52.
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CHAPTER FIFTY-TWO — Bullet
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...
Once Jean and Armin retrieve their gear from a nearby rooftop, they all prepare to leave the distribution sector and regroup with their Captain. However, a sudden, choked exclamation from Sasha gives them pause.
"Gunshots…!"
Everyone turns back to look at her, finding her eyes wide with fearful concern. However, Connie is the first to voice the collective confusion. "Huh?"
Sasha squirms in place, visibly unsettled as she points off to her right. "From there…! I heard a bunch of shots!" She informs frantically, watching as Connie cups his ears in hopes of hearing the distinct sound of gunfire.
"D'you think something happened?" Jean questions in a low voice as he alternates his gaze between Rosalie and Mikasa.
Rosalie shrugs and glances at her sister, worried. "You don't think we've been outplayed, do you? That they expected us to do a body double from the beginning?"
"Most likely." Mikasa replies as she squints out into the direction Sasha pointed in; her following words garnering the entire group's attention. "The Captain has this message for us— From now on, we'll be fighting humans, too. Not just Titans."
Surprise ripples through the group at her words.
Jean's expression falls flat. "Huh? You mean…?"
Mikasa doesn't answer, knowing that they all understood the meaning. Then, without a moment's hesitation, she runs forward and leaps from the rooftop— using her gear to hook into an adjacent building to pull herself forward.
"Hey…!" Connie exclaims, exasperated.
"Mikasa, don't go too far! We don't know what's going on yet!" Rosalie calls out after her; rolling her eyes with thinly veiled annoyance when the girl doesn't stop to listen. Taking a few steps forward, she barely turns her head as she addresses the rest. "C'mon… If we've been had, the Captain will need our help!"
"Right!"
It doesn't take them long to catch up with Mikasa, and soon enough they're traipsing through the Residential Area; maneuvering over rooftops as a single unit.
Seeing movement in his peripheral, Connie looks down and immediately catches sight of their wagon being steered by an unknown woman— Keiji nowhere in sight. The canvas was also missing, revealing an unconscious Eren and Historia lying inside the buggy. "Hey! There goes Eren!" He yells, prompting their group to change direction.
It's then that Levi appears below, movements swift and fluid as he enters the scene by swinging around a nearby building and down the street.
"Captain—!" Armin calls, and if Levi hears the beckoning he doesn't show it as he continues to pursue the wagon at a near breakneck speed as it rounds the corner.
It's only then that they all come to the startling revelation that he, unfortunately, wasn't alone.
"What the hell?!" Jean exclaims as another male arrives seconds later; approaching Levi from behind as he aims a strange, gun-like device attached to his visibly modified 3DMG and pulls the trigger.
The shot sounds with a sharp pop; crackling through the air akin to a strike of lightning. And it's only echoed by the skittering of stone and dust when Levi deftly dodges to the side.
Spinning around mid-air, Levi sends one of his hooks into the unknown male's stomach and forcefully pulls him closer; ruthless and unforgiving as he cuts him down with one of his blades.
"Captain!" Rosalie calls, this time successfully alerting their Captain to their presence as his gaze snaps up in their direction.
Releasing his grip on the now deceased man— dropping him to the ground with little care—, Levi hooks into the side of another house and waits for them to catch up. Although, he doesn't give them much to go on once they do. "Chase the wagon!"
"Yes, Sir!"
…
It only takes them a mere second to regroup.
Now with Levi leading the charge, they round the corner with unprecedented speed; effortlessly closing what distance the wagon managed to achieve in little to no time.
As they approach, another unknown adversary cuts them off as he swoops down from an adjacent roof to join his comrade in the wagon. Now standing in the buggy, he turns and threateningly aims both barrels of his guns in their direction, daring them to come closer.
"Listen up! They're used to fighting other people! They've already got three of ours…!" Levi informs, ignoring their surprised expressions as he continues. "If we're gonna get those two back, you can't hesitate! If you get a chance, you kill! Got it?!"
An unsettled silence befalls the group of teens. No one expected it to get this far— a sentiment that was shared only through silent glances.
Mikasa, however, is the only one to respond. "Roger!"
Taking what he can get, Levi turns his attention back to the matter at hand. "Get ready!" He orders, his jaw clenching as his eyes trail over the wagon with trepidation.
It's then— without warning— that he speeds forward. Unhooking from the building he was anchored to, Levi allows himself to drop down onto a market stall's cloth covering; launching back up into the air with more momentum as he shoots his hooks into the unknown man's stomach— forcefully yanking him out of the wagon and leaving him to tumble roughly and fatally across the ground.
Levi then moves to glide closer to the wagon, pausing when more armed opposition appears from behind. Clicking his tongue, he turns to the group. "Armin! Jean! Secure the wagon…! We'll cover you!"
Unanimously, the two nod to the order. Then, with a quick press of their fingers, they propel themselves forward at a faster speed until they're able to land inside the buggy with Eren and Historia.
Hearing their approach, the woman steering the wagon turns; gritting her teeth as she uses one hand to aim her gun while the other keeps a tight grip on the reigns. However, before she can shoot, Mikasa swoops down— knocking her over into the buggy and at Jean's feet with a harsh kick to the face.
At that same moment, Armin jolts forward and vaults over the stagecoaches seat to take control of the reigns.
…
Heart beating wildly in his chest, Jean brandishes one of his blades threateningly. "Don't move!" He finds himself ordering, his tone of voice not as gruff nor intimidating as he'd like. "You…!"
The unknown woman looks up at him, and Jean fights the urge to waver under the intensity of her sneer.
"—If you get the chance, you kill! Got it?!"
Levi's prior words were unbearably loud in his mind. But Jean wouldn't— couldn't— heed them. Now that said chance had shown itself, he was far too shaken to the core to do anything about it.
How had it come to this?
Was he really doing this?
What even was this? What was he doing right now?!
"—If you get the chance, you kill! Got it?!"
It's not that simple. It can't be that simple!
He's not a killer…! He doesn't want to kill! He doesn't want to be a murderer!
The woman continues to eye him for what feels like hours. Scowling as she wipes the blood from the corner of her mouth. And Jean knows he needs to move. He needs to do something before—!
Seeming to sense his hesitation, she lunges forward and knocks the blade from his hand, and the force of the shove has Jean stumbling onto his backside with a grunt.
Blood curdling with realization, Jean finds himself unable to do anything as he looks up at her; immediately coming face to face with the barrel of her gun.
The look on her face is anything but vitriolic, however. Instead of a hate-filled gaze that vied for bloodshed, there was acute sadness. With gritted teeth and watery eyes, her expression was a tell-all… She didn't want to kill him.
Jean, however, wasn't foolish enough to believe she'd show him any kind of mercy. And this was only solidified by the sound of a chamber clicking into place.
…
Rosalie was sure her heart was going to burst.
Panic seized her guts like a vice, trapping her lungs in a constrictive hold beneath her ribcage.
She couldn't think. She couldn't breathe.
She needed to move. Jean was going to die if she didn't move.
'Need to move…! Need to move, need to move, need to move!'
With shaky hands, she fumbles with her gear. Her hands are nearly uncooperative in the frenzied movement as she presses the triggers for more gas.
'No! No, no, no, no…! Please not him! Please, please, please! Not him—!'
Her vision tunnels as the unknown woman aims her gun, and the sight of Jean's despairing forfeiture in the face of certain death only spurns her to move faster.
Time seems to slow at the sound of the chamber clicking into place.
Vision blurring, Rosalie forces air into her lungs and heaves a dry sob from the depths of her chest. "JEAN—!"
BANG!
…
It all happened so fast.
Armin didn't think. He just reacted on instinct alone; he had moved swiftly and without hesitation.
The moment Jean was overpowered, Armin immediately reached for the handgun Rosalie had given him.
His grip on said pistol in his hand remained tight, still— even as his body began to tremble with the realization of what just occurred.
He just killed someone.
Granted, the woman was going to kill Jean. But, for a brief second, she had shown a hint of reluctance. And that disinclination became her undoing.
He didn't hesitate.
He. Killed. Someone.
As the woman limply drops over the wagon's tailgate, an alarmed Jean meets his watery gaze— expression conflicted with relief and guilt.
Armin clenches his teeth, not bothering to wipe away the tears streaming down his cheeks.
…
The moment of respite following the woman's demise doesn't last long as three more armed enemies appear.
Levi glances back at them, debating his next move. However, they don't bother to meet his probing stare nor do they go on the offensive. Instead, they remain intently focused on the wagon below and the quartet within it.
Realization strikes him at the observation. "Shit! Armin! Jean…!" He yells out in warning, swooping downwards to grab hold of the latter whilst Sasha— unprompted— goes for the blond. And both are barely able to snatch the two males from the wagon before the buggy is riddled with gunfire.
Now, with Eren and Historia unprotected and six guns aimed in their direction, the group is forced to back off. Unfortunately giving enough leeway for two of the three to take over the wagon as the third remains airborne.
By this point, they were leaving the Residential Area and speedily approaching Trost's innermost gate.
Knowing this would be their last chance to retrieve Eren and Historia before they left the city, Mikasa attempts to follow after the wagon as it passes through the tunnel. However, she is immediately met with a barrage of gunfire that forces her down to the ground in order to avoid it.
The landing is rough, and as she stumbles to a stop along the cobblestone, Mikasa spots two more enemies passing by unperturbed— prompting her to give chase.
Levi stops her as he steps into her path; physically holding her back with his entire body and leveling her with a stern gaze. "Don't do it! Fall back!" He orders as the rest of the group joins them; unbothered by her responding glower.
Averting her gaze, Mikasa stops struggling in his hold as she looks toward the gate. Her expression crumples dishearteningly; dismayed as the wagon grows further away. "EREN…!"
Rosalie winces at the girl's tone, her own eyes watering with a fresh wave of frustrated tears as she lowers her gaze to the ground. 'Every time… Why—? Why does it always end up like this?'
It's then that a hand grasps her shoulder. Looking up, she finds Jean staring back solemnly. "Jean…" She murmurs wobbly, and the swell of unbridled relief that fills her at the sight of him alive and breathing soothes the ache in her heart somewhat.
"We'll get them back." Jean states, earnest in his reassurance; his expression a mask of determination and resolve— acting as if he were unbothered by his near-death experience whilst in the face of such adversity. However, the tremors in his hand contradicted the bravado he exhibited.
Turning to face him, Rosalie doesn't give him the chance to say more as she wraps both arms around his waist; feeling him shakily return the embrace as she nestles her face against his shoulder.
"We'll get them back." She parrots with a whisper.
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