Chapter 17: The Calm
It had been over a week since Dillon had joined the Scouts. The first thing that happened was that the Wings of Freedom emblem was added to his jacket. While that was cool and inspiring, it was nothing compared to the green cloak he was issued. He had no idea what it was made out of, but it felt so nice and looked so cool. Not to mention the fact that it kept him warm during the cold days and nights, so there was its practical use.
After the introductory week, the cadets, now labeled as rookies, were sent off to different squads throughout the Regiment. During the Expedition, the rookies would have to depend on these squads, completely, to keep them safe. In order for them to reach the point where they could depend on their respective squads, they needed to work with them and get to know them.
Currently, Dillon was following Section Commander Dieter Ness to his squad via horseback. The horses the Scouts had were much faster than the ones he used back in Training. He almost fell off when his horse took off with great speed, but he managed to adapt quickly. Ness told him that he would need to train with his horse often so that his steed would get used to him and follow his commands. He would also need to come up with a name for him.
Fifteen minutes later, Ness pulled on the reins, making his horse come to a halt. Dillon did the same as a black-haired man who looked older than Ness approached him.
"Morning, Darius," Ness greeted, dismounting.
"Dieter, what a nice surprise," Darius replied, shaking his hand as he eyed the teen behind him. "So, this is the rookie you've forced upon us."
He let out a chuckle. "This is Dillon Amsdale. Ranked five in the Training Corps."
"Number five, huh? Maybe the Titans will taste the difference."
A frown quickly appeared on Dillon's face.
Ness rolled his eyes. "Try not to test that theory during the Expedition. We need all the soldiers we can get."
"I'll whip him into shape," he swore.
Ness, after dodging his horse's attempt to eat the white bandanna on his head, turned to Dillon. "Amsdale, this is Darius Walbrunn, you're new squad leader."
Instantly, the blacksmith saluted.
"At ease, kid," Darius responded. "We'll take it from here."
Nodding, Ness got back on the horse and took off, leaving Dillon along with the squad leader.
Darius smirked, seeing how rigid he was acting. "Relax, kid. This isn't boot camp, and I'm not Captain Levi."
"Yes, sir," he replied, trying to loosen up a little.
"And don't call me 'sir,'" he ordered. "Makes me feel old. Bring your horse to the stable and I'll introduce you to the rest of the squad."
"Yes, si—Squad Leader."
Once Dillon got his horse settled in, the rest of the squad made themselves known. Two of them were black-haired males, though one had a mousey face. The last one, however, was young woman with light brown hair.
"Dillon Amsdale, meet your comrades. Jensen Auttenberg," Mouse Face, "Marcus Brotz," The other guy, "and Maria Adler." She was the only woman in the squad.
"I'm looking forward to working with you," Dillon said sincerely.
"Let's get one thing straight, rookie," Marcus stated, stepping forward with a glare. "There are three things I hate in this world. Titans, horse poop, and ass-kissers. If I wanted my ass kissed, I'd go find a prostitute, so don't even bother trying."
Dillon gulped, thinking that he just made a terrible start.
The glare quickly receded followed by a chuckle. "Easy there, rookie. It was a joke."
"Don't mind Marcus," Jensen advised, rolling his eyes. "Take everything he says with a grain of salt, and you'll be fine."
Dillon chuckled awkwardly, trying to figure out what was going on.
"Easy there, rookie," Maria told him. "Unlike Titans, we don't bite. And before you ask, you're not my type."
His eyes widened at the sheer bluntness of that statement. "Uh, I already have a girlfriend."
"All right, cut the chatter," Darius interrupted. "We've got a lot of training to put him through before the Expedition, so let's get to it."
Jensen nodded, taking the initiative. "Come on, Dillon. I want to test your combat skills."
This squad is strange. He thought as he followed him.
(18 days before the Expedition)
Despite the weird start, Dillon began to feel more comfortable around these guys. True, they had all been through hell in previous Expeditions, but the fact they were able to crack smiles and tell jokes every now and then was refreshing. Then again, Dillon could do that despite his own trials in Trost.
When he wasn't with the squad, Dillon was in class with the rest of his friends. Combat training was at a minimum and most time was spent studying that long-range formation Erwin came up with. All the rookies were being assigned as horse suppliers or running relay signals. However, where Eren would be in the formation was very unclear, almost as if it was just an afterthought.
Once classes were done, the cadets would file out and head to their respective squads. The more time spent with their squads, the better cohesion there would be between them. There were passing by the castle when they heard it.
"Hey, Mikasa, Armin!"
The two cadets froze at the familiar voice. It had been far too long since they heard him. Armin turned around with a grin on his face and Mikasa looked worried and relieved.
"Man, am I glad to see you guys," Eren said.
Mikasa grabbed his hand firmly. "Eren, did they mistreat you in any way? Like subjecting you to cruel experiments or some sort of mental anguish?"
"No, not at all," Eren answered.
Her eyes darkened as she thought back to the courtroom. "That pipsqueak took things way too far. I will make him pay for it one day."
"Easy, Mikasa," Dillon urged. "Assaulting an officer isn't gonna look good on your record." He patted Eren on the shoulder. "Nice to see you're holding up."
"Same to you," he replied.
"Hey, Eren," Connie greeted as the rest of the cadets came back.
"Long time no see," Sasha added.
Eren's eyes widened, scanning his group of comrades. "Wait, if you're all hear does that mean… you've all joined the Scouts."
"No, we all decided to come get your autograph now that you're famous," Dillon snarked.
"I bet those Wall Worshippers would appreciate that," Ymir added dryly.
"I see," Eren said. "So, does that mean Jean, Annie, and Marco joined the Military Police?"
Dillon winced as Jean came up behind Eren, catching the Shifter's attention as he turned around.
"Wait, you joined, too?" It was a day of surprises for him.
"Marco is dead," Jean told him.
Eren staggered back at the news. "What… what are you saying? Marco's not dead. You're just kidding around, aren't you?"
"Why the hell would he joke about something like that, Eren?" Dillon growled, clenching his fist.
His green eyes widened in horror. "No, it can't be."
"I wish I could tell you he died heroically or honorably," Jean went on. "Truth is, I don't even know how he went out. He died alone. There was no one there to see it happen."
"Marco's dead…" Eren whispered.
"All right, rookies, form up!" Ness ordered, a soldier carrying stacks of green cloaks and uniforms. "Your new uniforms are here."
It didn't take any of them long to get changed, the blue and white wings now ordained on their shoulders and backs, but the tone was very somber. The deaths of their friends, especially Marco, weighed heavily on them. Trost was not something they could easily get over, and it would be in the backs of their minds for a very long time. They also wondered how long they would last out there before a Titan ate them.
Once he was fully changed into his uniform, cloak and all, Dillon stepped outside, leaning against the wall.
"Hey, are you okay?" Krista asked, following him outside.
"Trying to be," he answered with a sigh. "I can't believe I'm here right now. We're about to go on a risky Expedition, and I don't know if I'm going to make it back alive."
Looking around to make sure no one would hear, she said, "Well, you have your powers. That has to count for something."
"Not much. If they were more, I could've saved more lives."
"Dillon, anyone who knows you knows you did the best you could," Krista pointed out. "I bet Annie has told you that."
"Many times, but…" He looked down. "I can still hear Elsa scream. I can hear the Titan eat her. I can hear Hannah begging Franz to go back."
She didn't say anything for a moment, but she finally asked, "Have you talked to Annie about this?"
"I didn't want to burden her about this," he said.
"She's your girlfriend, Dillon," she reminded him gently. "If you don't talk to her, you're not going to get anywhere."
"I wanted to, but she thought that I invited her over to-" Dillon immediately froze. Oh, son of a bitch!
"Dillon, what are you talking about?" Krista wondered curiously.
He could not prevent the blush coming onto him. "Um…"
Her eyes widened as the implications settled in. "Oh, she thought you wanted to… sleep with her. I can imagine how awkward that must've been." When Dillon didn't respond, her jaw fell open. "Oh, my God. Dillon, did you-?"
"Did Dillon do what?" Ymir interrupted, stepping outside. Like Training, the two were attached at the hip.
"Oh, um, nothing," Krista lied in a vain attempt to save him.
"Oh, sweetie, you're a terrible liar," Ymir said sweetly as she looked at Dillon. Seeing how red his face was helped put the pieces together. The smirk on her face was evidence enough that she figured it out. "Well, well, well, has the boy finally become a man?"
"What-What's that supposed to mean?" he sputtered defensively.
Ymir grin widened. "Holy crap. You actually did Annie, and you lived to tell about it." Before anyone could stop her, Ymir grabbed Dillon's arm in pulled him inside.
"Ymir, stop," Krista demanded, following them. "Leave him alone."
"Hey, everyone!" Ymir said loudly, getting their attention. "I've got news for you all: Dillon banged Annie!"
Someone please kill me right now. Dillon begged inwardly.
Shock covered the cadets' faces as they stared at him.
"You did what?" Eren asked with wide eyes.
Ymir slapped Dillon on the back. "Innocent, naïve Dillon finally remembered where to put it."
"Ymir!" Krista pulled her away, face red out of embarrassment. "Stop it."
"I knew it was only a matter of time before that happened," Jean said, smirking. "So, Dillon, how'd it happen?"
Dillon just sunk to the ground, his hands covering his reddened face, causing most of the cadets to laugh.
"That's enough," Mikasa intervened, walking towards Ymir until they were nose-to-nose. "Whatever Dillon does in his personal life is none of our concern, Ymir, so leave him alone."
Ymir was silent for a moment as the Asian stared her down, but she relented. "Sheesh, it was just a bit of fun, Mikasa. Loosen up for once in your life."
She glared at her before returning to the others, giving the ones who laughed at Dillon a warning look. Clearly, their enjoyment at Dillon's expense touched a nerve with her.
Sasha, however, was more focused on the result of this revelation. While she was surprised that Dillon went as far as he did with Annie, she also noticed that, for a moment, everyone's moods were lifted save for Bertholdt's. Was that your plan all along, Ymir?
(13 days before the 57th Expedition)
"…So, unfortunately, everyone knows about what happened that night," Dillon wrote, heaving a sigh. "I'm really sorry I screwed up, and I hope you aren't completely pissed off at me. On a slightly positive note, I'm getting my next block removed in a few days by my father. That should open a few more doors with my abilities. Wish me luck. Dillon."
"You seem a bit on edge, rookie," Jensen noticed, looking up from the book he was reading. "Girl troubles?"
"When she gets this letter, there probably will be," Dillon answered glumly.
"You wanna talk about it?"
"No offense, Jensen, but this very personal."
Jensen rolled his eyes, holding up his hand to show the ring Dillon never noticed before. "Married with a kid on the way, Dillon. I think I might know more than you about these things."
"I appreciate the credentials, but I really don't want to talk about." Dillon put the pen down, staring at the letter he wrote. "Why the hell are you here and not with your wife?"
"You know, I could be a jackass and tell you it's personal, but I won't," Jensen responded. "This is my last Expedition. I tried to leave sooner, but Commander Erwin needs as many soldiers as he can get. She's only a few months along, so I'll be able to support her during the other half of her pregnancy."
"That's good, I guess." It was clear Dillon's focus was on his troubles more than what his comrade said.
"You know, if you made a mistake, and she's all that she's cracked up to be, I think she'll realize that you're only human," he said. "I mean, spilling the beans about your first time isn't the end of the world."
Dillon's head shot up, staring with wide eyes. "How did you know that?"
Jensen smirked. "I overheard some girl blabbing about how you were getting it on with your girlfriend."
Ymir, I am going to kill you!
(10 days before the 57th Expedition)
One of the upsides to being in the Scouts was that visiting family members and loved ones were welcome unless something important was happening at the time. Sadly, the reason was that the Scouts wanted to give their families a happy moment just in case they didn't come back. In this case, Dillon going to visit Matthew served a greater purpose than just creating a memory.
That being said, his squad leader wanted to make sure Dillon was properly educated on the way there.
"Red flare," Darius began as he and Dillon rode their horses down the path.
"Titan spotted," he answered.
"Purple flare."
"Emergency."
"Yellow flare."
"Mission is terminated, be it successful or a failure."
"Black flare."
"Abnormal Titan spotted."
"Green flare."
"Formation change."
"Blue flare."
"Retreat."
Darius nodded, pleased with his answers. "Good job. You didn't get purple and blue mixed up this time."
Dillon smiled as they came to clearing. Standing in the middle was his father, who was clearly waiting for him. "Hey, Dad!"
"Nice cloak, son," he complemented.
"Thanks." He hopped of his horse, who whinnied a little. "It's all right, Maximus."
"You have two hours, Amsdale," Darius informed as he turned to leave. "Don't be late."
"I won't."
Satisfied, Darius cracked the whip and headed back into the forest.
"You sure you want to do this?" Matthew asked once he was out of earshot, concerned.
"I have to," Dillon stated. "If I'm gonna be fighting Titans, I need to be stronger."
He sighed. "All right. Remember, this is going to be painful, but I'll do everything I can to help you through it."
"How isolated are we?" Dillon wondered.
"A half mile radius from everyone," Matthew answered. "Get ready."
Nodding, Dillon closed his eyes trying to relax.
His father did the same as he stretched out with his powers. He perused his mind, though it wasn't intrusive. All he was doing was looking for the right block to remove. In less than a minute, he stumbled upon it.
"I found it," Matthew announced. "It's time."
Dillon's nervousness level increased drastically in response.
"Son, you need to relax," he urged. "The more you stress about this, the more painful this is going to be. You have to calm down. Take a deep breath."
The young blacksmith did as he said, inhaling deeply, and exhaling calmly. On the exhale, Matthew quickly made his move. Like ripping a bandage from a wound, he struck the block, destroying it instantly.
Dillon cried out in pain, collapsing to the ground and holding his head. He felt a rush of energy flowing in and out of him as a result, and it didn't feel right. Various sticks around him started levitating in the air automatically. Without concentration, he wasn't able to control his abilities.
"Dillon, you have to focus!" Matthew exclaimed, grabbing his shoulders. "You need to concentrate and let the power flow through you naturally."
"I'm trying," he stated through gritted teeth as blood ran from his nose.
"You have to relax. The pain is only temporary."
Dillon started panting heavily as he tried to think of something, anything, to distract him from this unnatural change happening to him. He closed his eyes tightly, trying to block it all out. Then, he started to imagine what Annie would do or say if she was here. How would she try to help him?
Come on, Dillon. They are counting on you. She would probably say. You've got to pull this off. I know you can do it. You survived Trost; you can damn well survive this.
He started taking deep breaths, inhaling and exhaling slowly. With every breath, the sticks that were floating in the air started to lower to the ground. The pain started to recede into a headache, indicating that it was working. Once the sticks hit the dirt, Dillon slowly opened his eyes, wiping the blood off his nose.
Matthew was staring at him in surprise. "That went smoother than I expected."
"What, did you think I was going to explode?" Dillon joked, a little exhausted.
He shook his head, giving him an amused look. "You did good, Dillon. I'm proud of you. What did you focus on?"
"I started thinking about what Annie would be saying if she was here," he replied.
"I see. I've been meaning to talk to your current relationship."
His eyes widened a little. Oh, crap!
Matthew sighed, not wanting to ask, but felt like he needed to know. "Son…"
"Yes," Dillon answered instantly, deciding not to deny it, and save his father from asking the most awkward question a parent could ask their child.
"I had a feeling it would escalate to that," he said. "I'm not judging you on your actions, and I don't think your mother will either. It's normal for relationships to become sexual, especially during these times. Just… how do I say this?" Pausing for a moment to collect his thoughts, he continued. "How do you feel about Annie?"
"I love her," Dillon responded.
"And I can tell she loves you, but I want to know what you are planning to do with that in mind."
He pursed his lips for a moment. "I want to marry here in the future, but I don't know when the right time for that is. Right now, she's in the MPs, and I want her to go somewhere stable before I discuss wanting to spend the rest of my life with her."
"And what about your commitment to the Scouts?" Matthew pressed. "It's something you can't simply walk away from."
"I know, Dad," Dillon said, massaging his sore head. "Look, we just started all of this. Our new positions in the military and our relationship going to new heights. Once things settle down a little, then we can start talking about our future together."
Matthew paused for a moment before giving a single nod. "All right, Dillon. If you need any advice, your mother and I will be there. Just do me a favor: don't use the guest house next time."
Dillon's face flushed a bit. "I, uh, wasn't intending to at first, but, um…"
He quickly held up his hand. "I don't need to know."
Dillon nodded. "Yeah, let's end this conversation here and move on to something a little more important right now." With a flash of his eyes, one of the sticks flew towards him. "Whoa!" He dodged out of the way as the stick went passed him and shattered against a tree.
"Looks like your levitation skills have improved," Matthew noted with a smirk.
"This is going to take a lot of practice," Dillon said, "but it should be enough for me to help my squad more frequent this time." He began getting excited. "Just think, Pops. This was just removing one block. Think of what could happen when they all go!" I can see it now.
He would be standing in the middle of a large field as hundreds of Titans would rush towards him with the intent of eating him. Would he let them? Not a chance in hell. With a single flash of his eyes, all the Titans would stop dead in their tracks. Then, one by one, their heads would explode. Victory, at last!
"Dillon!" Matthew said loudly, snapping his fingers to get his attention.
Dillon shook himself out of that daydream. "Oh, sorry."
"I know what you're thinking, and right now, it's far too dangerous to try and remove your last blocks," he stated. "You can't forget about your limits, Dillon. The bar may have been raised, but there's still a bar."
"I won't forget," he promised before staggering a little, the world spinning.
"Had a feeling that would be a side effect," Matthew said before handing him a canteen.
As Dillon gratefully drank it, he hoped that the removal of this block would give the Scouts a better chance to survive along with Eren.
(3 days before the Expedition)
—and with the block removed, I can finally levitate objects without straining. Granted, they're small objects, but it's still progress.
Hate to say it, but this the last letter you'll get from until after the Expedition. In the next few days, I have to focus solely on preparing for this. Don't worry. I'm coming back home, and when I do, I'm gonna find you, and then I'm going to kiss you. Also, I'm definitely going to introduce you to my squad. I think you'll like them.
I love you with all my heart.
Dillon
Annie let out a sigh as she put the letter down, rubbing her eyes as conflict entered her mind. There was so much that she wanted to tell him, that he deserved to know the truth, but she couldn't. If he knew, he would endanger everything that she worked so hard to get to… no matter how much she didn't want to do this.
"Is that from your secret boyfriend?" her roommate asked annoyingly.
Out of all the people Annie had to room with, she had to room with Hitch Dreyse, the resident gossip. Ever since the first day, the girl had been bugging her time and time again, trying to dig her claws into her personal life, especially when it came to the letters. She was far worse than when Sasha tried to squeeze her birthday date out of her, the difference being that she tolerated Potato Girl's existence. Not so much for this girl.
"Shut up, Hitch," Annie said coldly.
The girl had the gall to pout. "Aw, come on. Can you at least tell me he's cute?"
Her response was to get up and walk out the door, stuffing the letter in her jacket.
"You're no fun!" Hitch shouted at her.
Annie let out a deep breath, putting all thoughts of murdering her roommate aside and walked straight to Kyler's office, knocking on the door.
"Who is it?" a woman asked from inside.
"Annie Leonhart, Corporal," she answered.
"Come in."
Annie entered the office, taking in the scenery once more. Several paintings were hung on the wall, gifts given to her for her services. There were several books in her shelves, many of them on the history of the Walls, the ones that weren't forbidden, that is. Near her window was a carrier pigeon, chirping happily as he waited to deliver the next letter.
The black-haired woman in her early to mid-forties stood up from her chair. "Come to deliver another letter?"
She nodded, pulling out a different letter that was already sealed. "It's going to be the last one for a while."
"I understand," Kyler replied, taking it and putting it inside the bird's pouch. "Dom has gotten quite the workout this month." Taking the pigeon in her hands, she tossed him out the window, causing him to fly back to the Survey Corps Headquarters. Once that was done, she turned back to Annie. "Something wrong, Leonhart?"
"I don't really want to talk about it," Annie answered, but then she decided to give her something. "I'm not a fan of hiding."
"It's a sad part of life right now," Kyler said sympathetically. "Unless you and Dillon want to head to the Utopia District and start a new life, you're gonna have to get used to it for a while."
The blonde nodded, turning to walk out. "Thank you for your help, Corporal Hauer."
"One more thing, Annie," she said as she sat down in her chair. "Secrets tend to make themselves known. I hope you're prepared when the time comes."
That was oddly specific. "I assume you're talking about me and Dillon?"
"Whatever is outside of that is none of my business," Kyler said. "I'm just warning you as a friend."
"I'll keep that in mind," Annie responded as she left the office. That woman is weird sometimes. That being said, she's right. I have to prepare…
(Nightfall)
"…and then Levi walks up and asks me, 'What the hell were you thinking?' And I answered, 'I was thinking that I needed to replace my shoes.'"
The squad cracked up at that joke save for Dillon, who gave a forced chuckle. As far as funny stories went, that one ranked close to the bottom. He quickly took a drink from his mug before he voiced what he really thought of his "humorous" story. A tradition that this squad did was go to the nearest bar and drink beer before the Expedition. They were smart enough not to do this the night before the Expedition, so whatever hangovers they would have would be gone by then.
"Geez, Amsdale," Marcus said. "That's your fourth mug. You're gonna get one hell of a migraine tomorrow."
"That's true," Dillon agreed. "If I was drinking alcohol, that is."
"What?" Darius exclaimed, looking at him with shock. "What are you drinking, then!?"
"Apple juice," he answered simply, showing them his drink. "The nectar of the heavens."
"It's a drink for wimps," Darius stated with a shake of his head. "You disappoint me, Amsdale."
Dillon rolled his eyes. "One, alcohol tastes disgusting to me. Two, you guys are gonna be walking around with migraines tomorrow. I think I have the advantage over you."
"It's all part of the experience, Dillon," Maria told him as she sat down next to him with her second mug.
He shrugged as he took another sip. "You know, I've been with you guys for nearly a month, and I don't know much about you."
"What, do you want our life stories or something?" Jensen asked, his speech sounding slightly slurred.
"Whatever you guys feel like sharing," Dillon responded nonchalantly. "I mean, I already know a little about Jensen, but no so much everyone else."
Putting down his mug, Darius began. "I've been in the Scouts for nine years."
The blacksmith let out a whistle. "Nine years? How the hell have you survived this long?"
"Skill and luck, rookie," he answered with a sigh. "I've been thinking of leaving once my tenth year comes around. Head on to the Training Corps and become a drill instructor like Keith did."
That name struck a chord. "Keith Shadis?"
Darius nodded. "The same. He was the previous commander of the Scouts until about five years ago after a botched expedition. Seventy percent of our forces were slaughtered by the Titans before we made it back home, and Keith just… broke down."
Hearing that story put so much into perspective for his former instructor. "Damn."
"He's a good man," Darius said, taking another drink. "It's a shame what happened."
With a sigh, Marcus decided to spill. "I've only been a Scout for a few years. I wanted to get into the Top 10 so I could be an MP, but I ranked eleven. Since I couldn't get into the Interior, I figured joining the Scouts would be fun." He let out a mirthless chuckle. "Some days, it is fun. Other times, not so much."
"I see." He turned to Maria. "What about you?"
She sighed. "I joined the Scouts so I could get away from the Wall Cultists."
"It's because of your name, isn't it?" Dillon guessed.
"Being named after a Wall was considered heresy in their eyes, and it made me the subject of their attempts to shame me," she stated in a slight bitter tone. "The Scouts don't give a damn about your name; they only care about if you have the guts to give your life for humanity."
This got depressing fast. Dillon thought sadly. "I'm sorry you had to go through that. If it's any consolation, I know a bit about what you went through. Unfortunately, it was the MPs that had a problem with the Amsdale family."
Jensen chuckled. "Oh, trust me. We've heard the stories about your mother. The Scouts think very highly of her."
"No pressure, then," Dillon muttered.
"Carolyn fights her battles in the heart of the corruption within the Walls," Darius reminded him. "We take the fight to the corruption outside the Walls. Whatever you do will not be considered less than her actions."
"Don't worry, Darius," he assured. "I know. It was just a joke."
The squad leader frowned a bit. "Well, I just wasted a lecture on you."
"Most of your lectures are wastes," Marcus teased.
Darius gave him a withering glare.
Before things could escalate, Maria cleared her throat, raising her mug. "How about a toast to the Wings of Freedom for finally having an opportunity to avoid being Titan chow?"
"I second that," Jensen replied.
The soldiers clinked their mugs together before downing their drinks. Things were going to be different this Expedition, and they were looking forward to it for a change. The only certainty was that Dillon was going to come home no matter what. He promised Annie several times, and the last letter fueled that promise.
Stay safe. I love you.
Annie
Remastered Edits: So, before I get into the edits, I want to talk about the original chapter. At the time, I was posting one chapter each day or two days, and I really wanted to get to the next one, so I REALLY rushed this chapter. I wasn't a fan by how little content and development I put in the chapter, so this is something that needed to change. Granted, it's still a montage but with some meat on its bones this time. I feel a lot better about it this time.
Big change, of course, is the added scene of where the 104th briefly reunites with Eren. I figured that would be a good time to drop the ball about what Dillon did with Annie a couple of chapters ago. I also made the following scene with Jensen different in light of that.
So, unless I change my mind, there won't be major changes in the upcoming chapters save for a few exceptions.
I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter far more than last time, I look forward to your reviews, and I shall see you all in the next chapter.
