Creation began on 04-05-24
Creation ended on 04-08-24
Attack on Titan
The Dark Titan: Intriguing
Despite having a justification for returning to the mainland empty-handed and two Titans short, Reiner and Annie were not welcomed for their shortcomings with Paradis after informing their superiors of a girl from the island that possessed a strange Titan power that was different from what they understood and made her a comparable threat if she were to ever find a way off the island. While Zeke, despite having never encountered this person or suspecting these two of lying to cover their failure of retrieving the Founding Titan, he could understand the severity of the potential danger such a person represented if they were ever to come to Marley and cause trouble, even if the mere thought of danger was only one-sided. Still, Theo Magath, the current leader of Marley's Eldian military personnel, saw a different possibility regarding this person Reiner and Annie claimed to have encountered.
A girl with gray hair, he thinks as he recalls their description of this dark-skinned Titan's holder. Sounds like an angel from Hell…or a devil from paradise. Either way, a Titan of such power…would be remarkable if Marley possessed it. And eighteen meters? Before today, only the Colossal and Beast Titans were greater than fifteen meters…and now the Colossal Titan is the only one out of the Nine Titans that is the greatest in terms of height. Just who is this girl with gray hair?
But Calvi, the current leader of Marley's military might, believed that any Titan not under their possession and control, even if their holder was just some kid, was nothing more than a threat that needed to be exterminated. And a girl with gray hair that stood out a mile away…was a disgrace in every way.
"And you say you never encountered this person when you went there, Yeager?" Calvi questions Zeke on the subject matter.
"No, sir," the current Beast Titan responds.
"So, you can neither confirm nor deny that this person actually exists."
"Neither Reiner Braun nor Annie Leonhart have ever lied over any topic before since their enlistment into the Warrior program. If this gray-haired girl exists and can turn into an eighteen-meter Titan with dark skin and long hair that can cut through Titans and run faster than the Jaw and Cart Titan…and can remain active for twenty hours…then this person and Titan would be very dangerous if they were ever to come to Marley."
"And what of Bertolt Hoover and the Colossal Titan?"
"The people of Paradis Island took him prisoner."
"They probably killed him and gave the Colossal Titan to someone they could trust."
But neither Reiner nor Annie could believe this likelihood. Just because they didn't see him fall when the original plan for Reiner to serve as the decoy was taken over by Bertolt, it didn't necessarily mean that the people from Paradis knew how to transfer the power of the Colossal Titan to someone else for their own use; the people they had seen were completely clueless to what they were, where they were…and why the Titans were around to terrorize them. No, to them, the craziest thing was discovering who the Dark Titan was and what it could do. The day they knew the Colossal Titan had been taken away from Bertolt would be the day they knew he was truly dead, and that the people of Paradis had killed him.
-x-
Two weeks since that brief operation that led to retaking Shiganshina District…and the makeshift sealants Kaede Sogen made from trees and rocks were still holding; there wasn't a single trace of any number of Titans between Walls Trost or Maria, indicating that they were either elsewhere or the majority of them had been killed.
"So…you'll be heading back to Shiganshina to help begin rebuilding?" Salina asks Kaede as they and the rest of their friends and Julietta's daughter lay on the grass outside of Trost District, looking up at the sky.
"Yeah," Kaede answers; because of the success of the Survey Corps retaking the district that had been abandoned over five years ago, there were plans being made for people to begin the reconstruction efforts so that people that were originally from Shiganshina could return later on. "I…I get to help with the cleaning details."
"You don't sound too happy about it," the twins tell her.
"Because Bertolt Hoover caused a lot of damage, there is a lot of debris left behind to clear away before anything can be built as a new foundation."
"Even for a large number of people, clearing away debris of any magnitude can take days at a time," Mimi expresses. "Maybe that's why they need you to help, Kaede. I mean, can you think of anything odd by a Titan controlled by a person doing something as helpful as cleaning up a place that had been devastated?"
"I would like to think that I'm simply a bodyguard or an insurance policy for the Survey Corps."
"Girl, you're more than that for those that saw what you can do and how you are," Kylie informs her. "I mean, we didn't know it was you behind the Dark Titan until after the Trost attack, and the people that saw you vouched for your life to be spared by the government. You represent something for the people because of what you can do. You give the people hope of better days to come. If anyone tried to get rid of you or make you out as the monster we all fear because of its great size and capabilities, they'd be responsible for taking away that hope…and then they'd be the monster because they did so."
"What is hope?" Charlotte asks them.
"Hope is…something that gives people…a reason to continue facing the day," Julietta answers her daughter's question. "Hope is…a feeling of greatness that benefits everyone that needs it."
"Then…Ms. Kaede really gives people hope?"
"Yeah. Yes, she does."
Charlotte, who was laying on the grass beside her mother, gets up and walks over to Kaede…and gives her a hug, surprising the gray-haired girl.
"Thank you for giving the people hope, Ms. Kaede," Charlotte says to her.
-x-
"Military Police?" Several civilians in Trost questioned upon seeing some men sporting the insignia of the third military branch walking down the street.
"They don't ever come to Wall Rose's districts," a man says, and notices that they stop in front of a home. "You have got to be kidding."
One of them knocked on the front door and it opened to reveal Christine Sogen, who looked surprised to see them at her door.
"Um…can I help you gentlemen?" She asks them.
"We're looking for Kaede Sogen," one of them informs her. "Is she here?"
"Not at this time, no. You're the Military Police, aren't you? You're stationed in the districts of Wall Sina. What are you doing here in a district of Wall Rose?"
"Our orders are to locate Kaede Sogen," a different Military Police Officer replies. "Do you know where we can find her?"
Christine looks at them with some suspicion; she had heard that it was next to impossible for regular people to enlist in the Military Police unless you were in the top ten of the Cadet Corps, but they were also claimed to be corrupt and acted as the personal enforcement group of the nobility that lived behind Wall Sina.
"No, sir," she lies to them. "What Kaede does with her time in Trost…or anywhere else, for that matter, is her business. She hasn't done anything wrong to anyone and seeks no trouble from people at any given time on any day."
She closes the door and quickly locks it up.
I don't like this, she thinks as she begins to feel concern towards Kaede being hounded by other people for different reasons. "Sig!"
"Yes, Christine?" Her second husband replies as he steps out of a different room in the house.
"We might have a serious problem here."
-x-
It was only because Reiner made a compelling argument against Calvi that he agreed to send reinforcements to Paradis. If the gray-haired girl could be captured and manipulated into serving Marley, they would have a force on their side to take the Founding Titan and end the operation to control Paradis. And if they couldn't control her, they would feed her to a Titan to take her power from her. Either way, they would have the Dark Titan.
And so, here they were, preparing to send a small army to Paradis, but on one condition: Zeke Yeager was to lead the reinforcements while Reiner and Annie were to stay behind and aid in the operation against the Mid-East Alliance that was gathering support from other countries that despised Marley's underhanded attacks on their land. And if it were possible, reclaim the Jaw and Colossal Titans from Paradis, as well. Because their forces were stretched thin, they couldn't afford to lose any more of their Titans to Paradis, so only the Beast Titan would be heading back to the island, leaving the Cart, Female and Armored Titans to stay behind to defend and fight for Marley against the Mid-East Alliance.
"What should I expect from this Dark Titan?" Zeke asks Annie, as she was the only one that had any experience facing the Dark Titan that was on hand.
"Expect a sense of unpredictability," Annie tells him. "There's something about the girl that is different from what can be expected. She may not have military training or know any measure of strategic intelligence, but what she lacks in knowledge, she can try to make up for in her other skills…and there is something else about her that is unusual."
"And that would be?"
"She has a knack for dancing a little."
"Dancing?"
"When she was first seen in Trost District, her Titan demonstrated dance moves before using her hair to slice through Titans," went Reiner as he adds in what they had seen. "We're unsure of what she's able to do, but it's possible she can draw Titans to her dancing around."
"And her hair is a lethal weapon of choice," Annie adds. "Quite possibly her only weapon of choice if it's able to cut through Titans not covered in hardened skin plates."
If Zeke had to guesstimate, he would really be facing a Titan that was a mockery combination of the Beast, Cart, Female and War Hammer Titans. But that was only a guesstimate of what he was to expect in the future. It would take four days to get things ready, but they had time to come up with an efficient strategy to take out the Dark Titan…and then some.
-x-
"…You graduated in second place in the Cadet Corps when you were enlisted, Julietta?" Kaede asks her friend as they were sitting outside of a diner.
"I may not look it, but I am a capable fighter when I need to be," Julietta explains. "I put in the work, worked my butt off, reminding myself of why I wanted to graduate from the corps."
"But the Garrison… Why the Garrison division when you could've gone straight to the Military Police? Even with second place, you were in the top ten, and only those in the top ten make it into the MPs."
"It wouldn't have been for my family if I did. It would've been for me, giving myself some peace of mind by being in a place where the only problems were people causing problems for other people. And while such a choice wouldn't be too bad, I wouldn't have been able to see my family on my off days…and I couldn't have that. I chose the Garrison because it would enable me to support my parents and help me raise Charlotte. There's not a day that goes by where I don't regret my choice. It's a choice I'd make again in a heartbeat."
Kaede looks at Charlotte as she finishes her bowl of soup for lunch, and praises Julietta's choice to put her family first before herself.
"Um, just one other thing, then," she tells her. "Who was the responsible one?"
"Oh? He's, uh… He's long gone. I don't really think about him much. He was not really the dependable type."
"That's rough."
"If you think that's rough," went Kylie to Kaede, "you should've been there when Julietta had to tell the guy off. It wasn't a pretty picture. Some people are just incapable of actual love."
"That's weird," went the twins as they looked up the street.
"What is?" Delilah asks them.
"Five men," said Amanda, pointing down towards them. "Military Police uniforms."
"The MPs don't really ever leave Wall Sina's districts to come here," added Rachel.
"Miss Sogen," Kaede hears a male voice beside her on the right and looks over to see Shadis, looking concerned about something. "I hate to break up your social club here, but you need to get going."
"What? Why?"
"Members of the MPs are here looking for you to escort to Mitras, and not for a conversation."
Kaede looks back down the street where the MPs were and then back to Shadis.
"How bad is this?" She asks him.
"It's bad. The Survey Corps weren't given a courtesy call by the MPs. Someone in the government is out to get you because of what you can do."
"…She stands out a mile away!" They all heard a young man's voice as they turned to see said man waving his arms in the air. "Look for a girl with long, gray hair! You can't miss her!"
"Of all the…" Salina utters. "Kaede, I hate to be a buzzkill, but you should probably run for it."
"Split the pants and run your butt off," added Mimi. "Go."
Kaede got up and left her pocket change for her lunch.
"Until we meet again," she tells her friends and leaves with Shadis.
"Bye-bye!" Charlotte replies.
-x-
"Are you sure about this?" A man asks. "It's probably best just to dispose of her before she gathers followers that can be easily influenced…"
"She's not looking for followers," a young woman's voice responds. "She's not even looking for control over others. All she truly longs for…is to remain in control over her own life, nobody else's. Not even the idea of deciding the fate of others to decide the fate of the world appeals to this young lady. Can you imagine that? To have power at your disposal, to have the authority to decide what will and what won't be…and all you really want…is what we take for granted each and everyday? This girl is most unusual…and most unexpected. She is truly one that can be called a random shot in the darkness of existence."
"What do you mean, a random shot in the darkness?"
"One could say that…this girl is not supposed to exist…and yet, she does exist. She's not supposed to be viewed as a threat…and yet, she's perceived as a threat…simply because she exists. She could have the power to take the world…but it would pale in comparison to what her heart longs for. Love, family, friends, home and stability. Not power, control, freedom or anything close to any of these ambitious ideals or desires. She knows what she wants and only wants to obtain those desires on her own terms. Unlike a handful of people that know firsthand how violence corrupts the soul, she understands how violence only creates more suffering for those that want nothing to do with the carnage that people unleash upon one another, no matter what their intentions or motives are or were. When placed into a violent situation, she will resort to violence, but to a lesser degree, only to stop it from escalating further, to mitigate the damage being done. Such a girl would be seen as an ally against those that seek conflict."
"But if she's seen as a threat for merely existing, it's all the more reason to dispose of her."
"Except that she's not a threat yet. The people she loves are still in her life. If anything should happen to them, there is no telling what she might do, which is why it's best not to pursue her loved ones for any reason. Just locate the girl and bring her here for a conversation. I trust that he can do something as simple as retrieving a young lady without making a scene, can he?"
"He's capable, but will the girl comply? That's another story."
But what was also another story was exactly how what nearly happened came undone by the very factor of one's own choice. From what the man understood, someone was trying to take control from them…but came undone by someone else making a different choice that led to repercussions that were still full of uncertainty. And as the young woman stated long ago, this deviance from what was originally intended to occur changed everything, resulting in divine obscurity that even she couldn't fathom. It was hoped that once this strange girl was in their presence and able to answer some of the questions that they had for her, there would be some measure of clarity.
Who are you really, Kaede Sogen? The woman wonders. Who are you…and how far will you go to achieve your dreams?
-x-
"…I don't understand, Mr. Shadis," Kaede tells the man as they were in an alleyway, hiding from the Military Police, "why do the MPs want me? I'm just minding my own business and going about my day-to-day routine."
"Some people from Wall Sina likely see your ability to become a Titan as some sort of threat to their influence," Shadis replies. "A Titan that lives among the people is one thing, but a Titan that can do what you do is another thing altogether, and despite your inoffensive personality, some people fear that it's only a matter of time before something bad happens and you become a threat. They'll either want to lock you away or execute you."
Kaede sighs as she couldn't believe this. Just because she could become a Titan at will and made a conscious decision to do what she does with as little negativity on her part as possible, there were some people she had never even met a day in her life, that didn't even know the kind of person she was most of the time, that wanted her out of the way. This was another reason to add why she would likely never live behind Wall Sina; she wasn't cut out for a life of nobility of such a sort, even when some of her friends were related to members of the nobility.
"Tell me, what are the chances of them just wanting to talk to me?" She asks.
"I would say zero," Keith expresses, "but then I'd be lying to myself. The Military Police have always been…detrimental for the rest of the people within the Walls. That is why their dominion is limited to just Wall Sina. People trust people from the Garrison more than most."
"The Garrison have always been seen as the protectors of the community. One of my friends is affiliated with the Garrison."
"The lady with the baby girl?"
"Yes, Julietta."
"Your friends are… You're very lucky to have them by your side, Ms. Sogen."
"Anyone would be lucky to have friends like that. Since I slowly started to remember what I had forgotten five years ago, I remembered the small heartache I felt from learning that our displacement from Shiganshina would cause us all to drift away from each other. I guess afterwards, I rarely felt the same because of all the changes, just wanting to go back to the simpler times."
"I don't blame you. Anyone would want to go back to the simpler times. Well, anyone that wants to go back to those times, that is. Simpler is often better. Peace is better than conflict. A beneficial solution is better violent actions. Cooperation is better than enslavement."
"Each and every former option is more rewarding than the latter option, which is the opposite of rewarding. As much as I want to cooperate with these people, I…I don't want to die because of their fear or disgust towards me."
Shadis nods his head in understanding; this girl was subtle in her complaints, but wasn't trying to make such a big deal over it.
"What some of the people say about you is right," he says to her.
"What?" She asks. "What do they say about me?"
"Only positive things. That you're an angel. You're a sweetheart. A mother's dream come true in a kid."
"Except that when they do mention that, they can't help but think about him as the complete opposite. If we were two sides of the same coin, I'd want to know why, even when I already know why."
"He…he doesn't know that his father's dead. His mother doesn't know that her husband's dead. Nobody knows that Grisha is dead."
"But you know?"
Shadis suddenly realizes that he spoke out about something that was personal and troubling, and in front of this girl.
"I'm sorry," he apologizes. "I was the last person to see him, and then…he made me promise something to him."
"Personal or dangerous?"
"What?"
"Did Dr. Yeager make you promise to do something that was personal for him…or did he make you promise something that was dangerous for someone else? If it was his last request before dying, was it personal or dangerous?"
"It was personal…but dangerous. He made me swear I'd do it, just before he told me what it was that he wanted to do."
"Swearing to do something is a grim reminder of how an oath is forged. What did he make you swear to do?"
"He…told me to keep his family safe. To make sure that they lived long lives. Unfortunately, his son makes doing that difficult."
"I…think I can see how that is dangerous. Did Eren Yeager really fail to graduate from the Cadet Corps on his own…or were you trying to make sure that he couldn't pass?"
"I have done nothing to make any attempt to stunt his progress in the Cadet Corps. But I won't lie, I once thought of doing so. I wanted to disable the maneuverability gear used to help the cadets train in keeping themselves balanced when facing Titans, but I couldn't do it. Even if I did, he was just going to keep trying until he passed. But I think you were his Achilles' heel during the entire time he was there; even the mere thought of you made him uneasy. If anything, he hates you enough to want to make something bad happen to you."
"Hatred is a strong and poisonous emotion. I don't like him, either…but I wouldn't waste my time with him. I even spoke with his mother, just wanting to bury the agony of my act of rendering the Yeagers homeless in Shiganshina. During the entire time I spent talking to her, I had Eren under my arm. If I had wanted to that evening, I could've killed Eren by breaking his neck. If I had really wanted to, I could've likely done anything I wanted against him as a Titan. Bite him in half, smash his legs, rip off his arms, rip off his head. But I didn't do any of those things. How he feels about me is on him. I will not sully my hands or my conscience with his dislike of me or my dislike of him. Whether he lives or dies…is on him and how he behaves. But if he doesn't leave my loved ones alone, I will pray for him to be locked away where he can't bother anyone again."
Shadis then has to ask Kaede if she would inform the Yeagers of their patriarch's death.
"Why should I tell them?" She replies. "I don't know how he died; you didn't say how he died, only that he died, leaving how he died open to interpretation. Even though it's a falsehood, I don't know the full story…and I'd rather not know. I have plausible deniability in this case, knowing from a different point of view of something that happened long ago. You, on the other hand, have to be the one to tell them someday. Whether or not they can understand it or accept it is up to them. Still, it is on you to inform them of their personal loss."
"How are you this bright and understanding?"
"My parents have always been my greatest teachers."
-x-
"…The Military Police came looking for Ms. Sogen?" Hange questions the young ladies and the parents of Kaede when they came to her inside the Survey Corps HQ.
"They didn't give much of an explanation to why," Christine states, "just that they were ordered to find her."
"Well, Commander Smith would've informed me or Captain Levi of any requests or orders from the Military Police or government regarding Ms. Sogen. Something is off if they didn't inform us of anything."
"Miss Kaede…in trouble?" Charlotte asks.
"She might be."
To be continued…
A/N: Uh-oh! And some of you have questions that should be curious relating to the plot, right? The situation is getting bigger on both ends for Kaede and the others. But what comes next?