Honorary Scout

Chapter Twenty-Six

Just a small tribute to General Theo Magath and Commandant Keith Shadis, two of the last few heroes in this story.

Evelyn's POV

I sat quietly on the edge of the ledge, my arms wrapped tightly around Dad's waist, as we all watched the fight going on at the port. The plan had been to avoid the use of Titan powers for as long as possible, especially because Armin, Connie and Mikasa had probably already been forced to kill many of the comrades they had known since their boot camp days. Since Connie and Armin had been assigned the duty of distracting, and killing if necessary, the soldiers who were guarding the bomb that could destroy the ship on which the flying boat had been stored, while Mikasa had to throw a direct attack on Floch by literally crashing in through the window of the main building on her 3DMG, I knew plenty of blood had to have been spilled. There was no skirting around that. What we all had hoped for was that the use of Titan powers would be avoided.

And then two blazing streaks of golden lightning flashed through the sky.

"So much for that."

Mr. Onyakopon muttered and Dad placed a hand on my head because he had probably sensed how I was shivering in fear by now.

"Why'd it have to come to this?"

"You can never take the violence out of people, right, Captain?"

Ms. Yelena was the one who directly addressed Dad, instigating me to look up at Dad. But the man remained as silent as he usually did and continued to gaze at the havoc being wrecked at the port. When a blast that could have been caused only by a bunch of thunder spears bombarded the main building, even I fell completely silent. My blood ran cold.

Mikasa...Mikasa was supposed to be taking down Floch in that very building! But the Jaegerists had attacked the building with thunder spears! They-

"Calm down."

Dad said like he had read my mind. That, or he was very obviously having the same thoughts as me; Mikasa was his own cousin at the end of the day.

"I know that gloomy brat."

Of course their blood bond did nothing to stop him from calling her brat. He considered all his loved ones to be brats.

"She's not someone who can be taken down by some stupid thunder spears. Floch must have escaped after she attacked him, which was why the Jaegerists threw thunder spears at the building in the first place. They're following orders from Floch."

"But Mikasa was still in that building! So were the Azumabito! What-"

"The basement."

Dad shushed me quite effectively.

"Hange, Jean and that General are waiting to safely guide them out through the basement."

"Oh, right! It's the same basement where I always used to hide during hide and seek because nobody ever found me there!"

"No, we always did know that you'd be hiding down there. It was the most obvious hiding spot that would be chosen by a six or seven-year old. We just pretended to not be able to find you to let you have all your fun."

"Huh?"

I gaped up at Dad, stunned by the shocking revelation he had just made. But, before I could say anything more, Jean suddenly jumped down in front of us on his gear.

"Change of plans."

He declared.

"We're gonna service the boat on the mainland. You guys need to get aboard the ship towing the flying boat."