Disclaimer: I do not own Gate: Jieitai Kano Chi nite, Kaku Tatakaeri while Shingeki no Kyojin is the property of Hajime Isayama, I only own the OCs I create and finally, I wish all of you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Thank You.
"Hi!"=Yelling/Title
"Hi"= Speaking
'Hi'=Thinking
"Hi" = Flashback
'Hi'= Flashback thinking
Hi=Intro
"Hi!"= Flashback Yelling
Chapter 14
June 3rd 14:08 hrs., AOT Universe, Trost District
There were many things Major Henri Matthieu had been expecting when he'd heard the rather ominous sound of footsteps rapidly running towards him. More civilians desperately trying to find a way out. More disorganized Eldian soldiers, adandoned by their officers and with no where to go. Perhaps, if he was particularly unlucky, he might find himself staring down some to the afformentioned merchants cronies, sent by the "powerful friends" the man had been raving about for the past few minutes. Meaning the addition of an even greater number of obstinant men and women who may be even less cooperative with him and his troops than the older merchant himself.
Luckily, however, it was none of these. Instead Major Matthieu found himself watching as several individuals clad in brownish uniforms with tin looking helmets charged towards him, with FAMAS assault rifles slung over their shoulders.
"Aren't those members of the Eldian Legion, sir?" the private who had just been conducting a verbal duel with the afformentioned merchant asked. Prompting Henri to place a hand over his eyebrows to block the bright sun that was filtering in from the sky, and give him a better look.
"Yes," Henri answered, before finding himself adding.
"Now we can finally settle this whole affair".
"Major Henri Matthieu, is that you?" one of the individuals, a girl, asked as she reached where he was standing.
"Yes and who, may I ask, do I have the honor of speaking to" Henri answered, earning him a sturdy salute.
"Seargant-Major Annie Leonhart, I was assigned to help in directing a small group of people from the medical office towards the main evacuation area" she responded, as she waded through the gathered group of civilian. With her being jostled each step of the way.
"Well Seargeant-Major, if you would be so kind, could you please inform Monsieur..." Henri began, trailing off as his gaze fell upon the merchant.
"Algeiger, Hanz Algeiger, and if you wish to avoid being placed on potato peeling duty for the rest of your miserable carrer I suggest that you remember it" the old man huffed, making little effort to hide his contempt for Henri's authority.
"If you could properly explain the situation to Monsieur Algeiger I would greatly appreciate that, I can't seem to get through to him" Henri stated before adding in an equally contentious tone.
"Peraps the concept of human charity is something far too poor for this man of wealth to understand". A suggestion that prompted a round of snickering from the troops behind him.
"Monsieur Algeiger, this may seem like an act of great inconvenience, but if you let these people through that I will...personally work to ensure that your carge is safely delivered to wherever it needs to go-" Annie began, only for Algeiger to cut her off.
"Then why not do it now?!".
"Because-" she began, only for the sound of booming foot steps to cut her off as well and the whole crowd to turn and fist see a small group of Garrison troops running towards them. Followed by a 15 meter tall titan, that somehow managed to sprint towards them, causing the already panicked group of civilians to descent into complete pandimonium.
"Private Goetz get up here with the M72 up here now!" Henri ordered, prompting private Goetz to do just that and join the Major onto of the merchant's cart.
"Hey, get down from there!" Algeiger cried out, only to be ignored by the two men and their more pressing concern as Private Goetz kneeled down on top of the cart's uneven supplies and Major Matthieu loaded a rocket into the LAW. For a few tenths of a second the two men stood looking at the rapidly approaching titan, as the Major made sure to properly secure the rocket into the weapon. While waiting for it to be in near point blank range.
"Fire when ready" Henri ordered, and no more than a hundredth of a second later the rocket flew out from the LAW. Tailing off with a white streak, letting out a high pitched scream so loud that there was not a civilian with empty hands who did not put them to their own ears or the ears of a loved one, the rocket flew towards its target. All while it began arcing up slightly before slamming into the titan's head, right below the monster's right eye. Causing it to stagger backwards before raising its hands to its face and letting out a cry, steam pouring from its now gaping wound.
"The neck private, the neck!" Henri shouted as withdrew a second rocket from the bag at Private Goetz's feet and loading it into the LAW.
"Oui, Major" Goetz answered before aiming the LAW a little bit lower and firing once again, this time not missing as the rocket slammed into the titan's neck, just before exploding. Causing the head of the titan to be jettisoned several meters into the air before the rest of the body collapsed, steam slowly rising from the titan's now decapitated body, and prompting a round of cheers to erupt from the crowd. All while Major Henri turned his attention back towards Algeiger.
"So Monsieur Algeiger, now that the more pressing concern is dealt with, will you please move your cart so that we can get through?" Henri asked, looking into the man's panicked eyes. Obviosuly shocked by the events which had just transpired the man was unable to do much more than move his lips and blink once or twice, causing Henri to let out a sigh and state in an offhand manner.
"Alright, I guess we'll have to do it ourselves" before turning aroung.
"Alright men, line up and prepare to move on three" he ordered prompting both the Belgian and French soldiers on the other side of the cart to move between the horses, while Henri and Private Goetz took the reins of the horses from the stunnded man.
"One, two, three, push" Henri ordered, prompting the men to begin pushing and force the cart back a few centimeters.
"Come on, one, two, three, push!" Henri ordered again causing the men to push once more and force the cart back rought a few meters. A motion which the horses pulling it tried to counter by turning away from the group of men which, when Private Goetz began to utilize the reins, allowed them to begin turning the cart around.
"Come you lot out your backs into it!" Henri shouted to the growing group of men before giving them the order to move again. This time with a far more successful result, allowing for the civilian and military traffic to begin to pass on either side of the cart to get by and the French soldiers to begin taking apart Algeiger's cart piece by tiny piece.
June 3rd 14:40 hrs., AOT Universe, Eldian District Headquarters, Trost District
There are certain sayings that, despite their old age, have proven to almost always be true.
"The grass isn't always greener on the other side"
"Be careful what you wish for, it might just be true"
"Your eyes were bigger than your stomach". Are just amongst of the more popular and often repeated ones. However, during the current task that the small combined quartet of two Eldian Legionnairies and two Western reporters the saying that seemed to have most resinance was that of.
"It'll hurt more going back up, than coming down"
"Can we please pause for a second?" Brandon asked as he let out a series of quick pants, all of which seemed to have vague wheezing sounds to them. Initially one might assume that Brandon's distress was some sort of performance, after all the man spent most of his time in the field carrying around a rather large television camera. How much more difficult could it be to carry a box of Red Cross supplies and a box of military materials? However, if almost anyone had to pick up a single one of the boxes they would almost instantly find themselves eating ever single word in that question.
The weight of a single Red Cross box alone did not simply rival, but could've surpassed the weight of the strapped on camera that the poor man usually wore. Whilst a single box of the military supplies posed no contest, easily surpassing the camera several times over. On there own the boxes would be unpleasant to move, combined it nothing short of a near Herculean endeavor. An endeavor which was made worse by the fact that the two Legionnaires in front of him were only carring military supply boxes in contrast to he and Madeline who carried one box of medical and one box of military supplies.
"We can't stop now!" was the distinctly harsh sounding anwer from Ymir causing the man to let out a pressed sigh, before falling to one knee.
"Ymir maybe we should rest, I mean we nearly sprinter up several flights of stairs to get this far, I think that everyone could use a thirty second break" Connie suggested, causing Ymir to first look towards him and then towards the two journalists before returning her gaze to Connie.
"Alright thirty seconds, no more" Ymir firmly answered, prompting Connie to counter with.
"No less" not sure as to where he found the courage to do so. After all no one, with the lone exception of the French drill instructors and the occaisional superior officer, had ever managed to give an ultimatum to Ymir.
"No less" she repeated before placing her boxes down.
"Brandon are you okay?" Madeline asked, her attention now focused on her ailing camera man. Who had by now placed his boxes down and was in the midst of pulling out an emergency inhaler.
"Fine, I'm fine, I just haven't had an attack this bad since I was in high school" Brandon answered before taking three long puffs of medicine and adding.
"I thought that I'd grown out of it lucky, when my doctor heard I was coming to a place like this, he convinced me otherwise". Perhaps it was upon hearing of Brandon's struggle, but only then was Madeline able to let her shoulders sag as her camerawoman demeanor was lifted from her face. Allowing the entirety of the group to see how distressed she really was. A change that culminated in her asking the supposedly unaskable question of.
"How long do you think you'll be able to hold out if we get these supplies upstairs?".
"Long enough" Ymir answered, not allowing even the briefest of seconds to pass between the question being asked an answer being offered.
"That's all that matters" she added, doing so in a tone that seemed to dare any of the other three people in the group to challenge what she was saying. A challenge that no one accepted, resulting in the rest of the short break being filled with Brandon's panting and silence.
"I knew that your military forces were poorly prepared to repulse any attacks, but I never thought it would be this bad" Madeline offered in an off handed tone, trying to get there to restart the conversation on something that they all could agree on.
"That's because our aristocracy, who supplies the military with their weapons, are cheapskakes and our officers are stubborn" Ymir answered, as she hoisted up her boxes before adding.
"And almost every one of our generals in command is a complete dumbass". A statement that prompted a small chuckle to come from Connie's lips, as though the reality was so amusing to him that he wouldn't even begin to refute it.
"If they're so inept they how do they become generals?" Madeline asked, partially knowing the answer but also wanting to confirm her suspicions. After all quotes from actual inhabitants often made field reports than statistics and arm chair speculation from analysts in comfortable news rooms, many miles away from the tragedies they were discussing.
"Because they know so many people, and their blood is so valued, that the monarchy doesn't mind spilling everyone elses'" Ymir answered, a statement that finally prompted Connie to break his silence.
"Alright Ymir-" he began only for the girl to continue with.
"Jokes on them though, if they sacrifice all of us they'll have to sacrifice their own blood sooner or later". Before raising her boxes higher and proceeding to make her way up the stairs, with the rest of the group dutifully following her. Luckily, due to the fact that they'd sprinted up the stairs at first, the remaining section of their endeavor was only a floor or two. Allowing them to make it right back to where they'd started, with Ymir making their entrance damatic by kicking open the door.
"Ammo, granades, gauze, disinfectant, and numbing agents; come and get them while we've got them!" Ymir shouted as they enterd the room. Prompting a small group of commondeered reportes, and a large group of soldiers, to sprint towards them and forcefully remove each of the boxes before their hands. All before tearing the boxes open and quickly began dissecting their contents. Prompting Connie to give a slightly unsatisfied.
"Your welcome by the way".
"Hey, come and check this out!" one of the soldiers by the windows shouted, causing his comerades who'd rushed the quartet to grab whatever they could carry and sprint towards the window where he stood.
"Is the air force doing another run?" one the men anxiously asked, making no attempt to conceil the desire for another brief reprieve of attacks from their position. His answere being greeted by the sound of jet fighters flying above them.
"Not only that, look" the soldier stated, pointing downwards at one of the roads that ran in front of the castle and causing several of his comerades to follow where he was pointing. If there was ever a time to pull out the old Hollywood cliché of the cavalry coming to the rescue of a small surrounded, outnumbered, and sometimes entrenched infantry unit Madeline couldn't think of it. For as she reached the window to the right of where the man was standing she found herself looking at just that.
It wasn't the largest vehicle convoy she'd ever seen, most of the armor columns she'd seen on TV during the earlier days of Operation Iraqi Freedom easily out shone it; as the small convoy consisted of only about a dozen Panhard ERCs and a dozen VCBIs. But given the hell that all the soldiers had endured for at least the past half, it was nothing short of a gift from God. Prompting cheers to erupt from the group. Reaching near deafening heights when, no doubt upon seeing a titan, one of the ERCs stopped and turned to the left before firing a round and moving on its way.
"How do you like that you sons of bitches?!" one of the soldiers shouted as the leading ERC proceeded to blow away another titan that made the mistake of getting into its was, before finally pulling up to the castle. Signalling that, although it was of a humble and undoubtably small scale nature, this battle was about to change permanently.
June 3rd 14:40 hrs., AOT Universe, Eldian Air Space, Trost District
"This is Leopard leader, I have two escadrills of Mirage 2000Cs behind me, and we're rapidly approaching from your 7, do you copy over?" a voice asked. Causing Cesar, who was in the middle of peforming a run, to suddenly pull up and soar high into the sky at the disruption.
"Can you repeat that?" Cesar asked, wanting to make sure that he was not simply hearing things.
"This is Leopard leader, I have two escadrills of Mirage 2000Cs behind me, and we're rapidly approaching from your 7, do you copy over?" the voice repeared, causing Cesar to feel a smile appear on his face. While also letting go of a breath that he didn't know, but ultimately wasn't surprised that he was holding.
"Yes I copy" he answered, as he rapidly soared over the battlefield.
"Sorry for the wait, we had problems getting the ground crews to give us the proper ordiannance on board" Leopard leader stated, prompting Cesar to almos instinctively ask.
"What do you mean by that?"
"It took a little convincing to get them to place both GBU-12s and Exocets on our planes" the man answered, prompting Cesar to ask.
"I thought that payload was grossely over the maximum weight?".
"That's what they kept telling us, and I kept telling them that I didn't give a damn so they'd better do it unless they wanted me to personally put my foot up each of their asses" Leopard leader stated, before adding.
"Now get your boys out of our air space so that we can properly smoke these bastards" causing Cesar to feel the grin on his face to grow even wider.
"Copy that" he answered, before switching his comms to the rest of his escadrille.
"Sir why'd you pull out of your dive like that, is someting wrong?" one of his escadrille members asked, worry clearly audible in her voice.
"Everyone we've just gotten a gift of mercy, we've go two escadrilles of fighter-bombers on the way here" causing another voice to cone on over the radio and ask.
"Does that mean what I think it means, sir?".
"Yes, watch your seven when you pull off we're, going home". With that several cheers could be heard over Cesar's headset as he began to turn and head back to base for fuel, weapons, and if they were lucky maybe a bite to eat or some rest. Relieved that, in spite of the odds that were stacked in their favor, he and...all but one of his escadrille had manged to survive. His mind going to the fate of Antoni as he passed over what looked to be the outline of a small armored column making its way down one of the streets of Trost.
'About time you showed up' being the only thought that came to his mind as he did so.
June 3rd 14:39 hrs., AOT Universe, Coalition Headquarters, Ehrmich District
"Sir, we've just received new from the front" General Dreyfus heard a voice call from over his shoulder. Prompting him to turn around, as he pulled out a cigarette, to see one of his junior staff officers walking towards him with a piece of paper in his hand.
"Would you mind reading it for me?" Dreyfus asked as he lit the cigarette, the only thign close to a relaxing comfort that he'd had in nearly the past hour. In spite of his general disposition against the smoking of the small stick of tobacco, Dreyfus had found himself unable to turn down the offer when one of his staff officers, seeing his distressed state, had offered him a pack to calm him down. An offer the General had taken hesitantly, having never smoked one before.
Now, as he stood with the third cigarette of the pack he'd been offered by the officer, he felt his eyes boring through the map in front of him and into the wooden table underneath it. All while the distinct warmth of the cigarette filled him and its noxious smoke filled the air. Much to the slight discomfort of Commander Pixis, who was currently standing right across from him.
"The titans' offensive into the Trost district has, for all intensive purposes, been stopped thanks to the combined efforts of our infantry and air forces" the officer stated, causing General Dreyfus to turn around and face the man in question.
"And what of the counter-attacks by our armored divisions?" Dreyfus asked, as he pulled the cigarette from his mouth and let out a small breath of smoke.
"The counter-attacks have started according to your orders and, based on the report listed here, they've gotten within striking distance of the main headquarters in the Trost District" the man answered, causing a smile to appear on Dreyfus' face.
"What's our next move then?" Pixis asked, causing Dreyfus to turn and face him as he took another drag from his cigarette.
"We'll need to begin to secure the area, pull back the civilians still trapped, and get out in the wounded" Dreyfus answered, as he began to move smooth the map over. Once again taking in the distance from the district's gates to where the headquarters was listed as being, and trying to estimate where the armored division might be.
"You're dismissed" he stated as he did so.
"There's something else sir" the officer began, causing Dreyfus to look towards him.
"Son, I said you were dismissed" Dreyfus repeated, aggrivation making his way into not only his voice but also causign him to drop may of the polite formalities of his native tongue to get his desired point across.
"I know sir, but there's something I'm fairly sure that either you or Commander Pixis are going to want to hear" the officer repeated, this time making sure to add.
"It might prove critical in our attempt to take back Trost, and maybe even Shingashina". Dreyfus' reaction was immediate, and a testimony as to how much those two minor notes changed his perspective on the possible information. As he suddenly spun around before walking over and taking the report from his officer and began looking into reading it.
"What is it officer?" Dreyfus asked, as he read over it.
"During the defense several pilots noted that one of the titans, an abnormal I believe, was acting wildly and attacking other titans in the district whilst making an active attempt to avoid injuring any of the human soldiers around him" the officer answered, prompting Dreyfus to look up in surprise.
"Commander Pixis, has this ever occured to you knowledge" Dreyfus asked, as he looked up from the article as he heard Pixis answer with.
"No, this is truly a first".
"Then we must make sure it's not the last," Drefus stated before going and putting his jacket on.
"Bring the fastest vehicle you can around here, Commander Pixis and I will personally investigate thi-" Dreyfus began, only to feel a strong hand fall upon his shoulder.
"Not so fast General, I do not believe that it would be wise for you to leave this command post just yet" Pixis stated, causing the man to glance over his shoulder at the suggestion.
"For God's sake man, what else am I supposed to do?" Dreyfus found himself asking in an irritated tone.
"Have the vehicle called, however I think it would be best if I went to investigate with a small squad of your soldiers to see if I can cohoberate the whole affair before you get involved and take any action as needed" Pixis stated, causing Dreyfus to pause briefly.
"Alright, officer give Pixis the four best men you can find and the best vehicle you can" Dreyfus states as he returned his cigarette to his mouth, before turning towards the table once again. The frustration on his mind made obvious for all to see in tense way that he carried his shoulders.
"Right away sir" the officer answered before turning his gaze to Pixis and adding.
"If you'll just follow me sir, I can get you those men and that car".
"Thank you son" Pixis replied, before following the man out of the office and leaving Dreyfus behind.
June 3rd 15:30 hrs., AOT Universe, Eldian District Headquarters Entrance, Trost District
"Alright, load him in, easy does it" one of the medics stated as he and one of the legionnaries carefully carried a wounded Garrison soldier towards the VCBIs that had been modified for medical purposes. With both the medic and the legionnaire ducking their heads to allow them to better squeeze the stretcher the man was on through the vehicle's rear entrance. Allowing for young Connie Springer to let out a releived sigh and sit down against the headquarter's door frame.
Over an hour after the attack had first begun the immediate area around the headquarters, along with two major lifelines into and out of the district, had been resecured. All thanks to the hard efforts of the the Eldian Legion, Eldian Garrison & Cadet forces, the French Foreign Legion, French Air Force, Belgian Army, British SAS detachments, and Canadian Expeditionary Force. With the strategy for forces in the headquarters changing from survive and hold to counter attack coming with the incursion of the Foreign Legion's lead armored strike force and then the early heavy bombing attacks from French fighter-bombers. All of which allowed for the initial incursion force to be re-enforced and the current legionnaires who were trapped in the headquarters to finally be relieved.
"Private, are you injured?" a high pitched voice called, causing Connie to look and see a female medic speaking in his direction.
"No ma'am, just lost control of my feet" he asnwered, in two breaths as he tried to steady himself. Raising his non-dominant hand as he did so to find that he was still trembling from the events that had just transpired, an act which the medic no doubt noticed.
"Then come here, I can get you and some of your comerades to the rear so that you can get some rest" she replied, prompting Connie to nodd.
"Yes, ma'am" he answered before trying to stand, slipping, and falling back to the groung as he did so. A development that caused the medic to sprint towards him, reaching him quickly, and proceeding to help him rise from his collapsed spot.
"Easy, easy" she calmly cooed as she helped him up.
"Now, let's just carefully move towards the VCBI, okay" she calmly instructed him, causing Connie to simply nodded before walking towards the vehicle. Occaisionally tripping on one of the loose cobblestones on the streets as he made his way the VCBI, before being gently placed in it.
"Anyone else?" the medic asked, prompting several reporters to make their way into the VCBI along with a few figures that he recognized.
"Y-Y-Ymir, J-Jean, Ar-Arm-min h-h-how's it g-going?" he asked as the three soldiers in question climbed into the vehicle, each sporting a FAMAS F1 over their shoulders.
"Good Connie" Armin answered, before leaning in close and asking.
"Are you alright?".
"D-don't kn-kn-know," was all Connie could answer before taking several deep breaths and adding.
"just f-feel wierd". Within seconds of Connie answering footsteps could be heard and a medic appeard seemingly out of nowhere before situating himself in front of the boy, who was now starting to make a snorting sound in his attempts to breath.
"Private, I need you to copy me alright?" the male medic called, causing Connie to try his best to focus his attention on him.
"Y-yes" Connie answered, prompting the man to put his hand on his chest.
"Alright, breath in" the man ordered, an instruction that Connie followed to the best of his abilities.
"Now breath out" the man added, which Connie again did to the best of his abilites.
"Breath in" the man once again instructed, which Connie did.
"Breath out" which Connie did. Finding the task of breathing a lot easier as he did so, but by no means easy as je and the man repeated the proceedure several more times. With the medic placing a wierd metallic device, a stethascop or something like than, on Connie's chest and moving it between each of his breaths.
"Alright, good, good" the medic state, before turning to the trio who'd recently climbed in and stating.
"If any of you notice him get any worse do exactly as I did, and if that doesn't do not hesitate to call me" before climbing towards the front of the vehicle where other soldiers with aggregious wounds were sitting. Many of them moaning in pain whilst trying to keep pressure on their injuries.
"Damn Armin, when you told us to pull back I didn't think that things would be this bad" Jean muttered as he pulled a cigarette from his pocket before lighting it and placing it to his lips. Causing one of the wounded soldiers, a man with facial and head hair that may have one time been black but had long since begun to fade to grey, to extand a hand towards him.
"Hey son, could you spare on old man a smoke?" the man asked, a request which Jean filled without hesitation. Going so far as to light it for the man as well, who repaid the act of kindness with the only way he knew how.
"Thank you" and a salute.
"You think that this is bad, these are the wounded who survived, you should've been here when the first started coming in" Ymir replied, lifting a canteen of water to her mouth as she did so. Her usual domineering attitude now gone, leaving in its place a woman who acted as though she was simply happy to be alive. The look immediately leaving her face when the female medic who initially treated Connie returned to the VCBI, shouting.
"Okay, we're full up" before climbing into the vehicle and shutting the door behind her. Prompting the drive to start it up and them to slowly begin moving.
"In order to keep the vehicular flow moving we'll need to take a slightly longer road back towards the aid station, we'll be taking a slightly longer way ba-" the driver began over the PA system before suddenly stopping, his calm tone changing to one of furstration.
"Hey watch were you're going assholes!" the driver shouted as the sound of vehicles suddenly went speeding by.
"Where the hell do you think they're going" another voice, probably either the co-driver or the main gunner, asked.
"Don't know, don't give a shit, we gotta go where we gotta go" the driver asnwered before the VCBI's engine started to life again as it shifted forwards, jostling the wounded members within it around. But ultimately not causing any of them to make any vocal complaints, all due to their knowledge that they were finally going back to safety. Going back home.