Rebel - Chapter Five

EREN

Twenty one days. Three weeks. Three weeks of watching. I watch the house that my family owns. Nothing happens. No one in or out. The three-lined cross looms in its crimson red glory on the front door. But nothing changes. I don't know what's going on.

Armin doesn't say much to me. Every day, after dinner, the same time the patrol came that fateful day, I look outside of the window, looking through the curtains that Armin made from old clothes that don't fit and miscellaneous bags from the store and recycling lots. He gently walks up behind me, sitting down quietly next to me. Every day, for a few minutes, we just sit. But then Armin hugs me and forces me to rock with him as he hums. Sometimes it's just random notes, sometimes it's mimicking of the birds, and sometimes a song of freedom, like ones we sang back in the days of the true Survey Corps.

When I first realized he was humming one of the Survey Corps songs, I was surprised. They are now illegal and the particular one he sung could get you a death penalty. But the fact he was comfortable and brave enough to him them too me brought gentle, warm tears in my eyes, and I would just look over at him with a thankful smile. He would say nothing, but dip his head.

This process would go on and on, but today, on the twenty-first day after the marking of my family's door, I decided I'm going to do something about it. I'll get vaccines. The rich Gem Sectors receive them; most of the time. I can get them. Shouldn't they have them in hospitals?

I run a hand through my hair, the blond strands running against my fingers. "Armin," I say, and he turns towards me. He seems surprised that I have spoken, as when we usually watch the house, it's silent. However, I press on. "If we wanted to raid a hospital to get plague vaccines, would you go with Red Quartz or Ruby Health?"

Armin's eyes widen slightly, but he quickly lowers his gaze, his mouth moving as he whispered to himself. "Well," he spoke up. "Red Quartz is closer and therefore easier to get to. However, many Ruby citizens prefer to go to Ruby Health because it shows their sector in a more dignified way. In other words, so they don't see us. So the idea of Red Quartz having vaccinations is even lower. I personally doubt they have vaccinations anywhere in the hospital, but it's worth a shot." He sends me an amused glance with his pun and I let out a forced laugh. "Ha. Ha. A shot. Very funny Armin." I say, rolling my green eyes. "But tell me something I don't know."

Armin grins at my unenthusiastic reply, but it vanishes at my second statement. "Well, though Ruby Health is a good idea, or, a better one than Red Quartz, it's going under some strict observation from teams of soldiers, including high ranked captains and commanders supported by the government."

I am surprised, honestly. "What are they observing?" I say, lifting my right eyebrow in interest. It sounds suspicious.

"That, I don't know, I'm afraid. We could ask around, but I doubt anyone will know. They might think we are undercover government officials trying to see if there are any people who know too much." Armin carefully continues. "It is a possibility that they are hiding vaccinations, but it's dangerous. I would think about it, Eren."

Hearing my birth name in his tone makes me shiver gently, but my green eyes never leave his. "I have to. I have to save who is sick, I have to get them vaccinations. Draw up plans for Ruby Health. I'm going tonight."

Armin's eyes widen at my decision, but he knows I won't change it. He nods simply and pulls out his large sketchbook, drawing on it the plans of the building for me to study later.

I go to the bedroom and suit up. Black track pants, check. Black shirt, check. Black leather boots and jacket, check. Beanie? No check. I look around frantically, sighing in relief. I hate losing these god damn things. I pull a black ski cap over my blond hair before pulling the tight beanie over that. The black ski cap should keep my hair gone, and the beanie should effectively hold it in place. I sigh at the reflection I see in the mirror. "I look like a doofus." I say simply. As I look at myself, I wonder what my brothers look like. When I left, my older brother had similar brown hair and green eyes. Only our family could tell us apart.

I smile quietly as I think about my younger brother. He had light brown hair and pale blue eyes. He is the weakest out of all of us, but he has the biggest heart. He loves engineering. Loves building. Put that kid and paper together and he could make you an origami castle.

My smile disappears as I realize something. He was also the most sickly. It was either him that was sick or mom. And I am very certain it's my younger brother. He's younger, his immune system is weaker. My hands shake slightly as I zip up my jacket, plastering a fake smile on my lips as I go to check on Armin.

I enter the bedroom where he is sitting, sketchbook out in front of him. He is laying on his stomach right now, sketching idly, but he sits up when I enter.

"I think it's my younger brother," I say quietly, looking at Armin. My hands rest firmly behind my back, and I didn't want to show him my nervousness. His face tensed slightly, and I picked up the small movement his pencil made when his grip pressed into it.

"He will be okay." He said softly, meeting my gaze worriedly. "Your family is full of fighters, your brother is not an exception."

I can't help but to smile, "You don't even know him, Armin!" My voice is teasing, and my goal is accomplished when Armin relaxes a bit.

"Anyone related to you gets the stubborn fighting gene, I think. I've met your older brother and that's proof enough." Armin grins back, putting his pencil down and going to me. "Look at me, I'm already stubborn just by being around you." His grin widens as he chuckles, and my hands slowly fall from behind my back, gently grabbing his shoulders and pulling him next to me. I give him a friendly hip bump, grinning at our child-like moment.

"Oh, shut up! Just because my older brother looks like me doesn't mean he acts like me too!!" My defensive act lowers as I continue. "He's much less daring, but he follows his heart. I guess that's something the Jaeger family is best at. We are always hunting the ones who have wronged us in some way."

Armin carefully decides to lower the topic. "I know. The point is, your brothers won't give up without a fight."

I nod in agreement. "That's true, but nonetheless. Vaccines, we have to get them." Armin nods and returns to his sketchbook.

"I have a plan." He says, waiting for me to give him the go ahead. This guy always manages to come up with sturdy plans in shorts amount of time. I give him a little nod and he talks about me coming in like I'm injured and demanding a room; offering pay of course. I then would sneak around until I found the vaccines.

It seemed like a reliable plan, and I give another nod to show that I liked the strategy. He continues onward, telling me how I would go from there. Knowing how little the hospitals cared for those from the slum sectors, I would probably be in a waiting room for at least half an hour. I could make a half assed excuse like I'm looking for water. At this part in the plan, I wrinkle my nose slightly. I know that there isn't any better option, but I still don't like it. Armin senses my cautiousness and sighs.

"I know, but I can't think of anything better." He sounds genuinely sorry, and I feel bad for bringing it up, my green eyes darting nervously until he continues. "From there, you'd find the room..." He points to a location on the drawing and my eyes scan it. The room itself, the hallways. Possible entries and exits. Armin is quiet as I study, and he only continues when I look up. "You'll take what you need and get out. Whatever it takes. Walking, running. Just be prepared."

I flash Armin a grin. "Prepared? You know me, leap before you think!" I try to be teasing but Armin doesn't look like he is amused.

"Seriously, Eren." His blue eyes lower slowly, "Just be careful. I worry about you, you know." My eyes widen at his words but I just nod slightly.

"And I worry about you as well, so tell me where you'll be waiting. I don't want to accidentally lead them here." My eyes confidentially meet his. I have never lead anyone or anything after me to a place of importance; especially my house. I do not plan too either, but we always make precautions. As Armin says, "leave as little up to chance as you can". I take my beanie and pull it further down my hair, smiling at Armin as he spoke.

"I'll wait on the border of the Obsidian sector. I know someone there who can take us in for a few days if need be." His voice is stronger, and for a second I reminisce on how much he has changed over the years. However, I know that I have to think about the plan. Obsidian is a bordering sector to Quartz, and escape would be easy through alleyways. Obsidian was the richest sector, but seeing as their black buildings would help conceal us in the night, it was the best bet. I try to remember my last few runs in Obsidian, before nodding.

"That will do." I say simply. My friend smiles in relief, and I can't help but to rustle his Blondie hair that so adorably stands out. "Now, let's go eat some dinner, and then I can get started when the stars come out. Yeah?" I'm answered by a nod, and soon we are reheating left over canned goods, talking about silly things; like the rowdy kids next door, or 'mysterious' things like how do rainbows work. Armin tells me all about these dumb rainbow things, but I don't get it. I thought the suns light was yellow? That's how I always drew it. Eh, maybe this reasoning is what made me fail the Trials.

I shake off the thought before I get focused on the bull-shittery of the Trials. As if on cue, I get a slight pain in my right knee, and my hand moves to pinch it. Usually I can handle the pain that I received from my missing ligaments in my leg, but sometimes at thought or at actually stressful actions that make it hurt more.

We eat, but my fingers tap against the kitchen table warily. The pain will get worse during my run, which will probably help with my disguise; an injured person reporting for help. I also pack a small amount of currency, tucking it into my belt. I put small daggers in my boots, sliding them into the small leather-loop compartments inside.

After dinner, Armin helps me smear blood over my skin, most of it animal blood that he probably picked up from the butcher; disgusting, but it would have to do...

As the sun falls, I start putting on my jacket, but then I slowly come to the realization; I can't use my 3DMG on this mission- though I usually don't use it, it would be helpful on this one. Armin grins at me as I mention this, moving to the bedroom and coming back with two tiny metal looking boxes. They were skinny, and I was rather confused what they were for until he stuck them onto the soles of my shoes. The metal moved over the soles, distributing evenly like it was water in an invisible container. He does this for both of the shoes before handing me a remote with a singular button. He tells me to put on the shoes before pushing the button, and I do so.

I zip up the shoes from the side, and I take the control from his soft grip. I press the button, and I'm not sure what to expect, but it's not this.

I lose my balance nearly instantly, and I feel lighter. I look down and notice that I'm hovering just a few centimeters off the ground. "Oh my god," I whisper in surprise. "Oh my god, Armin." I say again. "You're a freaking genius, how did you figure this out?"

Armin grinned. "Well... I can't claim all the work for myself. I got the anti-gravity pieces from the alleyways, but I had to nod them to distribute so easily. It moves like a fluid, so as long as you plan to land on your feet some way, it will help take away most of the shock. Just don't do anything too exerting. You might still get hurt, plus, after they absorb enough shock, they shut down for a few minutes in attempt to reboot. In other words, it's a work in progress."

I make sure to take heed to his words. "Alright." I say, confirming that I indeed listened to him. "But, still, Armin, dude," I go off, my green eyes looking down at the shoes as I press the button again, letting them turn off and recharge. I watch the bar on the side of the remote start lighting up fully as it turns off. 'Ah, good. Quick recharge.' Is all I think to myself. "This is amazing, you're a freaking genius, Armin!" I say with praise, and I notice a sheepish blush on his face.

"Ahh, stop flattering and get ready." He murmured, looking away as if trying to make me believe my words didn't have much of an effect on him. He can't fool me, though.

"Aw, can't take a compliment from your best friend~" I purred at him, and I noticed him muttering something to himself. However, when I question it, he says it was nothing. I give him a suspicious look, but he doesn't say anything. A few seconds of silence, and I drop it.

I get ready for my mission.

I look at Armin before I go, and I can't help but laugh at my own request. His face is dumbfounded, as if unsure of what I asked him. I told him to punch me, add some bruises to my facade. At first, he refused, but eventually he gave me a weak punch in the shoulder. I point him to my face, and he's about to punch again, but he seems hesitant. After a few minutes more of coaxing, and a few weak punches later, he finally delivers a punch straight into my cheek bone that causes me to stumble back a bit and wince. He seems immediately apologetic, but I grin and shake it off, teasing him about what an arm he has.

Our moment is gone after a few seconds, and I know I have to leave. The patrols should be arriving soon, and it would be in my best interest to get in before. After I'm about half way to the hospitals, I find out the best ways to use the boots, learning to jump on the edge of the roofs and press the button to get an extra boost off. As I get closer to the hospital, I put the remote on a 'safety' option, making it inept to turn on, even if I accidentally press the button. I put it in my boots, feeling the area to make sure that it is undetectable from the inside. Armin told me that the person he bought these from said that the material in both were not metal, or something that could be traced by the machines. I hope for our sakes that this wasn't a lie.

I take a deep breath as I drop into an alley way, fingers gripping into the crevices between the bricks. I use the worn down metal stairs that lead up the building from letting me free fall. I can't take any risks this early. I land on the ground from a set of lower stairs, letting my feet and ankles absorb the pain; even though I know this isn't correct. I groan, my limp becoming way more realistic. Especially since my knee is acting up again. I continue limping. Maybe this was a bad idea; I'm actually in pain now.

I shake my head softly, looking up to see the reddish-grey symbol that signifies the hospital. I nearly scoff at the sight of it. Red Quartz; could they've honestly picked a simpler name? However, I ignore this as I hear the sounds of people talking outside. I move out into the open, moving towards the hospital and clutching the bicep of my right arm with my left. I lick my lips as I prepare to speak with natural Quartz dialect. I repeat it in my head. Younger or casual, kiddo; older or formal.. My thoughts stopped, and it went against my first thoughts when I continued walking. After a few moments of familiar gear spinning in my brain, my mind settles on 'sir' and 'miss'. I hope these are correct as I make it to the door, dipping my head and looking at the ground as I pass the soldiers.

"Evening, sir." I say with a nod to the nearest one, who basically scoots away from me as fast as he can. Typical goddy rich soldiers. However, I just nod again and move into the hospital, moving to the clerk. "Can I get a room for the night, miss?" I notice recognition in her eyes, and I know I have this part correct.

"What happened?" She says blankly, and I feel myself struck by the apathetic tone in her voice; though I guess I really shouldn't be surprised.

"Was in a fight; I feel somewhat dizzy, and I think something happened to my knee..." I do a little hobble for her, my face scrunching up in a wince automatically. I know others are watching me, and as the clerk leads me to the waiting room, my eyes meet with someone I know. My eyes lower and I dip my head, and as I catch another soldier saying their name, I bit my lip to ignore it. Hanji. Someone I thought I may never see again, and someone who was almost impossible to recognize. The new captain seems younger, and I'm guessing that it's the new age-reversal elixir that makes people look younger; as long as they keep take it. Though it's not scientifically proven to remove all of those years, it is shown to take off one or two years for every year you take it. However, no one has tried to go back and become a young child. Everyone knows that anyone younger than 10 is pretty much useless in this society.

She motions to soldiers, who pat me down. I am relieved that they don't find my knives or remote, but they do take the small amount of currency I have on my belt. Their payment. And then I'm pointed in the direction of the waiting room.

At least half an hour later, I realize that the plan cannot wait any longer. I move to the nearest soldier, who instinctively reaches for his gun, causing me to pause. Other soldiers tell him to lower his weapons, and he does. I guess there's no shooting in the hospital, unless necessary. Nonetheless, he seems like he wants to get away from me. I'm pretty much done with these money-dwellers, but I pretend to be unaffected. "Where are the restrooms?" I ask, and he ignores me. My hand moves to tug on his leather jacket, my green eyes meeting his. "Please?" I say, my index and middle finger reaching into his pocket and grabbing his ID. The soldier doesn't seem to notice, eyes scanning me. I feel nervous, but I know he'll forget me eventually if I can just get away. He turns and points, and in this second I quickly shove the ID tag into one of my jacket pockets, and I'm relieved to see that the pocket is big enough to hide the somewhat awkward shape. I nod and murmur an appreciative thanks, limping towards the direction in which he pointed.

When I reach the restroom, I close the door and lock it, scanning the poorly-lit room. I notice a ventilation shaft on the ceiling, and I narrow my eyes up at it. I reach into my boot, pulling out a knife to unscrew the vent. Standing on the cover of the toilet, I boost myself enough to get my arms through, pressing the palms of my hands against the metal, pulling myself enough to see in. I nearly gag at the air. It's dense and humid, and hard to breathe in, but I think I'll be able to fit through them. I let my feet drop once more before pushing myself more forcefully, this time my elbows reaching in. With much effort, I pull myself in, crawling through. I pause for a few seconds, pulling my shirt over my nose and mouth. It's harder for me to breathe, but the air I breathe in feels a lot less musty. I struggle through, horizontal against the vent as I pull myself forward with my forearms.

I can feel my sweat mixing with the dried blood, and I grunt as some trails down my lips and side of my cheeks. It tickles and itches, but I can't waste time. I don't have to go far, and I know that. I just need to get to the staircase. Armin said that the vaccines were on the third floor. I'd have to go up two flights. I think about strategy. In an open staircase like he showed me, especially a spiral one, it's important to go with speed and not stealth. I have no idea where I am, but I see a new vent. My knife, still clenched in my sweaty hand, sets to work and starts unscrewing the vent. I slide the vent away, looking down. I see a sign that is pointing to the stairs, and I let a relieved exhale escape into the air. The best part? It's empty. I slide the vent forward more, until it's not covering the hole at all. I estimate the gap, and decide it's low enough for me to make a gentle drop down. I ease my body out slowly, until I'm holding the vent by only my hands, wincing as my muscles strain to hold me up. I slowly let myself drop, landing a bit too painfully on the balls of my feet. I wobble slightly before I'm dashing towards the stairs. my soft boots landing silently on the steps.

Dashing up, I find the high-security room. It's easily found by the high-tech scanners around it, and most importantly, cameras. I curse. I know they can already see me coming up the steps. It's too late to make it seem like an accident. I dash for the door, my boots sliding on the white tile floor as I grab the ID from my tag and scan it. As figured, all soldiers have access. I instantly come in, and at first, everyone is just surprised to see me. However, soldiers quickly raise their guns. I grab the nearest doctor, holding him next to me as, in crude words, a meat shield. I press the knife into his side gently, not enough to bring blood. "Where are the vaccinations?" I ask. He stutters nervously, and my attention is moved to the soldiers.

"Let go of the doctor and stand in front of us with your hands up! Or else you'll be shot and put in jail." I let out a sarcastic chuckle, and eye their badges on their uniform. "Newbies." I mutter. I turn back to the doctor.

"Tell me where they are." I watch his hazel eyes look over to a cabinet, and I slowly pull him towards there and dig through. I notice that under the label vaccinations, there's no full test tubes. There's only painkillers and supplements. I curse under my breath as I use my other hand to take them, stuffing them into my spare pockets inside of my jacket. I'm very glad for the many pockets I have. "Duck." I say simply, pushing him down as I run towards the door. I zigzag, and do everything I can. A bullet grazes my left side of my chest, and I quickly stumble to the right. The next thing I know, I'm zooming down the corridor. Their shots ring out, and I can hear boots coming up the stairs. I curse, running randomly down the corridor, back and forth, left and right. I quickly open an emergency exit, barricading the door with a mop that a janitor probably left carelessly behind. I loop it through the double-door handles, reaching in my boot for the remote of the boots, and I put my knife in my belt. I know that the wimpy mop handle won't hold them back long, and I run down the hallway of the corridor, following it to what I'm assuming, is the second floor. I see windows, and I take a deep breath. As I pause to catch my breath, I'm aware the sirens are ringing. Most of the soldiers that were outside are now inside, by the looks of it. I pull my gloves out of my jacket pockets, putting one on my right hand. I hear thundering footsteps, and I run to the window and punch the glass with my gloved hand. I pocket my left glove, grabbing the remote that I hastily put in my pocket. "Alright, Armin. Can you protect me from this?" I force myself through the small gap caused by the shattered, the glass cutting a few spots of my jacket, even scratching the top of my forehead a bit. Ah yes, more blood.

I jump out, turning on the remote when I know I'm close. I feel myself falling slower, and it's a bit of a relief until I hear shots, and feel them being close to me. I quickly turn off the remote, shoving it in my belt as well. I duck under the roof of the hospital, and I know they can't shoot me from above. I'm about to run towards the alleys that I came from, but from the shadows of the hospital building, Hanji appears. I see no recognition on the captain's face, and I know that she doesn't remember me. I don't blame her, I look different. Especially with blood on my face. She lifts her gun and aims at me. "Trost." She warns, and I can't help but smile solemnly at the word. A word that should be said perfectly by her, but it seems awkward. "Give back the vaccinations, and we'll say this never happened."

I shake my head quietly, not reaching for my dagger. I'm afraid to use my voice, afraid she'll recognize me and alert officials.

"Then you leave me no choice." I notice that she is turning the safety of her gun off slowly, and my eyes widen. I instinctively move my hand towards my belt, grabbing my knife. I throw my arm back, and throw the knife with all my strength, ducking and rolling as she fires. I don't stay long. I don't even try to retrieve my knife, as expensive as those damned things are. I aimed for her shoulder, and I hear her grunt and stumble, and I take this chance to get my remote and start sprinting away, making sure to use the small boost to help. I slither through the alleyways, moving to Obsidian. I see Armin's gentle blond hair, and I'm limping towards him. I pat my chest gently, making sure the test-tubes I have there are safe and not broken. They aren't.

I sigh in relief as I move to hug Armin, and he hugs me back in relief. "You're late, you're thirty minutes late." He mutters, and I notice that his cheeks are wet.

"I'm sorry," I whisper quietly, lifting my head as I hear someone approach. Armin lowers his arms. "This is Mikasa... She's a friend of mine. She's living in Obsidian temporarily, but she's moving back to her original home in Quartz."

The woman steps out from the shadows and nods at me. I notice her red scarf, and the way it's knitted reminds me of Armin's style. I look at Armin. "I didn't know you knitted scarves." I ignore my jealousy as I think to myself: I didn't know you knitted for other people.

Armin just grins cheekily. "Whatever I need to do to make money for us, you know?" I smile at him gently, but I feel a pain in my chest. "Yeah." I said simply. "Anyway," he continues. "Let's get to Mikasa's house and see if you have any injuries."

It's then that I realize the only pain in my chest is not jealousy, but also the area where the bullet scraped me. "Oh, I hope it's close." I mutter quietly. Armin looks over at me worriedly, but I shake him off.

"Well, Mikasa has a jeep, so..." Armin leads me towards it and my eyes widen. A jeep? Who was this woman? In the poor sectors, too...

However, I take the ride gratefully, and we make it safely back to Mikasa's house at around 2:30 in the morning. I'm tired from my run, but I know I'll sleep after I bandage my wounds. Or rather, Armin does. He somehow knows what to do with everything. And so, after that, I fall asleep.