Soldiers in a Broken World

Advent

The following days were slow, but Commander Smith had begun to make renewed plans to get back to Shiganshina. With the new discoveries in the Reiss Church cave, Eren's new power and tech the Interior MPs kept from the public, it was thought that if they left at sunset, when the Titans began to slow down and rest, they could ride there in one night. Much like before, Eren was key and with his hardening skill, plugging the Wall should be no problem.

It was the eve of the mission to retake Shiganshina and the Scouts were given a party. Everyone was there, all the new Scouts, the veterans, the Levi Squad and the command chain. Adriane however sat alone on the roof. He looked up at the stars. He still liked doing that, still giving him a hope of freedom beyond the Walls.

"You know the party is down there right?" Cindy sat next to him. "Not a party guy?"

"Nope. How about you?"

"Depends on the occasion, but after I helped put my family away, just not in the mood." She sighed. The sky was cloudless. "You dream of freedom when you look at the stars?"

He nodded. "Being born in Shiganshina, I only saw the Wall. Now, we are getting closer to freeing ourselves. Getting closer to the stars." He looked at her. "Sorry that Clare didn't come here." He recalled her saying one day that she might join the Scouts.

"Well, she wanted to follow her family and she loves the MPs." She sighed and put her head on his shoulder. They sat there for a while. "So, what do you think we will find at Shiganshina?"

"Reiner and Bertholdt." He said. "Without a doubt."

"Who?" She looked at him with a quizzical look.

He realized that he never told her about them, so he did. "And now I know they are my enemy, our enemy."

She listened to the whole thing. "So, how do you think you will react if they are there?"

"They made their chose. I have too. I will do my duty and if I can kill them, I will."

She heard the way he said that. 'He isn't sure...he doesn't know if he actually could kill them. He is hurting by their betrayal, but he still holds them in his heart as friends.' She looked up to hide that she knew. "Ok. And I will be there too." She smiled. "My first fight with Titans. Can't wait."

"Not just any Titans." He said. "You have to remember, these are Humans inside Titan bodies. From what Hange told us, the bodies are almost like puppets under Human control. So they are real fighters who know what we know. They form plans, able to fight back and defend themselves."

"Right. Regular Titans are just mindless monsters. These Titans you know are not." She said without worry. "Well, I guess maybe I can wait. I hope that I can prove myself."

"You have." He smiled. "Erwin wouldn't have let you join if you didn't." Though from what he knew of the Commander, he let those who had the scores for the ODM's. And Erwin told him that Cindy's record in her Corps and the MP's proved she was an excellent person. Her performance with the Coup and the Rod Titan helped out too.

They sat in quiet bliss for a while when suddenly Levi appeared. "Hey! Get to bed you two. Party is over."

They got up...after jumping a bit from the suddenness of someone yelling at them. "What happened? Thought I heard something." Adriane asked. "Oh wait...Eren and Jean, right?"

Levi nodded. They followed him as they looked at the now empty dining hall. "Wow...guess it had to be a big fight." Cindy said. "Should have grabbed a plate."

"Hey!" Sasha called out. "Can you get me untied please?"

Adriane and Cindy looked at her in shock. "What did you do this time?" Adriane asked, though he felt like he already knew as she did her smile with a little drool. "You tried to eat everything again and you were held back...right?" She just kept drooling. He looked back at the table and sighed. "You REALLY have to stop that." He said as he untied her. She quickly dashed and grabbed some food...or what she could grab into her arms.