General Despair

A Furious Kid and Matters of Law

Maria sat with Mikasa and Armin, chewing her food as she listened to the pair speak. "Eren's inquisition... What's it about?" Mikasa spoke softly, her eyes downcast. Armin looked at her, somewhat concerned. "I'm not sure, but I'd guess they're deciding what to do with Eren." Mikasa looked confused, her thoughts clearly flickering to the worst. "What to do with him?" Armin looked down, his face clearly showing his worries. "Probably whether to kill him or let him live." Mikasa stood, her hands planted on the table, knocking against the plate before her. Maria looked into her black eyes and placed a hand on hers, swallowing down her food. "It'll all be ok, Mikasa. I promise you." The main entrance swung open and three Military police officers barged into the dining hall. Two wielded guns, while the other one held a notepad in his hand. Maria clutched Mikasa's hand and nodded. The man called out, his voice cutting over the soft chatter of the room. "Mikasa Ackerman! Armin Arlert! Maria Voraste! Are you here?" Maria sighed and dragged Mikasa forward to the door, while Armin responded. "Yes, Sir." The man spoke again, his voice echoing to the far corners of the hall. "You've been ordered to appear as witnesses at this afternoon's inquiry." Maria looked to Mikasa and gripped her hand. "I have a feeling things aren't going to go so smoothly for all this."

Maria sat in the courtroom, resting a hand on Mikasa's. Even though she didn't show it, Maria could feel the unease pouring of Mikasa, that strange feeling of being unsure, and scared. She could tell how Mikasa felt most of the time, and today was no exception. The main doors swung open, and Eren was almost hauled into the courtroom. He seemed dazed and tired, and Maria could tell something was ticking over in his mind. She flinched as a soldier pushed Eren forward using the tip of his gun. A scowl made its way onto her face, angered by the way Eren was being treated. Those ungrateful bastards were mistreating him even though he had already helped humanity more than they ever would. He was forced to kneel on the floor, and a pole was placed over his cuffs, pinning him to the ground. Eren looked to them, and her face brightened slightly, hoping to encourage him. He raised an eyebrow and she shrugged. He still seemed confused, yet she didn't blame him. He most likely had no idea why he was here. Zackly entered the courtroom, and placed his coat down on the table next to where a pile of papers lay. "Well then, let us begin. Eren Jaeger, yes? You are a soldier, sworn to sacrifice your life for the public good. Is that correct?" Eren spoke calmly, his voice wavering with every word. "Yes, sir." The man spoke again and Maria looked forward to where he sat, her face blank and calm. " This is an exceptional situation. This tribunal will be held under military, not civilian, law. The final decision rests entirely in my hands. Your fate will be decided here." Maria noticed the soft expression of knowing on his face. He had been right after all, however she hadn't doubted him. "Do you have any objections?" Eren looked to the floor, the feeling of worry emanating off of him. "No, sir." Zackly re-adjusted his glasses and spoke again. "I appreciate your perception. I will be direct. As anticipated, concealing your existence has proven impossible. We must make your existence public in some form, or a threat to humanity other than Titans may arise. What I will decide today is which force will have custody of you. The Military Police? Or the Survey Corps? Then, I ask the Military Police for their proposal." Another man, who she recognised as Nile Dok, commander of the Military police, began his proposal. "Yes, Sir. I, Commander of the Military Police, Nile Dok, will present my proposal. After a thorough investigation of Eren's body, we believe he should be eliminated immediately. It's certainly true that his Titan power overcame our last peril. However, now his existence threatens to spark a civil war. So we ask him to die for humanity's sake, leaving behind all the information he can." Another man spoke out, raising his voice. He was a Religious leader, part of the Wallist Church. "There's no need for that! He is an invasive pest!  He has deceived the wal-" He was cut off as a shoe smacked him in the face, sending him tumbling back. Maria snorted childishly and turned to Nile. "You got more to say, or were you finished?" Nile shook his head and Maria sighed. Mikasa pinched her on the leg and she winced, a throbbing pain shooting out from the small sore. She kicked Mikasa softly under the table, her eyes narrowed to a glare. "He deserved it. I mean, he isn't even Military, so his opinion doesn't matter..." She whispered, a childish grumpy tone to her voice. She turned to face the front again , as Zackly spoke. "We'll hear the Survey Corps's proposal next."