N/A: Hey everybody, did you miss daddy JkAlex? Cause I missed you all.
Ladies and Gentlemen... Let's begin season two!
Chapter 29
I'm home
Deep in the forest, you could hear the steady thud of something hitting a tree trunk. The crisp morning air was invigorating, and the sun's rays beginning to peek over the horizon signaled the start of a new day.
Sitting at the base of the tree, Annie blinked in confusion. This place was familiar to her, the clearing in the forest, the layout of the trees, even the grass beneath her feet. She had been here countless times since she began her training with Recruit Troop 104.
A groan caught her attention and she turned to see a boy holding his shin with a grimace of pain on his face.
"Damn, that hurts!" he complained, rubbing his injured leg. "Are you sure this is the only way, Annie?"
"What...?" she muttered, feeling strangely disoriented.
The boy turned to look at her, and for some reason she couldn't see his face, just a tuft of fluffy black hair obscured by the shadows of the trees and the reflection of the glasses he was using.
"I said that if it's the only way I can get stronger," the boy repeated, "When are you going to teach me your moves?... I'm talking about your fighting moves, of course."
Annie remembered. She remembered that moment, that scene. The way the boy approached her and smiled at her, the way the rays of sunlight illuminated Victor's face, allowing her to see those unique eyes behind his glasses.
"Come on, you said you'd help me get stronger, didn't you?"
He held out his hand and Annie was stunned to see his smile. She remembered that smile well.
Annie awoke suddenly as cold water was splashed in her face, abruptly jolting her out of her slumber. She raised her head and through her wet blonde curls she could see Levi holding a metal bucket and giving her his characteristic impassive yet imposing stare.
"Nap time is over, Leonhart," he said, setting the bucket on the ground. "It's time for you to speak."
"I have nothing to say to you," she growled between her teeth, glaring at him.
"I was counting on you to say that."
Levi stepped aside and Annie felt a cold shiver run down her spine, and it wasn't from the water. Behind Levi was a table of various tools, pliers, knives, corkscrews, hammers, iron stakes... tools that could only be used for one thing at this point: torture.
The bastard wanted to torture her to get her to talk.
"Well, I've never tortured anyone to get them to spit out what I want to know," Levi said, putting on an apron and a pair of latex gloves. "I'm pretty new at this, so I can be... rough."
He grabbed a clamp and tightened it, making a snap that echoed throughout the cell.
Annie's features hardened, trying hard not to flinch as Levi placed the clamp in front of her face.
"So, are you going to tell me the identities of the Armored and the Colossal Titan, or shall we test how good your regeneration skills are here and now?" he asked.
Annie kept her mouth shut and glared at Levi, determined not to say anything to him.
"Good. Don't say I didn't give you a chance."
Levi grabbed Annie's face roughly and forced her mouth open. She struggled, but couldn't stop Levi from forcing her mouth open and shoving the clamp into her mouth, grabbing one of her teeth.
Annie began to hyperventilate and opened her eyes in increasing panic as she felt Levi forcefully grab one of her teeth with the clamp. She began to struggle, but to no avail. Then the sound of hurried footsteps outside the cell stopped him.
"Levi!" Furlan yelled as he opened the cell door. "Mike's report! There's a breach on the southwest side of Wall Rose! The titans have entered!"
Levi's eyes widened in surprise and, to Annie's relief, he pulled the clamp from her mouth.
"How long ago?" he asked.
"Thomas said Mike saw the titans two hours ago, but we don't know exactly how long ago the breach in the wall occurred. It could be much longer... Levi, what do we do?"
'Have Reiner and Bertholdt decided to act?' thought Annie, 'Why? Did they find an opportunity to capture Eren? Were their identities revealed? Did they find out that the Scouts captured me? Damn it, I don't know what's going on outside this cell!'
She wanted to believe that they had made a breach to create a distraction to rescue her, but she was very doubtful. Despite having the same mission and the same goal of returning home, she wasn't very close to her "companions warriors". Especially after the events of the Battle of Trost.
Levi was silent for a few seconds, thinking about the situation they were in, while Furlan looked at him expectantly. Then he suddenly turned and kicked Annie in the head with enough force to knock her unconscious and knock out a tooth. Coincidentally, it was the same tooth he had wanted to knock out.
"Levi...?" Furlan asked, confusion on his face as he watched him free Annie from the chains that bound her.
"As much as I'd like to leave this brat here to her fate, she's worth more to us alive than dead," Levi said as he bound her hand and foot. "We have to move her. Erwin and Hange are in Stohess, preparing the trap for possible traitors. We need to regroup there before we decide what to do."
Levi came out of the cell, carrying Annie over his shoulder, with Furlan following him.
"Aren't we sending reinforcements to Mike's squad? The courier said there were no shifters among the recruits of the 104th and that we should regroup at Utgard Castle. They'll need help if they're going to hold off the titans and defend the rift."
"Mike's squadron is more than capable of defending that position. And if they are overwhelmed, they will fall back. He knows this, which is why he sent a messenger to evacuate the civilians to Wall Sina. You sent a messenger to evacuate the nearby villages and the Karanese district?"
"I was about to do so."
When Levi and Furlan came out of the cellar that served as a prison, they saw all the members of Levi's Squad waiting for them, even Bucky, the pet dog. The only one who was noticeably absent was Eld, who had been admitted to the military hospital in Trost due to the severity of his injuries.
Eren was the first to approach Levi and Furlan with obvious concern on his face.
"Captain! You got the message, didn't you? We have to go to Utgard Castle and help the others!"
"No," said Levi. "What we have to do now is to take Leonhart to Stohess and meet Erwin. Isabel, alert the others and prepare the horses."
She nodded and looked at Bucky.
"Let's go, buddy."
The dog barked and followed Isabel to the stables, his metal leg clanking every time he hit the ground.
"But we have to close the breach before more Titans get in!" Eren replied vehemently. "With my titan powers, I'm sure I can..."
"Do what? Close the breach? How?"
Eren looked a bit unsure as he answered.
"Well... together we can go to the rift and..."
"Eren, right now we have no way to get you close to the breach without going through a horde of titans, let alone find a way for you to seal it like you did at Trost," Furlan explained. "All the Scouts are at Stohess preparing to ambush any traitors, so our forces are spread thin."
"Our priority now is to move Leonhart to prevent her companions from using the distraction to free her," Levi added. "When we meet with Erwin and Hange in Stohess, we'll decide what to do."
Eren didn't seem to like the idea of leaving his comrades without support, but he admitted that Captain Levi was right. At this point, rash action without a plan would do more harm than good.
Recognizing the young soldier's uneasiness, Furlan put a hand on his shoulder.
"Don't worry, Eren. If Mike is overwhelmed, he won't hesitate to retreat. He won't risk the lives of promising young cadets. For now, we need to evacuate the civilians and regroup at Stohess."
Even though he felt insecure and worried about his fellow cadets, especially Armin and Mikasa, Eren nodded reluctantly.
"Which brings us to another point," Levi said, getting everyone's attention. "Petra, Gunther, Oluo. You three will alert all eastern villages to evacuate to Karanese. When you get there, you will escort the civilians to Stohess. We will meet there and act according to Erwin's plan for this shitty situation."
"Huh? We split up?" Petra asked, sounding incredulous. "What about the prisoner? What if she tries to escape?"
"Furlan, Isabel, Eren and I will be more than able to keep her under control. Besides, you are still recovering from your injuries from the expedition."
Petra, Gunther and Oluo showed varying degrees of displeasure, but finally nodded at their captain's orders.
Isabel arrived just then and announced that everyone was ready to leave.
Levi tied a cloth around Annie's mouth to keep her from biting her tongue and placed a bag over her head before loading her into a carriage driven by Isabel and escorted by several Scouts.
"Let's go!" Levi commanded, whipping the reins of his horse.
Eren turned over his shoulder and looked in the direction to the west, where the titans had appeared.
'Please, guys. Hang in there,' he thought before whipping his horse's reins and following the others.
Sasha watched in awe as a veteran Scout named Erik plunged into the neck of a 10-meter titan. A clean cut to the neck was all it took to bring down the giant monster.
She and two other veteran Scouts had traveled north to warn nearby towns of the titans that had infiltrated Wall Rose. They arrived just in time to see two titans tormenting a small town. The townspeople fled in terror, trying to escape the titans, until the Scouts arrived and quickly took care of them.
"Well, that was the last of them," Erik said, sheathing his swords before looking at his veteran companion. "Eda, how are the civilians?"
"There were two casualties before we arrived," she reported with a bitter look on her face. "A mother and... her son. If we had arrived sooner..."
"Don't think about that," Erik interrupted, his features hardening. "I know it's hard, but we have to get these people to safety now."
Eda gritted her teeth in frustration and anger, but nodded at her companion's words, realizing that this was not the time to let her emotions get the better of her.
"I will evacuate these people to Yarckel's district, there are enough horses to carry them all," Eda said.
"Very well," Erik nodded before turning to look at Sasha. "Blouse, you said your village was near here."
"Yes, sir," Sasha replied.
"Then take us there. We have to make sure we evacuate them in time."
Sasha nodded, worried about the people in her village, especially her father.
It didn't take long until they finally reached her village. Fortunately, they hadn't encountered any titans on their way.
"I can see it!" Sasha exclaimed, pointing ahead, "That's the village over there!"
"Is that the last village?" Erik asked.
"No. My village is a little further, deep in the forest. I'll go there."
Erik looked at her a little uneasily, but when he saw the determined look on her face, he realized that she was worried about her village.
"All right," Erik nodded, "I'll take care of this village, you go to yours and evacuate all the civilians."
"Yes, sir!"
They parted and Sasha took the road into the forest, heading for her village, which she hadn't seen for more than 3 years. As she galloped, her heart pounded in her chest, reflecting the worry she felt, but also the hope that everyone in her village had evacuated in time.
As she rode along the winding forest path to her village, Sasha could not help but reminisce about her life in her village before she joined the conscript troop. How she shunned everyone who was not from her village, blaming them for the lack of food and the hunger that plagued them. In turn, she blamed them for forcing her village to abandon their traditions and the teachings of their ancestors.
They would cease to be hunters, those who defined them, and become farmers or horse keepers. And that bothered Sasha. It bothered her that they had to stop being who they were for the sake of those people who mocked them.
And it wasn't until she lived for three years with those foreigners, those very people she had rejected, that she understood what her father had once told her.
'The world is connected.'
And he was right. In her time as a recruit, Sasha learned that even though we all came from different places and even spoke slightly different languages, we were all connected in some way. And there was nothing wrong with being different from everyone else; in fact, it made her special, unique.
That was what her friends told her.
Sasha remembered that day clearly. She had been assigned to carry water in buckets from the well to the kitchen. A simple task, but she had learned the hard way that even if she was doing a simple task, she could not let her guard down with Instructor Shadis, as he would not tolerate any kind of negligence.
As she loaded a bucket of water and prepared to carry it into the kitchen, Ymir approached her with a frown on his face.
"Hey, you're starting to get on my nerves," she said.
"Excuse me?" Sasha asked hesitantly.
"I'm talking in that stupid, formal way you talk. Why are you like that even with your classmates?"
Sasha looked away, feeling a little uncomfortable under Ymir's gaze.
"Uh, well, you see... the thing is..."
"Wait, let me guess" Ymir smiled. "You're ashamed of your accent where you come from, aren't you? You, are you stupid? You're a hunter who hunts all kinds of wild animals, but you're afraid of what people think of you."
Sasha didn't answer, just looked down with an uncomfortable smile. Ymir wasn't entirely wrong.
"I'm sure you don't have a good reason to be a soldier either," Ymir continued. "Maybe your parents..."
"Hey, Ymir!" said Krista in a reproachful tone, "You're going too far..."
Ymir interrupted her, leaning against her while she looked at Sasha seriously.
"Sasha, are you going to live forever acting just because you care what others think of you? That's stupid, just be yourself and talk the way you want to!"
A small smile formed on Sasha's lips, feeling somewhat touched by Ymir's words, even if they were a bit harsh.
"I... appreciate your words... It's kind of you..." said Sasha, causing Ymir to lean towards her with a grunt of annoyance. "Sorry! I... I still don't feel comfortable changing the way I speak..."
"Then don't."
The three girls turned to see Victor carrying a bucket of water, placing it in the well, and then starting to lower it. In those days, Victor still had long, fluffy hair, like the wool of a sheep, and the reason he had earned his nickname of 'recruit sheep'.
"If you want to speak formally, do so," he said. "You don't have to change the way you talk just because someone grumpy and insensitive tells you to" he looked directly at Ymir as he said that, before looking at Sasha and giving her a comforting smile. "Besides, I like the way you talk. It shows that you try to have manners, unlike a freckled woman I know."
"What did you say, you damn sheep?" Ymir growled, frowning hard, "You are not the one to give me a lesson in manners. You're the rudest of us all."
"She's right, Victor," Krista agreed. "You're pretty foul-mouthed. And your comments can always be misinterpreted."
Victor crossed his arms and looked away.
"Of course you think that. 69% of people find something dirty in every sentence..."
The three girls said nothing, just stared at him, although Krista and Sasha had a slight blush on their faces.
"Okay, maybe you're a little right, and I blame my brother for that," Victor admitted. "But the point is, Sasha doesn't have to change the way she talks if she doesn't want to. No matter how she talks, Sasha is still Sasha, the potato girl, our fellow recruit and our friend."
"He's right," Krista said, smiling at Sasha. "You have to decide for yourself who you want to be. Your words are your own, aren't they? I like you just the way you are."
"I guess you can see it that way too," Ymir said with a snort. "But changing the way you talk won't make you any less annoying."
"It's okay, Sasha. Don't listen to her. Not everyone is as insensitive and bitter as Ymir."
"W-what? Krista, you..."
"Krista is right. Everything bothers you, Ymir," Victor replied, picking up the bucket of water. "It's like you always have your period."
Ymir gritted her teeth and growled at him, it didn't help that Sasha snorted before she started laughing.
"Hey, what are you laughing at?!"
Sasha stopped laughing immediately when Ymir turned to look at her with a stern expression on his face.
"N-Nothing... S-sorry..."
'What's wrong with me?' thought Sasha with a nostalgic smile, 'Why am I remembering this now?'
It was a trivial memory, but for Sasha it was a valuable one, because they were the ones who motivated her to show who she really was. Not to be ashamed of herself or where she came from.
As she continued to gallop down the road towards her village, she noticed something that chilled her blood. On the dirt road, she could see huge footprints that could only belong to one kind of creature: titans.
'It can't be... Have they already made it to this part of the forest?'
Panicking, Sasha whipped her horse's reins more outward. When she finally made it through the forest, she opened her eyes in surprise to see that a new village had been built on the banks of a river. Wasting no time, she crossed the slightly raised wooden bridge and rode into the village.
The place was completely deserted, Sasha could not see a single person as he wandered the streets looking for any sign of life. She was glad to find no traces of blood or corpses, it meant that the villagers had managed to evacuate in time.
When she reached the edge of the village, she saw the same footprints in the dirt. Judging by their size, they belonged to a small titan, perhaps 4 meters, though this was often misleading due to the misshapen nature of their bodies.
Sasha dismounted her horse and tied it to a tree. She drew her swords and followed the footsteps to a small stone house. The door was open, and through it, she could see the titan who had infiltrated the village. It was crouched, its back to her. Sasha could hear the sound of flesh being chewed, along with a human's groan of pain.
She quickly moved deeper into the house and watched in awe as a 4-meter titan slowly chewed on a woman's leg as she groaned in pain. Not hesitating to attack, Sasha swung her swords hard and with a scream of pain sliced through the titan's neck, who immediately collapsed to the ground. Its sluggish body began to smoke, indicating that it was dead.
Sasha sheathed her swords and approached the woman, still moaning in pain as she held her leg. The sheer amount of blood there worried her, but she did her best to keep her voice from wavering as she spoke.
"It's all right, ma'am... I'm here," she said, trying to sound reassuring to comfort the woman. "I'm going... I'm going to get you to a doctor. You're going to be all right."
"My... my daughter..." the woman muttered in pain and looked around the room.
Sasha turned and met the lifeless and confused gaze of a little girl who had watched her mother being slowly devoured before her eyes. The girl lay under the table, not moving a muscle as she stared unblinkingly.
"Please... save her..."
The woman closed her eyes and stopped breathing. Sasha watched the woman with great regret. If only she had come a little earlier...
She shook her head, remembering Erik's words. She didn't need to think about that. The important thing now was to get the little girl to safety. When she approached the girl, she was still staring at her mother's limp body. She didn't even look up when Sasha knelt in front of her.
"It's all right, everything will be fine," Sasha said in a soft voice.
The girl looked up slightly, her eyes clouded and distant. Sasha had seen the same look in some of her fellow soldiers after the Battle of Trost. The look of someone who had seen hell.
"What will...?"
Sasha pursed her lips at the girl's lack of emotion.
"I'll take you somewhere safe," he said, taking her hand and walking out of the house, leading the way to the horse. "You don't have to worry. Everything will be all right."
When she reached the horse, Sasha was startled to hear footsteps. She turned to see two 8-meter titans emerge from between the houses and approach her.
Knowing she had to get the girl to safety, Sasha quickly ran to the horse she had tied to a tree, but when she released it, the horse bolted in panic.
"W-wait, please! Come back, little horse!" Sasha cried in growing panic.
She put her fingers to her mouth to call the horse, but it didn't come back, leaving her and the girl alone at the mercy of the two slowly approaching titans.
"There's-no need to worry." Sasha muttered, trying to calm the girl down. "Please, just wait a second. I'm sure the horse will come back."
"Why are you so formal when you speak?" asked the girl, still in the same emotionless voice.
Sasha didn't answer. She tried to call the horse back, but when she saw the titans coming closer, she grabbed the girl's hand and started running.
"Come on, we have to go!" Sasha shouted, running back to the bridge she had come from. "It's going to be okay!"
"Why? They already left," the girl mumbled in a broken voice. "They left us... The people in the village knew that my mom couldn't walk very well... but no one helped her. And I... I just stood and watched..."
"I... I'm so sorry for what happened to your mother. I wish I had gotten here sooner, so I could have stopped it."
When they reached the bridge, Sasha helped the girl across. The titans were on their heels and would soon catch up. If they went deeper into the forest, they might be able to lose them, but considering their size, they could easily spot them and catch up in a matter of seconds.
Sasha looked at the town. There was a huge mill on one side of the river that she could use as a prop to attack the titans, and with any luck they would focus more on her.
"Hey, listen to me," she said to the girl. "Keep running down this path and you'll be fine. If you keep going, I'm sure you'll find someone to help you. I promise you that. You may not find them right away, but you will if you keep running. Now go!"
Sasha unsheathed her swords again, ready to face the titans so that the girl could escape, but she stayed where she was, not moving a muscle.
The titans came closer, and closer and Sasha tightened her grip on her swords.
"Get runnin'!" she shouted loudly.
The girl seemed to come to her senses and started running as fast as she could.
Sasha was glad to see that. This girl still had the will to live, and she would do everything to make sure that she at least survived.
When the titans were close enough, she fired her hooks at the mill, propelling herself with a jet of gas. The titans approached her with the intention of grabbing her, but Sasha propelled herself even higher into the mill and was embedded there, out of their reach.
'Right. I just have to stay here and buy enough time for the girl to escape.'
It seemed like a good plan, but what she hadn't counted on was that in the distance, a group of people on horseback began to approach the village. Attracted by the large number of people, the titans ignored Sasha and headed straight for them.
"What? Wait!" she shouted, trying to get their attention. "Don't go that way! I'm right here!"
She unrolled her wires to lower herself further down and into range of the titans, but they still ignored her and headed for the bridge. The riders stopped and watched in panic as two titans approached.
"Stay away!" Sasha shouted, "Get out of here!"
The people watched as Sasha lunged at the two titans and slashed at one of their legs, causing it to stagger.
"S-Sasha?!"
She looked over her shoulder to see the man at the head of the group. He wore a wolf skin jacket and a hat on his head that partially hid his face, but Sasha recognized him immediately.
"Fa... Father?" she said, incredulous to see her father there.
"Sasha..." her father muttered, surprised to see his daughter there. "W-what are you...?"
The loud roar of one of the titans made everyone turn around as it approached them.
Sasha stood in front of them, her swords at the ready, though she was visibly shaking as she saw the huge creature approaching.
"Y-you have to get out of here! They won't catch you on horseback! Go north!"
"Sasha, I'm not leaving you here!" her father protested.
She turned to look over her shoulder and gave him a smile that was a little shaky, but determined.
"I am a soldier. It is my duty to face the titans so that you will survive. Now go!"
"Sasha..."
"Go!"
Without waiting for an answer, Sasha charged at the titans, dodging their attempts to grab her, but showing great maneuverability by staying out of their reach.
Sasha's father watched in awe as his daughter faced these monsters. She looked so different from the last time he had seen her over 3 years ago. No longer the cowardly, withdrawn child she had been, she was now quite the magnificent woman. And to see her take on the titans so that a group of people she didn't know could escape filled him with both pride and concern.
Gritting his teeth, he turned the straps of his horse and headed back the way they had come.
"You heard the soldier, we have to go!" he ordered, whipping the reins of his horse.
"But, Mr. Blouse! She is your daughter," said one of the men beside him.
"I know," he said, tightening the reins of his horse, "And I want nothing more than to go with her, but right now I would only be a hindrance. Sasha is a soldier, but above all she is a hunter. Her instincts are much sharper than mine. She will know how to survive."
Then they heard the sound of wires being pulled in and high-pressure gas being released. They all turned to see Sasha use her ODM to catch up and land on the same horse her father was riding.
"Sasha..." he muttered, looking at her with blood stains, which were beginning to evaporate.
"Don't worry, they won't come after us," she assured him, looking at the empty hilt she was holding. "I stuck the blades into their eyes and left them embedded... A move a friend taught me..."
The sad little smile on his daughter's face worried Mr. Blouse, but he was immensely happy to see his daughter safe and sound, looking with relief and sadness at the little girl she had saved.
"That little girl told us that a soldier stayed behind so she could escape. I never thought it would be you," he said, looking over his shoulder at her with a gleam of pride in his eyes. "Sasha, you've grown up so much... you're all woman now."
"Dad..."
Sasha smiled slightly, feeling touched and surprised by her father's words, remembering what his last words had been, not to come back until she was a respectable and worthy person. But now, looking into his eyes, she could see the pride shining in them, along with the loving smile she had not seen in a long time, so long that she had almost forgotten it.
"I'm home now..." she whispered, hugging her father as they rode north.
Heading south, a group of Scouts rode as fast as they could. In the lead, a little ahead of them, was Connie, who knew this region, as his village, the place where he had been born and raised, was just a little ahead, the same place the titans had come from.
Behind him were Mikasa, Armin, Reiner, and Bertholdt, along with Mike's veteran squadron scouts, Gelgar and Lynne.
"Wait, Connie!" Reiner shouted as he rode behind him to catch up, "You need to calm down! We don't know where these titans are coming from!"
Connie ignored him, and when they finally reached the edge of his village, he didn't stop his horse as he rode deeper into the abandoned place. He searched frantically, noting the destroyed houses and the huge footprints on the ground, a clear indication that the titans had been here.
"That can't be..." Connie said, his eyes widening in panic at the state of his village, his home. "Someone... Someone's here! It's me, Connie! I'm back! I'm home..."
His desperate call was met with nothing but stony silence.
Connie felt a rising panic in his heart until he realized something that worried him even more.
"My house..."
He turned the reins of his horse and started down the path that would take him home. The same road he had traveled countless times in his childhood, his thoughts going back to his family.
'Dad... Mom... Sunny... Martin...'
"Please..." he begged. "Be safe..."
But when he finally reached his house, he brought his horse to a halt with a sharp jerk of the reins and opened his eyes in utter shock at the sight before him.
In the middle of his ruined house, a titan lay face up, staring directly at him. Its amber eyes stared back at him unblinkingly.
Connie stood transfixed as he watched the creature, unable to believe his eyes.
"Connie, get back!" Reiner shouted, finally reaching out and pulling him by the arm to get him away from the titan.
"This is my house..." Connie muttered in a shaky tone, not taking his eyes off the titan. "It's my..."
Connie couldn't finish, too overwhelmed by the implications of what it meant to have a titan standing in the middle of his destroyed home.
"Cadets, stand back!" Gelgar shouted, approaching them with his sword drawn.
"Ackerman, help me keep an eye on the area!" Lynne ordered.
"Roger!" Mikasa replied, whipping the reins of her horse and following her to the edge of the village.
"Just a moment..." said Armin, looking closely at the titan and noticing something. "This Titan... it can't move. Look at its limbs."
Connie looked away from his destroyed house and took a closer look at the titan. Armin was right. Its arms and legs were too small and disproportionate to its huge body, they would not be able to support its weight. Which brought up a question for everyone present.
How did this titan get there?
The sun had already begun its slow descent as the group of Scouts approached the southwesternmost region of Wall Rose.
Veteran Scouts Nanaba and Henning led the formation, with Krista, Ymir, and Jean bringing up the rear. They had been riding for hours, evacuating all the nearby villages and even fighting the occasional straggling titan.
Even though they had evacuated all the villages, they did not stop as they approached the high walls, which were getting closer and closer.
"We are close to the wall," Henning reported. "This is an uninhabited region."
"Looks like we completed the evacuation mission sooner than expected," Nanaba commented, giving the newcomers a sidelong glance. "Well, let's keep going south."
"Why?" asked Ymir, "There are no more people in the south."
"We have to find the hole in the wall," Nanaba explained, looking over her shoulder. "We'll look for it near the wall, to the east."
"The south must be full of titans," Jean said. "What do we do if we run into them before we find the breach?"
"We climb the wall and search from there. We'll tie up the horses in a safe place and come back for them when we find the breach."
"What if it gets dark before we find it?"
Nanaba stared at him for a few seconds before answering:
"Then it will be a long night."
The rookies said nothing more and rode on towards the wall.
As they passed a lake, Krista could see a group of sheep grazing on the banks of the lake. In the group of sheep, she could see one that was different. A black sheep that stood out from the rest. As she passed by, the black sheep raised its head and bleated audibly at the sight of her before returning to graze.
A small, sadly amused smile formed on Krista's lips at the curious sight as she brought a hand to the goggles hanging from her neck and gave them a slight squeeze.
Looking over her shoulder, it wasn't hard for Ymir to tell what she was thinking. Or more precisely, who.
"Krista..." She called softly, so the veterans couldn't hear her. "If things get ugly, don't hesitate to run."
Krista turned to look at her, slightly surprised.
"What, you want me to run? Ymir, all of humanity is going through a critical moment right now!"
"And that's why you have to do everything to save yourself!" Ymir replied vehemently in a whisper, "Now is not the time to play the hero!"
Nearby, Jean looked at them out of the corner of his eye as he listened to their conversation, but said nothing.
"Ymir... I want to do my best here," Krista said. "That's why I decided to enlist, that's why I joined the Scouts! But you didn't do it for yourself, but for..."
"Huh?! Are you saying I did it for you?"
"Then why are you here? Why did you...?" Krista pursed her lips, which trembled slightly, reflecting the sadness she felt. "Why didn't you accept Victor's offer to join the Garrison Troop and work for his father? If you had, you wouldn't be here on the front lines facing the titans. You tried so hard to convince me to join the Garrison, but you didn't hesitate to join the Scouts when I decided to."
Ymir was silent for a few seconds as she rode on, her eyes resting for a second on the goggles Krista wore around her neck before looking ahead.
"Why are you doing so much for me?" Krista pressed.
'Ymir, make sure you keep her safe! No matter what!'
"Because I promised him..." Ymir replied quietly before turning to her and speaking confidently. "Calm down, Krista. I'm here of my own free will. Everything I've done so far, I've done because I wanted to."
"I see..." Krista said quietly, a relieved smile on her face. "That sounds like something you would do. I'm glad about that. I'm glad that you are still you."
Ymir didn't know how to react. She looked at Krista and felt confused.
'Keep her safe! No matter what!'
She tightened the reins of her horse. His words echoed in her mind, almost as if she had heard him again. Even with the titans threatening humanity, there was only one life she cared about right now. She was the only thing she had left, and she would hold on to it.
No matter what...
The Karanese district was in absolute chaos.
Anarchy reigned in the streets as panicked citizens fled to the inner gate, leaving all their belongings behind. The only thing that mattered to them at the moment was their own lives.
Petra could not blame them. After all, it had been less than 15 minutes since she, Gunther and Oluo had sounded the alarm that had sent everyone into a panic.
Wall Rose had fallen.
That had been the message that Thomas, a fellow Scout, had given them at the headquarters five hours ago. Since then, they had scoured all the surrounding villages until they reached the Karanese district, where they had stayed to supervise the evacuation of the civilians and then escort them to the Stohess district in Wall Sina. With any luck, given the large number of people being mobilized, they would arrive by nightfall.
From her position at the top of the wall, she scanned the horizon eerily. Only instead of looking towards the territory of Wall Maria, she looked towards the territory of Wall Rose, expectantly in case she saw any titans. It was unlikely, considering that Squadron Leader Mike had reported seeing the titans on the southwest side, but she would keep an eye out anyway. She hadn't survived several years with the Scouts because of her optimism.
"Hey, guys..." Gunther spoke a little hesitantly, catching the attention of his companions. "Do you think Captain Levi no longer trusts our abilities?"
Petra and Oluo looked at him confused.
"Why do you think that?" Petra asked. "It's obvious that he still trusts our abilities. We are in the Levi Squad for a reason."
"Then why didn't he trust us to escort the Female Titan to Stohess? Was it because we lost to her?"
"I didn't lose to her!" Oluo growled, crossing his arms. "I just... hit my head."
"So did I," Gunther pointed out in a bitter tone. "Face it. We weren't able to defeat the Female Titan... We were more of a burden than a help. Maybe that's why the Captain sent us here, to escort civilians instead of the enemy we couldn't stand up to."
Petra and Oluo didn't like Gunther's words, but they couldn't deny that he might be right. Even though they were members of the Levi Squad, the elite of the Scouts, they could not defeat the Female Titan.
After that, the three scouts remained silent and looked around from the top of the wall.
"This is terrible," Petra commented as she watched the people evacuate. "So many civilians leaving their homes... I don't think Wall Sina will be able to accommodate them all. Let alone have enough food."
Beside her, Oluo clucked his tongue.
"It's not like we have a choice," he said. "The titans have breached Wall Rose. Humanity's days are numbered."
Petra frowned at him, annoyed.
"Would it kill you to be a little more positive? Humanity has Eren's help now. Thanks to him, Trost didn't fall a month ago. If we find the breach and close it, Eren could close it again."
"Eren has proven to be a valuable ally," Gunther nodded in agreement. "We managed to recapture Trost, and thanks to his help, we even captured a shifter spy."
"And how many soldiers had to die for that?" Oluo asked in a harsh tone. "How many more soldiers will have to die to get Wall Rose back?"
"Oluo!" Petra scolded him harshly.
He looked away, clucking his tongue in annoyance, though his eyes betrayed the immediate regret he felt for what he had said.
"Every soldier knows that there are times when sacrifices are unavoidable, even sacrificing oneself if necessary," Gunther said solemnly, drawing the attention of his companions. "Before every expedition, I always think that it might be my last, that I might not return home to my family. And I... I thought I would die in that forest when we faced the Female Titan. But Lieutenant Alphonse saved me. He saved us. And he helped us capture the Female Titan, who will be able to give us the answers we've been looking for all these years."
His companions looked pensive and somewhat sad as they remembered their Lieutenant. The man who had welcomed them with open arms when they joined Levi Squad.
"And I plan to use the life he saved to help humanity survive, even if it's just one second longer," Gunther continued, determined. "I'll give my life without hesitation if it means getting Wall Rose back. That's the least I owe him."
Petra and Oluo watched him, amazed at his fervent determination.
Oluo crossed his arms and looked away.
"Don't try to act cool, dude. You still have a long way to go if you want to be as good a soldier as I am."
Petra gave Oluo a flat look.
"Are you still trying to imitate Captain Levi? Face it, Oluo, you'll never be like him."
"Petra, you should stop looking at me so much. I know you're in love with me, but now is not the time. We have a serious matter to discuss."
"Then act like one!" She snapped, impatient and annoyed. "This is no time for your delusions of grandeur!"
As Petra and Oluo continued to argue, the sound of hooks being embedded into the wall, along with the distinctive hiss of high-pressure gas being released, caught Gunther's attention. He turned to see two soldiers climbing the wall. Judging by the green cloaks they wore, they were both fellow Scouts.
Gunther raised an eyebrow in confusion, for he hadn't expected support for an evacuation on this part of the walls, considering they were there. But as the two soldiers approached, he opened his eyes in utter shock.
"No... That can't be..." he gasped as he recognized the tall blond man. "Lieutenant Alphonse..."
Petra and Oluo immediately stopped arguing and turned around, opening their eyes in shock to see Lieutenant Alphonse Dreyse and his younger brother Victor approaching them.
"L-Lieutenant..." Auruo muttered in obvious disbelief.
"You... You're alive..." said Petra, her voice trembling as a smile began to form on her face as she watched them. "You survived..."
The Lieutenant of the Special Operations Squad looked like he had come back from hell. His uniform was tattered, full of dirt and grime. He looked pale and had dark circles under his eyes, as if he hadn't slept for days. That wouldn't be surprising, considering he'd been in titan territory for two days.
"That remains to be seen..." Alphonse muttered, looking over his shoulder at the evacuating civilians. "It seems we've arrived at a rather... hectic time. Guys, while I'm glad you're okay, can you tell me what the hell is going on?"
Being the first to pull himself together, Gunther stepped forward.
"W-we have received a report from Squadron Leader Mike," he reported, still looking surprised to see his Lieutenant alive. "During his training with the rookies, he spotted titans in the southwestern region of Wall Rose. The Captain Levi has ordered us to evacuate the civilians to Wall Sina."
"Wait, the rookies?" Victor asked, stepping forward. "You mean the newly graduated Troop 104?"
Gunther glanced at the young cadet, who looked even worse than Lieutenant Alphonse. His cloak was in tatters and his trousers were somewhat torn. His face was full of scratches, but the cut above his left eye was the most noticeable, as it looked quite deep.
"Yes, they were the first to discover the titans. I guess they act as the first line of defense."
"That is, if they haven't already been killed by the titans," Oluo added, earning a nudge from Petra.
Victor's eyes widened in fear, and then he frowned.
"We must go and help them," he said. "We must delay the titans as long as possible so that the civilians can evacuate safely to Wall Sina."
"Victor..." Alphonse said quietly, placing a hand on his brother's shoulder. "I understand your concern for your comrades, but the Captain has given an order. The priority is to evacuate the civilians."
"It won't do any good if the titans arrive before everyone has evacuated to the inner districts!" Victor replies vehemently. "Most of the civilians are on foot, and they will be easy prey for the titans."
"Which is why we need to oversee their evacuation. We don't know if the titans have reached this point of the wall yet, but we cannot let our guard down with so many lives at stake. That's why you chose to become a soldier, isn't it? For the good of the people, of humanity."
Victor frowned, but he did not deny his brother's words, for they were true. As a soldier, it was his duty to protect civilians, to serve humanity. But he was also a comrade and above all a friend. He cared about his friends in the 104th who were fighting on the front lines. He wanted to be with them.
"The titans showed up in the southwest, didn't they?" Alphonse asked, looking at the Levi Squad members present. "Then the breach at Wall Rose will be there."
"Yes, that's what Thomas told us," Petra nodded. "He also told us that Mike and his squadron will be stationed at Utgard Castle as a defensive outpost."
"Knowing Mike, he will try to defend that place until he gets support or has to retreat..." Alphonse thought. "And I suspect that Erwin will try to use Eren's powers to close that breach as quickly as possible, just like at Trost. Where is the Commander now?"
"In Stohess. Captain Levi ordered us to meet him there."
"Stohess?" Victor asked confused. "Why there? The Ehrmich district is closer."
"Because... it is in Stohess that Commander Erwin and Hange have devised a plan to capture the Armored Titan and Colossal Titan."
Victor and Alphonse's eyes widened in surprise.
"The... The spy revealed their identities?" Victor asked, sounding somewhat hesitant. "Where is she now?"
Oluo clicked his tongue in annoyance.
"No, she didn't say anything," he said with obvious disgust. "And don't try to hide her identity, brat. We know that Titan bitch is your little girlfriend. Which, if you ask me, is pretty suspicious."
Victor frowned and stepped forward.
"What the hell are you implying?"
"I'm just saying that it's quite a coincidence that the Wall Rose fell, and the titans came the day after we captured the Female Titan. And now you're here, her boyfriend, wondering where she is. Quite a coincidence, don't you think, brat?"
Victor clenched his fists and scowled.
"Oluo, you're out of line," Petra scolded. "There's no way that Victor has anything to do with this or that he's in league with the Female Titan. Are you forgetting that it was he and Captain Levi who captured her?"
"Yes, don't you remember?" Victor asked, smiling mockingly. "Oh, right, you don't remember. After all, I was the one who pulled her out of her titan while you were busy taking a nap."
Oluo definitely hadn't expected this reaction from the young cadet.
"You little shit...!"
"Enough," Alphonse interjected, looking at both of them sternly. "Oluo, I understand your skepticism, but Victor has nothing to do with this attack, no matter what kind of relationship he had with the Female Titan. After all, he and I spent the last two days in titan territory fighting our way back to the Wall."
"More like I was fighting while you were hiding," Victor said quietly, though everyone could hear him.
"Shut up, you insolent midget," Alphonse spat in irritation before looking seriously at the members of Levi's Squad, especially Oluo. "If you doubt my little brother's loyalty, then you doubt mine as well."
Oluo stepped back and lowered his head with a sour expression on his face.
"I... I'm sorry, sir."
"Well. Now is not the time for arguments or accusations. We must evacuate all these people to Stohess and meet with Erwin and Levi. Once we do that, we will know how to deal with this threat. Erwin will have a plan by the time we get there. So I need you to stay focused and work together."
Petra and Gunther nodded without hesitation, happy to have their Lieutenant back. Victor and Oluo looked at each other, still a bit annoyed, but finally nodded reluctantly.
"Okay, let's go."
The Scouts followed the orders of their superior officer to the inner gate, where all civilians had already started to evacuate towards the inner walls, either in carriages, on horseback or on foot. Once on horseback, the soldiers began to advance as quickly as possible, moving along the left flank, for if the titans were to appear, it would be from the west.
Victor had not expected to find such a situation when he finally reached the walls. He had come out of one hell to enter another, but there was no time to rest. He felt his heart pound with worry as he thought of his companions, his friends, who were at the front.
He only hoped that he would arrive in time to help them.
...
..
.
And that's all for now, dear readers!
How did you like the start of the second season? This is the beginning of the Attack on Titan arc, I hope you're excited.
The final chapter of Attack on Titan inspired me to start writing the second season, along with the insistence of some more enthusiastic readers of my story. I love you guys.
As always, I invite you to leave a comment or send me a message on Discord, my username is jkalex5085#0.
Anyway, with nothing more to say... See you next time!