XI - Trial of Sapphire and Emerald

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Chapter 12 - The Noble Scout

Chapter 13 - Resolution

Chapter 14 - A Terrible Mistake

Chapter 15 - The Defeated

Chapter 16 - Duty & Shell

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"Excuse me?" Eren asked, calling out to one of the MPs who was watching him, "I have to go to the bathroom."

"You just went there," the MP replied, not meeting his gaze.

The Rogue Titan frowned.

"Then can I have some water please?"

"Hey," the other guard interrupted. "You won't get anything at all, understand?! Damn monster..."

Two days in the dungeon had been enough to put Eren's sanity to the test, had it not been for the letter from his "friend", which had informed him of the date his trial would take place and the excellent meal he had received from that same person, he would probably have gone mad. His stay in the cell, however, would not have been such an issue had he not been chained to the wall. Because of this, he couldn't move from his bed, and he couldn't even stand up. Every time he wanted to do something, he had to ask the guards for help, and they seemed to hate him with visceral hatred. His only hope of improving his situation was the trial that was going to take place today.

"Can my 'friend' really help me out of this mess?" he wondered worriedly. "I mean, Commander Erwin sounded confident... And the dinner he sent me was the best I've ever eaten...But...Who is this guy? And how can he have the power to help me if he is a cadet? Maybe he's not, maybe he just questioned the others and that's how he found out about my nickname...I..."

Whatever questions he was about to ask himself, they flew away when an evil face came to fit between the bars of his cell, staring at him as if it was about to devour his soul. He let out a small cry of fear and felt his heart skip a beat.

For a moment that felt abominably long, the bespectacled woman stared at him just before she smiled sweetly.

"So you're Eren," she said in an equally smooth voice. You're okay? Feeling filthy?

"Uh…" was the only sound that escaped his lips.

"I'm sorry you had to wait so long," she said sincerely, "but you should be able to get out of here soon.

This made him breathe a sigh of relief.

"On the other hand," she pointed out quickly, taking out a pair of handcuffs. "You gotta put that on, okay?"

With a sigh of resignation this time, Eren nodded. At least he wouldn't be chained to the wall anymore.

Very quickly, he was freed from these chains before being handcuffed. He then noticed that there was a man with blond hair with his visitor, this one looked at him suspiciously. The Rogue Titan gritted his teeth a little when he noticed the Survey Corps crest on his chest. He had made up his mind about the looks of the corporals, but he had really hoped that the scouts would treat him differently after Commander Erwin's visit. He figured he was going to have to get used to this treatment for a while. The two scouts and the two MPs began to escort him out of the cell block, while the binoculars began the conversation.

"My name is Hange Zoë," she introduced herself. "Squad Leader for the Survey Corps."

Suddenly, the blond leaned towards Eren and started sniffing him without any restraint.

"He's Mike Zacharias, also a squad leader," she added nonchalantly.

Eren expressed his disgust while trying to get away from the latter.

Hange laughs seeing it.

"Ah, he always does that with the people he meets. And he looks down on them, but don't worry, he may not look like it, but he's perfectly capable of fulfilling his duty."

Mike smirked, which was hardly to Eren's liking.

"So ... uh ..." he began not sure how to change the subject. "Where is the friend Commander Erwin told me about?"

"Oh, him," Hange said with a smile, I must admit that I didn't expect that, how did you manage to make friends with a member of the Hannibal family?"

"A what?" The young man asked, confused.

But the only response was a sad sigh.

"Damn, I rambled for too long and now we've already arrived…"

His eyes widened as he stared at the double doors in front of him, a deep sense of worry tugging at his stomach.

Hange shrugged.

"Well, I'm sure it'll be fine. It's probably best if I don't explain everything to you."

The two MPs started forcibly pushing Eren inside, much to his displeasure.

"Hey, wait," he exclaimed, looking back.

Hange took on a very serious expression, which was quite the contrast with everything she had shown so far.

"It may sound insensitive and selfish, but remember: we all put our trust in you, Eren. Good luck."

With those words, she slammed the doors behind him despite his protests.

Eren was then forced to look ahead, what he saw stunned him. The jail, or at least the holding cell he had been held in, was below the courthouse, which was jam-packed with strangers watching him in tense silence. He stared down the aisle that ended in a podium for the judge and his assistants. In the middle of it all was a post that was clearly meant to hold prisoners, like him.

Seeing that he wasn't moving, one of the guards pushed him forward with his rifle.

"Move on," he growled.

Once they were close enough, the MPs tied him to the metal post. It was the most uncomfortable position the Rogue Titan had ever found himself in, but he had to endure whatever it took.

Suddenly, the door near the judges' stand opened, and everyone present fell on one knee and bowed their heads.

"His Majesty, Philippe Fritz!" announced someone.

A young boy around thirteen with a chubby build, blond hair and luxurious clothes entered the room, he noted the presence of its occupants with disdain, before glancing in the direction of Eren who widened eyes when uncovering its crown.

"He's the King?!" he thought in awe. "That fat kid is the King of the Walls?!"

The Overlord waited for one of his servants to pull out his chair to sit in it, much to Eren's relief, his seat wasn't the center one, which meant he wouldn't be the one to deliver the verdict.

"Premier Darius Zackley!" the same person announced again. Eren was too stressed to look around for him.

A man with a beard and gray hair entered the court. His coat bore many medals, indicating his status as the supreme military leader of Humanity. To Eren's surprise, he didn't take the center seat either, and went to the right one.

"B-but…" the Rogue thought. "If neither the King nor the Premier will decide my fate, then who...?"

"His Excellency, the Prime Minister, Lord Peter Hannibal!"

Immediately, a mad hope took hold of Eren, could it be that he was his "powerful friend"? It would explain the feast he received in his cell, it would explain Commander Erwin's confidence, it would explain...

From the moment the cadet's gaze met Peter Hannibal's, he immediately knew that he was his enemy. The Prime Minister was a man in his sixties, with a clean-shaven face and slicked-back white hair. His sapphire blue eyes worthy of the Devil himself set Eren on fire as if he were an abomination of nature. The Rogue Titan was paralyzed with terror before the terrible aura that emanated from the one who took the place of central judge.

"I'm so screwed," he realized as beads of cold sweat rolled down his forehead.

"Defense witness!" A voice that Eren would recognize among a thousand, thundered. "Amos Hannibal! Heir to House Hannibal!"

The tall blond dressed in his cadet uniform moved away from the ranks of the soldiers to come and stand alongside his chained comrade. Eren had a haggard and confused expression, fortunately, he was too anxious to utter a sound.

"What is this delirium?!" he mused in amazement. "He said Amos Hannibal, not Amos Nox. He's a nobleman?! But why does the Prime Minister have the same name?! Are they related?! Why do they oppose each other then?!"

It was then that he spotted Armin and Mikasa in the front row of the soldier's rostrum, and though his adoptive sister looked very worried, his best friend gave him a confident smile. Which was enough to give him some hope.

He then heard the murmurs that ran through the ranks of the assembly:

"Is that Lord Peter's grandson?"

"Why is he wearing a uniform?"

"Why is he defending this monster?"

"He's completely mad."

"Do you think he'll be able to acquit him?"

"Lord Peter looks furious."

"Looks like I've found my powerful friend," Eren thought before noticing something disturbing.

Amos and his grandfather had engaged in an authentic glaring contest, where sapphire and emerald collided. Peter Hannibal looked in cold anger towards his grandson, while the latter seemed to challenge him to succeed in winning this lawsuit. Eren had the unpleasant feeling of being just their match ball.

"Cousin!" the King suddenly exclaimed.

The accused raised his eyebrows in surprise, not just because his friend was related to the Ruler of the Walls, but more because he was related to someone fat.

"Your Majesty," Hannibal bowed, "it is a pleasure to see you again after so many years."

"The pleasure is shared," Philippe replied in a tone that meant quite the opposite, "tell me, do all trials take place here?"

The spectators exchanged a few looks of incomprehension, and Eren joined them. What the hell was going on?

"It's the courthouse, Your Majesty," Amos remarked, keeping his expression neutral. "As the name suggests, this is where justice is delivered."

"So if I understand correctly," Philippe said plaintively, "every time I feel like attending a trial, I will have to walk the whole distance from the Royal Palace to this place?"

This time, Amos didn't bother to hide his annoyance, and to everyone's surprise, he walked up the stairs to the judges' podium.

"What's this brat doing?" Levi growled into his Commander's ear.

He silenced him with a look.

Meeting no resistance during his ascent, Amos stood beside his royal cousin looking down on him, before predation took hold of his emerald eyes. He put a hand on the desk, and brought his terrifying face close to the frightened little boy.

"Next time we'll arrange to have you carried," he told him in a deadpan voice, promising him a slow death by looking at himl.

As the King gulped, his cousin looked up to address their grandfather.

"Can we begin, Your Honor?" he asked as if he hadn't just threatened the King of the Walls.

Without waiting for an answer, he descended to return to stand in the position he had left less than a minute ago.

Eren didn't understand the situation at all.

"Did Amos just tell the King to keep his mouth shut?"

The Rogue Titan thought he detected a hint of pride in the Prime Minister's eyes, before he replied to his grandson in his big baritone voice:

"It is indeed high time to begin this audience, Premier?"

Zackley tilted his head slightly, before reading the report he was holding.

"You are Cadet Eren Jaeger, as a soldier you have sworn to give your life for the common good, is this all true?"

"Yes," the accused replied in a small voice.

"This trial is to discuss your fate, do you have any objection to that?"

"No," he replied, lowering his head.

"You are very cooperative," the General noted, "that will make things easier. I'll be blunt: the revelation regarding the existence of your powers could not be contained. Ultimately, we must publicly disclose the facts to the people or we will face widespread civil unrest. The regiment in which we place you will determine your fate: the Military Police or the Survey Corps. What is the Military Police's proposal?"

"Your Honor," Commander Nile Doc said. "Our recommendation is that, after a thorough dissection of Cadet Jaeger's body to learn as much as possible about his strange powers, he be terminated immediately. While his presence and abilities have aided us in this recent campaign to reclaim the district of Trost, as noted above, his mere existence elicits rebellious and seditious thoughts and talk. After gathering all possible information about him, we will make him a fallen warrior during the reconquest of Trost, a martyr for humanity."

"Unacceptable!" Pastor Nick exclaimed his voice filled with disgust. "This verminous demon has defiled the mighty wall; as a result ..."

"Pastor!" Amos barked without warning. "Have the kindness to control your urges. This "verminous demon" was born within the mighty walls, exterminated more than twenty "verminous demons" who penetrated not one, but two walls, and even repaired the mighty Wall Rose. You should be thanking him instead of insulting him."

The pastor stared at the defense witness in horror, and began to stutter unintelligible words.

"Silence!" The voice of Peter Hannibal thundered, visibly, he was annoyed to see his grandson score a point because of a fool. "Restrain yourself if you don't want to be thrown out of the room!"

Nick went from horror to terror in the snap of a finger and quickly lowered his head.

"Now," Zackley said, turning to his right, "we would like to hear the Survey Corps's proposal. Commander Erwin?"

"Yes, Premier," replied the latter, taking a step forward. "I, Erwin Smith, as Commander of the Survey Corps, propose the following: We accept Cadet Jaeger into our ranks. Thus restoring his soldier status so that the scouts can use his Titan abilities to retake Wall Maria."

A crowd of murmurs ran through the ranks of the various assemblies, the general contented himself with raising an eyebrow:

"Is that all?"

"Yes, Premier," Erwin replied. "With his help, I'm confident we can retake Wall Maria."

"This seems to be the best proposal," noted the King from his seat, "my kingdom has been far too small for my taste during the last five years."

Amos refrained from smiling while his grandfather refrained from slapping his royal grandson.

"Your Majesty, this titan might as well choose to rebel against the Crown."

"Oh," Philippe exclaimed, "so why wasn't he executed on the spot?"

"Because we are currently debating whether Eren Jaeger is an asset to Humanity or a danger, your Highness," his cousin replied, glaring at him once more to silence him.

"I see…"

"Your Majesty," Zackley interrupted, "may we resume?"

A nonchalant wave of the hand served as his answer.

"The scouts' proposal is quite bold. Assuming you receive permission, where do you plan to launch this operation from? Commander Pixis, the gates of Trost have been completely sealed. have they not?"

"Yes," the Garrison Commander informed them in a deep voice. "I doubt they will ever open again."

"We'll start from the Karanes district in the east," Erwin explained. "From there we will head to Shiganshina. A new route can be established as we move and…"

"It's absurd!" a merchant interrupted him. "Our time and money will be better spent sealing all doors. Those are the only parts of the Wall the Colossal Titan can break through, right? Let's strengthen those damn weaknesses and wash our hands of the whole thing!"

"Shut up, merchant dog!" a scout shouted. "With this power, we can finally take back Wall Maria!"

"We can afford no more childish antics or delusions of grandeur," retorted the same merchant. "You're just wasting our gold!"

Amos was about to intervene, in order to prevent things from escalating, but someone beat him to it:

"Screaming louder won't help your case, fat pig," Captain Levi said coldly. "Do you think the Titans will wait for you to reinforce the gates? And when you say "we", are you talking about Humanity or about you and your pig buddies?"

"Your Honor!" Amos interjected, containing his exasperation. "Can we please focus on this case that brought us all together?"

Peter Hannibal slammed his hand down hard on his table, and glared at everyone present.

"Enough! Save your quarrels for a more appropriate time!"

Once calm returned and the various parties had been intimidated -except Levi-, Zackley spoke again:

"Would you like to answer a question I have for Cadet Jaeger, Lord Amos?"

"Lord Amos?" The Rogue Titan thought in awe.

"Eren?" his comrade called out. "It is up to you."

"I'll answer it, sir," he said, still confused by all the bickering surrounding him and his friend's status.

"Cadet Jaeger, as a soldier you solemnly pledged to offer your heart to Humanity. Can you still serve Humanity by controlling your abilities?"

Here was a language that the native of Shiganshina knew how to speak:

"Yes, Premier! I will do it !

"Really?" Zackley asked skeptically. "The mission report I have from Trost contradicts that statement. After transforming, you attacked Mikasa Ackerman."

Eren couldn't believe his ears, and turned his distraught gaze to his adoptive sister, who tried to hide the scar on her cheek with her hair, and glared at Rico.

"That is not so surprising," Amos shrugged.

The accused immediately incinerated his friend with his furious green eyes.

"The fuck did he just say?!"

"Is that so?" the Prime Minister said. "May I ask why?"

"Cadet Jaeger didn't discover his ability to transform until the day Trost was invaded. It goes without saying that such a power cannot be controlled in the space of a few hours, it will probably take him a little longer to succeed in fully mastering his new ability."

"And what makes you think he will?"

At that, Amos allowed himself a smile.

"Cadet Jaeger has no special talents apart from his new power, he is not smarter than the others, he is not stronger than the others, not faster, not more gifted, and yet he finished seventh in his promotion. Do you know why ? Because if there's one thing you can never take away from him, it's his iron will. This simple cadet has unparalleled determination, and that's why if he tells you he will do something, he will do it."

"Thank you," Eren mused sincerely touched.

"Commander Pixis can himself testify to his determination."

All eyes then turned to the Garrison Commander, who nodded.

"It is true, Your Honor. When I asked Cadet Jaeger if he was going to plug the hole, he said he didn't know if he could or not, but he was going to. And he kept his word."

Eren's smile widened, happy to see that he had more friends in this court than he had anticipated.

"I see," Zackley said, "where is Mikasa Ackerman?

"Here, sir," the girl said, raising her hand.

Suddenly a sharp yelp was heard, and all pairs of eyes turned to its source.

The oriental girl easily recognized the big nobleman whom she had to threaten with death, so that he and his merchant friend cleared the evacuation tunnel of Trost.

"Is there a problem, Lord Syral?" Peter Hannibal asked with a strange glint in his eye.

A gleam that Amos easily recognized.

" He knows. And he thinks he has me, he's going to be sorely disapointed."

As if she had heard him, a pretty young girl with a silky blue dress and auburn hair leaned into the ear of the man with the dashing mustache to whisper a few words to him. The latter cleared his throat before responding to his Prime Minister:

"It's nothing, your Honor," he said, wiping the sweat from his broad forehead, "I just recognized the girl who saved my life during the invasion of Trost."

Mikasa's eyes widened in surprise as a crowd of impressed murmurs spread through the assembly.

Peter Hannibal frowned, before looking at his grandson who held his gaze easily. It didn't take him long to make the connection between the girl and the young man, and he winced in displeasure.

The Oriental girl, for her part, wondered what Amos had done to accomplish this feat. Before noticing the lustful look the girl next to Lord Syral was throwing at her rival. Her eyes widened in horror.

"I see," Zackley said to put an end to this distraction, "Cadet Ackerman, did Eren Jaeger attack you while in Titan form?"

"Yes...he did, Your Honor," Mikasa replied hesitantly, "but before that, he saved my life twice using his abilities! Once when Cadet Amos and I were about to be attacked, and a second time when Cadet Arlet and I were about to be shot down by a cannon. I would like you to take that into consideration."

"Objection!" Nile called. "I have evidence and reason to believe that Cadet Ackerman's testimony may be biased!"

"Moron," Amos thought, rolling his eyes before answering aloud: "Objection! As Cadet Ackerman stated earlier, I was present the first time and I can also attest to the truthfulness of her statement. As for the second, there are at least forty Garrison soldiers who can testify. I see one from where I'm standing."

Everyone present followed Amos' gaze to Rico, who reluctantly nodded.

"It is true, Your Honor."

The Commander of the Military Police groaned in displeasure, but was not ready to lay down his arms.

"That doesn't change the kind of person Cadet Jaeger is!"

"And what kind of person is Cadet Jaeger?" Amos countered, curious to know his answer.

"A killer," the commander said coldly. "After the Jaeger family adopted Mikasa Ackerman, we launched a full investigation into the circumstances of this adoption. Nine-year-old Eren Jaeger and Mikasa Ackerman killed three adult captors by stabbing them to death."

Many worried murmurs followed this statement, but the defense witness was not at all impressed:

"I know the details of this case, Commander. These "abductors" were human flesh traffickers for the Underground City. Would you have preferred that they let themselves be taken over by these monsters and spend the rest of their lives as sex slaves?"

This sly answer made the MP wince.

"I have never…"

"Please look into Mikasa Ackerman's eyes when justifying yourself, Commander," the nobleman said, pointing at his rival with his thumb. "You are, after all, talking about her parents' murderers."

"Come on Mikasa, don't disappoint me, give him your best glare."

Nile grimaced again, before complying… and jumping in horror when he saw the jet black eyes that were incinerating him on the spot.

"That girl is an angel, an angel of death," the tall blond smiled inwardly before speaking aloud, maintaining a neutral expression: "that's what I thought. Here's the truth, Commander: Eren Jaeger, at the age of nine, showed a courage that some of your own men are sorely lacking."

With these words, he took a folded sheet of paper from his pocket and unfolded it to read:

"Just last month, two members of the Military Police fled from a murderer armed with a kitchen knife, who had slit the throat of an old woman in the Stohess district. I specify that these MPs were armed with rifles while the criminal had only his knife, because they had the audacity to claim to have gone to seek reinforcements. By the time they returned with five times more troops - ten minutes after witnessing the incident - the murderer had already claimed two other victims."

Eren winced in anger and disgust upon hearing that, and glared at the commander.

"I could give you other examples," Amos said, smiling innocently, "but I think you get the picture. Knowing this, can we really blame Eren Jaeger for his lack of confidence in the effectiveness of the Military Police?

"Do you doubt the skills of the Military Police, Lord Amos?" Nile asked, obviously overconfident.

"Of course not," the young man replied, shrugging his shoulders, "I categorically deny the existence of such skills. Just what I heard today was enough to convince me of this irrefutable fact."

"Really?" Nile growled, crumpling the paper in his hand. "Would you be willing to share your observations with the rest of this tribunal?"

"Since it concerns our business, it is with pleasure that I will do it," he smiles, planting himself in front of his interlocutor. "Tell me Commander, this dissection that you intend to perform on Eren Jaeger, could you detail the procedure before this tribunal? What guarantees do you offer that no dramatic incident will take place while you play mad doctor with your pals?"

Nile allowed himself a smirk.

"Eren Jaeger will be sedated for the entire procedure, Your Honor. This will take place under the armed surveillance of fifty of my best men."

"I see…" Amos said , pretending to be impressed. "I imagine you must have tested this sedative you speak of on many titans to be so sure of its effectiveness."

The face of the Commander of the Military Police fell like a house of cards, it was Captain Levi's turn to sketch a mocking smile.

"I mean…" the young nobleman continued in a deliberately pompous tone. "It seems so obvious to me, sorry for not having thought of it. Only an utter fool could be sure that a perfectly normal sedative for a human being would work on a titan. I imagine you must have experimented on many of our predators to be so confident in your... Oh! Wait a minute...you've never seen a titan in your life. How the hell can you say in this court that your sedative will work when you don't know it yourself?"

A few mocking chuckles escaped the ranks of the scouts, Eren himself was struggling to hold back a laugh.

"Well," the tall blond sighed, "I suppose that if you don't have an effective product, your fifty best men will be perfectly capable of neutralizing a fifteen-meter-tall titan with human intelligence... And this despite the fact that they've never seen a titan in their lives either. Do they still at least know how to use their Omni-dimensional gear? You know, the thing used to kill titans. The stuff you and your men are the supposed experts at handling, despite never having seen a titan in your lives."

This time, genuine bursts of laughter broke out in the ranks of the scouts, quickly silenced by the piercing looks of Commander Erwin and Captain Levi. But even they were amused, even Darius Zackley and King Philip Fritz seemed to find the scene particularly entertaining.

Nile had his mouth open and his face red, he wanted to say something, but he had nothing to answer to the young man's arguments. Amos looked up at the ceiling, appalled.

"Mr. Doc ..." he continued in an exasperated voice, ignoring his rank, "are you telling us that you do not possess the skills required to safely carry out the proposal you have brought to this court? That you have absolutely no guarantee to offer us?"

A cathedral-like silence answered him.

"I see..." he concluded in a sorry tone before heading towards the ranks of the scouts, "now let's verify the skills of the Survey Corps. In terms of scientific experimentation on titans, I suppose it is needless to say that we owe the vast Commanderity of our recent discoveries to Squad Leader Hange Zoë, who I see up there. If there's anyone who can learn more about the mystery of Eren Jaeger's strange power, I believe it is her. I doubt we can find a better expert right now."

The young woman in question beamed at the nobleman's praise, and gazed at the accused with knowledge-hungry eyes that made the latter shiver.

"As for the guarantee that Eren Jaeger will be subdued should he ever lose control…" he stopped to turn to the Survey Corps leader… "Commander Erwin? What guarantee can you offer to this court regarding this crucial point? What would you do if Eren Jaeger ever lost control during your reconquest operation?"

No sooner had he finished uttering these words than Captain Levi's foot collided with the accused's face. The blow was so powerful that one of the teeth of the latter went off to ricochet on the ground, Eren raised his head to discover the identity of his assailant, before receiving a proper beating from Humanity's strongest soldier who spared no square centimeter of his victim's body.

"Eren!" Mikasa exclaimed with a murderous look. She got up to go save him, but Armin grabbed her arm as Amos grabbed her shoulder. The annoyed expression on the latter's face was enough to convince the cadets that he had not planned this.

"You could have just said 'Captain Levi will be in charge of his watch'." he muttered between his teeth.

"Personally, I live under the philosophy that actions speak louder than words," Levi said coldly, continuing to beat Eren with his pumps.

"Harder! Philippe Fritz exclaimed overjoyed from his seat. "Make this titan bleed!"

The captain complied without saying a word.

"Levi, wait," Nile protested, terrified.

The Captain pressed his foot against the Rogue's face and asked in a weary voice:

"What?"

"If you keep beating him up, he'll…he'll transform."

"You think?" the scout quipped, kicking the accused again. "You wanted to dissect him, Nile. Where was your caution then?" He grabbed Eren by the hair and held his battered face for all to see. "I heard that when he was a Titan he killed twenty Titans before collapsing from exhaustion. His intelligence makes him dangerous, but he doesn't have the experience I have. Killing the brat won't be a problem if he crosses the line. Can either of you say the same thing? Is that enough for you?"

Zackley nodded.

"Personally," he said, looking at his Prime Minister and his King," I am convinced that the best decision, taking into account all the elements and the testimonies that we have received, is to transfer Eren Jaeger to the custody of the Survey Corps."

"I'm happy for you, General," Peter Hannibal replied coldly, "but this matter isn't just about the military. What guarantee do you have to offer the Crown that Eren Jaeger will not participate in any rebellion aimed at overthrowing the King?"

"I will be that guarantee."

The Prime Minister instantly paralyzed on the spot, and turned his head like an automaton towards his heir. This one wore a triumphant smile, the opportunity he had patiently waited for for more than three years had just been served to him on a silver platter, and this, by the same person who represented his one and only obstacle.

Amos cleared his throat, then continued:

"With His Majesty's blessing and Commander Erwin's permission, I will join the ranks of the Survey Corps and personally ensure that Eren Jaeger does not instigate any plot to dethrone the King. I am the King's cousin after all."

For the first time since the start of this trial, Peter Hannibal could not control his emotions. He was shaking with rage, his face red with anger and his eyes mad, Amos did not bat an eyelash.

"And my blessing you have, cousin," Philippe Fritz said without warning.

"Your Majesty!" the outraged Prime Minister exclaimed.

"I have spoken," the plump ruler cut in, "if my cousin wishes to risk his life outside to safeguard my reign, then he is only doing his duty. I am delighted to see him take responsibility after spending so many years playing soldier."

Amos was not fooled for a moment, he knew that his King was only looking to get rid of him permanently. But that didn't matter.

Darius Zackley was very much amused by what was happening, even he was careful not to show it.

"The Great Peter Hannibal betrayed by his own heirs, that's a picture I never thought I'd see one day."

Commadner Erwin then spoke:

"Given Cadet Amos' record and his prowess in the Battle of Trost, it would be a privilege to have him in our ranks."

The adviser made a perfect salute with a smile, the civilians of the assembly were now convinced that the heir to the Prime Minister had gone completely crazy.

The latter had lost his words, and had to plunge his face into his hand to regain his senses. Today he had lost against his grandson. If somehow he was proud of his performance, the reason why he performed it was insane. But he couldn't do anything right now.

"Very well," he finally conceded reluctantly. Eren Jaeger is now transferred to the responsibility of the Survey Corps. If he proves his worth, humanity will accept him. Otherwise, he will be transferred to the custody of the Military Police. This court is adjourned."

With these words, he threw a last displeased look at his heir, before leaving the scene of his defeat. Amos let out a broad smile of satisfaction, before approaching his battered comrade.

"You all right Eren?" he asked as an MP untied the Rogue Titan.

"It hurts," muttered the latter still on the ground.

"That was the point," Levi replied.

The noble gave him a dismayed look, before helping his comrade to his feet by putting an arm around his neck.

"I thought you'd be happier than that," he commented mockingly, "you've officially joined the Survey Corps, isn't this the happiest day of your life?"

"Ha ha," Eren grumbled, struggling to stand.

"You two can talk later," Levi interrupted, "we better not stay here right now."

The titanshifter glanced in the direction of the civilians who were still watching him with fear and suspicion.

"Yes, it would be better."

(-)(-)(-)

Mike, Levi, Hange, Amos, Eren and Commander Erwin retired to the privacy of a room in the courthouse. The scientist in the group was tending to the shifter while the noble opened the window to sit on the ledge with one bent leg resting on it.

"Are you in pain?" Hange asked worriedly.

"Yes a little."

"Does it really hurt?"

"Eh?"

Amos raised an eyebrow at the young woman's lack of tact.

"Excuse us," Commander Erwin said approaching Eren, "we did this so that they would entrust you to us. Tell yourself that your pain allowed us to pull out the right card at the right time."

He knelt down and held out his hand.

"You have all my respect."

The Rogue Titan was truly touched by these words, it was the third time today that someone for whom he felt deep admiration recognized his value.

"I'm counting on you for the rest."

"Of course," he replied hastily, shaking his hand, "at your service."

Levi approached in turn, and sat down next to the cadet who tensed up.

"Say Eren, are you mad at me?"

"No," he replied, looking at his feet, "I know that this staging was necessary."

Amos snorted when he heard it, Levi noticed.

"Do you have something to say?" he asked, tilting his head to one side.

"I don't think it was necessary," the nobleman admitted with a shrug, "but there's no point in regretting what's already happened. On the other hand, I am afraid that you have incurred the wrath of the only cadet able to match you, Captain."

Levi raised a puzzled eyebrow, while Erwin's gaze showed special interest.

"You talking about Mikasa?" Eren wondered. "Do you really think she could match the Captain?"

"It will take a few years, but yes I think so."

"You seem sure of yourself," the strongest soldier of humanity remarked, "what do you know that we don't?"

"A promise prevents me from answering you," the young man replied simply, descending from his perch. "This is something you should know about me: I always keep my promises."

Levi wasn't satisfied but settled for that answer for now. Eren looked at his comrade in a new light, unsure as to how he should approach the subject that was bothering him.

"I must say that your performance was remarkable, Lord Amos" Erwin complimented, approaching the nobleman to extend his hand," you have all my respect.

"It was a pleasure and an honour, Commander," he replied, shaking it, "and you don't have to address me as a nobleman, as of today, I'm one of your subordinates, call me Amos."

"Very well, Amos," the scout leader smiled.

The latter's gaze then landed on Eren, who wiggled, uncomfortable.

"I suppose I owe you some explanation," the nobleman sighed, sitting down next to his comrade, "what do you want to know?"

The titanshifter hesitated, but finally decided that it was best to end this immediately:

"So ..." he began not very sure, « you're a noble."

"Yep," replied the aforesaid noble with a sigh, "you' mad at me?"

"No", he said surprisingly, "I mean, I'm a little disappointed by the lies ... Yeah ..."

He sighed in frustration, he had to be honest with himself, but he couldn't face him.

"Actually no, I'm downright disappointed. Apart from Reiner you were the guy I admired the most, I could even identify with you in relation to your mother's story... This lie... It's the one that hurts the most..."

"Eren," he cut off, "that wasn't a lie."

The shifter turned his head to his comrade, surprised.

"I lied about my name and where I came from," the tall blond admitted, "and I'm sorry about that. This was necessary to avoid preferential treatment from instructors and unfair treatment from other recruits. I mean, you probably would have hated me without knowing me if you had known from the start that I was noble." Eren looked embarrassed, he knew it was true.

"Furthermore," Amos continued, "if word had gotten around that Peter the Terrible's grandson was being exposed without any escort, I would certainly have suffered many assassination attempts or kidnappings. Anonymity was my best protection. That's why I lied, but I never lied about my motives, I never lied about my mother and as you can see: I never lied about the fact that I wanted join the Survey Corps."

Eren felt a little better, but he was still a little disappointed.

"You could have trusted us," he remarked, "after we got to know you, after you saved us during the survival exercise. You could have told us..."

Amos heaved a deep sigh of sadness.

"I could have," he admitted regretfully, "but…I really liked being Amos Nox…I loved the way you looked at me with genuine respect, a respect I'd managed to earn…not the superficial one I have always been entitled because of my status. I know I was selfish, but… I didn't want to lose that.

Eren found it hard to believe that a guy as gifted and confident as Amos could have such insecurities. Somehow he was reassured to see that even geniuses had their doubts and flaws.

"I think I pretty much get how you feel," he said finally. "I'm still a little disappointed, but frankly I can't see myself resenting you after all you've done for me. I owe you one."

"You owe me shit," the noble replied with a reassured smile. "Even though it was always my intention to join the Survey Corps, my grandfather would never have let me join. And I had no way to circumvent his authority before your trial, you may not have done it on purpose, but you gave me the opportunity that I had been waiting for for three years. So let's say we're even."

Eren smiled back, inadvertently exposing his teeth.

While the scouts had let the cadets explain themselves so far to avoid an awkward situation in the future, Hange suddenly yelped in surprise before grabbing the titanshifter by the cheeks, and turning his face to his.

"The tooth has already grown back," she exclaimed, fascinated.

"Does she not know the concept of 'private space'?" Amos asked noticing Eren's embarrassment.

"She doesn't," Levi replied deadpan, "with that madwoman no need for dissection."

"Don't compare me to the MP, she defended herself with a pout, "I would never kill Eren! »

"That's reassuring," Amos quipped, mortified.

"Your regenerative abilities are still impressive," the scientist continued enthusiastically. "Can you regrow your limbs?

As the Rebel was too embarrassed to answer, his comrade came to his aid:

"According to Armin, you lost an arm and a leg during the Battle of Trost, so you can considered yourself hard to kill."

Eren looked down at his left hand as a shiver ran down his spine.

"It's so weird to tell me that it's not the hand I've always had...

"It's a pity that your power is content to give you back what you lost," Amos sighed, "nothing can be done about your ugly face."

Eren frowned and punched him on the shoulder.

"Asshole," he muttered.

The tall blond gave him a mocking smile.

"Hitting and insulting a noble is considered an act of treason," he joked.

The Rogue Titan flipped him off in response, but he was smiling again.

The door suddenly opened, and the scouts had the unpleasant surprise to see King Philippe Fritz enter the room with two MPs at his side.

The soldiers hurriedly got down on one knee and bowed their heads, Eren awkwardly imitated them.

Amos meanwhile, stood up and just leaned forward slightly.

"What can we do for you, Majesty?" he asked in a monotonous voice.

"I came to present my congratulations, cousin," the plump kid replied with a contemptuous smile, "after all you have finally realized your dream of becoming a walking snack."

"I'm only doing my duty, Your Majesty," the adviser replied without showing the slightest emotion, "serving his family is the duty of any good nobleman."

"And yet it seems that embarrassing and humiliating our family is your specialty," Philippe spat contemptuously. "Is it true that you invited ordinary commoners to sleep under our roof?"

"Our roof? You are a Fritz, Your Majesty, Hannibal Manor is, as its name suggests, the home of the Hannibals."

The King snorted roughly, causing Levi to wince in disgust.

"Only the scum of OUR noble House, such as you and your drunken father, would stoop to soiling the memory of our ancestors by transforming their home into a brothel."

Predation appeared in Amos' eyes like a thunderclap in the night. Philippe almost took a step back, but he knew that the presence of witnesses protected him from his cousin's anger.

"And pray tell, what do you mean by that, Phil?"

The latter gritted his teeth, but ended up widening his smile.

"I hear that like the disgusting pig that was my uncle Arthur, you plunged your cock into the cunt of an oriental!"

Eren widened his eyes in rage and tried to get up to go and beat that little shit up, but Levi grabbed him by the back of the neck and held him firmly bent.

Amos didn't answer, the predation in his emerald eyes was now at its peak.

"Like father like son as the old saying goes," the King sneered, "do you miss the whore you called 'Mommy' so much that you had to pounce on the first whore who looked like her? I'm willing to bet she too, let you fuck her for you to be so hopelessly addicted to the pussies of her breed."

Without warning, Amos grabbed him by the throat with his left hand, squeezing hard enough to choke him.

"You two," he ordered the corporals in a guttural voice, "go fuck off outside."

They exchanged a knowing look, and cleared off without looking back. The scouts raised their heads slightly to observe those unpredictable events. Eren savored the dread in the plump boy's eyes with a huge smile on his face.

Amos pinned his cousin against the wall, the latter let out muffled gurgles and tried in vain to free himself from the deadly grip of his torturer.

Hannibal took his crown away from him, and simply let it fall to the ground with a metallic clink before forcing his King to look into his monstrous eyes.

"Listen to me very carefully, you little shit," he hissed in an icy voice, grabbing one of his victim's rolls and squeezing it with all his might, "if you ever dare even mention my parents again, I'll tear off twenty pounds of your filthy flesh and shove it down your throat. Never forget that you only owe your power to the influence of the Hannibal family. Never forget that grandfather is an old man, and when he dies it will be up to me to ensure the prosperity of your lineage. Never forget that unlike you, I am not replaceable. If you take even one more wrong step, Phil, I'll put you to sleep forever and lay the crown on your brother's head. Have I been clear?"

Despite his blue face, the Ruler of the Walls managed to nod weakly. Once Amos released him, he collapsed on all fours and coughed violently.

But as the tall blond bent down to pick up the crown, he noticed the puddle that stretched from his cousin's feet to his knees.

"You pissed yourself," he said, raising an unimpressed eyebrow.

Levi cringed in disgust as the sovereign's eyes widened at the dampness of his pants.

"Grandfather is going to be furious," Hannibal added, picking up the royal ornament before picking up Philip by the collar.

He dragged him to the entrance, shoved the crown on his head, and pushed him out as the two shocked corporals looked on.

It wasn't until he closed the door that the scouts stood up.

"Well," the noble smiled as if nothing had happened, "where were we?"

"You were about to clean up your cousin's mess," Levi growled, his tone left no place for argument.

AN:

Chapter 12 - The Noble Scout

Chapter 13 - Resolution

Chapter 14 - A Terrible Mistake

Chapter 15 - The Defeated

Chapter 16 - Duty & Shell

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