The Armory

Mina was tasked with explaining Armin's plan to Eren. He remained in his Titan form, bright red flesh binding him into the looming humanoid shape that towered over the city streets. There was a bare, faint sense of his human body within the steaming cocoon, but it was suppressed by the powers he possessed. Milieus and Jean scouted for ahead, while Thomas remained back as their rearguard. The rest—Bertholdt, Reiner, Annie, Marco, and Armin—remained close by, within perhaps a twenty-meter range along his flanks.

He didn't fault them for their distance, though Eren wondered when Annie would reveal herself. It was bound to happen this day, especially since he would further expose his power to humanity before the day ended.

Large green eyes sought out Annie, who he thought was somewhere on his left flank. Eren suspected she was frustrated or even angry with him for openly shifting into his Titan form. She should have known it was probable he might openly shift in the face of the Titan horde invading Trost. Perhaps she would prefer him to do so while out in the open field as a member of the Survey Corps, but the die was now cast. There was no taking back what he had done.

Hopefully we can get Armin's plan to work. We'll seal the breach and retake Trost. After that, we can leave it to the rest to cleanse the city.

Eren wasn't sure why they couldn't just have him plug the breach first, but it was clearly part of Armin's plan, and his friend knew what they were doing. After all, were it not for Armin, Eren and Mikasa would've died in Shiganshina, devoured by the same Titan that ate his mother.

He hated the truth of that statement, but Armin had convinced him. After all, his friend could see or perceive things that Eren absolutely missed. He would rely upon his judgment as long as it remained true and accurate.

Milieus and Jean veered right, slightly away from their destination: Headquarters. Perched upon Trost's sole hill, it had become a disheartening sight in the wake of the breach. Only an hour prior they had been there, preparing for deployment on to their first battlefield as soldiers. Now, seven and fifteen-meter class Titans swarmed the structure, corralling the limited forces assigned to the Garrison's Supply Corps into the deepest sections of the exposed fortress.

Hopefully they're all dead by the time we arrive, Eren thought with gritted teeth. Otherwise it means they're cowards—and the only thing worse than a coward is cattle.

He continued forward, Mina upon his right shoulder, when Eren spotted the reason his small vanguard had gone off-course. Some forty cadets stood upon the nearby rooftops, demoralized by their squad losses. From his present distance, only Connie's shaved head and Krista's lacking height stood out from the crowd, though he knew others like Ymir and Sasha had to be present. They had to be, for they were too skilled to perish now.

"I think we should stop here," Mina said. "They'll want to get the rest to join us."

Eren nodded, straining to glance at the pig-tailed girl without shifting his head. He was rather pleased by how easy it was to control his Titan form, though having the opportunity to kill several Titans with naught but his training and skill helped his mood immensely.

He felt a slight sting on the left side of his neck. It reminded him of insect bites during summer. A moment later, Armin landed on his left shoulder.

"We're going to convince the others to trust in our plan, Eren," he stated, slow and clear. It had taken some back and forth, but they had worked out the easiest way to communicate with Eren while within his Titan form. He hoped they could move to hand signals, but that would require him to possess eyesight a great deal better than what he actually possessed.

In his training with Annie, the issue of how to communicate with their fellow soldiers had never arisen. Now that he was giving the issue some thought, they had either remained in their natural state or had both shifted outside of that single instance when he shifted for the first time. Chances were she had never considered it would be an issue for him. Or as he feared, it wasn't an idea she had given thought to, and thus hadn't bothered with.

The most Eren had gotten out of Annie about Titan Shifter secrets was that there could only be Nine, that there were five or six within the Walls, based upon what she knew, and his was called 'The Attack Titan'. Whatever unique traits he possessed were unknown, given it somehow appeared with his father as early as 832, after being missing for about a century. A time period, he knew, which coincided with the Titan menace and the raising of the walls.

The greatest secret she kept from him, one likely wrapped up in whatever ones she hadn't already admitted to, was the true identities of the Armored and Colossal Titans. Eren hoped the Armored Titan would make an appearance. If anything would convince the higher brass he could be trusted, it would be taking down that threat. However, he wouldn't be surprised if that Titan proved to be a coward and never showed his face.

I wish I could say with certainty I take down the Colossal Titan with or without Annie's help. I definitely can handle that bastard, the Armored Titan.

She might not believe in his confidence, but he didn't doubt himself. His Titan might not possess the destructive powers required to puncture the natural plating of the Armored Titan, but Annie had taught him arm locks and overextension techniques that could shatter the armor. The only issue was that they all required grappling and he had no clue as to the enemy's martial ability. It could be that he was as skilled as they were, or maybe they were so reliant upon their armor that they had no clue how to fight one on one.

Eren was drawn away from his thoughts by a familiar figure landing near Mina. He glanced over, green peering past his bangs out the corner of his eyes. What he saw elated him, even if the expression on her face was unrecognizable. Mikasa stared up at him, awestruck and wary, hesitant to believe the truth before her.

"Eren… Is that truly you?"

Leaning his head backward slightly, the flesh at his Titan's nape popped open with a burst of steam. Strands of flesh held tight to his face, even as he grinned at his startled friend. Her slate grey eyes widened, dispelling some of her ethnic traits.

"What are you doing here, Mikasa?" he asked, voice husky from the steam and his enclosure. "Isn't the evacuation complete?"

She regained her composure and frowned. "I came back for you."

Eren sighed, tempted to shake his head. "You should think more about yourself, Mikasa. You don't need to worry about me so much." Her face froze at his words, as though petrified. "But, I'm thankful you came back. We need your help getting into Headquarters and retrieving gas for everyone else. They need your strength."

Mikasa nodded, jaw set as she turned to join the others. Several stared at Eren, gaping at his exposed face within the flesh of a Titan. His green eyes flickered over to Bertholdt and Annie, close by. She was as impassive as always, perhaps to better deal with the carnage about them. Bertholdt, on the other hand, appeared as though he had streams of sweat leaking from all over his face.

Odd, but he was always really warm. Maybe he's just overheating, being so close to me.

Eren leaned forward, back into his Titan form. The nape healed behind him. The others might be getting queasy thoughts about the truth of Titans, seeing him emerge and re-enter his form at the nape, but he had other problems to focus on.

Yet certainly some of them were thinking: What does it mean about Titans if their weak point, the nape, is where Eren hides?

He set aside any worries about what the others may think of him, and watched as Mikasa walked among the cowardly cadets. The sight of him as a Titan, capable of fighting the enemy head-on, would not inspire courage in their hearts.

"I am strong," he heard her say. "Stronger than all of you. I will be heading for the armory within Headquarters, and I will kill every Titan that crosses my path. I do plan to die today or tomorrow. I will fight.

"For as long as I fight, I can win. To lose means to die."

She then glared at them, or so he assumed before then racing off towards the Titan-infested building in the distance.

"We should follow her," said Mina, more worried than awestruck.

Eren didn't move immediately. Instead, he waited until others began to follow Mikasa, driven to at least try and reclaim control over their lives. Perhaps some would regain their confidence, their desire to live and breathe. They gave him distance, especially when he drew the attention of a seven-meter class Titan. Disabling it was simple—an armbar to get around to the nape and then a twist to sever head from neck. He finished it off with a stomp, never once in danger from his foe.

He found it to be a heady intoxicant, the ability to kill Titans with such ease. He knew being ambushed or overrun could quickly turn dangerous—even deadly for him, despite his powers. Yet the power to kill Titans with ease burned in his veins like any drug found in the underground.

And the form he occupied was the source pounding through his veins.

Jean Kirschstein grimaced, holding back a sigh, as his boots made contact with the Trost rooftops. Only a few hours ago, he felt as if he were atop the world. The morning had begun with an excellent breakfast at home with his family, where they celebrated his inevitable and prestigious assignment to the Military Police thanks to his placement at graduation. He had nearly mooned over the fact he'd no longer have to deal with Eren Jaeger. He didn't hate his fellow cadet, but he would take being devoured by a Titan over calling the rash, angry boy a friend.

But that was before Wall Rose was breached. His hometown, the very first place he was first stationed as a soldier, was being subjected to the devastation that befell Shiganshina. There was a frustratingly high chance he'd end up as one of hundreds, devoured by a Titan within the district he had been born and raised in.

And Eren Jaeger, somehow, some way, possessed the power to transform into the very thing he hated.

He sighed, lamenting his fate. Jean detested this day and could only hope he'd be able to rest in peace. Alive would be nice as well.

The roar of a Titan drew his attention as once more Eren Jaeger punched an enemy Titan through a building, mindless of the destruction being rent. Jean grimaced, wondering how much reconstruction would need to be completed solely because of the suicidal bastard's inability to act in a measured way. There would certainly be uproar once the reality of a human-becoming-a-Titan became public knowledge, and he didn't like admitting that some reactionary officer in the Garrison would cause a minor panic.

If anyone was bound to survive this disastrous day in Trost, it was Eren Jaeger. It was a surprise to be sure—and completely unwelcome, as far as he was concerned.

It had been Jean's honest opinion that Jaeger would perish on his first Expedition Beyond the Walls, and not even a patch from his jacket would return to Wall Rose. He never verbally expressed said opinion, if only with the hope of being able to console Mikasa, and perhaps begin a romance with her in the following months. It would be exceptionally cruel to allow a beautiful and talented woman like her to wallow in the pain of tragedy, foreseeable as it would have been.

Jean continued forward, heading for the distant, yet visible pinnacle of Headquarters. Titans were laying siege to the structure, placed between them and the supplies within. He only felt relieved by the fact he couldn't see the Titans at present. Something had happened to draw them away from the top of the structure.

Not that we can guarantee it'll be a free and easy shot inside once we arrive. The gates into the structure are large enough for three-meter Titans

Witnessing that first sight of a Titan seeking to crawl and climb onto Headquarters almost an hour ago had been as traumatic as the cruel, distressing moment he realized he was witnessing the outer wall being breached. Nobody knew why Titans came from the south, but Jean knew he should've expected something like this to happen to his hometown. After all, it was where the Shiganshina refugees had been brought in the wake of their tragedy.

Great, now I'm thinking like Jaeger.

As frustrating as that thought was, Jean didn't have the impulse to throw away his life as a member of the Survey Corps. He'd leave that to the fools in Jaeger's squad. Only Mikasa, unfortunately, and perhaps Annie Leonhardt of those in the Top Ten of their graduating class would follow him into foolish suicide. The rest were like him, seeking safety and wealth for their families. Marco had a romanticized sense of duty, but it was better than Jaeger's suicidal goals.

There were thoughts though, treacherous and vaguely sounding of Jaeger, which whispered in the back of his mind. He thrust them away from his awareness. He could only be preoccupied with the singular task of survival.

That, for now, was all Jean could ask of himself and of the others.

Armin crashed through one of the upper-level windows of Headquarters, just in time to see Marco pull a raging Jean away from a pair of cowering cadets. Even as he watched them argue and fight, his ears continued to ring with Eren's roars and bellows, along with the screams of his fellow cadets before the teeth of a Titan silenced them. The briefest reminder of that terror threatened to launch a burning crawl of bile up his throat and out his mouth.

Instead, he merely stumbled away from the shattered window as another followed through the opening he had made. Armin looked around, watching as others arrived, and despaired over how few had made it. Of the seventy or so they found upon those rooftops, maybe two dozen survived the harrowing, mad rush to the besieged structure.

The rest were dead, or soon might be.

Or he had been at the front of the pack, Armin suspected for as quickly as the thought of so many dead struck him, nearly the same number he had just counted arrived in swift numbers. It raised their total to some fifty strong, but it meant there were still twenty dead fellows, cadets and friends and allies, those who had perished upon this desperate hope to reach Headquarters.

And it appeared, to his lament, that Titans had breached whatever security there was to enter the massive storeroom below.

An architectural failure, he thought as Marco finally released Jean, his rage subsiding.

"You two should hope we can kill those Titans," snarled Jean, turning away. "Otherwise I'll feed you to them."

Marco tried to apologize for his friend, but the duo clearly weren't in a mood to accept his words, terrified expressions struck hard and true to their faces. Armin sighed, feeling agitated. He couldn't fathom any way this particular day could get worse—or weirder. He was almost excited to get over the wall and to safety, if only to strategize with Eren on how they'd successfully plug the breach.

He knew there was a perfect boulder to do the job, but Armin had to prioritize getting everyone to safety first.

We don't have enough supplies to safely seal the breach, support Eren in the venture, and then climb the Wall. We need to regroup with the others, including the Garrison soldiers, before we'll have the manpower necessary to reclaim Trost.

Mikasa was the last to arrive, clearly torn being away from Eren. She glanced outside, but was quickly distracted.

"He'll be fine," said Annie of all people. "Eren's a skilled fighter."

Her words didn't completely mollify Mikasa, but she seemed less stressed after what had been said. Armin was a touch surprised Mikasa hadn't been further agitated by it being Annie, but it appeared he didn't either woman as well as he thought.

He wouldn't deny he was suspicious of Annie, though now was not the time to confront her. She had always been suspicious of others and went to noticeable lengths to keep others at a distance, or had done so before Eren forced his way in.

Her words about Eren were enough to go by, and he couldn't help but remember those giant footsteps from earlier that year. There had long been something strange, almost special between Eren and Annie. Armin swore the footprints from that particular night had been different enough that there could be two—

His blue eyes flickered to Annie, shocked. She could be like Eren, possessing a strange power. He thought of the lightning from when Eren transformed, and remembered how lightning had struck before the outer gate, moments before the Colossal Titan had appeared to breach the Wall.

Could it…? Armin wondered, hoping he wasn't going mad. But that would mean—

"Armin!" shouted Reiner, standing around with Bertholdt, Mikasa, and Jean. It was enough to draw the blond from his thoughts and fears. "We need your help."

He walked over, noticing how Connie and Marco watched on. "With what?"

Jean gestured to a supply corps cadet, holding his bruised face. "That idiot told us there's seven three-meter class Titans down in the main supply chamber. Mikasa thought you'd come up with a good plan to take them out so we can safely resupply."

"That… that is something I can do," Armin said, focusing upon the moment. He closed his eyes, envisioning the storeroom in question. He had looked around earlier, a quirk he was thankful for now. There were exposed rafters, large and strong enough to easily support a person. Add in the central lift, which could be elevated above the ground…

"I have a plan," Armin declared, confident his strategy would result in zero casualties. It had to. "But it relies upon the seven strongest present to be successful."

Marco stood at the center of the lift, awkwardly holding his primed rifle, the barrel skyward. There was a soft burning noise around them, firing cords lit but held away from the flash pans. Armin stood right beside him, jaw clenched and hands tightly gripping his own rifle, as they descended to the sound of clinking chains. According to the plan, seven of their number were now moving into place in the rafters overlooking the supply room floor.

He trusted them to strike their targets, true and swift. He believed in them and in their skill.

He had to. Marco was the one Armin chose to command the gunners aboard the lift, saying he was a natural leader.

Some twenty cadets, armed like them, stood within the lift, nervous with every meter of their descent. If Marco's understanding of the plan were accurate, in a few seconds they would finally enter the storeroom. They would be able to see the Titans who had gotten inside and their numbers were enough to lure them towards their position.

The lift broke free of the chasm down into the storeroom. Marco spotted two of their fellows, poised in the rafters, but he couldn't focus on them. Any distraction from his role in Armin's plan could mean the death of his fellow cadets. It could even mean failure, though he told himself it would work. It had to work. They were all placing their faith in Armin, someone who had the trust of Mikasa and Eren. If two of their strongest trusted the blond's mind, then Marco would as well.

Their only other option was to give up and allow the Titans to devour them. They would die, their lives wasted.

The lift slowed, reaching a level about two and a half meters above ground. That, according to Armin, would place them at the proper level to meet the Titans, so they could stare into their large, freakish eyes.

Those would be their targets.

"Everyone, hold!" Marco shouted, in part to draw the attention of the Titans, but also to calm the nerves of his men. Several who had been shaking stilled. "Keep your rifles up until they approach."

He couldn't see them all, even from his position in the center, but those within Marco's line of sight tightened their grip around their rifles. He did as well, focusing upon the press of varnished, polished wood in his hands. Otherwise, his mind might wander and be plagued with fear.

They heard the stomp before they saw the Titan. It wasn't terribly loud, but strong enough that they all knew what was coming their way. Thump.

Thump.

Thump. Slowly, yet surely, the Titans began to approach the lift. Their steps fell in line with Marco's heart, pounding in his chest as he struggled to maintain a steady breath. He glanced around and saw that the seven they were told of had moved to surround the lift, just as Armin planned.

"Men. Present arms!"

As one, thirty rifles descended from their high position, barrels pointed outwards at the enemy. The Titans didn't flinch nor did they hesitate. The lowering of rifles towards them had no impact, as if nothing had changed about the state of their prey.

The Titans continued forward, nearly all about five meters away. Marco took in a slow breath, glancing over at Armin. The blond appeared calm, yet his bright blue eyes glowered with a terrified energy. Even though it was his plan, it relied upon a great many working in concert, overcoming the terror their primordial foe could inflict through their mere presence.

The Titans were now three meters away, and closing.

"Focus upon their eyes men, and take heart men!" Marco shouted. "Take heart that today you are taking one of the first shots in humanity's counterattack against the foe!"

They all tensed and relaxed, a fluctuating concert of reactions that Marco took to mean they understood him and that they too wished to live. Not a barrel shook, not a finger out of place.

The Titans were a meter away, near enough that not a shot would miss. Near enough, they could reach out and snatch any of the humans out of the basket.

"Fire!"

Thirty sharp cracks filled the air, smoke and light bellowing forth as bullets flew true and blinded the foe. There was movement from behind the Titans, the seven volunteers striking forth with shining blades and severing cuts.

Five Titans collapsed, steaming away as the severing of their napes brought about death. Two, however, only had steam pour from their eye sockets and the slight cuts upon their backs, turning towards the humans who had failed to strike deep and true.

Marco forced his way to the edge of the lift, grimacing at how the basket shook slightly from his movement. To his despair, it was Connie and Sasha who failed their attacks. He watched on as their targets moved to curtail and cower the humans, making it easier to consume them. Had Marco his maneuvering gear, he would have gone over the edge and to their rescue. However, the needs of the plan meant he and the others within the lift had left their gear in the upper levels, not having the room within the car for their equipment and to ensure there were enough rifles to ensure success.

He could hear Connie whimper, could hear Sasha beg, but their end did not come. Quicker than lightning and just as powerful, Mikasa and Annie spun into action. They each took down a Titan, cutting with efficient precision that Marco wouldn't have been surprised if one of them was born knowing how to use the maneuvering gear. They certainly moved with grace and ease on a level above everyone else.

I wonder if their anti-social tendencies is part of the reason why they are so powerful, Marco wondered as he watched the two rescued praise and thank their saviors. They both certainly deserved their Top Five placement.

"Okay, that's all of them," said Armin, relieved. Tension bled away from everyone within the lift. He looked up, back through their descent, and shouted, "Lower us all the way! It's safe down here now!"

The lift shifted after a few seconds and descended the final few meters to the ground. When it touched down, anxious cadets leaped over the edge and shoved open the door. They rushed to the refill lines connected to the massive gas containers and then in their original squads, departed for the wall and the safe lands beyond.

Marco crossed to Jean and slapped him on the back, grinning as he said, "Good job."

Eren surveyed the wide-open space around Headquarters. Every Titan that had been present when he arrived, along with those that had been drawn by his presence were dead, steaming away into vapor and dust. He turned and stared at the looming structure, watching as a third group fled on a frantic course towards Wall Rose. It wouldn't be safe for him to approach it as he was now, especially since he doubted the Garrison soldiers manning the cannons upon the Trost stretch were aware there was a human within this Titan form. He would need to exit this body, the one he had been sealed within for most of the current engagement, and make the trek as a human.

He would miss this particular body once he withdrew from it. The power and joy it brought him, being able to fight the Titans on equal footing, was something he wasn't ready to let go of fully. Yet he needed to do so, or else he might risk being subsumed by this body. Annie hadn't said it in any specific terms, but he could feel himself almost melting into this body.

A large group landed on a nearby roof, drawing Eren's attention. He looked over and was able to recognize all five of them: Armin, Mikasa, Annie, Bertholdt, and Reiner. Eren walked over and bent his neck, so that the nape was directly near them. Once his forehead was resting against the building, he pulled out of the Titan form. Even with his gear, he stumbled his way up to the rooftop, still a touch dazed by the loss of power.

"Can you make it over, Eren?" asked Armin.

He glanced at Mikasa, who appeared ready to throw him over her shoulders and scale Wall Rose without regard for his dignity. He shook his head, pushing back some of his brown hair. "I'll be fine, Armin. Let's just get on the other side of the wall so we can hear your plan for retaking Trost."

Armin nodded, face stiff but without any doubt. Eren glanced at the others, taking in their faces. Something seemed off with Reiner and Bertholdt, but he might be imagining it.

After all, who could've predicted this day?