Chapter 34: Fighter.
"You had one job,Berthold!"
"Oh, you're pinning this on me? You're the one who compromised us , when the Devil of All Earth is still around!"
Ymir and Eren were laying back and enjoying themselves as Reiner and Berthold bickered at eachother. The traitors bitterly blamed one another for failing to kill Gohan. It was rational to fear the Monkey Boy as they had seen the overwhelming show of forces that was the Oozaru and the fact that Gohan's Ki had been higher than Annie's Titan's, in his human form. Not to mention, all the cadets from Utgard had seen Gohan killed a Titan without an ODM.
"Ha ha ha" Crackled Ymir, who also came up with something. "Oh my god, you actually had your biggest threat's arms over both ya shoulders. You carried 'the Devil of All Earth' straight to the tower!"
"Wait, wait, Ymir, I don't understand that reference." Eren had to ask her. "Devil of All Earth? What is that? Why are you calling him that?"
"So, you don't know? You see? Berthold over there is really scared shitless of Gohan to call him that!" Explained Ymir, also mused by Berthold's behaviours. "Beyond these Walls, the Devil of All Earth is the horror story the real enemy tells their kids at night. In other words, in all the lists of things that give them the heebie-jeebies, Devil of All Earth is at the top, and looks like they've just associated our Gohan with it!"
"Beyond these Walls? The real enemy?" Eren was overwhelmed with the new information that he knocked his head on the ceiling when he jumped on his feet. "Ow! How did you know? Who are you?"
"Huh? Listen, I'm caught up in circumstances of my own. I tell you later, okay?If I told you,
things would get too….."
"Ymir!"Reiner interrupted her, he came up with a countermeasure for Gohan. "We have our reasons to call him that. He is literally a devil!"
"Boo-hoo, too bad! Perhaps you can pray him away? Good luck!" Jeered Ymir, she could not be more sarcastic.
"I'm serious, Ymir! This world is more doomed when it has him!" Retorted Reiner, cracking the floor when he walked to her. "Do really trust him around Krista?"
"Nice try!" She smirked, mildly giggled when she knew what he was doing.
"Moon is full every once a month. You think you can change moon cycle? Be real. Just one glance at the satellite and your Angel of Trost will go 180 to Demon Monkey of Rose .Would you risk that happens near Krista?"Ymir gasped as Reiner kept his composure.
"Listening."
"No, no, no,no,no!" Eren realized what was happening and panicked, if the traitors couldn't outpower Gohan, they would have to surprise him. "He can't turn anymore. We've cut off his tail!"
"What's make you so sure it won't grow back?" Berthold's turn to step in and help Reiner. "Sure, it's not as fast as we regrow our limbs. But the Devil can be deceiving. Who to say he can't will when and how his tail grows back? He's the one who gave us all our powers, after all."
Ymir was frozen, every word Berthold said made sense to her. She slid her back down the wall and sat as she started to think back of the think she had been told when she had been little.
"Berthold, no more of your bullshit. Gave us all our powers? Stop yammering about!" Shouted Eren, he was an inch close to the traitor's face.
Before Eren could further his aggression the treehouse's tenants were interrupt by neighing, not just one, but thousand, following by countless of galloping hooves. Berthold and Reiner leaped out of the treehouse and saw what they saw. They saw the Survey Corps, riding in a flying wedge formation and was going straight into the forest .
"They're here! How can they be so fast?" Gasped Reiner ,commenting on the scouts' paces. "They use no flare! Nor the far-range scouting formation! What the hell Erwin is thinking?"
"It's the Devil, he's leading his children once again!" Snarled Berthold, slamming his fist at the entrance.
"This is it,Ymir! It's time for you to make your decision! We only have one chance to defeat the monster of our fairy tales! We both care for Krista!" Reiner turned to the only girl in the treehouse. "And you do owe us for our friend!"
The formation entered the forest and scattered in multiple direction before they got deeper. Gohan could see four ten-meter Titans in front of him. He drawn his blades and warned Commander Erwin.
"Secondary threats ahead! Permission to engage!"
"Take your squad to handle them! Then proceed to Eren! We'll follow you on horseback."
Gohan nodded at the order. He shot out lines from his ODM Gear and ejected from his horse. His squad jumped out from their saddles and followed him.
Gohan released a burst of steam and pivoted around the Titans'backs. The Monkey Boy took an extra grip on the left blade for the lack of fingers in his hand as the blades sliced through a Titan's nape.
With one target down, he grappled on another Titan. Spinning in the air, he struck the swords clean through the weakpoint and glided away.
"We got the other two!"
Nanaba and Gelgar flung themselves at the remaining two. The veterans swung to the creatures' back and carved their ways through the napes in a synchronized tune.
"Not so bad!"
Gohan's new squad soared through the woods before the Titans fell and disintergrated. Their squad leader led them to the direction where he sensed the primary targets' energies. They took few detours, but their destination remained unchanged. The Ki of the traitors and the captive had not move since they got here.
One of the Ki signatures shifted from where it stood, Gohan could sense it. Ymir's energy detached from the other three and started to move to the squad.
"Ymir, she escaped!"
"Ymir? Escaped?" Krista couldn't have her answers as a beam of light sparked before the squad, signaling a Titan had been formed.
"Which one is this?" Asked Connie
"That's Ymir!" Gohan felt the Titan's energy was gaining on them.
Gohan gestured their squad to pick up the pace as he accelerated. He led his squad to the direction of Ymir's Titan, a trail of steam followed them as they sped.
Ymir's ki was closer and closer to the squad ,probably because of she was also coming to them. Gohan was no longer needed to rely sorely on his Ki Sense as he saw a 5-meter Titan with a ruggish long hair was plunging from tree to tree.
"Ymir! So that's what you turned into when you fight my Oozaru?"
The 5-meter was only four trees from Gohan when she laid her eyes on him. The newly promoted soldier smiled at her fascinatedly as they distances narrowed. His smile disappeared when her sharp teeth lunged at him.
"Gohan!"
The squad panicked when their new squad leader got crashed on by the Titan's maw. Both Gohan and the 5-meter plummeted down to the ground beneath them. The tailless Monkey Boy' s head was between Ymir's jaws , his hands were places on both of them as he tried to hold her mouth open.
"What're you doing, Ymir?" Gohan could feel that Ymir's jaw muscle was tensing, she was going to bite his head off. The Half-Saiyan, divert all his Ki to both his hands so the teeth he held could not pierce him.
As Gohan was preoccupied with Ymir sudden attack, another beam of light illuminated the forest. The Armored Titan revealed in the distance, with Berthold and Eren's energies on its shoulders. But those were not the Titans they should be worrying about.
"Six hostiles incoming!" Six regular Titans stormed at the Scouts, causing them to consider between helping Gohan and engaged them. "Forget about me! Get Eren! I'll be done in a minute."
Ymir begged to differ. She arched her head forward and pinned Gohan down to his knees.
"Ymir! Don't do it!" Krista's shout distracted Ymir well enough that she stopped putting pressure on her bite force. Taking advantage of this opening, Gohan high kicked the Titan in the chin and freed himself from the struggle.
Ymir curled up and attempted to charged Gohan once again, just in time for the other riders from the formation to show up and surround her.
"Don't! I don't want to kill you after you saved us!" Levi was among the scouts who pointed their swords at her.
Six of the scouts dismounted and soared to the incoming Titans. The Titans' Ki disappeared before Gohan could take a look at them. On another hand, The Armored Titan's energy signature was about to exit the forest.
"Get on your horses Squad Gohan! They're getting out!" Ordered Levi. The squad descended from the tree and started to call out for their horses.
Historia looked at Ymir Titan curling down by a tree root, backed to the corner by several mounted scouts. The Jaw Titan eyed each and everyone of them as it growled furiously.
"Ymir, what's wrong with you? Why you attacked Gohan?"
"She got Post Traumatic Stress. She must still think I'm the Oozaru!" Gohan mounted on Nimbus. "I can assure you, Ymir, that I'm no longer the monster you've fought! Now, you can either help me to Eren or stay where you are!"
Gohan spurred his horse forward in pursuit of Reiner, which his squad rode behind, and following them were the rest of the formation. The only people who did not resume the pursuit were the people who were surrounding Ymir.
The Armored Titan exited the forest, heading South. Behind it was the combined forces of the three branches of the Military. Hundred of troops rode behind it , thundered the area with their hooves.
"Captain, where's the Commander going?" Gohan noted the Commander's Ki, and several troops were breaking formation. If he was right, Erwin was heading straight to a horde of Titans.
"Beats me!"
The Scouts closed their distance to the running Armored Titan. The soldiers could see better now, they saw exactly what the Captain and the newly appointed Squad leader were sensing. On the Titan's shoulder, stood Berthold with Eren tied to his back.
"Far-range Patrol Squad, with me!"
The Scout confused by the order given by Gohan. But when the Monkey Boy shot up a line at Reiner back and ejected at its shoulder, the scouts under his command followed him.
Berthold cream-faced as he identified the first Scout coming at him. He narrowly dodged Gohan's blades when the Monkey Boy landed on Reiner's shoulder. The man that was the Colossal Titan frantically retreated to the Armored Titan's neck.
"Reiner, protect me!"
"Did you hear their screams, Berthold? I did."
Gohan followed him, slashed his sword at the man that once had trained with him. The blades shattered when the Armored Titan covered it neck with it hands, shielding Berthold and Eren in the process. Gohan stared daggers at Berthold through the gaps between Reiner's iron cladded fingers, lamenting on his dark experiences.
"Did you see how they died? I did."
Sheathing one of his swords, Gohan inserted a new blade to his right one. He held tight the edge of the blade with his left hand and guided it through the gap. Berthold quickly ducked the mighty thrust that got through the between of Reiner finger and yelped in helplessness, he could not foresee how unpredictable Gohan was.
"Did you sense how their life sources faded away? I did."
Gohan repeated half-sworded through the gap, trying to hit Berthold as best as he could. The warrior inside ducked and dodged as he screamed in panic.
"Please, Gohan, stop!"
"Did you feel their pains? I did."
Gohan's half-swording was interrupted when he heard a clang at the back of the Armored Titan's nape. Levi and Mikasa's blades shattered in a botched attempt to kill Reiner. Joining Gohan's on the Titan shoulder, and Sasha, Gegar, Jean, Nanaba, Armin, Connie, Krista followed suit.
"I didn't believe it when Mike'd told me!" Nanaba glared at Reiner's glittered face.
"This is not working, our blades can't find any chink." Levi and Mikasa retreated to Gohan.
"Any chance you can Kamehameha him?" Berthold face was look like all his life forces were drained when Mikasa mentioned the Ki-blast.
"The Kame-what?" Levi and his squad asked in unison.
"We don't know if he can pull that off, nor does anyone want to risk killing Eren the process." Protested Jean. "See how fucked you are now, Berthold? Mikasa'll stop at nothing to get Eren back. And that newly promoted squad leader over there can come up with something to kill YOU sooner or later."
"Guys, really? This is some kind of joke, right? No way this is you. You've been lying to us this whole time?" Said Connie.
"We slept under the same roof as soldiers for three years." Continued Jean. "How could you sleep like that. So soundly beside your victims. You used to use your sleep posture to predict the weather. Was it all just an act to you? What about the way we used to talk about surviving this together? About growing old, looking back on the worst of it over drinks. Remember? Was that all bullshit?"
"What're you guys trying to do. Knocking some sense to these villains?" Gohan turned in to intervene. "You're making the same mistake my father did with Frieza. These two are malevolent beings that take joys in making innocents suffer."
"Should've let the Oozaru kill them." Spat Gelgar
"YOU'RE WRONG!"
The soldiers were all silent when Berthold cried out. Tears were pouring out of the warrior eyes as he confessed to his former friends
"Who chooses to be this? Tell me! You think this is what we aspired to be? We deserve to die for the things we've done. We're lost. We could live a thousand years and never again know peace. Try to imagine that darkness. The only light was our brief time as soldiers. It was never a lie!Do you understand?" He closed his eyes as he spoke out his heart. "We're not who we said we were,
but it wasn't an act! We genuinely thought of you as our friends!"
"You think just because you don't like what you did, then you won't face the consequences? Nice jokes!" Gohan's words put daggers into the traitor heart. "I'd turned in the Oozaru in Wall Maria once, you know? Gods know how many live I've taken." Gohan took a brief glance at Armin. "But I know I'm not exempted from the responsibility of what I'm not aware of. You said you didn't have a choice? Well I'ma give you one: Surrender or die!"
"We can't do that!" Berthold replied.
"Can't say that didn't give you a chance!"
Gohan swung to the back of Reiner's nape and started to pound his fists on the armor plates.
"Hey what're doing, Eight Fingers? Our blades can't pierce the bastard and you think your hands're gonna work?" Asked Levi when he saw the Monkey Boy did no damage to the nape, but then the Captain gaped when he saw Gohan's hands had receive no damage either.
"If bladed weapons don't work. Then it's time for hammer and mace. Didn't you guys read documents on Historical Martial Arts?" Gohan then proceeded to headbump the nape. "Murder Stroke!"
With his first strike of his headbutts, he made a dent to the Armored Titan's nape. Reiner growled when Gohan started to deform the weakpoint when he repeatedly smashed his head into the armor.
"Holy shit, it works!" Swore Connie.
Levi and Mikasa suddenly turned their head back to opposite site of the Armored Titan to see the energies that they had just picked up. In front of the Armored Titan was a squadron of soldiers led by Erwin headed toward them, on their tails were a horde of Titans.
"Just in time when we have this under control." Exclaimed Levi. "Let's get the hell out of here!" He ordered. "Gohan, whatever you're doing, save it for later!"
"I sense it too. Just go. I'll stay!"
"What?"
"I can manage."
Levi compared the Monkey Boy's power level with the incoming Titans' and tiredly agreed, he motioned the squad to leave. The scouts jumped off from the Armoured Titan and swung to their horses. Gohan did not followed his comrade and continued to bash his head to the nape.
"Squadrons break!Make the Titans scatter!" Ordered Erwin.
The riders dispersed and instinctively so did the Titans. Seconds later, Erwin and his team sent the horde into impact with the Armored Titan. Erwin then led his men away from the Titans and regrouped with Levi and the rest of formation.
"So, this is what you and Gohan have planned together, huh?" Levi asked when the commander rode to him.
"Planned together? Where's Gohan?" Puzzled Erwin.
"He had it under control." Levi pointed at the horde. "Still does!"
Gohan sliced off the hand and/or fingers of every Titan attempted to grab him as he continued to headbutt the Armoured Titan. The armour on Reiner's nape cracked and with another blow, it shattered. Before Gohan could slice through it, the Armored Titan let go one of his hands from his neck and reached to him, exposing Berthold and Eren.
"Opening!" Gohan vaulted pass the hand and leaped at Berthold and Eren. With a quick slash with his blade, Gohan severed both Berthold's hand and his straps on Eren. Gohan held tight Eren in his arm and round house kicked Berthold to a Titan's grasp.
Berthold screamed in agony and terror when a titan grabbed him. He was almost eaten before the Armored Titan slammed it fist on that one head and saved him. Berthold leaped back onto Reiner's shoulder and helplessly watched Gohan glided away with Eren.
"Good to see you again,Gohan !" Eren rejoiced in his friend's arm.
"Yeah, can't let either your mother or Mikasa cry over you! Seen enough sorrows from the refugees already!"
Gas burst from the ODM's propeller as Gohan retreated to the Scouts in front of him. Mikasa and the Special Operation Squad rode toward him and led an extra horse for Gohan .Gohan landed near Mikasa and sat Eren behind her, he could not describe how rejoiced she was when he looked at her.
"Do me a solid and don't let him get capture again. Starting to think it's gonna be a trend."
"Not on my watch!" Replied Mikasa.
Gohan remounted Nimbus and spurred. The squad rejoined the formation as they retreated, heading North to wall Rose. Gohan followed Commander Erwin's energy and sped his horse to catch up with the commander.
"Splendid work back there, Gohan!" The commander noticed him. "Thought I have to scarify every man and woman here to retrieve Eren Jaeger!"
"About earlier…"
"Sorry about that. I thought I have to put some tensions on the Armored Titan if we want to save Eren!"
"It's alright,sir! Improvise, adapt, overcome." Gohan glance back at the Armored Titan, the Titan Horde were swarming at it and successfully impeded Reiner's movement. "And you did put some tension to him. And what's an irony. They're going feel the pains of their victims five years ago!"
"Hey, Squad Leader!" Gohan shifted his attention on Connie who was right behind him. "That was amazing! I thought you're gonna get eaten,but man, you managed to bring Eren back all on your own?! That's some next level shit!"
"Do any of you guys see Ymir?" Asked Krista, looking around to find her best friend.
"She's coming to us over there!" Gohan pointed at their left, Ymir's Titan was on her four, running to them.
"Holy shit! Is she?" Gasped Connie when he saw the Titan.
"Relax! Her Ki is quite stagnant now, that means she's not going to attack. Looks like she's just riding along for now!" Informed Gohan, noting that her energy was lowered.
"Good to see that you've made a right choice,Ymir!" Put her hands around her mouth, Krista shouted to Ymir.
A wheezing sound behind the formation cut their celebration short. Gohan puzzled when he sensed a Titan coming at them at unprecedented speed. He looked behind him to see a Titan was flying to the formation.
"Watch out!"
The Titan landed right in front of the riders, the wave from the crash forced the soldiers to scatter and blinded them with the dust. Gohan stopped his horse and observed the situation in his rear. Reiner, the Armored Titan was holding a smaller Titan in his hand and tossed the creature at the soldiers before him.
"Right, never assume your enemy is defeated!" Gohan jumped out of Nimbus and shot a hook at the thrown Titan and rappelled toward it. He flipped in mid air and sliced the nape of that Titan just before it crashed. Changing the monster's course, instead of crashing into the formation, it landed beside them.
Despite Gohan's effort, the Armored Titan threw Titans after Titans at the riders. The Titans crashed at different places, they even managed to dismount several soldiers.
Gohan checked on Eren's energy, he and Mikasa were still moving. But this could not continue further, at this rate, people would still die. He confusedly look around, sensing the Titans scattered around him,knowing that he could not be at many places at the same time. But once he had his eyes on the Armored Titan from afar, he knew where he had to go.
"I did give them an ultimatum!I'ma do right to my words! Nimbus!"
Gohan mounted on his trusted steed and rode straight to the Armored Titan's direction. The scouts, the garrison troops, and the MPs couldn't help but to notice a rider that galloped into the opposite direction.
"Hey, Gohan, where're ya goin'? Wall Rose is in the other way?" Petra tried to call him back.
"Kid gets the right idea!" Said Levi, he unsheathed his blades. "Gunther, Petra, Oulo, you can go with me or you can proceed to the Wall. Your calls!"
Levi steered his horse around and followed Gohan. Following their captain, the Special Operation Squad turned their horses and went against the flow.
Gohan leaped to the air at the same time that Reiner tossed another Titan, Gohan shot a grapple on its chest and reeled himself on it. He quickly severed all the thrown creature's limb and made quick run to its nape. He cut the think of and kicked the Titan off its course and soared to the Armored Titan.
The Monkey Boy glided above the ground and saw the Armored Titan had made another throw. This time, he threw it straight at Gohan. The Monkey Boy did not even flinch at the incoming Titan, he shot up above it and landed his blades at its nape. Gohan pressed his feet on the Titan and steered it away from the rider below. As the Titan slid on the ground, Gohan was taken by surprise when a Titan sunk its teeth into his waist, deforming the ODM Gears he's wearing.
As it turned out, Reiner had changed his tactic when he had his eyes on Gohan, he had thrown one Titan as a distraction and when Gohan had been preoccupied by it, he kicked another one at him.
Gohan grunted in agony as the 10-meter titan bit into his waist, and when they both crashed to the ground, his ODM Gears broke into pieces. A hook snatched upon the Titan shoulder before Levi hopped in and made a quick work of it. Petra and Oulo rushed in and pulled Gohan out of the steaming Titan's mouth.
"Shit, just when you almost got it!" Levi walk on his side.
"Can you move?" Asked Petra, the concern was clear on her face when she saw how much Gohan bled.
"I was never supposed to be a soldier!"
"What?"
"I am not a soldier!" Gohan struggled as he stood, to everyone's surprise he succeeded. "Never had been!"
Another Titan was thrown toward them, this time was Ymir who came to the rescue as she shoved it in midair. Krista, Connie, Nanaba, Gelgar and Tomas rode to the SOS's side.
"Oh my god! He's bleeding!" Gasped Nanaba, but then the scouts was confused when Gohan took his cloak off.
"The old way it is!" Gohan unstrapped the broken ODM. "I'm a fighter! A fighter beats his contenders by his own way!"
"Okay, Eight Finger's in shock!" Oulo realized what had got to Gohan.
Not just Squad Gohan, the Special Operation Squad, but the entire Survey Corps, the Garrison and MPs stopped on their track to look at Gohan when he took off his jacket, then his shirt.
"Okay, I think I know what he's gonna do!" Connie eyes opened wide in terror as he started to ride away. "Steer clear! Get away from him."
From afar, Mikasa knew what was going on.
"Eren, did you say you've never seen the Kamehameha?"
Gohan curled himself in a horse stance, and holler as he strained himself. The scouts who stayed with him gaped when they saw his muscles tensed and enlarged, the boy's body then got roided up. Gohan cupped his hands together and pull them to his right.
"Oh shit! Oh no!" Cursed Reiner in his Titan's body.
"Kaaaaa!" Gohan's voice echoed back to the furthest soldiers.
"No, no ,no, no!" Reiner threw another Titan at him, but this one was caught by Ymir before it hit its targets.
"Meeeee!"The former squad of Mike and the Special Operation Squad jolted away from Gohan when they saw a whitish-blue Ki Ball was formed in his hands.
"I think Springer is right! We should move now!" Oulo mounted on his horse.
"Haaaaaaa!" The entire unit gaped gasped when they saw pebbles levitated around the Monkey Boy.
"We SeTtLe ThIs OnCe aNd fOr AlL!" Berthold mocked Reiner, he stared daggers at his fellow warrior. "You should've been patience. I'm blaming this on you!"
"MEEEEEEEEEEEE!"The ground beneath Gohan indented as the attack was being charged . The scouts near Gohan rode away in panic, they had never seen how the technique worked, but they knew they shouldn't be anywhere near it.
"Ymir! Get out of there!" Krista shouted.
"Uh-uh! Fuck this! I'm out of here." The Jaw Titan wasted no time retreated to the soldiers, staying clear from Gohan line of fire.
"Gohan, please, don't!" Knelt on the Armored Titan, Berthold did, his friend was frozen in fear when they both known they had poked on the beehive. "WE SURRENDER! WE SURRENDER!"
"HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" Gohan thrusted his hands forward, the soldiers behind him gasped when a beam of blue light was released from his hands.
The Ki beam collapse the ground in its path as it launched right under Reiner's armored feet. Berthold could feel the heat burned into his skin when the Kamehameha collided and exploded on impact. The soldiers had to cover their eyes from the explosion. When the light was dimed enough for them to look, a mushroom cloud had formed at where Reiner had once been standing.
Smoke in his hands, Gohan panted at his result, he was unable to sense Reiner or Berthold's Ki, or anyone at all, he had put all his energy in to this one attack.
"Thanks, Master Roshi!" The Fighter smiled at the deaths of the Warriors before collapsing to the ground.
Ymir pulled herself out of her Titan's nape, still gaping at the scene. The soldiers slowly trotted toward the shirtless scout lying on the ground. Manically shifted their visions back and forth on the mushroom cloud and on Gohan.
"They're dead! The Armored Titan and the Colossal Titan are both dead!"
"The people of Wall Maria are avenged!"
The soldiers, regardless of what branch they were from, raised their swords in celebration. Some of them even shed tears of joy as they looked at the mushroom cloud.
"Sensing anything?" Asked Erwin to Captain Levi.
"Nothing! Well, that cloud of his emits a lot of Ki for me to sense anything beyond that!" Answered Levi, reaching out his Ki Sensing prowess. "But do you really think anyone could survive that blast?"
Commander Erwin did not reply, he stared blankly at the mushroom cloud made from the Kamehameha. He then glanced at the creator of the masterpiece, the now unconscious Gohan who was being attended to by his friends from the 104th Cadet corps and Levi's squad.
'Looks like there's a new god in town.' Ymir stared at the shirtless Gohan being surrounded by the other scouts. 'A real one this time!'
With reports maintaining the likelihood of Wall Rose having been compromised, citizens of the region
were forced to take refuge in an underground city within the confines of Wall Sina. However, emergency provisions that had been stockpiled for the occasion with over half the population relying on them could only last a week top. Beyond that brewed a terrible scenario, the populace would turn on each other like animals, or face the prospect of starvation. To avoid a humanitarian crisis of catastrophic proportions, within a week of the Titan onslaught, authorities declared Wall Rose secure, and it was.
Erwin sat at his table in his office in Trost, sitting with him where Pyxis, Levi, Connie and Hange. They were discussing the finding in Connie's hometown ,Ragako.
"You're saying the Titans responsible for this were the citizens of Ragako?" Pyxis jumped from his seat when Hange finished.
"I see. So, in actuality, Titans are human beings." Remarked Erwin.
"Well, we don't have proof yet." Said Hange, putting her hand on the grieving Connie.
"Great. Perfect. I've spent all this time. All this energy." Sighed Levi on his seat. "And the things I've been carving through like carrion were people."
The was silence cover the atmosphere of the room before Erwin changed the subject.
"So, Pyxis. What's the situation of your Regiment? Do you sure they've gone quiet about the…."
"Kamehameha!" Levi corrected.
"Shame I didn't get to see it!" Exclaimed Hange
"Niles Dowk came and demand us to say nothing of it. He wants to keep it a secret." Nodded Pyxis.
"That doesn't sound like the MPs." Wondered Levi, this behavior was not expected from the Military Police. "Why do they want to protect Gohan? Judging from what they've tried to do with Eren, they would have demanded the Monkey Boy's execution when they knew about the Kamehameha."
"Pyxis, did Nile mention Lady Winters?" Asked Erwin.
"Lady Winters? No, he didn't. Why would the Lady of Castle Jutnar have anything to do with this?"
"Sir, when we apprehended the Female Titan, the Wolfpack showed quite an interest on Gohan." Informed Hange, recalling what had happened in Stohess.
"John Ingham even pointed his rifle at Erwin when he knew Gohan wasn't there!" Added Levi. "The Wolfpack only interest in what the Lady interests in!"
"The Lady never shows interest in a well being of a soldier before!" Confused Pyxis.
"Until now! Until Gohan! She protected him, covered his secrets, and wanted him to be brought to her!" Continued Erwin , the Commander connected the dots and came to a conclusion. "Why would a woman who leeched on the collapse of Wall Maria, the woman who murdered her way to become the richest person in all humanity, went through all that troubles to save a boy she never known of? The answer is: She does know him; Lady Winters, Gohan's her son!"
Levi, Hange, Pyxis and Connies gasped at the conclusion. As unbelievable as it was, it made perfect sense. Gohan was nothing like the vile woman named Lady Winter, they were opposite in character. But the Matriarch of the Wolfpack had done a lot to protect Gohan, so that only meant one thing , the She-Wolf was protecting her cub.
"That does make senses. Not even the MP would dare to lay a finger on the Lady's flesh and blood!" Nodded Pyxis.
"Can't be! Gohan's nothing like her." Connie backed away. "He's kind , caring….. She's greedy, vile and evil!"
"But if he's a Winters! We'd have found his file in Wall Sina's archive!" Added Hange.
"He's possibly born out of wedlock! As I know, the Lady's never married!" Said Erwin.
"A bastard?" Asked Levi.
"She probably wants to keep the scandal a secret! She must had the file erased!"
"Teach me! Teach me! Teach me, Gohan! Teach me how to do the Kamehameha!" Eren was not the only that tailed Gohan since he had wakened a week earlier, asking to learn the Kamehameha. Jean, Mikasa, Armin, The Special Operation Squad followed him to the courtyard the entire day.
"Not sure if we can learn it or what!" Said Jean, he was under the impression that only Gohan could do it.
"True, I wonder if it is something like Eren's Titan power, only restricted to one person?" Armin had the same question.
"It's not an unique technique, it's teachable!" Retorted Gohan. "I've told you, I learned it from my dad, my dad learned it from Master Roshi!"
"Never heard of him!" Said Petra, crossing her arms. "Anyway, imagine that if every soldier can do that, the wall will be reclaimed in no time!"
"It took fifty years for Master Roshi to develop that on his own. It's going to take time! Take it easy!" Informed Gohan.
"How long did it take for you to learn it?" Asked Mikasa.
"About a year." Gohan recalled the time he had been in the Time Chamber.
"Then we should start training now!" Eren grabbed tight on Gohan's arm and started to pull him to the courtyard.
"Let's not get ahead of ourselves here!" Gohan stood fast, reining himself from Eren's pull. "Ask Commander Erwin for a day off to see your mom first. She must has missed you a lot."
"Don't worry about it! She has Hannes to take care of her!" Assured Eren.
"Not that. The last time you saw her, you were on trial. It's time for you two to catch up!" Retorted Gohan. "You guys need to visit her, that means you too, Mikasa!"
"He's right. We haven't seen mom for quite a time. Two Years, was it? I know that we met her in the Battle of Trost and the trial." Mikasa agreed with Gohan, they had not seen Carla for a very long time. "But never any official visit."
"Now you mention it! I think I should ask for a day off to see my parent!" Said Petra, she's not the only one who missed their family.
"Me too!" Added Oulo.
"Me three!" Added Gunther.
"Oh right! Fine! I'll ask Commander Erwin for some days off!" Eren relented to Gohan's excuse of postponing the training. "I'll …. We'll spend some time with my mom and then you'll teach us the Kamehameha afterwards!"
"Deal!" Gohan shook Eren hand.
"We should get ourselves some drinks after all that shit!" Suggested Jean, reminding the friends of what they had been through.
The scouts went quiet when they heard additional footsteps walking to the courtyard they were in. Two MP soldiers approach them from the entrance.
"Gohan Son?" One of the MP asked.
"Oh, god. They're here for you!" Worried Armin. "After what you did!"
"Present!" Saluted the Monkey Boy, he had no other option but to comply now.
"What you want from him?" Petra stared daggers at the MPs.
"We are here to inform you that we've found your mother. We'll take you to her in Wall Sina."
"Pardon? My what?" Gohan must had misheard them because he thought that they had just said 'your mother'.
"Eren Jaeger, Mikasa Ackerman, you're also required to come along. The carriage is waiting for you outside, please come with us!"
Next chapter: Lady Winter.
Author's note: I take the Kamehameha power-up from the fight between Jackie Chun and Goku. Gohan is as strong, if not strong than that now so,yeah, he can pull that off.
Author's note 2: To be honest, I only read a few chapter on some Sagas of Dragon Ball Z, the rest were Wiki and DBZA, so yes the Character Development can be faulty. However, I did thoroughly read the OG Dragon Ball manga (With Kid Goku) and GT, so that will suffice.