"Commander…" Keith's voice was low and weary—you could almost hear the headache behind it.
Hange leaned forward. "Is the Commander himself here now?"
Mike clenched his fists, his tone sharp with frustration. "I told you, we should've squeezed Zeke dry earlier!"
Bang!
"You've already forced the patient onto the bed!" Sally, the doctor, shouted angrily. "What else do you want?!"
Keith exhaled, rubbing his temples. "Enough interrogation. No matter what, Zeke is the only human we've found who can transform into a Titan. According to Erwin, he might be humanity's best hope for resurgence. Whatever happens—he must live."
"Huh? Huh?! Captain, you actually listened to Erwin's analysis?" Mike barked out a disbelieving laugh. "He said to trust this monster, and you just obey? Is this really the Captain I know?"
Keith's eyes narrowed. "Do you have any other means to fight the Titans?"
Mike faltered, his voice caught. "…"
The infirmary curtain rustled.
Zeke shut his eyes instantly, feigning unconsciousness.
A long, heavy gaze settled on him.
"Your father was a great man," Keith said softly. "He wanted you to become the person he believed you could be." His tone carried a mix of regret and admiration. Then, without another word, he let the curtain fall and walked away.
Footsteps echoed toward the door.
But Mike refused to stay silent. "Captain! You can't let personal feelings cloud your judgment! Anyone who poses a threat to humanity should be eliminated—don't forget our fallen comrades!"
Keith paused, his voice calm but firm. "I won't take part in any interrogation, but that doesn't mean I'll allow you to abuse your authority. Mike, don't let personal grudges shape public duty.
Zeke is a product of Grisha's research—he's not one of those man-eating Titans."
"But he can eat people…" Mike muttered bitterly.
Keith turned his head slightly. "High risk, high reward. Humanity's already paid dearly. If Zeke's existence can change that, I'll take the risk. And these last few days, dealing with outside pressure has been exhausting enough. Can you people at least give me peace of mind?"
With that, Keith left.
Mike was left standing there, silent and frustrated.
After a long moment, Hange finally broke the silence. "You've gone too far this time! I knew you could be harsh during interrogations, but this? If Zeke dies, we lose our last hope!"
Mike gritted his teeth. "He's not even capable of turning into a Titan anymore! What hope are you talking about?"
"There's still Dr. Grisha's basement!" Hange said quickly.
Mike's brow furrowed. "…"
"Even if there's no Titan serum left, there must be a formula—something!" Hange's voice was resolute.
Mike shot back, "Then why not kill him and inject someone loyal to humanity with that formula? At least then we'd know where their loyalties lie! I can do it! I'm more reliable than some half-wild outsider!"
"No!" Hange's tone was fierce. "Zeke said it himself—only Titan Shifters can handle the Titan medicine! Once Grisha died, there may be no others like him left!"
Mike crossed his arms. "What about those kids—the ones who were reborn?"
"There's no proof," Hange replied grimly. "Not unless we find Grisha's basement and his experiment logs."
Mike nodded reluctantly. "Then we still have to march to Shiganshina District."
"Yes."
At the thought of it, both fell silent. The images of the district—swarming with Titans more densely than they'd ever seen outside the walls—were enough to chill their blood.
"So many Titans… it's terrifying," Hange muttered.
Mike tried to change the subject. "How's the powder collection going?"
"You'll have to ask Harry about that," Hange said, waving him off.
Mike grunted and stormed out of the infirmary.
After he left, Hange sighed deeply and drew back the curtain.
Inside, Zeke lay still on the bed, pale and covered in fresh bandages.
"Ahh…" Hange gently took his hand, heart aching at the sight of those bare, calloused fingers.
"Even with medicine, the damage… poor Zeke…"
The doctor looked up from her notes, exasperated. "Captain Hange, please—don't get emotionally attached to an unconscious patient."
Hange sniffed dramatically. "My poor Zeke! I haven't even begun to study this amazing body, and now he's been torn apart by that brute Mike! Wuuuu…"
Dr. Sallysighed. "There's nothing we can do. Captain Mike transferred from the Military Police Brigade. He's an expert at interrogation—and torture. Few prisoners leave his hands unharmed."
"That bastard Mike!" Hange stomped her foot. "Zeke told us everything, but he still wouldn't stop!"
Dr. Sallylooked up from her clipboard. "Most people wouldn't trust information from an outsider that easily. Especially when it's given so freely."
Hange pouted. "Does Dr. Sallythink that too?"
Dr. Sallysighed again. "After all… he has eaten people."
The room fell silent.
Even though Zeke was "unconscious," he could feel the tension pressing down on him. His wrists and ankles were bound to the bed—every joint restrained.
No one here truly trusted him.
To them, Titans weren't people—they were monsters wearing human faces.
Especially for the Survey Corps, who had watched countless comrades die screaming in a Titan's jaws.
Hange's expression softened. "How bad can someone really be if he risked his life for his brother? Even if he's scarred, I believe Zeke has a good heart."
She patted his hand gently and turned to Sally. "When will he wake up?"
Dr. Sallychecked her notes. "For an injury like that… maybe two or three hours."
Hange nodded. "Then I'll come back in three. Please take care of him, okay?"
Dr. Sallysmiled faintly. "Of course."
Hange cast one last look at Zeke's still face and sighed before leaving the infirmary.
Behind her, the dim light flickered on Zeke's bandaged form. His breathing was steady—but his mind was far from peaceful.
Even half-conscious, he could hear every word.
And in the quiet, one bitter thought lingered in his mind—
High risk, high reward… huh?
That's what they call gambling with my life.