𝙃𝙚𝙧 𝙁𝙤𝙧𝙜𝙤𝙩𝙩𝙚𝙣 𝙋𝙖𝙨𝙩 || Eren Jaeger

𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝓇𝓊𝓂𝒷𝓁𝒾𝓃𝑔 (𝐼𝐼𝐼)

18

«All this bad blood here, won't you let it dry?»
—Bastille

_______________

Jo watches the crowd from the sidelines, the brim of her hat casting a mysterious shadow over her face.

"Our Eldian Empire has been persecuted by the world for over a century! Ever exposed to the threat of the Titans!"

She observes Floch as he asserts these words not with prudence, but with the power of a tyrant. After years of hearing him talk, she's realized his mouth is the equivalent of a snapping whip. There's always gonna be pain so long as he keeps blabbering.

He stands on the steps leading up to the military base, relishing in the spotlight as thousands of soldiers devote their full attention.

"But that has come to an end!" He clenches his fist tightly, "We are free now! We have defeated the world thanks to Eren, our emancipator, and us, the Jaegerists!"

Johanna rolls her eyes. This guy... definitely has a crush.

Mikasa stands idly next to Jo, the two refusing to participate in the cheering, their faces as bland as cinder blocks.

"Hey, Mikasa." A random soldier turns to the Hizuru girl, "you gonna join the Jaegerists and become one of our rulers?"

Jo snorts.

"Not interested." Mikasa hardly acknowledges him.

"Well... it sure looks like Jean is."

The soldier points smugly to Jean, who stands at Floch's left-hand side. He would be absolutely stone-faced if not for the minuscule form in which his lips droop slightly at the corners.

Jo smirks at this random soldier's ability to be so gullible.

All in due time...

Lifting her hat to wipe the sweat off her brow-line, she whispers covertly. "I'll see you later."

Mikasa nods.

Jo silently weaves her way out of the crowd. Before they go through with this plan... this rebellious, crazy, and undeniably stupid plan, there's someone who deserves a goodbye.

╳ ╳ ╳

"Instructor?" Louise's small voice pipes up.

Jo enters the infirmary and nods courtly to the nurse posted at the door. She approaches Louise's bed and tries not to appear too disheartened. But one look at the girl's weak state and it's obvious— she's not going to make it.

Jo sits on the edge of her bed. Her deathbed. Immediately her mind reaches for possible starters to what is surely gonna be a brief conversation. She's not the best at wholesome goodbyes.

Thankfully, Louise takes the reigns. "Mikasa was here earlier. But I don't think she's very happy with me..."

Jo raises a curious brow. "How come?"

"I took her scarf without her permission. She came back to get it. You can imagine how the rest went." She laughs, embarrassed. Her features quickly scrunch in pain as her torso shrivels. She relaxes, eyes dim and sad. "The nurses can't take out the fragment of the thunder-spear lodged in my stomach. It's a pity... I'll never see the free world that Eren Jaeger will create."

Here we go, Jo thinks in resignation. Her gaze averts down to her fingernails. "Louise, I know we've had our differences—"

"I think he's doing this for you."