Chapter 60: The Cost of Battle
Alphonse hugged the strap of his rifle close to him as he walked down the docks of Liberio; all around him an army of sailors, soldiers and workmen ran around; the urgency and clambering of hundreds maybe thousands of people on the main port of Liberio. Alphonse kept his head looking down, maybe it was to hide his face from them and prevent his discovery… maybe he just couldn't look at the faces of the people he devised to help kill.
"Is everyone in position?" Alphonse asked, whispering almost.
"They should be, battleships are being manned now" Onyankapon told him "If everything goes to plan then this will be a massive success." He then pointed forward "C'mon we should hurry, the ships will encircle the harbour. "
They started to jog, weaving through the different people while trying to keep their heads down; Alphonse tilted his head up slightly at the swarmed docks and flood of faces, he stared at their worried and serious faces for only a second. It made his stomach churn and his head hurt.
Just keep going… don't think about it…
Through the mass of faces, he saw a few familiar ones. Looking at him and then nodded their heads in acknowledgement before they boarded onto the large battleships docked.
Then there was an echo, a distant click, which caught everyone's attention. Alphonse turned his head to see, along with almost everyone in the harbour, as the flicker of fire peered over the buildings and the flash of thunder.
Alphonse clenched the strap of his rifle tighter as Onyankapon hurried him along "Quickly, we don't have a lot of time." Alphonse nodded his head as the continued to jog out of the harbour.
This is the best option…
As they slipped through, the crowd of sailors and soldiers now growing thinner and thinner as they entered the street surrounded by buildings. They continued to run; as they moved through, Marley troops passed them by. They were panicked as some ran down the street in shock, wounded being dragged down the street by their comrades or worse. Alphonse caught the familiar scent of cooked meat being carried through the air, as they continued their approach the smell grew unbearably stronger as he tried not to gag holding his breath.
The sound of a roaring fire almost drowned out everything else, except the sound of screams and crying from Marley soldiers that passed them by. As they passed a corner, Alphonse turned his head to see a scatter group of Marley soldiers in front of a large wall with the unmistakable scratching of alchemy on it; some sat on the group weeping into their hands, some stood looking at the wall like statues while few vomited onto the ground.
"Don't look, keep moving." Onyankapon urged "We have a job to do." Alphonse continued to follow him until they stopped at a small shop with blacked out windows, wedged in between two buildings. Straight down, Alphonse could see the walls of the internment zone. "This is the halfway point." He knocked on the door nine times.
The doors opened to reveal a group of scout soldiers pointing their guns at the door, quickly lowering it to the ground when they saw them. The two entered; the scouts quickly shut the door and assumed their defensive positions hiding behind cover as they pointed their guns at the door. "Captain Elric, Squad Leader Hange is at the lower levels." The scout said "The members of the alchemist battalion are back from their assignments with the other teams too."
"Good." Alphonse replied while letting out a sigh "Thank you." the scout saluted him as he quickly made his way to the basement, going down the stairs. The entire building was dark with only the slight light seeping through the windows. The basement was lit up by candles and a torch, standing by the large hole in the wall was Hange.
But standing but her side was a ten person line of people he had come to know well, the alchemists he had trained. He walked to first "Emma, good to see you're okay" he said to the woman standing "Jacob, good to see you survived too Isaac, Olivia…" he greeted them all, happy to see his students had made it through the battle. Then he searched the line again… "Where's Joseph?" They all suddenly turned solemn.
"Joseph… he was shot sir during a skirmish." Jacob replied.
Alphonse shut his eyes and clenched his fists tightly.
Why… why did this…
He felt a hand grab his shoulder and squeeze, he looked to see Hange next to him "I understand how you must be feeling, we can mourn the losses soon but we still have people depending on us." Hange turned to Onyankapon "Is everyone ready?"
"Yes, they should have infiltrated the battleships already." He replied "Once Erwin makes his appearance, the waves from the explosion should cover the harbour and push the ships in land." He turned to Alphonse "There should be a small hole above you when that happens, when water starts to rush out onto the floor then do your thing."
Alphonse nodded his head while looking at the ground "Yeah…" he replied weakly.
"This is for the best, Alphonse; the other options would put more innocent people's lives at risk." Hange assured him. "You should be proud of the idea you and Armin came up with."
Why should I be proud, I just wish we could have thought of something else….
"I know, thank you, Hange." He replied looking at her. She nodded her head back at him.
"The rest of the team should be at the evacuation point by now; with any luck they're on a boat heading to the ship right now." Hange stated. "The others and I will head to the other positions in this giant transmutation circle." Hange tapped Alphonse on the shoulder "Good luck, Al." Alphonse nodded.
Both Alphonse and Onyankapon jogged into the tunnel, dimly lit up by the glowing crystals from the Reiss chapel underground."Follow me, I know where the centre is." They passed through the tunnels, taking turn after turn until they came upon a tunnel with a line of rope on the ground. As they continued to jog through the sound of two people speaking echoed around the chambers before falling silent as Alphonse and Onyankapon's own footsteps interrupted them.
As they entered the conjoining tunnel, Alphonse turned to see children, probably just a bit younger than when he met his friends all those years ago standing before him; one was a girl dressed in nice clothes with long black hair covered in dust hiding her face, carrying a rifle in her hands. And the other a young boy standing next to her with light blond hair and honey coloured eyes, looking at him mouth agape.
"H-" the girl was about to say something before the boy covered her mouth.
"Si- si- sir, It's a honoured to mee- meet you." the boy stammered, as if he knew who Alphonse was, talking to him with the nervousness of how they would have greeted the President Bradley all those years ago.
"C'mon, Alphonse." Onyankapon reminded him grabbing his shoulder "Greet your followers another time." Alphonse flashed him a dirty look for the remark before continuing to follow him. As he looked back he saw those two children look back at him as he ran down the tunnel.
A small lone boat gently floated towards the harbour; Erwin, sitting on a small wooden box, could make out the buildings in the distance and the flickering of lights that covered the city of Liberio. He took a deep breath, holding it in for a few seconds, before letting out a deep sigh as he continued to row the small boat closer.
The Marley battleships were now in view and he could just about make out the small figures running around on the docks now, he stopped the oars of his boat and looked out onto the view before him.
Beautiful…
He wondered what he father would make of it, the sight of a city outside the walls and just passed that an entire continent of people. It was all he could think of whenever he traveled beyond Paradis, his father's now accomplished dream.
He looked down at his hand, a massive cut displayed on his palm wiping away the smile he didn't know he had on his face.
Right.
He gripped his hand, the blood being squeezed from the cut and dripping slightly onto the boat.
Keep to the plan; we're not finished yet… far from it…
He looked back at the harbour and Liberio. "It's time." Once more he took in a deep breath, filling his lungs, as if getting ready to make a plunge into the sea. He envisioned his titan standing in the waters as a wave swallowed the harbour dragging the ships inland.
Bright yellow sparks and flickers of light seemed to flow around him until from above there was a roar of thunder as the dark night sky above him opened up and struck the tiny boat and himself.
The was an almost colossal explosion of light and force from the epicenter of the strike; a wave of water was pushed out, climbing higher and higher till it threaten to just reach into the sky itself as it raced towards the harbour. As Erwin's body was formed and connected into the ungodly mass of flesh and muscle he could make out the sound of sirens and the very distance echoes of screams before the sound of an almighty crash conquered all dissent.
As he looked through the eyes of the colossal titan, his chest high surrounded by the ocean and steam; where he had once saw a harbour, ships, people and the lights of the city outskirts. There was now nothing but water engulfing the landscape, as the battleships of Marley were pushed inwards crashing into buildings.
Then a bright blue light began to shine through the city, like an underwater show of crystal lights, as the shape of a circle surrounded area that was still engulfed in water. Then in the blink of an eye, everything he could see was then covered in a thick cloud of fog which had now engulfed the harbour and the city in a field of grey.
Then what followed was a boom, an explosion, the sound of a battleships cannon firing its shell, Erwin spotted the streak of yellow light pass through the mist before striking something else inside the fog. Then another shell, then another, then another… till the whole area was a lit with flashes of light as it tore through the mist striking at targets they could not see in a completely disorganised and chaotic fashion.
"The fog of war?" Erwin asked.
"It's a saying made by a general in the Marley army once." Onyankapon explained "It's meant to refer to how in war and fighting we don't know everything and things are uncertain, that no matter how prepared you are you just don't know what will happen."
"That's the entire history of the scout regiment."Levi remarked.
"A wise saying." Erwin replied. "Though it can be said our entire existence is shrouded in a fog…"
I imagine this isn't what was in mind….
As the cannon fire continued, a rapid series of explosions followed with it, as the sound of a demolition entered into his ears, even blinded by the mist in front of him Erwin knew that the once bright view before him was being torn apart by Marley and Paradis hands, at his orders.
This…
This was not he had envisioned; in his mind he had hoped for a day when he would walk into Marley along with Historia, Darius and the other officials of Paradis as they, backed by nations and allies around the world, as they proclaimed their intent for peace and gained the respect their sovereignty deserved.
He wondered if this would be the last time he saw Liberio. He wondered the situation he would find himself in if that were to happen. He didn't know how long he watched that fog and listen to the cannon fire and explosions but he stood there watching.
The loud hum of a motor engine behind him, Erwin focused himself as he pushed his real out of the massive nape of the colossal. Bursting through the flesh he looked down to see a boat filled with scout troops and volunteers dressed in Marley uniform greeted him.
He hopped off the colossal titan, its body lurching forward slightly, as he landed onto the body with the gas of his ODM gear breaking his fall. "Erwin!" Hange called out, the first to greet him as she walked up to Erwin "I don't think I'll ever get use to seeing you in that big thing." She said before then turning to the smoking colossal titan "I'd call you lucky if not for the…well you know…"
Erwin gave her a tired smile "Still a curious one at heart, Hange." He replied, his face became sterner "Has everyone been evacuated?"
"The last of the boats have already left and are on their way as we speak." Hange replied.
"And Alphonse is he with you?" Erwin asked.
"Alphonse is sitting behind deck; he wants to be alone for now so best give him some space." Hange replied.
"Of course, I think we all have a lot of think about after this." Erwin said "A lot to prepare for…"
"What was that explosion just then?" Gabi said as they turned their heads back in the direction of the blast. "Why could we hear it from down here, unless-"
"Oi you kids!" yelled a person in front of them; an enemy soldier stood by the exit of the tunnels "C'mon, get your asses moving!" they urged them. The two quickly sprinted towards the exit, just as they were passing through suddenly around them the tunnels began to light up in a bright blue glow surrounding the walls.
An intense feeling of fight or flight took over Gabi as she began to sprint out believing her life was now at risk, she leaps out of the tunnel entrance and onto the floor as Falco ran out. The enemy soldier at the entrance began to laugh at her "Calm down, its only alchemy." They said, they then pointed upwards "Get moving, you're the last ones out."
Gabi and Falco quickly ran upstairs, Gabi turning around back towards the entrance still in terrified awe at what she had just witnessed "That guy back there… it was him… one of the brothers Willy Tybur talked about." Her voice was shaking slightly. She turned to Falco "Falco, how did you know it was him?" she asked remembering how quickly he covered her mouth and greeted him.
"His brother… I met him, he was in Liberio…" Falco admitted "He was there with Eren Yeager, Reiner and I was caught in the middle of them." Gabi gasped, stopping Falco as they reached the top of the stairs.
"You said Reiner was hurt… did they hurt him?" Gabi asked sternly, she gripped his arm tightly.
"No… they didn't hurt… I don't even know what happened or how to explain it." Falco replied "Reiner knew who they were during his time on the island and- Eren Yeager and Edward Elric, they just- they just argued with each other almost the whole time, Edward said-"
"Did he do it?" Gabi questioned "Edward Elric, he was there, he must have created that explosion." The image of the explosions and the colourful smoke re-entered her mind, an attack on her home.
"I don't know- I don't think so." Falco replied "He- he was just as surprised as us when it happened, I think Eren Yeager was the one who planned it." Falco then grabbed Gabi wrist "We have to move." He said.
Gabi snapped back to reality "Right, we still have to save Pieck." She replied, before Falco could protest, she quickly ran out of the door; stepping out she found herself in a small hallway leading to an open door, outside was a large open space surrounded by large walls. The two quickly stepped out to find themselves into an empty warehouse; by the wide entrance of the warehouse stood two enemy soldiers armed with guns, one of them waving at Gabi and Falco to hurry along. Gabi quickly jogged over to them as Falco followed her.
"Down the docks." The enemy soldier said pointing "Was there anyone else behind you guys?"
"No, we're the only ones." Gabi replied, lying; she didn't know and even if they were she needed to get to where Pieck was. Fast.
"Alright, get going." They said pointing to the nearby staircase outside just passed the street. The two rushed out towards the stairs, the ocean on the horizon past the low chain fence over the edge. As they reached the stairs they looked over the edge to see a two fishing boats on the shore of the beach crowded with people dressed in regular clothes.
Gabi runs down the stairs, watching the boat as she tries to find Pieck.
They ran up to the boat, she slings the rifle around her back as a ladder is thrown down from the side of the boat. Both Gabi and Falco step into the water; Gabi climbs first, hopping over the side and onto the boat before then helping Falco up.
"Is that everyone?" yelled the driver on the edge of the boat.
"Looks like it!" the enemy soldier yelled back "Only the volunteers, Hange squad and Alphonse are left, head back to the ship!"
The driver gave the soldier a thumb up before walking back to the steering wheel, turning on the engine and began turning the boat. The engine hummed low as it quickly grew louder and louder as the boat started to first crawl slowly before picking up momentum until it skated across the water.
Gabi looked around at the people on the boat; they were all just regular Eldians like her, some of them she had seen on the street walking by before. There were even kids younger than her. But that's not caught her eye; some of those people on the boat wore that pin, the tree badge which Falco picked up.
Some grabbed onto it, displaying it proudly and laughing.
"We're back!" one of them yelled "Marley can't get us now!"
"Those bastards thought they'd had turned us all into titans all those years ago but we're back." Another replied celebrating.
Falco moved closer to Gabi and grabbed her sleeve "Stay quiet and don't attract attention." He muttered.
"Hey look!" yelled a child said pointing out to the back; everyone rushed to the back of the boat as the sight of the colossal titan standing chest high in the ocean as the water around it turned to steam. And beyond the colossal titan was an endless cloud, a thick grey fog, which had consumed Liberio as the sight of blinking yellow lights through the fog flew by and explosions echoed out.
At the sight, almost everyone cheered out and fired their guns in the air in a roaring celebration.
"The first blow to Marley!" one yelled "Eldia's first victory!"
"Eldia will rise once more!" another yelled.
"Eren Yeager will lead us to victory!"
"The Elric brothers will bring Marley's might to heel!"
"Nothing will stop us!"
There was hugging, cheering and crying joyously at the sight of this humiliating defeat for Marley. Almost everyone, except for two others who stood back and watched the others to celebrated their defeat.
Gabi could do nothing more than hold back her anger and resist the urge to reach for her rifle and fire at the traitors to the Motherland.
"Oi, we've reached the ship!" yelled the driver catching their attention, they all looked back to see a large ship approaching them; a Marley destroyer which was surrounded by fishing boats similar to the one they were on.
"That's where she is…" Gabi muttered the Falco.
The people ran towards the front of the boat waving at the people standing on the deck. "Wave the flag!" yelled one of the people. A child ran back towards the bow of the boat, moving passed Gabi and Falco, before then quickly running back with a green flag.
"Whats that?" Gabi said out loud.
The child stopped and looked at them wide eyed but with an even wider smile, excited to tell someone about something they're crazy about. "It's the scouts' flag!" the child ran back and handed them the flag. The people at the front took hold of the flag and tried to fly it.
A silver shield with a cross on it and white and blue wings decorating the front.
Gabi watched the enemy's flag, the 'scouts', fly proudly in the clutches of traitors and evil Eldians; it took almost everything in her body not to point the rifle at them and firing.
Pieck slowly began to open her eyes to a hazy white light in front of her; her senses began to return to her as she felt the hard and cold surface she lay against. As her vision began to clear she could make out the light above her and the humming of pipes and the metallic echo of footsteps against a metal floor.
Ship… I'm on a ship…
She turned her head to the side to be greeted to metal bars in front of her and the blurry image of a person dressed in smart clothes watching her. As her vision cleared further she could make out the clothes that man wore.
Then his pale blond beard.
Then his glasses.
She narrowed her eyes at the man in front of her as she now stared at his face.
"Zeke…." She grumbled out loud. "I should have known you betrayed us." Her former captain looked at her; she quickly realised she didn't have her arms, her limbs still regenerating. However as she tried to move her body could only weakly flinch and kick her legs which rattled the chains attached to her ankles.
"I guess I have a lot of explaining to do, Pieck." Zeke said to her in a calm and mannerly tone.
"The boy wonder, always a mystery to the higher ups, a complete enigma." Pieck said "What did Paradis give you to betray us? Or is this part of some grand scheme of yours?"
"Well… it's both; they have to give me something in order for me to follow through with a grand scheme." He joked in an almost serious manner. "But if you want to know, I'm doing this for everyone; I meant what I said about the perilous situation that us Eldians face and I intent on making sure that we avoid a horrible fate."
"Rebuild the Eldian Empire?" Pieck asked "Is that what you plan to do."
"Who knows?" Zeke replied "All I want is for Eldians to be free."
Suddenly there was a rush of footsteps heading down the hallway, Zeke walked forward and leaned into the bars as three scouts carrying what looked like a woman in a dark fancy dress hurried by. A thin trail of smoke following them.
"The Warhammer titan…" she gasped. "What do you plan on doing- are Reiner and Porco on here too?" She asked, interrupting herself as a current of thoughts and questioned crashed against her.
"Those two? No" he replied "We can't have it all I'm afraid." Zeke shrugged his shoulders "I'm sure Commander Erwin will be disappointed, a dent in his plans. Though… capturing you, the Warhammer and I is an impressive haul of a raid on enemy territory." He commented "I'm sure the Mid-East alliance would have sacrificed thousands of men for a result like that."
There was another set of footsteps approaching them as another figure arrived in front of her. One she had come to quickly recognise. "Zeke Yeager." The fire alchemist said looking at him "Commander Erwin and the others are at the bridge, they will speak to you now." The alchemist then turned to look at her as she looked at him. "Pieck Finger, the Cart titan." He said "So this is what you look like outside of your titan."
"So you're the guy who keeps trying to light me on fire, you haven't changed that much." Pieck replied "Was it you who set the buildings on fire outside of the internment zone?" she question, remembering the flickering flames of the tall fires she spotted before the strike of lightening.
"I didn't set the buildings on fire." He replied pausing for a few seconds "I was stopping your reinforcements from advancing into the internment zone." Pieck clenched her teeth, knowing the implications of his answer. "I don't have time to answer your questions, another time maybe." He said walking away to the side.
Pieck looked back to Zeke who shrugged his shoulders "Goodbye Pieck, hopefully I'll see you soon." He said as she turned away "You should get some rest; you know how long the journey to Paradis can be."
Ed looked out the windows of the bridge and towards the seemingly endless plain of ocean; in his hand he held the pocket watch, gripping it tight as he thought back of home in Resembool and a repair shop that was introduced by a dirt path and low stone wall surrounded by endless fields of green.
He thought of Winry, Grandma and their home all waiting for them… him…
He turned his head next to him; Eren stood beside him quietly looking out of the window too with his hands handcuffed as Mikasa stood behind him watching. Ed turned away and back to the window.
He thought of Alphonse… looking to the door for a brief second wondering when he'd walk through and what he would say to him, what they would say to each other. Ed let out a sigh and shut his eyes for a second as a feeling of resignation washed over him.
He thought of-
"Commander on deck!" came a call as the door open; the crew quickly stood up from the seats and turned to the door standing straight. Ed copied them, mimicking them and their actions while Eren stood still looking at the door.
In steps Erwin who then stands before them, the crew placed a clench fist over the chest saluting him.
"At ease, back to your posts." He ordered calmly as he walked in further. Behind him followed Hange, then Levi, then Nanaba and then…
"Alphonse." Ed called out slightly; Alphonse looked back at him with a straight expression and the two locked eyes for a second.
"Ed… brother…." Alphonse replied back as a weak smile formed on his lips. The two walked up to each other and embraced, almost hesitantly. As they pulled back, they stepped back a bit "How are you?" Alphonse asked.
"I'm… I'm doing well." Ed replied.
Alphonse nodded his head before then turning to Eren; he turned to Mikasa, standing beside Eren "Mikasa, it's good to see you're unharmed." He said as he hugged her.
"Thank you, Alphonse." Mikasa replied as the two pulled away "I'm glad you're okay too."
Alphonse then turned to a stony expression appearing on his face. "Eren."
"Alphonse." Eren replied, he turned to Ed before then looking back to Alphonse as if waiting for Ed to ask something. Ed looked back at Eren glaringly. "You're not going to ask?" Ed sighs through his nose as he looks back at Alphonse. "Another time then."
"Oi Eren." Called a voice, they turned to see Levi walking up to them focusing on Eren "You look like shit." He said.
"Captain Levi." Eren said. Levi then grabbed Eren by his collar and pulled him down as he kicked Eren in the stomach "Ooff!" Eren collapsed onto his knees. Mikasa almost jumped into action before both Alphonse held her back and Ed stepped in her way.
Ed shook his head while Alphonse looked down to the floor as Levi began to repeatedly kick Eren.
"Get up, Yeager." Levi commanded as he stopped "You have some explaining to do."
"Everything I needed to say I said through the letters." Eren raised his head up towards Levi as he composed himself. "I thought you all would have read them." As Levi walked away Alphonse let go of Mikasa as Ed stepped back onto place.
Mikasa helped Eren up onto his feet as Erwin and the other squad leaders huddled around him. "Where's Petra?" Ed asked noticing her absence.
"Squad leader Petra is tasked with keeping the defectors and informants." Erwin replied, the marks of titan shifting still slowly healing "Along with the rest of Levi squad and her team." He then turned his head to Eren "An entire network we spent the good part of a year building, now compromised."
"I am sorry for ruining the efforts of the regiment; that was never my intention." Eren said.
"And yet here we are." Nanaba replied this time.
"Marley or the other nations will probably be terrified about a massive transmutation circle underneath a city." Hange stated "If Eldians injected with Zeke's spinal fluid can take down a city overnight then alchemy can do that too and with fewer men."
"Speaking of Zeke Yeager." Erwin then turned to Ed "Edward, how has your scouting work on Zeke been going?"
"There's still some conclusions I need to draw up but I think I've got his life before and when he became a warrior organised." Ed replied "I'll write up my findings within the next week or two of landing."
"Good." Erwin replied.
Suddenly there was a knock on the door as the hatch turned and metal door screeched "Commander, I have Zeke Yeager." Armin said stepping through as Zeke walked behind him.
"Speak of the devil." Erwin muttered to those nearby.
"Hello everyone." Zeke said "Nice to see you all made it back alive." Ed looked around the room; it wasn't hard picking up on the angry glances from the crew or staff onboard as they looked at him. Looking at the Squad leaders, most had a stony calm expression on their faces while Nanaba glared at him. "I can see… still a lot of hard feelings here." Zeke commented as he walked up to them "But I hope we can get passed this-"
Nanaba suddenly grabbed Zeke but his collar and kept him back, holding him at literal arm's length. As she raised her metal hand ready to punch him "You should count yourself lucky we don't kill you where you stand." Nanaba told him "After everything you've done; turning a village into titans, killing Mike, attacking us back at the castle, killing Gelgar…" Nanaba looked down to the ground "I'm only alive because he pushed me out of the way…"
"I'm sorry for you loss." Zeke replied.
Nanaba cocked her head back up to look at him before throwing a punch at him. Only to be caught by Levi "I hate this hairy bastard too but we can knock his teeth out later." Nanaba let out a growled sigh before relenting and letting go.
"Never expected you would be the one to hold back." Zeke said to Levi as he dusted himself down.
"What were the results of the raid?" Erwin asked.
"We suffered three causalities and four wounded." Hange stated "Marley… their losses we estimate to be eight hundred to over one thousand."
"This is a devastating blow to Marley." Eren said "Kiyomi said that at the peak of Marley's strength each Paradis soldier would need to kill one hundred Marleyan troops, something I'm sure Marley are more than aware of; we've knocked it out completely."
"Are you counting the number of innocent people in that too?" Ed questioned.
"One of my students is among those three." Alphonse added. "They didn't need to die, he didn't need to die."
"The losses we've faced are a necessary sacrifice if we are going to save Eldia." Zeke interjected. "I understand that this is hard for all of you and that for you, Commander, you would have wanted to avoid this scenario altogether but it is just as Miss Azumabito had told you; you're at war and but you now have all three elements for total victory."
"Victory is far from assured." Erwin replied, he walked away from the group a few steps. "And we still don't have to fight and send our soldiers out to die again." Erwin turned back to them "So long as we have three of Marley's warriors, they've lost their tactical advantage, and it would be suicide to try."
"But just how many people are gonna die if Marley tries then?" Alphonse asked. "How many soldier and non-combatants are going to die? How many of the people we know are gonna die if-" suddenly there, was a knock as the metal door screeched open and in stepped Jean, his body slumped over with a sombre and cold look on his face.
"Lieutenant." Erwin spoke.
Jean straightens up but didn't salute them as the look on his face didn't fade; instead he looked to the others; to Eren, Ed, Alphonse and Levi.
"Commander Erwin… Captain Levi, two kids have infiltrated the ship." He said "One of them was armed and shot…
Five minutes before…
Gabi and Falco walked around the deck of the ship; surrounded by what must have been possibly a hundred people, both people and the 'Scout regiment.' All around people cheered out, laughing and singing as the ship sailed away as Liberio became almost a distance light on the horizon.
Gabi looked back her home now drawing further and further away, she once again gripped the strap of her rifle slung over her shoulder tightly; anxiety taking hold of her body and the unfamiliar feeling of hear began to take root. She gritted her teeth and sighed loudly through her nose; focusing herself.
No backing down…
No retreat…
She turned back to the mass of people on the ship, rage now building inside her heart and mind as she watched them continue to celebrate their victory against Marley and the destruction of her home.
Keep calm… Find the Cart titan…
Falco grabbed onto her shoulder "We need to think of a way to get back." He whispered to her. "We can't stay here."
"We can't leave." Gabi replied "The enemy has Pieck, the Cart titan, she also one of Marley's smartest warriors." Gabi began to walk into the crowd with Falco still behind her "Beside… only way we can leave is if we find her."
A person began to fire off their gun next to her into the air, the shells falling on the ground as they cheered out into the air, drunk on their confidence and victory. All around enemy soldiers tried to calm them down and stop them from firing their weapons recklessly.
Gabi and Falco walked around, trying to blend in with the crowd, as they continued to watch those around them. That's when Gabi noticed it; shifter marks around the eye of an enemy soldier that was just partially healed. A woman who must have been maybe Pieck's height, with long black hair done up in a single plait resting on her side.
Gabi stopped and then quickly followed the woman.
"Gabi wait whe-" Falco was slightly pushed aside as a woman bumped into him dancing with another, losing Gabi in the crowd as she continued to follow the shifter.
The Female titan… Annie Leonhart's titan…
She followed the shifter, almost like a rat to a piper, until she then walked up to another group of soldiers.
Then Gabi's heart went from a walk to a sprint, her body shuddered and her breathing stopped. Before her, she saw a familiar face.
A woman with brown hair done in a ponytail with a rifle slung over their shoulder as she talked to a shorter woman with red hair and two taller men, one with long straw coloured hair and another with a shaved head of pale hair on a round head.
It's you…
The one who killed the two gate guards who had shown her kindness, they stood up for an Eldian when Marley soldiers looked down on her. The woman who was involved in the killing of Marley's men and the destruction of her home.
It's you…
The killer began to talk to the shifter as the others around them laughed with each other.
It's you…
Before she knew it, she was pulling the rifle down from her side. Her finger was now on the trigger. The shorter woman began to hug the others tightly as she exchanged words with them; they looked to be friends with each other. Gabi pointed her rifle at the killer, her eye looking through the sight as she began to squeeze the trigger. A hail of celebratory gunfire still cried out defiantly.
Just before she could fire her shot, the second before she could, the shorter woman turned her head and spotted her; it was like everything had slowed down. The woman placed her hand on the killer's chest as she leaned in forward to push her away as Gabi pulled the trigger. The rifle firing its shot, missing her intended target as it instead struck the chest of the short woman with the red hair, the force of the shot pushing her back as she crashed onto the ground.
Everyone around her began to turn to her, the enemy soldiers looked to her with slack jaws and wide eyes as they quickly tried to process what had happened.
They looked to the woman she had shot.
"Petra!"
"The squad leader's been shot!"
Gabi looked towards her target who was now looking back at her; a look of shock then quickly turning into a look of anger on her face as she pulled the rifle from her side and pointed it at her. Gabi pointed her own rifle back as the two intended to shoot.
Suddenly she felt someone slam into her as she pulled the trigger and the killer fired back at him; her bullet grazing against the killer's shoulder as their shot narrowly misses Gabi as she collapsed onto the ground. She looked up to see Falco holding her as a mass of people descended onto them.
Sasha clutched at her shoulder, her fingers touching the skin exposed by a cut in her uniform. The child's shot had just barely missed her. In that split second she watched as the two kids were swarmed her adrenaline began to lower, dropping off of a cliff as she turned her head back towards Petra.
"Petra!" she yelled as she rushed towards her, Connie, Mina and Jean already at her side as they tried to save her.
"Someone get the bandages!" Jean ordered, he then looked to another "Get a stretcher!"
"Yes sir!" two scouts ran back.
"Stay awake!" Mina yelled as she placed her hand over her wound trying to stop the bleeding, blood leaking through her hands and fingers.
"Petra, say something, please speak to us!" Connie pleaded but she was silent and lifeless as her eyes slowly looking around began to fall still.
Quickly two scouts ran up to them, one carrying a large role of bandages as the other lay down a stretcher beside her. Connie and Jean rolled her onto her side gently as the scout tried to wrap the bandage over her chest.
Sasha watched frozen and silent, her finger still on the trigger of her rifle. Jean stood up and grabbed his head with his hands as he paced around as both Connie and Mina moved her onto the stretcher. "Get her to the medical bay." Mina ordered to the scouts "Connie, you go with her."
"Yeah, right." Connie said nodding his hand as he stood up with the scouts pulling up the stretcher. Petra's arm fell off the stretcher's side and dangled out. Connie quickly placed her arm back at her side.
"What the hell are you trying to do?" someone yelled to their side; Jean, Mina and Sasha looked back to see Marlowe facing Floch as he held the two children on their knees; battered and bruised.
"Getting rid of the infiltrators." Floch replied "Tossing them off this ship." Floch looked down at them "Maybe if they're lucky, their bodies might get washed up back to Marley."
"You're not doing this, not again." Marlowe told him "We don't kill prisoners, let alone kids!"
"They killed Squad Leader Ral!" yelled a random person.
"Toss them overboard!" yelled another.
"Don't you dare." Mina spoke out. She flicked out the spike in her ring and placed his thumb over it. Everyone stepped back.
"You wouldn't" Floch replied. Mina pressed her thumb into the spike as a drop of blood dripped out. "So being so damn sentimental, it's not like their-"
"Quiet." Mina replied "Hand them over."
Floch turned to Jean "Squad leader, your orders?"
Jean turned to Floch "Squad leader? How can you be so sure Squad leader Ral is dead?"
"I'm not." Floch replied "But you can't be either."
Jean gritted his teeth "Damn it… Mina, escort those two to containment." He looked at her before looking back at the crowd "The rest of you, get to the mess hall there's sleeping bags waiting… you've all been too rowdy." Jean then turned to Sasha "Sasha, you head to the medical bay… I'll tell the others."
Sasha nodded her head, she walked back into the ship with the crowd of people; as she walked down the hallway she turned her head down a corridor…
The prisoner wing…
She started to grip her rifle as the image of that girl armed with a Marley rifle fired at her… and Petra shoving her out of the way…
It was her…
She thought back to the time she saw her, back in that building as they looked at each other through shattered glass. If she had known then…
It was her…
Suddenly she felt someone bump into her from behind, knocking her out of her thoughts. She looked behind her to see a child run towards a group of others. She blinked a few times and once more looked down the hallway before then continuing to walk and head to the medical bay.
"What…" Alphonse muttered as they all looked at Jean in paralyzed shock.
"The shot struck her chest… we don't know if she's going to make it." Jean elaborated "Mina's sent the infiltrators to the cells and Connie and Sasha are with her."
Ed stepped forward shaking before he sprinted towards the door, the others following him immediately. Levi stood still and watched them, turning his head towards Erwin who then nodded his head; Levi quickly jogged away as Jean then followed. All while Eren stood by with the squad leaders, the commander and his brother, his head bowed and his long hair covering his face.
Ed stormed into the medical bay; there he spotted Sasha, Connie and Mina standing just by two members of the medical staff worked on someone lying on a bed. Alphonse then followed as he rushed through, then Mikasa, then Armin and then Levi with Jean. All of them rushing towards Petra's bed.
"When did this happen?" Alphonse asked the medical team.
"Just a couple minutes ago." The staff replied.
"Few minutes… Why didn't anyone tell us?" he questioned almost yelling.
"We're sorry, captain Elric." One staff member said as they continued to operate on Petra.
"Is there anything you need, anything we can do?" Levi asked calmly.
"Sorry captain Levi, everything we're doing… is all that can be done." The staff replied "The rifle shot… it's completely tore through her and…"
"Her heart and lungs, they were all hit to some extent before exiting through her." Another replied "She's losing too much blood on top what she has already lost, she doesn't have long."
"We- We'll make blood then!" Alphonse said, both he and Ed turned to each other, their faces mirroring each others fear but determination as they quickly scrambled to the long desk full of medical equipment.
"Iron, carbon, nitrogen, hydrogen…" Ed began to list off the elements in blood "Proteins, we need proteins!" he called out, Jean and Mina began to run out the room "Iron and carbon, I need-" Mikasa pulled out a blade from her scarab; Ed turned around and placed his hands onto the end of the blade transmuting a chunk off.
"How long do we have?" Alphonse asked the medical team as he continued to scratch a transmutation circle in a glass tray. He then turned on a nearby tap and filled it with water.
"If you can do it then not long." They replied.
Both Mina and Jean ran back with a slab on meat in their hand, handing it to Alphonse as he tossed it into the tray along with the piece of the blade. "I can change the metal structure while we're doing it." Alphonse said to Ed who nodded his head.
"Have you two made blood before?" Armin asked quietly, neither of the two answered but Edward swallowed slightly as he heard his question.
"No." Ed replied, his voice wobbling slightly. "But we still have to try…" Armin nodded his head as he turned away as they continued to rush around with the different ingredients.
"Brother… are we- is this like last time…" Alphonse muttered to Ed who took in deep breathe; he didn't answer but instead the two placed their hands together.
"On one…" Ed said "One!" they placed their hands in the tray; a flurry of blue flashes and light s sparkled around their hands as the tray of water…
Turned into a tray of red sludge.
The two pulled their hands out of it tray and looked at their result in horror "No, no, no no…" Ed muttered "We need new ones!" he called to some of the staff.
"You two…" announced a very, very familiar voice…The two looked at each other for a second as if to say "Did you hear that?" "So desperate… even forgetting your limits…" The two looked at the red tray of sludge.
An eye stared back at them…
In that second, time stood still and that moment was stretched on for eternity.
"Tut, tut, tut… you can't cheat death… you can't cheat me…"
The tray of sludge began to light up in a bright pale blue light before it swallows itself into nothingness. Everyone watched the almost in the room looked at them and the aftermath completely shell shocked as everything fell silent.
"What the hell was that?" Levi called out to them as they looked back at everyone struggling to find the words.
"Captain Levi." Said one of the medical staff behind them, they all turned to look back. As one of the doctors lifted a blanket over Petra's body and her head. "Squad leader Ral has passed."
For just a second all they could do was just staring at the medical team and Petra's body covered in a white blanket.
The second after that almost all of them burst into tears; their eyes shut or hands covering their face as if to hide the flood of tears that washed down their cheeks while others just continued to stare at Petra's now lifeless body on the bed hidden underneath a sheet as the news ran circles in their mind.
Both Edward and Jean stood frozen, their lip quivering as the tears began to swell up. Alphonse collapsed sitting on the floor as both he and Mina cried into each other's arms. Armin and Mikasa wept loudly hoping that she would stand up from the bed. Connie and Sasha both cried into their hands as if trying to hold themselves together.
"I'm sorry…"Sasha kept repeating through her tears "I'm so sorry…"
Levi stood just by Petra, lifting up the sheet slightly as he took off small metal chest piece covering before placing the sheet back down. "I'll see you later, Petra." He muttered. "Say hello to the others for me."
It was a long and difficult night ride back home.