{Author's Note:

You guys are absolutely awesome! Thanks so much for all your support so far, I was so excited to find out that people from Instagram and Tumblr were raving about it to me and begging me to update it! I will try to give a few chapter updates per week. In fact, I most likely will have an update every day during the week of Thanksgiving as I'll be at my gramas and I spend my days curled up next to the fire with her amazing food so keep on the lookout!

I probably will have only one update (if any) this week because I have a HUGE English project due on Friday

Anyway, thanks soooo much for your support guys :D }

Chapter 3: When They Come Marching In

The following morning I awoke before dawn, washing myself up and ironing and pressing my shirt and pants. I got dressed and pulled on my boots, heading downstairs to find Eld and Olou already eating. They glanced up with a brief salute, "Good morning Heichou," Olou said, "Hanji should arrive in a few hours with the recruits." I nodded and took a seat.

After about a half an hour, the rest of the team had showed up, minus Eren.

"Where is Eren," I questioned, crossing my legs and arms, leaning slightly back against the wooden chair back.

"Still sleeping," Petra commented quickly, "I heard him snoring this morning as I walked downstairs," After a moment I uncrossed my legs and stood up.

"That child," I said with a sigh, I'll go wake him," I grunted, walking up the stairs. I crossed the hall and pounded on Eren's door.

"Jaeger, get your ass out of bed." I said, opening the door to see a well made bed and cleaned room, pajamas folded nicely on the dresser. I glanced around the room to find him staring out the window, "What are you doing, sleeping in?" I demanded and he gave an awkward stumble.

"A-ah! Heichou, g-gomen!" he scurried to pull on his second boot and scurried to salute, "It's true, I slept in."

I gave him a quick kick to the ass, "Get downstairs, brat." I said and he nodded, running. I watched him go and as he disappeared down the stairs I gave a faint smirk. I hope that left a mark.

~ XXX ~

Hanji and the others got to base at around noontime and they all saluted at attention. As I explained the operation, my eyes caught on some of Eren's friends.

One girl with brown hair tied back, Sasha I believe her name was, had puffy eyes and as did the small, blonde girl, Krista.

Who had died to make them so distraught? Jesus Christ.

Even the powerful Mikasa Ackerman looked a bit… off. Her messy hair and dark bags under her eyes marred her usual crisp appearance and she looked unstable at best. The usual red scarf she wore was high above her nose and mouth and nearly covered her eyes. I ignored it, for now, and continued to explain their operation. I immediately noticed that everyone was distracted... very distracted.

"The operation is simple. We will split you all into groups, with one of my squad members as your leader." I paced back and forth across the leveled, stage like platform, "You will follow this leader to Wall Maria, and you will obey their every word. No excuses. You must be willing to slay the titans on the way there. Stay on your toes, be alert, and be willing to die,"

I stopped and glanced out at the group of young people, "I will now list the groups." I said, looking down at the sheet, listing off the names and dismissed them to prepare for the journey.

(Flashback)

Sasha's POV:

Hanji came to us the night before by horseback. At first, we thought she was just bringing us an update of some sort but the evening turned out to be very different…

"I..is that Hanji?"I heard Armin say from the corner of the dining hall. Our heads turned to peer out the faintly frosted, glass windows. Just as the small, blonde boy had reported, she was riding in on a deep, chestnut colored horse, glasses poised at the tip of her nose and emerald cape flying behind her in the wind. Connie stood up and headed for the door, the rest of us following curiously. We rarely ever got word from the Special Operations Squad so the team was bubbling with questions.

Hanji dismounted the horse and walked over, bowing her head slightly, after a few second speaking, "I have two messages. One was demanded to me by Levi, and the other I bring to you on behalf of the others in the Special Operations Squad and myself."

We glanced at each other, our hearts dropping at the tone of the usually cheerful brunette's tone. Hanji continued, "As you can guess, neither of these two messages are particularly good news…" she said, her voice remaining low, "But I will start with the better of the two," she looked back up at us, seeming to meet each and everyone one of our eyes, "It has come to our attention that your supply for the maneuver gear as well as ours have run dangerously low. Normally, we would just make the hike to Fort Nakanishi, around 8 miles from here, however a messenger came to us 4 days ago bringing us word that even their stock is nearly gone."

The team looked at each other, I locked eyes with Connie for a moment, sharing a look of angst and worry. We quickly turned back to Hanji as she began to speak again.

"Levi Heichou," she started, the room seeming to fall silent at the mention of his name, "has asked that you help us in this expedition. I don't quite know the details but he requested that I take you all back with me."

The group nodded in understanding, the vapor from our breaths like small clouds of anxiety forming over our heads. Hanji then paused to look at each one of us individually and then looked at the group.

"Eren Jaeger is dead."

My heart stopped. Dead? That can't be possible Eren could never die, he was Eren.

The team was frozen in shock and denial, the tension so thick you could feel it hanging in the air. Christa shook her head slowly, "T-that can't be true…" she began, blue eyes filling with tears. Ymir quickly took the petite girl into her embrace, however the fierce, badass female was visibly shaking. I dared to look at Mikasa, her eyes wide and her hand clutched over her heart. She dropped to her knees, starting to scream. Jean and Connie running over to help her up but she just crumpled herself like a paper ball, face masked in pain and horror.

I squeezed my eyes closed and covered my ears, ducking my head, "This isn't suppose to happen!" I cry out, "He's not suppose to leave, why did he have to leave do this to us!?"

Armin was shaking to my left, his blue eyes haunted with the terrible thoughts of what possibly could have happened to him best friend, reeling through his mind endlessly, "But…we never…he didn't…I couldn't…" He couldn't finish his sentences, tears slipping down his cheeks. His thoughts were incomplete, a little piece of him having been torn out by the cruel, bony hands of death.

Hanji lowered her head, trying to keep her wall of composure from crumbling down, "When you can, please prepare your things. I am deeply sorry for the loss of your friend," she said gently, attempting to shoot us a sympathetic smile but it came out as just a grimace, her emotions showing straight through her usual warm brown eyes. She turned back to her horse and went to feed it and give it some water for the journey back home.

Minutes blurred into hours and the hours felt like eternity as the team attempted to pull themselves together. We eventually were able to stabilize poor little Armin, but he was still shaking, bright blue eyes dampened with tears and pain.

Mikasa was hysterical.

It took us about a half an hour to get her to stop screaming, then another thirty minutes slowing her tears. I think it scared us all to see our fearless leader break into hysteria. If someone else were in her spot, Mikasa would be straight on it, bringing the person back to earth in minutes, but that was sadly not an option. Half of us left to gather our things, Jean and Connie helping Armin to their room. I stayed with Mikasa until long after the others were gone, staying by her side. She suddenly turned her face up slightly, barely allowing me to look into her steel colored eyes.

"It should have been me, Sasha."

With that, the warrior stood up and left me on the steps of the dining hall, mouth hanging open to respond but no words escaped. I left after a few minutes and gathered my things silently, the entire camp bathed in disbelief and melancholy.

Late that evening we strapped our things to the horses and mounted, ready to head back to where the Special Operations Squad were lying in bed, their eyes wide open and heads throbbing. No one got sleep that night. As we were ready to set off, Hanji turned to face us, the air dripping with dread.

"Rivaille doesn't remember a thing. He claims to see Eren," she said, the group falling silent, everyone had stopped breathing, "and we intend to play along with it, for the sake of his sanity, and our own."

~ XXX ~

(End of flashback)

Levi's POV:

Once the few dozen of us were mounted onto the horses, I fastened my straps tightly, my lips forming a straight line of un-emotion. I could see Eren at the corner of my eye, my chest filling with pride for a brief second. I shook it off.

"He's just a kid to me," I insisted, shooing the feeling away from me, "Nothing more."

I faced the pale sunrise, my eyes glowing with its meek embrace. It symbolized the starting of a new day, the slate was cleaned and ready for the day to unfold. My heart surged with my usual adrenaline pump I always get when we prepare for a certain mission. I kick the sides of my horse slightly to give it a start when pain surges through my right eye, leading me to grimace in discomfort as we rode off.

I had the strangest feeling that I was forgetting something.