angelic | jean kirstein

chapter twelve

ANGELIC – CHAPTER TWELVE

Word had travelled fast amongst the Scouts of the new threat that had wiped out most of their force, stories of the female titan already sparking theories in some of the soldier's heads. Isabel rode silently beside Jean, her eyes still wide as she tried to piece together the puzzle. Unbeknownst to her, Jean was watching her carefully.

His topaz eyes watched carefully, examining her behaviour as if she was a bug in an experiment. Her hair was in disarray due to being flung from Church, her face covered in scrapes and cuts, her lips tinted red as dried blood lay on the flesh. She looked more pale than she had when she left, he had wondered to himself if it was because of the minor injuries, the high death toll or Armin's hypothesis.

He opened his mouth numerous times but closed it before any words could escape, there was nothing he could say to her as he knew not to disturb her when she was in thought, he had learnt it the hard way. He chuckled quietly at the memory of her punching him in the throat for disturbing her thinking time with a cheeky comment.

Isabel flung her head up once she heard the word escape his lips, her eyes narrowed as she stared him down. "What's so funny?"

"Nothing." He shrugged. "Just figuring out how to kill you, twinkle toes."

She rolled her eyes as their horses squeezed together as they entered the inner gate. "I didn't want to know anyway, keep your secrets."

"You definitely want to know." Jean mocked as he nudged her arm. "It's killing you isn't it?"

Isabel opened her mouth to respond to Jean but quickly snapped it shut as she heard the insults that had begun to be thrown at herself and her comrades. Men, women and even some children had begun to spit words at the Scouts regarding their failed expedition.

"Was it worth it?! Was it really worth it?!"

It wasn't worth it, it wasn't worth it at all. It wasn't worth losing so many soldiers just so they could attempt to take a taste of freedom, the titans would never allow it, so like disobedient children they had been punished for trying to take something that was never meant to be theirs.

Isabel's fingers pulled the green hood over her hair and let her head drop as she rode in silence. Jean's eyes shot daggers at the civilians yelling, they had no idea what it was like out there, they had no idea the sacrifices that were being made so that they could potentially be free one day.

He wanted to yell at them, shake some sense into them, but instead he kept his mouth shut and looked at the usually chatty girl, a frown painting on his lips as he noticed the look of defeat on her face. "Ignore them, they don't know what they're talking about. They wouldn't make it five minutes-"

"Most of us didn't make it, Jean." Isabel said, her tone low as she lifted her head to look over at Levi. He walked silently beside his horse, doing his best to ignore the slightly chirpy middle-aged man. "We're lucky we even made it - if Armin didn't come up with that plan we would be dead too."

–

The sun had slowly begun to set leaving a warm glow shine through her window. Isabel sighed and picked up the pen that sat beside the paper on her desk, with a sigh, she began to write.

Annie,

I've just returned from my first expedition as a fully fledged Scout, I thought I'd write to check in on you to see if you're fine and well. Have you made any friends yet? I hope you have but knowing you, you won't have. Please try, I understand it's hard for you but you need to have people to talk to, you can't go your entire life without company.