Chapter 21: The Female Titan.
"AT THIS MOMMENT MANKIND STARTED TO STEP FORWARD! THE 57TH EXPEDITION COMMENCE!SURVEY CORPS!ADVANCE!"
Cried powerfully Erwin. Afterward ,the survey corps galloped through the gate ,the scene was glorious to everyone around like a best painted carpet.
At an back alley ,Nile Dawk watched the caravan with a pittifull eyes.
"The lady won't be happy."
"She won't mind" Nile was startled by the voice behind him, it was the young bald John Ingham,the Beta of the Wolfpack. "Everything went out as planned."
"But the boy…"Exclaimed Nile. "He'll be put in danger"
The beta removed his glasses and calmly calmed down the commander
"With his feat back in Trost ,I don't think you and I should be worry for the boy's well being."He took a handkerchief to clean the pair of glasses he remove before putting them on "What you should be concerned about is the boy's paper work. Is it done?"
Sweats started to poured out of the commander's face as he answered to the Top Beta "It…It's almost done."
Despite the answer to be unsatisfactory ,John Ingham managed to remain his calmness. "I implore to make it fast,and remember that the boy is out of wedlock."
"Sure, Mr Ingham."Answered Nile . "I'm not forgetful"
Without a reply Ingham simply walk backward and slowly dissapeard to the dark corners of the alley to Nile's relief.
After the Survey Corps rode through the gate of the Karanes District ,they rumble across the rubbles of an old town in Wall Maria. At this moment , Gohan sensed the familiar malicious energy not just one. By his unconditional instinct he jumped and step on his saddle, blades ready. The monkey boy shrieked as Levi grabbed his tail and pull him back on his saddle.
"Are you stupid or something?Those are for the supporting squads."Said Levi as Gohan sensed other ernegy with less power covering the Titan's. Gohan could see it in Levi's eyes,he could sense energy too.
Gohan frowned and continued to ride onwards,the said support team would only able to cover the advancing force in the old town ,after that they would be on their own. He wish that he could do their job,to all the time during the expedition.
"Ouro ,sir."Asked Eren "Do you think that the other recruits can defeat the Titans?"
The only thing the old soldier could do was to frown and answer the rookie "What you and Gohan been doing these whole months."He continued "With or without Gohan's destructive training ,the integrity of the mission is depend on how well you able to avoid fighting the Titans. Not that the tail freak would compre….."He was interrupted as the horse which he rode step on a rock which made him bit his tounge.
As soon as his force stayed clear of the old town ,Erwin Smith commanded: "Initiate the Long Range Scouting Formation."
Afterward ,The formation take form as the caravan spreaded out in a half circle formation facing forward with all the member in distance with eachother but still in sight on one of other. The formation would extend the communication line and scouting range as wide as possible. The scout in the first row would encounter and signal the rest of the formation with red smoke and those who seen it would do the exact same thing. Commander Erwin Smith,by seeing the signals,would shoot up green smoke to direct the collum ,thus avoiding the Titans. On the other hand,some obstacles would obstruct the vision of the scout to observe Titans. This only worked with normal Titans with predictable behavior.
Armin Arlert shot up black smoke when he saw one,indicating an abnormal Titan on its way. Abnormals were dangerous since they ignored the scout in the outer ring and went straight to the center. As soon as he shot the flare ,two scouts emerge from the woods with an abnormal Titans behind them.
"Only against unpredictable abnormals should we engage in combat" Said Ness as he chased the Titan. "Damn ,we have to deal with this. Shis,you take its nape." Commanded the sergeant to his comrade.
"I got it!Roger that!" Responded Shis.
"We don't have any chance using the ODM gears in flat area."Sergeant Ness unsheaved his blades "Next is Arlert isn't it?"He stood on his saddle "Can't have the rookie face this,let go!"
He shot the hook into the titan before leaping and sliding on the ground and swilfly cut its tendon. The titan fell onto the ground just before it got its nape cut open by Shis under the command of the sergeant.
The horse Charlotte did not forget her rider ,she return herself to him.
"Oh ,Charlotte you come back for me." He mounted on her and rode away "Oh ,I love you Charlotte!"
Before Shis and Ness could go any further they disturbed by the movement behind them,a feminine appearance Titan who came with greater speed than before ,almost crushing them.
"Well luck is not on our side when we have to take two at a time."Said Ness,pulling out his swords. "Shis let's do it again"
Shis shot up his hook onto the tItan before busted into the air and got kill with one swipe of the titan hand which went the same with Ness. The Titan grabed his wire before threw him to the ground. After killing the two seasoned veterans the Feminine Titan went to Armin direction.
'
Levi Ackerman found the energy sensing rather disturbing than helpful, to describe how the ability was like was that it made him felt like people staring at him with heat came with the gaze . And, the more powerful and/or evil the object was the hotter the heat. He hated it more than enjoyed it, it make him sensed unnecessary individuals' ki. Right now he felt every different people, animals, Titans, even plants and "It"-The most disturbing energy he ever sensed, at a distance. It must not just be an abnormal Titan,it must some thing much more powerful .
"Please tell me you feel that one too."Said Gohan as the squad were riding. "Captain Gin…Levi."
"Wait,feel what?"Asked the squad
"Yes ,I do"Answered the captain .He started to reach further his ki sensing like to find some thing. "Gohan,you go find Erwin ,he must be some where over.."
"I found him"Interrupted Gohan "Nimbus!Accelerate!"
The white horse speedened himself as he carried his rider out of the squad formation. The squad with the excetion of Levi gaped as they watched Nimbus and Gohan disappeared in the distance.
"Okay ,cap'."Said Oulo "You may or may not answer my question but what the hell was that?"
And now he had to explain everything.
"It's a part of Gohan training's result,now I can sense energy, my own and everything else's."
Everyone gaped in response once again ,how could they exclaimed Gohan traing came with no result when their captain had an ability no one believe to exist.
"What about Erwin?"Asked Eld
"That's a question I won't answer?"
The blonde genius rushed both the horse he was riding and the spare one he was leading right at the moment the Female Titan shifted its attention to him.
"No, no, no, it's not just a simple abnormal."chain of thought flowed through his mind "It's Intelligent,like the Armoured,the Colossal and Eren. It must be a person in a Titan body."
The boy keep rushing his horses ,running for his life,wondering what was the person 's identity and their intention. It was until he realised that the horse he was leading was slowing him down,for the sake its life and his,he decided to let it it was too late,the creature was right be hind him when he released the animal,almost stomped the horse to death. The creature rose its leg above him and stepped on the ground in front of him as it leaped. The shockwave killed his horse and sent Armin to the ground.
Adrenalin kept him from the pain but not the fear where it came from. Armin Arlert felt the cold fingers of death clutching toward him ,he was silent as it did so. The hood he was never knew that he had put on slowly lifted as he saw the malicious grin of the Female Titan. And, to the boy surprise ,the Titan stood up and strided away.
"What's just happened?It didn't kill me."Thought Armin ,watching the creature went further to the horizon "It just lifted my hood and went away"
"Armin !"The blonde heard a voice of another blond with horse hooves and neighs,it was jock rode toward Armin's direction leading another horse. "Hey can you stand,or you've forgotten that you can not survive out here without horses?"
So the young Armin Arlert stood up and walked toward the horse Reiner gave him until he was close enough to mount it.
Going South, Gohan knew he going somewhere he might called 'home' . The forest with the giant trees might have certain treehouses of his scatter around it. He built them around for commodities of himself and gather supplies for his outdoor live and to protect others from him. But now it seemed that the people needed him to be with them than otherwise.
The monkey boy sensed human energy became more powerful as soon as he rode in the forest. They all surrounded him with surprise came with them. The scouts did not know about Levi plan for Gohan when they saw him,except for one.
"Gohan"Erwin voice appeared as he rapeled down to Gohan,making the boy to stop.
"What the hell are you doing?"Said Ilse as she descended from a tree.
"He did things accordingly to plan,Langnar."Said Erwin,before turning to Gohan "Dismount before you follow me."
The boy dismounted,the commander turned around and shot up a pair of hooks before realease the gas that make him ascended and Gohan followed. They soared through the woods until Gohan saw a tree house,his treehouse.
"We should wait here until they come."Said the commander.
"Who,sir?" Asked Gohan.
"Your squad."Said Erwin "You'll get to protect them. I will brief you."
The Female Titan either unawared or ignored its pursuers,Reiner and Armin,the creature just simply kept running to a certain direction like it looking for something,or someone.
"I saw the signal of an abnormal."Said Reiner "Is that is,one with nice curves?"
"It's not mere abnormal. It is a Titan with a human inside its body"Answered Armin.
"What?"
"Wait ,I have to shoot the flare."Said Armin as he struggled to find an yellow flare to signal ermergency of an objective failed "I have to notify them about the situation"
A gun shot stattled the two making them to look behind,it was Jean who already shot the said flare.
"Wait up,Jean already did so."Said Reiner.
And then another ,then many other yellow flares shot to the sky.
"It 's the right wing."Said Reiner who witnessed "They have so many casualty that they cannot go on."
"It seems that most of the scouts in the right wing got wiped out. The Titans Attacked all at once."Said Jean who kept up with the two "The scouts' number only barely hold them back ,but they can't recon anymore."
"It could be leading the Titans"Indicated to the Female Titan Armin did.
"That thing ?" Asked Jean "Is that an abnormal ."
"No."Said Armin "It's a human in the Titan'sbody. Just like Eren."
"What make you think that?"Ask Reiner.
Armin Arlert explained everything. Why he think the Female Titans was a shifter. How the Titan killed Ness and his comrade. It did not intent to eat,it intent to kill. Most Titans would just eat people because that what they did. When the Titan's nape was threatened it stopped inoring the scouts and killed them.
"I also believe that when the Colosal and the Armored Titans destroyed the gate,that thing guided the other titans througnt the gate "Finished Armin "They worked together to destroy mankind. Or that it was lookin for some one,must be Eren….and/or Gohan"
"Gohan and Eren?They on the right wings with Levi squad right?"Asked reiner.
"What?My notification said they're on the left rear."Said Jean.
"My notes said they're at the right front."Said Armin. "But no way they'd put Eren in the front line."
"Where would he be?"Asked Reiner
"Some place close and safe must be in the rear center"
"No tIme for smart talk ,Armin. That thing is killing us if you two don't notice."Grimaced Jean as he rode. "It only matter of time before that thing reaches to other squads and destroy them. What we need to do now is to distract the damn thing,at least giving others time to run away ."
"No,it's intelligence. We're just mere vermins by its view"Protested Armin "It will crush us without question."
"What have you done to our Jean?The one who only think for himself?"Asked Reiner
Jean though about Marco death and others' and also how he save life back in Trost. He no longer the selfish Jean known by Eren and his friends but thanked to Gohan ,he's someone else. The old Jean would just join the Military Police and let it be,this new Jean had joined the Survey Corps and offered it his heart.
"Because god damn the monkey boy ,Gohan. That bastard's made me rethink about my decisions in live and acknowledge my duty. I joined The Survey Corps with the same reason he did,to save lives."Answered Jean "The people who had have fallen,I mustn't let them down. Just let me do what I've signed up to do,okay? "
Stunned he was, Armin,then boy reassured himself be for put on his hood,covering his face.
"PUT ON YOUR HOOD! Pull it down!It won't risk killing you until knowing for sure who you are."he said.
"I get it!"Giggled Reiner "It won't risk killing anyone who might be Gohan"He put on his hood,following Armin "Well that's 's hope that creature doesn't have good eyes."
"Armin ,I thought it was pathetic how you constantly following Eren,"Said Jean while covering his face with his hood "but I fucking know you had it in you."
"Thanks,but the pathetic part was still mean"Said Armin.
"Is it done?"Said a female voice . She sat in her desk ,her face was unable to be seen due to the lack of light in her corner.
"Almost,my lady. You insisted the document to be detail."Said Ingham as he fixing his glasses. "It'll take more time than we expected."
"It must be done before they get back."Lady Winter sipped her tea before speaking "Before full moon"
The lady ,Winters owned most if not all humanity's industry and service. It would may due to her skill in business and sometime her thuggish Wolfpack doing dirty work behind the scene. She was hated by many,like by few,so now she need someone nice to work for and with her,a hero ,an angel. The person had high possibility to be orphan thought constantly confirmed to having a mother. So maybe all she need to do was to get the boy to reunite with his mother and he will be hers .By doing so she would have support from the populace and political gain.
"Then if we have boy,can we go take back our home,my lady?"Asked Ingham.
"Soon,Jonathan,Soon"Said the lady.
Her home land was a far ,far away land from outside of the walls,it was modern and clean. Until there was no one to defend it,it had been taken away by some pirates. She brought Ingham and the Alpha to the Walls before eventually raised herself a force of 50 strong men and women and rose to power. Her goal was to train enough troops to take back her home.
Gohan was meditating in his former treehouse when he sensed the showdown in the distance. Three lesser power levels splitted up before they approached the much greater one. What ever this greater power level was, it was 110 atleast,his father's old power level when he was young,it was not something good. He could sense that the malicious power level became aware of the lesser ones. One lesser power level attacked the creature ,but the creature did something to evade it. He thought the scout energy would dim but it didn't,some how he managed to survive.
The massive energy attacked an other smaller one ,Gohan could felt his pain as the scout fell over from his horse. The other scout seemed to tried an another attempt ,but then fail when the creature did something,covering its weak point perhaps. This creature was only less than a second before countering the attacker and kill him before it stopped.
It appeared that the creature was distracted by something. Then suddenly the third lesser energy came to the fray and attacked the creature. But,as sudden as its appeared,it stopped in mid air and stayed there for a while until it break free. The scout collide with the weakest energy and seemed to carried him away. The three lesser energy then became more distance to the massive one,then the massive one changed it direction to Gohan's.
It would be here soon enough and it was his mission. Mikasa and Levi could kill this Mystierous Titan provided with a lot of effort . Gohan on the other hand would do it easily. But to stalling it wih out killing take enough of skill not to be killed in the process . So it was him who could do the job,if he had not came to this world,Erwin would just sacrifice all the scouts he had if he had to.
"It's coming."Said Gohan as he stood up. "It's the matter of time before it got here."
"Good! Just as planned."Said Erwin before went to Ilse . "Load the Harpoons."
"Yes, sir"Saluted Ilse before she headed out "Mike,LOAD THE hARPOONS!"
"Remember your objective,we need it alive to know who inside of it"Said Erwin "Just keep it out of Levi squad until it get to our trap"
"Yes sir "Gohan saluted.
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Next chapter:The Forest of Giant Trees