It is said that Annie Leondhart destroyed the right flank during the beginnings of the 57th Expedition. In this timeline, she was going to… Except! She was thwarted by Mikasa of all people… but what are those horns on her head? And what's up with that skirt and uniform?
onwards to the story
The Tenth Scout Squad of the First column… At the right flank of the Scouting Formation…
It was supposed to be a simple operation. The 57th expedition was supposed to recover the information within Eren Yeager's house at Shiganshina, retake Wall Maria, and figure out the extinction of the Titans from there. But all that simplicity is thrown out the window when a wrench as big as the titans rushing towards them.
"Look out! Female titan coming from the right side!" One of the newer recruits exclaimed as the stampeding monster was gradually getting closer and closer towards her 5 man squad.
The recently promoted Tenth Squad Leader Krin panicked at the sight of the female titan. He was made of harder stuff, so it's not just the sight of one that scared him. No. It was the sight of the abnormal and normal titans rampaging alongside the female titan that shook him.
"We're going to die…" Muttered his second in command, Boyd. A blond veteran of the 56th expedition. Without hesitation, Krin swiftly unsheathed his swords and began barking orders at his squad.
"Boyd! Newbie! Signal a black flare. The 2nd column needs to know before the right flank gets overrun." Krin was also about to yell commands to the two other recruits who were under him but he realised that they had already tried to engage the female titan. Key word: tried.
He's gonna have to be the poor bastard writing their eulogies after this.
"Black flares out, Sir!" Newbie exclaimed as she shot straight towards the air.
"Good!" Krin exclaimed. "Now, evasive manoeuvres. Let's get the hell away from these things."
Being a veteran of the same expedition as Boyd, Krin knew all the tricks needed to get out of a situation like this. But with the new variable that was that abnormal Female Titan, their chances of getting out of this were slim. Very slim. But there was a chance that if they managed to regroup with the second column, things would look up for them. Krin looked behind and saw that Boyd and the Newbie had done what he said and now are distancing themselves away from him so as to draw the other titans away from the main pack. So far, that was working.
Except that damned Female Titan still kept up with his horse.
"The hell kind of titan is that!" Krin exclaimed as he found an abandoned village with plenty of cover against the monster. He did not hesitate to try and shake her off of his tracks. But as he entered the village, he found that the Female titan was not like the others at all. Because the titan started slamming her fist at the buildings, grabbed some debris and started chucking them at him! For a moment, the sky turned gray as the hail of bricks and stone rained down on him and his horse. If he had been faster, Krin would've gotten away.
"Agh!"
But his horse had been struck by a stray rock and collapsed. It suffered a broken leg. Krin was tossed off the saddle and fell face first onto the ground. He had landed badly but managed to quickly recover with both hands on his sword. He spat out a tooth as he grimaced at the sight of the Female Titan running towards him. But he noticed that she wasn't looking at him… Krin turned around and saw the green flare… No! It can't be…
ROOOOAAAAARRRR!
Krin turned around to see the Female titan and decided that fighting it would give the 2nd column enough time to react to the titan horde coming its way. And so, without a care for his life, he activated his gear and latched himself on the titan's shoulder. He flew in an instant towards the titan. He tried to fly around the titan to reach for her nape.
Grab.
But he was ultimately going to fail. The damn titan's smart, alright. She managed to grab his wire and take a hold of him. She also broke his blades, so there's nothing left for him to defend himself. Not that he could even if the blades are still alright.
Squeeze.
Krin can feel the air race out of his lungs. He heard his arms and legs crack and groan. The titan was planning on giving him a slow death, it seems. Ah. he's passing out, he can't think straight. He can't even hear anything anymore either. Just that static buzz as his vision almost turned black.
BOOM! CRACK. THUD.
With a quick gulp of fresh air, Krin managed to regain consciousness just in time to see a thick cloud surround the female titan's kneeling frame. He scrambled out of the hand of the titan to get away as far as possible. He can see that damn monster starting to stand up! He needs to get out of here. But wait, if the titan is there… then what is her hand doing over… here… on the ground…
"Sir Krin!" Krin looked to see Newbie's horse gallop towards him with haste. He thanked the walls that she managed to find him. He tried to get up from all fours but the titan's hold did a number on his body. He can't tell what broke, but it's broken alright.
"Newbie! Get over here." Newbie then got off of her horse and started getting Krin on the animal. "Where's Boyd." Krin asked.
"Corporal Boyd is helping Mikasa fend off the Female titan, sir." Newbie explained as she held Krin as he stabilised himself on the horse.
"Mikasa? The new recruit?" Krin asked confusedly. "She's supposed to be with the 3rd Communications at the 3rd Column. What the hell is she doing here?" Krin studied the formation charts and most of the names of the communications squads so as to coordinate with them when it comes to formation changes that might happen in the Expedition. He even talked to Mikasa Ackerman, the brightest of the 104th, when the communications squads met up a week before the mission. So what happened for her to get here so fast? Was she transferred to the 2nd column without prior notice?
"Err… it's hard to explain, Sir." Newbie said as she cracked the reins to get away from the Female titan as fast as possible. "She said that she's Mikasa, but claims that she isn't Ackerman."
"What?" Krin wondered aloud. "Then who-"
BOOM!
Krin and Newbie turned around to see where the noise came from but saw nothing but the Female titan's shoulder get punctured like a rock to a piece of paper. It was the most baffling sight Krin has ever seen. When did Commander Erwin get something as powerful as that!?
"Hey you! Over here!" Krin and Newbie looked towards their left and saw Squad Leader Ness of the 2nd column, 4th Communications Squad. The closest squad to Krin's on the chart. The injured man can see that Ness is with his group, Siss and a blond newbie he couldn't remember the first name of. Only Arlert. Apparently, they're not alone. As some stragglers that Krin could only chalk up as members of the 3rd column's 4th communications squad were there alongside Ness.
"Squad Leader Krin of the 10th Scout, First Column." Krin tried to salute but his arms aren't exactly cooperating with him right now.
"Squad Leader Ness. But I'm sure you know that by now." Ness tried to humour. Krin should know this man, as Ness had been the one to teach the communications squad on that day. "Give your report, Krin." Ness said with a commanding tone.
"We caught a horde of titans - both abnormal and normal - running towards us like it was following the female titan we just fought. We tried to signal you and outrun them after that, but the female titan caught up to me. I was about to die when the titan's hand was cut off by… something. After that, Newbie here helped me out. And now, we're here."
"Something?" Ness asked.
"Newbie over here says Boyd - my second - is being helped by a Mikasa." Krin paused for breath but he couldn't help but notice Arlert and the stragglers at the back look towards him at the mention of the name. "Mikasa, not Ackerman of the 3rd Column: Communications, Newbie said. That's all I know about her. Whatever the case maybe, this Mikasa is holding some firepower. A loud boom and then what came next is the female titan's shoulder ripping off of her body. Was Commander Erwin's hiding that?"
"I don't know. And if what you're saying is true… then this is something we have to address the Commander about." Ness surmised before looking at him with resoluteness.
"I'm taking temporary command of your squad and theirs." Ness said as he pointed a thumb at the brown-haired boy and his blonde friend who were chatting with Arlert about something. "Their squad leader is dead and you're injured. We need to get back to formation and find a way to tell Commander Erwin about this. Is the right flank still intact?"
"Not that I could tell. It was hell back there. But, from a distance. I saw the 9th and the 8th squads run away from the horde." Krin replied. He was not in fighting shape anytime soon, so he'll have to roll with it.
"Then I'll label the flank as 'Alright, for now.'" Ness said as he looked towards the direction Krin is looking away from and points a finger towards what he's seeing. "Is that Boyd?"
Krin and Newbie turned around and saw a horse with two people on it racing towards their motley crew. He could tell that the horse is spent, but it's giving its all just to get its master towards them. As the pair got closer, Krin saw that it was indeed Boyd, but he was talking to the woman behind him.
"Is that Mikasa?" the brown haired boy blurted out but was shushed by Arlert and his blond friend. Do these kids know her? Thought Krin.
A closer look towards the woman - or is it a girl? Because this 'girl' is as young as a Scout recruit can be. Or at least looks the part. Another closer inspection made Krin realise that this is not the Mikasa Ackerman that he knew. No, not at all. If anything, she looked more like a noble than a proper soldier. From the way she sat on the horse, to her lavish military uniform. She acted like a man of authority; she dressed the part too. Her white overcoat had a flag with a hidden meaning stitched onto it. Her forest green sash on her black military jacket with flashes of gold all over it. To her ivory sheathed sword at her waist. Wait… why is she half naked from the legs down?! Why is she showing so much skin?! Is she a whore? Hold on are those horns on her-
A quick, yet stern look from the golden eyes of the 'Mikasa' Newbie told him about quickly shut that thought down. Right. Don't worry about anything else. Figure out who this girl is.
"You must be Squad Leader Krin, correct?" by the walls, even her voice exuded authority. "I am Mikasa. As I introduced to your second in command, I am here not of my own doing, and am here to assist you in any way I can until we can settle this whole issue aside."
"Glad to hear that. But I'm not the one in charge here. This is Squad Leader Ness." Krin said as he tilted his head towards Ness, who was now beside him after a quick formation shift to accommodate Boyd's arrival.
"Thank you, Krin." Ness said as the formation made a slight turn after the green flares were spotted pointed towards the northwest. "Now, as commanding officer, I need to know who you are. Who you really are. Because we already have a Mikasa. And she's all the way across the other side of the main formation from here. And if your clothes have anything to say about you, I'm guessing you're something very important."
Mikasa 'not Ackerman' looked at Ness with pursed lips. As if struggling to find a tangible and sensible answer for his question. But it's difficult to do so because of the fact that she might not be believed.
"You may not believe me, but I come from a nation far far away. I-"
"Impossible! There is no humanity outside the walls." Siss yelled from behind Ness.
"Siss, shut the hell up." Ness barked. It was enough for the man. Ness then looked towards Mikasa and said. "Go on."
Mikasa then explained who she was. "I am a high ranking official from whence I came. I was on a mission one day and fell right into the sea. After waking up, I found myself here. Wherever here is." Mikasa then looked around to see if the men around her understood a single thing she said. Once her gaze turned towards three boys who looked like deer seeing headlights, she was at odds. Because for one, the small blond boy at the middle figured at least something out, the taller blond boy was just frowning at her, and the brown haired boy was looking at her like he's seen her before. It was… odd.
"Look, Mikasa." Ness shouted as he changed course once more to accommodate for the new flares sprouting up at the horizon. "I don't know what the hell you just said, or what this 'sea' is. But if you're going to swear to help us, Krin and I are gonna pitch in a word or two to the commander. Maybe he'll say something about this whole situation that can help you. Maybe not. What matters is that we need your help against the Titans. And now is not the time to ask questions."
Mikasa looked at him with fire in her eyes. She had seen the beasts and while she was not aware of the whole truth, she knew that they were threatening these men. She was going to do the right thing and help them out. No matter the cost.
"I'll do it." Mikasa said.
"Thank the walls. We need everyone we can get these days." Ness then looked to his right and saw something coming towards them from a distance.
"Hey Arlert! Check with your friend who or what that is! The rest of you stay in formation." Ness commanded.
"Yes sir!" exclaimed Arlert and the blond boy and disengaged from the formation to check on the thing getting near them.
"Squad Leader Ness! Tell me more about your current situation. I have little to no idea what's going on." Mikasa shouted from Boyd's back.
"We're trying to head towards our formations. We're all from different Squads and our organisation is messed up because of that female Titan. I took command of two Squads because Krin over here is injured while the other one is dead. I'm expecting a retreat signal by now but for some reason we're not getting any." Ness explained to them.
"We're trying to get to Shiganshina district." Krin added as he and Newbie shifted positions so that they are right at the center of the formation whilst Ness and Boyd are on the front. "We seek to find the information within Eren Yeager's house and figure out the secret to the titans and end them once and for all."
"At least that's what's supposed to happen until all this shit." Ness explained. He then looked towards the horizon and saw Arlert and his friend returning to the formation with another in tow.
"Krista!" the Squad Leaders and Mikasa heard from the brown haired boy. Said boy immediately shut up when the boring eyes of his immediate superiors went straight to his skull.
"That kid sure does like thinking out loud." Krin said, which made Ness and Boyd laugh.
"Young'uns, I'll tell ya. He better stay alive so that I can chew him out for that." Ness said as he shifted his horse towards the incoming scouts. "Arlert, who is that with you right there?"
"Sir! She's Christa Lenz of the 1st First Column, 7th Scout Squad. Her Squad Leader gave her orders to report to any Squad in the area that the Right Flank lost half of the 8th and 9th Squads while the 10th are unaccounted for." Arlert replied with a salute.
"Well would you look at that." Krin said as he chuckled in delight. "Never thought I'd hear news about my own death anytime soon. Any more news, Arlert?"
"Nothing more, Sir. Other than the fact that the right flank has taken a hit, things are moving towards as planned. Christa was then given explicit orders to stay with the 2nd column after spreading the word." Arlert then motioned a hand towards the extra horses Christa had running with her. "She also found some extra horses on the way here, if you'd like, you can transfer to another horse."
"As much as I'd like to." Krin said as he looked to Ness who nodded in turn. "I'm too injured to change while we're riding. But Mikasa, if you can at least. You can take one of her horses."
"I'd like that arrangement." Mikasa said as Boyd moved his horse closer to a wide eyed Christa who may have recognized that name in the same manner as those kids at the back. It's something Mikasa had to look into after all this was done. After a quick and delicate operation to get her on a moving horse, Mikasa had finally had something to ride on. And just in time too. Because another batch of green flares had just been spotted on the horizon once more.
"The Formation is changing course." Ness exclaimed. "Let's follow them now."
"Yes sir!" replied everyone present. And so they went.
At the rear…
"I've got news! There is a female titan running towards the rear of the formation after drawing in a horde of titans from the right flank. The right flank took some hits but were mostly fine after drawing the horde away. Please share the news to the squad to your left!"
The 3rd Squad of the 5th Column, or Levi's Squad, heard this news with surprise. But quickly went back to business after Levi ordered Petra to share the news herself. Levi's Squad saw the flares from the 10th squad behind them but didn't hear much from that side of the formation soon after. No matter, nothing much has changed. There haven't been any black flares that signalled abnormals. The whole formation is still venturing westward.
Into the Titan Forest.
"I've got news from Command!" an adjutant exclaimed as he raced out towards the other columns. The adjutant even ran past Levi's squad without even telling them what that news was.
"What was that about?" Eren asked out loud.
"Tch. Don't mind that, it's not our business to care. Stick to the mission." Levi commanded, and the whole squad fell into rank.
"Sir, what are we even trying to do here? We can't spot titans like this. How are we supposed to protect the transports?" Eren asked after a few minutes of silence.
"Stop blathering the obvious. We can't do any of that here." Levi replied without so much as looking at him.
"Then why-"
"I want you to shut up and think, Yeager. Use your head for once. Look around you." Levi said as he looked up towards the trees. "This is the best place to use your vertical manoeuvre gear. Now go and think hard. Your life depends on it."
ROOOOAAAAAAARRRRR
"Tch. It's here. Now get ready." Levi then unsheathed its swords and waited for it to come into sight. However, he and the rest and Squad Levi were surprised at the sight of the Titan. Not because of its rampaging body about to kill them, but because of the massive hole on its shoulder that rendered its arm useless. What could have done such a thing?
Meanwhile…
"What the hell do you mean you can tell me?! I got three damn Squads under my command-
"-temporary command no one told you you had the authority to make that call-"
"To hell with that bullshit. I came here expecting us to make a base of operations, so what the hell are we doing standing around here for? I got a squad leader who needs medical care, damn it!"
"Wow, I have never seen my squad leader act like that. Must be nice to have a leader who actually cares for you." Jean huffed as he half-amusedly watched the scene before him. It was weird to see the 3rd Column Commander get talked to in this way. Because if he'd done it himself, he would definitely have stable work for a month after that. But then again, Squad Leader Ness had a point, even if seniority of rank came through in the end. Their orders right now conflict with the mission at hand.
"Shh… they can hear you." Armin tried to warn but was useless when it came to Jean's big mouth.
"Come on, Armin. It's not like they'd care. What with their argument right now." Jean said as he chuckled at Ness for calling the Commander something not even Keith Shadis would say to haze a fresh recruit.
"Well… you do have a point. Just stop talking about it too much, you'll wind up into some trouble." Armin said as he sat on the branch he was sharing with jean. He looked down at the branch below them to see Christa, and Newbie attacking splints on Squad Leader Krin's left arm. While looking towards the left of the trio to see Mikasa (not Ackerman, chanted Armin's head) speaking with Boyd on what vertical manoeuvre gear is.
"Hey, what do you think about that Mikasa imposter right there." Jean, for once, whispered as he sat beside his blonde friend. "She looks just like 'her'. Don't ya think?"
"She may share some similarities, yes. However she's very different all the same. It's weird to think that there is another girl out there who shares Mikasa's name. She's the only Mikasa I've ever known." Armin replied as he watched the Mikasa down below smile beautifully as she made a joke to Boyd.
"Yeah… she's pretty hot too." Jean said as he placed a hand on his chin. Not even caring for the fact that he's practically ogling at her.
"Jean!"
"I'm just saying." Jean shook his shoulders. Then suddenly, he became pensive. "But she is strange. What was all about that thing where she said she's from another nation? Is that some other word for Kingdom? And what's a sea? Sounds like something from a book, if you tell me."
"Hmm… well a sea is a large body of saltwater. Though I've only read about it in books too. Oh! If what she's saying is real, then maybe we can talk to her about the outside world." Armin hushedly said to Jean. he could barely keep his excitement about the prospect of that.
"But that in itself is strange, Armin." Jean countered in the same quiet voice. "She's saying she's from outside the walls. She could be an enemy and we just don't know it."
"Sigh… we can only know once Commander Erwin comes around. We have to wait until this whole mission is over for us to know the answer to that." Armin explained with dismay. Try as he might, Jean raised a point. Notwithstanding sharing a name with a friend, this Mikasa is unknown. So he still has to keep an eye out for any suspicious activity. Though, his heart of hearts is inclined to believe that she bears no ill will towards humanity.
Rooooooaaaarr
"What was that?" Jean and Armin heard Mikasa down below ask aloud. Causing the two of them to look towards each other and ask the same questions themselves.
"Oh, you hear that, Sir? That's definitely the Center Column getting attacked! So what the hell are we waiting for?! Let's kill the bastards already- ghwoah!" Ness couldn't finish what he had to say before he was elbowed in the face by the Commander.
"And I tell you we will stay here. Our mission is to keep the titans from entering the forest. And that will be it! Am I clear?" the commander asked threateningly.
"..yes sir." Ness replied with a bloody nose before returning to where Krin and the others were. Krin and everyone heard everything from them, so they did not bother asking what was up. Matter of fact, Mikasa literally went up to Ness and asked.
"Do you want me to go and see?" Mikasa asked earnestly.
"I'd rather not get you into too much trouble. Besides, Mikasa. You'd get eaten if you rode there by horse." Ness replied. It was not worth it to let Mikasa die like that.
"You need not worry about that, I have my own ways going about." Mikasa confidently said as she walked towards Boyd. "Boyd here volunteers to send me there."
"That's right." Boyd agreed.
"Well, if that's the case, then I'm going to pretend you're going against my orders to stay to make it look convincing." Ness then looked at the commander scornfully and with disdain before looking back at Mikasa. "Just report back to me once all is said and done."
"I shall do so, Sir." Mikasa then did a navy salute (raising the hand towards the brow instead of the chest.) the salute confused Ness, so he just went along with it by mimicking her salute. He'll have to teach her the right salute later, it seems.
"Now go. We're counting on you." Ness then smiled before looking like a crazed lunatic howling at Mikasa and Boyd. "DIDN'T I TELL YOU NOT TO GO THERE! THE COMMANDER SAID SO! HEY! GET BACK HERE!"
Meanwhile…
"Shit! It's gaining on us!"
"We can't just get away from this thing with our horses, we gotta do something!"
"Captain Levi, what do we do?!"
Just then, two scouts came out of the woods to engage the female titan. The both of them latched themselves on the titan's neck so as to target its nape. However, the titan was quick to counter their moves by dislodging the hooks with its right hand. She then leaned towards one of the large trees to try and smack a scout onto the damn thing, but all that caused was her right elbow to get lodged on the tree itself. Causing the scout to hit it, yes, but still be alive enough to retreat. The other scout with him managed to get away too because the titan's left arm was disabled. Had it not been… well…
"Shit, they're lucky! Thank whatever caused that hole on its shoulder that they managed to get out of that alive." Oluo remarked as he and Gunther secured Eren and Petra's flank.
"But that's not enough to get us out of this mess! Captain! Give us something. Anything! We won't live for long if we keep this up." Gunther exclaimed as he dodged a large branch that the female titan threw.
"Then cover your ears." Levi said as he raised his hands to shoot a sound grenade. Without so much as a squeak, the rest of the squad followed suit. It was as painful to hear as that titan behind them roaring.
"Now, what the hell am I supposed to do again?" Levi glared at his squad. "To listen to whatever you say? I don't think so. My job… our job is to make sure that this brat over here gets out of here alive. Even if we all die trying."
That shut everyone up. Causing Levi to start talking once more.
"We'll depend on the horses for now… got that?"
"ROGER!"
"Depending on how far again?!" Eren screamed as he turned around to see the female titan literally less than a hundred yards from them. He unconsciously lifted up his hand to bite into it to activate his titan form, but this time, one scout had come forth to challenge the titan.
Wait…
"Mikasa?!" Eren exclaimed as he shouted at the girl holding onto the scout's shoulders as she threw herself onto the uninjured shoulder of the titan.
"Huh? You know her?" Eld asked as he and the rest of the squad watched as 'Mikasa' unsheathed her sword and began stabbing the uninjured shoulder with all the strength she could muster.
"She's my sister… But what is that skirt?! What is she wearing?!" Eren exclaimed as the titan roared in agony as the sword disabled her other arm.
"That's what you're worried about? Not the fact that your 'sister' isn't wearing her gear and is somehow wounding the titan without dying?!" Petra exclaimed.
"You don't understand! Mikasa would never wear something like that! And where's her scarf?" Eren said as he watched Mikasa lose her footing and almost flew off the titan were it not for her still imbedded sword stuck onto the body of the beast.
"Case in point, she's here and is fighting the titan. Go for her. Now tell her to get off of it before it gets her killed!" Levi commanded impatiently. As if the thought of killing the titan right then and there was the more pressing matter and not mikasa dying.
"Mikasa! Get off of that thing! Get over here!" Eren yelled at the still dangling girl whose sword had just dislodged and was now trying to reach out to Boyd. As soon as the sword was now safe in her hands, Boyd appeared, grabbed Mikasa before the titan could so much as bite her, and was now bringing her towards Squad Levi. Boyd dropped Mikasa exactly at the back of Eren's saddle as Eren had offered beforehand and flew off to report to Ness about what happened. Leaving Mikasa behind.
"Well, thank you for the ride. I suppose." Mikasa thanked with gratitude. She then looked to Eren and asked. "What was your name again?"
Eren meanwhile looked towards Mikasa in surprise and then asked "Wait, who are you? And why do you look like Mikasa?"
.
