47.
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CHAPTER FORTY-SEVEN — Theory
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...
-Military Barracks: Trost District, Wall Rose-
Despite the successful rescue of Eren, the week following the hastily planned excursion was anything but restful. Work didn't cease just because humanity had notched another victory under its belt— which was a well-known fact to all of those who had survived the fight.
The entire territory of Wall Rose had to be scoured and surveyed for any remaining danger. Villages had to be reclaimed— some even rebuilt. And order amongst civilians had to be quickly restored, lest infighting broke out.
It was all laboriously tedious, yet they managed well enough— even with the Survey Corps and Garrison's depleted manpower.
However, nothing was the same— nor would it ever be. Fear of the unknown was greater than ever. And a new, pessimistic general outlook had settled over the hearts of many like a heavy fog— more so for those a part of the former 104th Southern Training Division, than anyone.
Eren Jeager.
Annie Leonhart.
Reiner Braun.
Bertolt Hoover.
Ymir.
The discovery of not just one Titan Shifter, but five, was alarming. It was an absurd occurrence— yet not one of coincidence— that somehow all were part of some greater, unknown scheme in this cruel life they all lived.
Although, with one as a clueless ally, another detained (practically comatose), and three in the winds; answers to questions asked could only be speculated and theorized.
There were also matters concerning the newly classified Beast Titan, and the mysterious circumstances of Ragako Village and its missing civilians.
Both were complicated issues, and Squad Leader Hange was currently spearheading them with full steam.
Unfortunately, however, information was hard to come by when the only reports in existence came from three traumatized cadets— who were the only ones left to tell the tale thereafter.
Like it always seemed, it was one step forward and three steps back.
…
Rosalie grumbles softly under her breath. The thought has a dull pain throbbing at the side of her head and she gingerly rubs at her temple in hopes of easing the ache.
She wanted nothing more than to curl up under a nice blanket and just…be… for a few hours. She wanted to forget everything that's happened— just...be... for a little while. However, she couldn't— wouldn't— allow herself to succumb to such enervated despondency; not when everyone else was struggling just as much.
Huffing a soft sigh, the brunette is oblivious to the pout forming on her lips— that is, until she feels somebody's eyes on her. Turning her head, her gaze immediately latches onto Jean; finding him still in place, leaning against the far wall of the cloister with his hands shoved deep into his pockets.
Tawny brown eyes stare back in earnest, a curious gleam shimmering in the iris as a single brow raises in silent question. 'You good…?'
Nodding subtly, Rosalie offers a soft, reassuring smile as she lowers her hand to her lap; flushing lightly when she notes him tracking every little movement she made with a thoughtful appraisal.
Acknowledging her fluster, Jean— with a startling amount of confidence (even for him)— teasingly smirks in response but thankfully says nothing to draw the attention of those around them.
It's then that Eren breaks the silence that had befallen their quintet, effectively dispersing any lighthearted notions from existence.
"I was taken away… And because of that, the Scouts lost more than half of their veteran soldiers just to rescue me…" He murmurs, a cloud of metaphorical depression hanging over his head.
Mikasa stays silent, fiddling with the ends of her scarf. Knowing that he'd just use her own injuries as a way to justify his self-deprivation should she argue.
Rosalie— still seated on the low stone wall to Mikasa's left— shifts in place and looks over at him, also unsure of how to soothe his troubles. "Eren…" She begins, trailing off as Armin speaks up.
"Still, there were no casualties on our way back. The Titans completely ignored us and ran off to chase Reiner and the others." Armin points out, though it does little to comfort his friend.
The blond then steps closer, "And about that… Jean and I sat down to try and figure it out." He informs, making Eren look between him and the taller male curiously. "We have an idea about what made the Titans act that way. It was you."
Eren's eyes widen in surprise, his expression nothing but pure disbelief.
Jean scoffs, gaining everyone's attention as he shrugs. "Of course, that's just our theory. But without assuming that, there's just no explaining what happened."
His harsh demeanor then goes lax, almost becoming somber as he continues to speak. "…It's a tough spot to be in, Eren. Whether or not all of those people died for nothing— It all depends on you. If you're worth the price they paid, you better show it. We don't have time to waste."
Eren looks down at his hand and nods. "Yeah, you're absolutely right." He agrees wholeheartedly, clenching it into a fist as he briefly thought to himself. "I've gotta do this… I'll control the Titans! I'll capture Reiner and make him pay! That's what I've gotta do to atone for all of those lives lost!"
...
...
-Military Barracks Private Quarters: Trost District, Wall Rose-
A knock resonates around the room, prompting the few gathered military officials to look towards the oak door.
Levi slides his gaze over to Erwin. "That should be Hange." He informs from his spot by the window before turning back to the wooden barrier. "Come in…!"
The door swings open to reveal not only Hange but Connie as well. "Pardon the interruption, Erwin." She apologizes with a quick salute before her gaze flits around the room to take stock of who was present, smiling slightly when she notices Pixis sitting at the blond's bedside. "I'm glad we came while you were here, Commander Pixis. Good timing…!"
When Pixis nods to her in polite acknowledgment, she turns to Connie as he steps further into the room. "This is—"
"A Scout from the 104th. Connie Springer." Connie introduces himself, not giving her time to finish as he steps forward and salutes. His sunken gaze locked firmly on the wall his opposite; unwavering and somewhat hollow.
Hange nods. "Connie comes from Ragako Village."
"The Village the recent Titan invasion supposedly originated from?" Pixis questions, leaning forward in his seat with piqued interest.
"Yes. Actually, I confirmed with him the findings of our investigation on the Village. This only brings further credibility to that hypothesis… He's here to report."
Connie hesitantly glances her way when she finishes, and when she nods in encouragement, he opens his mouth to speak.
"Everyone in my hometown, they— They, uh… The Titans—! Shit! I'm sorry…!" He stammers, raising a hand to wipe at his eyes with a trembling hand; his face paling as he broke out into a cold sweat. "I'm sorry, I can't…!"
Concerned, James stares at the sickly boy for a moment before turning to his colleague. "Hange…" He calls in a low murmur, silently telling her to speak on Connie's behalf.
Placing a comforting hand on Connie's shoulder, Hange obliges the request. "As you all know, we had initially hypothesized that Ragako was where the invasion emanated… The gathered reports, lack of breach, still missing civilians, and Connie's insight have all supported this theory. However, after much deliberation, we believe this isn't the only thing to be surmised from the incident itself."
She then swallows thickly and her tone gains a slight waver. "To put it simply, we believe the villagers of Ragako have already been found. It's possible that they were the invading Titans."
Pixis freezes, staring at the two dubiously.
Erwin's eyes widen, a thousand emotions swimming in his blue irises.
James and Levi simultaneously choke on their sip of tea.
A heavy silence then blankets the room as they all try to process her statement. And the sense of bewilderment closing in is palpable.
A few minutes pass before Pixis speaks up. "Say again?" He asks rhetorically as he falls back into his chair, astounded. "The Titans responsible for this incident… We're the citizens of Ragako?"
Thoughtfully, Erwin looks down at his blanket-clad lap. "In other words, the true identity of Titans…is humans…?"
The notion sickens everyone present to their core as it opens a Pandora's box filled to the brim with dark inquiries.
Clearing her throat, Hange purses her lips; visibly uncomfortable. "We don't— We don't have…proof…yet."
"So, you're telling me… I've spent all this time and energy running around killing people? Is that right?" Levi questions once he regains some of his composure; his eyes are narrowed into slits as he sends the woman a hard stare.
Hange, however, wasn't cowed in the slightest by his thinly veiled fury. "I said we don't have proof yet."
James scoffs, his voice sarcastic despite his shaken disposition. "We have a fifteen-year-old amongst our ranks that can turn to a Titan at will. It shouldn't be too far from the realm of possibility."
Silence fills the room a second time, and eventually, Hange and Connie excuse themselves to return to their investigation, leaving the four males alone with their thoughts.
After a moment, James speaks up once more. "If it's true, what do we even do with this sort of information? How far do we allow it to spread?"
"I suppose there'll have to be a summit before the King." Pixis answers sensibly, "Although I have my doubts much will change. It'll stay a secret from the public— Otherwise, it'll cause mass panic among civilians. Rioting would break out."
James heaves a heavy sigh and slouches in his chair, running a hand through his hair out of frustration. "Perhaps. But it also begs to question, are we truly the only ones to surmise this? Could it be that we've accidentally uncovered another secret? The Church knew about the Walled Titan in Stohess— that much we can glean from Pastor Nick. So, is this another secret the Church alone was privy to?"
"It would certainly be a coincidence." Pixis muses.
"I don't believe in coincidences." James harrumphs, earning an amused chortle from the elder in return.
"Erwin." Levi suddenly calls, and his vitriolic tone has both tuning in to the other conversation beginning to take place. "Hey. Tell me… What the hell are you smiling for?"
Erwin's gleeful expression slowly fades at that, becoming somewhat neutral as he looks down at his lap thoughtfully; though the three could still see the small twinkle in his eyes as he began to speak. "It's nothing. It's just… With this, we've taken one more step towards the truth."
Levi frowns. "Just one step, huh? We'll run out of people before we learn the truth. It's not worth the cost."
The gleam in Erwin's eyes brightens as he looks up to meet their gazes individually. "But it is a step towards the truth. One day, we'll break it down…"
"This wall hiding the truth will fall."
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