Age of Titans Chapter 13 (Patreon)

Hey friends and fans! Kairomaru is bringing you another chapter of Age of Titans! The Military Tribunal begins! But the Three Commanders and the Commander-in-Chief have already come to an agreement and are working together. The Assembly and the Reiss Family have no idea either; that may very well spell the fall of their corrupt regime without them even knowing it! After the Tribunal though, there’s a ton of work to do still, Eren and family have Lesser Shifters to awaken and train to build up their forces. To restore Eldia to a proper kingdom and nation, there’s a lot to do.

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So, without further delay, please enjoy.

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Chapter 13 – Tribunal and the Survey Corps

In a cellblock within Wall Rose, beneath the Garrison Command center of the south, Eren, Annie, Ymir, Armin, Sasha, and Krista all sat in separate cells with shackles on their wrists. It was entirely for appearances, just so that all reports would read that all standard procedures for Military suspects had been followed. None of the ‘conspirators’ wanted to give any suspicion that anything was amiss in this upcoming tribunal.

“This sucks…” Ymir mentioned with a scoff.

“We have to follow proper protocol.” Eren reminded her with a flat tone.

“No talking!” One of the guards, a Garrison member that wasn’t ‘in the know’, raised his voice. “Prisoners will stay quiet until they’re taken to their trial.”

The six Shifters went back to being quite, just waiting for their escort to their trial. Zackly had already made his decision even before the order for a military tribunal had come down. Pixis and Eren were going to openly be on the same side, while Nile would be ‘convinced’ during the trial to put the Shifters into the Survey Corps as a measure of keeping them under control.

A few hours later, both Hange and Levi came to escort the six prisoners to the courtroom that had been chosen for the military tribunal. Six soldiers from the Garrison, armed with both swords and rifles, followed behind the group, ready to act in case any of the prisoners tried anything. No words were spoken, though it was clear that Hange wanted to talk, Levi’s sharp gaze kept her mouth shut. As the double doors to the courtroom were opened, the Shifters got their first look at all of the people that had come to make their presence known for the tribunal of the ‘Titan-killing Titans’.

“Keep walking, slowly.” One of the guards ordered the six prisoners.

The six walked forward until they got to the center of the floor were a raised dais waited for them. They were ordered to kneel with their hands behind their backs, only to have iron posts that locked into special mechanisms in the dais put over the chains of their shackles, effectively locking them to the dais itself.

The six Shifters looked around the courtroom, spotting Erwin and Pixis easily, then looking over to the opposite side of the room to see Nile. That was the three players in this trial ready to play their parts. However, there was another group that none of them had expected to be here.

‘The Wall Church?’ Eren wondered why that group of blind faith believers had decided to make their presence known here.

After Wall Maria had fallen, the ‘Wall Faith’ had formed as a legitimate religious group within Wall Rose and even Wall Sina. In just a few short years, they’d grown to have many followers and had gained considerable influence within the Walls. So much so that a member of their Order now sat on the Assembly…but according to Zackly’s information, the man was a noble just further ensuring the aristocracy’s control over the Walls.

“Well…let’s begin.” Zackly had entered the courtroom and pulled his chair out at the long table at the front of the room. He took off his green military jacket and hung it on the back of the chair, leaving him in only his white button-up shirt as he sat down and looked over the papers in front of him. Zackly adjusted his glasses as he read over the information that was on the papers. It was both to understand just how he should play this tribunal to achieve the goals of the conspirators, as well as to give the courtroom time to settle since it had been full of murmuring and hushed conversations when he’d entered. “You are Eren Yeager, correct?” He looked at Eren as if he’d never seen the young man before.

“Yes, sir.” Eren nodded to the Commander-in-Chief.

“Annie Leonhardt?” Zackly looked to Eren’s left at Annie.

“Yes, sir.” Annie confirmed.

“Ymir?” Zackly looked over at the tall woman.

“Yes, sir.” Ymir gave the man a nod.

“Armin Arlert?” Zackly’s eyes shifted to look at the only other man on trial.

“Yes, sir.” Armin replied promptly.

“Krista Lenz?” Zackly looked at the shorter woman.

“Yes, sir.” Krista bowed her head slightly to Zackly.

“Sasha Braus?” Zackly questioned.

“Yes, sir.” Sasha gave the Commander-in-Chief a nod.

Zackly placed the top paper onto the table in front of him. “As soldiers, you’ve pledged you lives to serve the public. Correct?”

“Yes, sir.” The six Shifters answered almost simultaneously.

“Regular law cannot apply in these exceptional circumstances. Therefore, this will be a Military Tribunal. Ultimate authority has been entrusted to me. Even over your lives.” He gave the six prisoners a sharp look. “Now, I will ask you only once. Do you have any objections?”

“No, sir.” The six prisoners replied promptly.

Zackly nodded at their quick answers and placed another page from his hand onto the table in front of him. “I’m glad that you understand. Now, this unprecedented case has given rise to many conflicting, passionate arguments within these walls. There are those that call you demons and others that call you saviors.” Zackly put down another paper onto the table. “As expected, it proved impossible to hide your existence from the general public. When we are eventually forced to make an official announcement about you, it will inevitably produce a new threat in addition to the Titans. Given that, we’re here to decide which Branch of the Military will be responsible for your activities. That decision will determine how you six are dealt with.” Zackly motioned to Nile. “The Military Police…” He then motioned to Erwin. “Or the Survey Corps.” Zackly gave a nod to Nile. “We’ll hear from the Military Police first.”

“I’m Nile Dok, Commander of the Military Police.” Nile spoke up with his name and Rank as was expected of him in a formal Military Court. “We believe that the bodies of these six should be thoroughly examined…after which they should be disposed of immediately. Careful consideration of the grave damage that validating his existence would cause led us to this conclusion.” Nile continued on, not wanting to risk losing momentum and breaking from the role he was needed to play right now. “Those who hold the reins of power in the center regard him as a threat. Yet, despite the current situation, those people, including the Royal Family, have stuck to their policy of noninterference in matters outside of the wall, just as they did when Wall Maria fell.” Nile felt good about being able to point out the lack of concern that those in power had for everyone else, even as he appeared to be on their side.

Now was the time to subtly remind people that the Shifters had already done a great service to those living within the Walls.

“However, the masses see these six as heroes for their part in the counterattack. This has sparked a backlash, chiefly among the merchants and the people of Wall Rose. While it’s undeniable that the Titan Power of these six deserves credit for repelling this latest attack. This incursion had the lowest casualty rate in the history of the military, and the least amount of damage to the livelihoods of the citizens.” Nile made sure to slip in the positives first, wanting to make sure that everyone heard the good that the Shifters had already done, before he moved on to the last part of his role. “But it’s also a fact that their existence causes real harm. In no time, they’ve become highly politicized figures. Therefore, after we extract as much information from them as possible, we’ll turn them into martyrs for humanity.”

“That isn’t necessary!” One of the men from the ‘Wall Faith’ stepped forward. “They are pests that circumvented the divine protection of the Walls through trickery! They should be executed immediately!” The man declared with a harsh look on his face.

‘Damn fanatic…’ Ymir glared at the man and his robe. She’d had far more than enough experience with cultish bullshit in her life already. She had no desire for any more of it.

“Minister Nick, quiet, now.” Zackly spoke firmly to the man. “Your faith has no say in the matters of military affairs. You’d do well to remember that.” His tone was calm, but as unbending as a mountain.

The Minister quickly shut his mouth and stepped back with a dour look on his face.

“We will now hear the proposal from the Survey Corps.” Zackly nodded to Erwin to begin.

“Sir. I’m Erwin Smith, the 13th Commander of the Survey Corps.” Erwin gave his name and rank as required. “We plan to induct these six into the Survey Corps as full-fledged members and use their Titan Powers to take back Wall Maria. That is all.” He finished, his argument simple, but it immediately grabbed everyone’s attention in the courtroom.

“Hm? That’s all you have to say?” Zackly affected a look of surprise very well.

“Yes, sir.” Erwin replied with a resolute look on his face. “With their strength, we can recover Wall Maria. I believe our priorities are clear.”

“I see.” Zackly said while briefly glancing around the courtroom to gauge the reactions of those gathered. Seeing a mix of both hope for the reclamation of Wall Maria and disbelief that such a thing could be done, he knew it was time to move forward and bring in Pixis. “By the way, what base do you plan to use to launch expeditions outside the Walls going forward?” Zackly questioned Erwin, before turning to Pixis. “Pixis, the Trost gate is now completely sealed, is it not?”

“Yes, sir.” Pixis nodded to Zackly. “That wall was completely sealed by the ‘Titan-killing Titans’, that gate will never be opened again. It’s a solid wall now.” The Garrison Commander noticed the brightening of a few faces among the crowd at his words.

“We wish to set out from eastern Karanes District.” Erwin answered Zackly’s question after Pixis had finished speaking. “We need to make a new route to Shiganshina District from scratch. With their Titan Powers, that shouldn’t be an issue.”

“Hold on! Isn’t it time we sealed off all of the gates permanently?!” One man, who Pixis had noticed brightening up a bit upon hearing that the Trost gate was sealed, spoke up loudly. “The Colossal Titan has only been able to destroy the gates in the walls! If we sealed up those areas, then they’d never be able to attack us again!”

‘The conservative faction is here too?’ Armin recognized the talking points from that group of the population. The ones that wanted to seal themselves inside the Walls permanently and hide from the outside world and the Titans.

“Do those dogs in the merchants’ association really want land that badly?!” The man continued, his voice getting louder. “All you people do is blurt out unrealistic ideals while plunging us further into ruin!” He pointed accusingly at the Survey Corps members. “We won’t let you play at being heroes any longer!”

Levi set his gaze on the man and the words died out quickly. “You’re full of talk, you pig. But where’s your guarantee that the Titans will wait patiently while we seal up the gates?” The other man’s face broke out into sweat at being under Levi’s cold gaze. “When you say ‘we’ you’re talking about my friends, who protect you while you get fat. You pigs take no notice of the people who can’t eat because there isn’t enough land!”

“A-All I said was that we’d be safe if we sealed up the gates…” The man was clearly on the back foot now, his face covered in sweat and looking fearful.

“That’s enough, insolent scoundrel!” Minister Nick barked at the man. “Wall Rose was a gift from God! Do you mean to say that human beings should lay a hand on it?!” The rest of the ‘Wall Faith’ members gathered at Nick’s back, all of them glaring at the man as well. “How can you fools look upon that wall, that divine masterpiece beyond human knowledge, and still not comprehend?!”

‘These idiots were why it took so long to get cannons mounted on top of the walls…’ Eren grimaced at hearing Minister Nick blather on, especially since he knew the truth of the three Walls and how they were made. ‘What they say is nonsense, but they have enough support and influence to be dangerous.’ The conservative man was now trying to defend himself from the loud condemnation from Minister Nick. ‘What the hell are they doing? Even now each person or group just puts their own interests first. Even when we tell them we’re putting our lives on the line. Why won’t they believe us?’

“Quiet!” Zackly spoke loudly, stopping the argument with his voice alone. “Another outburst and I’ll have all of you removed from this courtroom.” He warned the Wall Faith members and the conservative faction. “Let’s move on.” He placed the last of the papers down on the table. “Eren…you speak for your group, yes?”

“Yes, sir.” Eren confirmed, looking up at Zackly from his chained position.

“It seems you and the others wanted to join the Survey Corps while you were cadets.” Zackly tapped the papers in front of him. “But can you six continue as soldiers and use this Titan Power for the benefit of Humanity?”

“Yes, sir, we can.” Eren answered firmly and without a hint of doubt.

“I see.” Zackly barely stopped a grin from crossing his face. He could see the shocked and uncomfortable looks on the faces of those that were against Eren and the Shifters. “How do you plan to do that?”

“We’ll clear a path to Shiganshina, we’ll seal the breach in the wall there and take back Wall Maria. Then we’ll exterminate every Titan within Wall Maria and reclaim the land for Humanity!” Eren declared powerfully, every person in the room feeling a thrum in their chests. “If you cowards…” He turned his powerful, burning gaze upon the conservative faction and the ‘Wall Faith’ members. “Are too scared to fight for your own lives, then shut the hell up and stay out of the way while us soldiers secure a real future for everyone!” The pressure within his words made every person in the courtroom go silent for a long moment after he finished speaking.

Erwin was the first to speak up after Eren’s powerful display. “If it has bearing on your choice, Commander-in-Chief, I would have the six of them with Titan Powers under the supervision of Captain Levi and his personal squad. They have the highest Titan kill count in the history of the Survey Corps. It would be a failsafe, should anything go wrong.”

“That’s still rather dangerous.” Nile spoke up, playing the part of dissenter still. “Five elite soldiers they might be, but they’d be up against six Titans with human-level intelligence.”

“What’re you talking about?” Levi asked Nile with a flat expression. “You’re the ones talking about dissecting them.” He glanced across the frightened faces that were on the other side of the room after Eren’s little display. “These six apparently killed over four dozen Titans during the Trost incursion. The fact that they’re intelligent while wielding Titan Powers could make them formidable enemies. But they’re not my enemies. Are they yours?” Levi questioned the ones that had spoken up against the Shifters. “Everyone that’s tried to persecute them should think carefully too…can any of you kill them for sure?”

All of the ‘Wall Faith’ members and those of the conservative faction looked away after a second.

“Can you and your squad handle it, Levi?” Zackly questioned the Captain directly.

Levi turned to look at Zackly. “If you mean killing them, it’s not a problem. Killing six Titans wouldn’t take me and my squad even half a minute. Rather, the problem is there would be no half-measures… It would have to be execution as Titans can regenerate from anything short of death.”

“I see. If that’s the last of the discussion, the I will now make my decision.” Zackly stated to the courtroom as a whole.

“Please, wait!” Nile spoke up, as was planned. “Erwin… I want to ask you. What will you do about the interior?”

“I’m quite aware that our activities outside the Walls depend on the stability of the society within them.” Erwin replied, this was their chance to give some reassurance to the holdouts in the courtroom that may try to cause trouble later. “I don’t take the problems of the interior lightly.” His eyes swept the room, briefly meeting the gazes of a few of the prominent holdouts. “Let me propose that to calm the public and give them hope, we’ll prove that the Shifters are an asset to our survival on our next expedition beyond the wall.” Erwin said with a calm countenance. “I would like to decide their future based on the results they produce.”

“I see…” Zackly looked between Erwin and the six Shifters. A quick glance over the room and no one else seemed to have anything to say, though there were a few that were clearly hoping that the Shifters would die beyond the Walls like so many soldiers before them had fallen. “Then it’s settled.” He nodded and the tension in the courtroom increased noticeably. “Eren Yeager, Armin Arlert, Annie Leonhardt, Sasha Braus, Krista Lenz, and Ymir will be placed in the care of the Survey Corps. However, they may return here, depending on their accomplishments.”

The tension broke as Zackly delivered his decision, and almost audible sigh seemed to escape the collective group all at once. Erwin and the Survey Corps members moved to free the six Shifters from their restraints. The rest of the courtroom slowly cleared out in the process, a few still shooting fearful looks towards the six that were being unshackled.

-Former Survey Corps Headquarters-

After a long horse ride through a dense forest, along a simple dirt road, The Levi Squad and the six Shifters arrived at an old castle that had clearly not been used in years. It was a bit overgrown, most of the windows had been boarded up, and the entire area looked like it didn’t see much of any traffic.

“The former headquarters of the Survey Corps. The facility is nothing more than an old converted castle. Charming in its own way, sure… But an HQ this far from both the Wall and the river was worse than useless to the Survey Corps. Back then the Corps had just been formed, and the soldiers were still full of ambition. Who would’ve figured that this oversized decoration would be the best place to keep you all locked up?” Oluo Bozado spoke to Eren as they rode towards the old castle.

He had a much older appearance than his peers, having more pronounced wrinkles despite being around the same age as his teammates. He had slightly curly, brown hair styled in an undercut and small eyes. He wore the standard Survey Corps uniform, as well as a cravat. He was one of the hand-picked soldiers that Levi had made part of his personal squad.

“Don’t get cocky, rookie!” Oluo leaned over to get a bit closer to Eren.

“Excuse me?” Eren blinked, not having done anything to act cocky as they rode along.

“I don’t know about this Titan business, but the idea of Captain Levi constantly chaperoning you pissants makes me…” His words were cut off as his horse walked over a rougher part of the dirt road and Oluo bit his tongue.

Eren’s eyes widened as blood flew through the air and Oluo slapped his hand over his mouth to muffle his exclamation of pain.

-Castle Courtyard-

“Blathering like that on a horse… Of course you’re going to bite your tongue.” Petra Ral chastised her teammate. She was a somewhat short woman with light brunette hair that she kept short. Her amber eyes were normally kind, but currently looked at Oluo like he was an idiot. She wore than standard Survey Corps uniform like her teammates, kept clean and worn properly as Captain Levi expected of his squad.

“I was making a first impression.” Oluo was washing his mouth out with water from the well. “That rookie was quaking in his boots.”

“Didn’t look like that to me.” Petra deadpanned at his words. “I think he was just surprised by what a fool you are, Oluo.”

“At any rate…” Oluo spat out some of the water and wiped his chin. “That rookie’s just what I expected.”

“You never used to talk like this…” Petra mentioned as Oluo washed his hands with the last of the water from the bucket. “If… and this is just a guess… But if you are trying to imitate Captain Levi… Just stop it, would you? I mean…you have absolutely nothing in common with him.” She looked at Oluo with a mixture of disbelief and a little disgust at his attempt to be like Levi.

“Heh…” Oluo’s eyebrow twitched. “What, are you trying to rein me in, Petra? If you wanna act like my wife, there’s a couple of steps that you skipped.”

Petra flinched slightly as if the idea physically struck her. “Don’t you think you’re getting carried away just because the Captain chose you? I wish you’d bitten your tongue off and died from blood loss…”

“I’m your comrade in arms, that’s not funny!” Oluo growled back at Petra.

Armin and Eren blinked at the back and forth as they put away the horses in the stable.

“I have a feeling a lot of this group is a bit eccentric.” Armin commented on the conversation between the Levi Squad members.

“Better eccentric than cowards.” Eren gave his opinion on the matter. The ‘rookies’ had been designated the task of putting away the horses and unloading all of the supplies that the group had brough for their stay at the old headquarters.

It wasn’t lost on any of the Shifters that Squad Levi was watching them closely. Whether from nerves or just wondering if they could see some difference in them, something that would give away their Titan Powers, was unknown though. They did technically have orders to kill the Shifters if they tried anything at all. But given that the Shifters had not only saved Erwin’s life, but had made him a Shifter as well, the Levi Squad seemed to be holding back judgement for now.

Once the supplies were unloaded, Levi stood before everyone that was being stationed at the castle for now. “This place hasn’t been used in a long time. It’s fallen into disrepair.” His sharp eyes looked at the face of every person. “Fix it up immediately.”

Everyone quickly moved to follow his orders.

BAM

Levi didn’t exclude himself in the cleanup of the old headquarters as he threw open the two shutters of an upper floor window. He had a white cloth over his head to keep his hair clean, and a second white cloth covering his mouth to prevent breathing in dust. To Eren and the others’ surprise, the Captain was a bit of a clean freak.

“Ugh…it’s like being a cadet still.” Sasha pouted at having to do cleaning duty first thing. They hadn’t even had time for lunch yet!

“Better cleaning here than being under the constant scrutiny of the higher ups.” Annie said as she swept the floor of the room that they were assigned to clean.

“I guess.” Sasha sighed as she cleaned the walls with a rag and a bucket of soapy water.

On the top floor, Ymir, Krista, and Eren were cleaning the rooms and hallways. Krista was washing the floor of the corridor, soaking a rag and then pushing it across the floor as she kept her feet under her. Ymir was cleaning the ceilings with a duster, removing cobwebs and dust from the rafters as she stood on a short ladder. Eren was sweeping the floors in the rooms while occasionally finding old, broken items and tossing them into a barrel that the three of them were using as a garbage can.

On the ground floor, Armin was mopping the floor of the dining hall. He had been tasked with making the place clean so that the group could have meals soon. Knowing that Sasha’s hunger could get violent, Armi set himself to the task with vigor. He still had to clean all of the tables after he got the floor done too.

A while later and Eren, Ymir, and Krista approached Levi.

“Top floor is clean, sir.” Krista reported.

“Can I ask where we’ll be sleeping, sir?” Ymir questioned the Captain that she nearly towered over given Levi’s somewhat short stature.

“You six will be in the basement.” Levi answered flatly.

“The basement…just like the cells, huh?” Eren looked a little less than pleased, but he supposed they’d have to put up with it for now.

“Naturally,” Levi looked at them pointedly. “If you’re underground, we’ll be able to restrain you, even if you turn into Titans. That’s one of the conditions we were given when they placed you all into our custody. It’s a rule that we must follow.”

Ymir and Krista looked at each other with some surprise. Eren once more reassessed Captain Levi with the image that the public had of the man.

“I’m going to check the rooms you cleaned.” Levi headed for the stairs. “Start helping Petra with the kitchen.” Without another word he ascended the stairs.

When the three entered the kitchen, they found Petra sweeping the floor. “You three seem surprised.” Petra smiled at them.

“Huh?” Eren shook his head from his introspection.

“It’s not an uncommon reaction.” Petra directed Ymir and Krista to clean the counters and the pantry. “Captain Levi isn’t like he’s made out to be by others, right?”

“You can say that again.” Ymir agreed as she started washing one of the shelves in the pantry.

Petra nodded in understanding. “The real Captain Levi is short, ill-mannered, high-strung, and unapproachable…”

“I was more surprised by his dedication to orders from above.” Krista admitted as she scrubbed the countertop that she was cleaning.

“Same here, I thought he was the type that wouldn’t take orders from anyone.” Eren said as he used a hand broom and a dust pan to pick up the pile of dust and refuse that Petra had swept up from the floor and then dump it into the garbage.

“I don’t know much for sure, but I believe Captain Levi was originally like that when Commander Erwin brought him into the Corps.” Petra told the three as they continued to clean. “Supposedly, the Captain used to be a notorious thug in the city’s underground market.”

“So Erwin was the one that brought Captain Levi into the Survey Corps?” Ymir blinked at the new information.

Krista hummed thoughtfully for a moment. “I guess the Captain is exceptionally loyal to the Commander because of that, right?”

The sound of footsteps approaching the kitchen stopped the conversation. Levi rounded the corner and stopped in the doorway. Petra quickly started sweeping again, trying to look busy. “Hey, you three. You call that clean?!” He narrowed his eyes at the three Shifters. “Do it all again.”

Krista, Eren, and Ymir quickly abandoned their work in the kitchen to rush back upstairs.

-Evening ~ After Dinner-

Eren, Annie, Armin, Krista, Sasha, and Ymir all sat on one side of a long table in the mess hall. Across from them sat Oluo, Petra, Eld Jinn, and Gunther Schultz. Levi sat at the head of the table, currently sipping tea from his cup.

Sasha was happily finishing off the last of the bread that she’d gotten from dinner with a little smile on her face.

The silence persisted for a short time before Eld spoke up. “We’ll probably be on standby for the next several days. But I’ve heard that they’re planning another large-scale expedition outside the Walls within the next thirsty days or so.” Eld Jinn was the vice-leader of Squad Levi. He had long blond hair which had a middle part and a bun folded at the back to keep his hair tied. He also had a small beard and wore the standard Survey Corps uniform like the other members of the squad. “They seem to be rushing to put in some recent graduates into the mix.”

Eren and Annie shared a quick look at that information. It wasn’t hard to figure out at least a few of the new recruits that the Survey Corps would be rushing to induct. Both Mikasa and Franz were still outside of the Survey Corps jurisdiction at the moment, both cadets needed to enlist in the Corps during assignment in the next couple of days, just like the rest of the 104th Cadet Class. Mikasa wouldn’t choose anywhere else, but Franz might go to the Garrison, which couldn’t be allowed given that he was a Shifter.

“Isn’t it a bit too soon? The raw recruits just went through a Titan incursion.” Gunther gave his opinion on the matter. He was a man of average height with a slightly darker skin tone. He kept his dark brown hair short and cropped and his eyes matched his hair color. He also wore the standard uniform, but with the addition of a brown sash around his waist.

“I bet most of those brats were paralyzed in fear.” Oluo raised his cup to his lips and sipped some of the tea in a manner reminiscent of Levi.

“Is this true, Captain?” Petra looked to Levi for confirmation.

Levi set down his cup. “I’m not in-charge of planning strategy. That’s his department…” He mentioned Erwin without needing to say the other man’s name. “He’s got a lot more to think about than we do.”

“That’s true…” Eld agreed as he looked into his teacup. “The circumstances have changed so much. On one hand, the Maria recovery route that we sacrificed so much to build was sealed off in an instant.” Eld looked up at the six people sitting across from him. “But a completely new hope has sprung up in its place.”

All of Squad Levi was now looking at the Shifters, even Levi himself looked vaguely interested.

“It’s still hard to believe, but what happens when you ‘become’ a Titan?” Eld asked directly, not caring which one of them answered.

“For a short time, you’ll feel like you can do anything, it’s a rush of power unlike anything else.” Annie replied to the question given that she had the most experience. “But once your head is clear, you acclimate to the increased size and strength you have and get used to moving around. Once it feels natural to move in the Titan body, then you’ll start getting a feel for the power within it.” She finished off her tea after she spoke.

“The ‘Nine Types’ stuff, right?” Gunther had been briefed on a bit of the new Titan information since he was part of Squad Levi. But the majority of it was kept under wraps still.

“Yes.” Eren nodded to the other man.

“I’m sure that you’re all aware…” Levi interrupted before anything else could be asked. “But you’re not allowed to ask him anything past what’s in the report.” That would come later and they needed to wait for a few more people to arrive tomorrow. Levi heard a distant noise and sat back in his chair. “Although I doubt that she’ll keep her mouth shut. If she screws up while poking and prodding at you all for information, then it might actually be the death of you.”

“Wait…her?” Eren looked at Levi, already having a good idea of just who he was talking about.

Bam

The large doors to the mess hall were thrown open.

“Hi there, Squad Levi!” Hange greeted them brightly. “Is the castle comfortable?”

“Yeah, her.” Levi confirmed as Hange quickly made her way towards a free seat at the long table. “You were supposed to come with the other group tomorrow, Hange.”

“I couldn’t wait that long, Levi!” Hange waved him off. “I have too many questions! I just took one of the horses and rode here myself!”

“She’s completely nuts, isn’t she?” Ymir deadpanned at the eccentric woman. Krista gently rested her hand atop Ymir’s with a smile, getting the Prime Jaw Titan holder to smile back at her.

“I hope that you all will assist me with my Titan Experiments going forward!” Hange beamed at the six Shifters.

“What do you mean by Titan Experiments?” Eren had to ask.

All five members of Squad Levi stood up from the table and left the mess hall at the same time. None of them wanted to be drawn into another of Hange’s lectures.

“I’ve been studying the Titans for a few years now!” Hange’s excitement was almost palpable. “I’ve made multiple attempts to communicate…I’ve explored their sense of pain…and I even discovered that they don’t need food or water, or even air! They only need sunlight to stay active! But even that varies from Titan to Titan! Some will almost completely shut down when cut off from sunlight for around an hour! Others will still be active even three hours or more after being cut off from sunlight!”

“How did you come to those conclusions?” Armin questioned Hange, now a bit curious himself.

“It happened one day when I kicked the decapitated head of a three-meter Titan…” Hange recalled the incident that had put her on her current path. “The head was very light.”

“What?” Sasha looked confused on how any part of the giant Titans could be light.

Hange nodded at the other woman’s confusion. “Titans are lighter than they should be, given their size. In fact, based on what we know of biology, a Titan shouldn’t even be able to stand, much less walk, on two legs.” She looked at the six of them. “Even the weight of a severed Titan arm wasn’t what it should’ve been based on its size. I was able to lift it without trouble.” She looked at each of them in turn. “Then you all told me that when you turn into Titans, your bodies form up out of nothing.”

Eren actually blinked at the realization, having never really given it much thought before.

“What I think is happening is that we can see and the true nature of what actually exists are totally different things!” Hange rested her arms on the table, her hands clasped together as she took on a more melancholic expression. “For decades now, we’ve made an effort to thrive on hatred and move aggressively. I want to try looking at the Titans from a different angle than the predominant view. I may just be spinning my wheels… But… I’m going to do it!” Her look became resolute and strong.

‘Another oddball looking to change the status quo.’ Eren realized that the Survey Corps was full of such people. He rather liked that, if he was honest.

“I never expected anything like what you six have shown was possible.” Hange shook her head slightly. “But seeing it, knowing that there’s so much more to the Titans and even the world… There’s never been a change like this before. I’m having fun… But it’s possible that I’m just being a pain in the ass and expecting too much out of all of you.”

“Miss Hange…” Eren interrupted her. “If you don’t mind, I’d like to hear more about your experiments.”

“Hm?!” Hange looked up and blinked at Eren in surprise. “Really?”

“I’ll tell you what I know of Titans and the Eldians’ Shifter ability. Any new knowledge could be vital for us to secure our future.” Eren gave her a genuine smile for her desire to know the truth. It was something sorely lacking in many of the people that lived within the Walls.

“Th-that’s true…” Hange visibly perked up as she smiled brilliantly at Eren. “I do have a lot of questions! We may be here a while!” She was practically bouncing in her seat already.

It was after midnight before Annie had forced Hange stop…everyone was exhausted by the never-ending stream of questions. Even answering one of Hange’s questions led to more questions! The eccentric woman would clearly go on all night and into the next morning if she was allowed to.

“One last question! Please!” Hange begged with wide eyes.

“Fine.” Annie pinched the bridge of her nose to stave off a headache.

“You said that the method of awakening an Eldian to their Shifter powers required a mix of bodily fluids to be injected into their spine. But is that the only way?” Hange asked curiously, standing up from her chair and leaning over the table with her palms resting atop the wood. “Can it be any bodily fluids mixing as long as it’s internal?” Her eyes darted over to Eren before focusing back on Annie.

Annie felt her eye twitch a little when Hange glanced at Eren two more times. “You can’t become a Shifter through sex.” She answered the true question.

“Are you certain?” Hange asked a follow up question, which totally didn’t count as a second question…in her mind.

“Yes.” Annie deadpanned at the other woman. “If that was possible, then Eldia would’ve never run out of Lesser Shifters.”

“I see… How interesting.” Hange nodded, mentally filing away the new information.

“Can we go to bed…” Krista yawned with her hand over her mouth. “…now?”

Ymir stood up and gently took Krista’s hand as the blonde stood up from her seat. “We’re going right now, Krista.”

Sasha yawned as well, having nearly been asleep already. “Sounds good.” She stood up and followed after Krista and Ymir. “I was about to tell Eren to just fuck her so that she’d stop asking questions.”

“Sasha… I didn’t need to hear that.” Armin nearly facepalmed as he left the room. The last thing he wanted to hear about was his best friend’s sex life.

Eren stood up and took Annie’s hand in his own. “We’re heading to bed, Miss Hange.”

“Alright, I suppose it is pretty late.” Hange stood up from her chair and stretched her arms over her head. Unintentionally, probably, thrusting her chest out and emphasizing her tits.

“I swear, if it takes you bedding her to make her calm down…” Annie nearly dragged Eren out of the room while contemplating if having her brains fucked out would calm Hange down at all.

“I don’t think Mikasa would approve of adding another to our family without her approval.” Eren let out a small chuckle as they headed for the basement and the rooms prepared for the six Shifters.

Hange heard the fading words and a small smile formed on her lips. “Family, huh?”

She’d been very young when her parents had died from sickness. Joining the military had been a way to do something other than working in the same place that her parents had died in. She’d always been curious and inquisitive and the world outside the Walls practically called to her. That had eventually led her to the Survey Corps. What had followed had been terror and death for quite a while, and she’d become aggressive in turn. All until that fateful day that she’d kicked the severed head of that three-meter Titan. Then the mysteries of the Titans had captured her nearly-genius mind ever since.

“That doesn’t sound too bad, honestly.” Hange turned off the lantern on the table and headed for bed herself. She had plenty of new information to mull over until sleep took her. But one decision had been made and she would see it through as soon as possible. ‘I’m gonna become a Shifter! Getting to BE a Titan! How could I EVER pass that up?!’ With a little giggle, Hange climbed the stairs towards the upper floors where her bedroom in the castle was located.

-End Chapter-

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Military Tribunal cleared!

It’s much easier when the ‘trial’ is rigged before it ever started!

Annie, Armin, Sasha, Ymir, Krista, and Eren are now under the jurisdiction of the Survey Corps. Now the next step of the plan can begin!

Time to make more Lesser Shifters!

We already know whose gonna be first in line for that! Kek!

What will be the Titan Types of the first Survey Corps volunteers?

Can Krista come clean about her past and her heritage? And can that be used to further the plan to make Eren the new King of Eldia?

Keep reading to find out!

Until I get your reviews, later!