Attack on Titan: The New Generation

Chapter 41 Echo of the Gunshot

The carriage fell silent, and I watched as Julia dropped the gun from her hand. She rested her head on her hands and quietly weeped. I shifted my eyes towards Jen. Her eyes were widened and she trembled a little, but not really noticeable. I sighed and leaned my head on the door again and looked out the window.

Little kids walked by holding stacks of wood. The smaller one turned her head and looked at me. She smiled and waved. I smiled back, and gave a little wave. They walked away, and my smile left as well. Then the carriage stopped, and I jolted forward. Julia cleaned up and calmed down then opened the window to the driver.
"What's going on?" She asked.
"A little traffic, what do u want to do?" He asked.
"Is there a hotel nearby?"
"Just around the corner."
"Go there, we'll stay a night." Julia sighed. The driver did as what was told and went around be corner, away from traffic with other carriages.

We get out of the carriage and go into the hotel. The driver takes the carriage to the back where they hold the horses. All of us were very quiet, we just walked in a line. Julia gets two rooms, for that all she could afford at the moment.
"You and Jen take the same room, I'll be in the other." Julia said, with her head lowered. She handed me the key, and I take it.
"Let's go" I whisper. I look for the number of the room and I say to Jen "The room is 8."
"Ok." She says very quietly.

We get to the room and I open the door with the key. We walk in, and I look around. It had a simple set up, two beds, two dressers. On one of the dressers is a box of matches. I give Jen the key and take the matched. I light a few candles, then lay down on one of the beds. I close my eyes and sigh as I sink I into the bed. I hear Jen go into the other bed and ruffle through the sheets. It's silent for a long few minuets until Jen brakes it.
"Why did you lie?" She asks.
"What do you mean?"
"When we got you out of the cell, you said that you have no idea about the execution."
"I don't, what execution?" I lied.
"The officer watching your cell saw you curl up in a ball and cry until you heard my voice."
"I'd rather not talk about it." I say as I turn over.
"But Lilly! What do we do once all this is over? I don't want to go to my friends death sentence!" She wined. I could tell Jen was starting to tear up by the sound of her voice.
"You ask what do we do? It's simple. Keep fighting." I say, closing my eyes again. Jen stops talking and the silence takes over the room once again.

I wake up to the pounding sound of someone knocking. I get up from the bed and wake up Jen by yelling her name. She gets up and I open the door.
"Let's go, the driver is out front." Julia said. Jen blows out the candles and grabs the room key. We leave the room and give the keys back. I get into the carriage first then Jen, then Julia. It starts moving and I look out the window again.
"So what's the plan?" Jen asked. I turn my head towards her and say "What?"
"Last night you said that we need to keep fighting. So what the new plan?" She smiled. I was surprised, didn't think Jen would take it that seriously.
"I don't know yet, I think of one after I see my parents and we're at the cave." I said, flashing a smile back. She nodded her head and looked back out the window.
"Today is your parents execution, are you going." Julia asked.
"Yeah, I guess."
"It's in two hours, you should get back there."
"Ok." I sighed.
"I'm coming too, we can get there if we get a cab." Jen added.

We did as Jen suggested, and Jen and I raced over back to the court house. As we get to the doors soldiers stop us. Jen immediately whips out a piece of paper. The expression on the soldier's faces changed, and they let us through. As we walk through the walls and begin walking down stairs I ask "What was that?"
"When u were getting a carriage, Julia wrote this baby up!" She smiled as she raised the note.
"Sense she's now a commander and all, she can get us into places. Just with this note."
"Don't lose it, it be the only way to see them without any trouble." I said. She nodded and slipped it into her Survey Corps jacket. We finally got to my parents cell. We pulled the same trick on the guard as we did to the soldiers near the door. He then left, and if was just Jen, my parents and I. We stood there silent until I broke it.
"You said you wanted to talk to me. What is it?"

My mother lifted her head and smiled. She tapped my father's shoulder and he lifted his head.
"Oh Lilly, you came." He says while getting up and walking towards the bars.
"Yeah, I did. What is it?" I ask, getting a little annoyed.
"Come here." He says. I walk to the bars and my mother soon joins us. My father grabbed my hands and held onto them.
"Lilly I'm sorry your involved in this. I'm sorry you were given that punishment. But I want you to know that your mother and I planned for us to die like this at some point." My father pleads.
"Is that it, I have more important things." I hiss.
"Lilly, they're your parents stop." Jen whispered.
"It's fine Jen, we aren't asking for your forgiveness." My mother said.

"Lilly listen, when you get a chance to leave the walls, you must live as a Titan. Escape, and leave. You can live in your Titan as long as you don't exhaust it." My father said. He quickly switched from from grief, to being stern.
"You can forget about that. I'm not doing it." I said very bluntly.
"You won't listen-"
"Yes I am. Julia already brought that up. And my answer is still 'no'."
"Lilly! We think there is another civilization somewhere. When you escape, kill any Titan you can and look for that civilization!" My mother whispered yelled. My eyes widened.
"Are you serious?" I asked, thinking it was a joke.
"Yes. Once every 3 years a bird landed on the wall with a note attached. It would have 'Anyone there?' written on it. A soldier of the Garrison would always receive them. She gave them to us and we tried to figure out where they were. Obviously we ran out of time. But you can look for them, if you leave the walls." My father explained.
"Lilly, what do you say? We do need to keep fighting." Jen quietly said. I stood there silently, trying to think of any kind of possibility of another group of humans alive, and surviving the Titans.
"I don't know. The odds of that seem very slim." I said.
"Lilly others are out there. Find them and bring them back." My mother said. I looked into her eyes, and something about them tells me that she isn't lying.

"Fine, I'll try to think of something." I sighed. Both my parents smiled, and seemed they were filled with relief.
"Jen take this, it's for your Titan, only you can understand it. To kelp it safe don't show anyone else." My father says as he hands a folded price of paper to Jen. I raise an eyebrow, but shake it off and ignore it.
"Is that all?" Jen asked. My mother nodded. Before we left four soldiers came walking in between us and took my parents from the cell.
"What are doing?" I asked really quickly.
"Their execution is scheduled for 10:00 this morning. It's 9:50." Said one of the soldiers. They cuff my parents and quickly walk them upstairs.
"Wait! You can't do this now!" I said trying to stop them.
"It's our orders!" A soldier yells back. They push them up the stairs faster to get farther away from Jen and I.
"Lilly, it's fine." My mother calls out.

Eventually Jen and I get outside and go to where the execution will be held. Many people from the Trost district have gathered all around. Some people from other parts have also gathered to the 'event'.
"That's right! Kill this traitors!" Some civilians yelled. I started to get mad, as they were chanting for my parent's deaths. Jen and I pushed to near the front of the crowd to see what was going on. The soldiers who got my parents from the cell, through them to the front. Making them sit on their knees and handcuffed, made it very hard for any kind escape. My parents held their head low. Behind them were two soldiers with guns then the commanders of all the military branches, including Julia.

"The execution of Will and Krista Starks, charged with treason!" Yelled on of the MP officers standing near by. Both my mother and father lifted their head for the last time, and instantly found me. The cheers of the civilians slowly grew louder.
"Aim!" Yelled the solder. The two cadets standing behind my parents raised the guns they held. The cheers continued to get louder, but I blocked them out. My parents continue to only look at me, and my eyes begin to tear up. The soldier who was giving orders then raised his hand. I look at my mother and father's peaceful smile, but when the soldier started to drop his hand I close my eyes and turn my head away. When a single tear trickles down my cheeks, I hear the worst sound a daughter could hear.
BANG!!!!