Once In A While

Chapter 32: As Above, So Below

"So? Do we just watch everything unfold from in here?" Connie said un-amused, his arms crossed as he leaned on the iron bars that kept us imprisoned.

No one answered him, the kettle buzzing soundly as the others boiled water to make tea for everyone.

"The hot water's ready." Niccolo spoke, Sasha's father grabbing the cups to pour it in.

"Here." Jean offered me a cup, the beverage in it boiling hot.

"Thank you." I replied, carefully taking it from his hands into my own.

"Hey, Armin. Can you use your titan to get out of here?' Connie questioned again, earning a negative nod from Armin.

"No. All that would do is blow this town away. The Colossus Titan isn't agile enough. It's not like Eren's..." He trailed off, looking at Mikasa who stood across him.

"So... Why'd Eren beat you to a pulp? Can't you tell me already?" It was Jean's turn to ask a question, it seemed.

"He hurt Mikasa with his words, so I... Attacked him. And he hit me back."

"Huh?" Connie sounded surprised -so did Jean-.

"He hurt Mikasa? How?" Jean asked yet again, pressing the matter more and more.

"It's fine..." Mikasa replied, trying to dismiss it.

"No, it's not. Tell me how he hurt her." Jean insisted.

"Jean, I think that's something that concerns them, not us. Let's drop the subject, please?" I said, taking a sip from my cup.

"He's turned into a total piece of shit. He's lost sight of who he is to the point that he'd hurt the two people he used to care about most." Said Connie.

"...All I am trying to say is that if he was in his right mind, I don't see him doing that without a reason." Jean looked at me momentarily before continuing, "Could he have... Some sort of hidden motive?"

Before any of us could answer that, we heard footsteps approaching our cell; I turned my head slightly, only to be greeted with Yelena and her men.

"Nice to see you again, heroes of Shiganshina," she greeted us, bringing her fist up to her chest, "It pains me that our reunion must be marred by these iron bars." I rolled my eyes at her statement.

"Oi! Let us out! Onyankopon, you're on their side, too?" Connie sounded furious as he gripped said iron bars tightly, launching himself onto them.

"You're the one to talk, after your people arrested me and dragged me all over the island? You just sit and wait here, until Zeke and Eren come into contact." Onyankopon dismissed both Jean and Connie.

"Good for you, Yelena. Things are going well for you. You must be pleased. Thanks to you, Eren's been dancing to Zeke's tune. You got your attack on Marley... Got the Eldians here to back you up... And took control of the military with that spinal fluid-spiked wine. Now you have Eldia, and you have the power of the founder. You can destroy Marley and get revenge for your motherland." Jean said, looking at her with a look of disgust.

That was the real reason the volunteers came to this island, isn't it? You wanted to use us for that plans of yours, and it seems that things are going your way, you succeeded." I added, glancing over at the tall woman as I got up from my seat.

"We helped civilize this island... This primitive place was a century behind." Onyankopon immediately defended her, earning a scoff from Connie.

"All so you could in the lap of luxury, once you became the rulers of this island, right?" Niccolo sided with us.

"You got tricked and you lost. That's all." Niccolo's ex coworker told us.

"Griez... You little rat. Did you really sell us out just to get a promotion to Yelena's servant?" Niccolo furiously yelled at him.

"Excuse me? Aren't you the traitor here? You sided with the devils. Falling head over heels for some devil-blooded, potato-grubbing girl..." Griez replied and his words seemed to affect Niccolo deeply, as he tried to grab Griez through the iron bars, yelling at him. Jean tried to stop him, but the man was furious.

"Blathering about her every single night... I was a fool to think you'd return to your senses after that whore died." I couldn't contain myself at the sound of those characterizations against the dead, so I glared right at this man, who knew nothing about Sasha, yet dared to accuse her.

"She wasn't a whore, you idiot! You didn't even know her! Shut your mouth!" I yelled at him.

"As if you aren't one? You Eldian women are the worst spawn of the devil... But Niccolo, I'll put it in a way that even you can understand... That trump was the filthy daughter of d-" His brains were shot by Yelena before he managed to conclude.

"I apologize for his rudeness." She bowed lightly at us, "This island no longer has any need for those who would curse you as devils. And please, believe me. Our true purpose is nothing as hollow as revenge on Marley. It is to sever the chains of hate from this world. Our goal is to save not only Eldia, but Marley as well. Allow me to explain it to you in its entirety. Zeke's plan to save the world, the euthenization plan."

She didn't explain immediately, instead waited for Griez' body to be taken away. During those few short minutes, I stood further back, trying to recollect and compose myself. I shouldn't have lashed out like that, but it came to me naturally; Why were we still called devils after all this time, and why would he call her names even though he knew nothing of her?-

"Are you okay?" I felt an arm wrapping around my shoulders.

"Yeah, it just got to me." I shook my head as Jean looked at me.

"I am sorry about what happened. Neither you nor Sasha are... What he said you are."

"I know. Thank you... We should probably go up front, hear what she has to say about this... Euthenization plan."

"So that means that no more children will be born?" Armin spoke to Yelena, as she crossed her legs.

"Yes. No more pain will come into this world due to the existence of titans. Slowly, and peacefully..."

"Wait, wait, wait. How's that peaceful? if you keep shrinking the population of subjects of Ymir until we all vanish... All that's going to be left of this country in its last ears is a handful of senile fools, right? How do we protect our country then? Or will everyone else just conveniently ignore us?" Jean cut her mid sentence, and his words became a blur to me as I took in the information; we would be deprived of our right to bear children. Our heritage would be gone, any trace of our existence, a paragraph or two in the enemy's history textbooks, were we would be portrayed as evil once again.

"Just as it always has, the rumbling will act as a deterrent force. To do so, both the founder and the royal family must be maintained. Fortunately, Queen Historia has already been blessed with a successor. So long as a few subjects of Ymir inherit the founding titan until that child passes from this world... Everything will go according to plan. I am certain of one thing; this country has two men who can put an end to it all, the Yeager brothers. Those two will be spoken as symbols for thousands of years to come, and rightfully so; Even after their deaths, they will shine like the sun... The saviors illuminating humanity-" Yelena spoke, but sobs echoing throughout the cells stopped her again.

Our eyes fell on Armin, as he held his head in his palms, hunched.

"Is something the matter?" Yelena asked him.

"No... No. I just... Didn't know you had such noble intentions... I am moved!" Armin exclaimed, and to us it was clear he was lying to her. She didn't seem to notice.

"I am glad you understand." She smiled at him.

"Yelena! Come quickly! The enemy has infiltrated the base!" One of her men came running down the hallway, and our blood froze- A Marleyan attack was taking place above ground, as we were held captive below.