Hand in Hand

20. Plan

From high atop a hill in the night, the scouts could see the Trost Branch surrounded by red torches. The faint voices of shouting men and planks of wood being thrown echoed in their ears.

"They're going to tear the branch apart," (y/n) muttered in disbelief.

"What would have happened to us if Commander Erwin never sent that letter?" Asked Connie Springer, a scout from the 104th cadet corps.

"Don't ask questions you don't want the answer to," Levi replied. He turned to Hanji who was mounted on a horse. Next to her was Moblit and the other members of her squad. "Tell them."

Both squads looked to Section Commander Hanji. Solemnly, she turned to (y/n) and sighed. "Look guys, the Government had passed down some new orders. There's been a hold on all scout activity outside the wall."

(Y/n) felt the rifle in her hand almost drop to the ground at Hanji's next words.

"We are to hand over Eren and Historia immediately."

All eyes dropped low and the fear for survival was evident in the faces of the scouts. There was no telling what the Royal Government was capable of. It was made clear tonight that the only lives valued were Eren and Historia.

From behind Eren, Mikasa cursed and looked forward to Levi. "If this is the signal we were waiting for," she began saying as she walked toward him, "don't think for one second that I'll waste another minute here like a sitting duck."

(Y/n) looked from Mikasa to Eren, a shy smile on her face as she looked away. Mikasa's arm was in front of Eren's chest as she spoke to Levi, a sign of protection. She thought it was admirable the way Mikasa obviously valued Eren's life more than anything. That kind of love is usually only shown by a mother to her child. It's cultivated by years and years of conversations and understanding, little expressions and shared experiences.

"I don't expect you too," Levi muttered crossly. "I have a plan. We need to take Eren and Historia to Trost."

"You want us to go to the same district where Pastor Nick was just murdered?" Moblit asked fearfully. He could sense reluctance from Hanji.

"It's better than going to the Interior. Trost would also make it easier to use our ODM gear in the city."

"Then what's your plan?" (Y/n) asked.

Levi looked around him until he found Armin Arlet and Jean Kirstein. "You two, get over here." He looked back at (y/n) and said, "I have a feeling that the MPs doing all this dirty work aren't legit. If Lord Reiss wants Eren and Historia so bad, I'll bet he'd do anything to get them, even if it's illegal."

"Wait a second Levi." Hanji dismounted her horse to level with him. "Do you think Reiss is responsible for Pastor Nick?"

"If he has illegitimate interior MPs working for him, then that would be my guess."

"A Noble Lord killing one of the Royal Governments own Priests..."

"Regardless, I have a plan." Levi grabbed Jean and Armin. "If Reiss wants Eren and Historia so bad, then he'll get them. Only, it won't exactly be them. I need everyone to listen up."

The next half an hour was spent discussing Levi's plan to expose the corrupt interior police who were working for Lord Reiss and to find out what they was planning for Eren and Historia; use Jean and Armin as decoys for the two wanted scouts, have them captured, and get as much information out of them as possible, that was his plan. All of this would be going on while a scout from Hanji's squad would safely transport Historia and Eren to Trost without interference to a place where they could be protected.