"Tomorrow we will begin our first True fight for humanity!" Commander Erwin's voice resonates with passion throughout the courtyard.
Eren shifts as he stands next to his fellow winged comrades feeling the plethora of emotions thundering about. The weight of what's to come is resting on his shoulders heavily.
Thankfully he knows Harry has his back and that makes everything okay.
"I'm sure you all know how dangerous this will be. I commend your bravery." He hears a familiar scoff from Jean making his feathers ruffle as he searches for the horse-faced punk who mutters "We are scared shitless," that makes him scowl, cause Eren isn't scared, he is angry.
Commander Erwin seems to have heard of Jean for he continues with, "Now I know you are probably scared and most certainly dreading this daunting task, as we all are."
"No one wishes to die in the mouth of a Titan, not even I." Eren feels awe at how easily the commander shows his vulnerability
"But, someone has to risk it!" He exclaims his face settling into stone, though his eyes gleam as he continues, his blue eyes tented with a fire while he spreads his arms out "And that horrid honor has befallen upon us, for if we don't all of humanity will perish!" Erwin's thick brows raise in tandem with his voice.
"You!"
"my fellow Wings of Freedom are not just brave, you're courageous! To fight a battle we have little chance of winning!"
"To give your life for those who can't fight." Erwin ends with a whisper as if reminding them why they are here.
Looking around he can see the awed looks that match his as he watches the man spin the gruesome fate waiting for them into something worth fighting for.
Erwin then lays it on thick, "I want you all to know how proud I am to be able to say I'm the commander of such a brigade of ferocious fighters, willing to instead accept our fate, you decided to turn your fear into your strength to Fight!"
"We fight!" Erwin repeats standing to attention.
"We die!" Erwin yells as he salutes.
"For humanity!" Erwin finishes slowly relaxing from his rigid stance shocking everyone as he bows at the waist.
His voice is full of emotion as he ends his speech "On behalf of those who can't, or won't say it, Thank you!"
The silence is deafening as they all stare at the proud man humbly bowing before them.
"Not too bad." Hearing that Eren turns his awed gaze to Harry whose green eyes glint with begrudging respect
"Eren! Focus!" The shout of Captain Levi snaps him out of his reprieve.
"Aye, captain!"
'These titans don't stand a chance.' Eren thinks with a spark of determination.
———
'This is boring.' Harry thinks leaning against the trunk of the giant tree he finds himself perched. Erwin and Hange are on the other side. The former had asked him to stay by their side while Harry would've said fuck you to the commander Eren's earnest eyes wilted his fight. He's not apologetic in how irate he is with leaving his brother alone in this stupid cat-and-mouse thing they are doing.
If Harry were, to be honest, he just wants to apparate to Marley, or whatever those three stooges call their homeland, and destroy the aristocratic fucks.
"Hey lover boy!" Harry looks over as Hange springs onto the trunk he's resting. Their use of 3DM gear is as sharp as their mind, landing before him in a slight crouch before straightening.
"Yes, Hange?" He says with an appropriate amount of wariness, willing a flush to stay down, 'Merlin this one'.
"Don't worry, we all know what we signed up for." They say making Harry smile softly. How they knew he was anxious about feeling useless is a mystery.
"It's not that, well it is." He shrugs helplessly, "I know they signed up for this and- It's more of the fact that I hate sitting around doing nothing, especially when I can…" he trails off not sure how exactly to say he has an inconceivable power.
"Hah!"
"We're not saying you shouldn't do anything if you feel like it's necessary man, we well I trust that you, if Levi can trust you. I mean it's Levi!"
Does Levi trust him?
"I would love to see your powers in action." They say while wiggling their fingers dramatically.
"I'd like to see them as well." The deep voice of Levi makes both four eyes spin with startled expressions. Harry himself is shocked that Levi was able to sneak up on his senses.
"Yo," Harry can't help but say after coughing out of his dumbfounded expression, his hand held up in a peace sign.
The silence was deafening.
"What the fuck what that?"
"What was what?" He asks Levi pretending that the man is insane.
"Is that some kind of matting call from your home?" Hange asks Harry, making both men topple over.
"What!?" They yell In unison.
After that embarrassing encounter, Levi went to check up with Erwin while Hange and he went off to do their own thing.
Shifting from his position he watches as Eren and his comrades pass by his hand unconsciously summoning his wand in retaliation to the sound of thunderous footsteps as a Titan pushes through the foliage, he can only guess that it's Annie.
Harry himself winces with each scream of death feeling every life being snuffed out. He feels like everything slows down just as she finally comes into view, her blonde hair flicking as she roundhouse kicks some poor woman into the forest. Harry can feel her soul leave her body.
"Now!" Hange yells as Annie trips the trap.
Harry watches in morbid awe as thousands of wires puncture her body in rapid succession impaling her in an awkward position. The smoke clears after a few seconds revealing the steaming body of her skinless steaming Titan form.
'Does Eren look like his Titan?' Harry wondered absentmindedly watching as Levi leapt onto her forehead.
Harry feels his heart twinge as he can see the blatant fear in her eyes.
'This is a child.' He mentally growls with anger.
'To hell with Erwin's plan.'
———
"Stop" Annie feels the muscles in her throat freeze at the tone in the man's voice. The scream bubbling up her throat dying as the small man holding the blade towards her eye shifts.
'What was that?'
What was that feeling that came over her body when the pale man spoke?
"Huh, you say something shitty face?" The deep voice of the terrifying shrimp makes her withhold a shiver.
She knows she has no chance against him, the infamous Levi.
"I said, we can do this a different way." The deathly pale man with glasses glinting in the forest light says as he hops elegantly down the trees.
Annie doesn't know what comes over her, but a sudden irrational fear overwhelms her as she feels the irritation wafting off of his person. It makes her shift and the scream that was clogged in her throat releases with a ferocity as she desperately wishes to get away from the glasses-wearing devil's aura. Annie, using the distraction, springs away feeling the fatigue of the multiple uses of her Titan form.
Never seeing the frustrated but concerned green eyes that followed her as she sped off.
—-
'That went well,' Harry thinks feeling tired as he watches the steam coming off of all the titans they had to slay after Annie's escape. Harry didn't realize he was alluding to a menacing aura from his anger at the sight of her distress.
"Mr-" Whatever Erwin was gonna say is silenced as Harry is shoved roughly into the tree by Levi. Who then proceeds to flick steaming blood into Harry's face, some of it landing in his mouth making him hack and cough.
"Wha- what what that for?" He asks between breaths.
Whatever Levi was gonna say is interpreted by the sound of Erwin getting their attention.
"It seems our target has escaped," Erwin says stating the obvious.
Harry keeps half his attention on the conversation and the other tracking Eren knowing that Annie is after him. As much as he hates killing a child he won't allow her to take his brother in all but blood.
"Levi I'm ordering you to go restock before you head out" Erwin's stern voice brings him out of his musing to see Levi scowling as he begrudgingly leaps off to resupply.
"Now Har-" Whatever commander Erwin was going to say gets stuck on the tip of his tongue as he stares at where Harry had just been.
—-
A/n:
Hi, surprise this fic is still alive, just on a respirator :P