Erwin sighed as he scanned the mess hall nervously, tray in his hands. He was one of the new cadets, having just joined the ranks a couple of weeks prior. He watched as the groups gathered at the tables hurriedly turned to keep from meeting his eyes. Such was the pattern for the past two weeks. He finally spotted an empty table in the back corner, so he quickly made his way there and folded his too long legs underneath.
It seemed many of his fellow cadets had got on quite well, and many had already started to blend in with certain existing cliques or even forming their own. Yet, Erwin didn't seem to fit in. He shouldn't be surprised. He never had fit in, not with former classmates, not with the other kids at the orphanage, and, apparently, not with his enlistment class.
He should be used to it by now. It shouldn't bother him anymore. But it bothered him. He wasn't sure why. He hadn't felt this alone since the day his father died. He took a deep breath and pushed it out in a sound of frustration, poking at his food with his fork.
This was only temporary, he told himself. He only had to get through two years of military training and he could join the Survey Corps. He had to keep his eyes on his goal. His instructors had already expressed how impressed they were with Erwin's skill and knowledge, even this early in training. They had said he was a natural, meant for the military. But was he really, when he couldn't even connect with a single individual in the entire Cadet Corps?
"It really doesn't get any better the longer you look at it. In fact, it kinda loses what little bit of taste it has after it gets cold." Erwin looked up at the sound of a voice so close to him. He knew instinctively that he wasn't the one being spoken to, but the voice had sounded a little familiar. In front of him stood a tall blonde, taller than even him, his shaggy hair hanging in his gentle green eyes. Beside him stood a shorter brunette, the beginnings of facial hair on his pointy chin. They must have been talking to each other, so Erwin lowered his gaze back to his plate.
"Can we sit?" The brunette asked, even as he was already straddling the bench to take his seat, his large blonde companion following suit.
"Oh, yes, of course you may. I'm just finishing, so I'll be out of your hair momentarily." Erwin hurried and took a bite of his rapidly cooling food. The blonde had been correct; the colder it got, the less it tasted...well, like anything, really.
"Don't be in a hurry on our account," the blonde stated. "Erwin? Right? We're in the same combat class. I'm Mike Zacharias, and this is Nile Dok."
"Yes, I remember seeing you. It's a pleasure to meet you both." Erwin's body still remained tense, waiting for the punchline. There was always a trick or a prank. He had been bullied his whole life. He didn't expect that to change now, especially here, already marked as an outsider by virtually everyone.
"Nile, this is the guy I was telling you that full-body slammed Instructor Tillerson yesterday during class. You know how that bastard likes to make an example out of the newbies? This guy here handed him his ass in front of everybody." The blonde, Mike, had a friendly laugh, which seemed genuine, so Erwin let himself relax just a little.
"This is him? Well, remember when I told you about the guy who made a fool of Saunders in tactical training? This is him." Nile looked at Erwin with a big grin.
"It's about time someone shook this place up a little bit," Mike said.
"Um, thank you?" Erwin could only stare at the two in suspicion. What were they planning? What was the end game? He was getting ready to ask him as much when Mike threw a small bundle wrapped in wax paper. He barely caught it. It was warm and soft. So many things filtered through Erwin's head.
"Well, open it," Nile urged. Bracing himself for whatever humiliation was wrapped up so prettily, Erwin cautiously opened the package. He was startled to find a large, perfect muffin filled with big, juicy berries, still warm from the oven.
"I don't understand," Erwin stated.
"It's your birthday, right?" Mike asked. "My sister owns the bakery down the street, so she let me snatch one for you."
"Yeah, it's my birthday. But how do you know that? Why would you..."
"You look like you needed a little pick-me-up. Nile works in the records office, so he told me." Erwin looked up to see sincerity in Mike's eyes.
"You seem like a loner, but I have a feeling that it's not so much by choice. You are a strange one, Erwin Smith. You carry yourself with the confidence of a noble, but you are quite shy, aren't you?"
"I'm not shy. It's self-preservation. I don't know if you noticed, but people tend not to like me."
"They're intimidated," Nile stated. "Most of these idiots won't make it the first two months. That's common knowledge. Usually, it's the first time in the maneuver gear that gets them."
"So, I still don't understand..."
"We're trying to be your friends, pretty boy. Get used to it," Mike said with a shrug, pinching off a piece of the muffin for himself.
"Hey!" Erwin only half-protested.
"I know! We could get up on the table and sing you a birthday song," Mike suggested.
"Please don't."
"Mike, what a fabulous idea. I'll help you up," Nile encouraged.
"Why are you doing this to me?" Erwin couldn't help the smile that lit his face. It was the first time he felt anything close to happiness in a long time.
"Anyway, Happy Birthday, Erwin! Be prepared to suffer through many more with us."
"I look forward to it, Mike."
Erwin escaped his thoughts as they walked through the corridor, followed closely by Levi and his squad. Erwin had been surprised when Nile had agreed to meet privately; it's been a long time since they talked with one another.
Erwin hadn't talked with his friend as much as he would have liked since the Training Corps ended. Nile had tried to change his mind during the training, trying to convince him that he should join the military police, the same for Mike. Still, Erwin never joined him, despite Maria joining the Military Police as well, the only woman Erwin liked. He had wanted her, but in the end, he had chosen the Titans.
A year after Nile joined the military police, he married Maria, and despite his personal feelings towards the woman, Erwin had been at the wedding and had applauded like everyone else; he had congratulated both Nile and Maria and had wished them both a long and happy life.
Now, Erwin had to talk with his old friend; he hoped he could convince him to side with him. A part of him was surprised that Nile had agreed and decided to be in the secret meeting.
Erwin had thought of this moment for a long time; he had thought of ways and the proper words to say; he knew the words he would say would change everything. Erwin had no doubts that Zackly would believe him; the man was never a big fan of the Higher Ups for reasons that Erwin wasn't aware of; the only one who knew the real reasons was Pyxis, but he refused to tell anyone, even when he was drunk.
Erwin knew Nile would probably call him out for keeping something as valuable as this a secret for such a long time and turning two of his strongest soldiers into semi-Titan Shifters. Erwin had no doubts that Nile might even call him a traitor, but Erwin didn't see himself as one. He had done what he had to do for the good of Humanity inside the Walls, and if that meant keeping things secret from his friend, he would do it all over again and more.
Telling Nile could have caused the higher-ups to find out one way or another. No, this was the only way to ensure that we still had the element of surprise, Erwin thought with determination. His eyes flickered at Levi, who was walking beside him with his usual bored look on his face.
After the trial, Annie Leonhart looked at Levi with the same level of anger he received from Cadet Ackerman; now Levi had two girls wanting to tear him apart.
Thankfully, Annie had made no complaints when it came to Levi's beating on her. She had understood the reason behind it, but that didn't mean she was happy about it. Erwin had no doubts that Annie would be quite unfriendly towards Levi, but as long as she did her job, then Erwin didn't care about small bickering between soldiers.
Erwin wondered who should have the last syringe they had; Hange still insisted that she should be the one to receive it for some not-so-comfortable reasons, even Levi had said that Hange with Titan powers might decide to do some really freaky things. Erwin smiled in amusement just at the thought; everyone knew her and knew her love towards the Titan had not wavered, not even a little, despite knowing the truth for so many months now. If anything, it had increased somehow, the many times she had begged either Levi or Mike to turn into Titans just so she could look at them from up close and experiment, something that made both Levi and Mike quite uncomfortable.
While Erwin thought of giving the Titan power to her, he thought that perhaps someone from Levi's squad would be a better candidate; while Hange was smart, in order to use Titan power effectively, they needed to be good at hand to hang combat, and another thing that bugged Erwin was how to take more syringes from Historia and Eren.
None of them knew all the side effects, but they knew if they kept taking blood from Historia, it might cause unexpected side effects to happen, so Erwin had decided not to take blood for a while until they found someone else to use; Erwin didn't know who they could use, but he knew they needed to find someone willing. Perhaps in Marley, there are still people with royal blood, or maybe we can turn the true king of the wall into a pure titan, chain him with Levi's ability, and take as much blood as we want from him, Erwin thought with a look realization, before deciding to talk it with Hange later.
As Erwin and Levi finally reached their destination. With a swift motion, Erwin stretched out his hand and gracefully opened the door, inviting Levi to enter. Levi followed suit, closing the door behind them as they stepped into the room. The atmosphere was filled with a sense of mystery and importance. Erwin's gaze was immediately drawn to the center of the room, where a magnificent round table stood proudly. The table, adorned with intricate carvings, boasted four distinct symbols that represented the esteemed factions of the Survey Corps, Garrison, Military Police, and the Royal Family. Each symbol had its dedicated seat.
"Erwin, we are here as you requested. You said this was an important discussion, even more important than the enemy Shifters we have in cells." Zackly said, after the door was closed, Erwin stood still for a moment, his eyes scanning the room with a mix of anticipation and determination. He took a deep breath. With a sense of purpose, he walked towards the round table at the center of the room. Before taking his seat, he unburdened himself of his coat and carefully draped it over the back of the chair. Erwin paused and gently placed his hand on the back of the chair. Only after a small moment, Erwin finally sat down, ready to fulfill his duty and lead the factions.
"That's true; what we are about to discuss is the truth, the truth of the outside world," Erwin stated; his words caused Zackly's eyes to glitter slightly, while Nile looked skeptical, but Erwin could see a hint of intrigue in his eyes.
"The truth of the outside world, how did you figure this out? Annie Leonhart told you the truth?" Nile questioned, knowing they hadn't shared everything they learned from the titan shifter; while Nile still felt uncomfortable with her walking around, Nile trusted Erwin that he knew what he was doing with her and that Captain Levi was more than capable of handling her if she decided to go rogue.
"What Annie Leonhart told us simply confirmed to us what we already knew," Erwin answered instead, something that took by surprise Zackly and Nile; Zackly didn't have any reaction, while Nile narrowed his eyes before moving his chair slightly closer to the table.
"You knew? How and when?" Nile asked right away with a demanding voice while looking at Erwin suspiciously.
Erwin cleared his throat before telling them, almost echoing, about Grisha Yeager, how he came from outside the world, and how Eren was able to know the truth because of his father's memories and the letters left by him. Erwin then told them the truth about the outside world, how the Eldian Empire came to be, how they fell, and how the three Walls were made. How the Royal Family would never help the people inside the Walls due to the King's Vow to renounce War. His threat to flatten the earth with the Wall Titans had been nothing but an empty threat, and he had made it simply because he wanted to live the rest of his life in peace and would happily leave all Eldians inside the Walls to die.
How the three Warriors had attacked the Walls five years ago to retrieve the Founding Titan, how with Eren's power they were able to give Semi Titan Shifters to everyone, to ensure they have the power to protect themselves from the outside world, but Erwin hid it how Semi Titan Shifters Syringes were made, only that Eren was needed alive to make more. He spoke nothing of Historia Reiss... yet.
Once he was done telling the truth, there was complete silence, except for Pyxis, who took a deep sip from a glass full of red wine; once he did, he grabbed the bottle, pouring everyone else a glass of red wine, knowing each one of them would need one, Erwin smile in appreciation, grasping the glass before taking a small sip himself, knowing the many questions he would receive.
"Erwin, you should have told us that you knew the truth, but instead, you decided to arm your man with this Titan Shifter power; how do I know that you are telling the truth," Nile demanded. The sound of his hands crashing down upon the table echoed through the silence, as his piercing gaze bore into Erwin's eyes.
Levi rolled his eyes in a display of boredom and annoyance. In a swift motion, he reached into his hostler and retrieved a gleaming knife, catching the attention of everyone present. With a daring flourish, he sliced his palm open, allowing droplets of crimson blood to cascade onto the table, creating a macabre tableau. Before Nile could even utter a word of inquiry, a mixture of awe and disbelief washed over him, leaving his breath caught in his throat. As he watched in astonishment, steam rose from Levi's palm, enveloping the still-open wound. And then, the wound began to mend itself, the edges of torn flesh gracefully intertwining until there was no trace of the injury, save for the remnants of blood that had once marked its existence.
"Erwin Smith, how many of your men possess this ability besides Eren Yeager, Ymir, Cadet Leonhart, and Captain Levi?" Zackly questioned with a demanding voice, his hands making a bridge in front of his face for his chin to rest on.
"Mikasa Ackerman, Armin Arlert, Krista Lenz, and Mike Zacharias," Erwin answered right away; the moment he uttered those words, Nile's face changed to one of anger while Zackly still kept a look of calm and composure.
"You have Seven Titan Shifters under your command, and two of them are two of your strongest soldiers," Nile added, his voice increasing in volume with every word he shouted before looking at Zackly, waiting for him to continue.
"Commander Erwin, might I know why you decided not to tell us anything, and instead, you armed your soldiers with this serum?" Zackly questioned, and for the first time, he sounded firm and threatening.
"I understand how this may seem, but we wanted to uncover the identities of the Colossal and Armoured Titan before we made any moves and to make sure the Royal Family doesn't find out about the location of the Founding Titan," Erwin answered, before he stood up, he could tell his reasoning didn't please his old friends, he knew what he had wasn't what he should have done by the rules.
"I understand what I did was selfish and perhaps even treasonous, but The Survey Corps still holds one Syringe ready to be used, including the two enemy shifters that are still dangerous to us. We can give their powers to someone else," Erwin explained further; from their faces, he could tell Nile still looked at him suspiciously, while Zackly had a calm look on his face, but Erwin could tell Zackly was looking at him with a hint of wariness.
As the warm rays of sunlight filtered through the room, enveloping everything in a golden glow, Zackly carefully lifted his cherished pair of eyeglasses, cradling them delicately in his hands. With meticulous precision, he reached for a soft napkin. With gentle strokes, he lovingly wiped away every speck of dust, every smudge, and every fingerprint, ensuring that not even the tiniest particle remained to mar the clarity of his vision. Levi couldn't help but feel a surge of satisfaction.
"Commander Erwin Smith, while your reasoning might have been noble, you still kept valid information from us, including using those Syringes to your soldiers without discussing it with us first. As for the last syringe that will be given to Commander Pyxis, he will choose a soldier of his to have the power," Zackly ordered. The old commander smiled, pleased with what he heard, while Nile clenched his jaw. He seemed ready to argue when Zackly continued.
"As for the two enemy shifters, Commander Nile will choose two soldiers from the Military Police. They will be given Titan spinal fluid so they can turn into Titans and consume them, so the Humanity inside the Walls and Military Police will receive two shifters to their side." Zackly decided with a tone that left no room for arguments; Nile looked pleased with the decision but still felt bitter that Erwin had kept so much from them for so long.
"I will choose them myself, and I already have two in mind that would be perfect," Nile added with a smile of satisfaction; before Zackly could continue, the door was abruptly flung open, revealing a disheveled and visibly distressed Petra. Levi, caught off guard by her sudden intrusion, was on the verge of questioning her lack of courtesy in not knocking first. However, before he could utter a word, Petra, with an air of urgency, snapped to attention, her pale face glistening with cold sweat.
"We just got reports that Wall Rose has fallen. Soldiers report seeing Titans inside the Territory of Wall Rose!!"