• Jade Covert's POV •
I kept cringing as my leg clicked and clacked, making unnecessary noises as it bent the knee joint and snapped back unnaturally. The pieces I was missing were vital to efficiency, and I wanted to go back to where my first Titan had evaporated so I could put them back. Part of me even wanted to request that someone bring me the pieces I required, but that would be selfish and unnecessary. After all, my leg technically still worked fine.
I was red with embarrassment as Commander Pixis moved over to me to study it up close. He bent down a little, and his eyes carefully scanned the complex machinery. They glossed over the main gears, and instead committed the tiny little scratches and dents to memory. His hand went forward and rested on the knee area. "What happened to you, soldier?" He asked kindly, looking up as I twisted my dial to 'STAND'.
"I was in Shiganshina District the day Wall Maria was broken into," I said simply, as a way of explanation. I didn't want to go into detail, even though he was the Commander and all. "A bit of debris crushed my leg, but my nerves were only damaged enough for me to not move it. I can feel pain and all that, but I can't move it. So, I got this to clear that up." I gestured the full length of my leg to point out the most obvious thing—the intricate weave of metal over it.
The old man wore a tired, but pleasant expression as he erected his back. "You can use ODM gear with this?"
I nodded. "I have a dial to switch my leg into certain positions, and I have one for the ODM gear, too. I only use one sword, though, since I need my other hand to work my leg."
"Impressive..." the Commander hummed, before taking a swig out of his flask and looking over the edge of the wall to see Titans clawing at the impressively resilient stones. He chuckled a bit while Eren, Mikasa, Armin, and I moved into a line, so we could speak with him with a higher manner of respect. "I guess I won't find one after all..." He looked over his shoulder with a sly smile. "I wouldn't mind being devoured, if it's by an exquisitely beautiful female."
"I guess he didn't see my Titan, then..." I muttered under my breath, earning a small snicker from Eren as I sat down next to him. He was squatting, but clearly tired. I was utterly exhausted, so I turned my dial to 'RELAX' and let myself slump over to provide more comfort to my entire body and mind.
I must have blanked out for a small period of time, because when I woke up, the Commander was talking about something completely different. "I see," he had said, facing away from us. "So, you say that all the answers lie within that basement?"
Eren bobbed his head, and I noticed he was leaning on my shoulder. "Yes," he replied. "Do you believe me?"
"As long as you yourself aren't certain, I'd say I can only keep it in mind, at best," Pixis answered, turning away from the ruined Trost District to look at us dead in the eye. "However, I believe myself capable of seeing the truth of things." He moved his hazel eyes to look at me next, before looking at each of us individually. A reassuring grin touched his lips. "I shall guarantee your safety."
All of us relaxed the muscles we didn't know were tensed, and I released the breath I was unknowingly holding.
"Recruit Arlert, was it?" The Commander asked, looking at the blonde with a careful gaze as he turned all the way around.
Armin saluted, placing a fist on his chest. "Sir!"
"Earlier, you said that if we utilize this 'Titan power', it'd be possible to recapture this town, did you not?"
The blue-eyed recruit swallowed and opened his mouth to reply when the old man cut him off before he even spoke.
"Did you truly believe that, or was it a vain act of desperation?" The wrinkles around his eyes became more visible as he narrowed his eyes scrutinizingly at Armin.
Armin looked down at the ground, unable to lock eyes with the Commander. "It was...both!" He sounded tired, too. "What I was trying to say back then was that Eren and or Jade could carry the large boulder to seal the destroyed gate while in Titan form." He looked ashamed as he looked at Eren and myself who were wide-eyed at the suggestion. "It's an idea I came up with on the spot, but I hoped the possibility to break out of this deadlock could be seen in their power."
Commander Pixis gave something that sounded a bit like a grunt, and he turned away from Armin to once again look out at all of the destruction that was Trost. The Last Ranker seemed to internally panic at this, and he began talking again at a much higher octave. "Of course, it was all a genuine attempt to survive!"
The Commander grunted again. "A genuine attempt to survive..." he sighed. He looked down and smiled as he continued. "The most trustworthy words I'll ever hear." He took another gulp from his flask, before turning around and walking over to Eren and I. "Well, Recruits Jaeger and Covert?" he smirked. He squatted down to meet us at eye-level.
"Sir?" I blinked. His breath stank of whiskey, making me lean back a little at the intensity.
"Can you seal that gate?"
I froze up at the question, and I was sure the other three at my side were stiff as a board too. "I... w-well..." My Titan had no strength whatsoever, more built for combat and speed. Eren's was a powerhouse, made purely of muscle. He could most definitely lift that boulder, but I would only be in the way, and a nuisance, at that. "I don't know," I admitted.
"We're just as clueless as the rest of us present here," Eren added, looking downwards. Mikasa gave her adoptive brother a worried and pitying look. "So, regardless of whether we can do it or not, I can't answer half-heartedly."
"Oh, that's true. I apologize," Pixis chuckled. "That was the wrong question." His eyes flashed menacingly, and I winced away. "Will you do it or not—which is it?"
"..." I shook a bit, feeling rather hopeless and useless at that point in time. But then his gaze moved to over our shoulders to look at the small town below. I followed the line his eyes made, and looked too. Eren followed my lead.
There, behind the Wall we sat upon, was a town. There, horrified cadets who had lost friends and possibly family were. Townspeople who lost their homes. Soldiers who lost their nerve. Maybe even people like me, who lost a limb. People who lost everything. People who lost their bravery. People who lost their hope.
People that I wanted to help.
Eren's hands became fists as he whirled around to look the Commander in the eye. His teal ones burned at the sight of Pixis' hazel. He glanced sideways at me, and I was struggling to hold it together. But we both turned back to him.
"I'll do it."
Pixis leaned back a bit, shocked. I looked at Eren, and bit back a sob. I was terrified.
"I'll help!" My eyes were squeezed shut, fighting back tears of honest regret and self-hatred. "I'm not sure whether I can do it or not, but I'll help!" My teeth were clenched tightly, and Eren placed a comforting hand on my back as I hunched over and tried my damn hardest not to break down crying.
What had I just agreed to?
Commander Pixis, smiling, placed a hand on our shoulders. "Well said," he grinned. "You both are quite the soldiers."
I wrapped my arms around myself, and began sobbing dryly as Eren gave me a gentle hug. The old man, however, walked to the very edge of the wall behind us to yell "Staff officers, assemble! Prepare to strategize!"
"What? Seriously?" Armin was thunderstruck at the suddenness of the action. "Calling this plan 'optimistic' would be an understatement. How can we just go ahead with it?"
"I agree with you," Eren said to his friend, looking depressed himself as he continued to try and console me. "But it's pointless to question his decision. I'm sure Commander Pixis can see something we can't.
"Something we can't see?" The blonde looked thoroughly stumped for once, and my crying slowed to just tears flowing down my face, and the occasional hiccup. I'm such a coward.
"Besides, there's probably a fundamental issue to deal with before executing the plan," the 5th Ranker added, finally removing his hand from my back. "I'm sure the Commander is fully cognizant of that."
"Which means..." Armin tensed, and looked ready to hide behind Mikasa, who'd been characteristically silent this entire time.
"The Titans aren't our only enemies..." I wiped my face free of my tears as I said that, trying to control my erratic breathing.
Before Armin could reply his thoughts, Commander Pixis strutted back over with an energy I didn't think someone his age could possess. "Time is of the essence," he said loudly. "We have a role for you to fulfill, young soldiers." Behind him stood two other Garrison members, likely his guards or something to that effect.
Twisting my dial on instinct, I stood up with a loud click coming from my metal leg. I ran my tattered sleeve over my face one last time to hide the snot and tears before putting on a brave face, the fires of determination flaring up in my soul. 'It's now or never for us. I'd better make it count.'
• Third Person's POV •
Jean was stuck inside the enormous crowd that the Commander had called. He was wedged firmly between Bertolt and another person he didn't know the name of. It was hot and humid, and Jean hated the atmosphere. He wished he was by Marco or even Connie for all he cared. Being with Bertolt, the silent giant of the 104th Training Corps, was a bit unsettling and honestly quite awkward.
The 6th Ranker listened as other cadets were complaining and quivering with unnatural fear. They were spreading rumors, ideas about why they were all lined up behind the gate into Wall Rose territory. They were loudly wailing about how it was suicide to try and reclaim Trost. But, every time someone said that word, Jean's mind would drift to the image of a sleeping face, with gleaming metal spikes replacing her once-human ears.
Then, he heard something that really caught his attention. It was Dazz, a fellow cadet who was ranked 51st in the entirety of the 104th Corps. He was well-known as a selfish coward that Krista and Ymir saved one time during training. He was worthier of the last position than Armin was, as his skills were mediocre, and his attitude was simply horrendous. However, his strategy was sometimes applaudable. But, Jade and many others truly detested him. Marco and Krista were the only ones who were willing to put up with him.
The 7th Ranker, who was nearby, was fighting to calm Dazz down with his kindness. The 51st didn't listen and instead continued to shriek and sob like a toddler throwing a tantrum.
In front of Jean, there were two girls. One of them was shaking as she said "Hey, I wonder if someone will rebel here too."
"I also want to die on my own terms," her friend whimpered, cloaked in a thick layer of cold sweat. Jean could feel her fear wafting off of her, she was so scared.
"Hey, you two!" A Garrison member with daunted eyes rushed over, his voice deep and raspy.
The blonde one stiffened, and she immediately looked at the man with tears in her eyes. "I-I was just joking!" She cried, her voice cracking.
"Do it," the soldier said, earning a confused but still horrified look from the blonde cadet.
She began to sweat more, creating stains around her collar. "H-huh?"
"Make a real scene," the Garrison man hissed, leaning in close enough to the girl that it looked like they were about to kiss. "With as many people as you can."
The girl looked ready to break down and sob as her face drained of all color.
"Many of us in the Garrison aren't in agreement too," the man continued, making Jean finally glare at him. "You'll take advantage of the chaos and escape!"
"Where would you go then?" Jean finally snarled at the trembling man. He didn't seem to get that so many sacrifices had been made for this cause. Running away would say that they were for naught.
Jean then immediately looked down at his feet, recalling a certain night of his training years. Eren's speech was composed entirely of those words—sacrifices shouldn't be ignored. He blushed for a small second, embarrassed that he was beginning to think like Eren, the delusional idiot, the suicidal blockhead.
"I'll go to see my daughter!" The man said firmly, glaring at Jean with a hatred the latter was quite familiar with. "The wall won't hold for long either, after all."
Jean sighed and looked back up at the top of the wall. He was wondering where Eren, Mikasa, Armin, and Jade were.
He hoped and prayed to whatever god that there might be that they were safe and sound. Despite previous differences, imagining life without those four was just too terrible a thought.
Pixis walked calmly with Eren and Jade, fiddling with the metal flask in one hand. "It's said that before Titans claimed dominance of the land, mankind was locked in endless bloody battles over differences in race and ideals," he said, his eyes pinned on Trost and the smoke rising from the rooftops. "Supposedly, someone then said, 'if something beyond man appeared before us as a powerful foe, mankind will take up arms together in unity.' What do you make of that?"
Jade gripped her arm and didn't say a word, remembering her father and mother telling her a similar tale. Instead, she turned a gear in her leg to make it move more smoothly. However, much to her annoyance, the clicking never stopped.
"There's a legend like that?" Eren finally asked, looking towards the Commander with a vague expression. He hummed in thought for a brief moment to think of his answer.
"I think it's a foolish way of thinking, with a bit of logic behind it," Jade answered, her eyes locked on the crushed district to her left. "This person said that mankind will unite, but they clearly forgot that these people fighting a single enemy are only human." She tilted her head forwards, letting her bangs shield her eyes from the world. "It's pathetic and uninteresting."
Eren seemed rather shocked by my response, but he spoke up afterward. "It seems rather optimistic. Doesn't interest me either, though."
Pixis then began laughing a bit. "Your characters are quite cynical, much like myself," he sniggered.
"That's because even now, when that powerful foe has our backs against a wall, it's hard to say that humanity is united," Eren explained, looking slightly on edge at the thought.
The old man shrugged good naturedly. "True, that certainly needs to change," he sighed as we walked into an area where some people stood. Cannons lined the tracks that were there, and some squad captains were talking with their troops. Some saluted the Commander at the sight of him, others pretended he wasn't even there.
Pixis didn't take note of this, as he was analyzing the two Titan-shifting recruits' personalities based on their answers. Eren was fairly easy to read; he seemed impulsive and was very focused on saving mankind, as his response was exactly like Pixis' when he was Eren's age. But Jade, the girl, was so much more complex. She was very observant, and quite cynical as well, but not to the point that Eren was. She had a different personality than Eren's for certain, because sometimes she'd be oddly cheerful before plummeting into a pit of despair and painfully bridled rage, whereas Eren remained relatively the same all the time.
The Commander was so lost in thought that he didn't even notice Squad Leader Hannes' reaction to the two recruits behind him.
Hannes' first reaction was shock. It was two of the children he saved five years ago, both of them grown-up and alive. Hannes hadn't seen either of them since they went into training, but now they were grown-up and mature.
Eren's round cheeks had faded into a razor-sharp jawline, making his appearance manlier and more commanding. His hair had remained the same, but it was a bit lighter and just a tad streakier with blonde from being in the sun for so long while he trained. His shoulders had broadened with muscle, and his sides were now trimmed instead of pudgy. But his eyes hadn't changed at all—they were still fiercely glowing with a raging fire of green and blue.
And Jade's back was straight, her posture was flawless. Her face had lost all of the baby fat that she once had as a child, making it sharp and elegant. Her eyelashes had thickened, and her eyes had changed from a raw cobalt to a deep, polished sapphire, giving her the appearance of a beautiful woman and not a naïve child. Her walk was no longer awkward and gimpy, now smooth and effortless. She was almost as tall as Eren, slim and lean from her athletic training as a soldier.
They both looked like forces to be reckoned with. Hannes' chest swelled briefly with pride.
But her ears were so strange. Gleaming like metal and jutting out like broken feathers. But then something else hit the Squad Captain, even harder, in fact; why were she and Eren walking beside Commander Pixis?
As Hannes continued to stare at the changed cadets, Eren and Jade noticed him. The brunette froze up a little as they made eye contact, but then she smiled and gave a sweet wave. But Eren wore an unhappy frown and made a few motions with his finger as if to say, 'get back to work'. As soon as Jade noticed her friend doing that too, she snickered behind her hand while pursing her lips together to avoid cackling out loud at her savior's misery.
"Hi, Mr. Hannes," Jade whispered to him with a grin. "Sorry, I can't bring you beer today."
Hannes, however, chuckled and bore a proud smile. She was happy. Something he hadn't seen from her since she lost her leg. But now...she felt joy. He didn't mind her ears. He didn't mind the creaks of her mechanical leg. He was just happy that she was happy. And, due to her joy, Hannes somehow knew that Mikasa and Armin were safe, too.
Meanwhile, Jade was flicking her dial over and over again, trying to make the clicking stop. It resulted in a slight limp, but it was a bit quieter that way. She kept following Pixis, with Eren close next to her.
The old man in front of the two teens pulled out his flask once again and took another drink from it. But then he passed it behind him. "Care for a swig?"
"Nah, I'm good, sir," Jade smirked, looking at Eren with sly eyes.
The 5th Ranker, unlike the 12th, glanced at the flask and nodded his head sharply. "Yes, sir!" He said, before taking a large gulp. His eyes bulged for a moment, and he spat out the liquid immediately. Jade, unable to control her laughter anymore, nearly fell over in a fit of giggles.
"Y-you..." she was fighting to stand up straight, with Pixis and Eren staring at her. Pixis was smirking to himself, while Eren was frowning unhappily and indignantly. "You idiot—ha ha...!" Wiping a tear from her eye, Jade forced herself to stand squarely on her feet before continuing. Her cheeks would puff out every time she flicked her gaze over to Eren.
Jean was rubbing his arm, feeling uncomfortable as time elongated further. Bertolt was still silent as ever. The two girls in front were whispering amongst themselves and whimpering. The Garrison soldier from earlier had given up on the girls, leaving to go convince someone else. But then, at the very top of the wall, a small silhouette appeared in the shape of a man with a smooth head. He could barely see the shapes of two other heads behind him, but they were too far away to discern their appearance. They appeared to be talking, but Jean didn't bother as the Commander cleared his throat.
Out of nowhere, a huge, authoritative voice echoed through the entire town. Somehow, Jean knew it was the tiny speck of a Commander perched on top of the wall. "Attention!" The old man bellowed. Everyone froze in place, stopping their words and actions.
"I will now elaborate on the plan to recapture Trost District!" He continued to yell. "The objective of this plan is to seal the hole in the destroyed gate!"
At his words, they all froze. The incredulity was evident on every soldier's face, both cadet and graduate. Marco was paused in his actions of restraining Dazz, instead overcome with shock. "Huh? Seal?" The 7th Ranker was blown away. "Is that even possible...?"
After he let his declaration sink into their minds, Pixis continued. "I will now explain how we intend to seal the hole!" His voice was booming, and no one knew how he was capable of speaking after yelling for such a distance. But, he gestured to the side to signal for the two figures next to him to step forward. Both saluted respectfully, and looked out onto the crowd. "Belonging to the Training Corps, this is Eren Jaeger and Jade Covert!"
Waves of fear and surprise rolled over the 104th Corps. Jean's teeth clenched, and his eyes widened as he noticed the overly long brown hair ending at Jade's thighs. It was much longer than her hip-length hairstyle that she'd had before she was found inside the corpse of a Titan. Eren looked the same, only he'd changed his clothes since he'd been found. Jean's hand immediately went to his chest, just over his heart as his nails dug into the fabric shielding his skin. Jade...Eren...
Connie, Ymir, and Krista were a little way away, and the 8th Ranker stiffened as he loudly cried "E-Eren and Jade...!?" From what he last knew, the 5th and 12th Rankers were supposed to be dead, swallowed and killed by Titans whilst in a blind rage. And, since they earned their information from Connie, Ymir and Krista were just as amazed by the two's unknown survival.
The Commander kept on speaking. "They are the products of successful top-secret Titan transformation research," he shouted. "They are capable of generating a Titan's body and moving it according to their will!"
Connie's eyes bulged unnaturally, and he frowned a little. "Is the Commander making absolutely no sense right now, or am I just stupid?" He asked, leaning over to the 10th and 11th Rankers to his left. Krista looked purely horrified, but Ymir seemed to be taking the information a bit more smoothly, instead staring up at her two acquaintances.
"Shut up for a bit, stupid," she scolded Connie, her gaze never leaving the cripple. 'How...'
Jade turned her head as Pixis explained the details of the plan. She wanted to know how she fit into the plan of resealing the wall, despite her Titan's lack of strength. "In his Titan form, Eren will lift the boulder in the vicinity of the front gate, carry it to the destroyed gate, and seal the gate!" The old man narrowed his eyes at the crowd below. "Your duty is...to protect him from other Titans until he's moved the boulder!"
Realizing she didn't need to be up by the Commander while he spoke, she bowed to him curtly before leaving to hear the plans from Armin and the strategists he was with. "There's no need to fight the Titans?" One of them asked in surprise.
"I-I'm sorry," the blonde apologized right away, glancing towards Mikasa, who'd been listening to Pixis but remaining by Armin's side. "It's not my place as a recruit to say anything."
"Forget that," the man said firmly. "Continue explaining."
The Last Ranker scratched his head. "R-right." He noticed Jade watching beside Mikasa but didn't mind her. "Titans generally attack in response to larger groups of people, so if we could take advantage of that and act as bait to group them close to the wall, I believe we could keep them away from Eren with minimal contact overall. Furthermore, the baited Titans can later be taken care of with cannons, preventing any unnecessary casualties. However, we can't just leave Eren unguarded, so I believe we should have a small, elite squad escort him. All that said, we cannot avoid fighting the Titans that enter through the hole. It'll be up to the abilities of the elite squad at that point."
The man with Armin nodded his head. "Okay, understood," he said firmly. "Let's replan using that as a basis."
The blonde looked right into his superior's eyes. "But this plan assumes that Eren can reliably carry the boulder and seal the hole," he argued, looking doubtful of himself more than Eren. "I'm hesitant about carrying out the plan with that uncertainty in mind."
Jade tuned that out briefly. She hadn't been mentioned once since the plan was decided. Mikasa—noticing the cripple's depressed emotions—placed a hand on her shoulder. "Are you okay, Jade?"
"Mika..." Jade used that same childish nickname, looking sad. She seemed to have been forgetting to call Mikasa that at times, earning the strong girl's attention right way. "I feel useless so far..."
The 1st Ranker cocked her head to the side. "How do you mean?"
She sighed dejectedly. "My Titan is meant for speed, not strength. I can't lift that boulder with Ren and help him out. I'm just meant to stand on the sidelines..."
Mikasa, realizing the problem, smiled a bit. A rare expression, lately. "Jade, Armin explained this a bit earlier, so it makes sense that you didn't hear about it. You might be traveling around Trost on your own and saving any other cadets from serious problems or deaths. If it becomes serious, you can transform and briefly kill the Titans there. Or, if you find it more efficient, you can stay by Eren's side and protect him alongside the elite squadron. There are other things you can decide to do, but it's all your decision. Out of everyone here, it was well-supported that you get the most freedom in terms of how to fight. Just remember that when you become a Titan, you become a beacon for other Titans."
Jade, her eyes wide from the sudden force of responsibility shoving down on her shoulders, shuddered uncomfortably. "W-why...would they give me...a Titan-shifter...freedom...? Y-you saw it yourself...they don't trust me...You saw those looks in their eyes..."
"And those looks will change after this," the 1st Ranker sighed, looking slightly relieved. "Now, just make up your mind over what you're going to do, and Armin will let everyone know. Just...make sure you consider yourself as much as everyone else. I know how you think, and I want you to think strategically about how valuable you are." And with that, Mikasa turned and went back to listening to the plans, leaving Jade shivering in her place.
Jade bit her lip and looked around with a trembling form. "E-excuse me?" she reached out and tapped the arm of a passing Garrison soldier. He turned and froze up when he saw her ears. "D-do you have a rag or something that I can use?"
Nodding too hurriedly to look natural, he pulled out a polishing rag from his pocket before walking away at an abnormal pace. It was clear that he was frightened of Jade, and she exhaled softly because of it. "...Sorry to bother you..." she murmured to the air, now that the man had left her. She twisted the dial on her leg to allow her to sit on a bow nearby, and she began to wipe down her leg and try to repair the unbearable clicking it had been making.
She rearranged the gears when suddenly, a silver haired Garrison woman wearing goggles knelt before her. She had an unpleasant expression, like nothing would ever make her smile. She held out her hand, and Jade blinked at it for a few awkward seconds. "I'm Rico, one of the people charged with protecting your friend, Eren Jaeger."
Blushing, the 12th Ranker took her hand and shook it embarrassedly. "S-sorry!" She apologized with a weird grin on her own lips. "I'm Jade Covert. What do you need from me?"
Rico stood up and straightened her back before pointing at my metallic leg, which I was unconsciously still wiping down. "I heard you need parts to fix that leg of yours. Describe what pieces you need, and I'll try to have them delivered here before we begin to clear out Trost."
Jade's brows furrowed, now more serious. "How will you get them here in time?" She inquired, knowing full well that those sorts of rush jobs resulted in many mistakes.
"We have our ways." For a brief second, a smirk touched Rico's lips. "Now, what parts do you need? Regardless of what you plan to do in this strategy, if you lose your mobility, you would have to resort to your 'Titan powers'."
Knowing the truth behind her words, Jade checked the leg swiftly with her eyes, looking to see what was missing and or broken. "I'll need a wrench, some oil, a knife..." The mechanic listed a number of items, like leather and an assortment of gears. Rico nearly looked overwhelmed, but Jade paused before it was beyond her memory. "Got all that?"
The silver-haired elite nodded her head. "I'll be right back with those." And she walked off. Jade watched after her for a bit before rubbing at a small spot behind her knee with the rag and beginning to think.
She couldn't be with Eren, since that would draw away too many Titans. Joining the soldiers who were acting as bait wouldn't be efficient either, since they would certainly be more distracted, not to mention it was suicide for her. She wasn't skilled enough to work with the elite squadron in protecting Eren, and would likely only get in the way. And god knows she would never hide from battle.
So, with a final idea in mind, Jade found herself smiling. And quietly made her way over to Armin, who smiled too.
hi
how ya doin
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