"Marco, Jean!"
Jean Kirstein had heard his name be called. He heard it loud and clear, and yet, he didn't respond to it. Neither did Marco, for that matter, for they were too focused on the sight before them to do so.
Neither even bothered to say a word as the likes of Mina, Annie, Nac, Mylius, Ymir, Christa, Sasha, Connie, Reiner and Bertholdt all landed by their sides, and as they did so, they all stared down the building they were perched on and focused on the sight before them; namely how there were several dozen Garrison members below them, all of whom surrounded the slowly dissipating cloud of smoke with their Anti-Titan blades unsheathed or their musket rifles aimed at it.
Kitz Woermann himself was down there alongside the soldiers, though no one really paid him any mind as they walked up to the very edge of the building, with Mina in particular kneeling down by its edge whilst Nac leaned forwards to have a better look at what was at the epicenter of the massive cloud of smoke.
"Hey… guys? Is… that… am I seeing things correctly or…" muttered Reiner as just enough of the smoke dissipated to show what appeared to be a Titan; or at least, what remained of it, anyways, as the small group saw that the skin and flesh appeared to have been blown off, revealing its skull and bone beneath. Mina, Bertholdt, Connie, Sasha and Christa had to fight off their gag reflexes after laying eyes on the thing, though the others kept their eyes glued on it out of fear.
"You're not seeing things, Reiner…" assured Marco as he and Jean both took a step backwards out of instinctual fear, with Jean backing right up into Nac in the process. The taller guy didn't seem to mind, though, as his attention was completely fixed on the skeletal remains of the Titan, and as more of the smoke parted, more parts of the Titan could be seen, and everyone present flinched just a little when they saw its exposed ribcage, with flesh still clinging onto it. Its left arm was still attached to its body, though its entire forearm was missing from the elbow down.
"But how… h-how did it even get inside of Rose…?" muttered Christa in disbelief as she took a preemptive step backwards, with her holding herself uncertainly all the while. Behind her, Ymir gently held her shoulder, assuring her that things will be fine, and, in response to her initial inquiry, Mina grit her teeth and answered.
"It's Eren… it has to be Eren!" pointed out Mina, prompting everyone to turn towards her. Her expression was a lot harder than Nac remembered it being, though he didn't voice that out as he allowed her to continue. "They separated him, Mikasa and Armin from the rest of us when we returned, remember? We… we were too caught up in the fact that we survived that we just… blurted out the fact that Eren could transform into a Titan… and because of that… the Garrison… they… t-they…"
"They pulled them aside and decided to interrogate them privately. Evidently enough, it didn't go all too well," finished Annie for her friend as she turned back towards the smoldering remains of Eren's Titan form. "They probably got the order to kill them, or someone fired on instinct… and it didn't go as planned."
"Well whatever the reason, should we really be staying here?" muttered Bertholdt as he turned his attention up to spot a handful of Wall mounted cannons aimed down towards the remains of Eren's Titan form, seeming ready to open fire at any moment. "We could potentially get caught in a tussle we have no way of surviving!"
"Perhaps, but-" began Nac, only to be cut off when the sound of Maneuver Gear units hitting the ground could be heard, causing the small group atop the buildings and the Garrison who were down on the ground to gasp. And mere seconds after, the familiar figure of Armin Arlert burst out of the smoke, causing a few gasps to erupt from the crowd below. "I-It's Armin… I guess you were right, Mina…"
"Honestly… wish I wasn't," was all Mina could mutter out as below them, Kitz Woermann held his hands out to signal for Armin to stop his running. To back his order up, a handful of the Garrison surrounding them raised their rifles, all of which were aimed squarely on Armin, who complied as he stopped his rush and held his hands up to show that he was not about to harm anyone.
It was admittedly a little comical, to see an entire platoon of soldiers aim their rifles at Armin, who didn't look to be capable of harming even a fly, though with context, it did make sense, seeing as how, in at least Kitz's eyes, the young soldier was friends with a person who had just come out of a Titan's nape mere hours ago and, if the dissolving Titan skeleton was anything to go by, could also transform into one.
Up top, the other soldiers could only watch on with baited breath as the soldiers down below kept their rifles trained unto Arlert, and, for the briefest of seconds, Armin's eyes seemed to dart up to Jean and the other soldiers who were watching the whole ordeal unfold from atop the building, though he was quick to dismiss them, as his attention was stolen by Kitz speaking up.
"So it would seem as though you have revealed your true colours, monster!" accused Kitz as he motioned rather unnecessarily as he spoke, with him at one point nearly swatting one of his Garrison Elites in the face. The Elite didn't bring that up, however, as Kitz continued on. "Your transformation into that wretched beast within the confines of Rose shows your true nature, and as such, you are a threat to us all! On my signal, gunners, open fire!"
"W-Wait, he's not gonna-" began Nac, instinctively stepping forward to perhaps intervene in some way, only for Reiner to hold him back. "R-Reiner?!"
"It's best if we don't get involved in this, Nac," suggested Reiner as Nac raised his brow in disbelief. Before he could retort, however, the blonde continued. "If you do so, they'll more than likely mark you as a traitor for speaking up for the supposed enemy, and I'm sure none of us here would want that. Just… hang back and let things play out, alright?"
"But we can't just leave Eren, Mikasa and Armin like this!" protested Nac, only to be silenced when Annie gently placed a hand over his back, prompting him to turn towards her with a bewildered look. "A-Annie… don't tell me…"
"Have faith in Armin," urged Mina, with her speaking from behind Annie. She didn't sound all too confident as she turned back towards the blonde in question, but even so, she was willing to put her faith in the blonde tactician as she watched him fidget down below. Nac grimaced just a little at that, though he allowed the topic to drop as soon as he heard Armin speak up once more.
"Captain Kitz Woermann! I assure you that he is not an enemy of mankind!" proclaimed Armin, with his usually small and timid voice now loud and clear enough to be heard by anyone within a fifty metre radius. His tone shocked those who knew him well, though it didn't compare to what came out of his mouth next. "As Cadets of the 104th Trainee Corps and as proud members of the Military Brigade, we are willing to share any and all information we have on the matter and provide as much support as we possibly can in potentially retaking Trost!"
The bravery that had pushed Armin to say those words was more impressive than anything the group that stood atop the building had seen in quite a long while. It was perhaps on par with seeing the Mechanical Titan in person, though just barely. Kitz, on the other hand, didn't seem to be phased by this act of bravery, however, as he held a fist in front of himself and retorted. "I have no intention of hearing your desperate pleas! We have heard everything from those who witnessed it rampaging around Trost, and we know more than enough to say that there is no room for discussion whatsoever!
"But if you claim that he is not our enemy, Cadet, then prove it! If you are unable to do so, then we shall simply eliminate the beast and the traitors who stand with him!"
"There… THERE ISN'T ANY NEED FOR PROOF!" proclaimed Armin as he leaned forward to amplify the sound of his voice, prompting several Garrison members to tighten their grips on their rifles. "How we see him… it is not an issue!"
"What?!" proclaimed Kitz, his confusion rather apparent. Up top, his fellow soldiers were also rather confused by his words, though conversely, Reiner smirked a little at that, seemingly understanding just a little of what the shorter blonde meant.
"You say that many have seen him in combat, Captain!" continued Armin. "From either atop the Walls or from the field itself! If that is so, then you must have seen the way he fought, including the sight of the Titans swarming him!
"In other words, the Titans too saw him as a target of predation, just like the rest of mankind! No matter how we go about it, that fact cannot be denied!"
And at that, the area fell silent; so much so that the only thing that could be heard was the sound of the wind and the occasional sound of metal impacting flesh in the distance. The tension that filled the air was so thick that Mina and Jean both began stumbling just a little, prompting Christa and Marco to extend their arm out to steady the twintailed girl and horse-faced boy, respectively, to keep them upright.
"Armin… he's taking quite the gamble with his words…" muttered Mylius as he wobbled a tiny bit, only for Nac to set a hand atop his shoulder, steadying him a fair bit all the while.
"Yeah… but even so… I think his words are getting through to the soldiers…" commented Sasha, with her glancing down at the soldiers down below as she spoke. Said soldiers were all staring between one another as they processed what was just said, and moments later…
"He… h-he has a point…" muttered a Garrison as he lowered his rifle, frowning deeply as he pondered his next course of action. "That boy… he and that… Mechanical Titan… they seemed to be targeting only Titans and not humans…"
"A Titan as an ally… it's ridiculous, but…" added another, trailing off as her resolve began to waver. "If the Mechanical Titan is supposedly non-hostile to mankind, then perhaps…"
"I saw it… I saw him… lunge forwards and attack the Titans in spite of having lost both his arms…" muttered another, shivering at that rather gruesome memory. "It isn't much, but it definitely shows some of his conviction…"
One by one, the Garrison began lowering their arms, be it Anti-Titan blades or their rifles, as they realized that the blonde might've been speaking some semblance of the truth. The mere sight of this was more than enough to allow the other soldiers up top to relax, if only by a little, as they slouched their shoulders in relief. Christa herself damn near collapsed onto her knees as she too felt relief flooding her system, with Ymir being the one that kept her from falling over all the while.
And yet… as with all good things, this momentary bout of relief did not last, as, after realizing that he was about to lose control over their currently precarious situation, Kitz made one final, last ditch attempt at seizing back control, with him swinging an arm out towards the soldiers before bellowing out his orders.
"PREPARE TO ATTACK!"
"HUH?!" yelled out Bertholdt, with his shock being very much audible as he flinched alongside most of the other soldiers, though moments later, Kitz continued on with his command without so much as another breath.
"DO NOT BE FOOLED BY THIS TRAITOR'S DECEPTIVE TRICKS!" urged Kitz, eliciting several gasps of shock from Armin and the soldiers atop the building as they processed his words. "THE ACTIONS OF THE TITANS HAVE ALWAYS BEEN BEYOND OUR COMPREHENSION! AS SUCH, IT IS NOT BEYOND THE REALM OF PLAUSIBILITY THAT THEY ARE CAPABLE OF TAKING THE FORMS OF HUMANS AND IMITATE OUR METHOD OF SPEECH TO DELUDE US!
"WE MUSTN'T ALLOW THEM TO DO AS THEY PLEASE ANY LONGER! TO ALLOW THEM BACK INTO OUR RANKS WILL ONLY CAUSE HARM TO US AND THOSE WHOM WE CARE FOR! AS SUCH, WE MUST WASTE NO TIME IN ELIMINATING THESE BEASTS WHO MASQUERADE AS MEN, STARTING WITH THEM!"
Kitz's little speech seemed to stir something up within the Garrison, as their hostility shot back up to the nines, prompting them to either train their guns back onto Armin or reassume their offensive stances with the Anti-Titan blades in hand. At that, Armin's face paled several shades as he recoiled back in horror, and atop the building, Bertholdt fainted from the stress that came with the whole situation, with Reiner thankfully grabbing him before he could roll off the roof. Nac, however…
"T-The Captain… he's abandoned all reason!" proclaimed Nac as he took a preemptive step forward, with him wanting to step in to talk some sense into the paranoid Captain, only to be stopped by Reiner once more. "He's too scared to think, dammit! We have to do something to stop him before he makes a terrible mistake!"
"There's nothing we can do, Nac!" proclaimed Reiner as he shoved Nac back. The taller soldier was caught by Annie, who glared at the taller blonde for his actions, but even so, he didn't acknowledge this as he continued. "We just can't…!"
"There's always something that can be done, Reiner!" reasoned Christa, with making her voice known as she stepped forward, ignoring Ymir's groans all the while, though, in spite of his soft spot for her, Reiner simply shook his head in defiance.
"I'm… sorry, Christa, but…"
"I AM A SOLDIER THAT HAS LONG SINCE OFFERED HIS LIFE FOR THE REVIVAL OF MANKIND!"
Armin's voice rang out loud, with it piercing the tension-filled air like a sound blaster lashing out against glass, silencing practically everything else in its wake. If anything, it seemed as though the Earth itself had fallen silent for this one moment as the soldiers atop the building turned back to spot Armin, performing the Military Brigade salute with such valor that, were he here, even Erwin Smith would feel envious.
"TO PERISH WHILST OBEYING THAT CONVICTION WOULD BE MY LIFE'S GREATEST GLORY!" continued Armin, with his sudden raise of volume shocking those who heard his claim into silence. Noticing this, the soldier continued on, not allowing his volume to drop for even a second as he knew that he had everyone's attention now, and if he even showed a hint of weakness, he'd surely suffer greatly for it. "IF WE WERE TO USE THE COMBINED MIGHT OF EREN JAEGER'S TITAN POWERS AND THE ANTI-TITAN CAPABILITIES OF THE MECHANICAL TITAN IN ADDITION TO OUR REMAINING FORCES, THEN THE RECAPTURE OF TROST WOULD NO LONGER BE IMPOSSIBLE!
"I SHALL PRAY ONLY FOR THE GLORY OF MANKIND, AND IF AT ALL POSSIBLE, I WISH TO ELABORATE ON EREN JAEGER'S STRATEGIC WORTH WITH ALL THE TIME I HAVE LEFT!"
And as soon as the blonde finished what could most likely be the last words of his life, the area they were in went deathly silent once more, only broken by the unsteady breathing of nervous Garrison members. Several of themfound themselves gasping at such a claim, to use Titans, of all things, to recapture Trost. By all accounts, this was a plan doomed to fail from the start, but even so, to those that were observing all this from atop a building, those that had seen firsthand what these two 'Titans' were capable off, they seemed to understand what Armin was getting at.
"Eren… he fought like a monster out there. He doesn't seem to be controllable… and yet, if we make proper use of him out on the field…" muttered Reiner thoughtfully as Nac nodded, with him seeing just as, if not more, thoughtful than his blonde friend as he added on to his statement.
"Likewise, the Mechanical Titan is quite clearly an ally to humanity… it seems to be looking out for us in an odd sort of way, so it isn't out of the question to perhaps… coerce it into assisting us," added Nac with a small smile. Pinching at his chin with his index finger and thumb, the man's gaze sharpened a tad as he continued. "With their combined abilities… we could very well turn the tides in our favour…"
"... and we just might have a chance at retaking our home…!" concluded Mina, with her sounding extremely supportive of Armin's plan as she stared down at the Garrison, Kitz in particular as he was the one who called the shots around here, it seemed. That man seemed skittish, to say the least, and before long, Connie voiced out his concerns.
"That's, like, cool and all… but unless that guy down there approves of all this, we won't be going anywhere with this," pointed out Connie warily, to which his allies flinched as they quietly agreed. Kitz's word was more than likely the be all end all of this confrontation, and if he went against it… then it was very much a book ended case. Book ended… in the way that would flatten humanity between its pages.
"...Captain Woermann, perhaps we should consider the Cadet's proposal?" suggested a soldier from behind Kitz as he stepped forwards, surprising a few as he spoke out, though he ignored their looks as he continued on, very much keen on at least… hearing these kids out as he continued. "Should this plan sound worthwhile, then perhaps…"
"SILENCE!"
That one word was enough to tell everyone present that Kitz was unwilling to cooperate, and the soldier that had been speaking to him took a step back and gave a solemn nod as the Captain began raising an arm up to signal the gunners to fire.
'He's not listening to their pleas!' thought Nac desperately as he gulped, with the other soldiers present all recoiling in shock as they realized that there would be no reasoning with the man.. 'No matter how much they try to change his mind, to him, they're no different to Titans! And he's going to attempt to eliminate them like one!'
The Captain's hand was already halfway up by now, and Nac took a step forward, only to be held back by Annie, who looked up at him defiantly as she frowned. Robotic though it may have appeared, her frown still held some sign of remorse as she grit her teeth together, with her holding her friend back stoically all the while.
"Don't," pleaded Annie, only to be met with a massive grimace from Nac, though that grimace quickly turned to a pained frown when he saw that Kitz's hand was held high above his head by then. Annie herself shut her eyes as she shook her head in dismay, with her, frowning lightly as she muttered out her next few words. "They're finished… it's best if you just looked away, alright…?"
And at that, Nac simply grit his teeth as he, alongside the other soldiers who were with him, squeezed their eyes shut and looked away from Armin, the blonde who would be wiped off the face of the Earth within the next couple of minutes as the price of his bravery…
...and yet… the shot never came…
Perking his ears up just a little, Nac first wondered if he had gone deaf. There was meant to be a cannonshot… right? Did they opt to just stab them to death? Unlikely, as the sound of metal slicing through flesh would've been heard.
So… what…?
Slowly, and very much uncertainly, the soldiers up top began to open their eyes one by one and, much to their relief, saw that Armin was still standing there, with his saluting posture as firm as ever. That, and a newcomer, who had restrained Kitz Woermann's wrist before he could bring it down and signal the cannons to open fire, was present as well, with the aura of disappointment being very much present all around him as the softest of chuckles escaped his lips.
"I-Is that…" began Jean as soon as he opened his eyes, and before he could finish that statement, the newcomer spoke up, with his elderly voice very much matching his appearance all the while.
"As always, Captain Kitz Woermann, in spite of your abilities and your experience, both on and off the field, you're still as feeble minded as a fawn," chastised the newcomer, and as he spoke, he lowered Kitz's arm down to his side and had a good look at Armin, and vice versa, Arlert himself got a good look at the bald, elderly man. Though he was definitely old, the elderly man still looked ready for combat, even if that smile on his mustached face made him look more like a grandfather than the Commander of the Garrison Brigade.
"C-Commander Dot Pixis…?" sputtered out Kitz as he, alongside everyone present, turned to face the Commander, who smiled as he walked past the Captain; neutral though he might've appeared, there was no doubt an aura of annoyance surrounding his person, and although subtle, Kitz was still wary enough to notice it as he began sweating… more so than he already was, at least. "Why are you…?"
"I was informed of the true nature behind Eren Jaeger's… unique abilities and the sudden appearance of the Mechanical Titan within Trost by the two over there," informed Pixis as he stopped walking and observed Armin Arlert at a decent enough distance. As he did so, Kitz turned his attention to his back and widened his eyes when he saw that Pixis' usual escorts were nowhere to be seen. Instead, the Commander was being escorted by none other than Rico Brzenska and Ian Dietrich, both of whom were giving him looks of utmost irritation. "They, unlike you, thought it wise to seek the aid of a higher up rather than take matters into their hands, something that you would be keen on learning from them."
And at that, Pixis waved a hand, ordering all Garrison members present to stand down, and they all did so without question. Kitz, however, simply grimaced as he stepped forward, the fear he was suffering still clouding his judgement as he blurted out: "B-But Commander, w-with all due respect… how can you trust these Titans in human skin so swiftly?!"
And right as he said that, Kitz found himself turning pale as he realize what he had just uttered out, and to whom he had said it to, but much to his relief, Pixis did not reprimand him for speaking out of line; rather, he simply smiled and raised a hand up to point over towards Armin.
"Why? Well, it is simple, Captain Woermann," responded Pixis, smiling as he kept his finger pointed towards Armin, who still had his eyes squeezed tightly shut as he continued. "Do you not see the utter brilliance of that salute? It is a sign, Captain, a sign that he is more than willing to give up all that he has for our cause, and it should not be dismissed!"
Kitz could only gape at his Commander as soon as he processed those words, allowing Pixis to continue on.
"Though I had only just arrived, one of your men kindly filled me in on the details of your… 'interrogation', for the lack of a better term," explained Pixis, with his emphasis on the word interrogation being more than enough to make Kitz flinch. "Now, please go take command of the reinforcements and gather them at where Ian specifies, Captain Woermann, for I think it would be best if we heard what these soldiers had to say."
And as soon as he processed those words, Armin collapsed into a heap of exhaustion and stress as the soldiers atop the building released a collective sigh of relief. Their comrades would live to fight another day, it seemed… and that thought alone was more than enough to make everyone present shrink down in relief.
After some time, however, Rico in particular had turned her gaze upwards, only to spot the young soldiers up top, staring right back at her. Bemused, the bespectacled soldier huffed as she gave them a look that more or less said get down from there, and with no small amount of sheepishness, they did as they were 'told', though along the way…
"Uh… Mylius… M-Mylius?" muttered Nac as he poked the aforementioned soldier's cheek, only for the guy to wobble violently to the left as he was poked. Seeing this made almost everyone gasp as Nac lashed his arm out to stop the blonde from falling off the building, and as that happened, he stood him back up and saw that… we… "H-He fainted whilst standing up…?!"
"Well… at least Bertholdt won't have too much of his dignity crushed when he wakes up, now, huh?" hummed Reiner as everyone watched Nac hold Mylius, bridal style, to which Annie snorted.
"I guess…"
Later, atop Rose
"You know, I personally wouldn't mind being eaten if my slayer were an exquisitely beautiful female Titan."
There was no real response to that comment, or at least… there was none that either Armin, Eren or Mikasa could offer as Commander Dot Pixis capped his flask and stared down the edge of Rose, where an entire pack of Titans, Titans that had miraculously avoided being turned into paste by the Mechanical Titan, were attempting to scale the Wall. The junior soldiers had been brought up to the top of the Wall for some privacy, according to Pixis, something which his subordinates heavily objected to, though with Pixis being Pixis, he was quick to ignore them.
He was their Commander, after all.
For a brief moment, there was mostly silence, only broken by the gentle wind blowing against their skin and, at one point, what sounded like a cannon going off in the distance. The silence was eventually broken, however, when Pixis spoke up once more.
"What say you, though? Have you seen any notably beautiful female-shaped Titans whilst out on the field?" inquired Pixis, much to the bewilderment of the Cadets he was speaking to. He must be going senile to be asking such strange questions in the middle of a catastrophe! Evidently, at least Armin and Eren's faces had shown their bewilderment, as Pixis was quick to chuckle and continue. "I see. Well, that is a topic for another time. Now, though… where were we… ah! Yes, if I recall correctly, a subordinate of mine informed me that you claimed that a basement within your old home in Shiganshina potentially held the answers that we seek in regards to the Titans, correct?"
"... yes, sir," replied Eren weakly as he knelt beside Armin. The poor guy looked exhausted, not that anyone could blame him for his exhaustion, though it didn't stop him from speaking either way. "Do you believe us, sir…?"
That inquiry had gotten no real response from Pixis, as the elderly soldier was busy staring down at Trost, or, more specifically, out at the Fourteen metre Titan that was just thrown up into the air with seemingly little to no effort whatsoever. Pixis withheld a chuckle upon seeing that, having acknowledged it as the handiwork of the Mechanical Titan he kept hearing about, as he turned to face Jaeger and his two companions.
"You sound uncertain, Cadet. If you yourself are uncertain of whether or not it truly holds the answers to all that we seek… then at best, all I can only say is that I will keep it in mind. Nothing more, and nothing less," replied Pixis as he tapped the side of his head cheekily. The three tensed up just a little upon hearing that, though they relaxed just a little when he continued. "However, I do pride myself with being able to see the truth of things. So, at the very least, I will guarantee your safety once all of this is over and done with… if you survive, that is.
"Now, Armin Arlert, was it?"
Upon hearing his name be called, Armin took a preemptive step forward and offered a rigid salute. "Sir!"
"If I recall, you said that if we were to utilize the combined might of Eren Jaeger's 'Titan Power' and the strength of the recently resurfaced Mechanical Titan, the recapture of Trost would no longer be impossible, yes? Did you truly believe that, or was it merely a vain act of desperation?"
In response to that, Armin's expression briefly dropped as he considered his next words very carefully, and upon doing so, he answered.
"It was, in truth… a fair bit of both, sir," answered the blonde as Pixis narrowed his eyes at him, prompting Armin to gulp as he forced himself to continue. "I… was unable to fully speak my mind back then, so I shall elaborate now, if you'll allow me."
Pixis held no apparent objection, and as such, the soldier continued.
"I believe that in his Titan form, Eren could potentially carry a large boulder within Trost and use it to seal the breach. The Mechanical Titan does not seem to see him as a threat, and as such, I believe we could exploit this factor and use it to keep the Titans away from Eren as he does so," explained Armin, with him keeping his explanation as short and simple as humanly possible. Eren and Mikasa both looked at him as though he were insane, though their blonde friend didn't seem to notice or care as he continued. "In truth, it was an idea that I made up on the spot. However, I had hoped that the use of Eren's power and the sudden appearance of the Mechanical Titan would be enough for us to break this deadlock."
The look that Pixis gave Armin after he had concluded appeared to be that of genuine disappointment as he turned his back towards the three and stared out into Trost, where he just barely saw a Titan be thrown straight into a building, collapsing and destroying it in the process, and at that, Arlert tensed up and hastily added on.
"O-Of course, it was all said in a genuine attempt to survive," added Armin, fearing the worst when Pixis turned his back on them, and at that, the Garrison Commander simply smiled warmly as he chuckled softly at the young man's words.
"A genuine attempt to survive…" muttered Pixis wistfully as he nodded. "Those may just be the most genuine words I'll ever hear in my entire career…"
And as soon as those words left his lips, Pixis uncapped his flask and took a swig from it. Whilst he did so, the juniors behind him simply stared at him uncertainly, and moments later, after capping his flask ,the Commander turned back towards Armin and spoke once again.
"I understand your faith in Eren Jaeger; to ask him to do such a thing shows it quite well, but why not the Mechanical Titan?" asked Pixis. His tone of voice made it very apparent that he was asking a rhetorical question, and by all means, he seemed to only be asking this to see what response he'd get out of Armin. "The Mechanical Titan, according to one of my Elites, seems to be incredibly intelligent, so much so that it can recognise human speech and act on more than just instinct… and likewise, it has shown itself to be much more powerful than any Titan we know of, including the Armoured Titan, if an old report is to be believed. To entrust it with the sealing of the breach feels more… logical, no?"
"... you are correct, Sir, but even so, the Mechanical Titan is an abnormality that extends beyond our understanding. Eren may be an… abnormality in his own right," a pause as Eren gave Armin the stink eye alongside Mikasa, who just looked annoyed, "but even so, I myself feel more comfortable with having someone that I can trust, even if that someone can become a Titan, leading us to victory, than an entity that I know next to nothing about…"
"Hmhmhmm~, I see… the devil you know over that which you do not. A smart choice, Armin Arlert… you'll go far as a soldier, I can say that much," chuckled Pixis in approval as he nodded at the blonde's choice of words. For his part, Armin seemed somewhat flattered at that praise, though moments later, Pixis moved up to Eren, something that made Mikasa noticeably tense up.
Armin held a hand up to stop her from stepping in front of Jaeger defensively, and though she did shoot him an angered look, she complied nonetheless, with her acknowledging the precarious situation they were all stuck in all the while.
"So, what say you, Eren Jaeger?" inquired Pixis as he knelt down to look Eren in the eye, with him ignoring Mikasa's glare all the while. The young man in question blinked in confusion as he stared back at his superior, not quite getting the question, prompting Pixis to rephrase himself. "Can you seal the breach?"
In response to that, Eren simply bit his lip, with him not knowing how to answer such a heavy question. This was probably how it felt to have the entire world rest upon your shoulders, he reckoned, and it took him a while to answer properly, and even then, it wasn't with all that much confidence.
"I… I don't know, sir. I really don't…" admitted Eren, with his tone reflecting his current uncertainty as he averted his gaze down to the ground. "I… I'm just as clueless as the rest of us present here, sir. So, regardless of whether or not I am able to do it, I can't find it within me to answer you halfheartedly."
Whilst Mikasa and Armin both appeared downcast and disappointed, respectively, after Eren gave his answer to Pixis, the Garrison Commander himself simply offered a mild chuckle as he shook his head, an act that made everyone turn to him in mild surprise.
"Ah, I see. That is true," quipped Pixis as he nodded in apparent understanding, with his features softening a little as he did so. Before long, however, his expression hardened once more, catching everyone present off guard, as he spoke up yet again. "Hm, though… perhaps it was my fault, however. I had simply asked you the wrong question."
"Sir…?" was the only thing that was able to leave Eren's lips before he and his fellow Cadets widened their eyes at the sudden change of Pixis' demeanor. His smile was gone now, and the gentle gaze he once had was now replaced with that of a stern glare that only a veteran Commander could muster.
No longer was he speaking to them as Pixis, the aloof and gentle senior soldier… but rather, he was now speaking to them as Commander Dot Pixis, Supreme Commander of the Garrison Division of the Military Brigade.
"Will you seal the breach, Eren Jaeger, or will you not?" rephrased Pixis, his tone just as serious as his expression as he spoke, voice as hard as Ultra-Hard Steel. Eren was quickly taken aback by his sudden seriousness, so much so that he was unable to concentrate on finding a proper answer to Pixis' inquiry. The Garrison Commander was quick to notice this, however, and in an effort to straighten his mind, he simply glanced behind Eren.
Following his gaze, Eren was quick to find himself staring into the interior of Rose. Staring at it, the soldier was quick to understand what Pixis was trying to indirectly tell him, prompting him to widen his eyes in shock.
"I…" muttered Eren as he turned to look Pixis in the eye, a newfound glint in his eye as he spoke with a renewed sense of purpose. "I'll do it, sir! I may not be certain if I can accomplish this goal, but I'll do it nonetheless!"
And in response to that, Pixis gave a nod of approval as he stood up.
"Very good, Eren Jaeger," said the Commander as his expression went back to normal. The sudden smile was enough to show that he was back to normal, and it was enough to make Armin audibly sigh in relief. "However, I wish to ask about the Mechanical Titan now. Armin Arlert, Mikasa Ackerman. If you may."
"What do you wish to know, sir?" inquired Armin, with him sounding rather intimidated at such a question as Pixis offered a mild chuckle.
"I know the basics regarding the Mechanical Titan, so there isn't much I need to ask regarding its nature. However, what I do wish to know is the reason as to why you trust it as much as you do," answered Pixis with a slightly confused edge to his voice. "To trust Eren Jaeger is one thing, but it is understandable due to the fact that you know one another. But to trust a Titan, no less one as poorly understood as the Mechanical Titan, regardless of how non-hostile and intelligent it is, to assist us in a mission as important as this?"
"We do not trust it, Commander," was the elderly soldier's immediate response from Mikasa, who sounded incredibly irritated as she glared at Pixis with a fiery gaze, with her no doubt irritated at how rude he was being to her friends. Armin, on the other hand, appeared indifferent to the whole situation, though he remained silent as Mikasa continued. "Even if we wished to eliminate it, we would be risking too much in doing so."
"I see. So you all allowing it to defend the lot of you was also out of your control, I surmise?" continued Pixis in amusement as Mikasa nodded.
"Indeed," confirmed Mikasa, earning herself a nod from Pixis.
"Very well. Then if you'll allow me, what exactly compelled you to add the Mechanical Titan into your plan, Cadet Arlert? To do so would be quite a risk, do you not think?" inquired Pixis curiously. And to that, the blonde simply chuckled awkwardly, scratching the back of his neck as he responded.
"I… I simply wished to make use of its strength, Commander. The 'Titan' is incredibly powerful, and as you no doubt already know, it does not attack humans; rather, it only targets Titans, and as such, I believe that it can be relied upon to a certain extent to keep the other Titans away whilst Eren accomplishes his part of the mission," was the only response Armin could think off the top of his head. And it seemed to satisfy Pixis, to say the least, as he offered a nod before turning to stare out at Trost.
"That is as good a reason as any other, I suppose…"
And with that, Pixis took one last swig out of his flask as a Titan was sent flying over the walls of Trost.