Sacrifice For You (Hange Zoe x Female Reader)

7: A Revelation

For a while, only the sound of the horses and rusted wagon wheels rolling along the dirt pathways alerted the dark wilderness of our presence. I had shuffled closer to Armin- who was shaking furiously- considering how cold it got during the night, pressing our shoulders together as a way to conserve body heat. He was more than happy to oblige once he realized I noticed how much he was shivering, and I offered a small chuckle.

"What's so funny?" Hange suddenly broke through the hush, their tone having an unusual edge to it. I half-expected for them to make a joke before I turned my head slightly to face them. They were staring intently at the two of us, almost like how they did when they were running experiments with Eren, but it didn't have the same effect. Are they... upset? But why?

"I just get cold easily, that's all." Armin half-smiled while I kept quiet, and I noticed Captain Levi staring at the Section Commander with narrowed eyes, yet they paid him no mind. Their gaze was locked in on Armin and I like a predator stalking its prey.

"You're going to break that rock in your hand if you clench it any harder, Four-Eyes," Levi chimed in with an exhausted yet slightly instigative voice once he realized only giving them a death stare wasn't enough to capture their attention. My gaze shifted to the object of his words, and my eyes widened slightly at Hange's whitened knuckles and curled fingers. They looked down quickly, noticeably loosening their grip as they turned their head away from us.

"What is that anyway? Don't you have any better toys to play with?" He antagonized them somewhat, leaning forward to rest his elbows on his knees and clasp his hands together. Pastor Nick, sitting between the two of them, continued staring forward. He looks near lifeless, what in Sina happened to him? I doubt Hange scarred him THAT badly. Unless he's just tired.

My thoughts were pulled away from the man when Hange scoffed, "It's not a toy Levi," they held the object up to eye-level, "it's a piece of the Female Titan's hardened skin." Their strange- and seemingly hostile?- demeanor had dissipated as fast as it had formed. The rest of us exchanged glances as they stared at it, and my brows furrowed together. What could we possibly do with her skin? Armin then spoke up once again.

"How come it didn't disappear with the rest of her body?" The blonde boy questioned, leaning forward to get a better look and detaching himself from the menial contact we had. It glistened against the torches that lit up the area, and grey-ish lines patterned it evenly. It looked like an expensive trinket, not like it came from a Titan.

"That's what I've been saying!" they threw their hands up in the air dramatically, "but GET THIS- after the discovery of the Titan in the wall I took a piece for experimentation, and I compared the two," taking a deep breath, they pushed their glasses up and on top of their head, "their patterns were like twins. Nearly interchangeable."

"Seriously?" Eren looked at the Section Commander and they responded with a nod while Mikasa simply stared at the bottom of the wagon.

Wait, so that means... I thought aloud, "the walls are made up of hardened Titan skin?" I looked at Hange, feeling my limbs stiffen at my own notion.

"I believe so," their eyes met mine, and it went quiet for a few more seconds before they ended the visual contact to speak once more, "which means we have a way to seal Wall Rose AND Maria." I spotted Mikasa look up at this, her mouth agape slightly.

"But the Female Titan is-" Levi began, matching my exact thought process.

But the Section Commander cut him off without missing a beat, "-with Eren."

The green-eyed boy stuttered, "But- But I don't even know how? Who's to say I can even do that!" he exclaimed, clutching at his shirt in panic. A few soldiers on neighboring horses eyed us carefully.