Trust (Chapter)

"For just one day... I want you to report the truth."

- Hange asks Roy for a favor.

Hidane (火種) is the 2nd chapter of the 15th volume and the 60th chapter overall of the Attack on Titan manga, written and illustrated by Hajime Isayama.

Overview
At the Interior Brigade Compound, several soldiers are seen wounded on the ground. Levi ties one up and begins interrogating him, but as the soldier tries to get out of telling Levi anything he begins beating him and the soldier then claims he does not know where Eren and Historia are. Before the interrogation can conclude, figures in Military Police uniforms approach Squad Levi.

At the Berg Newspapers office in Stohess, writers Roy and Peaure discuss how false the paper is to make the MPs appear better and that if the truth were written, people would be killed. Hange then appears with Moblit and says she was going to maim their hands but then asks if they would write on them for just one day. Later in the Trost District, Flegel Reeves runs from three MPs and before he is to be killed, asks why they killed his father, Dimo Reeves. An MP tells him he betrayed them and if he had not agreed to kidnap the Survey Corps members he would be killed anyway. Hange and Moblit then jump down and take out the MPs, revealing many Trost citizens to attest to their words. Flegel then claims ownership over the Reeves Company and Hange asks Roy and Peaure to print the story until Roy disagrees, saying his family will be killed. Over in the capital. Erwin Smith is presented beaten and kneeling in front of King Fritz and the Assembly of the Royal Government.

Summary
Within the Interior Brigade Compound, multiple soldiers lie injured on the ground. Outside, Levi drags one of the Interior MP soldiers alongside the rest of the Survey Corps members to interrogate him on the whereabouts of Eren and Historia. The man, ignoring the captain's question, asks if his subordinates were killed, to which Levi replies by telling him that they were only incapacitated, as killing them would have been unpleasant. Armin notices that Jean is visibly shaken about the incident. The Interior MP member proceeds to criticize Levi for what he has done, claiming that some of the people in the MP base were only servants and fell victim to the squad's indiscriminate attack. Levi, unfazed from the man's words, kicks him in the mouth, breaking his teeth and causing him to bleed. Greatly angered, the man insults the Survey Corps and berates them for abandoning their comrades, saying that they will all be executed, including Erwin Smith. He then claims that if Levi and his squad turn themselves in, the lives of the others will be spared. He then proceeds to stand up, hold Levi's shoulders, and offers to speak on his behalf.

Levi declines, and once again asks him about Eren and Historia's current location. The man still ignores his question, mocking him for not caring about the lives of the other Survey Corps members. Levi grabs the man's hand, pulls it behind his back and breaks it, making him squeal in pain. The soldier finally decides to speak, however, he does not know where Eren and Historia are, claiming that Kenny Ackerman tells them nothing. Levi is surprised to learn about Kenny's last name, and Mikasa also takes note of it, although she remains silent. Suddenly, Sasha hears sounds from the distance, and the squad arms its rifles. Three figures wielding rifles, two of them wearing Military Police cloaks, are shown walking towards the squad in the distance.

Elsewhere at the Berg Newspapers office in the Stohess District, one day prior to the incident, Peaure, reviewing the report, expresses his disapproval for the false news being reported. He asks Roy, his superior, as to why he became a journalist. As Roy explains why he chooses to do this, Peaure suddenly notices Hange Zoë sitting on a table, who introduces herself to the journalists. Moblit is shown entering from behind. Hange explains that she initially wanted to break both of their hands for spreading falsehood in their news, but after overhearing their conversation, she decided to hold off. Roy apologizes for what happened to the Survey Corps members and sympathizes with her. Peaure quickly starts taking notes about their conversation, but is interrupted by Moblit, who twists his hand. Hange takes Peaure's pen, and tells Roy that she wants him to write a report on the Survey Corps in order to expose the Interior MP.

Later in Trost District, Flegel flees from three armed Military Policemen until he hits a dead end in front of an abandoned building. One of the policemen mocks Flegel and claims that he would have been dead for not killing him as well. He thanks Flegel and is about to shoot him. Flegel panics and quickly asks the policeman as to why they killed his father Dimo Reeves. The policeman explains the entire incident to Flegel, who remains calm and tells the policeman that he does not understand anything, and that he chose the side that his father trusted. Angered, the policeman shouts at Flegel, saying that he should be begging for his life. Just before he is about to shoot, Flegel replies by telling the policeman to look above. Hange and Moblit drop down from the abandoned building, knocking two of the policemen unconscious. The remaining policeman attempts to shoot Hange and misses; she proceeds to punch him in the jaw, knocking him on the ground. Suddenly, a large crowd of Trost citizens emerges from the abandoned building. One of them remarks that they have heard the entire truth of the incident behind Dimo Reeves' death, and that they will all attest to it. Angry upon hearing this, the policeman who was about to execute Flegel insults the townsfolk, telling them that the news about Dimo Reeves will spread for only a short time before being forgotten, and that the Military Police will not let them get away with it. His ranting is interrupted by Flegel, who sits on his head and announces that the Reeves Company will protect Trost and he takes on a new position as the CEO. The townsfolk smile and start clapping, promising to take care of him.

Hange and Moblit meet with Peaure and Roy, who are hiding behind cover with notebooks in their hands. Peaure implores Roy to report this incident and expose the crimes of the First Interior Squad, but Roy nervously breaks down, telling Peaure that if they do this, the entire news agency and their families will be killed by the corrupt government, recounting a brief story of a miner who disappeared after digging beneath the Walls and the reporters who vanished trying to report on it. He then asks Hange if she has the right to sentence his family to death.

Elsewhere, in Mitras, Erwin has been badly wounded, and is kneeling in front of King Fritz, surrounded by other men from the Assembly of the Royal Government. An Assemblyman then asks Erwin if he has any final words.