The Birth of Freedom

How to Catch a Spy

EREN

The quiet sips from a cup of tea were the only thing breaking the silence in the private mess hall as I sat staring vacantly at the stone wall with no one but Captain Levi for company while we waited upon Commander Erwin. It was a strange feeling, the emptiness I felt, I still hadn't gotten used to not being followed by a member of the Levi squad and at times I would catch myself looking for them only to remember that they weren't coming back.

I should have saved them.

Guilt was eating away at me. Guilt for not acting sooner, guilt for letting all those men and women die, guilt for Aurora being hurt and most of all guilt for Captain Levi losing his entire squad because I made the wrong call and now it seemed that I would pay for my poor decisions by a hushed up execution in the capital. 

Nothing I don't deserve.

No sooner had we returned to HQ the summons from the capital had arrived demanding that I be handed over to the MPs, of course, that hadn't gone down well as Mikasa, Armin, Rian and an injured Aurora had begun to argue against it when Erwin had barked out orders for them to stow it and sent a very pissed off Aurora to the infirmary with Captain Levi as her chaperone.

Not that she went willingly. 

"If you allow this then all this death will be for nothing!" Aurora had shouted, eyes blazing with fury as the Captain had grabbed her arm and dragged her away, "I won't stand by and let them take him! Do you hear me! I won't do it!" 

Always ready to defend me, even when I am not worthy.

"What's the hold-up, Erwin is never late." Captain Levi muttered, drawing me from my thoughts, "They should be here. At this rate the damn MPs will show up, that will be our luck."

Grasping his cup from by the rim, the Captain lifted the porcelain to his lips and drank deeply before placing the cup on the table and raising one eyebrow.

"You know who can say, maybe they are all taking a shit." Captain Levi drawled, his eyes fixed on the door waiting "Duty calls right."

Err...

"You are sure in a talkative mood today." I laughed nervously, he never talks this much, well not to me anyway.

"So, what if I am. Doesn't mean I was talking to you." Captain Levi quipped before suddenly wincing and grasping his thigh in pain. Guilt washed over me anew as I watched his grimace knowing that it was my fault he got injured in the first place, just like what happened to Aurora was my fault too.  

And Eld, and Gunther, and Petra and Oluo...

"It's my fault, sir, I made the choice. If I had thought it through, then none of this would have happened. We wouldn't have..." I broke off, unable to say the words as I hung my head in shame.

"You made a judgement call." Captain Levi sighed, but I couldn't bring myself to look at him in the eyes.

Yeah, the wrong one.

"Look nobody expects you to be clairvoyant-" Captain Levi broke off as the door burst open and I jumped to my feet as Commander Erwin and Section Commander Hange entered the room.

"Sorry to keep you waiting." Commander Erwin apologised as he approached the table and rolled a large map of an outlier district with big, bold letters at the top across the flat surface.

Stohess?

"Sir?" I asked confused only to do a double-take when Rian, Armin, Jean, Mikasa and Aurora entered the room.