Chapter 29: The Beast Titan

For just over a century, humanity had lived in blissful ignorance within the Walls, Maria ,Rose and Sina ,safe from the threat of the human eating giants called Titan. Until one day, in Shinganshina District, the Colossal and the Armored Titan had appeared, breaching the Wall Rose. Humanity had been reminded of the threats they had forgotten for so long. Five years later after the tragic incident, humanity discovered that their foes were amongst them humans, in the district of Stohess, the Military Police, The Recon Corps and the Wolfpack paramilitary forces had captured their first Titan spy: Annie Leonhardt-The Female Titan.

The Military Police struggled to put Annie onto a cart with the wired net and three sets of rope to secure to it. The cart was then connected to two horses. The Military Police were so occupied with their work that did not notice the eyes of the discontented scouts. None of the Scout Regiment could swallow the fact that the fruits of their labours were being snatched away by their most hated rivals. How could they not? They had sacrificed the most, all the time and lives they had invested in capture the Female Titan so that a noble woman could take their prisoners whisl contributed little to nothing in the plan.

"Gleaves, you stay." Ingham thrown Gleaves his rifle which the second ranked Top Beta caught. John Ingham instructed as he was dangling by the carriage's door he was about to enter .

"What ? I'm not coming to the Castle?" Gleaves slung the rifle back to his back

"Not until evening. You stay and reassure the Survey Corps that we will keep our ends of the bargain. That's we will let them know when we get Leonhardt out." Ingham motioned to the displeasured Scouts. "They look rather tense right now. Let them know we're their friends."

"Understood, you can count on me ,John." Nodded Gleaves as he turned to approach Hange.

"Okay, lads ,let's move. Castle Jutnar's not far from Stohess ,we'll be there and back in time for dinner!"Ordered Nile, the cart which contained Annie begun to move with MPs escorted it on either horsebacks or carriages, heading out of Stohess. "Move it!"
"Commander Nile, may you join me?" Ingham pointed into his carriage before entering it himself. The commander said a brief prayer and sprinted into the said carriage and closed the door behind him.

As the carriage's door closed,it moved. Nile nervously sat down in front of Ingham, who was cleaning his glasses. The silence in the carriage made Nile sweated ,regardless how relaxing the sound of the wheels rolling on cobblestones was.

"About the paperwork. . . . ." Ingham put his glasses back on, he wanted Nile to finish the sentence.

"I'd told you, the Recon Corps must have got into the archive before we could update it!" Replied Nile

"And Gohan's paying the price because of such lateness." Ingham rubbed his hand on his beard, his calm mask couldn't hide his dissatisfaction . "He's now being treated as the monsters out there, by the people he trusts the most."

"You have a lot of faith in him, haven't you?" Asked Nile, who wanted to punch himself in the face for asking such question.

"We do." It would make Nile more comfortable should Ingham made his anger noticeable ,because the Beta composure only tensed him more and more. "Erwin and his posse are getting the wrong idea. Do you know that?"

"What?" Puzzled Nile.

"To win with this war we don't need to understand the Titans or having equal power to the Titans. What humanity need is not a man who can transform into a Titan. What we need is an overwhelming power to our enemies. We need ten thousands Titans and more in the shape of one man. An one man army!"

"And you believe that one man is Gohan?" Nile just wanted to slap himself in the face for that question.

"We don't believe he is. We know he is. What you have seen at Trost is merely a fraction of his full potential. Which we believe that he can't reach it by staying with those idiots." Nile smile was cut short when the Beta finish saying. "Or with you."

"Sir, allow me to ask, if we don't need to understand the Titans, why you must insist on taking Annie Leonhardt?" Okay ,now I'm going too far, shut up,Nile.

"It's ethical ." Despite Nile's worries, the question didn't seem to upset Ingham. "We still need to minimize casualties on our upcoming victory."

Hange reluctantly watched the Military Police took her prisoner away ,they dispatched too many people to escort the cart which contained Annie Leonhardt's scrystalised body. Just by counting the carriages alone,there were twelve of them either leading in front of or following behind Annie. She obviously doubt that Lady Winters could do what the Survey Corps unable to do, extracting the Female Titan from the crystal that was so hard even ultrahard steel couldn't break. She kept watching the convoy going further and further away from her and her comrade as if she were watching all her hopes and dreams dispearing. Her obversation was then cut shot when a pack of ciggaretes was shown in front of her.

"Want a fag?" Offered the tall, long haired Top Beta.

"No , thanks. I don't smoke." Refused Hange, she put both her hands on her hip to glare at Gleaves.

"Chill! You guys don't need to be so tense." Gleaves put a ciggarete in his mouth and light it with a match. "No worry! John is true to his words, we'll let you know when we get her out."

"I just thought if we get her we'll know more about the Titans. Then she covers herself in that thing!" Hange put her hands off her hips. "You sure you can get her out ?"

"Yeah, I believe the Lady will know what to do." Said Gleaves in a reassuring voice, he came up with a joke to try to cheer Hange up. "As long as she won't go as far as blow up at entire street." He recalled the Semtex explosion from earlier.

Their conversation was interrupted by the rumbles and gasping of the Scout near the Wall. Hange and Gleaves were puzzle at first, but then they got they answer by looking at what the Scouts were looking at . On the wall, there was a hole cracked, most likely by Annie Leonhardt when her crystalised Titan torso was sent on with the Semtex explosion. What terrified them weren't the hole but what they saw in it, a face of a skinless Titan peering down at them.

"Oooh, that is just fucked up!" Gleaves took three steps back when he identified the creature, in contrary of him, Hange rushed toward to the Wall.

"That's a Titan in the Wall!"

" It can't be!"

"Section Commander, your order?" Said a soldier when he saw Hange.

"Huh, oh what? Just ,hold on."Replied Hange, her surbodinate did not know that his commander was as clueless as him. She just had a chain of thought. She wondered whether the Titan was in there just because or it was there because of the theory she was brewing in her mind just now. She was going to theorize her answer until her chain of thought was cut off by a hand patting on her shoulder.

She startledly turn around to see Pastor Nick of the Wall Church,sweating and panting as he tried to make out a word.

"Whatever you do." The pastor could not help panting to properly speak. "Don't let any… Don't let any sunlight touches that thing."

"Huh?"

It took longer than the scouts expected to seal the hole, two straight hours. The Scouts and surprisingly, with the help of Top Beta Herman Gleaves , covered the exposed Titan by sewing sheets of cloth together. The sheets were then secured by pulleys on top and bottom of the Wall . The person who was most likely to know the answers to everyone's question,Pastor Nick, however, just simply observed them.

Just after finishing the work, Gleaves was completely speechless after what he had seen, he joined Hange , Pastor Nick and some of the scouts on top of the Wall. He offered some of the scouts some ciggaretes which some of them probably needed them after the Titan in the Wall ,so a few accepted the offer. Saying nothing more, the Top Beta lit his own cigarette and smoked quietly.

"Now, it's about time you start to talk." Said Hange to pastor Nick who was on his four,looking down on the sheets to make sure there was no gap for the light to get in. "What of this Titan doing in the Walls? And why did you people hold on to this secret all this time?"

Ignoring Hange's question the priest stood up on his feet, demanded "I have work to do! My church and my people have been devastated ! This is all on you! I'll ask for retribution! Now, get me down this instant!"

"Roger that!" Hange grabbed on Nick's collar and held him at the edge of the Wall "It's straight down an option?"

"Commander!" her surbodinates tried to intervene.

"Stay back!" Ordered Hange, the scouts complied but averted their eyes to Gleaves to signal him to intervene ,but the Wolf responded by sitting and continued to inhale and exhale his cigarette . "That's enough! Do you have any concept of how many Scouts have laid down their lives fighting these monsters? More than you can count!" If the scouts had never seen Hange angry before, they did now. "They died fighting for your freedom! I was with them! I was willing to lay down my own life!Now, you can explain,or you take the plunge."
Hange shook Nick so hard everyone thought he was going to fall any moment. "Your choice. I can always move on to the next blowhard .Matter of fact,they'd probably know more than you anyway. Why am I bothering?"

"Let go! Unhand me!" Demanded Pastor Nick.

"That's what I had in mind."Replied Hange.

"Do it ,then!"

"Don't call my bluff."

"Please, don't." Pled a soldier.

"You think I'm afraid to die in the service of my belief?" Pastor Nick spread his arms and leaned toward the edge. "We fulfill our duty whatever the cost! I don't care! The Lord is my shepherd! Let his humble servant fall!Lord, grant release."

Hange looked deep into the zealot's eyes and tightened her grip, the pastor groaned in response and closed his eyed, waiting for his execution. To his and everyone surprise , she threw him back inside to safety.

"Lighten up! Just messing around!" Giggled Hange as she sat down at the edge and dangled her leg down the walls. "Just tell me, Pastor Nick, are all the walls made of Titans? At least tell me that much."

"If that's the fact. Then throwing myself off from this wall doesn't seem to be a bad idea." Gleaves approached Hange and threw the lit cigarette down the wall and sat by her. "With all the lucks in the world, before I hit the round, I'd wake up in my nice, soft bed. I wouldn't mind if there a talking donkey laying by my side. That's be much easier to process than this BULLSHIT!"

"Mr Gleaves, isn't it?" Hange had almost forgotten about his present. "Are you going to report this to your Lady?"

"Yeah, I will." Answered Gleaves, he offered her a cigarette and a match box, which this time she accepted. "Even if I won't, someone else will, the Lady has her sources."

"Will she be better at prying the information out of that guy better than I did?" Hange lit the cigarette

"Hopefully." Again , their conversation was cut short when a bell started ringing. "What is that for? I'm rather unfamiliar with it."

"THE TITANS HAVE BREACHED WALL ROSE!"

TWELVE HOURS EALIER

SOUTH OF WALL SINA.

When Mike told Ilse Langnar that his and her squads were going to do some surveillance on recruits, she got curious. When Mike came into details that Commander Erwin had gone suspicious on those recruits, that he had theorized that some them could have been Titans amongst them, she got intrigued . However, her curiosity and intrigue vanished the moment she saw the recruit, and replacing those feelings were doubts and discomfort ,for one of those recruits was Gohan Son, the Angel of Trost. Why? She asked in her mind. Of all people, why him? Has Erwin gone mad?.

The recruits were gathered in the Wall Rose Outpost's mess hall. The majority of them committed themselves in games of chess, like Reiner and Berthold . The others simply just sat still boredom, resting their chins on their hands like Connie and Sasha. But those recruits barely interest Isle, she focused on Gohan from the door she was guarding . Ilse did not know why she felt so uneasy when she looked at him, whether of his injuries- which bandages had cover the right half of his body, or just the thought that he could be a Titan. Gohan, unaware of the eyes that watched , was feasting on his meal, the large size potion with bread and boiled potatoes. She shook the thought out of her mind, No way, the person who had saved countless lives back in Trosts, the boy who had killed a large number of Titans with unprecedented enthusiasm, the man who had fought the Female Titan singlehandedly and almost died for it could not be the Armored Titan or the Colossal Titan that responsible for millions of deaths. It was a mistake, it must have been, the Commander and the Survey Corps must have mistaken.

"Y'know, my village happens to be just a little bit south of where we are now." Connie remarked boringly , Sasha and Connie was just resting their elbows on the table, and their head rested on hands. Connie and Sasha been looking out the windows in this position in boredom since they entered the room.

"Yeah?! The town where I'm from's pretty close too." Replied Sasha.

"Why can't I go see my people?" Sighed Connie "Maybe I'll just sneak out after dark."

"My people told me not to bother coming back home till I'm normal, so ... there's that." Commented Sasha.

"Hm. Well, folks where I grew up always tried to tell me I was too puny to be a soldier." Remarked Connie with a smile "No question I had the brains for it. I was top ten in my class, actually. Somebody's gonna be eatin' their words, that's a promise."

"Connie , I'll lend you a hand if you really want to go!" Reiner's voice intercepted them.

"You're serious? Why?"

"This does not feel odd for you?" Reiner left the table and headed to the window "We're on standby

in our plain clothes. They won't let us wear our uniforms. We can't even train."

"Not to mention the biggest elephant in the room." He continued. Reiner averted his eyes to the bandaged up Angel of Trost who was munching on his food. "Gohan. Fucking Gohan! The man can't even walk properly. Why would our superiors want to put a wounded on standby with us? That makes no absolute sense!"

"I think they want him to train us with our Ki, man." Answered Connie . " Do you know that Mikasa can do a Solar Flare now? That's sick! Bet they want us to be able to pull that off, too."

"Are you even listening?" Reiner returned to his seat "We can't even train. Why the hell is he here?"

Bored and indifferent from the conversation, Sasha groaned and put her head on the table, most likely to take a nap but then something got her attention. The potato girl heard a series of multiple thuds on the ground, as her experience as a hunter she quickly identified them as distant footstep.

"Uh ,guys . I thinks I'm hearing footsteps!" She jolted back from the table.

The entire room took their mind of what they were doing and look at her.

"What?" Asked Connie.

"Titans." The entire room were taken back by Gohan's answer. The Monkey Boy already dropped his food and struggled to stood up with his crutch. "Dozens of them. Heading this way!"

"What ? You can't be serious Gohan! That's only possible if Wall Rose is breached." Said Reiner, accompanied by few recruits in the mess hall.

"Ilse!" The guard already surprised by Sasha and Gohan's statement, was taken aback when Gohan limbed toward her. "Did Levi or Erwin brief you about my energy sensing ability?"

"Energy what?" Gasped Connie.

"Yeah, yes, Erwin did." Confirmed Ilse, the Gohan motioned to recruit, indicated her to explain to them . "Guys, Gohan can sense energy, Titans and Humans' alike."

Then the whole room rumbled with discussion and whispers ,if Gohan's tail did not already make him a freak to them then his Ki abilities must had.

Before anymore panic ensued ,Nanaba landed on their window.

"Is everyone here?" She asked.

"Yes." Answered Ilse, she knew why her comrade was here. "Gohan already told us about the Titans."

"So it's true?!" Nanaba recalled of the Commander's briefing on Gohan's ability. "Gohan Son, you're full of surprises!"

"There's no time to suit up with your ODM gear. I want everyone on a horse." Continued Nanaba "Get Son into the inner wall and evacuate every home and settlement in the area. Get to it."

"Roger that! Braun , you'll carry Gohan." Replied Ilse.

"Objections on getting me to the inner walls." Gohan shocked everyone with his word.

"What?" Puzzled Nanaba.

"Are you insane?" Protested Ilse, her following words were agreed upon by everyone except Gohan. "There's no way we're gonna get you stay in this warzone. You're in no shape to fight."

"No doubt! But I'm the only one who can sense energy here, injured or not. It's a bad idea to remove a far-range Titan Detector when the Regiment's rule of engagement is to avoid Titans."

Now the crowd started to agree on Gohan's argument, which did make sense.

"That's a good point! But we'll get to that later!" Nanaba remarked, but she lost her patience . "Everyone! Horses!Now!"

"Sasha , you can take Nimbus." Said Gohan, the Monkey Boy would have to take a back seat for the time being.

"I like that horse ,too." Commented Nanaba before she left.

Nanaba used her ODM gears to hover out the building of the recruits . She shot out a line and soared right onto the top of the building Mike was on.

The senior squad leader Mike Zacharius stared at the Titans moving to them from the horizon. Earlier, he already discovered them by the power of his unhuman nose. In a distance ,he already spot a number of abnormal Titans, if not all of them.

"Nine of them, in that horde ahead!" Instructed Mike when he noticed Nanaba .

"You know that Son already figured that out before you do?"

"Really? "Commented Mike "Godsdamn, Erwin never jokes! I bet he refuses to go to Sina ? "

"Yeah, the boy insists to stay with us . His abilities' gonna be handy." Nanaba replied, just before she got frustrated . "Why now? Why the gods chose now to be the time for Wall Rose to be breached? Why they picked the time Captain Levi's rival is battered to near death and before we know what those fucking things are to bring them here?"

She looked down on the recruits. They were all saddling up the horses. Ilse and one of her squadmates helped Gohan to move to the horse, which was already ridden by Reiner. Sasha Braus struggled to get the saddle on Nimbus, a horse one would kill for, the horse just refused to be ridden by anyone other than Gohan. The White horse accepted his new rider only when Gohan commanded him to do so, so Sasha settled on the suborn horse.

"It's not just bad timing . It's too late!" Frowned Nanaba as she knelt down . "Humanity has lost! This. Is. The. End!"

The moment of silent between the Scout and her Squad leader when she brought up her defeatism. But Mike had a different opinion.

"Like hell it is. We're not done. Like hell it is. Not yet." He walked back to face his subordinate "A person only loses when they give in. Remember that. As long as we keep putting up a fight,we haven't been beaten!"
He then pointed to Gohan.

"If that is too abstract for you. Look at Son, Levi's rival. The Angel of Trost is indeed battered to near death. But the boy is recovering. Though he is in no shape to fight, he still has a lot of tricks in his sleeves to make up for that. I've no doubt he would surprise us again."

Gohan could not figure which footsteps were louder, the Titans' or the horses'. Mike ordered everyone to ride out of the outpost almost immediately once everyone got themselves on their horses. Mostly ,everyone got their own horse, only Gohan and Reiner had to a share a horse since Gohan's condition disabled his riding ability. Gohan sat behind his buff comrade, discomforted about his own disability and the pain he got every time the horse moved.

" The second the Titans reach the woods, we'll split up." Ordered Mike. "I want four separate teams. Recruits and soldiers alike in each unit. When I give the signal, we'll scatter in all directions at the same time. Get the word out to civilians. Avoid contacts with the enemy. "

"Which one of you is most familiar with the area?" Again, Mike asked the caravan.

"Sir, me!" Sasha raised her hand without hesitation. "My hometown's just to the north of here! I know this region like the back of my hand!"
"The North is infested!" Sasha's heart sunk when Gohan interrupted her, it really didn't help her hearing her home was attacked by Titans. "I can still sense some human's life signals there but there also no fewer Titans' either. I think you should go with people who are well equipped. Proceed with cautions!"

"Don't worry, Gohan. We'll go with her." Replied Ilse before she looked back to her squad. "Barbara, Verena, Kathrin! You three and I will follow Braus to the North. Lelo ,you'll proceed with other teams."

" Yes, madam !" The horses' gallops did not mask Squad Ilse response.

"Wait, Gohan, you say you sense people's energies?" Connie realized something, and he felt it was utmost importance to ask Gohan about it. "What about the South? My village is there! Can you sense anyone?"

Instead of answers, all Connie could hear were horse hooves against the ground. The Monkey Boy was completely silent and he was closing his remaining eye while pressing his forehead to Reiner's back. It was obvious that he knew answer, he just did not want to spill it to Connie.

"God-fucking-damned it, Gohan! Answer me!" Spat Connie, if it was not for the Titans on their tails, Connie could have just turned his horse toward his tailed comrade.

"I'm sorry, Connie." Answered Gohan, it only took a deaf person not to hear how low his tone was. "I can't sense anyone there. The energies I'm sensing there are all Titans'."

"NO,NO,NO,NO,NO,NO! IT CAN'T BE!" Connie face paled in disbelief. "You must have mistaken! You can't be sure about that!"

"That's unlikely." Gohan covered his face with Reiner's back to avoid looking at his friend. Then he thought of something to comfort him. "Well , there's a possibility that the Human Ki is being overshadowed by the overwhelming power levels of the titans. That's the only hope."

"I'll take that chance! Sir, permission to join the Southern unit ?"

"Granted." Answered Mike, then he looked at Reiner, trying to see his passenger but the boy hid himself to well behind the big soldier.

"I'll go with you." Connie got startled when Reiner and Gohan approached him.

"Are you really going to bring him there? Where the Titans are?" The Monkey Boy ,however, disagreed with Connie's worries.

"I'll be fine! I will make sure we don't have to encounter a single Titan! That's what I'm here for."

"See? Good things that we have him, don't we?" Remark Reiner, then he turn to the one who was riding on his right "Berthold, you coming?"

"Of course!" It was unclear what would Berthold do if he knew that Gohan had noticed the fear and hesitation on his face. "Wouldn't miss it for the world."

"As you have already figured it out, today marks the darkest hour in humanity's history!" talked Nanaba, addressing their situation . "Look sharp. If ever do we needed to give our all, now's the time! Do not lose heart!"

Just as Nanaba finished her speech , the Titans gained themselves nearer to the caravan. They were in the range where the Monkey Boy wrenched when he sensed them so close.

"They've reached the woods! The enemy is on top of us!" Announced Gelgar to which Mike commanded.

"Scatters! Ride for everything you're worth!" The caravan split into four units, heading to four unit. Gohan bid farewell to Ilse when she and her squad joined Sasha to the Northern team and departed. Gohan, sitting behind Reiner, stayed with squad Mike and the Southern Team.

They did not have time to complement how well thought out Mike's plan was for when a few time later, in the forest that previously behind them now on their right flank, the Titans changed their paces and ran toward them, one Titan even jumped up from the ground.

"I couldn't sense how fast they are!" remarked Gohan.

"They're coming at us full tilt!"

"Holly shit!"

Mike turned his horse to the right ,breaking away from the group and head right toward the Titans. He had to do something in order to give his teammates more time or else they would be caught up by the man-eating humanoids giants.

"Gelgar! Take charge of the southern team! I'll borrow you some times!" Commanded Mike as he went.

"Sir! Don't!" Plead Gohan ,leaning his body toward the squad leader direction. "We can still outrun them! You don't know what you're facing!"

It was unknown if Mike did hear Gohan or not or he just ignored the Monkey Boy , The squad leader already gained some distances from the Southern Group. Unbeknown to him , however, that Gohan had sensed a massive Titan energy just behind the charging Titans, superior to all others.

"Crap basket! Reiner! We have to go after him! Bring him back !" Gohan pulled the back of his rider's shirt.

"Show some respect ,kid! You think you're the only one who can kills Titans?" Ordered Gelgar "The man killed many a Titans since before you joined the Corps."

"You don't understand! I sense a Titan amongst that horde whose power level is much much higher than the rest." Explained Gohan. "I don't know if he can handle that thing!"

"Hush now! He won't fight all of them. He's just gonna buy us some times then head back!" Assured Gelgar, he didn't doubt Gohan's Ki sensing, but he did think that the boy worries too much.

Mike stood on the back of his horse, he drawn his harness and sword out from their sheaves . The man dismounted and shot out a wire into a tree and let the gas helped him soars through the woods. He pivoted around a 13 meters Titan and made a clean cut across the creature nape ,blood splattered into the squad leader's jacket and vaporized instantly. Just before the dead Titan fell onto the ground ,he soared away and went right pass the remaining 8 Titans. He keep circling the Titans until he was sure that all 8 of them had their attention on. He shot another line and head to the direction opposite his dispatching comrades.

The Titans followed him as he intended. Mike shot two lines in to two trees ahead of him and let their retraction reeled him toward it. Zacharius averted his eyes around his surroundings, looking for a suitable place to properly use his 3D Maneuver Gears and he did. He noticed a large building complex to his right, but that was not the only thing he notice. A 6 meters Titan was only a foot from him and had reached its arm out to catch him. Mike nimbly slid between his enemy legs ,shot up two lines onto the Titan's back and made another clean cut to its nape when the gas propelled him to it. Two down.

It took no longer than Mike expected to enter the complex, so did the Titans. They spread out in different directions, surrounding the complex. Mike covered his face when launched through a window to protect himself from the broken glasses, he rushed to the upper floor right before he set his foot onto the ground. A 10 meters Titan, probably had seen him went in the building, leaned down to the broken window Mike went through. But its prey had already on the roof and sliced the damn thing's nape once he descended . The creature crumbled a great chunk of the building as it collapsed dead, the roof tiles above it lost it foot hold and broke down onto its carcass. Didn't have time to behold his kill, Mike shot his wires and soared to another roof.

"Don't know what I'm facing my ass!" Recalled him on what Gohan said.

He looked down on the other 10 meters,the creature looked upon him. It begun to try to climb the building ,keeping its eyes on the scout. Mike soared forwards ,the Titan's eyes followed him when he went behind it and it was its eyes that got stabbed when its entire body turned to him. Mike hopped on the top of the yelping Titan's head and jumped on the tiles behind it. With a quick and an abundantly waves of his blades, steam started to pour out of the back of its neck. Four down.

Four more to go. Mike cracked his neck just before he shot out two wires from his ODM Gears and soared toward a 14 meters titan . The gas bursted when the thing attempt to grab him, he used its arm as platform to rush to the Titan neck, with a quick turn, he severed the nape before the Titan could counter him. Finishing the filthy firth Titan, he retreated to a rooftop and took a breather.

"Four left!" He looked to his left, an Abnormal Titan leaned onto his building. He intended to rush but then he disregarded. 'No, let's not risk it. I've bought us more than enough time. Should save some gas and blades,too. S'time to bail on horseback!'

He then put his blades back to their sheaves and put his fingers to his mouth and whistled for his steed. However, by looking at the abnormal on his right, from afar, reminded him of his concern. The Titan was over seventeen meters tall and covered with fur, like an ape. It was probably the first time that he, no anyone saw any Titan that had hair covered most of its body. It was more concerning that the creature just wandering around by the trees instead of charging him like the rest. Mike wondered if Gohan was in his best state, could he handle that Abnormal? Obviously, the boy could have since the only reason the Female Titan survived the last expedition because Erwin preferred otherwise.

Then a neigh interrupted his chains of thought, his horse emerged from the woods. The steed galloped to its rider direction .

"Ah. There you are. Looks like I won't have to hold out for sundown after all."

Just before the horse entered the complex's vicinity the horse neighed in agony when the Beast Titan grabbed it.

"IT WENT FOR THE HORSE?" Mike eyes widened as he gasped. He unsheaved his swords again, ready for combats. "Aw, come on!"

The blond squad leader didn't have time to react when the Beast Titan thrown his horse at him. The horse whinnied when it collided with Mike. The now stunted Mike rolled down from the roof, the tiles followed him when he was knocked out of the building. A large-eyed 3 meters Titan lurking below caught him and he screamed in pain as it clutched it jaws on his feet.

"WAIT!" The Big Headed Titan gave Mike a moment of relief when it halted itself from nibbling on his knees. Mike watched in terrors as the Beast Titan knelt down near him, at this time Mike could take a closer look to its monkey-like facial features.

Mike's fearful observation didn't last for long as the 3-meters bit down on his legs the second time, crushing his lower limbs this time and he screamed in agony.

"What're you doing now?" Irritated the Beast Titan ,he laid his hand on the 3-meters' head and proceed to crush it,so hard that the creature's eyes popped out. "I said WAIT!"

Freed from the Titan's teeth, Mike slid down from its mouth. But with his crushed legs, his only option was to take his breath and wait for his demise.

"May I ask what you call that strange weapon of yours?" Mike gasped when he heard that the Titan talked ,the terrorized scout became completely speechless. "The thing attached to your waist that allows you to fly."

Once again, the response from Mike was just stammerings and a terrorized look on his face.

"Huh. I'm quite sure we do speak the same language. Perhaps you're too frightened to formulate a response?" Mike's terror confirmed this assumption as the Beast Titan scratched its head. "I notice you also use swords. Fascinating. Must mean you know we reside in the nape."

"Well, I suppose I'll just take it with me." Mike curled himself into a ball and covered his head when the Titan reached his hand toward him. But the beast just removed the ODM Gear from him.

Curled up in despair , Mike prayed for the Titan to go away . Then he recalled on the words he said to his subordinate Nanaba earlier that morning.

"As long as we keep putting up a fight,we haven't been beaten!"

He rose on his injured feet, he raised his sword and stepped toward the Beast Titan who was leaving.

"AHHHHHHH!" He let out a war cry which he instantly regretted .

"OH,YOU CAN MOVE NOW!" The other three Titans started to move when the Beast Titan ordered.

"No!NO! NO!"

""Sir! Don't! We can still outrun them! You don't know what you're facing!" As when panic turned into hope,then hope reeled him back to despair, Gohan voice went through his mind and replaced all Mike fear into shame.

"Should've listened to the kid." On his final moment ,his calmness regained, the squad leader pressed his blade onto his neck. He took the easy way out before the Titans could feast on him.

"No!No!No!No!No!" Exclaimed Gohan, he has been keeping track on Mike's energy when the squad leader left. But now,when the Titans' surrounded Mike's ,the squad leader's Ki suddenly vanished.

"What is it? Do you sense something,Gohan?" Asked Nanaba.

"No, it's something I can't!" Answered Gohan.

"What isn't?" Reiner turned back to look at his passenger.

"Mike. I can no longer sense his Ki!"

If the scouts' jaws could drop down to the ground, they would be tripped from their horse. They had too few information on energy sensing, but expressed from the early conversation between Gohan and Connie, they could guess that nothing was good when Gohan couldn't sense someone.

"What? Does that mean?" Asked Lynne.

"No way! He can't be!" Spat Gelgar, he refused to believe what on his squad's mind. "You need to shut it, Gohan Son."

"Gohan's energy sensing never wrong, so far." Gelgar was about to yell at Henning for such comment but then he was interrupted by Connie.

"That's my village! Up ahead!" Connie sped up his horse ,cutting himself off from the team.

"Wait,Connie! Slow down! Get ahold of yourself! Wait for us!" Reiner called out for Connie just before he turned to Gohan. "How many Titans can you sense in there?"

"Just one! Still, better catch up with him!" Gohan held tight on Reiner.

"Hold tight, then!"Reiner accelerated.

"I already have!"

Gohan was right,though Connies still disapproved it even though he saw himself. His village had been devastated, none of the houses he saw were intact. He rode from streets to streets, hoping to find a sign of human life . Distraught by the devastation of his hometown, he stopped and screamed at the top of his lung in a hope for an answer.

"Anyone? Is anyone here? It's me! It's Connie! I'm back!"

No answer.

"My house!" He turned his horse to a road ,he intended to ride straight in to his house then a hand held on to his horse reins ,pulling him back.

"Wait, Connie!" Though it was Reiner that held him back, it was Gohan who spoke. "There's a Titan in that direction. It's best we wait for ODM details to get here before we proceed."

"A Titan? That's where my house is!" Reiner had to forced Connie back again when he attempted to move.

"There's no Human Energy in this village. Just wait for the rest of the team to get here. It's no harm to proceed by then."

Sasha recalled the life in her village three years ago. She had been eating from the family winter rations. Her father asked her one he had saw her eating if she ever wondered why their life had been changing so much. That their hunters and gatherers way of life was fading away. She told him that the influx of new people from Wall Maria had been taking their game from the forest. Her father had to explain to her that those people of Wall Maria had no other choice. Sasha had always blamed the refugees for their loss of livelihood. Her father agreed, bitterly, that clearing forests and planting fields fed more people than hunting as their family had done for generations. He had considered leaving their old way of life behind and taking up horse breeding, changing their ways to meet the needs of the many. Sasha had opposed it, what would she have become if she and her people no longer hunt. But father had told her something that later on Gohan told everyone, that we couldn't hold on to our selfish belief and endanger other and ignore the foreseen threat.

"You sure you want to come with me, ma'am?" Sasha asked the rider behind her.

"Of course!" answered Ilse. "Gohan said the North is infested. There's no hell damned way that I would let an unequipped recruit march alone into the hellzones."

"Thanks, ma'am"

Suddenly , Gohan's horse,Nimbus which Sasha was riding slower its pace. Seeing this, Ilse also slowed down. Then the white horse stopped and sniffed on the ground.

"What the hell is wrong with that horse?" Remarked Ilse.

"Hey, what's wrong,Nimbus? You saw something? Let's just get back to that later, shall we?" Sasha petted on Nimbus neck to try to calm it, until she saw what the horse was sniffing at. "Ma'am!"

Ilse got closer to see what the two were looking at, then she drawn her sword when she realized it was Titans' footprints on the ground, they were all leading to where they were heading to.

"I'll take the lead from now on! Keep all your eyes peeled!" Sasha nodded at the orders. "Let's go!"

Ilse rushed her horse forward and continued her ride, to which Sasha followed.

"Nimbus, go!" Sasha almost fell off the horse when the beast went in full speed. "Woah!"

The riders went on full speed to their destination, eager to warn and help the civilians in need where the Titans whose footprints they have found were going to. Sasha reassured herself that her father was an experienced hunter who would certainly figure out what was wrong. In the best scenario ,Sasha's father would warn the villagers of the danger and get them to safety.

But in the worse scenario.

She saw a village ,it was not her village ,this one was new. It must had been established while she was away in her trainings.

"This one is a new one." Informed Sasha to her superior.

"It's a scattered village!"Replied Ilse.

As they enclosed to the town, the encountered the village's gate bridge ,which was half-lowered. Using the momentums of their horses, Ilse and Sasha jumped they horses through the ramp. They tracked the footprints deep inside the villages, which split into two directions, so there were proofs that there were more than one.

"Stick together!" Instructed Ilse, she pointed to the footprint led to a house.

They strided their horses to where the footprint led them, the door was opened ,so they could see clearly the situation inside. A 3-meters Titan was chewing on a woman's leg and her daughter sat quietly in shock. The two scouts decided to tied up their horses before they could make a move.

"Ahhh!" Screamed Ilse as she made a quick work on the Titan. "Braus ,check on the girl! We're getting them both to the horses!"

"Yes, ma'am!" Sasha rushed to the little girl and carried her out of the house. "You and your mother are safe! You'll be fine!"

Sasha got the girl near the horse before she put her down on her feet. It was when she started untying Nimbus that Ilse carried the mother out.

"Can you untie mine two? Both my hands are quite busy." Asked Ilse, but her question sounded like an order more than a question.

Nodded Sasha , she finished untying Nimbus then carried on to Ilse's. But at the exact moment she freed it, Ilse's horse became unruly, it whinnied and got onto it hind legs, startling Sasha back. Ilse looked around to check why her horse became like that , then she saw them. Four Titans came out from the streets, they varied in sizes from 3 to 7 meters. Ilse's horse couldn't stand it anymore, it ran off, Sasha tried to rein it back just to be pulled into the muds.

"No, no, please come back! This can't be happening!" She jumped as she helplessly watched the horse got further and further.

"Oh ,craps! Nimbus can't carry all four of us!" Ilse put the mother gently to the ground, just to find out that Nimbus also ran off. "Oh, come on!"

But,Sasha and Ilse failed to anticipated Nimbus' intentions. He charges towards a 3-meter Titans and rammed it, knocking it on its back. Sasha and Ilse rubbed their eyes from what they have seen and proceeded to gasp when the animal did it again with another 3-meter before retreating back to them.

"I. . . I've never seen a horse did that before." Said Sasha

"That thing's a keeper!" Exclaimed Ilse ,before she realized what she had to do. "Oh, gods. Of course. Sasha, get those two on the horse. Walk it out of here."

"On it." Complied Sasha as she rushed to the mother.

Ilse shot up a line to the rooftops, and exceeded herself on it to get a better look on the enemies. There were two 3-meters Titans which Nimbus has knocked out, which mean she had time to deal with the 5-meters and the 7-meter before the other two recovered. She shot another line and charged at the 7-meters and detached the back of its neck from its body.

"Behave, Nimbus. Behave!" if it wasn't for her military physical training ,she would be struggling to put the lame legged woman onto the horse but thankfully, she managed to sit her in the front. Then to the child, it took her little efforts to put her to the back. She then grabbed the reins on Nimbus and led it out of the village.

The 5-meter walked toward Langnar, in response she crouched down and severed its left foot. She doubled back and shot two line on his chest and pulled it toward her to make sure it would fall on its face. She then ejected to the sky and slashed at the exposed nape as she fell down. Suddenly, a gigantic hand grabbed her, said hand was quickly severed to the ground as she still had her hands free. The 3-meters held it stump and screamed in agony . Both 3-meters Titan had recovered from their collision with Gohan's mighty steed.

"You're not dealing with an average , journal writing Ilse Langnar anymore !" Ilse challenged her contenders.

Sasha was joyfully leading Nimbus and the mother and daughter on the way out of the village, that she made a dead stop. The bridge in front of her has blocked their way, there was no way they could jump pass the semi-lowered bridge in their current capacity. Sasha put her hands on temples and let out a muted scream.

"I totally forgot about this thing."And then a grapple-hook resolved her problem , Ilse landed on the bridge railing and cut off the rope holding the bridge up, lowering it completely.

"Ilse, you finished the Titans?"
"Yeah, it was easier than I thought!"

"You've saved us!" Said Sasha thankfully.

"Hey, don't discredit yourself! You had at least a hand in it!" A sound rumbled behind Ilse that got her attention, but then she calmed down when she realized it were horses, a lot of them. "Looks like cavalry's here. Literally!"

Sasha rejoiced when she saw a group of civilians riding toward them. And she was even more rejoiced when she saw who their leader was, her father,Atur Braus.

The Southern Team march onward to the direction of Connie's House with a steady pace, by Gohan's warning of a Titan ahead, the veteran soldiers all drawn the sword in high combat readiness.

'Dad. Mom. Sunny and Martin! Please just be okay.' Connie inner thoughts were cut off when Gohan asked him.

"You say your house is right ahead?"

"Yeah!"
"That's where the Titan is." Reiner unwittingly response to Gohan 's words by looked back at him, he slowered his pace .

"Then you should be far away from it. Not in your condition." Reiner's word put salt into the Monkey Boy's mental wound.

"No worries, its power level is below average." Replied Gohan. "And it hasn't moved, so far."

"It could be an Abnormal . I'll do some recons on the area." Said Nanaba , she used her ODM gear to ejects herself forwards. Her eyes widen when she got to the house. "What the-?"

Connie and his squadmates arrived at his house to see a Titan lying on its back atop the collapse ruins. Its limbs was too small, they were too slim to make any movement possible.

"What the hell? This is new." Said Lynne when she saw the monstrousity.

"Can it move?" Asked Gelgar.

"Not with those legs." Lynne indicated to the Titan petite limbs.

"But... then... I don't understand. How did it even get here?" Puzzled Gelgar when he noticed the location where the Titan was. "Son, you have any explanation?"

"I'm as clueless as you are. My energy sensing only tells me the 'Where' and the 'What'. The 'How' is beyond me." He explained, then he turned to Connie. "Your house, Connie?"

"Go on! Gohan! Say it!" Said Connie angrily.

"Pardon?"Gohan's question was immediately by Connie's glare.

"Say 'I told you so'. I know you want to!"

"Woah, Connie. Hey, don't put this on Gohan. This is not his fault." Defused Krista ,she didn't expect Connie would be hostile to Gohan.

"I'm sorry, Connie. All I can say it I'm understand what you being through. I lost my family,too. Unknown of their well-being. And that I want you to keep your head strong, we've already lost Mike, can't lose you too." Gohan was more than sympathized with Connie right now, to be fair, Connie family were not lost into another dimension. "Reiner,can you get me down? Dismount me, I need to rest. Everyone does!"

Next chapter: Soldier

I was actually going to put Mike death off screen but then I think wouldn't be fair. So, I decided to change his fate a little bit, the manner of his demise to be precise by the power of Butterfly Effect.