3rd POV
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Just a regular day in Shiganshina District. Folks going about their business, kids making a ruckus playing, and grown-ups doing their thing. Merchants flaunting their stuff, soldiers having a good time with a drink, probably gossiping about the charming baker nearby—a married beauty.
Amid the lively scene, a young woman casually wandered the busy streets, as if things wouldn't take a dark turn sooner or later. For weeks, she'd been in and out of the district, witnessing the scouts take off and eagerly anticipating their return.
Fixing her cloak, she made up her mind to head to the district gates for the fifth time this week. Right on cue, the bell signaling the Scouts' comings and goings echoed through the air.
Amidst the hustle and bustle, a sudden realization hit her: 'OH FUCK, IT' S TODAY?'
Despite the shock, she maintained a calm face, concealing any emotions behind her already-covered face.
Watching the soldiers return, the young woman couldn't help but sport a small smile.
'I guess my presence did some good', she thought.
Why? Well, there were fewer casualties compared to the usual storyline. She patted herself on the back, acknowledging the tedious effort she put in.
However, despite her actions, some unfortunate souls weren't able to escape their fates.
In a scene all too familiar, an elderly woman hurriedly approached a stern-faced commander.
"Excuse me! My son Moses! I don't see him here..." she pleaded, distress etched on her face. "Where is my son?"
The commander, filled with remorse and guilt, looked at her before lifting his head to speak with a nearby soldier.
"Moses' mother... bring him here," the commander requested.
The soldier, his hesitation evident, approached a horse laden with belongings. He came back holding something swathed in a survey corps cape stained with blood. Handing it over to the commander, he quickly stepped aside, avoiding the horrified gaze of the kneeling old woman witnessing the somber moment.
With a heavy expression, the commander reluctantly presented her with the grim 'item'.
Trembling, she gazed down at the mentioned item, attempting to grasp the reality unfolding before her. Gradually, she unraveled it, her tear-filled eyes widening like saucers.
In her hands, she held a bloody appendage — her son's arm.
"Eh...?"
"That's all... we were able to recover," the commander explained, wearing an indescribable expression.
Breaking from the shock, the woman clutched the remnants of her son and unleashed a loud wail. The surroundings fell into a heavy silence, only disrupted by her sobbing, drawing pitiful glances from onlookers, coupled with accusatory stares directed at the scouts.
Lifting her tear-soaked face toward the commander, she weakly inquired through sniffles, "Ugh... But my son... he was useful to you, right...?"
The commander stood, utterly taken aback as she pressed on.
"Even if he didn't accomplish much directly... H-His death... it brought humanity one step closer to beating them, RIGHT?!" Her eyes held a desperate hope as she implored.
All soldiers and citizens stood in silence, observing the exchange. The commander attempted a positive response, but shame overwhelmed him. His wide-eyed horror was evident as he weakly muttered:
"No... our expedition this time... once again..." He clenched his teeth in anguish, then shouted in shame, "we achieved... NOTHING!!" he began, "DUE TO MY INCOMPETENCE... I JUST SENT MY SOLDIERS TO THEIR DEATHS!!" Taking a shaky breath, tears streamed down his face, and he concluded, "WE DIDN'T GET ANY CLOSER... TO UNCOVERING WHAT THOSE THINGS REALLY ARE!!"
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1st POV
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The mother stood there, horrified, while onlookers began murmuring and expressing their displeasure and disappointment toward the scouts.
'Oh shit, witnessing this firsthand is even more heartbreaking.' I bit my lip, scolding myself.
Even though I'd been around for months, trying to ease their struggles, people still died due to titans I missed.
'It's tough to see this again. Looks like some characters are bound to meet their end, unless I directly interfere.' I thought grimly, scanning the soldiers for familiar faces.
Naturally, Shadis was the straightforward pick since he talked just like in the original story. Kept digging and then boom, my eyes caught this stunning tall blond guy on a pretty brown horse. Sure, he looked like he'd been to hell and back but—
'ERWIN MONTHERFUCKING SMITH!!!'
Internally, I couldn't help but squeal.
'OMG OMG OMG, he's legit right there!! Even his horse is a beauty, like, TKRJSFSHEH-'
Not gonna lie, I'd seen him around before, but I usually kept my distance when they rolled through. Never really got a close-up view—until today, that is. So there I am, fangirling like crazy over this gorgeous guy, totally oblivious to the fact that our eyes just met.
Wait, his eyes are legit mesmerizing. Like, these blue irises could give the sky a run for its mo—
'HOL UP-' I froze, deer in the headlights moment. 'FU—HE'S LOOKING AT ME?! SHITSHITSHIT!!'
I clumsily shifted my focus away from his intense cerulean eyes, acting like I was casually checking out the scene. Rocking a slightly attention-grabbing outfit, but folks were too busy giving the scouts the stink eye to notice me. Not that a tall cloaked dumbass was easy to miss.
You either wore these kinds of clothes if you were usually up to no good. I was up to good, mind you!
'I definitely did not just gaze at his handsome mug, not even a bit~ quit staring, dude!' I could still sense his eyes on me but smartly chose to brush it off. Lucky for me, my mask kept everything except my eyes under wraps.
This is totally not going to bite me in the ass. Nope!
The soldiers departed, catching an earful of the not-so-bright citizens' complaints.
I clenched my fists in annoyance.
Seriously, these guys are either clueless or living in La La Land if they think a 50-meter wall is foolproof. I get it, if you've never faced trouble, complacency makes sense. But come on, what a bunch of ungrateful bastard! It's like those beer-belly dads, all achy in the joints, yelling advice to a fit football player on how to play the game correctly.
Toss them onto the field and let's see how well they do.
Make sense out of that!
A hint of bloodlust slipped out, making the idiots quiver in fear. 'Yeah, that's right, tremble, you—'
A sudden yelp of pain, coupled with a high-pitched angry shout, pulled me out of my frustration. I turned my head so fast I heard my neck crack. 'Ouch, uh, I mean—MY BABIES!!!'
Internally, I chirped before spotting two little figures darting through the streets.
'WAIT FOR ME, MY LITTLE DUCKLINGS, FOR I AM HERE!!'
And with that, I discreetly trailed after them with a dumb grin.
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3rd POV
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In a house near the wall, a dispute erupted between a boy and his mother, with his friend/adopted sister as the sole witness.
Determined and stubborn, the boy swiftly dashed off in the opposite direction from his mother.
The weary woman sighed but assigned a task to her adopted daughter before allowing her to catch up with the young boy and then returned indoors.
Sprinting down the streets, the boy accidentally collided with someone, lacking the sturdy build of an adult he ended up on the ground.
"Ah! You okay, kid?" a gentle voice inquired with concern.
He grunted in response, nursing his sore rear and still nursing a lingering frustration from his spat with his mom. His friend, catching up, eyed the cloaked figure with mild curiosity and caution.
"Here, let me help," the person offered, extending a hand. He peeked through one eye to find a dark-skinned hand, widening his eyes in surprise.
It was his first encounter with someone with such skin tone, leaving him intrigued. Confused, he raised his head to face the person, discovering stunning gold eyes meeting his wide emerald gaze.
The pre-teen blushed instantly, grabbing the offered hand as the cloaked woman chuckled and aided him to stand.
"Here! You okay?" she inquired.
He stammered before hurriedly replying, "Y-yes...! I m-mean... no..! EVERYTHING IS ALRIGHT!" ending in a slightly high-pitched tone.
His friend just rolled her eyes and stepped forward, stealing a glance at the woman. A faint pink tint appeared on her cheeks as the woman directed her gaze toward her.
"Hi there!" the woman greeted with a smile.
The two youngsters just stared dumbfounded before awkwardly responding, "H-HELLO! / Hello... Ma'am."
Seeing their politeness, the older one's gaze softened as she kindly reassured them, "It's okay! No need to be formal; I'm only 14!" The teenager chuckled and playfully ruffled both of their heads, given her height advantage.
They gazed at her in amazement, both nodding. She enthusiastically clapped her hands together. "Alright! I should be on my way! Hope we'll meet again!" With that, she began walking, adding a spirited "See ya!" before vanishing around a corner.
The two friends stood in stunned silence before the boy burst out, "Did you see that, Mikasa?!"
The girl nodded slowly.
"I've never seen anyone this dark before!"
She hummed, a bit dazed.
"I gotta tell Armin! He won't believe this!" He leaped in excitement before sprinting to his friend's house.
Mikasa shook her head and trailed after him.
Little did they know, the teenager they encountered was losing it in an alley.
'DTGJHLJHO-'
EDITED