Chapter 23

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-Nora POV-

I slowly opened my eyes, my head was hurting like hell…
“Man, that hurts” I said and sat up, I was sitting on something that was moving… “Where the hell am I?” I noticed that my hands were bound together tightly. “What the hell?”
I looked up and saw Berthold and Eren, Eren was struggling against Berthold.

“Berthold, you and Reiner really have some explaining to do” I said and kicked his knees.
“Stop struggling you two! It’s not going to help!” he shouted.

“Good luck talking sense into those two, Berthold. When something lights a fire under Eren, that’s it. Getting Eren to calm down is a lost cause, take my word for it. I’ve been on the receiving end of it. What do you say we teach him some patience? Come on, show yourself” it was Jean.

“Jean? What the hell is going on?” I shouted.
“Nora!” oh, how I loved to hear that voice.

“Armin!” I shouted and smiled.
“Give them back! Right now!” shouted Mikasa.
“Guys… really? This is some kind of joke right?” It was Conny. “No way this is you. You’ve been lying to us this whole time? We were supposed to be comrades!”

“They still are! This is all just a misunderstanding!” shouted Sasha.
I tried to get the ropes off my hands, my head was hurting, and I was nowhere near strong enough to fight Berthold. I was still feeling sluggish.

“Where do you think you’re going? You can’t keep running forever. We’re not gonna let that happen, rat bastards” said Jean. “Through thick and thin. And then we slept under the same roof as soldiers for 3 years. As a matter of fact, the positions you could sleep in were art, Berthold. We used to predict the weather with them. How did you do it, Berthold? Must not have had a care in the world, lying besides your victims. Yet you slept like a log”

“Was it all just an act to you?” I asked and Berthold looked me straight in the eyes. “What about the way we used to talk about surviving this hell together? Was that all bullshit? Come on! Answer me!” I shouted. “Go on! What was the freaking point?”

“What were you trying to do?” asked Conny.
“It doesn’t matter anymore” said Mikasa. “Shut up and focus on opening the traitors neck. Hesitate for a moment and we forfeit Eren and Nora. Who cares what they pretended to be? This was their choice”

“No!” shouted Berthold. “You’re wrong! Who chooses to be this? Tell me! What do you think I am, heh? What?! You think this is what we aspired to be? People loathe us and why wouldn’t they, we’re monsters. We deserve to die for the things we’ve done. We’re lost, we could live a thousand years and never again know peace. Try to imagine that darkness. The only light was our brief time as soldiers. It was never a lie! Do you understand? We’re not who we said we were! But, it wasn’t an act! We genuinely thought of you as our friends! I’m not stupid, I know I have no right to ask for forgiveness. But please… I beg of you… if we were comrades, someone find us” he began to cry and my hands began to tremble.

He looked me in the eyes and I looked shocked back.
‘Stop feeling sorry for him, stop it!’
“Give them back. I won’t ask again” said Mikasa.

“I’m sorry, I can’t” said Berthold. “One of you has to do it. One of you has to stain your hands with my blood”
“Guys! Get down from there! Take cover!” I heard Captain Levi shout.

‘He came? But he’s hurt… why did he?’
Everything trembled… My hands were finally loose, but I had to use them to remain balanced.

Reiner took his hands back and I finally saw the sky.
“Nora, hang on!” I heard Berthold shout. Titans were everywhere…
I couldn’t hold on properly and I began to fall.
“Nora!” shouted Berthold.

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