Trust ~ Jean Kirschtein x Reader/OC

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN ~ Blind

"Okay," I scoff, closing my eyes and pinching my nose bridge, "does someone want to explain what on earth just happened?! Zariya, what do you mean that you know why Jean is following me? And Jacob, why did you stop Zariya from speaking? Back to Zariya again, did you bite Jacob?!"

Zariya just smiles at me and chimes, "don't worry about it..."

"Commander Erwin!" Someone calls from behind us. I quickly turn around, realising that we had completely strayed from the situation at hand. There were now several other scouts on top of the wall, along with their horses, as well as several of the military police.

I turn to Jean with a confused look, but find he's still looking back at the others, giving them frustrated looks of sorts. Sighing, I roll my eyes and quietly walk away from them and towards the rest of my comrades and Erwin, as they all start to kneel to the floor in a circle around something. When I get close enough, I manage to see a glimpse of Hange lying on her stomach on the ground, pointing towards a map and giving a description, which everyone listens to attently. I tune into the conversation they are having, peering over the countless shoulders that black a lot of what is going on in the middle.

"Here... it's small, but there's a Titan forest here," Hange points to a small bunch of trees illustrated on a map, "you should head that way. I don't think that the armoured titan will be able to hide his footsteps... but either way... they're probably heading here."

Her voice is strained and raspy, she must have only just woken up out of her state of unconsciousness. I lean further over the group to try and see better, but I can still only see half of the map, and Hange's determined but weak position on the ground.

"What makes you think so?" Someone mutters within the group.

"It's a gamble, but... even if they have the power of their titan form, they're still in danger from other titans outside the wall," Hange continues, "after all the fighting they had to do, they must be pretty exhausted - not as much as Eren, but still... It seems that even Annie had slept for a long time after her rampage."

The mention of Annie's name makes my heart skip a beat and anger to pile on top of the existing rage I have inside of me, already there from Reiner and Bertholdt. Nothing could make me forget what I went through as a child, and what I've been through just being in this regiment, as well as a Scout. All of it, just because of three people that I would have once given my life to, to save them. Now, I'd rather give my life to destroy them.

"Now, let's assume for a second that their place of destination lies beyond Wall Maria. Let's also add to that the fact that at the moment they have no stamina left to cover such a long distance. With that taken into account their immediate concern should be finding a place to rest where titans won't reach them! So that they can stay there at least until nightfall when titans become unable to move!" Hange continues explaining, and her words fill me with so much determination that it could bleed out of my wounds.

"You have time till' nightfall!" She suddenly yells, "if you can make it to that forest before nightfall, you just might be able to catch up with them!"

Everyone begins standing up and preparing themselves physically and mentally. Orders are shouted around, directing people to either move towards a lift to get down, or to collect the supplies. It feels like a now-or-never moment.

I swiftly turn around to figure out what I should do, when I crash into someone behind me.

For goodness sake. Why is he here again? "Jean. I swear to god I-"

"Excuse me! How insulting," a female voice teases instead. I snap my head up to Monique who grins cheerfully down at me, the outer side of her left eye swelling more than it had before. The overwhelming guilt from earlier floods right back into my veins as I look up at the gruesome cut.