I'm back after such a long break! Yeah, I'm sorry for being unable to upload anything for the past month or so...I still had to do summer work and then I had a MAJOR writer's block. It was so bad that I could barely even do my essay! It was extremely hard for me to put words together and you have no idea with this chapter...I have a total of two drafts in Microsoft word, and MANY others that were SOO bad I simply didn't even save it. This was the hardest chapter I have to write so far, but also one I'm very happy with. And for once, it's LONG! Okay, enough blabbering. LET'S GET ON WITH IT!

"Oi, Jean. What's with you tonight? You're never this quiet during dinner." Connie took a bite out of his bread and continued to examine Jean, who was sitting in front of him. Ignoring Connie, Jean stared out the window and sighed. "The stars seem to be especially bright tonight…I wonder what's the reason?" Ever since he had joined the Recon Corps, Jean felt more composed and calm. It was strange actually. Wasn't he supposed to be jumpy like most of his classmates? Jean remembered even seeing Reiner and Bertholdt looking worried and tense after the ceremony where they decided if they wanted to join the Recon Corps or not.

Unsatisfied with being disregarded, Connie raised his voice even more. "Hey Jean! Stop being so silent. It doesn't suit you well. It's actually kind of weird not seeing you being impulsive for once." Jean bit the bottom of his lip and glared over at Connie, who nearly jumped out of his seat. "Man! If looks can kill, then Jean would of already have me done!" The intense atmosphere that suddenly arose because of Jean gained the attention of almost all of the people in the room.

"Why the heck did he take it so seriously? I-I was just kidding!" Connie gulped and waited for Jean to respond. A piece of bread was sticking out of his mouth; he had intended to take another bite, but that was before Jean began to act strange. To be honest, Connie was scared of taking it out, nonetheless even moving a muscle. Jean removed his right hand away from his cheek, which was holding his head, and reached over to Connie's face. Sweat began to fall from Connie's temple, but he continued to stay completely still. Jean's hand moved at a slow and agonizing pace; each second felt like minutes for Connie. The tension was so thick that it made Sasha, who sat on the left of Connie, gag a little bit.

Snatching the bread away from Connie's mouth, Jean said in a low tone voice, "You shouldn't leave your food hanging out of your mouth. It looks weird." Connie heaved a heavy sigh and slouched back in his chair. "Geez! You know you could have just told me that. Thanks for giving me a heart attack though." Connie rubbed his chest, but not exactly where his heart was. "Connie, I know you are an idiot. Everyone knows that. Even the Titans know! But you still don't know where the hell your heart is? I wonder how the heck were you able to join the Recon Corps with the intelligence level of yours…" Ymir commented.

She sat a few chairs down from where they were, but she still was able to see everything from the end clearly. It was funny actually; the 104th trainees squad occupied a whole entire table to themselves. No one else sat in their table. She smirked once Connie's face turned sour. "Mind your own business!" Connie countered back. He crossed his arms across his chest and pouted unhappily.

Ymir opened her mouth to say something back when the entrance doors suddenly burst open. The two doors slammed hard against the walls, making it shake slightly from the impact it had sustained. Jean and the other members of the squad were surprised to find Armin there, breathing heavily.

"What the hell is going on…Armin usually doesn't come late to dinner and he's not exactly looking so hot right now." Jean muttered under his breath. Armin's eyes darted across the room, as if trying to find someone. Jean was about to call over to him when he unexpectedly cried out. "So-something happen! Something really bad!" Armin stumbled towards Eren, who sat at the opposite end of Jean. By then, almost everyone's eyes were fixed on Armin.

Eren stared at Armin, clearly confused as he advised Armin to sit and calm down. "…I can barely understand you in your current-"

"Mikasa! It's Mikasa! I was on my way over here when I saw Mikasa exiting out of her room with her gear. I knew something was up, so I followed her to the Wall of Rose. Mikasa looked around and I thought she saw me, so when I was about to call her name she used her 3D maneuver gear to go over the wall!" Jean's body tensed up at Armin's outburst. He didn't even notice that Armin was on the ground now. The only thing Jean did was stare in front of him in disbelieve.

"Mi…Mikasa? Breaking the rules…and for once it isn't for Eren? And to top it off…she's going to Wall Rose? That's bullshit…that's total bullshit…Armin's lying. He's fucking..!"

"Jean! What is with you today? Did you hear anything I just said?!" Connie yelled impatiently to Jean for the third time before he got a response out of him.

"Wh-where is Armin? Where the hell is Mikasa?" Jean shot multiply questions to Connie, despite knowing that Connie wouldn't know the answer for any of them. A strong hand that griped his shoulder made him go quiet.

Reiner had gotten up from his seat to shut Jean up. He was honestly getting tired of Jean's nonsense. "Look Jean. Armin and Eren just headed outside. If you want to know what is up with Mikasa, those two probably know…or at least Eren knows, by the looks of things." Reiner released his hand from Jean and sighed wearily. The last thing he needed was more stress and drama.

Without hesitation, Jean got up from his seat and started to head towards the door. When he was about to reach over to the door handle, he heard Eren's voice.

"She might what?!"

That was clearly Eren's voice, although it was muffled because of the thick wood. Jean literally had to lean his ear against the door to better hear them. He dismissed the looks some of his comrades were giving him and only focused on Eren's voice.

"S-she might go farther than Wall Rose. It's only a slim possibility, but she might even-"

Armin's meek response was the only thing Jean was able to hear before something collided with the wall on the left. "Most probably Armin's body…" Jean refocused his attention once he heard Eren telling something to Armin. By the sound of clumsy footsteps a few seconds afterwards, he assumed that Eren forced Armin up and that they were going away from the dining hall. "Don't think you're going away now Eren! Not until I know where Mikasa is…and also…I'm not allowing one of my teammates die again…not even you Eren."

Slightly opening the door quietly, he got a glimpse of two silhouettes urgently walking towards the boys' dorm. Determined and curious, Jean followed Eren and Armin without them ever even noticing…

"Hey. What the hell are you two boys doing here so far from main base?" A soldier called over to the pair of boys that approached him. In the dim light that was provided by the two torches lit, he only saw their maneuver gear and instantly became suspicious. "The fuck…? What are you two planning on doing so late at-"

Something jabbed him in his abdomen, knocking the breath out of soldier. It didn't pierce his skin though. He could tell it was the handle end of a sword. Before he could react, an arm wrapped itself around his neck and lifted his body off the ground. His pursuer was trying to strangle him, and as he desperately tried to break his grip on him, the other boy ran pass him.

"F…fuck…I'm…going to…fucking…get you damn…kids…"

Eren let go of the soldier, allowing him to fall limp on the ground. He could have killed him, but he didn't see any reason to. Luckily, it was too dark for the man to see him and Armin clearly.

"Eren. We should probably check if he's okay before we go on." Armin suggested. The last thing they needed was someone killed. Eren walked pass Armin, not showing any signs of hearing him, and groped his way towards the gate's handle.

"How the hell did Mikasa do this so easily?" Eren thought out loud unintentionally. Armin went up to Eren's left side and looked up at the tall gate. Continuing to stare upwards, Armin said in a low voice, "She used a different route than this. I…should have told you this before." Eren glanced at Armin, his eyes full of irritation. "We can't go there now. Hurry up and help me find a way to open the gate."

Armin noted that Eren sounded impatient and almost…frightened? Nah…not Eren. He was everything but fragile and dependent…but in this situation, Armin couldn't tell what was Eren feeling anymore.

His thoughts were soon interrupted when Eren called out to him. "There's a keyhole here! Search the guard and see if he has the key to open this!" Armin felt hesitant. Did he really want to break the rules and risk getting in trouble? The more he thought about it, the more he realize that he wouldn't be the one in the most danger. There was Eren, who has been put under extreme supervision by Corporal Levi. Corporal Levi allowed Eren to stay with his classmates for only a few days in order to prove that he could be trusted at least in the slightest. If they were caught trying to escape, Eren would be questioned about his motives and his loyalty. And there was Mikasa also…

"What am I thinking? Of course I'll do anything for Eren and Mikasa. They've always been there for me whenever I was in trouble. It's about time I return the favor."Armin glanced over at his enraged friend. Eren banged on the gates, hoping that it would somehow open magically. His face was full of stress and anger. "It seems as though Eren has a good idea or at least a clue as of why Mikasa left…but I still don't get it. Why would Mikasa go to Wall Rose? And at a time like this?" Bending over the unconscious body, Armin began to search through his pockets for the key.

A few yards away from where the two were stationed, there was another guard patrolling the area. "Man, this is the stupidest job I have been ordered to do. What Titan would be able to sneak in here without making any noise? And who's crazy enough to go out there this late at night…maybe I should of just settled down and work on the ranch with my family." He continued to walk in a straight line until he came face to face with a wall he had seen nearly hundreds of times already. The camp was surrounded by a huge wooden wall, only about one fourth of how tall Wall Rose was. "This is a waste of time. I knew I shouldn't of volunteer to join this stupid, idiotic, dumb-" As the guard turned around, his left eye caught a flicker of movement near the entrance of the camp. It seemed as though someone was bending over something, but it was too far and dark to be sure.

"Ah…goddamn. I guess I better check what's up with that man over there." The guard murmured in annoyance. When he was only a few yards away, he noticed something very peculiar. "The hell…? What is that guy hovering over? HEY! You over there! What are you doing?" The guard removed the shotgun from his back and switched off the safety. The figure froze at the sound of his voice. "Heh. It seems as though that guy seemed spooked by me." A few seconds later the person stood up shakily and slowly held their arms up as if to surrender. The guard snorted. "Wow. I wasn't exactly expecting this person to give up easily, but I'll take it." Being full of pride, the guard didn't notice Eren making his way around him.

Moments after the guard foolishly gave away his location, Armin quickly ordered Eren to sneak up on him while he provided a distraction. Seeing no other choice, Eren obliged with his command. It was extremely difficult for Eren to see, but he was still able to locate where Armin and the guard were. With not a lot of things around to hide behind, Eren was forced to move slowly and quietly in order to not get detected by the guard.

The guard moved a few more inches closer to Armin. "Ssooo…care to explain who you are, whatcha doing here so late at night, and what you're looking at there?" The guard asked. Armin gulped down the spit that had been building up in his throat and responded back thoughtfully,"U-uh. I came here to relieve the soldier from his post! It's my turn to do so sir! When I arrived here, he passed out. Most likely from exhaustion."

"Ah, is that so? I thought you were some kind of intruder or something! That's great. Alright, let me see this little slacker if he's okay or just really tired." Releasing his left hand grip on the gun, he began to walk towards Armin with ease. Feeling as though this was the right opportunity, Eren dashed out of the shadows and drew his sword from its sheath. His footsteps were heavy, making the guard almost detect him immediately.

"F-Fuck!"

"Hm? I thought I heard something over there…I guess I'm just imagining shit again…" Shrugging it off as if it was nothing, the man entered the door leading into the boys' dormitory.

Nearby, Jean exhaled the breath he was holding in and wiped away the sweat from his forehead. "That was way too close." As he was leaving after getting his maneuver gear, Jean heard the bells that signal the time for bed. Panic flood through his veins as he saw silhouettes approaching him. Using the lack of lighting in the area, Jean quickly hid in one of the few bushes planted in front of the dorms, hoping that no one would see him. "I've lost enough time here. I got to figure out where the two of them went now."

Picking where he thought they had went, he silently made his way around camp. They had stationed base somewhat near Wall Rose, in case there was any trouble or problem that may occur. In addition, the day they are going to the Shiganshina District was slowly getting closer and closer. Jean couldn't help but feel nervous about the whole thing. Were they seriously going to go that far? It has barely been a few weeks since Eren had closed the gap in Wall Rose with the rock. Surely it was crazy to push their luck?

He couldn't put his finger on what part made him so riled up. Was it because he had to rely on Eren again or the fact that he has to face Titans once more? "Why am I making this into such a big deal?" Jean kicked himself mentally. "Just focus on what you're doing right now and that is to figure out what the Shiganshina trio are doing."

After a few moments, Jean found himself at the end of his path. "What? I'm pretty sure they went this way? Fucking Eren…where the hell did you go?! I…I won't allow you to get yourself, Armin, and Mikasa killed! I...won't let that happen again!" Even in his head, his words sounded hollow and empty. Frustration took the best out of him, and despite knowing he would draw attention, he let out a huge, angry yell.

He fell on the ground and gripped his throbbing head. Jean knew deep inside it wasn't Eren that made him piss. It was himself, for being too weak.

"Why…why can't I prevent the deaths of my comrades? Why the hell is it always me who has to look after people's stupid mistakes? I'm only one man…." Jean felt tears threatening to fall from his eyes, but they somehow didn't. "The one reason I'm jealous of you, Eren, is because you're able to do the things I couldn't…you're able to carry the burden of many people when I couldn't…at…at the same time…" Jean lifted himself back on his feet and raised his left hand in front of his face. "…I cannot give up because you're better than me! I don't care if you are! I'm not allowing humanity's last hope get himself killed out there! Neither will I watch as my two comrades die!"

Determination filled his entire body as he clutched his left hand and looked up at the sky. "I plan to not make the same mistake."

Jean figured that he should think where they would of went before he set out again. "Let's see…they may of just directly climbed over the wall, but that would make them easy targets to see. There's also the opening near the rightmost side, but during this time it's probably heavily guarded. The only other opening I know of is the entrance."

Jean snapped out of thought when he heard something. "What was that?" Jean closed his eyes and tried to focus on anything nearby. A few seconds later, he heard the same noise but clearer and a bit louder. "The fuck? That's a gunshot! Sounds like it came from the front gate. What the hell's going on?" Like puzzle pieces, he put two and two together and felt his legs run on his own.

"Shit! I guess the two of them decided to be blunt about it and just head to the entrance. But if it was a gunshot, one of the guards must have caught them…or at least I'm thinking it's them." Jean saw the gate in the distance as well as two familiar faces. "Wait up for me Eren. I'm not going to leave without a proper answer!"

STOP DOING CLIFFHANGERS, GOD DANGGIT! I know, but I seriously couldn't find a better place to end things. I was thinking of doing it where the guard spots Eren, but that would of been waaayyy too quick of a chapter. And I didn't want to write too much information and shizz in one chapter. THERE'S NO EREMIKA/MIKAERE IN THIS CHAPTER I KNOW THAT TOO. BE PATIENT. IT'S AN ACTION/ROMANCE FANFIC. It'll come eventually. Now, I'm thinking of continuing off from Eren's perspective...don't worry, Mikasa will get her share of chapters too. And the next update may vary from one week to two, not a month again . (hopefully)Oh, and thanks for giving this story 1,000 views! You guys are amazing!
**SORRY FOR ANY SPELLING ERRORS AND GRAMMAR ERRORS**