ᵗᵒ ᵗᵃᵐᵉ ᵗʰᵉ ᵇᵉᵃˢᵗ AOT

𝓒𝓱𝓪𝓹𝓽𝓮𝓻 𝓣𝔀𝓮𝓷𝓽𝔂 𝓞𝓷𝓮

"I think I found it.." Eren called, Madison looking up from the drawers and saw that he was holding a brown envelope. "That's it..that was what I saw."

"Who is it from?" Levi asked while Eren checked around it. "It doesn't say. Maybe it might be on the paper."

"Here, use this." Madison said while handing him the letter opener. Eren took it, carefully opening the envelope. But just as he did, he yelped in pain while dropping the envelope and the letter opener.

"Are you okay?!"

"Yeah..they just burned my fingers.." Eren mumbled, looking at his hands and seeing that they were red at the fingertips with a few burn marks. "Let me try.."

Madison picked up the envelope, her fingertips steaming at the edges, but it stopped once she removed the paper from the envelope.

"How did you.."

"High tolerance for pain, that's how..." Madison began, unfolding the letter.

Elijah,

I know you're going to think I'm crazy. But..I believe that Alice isn't who she says she is. I don't know if you'll believe me, but I've seen her do things that..I can't explain.

If anything happens to me, you need to question her or get this to Commander Shadis. I'm not sure how much longer I got. But I'm leaving this with Hiro in case anything goes wrong. I trust you, brother. I trust that you will do the right thing. I know you love her and she's the mother of your children.

But..something isn't right about her. I should have known when she showed up without her squad the last time. Just..be careful. And trust me..please.

From, Vince

Madison furrowed her eyebrows, looking to Eren and Levi.

"Captain, did you ever meet a Squad Leader named Vince?"

"I did. He was one of the Scouts that was with your father and Erwin when they recruited me. But he went missing a couple weeks after that on patrol." Levi explained, Madison looking back to the letter. "My Dad's journals..Greta mentioned she saw something in there about my mom."

"Then we should get to Section Commander Hange with this fast." Eren suggested, Madison nodding and closing the drawers. "If Vince says that something was up with my mother, my father would investigate immediately, regardless if she was his most trusted friend and true love. Vince had a tenacity of being brutally honest. He's never lied before."

"How are you so sure?" Levi asked. "He was the one who told me about my Dad's powers before I even known. I always asked why he came back with more cuts and bruises than his squad and that's when he told me. I was 4. Didn't sugar coat it either."

Levi rose an eyebrow but shook it off, gesturing his head. "Come on, let's hurry up."
--

"Hange! We found someth-" Madison began, barging in, only to find Erwin, Hange, and Greta all in the same room and all wore distraught expressions across their face. "What's going on here?"

"We read more into that journal you found in the red trunk. And..you may want to see this now.." Greta began, Madison approaching the three and taking the journal, looking down at the page in front of her.

846

I met up with Reiner. I still can't believe they're here. I told the Commander to give me more time. Guess he didn't get that message. They shouldn't be here with me, its too dangerous. These devils..these island devils...they could hurt them and I can't let anything happen to them.

Him, Annie, or Bertholdt.

They're just kids. They need to lay low until I get them back home. They can't use their Titan abilities at all. Now that these people know that there is a Colossal Titan and an Armored Titan, they need to be careful. They could get killed.

"No..no.." Madison mumbled, dropping the journal on the floor, her body visibly shaking. "No..this can't be true...no..."

"Maddie...that's Mom's handwriting.." Greta said, Madison shaking her head, tears pooling from her eyes. "No..no! This can't be true! This has to be some trick!"

"Maddie, Mom isn't the type to lie." Greta simply said, Madison looking from her to everyone else. "Oh, come on! You can't be serious! I've been friends with them for three years! We trained together!"

"I know, Madison, but..they could have been getting close to manipulate you." Erwin suggested, Madison starting to sob. "No..they couldn't! They.."

"Madison, let's just face it. They manipulated you, Eren, and other people to compromise all of us." Levi stated brutally, Madison glaring to the ground. "I-I need to go.."

"Maddie.."

"No, Eren! Don't touch me! Just leave me alone!" Madison screamed, running out of Hange's office. Eren sighed, feeling disbelieved by the news, too. He wanted to chase after her and tried to comfort her, but he wasn't sure how with the way he was at the moment.

"I'll go talk to her.." Everyone heard, looking up and see that it came from Erwin, which was a surprise to them all. "A-Are you sure?"

"Yes. She needs to understand." Erwin said while approaching the open door and walked out, leaving the others to continue discussing the matter.
--
"Madison.."

Madison looked from the ground, seeing Erwin behind her and she lowered her gaze back down, hugging her knees to her chest.

"Listen, I understand how you feel-"

"How could you possibly understand how I feel?!" Madison exclaimed angrily, but had soon regretted her statement, clearing her throat after. "S-Sorry, sir..I just don't want to believe that my friends are Titans. One of them..possibly could have killed my father.."

"I understand.." Erwin began, sitting down on the step next to Madison. "I know it's tough, Madison..you've grown close to them and finding this out is a betrayal. I understand, but we have to face the possibility that this may be true."

"I know..I just wish it wasn't." Madison mumbled back, tightening her grip around her knees. "I know we have to do what we need to when the time comes. But for now, let me survey them, sir. At least see what they're plotting. If my mother is involved, then she may have had a hand in my father's death and we could be looking at a bigger hand in this, if there is one."

"Are you sure you're willing to do that?" Erwin asked, slightly surprised by the cadet's request. "Yes..for my father. He would have wanted me to find out the truth."

"Alright. But report anything odd that you find, understood?"

"Yes, sir." Madison replied, Erwin nodding and climbing up to his feet, Madison doing the same. "We should head back inside. I have to prepare for the other recruits, whoever they are."

"Right. I'll go back to Hange's office and see what else they've found." Madison assured, starting to head back down the stairs.

"Madison.." Erwin began, Madison stopping in her tracks and facing the Commander. "You're doing the right thing. I know it isn't easy hearing that your friends could be traitors, but you are making the right decisions here. Your father would be very proud."

"Thank you, Commander. That's all I ever wanted."