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Ch.31- "Business"
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The bodies had finally been cleaned up, and the rubble, but most homes and buildings were still in ruins. A great many people, those with money or relatives in other parts of Wall Rose, returned only to gather whatever belongings they could and left once more, possibly for good. While the gate remained plugged up, the crumbling brick and mortar served as a grim reminder that Trost was no longer within the "interior" of humanity's territory. Erwin went out even less frequently than usual these days, keeping his curtains closed just as he had following the Fall. He could do without looking upon Hange's newest round of experiments, though recently, they were spending far more time in the old castle that was serving the Special Operations Squad's base. They only returned to Trost to run cross-experiments on, ugh, "Sawney" and "Beane", drop off reports- both their own and Levi's- and get him to sign off on new procedures. The remains of their latest request lay in Erwin's trashcan…
He reread the proposal, slower this time, in case he'd been mistaken the first. No, of course he hadn't. Sighing, he lifted his gaze, staring Hange deep in the eye as he carefully and deliberately tore the paper in his hands into eighths. They cried out in dismay.
"What the hell, Erwin!? I spent twenty minutes writing that!"
"Hange. You cannot. Pull out. All of. Eren's. Teeth." He punctuated each word with a slap of his desk.
"Why not!?" they whined. "They'll grow back!"
"You don't know that!"
"That's why we have to test it!"
"And you cannot vivisect him! We did not save him from death at the hands of the Military Police just so he could die in your hands!"
"I just need to see how his digestive tract works…!"
"He'll bleed to death!" They pouted, and for one hopeful second, he actually believed they would drop the matter, but then they got that glint in their eyes, that horrible, horrible glint…
"I know! Send a request to the eastern Garrison for them to send Thomasin over!"
"…what."
"She's a nurse, right? It's her job to stop people from bleeding to death! Normally, I wouldn't trust someone not from my own section to help run experiments, let alone someone from another regiment, but I'm willing to make an exception for- for, uh… a-a former Scout." Erwin's eyes were sheets of ice.
"Hange…" He pointed to the door. "Get out before I lose control and kill you."
"You sound more like a Titan than Eren…" They tsk'd disapprovingly at him even as they turned about. "For shame, Erwin; letting your personal feelings get in the way of humanity's progress…"
It wasn't his personal feelings he was worried about. He'd sent Thomasin a letter apologizing in advance for having to miss one of their few meetings and explaining the circumstances. Her reply was… curt, to put it nicely.
It's fine, Erwin.
Don't talk to me about Titans.
He wouldn't expect her to actually hurt the boy, obviously, but he couldn't shake the feeling that she wouldn't be in any rush to stop him bleeding to death, either. He sighed, rubbing his eyes to relieve them of the strain. Due to the chaos in Trost, the southern 104th graduates had yet to choose their new regiments. He'd be making the rounds in a week to try and drum up some new recruits, but really, given what just happened, he didn't imagine many would be willing to face those horrors again any time soon.
Of all the times for the Colossal to strike, it just had to be the day the cadets were in Trost… the day the Survey Corps was headed out on a mission… The cadets were manning the canons on top of the Wall… What, do you think the Titans are being drawn in by the stench of all these horny, unwashed teenagers…? They smelled just like normal people…More people than usual, but it was just the cadets...His eyes snapped open, his heart nearly bursting from his chest.
"Son of a bitch…!"
His anger, that momentary flare of panic, had long cooled to a simmer in his gut by the time Mike came to collect the formation changes. He raised a brow as he flipped through the pages, frowning deeply at his own.
"Rear flank? The hell, Erwin; my section's been in the van for years."
"Rear's the safest place for cadets…" The older man sighed, taking his usual place by the window, pulling the curtain back just enough to look down into the courtyard.
"Thirty days out from one of the most pivotal missions we've undertaken in years, and now you're telling me we're dragging a crop of new recruits with us?"
"Assuming any sign up."
"Has the pressure finally gotten to you?"
"Not yet," he muttered, staring at the formation map before him. He needed to look through the witness testimonies of the 104th cadets again.
"…not to call your judgment into question, sir, but be real with me; what are their chances? What are our chances?"
"No better or worse than they usually are." He tapped his pen against the parchment, staring at the lines and dashes but not truly seeing anything. "Right now, our primary concern is convincing the Assembly that Eren isn't a threat, and that he can be of use-"
"And your primary concern is not giving me a straight answer, is that it?" Blinking hard, Erwin looked up at the other man, his bowed head and slumped shoulders, so utterly dejected. He almost laughed, but settled for a sympathetic smile.
"Your nose is as sharp as ever…"
"Not half as sharp as yours," Mike muttered under his breath. "What do you think you've sniffed out, Erwin? What aren't you telling me?" He reached back, patting Mike's large hand.
"Patience, old friend; you'll have all the details… once I'm certain of them."
~o0o~
"MY CHILDREN!"
It didn't take long for his suspicions to be strengthened. Not entirely confirmed, but strengthened enough that he was confident his hunch was correct. It had to have happened in the earliest hours of the morning, well past midnight, else wise he'd have heard it, but well before the sun rose, too. Hange's horse was in a lather, ridden half to death, its rider hardly faring any better. Their wailing probably could have been heard all the way to the inner wall as they dropped to their knees before the Titan corpses. The flesh had almost completely burned away, and the bones were quickly falling to dust.
"Sawney! Beane! Who would do this to you…!? My babies! My sons!"
There were meant to be guards posted at all hours, but even guards had to step away to relieve themselves, or else just close their eyes for a second. A few seconds was all it would take if someone were adequately skilled with ODM gear.
"Who would do this…?" Cecile asked quietly, her attention not on the smoldering remains but on Hange weeping on the ground. Horace shook his head slowly.
"I get wanting to kill Titans, but… why now?"
"Why indeed," Erwin muttered. "What is it you think you see?"
"What?"
"Before you. What do you see?" Horace shrugged.
"Hange throwing a tantrum. Titan skeletons."
"Look how they massacred my boys!"
"Titan specimens," Cecile corrected him. "These weren't just random Titans- Hange was running experiments on them."
"So?"
"If someone wanted to kill Titans that bad, they'd sneak over the Wall." Mike's low voice reverberated in their chests. "There's plenty of 'em right on the other side of that boulder. These things were helping humanity learn about our enemy; they were off limits."
"And who would want to stop humanity from learning about our enemy?" Erwin asked, his tone grim. It didn't take his former squad mates long to catch on, Cecile's eyes growing almost comically wide.
"Erwin, you don't think-"
"I do think. Mike, I want your squad to comb the face of the perimeter and look for evidence of recent ODM anchor points."
"Yes, sir."
"Horace, head to my office and get the return attendance record from our last expedition before the Fall. Those soldiers that are still with us, tell them to meet me in my office in an hour."
"On it."
"Cecile, question the guards who were stationed here between the hours of one and six- I want every second accounted for."
"Right away, sir."
All three saluted, heading off to fulfill their newly assigned duties as Erwin slowly made his way behind the crowd, trying to ignore Hange's wretched sobs grating at his insides. He'd always hated hearing them cry… Amidst all the tan jackets, Eren's green cloak stood out like a sore thumb, the hood raised despite the warmth of the day making him even more suspicious. He'd have thought Levi of all people would understand the concept of "blending in" a bit better. No matter. The boy was so preoccupied by the sight in front of him that he jumped nearly a foot in the air when Erwin laid a hand on his shoulder. They'd need to stop running experiments and start training him soon; even with Levi's squad watching him, he'd need better reflexes than this if he was to have any hope of surviving in the field.
"S-sir-?" He directed Eren's attention back to the scene of the crime.
"What is it you think you see?"
"…huh?"
"What are you looking at?"
"I-I don't—" He lowered his voice until it was barely a whisper.
"Who do you think the real enemy is here?"
"Wha…?" Erwin pressed his fingers harder against the vein where the boy's neck met his collarbone- not hard enough to notice, much less hurt, but just enough that he could feel the pulse fluttering beneath his fingertips. It had beat so strongly at first- expected, given how startled he was- but it was slowly growing slower and calmer. Not what he'd expect from an ill-tempered boy with a short fuse getting worried. He gave Eren's shoulder a reassuring pat as he straightened.
"I spoke without thinking. Pay me no mind." He lowly gestured for Levi to follow him as he made his way back inside the base.
"What, you think Eren had something to do with this? He was with Hange all night- you couldn't ask for a better guard dog."
"What is it you think you saw back there, Levi?"
"Some stupid piece of shit making our jobs and lives that much harder."
"Who stands to make our jobs harder?"
"Those fat fucks in the Interior."
"And…?" Levi's lips twisted into a scowl that vanished immediately as his eyes widened. He looked up at Erwin.
"You don't mean-"
"Which member of your squad has been in the Corps the longest?" The shorter man frowned, thinking.
"…Günther. He joined… the year after I did, I think?"
"You think?"
"I know." Erwin nodded.
"Alright. Send Eren back to the base with your squad. You come to my office in an hour."
"What's this about, Erwin?"
"I'll tell you in an hour…"
The sun was high in the sky when everything at the moment had been done and everyone was assembled. The group saluted as he entered the office. Where once there had been twenty two of them now stood only thirteen. The only people left in the Corps who remembered when he had been "Section Commander Smith"- only seven who remembered all the way back to his days as "Captain Smith". The only people he knew, without a fraction of a doubt, that he could trust because they had been here with him when the Wall fell.
"Pretty odd time to be calling a reunion, Commander," Captain Ness awkwardly adjusted his headscarf. "You haven't called us here to reminisce, I take it?"
"I'm afraid not." He walked behind his desk, but did not sit. "I'll come out and say it- the enemies of humanity are not Titans. They are other humans."
"Humans like Eren," Levi said lowly, several heads turning to stare at him disbelieving.
"You sound like the people in Wall Sina," Nanaba lamented. "We can't accuse other people of being Titans; everyone will turn on each other before the day is out. It'll be a bloodbath!"
"I know. That's why I'm not, why I'm only telling this to you all." He leaned on his desk, his voice low and dark. "Listen to me, and listen closely. Not a word of what we discuss here leaves this room, do I make myself clear? You don't tell your squad mates, you don't tell your families- you take this to your grave unless I tell you otherwise. If a single whisper slips out, I will find out who talked, and I will personally deal with you." The room was silent for a long time, until Mike beat his fist against his heart.
"Sir! Yes, sir!" The others followed suit almost immediately, even Levi, though his eyes remained dark. Sighing quietly, Erwin allowed himself to relax just enough that his shoulders no longer ached.
"From the onset, the behavior of the Colossal and Armored Titans was beyond that of a typical Abnormal. They specifically targeted the weakest parts of the Walls, and the Colossal destroyed the canons here. There were cadets along the top of the Walls, and it made no effort to eat any of them. In Shiganshina, the Armored Titan made no effort to eat anyone either, despite there being no less than a dozen Garrison soldiers manning the gate and hundreds of people waiting for the ferry. No Titan, not even an Abnormal, has ever flat out refused to eat people."
"Except Eren, apparently."
"Okay, so…" Horace rubbed his temples. "There are other Titans like Eren. I can buy that. Fine. What are we supposed to do about that? There are three quarters of a million people within the Walls, and the Titan people smell and act like normal humans. What are we supposed to do; have Levi kick everyone's teeth out and see whose grow back?"
"I can do that."
"I know you can, I'm saying that's stupid!"
"We don't need to monitor everyone," Erwin said as he pulled out a file. "I'm fairly certain we can narrow down the number of potential threats quite far. To about a hundred and twenty people, in fact."
"The cadets…?" Mike asked incredulously. "What makes you think some kids are capable of something like this?"
"What makes you think they're not? We train children to kill and die in battle; why not our enemy?"
"What enemy, Erwin?" He sighed, lacing his fingers together. His heart was pounding harder now than it did before a mission. He chose his words very carefully.
"The Colossal Titan first appeared outside Shiganshina. It kicked the gate in, not out. How would someone have gotten outside the Wall?"
"ODM gear?" Cecile suggested.
"Worn by who? The Garrison? The Military Police? If someone from our own military wanted to destroy the Walls, they'd have had ample time to do so. In fact, why bother waiting for us to return? Why not launch an attack while we were still out the way it happened in Trost?" Hange sniffled, lifting their goggles to wipe their eyes.
"Wh… what are you saying, Erwin? Are you saying someone from… beyond the Walls is attacking us…?" The chill that fell over the room was palpable, and Erwin felt his stomach twist uncomfortably.
I heard that your father told you something that he didn't tell the rest of the class. Can you tell me what that was…?
He swallowed against his nausea.
"I'm not going to make a claim as bold as that." 'Not anymore…' "I'm only saying that these circumstances are beyond suspicious. Again, if someone from our military wanted to destroy the Walls, why wait five years to attack Trost? For a year after the fall of Wall Maria, the Survey Corps was in shambles. We couldn't have fought back against them if we tried. Why show up now, not only when our numbers have been bolstered, but when the Garrison is prepared as well?"
"Because they couldn't." Levi walked over to the couch and sat down. "Say the Armored and Colossal are kids. They tear down the walls, then come out of their Titans like Eren does and slip into the crowd during the chaos. Who's gonna question two kids by themselves after the Wall fell? But then, where do two kids by themselves go? Stay up north breaking rocks and harvesting mud? Or join the military and get three square meals a day for three years and guaranteed access to the Walls afterwards? Fucking genius…" Cecile shook her head.
"Also fucking conveniently leaving out one important detail. Eren. Eren has lived in Shiganshina all his life; Captain Hannes of the Garrison Engineers swears by it, claims he watched the kid grow up."
"Do we know that his parents lived there all their lives?" Erwin asked, and was met with silence. "We need to look into the backgrounds of Grisha and Carla Yaeger. It's possible that they have something to do with this. And it's possible that our other Titans may have also been forced into doing something they didn't want by their parents. But we need to find them first. We need to draw them out." Horace sighed.
"Lemme guess; you already have a plan, everything's thought out, and you're just pretending to want our opinion?" Erwin showed them the ghost of a smile.
"You know me too well. But I have to ask; do you trust me? Does everyone in this room trust me?" Captain Wallace smirked down at him.
"Who'd be stupid enough not to trust St. Erwin?" A quiet, but fond murmur filled the room. Mike smiled at him, but there was something almost haunted in his eyes.
" 'He who protects us from unnecessary combat'…"
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Erwin's jaw hurt from clenching it so hard. He set down the MP's report, a dozen papers, each with the same nothing printed over it ten times over.
"What's with the face?" Cecile asked as she removed her jacket. "You look like you've got to take a shit." His lip twisted distastefully.
"For the love of god, Cecile; I hear that brand of vulgarity enough from Levi, I don't need to hear it from you, too."
"Sorry, but he'd be right in this instance." He sighed, but said nothing.
"Look, Erwin," Horace spoke softly, his voice in that moment almost reminiscent of Frey's, "I know being wrong is more painfull than pulling teeth for perfectionists like you, but you've gotta buck up and move on. You made a mistake. Get over it."
"I didn't make a mistake. Not yet."
"All the cadets' gear checked out!" Cecile snapped at him.
"According to the MPs…"
"You don't trust them?" Erwin leveled a hard glare at the woman.
"Cecile. Take a random sampling of MPs, say fifty percent. Would you trust every single one of those random MPs to get your wallet back if it were stolen?" She scoffed.
"No."
"Would you trust them to deliver a letter for you?"
"No…"
"Would you trust them to toast you a slice of bread?"
"…no."
"So why would we trust them for a task as sensitive as this? MPs don't get promoted for doing good, thorough work." He thought of Nile, and his jaw began hurting again. He glared at the paper once more. "No, I don't buy this. This reeks of the sloppy, lazy detective work the Military Police are renowned for. Mike, you're coming with us to the Training Camp tonight." Mike pulled a face.
"Why me?"
"You were always Shadis' favorite. I want copies of the equipment files of every graduating cadet from the 104th."
"You're shitting me- that could take weeks!"
"Get Shadis to help you."
"Oh, get fucked, Erwin…"
"You don't think you're taking this too far? All this for a hunch? What if you're wrong?"
"Then we've wasted a few hours of everyone's time and no one is any worse for the wear." His gaze was cold as he stared at his section commanders. "But what if I'm right? What if I'm right, and we do nothing about it now when we have the chance?"
"I'm with Erwin." Hange's voice was low and hoarse, their glasses pushed atop their head. They'd stopped crying, but their eyes were still red and swollen. "I want the son of a bitch that killed my babies flayed. They were important children of science, and some bastard slaughtered them. They're spitting on the graves of every one of our fallen comrades…!" They glared up at Mike. "Is copying some files too much work for the big fucking baby? Tough shit! Ilse Langner was writing notes until a fucking Titan crushed her skull!"
"Hange, that's enough…" Erwin told them quietly, raising his voice to speak to the rest. "You said you trusted me. You agreed to follow my orders. So stop complaining and follow them."
"…yes, sir."
~o0o~
The sky was dotted with stars that looked like diamonds. The night air was balmy and the braziers crackled merrily. Just like every recruitment he'd spearheaded in the last four years, save for the shadowed faces he was currently looking down upon. Normally, the recruits were fresh-faced, confident to the point of arrogance. The sea of children before him tonight reminded him grimly of the Wall Maria refugees he'd spent months searching amongst, their faces pinched, their eyes red and tired and haunted… And somewhere, amidst all these lost, miserable faces were the monsters that caused all this strife and heartache to begin with.
"Good evening, cadets. I'm Erwin Smith, commander of the Survey Corps. Normally, I'd try to sweet talk you into joining the Corps. I'd stand up here and feed you pretty lies and heroic stories about the glory, the honor of being a Scout. How you're fighting for the people you love, and how if you die, it's in the service of a better tomorrow… but I'm going to cut straight to the chase. The Survey Corps needs soldiers, all the warm bodies we can get." He could already see the flicker of disinterest on the vast majority of faces, and though every single body remained at attention, he was certain that, if he so much as glanced away, all but one or two would be gone.
"After the Titan attack in Trost, you've all seen first hand the horrors of which they are capable, as well as the limits of your own skill. However, this battle's aftermath gave humanity a new chance for victory. I'm referring, of course, to your fellow cadet, Eren Yaeger. After selflessly risking life and limb, he has proven beyond all doubt his unwavering loyalty to our cause. He is a font of hope. He didn't just help to deter the Titan invasion- he's offered us a means to help us discern the truth of their origin and a way to defeat them once and for all." That got their attention, all those disinterested eyes now opened wide and staring at him intently. Shock, hope, disbelief… all things he would expect. It was possible someone in the back row was scowling at him, cursing Eren's name under their breath, but he wouldn't have been able to see them even if it were midday.
"Intel suggests the cellar of Yaeger's home in Shiganshina holds a vital secret to defeating our enemy. We will form an expedition to find this secret, and use it to break free from the Titan's tyrannical reign once and for all!" He fell silent, allowing them to whisper amongst themselves, over a hundred voices blended together into an excited drone. Just like in the courthouse… "Before we reach this cellar, however, we must first retake Wall Maria."
He gestured off stage, and one of Levi's squad rushed over. She unfurled the print, but the width was more than her short arms could stretch. Mike walked over, taking one corner from her and holding it up at about shoulder height. Petra strained to hold her corner up that high, but the paper was still lopsided. It didn't matter, everyone could see it well enough.
"Now that the gate in Trost has been rendered inaccessible, all future operations will be staged from Calaneth District. Thus the supply route we've spent the past four years establishing has been rendered completely useless." The words were like ash on his tongue, and all the excitement was starting to recede from those hopeful young faces. "In those four years, we've incurred losses in excess of sixty percent. Let me reiterate; sixty percent in Four. Years. And these are the improved odds. Prior to the fall of Wall Maria, we lost almost ninety percent of our host during a single mission." The cadets furthest in the back were already shifting away, as though he would descend upon them and drag them back to the Corps headquarters by force. If they got a single recruit after this, it would be a miracle… but that single recruit would probably be exactly who they were looking for.
"A month from now, we will be launching a reconnaissance mission, and recruits from your rank will be expected to take part. We estimate a third of them will die. After four years, most will be dead. But those that endure will be amongst the most capable soldiers alive. Now, having heard these dismal state of affairs, anyone who still wishes to join our ranks, remain where you are. But first, ask yourself this: can you dedicate your heart, your soul- everything you are- to humanity? …that is all. Those wishing to join other regiments are dismissed."
"Commander," Wallace hissed at him from off stage, "you went to far! None of them are gonna join now!"
Erwin ignored him, keeping his eyes locked onto the crowd, scanning every face he could. None were angry like they sometimes were- perhaps because he'd told them the cold, harsh truth this time. Distaste, irritation… shame. A surprising amount of shame as the cadets began turning and walking back to the gate, slowly at first, only a few. But then more. And more. And yet more still, nearly hundred in total. He knew that, because by the time they'd cleared out, there were only twenty one left. A great deal more than he'd been expecting.
They continued standing at attention, as though they'd been carved of stone, but their legs shook. Their arms shook. Their lips trembled and their noses ran and tears dripped from their eyes, but there they stood.
"…if you were ordered to die, could you do it?"
"We don't want to die, sir!" a young man from the back called out, his voice firm despite the fact that he looked like he was about to vomit. Erwin smiled as he gazed upon these sniveling children. Amongst them was the enemy, he knew that in his mind, but… in his heart, he could not help the pride he felt.
"I should hope not. See to it that you don't… You who stand before me are the future of humanity. You have faced your fear and refused to buckle… each and every one of you has earned my respect. I offer you my most heartfelt salute, Scouts!" He beat his fist against his chest. "Together, we dedicate our hearts!" Twenty one fists beat against twenty one hearts in response, twenty one voices calling out as one.
"Sir! Yes, sir!"
As he sent Dieter and Wallace to gather up the recruits, Mike shook his head disbelievingly at him.
"How the fuck did you manage that, you wizard? Twenty one recruits? After that speech? Are you kidding me?"
"I told you. I told you it's not normal!" Hange adopted a mocking tone. " 'Oh, Erwin's good at rabble rousing.' 'You weren't there for his first speech'. Bull. Shit." They turned on Erwin himself, their gaze almost frightening in its intensity. "What dark lord did you sell your soul to to get that silver tongue? …and is it in the market for another soul? …preferably Moblit's."
"I didn't say or do anything special," he told them plainly. "I didn't convince anyone. Those cadets aren't joining us because of me; each and every one of them has their own reasons." The only question was, which of those reasons was deeply personal, and which ones wanted to stop them from getting to that cellar?
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The main host had ridden to Calaneth the day before, Hange's section two days prior to set up the wagons. Capture canons, artillery shells- even rifles, just in case. They had to assume it would be the Armored Titan coming after them, not the Colossal; it was too big, and according to the cadets present when it appeared in Trost, it moved laboriously slow. Still, this felt like the longest of reaches, even to Erwin…
"You're sure it's gonna be coming after Eren?"
"There is nothing in this world a person can be completely sure of- not even that the sun will rise in the morning."
"Spare us the philosophy lesson," Levi groused. "You think it's gonna be coming after Eren?" Erwin handed his section commanders and lieutenant each one of the papers he'd been reading.
"The Armored Titan appeared close to an hour after the outer gate had been breached. I've walked just about the length of Shiganshina a few times with a crippled woman in tow, and it took us about forty five minutesat a comfortable pace. But we were adults walking along a mostly deserted riverbank. A child's legs are shorter, there were crowds of panicking civilians- that accounts for the greater gap in time. Trost is about the same size. A physically fit teenager, a trained soldier with ODM gear? Half an hour is generous. The Armored Titan never appeared. What would have stopped it this time? Garrison soldiers? Canons? Civilians? Other Titans? None of that stopped it in Shiganshina." Hange pushed their glasses up to rub their eyes, exacerbating the dark circles under them.
"So you think the reason it didn't rush the inner gate this time is because of Eren."
"What other reason could there be?"
"We sure these are all the kids who first saw Eren emerge from his Titan?" Horace asked, and Erwin nodded.
"Each of them confirmed that the other five were there."
"Braun, Hoover, Kirstein, Arlert, Ackerman…" Cecile frowned. "Huh. Annie Leonhart's the only one who didn't join the Scouts. Guess it's not her. Unless she's the Armored Titan and she just decided she doesn't wanna do this shit anymore."
"That'd be rich," Mike scoffed. "They say the Armored looks like Commandant Stark. Imagine a little wisp of a girl turning into that."
"I can imagine it, and it's terrifying," Erwin told him plainly. "Titans have no sex; the Colossal could be Mikasa Ackerman for all we know. Don't let your guard down- until we return to Calaneth in five days, we operate under the assumption that one of these children is the Armored Titan."
"…and you think Hange's piddly little arrows are gonna stop that thing?" Levi drawled, his dull voice contrasted by the sharp focus in his eyes. "The ugly bastard shrugged off canon fire."
"Wildly inaccurate canon fire mostly aimed at its torso, and probably not hitting the far side of a barn," Hange explained, the sweetness in their voice barely hiding the smug undertone. "According to the Garrison soldiers that were there at the time, the Armored first appeared from behind a row of houses about thirty meters from the inner gate. It walked for approximately ten meters, then broke into a sprint and crashed through the gate as it was closing. Let me repeat that in case it wasn't clear- it hit that two hundred and fifty kilo gate as it was falling. That's how fast it was. Nothing harder than stone is going to be moving that fast. Parts of its body- namely its legs- can't be as hard as the rest of it, otherwise it couldn't move. And that's what we're going to be aiming at."
"Sprinting means its moving its arms. We'll be aiming at those too. We don't need it completely immobile, Levi," Erwin explained. "Just slowed enough for you and Mike to pull out whoever's inside." The shorter man frowned deeply.
"And if it charges through our ranks like it charged through that gate?"
"Better that a few of us die out there than all of humanity in here..."
It was clear today. The sun was shining full force, nary a cloud to conceal its warmth. The Titans would be especially energetic, but the ground was dry and firm, and until they reached the forest, there would be more than enough space to circumvent most of the Titans they encountered. The people had come out in droves to see them off, the Bell of Freedom's deep, sonorous tone echoing from outer wall to inner. Erwin wondered how many of these people were waving to their family members, sons or daughters, sisters, brothers…
Last year, Thomasin told him about a dozen of his Scouts hailed from Calaneth. He'd picked up twelve more from the eastern Training Corps, but he couldn't remember how many, if any, were natives of the district. Maybe this batch came from Stohess, or Holst, or some little hamlet in between. He was no longer free to scan the streets as he could in Shiganshina- the commander had to look straight ahead, always. He still snuck glances here and there. That was stupid, of course. It was nine in the morning on a Thursday- Thomasin was at work. She couldn't take off in the middle of her shift. And even if she could, even if she was willing to treat a military position as frivolously as her old job at Reed's Apothecary, she wouldn't.
Don't talk to me about Titans…
"Thirty seconds until the gates rise!"
The reins felt unusually heavy in his hands, and he pushed every thought save for the mission from his mind. Later. There would be time to think later, after they'd captured the Armored- or at least, the person inside it. They might then give up the identity of the Colossal… or they might not. But it would be one less Titan to talk about.
"ADVANCE!"
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A/N- Begone, PLOT! No, I kid- I actually enjoy the plot… to an extent. Anyway, the expedition! Can't lie- I 100% unironically buy "Erwin is an autistic savant who magically predicts the outcomes of the Survey Corps' expeditions and is *somehow* always right" easier than I buy "This guy just so happened to correctly guess that there was another, non Armored or Colossal Titan who would just so happen to be coming after Eren." Even if you assume more intelligent Titans exist, why wouldn't you assume they're all Armored or Colossal? This is the shit that bothers me, when the smart characters' actions fall apart the second you apply the most basic logic to them. But that's what fanfics are for- they're like kintsugi for stories instead of pottery.