Attack on Titan: Reforged

Chapter II: Attack on Trost District

Part I: The Colossal Titan Attacks

Trost District, Wall Rose

Year 850

A relative five weeks had passed since the graduation of the 104th Cadet Corps. They had been honing their skills using both the potato Titans in the surrounding forest and the usual military drills. The cadets were thankful for the peace and quiet but knew they wouldn't last. None of them had gone off to their deployments as of yet but that was to change tomorrow. They were technically still Cadets in the traditional sense. Eren, Mikasa, Shinji and Armin were still determined to join the Survey Corps. Jean was still determined to join the Military Police.

Atop the Walls, Trost District, Wall Rose

Eren was pacing around waiting for the action to start. He had to admit he was rather nervous. He and the others had been training their hardest to prepare for a possible Titan onslaught. Many of his comrades were confident that if an army of Titans were to barge through the wall, the combined Garrison forces would be able to handle it. Eren knew better than to be so blindly optimistic. After all, Wall Maria was one of the most heavily defended of the walls since it was the first defense for humanity. Still..he had to hold onto some hope that the Titans could be defeated. It was all he had to live for. It was all anyone had to live for these days. He knew he had to be calm and calculated. Going off half-cocked like a maniac was only going to lead him to an early death. He then heard Mikasa's voice calling out to him.

"Eren! There you are!"

The brunette girl then sighed in frustration when she met his eyes. "What in the world are you thinking just walking around by yourself? You could be opening yourself to danger."

Eren sighed and rested his hands on her shoulders. "Mikasa…calm down. I just went for a walk along the walls. It's just exercise. We haven't had any incidents as of late. We can afford to relax for a minute."

Mikasa shook her head angrily. She then looked around to see if anyone was watching them. Nobody seems to be around. We have a moment to ourselves. She then took his hand and led him off to somewhere private and secluded.

Eren sighed in irritation. "Mikasa. Where are we going?"

Once they were in one of the towers, Mikasa stopped and turned him around shaking her head. "Eren..you know how important you are to me. We are soldiers. Either one of us could die. I can't lose you."

Eren ran his hand over his face sighing. "You don't have to remind me Mikasa. I'm well aware."

Mikasa shook her head glaring at him "Then are you aware that the minute that the Colossal Titan pops up from the Wall..you make yourself an isolated target correct?"

Eren immediately sweatdropped. His fists tightened for a moment. The idea of that damn Colossal Titan chewing on my innards fills me with rage. He then calmed down and felt the tears fall from his eyes. His hands started to shake. "I..I..suppose you are right. I'm sorry. I guess I've been so relaxed as of late."

Mikasa nodded in acknowledgement. She maintained her calm demeanor but was privately torn at berating the man she loved. She hated getting cross with him but she loved him. She knew she would do anything and kill anyone to keep him safe. Granted she thought of Shinji and Armin as her brothers-in-arms but Eren always came first. The Ackerman descendant gave him a rare warm smile and kissed him as passionately as she could before pulling away. "Hey it is okay. We are okay. I'm not angry at you."

Eren, now a bit shaky, just nodded. "You aren't?"

Mikasa shook her head smiling. "No Eren. I am not. I'm just worried. I always worry. You are my everything. I can't help but prepare for the worst." She then hugged him with tears rolling down her eyes.

Eren then noticed she was shaking from her fears.

Mikasa just cupped his face in her hands with a nervously sweet tone to her voice. "We…are playing a game against fate Eren. We shouldn't be tempting her wares. I need you to promise me that you will be more careful. I can't lose you. Please just promise me."

Eren nodded and hugged her back. "It's alright. I promise. No more risks."

He was agreeing partly for his own sake and for hers.

Mikasa then felt herself faintly smile. "Thank you Eren. I appreciate you letting me in. I know it isn't easy to adjust to my needs but I promise you that I will always be here to keep you safe."

The two then kissed and embraced one another. They then heard a loud explosion of some kind.

Mikasa then took his hand and quickly rushed him up the stairs. "That doesn't sound good. Come on."

The two of them gasped as they couldn't believe what they saw. It was the Colossal Titan.

Eren instantly flew into a rage and started rushing towards it. "You bastard!" He was about to rush at it when he felt Mikasa grab him by the shoulder.

"No Eren! Remember what you promised me!"

Eren sighed, irritation brimming under his voice.

"But he's right there! I've trained for this!"

Mikasa shook her head and made him look at her. The look in her eyes was serious yet warm.

"Eren. Have you forgotten? The Colossal Titan alone was able to breach Wall Maria alone. Hundreds of Garrison Troops fought him to the last man. They couldn't stop him. Those men and women were far better trained than you or I are now. What makes you think that you can do better?"

Eren glanced at her and then at the abnormal Titan. It seemed that the Colossal Titan hadn't noticed the pair. He sighed in frustration. "That..thing has to die! He killed our people!"

Mikasa nodded and caressed his face with a hand. She then pressed her lips against his. She then looked him in the eyes with the warmest look she could muster. "He will die but not today. What we need to do is go warn the Commander. It doesn't seem like the Colossal is attacking just yet. We need time to prepare a defense."

Eren grit his teeth but nodded. "Fine. Lead the way then."

Mikasa smiled at him with warmth in her eyes. "Of course my sweet. Come on."

She then took his hand and the two of them headed for the interior of Trost District.

Command Post, Trost District

A moment later

The Commander was overlooking the Walls from one of the watchtowers that had been set up as part of the District's defense. He then whirled his head around when he saw Mikasa and Eren heading towards him. He raised an eyebrow when he saw them holding hands.. Well that is a curious sight. Are those two…? Ah. It doesn't matter to me what my troops do in their downtime. "Cadet Ackermann. Cadet Yeager. Do you have something to report?"

Both Mikasa and Eren both saluted.

Mikasa then spoke in a serious tone. "Yes. Commander. The Colossal Titan has appeared in front of the Walls."

The Commander's face immediately turned into one of shock. "The…Colossal…here? How are you so sure?"

Eren was the next to speak. "We were walking alongside the walls when we heard a loud explosion. We ran out to see for ourselves and there it was. Trust me sir. We were in Shiganshina when the Wall was breached. I could never forget that damned Titan."

The Commander gave the cadet a nod. "I see. We must prepare. Follow me."

The Courtyard

Trost District

The Commander grinned. "Alright you lot. Thanks to Cadet Ackermann and Cadet Yaeger…we have news. The Colossal Titan is at the Wall. More Titans are bound to follow. We must muster a defense. I will be dividing you into teams of four."

He then turned to Gunter Hoss, Felicia Ross and Annabeth Frios. "You three will be the Vanguard Garrison Squad. Your job is to be the tip of the spear. Defend the northern section of the Walls to your last breath."

Gunter, Felicia and Annabeth all saluted and ran off to their positions.

The Commander then turned to the trainees of the 104th Cadet Corps. "As for you lot, you will be the middle guard. You will be in charge of keeping the squads in communications and supporting them however you can."

Eren and the other cadets of the 104th then saluted. "Yes sir."

The Commander then directed his eyes on Mikasa. "All except for you Cadet Ackerman. Your higher than usual scores during your training deem you fit to serve on the rear squad. Your job will be to ensure that we evacuate as many civilians as possible."

Mikasa's eyes went wide with shock as she glanced at Eren with fear in her eyes. I can't join the rear guard. Eren will be left unprotected if I'm not there to keep him safe. This is unacceptable and will not stand! "Sir! With all due respect…I'm only a cadet. I lack the experience to be on the rear squad. I'd only be slowing them down."

The Commander then turned to her with a death glare. "You have your orders Cadet. This is non-negotiable."

Mikasa stiffened in her salute. Her right hand was trembling a bit.

Eren shot her a worried look. I'll have to talk with her when we have a moment.

The Commander then saluted. "Alright you all have your positions. Move out!"

Everyone started to fan out.

Mikasa then turned to Eren and gently placed a hand on his shoulder. "Eren…I don't like this. What if one of us gets hurt? I love you. I don't like not being at your side. It frightens me." She then clutched shakily at the red scarf on her neck.

Eren turned to her with a warm smile, placing his hands on her shoulders and gave her a kiss on the forehead. "We all have our duty Mikasa. This is what we trained for. We both knew that this day would come eventually."

He then took his hands in hers. "Trust me. Trust in us. We will make it out of this alive. I didn't go through all that training just to die on my first mission. You didn't either."

Mikasa nodded, shaking her head. "You…are right. I need to get my head in the game." She then leaned in pressing her lips feverishly against his own. She then leaned in connecting their foreheads together. "You have signal flares. If anything goes wrong…fire one in the air. I'll try to get to your location as soon as I can."

Eren nodded. "Right."

Mikasa then turned to Shinji and hugged him as tightly as she could muster. "The same goes for you. I've never said this before but I've always looked up to you Shinji. You are like the older brother I never had. I want you to come back alive as well."

Shinji half-grinned at her and let out a chuckle. "I'll do my best Mikasa. Soldier's promise."

He then hugged her back, wrapping his arms around the small of her back.

Mikasa smiled to herself. "That will have to do then."

She then turned to Armin and smiled. She then hugged him as well.

Armin shakily replied. "M-Mikasa."

Mikasa then playfully ruffled the blonde's hair with a smile. "Be safe Armin. Come back alive to me little brother."

Armin nervously hugged her back. "I-I will Mikasa. I-I promise!"

Mikasa then turned herself away from the three boys that she considered family and leaped off the roof, latching onto another building and running off to her position."

Shinji then turned to Eren and Armin. "Alright guys! What do you say we kill some Titans?"

Eren turned to his older brother with a serious nod. There was killing intent in the boy's eyes. He then drew two handblades out of the holsters. "Let's do it!"

TIME SKIP

Trost District, Wall Maria

A few hours later

The battle for Trost District was proving to be both destructive and costly for the brave human soldiers who dared to defend its walls. The unfortunate fact was that despite the advanced gear each Garrison soldier wore to battle, they were always going to be at an extreme disadvantage when battling the Titans. The Titans were bigger than their chosen opponents. They were leagues faster than their human opponents. They were stronger than their human opponents. One grasp of a line. One lucky grab…and a soldier was Titan chow.

Eren looked down at what was once the town square of the entire district. Many of his comrades either were severely injured and bleeding or they were dead. Some of the fallen soldiers already had the dreaded cape of death already draped over their corpses. Eren gripped the hilts of his blades. "Damn it! They are tearing us to shreds!" He then turned to his left and saw a tall 12 meter lumbering around looking for prey. The 12-meter Titan had shaggy blonde hair and that same terrifying grin that all Titan's shared.

He then felt Armin's hand on his shoulder.

"Eren…I don't know if we can fight them. They are having us for lunch."

Eren turned to his old friend with a nod. "Don't lose hope Armin. We can beat them! Come on! For humanity!"

He, Armin, Thomas, and Mina then rushed off the rooftop of the house they were on, jumping from rooftop to rooftop.

Eren finally found a suitable target. He launched himself and landed on the Titan's left shoulder. The Titan turned to glare at him. Eren felt nothing but anger and drive in that moment. He then ran as fast as he could and jumped off the Titan's upper back launching himself into the air. He then pressed the triggers, cinching two connectors into the back of the Titan's neck. Eren then released the dual triggers. The gas canister let out a small hiss as it launched him at the Titan's neck. Eren pulled out two blades. He finally dealt the killing blow by slicing hard into the nape. Steam and blood erupt from the cut nape. The giant Titan let out a howl in pain and began slowly collapsing to the ground. Eren was falling with him. He saw that he could stop his fall by reattaching to a nearby rooftop. He then pressed the triggers again, latching to the walls of a nearby building. He then allowed for the ODM gear to launch him to the building. He managed to land on his feet and pressed his hand down to stabilize himself. Whew. That was a good kill. Not bad for my first.

He then heard Thomas scream. He turned to his right and saw that his comrade has got himself caught in a Titan's clutches. This Titan was gleefully squeezing the life out of the man. Eren quickly jumped into action. He managed to get near the Titan undetected, latch on him, and slice his nape in minutes. The Titan immediately let go of Thomas. Eren's eyes widened in horror. He then attached to the building across from them using his hooks and swung across, catching Thomas by the arm and swinging him across the pathway. Thomas landed hard onto the roofing of another building. Eren took another swing and landed on the side of one of the tall clock towers. He turned back and saw Armin, Shinji and three others behind him. He then leaned forward and lurched over. "Alright get ready! It is Titan killing time!" The small army of them rushed at the Titans from rooftop to rooftop.

TIME SKIP

Trost District, Wall Maria

Mikasa and the rest of the rear guard were busy trying to cut out an evacuation path for the remaining civilians.

Mikasa landed on one of the rooftops and took a good look around. Hmm. There are five more Titans ahead of us. We need a plan. She turned to one of the men behind her. "We need to spread out. Hanna and I will go to make sure the exit is clear. The rest of you clear out these Titans."

Gregorio just nodded. "You got it Mikasa." He, Barrett, and Hans then started rushing down a different path.

Mikasa then turned back to the young blonde girl behind her. "Let's go Hanna!" She and the blonde then started rushing towards the end of the rear guard.

TIME SKIP

Trost District

Wall Maria

Four hours later

Eren's small ragtag force of ODM warriors quickly saw themselves being decimated by the ever growing army of Titans. The ODM gear did indeed give the soldiers the advantage on maneuverability and attack patterns. However the sheer number of Titans combined with their strength and durability were proving to be too much for them. Eren reacted with both horror and anger and watched as comrade after comrade became Titan food. His small army of maybe four hundred soldiers was now down to maybe two hundred left alive or uninjured. Eren hissed in anger. Damn it! The Titans are killing more of us than I planned! This is not good! He then brought down another Titan and landed on a rooftop.

Annie then landed nearby. "Eren! What's the plan? They are chomping down on us!"

Jean chimed. "Yeah a plan would be great right about now!

Eren sighed and ran a hand against his face. He then looked around. He realized that he had inadvertently grouped everyone into one single location.

He then turned over to Annie, putting a hand on her shoulder. "Spread everyone out. That will maximize everyone's chances for survival. Split into teams. I'll lead one. Jean will lead another. Annie will lead another. You can all pick who you want. Just don't take too long."

Jean narrowed his eyes at Eren. "You sure I'm leadership material Eren? I just want to get out of this hellhole."

Eren then grabbed him by the collar with a serious look in his eyes.

"Exactly. You have strong survival instincts. I'm sure you would rather not be Titan chow before reporting to the Military Police. Like it or not…we aren't getting out of here unless we work together. You can either follow along with the damn plan or I can feed you to those bastards myself."

Jean grit his teeth in frustration and sighed. He then harshly pushed Eren away from him. "Fine! I'll play along!"

The teams of four then broke off in an attempt to get the army of Titans to spread out.

Near the rear of Trost District

Mikasa and Hanna were cutting through Titans as they made their way to the rear of the evacuation. The team of two then came upon a rather distressing sight.

There was a large crowd of people trying to get through the last gate. It was being blocked by a later horse-drawn carriage that was trying to force its way through. A lone, balding man named Gato scowled at the crowd. He was being guarded by two men armed with swords. "Fools! Get out of the way! I'm an important merchant with goods to deliver!"

One of the civilians shouted at him. "The Titans are coming for all of us! You have to let us through!"

The merchant just shook his head. "No I don't! You all are worth nothing more than cattle! Your lives mean nothing! You hear me!"

Mikasa then narrowed her eyes at the balding fat merchant. I've got to stop this man before he gets all these civilians killed. Greedy bastard.

The cadet then leaped down using the ODM gear to safely land on her feet. She then pulled out two hand blades and glared at him. "What do you think you are doing? These people need to evacuate!"

The man then grinned deviously at her. "Ah. Backup…finally. Perhaps a Garrison soldier can explain to these fools of my importance."

Mikasa glared at him even harder and pointed a handblade threateningly at him. She was speaking in a dangerously ice cold tone. "I will ask one more time. Why are you not allowing these refugees to escape?" The look she was giving the older man was practically scaring both the bodyguards and the entire crowd and making all of them reel away in fear.

Gato, however, was not intimidated. He didn't like the way the girl was staring at him. "These people are all doomed! They have no future anymore! I'm a man with influence and power! I still have a reason to live!"

He then sneered at Mikasa with upturned nostrils. "If you don't believe me…ask your Garrison commander…Hans. He and I go way back." He then pointed a finger at her. "So unless you want to be court-martialed…I would just step back and walk away. You'll live longer."

Mikasa just stared at him with a cold glare. She then drew her handblades in a crossed arms position. "You don't seem to understand. You are directly impeding the only route that these poor people have out of this district. This crime will not go unpunished."

Gato growled. "Guards! Kill this bitch! She annoys me!"

The two guards then looked at one another rather nervously. They then shakily raised their swords in defense and haphazardly rushed at the lone Garrison soldier. They, as a result of their heightened anxiety, began swinging wildly at Mikasa.

The girl was easily able to dodge their reckless attacks.

She then sliced one handblade deep into the right side of one. She then drew back and ran him through the back with it. He let out a gasp and began coughing out large amounts of blood. His sword fell from his grasp and clattered to the ground.

The other one then widened his eyes at her in fear. He raised his sword intending to decapitate her. "Die!"

She easily managed to block it with just one hand-blade.

The man visibly cringed in fear when he met her eyes.

She then ran him through the stomach with her other blade.

The man closed his mouth in an attempt to keep the blood in but it was to no avail. He soon began coughing up blood and collapsed to the ground dead.

Mikasa let out a sigh and dropped both her bloodied blades to the floor. She then drew two new ones.

Gato began stuttering his words and backing away from her in fear. "Now wait just one second! I have gold! Lots of gold!" He then began emptying his pockets and throwing as many gold coins as he could at her. "Just take my gold and leave!"

Mikasa then twirled the hand-blades in her hands with a glare in her eyes. "I'm not someone who can be bought." She then quickly dispatched him by running him through the gut with both swords. She then pulled them back.

Gato fell forwards.

Mikasa then decapitated him with both swords. His head and body fell to the ground in a heap.

Everyone backed away from the headless corpse.

Mikasa then let out the deep breath she had been holding in. She turned to everyone with an emotionless look in her eyes. "You are all free now! Go!"

The crowd, not needing to be told twice, just gave the Ackerman descendant a nod and quickly began pushing the large wagon out of the way. They were soon able to clear it by sheer massive force. They then began running out of the rear gate as fast as their legs could possibly carry them.

Mikasa gave the crowd a nod and turned to meet Hanna's eyes.

The blonde girl could only gulp and nod at her nervously. "W-Where exactly did you learn to be so fast?"

Mikasa just brushed shoulders while walking off. "It comes naturally."

She then turned to look back at Hanna with a cold look in her eyes. "Come on. We need to regroup with the others."

Hanna just gave her a nervous nod.

TIME SKIP

Thirty minutes later

Eren and the others decided to split up as a last resort to save their rapidly dwindling numbers. He was jumping from rooftop to rooftop as he heard the screams of his fellow soldiers. He had also lost track of most of them. He muttered to himself and grit his teeth in anger. Damn it! I tried to get all of them to safety! I failed! I failed my comrades! He then stopped himself on a rooftop and tried to steady his breathing. His heartbeat then started to calm down. He then shook his head. No. I can't think about that now. I have to keep my head on straight. I have to find them and we have to regroup everything.

He then heard Shinji call out his name. "There you are Eren!" The taller dark-skinned boy then rushed to Eren's side keeping pace with him.

"Shinji! You're alive!"

Shinji gave him a nod. "As are you! I'm glad to see you are still alive!"

Annie then popped up behind the two boys.

"Sorry to bust up the reunion but I think Armin is in trouble!"

Eren's eyes widened at her. "Where is he? What happened?"

Annie shook her head. "We are all trying to separate from a group of Titans chasing us when a breakaway rushed in. Our numbers are dwindling. We are running low on blades and gas. We need to take time to refuel."

Eren gave the blonde girl a nod. "Understood. We'll find the others, regroup at the Southern end of Trost District, and then formulate a plan."

The three of them then rushed off to find the others.

SCENE SKIP– Thirty minutes later– Armin's POV

Armin stood there in total shock. The three Titans who had just tried to attack him were now chowing down on the three squadmates that he had come with. He just stood there frozen with fear and fell to his knees. Tears flowed from his eyes. "N-No! This can't be happening! I-I can't die like this!" He was shaking and shivering with fear all over. He didn't even notice when a ten meter Titan grabbed him. He was quietly sniffling to himself. Memories of his time with Shinji, Mikasa and Eren flashed through his mind. Eren. Mikasa. Shinji. I-I'm so sorry! I lost!

Eren then gasped in shock when he saw his longtime friend about to be Titan chow. "Armin!"

He then sped up his pursuit and rushed over to him, managing to land on the Titan's hand. He then picked up the grief-stricken Armin and slung him over his shoulder. Thank God I made it in time! He then took a good look around. It was quite obvious to him that the four of them were surrounded. The four cadets would need an army to take down the army of Titans surrounding them. Shinji and Annie then landed on a nearby building.

He then called out to Eren. "Eren! What are you doing! Get out of there!"

Eren then turned to him and then to the Titan that wanted to feast on them. He then took another look around and closed his eyes. There are too many of them even for us. One of us needs to make a sacrifice to ensure that the others survive. Mikasa. I'm so sorry. I hope you know that I love you with all that I am. He then jumped off the Titan's hand, leaping from rooftop to rooftop towards Shinji's position.

Shinji and Annie rushed over to meet him.

Shinji then noticed that Eren was carrying Armin over his shoulder. "What happened to Armin? Is he okay?"

Eren nodded. "Armin will be fine. He's just in shock. The damned Titans ate his comrades." He then took in a deep breath and let out the sigh he had been holding and put a hand on Shinji's shoulder. "Listen brother...I need you to do two things for me."

Shinji raised an eyebrow at him confused. "Uh…sure. What is it?"

Eren sighed once more, the breath leaving his body a little slower. "One…I need you to take care and watch over Armin. He's in shock and is in no shape to fight."

Shinji just gave him a nod. "Okay. Done. What's the second thing?"

Eren then tightened his grip on Shinji's shoulder. "We are hopelessly outnumbered. The best hope we have right now is to have one of us distract the Titans long enough for the others to escape with their lives. I'm going to do my damndest to provide said distraction. You and Annie find Mikasa and the others. Let them know we had to pull back here and to head to the HQ. There should be plenty of gas and blades there to mount an effective defense." He then bit his lip before saying his next words. "Tell Mikasa I love her and not to follow me here. I fear that this will be the end. I want her to be safe."

Shinji balked. "What? No! You can tell her that yourself! You can't expect me to just leave you behind to face all these Titan bastards by yourself!" He then rested a hand on Eren's shoulder. "You and I are brothers Eren! We fight together and we die together!"

Eren then hissed at his adoptive older brother. "Damn it Shinji! Now is not the time to get all sentimental! In case you don't realize it…we are surrounded! Even with the three of us…we would be picked off before we could even lay a blade on these bastards! We've lost the element of surprise! This is the only way!"

Shinji took a deep breath. He has a point..as much as I hate to admit it. I could transform into the Jagged Titan form but I don't even know if I could control it. I've never experimented with the Kaorosu family abilities before. I'd rather not pull that hat trick out unless I really needed to. He then took a deep breath. "Alright…fine. We'll do it your way Eren. Just…be careful."

The two boys then clasped hands and shoulder bumped.

Eren gave his adoptive older brother a nod. "I will. I promise." He then jumped off and rushed at the large group of Titans. "Hey! How about chomping down on something your own size?"

This immediately drew the attention of the nine Titans to Eren.

Annie then chuckled with a grin. "I gotta hand it to your friend Shinji. He's a brave one. An admirable trait in a man."

Shinji just picked up Armin and slung him over his shoulder. "We need to meet up with the others."

Annie gave the dark-skinned boy a nod of approval and a slight smirk. It is a shame that you and Eren are on the wrong side of this war island devil. I find you rather cute…even brave. It's going to break my heart to have to kill you. I'll try to make your end…painless. "I'm right behind you."

Eren, meanwhile, was doing his best to dodge the Titans' attempts to grab him. He had managed to dodge them a couple of times but he could only evade them for so long.

One of them finally nabbed him with both hands. It then squeezed hard.

Eren swore as he felt several of his ribs crack and break into pieces.

Most would be screaming or wailing for the Titan to let them go.

Eren, however, just stared down the ten-meter Titan with a glare of pure hatred. "Enjoy this meal while it lasts you monster. I'll come back and when I do…I will kill you."

Eren then closed his eyes as he prepared for the end. "Armin…I hope you find the sea. Goodbye…my friend."

The Titan then tossed him into its mouth.

Somewhere in the Southern District of Trost.

Two hours later

Shinji, Annie and Armin managed to meet up with Mikasa, Bertholdt, Reiner, Connie, Jean and some of the others.

Mikasa then rushed to greet both Shinji and Armin in a tight hug. "Shinji! Armin! Oh god! I'm so relieved to see you two alive! I feared the worst!" She then noticed that the two boys had forlorn looks in their eyes. "Shinji? Armin? What's wrong?" The brunette then realized something was off. Her eyes widened in fear. Eren wasn't with them. Where is Eren? I thought he was with them last time I saw them.

Armin couldn't find the words and just stared dejectedly at the ground.

Shinji let out a deep sigh. He supposed someone needed to tell Mikasa the truth. He knew Armin probably felt too shaken by his grief to say much of anything at the moment. The duty, much to his chagrin, fell to him. "Mikasa…there isn't an easy way to say this."

Mikasa eyed him curiously. "What exactly do you mean by that Shinji? What has happened?"

Shinji then placed his hands on her shoulders. "Eren, Annie and I came across Armin and his squad. The Titans…had decimated Armin's comrades. Eren and I managed to save him from getting eaten." He then shook his head, sighing. "However…we had to come up with an emergency plan. There were too many of them and too little of us. Eren decided that he would…stay behind to act as a distraction. He ordered the rest of us to regroup with you and fight our way to the HQ. He said something about there being enough gas and hand-blades to mount an effective enough defense there."

Mikasa felt like her heart had stopped for a moment. She covered her mouth. No. No. This can't be true. Eren can't be… She then started to run off desperate to save her love from impending death.

Shinji, however, put a hand on her shoulder and got in her way. "Where do you think you are going?"

Mikasa's emotions then betrayed her. "I'm going to go save him! He's surrounded by all those Titans alone! I can't just abandon him!" Tears were starting to fall from her eyes.

Shinji let out a long sigh and looked her in the eyes. "Mikasa…I get it. He's the man you love. It's only natural that you would jump at the chance to go save him."

Mikasa huffed in annoyance. "If you know that then get the hell out of my way!" She then motioned to get out of Shinji's way but he stood in front of her again. He grabbed her by the wrists to hold her firmly in place.

Mikasa spoke again with a rather dangerous edge to her tone. "Shinji…let go of my wrists! I have to get to him! He's in trouble! Don't make me do something to you that I'm going to regret!"

Shinji, however, stood his ground. There were a great many cadets in the 104th who feared the Ackermann descendant's temper and her propensity for violence.

Shinji, however, wasn't one of those cadets. He had known the girl since they were little children. He then stared the girl down with an equally intense look in his eyes. "No I don't think I will!" He then looked her in the eyes. "I understand what you are planning to do but it is pointless."

Mikasa then shouted at him with tears in her eyes. "The hell it is! I love him! I'd kill for him! I'd die for him!" She then hissed and pushed a finger into Shinji's chest. "I respect him! He taught me how to live for myself! How to fight for myself! I owe him a debt I can never repay! I owe it to him to save him at all costs!"

Shinji just crossed his arms at her with a nod. "If that is the truth…then respect his wish to give his life for his comrades." He then sighed and shook his head. "This was all Eren's choice Mikasa. I even tried to talk him out of it myself. This was all his choice. He wanted to do all he could to give you…me and Armin a better future. He wanted me to tell you..that he loves you and that he is so thankful for the time you two had together. He also asked that you not follow him. He wants you to be safe."

Mikasa felt the tears well up in her eyes.

Shinji then spoke in a pleading tone. "Mikasa...think this through. You are immensely skilled in killing Titans. I have no doubt in your ability but you are just one soldier. Not even a supersoldier like yourself is capable of taking on a horde of Titans single handedly. Don't throw your life away like this. Surely you can see my reasoning here."

Mikasa then broke into tears resting her head against Shinji's chest. The truth is that she did see the folly of her plan. She knew, even as skilled as she was, she couldn't feasibly save Eren from a horde of Titans. They were tall and far more stronger than she could ever hope to be. She then took a few more minutes to cry into his chest. She hoped against hope that he would somehow come back to her without a scratch on him. She hoped that he would survive. That was realistically all she could do. She then let out a sigh in frustration. "Out of both love and respect for Eren…I'll follow along with his plan."

Shinji let out a sigh of relief and hugged her tightly. "Thank you." Thank God. I've already lost one friend today.

Mikasa just nodded and hugged him tighter as well. She then broke the hug and wiped the last tears from her eyes. "Alright. What's the plan?"

Shinji then called everyone in a group. "Everyone! Gather around! Planning time!"

Sorry for the long wait! Writers block can be rough!