Authors Note: I know it's a bit content-heavy. But no one is going anywhere without first gathering information. Both sides try to understand where they are and what's happening. Being flung into a new world is a bit devastating, no? Please bear with me! It will get right! I hope!
The bustling of the soldiers moving back and forth fills my ears as I walk alongside some of the scout's soldiers I met while here for the past two weeks. So far, it has been a constant exchange of information with both sides being doubtful and slightly cautious, but I can't turn anywhere else, and they need all the help they can get. My Fire Soldier uniform is tucked away in my bedroom and instead replaced with the Scout Regiment's own uniform to fit more. Commander Erwin thought it best for me to work more with the others and hide what I am until they can adequately place where best to put me.
"So, what is your hometown like? Have you seen the sea?" Three pairs of eyes look up at me as they hold their breath questioningly; I chuckle and look at the three before placing my finger on my chin; this is the question they've been badgering me for the past couple of days on.
Though some of the scouts do know of who I am, these three included.
"What does your book say?" I teasingly respond and look over to see Hange doing some sort of experiment with one of the other soldiers. She waves me over, and I smile, patting Armin's head and throwing a little goodbye to Mikasa and Eren, to which they both return sourly at my deflection.
"Sachi! Right on time! I had some questions, and I wanted to know your input! You know, science!"
"Why yes, I know a bit to help; what would you like Hange-san?" She's going to be the death of me. Hajima industries have nothing on her.
She smiles gleefully, and I hear a familiar roar and shudder, she's somehow managed to bring back another titan from a small expedition not too long ago, and I guess they're bringing him forth.
"Look what I brought! Magnificent huh! But look! We found someone else on our expedition; he says he may know something." On the last part, she leans forward, whispering in my ear as she passes me to get to another soldier who holds more rope. The Titan in front of me looks ugly and stares at the soldiers with dead eyes, trying to reach for at least one to take but unable to. As Hange finishes her sentence, my eyes leave the Titan and widen as I whip towards Commander Erwin, coming over the hill with another figure and Captain Levi.
My heart suddenly stops right in my chest.
Just as Commander Erwin waves me over, I push forward on my own, running fast and fire coming from my hands.
"Commander! NO!" I scream, and both Commander Erwin and Captain Levi move out of the way, confused and taken aback by the fire that has come out, the smoke quickly hardens into my hands into a blade, and our weapons meet right as he almost took the Commander's head.
"Ahhhh, I see you still have some life in you, Pillar."
"Inei! What are you doing here?!" Inei's eyes move around maniacally; he laughs as his fire rages around him and the soldiers around me stop as they stare in horror.
So much for keeping this under wraps; how am I ever going to gain the trust of these people now?
"There's so much of this world to destroy, and you Pillar, you must come back to us. The world must end in fire." Another blow of blade and fire, and I leap back, turning towards those who are ready to fight at a moment's notice, Commander Erwin has his hands in the retreating signal, and I nod towards him to take his soldiers somewhere safe. They would not survive this. Captain Levi is gritting his teeth, but Hange-san looks a little too ecstatic at the prospect of seeing something new.
"Everyone needs to go now! This man will kill you in a heartbeat. You are no match for him!" I yell over the sound of the fires raging around us as I dodge a swift kick from Inei and jump up onto a branch, launching myself from the force of the concrete surface and using more smoke last minute to create a scythe to wrap around Inei's body and pull to try and at least do some damage. Inei laughs and holds still while making a blast of fire straight to my face; I gasp and dodge the fire by twirling around the flames, trying to keep the scythe still wrapped around his body but proving very hard.
"Is this all you have, Pillar? Not very good at all!" Inei is going out of control; as a white-clad member, he has remarkable powers that allow him to do so much more than I can, even with an Adolla burst. He's not even a Protector. He's only a Knight.
The fire coming from both of us blows out of control. It sweeps over the brushes surrounding us in an instant, forcing those who stayed like Hange to move as far as possible back over the hill, the Titan, in the end, roared from the fire, and the soldiers could be heard yelling over each other to put out as much as they could. I wanted to try my best to contain the fire but focusing on controlling Inei was the first priority.
I reach through my own smoke and pull out a katana, trying to slice right through the flames to his face, but he moves his face an inch of a second late, only just managing to get a small slice on his cheek. Inei, in return, grabs the katana with his bare hands and brings the katana forward, lurching me towards him and dealing with a fire-packed punch right towards my stomach with the puncture wound still healing. I feel all the wind get knocked right out of me. I move backward from him and let the katana dissipate into soot, and he whines.
"Come closer, we were having funs~!"
"Like hell, you pervy bastard!" Through the smoke again, I harden another katana, this time launch this one straight at him. While he dodges, I harden another katana and go for his chest, barely managing to slice him. It definitely makes him upset, seen from the drastic change in demeanor as he frowns and quickly returns the blow with his own fire at my ankle in an attempt to fall me out to the ground. Jumping back, I see he grins a Cheshire grin that creeps up half his face and brings his hand forward with fire.
But this fires differently. It's scarlet, and I frantically scramble out of the way and look for anyone in the vicinity who could be a victim to his madness. A soldier is hiding in the tree to our right; I need to move quick, dashing towards the soldier as Inei throws the smoke. I create my own knife and throw it towards the fire to separate the flames to no avail, then another knife towards the soldier to get him moving; this only seems to keep him there.
Inei's laughs grow louder as my hands stretch out as far as they can; I can feel the strain from my stitches almost rip as I grab the soldier's uniform fabric. The soldier's eyes lock on my own as he reaches back, and we clasp hands.
All I can smell now is charred skin and 1st-degree burns. There's more fire everywhere, and Inei is now a distant giggle, falling back as they add fire surrounding.
"I'll catch you later, Pillar; I'm gonna go sight-seeing! It looks like you have your hands a bit busy~!"
"Sachi! Sachi!" It sounds like Captain Levi; did Commander Levi send him in here?
"Captain Levi? What are you doing here? You need to get out! This man is not himself anymore! He's not infernal, but he's going to act like one!" I scream over the roaring of the inferno; by now, half of the field in this vicinity is now cinder and flames, but the Captain is pushing on.
"I came here in search of my soldier; what has that man done to him." Stern questioning in a time like this? It's cut off short as the soldier screeches and leans against the tree. We link eyes once more, but this time it's not the same soldier; I take two-three steps back from the fallen soldier and close my eyes. Bringing my own flames forth for one more weapon.
"The flame is the soul's breath. The black smoke is the soul's release. Ashes thou wert and art. May thy soul return to the great flame of fire. Látom" Quickly, a frontal rush while the soldier screams and for me as well, we meet in the center. Still, as he swipes for my head, I tuck and plunge my katana straight into the center of his chest, digging the katana deep and praying for the man's release and Sol's forgiveness, so he is relieved.
The soldier falls quiet, but the flames still rage around us, the blade falls back to soot, and I look around at the destruction Inei has caused, and tears swell up around my eyes.
If only I could have stayed home. Why am I here? What is going on? Why is this happening? Why Inei? Why me?
I feel a rough slap to the back of my chest, and I lurch forward just a bit and look back to the Captain, moving his head towards a clearing where the fire hasn't done much damage yet, a way out. I nod my head, and we move in silence.
I'm going to have to explain my powers, and now whether they abuse that or not, it's up to them.
By the time the fires were put out, and the horses had calmed out, Hange had freaked out about the Titan, but the Titan was right where we had left it; luckily, Inei hadn't cared enough about setting fire to the ropes and focused mostly about causing direct destruction to humans or me.
Commander Erwin was very displeased with me about concealing my powers but understood given the circumstances that in my own interest, it would have no been wise to give up the fact that I wield such a dangerous ability, and in turn, disclosed that one of their own was able to shift into a titan. Eren Jaeger.
But now that I think about it, they had asked me if I was a titan shifter when I first came. The information we disclosed to each other over the two weeks was necessary information about our worlds, not necessarily anything about our world's problems. We were gauging whether or not the other one really knew what was going on or if they were faking it this whole time, and eventually would give some hint that they knew more than they were letting on, which led us to this wonky scenario.
Now, here I am in the Commander's office with Captain Levi, Eren, Armin, and Hange, explaining the full story once more but with everything. Fire Force, Company 8, Amaterasu, Tokyo Empire, Hajima Empire. How I possess and Adolla burst, the Evangelist in full, the White-Clad, Infernals, the great Cataclysm, who Inei is, and how he's not even the most powerful. The Nether. What I was last doing, everything that I could think, I told them. In turn, they sat there quietly, and Hange wrote everything down, but her usual happy gleam was off, replaced with a dark expression that stayed on the entire time I talked.
As I finished, Commander Erwin sat back in the chair at the table and sighed.
"So not only we're dealing with titans. We're dealing with Infernals, the Evangelist, and her White-Clads now. We have no clue how many of these White-Clads are here now or if there are infernals out there. Or if anyone on this site will turn into an infernal either." Commander Erwin furrows his brows, and Captain Levi tosses a glare at me as if I started this mess. Still, I just hang my head and look out the small window to my left out at the setting sliver of the sun, watching the night sky take over, and the soldiers chatter outside absentmindedly.
"I don't know, Commander. Like I said, one moment I'm fighting for my life in the Nether and watching my comrades fall, and the next moment I'm here in yours. What I do know is that there is one confirmed White-Clad, but he's not a Protector. That is good news for us. We also don't know if anyone from my Company or the Special Fire Force is here either. In that case, I have to search for them before Inei or the White-Clads find them. If my Captain or Lieutenant is here, it would be ideal for me but not quite as ideal for my world." I counter towards Commander Erwin, which in honesty, is the truth. If there are two of us here, who knows how many from both sides came, and who knows if more infernal or Fire Force members came over, which would be great and terrible on both ends.
"She does have a point. We have no of knowing who came over; in the meantime, we just have to continue to run our own missions and search out for those who crossed in the meantime. But what do we tell the soldiers?" Hange questions, looking towards her Commander, and we all turn towards him once more for answers, even I turn towards him as a guiding light.
I could turn towards him for something more, to be honest. Seriously Sachi. What is wrong with you? This is serious. Don't be like Arthur and Shinra. Be serious.
"There's nothing to do now other than tell them the truth; they've already seen one of their own turns into that thing-"
"If I may, Commander, that wasn't infernal. Inei's abilities only allow him to burn a victim and have them attack the nearest person, which isn't even remotely close to what an infernal is. If he has a bottle of the bugs that the White-Clads' have been harboring, they'll be able to spread infernals across this area and through your region. Your missions may have to stop for now until we have a handle of how many have actually crossed from my world and the danger possessed at the moment. Before today, I was only aware of me being here, and titans were your first priority; now, with the arrival of the White-Clad and other factors, teaching your soldiers priority information and how to best defend themselves against an infernal is the only way to save this kingdom, and retake Wall Rose." I inject before he gets any farther. This needs to be said now before any plan is thought up. They have to know what they're dealing with isn't what they can handle and that the White-Clad is entirely too much for this kingdom to take on if they're having trouble with titans already, much less a superhuman force on fire. Inei will set this entire place on fire just because he so desires, and the Evangelist will fully support him in his endeavors.
Captain Levi steps forward with his hands on his blades, "All of this just because you and these monsters crossed whatever shit world you came from and put the entire humanity in danger. Now we have more on our plate, and our soldiers will die for nothing." I can tell his annoyance has skyrocketed through the roof, and he cares for his soldiers, but blaming me for this whole mess is not going to get us anywhere, but I know less about this predicament than he does!
"You think I know how I ended up here! You think I want to be here! I'm not here because I like it! I need to be at home! I don't know why I'm here, and my comrades could be falling all because I'm wasting time chasing down Inei and trying to get home! The Nether is a dark and horrible place, many have sacrificed their lives for the safety of the civilians who live on the surface, and I have seen too much go under just for you to blame me for this mess. I will not lie down and take whatever fucked up shit is going on here because you're upset that this has happened. I get it; trust me, I do. But it's fucking happened. Put on your big boy boots. Grow up. Be a fucking Captain. And do your job!" I yell out, frustrated that it's come to this and I'm in this situation; by this point, I'm bent over the dining table, and my hands have slapped over the wooden table, shaking the teacups lying about and rattling haphazard utensils laying around.
Hange reaches for me in sympathy, but I move away and look at the Commander dead in his eyes, we meet straight on, and I take a deep breath in.
"I've already explained how you should go. But you're the Commander of this 'Regiment' do as you please. I'm only a guest, and I will follow, but as soon as I find a word that Inei is out there, I'm tailing to kill him. Or if I find out one of my own soldiers or Company is out, I'm going after them. I will find a way to go home. In the meantime, I'm going to research to see if there have been any infernal sightings and if everything is okay. Talk to your soldiers. They all saw me use my powers, they might think I'm a titan shifter or something else, but it's meaningless hiding it."
"I'm getting my uniform. I'm not hiding, It's the only thing that protects me from the fire. Your uniform is useless to me."
After Commander Erwin explained most of what had happened during the fire to his soldiers, it came with some mixed reviews; some were relieved to have a superhuman who could protect them from titans, most were terrified that something more dangerous than titans was out there, but a majority were happy that the missions outside the walls would be suspended for the time being until the military could regain their bearings.
The Commander said something about going to the Queen? Are there more military powers that they'll have to talk to now? Will I have to go before them? Is this going to turn into a whole big thing? I guess it already is, huh.
"Brat. Quit daydreaming. I need your help." Captain Levi again. I sigh and job over in his direction. Luckily, the fire only ruined most of where the horses grazed and some small military equipment, the scouts are trying their hardest to put back and restock what little they had in the first place, but with small funding, it's already hard enough. I feel terrible about everything.
"Yes, Captain, what do you need?" As I slow my jog into a small pace, I see a line of some of the recruits and Jean, Connie, Sasha, Hange, Mikasa, Armin, and Eren. Captain Levi falls into line a little ways ahead of them to show that he's still in charge but that he's ready for "training."
"We need to train more if we'll be ready for this infernal. I trust you take the lead" I hear Commander Erwin from my right as he comes up next to me with two soldiers by his side; I nod and look over at the others in front of me.
"Let's go over what we've been learning. Infernal doesn't have a rationale. But at the same time, do. One of my memories with my Company is when a father turned infernal sat at the dining table, holding out in the same spot until we came and put him to rest so his daughter wouldn't have to see him rage or kill. This is very uncommon and will not always be the case. They are destructive and will take everything down with them. IF you get bit, you'll turn infernal with them, suffering 1st-degree burns and won't die until struck straight through your chest." I say as I walk the line; I stop at Eren and look up at him as he's slightly taller than me.
"You remember the prayer, right? We've already decided on our squads and how to go about it. But recite it for me." I drill each person about the prayer, some remember, and some don't;. However, it's not a long prayer, it still manages to trip most of the scouts here up, and I take a long sigh, moving in between the lines and feeling like this is the academy all over again. I can practically hear the whistle going through one ear and out the other.
"We've still got a long way to go, but it's okay. Today, I'm going to pretend to be an infernal in different situations. We'll practice like my academy did and use the buildings around us as practice. We'll split into infernals, rescues, and soldiers. Each building will have a different scenario. I will come around and explain what you're doing wrong and what you should correct. In the end, I will act infernal here, and you will individually come at me. Understood?" At the end of my drill orders, I was met with a chorus of yes ma'ams, and I smiled, not used to getting this much attention, Captain Obi, Lieutenant Hinawa, and Company 8 would be proud.
As I survey each building scenario, I almost want to cry at how pathetic it all looks. Still, I remember each person has never dealt with an infernal before, let alone know what they look like, so the infernals can't even act like infernals. I want to rip my hair out and stop all the training before calling them back into the middle.
"Okay, this was worse than I imagined; I forgot you don't even know how they act; let's start backward. Captain Levi if you would." I beckon him to come forth, and Captain Levi sucks in his teeth; it's obvious he's not pleased with having to do more work or train at all. He brings himself forth to the middle of the training grounds and keeps about 5 feet apart. I light my hands and feet on fire and move the flames across my body, effectively masking most of my body in a shroud of fire. Captain Levi takes a couple more steps back, reaching for his blades while the rest of the scouts' shout and back up.
I can see Commander Erwin chuckling slightly, but I honestly have no clue what he finds so funny; he was disgruntled just yesterday.
"I'm now going to act infernal. You will need to dodge me at least for 30 seconds." I exclaim, and before Captain Levi can even retort with one of his famous mean lines, I come for him.