Hey guys! So, here is the start of chapters being posted on Saturdays, as we all are about to start school. Just thought I would let you guys know here instead of another note, but anyways - THIS HAS SPOILERS IN IT AS WELL.

- valkyenx

20 hours after the Titan sighting

"What are we suppose to do now…?" Armin breaks the silence that had been in the air since the beginning of the travels to the breach in Wall Rose. "Wall Rose got breached all of a sudden and now I… I don't know anymore what we should do." Armin continued.

"Even if we managed to deliver Eren to the frontlines, I doubt it would change anything anymore…" Eren and Mikasa bowed their heads, Eren closing his eyes. "And why do we have a priest from the wall cult with us?" Hanji looked up, with sparks in her eyes.

"Ahh, that… You see, we're friends with Nick now…" Eren, Mikasa, and Armin looked up, confused; while Samantha's and Rivaille's heads remained low, Rivaille holding his gun at the priest. "He knew about the Titans in the wall but he has been keeping silent about the amazing fact. I have no idea why, but he seems adamant about keeping that secret to himself. Apparently, the members of his sect also know a lot more things about the wall." The young teenagers' eyes widened.

"Huh?! What the hell?!" Eren stood up, shouting at the priest, grabbing his collar.

"Ugh…" Mikasa put her arm at his stomach, pushing him back, following his body. "Stay put! The after effects of your formation aren't gone yet." Eren gripped himself, Mikasa holding him as he curled into his knees.

"I was going to ask some other sect members, but he decided to come with us out of free will. The situation has changed, so it seems after he had witnessed all that happened… He's been having doubts if he should still follow the rules… so he wants to see the real state of affairs with his own eyes…" Eren, Mikasa, and Armin shared a shocked face, Eren relaxing from his outburst just seconds ago – Mikasa letting go of him.

"Wait, wait, wait, wait…" Eren spoke quickly. "It's just… weird, you know? If you know something, please just tell us! What can be more important than preventing total annihilation of the hum-"

"I wonder about that." Hanji thought aloud, cutting Eren off. "The pastor looks like an understanding person to me… that's why I think, that maybe… just maybe… there might be a cause more important than preventing the downfall of humanity…" Pastor Nick bowed his head, unable to confirm or not if Hanji's speculation was true or not.

"Well, from where I stand…" Samantha spoke, lifting her head up; Rivaille copying her movements at the sound of her cute voice attempting to be serious. "This one has some guts, but what about the other fanatics in the sect? I doubt that all of them can boast this kind of willpower." Rivaille pulled back the clap of the gun, making an unforgiving sound of what Rivaille was preparing for ahead of time, Pastor Nick glancing his eyes down at Rivaille, sweating some.

"Oh well… There're lots of ways to make a person talk…" Rivaille spoke with a ring in his voice, and sure enough, there was a slight smirk on his lips.

"I may be useless in combat right now, but I sure as hell can keep tabs on one person." Everyone looked at who said what, it was a girl voice but it was unfamiliar in tone. Rivaille looked past Pastor Nick and saw Samantha, looking down once again, but with a new look on her. I had forgotten that she's a strong soldier… she wants to fight just as bad, even more, than I do… after taking care of her and loving her, it's just cute to hear her talk like me, maybe we aren't so different after all… Rivaille chuckled at his thoughts, Samantha turning her head to look at Rivaille. She blushed slightly, realizing she let her thoughts out her mouth unknowingly.

"You're rubbing off on her Rivaille… But Samantha, go on? I had been wondering what you have been thinking… After all, you're one of humanity's strongest soldiers – I'd like to know your input on the situation… As I can tell, you're quite frustrated about watching Pastor Nick." Hanji spoke with a smile, Samantha still embarrassed, even though it wasn't anything to really be embarrassed about.

"Never mind that…" Samantha spoke, trembling over her words. "What's that in your hand, Hanji?"

"Oh, this? This isn't your ordinary rock, you see. It's a piece of the Female Type's hardened skin that was left behind." Everyone looked up.

"Eh?!" Eren and Armin spoke in unison. "It didn't disappear?!" Armin continued.

"Nope! It got cut off of Annie's Titan body when we tied her with ropes… Unbelievable, but it didn't evaporate and it didn't disappear. It's kind of delayed because of the Ape Type Titan research, but we had been doing extra research on her and this is part of it…" Everyone nodded their head understandingly. "And I had an epiphany – when I compared this piece to the broken fragments of the wall, the crystal composition and structure turned out really similar. In other words, the wall itself was made by the Colossal Type Titans who became its supporting pillars." Hanji noticed that Pastor Nick bowed his head, could my theory be right? If so, then… I think I know how to plug the breach in the wall!

"So it's really… just like Armin said." Mikasa spoke slowly, surprised. Eren looked over at Armin, sharing Mikasa's face.

"Ah! Then-"

"Wait, right there!" Hanji jumped up quickly and placed her hand over Armin's face, covering his mouth – catching everyone's attention with the sudden quick movements. "Allow me the honors to say it, Armin." Hanji sat back down, removing her hand from Armin's face.

"As it is now, it's going to be difficult to plug Wall Rose, right?" Hanji paused, looking at everyone with a slight smirk – she had an amazing idea… And it involved Eren.

"Because they're no boulders huge enough, but what if… the transformed Eren could plug the breach using the Titan ability to harden their bodies?" Eren looked down thinking of how he could even do that, I've never hardened my skin before… Can I even do it? How does it "work?"

"Plugging the breach with my body?!" Eren shouted at a whisper, causing Rivaille to look up, intrigued.

"The material properties are identical… So after you undo your transformation, what will be left is a Titan carcass that won't evaporate." Hanji paused, looking down at the hardened skin of the Female Type Titan.

"What if it could actually be possible? That's what I've been mulling over for awhile now, you know…" Hanji expressed a distraught face, realizing how kind of silly her plan sounded. They don't even know if Eren has that Titan ability.

"I think it's well worth a gamble." Samantha spoke up, catching everyone's attention again. "And if we could use that repeatedly, then even our chances of conquering Wall Maria will look brighter!" Everyone leaned into her, Rivaille smiling – She always knows how to find a bright side to things…

"The basic approach we use today required Scouts to bring a lot of raw materials. So there was a need to have a lot of staff and to plan the supply routes, any progress could only be made if there were supply stops along the way… That's the approach that would take 20 years to come into fruition. But if the need to bring supply carts is discontinued, then I believe it may be possible to make a route to the Shiganshina District."

"I see," Hanji began, taking Samantha's thoughts into serious consideration. "With a small group, we could make it to Wall Maria in no time."

"How about we carry that operation at night?" Samantha included. Hanji got the spark back in her eyes once again.

"At night…?"

"Yes, because Titans can't move at night. I'm aware that the light of torches isn't enough for them to be able to run at full speed, but even if it slowed them down, I think that a small group has a high chance to make to Wall Maria before dawn." Hanji stared out into the distance, and then bowed her head to look at the hardened Female Type skin again, gripping it.

"Even though our situation is as desperate as ever before… there's still hope." Hanji smiled, cries began to build up in her eyes.

"Yes… Only everything rests on the gamble that Eren would be able to plug the wall." Eren's eyes widened again at the thought.

"I doubt he can give us a solid answer, but… do you think you can do it? Eren?" Samantha flashed him a smile as he looked up from his thoughts, his eyes still wide as before. Everyone's eyes were on him, the tension began to build as he softened his look.

"Ye-"

"It's not about if he could do it or not," Rivaille jumped in. "He has to." Rivaille turned his head to Eren, looking him in the eyes from across the cart.

"Do it… You must do it, you have no choice." Rivaille spoke in a stern, yet somehow desperate voice – though he was still calm, blunt, and unapproachable as always.

"You're aware of the situation we're all in and what's at stake here," Rivaille continued, standing up to Eren who was sitting – catching Samantha's attention. "At this point, the Legion can't do anything other than to do their damnest… So… Make sure you succeed." Whatever "desperate" tone was in Rivaille's voice earlier was surely gone now. He sat back down, looking at Pastor Nick and then to Samantha, who he smiled at swiftly as she was somewhat wide-eyed as well as Armin and Mikasa.

"Yes, sir!" Eren shouted proudly, making Rivaille smile and bow his head once more. "I will plug the hole in the wall without fail!" He continued more quietly, still at a shout. "Without fail…" He repeated, this time more to himself in a strong whisper as he clinched his fists. The ability Annie used… It has to be something that's possible for me to do, too… She could so, I should be able to as well…