The Forgotten Ones

Chapter 5

No one says a word. The room is quiet. It's eery and I can tell no one is comfortable. How could they be? The matter they were to discuss was sensitive. One wrong word, on wrong motion, and I'll never trust them. I won't help them. Right now I'm lenient and I will propose my ideas.
Levi has yet to show. Erwin seems to be staring off into space at the window while Hange is twiddling with her uniform straps. Silently.
Then there's me, the crippled puppet in this game of survival. It's funny how they are so reliant on me, a now useless orphan who hates their guts.
"Cinder, what exactly happened to you in that hallway?" Erwin has turned around to face me now.
"We aren't going to wait for Levi?" To be honest I don't want him here. But, he is one of the main squad leaders in the survey corps. So Erwin wants him here.
"Just tell me Cinder."
I throw my arms up in defeat. "Whatever. Matsuda decided he would try and grab my arm. I yanked away from him but forgot how much stronger I am. So I accidentally threw myself against a wall."
"Where exactly were you headed with him?" Levi's cold voice comes from behind me, making chills roll up my arms. I don't turn around to face him.
"Hey Levi," I reply coldly gritting my teeth. "To answer your question, I was headed to Erwin's office. To discuss my proposal about the Forgotten."
Levi walks around my wheel chair and goes to lean against a wall opposite of me. Erwin sits at his desk. Hange is still right next to me, quiet for some reason.
"Well, we're listening Cinder." Erwin nods at me.
I sigh, take a deep breathe and begin to talk.
"I want to- no, I will help you. But on conditions. I realized that not helping you would end in my forced and forever misery here." Erwin starts to open his mouth to say something but I don't have time to cut him off. Levi waved for me to go on, cutting off Erwin for me. Odd.
"I... I think I could get some of the Forgotten to come and speak with the Survey Corps. We could reach an agreement of sorts. I don't want there to be war between my people and you all. Not many actually know about you, and just like I did, they would think you're all wimps who deserve to be in a cage." Levi glance at me hardens, if that's possible. I childishly stick my tongue out at him.
"Lighten up Levi. I understand differently now about you all. That's why I want to help."
"Why the sudden change of heart?" Erwin is scribbling on some parchment paper. What there is to write down, I have no idea.
"It doesn't matter. All that matters right now is that I'm giving you a chance to a way to survive." I cross my arms. "I need to talk with those two boys you saw. They're my partners. Forgotten travel in families of three or more people, always."
I could hear Levi mutter something like, "The more you know under his breath." So he does have a sarcastic side to him.
"Alright. We'll track them down. Once we have them here, we can all chat. We'll take it from there," Erwin said calmly. Hange nodded in agreement. Levi grunted.
I clapped my hands together making everyone jump. "How about you just take me outside? They'll find me and try to rescue me. That's easier don't you think?"
Levi shook his head no. "We can't do that, we can't risk losing you. It'd be next to impossible to track you all down again."
Erwin nodded in agreement. Hange finally stood, like she was going to speak. But to my dismay, all she did was leave. I didn't have anything else to say about the matter. Matsuda returned to roll me back to my room. I was awkwardly silent the whole time. It was amusing to see him stumble around for words as he pushed my chair.

My stub is sore from my fake leg breaking. It's 7:33 in the morning. They're going to try and convince my stubborn friends to come peacefully today.
I swear. I'm positive they think I'm being held captive, which I am, and that they'll think it's a trap. Which it is. Sort of.
They really, in all honesty, need me there if they want to convince Asher. Jet might believe them, maybe with a lot of convincing words. But, not Asher. He'd fight them to death if he believed it was to save me. He doesn't reason well.

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"No, absolutely not. Why should we believe you?" Asher was trying his absolute best not to start yelling and slicing everyone down. Hange, Eren, and Armin were trying their best to talk to the two boys who obviously we're just as stubborn and strong as Cinder.
Asher had his blades, used to slay Titans, drawn, while Jet held his hands above his own blades, still in his gear belt. Thankfully Hange had managed to get them to stand on the ground and talk face to face.
Jet took a step forward raising a hand to the sky. "You see this open sky? It's like all the lies your telling. Blue and open. Why should we trust you?"
Armin, aggravated that nothing they said was getting them anywhere, nearly growled under his breath.
"Listen," Armin tried not to let his anger get the best of his words. "Jet, Asher. Cinder is fine and she wanted us to bring you to her. She really is fine. We're trying to reach an agreement about The Forgotten and us," he waved at himself, Hange, and Eren. "Please, guys, Cinder just wants you guys to know she's okay and that you'll be safe if you come back with us." Slowly he brought his hand into his back pocket. Jet gripped his blade handles now, making Armin flinch and move even slower.
Bringing his hand back out of his pocket, he opened his palm and held out his secret weapon.
"Where...-" Jet seemed to falter then launched forward to snatch it out of Armin's hand. Jet grabbed it then used his 3D Maneuver gear to shoot himself backwards onto a tall tree. Asher, oblivious as to what Jet even had in his hand, hesitantly followed his friend. Eren starting running at them but Armin stopped him, holding him back. Hange already understood what Armin had done.
"Look familiar?" Armin asked up to Jet.