"ALL UNITS FORWARD!" Ewin yelled as he spurred his horse onward to lead the Scouts out of the gate and into the territory of Wall Maria. Hange and Mike were next to him as the Scouts rode behind him as they made their way through the town on the outskirts if the wall, the titans had been led away from the gate but were still present in the town.
"We've got a ten metre closing in from the left!" Hange called out as she looked over to where Mike was looking. "I wonder what the inside of its stomach looks like? Oh well, nevermind. Let the support squad handle it!" She called out to the Scouts behind them.
Two of the Scouts who had detached from the column of Scouts went to engage the ten metre. One of them grappled up and slashed at it's nape. "Damn, too shallow!" The Scout called out to his teammate.
"We have to keep it away from the formation at all costs!" The other called out as the titan tried to grab him from the rooftop, destroying the roof in the process as he got away.
The Titan was leaning on the building after its failed attempt to grab the two Scouts that had attempted to kill it. As it was leaning on the building Sasha was staring in horror as she squealed in terror at the Titan that was only about fifty feet away from her.
"Eyes forward!" One of the other Scouts told her as he turned her head forward to look away from the Titan. "Their job is to deal with it, your job is to keep moving." He told her. "It's dead anyway." He commented.
Sasha looked back to see the Titan had crumpled over down to the ground as it was beginning to steam, signalling that it was dead.
"Don't worry Sasha, we can handle it." A voice came from above her, she looked up to see Nick above her using his gear to fly above the column. She smiled at him before she noticed another Titan coming towards the column. "Theres a fifteen metre coming this way fast!" She called out.
"Shit its an abnormal!" One of the officers yelled. "Keep it away from the main column!" He shouted.
"I'll handle it Sasha, keep going and don't die." Nick said as he changed direction to meet the abnormal coming towards him.
"I'll have to kill this one, its going to follow the formation if I don't." Nick thought as the Titan was getting closer and closer by the second. "Nothing extravagant, just kill it." He thought to himself as it was almost on top of him. He quickly moved to the right and flew across its face, cutting its eyes in the process, he then turned and shot his hook into the side of its knee, slashing across it as he flew past, causing the Titan to crash to the floor.
"There's no room to get the momentum required for a normal slash across the nape, looks like I'll have to spin while I kill it." He told himself as he swappped the grip on his right handle, causing it to point behind him while his left pointed forward. He jumped off the roof he was on as he started to spin just before he reached the nape, successfully cutting the nape deep enough to kill it.
He shot back up to the roof to see the rest of the Scouts breaking off into the long range scouting formation, he quickly got to the edge of town where there were two three Scouts waiting with three horses for the rest of the support squad.
"Hurry up!" One of them called out. "We need to get into formation before we get left behind!"
He quickly landed next to them so he could mount his horse so they could get into the formation, he was situated at the very rear of the formation, making up the rear contingent, he thought about his friends and where they were in the formation. Sasha was in the left side of the formation like Mikasa, so they should be relatively safe from the attack that should come from the right wing. He wasn't worried about Eren because he was with the best the Survey Corps had, despite his appearance Captain Levi was extremely skilled at what he did. Then there was Armin and Krista, although she was somewhat capable of handling herself, Armin wasn't the best with the gear or the blades, and if the attack came from the right flank then he would be in trouble. There was also the matter if the two other potential traitors, or even more, there could be even more hiding within the populace within the walls. He remembered the conversation he had on the first day he was an official Scout.
(Flasback)
"We have something we need to discuss." Erwin plainly said as he gestured to the chair infront of his desk.
"And what might that be?" Nick asked as he took a seat in front of his Commander.
"That stunt you pulled at the courthouse." Levi explained once he had sat down.
"Levi is right." Erwin stated. "You need to have trust in your superiors that we are doing what is best for humanity."
"But why should I put my trust in you when you don't put your trust in your subordinates?" He asked.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Levi asked, now getting irritated by Nick's attitude.
"That whole show you put on at the recruitment ceremony." Nick explained. "It was because you figured out that the traitors were there right?"
"What are you talking ab-" Levi started before Erwin interrupted him.
"That's right." He said. "But how did you figure it out?" He asked him.
"I'll tell you on one condition." Nick told him.
"And what would that be?" Hange asked, now getting involved in the conversation.
"I want to know the details of the upcoming expedition. It is a trap right? I figured it was since you told all the graduating cadets the details of the expedition." He told them.
"Erwin, you can't be considering this." Levi protested. "He'll screw everything up."
"You're right, this expedition is a trap to lure the traitors out into the open, but only the ones that have survived from before the fall of Wall Maria know the details." Erwin explained to him.
"Erwin, you really trust him with this?" Hange asked him.
"It's not like we have a choice." Mike pointed out. "He already figured it out."
"Yes, he did. Now care to tell us how you figured it out?" Erwin asked.
"Well, five years ago when the wall was breached the Colossal Titan kicked the outer gate, destroying it in the process, then the Titans invaded the district, which there were too much of for it to be natural."
"What are you getting at?" Levi asked, still irritated that they were discussing details of the expedition with him.
"The outer Districts are meant to attract Titans right?" Seeing them nod he continued. "But even with Shiganshina being made to attract Titans, there were far too much for it to be natural, unlike the Invasion of Trost, where it took several minutes for the Titans to get in the city in large enough numbers to be a threat."
"So you think something attracted them five years ago." Hange guessed.
"I do, but-"
"That's great and all but it doesn't tell us how you figured it out." Levi interrupted him with.
"Levi, let him speak." Erwin warned him. "Go on." Erwin prompted him.
"Well after the Titans got in five years ago it took less than twenty five minutes for the Armoured Titan to appear and destroy the Inner Gate, and that never happened at Trost." Nick explained to them.
"That doesn't explain anything." Levi interjected.
"Maybe, but the only reason I could come up with that the Armoured Titan didn't appear would be Eren." He could see Erwin give a small nod at his statement, leading Nick to believe that they had come to the same conclusion. "But even then it took a few hours before Eren showed up in his Titan form, so the only explanation is that they would have been fighting as well, and they must have seen Eren either fighting other Titans or seen him emerge from the nape to stop them from destroying the Inner Gate when the retreat order was given, and then allow him to seal the hole they had made."
"Well then, it seems like you put a lot of thought into this." Erwin calmly said after a second, how he remained this calm after what Nick had told him was slightly unnerving, but he was Commander for a reason.
"I have, but what will happen if we catch them?" He asked.
"They will be taken back with us, they will be interrogated and then most likely executed." Erwin told him, still retaining his calm expression.
"You wouldn't want them to fight with you?" Nick asked him.
"What are you talking about?" Levi asked. "Why would they fight for us after destroying the walls?"
"You make it seem like they did this on their own accord."
"Why else would they have done it?" Hange asked, her curiosity getting the better of her.
"Well, look at it this way, we all agree that they were most likely in the 104th, correct?" They all nod. "The oldest apart from me would be seventeen, with the youngest being fifteen, so at the time of the attack five years ago-"
"They would have been kids." Hange interrupted him, now realising what he was implying.
"Exactly. While they still carried out the act, someone put the idea in their head, kids don't usually think like that." Nick explained.
"So you're saying that someone put them up to this." Erwin surmised.
"If the theory is correct, then yes, that is my theory." Nick answered with.
"Very well, you may leave now, I will have Hange brief you on the expedition at a later date." Erwin told him.
After Nick had left the room they began to converse with each other.
"Don't tell me you trust him Erwin?" Levi asked.
"No, I don't, but his intelligence us remarkable, don't you think so." Erwin replied.
"Maybe its not just his intelligence." Mike offered up. "Being from the interior, he may have access to knowledge we don't."
"That is a possibility Mike." Erwin conceded. "And it is likely he would be privy to certain aspects of life that we aren't, given his class after all."
"What now?" Hange asked.
"Prepare a brief on the expedition for him, and get him to draw up the plans for the false information for the positioning of the Special Operations Squad, he most likely will have suspects in mind if he told us all this regarding his theory about our enemies." Erwin said.
"Are you sure Erwin, what if-" Hange began but was interrupted by Erwin.
"That wasn't a suggestion Hange, I expect the false information to be done by the end of the week."
"Yes Sir." She responded as she left the room to find Nick.
"Levi, I want you to keep an eye on Cadet Meier." Erwin spoke once Hange had left.
"Why? Just have four-eyes do it, he's a part of her squad after all." Levi said back at him. "I'm already assigned to watch one brat, why should I have to watch another?"
"I almost forgot about Eren." Erwin chuckled. "This conversation has been so intriguing that he slipped my mind, but I still want you to keep an eye on him, even if its from a distance Levi."
"Tch, whatever you say." Levi responded as he also left the room, leaving Erwin and Mike by themeslves in his office.
"What do you think of him Mike?" Erwin asked the older man.
"Haven't been able to get a sniff, but he does seem genuine with his reasoning." Mike offered up.
"Yes, it would seem that way." Erwin spoke out loud. "Mike I want you to have Cadet Meier put in the rear contingent for the upcoming expedition."
"Why? He has talent, and if the expedition goes the way you planned wouldn't that be a death sentence for him."
"Don't think of it like that Mike, think of it as a test, to see whether he is worthy of our trust. If he survives engaging the enemy, then we can be sure that he is on our side." Erwin explained to him.
"Right. I'll inform Hange about this decision." Mike stated as he was about to eat.
"Wait Mike, don't tell Hange about the reasoning, if she asks, tell her its because he's a threat to our plans for the future." Erwin told him.
"Right Sir, I'll do that." Mike said as he keft the room, closing the door on his way out which left Erwin in the room on his own.
"Looks like we'll have to see what he is capable of." Erwin thought as he pulled his notebook out of the locked drawer on his desk to write down what had happened that day.
(Present)
"Hey look, there's more black smoke coming from the right flank, you put that with the red from earlier then it looks like they're having a rough day." One of the Scouts said.
"If it's any consolation then its good that Captan Levi and his squad are in the left wing, there's less Titan sightings there." Another Scout offered up.
"What are you talking about Abby? Captain Levi is just behind the Commander." One of the others said to her.
"You must have hit your head Jared, Captain Levi is on the front left wing." Another male responded with.
"I didn't hit my head Russel, that's what it said on my formation plans, it was clearly marked there." Jared explained.
"So where is he then?" Abby asked them.
"What about you... Nick was it? What did your plans say?" Jared asked him.
"Does any of your plans say they were in the right wing?" Nick asked them, seeing none of the respond he continued on. "Captain Levi and his squad are at the centre rear, which would be infront of us." He explained.
"How would you know that? You're just a rookie, I've been a Scout for more than three years." Abby told him.
Nick sighed to himself, considering whether or not to tell them about the real plan, none of them had information that Eren was in the right wing, so that was a good start, but he still wasn't sure about them, he however decided to tell them something else instead.
"Would you guys put your trust in me to take charge of us if the situation called for it?" He asked them.
"Why would we-"
"Yes we would." Abby responded. "After seeing you fight like that, and I've heard that you're quite the prodigy both on and off the field." She said as she winked at him.
"Is she flirting with me? Ugh, whatever." Nick thought.
"When we reach the forest I'll take charge, if you want to live then you will do exactly what I say. Got that?" He asked.
"Yes, but until then, I'm in charge." Abby responded with once again. "Since I have the most experience on expeditions." She contiuned on with.
"Look, more black smoke." Jared pointed out to the rest of them.
"Whatever it is, its getting closer to the centre." Abby pointed out.
"I hope your okay Armin and Krista, it looks like it went past your rows."
"Look at that, the right wing has taken too many casulties to continue." Russel told them as he pointed to the smoke that was fired into the sky.
"Looks like you wont be taking charge then Nick, looks like we're heading back, if the right wing can't continue then we've lost the communication links as well." She pointed out to them.
"No, look." Nick said.
"Green smoke, what's Erwin thinking! How will we continue without the right wing spotters?" Abby exclaimed, slightly outraged by the Commanders decision.
"You see that forest in the distance." Nick said as he pointed towards it. "That's where we're going."
"Well then, looks like you're in charge now, lead the way Sir." Abby said as she slowed down to let him infront of her.
"Okay, once we reach the forest Jared, you're job is to gather the horses, Abby and Russel are with me while the rest of you will spread out to look for Titans, if you see one, fire smoke and do not attack without backup."
"Alright then, sounds good." Abby said while the others nodded in approval.
(In the forest)
Eren was riding with the Special Operations Squad, and he was concerned, there had been a lot of red and black smoke coming from the right flank which meant that there was something coming this way, the black smoke signals were getting closer and closer, and the trees didn't help since they wouldn't be able to see anything until it was right on top of them.
"Captain Levi!" Eren shouted to his superior who was riding infront of them.
"What?" He asked, the annoyance was clear as day in his voice.
"Come on Sir, We're in a forest," Eren pointed out nervously. "We won't see a Titan until its right on top of us. The center rank's totally cut off. Something's coming up on the right, isn't it? So, what are we supposed to do? Avoid Titans or defend the wagons?"
"Quit whining and move on from the obvious already!" He ordered. "None of those are an option anymore."
"What... what do you mean?" Eren asked, not getting where the Captain was going with this.
"Haven't you noticed what's around you? Take a look at these big-ass trees. Perfect environment for ODM gear, wouldn't you say?" When Eren didn't respond, the captain went on. "Take my advice Eren, calm down and use your head. The best survival tool is your brain."
Eren wanted to ask more questions but refrained as he didn't want to annoy his Captain. "Yes Sir."
"This doesn't make any sense," Oluo muttered just loud enough for Eren to hear. "What are we doing here? There's gotta be a reason. I mean, they know, right? They've gotta."
That didn't help Eren's nerves at all, if the squad didn't know what was going on, then that meant the possibility that Captain Levi didn't even know what was going on. Gunther brought up the idea of there being a hidden objective to the expedition other than seeing if they had a real shot of getting to Shiganshina.
While he was searching his mind for a possible answer there was an explosion behind them, they looked up to see a trail of black smoke coming from the forest.
"It's behind us!" Eld growled out. "Damn things been behind us since we came in here."
"Blades drawn. Now." Levi ordered. "It'll happen in the blink of an eye, be ready." He said as he drew his blades along with his squad.
Eren turned around to see a lone Scout emerge from the trees high above the ground, he was confused until he saw what happened next, a Titan came from out of nowhere and swatted him to the ground like a fly, whith her right hand covering her nape, rapidly advancing towards them.
"Go, Move it!" Levi ordered.
They looked on in shock as it came from their right side, crashing into some trees as it reached out for Eren, narrowly missing him in the process. Eren looked at the Female Titan to see a creepy smile on its face as it was staring him down as it chased after him.
"Oh shit!" Eld shouted.
"How the hell are we supposed to pull evasive manoeuvres in here!" Gunther yelled out.
"It's catching up!" Eld shouted.
"Captain, engage the ODM gear?" Petra asked him. "Captain!" She shouted at him after he didn't respond to her request.
Eren could see three Scouts cone from the right, following the Titan that was chasing them, he saw that one of them was Nick.
"Rear reinforcements." Petra called out.
One of the Scouts moved forward, attempting to cut down the Female Titan on his own.
"Stop you idiot!" Nick shouted at him. "You're gonna get yourself killed!"
His words rang true as the Female Titan dodged his hook, grabbed onto it and squished him between a tree and her shoulder.
"Russel!" Abby shouted, enraged at her comrades death. "I'll kill you!" She yelled out.
"Stop!" Nick ordered her. "You'll meet the same fate as him if you blindly attack it, stay back and watch me distract it." He told her as he shot forward in front of the Female Titan. She reached for his hook and grabbed it, pulling him towards her, ready to crush him with her hands. Instead he used the gas release to push himself upwards and away from her hand.
Nick could see Eren and the other riding their horses below them as they were being chased by the Female Titan. Not wanting the Female Titan to get Eren before she entered the trap that was somewhere up ahead, he shot forward, attempting to distract her once again. He was able to get infront of her once again, waiting for her to strike at him once again.
This time however while he was waiting, he was able to get a good look at the Female Titan, she had blonde hair that hung loosely around her face, she had a strangely shaped nose, and they blue eyes. "The eyes are the same colour as Annie's, I'll have to wait and see if it really is her though, I still don't want to believe it, but I can't let my feelings dictate how I act." He thought to himself.
He shifted to the left as she was taking her time with attacking him, then she finally swung her right hand at him, he prepared his blades, ready to slice through her hand, so at the very least she couldn't grab Eren with both hands.
He swung his blades but at the last second her hand changed, with a layer of crystal coating it, the blades broke on impact as he narrowly avoided the rest of her hand, he thought he had gotten away with it until he heard a cry of pain from down below.
He moved upwards to get a better view as he saw that one of his broken blades had embedded itself into the back of Captain Levi's right calf, the blood slowly trickling down the outside of his boot.
"Captain! Are you okay!" Petra shouted at him.
"I'm fine, keep moving!" He shouted back at them, leaving the blade in his leg as it would stop it from bleeding more.
"I've just injured Humanities Strongest, I don't think he'll be too pleased about that." Nick thought as him and Abby were still trying to slow down the Female Titan.
"It's dangerous, lets take it out!" Olou suggested, yelling as he did so. "Tell us to engage Sir!"
"I'll cut the bitch." Eld stated as he drew another blade.
Eren looked back at the Female Titan to see Nick and the other Scout still moving around it, trying to slow it down. "Stupid creature, you're racing full speed to your own death, you're chasing the best damn team of titan slayers in existance!" Eren thought to himself.
He looked forward to see that even with a blade stuck in his right leg, that Captain Levi still hadn't turned around to give them orders.
Nick however wasn't having any of this, she was getting to close to Eren for his liking, and if she was to grab him, then she would most likely be able to make a break for open ground where the ODM gear would be almost useless against her.
"Hey Abby, let's kill this Titan once and for all!" He shouted at her loud enough for the Titan to hear him, but as she looked at him she saw that he was pointing towards his heel, that's when she understood it was to throw the Titan off, so they could slow her down to let Captain Levi and his squad get further away.
"Do it now!" He yelled out, as he fired his hook into the Female Titan's shoulder, but just as she was about to grab it he quickly released and sent another one into her leg, quickly moving downwards so he could strike her heel, Abby had done the same on the left side, althought slower than him, she was able to pull it off. Just as he was about to slice the heel, the Female Titan jumped, bringing Nick off balance because he was moving so fast, he was caught in the space between her foor and the floor, he was sure he was about to be squashed like a bug.
"She read it! How the hell does she move so quickly, I can't believe this is how I go, killed by someone I cared about, the first friend I made back in the Cadets, but I guess I can't blame her, we're on different sides after all." He was brought out of his own thoughts as someone shoved him out of the way of the foot rapidly descending towards him, throwing him into the shrubs on the side of the trail as he got a glimpse of his saviour, Abby, the woman who put her faith in him that she wouldn't be killed if she did what he said, but he couldn't hear what was going on inside her head.
"It's okay Nick." She thought to herself as she shoved him aside. "We need soldiers like you to survive this battle, I just hope you don't blame yourself for this, it was my choice to save you, but at least this way you get to live on. Now I'll finally be with you mother." Were her final thoughts as the Female Titan brought its foot down, splattering her across the trail, he body being squished like a bug underneath someones foot.
The Special Operations Squad watched on in horror as they saw one of their own sacrifice themselves for another.
"She's gaining on us Sir, there's no reinforcements left to distract it!" Gunther called out from the rear.
"Your orders Sir, please." Eren begged him.
"Everyone, cover your ears. Now." Levi ordered as he pulled out a flare gun, but instead of a flare, it fired an acoustic round, creating a sound wave that echoed around the forest.
"Was that an acoustic round." Eren asked as he still had his ears covered.
"Remind me, what is our mission?" Levi asked the squad. "Is it to simply act on impulse in the heat of the moment?" He asked. "Let me answer that question for you, its not." He told them after recieving no replies. "This squads mission is to keep this brat alive, whatever the cost. Don't forget it." He reminded them.
"We keep pushing forward, on horseback, is that clear?" He asked them.
"As a bell Sir." Petra responded to him.
"But for how long?" Eren asked. "We can't keep running forever, she's right on top of us as it is, if we don't do something soon-" He started to say but stopped as he looked back to see two more Scouts try to engage the Female Titan on their own.
"They keep coming! They're all gonna die unless we turn around and do something!" Eren protested to them.
"Eyes front, stop looking behind us!" Gunther ordered him.
"Seriously!" Eren incredulously asked him.
"Keep pace with the group, maintain top speed or we're all dead!" Eld yelled at him.
"Eld please. Help them! If the Levi squad can't stop this thing then who can, those men need us!" Eren protested once again as one of the Scouts was squashed against a tree by the open palm of the Female Titan.
"Another one!" Eren cried out. "Damnit, he didn't have to die!" He shouted at them.
The other Scout was still engaged in combat with the Female Titan, dodging a swing at him by moving to the left.
"Come on, there's still one left, we can save him before it's too late!" He exclaimed once again.
"Do as you're told Eren, eyes forward! Petra ordered him.
"How can all of you just ignore what is happening back there, are you telling me to abandon my comrades?" He furiously asked, but before one of them could reply a black flare was shot out of the trees to their right, embedding itself in the nose of the Female Titan, the smoke currently blocking her vision of the right eye.
"Shut the fuck up Eren, I could hear you bitching from all the way back there!" Nick shouted as he emerged from the treeline to fly just above them as he talked to them.
"Nick!" Eren exclaimed. "You have to save him!" Eren shouted at him.
"Shut up and keep moving!" Nick shouted at him. "My job is to slow her down, yours is to listen to Captain Levi." He growled at him, getting impatient with Eren now.
"Why are we letting people die! If this is part of some bigger picture, why can't somebody explain it to me!" Eren shouted back at them.
"Ask not the reason why, ask but to do and die." Olou responded with. "You'd understand what that meant if you weren't a useless greenhorn. Now stifle it, behave like a soldier." Olou ordered him.
"Don't you dare Eren!" Nick shouted as he saw Eren lift his hand towards his mouth, as if he was going to bit it.
"Eren! Stop it!" Petra ordered as she looked at Eren following Nick's commands at him. "You're only permitted to assume Titan form when your life is in extreme danger, that was the agreement, you swore an oath!"
"Eren!" She pleaded with him as he began to bite down on his hand once again.
"Eren you little shit!" Nick shouted at him. "Stop acting like a little bitch and use your head for once!"
"What?" Eren asked as he removed his hand from his mouth a little.
"If you transform then you'll kill us all, you didn't think of the consequences your actions might have, its bad enough that Captain Levi is injured because of me, but it'll be worse if you injure of kill us." Nick told him in an attempt to get him to keep moving forward and not ruin the trap that was set for the Female Titan.
"He's right, I didn't think of what would happen if I transformed around them, I would have made things worse than they are now." Eren thought to himself as he lowered his hand even more.
"I wouldn't blame you." Levi stated. "Do as your conscious dictates. But Eren listen, you are not inherently evil, your ability to change does not make you a monster." Levi told him. "That said it could be the other way round, how are you supposed to know when to draw the line? Whether you lose control or freely give it up. Maybe it's the same." He sighed. "Look, Eren, we don't agree because our experiences brings us to opposing views. That's life. At the end of the day, there's no reason to go against how you see it. The choice is yours. You can trust yourself, or you can trust the people who are willing to put their lives on the line for you. I don't know which way is better. I never have. Should I act on my own instincts, or put myself in the hands of my comrades and trust them? Either way, there's no guarantee. In the end, you choose what you choose. If afterwards, your regrets are at a minimum, good for you."
Eren was now conflicted, on one hand he wanted to transform so he could fight the Titan that was killing his comrades and had almost killed his friend right in front of him, however, on the other hand he wanted to trust that his comrades were right, and that following Captain Levi was the right choice.
He looked back once again to see that the Scout was still fighting the Female Titan, dodging her attempts to swipe him while using her other hand to cover her nape. He brought his hand up to his mouth before Petra interrupted him.
"Eren, trust us." She simply told him as tgey continued to ride away from the Titan that was chasing them.
He looked at her hand to see the bite marks were still there from when they had bitten their hands as an apology for threatening to kill him from when he accidentally transformed.
"Eren!" Levi yelled at him. "Come on, make up your damn mind!"
"I'm with you!" Eren shouted at the top of his lungs.
He then heard a scream coming from behind him as the Scout was smashed into a tree and then tossed aside by the Female Titan, reminding Eren that she was still there.
"Meier give us cover!" Levi shouted at him.
"Yes Sir." He replied as Nick slowed down a bit to meet the Female Titan who was now rapidly advancing again, keeping himself between her and Eren was his top priority.
"Target is accelerating!" Gunther yelled as the Female Titan lowered her body to move faster.
"Just keep moving, we'll outrun the bitch." Levi told his squad.
"Come on, we're almost there, just a little longer." Nick thought as he dodged a swipe from the Female Titan, taking off one of its fingers in the process, there was still black smoke coming from the flare he shot earlier, distorting her vision a bit.
"This is it for me, I'll let the trap play out now, she shouldn't be able to catch him now." He thought to himself.
"This is my stop guys, I'll see you later Eren." Nick called out as he shot upwards, high above where the Female Titan could reach him, he could see her reaching for him as Eren looked up to see the Female Titan about to grab him.
Nick could see the horses run through a small clearing in the forest, where the trap was already set up, waiting for the enemy to arrive.
Nick was about to land just to the side of the clearing when he geard the signal from Commander Erwin.
"FIRE!"