1st POV
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"There are two types of cerebrospinal fluid. The one extracted from pure titans and the other from shifters, you follow me so far?"
"We're the same person."
"Just fucking say yes!"
A tired sigh was heard, "Yes."
"Okay so, when eldians come in contact with the first one, it triggers an immediate transformation. However, if wrongly injected, as we've seen
with Rod's case, it'll end up as a disrespect to nature."
"What are you getting at?"
"Wait for it. The thing is, I noticed that the second option is drastically different from the first since it can be ingested and will lay dormant until it's triggered, why? Because it comes from a shifter. Someone who can casually cross the barriers between titans and humans wouldn't have the same spinal fluid as pure titans, so the transformation process won't be the same! What do you think?"
"It's wack as shit."
"Say that again?!"
"Just think about it, the second method only works thanks to Sieg-"
"Zeke."
"-since he's, like what, unique?"
"...
Huh."
"Yeah, royal blood, remember ?"
"I guess... I forgot about that detail. So that means that the other shifters' spinal fluids are similar to the pure titans'? And only Zeke-"
"Sieg."
"-can change people on command? Well damn. Way to ruin my theory then."
"Hey, don't feel so down. Just so you know, it did make sense until I remembered what Pieck said in the last season."
"Oh! Indeed, they had no idea why he had such an effective ability. I see I see, makes sense why they didn't just use shifters' spinal fluids from the get-go to recreate such results. I mean, taking over a whole ass country in one night? Dayum. It's terrifying. Useful but truly terrifying."
"Sure... so how did it go with Ymir?"
"Oh, she gave me the green light. Just need to inform the original."
"...Then what are you waiting for?"
"...I know jack-shit about medicine, Wooro."
"...
You've gotta be kidding me."
Although the situation was a bit chaotic at the moment we were getting ready to go to Ehrmich district. A district I'd never been to actually, though knowing how Sina's districts usually looked-pristine- must've been filled with stuck-up folks so my interest in it was non-existent. Upon learning that Wall Rose had been breached, everyone immediately thought of Bertholdt and Reiner, and although I wanted to point out that it wasn't them this time, I left it for later and instead sought out Erwin to inform him of my plan.
Sad that I was about to ruin a major plot point with my stunt, but the blond kinda grew on me and knowing how relentless the timeline was without my direct involvement, I'd rather him be whole.
I found him surrounded by superiors as well as Nile who froze at my appearance. I promptly saluted, ignoring the wary looks sent my way, and spoke politely like the cadet I was, requesting his presence all for the sake of decorum. Being taller than most of them must've intimidated quite a few since no one told me to outright get the fuck out, given the serious situation they were in. Upon seeing the serious look in my eyes, Erwin excused himself and followed me to a secluded area where no one could eavesdrop on our conversation, something I made sure of.
I was about to speak when I saw the slightest bit of hesitation in his eyes. It seemed as if he wanted to tell me something but thought against it. I tilted my head to the side, then shrugged.
'Must not be that important.' I supposed.
Heh, how wrong was I at the time.
After roughly explaining what I had in mind, the blond, as expected was utterly baffled given the ambitious plan I just revealed to him.
Erwin held his chin in disbelief before regarding me in a new light, "Are you sure about this?" I nodded.
"No need to worry, I intend to inform a few of this development, after all, I'll need their help if I want this to work." he shook his head, regarding me with concern.
"I was referring to your health. The last expedition seemed to have truly taken a toll on you. Are you sure you will be fine carrying out this operation?"
I blinked, honestly flattered by his concern when I expected enthusiasm instead. The reason for my exhaustion was partly due to the creation of the necklaces that I had to give to each soldier with precise functioning depending on the person. It did take a great chunk of my energy considering the number of scouts, so yeah, a draining process even for someone like me, though I guess if I had embraced my status from the get-go, none of this would've been a problem.
Spending an entire year going apeshit with my newfound powers while not taking anything seriously, and an additional two years playing house until I realized that this world was likely doomed if I didn't involve myself seriously was enough of a wake-up call to get my shit together. Fortunately, three years and the ability to clone myself were all it took to fill in the gap of my negligence toward certain matters. But I digress.
I revealed as such-minus my status- and assured him that everything would be fine. This seemed to placate the blond whose eyes softened, a sight that had my inner fangirl go wild.
I brought out the vial in an attempt to go back on track, causing his gaze to immediately lock on it. "I have this feeling that the wall hasn't been breached and that something else is brewing. Something much more dangerous."
He took in my words with a sharp intake of breath before closing his eyes as he processed them. I waited patiently for him to gather his thoughts. "And what is this?"
I hummed, a smile gradually curling my lips upward as I idly fiddled with the vial. My eyes lit up, "Oh this? This is the answer to two millennia of prejudice."
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"Where have you been? We've been looking for you." Mikasa asked as soon as she saw me. The boys looked at me curiously.
"My bad, I had a few stuff to do. Thankfully, I'm done," she narrowed her eyes.
"You're blushing." she stated, causing the boys to squint at me, "What happened." that was more a demand than a question at this point.
"Nothing." Obviously, no one believed me. I smiled, hopped onto the cart, and settled right next to a skeptical Armin while ignoring their insistent gazes.
There's no way in hell I was telling them that I was in the Commander's embrace five minutes ago.
Nope.
But damn, wasn't expecting this.
Soon after, we were joined by Hanji, Levi, and would you look at that, pastor Nick!
There was an uneasy silence as we took off, and, well, seeing that no one was about to speak considering that they were still unnerved by the news of a breach, I decided to break the silence.
"So, I know you said he knew about the titans in the walls and all, but that doesn't explain his presence here?" My question startled the kids who immediately stared at the sweating man with various reactions.
"What?! He knew?" Mikasa was quick to pull Eren back down lest he falls off while Armin held a disbelieving look on his face.
"Yes, in fact, he kept it a secret until now so everything suggests that the wallists knew about it but didn't see fit to inform anyone of it." Hanji clarified, "We could've asked another believer but he willingly chose to come with us since the situation changed. In other words, he wants to see if he can stay true to his principle even after seeing how things truly are." This didn't sit right with the kids who immediately demanded answers from the priest who remained silent. I decided to butt in.
"What are you so afraid to divulge?" everyone turned to me. The man froze at my voice, refusing to look at me. I smiled. "You know, Nick, I would have been really upset if I didn't understand your commitment. As a fellow believer who still believes in the existence of greater power, I understand the fear of sinning more than anyone here. But make no mistake, we don't need you here at all."
Hanji and the kids blinked, "We don't?"
"We don't." I confirmed, noting how Levi seemed to realize what I was implying, after all, he knew what I did before joining. The priest had frozen upon processing this but adamantly remained quiet. "Still silent? Damn, I see. I mean sure, must be tough knowing who your true leaders are while keeping a facade." The man faltered and that was all the others needed to get the memo. Their jaw dropped, eyes flaring with comprehension.
"True leaders?! You mean-"
"Shhh keep it down, we don't know who might be listening!" their jaw shut with audible clicks as they started furtively looking around, "As long as you understand, that's all that matters!" I turned to the defeated man, "I'll let you decide if you want to inform them yourself once your self-imposed task is finished. Either way, they'll know." I finished ominously which caused him to shudder.
"Why don't you just tell us since you already know?"
"Oh I will, no worries on that part. I just want to see if this guy's truly a righteous man and will spill the beans once he sees what their silence caused."
"Tch, you're lucky we don't have as many casualties as before," Levi stated, jamming a pistol on the guy, "I wouldn't have hesitated to blow a hole through that shit mug you call a face." Nick gulped, which made me snicker before leaning back to scan our surroundings for a bit. I felt a cluster of aura closing in on Stohess just as we left.
Huh.
They are soooo unlucky.
Oh well.
"So anyway, that thing in your hand, is it mine?" Hanji perked up.
"Yes actually! No matter how much analysis I did I didn't know what to do with it until today." she showed us a shard of hardened skin I had given her last month, "And after today's events, it gave me an idea. I compared it to a fragment of the wall and found out that the two had nothing in common!"
I jerked in surprise, startled by her words, "Huh?" I blinked, not expecting this. At all, "They don't?" my heart skipped numerous beats. Oh nonononononoshitshitshitshit-
"Nope! So I compared it to the one Eren's titan body shed the first time instead and bingo! They match perfectly! Although I still have no idea what makes yours different than Eren's! Must have something to do with..."
'Sweet Mary mother of Jesus-'
"Ya Allah, you scared the shit out of me for a second," I mumbled, sighing in relief which drew everyone's attention as I clutched my racing heart. Hanji stopped her ramblings to stare at me in confusion.
"How so?" I shook my head.
"Doesn't matter. So, that explains the presence of colossal titans in your walls then." I deflected, causing the scientist to nod nonetheless, though she eyed me strangely. She was about to add something when Armin perked up suddenly, realization adorning his face.
"But I thought only shifters could use the hardening! How and more precisely why would pure titans choose to protect us against themselves? This doesn't make any sense!" the blond said.
"It makes sense if someone controls them, Min." their eyes widened after processing my words as they all looked at me before glancing at each other upon realizing that someone before me could control titans.
'Oh yeah, it's all coming together.' Cue the evil laugh-in my head. I ain't crazy.
"So...to put it simply, someone with the power to control titans built these walls by using said fucking titans to protect us from titans? Why not just eradicate them from the get-go? Why go to such lengths just to end up with this kind of crap?" Levi spat, "What kind of moronic thought process is that? Thousands of people died for fuck's sake and someone had the power to prevent this eons ago?" from the corner of my eye I saw Nick's jaw clench in outrage, something I'm pretty sure everyone noticed.
"Well, these are questions only the crown currently holds answers to since they're the ones in charge here. In my humble opinion as an outsider, your leaders suck ass." pastor Nick glared, about to speak before stopping himself, likely realizing that I did it on purpose. Hm, clever bastard. "Bah! Not that this isn't important but let's get back on track. I was with Erwin earlier. I assume he informed you of the plan, right?"
Levi scowled while Hanji nodded with a troubled yet excited expression. My beans looked at me in askance, wondering what that was about.
"What plan?" Eren prompted.
I looked at him, pressing my lips in a thin line. "You will be informed since it will heavily depend on your contribution." my stomach churned a little, dreading what I was about to reveal but I knew it had to be done at some point "But before that, there's something you guys need to know about us."
"Us?" I nodded, bringing a hand to my chest.
"You must've always wondered how you got this power, right? To be able to transform into a titan at will, it didn't just happen like that. Every power has an origin, they don't just appear overnight." I began, seeing how the priest was shifting uncomfortably as I spoke. Good.
"Are you sure it's safe to tell them with Nick here? Won't he report you? Not that I'm against them knowing the truth, but is there a reason?" Hanji butted in.
"The truth?" Armin parroted with a slight frown. I motioned for him to wait.
"Didn't I tell you that when I find a solution, they would know?" my beans exchanged bewildered looks, not comprehending what I was implying while Levi and Hanji's eyes widened in disbelief.
"Don't tell me that-"
I held a finger to my lips, signaling for him to be quiet. Levi's eyes narrowed slightly before he grudgingly complied with a huff, a reaction that caused Hanji to rub her eyes in astonishment.
"Holy shit, Erwin was right..." she muttered.
"Ha?"
"Nothing!"
"As for Nick, if he really claims to be a man of faith and knows what's right, he won't say a thing." I eyed the man who gulped before turning to my kids, mostly Eren, and waited for their reaction.
A contemplative look came across Armin's face while Mikasa blinked in confusion, trying to figure out what I was building towards. As for Eren, his eyes widened in realization "Y-you know why we're shifters...? We weren't born like that?" I shook my head.
"Nope, if that were the case, any random bozo could potentially be one. No, you became one at one point in your life and I'm sure this guy here knows the procedure too," Nick averted his gaze, eliciting a 'Tch' from Levi and a scowl from my kids. Hanji looked on the verge of punching him. Nonetheless, I continued, "It actually has a direct connection to pure titans." They froze.
"What...?"
"I'll get to it."
All right, here goes nothing.
My gaze turned serious, signaling for them to pay attention. "The reason why they only target humans and not animals is simply that they think every human is a potential shifter." Armin's eyes bugged out.
"So that means-"
"Yes, Armin," I nodded solemnly, cringing a bit. Alright, time to rip the band-aid, "to become a shifter, one must first become a pure titan, then devour a previous shifter, hence why they keep targeting you even when you're transformed. We are their only way back to being human." Their faces had morphed in horror, though I still went on, "In other words, titans were former humans." cat's out of the bag. Let's see how they ta- oh that's bad, Eren seems to have frozen.
Oh dear.
It seems like he was struggling to come to terms with what he just heard.
A silence only broken by the continuous sounds of wheels and hooves took place as we advanced through the night. I didn't know what to say to break the silence. The kids weren't responding, then again, this must be groundbreaking news for them as it was for Hanji and Levi back then. Even Moblit almost went off track by whipping his head toward us, taken aback by the news, though he surprised me with his professionalism as he stayed focused on the road. A true soldier this guy. Pastor Nick had at this point closed his eyes in defeat upon realizing that I knew too much but couldn't do anything to prevent me from divulging their secrets.
"I... I think deep down, I always knew," My jaw dropped upon registering Eren's voice. Not Armin, EREN!
Even the two Ackerman were caught off guard as they stared at the impulsive boy.
He gritted his teeth, fists clenched, "I...I had considered it after discovering what I was but...but I didnt want to believe it..." he started trembling, a myriad of emotions ranging from anger, sorrow, disbelief, and pain, flashed through his eyes. Mikasa was quick to clasp his hand as I reached to rub his back in support. Armin doing the same as we huddled around him in a protective barrier. This worked wonders since his shoulders gradually lost the tension in them as he leaned on us, something he wouldn't have done five years ago.
The rest of the journey was done in silence to give the kids time to process the news. I felt bad but they should know it now and in a controlled way than learning it brutally as in the anime, considering what I was planning to do. Although I'm greatly surprised that Eren didn't react strongly about it. I was...kinda proud, in a way, that he managed to think clearly instead of being overwhelmed by his emotions.
My heart warmed knowing that I was able to soothe some of that continuous anger this boy seems to have been born with even though it's still there.
Upon arriving, Hanji gathered those that would partake in the next operation namely her squad, Levi squad Jean who had been with them during the trip.
Levi escorted the priest while I excused myself, heading to the nearest kitchens under their stunned gaze to do something that will certainly be helpful, knowing that this would be my only opportunity to do so. When I returned, Hanji was almost finished with the explanations and most of them were utterly baffled.
"A-are you serious? Are those really the commander's orders?!"
"Yup!" I confirmed cheerily, startling everyone. They all turned to me in surprise.
"What's that?" Eld pointed at the bag in my hand.
"Snacks," I shook it with a grin then shoved a meatbun in Eren's mouth who reflexively bit into the thing before humming pleasantly upon registering the taste.
I ignored the goosebumps and the tingling sensation I felt immediately after and proceeded to hand some to the others, relishing their compliments.
I love how nobody remotely acknowledges or questions how fast I cook. Granted that I mostly spawn ingredients or already cooked stuff when I'm in a hurry. Just like right now.
Anyhow, "I hope you guys don't mind this operation will mostly revolve around us." I said, pulling the boy in a side hug.
"Tch, still can't believe the Commander allows so much leeway to rookies of all things," Oluo, the eternal complainer, well, complained after literally gobbling my food. The audacity.
"Ah yes, rookies who can, you know, shift. But please, lead the way, we shall completely entrust our future to the great Bootleg! He shall be our salvation!" I said dramatically, causing him to scowl in indignation before harrumphing.
"While this is entertaining, we need to focus." Hanji clapped her hands to get our attention. "From here on out is titan territory. However, it won't be necessary to eliminate them." she said, startling a few. A solemn look came across my beans' faces as soon as they heard this which caused Jean to look at them weirdly, "If we come across any titan on the road, under no circumstances should you attack it."
"Hah?! What kind of order is tha-" Oluo yelped, courtesy of Petra stepping on his foot. Though she held the same disbelieving look as the others.
Gunther cleared his throat. "Not to be rude, Hanji, but our job is to precisely kill titans. So what's with that order?" the woman leveled him with a grave stare.
"Commander's orders." was her short reply which left no room for argument. They all tensed at her commanding voice and straightened their posture. It's easy to forget that she's actually our superior with her zealous attitude. No wonder Erwin choose her as a successor, even I nearly stiffened.
"In other words, leave them to me." I shot them a confident smile, "There's an off chance that this isn't the work of the Colossal Titan." They all regarded me with nonplussed looks. "Even though we know their identity, I have the sneaking feeling that this isn't their doing this time."
"What? What makes you think that?" Jean asked in disbelief but there was no need for me to reply since Armin seemed to perk up.
"It's because we have yet to hear anything about a destroyed gate!" he exclaimed, causing a few soldiers to glance our way. He shrank on himself a bit before carrying on after a reassuring pat on the back from Mikasa, "Bertholdt-" he grimaced, "only seemed to specifically target the gates, shallower parts of the walls and therefore easier to break through. With the knowledge of the walls' titans," some of them shuddered, "we can assume that he'll have to travel to a district if he wants to create a new breach!"
"So what you're saying is that there's a chance that Wall Rose has not fallen?" Eld asked with a hand holding his chin. Armin shook his head.
"It's just a guess. Since we still lack data on the situation, I-I think it's best to further investigate the matter. Maybe the titans got inside another way." he offered.
"Maybe they came down, raining from the sky or dug underneath?" Gunther supposed, scratching his head, truthfully overwhelmed by the situation.
'If only you knew how true-and terrifying- this statement could've been.' I sweat dropped, watching them exchange theories.
"Regardless, our main objective is to locate and fill the hole in wall Rose." Hanji turned to Eren and me, "Since the likelihood to find a new boulder is slim to none-"
"One of us will use the hardening to fill the hole, that I understand." I continued, "Still, that's if there's a hole, to begin with. If not, I fear that another entity is responsible for all this fuss which will force us to rethink our strategy." I said, "Then again, that's just an assumption of mine. If only we had someone that could confirm their whereabouts before the alert..." a sigh left my lips.
"Pah! Who cares about that? We just have to check it out then!" Bootleg huffed, fed up, "What are we even waiting for?" in response, Hanji turned around, having noticed Nick and Levi's approach. We all turned to the newcomers.
"Have you changed your mind?" she prompted.
The poor man seemed on the verge of a nervous breakdown. Our eyes met for a second before he averted his gaze. To my surprise, however, he started talking.
"...As the ages passed, we created for ourselves a firm covenant. Entrusting the secret of the walls to a single bloodline. We cannot speak, however, I can tell you the name of the one who can."
"So you'll shove the responsibility on someone else? Just to protect your church and yourselves?"
"Yes." he closed his eyes in defeat, "That person joined the scout regiment as of this year. Her name is Christa Lenz."
My beans and Jean's eyes widened drastically to the point that they didn't notice Sasha's arrival.
"Her..?"
"Who?" Petra inquired, blinking in confusion. Jean was nice enough to enlighten those unfamiliar with her. I saw Ilse's eyes widen upon him mentioning 'Ymir'.
"Wait, did you say 'Ymir'..?"
"You must find her at once. Only she may know the truths which even we cannot perceive. Though whether to speak those truths would be up to her. This is the most I can concede." he jerked in surprise when I slapped his back suddenly.
"You see when you want? It wasn't so hard now was it?" I laughed heartily, swiftly lifting the bag out of Sasha's reach.
"Sasha? What are you doing here?!" Jean exclaimed in surprise which effectively made the girl snap out of her food trance. She blinked before quickly wiping the drool off her mouth, eliciting a disgusted sneer from Levi.
"Ah! 104th cadet corps! Sasha Braus!" She saluted, "This is for you, Section Commander! Upon my arrival, I gave my report to the Commander! Afterwards, I was entrusted to deliver this message to the Section Commander!" she proceeded to dramatically present the paper to Hanji who thanked her with an unsure nod.
I frowned. Why is she here? They already know about Bertholdt and Reiner, which had been the sole reason why she came in the first place.
'Evidences..? I see, makes sense. Not that we' ll need it right away.'
I blinked back into focus when the girl sharply turned to me for obvious reason. Rolling my eyes fondly, I tossed her a bun. She shed tears of joy at the first bite, profusely thanking me before obviously asking for more, something I obliged easily.
"Ah! 104th you say?" Hanji gasped, "Were cadet Hoover and Braun present when titans were first sighted?" she asked suddenly. Everyone awaited our local glutton's response with bated breaths. Sasha scrunched up her nose cutely, probably wondering what was going on.
She swiftly swallowed before responding, "Huh...yeah? They were with us the whole time, why?" everyone turned to me in shock.
"Well crap basket, I was just kidding tho..." I said, laughing nervously.
"it's not them...?" Eren said incredulously which caused Sasha to peer at him, puzzled.
"Huh?"
"if it's not them...then who?" Jean's voice quivered as he brought a hand to his head in distress, "don't tell me there's another colossal..."
"What? 'Another colossal'? What are you guys talking about?"
Sasha was truthfully lost.
Before she could inquire more, Hanji spoke, "Let's just go," She shot Nick a look, "Thank you for your cooperation. We'll do everything we can to find her. Chances are she's in the middle of the battlefield. Levi make sure nothing happens to him." The Ackerman simply nodded in response. She then turned to us, "This changes a lot of things but we will still proceed as planned. Get moving."
It is with an utterly bewildered Sasha trailing us that we hurried to equip ourselves, minus me for obvious reasons, and that's when I suddenly remembered something, "Oh! How could I forget!" and proceeded to slap my forehead for my inattention.
"What's wrong?" Mikasa inquired as she fastened her gear. I waved a hand.
"i'll be back, gotta do something!" I didn't give them time to react as I quickly jogged back toward Levi and Nick who turned to me warily.
"What is it?" Levi asked upon noticing me. I simply pulled something out of my pocket then tossed it to the priest. The man's eyes widened as he looked back and forth between the item and me.
"You're giving him one?" the Ackerman quirked an eyebrow, eying the object.
"Yeah," I nodded, "This is a thank you for your troubles. I suggest you wear it until we meet again." I grinned, enclosing his shaky fingers around the necklace.
"I cannot-" he tried to decline but Levi interrupted him with a glare.
"Just take it, you shithead."
And that's all it took for the priest to hurriedly put the 'gift' around his neck while muttering a low "Thank you..."
Satisfied, I handed a bun to Levi, ensuring it was in a tissue beforehand since, Levi, then stared at Nick for a solid second who shifted uncomfortably under my stare. He might not eat it but Meh, still gave him one because why not? I was about to walk away but halted upon hearing the priest's voice.
"I...do not know how and why you seem so well informed, but," he paused, taking a deep breath before regarding me with solemness, "it is in my duty to inform you that you should tread very carefully with your actions..."
I blinked, shared a look with Levi before letting out a baffled snort.
'What a surprise, he thinks I'm in danger,'
I slapped his shoulder amicably, startling him, "Listen buddy, do you truly think that I'm afraid of what a bunch of stuck-up assholes think of me? Do I look scared to you?"
The man quivered under my dead-eyed stare, seeing no fear nor hesitation whatsoever until my lips turned into a pleasant smile, "But thanks! I got this!" I said, promptly ignoring his appalled look and his attempts to further warn me as I turned to Levi who witnessed the whole ordeal with a raised brow. "What?" he shook his head.
"Just go." he said, before adding, "You better come back in one piece, got it?"
My smile widened immediately "You won't say that to Eren too?"
"Tch, just get going, brat!" He scowled, clicking his tongue.
Heh.
"Sure thing, Captain. See ya! " The man huffed as I saluted for pretense' sake before swiftly rejoining the others who were done by now and waiting for me.
"You gave him a necklace?" Hanji remarked, having witnessed the scene.
"Yeah. They may come after him since he was seen with us. Who knows what they'll do to him."
"Who's coming after who?" Sasha butted in, riding next to us. Since she was there, we decided to let her tag along even though the poor girl was unaware of the plan considering that she might inadvertently ruin it. She was an awful actor, even when food's involved. "Can someone explain what's going on?"
"No worries, dear! We're just going on a rescue mission!" I reassured. Her shoulders lost the tension in them a bit, "Besides, could you tell us more about the situation? Did you run into any titans on your way here?" I asked, wanting to confirm something.
To my relief, she declared having not encountered any and even rescued a mother and her daughter in the process, an action that apparently earned her praise from her father.
'Another correct theory. I did well to have one of my clones read the wiki again. Thank you number 5!'
"We're not going to the gates?" she asked.
"Nope!" was all I offered as a reply. She made a confused noise but I decided not to elaborate. We shortly arrived at the foot of the wall and left our mounts in the hands of backups we will hopefully not need if everything goes as planned.
"So who's gonna carry me up there?" I said idly, looking up as I dismounted Plume. This mare was truly loyal. She absolutely loathed being ridden by anyone other than me.
'May Allah bless me with such a man.'
Speaking of the male species, they all raised their hands immediately. Amused, I watched as some of them shrank under my beans' glares before shaking my head helplessly at their behavior.
In the end, Mikasa was the one who carried me.
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3rd POV
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"OFF ALL THE PLACES, WHY DID IT HAVE TO BE HERE?! HOW ARE WE SUPPOSED TO FIGHT WITHOUT GEARS?!"
"I-I'm sure we'll find a s-solution, Connie! Please calm down!"
"CALM DOWN?! YOU SEE THAT SHIT, MARCO? TITANS. IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT. HOW IS THAT A THING?"
"Jeez! Keep it down you midget! So what if they're moving? We still don't know shit about their behaviors! Christa are you alright? Don't worry I'll protect you!"
"I-"
"Uh guys, what's up with that 12 meters over there...? It's been standing there without moving at all. Is...is it waiting for something...?"
"WE'RE LITERALLY SURROUNDED BY TITANS AND ALL YOU CARE ABOUT IS A STUPID GIANT STANDING GUARD?!" Connie somehow managed to yank Bertholdt's collar who yelped, "AM I THE ONLY ONE FEARING FOR MY LIFE?!"
"Connie-"
"SHUT UP! AND THAT THING EARLIER, WHAT THE HELL WAS-"
The tower shook as a titan ran into it in an attempt to make it collapse, an act that made everyone scream in fear and grab anything to keep their balance. Nanaba being the higher ranked soldier present decided to engage the titans that got too close. Meanwhile, the recruits could only watch them helplessly as they fought. That is until they were told that titans had managed to get inside.
"...I don't understand," Thomas voiced, an anxious frown on his face. "it's like they were specifically waiting to ambush us. This isn't a normal behavior from titans of all things."
"What makes sense these days? Wasn't the last expedition enough proof to you?" Ymir drawled, jogging down the stairs, "I still can't wrap my head around what the fuck I witnessed."
"You talk as if you're the only one who saw it!" Connie snarked.
"Damn, who the hell hurt you?"
"Well, I'm sorry if I'm scared for my life, I'm not a shifter that could transform and get us out of here anytime!" He snapped, missing the way Reiner and Bertholdt winced, "Besides, I'm sure this creepy creature we saw earlier was one! I just know it!"
His statement brought a gasp out of Mina who stopped in her tracks, "Colith said that any titans with a strange physical particularity was likely to be a human controling a titan! I remember!" she said suddenly, causing her peers to halt as well and consider her words.
"Now that you say it, he sure looked strange. Like some sort of beast... Could he be the cause of all this havoc?" Marco supposed.
"Titans have been acting strange for some time now. I wouldn't put it past me if that's the case again." Ymir rolled her eyes before slapping Connie's back who squawked, "Never expected you of all people to point it out. Looks like stressful situations make you smart. Though I wouldn't be surprised if this monkey was indeed a shifter."
"What the fuck is a monkey-"
"Enough chit-chat guys!" Reiner interrupted, "Titans could already be inside as we speak! We'll talk about it once we know we're safe!" this effectively made everyone snap back to reality.
"Right. You're right, let's focus." Thomas apologized then glanced at the door. "But who's gonna check first..?"
"Leave that to me! You guys gather up everything you can. I'll see how far the titans have come!"
"Reiner-" he was already running down, leaving the others behind.
"I want no part in that." Ymir said, clicking her tongue as she watched a distressed Bertholdt dash after his friend with a pitchfork he found on the way.
"I think I saw a cannon earlier, it might be useful, let's check!" Christa exclaimed, running back upstairs which caused the rest to follow suit. Just as they were investigating it in hope of using it, they heard screams and immediately reacted by doing the only thing available: push it.
This idea turned out to be a good one as the cannon crashed right into the titan, saving Reiner and Bertholdt's life in the process. However, another titan appeared right after and was about to grab Marco but Reiner intervened right on time, and pushed him out of the way, though he got bitten. A defenestrated titan later, everyone made sure to block the door with any item they found.
"let's hope it holds," Connie said, peering at their makeshift barricades "we won't get that lucky if another decides to show up." he fiddled with his knife before clicking his tongue. "One day they don't give a damn about us and even start ignoring us, then the next they try to eat us. This makes no damn sense, right?!"
"Yeah..." Bertholdt said absently. Connie frowned then followed the giant's line of sight.
"Thank you for saving me, Reiner. Here, let me see your arm," Marco said with a hint of urgency in his voice as he inspected the blond's arm. He poured alcohol on the wound, eliciting a grunt of pain from Reiner. "Does anyone have any fabric to lend me?"
No one had any of course given their circumstances, though that did not prevent Christa from immediately tearing a part of her skirt off before presenting it to a flustered Marco who unsurely grabbed the fabric.
Nobody dared to glance at Ymir afterward.
"What do we do now?" Mina broke the silence, looking at Thomas and Connie who shrugged before glancing at the others.
"W-we should probably check up on our superiors! Hopefully, they're done by now!" Marco suggested as he helped Reiner up. This prompted a few to glance through the window and what greeted them were mostly dissolving carcasses.
"Looks like they're almost done! We might get a chance to get away at this rate!" Mina's eyes lit up in joy. A joy that was mirrored by Marco, Connie, and Thomas.
"Yeah, only two titans left! Though I wonder why the 12 meters is so far away. Is it afraid or something?"
"Who cares at this point? We're almost out of the woods. Let's just hope this ends." Ymir said, sliding an arm around Christa who sighed in resignation, though she flushed.
"One titan left! Man, Gelgar's so cool for a drunkard!" Connie praised.
"don't say that about our superior, Connie!" Marco scolded.
In response, the bald teen rolled his eyes then proceeded to walk away from the window, "So in the end, this weird titan was just there for show, huh-OW! Whydd'you hit me?!" He squawked, glaring at the culprit, Ymir, who returned the glare.
"So you don't jinx us, genius!"
"Jinx?! Don't be stu-"
A deafening crash resounded, causing the recruits to jolt in panic. Before anyone could say anything, however, the tower shook as something impacted it which forced them all to take cover as debris flew around.
Alarmed, they quickly ran to the rooftop only to be met with the bodies of Lynne and Henning lying on the ground and the flummoxed look on both Nanaba and Gelgar's faces. Connie shrank under everyone's stare.
"I should have shut up, right?"
"What happened? What was that? Are they...?" Christa trailed off in horror until Gelgar shook his head in astonishment.
"A boulder came flying down from over the wall. That's what got them but..." everyone immediately caught on.
"Is it normal that I find their survival less shocking than a monkey throwing boulders?" Ymir said then paused suddenly. Her eyes narrowed as she observed the bodies until something clicked. 'You've gotta be kidding me.'
"Monkey?" Gelgar and Nanaba blinked. Connie immediately perked up.
"It's that beast! I saw it head towards it! It was definitely him! Dammit, I knew it was a shifter!" He cursed which caused the two to blink in utter bewilderment. Just as Mina was about to explain, he yelled out. "A GROUP OF TITANS APPROACHING! MORE THAN TWICE THE NUMBER FROM EARLIER!"
"What?!"
"This is absurd. It's almost as if it was some type of strategy...they've been toying with us..!"
"Because that's the case!" They turned to Marco, "There are reasons to believe this was all the work of this beast titan, we think it's actually an enemy shifter!" he said, eying the approaching horde with worry. Nanaba's eyes widened in realization while Gelgar cursed.
"This is bad..." she clenched her jaw. "I should've been more vigilant. Such a lack of judgment is unbecoming of a scout." her eyes found her comrades' bodies. 'An enemy that can command titans, huh? I can't believe we fell for it! I hope Mike's okay...'
"B-but Henning and Lynne are alive, so everything isn't lost!" Christa said, not noticing the way Ymir was trembling beside her.
"Yeah...and just like last time they're unresponsive and their gears are damaged beyond use which doesn't help," Gelgar scowled, sweat rolling down his face, "How is that even possible?"
A sudden laugh erupted, which prompted everyone to glance at Ymir in bewilderment.
"Is she alright..?" Nanaba asked incredulously, watching Christa hovering around her like a fretting housewife while she slid down on all fours, still cackling.
"Ignore her. She must've gotten hit by a rock or something." Connie grouched.
The two soldiers exchanged a bemused look, but choose not to dwell on it since they had more pressing matters to attend to like facing a horde likely controlled by another unknown shifter which in itself was alarming enough.
Looking at the recruits for whom she felt entirely responsible, Nanaba closed her eyes in resignation. She may find everything confusing right now, but hell if she was about to give up. In an attempt to correct their situation, they jumped back into the fray as it was their duty to ensure these kids' safety, even if it meant facing an entire swarm by themselves.
"Are you out of your mind? What the hell is wrong with you?" Reiner remarked, regarding Ymir with caution, a sentiment mostly shared by everyone safe for Christa who looked distraught if nothing else. The freckled woman simply snorted, ignoring the overall tense atmosphere she actively contributed to even if most of it was due to the titans below.
"I mean isn't it absurd?"
"W-what do you mean?" Mina voiced, taking her eyes off the fight to look at her warily. They knew Ymir could be unpredictable but this was new.
She simply jerked her head toward the bodies. "They should be torn to shreds, or mangled beyond recognition but look at them," she waved vaguely, "barely a scratch, if you ignore the busted gears that is..." she trailed off. "Can't believe it took me so long to figure it out."
"...Figure what out?" Marco prompted.
"That no one's gonna die." she said bluntly, looking up, barely reacting when the tower shook again.
There was a beat of silence only perturbed by guttural moans erupting from dying titans. Connie mimicked her position on the ground, back on the wall.
"Holy shit she's right..." he muttered, breathless. "I-How?!" He sputtered.
"You still wearing your necklaces?" this caused everyone to look at their chest, puzzled.
"W-what does that have to do with not dying?" Christa frowned, fingering the black gem that had been mostly forgotten up until now.
Ymir suppressed an eye roll since it was Christa, "It's simple, really," another tremor, "Everything's been weird ever since our mama bear handed them out to everyone." she said, "Chances are they're the reason why no one died or is currently dying." they all eyed the snoozing form of their superiors.
"But Reiner got injured? "Why didn't it work on him then?" Bertholdt prompted, looking highly uncomfortable about the implications of what that meant. Ymir lazily eyed the blond's sling then shrugged.
"No clue, never said I knew how they work, plus I'm just assuming. You can choose to believe me or not, I might be wrong for all I know." she admitted, running a hand through her hair wearily, "regardless, we'll just have to ask her if we get the chance. This situation is shitty enough, entertaining the idea of magical necklaces is more interesting."
"What makes you think it's the necklaces though? They don't look so special, heck," Connie squinted at the thing, "it's just a dumb rock. It could be anything!"
"Then throw it away and jump, be my guest. If your little ass makes it out alive, I might suggest another way out." she deadpans.
Connie glowered.
"We should warn Gelgar and Nanaba about it then!" Christa said, leaning over the railing.
"No need. That'll mostly distract them. Let them do their job." Ymir caught her wrist lest she inadvertently falls. Christa was about to argue when Marco spoke.
"uh guys," he voiced unsurely, catching their attention. "I think there's something wrong."
"What do you-" Mina gasped, seeing what was wrong. The horde had stopped its assault on the tower and was currently looking at something.
"What the hell are they looking at?" Connie said, squinting, "dammit, I can't see shit-wait! Something is coming!" He yelled frantically upon sighting a silhouette six hundred meters in the distance rapidly approaching. Its heavy footsteps now reaching their ears.
"That beast again...?" Mina squeaked, "Is it coming to finish us off...?"
"No, I don't think it's him, he was heading out of wall Rose, and this one is clearly coming from Sina," Marco observed.
"Then what-" Thomas jumped in fright when the two scouts landed next to him, entirely focused on the approaching giant.
"It's fast, and definitely a large titan." Nanaba narrowed her gaze, cursing their luck. "Do you have enough gas, Gelgar?"
"Just enough to kill a few regular titans but not a shifter." he admitted through clenched teeth, "I'm not sure I have enough blades either."
Just as Nanaba was about to respond, she cut herself off upon finally recognizing the titan. There was enough of a moonlit tint to see its features and the only female titan with long hair and a horn was currently their ally. All the tension immediately left her body as she heaved out a relieved sigh. "I don't think it will be necessary anymore." she said, sheathing her swords.
"Holy shit-we're saved, guys!" Connie exclaimed and proceeded to hug Bertholdt who startled, "I've never been this happy to see Colith, even though I'm always happy to see her!" He laughed then froze. "hey...Hold on-"
The joy was short-lived when all the titans bolted toward Colith who was now only 200 meters away and naturally, everyone freaked out.
"Shit-this is bad-THERE ARE TOO MANY!"
However, the most...bizarre thing occurred. Instead of attacking her, all the titans had stopped a few meters from her and were now-
"What the heck..." Thomas breathed, dumbstruck.
"They're bowing?!" Connie cried out.
They watched the surreal scene occur, wondering if it was all a hallucination. Reiner and Bertholdt shared an alarmed look that went unnoticed by mostly everyone. Before long, she had resumed her path toward them, leaving the horde behind and that's when they noticed the humans she had been carrying the moment they scattered to check the perimeter for any danger.
"You guys ok ?" she called, skidding to a stop in front of the tower. She had to slightly look up considering that it was 3 meters taller than her which prevented her from having a good visual of the roof, her horn where Hanji stood next barely reached the top.
"OK?! What the hell was- HOW CAN YOU BE SO CASUAL AFTER THAT?!" Connie pointed toward the horde who seemed to have lost any shred of interest in them and were now sitting around like a group of children.
"OH this? Just some silly trick, don't think about it." she said offhandedly, which was enough to cause cognitive dissonance to them.
"Is everybody alright?" Hanji asked as soon as she landed on the roof. "I hope we made it in time. Where's Mike?" she said, gaze skimming over the place until it landed on the bodies. "Report."
Gelgar saluted, "Henning and Lynne are unresponsive but the only one hurt here is Reiner," he explained, causing the scientist's gaze to linger on the blond a bit.
"We...haven't heard from Mike since yesterday." Nanaba admitted, looking grim, "He stayed behind to buy us some time to get away when the titans suddenly gave chase."
"Deviants?" Gelgar shook his head.
"We think they were all controlled by an enemy shifter," Hanji's eyes widened for a split second at the man's words, "Unfortunately, we realized that too late just after our horses and these two were shot with boulders." she blinked, not expecting this though she maintained her composure.
"I see."
"If I may ask, section commander Hanji, how...do we get down?" Marco voiced, catching her attention.
"What's wrong with the stairs?" she quirked an eyebrow.
The recruits explained what happened with the smaller class and what led to Reiner's injury.
"This is going to be a problem-" a few gasps interrupted her, which prompted them all to glance below. The 12-meter from earlier had approached Colith and was now handing something to her.
"Is-is that squad leader Mike?!" Mina did a double take.
"He was in the titan's mouth all this time?!"
The man was covered in saliva from head to boots but all in all seemed alive and well, just in the same state as Henning and Lynne that is to say unresponsive. Colith gently grabbed him and then patted the titan whose smile widened at the gesture. It walked off, ignoring the dumbfounded scouts to regroup with its kind.
She paused, finding the silence strange then looked up to meet a gaping audience staring into her soul.
"What?"
"I'm not even gonna ask." Ymir managed.
When the topic of transportation came forth considering that there were no horses, the recruits released startled screams when giant strands of hair curled around them and effortlessly lifted them off of the tower. The unconscious scouts received the same treatment.
.
.
.
"Don't you-ever do that again...!" Connie breathed, legs trembling from the lack of soil beneath him.
Colith emitted a chuckle that rang deeply-mostly due to her current size-at the complaint but nodded nonetheless. She gently deposited the frazzled recruits on the wall upon ascending it, meanwhile, the two squads were currently surveying the area in hope of spotting anything beast-like. Unfortunately, there was nothing to note from the neverending field except a few soporous titans as far as the eye could see, mostly due to the night.
"No promises." Her lips curled up at the various noises of protests her words caused before slumping as steam erupted from her nape, an indication that she was getting out.
"You're leaving your titan?" Ymir, the first to regain her bearings just as Colith graciously landed on the ground, remarked.
"Yup, we're just waiting for Trost's troops to confirm the presence of a breach in order to go close it. I'd rather be out while we wait for them which," she glanced at the moon in the sky with a squint, titan markings visible on her face, "will be for another few hours so yeah." She shrugged.
Ymir hummed, understanding, "Fair enough."
"So we'll just wait here? What about that beast?" Jean, Sasha and the Shiganshina trio perked up. "Shouldn't we go after him? It's this bastard's fault if we're in this situation, to begin with!" Connie scowled, eliciting a few nods of agreement from his friends.
"A beast?" Eren blinked, puzzled.
"More like a monkey," Ymir grunted, confusing the five scouts, "and an ugly one at that. Was the one controlling those titans apparently. The midget's-" Connie bristled, "-got a point though. Stopping him should be a priority."
"Well, this was mostly a rescue mission so we didn't account for such a thing," Armin admitted sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head.
"I can always go after him," Colith offered, scratching her chin. "How long has it been since you saw him? He shouldn't be that far aw—"
"NO!"
Everyone turned to Bertholdt in alarm. Even Reiner.
He sputtered, sweating profusely, eyes darting around "I-I mean—Y-you shouldn't! We have no idea what he's truly capable of, so, hum...maybe you should be cautious..." he trailed off lamely.
"Ha?! I'm pretty sure Colith can easily kick his ass if you ask me!" Connie scoffed, unimpressed. Bertholdt shrank a bit.
"Nah, Bert is right," Colith spoke, surprising them. She approached the giant and gave him a side hug. "He must be worried that I might end up kidnapped or some shit," She laughed, feeling the way he tensed at the word 'kidnapped' despite his flustered state. "Still I can't do anything about it until we get to Trost and Hanji hasn't told me to go after him. So yeah."
"Since when do you follow orders?" Ymir quirked a brow. Colith shrugged, releasing Bertholdt who sighed in relief.
The prospect of letting the enemy shifter casually walk away scot-free didn't please most of them, though they couldn't do anything about it. They lacked the necessary resources to deal with him anyway, as upsetting as that realization was. At least no one died—the only casualties being the horses, to Christa's chagrin —and the unconscious scouts had woken up shortly after, looking more disoriented than hurt and without sequelae when asked about their condition.
Colith used that opportunity to give them meatbuns which remindedthem that they were running on empty stomachs and promptly accepted the food. Shortly after, Christa wascalled by Hanji and by default, Ymir, since the two came in pairs at this point, not that Hanji minded as she proceeded to interrogate the blonde.
A tense atmosphere still lingered, though the cadets mostly attributed it to the previous events, entirely missing the wary glances sent towards Bertholdt and Reiner from time to time. Although Bertholdt eventually noticed.
"How's your arm?" Reiner jolted when he felt a sudden weight on his good shoulder.
"It hurts like hell but I think I'll survive..." he muttered, cheeks a little red. Colith hummed then leaned back.
"I see. Sorry for not getting there sooner." she said, looking apologetic.
"No-err!" He floundered before clearing his throat, "There's no need to apologize! I mean—if you hadn't gotten here in time, I don't know what would've happened."
"But still, your arm..."
"Is not important! What's important is that everyone is alright!" He insisted before stiffening when he felt a hand on his scalp.
"You're a really good kid," Colith smiled fondly, patting his head, "But don't push yourself too hard, alright? It ain't good for your health. Make sure to get it checked by a medic when we get back," she then walked back to the main group, leaving a frozen Reiner behind.
.
.
.
"My real name...is Historia Reiss..." Historia finally revealed, shifting a bit until she felt Ymir's hand squeeze her shoulder in support and calmed down. Ymir found out a few days before the graduation after Colith convinced the blonde to tell her. Although Ymir wanted her to fully assume her identity, she understood the danger Historia would be in if word got out that she was using her real name. Therefore, she kept the charade on even though she'd use abbreviations when they were alone.
Hanji held a thoughtful look on her face as she connected the dots. She briefly met Colith's gaze who stood among the recruits, a few meters away, and got a nod from her.
"Well," Hanji's attention returned to the duo and shot Historia a bright smile. " It's nice to meet you, Historia!"
The blonde's shoulders sagged in relief until she jolted when Ymir whispered something in her ear and squeaked before hitting the cackling girl on the bicep.
.
.
.
"Colith, Eren, do you have a moment?"
The two in question turned to Reiner and Bertholdt. An hour had passed after their arrival on the wall, and still no news of the team from Trost, so they were mostly hanging around, exchanging stories, or joking around.
Questions regarding the necklaces were brought up at some point, to which Colith replied by 'magic' and refused to further elaborate to the cadets' chagrin. However, the woman, when asked about the titans still present, confessed that she did not feel like killing them when she can simply stop them with a word.
A statement that unnerved Bertholdt and multiplied his desperate glances toward the horizon. Meanwhile, Reiner remained rather oblivious to the situation until the giant mentioned their hometown, which caused him to freeze until Marco asked if he was alright.
"So...is anyone going to explain why you guys keep burning holes through Reiner and Bertholdt's skulls?" Thomas asked, idly watching Colith and Eren follow the duo, passing by the flowerbed that had sprouted where her titan had disappeared. Jean's head turned sharply to him, blinking.
"We're not...?"
"Cut the crap, you look like you're about to combust." Ymir cut in before smirking, " Jealous that Reiner beat you at confessing first?" Jean sputtered.
"if he wanted to confess, wouldn't he just ask to speak with her alone?" Historia tilted her head.
"I'm the Armored titan and he's the colossal."
Eren and Colith shared a look.
"I know," she said blankly.
"?!"
"Might be into guys too." Ymir shrugged.
"It's not that. Everyone looks ready for a fight and Bertholdt keeps looking uneasy."
"I guess I'd be a nervous wreck too if the special operations squad and everyone keeps glaring at me for no reason." Marco said with a frown, "is there something that we're missing?"
In response, Jean's hands tightened around his gears' handle while Armin and Mikasa's jaws clenched, though they both said nothing as they acutely observed the scene as if waiting for something.
"hm—Yup! I don't understand but something's off!" Sasha pointed out, munching on a jerky Colith probably gave her, who knows? "It's weird."
They all eyed the four for a moment, Reiner, the one leading the conversation, Bertholdt who looked more nervous by the minute while Eren and Colith's faces couldn't be seen due to them having their backs facing them.
"Who cares? He's probably confessing or something! No big deal." Connie drawled, "There's no need to wo—"
His words died in his throat the moment a massive boom resounded as the Colossal—or the upper half of him— and Armored Titan appeared out of nowhere.
Two more explosions occurred right after, one mid-fall—Eren, who Colith pushed out of the way when the Armored tried to grab them both which resulted in him shifting as he plummeted, while the second one, situated in the Armored titan's hand— Colith, who shifted just as he jumped down.
Too shocked to react properly, they numbly let themselves be carried by members of Hanji's squad, away from the Colossal's hellish heat while the special operation squad attempted to subdue him, and rescue one of their members, to no avail, no one could approach lest they burn.
While the colossal remained idle, the armored was facing both Colith and Eren at the same time, although she remained relatively away yet close enough to intervene if something went wrong, playing a rather supportive role by circling them instead of outright attacking like Eren who had enough sense not to get hit and play it safe, only sticking at the right time. When he attempted to target her, he was met with flurries of quick blows, powerful enough to crack the hardening on his face, and a kick to the calf, destabilizing him enough for Eren to capitalize and uppercut him.
Their team up was flawless, focusing more on immobilizing him and shattering parts of the armor covering his body to deal damage. It went on for 10 minutes. The fight was greatly in their favor, and everyone knew it.
So how on earth did they lose?!
The cadets watched as the armored titan fled, utterly flabbergasted by the chains of events that just transpired. Sure, no one could have predicted that the colossal would fall on them and explode on impact, BUT STILL—
"What the fuck just happened."
And even more shocking, Marco just cussed.
SWEET MARCO— the world must be ending.
"Well," Hanji began, squinting at the armored titan who was just a spot in the distance before checking the odd ticking object Colith called a 'clock' "Now we wait." The cadets sharply turned to her in utter shock as she sat, legs crossed and seemingly... Unruffled?
"WAIT?!" They all bellowed.
"With all due respect, Section commander Hanji, SHOULDN'T WE ACTIVELY TRYING TO RESCUE THEM?!" Thomas screeched, hyperventilating, "WHY ARE YOU THREE SO CALM?!" He pointed toward Jean, Armin, and Mikasa who did not look alarmed, hell, no one looked alarmed!
Hanji hummed then simply replied, "That won't be necessary." which appalled them further.
"What about mister Oluo?!"
Levi squad shared a glance before Eld spoke with a strained smile.
"He'll be fine."
[Crude Time-line]
9AM- Titans are spotted.
11AM-Trip to Stohess Mike's encounter with the beast titan.
2PM- Sasha arrives in her village.
4PM-Team Ymir, Historia, Marco, Thomas.
5PM-A nameless Scout reaches Ehrmich district.
6PM- Team Connie arrives in his village (Reiner, Bertholdt and Mina) Arrival in Stohess.
8PM- Team Connie encounters Team Ymir.
9PM- Stohess, Team Colith receives the alert.
1AM-Trip to Ehrmich/ Team ConnieYmir come across Utgard castle.
2AM- Titans attack the castle.
3AM- The rescue team arrives.
4AM- Bertholdt and Reiner reveals themselves.
So yeah, wanted to make some sort of timeline to facilitate the understanding of events. (pretty sure it's off, but I tried to base myself on the timeskips seen in both manga/anime)
Word count : 10300
(Can we get much higher?!)