Attack on Titan: Bloodline -- Version 2

• Chapter 35 •

The group stood outside of a small cabin, hidden in the woods just outside of Trost District, wearing their jackets and making sure to keep their hoods up. Lorraine stood behind Mikasa, holding a handgun given to her by Deemo Reeves for the time. Levi, Mikasa, Jean, and Sasha all had shotguns slung over their shoulders and they watched as the Reeves' wagon came into view. Deemo and Flegel sat at the front and the five armed Scouts readied themselves. As the Reeves' wagon came to a stop, Jean stepped forward. Two men, members of the Military Police opened the curtains, but froze upon seeing the soldiers who awaited their arrival. Levi aimed his gun at the two men and Jean and Mikasa, who climbed in from the driver's end behind them, flipped their weapons around, hitting them both square in the jaw with the butt end and knocking both of them out cold.

"Reeves, you piece of-"

Deemo turned around and said, "Sorry, gents. That's just how it is." Lorraine pulled a few lengths of rope out of her bag and helped to tie them up. As the men were carried inside, she looked back up at Deemo and Flegel.

"Thank you for your help," she said politely. Flegel smiled at her and she followed her comrades inside.

"What happens now," Flegel asked his father, adjusting his hood, "Do you think we'll be safe, or what?" Deemo sighed.

"There's no guarantee."

Flegel gasped and said, "Huh? Then, why did we do it?" Deemo raised his hand and brought it down, slapping the timid boy across the face and causing his hood to fall.

Deemo said, "A good merchant has to learn to trust his nose. Not just to smell easy money, either, but to sniff out the potential for future profit, too." Flegel rubbed his stinging cheek and Deemo continued, "Once you've found it, you bite and you don't let go. You remember that, son." Flegel looked down at his lap and nodded.

Lorraine walked back to the table where her friends were seated, carrying a tray with a steaming pot of tea and six cups. A few hours had passed by now. The six of the former cadets winced, hearing the sounds of Hange shouting followed by a man's scream of agony.

"They're still going," she asked, setting down the tray and passing the cups out to everyone, "How long do you think this is going to take?" Jean and Armin shrugged.

Sasha said, "Don't know. Seems like the screams are a lot louder than when your dad did it."

Connie said softly, "I know it's to save our friends, but still...i-it makes me sick."

Lorraine nodded and walked over to where Mikasa stood, handing her a cup of tea. Mikasa took it and Lorraine asked softly, "Mika? You okay?" She nodded, staring blankly into her tea. Lorraine sighed.

Armin said, "Let's face it. We're criminals, now." Lorraine sat next to him and put her hand on his shoulder. He said, "Our last enemy wanted to eat us. We don't have an excuse for that for killing these people. It's just that their views are different."

"No," Lorraine said, "It's just that they're in a different group."

Armin folded his arms on the table in front of him and said, his body starting to shake again as he rested his head on his arms, "And we take their lives for that. It's not...w-we're not good people anymore." Tears fell down his cheeks and Lorraine just rubbed his back in silence, letting him cry as much as he needed. Mikasa looked down at him, a worried expression on her face. Jean, Sasha, and Connie sipped their tea in silence, staring out into space.

Later that night, the door to the basement opened. Hange, Moblit, and Levi entered the room. Hange smiled and said, "We got our intel."

Armin and the others all sat at attention. Levi said, "The true Royal Family is the Reiss Family." Armin stood up.