Chapter 25: Wall
Disclaimer: I do not own Shingeki no Kyojin
Previously: Connie makes poop puns. Erwin has changes in mind for the future, including Mikasa's induction into Squad Levi. The group gangs up on Eren for his lack of action.
"What choice do we have?" Mikasa stood, looking over her shoulder.
The dead bodies of Squad Levi and Eren's mother's death flashed on the screen.
"The world is a cruel place!"
Eren's eyes widened, fully alert. I'll annihilate her. Gritting his teeth, blood squirting everywhere, he began to pull himself up. No… I'll kill her! He screamed.
Lightning crashed down to earth.
Some of them squealed in excitement.
"On that day, humanity received a grim reminder," Candy narrated. "They lived in fear of Titans, disgraced to cower within the cages they called Walls."
The Female Titan stood still.
You're about to get it now. Hange giggled gleefully.
The ground shook and the Scouts turned to look.
Windows shattered as Rogue ran by.
The Female Titan turned, getting a fist in the face by the screaming Rogue Titan and sent back into a building.
That was very satisfying watching a second time. Petra thought.
"Eren!" Armin called out, flying through the air.
Jean watched from atop a roof.
"Eren?" Mikasa lifted her head, lying on the ground.
Rogue's lone eye glowed green as he steamed, a low growl coming from his throat.
"That is so HOT," Hange moaned.
Levi made a sound of disgust and the others giggled.
Eren wondered if he should feel flattered but mostly he was just uncomfortable.
The inside of a church appeared with the image of the three goddesses.
"Ugh," Connie rolled his eyes.
"Let us pray for our three goddesses: Maria, Rose, and Sina. For their continued well-being…" A pastor spoke, with two others dressed in the same black robes beside him. He addressed the congregation standing in a circle before him. "And for our peace and safety…"
"Why do we have to watch this?" Christa looked irritated. She wanted to watch Eren fight.
Pastor Nick stood with his eyes closed, arms out. "You must not doubt the sacred Walls! The gleaming Walls, bequeathed to us by God, will grow stronger through our faith and devotion."
Everyone was wearing the golden necklaces representing the goddesses.
"Is it rude for me to hope they all get crushed?" Mikasa muttered.
"Yes," Eren replied. "But it's kinda their fault for being so annoying."
"An innocent heart…"
"Anyone hear that?" Jean leaned forward.
"…wholly devoted to God…"
Everyone followed his motion. The could faintly make out some rumbling in the distance.
"…offers ours only protection!"
"Are they seriously deaf?" Sasha said as the rumblings became audible.
"Our only hope…"
"How do they not hear that?" Christa said incredulously.
"…of keeping them at bay—"
Suddenly, the Female Titan came crashing in.
They jerked slightly, startled even though they'd half been expecting it.
Mikasa winced, feeling an iota of guilt. She hadn't truly wanted them to die.
"They were annoying and foolish but they were innocent people," Petra said.
"It's an unfortunate part of war but innocent people die," Erwin said.
The commander's words made them somber as the full meaning of what he meant sunk in.
A battle between Titans. Levi disliked what was about to happen, even if he wanted to see the Rogue Titan put his squad's killer in her place. How many civilians will get caught up in the chaos?
A troubled look crossed Eren's face. In a purely logical way, he knew it was in everyone's best interest to engage her in combat and defeat her. But the thought of civilians being caught up bothered him. Like Armin said, sometimes you to become a monster to defeat one. He would hate it but it was a necessity. We already tried a plan without putting them in danger. Eren thought grimly. It was a burden he would have to shoulder.
Outside the church, the Rogue Titan stood, exhaling steam.
Pastor Nick opened his eyes, arms guarding his head. His eyes widened at the sight of the Female Titan lifting her head. "A Titan? How'd it get here?"
Snuck in through the gate. Erwin thought. We have those kinds of enemies now.
The Female Titan sat up, jaw steaming. She looked down at the bodies beneath her hands, vacant-eyed and lying in pools of blood.
Maybe there's some decency in her after all. Not that Hange planned to take it easy on the Shifter once she had her in her clutches. But I might feel a little bad about it.
Rogue charged at her.
They couldn't quite will up that thrilled feeling from minutes earlier and get as pumped up, knowing the two of them battling it out in the middle of the city was going to result in the deaths of countless civilians.
The Female Titan stood. "No!" Pastor Nick watched her run. "Stay away from the Walls!"
"Gotta hand it to him for not turning into a total chicken at the sight of a Titan," Sasha admitted. "I can't believe he's still worried about the Walls at this point."
"He's nuts," Ymir said.
"Fanatics," Connie agreed.
"Our Walls!" Pastor Nick turned to see Rogue rush by, the force sending him tumbling backward.
Many pairs of running feet appeared along with the sound of terrified screaming.
Civilians on a wide road watched as Rogue gave chase to the Female Titan. He brushed by a building and they began to scatter. Inside a home, a woman fell and a man grabbed a cupboard as Rogue passed by, causing the ground to shake.
The Female Titan continued to run and Rogue pursued.
Three Scouts landed on a building the two Titans raced past, observing them. "Looks like he's retaining control this time," Hange spoke.
"Yes. Even so, Eren's never been able to defeat the Female Titan before."
Eren knew Armin was only stating a fact but it still stung.
Hange turned to look at Armin.
"Since he chose to transform, I think he's ready to fight her for real," Jean said.
"Do my ears deceive me or is Jean kinda defending Eren and saying he believes in him?" Ymir said, amused.
"Don't get used to it," Jean said.
Armin looked at his best friend. "I didn't mean to imply you're—"
"It's okay. I know."
"He won't go down so easily—"
"Willpower alone cannot win battles!" Armin interrupted. "You of all people should know that, Jean. Defeating Annie will require much more…"
Rogue continued to chase the Female Titan.
"An open area!" Two Scouts landed on a roof and observed the area that lay ahead, "The Female Titan's headed out into the open!"
"We can't use our 3D maneuver gear there!"
Hange landed nearby, "Split into two teams and go around!"
"Roger!"
Armin and the other Scouts took off.
On the ground, two civilians in an alley panicked, screaming as the Female Titan ran by and sent them flying back.
He's like a rabid dog. Erwin hoped Eren's instincts took over and eliminated the threat, a Titan, the things he vowed to end once in for all. We can't even engage her much less defeat her on level ground.
Meanwhile, the MP struggled to put on their gear.
"C'mon, c'mon, c'mon!"
Shadis would eat them alive for fumbling around and taking so much time. Jean thought.
"Son of a bitch! Where'd they come from?"
The soldiers yelled out and scrambled out of the path of the two behemoths. The Female Titan turned, sliding back, throwing out an arm into a building to slow her momentum. Several soldiers without gear fell out.
The two Titans stood facing each other, staring the other one down.
Annie, always so cynical… Rogue glared.
So he's still in control. Erwin thought.
Flashes of Annie during the trainee years appeared. "Like every little thing around you was pointless. Nothing worth a second look."
The Female Titan pulled up her arms, getting into a fighting stance.
"Every now and then, though, I could see through the act… Especially when you were showing off your fighting skills."
Annie stood in the same position and attacked Eren. "You said such skills were pointless in this era, but I could tell deep down, you didn't believe that."
Rogue stood in a fighting stance as well. But I just figured you were a shitty liar… Tell me, Annie… What are you even fighting for? What could possibly be worth all the lives of those people?!
Armin wondered the same thing. What kind of a danger could we possibly pose? What could Annie's side gain from killing the people of the Walls? He could not think of another reason for attacking a group of people out of nowhere. Especially after a hundred years of one side not even knowing the other existed.
I can't imagine our territory is larger than theirs. They could have more resources because they could expand. Surely it couldn't be that, could it? Maybe it's hubris, he suddenly thought. Armin considered that for a moment. Her people wanted to prove themselves superior and gain control of more land. If humans outside the Walls were anything like humans inside the Walls, it didn't at all outlandish.
And we posed little to no threat to them until Eren. Armin's brow furrowed. Until Eren got his powers. From his dad. Where did Grisha get the serum? His eyes widened at the most obvious answer. Could Eren's dad have been one of them? Lightning fast, thoughts flashed through his head. Maybe Grisha stole it for whatever reason—and Armin could imagine it was a powerful weapon—and they wanted it back. And that could be why they need Eren alive. Did everything that had happened in the past five years occur because Annie's people were trying to flush out the traitor who stole something priceless?
Eren's dad didn't use the serum until after they breached. Armin tried to make sense of it but it was difficult to make everything fit together. Why did he do it? Why come here? And how did a human cross Titan territory?
Countless thoughts, questions, and assumptions rose in his mind. He had a feeling he was missing a lot of clues and pushed the thoughts out of his mind for the time being. He was interested to pick Erwin and Hange's thoughts about the various theories running around in his head.
Rogue surged toward her, throwing the first punch. The Female Titan blocked using a crystallized elbow, the resulting force causing damage to the buildings around them. His fist slipped downward and he stumbled forward slightly. She attempted a kick but he crossed his arms, blocking, before latching onto her leg. Picking her up, he threw her above a building behind him.
It's a flying Titan! Connie snickered to himself.
The Female Titan crashing back into a tall building, sliding down, leaning against it. Rogue charged through the building between them, arms out, and she hastily moved out of the way.
"Whoa!" Hange gasped.
Eren's frown deepened.
"What on Earth?"
Scouts watched the destruction from rooftops.
"Squad Leader," Moblit said, "I hate to say it, but the city'll be debris and corpses even if we manage to catch her."
"We're doing this regardless," Hange replied. "Erwin's decision is final. Be ready to capture her."
Armin listened to them silently.
"Right."
Mikasa pushed off the ground, sitting up. "Eren…"
"We didn't sign up for this." Hitch stood next to Marlo.
They're finally getting a proper dose of reality. Levi thought.
"Why are there Titans fighting in the streets?"
"What's going on here?" Marlo said, confused.
"Titans fighting each other?" Nile and his subordinates stood surrounding Erwin, rifles aimed.
"Yes, sir."
"The city's collapsing like a house of cards. It's just it's horrifying. Casualties are mounting, both civilians and military."
Gritting his teeth, glaring furiously, Nile held up his rifle. "Erwin! Was this your plan all along?"
Erwin was rather curious to see what his old friend would do now.
"That's right." Erwin stood calmly as fleeing, screaming civilians in a different part of the city were crushed by rocks. "I acted entirely on my own authority. And I offer no excuses."
Damn, he's got some serious balls. Ymir thought.
I'd be so pissed. Jean figured he'd probably punch Erwin if he were in Nile's place.
"Why are they all there?" Christa spoke up. "One man and one rifle are all you need. Shouldn't they be focusing on the bigger issue at hand and try to do something about it instead?"
Mikasa snorted. "They can't do much."
"They're not even trying though," Petra said.
"So the Military Police is not dealing with the real problem and fucking around somewhere away from the danger, sounds about right," Levi rolled his eyes.
Nile lowered his weapon and grabbed Erwin by the collar. "You knew what would happen if you executed such an operation within the city! You son of a bitch! Why? Why would you still do it?"
Clouds blew in the wind, covering the sun and casting a large shadow on the destruction.
"For humanity…" Erwin's voice was heard.
A blonde-haired little girl walked down the street, tears pouring down her cheeks, eyes wide and dazed.
They watched with stoic expressions.
"…to lead us to victory."
"Bullshit!" Nile aimed the rifle at Erwin once again. "You're nothing but a traitor! I should kill you right here and now! None of the higher-ups would even give a shit!"
Levi said nothing, only watching the exchange, arms crossed.
"Fine by me. However," Erwin said seriously, "you'll need to assume command."
Nile let out a surprised sound, lowering his rifle slightly.
He can't do it. Armin thought.
"That's pretty clever," Ymir said. "Because he obviously doesn't have the balls to shoulder something like that."
"The Female Titan must not escape. Paehl's in charge of formations. Vyler oversees supplies. Work with them closely, and push her to the eastern Wall at all costs—"
"H-Hold…" Nile threw out his hand. "Hold on!"
"Let me take notes," Connie joked tentatively, earning a few chuckles.
"Do…do you really…"
An image of the city burning and smoking in several areas appeared.
"…believe this is for the good of us all?"
"I have faith it's a step forward."
A bead of sweat rolled down the side of Nile's face. Finally, he closed his eyes and brought his rifle down. "Everyone, lower your rifles. Place this man under arrest."
"Sir!"
"Deploy all troops immediately. As of now focus on rescuing and evacuating civilians."
"Yes, sir!" The soldiers quickly ran down the street.
"Finally."
"About time."
"Took him long enough."
"Erwin, I hereby wash my hands of you and leave you to the high court."
Two MP soldiers finished handcuffing Erwin. "I'll accept their judgment. Thank you, Nile. Levi," the commander turned to Levi as he began to follow the other soldiers, "for now, stay here. You dislike unnecessary deaths, don't you?"
"Yeah. I hate it. It's truly loathsome, no matter who dies."
He surprises me again. Jean had expected the man to have similar views to the commander. That people died, it was just how it was.
Armin, Jean, and three other Scouts flew toward the two Titans, landing on buildings near them. If you're not willing to make sacrifices yourself, Armin's expression was severe, you'll never be able to change anything!
Rogue and the Female Titan prepared to square off once more.
"To rise above monsters…"
Rogue moved first and she crystallized her right shin.
"…we have to abandon our humanity."
To what extent though? Sasha wondered. How far would they have to go to protect themselves from this threat? We're letting two Titans brawl in a city that's not even close to being fully evacuated. At what point would they become just like the people they were fighting? If we keep going down this road there won't be much difference between us.
The impact of her kick connecting with his leg torn it off his body and sent shockwaves through the streets.
"That's certainly something Annie can do."
She's doing what she has to for her side, Hange glanced at Eren, he's gotta learn to do the same.
Rogue still charged at her on one leg, connecting his fist with her face and sending her skidding back, before falling to the ground.
"Annie…" Annie's father knelt before the young blonde-haired girl.
"Annie!" Her father's voice rang through her head as his face, covered by shadows, flashed through her mind. The Female Titan's eyes turned cold.
A worried look crossed Petra's face. Now she'll be attacking to get back to her father instead of just escaping to live. She could imagine reuniting with her family was going to be a more powerful motivator than anything else.
So used to killing mindless Titans whose only purpose was to kill, it troubled her slightly to have an enemy like this. Petra couldn't forgive the Female Titan for killing her comrades but the thought of the little girl at same the refugee camp as Eren and his friends weighed heavily. She was a child sent off to war.
Rogue, crouching on the ground, pushed off but was met with a powerful right kick. Hange and the others braced themselves against the resulting force. Rogue had caught her leg between his jaw, several teeth missing.
"Damn," Levi muttered.
Crazy bastard. Jean could feel his teeth ache just at the sight of it.
Crystallizing her right fist, the Female Titan brought it down on his head several times.
"Annie…" The memory flashed again.
Blood flew up as she continued to hammer his face.
"Oh shit," Connie muttered.
"I believe in you." Her father embraced as she looked on with surprise. "I'm always on your side."
Screaming, she slammed her fist painfully against Rogue's bloodied and messed up face. Rogue sat motionless, his lifeless face steaming. With one last look to confirm he would not give chase, the Female Titan ran.
Rogue sat still. I will…kill the Titans… Inside, with the upper part of his face covered by the muscle, Eren spoke, "Every single fucking one!" He grinned creepily.
"Wow," Christa's eyes widened while Ymir raised an eyebrow.
Levi nodded in approval.
"Damn," Connie shivered, "I just got chills!"
There's the little psycho who killed two grown men as a kid. Jean thought.
The Female Titan turned to look behind her.
Screaming in fury, Rogue went after her, veins flowing red and parts of his upper body on fire.
"WHOA! IS EVERYONE SEEING THIS?!" Hange jumped up and screamed.
"Yes," Levi replied irritability. "No need to—"
"He's on fire! Literally on fire!" Mikasa gaped.
"There's something you don't see every day," Ymir commented in surprise.
"So fucking insane!" Connie yelled.
"Is it some new ability?" Petra thought out loud.
Eren perked up.
"I think it might have to do with his regeneration," Armin said.
"I agree! It's likely got something to do with his healing factor! Normally Titans steam when they heal but he's on fire!" Hange theorized, a little calmer now, writing furiously as she spoke. "His wounds should have taken longer to heal but his regeneration accelerated to a point that fire is coming out instead of steam."
Rogue moved like a mindless beast, stumbling into buildings, falling, scrambling after his prey. Jumping off the side of a building he tackled her from above, wrapping his right arm around her neck and sending them both crashing to the ground, sliding forward.
"I think he's actually going to take her down now," Christa said.
Sasha nodded. "And the Scouts should be able to help now that they're near buildings and the Wall."
Erwin shook his head. "There's a risk he won't recognize friend from foe in this state. Better to let him defeat her and take him out while he's tired if he has truly gone berserk again."
Please defeat her. Eren prayed.
"Eren!" Mikasa flew over some buildings and landed next to Hange.
The scientist stared, "That's…"
"Eren!"
"Stop!" Hange took a step forward. "We don't know if Eren can recognize you now…"
Mikasa looked over to see Rogue pinning a terrified Female Titan to the ground, roaring intimidatingly. She pushed him off, forcing him on his back but he quickly sat up and grabbed her face.
"Is he going to rip her face off?!"
"Holy crap!"
"That's fucking intense!"
"I wanna see what she looks like without a face!"
"That's disturbing, Hange."
Rogue began to squeeze.
"Her eyes are bulging out to their sockets!"
"Holy fucking Maria!"
"Ewww!"
The side of Rogue's body appeared as he growled and suddenly, blood splashed everywhere.
"Did he just pop her face like a zit?!"
"Dude, that's gross."
Nile and his subordinates looked on with fear and shock. "H-Hey…"
Erwin watched on calmly behind him. The Female Titan screeched in agony, elbows up, clutching her face as Rogue sat behind her, crushing her head. His arms finally lowered and she quickly elbowed him in the face with her crystallized elbow. She turned, on her back, dodging his swipe and kicking him.
Rogue flew back into a building and Armin, Jean, Mikasa, Hange, and Moblit braced themselves as the ground shook.
"Man, she does not look good."
We've got her now. Erwin thought. With Mikasa and the other Scouts present, even if Eren couldn't stop her they would.
With her fingers crystallized, the Female Titan ran toward the Wall.
Rogue went after her.
"She's headed up the wall!" Jean yelled.
"She's trying to escape!" Hange ran forward.
We've got her on the run. That means she doesn't think she can win! Christa thought hopefully.
The Female Titan jumped up, fingers penetrating the Wall. Looking very desperate, she pulled herself up. Rogue reached her and latched onto her leg. Trying to hold her while missing his right leg and part of his left arm below the elbow, he bit her. The Female Titan, looking afraid, crystallized her upper left foot and kicked him hard. Rogue fell, taking a part of her right leg with him.
"No! She's going to get away!" Armin's voice was heard as she continued to climb. The Female Titan was almost at the top now.
But we're so close! Sasha thought.
"I won't let her!" Mikasa flew up almost parallel to the Wall.
"Well, she's not going anywhere now."
"Mikasa's got this!"
With fearful eyes, the Female Titan watched her soar above her in an arch. Mikasa severed the Titan's fingers below the hardened parts of her first hand then the second, glaring at her as she fell.
"Between Eren and Mikasa, they've got her."
"Honestly it's about fucking time."
"I can't wait to experiment on her!" Hange cackled like a maniac.
"We don't have her yet, Four-Eyes."
Mikasa descended, landing lightly on the Female Titan's forehead. "Annie," she said calmly, wind blowing through her hair, "fall."
"I wish I could do that. That looked so badass," Connie said.
"Too bad you don't have the hair," Sasha teased.
They giggled.
"Hey, not cool!"
Mikasa jumped off. Mouth open, the Female Titan watched the clouds in the sky as she fell.
"Annie." Her father knelt on one knee before her, hands on her shoulders, as they stood outside a house surrounded by trees. "I'm so sorry. I don't expect you to forgive me."
A young Annie listened silently, eyes wide.
"But please… There's one thing…I want to ask of you."
What is he talking about? Armin wondered.
Ymir glanced at the recruits, noting the vaguely uneasy looks on their faces. Easier to hate someone when they look like a monster. It wasn't so easy when they were humanized, realizing they were also someone's daughter and had a family waiting for them to return.
The Female Titan crashed to the ground. Rogue pounced on her immediately.
"You can make an enemy of the entire world…"
Roaring madly, he began to tear her up, bringing his fist down. Her arm went flying off to the side, landing a few feet from Erwin who barely batted an eyelash while the MP fled in terror.
He's got nerves of steel. Connie thought, impressed. He didn't even flinch! The commander was pretty cool.
I'll destroy this whole fucking world! Rogue's both arms were steaming, missing above the elbows, as the Female Titan's headless body lay beneath him.
"Oh no, he's completely lost his head."
"Don't eat her Eren! We need her alive!"
"He can't hear you."
The Female Titan's wrecked head lay against a broken building, spattered with blood, face frozen in an expression of fright.
Their jaws dropped.
"Damn, so brutal."
"Now is it safe to say we win?"
"But even if the entire world hates you…"
Rogue's header began to dip.
Hange gasped. "Oh, shit! He's gonna eat the girl inside!"
"Eren, don't!" Jean yelled.
"Eren!" Mikasa called out.
"We need her alive." Armin worried the Shifter would not be able to stop himself. Someone needs to stop him.
"What's the matter?" Mikasa asked worriedly. "Are you feeling okay?"
Eren rubbed his forehead, "Nothing. A fleeting thought. It felt like something important but it just slipped through my fingers." He had a strong feeling he needed to remember what it was.
I am free… Rogue brought his face down, opening his mouth.
"Promise me you'll return…" Annie's father said. "That's all I ask."
A tear rolled down against a black screen.
They watched in awkward silence.
Rogue tore off the skin with his teeth, revealing the human inside. Surrounded by muscle, a green eye widened at the sight. Inside the bloody flesh, Annie lay with eyes closed, crying. Rogue was completely still.
Petra sighed internally. Only a month ago, things were simpler, black and white, humans were good and Titans were bad. Now the giants were no longer just mindless monsters that needed to be killed, but humans with complicated pasts and reasons and emotions.
Jean felt a twinge of sympathy watching the scene and shoved it back, as if he were betraying their fallen comrades by feeling bad for their killer.
"What happened?" Hange said.
Suddenly, there was a release of steam and bright light and Rogue jerked his head back.
Did I just let my guard down and get fooled again? Eren wanted to punch himself. If she got away from him because he had frozen again he was going to lose his head.
"Son of a bitch!"
The Scouts brought up their arms to shield themselves from the light.
Armin gasped, "Are they merging?!"
"What?!"
"Oh fuck."
"Move Eren!"
"I don't think he can!"
"This is really bad."
"The hell is she doing?"
The flesh began to melt and flow and Rogue threw his head back, screaming in pain. He noticed the crystal growing over her body.
"Wait a minute! Is she covering her entire body?!"
"Where's Hange?!"
"Are you kidding me? We'll never get her out! This whole thing would've been for nothing!"
"This is so frustrating!"
"Every single fucking time I swear..."
Erwin frowned. Of course, she's willing to do whatever's necessary, burying her secrets and taking them too far out of our reach. He should have expected as much. A real soldier to the end.
"Eren!" Mikasa reached the ground, running toward him.
"Hurry Mikasa!"
"Quick, get him out!"
Mikasa stopped, noticing Levi coming in from above, cutting Rogue's nape and releasing Eren.
"Oh thank goodness!"
"Phew! That was close!"
"Awesome Corporal!"
"Nice!"
"Even injured you're still a badass!"
He could've caught her if it hadn't been for my recklessness. Mikasa thought broodingly. And she was always chiding Eren for letting his emotions overrule his better judgment and rushing into things.
"It's not a good idea to eat our key witness. You idiot."
"So cool."
"I want him to go totally apeshit and see what that looks like," Ymir said to Christa.
"Yeah," she nodded, grinning. "He must be crazy strong."
"I wonder how many solo Titan kills he's got," Armin said.
"I don't know," Eren said. He had gotten the stats on the rest of Squad Levi from the other Scouts but none knew about Levi. Maybe Petra knows. He shrugged. "Mikasa killed a bunch in succession during the Battle for Trost and he's better than her." Eren paused to see her reaction but Mikasa just shrugged.
"Didn't you say that guy Oluo has 39 solo kills? Corporal Levi's gotta be double that, easily," Jean said and they nodded.
Petra overheard them and turned to the man in question. "How many solo kills do you think you have, Captain Levi?"
"I told you. Never kept count."
"I meant as estimation—"
Hange leaned forward and said, "I bet he does keep count but he's just trying to look cool."
Levi used one finger to move her head back. "Shut up."
Erwin cleared this throat loudly. "If we're all done?" Smiling sheepishly, they quieted down.
"I wonder if he's upset cause no one ever asks how many Titans he's killed," Sasha whispered. "Everyone only wants to know about Corporal Levi and his squad."
Connie nodded, giggling.
The two Titans were almost skeletons. There were holes in the Wall where the Female Titan's hands had punched through to grab a hold and pull herself up. Levi, Hange, and Jean stood with other Scouts as a large amount of steam rose from the titanic bones. Nearby, several Scouts surrounded the large crystal.
Mikasa pulled Eren into a sitting position, Armin beside them. The Shifter was unconscious, red markings around his eyes.
Eren opened his eyes.
"Eren…" Mikasa leaned in.
"Mikasa?" He turned to her. "Where's Annie?"
Eyes downcast, she looked off and he followed her gaze. Armin stood before them. A few yards in front of him, Jean was taking his anger out on the large ovular-shaped crystal.
"Damn…" Jean slammed his sword over it. "What the fuck?! All the shit we've been through and this is what we get?" He continued to bring his sword down and it broke, bit by bit.
They watched in complete silence.
"Annie! Wake up! Come out and finish what you started!"
Armin, Eren, and Mikasa said nothing as they watched.
"Annie! Annie!" Jean raised his arm.
"That's enough," Levi placed a hand on his shoulder. "It's over."
Levi could imagine how frustrated the boy must feel. He would have felt the same sense of annoyance and anger and despair. After years of watching soldiers die, it turned out they may not even have been fighting the real enemy. And when they finally came close to the answers they sought so desperately, they were out of reach once again. It was enough to make him want to punch someone or something.
Hange held up a black cable. "Someone get me a wire net! This thing belongs deep underground!"
"Roger!"
If we can't get any answers out of her, then what was the point of all this? Hange stared the unconscious girl in her cocoon. We caused so many deaths. And yet, despite all the lives we've lost, so many mysteries yet remain. What have we accomplished?
Hange tightened her grip on the notebook. They wouldn't have to feel that awful feeling of failure, disappointment, and loss of hope this time. We've been losing for a century now. They were done being kept in the dark, and ignorant. They were done being the losers. It's our turn to win now.
Levi walked away, heading toward Erwin who had Nile and a dozen MPs behind him. He stopped, "I don't suppose we can call this operation a success…"
"No. Though we've ensured the continued survival of the Survey Corps, if by the skin of its teeth."
"I hope so."
A group of MP soldiers stood surrounding the trio.
"Erwin…" A beautiful blue and white building appeared. "I have several questions about this operation of yours."
The commander sat at one end of a table, hands folded on the table, two MP soldiers behind him.
Will they punish him? Christa wondered. She doubted any of the cowards could understand the magnitude of Erwin's decision. They would never be able to make the tough calls necessary for all their survival.
"If the target's identity was beyond all doubt," a dark-haired man, the mayor of Stohess, sat across from the commander, "why would you neglect to request aid from the Military Police?"
"Discretion. We had reason to believe she was operating in conjunction with other insiders. I felt it was necessary to involve only those well above suspicion, sir."
"Yes. And the price of your 'discretion' was the near obliteration of Stohess. Well done."
They winced.
"Even our best efforts were not enough. You have our sincere apologies," Erwin said.
"Do you think apologies are enough?!"
"If we'd left her alone, the Walls would have been destroyed, and far more would have been destroyed."
Several heads nodded in agreement.
Absolutely no one was happy but they all knew it had to be done to avoid a bigger tragedy.
"I see. After all the deaths resulting from this operation, do you have any proof that it actually forestalled humanity's extinction?" The mayor asked and Erwin's expression darkened. "I can't imagine Annie Leonhart will be giving us any intel now."
"No, that seems unlikely."
The MP soldiers made sounds of surprise.
"In other words…it was all for nothing?"
That must suck. Sasha felt sympathy for all those who had lost their homes. She couldn't believe there was a time she had condemned refugees. How is the commander gonna talk himself out of this one?
A vase with purple flowers sat, taking in the sunlight coming from the window as the curtain blew gently. "Eren…"
Eren blinked, seeing Mikasa sitting by his bedside, Jean leaning against the wall next to the window. Armin stood by her. They were in a small room with a bed, couch, and dresser, all of them in civilian clothes.
"Are you feeling better?"
"Yeah," he sat up. "It's creepy how quickly I've recovered."
Hange was curious about how far Shifters' regeneration went. Did it make them immune to disease too? What about poison? Drugs would be quite useful in subduing a Shifter if they worked. And if they did, how long would the effects last? Would their abilities help them recover faster? If they did decide to use it, she'd err on the side of caution and assume recovery time was twice as fast for other Shifters. I wonder if they'll let me experiment with that.
"I heard Annie is still stuck in that thing."
Mikasa hummed in confirmation.
How could we stop her from doing that? Erwin imagined the two Titans' flesh fusing. Did she need more body mass than her just own to create enough of the crystal to cocoon herself? Or could she do it with her own flesh and she was just trying to trap him as well? If she needs another Titan, then we may be able to do something. The priority was to capture her in her human state without raising her suspicion. But if plan A fails, we'll need B, C, and D as Candy put it.
"Damn…" Jean had his arms crossed over his chest. "We got nothing out of the entire operation."
"I can't believe how far she'd go to prevent us from getting any intel," Armin said.
"Yeah, she got away from us."
"Eren's the one who let it happen. Isn't that right, Eren?" Armin asked.
Eren braced himself for cries of outrage and various insults and accusations. He was surprised when no one said a thing.
"You hesitated for an instant…"
"Yeah," Eren's eyes fell to his lap, "you're right, Armin. I couldn't do it." He remembered her crying face. "When I saw her face, I just froze…"
"They're thinking they would have frozen too," Mikasa said when Eren glanced to check their reactions. "That's why no one said a thing."
"I see." Eren felt a little relieved.
The room fell into silence.
"Armin Arlert," a soldier stood in the doorway, holding a clipboard. "Jean Kirstein. It's your turn to be questioned."
"Yes, sir," Armin replied.
"They're starting with us?" Jean said.
"See you later, I guess," Armin said.
"Yeah…" Eren replied quietly.
The two boys left. Jean paused in the doorway, glancing at the two, head lowered and expression covered. Then he left.
Connie leaned over, whispering, "You've got no chance, buddy."
Jean glared, flipping him off.
"At the time," Eren spoke after a few seconds of quiet, "it felt kinda good…" Mikasa's eyes widened.
"Huh? What?" Christa was a little confused.
"I think he's talking about when he went berserk," Petra clarified.
"Oh, thanks."
"Even when my body was getting torn apart. I even thought I wouldn't mind dying."
Some gasped.
"Well damn," Ymir muttered.
"Eren!"
Eren gasped as if coming to his senses. Finally, he looked at her. "I don't feel like that now."
Mikasa reached out, taking his hand between hers, head lowered and hair covering her face. "I'm just glad…you came back."
Several grinning faces turned to Eren.
He blushed. "Don't you guys start again!"
They snickered.
"It's not nice to make your girlfriend worry like that," Hange, of course, had to tease him.
"How come you jerks always pick on me?" Eren complained.
"What are you talking about? We've picked on Connie and Jean too," Sasha replied.
"Why don't you say anything to Mikasa."
Everyone quickly returned their attention to the TV.
"That's what I thought. Assholes."
Jean and Armin walked together. "I can't really understand it. Abandoning your humanity to overcome monsters. Is that really the only way to win?"
"It's one possible way humanity could defeat Titans. I think Eren can do it."
"Tell me… Even if he became that monster, even if he destroyed all the Titans, would that victory really be for humanity?"
The group was quiet, asking themselves the same question.
A black feather floated past Armin. He looked up to see a pair of birds flying in the beautiful golden sky.
"Eat," Mikasa said.
Eren held a small loaf of bread, a tray of food in his lap.
The two birds flew over the Wall.
Armin finally answered, "It won't be easy to overcome…"
The commander smiled in approval at the answer.
The scene changed back to Erwin. "However, I believe we have gained a tremendous opportunity to ensure the survival of humanity."
Eren bit into the bread.
"Considering how recently it was unimaginable to us that humans could transform into Titans, the mere fact we've captured one of the enemy is a giant leap forward. Indeed they're out there."
Erwin's words combined with the hopeful music began to make their heartbeats pick up.
Eren continued to attack his food.
"Might wanna take it easy there," Jean said.
"Don't forget to chew," Petra giggled.
Levi snorted. "That'll be a kicker. Our best weapon bites it stuffing his face in after finally growing a pair."
"We'll track them all down."
The men, including Pastor Nick, listened without a word.
"Every last Titan within the Walls. It's our turn to attack now!"
"Hell yeah, it is!" Connie cheered.
The Wings of Freedom on the back of Erwin's jacket came into focus as he walked, flanked by two Scouts.
"The Survey Corps' recall to the capital and Eren's incarceration were rescinded."
The group began to clap and laugh.
"Custody of Annie Leonhart was also granted to the Survey Corps…"
Levi and Hange stood before the crystal, held in place by a dozen or so black wires.
Their enthusiasm dimmed slightly.
Six of the recruits were riding on horses, in civilian outfits, with a stone building and forest behind them.
"…her holding cell deep underground. Sadly, however…"
Immediately, they felt their stomachs drop.
"…much more time and sacrifice would still be required before humanity learned…"
It showed Connie, then Reiner and Bert, then Ymir and Christa.
"…what it was that truly held them captive…"
Sasha looked somewhere off behind her.
Mikasa quietly took the tray away while Eren slept and the camera stopped on his key before finally fading away.
"Wow, just...wow," Hange said.
Before they could react further, white letters appeared on the black screen.
"Hello, my loves, before we get to the final scene, I have something to say," Candy said. "You have now finished the main episodes. If you remember, I mentioned at the end of episode 10 you will be hearing an important message after the end of the main episodes."
They leaned forward, listening intently.
"Going forward, you have two options. Option A: After you leave here, you can use the knowledge to change the future and make sure everything goes your way."
They knew it was possible, still, listening to Candy confirm they could change the future uplifted their spirits.
"Option B: You will be invited back in two days' time and if you choose to return, you can keep watching more future episodes—shall we call it season 2?"
Their jaws dropped.
"More future episodes?!" Connie squealed excitedly.
"Of course, the future you will be watching will be the original timeline."
Meaning if we make too big changes, the future episodes won't be of as much help. Armin's mind raced. They'd get a lot of information but the events could be completely different. Some may not even come to pass.
Erwin frowned, thinking. We'll need to make changes that benefit us but also keep the things close enough to the 'original timeline' as Candy put it so we can keep watching and use the future knowledge to the fullest advantage.
"You have some time before you have to come to a decision. That is all. When you are ready, hit 'Okay' to see the final scene. Enjoy!"
"If we come back and keep watching, we'll not only know how the expedition will turn out and control the outcome but even further than that before we even take a step outside the Walls," Eren said in amazement.
"Remember, we still need to be careful," Mikasa warned. "Of being too complacent out there."
Armin nodded, "And we can't alter the future too much."
Hange held up her notebook. "After we watch the next set of future episodes—season 2—we can see which events had a significant impact and make sure to follow the original timeline to make those happen."
Petra's brow furrowed in worry, "Does that mean I and the rest of the squad will have to sit out the rest of it? Since we didn't make it in the original timeline."
"Maybe," Mikasa said. "I imagine your presence—"
"We have time to discuss that later," Erwin interrupted, "after we leave. For now let's take a minute or two to stretch and use the facilities. Then we'll finish the final scene and move to the next episode." Not that they would really need to think about it too much. He had a feeling everyone's vote would be the same regarding season 2: Yes.
"Where do you think we were while this happened?" Christa asked.
"If Eren, Mikasa, and Hange and the rest the veterans couldn't take her out, I doubt we could," Sasha shrugged. "No point in have the entire Corps decimated at once."
"Yeah," Christa said, "none of us were in uniform."
"We're probably on standby or something," Ymir agreed a little distractedly. She excused herself to the bathroom. She wasn't really sure how to bring up her Titan-Shifter status. She couldn't exactly jump up and yell: Guess what? I'm a Titan-Shifter too! Surprise! She had to be careful about it—her secret gave her a major advantage. Even if their reactions were going to be pretty funny if she blurted it out of nowhere.
There's no reason for them to doubt Eren's devotion to the cause. But she had made no effort to hide the fact her allegiance was to herself and Christa. Ymir did not want to end up strapped to a table with Hange poking and prodding to her heart's content. She'd have to bring it up delicately. I need to gather my thoughts and have a good explanation ready first. Then, when the opportunity presented itself, she would tell them.
"It'll be nice to have a two-day break." Connie stretched his neck. "What do you think the extra episodes are gonna be about?"
"She mentioned something about getting to know each other," Jean answered, trying to remember what Candy had said. "More of our trainee days maybe?"
"I really hope not," Levi grumbled. He did not want to sit through two-and-a-half hours of idiotic teenage romance drama. Anything but that.
"Let's watch the final scene," Erwin said when everyone was done. He pointed the remote at the TV and hit Okay.
The black screen lightened to reveal Stohess, covered by shadows. The sun was setting, leaving the sky dark with some golden-orange light in the distance. The camera moved toward the Wall.
The group was immensely curious.
Cracks in the Wall caused by the Female Titan came into focus.
Armin wondered if it was some sort of symbolism. That the Wall will—
The pieces fell, revealing the eye and part of the mouth of a Colossal Titan.
Erwin was stunned speechless, jaw falling open.
And the room exploded.
Everyone began yelling, their voice jumbling together.
"What the fuck is that?!" Levi's eyes grew wide.
"A TITAN!" Hange screamed, "There's a TITAN inside the Wall!"
"Holy shit!" Connie grabbed his head. "Holy fucking shit! Holy motherfucking shit!"
Christa gasped, "Are you guys seeing this?!"
Ymir nodded, too shocked to speak.
Mikasa was dumbstruck, unable to think. "Where did it come from?"
"It must be...a colossal-type," Armin answered, completely gobsmacked.
"But inside the Wall?" Petra gaped. "How long has it been there?!"
"And how the hell did it get there in the first place?" Hange asked.
Sasha gasped, "Do you think there are more?!"
The group stopped and imagined that: the three Walls, made entirely out of colossal-type Titans standing together. It was mind blowing.
"No fucking way," Jean said, dazed. "Does that mean...we've been protected by Titans this entire time?"
Mouths hanging open, looking baffled, they glanced at each other for an explanation.
"What the fuck is going on?" Eren demanded in anger and confusion.
"We need to keep watching!" Erwin finally snapped out of his stupor.
Everyone immediately shut up, ready for an episode.
"But all the future episodes are done."
"Fuck!"
"Dammit!"
"Are we seriously ending it here?!"
"This is so sadistic of Candy!"
"What a cock block!"
"NOOOOOOO!" Hange cried out dramatically. "But I want to know!"
"And we will. We'll finish the extra episodes and come back for season 2," Erwin declared.
Power to Strive is staying a reaction fic. Maybe after this story is finished I'll write a spin-off with the Scouts using their future knowledge (doubtful). But I don't want to get sidetracked.
Please Review~