-G-
"Behold, my followers! Look upon this vile creature that had dared to invade the sanctity of our home!"
As soldiers, workers, and citizens walked on by, a priest from the church of the walls stood on top of a podium and preached to a small crowd of onlookers as he gestured to the corpse of the giant spider that invaded Trost, which was still in the process of being removed. As wagons filled with green guts and viscera were being hauled off to bonfires to be burned, the priest continued his sermon undaunted.
"Was it felled by us mortals or the titans from outside the walls?" The priest asked rhetorically before swinging his arm out dramatically. "NEIGH! What you see here was the work of the Black Angel, the mighty blade of the gods! When all others failed to stop it, he was there to save us in our time of need, for he is our savior from on high! The angel that guards over us all, and who watches over us every day!" He then raised his hands up into the air while looking up at the sky. "Glory unto the Black Angel! Glory Hallelujah!"
"GLORY HALLELUJAH!" The crowd repeated, mimicking the priest's gesture.
And he wasn't wrong per se. Up in the sky, Gigan was indeed circling the walls to make sure no more breaches or monsters were approaching. As he expected, there were not, but this also disappointed him a bit. He enjoyed killing all those titans in Trost after having to watch them roam around in the wall he failed to save for years and felt a bit disappointed at how quickly it ended. Still, he refrained from going out on a Titan killing spree just because he was mad at them all. For the sake of humanity, he had to keep restraining himself.
After finding no more breaches in the wall, he decided to take his mind off of the Titans by having a quick chat with Eren. So, after landing in Wall Maria and using his Nano Metal spray to create an O.R.C.A., he called out to his titan-shifting friend.
{Yo, Eren! How've you been, buddy?} Gigan asked, with him able to hear Eren's answer from across the walls.
"Can't talk much, Gigan. I'm a little busy," Eren replied.
{Oh, sorry. Though, if I may ask, busy with what?}
"Cleaning…" he groaned.
-E-
Eren used a feather duster to clear out cobwebs on the ceiling and in the chandeliers. It was a tedious job, but there was one consolation for him: that being that after this, he would be done for the day. Still, the work was dull, and the room was huge, so he was happy that Gigan called him to help pass the time. After getting introductions out of the way, Eren explained to Gigan that he was put on trial, as well as the results of said trial, and everything that happens in it. After Eren regaled the story, Gigan was left surprised and a little bit saddened by the fact that people didn't trust Eren as well as what happened to his mother.
{I'm sorry about how all that went, Eren,} Gigan said. {From what you told me about your mom, she sounds like such a lovely person. She didn't deserve to be treated like that.}
"It's alright Gigan," Eren replied. "The important thing is that she's safe and that I'm alive. At least as long as I don't fall out of line..."
{I wouldn't worry about that. You're a good kid. You'd never betray mankind, right?}
"Of course not! I would never betray my own kind!"
"OI!"
Eren jumped and turned around to see Levi leaning against the doorframe with his arms crossed. Eren saluted Levi in greeting and immediately put his conversation with Gigan on hold.
"Having fun chatting it up with your not-so-little friend, Jaeger?" Levi remarked. "Your cleaning in the other rooms was subpar at best. I want each room spotless by the time I get back. Am I understood?"
"Yes, sir!" Eren replied. With that, Levi walked away, and Eren sighed before returning to sweeping.
Later that night…
The Levi squad, comprised of Petra Rall, Oruo Bozard, Gunther Schultz, Eld Gin, and of course, Levi Ackerman, sat at a dinner table with Eren, each with a cup of coffee in front of them. The squad was sitting together discussing recent events, new developments that resulted from the recent events at Trost, and the upcoming wave of new recruits to the regiment.
"So, it's safe to assume our standing orders will stretch into next week," Eld said. "But word through the grapevine is that we're gearing up for a big mission about a month from now, where a bunch of wet-behind-the-ears graduates are slated to be our backup."
"Why put them through that?" Gunther asked. "The cadets have been through enough with the last Titan attack, so why subject them to that again so soon after?"
"Makes you wonder how many of those sniveling runts pissed themselves," Oruo jested, prompting an annoyed look from Petra before she turned back to face the group.
"This can't be right, can it captain?" Petra inquired, looking over at Levi.
"Mission planning isn't my responsibility," Levi said. "It's Erwin's. And you know how obsessive he is over each and every angle."
"Ain't that the truth?" Eld said. "Especially given how unique the situation is. Consider how bad the situation of wall Maria was, how many people died, before hope arrived in a form no one could have expected, and then five years later, the same thing happens again, only this time with even more unknowns to consider, none of which we're entirely sure how to deal with."
Eld then turns everyone's attention over to Eren, who gasps softly as a bead of sweat trickles down his cheek.
"Most of us still find it hard to believe. How do your powers even work?"
Eren sighed softly. He didn't want to disappoint the Scouts, but at the same time, he had to answer honestly, and the honest truth was that he had no idea how his powers worked. Eren sighed deeply one more time before stating, "I don't know how any of this works. Turning into a titan, speaking to Gigan, any of it. I only know a few basic things, like that my transformation is triggered by me injuring myself, that I turn back by focusing on only moving my human body in the naip, that turning into a titan drains a lot of my energy, and that the longer I stay in my form, the weaker it gets."
"You're not getting anything out of him that isn't already on the record," Levi said. "Not that it won't stop you know who from trying." Levi sipped his coffee as Eren raised an eyebrow.
"Who are you talking about, captain?"
As if on cue, the group heard someone slam into the locked door, followed by a muffled groan of pain. Petra got up and undid the lock, and with that, the doors swung open, revealing section commander Hange Zoe at the door. She placed a hand on her hip and waved to her comrades as she entered the room.
"Good evening, team Levi!" Hange greeted with an ear-to-ear smile. "How is castle life treating all of you?"
"You're too early…" Levi groaned.
"Am I? Well, I suppose I couldn't help myself!"
"Section commander Hange?" Eren gasped out.
"Oh please, Eren, no need to be so formal! Just 'Hange' will do." She then stood next to him, still keeping up her uncomfortably cheery demeanor. "In the event that you haven't pieced it together yet, it's my job to spearhead the Scout Regiments' research efforts, including the newly formed Gigan research division."
"'Gigan research division?'" Petra parroted while scratching her head.
Hange shrugged, "It's a work-in-progress title. But regardless," Hange turned back to Eren. "Eren, I'd like you to help me with said research!"
"Um, how can I help you?"
"HOW!?" Hange slammed her hands on the table and leaned in close to Eren, her smile widening, her pupils shrinking, and her cheeks turning a shade of red. "Don't be silly, Eren! Your powers make you the greatest link between humanity and Gigan! This is our opportunity to obtain every bit of knowledge he has locked away in his head! Please, say you'll join me on a quest of scientific discovery!"
"Well, I'd love to help you, but I'm not allowed to do anything without jurisdiction from the higher-ups."
"Levi, what's on the docket for him tomorrow?"
"Clearing out all the weeds?"
"Excellent! Then it's settled! It'll just be you and me tomorrow!"
"O-okay then. What do you want me to do for you?" Eren asked obliviously.
Levi and his squad, knowing where this was going, picked up their dishes and left the dining room while Hange began talking Eren's ears off about the recently captured Gigan Jr., and abnormal titan that she was doing experiments on just outside the castle, and then began rambling about her fanatical love of science and studying titans. Hoping that he could learn something new about the titans, Eren listened to what Hange had to say. That is until he heard a familiar voice in his head.
{Eren, are you free yet?} Gigan asked.
"Gigan?" Eren replied, causing Hange to halt her story entirely and turn her attention squarely to Eren.
"W-wait, are you talking to him?! What's he saying?! What does he-" however she stooped when Eren hushed her so he could talk to Gigan more easily. However, Eren then had an idea and offered to meet Gigan outside. After giving Gigan their location, he offered to let Hange join them, an opportunity she immediately jumped at. Hange immediately dragged Eren outside so that they could meet Gigan.
Meanwhile, three people in ODM gear grappled down into an area just outside the survey corps base where Gigan Jr. was located. They removed their hoods, revealing themselves to be Annie Leonhardt, Reiner Braun, and Bertholdt Hoover. The three checked to make sure there were no Scouts around, before quietly discussing their plan.
"Alright, Annie, while you deal with the captured titan, we'll stand guard and signal you if something's coming," Reiner explained.
"Understood. I'll make it quick."
"Good luck, Annie," Bertholdt said as Annie zipped down to the enclosure.
Luckily for her, the titan was inactive during the nighttime. She slowly approached the titan, keeping her footsteps light as she watched her surroundings to make sure no guards came by. However, just as she was in position to go for the titans' naip, she heard someone approaching and hid. She leaned in to see who was there and saw that it was Eren and Hange, there to observe the captured titan.
"This is Gigan Jr. The titan I told you about earlier," Hange said. "He'll be assisting us in discovering more aspects of your powers."
"Is he somehow involved with what we're doing tonight?"
"Nah! He's sound asleep right now, and I wouldn't want to wake him before tomorrow's experiment. Speaking of which, where is Gigan?'
Almost on cue, the ground began to rumble as Gigan slowly lowered himself, the trees bending out of the way as he landed right next to Utgard Castle and illuminated the dark night with the red lights adorning his body. Eren chuckled and then pointed at Gigan with his thumb.
"Right there," he said.
Hange covered her mouth and began hopping in place with excitement as the two left the enclosure to meet Gigan face to face. "Oh… my… GOODNESS! He's so… so… BEAUTIFUL! HE'S ABSOLUTELY GORGEOUS!"
Gigan chuckled softly and rubbed the back of his head.
"So, Gigan, there are some things that we wanted to ask you."
{No better time than now. Go ahead.}
Hange watched in amazement as what seemed to be simple chirps and grunts to her came out as a full sentence to Eren.
"I think we should probably start by addressing the elephant in the room… why didn't you kill all the titans yet? You clearly have the power, and you know they're our enemy, so why don't you?"
Gigan's non-existent stomach sank, and he lowered his head in shame. {Shit… I was afraid of this moment…}
Eren grew concerned with Gigan's tone but allowed him to continue. Gigan held out his chainsaw hand as he began to explain himself.
{You remember how I told you that there's another group of humans out there?}
Eren nods before telling Hange about it, which made her immediately start going nuts with excitement. Eren then looked up at Gigan and asked him to keep going.
{There's more out there than just other humans. By which I mean, there are other monsters. All over the world, there are monsters dominating everything. In the ocean, on land, in the sky, everywhere. The spider from Trost, which is known as a Kumonga, was just one example of these monsters. And ruling over all of these monsters is a gigantic, mystical being known as 'Battra.'}
As Eren translated everything Gigan said, his body began to tremble as the weight of the situation was laid bare before him. However, he wasn't trembling with fear. No… he was trembling with rage. Hearing that these monsters Gigan spoke of had not just forced humanity to hide in tiny clusters, but had even taken away the Ocean that he had longed to see since he learned about it from Armin, filled him with an intense hatred for these monsters. However, Gigan wasn't finished.
{Battra calls himself "the guardian of Earth," however he is not the guardian of humanity. He hates humans with a passion almost as intense as your hatred for the titans… or my hatred for him.}
Eren's head perked up at that last bit.
{About four years ago, Battra gave me an ultimatum: he agreed to allow me to protect all of you on the condition that I can never help you expand your territory further out into the world. And yes, this includes reclaiming lost territory. Additionally, should I ever kill a monster outside of your territory, he promised that he would kill all of you, and kill me if I got in his way. I've never faced Battra before, so I have no idea if I could stop him if I did break the deal. This was the only way to 100% ensure Mankind's safety.}
"Gigan…" Eren muttered, "you…"
{I'm sorry Ere-}
"You damn COWARD!"
Hange jolted with surprise as Eren looked up at Gigan furiously, his fists clenched tightly.
"So that's why we're still stuck behind these damn walls? That's why my family isn't free out in the world?! That's why we're still living like cattle?! BECAUSE YOU MADE A DEAL WITH ONE OF OUR OPPRESSORS BECAUSE YOU WERE SCARED!?"
{Eren, you don't understand! I'm the only monster on Earth willing to fight for all of you! Without me, you're completely helpless!}
"WITHOUT YOU, THEY HAVE ME!"
{You couldn't kill a single Kumonga on your own! You haven't even scratched the surface of the kaiju out there! There are creatures that can shoot heat rays that can turn boulders into lava in an instant, giant reptiles that practically swim through the ground, dragonflies as big as humans with stingers that can leave you a shriveled husk in a matter of seconds, and if even one of the SPECIES of kaiju out there decide to come for all of you, and I'm not there to help you all, MANKIND WOULD BE FUCKING EXTINCT!}
Eren tried to come up with a counterargument, but Gigan's argument was bulletproof… until an idea came into his head, to ask him a question. It was a long shot, but it could work.
"Let me ask you this, how do you figure that this 'Battra' is stronger than you?"
Gigan questioned where Eren could be going with this but shrugged and answered. {He's the brother of another monster of similar strength to me. Her name was 'Mothra,' and unlike her brother, she cared deeply for mankind. However, she was killed in a space battle with a monster named 'Orga.'}
Suddenly, Pelops appeared in his hud with an awkward look on his face and nervous body language. "Um… Gigan?"
{Hugh? What is it, Pelops?}
"I did a bit of research on our files relating to Orga, Mothra, and Battra… and it would appear that you made a slight miscalculation with your scaling…"
Gigan's nerves tensed up as he frantically asked Pelops to explain. Eren asked Gigan if he was alright, but Gigan ignored Eren and focused on Pelops.
"You see… it was theorized by many researchers after the battle between Mothra and Orga… that you could have killed Orga without sustaining a mutual fatality, had you been deployed to intercept Gorath."
{...You've gotta be kidding me.}
"There's more. You see, both parties have faced monsters of near equal power while in their larval stages," Pelops explained. "And their performances were starkly different in these battles. Mothra was able to defeat Megalon in battle without sustaining any damage and forcing him to retreat. Battra however, in his larval form, was killed in a one-on-one battle with a monster whose name I dare not utter, while also inadvertently causing the creation of the 'Zilla' subspecies." Pelops then awkwardly avoided eye contact with Gigan. "Given this information, it was theorized by kaiju researchers… that Mothra was substantially stronger than Battra."
Gigan stood completely still for several moments, just trying to process what this meant. All this time he thought that he had no other choice than to keep his deal with Battra and that there was no other way. That Battra held all the chips in this game. But in reality, he was wrong. He could have been leading mankind back to prosperity, but he had fooled himself into believing that Battra held any power here.
Gigan spread his wings and reeled back before unleashing a scream of unrelenting fury and self-loathing while firing a massive, crimson beacon from his eye up through the atmosphere and out into the depths of space. His chainsaw hands buzzed loudly and glowed with intense heat as he continued to scream, causing Eren, Hange, Annie, Bertholdt, Reiner, and even the Scouts in Utgard to cover their ears. Windows shattered, glasses cracked, and the world shook in terror at the Black Angel's pained fury.
After his several-second-long outburst which felt like it went on for eons, Gigan took a knee before Eren and Hange and embedded his chainsaw hand into the ground like a knight taking a knee before royalty while clutching his sword.
{Eren Jaeger… thank you,} he said. {Thank you for helping me find the truth. And as a token of my gratitude, I promise to slaughter every titan infesting this island, before butchering that bastard, Battra.}
Eren had no idea what changed, but he grinned at Gigan regardless. "Hey, save some titans for me."
Gigan smiled at Eren. {Of course.}
After that, Gigan agreed to meet with Eren and Hange again sometime to answer more of their questions. However, while Eren went inside to rest, Hange noticed that Gigan Jr. had been woken up by Gigan's outburst, and began taking notes on it obsessively.
With Hange hounding the titan, Annie knew she'd never be able to get a clean shot on it, so she simply grappled away and regrouped with Reiner and Bertholdt. She then explained the situation, and while Reiner was upset that Annie failed to carry out the mission, Bertholdt was more understanding of Annie's decision.
"It's useless, Reiner," Bertholdt said.
"What do you mean?"
"Gigan has knowledge from the age of the king. If he shares that knowledge with them, and he no doubt will, then it will have been a waste of time and an unnecessary risk killing that titan."
Reiner sighed. "You're right. Let's just head back home. We'll come up with a new plan there."
And with that, the three warriors retreated back into the night.
A week later…
Several Scouts stood in formation, their blades drawn and ready as Gigan Jr. was slowly carted out of his area. As the soldiers handling him slowly removed his bindings and holding nails, Eren stood in front of him with Hange by his side.
"Now remember, Eren, this is a test, not an execution," she said. "We're just trying to study the titans' fighting style against an opponent of similar size to them. So please, try not to hurt him too badly."
It was such a surreal request for someone to ask him not to kill a titan, but he obliged their requests regardless. Everyone fanned out once Gigan Jr. was free, and Eren immediately bit into his hand. An electric aura enveloped him, and his titan body formed around him, transforming him into a 15-meter-titan once again. The 13-meter-tall Gigan Jr. started things off by lunging for Eren and chomping at him, however, Eren easily grabbed the titan and threw him down to the ground. Hange began vigorously scribbling in her notebook as Gigan Jr. rose up from the ground, its injuries slowly regenerating. It attempted to swipe at Eren, only for Eren to grab its arm, and with one elbow slam, break it off by the joint. However, Gigan Jr., despite screeching in pain, still went for a bite to Eren's shoulder, causing him to let out a similar howl as the smaller titan dangled from his shoulder, its teeth firmly sunken into it.
Hange bit back tears watching Gigan Jr being beaten down like this, before writing in her notes, "It seems that while Titans can feel pain, they are able to easily ignore it when attempting to attack their prey."
Eren eventually ripped the titan off his shoulder and began slamming it on the ground, again and again, shattering its ribs in the process and leaving its chest a mangled, steaming mess. After noting that Gigan Jr. was still fighting even with its ribs broken, Hange called off the fight and called for Gigan Jr. to be re-contained. Eren then kneeled and emerged from his titan with the help of Petra, while Hange rushed to make sure Gigan Jr. was okay… only for it to snap its jaws at her. As Hange laughed manically, Eren stared at her in disbelief.
"Okay, I don't mean to be disrespectful," Eren said. "But what's up with her?"
Petra sighed. "Who knows?"
While waiting for Gigan Jr. to regenerate so they could perform their next test, Eren was at the stables with Eld and Gunther. The three of them were discussing the recruitment drive which was scheduled for that night, with Eren being unsure of if any of his comrades in the cadet corps would be willing to join them. While they were talking, Levi suddenly arrived and informed Gunther and Eld that they were going on patrol, however, he ordered Eren to stay behind, as he was currently under Hange's supervision. Eren nodded and watched as they rode away on horseback. And just in time too, as Hange soon arrived and grabbed Eren by the arm before dragging him back to the testing grounds with a glimmer of excitement in her eyes.
-J-
The cadets waited in front of an empty podium, most of them discussing which regiment they were going to join. Among these soldiers, Connie, Armin, and Sasha were talking about their choices of military branches to enlist in. While they were talking, Jean happened to walk by them and overheard their conversation.
"I'm not sure if I can bring myself to join the Survey corps anymore," Connie said. "Not after what happened. The titans were so much more horrifying than I expected… though, I heard that Jean was considering joining them."
Jean sighed with annoyance and continued on, but then he heard Armin speak up and stopped dead in his tracks.
"Marco did mention that to me," he said. "I think because of that, he's reconsidering joining the Military Police as well."
Jean's eyes widened and he let out a trembling gasp as he heard that. He remembered Marco telling him about his dream to serve the king, and couldn't fathom why he would throw away that opportunity.
"No…" Jean muttered, catching the attention of Armin and Connie.
"W-what was that, Jean?" Armin asked.
Jean brushed off his question and went to go find Marco, hoping to talk some sense into him. After searching around, he found him talking with Sasha and Mina, about what? He didn't care. He immediately broke up the conversation and dragged Marco somewhere private so that he could talk to him one on one.
"Jean, what's gotten into you?!" Marco asked.
"What the hell's gotten into you, Marco?!" Jean barked back, "You're really thinking of joining the Survey Corps?!"
"Y-yes, I am. Is there something wrong with that?" "What are you thinking?! You're just gonna throw away your one chance to join the Military Police and serve the king, and you're not even conflicted about it?!"
"W-well, I heard you were joining the Scouts, so I thought I'd join too."
"WHY?! That makes no damn sense!"
"Well, then why are you considering switching branches, Jean?"
Jean hesitated for a moment to formulate a response, before leaning against a wall as he answered Marco.
"I wanted to join because… b-because I felt so damn useless."
Marco's eyes widened with surprise before Jean continued, "After seeing the things that we saw at Trost, I realized the threats outside are so much bigger than we expected. I realized that I need to contribute in some way, and I could never do that if I let all my hard work be locked away in the safe and easy life behind the walls." Jean wrapped his arms around his own shoulders and tensed up as he continued his confession. "I'm terrified, Marco. But knowing that I can do more than just sit on my ass is what drove me to make this decision."
Marco smiled and placed a hand on his friend's shoulder. "Jean, that's how I feel too. I do want to serve the king, but I feel like I can do more for all of humanity if I join the Survey Corps. As you said, I'd rather do more than sit around doing nothing. Plus, I'm still serving the king by helping mankind move forwards."
Jean was surprised by Marco's reasoning. Despite their differences in personality, they both had the same values and inner conflicts that caused them to change their goals in order to benefit humanity. Finally understanding Marco's reasons, Jean felt content and felt as though his decision was validated.
Very soon, the ceremony began, with every cadet standing together in the dead of night, the podium and the field before it illuminated by torchlight. Ontop the podium stood Erwin Smith, commander of the survey corps, who introduced himself as such to the crowd. He then announced that today was the day when the cadets would each choose their regiment.
"Let's cut to the chase here," Erwin said. "The Scouts need you. We need all the warm bodies we can get. After the recent Titan attack, you now know firsthand the horrors that await you, as well as the limits of your own skill. However, in the aftermath of this battle, humanity has gained an unprecedented advancement that could lead them to victory. I am of course referring to Eren Jaeger and Gigan. After selflessly fighting for our safety, and doing their part to help us recover from the recent battle, they have proven themselves unquestionably loyal to our cause. Hope lives within these two. Furthermore, they did not just help us stave off the threat of the titans, but offered us a means to discern the truth of their origin, as well as the origins of any other monsters that lurk outside the walls!"
Everyone gasped in shock and they began muttering amongst eachother.
"Eren's ability to communicate with Gigan has allowed us to discover secrets about this world that were far beyond what mankind could possibly comprehend. This, coupled with the potential secrets hidden within the cellar of Eren's home in Shingonshina, could give us what we need to break free from the shackles that have been placed upon us one hundred years ago."
This information made excitement rise in the crowd. Hearing that they could finally end the reign of the titans excited them, and they grew more confident with their odds of defeating the Titans. However, Erwin wasn't quite finished yet.
"Before we can reach the aforementioned cellar in Shingonshina, we must first traverse Wall Maria," Erwin said. "Of course, this is easier said than done, however, Gigan's presence had shaken the population of the Titans to a significant enough degree that we can reach Shingonshina without much interference. If we were to encounter any Titans on the way, however, we must be willing to risk our lives for humanity. Which is why I must ask you all, are you willing to give up your lives for mankind?"
The graduates began considering Erwin's words carefully, and doubts began to creep in once again, even for those that had already decided that they were going to join the Scouts. Mikasa and Armin were the only ones whose minds were clear of any doubts as to where they planned to go.
"That is all I have to say to you all. Those of you who wish to join a different regiment may now leave."
With that, many of the graduates turned around and began to walk away. After several minutes of people walking away, around half of the graduates remained, many of whom were previously convinced by Eren to join them a while back. Erwin was impressed by the high turnout of new recruits. Erwin smiled and saluted the recruits, welcoming them to the Scout Regiment, a salute that the recruits returned in kind.
-E-
After cleaning up the horse stables, Eren wiped some sweat off his face and stepped outside. He saw Oruo standing next to the door as expected, but then his eyes widened in surprise as he saw Mikasa and Armin pass by. After requesting to speak with them, which Oruo allowed as long as he didn't take too long, Eren ran after them while calling their names, prompting them to turn around.
"Eren!" Mikasa gasped as Eren stopped before them.
"Man, am I glad to see you guys!" He said before Mikasa suddenly grabbed his arm and looked worriedly into his eyes.
"Are you alright?" She asked. "Have they done anything to hurt you, like subjecting you to some sort of cruel experiments?"
Eren chuckled softly with a slightly sinister tone to it.
"W-what's so funny?" Armin asked.
"Nothing," Eren said. "It's just, the only experiment they did with me recently was really more of an opportunity to wail on a captive titan they had."
"Woah, no way. They have a titan in captivity?"
"Yeah, they do. I think Hange called it 'Gigan Junior' or something?"
"Hey, Eren!" Connie suddenly called.
"Long time, no see!" Sasha said.
"Hey, guys! You're all here!" Eren smiled at them, realizing that this must mean they all joined too, which Connie confirmed. "So, does that mean Annie, Jean, and Marco joined the MPs?"
"Just Annie, actually," Marco said as he and Jean stepped out of the crowd.
Jean crossed his arms, expecting Eren to gloat or mock him after all the times the two were at each other's throats. But instead, Jean was met with an outstretched hand and a smile.
"Glad to see you came, Jean," he said.
After everyone spent a moment enjoying the reunion with Eren, Dieter Ness approached the new recruits, announcing that their hooded capes, which were part of the standard Scout regiment uniforms, had arrived. Eren and the others draped themselves in these green capes, and while doing so, Eren quietly contemplated just how much things had changed since training.
As he stood with his comrades, his eyes widened in surprise and confusion as he saw a vision of a mysterious woman with dark brown hair tied into a bun standing in front of him. She was dressed in cargo pants and a short, white tube shirt that exposed her toned abs, with a black, open coat draped over her shoulders. Beneath her piercing eyes were a set of strange red markings that almost resembled scars. The mysterious woman tilted her head down to look Eren directly in the eyes, and gave him the faintest smile, before speaking in a voice that wasn't familiar to him but wasn't unfamiliar either.
"I almost forgot that face," she then looked up and scanned the crowd. "But I'll never forget this moment."
Later that day, the new recruits of the scouts, Eren included, were all together in a warehouse while the veterans sorted out their living quarters. In there, Eren learned that they would all be participating in the upcoming expedition, however, while they were talking, Jean raised a question that he had been holding onto for a while.
"Hey, Eren," Jean asked. "What was up with Gigan a couple of nights ago?"
"You heard that?!" Eren asked, dumbfounded. Jean scoffed at Eren's surprise.
"I'd be surprised if your mom didn't hear it all the way in the interior," Jean remarked. "Plus, it'd be pretty hard to miss a giant, crimson pillar suddenly appearing and breaching the damn clouds! Seriously, what happened that made him do that?"
"Well, that night, I finally asked him why he didn't kill all the titans yet."
The other scouts began muttering amongst themselves. No one had actually thought about that until now, but the mere mention of that made them realize that it was actually a good question.
"And what was his answer?"
Eren clenched his teeth and quietly sighed. "Apparently, there's another monster out there named 'Battra', and it gave Gigan an ultimatum, saying that if he ever killed any monsters outside of our territory, then he would wipe us all out. And not just Battra, but many other monsters, which, without Gigan, could wipe us all out easily."
Everyone gasped in shock at this news. Even Mikasa seemed genuinely disturbed at this revelation.
"Well, that explains why the titans are still here, but it doesn't explain why Gigan did that last night."
"Gigan claimed that he didn't want to break Battra's deal because he assumed he was the stronger of the two, so I asked him why he thought that. He told me that he was the brother of another monster, and then… well, I don't really know. Something that his 'Artificial Intelligence' companion must have said somehow made him come to a realization which made him immediately abandon the deal."
"Artificial what?"
"I don't really know what that is either." Eren awkwardly rubbed his arm.
"You don't know? You're the only one of us who can talk to that thing, and even you don't actually know what's going on in it's head?"
Eren lowered his head slightly. "No, not really. I have so many questions for him, and the first opportunity I had to ask them, I was only able to ask him one."
Jean sighed, then turned to the rest of the Scouts. "You hear that everyone? What a fine situation we've found ourselves in! Our lives and all of mankind's lives are in the hands of a titan shifter who can't even kill one overgrown arachnid on his own, and a giant monster that we barely know anything about, and just as the cherry on top, there are apparently even more monsters out there. I'm guessing we're all gonna end up dead as soon as the expedition begins."
"Jean, knock it off," Marco said. "What's the point of chastising him?"
"Listen Marco," Jean replied. "Unlike you, most of us aren't willing to lay down our lives for other people on a whim. We need a reason. We need to know what we're laying down our lives for. Otherwise, we might hesitate at a crucial moment. What I and the rest of us need is a guarantee from Eren. We need him to show us that he's worth dying for." Jean then turned and grabbed Eren by the shoulders while pulling him close. "Can you do that? Because if you can, we're with you all the way."
Eren's face immediately went from a look of surprise at the sudden grab to a look of determination. "I don't just think I can… I know it."
-A&E-
Later that night…
Armin wandered through the castle, a candle in hand, as he spent the night getting a feel for the castle he would be staying in for the foreseeable future. Plus, he wasn't really able to sleep anyway, as he was nervous about the upcoming mission. As he wandered through the castle however, he caught a glimpse of Eren sitting outside in the garden, alone. He was looking up at the stars, his arms behind him and his stretched legs out in front of him. He seemed sad for some reason, so Armin set down his candle and went outside to meet him.
"Eren?" He asked. "What are you doing out this late at night?"
Eren sighed softly. "I couldn't sleep," he said. "I can't stop thinking about… the outside world." Armin noticed Eren choke a bit on his own words and sat down next to him.
"I'd expect you to be a bit more excited thinking about that," Armin remarked. "Don't you remember what we saw in my book?"
"I remember…" he replied. "But… well, remember how Gigan told me that there were more monsters outside?"
Armin nodded.
"Well, he told me that these monsters were everywhere. In the sky, underground, on land… and even in the ocean."
Armin's eyes widened as Eren continued.
"When you arrived today, I was so happy to see you, but then I was reminded of what Gigan told me, and it all finally set in," Eren said as he started to grow misty eyed. "I realized that if what Gigan said was true, then our dream of exploring the world together may have all been for naught… because they've already taken everything from us."
Armin embraced his best friend as a tear rolled down his cheek and onto his shoulder.
"If it's any consolation," Armin said. "I don't think we need to be worried."
Eren's eyes widened as he looked up at Armin.
"I know Gigan told you that he was the only monster willing to fight for us, but I don't believe that," Armin then looked up to the stars. "The world is too big for there to only be one monster out there willing to fight for us. I know that somewhere out there, there are more monsters that are willing to stand by our side."
Eren looked up to the stars and couldn't help but smile at his friend's optimistic outlook. The thought that there really could be more monsters like Gigan out there filled him with a sense of comfort. However, unbeknownst to him, Armin didn't actually believe that. Ever since Eren became a titan, Armin didn't really know what to believe, but given mankind's situation, it was very likely in his mind that prior to Gigan, there were no monsters looking after them. However, he would say what he needed to if it meant re-igniting the flame in Eren's heart that always drove him forwards.
Eventually, Armin helped Eren off the ground and the two went back inside.
-G-
The dark, quiet night was suddenly and spontaneously alive with noise and light as Gigan's eye beam streaked across the abandoned cities and towns, incinerating hundreds of sleeping Titans as he quickly approached the gate of Wall Maria. Upon seeing the holes in both, Gigan smirked and switched to his Nano-Metal spray hands, and patched the holes with the ACTTG blueprints, renamed to just ACTGs. He proceeded to patch both holes, preventing titans from entering or exiting. A sinister grin then stretched across his face as he looked down upon the titans roaming the streets of Shingonshina, and switched back to his chainsaw hands.
However, high up in the sky, Battra was watching all of this take place… and it worried him greatly. If Gigan was forgoing the deal this flagrantly, it could only mean one thing: He realized that he was likely the stronger of the two, and no longer feared him. Realizing this, Battra knew that fighting him head-on, or just going ahead and attacking the humans right off the bat would be his downfall. So instead, he went with a different strategy to defeat Gigan.
Battra flew to the center of the island, and, using his psychic powers, called out to all the sleeping giants on and around Paradis island, avoiding the ire of Gigan.
[Children of Earth, I call upon you. It is time for you to awaken and bring about the doomsday of humankind. Destroy them, incinerate them, trample them, devour them, and leave not a single one to tell the tale.]
-I-
Deep below the ocean surrounding the island of Paradis, a giant cephalopod monster known as a Gezora swam alongside a school of others of its kind, gradually being lured closer and closer to land by the call of an Alpha. His trance like state however made him a prime target for an underwater predator, armed with powerful jaws, claws, and a craving for calamari dinner.
The Gezora was suddenly and violently ripped out of the school and slammed to the ground, knocking him out of his trance. He swung his tentacles about while releasing a chilling mist from his suction cups, but his assailant maneuvered out of the way of the flailing. Sharp spikes running down her back suddenly began to glow green, and a super heated beam of atomic fire, scorching the squid's body and boiling the water around them.
With her prey now dead, the predator Kaiju began to feast on her kill. Her breath beam left the squid nice and crispy, just the way she liked it. However, as she began to sink her teeth into this banquet, she overheard the alpha call once again.
[Children of Earth, I call upon you. It is time for you to awaken and bring about the doomsday of humankind. Destroy them, incinerate them, trample them, devour them, and leave not a single one to tell the tale.]
This didn't sound good to her, so after eating her full, she began following the school of Gezoras to land, where she saw them all dragging themselves forwards. The predator couldn't make out what they were headed towards from this distance, but she could infer that there were humans out there given the order given in the alpha call, so she began to burrow underground and towards the structure in the distance.
-G-
Though Battra was successful in awakening all the monsters deep beneath the island of Paradis, and drawing in many of the monsters in the surrounding ocean, he failed to account for one other monster sleeping in a mountain deep below the sea, in a cave with no exit, illuminated by small, glowing, orang particles that floated through the air like fireflies. The beast within the mountain was surrounded by 17-meter-tall, skeletal humanoid creatures with lanky limbs, only one eye, and long tails. They wandered around the towering leviathan as they chipped away ad the crystals lining the walls of the enclosed cave they resided in, using their massive claws like pickaxes.
As the great leviathan opened his eyes, he could faintly hear the voice of an old enemy, and hearing it caused him to go into a rage. He began to thrash about, the gigantic chains attached to his wrists, ankles, and tail clanging loudly. All the eyeless humanoids then ran for cover as his back began to glow purple, and a thin, purple beam suddenly fired from his mouth. However, the beam ended up igniting several of the orange particles, which then exploded, filling up the entire room and making the monster howl with pain and fury.
When his vision cleared, he found that the majority of his minions had been killed. No matter, he could always just make more of them. His tail suddenly began to bulge as a second mouth on the tip of it vomited out a massive sac that contained dozens more of the humanoid creatures. The permanent grin etched onto the leviathan's face widened as he watched these new minions get to work.
He would get out soon. He could feel it.
No force on Earth can hold the king of the monsters forever.
