Chapter 13: The Battle of Trost
Shortly after Pixis's speech, every single soldier who wasn't critically injured got to work. More cannons were mounted on the wall and aimed at the horde of Titans that were increasing in number. Armin came up with a good plan to have many of the soldiers lower themselves close to the Titans so that they would be lured away from Eren as he sealed the wall with the boulder. Not to mention that they would be in just the right spot for the cannons to take quite a lot of them out. On the other side of things, Eren was getting an elite squad of his own that would protect him: Rico Brzenka, Mitabi Jarnack, and Ian Dietrich, the leader. Admittedly, the Shifter was concerned with having the woman that was more than willing to kill him on the spot, but Pixis swore that unless things went horribly wrong, he had nothing to worry about.
"I'm so sorry, Eren," Armin apologized like he had been doing for the past few minutes. "I was just talking out of my head. It wasn't my intention for you to be pulled into all this."
"Stop apologizing," he said. "The fact is you have a gift for strategy and you know it. I believe in you, Armin."
Mikasa finally spoke up. "Eren, I really think I should-."
"I know," Eren interrupted, staring at her.
She couldn't help but flinch. Last time they talked, she was attempting to defy orders to be closer to Eren, and he set her straight via a headbutt while telling her off. It was the last conversation they had before…
"This plan has the chance to go straight to hell," he told her, surprisingly subdued. "You're strong, Mikasa, but we're going right into the heart of the Titans."
"So are you." Mikasa hoped the pain wasn't visible in her eyes.
Eren shook his head. "It's not up to me."
"Ackerman," Ian interjected. "I want you on the squad that will be providing Yeager with backup. We'll need your skill."
Her expression considerably brightened up. It had been too long since Eren had seen her like that.
While Eren wished Mikasa would stay behind for her own sake, he was still feeling a bit down about everything that happened. In all his efforts to try and take care of himself, he ended up in the belly of a Titan. He shuddered, still remembering those high-temperature acids that burned his skin and sought to dissolve him. He decided to let Mikasa have this moment, just this once, because he wasn't going to let it happen again. He would get stronger, and he wasn't going to depend on people like a parasite.
Refueling his canteen and his gas tanks for good measure, Dillon took several deep breaths. He truly felt that he was going on a suicide mission this time, and, despite his convictions, the last thing he wanted to do was die today. He had so many reasons to live now, one of which was blond and short. Still, if it came down to it, he would swallow his fear and give up his life in service to humanity.
"Hey, there you are," a familiar voice said, interrupting his thoughts.
Dillon smiled a little and greeted, "Hey, Marco. How are you holding up?"
"About the same as the rest of us," his freckled friend answered.
The blacksmith let out a sigh. "So… this is it."
"Yes, it is," Marco agreed, humbled by the situation they were in.
"Still thinking of joining the Military Police when this is over?" Dillon asked.
"I don't know," he admitted sheepishly. "I'm a little conflicted now, all things considered."
"I understand." Dillon frowned a bit, the worst-case scenario coming to mind.
Seeing the change in expression, Marco clapped his hand on his shoulder. "We're going to make it. Sure, this plan is risky, but I think we'll pull it out."
Dillon chuckled. "That's what I've always liked about you, Marco. Your optimism is a welcome change to this environment."
"Don't lose your optimism, okay?" he requested.
He nodded. "I won't."
Giving each other a brief hug, the two grappled on top of the inner wall just in time for Pixis to give his sendoff speech to all the soldiers.
"Not once in this century of terror has mankind risen above the Titans," he stated. "Their every craven, bloodthirsty advance has left a wake of inestimable loss for us. Lives taken, territory abandoned. However, should we succeed, we'll make history. Today is the day lands taken by our greatest enemy will be reclaimed. For the first time, we will know what it means not to run, but to meet the Titans head-on and win! Now, it may seem an insignificant lot of land compared to the vast tracts of former glory long abandoned, but as a symbol, as an idea, Trost's regain shall stand as a reclamation of pride and hope beyond measure. A leap greater than we have ever taken!"
The soldiers let out a soldier's cry with pride and determination. Their fears meant nothing to them at this point. Now, they were ready to fight.
The elite squad guarding Eren, with Mikasa added to the group, took off running along the path on top of the Wall. It was too dangerous for them to use their ODM gear without attracting the Titans to them. Sure, the soldiers were doing a good job keeping the Titans distracted by climbing down the Wall and staying just out of reach of the monsters. It was like luring a bunch of dogs to a juicy steak just out of their reach. Still, it wasn't a risk worth taking. And even that wasn't enough. Several squads of soldiers were doing their best to corral the Titans into that one corner spot. It worked, but a lot of the soldiers were killed.
About ten minutes later, a green flare shot into the air, signaling the start of Eren's mission. Suddenly, there was a bright flash as yellow-green energy crackled in the distance. Given the roar they heard afterwards, that was how Eren transformed into a Titan.
What are you looking at? Dillon asked inwardly with a sneer as one of the Titans stared up at him. You know, it makes me wonder what's going in that head of yours. Why does your kind want to kill us so badly?
It occurred to Dillon that he never actually tried to read the mind of a Titan considering every single one tried to eat him. He began to wonder what was going on in that beast. Maybe he could find something that gave him answers. However, just as those thoughts came, they left. Now was the worst time to experiment. He needed to focus on the task at hand and not get sidetracked, especially since the fate of humanity was at stake now more than ever.
Then, the soldiers gasped at the sight of a red flare emitting in the distance. That meant… the plan failed. They started muttering to themselves, wondering if this was going to be end of them after all, that the half-baked plan was all for nothing.
Even Marco couldn't resist falling a bit into despair. "It's over. We failed."
Dillon shook his head, unable to believe this was happening. After everything they've gone through, after all the lives that were sacrificed, it was over?
"What the hell?" Armin asked himself, clenching his fists. Before they knew it, Armin ran down the path. "Dillon, come with me."
"Duty calls," Dillon said to Annie as he followed the blonde-haired boy, a little caught off guard by his demand.
"Armin, Dillon, what are you two doing?" Marco questioned.
The two didn't answer as they went as fast as they could towards Eren's position.
"What the hell happened over there?" Dillon demanded.
"I don't know," Armin shot back, worried. "We need to get over there and figure out what's going on. We can't fail. Not now!"
Damn it. Dillon swore inwardly. If this plan blows up in our faces, humanity will never recover. The downfall of Shiganshina led to the downfall of Wall Maria. If Trost falls, so does Wall Rose. If you're dead, Eren, I will find a way to bring you back so I can kill you myself.
For ten minutes, the two cadets continued running down the path. Titans weren't close to their position, but they couldn't take the chance of drawing them in with their presence. Too much was at stake to pull any stunts like that.
Seeing a familiar Titan corpse sitting on the ground in front of the boulder, the two grappled over, panting heavily.
"Eren," Armin gasped, trying to catch his breath. "Eren, what are you doing? Wake up!"
"Are you kidding me?" Dillon asked, getting aggravated fast.
Unfortunately, the situation was growing steadily worse. Titans were trying to get close to Eren, though the elite squad was keeping a few of them at bay. The problem was that the number of Titans moving towards Eren was growing, and there were too few soldiers to kill all of them.
With a growl, Armin grappled down to Eren's shoulder and started yelling at Mikasa, who just killed a thirteen-meter that was on a nearby rooftop. "Mikasa, why'd the plan go belly-up!? Why on Earth is he slouched here like this?"
"Armin, get away!" Mikasa warned. "It's dangerous. Something went wrong. He lost control and wound up like that!"
Dillon clenched his fists in anger. To think that everything that had led up to this point had been for nothing. Would this really be how it would end? A plan that failed to even start and the continuing end of humanity?
Then, a thought occurred to him. If there was no verbal way of reaching him, there was only one alternative. It was risky, especially since he hadn't done something like this in a while, but he had to try. It felt like it had been so long since he had been useful.
"I tried to snap him out of it, but he wouldn't respond," Mikasa went on. "He's been out like this for the past few minutes."
"But the plan," Armin protested.
"Guys, calm down," Dillon interrupted. He glanced to see that Rico and the others were occupied before going on. "I think I can reach Eren."
"How?" she demanded.
Dillon tapped his head. "I'm gonna try and reach his mind, try to work things out. Armin, I'm gonna need you help with this."
That took Armin by surprise. "Me?"
"I'll explain when we get inside." The blacksmith stared at Mikasa. "I need you to keep that Titans off our back. Can you handle that?"
She gave a firm nod.
"Right, stupid question."
While Armin was prepared to help Eren in any way he could, he wasn't quite sure what he was going to do. "Can you pull it off?"
"I will pull it off," he swore, his eyes beginning to glow. "Hang tight, Armin. This is gonna feel strange."
To Armin, he began feeling the sensation of being pulled down into something before his vision went black.
Groaning, Armin opened his eyes and found himself lying down on a brick road. Slowly, he looked up and his eyes widened at the sight before him.
This place was Shiganshina, which was completely in ruins. It was completely deserted and oddly quiet save for his own breathing. Curiosity compelled him to open the nearest door, which revealed a six-year old Eren being spun around by his father, looking happier than he's ever been. Suddenly, there was a brief flash and the people were replaced by a Titan that had the most unsettling grin on its face. Before it could lunge at him, he closed the door, his chest heaving from that sudden shift.
"This is Eren's mind," he realized.
"Yup," Dillon answered as he came into view. "Everything you see here reflects who Eren is and how he came to be."
"And the houses contain his memories," Armin realized.
"Some are easily accessible, but others are locked and bolted down. That's where he hides his secrets."
Armin looked around in awe of the world he was in. "This is incredible."
Dillon's eyes began to glow as he searched for something. "I know it's a lot to take in."
Armin flinched when he heard the sound of a rumble nearby. Looking up, he spotted the source. Dark, ominous clouds approaching, the thunder sounding very similar to a Titan's roar. "What the hell is that?"
"Probably his mind registering us invading," he answered. "It won't be long before his mental defenses kick in."
"Defenses?"
"We're foreigners invading a mind, Armin," Dillon explained. "It's going to treat us like an infection that it has to fight off."
Armin gulped, staying on guard. He needed to stay focused and not let this whole thing overwhelm him. "We probably don't have much time, then. What's the plan?"
"Right now, we have to find Eren and snap him out of whatever's going on."
"Find him? What does that mean?"
"Since Eren is unconscious, we have to find him and wake him up. He's essentially the center of his own mind. Once we do that, we give him a nudge into consciousness."
"I think I know where he could be," Armin said. "This is Eren's hometown. He might be at his house right now."
"If you know where it is, lead the way," he ordered.
Nodding, the blonde walked quickly towards the house. "This way."
Dillon followed, keeping an eye out. "Armin, there's something I need to warn you about. If the defenses manage to kill you in this place, you'll be thrown out along with some nasty side effects."
Before Armin could question what kind of side effects, the ground started to rumble. "Now would be a good time to run."
The two dashed down the road as the rumbling got worse.
"What kind of defenses are we gonna run into?" Armin questioned, stumbling a bit.
"Probably something Eren associates with strength," Dillon answered as the street started to crack. "Could be panthers, could be creatures that don't exist like golems-"
He was interrupted when, up ahead of them, two human-sized Titans crawled out of the ground and let out their roars.
"Or they could be human-sized Titans," Dillon finished as two more popped out from behind him, much to his annoyance. "I should've known."
"We're surrounded," Armin cried out, wishing he had weapons right now.
Normally, Dillon would try to educate Armin on how to use the mental world to his advantage, but now was the worst time to do it. "Armin, sword or gun?"
He gave him a confused look. "What?"
"What do you prefer?" Dillon elaborated frantically as the Titans drew closer. "Sword or gun!?"
"A gun!"
Concentrating, a bright light shined in Dillon's hands and two weapons appeared: a sword and a revolver. Quickly, he shoved the gun into Armin's hands. "Start shooting and start running!"
Armin fumbled with the gun, still in shock by what just happened. "But I don't have-!"
Letting out a frustrated grunt, Dillon's eyes flashed and the two Titans in front of him were sent flying back by an unseen force. He pulled Armin back as he dismembered the other two Titans before slicing open their napes.
"I'm only going to say this once," he said, panting a bit. "We have ways to fight back, but you've got to put aside parts of reality. That gun you have? I want you to honestly believe that you don't need to constantly fill it up with bullets because if you don't, you will run out and get torn apart by the defenses. Reach Eren and don't die." The ground started shaking again. "I'll try to keep Eren's concentration on me. Go!"
Nodding quickly, Armin hit the ground running just as more Titans started manifesting.
"Come on, you cannibalistic monsters!" Dillon taunted as another sword appeared in his hand. "Show me what you can do!"
"What's…where am I?"
Darkness surrounded him and the silence was eerie.
"What am…what am I doing? Am I sitting?"
His voice sounded so weak and he felt like his entire body was running a fever, but there was nothing he could do about it. He couldn't even move no matter how much he strained himself.
"I can't see. What day is it?"
Suddenly, light opened up to him, showing him exactly where he was.
He was sitting on a chair with a blanket wrapped tightly around him. His father was sitting at the dinner table, waiting for his food. Mikasa was cleaning their dinner plates with his mother, chatting about something that he couldn't hear.
"That's right. Of course." He let out a yawn. "Weird."
With a yelp, Armin barely dodged a Titan that lunged at him. That was way too close. Up ahead, he could see the stone stairs that led to Eren's house. Once he got there, he would do whatever he could to save his best friend. He was not going to fail him or humanity. They were going to win.
However, that victory was going to be hard to obtain, for a Titan tackled him down, prepared to bite his neck off. Quickly, Armin brought up the revolver and pulled the trigger. The brain of the Titan exploded and slumped its body on the blonde. Whether the same rules applied in the physical world or not in regards to their regeneration abilities, it didn't matter. Armin shoved the Titan off of him and continued his way up the steps. A couple more Titans came at him and he instinctively let out several shots. Six rounds, two (hopefully) dead Titans. Armin panted heavily, staring at the gun. He couldn't believe it worked.
Passing by their steaming corpses, Armin thought he heard very faint voices coming from inside the house. Familiar voices. He tried to open it, but it was locked tight. He fired a shot at the doorknob, prompting two things to happen. The bullet bounced off the doorknob, and the world around him shook like an earthquake. If the groan he heard was anything to go by, it hurt Eren more than helped him. This was definitely the center he was looking for.
"Okay," Armin muttered nervously. "Probably not a good idea to use brute force."
He dashed to the window and saw Eren's family: Grisha, Carla, and Mikasa. It looked like a happy memory he tried to intrude on, so why the locked door? This wasn't a traumatizing moment. He looked down and noticed a pillow against the window with dark brown hair sticking out of the top. It was Eren, but something felt off. He couldn't explain it, but it felt like Eren was the outlier in this memory.
And then, realization struck. This was where Eren was currently trapped.
"Eren, can you hear me?" the blonde yelled, placing his hands against the window. "You've got to pull it together. If you stay like this, we're all going to die. Whatever this body's doing to you, fight it. You're Eren Yeager, damn it! What's this steaming hunk of flesh have on you, huh!?"
There was a brief pause as he waited for Eren to respond. Armin was about to start banging the window to get his attention, but then he heard his friend's voice, coming from everywhere.
"What is he talking about? Fighting? What?" He sounded exhausted and confused. "So tired."
This is bad. Armin thought to himself as he hit the window with his fist. "Come on, damn it! Wake up! Get out of there! We need you! Eren!"
There was no response from him.
Meanwhile, Dillon was unleashing his fury upon the human-sized Titans, and it felt good. After everything these creatures did to his race, this was payback in its finest form. Granted, none of these were real, but it still felt good nonetheless. Pieces of flesh flew all over the city thanks to his sword techniques, blood stained the road and buildings, and the number of Titans attacking him were dwindling. However, he had to be careful. Sure, his telekinetic powers were greater in the mental world than they were in reality, but he couldn't use them a lot. It drained him faster, and he needed to concentrate on staying inside Eren's mind until they were done.
After beheading the last Titan, the ground shook again, but it was a rhythmic shake. Dillon's attention was on the storm that was nearly upon him as well as the new mental defense that came to confront him. He couldn't help but feel nervous at the sight of an eight-foot Titan that resembled Eren's Titan form. It gave the intruder a roar, demanding battle.
His defenses are adapting. Dillon thought as he shook the blood from his blades. This isn't gonna end well.
Taking the initiative, Dillon charged at the Titan, swords at the ready. He swung down and Rogue caught them with his hands. Surprised, the blacksmith tried to pull his weapons away, but his grip was two strong. With a grin, the Titan lifted his foot and kicked him right in the gut. The force of the blow sent him flying into the nearest building, crashing into the wooden wall hard. Tossing the swords away, the cuts on the Titan's hands regenerated quickly.
As Dillon gasped for breath, for the wind was knocked out of him, he yelled in pain as random memories assaulted his mind. They were going too fast without context, making him disoriented. Quickly, he got out of the house, and the images subsided after a few seconds.
I wish I wasn't right. Dillon thought as Rogue approached him.
Frantically, Armin hit the window harder, more desperate than he ever felt in his life. "Your mom, remember? Remember what they did to her! You were hellbent on avenging her death! You swore to massacre the Titans!"
Finally, Eren turned to face him, looking exhausted. "You're not making any sense, Armin. Open your eyes. Mom's not dead."
Cracking his neck, Dillon charged again. This time, it was time to fight the old-fashioned way: good old unarmed combat. Dodging a right cross, Dillon struck out hitting Rogue twice in the face, using his powers to make the blows worse. Thanks to this world, his powers were stronger. The Titan growled back and started punching back, his fists having the strength of five men behind him. When Dillon blocked, his arms were instantly injured and bruised and wasn't long before one of the punches connected, hitting him right in the face. Not only did he nearly cough out blood, but the world started spinning, a clear sign of dizziness. With a psychic blast, Rogue flew backwards, impacting another house, but he was barely fazed by it. In fact, the attack only served to piss him off.
This time, the Titan charged, and before Dillon could react, he was tackled down by the beast. Pinned down, he received a severe punch to the face, breaking his nose. Another punch gave him a black eye. Another punch had him bleeding. Each felt like getting punched by heavy stones.
Finally, Rogue stood up and grabbed him by the throat. He was strong enough to lift him up into the air. The blacksmith tried kicking him, but he was losing oxygen fast. With a roar that rattled his eardrums, the Titan tossed Dillon headfirst against a window, shattering the glass on impact. He fell to the ground, bleeding from the back of his head now. Once again, memories flashed through his eyes, but this time, for one second, he caught a glimpse of a black-haired, green-eyed woman that was staring at him. However, he had no time to ponder that woman. His grip on this world was lessening by the second. If he passed out or died, Armin would be left at the mercy of the mental defenses.
Tears of fury welled up in Armin's eyes as he tried so hard to shatter the illusion. "Eren, please! You have to push through it! It's not real! Listen to me! If you don't get a move on, the Titans are going to kill us! It will all end right here!"
"Armin, seriously, what the hell's gotten into you?" Eren asked. "What's this get-a-move-on crap? Don't wanna move anything. Right here's good enough for me. It's not like I… wanna be a Scout." For a moment, he grew hesitant of his statements.
Rogue was about to deliver the final blow via a foot stomp on his head when the world began to shake a little, catching his attention. He realized that Dillon was just the distraction, and that someone else was hurting his master. He let out another roar, this one full of fury, and began making his way towards Armin's position.
No… Armin… Dillon thought weakly as he did his damndest to try and stand up.
Armin did hear that roar, and he fell to his knees, his voice dropping to a whisper. "Eren, please. For me. Wake up." Tears streaked down his face. "Remember when we were kids? All we could talk about was the world outside. You know… beyond the Walls."
I will not give up. Dillon told himself, forcing his battered body to stand. He called his swords to his hands.
"Frozen tundra that stretches to the skies," Armin continued. "Sand dunes, the oceans, forests, the world my parents wanted to see."
"Eren!" Dillon shouted, levitating a brick right at the Titan's head.
Rogue stopped and turned around, growling at the interloper.
"Is that the best you can do?" he taunted through bloodstained teeth.
The Titan, predictably, gave a roar in response.
"I've always thought you've outgrown that dream," Armin said. "I was kinda sad it didn't come up anymore. But then I realized you've decided to let it go because you didn't want me to join the Scouts."
"No, I… just…" Eren finally stood up, dropping the blanket he had on him. The reality was sinking in.
Dillon picked up his swords, the blades glowing bright orange like they came out of a furnace. It was sapping more psychic energy than usually, but he had no choice. "Come on!"
Rogue charged at him, ready to rip him to shreds with his bare hands this time.
This time, when the blacksmith slashed at him, the swords easily cut through his arm, amputating it. The Titan let out a roar in pain, but Dillon was far from through with him. He continued to cut him apart as the world's shaking grew more violent.
"Tell me, honestly, even though your first step beyond the Wall meant hell on Earth, even though it meant risking your life gambling on the possibility of dying like my parents, why?" Armin questioned, driving it home. "Why throw caution to the wind and venture outside?"
Eren slowly turned around, staring at Armin in shock. "What kind of question is that? Don't play dumb. You know damn well why." The shaking was so bad that Armin almost toppled over as the house Eren was in erupted in flames. "Because... the world outside the walls is my birthright!"
"Dillon, get us out of here!" Armin exclaimed, trying to get away from flames.
With a single slash, the nape was cut and Rogue fell dead at last, its limbs scattered away from its body. "Finally," Dillon said in a raspy voice. "Hang on."
With another flash of his eyes, blackness began to overtake them. And then, he heard something.
"Such power…"
"What?" Dillon managed out, but it was too late.
"-up. Come on, Dillon. Get up. Wake up!"
Dillon's eyes popped open and he shot up in a sitting position with a loud gasp, catching Armin off guard. He felt a lot of warm liquid on his face, and a quick rub revealed it to be blood. He felt it coming from his nose and ears, but fortunately, his eyes were blood free.
"How long was I out?" he asked, coughing.
"Only a couple of minutes," the blonde answered, having his own bloody nose thanks to that trip. "Listen, it worked. Eren's carrying the boulder to the breach right now!"
Dillon looked past him and saw it with his own eyes. The Rogue Titan was carrying the boulder over his head, walking slowly. He came through at last, though one could only imagine how much weight was boring down on him right now. If the steam he kept emitting from his body was any indication, it was a lot.
"We did it," Dillon said with a smile. "It's happening."
"I'm gonna get you to a medic," Armin assured.
"No," he stated firmly. "I'm seeing this through."
"Dillon-."
"I'm not wimping out over a few, burst capillaries," Dillon interrupted. "We have to give it our all, and I have no right to walk away from this. Not now."
Armin sighed, knowing there was no way to convince him. "Stay close to Mikasa and I."
"That I can do," he replied, but then his eyes glowed briefly. "I severed the mind link with Eren. I don't want him to get distracted by our thoughts while he's carrying that boulder."
Quickly, the two grappled over to the rooftop where Mikasa was standing on with a group of soldiers, including Ian. Mitabi and Rico were nowhere to be found. They were all watching Eren in complete shock. They couldn't believe he was pulling it off.
"Mikasa!" Armin called out, getting hers and the others' attention.
"Armin, Dillon!" she exclaimed, eyes widening. "You're hurt."
"Don't worry about it," Dillon said. "It'll pass."
"He came out of it somehow," Armin announced. He couldn't say out loud what really happened near all the soldiers. "We're set. He's determined to see the mission through to the end. As long as we've got his back as he heads for the wall, victory will be ours!"
"Then let's give it our all," Dillon responded, drawing his sword.
"Defend him!" Ian commanded. "To the last man if that's what it comes to! Eren must reach the gate! I don't want a single Titan anywhere near him!" He turned to the three cadets. "The three of you, go! I want you near Eren immediately! Hop to, soldiers! That's an order!"
"Sir, yes, sir," the trio responded.
Ian moved forward to attack the five Titans coming Eren's way, but he froze when he caught something. On the ground, three soldiers were running after the Titans.
"Team Mitabi, what are you doing?" Ian demanded.
"The ugly sons of bitches lost all interest in us!" Mitabi shouted back. "We need to get close enough to grab their attention."
"Hey, big guy, over here!" a soldier next to him yelled.
"You walking away?" Mitabi challenged. "Maybe you want us to shove our blades right up your smelly asses!"
The ploy partially worked as the two closest Titans turned around and went after them.
"All right, make a beeline for those buildings," Mitabi ordered, swallowing his fear.
"They're insane," Armin commented, horrified. "Going on foot down there is suicide. If they get cornered somewhere, there will be nothing they can do!"
"That's the idea," Dillon said quietly, Elsa's sacrifice coming to mind.
"Let's move out," Ian interrupted, sounding a bit melancholy. That quickly changed the moment he landed on the ground with his team. "Everyone follow Team Mitabi!"
"Come on! We have to go," Mikasa said.
Ian's team managed to lead the remaining three Titans away from Eren, who now had a relatively clear shot to the hole.
"I'm going to help them out," Dillon exclaimed, taking to the skies.
"Dillon, wait!" Mikasa protests fell on deaf ears.
Mitabi's team continued to taunt the Titans until the beasts reached them. One of his comrades was quickly devoured, and Mitabi himself was crushed by falling debris. All that remained was Ian's team. With a scream, Dillon cut down a nearby seven-meter Titan, saving a soldier in the process. Sacrifices had to be made, but at least he could prevent unnecessary death if at all possible. Unfortunately, because of his weakened state, that was the only person he could save. Ian's team was quickly devoured by the other Titans, including Ian himself, who kicked a guy out of a Titan's hand in exchange for himself.
We're going to live. Dillon told himself as he tossed his boot knifes into the eyes of a Titan, blinding it. Humanity will survive to fight another day. You can do this, Eren!
There was a loud scream, and he looked to see the final Titan blocking Eren's path fall dead thanks to the assistance of Rico and Mikasa. He was so close.
"Go!" Armin screamed.
With the loudest roar he could muster, Eren slammed the boulder right into the hole, sealing the Wall at last and causing the ground to shake for a moment.
We… we did it. Dillon thought as he felt like the day just got brighter. We beat them!
He couldn't celebrate the victory that long, even as the yellow flare pierced the sky. There was another Titan on his tail. Quickly, he grappled to the top of the roof, but the monster was just as tall as the building, and it was too close for him to escape. He was far too weak to attempt a mental attack at this point.
Miraculously, a green blur zoomed by, cutting the nape instantly. The lifeless Titan collapsed to the ground as Dillon's eyes followed the blur. Whoever that person was, he effortlessly took down two Titans that were converging on Eren's position.
Dillon decided to sit down, exhausted from today's events. He felt like a little bit of rest wouldn't hurt now. His eyes began to close and the last thing he heard was someone he didn't recognize asking if he was all right.
(Two days later)
With a groan, Dillon slowly opened his eyes. His head was hurting like hell, no surprise there, and he felt some pressure of them. A quick forehead touch revealed that his head was wrapped with a few bandages. He must've suffered some head trauma, but he had a feeling it would be gone in a few days. Looking around, he realized he was in a medical tent with a doctor standing over him. A very familiar doctor.
"Well, look who's finally awake," he noted.
Another groan left his mouth, one of irritation this time. "Why does it always have to be you?"
"Believe it or not, my life doesn't revolve around you," the doctor said. "I volunteered since Trost was having a shortage of doctors. It's just a happy coincidence I ran into you."
"Happy," he grumbled. You enjoy my pain too much.
"So, let's get on with me doing my job. How are you feeling?"
"Tired and sore," Dillon answered. "How long was out for?"
"You've been in and out for the past couple of days," the doctor told him. "Fortunately, you weren't in critical condition, but you did suffer some head trauma. I can't pinpoint the source of it. Do you remember how it happened?"
"No," Dillon lied. Wasn't the first time he was asked that. "The last thing I remember was Eren sealing the Wall."
"I see." The doctor wrote down that response. "Well, you should stay here for one more day, and then you should be discharged provided you pass our examinations."
"Thank you, Doctor," he replied sincerely.
His eyebrows rose. "A thank you that wasn't begrudging or sarcastic? Progress."
"Don't push it."
The doctor chuckled. "By the way, Cadets Annie Leonhart and Jean Kirstein are waiting outside the tent," he informed him. "That is, if you want to—"
"Send them in," Dillon interrupted, wanting to see his friends.
The doctor gave a single nod before exiting the tent, letting the two in. Both of them looked completely worn out. He wondered how much sleep they've gotten recently. He sat up just in time wrap his arms around Annie as she embraced him, resting her head on his shoulder.
"Hey," he whispered.
"Hey," she whispered back.
"I was afraid I wouldn't see you again," Dillon told her.
"So was I," Annie replied. "Armin told me what you did. Nice job."
A small smile appeared on his lips. He let out a relieved sigh, enjoying the comforting presence of his girlfriend, when he noticed Jean was standing in the back, looking forlorn. "Jean, are you okay?"
His friend didn't speak for a moment, but when he finally met his gaze, it was full of defeat and bitterness. "Marco's dead."
Those two words snapped Dillon out of whatever relief he was feeling. "What?"
"I… I found his body during the clean-up," Jean added, trying to keep it together. "He… it was him."
Dillon relinquished his hold on Annie and turned around, facing the ground. He couldn't believe that Marco, of all people was dead. That optimistic, freckled guy he considered a good friend was gone.
"Don't lose your optimism, okay?"
The words he spoke seemed oddly prophetic, almost as if he knew he was gonna…
"They're dead," Dillon said quietly, tears streaming down his face. "Elsa, Vaughn, Marco, and… everyone who died to…"
He couldn't hold it in anymore. He buried his hands into his face, the grief hitting him brutally. So many people died that day thanks to the Titans, and he wished desperately there was more he could've done. Deep down, though, he knew that he did all he could, and yet that made him feel worse.
Annie hugged him tightly. "Let it out, Dillon. I know it hurts, but I'm here for you."
Humanity managed to strike back and gain a victory at the cost of hundreds of lives. Such was the nature of war.
Remastered Edits: Not much this time, but I hoped the changes were substantial. I decided to show that Mikasa and Eren's relationship was a little bit different in a way that didn't revolve around Dillon. I gave a bit more detail into how the mindscape works, but I suspect that won't be the edit you all will be talking about. Someone's taken an interest in our resident psychic user. I look forward to hearing what you all think about that. Also, the good doctor has returned
I look forward to your comments and I shall see you all in the next chapter.
