Attack on Titan: Son of Man

by Agent Texas

What can humanity do when all attempts to fight the titans that oppress them fail? What can a single boy do after joining the military with a goal of vengeance on the Armored Titan that had taken something special from him? Follow the story of a boy named Saladin as he pushes forward along with his comrades and journeys from boy to man.

16. Trost Arc: Call To Rally

Author's Note: Apologies for taking so long to write this chapter. I have been occupied with school as well as work. I use the small hours I have to myself to improve my writing skills. I hope you enjoy this chapter. I'm using this story to actively improve my writing and narrative skills so do not hesitate to share your thoughts or criticisms.

Also thank you so much to those who leave comments and reviews. You are greatly appreciated. Whenever I receive a notification that someone has commented on my story, I can't help but to be excited! Please keep doing so! Comment your thoughts on the story, your favorite parts, or share anything that you have on your mind pertaining to the story! Hope you enjoy!

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Chapter 13: Call To Rally

Beyond the safety of Wall Sina, Wall Rose, and even Wall Maria, awaited untouched land that had been lost to humanity for centuries. Thousands upon thousands of miles of landscape, holding unknown mysteries and riches remained out of reach to humans that lived behind the walls. This has been the case ever since the titans first appeared. Since then, these once great lands had been abandoned, and humanity had been forced to conceal themselves ehind the walls and away from the titan's reach.

While humanity flourished as best as they could behind the safety of the walls, titans roamed the forgotten landscape aimlessly. No human had dared to return to these lands, lest they be devoured by the monsters that awaited them.

For many years it had been this way, until a group was formed in the military. A group that specialized in traveling beyond the safety of the walls on expeditions and into titan territory with a goal to reclaim the lost lands. They traveled through harsh weather, unknown lands and abandoned towns. All while battling the titan monsters that lurked at almost every corner.

That group was known as the Scouting Regiment.

A large portion of scouts who were on another one of their expeditions had moved into one of the many abandoned cities beyond the walls that was lost ever since the Colossal Titan had attacked Wall Maria. Their goal was to reclaim that lost town that had been overrun with titans. Which meant they'd have to use their resources and wit to eliminate the monsters while keeping a low casualty rate.

This goal would be more difficult than anyone could have imagined. Such was the way of the Scout Regiment.

A battle raged inside the abandoned town. Buildings that were once lit with candles through windows were now dim and dark. Overgrown grass and moss marked the cracked and damaged buildings of the town. The streets were riddled with debris and stone. A statue laid bare in the middle of the town, a remnant of how the town was once so great.

Scouts flew through the air with the use of their ODM gear. Their blades gripped tightly within their hands. While they moved, their adversaries, the titans engaged with them, attacking those that they could get their hands on. The scouts had to utilize numerous strategies in order to defeat the enemy. Strategies including distraction, luring and trapping, and of course, elimination,

In the midst of battle, one scout, a young man barely even out of his 30's, found himself ambushed by a lurking titan and trapped within its jaws. The titan had bit down on the lower part of his body, while the remainder of his upper body had been dangling out. He no longer felt the sensation of his legs as the titan chewed on him mindlessly. The pain was severe, but the anger the scout felt was even greater.

"Just you watch, you son of a bitch." the scout managed to wheeze out toward the titan, blood dripping from his mouth. "One day….one day humanity is going to destroy you."

As the scout spoke, the titan paid him no mind. It's gaze was distant as it continued to chew on the lower half of the human. The anger the scout felt welled up to an even greater extent. He could not move his lower half, but he could still move his arms around. It was all he needed. With one of his blades in hand, the scout raised it. His weak yet fierce eyes locked onto the titan devouring him.

"The human race will be the survivors…in the end." wheezed the scout, his vision beginning to fade due to the loss of blood. "I swear it…"

He raised the last of his blades even higher, and with a yell, rammed the sharp tip into the cheek of the titan. The titan had stopped chewing on him for a moment, and turned its ugly gaze to its meal. The scout could not help but smile weakly. If he didn't know any better, he had finally caught the monster's attention, and hopefully, offended it.

"You hear me? You titans are all nothing. Nothing!"

Of course, the titan had not responded with words. It's only reiteration was to bite down even harder on the scout's body. This time moving it's jaws even further up so that it could chew on his upper body next. The scout howled in agony.

However, before the titan could finish it's meal, an anchor from an ODM gear had stuck firmly into it's neck. The titan felt it and was prepared to turn its head. It was interrupted when a blur shot past it's nape and cut into its flesh. Blood shot out of the titan's nape, its head nearly being separated from it's body as it did. The titan could not even manage a groan before it slowly fell to the ground, lifeless.

The so called blur, that had cut the titan's nape landed on the rooftop of an abandoned building, locking his eyes onto the titan he had just cut. He wanted to make sure that it was dead for good. Once he confirmed it, the blur examined the blade that he had used to cut the monster that had been devouring one of his comrades.

"Damn, what a mess."

The blur that had just killed a titan so effortlessly was well known Lieutenant Levi. To some, he was known as Captain Levi, and to others, he was known as humanity's strongest soldier.

His attack had not gone unnoticed by two other large titans who were wandering nearby. The two monsters stumbled toward him with moderate speed, both of their eyes as hungry as ever.

The captain easily noticed the incoming threat, and his eyes narrowed, yet his expression refused to change. He saw the first one coming from his right, and the second titan who was only a bit shorter than the other coming from his left.

It was to be easy kills for a soldier of his stature.

Levi waited for the first titan who had reached him before the second titan could. The Titan's hand shot down towards him in an attempt to grab him. It was just what the captain wanted.

With amazing speed, Levi leapt from the wooden roof, dodging the titan's hand that smashed through the building material, and circled around the beast with even greater speed than before. Once he was behind the Titan, his anchors shot out and already firmly pierced the nape of the titan. His speed and focus remained intact through his motion. By the time the titan had realized that the captain had maneuvered away from its hand, it was already too late.

Dispelling the gas of his ODM gear and reeling himself toward the target, Lieutenant Levi pirouetted in the air, his hands gripped firmly around his blades as he danced like a sharp and deadly twister. In mere seconds, the captain had cut through the titans's nape with ease, but he had not forgotten the second titan that was now right in front of him.

Using that to his advantage, the Lieutenant reeled the anchors of his ODM gear back, still maintaining his speed and motion while in the air, and shot them into the shoulder of the second titan, all within a few short seconds. He reeled himself toward the titans's opening jaws and at the last second, released the anchors from the titan's shoulder. The lieutenant used another small burst from his gas and pirouetted once more, shifting to the right and out of the way of the titan's mouth, all while still swinging his blades.

The titan's head snapped back as the sharp edges of Levi's blades had made its mark.

The Lieutenant landed gracefully onto another rooftop and had no need to look back to confirm his kills. The sound of both titans giant bodies hitting the floor roughly was enough for him. The only thing he cared about was the dirty titan blood that stained the hilt of his blades.

He could not help but clench his teeth in repulsion at the sight of it.

"Levi!"

The Lieutenant raised his head at the sound of his comrade calling his name. Another scout with dark blonde hair and gray eyes landed behind him. He wore the same uniform and green cape with the silver wings of the Scout Regiment placed on the back.

"Furlan." Levi greeted with no welcome in his voice. His only focus now was the battle ahead. "How is it looking out there?"

"The same as usual." Furlan answered with narrowed eyes, his voice keeping a calm tone. "Those titan bastards keep popping up from out of nowhere. We'll probably be in need of some reinforcements soon."

Furlan turned his gaze to his comrade. And his closest friend.

"How are things on your end?" He asked. "Same as usual, I suppose?"

Levi didn't reply to his question and Furlan didn't need for him to speak to already know the answer.

On the other side of the abandoned town, in the midst of the battle, another scout flew above a titan, dodging its attempts to grab her. It was Hange, the Section commander of the Scouting Regiment. Instead of screaming in fear, or staying silent to focus on her attacker, she was simply laughing. The eyes behind the goggles strapped to her face were filled with excitement, not at all bothered by her brown hair waving in her face.

Her focus was mainly on the the disfigured face of the titan. She noticed that it's eyes were bulgier than the other titans. That simple trait that differentiated that titan from the others was enough to fill her with excitement and vigor. A huge anomaly for someone to have in the midst of battle.

"Wow! Look at the eyes of that one!" Hange shouted with a wide smile, the air blowing against her brown high ponytail. "Just look at you! You are so different from your other siblings! The eyes on you! So fascinating!"

The titan paid no mind to her constant ramblings. Instead it groaned and continued to give chase, swinging its arms to swat her out of the air or to grab her and finally devour her. Despite its attempts, each attack was swiftly dodged by the abnormal scout.

"Hey! Stop swatting at me!" exclaimed Hange, the smile never leaving her face. "In fact, stop moving! I'm trying to study your eyes! I'd love to run some tests on it and discover why they are so different! Please? Pretty please?"

While the titan continued to chase down the scout, smashing into the surrounding buildings and stomping against the dirt and damaged ground, another scout with red hair had arrived on the scene. At first, she was worried and ready to jump in to assist her comrade against the titan.

That is until she heard Hange laughing joyously as she continued to maneuver around the titan.

The scout's worry quickly transitioned to anger and annoyance. This was not the first time that she had seen Hange playing around with a titan instead of killing it like a scout, or any sane human would. She could feel her own teeth grinding against each other as she surveyed the situation.

"Hange! Are you playing with the titans again?!" She yelled out toward her fellow scout. "You do this every time! If that thing grabs you, I am not saving you! Hey! Do you hear me?!"

"Isabel?! Is that you? Great! Here, help me distract this thing! I want to study it more but it keeps moving around!"

"Study it? Are you crazy!?"

"Look at its eyes!" called out Hange, beaming at the titan. "Can you tell the difference it has from the others? If you look real closely you'll see!"

"I don't care what type of eyes that thing's got!" Isabel shouted back, annoyed and furious "Just help me kill it already!l

Isabel released her blades from the scabbard of her ODM gear and moved in on the titan, her eyes focused on its leg.

The titan was too focused on Hange to realize that Isabel was closing in on its leg. With a loud yell, Isabel pulled her blades back and sliced through the flesh of the titan, just with enough force to slightly amputate its limb. The titan stumbled forward, losing it's balance and fell flat on its face, skidding across the ground.

Hange groaned in dismay "Oh fine! Ruin a perfectly good subject!"

Play time was over for the estranged scout. Hange's eyes shifted into focus and she released her blades from her scabbard. She saw that titan was faced down on the ground, struggling to sit up as one of its legs was out of commission. The leg was slowly regenerating, but not fast enough to save it from Hange's blades. Hange quickly moved in. lowering herself near the ground, at level with the titan. Keeping great speed, she shot across the back of the titan's neck, making sure to swing her blades against the nape of the monster as she passed by. Blood released from the open wound of the titan as it let out one last dying groan.

Back on the other side of the abandoned town, another scout with ginger hair and amber eyes that went by the name of Petra had arrived on the scene with reinforcements. She looked back and forth across the battlefield with worry, spotting a few injured and dead bodies of her comrades lying across the ground. Her eyes spotted Levi and Furlan who were on a building a few meters away.

With haste, she swiftly made her way over to them.

"Captain! I've brought reinforcements!" she called out to her squad captain, running up to meet him.

Levi raised his head when he heard one of his squadmates' voices. But upon raising his head, he saw even more titans approaching the area. One on the right, wandering the streets and tall enough to easily peer its head over the building. There were also two on the left that were just as equally as tall, and just as equally deformed.

"Petra! Look after the injured solider's down below!" Levi called back to his comrade. He then looked over to Furlan. "Furlan, you and whoever's left, go after that titan on the right! I'll clean up the two on the left!"

"Huh!? But captain!" began Petra, worried and confused at the sudden order.

Furlan's reaction was the opposite.

"Alright. Levi." He answered, immediately carrying out his "superior's" orders.

Lieutenant Levi wasted no time making a straight shot toward the two titans that wandered on the left. Petra had little time to open her mouth a second time. Her captain simply moved too fast, probably faster than any other scout within the regiment.

He was already upon the two titans, flying in toward their faces. The closest titan spotted him and opened his mouth, leaning in. From the looks of it, it appeared as if Levi was going to fly straight into its jaws.

"Such interesting faces." Levi muttered to himself, staring at the titan who's eyes were wide and locked directly on him.

Upon getting close enough to the titan, just close enough to the point where he could see the saliva in its mouth, Levi's eyes narrowed. With perfect movement and impeccable timing, he shot the left anchor of his ODM gear forward. It sped past the titan's face and connected firmly into a towering building that was behind the monster. Levi released a quick burst of gas to quickly shift over to the right. Just in time enough to dodge the titan's clamping jaws as it had missed its target.

What happened next, happened so fast that the titan had no time to even blink its wide eyes.

With inhuman like speed and reflexes, Levi reeled the right anchor of his gear back in and dispersed his gas while piroutteing, his blades clenched tightly in his hand. The titan could not even gain the chance to reopen its jaws for another attack. Levi cut clean through the neck of the titan from a left angle with great strength. With enough strength to completely decapitate the titan's head from its large shoulders.

The Capatin's momentum did not stop there.

He did not forget the second titan that had been lingering behind the first one that he had killed. Any other solider may have forgotten, or stopped to rest and then be eaten themselves. But the captain was far to skilled and experienced for such mistakes.

Keeping the speed of his movements, Levi used his leg to leap from the towering building that he had used against the first titan, and leapt higher into the air with only a minimum use of his gas. He was above the second titan's face. He could clearly make out its bony face to the point where it resembled a skeleton. Levi reeled his arms back, blades still in hand and pressed one of the triggers on each of his blade hilts. He swung his arms forward, allowing the blades to release from the hilts with a metallic click, and for them to be thrown forward. Directly toward the titan's wide eyes.

Normally, titans when cut with blades show little reaction of pain. But in this instance, the titan howled in agony as the captain's loose blades pierced its eyes. The titan reared its head back and covered its eyes with its hands. Blood and steam released from the holes of where its eyes once used to be.

Levi landed on top of the titan's bald head and gazed down at it as it continued to screech in agony. The lieutenant's eyes were unreadable, but no one could doubt that he was still fully in a focused state.

"Keep still will you?" He mumbled, as if he believed the titan could understand every word that he spoke. "If you don't, I'll never get a clean cut out of your flesh."

Another metallic click sounded off as Levi unsheathed a fresh new set of steel blades from the scabbard of his ODM gear. No longer waiting, the lieutenant leapt into the air, releasing the gas from his gear to take him even higher above the titan. Once he was high enough, he angled himself down toward the titan who still had its eyes covered in a defenseless state. Pirouetting once more. Levi spun in a downward spiral with his blades targeted for the nape. With more than enough speed and force, a piece of the nape had been cut clean through.

The titan's head snapped back and its howls of pain ceased. Only a dying groan released from its mouth as it fell to the ground lifeless.

With the two titans taken care of, Levi landed on the roof of a building and took a deep breath. His eyes shifted down to his hand as he felt a slight burning sensation of his skin. He recoiled in disgust upon seeing that some of the titan's blood had gotten on his hand and stained his flawless blades.

"Tsk, got it all damn dirty." He hissed, wiping his hand against his green cape.

He would have preferred to properly clean such a dirty thing, to the point where not even a drop would have remained. But he knew that such things could not be helped and whining about it would not fix it.

The abandoned town had grown a mild quiet, save for the yelling of the remaining scouts. Levi took a look around and noticed that there were no other titans in sight. Perhaps the battle had finally ended, or at least part of him hoped it had.

On the streets below, Petra knelt down beside the scout that had been chewed on by the titan that Levi had killed. The lower half of his body leaked blood, and so did his mouth. He knew he was bleeding out but said nothing. Petra moved her hands frequently, using everything she had on her person to stop the bleeding. But nothing she did worked.

"Petra." Levi called out to her, landing on the ground a few meters in front of her. "How is his condition?"

"Captain…." Petra began, unable to stop the tears that streamed from her eyes. "The bleeding…It won't stop. I..I can't stop it."

Levi's eyes narrowed and another unreadable expression entered his face. He said nothing and simply stared at Petra and his dying comrade. The dying scout coughed up more blood and spasmed slightly. Petra did her best to keep him still. Even if she were unable to save him, she at least wanted to comfort him.

In silence, Levi walked up to Petra and the dying scout, and knelt down next to him. Not a word left his mouth. All he did was stare at his comrade who's eyes were growing dim with each passing second.

A few meters away, Furlan landed on the ground and walked up to them. He and the other scouts had successfully dispatched the last remaining titan. He traveled over there to inform Levi of this. That is until he saw the scene. Instead of speaking, he remained silent upon approach, gazing down at the dying scout with a somber look.

"Captain…Captain.." The dying scout managed to wheeze out beyond the blood that poured from between his lips. "Are you there?"

"I'm here…" replied Levi in a calm tone. "What is it?"

"Please, captain. Please tell me."

The dying scout managed to shift his eyes over to the Lieutenant and stared at him. He only had little energy, but just enough to raise his bloody hand toward Levi.

"Was I…of use? Was I of use to the human race?"

The scout's blood soaked hand trembled.

"Or…am I gonna die…useless. Please..I need the truth…Captain."

Petra felt her tears swell up in her eyes and she could not help but look away. Furlan frowned even deeper upon hearing the question. It was a question he had heard many times.

Levi's black hair shielded his eyes for a moment. But he then quickly reached out and grabbed the dying scout's hand, not at all caring about the blood that would dirty his own hands. He met his dying comrade's gaze with his own. He could still see life slowly leaving his eyes. Nevertheless, he made sure that his dying comrade would see his face.

"You've done more than enough." The Lieutenant answered. "And you'll do more. The resolve you leave behind will give me strength."

He tightened his grip on the dying scout's hand. Even if the scout was losing feeling in his body, Levi wanted to make sure he could see his grip.

"I swear to you. I will eradicate the titans. You have my word."

The dying scout gazed up at Levi, and his lips trembled.

"Good….that's good…" The dying scout mumbled, his lips slowly forming into a smile. "That's good…thank you..."

The scout's stream of whispers had come to a halt.

Levi could feel the hand he had gripped go limp. Petra looked back at the dying scout and saw that his eyes were closed. The color in his face had finally left him.

"Captain…." she muttered. "He's..gone…"

The three scouts said nothing for a moment as they stared at their dead comrade. They felt a cold and uncomfortable wind brush over them. Levi's expression had turned somber, same as Furlan who had the same look as he continued to stare down at the dead scout.

"Do you think he heard me?" asked Levi, particularly to no one. "To the end?"

"I'm…I'm sure he heard you.." Petra answered, nodding her head.

"He died smiling, Levi." added Furlan, his voice as calm as ever. "Of course he heard you."

The abandoned town had grown quiet as the skirmish had finally ended. Scouts rode on their horses to reform their groups and discover the casualty count. Some had moved about to check on supplies while others were collecting the bodies of the dead. Around them were skeletons of dead titans that released hot steam as they were nearing the end of their decomposing cycle.

Levi stood near the dead body of the scout he had comforted and watched as his body was carried away by two other scouts. He could feel his hand clench for a moment, but it quickly released. Beside him was his squadmate, Petra and his close comrades, Hange, Furlan, and Isabel.

"I think I topped my kill count today!" Isabel laughed, seemingly in high spirits despite the battle. "That means you owe me a drink and lunch, Furlan!"

"You said you thought you topped your kill count, meaning you have no confirmation of doing it." replied Furlan, a small amused smile on his face. "Which means I don't owe you a thing."

"What!? Don't try to weasel yourself out of our bet again! Hange! Tell him I…."

A mischievous look had entered Hange's eyes upon hearing her name called.

"Hey now, Furlan is right Isabel!" She interrupted, waving her hands carelessly. "If you never kept count, you can't possibly know how many you've killed. Plus, I only saw you kill one titan." a crazed burst of excited giggles began pouring out of her. "One super special titan that looked so much more interesting than the others!"

"Ugh, are you still on about that? I should have expected as much!" Isabel rolled her eyes in agitation. A smile quickly returned to her face when she looked at Levi. "Bro! Tell Furlan to stop trying to weasel out of our deal!"

"Our bet was very clear, Isabel." Furlan shrugged. "Don't be a sore loser."

"You're the sore loser here!"

"Tch, will both of you shut your mouths." replied Levi with little emotion. "Keep your childish little bets off the battlefield."

"C'mon bro! Don't be like that!" Isabel frowned. "I'm just saying it's only fair that-"

Their conversation was quickly cut short at the sound of a horse approaching with haste. Each scout looked over to see Erwin, the Commander of the Scouting Regiment, riding upon a white horse. His face was as stoic as ever despite the circumstances. And yet, he rode with great speed as if he had dire news.

"All of you, gather your things!" ordered Erwin, pulling on the reigns of his horse and stopping in front of the group. "We're retreating."

"What!? Retreating?!" exclaimed Isabel, shocked at the sudden order.

"Erwin, we haven't even made it to the border yet and we're already retreating?" asked Levi with an annoyed look. "Are you trying to say that my troops died in vain? I'm sure you have a good reason for this."

Erwin's expression didn't change.

"The titans are after the town! It's been reported that they've started moving northward as a group." He explained. "It's just like 5 years ago when Shinganshina was attacked."

Each scout within the group eyes had widened largely.

"If it's the same as 5 years ago…" continued Erwin, staring north with narrowed eyes. "Then they may have broken through the wall once again! Gather all the equipment and round up everyone. We need to start moving back to the Trost district immediately!"

Back beyond at the border of Wall Rose, the titans attack on the city of Trost had raged on. They had the city completely under their control, and any unfortunate soldier that stayed behind to fight, or civilian that had failed to retreat in time were brutally devoured. Beyond the inner wall of the city were the remaining forces of humanity that did their best to reorganize themselves.

Journal Entry: I am writing this at a crucial and dire time. Not simply just for me, but for all of humanity. In such a short amount of time since my last entry, on the first day where I was to fully intact my duties as a soldier, the Colossal Titan appeared. I had never seen the Colossal Titan up close and personal, at least not until this day. It was more horrifying than any description that the officers had given us during our training days. Me and my comrades could only watch helplessly as it had forced a breach within the wall. Just like it had done 5 years ago.

In mere seconds, titans had started pouring in, beginning an attack on the city. Under normal circumstances, I would have celebrated gaining my first kill of a real life titan, but there was a significant lack of normal circumstances today. I saw old comrades devoured within the jaws of titans. I saw some of them splattered against the wall by the hands of titans. Some of those comrades being the people I've trained alongside of for 3 years. And no matter how many titans me, my comrades, or the garrison regiment kill, there was no end. There is still no end.

On a day that was supposed to be a day of celebration, it was quickly transformed into a day of horror in a matter of moments. I saw some of my strongest and smartest comrades brought down to their lowest point. A view that I had hoped to never see.

One thing that I can mention is that this battle, this day, has brought more confusion upon me than any other day that I've lived through. One of the reasons for my confusion was witnessing a titan attacking another titan with burning anger. Not only that, but the titan showed a display of experienced hand to hand combat. It may be shocking, to whomever reads this, to know that this titan had saved the lives of me and my comrades in our hour of helplessness. I cannot say whether he was in his right mind when doing so, at least not at this point.

I say this because I find myself with so many questions after witnessing something that has probably never been seen in the history of humanity. My comrade, Eren Jaeger, someone who I have trained with for the past 3 years and am proud to call a friend, was told to have been killed in action. And yet, when this mysterious titan had finally dropped dead, most likely from fatigue, it was Eren who exited the titan's body. As if he was controlling it.

Nothing about this day has made sense. For another time, I find myself at a pause with no clear goal in sight. This single battle has brought about more horror and confusion than I have ever experienced in my life.

Most of the remaining soldiers had been ordered to reorganize themselves and prepare for a counterattack against the titans. But others were mentioning that the city of Trost is most likely lost, and humanity would be forced to retreat behind Wall Sina. It's also been noted that the Armored Titan had not appeared like it did after the Colossal Titan's opening attack.

To whomever reads this, I cannot lie to you. I refuse to lie if this is to be my final day and my final entry. If the Armored Titan had appeared before me, I cannot say for sure that I would fight it. Part of me wishes to boast with my chest out, and say that if the Armored Titan had appeared, that I would proudly fight it to the death. But after today, after so many close encounters with death, only to be saved by some of my comrades, I've come to realize that my boasting would be a lie. In all honesty, I am terrified of what is to come. Part of me doesn't even want to return to the battlefield to fight such monsters again…..

I have no idea what to do.

Saladin let out a deep sigh and closed his journal firmly, making sure that it had been locked tight. He looked up to see numerous soldiers, wagons, wounded soldiers and civilians alike moving or being carried back and forth across the street. The young cadet sat on a wooden crate beneath a tent that gave him shade.

From his position, he could still smell the scent of burning wood beyond the wall and in the ruined city of Trost. A few meters away from him were other soldiers, young and old. Some of them were hugging their knees close to their chest, letting out fearful sobs. Others had a dead look in their eye, as if they had come to terms with the fact that humanity was helpless against the titan onslaught.

The young cadet reached up and touched the bandage that was wrapped around his head. The wound that he had received earlier when dodging the titan that attempted to eat him and Mikasa had reopened. Luckily for him, there were still some medical supplies available for use.

This was the least of the cadets worries however. He was more concerned about what was happening to his other comrades. After arriving at the wall alongside Armin, Jean, Reiner, Bertholdt, Annie and Mikasa who carried Eren on her back, they were confronted by garrison soldiers who questioned the condition Eren was in.

Of course, it had to be revealed that Eren was pulled from the body of the titan.

When it was, the garrison soldiers shifted into a frenzy, Orders were given rapidly that Eren was to be isolated from everyone. Some even ordered that he should be killed on the spot. Regardless, the young cadet was given orders to regroup with his squad, much to his dismay. Jean, Reiner, Bertholdt and Annie followed those orders, but Mikasa and Armin refused to leave a helpless and unconscious Eren to the soldiers that were eager to do away with him.

Saladin clearly remembered the deadly look of fury in Mikasa's eyes when any of the garrison soldiers had attempted to approach Eren.

"Here Saladin."

Saladin turned his head to see Krista with a bag of water in her hands, held out for him to reach. A soft smile was on her face as she offered the drink to the young cadet. It took a moment for him to come to his senses after the onslaught of his thoughts earlier.

"Thanks Krista." He replied, taking the bag of water from her hands.

Earlier, Saladin had told Krista that he would refuse to remove his mask from his face before the end of the battle. But at that point, he was extremely thirsty, and had completely forgotten about the promise.

The young cadet reached up, behind his head and disconnected the half mask from the bottom of his face. No matter how much he wanted to keep it on, he knew that dying of dehydration was something he did not want to experience. Once the mask was off, he quickly raised the bag of water to his lips.

In front of him, Krista could not help but stare, her blue eyes shifting first to the mask, then to Saladin's face. Her head tilted in curiosity as she watched closely.

The young gulped the water down intensely. It wasn't cold or refreshing like water one would have gotten at a rich party or by a nearby stream. It was dull and warm. Yet this did not stop the young cadet from continuing to drink. He hadn't drank anything since the beginning of the battle.

His eyes had widened when he realized he had emptied the water skin.

"Sorry…." He said apologetically to Krista, realizing he had not left any for her.

She giggled and smiled a tired smile "Don't worry. I have my own."

Nearby, Saladin's fellow newly graduated comrades were drinking water from their own bags. Annie leaned against the side of a wooden crate facing the wall, silently drinking. Reiner stood against the same crate, except at the opposite angle. His arms were crossed closely together and a worried expression was noticed on his face. Bertholdt, Jean and Connie sat silently on the steps of a nearby building, a few meters away to the left of Saladin.

The young cadet had no idea where the rest of his comrades were. He guessed that they were somewhere in the panicked crowd of soldiers. At least, he hoped so.

Soldiers continued to run back and forth with haste across the street. Wagons filled with remaining gas tanks were pulled by whining horses that were frightened by the shouting and sound of cannon fire at the peak of the wall. The young cadet looked up to see that some of the garrison soldiers were firing the cannons. He assumed that it was their attempt to kill the titans that were at the bottom of the wall on the other side.

What good are those cannons going to do? Wondered the young cadet to himself.

It had been reported that the vanguard had access to similar cannons when the titans had first attacked and approached the breach in the wall. It was obvious such cannon fire had no effect on the titans, otherwise the vanguard would not have been completely decimated and so many titans would not have made it through the breach and into the city unharmed. It felt as if the cannons only purpose was to slow the inevitable demise that awaited humanity. And to make matters worse, it was also reported that the previous cannon models had no effect on the charging Armored Titan. If these new cannons couldn't stop the average titan, then there was no chance to defend the wall against the Armored Titan if it had appeared.

Saladin felt sick to his stomach from these thoughts. His hand found his stomach as he resisted the urge to vomit. The water did little to help.

"Saladin here, drink some of mine." said Mina, seeing Saladin's discomfort and offering her pouch. "You look like you're about to puke."

The young cadet glanced up at Mina who had been sitting to the left of him. Before he opened his mouth to respond, he saw that her hands were trembling slightly. The water within the bag could be heard swishing back and forth. Part of Saladin wanted to take the bag and drink, but instead he shook his head.

"I'm good. Thank you, Mina." He replied, shaking his head. "You should drink that water yourself. You'll…probably need it."

"Yeah…" said Mina, pulling the pouch away and gazing down at it with trembling lips. "Maybe you're right."

"Do you…do you guys think they'll send us back out there?" asked Thomas, sitting on the steps a few meters away from Connie. "I mean….what are we going to do? Do the higher ups have a plan?"

Ymir, who was standing next to Krista, scratched her hair and let out a scoff.

"Considering most of the higher ups are just running back and forth and shouting the same orders over and over again." she began. "I doubt that they have a plan ready. This is the 100th time one of them shouted at us to recheck our gear."

"I'm sure they are doing everything they can to come up with a plan." added Krista with a hopeful look.

"Yeah….maybe…" mumbled Connie, gazing at the stone ground. "I guess…we just stay here and wait for our next set of orders. Right Reiner…? Reiner?"

Reiner did not answer immediately. Saladin looked over at him and could tell he was in deep thought. He didn't blame him after what they had just witnessed before retreating over the wall. It took Reiner a while to realize that Connie was talking to him.

"Huh? Oh, yeah." Reiner nodded his head. "Our next step should be simply waiting for our next orders. If any of us moved now, we'd just be going into battle without any damn idea of what the objective is."

Our objective. Saladin thought to himself, closing his eyes.

He continued to wonder what plan the higher ups would come up with. Surely they wouldn't send everyone back over the wall to face down an endless number of titans. They would just be using soldiers as bait for a desperate mission. The young cadet shook his head at the thought. He wasn't completely sure that this wasn't a plan that they'd come up with.

"Hey, sorry for asking, but I can't help it." began Thomas, glancing over at Saladin. "Were Eren and Armin alright? You know, when you and Mikasa ran off to the middle guard to check on them. That was the last we saw of you."

"Yeah, I'd like to know too." added Mina, finally getting her shaking under control. "Were they alright? What about the rest of the squad? I haven't seen any of them around yet. So, maybe they are somewhere else under different orders. Saladin?"

The young cadet held his tongue and glanced down at the floor.

"Well, I'm not sure where Eren is yet…" said Krista as softly as she could.

She was lying, that much Saladin knew. She was there when Armin had blurted out that Eren and his squad were killed in battle. Maybe she was lying so that both Mina and Thomas wouldn't be even more disheartened. At least, that's what Saladin could guessed.

"But Armin was alright the last time we saw him." continued Krista. "He was with Mikasa when we were retreating. Though, it's odd. I haven't seen either of them around yet. We were under orders to regroup with our previous squads. So Armin should be here. Right?"

"I don't know." shrugged Connie, still gazing at the ground with narrowed eyes. "Armin was on the roof with them the last time I saw him." He answered, jerking his head over Saladin and Jean.

"Guys? Do you know where he is?" asked Mina, staring over at her two comrades.

Saladin felt his stomach drop, as if a deep pit had formed inside his body. He knew what the answer was, but after the orders he was given, he could not answer so simply. Saladin looked over at Jean who continued to drink from the waterskin in silence. But Saladin could tell that he was purposely avoiding Mina's gaze. Stress pressed down even further on Saladin's shoulders when he saw Reiner, Annie and Bertholdt glance at him with looks. All three were given the same orders that he was. They could have only been staring at him to see if he would answer their question.

"Saladin?" asked Mina again, before her eyes slowly grew wide. "Don't tell me Armin didn't make it. That's not what happened, right?"

"I wouldn't be surprised if it did." said Ymir, scratching the back of her brown hair. "If he isn't here, it's more than likely the little wimp got mangled by a titan during the run back to the inner gate. Hell, maybe he got sidetracked and ran out of gas before he could make it over the wall."

"He's not still out there is he?" asked Krista with eyes full of worry.

"No, Armin is fine." answered Saladin, no longer being able to hold it in. "He retreated over the wall with us. Mikasa too."

"Oh, good." sighed Thomas in relief. "Then…where is he?"

Saladin took another glance at the ground.

"I-"

"We can't say anything." interrupted Jean, glancing over at the conversation. "We all were forced to share an oath of secrecy. So just leave it at that."

The young cadet took a deep breath, silently thanking Jean for intervening before the young cadet had said something that would break his oath.

The other group of cadets however became confused at the answer. Even Connie, who had appeared to be uninterested in the previous conversation, had raised his head and looked over at Jean. No doubt surprised by such an answer.

"What?" asked Mina with a confused tilt of her head.

"Oath of secrecy?" scowled Ymir, placing a hand on her hip. "What the hell?"

"Why would you have to swear an oath to not say anything?" asked Thomas. "And what does that have to do with Armin?"

Feeling even more discomfort from the conversation, Saladin rose to his feet and walked off. As much as he wanted to answer their questions, he had made an oath.

"I'm going to go take a walk." said Saladin, quickly coming up with a random excuse.

"But they said stay with your squads…" frowned Mina.

"It's not exactly like they're enforcing that order." shrugged Ymir. "Look around. As I said, the so-called higher ups are just running around with their heads up their asses shouting the same orders at us over and over again. It's pretty obvious that none of them have a plan whatsoever and are just trying to stall before sending most of us back out there to die."

Saladin frowned deeply at Ymir's words while he walked away. He wondered if anything she said had some truth to it. But all they could do now was wait.

On the other side of the street, he could see Marco, Sasha and Daz standing against the other side of the building. Among all the cries of distress and barking of orders from the other soldiers, Saladin could hear Daz yelling something, sweat dripping down his face while he did so.

Marco had a good hold of Daz's arms. He was either trying to comfort him or stop him from doing something stupid.

"Are you guys alright?" asked Saladin, approaching the group.

Marco was relieved to see the young cadet arrive.

"Saladin! Great!" He exclaimed. "Please! Tell Daz that it's going to be okay….the higher ups will figure out a plan to-"

"Like hell they will!" screamed Daz, shaking his head aggressively. "There's nothing we can do against the titans! We couldn't even defend the city from them! They're probably going to scale the wall soon and pounce on us to kill us any second now!"

"Daz! I need you to calm down!"

"They aren't sending me back out there! They aren't! I won't go back out there! I'll-…I'll run away! That's what I'll do! Run away as far from the titans as possible!"

"Daz! Hey! Calm down!" said Saladin, grabbing a hold of his opposite shoulder.

He didn't try to calm Daz down because it was the right thing to do, more so it was to stop him from screaming.

"I don't think they are sending us back out there anytime soon." Saladin explained. "So we need to use this time to keep ourselves calm and get our bearings under control."

"Listen to Saladin, Daz." Agreed Marco. "Deep breaths. Relax."

Nodding his head, Daz did as he was told and took deep breaths. His ramblings were done but his body continued to shake and shiver. Saladin and Marco both knew that was the best they were probably going to get from him at that time.

"Thanks Saladin." said Marco, rubbing his own temples. "I doubt I would have been able to calm him down myself."

The young cadet didn't respond to Marco's thanks, but simply gazed up at the wall. He could still see the cannons being fired, and soldiers ordering others to reload them constantly.

"How are you feeling?" asked Marco, unaware that Saladin had not been paying attention up until that point.

"I'm fine, at least for now I am." Salaidn kept his answer short. "You?"

"I'd like to say that I'm fine too. But if I were to be honest with you, I feel queasy. Just sitting here with no known plan from the higher ups is making me anxious."

"I'm sure the constant cannon fire isn't helping either."

"Yeah. It isn't." chuckled Marco, glancing over at Daz who sat against the building wall. "And neither is Daz's constant panicking. I hope he doesn't burst into another fit again."

"Same here."

The two continued to discuss their current situation. Saladin was thankful that he had someone like Marco to speak to. Despite all that had happened, Marco seemed to be calmer than most. He still had nervous sweat pouring down his face. The young cadet could tell inside that he was nervous, and in which he didn't blame him. But he still spoke normally, without any references to their potential deaths.

To the side of them, Sasha had been sitting on top of a large wooden crate. Her hands were wrapped around her stomach and her face pale. Saladin glanced over at her and could see her face twitching as if she were about to puke. She had a bag of water near her, and yet didn't drink from it.

"Sasha." Saladin called to her, walking in front of her. "Are you alright?"

"Saladin?" Sasha perked up, and put on a weak smile. "Yeah! Of course I'm alright! What kind of question is that? Why wouldn't I be alright?"

"You look like you're about to vomit."

"I do? I didn't notice!" She chuckled anxiously.

Saladin frowned at her look. Despite the weak smile she had on her face, he could see her brown eyes trembling.

"You have water next to you. You should drink it." suggested Saladin, gesturing to the water next to her.

Sasha looked over at the water as if she had forgotten it was there.

"Oh, right. Thanks." she replied, taking that water and drinking from it.

Her deep gulps of the water were audible, and the bag began growing thinner and thinner with each passing second. By the time she was done, Sasha had let out a deep breath, and the nervous smile had disappeared from her face.

"Better?" asked Saladin.

"Not really."

"I didn't think so." said Saladin, taking a seat next to her on the wooden crate.

"I still feel like I'm gonna throw up." She admitted. "I don't know if it's from fear or if it's because I haven't eaten in so long. It's even hard to talk about eating anything right now. I've watched so many people be eaten themselves by titans. It's weird, but just thinking of food right now makes me think of them, and that makes my stomach queasy."

The young cadet frowned after hearing his comrade's words. He was so used to her smiling, and even acting creepily whenever food was mentioned.

"Yeah, I'm feeling the same right about now." replied Saladin, twiddling his thumbs. "I find myself nervous. No, not nervous, terrified. I don't know what will happen…."

"Hey. Do you think that this is all retribution for the meat I stole, or all the meat I've eaten in my life?"

Saladin raised a brow and looked over to her.

"Huh?"

"This may sound weird. But do you think that my fate will be to be eaten by a Titan because of all the meat I've eaten in my life? Maybe this is because I've been greedy for most of my life. It has to be! I can't even think about food right now and that's never happened before! Maybe this is my punishment for the meat I stole from the officer's rations!"

Sasha continued to ramble, covering her head on either side with her hands. Saladin could not tell whether she was joking or whether this was a result of the fear that she felt. Regardless, he couldn't help but chuckle slightly.

"No, I don't think the titans are attacking us because you've eaten too much." said Saladin, trying to keep his composure. "I doubt the colossal Titan created a breach because it knew you stole meat."

"You think so?"

"Yeah. Besides, if that were the reason. It would be every one of our faults since you offered to share the meat with us."

Sasha stared at Saladin for a moment and could not help but smile slightly.

"Yeah, that is true." she muttered before sighing. "And we didn't even get to eat any of that meat in the first place. That Colossal Titan ruined a perfectly good feast."

"Speak for yourself." shrugged Saladin, unable to stop himself from smiling beneath his mask. "I wasn't going to eat it anyways. I wasn't going to be punished by the officers just because you guys couldn't resist eating."

Sasha scoffed at Salaidn's words and smiled. "Yeah right. I saw that look in your eye. You were going to eat the meat with us when we had our lunch shift. C'mon, admit it."

"I have no idea what you're talking about." said Saladin, looking off to the side to avoid her knowing gaze.

Despite looking to the side, Sasha managed to see one of Saladin's eyes twitch. A result of him trying to keep the truth hidden. Sasha snorted for a moment and began laughing. Saladin looked over at her in surprise. A smile couldn't help but grow on his face at the sound of it.

He was glad to have lifted her spirits, even if it was just for a moment.

Suddenly, a loud and thunderous sound, louder than any cannon fire that had been heard, sounded off a short distance away. The ground rumbled and a flash of what appeared to be yellow lightning blinded the soldiers on the streets below.

"What the heck was that?!" A garrison soldier shouted in alarm.

"Was that cannon fire?" another asked.

"No way that was cannon fire." A third replied. "None of our cannons sounded as loud as that! It was like someone exploded a bomb or something!"

While others had been guessing at what could have caused such a loud noise that easily outdid the sound of their cannons, Sasha heard the sound enough to tell that the source of the noise came from inside the walls.

"That sound was from inside the walls." muttered Sasha, nervous at the thought. "Did titans break through?"

While she questioned what had happened, Saladin gazed off into the distance with wide and fearful eyes. He could see not smoke but steam, rising over the horizon of the buildings far ahead, closer to the inner gate leading back into the city. It was the spot where the garrison soldiers had taken Eren's unconscious body, and where Mikasa and Armin were mostly located.

The worst possible outcomes began forming in Saladin's mind. He glanced over to the other side of the street to see Reiner with a similar look. Jean, Annie, and Bertholdt all were at attention staring at the stream of steam rising into the air. With haste, Reiner was the first to run forward and use his ODM gear to reel himself up to the building, most likely to see what had happened. Jean, Annie, and Bertholdt did the same.

Saladin glanced over at Sasha for a moment and could still see the shock and confusion on her face. It was probably best that she didn't know what was going on. The young cadet jumped off the wooden crate and used his ODM gear to scale the building so that he could get a good look over the horizon of the wall, and see what had been causing that steam to rise.

He had a few guesses already.

Leaping a few buildings ahead, Saladin had reached the group who had been surveying the area to see what had been going on. Down below at the corner of the inner gate wall, where sewer water had been dispersed, he could make out a large squad of garrison soldiers standing inside the thick smoke. Each of their faces etched with horror and shock.

"What the hell is going on down there?" asked Reiner, glancing back and forth frequently.

Saladin was about to share his guesses, until he had spotted the reason as to why the garrison soldiers below were frozen in fear. As the majority of the steam cleared, a large figure, bigger than any horse carriage or cannons could be seen standing in place. And when the steam had finally disappeared, the figure could be fully spotted. It was a large skeleton-like creature. Muscles and skin hung loosely from its body and it only had one large eye with no pupil, as the spot where its other eye was supposed to be was nothing but a black hole. The skeleton creature had no lower figure, as its body seemed to have stopped forming at its ribcage. Thankfully, the creature did not move, that is until the back of its neck had bursted into more steam.

"What is that thing?" Saladin could not help but to ask aloud.

None of his comrades answered, as each of them did not know the answer to his question.

At the neck of the skeleton-like creature, another smaller figure could be seen pulling themselves free from the loose muscles and skin of its body, and then fall to the ground. It took a few moments for Saladin to realize that figure was Eren. He appeared to be fully conscious and aware of the situation that he was in. Saladin could see him taking cover inside the ribcage and beside him, crouching down were Mikasa and Armin.

In the midst of the chaos, one of the garrison soldiers below, a pale ban with a thick brown beard began barking orders. His voice tried to carry authority, but the quivering fear in his voice unbalanced it. Saladin recognized him to be the captain of the garrison forces. Captain Kitz. The same one that had briefed him and his comrades before the battle for the city had begun.

"Don't just stand there!" Kitz screamed up toward the horizon of the wall. "Reload that damn thing and fire again! The rest of you hold your ground! Make sure none of them in there escape! Do you hear me!?"

"So it was them who fired the cannons?" asked Bertholdt, glancing up at the cannon on the peak of the wall.

Smoke from the aftershot could be seen pouring out of the entry of the artillery. Not only that, but instead of facing in the direction of the city and the titans roaming there, it was facing inside the wall and at the spot where Eren, Mikasa and Armin had been hiding.

"Yeah, and it looks like they tried to use it on Eren and company." noted Annie, narrowing her eyes. "And it looks like they failed to get the job done."

"They tried to kill them?" asked Saladin in shock. "Why?! What are they thinking? What's going on down there?"

"Hey. That thing that's down there…" Jean began, swallowing thickly. "That thing looks almost like a titan. What did that idiot do? The officers were already thinking about killing him and he goes and pulls a stunt like this?"

"Whatever he did, it's definitely got the soldiers down there spooked." added Reiner.

Amongst the shouting orders of Captain Kitz, the garrison soldiers with him communicated with each other. One thing they all had in common at that moment was the quivering fear and uncertainty in their voices. At the peak of the wall, the soldiers had been trying to reload the cannon, but were fumbling due to their trembling limbs at the sight of the monster below.

"Hurry up with that damn cannon!" Kitz shouted once more.

"If they fired that cannon at Eren, that means they tried to kill Mikasa and Armin too!" said Saladin, not at all pleased at the sight he was seeing. "What are they even thinking? They could have killed them!"

"They're probably on a shoot first and ask questions later phase right now." said Jean. "All they know now is that a titan is in front of them and could go berserk at any moment."

"But that's not a titan! That's Eren down there!"

Seeing all that had happened, Saladin could understand the uncertainty that the garrison soldiers had with Eren but to fire at him along with Mikasa and Armin was going too far.

Saladin took a step forward, prepared to go down there and convince the captain, or at least some of the soldiers that trying to kill Eren was the wrong move. He didn't know how he was going to do such a thing, but he knew he had to make haste before the cannon was reloaded to fire again.

Before Saladin could move however, Jean took a hold of his shoulder and kept a firm grip on it.

"Don't even think about it, Saladin." said Jean. "You go down there and they'll consider you an enemy too."

A scowl grew on Saladin's face as he shook his shoulder free.

"So what? We just sit here and watch them be blown to bits by cannon fire?"

"I'm not saying that! What I'm saying is if you rush in there by yourself, it's a good chance that you'll be caught in the crossfire too!"

"Well it's better than just standing here waiting for that cannon to reload so that they can fire again." replied Saladin. "Look, I understand they're scared. All of them down there. But trying to blow them up is not the right way to go about this!"

"I agree, Saladin." said Reiner, speaking up. "But I also agree with Jean. Going down there yourself won't change much. But if all of us go down there together, maybe we can convince them to hold their fire. We can't let Eren get killed without knowing what's going on and how he was able to transform into a titan."

While the group discussed the situation, Annie had caught wind of something moving within the steam that shielded Eren, Armin and Mikasa from view. It was a figure that was moving toward the garrison soldiers. Once Annie looked closer, she finally realized who it was.

"It looks like Armin down there is taking care of that right now." She muttered.

Saladin quickly shifted his eyes down to the street below to see Armin walking out of the cloud of steam. His arms were held high in the air in a form of surrender. And yet his brow was furrowed and his face scrunched with immense determination.

"Halt! Stop right there!" Captain Kitz shouted, noticing the cadet moving toward him and his men. "Not another step or we will kill you on the spot! You've shown your true colors by siding with that titan down there! As far as I'm aware, all three of you are enemies!"

"Sir! Neither us or Eren are enemies of humanity!" Armin yelled back determinedly. "We only wish to disclose to you all of the knowledge we've acquired about the titans!"

The garrison soldiers began muttering with one another in regards to Armin's words. Saladin watched closely while Armin spoke to the captain. At first he wanted to intervene and maybe help Armin's case. Instead he decided to wait in silence to see what Armin would do. If however the captain ordered Armin to be killed, the young cadet would go down there. He wasn't entirely sure what he would do. But he would defend his comrades at any cost.

"Don't play innocent with me!" Captain Kitz replied. "We've already seen the truth! That thing down there is a titan! Plain and simple! All titans must be eradicated! Anyone who so much as interferes with this order will be blamed with treason and executed! Tell me cadet, is that or is that not a titan standing behind you!"

Armin paused for a moment and swallowed thickly.

"Sir! Regardless of whether he's a titan or not, it isn't the main issue!"

"Not the main issue!? Have you lost your mind!"

"Sir! You said that everyone saw him as a titan! If that;s true, then they must have all saw him fighting against the other titans that were invading the city! Not only that, but those normal titans attacked him with equal aggression! Meaning they cant be sided with each other! Normal titans don't attack each other!"

Armin's words prompted an even louder discussion amongst the garrison soldiers below. Some of their faces shifted from a deadly gaze to a look of uncertainty. Some of them were even growing confused as to what to do next.

"Whatever Armin is doing down there, I think its working." said Bertholdt, watching the scene closely.

Saladin could not help but smile at the scene. He was thankful that Armin was taking the initiative to defend his friends.

Captain Kitz's jaw clenched up as he glared at Armin. And yet not a word left his mouth. Armin continued to stare not only him down, but the garrison force standing beside him. Sweat poured down his face, but his determination remained unwavered.

"In other words, sir," continued Armin once again. "This would mean that those titans out there saw him as prey just like the rest of us humans! No matter how long we think about this, the truth still stands!"

"He has a point…" muttered a garrison soldier with an unsure look on her face.

"Wait, so this thing might actually be on our side?" asked another garrison soldier out loud.

More murmurs of discussion sparked within the crowd of garrison soldiers. The absolute certainty that they had that Eren was an enemy and needed to be slain on the spot was beginning to disperse. More questions were being asked instead of blind orders as a result of fear. Which was most likely Armin's goal to begin with.

Captain Kitz growled and raised his arm to signal the cannon on the wall above.

"Don't be fooled by words! Prepare to fire!" He shouted, sweat pouring down his face. "We've never understood their kind to begin with! This is all some clever trick to get us to lower our guard! Well we won't be fooled by it! We will not remain in the presence of a titan just to be devoured by it later on! Damn you! You will not trick us!"

The captain's frantic words caused a stir of panic amongst some of the other garrison soldiers. Their faces terrified from the mere thought of being devoured by a titan. Some even took steps back and raised their blades, glaring at Armin or Eren who was still hidden behind the cloud of steam that was beginning to disappear.

Saladin who heard every word scowled.

"He can't be serious! Has he lost all sense!?" The young cadet exclaimed out loud, taking a step forward to intervene. "Enough is enough! I'm going down there!"

Before Saladin could leap off the building and before anyone could stop him from doing so, Armin did something unpredictable. He shifted his legs together, took a deep breath and took the saluting stance. His blue eyes were wide and his mouth had begun opening, ready to say something powerful enough to convince the captain that there were other solutions. He had too, or he would meet death. Not by titans, but by humanity.

"Sir! As a soldier I long ago dedicated my heart to the recovery of not only Wall Maria, but the recovery of the human race itself!" began Armin, his voice raised high enough to rival even that of the cannon fire. "If my life ends completing that vow, then I have no complaints! But if you would hear me out for even a moment, then I could share with you a way to win this battle! If you combine his "titan power" with our remaining military force…it might just be possible for us to recapture the city and claim victory!"

Armin's words fell over those who listened like massive shockwaves created from a powerful storm. Not one garrison soldier uttered a single word. All they could do was stare wide eyed in shock at the cadet whose voice was as loud as ever. Captain Ktiz who stood at the front of them all was as equally wide eyed with shock as the rest of them. His hand was raised in the air for his command, but was frozen there as if a hidden force kept him from lowering it.

Saladin gazed at Armin in suprise. He had never seen him raise his voice like that, and had never seen him muster enough confidence in the face of certain death. Behind Armin, Eren and Mikasa watched their friend with the same exact look. Neither of them expected this from their friend, despite knowing him for many years.

"For the glory of the human race sir, I beg you!" Armin continued to shout loudly, his lungs most likely burning. "In the moments I have left before I die! Please let me explain his strategic value! So that we may finally drive these titans from our home!"

Captain Kitz clenched his teeth and began lowering his hand in command for the cannon to fire. Despite the conflicted look on his face, he was still intending to have them executed. Saladin saw this and leapt off the rooftop so that he could stop it. He needed to stop it. They were going to die. Armin, Eren, Mikasa. The captain had made his decision. He was going to kill them.

Captain Kitz lowered his hand to signal for the cannon to fire.

Suddenly, a hand grabbed the captain's arm before his command could be fully given out. Saladin came to a stop with wide eyes as he spotted another man standing behind Captain Kitz. A bald older looking man with a gray and bushy mustache. On his brown uniform was the garrison regiment emblem. The only difference was with his uniform, compared to the other garrison soldiers was the red satchel he wore across his chest. His hand firmly gripped Kitz's arm to keep him from lowering it.

"Stand down captain." The old man said out loud. "You never change. For a man your size, you're as delicate as a fawn. Can't you see how magnificent that boy's salute is?"

"Commander?" asked Kitz in shock, turning his head to look at the old man. "Commander Pixis?!'

The young cadet felt his stomach drop at the words of the captain.

Commander? Saladin thought to himself.

A commander only stood a few feet away from the young cadet. Not only that, but the young cadet recalled reading about Commander Pixis during lectures back in the cadet corps. It was said that Commander Pixis had led numerous battles against the titans and was victorious due to his unmatchable intellect and nearly flawless strategy. To be standing only a few feet away from him. Saladin could only gaze in amazement.

"I just arrived, but the situation was relayed to me by a rider.' explained Commander Pixis with a faint smile. "As of this moment, captain, I am putting you in command of the reinforcements. I will be taking it from here. After all, I have a feeling it would be with our while…"

He paused and turned his gaze over to Armin who collapsed on his knees with an equally terrified and relieved look. Pixis faint smile grew.

"It would be worth our while to listen to what these kids have to say."

With the sudden arrival of Commander Pixis, the morale of soldiers had changed entirely. Majority of them were relieved and grew confident at the arrival of the well known Commander. They knew that if anyone could formulate a plan to launch a counterattack against the titans, it was him.

"See? We didn't have to involve ourselves after all." said Jean, sighing in relief as he and the group began walking back to their squads.

"Yeah, good thing the commander showed up when he did." agreed Reiner. "That captain probably would have blown them to bits otherwise."

"There's no probably. He definitely would have done it." added Annie. "The way his face was twitching and the way he was sweating. No amount of reasoning from Armin was going to stop him from ordering the execution."

"Regardless, I'm just glad that we don't have to worry about that now. Maybe we'll finally be able to get some answers after all."

While the group slowly made their way back to their squads, Saladin stopped in his tracks, allowing his four comrades to pass him unnoticed. He frowned beneath his mask and gazed back at the peak of the wall where Commander Pixis had Eren, Mikasa, and Armin follow him to.

The young cadet knew that he was given orders to remain with his squad. But he could not turn his gaze away from the peak of the wall. It felt as if something was calling him there. And he could not help but heed that call.

Once Saladin made sure that his other comrades were at a far enough distance to notice him move, the young cadet raced over to the wall and began scaling it with his ODM gear. Upon reaching the top, the young cadet shielded his eyes from the immense sunlight that flashed his eyes. Once his vision returned, he realized he was looking at the sunset. The young cadet had been awake since that morning, fighting for his life nearly the entire day. The mere thought of it was exhausting. And yet, despite this, he could not help but gaze at the sunset. It had an alluring and beautiful aura about it despite the current circumstances that faced him and the rest of humanity.

"Cadet! What are you doing up here?"

Saladin was quickly snapped out of his thoughts by two garrison soldiers who were also standing at the peak of the wall. Both of them scowled at the young cadet fiercely.

"You and the rest were ordered to remain in your squads until further orders were given!" barked one of them. "I ask again, what are you doing up here?"

Saladin was at a loss for words. The question asked to him was not one he could answer simply or at least answer simply without presenting himself to be a fool. He struggled to find the words, and began stammering. Behind the two garrison soldiers, a few meters away, standing near the edge of the wall was Commander Pixis himself. And those standing behind him were Eren, Armin, and Mikasa. The three cadets were listening to the words of the commander. Words that Saladin could hear from his position.

Eren, who had a tired look on his face, wiped sweat from his forehead with his arm. He glanced to the right and saw Saladin being yelled at by the garrison soldiers. His tired face shifted into a surprised look.

"Saladin?" He exclaimed.

Armin and Mikasa snapped their heads over in the direction of Eren's gaze to see Saladin fully climbing onto the wall and past the garrison soldiers. Commander Pixis, noticng the three cadets attention being pointed elsewhere, looked at the young cadet approaching. One of the first things he noticed was the mask covering the bottom half of his face. A small smile of intrigue formed on his lips.

"What's this then?" asked Commander Pixis, his voice as calm as ever.

"Forgive us commander." called out one of the garrison soldiers. "This cadet is supposed to be down below with the rest. We will get rid of him immediately."

"Wait a second!" yelled Saladin in response, taking a step forward. "Sir, I know that I do not deserve to be up here at such a crucial time but…I just wanted to see my comrades…and ask you an important question. Sir."

The garrison soldier's eyes grew fierce.

"Ask a questio? Have you lost your mind cadet? The commander has more important things to do then to listen to your stupid questions! Now get off this wall and back to your squad immediately before I have you court martialed for disobeying orders!"

"Wait a second! Let's just calm down!" exclaimed Armin, not wanting his comrade to receive any repercussions.

Saladin flinched slightly at the threat but did not move his body. He stared at the commander with pleading eyes to allow him to remain there. There was a lot he needed to get off his chest, right then and there. He knew such boldness could have dire consequences, but he refused to allow himself to leave. Pixis stared back at him, noticing the determined gaze in his eyes. The small smile remained on his face.

"Well if you came up here at the risk of being court marshalled, then I am sure its a very important question." said Commander Pixis, glancing at the garrison soldier. "Thank you soldier. You are dismissed. I will take it from here."

The garrison soldier let out a surprised cough, before nodding his head and taking his leave. Saladin sighed in relief and made his way over to the group. Eren slowly rose to his feet, but was clearly struggling as his body was still fatigued. Mikasa and Armin assisted him to his feet and held onto him until they were sure enough that he could walk under his own power.

"Hey…." greeted Saladin, staring at his comrade who he thought was dead a few hours ago.

"Hey? Is that really all you have to say with all that's going on?" exclaimed Eren with wide eyes.

"To be honest, I can't really tell what's going on anymore. I just saw you…exit the body of a titan and Armin face down a captain of the garrison regiment as well as his entire squad. I've honestly lost track of…everything."

"How the hell do you think I feel then?"

The two cadets stared at each other for a few more seconds then began laughing. Armin watched the two laugh and could not help but chuckle himself. Mikasa gazed at the scene in silence, a small smile forming on her face. And just for a few seconds, forgetting about the titan threat that still lingered. Once the laughter had ceased, Saladin could not help but press his fist against Eren's shoulder.

"I'm glad you're alive my friend."

"To be honest, I'm glad I'm alive too." Eren replied, doing the same action and pressing his fist against Saladin's opposite shoulder. "Glad to see one of those damn titans didn't catch you off guard."

"I had a few close calls here and there."

"Your leg, Saladin. Does it still hurt?" asked Mikasa, joining in on the conversation. "Do you still feel any pain there?"

"No. To be honest I had forgotten I even injured it at all." Saladin answered, glancing down at his leg. "It looks like just having some rest without the constant worry of titans bearing down on us was all I needed."

The young cadet paused and looked at Mikasa with thankful eyes.

"Um, thanks, Mikasa. I owe you one. For stopping me from injuring my leg any further. That wouldn't have ended well."

Miksa had paused for a moment at the sudden thanks from the young cadet. It was something she did not expect, at least given the situation earlier. She could tell that he was angry with her when she had stopped him from joining in on the plan to clear the gas canister room of titans. She knew that he would be angry, but she knew it was the smart decision to keep him from harm's way. What she didn't know however was that Saladin was going to thank her. She had expected him to still be upset in some way. Despite her confusion, her small smile grew and she nodded her head.

"You're welcome, Saladin."

Saladin turned his gaze over to Armin and playfully tapped his arm.

"And you. That bravado you showed down there against that captain. I didn't know you had it in you Armin."

Armin paused then smiled. "That makes two of us. I didn't know I had it in me either. To be honest I'm just glad the commander showed up when he did."

"I had full faith in Armin from the start." boasted Eren proudly, slapping his blonde comrade on the shoulder. "But if we are all being honest here, I was a bit shocked at the bravery you showed."

"Like I said, it was a shock to me too." laughed Armin.

While the 4 comrades talked, Commander Pixis could not help but smile at the sight. One of the things he noticed was that Eren's tired expression that he had prior to Saladin coming up to the peak of the wall was now gone. The commander then glanced back out at the city of Trost. He could still make out the titans roaming in the city, even from the height he stood. The sun was already setting, and it was now time to put the plan into action.

"Trainsee Saladin. Is that correct?" asked Commander Pixis, turning his gaze over to the young cadet.

The conversation the 4 cadets were having immediately stopped. Saladin felt his stomach drop at his name being called by the well known commander in front of him. He tensed his body and immediately stood at attention.

"Yes. Yes sir." He exclaimed, a bit confused. "Excuse me for asking sir, but how did you know my name?"

"Simple, your friends here said your name out loud numerous times." Pixis answered with a small smile still on his face.

The young cadet cursed at himself mentally for such a silly question.

"I believe it is time to place our plan into action." continued Commander Pixis, glancing at Armin. "But first, we will test the reaction of a soldier when they are told the plan trainee Armin has created. Trainee Armin? I'm sure you don't mind."

A confused look shifted onto Saladin's face at the words of the commander. He looked over to Armin who had a nervous expression but still nodded his head at the commander's request.

"You see, Saladin.." began Armin, turning to face the young cadet. "I came up with a plan. A plan to maybe finally rid the city of the titans, or at least stop any more of them from coming through. There was a boulder, one so large enough that it could fully plug the breach within the walls, and halt any more titans that tried to walk through."

"A boulder that big?" asked Saladin, picturing the size of the breach at the outer wall that must have been big as the Colossal Titan's foot. "It sounds like none of us here would even be capable of moving such a thing."

"You are right about that. Which is why…" Armin paused and glanced over to Eren, who glanced back at him and nodded. "Which is why the rest of my plan involves Eren. It's possible that we could use Eren's prowess to move the boulder to the breach. The size and strength that Eren..or rather his titan form displayed should be enough to lift the boulder and carry it."

It was almost as if time stopped for the young cadet. He felt his throat get caught mid swallow due to the shock he felt at the plan. He glanced over to Eren, who had a determined expression, as well as to Pixis, who nodded his head, confirming the plan.

"You want to use Eren to plug the breach?" asked Saladin. "I mean, it sounds possible…but…"

"I know I know. It's a risky plan, But its not the first risky plan that we've done today." said Armin, smiling nervously. "But as of now, this seems like the only way to stop the titan invasion once and for all. We could win this battle, but that hole needs to be covered to do so."

"Armin's right. It's up to me to stop those damn titans." said Eren determinedly. "I don't know much about my power…but if i can use it to help humanity, then I won't hesitate to do so."

"You're both serious…" muttered Saladin, staring at them both wide eyed.

A lingering doubt traveled through Saladin's mind. Questions popped within his head that increased the doubt like wood to a raging fire. Could such a plan work? Did they know enough about Eren's unknown titan power to trust him to move the boulder? Would the titans try to block his path? How many more would die before a plan like this would succeed? No matter how hard he tried, the young cadet could not halt the march of questions.

He glanced at Armin, who gazed at him, hoping for a positive response. Then the Saladin had realized, throughout the majority of the battle, Armin had been creating plans that not only saved him, but his comrades as well. Using Eren's titan power to clear the area around the supply depot of titans. Creating a strategy to clear the room of titans where the gas supply was and saving nearly all of the remaining cadets in the process. And now, he had come up with a plan to win the battle. With each thought, the doubt within Saladin began to waver.

The young cadet then glanced at Eren who stared at him with a determined face. Saladin recalled himself being saved from the clutches of a titan by Eren's new titan power. Not only that, but Eren showed an immense display of brutality against the titans. Something that many humans wanted to do but did not have the strength to do so. Without Eren, the titans would have no doubtely killed the young cadet, as well as his numerous comrades. Without him, there would have been no hope to retake the city. Before then, there was little hope for a future, but now, there was a chance to fight for it.

The doubt within the young cadet flickered more until it was nothing but a small flickering flame.

"If you think it's a good idea Armin…" began Saladin, taking a deep breath. "Then I'll stand behind you on it."

Armin's nervous look turned into one of shock, then into a happy and thankful smile. Eren's determined face shifted into a grin, confidence fueling him now that his friend was willing to stand beside him.

"Well it's clear that you yourself are okay with the plan, trainee Saladin." said Commander Pixis, twirling his thick gray mustache between his fingers. "Now, let us see if the rest of them down below will have a somewhat similar reaction. It is time to announce our plan. Wouldn't you agree?"

"Sir? If I may?" asked Saladin, mustering enough confidence to say his words. "I would like to ask you something in private, sir? If time permits."

"Ah, yes. I believe you did mention coming up here to ask me a question." replied Pixis, gesturing for Saladin to follow him. "Come along then. This direction should give us enough distance for privacy, as well as provide us a good view of the city."

Saladin nodded his head and followed the commander. The two walked in momentarily silence along the peak of the wall. Saladin gazed out into the city and shivered. The thought of returning to battle, to return to the titan infested city made his stomach curl.

"Here. Take a drink of this." said Commander Pixis, offering him a metal canister. "It should help with your nerves."

The unknown liquid could be heard shaking within as Pixis gave the canister a slight shake. Saladin paused for a moment but grasped the canister and took a quick sip of the liquid.

His eyes shot open after the taste had set in. It was a warm and disgusting taste, as if whatever liquid was inside had been left out in the hot sun for days and pissed in by an animal. The young cadet coughed and nearly spat out the liquid, swallowing small contents of it.

"T-thank you sir." said Saladin, trying to keep the disgust in his voice hidden and offering the flask back.

The commander took the flask with a smile and began drinking the liquid within in large gulps. Saladin eyes had widened at the sight. He wondered how the commander could stand such a disgusting taste in his mouth, much less swallow it in large quantities.

The commander let out a satisfied sigh and closed the flask, gazing out into the city.

"Now, I believe you have a question involving our current situation." began Pixis. "Did I guess that right?"

"Yes. That is right sir." replied Saladin, a bit surprised that the commander could read him so easily. "It's…just something has been on my mind. Something that I can't figure out myself. No matter how hard I try."

"Well then, speak your mind."

Saladin nodded and began sharing his thoughts "Since this battle started sir, I've seen a lot of things I didn't expect to see. Dead bodies of comrades, soldiers doing their best to fight alongside us. I've even seen dead bodies of civilians and…children sir. I know that I am a fool for expecting to see otherwise. They even explained that we were at the risk of seeing horrible, gruesome things that will change anyone before joining the military. But sir, I don't think nothing…nothing could have prepared me for what I've seen today."

The young cadet shook his head, remembering all of the events and images that he saw all prior to this moment.

"Sir, you yourself won countless battles. I've read about you in class during our lectures." He continued. "You've been in the military for a long time. How do you keep going through something like this without giving up? Everything is just so confusing to me. At times I want to give up, and cower in fear. There were numerous times where I found myself terrified of those titans. I've come so close to death many times already. If not for my comrades or if luck was not on my side, I would be dead already.

"The times where I faced down any of those titans directly, it was to help my comrades. The fear subsides for a moment then returns just as quickly. I mean of course any sane person would be afraid to face down those monsters. It's just that…how do you do it sir? Face down those creatures so many times?"

After finishing his rant, Saladin looked at Commander Pixis. He did not turn his gaze away from the city ahead. He stood with his arms behind his back and was silent for a moment. The young cadet started to wonder if the commander had heard him at all.

"Tell me, trainee Saladin." began Commander Pixis, breaking the moment of silence. "Why did you join the military? With a dream to journey beyond the walls? To defend your loved ones from the titan threat? Or perhaps it's something more interesting."

The young cadet clenched his hands tightly at the question and his brow furrowed. He remembered clearly the reason as to why he joined the military. To slay the beast that had taken so much from him. He still remembered the final looks his parents had given him before being crushed.

"I joined the military for revenge sir." answered Saladin. "I joined so that I would have a chance to take down the Armored Titan."

"I see." The commander hummed but kept his gaze forward. "And with the fear that you have of the normal titans that we face now. Do you believe if the Armored Titan appeared before us, that you'd be able to engage him without any hesitation?"

"Yes! Of…Of course, sir!" answered Saladin, his voice stammering through his answer.

The young cadet clenched his fist even tighter at his answer. There was no confidence in his voice. There was hesitation and a hint of fear that had been present. He knew that the Commander undoubtedly took note of his fear.

"There is no need to be untruthful, boy." replied the Commander. "Older and more skilled soldiers than you have a similar fear within themselves."

"But I don't want to be afraid, sir!" exclaimed Saladin, shaking his head. "I want to be brave! I want to be brave enough to slay the Armored Titan! I want to be brave enough to slay any titan that keeps me from that goal!"

"You have spirit young man. I'll give you that." Commander Pixix smiled slightly. "But answer me this. Let's say if you managed to muster enough bravery to face down the Armored Titan and it appeared in the middle of the city, out in the open and waiting for you. Would you abandon all orders given and engage it?"

Saladin did not answer immediately. The question hit him like a sudden shockwave. His eyes shifted back and forth while he struggled to ponder the question. He wanted the Armored Titan dead, that much was certain. But would he abandon all his comrades to face down the monster himself. Yes, it was his duty to kill that monster. He owed his parents that much and his comrades wouldn't have to even be worried about fighting it. But, if he were to lose, and be swatted away like a fly, only to leave a smear of blood behind as remembrance, then what would become of his comrades?

"I…I don't know sir." answered Saladin, his head hanging low. "I…just, really don't know sir."

"Do not fret, trainee Saladin. Perhaps it is a discussion that we can return to. If the battle today is won, that is." The commander smiled, still gazing out into the city. "But I have a question for you. You say that your bravery and fear often switched throughout the battle. Can you tell me what caused these sudden bursts of bravery? Can you remember what pushed you to come face to face with the titans?"

It had turned silent once again. A warm wind, most likely from the smoke and burning wood in the city had brushed over the peak of the wall. Saladin thought silently with wide eyes, understanding the commander's question. He began to remember that the majority of the titans that he slayed that day, was because he was helping his comrades.

He clearly remembered moving through the middle guard alongside Krista, Connie and Ymir and defending the middle guard so that titans could not break through to attack civilians. He remembered seeing Mina and Thomas in trouble and remembered the rage he felt when he saw a titan kill a cadet like she was nothing. He recalled how desperate Mina was being trapped and the titan closing in on her. Him and Eren fighting side by side and taking down a titan that seemed unstoppable. The children that he and Annie saved and reunited with their parents. Reassuring Mikasa during her desperate hour and facing down a titan without hesitation to protect her. Retreating back to the rear guard while avoiding the titans that chased them down.

He remembered it all. Every time, for the moment where he had been brave and most of his fear subsided, was when he fought alongside his comrades with a clear goal in mind.

The young cadet's eyes slowly widened at the revelation. He turned his head back, gazing at Eren, Mikasa and Armin talking amongst each other. He thought back to his other comrades, Krista, Reiner, Sasha, Connie, Mina, Thomas, Jean, Marco, Bertholdt, Daz, Annie, Ymir, and the rest of the cadets he graduated alongside. He finally came to his conclusion. Determination that he began to feel caused his brow to furrow. His fierce gaze turned back toward the city of Trost, and to the titans that awaited within.

"Ah, I believe you found an answer for me." Commander Pixis said with a smile. "Keep the answer to yourself for now, young cadet. I will ask you perhaps at a later date."

"I will sir." nodded Saladin. "But I am still curious about one thing sir. You, who are a commander of an entire regiment. What keeps you fighting despite the clear dangers ahead?"

"That is a story for another time I'm afraid." Commander Pixis smiled, taking a quick gulp from his flask before sighing. "Now, It is time to explain the plan to the rest of the soldiers waiting. I suggest you regroup with your squad and prepare yourself."

"Yes sir. And thank you."

Saladin saluted to the Commander and walked away to return to the ground. He walked past Eren, Mikasa, and Armin. They stared at him, wondering what the conversation he had just had with the commander was about. Saladin gazed back at them, and a smile found his way onto his lips. Though the half mask usually hid such smiles, the three other cadets had recognized the look of his eyes after training and living with him for three years. They could tell that he had a smile on his face as he passed by.

A grin creeped up on Eren's face and he nodded his head. Armin smiled and did the same. Mikasa, with a look of determination nodded to Saladin as well. The young cadet nodded back at them before descending the wall and making his way back to his squad.

Crowds of soldiers were gathering beneath the wall in an ordered line. The captains and officers had ordered them to get into position so that they could hear the Commander announce his plan. Saladin took his place within the line, deciding to regroup with his squad after the orders were given. He could see many of the soldiers around him with faces full of panic and fear. Some of them murmured to each other, trying to form plans that would allow them to escape the battle. Others silently cried, whimpering about how much they wished to see their daughters, fathers and families again. The young cadet frowned at the state the morale was in.

"Attention!"

A loud voice screamed from the peak of the wall, somehow loud enough to overpower the whimpers and cries of the crowd. Every soldier's eyes turned up to the peak of the wall. At the top stood Commander Pixis, and to the left of him was Eren who stood in a saluting form, his right hand formed into a fist placed directly on his chest where his heart would be, and his other hand behind his back. The young cadet could see the brave face that he was putting on.

"I will now explain to you our strategy to recapture Trost district!" Commander Pixis continued, his voice still as loud as ever. "The goal of this operation will be to plug the hole in the broken gate!"

The crowd was at a loss for words.

"Plug…the hole?" a soldier muttered.

"How the hell are we supposed to do that?" another asked, her eyes wide in bewilderment.

"We have found a way to seal the hole within the broken gate!" The commander continued. "But first, I would like to introduce to you all, Eren Jaeger of the training corps!"

Saladin could hear gasps and shocked yells of familiar voices coming from around him. He glanced to the right and a few meters away from him in the crowd, he saw his squad. Connie, Krista, and Ymir were shocked to see Eren standing there alive and well, despite what Armin had told them had happened to him.

"We have been conducting top secret experiments on titan transformations! And this soldier is our first success! He is able to purify the body of a titan and control it at will!"

A wave of shock and confusion shot through the crowd of soldiers. Saladin found himself confused at first with the announcement the Commander had just said. Why would the commander lie? He thought to himself. Then he realized it was probably for the best at the time. So that it would reduce the amount of people that would no doubt be confused and terrified of Eren's new ability.

"With this ability, he will turn into a titan and pick up the boulder near the gate! Once that happens, he will carry it over to the breach and seal it! This will stop more titans from continuing to swarm the city. Soldiers! Your task will be protecting him from the other titans while he does this!"

"Turning into a titan and lifting that giant stone?" a soldier asked out loud. "How is that even possible?"

"Its a lie! I know it is!" Saladin could hear Daz's voice full of fear within the crowd. "You expect us to give up our lives for this?! We're not disposable blades!"

Daz's scream of panic caused some of the soldiers nearby to agree. They muttered words of doubt, saying that someone being able to turn into a titan was a lie. That the higher ups were only using it as an excuse to get them to return to the battlefield and die for nothing. Some of them even began to walk away from the crowd and away from the battle.

"They expect us to stay here and die? I have a daughter waiting for me at home! Count me out!" announced a soldier, pushing through the crowd to leave.

"Me too! I'm not gonna die for nothing!" A female soldier announced, moving to leave as well.

Chaos began erupting within the crowd. Half of the crowd were calling those who chose to leave cowards, deserters, traitors. Those wanting to leave shouted back reasons as to why they wanted to leave. Reasons that Saladin heard and understood. Eventually, the chaos would worsen as some of the soldiers, including Captain Kitz unsheathed their blades from their scabbards.

"I hope you're all prepared to die, traitors!" shouted Captain Kitz, rushing after those walking away. "I'll cut you all down before you can even leave! Cowards!"

Screams and shouts of anger rose from the crowd. And it would eventually lead to people beginning to kill one another. However, Commander Pixis shouted once again, his roar outdoing the loud voices of the crowd.

"Upon my order! Those who choose to leave will go unpunished!"

The crowd paused. Commander Kitz and those who were prepared to follow him to punish those who were leaving, fell silent with shocked looks. Everyone's gaze returned to the peak of the wall as the commander spoke.

"If you have given in to fear of the titans, then you will never be able to stand against them!" He roared. "Anyone who has succumbed to the terror of the titans should leave now!"

He paused. Saladin watched on, confused by his words. Then he spoke once more.

"And those who wants their parents, siblings and loved ones to feel that same terror for themselves, should leave as well!"

The soldiers who were planning to leave the battle had stopped in their tracks. Their faces were filled with confliction due to the Commander's words. There was nothing but silence. Not a single word had been spoken and not a person had moved.

"Soldiers! Let us talk about what has happened 4 years ago! Yes, 4 years ago! The time when operation "reclaim wall maria" commenced! I doubt I need to remind any of you of it! 'To reclaim' sounds good, doesn't it? But what many of you don't know is that it was just a way for the overburdened government to reduce the number of unemployed that they had to feed! What no one dares to say is the reason that we have been able to survive within these walls, is because many of your brothers and sisters in arms were forced to go outside it! That sin belongs to all of humanity! Including me!"

The crowd was taken back by the commander's revealing words. Saladin's stomach dropped at the sudden revelation. When Wall Maria fell, he noticed that many people had joined the military in hopes to reclaim the lost land. What he didn't know is that some of them didn't join out of glory or revenge, but because some of them were forced to. Forced to fight the titans and die in the end.

"The residents of Wall Maria were minorities! So an open civil war within our walls never broke out!" The Commander continued. "But what about now? What happens if Wall Rose is the next to fall? If Wall Rose were to fall, it wouldn't be nearly enough to sacrifice 20% of our population! Behind our final barrier, Wall Sina, we could only afford to feed half of the world's surviving human beings! All of the land that we possessed behind Wall Rose will be gone! And if that happens, humanity will die out! Not because of the titans, but because we would do it to ourselves! We'd annihilate each other over food, land, and resources! Your homes would be confiscated by the government or lost to you because we were forced to retreat! Your families would have nothing and would be subjected to whatever the government has in store for them!"

The soldiers who were planning to leave the battle began to walk. However it was not from the battle. They walked back into the crowd of soldiers, reclaiming their positions in line as they stared up at the commander.

Saladin watched as every soldier returned. He then glanced to the right of him to see Sasha, walking up and standing beside him. She looked at him, a fearful look on her face. Despite this, she didn't move to leave at the chance to live to fight another day. Saladin looked back at her, his eyes narrowing with determination. He reached out and grasped her hand, holding it firmly. Sasha was surprised by the sudden gesture and looked into Saladin's eyes. Saladin gazed back at her and nodded his head. He knew that she was afraid to return to the battlefield. But he would do anything to ease his comrade's worries.

The two stared at each other in silence until Sasha's shaking had stopped. A deep breath escaped her lips and she nodded her head. Her brown eyes filled with the same determination. A small smile found its way onto Saladin's lips. He was about to pull his hand away until he felt Sasha slightly tighten her grip. The young cadet didn't know if this was her way of showing that she did not want him to let go of her hand, but nevertheless, he kept her hand in hers. As long as it eased her worries.

"Soldiers!" The Commander shouted, even more loudly than he had been before. "I say this! Humanity cannot die inside yet another wall! Given the choice….Die Here!!"

The sea of soldiers began screaming. Not in a cry of fear or confusion, but instead a cry to rally.

Shouts of roaring anger went up. Not to the commander, but to the titans waiting beyond the wall that threatened everything they held dear! Fists of determination went up into the air. Saladin felt his eardrums nearly burst at the sound. It felt as if the ground rumbled due to the loudness of the cry. Despite this, Saladin's smile grew. Courage filled him more in that moment than any moment that came before.

The stage had been set. It was now a call for action.

The crowd of soldiers began to disperse. Many regrouped with their squads, resupplied their blades and gas, and prepared themselves for battle. Saladin himself moved to reunite with his squad. That is until a voice had called out to him.

"Cadet Synder! Hold on a moment!"

Saladin turned his head to see Ian, the officer of the garrison regiment jogging over to him.

"I need you to come with me." He ordered.

"Yes sir!" replied Saladin, saluting to the officer. "Is everything alright?"

"Yes. The Commander wishes for you to be a part of the plan we have set." explained Ian. "He says that you will play a key part in this operation!"

It felt like a giant bottomless pit had appeared within Saladin's stomach. He couldn't help but gulp. However, not letting his nerves get the best of him, he shook his head and his determination returned.

"Yes Sir!"

Following Ian and returning to the peak of the wall, Saladin had spotted new faces alongside Eren, Armin and Mikasa. One was a woman who was a bit shorter than the young cadet was. Her almost silver colored eyes shifted to Saladin, an apathetic look behind her glasses as she shifted her attention back to where she had once been looking at. Beside her was a man with brown hair. He was taller than the young cadet and had a very short beard. His eyes were locked onto the map of the city that laid on the floor.

The young cadet's eyes shifted over to Commander Pixis who was saying something he could not hear while he stared out into the city. To the left of him was a woman with brown hair that was long enough to reach the back of her neck. She moved her mouth in response to whatever Pixis had to say. Her demeanor was a strange calm while she stared out into the city along with the commander. To the right of Commander Pixis was a brown haired man who appeared to be taller than the commander himself. He looked at a copy of the map that showed the layout of the city. Saladin guessed that they were strategizing further for the plan that was about to commence.

In the next few moments, when Commander Pixis was finished discussing with the two garrison soldiers, he welcomed the young cadet and explained how the young cadet would be a part of the plan.

To say the least, Saladin was surprised at the order.

"You want me to do what, sir?"

"Forgive me, trainee Saladin." replied Commander Pixis, twirling his mustache then gesturing over to the brown haired woman who stood beside him. "Lieutenant Anka will do a much better job explaining this part of the plan."

"Listen up cadet." Lieutenant Anka said, her voice calm and clear. "You will be tasked with signaling out to the main team. Most of our forces will be spread thin but the key task in this plan is clearing out most of the area in the middle guard. This is where the giant stone is located. So it must be cleared of titans before we send in the main squad."

While she explained, Salaidn felt as if large stones were being placed on his shoulders one by one. His breathing quietly intensified.

"While the majority of our forces will be at the edges and corners of the cities, keeping titans away from the middle guard, specific squads will be tasked with dispatching the titans that are already there, preventing the main squad from moving in. There will be specifically 4 squads. Meaning 4 areas will need to be cleared before we send the main force in. 4 areas, which means 4 signals. Gustav?"

The man named Gustav, who had been standing beside Pixis, stepped forward and spoke this time.

"Right. Meaning we will send you in equipped with 4 green signal flares. The squads tasked with clearing the area will signal to you with yellow flares. Once you are completely sure that these areas are cleared, you will shoot these flares into the air. The main force will spot this and begin moving toward the stone. Ian, Rico, and Mitabi will transport Eren Jaeger over to it, which will allow him to pick up the stone without the interference of any nearby titans."

"And make sure those areas are actually cleared of titans before shooting those flares." added Rico. "If you shoot a flare with a Titan still nearby, it'll threaten the success of the mission."

The young cadet glanced over to the woman wearing the glasses. She looked at him with a stern expression. He swallowed thickly again, and nodded his head.

"There will also be supply squads posted through the middle guard." explained Gustav. "So if you find yourself low on gas while you're moving, it's important to resupply. If you run out of gas and end up stranded on the ground, the plan will be in jeopardy."

"If the plan is to succeed, then Eren Jaeger along with the main squad must be protected." said Anka, looking at Saladin. "The titans have built themselves a shield with the sheer numbers that they have. We will need a spear to break through that shield and guide us. Cadet Saladin. You will be that spear."

Saladin's eyes widened "I will be the spear?"

It felt as if stones even larger than the one Eren was supposed to carry, landed on Saladin's shoulders. The young cadet looked around him and saw that all eyes were on him. Eren, Mikasa, and Armin looked at him, as did the garrison soldiers of the main squad, the commander's lieutenants, and even the commander himself.

With these orders, the young cadet knew a heavy responsibility was placed on him. With it also came a heavy burden. He began to wonder why not have this task given to someone with a higher rank, or someone more skillful for that matter? Why not give it to one of the cadets who graduated within the top ten?

His thoughts were interrupted when he felt Eren's hand grip his shoulder.

"A lot of pressure on our first day of duty huh?" laughed Eren, grinning tiredly.

While he grinned, Saladin could see the tiredness and maybe a dash of anxiety in Eren's face. Despite how much would be riding on him, he soon realized Eren had more pressure on him than he did. To use a power that he had no idea about, and to be tasked with the job that would end the battle once and for all.

"Yeah." muttered Saladin, his gaze drifting off to the ground then back at Eren. "So, I am to be the spear that pierces the defense of the titans so that you can seal the deal. If I heard that right."

There was silence for a moment as the young cadet returned his gaze to the floor. So many lives were going to count on him. Every second, every movement he did, and every titan he killed. It would all be crucial. And if he were to fail, humanity would become extinct.

His resolve hardened, along with his eyes as he lifted his head to look back at the lieutenant.

"Understood. You can count on me to get the job done." The young cadet said with fierce eyes. "I won't let you down."

Moments after, soldiers returned to the city with renewed vigor. Putting the plan into action, soldiers dispersed into squads and moved to their designated areas. Majority of them went to the edges of the city as planned to keep the titans from wandering toward the middle guard. The squads tasked with clearing the area around the large stone quickly moved to their targets before something could disrupt the plan.

On the peak of the wall, Eren waited with fierce eyes. The main squad who would watch over him waited with bated breath. Armin swallowed thickly, silently praying that the plan laid out would work.

Below the roof of the building, inside the city, Saladin waited with heavy breathing. His blades renewed and the gas of his ODM gear replenished. At his waist were four signal flares that he was to use. He had to take care not to lose a single one while traveling.

While the battle in the city raged on, he waited for the signal.

He waited…

And waited…

A yellow smoke flare shot up to the sky, as clear as day.

The young cadet flew toward it, his hands gripped tightly around the handle of his blades. He flew faster than he had ever done in his life.

---

Author's Note: I hope you enjoyed reading this chapter! The next chapter is already in development so stay tuned!

If you have made it this far, you may have noticed that Levi's friends, Furlan and Isabel are alive and well, and are also in the scouts. They will both have a key part in this story and I hope that you look forward to reading further with them involved!

Also, I read one comment from someone who said that they enjoyed the story but disliked Saladin because of certain flaws in his character. I could not help but smile and be excited about this! If you can point out Saladin's flaws, this means I have done a good job in writing about him. He is in no way made to be perfect. So I thank this person for explaining that they like the story but dislike the main character!

Also there were a lot of comments with the topic of the love interest for Saladin. Feel free to continue to post your thoughts on that as well!

Stay tuned for the next chapter and most of all I hope you enjoyed this one!