The Child Titan

Chapter Seven

Hope sat idly in a tall wooden chair next to Levi. The girl was drawing lividly with bright colours and imaginative shapes. A small bag of candy that she'd occasionally reach into, laid just next to her box of colours.

"Where the hell are Erwin's men?" Levi questioned. "At this rate, the Military Police escort's going to show up before them." He takes a sip of tea before continuing. "Must be having a hell of a hard time taking a shit."

Hope gasped at Levi. "Bad word!" The older male ignored the child.

Eren, sitting near the other side of the table, noticed that the Levi was more talkative today. Levi told him to not be stupid and that he talks plenty. Hope nodded in agreement.

The captain finished his cup of tea, wincing when his ankle gave a bit of pain. "You okay?" The young girl asked him. He answered that he was fine.

"I'm sorry. If only I hadn't made the wrong choice then," Eren paused. "None of this would've happen."

"I told you. No-one knows how things will turn out."

The door finally open with a small group of people; Eren stood at the sound. "Sorry I'm late." Erwin apologized.

"Not at all-" Eren saw who was there. "Guys!"

Lined up were his two childhood friends and Jean. Their faces held serious looks, as if holding a grim secret. "We believe we found out who the female titan is." Erwin announced. Hope looked up at the mention of the female titan whilst Eren gasped.

"We will capture her this time."

•••

All those who were attending were seated, each with a paper filled with instructions and plans. Hope had a different paper, one with simple words and phrases so she felt that she was included. Occasionally, she would ask Levi to tell her how to pronounce certain words and what they meant. Her paper was also used for doodling.

"We do it the day after tomorrow, while passing through Stohess District on our way to the capital. This will be our first and last chance at her. Once on the other side, the government will take custody of Eren and Hope. We'll have difficulty investigating those bent on destroying the walls. Both of which will foster humankind's destruction.

"We'll have to bet everything on this operation."

Everyone, including Hope, listened intently. The young girl leaned in, to try to focus better even though she wouldn't really understand some of it.

"The plan is this: while passing through Stohess we use Eren and Hope as bait to lure the target into this underground passage. Given the target's size and strength, if we can get her as far down as possible we should be able to immobilize her in her titan form. But in the event that she transforms before then, it'll be up to Eren and possibly Hope."

Eren seemed a little surprised. Hope dreaded it. She was visibly nervous, holding her hands tightly in her lap, her fists gripping into the sundress she was wearing.

"Are we certain the target will actually be in Stohess then?" Eren asked. Erwin replied that the target was apart of the Military Police and it was Armin who identified her. Attention went to the blond solider whom was very tense up to that point.

"We believe that she killed the two titans we caught alive... and that she might have trained with you in the 104th Cadet Corps." Erwin informed, staring straight at the older titan shifter. Eren said to hold on a minute.

"The name of the girl we believe to be the female titan..."

"Y-You can't be serious" Eren muttered.