Allies and Enemies (AoT Reader Insert)

Chapter 17: "...I won't leave you behind."

Year 854: Libero Internment District

Five Weeks Before The Festival (A Step Back In Time)

Daylight was beginning to dwindle in the Libero District. The sun stained walls of the district were slowly beginning to fade. For many this was a sign that the work day was over, but work never really ends for the people who live within the walls.

A young Falco Grice currently marched home from a long day's practice. It wasn't often that the boy stayed longer than the other candidates, but recently he had become particularly motivated.

It had been a while since the last time Falco had felt this sore. He wasn't sure if what he was doing was going to make a difference, but he knew one thing for sure. He knew that if he didn't continue to push, he would never be able to live up to the vice chief's expectations. He would never be able to live up to his own expectations!

Falco constantly reminded himself that he had to do something, or else Gabi would be the one to inherit the Armoured Titan. If that happened, then he would never be able to look the vice chief, Mister Reiner, in the eye.

"Hey." A voice called. Falco wasn't sure who had spoken at first, let alone if that person had spoken to him, but he quickly found the person of which the voice had come from. It was a man with long, dark hair. He had bandages wrapped over one of his eyes and was missing a large portion of one of his legs. The man beckoned Falco over to a bench within the hospital where he currently sat.

The light on the walls of the district hadn't dipped too far yet. Falco supposed he had enough time to speak to this man, and walked over to the hospital.

"Thanks for the other day." Thanked the man.

"Oh..." Colt took a seat beside the man, "You um... it looks like you're recovering well. You can talk now, at least."

The man sighed. "I'm here for treatment of psychological wounds, but mine are fake."

"Huh?"

"I've said I can't go home because I have memory loss, but in reality I just don't want to go back. It's hard for me to face my family now." The man, strangely enough, glanced at Falco curiously. "Are you gonna tell the hospital staff?"

For the most part, Falco was a rather reserved young boy. He was quite similar to his brother, Colt Grice, in that sense. Coming from a family whose loyalties to Marley were in question, the two boys had learned to hold their tongues from a rather young age - even more so than a regular Eldian citizen.

At this point, telling the truth was very much first nature for Falco. He figured that it was just the right thing to do since nothing good ever came from him telling lies. He wasn't so naive to think that every person in his life only told the truth, but he wasn't cynical enough to believe that everything others said were lies. Even so, Falco had always thought that those who lied were... complicated to say the least.

People lie for many reasons. Some people lie because they want to be more agreeable, and sometimes people lie because they think it's the right thing to do.

Every situation was different, and not every lie was as heavily weighted as the others, but that didn't mean that Falco thought lying was right. And right now, he especially thought that lying about physiological wounds was not right.

But as per usual, Falco withheld his opinions.

"No." Shrugged Falco, "I wouldn't do that."