"Captain, grenade reload is almost complete. What are your orders for the next attack?"
The silver-haired female soldier from the Garrison Regiment reported in calmly, standing among the smoke and tension. The officer, however, was trembling—still gripped by the fear he'd felt ever since witnessing Eren's Titan transformation.
"Stand by until I give the signal!" the officer barked.
Meanwhile, inside the smoky interior of the incomplete Titan, the four of us—me, Mikasa, Eren, and Armin—had become so focused on arguing that we briefly forgot the danger outside. The shouting and fuss felt oddly familiar… like the childish fights we used to have back during our cadet days.
"Fine. Sandra can come," Eren finally relented, giving in to the argument. He knew the Garrison was targeting me too—he couldn't just leave me behind.
"If Sandra and Eren are going, then I'm going too!" Mikasa snapped, unwilling to back down.
I crouched down quietly, hiding a faint smile behind my hand. Somehow, this chaotic little fight made me feel… nostalgic.
"Hold on, Mikasa," Eren interrupted, turning toward Armin. "Didn't I say earlier that I had two ideas?"
"Eh?" Armin blinked, startled.
"I know what I said before won't really work. Sure, I've got the power to turn into a Titan… and Sandra has her power. But if we're going to use those abilities, it has to be done properly—under the command of the military, with a strategy. Doing it like this is reckless," Eren said, his tone growing more serious as he glanced past Mikasa and looked straight at me.
"But… if you, Armin, can convince the Garrison that Sandra and I aren't threats… I'll trust you. And I'll go with your plan. That's my second idea. But if you say you can't do it… then we'll go with our fallback. The last resort."
Eren's eyes locked with Armin's. Mine did too.
Because honestly, if there was anyone among us who could pull off something like that—it was Armin.
"You have fifteen seconds to decide," Eren said firmly. "Whether you can do it or not… I'll respect your answer."
I looked back over my shoulder.
The Garrison soldiers were finishing their reloads. The next volley was imminent.
They all thought I was a monster—a creature neither human nor Titan. If Armin couldn't pull this off, then I'd have to try what Eren did. I'd need to inflict a wound, transform, and escape to Shiganshina alongside him—just like he'd argued with me about earlier.
"Eren… why are you putting this kind of decision on me?" Armin asked, overwhelmed. His voice was tight with pressure.
"Because when things get dangerous… you're the one who always makes the right call," Eren said simply. "I need that from you now."
He looked at Armin with the full weight of his trust.
"When have I ever…?" Armin started to protest.
"More than once," Eren cut in. "Five years ago, for example. If you hadn't called for Hannes that day… you, me, Mikasa, and Sandra would've been eaten. All of us."
It was true. Hannes had only come to help the Yeager family because Armin had sounded the alarm. Without him… we would've died alongside Eren's mother.
"Time's running out," I murmured.
I was starting to see the shadows again—the flashes of incoming fire outside the smoke. Faint, flickering fragments of the future. The only reason they hadn't fired yet was probably because they weren't sure we were still alive.
But that grenade was loaded. That much I was sure of.
"Armin," I turned to him fully, my voice steady. "I believe in you."
And I did. I truly did.
If Armin made a decision… I wouldn't question it.
He went quiet for a long moment.
Then slowly—deliberately—he rose to his feet.
Standing like a soldier.
"I'll convince them," he said. "But you all need to make sure you don't look like you're going to resist."
Armin had made his choice.
We watched as he took a step forward—his silhouette growing distant through the mist.
He removed his vertical maneuvering gear to appear less threatening.
And then he walked, straight and tall, out of the smoke… alone.
--------------
Access Advance Chapters on my Patreon : patreon .com / MPHFics