Step – Chapter 8

Two men stood over a large parchment, the dark area lit by the lamp on the table. The paper appeared to be a blueprint, filled with measurements and diagrams regarding the design of the MRMF. One of the men was a black-haired garrison soldier, eyes focused on a particular region of the weapon. The other was an older white-haired man wearing sinian sleepwear, one hand tapping on the table while the other supporting his head that was drooping slightly.

The younger man broke his concentration to express his concern for the man struggling to keep awake, his head banging to-and-fro continuously in the air.

"Professor Carters, I think it's best if you went to sleep. We have been at this problem for the past few days, still trying to find a solution for the movement. Getting one more night of rest would do well for you." Garrus laid a hand on the inventor's back, trying to get him out of the workshop and into a much more comfortable setting. James yawned as he swayed the young man's hand lightly, tapping his pencil irritatingly near the four-legged stand where the main weapon rested.

"Non-sense, Garrus. I am as active and nocturnal as a barn owl. We need to finish optimizing the design of the Mark II before the following week. This remains our only obstacle before actual weapons testing! We have found new solutions immediately when we found the other problems, so we must find the one for this!"

Throughout the last month, field testing has revealed many different difficulties that made the Mark I MRMF an unsuitable weapon. The first difficult came with the same one encountered during the first test. Turning the weapon when it is placed out of the tracks was just as difficult as turning a wheeled ground cannon. From what was gathered from the first few tests of the week, the weapon has a lower range than that of a cannon to have good accuracy. In order to counter that problem, adjusting the aim on a moment's notice should be an important feature. This is the problem that two men were trying to solve on the table.

The other technicalities, however, were solved almost immediately. The second problem came when the rotation wheel broke while Kela spun the weapon, disabling it almost entirely. Though they made a much stronger and reliable design, Garrus thought about what would happen if the crewman assigned to spin the gun was unable to perform his duty. The emplacement then requires at least two people to fire the weapon, excluding the reloading officer, making it a very inefficient weapon. Also, it would be hard for that person to keep spinning the weapon with the wheel if the gun is to turn from side to side.

Garrus found a solution while the team was maintaining their 3DMG by observing that as Ottis let gas fly through the gear's tubes, the wheels that reeled in the wires spun with it. It led him to the theory that the gun can be spun with gas as well. The trigger for the gas release could be alongside the weapon trigger so that one sole operator is needed to fire the weapon.

He, along with Ottis, told this proposal to Professor Carters, who was quite skeptical, as then the MRMF would need another resource for it to run. Ottis, with his knowledge as a logistic officer, claimed that placing larger tanks by the emplacement would allow high levels of gas for rotation. Unlike tanks for 3DMG, the gas tank size does not limit the mobility of the weapon. Another proposal to the design was to add another three barrels to the ring, so that it would take a lesser amount of gas to fire the weapon at the same firing rate.

Garrus also gave the idea that the new wheel crank modification can still be added into the newest design, able to operate independently from the gas turbine. There will be two modes the gun can run on: The first is gas powered, which would use gas the main proponent for spinning the ring. The next was manual, were the barrel would be spun with one of the crewmen. Through this, the gun's efficiency can still increase while allowing manpower to operate the weapon if there was a lack of gas.

The professor was delighted with the proposals and added them to the design of the Mark II, the most recent model of the prototype that will be built by the beginning of the next month. Kela was also pleased with this proposal, with a large addition of relief, as that would mean she wouldn't have to stay so close to the weapon's gun barrels to spin it.

The next problem was stability. One gun handle, similar to that of muskets, made it stressing and difficult to stabilize the weapon when firing. Despite having a firm ground foundation, the weapon still teetered side to side when firing for longer periods of time, causing the following bullets to stray farther and farther from the target. James, with the idea of the gas trigger still fresh in his mind, proposed that they add another handle, letting have two at the sides by the end rather than one right in the center. The right handle would contain the trigger for firing the weapon while the left would have the button for gas spinning.

Along with the idea of having two handles, Kela proposed that a crosshair be placed right on top of the weapon, following the design of iron sights of muskets. The crosshair was to be relatively bigger so that the gunner can still use it while keeping his face a distance from the rumbling ring of barrels as it is being fired.

And lastly, the round wooden foundation was messy and easily influenced by the slope of the ground, if it were to be placed out of the walls. Putting it on wheels was the first suggestion, similar the structure of ground cannons. However, that would also give it the same limitations as the cannons, especially regarding aiming, like their first problem. The scientist of Professor Carter's team also found that the MRMF was slightly longer, lighter, and more evenly weighted than a regular cannon. Placing wheels on the barrel itself, no matter at which position along the gun, would either make it awkward for the shooter to fire effectively or cause imbalance on one side. Another difficulty was that without extra weights, the wheels will make it easier for recoil from the firing to move the MRMF even more out of place.

With wheels out of the options, the next suggestion was a tripod stand, made of mostly iron and wood. Though they felt as the tripod too unstable, especially in the heat of battle against titans. Garrus then suggested four legs than three, spread on a rectangular area to have good foundation for firing. It will also allow the new gas tanks to be placed under the gun, making it a double-piece equipment consisting of the gun itself, plus the tanks, and the legs.

But addition of the legs were on hold as the problem on how to aim the gun fast enough remained. The design for legs and stand have already been drawn out, and the modification have been added to the MRMF. Combining both all depended on how the gun would be able to rotate. Which is the reason why both men stood in front of the table, frustrated and sleepy. Suddenly, the professor's head shot up, a smile brightened by an idea.

"Perhaps if we added a third wheel, one at the back of the gun, we will be able to turn in any different direction if we go along with the wheeled design! Ha ha! We have done it my boy! I will write this down immedi-" He was interrupted with raised hand from Garrus who had a sad, disappointed expression.

"I'm sorry Professor, but it won't work. We had already tried thinking about that when we were consulting the wheel idea. An extra wheel added through another addition at the end of the foundation, the most stable shape being a V-shape for the base, would not add anymore base stability than the tripod. It would require another crewman to turn the weapon and it would be distracting for the gunner if he had to be aware not trip over the V. Even if one of the crewman, say the spotter, took that position, it would be still take too long to aim the whole thing."

To say that James was dejected was to say his coffee tasted only a little strange. He was laying his head on the table, face first on the surface, giving a depressing groan. A large yawn escaped Garrus mouth, his eyes slowly falling.

"I really think we should call this a day professor. We still have a few more days before… Professor?" The older man responded with only silence before the sound of snoring escaped his throat.

Garrus went around the side of the table to find that James was fast asleep, his mouth open in a way that would not be the most graceful thing one would see on the planet. His face was scrunched up in stress, but his eyelids were relaxed from the quick start to rest. The young soldier gave a small smile at the sight before heading for the stairway.

"Good night, Professor. Sleep well." He said quietly as he walked up the stairs, making his way to his own quarters. Professor Carters has given them lodgings in one of the common rooms that acted as a library as the walls were filled with old books. Along with the recent addition of three cots, the rooms also had an aged couch and the small table which was transferred from the kitchen entrance to the squad's room.

He was welcomed by the sight of his squadmates sleeping anywhere but their beds when he entered the room. Kela was asleep in a similar position to the professor, her head laying on her resting arm on top of the table. Her dark blonde locks spread across her head, covering soft snores that came behind them. Ottis was on the couch with a book on his lap, his head thrown back on top of the backrest with closed eyes. It bothered the two seniors from time to time on how still he was when he slept. It was almost as if he was dead. His glasses were not on him, rather on the table beside the sleeping form of their targeting officer.

They were supposed to wait for him to return to discuss the following day's agenda, but Garrus' meeting with the professor went much longer than they presumed it to be. In honesty, the corporal was also too tired to hold a small briefing at the moment. He walked over to Ottis, removing his gloves on the way.

"Ottis, wake up. Your neck's going to hurt like hell tomorrow morning if you sleep like that." He shook him lightly before heading to Kela, shaking her shoulder in the same way. She gave a mumbled groan as she looked up, revealing droopy eyes that were half-open.

"Oh. Good… good evening, sir." Ottis, despite resisting, gave a yawn as he stirred awake. "Will we begin discussing our plans for tomorrow?"

The young reloader was answered by the sight of his commanding officer going to one of the beds, removing his brown uniform after placing his gloves on their small dining table. He laid his head on the pillow, facing the ceiling as his right arm dangled by his side.

"No, I want sleep. It must be past midnight already. Get to your cots. Briefing will be the first thing we do tomorrow morning." The groggy female squadmate grumbled something about 'yes please' and 'coffee' as she walked over to her own bed and threw her head face down onto the pillow. She immediately went back to snoring when she made contact with the mattress.

Ottis stood from the couch and walked over to one of the bookshelves, placing the book he had back into one of the empty spaces before moving over to his own bed. Garrus began to close his eyes as the sight of his logistics officer blurred into darkness.

"We trusted you!"

"You are a failure."

"Why did you leave me?"

"I thought you were my friend?!"

"Gary?"

CRUNCH

Garrus shot up in a sweat, panting rapidly as he looked around in panic. He saw the faint glow of dawn by the window, part of the room lit from the light of a nearby lamp. Ottis and Kela were already awake, looking at him with surprise and concern. The young woman was holding a cup of coffee by the table, while their junior had stopped stirring his own.

"Morning, Corporal. We tried waking you up earlier, but you began stirring once again." Garrus rubbed his eyes lightly as he placed his legs into the ground, slowly putting on his jacket as he headed for the table.

"It's been bothering us for some time now. You know? You waking up like you're 5 hours late for training almost every night?" Kela said with rare concern showing through her eyes and her voice. Garrus looked at the two before taking his mug with coffee and taking a small sip from it.

"It's nothing major. It's just… hazy visions. From Shiganshina." The corporal lied through his teeth. He actually remembers every single detail of the dream every time it occurs. "I've seen a lot of stuff there I'd rather forget, to be honest."

He let the sweet taste of Ottis' coffee swivel across his tongue, partly relieving him of the disturbing emotions brought by his nightmare. The caffeine started pumping through his system, giving him a much more active energy surge that allowed him to begin collecting his thoughts.

"I'm never going to get tired of this coffee. So, what time is it?"

"Around 6 or 7, Corporal." Ottis gave a short answer before sipping his coffee after minutes of stirring. Garrus looked outside to check the sun's position and it really appeared like it was early morning.

"The professor will not waking up for another hour, if my memory serves me correct. In fact, with how exhausted he looked last night, I think I need to head to the basement myself in order to wake him up." Despite the coffee, Garrus still gave a yawn, revealing some information of how late they went to sleep.

"What did you both work on last night at the workshop?" Kela seemed to remain stoic face, but her eyes were glowing with energy. The spotter most likely on her third cup of coffee, as the coffee pot appeared emptier than it should be.

"Same thing we have been doing for the past month; trying to find a way to get the gun to turn and aim much faster, as well as find a damn stand for it." Garrus ran a hand through his hair in frustration as he realized how much of an irritation this roadblock was in the development.

"We should just let it turn from a central point on the legs, just like ancient siege weapons and wall cannons." Kela gave the suggestion with a shrug. A few of the professor's books dated past the time of the walls. How they survived the purges of the government was a mystery, but it gave the squad something new to read in their spare time, especially Ottis.

"It would turn too slow if we pushed it manually. And now that you say that, I just found us a new problem." Garrus groaned in annoyance.

"Unless we plan to have it stick to small arc of fire, which would be dangerous and deadly for a crew on the ground, the gunner, as well as the whole crew, would have to keep running around at the end of the gun, which would not only be awkward, but risky." Weapon testing proved the entire crew had to move with the gun as it turned or be put either right in the firing zone or in the wrong position.

"Maybe it should just remain as another wall weapon, sir. We already know it can work and it has its limitations, just like the cannons." Ottis suggested. Garrus was about to reply but was cut off by Kela who gave an exact replica of his answer.

"It can't be placed on the wall. Never mind the political crap and the resistance those church nuts will give us, its range is much smaller than the cannons and the weapon itself is more complex and expensive. Unless the MRMF has something special about it, nothing and no one is going to mass produce that weapon."

The team looked down on the table with despair. At the rate of which the project was going, the gun may be put out of action before it even fired on a real titan. It would be a real shame. Garrus had faith in what the weapon could do, being a potential turning point in mankind's losing struggle against titans. The silence was broken when Ottis lifted is head as he remembered something.

"Oh! Corporal, I forgot to mention our mail arrived a few minutes before you woke up. K-Kela and I were about to open the letter package, but you began shaking and all and… Yeah." Ottis mumbled the last part as he got a small box near the doorway and brought it to the table. Kela opened the box to find four letters inside.

"So let's see what we got here. One from Yalkell District, which most likely my mother, One from Trost District, this is definitely yours, Gary, One from Landwell Village, obviously Ottis, and last one from… the Scouting Legion?"

The origin of the last letter brought surprise to all three members. Kela looked around the envelope casing to see the nature of the letter. She looked a bit relieved when she saw a small shield symbol on the corner of the details, but was also intrigued by her revelation.

"Well, this letter was not from the command of the Scouting Legion, but just a casual message by one of the scouts. King's divine rear, I thought we were in trouble or something. The sender is… Petra Ral? Any of you guys know this one?"

Garrus shook his head in slight confusion and curiosity, while Ottis gave a nervous chuckle while scratching his head.

"Hehe… t-that would be m-my letter." He reached out to grab the letter with one hand while Kela stared at his with a shocked, open jaw. Garrus had a less extreme reaction, just raising his eyebrows in surprise. Though a little disappointed it wasn't a letter from a certain girl he knew, they didn't really know Ottis had a friend who was in the scouting legion. As he watched Kela's shock faced turned into a teasing grin, Garrus immediately knew that she obviously did not think that the scout, who had a feminine nature in her name, was just Ottis' friend.

"No way, Hayward. You have a girl?! Not only that, but she's a scout?! Damn, I don't know who to feel more pity for." The young logistics officer gave a slight blush as he shook his head while trying to reach for the letter.

"W-W-We're not like that! S-She's just a good f-friend I made during training. Give me the letter, Kela!" The senior spotter continued to hold the letter just outside Ottis' reach, pretending to observe the envelope back and forth.

"You know, I forgot to read the recipient details. Maybe it's just a mistake the mail guys made. Let's just take a look here…" Indeed, the recipient was just who they thought it was.

"Hayward, Ottis, 84th cannon squad, 1st Garrison Division! Wow! It is for you! What daring courtship letters have you been writin-"

"We just write to each other about what has been happening every month! W-w-wait… What I meant by e-every month…" Ottis covered his mouth too late as the words already reached his seniors' ears. Garrus once again raised his eyebrows in surprise while Kela's grin grew even more in mockery.

"Wait, you have been under my command for around two months, so you must have written a letter to her, and received one from her, by the time our squad has formed." Ottis stopped trying to reach for his letter, shifting a bit in nervousness.

"S-s-sir, if I had done something a-against protocol, I apolo-"

Garrus shot Kela a questioning, yet joking, look. "How did we not notice this?"

It was at this moment that both privates realized their squad leader, much to Kela's amusement and Ottis' horror, joined into the teasing.

"C-Corporal! Not you too!"

"You sneaky reloader! Not revealing such an important piece of information to the Corporal. Bad Ottis. Who would he send your final expression of love to when you fall heroically in battle?"

Ottis was still mumbling, not really knowing how to reply to a higher ranking officer in this context. Kela, on the other hand, was having a great time. Deciding to give mercy to his junior, Garrus shrugged as he replied.

"I'm kidding, Ottis. Nothing wrong with sending casual letters to soldiers of other branches. And I'm pretty sure you are sincere of having a platonic view for the scout." The younger man gave a sigh of relief while the female member of the squad mockingly scoffed.

"I take it there is nothing too endangering in the letter if that is correct, yes?" Ottis nodded his head rapidly. As the young private answered, Garrus slowly realized he asked the wrong question.

"No, sir. Nothing that I would keep a secret, sir."

Garrus suddenly tried to interrupt him but it was too late. The Corporal only looked at him blankly for a few seconds before bringing his palm to his face while Kela started to form a smirk. Ottis gave a confused look at his commanding officer.

"You do know what you just did, right Ottis?"

The reloader only grew more confused, though the idea that he said something wrong started to form. Garrus thought that knowing Kela by this time, he would not have said something that was in her opinion, "permission". She always had a fascination with loopholes.

"You may have convinced Garrus over here, but there's only one way to prove it to me. And since you said it yourself that there is nothing personal in this letter…" She grinned once again as she grabbed a small knife by the table and cut one side of the envelope. "Let's read it, shall we?"

Ottis finally realized what his error was.

Garrus watched in amusement as Ottis continued to reach for his letter, struggling against Kela's arm which was blocking him from doing so while she successfully opened it with another arm. For some reason, perhaps because she was raised by a police officer, the woman was quite stronger than their younger squadmate, much to his dismay.

"So let's see her. Ehem. 'Dear Ottis,' Aw! How adorable!"

"T-t-that's how you greet anyone in letters!"

From the unruly duo that was his squad, Garrus shifted his attention to his own letter in front of him. He grabbed the same knife Kela used and made a clean cut on the side of the letter's envelope. The young man pulled out a letter written on a folded, light brown paper. As he opened it, he noticed the long expositions that contained the neat handwriting of his sister.

Dear Garrus,

Hey, Gary! I know it's been around a month (and maybe two weeks) since you left Trost. But truthfully, Mom and I have felt your absence since the first few days. I really hope you can come back soon. It's just not the same. But we know you do important stuff, so we are still supporting you all the way!

Mom is still the same state. Still not a single word, even after you left. When we are at the table, it's more depressing than awkward for me to be the only one talking in the dinner table. I mean, yes, she still nods and shows facial expressions, but it's so quiet at home.

Her job in the noble's forum is still… tolerable. I just heard that some of the men try to act like perverted pigs around her, but Jill and Yvack make sure they keep their hands to themselves. It's like the perfect temptation, they said. She's quiet, attractive, single, and everything else that is troubling you and me.

His blood really started to boil as he read. It really made him sick how some guys were that way to her, despite all that she has been through. The thought has entered his mind of feeding them to same titans that terrorized Shingashina from time to time.

"Haha! She pissed her pants on the expedition!"

"That's supposed to be s-s-secret! Don't read it out loud!"

I guess that's what we get when we have the most beautiful woman in the world as our mother. But I really miss hearing her voice. I miss her simple good mornings and sweet dreams. I miss her. It's like her breath went with Dad when they launched the counter-attack.

As Garrus read through the passage, he became more depressed. Their mom's sudden muteness took a large toll in Garrus and Venus' life. They already lost their dad and with him, a part of their mother.

The writing of the letters became more jagged and forced up to this point before returning to its smooth nature in the next paragraph.

Anyway, let's move to lighter topic! There are less and less unicorns around, seeing that their jobs are done here. Truthfully, many of the surviving refugees (as well as overhearing a few garrison) are quite happy the ones from Sina are gone. They have been forcing us Shiganshinans to pay "extra tax" and work harder in the fields. Though Mom is excluded for being a forum worker, my friends are not being treated that well.

It was as if the Military Police was always playing a game with Garrus about them never ceasing to annoy him. If the objective was to always give him new reasons to dislike them more and more, they were winning.

Oh, and we're back to depression again! Let's find something else I can talk about… It seems Mikasa, Eren, and Armin are joining the military next year. I would've asked them not to, but they don't really have much of choice, being street orphans. Since mom has found out, she lets them stay over sometimes, as well as feed them, even if they complain that there is not much for her and me if they stay. She doesn't have any of it though and I couldn't care less if we had nothing. Even if she can't talk, she still remains to be mom.

"Captain Levi is such an awesome man? Looks like you got competition, Ottis."

"I t-told you we're not like that!"

They help around with the firewood and other money making chores to help Mom with the expenses. It makes me see how lucky we both are, honestly. Even if we lost dad, mom is still here. I even have you. My friends… they lost almost everyone. In Armin's case, he really lost all of his family. Mikasa and Eren still have each other, but he has been alone (In a family sense) since the counter-attack. We are doing all we can to be there for him, but it's just… that.

In a sense however, I envy them. They know who they are going to be or what they want to be, especially Eren. In the next few years they are going to be soldiers. Meanwhile, I'm still here, leeching off Mom while I try to see what I can do. I still don't know what to be, Gary. And it disheartens me.

I feel like I'm failing Dad. He said I have control over who I will be, that what I will choose will bring good to the people around me. And yet, here I still am. A formless, useless piece of metal. I know if you were here, you would say something that I am not or I am still in the process, but it just hurts. It hurts to know that you know what you are doing, what my friends know what they will be doing, and I still have no idea who I want to be.

As the wordss continued to become rougher and hardened as he went down the letter, Garrus noticed how there were marks of dried water drops along this side of the paper. It didn't long it for him to figure out they were from his sister.

Sorry about the tears in the letter. Please don't let it bother you. I just really need to release that. Please, Gary. I'm fine. Really, I am.

It sounded like she was convincing herself more than convincing Garrus, and that was not helping him relax one bit. But the thought of going back home did cross his mind. If this weapon was a failed experiment, then one good thing that came from such was the chance to get back home. Home to his family. He really had the desire to run away. To just stay with the small remnant of what was once his joy.

But it's also the reason that drives him to stay. The thought, the mere idea that humanity can finally win against the titans was just too much to give up for his own feelings. If mankind can do that, no longer would people have to suffer through the same things Garrus seen, experienced, and struggled through. He would be able to protect his family, and actually succeed this time.

"I'm sorry, Dad. I'm sorry, Matthias. I might have failed you, but I will do my best to keep them safe. I promise. Have faith in me." He silently whispered as he wiped a small tear forming along his eye. His two squadmates continued to bicker, Kela still holding on to the letter.

"Isn't this a sappy romance story? The adventurous scout and the shy garrison? It's almost like your everyday hopeless romantic writing a piece of bad fiction."

"Kela, would you stop it p-please? J-just give me the letter, already."

Garrus went back to reading through his sister's message, almost reaching the end.

I'll prove it! I'll end this message with a light tone! There was this new contraption built near the park outside the inner gate. It was installed by the playground, and looks to be like some sort of kid thing. But it was fun! It was a simple metal circle that spins around! There are handles that let the riders stay in the circle while it someone or someones pushed the circle in one direction before riding on it themselves when it gets fast enough.

As Garrus read through the final paragraphs, innovation suddenly struck. The solution to the problem of the crew wherever the cannon faced was right in front of him. The can install handles with stools so that the other two crew members can ride as the gun turns. It was brilliant, but the still needed the gun to aim quickly. And doing that, along with having the crew riding on the gun itself, adds weight problems.

Garrus groaned as the solution to a problem was found once again, only it went back to the same problem. He went back to reading the letter, thinking there might be something else in here.

One of the older kids did something really stupid yet fun. He wrapped the entire circle with a long piece of rope he found and told us all to ride it. He then pulled a rope through the tree and circle spun so much faster! Only the rope broke and the kid ended with a sprained arm, but it was an exciting experience!

Well, how serendipitous.

It may seemed farfetched, but it could actually work. 3DMGs use the same system when pulling the cables back. If they can modify a system to allow the gun turret to move in the same way, using two gears rather than one for rotation rather than movement, then this problem may already have its solution.

Garrus stopped himself from rushing into the professor's study as he spotted one last part of Venus' letter. He began reading it again.

…I tried, Gary. I actually can't do this. I really have to say it. I miss Papa. I miss Matthias. I miss Mama's voice. Please, I don't want you to leave next. I don't want you to quit or run away or something bad. Let's honor what Dad said. I just want you to come back. I know it's selfish for me to ask, but I don't want to lose anything anymore. If I lost you or Mom, I don't know what I'll do.

Garrus eyes were filled with sympathy, sadness, and pride. How he wished he could be there, to comfort his sister in this time of trial. Everyone is still recovering from the Fall of Wall Maria, but everyone has a different way to get back up. The only thing he can do is silently speak his thought, praying that she can hear even the essence of them.

"It's not selfish. I don't want to lose any of you too." He whispered again to himself. Sympathy.

"I miss them as well. I miss them so much." Sadness.

"Dad would be proud. Proud of what you are and what you are becoming." Pride.

I hope you can write back as soon as you can. It means the world to Mom and me when we receive your letters. I swear that I saw Mom whisper something to herself when she read your last one, so if that is what it takes, then let's continue writing! For her sake, at least.

-Venus Gatling

Garrus stood up and began walking towards another table with a pencil and a few pieces of blank paper. The other two members of the squad brought their attention to the sound of their officer leaving his chair. Ottis finally had possession of his message, looking up from reading it. Kela was already holding the knife, about to cut open her letter's envelope.

"Wrap up your reading, guys. We are going to meet the professor right after I finish this. We may finally have the design we are looking for."

He took a blank parchment as he sat down before jolting his thoughts right into the paper.

Dear Venus and Jayna Gatling,

Hey, Vivi. Hi, mom. I really appreciate…

The discussion between the squad, mostly Garrus, and the science team, mostly James, was a long and active debate. Doing this design would make gas an indispensable part of the weapon if installed into the Mark II. Garrus however stated that at the moment, there was no other choice. Fighting titans already required gas as humanity can't fight them without an improvement of speed and agility. And that this design followed the gun rotation system, where there would be two modes with gas power and manual power.

It took an entire day and night inside the workshop to design the final version of the Mark II, with the gun's physical properties being taken into account by the scientist and engineers, while military application and usage by the 84th cannon squad.

Finally, as the sun rose the next day, the professor packaged the blueprints off and sent it to Gengis, A city by Wall Sina which was the home of the steel factories and their mysterious benefactor. Or at least mysterious to the soldiers. Professor Carters held him in high regard and spoke that they would get along well with him. In their opinion, any noble who saw the soldiers as something worth more than fodder was someone they can definitely have a good view about.

Two weeks passed by quickly for the entire development group, anxious for the arrival of the Mark II. The professor ordered two different prototypes: One with the quad-pod, and the other on a wall rail cannon foundation.

Both guns arrived on schedule, being assembled outside the manor as the cannon crew, along with the professor, made their way towards the testing grounds. The professor looked anxious, yet his aura shined excitement.

"So here is the moment of truth. All that time, all that testing and experimentation, coming down to one event."

Garrus would be lying if he said he was completely calm and ready for this testing. He was nervous. So many potential things can happen, and it would be them that would operate the darned machine when it happens. Kela had the usual bored expression on her face, but a closer look on her hands revealed sweaty palms. And Ottis was being himself, shaking as they took a closer step towards the large blanketed object.

"You really have a fascination with putting a sheet over your creations, Professor." Garrus plainly observed as they approached it.

"Other than giving it some protection from the elements, it always gives a feeling of suspense and surprise! Don't you think so, Corporal Garrus?" The Professor took the blanket in one hand, grinning as he prepared to pull it off.

"I bring you, lady and gentlemen, the field Mark II!" As the professor revealed the new gun to all of them, it was obvious he had not seen it himself before hand as the shock and awe was visible on his face.

The gun was an exact replica of the design. It was supported on a four thick metal and wooden legs with two pair of gas tanks along its side. The pair at the top was around 4 times larger than the canisters of 3DMG, while the bottom completely dwarfed the last, making it look like it was riding on the large tanks. Two large cylinders, similarly shaped to the ones on the 3DMG, were at the front and back of the gun's connection to the legs.

The gun and its barrels were similar to the old design, albeit slightly longer and with a much more round bond that held the barrels in a ring. The entire things was connected to an axle that allowed it to point up and down. Along the crew's end of the gun was a simple cockpit with two handles in front of it on either side, one with wiring connecting to the gun itself while the other towards the smaller pair of gas canisters. Each handle had a trigger, activating the mechanism they were wired to.

On either side near the gun's end, not much farther from the cockpit, was a long handle and a small stool supported on a small metal platform made of tubes. The reloading position at the left of the gun gave the crewman complete access to the feeding mechanism while the position at the right was slightly more elevated and had access to a circular crank. Each side also had a much larger crank that connect to the two cylinders.

Even the assembly crew, who had only built it part by part, were quite astounded when they saw the whole thing. The cannon squad, needless to say, was frozen in awe of the final shape of the weapon. Garrus, though still star-struck, regained his attention and looked to the professor for orders. The old man also caught control of his body a few seconds after Garrus and headed towards him, sheet in hand.

"Well, my boy, it certainly is a beautiful thing. Let us first test the firing once again in manual mode first, on a stable target around the field. Afterwards, let us experience first-hand the gas powered mode on a moving target."

The crew took up positions along the gun. Kela was on the right, seeing a little more above than the cockpit. It made her role as a spotter much easier. Also she was relatively the farthest from the gun barrels, despite being the one to turn it for the manual mode. She was not going complain about that fact.

Ottis was stationed on the left. There was also a place for storage of extra ammunition boxes along the platform in case they needed to change magazines. He had to admit that holding on the vertical handle made him feel a quite safer riding on the gun.

Garrus took controls in the cockpit, a hand on each trigger handle. He moved them around a bit, a needed function for the gas-power testing later. Since manual cranking will be used, his main concern was only activating the firing mechanism. There were also two pedals by his feet, used for free movement in the manual setting.

"Ready, Garrus?"

"We are ready, Professor."

The first target sprung in the field. It was a 3 meter piece of thin wood shaped like a person. In their case, however, anything shaped like a human that was larger than 3 meters was not a fellow man.

Though she had a telescope with her, Kela did not really need one at the moment to see the mock titan, with the target being only 50 meters away.

"Target sighted, 11 o'clock." The spotter pointed towards the area, which was slightly towards their left, while looking at Garrus. The Corporal gave a confirmed nod and stepped on the right pedal.

"Alright. Turn the aiming wheels counterclockwise." He commanded his squad as both members began turning the larger crank in that particular orientation. The gun turned towards the target, albeit at a much faster speed than they had with the Mark I. Garrus continued to look through the crosshair before the cannon pointed directly at it. He stepped on the left pedal with his makeshift foot immediately, feeling the right pedal raise in response. The weapon stopped rotating as it lined up according to Garrus' vision, even if his squadmates were still turning the wheels.

"Target aimed. Spin the barrels." Kela let go of the larger wheel began cranking the smaller wheel, spinning it quite faster than the first prototype. Within a few seconds, the same metal clinging can be heard, most loudly in the right side the gun.

"Gun spinning, Corporal!" Ottis had to shout slightly to get his voice heared over the metallic clanking. He pushed the handles upwards, aiming the gun slightly down. Garrus held both handles tighly as his finger pressed the firing trigger.

"Firing!"

The same gun blasts sounded through the air. Suspension tubes held the gun in place, but the rattling still caused the two privates at the side of the gun to grab the handles for safety. Bullet's whizzed through the air and filled the target area with flying dust once again. Garrus let go of the trigger after a good four seconds, the gun going silent as Kela stopped spinning the crank, hearing the metal clanking slowly fade like the gun fire.

The target, along with few of the surrounding vegetation, was completely demolished. As Garrus looked to the science team, one of them ran to the professor and gave him a note. The Professor looked to Garrus with a satisfactory smile.

"Well done, Corporal! All in all, it took us 16 seconds to take out the titan as soon as it was spotted. That is a vast improvement from our earlier record of 58!" Though the speed was cut by 2/3rds, Garrus and the crew was still not that pleased. A lot could happen in 16 seconds, especially with the stories of titan abnormalities that rarely followed documented behavior. Not to mention it took 16 seconds to take down a stationary target.

"Professor, let's try the moving target this time, as well as the gas powered form."

"Very well, Garrus! Keep your team on high alert."

From the treeline came a medium sized red disk that was being pulled by a rope. It was relatively slow, going at the same speed a titan would usually be walking. Kela immediately saw it as it came into the open.

"Target sighted, 1 o'clock." Before he did anything, Garrus pulled a large lever by the side of the cockpit, hearing the hiss of gas below him.

"Hold on!" He pushed both handles to the right, the gun turning at an incredibly faster, yet controllable, speed. The sudden turn knocked out the breath of the entire crew for half a second before Garrus lined the gun up to the target.

As he pressed the left trigger, the gun spun at even faster speed, letting the metal ringing sound off almost immediately. Ottis, still catching his breath, was suddenly surprised by the familiar sound appearing so quickly.

"G-G-Gun spinning!"

"Firing!" Garrus once again let out a stream of bullets. He pushed and pulled the handles according to the position of the target. Bullets flew into the target, passed into the tree line, or hit the ground. After just few seconds, Garrus saw the target come down. He stopped spinning and firing the MRMF and silence filled the testing grounds once again.

Needless to say, the entire cannon crew was astounded. But they were all wondering how fast did it take it destroy the target. Garrus looked to the science team, who also had some of their jaws wide open. One the young scientist brought a note to the professor once again, the man suddenly giving a shocking expression as he read the paper.

The team all looked back at the professor, waiting nervously for the results of the test.

"…My boy, it took your crew only 5 seconds to spot, aim, and destroy the target. A moving target to be even more precise."

There was silence for a few seconds before a clap rose from one of the men in the assembly team. Soon, the whole field erupted in applause. Ottis was clapping loudly while Kela gave victorious shouts. Garrus joined in the cheering, raising his hands to clap as well.

It was time. It was time they did the true test. Time to fire it on the titans.

Disclaimer: I do not own Shingeki no Kyojin. (duh)