Another weekend, another chapter. Welcome back to Vengeance Of A Human.
I see you guys are enjoying the story, which is great. I have written the next three weeks worth of chapters and will continue to write until I at least finish Season 1 material since I will start summer work soon, so you will have consistent updates throughout June and early July.
With that said, I know some of you asked about me changing some story elements (beyond what the game does to include the player character). I do not plan on changing who dies because I think that's integral to the story, both in canon and in this AU. But other minor elements, yes, if I feel like changing it (and it is not included in the game or conflicts with the anime), I will do so. For example, I made Thomas and Mina's deaths more significant than it really is, because I am sure not many (including me) were affected by them dying as say...Marco's death.
But if there are any changes that you would like to see and think it might work, don't hesitate to leave a comment or PM. Enjoy the chapter.
"Whew! That was a tough session today. One slip of concentration and we really could have died out there!"
Armin is possibly exaggerating (or speaking for himself) but he isn't lying. The training the four of us just went through was grueling indeed, especially for Armin. I made him work hard since we both agreed to me helping him out. However, training for two tired me out more than yesterday's mission with the Scouts.
"Yeah, it was a dangerous drill alright," Eren says. He looks are my kneeling form, my body aching for a bed to rest in. "you get through it okay, Joshua?"
I stand up, defying my body putting on a smile. "Yeah, it was nothing!"
"Yeah, that's the spirit. We're finally a step closer to our goal. This is no time to be losing heart, is it? I dare say we're gonna have to complete more and more dangerous training exercises. But I say, bring them on! The sooner I'm a full-fledged soldier, the better!"
"Easy, Eren," Mikasa cautions. "It's great to have a positive attitude to your training. But you need to know your limits, and call on your friends when necessary."
Eren frowns angrily. "Give it up, Mikasa! I'm not a kid anymore. Stop treating me like one!"
Mikasa sighs. "Sorry, Eren. But the fact is, when you get worked up, you can't see the bigger picture. You've always been that way. It...makes me worry."
"Like I said, I'm not a kid, okay! I'm not some little brother you've got to protect."
Armin steps between them. "Okay, you guys, settle down! Hey Mikasa, let's go back to the dorm together, yeah?"
As they walk off, I chuckle to myself besides a simmering Eren. Though I kinda know how Mikasa feels about Eren (it is obvious, let's be honest) I decide not to cue Eren in. "You, Mikasa, you two are great friends."
"Huh? Well, we have known each other for a long time, I guess. But how did you get 'great friends' from that exchange?" Tired, Eren sighs, wiping his forehead. "Anyway, never mind. I guess we should be getting back too, right? We've got an early start tomorrow, Joshua."
I nod. "Yeah. You're leaving with the Lieutenant tomorrow morning, right?"
"Yeah. I...wonder what he has in store for me."
"Heh. Better than being with Section Commander Hange, I'll tell you. I hear we're doing something in a few days, something crazy. She won't tell me, though."
"What could be crazy?"
"Hmm… Yesterday, she mentioned wanting to capture Titans, but she's just messing around."
A few days later…
"Hehe… Between you and me, I've actually got a plan up my sleeve. And not just any plan either-something amazing!"
I am blinded by my superior's eyeglasses flashing bright in my face. That means she's up to no good and I am powerless to avoid my inclusion in it. "What is it, SC?" I started calling Hange "SC" out of respect for her position but saying "Section Commander" all the time is a mouthful. I know she has no problem with me calling her by her name, but I'll wait a while (or when it is needed) before I let it become everyday vocabulary.
"I'm actually on my way to speak to Erwin about it just now. If you're interested, you're more than welcome to tag along."
I have a choice? Not like I never had a choice before, but...Hange is the reason I'm the first Scout out of my class. I owe this to her, after all. Her eccentrics are exciting, I will admit, yet as Moblit (Hange's right-hand man) tells me, she might get me killed one day. Or close to it. "Sure, I'd love to."
She pats my shoulder. "I knew I could count on you! In that case, what are we waiting for? Let's get going!"
"I THOUGHT SHE WAS JUST JOKING?!"
"So you see, I think we could really use Eren's powers to help this Titan-capturing mission succeed."
"No," Erwin states. "He hasn't got complete control of his titan shifting abilities yet."
"Yes, I know, but it's vitally important that we capture some of these creatures. Let's not forget that the Scout Regiment's primary purpose is to understand the nature of the Titans."
"Shut up, Four-Eyes. The commander makes the final call when it comes to how Eren gets used." I'm surprised Lieutenant Levi is here. He left here days ago with Eren for the old Scout Regiment's headquarters, where, to my knowledge, Eren and Levi's squad will be for the rest of the month.
Hange starts to pout. "But what's the problem with it? I feel sorry for Eren, being denied the chance to take part in this."
Moblit shakes his head. "I don't think the kid actually said he wants to, has he?"
"Maybe not, but the point is, there aren't many suitable candidates for the mission." As she finishes that sentence, her glasses flash again, this time in my direction. Oh no. "Ah, here's an idea. How about I take Joshua here? Would you object to that?"
Commander Erwin repeats what he said in my last mission, that he won't force me to undertake a mission. "I understand," I reply, "but I did come here with the intentions of joining Section Commander Zoe."
Moblit turns to me. "Let me explain what you're signing up for. Titan-capturing missions are tough. They haven't got a good track record. If you want to pull out, now's your chance. Well?"
I nod. "If I'm honest, I don't care much to study Titans. I rather see them dead...but as I said, for Hange, I'll do it." Though I know I'm going to regret it later.
Hange cheers at my declaration. "You're a good kid! I wish some of the others in the regiment were as obedient."
"Who are you referring to, huh?" I think Moblit took some offense to it. I have a choice, but as I learned, he really doesn't if it means keeping Hange safe.
"Well, if the kid's willing, I'm not going to make a fuss. I'll allow it. Just stay back from the front line, okay?"
"Yes, sir."
Hange jumps and twirls as her mission is officially given a green light. "Okay, let's start making the necessary preparations! We've got a lot to do! Wahoo!" Hange departs, Moblit worryingly follows after her. I'm left with Erwin and Levi.
"Being around that woman is going to send you to an early grave."
"Levi, you take the other four apart from Eren and act as backup." Wait, the rest of Levi Squad is here, besides Eren? He must be back at the headquarters alone. Hange might be right, he is missing out. "You don't want our new troop to meet a sticky end, do you?"
"Hmph, no...sir."
"The goal of this mission is capture! First, we need to make sure no Titans can get inside the area to distract us!"
"Yes, sir!" We ride our horses to the fields outside Trost, just a little deeper into Titan territory but not too far from the city. The Scouts begin to divide and exit formation, but as I prepare to make the same motion, Moblit gestures for me to stay put.
"Come with us, Joshua! You'll be in danger if we get separated."
"Alright. What are we to do first?"
"We'll create a perimeter of bases. Creating a base in the right location will make it easier to spot Titans when they're getting close. Now let's capture a nice Titan!" We ride to the south, where I believe Hange plans for one of her capturing bases to located. We spot some Titans nearby, which, thanks to my liking, Hange orders us to eliminate. Happily, I take one of them down with ease while Moblit and other Scouts take care of the others. With the Titans defeated, the Scouts made preparations for the base.
As that proceeds, Hange waves me over to her and Moblit. "Joshua, since I know you're dying to action, go with Moblit and see to it the other bases are taken care off. I wouldn't want you to sit here in boredom."
I smile. "Thanks, SC!" I ride off, slow enough for Moblit to hop on his horse and catch up.
"There are three more sites. Let's get to them."
Once we were done with that, we met up with Hange again, this time with Levi Squad alongside us. "Section Commander, we've completed construction of all bases!"
"We'll join forces with you from here on… Since you can't do much on your own."
Moblit nods to the Lieutenant. "Lieutenant Levi, thank you so much!"
"The stage has been set," Hange announces. "It's time at last for my plan to capture a Titan to be put into action! With me!" We rode towards the north, spotting a group of Titans nearby the base placed there. Since I am riding by Hange, she turns to me, holding me a cannon-like weapon. "This is a restraining gun, used to capture Titans. Now the small fry, they're easy, just shoot the gun and you're done. For the bigger guys, you need to dismember their legs, their arms to just to be safe. Don't worry about the regeneration time, they'll be well captured before those limbs return. But whatever you do, do try to capture some Titans for me."
"Okay."
She points to the group of Titans we're approaching, specifically a small Titan. "That looks like an Abnormal. Moblit, Levi, leave the capturing to me and the recruit. Joshua, distract the Abnormal. I think we could capture that one, wouldn't you say? Be extremely careful, of course!"
"Alright!" While Moblit and the others fend off the Titans, I do my best to gain the attention of the Small Abnormal. That eventually leads me to cut its arm off, succeeding in gaining its attention. I hurry back to my horse, galloping at full speed as the Abnormal chases after me. Seconds later, I hear the booming sound of a cannon, then the rumbling of a large object colliding with the earth. I turn around, seeing Hange celebrate the first capture of the day around Moblit and Levi.
"We did it! A four-meter Titan is ours!"
"Congratulations, Section Commander! Our mission was successful!"
"Let's hurry up and get out of here."
"Yes… We can really do this! Next, I want one that's seven meters tall!"
Levi looks like he's about to burst a vein. "'Next'? Dammit, Four-Eyes!" We rode to the east, picking up the sight of a medium Abnormal and a few buddies. As before, the others took care of the Titans to be exterminated while I incapacitate Hange's target.
"The legs, the arms if necessary." I hop off my horse and burst towards the Abnormal. Now that it is relatively alone, I have more room to operate. It spots me as I approach, my hooks implanted on its thigh as I head between the knees. "Hiiiyah!" I swing my blades at once, taking out both legs in one move. I keep myself attached as the Titan falls, using the body to swing back around to my horse and Hange. She loads the restraining gun again and fires, making our capture count two.
"Yes! A seven meter Titan is ours! Woohoo!" I join Hange, though I do not partake in the celebration. I look at the seven meter Titan, somewhat praying this is the last one, somewhat dreading Hange wants a bigger prize.
"We did it, Section Commander."
"...I'm through with this."
Our mission complete after a round of fighting more Titans, I watch with Hange as the Scouts load up the two Titans we captured. It is...quite unusual for me to feel some sort of accomplishment from capturing the enemy, yet it is another victory in my book. "I can't believe we actually made live catches."
"Now I'll be able to carry out all the experiments I've been planning. I'll have to put a detailed plan together straight away. I wonder where I should start… Any ideas, Joshua?"
The only one that matters. "Identifying where they feel pain."
I'm sure Hange missed my dark tone in her excitement in her response. "Yes. We need to see if they have other weak spots apart from the nape of the neck."
"Back of the head to the nape of the neck! Worst comes to worst, you can always just shove one up their ass."
"That's the other weak spot? Are you serious?"
I sigh at Conny's ignorance but decide to play along, sarcastically saying, "That's news to me! Did I miss a day of training or something?"
"Come on. Knock it off, Reiner. You want your final words to be an ass joke?"
I chuckle to myself as I recall another conversation about Titans having multiple weak spots. It would be interesting if the ass was a weak spot...Actually no. That...is not an entertaining thought.
"First of all, though, we need to gain some kind of mutual understanding," Hange continues uninterrupted."
"Understanding of what? As far as we're all led to believe, Titans are driven only by their desire to eat humans."
"Perhaps, but there are certain examples from history that suggest something more. We have a notebook left behind by a soldier called Ilse Langnar, for example. She wrote that she encountered a talking Titan! I'd like to ask these two about that. It's the perfect opportunity." She looks up to the sky, a small, seemingly sane smirk on her face. "If there's one thing Langnar's notes tell us for sure, it's that we're still very ignorant about the Titans. We have to keep trying to understand them more. Even if we don't learn much, anything's better than nothing. I believe that one day, research like this is what will allow humanity to turn the tables."
I look to Hange, admiring her dedication. I don't know how, but she convinced me. I never thought that learning more about Titans could indeed help us in the future. It seems logical, now that I think about it. Earlier, I was doing this just for Hange, but now...I guess there's more to the Scouts than just killing Titans and taking back our land. "Okay."
"Okay?"
"I will do whatever I can to help you. I'm not totally with this research thing you have...but if turning the tide means more capturing than killing, then bring it on!"
"Section Commander!" We face the approaching Moblit. He looks hurried. "It's too dangerous to engage in a long debate here outside the Walls. We have to load the captured Titans onto a transport asap."
"OH! I haven't given them names yet! I totally forgot!"
"With all due respect, I don't think that's important right now." Hange ignores Moblit, running towards the loading Titans. I chuckle as I see sweat drop from Moblit's head. He turns to me. "You're holding up well with her."
"Maybe one day I'll replace you."
"To be honest, that's a relief, yet I fear there is only one 'me' in this world."
As the days passed, I found myself assisting Hange with her experiments. At first, there was the attempt to communicate with the trapped Titans, stuck in place by nails and ropes.
"Hello," Hange says to the sitting four meter Titan. It only groans and pants in response as it tries to get to Hange. This doesn't dissuade her. "How are you feeling?" I'm sure it is feeling well with nails all around its body and a human it cannot reach and eat. "What's your name? Are you in pain?" The Titan, reacting to Hange's increasing closeness, tries more to reach her with its mouth. The other Scouts start to tense as well, enough for Moblit to warn Hange.
"Section Commander! You're too close."
"Hmm, maybe you don't feel like talking right now. Okay!" She steps away, much to everyone's relief, then heads over to the seven meter Titan, held down on its belly. Much like the other, it reacts to Hange's close approach.
"Hello! Nice weather, isn't it? Are you hungry?" Apparently, it is, as it lunges towards Hange. The restraints hold it back, but that doesn't stop the heart-pumping reaction we all have. Hange, however, gets a thrill out of it. "Woah! That was close!"
Moblit, however, is such the stick in the mud. "Section Commander! That's too dangerous!" Hange might have ignored him, given that she took three steps closer to the Titan before it snaps its teeth at her again.
We gave up trying communicating with the Titans, but Hange still had plans for them. First is naming them.
"Once upon a time, there existed a clan that ate humans. And I don't mean you, Titans. I'm talking about a clan of people. They would hide in caves on the mountainsides and attack any travelers who passed by. They would steal their valuables, kill them, and eat their flesh."
Standing beside Moblit, I look at him in confusion. "What is she doing now?"
The man sighs. "This is her naming ceremony. They're going to be named."
"Oh."
"Ultimately, they kept this up for twenty-five years, during which time they supposedly preyed upon over 500 people. Probably more humans than you've eaten, in fact. They also tried eating them in all sorts of steaks out of rump meat, dicing up leg meat and adding it to a stew, grinding tough meat into patties and frying them, making sausages from blood clots and innards… Indeed, they initiated the concept of 'cooking!' That's where they differ from you."
I feel my stomach reject the meal I had hours ago for lunch and the meal I'll have later tonight when I meet the gang for dinner. My thoughts turn to the foodie of the group, Sasha. If I recite this to her, what would she say?
"However, this clan of cannibals was caught and executed after making one single mistake. That's where you're just like them. You guys made the mistake of attacking humankind and wound up caught. So I'm going to name you two after the man who was the leader of this clan. "You," she points to the small Titan first, "Sawney, and you're Beane. But don't worry. I'm not going to execute you. Nice to meet you, Sawney. And you too, Beane. Let's all be friends!"
Next, she tested blocking Sawney and Beane from sunlight to watch their activity. We knew that they use sunlight as a source of energy, almost like a plant uses it for photosynthesis, but we learned something still. Apparently size matters in terms of activity in the day.
Hange holds up the lantern to Swaney's face. "How much time has passed?"
I look at the clock. "One hour."
"Seems Swaney is tiring out. Mm. You did great, Sawney. Good night. I'll see you tomorrow." We exit the tent, then head over to Beane's. We were there for quite some time, almost enough for me to fall asleep myself. I think I did because I felt Hange shaking me back into consciousness.
"Huh? Oh, I'm sorry."
"It's fine."
"How much time has passed?"
She checks the time. "Two hours. You sure love to stay up late, don't you, Beane? That's OK. I'll hang out with you as long as you'd like." She turns to me, gesturing to the opening of the tent. I walk out, thanking Hanage for letting me go to sleep.
Apparently, Beane lasted around three hours. Hange wanted to see how'll they'd fare under prolonged removal from sunlight, but fears they might die. The next set of experiments were my favorite. She called it physical contact. I call it torture. Bastards deserve it.
I frown as I listen to Hange and Beane cry out. Beane is in pain, yes, but...I don't understand why Hange is crying. Moblit doesn't either. "Section Commander! There's no need for you to scream!
"I can't do this and not scream! Beane is in so much pain!" She removes the spear in Beane's right eye and aims for his left. "Beane! Hang in there! Stay strong!"
After she was done gouging Beane's eyes, she went to Swaney and stabbed his heart. "Hey… I've stabbed you in the heart. Does it not hurt? How does it feel?" Swaney, unlike Beane, just sits there like an idiot, breathing loudly.
I sigh to myself. "Maybe we should try sticking it up their asses."
Moblit turns to me, his eyes darkening. "Don't give her any ideas." We watch as Swaney moves a bit and begins to make noise, which excites Hange.
"Hmm? What? What is it?" I watch in horror as Swaney nearly bites Hange's head off.
"Section Commander! Please step back!" This time, I agree with Moblit. That was too close for comfort. However, our dear Section Commander started to have a laughing fit.
"Almost got me there, Swaney!"
"You're seriously gonna die!"
I returned to our gathering headquarters from a mission alongside Section Commander Miche's squad, the man himself, a woman named Nanaba and a man name Gelgar. However, as we came into camp, we notice something is wrong.
"What's going on," Nanaba says. "Everyone's acting weird."
"Yeah, what's all the commotion about?"
"Josh!" I turn to whoever called my name, seeing Moblit run up to the group. He stops beside me, but at seeing Miche, he salutes. "Section Commander Zacharius!"
"What happened?"
"The test subjects... The two Titans that were captured… They've both been killed."
Miche, Gelgar, and Nanaba look unaffected, but I am shocked. How? "Who did it?"
"We don't know yet. By the time the guards noticed anything, the culprit was long gone. Using ODM gear."
Miche nods. "So it was a soldier? Hm… How's Hange taking it?"
Moblit sighs. "It'll take her a while to get over it, I think."
"Yeah."
I rush over with Moblit to the Titan Research Center, just as Hange walks into the area. A crowd surrounds us, but what draws all of our attention is the sizzling sound of decaying Titan bones. Once Hange gets a good look at it, she goes hysterical. "Noooo! Sawney! Beane! No… Tell me this isn't happening!"
I stand with Moblit beside her, tightening my fists in anger. Who could have done this? Who would do this? There's a traitor in our midst, someone who wouldn't want Hange to learn more about Titans. But who?
I sense footsteps approaching from behind. I turn to face Commander Erwin, who looks at the scene with dark, questioning eyes. "What do you think? Who's the enemy here?"
"I don't know, sir."
"No…" Erwin looks away, taking a moment to think on my answer, I believe. He sighs afterward, taking a step forward towards Hange. "Sorry. I shouldn't have asked you that."
I watch him leave, my confusion further boggling my mind. Commander, what exactly do you mean?
Commander Erwin is the GOAT, that's all I'll say.
