Ch. 100 - Blood in the Water

                                    

                                          
"Captain Amaya!"
Yes, that's me.
"You... you're back!"
Back? To the coast? Yeah, I suppose so.
"Where were you?!"
In the woods...? I didn't exactly have a map with me.
"Captain...? What happened?"
So, so many things. Where would I even begin to explain?
"You're alive?! Captain, I was so worried!"
Spare me.
"I saw you get captured by the Cart Titan! I thought you had died!"
As someone who fights the damn things better than nearly anyone else, you'd think a Titan would be the thing to kill me? Please.
I wanted to reply snarkily, I really did. But how could I?
First off, that would paint a nice little target on my back. Sassing those I was supposedly in charge of would tip them off that I wasn't entirely on their side, and I couldn't risk that right now. Even if they wouldn't question me, and perhaps just live with the assumption that I was just in a bad mood post-Levi's death, that would still leave them suspicious of me.
Secondly, that would get me absolutely nowhere. If I wanted to somehow convince some of them to give up their weapons, or leave, or otherwise just get them off their guard, being a little brat would have the opposite effect.
For this to work, I had to play nice. I had to play the part of Captain Amaya, as she normally was. Playing myself; it should be easy. Right?
Besides, they were looking at me with so much hope and relief in their eyes, coupled too with the shock at me being here. As I stood there on the roof, I straightened up. I feigned being confused and shocked and out of breath all at once as my eyes went from one Yeagerist to the next.
All were wearing the dark uniforms and new gear. Nice to know they're taking advantage of my hard work, and Levi's less-than-patient modeling.
"Goodness," I chirped with a smile once I 'caught' my breath, "did I worry you all that much?"
"Of course!"
"We were worried sick!"
"Not just us! Floch, too!"
"Oh," I mused, "was he, now? Well, I'm terribly sorry to scare you all like that." I looked around. He was, as I was expecting, missing from the bunch. If I had to guess, I was sure I'd be correct in saying he was with the Azumabito. "And where exactly is Floch?"
"Inside," one answered. "With the Azumabito. They're against us, too!"
"Really?" I asked. "Money-grabbers as they are?"
"Really!"
"That's unfortunate," I said. "I was hoping we could use that flying boat to go watch the Rumbling. I, for one, would love to watch the destruction of the world."
"If you do," one cheeky one said, "can I go with you?"
"Only if you somehow manage to convince them to start preparing it right away," I said.
"We can't," one said, shuffling her feet. "Floch told us not to."
"But you're here now! Maybe you can tell them!"
"I'm sure I can try," I replied to them.
I could hear the distinct sounds of fighting below; smoke poured from windows, I could hear the shatter of glass, and despite knowing what and who it was, I had no way of knowing exactly what was going on. I wiped my face of all emotion but faux surprise.