"Year 845. The Colossal Titan and Armoured Titan appeared out of nowhere. Instantly, the walls were shattered, along with the illusory peace of everyday life. Humanity abandoned Wall Maria. They lost a fifth of their population, and a third of their territory, as human activity was pushed back to Wall Rose."
"Then in year 850..."
Humanity's counterattack begins now! Ruby thought.
Lightning struck. The Colossal's face appeared behind a stunned Ruby.
"The target's right in front of us! It's the Colossal Titan!" She charged at it. "This is our chance! Don't let it slip away!" Twirling in midair, she landed in a crouch, glaring up at the Colossal Titan, steam billowing around them. "Hello there. It's been five years."
Ruby squeezed Yang's hand in reassurance.
[opening theme plays]
First Battle/The Struggle For Trost, Part 1
Ruby dashed along the wall, running through thick clouds of steam to get to the Colossal Titan. Despite its massive frame, the Colossal Titan swept its arm along the top of the wall, taking out the cannons mounted on it.
She jumped into the air, successfully dodging the wide attack. Pieces of wall and cannon debris flew threw the air. It aimed for the cannons! Ruby thought. So it wasn't just a coincidence that he targeted the gate! He's actually...intelligent!
That term sent chills down their spines, ranging from fear to excitement. The fact that some of these monsters were capable of reasoning and strategizing, similar to humans was frightening.
As frightening as saying that Grimm and humans are on par intellectually Weiss thought. Sure, some Grimm were smarter than average and capable of rudimentary tactics but nothing on this level.
So I was right Salem thought, a calculating gleam in her eyes. It is intelligent. And I assume the Armoured is also. But why? she wondered. What made them different physically, and psychologically from regular Titans?
The Colossal Titan shot an arm out through the steam to grab Ruby. She hooked onto the arm, circling it. Still, this is our chance. This is the only one that can destroy the gates. Landing on its arm with a grunt, she made a mad dash for its head, intent on slaying the monster. If I can just stop him!
C'mon, other me! Ruby silently cheered her counterpart on. Show that oversized turd who's the boss!
She propelled herself upward to the back of its neck, charging for the nape. "There! You're mine!" Right as she was about to slice its nape off, the Colossal Titan ejected a cloud of steam that pushed her back.
"It's hot!" Ruby yelled in pain. Gritting her teeth, she pushed past the pain and moved to slice its nape again. "Go!" She sliced through the steam, revealing nothing but air. The Colossal Titan had vanished.
"What?!"
"Where'd it go?!"
Ruby beat her armrests in frustration. She almost had him!
Cries of anger and confusion filled the theatre at the Colossal Titan's most recent vanishing act.
"B-But... It was right there!" Jaune shouted, pointing at the scene where the Titan disappeared. "H-How...?"
Yang sighed with relief that her sister was safe. And she will stay that way.
Did I miss? Ruby shot a hook onto the wall to stop her plummet. She stared at the empty space in front of her. No... The Colossal Titan vanished...
"My question still stands: how does something that big vanish into thin air?" Jaune asked in bewilderment.
Weiss tried and failed to come up with a feasible explanation.
"Perhaps it's hiding...?" Nora muttered, although even she knew her answer was full of holes. There was nothing within eyesight that was capable of hiding that 60-meter tall behemoth.
The adults were also left dumbfounded at the phenomenon they just witnessed.
"Ruby!" Thomas called out from above. "Did you get it?"
"Pretty sure the lack of a giant-sized corpse lying by the gate should be your answer," Roman snarked.
"No! It's the same as five years ago! He disappeared, just as suddenly as he appeared!" She made her way back up the wall, regrouping with Thomas and Yatsuhashi.
"I'm sorry. I let him get away," she said to the two, shoulders slumped.
"It's not like you stood in place and let it waltz out of there. You charged at it head-on and engaged it singlehandedly while your peers were frozen in fear," Winter said, still amazed at the young girl's... bravery? Recklessness? Bit of both? "That already gives your a leg-up above them."
Ruby beamed with pride at the older Schnee's words.
"What are you apologizing for? We couldn't even move—" Thomas reassured her when Yatsuhashi interrupted them.
"There's no time for chatting!" Yatsuhashi snapped. "The wall's been breached! If we don't fix it quickly, the Titans will get in again!"
Ironwood nodded in agreement. "There are more important things at stake now. The Colossal is gone, nothing they can do about it."
"What should be the priority right now is keeping the Titans away from the city," Qrow said.
"What are you waiting for?!" A Garrison soldier appeared behind them and they saluted him. "The Colossal Titan Response Operation is already in motion! Return to HQ immediately! Anyone who had contact with it, report every detail!"
"Yessir!" Ruby replied.
"We pray for your success!" Yatsuhashi said as the man took off past them.
Within the walls, a warning bell tolled. Below, people panicked, flooding the streets in fear. They stampeded their way to safety, trying to avoid the incoming danger. A little girl being carried over her father's shoulder dropped her doll. She watched with tearful eyes as it was stomped on by the crowd.
"Poor kid," Velvet said sympathetically.
"Better the doll be the casualty than her, Bun-Bun," Coco said.
"Bring only your most critical possessions! Please remain calm and evacuate!" A Garrison soldier shouted.
From above, the crowd stretched far beyond the camera's sight. Their one exit was small in comparison.
The audience could scarcely believe what they were seeing.
"Again?!" Jaune yelled. "They had five years to prepare for another appearance of the Colossal Titan and they never thought to make a wider opening for easier evacuation?!" He pulled on his hair in frustration at the stupidity of the situation.
Most of the audience found themselves agreeing with the blonde-haired knight.
Back at the Wall, spike rimmed pits, cannons, and dented barricades surrounded the net covered recent hole.
"A net?" Cardin's eyebrows shot up his forehead. "That's the best they could come up with?"
"They don't have a means of quickly patching the hole so this is probably their best bet," Blake said. "It seems they have prepared for other eventualities like those holes with spikes in them."
"And the cannons," Nora chimed in.
Yang was still unconvinced. "We all remember how useless their cannons were, right?"
"Five years is a lot of time to make improvements to their defences, Ms Xiao Long," Ozpin stated.
"If they break through, the hellishness of five years ago will be repeated! We must stop the Titans here!" The Garrison soldiers readied their cannons from atop the wall.
"Aimed and ready!" They aimed. "Fire!" The cannons obliterated the Titans' bodies.
"Huh," Yang hummed.
"I guess they did make improvements to their cannon technology," Blake said. Winter and Ruby noted down the new and improved cannons.
A soldier yelled. "Attack!" With the Titans temporarily immobilized and distracted, the soldiers charged.
At HQ, a Garrison soldier was giving orders. "You recruits have completed training and graduated into proper soldiers! I expect you to actively participate in this operation, too!" Inside HQ, a bustle of Garrison and cadets alike were preparing for battle.
"Don't worry, Hannah. I swear I'll protect you," Franz hugged her.
"Franz..."
"Awwww," the girls cooed.
Pyrrha ran past the couple, stopping briefly to glance at them before moving on, finding the rest of the trio.
"Are you okay, Oscar?!" Ruby knelt beside him.
Oscar's hands were shaking badly as he tried to fill up his canister with the gas tanks resting on the wall. "I-I'm fine! I'll pull it together. But we're still in trouble!" Pyrrha came up behind them.
"We've got an eight-meter hole in the wall and no way to fix it quickly! We couldn't even dig out that giant rock near Zemo! If we can't close the hole, this city will be abandoned!"
Oscar flinched while watching his counterpart break down in a panic. He hoped the rest wouldn't think little of his counterpart for losing his cool like that.
Outside on the field, cannons fired at the Titans. One that lost its legs crawled forward, glaring. Another one sat up, its face healing. A Garrison soldier stared at the scene in horror. Bodies of various soldiers littered the area.
"Oh no!" Velvet covered her mouth in shock.
What does it take to put these things down? Weiss thought.
"Then it's only a matter of time until they break through Wall Rose!" Oscar continued to babble. "If they felt like, they could annihilate humanity at any time!"
"Oscar!" Ruby grabbed his arm. "Calm down! This time it's different. Humanity won't lose to the Titans!"
"S-Sorry," he apologized, now calm. "I'm fine..."
More and more Titans crawled through the hole, the inner wall's defences were ineffective in holding them off.
"And now, they're in the city," Jaune sighed. "Just great."
Yang's one hope, above all else, was that Ruby stayed safe.
Within the innermost wall, butterflies flittered over a field of white, pink and yellow flowers growing on a shoreline. A lake glistening with the sunlight surrounded a massive estate.
Many of the students oohed and ahhed at the beauty of the estate.
"It's beautiful," Pyrrha breathed out.
"Hey, are you even taking this seriously?" said a voice. "See? I win again." He plucked a pawn off the chessboard and moved a crimson rook in its place.
"I've not seen the face behind the voice and I already hate him," Emerald grumbled. She could almost hear the layers of pompous, rich, asshole-ishness radiating off the person.
The gold-accented chamber had a floor of intricate, colourful patterns. Its glossy shine reflected the few fine crafted furniture and decorations, and it's even fewer occupants. The camera panned wide to reveal a nobleman and the Garrison commander seated on opposite sides of a chess set, with two other Garrison soldiers standing behind their commander and two other men behind the nobleman.
"I'm kind enough to play with you once every month, yet you fail to improve whatsoever Port." the nobleman said.
"I'm still far below your level, Lord Wald," Port said, touching his head sheepishly.
"Professor Port!" the students yelled enthusiastically.
Glynda hummed, noticing the symbol of two roses on his uniform. "Looks like you're a member of the Garrison Regiment, Peter."
The man smiled, joyful that his counterpart was helping to make a difference as part of the Military.
Across from him, the now named Wald threw his head back, letting out a guffaw. " I am still far below your level, Lord Wald," Wald imitated him, throwing a handful of cookies in his mouth. "You're the commander in charge of the Southern District! How do you expect to win against the Titans with those skills and smarts?"
"Is he seriously using Professor's failure in ... a chess game... to gauge his strategic ability?" Coco asked in a disbelieving tone.
Ozpin snorted at the fat lord's arrogance. "He's too blind to see he's being played, Ms Adel," he said.
"What do you mean, sir?" Oscar asked.
"Wald said that Port is commander of the Garrison Regiment. Unless he received the promotion through under-handed means, Port's skills and smarts are clearly up to the task," Ozpin explained.
"Commander Port!" A Garrison soldier came thudding down the hall, straightening up to address the commander. "We just got word!"
"What's the meaning of this out—"
"The Colossal Titan just attacked Trost! The gate has been breached!" he announced, alarming everyone in the room. Wald dropped his chalice in shock, shattering it and spilling wine all over the pristine floor.
"Not so arrogant now, are you?" Emerald muttered, smirking.
Port stood and without a word, reached across for the bottle of wine and chugged the remaining contents of the bottle. He sighed in contentment after he was done. "This booze is truly top-shelf. As your fellow on the battlefield, I humbly accept it." He turned and left.
"Preach, brother!" Qrow raised his flask in agreement.
Glynda pinched her eyes beneath her glasses in frustration. "Don't tell me he's another Qrow?"
Port gave a belly laugh in amusement. She turned to the portly man with a deadpan stare.
"Hey, wait! Port!"
Port's subordinates Anka and Gustav gave a stiff bow to the nobleman and followed their commander.
"Port! I said wait!" Wald and his associate chased after him. "You can't just leave!" Beads of sweat trickled down their skin.
"And pray tell, why can't I?" Port asked, eyebrow raised.
Port took it all in stride, ignoring the yapping of the nobleman that was pestering him. He stowed away a flask in the inner lining of his jacket.
Glynda sighed at the sight of the flask while Qrow laughed.
"Gather your men and focus on defending my property! That's your duty, isn't it?!"
"Is he serious right now?" Hazel asked disbelievingly.
The students could hardly believe their ears either. Roman guffawed at the man's stupidity.
"His duty is to the citizens within the walls, not your pompous ass!" Ironwood glared fiercely at Wald. The Lord reminded him too much of the arrogant and pompous councilmen and women back at Atlas.
Winter's expression was, for lack of a better word, icy. "Does he expect an entire regiment to abandon their duty to the people to guard his estate?" she finished with an icy tone.
"He does," Port sneered.
Port stopped dead in his tracks causing Wald to stop an inch away from colliding with him. He turned to face the noble. "Lord Wald, right now soldiers are putting their lives on the line in Trost." His earlier cordialness was gone, a practised calm taking its place.
Anka stepped into view, barely sparing Wald a glance. "Commander, I'll ready your horse," she said. On receiving a nod, she left the two to continue their conversation.
"Many of them have probably died already, even at this moment while we speak."
"Who cares about their lives?" Wald asked, screwing his face. "Just let them die!"
If glares could cross universes and kill, Wald would be a pile of ash right now. Other than a select few, most members of the audience glowered at the lord.
"Not to mention," he continued, "you can't even win at chess! Going there yourself will change nothing!"
"Are you shitting me?!" Yang yelled, eyes flickering red.
Blake had to hold back her teammate before she jumped for the screen. She was barely holding in her temper.
"Please do not worry, Your Grace," Wald swivelled around to meet the careful blankness of Gustav's features boring down at him. "On the battlefield against the Titans, the Commander does not need to hold back."
"Yeah! You tell him random dude... soldier, whatever!" Nora cheered him on.
Wald was agape at the insinuation and gnashed his teeth in frustration and anger.
"Quiet now," Port ordered his subordinate. "Lord Wald," he addressed the lord. "Your Grace, just enjoy your peaceful day in luxurious delight as always." He bowed to him and continued on his way outside the estate. Gustav followed after him.
"Hey! Port! Come back, Port!" Wald pleaded loudly. "Port!"
"He squeals like a pig," Roman wrinkled his nose in disgust.
Currently Disposable Information
Batteries (Part 1)
Cannons were used against the Titans before the invention of the 3D Maneuver Gear. To counter their low mobility, cannons were installed atop the walls on rails to improve their defensive effectiveness.
Batteries (Part 2)
Grapeshot - While its destructive force is low, grapeshot is effective in slowing down Titans.
Shell - While its destructive force is extremely high, its accuracy is low, resulting in difficulties in aiming at and hitting moving targets.
"Just like in your training, split up into your squads! You will be under the Garrison's command!" A voice ordered. At HQ, cadets lined up in the courtyard. "Your duties are to assist in providing supplies, communications, and sweeping up the Titans!"
In front of the rows of cadets, stood Kitz Weilman. He was a brown-haired man with a beard and sunken eyes. "The first line of defence will be the frontline unit of the Garrison!"
An overhead shot of Trost filled the screen with red circles signifying each group. "The second line will be the cadet squads under our command! The rearguard will be the Garrison's elite units! We've already received word that the vanguard has been annihilated!"
"Already?" Neptune gasped. "It can't have been too long since the city was breached."
"This isn't looking good for them," Pyrrha muttered worriedly.
Ruby gasped. The other cadets looked equally shocked.
"The outer gate was destroyed and the Titans have encroached upon the city! This means that the Armoured Titan might show up at any moment to breach the inner gate!" Weilman yelled, looking as panicked as the subordinates behind him as he delivered the news.
Nora frowned at the man's expression. "I don't like the look on his face... or that of his subordinates..."
The adults could recognize that look. They were just as terrified of the Titans as the cadets were.
"You're right not to like it, Ms Valkyrie," Ironwood said. "They look just as afraid of the Titans, which is not exactly a good way to inspire confidence in the cadets. Commanding officers should never lose their cool."
Daz's skin was drenched with sweat. "That's..."
"No way..." Thomas muttered fearfully.
"If even Rose falls..." Panic began to spread among the cadets.
"Like he said," Ozpin sighed at the fear and panic that began to spread among the rookies. "Seeing their superiors looking just as fearful and unsure of the situation will only cause mass panic."
"Silence!" Weilman ordered. "The frontline guards are already in combat! There is but one goal in this defensive operation: Defend Wall Rose until every citizen has evacuated! Also, in case you forgot, let me remind you that desertion is a capital offence! Vow on your hearts to devote your lives! Dismissed!"
"Sir!"
Roman barked out a laugh. "Right, just what they want to hear before being sent to their deaths. Not like you didn't make it obvious that they were expendable or anything..." he finished sarcastically.
The former cadets scrambled, preparing for battle. "Why does it have to be today?" Sun covered his face with one hand. "I'm supposed to go to the Interior tomorrow!" Ren simply stared at the boy's breakdown.
"Talk about rotten luck," Coco said.
Sun flinched at his counterpart's terrible luck. Neptune rubbed his best friend's back comfortingly.
A few feet away, a gagging sound made them turn. Daz was puking on the ground. "Are you okay?" Velvet rubbed his back in comfort. He raised his head to look at her and puked again.
Nora looked green at the sight of vomit but didn't stop chowing down on pancakes she conjured for herself.
"Hey, don't look so down. You tried to comfort him, at least," Coco tried to cheer the rabbit Faunus up on seeing her downcast face.
Sun gritted his teeth at the unfairness of the situation and marched past two cadets who looked like they had given up and were wallowing in self-pity.
"No... No... No..." the girl whimpered.
Not paying attention to his surroundings, Sun continued his march and bumped into Ruby. They looked at each other startled before Sun glared. "Fuck off!" He tried to shove past her.
"Hey, Sun!" Ruby grabbed his arm, forcing him to look at her. "What's with you?"
"Is it just me or does she sound... concerned?" Emerald said, eyeing them warily.
"It's not just you," said Roman. "I doubt he noticed, though. Everyone is so on edge because of the Titans that I wouldn't be surprised if another fight between them breaks out now."
Sun and Ruby silently pleaded with their counterparts to keep a cool head.
"Don't give me that crap, you suicidal asshole!" Sun yelled at her, grabbing her collar. "You wanted to join the Survey Corps!" His yelling attracted Pyrrha's attention, unbeknownst to either of them. "You were prepared to feed yourself to the Titans already! But I was going to the Interior tomorrow, goddammit!"
"And now his crush is watching his breakdown," Cinder commented with a dry tone. "Why not have her grab Ruby's hand and stare into each other's eyes while they're at it? Give him more reasons to start a fight."
Ruby, Pyrrha and Sun shrank back shyly.
"Calm down!" Ruby said as Pyrrha walked over to them.
Sun tightened his grip. "Just chill out and accept my death?!"
"No!" Ruby forced him back until his back collided against a pillar. "Remember our three years of training!" She glared up at Sun with fierce intensity. "We've been on the verge of death many times during those three years. Some died. Some ran away, and some were sent away. But we survived! Didn't we?!"
Sun was frozen, staring agape as she continued. "We're gonna survive today too!" Her passionate speech drew the attention of the other cadets that had given in to dread and despair. "You'll survive today and you're bloody well going to the Interior tomorrow!"
They stared in surprise.
"Damn. That was some speech," Yang said, grinning with pride.
"I wasn't expecting encouragement, of all things," Blake said, smiling at the red-haired girl.
Ruby beamed with pride.
She stepped back, letting go of the taller teen. Sun blinked, stunned and swore under his breath. "Dammit!" he said. He walked off, his gait losing the tension from earlier. "Let's go, Daz! Quit your damn snivelling!"
"Your niece has a thing for passionate and empowering speeches," Glynda commented with amusement.
Qrow's body shook with mirth. "That's the squirt for you," he said, reaching over to ruffle his niece's hair.
Neptune elbowed Sun's side, glad to see the speech also got to him and not only his counterpart.
Pyrrha walked toward Ruby. "Ruby! If the battle gets too chaotic, come find me," she said.
"Huh? We're in totally different squads!"
"Her obsessive urge to protect Ruby is disturbing," Winter frowned in disapproval. "She's telling her to abandon her post if things get tough."
Pyrrha flinched at what her counterpart asked Ruby to do. What could have caused such a level of obsession? It couldn't just be her promise to Mrs Rose... no, Jaeger, right?
"Even Yang is not that overprotective," commented Ruby. "And believe me, she can be quite mothering," she said, sending her sister a mild look of irritation. Yang had the grace to look sheepish and did not try to defend herself.
She leaned closer, unwavering. "Amid the fray, nothing goes according to plan. I'll protect you." She sounded desperate.
Roman threw up his arms in exasperation. "What is with her extreme devotion to Lil'Red? I doubt it's by force so what is the reason?"
"I mean, she did promise Mrs Jaeger that she'd protect Ruby," Cardin said, reminding them of the traumatizing events of the first episode. Ruby, Yang and Qrow's faces screwed up in sadness at the reminder. An uncomfortable silence descended in the theatre.
Oscar elbowed Cardin and shook his head at him for bringing it up. The teen flinched at the judgemental look on the boy's face.
Ruby was starting to look annoyed. "What are you going on abo—"
"Cadet Ackermann." A voice interrupted, causing them to turn in its direction. A Garrison soldier, Ian, watched from the sidelines. "You were specially assigned to the rear guard. Come with me."
"B-But I'm only a cadet!" she protested. "I'm not skilled enough! I'd only be in the way there, sir!"
"The best graduating student with perfect scores and nothing but praise from her instructors, a burden?" Cinder raised an eyebrow and scoffed. Yeah, right.
"Perfect scores don't mean anything on a battlefield, Cinder," Salem reprimanded her. "There are many variables in a battle that leaves it unpredictable, no matter how many factors are in your favour."
Cinder shrunk at her boss' castigation. "Yes, ma'am."
Ruby whirled to look at her in shock. Ian was not deterred. "I didn't ask for your opinion," he said, expression grave. "The evacuation is going slow. We need as many elite guards as possible protecting the civilians." He turned to leave, with or without her opinion.
"B-But I—" she never got to finish her sentence because of a sudden interruption in the form of a wicked headbutt from Ruby. Pyrrha stumbled backwards and brought up her hands to cradle her head.
The students burst into laughter. Pyrrha sweatdropped and Ruby chuckled sheepishly.
Port chuckled. "Looks like someone is taking after her teacher," he said, playfully nudging Oobleck in the side.
"Get real, Pyrrha!" Ruby scolded, her expression screwing up into a glare. "It's so unlike you to panic! Humanity is on the brink of extinction! No one gives a fuck about what you want!"
"Well said," Ironwood nodded.
Pyrrha's eyes held a vulnerability that lasted even till she looked down, admitting defeat. "I'm sorry," she said softly. "I lost my head." Ruby turned to leave but she grabbed her sleeve, head still bowed. "Just one thing. Please." Her locks swayed in the breeze, shadowing her eyes from view.
"Please... Don't die."
"In a battlefield, survival is a hope, at best and not a certainty," Qrow said. Regardless, please... stay safe.
Yang was having the same thoughts as her uncle. I can't watch another family member die. Take care of yourself, Rubes she thought, squeezing her sister's hand. Ruby squeezed back, giving Yang a small smile.
Ruby yanked her arm and turned without a word. I won't die. I couldn't die even if I were killed here.
The view changed to the city. In the distance, a plume of smoke rose towards the sky. I still need to know what the world outside the Walls is really like. Squad 34: Ruby, Oscar, Mina, Thomas, Nac and Milieus stood by on a rooftop.
"Even the remnants of our historical literature offer no hints about the origins of the Titans," a voice lectured, flashing back to their time in the academy. The instructor read from a discoloured brown book. "We know next to nothing about them," he lectured the cadets seated at their desks in the classroom.
They unconsciously straightened up. This was a chance to learn more about the monstrous Titans and they could not afford to miss anything. Winter readied her notes in anticipation.
"What little we know about their bodies, we learned from the Survey Corps' recent reports. The Titans show no signs of human-like intellect, and therefore there are no known instances of successful communication with them."
Two Titans will disagree with your point about human-like intellect Salem thought, thinking back to the Colossal and Armoured Titans.
"I guess the Colossal and Armoured are the only outliers to this," Jaune commented.
An image of a Titan walking in a forest came into view. Its shoulders steamed as it walked past two deer. "Their body structure is fundamentally different from that of all other creatures. They have no sexual organs and their method of reproduction is unknown. Most of them have a physique resembling human males."
The deer grazed without a care as the Titan's steaming foot passed by them.
"So their method of reproduction is different from that of humans," Port hummed, stroking his beard in thought.
Looking back, they all do have male physiques Weiss thought, her mind flashing through every Titan that had appeared onscreen. She could not recall any female-like Titans. Perhaps none exist.
"I am the only one that noticed the Titan ignoring the deer? Or the deer grazing without a care in the world as the Titan passed by it?" Cardin asked.
Oobleck adjusted his glasses as he spoke. "There are two reasons I can think of."
The others turned to him in expectation.
"My first point is a Titan could have eaten its fill and had no need to feed which I'm highly sceptical about. My second point is the Titans probably have a strict diet of what I'm assuming is only humans," he explained.
Ozpin hummed in agreement. "It's most likely the second point. If Titans prey exclusively on humans, that means other animals do not register them as threats and do not regard them as predators."
"That... makes sense," Glynda murmured, nodding along with others in agreement.
"Their bodies exhibit extremely high temperature. To our confusion and dismay, they show no interest in any creatures except humans. They are seemingly driven exclusively by the desire to consume humans, yet from the fact that they survived in an environment devoid of humans for over a century, we can safely conjecture that they do not need to eat."
Their eyes widened slightly at the realization.
Weiss' eyes widened. "That makes so much sense," she gasped out. "No human civilization could survive for long in Titan-infested lands, meaning at some point, only Titans roamed the outside world."
"So... they hunt for the... fun of it?" Blake turned green at the thought that Titans saw humans as sport.
The cadets listened to the lecture with nervousness and unease at the nature of the monsters.
"Thus, their likely purpose is not predation, but annihilation," the instructor continued.
The words sent chills through many members of the audience.
"The main factor behind the human race being driven into such a corner is the Titan's astounding ability to survive." A drawing of humans firing cannons at Titans filled the screen. "Since long ago, humanity has fought using the technology of cannons, but even such firepower couldn't stop the Titans. Even if a Titan's head gets blown off, it will regenerate in one or two minutes, though individual differences do exist."
Thomas and Franz were in disbelief. "That's crazy..."
"As if their size wasn't enough to handle..."
The reactions were similar to that of the cadets.
"Are you kidding me?" Sun muttered in horror.
"Not even the Grimm are that durable..."
Murmurs spread throughout the audience as they tried to process the new information. It was bad enough that the Titans sought to annihilate humans, similar to the Grimm. Now, they were harder to kill than even their hated predators.
Salem was impressed with the Titans' capabilities. Their abilities are superior to my Grimm. Who or what created these creatures? she wondered.
"There has to be a way to kill one," Qrow said. "Nothing is without a weakness."
"Let's wait and see, my friend," said Ozpin, deep in thought.
Neptune rose from his seat, hand in the air. "Instructor, are the Titans invulnerable?"
The teacher had his back to the class as he sketched an image on the board with chalk. "They are not." He stepped away, revealing an outline of a Titan with its back turned. "There is one way to defeat a Titan." Turning back to the board, he circled the nape. "Target them here. If significant damage is delivered to this area, the Titan will die without regenerating."
Yang sighed with relief. "So they do have a weak point, difficult as it is to reach."
"Why the nape in particular?" Hazel wondered aloud. "There has to be a reason that location, in particular, is their singular weak point."
Roman shrugged nonchalantly. "We'll probably be told somewhere down the line." The thief did not care for the specificities of why only the how.
He gestured to the two blades to his left. "To cut through their flesh, we use double blades like these." Turning back to the board, he continued the lecture. "If the attack reaches their weak point, the Titan won't have time to regenerate, and die soon." The teacher outlined the cut on the circled region of the Titan's neck.
"That explains the invention of Omni-directional manoeuvre gear," Blake said. "Helps to manoeuvre and scale a Titan with ease to reach their weak point."
"How many died for that information to be gained?" Glynda shook her head sadly.
Salem hummed in thought. Nothing is without weakness, I suppose.
Ruby noticed Oscar trembling beside her and turned towards him.
Back in the present, she called her best friend's attention. "Hey, Oscar!" He turned to face her. "Don't you think this is a great chance? If we prove ourselves here in this first battle, before even entering the Survey Corps, surely they'll promote us right up the ladder!" she said, grinning at him.
"I'd watch that over-confidence, if I were you," Emerald said.
Her confidence was infectious and had Oscar grinning right back. "Yeah! Without a doubt!"
"Not to burst your bubble, but quite a few of us are aiming for the Survey Corps this year!" Mina said.
"I lagged behind you earlier, Ruby, but I'm not losing this time!" Thomas smiled challengingly.
"That's the spirit, Thomas!"
Thomas leaned closer to Mina. "Let's have a contest to see who can slay more Titans!"
"No fudging your numbers!"
"They are way too carefree and relaxed in dangerous territory," Winter said, frowning.
Ozpin chuckled. "Some good-natured commentary and jokes before a battle are a great morale boost, Miss Schnee," he said. "When one has been in so many battles, you long for such moments of levity," he finished with a faraway look in his eyes. At that moment, he had an ancient air and look of one that has seen and fought in countless wars and was tired of it all.
"Squad 34, advance! Assist the frontline guard!" A Garrison soldier ordered.
Ruby turned to her team, taking charge. "Right! Let's go!"
"Yeah!"
They charged through the city, running across the rooftops, and swinging through the air in a beautiful and deadly display built up from years of training.
Ruby noticed Titans lumbering in the distance, moving through the smoking buildings. "The Titans advanced this far?!" she asked in surprise.
"The front guards have already been crushed?!" Thomas asked in disbelief.
"What are our glory-hound seniors doing?!" Nac yelled.
"Seriously? If the troops ahead have already been wiped, that doesn't bode well for them," Velvet said.
Yang chewed on her lower lip in worry. "Why are they flying around without a plan?"
I expected the situation to be bad, but this... Ruby's eyes widened a fraction when she noticed a blonde Titan crouched on the top of a building. With a kick of all its limbs, it leapt at them. "An Abnormal! Watch out!" They dodged the incoming Abnormal as it slammed into a tower.
They jumped in their seats.
"Whoa!"
"Was that a Titan?"
"They jump now?!" Weiss shrieked, eyes widening in fear.
Ren thought back to what Ruby said before they had to dodge out of the way. "She called it an Abnormal. I'm assuming its behaviour is unusual compared to regular Titans."
The squad landed on a nearby rooftop, Ruby hanging from its edge. Clinging to the tower, the Titan leaned sideways to reveal Thomas halfway in the Titan's mouth, the unfortunate boy pushing against the lips to escape. The Titan simply gave the sky a hollow stare.
"No..."
No one knew who said that but the dread in the tone was present in members of the audience.
Perhaps he can still survive Velvet thought hopefully.
The squad watched, bodies frozen in fear. "Huh?" was all Thomas could say with tears in his eyes, before the Titan tilted its head back, swallowing him whole.
Their breaths hitched at the first death of class 104. It was a possibility that existed in the back of their minds but knowing it could happen and seeing it were two different things entirely.
"No..." Ruby covered her mouth in shock, her eyes watering.
Her horror was shared by her fellow students and the teachers. Mouths were agape, eyes wide with horror and unshed tears, and chills moved through their bodies.
They stood in shock, foreboding music voicing their shared horror at what had transpired.
The Titan landed on the street, sauntering away from the other cadets, seemingly content with its recent meal.
"That's...it?" Pyrrha whispered with a shaky voice. "Thomas is just... gone?"
Nora was shaking badly and clinging to Ren who did his best to comfort her. Without his Semblance, however, there wasn't much help he could provide.
Velvet was barely holding on, but she tried to for Oscar's sake. The poor boy was frozen in terror, unable to look away from the dreadful scene playing out in front of them.
Roman quickly shook himself out of his funk. He felt his partner's eyes on him but ignored her, focused on shaking off the dread that had settled in the pit of his stomach. He knew he would never forget the hollow look in the Titan's eyes or the sheer terror in the unfortunate boy's face right before he was eaten.
Ruby's shock turned into a rage, burning so ferociously that her body shook in her desire for vengeance. "How dare you, motherfucker?!" she yelled, letting go of the gutter edge of the roof to launch herself after the Titan, ignoring the cries of her squad.
"Ruby!"
"Stop! Don't go alone!"
Qrow and Yang felt like their hearts were about to leap from their chests with how fast they were beating. "Dammit, Ruby!" they yelled
"Don't go charging in there!" Weiss screamed in worry for her partner.
"What is she thinking?!" Blake yelled.
Oscar chased after her. Mina followed, and Nac and Milieus immediately after.
"Stop you bastard!" she demanded as she sprinted across stone and tile for her uncaring target. Ruby took one great leap, launching out a hook. "How dare you eat Thomas?!" Her body skirted the stone streets. "You're not getting away!" she yelled out, as she shot through foliage. Buildings became a blur and she narrowly avoided colliding with a bridge.
She was nearer to her target now. Letting out a battle cry, she gave a small twirl in the air and raised her blades...
Almost there... They leaned forward in anticipation and worry for her first kill.
From below, too fast and hidden by its size, a shaggy, brown-haired Titan leapt and took a bite at Ruby with its wide, fist-sized teeth. Blood spurted in the air as she skidded across the entire length of a roof. Inertia asserted itself hard, making her body smash tiles and flip over windows, all the while rolling headfirst across the roof.
They all flinched. Whether it was in surprise, worry or both did not matter; the Titan attack was unexpected.
Yang's heart nearly leapt to her throat when Ruby was wounded and skidded painfully across the entire roof. The screams of the audience did not matter to her. All she could process at the moment was; that her sister was hurt, and there was nothing she could do to protect her.
"No..." Qrow gasped out. "No, no, no, no, no, no!" he yelled repeatedly, fear and anger coursing through his veins. His friends and colleagues could hardly blame him for his anger. Winter wrapped an arm around the man, who looked close to sobbing now and was barely holding it in.
"Is she..." Nora began but Yang understood the implication of the question, even before it was fully asked. She rounded on the hammer-wielding girl, glowering at her.
"Don't even finish that question! My sister is alive and she will stay that way!" she yelled with tears in he eyes. "You understand me?!"
Nora flinched back in fear. Ren wrapped his arms around her while Ruby tried to calm her sister. "It's okay, Yang. It's okay..." Ruby mumbled repeatedly, pulling her sister in for a hug. She was just as worried about the fate of her counterpart but that paled in comparison to Yang's worry right now. "It's okay..."
"Ruby!" Oscar dropped onto a roof, whirling around to where Ruby landed.
Mina and Nac when in the air, trying to catch up. "Ruby!" Mina shouted in horror. A Titan swung out a hand, snatching Nac out of the air with a bloody splat. Mina snapped in his direction. Now distracted, she failed to reel in her hook in time to avoid a Titan with wide, dollish eyes, grabbing her wire and sending her crashing hard into a wall and seemingly knocking her out. The Titan peered down at her.
"No... not them, too," Pyrrha gasped, bringing up a hand to cover her mouth. Beside her, Jaune felt his stomach twist like travelling on an airship.
Cardin winced when Nac was snatched out of the air. At least he died quick... I hope.
Milieus was held in the grasp of the Titan that had taken a bite out of Ruby. Oscar trembled in fear, watching the terrifying scene unfold.
"Stop! Please stop!" Milieus cried out but his pleas fell on deaf ears.
The teachers shuddered, the sound of his screams dredging up painful memories. Memories of comrades, friends and family at the mercy of Grimm; pleading for their lives only for them to be snuffed out by the heartless beasts; themselves staring helplessly, unable to help them.
Neo frowned and unconsciously gripped Roman's hand tighter. If he noticed, he didn't say anything about it and simply squeezed back.
Oscar's legs buckled, collapsing to his knees in fear, staring at his friend's bleeding body sprawled out on the roof opposite him. Blood stained her jacket and the tiles beneath her head as it dribbled down from it. Her left leg was missing from above the knee, blooding oozing from the stump and through the crevasses of the roof.
Ruby's breath got caught in her throat at the sight of her counterpart's battered and bruised body. It was so rare to see injuries like these due to the Aura shielding Huntsmen utilized. Without it though...
Ironwood stared impassively at her injuries. She's lost a lot of blood already and will bleed out if she doesn't receive medical attention, ASAP. Blood on her head indicates she most likely has a concussion as well. Her leg... He knew they were all thinking the same thing. Her days as a soldier were over before they even began.
Her teammates and friends were horrified by the extent of her injuries.
Why... am I... watching... as my comrades... get eaten? Oscar thought feebly, terror coursing throughout his body as he bore witness to the carnage around him.
He's in shock thought Coco, glancing at the young boy that Velvet was helping.
The scene flashed by with Milieus being pulled ever closer to the Titan's wide mouth. The Titan that reeled Mina in opened its mouth wide to fit her whole head in. A loud thud made Oscar's eyes shift to the left, revealing a 15-meter Titan with a shaved head and full, white beard. It stood there smiling.
Ruby squeezed her eyes shut, tears streaking down her face. It's all my fault. If they didn't chase after me, they'd all still be alive. What kind of leader am I...?
Team RWBY moved in to console their friend and leader.
Velvet gasped when the 15-meter came up beside Oscar. "Move!" she yelled in the vain hope that somehow, her voice will reach him.
Why... won't my body... move? Oscar asked, dazed as he hung limply, dangling over the Titan's wide mouth. He snapped out of his daze too late, as he plunged into the Titan's waiting mouth. He fruitlessly dug his fingers into its massive saliva-covered tongue, trying to keep himself from sliding down. A scream ripped itself from his throat.
Oscar gasped, and shut his eyes tightly, unable to watch his death. All he could feel were the tears streaming down his face and Velvet giving him a comforting hug.
The villain side was mostly apathetic to the event on the screen. Surprised, but still unconcerned.
"To be honest, I expected him to last longer. Or Ruby for that matter," Hazel commented. "Y'know, being the main characters of this show and all."
Oscar's screams reached Ruby. Her half-lidded eyes and parted lips suggested she was a hair away from slipping into unconsciousness. Oscar...
Yang breathed a sigh of relief. Thank Oum, she's alive... A traitorous part of her mind whispered not for long. She shrugged it off immediately.
"She's concussed," Ironwood murmured under his breath. He glanced at Qrow to see how he was faring with the fate of his family member.
A voice echoed in her head. "Ruby! Ruby!"
A memory flashed to the forefront of her mind. Cotton ball-like clouds drifted lazily in the afternoon sky. A young Ruby sat alone by the canal where she and her friends met up for games, talks, and peaceful moments, gazing at the clouds.
"Come on! Another dream? Right now?!" Cardin yelled in annoyance. Yang never thought she'd agree with him but she was just as frustrated. I want to see how my sister is doing, dammit!
"This isn't looking good for Ruby if she's daydreaming like this," Blake said worriedly.
"Ruby!" Oscar ran up to her, clutching a brown book and beaming.
"What is it now, Oscar?" Ruby asked lazily, bored out of her mind.
He presented her with the brown coloured book with gold lining that he was holding. "Look at this book my grandpa was hiding!" Ruby tilted her head to look at him. "It's all about the outside world!"
"Isn't that a taboo subject?" Sun asked.
"The outside world?" she parroted. "But that's forbidden, isn't it? What if the Military Police find out?"
"Who cares about that now?" Oscar bent down, excitement still in his voice. "According to this book, most of the world is covered by a huge amount of water called 'sea'! And it's all salty water too!"
Oscar's innocent curiosity was discomforting. "They truly have no idea what the outside world is like?" Neptune asked sadly. "About volcanoes? Deserts?"
"The little things we take for granted are a goldmine to them," Weiss said with a small frown.
"Salt? You're making that stuff up now!" Ruby said in disbelief. "Salt is a treasure! The merchants would have exhausted the supply!"
Yang gave a tiny chuckle. "Not possible, Rubes."
"The 'sea' is so vast, they can't ever deplete it all!"
"No way," Ruby said, leaning back once again.
Oscar's eyes gleamed in excitement, undeterred by his friend's disbelief.
"There's more than just mountains of salt!" he said, with barely concealed excitement. He laid out the book to reveal pages of landscapes. "Firewater! A continent of ice! Snowfields of sand!" he listed off, enthusiasm piling up with each description. "The world out there must be far more vast than inside the walls!"
"You have no idea, kid," Roman snorted.
"The outside world..." Ruby's eyes gleamed with awe.
"So this is where it started, huh?" Port said. "Her dream of the outside world."
"And guess what! This is a secret," his voice lowered to a hush but still smiling, "but my parents are going to the outside world soon!"
"Really? I thought they were eaten—" Neo elbowed Roman before he could complete his sentence. He stared at her questioningly and she tilted her head in Oscar's direction. Roman clicked his tongue in understanding and said nothing.
"The outside world..." she repeated, eyes still gleaming with excitement and intrigue.
"Right, Ruby?" She looked up at him. "It'd be great if we could explore the outside world too, someday."
Ruby's eyes snapped open, the silver blazing with intensity. The music rose as she forced herself onto her knees.
The viewers straightened, hearts racing from the intensity of the music.
"Well, I'll be damned..." Hazel breathed out. Her determination was so out-of-this-world, it was ridiculous.
Oscar screamed, clawing frantically at the Titan's slippery tongue to stop his descent. A hand reached out and grabbed his, stopping his descent. Being the suicidal bastard that she is, Ruby reached into the Titan's maw, grabbed her best friend and hurled him onto a roof.
"What— How the hell did she—?" Cardin stammered out.
"Doesn't matter! Now she needs to get out of there!" Yang cut him off, her worry for Ruby spiking to insane levels.
The pain from colliding with the roof was secondary to Oscar as he whirled around to face Ruby, worried for his best friend. "Ruby!"
She had a foot and arm pressed down on the lower jaw. She wedged a broken blade in between its upper teeth with her other arm, using all of her remaining strength to keep the Titan's mouth open. "You think I'm going to die here?!" she said with determination. The mouth quivered as it tried to close down on her.
They were dumbstruck by her insane stunt.
"Are you kidding me?!" Emerald's gaped in surprise. This chick is crazy!!!
Oscar stared at the screen dumbly, still processing the fact that someone threw themselves into a Titan's mouth to save him.
Qrow and Yang were on the edge of their seats. They gripped their armrests tightly, leaning forward as if to jump into the screen. Their friends were hardly faring any better. Everyone was on edge from the intensity of the scene.
"She won't make it," Salem muttered to Hazel by her side as she analyzed Ruby's current predicament. "She's lost so much blood already, she can barely hold on now," she gestured to her quivering body. "The adrenaline boost is starting to fade off as well. I wouldn't hold my breath for her survival chances."
Tears pooled in Oscar's eyes as he listened to what may be Ruby's final words. "Hey, Oscar..." she began. "You told me about it..." She let go of her hold on its lower jaw and stretched out an arm, eyes filled with hope and determination. "So I'm going... to the outside world..."
"Move, dammit!" Yang was close to pulling out her hair. "Stop giving goddamn speeches and get out of there!" This can't happen. It just can't! Ruby is going to safely emerge from the Titan's mouth and everything will be alright!
Her words snapped Oscar out of his funk. With tears running down his face, he scrambled forward on his knees, arm reaching out for her. "Ruby! Hurry!" Sadly, it was too late as the Titan's mouth snapped shut. Ruby's wide eyes were his last sight of her before she was swallowed up by darkness. The arm he reached for was severed, spinning in the air past him.
Everyone's breath hitched, unable to contain their surprise and horror.
Yang dropped to her knees in shock, staring agape at the screen.
The Titan tilted its head to down its replacement meal.
Oscar's scream of anguish was mirrored by Yang's and Qrow's.
Deep within Trost with the rear guard, Pyrrha turned back to where her family was in worry.
To be continued...
Anguished cries filled the theatre.
A/n: Well. That was... something. The RWBY fandom has now gotten a taste of the threat the Titans present. Too bad it came at the cost of one of their own, though. RIP Ruby Rose/Jaeger. You will be missed.
This chapter should have dropped on the 2nd but my birthday came up, and then I just had stuff I was doing between then and now. Anyway, here it is. Hope you all enjoyed it. Once again, feel free to let me know your thoughts on it. Constructive criticism is always welcome! If I made any spelling errors or grammatical mistakes, tell me also.
For this chapter's new cast:
Dot Pixis - Peter Port
I wouldn't be dropping a new chapter soon because I have my finals, plus my thesis defence to prepare for. I'll get back to this story as soon as I'm done though. Peace out!
