A/N: I feel this chapter started strong, but I let it slip at the end. If you have any ideas to put into the story, I will gladly review them and most likely add them in!
Eren was going over some papers while settling into his new bed when Elsa came over to talk to him.
"Something on your mind Elsa?" Eren said without looking at her.
It was a trick he picked up with Mikasa, he didn't have to look to know who was standing out of his view.
She looked a little confused as to how he knew it was her but quickly pushed it aside.
"You said you don't know if you have what it takes to lead the squad?" she said.
"Yeah." was all Eren said not looking away from his papers.
"Why do you think that Yaeger?"
"I haven't gone to officer school, I have no idea how to lead troops into battle. I will most likely make a bad call and get everyone killed." he said coldly to her, he didn't want the responsibility of all those lives.
"We have a saying in our squad... officers only exist to tell you where to die." Elsa said putting her hand on his shoulder.
The feeling of her hand reminded him so much of Mikasa that he put his hand on hers and removed it from his shoulder, all he wanted was to bury those feeling.
She noticed his facial expression change from her touch, it was one of sorrow.
"Sorry, I-"
"Not your fault Elsa, you are just trying to be a friend and I am making that difficult right now." Eren said.
The Garrison officer who had recruited Eren as a squad leader entered the barracks and everyone fell silent.
"Squad leaders! You are to come with me to the command tent!" his yelled as he left the building as fast as he entered.
"Looks like I should go, see you around Elsa."
"Yeah, see you." she said with a smile.
At the crack of dawn tomorrow, you are to take your squads and run drills. Yaeger, I expect that you have read the officer manual?" the Garrison Officer said.
"Yes sir!" Eren replied.
"Good, I expect great things from you kid. Now, Squad Otto will be patrolling the wall while Squads Mitchelle and Yaeger run hand to hand drills. At noon, Squad Yaeger will replace Squad Otto on the wall and will stay there for the rest of the day. Any questions?"
The three squad leaders looked at each other than back at the Officer shaking their heads no.
"Good, I am glad to see you actually listen." he said as he dismissed them back to the barracks.
Eren had gotten his squad up half an hour before they were due to wake up and made them all quietly get their gear on and leave the barracks.
Everyone looked very tired, half of them falling asleep standing up.
"Oi, you all better be awake or Squad Mitchelle is going to level all of you!" Eren yelled as he paced in front of his squad. As he inspected all of their gear, it was poorly put on except for Elsa who was standing at full attention, eyes wide open and gear in check.
As he inspected her, she smiled but her smile suddenly disappeared as he gave her a mean look. Eren didn't have time for favorites, he only had time for a squad that was capable of functioning and able to stay alive.
Eren was reminded of his first days in basic, how Shadis had put them through mental hell. He figured he could use some things he learned from Shadis on his new squad, but he wouldn't go over the top.
Eren stopped in front of one of his soldiers who was still half asleep.
"You soldier! What is your name!" Eren yelled.
The now completely awake soldier saluted Eren and shouted his name. "Sir, Private Jessy Ingham, Sir!"
Eren raised an eyebrow.
"Well private, from now on you will be like this every morning we get up. That goes for the rest of you!" Eren yelled waking everyone up.
"Squad Yaeger will be the top squad, we will be the best and we will be the best because we are the toughest soldiers in this platoon!"
Everyone stood at full attention and saluted Eren, he felt a massive sense of pride overwhelm him.
"Alright, get to your training!" he yelled as the soldiers dispersed into their pairs.
By the time Squad Mitchelle had rolled out of bed, Squad Yaeger ws training hard, everyone aware and awake running at full capacity. The pairs dispersed and every member of Squad Yaeger paired with someone in Squad Mitchelle and needless to say, Squad Yaeger was kicking some serious ass.
"Eren Yaeger?" a man said from behind Eren.
"Yeah, who are you?" Eren said back.
"The name is Joseph Mitchelle, pleasure to meet you." Joseph said putting his hand out.
Eren shook his hand and returned to watching his squad destroy Squad Mitchelle.
"How did you get them to do that?" Joseph said.
"To do what?" Eren said looking confused.
"To get them to work this hard... you are leading the most reckless and lazy squad in the platoon."
Erens face filled with even more confusion.
"Never mind, I am sure you will handle your self just fine."
With that, Joseph walked away calling his squad as many of them got off the ground.
It was noon and Squad Otto was long over due for their return from the wall.
"Sir, don't you think we should wait for them?" One of Erens squad members said.
"Orders are orders, we are to head to the wall by noon and-" Eren stopped him self as he saw a bloodied figure running towards them.
"Oh God! Help me! Hide me! Don't let them find me!" the woman screamed.
Eren was thrown off-balance in shock, what could have happened to her?
"Marie! What happened? Where is Squad Otto?" Elsa said as she ran forwards and grabbed the screaming woman.
"Dead.. dead they're all dead, he left me alive to spread the word that they are coming!" Marie screamed at Elsa.
"Jonas, stay with her! Eren, we need to get to the wall!"
Eren snapped out of his shock and nodded as he charged forwards at full speed.
As they arrived at the wall, the bodies of Squad Otto were scattered, all dead from blade slashes to the throat and gut.
The sight reminded Eren of the human traffickers he had murdered to save Mikasa, bodies covered in cuts and stabs, blood all over the ground.
Eren was about to give an order for a runner when the Garrison Officer showed up.
"What the fuck happened here?" he screamed at Eren.
"I don't know sir!" Eren yelled back
"Squad Mitchelle has gone AWOL, I fear the worst has happened. We may have a rogue squad." the commander said looking out into titan country.
"Eren, I want you and your squad to hunt them down and eliminate then by any mean necessary. They can not be allowed to live after this massacre." the Officer said with a fire burning in his eyes.
"But sir, isn't going outside the wall for the Scout Regiment?" Eren said and he instantly regretted it.
"Eren Yaeger, you will follow your fucking orders and you will follow them without fucking question!" the officer screamed.
"As a squad leader, I expect you to look out for your fellow soldiers and I expect you to bring them back alive!"
"I will sir! Squad Yaeger, down the wall now!" Eren yelled as he leaped down the side of Wall Rose into the maria interior, his squad shortly behind him.
(Two weeks after Eren left Wall Rose)
Mikasa was walking again, she was fully recovered. That note still haunted her though and she constantly reached up to her neck hoping the scarf would be there, but it never was. She never felt the warmth and comfort of that scarf.
Armin was trying to get her to come to a meeting, but she would just sit in the infirmary courtyard not speaking a word to anyone.
Jean thought it was best to leave her be, so did Christa who clung to him like a lost child, they were almost never seen apart.
Every time Mikasa saw them, she felt her broken heart get hammered into even smaller pieces, it reminded her of how she and Eren could have been that happy and now he is gone and she doesn't know where.
After a while, everyone just ignored her.
Mikasa was ok with being left alone, the warmth of other just haunted her.
After of few hours of blissful silence, She heard the door to the court-yard open.
She looked towards the door under false hopes of Eren walking through , but when she saw Armin, her hope once again drained and she looked down at the ground.
What she didn't see was the garrison Officer who recruited Eren was there with him.
"Mikasa Ackermann, we have very... very bad news." he said as she looked up again.
Mikasa was about to stand up when he walked over and sat on the bench opposite of her and looked her in the eyes.
"Two weeks ago, Squad Yaeger was sent on a search and destroy mission, the details of which are classified."
Mikasas eyes opened wide at the sound of that name, 'Yaeger'.
"By the look on your face I can tell you know Eren Yaeger."
Mikasa looked down again, this time with tears streaming down her face.
"I have talked with Armin and a few of your other friends and they have decided to go on a search and rescue operation to find Squad Yaeger, will you be accompanying them on this mission?" the Officer asked.
Without hesitation, Mikasa looked at him again and nodded.
"Good, you leave in an hour." the Officer said as he got up and walked away.
"Eren, we need to go back! The men are exhausted!" Elsa yelled as they walked through a dense forest.
"Fine, we can rest for ten minutes and then keep going." Eren said, his voice a bit agitated from his squads growing inability to continue on.
"Eren, there is only six of us left! We can't fight off and entire squad!" Elsa continued yelling.
"Elsa, if you feel that I am unfit for command of this squad even though you supported my idea to go through an open field getting how many of my men killed, then I will give all field authority to you and you can lead these men home."
Elsa looked at him in shock, he was hellbent on finishing the mission.
"If you want the deaths of our comrades to be in vain, then be my guest." he said again making her feel un-easy.
"Alright Eren, I will trust your judgement." she said as she went and took her ten minute rest.
Eren was about to join them when he felt a hot liquid drip onto his face.
He reached up and rubbed it off and when he looked at his hand, it was red. Eren looked up and was greeted by a body hanging from its 3DMG, leg missing and blood trickling down the body.
Eren let out a loud yell as he fell backwards.
Elsa was the first to arrive and as she too saw the scene, she covered her mouth to muffle a gasp of horror. Everyone else just stood there not knowing what to think.
Eren stood up and slowly walked forwards into a clearing where the bodies of Squad Mitchelle were scattered and hanging.
At this point, Eren was horrified, he knew they were the enemy but to see so many people mangled and hanging was too much for him.
Eren bent down and vomited, Elsa ran over to him, but he pushed her away as he continued to vomit.
When he was finally done, he continued to walk deeper into the killing field until he saw a man crouched down with his back turned to them and on his back was an insignia Eren knew all too well. The Wings of Freedom.
The man stood up, but he was no taller than Eren and he looked rather well-kept.
"Who the hell are you Garrison brats and why are you outside the wall?"
A/N: As always, if you liked the chapter or if you didn't leave some feedback! Every bit helps.
