"Ready the Artillery! Four groups! Prepare for battle!" Eren yelled as he took out his swords and started to follow Sasha up the wall to face the Colossal Titan. "The target is right in front of us! It's the Colossal Titan! This is our chance! Don't let it slip away!" he yelled again as he flew past the steam and landed on the wall where he was standing before.
Sasha glared at the Titan as it looked at both her and Eren. This was the moment that will determine all future events...
"Hey there... It's been 5 years," Eren said with a glare.
Eren ran straight for the Colossal Titan before pushing himself off the wall to dodge the Titan's hand. Sasha jumped to the right into Titan territory right behind Eren and attached her hooks to the skin of the Titan. The Colossal used its arm to get rid of all the cannons they once worked on.
Sasha knew he was going after the fixed cannons, so it didn't shock her. She quickly hid in the steam as the Titan's attention was on Eren. It made a grab for him, only to have Eren avoid it because of its slow speed. Eren ran up its arm, trying to get to its nape, only to have the Colossal Titan's eyes slightly widen as Sasha hooked herself right next to its nape and came flying towards it, ready for the kill. At that moment, time slowed down as her swords made contact in one quick movement. Eren saw Sasha doing so and went for it as well, just in case she missed. Sasha was about to make the killing blow, only to have hot steam shoot at her face, forcing her back. She had a good grip on the Titan, but sadly, it was a direct hit from the steam into her eyes and mouth, causing her to have a moment of shock and let go of her gear handles. The steam was too thick. Eren couldn't see and went for the kill, only to find out that the Colossal Titan was gone and that they lost their chance.
"I missed," Eren said in shock, before realizing he no longer had a grip on anything and throwing a line to attach himself to the wall.
"You okay, Eren?" he heard. He turned his head and found Sasha with small burns all over her face and hands. He looked at her in shock before she asked if he was okay again.
"Yeah..."
"Eren, Sasha! Did you defeat it?" one of the cadets yelled from the top of the wall.
"NO!" Eren yelled back. "It was the same as five years ago... he appeared out of nowhere and vanished just as suddenly," Eren said as he looked at the hole the Titan made. Sasha quickly made her way to the top of the wall with Eren.
"Sorry," Sasha stated once she was on top of the wall.
"I'm sorry, I let him get away," Eren said.
"Why are you two apologizing?" the cadet asked. "The rest of us couldn't even move."
"Hey, there's no time for discussion!" Connie snapped. He knew why Sasha was apologizing. She knew something was going to happen and didn't tell anyone other than him. If she was to blame, then so was he because he didn't tell anyone and everyone knew about Sasha's instincts. "The wall's been breached. If we don't patch it fast, the titans will come in, like before!"
"What are you doing?" a higher-ranking cadet snapped at them as he came up the wall. "The contingency plan for the Colossal Titan has already begun. Get to HQ! Anyone who made contact with it, don't forget to report."
"Yes, sir!" they all saluted.
"Best of luck to the advance team," Connie said as the cadet ran past them and toward the Titan territory.
The sound of bells and people screaming and yelling at each other was heard across the city. Many people rushed to the gate trying to get away and into the inner wall, but it was too crowded. The advance squad attacked the Titans with cannons and jumped into action when the Titans were distracted.
"You trainees have all passed the final training exercise and now are full-fledged soldiers. We expect great things from you!" a commandinf officer yelled from HQ as everyone rushed to get their things together. Sasha was running around helping other cadets and filling up gas tanks after being checked out of the medical wing for her burns. She gave her report before running off to help everyone else.
"Just follow your training! Split into groups! Under the Garrison's orders, you will resupply combatants, relay orders, and kill Titans! The Garrison intercept forces will form the vanguard. Trainees led by the supply team will comprise the middle guard! The Garrison's elite forces will form the rearguard. Also, messengers report that the advance team has been neutralized." This shocked everyone. "The outer gate has been compromised and Titans have entered the city. In other words, the Armored Titan may appear at any time to destroy the inner gate!" People gasped and started to whisper among themselves. They were all fearful, others were still in shock that it was happening again. "Silence! As we speak, the vanguard is engaging them. We have but one objective in this fight: to defend Wall Rose with our lives until the evacuation is complete. Also, you are all surely aware that desertion in the face of the enemy is punishable by death. Mark this well, and fight to your last dying breath! Dismissed!" the commander yelled.
"Yes, sir!" everyone yelled as they all saluted before running to their positions. Many people stopped to either panic, throw up, or both. Sasha quickly ran to get to her place as she nervously looked around for her targets. She spotted the one she was looking for looking as normal as can be standing next to Jean. Bertholdt looked like it was just another normal day. He didn't say a word to anyone and just watched the people around him. She sent a glare before running after Connie, who was trying not to throw up.
"Connie, are you okay?" she asked once she reached him. She made sure she wasn't followed.
"Did you know?" he asked her once he was done throwing up. "Did you know it was coming?"
"Not exactly... I knew something was coming... I just didn't know what," she lied. Connie just nodded his head as he went to throw up again. "Can you do me another favor?" she asked, not giving him time to catch his breath. He looked at her as he gasped for air.
"What... what is it now?"
"If all goes bad... stay away from Annie, Bertholdt, and Reiner."
"What?" Connie's eyes widened. "Is something going to happen to them? Is it your instincts? We have to warn them!" Connie said as he was about to run off, only to be stopped by Sasha's arm and her glare.
"Remember what you said yesterday, Connie... you trust me, right?" Connie didn't say anything and just nodded his head with wide eyes. "Then don't get too close to them. My... instincts are telling me that something big is coming and it has to do with those three."
"But what if something bad happens to them?"
"Connie, trust me on this, please," she asked of him, not losing her glare. "Put your trust in me and I will lead you to victory. I'm not like Eren with false promises." Connie stared at her confused as she spoke.
"False promises?" he asked her. Her eyes widened slightly before she shook her head.
"Just... promise me, Connie," she begged of him. He nodded his head as he watched her walk away. He gave her a worried expression as he watched her leave. The last time she acted like this was back in training when she was sick...
They never found out what happened, but the commanders and higher-ranking cadets made sure that the food they all ate was safe and had nightly rounds inside the cabins to make sure no one was hurt.
"Sasha," he whispered once she was out of sight. "What's going on with you?" he asked himself as he slowly started to walk away.
"Come on, guys... Stand up! If we all work together, we can do it. I'll be in the front," Sasha said as she talked to all her fellow cadets when she got to the roof that everyone else was on. She knew she was never good with words, but she just wanted to buy Mikasa enough time to get there. She was placed right behind Mikasa's group and had to make sure that no titans got to any of the people. She wasn't there when the abnormal came through because she was dealing with three other titans, which she easily dealt within a matter of minutes, but sadly, she was too far from the gate to race there.
She shook her head before turning to look at Armin, who still looked shell shocked after what happened. She didn't know what to say to him. She saw Mikasa appear and backed away further, not wanting to hear their private conversation. That really wasn't an option though as Armin started to call all of his fallen comrades' names.
"I can do it," Mikasa snapped at everyone who was talking about giving up. "I am strong. Stronger than all of you. Extremely strong. I can kill those titans there. Even if I am alone. Either you're incompetent or you're spineless cowards. How pathetic. You can sit here and twiddle your thumbs. Yeah, do that," Mikasa gave her infamous speech as everyone stared at her in shock.
"Hey Mikasa, what are you saying?" one female cadet asked.
"You want to fight all those titans by yourself?" another cried.
"If I can't, then ill just die," Mikasa said as she turned and faced HQ. "But if I win, I live. Unless I fight I cannot win!" she snapped at them before jumping off the roof they were all on and swinging forward.
"HEY! Were we trained to let our comrades fight alone?" Jean yelled out of nowhere. "At this rate, we're going to turn into spineless cowards!" he yelled before following Mikasa's example, with Connie, Reiner, Bertholdt, Annie, Marco, and Armin following him. Sasha was right behind them, but stopped to yell at everyone.
"Hey!" she yelled. "Cowards! Weaklings! Retards!" she yelled before following after Connie. Moments later, they heard everyone yell and their gear sounded as they too followed after them.
"Connie!" Sasha called as she appeared next to him. He looked over at her.
"Yeah?" he asked. He was scared for their lives and was now even more scared that she might have sensed something.
"Mikasa is using too much gas. She might fall... I want you to go with her. Armin is most likely going to go check on her as well, but I want to you to go with them in case they need anything."
"Are you sure?" he asked as he looked ahead and watched Mikasa kill Titan after Titan. "... Mikasa is amazing," he said as he realized it too. Just then, Mikasa ran out of gas and fell onto a roof, then bounced off and fell to the streets.
"MIKASA!" they heard Armin yell as he started to head to her direction.
"Dammit!" Jean called as he saw Armin following his fallen friend.
"Jean, you lead the others," Connie called listening to Sasha. "I'll go with Armin," he said as he followed after Armin. Sasha sped up, catching up with Jean.
"I'm coming with you!" Jean tried to say.
"Jean, NO! There are more titans left! We need your skills here," Sasha snapped at him. Jean looked ahead and growled, before stopping on a roof. Titans were under him as they tried to reach for him, but they were too short and small. Around him, people ran out of gas. One of them was on the ground with a Titan approaching him. More of the cadets went to save him, and Jean yelled at them, but it was too late, and they were caught by titans on the ground, eaten and killed one by one. Everyone just stared as they were being killed. Sasha landed right next to Jean and placed a hand on his shoulder.
"It's clear for us to go through," she whispered, and with that Jean got a look of realization.
"Go! Hurry to HQ while you can!" Jean yelled, getting everyone's attention. He quickly ran past the titans onto the roof of the next building. Everyone noticed that the Titans were not paying attention to him because of their fallen comrades. Sasha and Marco followed him without question. "Everyone move out!" he yelled as he continued to lead everyone. Jean got caught at one point, but he got himself free by cutting off the Titan's fingers. Sasha moved forward and killed the taller Titans as her comrades followed close behind her. She was the only one with a lot of gas because she knew this was going to happen and saved it up.
Jean avoided Titans and their big grabby hands. The very same titan he had just escaped grabbed another one of his comrades that were following him and killed him instantly from the abrupt stop. Jean cursed, but flew forward and crashed through a window of HQ, breaking it and falling on the floor. He got up quickly and didn't see anyone behind him, only for his worry to disappear when his fellow cadets started flying in, breaking the other windows. Everyone panted as they counted how many people made it to safety. Sasha checked over her gear and made sure that there was no glass inside.
"You're part of the supply squad aren't you?!" Jean asked as he found a group of cadets hiding under one of the desks. He quickly stood up and grabbed one of them by the collar of their shirt, then punched him. Marco came running from around the other desks to see what was going on.
"Stop it, Jean!" he yelled as he grabbed Jean from behind.
"These bastards abandoned us!" Jean yelled as he was being held back. "Do you even have a clue how many died?"
"The Titans invaded the supply room!" the girl said as she ran to her friend. "What could we have done?!" she asked, crying.
"It's your job to figure something out!" Jean yelled at her. Just then, they heard a loud whistling noise. Reiner noticed it first, but Sasha made the call.
"EVERYONE GET DOWN!" she yelled, and everyone got down to the ground right before there was a loud explosion and a hole opened up in the wall. A Titan's face appeared in the opening as everyone got up from the ground.
"Dammit, there are too many people gathered here!" Jean said. Everyone rushed to get out of the room as Jean just stood still in shock. Sasha got in front of him to shield him with her body. People asked where Mikasa was, only to be told that she had been eaten.
.
.
.
.
Half a second...
Half a second is all it took.
All it took for Sasha to see the gigantic hand smashing into the Titans whose faces were looking at both Jean and her.
And in that half-second, Jean saw it too.
In that half-second, Sasha grabbed Jean's face and pressed him closer to the ground, to the point where she could cover him with her body as she turned them away from the loud bang that came after.
"WHAT!" Jean yelled as Sasha brought him down. He saw the hand appear, but didn't get a chance to see what it was because of Sasha.
Sasha quickly got off Jean once the Titan that punched the other two jumped off the building. Jean followed after, thanking her. He was shocked that she would do that to protect him. Sure, over the years they had been getting closer, but he didn't expect her to place herself in front of him when he was in danger and risk her life.
The titan let out a roar as it glared at the fallen ones. Jean and Sasha just stared at it. One stared in shock, the other in... some kind of trance.
"What... is that?" Jean asked as he continued to stare in shock. He was pulled back by Sasha as Mikasa broke through the window next to him with Connie and Armin following after her, Armin being carried bridal style in Connie's arms.
"Mikasa!" Jean called as he noticed her on the ground.
"It's empty," Connie said as he tapped his gas tank to prove his point. "We did it, we just barely made it!"
"You're all alive," Jean said, shocked.
"We did it, Armin!" Connie said as he patted Armin on the back hard. Armin let out a cry of pain as Connie continued. "Your plan was a success! Everyone! That Titan is an Abnormal that slaughters other Titans! It's not even interested in attacking humans," Connie said as he pointed at the walking Titan. "If we play our card right, we can get out of here alive!"
"You'd rely on a titans help?" Jean asked him. "That's more delusional than any dream," he snapped.
"It's not a dream," Mikasa interrupted as Jean looked at her, shocked. "I don't care if it's abnormal or whatever. Just let it rampage here for as long as possible," she said as they all listened to the Titan punch another one and let out a deep and loud roar. "Realistically, that's our best option for survival."
A couple of minutes later, everyone was sitting inside. They were deeper into HQ to make sure no other Titans could smell them. Connie was sitting next to Reiner and Annie. He looked nervous, but he tried to answer all of their questions as best he could. Sasha was keeping an eye on him, making sure that he was okay and that if Reiner made a move, she would be ready.
"These are military supplies, though they're covered in dust..." Jean said as he walked in with a bunch of other cadets carrying crates. They opened them up and pulled out some guns. "Will three bullets be enough? Do these guns even work against the Titans in the first place?" Jean asked as he glanced at Armin, who was looking at a map of the building.
"It's better than nothing," Armin started. "Even if there are still seven 3-4 meter class Titans in the supply room, blinding them all at once isn't impossible with this much firepower. First, we'll use the lift to lower a large number of people into the center of the chamber. Next, they will all fire directly into the faces of all seven titans at once to blind them. The next instant will decide everything. Seven other people hiding near the ceiling will swoop down to attack their weak spots while they're blind. In other words... if we follow this plan, we'll be gambling everything on this single attack. The whole point is for the seven people to kill all seven Titans simultaneously. The seven people should be the most physically capable of us. You'll have to shoulder the burden of everyone's lives... I'm sorry," Armin said, looking at Jean, Annie, Reiner, Sasha, Mikasa, Connie, and Bertholdt.
"No problem," Reiner smiled at him.
"Whoever fails, all of us will die," Annie said with a hand on her hip. "The risk is the same."
"But... I'm a nobody. Is my plan really the best option?" Armin said, still looking at the map.
"We've got no other choices except your plan," Marco smiled at his friend making him look at him. "There's no time left to think. This idea's our only shot."
"Don't worry, be confident," Mikasa told Armin with a nod. "You've got the talent for reasoning out the best solution. That intuition has saved my life before, and Eren's life too."
"Huh? When?" Armin asked. Sasha gave Mikasa and Armin a confused look before shaking her head and checking her gear again... Something was wrong...
"The lift's ready!" one of the cadets yelled, opening the liftgate. "The guns too! All of them are loaded."
"You just aren't aware yet," Mikasa told Armin as they stood up from the ground. "I'll tell you more later," Armin just nodded and watched her walk away. As the group of seven walked downstairs, Sasha could hear Reiner and Connie talking about putting a sword up a Titan's ass. Sasha rolled her eyes at that and made a quick comment as she continued to walk next to Annie.
Sasha was starting to feel some pains in her face and hands as she continued. She didn't say anything, and no one had called her out yet. Maybe she could last a little longer before she rested up a bit.
Once they made it down, they all got into their positions as the lift came down. Everyone on it looked scared, but Marco reassured them to let them get closer.
"FIRE!" Marco yelled and everyone shot their guns. The Titans were blinded as they backed up. Their eyes were bloody, but everyone knew that they would heal in a matter of seconds. Everyone went for the kill, and everyone except Sasha and Connie got theirs.
Sasha's gear malfunctioned when she tried to use it, and the wire didn't retract like it was supposed to, so when she went for the kill, instead of bouncing back, she hit the Titan's neck, missing the kill and making her fall on her back to the ground. She let out a gasp because when she landed, she used her arm to try and catch herself, only to put all of her weight on the arm. She screamed as the pain hit her.
Both Sasha's and Connie's eyes widened as both their Titans turned and looked at them.
"Pardon me... for suddenly... stabbing you... from behind..." Sasha apologized as she backed up.
"Oh shit," Connie called as he too backed up.
"It's Sasha and Connie! They missed!" Bertholdt yelled, getting everyone's attention
"Hurry, help them!" Jean ordered.
"I'm..." Sasha started, only to quickly get up and make a run for it on foot when the titan pounced at her. "I'M REALLY SORRY!" she screamed as she fell on the ground again. She turned around, only to find Mikasa killing her Titan and Annie killing Connie's.
"MIKASA!" Sasha yelled as she got up from where she was on the floor. "You saved me!" she yelled, hugging Mikasa.
"Are you hurt anywhere?" Mikasa asked.
"I'm safe... I'm safe thanks to you," Sasha said. She had too much adrenaline running through her body for her to realize how much pain she was actually in.
"Then stand now," Mikasa snapped at her. Sasha sighed as she nodded and let her go. She looked over at Connie and saw Annie was close to him as he thanked her. Reiner and Bertholdt came over a moment later, talking to them before Annie walked away.
"Everyone stock up on supplies!" Jean ordered as everyone nodded and cheered. They all came down from the lift and started to restock their supplies. As they did so, Sasha's movements started to slow down. She had tears in her eyes as she felt the pain hit her.
"Are you okay?" Connie's voice rang out as she placed another gas tank on the gas dispenser. She nodded her head lightly as a wave of dizziness hit her. "Are you sure, you're looking a little red."
"Sasha," Reiner called as he walked up to her. He looked worried as he placed a gas tank down. "Can you hear me?" she nodded her head lightly, before it fell toward Connie. Her vision was blurry and she could hardly hear. Her head suddenly felt very heavy as Connie picked her up.
"SOMEONE GET A MEDIC!" Connie yelled as Sasha lost consciousness.
Edited by QueenOfAces
