Everyone braced themselves as Levi was about to throw their concoctions into the cave.
"Now," Levi said as he kicked the door open.
All of Kenny's MPs readied themselves but no one came in, then three barrels with wheels came rolling down the steps one after another. They reached the bottom and rolled around lifeless on the ground.
The Scouts came running in after that as Sasha lit an arrow on fire and shot it into one of the barrels causing a huge explosion.
Traute, Kenny's second in command said.
"Gunpowder?! By the burning patterns, they must have scattered the bags of oil ... .This could get ugly!"
Levi followed by Lando and Mikasa came flying through the smoke using their ODM gear.
"Here they come!" One MP said.
"Shoot them down!" Another yelled.
Just as they were about to shoot the remainder of the Scouts still at the stairway down started to shoot their flares.
"Smoke signal shells?!" Traute said as more smoke signal shots rang out.
"Tsk! We'll never hit a thing in all this smoke." Traute thought.
Levi, Lando, and Mikasa all broke apart to spread themselves out as Lando was going around he counted 35 enemies standing on wooden ledges behind pillars.
"35 enemies!" Levi screamed out. "They're gathered behind the pillars! Stick to the plan!"
"Well, he is on top of things." Lando thought as he made his way to one of the ledges.
Lando emerged through the smoke as the MPs who didn't have enough time to aim shot their guns hoping to hit something. The bullets didn't even come close to Lando who landed on the ledge cutting one of the MP's head off then running at the other and stabbing him through the chest. Lando used his foot to pull his sword out of the man's body and then dived back down into the smoke.
"All Troops spread out!" Traute screamed. "Surround them one at a time!"
"Now the remainder of the Scouts should be in action." Lando thought.
Now it was a cat-and-mouse game with everyone using their devices to glide around in the air, Lando found one and cut his back the man yelp before falling to the ground.
Right after he killed the MP Lando heard a shot ring out in the smoke he immediately twisted his body falling straight down, and he heard the bullet fly past his head barely missing it.
A sadistic laugh was heard through the smoke and Lando knew who it was, he followed the laugh using his ODM gear. It took him to a ledge where Kenny was standing there.
"You still got it, kid," Kenny said with a smile. "How you been?"
"Grandpa…" Lando said.
"Yeah, it's me the best Grandpa in the world," Kenny said.
"Why haven't you seen me sooner?" Lando asked.
"You know me kid, I'm always busy," Kenny said. "But you didn't answer my question."
"If I'm being honest…" Lando said. "This has been the worst experience in my life. Everything is so complicated, it was so simple back in the Underground we got a job and we did it. How am I supposed to know what side to stand on when there are so many?"
"Kid," Kenny said. "I didn't expose you to the outside world, this is how it has always been. Factions waging war on each other, new beliefs rise as old ones die, I don't think anyone knows what side they're on except me."
"What side are you on?" Lando asked.
"My side," Kenny said. "I've been on my own side since I was born."
"That makes sense," Lando said.
"You know it does brat," Kenny said. "And I think it's time to meet your old man."
"You're already leaving?" Lando asked.
"Of course I am!" Kenny said. "Can't only see you and neglect Levi."
"I guess…" Lando said. "Will I ever see you again?"
"Probably not considering how this battle is going," Kenny said. "But I might be able to squeeze through."
"If you don't make it," Lando said. "Thank you for all that you have done for me."
"You're welcome kid," Kenny said. "And don't tell Levi about the whole son thing yet, I want that honor."
"All yours," Lando responded.
Kenny was about to jump off the ledge but before he did he said.
"Lando. I'm proud of you."
Kenny jumped off leaving a stunned Lando.
"That was something." Lando thought feeling a new determination.
Lando jumped off the ledge he still had an order to follow and he found a couple more scared MPs going through the smoke and killed them.
The smoke started to clear a little when Lando found two more MP's he charged at them but they heard him and started to shoot at him. Lando started to twist and turn his body to miss the shots using his ODM gear to move him quickly when he couldn't dodge. He eventually caught up to one of them and threw his blade from the sword handle right through the man's chest, as the other charged him and threw a punch. Lando turned his body and shot a hook into the man in the air and pulled him to Lando, he then chopped the man's head off with one swing killing the man instantly.
Lando killed a few more MPs by dodging their gunfire and cutting them down. He regrouped with the Scouts who had cleared out all the other MPs who hadn't yet retreated.
"Let's move!" Levi said.
Lando looked over at an injured Hange but didn't pay it too much attention.
The Scouts moved through the cave until they came across a wooden gate through a hole in the cave, they looked up and saw a smaller hole covered in a wooded gate.
"There's gotta be a way through if it's all plugged up," Levi said. "If only we had some gunpowder left…"
A yellow light appeared from behind the gate blinding everyone.
"That's…" Levi said.
"A Titan transformation…." Jean said.
"Eren!" Mikasa said.
"We don't know if that is Eren," Lando said to Levi.
A wing strong enough to knock them to their feet picked up as Lando shot his ODM hooks into the ground and the Scouts followed suit.
"Captain!" Lando heard Armin yell. "The hole!" He said pointing up.
Lando looked up and saw a hole that was once barricaded up completely open, he didn't hesitate and shot a hook up there, and using his ODM gear he made it through the hole.
"Armin! Mobilt! Take Hange and get the hell out of here!" Levi said. "Everyone else through that hole!"
Lando was already running through the small tunnel that was made, as he made his way to the clearing he saw a giant Titan skeleton that was gaining muscle around it. Lando using his ODM gear made his way around the Titan as the wind was blowing him all over, he saw Eren chained up and Historia trying to free him, Lando landed where Historia was trying to free Eren.
"Lando!" Historia said.
"Give me the keys!" Lando said. "I don't know how much longer you can stand with these winds!"
Historia handed Lando the keys as he shot his ODM hooks into the ground and started to free Eren's right leg from the cuffs, in the middle of that the winds picked up and sent Historia flying back. But the rest of the scouts had arrived and Mikasa saved her from smacking against the wall.
"You okay?" Mikasa asked.
"Mikasa!" Historia said.
Levi landed right after her.
"Give me the keys!" Levi said to Historia.
"Lando already has them!" Historia said.
Levi looked over and saw Lando trying to free Eren's right arm, Levi ran over and held Eren so he wouldn't move too much.
"Forget about me!" Eren said.
"Not helping!" Lando said, freeing Eren's right hand.
Lando got to work on the left hand and uncuffed that one before him and Levi pulled Eren to safety as a boulder fell down and crushed the ledge they were standing on just a second ago.
"Shit! There is no way out!" Jean yelled.
Lando looked around but he couldn't come up with a solution to get away, he had to sit there and hope for the best.
Lando watched as Eren started to cry and slump down to the ground.
"I'm sorry…" Eren said sniffling. "Everyone….I've been nothing but useless….Ever since the beginning, I was never the hope for humanity…."
"You think you were some destined hero from birth?" Lando said realizing that Eren's Titan was their only hope in this situation. "You think you've accomplished anything? The only thing you have is strength and that comes from your Titan. You're such a weakling."
"We can't go nice and slow for you," Jean said to Historia thinking that they were going to try and use their ODM gear to escape.
"It's useless," Eren said. "We can't escape."
"You wanna sit here and hold hands till we're crushed or burned to death?!" Historia said.
"Eren you have been useless this entire time," Lando said, kneeling to his level. "Time for you to make a choice, be useless, or help us escape."
Eren stared at Lando for a few seconds and Lando saw determination in his eyes.
Eren grabbed some bottle that was next to them and rushed at the Titan screaming.
Mikasa reached out for him yelling "Eren!" but she was too late.
As Eren was about to jump at the Titan he crushed the glass bottle with his teeth causing all the liquid to go into his mouth and jumped at the Titan.
A bright yellow light appeared as Eren's Titan formed and when he did the Titan kneeled and what looked like ice started to form all around them.
"It's what Annie had with the crystal!" Lando said. "Get underneath him!"
Everyone ran into Eren's forming circle and huddled for safety as rocks started to fall outside of the crystal.
When the rocks stopped falling they had to look for Eren, they started to break open the crystal with their sword's handles and sculpted Eren out of it.
Eren opened his eyes gasping for air, Lando, Jean, and Mikasa got Eren to the ground as the rest of the scouts were standing there.
"Now that's what I call hardening," Levi said. "Even after cutting you away, the Titan still hasn't disappeared. Pretty impressive, yeah?"
"Has he had this ability all this time?" Land asked.
"Oh, yeah!" Eren said. "Right before I turned into a Titan, I drank that "Armor" bottle..."
"You couldn't do it at all before now, but you used the hardening power," Levi said. "And saved all of us. In the blink of an eye, you devised and built all of this. Yeah, the construction looks shoddy, but…I bet that's how the walls were made, too. In other words…It's possible for us to plug that hole in Wall Maria now. A lot of enemies and allies have died on the way, and getting this far hasn't been pretty, but for as ugly as it's been, look at the position we're in now."
"Retaking Wall Maria huh?" Lando thought. "That's not going to be fun."
"Captain!" Lando heard a female voice from above. "We've secured an exit!" Sasha said.
"Armins safe!" Conny said. " And Hange! And Mobilt!"
"Well done," Levi said.
"Eren!" Sasha said coming over.
"You okay?" Conny asked.
Sasha dropped into a bow at Eren.
"We're all safe, thanks to you." She said, " But to be perfectly honest, when you ran off prancing off while crying like a baby ... .I thought we were doomed!"
"It's over, over! Get it together nincompoop! Quit bawling like a snotty nose brat!" Sasha said. "Is what I thought."
"Hey," Conny said to Sasha trying to get her to stop.
"Let's go," Levi said. "We're going after that big ass Titan."
As they started to climb up the rocks Lando said to Eren.
"Maybe you're not so useless anymore."
Eren looked up at Lando.
"Thank you." He said.
"Just don't get kidnapped again or I won't be the one coming to save you," Lando said.
"Got it…." Eren said. "I'll try not to…"
Armin held out a hand for Lando to grab and he did, he got up to the surface and looked out at the giant crater that the big Titan left behind and him moving in the distance leaving a giant trail as he went along.
"We're going to have to fight that thing?" Lando said with a sigh.
I'm announcing a special deal for you this weekend, three chapters in three days! I would like to do this when the holidays are around the corner so we celebrate a little bit.