Chapter 6

The cadet soldiers were running across the rooftops and zipping across the streets and alleys on their way towards headquarters and their last hope of survival. Rolf was leading the charge after his speech, the others following the confusing foreigner. Rolf saw a Titan up ahead and prepared to kick it in the face, when a blur and gust of gas propelled wind burst by Rolf. Looking up he saw that Mikasa has zoomed past him and slashed it in the nape, sending it to its death as she rushed on. Rolf raised his arm and yelled.

"Bravo Mikasa-girl! Rolf salutes your viciousness in the slaughter and quick speed!" He said...just as Mikasa suddenly stopped mid-air and fell towards the ground. Rolf widened his eyes, just as he saw Armin then Connie break off to meet her. Jean appeared like he was going to as well, when Rolf hung back and smacked him in the head.

"Jean-boy, two shall be enough to get her! Rolf needs that brown headed mind to focus on the crushing of the basket infesters in front of our noses!" Rolf ordered as he leaped over a raised platform, then landed on the rooftop. Running forward, Jean grimaced and nodded.

"Fine, fine Rolf! But you better not touch me again, or I swear-"

"Titan!" They both heard Mina shout out behind them. Looking ahead, the two saw a large Titan turning towards them before moving for the group. Rolf leaped diagonally, zipping past it. However not everyone was so fortunate. As Rolf looked back, he heard screams and saw one of the cadets had been grasped. Rolf's eyes widened as he saw the Titan bring the boy towards its mouth, before his horrible screams where ended in a single bite.

Rolf had never actually seen a person die before in his life. Just before, he'd seen the aftermath and it had made the foreigner sick to his stomach. However, there was a difference between seeing just body parts and some blood stains and actually watching a life end. And in such a horrible way, screaming helplessly as those teeth closed down on their life.

Rolf felt his heart hammer, the world around him froze for a moment, before it came crashing back into him when he slammed right into the edge of a building. Rolf shook his head as he flew backwards and fell crashing to the ground. Groaning, Rolf slowly stood up. Across the way, he could see the other cadets where flying past as fast as they could to avoid the Titan.

"Rolf!" Mina shouted out, as she flew past visual eyesight. Rolf rubbed his back with a groan.

"Ugh...Rolf's back aches with the sores of failure." Rolf said, before gripping his blades. Yet the visual just stayed with Rolf. His comrade yelling helplessly as he was shoved into the mouth of the beast, the horror as those sickeningly human teeth closed down and sliced through his flesh, blood dripping down its revolting chin. And Rolf...he couldn't do a thing.

No, Rolf could've...Rolf had frozen like a scared lamb in front of the hateful wolf… Rolf thought, before hearing a crash. Looking back towards it, Rolf saw a similarly sized Titan as his first kill glaring down with what almost looked like a grin on its face. Rolf could barely let out a noise before it leaped at him, arms outreached. Rolf grunted as he raised his own arms and gripped its hands, getting pushed backwards as he dug his heels into the ground, feeling the stones crack and give way. Looking up, Rolf could see it leaning in with its disgusting mouth, seeing some bloodstains on those teeth as the bit at the air, trying to bite to Rolf, who was barely able to keep out of its way. Rolf shuddered as he could see himself in those teeth, chomped down like a stolen sheep from his father's flock on a moonlit night.

Rolf...Rolf is just a boy, Rolf is not his Papa or Great Nano...Rolf failed against the wolf, what could Rolf do to beasts that treat us like tasty sausages at a feast? Rolf thought, getting pushed down to one knee, struggling as he pushed against the giant. However, as he did Rolf felt something burning up inside of him, and he remembered his promise back when he was pranked by Gerda the Goatmilker:

Not again!

Rolf glared up at the beast trying to snack on him, when he forced himself back up on his feet. These beasts are no more than a hungry predator attacking Rolf's rear buttocks! Rolf is not Papa nor Great Nano. It was then that Rolf gave a predatory grin at the beast in front of him.

"NO! I AM ROLF!" Rolf shouted, pushing the Titan's arms out to the side, causing it to be launched forward faster than it was anticipating. As the Titan's head was almost upon Rolf, he swung his fist up in an uppercut, smashing the Titan's jaw into pieces and flinging it back up on its feet then falling backwards.

"SON OF A SHEPHERD!" Rolf squeezed his gear's handles and fired his hooks forward zipping him underneath it. Looking up at the falling beast, Rolf kicked up with his legs, sending himself up to its nape, screaming out his warrior call as he dug the twin blades into the nape, slashing so hard he sent himself all the way through the Titan, decapitating it and the nape, flying up and landing on its falling chest. As it landed, Rolf panted as he looked down at it past his shattered blades.

"And Rolf's flock shall be safe from any predator." Rolf said as he replaced his pair of blades, before turning to a building and firing his hooks into it, and zipping back up to catch up to his allies.

Rolf couldn't see where everyone else had gone, but knew where his destination was, and so made his way there. Running across buildings when he could to preserve gas. Rolf looked ahead, seeing a Titan looking away from him as he ran. As Rolf leaped across, he kicked it in the head, knocking it back to the street.

"Face Rolf's fury, and have your fields infested with the fleas of your cows!" Rolf said, before seeing the final stretch ahead. Rolf ran towards the building and fired out his hooks, zipping past the small horde of Titans that were still between him and the building. Rolf could see some were distracted by what they were eating, which made Rolf's turnips crack.

"Rolf shall avenge all!" Rolf said as he shot forward, slashing one of their napes, and kicking off of the head of another one. Looking ahead, Rolf saw he was heading directly towards the open jaw of another Titan.

"May your armpits tickle with the pain of radishes!" Rolf declared as he swung his fist into the Titan's nose, snapping its head back enough to break its neck, and sending it down onto the ground, zipping around and flying past the Titans, who seemed to move in on Rolf a lot more slowly.

Rolf slashed out the eyes of another one, the last of the group, as he fell into one of the broken windows, tumbling to the ground. Rolf slowly stood up and patted himself off.

"And that is how you maneuver the forest of teeth. Thank you very much." Looking up, Rolf saw the wide-eyed stares of most of the cadets who'd gone ahead of him. "Oh, hello! Rolf made it. Easy peasy, one two three." Rolf said, before Mina rushed past the group.

"Rolf, you're alright! I wasn't sure what would happen, after you fell on the ground with Titans everywhere." She said, and clenched her fists. "And I didn't even stop or try to help."

"What is this tomfoolishness?" Rolf asked, walking by her. "Rolf can handle Rolf, yes? There were beasts of the Titan variety, but as Rolf said, Rolf can handle a few mere weaklings." He said, as he got close to the group.

"Now, what shall we do?" Rolf said, before getting interrupted by a loud smashing sound. Looking behind him, Rolf saw that a Titan has smashed its head into the wall, and looking in at the people. That was when the panic started, and all the soldiers in the room began to scream, yell, and rush for the doors out of the room, with only Jean next to him frozen in fear. Rolf stood still and glared.

"Ah hello. Rolf is here to inform you that interrupting a Shepherd and family when speaking is a grave punishment! Prepare yourself for a merciless thrashing!" Rolf yelled as he drew his blades. Mina at that moment grabbed his arm.

"Rolf, we have to get out of here! There are too many of them, even for you!" She said, trying to pull and drag him back.

"Rolf shall not be swayed and cowed by such ineffectual wannabe airline stewards!" Rolf said, and looked back. "It is the task of a Son of a Shepherd to protect his flock from predators." Rolf said, grinning.

Before either could continue on, however, was when the Titan's face began to distort...then was sent flying away by a massive fist. Then standing in front of the massive hole was another large Titan, but very different. It had elongated and pointy ears, as well as no lips or cheeks hiding its teeth. It glared with a malice and hate not seen in the mindless Titans, and it roared with that same malice and hate. But most odd of all, it was facing towards the other Titans, not Rolf and Mina, with raised fists. It was at that moment when three more bodies smashed through some of the unbroken glass, this being Mikasa, Connie, and Armin.

Rolf walked over to them and looked down. "Ah glad to see you, cue ball head Connie. Seems you and Armin-boy were successful in the task of retrieving Mikasa! If only Rolf could give you a "Saving of the warrior" badge, yes?"

Connie stood up grinning and pointed out of the hole to the new Titan. "That's not even the best part. We came across an abnormal who's got a bone to pick with his own kind! And the best part: he couldn't care less about us!"

Rolf looked out at it, hand on his chin as he watched it stomp towards the rest of the Titans. "Ah, Rolf sees! Any flock would do well to have a herding dog! Rolf thinks this would be a most apt substitute! Congratulations on your incredible find, not so dull in the lightbulb Connie!" Rolf said, smacking him on the back.

"Wait so...we can get out of here fine?" Mina asked, as Rolf nodded.

"See, Rolf was correct! The fortune of Rolf's ancestors shines upon Rolf's fields for all." Rolf said, grinning as they heard the Titan smashing and roaring.

While the Titans outside were getting slaughtered by their impromptu ally, there was still one major matter at hand. Rolf learned that on the bottom floor, which also happened to be where the extra gas and blades where, seven four-meter tall Titans had gotten in. As long as they were there, it would be impossible to refill, and there wasn't enough gas among the cadets to go in and fight them. However, Armin did have a plan.

Most of the cadets, lead by Marco, would lower themselves into a lift in the middle of the supply room, four meters off the ground. Jean had been able to find a large cache of old Military Police muskets, which these cadets would be armed with, filled with buckshot. The Titans would be attracted to them, and encircle the group.

Next, once the Titans get close enough, the group would fire into their eyes, blinding them. Unable to see, the Titans would be vulnerable, and unable to eat the group.

Finally, the most difficult task. The seven most skilled warriors would have climbed into the rafters while the Titans were distracted. Once the Titan's have their eyes shot out, before they can regenerate the seven would leap down over their nape's and kill them there. The seven chosen were Mikasa, Annie, Reiner, Jean, Sasha, Connie, and Rolf.

Most everyone seemed fairly confident in the plan, with the only exception being Armin. Rolf patted Armin on the head and grinned.

"Rolf has seen how the mind process of the genius like Sock Ed-boy works! Armin reminds Rolf a lot of him, so Rolf is sure your plan will work. Stop mewing like an unfed swine and Rolf is sure your plan will work hunky dorey!" Rolf said, as he held his blades and followed the rest of the group. Mina gripped one of the muskets and looked over to wish them good luck as they descended the stairs.

Once they got down the stairs, the seven slayers each went to their positions on the rafters. Rolf looked down as he saw the Titans amble along, until the lift was slowly lowered to eye level with the Titans. The cadets each cocked their muskets and aimed them outwards towards the Titans. It was at that point that the Titans turned towards the lift and marched towards it from all sides.

Rolf watched as one of them came underneath him. He stared down at it, waiting to hear the gunshots, already impressed that the bait group were able to keep calm during this. The Titans slowly ambled closer and closer. The room was otherwise dead silent, Rolf able to practically feel everyone's hearts beginning to race during this. The Titans grinned as they stepped closer to their meals, their eyes almost touching the musket barrels. It was then that Marco shouted out. "Fire!"

All of them squeezed their triggers, the hammers slamming forward and creating sparks, igniting the gunpowder to launch the buckshot into their eyes. As the Titans roared and stumbled back, Rolf and the other slayers rushed forward. Rolf yelled out as he kicked himself towards his target, cleaving his blades into its nape. As Rolf landed, he looked up in satisfaction as it fell dead. Looking around, Rolf saw that the same happened with Mikasa, Annie, Reiner, and Jean.

However, two Titans still stood, with Connie and Sasha having missed their targets. The two widened their eyes and slowly backed away, on the verge of panicking, as the Titans looked back at them with their regenerated eyes. Rolf's voice then pierced the room.

"Nincompoops! Must Rolf do everything?!" Rolf shouted as he ran at the Titan going for Sasha. Leaping up, he strangled its arm in his grasp, and flung his body down, breaking its arm and flipping it to its back. Landing on its chest, Rolf quickly grabbed ahold of the beast by the head and grunted as he struggled to tear it, before finally ripping the Titan's head clean off. Grabbing it, he flung it as hard as he could at Connie's Titan, flipping it backwards to the ground on its chest.

With a quick, clean cut Rolf was able to finish Sasha's off, before running over and doing the same to Connie's. Panting, Rolf looked down at the two Titans, before brushing his hands off with a grin. "Once again, Rolf proves to be above the weakling beasts. Thank you."

However, as soon as Rolf turned around, he felt like something was off. Looking around, Rolf saw that he was the center of attention. Everyone on the ground was just staring at him, eyes wide and mouths gaping in shock. Looking up, Rolf could see that everyone up in the lift was also staring at him the same way. Rolf was confused as he looked between everyone.

"...Was it something Rolf said?"

"How in the world could you possibly do that?!" Connie yelled excitedly once everyone had lowered down to the supply room and began to fill up their gas. The Titan outside of the building ensured that no other Titans would get in while they refilled, so everyone was mostly at ease.

Except for the display Rolf had just shown them.

"Rolf is confused as to what you mean. Rolf merely showed those Titans what a good thrashing is." Rolf said, as he filled up his gas.

"Yeah, but by tearing their friggin heads off!" Connie said, completely excited at how his life had been saved.

"I knew you were strong Rolf, but none of us knew you were that strong! How did you get that way?" Mina asked, also in disbelief at what she'd just seen.

"By working the fields from dusk to dawn as Papa asks of Rolf. Doing one's chores leads to the life of strong muscles." Rolf said, surprised they didn't already know this.

"That shouldn't be possible!" Connie yelled again, as he sat back.

"Well, neither should a Titan that kills other Titans..." Jean said, before marching over to him. "How long did you know?! Do you know how many lives could've been saved if we'd all known you could do that?" Jean said, before being interrupted by Sasha.

"Hey...he did use it to save lives. He saved me and Connie just now. I don't know what would've happened if he hadn't."

"And he was on his own for a while too, killing more of them. Who knows how many lives that saved." Mina defended as well.

"Rolf is still surprised. Rolf said about how his Great Nano fought off the great sea cucumber, surely this is no big whatsit compared, yes?" Rolf said, standing up and fully fueled. "Rolf is still surprised this meant anything, Rolf never hid anything from anyone."

"Like He-" Jean started, before Mina once again stood up.

"Look, right now arguing won't do anything. We know now, and Rolf seems genuinely confused. Let's focus on getting back home first before we do anything else, okay?"

"...Fine, but you better start telling people about this after, Rolf!" Jean said, pointing at Rolf, before they all began to head outside. Once outside, most of the cadets used their new gas to make a clean break for the Wall, with the rogue Titan having cleared out most of the opposition.

Rolf ran out after Sasha and Connie, seeing the two zip away. As Rolf got there, he looked up and saw Mikasa standing on the rooftops, looking down. "What is Mikasa-girl doing, gawking like a chick without a hen?" Rolf asked, before getting tugged by Mina.

"C'mon Rolf, we have to go now." She said, before looking up and seeing her. At that point Armin, then Jean, then Reiner, Annie, and Bertholdt followed. She shook her head. "Let's go, they'll get her." She said, before deploying a hook and zipping off.

"Right, Rolf agrees." Rolf said, shaking it off and deploying his own hooks as well. Zipping by, he shouted at them. "Hurry up, for the left over cabbage spoils well!" Rolf advised, before speeding his way past them towards the wall.

"I want all you cadets on stand-by, look sharp!" Came the barking order of the Garrison commander to the cadets as they sat by the supplies, getting food and water. Rolf panted as he fell to his knees and grabbed one of the many canisters of water.

"Rolf's thirst parches Rolf like the driest corner of Papa's scalp." Rolf panted, before grabbing the water and chugging it down as fast as he could. As he felt the cooling liquid flow down his throat, Mina sat next to him with her own water, as well as two pieces of flatbread.

"Here Rolf, after that you have gotta be hungry." She said, offering it, who took it and bit down on a piece, before swallowing.

"Rolf thanks you for the sustenance, Mina-girl."Rolf said, wiping his lips. Rolf sat back and groaned, stretching. "Rolf is glad we all made it. Rolf is surprised that we were able to." Rolf confessed.

"Heh, I suppose. But with that Titan, seems luck favored us." Then she smiled back at him. "Not that it mattered, seems with you among us, we always stood a chance, even if we didn't know it."

As Rolf smiled and was about to thank him, Connie spoke up. "No kidding there! I still can't believe it, Rolf threw a Titan over his shoulder and tore its head off!" He said, grinning. "You saved me and Sasha's life there, you've got the strength of a Titan yourself!"

"Huh? Oh come on, you've gotta be exaggerating." Came the bitter voice of one of the cadets Rolf recognizes, Ymir, and ever-present with her was the small and kind Krista.

"Huh, no way! He literally threw one Titan's head at the one about to make me a snack!" Connie said excitedly. Sasha nodded next to him, her mouth full of bread.

"Yeah, he wash sho shtrong it wash almosht unbelivable." She said, a bit hard to understand before swallowing.

"I also saw it with my own eyes. It was incredible. The Titan and Rolf really saved our lives there." Mina said with a grin.

Ymir narrowed her eyes, while Krista had her eyes widen. The petite girl spoke up. "Wow, really? Rolf, how did you do that? Is...is that even possible?"

"Well Rolf did it, so surely that means the possibility is as possible as Papa cleaning Nana's back lint, yes?" Rolf argued. "But yes, Rolf did do it, small in the stature but big in the heart Krista-girl."

"There's no way that's true." Came a soldiers voice. Connie's eagerness and Rolf's confirmation was beginning to draw a crowd of other soldiers to him, with a discussion beginning to break out among them about what was being said. Most were disputing it, and in disbelief. That's when one soldier stepped up.

"Hold on, surely you could give him the benefit of the doubt, right?" Came the voice of Sergeant Ben Fischer.

"Ah, hello Ben!" Rolf said with a smile and getting up, walking over.

"Hey there Rolf. Seems my plan of getting you out of trouble and away from anything messy backfired, huh?" He said, before looking at the crowd. "So, bit of a rumor's starting up that you tossed around a Titan and tore its head off. Is it true?"

"On the word of the Yonick family, Rolf is indeed passing off his words as the truth." Rolf said nodding. "Rolf is just not sure what the big humpty dum is."

"Heh, of course." He said, then spoke up for everyone to hear. "If that's right, then I believe him." He said, before looking around at the voices and expressions of disbelief. "Over three years ago, after the expedition to reclaim Wall Maria failed, I was one of the survivors who was making his way back. Along the way, I saw a boy get launched over ten meters at incredible speeds and hit a tree. What did it was a decapitated Titan. Yet funny enough, there was no soldiers anywhere nearby, no one who could've done it. And the boy who hit the tree was fine." He said, then pat Rolf on the shoulder. "That boy was Rolf Yonick. So if him and some others saw him toss a Titan, I believe it."

At that, the crowd began to murmur more excitedly, talking about it.

"That's just not possible."

"But...Ben's a sergeant and survivor outside of the Wall..."

"Why would he lie like that?"

"You know, during training Rolf did crash through a tree and was fine. They said it must've been rotten, but what if it wasn't?"

"That's true, and I did hear rumor of a blue-haired kid beating up two elite soldiers in a market nearby three years ago..."

"Yeah, I did too...could it be-?"

"Hey if it's true, prove it!" One voice said, and soon, the voices spoke up and asked for more. "Yeah, pick up one of the horses. If you could toss a Titan, a horse should be easy!"

Rolf looked over them all, feeling everyone's eyes go on his as they began to demand it. That's when Mina stepped in front of him.

"Come on now, strong or not he just went through an ordeal, as we all did!" She said. "Leave him alone, okay?"

"No no, Mina-girl, Rolf would be happy to settle this, yes?" Rolf said, looking at one of the horses that had brought supplies to the troops. Rolf strutted over, with everyone's eyes on him. Rolf walked up to it, petting the creature and whispering in its ear.

"Rolf apologizes for scaring this beast, but Rolf needs to borrow your massive girth for a moment." Rolf said, before reaching around it, and hefting it up. The horse neighed and whinnied, squirming and thrashing in a bit of a panic, confused at what was happening as Rolf easily hefted the horse up.

Other than the noise of the horse, the soldiers had gone silent. Rolf was easily holding it above his head, not even breaking a sweat or straining. Soon Rolf set it back down, tied up so it wouldn't run after that. Petting it, Rolf turned to everyone.

"See now? Now shall Rolf's honor no longer be questioned?" Rolf said, to the eyes of everyone, who began to murmur again.

"He's so strong!"

"How is that possible?"

"He's like a human Titan."

"Rolf, the Human Titan! And a soldier on our side!" Came more optimistic voices and some clapping.

Rolf smiled back at them, looking at his friends as they watched, Mina, Sasha, and Connie walking over and congratulating him.

However, everyone went quiet at the sound of a massive explosion. Looking back, everyone saw a pillar of smoke rising up by the Wall.

On the inside of the Wall.

"...What interrupts Rolf yet again?"

AN: So yeah, pretty quick chapter release. After writing the last one, I just had a lot more inspiration just rush to me! This story is just so much fun to write, and I'm glad to see that you all think it's just as fun to read. I'd say so far, my only big regret is that I wish I'd known I was going to do add one of the larger plot points in this chapter ahead of time, because then I'd have added a bit more to the last couple of chapters.

Once again, don't expect this kind of release schedule at all, but I hope you enjoy it. This was one of the most fun writing I've ever done with this chapter. Including a special segment near the beginning that has been in my mind far longer than even the idea of this fanfic.

Once again, thank you for reading and enjoying.