{1.} Finally, Levi's appearing this chapter! I wonder how many people have been wanting Levi to appear in this story.

{2.} I don't know if I've mentioned this before or not, but if you want, you can become a Beta Reader for this story! After all, I need all the help I can get if I want to improve my writing – and, by extension, this story.

{3.} As Hange is a female in the anime, she will also be a female in this story. And yes, I am stating that because of Hange having no specific gender in the manga.

{4.} I've been having these nagging concerns towards myself that I'm making Weiss seem a bit... out of character, to say the least. Like, she's not as strict, cold, or blunt about things as she normally would be. I didn't mean to make Weiss seem like that, if any of you do see her that way in this story. I try to make characters as in-character as possible.

{5.} With Blake being the only Faunus (to be known) inside the walls, I don't think it would make that big of a deal in the long run. The main characters won't treat her differently when they find out about Blake's Faunus heritage. After all, she's human enough. The only people that will act differently are just the minor characters (i.e. the extra characters that aren't too important or the ones with no names and are therefore not in any way important apart from making the death toll rise).

{6.} I'm so sorry for the wait. I hope you all can forgive me. I have been busy with writing other crossover fanfiction. I've also deleted a few previously published fanfics, including the former side-story to this, which was called 'Choices That Leave Regrets'. I'm sorry if you were reading that, by the way, but I decided not to have Summer Rose or Raven Branwen involved in the AoT storyline. I did previously involve them, for those who aren't aware. But I decided that it would help for Ruby to sympathise with Eren, and it may help to emphasise certain points later on in the story.


Levi
~ A few hours earlier, before the Titan attack on Trost ~


"Heads up! The main unit of the Scout Regiment is back!"

"That's right, Commander Erwin! Did you give those ugly bastards a thrashing?!"

"Look! It's Captain Levi! They say he's like an entire brigade to himself!

"Spare me, please." Levi passed glances to the crowds of civilians and cadets lined up on either side of the street. They all cheered for him and the rest of the Scout Regiment, whilst the Scouts themselves trotted through the clearing on their horses.

"That scowl will crush your fans. Not that it's any of my business, but from a public relation standpoint, you might wanna lighten up." Hange told him. He merely stole a glimpse at her, refusing to acknowledge her comment. Levi redirected his attention on the large gate in front of him, which led outside Wall Rose. The rest of the Scouts stopped in front of it. Levi could sense that they were preparing themselves for what was on the other side. Hange clasped both of her hands together in delight: "Hello, the threshold of Titania! Can't you just envision the horrors in store for us, comrades? I'm on pins and needles! We bag an Abnormal, I'll burst with tears of joy!"

"I think we've bagged the craziest Abnormal already." Levi slyly commented. He watched from the corner of his eye as Hange rocked back and forth on her horse with excitement. Not that there would be anything exciting about it once they were outside.

Hange halted and sat upright on the saddle of her horse. She turned her head left and right, trying to find the Abnormal. She had taken Levi's remark seriously, no doubt. "What, seriously? Where?"

Levi's hand grabbed her head, his fingers gripping her ponytail as he pushed her face towards his. "I mean you."

"MOVE OUT!"

The gate opened, and the Scouts set off into the Titans' territory.


As Levi had expected, there were more than a few Titans around the abandoned village that they had been trying to reclaim. Though, it wasn't something that Levi couldn't handle on his own. Unfortunately for him, he had an entire team to look out for as well. His concentration had been split in two.

There was one of them nearby, with a soldier hanging from in-between its teeth at the waist. Levi grunted, knowing that the Titan was only chewing down on the bottom half of the soldier's body, yet the soldier couldn't seem to free himself. However, it was guaranteed that the soldier would still die, even if he was saved. Blood loss, kids.

Just as he was about to go and save the soldier, however, another Titan approached him. Levi sighed, knowing he couldn't just move past the Titan and expect there not to be consequences. With a deep exhale, Levi hopped from the roof and fired one of his wires at the side of the Titan's neck. He tried not to use too much of his gas as he propelled himself towards the nape. He reached a good height above the Titan's weak spot, retracted his wire, and spun. The sunlight glinted off his blades, creating a spinning discus out of himself as he dove forwards, slicing into the nape and producing two clean cuts. The Titan dropped to the ground and proceeded to decay shortly afterwards.

"One day... one day, you'll all just be a bad memory. Mankind will starve out all of you. Mark my words... the last ones standing... will be us!" the soldier stabbed his blade into the Titan's cheek. Aggravated, the Titan bit down on the soldier with more intensity, deepening the wound. "Gorge while you can, you bastard... just wait 'til Captain Levi—"

Once he landed back on a solid platform, Levi fired one of his wires at the wall of an observation tower that stood next to the Titan. The hook of it pierced the nape, but the wound was shallow. Levi leaped from his landing platform and spun with incredible speed towards the back of the Titan's neck. It took only a couple of seconds for him to slice open the Titan's nape and carve out the weak spot. After he did so, he came out of the spin and planted his feet down on another rooftop, his wire drawing back in as he landed. The limp body of the Titan crashed to the ground as Levi took a few steps across the tiles, sharply turning his head to observe the area and get a sense of the situation.

"One on the right, two on the left." He spoke to himself. By the time most of his team landed behind him, he'd already elected himself to take out the two Titans on the left. He'd rather it be himself with the bigger threat, since he didn't particularly trust anyone else not to get themselves killed facing more than one Titan.

"Captain!" Petra called out to him, Eld and Gunther behind her. "The reinforcements are here, sir!"

"Good. Tend to our comrade below, Petra. You two, take out the Titan to your right." he commanded, sharing brief eye contact with each of them. "The pair on the left belongs to me." Levi went on to inform them before he leaped off of the roof. He shot his wires forward again, travelling through the air as he advanced towards the two Titans.

"Captain, wait!" Petra attempted to call out to him. Even though he heard her voice, he ignored her. Petra often worried about things that seemed like nothing to Levi, and he'd learnt to ignore her.

Levi's attention was suddenly drawn away for a brief moment when he heard Hange's shouts from across the street. She was having fun again, it seemed. He grimaced and instead directed his focus to the Titans he was approaching.

"I know you probably can't help being hideous," Levi said, landing on the parapet of a building. He briskly walked towards the pair of giants, his eyes glaring daggers at the monstrosities. "But I can't help being tired of looking at you."

He fired a wire at the tower to the side of the nearest Titan. Jumping off of the roof and using his gas to launch himself higher, Levi spun himself around again, his blades spinning with him. He sliced the nape with perfect precision. The piece he carved out fell to the ground below, along with the Titan's limp body.

He refused to give himself a break. Levi planted one foot on a ledge of a wall and jumped back up again, raising his swords and releasing the blades from the handles. He launched the blades towards the eyes of the remaining Titan. The blades dived straight into the Titan's eyes and blinded it, causing it to clutch its eyes as it roared out in pain.

Levi landed on top of the Titan's bald head, wobbling slightly as the Titan shook with its roar. "Uh-oh. Easy there, big stuff. Nobody's got time for a cry-baby." Levi mused after he regained his balance (see, he could be humorous, too). He spun in place, before attaching a new set of blades to the empty sword handles and pulling out the fresh pair. "Let's take it like a man, shall we?"

Levi leapt into the air and spun again, letting his body gyrate as he dived towards the Titan's nape. He slashed the weak spot, carving out the nape. As the Titan fell, Levi almost dropped to the ground too. However, he fired a wire up and used his gas, somersaulting onto a roof and landing smoothly.

When he regained his posture and took the time to assess himself and his surroundings, he realized that he had gotten Titan blood on his hands. Levi lifted his hand up and examined it, glaring down at the slowly evaporating blood. It had stained the palm of his hand, as well as his sword handle.

"Disgusting," he remarked with bitterness. It was one thing being in an unclean place, and it was another matter to let himself be dirtied. With a grimace at the atrocious sight of the Titan blood on his hand, he proceeded to wipe the blood off.

Once he had finished cleaning his hand, he made a mental note to wash his napkin later and hopped from the rooftop, firing another wire with his gas propelling him. He began to make his way toward where he had sent Petra. When Petra came into view, Levi withdrew his wires and brought himself down to land nearby.

"Captain, I... I can't stop the bleeding." Petra said to him, rather panicked, as he approached. Levi looked down at her, and then at the wounded soldier.

"Captain... Levi..." the soldier breathed out.

Levi crouched down beside the soldier. "I'm here." he told the other man.

"Did this... make a difference...? Was I... was I helpful...?" The soldier raised his hand in the air. "Please, sir... don't tell me that this was for nothing..."

Levi grabbed the man's hand, allowing the soldier's blood to coat his palm. This was something he didn't mind dirtying his hands for. "We've made great strides today, soldier; and tomorrow; because of you. Your strength won't die with you. The torch will be carried on. By me. This is swear, on my very life! The Titans will be eradicated!"

Petra lowered her head and tilted it to her left. "Sir, I'm sorry, he's..." she couldn't even finish her sentence before she closed her eyes, a few lone tears dripping down her cheeks.

"Did the man hear what I had to say?" Levi asked, his gaze on Petra. "Any of it?"

Petra's eyes opened, and she returned Levi's gaze. Her attention was then directed toward the now deceased soldier. "Yes, sir. Matter of fact, I think he heard all of it. Look at him; that's a face at peace."

Levi closed his eyes and stood up. The sudden sound of horses snapped him out of his short-lived moment of grief, and he rotated in place, only to find Erwin on his horse with his men accompanying him.

"Levi!" Erwin addressed the Captain as his white stallion grinded to a halt. "We're pulling out."

"Sir?" Petra questioned in confusion. She rose to her feet.

"What do you mean? You damn well know that we can push further. My men didn't die to pave our retreat." Levi responded, aiming a vicious glare at Erwin. The man showed no reaction to Levi's vented frustration; probably because he was so used to being on the receiving end of Levi's anger.

"There's a swarm of Titans moving north. They're bearing down on the city." Erwin informed them. Levi's glare faded, and Petra's jaw was left agape. Erwin ignored their expressions, and turned his head in the direction of the walls. "It's just like five years ago. Something tells me this is going to be bad. For all we know, the wall's already been reduced to rubble. There's also been reports of four outlandish girls that appeared on the wall just before the attack happened."

"You mean like outsiders?" Petra asked, seemingly more stunned by the news of the girls.

"Yes. And from what I have heard, they're fighting against the Titans as we speak. It seems that they're fighting on our side; for now, anyway."


Blake Belladonna
~ Now, during the attack on Trost ~


Blake had spent the last few minutes, probably even half an hour, with the ribbon of her Gambol Shroud wrapped around Jean's waist and her other arm keeping the stretcher Yang was laid on steady and balanced whilst she was pulled towards the top of the wall after Jean, who was using his ODM Gear to help her get there with Yang. It was tough, since there weren't any lifts they could have used, and she often wondered if the ribbon around Jean's waist was crushing his diaphragm.

Once Jean disappeared at the top of the wall, there was a slight pause, and then Jean's hand came into view and heaved on the ribbon, pulling both girls up towards the top of the wall. Once she reached the top, Blake heaved the stretcher up and dropped it on the top of the wall. After she had pushed Yang's stretcher further away from the edge, she grunted and climbed up herself, tugging her weapon and releasing Jean's waist. Once on the top, Blake collapsed onto her front side. Thankfully, she could still move and talk.

When Jean approached Blake and held out his hand for her, which she gratefully took and pulled herself up, she found that plenty of people were staring at her, dumbfounded and perplexed. One of them was a man that had a relatively old appearance due to the wrinkles present on his face. He had a bald head, but a grey moustache made up for the lack of hair on his head. Not only was he significantly older than the rest of the soldiers she'd seen or met so far, but he also gave her the vibe of being more experienced than the other soldiers, too. Blake knew that the man was a significant person in the military, too, as he wore a red sash with golden trims over his torso and back. The red sash itself hung from one of his shoulders. Other than that, he had the same Garrison Regiment uniform and was equipped with the same gear.

"And what do we have here?" the man asked, a smile on his face as he regarded Blake. His eyes were narrowed, but it seemed to be the way his eyes looked.

He took a step toward Blake, but one of the other Garrison soldiers called out to warn him against approaching her: "If I may, sir, I don't think it would be wise for you to go near her. She has a weapon in her hand. She could attack you."

"I'm not a ruthless animal. I don't attack people for no reason." Blake sheathed her weapon and waved her arms dismissively. "My name is Blake Belladonna. I'm one of the outsiders who ended up here this morning. My teammates and I have been helping the cadets in their battle against the Titans. You can ask any of them if you want to confirm what I'm saying." Blake lowered her arms and instead motioned to Yang. "I was told by my team leader, Ruby, to bring my team partner, Yang, up here for safety while she's recovering and being treated. She ended up in a Titan's stomach whilst defending Headquarters from the Titans surrounding it earlier on today. I know it sounds crazy; but she managed to escape the stomach of a Titan that had swallowed her whole. She's sick, and we have a good feeling that she may be suffering from post-traumatic stress and it's making her ill." Blake's shoulders hunched as she put on a brave facade. They may all be older and more experienced than her, but she wasn't one to crack under pressure. Especially when it was about creating a good first impression in front of humans.

"And you came up here carrying her?" the old man inquired further. He reached into the inside pocket of his brown jacket and pulled out a circular silver flask. Taking a swig of whatever he stored in his flask, his eyes regarded Blake for a moment. Blake knew he was studying her by her body language and expression.

"Yes, but Jean helped to transport us both up here." Blake straightened her posture and nodded.

"And where are the other members of your team? I've heard there are four of you, correct?" he asked.

"Yes, there are. There's me, Yang, and two other girls called Weiss Schnee and Ruby Rose. Weiss is another teammate of mine with white hair and a distinctive scar over her left eye, and as said before, Ruby is our team leader, but she's two years younger than us. Ruby is the one that has silver eyes and wears a red cloak with a hood, and you'll usually see her wielding a large red and black scythe." Blake explained, ignoring the stunned gazes everyone aimed at her. She rubbed the back of her neck awkwardly. "Sorry. I realise those descriptions may be a lot for you guys to take in, and that it would be a bit hard to believe for you all, but you'll be able to meet them yourselves and see that I'm telling the truth. Weiss and Ruby are currently with a cadet by the name of Eren Jaeger. They should still be with him. If he or his friends are in trouble, neither Ruby nor Weiss would leave them, even if they were told to."

The old man nodded his head. "Alright; I'll take your word for now." he turned to the woman standing beside him. "Anka, go and fetch one of the medics currently available. I can see that Yang here is in need of aid and medicine."

"Yes, sir." Anka nodded, performed the military salute, and twirled on her heel.

Once the woman, Anka, had left, Blake stepped toward the old man. "I assume you're the Commander of the Garrison Regiment?"

"Yes. My name is Dot Pixis. But since you're not one of my men, you can just call me Pixis." he introduced himself with a smile. "Is there something else you wanted from me or my regiment?"

"No; I don't think so. But there is something that concerns one of your soldiers that you must know about." Blake said, folding her hands over in front of her lap. "It involves Captain Kittz Voerman. I promised Yang that I would make sure justice is served for his crime of desertion during the battle of Trost."

"Desertion? That's a very serious accusation, but not one I haven't heard before in regards to Voerman." Pixis responded, before taking another drink from his flask. "Tell me, what evidence do you have to support this?"

"He ordered the supply team to stay inside HQ whilst he made his escape behind Wall Rose. He told the soldiers that he had a supposed job behind the inner gate. He also threatened the supply team with charges of treason when they tried to stop him." Blake informed the Commander. "Yang found out when she went out to kill as many Titans surrounding HQ as she could. Voerman's order for the supply team to stay inside the Garrison compromised the plan to resupply the recruits and endangered countless more lives." she pointed out, trying to remain calm. "I realise that everyone's lives are at stake when battling against Titans, but any person with common sense and a conscience would know that a coward that puts his own life above the lives of those who serve under him is not fit to lead in the military, even if he is suffering from shellshock."

"I agree. Looking back on it now, I don't know what possessed me to keep him around. I thought it was the fact that he was willing to use any means necessary to make people fight for their own lives, but I suppose now that anyone could do that." Pixis cupped his chin with his index finger and thumb. "And the supply team is alive to tell the story?"

"Yes. I made sure none of them died before getting to talk to you about this matter." Blake nodded.

"Good. I shall see Voerman and keep him imprisoned for the time being until I get a full report of the incident." He nodded his head. He paused for a moment, as if contemplating something, before his eyes met Blake's again. "By the way, you mentioned something about a cadet Eren Jaeger?"

"Yes. I was saying that my other two teammates should be with him." Blake light-heartedly shrugged her shoulders. "Why do you ask?"

"I'm sure you must have at least heard of what happened in the last hour or so at the Garrison. Apparently cadet Jaeger came out of a Titan carcass."

"Ah. Yes, I am aware of that. I was there at the time, though I don't understand how he can transform into a Titan. All I know is that my team and I are happy that he's alive."

"I'm sure you must be. I wouldn't hold it against you if you have any questions of your own about his ability."

"I do; but from what I've seen, I get the gist that you're as lost as I am." Blake tilted her head. "I assume he's going to be put under investigation, since nobody in the military understands his ability?"

"It's likely that he will, should he not be killed first by Voerman." Pixis comfortably held his hands behind his back.

"Wait, you mean to tell me that Voerman, of all people, has—?!" Blake's voice rose, but she was cut off by the loud sound of an explosion that had occurred somewhere nearby. The sound of the explosion was quickly followed by a flash of yellow lightning and smoke rising in the distance.

"Commander, sir!"

Three soldiers sprinted towards the group, all appearing to be somewhat panicked and scared.

"Who fired that cannon?" the Commander questioned.

"Captain Voerman did, sir! The Captain has captured what was reported to be a boy that can somehow shapeshift into a Titan!" one of the messengers informed them. "Captain Dietrich requested us to send for you, sir!"

"I knew he would do something like that." Blake clenched her fists. She bit her thumb nail through gritted teeth, before approaching the three soldiers. "Was there a girl in a red cloak with him?"

"Yes. She was accompanied by a girl with white hair and a distinctive scar over her left eye."

"So Weiss and Ruby are still with them." Blake tapped her chin. "And what of Eren? Judging from the flash of lightning, I suppose he's conscious?"

"Yes. He managed to come to his senses. Though, when he did, he muttered something along the lines of "You're all gonna die.". It was presumed he was referring to the team that Captain Voerman has stationed there to keep the boy captive."

"I assume Eren wouldn't say that to someone of a higher rank, if the way he acted this morning is anything to go by. It's entirely possible that Voerman misunderstood. The likely conclusion would be that Eren had a flashback of when he first transformed, and ended up confusing the memory with his present situation; hence the outburst."

"Knowing that, can you vouch for cadet Jaeger?" the Commander asked, turning to Blake.

Blake hesitated and tensed up, but eventually shook her head. "Not for his Titan ability. But if we're talking about Eren as a person, I think what I saw of him this morning should be enough for me to back him up. And, if there's one thing I know for certain, it's that his power, with practiced control, can be used effectively in the fight against the Titans."


Armin Arlert


Armin slowly opened his eyes, anxious and terrified of what he would see. He had expected to be blown to bits by that cannon, but the ringing in his ears, and the fact that he was still breathing, proved that the attack from Captain Voerman had failed or been blocked. The turn of events was surprising, to say the least. Not more so than the giant top half of the Titan he had found himself inside of, but close enough. On the bright side, he, Mikasa, Ruby, and Weiss were all alive and miraculously still in one piece. However, Eren was nowhere to be seen.

His breaths were laboured, and the heat of the Titan's ribcage surrounding him was making him uncomfortable in his own clothes. Wasn't there something cold he could use to cool down? He was tempted to hold onto Weiss to see if she was as cold as her icy appearance suggested, but decided against it, seeing as how Weiss would be on alert and ready to attack or defend at any given moment until the smoke cleared.

It took a brief moment for the smoke and steam to disappear inside of the ribcage. Once it did, he could finally see clearly. His eyes frantically searched his surroundings for his friends. Mikasa was crouched beside him, her swords in hand, should they need to be used. Weiss was also sat a few feet away from him, with fairly big ice shards surrounding her and Ruby. Ruby was sat just in front of Weiss, trying to cover herself with her cloak, her hood on her head. Even with the four of them in here, there was still plenty of space for them to stand, move, or to fit in a few more people.

The top half of the Titan body had no skin; it was merely constructed of flesh and bones. The Titan appeared to be supported by the spinal column, which was impaled into the ground, and quite deeply at that. It only had the half of one arm, which was raised as if it had tried to block something. Flesh had grown over the Titan's chest, but stopped growing in the middle, just above where the ribcage started.

Given the fact that Eren could apparently transform into a Titan, Armin supposed that this was the least his childhood friend would be able to do.

The head of the Titan, constructed of only the skull and its eyeballs, moved ever so slightly. The sudden movement, however slight it had been, caused several pieces of bone to fall around Armin and Mikasa. It was a miracle that none of the bone fragments hit them.

But there was still one problem: "Where's Eren?"

"Armin! Mikasa! Ruby! Weiss!" the familiar voice erupted from behind the smoke, which hid the ribcage from the view of Captain Voerman. Footfalls were audible until Eren appeared in the entryway of the giant ribcage. "Hey! Are you guys alright?!"

"E-Eren?" Armin stuttered in shock. "How'd you—?"

"I don't know!" Eren interrupted him. "But look, it's already starting to vaporize – just like the corpse of a Titan!"

Eren was right. Now that he'd appeared, the Titan body was starting to break apart and burn away. The bones and flesh were in the process of vaporising into thin air, though the process was agonisingly slow.

"Let's get out of here!" Eren directed the four of them, pivoting in place. He stopped and stared out of the smoke. "Hard to tell if they're watching and waiting, or just totally dazed. I suppose it doesn't matter much either way. I'm sure once the smoke clears, they'll resume the attack." he ascertained.

Mikasa rose to her feet, and Eren turned to her. Armin stood up too, as did Weiss and Ruby, and they all exited the ribcage. It later occurred to Armin – about half a minute after they were out – that there was still a lot of smoke around, and that it wouldn't be going away anytime soon. In fact, the smoke was very thick, and concealed a much larger area than just the currently vaporising half-built Titan.

"After seeing this, I think we've blown any hope of reasoning with them." Eren's hand traced to the key hanging on the thread around his neck. Surprisingly, Armin had never noticed him wearing that before now. "The cellar... I'm starting to remember: this key; our house in Shiganshina. My father said I'd have to go back there. Everything hinged on it. I think it's why he gave me the power to transform. If I can make it back to our cellar, I might learn the Titans' secret!" he began to divulge, almost as if he had no control over the words flowing out of his mouth. All of a sudden, Eren punched one of the ribs. The force of the strike was enough to leave dented cracks in the bone. In his peripheral view, Armin could have sworn he'd seen Weiss looking on with a troubled expression. "Why did he keep this stuff secret?! How many thousands of Scouts have already died because my father didn't share this information?! It could be the last chance humanity has! And the answer's been hidden away under our house this entire time? Is he insane?! Damn him!"

"Eren," Mikasa planted a steady hand on Eren's shoulder. "We have other business to deal with."

"Right."

The five of them took their seats in a circle formation. When they did so, the arm and skull of the decaying Titan broke off, collapsing and shattering when it landed on the ground. It created even more smoke, which in turn gave the five a bit more time to form some sort of plan.

"Listen; I'm getting out of here." Eren announced.

Both Mikasa's and Armin's jaws were left agape. Weiss' eyes widened and she leaned forward. Ruby immediately grabbed a hold of Eren's arm.

"Where? And how?" Armin inquired.

"Anywhere but here." Eren replied, rather curt and blunt. "Then I head over the wall and straight to Shiganshina. But I'll have to become a Titan again."

"You can transform at will?" Armin questioned, furthering his disbelief.

"To be honest, I don't know how I'm doing it, Armin. I just know that I can. It's hard to put into words, but I must be like a reflexive, see?" Eren's gaze was firmly transfixed on his hand, which he was holding a couple of inches away from his face. "In that moment, my mind subconsciously focused on stopping the cannonball. That's why it's decaying. It only had the endurance to meet that task."

"Is it just me, or is this getting more confusing the more I listen?" Weiss leaned closer to Armin, whispering to him.

"I suppose it's natural, in this situation." Armin told her, also in a hushed tone. "But I feel like more of our questions will be answered if we listen."

The more Eren talked, the more erratic his breathing appeared to be. He was also going pale. Was this a side-effect of using his Titan shapeshifting ability? Or was his exhaustion getting to him? Either way, it was a cause for concern.

"Next time I'll be stronger!" Eren growled, despite his apparent breathlessness. "I'll be a fifteen-metre high Titan slayer, just like I was before!"

Eren's nose then started to bleed, which even surprised Eren himself.

"Eren!" Mikasa cut in, her concern for Eren unhinged. "Your nose is—"

Eren wiped the blood from the fold above his lips, leaving a smudge of red where the blood trail used to be. There was something wrong with Eren.

"Your breathing is erratic and you're pale. Something's wrong, Eren; you're not well!" Armin pointed out.

Eren wiped away the rest of the blood from his nose. "As things stand, my health is irrelevant. But I have two ideas."

"Your health certainly isn't irrelevant. I don't want you to come down with the same bug that Yang's suffering with. Looking after two sick people is too much for me!" Ruby lowered her head.

Weiss smacked her teammate around the back of her head. "Calm down! We can get Eren checked to see if he's got the same sickness Yang caught if and when we get out of this mess. Provided he doesn't run off first." she advised Ruby. Weiss slid the palm of her hand under Ruby's chin and lifted the girl's head up. "But go on; what were the ideas you were going to tell us about?"

Armin didn't like where this was going. If one of those ideas was a plan to escape Trost, Mikasa would surely want to follow Eren. Armin knew that Mikasa intended to fulfil her promise on going wherever Eren went. And he knew more than anyone that there was no stopping Mikasa when she had her mind set on something, especially when it came to Eren. There was also the possibility that Ruby would take off with Mikasa. That would leave Armin and Weiss alone. They would be left here to fend for themselves, and neither he nor Weiss had hope of being able to reason with Captain Voerman without gambling against certain death.

Not unless a miracle were to happen, at least.

"You two could make it out of here alive if you stopped trying to protect me. I've brought you nothing but trouble as it is. I'm doing this on my own from this point forward." Eren declared, aiming the statement at Mikasa and Armin.

Armin had guessed correctly.

"Y-You're... you're kidding..." Armin mumbled in disbelief. "But—"

"Eren," Mikasa interrupted Armin. "I'm coming too."

And there was the kicker.

"No way." Eren instantly denied.

"I plan to follow you whether you give me permission to or not." Mikasa argued back, defiant. "I swear, I'll never leave your side."

"Mikasa, stop it! I'm being serious here! I'm not your little brother, and I'm not some snot-nosed toddler!"

"Guys, this isn't the time to be fighting!" Ruby attempted to be the peacekeeper. She shifted closer to Mikasa and Eren, who had now devolved into an actual argument.

Armin's gaze fell to the ground, and Eren's and Mikasa's arguing voices were drowned out. He needed to process and think. He needed to use his extensive knowledge and intellect to analyse how things stood for them, and come up with at least a few ideas.

His eyes landed on Weiss, and he kept an eye on her for a brief moment. Her eyes were darting around, as if she was analysing the situation and possibilities. She was a tactical person too, it seemed. If they made it out of this situation alive, Armin would love to get to know her better and learn more about what her own thought process was like. Perhaps they shared more in common than he had previously thought!

'As it stands, the Garrison Regiment isn't ready to assault our position yet. If they were, Mikasa would've reacted faster than a stray cat.' He shook his head and released those thoughts from his mind. He shouldn't be thinking of that when the Garrison Regiment was still waiting, and probably ready to fire that cannon again at any moment. 'I would assume they have a well-trained artillery crew above us. That cannon aught to be reloaded in the next twenty seconds.' Armin mentally deduced. The inward presumption was welcomed by the overwhelming feeling of dread, but it was soon replaced when his gaze landed on Eren. 'Eren will most likely spring into action and be long gone before that happens.'

A flashback image of Eren and Mikasa having to beat up Armin's bullies from years ago suddenly appeared in his mind. Armin was left confused at the out-of-context memory. However, his confusion warped into depression when he remembered the number of times he'd had to be saved by Eren and Mikasa, and how he could never consider himself as their equal. He was always the one that was saved by his friends, but could never manage to repay his friends by saving them.

'Why am I thinking of something like that at a time like this? Is it... is it because... this is the end for us...?'

Another flashback struck his mind, this time showing Armin himself hiding in a corner. His back was against a wall, next to a large wooden box, while Eren and Mikasa fought off the boys who used to bully him – the kids were killed when the Colossal Titan first appeared five years ago, which was one thing that Armin was admittedly thankful for. Next was a flashback image of Eren and Mikasa smiling down at him; Eren holding his hand out to help Armin up, bruises and scratches patterning his face. It was proof that Eren had a harder time with fighting the boys than Mikasa did.

'When it's all said and done, at the moment of truth, I was a coward. The same as right now.' Another flashback clouded his mind. Eren was holding Armin's hand as they walked down the street, Mikasa beside them. 'I can't count the number of times they've come to my rescue. I was always so weak, I could never reciprocate the favour. Even Weiss had to push herself above and beyond for my sake.'

More recent flashbacks of the times when Weiss had saved him, helped him, and gave him hope throughout the day sprung into his mind. His final flashback was also recent: it was Weiss, just after she injured herself and yet still went out of her way in order to protect Armin from a Titan.

'I still haven't earned the right to think of myself as their equal. I can't afford to try and repay their kindness by going with them. I'd only keep on slowing them down.'

With that thought lodged in his mind, Armin lightly dropped, sitting on the backs of his lower legs. Armin's hair fluttered in the gentle draft of the wind.

"Listen, I won't—"

"Just wait a second, would you? If you recall, I said I had two ideas." the sound of Eren's voice managed to come back into focus. Armin's ears twitched. "Armin, I trust you to make the right decision."

At the sound of his name, Armin suddenly lifted his head. He shared at least five seconds of eye contact with Eren. From the look in his eyes, Armin determined that Eren knew where he was going with that sentence. Armin, of course, didn't have a clue.

"Now here me out; and yes, I'm aware of how unrealistic this plan is. The best case scenario, I try to use my Titan ability strategically, under military direction. This might sound crazy, but if you think you can convince the Garrison Regiment, right here and now, that I present no threat to them, I'll trust you and we'll go with that option. Think you can get it done?" Eren suggested. Armin almost had a heart attack when he realised that this plan would allow him the chance to finally save his friends – just like they had saved him. The problem? It put more than enough pressure on Armin's shoulders. Eren seemed to notice that. "Listen, we'll respect your opinion either way." he attempted to comfort Armin.

"Eren... why would you leave such a major decision up to me?" Armin questioned. He failed to see himself as a significant person, even in the military. It was a miracle that he was still alive, in part to everyone else's hard work to save him: particularly Weiss'. Why would someone leave him to make that kind of decision? Armin had to question if the ability to transform into a Titan had done something to Eren's head.

"Because you keep a level head. You always choose well, no matter how ugly things get." Eren answered, responding with a smile to add. His tone of voice suggested that he couldn't believe Armin hadn't realized that yet. "I figure that's worth relying on."

"When have I done that?" Armin asked, confused. He couldn't remember ever having a level head in any ugly situation; especially one that the three of them had been in the middle of.

"Come on, you do it all the time. Take five years ago. If you hadn't gone for Mister Hannes for help, Mikasa and I would've been eaten by the Titans." Eren pointed out. His smile never left his face.

"Who's Mister Hannes?" Ruby asked.

"He's one of the soldiers in the Garrison Regiment. He usually looked out for us when we were kids." Mikasa explained. Armin could feel the shift in the air of Mikasa's tension slipping away. Maybe one look at Ruby was all Mikasa needed to calm down. "He's still alive, actually. We could introduce you to him if and when we get the chance."

"Okay!" Ruby's mouth curved into a closed-eye smile, excited.

The spine of the Titan cracked, and it snapped off, detaching from the rest of the body. It carried some of the ribcage with it as it crashed on the ground behind Armin, creating a strong breeze in the process. In that same moment, the sudden realization hit Armin like a train: he had, in fact, saved Eren and Mikasa before. He'd indirectly saved them from what would have been certain death.

'That's how you see me? You don't think I'm a poor excuse for a friend? I had convinced myself that... I was just a burden to all of you...'

Tears started to well up in Armin's eyes while he hung his head low. His lips trembled, though he tried as hard as he could to not cry. He'd been crying so much recently, and he'd have to stop at some point. Armin wanted to be... stronger, if anything. He wanted to be a more stable soldier, instead of someone who cried a lot and had to be comforted every time he was in shock or traumatised or thinking about whether or not he would die on the battlefield.

'But you never... you never thought of me that way at all. Eren and Mikasa have enough faith in me to put their lives in my hands. And I have complete trust in the two of them, more than anyone else in this world. And that fact alone... is all the convincing I need!'

Armin suddenly rose to his feet. He stood up in front of Eren and Mikasa, both of whom were surprised at the out-of-the-blue action. Ruby looked up at Armin with a knowing smile. Weiss gazed up at him with worry and caution present in her eyes.

"I will persuade them, trust me. You three just act as non-aggressively as you can, agreed?"

Eren smiled again and nodded his head. Mikasa nodded after him, a barely-there smile gracing her lips. With another closed-eye smile, Ruby agreed too.

"And... Weiss." Armin turned in Weiss' direction. "Thank you."

Leaving Weiss in an apparent state of confusion, Armin spun on his heel, walking briskly towards the exit out of the smoke.

'Since Eren first appeared and fought as a Titan, something has been gnawing at the back of my mind. I haven't had a chance to collect my thoughts yet, but I can do this. I'll just have to think as I talk!'

He took swift strides across the stone, all the while releasing his ODM Gear from its placement. Armin advanced quicker as the metal clashed against the ground, all dividing into separate pieces like it was supposed to.

Armin rushed out of the smoke and into the clearing, his arms crossed over his face to shield himself from the large amount of steam.

Captain Voerman raised both of his hands up and waved them in front of him, motioning for Armin to stop. "HALT! HALT!" he shouted. The soldiers aimed their muskets and raised their swords.

Armin put one foot forward to halt his approach after coming out of the wall of smoke, skidding as he came to a stop. In order to show he didn't mean any harm towards the group of soldiers, he raised his hands in the air.

"Is this supposed to be your true form, monster?! I don't buy it! If I give the signal to fire, I mean it!" Captain Voerman yelled incoherently.

"Eren is not a foe of humanity! We're willing to co-operate with military command, and share everything we've learned about his powers!" Armin spoke up in an attempt to reason with the fatally irrational Captain. After his earlier actions, it became clear to Armin that Voerman was definitely acting on fear rather than actual logic.

"Your pleas fall on deaf ears! He revealed his true form, and because of that threat, he cannot leave here alive!" the Captain spat with fear-driven anger, clenching his fist with the determination that he was going to kill Eren. Even Armin knew he wasn't allowed to, considering he wasn't a Commander. He couldn't just kill another soldier because of his own insecurity and lack of rationality. "If you insist he's not an enemy of ours, then show me proof! Otherwise we'll blast him back to whatever nightmare he crawled out of!"

"You don't need any proof!" Armin retorted. 'That's right! There's no need at all!' "The fact of the matter is, it doesn't matter what we perceive him to be!" Armin shouted.

"W-What?!"

"The reports say hundreds of soldiers saw him! And those who were there say they saw him fighting other Titans! And that means they saw him get swarmed by the Titans as well!" Armin pointed out, leaving all of the other soldiers in a trance. Apparently, unlike the Captain, they still had their logic and rationality. Kittz didn't understand that point. He hadn't seen Eren killing the other Titans and being cannibalised by them. "To put it plainly, the Titans saw him the same way they see each and every human being: as their prey! And it doesn't matter how else you may look at it! That is an irrefutable fact!" Armin continued to bellow to the soldiers, his reasoning perfectly logical.

"The kid's got a point," one soldier said.

Many whispers travelled through the row of soldiers that stood before him, all apparently taking Armin's side. Captain Voerman's head spun in all directions, unable to cope with the number of people that had lowered their swords and guns.

"PREPARE TO ATTACK!" Kittz screamed out to his men. The sudden order left Armin in a deep state of shock, and it was the same with the other soldiers with his command. "Don't let yourselves be deceived by his cunning lies!"

Of course he would say that. Why wouldn't he? He was irrational to the point where he would dispute any facts about the situation. Would saying that Armin was lying be out of the question? No.

'It's hopeless. He let logic give way to hysteria, too frightened to think it through.'

Armin glanced over his shoulder at Eren, Mikasa, Ruby, and Weiss. An expression of pure horror was written on his face and in his eyes. He didn't want to fail them! he couldn't fail them! All their lives were riding on this!

After receiving a nod from Eren and Weiss, Armin spun back to face Captain Voerman. He balled his hands and slammed his right fist over his chest.

"I am a soldier! And I have dedicated my heart to the restoration of humanity, sir! Nothing can make me prouder than dying for such a noble cause! If we were to use his Titan ability, and combine it with the manpower we have left, I believe we can do it! We can retake this city! For humanity's glory, and what little time I have left to live, I will abrogate his strategic value!"

All was silent. Shocked faces surrounded Armin, all either horrified or caught off guard – even combinations of both weren't uncommon. No one could believe what he had just blurted out on accident. Some even appeared to be terrified of Armin. Armin could sympathise: he was terrified of himself, really. He had never had to project his voice in such loud manner when trying to get a point across before.

"Captain Voerman," Captain Dietrich said, "his words are worth considering, sir. Maybe we should—"

"QUIET!"

Voerman raised his arm, and Armin's jaw dropped.

No!

NO!

This wasn't supposed to happen!

But just when Armin had given up all hope, a familiar shout came from behind the Captain, accompanied by a weak and pale hand that grabbed his hand tightly and with ferocity.

"HEY!" the voice was Yang's. It was raspy, but Armin knew it was hers. Yang stepped out from behind the Captain, her face too pale for comfort, and eyes a deep crimson colour. "Leave them alone. I thought you were bad enough deserting your soldiers at HQ and causing the plan to resupply to go belly-up, but your threats to kill my little sister, my teammate, and our friends has pushed me to my boiling point faster than my own post-traumatic stress after being eaten by a Titan has." Yang declared, her grip on Captain Voerman's arm becoming bone-breaking.

Captain Voerman was deeply horrified when he stared over his shoulder, seeing the girl's appearance. "W-Who are you?! Are you another one of those damn outsiders?! I'll have you executed without a second thought!" the Captain hastily responded, bluff after bluff.

"Yang?!" Armin questioned loudly. "What are you doing here? You're sick! You should be resting!"

"My health is irrelevant to me at the moment, Armin. The fact that I'm doesn't matter. I'm not just going to lie around while someone who prioritises his own life more than the lives of his soldiers walks free, thinking he can get away with doing whatever he wants just because of the trauma of being on the field." Yang uttered, her tone bitter and laced with venom. "Let me give you some advice, Captain: start acting like you deserve your rank. My little sister is fifteen years old and only has a few hours experience with fighting Titans, but even she has more spirit and bravery than you've shown in probably all your years of being in the military. And what's more, she's a better team leader than you will ever be outside of a dark dungeon cell, awaiting a trial for desertion."

"Yang! You shouldn't go off on your own when you're sick! You may be ill because of your post-traumatic stress, but that doesn't mean you're well enough to take action in these kinds of situations!" Blake's voice echoed behind them. Blake approached with a short jog, then accompanied by the Commander of the Garrison Regiment, Dot Pixis. Armin's jaw dropped when he saw that a majority of the rest of the Garrison Regiment were with them as well.

"Maybe now you'll think twice about hurting innocent people that really want to help save humanity." Yang remarked, shooting a glare at the horrified Captain. "I understand being hysterical in times like this, but I can't accept excuses when your actions endangered the lives of the recruits that we tried hard to help and save. The military would function better without someone that severely lacks rational thought."

"You have no right to execute innocent people, either. You're overstepping your level of authority if you think it's okay to kill other soldiers and not expect there to have consequences." Weiss' shrill shout came from beside Armin. Since when was Weiss there? How long had she been there? "But then again, as someone who deserts his own soldiers at the first sign of danger, I guess you don't really care about who lives or dies on your watch. All you care about is saving yourself, isn't that right?"

"I won't ask again! Who are you?! What do you know about me?!"

"Enough to know that you ran to the interior of Wall Rose with your tail between your legs. Yang may have already made you aware of this, but your order for the supply team to stay inside the Garrison compromised the mission to resupply. The number of casualties increased because more of the recruits had to make their way to HQ themselves." Blake responded, her voice loud enough for every other soldier in the vicinity to hear. "Actions have consequences, Voerman. What you did to save your own skin is unforgivable, as far as I see it. People paid a heavy price because you couldn't handle being in danger. And as a result, we're going to take you off the front lines for good."

"Oh, come on!" Ruby dashed out of the smoke, skidding to a halt beside Weiss. "You couldn't tell me that earlier? I'd have shot him sooner!"

"And that's exactly why we didn't tell you!" Weiss whacked Ruby over the head again.

"Commander, what would you like me to do with this hypocrite?" Blake then asked Commander Pixis. Yang suddenly pulled down the Captain's arm. Voerman's scream of pain echoed throughout the area, and Weiss and Armin winced when they heard his shoulder dislocate.

"Secure him and take him away. I have more than a few complaints from the soldiers you deserted, Voerman." the Commander declared.

"S-Sir?!" Voerman objected. "You would really trust these outsiders instead of one of your own men?!"

"Voerman, I assure you, these kids are trying to help save humanity by keeping themselves alive." Commander Pixis argued sternly, letting everyone watch as Captain Voerman's face turned as white as Weiss' hair. "And in any case, you are no longer one of my men. I already agreed on the decision to have you discharged and answer for your crimes of desertion. We are currently investigating further into what exactly happened at Headquarters with you and the supply team. We'll have a full report of it by the end of the day."

Armin dropped his salute and fell to his knees.

They were going to live!


Ruby Rose


"So, that's that. Visiting that cellar should clear everything up then?" the Commander asked, his back facing the group.

"Yes, sir." Eren answered, appearing to be exhausted; or in a daze. "At least, I think so."

"For the moment, there is no way to validate the claims that you've all made. For now, I'll just catalogue them in here." Commander Pixis replied, turning his head to see the six of them. With his index finger, he tapped the side of his head. "With that said, I can usually tell the difference between the unctuous and the sincere, which is why I personally guarantee the safety of all of you."

Eren, Armin, and Mikasa breathed a brief sigh of relief. Ruby placed a hand to her chest, letting an exhale escape her lips. Weiss and Blake were previously tensed up, but afterwards, they relaxed and smiled.

"I see your friend Yang is up and about." the Commander remarked. His gaze was directed to his left-hand side. Just a couple feet away, a medic was letting Yang drink from a bottle of water. Yang was sat on the concrete. Next to Yang's foot was a bottle of liquidised medicine. Yang was still fairly pale, but that was probably because she hadn't yet eaten anything, and was likely low on energy. Commander Pixis returned his vision to Ruby. "I assume you're her sister?"

"Yes!" Ruby nodded her head, suddenly tense. "Can they say how long it'll take for Yang to recover?"

"At best, it should only take a few days. If her immune system is as strong as the medic says it is, then she'll recover fully in a range of two to five days." Commander Pixis informed her. His mouth formed a smile that only her father and her Uncle Qrow showed around her and Yang. "Tell me, how'd you come to be the leader of your team?"

"We were set into teams depending on who we worked best with in the initiation process when we entered Beacon Academy, a school for huntsmen and huntresses in our world. Our team name is R-W-B-Y, for Ruby, Weiss, Blake, and Yang, but it's pronounced 'Ruby'. Anyway, the person whose name comes first in the team name is chosen as the team leader." Ruby explained as fast as she could, but somehow she knew that everyone knew what she was saying.

The Commander nodded his head, but if there was something more he wanted to say, he didn't say it. Rather, his attention was then directed towards Armin: "You're cadet Armin Arlert, is that correct?"

"Yes, sir!" Armin replied, performing the military salute.

"You mentioned a plan to harness this so-called Titan ability, and then utilize your friend's power to retake the city. Do you believe it could work, or were you grasping at straws to try and save your 'hinds?" Commander Pixis asked. Ruby could tell that he was most certainly intrigued – as anyone would be – but she didn't know what his expression held when he asked the question. She supposed that it was because of the wrinkles. After all, he was old.

"Well, both, Commander." Armin answered, as honest and co-operative as Ruby had expected. "I was going to suggest that Eren, using his strength as a Titan, could lift that giant boulder. We could use it to block off the wrecked gate. That was the best idea I was able to come up with on the spot. I-I just wanted to make everyone see how Eren's ability might provide a solution to the problem we all face." he divulged nervously. Commander Pixis spun on his heel, turning his body all the way round to face the six of them. Armin continued after a pause: "Granted, I was pretty desperate to survive."

"Desperate to survive, huh?" the Commander repeated. "That's as credible a reason as any, son." he assured.

The Commander drank down a few more gulps of whatever alcohol was in his flask. The old man reminded Ruby of Qrow, her mentor and (honorary) uncle. Qrow had trained Ruby to use a scythe, and even helped her build Crescent Rose. He was also an alcoholic. Though, much like the Commander, he was also experienced on the battlefield, despite being under the influence most of the time.

"What do you say, cadet Jaeger?" Commander Pixis regarded Eren. He approached the group, standing in front of Eren. Crouching down to get on Eren's level, Pixis stared into Eren's eyes, almost as if he was studying the brunet. "That hole; do you think that you could plug it up, son?"

Armin and Mikasa were left with their jaws agape, but Ruby, Weiss, and Blake gazed at Eren with interest. Eren's breath sounded as if it hitched in his throat for a moment. "Well, I... I don't know. It's possible, but at the moment, I don't understand my power any more than you do." Eren responded, hanging his head low. He averted his gaze, instead choosing to focus on the concrete. "It's just... I sort of feel irresponsible giving you an answer, 'cause I don't really know."

"It's okay," Ruby comforted him with a pat on the shoulder. "You ought to feel like that."

"Ah, yes. Of course, my apologies. I asked you the wrong question." the Commander remarked. Eren's eyes focused on the Commander once more. Ruby's hand dropped. "Are you willing to, cadet Jaeger, or not?"

Eren hesitated for a second. At that, Commander Pixis' eyes set on the crowds of soldiers in the streets below. Eren's head rotated, taking a look over his shoulder to see the same thing. Ruby, Weiss, and Blake spun around too, setting their sights on the incredible number of soldiers lined up in the streets below. Ruby's jaw dropped at the sight, while Weiss narrowed her eyes. Blake shivered upon viewing the crowded streets.

Ruby closed her mouth before swivelling herself around to face the opposite direction. Her back faced the crowds and her eyes gazed towards the land beyond the walls, which had most likely been lost for some time. Eren did the same as Ruby, turning himself back around to face the Commander once again.

"I'll do it," Eren said, lifting his head up. "I'll do it!" he repeated. "I don't know if I can seal that hole, but I'll do it!"

The Commander nodded with a smile. "Excellently said! You have the heart of a lion!" he patted Eren's shoulders. He then stood up and turned to Ruby, Weiss, and Blake. "And would you three be able to assist in this operation?"

Ruby averted her eyes, taking a moment to consider it. She knew she would be able to assist, but Weiss' words that morning got to her. The heiress had been concerned about Dust, and the possibility of them running out of it during the battle of Trost. Ruby had thought that she and her two teammates would be at a disadvantage without Yang, but they needed the answer to their question of whether or not Dust existed in this world, so perhaps Weiss would have to sit this one out as well. Still, though, they could probably make something work with just her and Blake.

"Blake and I will assist in any way we can." Ruby told him, letting her hands fall by her sides.

"What about me?" Weiss asked, surprisingly annoyed by the fact she wasn't included.

"You were concerned about our supplies this morning, weren't you? I doubt you've had a moment to think about it until now." Ruby tilted her head at Weiss.

"That is a good point." Blake nodded, taking the fact into consideration. "You were worried about the possibility of us running out of Dust while we were fighting. I think it'd be best if you try and find out if it exists here inside the walls."

"That's what I was thinking, too." Ruby agreed.

"Is this your way of coming up with a compromise so that I don't have to take part in the operation?" Weiss looked between Blake and Ruby.

"No." Ruby and Blake said, unintentionally coordinated.

"We just need the answer of whether or not Dust exists here. You're the best person for it." Ruby informed her.

"Then again, your Aura..." Blake scratched the back of her neck.

It took Weiss a couple of seconds to consider it, but she eventually released a sigh from her lips and nodded her head. "Alright, fine. I'll go." she complied. She tilted her head at an upward angle and held direct eye contact with Commander Pixis. "Would you happen to have any soldiers available that could accompany me to any mines around Wall Rose?"

"We might. It depends on what you're travelling to the mines for." the Commander replied. Ruby couldn't help but notice that he sounded a bit sceptical. Suspicious, even.

"What is this 'Dust' that you keep referring to, if you don't mind me asking?" Armin then inquired. "I don't think you've explained that to us yet. Or Aura or Semblance, for that matter."

"Blake, would you do the honours? If Weiss explains it, she'll go on for much longer than we have time for." Ruby asked, her expression deadpan.

"Hey!"

"Sure, I don't mind." Blake nodded. She glanced between Eren, Armin, Mikasa, and Commander Pixis. "Dust is what most huntsman and huntresses – like us – use in Remnant. It's a source of energy in our world. It's known as a crystallised energy propellant, and there are many types of it. However, Dust does not function outside the atmospheres of where it is found. In fact, that's why I believe that Dust can be found in this world – because Weiss' Dust functions normally."

"We're sorry we can't explain more, but Titans are still coming in through that hole in the wall, and I can hear the soldiers getting impatient." Weiss noted. Ruby glimpsed back over her shoulder, and there were indeed a lot of soldiers calling out for anyone to tell them what was going on. Ruby turned back to Weiss just as the heiress spoke again: "If we had more time, we could explain it fully. But we need to find out the answer to the question of whether or not Dust exists in this world. And after what Blake said, I'm confident that we can find Dust."

"Usually, I wouldn't act on something where the odds were fifty-fifty." Commander Pixis began, his thumb and index finger pulling lightly at his moustache. "But seeing as how there is a good chance of success and a valid degree of truth to your claims, I will allow you to visit the mines on the interior of Wall Rose. I'll attach Anka and some horses, and you can be on your way."

Ruby's eyes sparkled and her mouth fell open into a wide smile, while Weiss nodded. "Thank you! I won't let you down!" Weiss hopped in place and bowed her head politely.

Blake looked to Ruby with a smile. "So, you and me are going to take part in this operation?"

"Yep!" Ruby nodded.

Satisfied, Commander Pixis treaded over to the edge of the wall, raising one of his arms: "Staff officers, hop! We have a plan to flesh out!"

Armin jumped. "Huh? Wait, we can't actually be moving forward with this as our linchpin strategy. It was just something I tossed out there!"

"I was thinking the same thing." Eren stated, staring straight ahead. "'Cept, he seems like a guy who knows what he's doing; has it all under control, like we can't see the forest for the trees but he's got a birds-eye view."

"You think so?" Armin questioned, sounding unsure.

"I do. Either way, though, we've got a whole other problem to address before we can get your plan off the ground." Eren pointed out. "And my gut tells me that the Commander's keenly aware of it."

"Which would be...?" Armin inquired.

"Titans... aren't our only foe."

A gasp escaped Armin's lips, and Ruby couldn't help but arch a brow. Weiss leaned forward and narrowed her eyes at Eren, while Blake simply stared at the boy with somewhat of a troubled but curious expression.

"Look sharp, soldiers." Commander Pixis suddenly called out to them, prohibiting anyone of asking what Eren meant.

Ruby joined Eren and Blake as they all rose to their feet, standing at attention. Commander Pixis stood in front of them, accompanied by a man and a woman.

"The fate of mankind rests on your shoulders."