Armin Pov
I wonder what Eren is doing right now.
He sat next across from Mikasa in the dull hall, light shining into the room where rows upon rows of the Scouts sat. All of them were trying to find some way to entertain themselves while they all waited. Many read, read books or simply talk among themselves.
He and Mikasa, unlike everyone else, were playing chess. Beside them sat Connie and Sasha, who had both taken to staring outside the window, waiting for something to happen.
They had been here for days now, doing the same things again and again while they waited for some orders. But none had come.
They probably suspect there are more traitors among us, and I wouldn't be surprised if there were. How did we not know about Reiner, Bertholdt and… Annie? Why were they sent here to kill us? We didn't do anything to the rest of the world, so why do this to us?
"Armin," Mikasa said, drawing him from his thoughts. "It's your turn."
"Oh, sorry. I got distracted," he replied placing his attention back on the game of chess before him.
The game had been going on for quite some time now, with Mikasa going far more aggressive than he would have liked.
She had taken most of the Pawns, but throughout her bloody assault, he had taken some of her best pieces. Fighting a kind of guerilla campaign by keeping his pieces always on the move.
But she had kept back King, with the queen for defence. It was something that he had picked up on throughout the games they had played over their time here. She always kept the two together.
He moved a bishop to H4, trying to make her move her best pieces back to defend the king. It was a tactic that specifically worked with her, and though he had once tried it on Eren he let the king fight on alone while he had tried to take and kill all of his pieces.
I wonder what it would be like playing again Eren. He would probably go all in like Mikasa, leaving no piece behind. Or old Eren would have done this. The newer version of Eren would probably play completely differently.
As he hoped Mikasa started moving back her best pieces, starting with her remaining Knight. Which she moved from A3 to B5.
But come to think of it, it's been years since the reckless Eren disappeared. Strange how time flies by.
After staring at the board for a moment he looked up at Mikasa. Ever since she and Eren had been separated she had been different, her eyes duller and less motivated. She ate the bare minimum and even then she had slowly become gaunter over their time here.
She had got even worse after hearing about Eren being resummoned to the military Tribunal.
This can't go on. If Eren doesn't tell her soon then I may have to take matters into my own hands. Letting this one-sided love continue would be stupid.
"Mikasa," he said slowly. "Eren will be fine. The tribunal is likely already over by now and he'll be off the hook. You do not need to worry about him."
Mikasa didn't reply. Instead, she stared into his eyes a dark fury behind them. A fury he didn't want to disturb, at least not yet anyway.
Returning to the game, he once again moved his bishop. This time to G3, directly along from her to King who was in B8. In response she moved her king to A8, trying to escape his bishop.
But before he could play a voice suddenly spoke out, distracting him from the game.
"You know, my village just happens to be a little bit south of here," Connie said loudly and lazily while leaning on the table.
He looked over to Sasha and Connie, who were sitting across from each other and were still lazily looking out the window.
"Huh, the town I'm from is pretty close by too," Sahsa replied, also leaning against the table.
He returned to the game, letting the two continue with their dull conversation. He started by moving his Bishop to E5, avoiding Mikasa's queen in C8. The rest of the pieces remained untouched, as they had been for several turns now.
"Why can't I go see my people," Connie sighed, once again distracting him from the game. "Maybe I'll go sneak out after dark."
"My people told me not to bother coming home till I'm normal. So there's that," Sasha replied, also sighing.
Connie let out a small chortle at the comment while he went back to playing their game once again, silently praying for them to keep their voices down.
Mikasa moved her queen to E8, directly above his bishop, forcing him to move once again. This time he moved it to D4, which was followed by Mikasa moving to D8, and then him moving to C5.
Once again distracting him from the game was Sasha, who let out a large gasp and stood up suddenly, moving the bench which they sat on.
I wonder what it is this time.
"Guys, horses are coming towards us. It must mean we're going to be brought back to the fight!" Sasha shouted, bringing smiles to the once bored Scouts.
He stood up and walked over to the window to confirm whether or not what she saw was real.
"Sasha. If we were going to be collected there would only be one or two of them. At least two dozen soldiers are coming toward us. And I don't think they're Scouts," he replied, causing whispers to circulate in the room.
"Armin," Connie said, walking over to the window. "If they're not Scouts, then who are they?"
"I don't know, but I what I wonder is why are they here," he replied, watching the soldiers come closer, their horses kicking dirt into the air.
"Well, I think we'll get the answer to that question pretty soon," came the voice of Ymir, who had walked up behind him with several more in tow.
The aired filled was filled with great tension as they waited for the soldiers to arrive. Every one of them was staring out the window intently as the horses and their riders drew ever closer.
It only took the riders another minute to arrive, and once they had arrived they all dismounted, rifles strapped across their back.
After a moment one of the riders walked towards the Scouts, who had assembled in the courtyard to greet the mysterious soldiers.
The soldiers started talking to each other, but after a minute their discussion seemed to form into an argument. Though what they were discussing was beyond him.
One of them finally turned enough for him to see their shoulder, finally giving him a glimpse of their badge.
The badge was a green unicorn with a white mane. It's the MPs, but why are they-.
He was dragged from his thoughts by the sound of a rifle filling the air. The leader of the group had shot the Scout with no mercy.
They all watched with horror and shock as the Scout's body dropped to the ground, their blood spattered on the ground behind him.
Within a moment the rest of the Scouts had been shot down, all of them too shocked to escape or do anything to survive.
The MPs then looked up at their window, seeing all of them on display and all defenceless.
A dozen MPs then aimed their rifles up at the windows which they were stood across, then they all fired as fast as they could.
Before he could even blink he was knocked down, but not by a bullet. But by a person. Mikasa? Mikasa was lying on top of him after saving his life, shock still evident on both their faces.
Multiple bodies dropped as they lay there. the screams of the Scouts filling the room as they watched their comrades die in an instant.
"ARMIN!" Mikasa yelled at him while getting up, blood splattered across her face and speckled across her clothing.
He pulled himself up and moved away from the windows, praying he wouldn't get shot.
"EVERYONE!" He yelled, his voice cutting through the screams and shouts. "Start barricading the entrance! We can't let them get inside!"
In an instant, nearly everybody was moving, leaving behind their fallen comrades who now lay in a pool of crimson blood.
Mikasa remained next to him, but not out of fear. Even if it meant her death she would give her life for him or Eren, an act he would happily do as well. Though what Eren would do he didn't know.
"Mikasa, that means you too," he told her.
"No, I'm-." She tried to say.
"No, you're the strongest one here. I'm going to need you to help make the barricade," he told her. But he could see she was still unconvinced.
"Mikasa. Go. I'll be fine," he said, trying to finish the conversation and get her to work.
Mikasa looked like she was going to argue but decided against it. She then left him to his thoughts and went to help the others.
He remained still for a moment, watching the rest of the new Scouts bringing the tables over to the door in an attempt to barricade them in. All were still staying away from the window, and no doubt there was a line of them ready to unleash a volley at them if they appeared.
If the MPs are attacking us now, that probably means they're going to try to wipe out the scouts in one swift stroke. This means Erwin has been killed or captured, and Eren has presumably been attacked while on his way to the tribunal.
Our chances of winning are low, but it's not impossible. Though we have no weapons and are outnumbered, it should be possible through determination and a bit of luck.
But what gives us even more of a chance is that Eren was with Levi squad, so they'll have sent the best of their forces to kill and capture them. This means we're facing newer MPs and probably some Garrison soldiers as well.
These soldiers won't be as good and probably care little for the cause. Most are probably for the money and whatever else they've been promised.
"Armin!" Ymir shouted while striding towards him. "What the hell were you thinking?"
We have no weapons to fight back with and you just got us locked in here! So, what is your amazing plan that got us locked in here?"
"Ymir, even if there are weapons in this building, we wouldn't have been able to get them in time. And even if we got to them we would have been forced to fight directly with the MPs, and we can't beat them like that," he explained while trying to finish the conversation as quickly as possible.
"Wait," a Scout stated, cutting into the conversation. "If we can't beat them, then why don't we just surrender? If we surrender then-."
"If we surrender we die!" He shouted, cutting off the Scout. Now, most of the Scouts were looking at them, only increasing his frustration
Dammit, we need to be barricading that door, not bickering amongst ourselves.
"You saw what they did to the Scouts outside," he said, his voice shallow. "They don't intend to take prisoners. So if we open those doors, then we will be massacred. They won't care that we're children. And they sure as hell won't care if you beg for your life. They will kill us all the same!"
The entire room was silent now, all shocked by his outburst.
"Then, what do we do?" Kirsta asked through the silence.
"We hold them at that door. And we kill them," he replied, trying to put as much hope as he could into his voice.
"What do we use as weapons?" came a voice from the crowd of Scouts watching him.
"Grab whatever you can and use it. Table legs, forks, knives anything you can get your hands on," he answered.
And as he finished the entire room launched into action, but only for a moment. The door which they had been trying to barricade shook suddenly.
"I think they're in here!" Came a muffled voice of an MP from outside the door.
He could hear footsteps now, with more and more MPs running up the stairs to the room and battering the door, making it shake with every hit.
"We must hold those doors till our last breaths!" He yelled, watching recruits start running towards the already failing barricade.
And so it begins.
A dozen of them rushed to the door, trying to keep it shut while more and more MPs fired at the door and rammed their guns into it in an attempt to break it down.
He crawled over to the window and peeked over the ledge, praying that the MPs were no longer there. To his surprise, there were no MPs outside anymore. They're most likely searching the rest of the HQ, making sure that no one survives.
But the bodies of the Scouts caught his eyes. There were four of them, lying motionlessly on the ground with their ODM gear still attached and likely ready for use.
If only we could get our hands on it. If only we could get our hands on anything. But I suppose we can win this, and perhaps we'll get reinforcements soon enough.
He turned to look at the door and saw splinters of wood flying as the MPs started firing volleys at the old wooden door, which shook and sent splinters flying with every shot.
All it would take for the MPs to win was that door to be broken down. But they still held it, even when more of their comrades dropped to the ground and were pulled away.
But the door wouldn't last forever, and with more and more holes appearing it was only a matter of time before they got in.
He once again looked out the window hoping to see something or someone that would help them, but what he saw was worse.
A cannon was getting dragged across the grounds with its tracks leading back to the basement door. He was in doubt about what they were intending to do.
Even with its age, this cannon could tear down walls given long enough, and no doubt that's what they intended to do.
Thank the walls for it being heavy. But they'll have it ready soon. And even if we were to send down the best of us, there are six MPs down there. We'd be gunned down before we got out the window.
He moved away from the window and once again looked to the door. It was even more broken than it had been minutes ago.
The door had been mostly torn down, but pieces of table and benches still held up the few remaining chunks of wood that had once been the door. Though all of this provided little protection against the MPs and their rifles.
On the floor bodies of MPs and Scouts lay bloodied and motionless, with faces of people he had known for years lying there lifeless. Nack Tierce, whom he had trained with and then fought beside in Trost, now lay on the ground, blood seeping from his mouth and the hole in his chest.
In return for their comrade's deaths, the MPs were being dragged into the room and then were being battered and stabbed to death in the most brutal way possible. Just to make the other side feel their pain. This seemed to be going back and forth as more and more bodies piled up from each side.
Several had the Scouts had gotten hold of rifles of their enemies and were firing into the crowd of MPs, who were crushing each other in the attempt to get into the room and escape the slaughter which had befallen them in the tight corridor.
We can do this. That cannon might not be able to shoot, and even if it can it will probably take a couple more minutes to get ready. Speaking of which, how far along is it now?
He looked back to the window just in time to see the cannon being fired.
Then everything happened within a second. The sound of the cannon deafening him, the screams and shouts of nearly every Scout as the wall was ripped open like an animals stomach.
And finally, the pain that shot through his shoulder, arm and chest. The cannon shards sent him flying back against the wall. A pain shot through the back of his head and after a moment darkness began to cloud his vision until he was consumed by it.
We've lost.
Change Pov Eren
Smoke rose from in the distance from the Scouts HQ.
Not Titan smoke, it seemed to be a cannon judging from its colour. But what gave away what was going on was the stench which only increased as he neared the building.
It was the stench of blood. The stench of the fallen. The stench of the dead.
It seems like I was right. The MPs tried to take us all out in a single stroke. If only they got their timing right.
They seemed to have held them off going from the gunshots. That is… Surprising to say the least. I suppose I was lucky for once as well. Zeke and the other warriors don't seem to be attacking either.
But if they're not attacking, then what are they doing? The smartest thing to do would have been to attack right now, and the dates add up. But perhaps the capture of the colossal titan made them rethink attacking immediately. Or perhaps if I'm lucky enough the middle-eastern war started early.
One can only hope.
As he neared the HQ he was finally able to get a full view of what was going on.
In the courtyard there was a cannon firing at one of the walls, presumably, this was where the Scouts were.
Blockading themselves in there of all places. But I suppose this was all they were able to get
The wall had been blown apart by multiple shots of the cannon and he could see directly into the room.
Several MPs had seen him and now stood at the gate of the HQ, probably hoping to kill him before he could arrive.
Knowing this he decided to wait to transform, and instead rely on ODM gear for a change. He started by shooting grapples as far as they could go. Hoping that they were long enough to do this.
Thankfully they locked onto the building, shocking the MPs, who clearly had forgotten how far the grapples could go. Or perhaps they never knew.
He stood on top of his horse while he rode closer but just as he came in the range of their rifles he shot himself off his steed and into the air, with both him and his horse avoiding the shots fired at them.
His horse rode away while he shot himself directly at the building while the MPs missed every shot they fired at him.
He quickly reached his destination, which was about twenty meters above the courtyard where the cannon and MPs were. All of them seemed to be looking up at him, perhaps wondering what the hell this Scout was doing up there.
But that was when he bit down onto his hand as hard as he could, and upon feeling the pain shoot through his hand while his blood filled his mouth, leaving a salty metallic flavour in his mouth.
He was engulfed in a golden glow of energy with small bolts of lightning shooting out from the ball while he remained in the air. He felt the warmth of his Titan as he was pulled inside the nape while steam shot out from every direction of his body.
He emerged from the ball of steam and energy as a fifteen-meter Titan, with eyes blazing green and a roar that shook the building and the ground beneath it as he fell back down to the earth.
The MPs were too shocked at the falling Titan to move, so like those he killed in the rumbling they were flattened and crushed into nothing as he slammed into the ground.
Dirt, smoke and steam surrounded him as he stood up, towering over the building, his eyes like torches in the night. He looked into the room and saw his friends staring up at him in shock. Though they had seen his titan form before they were still horrified as they looked at him.
Perhaps they now see me as a devil. But are they wrong, after all I've done do I deserve to be treated as anything but that? A devil who destroyed the world.
Pulling himself from his thoughts he swept away the roof of the building with one hand, revealing the battle which had taken place.
Battle? This was no battle. This was the Scouts trying to survive a slaughter.
He stared down at the MPs who were shaking and cowering down in fear beneath his large shadow, only being illuminated by his emerald green eyes. Most had never seen a Titan in their lives, none had seen one like him.
Finally, one of the MPs moved, pitifully shooting at him with his rifle. The bullet did no damage to him, and it was less than an irritation. But the message was clear.
You took my friends freedom. So now I'll take yours.
He let out a roar causing the MPs to drop their rifles in fear, but it was already too late for them. He raised his fist and hammer punched the building as hard as he could, showing no mercy to them.
They all let out a scream as some tried to run, but they weren't fast enough. His fist crashed through the building sending blood, bricks, dirt and body pieces flying into the air as they were all crushed simultaneously.
He removed his fist from the destroyed building, his fist covered in the blood of the soldiers. He looked again to the Scouts and could see they were even more horrified than before, the slaughter they had witnessed had perhaps been too much for them.
Even with the devasting attack, he could see some had survived, limping and crawling away in an attempt to survive.
There will be no mercy for the likes of you. He reached down and picked up one of the soldiers bringing him towards his face as he screamed in a desperate attempt to survive.
He stared at the Garrison soldier for a moment before crushing him quickly. His blood seeped between his titan's fingers and splattered against the ground.
He leaned forward and crushed the next like an ant, the MP unable to do anything to save himself.
He did this again and again. Crushing them without dignity, and without mercy until none of them remained.
Soon enough none of the Garrison or MPs soldiers remained. All that remained of them were flattened bodies and their blood, which was seeping through the rubble and into the ground.
He emerged from his titan's nape, steam spewing out around him, covering him from the eyes of the Scouts below him.
He stepped forward onto the head of his titan, which was now kneeling on both knees with its head drooped down.
All of them looked up at him, or at least those who could look at him looked up. Among the injured was Armin, who lay in Mikasa's arms. She had no doubt been trying to defend him to her last breath.
Even now her devotion surprises me. But it must end soon. I don't want to lead her on for as long as I did last time around.
"C'mon," he shouted to them, as he walked further down the head of his steaming titan.
"Let's get out of here."
This was a fairly exciting chapter to write, so I hope you enjoyed reading it. If you want to leave a review please do, I won't complain. And as always I'm open to criticism, so if you have any give me it.