My brother is officially back from the dead. Mikasa, Armin and I are happy that he is. Unfortunately, while I knew this would happen, people will be terrified of him. The ability to turn into a Titan isn't something that people will accept so easily. They will think him to be the enemy and I have to make sure that they don't do anything foolish or else I will kill them.
Now here we are, near the wall and surrounded by soldiers with their guns and swords aimed at us, all because Mikasa and Armin wanted to get Eren out of here without being seen. Knowing that this would happen, I followed them and advised Jean, Annie, Bertolt and Reiner to head back with the others to make sure that they get to safety. They protested but I gave them no room for argument.
Mikasa and I arm ourselves and stand in front of Eren while Armin makes sure Eren is ok. I could hear Eren mumbling as if he was conscious. He isn't. The trauma of transforming has left him only partially functioning, putting him in a trance-like state. His healing factor is no doubt kicking in to put him back to normal.
"I'll kill you" Eren says outloud that all of us hear. Mikasa and Armin look at him to see if he's ok while I make sure everyone else doesn't do anything drastic.
It doesn't take long for Eren to snap out of it and become fully aware of what's going on. He then has a shocked look on his face and is also confused with what is happening.
"Eren, look at me. Are you ok? Can you move? Listen you have to tell everything" Armin pleads to Eren.
"Armin?" Eren asks his friend in confusion.
"Did you hear that? He said that he'll kill us all" one of the soldiers say.
"Yea there nothing else that you can make of that. Son of a bitch wants to eat us. Watch" another agreed.
"What are they talking about? Why are they pointing their weapons at us? John tell me what's going on?" Eren asks me in confusion.
"They are scared of you Eren" I told him. He is stunned by the news.
"But why? I've done nothing wrong. Why are they afraid of me?" Eren asks as he looks around and sees that everyone is indeed terrified
Meanwhile inside Wall Rose, Conny was sitting with Historia, Ymir, Annie, Jean, Reiner, Bertolt, Mina, Milleus, Nack and Thomas. He was lamenting the events that have led him here and telling those who weren't with them what had happened.
"If John wasn't there with us and helped us get the gas, then all of us would not be here now" he said to them.
"Im so sorry Conny. If we were there with you, we could've done something to help but we were ordered to stay here and help everyone else" Historia said with sadness in her voice.
"We even found enough gas to send if we were allowed to." Ymir added.
"But it was good that many of you got out of there. John hoped that we would be ready for situations like this and because of him, there are less deaths on our side" Historia said in gladness.
"So where is John and the rest?" Ymir asked him with curiosity.
"I don't know. I recall John being with Jean and the others when they separated from us" Conny replied to her. She then goes to look at Jean.
"Hey Jean, where are they?" She asks him but he says nothing. His face looks like he had seen something unbelievable.
"Hey, talk to us" Conny said to him. Jean looks at him and takes a big gulp of water from his water bag. He then wipes his mouth
"I would tell you if I could but John asked us to not say anything" Jean said to them
"What? Why?" Conny asked.
"What's going on?" Ymir also asks.
"You wouldn't believe me if I told you. Pretty soon people will start talking. Soon enough, everyone will know the truth." Jean tells them cryptically.
Ymir and Conny wanted to ask further but knew that if John asked him and the rest to not talk, then it must've been serious. They will just have to wait and see what happens next and hope that John, Mikasa and Armin are ok.
While the cadets and other survivors relish the fact that they are alive, Hannes and some other soldiers are on top of Wall Rose. They look down to see that a horde of Titans are gathering around the wall. These titans look at them as well which make them feel a bit unsettled.
"You've got to hand it to the Engineering Corp for putting a heap of Titan corpses to good use. Still we can't get too comfortable with the barricade in place. Be vigilant, we don't know what else might happen. This is literally a line in the sand" Hannes tells the soldier next to him. He looks at his comrade and notices his concerned face.
"What's wrong?" Hannes asked the soldier.
"I'm sorry sir. I agree with your assessment but I'm more worried about my friends in the vanguard. There was this messenger from HQ with this look on his face" the soldier responded to him.
"I know. While I understand your concerns, we must focus on what's in front of us." Hannes tells him. The soldier nods his head in agreements.
"Is it true that you saved those kids five years ago, sir? They are cadets now, right? Won't they be in the vanguard too?" The soldier asked Hannes
"Yes they are. But what you may not know is that I wasn't able to save all of them. One was left behind and presumed dead. I felt guilty for not being there to save him too. But one day he showed up, safe and uninjured. It was a miracle, at least that's what I felt it was. But as the years went by, as he and his siblings grew up, I believe that his survival was a product of fate. Now he has a reputation as one of the best cadets we have. If I know him, then he will ensure that your friends will be ok." Hannes explained to the soldier.
"May I ask the name of this cadet, sir?" The soldier asked.
"His name is John Yeager." Hannes told him. The soldier was shocked when he heard the name.
"You mean The John Yeager. The Lion of the Wall?" The soldier asked. Hannes chuckles at this
"It's funny. He had that nickname when he was a kid. I guess it stuck as he got older. It's fitting really. That kid has the ferocity of a lion and the spirit of authority. The bravest, toughest kid I would ever know. His siblings are also brave and tough. As long as I know that to be true, then I would not be worried of them being in danger" Hannes told the soldier with pride as he continues to look at the Titans below him.
Meanwhile, we are still having a standoff with the soldiers to protect Eren. It's amazing what fear can do to people. No wonder many would try to exploit it.
"Cadets Eren and John Yeager as well as Mikasa Ackerman and Armin Arlelt! The four of you have jointly committed an act of high treason. Whether or not a swift execution is a result depends on you" said the commander of this group of soldiers. I recognize this man and I greatly dislike him.
Kitz Woermann, Captain of the Garrison Regiment. A coward that abandoned his cadets and other soldiers just so that he could be safe. The man is also paranoid as fuck. Would probably kill anyone if he believed them to be a threat.
"Any attempt to move where you stand, anything that I deem suspicious, will be met with cannon fire" There it is. "Do not test me. Answer carefully, Eren Yeager. What exactly are? Human? Or Titan?"
Eren was shocked to hear such a question.
"What is that supposed to mean? Why are they all glaring at me like that? It's like they are looking at a monster" Eren says to himself with more confusion of what is going on.
"They saw you become a Titan, Eren. And because of that, they think you are the enemy" I tell my brother. He was stunned by the news.
"A-A Titan? B-But that's not possible. I'm human" Eren says with fear and uncertainty.
"Your brother speaks true. Your comrades saw you leave the carcass of a Titan. We let you, a monster, slip through our ranks and infiltrate Wall Rose. It doesn't matter that you are a soldier, you are a risk that I am within my rights to eliminate. I will not let this stand. Every moment I stand here deciding your innocence, the more of a risk we have with the Armored Titan coming to destroy the wall. I cannot waste anymore resources on you. My conscience will not falter to kill you here and now" Kitz screamed out to us.
"As soldiers, they all know the price of their situation. If they are committed to this act of defiance, under the threat of death, then so be it. This would be a waste of time if they can't be persuaded" said by Rico Brzenska, one of the leaders of the Garrison Regiment, agreeing with Kitz reasoning
"Sir please. This is our chance to end this. We would expend less artillery now that he is vulnerable" one of the soldiers pleads to Kitz.
"You will do no such thing" I tell the soldier with an angry glare "Anyone who wishes to harm my brother will know the reason why I'm called a lion"
"And you will feel our wrath through every inch of your flesh and bones" Mikasa added with a dead expression full of killing intent.
Kitz looked at us with fear on his face.
"Sir Mikasa Ackerman was assigned to the elites fresh out of training. Equal to a hundred soldiers, easily. And John Yeager, known by some as the Lion of the Wall, has been considered to be just as good as her. Despite not being in the elites, he's an incredible soldier. If we lost them, then we lose some of our best and brightests." Ian Dietrich, another leader of the Garrison, informed to Captain Kitz.
"Guys, you can't fight against humans. Inside the walls, there is nowhere left to run" Armin pleaded to us.
"We are a family Armin. If necessary, I would take on the world to protect you and everyone else that I care about. We are now staring at the brink of a paranoid coward that would justify his murders with the delusion of peace. Your right Armin, there is nowhere left to run. So it's time to take a stand and hold our ground" I tell Armin who was shocked by what I said. Before he could speak I continue "Don't worry, I talk this out before I'm left with no choice but to fight."
He seemed a bit relieved that said this.
"Captain Woermann" I call out to him "I have a question for you?"
"And why should I answer the question of a treasonous traitor who's brother is a Titan?" He asks me
"Because before we die, I want to know something. A truth that I'm sure no one else here knows" I tell him. He looks at me with a paranoid yet curious look.
"And what is this damn question?" He asks me.
"Is it true that you abandoned your position at the supply depot so that you could be safe under a false mission of organizing reinforcements?" I ask him. He and everyone else had a shocked look on their faces.
"What is he talking about Captain?" Rico asked him.
"He is lying. A traitor would lie about anything just to delay the inevitable" Kitz said with a somewhat panicked voice.
"It's the truth. You abandoned your men, cadets and low ranking soldiers, to their deaths so that you can hide from the Titans. A true soldier, a true leader of men, does not abandon their posts when the worse comes in the battlefield. They stand with their comrades, even in certain death, and fight with everything. The fact that you could call yourself a soldier makes you more of a disgrace that us." I said to him. He looked at me with panicked rage while the rest of the men were still stunned at what I just told them.
"You dare question me? You don't know what happened at the depot. I did what I was order to." Kitz screamed out to defend himself.
"You threatened your soldiers with treason when they questioned your 'orders'. Their fear of you led them to have no choice but to accept" I countered.
"I was their captain. They are bound to listen and obey. And despite my leaving, there was nothing I could do to get them out" Kitz responded to me.
"Well it's a good thing that I saved them then" I said which shocked the Captain and some of the soldiers.
"He's right. Moments ago, a huge influx of soldiers came after the call for the retreat. 200 cadets and several low ranking soldiers were led by a private named Hank Murphy. Private Murphy mentioned that it was Cadet John Yeager that, in fact, led the charge to get gas and in the process kill some Titans. I was wondering the reason why they had go through that ordeal when they should've had a commanding officer there. But you told me that a replacement for you was sent. It would seem that you lied to us Captain" Ian reasoned out when he put the pieces together. Everyone was starting to look at Kitz with angry expressions on their faces.
"So it's true. You abandoned your men just so you can stay alive?" One of the soldiers called out in anger.
"ENOUGH!!! I WILL NOT TOLERATE HEARING ANYMORE OF THESE ACCUSATIONS. FIRE THE CANNONS AT THEM NOW" Kitz ordered the soldiers. Mikasa, Eren and Armin were about to flee in response but I stopped them with a gesture.
"BELAY THAT ORDER SOLDIER!!" I yelled out to them before they were about to fire. Everyone was shocked that I had the audacity to give out orders to them. "If you wish to be ruled by fear and paranoia under the command of this coward, then by all means rain fire on us. But if you wish to be the ones that gives humanity the chance to fight back against the Titans, then please stand down."
The soldiers look between me and Captain Kitz, wondering what to do. But based on what they have been told about my actions and the actions of the Captain, they weighed the choice that laid before them. And soon enough, they stood down.
"What are you doing you fools?! This is the enemy, I order you to blow them into pieces" Kitz commanded angrily at them but they did nothing.
"They will no longer follow your commands Captain. I hereby relieve you of duty and pronounce myself as acting Captain until further notice" Rico said to Kitz. This made Kitz really angry.
"I am the Captain here. AND I WILL END THIS HERE" Kitz screamed out as he was about to charge at us. But Rico and Ian stop him and knock him unconscious.
"Send the Captain back to the safe area." Rico ordered some of the men, who happily obliged. They pick up the unconscious body of their former captain and leave the area. Rico then looks back at us
"Now that we have cleared that matter. The bigger issue remains about your brother. The ability to transform into one of those things is heinous and unnatural. Captain Kitz was correct in that assessment" Rico said to us which makes Mikasa prepare herself for what may come next. I do the same in a more subtle fashion "But you said that there was a way for humanity fight back. Tell me how we can do this"
I sigh in relief of this. I always knew that Rico was the more reasonable leader of the Garrison. The woman may look to be uncaring but she has a good heart. Loyal to her soldiers and a capable leader. She hopes for a victory just as much as anyone. Now it's time to convince them all.
"Each of you have seen what my brother can do. You and hundreds of other soldiers I'm sure have reported seeing him fight legions of Titans before getting swarmed by them. And I can wager that in none of those reports that the amount of bodies that Eren dropped didn't include any of our fellow soldiers. Here before us is another Titan following the footsteps of the Black Titan. Another Titan fighting for humanity just like all those years ago." I say to them and I start to see that this was in fact true.
They slowly start to lower their weapons and I can hear them whisper in agreement of this.
"If we can combine his strength with that of the resources we have left then we can retake Trost. We can achieve victory. I implore you to use this strategy Captain Rico. The fate of humanity rests on the choice you make right now." I finish saying to her.
While she deliberates in this decision, I look to my family. Mikasa looks at me with a glad expression on her face, Armin sees the strategic value of what I said but is just glad that things didn't escalate and my brother, Eren, was still shocked at the whole thing but he shows an appreciated look in me saving, not just his life, but everyone else's.
"The gift of the silver tongue is said to be the mark of a good officer and of a liar but I can tell that you are no liar, Cadet Yeager" a voice said to me. I recognize that voice.
I soon look back and see Acting-Captain Rico and Ian, as well as the other soldiers look at the direction behind them to see the source of the voice. And there he was.
"Commander Pixis" Acting-Captain Rico said as she and everyone else stood down and saluted one of the best soldiers in the military and the man in charge of the defense of Trost. I gesture to my family to do the same.
"At ease, everyone" he said and we did just that "I had just arrived to this location and learned the entire situation while on my way here. It's a shame about Woermann, he's a good soldier but I had feared that his paranoia would get the best of him when situations like this occurred." Pixis said with a solemn sigh
"Sir I-" Rico tries to speak but Pixis stops her with a gesture of his hand.
"I am not mad at what happened Rico. You did what you believed was right. I wouldn't have asked for a different outcome. When this is over, I will talk to Woermann and discuss his future within our military. Until further notice, you are the Captain of the Garrison" Pixis said with a genuine smile on his face to Rico. She looked so grateful at the official promotion and saluted him with thanks.
Commander Pixis then looks at us.
"Come with me" he said to us as he starts to walk away. We follow him to where he was going.
Few moments later, we reach the Inner Gate of the Trost district. Mikasa, Armin, Eren and myself were just watching as Commander Pixis observes the Titans below while drinking alcohol from his flask. He shows no fear of them. Maybe it's because he's seen too much death to care about his own. Or it could be his well known eccentricism that's keeping him centered.
Meanwhile, Rico was on the ground watching from the distance what the Commander is doing with the cadets. She is a bit nervous having a boy who can turn into a Titan be near the man but she knows too well that the Commander is very unorthodox in his methods.
"Captain Brzenska" Ian calls out to her which brings her away from her thoughts. She then looks at him.
"The troops have been assembled ma'am" he tells her.
Rico nods her head and looks at the faces of these soldiers.
She sees a mixture of faces. Some look as though that they know that they are going to die. Their fear is apparent on their faces. It's an understandable thing, especially when dealing with these unnatural beasts. But the others were what really caught her attention.
They looked fearless. As though they can walk through the pits of hell, be consumed by hell-fire and come out like nothing had happened to them. Rico recognized these soldiers as the cadets. Each and everyone of them looked ready for battle. Ready to die for humanity if necessary. This was something that Rico never expected, especially from cadets. Only the truly hard show faces like these. Rico can only theorize that something happened during their training to make them like this but she has no idea what.
Meanwhile, all of us had just filled in Pixis on the cellar that Dad had back home. The place several miles away from Wall Maria that could hold the secrets of the Titans.
"So this cellar can explain everything then?" He asked us.
"We believe so sir" I say to him.
"I see. At the moment there is nothing to validate your claims but I'll keep them in my head for now until the appropriate time" he tells us as he gestures towards his head "I pride myself on being able to tell the difference between the truth and a lie. As I mentioned before Cadet Yeager, I don't believe that you are a liar. Thus, I'll personally guarantee your safety"
All of us signed with relied with that. Commander Pixis then looks at me
"Now Cadet Yeager, do you really believe it to be possible to use your brothers Titan ability to retake the city?" He asked me seriously.
"I do. Eren can use his strength as a Titan to lift up a boulder and use it to block the destroyed opening of the outer wall. But there may be difficulties in the process of this. A fair amount of Titans would be out there and that means all of us would have to kill them so that Eren can do the job uninterrupted. It won't be easy but it can be done" I explained to the Commander. The Commander then takes a swig from his flask and looks at Eren
"Tell me Cadet Yeager. Can you do what your brother believes you can do? Can you plug up that hole?" He asks Eren.
Eren, Armin and Mikasa were shocked by the question. Eren looks at me and sees that I'm confident on this plan working. He then looks back at the Commander.
"I-I don't know. There is a possibility but I am not sure of these powers anymore than anyone else." Eren said with uncertainty "But if John believes that I can do this, then I will make damn sure that I will."
The Commander and I smile at Erens resolve.
"Good. Now let's begin" Commander Pixis said as he goes to the edge of the wall overlooking the inner district untainted by Titans.
"Senior officers, come gather!! We have a strategy to establish" Commander Pixis said to his soldiers below.
"He's actually going through with this?" Armin asked, wondering if such a plan could work.
"He most likely sees something that we can't. Except for John" Eren responds to him.
"See what?" Armin asks in confusion.
"That the fundamental issue here is that the Titans are not the only enemies that we will be facing." I said to Armin. He was shocked to hear but before he could ask for further clarification, Pixis comes towards us with his men.
"It's time, my young soldiers" he said to us as we look at him with readied looks for what comes next.
Few moments later, the word had spread to the remaining soldiers that are left. Many had heard about a plan to retake Trost. A good amount thought that it was impossible and wondered what their commander was thinking. But the others were curious on what to do.
"Please I don't want to die. I want to go home" one of the soldiers screamed out frantically.
"Hey I heard that" said one of the commanding officers "are you planning to abandon your duties"
"I don't want to get eaten by a Titan, sir." The scared soldier responded to the commanding officer.
"I have authorization to kill you right now for such insubordination" the commanding officer said as he readies his sword.
"I'll gladly accept that then die meaninglessly" the soldier responded while also readying his sword. Then said soldier was punched hard in the face by someone.
Those who saw this were shocked and saw that the one who punched the terrified soldier was Jean.
"Meaninglessly?" Jean asks as he gets angry at this soldier "We are soldiers damn you. We are tasked with the protection of our people no matter the cost. By wearing this uniform, we expected to die in service of that task. The fact that you are freaking out over dying makes you unfit to serve. The only thing that is meaningless is you. You and anyone else unwilling to fight. Now either get your shit together or forever be viewed as the coward who ran out of fear"
Jeans words were strong and echoed another soldier. One that inspired him and those who fought with him during this time. The scared soldier reluctantly shut his mouth and readied himself for what comes next.
Anyone else who shared the same views of not wanting to die had no choice but to remain in their positions.
Those who know Jean smiled at his actions. They recognized that he has become a different person than he was before all of this. Now he's a warrior and he's ready to fight.
Meanwhile, the Commander, Eren and I were walking across the top of the wall.
"It's believed that before the Titans ruled this land, there were different races and creeds all fighting and killing each other. Then someone said, if there was an enemy that was not a part of humanity then we would all unite and humanity would stop fighting each other. What do you boys think?" Commander Pixis asked us.
"It's the first time I've heard of this but it sounds too optimistic. It makes me yawn" Eren replied. This made the Commander laugh.
"I agree with you. But what about you, John Yeager?" He asked me
"It's a nice idea to believe that humanity can unite when faced with a greater threat than themselves. But unity based on fear never lasts long especially when it brings peace. Sooner or later, that peace will end and humanity will be reminded of the horror and evil that was kept at bay. That happened five years ago and now here we are" I said to the Commander which makes him nod his head in agreement.
"A fair assessment. And I fear that if we do not unite again soon, then it will only get harder to fight back" the Commander says to me.
We soon start to walk by some cannons along with some other soldiers. We then see Hannes with them. He then sees us and smiles in gladness that we are safe. Eren and I gesture greetings to him, also glad to see that he is still with us, as we continue to walk with the Commander. I can tell that Hannes was wondering why we are walking with him.
Commander Pixis then takes out his flask and drinks some of the alcohol inside.
"Want some?" He asks us.
"Thank you sir" we say to him as Eren takes the first swig.
Eren reacts quickly to it and practically spits it out and coughs. I take the flask from him and take my swig. I could tell immediately that this was wine. Pretty strong wine but it was also smooth. Gave me a bit of burn in my throat but it was actually pleasant.
"That's pretty good" I said to the Commander as I give him back his flask.
"It is, isn't it? Took it from a noble's wine cellar. Doubted that he would care that one was gone." Pixis takes another swig of the flask "It's good to know that nobles have good taste in stuff like this"
We soon reached the edge of the wall overlooking the remaining soldiers that are left. A very large amount of people left. I guess that's because of my fellow cadets and other soldiers surviving this time instead of like canon.
Eren stands on Pixis left while I stand at his right. Pixis then takes a deep breath.
"ATTENTION!!!" He tells out to grab everyone's focus to him.
"I shall now reveal the Trost Recovery Operation." Pixis said to them "Our primary objective is to reseal the hole."
This shocked many of the soldiers below. Wondering if the Commander is insane or not.
"As for how the task will be done, I present to you Cadet Eren Yeager" the Commander said introducing Eren to which he saluted once being called. Those who know Eren were shocked at seeing him.
"This young man is the successful result of a new cutting-edge research project we have been working on. He now has the ability to manifest into a Titan. Having assumed his form, he will be able to carry the boulder nearby and seal the hole with it. Your duty is to protect him from the other Titans" the Commander explained to the soldiers.
While the Commander was speaking, Armin was talking talking to Pixis' senior officers about the plan with Mikasa standing next to him and observing what the Commander is doing with Eren and John
"We don't need to actually fight them?" The male officer asked Armin
"Sorry, I know it's not my place to interject" Armin said nervously.
"It's fine. Please continue on what you are sayin" the male officer said.
"Right. Titans are drawn by large groups of people. If a good amount of us are placed in a corner, then we would attract enough Titans away from the hole giving Eren more room to move to his position. Once they are grouped together, we can use the cannons to fight them and, if necessary, use our soldiers to finish them off if they don't die from the cannons. Obviously, we can't leave Eren defenseless. We would need soldiers with impressive skill in combat to act as his bodyguards. They will have to either be in the Elite squad or qualified to be one. Since there will be Titans coming through that hole, Eren will have to rely on his bodyguards to stop them before they get close to him." Armin explained.
"Understood. We can alter the plan around that information" the male officer said.
"This strategy is dependent on Eren moving that boulder. But there is no assurance that he could. Well except for John vouching for him."
"The brother correct? You think he is right?" The female officer asked.
"I do. John believes in Eren and his skill. He helped train all of us while we were in boot camp. Because of him, everyone I know is alive. It's because of John that I am more optimistic on this idea working, despite the overwhelming fear that it could go wrong. I don't know if we are all going to survive this but I can promise you that we will succeed" Armin replied to the officer.
"It's impressive that you are not showing such fear. Not many are capable of hiding it especially under such circumstances" the female officer said to Armin.
"Well John would say that facing your fears is better than running away from them. At least when you face them, they become a little less scary. All we can do is push on and not be paralyzed by it" Armin said to the officer. Both officers nodded their heads in agreement of this.
Meanwhile, the soldiers below were stunned at this plan. This was something unprecedented for them and had no idea if such a thing would work. The silence that was deafening to hear was an opportunity for the terrified soldiers to speak out.
"You can't expect us to die for such a reason. We are not tools to be discarded" one soldier yelled out.
"I don't want to die" another soldier said.
"I'm heading back to my family" another soldier said as some tried to leave.
"You are not going anywhere" a more loyal soldier said as he and some others start to block the cowards from leaving.
"Are you mad? We are all going to die" another soldier screamed at the barricaded soldiers.
"Are you? The cadet from earlier was right. If protecting our families and our people require us to die then that is what we will do" said one of the loyal soldiers.
"If you want death then you shall have it" one of thei leaving soldiers said as swords start to be released from their gears.
"ENOUGH!!!!" A commanding voice said to all of them. Every soldier looked to see who said it and they saw me standing where the Commander was.
[Play Dauntless by Audiomachine]
I just reacted and spoke before the Commander did. Seems it's my turn to make a speech.
"What is wrong with you all? This is not a time to be fighting amongst ourselves. A looming threat lies beyond these walls. If we stand here trying to kill each other to buy more time for ourselves, then we are doing the Titans job for them. Is this what we have become now? It would seem that the true threat isn't the Titans but each other is that is the case. And the thing that makes this worse is that we will die knowing that eventually the Titans would penetrate through Wall Rose and kill everyone that we love. Our friends. Our families. They will all die because we were too afraid and did nothing to stop them" I start to say which makes them realize that I was correct in this
"I know the terror that is growing inside your hearts. The overwhelming feeling that there is no hope. I understand that fear. Five years ago, I've witnessed more death than I could ever see in a lifetime. I saw the Titans destroy my home and kill anyone that was in their way. Thousands died. Only hundreds remained. If it wasn't for the Black Titan, myself and many others wouldn't be here today. That day will forever live in infamy as the greatest tragedy of our time. But that day was also a time where a promise was made. A promise to fight back against the things that took my home. A promise to hope that one day we would have the courage to rise up and say "No more". If the Black Titan was here, then things might be different but he's not. It's only us now. Look at the person to the right of you" I said which made them look at their right "Now look to your left." They looked to their left
"We are no longer strangers who care little about each others lives. We are brothers and sisters-in-arms bound together for a single purpose. To be the line that separates the beasts at our door and the peace that our families are living at this moment." I can hear the soldiers mumbling in agreement to this.
"We must unite and stand together if we have a chance to retake Trost. It will take everyone of us to do it. My brother may have the power to seal the hole but it will be us that ensures it's success. Everything that we have been through has brought us to this moment. Every drop of blood, sweat and tear has led you all here, at the turn of the tide. The time to draw the line is here. The Titans will go no further into our lands for they have made one mistake. They think that we are weak. I say different. I say that we are the shields that guard the realms of men. And shields are not so easily broken." The soldiers start to agree heavily on this.
"Today, we will make history. Today, we will be the ones doing the slaughtering. We will go out there and show them no weakness. No mercy. So I ask you brothers and sisters, fight with us. Fight for your friends, fight for your families, fight for humanity, FIGHT FOR VICTORY!!!!" I scream out to them.
"FOR VICTORY!!!" They scream out as they roar with new found confidence in them. Their fear has been overcome with the will to fight, not for themselves, but for their families. Their homes. I think I gave them a realization. That it's not about saving our world, it's about saving everyone else's. A noble initiative that everyone can agree on.
[End Song]
I look back to Commander Pixis and Eren. They have smiles on their faces.
"You truly have a way with words Cadet Yeager. You turned these men who were so terrified of fighting into battle ready warriors. Very few people can do that and it is a pleasure to see that you have it as well. If you keep this up, you might be greater than a king who leads his armies from the front then from behind" Pixis complimented me.
"But what could be greater than a king?" I ask him with some confusion. He then pats me on the shoulder.
"A hero" he said to me as we begin preparing for mission.
Moments later, every soldier was assigned to their designated tasks. Some were setting up the cannons, others were resupplying their weapons and others were doing a series of other tasks to make sure things go according to plan.
Commander Pixis asked me to stand next to him while he speaks with Ian, Rico and Mitabi Jarnach. I not sure why.
"I'm glad you three are here. You have one mission to accomplish. To protect Eren Yeager. Any risks that come are yours to eliminate. You will be in a dangerous position where fighting is the only thing you can. Like Cadet Yeager here said previously, success can be achieved if we work together" The Commander said to them.
"Are we certain that Eren Yeager can actively transform?" Rico asked the Commander. The Commander sighs at this.
"I have every confidence that he can. This is our chance to win against them and we can't waste this opportunity when doubting the abilities of our soldiers. It's time to stop being on the losing side. Understood?" He asked them.
"Yes sir" they all said.
"Commander, the Operation is ready to commence" one of the soldiers said to him. Pixis nods his head in thanks.
"Cadet John Yeager" Pixis calls out to me. I immediately look at him and salute.
"I am naming you squad leader. On-site contingencies will be yours to handle" he said to me. I was shocked at this. For this was supposed to be Ian's job.
"Are you sure, sir? I'm only a cadet" I said to him.
"A cadet that has proven himself able to lead and the skill to back it up. I know that you would do well" he said to me with a smile.
"I have no objections" Rico said with a smirk on her face.
"Neither do I" Ian and Mitabi said in unison. Wow I guess I'm more impressive than I thought.
"You see. Even those with a higher rank believe in your abilities. Don't fail them Squad leader Yeager." Commander Pixis said to me.
"I promise I won't sir" I said with determination. The Commander smiles at this.
"Good, now go with your family. Make sure that they are ready for what comes next. That's an order soldier" Commander Pixis said in a lighthearted tone. I smile as a result.
"Yes sir" I said as I go to meet with Eren, Armin and Mikasa. It doesn't take me long to reach them
"Nice speech, John. As always you have inspired everyone to put aside their fear for a greater good" Armin said to me with a smile.
"Well, to be honest, I didn't think that it would work. I just reacted and said what came to my head" I said to him.
"Pretty good for an improv speech" Eren said to me.
"Thank you. Though I'm afraid that once this is done, there will still be people weary of you and your abilities. I just want you to be careful. That goes for the rest of you" I said to them which makes them smile.
"So what did the Commander want with you that you were standing with him?" Mikasa asked me.
"Believe it or not, he made me leader of the Elite Squad to protect Eren." I tell her which shocks and amazes them.
"That's incredible, John." Armin said with happiness
"Yeah that's amazing" Eren agreed. Mikasa then gently takes my hand
"Mom would be proud of you" she said to me. I smile at her for this.
"Thanks Mikasa. Speaking of which, I want you to join us. Your skill in the field will be valuable." I said to her.
"I would be honored too." She said to me with a grateful smile.
"Good" I say to her with a smile.
"I'm still a bit nervous about this whole thing." Armin said to me.
I'm not too surprised though. Armin is certainly better prepared than canon but he still has doubts about himself. I guess it's a way for him to never fall into arrogance. I can respect that
"It'll be ok Armin. I have every confidence in you. Your strategic mind is your greatest strength. If anyone can help pull this off, it's you" I say to him.
"Thanks John" he says to me with a smile on his.
"John" I hear my name called out. I look back and see Ian "It's time"
"Very well" I said to him as I look back to my family.
We all hug each other close. Knowing full well that we are walking into hell. Best to have a reminder of what we are fighting for. Eventually, we end the hug.
"Be safe" Armin tells us.
"You too" I say to him as we go our separate ways.
I gather my squad and we head straight to the boulder site. As we get closer, we see that the area is essentially empty
"I don't see any Titans nearby. That means the decoy strategy is working" Ian commented.
"Let's hurry before they notice us" I said to everyone.
"Right" they all said as we keep going to the site.
After a few minutes of running, we arrived at our destination. I had Rico send up the signal to inform the Commander that we have arrived. I then talk to Eren real quick before he zips towards the boulder.
"Eren, when you reach the boulder I want you to focus on the goal of this mission before you change. Believe in what we are hoping to achieve here. Once you have that focus in your mind, you will be able to change into a Titan without any drawbacks. Understood?" I ask him.
He looks at me confused on why I would tell him this but given the situation that we are in, he'll take any advice he can get without questioning why. He then nods his head to me.
"Ok John, I will" he said with a determined voice. I smile at this.
"Very good. Now let's do this" I say to him as we start to zip towards the boulder.
We pass through some buildings along the way and once we got close, Eren bit his hand. He is then consumed by yellow energy with sparks of electricity. The energy was bright enough for everyone in the distance to see. As the light dies down, all that remained was smoke and steam
Eren lands in front of the boulder but we have difficult seeing him. In a few short moments, we see Eren's Titan form appear and he roars at the top of his lungs. I produce a small smile at this as this is the moment that we've all been waiting for.
Meanwhile, Commander Pixis was talking with his officers about the current situation with the decoy strategy.
"We've managed to corral most of the Titans tonthe corner furthest from the breach. Combat has been avoided as much as possible. Fortunately, we have lost none of our forces to the growing number of Titans" one of his officers said to him.
"None you say?" The Commander asked him with curiosity. He, better than anyone, knows that a strategy like this is bound to extract casualties. It's an inevitable thing in war
"Yes sir. It would seem that the cadets are expertly eliminating Titans that would've killed some of their comrades. A good amount of our soldiers have become inspired by their actions and have joined them. Because of their efforts, the only casualties are the Titans gathering here" the officer said to the Commander.
The Commander was impressed by this news. He never thought that newly trained cadets would be better skilled than those who have been in the military for years. Then, he thought of something. The only way these cadets could be as good as they are is if they had someone teach them to be brave and to overcome their inherent fear of these monsters. Only one person came to mind.
"It would seem that John Yeager is, indeed,full of surprises" Commander Pixis said with a smile on his face "Mankind's survival may very well rest on his hands"
Back at the boulder, Eren's Titan form looks at the boulder in front of him. I'll admit I was a bit nervous that he would lose control like he did in canon. But after a few moments, Eren then goes to pick up the boulder just as we planned. I sigh in relief of this. We see him struggling to lift it.
"He's not strong enough" Ian commented on the scene.
"Yes he is. He will pick that fucker up if it's the last thing he does" I said to him as I start to shout at Eren "Eren remember what we are fighting for, remember who we are fighting for. This is our chance for victory over the Titans. Use your power and lets finish this"
This seems to get a reaction out of Eren as he goes to pick up the boulder again, roaring as he does it. Soon enough, he had the boulder on his shoulders and begins to move. The elite squad looks at this display of strength with awe.
"On me" I ordered them as I start to zip ahead of Eren. They soon follow.
We then see a group of Titans coming towards Eren.
"KILL THEM ALL" I shout to them which make them yell with determination. I zip ahead and kill one of the Titans while Mikasa kills another. Ian, Rico and the test start to follow our lead.
One after the other, Titans are either killed or moved away to be killed by my squad. The elite squad were fearless and more focused than they were in canon. One by one, Titans were dying before us. If one tried to grab or smash one of us, we either dodged, countered or were saved by one of our teammates.
While we do this, Eren was getting closer to the hole. But there was a single Titan in his way.
"Rico, kill that titan by the hole." I order her. She looks at me and then nods her head as she heads out to do just that.
Meanwhile, I dodged one of the Titans attack and quickly zip around it and sliced its neck open with enough force to decapitate it. Once I do that, I then go the hole with my brother and Rico. Rico already just finished killing the Titan in Erens way. Now it was time for Eren to do his job.
"Close it Eren" I yell at him and on cue, Eren roars a mighty roar and slams the huge chunk of rock in front of the hole.
The shockwave of him slamming the boulder was powerful but it soon died down. Soon enough all of my teammates from the elite squad gathered to meet us after finishing off their portions of the Titans. They all saw what just happened and have looks of disbelief on their faces.
"We did it" I said with excitement "WE DID IT"
After I shouted that, the entire squad started to yell in happiness and gladness. Some had tears of joy flowing out of their eyes. We have become victorious this day and from the looks of it, no one has died. So far, it's a true victory.
"Rico send the signal. Victory has been achieved" I said to her with a smile on my face
"Yes sir" she said eagerly as she fires a yellow smoke in the air which signifies that the mission was successful.
Few moments later, Mikasa and I are getting Eren out of his Titan husk. He's unconscious because of the transformation. It'll get easier for him the more he changes.
"Sir, we have two abnormal Titans approaching our positions fast" I hear Ian say to me as I look to see decently tall Titans running at full speed towards us.
Mikasa and I quickly remove Eren from his Titan corpse and get to the ground. I task Mikasa to watch over Eren as I make my way to the front of my squad with swords in hand. We wait as the abnormal get closer to make an attack but in a flash of inhuman speed, a green cloaked figure kills the Titans before they could do anything. The figure then lands in front of us with their back towards us and we all see the insignia on their cloak.
The Recon Corps, or rather the Scout regiment. Which means the person that did this was none other than Levi Ackerman. He then turns around to look at us.
"This is the part where you tell me what is going on here" he says to us.
Well, he's just as blunt as I remember him to be. Despite this, with the addition of the Recon Corp, now the plan to wipe out the rest of the Titans can go underway. And if I am right, or hope that I am right, then at the end of this day, mankind will suffer no losses today.
For once in this universe, a rare miracle has happened. For once, everybody lives. We still have much to finish but I am confident that this will be the case once we kill off the rest of these creatures.
Today, we have made history. Today, we are a part of the winning side.
Whew, this took me forever to do. It's not easy trying to change the circumstances of a grim story to produce a better outcome. Still it appears that Johns efforts are paying off. His skill and character have made him a leader worth following. Also I wanted to fuck with Kitz because he is such a coward and a pussy in my opinion.
If you recognize the line of Pixis calling John a hero, I pretty much used that line from the Aquaman movie. It seemed to fit in the moment. I also think that the speech was something worthy for someone like John. Especially when such soldiers are crippled with fear. Fear is powerful but it can be overcome and who better to help overcome it than the Lion of the Wall. Plus I think that the music involved with it fit with the speech which made it more badass, in my opinion.
Yes, his childhood title stuck with him after all those years. Why? Because it sounds badass and plus very skilled cadets have a reputation that is spread to many within the military to make sure that the higher ups know who to look for when making recommendations. I'm thinking this is how people know about Mikasa and her capabilities as a great warrior. So the same logic is applied to John.
I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. I hope it has entertained you. Leave a review and let me know what you think. This is me, signing out.
