Yesterday's Enemy [AoT]

TWENTY-TWO

'Faith, certainty, hope— three things that once born can never quite be broken. There is no water to quell the flame; there is no axe to cut the tree. There is no weapon to kill the faithful. Wear your faith as armour and take up your hope as a sword.'

-An extract from scholar and journalist Aksel Briggs' first work, now widely banned across the Walls for inspiring a violent vigilante movement.

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TWENTY-TWO

Wall Maria, South Region, Trost

"You must be relieved," said Thomsen. "It's finally over; we caught her."

Lorelai sighed, unable to feel any relief. No, this nightmare was far from over. Though they now stood in an MP station, Elske and her associates locked up in custody, this was far, far from over.

She was still yet to find her kidnapped people and yet to discover the true motive behind this entire fiasco.

While the leader made the war more often than not, if Elske was anything, she was a pawn— taken advantage of for her desire for revenge. The real mastermind was Briggs, at least, Lorelai thought so.

She still had too many questions.

Where were the kidnapped Havasians?

What was Briggs' ultimate plan here?

And, more importantly, what could she do about it all?

Lorelai knew there were a lot of loose ends— people to find, questions to answer, but how much longer could she stay in Trost? She still had an obligation to the Scouts, and surely Erwin had caught wind of what she was doing already.

Lorelai needed time. But time seemed in short supply.

The first order of the day was to get what information they could out of Elske. Ideally, the girl would tell them how to find the kidnapped Havasians, but that seemed a little too convenient.

"Lorelai," said Levi, at her side, as always. "They've given us the all-clear to interrogate Elske; now's your chance."

"Not now, not me."

"Then who?"

<>

"Ahem," Thomsen cleared his throat, stepping into the interrogation room.

The room was small, perhaps a little too intimate for the hordes of criminals that would have been questioned there. But instead of violent and bloodthirsty outlaws, sat handcuffed to the table was just a girl. Of course, an argument could be made that she belonged there, kid or not.

Lorelai watched Elske from behind the one-way glass. The girl was both terrifying and tragic, both the offender and the victim. Lorelai had not the first clue on what to do with her.

There was nothing soft or delicate about Elske Jürgen; hardship reduced her to something raw and animal. She was sort of beautiful, though— in the way ruined buildings and burnt forests are beautiful.

Elske was Lorelai's opposite, in more ways than one. Where she was calm, Elske was fiery. Where she chose words, Elske chose weapons. Where Lorelai had won, Elske had lost.

Elske retained her glare as Thomsen sat down in front of her. Her spirit was not quite broken yet.

Thomsen put on a relaxed air. "I need to ask you a few questions, that alright, kid?"