It had been an hour since they made it back behind the inner gate. When a scathing round of questioning failed to produce any fresh information, Josh, Annie, Reiner, Jean, and Bertolt were allowed to return to their unit. That was under the condition that they keep their mouths shut. Eren had yet to regain consciousness and Armin and Mikasa elected to stay with him. The "welcoming committee" had been somewhat less generous with the three of them. What was happening however, none could say. They'd been split up almost the moment they crossed Wall Rose. Nobody put voice to it, but they all had the feeling that the higher ups would just as soon shoot Eren and the others dead before listening to what they had to say. The idea that Eren had been controlling a titan body was a hell of a lot to digest.
"What do you think is going to happen now?" Josh wondered aloud.
"Who knows…I'm still having trouble coming to terms everything that's happened today." Jean's face betrayed no emotion as the five of them walked through a series of deserted side streets on the way back to the main body of troops clustered on the main road.
"Everyone is going to ask questions when we link up with the 104th again. How are we supposed to just explain away the last hour and a half?"
"We can't and we won't. Captain Woerman said if we told anyone anything, he'd have us all shot. He's the kind of officer who executes anyone who executes anyone and everyone who disobeys or questions him. The best we can do is tell our comrades that command wanted an after action report since we were the last ones out." Reiner grimaced, clearly not expecting that to hold up if anyone inquired further.
"I don't like it, but I can see where he's coming from. This has quite a few people scared and everyone is already on edge as it is. The last thing we need is for something to stir things up more." Annie brushed her hair back behind her ear. "I just hope someone has a plan in the event that panic spreads."
"The way plans have been working out today, I think we'd all be better off if we just roll the dice and see what happens next time around." Josh wasn't sure whether he was being sarcastic or not. It had been a long morning and they were all more than a little bit tired. On top of that, Josh's body was starting to ache all over again. Since he'd had to fight his way out of that titan's mouth earlier, he'd been running on an adrenaline high that was now ebbing away faster by the minute. The pain was only getting worse with each step he took; it crept into the deepest areas of his body and claimed dominion over him. Slamming into the side of your enemy's head at full speed wasn't noted for being kind to any of the bones or muscles in your body. It didn't seem to matter what your reasons were. It had only made matters worse that he had pushed himself in the time since the collision. His pace began to slow as bolts of pain quickly began stabbing him in the ribcage. It was like a hundred white hot knives were twisting themselves around inside him. He doubled over and fell to his knees on the cobblestone.
Annie quickly went to his side and began looking him over. "What's wrong, you look like you're about to collapse." There was an edge of panic in her voice that she was trying desperately to suppress. She felt as though he might up and die at any given moment, especially if death played by the "third time's the charm" rule of things.
"Don't worry about it. I just got a few bruises from earlier that are starting to hurt again; I can walk it off. " He managed through gritted teeth and shallow breaths. When he tried to stand, he fell for a second time.
"That has to be a lot more than just a few. Let me have a look at them." He tried to protest, but there was no changing her mind about it. She propped him upright and lifted his shirt halfway. His entire right side was a dark shade of purple. She ran her hand over the area, gently applying pressure to check for fractures in his ribs. Surprisingly, there didn't seem to be any, at least not any full ones. Regardless, he'd still suffered considerable damage to his abdomen. The stress of the impact could have easily resulted in him rupturing one or more organs. "This has got to be some of the worst bruising I've ever seen. You may not have broken anything, but there's bound to be both tissue and nerve damage. If you'd hit the thing going any faster your bones might have ended up inside your lungs."
"It looks a lot worse than it is. The pain isn't that bad if you ignore the occasional spikes."
"You really shouldn't be trying to play tough guy at a time like this. This isn't something you can just ignore and hope it goes away. We need to get you off of your feet and have you rest a while. Hopefully we can get you something for the pain too. Don't be stubborn about this alright? You've given us all way too many reasons to be worried about you already today." Annie eased him gingerly onto his feet and held him steady. It was obvious that he was struggling to stay upright even with her help. Reiner ended up having to support Josh as well. The sooner he was at the aid station, the better.
Back at the rally point, everyone else was anxiously wondering where Josh and the others were. Sitting still and waiting for orders gave you plenty of time to think, about everything. So many soldiers had been eaten and killed already; who was to say a few more names hadn't been added to the roll call of the dead? Christa was pacing back and forth nervously in hopes of keeping the more negative thoughts out of her mind.
"I swear to god he said he was going to be right behind me; I have no idea where he could be. I'm sure he's fine though whatever's going on." Jansen was trying to calm her down despite being worried himself.
"It shouldn't be taking him this long. What if he got stranded or worse, what if he's hurt?!"
"Relax for a second. We know he's with Annie at least, so he's probably fine. I wouldn't be surprised if those two are off getting busy somewhere. So stop pacing back and forth like that, you're giving me anxiety." Aline was lying back on top of a wooden crate.
Connie was taking a drink from his kit. "Well isn't he lucky? I suppose having two near death experiences in one day might give you some perspective on your priorities though wouldn't it?"
"Please tell me I'm not the only one who's worried about him right now?" Christa was trying not to sound hysterical.
Jansen put his hands on her shoulders and held her in place. "We're all worried about him, but freaking out isn't going to do us any good."
"I'm not worried about him. I'm not worried about any of them honestly. They're all capable soldiers. Aside from that, Josh is with five of the top ten cadets in the entire unit. Even if he drops the ball, at least some of them will have his back." Ymir still sounded like she was really bored by the whole affair. Her words of encouragement were more likely for Christa's benefit than because she believed them or even cared that much. Despite her attitude and frequent apathy, Josh had still referred to her as more likable than Jean on a day to day basis. "At least she's not an arrogant prick." Is how he'd put it at the time.
"If you all remember, he's not really in the best of shape right now. We're not even sure of the extent of the injuries he sustained this morning."
She sighed heavily before speaking. "Alright fine, if he's not back in five minutes…I'll help you look for him." Everyone's heads turned to Ymir. Aside from Christa who looked like she was about to cry, the rest of the group looked confused. "Oh for God's sake, I'm doing it for Christa. Otherwise, what's going on with Kassmeyer doesn't concern me in the slightest."
"I guess having a blackened heart is still having a heart right?" Connie said sarcastically.
Christa hugged her tightly. "Ymir thank you so much I could kiss you right now." She probably didn't realize the implications of what she'd just said. It was an unspoken idea that Ymir, as with a huge number of other cadets, had an enormous crush on the sweet little blonde girl. Unlike the rest of them however, she tended to try and claim dominion over Christa like nobody else was even worth the time of day. This was much to the chagrin of even the object of her affections.
"Oh, well you don't have to, but if you're offering, who am I to say no?"
"Ymir you're so funny. I don't know how nobody else sees it." Christa smiled sweetly. Whether she genuinely thought Ymir was joking about kissing her was anybody's guess. That or perhaps she just wanted desperately to have more friends that didn't have a crush on her. Regardless of the intentions behind it, the gesture had calmed Christa down considerably. That only lasted until Jean's group showed barely a moment later with Josh in tow and on the edge of consciousness. They laid him out on a crate and propped his head up in Annie's lap. She relayed his condition the best she was able, and reiterated several times the importance of seeking some modicum of medical care. Everyone they had asked was too preoccupied or unwilling to give them directions so far.
"So where is the aid station located; where is the hospital corps?" Reiner had been looking around for both for quite a while now.
"We don't have one and all of the available wagons have only been taking those with the most serious injuries. Anyone who wasn't dying was given a couple bandages and told to sit it out for a while." Albrecht said from under the shade of an awning. "All the doctors and surgeons that might have been in the city probably lit out with the rest of the civilians towards a safe zone a couple dozen or so kilometers behind the line." Despite the pressing need for medical personnel, who could blame them for running as far away as they could get? Many of the soldiers were of a similar state of mind. Quite a few people were understandably worried that the events of five years ago were destined to repeat themselves today. It was hard to think about anything else when there was nothing more to focus their attentions on.
"So how bad is he?" Christa asked as she sat next to Josh.
"All we know is that he's in a lot of pain and he has a bruise the color of plums all the way up his right side. He collapsed a couple of times on our way over here, so we had to help keep him on his feet." Annie ran her fingers through his short, dark hair. There was calm but deep concern in her eyes. His breathing had become slightly ragged and he winced every time he inhaled. "He must care about you a ton to put himself through this kind of hell. Josh really does think of you as his little sister."
"He cares about all of his friends; Josh has always been that way. He may act like goofy when we're all just hanging around, but when it comes down to brass tacks, he'll have someone's back always. If he's willing to do so much for me, I can only imagine that he'd brave even the fires of hell itself for you."
"Well…the day isn't…over yet…give me a chance and…I just might." Josh rasped out in between his shaking breaths.
"That's enough out of you mister. Don't talk right now, just focus on resting." Annie sighed and looked around. There were only a small number of buildings on the outskirts of Trost and none of them were likely doctor's offices. Most such services were well within the city proper and there was no getting back in there for the time being. It wasn't all that likely, but there might be something of use in one of the nearby houses; something to make him feel at least marginally less pain. "Since there isn't an aid station, we shouldn't risk moving him very much for a while. That said, we may be able to find some supplies if we scrounge around a bit. Christa, take anyone you can and look around for some morphine and ice. If you can't find any morphine, then at least the ice will help to bring down the swelling around his ribs."
"Right, we're on it." She grabbed Jansen by the arm and scooped up Aline on her way by. Ymir trotted along after her and the four of them vanished into the crowd. The rest of Jean's group found places to sit and took water. There was also a bit of bread still lying about. It wasn't much, but it would help keep their energy up a little longer.
"So where have you guys been all this time, what happened?" Connie turned to ask Jean.
"As much as it's rubbing me the wrong way, I can't go into it. Command slapped us with a gag order once we were behind the inner gate."
"Seriously, that's crazy, what in the hell for and where are Mikasa and Armin?"
"Like I said, gag order, but the officers are the crazy ones if they think people won't start talking. Word's going to get out, and when it does…well, that's if any of us live that long."
"I can't imagine what you all saw for HQ to be so worried about it."
Jean looked over at him. "Even if we could tell you, I'm not sure you'd believe us. I'm still having trouble believing any of it." Though they hadn't given much real information, Jean's words had gotten some people thinking. When people are given the bare minimum of intelligence to go on, they start developing ideas of their own. The mind can be a treacherous ground when confusion, doubt, and insecurities are allowed to run rampantly. It only takes a moment before something far worse than any possible reality comes plowing through the smoke and fire of the imagination. Such imaginings often produced fear in high concentrations; and when you have a large concentration of people in one place, fear gains a voice that can quickly generate panic. The question wasn't whether or not such fear would strike, but when it would do so. When it did, it would need to be isolated and snuffed out, or the already fragile morale holding military discipline in place would fall to pieces.
Albrecht Johannes went over this notion again and again in his head. Were it not for his friends' relative composure in spite of the circumstances, he was sure he'd have already broken down. Constantly recalling his failures that day certainly wasn't helping things either. Before this morning, he was convinced that he was someone who could lead soldiers into battle. He was by no means sure of that anymore. When they'd faced their first titans, he'd been counting on Jansen objecting to being left out of the attack plan. It had given him an excuse to stand on the sidelines and out of the fight. He was scared and knew he wasn't the only one to be so, but how could he spout platitudes about victory and duty while his best friends were doing all the fighting as he watched. How did he have the nerve to reprimand Jansen for making a decisive call to go into the fray when he couldn't? Hesitation was the greatest killer of soldiers on the battlefield. Everyone around you was put at risk if you couldn't or wouldn't do your job. Nobody had taken notice as of yet, but deep down inside, he felt like a worthless coward. Albrecht gritted his teeth and suppressed a tear as he slammed his fist into the wall.
"Everything will be okay man, you know that right?" Bertolt manifested himself.
"That's easy for you to say; you're actually worth a damn to everyone."
"Being scared doesn't make you worthless. Every single one of us is afraid and fighting to keep our fears in check."
"Oh…right…that's what you meant, of course." How could he have possibly thought Bertolt was talking about anything else? In spite of the large crowds of people nearby, Albrecht was starting to feel completely alone.
As the afternoon ground onwards, word was beginning to make its' way around the regiment that they might be going back into the city before the day was out. There weren't any concrete orders or strategies in place as of yet, but just the idea itself was starting to create whispers of concern, especially among the cadets of the 104th. Many of them had barely escaped the city the first time around and being asked to go back in was an almost unreal request.
Christa and the others had returned by this point, bearing a sparse collection of medical supplies. It had taken them some time, but the search had been fruitful. Luckily they had managed to find a little morphine, and a syringe to boot. The ice that they'd collected was wrapped up in a cloth and pressed gently against Josh's flank as Ymir drew up the medicine. When he protested about her giving the injection, the general reasoning, among everyone else anyway, was that she was the only one not concerned about hurting him on accident. She did a remarkably good job of it honestly. She was quick and clean about the whole thing; he barely even felt it. It was the first time he could think of that she had done anything nice for anyone but Christa.
"I guess you could say I've come to respect you a little bit after today. You've either got stones for days or you're insane, but you seem to get shit done when your mind is on it. Besides, kicking you while you're down just isn't any fun." She'd said when he'd asked why she'd been caring enough to do it.
"Maybe Christa is right, you're not as bad as you seem." Josh smiled weakly.
"Don't get any ideas that I'm the same kind of person as your girlfriend here. I'm just looking out for my own interests. You'll owe me for this at some point anyway."
"If you're trying to say Annie is completely soft then you've got another thing coming. She can still kick all kinds of ass thirty ways from Sunday." He laughed, wincing a little as pain throbbed inside of his flank.
"Alright sweetheart, stop talking for five minutes and relax. You can try and defend my shattered reputation when you're feeling better."
Just as the unease was starting to dissipate for a moment, the sound of cannon fire echoed in the distance. A single shot followed by an explosion. The rest of the guns on the wall remained silent. That didn't make any sense, why would there only be one; what the hell were they shooting at? Maybe it was an accidental discharge? A few hundred meters away, smoke was rising into the sky…on their side of the wall. There was so much of it, way more than even the highest level of explosive shells would have produced. The only other thing that could have made that amount of smoke and fire was…no that was impossible. It was coming from over by the water gate, the sturdiest part of the entire wall. There was no way a titan could have broken through there…right? They'd been proven wrong before though. The existence of the Colossal and Armored titans had been completely unknown to humanity until five years ago. No one could have imagined that such creatures existed. That ignorance had cost them Wall Maria and twenty percent of the human beings left on the planet. A number of soldiers were starting to panic as questions went around from company to company. Somebody had to know what was going on.
Reiner was staring off in the direction of the blast, his features betraying intense anxiety. Jean was standing next to him, fear and curiosity fighting for dominance over his thoughts.
"Is that…please tell me that isn't titan steam…not now." Had all of their efforts that day been for nothing? They had to see this for themselves. Someone had to get eyes on whatever was happening. Reiner grimaced and headed for the rooftops with his 3D gear; a bad feeling was welling up inside of his gut. Jean tried to halt his advance, but the words went unheard. He swore and took off in pursuit, Bertolt passing him on the way up.
"Something tells me that this involves you know who." Josh tried to rise from his spot, but Annie stopped him. "Hey, let me up. We have to see what's happening!"
"No, you're staying right here. You aren't in any shape to fly right now. I'll go and check things out. Christa, you make sure he doesn't move from this spot while we're gone." She kissed Josh and ran off after the others. He didn't even have time to protest any further before she was well out of earshot. If any of the rest of them had wanted to go, they didn't say.
"What did you mean just now when you said this might involve you know who?" Jansen looked down at his friend.
"Gag order, that's all I can say regrettably. Even if I could tell you, you wouldn't believe a word of it."
"You guys are all starting to sound like you work for military intelligence or something." The comment sounded sarcastic, but the look in his eyes said differently. This need to know basis junk was starting to make him feel uneasy. Jansen was nothing if not concerned by whatever was unfolding on the other side of those buildings. His friend's comment was definitely implying something big was at work here. Why was it being kept a secret from most of them? How much was at stake because of that information?
Several blocks to the east, at the site of the detonation, one look would have answered most of those questions. A thick haze covered the area at ground level, steam rising from the center of the grey murk. Jean, Annie, Reiner, and Bertolt stood about a block away on a rooftop, surveying the scene. A full company's worth of Garrison troopers were flanking the clouded plaza at a ninety degree angle; Captain Woermann was at the apex of the formation. They stood cautiously as they waited to see if they artillery strike had done its' work. As the shroud began to lift however, it was clear that the result was far from what they had intended. A face of bone with a single eye revealed itself. The partially muscled remains of a torso manifested themselves beneath the head in short order. It was slumped over with the stub of an arm outstretched above it, like it had been in the middle of grabbing something prior to its' subjugation to cannon fire. A number of the soldiers arrayed before the aberration recoiled in horror.
"What in the hell is that?" Reiner wondered aloud.
"It looks like a half decayed titan corpse. So if this is what they were shooting at, where did it come from?" Jean was tense.
"I think we're going to get an answer for that if we stick around a little while." Annie said without looking at him. Everyone had their eyes glued to the scene before them. It seemed that shadowy figures were moving around in the cloud of steam, dust, and sparks. They were inside the corpse's ribcage. It wasn't clear who it was as of yet, but there was an idea or two regarding the subject. Said ideas only gained more traction as a third figure joined them out of nowhere. Shortly thereafter, the skeletal remains began to crumble and dissolve. In the courtyard, the nervous troopers waited for some sort of command to act.
"Everyone, maintain your distance! All squads remain on full alert; the beast could strike at any time!" Captain Woermann was shouting, his voice holding a panicked edge. "Tell the artillery crew to get that cannon reloaded!" Despite his ranking as an officer, he wasn't doing a very exemplary job of staying level headed under stress. Someone from the supply team had relayed the story that the "good captain" and his retinue had abandoned headquarters in short order, leaving the frightened cadets alone and defenseless, allowing titans to swarm the building with little resistance. That decision had ended up needlessly costing a number of lives. As he rattled on with his commands, the skull of the titan decoupled itself from the spinal column and crashed to the dirt, kicking up a black cloud of ash and dust when it shattered. It wouldn't be too long before the same had become of the rest of the body. The longer the ones inside the smoke waited to act, the more likely it was that the situation would continue to deteriorate beyond any of their ability to control.
"If who I think is down there is down there we may need to act accordingly. We can't just let them be executed. If they die here, we may lose any and all hope of trying to turn all of this around." Reiner gripped his blade handle tightly. He paused when the sound of metal impacting the cobblestone echoed up from within the dark cloud. A moment later, Armin came sprinting out before skidding to a halt with his hands raised in a gesture of surrender.
"Is this supposed to be your true form monster? I'm not buying it and I will give the signal to fire; I mean it!" Captain Woermann was gesturing around erratically.
"Eren is not a foe of humanity! We're willing to cooperate with military command and share everything we've learned about his powers!" Armin looked like he was shaking.
"So, this is where they've been held up since we got back?" Annie whispered to herself.
"I've got a feeling this is about to get a whole lot more complicated." Bertolt kept his eyes fixed on the captain.
"You pleas fall on deaf ears! Eren Jaeger has revealed himself as a titan and because of the threat he represents to us all he cannot leave here alive! If you continue to insist that he is not our enemy where is your proof?!" whether Captain Woermann was angry or just scared was not yet clear.
"You don't need any proof! It doesn't matter how we may perceive him; the reports say hundreds of soldiers saw Eren in his titan form. That means they saw him fighting other titans and those that were there saw him get cannibalized by the titans as well! Don't you understand what this means? It means that the titans saw him as their prey, the same way they see each and every human being! Regardless of how you may look at it, that is an irrefutable fact!" The end of Armin's speech left a momentary gap of complete silence in its' wake. Soldiers began murmuring amongst themselves and weapons were slowly being lowered. The kid was smart, he knew what to say and how to say it exactly. His plan had saved them all in the raid on HQ two hours before. Against the odds, he was managing to convince their would be executioners of a better alternative…but not all of them.
"Prepare to attack!" Woermann's voice boomed. "Do not let yourselves be swayed by his cunning lies! The titan's behavior has always been a mystery to us! I wouldn't put it past them to assume human form and he's speaking our language in an attempt to deceive us! I…I refuse to let them continue this bearing unchecked!" Just like that, it was back to square one. Rifles were raised and cocked; swords were raised, and a bloodbath was surely eminent. The captain's fear had taken control from his sense of reason and he was keen on striking down the three young cadets.
Annie and the others looked on in disbelief, unsure if or how to intervene. If they did nothing, Eren, Armin, and Mikasa would be slaughtered. Even if they did go to their aid however, that wasn't likely to stop someone as blood mad as the captain was at the moment. If the four of them died in the process, what then? All of their friends would likely be marched right back into the meat grinder with no tactical plan to speak of, and all of their efforts would have been for nothing. That's when Armin did something completely beyond what anyone had thought he had the courage to do. He clasped his fist against his chest and began shouting at the top of his lungs.
"I am a soldier! I have dedicated my life to preserving and restoring the human race. I would be proud to give everything for such a noble cause! If we were to use Eren's titan ability and combine it with the manpower we have left, we can and will retake this city! For the glory of humanity, and with what little time I have left to live, I will advocate his strategic value!"
"Whoa, I didn't see that coming." Jean was in shock.
"Captain Woermann, this is worth considering at the very least sir. If there's even a grain of truth to his statements perhaps we…"
"Silence!" He cut off his subordinate in mid sentence and began raising his arm to signal the cannon crew to fire again.
"Damn it, he's made up his mind it looks like. We have to do something." Reiner drew his blades. "If we can cause a distraction for a moment, they may be able to get over the wall or slip away in the canal for a moment." He had turned to face them, determination in his eyes.
"Wait, I don't think that's going to be necessary, look." Annie pointed down to the courtyard. An older man with a bushy mustache had stopped Woermann's hand before he could give the order to the artillery. He spoke in a soft but commanding tone, in a way that instantly made you want to listen. This was no ordinary man however. He was one of the highest ranking individuals in the armed forces. Countless military honors adorned his uniform and a crimson sash denoted his seniority. He calmly began giving orders and sending runners to relay messages to the other company commanders. The man had wasted no time in starting to get things organized. From what it looked like he was even arranging to discuss the situation with Eren, Mikasa, and Armin. The siege of Trost was about to get a whole lot more interesting.
"Oh my God, that's the commander of the entire Garrison Regiment. That's Dot Pyxis."
When Annie and company returned to the rest of the 104th only a few moments later, word was already getting around and the battalions were forming up in the square. The officers were no doubt putting some sort of bold plan into place for the continuation of the engagement. To her surprise and chagrin however, Josh was up and moving again, ice pack still clutched to his side. He was still being stubborn. Christa was following in his wake, trying to get him to at least sit down, but he wasn't having it at the moment. Whatever was driving him today didn't want to stop.
"Kassy come on, just because the morphine is working doesn't mean you're magically healed or anything. You can and should sit the rest of the day out." Christa was sounding agitated.
"A little muscle cramp isn't getting me out of doing my job. If you guys get deployed, I'm going with you. I'm not bleeding, nothing is broken, and I'm not dying, so I refuse to sit here and be worthless while everyone else is out there risking their lives."
"We don't even know what's going on yet, maybe they plan on letting the Garrison handle the rest of this? Besides, if you're injured it's not the same thing as neglecting your post. If you drop in the middle of an engagement what would we do?"
"I…damn it I don't know. Stop worrying about things that haven't happened. I may have had a hard time of things today, but they're doubtless going to rotate units off of the line come nightfall; I can hang in until then." Josh stopped and faced her. "You told me this morning that we all had to stick together to come out of this. I put every ounce of my trust in you guys and right now I need you to believe that I can hold my own until the job is done."
"I guess she and I have both had to deal with how ridiculously hard headed you are." Annie sighed and rubbed her eyes. "Sometimes I think you're trying to worry me to death."
"Yeah, I suppose I should cut down on that. You can scold me all you want when the day is over, I promise." He kissed her cheek and gave her a hug. "I also promised you that I wasn't going to die today, come hell or high water; too many caskets have been filled already and I refuse to be added to the list of names." It sounded a little cheesier than he'd intended it to, but he said what needed to be said. It wasn't going to stop them from worrying, nothing would at this point, short of him sitting things out in the rear. He was going to catch all kinds of hell for this later, but that was for when the last blood had been split, not before then.
The cadets joined the loose formation of soldiers, whatever the plan was, it was almost time to let them in on it. Though the details hadn't yet been laid out, the majority of those present had an idea of what they were going to be asked to do. The plan, at least in some regard, involved a counterattack to try and wrest Trost from the titan horde now swarming within it. Even the best prognosis for such an undertaking was grim at best. Commander Pyxis had called his staff officers to gather so that the operation particulars could be put into action. When that was done, the personnel briefing would begin. It would take a lot to convince the already battered soldiers that reclaiming the city was not only necessary, but feasible as well. Scores of titans were milling around just on the other side of the inner gate with more coming into the city proper by the hour. The general consensus among the rank and file was that anything but a staunch defense of Wall Rose was delusional at best, and suicidal at worst. Even if they managed to drive out the titans inside the city now, that still left the problem of the enormous hole in the outer wall. It was a gaping wound that they had no feasible engineering capabilities to shore up; the whole thing would be pointless. Doubts had been mounting upon doubts since the civilians had been evacuated, and now, with this certain death mission looming ahead of them all, something was going to give. Someone was bound to buckle sooner or later, and their panic would be infectious.
"How do they expect us to do this? We don't have any equipment that could even begin to seal up the gate. If we did, that kind of construction job would still take days or weeks to accomplish. That kind of time luxury just doesn't exist." Jansen was baffled by the whole idea, not that he wasn't eager to jump back into the fight.
"Someone up top probably wants this done to get their name in the papers. This is all just a bunch of political BS that is being pushed through from the interior." Aline was more annoyed about the plan than anything else. So, was there any real purpose to sending any of them in there again? What could it possibly accomplish? They might as well drop everything and leave right now if they were throwing their lives away on the whim of some arrogant bureaucrat. Just then, someone started screaming.
"We're dead, we're all gonna die! I just want to go home and see my family!" It was coming from a few rows behind them. A nearby officer stepped in to try and silence the cries.
"Stop shrieking like a sniveling coward! Are you trying to give me the impression that you're a liability?"
"Sir, please, we're being marched off to an early grave like lambs to the slaughter!"
The officer pulled a blade from his sheath and stared down the whimpering cadet. "Are you to good to sacrifice yourself for the good of humanity, or should I cut you down right here as an example to your comrades?"
In response, the cadet pulled forth his own blade. "Do what you gotta do…I'll take it over being fed to the titans any day! I don't care what you do; I'm not going back to that nightmare!"
It had taken Josh awhile, but he figured out who it was. The one screaming had to be Daz. It wasn't the first time he'd lost it today and it probably wouldn't be the last. He was a piss poor excuse for a soldier and more than one of his comrades was probably dead because he was too scared to do his damn job. He was dealing with no worse than any of the rest of them had to, but he hadn't the composure to deal with it. His response to stress was always to panic until he was blue in the face. The biggest problem was, given the current situation, people were starting to whisper to each other in agreement. Presently, he had something of a point; you can't really blame someone for not wanting to get eaten alive.
In the midst of Daz's panic attack, more and more cadets were fracturing under the weight of their own fears.
"If he keeps screaming like that, he's going to psyche everyone out and then we're screwed; everything is going to fall apart." A female cadet stood next to her two friends.
"So, who do you think is going to have a nervous breakdown next?" one of them asked.
"I don't know, but Trost isn't the way I wanted to go out." The third girl said quietly.
"You want to run that by me again cadet?" An officer with a deep voice stopped next to them.
"I swear, I was only joking sir."
He leaned in and whispered. "Say it louder, scream it at the top of your lungs if you have to. You think everyone else is keen on going with this stupid plan? Stir up a distraction so I can get out of here." The girl started shaking.
"Sir, what's going to happen if we leave? There won't be anyone to defend the gate if the Armored Titan shows up." The first girl said.
"We're going to die for sure if we stay here Ellie! We didn't go through all of this just become fodder!" One of the girls grabbed her by the shoulders, on the verge of tears.
"We're soldiers, there was always the risk that we might end up losing our lives. If we go now, the titans will probably steamroll through the inner gate and then every last person is going to die. That sounds a whole lot worse than taking our chances here."
"Besides that, we're inside of walls, where exactly are any of you going to go?" Jean was behind her. The officer looked him dead in the face, dark shadows covering his face.
"Look man, I just want to go and see my daughter. We're all dead anyway right?"
Elise looked like someone had just hit her. "So you'd rather hide and just wait for the titans to come and devour you and your kid?"
"Jean, Elise, you're not hearing what we're saying. We lost, that's all there is to it. Trost is history and we may as well give it up." The shaking girl was starting to cry too.
"This is my home. I was born and raised here, so was my family. More than a couple of us can say the same about this place. Eventually, we're going to run out of places to light off to. I'm not dying today, but I'm sure as hell not going to just run away from everything for the rest of my life."
Elise was rather surprised by the comment. Jean, to her knowledge anyway, was always a guy that didn't care about anything but covering his own ass. Then again, he did lead the majority of them to HQ and safety earlier. Circumstance can bring out the best in people on occasion she supposed. Just a short distance away, Daz was still railing on about everyone's eminent deaths.
"Every last one of us is as good as dead, but if you're going to kill me just do it and get it over with already!" He was practically just a bundle of nerves by this point.
"Shut up, don't think I won't you damn coward!" The officer was having a hell of a time trying to calm him down.
Josh was starting to get fed up with the ramblings. "If Daz doesn't put a sock in it, I swear I'm going to kick his ass. He's been saying this kind of stuff all day and I can't take it anymore." His fingers were twitching on one of his blade handles.
"That's not going to help anything, people are already freaking out enough as it is without us killing each other over words." Christa looked back at him with something between sadness and fear in her eyes.
"ATTENNNTIONNNNN!" A loud voice boomed from on top of the ramparts and the assembled troops froze in place. Nobody talked, nobody moved. Everything had just stopped. Commander Pyxis stood silhouetted against the cerulean heavens above them. He looked like he might as well be ten feet tall, a man with a giant of a presence on the field.
"Soldiers, take note; the blueprint of the Trost recovery operation is as follows. Our primary objective will be to seal the hole in Wall Rose. That is correct, what's more, this task will be done manually." The moment he said it, jaws dropped and everyone was looking at him like he was insane.
"Seriously? That's completely impossible, we don't have the technical knowledge or gear to do it. We'd have a better chance trying to make friends with the titans." Aline glanced around at her friends and comrades hoping that someone realized that the commander was joking. He had to be.
"As for how the task will be completed, that is where this young man comes in. Allow me to present to you all, Cadet Eren Jaeger." A realization slowly crept into Josh, Annie, and the cohort that had recovered him earlier. As for the rest of the cadets, they weren't sure how to take what they just heard.
"Wait, what? Eren's alive, but he's dead right? That's what Armin said before didn't he?" Connie spluttered as he tried to fathom what he was seeing.
"Josh…do you know something about this?" Christa looked up at him worriedly.
"Just wait, things are about to get weird."
"It gets weirder than someone suddenly coming back from the dead?" Sasha's voice crackled a little as she tried to hold in her surprise.
Pyxis continued his speech. "Do not let appearances fool you, this fellow is in fact the successful product of cutting edge science. Fantastic as this may sound, Cadet Jaeger possesses the ability to fabricate and control a titan body at will." Everyone looked back at Josh and Annie, hoping for some kind of answer or explanation. Even better, someone to smack them and tell them they were dreaming.
"I know it may sound like it, but he's not kidding. Everything he's saying is true." Josh kind of looked off into space, feeling kind of awkward with everybody staring at him.
"The abnormal that was fighting right outside the supply depot…that was Eren." Annie added.
"Okay, now you're just screwing with me. It was very funny, but you can stop now." Jansen laughed nervously.
"Before you say anything else, I just want you to know that I can only take a certain amount of surprise in a given day before it overwhelms me." Aline looked like she might pass out.
"Just brace yourself, it'll be getting just a bit more intense in a second."
"If you will recall the massive boulder that lies about a league from the gate; once he has assumed his titan form, Cadet Jaeger will hoist the boulder onto his back, transport it to the hole and plug the breach. This is where all of you come in. Your job will be to defend him at all costs. Yes, you must defend a titan against his own kind!" Pyxis paused, perhaps done with his mission plan. Whispers were floating around the battalions arrayed before him, awe, disbelief, shock, you name it. How was someone supposed to take this? It was however, creating a small well of hope amongst them all. Humanity might finally have an advantage, something to stem the tide. For some of them though, panic still reigned supreme over their minds.
"They're lying! I'm not getting drawn into sacrificing myself for this crap! We're nothing but disposable tools for you people, you expect us to live and die by whatever the hell comes out of your mouth!" Daz was still in the midst of his manic episode. Now Josh really wanted to kick his ass. They had almost swayed everyone; they would've had the morale to get the operation off of the ground. Now, that hope was gone, snuffed out like a midnight candle.
Soldiers started turning to leave, first one or two, then a handful, then a score of them. Elise's two friends hurried away with the flow of deserting troopers, leaving her with Jean and Bertolt. She couldn't believe they'd just run off without so much as a second thought. At this rate, everything would just disintegrate. Half of the brigade looked like it was going to up and leave. In his own place in the formation, Albrecht was fighting down the urge to follow suit and cut out while there was still time. As long as his friends didn't see him it was okay. The only thing keeping him rooted at this point was his shame. To leave now would be the ultimate act of cowardice, the ultimate stain on his soul. A tempest of conflict raged inside him, both sides fighting for control.
Captain Woermann was taking note of the exodus of troops with increasing anger and alarm. He drew forth his swords, ready to strike down every last one of them. "Traitors, I'll kill you where you stand; treason is answered by death!" Pyxis had heard the comment and responded in kind.
"Anyone wishing to leave, will by my personal order not be charged with treason! Those who have witnessed the barbarity of a titan first hand will not be expected to revisit such horrors again! Anyone to whom this applies may leave with my blessing. Additionally, those with family and loved ones they would spare from the same horrors is welcome to leave. The crown will continue to recognize your service; thank you and good luck!" Family and loved ones they would wish to spare from the same horror…The phrase echoed around inside the heads of every one of those soldiers who had turned to leave. The vast majority of them stopped dead instantly. The weight of the words sunk into the depths of their souls. Spare their families and loved ones from the titans…spare them from the horror of being eaten alive. So much had been taken already, and now, if they abandoned their posts, everything would be lost.
"They're all…coming back? They're all headed this way again." The cadets of Squad Seven watched as the entire situation flipped completely. The eyes of those who returned were no longer shrouded in fear; they bore the fires of purpose and resolve. Fists were clenched and teeth bared, the sense of motivation was changing more rapidly than it had fallen apart just moments ago. Josh shared a wry smile with Jansen. Pyxis was a damn good at changing people's minds. Even when they were leaving, he'd had their full attention. Now it was time for the motivational part of his speech. Hundreds of soldiers, young and old, recruits and veterans all awaited his words.
"I want all of you to think back four years ago to the operation to reclaim Wall Maria. You all deserve by now to have your suspicions confirmed regarding the event. Though the government officially labeled it reconnaissance, it was little more than a purge. A thinly veiled exercise in population control, pure and simple. The citizens of the interior sustained themselves on the wholesale slaughter of the refugees that came to us for help. We all share the guilt for this; we turned a blind eye to it because their deaths allowed us to survive. Though turnabout is fair play is it not? If Wall Rose falls victim to the titan advance, the lands within Wall Sina would not support half of the people now living. If the human race is destroyed the titans will no longer be the culprits let me assure you. We will have done it to ourselves. If we don't draw the line here, it won't be drawn at all. Comrades, brothers and sisters, we carry the fate of humanity with us. If our time has come, if we must lay down our lives to secure a future for our people, then let us die here!" Those words carried with them a power that to this day, no commander has been able to match. Commander Pyxis knew the soldier's burden in his very core and he had singlehandedly galvanized the hearts of every human being within earshot.
Jansen was trembling, the anticipation of the coming action reaching a peak within him. A manic smile was growing on his lips and he spun his handles around on his fingers, the time was nigh. No more defensive engagements, no more turning tail and scattering before the foe, no more bitter defeats to mar the memory of the fallen. Now, they were going to advance. They would push the line forward, reclaiming human territory from the titans for the first time in history. They had merely resisted before, steadily losing ground to an unstoppable juggernaut, but never again.
Josh dropped his icepack into the dirt and withdrew a blade into his left hand. He eyed his reflection, and the reflection of his comrades in the face of the cold steel as the afternoon sun cast beams of radiance off of it. Every single one of them bore a look of extreme determination. He had to check a second time when the image of Albrecht presented itself in the metal. His friend slowly pressed his way to the front of the group. He had made his choice to stay and hold the line.
The words of the commander rang out in the deepest fibers of his being like beacons of redemption. This was their chance. Their chance to make good on the promise to Sergeant Tanzerin, and his chance to prove he was the leader they had all thought him to be. Only when next they faced the enemy would he truly know where he stood. He had to do this; he owed them all at least that much. He clenched his fist tightly and brought forth his weapons. Behind him, the others did the same: Aline, Christa, Jansen, Josh, Connie, Sasha, Annie, and even Ymir surprisingly. Behind them, swept up in the moment, others too drew arms, dozens of them. He marveled at the sight; it was something straight out of the hero stories of ancient times. The eyes of his comrades burned with an intensity he had not thought possible. It was now time for humanity to bite back. Albrecht cleared his throat and spoke as authoritatively as he could.
"Cadets of the 104th, we have been granted this glorious opportunity to be a part of history this day. The lives of everyone we love and the memories of everything we hold dear to us will lend us strength in the coming battle. As of this moment, the titans will no longer hold sway over the fate of mankind; this is our world! Josh, if you wouldn't mind doing the honors once again?"
"I was hoping you'd ask me that." A broad grin flashed across his features. He stole a quick kiss from Annie as he lifted his sword high into the air.
Ymir sighed heavily. "This is so stupid and cliché, but hey, why the hell not."
"I always love this part of the pep talk." Christa smiled and did a flourish with her sword.
"Brothers and sisters, men and women of the 104th, once more unto the breach, forward once more for victory…WIR SIND DIE JAGER!"
The cry was answered by the thunderous roar of scores of combined voices shouting as one. "WIR SIND DIE JAGER! We Are The Hunters!"
Up on the battlements, Dot Pyxis thoughtfully stroked his mustache and smiled thinly. "Wir sind die jager eh? I rather like the sound of that."