Promises to keep

Ch. 4 Breaking the news

(Eren's pov)
Once we get back to the walls team B is already there. "What took ya' so long I'm starving!" Sasha says as she licks her lips. "It's a long story that we will explain once we get back to headquarters." Erwin says.

We enter the walls and make our way though the town towards headquarters.
Children pile around us gasping, huge grins on their faces and eyes full of wonder.

We get back to the stables and unsaddle our horses, everyone murmuring about what news the corporal has to tell us. Then we put the horses back into the stalls, and scramble into the meeting room.

I sit myself down next to Armin with Mikasa on the other side of him. "Where's the captain?" Armin asks "I don't-" I start to say "I'm here sorry I took so long." Levi says breathing heavily as if he just ran a mile. Surprisingly he plops down next to me and then the meeting starts.

"Ok, is everyone here?" Erwin asks "yes." We all say in unison. "Ok so, we started our mission off quite well, not seeing anything unusual for a few minutes as we rode, but then as we can up over a hill and into a valley..." Erwin keeps talking but I kind of zone out because well, I was there so I didn't really need to hear him talk for half an hour.

I hear a few gasps, everyone is just sitting there stunned except for Hanji who is sobbing in Levi's arm.

Erwin babbles on for a while longer, shows everyone the samples we took to do tests on and then ended the meeting. "Now everyone, don't tell any of the townsfolk, they might freak out a little." Erwin says "yes corporal." We all say.

Everyone starts standing up and leaving. Levi turns to me "hey, meet me in the stables in 10 minutes ok Jeager?" He says with a grin. "Why?" I ask "just be there okay?" He says. "Fine." I say then he stands up and walks out.

As I get up to leave I see Hanji huddled in a corner. "*sigh* Hanji, are you ok?" I ask. "No." She says, her voice muffled.

I walk over to her and start rubbing her back. She starts crying again. "They're gone. They're all gone..." She says taking fast ragged breaths. "They're not technically all gone." I say. She looks up at me, he glasses fogged up by her moist tears.

"What do to you mean?" She asks clearly confused. "Well, I'm sort of a titan..." I hate saying this, but I feel it will make her feel better.

"Yeah, but there are many experiments I can't do on you..." She says. "That's true but hey, now we don't have anything to worry about. That's a good thing." I say in my most cheerful voice. "Yeah..." She says.

"Well I have to get going." I say standing up. "I'll see you later hanji!" I say waving goodbye as I walk out the door.

(Hanji's pov)
I can't believe they're gone. My brain just can't function right now. I have so many mixed thoughts and feelings that the only thing I can do is cry.

After the meeting is over everyone starts to leave. I try to stand up but my legs won't hold my weight so I sit myself down in a corner in the shadows.

I can't feel anything, the tips of my fingers are numb and I feel as if I cried out all of my moisture.

"*sigh* Hanji, are you ok?" I hear Eren say behind me. "No." I say, my head buried in my arms.

His boots clank on the ground as he walks towards me then he squats down and starts soothingly rubbing my back. I can't hold it back any longer, I start to feel tears forming in my eyes so I just let them out, Shakily sobbing.

"They're gone. They're all gone..." I say, my despair surging through my body. "They're technically not all gone." He says. This intrigues me, I look up at him, I can barely see him through my foggy glasses.

"Well, I'm technically a titan..." He says my high hopes went down a little bit. "Yeah, but there are many experiments I can't do on you..." I say.

"Yeah, but hey, now we don't have anything to worry about. That's a good thing." He says way too cheerful. "Yeah..." I say still upset.

"Well, I have to get going. See you later Hanji!" He says then waves goodbye.

I just sit there for a while thinking. Thinking about what I will do with my life now. About why the Titans died off. About how I wish I could have learned more.

< authors note: sorry this chapter took longer than the others. I am now adding Hanji's pov here and there for reasons you will soon understand. Hope you will enjoy! <3 >