miche.
But he's not letting go of the matter, isn't he?
"I'm sorry if I put you in a terrible danger, Phoebe and—" He eyed at your forearm and nodded on it, the one he punctured with his fingers, "And that too."
"Miche I don't regret saving you." You told him. "If I didn't, Nanaba would be—"
"Petra's not wrong, you know." Miche started, "I did sign my life for the cause, like every scout."
"So it's okay that you die? Aren't you at least happy you're still here?"
"I am," He responded, but not in a way that a happy person would. If anything, he sounded hurt.
"And to be honest, hearing that I should've been sacrificed for the greater good sounded… not good." The silence changed to quiet chuckles.
"I'm indebted to you, Phoebe. But I need to ask…" He looked at you with an easy, relaxed expression that somehow eased you a bit.
"What is it, sir?"
"How did you come up with a plan before coming to find me?"