An Unexpected Turn in Fate

Chapter 40 -- Dhalis Zachary's Death

As soon as the doors to the hovercraft open, Hange leads the way out of the ship, with a few members of the Survey Corps dragging Eren with them. Once they leave, Levi and I turn to Zeke, who remains nonchalant.

"Oi, beardy. Time to go," Levi says, before the remaining scouts surround him. The beast titan slowly stands up, as he adjusts his glasses. Levi looks at me through the corners of my eyes, as my heart anxiously hammers within my chest. "Be careful out there, brat. Don't put yourself in danger," the captain states.

I nod in response. "Right back at you, Levi."

A small smile curves around his lips, before he narrows his eyes at Zeke and his new squad. A few seconds later, a carriage stops before them. Levi and Zeke get onto the carriage, while the rest of his squad mounts onto their horses and stands alongside them. As the carriage and the other scouts start to leave, a newfound emptiness forms in the pit of my stomach.

"Abby..." A voice comes from behind. I slowly turn around, being face to face with Mikasa, Sasha, Armin, Jean, and Connie. All of them wear sympathetic looks on their faces, as I force a small smile.

"He'll be back soon," Mikasa states abruptly. "He's strong. Captain Levi won't let a monkey get the best of him." I chuckle to myself, as her face softens. Sasha places her hand on my shoulder, having a goofy grin on her face.

"Abby, Connie, Jean, and I are about to go get some food from Niccolo's restaurant," she says, as her stomach growls ferociously. "Do you want to come?" Connie's eyes light up, as he nods lightly.

"I'm not sure. What are the rest of you going to do?"

Armin smiles nervously. "I'll be visiting Annie."

"You sure are visiting her a lot lately," Sasha notes, with a devilish smile on her face. She exchanges a look with Connie, as smirks form on their faces. "I think his feelings for her have quadrupled," he states, as the food lover chuckles to herself.

Armin turns bright red. "U-Um..."

"That's enough, you guys," Jean comments, crossing his arms in annoyance.  "Let's get some food." Sasha nods in response, before the three of them scurry away. I turn to stare at Armin and Mikasa. Armin was trying to regain his composure, while Mikasa purses her lips in concentration.

"I think I'm going to visit Historia. What are you going to do, Abby?"

"Honestly, I might walk around the city for a little bit," I admit, running a hand through my hair. "A lot has happened lately, and I need time to process it." Mikasa and Armin nod in response, before walking away.

In a matter of seconds, they head into the city and fade away into the distance. "Hey, Abby!" A voice shouts, which captures my attention. I slowly turn around, being face to face with Floch. I raise my eyebrows in astonishment, before he puts his hands on his hips.

"What?"

"I need to talk to you."

I shift uncomfortably. A stern yet intense look appears on his face, as a chill races down my spinal cord. I nod lightly, as an uneasy feeling forms in the pit of my stomach. The red-haired male leads me to the stables. To my own surprise, nobody was there.

"What's going on, Floch?"

"First, I want to apologize. I didn't mean to scare you," he says, with a genuine look on his face. "Second, I have an important question that I need to ask you." I eye him carefully and furrow my eyebrows in concentration. What would he want with me?

"What is it?"

"I'm a part of a military group called the Jaegerists," Floch states. "This group is strongly supported by many soldiers and civilians. We believe that this government is on the brink of destruction, and Eren is the only way to save us. Would you like to join us as an elite member of the Jaegerists?"