A/N: Hello, readers! Welcome to another chapter! Enjoy!

edited on july 27th, 2022 @ 4:44am

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𝓒𝙷𝙰𝙿𝚃𝙴𝚁 𝙵𝙸𝙵𝚃𝚈,
𝓒𝙷𝙸𝙻𝙳𝚁𝙴𝙽 𝙾𝙵 𝚃𝙷𝙴 𝙵𝙾𝚁𝙴𝚂𝚃.

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"IT'S YOU GUYS?" Niccolo questioned as he saw the Survey Corps. "What's wrong? Something urgent? I'm busy dealing with important guests right now."

Hange raised their hands up in the air. "Well, it's fine. You can go back to work. We just want to talk with you later." They said.

"A talk? About what?" Niccolo questioned.

"I mean, well, you have like... concerns, don't you?" Hange asked as Onyankopon stepped up.

"About the detained volunteers. We'd like to ask you some questions." Onyankopon said.

"Okay. Got it." Niccolo said as they followed him into a separate room. "You guys can wait here for a while."

"Oh, never knew about this room." Hange stated.

"I bet it's a room for those big shots at the Military Police." Connie muttered.

Jean picked up a wine bottle. "This is... The wine that people in the military keep talking about. I heard only the officers get to drink this." He claimed.

"What did you say? We're officers too in the Survey Corps, right?" Connie asked.

"Yeah. We should deserve some treat once in a while." Jean replied. "Just a sip—"

"Get your hand off that!" Niccolo ordered, quickly grabbing the wine from Jean's hands as everyone turned to look at him.

"What's wrong, Niccolo? We were just joking around. No need to overreact." Jean informed.

Niccolo gritted his teeth. "This wine would be wasted on Eldians!" He exclaimed.

"Niccolo... You're still saying that?" Jean asked. "Our races should have nothing to do with wines!"

Jean grabbed onto Niccolo's collar. "Don't touch me, Eldians. Don't act like we're buddies just because I was kind to you a little." Niccolo said.

"Then who do you think you are? In here you are..." Jean started to say.

"'Nothing but a POW'? Now we're even, Eldians." Niccolo finished, removing Jean's hand from his collar and then leaving the room.

"What happened to him?" Connie questioned as Jean turned around.

"Dammit! Hell if I know." Jean answered.

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"This is bad! Everyone, come here!" Armin shouted out.

"Huh? What?"

Jean and Connie widened their eyes upon seeing Gabi. "The brat who killed Sasha?" Connie questioned.

"What does this mean, Niccolo?" Jean asked. "I heard she was on the run. What are you trying to do?"

Niccolo pressed the knife up against Falco. "Stay away! Get back! I'm just going to avenge Sasha! Don't move!" He ordered.

"Stop it. Falco is innocent!" Gabi pleaded.

"What is this boy to you? He ended up like this because he tried to protect you! Is he someone special for you? I also had someone special for me! She's an Eldian! The descendant of devils! But she enjoyed my food more than anyone else! She saved me from this shitty war. She taught me that I was meant to make food that makes people happy! Her name is Sasha Braus. That is the name of the woman you killed!" Niccolo ranted.

"I lost people who were special to me, too! Because Sasha Braus shot them! That's why I got my revenge!" Gabi shouted. "She's the one who killed them first!"

"Who cares about who did it first!" Niccolo shouted back, pressing the blade against Falco's neck.

"Come to your senses! You're a Marleyan soldier, aren't you! I'm sure that devil woman is brainwashing you! Don't let the devils win!" Gabi exclaimed.

"Niccolo. Give me the knife." Artur ordered, holding his hand out. "Please."

Niccolo hands Artur the knife, who walked in front of Gabi.

"That's enough." Hange stepped forward, not wanting the situation to escalate. "Mr. Braus. Please put down the knife."

"Sasha was a hunter."

"What?"

"I taught her how to use a bow when she was little and we'd go huntin' in the forest. 'Cause that's how we lived. But... I knew that the day will come when we couldn't keep livin' that way. So I made Sasha leave the forest. Then the world got bigger. Sasha became a soldier and went off to attack other lands, shot people, and then got shot herself. I thought I was sending her to outside the forest." Artur hands his wife the knife. "Turns out, the world was a colossal forest, where it was still about killin' or bein' killed."

"I believe Sasha got killed 'cause she wandered too long in that forest. We've gotta at least get the kids outta this forest. Or else... We would just keep circling around the same place. That's why, it is the burden of us adults to shoulder the sins and hatred of the past."

"Mr. Niccolo. Let Ben go." Lisa said as Niccolo did so while Jean and Connie restrained him

"Good. Lisa, move him slowly."

"Yes."

Mikasa went up to Gabi. "Show me your wound." She told her.

"Mia. Are you okay?" Artur asked.

"You really... don't hate me?" Gabi questioned.

Kaya rushed forward from behind Gabi with the knife in hand as Mikasa caught her wrist before she could do anything.

"Kaya?"

Artur and Lisa pulled Kaya back. "How dare you killed her!" Kaya shouted.

"Hey! Stop!"

"Murderer!"

"Kaya!"

"I thought you were my friend!" Kaya exclaimed.

"Take her to the other room. Come on." Armin said as him, Josiah, and Mikasa took Gabi to another room.

Kaya sobbed in Lisa's arms as Artur and Lisa soon followed.

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The five of them were in a room, sitting at a table. "Why... did you protect me?" Gabi asked.

"It's nothing."

"I don't have any particular reason."

"I'm the one who killed your precious comrades. I'm also the one who beat the guard with a rock over and over. Falco did nothing wrong. You should just kill me, not him too." Gabi said.

"We won't." Armin told her.

"But you must really want to kill me so badly." Gabi argued.

"I don't want to." Armin sighed. "Kill, kill, kill, that's all you ever talk about. You're just like someone I know."

Eren suddenly walked in, causing Armin, Mikasa, and Josiah to widen their eyes. Eren held up his hand, blood gushing out.

"We're going ahead."

"Yeah."

"That voice just now... Did you come with Floch and the others?" Armin asked.

"Yeah."

Blood was dripping on the white table cloth. "I wanted to... talk with you guys." Eren said.

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A/N: Another chapter is finished! Thanks for reading!

Word Count: 1075 words.