AN: Fuck.

I'm very, very sorry.

4 months to the day I promised that it would be out in a month. In that time I've been so depressed and worried about my future I could barely flip on the doc to type in my story. Then, in the last 3 days I caught a writing bug and I typed like crazy. Now it's out. To those who dropped this, I don't begrudge you for giving up on waiting... but to those who are waiting, it's here.


At this point, both Kingo and Phastos had to admit: they work together quite well.

Ever since the flamboyant shootist joined up with his scientist comrade, they have been taking out Titans left and right. Kingo's finger shots and Phastos' arm blasters in tandem have taken out nearly a hundred of the creatures by Phastos' count. But they still keep coming…

Dispatching a 6m type with a shot from his arm blasters, Phastos looks around. The coast seems clear…

As for Kingo, he was living the Western movies he had watched and never got a chance to star in. All of the Titans crowded down a street were quickly obliterated by his finger cosmic shots, torn to bloody viscera while crammed between the houses. A two-handed charged shot reduces what remains of the Titans into puddles of gore as the shooter yells a victorious whoop.

Phastos shakes his head slightly in amusement before asking his companion. "Kingo, you know where the others are?"

"Me? No," shrugged Kingo. "Not since Thena ditched me and I came across you."

"This isn't good. We're getting spread out too thin," Phastos notes. "The Titans can pick us off at any moment and the others won't know where to find us. We need to regroup with them."

"I mean sure but… it's not like we know where they are…" The magenta-clad man opts to state the obvious, earning an eye roll from the scientist.

"Right… hold on." Phastos resummons the 3D map of Trost with his tech, with the duo's current location marked with a gold beacon.

"So we're here…" Kingo points at a particular structure. "What's this huge building next to the river?"

*THUMP*

Phastos' reply was cut off when he saw it. A Titan, measuring approximately 4m, had appeared out of nowhere. As opposed to its kind, it was quadrupedal, and on it…

…was Druig. His eyes were glowing with gold, a sign of his ability in use.

"What the…"

"Druig?!" exclaims Kingo. "What are you…"

"KINGO! PHASTOS!" The dark-haired man yells, "Get on!"

"Is he serious? A Titan…?" Recovering from his surprise, Kingo just stares puzzledly at the strange sight before him. "W-wait, Phastos, what are you doing?"

"Getting on," answered the scientist while making his way to his mounted comrade. "Which I suggest you do if you don't want to be left behind. There's no next ride by the way."

Suppressing a retort, Kingo made his way to the Titan as he hopped on its back, behind Phastos. The beast took off with a verbal command from Druig, galloping away as if it were a horse.

After a while riding, Phastos, secured on his new mount, could not hide his curiosity. "Druig, how…"

"No time to explain. I have to focus." The mind controller seemed to be grimacing with each and every word. "I'll explain when we get to Thena and Sersi."

"You know where they are?"

"I do." Druig confirms. "We're getting there…"

"WATCH OUT!"

Kingo's cry of alarm precipitated all three tumbling off their mount as a larger Titan pounced at them from a nearby alleyway, jaws open.

*CRUNCH*

Its jaws slam shut around the smaller Titan's head, crushing its nape and killing it instantly. It swung the corpse around repeatedly until the body was snapped off from the head with a vicious spray of blood. Before the Titan could do anything else, two cosmic energy shots, one to the cranium and one through the mouth and nape, silenced it forever, courtesy of Kingo.

As the three Eternals converge behind an alleyway to gather their spirits, Phastos felt his curiosity unsatisfied. As if feeling his befuddlement. Druig asked for him:

"You were wondering how I controlled that Titan?"

"Yes, actually. I didn't know you could control a Titan like that, Druig." Phastos asks him. "The experiments…"

"...only reveal a part of the truth. It turns out I can't control the big ones…" Druig reveals what he had discovered. "But the smaller ones turned out to be a different story." He rubs the back of his head. "I'd rather not do it again any time soon. It still hurts like hell though…"

"Yeah… but we just lost our mount and we're stranded in the middle of nowhere." Kingo complains, as is tradition. "Any ideas?"

"Phastos, pull up the map of Trost." The scientist did as asked.

"Here." Druig points to the tallest building in the middle. "This is where I last traced Sersi and Thena's location before I deactivated the Uni-Mind. Luckily, we are quite close to it, where we are. Now we just have to make it there…"

He quickly moves out of the hiding spot. "And quick, before more Titans come." Phastos quickly follows him out, his arm blasters on the ready.

"Easier said than done," Kingo mutters under his breath as he follows the other two, already alert for any more oncoming Titans throughout the district.


Mikasa charges forward, letting rip the gas in her ODM gear for maximum acceleration. She has only one thought in her mind…

Eren.

He's alive. Alive…

Armin had been right along. She didn't want to believe it. She would rather believe he was dead than being…

A Titan. But being pulled unceremoniously from the nape by… her…

In her subconscious, her surroundings stall, as if in slow motion. The woman in white still has Eren by the scruff of his neck. Mikasa's plan is simple: forcibly remove the woman's hand by the wrist, grab Eren, and get to safety. Retracting her hooks, she prepares for a spinning cut. Whirling towards her target, she primes her blades…

…until she is suddenly snatched out of the air. Before Mikasa knew it, her face had impacted hard against the cold ground hard, with one arm twisted behind her back and a knee pressing her down. On her neck was that same light spear that the woman held - the same one that Mikasa saw her wield in their first meeting. Her swords were thrown away from her with the sudden impact.

The woman had somehow caught Mikasa by the waist in the instant her spin turned her back against her… and threw her down like a ragdoll. As if her strength counted for nothing. The iron grip on her wrist did not loosen despite her feeble attempts to break free while the knee, with the full body weight on, choked the air out of her.

Mikasa Ackerman was beaten for the first time - handily.

"I think I've had enough of your poor manners." That same even voice, now much colder, was spoken against her spine. "Now, will you stop?"

"Eren…" Mikasa could only croak out. "He…"

"He is safe," the voice continues coldly. "As are many of your comrades whom I have sheltered all the way to the supply depot through Titan territory. Or is their word not good enough for you?"

The Oriental girl could not find any words to say. Her suspicion has now come back to haunt her. The woman would now have full cause to kill her for her disrespect and she couldn't do anything about it.

"Wait!" Mikasa tries to crane her head around to the sound of the voice. Armin.

"Armin," the woman says, her tone not unkind. "This is not your business. Return with your friends."

"Miss Thena, she means no harm!" The blonde boy pleads. "She's just as scared as the rest of us!"

Pinned beneath the woman's knee, Mikasa began to panic as the light spear's edge lingered dangerously to her throat. Armin, just take Eren and RUN!

"It is not the disrespect towards me that I care," the voice returns with an edge. "It's the disrespect towards my leader, my comrades and their efforts that I cannot forgive. Who's to say this will not happen again?"

"You've helped us so much! All those Titans killed, all those lives saved. If our higher-ups doubt your allegiance, we will speak for you." Armin continues to beg. "As for Mikasa, I'll talk to her, Miss Thena, I promise. Please let her go."

Her captor did not say anything for a time. It was then she leaned down and whispered. "You don't know how good of a friend you have." The knee was removed off of Mikasa's back as its owner stepped back. Mikasa was already on her feet. The woman was facing away, not even giving her the courtesy of acknowledgement.

"Go. Before I change my mind."

She took off immediately. Quickly making her way to Eren, she knelt down and embraced him as tears trickled in her eyes. Nearby, Armin was just standing there, in disbelief.

Eren's alive…

With the thought, the floodgates burst as she wailed against Eren's shoulder, every pent up emotion released all at once with the reality of the boy's survival sinking in. The blonde boy kneeling next to her was no different. Staring at the thought lost leg, now fully healed, Armin silently wonders what the hell Eren went through.

Trost had taken so much from them in such a short time.

Through her wet eyelashes, Mikasa suddenly saw a figure approaching from the corner of her eye. It was the Oriental looking woman who had aided them in retaking the supply room. Her name was something quite queer in pronunciation. Sear…see? Armin seemed to perk up immediately upon catching sight of her.

She nimbly kneels down next to them. "Armin! Is he alright?"

The blonde cadet seemed sheepish. "Yeah… I think so…"

The whole time, Mikasa just stared at the woman with disquiet. The Oriental had turned away from her when she tried to introduce herself, back in the supply room. A symptom of her misguidedness. Mikasa's back suddenly stiffens as the Oriental woman lays her eyes on her. Her eyes were far too kind for someone who had suffered such ingratitude.

Sersi was nothing but understanding. "Hello again, I didn't learn your name down in the basement."

Swallowing her shame, the dark-haired girl could barely meet Sersi's eyes. "Mikasa. Mikasa Ackerman." She recoils, as if expecting a rebuke.

The Oriental woman merely smiles, her expression soft and relaxed. "I see he is very dear to you. May I check on him?"

"Y-yes."

Mikasa begins to detach herself from Eren as a murmured, jumbled voice catches her attention. Both her and Sersi turned to the boy, now beginning to blink back to reality. "Eren?"

Eren's eyes snap open with a start. Looking around, he nearly headbutts Mikasa by accident, one of her arms still draped over his shoulder. Armin, startled by his friend's awakening, fell on his behind. But Eren's attention was on the woman who had saved him and Armin earlier. Immediately, he felt slender arms throw themselves around him as Sersi pulled him close into a warm embrace.

"Thank the cosmos you're alright!" Sersi exclaims. Next to her, Mikasa feels a pang of jealousy erupt in her heart. "I thought you were dead!"

It took several seconds of silence until Eren spoke up. "Miss Sersi…" The distress began to amount as he slowly recalled the circumstances that led to his current state of being. "I… wasn't myself…"

"It's alright. It's over," Rubbing circles on the boy's back, Sersi tries to liven up the mood. "Now let's get you back…"

The shimmying slide of steel against scabbard, accompanied by the familiar cock of a rifle's hammer, put an end to their happy reunion.

A squad of Garrison soldiers had suddenly surrounded them, swords and rifles drawn. Mikasa was already on her feet, drawing her own swords in kind. In front, Thena had instinctually stood between her leader, her charges and the soldiers, her own spear and shield drawn with alert. From above, a wall-mounted cannon had suddenly swiveled downwards, aiming right at the general direction of the group.

Armin immediately realizes the peril they are in. "Oh god…" He grabs his friend's shoulder, trying to catch his attention. "Eren! Tell them! Tell them you're still human! Tell them Miss Sersi and Thena are here to aid humanity!"

"I-I…" Eren, his faculties not yet at full capacity and overwhelmed at the situation, tries to find something to say. But whatever words that might come out die in his throat as his eyes meet those of the soldiers surrounding him.

They were filled with fear and disgust. Emotions saved for a Titan, and not a human.

As if sensing their distress, Sersi tries to calm them both. "Armin, Eren, I'll convince them, I promise," She admonishes both boys. "For now, don't do or say anything ill-advised. Can you do that?" They both nod.

In the forefront, the situation wasn't improving.

"What is the meaning of this?" Thena's voice did not raise, but her hands, clenched tightly, betrayed her simmering rage.

Behind the white-clad warrior, Mikasa stiffens as her grip on her swords tighten. Staring down the barrel of the cannon, she half-mindedly calculates the time it would take for her to shoot her way up the wall with the gas she has left and kill the gunner. She is tempted to shoot off already…

"Go back with the others, girl." A clear voice reaches her ears. It was the warrior woman. Mikasa struggles even now to remember her name.

"But I…"

"Look up," Thena interrupts her, not bothering to turn around. "They have artillery trained on us. If the worst case scenario comes and they fire, cannon shots are of no concern to me. However skilled you are, you are human and cannot stand up to artillery fire. Go back to Sersi and the others and keep an eye on the soldiers." Her grip on the cosmic spear grows tighter. "I'll deal with this."

Silent, Mikasa slowly moves back to the group huddled on the floor, eyes still trained on the surrounding Garrison soldiers for any sudden moves.

Behind the gathered troops, two high-ranking soldiers observe the proceedings nervously. The taller, well-built man of the two looked at the huddled group in front with sunken eyes, with the ash blonde, bespectacled subordinate trailing behind, her face gripped with apprehension. They had expected to deal with the Titan-transformed cadet, but now…

These… odd strangers clad in strange, colorful garb had thrown a wrench into their plans.

"Captain Woermann, sir, this is…unprecedented, to put it simply," the young woman speaks up. "The cadet and his accomplices are easy to deal with, but… the outsiders may cause… complications."

"No matter," Woermann flippantly dismisses her concerns. "We will deal with them the same way we do the Titan. Nothing can stand up to cannonfire."

"But, sir…"

"Silence, Lieutenant Brzenska." The captain's harsh voice ends the conversation. "Another word that comes out of your mouth that does not serve the mission objective will count as insubordination."

Rico Brzenska, understanding full well, says nothing more. Her eyes turn towards the newcomers with unease.

Who the hell are they…?

The situation, already hardly navigable, was about to reach a fever pitch…


UNKNOWN TOWN RUINS, WALL MARIA

Closing the dead soldier's eyes, Levi Ackerman sighs in resignation. No matter how advanced their new tactics may be, no matter how many Titans they take out…

Death walks alongside the Survey Corps, always.

The dead man he had just attended to was just the latest of those who Death had caught up to. At least this one died with hope…

The hopes and dreams of those who had come before, those who had fallen before… are placed onto his shoulders. He shall not fail them now…

"I swear to you, I will eradicate the Titans!"

But that one promise, the most important one of them all, still feels like a castle in the air…

"Captain…" Came Petra's voice. "...he's gone."

Levi stands up straight, dusting off his pants. "Did he hear me when he passed? All the way to the end?"

The diligent soldier girl nods. "Yes, sir, I'm sure he heard you."

"Good. Get Oluo and the others. Southern part of this town is clear." Levi orders. "Erwin will be giving orders to move out any second now. Move it."

Nodding, the Levi Squad member took off. Watching her leave, Levi looks down at the dead man he had comforted minutes earlier. He looks peaceful… as if he just fell asleep.

Leaving the living with the burden of his dreams.

*CLOP CLOP*

"Sir!" Levi quickly salutes his commander and the man who got him into the Survey Corps. Erwin Smith rides his destrier close, dust kicking up from its hooves as the wind begins to pick up. The blonde soldier's bold blue eyes reflect his strong resolve, one befitting that of a born leader.

"At ease." A curt dismissal.

"Tch." Clicking his tongue silently, Levi makes his report. "Southern part of this town is clear. My squad is ready to move at your command."

"I know, Petra informed me." Erwin slowly dismounts his horse. "The advance, however, might have to be put on hold."

"What? We haven't even made it to the border yet! How many of our troops have died just to get us this far?" Levi crossly responds. There had better be a good explanation to this!

Erwin remains unperturbed. "Sentries have reported back that the Titans are coalesced into groups and are now heading Northward exclusively." "You know what this might mean right?"

Levi's eyes widened in realization. "It can't be…"

"Anything is possible," Erwin gazes upward. "If this were true, I fear this expedition might have to be cut short…"

They both suddenly spot something coming at them, at breakneck speeds. A rider, riding at full gallop.

A Garrison soldier?

The rider, stopping short before the two, stumbles out of his horse, panting his lungs out. His cloak emblazons the twin rose emblem, confirming his allegiance. After gulping down Erwin's water canteen frantically, he finally calmed down enough to talk.

"What news, soldier?" Levi immediately asks. "What news from Trost?"

"Trost… has been breached. The Colossal Titan."

The two Survey Corps members share troubled looks. It's just like 5 years ago…

"If the gate to Trost has been breached, the entrance must be filled to the brim with Titans." Erwin points out the obvious. "How did you make it here?"

"The Titan infestation at the gate has cleared somewhat…" The soldier recalled. "So I was sent on the last remaining horse through it. Thank Sina I made it…" He seemed to stop himself short of continuing.

"There is more, is there?" The blonde commander pushes for more information. "I see it in your face. It seems that you mean to tell me something else."

The Garrison soldier takes a deep breath. "Commander… you won't believe who came to help us."


"Cadet Yeager! It seems that you have regained consciousness!" The wild-eyed, red haired man bellows from afar. "Your present behavior constitutes treason against the human race! Your life depends on how you answer my questions!"

Eren could feel the fear reverberating across his spine. The reversal of fortune was almost darkly funny if the situation were not so dire. Armin was not faring better. The blonde boy was staring down the barrel of the cannon with the look of a deer caught in the headlights.

Sparing a glance at Sersi, Eren was taken aback. What he felt emanating from her was… untypical of what little he knew of his otherworldly saviour.

Sersi was bristling with anger, and he knew it.

"This order extends to you outsiders who are currently present!" The captain continued. "I am Captain Kitz Woermann of the Garrison Corps, and you will also answer my questions truthfully! If not, you too will be deemed an enemy of humanity and be summarily executed by my orders!"

"But first, Cadet Yeager! I'll ask you plainly. What are you?"

"A man?" Eren's heart skips a beat. "Or a Titan?"

What kind of question is that… Eren's thoughts stumble over another. Is that what they think I am?

"Eren," a clear voice cuts through the chaos. "Don't answer that question."

"Wait! Why?" Eren's reply was sharper than he intended. "I'm human! Even from over there, he can see it!"

"He has written you off the moment he laid eyes on you." The Eternal's tone remained level, despite her anger. "Now, he just needs a reason to fire that cannon and kill us all."

"What do we do?"

"Leave it to me."

Armin, despite his fear, "Miss Sersi… can you?"

"I have to try." With the assurance, she raises her voice. "Captain Woermann!"

The red-haired man in question widens his sunken eyes at the sound of his name, with his attention now squarely on the strange Asiatic woman in green.

"This young man is a member of your cadets, and is loyal to the Walls! Why subject him to this kind of treatment?!"

Kitz Woermann's beady eyes threatened to bulge out of his sockets. "You think I don't know that, woman?! Therefore it is even more imperative that for the good of mankind that he be eliminated here and now! I know I'm right!" He bellowed. "Defend him again, and I will not hesitate to blow you all to smithereens! Everyone here saw it - the moment he was pulled out of that Titan's carcass! Do you take us all for fools?!"

Sersi unconsciously clenches her fists. "He has done nothing but aid your side in this battle! I watched him kill Titan after Titan, all without harming a single human! He is, and has always been human!"

"WE CANNOT TAKE ANY CHANCES!" Woermann roars back. "Right now, Wall Rose is being breached by Titans of the unknown type, like him! Humanity is on the brink of extinction and we can't spend anymore time or troops on you bastards! I can blow you all to pieces without batting an eye!"

Rico Brzenska, shifting uncomfortably next to her superior, tries to reason with him. "Sir, the outsiders are certainly defiant, protecting that Titan," She chooses her words with care. "But we have no idea what they can actually do. I would advise…"

Woermann immediately turns to her in fury. "What did I say about insubordination, Lieutenant?! Keep your mouth shut unless I ask for your opinion!"

The unease was not limited to the commanders. The Garrison members, many of them with their weapons still pointed, begin to panic. The threat of the Titan shifter, to them, can return at any time. Alarmed whispers quickly spread throughout their formation, quickly growing into audible murmurs.

"It'll be easy if we act now!" A voice is heard among them. "Blow them up before they can do anything!"

"HOLD!"

Their attention is immediately taken by a crisp, clear voice. Thena takes a single step forward, uncaring of the various armaments hastily raised in her direction.

"I am Thena, her loyal protector." She speaks plainly. "My specialty is death. If necessary, I can display that talent at any moment. Bring any harm to my leader or the children, and you will not see the end of this day!"

*SHWING*

With her declaration, her trademark spear and shield is summoned into her hands as she stands in front of her leader and their charges in a defensive stance. The intended effect was immediate: the soldiers immediately whimpered at Thena's show of strength, some of them stumbling back in fear. Woermann was no different - so struck with fear by the warrior woman that he nearly fell onto his bottom, only prevented from doing so by being caught by Rico Brzenska.

Armin watches it all go down with a gulp. This can very easily escalate into violence. And knowing what Thena can do…

He immediately tugs at Sersi's shoulder. "Miss Sersi, this is going too far… She wouldn't… right…? Please… we can talk to them… sort everything out!"

Sersi immediately turns to him with an affirming look. "Armin, Thena knows what she's doing." She puts an affirming hand onto an increasingly anxious Mikasa's shoulder. "Mikasa, don't. Trust me. I'm handling this."

"Sir, this is what I'm trying to tell you…" Rico once again tries to persuade her superior. "That woman in white over there… The cadets claimed she killed over 50 Titans all by herself. It would be disastrous for the human race if we make her an enemy to us."

Ignoring his subordinate completely, Woermann's anger reaches a boiling point as his composure returns. Thena's earlier biting words all but served to enrage the wiry captain further.

"YOUR INSOLENCE IS OVERWHELMING, BARBARIAN! One more word from you and I…"

"W-Wait…!" Eren suddenly speaks up. He emerges from behind Sersi's protective shadow. "I'll answer you."

Woermann immediately calms himself at the sight of his initial quarry. "Ah, he finally shows his face." He raises an accusatory finger. "I will ask you again: What are you?"

Moment of truth. Eren lets the silence settle in as he takes a deep breath.

"I'm… human."

The wind whistles and lashes the space between them, overlapping the human silence. Thena remains stiff-backed as she turns to eye the boy in disbelief. Both Armin and Mikasa eye their friend with shock, with Sersi placing a comforting hand on the boy's shoulder in solidarity. All the while, the captain closes his eyes, deep in thought.

He opens them again, his decision made.

"I see… don't take this personally."

He raises an arm, and brings it down.

"FIRE!"


OUTSIDE THE ENTRANCE TO TROST, WALL ROSE

Staring down at the hordes of Titans impaling themselves on the harpoon nets deployed on the edge of the wall, Hannes feels a sense of unease. Thank Sina they're not using each other to scale up the Walls… It had been the technical crew's idea to gather and entrap them all there to later be eliminated by the cannons.

His mind wanders back to the three little upstarts that he had sworn to protect. Since Carla's death, guilt had eaten him up from deep inside. He has failed her once.

I'm not gonna fail Carla again…

Glancing to the side, he spots one of his subordinates, a dark haired man, Joakim being his name. He seemed just as shaken by the Titans beneath him, compounded by something else.

"Joakim, your thoughts are showing. What's wrong?"

"Sir, our mission is going smoothly, if not too smoothly… I'm just worried for our comrades in the vanguard."

"Yeah… for now, it's better we don't know how they're doing. We should concentrate on the counterattack, just like we did in initial training."

Hannes sighs. It didn't go amiss by Joakim.

"Is it those three kids who have been with you since Shiganshina you're worried about, sir?" The dark haired man points out. "They're on the front line too…"

The higher-ranked soldier says nothing for a while.

"Yeah, they're safe." Hannes looks on. "They're tough kids. Each one of them has something that helps them survive."

He wistfully continues. "One has a tenacious spirit. One possesses advanced combat skills. One is whip-smart… They'll be safe. I'm sure they are."

Joakim decides to change the subject. "Sir, odd rumors have been… popping up recently among the cadets. Command has shut down the dissemination of such rumors to preserve morale. Do you think…"

"That they're true?" The aged captain scoffs. "Not only are they true, I saw one of them."

"You…saw them? H-how…"

"Keep your mouth shut, Joakim, and listen." Hannes shushes his adjutant and pulls him close to avoid prying ears. "I saw one of them, up close. The one they are calling the Red Wind of Trost."

The ashy blonde man continues. "It happened while I was on the ground, just sent to oversee the retrieval of the wounded. Nearby, medical tents had been set up… This was never done before. Never had there been so many wounded soldiers saved… Then I saw her. She came out of nowhere, in a flash… In her arms was a Garrison man who had lost an arm and a leg. When she gave him to me, I saw in her eyes something warm… Something deeply human, like us. She did not say anything but it was then I knew… she and those like her, are to be trusted. I hope I'm right."

"We've been stung too many times in our pursuit of hope." Joakim remarks, fully aware of what his superior speaks of. "You sure this time it would be no different?"

"I'm sure."

Behind the two veterans, the town beneath the gate had rapidly been converted to a forward operating base. Soldiers of all three branches line up in platoons, poised to retake the district.

Among them are the recently graduated cadets who had participated in the battle.

"TRAINEES!" Yells a Garrison captain in command. "Get fully equipped and stand by in squad formation awaiting further orders! Furthermore, rumors of the unusual kind are prohibited! If you are caught discussing such topics, you will be immediately court-martialed!"

Jean winces. He knows exactly what the captain was referring to, and so did his group. All of them sit dejectedly, separated from the others, the one thing on their minds being what they saw and now forbidden to reveal. Not far from him; Sasha, Mina, Marco and Connie lounge uncomfortably, shifting about next to the equally discomforted duo of Ymir and Krista. Not far away, the trio of Reiner, Annie and Bertolt reside, trying to hide their creeping unease.

All of them were present to witness the abnormal Titan's demise, only to be forcibly recalled by their superiors. But now, facing the new round of orders from the top, they cannot help but worry.

"Rumors of the unusual kind… Fuckin' hell…" Connie spoke up first. "I bet at least a third of this courtyard has met them. What's the point of prohibiting rumors when they're almost verifiable facts at this point?"

"Morale, I suppose," Bertolt offered. "The last thing the top brass wants to admit is that these people, who somehow came from outside the walls, are doing a much better job than them."

"B-but… they saved us! They saved me!" Interjected Mina. "Surely that's enough to convince our higher-ups that they wish to help us!"

"The sky is more likely to come down than that ever happening," Jean, ever the realist, replied. "The only thing the government hates more than dealing with the Survey Corps is dealing with the unknown. They'll probably accuse Miss Sersi and her friends of witchcraft or something similarly stupid. I wouldn't put it past them."

Marco was adamant, however. "The King is wise and will surely award any kind of aid to mankind! I know he will!" His optimism earned him a scoff from Jean.

"Also there's that other thing… that we saw…" Krista shyly entered, Ymir's arm tight around her protectively. "That the higher-ups made us swear an oath of secrecy over…"

The rest of the group collectively cringed. Thank the Walls no one outside their particular group came to them with their annoying curiosities yet…

"Yeah… It's not the kind of thing you can exactly keep secret for long, even with our new friends' appearances," Jean admitted. "Let's hope Yeager and his friends make it out alive…"

Meanwhile, not far away…

"I'm telling you, I saw her!" Samuel Linke-Jackson was ecstatic in his retelling of events. "We ran out of gas, and were just getting ourselves into cover, when a fucking Titan suddenly, very nearly got to Daz here." He pats the shoulder of a still-shaking Daz. "Then out of nowhere, BOOM! She just shows up out of nowhere, scooped us up, and –"

Momentarily stopping to shush the listeners who were too loud, Samuel continued on. The cadets he was speaking to were from a different section of the middle guard who did not once encounter the miraculous superhumans who had come to rescue Trost. They were, for a lack of a better word, beyond themselves in awe as they listened to Samuel in rapt attention.

"So she shipped Daz first back to the rear, not before absolutely bodying those Titans! You won't believe how fast she was! She –"

"She's one of them, isn't she?"

Everyone turned to the source of the voice. It was Hannah Diament, sitting alone, knees close to her chest. The dried tear tracks on her face showed the extent of her anguish in losing her partner.

"What?"

"The one in red," she continued, her voice dull. "The one you said moved faster than the wind itself."

"Uh… yeah, why?"

"It was supposed to be me and Franz…" Hannah mumbles brokenly. She discreetly attached one of her sword hilts to a spare blade, without anyone noticing. "...in the Garrison together, and now he's gone… Why couldn't she be faster?! Why couldn't she save him?! WHY?"

Without warning, she immediately raised the blade to her throat.

Samuel raised his hands in alarm. "Whoa, whoa, wait –"

*BOOM*

The familiar sound of a cannon firing roused the cadets from their funk, with many once seated now immediately springing to their feet, including the cadet group that had initially encountered the Eternals.

"What the fuck?!" Connie was aghast. "Was that a cannon going off?"

"Within the walls too…" Marco's shock followed his own. "Don't tell me the gate has been breached!"

"Nah, it's the most fortified place," Ymir was dismissive. "Maybe the cannon misfired or something…"

Reiner, without saying anything, activated his newly refueled ODM gear and traversed onto a rooftop for better viewing. He is quickly followed by Bertolt, Annie and the rest of the cadets of their particular group. Landing safely, they finally see what caused the cannon to fire…

"What in the…?" It was Jean's shocked voice. "Miss Sersi?!"


For a split second, Eren felt everything slow down. His hand, as if in reflex, raised itself to his open mouth, preparing to bite down…

It was when he felt something yanking him back by the scruff of his neck. A glance to his side as he flew back, weightless in the air, was Mikasa, similarly pulled back by a hand. He knows immediately who it belonged to.

Miss Sersi… What is she…

The feeling of weightlessness immediately ceased as his back crashed painfully against the cold ground, kicking up dust as he slid against it. Nearby, he saw Mikasa fall back first onto Armin, both of them crumbling into a heap.

Turning his head forward, he saw the cannon shell still flying towards them in a punishing straight line.

NO!

*BOOM*

Nothing happened.

A flashing thought blitzed itself through Eren's mind: maybe he was dead. Maybe the cannon shell struck its target true, killing them all so quickly that there was no pain.

It was when he felt the stinging sensation of dust in his eyes did he realize he was alive. Looking around, he saw Mikasa and Armin collecting themselves, bewildered at their own miraculous survival. Not far from them, Thena, reeling herself from her abortive attempt to tackle her leader out of danger, looked on in abject surprise.

Sersi was just standing there, defiant, both hands raised in the air, smoke emanating from her palms. The Garrison force opposing her was definitely no longer as bold.

"You wanted to know what I am…" The Eternals' leader lowers both hands. "This is what I am. This is what I can do - what we can do. Despite your hostility, we have come from far away, to aid you in your hour of greatest need, and now…" Her words are calm, but determined.

"Can we talk?"

The response she received was pandemonium. Many of the Garrison soldiers, their bravado already slowly fading against the uncanniness of the outsiders' strange abilities, have now fully given into their fears.

"Holy fuck… did she just...turn that cannon shell into a flock of birds?!"

"What even are they?!"

"Shit, shit! Quick, load the cannon!"

Among the terrified chatter of his men, Kitz Woermann had nearly lost himself to paranoia. He saw it too: the cannon shell impacting the woman's delicate hands only to transmogrify into sparrows. He could almost hear the birds sing as they flew hurriedly away from their creator, resembling nothing of the projectile meant to end the Titan's life and that of its friends. His heart beats wildly as he tries to not collapse onto his knees as his brain denies the evidence provided by his eyes over and over again.

It was simply… too much.

Next to him, an equally unsettled Rico Brzenska tries to calm her subordinates with panicked orders, but her own loss of control of the situation is finally getting to her.

Kitz balls his hands into fists as he too begins to panic. Why do these… outsiders have to be here?!

"If I were you, I would advise not firing that cannon for the second time, Captain." A clear voice cuts through his jumbled train of thought. Hers.

"W-why would I not?!" The captain manages to sputter out.

"Thena is my guard, my loyal protector," the green-clad woman continues, her voice determined and strong. "If you give the order to fire, she will have no choice but to kill you, and every single soldier present here to protect me and these children. Now, are you willing to listen?"

"Sir, please hear them out," Immediately feeling her superior rounding on her in rage, Rico continues, back ramrod straight, not meeting his gaze. "Sir! That woman's Titan killing prowess is no joke! The accounts from the cadets and the survivors stationed at the supply depot were in no way exaggerated! If you provoke her, she can decimate us all in a heartbeat!" She ends her panicked plea with an equally panicked salute. "Sir, please reconsider!"

The captain's eyes narrowed, before turning to the assembled group of hostiles in front. "Say what you want to say!" He bellows. "Before I change my mind!"

Sersi simply nods. Around her, the cadets, still in disbelief of what had unraveled, flinched as the Oriental Eternal suddenly knelt down and whispered something into Armin's ear, the blonde boy's eyes widening as she spoke.

Mikasa speaks up first. "Armin, what did she tell you?"

"She said… I'm going to present our case to the Captain."

Eren and Mikasa simply said nothing. Ever since they were surrounded, they were both in agreement that if there was anyone skilled enough to convince their fellow soldiers that they were no threat, it had to be Armin.

"Can he do it?" Eren turns. Thena was long on her feet, yet her eyes were full of doubt.

"He can," said the young cadet. "If things ever go south, he would always figure out the right thing to do. I want to rely on that."

The warrior goddess cannot help but feel skeptical at the boy's words. Facing her leader, she admonishes: "Sersi, it's too dangerous. If he cannot convince them…"

"He can. I trust him," She turns to the blonde cadet, hands on his shoulders in support. "Armin, it's your turn now. You can do it. Go."

Walking forward, Armin could feel his steps grow heavier and heavier as he exits the proximity of the group and with it, the relative protection afforded by the Eternals. Making his way before the Captain and his second-in-command, the drumming of his heartbeat vibrates in his ears.

"Cadet! Stop right there!" At the command, Armin stops and immediately salutes his superiors.

"Eren and the Eternals are not the enemies of the human race!" He immediately makes his case. "We wish to disclose all of the knowledge about the Titans and our new allies!"

Before the captain could make another passion-filled denial, his lieutenant has already beaten him to it. "Cadet Arlert! Can you ensure the compliance of the outsiders?"

"I can ensure their alliance, ma'am!" Armin answers earnestly. "Their intentions are pure, and they have been doing nothing but killing Titans and saving our own ever since they came here!"

Woermann, already angry at being upstaged, was not ready to give way. "What of the Titan, Arlert?! His true form has been revealed! There is nothing more to be said about what he is! If you claim he is not a Titan, then show us proof!"

The two Eternals watch the heated confrontation with rapt attention. Thena, anxious at leaving Armin in danger, tries to petition her leader with a formed cosmic spear only for her leader to raise a hand in halting.

"There is no need for proof! You said everyone saw him, right?!" The blonde cadet retorts. "Then surely, they should have seen him fighting the Titans, and witnessed the Titans in the area ganging up on him!"

Looks of realization appeared on the faces of several of the Garrison men. What the boy said was indeed true…

"In other words, the Titans saw him as PREY, just like us!" Armin resolutely drives home his point. "No matter how long we think about this, that truth still stands!"

His words seem to have a further effect on the soldier, with some murmuring

"He might be right…"

"The Titan may be on our side…"

"Is he our enemy still…?"

Woermann has had enough.

"PREPARE TO COUNTERATTACK!" He hollers at the top of his voice. "DON'T BE TAKEN IN BY SUCH A CLEVER TRAP!"

"Wha…!?" Armin was taken back. It was working! Some of the Garrison men were agreeing with him. He was convincing them! Then why…

Armin turns to catch a glimpse of his friends and Sersi holding back Thena, fully armed, her eyes filled with indignant rage. He darts his eyes back to the captain. No good… he's too terrified to think straight…

"Their behavior has always been beyond our understanding! They are defying the existing natural order, and we can't let them get awaaaaaaaaaaaaaa…" Woermann's tirade stopped abruptly.

"Captain?!" Rico and many of the concerned Garrison men approached their captain in worry to see….

The man's eyes had taken a strange golden glow. Without warning, the same glow appeared instantly on the eyes of the soldiers, their backs stiffening.

Then, as suddenly as it happened, every soldier present around Armin, Sersi and their group crumpled bonelessly into the earth, unconscious. Even the ones manning the cannon are not spared.

"W-what…?"

Armin, not fully realizing what had occurred, wanders mindlessly back to the group, where he is immediately enveloped in a hug by his friends.

"Thank Sina you made it back," Mumbles Eren, his voice muffled by Armin's uniform shirt.

"Yeah…" The blonde cadet was still staring ahead, his disbelief not yet dissipating.

"Everyone! Somebody is approaching us!" Mikasa's startled cry caught the full attention of everyone around her.

They all turn to see a new arrival.

The stranger was pale, with his dark hair and equally dark attire (which closely resembled that of Sersi and Thena) contrasting with his ghostly complexion. Walking slowly towards the gathered group of humans and Eternals with the billowing hemline of his finery trailing behind him in the dusty wind, the strange man merely smiles upon meeting a certain someone.

"Good day, Sersi." His voice was as cold and dispassionate as his demeanor,

"Druig!" The green Eternal's voice was full of chastisement. "Did you do all this?

"Aye," the pale man shrugs. "Mind telling me what's going on here?"

"Uh, Miss Sersi, who is that?"

Suddenly under fire from multiple fronts, Sersi holds up both hands in placation. "Let's just start from the beginning. Everyone, this is Druig. He is am Eternal, like me and Thena. His specialty is –"

"Mind control." Druig turns to the children, nonchalant at their surprise. "Before you ask, I put them to sleep. Not much effort."

Mikasa, Eren and Armin beheld him in awe. Had he not shown up the way he did, things would have become very ugly.

Sersi immediately comes up to him. "Druig, are the others with you?"

"Was about to say. They're right…"

"HEY GUYS!"

Two new arrivals made their entrance, their Eternal garb colored in magenta and dark blue respectively.

"Sersi, HEY!" The shorter of the two in magenta waved excitedly. "Good to see you!"

"Kingo," Sersi seemed to sag in relief. "...and Phastos. Glad to see you too. Our group is almost complete."

*ZIP*

A cloud of dust is inexplicably kicked up by the sudden inrush of wind. A familiar figure dressed in red appears in the wave of dusty air, her long braid swaying along. All of the Eternals present recognized her. So did a certain blonde.

"Miss Makkari!"

Noticing said blonde boy's arrival, Makkari quickly knelt down and heartily embraced him, gladdened at his safety.

Throughout the proceedings, both Eren and Mikasa only looked befuddled. Sersi smiled wanly at their wonderment. Some explanations are needed later.

She continued to look on at the strange scene, a look of contentment on her face. Her Eternals have finally gathered, and the children are safe… Now she must turn to the human leadership of this district and offer her Eternals' assistance.

Doubt surfaces in her mind as she recalls Captain Woermann and his jingoistic fervor. If their commanders are even half as intolerant….

Her thoughts are unceremoniously broken up as Kingo manages to pull his leader aside.

"Quick question, Sersi," he asks. "Who are these kids again?"

"Yeah, you still haven't answered me yet," Druig chimed in, rejoining them after well reacquainting himself with Makkari.

Sersi hesitates. She knows full well the implications of what she is about to reveal. Gathering her Eternals (barring those who know the truth) and shuffling them far from prying ears, Sersi informs them.

"WHAT?" Kingo only managed to hold in his exclamation. "You're saying that dark haired boy's a Shifter?"

"Oh, him." Noticing the weird looks Kingo and Phastos are giving him, Druig shrugs. "What? Makkari told me through our telepathic link."

"And you trust him?" Kingo asks, incredulous. "Why?"

"Ever since he transformed, he has been attacking Titans and nothing but Titans. I have managed to lead him into Titan-heavy areas so that he can…"

"So that he can endanger the surviving humans we're trying to save?" Phastos, once remaining quiet to process the information he had been given, joins the fray. "Sersi, you know this is a huge risk. What if he had been a Marleyan Warrior all along and this was all a diversion for his blown cover?"

"You think I haven't thought of this?" Sersi retorts. "He was born in the Shiganshina district and lived to see it fall. You saw the carnage! His family, his home – gone! He hates Titans more than anything because of it!"

"Yeah," Druig cuts in, his sarcasm evident. "Wait till he learns what Titans are made of. See if he hates them then."

The reaction he expected was immediate. Druig immediately meets Sersi's rounding glare with his own cold eyes. "When the truth comes out – and it will come out – it will change these people's entire view of the world, his most of all. I know how much he hates Titans – I was monitoring him throughout his whole run across the town. He is full of vengeance and hate – with a single outlet, a target – that can be changed for the worse."

"I hate to say it, but Druig is is right." Phastos intervenes before Sersi can respond. "He is a loose cannon, Titan or not. What if by learning the truth, his target of hatred turns from the Titans to the world?"

"That's why we're here, to prevent more pain and suffering to befall him and his people," the leader of the Eternals affirmed. "We protect Paradis, and we make the world respect it. Not love yet, definitely not hate, but respect. That is what they lack right now."

"Wait, if the boy's not a Warrior, where'd he get the Titan power from?" Kingo asks.

"From what Armin, his friend, told me…" Sersi seemed deflated. "He might have gotten it from his father. But how his father got it is another mystery that I still haven't the heads or tails of."

Meanwhile, the Shiganshina-based cadets huddle together as they watch Sersi arguing with her teammates in worry. Next to them, Thena sat cross legged and observed her leader with indifference. Not far away, Makkari leaned back against a wall, kicking a stray rock as she watched her friends' little debate.

"Uh… Miss Thena, what are they talking about?" Armin was the first to wonder.

"I know not," Thena replies, her tone neutral. "Perhaps they still need convincing."

Seeing surprised looks on the faces of the three youngsters, Thena continued. "The three of them, Phastos, Druig and Kingo initially disagreed on coming here."

"WHAT?!" Eren exclaimed. "Why?"

"They saw the ruins of Shiganshina, and assumed humanity within the Walls to be snuffed out," Thena recounts. "It was Sersi who convinced them otherwise. We pressed inward, just in time to see the Colossal Titan kick down the gate." Her voice takes on a mournful inflection. "Had we been there sooner…"

"Why… would she go all this way… for us?" It was Mikasa who spoke up.

"We hailed from a world beyond the stars… a world teeming with humans. Sersi loved them all, and would do anything to protect them… until we were forced to leave. Travelling far and wide throughout the stars did we encounter this world and its humanity in peril…" Choosing her words carefully, Thena carefully explained, avoiding any mention of the world's true history. She did not miss the looks on their faces, ranging from disbelief to awestruck. As the warrior maiden finished, she leaned forward.

"She would do anything for humanity. Anything. If you want someone to thank, thank her, not me."

Sersi, finishing the team discussion with a hint of passing dismay on her expression, quickly made her way back to her charges. Dropping to one knee, she addresses Eren first. "Eren, I know you must be confused right now… but this time, we're going to your commanders. Together. The safety of this town must be paramount."

"But Miss Sersi, what if they…"

"They won't. Not again. Not if we have anything to say about it."

"Pardon my intrusion."

All present turned at the sound of the voice.

It was an old, bald man dressed in the common Wall military regalia, the back bearing the Garrison twin roses. Despite his awe of the strange visitors visible on his wrinkled visage, he seemed unsettled by the sight of his unconscious soldiers around him. Mikasa, Armin and Eren realized who he was immediately. They were on their feet in seconds, hands on their heart and back in salute.

"At ease, soldiers." The old commander dismissed them warmly. "Before we continue, are my men alive and well?"

"Yes, they are," Sersi replies cautiously. "They attempted to shoot us first, ask questions later. At the moment they are only unconscious." Next to her, Druig flashes a smug smirk.

The man hummed, thoughtful. "I should have seen this coming. Woermann is a fine soldier, and his efficiency as a soldier is not in question… but his paranoia can significantly cripple his cognitive thinking … I did not know he would go this far. He will be aptly reprimanded. On behalf of humanity, I am terribly sorry for this inconvenience."

Still seeing curious eyes on him, the man fixes his collar as he suddenly remembers something important.

"Ah yes, where are my manners? I am Dot Pixis, Commander-in-Chief of the Southern Territories." The commander introduces himself. "I have been briefed on the whole situation of Trost and had to immediately come here to assess the situation personally… and, perhaps selfishly, to confirm for myself those fantastical rumors I have heard… about you all."

Sersi nods, likewise understanding. "My name is Sersi, and these are my comrades. We are Eternals, and I am their leader. Our intentions are simple: we are here to protect humanity. And as of this moment, it means safeguarding Trost."

"You have already done an exemplary job at that." Pixis commends her. "Through your actions, you have decimated most of the incoming enemy forces and decreased casualties to a minimum. For that, you have my thanks."

"But the breach is still there," Phastos points out.

"Indeed," agrees Pixis. "God knows how I have wrangled my brain with strategies to retake Trost the moment it fell… but now with you present, it makes my job much easier, and at once, much harder," Sersi raises an eyebrow at what he said. "Would you like to join me atop the Wall? We could discuss everything in further detail there." He offers a hand.

Sersi takes it. "We would be glad to."


WESTERN DISTRICT OF KROLVA, WALL ROSE

Everyone was in uproar. News spread quickly about the return of the Colossal Titan and the consequent attack on Trost. Even the former members of the Western Division of the 104th Cadet Corps are not exempt from the gossip.

Having graduated just the day before, many of them were about to go about their duties when the news broke. Some thanked their luck that Krolva was not the district under siege. Others cursed their luck for not having the chance to face the Titans while their sibling Southern class got to do so.

But most of the gossip surrounding Trost was less on the attack itself but on how it was repelled. Better yet, who came to the aid of the troops there in repelling it.

They call themselves Eternals.

Outlandish, almost impossible stories of human-like beings with impossible powers coming to the aid of humanity spread across Krolva district like wildfire. Some disbelieved the stories altogether, while those who do cite the staggering number of accounts that had come from the wounded of Trost - those personally saved by these Eternals. Even though the commanders of the Krolva garrison demanded the rumors stop lest the brig be risked or worse, a court martial; many such stories remained circulated among the cadets and the soldiers of the younger generation.

Marlowe Freudenberg is among those who believed. Currently debating the issue over boxes of ammunition, he finds himself increasingly outnumbered. Floch Forster obviously did not believe him, while Boris Feulner was on the fence, while Gordon Hugen and Sandra Erhard were just useless.

"Why is it so outlandish?" "No one ever thought Shiganshina would fall, and with it Wall Maria, in over a century, but it did happen. Why couldn't this happen also? It matches up with the stories too!"

"It's impossible because it simply can't happen, end of story," Floch scoffs. "Shiganshina falling was a matter of time, in retrospect. We were weak and complacent, and we were caught off guard in the worst way possible. We grew up in that era and went through all that training to be strong. Now all of a sudden we're relying on some fairy tale to take back humanity's land? Get real."

"I'm gonna be honest," Boris coolly remarks. "I'll believe it when I see those Eternals with my own eyes."

"'Eternals'?" A youthful, female voice interrupts them. "Did you say 'Eternals'?"

They all turned to the source of the voice. It was Hitch Dreyse. She had graduated near the top of their classes, and more than expected to take up the Military Police. She was a real looker too – her wavy champagne curls and light baby green eyes had caught the eye of many in their Cadet Corps. She was a common occurrence among the cadets, tittering about with smiles and jokes.

But now, her expression was that of fear.

"Hitch… what are you…"

Floch tries to blow her off. "Yeah, Dreyse, it's none of your busine…"

"Forster, I'm not talking to you," Hitch does not even spare him a glance. "Answer my question."

The bowlcut cadet was taken aback. Never had he seen Hitch act like this back in their training days. "Yeah… that's what they called themselves… they just showed up in Trost and saved a bunch of our fellow cadets and officers and killed a bunch of Titans."

"Are they humanlike, and endowed with strange powers?"

Marlowe scrunches his eyebrows in confusion. Why is she asking this? Nevertheless, he answers her. "Yeah, that's what we heard… Why do you ask?"

"Nothing." As quickly as she arrived, Hitch turned tail and departed, leaving the remaining cadets to scratch their heads.

No one saw the faint golden glow that appeared momentarily in her eyes.


AN: Remember how Eternals, due to their long lifespans, can take multiple identities throughout history?

Next up: sealing up the breach.