A Promise (An Attack on Titan Fanfic: Erwin Smith)

Farewells

"Are Erwin and Isa still ignoring each other?"

"..."

"I've heard the other soldiers talking about the tension between them for the past days."

"..."

Upon receiving no replies from the two men sitting across her, Hanji released a loud groan while shrugging her shoulders. They were currently eating breakfast at the mess hall in one of the officers' tables, while other cadets occupied the rest of the space.

It had been days since their Commander had announced the incoming mission to reclaim Wall Maria with the refugees from the fall. Obviously, the declaration shocked the Scouts; leading untrained civilians out into titan territory was a suicide mission. And to think, they were expected to do so in three months. Success was impossible.

News of the argument between their Sergeant Major and Commander concerning the issue had spread around the barracks like wildfire; Isanna didn't want to sacrifice all those people, but Erwin was firm in his decision.

As a result, the fight between their top two superiors caused a heavy tension to linger in their headquarters.

Hanji worriedly frowned. It had been a while since she last saw Isanna—no doubt she was still in Moblit's room tending to a sick Lauren. The brunette had heard from Mike regarding Erwin's order to Isanna to send the little girl to an orphanage, and she had been at a loss of words after hearing it.

"Is Erwin in his man period, or something?" asked Hanji, looking back at Mike and Levi who were silently eating their meals, "he's sending all those innocent people outside, ordered Ren to be sent to an orphanage, and made Isa cry!"

For goodness sake, she thought Erwin couldn't get any more complicated. She never, for the life of her, could picture him arguing with Isanna. For all she knew, the both of them had never seriously fought before. That time in their infiltration in the Lovof mansion wasn't even a fight, it had been just a frustrated confrontation (she never got the details), and they even managed to patch things up really quickly in less than twenty-four hours. But this?

Days had already past, and Erwin and Isanna had still not talked to each other.

"That Shitty eyebrows' decision isn't in the wrong," Levi piped up, catching the attention of the other two, "if he doesn't do this, then a civil war will erupt in Wall Rose. We'll be done for if that happens."

Balling her fists, Hanji frowned at his words but didn't retort for a few seconds. He had a point. At the end of the day, Erwin was their Commander, and they were obligated to follow his decision. And the decision he made—although cruel—was a necessary sacrifice if he were to prioritize the majority of humanity.

As heartless as it sounded, twenty percent of human population needed to be sacrificed for the remaining eighty.

"I guess so, but," Hanji paused with a frustrated sigh as her frown deepened, directing her eyes to her untouched meal, ".. did he have to be such a dick about it?"

Mike wore a tense expression as he eyed his food, his thoughts going back to his two friends and the argument he had witnessed. "The both of them are not wrong."

Both Levi and Hanji turned to the blond as he continued with eyes still on the food on his tray.

"Erwin is looking at the situation in a collective spectrum; he knows his priorities as a Commander, that's why he's making this decision," he paused, eyes narrowing, "while Isanna is taking things in a more individualistic approach. She doesn't want helpless citizens become just part of a collateral number and thinks that no innocent should be sacrificed for the other."