Promise Me | Book Three

Chapter Thirty

Eren's POV

It's not classy to cut your hair with a glass shard that you picked up from the ground, but I had to; the weight was bugging the fuck out of me.
It's not quite like my old haircut, but it's way better -- and lighter -- than it was previously that is for sure.

I start massaging the back of my neck where my hair used to run down and begin to brush the stray hairs from myself.

Standing up, I make my way out of my tent to the area I said I'd meet with Armin.

It's been around three days or so since he shared his plan with Isabel and I'm thrilled that she's jumped on board.
Despite the fact that we have a solid blueprint, I have this anxiety I can't shake off. I have doubts that it will work and I keep thinking things will go wrong, but that's not the thoughts I should have right now. It's all or nothing and I must take risks. I better give it my all for the low chance that we will make it.

* * *

"Eren, he- oh..." Armin began but then stopped.
"Hey, you cut your hair, finally! I don't know why you left it so long; I don't even think I could have had mine as lengthy for so long." He said. "In fact, I cut my hair immediately -- as soon as I came down here."
He wafts his hand through my hair and I laugh, doing the same with his.

Slamming my hand into his shoulder, I ask light-hearted: "so, what are your plans for us today?"
"Well," Armin begins. "Isabel and I have sent several search parties out to gather any equipment or raw parts we could use. What came to a huge surprise to me was the amount of 3DMG they have managed to create down here, despite the fact that the materials are almost completely different down here. I don't know how they managed to almost replicate it perfectly, I don't even think I could have done that without an original model..."

Armin clears his throat abruptly.
"Sorry, I've went off-topic again," he says hurriedly. "The point is, we have enough to disassemble if need be and also enough to bring on the air ballon if anything malfunctions whilst we are up there. But, I think the weight limit will be a problem with around three or four of us going inside only one..."

"Inside one? I thought we were making more than one. You know, for everybody else who's lived here longer than us?"

"Eren, we can't possibly make more than one fast enough. Anything could happen to Mika in that time if she's there and do you really think we have enough resources for multiple?"

"But, you persuaded everyone with the fact that they could escape, you can't betray them, Armin. You never should have made a promise you couldn't kee-"

"I never promised anything to them and I'm leaving the blueprint down here. Several, actually. They can take it upon themselves to try it after us. Besides, many things may go wrong with this as it'd be merely a prototype but we may have to make that sacrifice."

I'm what you could call 'flabbergasted' at this. I didn't quite expect that of Armin.

He presses his hand on my shoulder and leans in a little closer to me.
"I can tell by the look in your eyes that you're disappointed in me, but I'm doing this for you. I'd rather be less generous to some strangers that I owe nothing to down here than my best friend that I've had for years. Mikasa needs you and I'm willing to risk going up there for you to get the slightest chance of having her back. If there's one thing I've learned from the Survey Corps, it's that sacrifices have to be made, whether you like it or not."