Chapter Text
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Part 1
The Present
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[Wall Sina; Trial of Eren Jaeger]
“So then, you’re Eren?”
Zoë Hange slammed their face against the jail cell, startling the young boy who sat inside.
The Military Police guarding him gave the scientist strange looks, but their stares quickly moved to other things when they caught me glaring from behind Hange. I smiled.
“Are you well? How’re things? I’m really sorry you’ve been waiting so long. But here’s your chance to finally get out.” The kid sighed in relief at Hange’s words, slouching onto the bed, his scraggly brown hair falling into his face.
Eren wasn’t supposed to receive a bed in his cell, the MPs saying something like- “Monsters don’t deserve those luxuries.”
After a gentle reminder, however, about who exactly I am, they complied without an issue. While the bed they found was usable, it wasn’t perfect and Eren’s small form barely fit on it.
It was still better than nothing.
“One thing. You’ll have to put these on for me, okay?” Eren’s eyes went wide at the sight of the handcuffs, darting from the shiny metal to me and then back to Hange.
I nodded at him with a hint of an encouraging smile on my face.
This whole damn trial wasn’t what I wanted for the kid and I hoped he could see that.
The MPs allowed only Hange to enter the cell, the heavy door creaking as it was opened. I stood guard just to the side, watching with eagle eyes as the iron was slapped around his thin wrists.
The Military Police were told I was there to help escort Eren to his trial, but in reality, I was here under orders from Commander Erwin to make sure no harm came to the kid at their hands.
I didn’t need Erwin’s words to make me protective of the Yeager kid though.
Once he was secure, we left the nasty, decaying dungeon and made our way up through the halls of the courthouse. I stood at the back of our small group, arms crossed and my renowned scowl permanently in place.
I let Hange do most of the talking, knowing they would get carried away no matter what. Instead, I kept the MPs occupied, seeing how long it would take for each one to crack under my gaze as they routinely turned to glance at me.
It was fun to watch them squirm.
“My name is Zoë Hange. I’m a section commander for the Scouts.” Hange’s head turned my way and they waved an arm in nonchalance. “This is Kiya Fuchs, although I believe the two of you already know each other.”
I gave the kid a small wave, keeping my arms crossed over my chest. He gulped in return, looking to Hange and opening his mouth to speak. They interrupted him though, going on about one of the paintings we had just passed, not caring that he had something to say.
My best friend was known for much within the Scouts, but mostly for talking the ear off of anyone in a five-foot radius.
As I suspected, we reached our destination without Eren uttering a single word. The guards probably wouldn’t have allowed him to speak anyway.
“Oh, poo! Sorry. I’ve just been prattling on with the small talk, and now we’re here! It’s probably better if I don’t explain, anyway.” The MPs grabbed Eren roughly, each holding an arm, and shoved him through the open doors before Hange or I could say anything else.
I could only watch as the kid was manhandled by these idiots, my teeth grinding together with anger and worry.
“We’ve all put our faith in you, Eren.” It was the first time I had spoken in front of these Military Police and they both froze, one looked like he was about to shit his pants. My voice was solid and sure and it rang out through the empty hall, my hard eyes set on Eren and only Eren.
“Best of luck!”
Hange slammed the doors shut, the sound ringing in my ears. I barely heard Eren yell back and then he was gone, thrown directly into the lion’s den.
My friend patted me on the back, wrapping an arm around my shoulder and walking us back towards another entrance.
“The kids gonna be just fine, shortstack! I wouldn’t worry about a thing.” I nodded along with them, trying to make myself believe it. “C’mon. Let’s go watch.”
Hesitantly, I followed, knowing what lay just beyond that door.
I knew the politicians would rip into him like starving wolves and I knew that the Captain would put the kid through whatever pain necessary to get our plan in motion. I would be forced to watch on, unable to protect him as I’d promised.
Levi and his damn lack of emotions towards other human beings.
Luckily, I was no longer on the direct receiving end of Levi’s harsh nature, but the first few months of our friendship had been rough. So I knew how cold he could be.
We’d since worked out our differences, although Hange says we still argue like an old married couple.
“Kiya. Come on.” Hange grabbed my arm, pushing through some old oak doors and pulling me up into an overhead viewing area.
The two of us stood side-by-side, leaning over the railing to see the proceedings. The room was jam-packed full of merchants, politicians, priests, and soldiers from all three Regiments.
It was quiet though, all eyes set on the ‘monstrous’ boy that knelt in the middle of them all, his hands chained behind his back to a metal post.
“As expected, covering up your existence has proven quite fruitless. And unless we publicly disclose your existence, one way or another, we risk the outbreak of widespread civil unrest.” Premier Zachary’s strong voice bounced off of every wall in the room, easily grabbing everyone’s attention. “A choice must be made. The regiment that takes custody of you will determine your fate. The Military Police...or the Scout Regiment.”
The voice of Nile Dawk grated in my ears as the Military Police began their case. His annoying cocky attitude made my fists clench as he proudly proclaimed how wonderful the MPs are and why they should take Eren.
Great Wall Maria, I hate that man.
We are rivals as old as time, two sides of a coin that had the unfortunate pleasure of working together from time to time.
There was a time when I was an enemy to the Military Police and Nile had made it his personal vendetta to capture me, kill me, and dispose of my body in the most gruesome way. He was never successful, and now I get to rub that in his face every single day.
I pulled my attention from him, my gaze meandering around the room.
I saw Commander Erwin first, his blonde helmet of hair and tall stature easy to pick out in a crowd. He was staring at Nile, his thick eyebrows bunched together in thought and his face set in a serious stone.
A short man stood next to him. Black hair, a blank face, and eyes like steel that were trained on me already.
Captain Levi.
We stared at each other for a few moments, ignoring Nile’s speech. There was a cough from beside me.
“If you two are done making goo-goo eyes at each other, you may be interested in hearing what the MP idiot is saying.” Hange leaned over, their lips a few inches from my ear. I playfully elbowed the scientist in the ribs, throwing a glare their way too.
“We were not making ‘goo-goo eyes’ for the love of Wall Maria.” They giggled, looking back at the courtroom floor with a sly smile on their face.
“I don’t care what you say, Leviya lives on in my heart.” I rolled my eyes at Hange’s whisper, ignoring them as they swooned dramatically.
“Just pay attention and be quiet, we can’t get in trouble with Premier Zachary again.” Hange scoffed but fell quiet anyway, relaxing against the railing.
“For the greater good, after we have gathered all the information that we can from him, we would see him made a fallen warrior of humanity.” My eyes narrowed in on Nile Dawk again and I wrapped my fingers around the railing, tapping rhythmically.
“And now, I’d like to hear the Scout Regiment’s proposed plan.”
I locked eyes with Levi again, taking a deep breath. He nodded subtly and I stayed focused on him as Erwin spoke.
“Yes sir. As the Commander of the Survey Corps. I, Erwin Smith, propose the following: let Eren join our ranks, reinstate him as a full member of the Scouts, and we will utilize his Titan ability to retake Wall Maria.” I took another breath, fingers hitting the railing harder. “With his assistance, sir, I’m certain we can reclaim Wall Maria. Ergo, I believe our top priority is perfectly clear.”
Hange placed a hand over mine, ceasing my needless taping. Levi would call me a pussy if he saw the way my nerves were running right now.
“Quite bold. Assuming you were given clearance, where do you plan to launch this operation from?” My foot started to tap in place of my fingers as Premier Zachary spoke. “Commander Pyxis. The wall in Trost District has been completely sealed, is that correct?”
Pyxis stood tall next to Commander Erwin, his bald head and large mustache making him very easy to recognize. His eyes flickered to me, and we smiled at each other for a moment, his eyes alight with mischief as per usual.
“Yes. I doubt its gate will ever open again.” Silence settled around the courtroom, everyone’s eyes flickering between Premier Zachary, Commander Pyxis, and Commander Erwin.
“We’ll depart from Calaneth District to the east. From there, we’ll make for Shiganshina.” Erwin’s eyes glanced up momentarily to me as he mentioned the district, quirking a brow. “A new route can be established as we proceed.”
His plan would have me spearhead our movements through Shiganshina since I knew the district better than anyone else in the regiment. Its streets are where I grew up after all.
The crowd erupted. Merchants, Military Police, and even Scouts screamed at each other across the room about this proposed idea and its lunacy.
Poor Eren was stuck in the middle, head swinging from one side to the other. Hange sighed in irritation next to me, subtly placing a shoe over my still-tapping foot.
I removed my hand from under Hange’s, reaching up and twisting my necklace between my fingers. It was a nervous habit I’d picked up a few years ago, and I couldn’t let it go.
“Squealing louder won’t help your case, pig.”
Just like that, the room went quiet.
My eyes locked on Levi as he began to speak, mentally preparing for the next step in our plan.
“While we’re bolstering our defenses, do you think the Titans are going to stand idly by? And when you say “we can’t afford,” do you speak for anyone other than your fat merchant friends?” The room felt colder when the Captain spoke, everyone clamming up to hear his words. To them, this was a big deal, having The Captain Levi speak. Most had probably never even heard his voice, and would never again. “Do you pigs even realize that most of our people are struggling just to survive off of what little land we have left?”
Lay it on ‘em, Levi.
“I’m simply saying that sealing the gates is the only guaranteed protection we’ve got!” This merchant was bold, not even hesitating to counter Levi, as most would be.
“Hold your tongue, you vile, belligerent heretic! Are you really suggesting that we lowly humans meddle with Wall Rose, a gift to us from on high?” A religious man pushed through the crowd, pointing his finger in the merchant's face. It was unfortunate to see them here, I was hoping they’d all died out.
Just like with Nile Dawk, my standing with the religious folks in Shiganshina was less than perfect. They’d been trying for years to accuse me of an assortment of “sins”, most coming from my profession before I joined the Scouts.
Let’s just say I wasn’t exactly a pious person.
Premier Zachery slammed his hand on the pedestal three times, gaining the attention of the room.
“Order! I ask that you save your personal vendettas for a more appropriate venue. Now then, Mr. Jaeger, I have a question for you.” My eyes made their way back to the kid, my tapping starting up again. “As a soldier, you have made a solemn pledge to answer humanity’s call. Can you still serve by controlling your ability?”
The kid responded without hesitation, keeping a strong front.
You’re doing great.
“Yes! I will, sir!”
“Oh, is that so? But this report from the Battle for Trost contradicts that statement.” My eyes went wide. Mikasa didn’t report that incident, did she? “Just after transforming, it seems you made an attempt to crush Mikasa Ackerman.”
I found the girl in the crowd, watching as she held a hand over her mouth in shock. No, she didn’t snitch.
“And who is this Mikasa Ackerman?”
A beat of silence passed around the courtroom, all eyes searching for someone to reveal themselves and melt from the crowd.
“Me! That would be me, sir.” Mikasa stepped forward, saluting the air and tipping her chin to the sky. There was not an ounce of fear in the girl, I’d always admired that.
“Alright, then. Is it true that Eren Jaeger assaulted you while he was in Titan form?” I held my breath for her answer.
You have to tell the truth. Lying would only make it worse.
“Yes. All of that’s true.”