Deluge of Desolation | l. ackerman

Embrace of Endearment

"Do I not destroy my enemies when I make them my friends?"

Abraham Lincoln

(chapter eleven)

"I'm sorry, say that again?" The commander, Erwin Smith, asked.

It was the day after the expedition, and Erwin called Hange, Levi, Kemmerich and I into his office to go over the contents of the journal and book we had found. It was a simple meeting because we, or rather they, had not obtained any new information. The relics were practically useless to them as both the journal and the book were written in Marleyan; although orally similar, the alphabet was completely opposing.

During our conference, however, Hange took the liberty of mentioning my momentary catharsis on the battlefield. She asked what I was so shaken up about, as I had danced around the subject before then. I suppose she did not want to pour salt on any fresh wounds, bless her.

So, like the ever good and responsible soldier I am, I explained the event that occurred in detail, not finding a reason for keeping such information to myself. It's not like they could ever surmise why the titan spoke or acted out of character— not until the truth beckons forth as a full frontal war. Although, Erwin seemed to have a hard time wrapping his head around the anomaly.

I leaned back in my seat, next to Levi. Erwin was situated behind his desk and Hange was sprawled out across a couch in the corner of the office. Her attention span has yet to mature and after so long in the meeting, Hang became quite restless, bouncing her legs up and down and running her fingers across the indents of Erwin's wooden table. The commander had to tell her to take refuge on the couch Kemmerich sat on.

I believe Erwin had an ulterior motive when he said that, for his lips curled into a mischievous smirk as Kemmerich tensed under Hange's reclined legs.

"It spoke. Said something along the lines of "Just like the old days." I don't remember verbatim, though. I was more focused on the act, not his words." I responded, fabricating the truth of the blonde titan's words slightly. Resting my elbow on the arm of the couch, I lay my head on my enclosed fist and lazily cross my legs.

"Did anyone else hear it speak?" Erwin asked, looking around at the rest of my comrades.

Kemmerich shook his head from side-to-side, looking down at the wooden floor. Hange muttered a 'no', focused on an intense thought as she furrowed her eyebrows, gaze distant from reality. Levi clicked his tongue from beside me, legs crossed as well. He seemed annoyed to be there, as everyone else did.

Hange told me once, about his piling paperwork that accumulates after each expedition. With a renowned title comes plenty of trivial filing and administration. I could only imagine how taxing it must be for him. And judging by the bruises under his narrowed eyes, he mustn't get much sleep as a result.

"I killed it before it could make any moves towards her. June choked up and fell to her knees. The titan looked like it was about to lunge at you—" Levi turned to me when he spoke, "I wouldn't have killed it so hastily if I knew it was abnormal."

I hummed in acknowledgement, gazing off outside of the window, looking into the bright sun, absentmindedly. It was about ten in the morning and the forenoon dew had yet to dry up, leaving the windows and plants in a frosty glaze as the sun heated its surroundings. "Yeah," tearing my gaze away from the bright light, I brought it back inside to look at Levi, who was looking at me as well. Black dots swam my vision at the sudden light change. I close my eyes tight and rub them with my palm, "Thanks for that, by the way. Probably would've died if it weren't for you." I let out a humorless chuckle. Levi nodded his head and turned back to Erwin.