Freedom Fighters League of the Exiled

Normal

"So what answers are you looking for?" She asked trying to get a little more perspective of the whole situation and why I was ready to risk my life for them.

"well, " I told her everything. How I wasn't sure about my vote and why I wasn't sure. I told her how I had an epiphany that maybe things weren't as they seemed. That maybe these people were getting brainwashed by fear-mongering propaganda that made it easier to see us as less than human.

I watched as the lightbulb clicked in her brain. "That would make so much sense of why they are able to kill us and lock us up like animals without hesitation," she mumbled.

"I want to figure out exactly what they are saying and doing to make them have that reaction. Maybe the information will help us and maybe it won't but I need to know."

"No. I think you're onto something. If we know what they are saying it could help us. I mean we could probably find some use for that information right?"

"Hopefully." I mean that's the goal is to be able to use the information to help us, but even if it can't then it still just might bring me closure. It might finally help me decide.

We went back to our rooms and grabbed plain clothes that would help us blend in as much as possible leaving behind all of our gear. The last thing we need is a guard spotting a knife on us. We made sure to stick to darker clothing but kept it to something you would see any ordinary person wearing. Everyone was still asleep in my room, but Christa woke up when Ymir walked in.

When she asked where she was going I thought she was going to rat me out, but she quickly covered it with ease. "Levi and I are on lookout duty, go back to sleep. I'll be back in a few hours to keep you warm," she said softly.

Christa just nodded and laid back down.

"What are you going to do when she realizes you aren't on lookout duty?" I asked.

"She won't. She's not planning on leaving the room today. She said so herself last night she would be in bed all day. Reiner's death hit her hard. I mean it hit us all hard, but she couldn't stop crying last night. She's sick of it, losing people."

"It surprised me that she would vote for violence let alone killing, she always seemed so timid."

"I mean before yesterday she probably would have voted against it, but this definitely set her over the edge," Ymir's voice came out a low whisper almost as if she was sad to see this change in her, but her thoughts were forced away and her emotions changed before I could read anything else.

We walked to the exit through the old parking garage. I was just praying that it wasn't Marlowe, Sasha, or Connie on watch today, or else my plan to get out was fucked.

Walking down there I let out a sigh of relief seeing Thomas standing guard. We stood behind one of the obstacles closest to the door to stay out of sight.

"How are we going to get out of here.

"Any spirits around?"

"Just Gabriel," she mumbled looking around.

Well, I should have figured her Guardian spirit would be around. "I need him to move something," I said looking around seeing some rubble towards the other side of the room. "Behind there. Make it noisy enough for him to hear but not super loud that it would cause concern."

"Um okay," she said with a shrug. A moment later the rubble started to shake slightly. I watched as Thomas turned his head and went to look for the noise behind the crudely built wall.

"Now," I whispered and ushered Ymir to follow me quickly.

We walked to the exit and I had Ymir ask Gabriel to take a look around before we walked out. He had to make it fast since Thomas would be back any minute.

"It's clear," Ymir whispered and we slipped out the door, careful to close it silently behind us.

Once we got out of the building we were quick to get away as fast as possible but keeping it to a pace that looked normal enough. The last thing we wanted was to draw attention to our hideout. We made it farther away from our base before our adrenaline started to calm down and we were able to take a breather and slow our pace.

This all felt strange. It's a rarity when we get to leave the base, and even when we do it's always because of a mission or for a food run. We always have a place to be, a time limit, today we don't. I mean sure we should aim to get back as soon as possible, but who knows when that will be.

I just looked around and took everything in. The sun is shining just behind the clouds, still bright enough to make my eyes sting. The breeze that flowed through my hair and played with the leaves on the floor. The busy sounds of people walking around living their lives. The rumbling of a car's engine as it passes by us.

Despite all the chaos we have been living in these last few years the world still seems so peaceful. I almost forgot what fresh air felt like living in that dusty old building. It's weird to see how the world goes on like normal even when it seems like it came crashing down a long time ago.

I guess they aren't the only ones being brainwashed. Sometimes I forget there are just ordinary people still living their lives like normal even though we are fighting for everything we have. Despite seeing it for myself when we go on food runs I still think of the outside world as a battlefield with debris scattered everywhere guards marching with guns and tanks in the streets as the world looks like an apocalyptic hellscape, but here it is normal as ever. Well, there are still guards around every corner with guns, and shops have signs excluding people, but everything else is fairly normal to how it was years ago.

Either way, we are going to be in deep shit when we get back, or I guess I should say if we get back. They are bound to notice we are missing eventually. I mean when Eren wakes up and can't find me anywhere eventually they are going to notice Ymir isn't in the room with Christa.

"We are going to be in deep shit when we get back," I finally told Ymir, realizing just how much trouble we will be in. "Not only will we be in trouble with Eren and Christa, but also with Pixis, Shadis, and even Mom," I said letting a shiver of fear run down my spine.

The thought of one of her lectures... no... we would get off easy with a lecture at this point. "She might actually kill us," I whispered looking up at Ymir.

"Probably, but hey this was your idea," she said looking at me. I thought at first she was throwing me under the bus, but that's when I heard her thoughts. Then again I came too for the same reason. It better be worth it to find these answers.

"Alright, so where do we look first?" She asked, realizing we were just walking down a street aimlessly.

"I-I don't know." I've never felt so lost before. I mean on our missions we always had a designated task, but this... this is so different. We had nothing specific in mind. We had no plan going in and now we are just dead in the water. "This was a bad idea we should just head back before anyone notices we're gone." I couldn't help but get cold feet. What were we supposed to do? I don't know the slighted thing about gathering this type of information. It's not like it's on people's minds at all times, and it's not like we can walk up to people and ask, Hey how exactly is the government brainwashing you, without drawing the attention of everyone.

"Like hell we are. You said it yourself either way we're in deep shit when we go back. I'm sure people have already figured out we are gone so we might as well not go back empty-handed. "You might have started this little endeavor, but I'm finishing it. Now are you going to give up at the first hurdle or are you going to power through and keep racing?" She asked looking at me and I just smiled.

"Damn we should have you do all the inspirational pep talks," I laughed before nodding. "Alright let's do this."