It had been barely half a minute since Captain Levi left and it felt like he had taken all sounds in the world with him. It was absolutely silent- so quiet that it was deafening, in fact. The flames that consumed Shiganshina ever since Bertholdt's transformation had already died out. Local wildlife was quiet and birds were nowhere do be seen. Maybe they fled as soon as Reiner's transformation an hour ago. Or maybe they shared a fate similar to the scouts on the other side of the wall. Those who were quiet for they had perished to the Beast Titan's artillery barrage. Silence had never sounded so loud before.
Laure's ears were ringing to the point that it hurt. She sat down right beside Bertholdt and laid her hand on her ear. Armin, who had a worried face, looked at her.
"Laure... are you alright?" he worringly asked her. "You talked about my burns... but you don't look much good, either."
She looked at him with a painful look.
"My ears are ringing. It's because of my... special talent."
"Special talent?", Armin asked. "What do you mean?"
"After Trost... when i got into the Scout Regiment alongside Eren...", she said as she looked at Eren. "You know that Eren was under Captain Levi's supervision and i did often respond to him, too, but i was mostly assigned to serve under Section Commander Hange and, every now and then, i'd work with Section Commander Miche. As soon as i met him, he gave me one of his creepy sniffs. He said i smelled... different. Different from everyone else. He said i had something special... a talent of some sorts, and he could somehow smell it in me."
Before Levi Ackerman joined the Scouts, Miche Zacharius was considered the strongest soldier humanity had. He had a very useful skill: an incredibly powerful sense of smell. He had the nose of an apex predator.
Laure continued speaking.
"'I will help you discover your talent', he told me when i stumbled across him in Trost during a day off. And for the following deployments, we served together. We fought alongisde each other, and he indeed helped me discover my special talent. It's my hearing. I have really, really good selective hearing."
"Your hearing?", Armin replied.
"I never told it to anyone, so you're not the only one that didn't know it." Laure sighed with much sadness. "The day we finally put all pieces together... was the day we were going to try and capture Annie."
Eren looked at Laure with saddened eyes. It was the same day Miche died.
"After Eren finally managed to put Annie down and she got herself stuck into that damned crystal, Commander Erwin sent me to report to Miche. I've told about it to you two, before. You know the story. Titans suddenly showed up, we escorted the suspect scouts to safety..."
"And that was when we first learned about the Beast Titan", Eren said in an almost whispering voice.
Laure stopped talking for a moment.
"I could've saved Miche."
Anger was all over her voice as she said that. They had never seen her actually angry before.
"If i had gotten there sooner... i could have done something."
Her memory went back to that moment. The setting sun bathed the Beast Titan in an orange glow. He looked at something he held at the tip of his fingers and several smaller titans surrounded Miche. As the Beast left, Miche got desperate. The Beast Titan stopped, turned around and said something before he left, and the titans raced towards him. Laure rushed towards them, but she was simply too far away as she couldn't even hear what the hairy titan had said. By the time her horse managed to reach the Section Commander, his body had been split into four parts by the titans who grabbed him limb by limb. His head was nowhere to be seen, just like his ODM gear.
An angered Laure looked at Bertholdt, who laid unconscious by her side. The cut in his throat had already healed a long time ago. She put her hand on his forehead and her eyes suddenly shifted to pity.
"That same day... it was Bertholdt who comforted me. We always had this sort of caring respect for each other... it often felt like i am like an older sister to him or something like that", she said in a bittersweet tone.
"If Reiner was everyone's big brother..." Eren answered to her, remembering the time they first met before memories shifted to when the traitors were exposed. "Then you were always kind of like everyone's older sister."
Laure Garnier was a problem solver. Determined and full of spirit, but nonetheless strong, capable and naturally talented, even if somewhat slow at mastering the things she learned. She graduated as the 11th best in her class, missing the Top 10 by very little. Most of what made her special actually came from the friendships she made- those who managed to make an impression on Laure ended up with an entry in her journal. She'd write about them, piecing them together, and during the following interactions she would eventually develop deep bonds with those involved. Everyone had something to say about her, from Rico Brzenska to Annie Leonhart to Dot Pyxis to even Dimo Reeves, the late leader of the Reeves Company.
Connie often mockingly called Laure "Annie if she actually gave a shit about anyone else". All of this eventually led to her current place in the Scouts.
-3 WEEKS AGO-
It had been almost two months since the coup that changed the politics inside the Wall. Plans for the operation to close the holes in Shiganshina had already been discussed for a while. It was a cold, rainy evening, and Erwin, Hange and Levi had been talking for a few hours about several topics. Levi held a cup of tea.
"So, Erwin, what about the child?", Levi asked before taking a sip.
"Which one of them?" the Commander asked, even though he already knew who he was talking about.
"You already know who i am talking about.", he replied. "The girl with that long caramel hair. Laure."
"Laure Garnier has been an outstanding asset through and through", Hange said. "I am still very impressed with her performance in Trost. Well, with her performance in every situation so far, actually. I still stand besides everything i have said about her". Hange was happy. Laure had assisted her and Moblit several times since Trost. Several dozen titans had been captured thanks to her aid.
Erwin's mind flashed back to the Battle of Trost. After Eren sealed the hole in the gate, the Scouts regrouped at the top of the wall, and Hange had brought a newly graduated Laure alongside her. She was, indeed, thoroughly impressed.
"What do you think of her, Levi?". Erwin took a sip from his tea.
"The kid is alright. She actually knows how to clean, for once. We have deployed together a few times and i had a lot of time with her off-duty, too. She helped me with delivering the personal belongings of our fallen comrades. Hell, i was in action with her back in Trost. Out of all of the recruits to come from the 104th, i'd say she's easily the one that mostly gets things done."
"I agree with you", Erwin said. He had also had Laure help him in the past. In fact, the newer recruits were being trained following the suggestions she had made at the Commander's request, and part of the plan to reach Shiganshina had some of her input, too. Not to mention Laure's role among the Special Operations Squad that looked over Eren and Historia. "I believe the 'promotion' we had mentioned in the past is well deserved. She's an effective leader and she has proven she can handle having her own squad. She will serve well alongside Dirk, Marlene and Klaus, and if things go according to plan..."
"I'm sorry, Bertholdt, but today... you will be put to rest."
Laure's words were cold, like a disappointed mother.
"Are you and Levi all that's left?", Eren asked her.
"... i don't think you saw it, since you had just sealed the outer gate, but... as soon as the Beast Titan attacked, i sent my team to protect the horses. The Beast had with him dozens of other titans, and together they trapped us all. They had us surrounded. We were reinforced by squad Marlene, Dirk and Klaus, and soon after some of the titans started to rush towards us. The recruits stayed with the horses and i gathered the most experienced of us to take down the running titans. Soon after, that 'monkey' started to throw crushed boulders at us. Boulders that were being carried by that freak cart titan thing. I was lucky enough to escape being hit directly, but i was knocked out. When i woke up, all i could see was blood and body parts everwhere. Everyone was dead. Well... almost everyone."
"W-what happened to the others?", Armin questioned her, curious about her last statement.
"Well... the recruits were all on their horses, charging at the Beast Titan while shooting flares at him. What i quickly realized is that it was a suicide charge... one to distract him. Captain Levi was killing the surrounding titans one by one as the charge and the smoke distracted the Beast. Nobody had stayed behind. Commander Erwin was nowhere to be seen, which made me think that... you know..."
Both Eren and Armin gasped.
"So... the Commander really is..." Armin said.
A hand suddenly reached the roof they were all standing on, climbing. It carried a sword it was struggling to hold on to. Eren quickly rushed towards him to help him up. It was Floch Forster, who had dragged a wounded Erwin Smith with him. Everyone looked at both of them with shock in their eyes.
"Where... where is Captain Levi?!", Floch asked, nervous.
"Armin!", Eren yelled. Armin looked at him and nodded, knowing what to do. He left towards where Captain Levi seemed to have gone. Laure and Eren helped Floch lay Erwin down.
"So... he's actually alive...", an emotional Laure said.
"Just barely", Floch replied before showing them Erwin's wound. The Commander had been pierced on the right side of his stomach, leaving a bleeding hole that would soon kill him. "We need to turn him into a titan now!"
Floch paused and then looked at Laure.
"I thought you had died., Team Leader... just like the others. This means that..." Floch's face turned pale. "... that we are the only four survivors from the outside... who... w-who else from the inside has survived?!"
"As you have seen... me and Armin are alive, but... we haven't seen anyone else yet. Not from the Scouts, at least...". Eren's words filled Floch with frustration.
"W-what do you mean 'not from the Scouts'?!"
"You saw Levi but you didn't see that cart titan?", Laure asked Floch.
"Wait, that piece of trash is still alive?"
"Yes... he passed through here minutes ago, just as Levi showed up. And he carried the Beast Titan on his back."
Floch was enraged.
"THE BEAST TITAN IS STILL ALIVE?!"
No one replied him.
"Laure, don't you get it?! EVERYONE OUTSIDE IS DEAD! Just like i said, you, me, Erwin and Levi are the only FOUR survivors from outside! EVERYONE ELSE WAS CRUSHED BY BOULDERS! BY THE FUCKING BEAST TITAN! Commander Erwin... he ordered ALL of the recruits to die, me included. He ordered us straight to our deaths... all of us... just so Levi could have enough time to attack the Beast Titan by surprise... and you want to tell me it was all for NOTHING?! That all of those sacrifices amounted to NOTHING?!"
Captain Levi stumbled as he landed on the roof. He was in a hurry, and he didn't say anything to anyone, his eyes focused on one single person. He crouched besides Erwin and Mikasa & Hange landed soon after. Mikasa yelled "Eren!" and dashed towards him, hugging him tightly.
After a few seconds, Eren spoke.
"We are going to have to decide... if it's Reiner or Bertholdt that's going to be eaten.", Eren said as he slowly looked at Laure while Mikasa was still glued to him. She suddenly realized what was going to happen, leaving her with a blank expression on her face.
"Are... are you all that's left?" Floch said, his voice cracking. Hange was wounded, having had lost an eye.
"Connie is with Sasha and Jean. They both have been wounded and i asked Armin to help take care of them. Although, Armin himself needs some help with his burns..." Hange said. "Everyone else... well, we're all that's left."
Floch stayed silent. Laure looked at Hange, with fear in her eyes. Eren noticed Reiner was nowhere to be seen.
"Where is Reiner? Is he with the others?", he asked.
"We successfully defeated the Armored Titan. However... as we tried to interrogate him, we were suddenly attacked by a four legged titan who managed to rescue and flee with him."
"The cart titan... the same one who carried the Beast on his back...", Eren replied.
Captain Levi interrupted rather harshly.
"We can all talk about this shit later. Right now, i have to turn Erwin into a titan. I'm going to use the serum, so get the hell out of here so he only eats Bertholdt."
Everyone left to join Connie and Armin on a nearby rooftop. Jean was awake, but Sasha remained unconscious. Levi looked at Erwin's wound and checked how his heartbeats were. He was indeed still alive, but his body was weak. Levi dragged Bertholdt to the edge of the roof and took Erwin to the ground. He picked the syringe with the serum and looked at his dear friend.
"Turns out you won't need to give up on your dream after all, you lucky bastard."
Meanwhile, on the other roof, the remaining scouts regrouped so the larger picture could finally be seen by all of them.
"Glad to see you're alive, little caramel", Connie mockingly said to Laure. Jean got riled up.
"This is not the time for crappy jokes, Connie!", he replied.
"It's alright, Jeanie. I'm glad to see you all are alive, too". Laure gave a faint but legit smile. "Is... is Sasha ok?"
Jean gave an annoying sigh.
"She got struck by a thunder spear's shard as we tried to attack Reiner. But she's gonna be ok. Connie was very fast when it came to saving her."
Laure looked at Floch, who was talking to Section Commander Hange, telling about everything that happened on the outside. Laure started to think about those who had perished during that evening, and she quickly found herself thinking about Moblit.
"Hange...", she interrupted Floch, her mind wandering to the point she didn't even notice what she was doing. "What happened to Moblit?"
Hange had pain in her eyes.
Mikasa and Eren assisted Armin with his burns. They washed his skin with what little water they had left and wrapped bandages around him.
"Don't worry about the water, the river's nearby. We'll restock during our return.", Eren said. "I'm really glad you didn't have to sacrifice yourself, Armin. You're a hero... and you wouldn't need to die to be one."
"Huh?", he said. Armin acted innocent, but he knew Eren caught up to him.
"I know you were ready to die so i could take down the Beast Titan. You lied to me, didn't you? You weren't expecting us to see the sea together."
"I... i..."
"Armin", Mikasa interrupted. "You have saved us many times. Your intelligence is something out of this world. We would be better off if you stayed alive with us."
"Besides,", Eren added. "can you imagine what would have happened if we had to choose between you or Commander Erwin for the titan serum?"
"Well... you can thank Laure for the fact that it didn't have to be that way. Her flares are what saved me from being roasted alive."
Levi finally arrived. "Stay quiet, everyone. We don't want whatever big head ugly bastard Erwin becomes to ignore Bertholdt and come straight at us."
Bertholdt woke up right after lightning struck. Steam consumed the area as a titan hand reached the roof. Bertholdt panicked as the sight of a 7 meter titan with Erwin's distinct eyebrows and messy hair slowly rose and looked at the Warrior. He started to shake desperately as he tried to flee, but it took a second for Bertholdt to notice he didn't have any limbs. Erwin grabbed him and he started to scream desperately.
"No! No! NO! NOOO!"
Bertholdt caught eye of all the remaining scouts resting not far from him, all of them who were spectating him. He smiled for a second, relieved that his friends were there. But as they proceeded to do nothing but stare at the scene, his mind quickly snapped to reality- the one reality he had to deal with. He was going to die. Laure turned her back to him and Bertholdt caught eye of that.
"Guys! Please! PLEASE! HELP ME! PLEASE! LAURE, HELP ME! REINER, ANNIE! HELP ME! HELP ME PLEASE! PLEASE! HELP M-"
Erwin put Bertholdt's head between his teeth and instantly crushed it. Blood and chunks of his skull & brain flew everywhere. It suddenly got quiet, if not for the sound of bones crunching. The titan ate the rest of his body and, after roughly a minute, fell face first on the ground. Steam once again engulfed the area, and a few of the scouts rushed towards him while the rest kept their guard. Erwin emerged from the titan's nape, faint. Levi and Hange grabbed him.
The Devil himself now possessed the power of the Colossal Titan.