For better or worse, Reiner did not seem to give a single shit about Mikasa or Yavena flying around him. They were like insects buzzing about: a nuisance, but one that could be duly ignored in favor of something else… and that something else was Eren, who had been sprawled over dozens of trees and was now lying in a pile of dirt. There was a huge dent on the right side of his face, directly against his mouth; a souvenir from Reiner's retaliatory attack.
Yavena only found a few crevices in which she might be able to deal some damage to the Armored Titan. There were spots at the neck just large enough for her to insert her blade—when she did this the first time, the Armored Titan roared and dedicated a hand to slapping her.
The only reason that Yavena was able to get away was because the armor upon his hand made him so slow. She darted out of the way with a gasp and found Mikasa hovering near his leg. "There's a weak spot at his neck, but I don't think we'll be able to take advantage of it for long!"
Mikasa did not seem to care. She directed her gear up towards the Armored Titan's neck and thrust her blades in the minor chink in its armor—she was rewarded with another roar, and then she too had to dive out of the way to avoid being squashed.
"It's almost to Eren!" shouted Mikasa, sounding desperate. She rushed forth again—
"Mikasa, wait!"
Shards of steel flew into the air; Mikasa had attempted to swipe at the Armored Titan's nape, but of course it had no effect. Her blades were completely broken, which meant she only had six left. Seeing that this result was fruitless, Mikasa ignored Yavena's calls, restocked her weapons, and dove towards the back of its knees… only to get the same result. "Eren!" she was shouting as she attacked the hardened skin.
Yavena perched herself atop the Armored Titan's shoulder. It didn't seem to notice or care that she was there; apparently Reiner was sure that she wouldn't be able to do any lasting damage to him, perhaps the only reason she wasn't being swatted at. Mikasa joined her soon after, her cheeks pink and tears in her eyes.
"Listen to me," said Yavena, lunging out to grab Mikasa's shoulder. "We need to tell Eren to get back towards the Wall. We can't do anything from here—we'll only break all sixteen of our blades. We need to fall back."
There was the familiar sound of Eren's Titan roaring. Yavena whirled around to see that he had gotten up, and was preparing to throw a punch.
"Move it!" she cried. Both Yavena and Mikasa dove to the sides to avoid getting in the middle of the fight—when Yavena turned back around, she saw that the events from the first bout had been repeated.
Eren was flying through the air like a rag doll; further away from the Wall, and with another welt upon his face. The wound was already steaming.
"Eren!" shouted Armin's voice. Both women whirled around to see that Armin had descended from the top of Wall Rose and was lodged in the top branches of one of the nearby trees. "Don't do it, you can't win in a slugfest! Come to the Wall, Eren!"
But Eren either did not hear Armin or did not care. He roared once more and charged the Armored Titan head on—
It lunged out to attack him again, but this time, Eren ducked underneath the blow. He locked his grasp around the extended arm and dexterously threw the Armored Titan to the ground, putting all of his strength into squeezing the Armored Titan's head. Chinks began to appear in its armor around the neck and shoulder area…
"Is he—is he trying to create opportunities for us to attack it?" whispered Yavena, her eyes wide. She couldn't help staring at the two Titans. Each of them were roaring in both pain and frustration, so loudly that it seemed the very earth was ready to split in two.
Reiner's Titan flipped Eren over, but Eren locked his legs around its neck, using what strength he had in his thighs to continue applying pressure. Even as Yavena watched, pieces of the golden armor popped directly off of the Armored Titan's body and flew into the air…
Before she could even fathom what was going on, Eren had managed to rip off one of his opponent's arms—he flung it into the sky. The arm landed close to where Yavena, Armin, and Mikasa were lying in wait in the trees.
"He did it!" whispered Mikasa, a smile once again appearing upon her face.
Eren was standing again, waiting for the Armored Titan to get up.
"Get back to the Wall," Yavena commanded. She looked between both of them with a serious expression. "We're going to retreat there for now. That's an order."
Fortunately, neither of them seemed inclined to disobey. The trio returned to an area close to the Wall where other members of the Scout Regiment might be able to support them—as Eren prepared himself for the next bout, Armin shouted, "Eren, can you hear me? Run away! Get closer to the Wall! Their goal is to kidnap you and take you away! We've got to escape and prevent that from happening!"
"But Armin, Reiner isn't going to let us do as we please!" argued Mikasa.
The Armored Titan stood on the far side against the Wall. Steam covered the area where its missing hand was, proving that it was slowly regenerating.
"Oye!" shouted Hange from somewhere up above. "It's dangerous down there! Retreat to the Wall!"
Yavena glanced back up to Hange with a stony expression. She knew that her friend understood—Yavena herself had to stay below, in case Eren needed her.
This was her job; to protect and support Eren as best as she could. That was what Erwin had entrusted her with, and she would not be giving up so easily when facing a new opponent. If anything, she had to learn, so she might gain information on how the Scout Regiment could face such enemies in the future.
Hearing the Section-Commander's call, Armin and Mikasa began trailing back to the Wall.
A shadow rushed after them: Eren's. He had heard the orders and had obeyed them. Should he need any aid from additional personnel, he was now in range to have it.
Yavena trailed after him, landing upon his shoulder. "Good call, Eren."
He looked at her sideways with those blue-green eyes and exhaled.
There was some mechanical whirring, and then Yavena was not the only one standing upon Eren's clavicle. Next to her was Hange, who reached out and grabbed some of his hair to steady herself.
"Listen up, Eren!" cried Hange. "If you're going to escape, we've got to find a way to halt Reiner and buy you some time. Can you break his leg with another one of those joint locks? Our blades don't seem to work on him, so use your head and figure out the best course of action!"
Eren nodded at her—Hange's face promptly went red, and she made a fascinated but strangled sort of noise at the acknowledgement from his Titan form.
Yavena couldn't help but laugh at this; once Hange was gone, she turned back to Eren and said, "I'm going to try and dig into Reiner's skin once you have him in a vulnerable position. His armor has been peeling off with each move you've put extreme duress on him. Do everything you can to break his legs—I'll slow him down. Got it?"
He snorted again, which Yavena interpreted as a gesture of understanding.
They stood together against the Armored Titan, which seemed to be glaring at them both… after only a few more seconds, however, he rocketed forward at a speed that Yavena wouldn't have thought possible—shouldn't have been possible—
She yelped and leapt off of Eren's shoulder just before Reiner head-butted him directly into the Wall. It took all of Yavena's strength to thrust her cables into one of the weak spots of the Wall and prevent herself from hitting the ground from fourteen meters in the air.
"You all right, Yavena?" shouted Hange. She and the others were perched along the side of the Wall, apparently watching the battle unfold underneath them.
Yavena groaned and joined them with a frown upon her face. "I'm fine. But his speed was unexpected—I won't be able to help Eren if that's something he can do all of the time… how can he run that fast?"
She glanced down to the ground below; Eren had managed to get back to his feet, but Reiner was already preparing for another attack.
"If his entire body was hard like stone, there's no way he could move like that," said Hange, pressing a hand to her chin. "In the armor they used in wars of the past, it had sections at the joints not covered in metal to allow for movement. Like at the armpits and the groin… and the area behind the knee."
Yavena gasped; she was not the only one to do so. She caught Mikasa's eye and said, "You take the right knee. I'll get the left."
Eren was already holding Reiner in a tackle, his legs wrapped around Reiner's torso and his arms around his neck. The backs of his legs were exposed.
"Let's go."
Both Yavena and Mikasa flew through the air towards the aforementioned areas, screaming as their blades dug deeply into the back of Reiner's knees. This seemed to weaken him a decent amount—Eren was able to apply more pressure to his neck. More bits of his armor cracked around his shoulder and back area.
Reiner roared once more, though it did not sound so much as a gesture of pain; more like anger. He used what remained of his strength to begin moving himself and Eren further along the Wall… and then he stopped.
Yavena stared at the two Titans. It certainly seemed like Eren would prevail; Titan blood was beginning to spill over their bodies from how badly he'd split the skin. The Armored Titan's head would be ripped off before long…
The soldiers jeered from the sides of the Walls, apparently thinking along the same lines. Many of them were cheering on Eren, trying to encourage him—
Then Reiner roared again, and an all too familiar feeling of ice flooded through Yavena's veins. She turned back to Mikasa and said, "Let's get back to the Wall. It'll be safer there, and we'll be able to act quicker from a height advantage."
Mikasa nodded and followed her as Yavena took her place beside Hange, who was watching the battle with beaded eyes. Upon seeing that the two women had returned, Hange asked, "Any insight on what that roar might've been?"
"Something bad," said Yavena. "I don't like it at all."
Hange frowned, knowing that to mistrust Yavena's instinct wouldn't be wise. "Perhaps we should—"
"LOOK OUT! ABOVE YOU!" screamed Conny's voice.
Yavena gasped and looked over to see something falling—the Colossal Titan.
"MOVE IT!" she screamed. She used her gear to bolt as far away from the impending collision as possible, grabbing Armin as she did so—
A huge blast of unimaginably hot steam assaulted Yavena's back, making her cry out as some of her skin burned despite her uniform. She kept herself facing forward, shielding Armin as best as she could.
The heat lessened as soon as it had arrived. Yavena turned back around to see that all of the Scout Regiment soldiers that had been hanging from the side of the Wall had been blown back by the impact—it seemed that some of them had managed to reach the top of the Wall before the explosion, but many others were lying upon the ground with red splotches upon their faces and bubbles or sears across their skin…
"Eren," gasped Armin.
Yavena turned around to view the carnage. A crater had just emerged from where the Colossal Titan had fallen. Eren's Titan form was little more than charred flesh and smolders, and standing above him was the Armored Titan. He had wriggled free from Eren's choke hold—even as she watched, Reiner bit into Eren's nape and took him into his mouth. Bertholdt emerged from the ravaged remains of the Colossal Titan and stood upon Reiner's shoulder… and they began to run away.
"No," gasped Yavena, her voice but a ragged wisp of what it normally was. A pit had just dropped into her stomach. Eren was being taken away.
"We can't go after him."
She sighed and looked towards Armin, knowing that he was right. His blue eyes were downcast as he added, "There wouldn't be enough gas in your tank to do so, and no additional support. And… I'd only slow you down."
Yavena stared after the retreating form of the Armored Titan. It felt like her insides were being squashed into jelly, the disappointment she felt in herself was so severe. It was almost as bad as how she'd felt when she'd lost her friends… she'd told herself she wouldn't fail this time. She'd wanted so badly to protect him…
But Armin was right. There would be no chasing the two Titans like this.
Swallowing back a stinging in her throat, Yavena whispered, "Shit," and propelled herself and Armin up to the top of Wall Rose.
When they arrived, they were able to see those who had made it away from the blast zone. It wasn't too many soldiers: only a dozen or so had managed to make it out…
"Captain Verman," said Nifa, who was on Hange's research team. "What are your orders?"
"Eh?" Yavena asked. Her heart skipped a beat.
"The other senior officers have all been knocked out by the blast," whispered Nifa, a solemn note to her face. "You're our top-ranking officer at the moment. What are your orders?"
Yavena stared at the ground as she set Armin back on his feet. He, at least, had been sheltered from the steam and smoke; he seemed no worse for wear. It was only a small consolation in the wake of such a disastrous turn of events… one that she was now in charge of beginning to clean up.
In truth, Yavena had no idea what to do. All she could feel was crushing frustration from her efforts, as well as no small amount of anger and betrayal. She could still hardly believe that Reiner had turned out to be a traitor after all—he'd fooled everyone, even herself, and Yavena prided herself on her instincts being near impeccable. And after all of this chaos, now she was being asked to lead the remaining soldiers of the squad… the last time she had led, she had killed her friends…
She bit her lip. What would Erwin do?
First off, Erwin would never let his soldiers see him sweat. He would be composed. He would assess the situation—he would salvage what he could—he would regroup and plan… and he would request additional help. He would enlist reinforcements, and do everything he could to get Eren back.
"Everyone who is still standing and able-bodied, find those who have been knocked unconscious and bring them back up to the top of the Wall!" said Yavena. She took care to stand tall despite her small stature and looked across all of the soldiers standing by. "Rashad, I need you and three others of your squad to return to Trost District to tell Erwin of these recent events! Nifa, take squad three down the western side of the crater and look for those survivors. Lauda, do the same on the eastern side of the crater! Moblit, I need you to make a list of all those that were on the Wall and determine when we've received everyone. Go!"
Each conscious member of the Scout Regiment saluted and sped off to follow their newfound orders. Yavena expelled a sharp breath once they were gone. She turned back to Armin and asked, "Are you all right?"
He nodded. "I'm fine. Thank you for getting me out of the way…"
Yavena tried to smile, but her lip trembled and she couldn't quite manage it. That dark feeling was overwhelming her body again—but there was still work to do.
Before she could speak, Armin asked, "What should I do?"
"Stay here and keep a lookout. And when everyone gets collected, make sure each person places a cloak underneath the injured. They'll need to rest after this."
Armin nodded and saluted. "Aye, Captain."
Yavena blinked. This was the first time any of the recruits had officially called her by her newfound title. She placed a gentle hand onto Armin's shoulder before sweeping off to follow her own orders.
It took a little more than an hour to get everyone back on top of the Wall, but at last, they had managed it. The task grew incredibly difficult when Yavena had found Hange upon the ground with red welts covering her face, her goggles askew—she had immediately pressed her fingers on the inside of Hange's wrist and waited for a pulse. The only reason that Yavena was able to fight back frightened tears was because the pulse she'd been searching for was still strong… and because she couldn't let the soldiers temporarily under her command see her break down.
Over two dozen soldiers had been subjected to the blithering heat of the Colossal Titan's actions. Yavena had attempted to treat some of the soldiers' exceptionally horrid burns by submerging her handkerchiefs in cool water and pressing them atop the affected areas. Oftentimes she was not met with a response; but in one or two cases, the soldier had woken up, which only prompted Yavena to say, "Lie still. You need to regather your strength."
The only silver linings to the situation were that some of the Wall Garrison had returned—including Hannes—upon seeing the Colossal Titan and were assisting in the Scout Regiment's efforts, and that Conny and Historia were unharmed. Since neither of them had had their gear, they had been atop the Wall and therefore not in danger of the suffocating steam: but then they informed her of the Colossal Titan taking Ymir captive, just as they had taken Eren.
"Damn it," she hissed, glaring at the far horizon. "All the more reason to go after them as soon as we can."
Before long, three hours had passed. Most of the soldiers were still unconscious, and it did not seem like they would be waking up anytime soon.
It was Lauda who approached her next and said, "Orders, Captain?"
Yavena glanced up at him and sighed. "Get some rest. We haven't slept all night, and this will be our best chance at recovering our strength before setting out beyond the Wall to rescue Eren. Tell the soldiers under your command the same."
He saluted and walked off to spread the news.
"So, eh… when did you get to be a Captain?" asked Conny.
She did not turn towards him as she answered, "Only a few days ago, after a rather unorthodox mission. Erwin promoted me. He said my job was to protect Eren." Yavena sighed with this last and tucked her knees up to her chest. "I don't know why he has faith in me. I'm doing a shitty job of it."
"I don't think so," said Conny. His response startled her enough for her bitter expression to disappear. "I think you've done as best as you possibly can. We just don't know enough about these damn Titans to really be one step ahead. I had no idea that Reiner and Bertholdt were… were…"
He trailed off, though he did not need to finish his sentence. The devastation was written all over his face, and yet Yavena figured that this emotion was not felt because of those two traitors alone.
Taking care to keep her voice gentle, she said, "There's something else on your mind, isn't there, Conny?"
Conny started and stared at her with wide hazel eyes. Stammering, he asked, "H-how did you know?"
Yavena couldn't help but smile a little. "Reading people is a talent of mine. The sorrow painted across your face is layered; the betrayal of two people you once considered friends is one, and something else lies beneath."
He stared at her for a long moment before sighing. "Aye, there's something else. It's just as upsetting as what just happened a few hours ago…"
"I'm willing to listen, if you wish to share."
Conny narrowed his eyes as if attempting to see whether Yavena was just trying to be nice—but as soon as he began his inspection, it was ended. He began talking about what had happened to the 104th Cadet Corps after they were relocated to the secondary headquarters with Section-Commander Miche: Titans had appeared over the far horizon, and none of the recruits had been given time to change into their gear or grab their weapons. All they'd been able to do was saddle a horse and begin helping other soldiers with the evacuating process.
The Titans had come from the direction of Conny's village, which had been to the south. And when he had went with Reiner, Bertholdt, and a few others, they had found a desecrated and deserted village with no bodies, no blood… and a single Titan breaking through the roof of his own house.
"And the worst part is that… well… actually, never mind," he said quickly.
Yavena raised an eyebrow. "You can tell me if you wish, Conny. If you don't, of course that's fine too."
He sighed. "It's just that—I spoke of my suspicions once, and Ymir just ended up laughing at me and calling me stupid."
"For whatever it's worth, I promise I won't do that."
Conny narrowed his eyes in suspicion before sighing again and mumbling, "The thing that's really eating at me is… the Titan that had been sitting directly inside my house, the one that couldn't move… it reminded me of my mother."
Yavena bit her lip and stared at the ground, shivering as a rush of cool wind bathed them. The words rung through her head: it reminded me of my mother.
"You think it's dumb, don't you?" said Conny, looking downcast.
"No, I don't. I think you might be onto something," Yavena replied.
Conny seemed so surprised he jerked his head up.
"Think about it, Conny. Titans appeared in Wall Rose. There is no breach in the Wall—members from both the Scout Regiment and the Wall Garrison have checked, three times in total. It's possible that they may have dug a hole underground and that's how they got through, but I don't think so. Based on what you told me, your village is now in ruins. Its people are missing. There was no sign of any bodies, any blood, any struggle. The horses were still in their stalls. And yet there were unmistakable signs of Titans: footprints, destroyed buildings. There was a Titan in your very house. And if it looked like your mother… it's possible that something happened. What, I cannot say, but… at the very least, it's a theory worth investigating."
Yavena could feel Conny's shocked eyes boring into her. She looked back at him, at the utterly broken expression upon his face, and wished that she could've had a better explanation for him. Perhaps she should've simply said that it was possible everyone had escaped…
Right when she was about to apologize, Conny cleared his throat and said, "That's what I've been thinking, too. Thank you for… for validating my thoughts. I… I just wish…"
What he wished for, he did not say. Conny buried his face in his arms; his shoulders started to shake.
His sorrow turned into her own—Yavena moved forward and wrapped an arm around Conny's shoulder as he began to break down. She rested her cheek atop his head and from there, did not move or speak. All she needed to do was remind him that he was not alone, even if he felt for all the world that he was.
She could hardly imagine what he was thinking. The world was going to shit faster than anyone could keep up nowadays. To have his whole village, with his family and friends, become a target of the Titans… that would destroy anyone. And yet Conny was handling it with such surprising grace, all things considering.
It took a number of minutes, but at last, Conny's tears began to dry. Figuring that now was a good time to remove herself from his space, Yavena returned to where she had been sitting across from him and pulled out a number of handkerchiefs. She handed one out as an offering.
Conny took it, dabbing at his eyes. There was a flush to his face as though he were embarrassed by his own emotions; but then he laughed weakly. "I saw you using soaked handkerchiefs to treat burns earlier, and yet you still have more. How many do you have?"
Yavena could not stop herself from smiling to herself. His question brought her back to some of the normal days: when she had been immersing herself into Squad Levi and in particular, during the Fifty-Sixth Mission Beyond the Walls, when she had asked her Captain the very same thing.
She remembered what he had said, when she asked. "Enough," she answered.
Conny chuckled and held onto the handkerchief. He was quiet for a moment; and then, he blurted out, "Thanks, Yavena."
"Of course. And if you need anything, please let me know. I promise we'll send a squad to investigate your village as soon as possible."
"That's what Section-Commander Hange said, too," he chuckled.
Yavena smiled, though the gesture was far away. In truth, while a part of her mind was on the village of Ragako, another part of it was on someone who was within either Ehrmich or perhaps Trost District, if they'd moved further south.
It had been less than a day, but she already missed Levi. If he had been around, things would likely have been different…
She sighed and hid the bottom half of her face within her huddled knees. If she hadn't said anything about his injury—if Levi had gone with them—would he have been able to stop Eren from being taken away?
If the answer was yes, then all of this… Hange's injuries, Eren's capture, everyone's pain and uncertainty, the lives that would undoubtedly be lost when the Scout Regiment inevitably went off to save Eren from Reiner and Bertholdt… all of it would be her fault.
"You should get some sleep, Conny," said Yavena. She shook her head, trying to rid herself of these thoughts. It was like Levi said: she had had no idea how things would turn out. "It'll still be hours before we're able to set off, one way or another, and I think all of us have been up for days on end at this point."
Conny sighed. "You aren't wrong." He turned aside—Yavena tossed him a spare cloak that had been lying around. No one had claimed it, so as far as she was concerned, it was fair game. Using the cloak as a pillow, Conny closed his eyes.
Whether he would find any sleep or not, Yavena was not sure, but now that she was alone, she wished to check on Hange. She placed a hand on Conny's shoulder before rising to her feet as quietly as possible and walking over to where her friend was resting, her hands folded upon her stomach.
"I hope you're not in pain, Hange," murmured Yavena. She knew that this was as good as talking to herself, but it helped her mental strength, to pretend that Hange might be able to hear her. "I wish I could've gotten you out of the way, too. I wish I'd been fast enough…"
There was no answer save for the whistling of the wind. Yavena brushed her hair behind her shoulders as it tossed itself in front of her face—she didn't bother trying to tie it back at the moment. It was already tangled.
"So you're the pretty lady taking temporary command, eh? Captain Yavena Verman, if I heard that correctly?"
She looked up to see Hannes of the Wall Garrison approaching; she proffered him a small smile, aware of the fact that the gesture didn't quite reach her eyes. "That's correct. And you're Captain Hannes of the Wall Garrison, I take it? My uncle told me how quickly you've risen through the ranks within the last five years."
Hannes nodded. "Your uncle—Kitt Verman?"
"The same."
"I see," he said. There was a twitch to his lips. "He's an… interesting man."
Yavena couldn't help but chuckle at that. What had happened to her uncle was a sad tale—he was a man once held in extremely high regard, but after the fall of Shiganshina and the death of his wife Dorothea, he'd changed, and not necessarily for the better. His fear and hatred of Titans had spiraled out of control.
Hannes waved something at her: rations. Before she could ask why he had four servings of food, the man gestured loosely to where Armin and Mikasa were resting and said, "I've looked after those three kids for years, dating all the way back to before the fall of Shiganshina. Armin told me that you saved him from the steam, and that you've looked after him and Eren ever since they joined the Scouts."
"I've been trying, at least," said Yavena. She lowered her gaze in shame. "Not that I've done a good job of it. Eren's in danger due to my failings."
Hannes frowned and scratched the back of his head. "I wouldn't say that. Why don't you come on over? The kids needed a bit of cheering up, and it seems that you might need it, too."
Her eyebrow raised slightly, more as an amused gesture than an offended one. "Is it that obvious?"
"Everyone here is feeling the same way: defeated, doubtful, uncertain. If you weren't in need of some company and reassurance, that's when I'd be surprised."
Yavena looked up at the man, admittedly impressed by his clever but accurate comments. The little half-smile upon his face convinced her; she took his outstretched hand and hauled herself to her feet, trailing after Hannes as he returned to where Armin and Mikasa were sitting.
"Ah, you're up then, Mikasa?" asked Hannes, chortling as he sat down. He gestured Yavena to a spot next to him with a warm expression. "I bet you're hungry. Here, eat this."
He tossed one of the rations towards her; Mikasa caught it unenthusiastically and proceeded to simply stare at the package.
"Armin, catch."
The other ration was tossed to Armin, who fumbled with the package before barely managing to catch it with both hands. Once this was done, Hannes winked at Yavena and said, "Last but not least, for the pretty lady," and tossed her a third.
Yavena caught it easily and opened it, knowing that it would be wise to eat even though she wasn't terribly hungry. Before she bit into it, however, she raised her eyebrow and looked back to Hannes. "You know, Hannes, usually when someone calls me a 'pretty lady,' they're buttering me up for a future favor."
He laughed loudly at that. "Don't worry, I have no ulterior motives. I'm actually married—but I was hoping to cheer you up, just a little. Even from here, I could see that you were hurting."
A wave of emotions roared through Yavena's being: gratitude, uncertainty, awkwardness. To hide all of this, she took a bite into her midday meal.
"Too bad, that field rations are all there is," sighed Hannes, but he still took a large chunk out of the food. "Tastes neither good nor bad: same as always. Speaking of which, this is the same as always, too. Ever since the good old days, you two kids have been there to clean up the mess of that brat. It's a different time and a different place, but you two are doing the same thing you always have. Am I right?"
Armin chuckled at these words and said, "The neighborhood bullies and Titans are a little different in size."
Yavena couldn't help but smile.
"True," sighed Hannes, taking another bite of his ration. "The thing is, Eren isn't even all that good at fighting. But no matter if he's up against three or five, he'll charge in all the same."
"Sounds like Eren," Yavena said. Her body was strangely light as she recollected how enthusiastic he'd always been during training; how badly he had wanted to dive into real fights alongside Squad Levi. "You should've seen him during our training sessions, Hannes…"
"Oye, I believe it. It's the same thing when they were younger; by the time Mikasa or soldiers showed up, he'd be beaten to a pulp every time. You know, I've never seen him win a fight before, but I've never seen him get beat and give up, either. Sometimes he's so tenacious that even I think it's scary. No matter how many times he's knocked over, he gets back up. That's the kind of guy he is."
Hannes leaned forward, his eyes boring directly into Armin's and Mikasa's. "You think he'll get taken away without putting up a fight? Nope. He'll keep resisting until he has no strength, even more so when he's up against just two. He'll give them hell no matter who he's up against until you or I show up to help. That's how Eren's always been!"
Something warm washed over Yavena's limbs: it took her a moment to realize that it was hope. Because Hannes was right—Eren was the most spirited individual she had ever met. On the very first day she had met him, she had noticed that fire: the one of determination, of a desire to do good, to help humanity.
Levi had said that Eren couldn't be tamed; and he had been right, too.
"I loved those good old days… if you ask Eren, he'd say those days were nothing more than a false peace. But for me, I'm more than happy to be a drunk, useless soldier. If it means getting back to those plain, ordinary days, I'll do whatever I have to, no matter how long it takes to get there."
Armin and Mikasa were staring at Hannes with wide eyes, as though his words were their final lifeline. He clapped a hand on each of their shoulders. "I'm coming too. Without you three together again, I can't bring back the good old days."
He then turned towards Yavena with a smile and finished with, "I'll be bringing all of the soldiers from the Wall Garrison under my command. We're going to go out there and bring Eren back. While I'm going out there because I care about the kid, the rest of us know how important he is in saving humankind. We won't let the Scout Regiment stand alone for this operation. Not this time."
Yavena reached out and clapped a hand upon Hannes's shoulder, her eyes stinging as she said, "We'll never turn away the help. Thank you, Hannes. Your assistance is appreciated… more than you know."
He nodded and gestured towards her ration; she, Armin, and Mikasa began to eat with gusto, some of their spirit returned, some of their resolve remembered.
It was only another three quarters of an hour later that Yavena heard the distinctive sounds of horses. She bolted up from her spot next to Armin, Mikasa, and Hannes and rushed towards the edge of the Wall.
"Erwin," she whispered, a grand smile taking over her face.
Sure enough, there rode Erwin Smith, with a number of Scout Regiment forces, backup horses, and lifts to transport the horses over the Wall with. Even as she watched, however, Yavena was shocked to note that a significant number of the Military Police were riding alongside him as well.
It took very little time for Erwin to scale the Wall and join Yavena and the others. As soon as he arrived, Yavena stepped forward to greet him: she saluted, although she couldn't help herself from trembling slightly.
"It's good to see you, Erwin," she said, taking care to keep her voice strong.
Erwin nodded and saluted in turn before asking, "Is the situation the same?"
"Aye, it is. I'm sorry, Commander… I couldn't stop them from taking Eren."
"Don't be. The report said you had plenty of information, which will prove invaluable in the weeks to come. Today, our goal will be to retrieve Eren, one way or another," said Erwin, and the shine within his normally intense eyes showed her this promise. He turned towards his other soldiers and commanded, "Deploy the lifts!"
Just before Yavena could walk away, she felt someone grabbing at her combat boots—she gasped and looked down to see that Hange had woken up, and had dragged her body forth to get her attention.
"Hange!" cried Yavena.
"Yavena," Hange croaked. "G-give me… a map."
She nodded; Hange released her hold upon Yavena's boots. After scrounging around a few boxes, she finally located a decent map of the area beyond Wall Rose and placed it in front of where Hange was lying, apparently unable to move herself further at all.
For a few long moments, Hange studied the map. Yavena sat beside her while Erwin stood on the other side of her—all three of them were silent. Yavena's eyes lingered upon the parchment. There was a forest of giant trees to the south-west, as well as plenty of plains directly to the south. There were no other significant landmarks in the near vicinity; not ones that Reiner or Bertholdt could reach after only five hours head-start, that was.
"Gather everyone quickly," said Hange. Her voice had grown in strength; she looked to Yavena with severe brown eyes.
While the reinforcements that Commander Erwin had brought in were busy transporting the horses into Titan territory, Yavena spread the word that everyone still able to fight was needed so Hange could explain the plan. Before the next sixty seconds were up, all those ready to pursue Eren had formed a large circle around the map in Hange's hands.
"This might be a long shot, but there's a giant forest here," said Hange, pointing to the appropriate spot on the map. "We should head straight for it. It's not likely they have a way to hide the Armored Titan's footsteps, but… I think that's where they're headed."
"Why is that?" asked Erwin.
"It's a gamble, but even if they have the strength to charge into Titan territory, the other Titans outside the Wall might still be a threat, especially after all that fighting. They might not be in as bad of a shape as Eren, but I'm sure they're exhausted: like how Annie was out cold for a while. Let's assume for now that their destination is somewhere outside of Wall Maria. Considering the distance they'll need to cover, we can assume they'll need to recover their stamina. That means they'll want to rest somewhere where Titans are unable to reach them—at least until nightfall when Titans can't move."
Yavena glanced between Hange and Erwin, noting the way that their eyebrows were furrowed together. It was true that this was a gamble, but Yavena personally thought that Hange's assumptions were good ones: after all, at the heart of it, Reiner and Bertholdt were still human—not invincible.
The Commander glanced towards Yavena and asked, "What do you think?"
She returned his gaze with one unmatched in purpose. Yavena did not want to be a slave to doubt or uncertainty for the rest of the mission. With this newfound strength of mind, she said, "I think Hange's right, and I think we should be swift."
"All personnel, be ready to depart in twenty minutes!" yelled Erwin. "We cannot waste any more time than that—get the horses prepared, restock your supplies! Humanity takes its next step forward today!"
The soldiers that had gathered around Hange scattered, making sure that they had everything they needed. Familiar shouting filled the air; the previous sound of battle that Yavena had almost grown numb to over the years. Even the Military Police and the few members of the Wall Garrison that were present followed Erwin's orders—each of them began checking up on the other, asking Scout Regiment soldiers what needed to be done so they might not be a burden.
The minutes passed, during which time Yavena visited all of the recruits and checked to make sure they were prepared. Jean was assisting Conny by getting him new gear—Armin and Mikasa were ready—Historia was staring over the wall, her hands upon her blades—and Sasha was shoving one last ration into her mouth before it was too late.
Yavena sighed and returned to Hange, who was still lying upon the top of the Wall. Kneeling next to her, she asked, "Are you going to be all right here? There's no way you'll be able to ride on horseback within the next few hours…"
"I'll be fine," said Hange, who reached out to grasp at Yavena's forearm. "The burns will heal. It's uncomfortable as hell, though."
"That's one word for it." Yavena bit her lip as she looked over the red blemishes marking Hange's skin. This would be the first mission in a very long time that she would be without her best friend…
Hange seemed to notice her uncertainty. "Listen to me. Stick close to Erwin. Protect him if you can. Save Eren. And make sure to stay alive. I'll be here when you get back, okay? Then you can fawn and fret over me like a mother hen."
"Tch," she scoffed, although the corners of Yavena's lips turned upward. "Nice to know I'll have permission to worry when we get back, at least."
"Exactly. Now go on—get going."
Yavena ruffled Hange's dark hair and rose to her feet, knowing that it would soon be time to depart. She walked over to where Erwin was standing, his hands clasped behind his back as he stared across the far country.
"We'll have until nightfall to recover Eren," said Erwin. The way the sunlight fell upon his features enhanced the sharpness of his chin, the lines of his jaw. It was almost frightening, how forceful he looked. "If we reach the forest before then, we might still make it in time."
"Then we ride swiftly and without changing course," said Yavena. "It will be likely we will run into Titans, but if we deviate too much, we'll lose time."
Erwin sighed and turned to face her. "I agree. Yavena, you will ride in the Command Center with me. You know more about these two Intelligent Titans than I do at the moment—I will need a debriefing as we travel."
She nodded and saluted. "Aye, Erwin."
A small smile appeared, but only on one side of his face; he proceeded to grab something out of his pocket and handed it out to her, saying, "I almost forgot; these were revised orders from Levi."
Yavena took the small slip of paper from his hands, using all of her mental fortitude to prevent herself from revealing any outward emotion. But the fact of the matter was that something had just flipped inside her stomach at the mention of her Captain; she opened the paper and was unsurprised to note there were very few words written.
New Objectives. 1) Get Eren back. 2) Protect Christa. 3) Come back alive. Or else I'll kick your ashes.
"Asshole," she muttered, a sideways smirk upon her face. Realizing that the Commander was still standing directly in front of her, Yavena promptly cleared her throat and wiped the expression from her face. "Eh—sorry, Erwin."
Erwin, however, did not seem bothered by the remark. On the contrary, there was a knowing glint in his eye—it made Yavena want to melt into a puddle and dissolve and die. Out of everyone, it had to be the Commander.
"He seemed rather insistent that I hand you that," said Erwin, still with that vexatious light behind his mask. But then he clapped a hand on Yavena's shoulder, and the bantering mood was gone. "Be ready in five minutes."
"Aye!" she exclaimed. Knowing that there was little time left, Yavena rushed to make sure her water-skin was replenished, her blades were completely restocked, and her horse was properly prepared.
A few Scout Regiment soldiers had taken out some small Titans that had lined up outside the Wall—within the following moments, everyone was on the other side, upon their horses in Titan territory. Yavena was sitting next to Erwin; it seemed that they would be the only two within the Command Center, not that she was worried.
They could handle themselves.
"Let's move!" called Erwin, raising a blade to the sky.
And with that, the horses reared forward: three hundred strong soldiers from all branches of the military. Yavena kept her eyes directly ahead on the far green country, letting the knowledge that Eren was out there, was fighting, was alive, spur her onward.
She would find Eren. She would get him back. And she would live to return to Trost District.
Hi guys, sorry for my abhorrent adhering to my schedule recently. I just haven't been feeling 100% recently, hopefully that's okay :) I'm still planning on updating twice next week and then once a week starting on May 17th!
Once again, I really appreciate all the support you guys have given me for the story. Big thanks to vain-gl0ry for their comment on the last chapter as well! I may not always mention a personal thanks for reviews, but please know that I read and adore every single one of them! Everyone take care of yourselves and have a great day. :)