The Assassin (Shingeki no Kyojin/ Attack on Titan)

Allegience

Here's the next set of plot-oriented chapters. I've gotten a bit of a lat start on it because I wrote two chapters of a Free! fic and I rewatched pretty much all of Say 'I love you'... So anywway, I just watched the new episode (24) of SNK so now I feel entitled to get going on this. 

And I have decided to just upload these one at a time, instead of five at a time as I had done with the first set of plot-oriented chapters. I think this would work out a bit better. 'kay, cool, thanks, bye. :]

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I had non-stop training with Levi for a week. That was not an exaggeration. For seven consecutive days after we got back from our expedition, my schedule consisted solely of training, eating, and sleeping. Eating being my most favored time of the day because it was the only time I got to spend with the others. I had never been so interested in people before. Come to think of it, I had never been so interested in anything before.

"Good job," Levi said, landing on the ground after me, "My techniques suit you very well."

"Thanks," I replied. The training wasn't painful. The 3DMG controls just truned out to be more complex than I thought, especially the way Levi uses them.

"I'm cutting your training short for today," he turned toward HQ, "You have a meeting with Irvin."

"I do?" I raised an eyebrow. No one had told me. I said brief thank you and goodbye to Levi as I jogged back into the building and made my way to Irvin's office. Naturally, I wondered why I had been called for a meeting with the Commander. Running through this past weeks events, I did not recall anything that could possibly be deemed traitorous. 

"Commander?" I peeked my head around his door. He sat with his elbows on his desk and his fingers laced together in front of his mouth.

"Have a seat, Baringer." I complied, walking over and sinking into the cushion of the chair placed in front of his desk. The room itself was lit only by the sunlight shining through the window behind the Commander's chair. Irvin's silhouette cast a shadow across my face. My expectations were ambivalent.

We both sat in silence for a moment before he spoke, "I've been impressed with your skills and progress over these past couple of weeks, Baringer. There is not a doubt that we would not have been able to detain Reiner and Bertholdt without your services. I would like to thank you for that, first and foremost."

But... I thought. There always was one.

"As you may well know, interrogations on the two began days ago, being led by Hanji. We have not had much progress, especially with Bertholdt. So I would like to assign you to take over for Armin who had originally been assigned Bertholdt's interrogation."

"Sir..." was all I could say. It was an honor, but I had never done an interrogation before.

"I have faith that you will succeed in obtaining the information that is necessary. But there's a catch."

There it is, as I had expected.

"All I require is that you made an official member of the Scouting Legion."

"Anything you'd have me do, sir, I'll do it," I stated without hesitation. I had my goals and my reasons. I would not let Quentin and Petra down. Even if Irvin ordered me the run the entire perimeter of Wall Rose, I would not let them down.

"I'm glad to hear that," he lowered his hands onto the desk and said, "But this means that I need your complete allegience, Baringer. This means that you would no longer be affiliated with the Order. Only the Corps."

My mind nearly went blank. Surely, in his view thought this would be a simple task, incomparably easier than running the perimeter of Wall Rose. But in my eyes, I'd be offering my life. I'd be betraying fifteen years of brotherhood. This was my identity. Indeed, it would be innately difficult for me to say yes. But it was not the difficulty that stumped me. It was the fear. The uncertainty. Who would I be if not an Assassin?

A member of the Scouting Legion, Petra's voice rang in my head and I was brought back to the memory of when she had told me of her plans to enlist, is all I have ever needed to be.

"Sir," I said, standing up from my seat. I placed my fist over my heart, "you have my allegience."

Irvin stood as well and saluted me in return, which caught me by surprise. He smiled, breaking his usual formality, "I know she'd be proud of you, Cadet."

Cadet, I ran over in my mind. There was a pleasurable ring to it. I smiled back at him, "Thank you, Commander."

"Alright," he said, "the interrogation begins in an hour. "

I nodded before heading toward the door. 

"Oh, and Baringer..." Irvin's voice halted me. "Keep that hood down."

"Yes, sir."

"Good luck."

*~*~*~*

I made it to Bertholdt's underground interrogation cell just barely on time. The last hour was supposed to spent reminding myself what stratgies of questioning I had learned in training. But I ended up thinking about how in the world Irvin convinced the Military Police to leave Reiner and Bertholdt under the Scouting Legion's jurisdiction. Even 2nd rank Assassins get distracted. 

Jean was waiting outside the cell and he greeted me, "Glad you could make it."

"What are you doing here?" I asked.

"I was assigned to supervise your inquiry."

"Thank you, Jean, but that won't be necessary."

"I don't care what you think," he said disdainfully, "I'll be looking out for you, if he tries to hurt you."

That would still be unnecessary, but I didn't say anything. Didn't want to ruin what I decided to think was sentimental moment between Jean and I. Plus, Hanji had the Apple of Eden keeping their Titan forms at bay so there was also no use for Jean's maneuver gear. I thought brisquely.

"Quick. Lose the gear." I ordered him as I pushed the sleeve of my jacket up and hastily undid one of my Hidden Blades.

"What? Why?"

"Just do it. My interrogation, my rules." 

He sighed before removing his 3DMGs. I grabbed his arm and pushed his sleeve up, and I rattled off some protocol as I fastened my blade to his arm. "So here's the deal. If he does try to attack me, let it slide. Count to ten before doing anything."

"How do you expect me do that?!" He asked incredulously.

"Well you must have some self control," I retorted as I unhitched my other blade, "Levi told me that out of everyone in the 104th, you were the best at using the gear. You didn't gain those skills by being and impulsive idiot, did you?"

He muttered at swear at me and I decided to ignore it. My blades were, as expected, not a correct fit for him, but they'd have to do. "They actually look kind of good on you," I said without thinking.

"I will never take that as a compliment," he responded, begrudgingly, "How do you even use these anyway?"

"You just kind of curl your wrist in..." I demonstrated with my own arm. It was hard to explain the whole trigger and pully system. "Alright. Are you ready?"

"Yup."

"Then, let's do this."

We walked a little ways down the hall to the large metal door of Bertholdt's cell. 

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Just a heads up, I suppose that in the next chapter you could consider Bertholdt a bit ooc. 

Anyway, so no drawing on the side for today so maybe next time. I've been working on a little comic, so I haven't done much sketching and stuff.

A'ight. Peace.

*drives car into the back of Uhaul moving van*