Yesterday's Enemy [AoT]

TWENTY

'Though I understand not how, nor why, violence will always have a seat at the council of human survival.

Some enemies are far too powerful, some wars are far too dire for words to counter weapons. You must fight fire with fire, but always prepare to get burned.'

-An extract from 'The Walls and their Founding', a newspaper article by scholar and journalist Aksel Briggs.

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TWENTY

Wall Maria, South Region, Trost District

"Lorelai Bervik, we meet at last," said Elske Jürgen, landing on the opposite roof.

"'We meet at last?'" Lorelai laughed. "Which storybook did you swallow?"

Elske was outraged. She had finally come face to face with the woman she had been chasing for weeks and immediately had been made to look a fool. She was outraged— outraged... and a little startled.

Was this really Lorelai Bervik? The stories had made her up to be some great villainess with a wicked glare and a total lack of humanity. But the woman Elske saw standing on the opposite rooftop was none of that.

She was intimidating, sure. Her tall stature and ice-blonde hair were as the stories told, but despite that, she just looked... normal.

But Elske couldn't be fooled. This woman had outsmarted her once in Islet and had laid ruin to Trost only moments prior. She thought of the men Lorelai had hurt that day; she thought of the words of the one man she trusted. 'Fire with fire.' She must not hesitate.

Similarly, Lorelai was sizing Elske up. Fiery locks of red hair splayed out around Elske's face, and her hostile gaze was set forward intently. But, beneath all the bluster, she was just a kid. She had big, bright eyes and a freckled face.

"Look, kid," Lorelai began. "Go back to school, alright? We don't need to do this."

Elske seemed not to like that idea. Because the next moment, she lunged, soaring across the building with her gear and threatening Lorelai with a knife. She struggled, but Levi was too fast. He had restrained Elske against the building before Lorelai could blink.

"Lady Larken," Lorelai cursed, once again blown away at Levi's speed and strength. She'd certainly picked a good ally.

Elske snarled and struggled. Levi pitied her; she was far outmatched against him, genius or not. He almost couldn't believe that this kid was their enemy.

This was the child who had killed Mr Augustin in the burning village. This child had tried to poison hundreds of Havasians in the hospital. This child was the source of Lorelai's every problem.

The Siege and its bloody legacy had brought her here, and there was no going back.

She was a child, but she was a murderer. Now Lorelai had to choose which label to act on: kid... or killer?

Before she could decide, Elske's gang descended upon them. Their skill with their stolen gear was equal to that of the average soldier. Lorelai and Levi couldn't so much as react before Elske was gone, whisked away, rapidly disappearing gas their only trail.

She sighed, sitting down on the rooftop. So, they were on the retreat. I suppose they all needed to recuperate. "That was a mess."

Levi sat down beside her. "No shit. What are we going to do now?"